Victims: Mrs. M. Schmidt and Thomas Johnson
Perpetrator: Harry Wheeler
Date of Incident: 1903-04-06
Location of Incident: Center Township (Dearborn County)
On March 18, 1903, Harry Wheeler set fire to a shanty boat, and caused the deaths of both Thomas Johnson and a woman named Mary. Her surname has been referred to as Smith, Schmidt, and Martin in various articles. Thomas’ body was found in the Ohio River two weeks later. The details wildly vary among news accounts, so while the date and location are most likely accurate, it will take much more digging through newspapers to be certain of what happened.
Sources
The Muncie Morning Star (1903, April 22). Fired a boat and 2 lives were lost. The Muncie Morning Star, 1.
The Indianapolis Journal (1903, April 24). The jail guarded. The Indianapolis Journal, 2.
The Indianapolis News (1903, April 24). Prisoner is under guard. The Indianapolis News, 19.
The Indianapolis Journal (1903, April 25). Denies the murder charge. The Indianapolis Journal, 2.
The Indianapolis News (1903, June 1). Held for double crime. The Indianapolis News, 13.
The Muncie Evening Times (1903, June 1). A double charge. The Muncie Evening Times, 3.