The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-01-06
OUR HOME BUDGET.
Tho Mysterious Disappsarsucs Of an Indiana
Farmer Cleared Up.
Fatal Results of Boiler Expsosi0as-Arresi
OF Wall Street Broker-A Colored
Man Shot and Almost In
stsntly Killed.

VINCENNEs, Ind, Dec. ga most as
founding murder sensation has just been
developed here Yesterday afternoon Sheriff
John A. Padgett arrived from Shoals, Martin
County, forty miles east of this city on the
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, with war
rant for the arrest of John Il. Archer whom
il was discovered lived on the farm of Leroy
Boyd, five miles south of this city. Archer
was wanted for the murder of John Il.
Bunch, who mysteriously disappeared dur
ing the summer of 1881 from his farm in
Lost River Township, Martin County. Sher-
if Padgett secured assistance here, and in
company with Deputy Sheriff speckman.
went at once to Archer's home
in the country, where they found
Archer busily engaged in splitting rails. AS
Dir. Padgett approached, he dropped his
maui and demanded the business of his
visitors. Padgett said lac had warrant for
his arrest, when Archer replied: I'm no
id thief; you can't take me-" They were
about to put handouts on him when Archer
said: "Gentlemen. treat me decent; | will
go in the house and put on some clothes,
and then | will go with you like a citizen"
The officers acquiesced and followed the
man to the door When Archer went in he
leveled it at them George Holt and his
sister were living with Archer. They, too,
slipped up, one with a revolver and the
other with shotgun leveled at the officers.
Completely covered, with no opportunity to
get out of their dangerous quarters, the
officers agreed to leave the place. The
Sheriff has organized a posse of fifteen de-
termined men, who propose to take Archer
and his gang, dead or alive. Archer's COM
rade, George Holt, is also wanted for the
same crime, ana warrant Is out tor him.
The posse started at 10 o'clock.
The story of the murder was first devel-
oped yesterday at the POOr-h0use in Martin
County. John Archer's wife, whom he de-
serted, was compelled to seek the Poor-house
Tor shelter. She told the Superintendent
that she could tell why John B. Bunch
disappeared so mYsteriOusly, and intimated
foul play. The superintendent curiosity
was aroused and he sent for Prosecuting A
torney Mccormick to come and take her
statement. Mrs. Archer said that John b.
Archer, Samuel Archer, Thomas Archer,
Martin Archer George Holt and John Lynch
were all concerned in the mysterious disap-
pearance of John b. Bunch, who was a
wealthy German farmer Bunch lived near
Lost River. in Lost River Township. Martin
County. TIE Archers we're family of des-
persdoes and Bunch would not have any
thing to do with them. bitter hatred ex-
listed between the ArcheEs and Bunch, and
the former resolved to put'Bunch out Of the
way. In the summer of 1881, Mrs. Archer
said. farmer Bunch went out into q
field to call his hogs When out of
rushed UP to him and killed him. Mrs.
Archer says they put stone around his
neck and threw the body into Lost River.
The body LAID their three days. When
Bunch's sudden disappearance became
known il created the most intense excite
ment, and the county was secured for miles
around. Finally party began to drag Lost
River in the hope OF finding Bunch's body
This thoroughly frightened the Archers, and
they went to the place where they had
thrown the body and fished it out of the
river.
They took the body to a secluded spot,
chopped il up. put it into an iron kettle and
cooked ii for two days and nights, until all
the flesh came off the bones. After which
they took the bones to a cemetery, where
they found new-made grave, and digging
into il took the new coffin up,
placed Bunchs bones at the bot
tom of the grave, replaced the
coffin and refilled the grave. For some days
the grave remained undisturbed, until
finally the villains became alarmed and took
up the bones of their victim and buried
them somewhere else, but Mrs. Archer can
not tell where. After the crime was COM
mitted, Archer deserted her and went to live
in distant place with another woman. For
a time the other Archers supported. John
Archer's wife, but she finally applied for
divorce. Then they left her to shift for her.
self, and she was finally driven to the Poor
house. After much persuatiou Mrs. Arc her
was induced TO tell this story, and she has
sworn and subscribed to it before the Prose
cutting Attorney. Warrants were at once
issued and placed in the hands of the su-
thorities for the arrest of the six men above
mentioned. They will be arrested as soon
as they can he found.