The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-25
Virgil Decker Tells of the
Killing of Lovett
ACTED PART OF FIEND
"The Devil Drove Me To 1t" Was
The Only Explanation He y
Would Make
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

er, nineteen year old farmer boy of
Atwood the reasons for the attack up
on his chum, Leroy Lovett, of Elk
hart, Ind, which led to the latter's
death. Early today Decker confessed
| he had struck his chum on the head
with an iron bar in a cottage on the
Tippecanoe river near hear while Low
EFT was asleep and several hours lat
err returned to the cottage with a
horse and buggy, taking Lovett's un. :
conscious form to a nearby railroad
crossing where 1t was struck by a
train.
"The devil drove me to it." Deck
er told Sheriff G. b. Moon, after sign
ing his confession, and would add no
other explanation. He contradicted
his previous statement that a man
named Guy" was with them, finally
admitting he had committed the crime
unassisted. -
Denied His Want Of Insurance Money.
He denied that his transfer of his
own clothing to Loyett's body had
been part of a plan to collect insur
ance totalling nearly 5000, and pay
able to Fred Decker, his brother, in
event of the death by accident of Vir-
gil Decker.
In his confession, Decker said that
"about ten a.. m, on March II, last,
he and Lovett arrived at the cottage,
and shortly lay down to sleep. Later
he awoke," his confession said, and
"the piece of iron you have just shown
me is the piece which used to strike
Leroy on the head"
Thinking him dead, Decker said he
went to the home of his brother, and
returned about six p. m. He said he
found Lovett on the floor, leaning
against the wall, and he lifted him
led him out of the cottage door, and
helped him into the buggy"
Placed lovett On Railroad Crossing.
Several times, he said, he drove
trying to make up his mind to leave
Lovett on the crossing. -.
| Finally l saw train coming from
the east" he confessed, land drove
down on the railroad tracks, unhitch
ed the horse, leaving the buggy with
Leroy lying in the seat on the track
and ran down the road south in the
direction the horse went" Il
/ Lovett died later from the injuries
which, it was at first believed he sus-
tanned only in the railroad crossing
accident.
"The reason placed my suit Of
overalls and shoes on Leroy was thai
/ thought when the train struck the
buggy Leroy would be cut so badly
he could not be identified and some
OF my clothes would be found on him
and they would think 1t was me and
would have change to get away
| Memories of his early religion re.
vived by letter urging him to con-
fess his sins and seek forgiveness
combined with the softening infuenc-
es of motherly advice given by Mrs
c. B. Moon, wife of the sheriff OF
Kosciusko county, has resulted in a
confession from Virgil Decker, eigh-
teen, in which he declares he alone
was responsible for the death of Lee
with whom he had chummed. Decker
signed the confession early today.
Since his arrest Tuesday at Marion
Ind, on the charge of numbering Low
EFT, the Decker boy has insisted he
had no part in the Lovett lads death
Questioning by officers failed to bring
any admissions from him except that
he had spent some time Friday and
Saturday, March IL and IL. with Lov-
ter from Mrs. George Walker of Nap
panee, woman wholly unknown tc
him, deeply religious appeal that he
confess everything to the man you
have harmed" and imploring him to
lean on Jesus"
Heard Quoting Scriptures.
| During his Incarceration Mrs. Moon
also has talked with him. Later yes
terday, Decker requested Bible. Mrs
about his cell. She listened and heard
him quoting the scriptures.
| did you find something to comfort
your" she asked.
The boy said he had found some.
thing very comforting. -.
Are you familiar with the R.ble?'
she asked.
Decker replied he could recite many
s Of d serpu We and IL he told her
church regularly.
"My favorite verse Is John, chapter
three, verse sixteen" he said, and
quoted, For God SO loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son
that whatsoever believeth in Him
should not perish but have everlast-
'As s:yirgil, if you keep on telling lies
@ake YOU Your ke ease ,Rar gSa will shS
Mrs. Moon.
Eyes, know it, but I have made
peace with God and Pm ready to tell
ALL" declared the boy.
Tells Of Trip From Eikhart.
He then gave q complete account
| or his trip from Elkhart, Ind, with
Leroy Lovett, which ended Saturday
morning in a summer cottage on the
Tippecanoe river with an attack on
the Lovett boy. The story was later
incorporated in the signed confession.
No motive for the attack was Civ
en-. except the brief statement that
"the devil told me to do it and l
just did it."
The attack with heavy iron bar,
was made, according to the confes-
sion, shortly before noon Saturday
and was not fatal, but fearing the
consequences that might result from
this assault, Virgil changed some of
Lovett's clothes for his own, obtain
ed horse and buggy and drove with
the injured lad to a railway crossing.
There he released the horse, leaving
the buggy with Lovett seated in 1t un-
conscious, expecting that train
would come along, demolish the buggy
and leave body SO badly mangled
that Identification would be Impossible
except by bits Of clothing These bits
would be those Of the Decker boys
clothing and he planned to disappear,
leaving the impression that he had
met his death In the accident.
Buggy Hit BY Slow Train.
The buggy was hit by slow. freight
train, however, and the body tossed
aside and not mutilated Later it was
claimed by both Samuel Lovett, faith