Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1889 — INDIANA STATE NEWS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

A CHRONICLE OF HAPPENINGS IN HOOSIKRDOM. Shocking Deaths, Terrible Accidents, Horrible Crimes, Proceedings of Courts, Secret Societies, and. in fact, Everything of Interest to the Hoosiers. “Your name is not Charley Allen. It is Charles Lispenard, and your people live in Brooklyn, N. Y.” These are the words that were addressed to Charles L. Allen, a prominent citizen of Logansport, some three month ago by a farmer residing in Benton County, this State, and here is the sequel: One bleak evening in the fall of 1863 a small boy 6years of age was hurrying through a street in Brooklyn, N. Y., with a basket of shavings on his arm, which he had obtained at the factory near by. As be ran he was seized by a big burly man, hurried into a cab and driven away. Days, weeks, months, and years went by. The mother had a good living and spent hundreds of dollars in search of her missing boy. She finally settled in the belief that he had strayed away and fallen off the pier. Charley fell into the hands of a farmer named Allen, who resided in Benton County, this State. He finally drifted to Logansport, was married and settled in a confortable home. The name sounded peculiarly strange now, and revived memories that nad slumbered long. Mr. Ed McCounel became interested in the case, and addressed a letter to George Byall, a young lawyer who resides in Williamsport, h suburb to Brooklyn. The latter found that a family had lived in a certain ward, but had moved away long since. With this much of a starter, the record of the ward school was examined for the year 1863. Sure enough there was the name, Charley Lispenard. Byall also learned that a brother of the missing boy had lived in the ward until he was a young man. George W. Lispenard was found occupying a position in a jewelry store, in Brooklyn. The story was quickly told to George Lispenard’s mother. Letters passed between them and Charles Allen, and the identity was completely established. Charles L. Allen is the abducted Charley Lispenard. Mr. Allen Lispenard at once left for Brooklyn where, doubtless, there will soon be a joyful meeting.

Lawyers Plan to Relive the Supreme Court. The lawyers of tbe Montgomery County bar m#t for the purpose of taking action in regard tothe present crowded condition of the Supreme Court. Resolutions were adopted favoring an amendment to the State Constitution increasing the number of judges to nine, with a chiefjustice, and that the court be divided into three sections, the Chief-Justice to preside alternatly ever each section when in consultation; in the event of a disagreement the case is to be brought before the full bench; that when the case was a charge for murder it has to be brought before the full bench. The following committee was appointed to confer with a similar committee of the Indianapolis bar: Judge E. C. Snyder, A. D. Thomas, P. 8. Kennedy, and W. H. Thompson.

Indiana Patents. Patents have been granted to Indiana inventors as follows: Jeremiah A. Barber, Newville, fence; Frances M. Beck, Wabash, shaft-bearer; Charles A. Copeland, Rocklane, steering apparatus for traction engine; Louis G. Gustabel, Monticello, hame tug; Franklin F. Harman, Honey Creek, corn-planter; Thomas B. Harrison, assignor to Harrison Typewriter Company, Anderson, type-writing machine; Robert C. and G. E. Hawley, South Bend, apparatus for beating grain; Samuel Hobson, Rockport, •portable fence; Clement Hoover, Winchester, head-rest; Albert P. Sibley and G. 0. Ware, South Bend, bushing for split pulleys. Wabash Board of Trade Will Boom the Town The Wabash Board of Trade met and elected officers as follows: President, H. V. Shively; Vice-president, Alvah Taylor; Secretary, Warren Bigler; Treasurer, Enos Powell. A board of nine directors was also chosen. Now that the city is abundantly supplied with natural gas, active measures will be inaugurated by the board to boom the town and induce manufacturers to investigate the superior advantages of this point as a location. Where Rublta are Plenty. There has probably never been a time in the history of Blackford County when it was so well supplied with rabbits. Six m les south of Montpelier a “Rabbit Club” has been organized, and the members hold a match hunt every Saturday. Up to last Saturday the club had a grand total of 675 rabbits. The members expect to raise the number to a thousand at the next hunp Fatally Injured in a Runaway Acqident. Mr. Clark S. Hickman was driving in the north part of Rochester, when his horses became frightened, ran away, and threw him out in such a manner as to injure him so severely that little hopes are entertained for his recovery. Mr. Hickman is a retired merchant and one of Rochester’s leading citizens. Minor State Items. —By the explosion of a half-filled tank of benzine, in the Monon yards, at New Albany, Edward Weber and Peter Kirby were badly burned. —Citizens of New Albany will make one more trial for natural-gas. Boring will commence at once.

