Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1903 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat

SI.OO Per Year.

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY AT MONON

Sanford Thompson Shoots Ollvsr P. Evans, Then Blows His Own Brains Out. The town of Monon was plunged into a fever of excitement Tuesday morning by Sanford Thompsou going to the home of Oliver Evans and, when Evans came to the door, shooting him in the breast and inflicting a dangerous though not necessarilly fatal wound. The tragedy occurred about 6 a. m., and was the result of domestic difficulties of long standing. Thompson is said to have been a quiet, industrious citizen and was well thought of, but his wife’s actions preyed upon his mind and when she finally got a divorce from him last summer and married Evans, he took to drinking. He had been brooding over his troubles for some time and recently took three of his children to Indianapolis and secured homes for them. He returned home Monday and was slightly under the influence of liquor in the afternoon. He went to his former wife’s house, about 6 o’clock Tuesday morning, and knocked at the door. Evans came to the window and Thompson fired at him. Thompson then tried to break down the door, and Mrs. Evans ran to the' neighbors for assistance. The town marshal found Thompson near the house with a revolver in his hand, and as a crowd began to close in on him he placed the revolver to his .head, dropped on both knees and blew his brains out, dying instantly. Evans it is thought will recover.

TWO IN A BED.

A rather amusing incident occured at Kentland last Thursday night when the editors of the various Rensselaer papers were asigned rooms at the Hotel Kentland. It seems that the hotel was chock full, and to accomodate all who desired lodging it was necessary for them to “double up” the guests, that is, sleep two in a bed. s,Bro. Marshall had gone out to call on some widow lady or other acquaintance whom he understood now resided in Kentland, and was not present when partners were assigned for the night, and it wa3 so arranged that the two whiskered gentlemen, Marshall and the cow-puncher, were assigned to the same bed. After Marshall came in from making his call—which was after most of the others had retired—he found how things had been arranged and kicked vigorously. It was no use. however, and grumbling and growling, the fentlemen with the billy-goat irsute appendages retired together, and we hope slept peacfully until morning. It is inferred that Marshall’s objections to sleeping with his old pard were based on a story Del Crampton of the Carroll County Citizen told years ago about “Mac” having come to America in 1492 as a stowaway on the Santa Maria, nud had been put ashore on Watkins’ Island by Columbus for not washing his feet. This calumny of Crampton’s was later discredited, when it was found that the Spanish court journals contained documentary evidence that “Mac’s” real offense was a refusal to run Queen Isabella’s name in small caps without extra compensation from the ship’s storekeeper.

The Right Thing to Look at E. J. HURLEY'S Advertisement. The Right Thing to Do I I* to call and examine his stock of Furniture before \ I buying elsewhere. -I have a complete line of Rugs, I \ Shades, Curtain Poles ami Pictures, which you arc / p v ) sure to need before you are done cleaning house ( e v and which I am selling at reduced prices. I am \ ▼ J prepared to do all kinds of Upholstering and Picture ( % J Frame work and guarantee satisfaction. Remember V I the place is the Nowels Block, opposite the new K. I \ of P. building. I E, J, HURLEY, Rensselaer, Ind,

ABOUT THE COURT HOUSE.

Item* of Interest (lathered In the Offices and Corridors of the County Capitol. Commissioners’ court convenes Monday. o Marriage licenses issued: Mch. 30, Florance Even to Jennie Bowman. —o — Five insane persons have been sent to Long Cliff from this county within the last three months. —o — Y -Seven marriage licenses were issued last month, against 14 for the month previous, and 8 for the corresponding period in 1902. The will of the late John Maienbrook was probated last Friiday. The will was executed July ¥9, 1899, and E. P. Honan is named as executor. The 80 acre farm and personal property of decedent is bequeathed to his son Barney Maienbrook, who is required to pay any existing debts of decedent and S3OO each to Mary Luers, Josephene Kolhoff, and Anna Putt, and SSOO to Cathrine Kolhoff, the four daughters of decedent. He also bequeathed $25 to St. Augustine’s Catholic church for masses for the repose of his soul. —o — New suits filed: No. 0474. Sarah E. Brown vs. John N. Bown; action for divorce. The complaint alleges that the parties were married Feb. 19. 1898, and lived together as husband and wife until Feb. 4, 1903, when, in the city of Rensselaer, defendant wholly abandoned her without cause, and has since lived apart from her against her wishes and consent, and has wholly failed and refused to make any pr ovision for her support, etc; that he was guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment toward plaintiff during their married life, etc., accused her of intimacy with other men, etc. A divorce and restoration of plaintiff’s former name of Sarah E. Burnsid is prayed for. No. 6475. Andrew G. Lewark vs William Fries et al; action on contract and attachment. No. 6476. John Mason vs Elsie Mason; action for divorce. Plaintiff alleges that he and defendant were married Aug. 12. 1900, and after living together for eight months defendant wholly and without cause abandoned him for a period of about one year, when she again joined him and they lived together as husband and wife until March 22, 1903, when she again abandoned him without cause and has since lived apart from him, etc; that during the period of their married life defendant had been guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment toward plaintiff, and at divers times had called him bad names in the presence of other persons, etc. One child, a boy now about two years old, was born as a result of this union, which plaintiff asks the custody of.

