The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-09-09
Arthur Saunders Throat Is
Cut in an Alley, and His
Assailant Is Believed to Be
a White Man.
ONE ARREST MADE:
CLUES ARE SCARCE,
Henry Abshire Held by the
Police, Gives a Good Ac-
count of Himself.-Case Is
a Mystery.

residing at 724 North Seventeenth,
was murdered Saturday night at s:4s
in the alley back of the Oakland Wine
company rooms which are located on
Main street. He was killed by an un-
known white man. The attack on
Saunders followed brief quarrel.
Saunders throat was cut by a sharp
instrument. He died within fifteen
minutes. being unable to utter a word.
His assailant escaped. Henry Abshire
OF West Virginia. was arrested yester-
day morning suspected of the crime.
Green Parks and Clara Saunders were
with Saunders and they claim Abb
shire is the murderer. He will be
taken before the grand jury next
Thursday.
According to the story told by Parks
he with the Saunders woman and Ar
thur Saunders started up the alley
from Sixth street, to accompany Saun-
ders to the Oakland Wine company
where he intended to purchase some
intoxicants At the back door Of the
wine rooms he says three white men
came from the inside of the room as
Saunders started to enter. He says
one of the white men accused Saun-
ders of pushing against him. Saun-
ders denied it, and an argument
started
Describes Murderer.
The murderer. a tall white man,
with mustache. light grey suit, aged
about forty-flve. according to the de-
scription of Parks. pushed forward.
saying did you push my boy?"
Parks says the stranger jerked eth
er knife or razor from his pocket
and made one deadly swing at Saun--
ders. Saunders threw up his right
arm to protect himself, but failed, fall
ing into the alley with a seven inch
cash in his neck The blood spurted
forth in torrents, covering the clothes
of Miss Saunders and the assailant.
Parks tried to hold Saunders up af-
ter the fatal thrust, he says, and was
knocked to the ground with a straight
shoulder punch to the eye. Miss Saun-
ders was struck in the mouth by the
stranger it is alleged. Parks says the
assailant, accompanied by his two
| friends, one of them evidently his son.
ran east. They separated at Sixth
street
According to the police. but one
white man, the murderer. was in the
alley with the negroes. at the time of
the fight. They are inclined to dis
credit the statements of the two me-
groes who say three white men en-
gagged in the argument with Saun-
ders. The police suspect the badger"
4 oo NIB Ia
regularity and frequency in various
parts of the city now than at any 9TH
er time in Richmond's history. accord
ing to the police. was the cause OF the
trouble.
The police are positive the Saun-
ders girl and Parks have not given all
the details of the tragedy.
Cook Hears Dispute.
According to the story OF the me-
groes, the argument terminating tn
the murder only lasted ten minutes.
George Mccoy. night cook at the Bel
mont restaurant. states he heard an
argument In the alley back Of the res
taurant for about an hour before he
heard cries of help" He In of the
opinion that the argument he heard Is
the one which Saunders was irnpIi-
Gated in.
/ No other eyewitnesses to the fight
than the negro man and woman are 20
be found
After the murder Saunders, with the
life blood squirting from the cash in
his throat, arose from the alley, stag
gered to the back room of the wine
company and fell again. partly across
the threshold. The ambulance was
called and he was taken to the city
building. When the ambulance arrrfvS
ed. the death rattle could be heard In
his throat He never uttered q word
after being attacked.
/ Police were rushed to the scene, but
could not locate any clue as to the
assailant-
Abshire was suspected from the des-
cription given the police. Of1cer Heb.
bic rushed to the rooms occupied by.
the man, but he was not in Some pa.
pers had been taken from the top of;
the dresser, but otherwise the room
was undisturbed.
Hunt For Abshire.
The police department then gave
the city a fine combing- All the freight
trains into and out of the city were
given a close scrutiny and all suspect
ed hiding places were examined, but
at four O'Clock Sunday morning the
chase was given up. At 7:45 Sunday
evening Omcers Lawler and vogelsong
on theireway TO the north end to arrest
a man wanted in an assault and bat
1 Continued on Last Pass)