The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-08-21
INDIANAPOLIS IND, SATURDAY, AUGUST

The body was taken to Undertaken Kreg-
clos establishment where early in the day
it wac identified as that OF the notorious
BILL R4rFER.
At first there was some doubt as to the
identity of the deceased, but this was put to
rest by the appearance of his mother, Mrs.
James NJ Sinks, who resides at No. 20S
Bright street.
A Sentinel reporter visited the under
takers and viewed the body, which was
dressed in frock coat black diagonal cloth,
vest of the same material; black pants with
yerv dark blue broad stripes interviewer 30
as to be nearly hidden, dark brown felt hat
with lighter brown silk band and check
wooden shirt. Heavy wooden socks covered
the feet.
He was a man five feet ten inches in
height, light complexion, with short,
stubby, light moustache, and brown hair.
He had the appearance of having been q
powerful man. being excellently well
muscled.
THE CORONER
commenced requesting the body at Kreg.
los place yesterday afternoon, examining
but one witness,
MRS. MARY A. WALKER,
who testihed as f0llOWe.
reside at No. I2s North. Pennsylvania street,
and am wife of DIR. l. g. Walker. 1 was at
home last night. My sleeping room is upstairs
on the south side of the house, just to the left
of the stairs; 1t is the middle room was
awake, and heard the town clock strike three.
got mp to get drink OF water. then re-
tired and threw handkerchief over my face
to protect it from the mosquitoes, and fell
minutes, when awOke and called the Doctors
attention to the gas, which thought was going
out, as the light was very dim he awakened
partially, and said be thonght not, but
I think he was not sufficiently awake
to know. 1 spoke to him a second time, and
he got up and stepped into the nall ana turned
IL up. While the Doctor was IN the hall
heard q noise alongside of the bed, and saw
man creeping alongside OF 1t and crawl un-
bed / said 1 guessed / would get up and get
another drink, as l wanted an excuse to get
up. 1 then went into my sons room and
was man Ia our room. My olde st son, Frank,
asked me If 1 knew where his revolver was,
and L said did. He then wanted to know
moment, and and then went down stairs softly to
to the bedroom where the revolver was In the
closet and got 1t out. then took IL up TO my
son, who handed it TO John. spoke TO them,
and told them to wait until called George,
the colored man, which did Immediately,
and then went back to the boys room, where
moment / heard the scufhing in the room
where the Doctor aud the burglar was, and
Immediately after the report OF the pistol,
which the burglar fired, and we Thought, OF
course, that the Doctor was killed, for we
did not hear word spoken the whole
time. We then stepped near the hall
lust then the man rushed into the hall with
both hands raised, with revolver In one and
knife in the other 1t seemed as though aga ne ne
John: "For Gods sase shoot quick, for he
has killed father" He fired instantly. The
first shot was toe fatal one; the second lodged
In fhsa
ment, and the man rushed down stairs. After
we found we were all safe my sons an6 the
man lying dead in the Kitchen door, which
leads to porch on the south side OF the
house.
ARRESTED ON SUSPICION.
Charles Pols,er, son OF the Indiana avenue
saloon keeper, was arrested at his home at 8
o'clock yesterday morning, by Ohcers Case
and Ki zmiller, and slated at he Central
Station as suspected felon. He was seen
in Rodifsr's company Monday. and is sus-
pected of being one of his accomplices. Geo.
Harter was also arrested on suspicion as be-
ing one of the three men who are known to
have been waiting on the outside.
WILLIAM G. RoDIFER
was born in Decatur County In 1853. His
father was Mexican war veteran, aud re-
moved to Clarke County, Illinois, where he
was engaged in the grocery business. The
father died in 1854 leaving daughter and
son to the care of bis widow IN INDECENT cir.
cumstances. In 1858 Mrs. Rodifer married d
in this city, and still lives here, while the
sister is an estimable iady, and is a teacher
in one of our Ward schools. Young Rodifer
worked with his step-father at the carpen
ter's trade until he was about seventeen
years of age, when, in company with sew
eral other boys Of about his own years, he
started into the ways OF burglary under the
tutelage of junk dealer on Indiana avenue,
near the yellow bridge. His first venture
resulted in his arrest and sentence to the
Reform School at Plainfield, from which he
escaped was captured and re escaped, al
though wearing ball and chain.
HIS many daring burglaries and escapes
from jails and prisons during the past eight
years have been chronicled in the daily
prints from time to time, and are still fresh
In the minds of the Sentinel readers.
RoDIFER PARDoNED.
Governor Williams pardoned the deceased
| July g. of this year. The petition for par
| don was numerously signed by citizens OF
| this County. among whom can be found the
names of John Coburn, Isaac Thalman,
Charles N. Lee, Deputy United States Mar
shall, and Orpheus Everts.
He was last convicted in the Vigo Crimi.
nal Circuit Court of the crime OF assault and
1
| fenced, on November II, 1874, TO be i'm
| prisoped for the term of ten years.
In his decision for pardon the Governor
says:
| The application for pardon was commenced
| February Is, 1876. Relatives of the prisoner
| and more than 100 citizens OF Marion County
| to whom the nature OF the case was explained
| by them, Joined In petition, showing thai
| the prisoner was convicted upon his plea o
| guilty, entered for him through his counse
Ill. flxne "a m
| of the crime charged that he has ever asserted
| his innocence, and that q reasonable doubt o
his guilt exists. The statements contained II II
| the petition are supported 10y affidavits OF th'
| prisoners mother and her husband. She alst
| made q statement, under oath, that her son
when fourteen years OF age, received sewers
| injury to his head by striking a log with tn,
| full weight of his body, when plungiug int
White River. In addition. opinions OF lead
Rodiier is not of SOUND mind and should no
| be held criminally responsible for his acts, art
attached to the petition for pardon: p the de
amined the case, but made no decision. TIT
prisoners efforts TO escape near the tim
placed his app p.ication In such an uniavorabI
| attitude that 1t could not be considered. BE
fore retiring he obtained from the warden
full statement of his condition and an assur
that time conform to all the rules of tn
doned."
Further, In answer to a letter of inquiry
Warden A. Howard says
| expressed my self as strongly opposed 3
the pardon of William Eodifer on account
among other things, of public feeling previ
ously existing upon this subject In this CON
mun1ty Since then IL has been represented
to me, thro agh the Warden OF the state Prise Is.
and Influential citizens OF Indianapolis, the
a very great change had taken place by wa
OF reformation In the prisoner, and that b
should bs pardoned for that reason. Governo
J Hendricks has intimated to me that durin
his term of Office he would have pardone
him, only that his prison record was not goo
, | at that time. In view of the provision OF ou