The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-24
UNDOUBTEDLY MURDERED.
Fate of Max Blackburn, Insured I'm
Favor OF Livery Stable Keeper.

Favor OF Livery Stable Keeper.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
TERRE HAUTE. Ind, March 23.-The
coroners jury at Paris, ILL.,, has returned
verdict that Max Blackburn came to his
death by a gunshot wound inflicted by some
one unknown to the jury. Some OF the tes-
timony taken by the coroner was of a SEN
sationai character. Young Blackburn start
ed east on the Big Four railroad track two
weeks ago tonight The next morning his
dead body found about a mile from
Paris, the back of his skull being crushed
in and bullet wound in the crushed part
Of the skull 1t was plain that he had been
first struck and the bullet sent into his
brain afterward. Robbery was out of the
question, and there is nothing to indicate
that he was killed as the result of a quar-
rel or in revenge The footprints of two
persons. one wearing No. shoe and the
other No. 4. were traced through field
to gravel road, where they turned toward
town. The tracks showed that the assassins
ran at full speed. and that. having started
in different directions the one wearing the
larger shoes stopped In the center of the
Held and waited for the other to join him.
when they sped away to the road. The Rev
Charles Baughman testified TO seeing
blackburn start east on the track shortly
before 10 o'clock Friday night. and that
soon aIlerW2rd ne was followed by two
men, one considerably taller than the other
Tom Blackburn, younger brother of
Max, who was twenty-five years Old, told
the story of q blackmailing scheme by
which they were called on 10 pay $1,000
Tom had made an affidavit at Charleston
that he was twenty-one years Old Tor the
purpose OF securing q marriage license n
few weeks later, in June, 1892, he and Max
were shown letter, signed ''B., Detective"
purporung TO have come from Charleston,
and threatening to prosecute Tom for per-
jury. They paid 800 in cash and Max gave
ii six-hundred-uollar mortgage some
property he had inherited from his grand
rather. The letter was in the possession of
Joe McCown, a livery stable keeper, who
testified that he had shown il to SQUIRE
Clinton. McCown said he aid not get the
mortgage direct from Max, but that il
was made to Jeanette Homrick who was
supposed 10 be the wife of Frederick Gin
ton, who was associated with McCo at
the livery stable. McCown SAID he did not
know what became of the mortgage. He
had other notes signed by Max and squire
Clinton testified that he had one. Two or
three months ago Max took out $1,000 life
insurance The agent of Michigan COM
pany, which wrote a two-thousand-dollar
policy, testified that Max asked him to
make IL payable TO Joe McCown, and that
Frederick Clinton, who was present said
he would See that the premium was paid
in advance. n few days before the murder
Max Blackburn had consulted q LAWYER to
these notes and mortgages. Jeanette Ham
rick testified that she no longer cared to
assume the name of Mrs. Frederick Clin-
ton. She had left him year or more ago
Recently he asked her 10 return TO him.
and said that il a scheme which ne and
McCOwn had on hand turned out we'll they
would soon have "a lot of money" Clinton.
of course, denied the story. The grand jury,
now in session, will investigate the case
Colonel Van Sellars has been employed to
assist in the prosecution.