_Philip D. OLINGER __
_Henry OLINGER _|
| |_Elizabeth SCHRODER _
|
|--George W. OLINGER
|
| _____________________
|_Sarah DARNELL _|
|_____________________
! A GAZETTE REPORTER VISITS THE MURDERER IN HIS CELL. On Saturday morning a Gazette reporter called on Sheriff Nuke, who kindly admitted him into the cell of the murderer. He is in one of the back cells of our county jail. It is a low, narrow, dark, dingy place, with no furniture except a cot, a chair and an old box. There by the aid of a tallow candle, our reporter was enabled to take notes, as he talked with Alex. M. Combs, the murderer of George W. Olinger. Combs is about six feet in height, giving him the appearance of being rather slender in form, wears a moustache and goatee, and is not a bad or vicious looking man. He was rather shabbily dressed, and his hands bore evidence of hard labor. His face wore rather a haggard look, which may be accounted for in part, by his not having had any sleep the night before. One noticeable feature was, the cool manner in which he looks at the case. It seems to be a matter of business with him and that he does not realize that he is resting under the charge of murder. On entering the cell, Combs made some jesting remarks about the furn- iture, and seemed to take the whole thing in a matter-of-fact way. When our reporter told him he wanted to talk about the murder, in order to publish his version of the case in the Gazette he became quite reticent. He said he had not seen his attorney yet, and would prefer not to talk about the matter. On being assured that he would not be asked to tell anything that would convict him, he became very talkative. The following is a verbatim report of what he had to say: I am 31 years of age, and live in Xenia, Miami county, Ind. I have known Geo. Olinger for about four years. About a year ago he and I had some trouble about some corn that had not yet matured. We finally agreed to leave it to arbitrators, which was done, and their decision was satis- factory to both of us, and I have had no ill feeling toward him about that since then. But I never had any confidence in him as a business man since, and have utterly refused to have anything to do with him on that account, or allow my family to have anything to do with him. Reporter--Were you not jealous of Mr. Olinger's attentions to your wife? Combs--I would rather not answer that question until I see my at- torney. My wife was in the habit of sometimes being away from home when she ought not to have been. It is pretty tough on a man to work and then go home and find nobody there. I and my wife had some difficulty on Thursday evening. I would not say we quarreled, but she left Xenia that night on the 2 o'clock train. I do not know where she went. Reporter--What have you to say about Andrew Zeeks evidence? Combs--Well, I was not in partnership with Zeek, as has been reported. But Zeek and I worked together in another man's shop. I had bought a shop of my own, which I was going to move, and Zeek was to furnish a certain amount of tools, which he failed to do, and was jealous of me on that account. Beside that Zeek is an opium eater, and half the time don't know what he's doing or saying. I can prove this by the neighbors for three miles around. You will find that Zeek's evidence won't amount to anything. Everybody knows him too well. By this time his attorney had arrived at the jail, and our reporter bade him a good morning. But just before he left, Combs said he would rather not have anything printed until after the trial, and then everybody would know all the facts in the case. That Combs murdered Olinger with deliberate premeditation there is not a shadow of a doubt. He is smart enough not to make any statements that would likely convict him. He appears to have studied this part of the act well. But his evasive answers, and in fact his manner clearly indi- cates his guilt. A.M. Combs either murdered George W. Olinger cooly and deliberately, or he never fired the fatal shot. He first states that he had no ill feel- ing toward Olinger, and then states that he has never had any confidence in him since their first difficulty, and would not allow himself or family to have anything to do with him. It was very evident that Combs was jeal- ous of Olinger's attentions to his wife, whether he was justifiable in his jealousy or not, it may never be known. But certain it is that fired by the combined causes of unsatisfactory business transactions and jealousy, until his hot blood fairly boiled in his veins for revenge, he deliberately murdered George W. Olinger. NOTE.--Combs stood in Miami county, and shot across the line, and killed his man in Howard county. (Also for the record he is buried in Grant county.)
! THE XENIA MURDERER Marion Chronicle, Jan. 29, 1880 Ten Years North Kokomo Gazette:
On last Tuesday, John W. Kern, one of the attorneys for Combs, entered a motion for a new trial, and on submission to the court the same was overruled. Combs in response to the question by the court whether he had any- thing to say why sentence should not be passed upon him, said that he had not had a fair and impartial trial; that certain of the witnesses for the State testified falsely; that he at no time held any prejudice against George Olinger. He seemed to be very penitent, and very much affected. The court, after he had concluded, passed sentence upon him in the follow- ing words: "Alexander M. Combs, you were tried by an impartial jury. The jury that tried you made great allowance for the provocation you had. It is a terrible thing to take a human life, and I can not forbear to caution you that you should control your temper. It is the judgement of the court that you be taken to the State Prison and there confined at hard labor for ten years." The prisoner seemed to evince considerable felling at the close of the sentence. On Saturday Sheriff Duke started to the northern prison with Combs.
! The 1870 census shows GEORGE OLINGER and his wife, SARAH and daughter IDA, age 3,living in Jackson Twp., Howard County, Indiana. The 1880 census shows SARAH OLINGER and her daughter MARTHA ANN, age 12, living in Jackson Twp., Howard County, Indiana. Question-------Why does the daughter have a different name in 1880????