Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1895 — ROMANCE AND TRAGEDY. [ARTICLE]

ROMANCE AND TRAGEDY.

Case in Which Marriage and; Murder Are Singularly Mingled. A remarkable ending to a romance and tragedy occurred at Lebanon, Ind., recently when Mrs. George T. Galt married William Jackson, ivho twenty years ago shot and killed her first husband and who had been at the time sentenced to twentyone years’ imprisonment. In January, 1875, the place was thrown into the wildest excitement by the shoot- , ing of George T. Galt, one of its wealthiest residents, by Lawyer William Jackson. Three years prior to the tragedy John C. Davis was cashier of the First National Bank of Lebanon and a highly respected citizen. He was the father of three girls, and upon them he bestowed all his affections, his wife having died a few years before. His greatest desire was that his daughters might each wed a man who was well supplied with this world’s goods and of irreproachable character. When May, his eldest, began receiving the attentions of William Jackson, a young law student, with apparent favor, the father entered strenuous objections and forbade the would-be lover to again call on his daughter. About a year afterward May was married to George T. Galt, a widower, who, besides being one of the wealthiest men in Lebanon, was known to a few to be quite a sport. Happiness did not reign supreme in the Galt home, and as the husband grew more reckless, Mrs. Galt left him in December, 1874, and began suit for divorce, choosing as her attorney young Jackson, who had in the meantime been admitted to the

practice of law. Galt accosted Jackson on the street and Jackson drew a pistol and fired four shots in rapid succession. Gait fell to the sidewalk and died within a few moments. Jackson was immediately arrested and charged with murder, and although Mrs. Galt came to his rescue and spent a large sum of money, he was convicted and given a sentence of twenty-one years in the penitentiary. Upon the recent release of Jackson from prison the widow married him, the ceremony being performed by the same minister who had married her to Galt over twenty years ago.