Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1915 — HAS CONFESSED TO ' TERRE HAUTE MURDERS [ARTICLE]

HAS CONFESSED TO ' TERRE HAUTE MURDERS

Alphonso Lewis Admits Killing Victims With Flatiron—ls Taken to Indianapolis. Alphonso Lewis, a miner, has been held in the Vigo county jail pending the investigation by detectives in the murder of the Balding family with a flatiron a week ago last under a rapid fire of questions by the detectives and stated that he alone was responsible for the deaths of the Baldings. Lewis calmly related how he had smashed in the skulls of his victims with a flatiron because he loved the woman and could not bear to have them move away. The' detectives hurried away with their victim in an auto and by the time the news x of the confetsion l became known they were half way to Indianapolis With their prisoner. To have kept him in Terre Haute over night would have meant ertain lynching, for among the neighbors or the woman, feeling is at a high pitch and violence has been repeatedly threatened. Over in West Terre Haute, where a greater part of the population earns its living in the mines, lynch talk has been in the air ever since the prisoner has been in the jail, and the news that he had confessed would have meant 1 an immediate attack by the village across the river. Detectives Fedderson and Armstrong have been busy on the case for over a week and had absolutely nothing to work on. They questioned Mrs. Blacketer, mother of Lewis, and she told them the truth, not knowing that she was helping to convict her son. Lewis* on being questioned a few hours before, had told Fedderson that he had been in bed on the night of the murder at 7 o’clock. When the stories of Mrs. Blacketer and Lewis did not agree Lewis was placed h jail and held as a suspect. A flood stain on the suspenders that Lewis wore was also responsible for his arrest and a little quizzing brought the confession.