The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-19
THE ONE WHO
WAS LYNCHED.

Walter Harper, Knapman thirsted for
revenge. One night six months after
the marriage, as he was going to his
boarding house after being detained
at his office, he met Harper. There
was lumber yard occupying one side
of the block and there were no houses
on the other. Harper had been drink
ing and was in an ugly mood. In fact,
IT was proved later on that he had had
bitter quarrel with his bride and
that it was not the first He replied
to Knapman with a sheer and u taunt.
The latter fired up and struck him
with heavy cane he was carrying,
and he threw up his hands and went
down like a log.
Knapman waited for d moment for
his victim to rise, and as he did not he
bent over him and found that he had
probably inflicted a fatal blow. His
first idea was to summon assistance.
He rejected that and dragged the body
into the lumber yard between two piles
Of lumber and hurried away. No one
had noticed him. Next morning the
body was found and the alarm given.
Within three days an arrest was
made. 1t was that of a butcher named
Snnderson. He had had two or three
rows with Harper over a bill the latter
had refused to pay and in the pres
ence of witnesses had threatened to
get even. 1t was shown that he was
out that night His wife admitted that
he came home in state of agitation
His assistant at the shop said that he
acted strangely next day. The butcher
at first vigorously protested his limo
cence, but upon being told Of the proofs
collected against him he at once owned
up. He said that he met Harper at
the lumber yard and offered to make q
reduction in the bill, but that the man
called him swindler and cheat and
finally provoked him so that he lost his
temper and gave him the fatal blow.
He had started to summon assistance
when fear of the results impelled him
TO turn back and secrete the body.
Before the butchers examination
came up a singular thing happened. A
L0AA t1N1A1B tNO DillC0 cut VI IOM II
awoke one night to find a burglar in
his house and to give him the contents
of shotgun. The fellow was fatally
wounded, and on being so informed by
the doctor he said he wished to make
a confession. He was the murderer Of
Harper. He was a stranger to the
place and had planned to break into
egfr. hot ,SSrl,% T,oI l.
IN the lumber yard for an hour when
he came out to look around a bit and
met Harper face to face. Harper de-
manded what he was doing there,
threatened him with arrest and even
took him by the collar. In defense the
robber struck him with a stick he had
picked up In his place of hiding. The
robber lived for thirty hours, having
his senses to the last, and they could
not shake him in his story.
Here was a pretty mixup for the Of
icers, but a worse one awaited them.
Knapman had been amazed at the
butchers confession, and the confess
sion of a second man for the crime he
himself had committed made the law
y CA w OllQCA IL 0C was AOL GA1Ay-
Four days after the death of the rob
Der an italian NAVY entered a house
in the suburbs of the town and stole
watch and other things. He was
seen and pursued. He turned and fired
at his pursuers, but they closed in on
him, and he was made prisoner. The
town was in a state Of excitement, and
great indignation was felt. Threats
were freely made to lynch the navy,
and he lost his nerve and pleaded that
he did not mean to kill Harper the
week previous. Upon being interro-
gated along this new line he made a
confession. He had come from point
fifty miles away, being told there was
work for him. When he arrived in the
town there was no work. He was PEN
niless and hungry and while wander
ing about and having planned to sleep
in the lumber yard that night met Har-
per and asked him for a small sum.
He said that be received a kick in re-
turn, and he showed a black and blue
spot on his hip to corroborate his state
ment He had Il stick IN his hand to
menace any proving dog, ana upon
being kicked he struck back. Harper
fell and was dragged among the lum-
Der, and the murderer took about 81
IN change from his pockets and fed.
He had q dime of the money left.
Here We're three arrests for the same
crime, with Knapman knowing that he
alone was guilty. Just what the out
come would have been but for the ex-
element OF the people it IS impossible
to say. All felt that the italian was the
man, and public vengeance refused TO
await the delay of the law. When be
had made and signed his confession, u
mob gathered and he was taken out
and hanged to a limb Of 4 tree. Next
day the other two men IN custody were
discharged. It was. of course, remark
ed as n strange thing that men perfect
II innocent Of a murder should con-
foes n -,,r4oI, II loabfoJ fheT