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ST WORK ON A CLEW An Intimation Tast De'sotives Are Uaraus ing the Foreman Murder Mystery. The Most Atrocious Butchery in the His tory of Marion County Recalled—cir cumstances implief of the Biloony Tragedy. “Do you know anything,”’ queried a Sewriset. reporter of a police sergeant last night. The question seemed a conundrum, but after worrying with it for awhile he answered: “Oh! you mean in the way of news? “Well, I haven't anything for you at present.” “But I'll tell you what's the matter,”’ the ser geant said subsequently with more trepidation than vehemence,we are going to have seen the best piece of news that's been in the papers for a long time. Do you remember the Foreman murder, which occurred just five years ago! It was one of the most terrible things that ever happened. It just—just taxed all science and— and human ingenuity, and then they never found out the fellers that did it By the free flourish of the vocabulary in the foregoing, a characteristic of the sergeant, he may be recognized. “But if people supposed that the police have’ given the case up they're very much mistaken, he continued. ‘Everything that bore traces of the— the diabolical teleys have been kept and the detectives—police detectives, under stand—have been siftin' the matter until they've got a crew, and’’ (emphasizing his re warks by fixing the fingers both hands in the shape of the ut fish Claw-trap)*we're goin’ to snail the feller that did it.” This was all the information that could be gleaned concerning the “crew’ to the per petrator of the most atrocious crime that ever disgraced the annals of Marion county, or even of the state. — The scene of the tragedy was about one mile east of Royalton. Two defenseless old women, the widow Foreman, seventy-eight years old, and her maiden caughter, Lucinda, aged fifty, were butchered in cold blood between 5 and o'clock on the morning of March 2%, 155%, as they were preparing to go about their daily duties. That the murder had been deliberately planned there was no doubt from many sur rounding circumstances. During two or three weeks before attempts had been made to break i uto the house. Late one evening as the aged mother and daughter were preparing to rashe a man was heard outside, and almost im mediately the face of a man appeared at the window. In almost paralyzing terror the younger woman seized a revolver and threat ened to shoot. The would-be house breaker, and, perks murderer, from the conscious ness that he was recognized made of. When the door was opened the following morning it was partially obstructed by saturated rags beneath it, and other rags containing chloro form had been packed into the keyhole. The event was related to a neighbor the next day by Lucinda, but for some reason she refused to divulge the name of the murderous visitor. Every precaution was then made by the Fore man women for protection. Additional bolts were put on the doors and windows. The door teading from the kitchen (which could be en tered most easily) to theexitting-room was doub y barred. It was well that such precautions were taken, for on the following Tuesday two men broke into the kitchen and attempted to force the sitting-room door. They were finally fright ened away by the two women. In the morns the embers of an expiring fire were discovere pest the woodshed. It was built no doubt to decoy the inmates from the house. On the evening of the direcovery of the crim, the body of Lucia¢a was found in the orchard about eighty yards from the house, partially covered with straw, with the head almost sev ered from the body. Kara of corns were scat tered about and a milk pall lay beside her, evi dencing that she was on her way to milk. The elder lady was discovered on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood with the fatal wounds of the ax about her head and neck. A carpet taken from an adjoining room had been thrown over her. A glance around the room revealed the fact that she had been busying herself with the preparation of breakfast when she was struck down. The object of the hellish work was clearly robbery and murder. Had the former been the ony motive the incarnate feuds would have had scarcely any impediment in the feebie o'd woman. The house was ransacked from top to bottom and blond stains were found on almost everything. After accomplishing their work, the murderers deliberately fastened the house so securely. Indeed, that an entrance by the weiehoors was only made by breaking through a window. An investigation by Coroner Maxwell led to ro discoveries of any great importance. After a Week's investigation he gave up the case. Who were the perpetrators of the deed in Mains mystery, tiniest, as the police sergeant sive, new and important evidence since then has been gamhe . It may be that another in stance will soon make proof of the truth that “murder will out. '
Newspaper Details
Indianapolis Indiana State Sentinel
Indianapolis, Indiana, US
Wed, Apr 04, 1888
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 01 Feb 2026
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