The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-24
SHANKS MURDER CASE
STORY OF THE DEATH OF A GIRL
AFTER A SHAMEFUL ACCUSATION.
Trial of the Alleged Wanderers to Be-
gin at Terre Hnute Next Monday
State Claims a Strong Case.

Daniel w. Sims. one of the leading law
yers of the western part of the State, is
here from Covington looking up some liti-
cation in which the Big Four Railroad
Company is involved. Attorney Sims has
bee retained by the State as special prose-
cutor in the Clara Shanks murder case.
which comes UP for trial at Terre Haute
next Monday. The attorney says the State
is well prepared with its accumulation of
evidence.
The murder of Clara Shanks, which oc-
CURED last July. in Parke county, near the
Fountaine county line, is replete with SEN
sationalism. Her alleged slayers-Danel
Keller. his wife and his sister. Maggie Kel-
ler-are confined in the Terre Haute jail,
where they were taken when the case was
venued TO Vigo county. The tragedy at the
time attracted a great deal OF attention
over the State. Clara Shanks was the
daughter of an humble and approximations
farmer, who owned a few scant acres in
one of the hilly districts of Fountaine coun-
~. Just across the road from the Shanks
family lived Daniel Keller with his wife
and sister. All of the parties to the trag-
edy belonged to the uneducated class, but
they were strong in their likes and dis
likes.
Until the violent death of Clara Shanks
the families were on friendly terms. The
girl. as it appears, was the cause Of the
trouble between the neighbors. She was
pretty and young, and according to the
claim of the prosecution, Mrs. Keller grew
jealous of her. July T. 1895, Clara Shanks
told her mother that Mrs. Keller
had sh 'wn a disposition to treat
her coolly. Mrs. Shanks went to
Mrs. Keller to locate the trouble.
The latter informed the mother that 1t
was about Dan and Clara" The girl denied
the accusation made by Mrs. Keller, and
few days later Mrs. Shanks and her neigh
Dor had violent quarrel. Mrs Keller de-
cared that she had proof OF the intimacy,
and the State AYERS that on this occasion
Dan Keller openly avowed that his wires
charges were true. Clara Shanks indignant
ly denied the accusation again. AT noon
on the day of the quarrel between the Two
women the matter was discussed by the
Shanks family at the dinner table, and the
girl left the house abruptly. She was never
The following day her body was found in
pool Of water few hundred yards from
the house. In the evening of the day on
which the body found a brother or
the Shanks girl loaded his shotgun and
went over to- the Keller home. 1t Is not
thought that he suspected Keller, put tne
time he believed his sister had committed
suicide because of the shameful charge
made by the kellerS. Young SnankS cal-ed
Keller from the house and fired at him, but
missed his mark Later, when the BODY or
the girl examined, it was found that
her neck had been broken, her skull crushed
in and there were dust and bruises on her
face and marks on her throat.
1t is the theory of the State that Keller
murdered the. girl and was perhaps assist
ed by his wife and sister. Attorney Sims
has reasoned it out with the wisdom of
Sherlock Holmes. He thinks that when the
girl left the house that day Keller got her
into his own house and killed her. The at
torney figures that he kept the body in the
house until nightfall, and then carried 1t to
the pool of water where ii was found.
THE body was not taken there until
night" reasoned the attorney, because a
lot of boys spent the afternoon swimming
in that very water. Then 1 have another
point that / have figured out. searched
the Keller house lew days after the body
was found and picked up pair OF trousers.
Just below the knees 1 found dark stains
that l believed to be blood. My notion Is
that Keller swung the body of the girl over
AS ne walked the blood dripped from her
wounds oil to his trousers"
The attorney says it is expected that the
defense will try to make two important
points. They will contend that Clara
Shanks either killed herself or was muir
dered by her father and brother, and
thrown into the water. The aim or the de-
| Tense, he says, will be to show that the
| family was terribly incensed because Of the
| shame brought upon them, whether the
| girl was guilty or not. The State holds that
| testimony will be introduced to show that
| the girl was pure.