The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-03
ISAAC WILLIAMS HANGS,
never WAvERING In HIS
PROTESTS OF INNOCENCE

Shortly before the hanging, Roe, in
conversation with Mr.. Cary, told Of
some of his adventures, saying that
on November 20. the day after the
murder, he had been almost killed by
Ia train in Bridgeport. As he had
always commended that he was in
Poughkeepsie ON that night and did
not come to Connecticut until Nov.
80, Mr.. Cary pressed him for de-
tails.
Roe caught himself and exclaimed
mo, I don't mean that. 1 wasn't IN
Bridgeport.
Warden Ward A. Garner said that
the two men passed the day quietly.
eating their regular fare with ap-
parent appetites ait all three meals.
In the middle of the afternoon they
were taken from their own cells to
the death cells and there kept until
just before the execution when they
were led to the death chamber.
Williams and Roe were convicted OF
the murder of County Commissioner
Hubert B. Case, who died in. Bark
hansted on November 20, 1914, from
wounds inflicted in an assault made
upon him the previous night. At
about o'clock on the evening of No
vember 28,' Mr.. Case was alone in
general store of which he was the
proprietor. Less than hour later
Mrs. Case and Miss Lillian Johnson
found him in a badly wounded con-
dition, his injuries having been in
hicted upon the head with a piece Of
iron axle, which, it was learned later.
had been taken from a pile of iron at
a nearby blacksmith shop. The mo-
tive for the crime was clearly estab-
iShed as robbery, for a sum of money
which was known to have been in his
possession earlier in the evening, had
disappeared. Mr.. Case died the fol-
lowing afternoon without regaining
consciousness.
Williams was arrested in Bridgeport
on January Is, 1915, and Roe, who was
then in jail in Poughkeepsie, N. Y,
charged with another burglary, was
brought to Connecticut. At the trial,
which began on June and lasted I'M
til June Is, evidence showed that Will
iams had lived at the home Of Maui
rice Pfaefflin, about nine miles from
Mr.. Cases store, for some time pre-
vious to the attack, and that the two
had met in the Winsted freight yards
on the night of November %.
The principal witness for the state
at the trial of Williams and Roe was
Arthur Pfaefflin, who was arrested
soon after. the murder and held as a
witness Pfaeff1in finally consented to
turn states evidence and his testi-
mony had much to do with the con-
viction of Williams and Roe. A YER
dict of guilty was returned by a jury
and the Two men were sentenced to
die on December 8, 1915. Their law
yers, however, appealed to the su-
prene court, which acted as a stay of
sentence. The supreme court found
no error in the action of the trial
Judge. A motion in the superior court
for new trial was lost and finally
the men lost their appeal for commu-
tation OF the death sentence at a hear
ing of the board of pardons on Mon
day
Both Williams and Roe made GER
tain admissions after their arrest, but
later maintained their innocence, al
though admitting that they had taken
part in various other bulglaries They
contended siiat they were in Pougl1-
Rzeepsie on the night of the attack
upon Mr.. Case and that they had new
er seen HIM.
Williams body will NO be brought
to Bridgeport for burial. It was taken
today to the undertaking rooms of J.
A. Whitney in Main street, Hartford
from where the funeral will be held
tomorrow morning.
Mrs. Isaac Williams husband of th4
convicted murderer, will attend the
services, which will be brief. Mrs J.
B. Williams, sister-in-1sw of Mrs
Isaac Williams, will accompany her
The rector Of Christ church, Hart
ford, is expected to officiate at the ser
vices. The burial will be in Old North
cemetery in Hartford.