The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-24
Found but Moment Before He Expired
by Couple of Men Return
ing Homeward.
EVIDENTLY DONE BY THIEVES
Two Burglaries Committed Just
Before the Murder.
Victim Suffered Three Knife Wounds
and Was Struck on the Head
with Cleayer.

| John l. Waterson, colored Merchant Do
| liceman. was killed while in the line OF
duty by burglars at IL o'clock last night
The murdered man was found in a dying
| condition in a vacant let Tennessee
street between Seventh and Eighth streets,
| by c. II. Kassebaum and J. r. Miller.
who were returning home at that hour.
| Their attention attracted by four
shots fired in rapid succession Short
ly after they hearf the plaintive wall OF
| Minorr
This last is the name of his partner on
the beat The men hurried to the spot
whence the sounds proceeded and found
waterson lying prone upon his back gasp
ing In the last agonies Of death. He did
| not speak after the men reached him, dy-
ing in a few minutes. An examination dis
closed the fact that he had been struck
over the forehead with some sharp instru-
ment. and that his shirt front was satu-
rated with blood. A further examination
proved that he had been stabbed
In the breast three times. When
the officers and reporters arrived
the scene quite a crowd had
collected about the dead man, but no one
seemed to know anything about the shoot-
ing with the exception Of the two men first
named and Merchant policeman Minor.
The burglars had entered the meat shop
owned by Gilman & Carney, adjoining ".
A. Early's grocery, at 991 North Tennes-
see street. just back of the place where tho
hen ss fc.
they were discovered by waterson. who
attempted their arrest. A fight ensued.
which must have been OF desperate char
acter, as Waterson's revolver. with the
cylinder out, was found a good distance
from the place where the body lay, as
was also a murderous-looking meat cleav-
er covered with blood. The wound on tho
head was no doubt made with the cleaver.
Mr.. Early, the groceryman, who waa =
found among the crowd encircled around ths-
dead man, recognized the cleaver as be-
longing to the meat shop that had been
bUrglarized.
CORONER'S EXAMINATION.
Through some unaccountable delay police
Captain Quigley was not informed OF the
murder until after midnight. With Ser
geant Lowe he drove rapidly to the scene
Coroner Beck arrived a short time later
ana maCe an eAaIllndllOn Ol W
body. The first theory that Waterson had
been shot was disproved by a later exam-
ination. Tearing aside the bloody shirt
front of the dead man the coroner dis
covered a wound, evidently a knife thrust.
that had gone through the heart. Another
deep cut was found just above the heart
These incisions had evidently been made
with a butcher knife Trickling blood from
Waterson's head revealed the fact that he
had been dealt terrible blow
with the cleaver found by ofi-
Ger KIinger. The dull-edged imple-
ment had gone to the bone and had
crushed into the skull The body presented
a frightful appearance. and from the ex-
preston Of the face the brave officer had
evidently died in terrible agony.
Two squares from where the body was
found. at the corner OF Ninth and Missis-
sippi streets was the meat market OF GILL
man & Carney. The shop is in the rear OF
the Farley grocery store. which fronts
ON Mississippi street, the rear door opening
out to the commons. Here the officers
found evidence of the act that impelIed the
terrible deed. Il he wheel tracks OF a
light spring wagon showed that a vehicle
had been recently backed up TO the rear
door. Scattered about the yard were a
half dozen spare ribs. and near the door
was found turkey already dressed.
A few yards from where the meat was
found the officers had stumbled on to the
cylinder of waterson's revolver and the
cleayer 1t was here that the watchman
had battled for his employer and received
the death strokes 1t is plausible the
orv that he had come upon the men carry
ing meat from the butcher shop and had
attempted to arrest them They resisted
and attacked him with the cieaver
and butcher knife. The firing heard
bv the groceryman. Farley was done
bv waterscn and whether or not his
bullets had the effect intended may never
be known. After he had received the oeatn
blows Waterson evidently started 10 run.
and reached the vacant lot at the corner
of Tennessee and Eighth streets, when he
fell The fact that one OF the knives be,
longing In the butcher shop missing.
strengthens the theory that the MUIR
derous work was done by the men en-
gagged in burglarizing the place. Wat
terson fired every shot in his pistol
and probably dropped the cylinder from the
weapon while making an effort 10 replace
cartridges. Groceryman Farley, after he
had closed his store at II o'clock. stood on
the corner OF Mississippi and Ninth streets
for few moments While there he saw
west a two-horse vehicle driven by
a man whom he did not recognize.
He watched the turnout until 1t disap-
peared. 1t is thought by the police that
the driver OF this vehicle may know some
thing of the murder The wagon tracks
found at the rear OF the butcher shop
turned east into an alley leading TO Mis-
sissippi street. Captain Quigley detailed
every available officer in that section Of
the city TO follow the trail The body of
toe murdered man was taken In charge by
Flanner & Buchanan.
Who the Victim Was.
AS the dead man lay upon the ground
he had the appearance OF a man about five
feet. ten inches in height, his color was
very black and he wore a mustSche and
side whlsNers. He was aged about thirty
five years. and was powerfully built. The
| directory gives his residence at the corner
CT Agnes and Elizabeth streets but a card
was found on his person. upon which was
| inscribed "Jno. l. Waterson, No. us Indi-