The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-02

AsiNS3
Preston Swank, Thomas Lafollett. Vincent
Smith, Silas Hendricks, Ransome vancleave.
John Nolan, Isaiah Hunter, M. s. Smith.
The first witness was Emma Oliver, who told
the circumstances of the shooting of Mrs. Voll-
mer in her presence. She told her story in a
straightforward manner, and her evidence was
not shaken in the cross-examination. Courtney
make objection to any evidence being introduced
tending to prove that Henning had killed Mrs.
vollmer, because the Indictment does not charge
Henning with killing. The motion was sus-
| tanned. 1t was proven that Henning had several
times made threats to kill 'some woman who
had refused to marry him after promising so to
do" and also that he had told Edward Harrison
and Emma j. Marshall that he had intended to
kill Lottie Vollmer. thus proving that this muir
der had undoubtedly been premeditated; and
upon all these occasions that he had spoken
about killing Mrs. Vollmer, Henning was reason
ably sober. Other witnesses testified to the find
ing of Henning after the murder was committed;
to the pistol taken away from Henning, and
the statement of the result of the postmortem
examination
Sheriff Musser of Rockville. is summoned as
a witness for both sides. The tendency of the
evidence is all against Henning, and the only
hope for the defence is to prove insanity. AS
HenDing was taken to and from the Jail he
would reach out his two hand cuffed hands to
every person he would meet and shake hands,
and even speak to entire strangers.
About August %, 1885. John G. Henning. who
was known by the name of Jack Tinker" went
49,
Vollmer at Rockville, and was hired by her to
do odd jobs for his board. He finally became at
taehed to this woman, and on Oct 10, or
Whereabouts, procured a license to marry her,
which he returned to the clerk In few days, re-
marking that the woman was TOO intimate with
another man. On the evening of Oct "a
Mrs. Vollmer and Miss Emma Oliver were seat
en- the formers kitchen, when Hennlng suddenly
appeared at the door leading from the kitchen to
the front part of the restaurant. He stood for
a moment and then spoke to Miss Oliver, Then
he turned toward where Mrs. Vollmer was
seated, and said:
well, Lottie so we are all together again, :"
and continued: did you make that letter out
all rightp
[He undoubtedly had reference to a note, found
among Mrs. Vollmers letters, reading: ''Lottie,
please answer tonight, or will talk to you alone.
She answered.: II guess did,
He then asked her to go upstairs with him,
and, seeing her startled look. added. ITO get
tnat TIN bucket LOT mc'--naVlDg reverence 10 q
tin bucket. belonging to him, which was found
afterwards at the Vollmer house.
She said she knew nothing of his bucket and
would not 60 upstairs with him. He then asked
her about some lumber belonging to him that
was on her premises, aud offering it to her for
kinaling. She said She did not want his lumber.
He then stepped to the back kitchen door and
asked her to accompany him into the back yard.
She refused to do so until her step-daughter re-
turned. He then drew a revolver from his
l. - L 4
The women then started to run from the room.
Mrs. Vollmer fell down five steps leading to the
store room, and Henning fired second time.
The ball struck Miss Oliver on the leg, near the
knee, and entered the body of Mrs. Volmer in
the back part Of the right hip and glanced up
wards. Miss Oliver gained the street. and Mrs.
Vollmer. in endeavoring to escape, was shot
again. the ball entering just above the right hip
bone, ranging upward and forward, and lodging
below the breast bone This shot was the inn
mediate cause of her death. Mrs. Vollmer ran
into the street and fell senseless the steps of
butcher shop. She died in half an hour.
Henning fed out the back door and hid in some
tall, dead grass, where he was afterwards found
by Jesse Howell.
Henning was Immediately surrounded by a
large crowd Of excited citizens, who seemed de-
termined to hang him He was, however. finally
placed in jail The next day it became evident
that there would be an attempt made to lynch
Hennlng. Accordingly, he was removed to Bra
I'll for safe Keeping during MONDAY WOrQ was
sent to Sheriff Sterly that mob would attack
the Brazil Jail that night. and the prisoner was
at once placed aboard train and taken to Terre
Haute and placed in Jail there. He remained
there until Dec. 4. when he was taken back to
Rockville. and change of venue was granted
him to Montgomery county. He was brought
hero the same evening, and has been in our jail
ever since.
Henning has been married twice. His first
wife was daughter of Charles Hunter, of
Baldwnsville, Edgar county. Illinois He has
five sons and one daughter One of his sons. J..
C. Henning, ir., lives at Chrisman, in Edgar
county, and is now here to attend his fathers
trial The other sons live in Parke county. He
married his second wife in Parke county, by
whom he had three sons and two daughters. His
wife procured divorce, and is now living near
Montezuma. Henning afterwards went to
Mecca, on the Wabash, where he kept bar and
rented boats to fishermen. In 1875 he was sent
to the pententiary for two years for attempting
to kill Charles Clark, an adopted son of widow
named Wright, who lives three miles west of
Rockville. He got the name of Jack Tinker
from the fact that he went from place to place,
and mended watches. clocks, etc. Since being
brought to our Jail he has had his whiskers
shaved off.
On April 16, 1883. George yollmer the hus
band of the murdered woman, was killed in the
same house where she met her death, by y. A.
Rutledge.
T., rl~zx re Ir~s>