Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 167, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1916 — SHERIFF M’COLLY EXPLODES THEORY [ARTICLE]

SHERIFF M’COLLY EXPLODES THEORY

Decatur Lyon Thought By Sheriff and Other Officials to Have Been a Suicide.

The murder theory in relation to the death of Decatur Lyon wa£ exploded Thursday evening, following a conference between Sheriff B. D. McColly, of Jasper county, and W. S. Lindall, sheriff of Porter county, at Valparaiso. Wild rumors have been current the past few days, but the matter has now been put to rest as far as these two sheriffs are concerned. Sheriff McColly went to Valparaiso Wednesday to investigate the case, and the Valparaiso Vidette tells of his visit to that city and of his conference with Sheriff Lindall. Mr. McColly and Sheriff Lindall were sitting together in the latter’s office Thursday morning. Mr. McColly smoked a big cigar and beamed thoughtfully as he recalled some of the blood and thunder tales of the press, due partially to fantastic imaginings of people on the scene of Lyon s death and partially to pipe dreams of reporters. Mr. McColly told of the autopsy held by Drs. Fyfe and Hewitt, and the inquest conducted by Justice Greve at DeMotte. - There were absolutely no marks of violence on Lyon’s body, Sheriff McColly said, and the lungs were filled with water. He had trouble, his father told the coroper’s jury, and had remarked that he would rather be dead than alive. After that the son got some money from his parents at Kouts, went to Chicago and instead of buying a railroad ticket, he procured a labor ticket for two dollars, allowing him shipment with others to North Dakota. Instead of using this he returned to Baum’s bridge, and the supposition is that he jumped into the pond in the woods. When found the nose and one cheek were eaten by the turtles and this may have led to the belief that murder had been committed. However, Sheriff McColly will find numerous people who will contradict some of his statements, according to the Vidette. Undertaker Kosanke who was on the scene at the rescue of the dead body, will never believe that the man willfully jumped into the water. Arrangements were made Wednesday night by members of Lyon’s family to exhume the body at Kouts Thursday. A new clue was found, it was declared by some of them.

Armed shark shooters in motor boats are patrolling the New York and New Jersey coasts, while others line the beaches in a concerted effort to exterminate the man-eating sharks which have moved to the northward from their customary haunts, apparently in alrge numbers. The village authorities of Mattewan, New Jersey, have offered a reward of SIOO for every shark brought in, dead or alive.