The Indianapolis journal., 1895-03-11
THE HINSHAW CRIME
FACTS WHICH TEND TO ESTABLISH
THE MINISTER'S INNOCENCE.
The Post-Mortem Examination Held
by Drs. Weist, MariSie and Dryden,
ana What Was shown Thereby.

So much has been said about the Hin
/ shaw murder case and so many unfair state
ments have been written and published con-
/ corning the husband of the murdered
woman, that it is deemed an act of simple
| justice that the public should know
| IL few of the facts which tend
| to show Mr.. Hinshaw's innocence, his
prove beyond all question that it is impossi-
| BILE for him to have committed the crime
under the facts as they have been given in
| the sworn testimony of those who are in
position to know. The theory advanced
| by certain alleged detectives who have
attempted to blac1xen the character of Mr..
Hinshaw is that the minister and his
wife had desperate struggle on the fla tai
night, that she *inficted the seventeen
razor wounds found on his person and thai
he shot and killed her in self-defense, but
this theory stands without single sup
porting circumstance, as there is not the
least doubt that Mrs. Hinshaw was shot
while in bed, just as her husband stated,
being badly powder burned and a hole as
large as a silver dollar being burned in the
case or pllow-slip, which establishes be-
yond all question the fact that she was
shot while lying by the side of her sleeping
husband. It has been stated by these de-
tectives and in certain newspaper articles
that the revolver with which the shooting
was done was found concealed in narrow
space between the coal bin and some out
house, and in an opposite direction to that
in which the minister says the robber went
after he had broken his hold. The truth
about it is that the revolver was not con-
cealed at all, but thrown in the open yard
in plain view of everybody that might
pass that sway, and where it could have
been easily found had it not been for the
fact that a heavy snow fell that night
- hot,
found in an opposite direction from that in
which it is said the robber went after he
got free from the minister has nothing To
do with the case, as Mr.. Hinshaw has never
claimed that the man with whom he had the
struggle shot him, but has been and is now
of the opinion that the man who killed his
wife came to the rescue of his companion in
crime and fired the shot that deprived him
(Hinshaw) of strength to longer continue
the contest. Statements have been made
that there was no evidence that any bur-
glary had been committed, yet the truth is
that the house had been thoroughly bur-
glarized, and that the robbers had gone
through esery place a & where ,,sn anysnng ol
a pair of Mr.. Hinshaws pants from the
wardrobe and turned the pockets inside out
ance that robbery had been committed
was commented on by the neighbors when
they arrived
OTHER EVIDENCE.
The report that there is no evidence to
establish the fact that any ONE was seen
at Belleville about the time of the tragedy
except the statement of Mr.. Hinshaw him
self is absolutely false Mrs. Cornwall,
truthful and highly respected lady of Belle
vile, testified that she saw and heard two
men running away from the scene of the
tragedy shortly after the last shot was fired.
Her daughter, Miss Althea Cornwall,
who was the first person to go to the
ming. Mrs Milligan, lady who lives a
square south and half square west of
the Hinshaw residence testified that q
short time after she heard the shooting
and cry for help, two men ran past her
house, thus corroborating the statements of
Mrs. Cornwall and daughter. who testified
that the men were running in that drec-
ton. Mrs. DIR. Tincher, who lives near
thought she recognized as belonging to
young man in the neighborhood about the
time the shooting occurred and about the
place where Hinshaw and the robber had
such desperate struggle. Besides this,
there We're number. of tracks around
there were also tracks leading in the di-
rection that witness testified the men
that evidence beyond all question. The
theory even of Hinshaw's possible guilt
Is disproved by the fact that it would have
where it was found A number of people
heard this shot and in a moment after it
was fired Miss WorralI teacher in the
Belleville schools looking out of her win
dow. saw the minister struggle to his feet
near DIR. Tincher's fence, and more than
a hundred feet from where the revolver
was placed. She saw him fall and rise and
whom she was boarding saw this also, and
All Of them heard him cry out. You have
understand the remainder of the sentence.
Almost Immediately after this Miss Corn
Wa Wal ,, Went 1'.f to him m and reeogn2ing her in
with me, Althea, but go look after Thirza:
| heard her say she, was shot From the
till Miss Cornwall and others went to the
minister's aid, he was observed by Miss
Worrall and the people with whom she
in the direction in which the revolver was
found; that he did not cross the street
they are positive, because he was seen
by them all the time, and even had he
not been he was too much exhausted to have
who charge this crime upon Mr.. Hinshaw
is to be accepted. we must believe that
carry ca out u his pants and poeIetboek % @ take
the money from the latter and secrete
il where it could never be found. throw
the pants and pocketbook into the street
at least a hundred feet from the place
where he was found in an exhausted con-
dition and then. take the revolver with
which the shooting was done fifty feet
further on and throw 1t into the yard where
been absolutely impossible for him to have
done these things because the SPACE of one
minute did not eapse after the last shot
rail- and others, and after that time he was
never out of their sight and could not
being seen by them even if he had had
the strength to do so. That he did
not have the strength is an es-
tablished fact; that he did not
cross the street and place the re-
yolver where 1t was found is
proved beyond question by the
evidence of the people who say him in less
than a minute after the shot was fired and
who kept him under their observation tiiI
he was carried into the house And this
statement of facts makes his guilt impossi-
Die.
MEDICAL TESTIMONY.
The statement of the minister that his
wife walked after the shot that caused her
death was fired has been disputed bv cer-
tain newspaper articles OF the ground that
immediate paralysis of the nerve centers
must have taken place, but this statement
was made before the course of the ball had
been traced, and without any authority
whatever. This brings US to the post NOR
tenn recently held. which has also been in
correctly reported Detectives Byrnes and
Webster insisted that it be held and Mr.
Hinshaw consented to it; the detectives
agreed to be present and have Mr.. Fletcher.
or Indianapolis, present to assist in holding
the examination but when the day arrived
they were not present, and neither was their
physician, but the post mortem was held in