New-York tribune., 1919-12-09
Playmate's Father Arrest
ed With His House
keeper and More Cap
lures Expected Soon
Both Rushed to Jail
By Secret Routes
Appearance of Bones Led
to Theory They Were
Placed in the Swamp

HAMMON ON. N. j E. Dec. S.-Charlec
S. White next-door neghbor of the
parents of three-year- "Billy" Dan
sey, whose bones were found in Folsom
swamp six weeks after his mysterious
disappearance October 8, was arrested
to-day. charged with the child's mur-
der. Mrs. Edith l.. Jones, housekeeper
for Whites father, was taken into Gus
tody as an alleged accessory after the
fact.
White, who is twenty-nine years old,
is the father of Charley White, "Billy"
Dansey's playmate. When the Dansey
boy was first missed the theory was
put forward that he might have been
kidnapped by mistake for Charley
White, whose grandfather, Councilman
Edward H. White, is wealthy. The
man arrested to-day led some Of the
searching parties that secured the sur
rounding country for the dead boy.
Fear that residents Of Hammonton
might attempt to take the law into their
own hands if they heard of the arrests
led Prosecutors Detectives Wilson, and
until they had lodged their prisoners
in the county jail at Mays Landing.
They went to the office of Magistrate
Strouse this afternoon, obtained war
rants from him, and, accompanied by
the magistrate, motored through the
rain to the White farm. White and
Mrs. Jones, submitted quietly to arrest.
Each denied all knowledge of the crime.
Victims Mother Sees Arrest
Just as the officers and their prison
ers drove away, Detective Wilson saw
the paid face Of Mrs. Hercules Dansey,
mother of the slain boy, peering from
a window of her home. They put on
speed
They returned to the office of
Magistrate Strouse, who committed
White and Mrs. Jones without bail
Then the party rushed to Mays Land
ing, fifteen miles away The trip was
made over unfrequented roads.
Acting under orders from Prose
cutor Gaskill, the detectives refused
to give out any Of the details of the
allegations they make against White.
The prosecutor intmated other arrests
would follow.
White stated at the time Of Billy's
disappearance he had seen him play
ing in the dahlia field on the White
farm. which had been the common
playground Of Billy and Charley
White. He said the boy had started
to toddle off in a direction opposite to
that of the swamp where the bones
were subsequently found. The author-
ties expressed the belief yesterday
the boy had been killed at the time
White reported having seen him in the
field.
When the lads body was discovered
two weeks ago, the officials encouraged
the theory that the bones were not
really those Of Billy Dansey, they
said to-day, in order to relieve White
of suspicion that he was being
watched. He and his housekeeper have
been under almost constant surveil-
lance since then.
White, his father, who is leading
business man of this town. his three
yearold son and Mrs. Jones occupied
the same house. White was a witness
at the inquest over the Dansey boy
testfying to having last seen him in
the dahlia field.
Bones Placed in Swamp
Detectives had learned the portion OF
the Folsom swamp where the boys
several times by searchers, and this
led to the theory that the child had
been killed elsewhere and the bones
placed in the swamp only q few days
before they were discovered Thei,
condition Indicated they had not beer
exposed to the open air for six weeks
Not until White and Mrs. Jones hac
been locked up for two hours at Mays
Landing did their arrest become known
in Hammonton.
Magistrate Strouse refused to admi,
he had issued warrants until informed
that Prosecutor Gaskill had made the
matter public in Atlantic City
"Charles S. White knows what hap
pened to Billy Dansey," said Detec
tive Nusbaum tonight. "The boy wa.
dead at the very hour, 10 o'clock in the
morning, White says he saw him ir
the dahlia field. We are positive we
have the solution of the mystery l.
would give away our case if we let ou
any more information at this time. TIL,
developments will be sensationa
enough when they come"
None of the officials would give tht
least inkling Of the manner in which
they believe "Billy" Dansey was slain
The search for the Dansey boy, VIII,
had received prize offered by 9TH,
Ladies Home Journal" for the mos
perfect baby" became country wide be
Reports of boys seen in the custody o
strange men and women came in from
all sections of the United States. De
tectives were sent into Ohio and othe
parts Of the Middle West to run dowl
some of the clews.
Hercules Dansey brought his Wit
and child to HammontoH less than
year ago from Pittsburgh. The Whit
and Dansey families ware on friepdl.
| farms and thA two little hoYs of ahou