Crawfordsville Review, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 24 June 1899 — Page 7

Established 1841.

GREAT BARGAIN SALE OF

YOU GAM USE IT

ite in

WL

Sjllhtton of Oatalogae Busiaess*

A Heavenly Gift.

""""•"tiii

Jeweler and Optician.

M. C. KLINE.

rFf

JOE E. FISHER

Clores Block, Crawfordsville.

To the man in the moon it wculd be if his sight should fail, to be provided by some good fairy with eyeglaseee or spectacles such as we furnish. A heavenly gift it seems to all whose eyesight is failing, to be furnished with a pair of our fine crstal eye glasses or spectacles that we adjust properly ofter testing tho eyes.

RUBEN'S

Bates House Clothing Parlors.

Opp. Court House.

Let Us Fit You Out.

We have the goods and can please you. Even horses look better with neat fitting

.HARNESS.

t'

Fisher is making a specialty of these goods. All kinds of Harness. All kinds of Horse Goods. Allstyles of Vehicles. All goods just as represented.

Special Values For June

Guaranteed indigo blue, Washington Mills Serge Suits, pure worsted, French faced, elegantly tailored Ruben's reliable make... .$7.50

Blue, wide wale Suits, the Riverside Mills fabric, fine trimmings, best workmanship Ruben's reliable make $8.50

Black Clay suits of fine quality and good weight. "We use only standard makes—Wanlcuks, Washington or Riversides—either sack or .ock style: Ruben's reliable make $9.00

Bates House Clotlpg Purler.

110 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Tnd*

For One Week On'y. The following are a few of our Bargains:

Infants' Dongola Patent Tip Burton, 2 to 6, worth 30c, our price $ .20 Child's Glove Grain Button, 8 to 12, worth 81, our price 75 Misses Dongola Button, 13 to 2, worth 81.25, our price 75 Ladies' Dongola Patent Tip, Button 2 12 to 7, worth $2.00, our price 1.00 Youths' Calf Ball, 12 to 2, worth §1.00, our price 85 Boys' Calf Bell, 3 to 5, worth S1.25, our price 95 Men's Satin Calf. Congress or Lace. 6 to 11, worth 81.50, our price 1.10 Men's Kip Boot, 6 to 11, worth 81.75, our price 1.25

All heavy winter shoes sold at actual cost. Don't forget the place.

SHOE HOUSE

No. 128 East Main Street.

20 DAYS FREE

Asknstoebipyon one of our High Arm tawing1 Machines, with Ball Bearings and all Modern Improvements. This we will do by express to any station within 500 miles of Chicago.

refund.

Upon arrival deposit our price, $19.50, and express chargee, with the express agent of your town, then

TAKE THE MACHINE HOME AND TRY IT FOR 20 DAYS

you prerer» we will smpbr freight and

draw on you through yoor nearest bank, draft attached to Bill of Lading. When machine comes pay draft, and take I

from station. If you don't like It, re torn refund. Weroai yon take no risk.

eit.

draft, and take machine It by freight, and we wlU in year*. Remember

aaranteethemaobineforten It don't coat you one cent onlem you take the

Bearing, irfgni Manning, uuraoie,

Jtasuy uperatea, noiseless,

Double Positive Feed, Self Threading Shuttle, Self-Setting Needle, Tension Liberator, Automatic Spooler, High Arm, Nlckleplated working parts.

Steel bearings,Imprered steel Attachments,

"ir Superior Ftnlsh, HIghly Polished Bent woodwork, Oak or Walnut Send IS oenta for our 1000-page catalogue. It lists everything used by mankind. MONTGOMERY WARD A CO.. Michigan An.,* Madison

St,

Chicago.

WELLS ON TRIAL.

AN EFFORT BEING MADE 10 CON­

VICT OF riURDER IN THE

FIRST DEGREE.

A Large Number of Witnesses to be

,, Examined—The Defense, In­

sanity Brought on by

Disease.

