Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1915 — BALDING MYSTERY NEAR A SOLUTION [ARTICLE]

BALDING MYSTERY NEAR A SOLUTION

Alphonso Lewis Taken in Charge by Authorities. HOLD HIM ON BLANK CHARGE Police Have Employed Every Means at Their Command to Apprehend Person or Persons Responsible for Fiendish Killings.

Terre Haute. “We feel confident that the solution of the mystery in the Balding murder case is near at hand,” said Detective Frank Fedderson. The detective refused to make any further statement regarding the case. When asked if Alphonso Lewis, forty years old, of 2717 North Seventeenth street, which is in the neighborhood of the Balding home, had supplied the police important information, Fedderson refused to be interviewed.. Lewis was taken into custody by Detectives Armstrong and Fedderson, and after being questioned for several Hours in the office of the superintendent of police was taken to the temporary jail. No charge was placed against him on the police blotter.

Since the fiendish murder of four members of the family of William C. Balding and the probably fatal wounding of two others, the police have used every means at their command to apprehend the person or persons responsible. The skulls of the six members of the Balding family were crushed by a flatiron. Clifford, twelve years old, and Irene, three years old, are still at the hospital, suffering from fractured skulls. A close watch on the two victims has been maintained by the police, who believe they will be able to tell something of the crime. At intervals Clifford lias recovered consciousness, but little or no information has been gleaned from him by the authorities. William C. Balding, who was near Centralia, 111., working as a lineman, when the killing of his wife and children occurred, watches by the bedside of the survivors of his family.

What W. H. O’Brien Says. Lawrenceburg.—W. H. O'Brien, formerauditor of state, speaking of the proposed suit against him on his bond by depositors of the Farmers and Merchants’ bank of Cicero, says: “During my term as auditor we made every effort to protect depositors in all banks,, and the records of the office will show every precaution was taken to safeguard and protect depositors in all of the Hamilton county banks. The law will not permit the auditor to divulge anything growing out of an examination. The examinations were thorough and complete and the .banking department was kept in full touch with the management of the banks. The banking department never at any time during my administration approved of any of tlie so-called ‘questionable’ securities. We always dehiandod the securing of ample paper wherever it was possible to do so, and the records will show that we compelled the banks now in trouble, to substitute sectired paper for doubtful paper and in-every instance the directors of the banks were fully and completely informed of the result of such examinations,”

Beaten After Firing Shot. Richmond.—Alfred Underbill of this city, a stockman and farmer, was severely beaten by J. A. farmer, after Underhill had- shot at Weidenbach, it is alleged. Underhill was not seriously injured. Underhill’s farm is situated east of the city, near the Ohio line. Cattle from his farm, it is alleged, roamed over fields of other farmers recently and complaint was made. Weidenbach. it is said, figured in the protest and the trouble became so acute that Underhill threatened to shoot him. Underhill drove along the road in front of Weidenbach’s home, and is alleged to have shouted at Weidenbach. who started toward the roadway. Underhill is said to have then fired at Weidenbach with a double-barreled shotgun, which he carried with him in the buggy. Weidenbach was not wounded. He attacked Underhill, pulling him from the buggy and beating him. it is said. Prosecutor Reller is investigating the affair.

John Lusk, Pioneer, Dead. Bloomington.—John Lusk, age sev-enty-eight, died at his home, one mile east of Bloomingdale Glens. Although he was the owner of this camping grounds visitors knew little of Mr. Lusk. On his farm of 1,300 acres is found one of the finest tracts of virgin forest to be seen in the state, massive oak, poplar and walnut having been"preserved here.

Injured in Auto-Accident. Indianapolis. top of their electric brougham after being run into and capsized by a speeding automobile driven by an unknown man in Twenty-fifth and Alabama streets, Miss Helen Stansfield, eighteen, and her sister, Elizabeth, fifteen, received painful bruises and cuts. The young women were rescued from their overturned car by pedestrians who witnessed the accident, the driver of the automobile and his companions having fled without offering to render assistance.