The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-04-23
BIND MRS. BODKINS
TO CIRCUIT COURT
Woman Is Charged with Hav-
ing Been a Fence" for
Local Robber.

Basing his decision on the fact that
Mrs. Reba Bodkins received and burn
ed coal which she knew Herbert Esch-
enfelder had picked up in the P. c. c.
& L. R. R. yards. as proving she had
received stolen property, the mayor.
after a long session of court this
morning bound Mrs. Bodkins over to
the Wayne county circuit court il the
sum of $500 to answer the charge of
receiving stolen property. She was
charged with receiving three brooms
and a carpet sweeper, stolen by Esch-
enfelder from Pennsylvania box car.
The goods were found at her home.
445 North Twenty-first street, where
they were stored away.
Mrs Bodkins, with her thirteen year
old daughter. Ellen Davis. strenuously
denied having seen or having knowl-
edge of any stolen property taken to
her home by Eschenfelder. She said
one broom. which had been used Esch-
enfelder told her he had found. She
said she knew nothing also of a gallon
bucket full of soap which was found
sunk in the we'll at one side of the
Bodkins home.
Was Holly Contested.
The case was hotly contested by At
torney Henry U. Johnson, who repre-
sented Mrs. Bodkins. He dwelt at
great length on the moral injustice
which would be done in sending the
woman to Jail to await a hearing,
when by her own statements, and the
statements of her daughter she was
innocent The state showed the goods
had been taken from a car by Eschen-
| fielder, two boys being with him at the
time. The boys were Russell Have
kotte and Robert Kirk. The goods
were taken OF the Bodkins home and
left there in plain view. The woman
was not home at the time The goods
| were found in the attic and behind a
cupboard by Detective l. Burns. The
woman at the time disclaimed al
knowledge of the goods. Her daugh
ter when placed on the witness stant
also disclaimed all knowledge of the
brooms and carpet sweeper.
! The Bodkins woman stated she wa.
married but had been separated from
her husband for some time. She sale
Eschenfelder was married but that ht
did not know where his wife was; tha
he boarded with her and paid her s;
a week board, which with alimony she
received from her first divorced hus
band. and money she made from wash
ing, supported herself and daughter.
A hatchet, stolen from A. Scott, wa
found in the woodshed and pair o
knucks, said to have been stolen from
Scott, were also found in the drawe
of a dresser. The woman disclaimet
all knowledge of these articles.
Young Boy Witness.
Robert Kirk, one of the small boy
who was almost constantly with Esch
enfelder and who is implicated in Es
Ichenfelder's confession, stated he saw
his tutor in crime carry knucks wheI
robbing cars and that he also carried I
long hickory club.
Throughout the entire case, whel
the testimony was being introduced
the two women, Mrs. Bodkins and he
daughter, steadfastly and constant.
denied every allegation made by tn
states witnesses.
The woman, however, admitted tina
Eschenfelder brought home coal whicl
he said he had picked up along tn
railroad track" and that she had burn
ed the coal This statement, admitting
she had received and used stolen pre-
perty, judging the coal to be such, tn
mayor gave as his reason for bindin
the woman over to the circuit cour
for trial He first fixed the bond at $50
but lowered 1t to $500.