The case of Alfred Wells, of Sugar Creek township, charged with the murder of William and Lee, his two children, on June 1, by throwing them into an old abandoned well, was called for trial in the circuit court Monday. Prosecutor Reeves is assisted by Dumont Kennedy and Johnston & Johnston. Behind them sits George Deck, brother-in-law of Mrs. Wells, who is too ill to attend the trial, accompanied by the two little boys, Harry and Roy Wells, whoso narrowly escaped death at their fathers hands. These two boys are handsome children, bright looking and are fully impressed with the awfulnesa of the affair which brings them before a court.

On the other side of the bar sits the counsel for the defense, Crane & An derson. Deputy Sheriff Barton has Wells in charge, and sits with the attorneys at the table. Wells is very pale and somewhat emaciated, This may come from his confinement in the jail. He was affected when brought face to face with the children he had sought to destroy, and burst into tears. His wife is confined to her bed threatened with typhoid fever and unable to be present. After a long consultation among the attorneys for the prosecution, it was decided to go into trial without her, and not ask a continuance as it was believed that other witnesses could be made serve tlie purpose.

Present with the defendant are William Wells, his father, Mr. and Mrs. Holloway, and Rev. Mills and wife, of Bismarck, 111., the two ladies being sisters of Wells. The families of both Wells and his wife are people of the better order, and all show the great mental strain which has been thrown upon them by the awful tragedy which has forced them into public notice, and brought forth the family history.

The regular plnel of jurors was called into the box about 1.1 o'clock. All but two responded when their names were called, and their places were quickly filled from the special venire of ten ordered for this special occasion. Getting a satisfactory jury was slow work. The state excused for cause Messrs. Williams and Cox, of the regular panel. At noon the jury had not been accepted by the state.

In the afternoon there was a large crowd present, and the work on the jury recommenced. The prosecutor questioned each juror as to his scruples against inllictiilg the death penalty should the evidence warrant it, and all declared they were willing so to do. The state passed the jury.

Mr. Anderson for the defense informed the jury that so far as the defense was concerned there would be but one question to pass upon by the jury, that was the sanity or insanity of the prisoner. The defense would offer no evidence not offered by the State in reference to the crime itself. That was admitted but the defense was insanity. He then asked each juror if he had any prejudice against insanity as a defense, and if he would give the defendant the benefit, if it were proven satisfactorily that he acted under an insane impulse when this crime was committed which impulse he was not able to resist! These questions were all answered in a satisfactory manner, and that if such condition of mind was proven they would return a verdict not holding the defendant morally or legally responsible for his crime. After a short consultation with the relations of the defendant, the council for the defense peremptorily challenged Wm. Hampton of Darlington, whose place was taken by James R. Gilkey, of Ripley township who was after interrogation accepted by both sides. The jury as accepted and sworn is made up as follows:

George Thomas—Coal Creek. Matthew Daily—Madison. Jacob Castor—Walnut. John Freeman—Wayne.

Crawfordsville, Indiana, Saturday, June 24, 1899.

John H. Smith—Ripley. Lewis Reynolds—Brown. George Welty—Union. George Conard—Franklin.^ Richard Pearson—Union. W. W. McClure—Ripley. Paul Hughes—Union. James R. Gilkey—Ripley. After the jury was sworn Mr. Kennedy made the opening statement for the State. He read the indictment which was in two counts one charging the defendant with murdering his children by throwing them in the well the other charging him with drowning them in a well containing water. He read the answer of the defense to the indictment and related the details of the crime which caused a shudder to run through the audience, which was composed in a large part of ladies. Mr. Kennedy declared that the State would prove Wells to have been a man of more than average intelligence, a school teacher, and that he was considered sane by his neighbors and those who knew him best, and that only a few mintues before the murder he was talking rationally to one of his neighbors. That he cunningly enticed the four children to go home from Jones' another way from that they had come, and to go to the old well under the pretense that they would catch a ground hog over there. He got the •hildren all about the well to watch for the ground hog, and pushed them in. Mr. Kennedy offered no motive whatever for the deed.

In the opening statement for the defense, Mr. Anderson stated that the defense had no evidense to hold back nothing to conceal. That the evidence as to the crime would be precisely the same as that offered by the State. He read the law on insanity and stated that they would endeavor to prove that the crime was committted while acting under an insane impulse. The jury would be asked not only to find him insane from the evidence, but to confine him in a mad house where he ought to be. That no one had any favors to ask for the defendant, and if the evidence showed that he was a sane man when the crime was committed then let the axe fall. He gave a history of the man as" regards his mental weakness and epilepsy and declared the ability of the defense to prove that he was of unsound mind.