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Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana, Saturday, April 4, 1903.

ABOUT THAT BALLOT PRINTING

A Few Facte Showing Up That Alleged Appropriation and What Became of It Bro. Marshall, still at his old occupation of apologizing for the reprehensible conduct of republican officials, has had considerable to say in bolstering up “Honest Abe” about a “specific appropriation by the county council for printing the election ballots last fall. As usual, he done most of this blowing without investigating the matter for himself, taking Abe’s statement for his authority. Now what are the facts? Following are the items of election expenses for 1902 as they appear on the original requisition by the commissioners and as acted upon by the county council at their regular meeting in September 1901. The first coulumn of figures shows the amounts for the various purposes specified, as estimated by the commissioners; the second column shows the actual amounts appropriated by the county council, which are the same as appear on County Council Record No. 1, in the Auditor’s office: NINTH ESTIMATE—EIection Expenses: 1. 20 Inspectors at (2 per day, 4 days 1200 $l6O 2. 40 Judges at $2 per day, 2 days.. 240 160 3. 40 Clerks at $2 per day, 2 days... 240 160 4. 40 Sheriffs at sl.soper day, 2days 180 120 5. Kent Booths 60 40 6. Meals for election b0ard5........ 150 150 7. Repair of booths and boxes, hauling, etc 40 20 8. Advertising in , insertions 40 40 9. Printing and Stationery 80 80 10. Posting of sample ballots, notices of election, etc 40 40 11. Expenses of Election Commis'rs 12. Expenses of furniture and election supplies 100 50 13. Ail other expenses 100 50 Total estimated exp. of elections.sl47o 1070 Now it will be plainly seen that there is no specific appropriation for ballots whatever, as the word ballots is not used anywhere in the list. But, Marshall says the SBO appropriated for “Printing and Stationery” was a specific appropriation for the ballots. Now ballots cannot by any stretch of the imagination be classed as stationery. Printing, could, perhaps, be held to mean the printing of the ballots. But, let os see what was done with that SBO.OO. At the October term of commissioners’ court we find the following entry on both the docket and commissioners’ record (and the same identical phrasiology was used by all the newspapers in Rensselaer in their report of the proceedings of the commisssoners in this particular action) :

Cause No. 567. Burt-Terry Stationery Co v bid for election supplies: “Oct. term, Ist day. The election su ppiies not having been iiicluded in the contract for stationery for 1902, the bid of the Burt Terry Co. is accepted at SBO, the same being within the appropriation made by the council. Abraham Halleck, P. B." Now bear in mind, the record reads, “which was within the appropriation made by the council.” What appropriation? ‘Why, the SBO for printing and stationery, as the “supplies” contracted for could be paid for out of no other appropriation, as the supplies were stationery—pens, pencils, tailey-sheets, return blanks, etc., used by the various election boards. Here was both “printing and stationery” and the contract was let “within the appropriaton made by the council.” There was no other appropriation of SBO, and no other appropriation that could have been used for this purpose, and, if this was not the particular appropriation, why was it, referred to in the records as being “within the appropriation made by the council?” Proceeding to the next act in this chapter we find the following entry of record on the commissioners’ docket for the November 1902, term: Cluim N. 611. Burt Terry Stn., Co. election nuppli .SB9. “Nov. term, 1902. 3d duy; allowed nt SB9. Abraham Ham.kck, P. B.” Here it appears, that wlu,. the contrr 5 was le‘ “within the appropi 'tion made by the council” —SBC the Burt-Terry Co., were paid S~.OO more than they agreed to do the work for, or SB9. Suppose now, for the sake of argument, that this particular SBO was intended to be appropriated for printing the ballots, it wsb the full amount asked for by “Honest Abo,” and lie knew that The Democrat would print the ballots and therefore by asking for ah amount less than the work was worthfthe would have something to fall back on if we protested against taking so little for the

