Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1889 — INDIANA HAPPENINGS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA HAPPENINGS.

events and incidents that have LATELI OCCUBKEU. An Intereatimc Summary of the More Important Doing* <>f Oor Neighbor*—Wedding* and Death*—Crime, Casualties and General News Notes. Sad Story of Human Neglect. A sad story comes from the northeastern portion of the city of Madison. For a number of years the old Point House, on the old Telegraph Hill road, has been occupied by a number of colored people and an old white woman called “White Dove,” or “Granny Scales.” The place became so notorious from the frequent outbursts of blasphemy and disturbances of various kinds that it was determined to rid the community of the nuisance. A short time since proceedings of ejectment were instituted, and the occupants were ousted, since which time they have been encamped on the hillside near by, and during the late cold spell they have had nothing to protect them from the rain but the shelter a few small trees afforded. Among them is a colored man known as “Nigger Bill,” who is in a pitiable plight. For a week he has lain upon the cold ground, with no covering save the canopy of the heavens. He has had no medicine, has had not a single morsel to eat, not even a drink of water to quench his thirst during the five days he has lain out there upon the bare hillside. When asked if they were doing anything for him the occupants of the air-castle replied that he was tin a fit and could eat or drink nothing. What keeps him alive is a mystery. Nothing is being done excepting that his tender-hearted associates turn him over to keep the sunbeams from his face.

Eleventh Cavalry Reunion. The sixth annual reunion of the Eleventh Indiana Cavalry which was held at Pendleton,was the most successful the association has ever held. One of the pleasing incidents of the reunion was the presentation of a gold watch and chain by Maj. J. C. Hannum, of Delphi, in behalf of his comrades, to E. W. Collis, of this place, who has been their efficient secretary for the past five years, and ivas again unanimously elected to serve for the coming year. The following officers were elected to serve until their next meeting: President,Maj. E. Shewalter.of Portland;First Vice President, R. H. Crowder, of Sullivan; Second Vice President, Capt. Sanford Sewell, of Greencastle; Secretary, E. W. Collis, of Pendleton; Treasurer, D. M. Burns, of Lebanon. After a spirited but good-natured discussion, they decided to hold their next reunion at Portland in September, 1890. Patents Issued to Indiana Inventors. Indiana inventors have been granted patents as follows: Jacob, Alljip,. Seymour, carpet tacking and stretching machine; Peter Anderson, assignor to H.G. Olds, Fort Wayne, fifth wheel for vehicles; Elon E. Cass, Noblesville, bed bottom; Frank P. Cox, Terre Haute, arc lamp; William R. Cunningham, assignor to Wallace Manufacturing Company, Frankfort, machine for cutting brick or other clay products; Josiah 0. Keller and D. D. Weisell, Fort Wayne, dental vulcanizer; Winfield W. Mullen and F. M. Mullen, Bunker Hill, grain drill; John J. Stedman, La Porte, dental plate.

Minor State Items. —Counterfeits of the $2 silver certificate are afloat at Lafayette. —Patrick Allwell fell into a hot-water vat, at the Lafayette paper-mill, and was parboiled. —George E. Gephard, a Panhandle brakeman, residing at Sweetzer, was killed by the cars at Ridgeville. —The second futile attempt was made, a few night ago, to blowup Sam Smith’s saloon with dynamite, at Ossian. Henry Winker, of Williamsport,had his skull crushed by a young colt kicking him, on the Covington fair ground. —A meeting has been called at Seymour, Oct. 10, to form a non-partisan press association for Southern Indiana. —ln a factory at Anderson Alonzo Brown, a young employe, was caught by a revolving shaft and seriously injured.

—A successful movement has been inaugurated for the formation of a Presbyterian church at Hazelrigg, Boone County. —At Knightstown, Jerry Newell, an old soldier, was found dead in his bed. Death was caused by the effects of whisky. —Charles H. Holman, a “trusty” at the Prison North, from Elkhart County, with but three months yet to serve, has made his escope. —NathanHutson, a well-to-do farmer, while working on a ditch, near Bennett’s, w as terribly crushed by a cave-in, dying almost instantly. —Frank Thomas was caught by a revolving shaft in the Montmorenci elevator. Several ribs were broken, and he was otherwise injured. —The Commissioners of St. Joe County will be petitioned to appropriate SIO,OOO for the erection of a Soldiers’ Monument at South Bend. —Warden Patten, of the Prison South, has advertised for bids to lease 150 convicts now employed in the manufacture of boots and shoes in that institution. Since the lease of the Jefferson Boot and Shoe Company expired the State has been using the convicts to manufacture boots and shoes.

