The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-20
shoots His Victims Cows and sets
Fire to the Property, Wounds an
Omcer and Kills Himself.
COMMISSIONERS PAY REDUCED
GOV. DURBIN TAKES 4 HAND IN
TERRE HAUTE POLICE AFFAIRS.
David Nations Temperance Lecture
at Union City-Wabash Bridge Conn
pany Has an Big Contract.

EN LILLE, lnu-, May ia lId6euy
the like of which has not been enacted in
this city in decade, occurred this morn
ing, and threw the entire population into a
state bordering on frenzy. Evert Conway.
a young married man. a railroad fireman,
deliberately murdered his neighbors VIII
liam Garrison and Mrs. Garrison, destroyed
several head of live stock. then barricaded
himself in the second-story of the Garri-
son home and defied arrest. lie shot Pa
trolman Ben Wallis almost to pieces.
wounded number of other people and then
committed suicide.
1t is hard to fathom the motive for the
crime. Conway and his wife and children
resided with the family of the young mans
parents, and their relations have always
been of the most pleasant nature The
elder Conway until a few months ago was
a dairyman on a small scale, but firing of
the business offered 20 turn II over TO his
son. The latter declined. saying he would
rather continue at his railroad work The<
father then sold the dairy TO William Gar
rison on monthly payments. The Garrisons
also rented the residence adjoining the
Conway home and owned by the dairyman.
The relations Of the neighbors were
friendly.
Saturday morning Mrs. Garrison received
a threatening letter from Evert Conway,
the young man responsible for this morn
ings crime. telling her that she and her
husband need not make any more payments
on the dairy; that they must give it up and
that he would give them just ten days Ia
vacate his fathers house and the dairy.
The letter was shown to the elder Conway,
on Saturday. by Mrs. Garrison. He told he
woman not to pay any attention to the lei
ter, and that he would talk to his son in
the evening. The father did have a talk
with the young man. but was told to attend
10 his own business
GARRISON KILLED.
The elder Conway went To the stable
shortly after 6 O'Clock this morning TO look
after his horses. He found Garrison there
milking a COW. The two men were In con-
versation when the elder Conway was
startled by the discharge OF a gun at the
other end OF the barn. The charge had
been fired at Garrison and the latter rolled
from a stool with load OF shot in his
man then fired at his father. but the latter
escaped. The murderer carried a repeat
ing shotgun and proceeded through the
barn shooting the cows that stood IN the
stalls. Four or five OF the animals were
killed outright. and half a dozen Others
had their heads, bodies and necks filled
with shot. A terrible eommotion ensued.
Young Conway. at this juncture. applied a
match to the structure. and the fire Depart
ment was called out
When the firemen responded Conway
charged the firemen and crowd and drove
them away He then sought refuge in the
second story OF the Garrison home. knock
ing over two Of the Garrison children in his
flight Mrs. Garrison was shot down in cold
blood, expiring at the feet of her babies.
BY this time the firemen had returned 10
the barn and extinguished the flames. Ben
Wallis and James Martin. two police Of
ficers, who reside in the neighborhood.
were aroused. and they dressed and hast
ened 10 the scene. The officers went 10 the
Garrison home and effected an entrance by
a rear door and reached the upper floor.
The front room. where Conway was barri-
caded was forced. but the murderer drove
the officers down stairs at the muzzle Of
his gun.
AN OFFICER SHOT.
A call for more police was then sent in.
and the two officers took up stations TO
quad the house until the arrival 81 re-
Inducements Martin went 10 the rear and
Wallis TO the front. Thousands OF people
had gathered by this time. and each OF the
officers was the central figure Of a group
OF excited men. women and children sud
denly a window was opened In the up
stairs front room Of the Garrison home.
and Conway appeared. shotgun I'm hand.
He fred at officer Wallis. and the latter
fell PROSTATE. Six or eight other shots
were fired. four OF which took effect in
Wallis. one in the neck OF Adam Leonard,
a colored man. another wounded Mrs.
Moore. and scattering shot wounded a num-
Der os other people CONSERVATION cnsued.
and the crowd scattered.
The Conway and Garrison houses are
separated only by a narrow passagcway.
Upper windows face. and these Conway
smashed with his gun and crawled through
10 his own home. There he met his ter
rined wife and babies. lie handed his gun
and o large number OF loaded shells 10 his
wife. together with a couple OF letters. He
then told his wife that ne was I'm FOR it,
and that rather than be killed by the po-
lice he would do the job himself. as he
did not intend 10 surrender. Then he
kissed his wife and babies goodbye and
entered a bedroom. where he stretched
himself on a bed and taking revolver
from his pocket fired bullet into his own
heart and was instantly dead
The man has never shown signs Of IN
SANITY. and the deliberate manner In which