ADAMS - Dick - murdered 1891 - Putnam

A feud of years’ duration has resulted in death and again stained Putnam County soil with human blood.  From a tangled web of many sided reports ‘tis difficult to sort out and place in print those points that seem most probable and best authenticated:  It appears that some three years ago the victim of last Tuesday morning’s tragedy, then a resident of Roachdale went over into Montgomery County to a private sanitarium, to be treated for the opium habit.  The treatment proved satisfactory and Adams returned to his home cured. Adams and the Opium Specialist became friends and formed a sort of partnership in which the Doctor was to make stated visits to Roachdale and the residence of Adams was to be used as the habitation of patients under treatment, Adams acting as nurse.  One of the patients at the residence of Adams was Mrs. Evans, wife of Noah Evans of Floyd Township who had become a victim of the morphine habit. After she had received the prescribed course of the treatment she returned to her home and soon rumors became rife that she charged Adams with violating her person while she was a patient under the combined care of the Montgomery County specialist and Adams. These rumors assumed more definite shape it aappears at a later date for she wrote Adams, charging him with criminal assault upon her and demanding $100 as the price of her silence and in lieu of damages, etc further setting forth that if the money was not paid by a certain time he would “die the death of a dog.”  It appears also that Mrs. Evans reported to her husband, Noah Evans, the story of her experience while being treated for the opium habit and as a natural result, he was indignant and honed for revenge. Angry interviews between Adams and Evans resulted on several occasions: one of these interviews took place in this city in the presence of a third person, wherein Evans did not openly charge Adams with undue intimacy with his wife, but intimated intimacy with his wife, but intimated as much, without contradiction from Adams.  This feud grew more rancorous as the years flew by, say those best conversant with the affair and the indications are that it was Evans who made the raid upon Adams at midnight in his own home, north of Roachdale a few weeks ago when he received two serious pistol ball wounds. Officers of the law have been working upon the case since that time and the information given out pointed to the early arrest of Evans charged with the deed. After the shooting of Adams in April last the wounded man concluded to move back to Roachdale and report has it that just after his removal he received a letter telling him that his change of residence would not “save his bacon.”  The assassination of Tuesday morning was most horrible in all its details, and gives token of cruelty and blood-thirstiness unequalled in these latter times and comparable only to the deeds of blood chronicled in the dark ages. The story as told by eye witnesses is that Mr. Adams sat in front of Rice’s Drug Store, showing his wounded and paralyzed arm to Miss Rosa Rice and telling her of the suffering and pain it had caused him when the messenger of death appeared. Evans had planned cooly and well, to the end that his errand might be successful.  He is the owner of a fine and speedy roadster; this animal he had harnessed to a light cart early on Tuesday morning and accompanied by his wife, he drove across the country to Roachdale, arriving there about 7:30. When well in toward the business center of the town, Evans turned into an alley near Job’s Hardware Store tied his horse there and he and his wife started from the alley towards the street.  Meeting MD Payne they asked him where Adams lived; his residence was pointed out and he told them further in answer to questions that Adams was not at home, as Payne had seen him on the street only a few minutes before. Evans and wife were next seen talking together earnestly and then they came out of the alley and walked eastward on the street, Adams being in plain view, sitting in a chair, within 100’ of the advancing avengers. The victim was unconscious of danger, his back was towards Evans and wife, as he held up his bare and wounded arm to show Miss Rice the effect of the midnight assassin’s bullet.  Adams’ first knowledge of danger was when Evans stepped in front of him, his hands in his coat pockets, with his wife at his side; his first and only words were to his wife: “Is this the d__s__ of__ b___ that outraged you?”  Her reply was yes and Evans immediately drew his pistol and fired, the weapon being within two feet of Adams’ body. As the pistol was fired Miss Rice ran into the store and Mrs. Evans retreated to where the horse was hitched; she united the animal, got into the cart, drove out into the street and waited for her husband to complete his work of death. When Adams was shot he raised and pitched forward from his chair, then he raised himself and scrambled over the ground, as if to escape the murderous onslaught, moaning most pitifully, with upturned face in which was pictured great suffering and the agonies of death. Evans, with the eye and nerve of a demon, followed the dying man, firing as he advanced; Adams still reeled and tottered eastward, reaching a point about 25’ east of where the first shot was fired with Evans ever within arm’s reach.  At this point Adams seemed to straighten up, when Evans placed his pistol close to the back of Adams’ head and sent a ball crashing through  his skull. The frail spark of life yet remaining fled from Adams’ body he pitched forward on the sidewalk, dead.  Not satisfied with his work and the first pistol being now empty, Evans drew from his pocket a second pistol and standing over the body of his victim, he shot into his head and body. Seeing that his work was complete, Evans turned on his heel and started along the street towards the spot where his wife, seated in the cart waited for him. After proceeding about 100’ he turned and halted in front of the store of Dodd & Edwards. There he drew from his pockets two new pistols and put the two he had used back into his pockets. He then proceeded to deliver a harangue and plea of justification to those within hearing distance in which he set for the idea that he “respected the people of Roachdale; that he was there only to do what he had done; tht ath s___ o __ a b___ had outraged and assaulted his wife and not only this, but he had written a letter to her advising her to poison him; the letter is here, said he as he held a letter in view and was given to me this morning by my wife, who has kept it concealed under the carpet since she received it; Evans further denied that he was guilty of shooting Adams in his bed in April last, but acknowledged that he did do the shooting they had heard and seen this morning; as soon said he as I can see and consult my lawyer I will be ready for trial.”  He then walked toward where his wife awaited him, giving notice as he proceeded, pistols in hand, that he would kill the first person who attempted to arrest or interfere with him.  He got into the cart and drove off at a brisk pace, headed for the east and at this writing his whereabouts is a mystery.  After the smoke of battle had cleared away the surprised spectators made a survey of the field. Adams’ body was found to be riddled with bullets: one ball entered on the left side, between the fifth and six ribs, ranging downward; one ball entered the body between the second and third ribs on the right side; another penetrated the skull about 2” above the right ear; another penetrated the skull just above and to the rear of the last named wound and there were other bullet marks upon the body but not of a serious nature. The balls which entered the skull both penetrated the brain; in fact anyone of the four wounds name was sufficient to cause death.  Noah Evans, who done Adams to death at Roachdale on Tuesday last, is a brother to Harper Evans, who was tried and convicted of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Hanna, residents of Floyd Township in 1860.  Harper Evans was sentenced to the penitentiary for life; he remained in prison two years and then escaped; he has never been recaptured.  Adams, the murdered man has long been a resident of Roachdale and that neighborhood; he at one time kept a saloon in the town named but quit the business several years ago; he leaves a widow and three children – a daughter aged 17 and two sons aged 15 and 13.  Sheriff Vestal was early on the ground in the discharge of his duty and telegraphed in all directions to head off the escape of Evans.  The only trace heard of him was that he was headed toward Lebanon where he has a relative who is reputed a criminal lawyer of note the theory being he desired to consult and take counsel of him.  The tragedy created great excitement at Roachdale and in Floyd Township where Evans resides many fearing that the end is not yet, and that other evils may yet follow.

