New Britain herald., 1925-08-15
MURDERED MAN
 VISITED THIS CITY
(Continued From First Fage)


 that Hance lived in constant fear during his stay in the east. and was glad when the trial was over and he could return 10 his home. where he expected 10 stay In comparative safety.
 Harness Charge Trumped Up
 The local police today said that the murder of Hance yesterday was not the first time he had suffered at the hands Of Chapmans pals, for when he testified at the Chapman trial in Hartford. he was under sentence of fl years In the Indiana penitentiary on Charge of har- boring a stolen horse harness IL Is reported that the charge was "trumped" and the man who prose- cuted the murder victim in the case was a confederate of Dr. Harry Spickermon. the Mnncle physician at whose home Chapman made his headquarters. The police believe that the trial and sentence of the Hoosier farmer on this charge was simply an attempt by the Chapman gang to get him out Of the way,
 The attempt failed when Hanco took an appeal to the supreme court from the sentence. thus leaving him at large to finally give the "hot" tip on Chapman's wherea bouts that led immediately 10 the super bandits capture,
 Recognized Circular
 Around the first of January this year. Hance happened to be at the Muncie police station when he saw a circular sent out by the local po- lice department with a picture of Chapman and the statement that he was wanted by the police here for the murder of Patrolman Skelly. Hance looked at it and said to Cap tain Puckett, T know that man, it Tom Miller who stays at my house quite bit" He then told Captain Puckett that Chapman, with two other men, had been staying at his from In Wheaton off and on for some time. The three men had been there until the August prior to the murder of Patrolman Skelly here, the farmer said.
 Captain Puckett then told Hance that if he ever saw "Miller" again. to notify them irmediatelv and Hance promised he would. on January IT. Saturday night, Hances son returned from 2 trip to Muncie and informed his father that he had seen Tom Miller" down In the city. Hance immediately noti- fed the Muncie police, as they, act ing on the clue to watch Dr. SpiCk- ermon's house received from the To- cal police, set trap for Chapman lat the Srickermon home without delay and the following morning. January 1S. Chapman vas captured by four Muncie officers after they spotted him leaving the spickermon home.
 The information given by Hance vas the first positive Information of Chapman's whereabouts that the police received from the time of the local murder, and 1t was for this in formation that Hance was expected to receive 3 liberal share Of the re ward for his capture.
 Hartford Aug fS,-Ben Hanca. who. with his Vife. was murdered Tn Indiana yesterday hy George C"Dutch"D Anderson and other former confederates of Gerald Chap man, was one of the major witnesses for the state in the trial of Chap man. here in March which resulted in his conviction for the murder of Policeman James Skelly in New Britain October 1c last
 Hance declared in an interview while here that Chapman was one Of the finest men he ever knew, that he testified against him only because he had n and that he hated to see Chapman hanged,
 Feared Chapmans Glare 4 tall raw honed Hoosier farmer, V ho had never talked into 8 tele-