The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-31
Officers Now Call 1t Murder and Ar
rest Three Men, One Being His
Prospective SOn-in-Law.
THE EVIDENCE CONFLICTING
COLD-BLOODED MURDER OF NIGHT
WATCHMAN AT WATERLOO.
State Dairy Association Elects Officers
WindOw-GIass Workers
May Strike Again.
Special to the indianapolis journal.

A
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
FOWLER, Ind, Dec. S0.--All the indlca-
tions to-day point to the fact that James
Kirtley, Benton county's treasurer. found
dead in his office at IL o'clock last night,
was murdered. The theory of suicide has
been advanced and there have been as
signed some plausible reasons why Mr..
Kirtley might have taken his life, but tins
is secuted at and the best evidence taken
to-day from the surroundings of the treas
urer S office in the courthouse leads straight
to the theory of murder Mr.. Kirtley's body
was found by his fourteen-year-old son
Harry. Mr.. Kirtley had failed to come home
to supper and his family became alarmed.
Harry went in search of him and, after
visiting all the places where he thought
his father might be, he thought of the
treasurer's office. He found the door locked,
but was assisted to the transom and saw
his fathers body lying on the floor.
The Office is on the ground floor and it
was noticed that one of the iron shutters
was open. An entrance was effected by this
window and notes taken of the surround
ings. The door was locked and the key ly-
ing a few feet from the door. Near the
window several pennies were found and on
the ground under the window was found a
package of 25 pennies. On the inside of the
stone window sill there were fresh blood
status. There were fresh but indistinct
footprints under the window. They serve
to knock out the suicide theory.
A strong point against the theory of sui
eide is the revolver with which the shooting
was done. 1t was not Mr.. Kirtley's, but
was a strange one which nobody can
idanfffx
volver in the office and it was found in a
drawer where it had been untouched for
long time. 1t is argued that had he wanted
to kill himself he would not have gone to
the trouble of getting another revolver
when he had good one at the Office al
ready.
Robbery is given as the motive for the
murder, although the person of the muir
dered man was not robbed. In his pockets
were found his watch and small amount
of money 1t is not known how much money
Mr.. Kirtley had in the Office which might
have been taken by the murderers, but It is
believed the amount was not more than a
hundred dollars and possibly nvt hdh that
1t is thought one of the murderers did make
move to search Mr.. Kirtleys pockets, but
was smeared with blood and desisted This
accounts for the blood on the window sill.
NASH LOliAlu NHS OOOy was COAus d14u pily~
sicians are of the opinion that death came
several hours before Mr. Kirtley might
have been murdered about the regular time
for closing the Office at night. A strange
thing in connection with the AFFAIR is that
the shots were not heard. In one of MIR.
Kirtleys trousers pockets a piece OF brown
paper was found on which were scribbled.
in Mr.. Kirtley's handwriting, the following
words: There are two men in the Office"
Some think Mr.. Kirtley may have gone TO
all this trouble to have it appear that he
was murdered and avoid the suicide ex-
PLANTATION for his famiys sake.
The coroner has not yet returned ver-
dict in the case. The examination of the
body shows that two of the three shots
penetrated the brain. This is another
strong, almost positive, reason to believe
the man was murdered. 1t would be almost
an imy ssibility for a man to fire shot
afteI wing fired one into his own brain.
One bullet entered the center of the fore
head and another just above the back of
the ear. The other shot struck above the
right temple, but the bullet glanced off,
makiJ a scalp wound. The face was
slight Sder-burned, but not to the ex-
tent would be expected II the shots
had leen fired by suicide.
but they have found no Irregularities thus
far in the treasurers Office. Treasurer
Kirtley had been one of the most promi-
nent men in this county for some time.
but he has had personal and business
troubles which gave him great worry. 1t
is not impossible that his mind was af-
fected. Judgments against him have pressed
of late, but as he was not a spec
ulator it is not known what became Of his
money. His wife is wealthy, and lives here
with their only daughter. One son is at
Boswell, another at Coffeyville, Kan, and
the whereabouts of the third is not known.
Some time ago this boy caused his father
considerable trouble, and Mr. Kirtley was
on the point, it is said, of refusing to ac-
cept his office after he had been elected.
Friends secured his bond for him, and he
was installed
Three men have been arrested and are
being held in jail here pending an investi-
CATION One of them is Bert Graves, a
young man who has been keeping company
with Mr. Kirtley's daughter. There is no
direct evidence against him. Suspicion
pointed to him only because OF his hurried
departure from town Wednesday morning
He was found at Oxford, ten miles distant
1t is not known that there was any personal
difference between him and Mr.. Kirtley.
The other suspects are two tramps. They
were seen in Fowler Tuesday afternoon.
They made application to the town authori-
ties for shelter during the night, and were
refused. They went away making threats
The next morning they turned up at Swan
ington, five miles from here, and were still
muttering maledictions against Fowler
They had no money when arrested, and they
are not generally believed to have been i'm
plicated in the murder