The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-04
At WORK ON A CLEW
An Intimaticn TaaE ne sctivm Are Uaravs.-
ing the Foreman Murder Mystery.
The Most AtrociOus Butchery in the His
tory of Marion County Rtcslled-Cir.
cumstances in Brief of the
Bloody Tragedy.

"Do you know anything" queried SENTINEL
| reporter OF police sergeant last night
The question seem med g conundrum, but after
| worIyingwith it for awhile he answered: "oh,
You mean in the way of news! well, haven't
anything for you at present"
"Bnt III tell you what's the matter" the ser
geant said subsequently with more trepidstiOn
than Yehemence, 1--WE are going to have soon the
best piece. of news that's been in the papers for
| long tine Do you remember the Foreman
murder, which occurred just five years ago? II
| was one of the most terrible things that ever
| hsppered. 1t iust-iust taxed all science and
and human ingenuity, and then they never
| found out the fellers that did it.
By the free flourish OF the vocabulary in the
foregoing, a characteristic of the sergeant, he
may be recognized.
"But if people supposed that the police have
| given the case up they're very much mistaken,
1 ne continual. ,sE9vorvthinO that bora trapaS NJ
lhe-lhe diabolieaI butchery have been kept
aud the detectives-pOlice detectives, ind r.
stsnc-have been siftin the matter until
they've got q cew, and emphasizing his re-
marks by fixing the fingers OF both hands in
the shape Of the patent fish olaw-trap) we re
| goin' to snail the teller that did it."
This was all the Information that could be-
cleaned concerning the "clew' to the per-
pefratOr of the most atrocious crime that ever
| disgTaeed the annals OF Marion county, or even
The scene of the tragedy was about one mile
east of Royalton. Two detenseless old women,
the widow Foreman, seye9ty-eight year. old,
| and her maiden daughter, Lucinda, aged fifty,
were butchered in cold blood between 5 and
O'Clock on the morning OF March %. 1888, as
| they were preparing to go about their daily
planned there was no doubt from many sur.
rounding circumstances. During two or thres
weeks before attempts had been made to break
/ Into the house. Late one evening as the aged
mother and daughter were preparing to Fedre
a man was heard outside, and almost i'm
mediately the face Of man appeared at the
| window. In almost psralyzing terror the
Younger woman seized a revolver and threat
ened to shoot. The would be house breaker,
and, perhaps, murderer, from the conscious
| ness that he was recognized made of. When
| the door was opened the following moraing il
was partially INSTRUCTED by saturated rags
beneath IL, and other rags containing chloro-
| form had been packed into the key-hOle. The
event was related to neig0bOr the next day
| by Lucinda, but for some reason she refused to
| divulge the name OF the murderOus visitor.
| Every precaution was then made by the Fore
man women for protection. Additional bolts
were put on the doors and windows. The door
leading from the kitchen (which could be en-
tered most easily to the sitting-ro0m was doub
barred. Ii was well that such precautions were
1 taken, for on the following Tuesday two men
| the sitiing-room door. They were finally fright
| ened away by the two women. In the morning
| the embers OF an expiring fire were discovered
/ near the woodshed. 1t was built no doubt 10
| decOy the inmates from the house.
On the evening of the discovery OF the crime,
1 the body OF Lueinca was found in the orchard
| about eighty yards from the house. partially
/ covered with straw. with the head almost sew
/ cred from the body BARS OF corn were scat
/ tered about ana milk pail lay beside her, evil
/ dencing that she was on her way TO milk. The
/ elder lady was disco Tered on the kitchen
4 floor in q pool OF blood with the fatal wOun Is
| Of the ak about her head and neck A
carpet taken from an adjoining room had been
| thrown over her. A glance around the room
/ revealed the fact that she had been busting
/ herself with the preparation Of breakfast when
| she was struck down.
/ The object of the hellish work was clearly
/ robbery and murder. Had the former been the
| only motive the incarnate fends would have
1 had scarcely any i'm pediment in the feeble Old
/ woman. the house was ransacket from top to
bottom and blood stains were found on almost
| everything. After accom- pishing their work
| the murderers deliberately fastened the house
so securely, indeed, that an entrance by the
neigh DORIS YVES only made by breaking through
q window.
An Investigation by Coroner Maxwell lie & to
TO discoveries Of any great Importance. After
| a weeks investigation he gave up the case.
Who were the perpetrators of the deed re-
mains mystery, unles7 as the police sergeant
says new and important evidence since then
| has been gathered. II may he that another in-
stance will soon mSke prOoi OF the truth that
ttmurder will ont -