OCR Text |
Show Kit irn mam ElLLil MAN FOR SOCIETY Storekeeper Who Shot Jack Selig Glad of His Deed Now York, Oct. 7. Proclaiming that he had committed a murder which was a great benefit to Bociety, Philip Davidson, the man who killed "Big Jack" Zelig, Saturday night, wont to the Tombs yeBterday to await the cor. oner's inquest to be had next Wednesday Wednes-day morning. ' Tho statement was made by the Inoffensive In-offensive looking produce dealer without with-out tho slightest attempt at bravado. ' I realize that I will have to for-foit for-foit my life in the electric dhatr, but the poor peoplo of tho EaHt Side will no longer have to suffer through that fellow's depredations," he said quietly. With a stoicism that has never before be-fore been wltnossed by the police officials offi-cials at headquarters, Davidson parted part-ed with his wife beforo ho was aent to the Tombs Bids Wife Goodby. 'Girlie," said he slowly, as the weeping woman threw her arms over his bulky shoulders. "1 am afraid I will have to leave you. I killed Jack Zelig He never worked and always robbed hard-working people. He robbed rob-bed me. I have set aside one of tho vorst men that over lived I am going go-ing to the electric chair for it, but people will bo glad Zelig Is gone. Dear girl, tills may be the last time I may over see you. But If I don't como back to you. I guess your ielatles will take care of you I am sorry and I am not sorry for what I did. Now. good-by and don't worry." His wife, hardly able to iealize the position her husband Is In, did not rpply. Sho simply kissed him and saw him led off handcuffed by a detective. de-tective. There was a demonstration when Davidson was takon from the station for arraignment before tho coroner. A large crowd of workingmen and women of the neighborhood who believe be-lieve In law and order were on hand to see the man who had killed "Big Jack" Zelig- With a traco or shame on his face, he hurried down tho stairs between policemen. Applauded for Killing. "Good for you, young fellow, good for you; you ought to get a medal for what you did last night," thoy shouted shout-ed after him. The prisoner did not seem to hear and shrank behind the policeman a3 if ho feared something. After his arrest Saturday night Davidson Da-vidson -was closeted -with Deputy Po-llco Po-llco Commissioner Dougherty, Inspector In-spector Fraut and District Attorney Whitman until 4 o'clock Sunday morning. morn-ing. He changed tho story that ho told immediately after his arrest Just a little. Ho told them just -what had. led up to the shooting nnd "was positive posi-tive in his statoment that it vas not the outcome of a gang foud, but merely the vesnlt of a day of brooding brood-ing over the Jitgh-handed methods used by East Side gangsters and tho sudden detecrnination to rid the community com-munity of one of tho moat offonsivo of their number Through his statement, made as to whether he purchased the gun he v.6ed and tho complete substantiation of his story by the man from whom ho purchased pur-chased it. rumor that the police department de-partment may have had a hand in tho murder was stilled. Davidecm's Story. The story about the grudge which Davidson held for tho dead gang leader, as told to Commissioner Dougherty and District Attornoy Whitman, is as follows: "I havo known 'Big Jack' .Zelig for a long time. I never knew anything good of him. r heard that whenever ho was In need of money he would compel little ptorekeepers on tho Bast Side to give him money whenever he demanded it. It was hard on these poor storekeepers, wno made hardly enough money to feed themselves I had a fairly prosperous fruit businos3 and ahvavs considered myself lucky not to have been made one of Zolig's ictims. "Lest Friday night I went to a ball in Stuyvesant Casino, r saw Zelig there. Ho followed me to tho coat room and asked me for money. I refused re-fused to give it to him. Without another an-other word ho struck me in the eyo and knocked me down. Then he -went through mv pockets and took all ray money, about .$1S and left. Stunned, 1 left the hall I resolved to see ZcHs and ask. him for my money I needed it badly. He threatened to lick me and 1 left him Brooded All Day. "I brooded all day over tne affair and it made me wild to think that a man could do such tilings. I had no more money. I borrowed $10 from a friend. Sam Sandler. I wanted to buy a revolver and finish him. I could not buy a gun In New York, so I went over to Jersey City, where T purchased a Smith ft Wesson .38 caliber from a pawnbroker for $10. 'T found Zelig in a coffee house at 76 Second avenue and followed him to a car. sat behind him and looked at him. The more I looked at him tho more his nerve riled me. Finally 1 I jumped up and got behind him. Bang! And Jack Zelig was In a placo where. I he couldn't blackmail any longer. That's all" The pistol was a police revolver, No. 4812, and its former owner, Po- i Uceman C. F Meyer of Brooklyn, stated stat-ed last night that ho had lost the weapon eighteen months ngo in a bq-loon. bq-loon. oo |