Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1889 — INDIANA HAPPENINGS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA HAPPENINGS.

EVENTS AND INCIDENTS THAT HAVE LATELY OCCURRED. An Interesting Summary of the More Important Doings of Our Neighbors—Weddings and Deaths—Crime, Casualties and General News Notefe , White Caps Brutally Whip an Idiot. White Cap methods have again been brought into play to regulate Hoosier affairs. The latest incident occurred in Washington County. Ben Clifton, an idiot, has for many years been a source of great annoyance to his neighbors, and the trouble he caused them is presumed to have been the excuse for the brutal treatment the demented creature received at the hands of the lawless regulators. Instead of adopting legal means and having Clifton sent to an asylum, another mode was used to discipline him. A few nights ago a body of White Caps took Clifton from his beyi, and, carrying him into the darkness, gave him a severe whipping. After finishing their task the White Caps turned the man loose, and, bleeding profusely from the lash’s cuts, the poor idiot crept back to bed. He was clad only in his night clothes. The White Caps said the beating was administered to improve Clifton's manners. Patents. Patents hwe been issued to Indiana inventors as follows: Charles Anderson, assignor to South Bend Iron Works, South Bend, sulky plow; John F. Brown, assignor to A. R. Baker, Indianapolis, temporary binder; William W. Campbell, Cambria, fence; Oliver H. Castle, Indianapolis, steam-engine governor; Charles E. Egan, Columbus, 0., assignor of one-tenth to N. W. Halley, Tipton, incandescent electric lamp-socket; Henry H. Fisher. New Paris, washingmachine; Viola Fitz, Richmond, crib attachment for bedsteads; Adelbert E. Fobtcb, New Albany, stereoscope; Artemus N Hadley, Indianapolis, shockforming table for corn-harvesters; Emmett Shanks, Huntington, truck; Fremont Swain, Indianapolis, percentilemeasurement chart; Allen J. Wolf, Newburg, rail-chair.

Reported Case of Wholesale Poisoning.

A singular case of wholesale poisoning is reported from Ravenstad, Warrick County. In the house of James McGill, a well-known farmer, a package of “Rough on Rats” was left lying on a shelf just above a pail of drinking water. By some means a portion of the poison fell into the bucket, from which the whole family drank. The father, 65 years of age, and his son, James, died from the effects of the poison, while the mother and daughter are said to be in a critical condition and not likely to recover.

Minor State Items. —New York capitalists have invested $350,000 at Muncie. —lncendiaries burned the house of Mrs. Henry Kerns, four miles south of Seymour. —Valparaiso has abolished the offices of Street Commissioner and Chief of the Fire Department. —An incendiary fire destroyed the stable and outhouses of Dr. J. W. Rucker, at Shelbyville. —John Storns, 62 years old, and deaf, was instantly killed at Fairland, Shelby County, whi e walking on the track. —A 3-year-old child of Mrs. Fred Boyles, at Greensburg, was seriously scalded, by the upsetting of a tub of hot water. —While feeding a corn crusher, at Rushville, Henry Winegart had a finger crushed off, pulling a tendon out to the elbow. The third annual State encampment of the Sons of Veterans will be held at Logansport, beginning June 11, and continuing four days. —The Board of Commissioners of Harrison County has made an order bonding the indebtedness of the county, amounting to $60,000. —The daughter of Thomas Gephart, Elnoro, Daviess County, aged 5 years, was fatally burned by her clothing catching fire from a pile of burning rubbish. —Mad dogs have made their appearance in Decatur County, and the citizens are adopting the shotgun treatment to prevent their doing damage to man and stock. —William Pike, an employe of the Winchester saw and handle factory, had his right hand crushed while working at a bolting-machine. Amputation was necessary.

—Elkhart county’s oldest resident, Jarvis Clark, died at Elkhart, aged 91 years. He was a pioneer, was in business many years ago, and was very prominently known. —The Union Grand Army Association of Madison, Delaware, Grant, Blackford, Randolph, and Jay counties will hold their fourth annual encampment at Marion, July 30, 31, and Aug. 1. —At Terre Haute, while making a run to a fire. Major Holden, a prominent farmer of Vigo County, was struck by a ladder wagon and received injuries from which it is thought he will die. The directors of the Knox County Agricultural Association elected officers as follows: M. O’Donnell, President; J. W. Emison, Secretary; William Berry, Treasurer; J. T. MoCimsey, Superinten- • ent.

