Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 158, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1915 — Indictment of Sergeant Ball Nol Pressed in Indianapolis. [ARTICLE]

Indictment of Sergeant Ball Nol Pressed in Indianapolis.

Two years ago at the summer camp of the militia Sergeant Edwin Ball, who was in charge of the provost guard in Indianapolis, shot and killed Private Walter Dowell, who had been placed under arrest for trying to take liquor in*3 the camp. Dowell tried to escape. Sergeant Ball shot him and he died a few days later. The military authorities claimed the right to deal with Ball but his case was sent to the civil court. It was continued until last Saturday when it was nol pressed on motion of the deputy prosecutor. If he is punished now it will be by a military court martial. Military law holds a guard responsible for prisoners and authorizes them to shoot if a prisoner attempts to escape. Ball, therefore, will be entitled to freedom. The most vital question involved in Ball’s case was the fact that he had a loaded pistol in a militia camp. The pistol, it was claimed, was borrowed from a regular army soldier, and was not supposed to be loaded.