The first witness for the state was

CAL JONES.

This witness is a neighbor of Wells, lives on his farm. The farm is in Boone county, while Wells lives in Montgomery. The four little boys came over to pick strawberries on the afternoon of June 1. Wells followed them over, sat and talked about two hours. Saw nothing strange about hiui thought he was better than usual. Told the boys they had better go home. Asked them if they had given Mrs. Jones any of the berries they had picked. Insisted on them leaving some, as they only wanted enough for a few pies. They did leave some finally. They w6nt down the road toward home. Later heard commotion and went over to Wells. Helped to get the two dead boys out of the well. Saw Wells at the house. Two men were holding him. He was taking on and crying "Did I do that? Am I a murderer?"

I CONTINUED ON FIRST PAGE.]

Proved an Alibi.

After all the hulla buloo raised about Walker Patterson walking off with a Frankfort barber shop, there was nothing in it. It seems that he had purchased the outfit and had a bill of sale for the same. He has gone back to Frankfort and will probably make some newspapers smoke that published the story that he had stolen a lot of the stuff. Newspapers should be careful about accusing persons of crime.

Settled At 50 Centa^

The notes given by A. H. Willard and endorsed by W. A. Davis, which were pronounced fraudulent some time ago, are again in evidence. They were in the hands of innocent parties, and had to be redeemed. A compromise has been effected by which the holders of the papers take 50 cents on the dollar. There has been $4,800. worth of the paper taken up at that rate. Davis' father came to the rescue and W. A. was able to make settlement with his assistance.

NEW HISTORY.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY TO HAVE

ONE ON A NEW LINE,

A Biographical and Historical Write

Up of This County, Which

Will Be of Real Value.

The history of civilization can never be written. The record of man's progress must remain fragmentary and imperfect. The story clusters around few names of men who were the central figures in great events. It is biographical to that extent, but it is the biography of the few. Of the multitude who played a part no less important the historian tells us nothing. Unknown, they sleep beneath the dust of untold centuries.

The transformation of America from wilderness to garden spot is a story like in character. It has fallen from the lips of age into the willing ear of infancy and has furnished themes for many singers of heroic deeds. The hardy pioneer is a romantic and fascinating figure, just fading into au irrevocable past, who lived a rough, rude life of primitive simplicity who toiled and struggled, and fought, and

"Hewed tho dark old woods away And gave tlie virgin fields to-day.''

His life is sun-illumed. But it is the uncertain rays of the setting suu that lights it with supernal beauty. The broad glare of the noon-day of his existence revealed things not always beautiful. The comforts of life were few, business there were none, hardships and toil were certain, going hand in hand with necessity. To-day we enjoy the fruits of their efforts, and honor them who were the first to labor in this field of effort. The story of the lives of the men who have reduced the wilderness and wasts should be preserved. The task would be stupendous and wellnigh impossible. It can be done only in a measure. It is the purpose of THE REVIEW to do this for ^lontgomery county so' far as it is able. It is arranging to run through its columns a small portion of such history of men and farms each week until the entire county is covered. A brief and entertaining biography of every man who has perforned important work as private citizen or public officer together with the history of their farms will be written. It is intended that fine half tone portraits will be used for illustrations.

It will cover the ground more completely than would be practicable in book form and will deal with living men as well as those who have gone before. The work will be of inestimable value as it will practically give the status of every farmer in the county. As years pass by it will increase in value. It will be a record of facts which otherwise would be lost and could never be recovered. It is expected that the work will be begun within two or three weeks.

THE HORSE SHOW.

An Ideal Day—A Large Crowd—Ev­

erybody Happy.

