The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-09
4 STORY OF MAN-SLAYING.
The Bloody Crimes Charged to William
McCaw, an Illinois Detective.
Accused Of Killing the Man Whose Murderer
lie Was Employed 30 CaDture-IiisC Crime
in indianapolis Nineteen Years Ago.

It developed yesterday that there was much
more in the arrest of William McCaw. on the
authority of telegram from Lincoln, ILL.,, than
was first supposed. Instead of being wanted for
murder at Lincoln, as the first telegram stated,
ne is suspected of being the man who shot G. u.
Powers. the telegraph operator at Marshall
Junction, H., on the 18th of last September.
j. Overholser, deputy sheriff at Marshall sta
zion, arrived in the city last evening to take the
prisoner in custody. McCaw, he says, was for
many years a policeman at Lincoln. Several
years ago he organized detective association,
with himself at the head. The associa-
ton was composed OF men Of bad
reputation, and was looked upon with
suspicion by the citizens of Lincoln. Their work
was mostly in the Western States and Terrific
Fes, and of their active operations the people of
Lincoln knew little The day before the murder
Of Powers, McCaw and two members of the asso-
station were seen about Marshall station. To
The afternoon before the murder the other two
men left the village. McCaw was around the
station late in the evening, and just at dark was
seen sitting on the platform as If in great
study. That night Powers was shot. and the
hext morning McCaw turned up in Lincoln, and
delivered TO another member of the association,
Fl. c. Smith, who is also under arrest, the keys
to the telegraph Office in which Powers was shot.
Two weeks after the murder Powers went
TO Marshall station and offered his services
as detective in the case, provided
the people of the town would pay
him literally for his services. This they con-
sented to do and he brought with him the two
men, Smith and another, who had been with
aim at the station the day before the murder,
and went to work on the case. He made de-
mands of tha citizens for money every few days,
telling them that he was on the clew, and sue
eeeded in getting from them considerable
amount. The men who recognized the three as
the persons who were around the station all day
previous to the murder. were afraid to say any
thing about their belief, for the reason that
everybody believed McCaw to be an honest de-
tectlve Finally. the citizens got tired of being
bled, and as the detectives were apparently ac
eomplishing nothing refused to lend them fur
ther support. 1t was then the three men who
Aad seen the detectives about the station told
sheir story. and the local officers went to work
sr the case. That was two weeks ago.
McCaw had an idea that the citizens were
suspectng him. and one night he and his two
men suddenly left the town. All efforts to To-
cate them proved futile for several days, until
n s. Jones came back to the town and asked
for more money, as he was going on with the
case He was at once arrested. After his arrest
he attempted to fasten the crime on McCaw and
the other man. The sheriff visited Lincoln in
search of MeCaw, but did not find him. On
Monday he made another visit to Lincoln, when
he learned that McCaw's mother lived in this
atty, and he at once sent the telegram, on the
authority of which Captain Colbert and Ser
Yeant Lowe arrested the fugitive
If McCaw is guilty of the Mars hall station MUIR
der it is the second one he has committed. Yes
terday morning he was identified as the man
who murdered Austin M. Foulke at q German
picnic, in Ssiz's Grove, on July 4, 1867. Imme-
diateIy after the murder he disappeared, and
since that time, wQaile occasionally coming back,
he has always been careful to never let his
identity be known. The murder was a deliber-
ate and cold FLOODED one. There had been bad
blood between Foulke and McCaw for
several months. growing out of dis
pute over woman. There was q great
crowd at the grove on the day of the picnic.
Foulke was near the entrance of the grounds,
when McCaw, accompanied by man named
Fisher, drove up in buggy. MeCaw jumped
0ut of the buggy. and followed Foulke to near
the dancing stand. when he proposed that the
long standing dispute should be settled. There
was wagon between them, and both starting
for the end Of the tongue they met McCaw
reached forward aud thrust a knife into Foulke's
heart, turning the blade after plunging into the
man. McCaw walked away unnoticed, and it
was several minutes before the bystanders real
azed that Foulke had really been killed When
shey did there was great excitement and the
crowd came near lynching the wrong
nan. McCaw came to this city. He
concealed himself in his father-in-laws
stable until it was dark, and spent the night
ander the trees in the old State house yard. He
had been raised on farm near Brooklyn, Nor
gan county, now owned by John j. Cooper, and
there he went and concealed himself in the
woods until his friends deemed it best for him to
GO West The woods his old home were
searched several times for him, and Hannibal
Taffe. who was then on the force, once passed
within eight feet of the fugitive, who was lying
behind log with cooked revolver pointed at
mis- pursuers After hiding in the woods two
weeks he went West and changed his name to
Mccoy. Prior to his killing of Foulke he had
trouble with Charles Carter, the confectioner.
Carter slapped him one day., whereupon
McCaw drew revolver and shot Car
ter in the leg, infiicting a serious
wound. For the killing of Foulke McCaw was
indicted for murder in the first degree, and, al
though there was a reward of 5000 for his arrest,
the authorities appear to have ceased the search
Cor him when he went West. The Indictment
semained on the docket until Jan. 2, 1879 when
McCaw. during his indianapolis career was
regarded as a very dangerous man. He served
shroux Ia the war in Company f, Sixty third In
diana Regiment. and was wounded in the shout
der and foot at the battle of Resaca For this
he draws pension which, he says, has always
been paid him through the Office here
He still refuses to talk regarding
the crimes for which ne Is held, but says that he
can prove himself innocent of all the charges
superintendent Travis is still undecided
whether or not he will allow him to be taken to
Marshall, unless there is indisputable proof that
be is the murderer of Powers. He can be rein
aicted here by the grand jury in session, and
made to suffer for his old crime. Deputy Sheriff
Overholser says that he breads taking him back
10 Marshall, as he fears McCaw will be lynched
as snaT as he arrives in the town McCaw is
sorS-rs9 years of age, and has wife and three
= shildren in Lincoln.
show Managers Property Attached.