Hooper - John
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Review, Sept 3, 1881
Last Wednesday morning word was brought to the city that John Hooper a young man living two and one half miles NE of Linden had been found dead about 3 or 400 yards from his home.
A Review reporter immediately repaired to the spot and elicited the following facts.
That the deceased had left the house some time in the afternoon, for the purpose of going to the post office at Romney, a small station on the LNA & CRR about 2 1/2 miles from the house.
The last time the deceased was seen alive by anyone except his murderer was by one Benjamin Blacketer, who lives about half a mile no. of the residence of the deceased. Hooper had stopped to feed some stock belonging to a Mr. Bates who went to KS some time since and left the stock in Mr. Hooper's charge.
After feeding the stock he talked to Mr. Blacketer a few moments, then mounting his horse he started through the fields to his home; this was about half past 7 o'clock in the evening, and at that time was rather dark.
After he had been gone probably five minutes, two shots were heard fired in rapid succession.
Immediately after the firing of the first shot someone was heard to call out in a loud voice, but at such a distance that the words could not be understood.
Mr. Blacketer started to go in the direction of the firing but his wife begged him not to go for fear he would be killed and he returned.
But not being satisfied, he walked down the fence about 20 yards, toward the disturbance and listening for some little time heard nothing but the cantering of a horse returning from the direction in which the deceased had just gone.
It was so dark, however, that he could not distinguish even the outline of the horse, but from the noise made he could tell what it was.
Then after listening again for some time and hearing nothing, he returned to the house.
The mother of the deceased also heard the reports and heard the calls for help, but they sounded from that distance, like dogs barking.
An adopted son, a little fellow about 12 saw the flash and heard the report and told his mother (Mrs. Hooper) that it was John's voice, but she merely laughed at him.
The next morning about sunrise, seeing the horse which John had been riding running loose with the saddle still on him, he mounted him and and started to ride over to see if John had stayed all night at Blacketers.
After riding down the lane for 2 or 300 yards, the horse suddenly shied and upon looking for the cause he saw the body of the deceased lying by the side of the fence.
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