The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-07
MINISTER MY
Be LIBERATED
indications That Indiana Pas
tor Is innocent.
STORY OF CONVICTION
And the UnSeIfSh Work of
His Attorney.

reverend " illlaTn +. HinshaT, E MethO-
dist minister who is serving life term
II state prison for the murder OF his
VIE, nearly eight years ago, are rejoicing
il the new found hope that Mt. Hin
shaw innocence viii soon De established
and that the prison doors viii speedily
[ be opened 10 leave him a free man.
The murder OF young Mrs sE5inshaw,
: the subsequent trial Of her husband, his
conviction and sentence BY the sdictum OF
the Supreme Court, and MS solemn and
repeated assertions Of innocence, make Up
ore Of the most interesting and at the
same time most pathetic stories in the
records Of the Indiana courts.
Amazing are the circumstances which
led 10 the accusation and conviction %
tbs apparently earnest and deYout minis
ter OF the gospel MF. Hinshaw was the
pastor OF the Methodist church In Belle
vile. a town in Hendricks county. within
few miles OF Danville. he was young.
ceepiy interested in his work and lived
IL seeming happiness. with his hand
some young wife who has been q genuine
helpmate in his pastoral labors
such vas the state Of affairs when
shout one clock IN the morning or Jan
uary 10, 1895, neiEb5ors Of the family
were awakened by pistol shots in the
street Rushing out OF doors. they found
the preacher lying on the sidewalk il
front OF the house across the street, oc-
cup.ed by Mrs. Tieher
sIr HInshaw vas clothed only in an
unuershirt and drawers. his fet and head
were bare. ard his face hands. hair and
clothes were covered with blood on being
taken into his house It was found that
h had been stabbed IN eighteen places
and that he had been shot in the leg
and the shoulder.
BewLdered and bleeding from his many
wounds. Mr.. Hinshaw told a strange tale.
He said ne had been awakened in the
night by a noise in his room, and. sitting
u in bed. half awake, he was alarmed
b. pistol shot. in the light OF which he
saw two burglars close TO the bed. The
bullet struck AIRS. Hinshaw in the head.
but did not at once XIII her.
AR Elnshaw said ne jumped up ard,
graphing with the intruders cried aloud
for help Shots we're fired which went wide
q their mark IN the desperate struggle
that followed.
Burglars and preacher fought their way
following. on the steps leading into the
yard the wounded woman fell dead, and
the burglars. still struggling with Mr.
Hinshaw. returned TO the. house and es-
c1ped-how their living victim could not
tel
In the Investigation which followed the
Preachers trousers, his poeketbook and
his razor were found in an alley back Of
ct OF the trousers we're found on the
floor near the woodshed in the back yard.
and near By, on a plank walk half oblit-
Grated by snow. were footprints made
b. a nan or men wearing shoes These
were all the clsws left by the murderer
O murderers.
Mr.. Hlnshaws story was believed al
first. bur the authorities. Influenced by
the mans apparent lack Of sorrow. began
TO suspect that IL was he who had killed
his vie ana that his story Of burglars
vas a well prepared ruse TO throw justice
~ the track. II was charged that he
vas enamoured OF a young woman OF
his church. with whom he had had sew
eraI mysterious meetings. Finally he
was arrested and charged with having
murdered his wife
The trial lasted five weeks ar Hin
shaw was found guilty Of murder in the
second degree and sentenced 10 imprison-
nent for life.
When the verdict Of the jury was pro
nounced the minister rose from his chair
and solemnly swore that he was innocent .
OF the crime His words loud. profound
and weighted with accents Of truth. caus-
ed q deep impression on all who heard
him
The doors CT the states prison closed
O. William E. Hinshaw. the preacher.
but they did not close o. James o. Parker
the lawyer who had defended him Mr. /
Parker declared that he would devote
his fortune and the rest OF his life to
proving it.
sIr. Parker's friends rallied around him 4
End raised =. ~ 10 assist aim in his work. 4
The lawyer refused % touch a penny OF .
the moaey. vowing he would spend his 4
own funds 81 IS to be perfectly free in 1
his actions. The committee which had
raised the money hired private detectives +
from Chicago but after an exhaustive 4
search they save up the search as hope
less
NJ Parker. however. persevered. Fer
nearly eight years he Iabored necessarily
CT this case. Meanwhile he became -presi-
cent OF the Ohio Valley Trust Company.
# Evansville and. prospering IN business.
he has had plenty OF tine and cash 10
oev0te &c his seII-imposed work Of JUS
tee.
Hundreds OF clues were run down b.
the iudefatigsble lawyer. The most iui-
portaat Of these was story told by Noah
Baney. an ali-round criminal who con-
fessed that he, With two companions
killed Whitney and Guy Van Tassel-
wee guilty Of the murder and robbery.
Eut Baney. OF going before TIE grand
1try. repudiated this confession ard said
he made 81 10 wiz favor, as being 2 des-
perado. IN the ey>s OF a woman
This was in 1897. Since that tine AIr.
Perker has been pursuing the cieB given
b. BaneE- Eie has travelled Thousands
III miles in the work. sometimes with
acpe. more often without
Baney. Whitney ard Van Tassei have
been in prison for some tine on convic-
tons for larceny. This simplied M
PsEkers task He held several interviews
With the men and at last frightened
WksEEsy into haIS confession, bat the