Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1880 — Arrest of “Gentleman Jo.” [ARTICLE]

Arrest of “Gentleman Jo.”

Baltixobi, Md„ March Si. This afternoon James Gayler, Genral Superintendent of the city delivery in the New York Post-offloe, with the aid of a detective, arrested Eugene Fairfax Williamson, in. this city, on the charge of having been the originator of the late annoyance to the Rev. Dr. Morgan Dix and others of New York, by writing anonymous letters and sending persons to their houses and places of business. When arrested Williamson confessed that he was the author of the letters and postal cards. He states that he arrived in New York about the middle of February and remained there about a week, during which the first annoying letters were written. He again went to New York on the 14th of March, and remained a week, when he wrote and mailed offensive letters and cards. On both occasions he stopped at the Windsor Hotel, and registered his proper name and residence, Pittsburgh. He says he doee not know what prompted him, as neither Dr. Dix nor any others annoyed ever injured him. When he found, on his second visit to New York, the injury he had done on the first visit, he felt badly about it, abd wrote the letter from the Fifth Avenue Hotel to Dr. Dix, which he afterward sent to the New York Tribune, hoping it would prevent people from calling at Dr. Dix’g house. He says he did not intend to extort money from Dr. Dix or any other person, ana did rot answer the personal in the Herald in reply to one of his letters. The accused was taken on to New York to-night, hav-. ing expressed his willingness to go without a formal requisition. Williamson is' a single man, age about forty, and says he is a native of Baltimore. Here arrived here Friday night last, and went to a private residence where he was acquainted, and was found there when arrested. He was traced from the Windsor Hotel by detectives by following his baggage, and many places were visited where baggage had been left before trank Was found and his stopping place discovered.