The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-12
Wells County Man Discharged
From Easthaven But Is
Held There Awaiting Bluff
ton Sheriff.
BENCH WARRANT ISSUED
FOR MANS ARREST.
Terrell Is Accused of Murder
Of His Son-in-IaW Who 1t
Is Charged Mistreated Ter
reIpS Daughter.

Saturday, JOnn w. IeTrelI was ulS-
charged from the Easthaven insane
hospital as cured but he is still held
there pending the arrival of the sheriff
of Wells county, who will take him
into custody on a bench warrant
charging him with the murder of Mel
win Wolfe.
Terrell, few years ago, was the
central figure in one of the most cele-
brated murder cases ever brought to
trial in Indiana. He was charged with
the murder of his son-in-law, Melvin
Wolfe. However, Terrell's attorneys
were successful in their insanity de-
fense and instead of the murderer be-
ing sent to the gallows at the Michigan
City prison, he was sent to the insane
hospital in this city.
-'Dou you now regard Terrell as a
sane man?" DR.. S. E. Smith, superin-
tendent Of the insane hospital, was
asked this morning.
Il cannot be interview on that mat
ter" he replied. "All can say is that
Terrell was discharged because do not
believe 1t necessary to hold him here
any longer. While Terrell has been
discharged from treatment at the hos
pital, he is still held pending the ar
rival of the Wells county sheriff, who
holds warrant for his arrest"
It is expected that the Wells county
sheriff will arrive this evening to take
charge of Terrell and return him to
Bluffton, where he will be tried for
third time on the charge of numbering
his son-in-law.
Excitement at BIuffton.
The reported release of Terrell from
the insane hospital caused much excite
ment at Bluffton, where the authorities
evidently attempted to suppress the
news until the aged prisoner had been
brought back to that city. This morn
ing one of the Bluffton newspapers
called up the Palladium over the long
distance phone and asked that the re-
port OF Terrelrs discharge from the in
sane hospital be confirmed. The Bluff
ton reporter stated he had been inform
ed by one Of Terrelrs former attorneys
that Terrell had been discharged from
Easthaven and that a bench warrant
for his arrest had been issued, but this
"tip" could not be confirmed by inter-
viewing the authorities at Bluffton.
The reporter stated that he had COM
municated this morning with Miss
Lucy Terrell. daughter of the prisoner,
but she stated she knew of no new de-
velopments in her fathers case.
It will be remembered that about a
year ago letter, which was alleged to
have been written by Terrell, was pub
lished all over the state and in this let
ter startling charges against the man.
agement of the Easthaven insane hos
pital were made. In this letter Terrell
stated he was not insane. and he
thought 1t an injustice that he was
confined in that institution Terrell
also stated In the letter that he would
rather be confined in the state prison
than be kept in such an institution as
Easthaven. The letter further purport-
ed to relate abuses practiced on the in
mates of the hospital.
Story OF Crime.
Terrell was formerly a well-to-do
and respected farmer of Wells county.
One of Terrells daughters was married
to young man named Melvin Wolfe.
The old man believing that Wolfe had
abused his daughter and had then de-
serted her. waylaid the young man one
day on the road and shot him, infiict-
ing serious wound. Later while Wolfe
was on an operating table Terrell
burst into the room and shot the young
man to death. When Terrell was tried
the first time he was sentenced to death
but later he was granted a new trial
At the second trial his attorneys sue.
ceeded in convincing the jury that their
client was insane at the time he COM
mitted the murder, and he was sent to
the Easthaven insane hospital About
a year ago. Judge Irwin, of the Wells
circuit court, visited Terrell at East
haven and later announced it was his
opinion that Terrell was still insane.