The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-22
TARPEY MYSTERY SOLVED
Lon Henderson, the Burgular, Murdered
Him in the Hanghville Saloon.
Mrs. Mary Rsiferty's Young Daughter First
Let the Secret Out and the Mother Now
Tells All-HenderSon's Claim.
MRS. RAFFERTY's STORY.


tectives McGuff and Thornton last week. is
the murderer of John Tarpey ct Haugh-
VILE. The condolences between two young
girls leads to the solution of this my stery,
which threatened to become one of the IN
solved criminal my steries of Marion coun-
". Mrs. Mary Rafferty,, of sol West WASH
ington street, yesterday made admissions
to the police which Will probably land
the burglar on the gallows. She says that
she has not been able to sleep
soundly on any night since the murder
in the HsughviIIe saloon. In detail she
goes over the movements of Henderson on
the night of the murder as he told them to
her within an hour after the crime. She
told her story to the police after some hes
itation. for she evidently remembered the
threat of the burglar to kill her If she ever
revealed what he told her. Henderson.
when approached at the hospital. denied
the woman's statemens and insisted that
he was at home on the night of the murder,
claiming that it was the same night his
brother died on Maple street This claim
is shown to be false.
Mrs. Rafferty, has q pretty young dauGh-
ter named Gertrude. who 1t seems, was fa.
miliar. to some extent with what Hender-
son had told her mother. Gertrude has 3
young friend. "illie Moberly, and Mrs. Raj
ferty says that the story got out through
Gertrude telling IL to Miss Moberly. In
this way the police get wind of the visit of
Henderson to Mrs. Rafferty, on the morning
after tie murder. and when Mrs. Rafferty,
found that the story was out she wanted to
unburden her mind of it. Then she told
the police all she knew. She lives in the
first block on West Washington street just
across tho White river bridge. within q
mile from the saloon in which Tarpey was
shot. This 10 her story as she told it ester
day:
Henderson had been to that
night, and about 3 o. clock he left my rooms.
My daughter, who was at the foot of the
stairs. says that he did not leave the build
ing until half.past or nearly 9. lie went
west towards the street that leads to
Haughville. He had on a rubber coat with
striped lining Early IN the morning, IL
seems to me it was almost O'clock. L was
awakened by knocking on the door, and
when got up found that Lon had re-
turned. He was excIted. and after coming
in he told me be had, been in shooting
had shot and had had to run. He said at
the time he did not know how
badly he had hurt the man. and did not
really know whether be had even hit HIM.
were very wet. He told me he had jumped
In the river. He said that he had gone into
the saloon. where he saw the bar tender
asleep. He slipped behind the bar. and
took out the money drawer Of the cash
register. The bartender dld not hear him,
bat. as he as going towards the door, he
said. several men started in. He had two
revolvers In his hands. and. as he saw that
he would have to get Out IN quick or
der. he cried out to the man in front
that the man, instead of stepping back.
grabbed one of the revolvers which Lon
had, and as he did so Lon pointed the other
revolver at him and fired. Lon said he did
not intend to shoot the man. bus only in
tended to scare him so he would back away
from the door. After shooting. Lon said he
jun ped over fence and ran to the school
house, where he hid for little while in an
and lit out for the river, where q skif was
tied to the bank. He must have fallen
into tho river while trying to get In the
skiff. He stole the skitf and came down the
river. Lon had habit of 1lourishing re-
volver. and always carried TWO of them.
he was good marksmaD.
HE counted out about $40 In dollars and
small change. He gave me s. and gave my
daughter 80 In pennies with which 10 buy
herself q pair of shoes. L remember one OF
the coins he gave me was q very slick dune.
The next morning Lon sent out for morn
ing paper to see who 1t was he had shot
and how badly the man was hurt. When
brought the paper to HIM and told him the
man had been killed he was nervous
he could not read 1T, and SO | read
1t TO him. He said. My God. L
would rather have been caught and sent
ND than have dOno anything like that l
never intended to hit him. He told me
never to say word about what he had
told me. He threatened TO kill me If aid.
| A few days afterwards. when the reward
was offered. he came to me aud said:
You see this reward that is offered for ne.
II you ever try to get it By giving me away
you would never live to enjoy II. for |
would see that you were killed He meant
what he said.
brother died and Lon called and asked me
to go down to the funeral. I had known
the family for q long time, and went to
see his mother. l felt sorry for that poor
dead and thought OF what Lon had done.
thought if the murder would ever out. it
would drive her crazy. Aftcrward, when
i heard of the shooting scrape between the
detectives and Lon on Deloss street and
heard about Lon saying that ne wished the
detectives had killed him. knew he meant
Just what he said, for the Haughville af-
fair worried him r great deal. tie could
have killed the detectives IL be had wanted
TO-"
How long have you known Lons" she
was asked.
81 have known him about twelve years.
/ first knew him when be was o newsbOy.
lie was not q bad boy at heart He was
generous when he had money. and If any
body was suffering and he knew OF 1t he
would help them. He used to board with
me. but has not boarded with me since he
came out Of the penitentiary the last
time"
The statement of Mrs. Rafferty, as to the
visit to the Henderson homo on Deloss
street at the time of the death of Ions
brother sets at naught the claim made by
| ers dead body on the night of the murder.
IL 10 known that Henderson's brother died
| almost week after the Haugbvilie affair.
Mrs. Rafferty, Is living with her daughter
| on West Washington street. Her husband
| is not with her. She formerly lived on De-
| loss street, near where the affray between
| Henderson and the two detectives occurred
| last week.
| She further says that Henderson had q
cheap mask when he came To her house
| early In the morning. 1t was one of the
| fve-eent affairs worn at masquerade balls.
| Mrs. Rafferty, takes in washing for living.
| Her description of the rubber coat tallies
| with that of the coat found In Haughvllle
| tho morning after the murder.
| When Superintendent Colbert and Chief
| Splann went TO Mrs. Rafferty's rooms she
| told them of HeDderson's coming to the
place earlier in the evening and telling
: her when he left that he going TO
leave town that night. AT this time she
said ne wore a rubber rain-coat. and de-
/ scribed to the officers the coat found In
| Haughville the morning after the shooting.
She said he wore q psir OF hight brown