Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1902 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PABT WEEK. Twentjr-flve Indicted at Indianapolis for Grave Robbery Sherwell Acquitted at Evansville—Woman Dropa Dead When Charged with Patricide. The medical profession of Indianapolis is greatly wrought up over the return of twenty-five indictments l\y the grand jury in what is known as thv grave robbing cases. The jury lias been investigating the traffic in bodies for two weeks and has only partially completed its labors. It is intimated that many lor whom bench warrants will be immediately issued have not been under suspicion. This is construed to mean that some of the demonstrators of the colleges have been indicted and that the indictments reach back for a period of two years or more. It was developed in tlie grand jury room that some of the Indianapolis doctors did not content themselves with obtaining subjects for dissection in the local colleges, but that bodies wore bought aud shipped to cities outside of tlie State. Five physicians are among the number indicted, but no names were given out except to parties now under arrest. Dies When Accused of Patricide, Mrs. Nettie Hail of Lid on died suddenly just after being told that she was under arrest, charged with tlie murder of her father, George Niehol. Her father was found dead at tlie bottom of the steps leading to the cellar, wheff it was supposed he had accidentally fallen. But the manner of his fall aroused-the suspicion of foul play, which pointed to the daughter, his only heir, anil her husband. A brother of Niehol had sworn out warrants for Hall nnd his Wife, and a constable had just placed them under nrrest, when Mrs. Hall fell backward aud ex pired. Finds Sherwell Innocent. The jury in the Thomas Sherwell case returned a verdict of not guilty at Evansville. On the first ballot the jury stood eight for acquittal and four for conviction. On the second ballot they stood ten for acquittal nnd two for conviction. Mrs. Sherwell, who sat by the side of her husband when tlie verdict was read, clapped her hands for' joy and the several hundred spectators joined in tlie applause. Sherwell is charged with the murder of two other women and was taken back to Jail from the court room. He will be tried in December. Attacked by Unknown Man. Miss Ida Welmer, employed as an t perator at tlie telephone exchange, was brought to the point of death because of an assault by an unknown man as che was crossing tlie college campus at Bloomington. When half way through the campus she was struck down by a chib. She remembered nothing more of the attack until an hour later, when she entered a house a quarter of a mile distant, barely able to tell her name. Her head was crushed and her feet wore wet from wading a branch. Two Whipped by White Caps. Another whitecap outrage has been added to the loug list of Brown and Monroe County whitecappiuga. In Polk township, adjoining the Brown County line, Mr. aud Mrs. Joseph Lawson were taken from their log cabin home by thirty masked men and whipped in a horrible manner. Both victims are still confined to their home. There is no clew to the perpetrators. Found Dead in the Woods. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Mrs. Lydia Amos of South Bend has been solved. Her body was found in the woods seven miles northwest of town by Prof. George Reeder, who was out limiting. Mrs. Amos was 05 years old. She disappeared from tier home four weeks ngo. Suspicions of murder are entertained. Dtapondeacy Causes Suicide. John Church, of tiie firm of Church Brothers’ Milling Company, which went into insolvency several years ago, killed himself at the home of a brotlier-in-law, Thomas E. Dean, at Ben Davis. Despondency over ill health nnd worry over business ventures is given ns the probable cause by relatives. - State Items of Interest. J. A. Kelly of Eldorado found n (icarl in the Wabash river near Grayville that is estimated to be worth SI,OOO. Jap Miller of Brooklyn, the subject i t James Whitcomb Riley’s poem, hus warned newspapers and theaters against the further use of his name in connection with Ezra Kendall and his new comedy, “The Vinegar Buyer.” The county health officer. Dr. Lyman M. Beokes of Vincennes, lias tiled three separate complaints against Thomas Watson, faith curist, whose child died. Watsoh is charged with practicing medicine without a license, criminal neglect uud failure to secure n burial permit. George Secrist, aged 85, walked from his country home fifteen miles to Maude and petitioned tlie Circuit Court judge to hear his plea for divorce. Judge loftier stopped other proceedings and heard Sccrist’s plea and granted the decree, after which the old map started for home. Secrist claimed his third wife left hid after he deeded four extensive farms to tier children by a former husband. Secrist, was was recently one of tlie county’s wealthiest men, is now penniless. Mrs. Richard Sanders of Linden, daughter of George D. Nichols, who wus instantly killed nt his daughter’s house a few days age. by fnllitig into the cellar, dropped dead immediately nfter an officer from Crawfordsville had served a smmnoits upon her to testify at tlie inquest. immediately nfter the death of Nichols became known there were suspicious that he iuul met with foul pluy. It was alleged that Nichols had considerable money upon his person when lio h-ft to visit his son-in-law uud none was found upon the body. The biggest potato of tlie season is n two pmjtid monster brought to Craw* fordsvillu by Dr. D. W. Sheldon of Walnut Hills. The farm of C. E. Wiley, one-half mil* north of Bethel, is the highest' point in the State of Indiaun. It is 1,188 feet above sea level. * Tim body of Robert Vennemnn, the 4y ear-old boy of Dr. R. T. Vennetaan of Troy, uho hus been missing from iiouia for over a week, was found in the river within a block of the Yeiiueinan home. It was first reported that he had betn 1 kidnaped.