The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20
MIR. whistles RECORD.
Nine Murder Cases, with Five Con-
victiOns for Life.

victiOns for Life.
Yesterday evening Charles S. Wiltsie re-
tired from the office Of prosecuting attorney
for Marion county, concluding four years
term of faithful, conscientious work. To-
morrow morning Edwin B. Pugh, successor
to Mr.. Wiltsie, will assume the duties of
states attorney. His chief deputy will be
John c. Ruckelshaus. Mr.. Wiltsie, during
his four years service, prosecuted nine
murder cases. In five Of these cases SEN
fences of life Imprisonment were admins
tered. Three were convicted Of mansaugh-
ter, and in one case there was an acquittal.
This was in the case of Alonzo Rocker,
who was tried for the murder of his wife
He escaped on the grounds of insanity, but
was afterwards convicted in another county
of assault and battery on the woman who
was with his wife at the time of the murder.
He served a two years sentence.
When Mr.. Wiltsie went into Office four
years ago he found that his predecessor had
left 701 cases on the docket for him to dis
pose of. OF that number he leaves about
one hundred cases for Mr.. Pughs consid-
Grafton. OF current indictments Mr.. Wiltsie
leaves 1O1 to be disposed of. In forty-eight
of these cases there have been no arrests
and many of them will, perhaps, never be
tried. On the appeal docket there are 105
cases, making in all 800. cases that will be
left to Prosecutor Pugh. In the four years
OF MIR. WiltSie's administration there has
been en- enormous accumulation of business
in the City Police Court, but the deputies
have kept up with the work. 1t is esti-
mated that twenty-five thousand cases have
been filed in this court. This number, of
course, includes a great many cases that
were filed and afterward dismissed without
trial.
In making a final report yesterday for the
month of November Albert Sahm, foreman
of the grand jury, made a pleasant little
speech, in which he spoke very fiatteringly
OF the retiring prosecutor and referred to
the harmonious relations that had existed
between the present jury and MIR. Witsie
The jury returned indictment against
John r. Swan, who is charged with grand
larceny and obtaining money under false
pretenSeS. Swan is charged with having
SWndled Carbon & Lennox, music dealers,
cases until the December term: Fred Han
naman burglary; George Matlock, robbery;
Hazel Smith, robbery; Oscar Schaub, burg
larry; Harvey Gardner, grand larceny; Anna
COnnoVer, robbery; Edward Wren, false pre-
lenses; Carroll Winn, grand larceny; William
Perkins, assault and battery with intent to
kill.
In its report the jury referred to visit
to the Children's Guardians Home, where
everything was found to be in hrst-class
condition. The food is of wholesome quality
and the children are under perfect discl-
pline. The jury commended in the highest
degree the management and condition OF the
workhouse 1t was suggested that the sani-
tary conditions of the jail might be I'M
proved but there was no criticism or the
management of this institution me Jury
would like to see different arrangements
for the care of insane prisoners that are
sometimes detained at the Jail and urged
that this matter be considered.