from The Republican (Danville, Hendricks County, Indiana)--issue of August 31, 1911--page 1
BROWNSBURG FEUD ENDS IN MURDER OF W.A. McCASLIN
Charles Miller shot and fatally wounded W.A. McCaslin at Brownsburg, Friday morning, McCaslin died a few hours after the shooting. There is considerable difference in the stories told of the affair and a hotly contested case in court will bring out some strong side lights.
McCaslin was about 46 years old and Miller, 35. Relations between the men have been strained for some time, especially since Miller struck McCaslin on the head with a brick about a year ago. It is alleged that McCaslin tried to force his attention on Mrs. Miller. Miller knew of this and one time, catching McCaslin in his back yard, he threw a brick at him with such force that McCaslin carried the scar of the wound to his grave. It is claimed that Mrs. Miller had at one time thrown a mixture of boiling water and concentrated lye in McCaslin's face.
The men were adjoining neighbors, an alley separating their properties. Early Friday morning, Miller went out in his garden to gather beans and while so engaged, McCaslin came out in his (McCaslin's) back yard and began to abuse him, charging that Miller had stolen one of his chickens. Miller says he stood the abuse for some time and went into the house after his revolver. Miller says that McCaslin stood on a platform in the rear of the McCaslin house and raised his revolver and said: "Now I'll finish you right here." Miller fired immediately, across the alley a distance of about thirty feet and McCaslin fell.
In his ante-mortem statement, McCaslin said that he called to Miller and told him that one of his (McCaslin's) chickens was in Miller's back yard. Miller replied: "How in the hell did it get there." I told him I didn't know. I went back in the house and in a minute or two Miller called me out. "I went out on the porch and he shot me. When I was shot I fell. I had no weapon of any kind in my hand nor did I make threats of any kind against him."
After the shooting Miller went to his grocery and proceeded calmly to make his regular morning calls on customers. Later he called on his attorney, D.P. Estris, and after a talk with Mr. Estris returned to his work. It was not until after the death of McCaslin that he was arrested by Marshall Duncan and later, removed to the county jail.
Mrs. McCaslin says she and her husband were about ready to sit down to breakfast, when McCaslin stepped out on the back porch. Miller, she says, was in his back yard and called to McCaslin: "You have one of my chickens over in your yard," to which McCaslin replied: "If I have one of your chickens you can come over and get it, for I do not want it."
With this McCaslin turned, says Mrs. McCaslin, and went back into the kitchen, and a moment later Miller called to him and he stepped out to the porch again. Then Miller is reported to have said: "I guess I'll just get you now and have this matter over," and raising his pistol, fired the fatal shot.
Elliott Burns was just coming from his home across the street when he heard the shot. He did not see who fired it but he saw McCaslin fall. Burns went to the place and helped to carry McCaslin into the house. He says he saw nothing of McCaslin's revolver and to the best of his belief, McCaslin was unarmed.
There is no doubt that McCaslin owned a revolver but it has not been found. Miller says Mrs. McCaslin took it immediately after the shooting. She denies that her husband had a revolver that morning.
Coroner Allred's verdict holds Miller for the action of the grand jury.
ADD MURDER---
The grand jury will pass on Miller's case. Coroner Allred yesterday filed his report. After describing the wound McCaslin received, the report says: "It appears that Miller and McCaslin had been enemies for several months and on this morning they had some words over a chicken while each of the parties was on his own premises and each went in to his house and returned to about the same place they were and then Miller fired, I can find no evidence that McCaslin was armed."
Submitted By: Mike Phillips, mphillips1@kc.rr.com