The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1916-11-05
DECLARES THAT Hf DID
NOT KILL MAY
GOODWIN
MADE AN ATTEMPT
TO GAIN FREEDOM
Threw Snuff in Eyes of Detec.
tive Hurst Bat Was Recap.
turcd.

Haralorff Chelzcesa, the man who
was found hiding in The belfry OF
NEGRO church IN North Columbus last
Sunday, and who was later identi
fled as the murderer Of May Good
win, queen of the Memphis under,
world, arrived in the Bluff City last
wednesday night, after having made
an Intellectual attempt to escape from
Al Hurst, the detective who had him
/ in charge.
Notwithstanding the fact that
Chelzeesh has been positively iden-
titled as the slayer of the Goodwin
woman he still persists in declaring
that he is innocent of the crime.
Chelzceski attempted to make his
getaway by throwing snuff in Hurst's
eyes while the pair were walking
from one depot to another in Wi
mona Wednesday afternoon, but
this effort failed to succeed On ac-
count Of the fact that the detective
wore glasses. which protected his
eyes and prevented the snuff from
getting into them. His vision was
only slightly impaired and he drew
out his revolver and fired three shots.
While none of the bullets hit Chel.
zeesh, they scared him so badly that
he surrendered to Hurst, and was
quite docile throughout the remain
der Of the trip.
On his arrival in Memphis Chelz.
eesu gave representative of the
News-Scimitar the following story Of
his career, which will prove interest
ing to readers Of the Commercial. as
| it includes several Of his escapades in
Columbus.
Chelzceski was clad only in his
shirt, his underwear and his socks.
the rest of his clothes having been
taken away by the police. Under
his right eye was a livid scar, his left
thumb was off and there was ring
tatooed on the third finger Of his
hand. He readily explained how he
obtained the scar.
81 served in the British army in
the South African war against the
Beers in 1901" he said, "and this
scar was caused by a saber cut !
lost my thumb a year ago while ho-
.boing when it was mashed off be-
tween the bumpers on two cars !
had the tattoo work done while in
Cape Town with the army.
81 left my home in Poland in 1899,
after having been educated in a Rus
sian school, and went to England.
After the war returned there, and
Is months ago came to America,
working my way on the Cardiff, a
tramp steamer, TO Tampa, Fla. The
only time | was ever arrested was in
Baltimore when they grabbed me for
being drunk
~ have hoboed around, working as
a day laborer anywhere | could find
a job. ! blew into Columbus on a
rattler last Saturday night / was
hungry and | searched around for
something to eat. ! found refrig-
orator on somebody's back porch.
opened it, ate all | could and put the
rest in my pockets It was chilly and
| wanted something to cover me, so
| twisted the paddock off mans
garage, stole a laprohe and started
out TO find a place to flop for the
might. picked out a negro church
as place where / was not likely to
be disturbed.
At 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon !
awoke The negroes were holding
services downstairs, and one climbed
up into the belfry to see what caused
the noise up there He took one look
at me and beat it. came down and
tried to get away but the cops caught
me-"