There was a large crowd of people in town Saturday to attend the horse show, notwithstanding the fact that the knocker" had been out and thrown cold water wherever he could. Very little if any attention was given his cold water baths, and the people came from far and near. The weather was exceptionally fine, and as the farmers had had an opportunity to kill the weeds in the growing corn they were jolly, and prepared to take a day off and view the fine horses, which they had every reason to believe would be shown on that day. They were not disappointed in any way. The show was large and far above the average in excellence, Everything which could add to the comfort and enjoyment of the large crowd was done. Business was brisk in all lines of trade, and those who boomed the horse show, were glad that they did. Col. Lee Fort, of Lafayette, was the judge, and proved himself the right man in the right place. He pronounced it the biggest and best show of the kind he had ever attended. The affair wound up with all the prize takers parading the principal streets of the city headed by the band.

58th Year, No 42

HORRIBLE FIND.

The Dead Body of Bent Coleman

Mangled by Hogs Found

Saturday Near

I

Colfax.

Bent Coleman, of Colfax vicinity, after a life filled full of sensation made his exit from it in the same way. His dead body horribly mangled by a herd of hogs was discovered on the farm of William Clark, half a mile east of Colfax. Near the body was found two empty bottles hich had contained whisky, and in the pockets of his clothing was found $406.55 in currency. From the CoU fax Standard we glean the following in regard to the disappearance of the old gentleman,who had been gone several days. "Coleman had been in the public eye a great deal of late—in fact for several years. He appears to be a man of destiny—very hard destiny, 0. He and his first wife (we undeistand she was his first) could not agree. It is asserted they were so apart in all things that they failed to so much as agree to disagree. A divorce followed. Immediately following this domestic infelicity Coleman's barn was burned and his hogs' were poisoned. Mrs. Coletoan No. 1, was charged with the crime, but the evidence failed to sustain the charge.

In the meantime Mrs. Coleman No. 2 had found a soft spot in Mr. Coleman's affections and had made herself his legal better half. Soon, however, storiesof domestic trouble began to float out from the Coleman home, and it was given out unofficially that wife No. 2, who answered to the name of Julia A. Coleman was making things interesting for her liege lord.

Later the divorce mill was set to grinding and the complaint of Julia A., which had takeil legal form, was dumped into the hopper. Mr. Coleman, to all appearances, took little interest in the matter, not so much as appearing in the case. A legal separation was decreed. This being done Coleman again sought the hand of Julia A. and a justice of the peace at Lebanon tied the knot, and so they were married a second time. But, after a honeymoon of less than 24 hours, the old misunderstanding was renewed, and according to the husband's story, Julia A. told him to go to sheol and put a chunk under it. This Coleman refused to do he had found it hot enough here. But it is given out that he said he would kill himself as the shortest route out of an entangling matrimonial situation.

Thursday of last week he left home and came to Colfax. While here he bought, so it is alleged, two quarts of whisky. This is taken as positive evidence that he proposed to make good his threat of self destruction, for the deadly effect of Colfax whisky is well known. It is also given out that he got on tlie outside of considerable of the fluid.

The supposition is that Coleman either drank enough of the whisky to kill him, or that it had "downed" him and the hogs had torn him to pieces. In any event it was a horrible death. Coleman is well known here, on account of his lawsuits with his wife. These sensational actions have been aired in the courts of all the counties within reach.

DR. DINOMAN IN TROUBLE.

He is Charged with Pilfering Corn

from Convenient Cribs About

Linden.

Dr. J. O. Dingman, of Linden, is in trouble. He has been arrested on a warrant sworn out by a horse thief detective company, on the charge of stealing corn. The facts as are alleged are that the doctor has been slyly pilfering corn from the cribs of farmers in the vicinity of Linden a sack full at a time, as he would return fiom visits to patients after nightfall. The case upon which he was arrested is the charge that he had taken a quantity of corn from the pens of James Wilson. These suspicions have, it seems, been going for some time, aqd investigations by the detectives going on, until now they declare they have the doctor where he cannot get away. His preliminary hearing will be before Squire Ebrite at New Richmond.

The charge is a very serious one, and all public opinion should be suppressed until the truth is definitely known. A man of Dr. Dingman's

Para

roperty and financial standing it is to believe would enter upon a course of petty thieving such as is charged to him. The accused has resided at Linden for a long titpA, and-is quite a prominent citizen. He is a man of considerable property, and well Known over the county. He was at one time a candidate for coroner on the Democratic ticket.