Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 178, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1913 — WOUNDED SOLDIER DIED IN HOSPITAL [ARTICLE]

WOUNDED SOLDIER DIED IN HOSPITAL

Madison Militiaman Who Was Shot by Sergeant of Provost Guard Died Sunday Morning. Walter Dowell, the Madison militiaman, who was shot last Wednesday night by Sergeant Edwin Ball, while trying to escape after his arrest, died In an Indianapolis hospital Suhday morning. Dowell had gone to Indianapolis and was arrested with a bottle of whisky in his possession. The whisky was confiscated. Later he jumped off the car on which he was being taken to the army post. Ball shot him, a 38-caliber ball passing clear through his body just above the right hip. The bullet penetrated his abdomen. He is a married man, having one child. The coroner took charge of the body and announced that he would conduct an investigation. Ball was arrested by the civil authorities after the shooting and turned over to the national guard officers and has been a prisoner in the guard house. Sergeant Ball is well known to a number of members of the local national’guard company, especially to the riflemen, rs he wag an expert pistol shot and a fair rifle shot. He was personally a very pleasant and nice appearing young man. - There can be no possible excuse for issuing ammunition to a guard at a militia camp and Ball may be less to blame than some superior who ordered ammunition Issued. The Investigation should determine what ordera he was acting under. The private soldier in the national guard is a patriot He enlists for a period of three years and does so at great sacrifice to his business Interests and also to his family needs If he has a family. He attends the summer eamp of instruction as a military duty, receiving less wages than he can make at home. He serves the balance of the year for almost nothing. His tenfl ays’ camp is his only outing for the year and necessarily the camp is run according to strict rules of military discipline. And except Ip cases of extreme danger or where the prisoner had committed a crime of a very serious nature, the issuing of ammunition to a guard who might, as Ball did, use it unwisely, is an act that deserves condemnation and is certain to censure not only Sergeant Ball, but whoever unwsely granted him the privilege of loading his revolver.

Crown Point is certainly lucky with automobiles. Since the first “critters” came into use here, a dozen years ago, and the place has now more than 150 in daily use, not an accident has happened here with local machines, or those from a distance, to do any harm worthy of note, and often 500 foreign cars pass through here on a Sunday. We can say nearly as much for fires tjie past few years.—Crown Point Star.—-—j Try our Classified Column.