Murder At Lake Maxinkuckee 1886

Murder At Lake Maxinkuckee

As a place of riotous demonstration, under the influence of intoxicants, Lake Maxinkuckee, on last SUnday, reached its zenith, and the beautiful body of water will hereafter be associated in the minds of the people with the horrible crime of murder

The events leading to the perpetation of this fearful crime, are about as follows, as near as we have been able to gather them:

The SUnday Schools in the neighborhood of Mexico, Miami county, ran an excursion to the Lake on Saturday, the 31st ult.

It was well patronized, and there were seven coaches filled with people hauled to the lake. (An excursion of church people from South Bend aslo came down to the Lake of that day, but they were in no way concerned in the difficulty).

The Mexico Band accompanied the excursion from that place, and it seems that a grudge was existing between the leader of the band and the brakeman of the train.

Beer and whiskey flows as freely as water at the lake, and sortly after the excursion arrived all those who were in the habit of drinking were more or less under the influence of these hell-inspired beverages.

Among the number was the leader of the band, (whose name, we are told, was Abraham Leslie), and also the train man. Early in the day Leslie manifested a fighting spirit, and in company with some of his chums, the brakeman alluded to was by them set upon and had a hole knocked in his head with a stone.

The fight was discontinued, the brakeman asserting that he would get even with them befire the night.

A short time before the train left, and while the crow were surging around the depot, a general scuffle took place, in whih the brakekman, Harris by name. struck Leslie over the eye with a stone which he held in his hand

Leslie staggered but did not fall. Harris dropped the stone, but before Lleslie could gain his equiliburn he was again struck by Harris with clenched fist on the sode of the neck and just below and back of the ear. He reeled and fell, striking with his chim on the depot platform and rolled over in an unconscious condition. As he did so Harris kicked him in the neck twice with all the force that anenrae man could summon.

Leslie never regained consciousness, and those that were near at the time say that he was dead when he was picked up immediately after the affray.

In some way or another the conductor of the train had become interested in the row and had take a hand in the assult on the band boys by striking one of the, Charles McGuire, across the neck with a broken oar.

This about the same time that Leslie had been struck. But the blow was not serious and before th man was aware of the fact he was set upon by the murderous brakekman, who succeeded in inflicting serious, though not fatal injury.

The brakeman made his escape and has not yet been captured. The conductore was arrsted and held for examination.

Shortly after the occurance, the train left for Mexico, and we were told by parties at the Lake that the man who was haulled home upposed to be in a dying condition, had to be forced aboard by four men. The probability is that her was hauled home dead drunk. At any rate he is still living.

An inquest was in progress all day SUnday over the dead body of the merdered man, and an autopsy was held, but what the result of the inquest was as to the immediate physical causes that led to his death we are not apprised.

But these facts, no doubt, were fully established - that he was dead, that his death was the result of violence and that liquor played an important part in the murderous transaction - - - Argos Reflector Aug 5 1886