The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-12

think they (meaning the men) would take
anything except about the barn. thought
they had better take that than to go back
and let them kill me, as had no weapons
to defend myself said to my woman, Il
don't know whether l had better go back or
not" She said, 1T Is dark and raining and
you had better not go, as you are too ven
turesome." / then went to bed (the chill
dren being up stairs in bed) and talked
awhile with my woman, when we dropped
off to sleep.
Sometime in the night / kind OF woke Up
and laid awake awhile, and hearing nothing,
dropped off to sleep sgain. walked after
daylight and got up, went out to the summer
kitchen, where we keep our cooking stove,
and made fire in the stove. then went
back TO the house and told my woman to get
up; told her was going to the barn to see
if anything was wrong. l started right away
for the barn. / went through the corner of
the COW pasture TO the barn, where found
the door of the corncrib open and shutter
taken from the doorway into granary,
placed there to keep the fowls out.
As il was daylight / left things as 1
found them, and went toward the sugar tree
where L had put my saddle and bride, but l
stopped at the barn lot gate, which was still
open; then stepped in front OF the Wilson
house to see il l could see anything wrong
about the house; when got to the gate IN
front of the house, and as placed my hand
on the gate, noticed that the glass in the
front door was broke; this frightened me,
as / supposed something wrong
in the house, and l did not go through
the gate; 1 turned, much frightened,
and ran east to my house, but
did not go in. 1 called for my woman; |
was frightened, and she is easily frightened
too. said, Come and go with me. Betsy
Ann (that is what call her generality She
said when she came out, ''0h, me, what is
the matter?' | SAID, Don't get too badly
scared; the glass in the front door is broken
out" We went to Wilson's house in fast
walk When We got to the yard gate she
looked and saw the broken glass jerked
the gate open, and took her by the
arm. We walked to the porticO.
when my wife became much frightened
for fear some one was killed. We got on to
the portico, when we saw her sister Mrs.
WILSON, lying on the floor. Then my woman
sunk down, when l raised her up. She
caught at the door, which was closed. took
hold of the door and it opened, and We both
went in. She said, "Oh Stephen, do let me
go to my beloved sister," when she saw
her and the child lying on the floor: took
hold of my woman and a little black dog,
went out and closed the door, when nv
eldest boy 10 years Old) came from the gate
to the portico. l told him to go and ring
the bell for Mr.. franks. He pulled
the rope once or twice, when it broke.
told him to go TO Mr.. Jones,
east of my house, which he did Mr.. Jones
did not come at once. i wentto the well and
found the rope broken, when | wentinto the
barn lot to see if 1 could see anything of Mr..
Franks coming. / did not see him, and
think | followed several times, but don't
know. Mr.. Franks came over In a little
while and then Mr.. Jones came too, and
the alarm was given.
The inquest was in progress when the re-
porter left the scene of the tragedy. The
evidence of Mr.. Bales was taken first. The
statements in the main agreed with the above
statement of Bales; but there was a variance
in one or two material points. The state
ment of Bales before the inquest was sub
stantially as above set out. The inquest will
adjourn until Monday next, when it will be
completed and a verdict rendered.
The statements of Bales are regarded as
unreasonable, and not in accordance with
his general character. People can not con-
ceive how he would go away and leave a
lone woman and child to the tender mercies
OF the three men he says he saw close to the
house. They do not see why he should be
so much frightened when he saw
that the glass in the door was
broken, as to run away in daylight
without ascertaining the condition of
the inmates of the house. His entire story
is discre dited by sll who heard and circum
stances point almost unerringly to him as the
guilty man. But these suspicious may be
cleared by further development.
This is the most atrocious deed ever per
petrated in the county, and citizens are
much excited over the recital of the great
crime.
Bales was raised in the adjoining township
OF Brown, and has hitherto borne an I'M
blemished character. His friends are slow
to believe that he has any criminal knowl-
edge of the sad affair.
THE VERY LATEST.
Since the above was written we hear that
the current of opinion against Bales is turn
ing in another direction, and his friends
hope that he will be entirely exonerated of
the foul deed. Good detectives are on the
ground, and it is earnestly hoped by all
good citizens that something may occur