Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-12-09
MURDERER ONH TRIAL
Robert Newman, Former Soldier,
Placed on Trial Today for Partici-
patton in Murder of John P. Werres,
Washington Jitney Driver.

| Washington JItney Driver.
| The work of selecting a jury wa
begun today in the Circuit Court TO
| Alexandria county, Judge Samuel G
Brent presiding, in the case of Rob
art Newman, formerly member o
the 601st Engineers, u. S. A.
charged with being implicated in TIL.
murder of John P. Werres, Wash
ington jitney driver, which occurred
May 10 in Alexandria county.
Newman has confessed that he
aided Earl Gamble in killing Werres,
but maintains that Gamble struck
The blow which actually caused the
ieath of Werres.
The murder for which Newman is
being tried and for which Gamble,
another soldier, has been convicted
IN sentenced to the electric cfair at
Richmond, was premeditated, accord
ing to statements of both men. /.
Catherine Burgess, CANDLES sweet
heart, who was witness to the mur-
Ter of the Washington taxi driver.
vas tried an acquitted. She has since
lied, giving birth to a child.
Both Gamble and Newman admit
I'd in statements to the sheriff, they
lad planned, with the girl, on the
possibility of having to commit mur-
ler, and they were sober at the time
he crime was committed.
Gamble, who but for the granting
f q reprieve by the governor of Vir-
.inia would have already been elec
rocuted for his part in the crime
stated that the murder of the taxi
river was prearranged. His state
nent is borne out by Newman. Both
'oldiers said they planned to desert
md had arranged to leave in an au-
omcbile "even if they had to kill
:omebody to get possession of one"
hey declared.
The following confession is al
eyed to have beeu made by Newman
'ollowing his arrest:
=" l. met Gamble at Camp Glen
7urnie. He was planning to desert
decided to 60 with him. We came
o Washington May Z. Then we went
o Laured where Gamble had friend i
Mrs. Mary Burgess.
Friday afternoon, May 10, we hir-
ID Werres, who said he had ear. t.
AXE the three Of us out joyridine
Friday night. We planned to take >thc
ar from him and go to Texas.
"When we had gone out through
he place where we later hid the
lriver's body,,he refused to go any
:ulther and said he was going back
o the city. He backed his car be.
tween two white pillars, turned il
md staI ted it back. We tried to get
him to &C on driving us down into
Virginia.
"Finally we began to quarrel.
was or the front seat with him. I hit
lim with a near-beer bottle He
vas knocked ont for minute. When
he came to he began to curse and
veil. Then Gamble. who was in the
back seat with Mrs. Burgess, hit
Werres with an iron bar we had
picked Up on the fire escape at
little hotel we stopped at in Wash
ngton. The driver fe], back and
both of US hit him again.
! "Then we lifted him out of the
automobile and up the bank. We
carried him back ways and hid
him under some brushes. We went
back to the automobile. Then we
thought about the drivers money. We
went back to the place we had left
him and searched him. We got
watch and chain and some money.
"Then we started the car. I drove
part of the way to Richmond. Gam.
hle drove part of the way.
"We had gotten civilian clothes in
Laurel. We had changed to these
and hid our uniforms in the automo-
bile.
eve stopped at creek and wash
cd some of the blood off of suitcase
"Oh my God, why did we do it."