The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-25
THE INDIANA TRAGEDY.
Jacob Melting COnfesses Having Murdered
Ada Atkinson and Declares Ladd En-
tirely InnOcent-The Excited Populace
Anxious to Lynch the Murderer.
FOWLER. IND. DC

FOWLER, IND, Oct. 16.
Jacob Melting made full confession to.
day of the murder of Ada Atkinson as fol-
lows:
Jacob Melting being duly sworn, says: / do
acknowledge that killed Ada Atkinson with
my pOcket-knife shown to-day i'll open court
In the Benton County Courthouse. L killed
her under the following circumstances: Be
fore started from the fence something came
over me that enticed me to do so. j started
from the fence on the east side of the orchard
to the house. l entered the south door of the
house. went upstairs and found Ada up
there. l said TO her: Il am going to kill YOU"
She told me not to do it; that she did not want
to die that way. | told her l had to do it.
don't recOllect what she said took hold of
her and threw her down on the floor; then
cut her threat then l became frenZied and
made the other cuts 1t seems my mind left
me- and did not care what / was doing. l
ran not explain the raising of her clothes, or
the rest of the cutting, but suppose done it
all. lhad no motive that / remember of for
killing her in this manner, and did not at
tempt to ravish her and had no desire to do SO.
AS L left the house l went to the millk-houSe
and washed my hands in the basin which had
laying on the milk-tank near the door. threw
the water into the yard, and likely it soaked in
The grass. l did not get my clothes bloody,
because the blood did not fly. 1t seems to me
that had hold of the handkerchief which was
around her neck, and might have twisted il
when l cut her throat After washing the
blood off my hands and knife went back
through the orchard TO my work.
l do sOlemnly swear that Jacob Ladd Is in
nocent of the murder and that he did not visit
me that day, and that the previous statements
have made about him are false in every par
ticular. JACOB NELLING.
Witnessed by JOHN C. HARRIS, Chicago.
PAUL E. hitter,
Coroner of Benton County.
P. 81 will state that have not been forced.
10 make this confession and that make it vol
unfairly without any expectation of any i'm
munity from justice. JACOB NELLING.
The statement that he did not attempt to
raYish her is not believed; every indica-
ton proves he attempted this. While be-
ing examined this morning he was as cold
and feelingleSS as snake. During court
all the room doors were locked by the Sher-
lift and Melting was hustled down the back
way to jail before the audience was allowed
TO go out of the courtroom. This prevented
certain lynching. The excitement was in
tense.
This confession explains the most mystic.
rtous and heinous murder ever committed
In Indiana. Melting alone knew who COM
mitted the murder, and had he remained
silent the mystery would never have been
solved. He is in Jail strongly guarded.
Hundreds of people are in town to see the
lynching expected tonight.
There was an exciting scene when Nell
ling was removed from the courtroom to
Jail. Spectators rose and were ordered to
sit down by the Sheriff. They did not
obey, but moved toward the prisoner, NUT
tering. He was taken out the rear door,
which was Immediately locked, and the
Deputy Sheriffs announced "No man leaves
the courtroom. for five minutes" The
Sheriff placed Melting in the most secure
cell in the jail and went inside with q
srustX, well-armed force of eight men.