The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-28
Mystery Surroundingthe Disappearance Of the
Man K ley. Who Must Have Been Wounded
While Trying TO Brain the Priest.
Clarence Howard on Trial at K0k0mo
An Accomplished Country William.
President Coulter Will Be at the Head of Bay
View Summer School This Martinique
Struggle for the Kokomo Postotfics.
SOME SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE.

Mr.. whitney Thompson. the Crack Shot, Fig
ures I'm the Lafayette Trial.
special to the Indianapolis Journal.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. March 27.-Court and
jurors were promptly on time ut the COM
mencement of the Murphy trial to-day.
and the examination of witnesses began Mt
once. Frank Southworth testified to hear
ing George Bennewitz mot on trial.
shouting at the speaker. and using
tie most fonl and indecent Ian
guaRe. Some one called Bennewitzs at
tention to the fact that there were ladies
present, whereupon he said they
were anything but ladies. Leo
Schroeder. q member of q Catholic
organization mentioned, was put
on the stand and asked if it were not
fact that the society TO which he belonged
had appointed committees to ascertain who
were members of the A. p. A, end If the
latter organization was not up for discus
sion before the society. The defense an grily
objected to an answer, and the court sus-
tanned the objection. The State sought to
refreshen Schroeder's recollection by quot
ing from his testimony before the grand
jury, but he could not remember. and was
excused without cross-examinetlOn.
Frank b. Moore. q barber, was an usher
at The Rudolph meeting. de was also
charter member of the A. i. A. He resti-
fed to seeing Murphy. the defendants. at
the opera house and 20 seeing him shoot al
Rudolph. He testified that Murphy. alter
shooting, worked his way down toward
the stage. nearer the speaker. but witness
did not see him shoot any more. Witness
admitted having kept his eyes on Murphy
pretty closely from the fact that he had
seen him purchase i've tickets at the door
and take In five friends. some of whom he
gave seats In the lower part of the opera
house and some up in the gallery. This
was the more noticeable to witness
because OF the fact that he had heard
something that afternoon that caused him
To be suspicious OF trouble. Moore also
brought to the surface another shooter
one who. up TO this time. had not come to
the front by name, though frequently re-
ferred TO as the man who fired at the stage
from the parquette." AT the time when
the excitement was greatest In the house.
when pistol shots were ringing out from
several directions and people were falling
over each other, OF dropping behind seats
to get ont of the way CT flying bullets. q
man had been seen to walk deliberately to.
ward the fOotlights. and raising pistol.
had been able to name THU mysterious
shooter. Mr. Moore was able to throw
some light on the subject. He testified
that he saw this man shoot, and that it
Il
Moore says Thompson aimed at thu man
who was trying to hit Rudolph on the
head with q long pole. Mr.. Thompson is
we'll known ut Indianapolis. among the
members Of the Capital City Gun Club.
He is a member of the Lafsyet Gun Club.
and one of the most accurate marksman,
with shot gun. In the county. Up TO this
time he has never figured In the case. 30
far as the public is concerned.
The probabilities are that the public
will never know whether the man
shot at Whose name is believed to be
Riley, he being well known. was ever
HIT or not. for. from the time the riot vas
over at the opera house up TO the present
the State or any of It's officers. and strange
mystery surrounds the affair. Tie sheriff
cannot find him nor learn any trace of him,
and more than once people have expressed
the belief that In the firing that was going
on there, both on and Oft the stage, the man
was seriously wounded and taken away by
his friends. since dying and being secretly
disposed of rather than let anything be
known To-day the pole W Inch is so prom.
lDent In the case Was introduced In evil
dence. 1t 10 about nine feet long, ami is
used for shifting the scenery at the opera
house. There 10 O murderous hook ut one
end. with which the fellow who was oper.
atinR IL seemed to be endeavoring TO catch
A further sensation IN the case re.
Quilted this afternoon when Mr..
Whitney Thompson, who is n
grocer of this city, testified that he did
shoot at the man on the opera-house stage.
who was striking at Rudolph with a long
pole. he aimed. he said, at the fellows
breast. The pole used by the man was pro-
duced IN court. and about foot from the
end which the fellow held in his hand il a
bullet hole. which piowed along the pole
for couple or more inches. Undoubtedly
this pole saved the mans life, TOR
Thompson is believed to be q dead
shot. and used q 3S-calibre weap-
on. Being asked by the defense
why he shot. he replied that n pm bile meet
ing had been broken up. the speaker was
being assaulted, shot and about overpow-
cred and murdered. and no fired to protect
hun. He was not an A. T.. A. at that time.
but triumphantly declared that he had
since joined. Thompson disagreed with
Rudolph in one instance. The Professor
testified he had fired but once, while
Thompson and other witnesses to-day say
he shot twice.