Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-17

Crowds continue to surround the Kosci.
usko County Jail to get a glimpse of the
reputed murderer and Sheriff Moon has
placed guards at every entrance to see
that no one is admitted
Officials of the three counties in which
the murder drama was staged are work
ing hard to discover the motives for the
crime. First. it is believed greed for
money prompted the killing, inasmuch as
the amount Of insurance carried by
young Decker was unusual for one who
made livelihood working by the month
on farm. Decker carried two policies
of 5000 each and one Of 5000 carry
ing double indemnity in case OF death
by acident ali Of which had been taken
out during the LItsent year.
YOUNGER BROTHER
ALSO IN JAIL.
Arthur Decker, 16 brother of virgil,
was brought from Elkhart and placed
in jail here late Wednesday on a charge
! of failing to obey a subpoena to atteud
the inquest at Bourbon. He was known
to have been seen in the village, but dis
appeared before being called to testify.
He says his brother Calvin told him that
the body of Virgil was in the morgue
at Bourbon and that he must go there
and testify.
when the problem has finally reached a
solution it will be shown the murder was
the result of a scheme evolved to defraud
insurance COMPANIES.
Decker continues to deny that he killed
LOvett. He declares he does not know
how Lovett's body happened to be on the
railroad track and denies having been
In the cottage on the Tippecanoe River,
in which the attack on Lovett is sup
posed to have taken place. He insists
he knew nothing Of the finding of Low
ett's body until he was placed under ar
rest at Marion.
Undergoing q sweat box ordeal, Decker
held firmly to these statements after he
was placed in the county jail here. Sher-
if Moon, Detectives Stout and Jones OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad, on whose
tracks Lovett was struck by train, took
turns at grilling him.
TATTOO MARKS
NOT ON ARM.
When Decker was placed in his cell
here and stripped of his clothing those
present were mystifed when they failed
to see a rose and dagger tattoo Inark
! on one arm. 1t was commonly believed
| that Decker had such marks of identiA-
cation and had induced Lovett 10 nave
similar figures tattooed on his arm. Thus
another bit of what was considered Inn
portant evidence IN the conspiracy vas
swept away.
All members of the Decker family, ex-
eept the two brothers in jail' here, have
gone about their affairs. All have repu-
dated statements made before Virgil
Decker was arrested. that the body
found on the railroad tracks was his.
Mrs. Lydia Decker, mother of Virgil, or
dered held as material witness by
Coroner sPinwaIl of Marshall County,
after contra dieting her statement that
the body was that of LOyett, was re-
leased and went to her home in Elkhart-
1t is freely admitted the likeness be-
tween Decker and Leroy LOvett was
sufficient for the carrying out Of the
suspected conspiracy. They were much
alike in size, weight and general appear
ance. Although the facial resemblance
was not so noticeable, the similarity could
easily lead the conspiratoTs to believe q
mutilation of Lovet's body would make
possible the Identification of the body as
that of Decker.
Prosecuting Attorney H W. Graham
does not believe there is a master mind
back Of the murder of Lovett He de-
scribes the affair as "crudely arranged,
premeditated. brutal and wicked muir
DER" and as one of the worst crimes
Continued On Page Two)