The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-14
NEGRO IDENTIFIED
AS MAN WHO SHOT
BOWMAN To DEATH
Have No Doubt that in
Tom Sharkey They
Have Murderer.
ESCAPED CONVICT
Is Positively Identified By
Witnesses Who Saw
Slayer Flee From
Store.

CITY police have no doubt that in
the arrest of Tom Sharkey at the
plant OF the kingan company IN
Fifteenth street, yesterday afternoon.
they have captured the negro who
shot J. c Bowman TO death in the
store Of the Great Atlantic ana Ia :
cihc Tea company. Harrison ana
Leigh streets last Saturday morning
So certain are they that they nave
nahbed the guilty man that Captain
A. s. Wright, chief o. the detective
bureau said last night that four
other negroes held as suspects would
be released from custody today, I'M
less II was found they were wanted
for other crimes.
Sharkey, an escaped convict from
the Virginia penitentiary, and negro
OF numerous aliases, has been posi-
lively identified by negroes who saw
him lurking in the vicinity OF Inc
Atlantic and Pacific store on Friday
and on the morning ef the murder
and by the colored girl ordered out
OF The store by the murderer mo-
u,ent before he shot Mr.. Bowman
through the heart. one colored man
whose name the police prefer not 10
divuige at this time. who saw the
murderer five times on the morning
OF the killing promptly identined MN
a. the Second station last night. ms
man had previously looked over eight
suspects rounded up by the ponce
declaring that each was not the man.
AS soon as he saw SharheS ne sat"'
That's the man
Have Other Evidence.
The police are IN possession OF other
evidence which they believe indupit~
ably fassens Ire crime on sharke$.
In a room occupied ty the negro al
17sY West Leigh street, Detective SER
gsant T. /. wiltshire who. with De
tectives Atkinson, Wiltshire. q. r
Smith and Gerring. arrested the man.
found three revolvers. two boxes OF
cartridges and quantity OF silk
shirts and socks.
One OF the pistols--a wicked aP-
nearing 32-calibre gun with "A long
hsrrel-was smeared with mud 1t is
with this revolver that the police be-
neve Mr. Bowman was shot to death
IT ia known that the murderer, AFTER
leaving the store, dropped revolver
in the mud at Harrison and Moore
streets ard later picked II up VIII
nesses who saw HIM drop the gun
said it was long and the color OF steel.
rha revolver answers this DESCRIPTION
in detail. Empty cartridges picked
nm hy the police in Chamaeriayne
avenue. along which the murderer
was observed fleeing by several per-
sous. are of the same size and make
as those found in Sharkey's room
In his room the police also found
a pair of shoes. one of which had
steel plate on the toe thereof. root
r,riu;s discovered along Chamherlayhe
avenue shortly after the crime was
committed bore indentations whlGh
indicated that the man who MADE
srss such shoe. "A
blue polka dot handkerchief, which
rftnesses the murderer wore
around his neck at the time he enter
ed the Atlantic and Pacific store, was
found in one of Sharkey's pockets.
Near Confession.
Questioned by Captain Wright and
Detectives Atkinson. Gerring, Wit
shire and Smith at the Second station
last night. Sharkey once or twice APP
peared on the verge or making con-
fession. He would glance nervously
about him. murmur something in
audible and then swallow, as II ne
were choking. He never got 10 the
point however where he was willing
to admit that he killed Mr.. Bowman.
Sharkey admitted having been in
the vicinity of the Atlantic and Pa
cific store Friday night. but denied
that he was there at any time Satur'
day He first denied that ne Hdd
room at i7as West Leigh street; he
also denied that the shoes, revolvers
and cartridges found there belonged
to him. Later he admitted thai
everything the police found in the
room belonged to him.
Negro Tipped on Police.
The informatio which led the po-
lice to the kingan company's plant
was furnished by negro, whose
name Captain Wright. for obvious
reasons. declined to disclose last night
The informant told the police where
Sharkey was working and where he
had his room. and is certain TO share
in the reward of 1880 offered fol
the apprehension of the murderer.
Ry a photograph on file in the
rogue's gallery at police headquarters
the detectives established that Shar-
kew was an escaped convict. He was
sent up for burglary January l, 1912
and made his escape from a chain
gang September 7, 1915. The Negro
admitted last night that he was want
ed by the penitentiary authorities
and asked II he would have to serve
An additional five years for his escape
Educated Negro.
Sharkey appears to be an educated