The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-12-31
DR.. w. B. Craig and Under
taker A. NJ. Ragsdale, both
of indianapolis, Indicted
by Grand Jury.
A kIMONO FIGURES
IN PROMINENT WAY
Blood Stains Found on Gar
ments Lead to Suspecting
Two Men.-Dr. Craig May
Offer an Alibi.
National News Association


B. Craig, of the Indiana veterinary
er, We're indicted for the murder OF
DR.. Helene Knabe by the Marion coun.
ty grand jury, which reorted today.
The indictment of DR.. Craig for the
crime itself, and of Ragsdale as an
accessory, closed an historical session
OF the grand jury, the secrets of which
were carefully guarded, but which
ferreted deep for facts.
The indictments were laced in the
hands of Sheriff Woessner and depu.
ties started to serve them, within a
short time after they were brought
by the grand jury.
While the testimony before the
grand jury has not been made public,
it is known that there were new dis.
coveries in the case, facts of which
the former grand juries did not touch.
One indictment Surprise.
The greatest public surprise prob.
ably will be occasioned by the indict.
ment of Ragsdale, the undertaken, up.
on whom, for a long time, no public
suspicion rested. He was made the
administrator of DR.. knabe and settled
up the affairs of the lone physician
who was found on the bed in her apart
ment in the Delaware the morning OF
October 90, 1911.
A silken kimono is said to figure
strongly in the evidence before the
grand jury, and also some pillow slips
II iS tod hot hn l-sr
not seen by Investigators for severa.
months after the death of Dr. Knabe.
1t has been several months, however
since Ragsdale, the undertaken, acting
as administrator, is said to have found
the garment among some of the eff.
fects OF DR.. Knabe which apparently
had been discarded as inconsequential
in the solution of the case. The XII.
mono was turned over to the grand
jury.
Part of the evidence before the
grand jury is said to be the finding
OF human blood, by chemical analysis,
in certain Of the garments of Dr.
knabe, even after they had been
washed. This fact, if it proves to
have been accomplished, may be re,
garded as one of the most amazing
achievements of detection ever per.
formed by man of science.
The grand jury set to work to dis
cover whether stains which were
found on the kimono, were blood
spots. This, it is believed, was as.
certained to be true.
Chemist is Witness.
R. P. Noble, an expert chemist, testi-
fled before the grand jury.s His lips
are sealed not only by professional
ethics but by the oath required of
the grand jury. From other sources,
it is learned, however, that the testi-
mony he gave to the grand jury was
of a positive nature.
The presence Of the blood spots
might be taken to indicate that DR..
Knabe wore the kimono at the time
of her death. but the witnesses who
found her say that it was not on at
that time.
Right here, the theory that some
one entered the flat and gave atten-
tion to the body. is said to have been
advanced to the grand jury. There
are said to be other evidences that
sometime between the moment of the
killing and the time the body was dis
covered in the morning, the body had
been handled, possibly with a view
to clearing away some Of the eviden-
ces of murder.
With the last finding of the grand
jury today. the suicide theory of the
crime which was held persistently by
the police. seems To- have sunk COM
pletely into oblivion. sit is said that
If the suicide theory were true, moth
ing would prevent Augusta Knabe. the
cousin Of the murdered woman, and
katherine Mcpherson, the office girl,
from being charged with perjury be-
fore all the grand juries to which they
have testified. In the general belief,
also, no woman intending to commit
suicide would have left her false hair
upon the dresser and launched her
self into eternity with most Of her
clothing Off
Case Was Pushed.
The murder case has been relent-
lessly pushed by the local council of
women which had in its employ a
local detective. DR.. Lillian Crockett
Lowder and the Nu Sigma Phi soror-
ity, adding $4,000 to the $1,000 re-
ward which the city council had off
cred, also helped to keep the investi-
CATION astir.
The fact that the first grand jury
which investigated the case brought
no indictment was a discouragement
to the investigators in more ways
than one Still, il led them TO place
greater hope in the next grand jury.
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