The Washington times., 1906-08-25
FINGER Of GUILT
MARKS TANKSLEY
Murder of Sarah SChafer,
Two Years Ago, Laid
to Him.
FOLLOWED BLOOD TRAIL
Abduction Of Nellie Rainey, Who, It Is
Said, Was His Intended Victim,
Leads to Arrest.

Leads 70 Arrest.
EVANSVILLE. Ind. Aug. 25.-By the
strange linking together OF "a chain of
circumstances that reads like an ad-
venture of Sherlock Holmes. Prosecutor
Fletcher, of Bedford Ind. and the au-
thOrities Of this city have run down
man they viii charge with the murder
OF Sarah Schafer, the pretty young
school teacher who was killed at Bed
ford. Ind. on the night OF January u,
1904.
That man is Ernest Tauksley. who
was arrested here. as described in The
Times, on a charge of abducting Nellie
Rainey. young Sunday school teacher
who, IL is now alleged, was selected as
the victim of the Bedford tragedy, but
in whose stead Sarah Schafer was slain
by mistake.
The story starts back in the little
village OF HeItouviue. Ind, eight miles
from Bedford. Five years ago there
lived there in adjoining houses the
halney and the Tauksley families
Won a Girls Hear.
Nellie Raiuey, fourteen years old, visit
ed the Tanksley home. and il - claimed.
became infatuated with Tanksley. and
improper relations are said 10 have been
begun when she was but about fifteen
years old. The village folk began TO
talk about the relations between Tanks
ley and The girl, then a teacher in the
Baptist Sunday school. Tauksley was
married and had three children. To
escape the whispering tongues OF the
villagers. ne left his family in Helton-
vile. and went to Bedford in the fan
Of 1903. but kept up correspondence
with Miss Raiuey.
Tanksley returned 10 Helt0nvlIle from
Bedford I'm the spring OF 1gJ4, but LEI.
again suddenly in October 1895. AT the
same tine Miss Bamey told her rather
she was going u Bedford 10 have some
dental work done That was the last
ever heard or her until the detectives
arrested Ianksley and Miss Rainey here
in roomins house. They had been
traced through the efforts OF the girls.
father. who never gave up the search
Tor his missing daughter.
After several months OF search the
flther about three weeks ago. turned
over 10 Prosecuting Attorney Fletcher
OF Bedford. a number OF letters Tanks
ley had written 10 Miss Rainey. A war.
rant was sworn out charging Tanksle,-
with kidnapping Miss RaIUey. and the
prosecutor then began looking over the
letters.
The Tel-TaIe Letter.
He came across the letter asking Mel
lie 10 meet Tanksley at the head Of
the alley in Bedford on the same night
end at the same hour when Sarah Scha-
Ser went 10 her doom. Immediately the
aFaaaH M rH#.l- H
searching TauksIey's Bedford record.
In Bedford Tauksley r5omed at the
Owens boarding house. near where
Sarah ShaTer took her meals. Tanks
ley's roommate was Earl Hunter. q
Jall, slim man. employed as "a painter
by The Southern Iudiua Railroad Hun
ter owned a long OVerCOuL Prosecutor
Fletcher found Hunter. and through
him another roOmtr. George Hammer. at
The Owens boarding house, and upon
the testimony OF both men. in conncC-
t.on with the letter asking Miss Rainey
10 meet Tanskley IN Bedford on the
night Sarah Schafer was murdered. the
authorities base the charge they de-
clare they viii place against Tanks
ley.
According TO Hunter. Tanksley bor-
rowed Hunters long OveroOat at 6I
o'clock on the night OF January q.
1904. saying he was going 10 buy bottle
II whisky.
The "TaI, Slim Man"
That night d tall man. clad ia an
OyercOat that almost swept the ground,
was seen by a number of persons who
have testified at former trials, walking
back and forth on the street at the head
Of the dark alley between o and {
o'clock.
on her way from supper 90 where she
roomed tripped the light-hearted school
teacher, Miss Schafer. She was hasten
ing 70 meet pupil. She was OF the
same height OF Miss Rainey ana OF
about the same build. The only differ
ence was that she had black hair. while
Miss Rainey's was light. Nellie Rainey
did not go 90 Bedford on the night OF
January Il, 1904
Tauksley, according 10 Hunter, re-
turned 90 hts room Ia Bedford az t.-O
O'Clock. almost am hour after the murder
had been committed. He carried bot
Tie OF whisky. Hunter noticed fresh
scratches on Tanksley's face, il is said,
and "hdoed' him about it, Tauksley
said nothing as 20 where he received
tae bloody marks on his cheeks and
lips, In the conversation which fol-
lowed he spoke of nothing unusual 4
bat. IL is alleged, seemed 10 be very
has informed Prosecutor Fletcher. About
midnight. after Hunter had gone to
sleep, T8uksleyi it IS claimed slipped
softly into Hammers room, where there
was hre burning in a stove. Tanks
ley thought Hammer was asleep. and,
according TO the latter's story to the
prosecutor, started 60 poke a bundle of
clothes into the stove. Hammer aw0ke
and asked Tanksley what he was doing.
Burned Bloody Clothing.
Tanksley. so Hunter claims. explained
that he had been out that night and had
got his clothes bloody. He continued
pushing the bundle of clothing into the
fire and stood by until the garments
We're reduced TO ashes
Two weeks ago a former Bedford
Ind, man was IN Evansville and saw
Tanksley on the street. He wrote to
his friends at Bedford and told them
of meeting Tanksley The news that
TauksIev was here came 10 the ears of
Prosecutor Fletcher, and he sent 70 the
police here q description of the man
and of Miss Rainey. The detectives
searched the stOneyaTds and found their
man employed here with the Caden
Stone Company as marble cutter. He