The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-01
MOTHER AND 8
SONS CHARGED
WITH MURDER
Trial of First of the Group, Lad
l6 Years, Starts in Indiana
SAYS DEVILS RESPONSIBLE
Murder of Alleged Culprit's
Double" Linked With S20,-
900 Life Insurance

Warsaw. Ind, June 1.-Trial of Vir-
gil Decker, Is, for the murder of Le-
roy Lovett, 20, said to be his
double was set to begin in the c.r-
cult court here today. Two OF
Decker's brothers and his mother, al
so under indictment on a charge of
murder, will be tried separately.
Although Virgil Decker is said to
have confessed to having murdered
l4oyett, boon companion, early in
March, the authorities have fl led, so
far as Is known, to learn the motive
The young man is said tQ<atc 6eclar
ed in one of his numerous statements.
that the devil told me to DO it and
I Just did"
Lovett was found fatally Injured at
railroad crossing ~ miles ives. of
Warsaw, after he had been struck by a
freight train The body was taken to
Bourbon, where Fred Decker, a broth
er of Y rgil, and Mrs. Lydia Decker
mother Of both men claimed the
body as that of Virgil Decker,
Accepting at first the claims of the
Decker family to the body search
was insugated for Leroy Lovett, who
IL was said, had been W tn Virgil
Decker a short time before the acc.-
dent This brought the Iovett fam ly
of Elkhart, Ind, into the case and up
on viewing the body, it was claimed
by them as their son, Leroy. Further
investigation disclosed the deceased
had died from injuries other than
those received by the train
Involves $4,000 Insurance
The Deckers stoutly ma ntained the
body was that OF Virgil and it was
some time before they admitted their
error. The state, it is said bases its
charges against Fred Decker. Calvin
Decker, another brother and Mrs,
Lydia Decker, the mother on the the
ory that conspiracy existed to kill
I.ovett, substitute body for that
OF Virgil Decker and collect $50 600
life insurance, which Virgil carried
in favor of his brother Fred.
Virgil Decker's whereabouts were
learned several days after the acct
dent, when an uncle with whom he
was staying in Marion, Ind, notified
the authorities. He was arrested and
taken TO Warsaw, but maintained his
innocence for several days.
Influenced il was said, by Mrs G..
b, Moon wife Of the Koscusko county
sheriff, Virgil Decker was said toshave
confessed to the crime HIS story, in
substance, as related by witnesses to
the alleged confession. was that Low
EFT and he left Elkhart by automobile
and stopped at cottage on the Tip
pecan0e river, near Fred Decker's
farm where they spent the night. He
is alleged to have declared he awoke
before l.oyett and seizing an iron bar,
struck the young man over the head
with il leaving him in the cottage.
apparently dead
| Confession is Alleged.
Returning shortly a,terward from
his brothers farm with horse and
buggy, he is said to have told the au-
thorit,es he found l,oyett partially con
Scious After changing clothing with
him, he is said to have confessed he
helped the injured lad into the buggy
and drove to the railroad crossing,
unhitched the horse and left the
buggy conta ming Lovett on the track.
In another alleged statement, Deck.
er Is said to have involved John Iyag.
nolio, who was arrested and later re-
leased when Decker refuted the
charges.