job. But this SBO was contracted away in October, two weeks before we had the order to print the ballots, and was paid out with $9 additional before our bill was filed. Thus, if the contention is accepted that the SBO was especially appropriated for the ballots, Abe and his cohorts violated the law when they contracted it away and paid it to the Burt-Terry Co., and if they paid the Burt-Terry Co., out of balances in the other specific election appropriations, they also violated the law, as they are not allowed to use balances from any item of appropriation to pay for something else. But, as a matter of fact, the SBO was what was meant when the contract was let to the Burt-Terry Co.—there was no other available appropriation for the purpose—and when it was paid out in November it left nothing whatever to pay for the ballots, if the contention be accepted that this was what the SBO was appropriated for. We infer that even the Apologist man would not be so absurd as to say that in this event the printer could collect no pay for his work. Marshall also says: “If they (the commissioners) allow claims in excess of the appropriation, they are liable to be prosecuted and heavily punished.” . But in this case they might have done as they do in hundreds of other instances where there is no existing appropriation to cover the claims, continued them until appropriation was made to cover the same. As a matter of fact, however, county council made a specific appropriation of only $4tJ for posting notices of election etc., which is done by the sheriff, and the commissioners at their December term 1902, allowed Sheriff Hardy $141.45, and Philip Blue $9.20 for work under this appropriation, and including the SB9 paid the Burt-Terry people in November, allowed claims for election purposes at the December term agregating $1,184.97, When THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR ALL OF SAID PURPOSES WAS BUT $1,070! . Exclude the SBO allowed The Democrat forLaliott printing and the commissioners still exceeded the total appropriations for the election purposes at this one term by $34.97.

Should they not be prosecuted for this? And does it look to a man up a tree as if Abe was watching out for or had any regard for the county council law when he exceeded these appropriations? Now, Marshall says that there are points which ought to be settled, in his argument to have the case appealed to the supreme court! What points? The only matter that could possibly be decided is that of this alleged specific appropriation for county ballots. and as the republicans will have the majority on the board of election commissioners in the next two elections at least and the republican printer will get all he asks for the job, no matter if it be twice what The Democrat charged, why put the county to a further expense of S2OO to S3OO in taking this case to the higher courts? Of course, Bro. Marshall would, no doubt, get the printing of the county’s brief, and thus profit financially by an appeal, but do the taxpayers want to go further in following Marshall, Abe and the cow-puncher in venting their personal spite on The Democrat man? This judgement is drawing interest now and will do so until paid, and in addition to the regular attorneys’ fee, cost of transcript, brief and court costs of an appeal, must be added the interest the judgement is drawing all this time. We can print our owu reply breif and not bo to a very great expense in the nppeal, and we can easily also do without the money until the higher courts get around to affirm the judgement of ihe lower court, which we are confident would result. Of course we would pay this expense ourself, while Abe has the county treasury to draw on, but is it good policy to further follow in the lead of the übove trio? They have been knocked galley-west at county expense twice now and should be squelched thoroughly. The county council law has been violated by Abe time and again and he only falls back on it whenever it suits his purpose to do so. The county council at its meeting next week should appropriate money to satisfy tliis judgement, and not appropriate a dollar to assist Abe in further venting his spite on his political foes for exposing his rottenness.

PAYMENT WAS STOPPED.

Rensselaer Lady Invests $6,250 In Oil Refining Stock.—Draft Stopqed Pending Investigation. On March 20th a man claiming to be ex-Treasurer Richmire of Benton here and called on Miss Cordelia P. Monnett, a maiden lady of considerable means residing in the southwest part of the city, and interviewed her regarding life insurance. Finding she was not eligible to insurance, he introduced the subject of selling her some stock in the South-Western Oil Refining Co., of Los Angeles, Cali., and finally succeeded in selling her 5,000 shares at 25 cents per share, she giving him a check for $1,250 on the Rensselaer Bank. The check was presented, the gentleman identified by Landlord Slagel of the Makeever House, and paid. On Wednesday night of last week, a smooth gentlemen giving the name of J. Elwood Killen of Indianapolis, came to Rensselaer and put up at the Makeever House. At 8:30 that night Joe Jackson, the bussman, called at Miss Monnett’s with a written request from Killen that the lady grant him (Killen) an interview. She told Joe that the man was a stranger, that she did not feel well and would not see him. Joe urged her to see the man, she says, and kept on urging her to grant an interview. After insisting for more thaD a half hour, she says, she finally consented to see Killen on condition that Joe would accompany him and be present at the interview. This was agreed to, and later the two men called, and Killen had more oil refinery stock to sell. It was 11 ;30 p. m., when Killen and Jackson left, and the former had a contract in his pocket for 25,000 shares more stock at $5,000. The next morning Killen again showed up and he was given a draft for $5,000, leaving the buyer a receipt for the money only—it being stated that the office was in Los Angeles and this stock as well as the first 5,000 shares would be sent her from there. The draft was bought at the Rensselaer Bank and as soon as Cashier Harris learned of the transaction he immediately went to Miss Monnett and on her statement of the facts and on his advice the National Bank of the Republic of Chicago, on which the draft was drawn, was notified to withold payment. Killen, it seems, took the 2 p. m., train Thursday for Indianapolis and presented the draft at a bank there where he was slightly known and secured the money, and at present his whereabouts are said to be unknown. The draft was turned down at the clearing house, and unless the Capitol National Bank at Indianapolis can find Killen and the representations he made to indnee her to purchase the stock are fullfilled and the stock really has some value, it is quite likely it will hold the sack ior $5,000, as the draft was not negotiable, owing to the peculiar way in which it had been endorsed to Killen. A lawsuit will likely result, but if the stock is all that it wns represented to be and there was no fraud, then the purchaser is willing to take it and pay for it. In justice to Mr. Jackson we desire to say that he called on H. L. Brown, who is a relative by marriage to the lady who purchased the stock, early the next morning and informed him of the matter, but Dr. Brown did not get a clear understanding of it, and did not take it that she was being induced to purchase SS,(XX) worth more stock, merely thinking it something connected with the former purchase. However he called on the lady but did not feel at liberty to pry into her own personal affairs too much, and she did not ask his advice, therefore ho came away and not till later did ho learn precisely what hud been do" ». The alleged oil ’•‘•fining company’s circulars have such men ns Union B. Hunt, republican exsecretary of state, as heading it, and it tmy turn out all right, although at this time the whole transaction looks very shady. The $5,000 draft has not yet been paid, notwithstanding the statement published in an Indianapolis paper Thursday night, based on an interview with Killin’s son who is employed in an office in that city and who says the stock is and the company all right.

