Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-09-24

lister Of the village, had been cut on the
arms and breast with razor. his
story was to the effect that two bur-
glars had entered his sleeping apart
ment, shot his wife and attacked him;
that he had had "a desperate contest
with them, fought them down the stair
way, out on the porch, where his wife
had followed bleeding, finally dropping
on the porch step, where she was found
dead. The preachers story ended when
he and the burglars, after fighting
across the road, had separated, they
escaping down the street and out into
the country.
Citizens and detectives, after hear
ing the preachers account and looking
at what they thought were skin-deep
wounds made by razor. and all the
surrounding circumstances, decided
that Hinshaw had killed his wife. Sto-
ries Of disagreements and of undue in
timacy with woman began to be cir
culated. He was arrested. Then fol-
lowed a tedious and prolonged trial
The prosecution was exhaustively and
intelligently handled by accomplished
attorneys. They satisfied the jury that
no one but Hinshaw himself possibly
could have killed Mrs. Hinshaw that
night under all the circumstances that
had been brought to their attention.
The motive for Kidding himself Of his
wife, they urged, was that he might
marry young woman of the village.
The evidence at this point was, how
ever, considered faulty, but the prose-
cution pushed it adroitly and in very
convincing manner. The jury found
Hlnshaw guilty, but when he was SEN
fenced to life imprisonment he "de-
elared before God" in the most solemn
manner that he was innocent He was
taken to prison, and his attorneys ap-
pealed the case to tie supreme court
of Indiana, which, after a long and ex-
haustive examination, reafirmed In a
long and detailed opinion that Hin
shaw had killed his wife and refused
him a new trial.
Here the entire matter rested until
victed of grand larceny, summoned ].
G. Parker, one of Hinshaw's attorneys,
t.) the state prison and made con-
fsssion to him which, if true, exon
crates Hinshaw. The details OF the
confession are as follows:
ION the night Of Jan. 8, 1895, Guy
Van Tassell and Kid Whitney came to
sEle and said they wanted me to 60 with
them to Danville, Ind, which is only Z
few miles from Belleville, and whore
they had q little job to do. / agreed at
d,rt, but Garry James. who was visit
y ing my mother, said that she did not
wish me to go with them, as I was not
strong enough. was not we'll, and she
persuaded me not to 60. finally told
them / would not 60, but said that they
might take our horse and buggy.
This they did, and I did not see
them any more until day or two after,
when they brought my rig home and
said that they had done the job by
getting into the house through the
back door and kitchen. Whitney went
in with Van Tassel, who was scared
all the time. Directly after getting
into the house they found Hinshaw's
razor and revolver, and they took them
to prevent some one else getting them
and using them against themselves.
They finally reached the bedroom
where the Hinshaws were sleeping and
were in the act of riding Hinshaw' S
pockets when the preacher and wife
awakened and made an outcry. Van
Tassel began to shoot. He shot three
times in the house and twice outside
with a long barreled single-acting gun.
Hinshaw grappled with Kid two or
three times, but Kid would back away
from him, and finally both men ran
out of the house, followed by the Hin
shaws. Van Tassel looked back, and,
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