Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 March 1903 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERBELY TOLD. Divorced Husband Is Accused by Ulood-Rhound-Outlaws Shoot Up a Town and Are Landed In Jail—Woman May Have Poisoned Her Husband. While Mrs. Willard Catt and her two sisters were singing at the piano in their home in Pike County a shot tired through the window fatally wpunded Mrs. Catt. Early the next morning searching parties were organized, one of them being headed by Marshal Sumpter of Howell and accompanied by a bloodhound. Though no evidence existed to show who committed the crime, suspicion rested on Willard Catt, the woman’s, divorced husband, but lie and his father joined one of the parties. The bloodhound started on a trail leading to William Catt's home, and from there continued the trail to the searchers led by Catt. The dog attempted to leap upon Catt, lmt was held back. Catt was arrested at once and charged with the crime. lie refused to make any statement. Yield to Fire and I'owe, A fight took jdace at Brown’s Valley between Jesse and James Hills, self declared outlaws and a sheriff's posse. The Hills attacked Agent Johnson of the Vandaiia, who drew a revolver and shot Jesse in the shoulder. The desperadoes swore vengeance, held up the local hardware store and supplied themselves with revolvers, shooting out windows and completely terrorizing the entire town. People fled to the woods for safety while the men shot out almost every store window in the town. A running fight followed between tho men and the posses. The fugitives were pursued by the posse to a log cabin sixteen miles from Brown’s A alley. By shooting through cracks in the cabin they kept the posse at bay until their ammunition gave out. About this time the sheriff managed to sot the cabin on fire. Just as the roof was about to fall the fugitives ran out and were overpowered. Woman May Be Poisoner. Mrs. Robert J. Drake of Ilarveysburg, widow of a well-known fanner, lias been arrested and charged with poisoning her husband, who was taken suddenly ill and died a few weeks ago. Before his death Drake told his family physician that he was afraid iiis wife was trying to kill him by giving him poison. When he died the doctor refused to allow the remains to be embalmed and assisted by the coroner removed the stomach and sent it to Dr. Hurty of the State board of health, at Indianapolis. The report from the analysis showed enough poison to cause the woman’s immediate arrest. Driyke came from Wisconsin, having answered a matrimonial advertisement inserted by Mrs. Myers. After their meeting two years ago they were married and have quarreled frequently. All Mu«t He Vaccinated. The decision of the Appellate Court upholding the power of school hoards to compel the vaccination of children, will be obeyed in the ninety-six counties of the Stnte. Rigid enforcement of vaccination orders will be effected. l>r. Hurty, secretary of tiie State board of healtii, has defined his reasons for the belief that the State will be scourged with smallpox unless radical measures are enforced. The Terre Haute case arose from the action of the school authorities in keeping a child out of school, the father having forbidden vaccination.

Brief State Happenings. Randolph, Jay and Wells counties will get complete rural free delivery this year. The wife and 6-year-old son of Arch Temper of Spencer County were drowned in the Ohio river near Itockport. Gov. Durbin appointed Col. Oran Perry, quartermaster general of Indiana, to succeed the late Robert S. Foster. Henry Archer is charged with abducting the 15-year-old daughter of Joseph Bobbitt of Roland. They have been missing for several days, and it is thought that they went to Yineednes. Archer is 28 years old and a widower. Louis Burkhardt, aged 65, a hermit, was burned to death iti a shanty near Whitflstown. He long ago separated from hi* family. At one time Burkhardt was a prominent Odd Fellow and was a pioneer merchant of the neighborhood. The Supreme Court settled the Terre Haute vaccination tight by refusing to grant a temporary restraining order to prevent the school board and the board of health of that town from excluding healthy hut unvaceinnted children from the schools. Mrs. Henry Crowe of I.aporte recognized in a man who applied for hoard her brother, Edwin C. Hall of Chicago, whom she had mourned as dead for eighteen years. Mrs. Crowe believes tl« reuniting is n result’of her prayers for his r»ttirn, which she had offered since the day of his strange disappearance. Accused of brutality to a 13-year-old orphan boy, Justin Hlachley, a wealthy farmer in Union township, is the subject of au information filed by Prosecuting Attorney MeAlcer of Hammond in the Porter County Circuit Court. Burton Lncer, the lad, was adopted from the Indianapol.s Orphans’ Home by Blachley soms tii.e ago. A bold attempt to wreck a Pennsylvania Railroad train was made at Remington. A plank was placed across tha track rtnd the rails were wnrped out of position, so that the engine waa ever turned. Charles Laing. the engineer, was killed, and Charles Collett, the fireman, was seriously injured. Lewis Clarke and John Blight were arrested. Morris Callahan, the night messenger, Identities them ns the men on trial last August for an attempt to rob an express office of a package containing $150,000. Mrs. Arch Temper dnd her 6-yenr-old son Fred were drowned near Hock port in the Ohio river, by the capsizing of a skiff. The Indianapolis arsenal grounds were sold by the government to the Winona Technical and Agricultural Institute for $154,000. The money will be reinvested' in an army post near the city, to b« lftiown as Fort Benjamin Harrison/ Georgo T. Moas, aged 50. committed suicide at the home of a relative, XOI4 Moss, near Aaliboro, by shooting himself in tha head with a revolver. The aulclde is attributed to deapondeucy.