5 January 2025

I ran across this story while researching the rise of Hitler. This story was a front page story on July 3, 1934. I wonder if they ever caught the murderer. Tom Lee was 72 years old when he was killed. I'm sure there were people who loved him, and his loss deeply impacted this family.

Hunt Suspect in City Slaying

Kentuckian Is Implicated by Former Roommate in Chinese Death.

Suspicion in the shooting yesterday of Tom Lee, 72, Chinese laundryman murdered by a customer in an argument over a shirt, today fell on a Kentuckian who previously had quarreled violently with another Chinese laundryman.

Police were told of the man, whose first name is Matthew, by Aaron Pollard, 114 North Noble street, with whom the suspect had roomed. The only identification of the murderer yesterday was the name Mathews on a laundry ticket.

Mr. Pollard told police that the suspect had threated some time ago to "get" a laundryman named Sam mays, whose place of business was said to be on Michigan street, after an argument similar to yesterday's. He described the suspect as a heavy drinker.

The murderer, who kidnaped two Indianapolis motorists in his flight, apparently made good his escaped in the direction of Frankfort and Lafayette.

Lee was accused by Matthews of returning only two shirts when three were due, accord to witnesses.

Lee's inability to speak English fluently also figured in the argument. Finally, Matthews demanded the third shirt, or 75 cents, only to meet with flat refusal. He fired.

The two men who were forced to drive Matthews H. K. Jones, 5914 Lowell avenue, who took the fugitive to the intersection of Michigan road and Kessler boulevard, and Howard F. Foltz, 3510 Washington boulevard, whose car was stolen by Matthews after Folz had been force to drive him to Lebanon.

State police and authorities of Frankfort and Lebanon joined vainly in the hunt for Matthews.