In the late summer of 1895, a long-simmering property dispute in Chesterton, Indiana, erupted into a shocking act of violence that claimed the life of 19-year-old William R. Tratebas. The young man, a resident of the small town, was fatally shot on the morning of August 15, 1895, inside a local blacksmith shop. The man responsible for his death was 25-year-old Alonzo Leiben Powers, with whom Tratebas and his family had ongoing disagreements.
The fatal encounter was the culmination of
rising tensions between the two men. On that Thursday morning, Tratebas and Powers met at the blacksmith shop, where their argument escalated. During the confrontation, Powers produced a. 32 caliber revolver and shot Tratebas twice in the chest, close to his heart. The wounds were instantly fatal; Tratebas took only a few steps before collapsing to the floor and uttering his final words, 'My God.' After the shooting, Powers calmly walked to his grandmother's adjacent home, where he was later arrested by a deputy sheriff and a constable.
News of the murder quickly spread through Chesterton, inciting outrage and talk of lynching among the citizens. A large, angry crowd gathered, prompting law enforcement to move Powers to the jail in nearby Valparaiso for his safety. The community's desire for swift justice was palpable as Tratebas's family and friends mourned his sudden and violent death. The funeral, held a few days later, was one of the largest in the town's history, with the local church filled to capacity and many more gathered outside.
The legal proceedings against Alonzo Powers moved forward, with the coroner's inquest finding him guilty of murder. Initially, Powers' defense claimed self-defense, but it was speculated that an insanity plea might be used at trial. Due to the intense public interest and high emotions in Porter County, a change of venue was granted, and the trial was held in neighboring LaPorte County. During the trial, evidence was presented that Powers had threatened Tratebas the day before the shooting. The officer who arrested Powers testified that Powers admitted to firing the second shot because he didn't think the first would be fatal.
In December 1895, after deliberating for over eight hours, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. While the charge carried a potential death sentence, the jury opted for a life sentence in prison. Alonzo Leiben Powers was sent to the Indiana State Prison to serve his term. Years later, in 1912, he was declared mentally unfit and transferred to an insane hospital, where he remained until his death.
