KIBLER, James - 1889 - Putnam

The father of James Kibler of Jasper County, Illinois, who is supposed to have been murdered and burned near Greencastle the night of Aug 29, visited Greencastle and from the description given of the supposed victim, is positive that he is his son. Bowen is still at large.

The grand jury have been industriously investigating the Marion Township brush-heap horror this week and a large number of witnesses have been before that body. The evidence of the tragedy were discovered on the 3d of September. On the 27th of August, James Kibler and Alfred Bowen were arrest in Brazil on the charge of carrying concealed weapons. The marshal of Brazil was in the city Tuesday and was before the grand jury. The Brazil mayor’s docket shows that Bowen had $8 on his person and Kibler $41. Bowen was fined $7 and then were released. Kibler had two pen knives and a tin box of ointment in his pockets. Bowen had not been seen since his release at Brazil, reports to the contrary, notwithstanding, with possibly one exception. A son of Bob Rains says he saw him in this city at 10  o’clock Aug 30 and will swear he did. Bowen has not been seen in the neighborhood of Mt. Meridian lately, and nobody there where he is well known has seen him for several months. On the night of Aug 29th a man entered Mr. Hurst’s store in Mt. Meridian and purchased a lunch. From the description which Mr. Smith and others give of him, there is no doubt that this was Kibler. He left the store and has not been seen there since. On the night of Aug 30, a bright light was seen by the people in the neighborhood of Mt. Meridian in the direction in which the corpse was found. Upon searching the pile of ashes where the body was burned some knife blades and a tin box were found.  They resemble very much the articles Kibler had when in jail in Brazil. Mr F.A. Kibler and J.D. Riley, his nephew, both of Newton, Jasper County, Ill were in the city Tuesday. Mr. Kibler is the father of James Kibler and in company with Sheriff Vestal he visited the scene of the fire on the Runyan farm and also talked with Mr. Hurst, the Mt. Meredian Store Keeper.  From the description given him he left town Tuesday evening well satisfied that the corpse was the body of his son James.

The people in the neighborhood of where the deed was committed are assisting in the search for the murderer, and will leaving nothing undone towards his apprehension. Mr. Kibler, who is a gentleman in comfortable circumstances, offers $100 for the apprehension of the murderer. The grand jury will no doubt __ roughly sift the matter, but there is no doubt the bones found in that brush hear were those of either James Kibler or Alfred Bowen. Should either of them turn up at this stage it would be a hard matter to clear his skirts of the murder of the other-  kbz