Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-05
NEGRO CONFESSES
KILLING MRS. Mann
/ AND OTHER CRIMES
w. H. Campbell Describes
! Murder and Robbery OF
D. G.. Music Teacher.


Porter streets. a short distance OIL
Connecticut avenue. the night oil
March II. was solved last night by
police of the tenth precinct, when
william Henry Campbell. coioreu'
twenty-five years old. Wylie court
confessed his guilt.
Campbell has been in custody Just
one week, having been arrested near
18th and Harvard streets by Detec-
tive Darnall of the tenth precinct,
who noticed him going from house 10
house making inquiries OF persons
who responded to the ringing OF door
bells He had admitted numerous
hure aries and hold-ups, according TO
the police. and a ring torn from MIS-
Mauu's hand was recovered from a
Baltimore colored girl. to whom he
had given il.
Breaks Down and COnfesses.
II was while the police were ques-
tiorin& Campbell last night regarding
n number of his confessions to rob
herieS in the city that the fact he had
murdered Mrs. Mann was disclosed.
one of the officers mentioned the muir
der and robbery of Mrs Mann to the
prisoner. To the surprise of all he
broke down and told he had commit
ted the crime.
ON the day of the murder and rob-
hery Of Mrs. Mann. the prisoner said,
he boarded a car at 18th ana
streets and rode as far as the Calvert
street bridge He went to that sec
ton. he stated. with the intention OF
snatching the first handbag or pocket
hook he saw a woman carrying. He
said he walked across the bridge and
soon entered the woods. Campbell
said he picked up piece OF charreo
wood. the weapon found near the
scene OF the murder when the body
of Mrs. Mann was discovered. the day
after the crime was committed.
Describes Attacking Mrs. Mann.
Mrs. Mann was the first one to
come along. Campbell stated. and he
secreted himself in some bushes I'M
til she was near and suddenly at
tackled her. She put up a fight, he
declared and he knocked her down
with the piece of wood Even after
she had been knocked down Mrs. Mann
continued her efforts to protect her
self. Campbell stated. and he dealt
her another blow with the club. which
rendered her unconscious. He took
what cash he found in her handbag
and removed her watch and ring.
Campbell explained he ran from
the scene of the crime when he saw
a man and woman approaching. He
said in his flight he dropped the watch
in a small stream.
Leaving the vicinity of the scene
of the crime, Campbell said, he made
his way home. He remained in the
city three days and went to Balti-
more
Identity of the ring as having be-
longed to Mrs. Mann had not been es-
tablished by the police, although it
bore her initials.
signs Written Confession.
Capt. Judge. Lieut.. Stoll, Detective
Darnall and Policeman O'Donnell, all
members of the tenth precinct COM
mand, were with the prisoner when he
made the confession. Maj. Gessford.
superintendent of police. who was at
tending a meeting in a nearby hall,
went to the police station and heard
the prisoner repeat the story of the
crime. Campbell signed a written
confession and Maj. Gessford com
mended Detective Darnall and other
members of the tenth precinct COM !
mand who had been instrumental in
solving the murder mystery.
Campbell probably would have been
taken to Police Court several days
ago and arraigned on charges of
burglary and robbery mad il not been
that he increased his list of crimes
by admissions from time to time.
Monday morning when the prisoner
appeared in the lineup at police
headquarters the suggestion was
made that he answered the descrip-
ton of the slayer of Mrs Mann and
also that he may have committed one
or more of the assaults on women
last summer. This morning the pris-
oner declared Mrs. Mann was the only
woman he had harmed.
Ring Recovered in Baltimore.
Detectives Embrey and Darnan re-
covered the ring in Baltimore Mon
day AFTERNOON 1t was learned that
IL had been pawned several times
since it was stolen. This morning
shortly after daybreak Detectives
OBrien and Mullen of headquarters
force and Detective DarnalI and Po-
liceman O'Donnell accompanied the
prisoner TO the place where he said
ne mad dropped the watch No trace
of the timepiece was found
Campbell told a Star reporter he
did not know of Mrs. Mann's death
until he read a u account of it in an
afternoon paper the day after her
0$ath. he said. did not bother him to
any considerable extent. He knew if
the police caught him that he would
he sent 10 prison, he stated, and for
that reason he said nothing about it,
This morning the prisoner was
taken to police headquarters. where
he was questioned at length by In
spector Grant. He was formally
charged with murder. numerous
charges of housebreaking and snatch
ing, pocketbooks having been previ
ously placed against him ON the
blotter at the tenth precinct station.
His case VIII be investigated by the
grand jury, and he probably will be
placed on trial the coming fall.
Identifies Charred stick.
While under examination by In
spector Grant the prisoner identified
the charred stick recovered by the
police as being the one with which
he attacked Mrs. Mann. He also
identified the handkerchief that was
tied about Mrs Mann's mouth as hav-
ipE belonged to him
II bought il in store on 9TH
street" he said. and tied it about
her mouth when she was screaming"
Campbell denied that he struck his
victim with the blood stained stone
found near the body. He also said
he did not leave the scene of the
crime i'll the direction indicated by
the footprints in the mud. but that
he w..nt in the opposite direction
in ten charges of HOUSEKEEPING
pref"rred against the prisoner in the
ten IA precinct the names and ad-
dresses of the complainants are given
rs follows: 3. T.. Scott. 1903 Alaska
Avenue: q. l.. Veerhon 6O4 Aspen
ST. vct; Harry p. Landgraf. 6l01 Geor-
ok avenue; w. r. Clarkson. 1877 AL
Iiscu street: Mrs. Deets Pickett, 8O1
2ittenaouse street; W. Il. Bell so?
Isiftcuhouse street: Maude Brady
Military road and 18th street; Agnes
Walker. 1910 Longfellow street:
Charles y. Neal. 1851 Montague street
and Grace Shanaberg, 1888 Belmont
street.
4 charge Of snatching a pocket
book from Lulu Lancaster. 7O1 Law
renee street northeast. also was re
corded The police say they will
prefer additional charges of robbery
ana housebreaking against Campbell,
and Will continue their IuVeStigaf on m