Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1902 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK. Engineer Leaps to Escape an Imaginary Wreck—Man Goes to State's Prison for Friend’s Crime—Boy Is Fatally Stabbed by Companion. Danger which existed only in a mind overwrought by dwelling on recent railroad wrecks brought probably fatal injuries to J. E. Bible, an old engineer of the Wabash Railroad. Sible was at th® throttle of the big locomotive of the limited train that was traveling at a rate of forty miles an hour when the lights of Attica appeared. The track was clear and the signal lights of tlie switch showeii nn unobstructed path. Suddenly the old engineer gave a start and shouted to his fireman, Bert Frick: “Jump for your life, Bert, the switch is turned and we’ll crash into ” The sentence was not finished, for in an instant Sible had applied the safety brake, reversed the lever and jumped to escape the specter his nerves had conjured up. The fireman followed, but was not injured. The train came to a stop and Sible, who was badly crushed, was taken to a hospital in Peru. Goes to Jail for a Friend. Albert Gilmore, until recently a prominent postmaster in southern Indiana and a member of a leading family, will be received at the Michigan City prison in a few days to serve an indeterminate sentence for horse stealing. Gilmore made no defense. He feigned guilty in order to save the real criminal, yvho was his friend. Influence brought to bear on Gilmore could not shake him in his decision to go to prison to save a man who had once befriended him. The court, in view of the plea of guilty, passed sentence, but with the development of the facts which will clearly prove Gilmore's innocence Gov. Durbin will be asked to pardon him. Lovesick Girl Kills Herself. Charles Pittser, who, recently shot his young bride to death in Muncie, is responsible for another tragedy. Miss Edna Cook rented a room in the Commercial Hotel and shot herself through the heart The suicide left a note saying that she could not endure life without Pittser. Shs had vainly triefi to see him at the jail Pittser stated that he was not in love with her, eared nothing for her and did not wish to see her. Just a month before Pittser tried to shoot Miss Cook at a dance in Yorktown. Schoolboy Stabs Hie Mate. The public school at Cambria was the scene of a tragedy enacted by one of the pupils, wjio became enraged at his playmate and inflicted a wound with a pocket knife that will prove fatal. Claude Tinkle, aged 13. became angry over the result of a game of ball and .stabbed Charles Blackburn, aged 15, in the back, the blade penetrating the flesh to a depth of four inches. The wound is fatal. Within Our Borders. Finlay Gray, a tourist, formerly of Quincy, shot and killed himself at Miama, Fla. Michigan City’s total fire loss the past year was $1)1,955. The department answered 44 calls. At Peru Charles Neatherly was held to the Circuit Court without bonds for shooting Henry llelmig. Arthur Mcßeth, the Kokomo violinist, las found the $1,200 violin recently stolen from him. It once belonged to Ole Bull. Frank Pitman has been appointed receiver of the Lawrehce County Agricultural Society. The property will be sold. Albert Dolbow, aged 16, the son of City Marshal Dollhhv of Carbondale, accidentally shot and killed aged 17. The postoffice safe at Shirley was blown open with dynamite and S4OO in money and stamps taken. There is no rlue to the burglars. William S. Marsh, aged 80 years, the oldest Odd Fellow in the world, died at his home near Acton from a complication of grip and pneumonia. For want of evidence thirty suits brought against oil men in Grant County, for alleged stream pollution, were dismissed in the Circuit Court at Marion. The strike among the passenger shop employes at the plant of the American Car and Foundry Company in Jeffersonville is spreading. About 600 men are now idle. Kirklin township was the scene of a bloody tragedy. Clem A. Pruitt, a young farmer, was shot to death by William Pittsner, also a young farmer. The killing took place at Pittsner’s home, one mile north of Kirklin. Pittsner was arrested. An unknown man about 65 years of age was killed by a Toledo, St. Louis and Western freight train while walking on the track near the depot at Marion. The letters "J. M.” were tattooed on his right arm. In his pockets were found a number of small files aud other tools. The last independent rolling mill in eastern Indiana, located in Muncie, has gone into the trust. John H. Palmer of Chicago sold the plant to the United States Steel Corporation for $250,090 cash. Mr. Palmer recently expended several thousand dollars in improving the plant, of which he was the owner and operator. William Hussey, aged 58, a widely known Noblesville iKilitk-iau aud wealthy farmer, is dying from a peculiar affliction. He put his feet near the oven of a cooking stove and doze<l away. He allowed his feet to remain in the oven until the flesh cooked and dropped off, exposing the sinews and Iranes of his feet, before discovering it. It is believed he liecatne paralyzed, losing all feeling in his lower limbs. Drunk and crazed with jealousy, Charles Pittser, a young soldier recently returned from the Philippines after an honorable discharge, shot and killed his bride of three mouths at Muncie. Mrs. Pittser was barely 18 years old. The young woman had Iteen followed by her husband from Daleville to her sister's house. The couple were "joking when the husband chilled the wife. She approach-, ed and playfully kissed him. The caress 'seemed to madden Pittser. He quickly took a revolver from his pocket and shot the girl five times. She fell at his feet dead.