Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-23
WHITE LAYS ARREST.
TO MRS. DANSEY
Man Accused of Murder Says
Stories and Testimony of
Mother Conflict
HAS REUNION OF FAMILY
BIZ a star Correspondent

Atlantic City. Dec. 23.--Charles s.
White was arrested and accused of
numbering Billy Dansey on evidence
furnished by the mother of the dead boy.
Detectives making the arrest OF
White and Mrs. Edith Jones acted on
statements made by Mrs. Dansey. which
directly opposed her testimony at the
inquest.
Charles White. the accused man who,
lawyers say, is the first man ever ad-
mitted to bail in New Jersey while
under a charge of first degree murder.
is'authority for the statement that Mrs.
Dansey caused his arrest.
On the strength of the mothers varied
assertions, he and Mrs. Jones.
motherly woman of fifty five years,
were taken from their home and rail
roadcd' TO Jail, White said today.
Never Waived Hearing
"We never waived hearing. as
Magistrate George Strouse and PROSE
cutor Gaskill have said. White ex-
planned. "They hauled us before
Strouse. the complaint was read and
we were held. We were given no
chance to employ counsel. We were
told that anything we said might be
used against us. So we kept still
Every member of the White and
Jones families have submitted specimens
of their handwriting to Prosecutor
Gaskill. who is endeavoring to connect
some member of either family with the
~. P letters which were mailed in
Newark to Mrs. Dansey. and which
declared that Billy was alive and being
taken west. Both the samples of writ
ing and the letters will be given over to
handwriting experts.
White is happy to be out of Jail
where he was held for two weeks until
yesterday. when he was released in
$500 bail. He stood with one arm
around his wife, the other around his
son. Charles Jr., who cung to his leg
rs he told his story. White has a re-
markably frank and engaging smile.
"Of course, ] am glad to be out" he
said, but I regard this only ms the
first step toward my complete and final
vindication. | was arrested because of
Mrs. Dansey's contradictory tales. At
the inquest she told of being between
me and the swamp and of hearing
Billy's voice or cry from the swamp on
October s, the day he disappeared.
That statement was made several
weeks after the boy disappeared. She
had ample time to collect her thoughts
and go over the occurrence to make sure
what had happened.
Detectives Talked Guardedly
"But the Wednesday evening before
! was arrested, | was called to the
Dansey home and there. in the presence
OF three detectives, she said she had
heard the cry from the dahlia field in
which I and Mrs. Susan White. my
brothers. wife, were working. Follow
ing her statement the detectives talked
guardedly of not accusing anybody.
and l don't know whether they referred
to me or Mrs. Dansey.'
White said Mrs. Dansey also chang
ed her story of what occurred before
the hunt for the boy.
In her story told just before oui
arrest, Mrs. Dansey said she first
missed her son when Jack. his pet dog
returned home he said. "She sait
the dog went as far as the dahlia field
where my sister in law and 1 were ant
then returned crying"
Mrs. Dansey's later story differed il
one other important manner from heI
she said she asked White had he seer
Billy, and he said he had passed that
way.
Later. in the presence of White, he
said, she told detectives that he haC
not answered her.
81 did not know what they were driv-
ing at. but l told myself at the time
that. Mrs: Dansey was lying" be said
Mrs. Jones, out on S2j00 bail, is
more than happy. Surrounded by mem =
bers Of the White and Jones families.
she said: II didn't think the sun would
ever shine again. 1t was a terrible
abuse of justice, but there is heavenly
Father to guide us through such trou :
hlCs. I loved Billy almost as much as
] loved anybody. From the first time
I saw him loved him. How could
anybody think that I could have any
thing to do with his" Then she
faltered
Mrs. White. wife of Charles White
said: This will be the best Christmas
we ever had. We will have turkey il
it's the only one in Hammonton."
Other important inquest testimony
lost some of it's value when Prosecutor
Gaskil said that he was prepared to
fight the belief that footprints leading
away from the dahlia field. and which
were followed in the search for the
boy, were those of Billy.
G. Arthur Bolte, counsel for the lie
fense. said today that the defense wouit
rest until after the grand jury hears
the case.