—Two more great gas wells have deen struck near Winchester, one by the electric light company, of that city, and the other by a company of ten citizens. —Mrs. Eosina Shiefflen, of Jeffersonville. awoke the other, night, to find a negro burglar in her room, and promptly threw him out of a second-story window.

—The grand jury of Miami County has condemned the jail under the courthouse at Pern as unhealthy, and recommends the construction of a separate building. —Vincent H. Williams, aged 60, a veteran of the late war, was found dead in bed in his room at the Central Hotel, New Albany. Heart disease is the supposed cause. Prof. John E. Coleman, formerly of this State, died in Arkansas on the 16th inst., and the address of his relatives is wanted. Address J. B. McDonald, Altus, Ark. —Albert Lamaster, of Sellersburg, broke in upon a religious meeting at Speed’s Switch, and proceeded to run things. He was arrested and fined sl7 before Justice Haas. —The other night a burglar was trying to gain an entrance to the residence of Mrs. J. L. Boer, at Peru, when the woman discovered him. She shot through the door and put him to flight. —Frederick Koch, a young man apparently about twenty years of age, was killed at Princeton on the railroad. He attempted to board a through freight which was going at a rapid rate. - The 2-year-old daughter of John Mooney, of Fort Wayne, swallowed the contents of a bottle of liniment, containing choroform and laudanum, and died from effects of the poison. —Dr. J. G. Caldwell, of Jeffersonville, has in his possession the log book of the steamer Gen. Clark for he* third trip from Louisville to New Orleans, during the winter of 1820 and 1821.

—The farmers of Fall Creek Township, Madison County, are signing articles of agreement to forever refuse to lease their lands for gas privilege to any company or syndicate who will have the gas piped out of the Township. —The election ordered to incorporate Lindon, in Montgomery County, did not take place at the time appointed. It seems that the “cow question” was the cause of the postponement. Some people were afraid that the cows would be shut up at once. —At Winchester, Rev. William Smith, of Saratoga, a prominent divine of the United Brethren Church, and who was arrested on a charge of attempted criminal assault, a few weeks ago, was tried and sentenced to two years in the Northern Penitentiary. —A colored couple entered the office of a justice of the peace, at Jeffersonville, and asked how much it would cost to be made one. When informed that the fee was $2 they left, saying that that they had been told they could get married for 10 cents in Indiana. —lke Decker, a conductor on the Clover Leaf, was killed at the Silverwood coal mine while attempting to board his train. Stumbling in the attempt, he fell, and both arms and one leg were cut off, causing his death in a few minutes. He leaves a family in Charleston, 111. —James Bain, whose home at North Knightsville was destroyed by fire, tells of other losses besides the house and furniture. He slept with S6O under his pillow, and his wife with SIOO under her pillow, and, being paper money, was consumed by the flames. His wife barely escaped with her life in her night clothes.

—W. T. Dannis, Fish Commissioner, has made arrangements with Trustee Henry, of Union Township, Montgomery County, for the building of two fish ladders, one at Sperry’s dam, near Crawfordsville, and one at Yount’s dam, at Yountsville. The two ladders will cost about S7O. A fish-ladder will also be placed at Deer’s dam in Brown Township. —Joseph Mathis, of New Albany, is reported in a very critical condition from inflammation of the brain, brought on in a very peculiar manner. Mr. Mathis, who is employed in the Portland branch of the great DePauw glass-works, was struck on the eye one week ago by an unknown man, as he was returning home form work. Since that time he has been suffering intehse pain, and the injury has finally resulted in inflammation of the brain. —While boring for gas at the citizens’ gas well at Jasper the casing suddenly sank seven feet, with a rumbling noise. There were 950 feet of six-inch casing in the well at the time the strange and unprecedented accident happened. The driller ascribes the sinking of the casing to a probability that the drill struck into a subterranean cavern at the depth of 950 feet. Another remarkable occurrence was the appearance of a cloud of smoke at the mouth of the well immediately after the accident. —The crew of a Monou freight train discovered a hat on one of the cars when the train reached the junction near Greencastle. Two of the brakemen went back upon the track as far as Putnamville, and there discovered the mangled remains of a stockman, named W. W. Dunn, who had been struck by the overhead bridge at tnat point. He is one of many victims whose lives have been sacrificed by this death-trap. His body was shipped to his home in Michigan.