The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-31
A DEED OF DIABoLISM.
AN INDIANA TRAGEDY.

The Logansport Journal of yesterday tells
the terrible tale as follows: Deeds Ji
blood have become so frequent oil late that
a person hardly chances over a newspaper
without seeing numerous accounts OF where
some atrocious act has been perpetrsted. |
each more horrible, If possible, than its pre-
decessor. So common is this, that people |
cease to wonder or comment, and it is only |
when a terrible murder has been committees |
almost at our own doors that we awaken TO |
a. iything ike interest. The vsri- /
CAS- modes resorted to by muir |
derers to dispatch their victims
seem almost study on their part, and they |
seem to have desire to surpass all other
efforts in originality. One OF this chsracte r
has lust come TO light at the little village Of
IdsyiIle. situated 10 miles west of this Nv
on the Peoria branch of the Pan .sndie
railroad, in White county. About 81 weeks
ago Richard Heron and Jack ellev en-.
tered into co-partnership in he saloon
business, having in their emr ,Iov a Young
man named John Toothmar4. Their place
of business was situated In a one story
shanty, containing three ~ four rooms. on
the principa, street of the town, and, for a
small place, they seegIed to be doing a very
good business. Last week
HEBRON SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED,
and shortly after people began to make in
quiries regarding his whereabouts. Moth
ing definite was ascertalned. and on Sunday
last, it having been circulated around that
foul play had been the cause, a large party
turned out for the purpose of having a
search. The prairie was secured in every
direction. At about IL o'clock they were
rewarded with success. One Of the
party, it appears. had become separ
1 ated from the rest, and the atten-
ton of the crowd was turned to-
ward finding him. In their endeavors in
| this direction, man named John ii. Tur-
ner, ran across the mutilated remains of
Heron lying nearly mile south of the
railway track, under willow thicket, and
| two miles east of Monticello. The head and
| face was distigured in horrible manner,
one cat, to all appearance es inflicted by a
sharp instrument, running clear across the
| left side OF the cheek and jaw, while on the
back of the head were seventeen gashes,
evidently ma by the same instrument.
The body was taken to Monticello on the
afternoon of the same Gay, and coroner'S
Jury impanneled for the purpose of hearing
any testimony that might be sdduced.
| Nothing definite, however, could be learned
until last night. The sheriff had arrested
Kelly, Herr0n's partner. in the meantime,
on suspicion that he had something to do
toward putting the murdered man out Of
the way, and on last night he had quite a
| lengthy conversation with HOFFMAN, the
barkeeper, young man about twenty-five
years OF age, who was at last induced to
confess the whole matter, it being repre-
scented to him, that if found guilty, Kelly
would certainly implicate him also. From
this it appeared that
KELLY HAD KILLED HEBRON
out on the prairie, with a piece of wagon
tire, hammered down and having a very
sharp edge, striking him in all seventeen
blows. They afterward wrapped the body
in an oh nc..danket and placed 1t across the
railway track in order to have 1t run over
by passing thain. Changing their mind,
however, they carried the body to the thicket
where it was found, and, removing the
blanket, left it. Upon this information,
the officers procured hsnd-car and pro-
ceeded to Idaville last night,
and entering the room in the rear OF
the saloon, occupied by Kelly and his
two daughters, they discovered the blanket
and piece of iron, the latter wrapped in the
former, and both covered with large clots OF
blood. John Kelly, the supposed murderer,
| is blacksmith by trade, having followed
| that business for years past. He was men,
Der of company +, 18th Indiana volun-
teers, and is said TO have made a good SOL
der, brave and attentive to his duties. In
his statement before the coroner's jury he
stated that on Thursday, two weeks ago, he
| had severe words with Heron, and that
| they separated, he payinT the murdered
man what money was due him. They
had fought, and the dead man was
beaten about the head terribly. This
was
| THE LAST HE HAD SEEN OF HIM.
John Shaeffer, who lives one mills and 6
half west of Idavills, testified that late on
Friday evening Heron stopped at his house
and asked for 8 drink OF water; he was COW
cred with blood from cuts on his head, and
seemed to labOripg under mental excite
ment. While Shaeffer was getting water for
| him to wash his face with. he dis
appeared, it is supposed for Brooks
ston, as he inquired the way there
This was the last seen of Heron alive.
1t was ascertained by the Journal reporter
to-day that Kelly, on the day he had the
fuss with Heron, had sent his daughter
with Toothman over to a Monticello bank
to draw out 500 deposited there, giving as
reason for his conduct that he was going
to leave the place Immediately. The girl
did as directed, returning on the next train,
but it is said that Toothman walked back,
arriving at the saloon at 9 o'clock. From
this it is supposed by many that Toothman
met Heron on the road, and the latter be-
| ing already weak, was easily dispatched by
the former, the reason given for his desire
to murder him, being that he had threatened
to have Kelly arrested for selling whisky
without license and for having beat him
the day previous. It is now claimed that
Kelly was about to testify against Tooth
man, but the latter hearing of it turned
states evidence himself. The coroners
jury has been in session all night, and
during TO day,
HEARING TESTIMONY WITH CLOSED DOORS.
Nearly all the inhabitants of Idsville have
been called in to testify. Nothing like an
intelligent report can be made of the case,
as all sorts OF rumors are afiost concerning
the matter, everybody having some new
theory. Great excitement prevails in
the vicinity of Monticello, and the
people seem divided in their
convictions. Heron and Kelley are both
well known, and neither bear very excellent
characters. Kelly is about 30 years of age,
and xrid0.ncr. xuifh f,xrc Obi h1.th