The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-14
MURDERED WHILE BOATING.
THE WIFE ACCESSORY TO THE CRIME.
Goshen Sensation-Other state rews-Aeci-
dentaIly Killed by His Brother-Pettits
Observation-Disclosures Excited
D~eath-Minor state Items.

GOSHEN, Jan. 11.-[Special. 1.-The trite
old saying that murder will out has again
been proven infallible, and one of the
most dastardly and brutal crimes ever
committed in the country has been
brought to light.
The work OF officers for monthe has re-
suited in the arrest of Mrs. Frances F..
Calkins and Frank Hendryx, charged with
the murder by drowning Of the woman's
husband at Elkhart last April and the
confession in Jail here last Friday OF Mrs.
Calkins, who duplicates herself in the
crime and eliminates hersupposed whilom
paramour, Hendryx, as the chief aggressor.
The matter was kept a profound secret
till tonight so as to give the officers time
to place prominent witnesses under
bonds. Mrs. Calkins was arrested in
In Chicago last night.
The story of the frightful crime and the
subsequent events are a. follows: On the
3rd of last April, Mr.. and Mrs. Edmond
Calkins, who had been married but three
DAYS, together with a former friend of the
latter, Frank Hendryx, went boat riding on
the St. Joseph river. In the evening
Hendrix and Mrs. Calkins returned wet
to the skin and SAID that the boat
had upset and that Mr.. Calkins had
gone to the bottom. y search was at
once made for the body, but it was not
found for three days. In the mean time
serious suspicious of foul play had been
aroused. Calkins was an old and respect
ed citizen OF Elkhart and at one time edit
or Of the Labor Signal, a knight OF Labor
organ. He was sixty years OF age and
moderately well off. lie and his wife had
only been married three days and it was
found that she had induced him to Will
his property to her and take out an acct
dent insurance policy payable to herself.
She had been twice married before and
was considered a rather gay female. Hen
dTyx was a man of good character but
had always been on pretty intimate terms
with Mrs. Calkins before her third mar
9 riage. The body of Calkins was at last
found but by that time suspicious had be-
come so strong that a post norton was
held and a search for poison made.
Nothing suspicious turned up however
and the verdict of the coroner was 20 the
effect that the deceased came to his death
by accidental drowning. The insur-
nee agent however upon the first
demand being made refused to
pay over the insurance money, claiming
foul play, and, strange to say, Mrs. Calkins
never made any further demand for it.
but in a short time she and Hendryx left
Elkhart, being all the while under the
constant surveillance of the officers. The
matter was apparently dropped, but the
present grand jury returned a bill charg-
ing the two with the murder Of old man
Calkins for the purpose of getting his
money, and IN accordance with this bill
Mrs. Calkins was arrested at Niles, Mich,
last Wednesday, and with her boy of sew
eral years of age brought down here and
jailed. On Friday she made a full con-
f~ession, eliminating Hendryx as the chief
aggressor, and last night he was arrested
in Chicago and brought here at midnight.
She, in her confession, says that the boat
ride was deliberately planned by them for
the purpose of numbering Calkins, and
that all proceeds of the crime were to be
divided between them. She saws that
Hendryx drugged her husband before get
ting into the boat, and that when in a
dazed condition be got up to change his
seat Hendryx CAV him a push and he
went into the water to rise no more.
They then soaked themselves thoroughly
so as TO give color to the story that the
boat had upset and returned home to tell
their c~oncocted story.
She is thoroughly frightened and pros
trated and seems TO think that in giving
the snap away will, in some way, let her
escape punishment. She refuses to say
anything to any one except Attorney
Mommert, and as for Hendryx, he will
not talk at all. She is a handsome, black
eyed woman OF about forty years OF age,
and with her infant son looks ANYTHING
but like a murderess. Hendrix knows
nothing OF the confession and sits modify
IN his cell refusing to say anything to any
one. Unless something unforeseen as yet
1ntervenes be will certainly hang
IN rnIINcrI