The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-04-01
AN INCAUTIOUS ADMISSION.
indianapolis Herald ]

AN INCAUTIOUS ADMISSION.
Indianapolis Herald .rf..-
In the year 1883 the thriving city of
Logansport, this State, was very small
village, with $50 inhabitants, and only
one man who was well off.
His name was William Watson, he
was widowcr of fifty, Kentuckian by
birth, and kept general store on the
banks of the Wabash river, which was
popular with everybody, not only be-
cause "Billy," as he was familarly
called, was an honest trader, but also be-
cause he had most attractive clerk in
his only daughter, Sallie, pretty bru-
nette, who was then the belle of the
place.
Sallie Watson had many admirers
among the rough backwoodsmen who
frcquented her fathers store, and some
of them had even been bold enough to
propose marriage to her, but she had
plighted her troth to Marcus Ames, a
Young merchant of Lafayette, which
was then hardly larger than Logansp0rt.
At 8 o'clock in the evening of a rainy
day, early in June, 1888, some half a
dozen backwoodsmen were assembled in
Watson's store. Old Billy was absent,
and his daughter Sallie was alone behind
the counter.
One of the men, John Bross, q young
farmer. asked Sallie, with rather heavy
tongue, for more whisky"
"No, Mr.. Bross," she said, in firm
tone, "you have had enough, and had
better 60 home"
He made an angry reply, and throw,
ing a silver half dollar on the table, re,
peated his demand.
The girl quietly took no notice of him,
whereupon, uttering an angry oath, he
cried:
"Very we'll, Sallic, I shall fix you for
your darned impudence."
She then ordered him to leave the
store. The other men told him to hold
his tongue, 60 home, and sleep OIL his
intoxication. He sulkily took up hi'
rifle and staggered out of the store
About fifteen minutes afterward Sallit
Watson had occasion to step out of The
front door. She was away but few
moments, when the men in the stOr'
heard her utter terrible shrek.
They hurried out, and found her lying
near the front gate.
"I am shot-I am dyingw gasped tn
girl, whose life-blood was yelling from
a wound in her left breast.
"Who did itw inquired the men
horror-struck.
, I-don't-know," she replied, fcebly
They took her up and carried her int
) the store. When they laid her on tn
counter she was already dead. The me-
i looked at one another almost stupehe
, with horror.
, "Call DR.. Horton" calculated one.
"Who has done it?" cried another.
, "Pll bet that drunken John BrOss ha
!, shot her p said still another.
/. DIR. Horton, the only physician of I'll
r place, was speedily on the spot. II
probed the wound, and extracted bu
Q let from it. 1t was a large rifle bullet
e "This fits Bross' rifle, bet" cried or
n of the by-standers. H.
O John Bross lived at his fathers hous
o on farm, about a mile and half fro
n Logansport.
!" Although it had rained all day, ar
/. the road thither was in a shocking CO.
IS dition, some of the men started at on
j. for old Bross' house, in order to ARE
e his son, on the urgent suspicion OF beiI
d Sallie Watson's murderer.
e When they reached the place, Jof
,e Bross, was not yet there. His paren
d and sisters were greatly shocked wh'
ic they heard what had occurred, and tn
their son and brother was suspected
q being the assassin Of the poor girl. b
a thew declared emphatically that Jol
a was incapable of such deed, even wh
provoked and under the influence
,g liquor.
ht visitors, awaited the young mans retu
ID in a state of intense suspense.
~ At length he came. He was complete
I'd intoxicated. His father said to him
"John, have you done anything
lis Sallie Watson p
ed An oath was the answer. ThereuI
ne the young man staggered to his b
vn threw himself on it, and began at OF
to snore
CO. The men examined his rifle. 1t
I'm ouble-barreled one of the barrels
ay been recently discharged. The OF
he was still loaded. The bullet was
tic tracted. The men compared 1t with
ID. bullet that had been taken from Sa
ere Watson's death-wound, and which Il
- had not shown to old Bross. The
bullets were alike.
The A cry of despair burst from the lips
ris, John Bross' father. His wife
|. a daughter, who had anxiously watc
ose the scene, were also deeply affected.
,jle Could there be any doubt ofthe yo
~ mans guiltY But fifteen minutes be
led. the fatal shot had been fred, he
for threatened be would Fix" Sallie v
son, and the bullet that had caused
lose death, was one of his own, while one
cue the barrels of his rifle had been evide
elp- discharged that very evening.
but John Bross was washed win coiu
was er, and then taken back to togansl
where he was lodged in the old log-cs