The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-21
IDENTIFIED AS HIS SLAYERS
Widow of Eyster Declares McAfee and
Parker Shot Her Husband.
ers We're Injected to Her Cool and Search.
ing Gaze-Eyidence ofGuilt Complete.


men who she believes deliberately shot
down her husbond yesterday afternoon.
The view sne had of them on the night of
the druggists death was never effaced
from her memory, and through all the hor-
rors she has undergone since the deplorable
tragedy she never for a moment lost sight
of the dark features of the men who pur-
chased q set of dice from her husband and
then shot him down. Mrs. oysters identi-
fcation of Ed McAfee and John Parker
was accomplished after she had been adj
vised that her word would be of awful sig
nificaDce. She knew that her husband had
breathed his last before the suspects
were taken to his home, and
she had been cautioned by the
chief of police that unless she
was positive she could recognize again the
faces OF the prisoners. she must not speak.
Yesterday afternoon. in company with the
clerk, Albert Layton. Mrs. Eyster was
usbered into the little Jail Office. Attired
in deepest mourning, her pallor took ON the
appearance of headly paleness. but she was
cool and collected, and waited among the
group of police and detectives until the
men were brought in. There were present
detectives Thornton and McGuff and pa
trolmen Carter and Ward. besides the Jail
officials. Mrs. Eyster had been instructed
to utter no word while the men were in her
presence and studiously kept silent. The
heavy iron gate of the cell entrance
swung back. and the two negroes
stood before the woman they knew to
be their accuser. AS they stepped into
the Office. Mrs. Eyster looked sharply at
MoAfee. Then her gaze rested q moment
on John Parker. and as both stood before
her she looked straight into the ey es of one,
then the other. Slowly she took in every
outline of the two figures. and they were
turned around in order that she might get
a view of their backs Again they faced
her, and both dropped their eyes under the
clear gaze of the calm little woman. She
spoke no word. but every person In the
room saw an unmIstskable CLEAN of intel
ligence fash over her face as the prisoners
were led away. AS the gate clanked be-
hind the prisoners Mrs. Eyster turned to
Detective Thornton and said:
Those are the meD." She spoke quietly
| and was then told that both would DO
| brought liz again and she must say in their
| presence what she had just said to the de-
| tectives. In o moment McAfee and Parker
| McAfee's lace and he qnailed. Parker was
unmoved. Detective Thornton asked:
Mrs. Eyster. do you RECOGNIZES those men
| as those you saw In the storeT She replied
| with q slight trem0r in her voice: They
| are the men,
| Instantly all eyes turned to the prisoners
| and they saw O picture OF despair. If not of
| guilt. The lower jaw of Edward McAfee
| dropped and his ebony face changed into
an expression of mingled fear AID rage.
| Parker locked as if he was about to sink
| down. and both were led away. Mrs. Eyster
| left the Jail at once and was taken to the
coroners office. where she gave her testi-
mony. That McAfee and Parker are guilty
| of the dastardly act superintendent Col
| bert and every man Cd his force are doubly
| sure. In addition to Mrs. Eysters decision
as to the identity of the prisoners
within the. past two days scores
of men living in the vicinity
| of Third and Mississippi streets have come
| and said they are convinced that they
| were not mistaken when they assert that
they saw McAfee and Parker together on
have yet been found who furnish evidence
| to the contrary, and they are the two dis
| reputable women. Bessie King and Carrie
Spaulding, who are now confined In the
workhouse. Step by step policemen Dan
| Carter. Nate Ward, and detectives Thorn
| ton and McGuff have trailed the move
| ments of the accused men on that night
| and from the remotest quarters of that por-
Il
| witnesses who once refused to talk. but
| who now tell what they know. On the
| very night of the shooting, and during the
heat of excitement. Carter and Ward lost
no time In locating McAfee and Parker.
| These patrolmen knew the men whom, they
met nightly in unsavory places, and, in
| conjunction with the detectives, have
| worked to but one end. Mrs. Eyster, in
her testimony before the coroner. yester-
| day, reiterated her former versions of the
affair. but added q slight link in the evil
dence that will strengthen the case against
| McAfee and Parker. she said that when
she heard the shot fired she started TO 20
| down stairs, but met her husband coming
| mp. He fell into her arms with the cry:
Those boys came back and shot me-"
| John Venabls. bartender at the corner of
Third street and the Railroad, also testified
| to the story printed yesterday morning.
| w. H. Calvin, q white man, who has q
| room over tho saloon. heard the shot and
| ran down stairs. He met two negroes run
ming from the end of oysters drug store.
lCalvIn vas shown McAfee and Parker at
| the Jail, yesterday. and was positive they
were the men he saw running. That even
| ing he had heard two people talking below
| his window. and caught the remark, "lll
! kill him." Mrs. Culman. the wife of the
| Misslssippi-street baker, was also taken be-
| fore the prisoners, and stated that they
| were not the men who asked her Co change
| cents
McAfee and Parker were both subdued
| after the scene at the Jail, yesterday. al
though the latter INDUCED in considerab le
| cursing after he was taken from Mrs. Eys-
ter's presence. Yesterday morning McAfee' 8
| mother and Parker's father brought their
| sons a basket of clothing and some food.
| The edibles were turned over TO them. but
the turnkey refused to allow them to have
| the clothing until they had been seen by
| Mrs. Eyster. Both men were identified in
the suits they wore the morning of their ar
rest. and which they doubtless had on the
| night before.