Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1877 — THE UNCOVERED HAND. [ARTICLE]

THE UNCOVERED HAND.

How a Dog Led to Where It* Murdered Master’s llody was Burled. [From the Evansville Journal.] Some time during the latter part of last May a barber named E. A. Barlean, employed in the Union Depot barber shop, disappeared suddenly. At the time of disappearance he was known to have had about S7OO on his person, besides a fine watch and olher trinkets of value. A strict search was instituted, and the 23d of June his clothes were found, or at least a portion of them, in an outhouse. The discovery was made during the heat of the agitation caused by the railroad strike, and did not create such a sensation as it would have done under ordinary circumstances. But it whetted the determination of his friends, who set to work in earnest. On the 26th of June, Henry Burner, a carpenter employed also in the Union Depot, was found to be wearing some articles of clothing which had belonged to the murdered man, and for the possession of which he could give no satisfactory explanation. He was arrested and carried before Judge Heidenrich, but there was no proof of his complicity in the murder, and it was apparent that he must be acquitted.

Barlean’s friends, however, determined upon holding this clew, and pressed the prosecution, and, on the 29th of June, Burner was sent to jnil in default of bond, on the charge of grand larceny, based on his possession of the clothes. He has been in jail ever since awaiting trial, and is there at present. Yesterday morning great excitement was created in Vincennes by the discovery of the body of the murdered man. It seems he had a favorite dog, which, since his disappearance, has been hanging around the Union Depot. About three weeks ago the dog was observed to go very often to a clump of trees about a quarter of a mile from the depot, along the line of the Ohio and Mississippi railroad. He would disappear in that direction and be gouo for an hour or more, and then come walking back slowly to the depot. That was repeated almost every day, and yesterday morning a gentleman observed liim with curiosity. He saw the dog go and scratch under one of the trees. The gentleman, desirous of unravelling the mystery, followed him, but on his approaching. the spot, the dog became enraged aud showed fight. The gentleman armed himself with some stones, and soon made the dog retreat. He then proceeded to the place, and saw a dead man’s hand protruding from the earth and sticking up with open fingers. He examined the place, and found that the dog had scratched much of the earth away from the body, which was buried only a few inches from the sight. It was about 7 o’clock in the morning, but the discoverer of the horrible mystery soon procured assistance, and the body was readily identified as the body of the unfortunate barber, E. A. Barlean.