People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1893 — SEVEN FIENDS. [ARTICLE]

SEVEN FIENDS.

They Were Implicated In the Murder of the Wrattan Family. °* Their Number Confurei, Givtag tlte Detail* es the Butchery of an Indiana Family for the Purpose of Bobbery. ALL UNDER ARREST. Washington, Ind., Oct 24.— The great Wrattan murder mystery has been solved. James Stone was before the grand jury Saturday, and after a close examination he weakened and gave a full confession, implicating six other men. They are Grandison Cosby, Gibson Clark, John White, Martin Yarborough, Lon Williams and William Kays. It will be remembered that the last two named were arrested several days ago on a charge of the murder and placed in the southern prison, where they are now confined.

Stone claims the originator of the scheme was Grandison Cosby, and that their motive was to rob the house, as the old lady, Mrs. Elizabeth Wrattan, was said to have almost >1,200 concealed about the house. They were to secure the money if the whole family had to be murdered. Stone says that he did not take part in the murder; that when he got to the Wrattan house he was half an hour late. They had agreed to meet at 1 o’clock Tuesday morning, September 18. When ho arrived he met Williams coming from the house and he said: “You Stone, you are too late to see the fun. Wo have killed them all, and had a picnic, except with the old woman, and she fought like h—L” Williams was asked by Stone if he had found any money, when he replied: “Not a cent; could not find any.” They then made Stone go in the house and. get blood on his clothes so he would be implicated if the rest of them were. Stone was made to promise that he would go to the house the next morning and bring the news to this city. Stone says they all left the house in different directions, and he went heme and washed His shirt in the spring and then changed his trousers. He told the officers where they would find the bloody trousers, and on a search they were found in his garret, and are now in the possession of the authorities.

Stone’s arrest was caused through his own wife, who appeared before the grand jury and testified that Stone arose in the night and complained of a violent toothache and that he was going to a dentist to have it extracted; that he did not return until a late hour, and then being covered with blood, he asked for a change of clothes; that Stone maintained that the blood on his clothes was caused by the bleeding of his tooth. On inquiry it was found that no doctor or dentist had extracted a tooth front Stone. This was deemed strong evidence, especially when coming from the man’s wife. As soon as Stone was brought to town the grand jury went to work to obtain a confession from him. At first he strenuously denied everything, but, being assured that clemency would be guaranteed to him if he made a confession, he at midnight yielded to their overtures. Kays and Williams killed the old woman, and Clark, White and Yarbrough killed the remainder of the family. Cosby had nothing to do with the assassination, but was simply a leader. He says that they did not get a cent. This is thought to be the gang which has been burning so many barns in this county. Clark, White and Stone were generally considered good citizens and are from good families. Each of them is married and has children. Kays, Williams, Cosby and Yarbrough are pretty bad cases and have their names on the criminal docket in several places. Cosby was arrested for the murder of Doc Blades, but on account of lack of evidence he was acquitted. Every man is now behind the walls of Jeffersonville prison, as it was not safe to leave them in this city, so excited are the citizens.

The following account of the murder of the Wrattan family, six in number, was telegraphed from Washington, Ind., September 19: “The most horrible crime ever committed in southern Indiana must be entered against Daviess county. Dillard Densoia Wrattan, his wife, mother and three children were murdered last night in the most cruel and barbarous way. The Wrattans resided about 9 miles from this city in Harrison township. They were well-to-do farmers. The husband was down with typhoid fever, but must have been asleep when the horrible deed was committed for he lay on his back, his hands folded peacefully across his breast, with three ugly gashes in his forehead* Mr. Wrattan’s mother, aged 61 years, was evidently the first killed. She was lying upon the floor with both arms broken, and a terrible struggle must have ensued. His wife was also found upon the floor, and 5 feet from her lay her little daughter Stella, aged 6 years. The baby, 3 years old, was found murdered in the kitchen, and Ethel, a girl 11 years old, had her skull broken in two places. “The motive for the murder was presumably money, as it was shown that Mr. Wrattan’s mother had a great deal of it concealed about the house. It was the window of her room that was broken open and entered, while the struggle which ensued awakened the other members of the family. Old Mrs. Wrattan had received a pension ever since she was a widow, just after the war, and all this money was supposed to have been secreted about the house. The drawers of the bureau were ransacked and every place where stoney was likely to be found had been disturbed. Thirty-nine dollars, however, was found which the robbers overlooked. The instrument of death was either a corn-knife or a hatchet, or both.”