Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 113, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1917 — ACCUSED OF A HEINOUS CRIME [ARTICLE]

ACCUSED OF A HEINOUS CRIME

James Parmley Accused By Son-in-Law, Robert M. Neeves, of a Most Wretched Crime. James Parmley was brought to Rensselaer Friday evening by the sheriff of Newton county and lodged in the Jasper county jail under the charge of the lowest crime ever committed by a human being. - Parmley had teen working for his son-in-law, Robert M. Neeves, who 1 ived near Enos, Newton county, Ind. He had helped His son-in-law plant corn and do other work. Having the wiork pretty well in Bhape they spent most of the daylast Wednesday at the house. Parmley says that his daughter and her husband had had some trouble and that Neeves ordered him to go to the well house and bring two bottles of beer. At the command of Neeves they all stood up and the drink was to wash away the differences they had Siad. Parmley says that he and his daughter, Mrs. Neeves, would not drink and this very much enraged the husband. Later in the day a pedler came along and Farm ley says the drinking was continued until 2 o’clock at night and that Neeves became very drunk and there was quite a racket in the house all night. In the morning he got up and went to the bam to do his chores and Neeves went to the nearby cow lot to milk. While he was in the barn his daughter, came and told him that her husband was going to kill 4 them both and urged him to leave, giving him $2, all the money she had. Parmley says that he and the daughter went to the house and he was starting away with his suit case when Neeves came up with a shotgun. He ordered the two to. stand up, and placing the dangerous end of. the gun

against Parmley’s forehead he demanded that they, confess their guilt. And says that they were told that~if they denied it he, Neeves, would blow their heads off. Under this pressure Parmley says he said they were guilty. He says Neeves then hit him on the head with the gun and knocked him down. He got up and started to run and Neeves shot him, one bullet lodging in his body. Parmlev says he continued to flee and having reached a distance of about a half mile fi on* the house stopped and looked back. He saw a fire and thought that Neeves had killed his wife and was burning his daughter. He hurried to Morocco and told his story and Neeves was brought into that town and was turned loose and Parmley was arrested and taken to Kentland and later brought here. Parmley says Neeves is a man about fifty-three years of age anti that he married his daughter abput two years ago, she being at that time sixteen years of age. Parmley says that his daughter became offended at him about two years before she was married because he insisted that she help do the house work, the mother .being dead and there being three younger children. He claims his daughter would not help, that she would run jut and be gone very late at night and would do nothing about home but sleep and read novels. He was quite severe to her at the time mentioned above and she left him and then charged him with the crime which the husband later demanded that he confess to having committed. , The crime of incest is the lowest that can be committed by a human being and it is said that all others crim Inals at penal institutions in which the person is confined charged with this crime desnise and avoid them as they would a viper. Parmley says he is 48 years of age and that he had nothing in the world except the sriit case and, its contents. That he had a good suit of clothes and about fifty dollars in money and other valuables amounting to about SIOO. He says that he has never had any trouble with his son-in-law and that he was always treated very nicely by him until he became drunk. Parmley’s general conversation does not impress one so forcibly a? to make the story told above to be who 1 }v reliable.