—Jacob Brown, who had been closely identified with almost every interest and improvement in Jackson County since its settlement, died at Seymour. —Twenty tramps make their headquarters in a sugar camp, near Muncie, and spend the day in begging money and insulting women. An effort will be made to capture them by the city authorities. —An old California miner claims to have discovered a rich silver mine two miles east of Spencer. He exhibited samples of ore, which he says will yield S4OO a ton, but refuses to divulge the location of his “find.” —Mrs. Belle Crane, wife of James Crane, a druggist at Clinton, killed herself by Bending a bullet into her temple. Mr. Crane’s place of business was several times destroyed by fire, and the financial loss had weighed heavily on his wife’s mind. —The vicinity of Columbus is a great rendezvous for tramps, and on bright days dozens of the vagrants can be seen sunning themselves on the roadways leading to the city. All the fences in the neighborhood are covered with curious chalk marks, which are thought to be guides to the visiting members of the tramping fraternity. —The citizens of Huntington are much annoyed by the nauseating odor of escaping oil from a break in the Chicago tank-line. The ste’nch permeates every corner of the houses, and even food is impregnated with it. They also live in fear, because of the danger of the accumulated oil taking fire and causing a serious conflagration. —The Commissioners of Randolph County have agreed to appropriate $25,000 toward a soldiers’ monument to be erected at the east side of the public square, Winchester. This amount, in connection with a bequest by the late James Mormon, will be sufficient to erect a fitting tribute to the memory of Randolph County’s heroes. —Arthur Cypherd, aged 17, living near Birmingham, Miami County, was killed while hunting, in a peculiar manner. He was sitting on a log resting, and seeing a squirrel, drew his gun hastily toward him by the barrel. The lock caught ona piece of bark, exploding the charge, which entered his head. He died in a few hours.

—Miss Lillie Bain, daughter of exAuditor Wm. Bain, of Martinsville, was sitting on a stone wall chatting to friends. In alighting from it, her dress caught on a stone and throwing her violently to the ground, pulled a stone weighing 150 pounds down on her. The stone fell three feet. The young lady was seriously injured internally. —Jesse AV. Griffiths, of Huntington, eccentric character. He ran a drug store over thirty years, and rarely left the place, except to get his meals. He died in his store, refusing to be moved, and about his person was $4,000 cash, while other amounts were found concealed in jars and other receptacles. His estate aggregated $50,000, nearly all in cash.

—A case of alleged faith cure is reported from Fort Wayne. Mrs. Falkner had been ill with consumption for over a year, and was not expected to live. Friends in Columbia City who believed in curing by faith were induced to visit her, and she put herself into their hands and ceased taking medicine entirely. Now, it is said, she is being gradually restored to health.

—Charles Westbrook, of Evansville, has been stricken with aphasia, or the loss of the use of words. It is a peculiar and unusual disease, and the'patient, while knowing the name of the) object he wishes to call, cannot recall the word until some one does the same within his hearing, and a moment later it is forgotten again. Frequently it is followed by a loss of speech altogether. —A singular accident occurred at the Olds Wheel Works in Fort Wayne. A flying spoke struck John McCaffrey, an employe, squarely on the head, and peeled his entire sclap off as clean as the scalping-knife of an Indian could have done. The man was rendered senseless, and blood ran from his head in torrents. McCaffrey will recover, but he will be bald-headed for the remainder of his life.

—A short time since a colored family named Bowman moved to the west end of Xenia and a month ago a “White Cap” notice, with skull and cross-bones, notifying the Bowmans to leave in thirty days was found posted on the door. Though probably intended as a joke, the family took it in earnest, and the other night, when some small colored children rapped at the door and refused to answer when spoken to, a little Bowman boy, who was alone in the house, fired through the door, the shot striking a 12-year-old lad named Williams in the neck, inflicting serious and probably fatal injuries, the ball lodging near the base of the brain.

—A singular incident in the life of David E. Martin, an old soldier, was brought to light at his funeral services in Russiaville recently. At the battle of Resaca Mr. Martin was shot in the left breast by a Minnie ball, but fortunately had a leather-bound Testament in his pocket, which caused the ball to glance, thus saving his life. The old book, with its bullet-torn back, was shown to the congregation during the oration, and the touching allusion to the incident by Rev. Knox brought tears to the eyes of the comrades, and to almost everyone in the house.