The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-16
MICHIGAN ROAD TRAGEDY
JAMES THATCHER KILLED BY A
SHOTGUN IN LEONARD'S HANDS.
The Victim Had Been at n Roadhouse
with Friends-Had Taken the
Farmers Horse.

James Thatcher, an advertising solicitor
who was fairly well known about town,
was killed early yesterday morning by
Henry Leonard, a farmer living on the
Michigan road a short distance above
Crown Hill. The killing was done with a
shotgun during alteration over the pos
session Of a horse. Thatcher and William
Elvis and two women had possession Of a
horse that belonged to Leonard. The lat
ters son got into a fight with Thatcher
about it and Henry Leonard attempted to
assist his son by striking Thatcher with
the barrel of a shotgun The gun was dis
charged and the entire contents entered
Thatcher's body, killing him instantly.
Accounts of the trouble differ, but it
seems certain that Leonard did not intend
to kill Thatcher, though he was in a reck-
less mood and ready to go as far as neces-
sary to protect his property. Thatcher and
Elvis had spent the night, up until nearly
l o'clock at the Bellevue roadhouse in COM
pany with Nora Mullen and Ella Thompson.
They spent the time drinking and playing
tenpins and having q rousing time general
ly. When they were ready to return to the
city they found it was too late to catch
a car on the Fairview Park line and started
to walk to Crown Hill to take the North
indianapolis owl car.
They found by tie roadside an old mare.
The two women and Elvis are positive in
their statement that the horse was picked
up in the road. Thatcher caught the horse
by the forelock and held it while Elvis
helped the women to get astride of its
back. The party was in a good humor with
itself and the world at large, notWithstand-
ing that there was a mile walk to be taken.
The women were in humor for fun and
the men saw the chance to have a good
time with the horse. They started up the
hill with the women riding and Thatcher
leading the horse. They had gone a hundred
yards beyond Leonard'S house, when one
Of the women fell from the horses back.
She struck the road on her head and be-
came unconscious. While ElviS and the
other woman were tanning the unconscious
one Leonard came along with his shotgun
on his shoulder. Something was said to him
by Thatcher, but he paid no attention to
him. He walked about one hundred feet
farther down the road and then his son,
Louis Leonard, came riding up on another
horse. He accused Thatcher of stealing the
horse. Thatcher called him a liar and the
two men began to fight, Louis Leonard re-
naming on the horse and using the whip,
while Thatcher struck at him with an UNI
brella. While they were fighting thus
Henry Leonard came running back. He
used the gun club and struck Thatcher
across the arm and side. Then the gun was
DISCHARGED and Thatcher was killed.
After the killing Leonard and his son
went back to their house, taking the mare
with them. Elvis and the two women
walked back to the road house and the
police were notified by telephone. Captain
Quigley and three patrolmen went to the
scene of the crime and arrested all the
persons concerned. Leonard and his son
are charged with murder and ElVis and
the woman are held on minor charge.
II