Evening journal., 1901-11-13
RATHBUN DENIES
MURDER CHARGE
Says MaR Found Dead Was
Charles Goodman
Declares That He Died Of Alcoholism.
Asks ii There Is Death Penalty
in Indiana

Louisville. Ky, Nov. 13.-Newen c.
Rathbun. who. according to the police.
has confessed that he planned to de-
fraud an insurance company out Of
$4,000 by pretending that the corpse
shipped to Little Rock, Ark, was his
own dead body, yesterday admitted,
according to the authorities, that the
man who accompanied him to the
hotel in Jeffersonville, Ind, and was
found dead the next day, was Charles
Goodman who is said to have come
from Evansville, Ind.
Chief of Detectives Sullivan and
Chief Applegate and Coroner Coots,
OF Jeffersonville, interviewed Rath-
bun. He listened as one by one the
circumstances which the police regard
as proofs of his guilt were laid before
him by Chief Sullivan. According to
the officers, Rathbun suddenly sprang
up, and, walking hastily to a window,
looked out for a few minutes. Then,
turning like an animal at bay, he
faced the crowd of men in the room
and asked in a shaking voice: what
is the punishment for offenses of this
kind in Indiana? Does the death PEN
atty exist there?"
Never mind about the penalty,
what we are interested in is the
name Of the dead man."
For a moment Rathbun looked at
the group Of faces before him, ana
then said
you are on the right track. Good
man is the name of the dead man. [
met him in front of the Salvation
Army Hotel and determined to keep
him drunk for several days and then
fix him."
When questioned further Rathbun
denied having given Goodman lauda-
mum, and said he would have made
use of chloroform. He then refused
to go back to Indiana without requisi-
ton papers.
Colonel John d. Rodman, United
States recruiting officer here, notified
Chief Sullivan that no requisition pa.
pers will be necessary for the return
of Rathbun to Jeffersonville, Ind. He
says that Rathbun is now a govern
ment prisoner charged with deser-
tion, and as soon as he can commune
cate with Washington he will have
the prisoner taken over. The Jeffer-
sOnville authorities will make claim
for the custody of Rathbun on a
cnarsa of murder
Just before he was taken back to
Jail Rathbun made the following state.
ment to Chief of Detectives Sullivan:
Il admit everything except that
killed Goodman. l meant to kill him,
2 and kept him drunk for the purpose,
but he died of alcoholism and / was
not forced to make way with him.
Mystery about the accomplice named
Blanchard was fictitious. l acted alone
and without a confederate"
It is said that Goodman, who was
OF rowing nature, came to this city
on October - and put up at the Sal
walton Ar2 = Hotel. He repeatedly
told thc Cork, J. c. Pelton, that he
did nc. hayc any money and did not
know how he would get out of the
city. r rcton says that about noon
last We'd -sGay Goodman entered the
hotel ard remarked that he had "iust
met an easy mark" who had given
him a quarter Il have an engage.
ment with him tonight, and he is 60
ing to show me how to make some
money" continued Goodman.
Shortly before Z o'clock Pelton says
he saw Goodman meet a man answer
ing Rathbun's description in front of
the hotel. Detective Donahue followed
the clew, and found that the two men
who answer the descriptions of
Rathbun and Goodman appeared ia
the Falls City Hotel at Jefersonville
about 8 o'clock Rathbun registered
for both, and they were assigned to
different rooms. In about half an hour
they appeared in the Office, and the
hotel clerk says that the man whom
Rathbun had said was Ten Eycke had
changed his attire The two left the
hotel, saying they would return.
According to Peltons story, Good.
man returned to the Salvation Army
Hotel shortly after o'clock with a
new coat and vest on, and also a col
lar and pecktie. Goodman told Pei.
ton to check him off. as he was going
10 spend the night in Indiana with
his friendg Goodman then went out
and has not been seen at the hotel
since that time.