The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-06
He Killed His Wife in Putnam
County Last May and Trial
Was Taken to Danville.
JURORS OUT 81 HOURS
Fifty-Three Ballots Taken Before
Agreement Was Reached and
Presented In Court.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME
Seward Reported the Murder in
Person, and Was Not Sus-
pected for Some Time.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special 70 the Indianapolis Journal.
DANVILLE, Ind. May 5.-The jury in
the Henry NJ. Seward murder case brought
in a verdict finding the defendant guilty OF
manslaughter for the killing of his wife in
Putnam county in May last. Seward re-
ceived the verdict unmoved, but the people
who have followed the trial closely are
much surprised as they confidently ex
pected an acquittal. A motion for new
trial will be made. and if this is overruled
an appeal will be taken.
The jury was out thirty-two hours, hav-
ing retired at 1:55 o'clock yesterday morn
ing, and ffty-three ballots were taken be-
fore a verdict was reached. All yesterday
afternoon and last night the jurors bal
lotted on the question of guilt or innocence,
and during all that time ten voted for con-
viction and two for acquittal.
On the first ballot after breakfast this
morning the twelve voted for conviction.
and they then took up the matter of the
degree At o'clock this afternoon they
appeared before Judge Adams for further
instructions. and after receiving them took
three more ballots, on the third of which
the agreement on manslaughter was
reached.
Mrs. Henry NJ. Seward. who was Alice
Baysinger before her marriage, was found
dead on the floor of her room. one of the
two in the house on the farm near Green
castle, to which she and her husband had
but recently removed. on Saturday even
ing May l6 1903. Her head had been
crushed by heavy blows from club. and
she was lying in pool of blood beside her
bed. She and Seward had been married
less than year.
Seward reported the murder His story,
briefly, was to the effect that when he re-
turned from his work in the field he
tered the kitchen and left his coat and din
ner bucket there and, thinking his wife
was at the barn, as was frequently the
case at that hour, he went to the barn,
but did not find her. He embarrassed his
horses, watered them and turned them
loose. and returned to the house.
His wife was not in the kitchen when he
returned, he said, and he opened the door
of the bedroom and saw her lying the
floor. He thought she was asleep, he said,
and stamped on the floor with his foot.
She did not move and he called her two
three times by her name-Alice She did
not answer. and he went to her and placed
his hand on her. Then he saw the wounds
on her head and neck and the blood on
the carpet, and realized she had been muir
dered. He added that he went into the
yard and called for help, but, none coming.
he went to the neighbors and told them
Nothing had been taken from the house,
and there was indication of criminal
sault The first theory was that the crime
had been done by a negro tramp who had
been seen on the railroad track near the
house late that afternoon, but no motive
could be assigned for the act if this
theory were true.
The murder caused great excitement in
the neighborhood. and all kinds of specula-
lation was rife, but it was not for several
weeks that a crystallizing public sentiment
caused an investigation of Stewards move
ments, which eliminated, in September, in
his arrest
The case was set for trial in the Putnam
Circuit Court, but a change of venue was
asked, and ii was sent TO Hendricks coun-
ty. The trial opened at Danville on Mon
day, April IL, and testimony taking lasted
more than two weeks. Arguments were be-
gun last Friday and the case went to the
jury on Wednesday of this week
The testimony was contradictory and
confusing, but the states witnesses failed
to substantiate all that the prosecution
had claimed in it's opening statements or
demanded in its arguments The states
contention that there had been much dis
cord and unhappness in the Seward home
was disproved. which seemed to remove
the motive for the crime. Much attention
was given to a letter which the prosecu-
from Lena, tending to throw suspicion on
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