The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-24
WHO KILLED CONAUGHTON?
The Various Theories and Stories as to
Who Fired the Fatal Shot.
Merchant Policeman Isaacs Confident that
lie Can Prove an Alibi-The Dead Mans
Ante Mortem Statement Yesterday.

Thomas Conaughton, who was so mysteriously
shot down while fleeing from Constable Reinhold
on Wednesday evening. was relieved from his
sufferings by death at the residence of his uncle,
Charles Reagan, No % Fletcher avenue, yester-
day morning at o'clock. His remains were
taken in charge by Renihan, Long s. Hedges
and he will be buried to, morrow.
Isaacs, the merchant policeman to whom cir
cumstances point as Conaughton's slayer, is still
in the station honse, where he is being held to
await any further Developments that there may
be. The charge of murder has been put opposite
his name, bit he has not been put among the
other prisoners. and receives his friends in the
big room" of the station. At his own request
he was not taken before the Mayor yesterday
morning for preliminary hearing, but he
will be this morning. He still denies vehement
that he fred the fatal shot, and that he
was near the scene of the shooting when it
occurred. His defense will be in proving an
alibi and street talk indicates that he will be
able to do go, for many of the business men
on Illinois street say they will testify that he
was on his beat continually from to o'clock.
He has retained Leon Bailey and Harry Tncher
as his attorneys. To Journal reporter he said
yesterday: IF l had shot Mr.. Conaughton,
i should have DONE as all officers would
gone right to the station house and told
the police what had done and given myself up.
AS an officer, passing the vicinity. if had been
called upon to stop the fugitive, after hearing
the shots, | would have been in a measure JUST,
fed in firing my gun at the man to to scare him,
and if had accidentally hit him. court would
have convicted me. If l had done the shooting
] am not such fool as to stay here and deny IL.
/ am perfectly innocent"
Elmer Mcclure, the c.. H. & /, night watch
man, who claims TO have seen the shooting, still
declares that Isaacs is the man who fired the
fatal shot. He says he walked with him, talked
with him, and, having known him for ten years.
he could not have been mistaken. On the other
hand, Isaacs savs he never knew there was such
a man AS Mcclure, and that his whole story is
concocted for some purpose. Several persons IN
the neighborhood assert that they heard
four shots, and that they apparently
came from three different guns In
this connection it may be stated that Mcclure
was at the station house few minutes after the
shooting occurred, and at once charged Isaacs
with killing Conaughton. He was asked IL he
mad a revolver himself and informed the officer
that ne had one, but had left it at the fro ght-
house. IN which he was when the shooting &C.
The officers went down and found his gun on the
table. Tt was 42-caliber and had one chamber
empty. Later in the evening it was returned to
him.
The coroner late Wednesday night, visited
Conaughton. and took statement from him.
which was to the effect that he had had row
with Eaton, and that Eaton had flied against
him, as stated yesterday. When Reinhold came
around to arrest him, he struck him, and started
TO run up Virginia avenue. Renhod fred twice,
and on Virginia avenue man wearing q SLOUGH
hat pulled revolver and fred he This
man, he said, fred the shot that struck him.
He said he could not identity the shooter, but he
wore dark mustache, and was rather tall Con-
naughton then turned, and ran between the
cars in the coal yard, where he fell He also
said he pointed out the man who shot him to
some one who came up to him. butthe officers
| made no attempt to arrest the fellow. This story
agrees with that of Mcclure, who claims that
when he reached Conauchton, he said the man
who shot him had gone up New Jersey street
The strange par. of the affair is that the four
men who were there. Reinhold, Mcclure, Sauers
and Slate, cannot agree Reinhold and Mcclure
assert positively that Isaacs was there, and
Sauers and Slate say if he was thers they did
not see him. Opinion among the police officers
is greatly at variance as to who did the shooting