SHADLEY, William - Putnam

Rockville, March 11 – Return of an indictment in the death of William Shadley, farmer who lived about a mile north of Atherton in Parke County on March 12, 1930 was expected to the Parke County grand jury today.  The jury has been in session since last Wednesday and it was reliably reported that the Shadley case was the major business being transacted.  Shadley was found dead in the barn on his farm and a coroner’s verdict was that the aged man died as the result of a fall from the hay loft under which his body was found.  Several of the Shadley children, discounting the accidental death theory, ordered the body exhumed and another examination was made by Mrs. JR Bloomer and RE Swope of Rockville. The second report gave death as having been caused by a blow at the hands of unknown persons.  The verdict raised quite a flurry among Parke County residents. The second report also stated that a wound was found on the man’s head and was not caused from a fall as first stated. The case has been hanging for almost a year and grand jury attention of the man’s death has caused unusual comment here.  The grand jury, accompanied by Noel Montgomery, prosecutor and Scott Burford grand jury bailiff visited the Shadley farm on Wednesday of last week to obtain details of the case.