The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-28
THE KELLARS' TRIAL
JURY SECURED TO TRY CLARA
sHANKs's ALLEGED MURDERERs.
Henry County Farmer shoots Himself
After Climbing on a Straw Stack
and Setting 1t on Fire.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Jan. 27.-At the adj
journment OF court this evening jury had
been secured to try Dan Kellar. together
with his wife, Mamie and his sister Mag
gle, for the murder of Clara Shanks. Nearly
100 witnesses were in the city from Parke
and Fountain counties when the work OF
securing a jury began this afternoon, and
more are yet to come, some willingly and
others by means of attachments, for which
Prosecutor Howard informed the court he
would make a request. The court room was
crowded, and when the three defendants
entered this afternoon there was great Gu
riosity to see them. Mrs. Kellar has been
i'll, but she insists on proceeding with the
trial. The father and mother of the Shanks
girl were present and sat few feet from
the accused murderers. About thirty house.
holders of this county were called before
both sides accepted the jury. In examining
the jurors the State especially asked if they
felt they had conscientious scrupleS against
indicting capital punishment on woman on
circumstantial evidence. All the jurymen are
farmers, except two, who are residents of
this city: There will be much medical ex-
pert testimony.
The witnesses and others from Parke and
FOUNTAIN counties say the interest in the
case in the neighborhood of the tragedy is
as intense as IL was at the time the body
Oh cara SndnAS was 1OunQ In the pool at
Wolf creek on the morning Of July z. AT
first 1t was thought she had committed sui
eide, but her parents told the circumstances
OF her departure from home. and this led
to the suspicion that she had been muir
dered. The girl had complained to her
mother that Mrs. Mamie Kellar, who lived
across the road from the modest farm
house of the Shanks. had been very rude
toward her. Mrs. Shanks asked Mrs. Kel-
lar the cause and was told that her hus-
band, Dan Kellar, and Clara were too init
"a
charge but confessed that Kellar had made
improper proposals to her. During the
declaring her innocence. The next morning
she and her mother went to the home OF
the Kellars and demanded retraction,
whereupon Mrs. Kellar called on her hus-
band TO confess that he had been Intimate
with the girl, and he did make the state
mcnt in their presence. That noon Clara
abruptly left the dinner table crying. 1t was
thought she had gone TO some some place in
the woods to be alone with her sorrow. When
night came and she did not return, the
whole neighborhhod began search for her.
The mother wanted the Wolf creek pool
searched that night, but was prevailed upon
TO wait until morning. Clara's brother DAN
MEL found the body and then went to Kel-
lars with shotgun, and. telling Kellar
that Clara had committed suicide, fired at
him, but he was quick enough to jump be-
hind a door in which the charge of shot
There was much dissatisfaction over the
coroner's verdict of suicide, and a week
later, at CITIZENS meeting, IL was decided
TO hold an autopsy. The body was exhumed,
when Ii was four6 'rnt the neck had been
broken and the back part of the skull
crushed in. The surgeons reported that
death had been caused by violence and not
by drowning court of inquiry was held
and the Kellars told their story and they
were acquitted.
"A subscription fund raised to employ
detectives, and the two Indianapolis de-
tectives who were instrumental in securing
the conviction of the Rev. Hinshaw, were
employed. AS result, John, Daniel, Nan
ME and Maggie Kellar were arrested. John
and Maggie are brother and sister OF Dan
lei. At the preliminary trial at Annapolis,
on Aug. TO- John Kellar established an
alibi, and the other three were committed
TO jail. In September an indictment was re-
turned. During the preliminary sexamina-
ton n mob was organized TO lynch them,
The case was brought here from Parke
county on a change Of venue asked for by
the defendants.