Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 165, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1916 — HINT OF MURDER IN LYON DEATH [ARTICLE]

HINT OF MURDER IN LYON DEATH

Later Developments In Death of Decatur Lyon Indicate That He Was Murdered.

Later developments in the death of Decatur Lyon point to murder and an investigation is being held today to determine whether there are any grounds for the belief that the man was the victim of foul play, Tuesday The Republican contained an account of the finding of Lyon’s body in the deep hole in the Kankakee river at Baums bridge. An inquest was held by Squire John Greve, acting as coroner in the place of Dr. C. E. Johnson, of Rensselaer, who is with the miiltia on the Mexican border. Squire Greve was in Rensselaer Tuesday evening and stated that he had not returned a verdict and that he was working on a clew which he thought might lead to the discovery of evidence that Lyon had been murdered. Officers claimed late Tuesday that they had also discovered a clew that would lead to the arrest of the murderer. The 'body will be exhumed today for further examination. The officers hint that they have proof that Lyon was murdered for money, of whinh he had a considerable amount on his person when he disappeared. Lyon, at the time’ of his death, was said to have been in poor mental health and on July 1 he had borrowed money of his father, Orpheon Lyon, of Kouts, Ind., with which he made a triple Chicago in the hopes of securing employment in Dakota. In Chicago he registered at an employment agency, paying a fee of $2.50, the receipt for which was found on his pei'son. He is supposed to have started home either Sunday or Monday and a small bundle of clothes was found with his hat on Baums bridge July 4. The body was badly decomposed when found and a post mortem held by two Wheatfield doctors showed that there wounds on his head, having probably been caused by striking some object in his leap from the bridge. The lungs were full of water. The following taken from the Kankakee Valley Review, intimates that later developments have led the authorities- to believe that the unfortunate man was murdered: “Information which has reached the authorities leads the officers to believe that Decatur Lyon was murdered. Detectives and officers are working on the casp and it is expected that by the time we go to press that arrests will be made. It is reported that he was given a terrible beating at his home and then taken via auto to the Baums bridge grade and thrown into the deep water hole to cover up the crime. The officers have a clue that will fasten the crime on the guilty parties.” Lyon was a married man, his wife’s maiden name was Brockway and they had three children, and it is reported that one of the children is the possessor of evidence that will show that Lyon was the victim of foul play. Evidence has been produced that there had been some family of late and this may aid in the clearing up of the mystery. Sheriff McColly, Deputy Prosecutor Sands and Court Reporter Wagner went to Wheatfield Saturday afternoon to be present at the inquest that was held at that time. It is confidently expected by the officers making the investigation to be able to return a decision as to the cause of Lyon’s death.