Vol. V. No. 52

WOLCOTT POSTOFFICE ROBBED.

Burglar* Loot Sato and Set nr j S6OO In Stamps and Cash.-Thiove* Still at Large. Monticello Journal: Burglars entered the Wolcott postoffice early Sunday morning, blew the safe open and secured nearly SSOO in cash and stamps. Postmaster W. E. Fox and his assistant closed the office at the usual hour Saturday night leaving what cash and stamps they had on hands locked up in the office safe. On going to the office Sunday morning they found that someone had been at work during the night. The safe door was lying on the floor shattered in fragments while the interior of the safe had been rifled of its contents. Nothing else had been disturbed. Entrance to the room was made through a rear window which had been raised. The handle of the safe had been wrenched from place and enough explosive used to shatter the door to pieces and force it from its hinges. The safe in question is one of the ordinary small sized tire proof kind and does not contain an inner vault. After the door was removed it was au easy matter to secure its contents. The work is supposed to have been done about two o’clock Sunday morning, as parties living near the postoffice heard a muffled explosion at about that hour. The burglars secured $460.99 in stamps and $134.65 in cash for their work. The same night a horse and buggy owned by Will Conder, living one and a half miles east of Wolcott, wns stolen from his place. Parties who started in search of it Sunday morning found the buggy in the James Burch ditch nine miles north-east of W olcott, and the horse loose on the other side of the ditch. Whoever took the rig had made a wrong turn in the highway and drove some six miles over an unfrequented road over which no other rig had passed for weeks, rendering it an easy matter to trail them. Some are of the opinion the parties who burglarized the postoffice were the ones who stole the horse and buggy, intending to use them to drive to some station on the Monon in order to catch a train to Chicago. Making the wrong turn in the road they came to grief in the ditch where the buggy was found. Outside of this there is no tangible clue to the guilty parties.

YOUNG LAD’S SUDDEN DEATH.

■’ Allen T. Zard, the 16 yea Y-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zard, residing on the Henry Grow farm, north of town, died last Saturday morning after a few hours illness. The lad was taken dangerously sick at about 5 a. in., and expired before the doctor arrived. The cause of his death the physicians decided was appendicitis. The boy was 16 years of age the day he died, and bis sudden taking away was a terrible blow to his parents. The funeral was held from the residence, Monday forenoon, conducted by Rev. J L. Brady, and interment made in Weston cemetery.

TWO MORE INSANITY CASES.

Mrs. Mary E. Ramey, widow of John Ramey, residing in the east part of the city, was declared insane last Thursday and was taken to the asylum at Long Cliff Wednesday. The woman is 55 years of age, and was married 35 years ago, having had 7 children, the youngest now being about 15 years of age. Her delusion was first noticed last December, and she has been gradually growing worse until it was deemed necessary to take her to the asylum. On Tuesday of this week Mrs. James A. Keis[?]er of Jordan tp., wus pronounced insane and application was made for her incarceration at Long Cliff. The unfortunate woman first showed signs of insanity fifteen years ago when she attempted to cut her throat, and three years ago again made the attempt, and did cut it from ear to ear. For the past two years she has grown worse. She has suffered from epilepsy since the age of 14. Her age is 40 years; she has been married 22 years and has 4 children, the youngest being 2 years of age. She shows a violent and destructive temper and at times used very intemperate language.

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