—Samuel Davis, aged 22, living near Waistner’s school, Washington County, went out before daylight to feed the stock. Not returning for breakfast, his parents, on searching for him were horrified to find him dead, hanging from a picket fence, which he had attempted to climb.

—An organized band of thieves is operating in Bipley County, and the forages at different points are becoming alarming. During the past' week numerous robberies were perpetrated in the county, and all planned by the same gang. Boots and shoes and other wearing apparel have been found under haystacks and other places of hiding. —While the Crawfordville Hose Company was at tbe burning house of Mrs. Gardener, some person turned in another fire alarm, which caused a lively hustling around among the boys and hose. It was ascertained that the second alarm was false. In the rush and excitement two buggy axles broke, throwing the occupants out, one of them being the fire chief, and Henry Schenck had hie leg so badly injured as to require medical attention. —While coon-hunting near Columbus, James Green was attacked by a catamount, but succeeded in killing it. Mr. Green was badly injured. —August Fading, whose domestic troubles led to his imprisonment in the County jail at Fort Wayne, fell in the corridore and fractured his skull. —While hunting, Beckner Ward, of Lafayette, was shot and seriously injured by his brother, who mistook the former’s fur cap for a squirrel. The members of Warsaw district, North Indiana M. E. Conference, have recommended to Bishop Merrill the appointment of Bev. A. J. Lewellen as Presiding Elder, a place made vacant by the death of Bev. James Greer, of Warsaw.

—Goshen will enjoy the free mail delivery system after Feb. 1. —Columbia City keeps comparatively free from tramps by putting them to work on the streets. —The Board of Directors of the Indiana State prison, in session at the institution, re-elected Capt. James B. Patten, warden; Maj. Richard Conner, clerk; H. L. Wolf, physician, and W. B. Barnhill, chaplain. The board prepared its annual report, which includes the annual reports of the chaplain and physician, and will forward the same to the Governor immediately. —Mamie Ward, of Valparaiso, was recently scalded by upsetting a can of hot water on herself. Her right arm and side were seriously injured. —The family of John Van Meter, a Whitley County farmer, has had its full share of misfortune. About fifteen years ago Mr. Van Meter became insane, and is still confined in a strong room in his house, his wife all that time attending him constantly. A few years ago his daughter died, and the other day Mrs. Van Meter was found in a cornfield, violently insane. It is thought her condition was brought about by too. close attention upon her husband. There are hopes of her recovery. —Non-partisan temperance work 1 hat received an impetus in Decatur County, through the influence of Hon. Ansley Gray, the eloquent orator of Oberlin, Ohio. An I. 0. G. T. lodge has been organized at Adams. —The hotel of J. A. Carroll, near Goshen, was burglarized of S3OO in money and some silverware. —The following figures gathered by the State Statistican show the extent and character of the fencing, as to rods, used in this State: Rail, 87,656,768; board, 8,051,947; wire, 4,070,215. Total number of rods, 99,781,930. —John Waldo fell from a scaffold at Fort Wayne and was fatally injured. —While painting a barn at Lafayette Blucher Miller fell from a scaffold a distance of twenty-seven feet, and died from the effects of the fall. He-was 27 years old and unmarried. —Representatives of the Standard Oil Company are prospecting for oil near Windfall, Tipton County, and have already secured the right-of-way through several farms. They are still engaged in leasing lands, and will sink the first well about the first of January. They claim that a superior quality of oil exists in this county and much interest has been aroused in the matter. —Mrs. Ellen Motweiler, one of the victims of the recent Floyd County tragedy, is still living, but is suffering intensely. She cannot recover, as the brain continues to ooze out of the wound in her head. Benson, the murderer,will be confined in the Jeffersonville prison until his trial, owing to threats of lynching.

—Adam L. Kramer, an old soldier, employed as an engineer *at the Kenower furniture factory, in Huntington, while engaged in oiling the journals of the machinery, fell into the pit in which the ponderous fly-wheel revolves, and was so horribly crushed that he.died in two hours. He leaves a family. —The Christian Church at Charlestown bought a large bell at Louisville and sent a team to Jeffersonville to get it. While the driver was absent a man drove up, loaded the bell on his wagon and disappeared with the outfit. When the Charlestown teamster returned home he was met by the entire population, whose rejoicing turned to the deepest disgust when they found they wero robbed of their bell. Nothing has been heard of it.