The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-19
Says He VIII Suffer Most from Fac
ing the Chaplain at Michigan
City Prison.
MARION COPS ARE EDWARDS
THEY RAN WHEN HE TURNED ON
THEM, HENDERSON SAYS.
Pretends Not to Know Captain Hy-
land, Whom He Denies Having
Shot Last March.

Alonzo Henderson, who killed Constable
Tarpey, OF Haughville, nine years ago, and
wounded Captain Hyland Merchant Police
man Bell and Patrolman Alberts recently,
was brought to this city from Marion
yesterday by Superintendent Taffe and
Captain Hyland. When he was taken into
the turkeys room al the police station
last evening, just as the roll call was over,
the patrolmen crowded in to have a look
at him. He stared back at them like a
wild animal. He complained of pain in
his stomach, and said that he believed there
was a bullet in it. There were two holes
in the back of the coat he wore, made by
bullets shot at him by the Marion police
men that captured him.
Chief Arlington, of the Marion police,
told Tafe and Hyland, when they called
at his office at noon yesterday, that Hen
derson's family was protesting against his
life being endangered by a trip to Indian
apolis. Physicians that had examined him,
Addington said, had pronounced the wounds
not serious. Superintendent Taffe suggest
ed that another examination be held. This
was done, and again the doctors said Hen
derson was in no danger from his wounds.
At the Grant county jail. where Hender-
son was confined, about five hundred peo-
pie were assembled to see him taken out.
When Taffe and Hyland went into his cell.
Taffe walked over to his cot and said:
Hello. Lon, how are you feeling?"
lis this you, ALP" answered Henderson.
"Why, I'm all right. l guess you've come
for me-"
Henderson's sister, Mrs. Louis Meyer,
and her husband were in the cell. and when
she heard her brothers words she screamed
loudly enough TO be heard on the street,
and set to begging the Indianapolis po-
licemen not to take Henderson away. Su-
perintendent Taffe told her that her brother
would get better medical attention in In
dianapol!s than in Marion. I'll see that
he is treated WELL" he said
'You bet you will, AL" Henderson put in.
You're the only gentleman on the Indian
apolis force"
KEPT EYES ON HYLAND.
Captain Hyland stood in the door watch
ing Henderson and Henderson kept his lit
tie, beady eyes on the captain. AS Hyland
turned from the door Henderson raised up
and watched his movements. Henderson
was dressed in clean clothing and Superin-
tendent Taffe put handouts on him. His
sister chung to him and her wailing and the
interest shown by the crowd outside the
Jail were suggestive of a hanging. Hen
derson was half-carried by two policemen
and five others kept the crowd back. Hen
derson cursed softly during the trip to the
interurban railroad station.
In the car Captain Hyland sat at Hender-
sons side and Superintendent Tafe sat OPP
posite. The prisoner at first was sullen and
disinclined to talk, but when Taffe began
to question him he grew affable. As the
car went through South Marion Henderson
raised his manacled hands, pointed to an
old power house and said he had been en-
ployed moving machinery out OF the place.
His hands were calloused. At the Soldiers
Home he said: IF i had known when
passed here Monday morning that l would
be going back TO Indianapolis this way
some one would be dead now"
He pretended not to know Captain Hy-
land and once leaned toward Superintend-
ent Taffe and asked him who Hyland was.
Taffe answered that Hyland was shot at
the same time Merchant Policeman Bell
was wounded. Henderson shook his n H.
drew deep breath and said: Il don kIOw
anything about that affair. The only time
| was in Indianapolis in March was when
had that little affair with Alberts and
Simons." He put his hand on his knee. as
If in pain, and Taffe asked him If he had
been shot in the leg. Yes; Alberts shot
me that night after l shot him" Henderson
answered. 1T was an even break, wasn't
it?''
AS the car neared Indianapolis Hender-
son became more talkative. Regarding the
movements on the night he shot Patrolman
Alberts he said: Me and Hedges was
down to my sisters, on Nebraska street,
on the night OF March 25. We was going
home on Delaware street when we was
tackled by those cops In the hight shot
Alberts and he shot me in the leg. l guess
there is a lot more stuff. in indianapolis
they would like to lay against me- just like
they did in Marion. There they even tried
to charge me with the Lacey murder"
HIS BATTLE AT MARION.
About his fight with the Marion police,
Henderson said: "All those cops at Marion
are towards 1 turned on them once and
they turned tail and ran about fifty yards.
as though 1 was a snake. 1 fired at them
but they were too far for my guns. 1 would
have killed two of them had not my poor
old mother stood on the front porch and
warned me to surrender and not hurt any
one. AS those guys came up to my house
1 didn't see them. My brother-in-law,
Meyers, turned to me and said, Lon, do
you know this fellow meaning Joe Gall
my sister and asked her what / should do.
BY that time my mother had come into the
room and knew of the approaching trouble
and began screaming and crying and told
me 10 go out on the porch and throw up
my hands. When ] looked out of the win
dow / saw eight policemen near the corner
and there were several more around the
house
/ rushed out with my wheel and started
to get away. l had gone about two blocks
when / got a shot in the shoulder which
weakened my arms and | couldn't handle
the wheel. / was leaning over and the
ball glanced upward or it would have killed
me. think 1 was shot with rifle.
jumped off my wheel and turned on them.
L pulled two pistols from my pockets and
began firing. l started toward them and
they ran Then l turned and they again
ran after me- BY this time we were APP
preaching a clump of trees. As L tried TO
get behind a tree shot hit me in the back,
near the spinal column. | then threw up
my hands with the two guns, which
dropped. As the officers walked toward me
they kept me covered with their guns. One
of them said. Pull out the others l pulled
two others from my belt and dropped one
of them on the ground. The other dropped
in my pocket"
AT Oaklandon ne held his hands against
his face as if in deep thought. and then
suddenly exclaimed: II would rather face
a cannon than go back 10 prison at Mich
igan City. They treated me awful good
there and especially that chaplain. He was
one Of the hard workers who procured my
pardon. When I left that prison he gave
me a great deal OF advice and as l clasped
his hand on leaving the prison l had my
mind made up entirely 10 never again gel
in trouble. This thought with me fol-
many months, but l gradually got back IN
my old ways 1t would have been better II
l had stayed there for the whole twenty
one years. No treatment the guards car
IL. 10. hon h.