The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-17
AT FOOT OF STAIRCASE
EVIDENCE NOW SHOWS wILHARM
WAS MURDERED THERE.
The Second Bullet Found in a Base
bOard-Actions of Mar
ried Sister.

The murder Of Chris. Wilharm at 1850
Spruce street is becoming more mysterious
with investigation, though several lines of
work are already being followed. Chief Of
Detectives Colbert, with Captain Dawson
and Detective Asch, are devoting much time
to the affair and in the investigation which
they made yesterday versions of the shoot
ing at variance with those first given have
been advanced by the members of the
family, and new facts have been developed.
In the intense excitement which immedi-
ately followed the tragedy those who knew
something of the affair were not in a con-
dition to give an entirely rational story, and
close observation was necessary to get the
main facts 1t was said at first that the
lamp which is always left burning in the
house at night was in the sleeping room of
the parents, turned low, but yesterday it
was decided by the father that this light
was setting upon the dining room table in
the room into which the door into the yard
opens 1t also develops that this outside
door was closed and locked, instead of wide
open as at first thought. 1t would seem
that the young man entered the house
through the door which had been left un-
locked for his convenience, and had locked
the door after him preparatory to retiring.
That two shots were fired, only one of them
taking effect, has been proven beyond doubt
but the location of the murderer as he fired
is not now believed to have been in the
dining room as was at first supposed. The
shot which entered the mans chest took a
downward course, penetrating the heart,
spleen and the left kidney and lodging close
to the skin, short distance above the hip.
This would indicate that the shot had been
frod k.olI aI@@
man. This was thought at first to prove that
the deed had been committed Wilharm
entered the door, but the fact that this door
has since been shown to have been locked,
explodes this theory.
The fifteen-year-oId brother, who sleeps
upstairs, declares that the two shots which
he heard plainly following each other in
rapid succession came from the living room
downstairs, but, of course, he could not be
positive as to this. 1t has been shown, in
fact, that this is not correct. The fatal
shots We're fired as the young man stood at
the foot Of the stairs by some one coming
direction of the bullet and besides the bullet
which failed to take effect was found yes
terday afternoon buried in the Dashboard at
the foot of the stairs. 1t is evident that
the burglar, If such he was, was confronted
unexpectedly by Wiharm as the latter
started to mount the stairs.
NIL THEIR FAY DAY.
The burglar theory is slowly losing favor
with the police. though facts are brought
forth which might offer the motive of a
visit by burglars. Other facts are found
which would indicate that the intruder was
not there for the purpose of theft. Both
father and the son were employed by rail-
roads, the former by the Big Four and the
latter by the l., D. & w. With the excep-
Of fuyo
in this city paid off employees on the day
preceding this murder. If these men had
received their wages as other railroad men
had, there would have been something over
pensioner and the hope of finding some of
the government money might have lured the
intruder. But it is added that the last re-
sort of the ordinary burglar is his weapon.
Young Wilharn was heard coming around
the house whistling by the younger brother
and the burglar would have had the same
possible for him to- hide during the time
the young man was entering and locking
the door, but he may have thought, and
very naturally, that the young man would
notice the location of the chair and the
open window as he passed them on his way
around the house. A search would have
no chance of escape. On this theory evil
IDENTIFY. time was lost in starting, as it would
have been possible for the man to have
reached the front room down stairs before
Wilharm could have got into the house.
Mrs. Mary Moffet, sister of the dead man,
who sleeps upstairs, claims to have had
strange presentiments of the approaching
tragedy. She dreamed. of death watch"
and said that she saw the murderer Of her
brother. She describes him as tall and dark
completed with a black mustache. She
says that she could identify the man of her
dream If she saw him. No attention is
given to this dream story by the police.
This sister after the tragedy walked the
rooms of the house Historically singing, II
knew it, I knew it," The night of the muir
der dream book was lying on the table in
the front room. r
There was no company at the home the
night of the murder, according to the state
ments of the family. The married sister is
separated from her husband who lives in
another city. She receives no company. She
and her brothers and sister occupied the
rooms upstairs.
1t is said that a besgar had visited the
house in the afternoon and was given some
thing to eat. 1t is not believed that he is
connected with the murder. however. 1t was
also reported that a man had said he could
lay his hands on the guilty person. but after
tracing the remark from person to person it
was finally fastened upon an old drunken
something of the kind. man was also re-
ported to have been found in an clubhouse
farther north on Spruce street, but nothing
was gained from this clew. The police are
working now all the different clews of
which they are possessed and hope to gain
information In the course of few days
that will lead to an arrest and an explana-
ton of the mystery.