The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-17
FARMER WITHOUT BLAME
CORONER EXoNERATEs HENRY
LEONARD IN THATCHER AFFRAY.
Thatcher and His Friends Had Occu-
Taken the Horse from There.

uFlner lnVeSUSatlon or the shooting OF
James Thatcher adds to the seeming justi-
fication of Henry Leonard for committing
the deed. Coroner Brayton concluded the
examination of witnesses yesterday, and his
deputy, Dr. Richardson, made personal
examination of the scene of the tragedy.
After preparing his verdict, the coroner
made the remark that Leonard ought to
be blowing corn instead of being confined
in Jail. He believes the shooting was ac-
cidental and that the action of Leonard
leading up to the shooting was perfectly
justifable.
All doubt as to the time the tragedy &C.
CURED has been set aside. 1t occurred at
about 2:3O O'Clock in the morning. The two
women who were with Thatcher and Will
liam Elvis purposely misrepresented the
time, it seems, rather than admit their own
dlsgraceful conduct. Their statement that
1t was about 1915 o'clock when they left
the roadhouse is probably true, but fully
TWO hours of time elapsed between that
time and the time of the quarrel and shoot
ing. 1t was to avoid admitting what was
done during this time that they claimed
they walked directly up the hill from the
roadhouse. Among the witnesses ex-
amined by Deputy Coroner Richardson yes
terday was Edward Jones, a farmland on
the place, and Nora Mullen and Ella
Thompson, the women who were with
Thatcher and EIvis.
1t was shown beyond dispute that when
the four people left the roadhouse they
walked across the road to Henry Leonard's
barn, and they remained there for a long
time. The footprints of the two couples
in the dust of the roadway leading to and
from the barn were found. There was also
evidence going to show that they had used
the haymow a bed chamber and that
they took the horse out Of the stable
When they were ready to leave the barn
they took the horse with them. No one
supposes now that they intended stealing
the horse. 1t was probably taken in a
spirit of fun, but that it was taken by
Inatcher ElVis and the two women seems
certain. The farmers living along the
an lo[Igdn ro46 claim that they are greatly
out from the city to the Bellevue road
house The Leonards have been especially
annoyed. Their house is almost directly
across the road from the place and near the
side gate through which teams are driven
into the roadhouse grounds. Mrs. Leon
ard and members of her family say that
men and women of the lowest character
come out there, and their actions are in
decent and disgraceful. The Leonards say
they have borne all this without protest
feeling they had no right to do anything
to stop it.
MIN
with the information that his horse was be-
ing stolen, and when he reached the high
way and found that the animal was in
possession of a crowd of the very people
who, as a class, had done so much to make
life burden to him and the members of
his FAMILY his Indignation was aroused and
ne was ready to administer to the Of
tenders such punishment as he might by
Keeping within the bounds of the law. He
found man with his horse and a party
which had just left his stable, and he felt
that If he should administer a severe
thrashlng to the trespasser or thief, as
Thatcher was legally, he would be doing a
great good. When he returned and found
his son and Thatcher engaged in a fight he
struck at Thatcher with the barrel of the
gun. As the gun struck him it was dis
charged and Thatcher was killed.
Coroner Brayton'S verdict completely ex-
onerates Leonard from blame. 1t is as fol-
lows: II, A. w. Brayton, coroner of Marion
county having examined the body and the
witnesses, eleven in number, including Hen
ry Leonard, in the case of the shooting Of
Washington township, Marion county, In
diana, do find that the said deceased
Thatcher came to his death from a gum
shot wound of the spinal cord and right
lung, the charge of shot having been acct
dentally fired from the right barrel of a
double-barreled shotgun held in the hands
of one Henry Leonard while said Henry
Leonard was defending himself and his son,
Louis Leonard, from threatened and imme-
date injury, by shooting, at the hands of
said James Thatcher: and. further, that the
said Henry Leonard and his son, Louis
Leonard, were, at the time of the shoot
ing, lawfully attempting to secure their
personal property, namely, horse. unIaw-
fully taken from the barn of said Henry
Leonard after midnight. either by the said
James Thatcher or by his companion and
accomplice, one William ElVis, or by both
of them; and, further. that said James
Thatcher had upon his person a fully-load-
ed five-chambered 32-caliber revolver, a
watch and eighteen cents in COIN
The funeral of Thatcher will be held this
afternoon. Services will be held at his late
residence. No. 751a Massachusetts avenue,
and the burial will be at Crown Hill.