The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-06-09

A DEADLY CRIME.
A NEIGHBOR's MURDER.

An ATROc1oUs CRIME BY NEGRO IN GRANT
CoONTY-THE DETAILS. 80 t
The Marion Democrat, of Grant county,
publishes a desperate crime: On Sunday
night May "a, abeut 10 O'Clock, q colored
man named Abner Mackmath, residing in
Liberty township of this county, wss muir
dered in cold blood by one Daniel West as
sisted by another negro named Jseses Smith
alias Casey. Tue following are the particu-
lars as learned by the Democrat reporter: 1t
seems that West and Msckmatk were both |
Seeping company with a good looking |
colored girl named Kate Jones, West had
repeatedly threatened to take the life
of Macknath, but no particular at
tention was paid TO his threats. On the
eveningSn question Msckmath accompanied
the girl from church and remained at her
house until about ten o'clock, when he
started to return to old man Stokes where
he was working, by the way of Burden road
Casey. who rad been over 10 Slagie's AFTER
some corn. net Dan West en- the JonesDoro
road and says West offered him $50 to help
him commit the deed. To this he agreed,
and they went up the Burden road and
caTpo upon Mackma about quarter OF
naile from w here heleft the girl West struck
hita twice with knife, when he fell back
tho fence and shot him three times. After
assuring themselves that he was dead they
headed him on a horse and carried him back
10 Bill Jones' brother of the girl and
sprinkled blood on the fence and wood pile,
IN order TO create the impression that
Jones killed him. When they went
immedia. ely east until they came to the
Strawtown Pike, thence north towards
Marion on the Jonesboro pike, to the old
Eokomo road when West shouldered the
Dfo aF,h
lust east of the Bond school house. Sheriff
Baldwin asd Deputy Fank boder were sent
for to work up the case, and on Monday they
arrested Jim Smith alias Casey. Dan West,
Joe West and Bill West. Bill West was re-
leased WITHOUT examination. Joe West was
found not guilty after examination be-
fore ESQ Friend, Smith alias Casey, and
Dan West waived preliminary examina-
ton, and were placed in Jail about ten
O'Clock Tuesday evening. Great excitement
Sunday. Monday and Tuesday, there being
at times between five and eight hun
dred people present, and fears were
entertained that attempt would be
made to lynch the prisoners,
but fortunately better counsel prevailed.
FULL PARTICULARS
of the awful crime are given by the Chron-
icle, The man Smith made a confession
and before a coroner's jury he made this
statement: Dan. West had talked to him
about killing McMath. Had finally offered
him $50 to assist him Vest in the Job. He
(Smith9 and West had accidentally met at
the cross roads a short distance south of
the spot where McMsth was killed. West
commenced talking about killing McMath,
and while they were talking saw McMath
coming. West went towards him and told
i Il 4. IL
and asked HIM why he had been
Math replied that he had told no
lies about him WEST, when West struck
McMath in the face with dirk knife, when
they elinched and fell across the log, McMath
striking the fence heavily; West drew a
revolver from his hip packet, and shot Me-
Math three times. He then slipped sack
over his head, and threw the body across
the log and shot it again through the sack.
He then threw it across the fence in the
woods past ure, where it lay few minutes,
then took it back over the fence, and across
the road and the fence on the other side, and
down to the crossroads, and oyer the fence
and on a gray horse, and carried il a short
distance west, to fence corner near the
house of VIM. Jones, from which point
West distributed the blood about
Jones' premises to place the
suspicion of committing the crime
on Jones. They then put the body on VESTS
horse again, smith lifting the feet. and
started to the river with it-going mile and
a quarter east to the Marion and Liberty
pike, striking it at the upper toll-gate. They
followed in this way something more than a
mile to the old Kokomo road. Then east
some two or three miles, when Smith told
West tnst they would be seen if they went
through town, (Jonesboro) when West said
he knew where he could hide the body-in
the swamp where it was found. They re-
turned the read they went, separated at the
cross roads near where the murder was com
mitted, West going north by the scene of the
murder, and Smith west to their respective
homes-nesr each other and about mile to
the northwest.
CONDITION OF THE BODY.
The body found was easily recognized by
several witnesses as that cf Ahab McMath,
the missing man. Drs. Bates and Horne.
of Jonesboro, had been called upon by the
coroner to make an examination of the
body. Four colored men, under direction
of the coroner, waded in the slough, placed
the body on a rude bier that had cen con-
structed, and carried it out on dry ground,
and under direction of the doctors. placed
one end of the bier on an oaken log, and
supported the other by some stave blocks
They Immediately commenced the work
of examining the body by stripping it
entirely of its clothes-constantly US
ing preparations to destroy the nsu-
seating stencil which it emitted. De-
composition had so TAR taken place that
the cuticle readily came offwith the clothing,
or the dashing on OF water, leaving the skin
an unusually clean white color. No wounds
being discovered save bruises and cuts about
the head. the scalp was split open from ear
to ear and peeled forward and backward
laying the skull bare. No less than three
fatal wounds on the skull were found-a
heavy cut or bruise two and half inches
longjust over the left eye; over the right eye
the skull was crushed in: the back and lower
portion of the skull was crushed. Two teeth
had been knocked out and two were loose
A cat appeared on the left cheek, but it had
evidently been done by the bone within. No
bullet marks or knife cuts could be discoy-
cred. The body was then wrapped in sheet
and placed in plain coffin which was
lni.Insed in hnx and iakaIa in N4aonn