The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-29
Illinois Crime One of the
Strongest in His
tory.
BOY AND GIRL AFFAIR.
Was Killed by Air
Bubbles introduced in
Blood.

OLNEY, ILL.,, July 29.-The Celes.
tia Yculser of the boy and girl romance
OF Roy Hinderllter and his 17.year.old
sweetheart, Elizabeth Radclitf, rose
like a spectre to accuse the farmer
boy held for the girls strange death.
The days quest for evidence by
State Attorney H. G. Morris revealed
more startling and blackening details
than any other since young Hinder.
liter dashed up in his buggy last Fri.
day night and delivered to physic.
ians at the olney sanitarium the body
OF his sweetheart. She had died,
the examining physicians reported to
the corners jury, from the effects
OF an air bubble in tho heart, produced
by the injection Of air into an ar.
terry during a bungling operation to
conceal the effects Of the girls unwise
love.
The new facts laid bare this after
noon by the states attorney and by
members of the searching party who
ha0; turned over each blade a grass
under. the big oak where the girl
rode to her tryst with the wealthy
young farmer are these:
Hinderliter is engaged to marry the
daughter of wealthy farmer In Craw.
ford county who lives not far from his
mothers farm.
Both the girl and her father admit.
ted that an engagement existed.
Neither had ever heard of the little
Olney girl who had sacrificed even
more than her life for their young
neighbor. .
When Hinderliter placed an automa.
tic pistol and slung shot in the bot
tom Of his buggy. Just before he cali.
ed for Elizabeth last Friday, he was
prepared, State Attorney Morris said.
today, to sacrifice his Olney sweet
heart for the girl in Crawford coun.
ty. s,,e 4 III; r.....l,
He was prepared to offer Elizabeth
her choice Of the bungling operation,
which he knew would probably be
fatal or death at his own hands, the
prosecutor claims.
He was ready to murder this little
girl as she sat at his side," Mr.. Nor
ris said tonight. "He had decided to
produce the pistol and tell her that he
was going to cure her or kill her; that
II she refused to submit to the opera.
tion, which he hoped would destroy
the evidence Of her love for him, he
would kill her. "a
Thus, in a day, was Roy Hinder
iiter's role abruptly changed from the
heroic part Of the younger lover who
raced to a town hospital with his
sweetheart's body across his knee,
The young farmers posed brayado
was shocked into boyish terror when
news that has astonished three coun.
ties tonight came to him from the Of
nee or States Attorney Morris.
When Elizabeth Ratcliff came from
west salem ten months ago to live
with her sister, Mrs. Bert Francher,
she was a happy, pretty, care, free girl.
She had known young Hinderliter
before but Is said TO have favored the
attentions Of Sam Harrin, and OF.
ney boy. Hinderliter called on her
only occasionally until Harrin was
called to the colors when the Fourth
Illinois marched to the border.
With the field clear, Hinderliter's
attentions to the country girl became
more marked. They went buggy rid.
ing often. Their last ride, the police
say, was on the night the girl died
under an old elm tree two miles south
of olney., =
When Hinderliter drove to a local
hospital with the girls body across
his knees. he said, according to au.
thorities, she had tainted.
Autopsy showed she was about to
become mother. There were no
marks OF violence on the body. Physi.
clans were absolutely at a loss to tell
the cause of death.
During the examination a surgeon
accidently cut an artery. An air hub.
Bile came from the wound.
This led to an investigation which
showed the girl had died from air
bubbles reaching her heart.
A catheter, with. plunger removed.
was found next day under the elm
tree. The boys who found the illegal
instrument said, the police claim, that
Hinderliter asked them to find and dis.
pose OF It.
The doctors say Hinderliter's .ir.
norance of the instrument probably
caused him to blow into 1t.