Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1896 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

!i ’ ’ » •g, RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK. Mr. aud Mr*. Austin** Seventy-four Years of Wedded Bliss—John Graham, a Man of Mystery, Dies at Anderson—OH Men Despondent. A Remarkable CoUplo. Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah T. Austin, of Roliiug Prairie, near Laporte, are believed to lx- the oldest married couple in ludinna. They recently celebrated their seventy-fourth wedding anniversary. Mrs. Austin was Miss Hannah Teeter and she became the wife of Mr. Austin before coming to Indiana in 1834, they being pioneers of this section of the State. Both husband and wife are hale and hearty, a living testimonial that early marriages are not detrimental to longevity. The residence of the couple in Laporte County has been continuous from the time they came West from New York in the days when northern Indiana was yet a wilderness of forest trees. Twelve children were born of this union, five of whom are living—two daughters and three sons. Mr. Austin has been sick but few days during his life. He has always been temperate and the venerable couple believe that they will live to celebrate many more anniversaries. Their faculties are unimpaired and life with its changing scenes is still sweet to them. Duel in Lebanon Streets. Wallace Riley, for many years a prominent resident of Lebanon, was killed instantly Monday morning by Thomas Allen, a stock buyer. Allen’s son, aged 17, hud been keeping company with Riley’s daughter, aged 24. On account of the difference in the ages of the young people, both fathers objected to their marriage, but the couple succeeded in securing a marriage license Friday evening and were married. Immediately after the marriage they left for Putnam County, nnd remained there until a telegram advising them of the tragedy called them home. When Miss Riley failed to come home Friday night her father set out to learn the cause. He soon heard of the marriage. Ho denounced the elder Allen ns helping on the marriage. The men met on the streets Saturday afternoon. Riley said: “Defend yourself! One of us is

Kollig to die!” Riley pulled ids revolver. Allen siiid ho was unarmed, and the two repaired to Hooton’s hardware establishment in search for a weapon for Allen. They wore finally separated before any blood was shed. Monday morning Riley wns bn the streets early, and was loud In bin claims that he wns after Allen. Riley wns just coming out of the postofilce room when Allen drove up in his carriage, alighted nnd passed in. After getting his mall lie atnrted to leave the postotfice, when Riley accosted him with drawn weapon. Like a Hash Allen drew his pistol nnd the tiring began. Riley fired two shots anil, Allen four. When the smoke'cleared away Riley was lying In the postofilce door, and Allen’s son, who witnessed the affray from his father’s carriage, had received a severe wound in the right side. Allen was arrested and Is in lull. Both inen are wealthy and influential. Riley has cut a prominent figure in politics for many years. Slump in Petroleum Prices. t The week just passed has been a disastrous one over the Indiana oil field, and men who were considered in high luck a month ago are in anything but an easy frame t>f mind now. The decline in the price of crude oil has been so great as to make it unprofitable to work the wells, and' tho demand being so small, the tanks and repositories are filled to the fullest capacity. Throe or tour deals have been engineered where owners of wells have closed out all they had on hand at 25 cents a barrel. This makes a loss to them. Companies and private individuals all over the gas belt have shut down their wells and are waiting for times to brighten and the men who were erecting derricks are stopping the work. The outlook to many is hazardous nnd to all very dismal. It is safe tb say that the number of wells completed this month will fall 50 per cent short of last month, while it showed a decrease over the preceding one. Leasing of land has stopped altogether, and many options have been dropped. A month ago money was passing hands lively, but now it is being held close. All Over the State. At Amity, a small village in Johnson County, Jaimes Needham and Samuel Sylvester, with another man, were found playing cards in a box car, when their wives approached and locked the door. The men thought that the closing of the door was the work of other parties, and Needham fired a shot, which struck Mrs. Sylvester in the abdomen and she will die. John Graham came from some point in the South twenty years ago and settled near Pendleton. He never spoke of the past, lived secluded and amassed $lO,000 worth of property. He became influential, but his desire to be alone threw a mantle of mystery around him. Graham died last week, and when the county was called on to take care of his property, which was unclaimed by anyone, it was found that he. had made no will and left no heirs. Graham often said that he had no relatives nnd that he was destined to wipe out the family name by dying without heirs. The property will be converted to the echo?! fund, as provided by law. An epidemic of black diphtheria is raging at Schererville. In the family of John Boney one child is dead and the death of four more is expected hourly. Wednesday morning the children were apparently well and in a few hours were deathly sick. Disbarment proceedings were instituted in Anderson against Prosecutor Scalan, ex-Deputy Prosecutor Doss and Attorney G. R. Call. Call is charged with bribery, Doss with accepting bribes, and prosecuting the State, apd the prosecutor with acquiescing in the action of the exprosecutor, who was at the time his deputy. F. C. Donald, chairman of the Central Passenger Association of Chicago, states that roads of the Central Passenger Committee will, for the Grand Army encampment, sell excursion tickets to St. Paul at the rate of 1 cent per mile, by all lines pt the committee, plus SB, basing fare from Chicago to St. Paul, on Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1. Tickets will be for continuous passage in both directions and good to begin going journey only on date of sale. This subject to ticket conditions established by St Paul-Cbicago lines. This means the rate of 1 cent per mile is granted to Chicago, and the trip-thence to St. Paul is SB, vMrt is less than 1 cent 'per mile.

WALLACE RILEY. THOMAS ALLEN.