The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-12
Body shipped from JeffersonviIIe
that of Rathbun Is Held by the
Little Rock Authorities.
A FOOTBALL PLAYER is SHOT
EVANSVILLE ELOPERs ARRESTED
IN NEW YORK FOR THEFT.
Acid Thrower Assails n Russiavflle
GirI-Death of Judge ID. vi. Ais
paugh-LOsses by Fire.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Nov. 11-Newell c.
Rathbun. who was supposed to have been
found dead in a Jeffersonville Ind. hotel
last Thursday, was arrested in Louisville
to-day. According TO Rathbun the corpse
which was shipped to Little Rock as the
body of Rathbun was the body OF w. L.
Ten Eyke. The police say Rathbun has
confessed desertion from the United States
army and that he had formed plan to
fraudulently collect $1,000 insurance on his
life. but that he denies having killed the
man who died in the Jeffersonville hotel.
Rathbun was arrested about IL o'clock
this morning at the United States recruit
ing station in Louisville. He is held as a
fugitive from justice. The arrest was made
on information from Sergeant Skinner. OF
the United States recruiting station. Rath-
bun enlisted under the name Of Lou Root.
Detroit"
Sergeant Skinner had read the story Of
the Jeffersonville case and circumstances
connected with the new recruit aroused his
suspicious. One of these was the fact that
the man had on a government suit of un-
derwear. He said he had bought the gar
ments from a soldier friend. Another cir
cumstance was his knowledge OF army
affairs about Little Rock. Saturday he
passed the examination and enlisted.
At the detectives Office Rathbun was put
through the sweating process and under
pressure made the following statement. ac-
cording to his inquisitcrs:
my name is Newell c. Rathbun and my
home is Little Rock. Ark. Several months
ago I deserted from the army post at
Plattsburg, n. Y. in company with another
recruit named w. H. Ellis. 1 soon lost
sight of him and went on to Little Rock.
There / was married and afterward took
out the insurance policies.
81 came to Louisville about ten days ago
and formed a plan to make the insurance
company think / was dead so that / could
collect the insurance L fell in with a man.
who said his name was w. l.. Ten Eyks
in front Of the Salvation Army headquarters
in Louisville and told him OF my plan, and
he agreed to help me. Our plan was 10 OBJ
tain a corpse from some place. put IL in a
hotel in Jeffersonville and then set fire to
the hotel.
while we were In Jeffsrsonville we took
a number Of drinks and Ten Eyke got
drunk. 1 think his death was caused by
drinking 1 put the letters addressed 10 me
in his pocket and left / did not kill him.
1 then came to Louisville and then TO the
recruiting office and enlisted. Ny real
home is in Detroit"
The police trying to establish the
identity of the dead man. One OF their
theories is that he was tramp that Rath-
bun had fallen in with. The police have
telegraphed TO the Little Rock authori-
ties TO hold the corpse. A gold watch bear
ing the name "W. H. Ellis" found on
Rathbun. He refuses TO say where he got
it, The police say the handwriting of Lou
Root" the recruit, was very similar TO the
signature ''W- l. Ten Eyke' on the Jeffer-
sonville hotel register.
Coroner Coots, of Jeffersonville. says no
examined the stomach of the dead man and
found traces of enough laudanum TO kill
two men.
Rathbun said tonight in an interview
that at Plattsburg Barracks ". Y, he and
corporal fixed up the plan 10 collect the
81 600 insurance. He says the plan was 10
''slip a 'stiff into some hotel. then set FIRE
to the building after having left letters and
papers of mine in the pockets Of the 'stiff $
clothes. or course, when the hotel burned,
we expected the stiff to be burned up. too,
or at least so scorched that no one could
recognize him"
and under their agreement the corporal
was to secure the stiff" Rathbun hints
that the corporal drugged the victim II he
was drugged He says he does not know
where the corporal Is now.
Rathbun gave his birthplace as Detroit,
his nearest relative as j. Brown, OF Debray,
Mich, his trade as printer and his age
as twenty-seVen.