The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-25
NO CLEWS FOUND YET
No Trace of Merchant Policeman
WatterSOn's Murderer.
Three People Saw the Scuffle-Place
Where the Murderer Hid-Fu-
neral of the Officer.


dan, who resides at No. go North AIissis-
sippi street, and the two women who prob
ably saw the fatal battle between the
burglar and officer are Mrs. Corridan and
Mrs. Dashiel. Mr.. Corridan called at
Flanner q Buchanan's undertaking estab-
lishment yesterday to view the remains
and his statement was taken there by DR..
carp and reduced to writing. The state
nent is as follows: MY name is Thomas
j. Corridan. 1 reside at No go North Mis-
sissippi street. / saw Waterson scuffiing
with a man m a vacant lot In front of my
residence at 11:30 last night i remember
the time from the fact that Mrs Dashiel
was at my home and was ready to go
home. and L laid down d paper which 1
had been reading and looked at the clock.
The ladies. Mrs. Dashiel and my wife, and
L saw the scufTle. We had heard some
shots fired and also heard some one cry
Murder! Help! My God? L cried from
the place where 1 was standing on
my porch, Stop that but did not go 10
the rescue. because my wife. who is in a
delicate condition, asked me not to go. My
wife and Mrs. Dashiel recognized the voice
crying for help as that of Merchant po-
iceman Waterson. When 1 made a noise
in the far end of the vacant lot L live on
the west side of Mississippi street. 1 think
saw the men about thirty feet from the
alley"
From the statement made by Mr.. Corri-
dan it Use vident that the Merchant police
man caught the burglar i'd 1t is evident
there was but one in the act of burglariz-
ing the store and received his death
ATTEMPTING
Mr.. Corridan saw but two men,, and said
he thought when ne cried the burglar
turned to run, and WaterSon, though NOR
tally wounded, pursued him to the spot
where the brave officer was found just a
moment before he breathed his last.
"A post-mortem examination was made
yesterday by Drs carp and Carey. The
examination shows that cleaver had not
been used in the deadly assault as was at
first supposed The wound upon the fore
head, which was supposed to have been
made with the cleaver, 1t is found, was
made with the same knife which was driv-
home to the officers heart. The exam
ination showed that Waterson had received
five incisive wounds One passed through
the chest cavity between the fifth and
sixth ribs, near the breast bone, cutting
the right ventricle Of the heart. Another
near the left nipple passed between the
sixth and seventh ribs, cutting the apex
of the heart in two places about half
inch in length, but not entering the cavity
OF the heart. Another passed into the
chest cavity on the left side near the
thrust which severed the apex of the heart,
but the last wound cut internal organ.
On the back of the forearm was found an
other cut about one inch long, Embedded
between the bones of the forearm was
found the end of a knife blade, about
three-quarterS of an inch wide and about
inch and half long This piece OF
blade fits exactly upon the knife now IN
possession OF the coroner which was found
upon the scene, showing that the murder
Gus assault was made with knife taken
from the butcher shop The fifth wound
49, Il aifh q
first supposed to have been made with
cleaver. This wound is slight, being nothing
more than a scalp wound.
in the possession of the coroner shows
that no wound was made with II after IL
had been broken, proving the wound In
is imbedded, to be the last wound made.
From the spot where Mr.. Corffdan saw
the men scutfiing TO the spot where the
dying officer was found is distance OF
about a block From the fact Of the wound
in the forearm being the last one inflicted.
taken in connection with the fact that the
cylinder of the ofbcers revolver was found
near the spot where he himself fell, 1t is
presumed that the brave officer, even
while mortally wounded, pursued the Grim
inal, endeavor1ng to capture him. tlli the inc
dealt the last blow. III TINS nypothesls Is
true Waterson. with two knife thrusts IN
lis heart another G IN r tine ch ne 6aHfeS
flood, and a fourth upon the forehead,
pursued his assailant for nearly block,
and there again received a htth thrust
from the knife which ma alreauy uoiie It's
bloody work.
The knife that dealt the death blow to
Watterson was found yesterday morning
by Louis Barth. Of No. 40 Hall place. TWO
inches of the blade was missing. 1t lay on
the floor OF an clubhouse in the rear or the
Barth home, square east ana nan square
north of the spot where Wattersons BODY
was found. The weapon had been leIt IN
the closet by the murderer, and was recog-
nized by the firm OF Gilman & carney as a
knife taken from their butcher shop At
the hilt it is five-eighths of an inch in width
and tapers to point. The murderer, ledv-
ing his victim, had run across the commons
TO the alley in the rear of Hall place.
That he was wounded is evidenced from
the fact that a pool of blood, yet fresh, was
found on the floor of the building in which
he had taken shelter: Bloody finger marks
were also discovered OH the fence IN the
rear of No. 3S Hall place. where he had
attempted to get over the renee mt was
prevented by a wire netting nailed 20 the
top Of the obstruction. The murderer then
passed ca to the adjoining premises and en-,
by the detectives that the wagon spoken OF
yesterday morning figured IN the cast
chief Solanm Is OF Iht oPI hom WaiteTeon
had 70 contend. The officer explains this on
the theory that a trail of blood was found
leading from the butcher shop north on
mississippi street Yesterday police officer
Klinger who was the first to find the body
of the dead Waterman. followed the wagon
trail Tor Two miles Oh the MtCiHSdh lOnu,
r Williams at No 9l2 North Tennessee
street. stands within a few yards OF the
spot where Watterson Is supposed TO have
had his first struggle with the thief or
thieves A half dozen bullets we're Yester-
day found imbedded in the side of the barn,
and evidently came from the Waterman g
revolver The bullets struck high and may
have been fred while WatterSOn was some
distance from the men.
SUPERINTENDENT Powell. Coroner Beck and
Detective Splann were in the vicinity or tic
murder early yesterday morning and began
active work on the case Every aVall9oie
detective and patrolman was sent out last
night, and the superintendent intends 10
spare no effort TO capture the murderer. If
he is injured. il is supposed. the police
believe that he is hiding somewhere in the
tinct clew and yet the officers are work
ing under difficulties. 1t was learned yes
terday that the homo or Is. +. Williams,
AT No el2 North Mississippi street. was
burglarized after the sounds OF shooting
were heard. TX is hardly probable that the
murderer would have fingered in the vicn-
ity after his crime unless badly w3unded-
The body of WatterSon was yesterday pre-
pared for burial by Undertaken Wills and
sent to No. - Elizabeth street. the home of
the dead man. The people living in the
vicinity of the scene of he murder are much
SUPERINTENDENT of police was last night re-
uuested TO detail a special officer 10 assist
in looking after the safety OF property mold
erS The funeral OF the murdered 0IhCer VIII
be held on Tuesday from the blackboard
street Church, and the Merchant pOilcemen
will attend in body
Chief Splann thinks there were two of the
robbers in the store when the mefchant
policeman's attention was attracted 10 the
actions of the men. He believes that after
al. l.,,t~ oh. ha rob