Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1885 — Wartner’s Confession. [ARTICLE]

Wartner’s Confession.

Remingten News: Uncle Felix RDonnelly spent last Sabbath day at Miller He is a hale and hearty old gentleman for a Mexican War veteraD, if is charged in Pennsylvania that t e chairman of the Republican Hta e Central Committee, Cooper, got motley to use for the national candidates and devoted it to the election of Cameron candidates for the Legislature.

There is a paper mill now running tu Delaware County, Pennsylvania, which mhoufactored the paper for the Continental currency of more than a hundred years ago, and since furnisned the paper for the prorn back c.:rr~ncy.

Col. A. K. McClure, of the Philadelphia Times, arrived at New Or» leans one evening last week, and was met at the depot by a deputy United States Marshal, who served papers on him ia a suit for libel brought by the Louisiana Lottery company. The damages aro placed at SIOO,OOO.

Remington News: The venerable H: M. Babb and bis good wife completed fifty-two years of the journey together last Thursday. Their golden anniversary, it will be remembered, occurred while thry were liviDgin Tennessee. Their many friends are hoping they may live to enjoy their diamond wedding.

Remington News: Our old townsman, F. R, Donnelly, returned from his extended visit to Dakota last Saturday. Mr. Donnelly not being able to stand twelve consecutive months of hot weather us found in Dakota, returns to Indiana to find that we have reai winters. He'left the Booster settlers in tbe shade' probably fanning tnemselves.

An old moi ihant and advertiser, speaking or merchants cutting their advertising In dull times, pronounces Jta-douotful policy. If advertising pays them when times are good and they have plenty of ( rdets, it sh mid be more valuable when times are bad d they stand in need of business. Advertising is uot a luxury but a business necessity, and the time when It is needed the most is when there is the greatest dearth of orders. We refer ts legitimate advertising in journals ha ing bona fi.-le circulation.

The Hand County (Dak.) Press, of 15th, says of our late cl*»rk of thbJaepe Circuit Court; “Chas. H. Prise, “Judge of Frobate in and for Hyde county,” is row proprietor of the “Vox Populi,” at Highmore, the paper formerly publishod by Hon. J. T. Blackmore. The Judge is the black sheep of a splendid Hooafer famiiy, beiDg the only democrat of the Pri je stock He is brilliant, a splendid good fellow, and a leader of his party in this district He will make the Vox of the people hoarse with reform and tv riff'for*revenuo only talk, but it •will be intetesting,”

Th>' Louisville Courier Journal gets it down at out right when saying that a Democrat is one who believes in a strict construction of the 0 -n----stitution; Id the divorcement of church and State; in a sound current cv, expressed in gold and siifer, and pap*r oonver‘ible into gold on demand; in a clea: division of the powers of Government, Slate and National; in taxation exclusively fur public purposes, and, as to imports laid iu a low scale of duties; and opposed to subsidies, bounties, sumptuary laws, excessive accumulations and expenditure, prefen• ug a simple an l frugal to a splendid Government. A cas o of greut icb-rest lo the com* nun school Interest of Indiana was decided in the circuit court at Greenfield. reoently, by Judge Fcykner, for the state, ex-rel. Hold, attorneygeneral. against the commissioners of Hancock county. The case was brought to recover money to the school funds that was deducted as fees by the officer# ins'oad of the county paying fees out of the county funds. The special finding is: “I find that pait of the school funds derived fretn interest on the loans of the common and congressional school funds was diverted from the purpose of furnis .ingdaltlon in the common schools to the puyment of officials of the said county for collecting and disburslag the same." Judgment for $1,430 Nearly every county in the state, several years ago, proctic- j ed similarly, anil cases will be brought iu all suen counties. j

Remington News; Wild rumors are in circulation that the murderer of the unfortunate James Cotton, whose charred remains were found among the debris of bis burned shanty some eight or tea years ago, has been foundIt is said that a man named Smith made confession cn his death bed that he bad committed the crime for the purpose of getting the moDey young Cotton bad about him amounting to about two hundred dollars. It will be remembered that Smith aod a man named Frantz were arrested at the time, but were released for want of evidence. There is nothing truer than the old saying: “Murder will out.”

The questior s were propounded by Deputy Prosecutor Douthit, aod auswered by Warmer, Mr. Feldmen acting as interpreter. State of Indiana.) Cfounfy of Jasper, j 89: Uecember 4th. a. d. 1884. P F Felcmen, first by me being duly sworn to truly interpret the confession of Weibren Wartner, we proceeded as follows: Q—Where did yon kill John Dregor? A—l killed him by the river. Q- How did you kill him? A—l killed bimiwiththe gun. Q—Did you shoot him, or 6trike him with the gun? A—l struck him with the gun. Q— Did you cut his.throat? A—No, I struck him with the gun; the broken end of the gun. Q —What part did you use? A—The broken end, with the lock on it.

Q —Was he on the boat or on the ground? A—He was on the bank of the river. Q— Was any one present ? a—None but me and Dreger. Q— What time in the day was it? A—Between three and four o’clock iD the afternoon, on Wednesday. Q —At what poiut on the river did it occur? A—At the French Island landing. Q,—Did you have tne pumps down there, or did you take them with you? A~I took them with me. Q— iFbat did you take the pumps there foi ? A—l was going to sink a net. After I killed him I tied ttem to his back. Q—Where did you get the rope halter that you tied the pumps to Dreger with? a—l had the halter ongthe wagon to use in fastening the irons to the nets. Q—Where and when did you breakthe wagon? , A—When we were almost to river, I hooked to a stump and broke It. Q—Whet did you do with the standard of the wagon? A—The box ofl the wagon. Q—What did you tell John Dteger to induce him to go to the river? A—l told him to come autl haul some fish. \ , Q—What induced you to kill John Dreger? A—To get something to eat ana drink for my family. Q—What time did you get home that night? A—l do not knew, but it was getting dark. Q—Did you tell your wife that night? A—l told my wife that Dreger went off with two men. Q—Wbat did you do with John Dreg-, er'n best suit of clothes? A—At John Dreger’s place, between the cow-yard and tbehay-stack I buried them. Q—Did yon put them in a box? A—l buried them the way they were. Q—Did you bury them before or after arrest ? A—Before I was arrested Q Asa matter of fact did you not cut John Dreger’s throat with the knife, and then put it in Dreger’sjpocket? A—l did not. Q—How did you get the blood off the gun? A—l washed it off in the river. Q—Has any one promised you any inducement or reward to make this confession, and do you make the same witli your own free will ?

A—l do It with my own fiee will. State of Indiana. Jasper County, ss: I, Wibreu Wartner. being duly sworn upon my oath saj that the above contes* sion is true as l verily believe. Wiebren Wartner. Subscribed and sworu to before mo« James W. Douthit, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney of Jasper county, appointed by Matthew H. Walker, Prosecutor ot the 30th Judicial Oircuit. this 3rd day of December, ISB4.

JAMES M. DOUTHIT,

Dept. Prosecutor.