The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-24
NOAH BANEY'S MOTIVE
A NEW CHAPTER IN THE WILLIAM
L. HINSHAW STORY.
Jealousy said to Have Prompted the
Convict, who Says the BellviIIe
Preacher Is Innocent.

Jealousy is said to have been the motive
that actuated Noah Baney to make the
confession duplicating himself as an ac-
cessory after the fact in the murder of
Thurza Hinshaw, of Bellville, and fixing
the crime of homicide on Guy Van Tassell
and that of robbery and accessory to muir
der on John alias kid" Whitney. In
Baneys signed confession published in the
Journal yesterday he referred to Carey
James, a young woman who was with him
at his mothers house, who persuaded him
not to accompany Van Tassel and Whitney
to Danville and who afterwards warned
him when the police were approaching to
arrest him. Baney, it appears, was deeply
attached to the girl. After the conviction
of himself and Van Tassel of the robbery
of Kiefefs wholesale house of key of
whisky Whitney made love to the girl, and
when he was sent to join his whilom pals
a year later boosted that he had won her
affections. This, it is said, aroused Baneys
jealous anger, and in a fit of revenge he
told the story duplicating himself and pals
in the Hnshaw crime, first to st. Clair and
afterward to Wilson related yesterday.
While admitting the possibility of the
truth of Baney's story. good many people
spoke of it yesterday being extremely
improbable, the main objection being that
it was entirely too accurate and circum-
stantaI in detail. 1t is believed by some
that if there is any truth in the story at
all Baney is more deeply implicated than
he admits, the argument being advanced
that no matter how intimate Baney may
have been with the other young crooks they
would not have told him all the details of
circumstances fixing the crime of murder
upon them The police here place little, If
any, credence in the confession, the asser-
ton being made that Baney himself is
monumental liar and that no confidence can
be placed in anything he or his pals say
unless borne out by corroborative evidence.
1t is admitted by the police that that por-
ton of Baney's story in which he says
they were looking tor him at the time and
that he escaped and the girl Carey James
was arrested is true.
The generally accepted idea is that Baney
has magnitled some minor crime in which
his pals were engaged on that occasion TO
a connection with the Hinshaw murder. On
the same night that the minister's wife was
shot there was a robbery IN Danville. John
S. Dunbar who keeps a book store, aWak-
ened about midnight lie noticed that the
house was very cold and went into the next
room to that in which he was sleeping 10
see if the fire was burning. lie found it
was burning all right and opened the front
door. 1t was showing. ThlS SatlSned him
TO the GOODNESS of the house and he re-
turned to bed. Next morning his trousers
left them in the bedroom. Hunting through
the house, he found them in d third room
lying in the middle OF the floor. his
pocketkook was gone, as well as a watch
which he had left hanging over the mantel.
A window was raised. Looking out he saw
no traces of the mauraders, as their tracks
were covered with the light snow that had
fallen during the night. This circumstance
brought to the attention of HinshawS
attorneys as evidence corrOboratlng Hin
shaW's story that he had been robbed as it
went to show that there were burglars in
the neighbOrhood of the crime on the night
of the murder. There did not seem to be
any direct evidence in the story, however,
and Dunbar was not put on the witness
stand. This story has been recalled since
Baney's confession. 1t will be remembered
that he said Van PaSsel and Whitney
wanted him to go with them to Danville,
not Bellville, to do a little job they had on
hand. The latter place was the scene of
the crime. 1t is five or six miles from Dan
Vile If the two fellows had robbed Dunbar
and had related the circumstances TO Baney
this would have furnished him groundwork
for his confession and lent it the color of
truth.
]. 0. Parker, the attorney who worked
up the details of the confession, places
great reliance in the story mainly because
short time on the expiration of his SEN
tence. Mr. Parker expects % return to
Danville to-day The public alton of the
confession yesterday morning in the Jour
nal enlightened many persons at Danville
and MISUNDERSTANDING relatives live
in the latter place-as to some circum-
stances that have happened in the last two
or three weeks that seemed rather mys-
terious at the time. Mr.. Parker has found
it necessary to be in indianapolis a good
deal and was also compelled to go to Chi
Van Tassel and Whitney did In that city.
lie frequently left home early in the morn
ing, returning at midnight. Two weeks ago
Ellsworth Hinshaw was in DanvilIe, con-
ferred with Mr. Parker and also called on
Senator Hogate, another attorney who was
engaged in the defense. This circumstance
and the frequent absence of Mr.. Parker
kept DanvilIe rather stirred up as to what
was going on and papers were watched for
a sensation in the Hinshaw case. When
the news came yesterday morning it was
received with a good deal of interest and
excitement is high as to what will come of
it all Friends of the convicted minister
are jubiant, while those who have always
believed there is no doubt of his guilt are
skeptical and inclined to scott at the con-
feSSiOn.