The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-01
AN ASSASSIN'S CONFESSION
Noah Mobiles Narrow Escape from Be-
ing Murdered While Governor.
The Plot Revealed by the Confession of Dy-
ing Criminal, Who Was Released from
Prison by the Governor.


reporter of the Journal was the guest of q
nephew of the late Gov Noah Noble day or
two ago. and, in the course of hours talk
the gentleman related sn incident in the life Of
ais uncle, which appears to have escaped the
notice of the chroniclers of Indiana events, but
which constitutes strange and not unromantic
chapter in the history of the State, showing how
brutal and unprovoked murder saved Governor
Noble from assassination aud how he subse-
quently pardoned the murderer and would-be
assassin, and by this act of kindness brought
out a confession from the repentant and dying
criminal
Gov. Noble's residence. during his term OF Of
fee, was situated the rising ground about
four hundred yards north of Washington street,
and about the same distance east of what is now
known as Noble street, and which was then the
western boundary Of hsa farm. The residence
was brick structure fronting towards Wash
ington street OnEc1s1uth. and toward the
the city lying bet In IL western boundary of
the farm and Ala( "a street being a large
common. Whateves me the Governor could
spare from the duties of the executive Office was
devoted to the Improvement of his farm and he
took special delight in tending large
garden that stretched down the slope
from the west front of his house.
But the Governors happiness in the possession
of fine garden had one alloy of misery. Mike
Van Blaricum. burly Irish neighb or, had the
most prolific sow in the State. and with each
curing season her pigs made sad havoc with the
plants in the Governors garden. Van Blaricum
owned ferry-boat which piled the river just be-
low the present site of the Washington street
bridge, White river.
he IN AS ia at
Van Blaricum going to his ferry. what will you
take for that sow and her pigsP'
The Irishman din't want to sell and said So
The Governor told the owner how much the pigs
troubled him and asked him to set price, three
times their worth if he chose, and the purchase
would be made. Van Blaricum refused to sell at
any price and the Governor said: Money is the
end of the law and il you will not sell at any
price, will shoot the pigs if they trouble me
again"
eff you do" was the heated reply, II will
shoot you," and with this the parties separated.
True to their nature the pigs found their way
into the Governors garden the next day and,
true to his promise, the Governor emptied the
contents of shotgun into the litter. killing two
or three and crippling nearly all the others
Some three or four days after this incident
Van Blaricum murdered inoffensive young
man named Mcpherson, under circumstances
which aptly illustrated his brutal nature. Nc
Pherson lived west of the river In what was
called Stringtown, now West Indianapolis. but
was employed clerk in one of the stores
the east side of the town proper. He was care
in demeanor. and doubtless for no other cause
than this, Van Blaricum conceived strong dis
like for him. In crossing the river twice each
day as he came to and returned from his work.
Mcpherson was forced to avail himself of Van
Blaricums ferry, and such occasions OPP
portunity was lost by the ferryman to taunt
and insult his customer. Mcpherson bore the
oft-repeated insults for loLg time, but
finally purchased canoe and ferried
himself across the river each night and morning
This enraged the Irisnman, and as Mcpherson
morning
cum rowed his boat close up to the canoe and
tipped it over, thus throwing Mcpherson, who
could not SWIM into the water. The drowning
caught hold of the side of the boat in the effort
to save himself, but Vanblaricum beat his hands
10 ose with an oar, and the helpless svictim was
suffered to drown before his eyes. Vanblaricum
was arrested and within short time tried and
sentenced to the State prison for life, the jury
returning verdict of manslaughter, instead of
murder the first degree. the prosecution
had failed to show that the brutal act was the
result of generalization.
Vanblaricum was transferred to the pen:ten-
tiary in 1888. and soon became victim of con-
sunni tion. He had always lived an active, out
door life and his confinement told upon him
from the time he entered the prison walls In
February, 1885, petision was presented to Gov
ernor Noble, praying for the release of the prs-
oner the ground that he was in the last
April following. Vanblaricum was pardoned and
returned to lis home here to die. Within a few
days after his sreturn. and when it was plain
that his life was limited to but few hours. he
sent for Governor Noble to come to his bedside.
When the Governor reached the bed of the
dying man, Vanblaricum referred to the shoot
ing of the pigs just before his arrest for the
of young Mcpherson, and stated that
on the night of the day that the threat regard
ing the killing of the pigs carried into
cution, he had armed himself with q shotgun,
and seeing the executive leave the house, he
had crept into the Governors garden, and con-
cealed himself behind some shrubbery to await
his return, determined to shoot him as he passed
through the garden. Van blaricum appeared very
penitent, and expressed himself happy that
the Governor had selected some other route
home that evening, and had thus escaped |
the impending danger. He said that the kind
ness OF the Governor, in permitting him to re- |
turn home to die, surrounded by relatives and
that he contemplated in revenge for the killing |
Of his pigs The dying man sank rapidly from
the moment of the Governors visit and a few |
hours later the vital spark went out. leaving a
form which was but shadow of the powerful |
being that less than two years before had MUIR
1ered the unoffending MCPHERSON
Upon thinking the matter over the Governor
recalled the fact that ne had come down in town
On the night in question: but, wishing to locate
the site for water-gap which he designed plac-
ing across Pogue run in his farm, he had gone to
the northern part OF town and thence to his
farm. After locating the site of the proposed
he returned home and entered the
house from the north instead of from the west
IS his custom, and had thus escaped
Van blaricum's murderous purpose. and, in fact
in ignorance of it till the dying man
relieved his soul by confession
TNNTtNA SNIENTTCrC