The Washington times., 1920-08-06
ROPE MAY LINK
Staying OF 2
Police Believe II Will Prove
Campbell Also Killed
Mrs. Gleason.

Although vigorously maintaining
his innocence OF any connection with
the attack last March on Mrs. Bessie
Gleason, of Nicholson avenue north
east. William Henry Campbell. the
. twenty -two-year-o negro who con
fessed to having beaten to death with
a buldgeon Mrs. Gertrude Harrison
Mann, admitted last night that he tied
his handkerchief around Mrs. Mann's
throat to stop her from screaming
when he attacked her.
The similarity, of the attack made
on Mrs. Gleason by the negro who
assaulted and robbed her last March
has caused the police to suspect that
, Campbell. and not Louis Randall, an
! other Washington negro, who is serv-
ing .forty-hve-year sePtence at the
Federal prison at Atlanta, Ga, may
have been her assailant.
Campbell has lied all through his
organizations by the police and only
! admitted being the felon who attack
ed Mrs. Mann and who had robbed
number of Washington homes when
confronted with stolen jewelry and
other information obtained by the po-
lice. 1t Is because of the fact that
the negro who attacked Mrs. Gleason
tied a cord about her throat, struck
her with a club, and robbed her In a
manner almost similar to the assault
on Mrs. Mann that the police are in
clined to believe Campbell, and not
Randall attacked Mrs. Gleason.
For more than an hour Campbell
~ n anl
made on Mrs. Gleason. He was toll
that II Randall was not guilty. he
(CampbelD should not let an in
/ nocent man suffer, but the negro per-
sists in his innocence.
4 The piece of cord taken from Mrs.
nGleason's throat is in the hands of
the police and they are attempting
to trace it to Campbell. If anyone
can be found who will state that
Campbell was seen with cord on
the day Mrs. Mann was attacked. the
police believe they will be able to
get an admission from the negro.
Lieut.. l.. J. Stoll and Detective
George Darnall, of Tenth precinct,
yesterday went to Baltimore and re-
covered wrist watch stolen from
Mrs. Mann by Campbell. The negro
in his first statement to the police
asserted that he had dropped the
watch whils. fleeing from the scene
of the attack on Mrs. Mann. Yester-
day, however. he stated he had given
the watch to Rosie Douglas, Balti-
more woman. and the timepiece was
taken from her last night.
With the confession Of Campbell
that he attacked Mrs. Mann, of the
recovery of the music teachers
diamond ring and wrist watch. Cap
tain Thomas Judge, of Tenth pre-
cinct, said today the police had
clinched it's case against Campbell.
A score of residents Of northwest
Washington yesterday went to the
Tenth precinct police station and
identified jewelry which the police
recovered from CampbelIs home and
from his mother Emma Dixon, and
other women.
Campbell has an excellent mem
ory," said Captain Judge. "He can
relate with minute detail just where,
when and how he robbed houses. and
even recall the exact jewelry that he
stole. He is a born criminal-daring
and shrewd The police have made a
great catch in getting him into Gus
tody. He has been a terror to the
residents Of Washington for more
than six months, looting and robbing
homes and frightening people who
discovered him operating in their
homes. With his arrest. l believe
there will be a big drop in robbery
reports to the police"
Realizing his predicament, Camp
bell told the police today that he
hopes they will get him into court
and have 'it over with
'IIl face the music now that
you've caught me. l hope it will
soon be over" he said.