American citizen., 1880-08-28


This morning at three o'clock the
wife of DR.. j. G. Walker, leading
physician, living on North Pennsylva-
office, noticed the hall gas hit to be
quite low. She woke her husband,
who got up and turned it higher, say
ing to his wife that the decreased pres
sure had probably caused it to burn SO
low. Mrs. Walker was not satisfied.
She looked over the side of the bed
and saw the feet of a man protruding.
Without a word, fearing that the
burglar would kill her husband, she
arose, walked through the hall into the
two front rooms where her two grown
sons were sleeping, awakened them,
explained the situation, went down
into the dining-room, procured a re-
volver, and came back, handing it to
her second son, John, who is also a
pracrlcing physician, the other son be-
ing weakened by a recent severe ILL
ness.
In the meantime the husband was
suspicious of his wife's long absence,
and looking over the bed observed the
face of the burglar intently peering at
him. Instantly he understood the
meaning of his wife's movements, and
also OWNED that the burglar had under
stood and was thinking what to do to
insure his escape. Without moments
delay the doctor threw himself from
the bed upon the man, striking him a
heavy blow in the face. He choked
the burglar who managed to grasp the
doctor by the wrist, and, with the other
hand, he drew his revolver and fired,
the ball grazing the doctors head and
burying itself in the ceiling. The shot
confused the doctor. and the burglar
broke away, ran into the hall and
headed for the stairs. In doing this
he had to pass the gas-jet and the
door of the young mans room, in which
the mother and her two sons
were awaiting events. The shot
alarmed them, they believing the bur-
glar had killed the doctor, and when
the man passed under the light John
took deliberate aim and fired. The
shot put out the light, and John again
fired. No sound was heard, and the
father thought the burglar had shot his
door of which was closed, the sons
holding from the inside, and thinking
it was the thief who was pushing for
entrance. In minute or so explana-
tions were made, and the entire family
united in search for the burglar. He
was found dead on the Threshold of
the kitchen, he having run down stairs
through the dining-roOm and kitchen to
the door of the porch, through which
he had entered, before falling. Johns
ball had passed directly between his
third and fourth ribs, severing the SUBJ
clavian artery.
When the police arrived the body
was believed to be that of Bill Rodifer,
the most notorious burglar and criminal
in the State, who was pardoned from
four years of a ten years sentence on
the Sth day of last July by Governor
Williams. By eight o'clock all doubt
was removed by the Identification of
the remains by Rodifer's mother, re-
spectacle and well-to-do woman living
here. Rodifer's career has been since
he was seventeen years of age one of
crime and prisons. Sentenced TO the
House of Refuge, he escaped three
times from that institution. He was
then sent to the Jeffersonville Peniten-
tiary for two years for larceny, and from
thence he escaped three different
times. In 1874 he was sentenced
for ten years for assault with
intent to kill citizen of Terre Haute,
and escaped twice more, one being very
daring and notorious in January, 1875.
He has filled large space of criminal
history in this state. He always claimed
TO have been innocent of crime in
Terre Haute. having been persuaded
by his attorney to enter a plea of guilty
in hopes of light sentence, and since
his rearrest after his last escape has
proven to be good prisoner. On the
of the Judge who sem
fenced him and of the Warden of the
prison, who believed he had become a
reformed man, the Governor issued a
pardon in July, since which time he
has been living here quietly with his
wife and mother-in-la w.-I,sdi0ndpolis
dug. 10 Specialize Chicago Inter Ocean.