The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-11-28
A STRANGE STORY.
An Anonymous Writer Relates the Circum-
stances of the Wilson Tragedy at Green
ield-An Involuntary Witness of the
Crime.

An Anonymous Writer Relates the Circum-
stances of the Wilson Tragedy at Green
feld-An Involuntary Witness of the
Crime.
Special 10 the Sentinel
GREENfIELp. Ind. Nov - The citizens
of this County were considerably surprised
today by the following letter which ap-
peared in the Hancock Democrat to-day, re-
latiye to which a telegram was Published in
the Sentinel the day following its receipt
The following is the letter
ASDERsoS. Ind. Nov. I6, 1855.
EDITOR HANCOCK DEyOcRAr-In looking over the
Daily star of Anderson, l saw an allusion 20 the
Wilson murder, something that / knew nothing
OF, but heard OF sometime aiterward, and Iwill
state here that Il made n. blood run cold when j.
read Of J vail I5i' tel - ~ - blood
III! SELF, with three other pals boarded a train at
indianapolis and ran up 70 Greenfield for the pur
pose OF robbing bank, but when we got
there We found that we could not do
shadowed by officers and in dOdgiug them
We LEI; Greenfield and ran north We Travelled
on foot all together uHtl we got to
little town called Lden. We then concluded that
VIC had better separate, as we might be suspcioned
if We all went together So two OF rs went
mile. and then turned 10 our left, and there we
crossed small stream. We then went on till we
come 10 lane that ran due east and west We
we heara some one, and not wanting to be seen.
we climbed over a high fence on the south side of
the road and laid down. Directly opposite on the
other side, north OF us was house. We had lain
there but short time, when we heard something
like the grating OF barn door hinges or that of a
gate, and thinking that il was the man OF the
house Just getting in, ! told my pard that we
would Just lie still and rest till he went in, and
then we would go on; and as 1t happened, we
and all al once man appeared in
front of il. He stood still short
on what seemed 10 be porch and with what
seemed to be some hard substance he broke the
pane OF glass in the front door. lie then reached
his arm in, and we heard the bolt click aud the
door opened and just as il opened we thought he
vas met By female clad in night Clothes, and
there were some words spoke, but we could not
We thought that they we're having family fight,
and then all was still for short time. Then told
my pard that heard the suhed cries ot child.
and that there was foul play In there and that we
had better interfere but he Thought not, aud said
that we would wait little while and see what we
could hear. So we had lain there but a few mo-
menls when man came out OF the house. lie
stood and looked all around, and then started OIL
in en- easterly direction. So we waited till ne got
In the road: We then got up and followed III the
same direction,
only we kept on the inside OF the fence. We went
something like quarter OF mile. The man then
distance when we came to a road running north
and south. We then struck north, and just at day
break we came out at small village called hunts
Vile. We there went into house and asked the
way 10 the railrosd, and the lady said IL was just
laiie west TO Pendleton | asked the Lady her
name and think she said IL was SuIber, but 1
won't be positive We then went 10 rendleton,
and when we got there the other hoYs were there
waiting for train and did not care which way it
was going So we did not wait long until the train
going east came and we all got on aud went to
Anderson and remained there till noon. We then
went north, and two OF the boys got of at place
called Tampeco, and and my pard went on up
to Logansport and stopped over night and
the next morning he went back to Indian
-, Hnf and from
went into the Black Hills and returned 10 Indiana
last spring. But in the meantime l had not
heard what had happened at that house until some
six weeks ago, when pickeo up. think, the Po-
lice News and saw account of the murder, ana
thought then that my pard and were Just as
guilty as the man that committed the murder, as
W. were lying there close and did not interfere,
when, ii we had known what was going on we
could have saved two lives.
Now Mr.. Editor, this may seem like a cock and
bull story but sir the man that done that foul deed
still lives in your County, and il is only question
can lay my HANDS on him at any time. So with
these few remarks viii leave you the mystery to
solve. My name will withhold at present
n. B.-You will hear from me again.
The murder as described in the letter above
was the most dastardly ever committed IN
the County. The Sentinel at the time con-
tanned full account of the murder but to re-
call the circumstances: June Z, 1875, Mrs
sarah ]. Wilson and Annarretta CasS, who
lived near Eden, this County, were surprised
at night and choked to death after a struggle
for life. The greatest excitement prevailed
fore some time and Stephen L. Bates, brother
jn-law of Mrs. Wilson, was suspicioned. But
after long trial he was acquitted. The
County offered reward of $500 for the ar
rest of the guilty parties, and leading de
tectives worked at the case, but nothing has
resulted and the perpetrators are still at
large.
The description of surroundings and man
n.r Of carving ont the murder as given in
above letter corresponds with evidence as
brought out during trial. The enitor of the
Democrat has offered to intercede between
writer of above letter and the authorities
that facts may be brought to light and muir
derers punished. Whether anything will re-
suit from the letter remains to appear, but it
has caused considerable comment not only
concerning the murder but alse the intended
bank robbery.