The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-29
POLK CONFESSES
TO MURDER OF
GEORGE BUNCER
Negro Caught at New Madi-
son Makes Statement to
Police Acknowled gin g
Crime.

James Polk. negro. Il years old,
Who has confessed to the murder of
George Bunger, white, will be ar
aligned in circuit court Monday morn
ng. The grand jury has been sub
,oenaed for that time to investigate
he case.
Polk was captured at New Madison.
D., Thursday afternoon and brought
70 Richmond where he confessed to
he murder and has been lodged In
he city Jail
He made the following statement
Thursday afternoon II, James Polk
make the following confession in con-
aection with the shooting and the
Killing of George Bunger at his bar
Der shop in Richmond. Ind, on the
,ight OF Wednesday. Nov. 81. 1918.
went into Bruces' restaurant on
Fort Wayne Avenue about Z o'clock
md there met Noble Turner. l serv-
I'd Turner's supper to him and after
ward ate my supper. AS soon as
finished my supper Turner and
went out OF the restaurant. Turner
mad talked to me number OF times
during the past week about holding
1p people and getting money After
we left the restaurant Turner sug-
yested that we go out and hold up
0eople for money and we decided to
20 to Harters barber shop. where
aad been working for about two
weeks, and get double barrel shot
kun which knew was there, and use
L for the purpose of holding up peo-
pie. The barber shop was closed
when we got there which was between
and 10 o'clock. and | opened the
ioor with my key.
Describes Hold Ups.
81 took the shotgun and we then
walked across Main street, north on
Tenth and into the alley back OF the
Westcott hotel. In that alley we met
white boy. Turner grabbed this
boy aud ! pointed the gun at the boy
and Turner took the boys oyercoat
and sea~ched the pockets. finding
dime which Turner took. Turner and
| then went north through alleys to
about ID street. then west to Eighth
street. where we met man near the
hose house Turner grabbed this
man and searched his clothes but did
not get any money. The man broke
loose from Turner and ran away. we
then went around to the front of
Bruces restaurant, turned around ana
went into Burgers barber shop. Turn
err said just before I turned around
Come let's go into the barber shop"
| said call right" and followed Turn
err into said barber shop. AS soon as
Turner stepped into the barber shop
he said give me your money
stood in the door and pointed the
shotgun at the barber. The barber
rtt al Mt
err and then | shot the barber with
said gun was about five or six
feet away from him at the time. |
then ran into Bruce's restaurant and
out through the back door and over
TO the barber shop between Tenth
and Eleventh streets, where Luther
Uuther ThorEton) has room. /
went into Luther's room and lay down
on the bed Luther came in shortly
and ordered me out saying that had
killed that man. | then went out to-
ward the Austin and company camp,
going out f street to Thirteenth then
north to the railroad and got into a
box car. a short distance east of the
Nineteenth street viaduct. Early this
morning caught freight train going
east and rode on II several miles I'M
walked on east until I reached New
Madison, O., where two men caught
me and locked me up in the station
house Later two policemen took me
n an automobile to Richmond. Ind,
md locked me no In the city Jail.
loaded the shotgun when | got 1t
al the Harter shop and took with me
pocket tu,i of shells which ! found
there.
arr new twenty-one years of age.
was born at Gainesville, Tennessee.
Nv father and mother are John and
Matte Polk who live at Gainesville.
Tennessee, ON Commerce street.
left Clarkesville about five months ago
going to Nashville, Tennessee, where |
stayed a month. From there / went
to Evansville. Indiana. where ! stayed
about week. Thence to Danville. Hi
nois, where stayed about two months
thence.t to Chicago where | stayed four
days, thence to Clinton, Indiana, where
stayed week, thence to Terre
Haute Indiana. where | stayed about
two days At Terre Haute ! stayed at
the house Of Bessie Fort whom ! had
known at Gainesville. From Terre
Haute~I came to Richmond. Indiana,
where ! have been for about three
weeks. First ! worked at the Austin
camp about three days, and since that
time have been working at Harter's
Rarber shop at porter
The statement was witnessed by
Gath Freeman, prosecuting attorney;
l. A. Gormon, chief Of police, and