Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-28
Uncle Charlie,
Riddles Called
Murdered Man
By DICK FARRINGTON.

Youthful hearts throb sadness IN the
meager neighborhood at Sheffield avenue
and wilkins street today-for Uncle
Charlie" is gone.
Uncle Charlie" whose real name was
John Perry Aughinbaugh, was murdered
in his little store for thirty pieces of
silver" by an early morning customer.
And, as a dozen detectives run down
possible clews, a certain bitterness Is
overcoming sadness. 1t is the bitterness
Of elders who had learned to love the
73-year-old man because he loved them
and loved their children.
"Uncle Charlie" had no enemies. He
was the charm of the hearts Of the lit
tie ones in the heishborhood They
went to him when they wanted candy.
And if they didn't just have the pennies
he gave them credit.
Often Willie or Johnnie or Bessie had
peered into his candy case longingly.
They had heard him say, Its my treat -
will you have chocolate or lcorco?'
They'll get the man who killed him
or by c." man well past the meridian
/ Of life started to make this statement
when he caught himself as n big detee-
tive strolled out Of the store. He didn't
finish his remark because he thought the
detective might have some news.
NEIGHBORS LEARNED
TO LOVE OLD MAN.
Neighbors are interested In bringing
Uncle Charles" slayer to justice, be-
cause, like the children, they had learned
to love him.
Mrs. Nancy sourwine, 70, 1106 South
Sheffield avenue, from whom the aged
man rented his little store, was grief
stricken.
/. =
old man." she said as she brushed away
a tear.
"The children will miss him so much
because he was so good to them. You
know, I don't know how he ever made
any mOney-he gave so much away to
youngsters"
Mrs sourwine then told how she had
once admonished him against his free
giving.
+ ooh, shucks," he told her, "I'm only
going to live once"
The aged man had been known to de-
cline credit to elders who did not have
children
GATHERING PLACE
FOR THE KIDDIEs.
Each evening the store was crowded
with the older boys of the neighborhood
They got their candy, soft drinks and
maybe their cigarets there. And they
stood around and told their youthful love
affairs as the old man listened, giving
an occasional bit of advice.
Mrs. Sourwine, like others who had be-
come interested in him, knew little about
his money or affairs. She said he was
always prompt in paying his rent and
always paid his other bills.
Mrs. Roxie Abrams, 111O South Shelf
field, who went to the store at 3 80 and
did not find him behind his counter, was
another plainly affected. II would have
dropped dead if l had seen his body
laying there" she said. He was so kind
to everybody 1t makes my heart sick"
sam Luckert, an elder man with whom
Mr.. Aughinbaugh lived at 1927 South
shegield before his store was broken
into about a year ago, spoke highly of
the slain man. "He was a big hearted
man and I know he didn't have any
money" be said. 81 know he did much
good in the community, too.'
OFTEN VICTIM
OF THEFTs.
Mr.. Luckert said he believed Aughen-
baugh often had been the victim of
thefts committed by his youthful patrons,
but that he did not report the cases to
the police. He said he never knew the
slain man to carry more than $50 in his
pockets.
As the day grew older and the young
sters began to forget temporarily of los
ing their friend they gathered about the
store In mock, but seriously, they de-
picted with youthful gestures how
Uncle Charlie" was killed with the
wooden mallet
With only dim light burning in the
dark hours of the morning the store
formed a fitting inVesture for such a
hideous crime
Police believe the man who killed him
wore the brown cotton gauntlets which
We're found in the place.
1t is not known what plans will be
made for the funeral