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Wesley Adams Shot Down in His Own House By Chas. Rusk, Who Made His Home With the Man he Slayed. Jealousy Inspires a Heated Quarrel Which is Speedily Terminated by the KReady Revolver Another foul murder. This morn ig a few minutes before 8 o'clock the horrifying intelligence came to the city of a murder one mile west near the poor farm. A few minutes thereafter a Gazette Tribune repre sentative was on the ground and found the report only too true. In the small frame dwelling about thirty rods east of the poor house lived Wes ley Adams, wife and four children. With them lived a young man named Charles Rusk, about eighteen years old. On the arrival of the Gazette Tribune man Adams lay dead on the kitchen floor, with a bullet hole in his left breast, probably four inches above the heart. Charles Rusk, the murderer, had fled immediately after the shooting. Henry Nichols, who lives in this city in rooms over Bar tof’s grocery, was present at the Adams home at the time of the trag edy. The facts as learned from Henry Nichols and Mrs. Adams, wife of the murdered man, are as follows: All the inmates of the house had gath ered around the breakfast table and had commenced their morning meal. This was about half past seven o’clock. From the conversation it appeared that a spirit of jealousy had existed between the several parties, especially so with Adams and Rusk, over the former's wife. The quarrel was precipitated by Rusk asking Nichols if he had told anything to Adams concerning him (Rusk) and the former’s wife, and also enquired if Adams had made any complaints to him concerning their domestic re lations. Nichols denied the insinua tion and claimed to have no knowl edge whatever of any difficulty be tween them. A boisterous quarrel then ensued and Rusk brought his table-knife down on his plate, break ing it. At this point Adams inter fered and told Rusk to behave him self, that he wouldn’t tolerate such conduct at his house. Adams was sitting at one end of the table and Rusk at the other, near the stove. At this Rusk arose and reaches his hand back into his hip pocket. Adams arose immediately afterward and clutched a chair, saying “Don’t you pull a rock on me.” Rusk replied with an oath, “It’s no rock. Dol show you what it is.” Mrs. Adams ran to her husband and Nichols grabbed Rusk by the arm and tried to get his weapon away, but without success; after a severe struggle Rusk tore away from Nichols and going around the table leveled his revolver over Mrs. Adams’ shoulder and fired. Mrs. Adams held her position be tween her husband and his assailant up to this time, endeavoring to pro tect him from the deadly revolver. After receiving the shot Adams walked through the front room, and out the door, then walked around the house and entered the back door again, where he fell, saying: “O Nichols m shot, send for a doc tor.” Supported by Nichols and Mrs. Adams he breathed his last in less than two minutes after the fatal bullet had entered his chest. His feet lay within six inches of the door which he entered, and he ap parently died without a struggle. As he was lying on the floor with his clothes and boots on, the sight was ghastly in the extreme. Rusk, after firing the shot, grabbed his hat and overcoat and ran west on the pike. Mr. Hancock, superintendent of the poor farm, was sent for and Nichole was dispatched to the city to inform the officers of the occurrence. Charles Wesley Adams was about thirty-one years old. He leaves a wife and four small children, the old est being about six years of age. Mrs. Adams’ story differs from Nichols’ in some unimportant partic ulars, though in the main is substan tially the same. She thinks that Rusk had his revolver out of his pocket and had it laying in his lap prior to his trouble with Adams, and believes it was his purpose to shoot Nichols. This opinion was shared by others in the room, and as the original quarrel waa between these two, the theory bears the mark of possibility. The princi pal points in the case, however, are clearly established, and no doubt can exist that Rusk intended killing one or both of the men at the time. Coroner W. B. Payton, of Green town, was notified by telegraph, ee oresity at once, and on several physicians. The investiga tion developed nothing new, and the finding was in accordance with the facts above related. The bullet pen etrated the left carotid artery, com pletely severing it, causing death from strangulation—internal hemor rhage. No traces of blood were visible on the exterior none having escaped from the wound. Sheriff Wright and Marshal Secrist were at the scene of the murder in a few minutes after the occurrence and at once began a diligent search for the murderer. Shortly afterward Constable Keck and Harley and Dep uty Sheriff Simmons joined in the search. It was surmised that Rusk had taken to the woods and was probably hidden, awaiting darkness to aid him in his flight. He has a brother living in Clay township and it is the general supposition that he would try, under cover of the dark ness, to make his way to that place and receive means and aid in leay the country. A rumor was current on the street that Rusk had been seen at Galveston, making his way north as fast as he could. This report was given credence by reason of the fact that the boy’s guardian, Mr. George Oden, lives in Cass county, between Galveston and Logansport. Deputy Sheriff Simmons boarded the after noon train north to ascertain the cor rectness of the rumor, but up to the hour of going to press has not been heard from. At 2 o’clock this afternoon Sheriff Wright dispatched a man to this city with the word that the murderer was undoubtedly hidden at or near his brother’s house, in Clay township, asking for more help to scour the neighborhood. Wright and Secrist reached that place before noon, and from the manner of the brother's actions they believe he has knowledge of the whereabouts of the fugitive, and acting on this suspicion, they summoned assistate. THE LATEST. City Marshal Tom Secrist came in with the fugitive murderer at five o'clock, having captured him in a woodland on Levi Connell’s farm, in Clay township. Tom had traced him to that point where he found him talking to Andy Bird, who was chop ping wood. On the approach of Marshal Secrist Rusk started to walk away when the former called him to halt and not leave, except with his consent. It required but a moment to identify the fellow, and the plucky marshal put him in his buggy and brought him direct to the city, lodging him in jail.
Newspaper Details
Kokomo Saturday Tribune
Kokomo, Indiana, US
Mon, Feb 20, 1888
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 04 Jun 2026
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