Cedar Lake, which keeps apace with the toughest spots in Lake county, without an officer to restrict the lawlessness which goes on regularly there, has another black mark drawn across its surface, which a few years ago was one of the prettiest and most quiet places in Indiana, but since its connection by railroad with Chicago and other places it has made a long record for crimes, murders, drownings, and other calamities, and seems steeped in rottenness. Many good people live there, but not enough to overbalance the tough element, and finally it is believed a crisis will come, and it is hoped soon.
The stories say that Glen Jones, son of Wayland Jones, and Ray Heilig, both of Lowell, Jones 18 years old and Heilig about 30 years, and both "booze-fighters," went to Cedar Lake last Thursday and they claim they loaded up on the east side of the lake before crossing over to the west side on the ice, where they pounded and kicked John Mitch so badly that he died the following afternoon about six o'clock without ever gaining consciousness. The cause of the trouble was that Mitch refused them drinks, and after locking the saloon and on his way to supper he was attacked. One leg was broken, his breast badly kicked and pounded, and several ribs broken, and a heavy blow over one eye with a bottle or club was the fatal stroke that ended his life. Pools of blood were found which had come out of an ear wile lying on the ground.
After this Jones and Heilig went west a short distance to the Spanier saloon, accompanied by Albert Wiverly, another drunken fellow, who was arrested with the other two by Deputy Sheriffs Richard Kilborn and Clem Henches, but they are quite certain Wiverly had nothing to do with the murder, he being an inoffensive fellow who was kept for a witness. It is said that before the pair crossed to the west side of the lake that they caused trouble in the Clark saloon, on Binyon's Point, where one of them was knocked down. After sobering up on Friday it is said that Jones told of striking Mitch, while Heilig who was in a separate cell, would say nothing. Mrs. George Manual, whose place is near where the affray occurred, was an eye witness, and also another woman who witnessed it from a second story window, which, with Jones' story, makes almost a plain case of guilt.
When arrested the couple seemed to be prepared for a prolonged drunk, having with them two full quarts of whiskey, one quart of wine, a bottle of rock and rye, a bottle of crème-dementh, and a pint bottle of whiskey for immediate relief, which had been tapped. It is not known where they got the stock, but it is thought it was stolen.
The murdered man, John Mitch, has been a resident of this county all his life, and leaves a wife and nine children and one dead. Some are married and one young lady is a teacher living here and going to her school each morning on the interurban, near Merrillville.
Before turning the body over to the undertakers Coroner Houk held an inquest which showed the above story is correct and under the skull where the blow was struck a large clot of blood was found, but the bottle or weapon used has not been recovered. The funeral was held last Monday and the remains of the murdered man were laid in the Creston cemetery, the services being held at the home.
Saturday afternoon a preliminary hearing was given the three men arrested and they were remanded back to the jail cells to await the action of a grand jury which will act soon. It is the opinion of many that their waiting outside to catch Mitch on his way home will make premeditated murder of the charge to be put against them, and a long story made short entitles the case the State of Indiana vs. Whiskey, by far the greatest criminal on record, statistics showing that eighty percent of crimes, vice, suffering, accidents, and sickness, come through acts legalized by the state legislature, made by political parties to catch votes regardless of the outcome.
Albert Wiverly, the young man found drunk with Jones and Heilig after the trouble is also held without bonds, but the general opinion is he was not mixed in the attack on Mitch. Jones claimed he only struck Mitch with his fist and Heilig plead [sic] not guilty and said he had nothing to do with the case.
Albert Wiverly, of Cedar Lake, who was put under arrest with Jones and Heilig at the time of the murder of John Mitch, and was afterwards turned loose by the failure of the grand jury to indict him, and ran away to keep from being a state witness, was caught at the home of a sister in Momence, Illinois last Saturday while in hiding, and was brought back here and placed under $1,000 bond, and will remain in jail until he goes before the court and jury in the Heilig case. After he escaped when the Jones trial was partly tried, and he was known to have skipped out, Jones went on the stand and swore that Heilig was not a party to the fight with Mitch, and that Wiverly kicked Mitch after he had been knocked down by Jones. That testimony would have nearly, if not quite cleared Heilig, without a statement from Wiverly, and it is not known yet what he will swear to when placed on the stand, but it is quite certain he will not swear to anything to criminate himself.
Jones, who was sentenced to serve in the Michigan City Penitentiary from two to twenty-one years, is still in jail here and may possibly be kept here for several days.
When the Heilig case was called Monday morning the defendant's attorneys asked for a venue to Porter County, which was granted by Judge McMahan, and the bond was fixed at $3,000 and was readily given and the prisoner, who has been confined in jail since last February, was given his liberty and went to his home in Lowell.
It is not known when the trial will come up in Porter County -- perhaps not before the fall court begins, and it is probable that Albert Wiverly, a witness, who was recently placed in jail for failure to give a $1000 bond, will remain in confinement until the trial is called. His punishment is for running away from court after being subpoened for a state's witness. It will not be a surprise to many if Heilig is cleared when the time comes for a hearing.
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