The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-17
REMAINS A DEEP MYSTERY
Little Light Yet Thrown Upon the In
provoked Murder of Charles Eyster.
Psrkera and McAfee Still Held, but the Evidence
Against Them Is Very slender--Au'opsy
Held by the COrOner-One Vague Clew.


in which Charles Eyster met bis death last
Friday night is yet surrounded by al i'm
penetrable veil so far as evidence leading
10 the detection of the murderers is con-
cerned. There are no facts substantially
new In the case. save that those now under
arrest have INDUCED in q series of conflict
ing stories as to their Whereabouts on the
fatal night. Bessie King and Carrie
Spauldlng, the dIssolute oolored women.
who claim to have barbored the accused
prisoners, John Parker and Ed McAfee.
spent last night at the station house anu
did good deal of talking. The women
were arrested yesterday morning by
officers Hart and klinger for disturbing
the peace with two white men.
at their homo on Anderson street.
They spent all day yesterday in the same
cell. and when questioned By the officers
last night plainly demonstrated that they
had been comparing notes, although In
some particulars they widely differ. On
Saturday both girls corroborated Ed Nc
Afee's assertion that he did not call on the
Spaulding girl until after IL o'clock Friday
night. but In conversation with Chief Col
bert last night Bessie King stated that he
came to the house between 9 and 10 o'clock
She Gays that on Saturday. short time
after the men were arrested, the Spauld.
ing woman remarked TO her:
We'll. / suppose you will talk for your
lover. John Parker" and she replied:
No. Pll not tell any lies. FL tell all 1
know about this for Pm not going to get
into any trouble"
Filed away in the superintendents pri-
vate desk is an oid-fashioned pistol. of
thirty-two-callber size, which the police
found yesterday in Bessie KINGS room.
Theweapon isrusty and old, and does not ap-
pear to have been fired for months. How
ever, the circumstances connected with its
presence in the girls room are peculiar.
She says that her lover. Parker. came to her
house between and o'clockFriday night.
and that, after he had been there an hour,
his brother, Bert Parker, came in. and was
sent out Immediately after snuff. Whep
he returned he drew his revolver
from bis pocket and handed 1t to John.
with the request that he keep it. John
demurred, and asked the boy where he got
except the reply: Never mind where 1
got il. you keep it." The girl says she took
the pistol and locked it mp. She further
admits that Parker went out after bucket
of beer at $50 O'Clock. but says that he
was gone but q few minutes. and. return
ing, did not leave the house again until
arrested Saturday. She grew quite indig-
nant when patrolman Carter suggested
Howsrd's saloon o few minutes before 10
o'clock. and fatty informed the officer that
he was mistaken.
All night last night the police sergeants
were on the lookout for man who. ut Is
said. has q strange story to tell. Last Sat-
urday night negro sought one of the po-
lice captains and asked for q private talk.
The request was accorded the man. and he
divulged the information that he knew of
another colored man who claimed to have
"a Qh al n
The name OF this man was given, and Off,
GERS were at once dispatched to the South
Side to locate him. He was not found. but
it was expected that he would be apDre-
tie truth in the story. but. the Off
GERS do not propose to lose sight
of the slightest evidence bearing on
the case. no matter how meager. The
prisoners occupy separate cells at the
station house and have had no chance to
communicate with each other since their
arrest. Parker 10 the elder of the two, be-
ing about twenty-five years old and of
much more decent appearance than McAfee.
The latter Is as black as night and has @
vicious look about him.
At 8 o'clock yesterday morning Drs. Beck
and Reyer held post-m0rten examination
on the remains of the murdered man and
located the direction taken by the ball. It
struck the abdomen an inch and half TO
the left and slightly below the sternum or
breast bone, passed the left lobe of the
liver. entering the intestines and lodging
In the right iliacus muscle. The hysicians
decided that the bullet was of 32-caliber.
which fact. coupled with the discovery of
the revolver found yesterday, would be
strangely coincident did not the weapon
show that il had not been recently loaded.
1t was the intention last night to take
McAfee and Parker mp TO the Coleman bak-
cry, next door TO where the tragedy oc-
CURED. Mrs. Culeman. wife OF the propri-
etor, states that she can identify the man
who asked for change in her store few
minutes before the murder occurred. She
will be given an opportunity TO view the
prisoners this morning. The officers have
refrained from inv aiding the sacred grief of
the stricken widow so far as possible, but
it is thought that she may be able to REQ
Ognize one OF both of the men.
The remains of Charles Eyster will be
laid to rest in Crown Hill Cemetery this
afternoon. the funeral occurring at o'clock
from the family home, corner of Misslssip-
ri and Third streets The services will be
conducted by the Rev. Lee, of Frankfort.
formerly pastor of Edwin Ray Church. of
this city.