The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-16
Text of the Statement Made by Jacob Nell
ing, the Supposed Guilty Man, to
Detective John G. Harris.
But Little Doubt that NeIlinG Is the
Man Who Committed the Deed.
What Was Learned at the Preliminary Ex-
misunderstanding Exonorates Ladd,
and Admits His Guilt.
ARREST OF NELL1NG AND LADD.

A Belief that the Murderer Has Heen
Found-The Statement of Melting.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
FOWLER, Ind, Oct. 15.-rhe excitement
| over the fendish murder of Ada Atkinson
is again at fever heat, and since the arrest
| last Sunday morning OF Nelling and Ladd,
| charged with the crime, every movement
connected with the affair has been watched
with the most intense interest. 1t is the
sole topic of conversation, and the incensed
feeling which was manifested at the time the
murder was committed, just three weeks ago
to-day, has been intensified by the develop
ments which are now coming to light. There
is little doubt in the minds of the people that
the murderer has now been found, and the
mystery which clouded the horrible affair,
it is now believed, has been lifted
The confession of Nelling which imputes
to Ladd the act of committing the crime
with the probability that he has accessories,
is more damaging to himself than to any one
else. Melting was the farm hand employed
by Mr. Atkinson, the father of the murdered
girl, and suspicion has rested upon him from
the first He was the one who was mployed
near the house on the day the murder was
committed and from the evidence which
has been elieted, with the exception of what
purports to be his confession, he was the only
one who was Immediately near the place at
the hour the murder is supposed to have
occurred The theory that Potts, the tramp
arrested by Detective Ten Broeck, is the
guilty person, is generally discredited, and
the circumstantial evidence which has de-
veloped against Melting is of the very
strongest character. 1t Was Melting who was
found concealed under the bed of the muir
dered girl few days before she was found
dead, and it is now claimed, that the detec-
tlves have found that the blood-staned
handkerchief, which has figured conspicu-
ously as an important clew, is similar to one
which was sold to Melting by Daniel Messner,
a merchant in Oxford. There are other
things, however, which go to make up the
chain of circumstantal evidence, that are
even more damaging.
The statement of Melting, which was given
last Saturday as a confession, was drawn
from him by John c. Harris, one of Pinker-
toms detectives, who has held to tue theory
from the first that Nelling either committed
The confession was made to Harris by Nell
ing, in Atkinson's barn-yard, on Saturday
afternoon, and few hours later it was re-
peated in the presence of P. E. Htze, the
coroner OF Benton county, and " NJ. Bene-
dict, of Oxford. 1t was then written. at the
dictation of Nelling, and as introduced as
evidence in court reads as follows:
NELLING'S STATEMENT
Jacob Nelling, being duly sworn, on his
oath makes the following confession to-wit:
On September IA, between 3 and 2:3O
clock p NJ, while making fence on the east
side of the orchard on Cephas Atkinson's
farm and residence, Jacob Ladd came to me
and he spoke to me and said: "How do you
do, Jake" I said How do you do, Jake"
said: Two Jakes met" He said: Yes" He
says lyon have got nasty job.' l told
him the hedge had scratched my hands where
| cut it with the ak in the forenoon. Jacob
Ladd said, "Where did Ceph. go this morn
ing?" 1 told him that he said he was goinc
to Fowler first, and then to Pete Ford's, H.
said, 'His wife went with him, didn't she?'
1 told him she went up as far as the station;
that she went to Nancy's. and to see George
town, didn't she?' I said, Yes He said,
II saw her." He asked me if the other girl
was at home. I said YES" He spoke in
more excited manner, and asked what kind
of girl she was. He said, 'She is pretty
fast amt she?" I said, mo, 1 guess not. l
always thought Ada was very fine little
girl. l have known her ever since she was
five years old,'' Says he, There is
person up in town that would
n% Ee ter to s9e ne an ossad seafthq"9Ee Swa al
says, "She thinks she is in her way" Then
Jacob Ladd started toward the orchard fence
east of the house. The first that he then
said was, "Ceph. has good many apples in
his orchard" I said, Yes, We'll think so
before we get them all picked" He says,
"Yes, it will be big job" He says, "Ili
go up through the orchard and get one or
two more apples to eat, then go up to the
house and get a drink of water and see Ada
minute" This was the last of our con-
yersation. After he got over the orchard
fence saw him go toward the house From
thirty to forty-five minutes after he left l
got an inward feeling that something was
wrong at the house, and came up into the
back door-yard close to the porch, but did
not enter the house nor go on the porch
because / was afraid to. l listened
but could not hear any sound
nor see any one, and l went back to my
work on the east side of the orchard. l
kept on with my work until | got done, q
short time before night. l then went Tor the
cows but this was before Lucy came-prob
ably thirty minutes before she came | went
slow, to occupy as much time as possible, be-
cause l felt that something was wrong, and
things had a sort of dreadful appearance to
me. | walked from the sheds toward the
fence in a southeasterlv direction, during
the afternoon-between 8 and o clock P. NJ,
as nearas l can recolect. ] heard no person
calling, and saw no other person beside Ja-
cob Ladd during the afternoon until Lucy
Atkinson came home on horseback. She
entered the barn-lot north of the house, and