Charles L. Stuchell

Indiana Weekly Messenger, 8 Sep 1897, page 3.

FATAL SHOOTING

A Young Mother and Babe Left Fatherless

Martin Fleming, with an Old-Fashioned "Horse Pistol," Speeds a Fatal Bullet Into the Brain of Charles Stuchell, His Nephew -- Shooting Took Place on Sunday Evening, and Caused Great Excitement -- The Murderer Locks Himself in His House, but Surrenders Peaceably When the Officer Commanded and Is Now in Jail.

A most unfortunate affair for all parties concerned took place in the Third ward on Sabbath evening about 5:30 o'clock, in which Charles Stuchell was shot to death. Mart Fleming, who did the shooting, is now facing dire consequences for his harsh act.

It appears that Charles Stuchell, John Horner, John Dodson and some others had been spending a portion of the afternoon at the Dodson's house. They had a keg of beer but as far as can be learned none of them had been much under the influence of liquor. About 5:30 o'clock, Stuchell and Horner started home and Dodson said he would go part of the way with them. When they came to Fleming's house, Dodson asked his two companions to wait outside until he went in to have a talk with Fleming in regard to some difficulty the latter had with one of Dodson's children. When Dodson entered the house, he found Fleming eating his supper, and said he would wait a little while, and went out on the porch. In a moment or two, Fleming came out and ordered him off the porch and threw a flowerpot at him. Dodson dodged the pot and started toward his companions on the street. Fleming then threw his hatchet at the party and went back into the house. Stuchell threw the hatchet back and it hit the side of the house. At this moment Fleming appeared at the door with a large Colt revolver and fired, the ball taking effect in Stuchell's head above and a little back of the right ear. The injured man fell to the ground in a heap. Fleming then threw down the smoking weapon and ran out to the prostrate man and insisted on carrying him into the house. Drs. St. Clair and Knowlton were called, but they could render little assistance, as the ball was deeply imbedded in the brain. During the evening Stuchell was taken to his home, where he remained unconscious until the following day, when he died at 1:30 p.m.

Fleming appeared but little concerned over the affair and accompanied Constable Pringle and Special Officer Howard Lohr to jail without a word. He says he had no intention of hurting any of the party and only shot to frighten them. The case will likely come before the Grand Jury this week.

Stuchell had been married less than two years and two weeks ago his wife gave birth to a child. In her enfeebled condition the shocking death of her husband was a terrible blow. Since the event she has been prostrated and serious results to her are feared. She is the niece of the man who shot her husband, and her mother is a sister of Fleming, is wavering between life and death from a stroke of paralysis.

Stuchell was a painter by trade, aged about 25 years and was a fairly industrious citizen.

Beer and an old grudge appear to be mixed up in the tragedy and will, of course, be ventilated in court.

Stuchell died on Monday afternoon, a few minutes before 1 o'clock, in convulsions.

Coroner Davis took charge of the remains and an inquest was held on Monday evening, the following jury having empaneled: R.R. Walker, V.M. Cunningham, James M. Marshall, Lincoln Gilbert and F. M. Smith. The testimony of John Dodson and John Horner, who were with Stuchell when he was shot, is substantially as the account given above. The altercation began between Dodson and Fleming, and Stuchell took no part in it, the evidence being that he did not address Fleming at all, but for some unexplainable reason all Fleming's fury seemed to center on him.

Drs. John St.Clair and Knowlton made a postmortem examination of the remains. The bullet entered the head, a little to the left of the tip of the right ear, and took a slight downward course, passing through the brain and was found embedded against the frontal bone. The bullet was about the size of a thirty-two caliber ball, and was fired from an old-fashioned muzzle-loading pistol.

The Coroner's jury rendered a verdict on Monday evening, finding that Stuchell died from a gunshot wound inflicted by Martin Fleming. The case will go before the present grand jury, and an indictment for murder will certainly follow.

Newpaper article on his death and surrounding circumstances