The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-04
POLICE ON THE WATCH
REPORT MADE TO THEM THAT A
HAD BEEN
PatrOlmen Stationed at Roads Enter
ing Town and at Medical Col
leges--SOuthport story.

Policemen were stationed from IL o'clock
last night until early this morning at all
the southern roads entering the city and
around all of the medical colleges in the
hope of catching four men who were re-
ported TO have robbed a grave in the Cen
ter Grove churchyard cemetery, three and
one-half miles west of Southport.
A man giving the name of Edward Hazel
reported to the police that four men had
robbed the grave in which an old man by
the name of Perry was buried yesterday.
He said the men were in a surrey, driving a
large bay horse, and would probably enter
the city by the bottom road. Policemen
were at once detailed TO watch the roads
and the medical colleges, but at early hour
they had heard nothing. The report to the
police said that Perry had lived in this city
near the southern limits.
Inquiry at Southport relative to the re-
port brought forth a story from a man
who said he was the bartender at Bris-
waits roadhOuse. He said he had been
awakened from his sleep by a man named
o Myers, who came in excitedly and
said that four men were robbing a grave.
Myers said he was going to visit a neigh
Dor about 10 o'clock, and while passing near
the cemetery saw a surrey standing near
the entrance. He watched it for a moment
and saw four men get out and enter the
place of burial. He called to them: what
i'm the devil are you fellows doing there?"
He got, he said, no reply but heard one
OF the men say, I've got a ID good
notion to shoot that fellow" There was
no shot fired and he hurried then to the
roadhouse. The police were advised and
the informant was told to ascertain wheth-
er or not the grave had been robbed. About
ten minutes later the police station was
again called and the information given
that the grave had been robbed. The
ponce sergeant thought Ii rather strange
that the verification was so soon secured,
but the police were not withdrawn from
their watches.
ty-three years of age, who died day before
yesterday, was buried in the Center Grove
Church Cemetery yesterday afternoon, and
reported what he had seen Myers, accom-
panied by Ed Gle. Ben Lucas, Frank Berry
and Harvey Perry. a son of the deceased,
went to the graveyard and found the earth
which had been thrown in yesterday dis
turbed. They dug down and found the
casket, which was opened, but there was
no corpse within. Myers, he said, had fol-
lowed the men as far as his home, and be-
fore he could get his horse out and get a
gun the men, who were driving fast, dis
appeared and he was unable to follow them.
The men returned to the roadhouse and
held a consultation, and decided that there
was no chance of catching the ghouls ex-
cept through the help of the indianapolis
police. The robbers, it was said, drove to-
ward Southport. Myers could give no de-
scription of the men, he claimed, for the
reason that II was very dark. He said there
were four of them in the two-seated sur
rey.
The bartender said Perry lived here on
Maple street, near Ray street. and that he
had died of old age and dropsy. He was
said to have been the father of nine chill
dren, five of whom-two sons and three
daughters, Mrs. Melissa Everhart. Becky
Shelter and Mrs. Michael Winchester and
John and George P~erry-lived in this city.
The records of death from the City Board
of Health office yesterday contained the
name of Ebenezer Perry, sixty-nine years
of age, who died of Bright's disease. His
address is given at No. 91 South Capitol
avenue. John and George Perry, the sons
of Ebenezer, whom the bartender said lived
In this city, are given in the city directory
as boarding at No. al South Capitol ave-
nue.. No one could be found in the house
last night. and several neighbors said they
did not know where the funeral was held
or where the burial occurred. No one by
the name Of Perry could be found on Maple
street at that hour.
The bartender at Briswalt's said the five
men who had dug into the grave were
there at the house at the time he was talk
ing with the Journal, and they were so ex-
cited that to only a few of the questions
referred to them was he able TO get an an
Swer.