The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-25
A BRUTAL CRIME AVENGED.
An Old Woman Knocked Down and
Beaten to Death by a Mulatto.
The Murderer Captured and Placed in Jail,
From Whence He Is Taken by an In
furiated Mob and Hanged.
Special to the indianapolis Jou.nar.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
EVANSVILLE. Ind, Jan. 24-Henderson, KY,
has again been thrown into state of intense ex-
element by most brutal and heartless murder,
committed by negro named Calvin Simpson. a
six-foot mulatto, who halls from Union county,
that State his victim being highly respected
lady named Mrs Graves, residing about three
miles south of that place, on the Corydon road.
at a small hamlet called White Bridge. From
the facts ELECTED it appears that about o'clock
this morning Simpson called at the Graves resi-
dence and awakened the family, consisting of
Mrs. Graves, aged sixty-fve, her son Edgar,
aged thirteen. and two daughters, Louisa and
Mary, aged fifteen and seventeen, respectively.
The negro demanded admittance saying he want
ed to come in and pray with them. Being refused,
the black brute forced an entrance into the
house by breaking down the rear door. The in
mates at once fed from the house through the
front door, closely pursued by Simpson, who
was armed with large, heavy hickory club.
The boy Edgar and the two girls. being feet of
foot. escaped by fleeing to a neiehbor's, but the
old lady was overtaken by the brute. who, after
Telling her. beat her head into shapeless mass,
killing her almost instantly. and left her on the
porch with her brains oozing out. The negro,
having completed the murder started
for the cabin of Miles Brown. an
aged negro living ABOUT quarter
of mile distant reaching which he drove
Brown from the premises, and, taking posses
sion, barred the doors and windows. The news
of the killing spread rapidly, and the neighbors
at once started in pursuit of Simpson. Learning
from Brown that he had fortified himself in the
house, they surrounded the place and stood
guard until nearly o'clock, when the assistance
sent for arrived from Henderson in the shape
Of Officers Kohl and Hicks, and half dozen
armed and determined men. A parey was then
held between the officers, and the negro
asked to surrender, which he refused to do.
The door was then battered down,
but Simpson again held the officers
at bay by. displaying weapons. Officer Kohl,
however, a2yanced on the wretch with a cooked
revolver. Nd. aided by the Others Simpson was
arrested. He was brought to Henderson. His
first act was to kick deputy jalor clear across a
cell, and but for timely assistance he would have
been killed. His feigns lunacy and claims by
his deed to have captured the devil and set the
world free. He says he let the girls go free be-
cause they had prayed to God. The excitement
is intense and at this writing the officers are ex-
pecting that the murderer will be taken out of
their hands before morning.
About midnight report was circulated to the
effect that Simpson. some days ago, made the
remark that there were plenty of unprotected
women in the country, and probably he would
make some of them visit before long 1t
g.
to the Graves house wss not on account of a re-
ligous craze. but for the purpose of committing
crime. This story is given on reliable author
ity, and had it been made public earlier. Simp-
son would ere this have been hanging from
lamppost. At this hour, A. NJ, all is quiet,
but when this story becomes known, thousand
armed men could not hold the negro from the
hands of mob