St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-10-06
THE RECENT INDIANA TRAGEDY.
The Mysterious Murder Of Ada Atkinson Mt
Oxford-A Strongly Suspected Party Be-,
ing Swallowed.

The Mysterious Murder OF Ada Atkinson Mt
Oxford-A strongly Suspected Party Be-
ing Swallowed.
LAFAYETTE, IND, Sept. 81.
The Oxford horror, the bloody murder Of
the beautiful young woman, Ada Atkinson,
is still mystery. The mangled remains
of the once handsome girl, who was gen.
eral favorite and the pet of the neighbor-
hood, were followed to the grave by the,
largest funeral ever known in the county,
Friends of the family, detectives and others
are straining every nerve in their efforts to,
discover the fiend of the most brutal MUIR
der ever committed in Western Indiana.
A dozen theories have been advanced, but.
all seemed to have lacked proof enough to-
point out the murderer. Several persons
have been suspected, and in the absence Of
direct evidence are Swallowed. Col. Jack
Templeton late last night discovered a
bloody handkerchief bearing the trade
mark "G-4 s-10," hid away in bolt of.
muslin in room adjoining the one
in which the body was found. An
other important discovery was let
ter written by the dead girl to her
bosom friend, a little girl living near Ok
ford. Col. Templeton refused to give any
information respecting it other than the.
following: This letter was found among
the dead girls papers. The sister, Lucy.
was brought into the room and questioned
by Col. Templeton and Harris, the detec-
tive. She was evidently embarrassed, and
her answers were to some extent unsatis.
factory. Neither Col. Templeton nor the
detective think her the guilty party. They
are confident they can lay their hands on
the right man when he was wanted. He.
has been suspected all along, and has been
under surveillance. He is evidently man Of
nerve, and has displayed the greatest COOL
ness and sangfrold, although fully aware,
that he was suspected; but his manner is
almost too cool and deliberate for natual--
ness, and he is evidently on his guard
continually and has his mind fixed on some
purpose which he never for moment.
allows himself to lose sight of.
The letter contains the vital clew. In it,
she speaks of a quarrel with low fellow,
whom she nicknames with a singing term
that exactly fits the suspected man. She
expresses her fear of him, and speaks of
his hatred for her, the result of her scorn..
This mans clothes were bloody, and he
had a long, deep cut diagonaliy across the
forefinger of the left hand near the knuckle.
He said he did this with his hedge-cutter.
and had failed TO bandage the wound,
which had bled freely. 1t is thought by the.
detective that this may have been but a.
trick to account for the blood upon his:
clothes. He claims that he was at work
trimming hedge south of the scene of the
murder at the time of the trage6.--, and has
been among the foremost of those who have
joined in the search for the criminal. To-
day the Commissioners of Benton County
met to offer 5000 for the discovery of the
murderer, to which Mr.. Atkinson was to
have added $1,000 more, but Col. Temple
ton advised them to defer their action, as
he said he thought it would not be neces-.
sary. He was confident they were on the
right trail, and the money might as well be-
saved. Acting on this advice the Commits
sioners adjourned without Offering the re-
ward, but will again meet for that purpose
should it be found necessary.