The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-05-20
CORONER FAILS
DETERMINE END
Of MURDER CASE
Verdict Filed Today Simply in
Keeping With. Evidence
Railsback Shot to Defend
His Family.
GRAND JURY CALLED
"a VISIBILITY
.-..3.~
indictment MUST & Depended
Upon 70 6slIp6late Degree Of
Blame Attached to. Crime Of
Shooting.

shooting.
That Joel Railsbsck shot. Alexander
and Raymond Meek in. defense OF MEM
bers of the Railsbacie famiiy at whom
the Meeks were shooting or aiming
guns and as q consequence to q more
or less degree 1t was case of justifi-
able homicide, Is to be gained from the
verdict Of Coroner Allan Bamkamp,
filed today
The corouer's verdict will have NO
influence in the disposal OF the case
by the courts. Whatever litigation
results. will follow from the investisa-
tion by the grand jury. The coroner
does not settle the matter. but is ex-
pected to prove q valuable aid to Rails
back. when the case comes to trial. It
Will leave the question to confront the
jury unsolved. and difficult of solu-
tion. 1t will be the jury that deter
mines whether or not Railsback's act
was justified by the circumstances.
Separate verdicts.
Separate verdicts as to the death Of
the Mseks were returned by the coro-
ner. He found that Alexander Meek
came to his death from . shot wound
Of the head Intentionally inflicteS
with shotgun BY Joel Railsback. att
e. he decsxsed- ma fnsasa rssUdvvtsSks
the father Of Railsbaclk. and was ap-
parently intending to fire again. Al
to Raymond Meek. the coroner's YER
dict says that death resulted from q
gun shot wound of the neck intention
ally inflicted with shotgun by Joel
Railsback. after the deceased had shot
Frank Railsback. q brother OF the
slayer. and was in the act Of pointing
and apparently of firing his gum at
Larkin Railsback, another brother.
Evidence Lengthy.
The evidence accompanying the cor.
oner's verdict, which was filed for the
use of the grand jury. IL somewhat
lengthy. 1t is to be seen from the
evidence that the Railsbac3 boys fur.
nisfed the provoc1tion for the fight
by starting to remove the fence built
by the Meeks on. land claimed by both
families. The evidence shows that
Raymond Meek was under provocati0n
but not aggression on the part Of the
Railsbacks when he discharged the
shotgun ut Frank Otto Railsback and
Immediately. aimed the gun At LArikin.
It is evidenced that Raymond had i'm
tended to shoot by the fact one shell
found in the gun afterward had not
the first shot fired by Joel Railsbacic
was n he thought. to save his brother
Larkin. The second shot. which was
fired at Alexander Meek. was after tho
latter had discharged his revolver In
the direction Of members Of the Rails-
back family. and was apparently enc
gagged in repeating the act II IL clear
ly apparent from the evidence. that
Joel did his shooting In defense q
members Of the family. he. himself.
not being under fire from the Neek1
ut any time.
Larixin's Statement.
Testimony taken b. the coroner mon
Larkin Railsback. was to the effec3
that Frank Railsback. Jr.. the young
man who was wounded. was almost -
T . spectator in the fight. Frank had
not wanted to go down with Joel and
Larkin. when they left the house With
their axes Larkin told the coroner
that when the Meeks were seen COM
ing ACROSS the field, Joel started for
the house. saying. Come On boys.
they've got guns and there's No NE q
our staying here" LA1htn and Frank
said they were on their own ground.
20 would not rum Larkin said: "Whea
Raymond pulled up his gum 1t my
head, struck toward the gum With .
small AZ" Prank Railsbac1E, Jr.. tes-
titled that when the Mee1Es arrived II
the place where the fence cutting vas
| I'm progress, Alexander Meek said:.
Wen settle this thing BY law" ana
told them to quit cutting. Frank said
Raymond aimed ut his head and he
(Frank) says Raymond had tie ham
mer of his gum hack and his Anger a
the trigger.
The other evidence oAtainsd By the
coroner vas n has boe0 puh1ished.
The case continues TO attract interest
and n the coroner does D0t determine
The conclusions. - further devea0D-
meats are to be e1peeted. pO1Ing fho
session OF the grand Jury.
THE WEATHER PROPHET.
lNDgANA-Probabso sasowors soasops