Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1896 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK. Mr*. Grace Dolan of Indianapolis Shoot* an Undesirable Visitor — Tessie Mefford’s Body to Be Exhumed by the Coroner. Kills a Negro Intruder. Mrs. Grace Dolan, living at Indianapolis, entered the front room of her residence the other evening and saw a man standing at the window. Though greatly frightened, she ordered the intruder away, but a moment inter he returned nnd forced himself in at the doo". Mrs. Dolan recognized the iutruder as a negro nnd when he advanced toward her she struck him over the head with a curtain pole. At that moment a visitor at the house brought Mrs. Dolan her husband's revolver nnd she fired upou tho negro. One shot lodged in his leg and a second penetrated his brain, killing him Instantly. The negro proved to be George Jackson, a young colored man of the vicinity. Mrs. Dolan is under arrest.

Big Gas Well Spouting Oil. Reports received in Andetson from the south port of the county hnve occasioned much excitement nnd speculation. Consumers on the Farmers’ gas lino who went to light their fires Sunday morning turned on their valves nnd, instead of getting gas, a gush of oil entne out. Several houses were flooded with tho oil. It was almost Impossible to shut it off wheu once started. Outside it wus found that oil was gushing from tho regulators and from sentns in the pipes. Investigation showed that one of the big gas wells which has been used on the line suddenly turned into an oil gnsher. It Is In a territory where there have been blit very few traces of oil found. Prices on leases went out of sight. It is thought there will be a stampede of ol< men for the new field. Mysterious Death of n Child. Tessie Mefford, a 0-year-old girl, who lived with her grandmother, Rebecca Derriekson, four miles east of Sheltiyvillo, was found dead in bed, nnd, at tho suggestion of George Derriekson, the funeral was made private. Mrs. Mary Ayers nnd Nancy Collins happened in and took part in dressing the body without an Invitation. These Indies Indulged in much talk since regarding the child’s condition. This, with the fact that the little girl was burled without undertaker or clergyman, has caused so much excitement that Coroner Bodher exhumed tho body. No report has yet been made. All Over tho State. Dr. A. H. Coble, of Clinton County, has been arrested and placed under SSOO bond for alleged attempt to buy votes on election day. Ross Bryan, 10 yenrs old, son of P. T. Bryan, treasurer of Lebanon, was fatally hurt at Brazil by jumping from u Vandalla freight. His father was telegraphed for. He said his son’s mind was affected at intervals nnd mental ntllletioh euiised him to leave home. Misses Eva Place and Emma Blatchley, teachers in the Anderson public school, were placed under arrest, ehnrged witli Introducing a horsewhip into the regulations of their schools. The affidavits were! made by Francis Eads, who sets forth that they have* been using the whip on his son. Ho claims the punishment was most severe. The eases are attracting considerable attention. The teacher* gave bond nnd will tight tiie eases. A desperate bnttlu between a posse of officers headed by Marshal Franz, of Berne, nnd a gang of thieves took place in the southern part of tho county Monday morning. Two of the officers were slightly wounded, and-one of tho thieves instantly killed and two others mortally wounded. From'papers found on the person of the dead man his uaino is supposed to bo Gotlhert Brown. The wounded thieves were taken to Decatur for treatment, but they cannot live. The rest of the gang escaped, and officers from adjoining counties hnve been usked to assist in the chase. Thieves entered the house of Sherman Baker, living near North Webster, and while the inmates were asleep robbed it. They then poured oil on the carpets nnd applied a match, which burned the house to the ground. Mr. nnd Mrs. Baker were aroused and escaped from the house just in time to save their lives. The neighbors who were attracted to the scene of the fire gave chase to the desperate men, and should they be caught a lynching is in store for thorn. It is supposed to bo the work of an organized huml which has been torturing farmers to reveil tho hiding place of their money. William Phillips disappeared from Kokotno several years ago. Friday a man named William Phillips died suddenly at Huntington. The bo ly lay four days without identification, when A. F, Phillips, telegraph ediror of the Kansas City World, believing hhn to be his brother, took charge of the remains, ordered them shipped to Kokomo anti the relatives assembled for the funeral, for which all preparations were made. At the last moment the surprising discovery was made that -lie remains were not those of the Kokomo man and the funeral was abandoned. Mr. and Mrs. Simon Pate, an aged couple, wlio resided near Sunman, huve been murdered in cold blood. They were discovered Monday morning in a dying condition, and the husband lived long enough to give an account of the affair. A stranger called at the house Sunday claiming to bear verbal messages from friends across the water, hut the suspicions of the couple were aroused and they refused to entertain him for the night. Shortly after 7 o’clock their door was forced open and they were assaulted with clubs, being left for dead. No demand was made for money, nor does there seem to have been any effort to rob the house. The absence of apparent motive makethe crime extremely mysterious. Indiana will have a candidate for Pres-ident-elect McKinley’s Cabinet in Aaron .Tones, of St. Joseph County. A movement to secure his appointment as Secretary of Agriculture has already assumed formidable proportions. Frederick Clark, a member of a wellknown Wheatfield family, was found bruised and bleeding at a point near the railroad. His injuries are serious. Clark left home with a large sum of money, but when found his pockets had been rifled. His condition is such that he has been unable to give an intelligent account of himself. Ms C. H. Over, senior member of the firm of C. H. Over & Co., Mnneie window glass manufacturers, and George J. Vincent, night watchman at the factory, worn horribly and perhaps fatally burned in a natural gas explosion. Vincent struck a match while repairing a gas pump, causing the explosion. Representative Woodruff will introduce a bill in the Legislature prohibiting tne sale and manufacture of cigarettes in this State. Heavy penalties will be prescribed. Tiie Woman’s Christian Temperance Union throughout the State is obtaining thousands of signatures to petitions urging the passage of such a measure.