The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-17
BENT ON NUMBERING HER
VIM. BRIDGEWATER ALSO PROBA-
BLY, INTENDED TO STAB HIS WIFE.
Slayer of Oscar Wharton Still at
Large-POIice Have a CIew to
Him in Two Places.

William Bridgewater, who is supposed to
have stabbed Oscar Wharton to death in
Woodruff Place Sunday night, has not been
captured. The police think he has left the
city. Bridgewater, since he separated from
his wife, has been living with her mother
and a child by former wife, at new No.
2219 Yandes street. This woman is Mrs
Minnie Gable. Bridgewater is not so web
known among colored people as Wharton,
his victim.
The two women, Mary Barger and Lizzie
Gaddy, who were locked up Sunday night
with Helen Bridgewater, the ex-wife of the
murderer, were all released yesterday. Hens
ry Odem, another of the witnesses, was
kept in Jail for a short time pending the
investigation by the police.
An examination of the ground in Wood
ruff Place where the murder took place
shows there must have been desperate
struggle between the murderer and his VIC
tim. 1t is known now that the struggle to
death, which began on the rear porch of
Arthur Thomas's home, really ended in the
rear yard of c. E. Tests residence. In the
rear of the latter home is a miniature oven,
constructed for the amusement of the chill
dren. Yesterday the watch OF Oscar Whar-
ton was found in this oven. Wharton must
have received his fatal blow here, as the
ground was despatched with blood and on
sand pile near by were several clOtS of
blood But The dying man did not give up
the struggle at this point, for he staggered
on until he came within view of Mary Bar
ger and Harry Odem who sat on the rear
porch of No. l02. These people saw that
something was wrong and started toward
the man. They now say that the murderer
was still pursuing the dying man, but re-
treated when he saw them start toward
Wharton. 1t is believed that BridgeWater
contemplated the murder of his wife after
he had finished Wharton. Mrs. Bridgewater,
after witnessing the struggle between her
husband and Wharton, ran around to the
front of the Thomas residence and across
the East drive. There she hid in the dense
shrubbery. She declares that while she
watched and waited there she saw Bridge
water return to the spot where the first
struggle took place and then steal around
to the front of the house. She believes he
looking for her. When he saw one
on the front porch the murderer started
south toward the power house. Mrs. Bridge
water saw nothing more of him.
MAY HAVE ESCAPED ON A WHEEL
Police Sergeant Corrigan found the horse
and surrey used by the picnic party, or
which Wharton was a member, hitched to a
post at Michigan and Pine streets yesterday
morning. The horse showed the effects of
hard driving. The vehicle contained five
empty beer bottles and pint flask that
had evidently contained whisky. There were
also two parasos in the surrey 1t is now
believed that BridgeWater, after the MUIR
der took this surrey from where it was
hitched in front of No 102, and drove it
away. 1t is thought by some that the muir
derer may have escaped from the city on
a bicycle About O'Clock yesterday morn
ing some one smashed in the window of
the Bird bicycle store, on Market street,
near the monument and lifted a Rambler
wheel from its place just inside the win
dow. The policemen in the district heard
the sound of breaking glass and came on
n 10 n < M q a
on Meridian street and go north. The pa
trolmen say he was riding a wheel and they
thought he was q colored man.
Immediately after the tragedy Sunday
night Police Captain Quigley set a watch
over the house of Bridgewaters mother-in~
law, on YandeS street. 1t was known
Bridgewater lived there and it was thought
he would return some time in the night.
Between and o'clock Captain Quigley
met Sergeant Laporte at the corner Of
Ninth and Alvord streets, which is in the
neighbOrhood of BridgeWater's home. A few
minutes after the men separated Laporte
was attracted by the sound of quickening
footsteps block away. He saw a man run
ming on Ninth street and gave chase on his
bicycle. Before the sergeant could over
take the man he sprang over a fence and
disappeared. LapOrte thinks the man was
colored and believes he had no hat. AT the
time the sergeant suspected the fleeing man
was Br1dgeWater, but was not certain and
hestated about using his revolver The
murderer, it is known, left his hat where
he had his first struggle with Wharton A
feature of the affair is that the murdered
mans hat was found on Clifford avenue
several blocks away from where the trag.
edy took place. 1t is supposed Bridge
water, in his hurry to escape, picked up
WhartOn's hat and afterward threw it Off.
Helen BridgeWater, the woman who seems
to have been the innocent cause of the muir
der, is q cOmely mulattO. 1t appears she
had not gone out with Wharton on Sunday
but was q member of his party. He ac-
companied her to her employers home
when the picnic party broke up His com
pany' was Lizzie Gaddy. Mrs Bridge
water says that while she lived with her
husband he possessed a bad temper and
often abused her. The police records show
that BFidgewater on April last assaulted
his wife on account of jealousy. lie was
arrested and convicted, his sentence ex-
tending from June g. 1897, to July 10 1897
Bridgewater is about thirty-three years
of age. He formerly lived in Adair county
Kentucky. He is about five feet seven or
eight inches in height, weighs abou. $50
pounds. has a small, dark nustache and
round shoulders. The police descriptions Of
Bridgewater sent out show that he wore a
black cutaway frock coat, gray trousers
and brown hat and has a medium brown
color
An autopsy held on the body of Wharton
yesterday showed that he had been stabbed
seven times. There were cuts all over his
body. The fatal wound was in the heart
the knife penetrating the right ventriele
There was also a bad wound in the back
in he al