The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-27

LEWIS PARSONS. WITH HEAD BAD
LY cUT FOUND NEAR ELEVATOR u.
John Mullen Held by the Police Pend
ing an Inyestigatfon - Parsons's
Mother Had n Premonition.

John Mullen and Christopher Baker, who
have served terms in the penitentiary for
burglary. were taken TO the police station
on charges OF being known thieves. pend
ing an investigation OF the murder OF Lewis
Parsons. whose body was found on the
Vandalia tracks just east Of the Belt rail-
road. yesterday morning shortly after Z
O'Clock. Baker was afterwards released. as
he told a straight story.
The body was discovered lying in tall
grass between two tracks close TO the ruins
Of Elevator B. which burned in January,
1886 -Four tranaps. giving their names as
r. ". Fisher, r. p. Conner, Oliver Brown
and David Lashley. found the body. The
four had been beating their way to this
city on a VandaIia freight train, and
reached the West Side yards few mo-
nents before O'Clock. The yards are sit
uated about half a mile west OF where
Parsons's body was found. The tramps
left the train and started to walk 10 the
city by way of the Vandalia. Crossing the
Belt railroad tracks they came to a num-
Der OF tracks. all Of which were filled
by boxcars> Reaching the west end Of the
string Of cars. they started 10 walk be-
tween the two tracks Immediately south
OF the main line OF the vandalia. They
PASSED the tall stack OF the ruins of Ele-
vatOr b. and were walking in the tall
grass which grows IN between the two
tracks when one CT the men discovered
the feet OF a man protruding out from
under a large plain piece of paper. held
at each corner by a brick. Only the feet
were visible. His exclamation attracted
the attention CT his companions, and they
removed the paper and saw a horrible
sight.
A man. apparently about thirty-ive years
OF age. was lying on his back with his eyes
half open. and with that vacant stare that
az once told them he was dead His arms
were folded across his body and in one
hand was a large pocket knife with the
largest blade open and covered with blood.
The men, on looking at the dead mans
face and head. saw at once the cause Of
the blood on the blade of the knife. On
the mans neck and jaw were terrible
gashes which had bled so profusely that
the ground was covered to a crimson for
several feet around. They also saw a large
cash on the back part OF the head, which
also had bled profusely, but which seemed
10 have been made by blunt instrument.
The tramps. after seeing that the pock-
cts Of the dead mans clothing were turned
inside out. started citywards TO notify the
police. All the while they were impressed
with the idea that the man had committed
suicide by reason OF the knife in the dead
mans hand and the gashes in his neck,
and jaw. They crossed the river and met
patrolman Laird, to whom they told the
discovery. After notifying the police sta
ton and Coroner Beck patrolman Lairl
accompanied the men to where the body
lay. Soon afterwards Coroner Becl7 and
several officers arrived They found that
what had been reported to them by/patrol-
man Laird was true. While ong of the
officers telephoned for an ambulance the
officers and Coroner Beck looked over the
grounds for clews.
The police noted that the grass for a
space Of about ten feet Ground where the
body was found was ramplea and APP
peareo as had taken place
fore The off,
GERS saw that Ia eat Number of bricks
which We're scattered around and which
had come from the ruins oil Elevator B had
been misplaced. This led the officers to
believe that the large cash the back
Of the dead mans head had been made by
a brick thrown with great force by some
one standing in the rear After carefully
searching the ground one Of the officers dis
covered brick covered with blood. 1t was
at once decided that the brick was the one
that made the cash on the dead mans
head.
SIGNS OF A STRUGGLE.
BY the side OF the body of the murdered
man was large grain sack marked
'.Amoskeag A" At the top of the sack
was the capital letter "B." The last let
ter indicated that the sack had come from
Elevator b. The sack led the officers to
believe that the man had been out hunt
ing for chicken feed when ne came to his
death. One of the officers discovered that
large spot of ground alongside the main
track OF the Vandalia road and about thir-
. ~ feet from where the body was found
was torn up and broken as if a struggle
ton is was thought that the foot prints
nSS been made by persons who alighted
frola outgoing trains. during the night
Nothing further was found and it was
general opinion that the man had been
murdered where he had fallen. The strong
pools OF blood were found only at this
place The next question considered was
the manner IN which the man had been
lnuruered- IL was suggested that the man
nad been hit a powerful blow in the head
with the brick BY an unseen assailant, and
that the murdered man fell, but was not
knocked unconscious. The assailant or as
sanants then made the gashes in the vic
TINS neck and jaw and placed the open
knife in the right hand TO give tho belief
that the knife was placed loosely in the
dead mans hand Immediately caused the
coroner 10 accept the theory of murder
The body was removed 10 the morgue of
kregelo, Son & Irwin on North Illinois
street At the morgue Coroner Beck gave
the body closer examination. He found
that the right ear was mashed almost to a
jelly, and that there were two holes back
or ina ear as II made by the boring of a
knife. The coroner then stated that he
dt1 not think that the man was killed by
the blow on the head but that death re-
suited from the gashes in the neck or
those back of the ear. He was of the opin-
tnr0ugh motives of revenge or jealousy OF.
IN moment of great passion. The horrf-
bic managing OF the body led the coroner
20 believe this
The clothing OF the dead man was then
given thorough search. A mouth organ.
w0manS pocketbook containing l. cents
piece OF silk. apparently from some wom-
ans dress, two fish lines with hooks, red
leather-covered note book with letter
and time table Of the Great Northern
railroad were all that were found. The
letter, which bore the name OF John Mullen
read on one side as follows:
Ny Dearest JOHNNY can hardly wait
until Tonight TO see you again-(lnde-
eipherable}-on the night Of my birthday
was the happiest OF my life. Every day I
love you more and more. It may seem
know They have never felt a love in
spired by God. That IS my love for YOU
There IS nothing about IL that comes from
the devil. and will go down on my knees
and prove IL, too. Meet me tonight with
out fail, at the same time and place"
on the other SIDE OF the paper was writ