BEDFORD WEEKLY MAIL BEDFORD, INDIANA FRIDAY, AUG. 31, 1900 THEY FEEL BETTER Thomasson And Gaines Resting Easier Since Their Confession Jeffersonville, Ind., Aug. 28 – Oliver Thomasson and John P. Gaines, confessed murderers of Frank Lentz, when seen in their cells at the Reformatory today had partially regained their composure, after the unnerving they received yesterday by confession of Thomasson. Thomasson has slept little for weeks, but said that he felt better since he had told the secret that was hounding him to death, "I want to be good," he said; "hereafter I intend to live right." He spends much time in prayer and says that he feels he did right in confessing. He has no idea what will be done with him, but says if it comes to the worst he will meet it fearlessly. Gaines has about recovered his nerve and is beginning to assume the same sullen demeanor he bore when first brought to the Reformatory. He refused to talk of the murder and said that he wished to see his father, W. G. Gaines, before making a statement. Both men seem to fear mob violence if they are taken back to Lawrence county for trial, and ask to be given sufficient protection, if that is done. A special to the Enquirer from Jeffersonville says: "W. H. Thomasson, brother of Oliver Thomasson, and William G. Gaines, father of John P. Gaines, who confessed to the killing of Frank Lentz, visited the Reformatory today to see the murderers. They were accompanied by Judge R. N. Palmer, of Bedford, and Attorney W. H. Edwards, of Mitchell, who have been retained as Thomasson and Gaines' lawyers. Judge Palmer said that when the prisoners were arraigned in Lawrence county he apprehended no mob violence. Judge Martin has stated that he will preserve order if he has to call out the militia. Court convenes at Bedford September 3. The grand jury will convene on the 10th, at which time indictments will be returned against the accused, and their trial will follow, it having been agreed upon that no continuance will be asked. Thomasson is very nervous and almost broken down. His mind feels relieved since he confessed to being a party to the horrible butchery. Gaines stands the charge against him with composure. He will stand trial with a full knowledge of the punishment in store for him. Thomasson and Gaines will remain in confinement at the Reformatory until ordered to appear before Judge Martin at Bedford." DETECTIVE'S STORY The detectives employed on the Lentz case have given the Enquirer the following account of the matter: "Bedford is one of the most prosperous little cities in the State, being the center of a great stone district, where thousands of men are employed in the quarries. Among these was Frank Lentz, 20 years of age, and the sole support of a widowed mother, with whom he lived on a small farm about five miles southwest of Bedford, on the Bryantsville and Bedford turnpike. He gave his entire weekly wages to his mother and was regarded by the neighbors as honest and industrious. As much cannot be said for the sons of several farmers in that neighborhood. Many of these young men are wild and tough and have caused a reign of terror thereabouts. It was the favorite pastime of these young men to break up the religious services at the little church in the farming community by shooting out the lights. Another of their tricks was the cutting of harness on horses hitched to the long rack outside the church. The hoodlums would enter the stables of neighbors with impunity and appropriate the finest rigs. Lawlessness was rampant, and the officials of the county seemed to be unable to cope successfully with the gang. The horse and buggy belonging to young Lentz's mother was taken several times by the gang in spite of the efforts of the son to make secure the stable doors. On the night of July 3 Lentz mounted a bicycle and rode to Bedford. Later he returned and passed a buggy in which were two of his friends. He spoke to them and rode on. When the men drove past the Lentz home they observed that the house was dark, and one of them remarked that Lentz must have gone to bed right after he got home. The next morning his body was found in the door yard. The horse and buggy of his mother was standing in the road and his bicycle was lying on the ground near the body. The county authorities put forth their utmost efforts to run down the perpetrators of the crime. The community was greatly excited by the murder. A few days later Olive Thomasson, who lives near the Lentz arm, was arrested at Mitchell, Ind., as a suspect. He was given a preliminary hearing and held for murder. Shortly after his arrest John Gaines, the son of a prominent farmer living next to the Lentz place, was taken into custody. He was given a hearing and admitted to $1,000 bail which he furnished. The accused were incommunicative, and for a time it looked as if they would be released, as no evidence could be obtained against them. It was then that Prosecutor Zaring, of Lawrence county, wrote to Chief Deitsch for the services of two of his best detectives, that evidence against the prisoners might be secured. The Chief was unable to send any of his men from the regular department and recommended Captain Grannan, head of the Grannan Detective Agency. The latter went to Bedford and held a consultation with Prosecutor Zaring. The conference resulted in the return of Grannan to Cincinnati and his employment of John Rayburn, Deputy Game Warden, to assist him. The two went to Bedford. Rayburn represented himself as a returned soldier form the Philippines, who was in that vicinity to buy cavalry horses. Rayburn had been in the Orient, and he could talk glibly of the campaigns against Aguinaldo and his brown-skinned warriors. However, some one tipped off the identity of the officers, and when the two attended a picnic given near the scene of the crime several young farmers made threats against them. Grannan and Rayburn were not a bit scared, however, and having their headquarters near the Red Cross farm, they were able to pick up damaging bits of evidence against he prisoners. The knife with which the murder was committed was found in a clump of weeds near where the body was found. It was a cheap pocket knife that cost about 40 cents. Grannan then invoked the aid of M. C. Stone, Deputy Sheriff of the county, and when they returned to this city the work was taken up by Stone and pushed to a successful conclusion from the evidence that was obtained by Grannan and Rayburn. Fellow quarrymen of the murdered man made threats of lynching Thomasson, and he was hurried to Jeffersonville, where he has since been kept in solitary confinement. Stone kept questioning the prisoner, and last Monday Thomasson broke down and confessed. He said that on the night of July 3d, he and Gaines entered the stable of Lentz's mother. They had driven out of the stable when Gaines called his attention to the approach of Lentz on a bicycle. The young man yelled at them to get out of the buggy or some one would get hurt. In reply Thomasson alighted from the buggy and started for Lentz, who entered the gate of the yard. Lentz then halted and waited for Thomasson. The latter pulled a revolver and fired at Lentz, the bullet entering his side. Although desperately wounded, Lentz clinched with Thomasson, who had by this time got within arm's length of him, threw him down, falling on top of him. Lentz worked with his fists vigorously and was badly punishing the face of Thomasson, when Gaines is alleged to have come up from behind the struggling men. According to Thomasson's confession Gaines drew a knife from his pocket and, grabbing Lentz by the forehead, pulled his head back and cut his throat. He then stabbed him in the face. The blood gushed over Thomasson, who rolled Lentz off him and regained his feet. Lentz was not yet dead and staggered to his feet. He groped about the ground and secured a stone, which he threw with fast weakening strength at Gaines. It stuck the fellow in the face and he dropped like a log. Thomasson dragged his companion in crime away from the spot. Lentz made an attempt to reach the house, but dropped to the ground after taking several steps and soon expired. Thomasson repeated his confession in front of Gaines, but the latter positively and vehemently declared it to be a lie."