LATER – On Wednesday about noon Noah Evans appeared at the residence of Hon. FD Ader and retained him as one of his attorneys. They immediately came down to Mr. Ader’s office and after consultation sent for Sheriff Vestal and Officer James Stone that Evans might surrender himself to the authorities. They then proceeded to the Court House and Squire Denny was sent for to hold a preliminary examination. The defense was not ready and the case went over to some future day; in the meantime he is confined in the county jail. The Star-Press reporter interviewed Evans at the latter’s request, in the Court House. Evans stated that “the condition of his family affairs,” was such that he was justified in doing the deed; that he did it from “pure motives,” tha the had no thought of any such action until about 10 minutes before he left home on Tuesday morning that at the time named his wife had shown him the letter referred to above and that he immediately hitched up his horse and drove on the errand to avenge his wife’s wrongs; further he said that he had no connection with and no knowledge of the shooting of Adams in April.  In answer to questions, Evans said that on leaving Roachdale, Tuesday morning, he drove to Lebanon, Ind where he consulted with his cousin, Attorney Wesner, who is noted as a criminal lawyer, intending when he started to return to Greencastle and give himself up to the officers of the law. After consulting with Mr. Wesner he drove back to the neighborhood of Coatsville, stayed with a relative during the night and came to this city on a Vandalia local freight, which arrived here about noon on Wednesday when he immediately proceeded to Mr. Ader’s residence.

Source: Greencastle Star Press, 20 Feb 1892 p 1

On Saturday Sheriff Vestal escorted James Kinney to the Jeffersonville penitentiary where he will remain three years as punishment for the bestial crime of which he was found guilty. While at the prison Sheriff Vestal saw and conversed with Noah Evans and he reports him more cheerful and better satisfied with his lot than upon a former visit.

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Argue News 13 June 1891 p 4