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The Body of Katie Hood Found Floating in the Canal Mon day Afternoon. She Had Been Absent From Home for Nine Days. A Horrific Gash in the Back of the Head Supposed to Have Caused Her Death. Many are of the Opinion That She Was Dead Before Being Put In the Water. YET SHE SPOKE OF SUICIDING, IF “SOME THING WAS NOT DONE.” Connersville has a sensation! The mysterious disappearance and death of Katie Hood is subject of much comment. For the past week the residents of the city have been wondering and talking over the disappearance of Katie Hood.. Many and various have been the causes assigned, but no trace of her was found until her bloated and mutilated corpse was discovered floating down the canal by Engineer Zimmerman, of the south bound pass enger train on the Valley road, about four o’clock Monday afternoon. The news that the body had been found spread like wild fire, and in a very short time, half of the population were wending their way to the scene of the terrible discovery. The body was lying on the edge of the canal bank, about a mile north of the city, it having been fastened there by the engineer, who stopped his train, waded into the canal and pulled the remains to the shore. She was lying partially on her side, her knees slightly bent, and her head turned to the left. She was dressed just as she has been described in previous accounts, with the exception that her hat and dress skirt were missing. It is supposed the hat floated down the caan] during the night, and that the dress skirt was fastened to a heavy weight, which has kept her under water. The body be coming filled with gas, tore loose from its fastenings, the skirt having parted at the waist, and came to the top. The dress was torn about the neck and the left side and breast were exposed. Many persons have expressed a be lief that her death was caused by an abortion, while others are of the opinion that she was foully murdered as there are several cuts and bruises upon her head and neck, which ac cording to the statement of physicians who have examined them, couldot have been made while in the water. Before the coroner arrived the body was viewed by hundreds of men, wo men and children, drawn thither by morbid curiosity attendant and aroused by horrible crimes. About five o’clock the remains were removed to the Commissioners’ room in the Court House, but owing to the smell caused by decomposition they were removed to the town hall, where a post mortem examination was held. The coroner, Dr. J. D. Larimore, assisted by Dre. L. D. Dillman and 8. N. Hamilton made the examination, which lasted from nine o’clock. p.m. until 2 o’clock a.m. We were unable to learn the par ticulars of the examination, the cor oner, having enjoined secrecy from all those in attendance, he being of the opinion, evidently, that the ends of justice would be defeated should the public be allowed the result. Whether such is the case or not, we have been informed that the result will prove an astounding revelation to the public, but why the girl was done away with it as much a secret as ever, but we have been given to understand that developments of a startling nature will be made today, in the matter of making arrests. Who the party or parties implicated are is still a secret, but many wild rumors are afloat, and no doubt many of them are unjust. The woman occupying the old toll house was interviewed, but that par ticular night remembered nothing un usual. She stated that often people passing would yell, fire revolvers, etc., and should anything have happened on that evening, no attention would have been paid to it. The last time the young girl was seen alive, she was on Saturday night a week ago, going in the direction where her body was found. She left Michael Schoenig’s residence about eight o’clock; a few minutes later she was noticed passing C. H. Harris Co.’s grocery. About fifteen minutes after eight, she was seen going west past the new Methodist church and turn north on Mason street, where she was last seen, as far as we can learn. It is said by many that she got into a buggy near the Catholic church and went north on the Milton pike, but this report could not be traced to re liable authority. The remains were given to the rela tives Tuesday morning, taken to Null town at half-past twelve, and buried in the cemetery at that place. The inquest will be held as soon as possible; the Coroner and lawyers in the case are gathering all the informa tion possible. It is the opinion of all that the water should be let out of the hydraulic, and the bed thoroughly searched. This is apparently one of the most atrocious and deliberate crimes ever committed in the history of the county and no stone should be left unturned to ferret out the perpetrator and give him the benefit of the law to its fullest extent. Too much time must not be wasted searching for clues if the suspicions are enough to warrant an arrest—the suspected party should not be given time to make his escape. In large cities where crimes are an every day occurrence, every person who it is thought could even throw light upon the case is detained and placed in such a position that they can be had at a moment’s notice, and it seems to us that in such a desperate case as this, persons should profit by the experience of others.
Newspaper Details
Connersville Examiner
Connersville, Indiana, US
Wed, Oct 02, 1889
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Jarrod M.
USA 12 Jul 2026
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