The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-26
ENIES H CHARGE
WILLIAM DIsBENNETT ACCUSED OF
AN ALMOST FORGOTTEN MURDER.
Henry Seybert Also Taken into GUS
t~ody-Tree Planted at Richmond
by General Harrison.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, April 25.-The mys-
terious murder of the unknown man found
April p, 1880. near the Big -Four depot
has at last been cleared UP, and Captain
Hayland, of the police force, arrived
tonight from Alexandria, Ind. with Will
liam Disbennett, the alleged murderer. The
here. He was never identified
and no clew to the murderer was
learned until three weeks ago. when Pros
ecutor Huston received a letter from John
Wellker, ex-sheriff of GreenviHe, O., ask
ing if a man had been killed in Terre
Haute about five years ago whose identity
had never been discovered.
Last Monday detective Dwyer left for
Greenville. and from Wellker learned that
Jesse Seybert, formerly Of Terre Haute, now
living near Anderson. had written to Well
ker, informing him of the crime and Civ
ing the name of William Disbennett as the
murderer. Detective Dwyer went to An
derson, where he found Seybert and got a
full history of the crime.
Henry Seybert, son of Jesse Seybert,
claims to have been a witness to the crime,
but it is believed had no hand in It; His
father, Jesse Seybert, knew that his son
saw the crime, and the knowledge of it
bothered him so much that he finally con-
bert is said to have boarded with Dis
bennett at the time the crime was COM
united, and both were employed at a stave
factory in this city Seybert, as far as can
he learned, says that Disbennett struck
the unknown man with a sandbag and aft
erwards robbed him of a sum of money.
Shortly after the murder Disbennett left
Alexandria.
brought Disbennett and Henry Seybert to
the city tonight. Seybert has made a
bennett when the latter sandbagged the
stranger. D~isbennett says he believes Sey-
pert and his uncle committed the murder.
in Anderson to the effect that D%isbennett
told him two years ago that he had killed
the man. Seybert and Disbennett both say
they do not know who the victim was.
Seybert sSqueaIsv on Disbennett.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ANDERSON, Ind, April 25.-William Dis
bennett. who was arrested for an old mys-
FERROUS murder and taken to Terre Haute to-
night, is well known about Anderson, Mum
Gle and Greenville, o. He was arrested on
the farm of his brother. near Alexandria.
Henry Seybert, son Of Jesse Seybert, a
well-to-do farmer, was also arrested as an
accessory. An offer of $500 was made for
the murderer five years ago, and numer-
Gus officers, including Glenn Chopple and ex-
Chief of Police George Welker, of this city,
with John welker, of Ohio, worked on the
case. Seybert, when Intercepted about the
affair to-day, said:
well, ! saw Disbennet hit the man and 1
guess he killed him. Me and a fellow by
the name of Ed, but I forget his last name,
were standing by the railroad talking one
night. II was in the summer, five years ago,
at Terre Haute. / knew Disbennett. The man
that was killed went along and Disbennett
followed about half as far as half across
the street. When they had gone a little
way me and Ed started UP town. I looked
back and saw Bill Disbennet) strike the
fellow. OF course / didn't go back and /
didn't say anything about it: What did l
want to get into the mix for? 1t was none
of my business. l never saw Disbennett any
more till to-day. ! saw the dead man at the
morgue next day and knew he was the fell
low Bill hit. He just sandbagge0 him. |
guess he didn't mean to kill the fellow. l
never told anybody that 1 knew that Bill
killed him. 1 didn't know the fellow. They
can't do anything with me for it because ]
didn't have any hand in 1t. | don't know
where Ed is"
Disbennett is an ignorant fellow who can
neither read nor write. He said he was in
Terre Haute about 1889 or 1890, working in a
factory and a poultry yard. but never heard
of the murder at the time. He was raised
in Muncie and has served a term in prison,
being sent up from that city.