In 1893 it appears the McLean, Illinois was a rough and tumble town. On January 10, 1893 an argument and stabbing between two men, ended in the death of a totally unrelated man. Finley Saunders and William Bozarth, the butcher, were arguing over wages to be paid to Saunders. The argument ended by Saunders stabbing Bozarth in the back. The wounds were not fatal, but a warrant was issued and given to Ortegal Caton for execution.
Caton believed that Saunders had taken refuge in the home of Stephen Tudor and went there to find him. Tudor refused him entry and was warned that he must let the officer in, but still refused to admit the officer. Caton then drew his weapon and shot Tudor in the forehead. The bullet traveled down through the head to the base of the skull, causing death. Saunders escaped in the confusion.
A coroner was called immediately to hold an inquest into the death. (Inquests were usually held the same day.) A jury was quickly formed and included S. I. Leach, Wesley Crain, Albert Hougham, A. J. Janey, M.C. James and O. P. Cunningham. Because there was an Illinois statute authorizing officers to use lethal force in executing warrants, the jury found the killing justifiable and the reflection of the Pantagraph was that Mr. Tudor was rash and foolhardy in opposing Caton.
No reflection was made as to whether such a law or such action was appropriate. A collection was made for Mrs. Tudor and her four children, and the body was taken back to Kentucky, where Mr. Tudor had come from. The only note made of Mr. Tudor's family was that he was one of 24 children in one family.
Ortegal Caton was a resident of McLean as well, as was the owner of a meat market (not with Mr. Bozarth). He probably had little training as to the duties or methods of a law officer, and was not, in fact, even listed as a sheriff or deputy in the 1893 city directory. Saunders and Tudor were both listed as laborers in the city directory. Saunders and Tudor had both come to McLean from Kentucky. Saunder's "eulogy" was printed in the Pantagraph. The paper reported that Saunders was known to be a troublemaker and that he had previously terrorized the riders on the train to McLean one night by brandishing a knife on the train. He had been charged with carrying a concealed weapon in Bloomington on another occasion.