The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-11

the murderers Of the Wratten family,
but it is learned from the inside that
some very damaging evidence has been
procured against three parties living in
this and Pike counties. Everything
that even hints at clew is being looked
into. and it is understood that the Of
ficers have secured enough evidence to
greatly encourage them and that short
~ viii warrant an arrest.
Some good work is now being done on
the case and it is being conducted both
day and night. Coroner c. c. McCown
left for Reeve and Harrison townships
this afternoon TO hold inquests on the
bodies OF the young Reeves, who acct
IDENTIFY shot himself the day after the
wratten murder. and on little Ethel
Wratten, who survived her father,
mother. brother, sister and grand
mother for few days, finally succuTnb-
ing to her injuries.
It is learned tonight that warrants
have been issued for the arrest of Lon
Williams, Oscar Brown and William
Case. The murders were perpretrated
about two weeks ago and the detectives.
it is said, have been weaving a web Of
evidence against these men Of strong
texture Whether this be true or not
remains to be seen
Williams and Brown are residents OF
the Wratten neighborhood in Harrison
township. Case lived there at ore time,
but a year ago he moved into Pike
county He formerly was a hired hand
on benson Wratten's farm.
Williams does not bear very salts
factory reputation and the eye Of sus-
picion has for some time been directed
TO him.
It now develops that some one re-
manned all night at the Wratten house
the night the family was murdered.
Whoever this man was he evidently was
the chief in the slaughtering of the six
Wrattens. One Of the three men named
IN the foregoing is believed to be that
man.
JEFFERSONVILLE, Oct. Especial
-Four of the alleged murderers of the
wrattan family in Daviess county some
two weeks ago were brought here today
by City Marshal Cananaugh of Washing
ton.
They were arrested last night and
taken to Huntington to reach the rail-
road line. The officials were afraid of
the prisoners being lynched if they had
taken them to the Washington Jail. The
four men are William Case. Oscar
Brown. Lon Williams and Grandson
Kasley. Yesterday evening Marshal Ca
vanaugh arrested williams and Brown.
both farmers, who lived close to The
Wrattans and across a forty-acre lot
from each other. on suspicion that they
were concerned in the murder. 1t was
shutdown when he caught them at their
homes. and they were placed in carriages
and the entire party drove to the house
Of Kasley. near Jasper, Dubois county,
and later they went to Huntingburg and
from there to Jacksonville. The men
refused TO talk. but they deny any knowl-
edge Of the murder. The detectives ac-
knowledge that all the evidence against
them Is circumstantial, but at the same
time they regard it as convincing, and
unless the prisoners have a shrewd and
unlocked for defense they will be con-
vieted. Detectives will not say what the
evidence against the prisoners is.
WASHINGTON, Ind, Oct. 7.-Spe-
ciaL-Bill Kase. Leon Williams and
Oscar Brown have been arrested for the
Wratten murder and safely taken to
Jacksonville to protect them from the
vengeance Of mob law
William Kase was the first one ar
rested. He showed no disposition to re-
sist.
Leon Williams. who is ffty-four years
old and hardened in petty crimes. made
the assertion several days ago that he
would kill any officer who attempted to
arrest him. but when the warrant was
produced he offered not the least re-
sistance. He and his family seemed to
have expected his arrest.
oscar Brown is young man, but has
for several years been a tool of Will
!ams
William Kase has grown gray in
crimes Of petty nature and comes from
bad family. He has a brother serv-
Ing life sentence in the prison south.
Kase lives In Pike county.
Many good citizens of Harrison town
snip maintain that these parties are
not the murderers, while others as zeal
ously hold they are the ones. Public
sentiment is thus divided and until
something more definite is known it is
safe to predict that there will be no mob
violence.
The stories told by the various sus-
poets are conflicting in the extreme and
the arrest Of Kase is thought TO be a
very important one. as he is reported to
have told a very damaging story against
certain suspected person in Harrison
township. He IS acknowledged by those
who know him to be cowardly and on
account Of this weakness much credence
IS gwen 10 the fuTnOf tnat ne mas partly
confessed.
HUNTINGBURG, Oct. 7-SpeciaI-The
sheriff OF Daviess county, with a posse
of nine men, arrived at Duff Station last
night and arrested William Rays and
Alonzo Williams for the murder OF the
Wratten family two weeks ago.
The sheriff. with his prisoners. boarded
the east-bound express at a. m. for
Jacksonville, where the prisoners will
be left for protection against mob vio-
1ence, which would be their inevitable
fate IL taken TO Daviess county at this
time.
William Rays resides at Duff; Is a
brother Of John Kays. who is now serv-
ing a life sentence for murder in the
prison south. He has at different times
lived in Daviess county and was near the
Wratten residence two weeks before the
murder was committed. He was sus-
pected Of being implicated in the COM
mission Of this terrible deed soon after
the murder and detectives have Swallowed
him ever since.
ACQUITTED OF BRIBERY.