Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1903 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERBELV TOLD. Aurora Mao Held for Two Krntat Murders--Heasville Mao Kills Himself on Wife’s Broken Shaft Causes Train Wreck, Harry Wheeler was indicted at Lawrencebnrg for a double murder at Aurora on March 18. Wheeler was arrested at Indianapolis. It is. charged that 011 March 18 Wheeler poured coal oil on Mrs. M. Schmidt of Aurora, then ignited her clothing with a match and hnnounccd that she burned to death accidentally. The same night the home of Thomas Johnson was burned and two weeks later the body of Johnson was found in the Ohio river with such marks*** to -show he had been murdered. Three Hart in Wreck. A broken driving shaft on the engine of a through freight, running at the rate of thirty-five nti|es an hour, resulted in the wreck of the engine at Shelbyvillo aud the injury of the engineer, Earl Nicholson, Fireman William llnpp and Drakoman Thomas King, whose condition is critical. The shaft pierced the call and struck the brakeman iit the back. The fireman jumped and was thrown fifty feet, tireaking an arm and otherwise injuring him. The engineer escaped with a few bruises. Simple Lends His Money. On information of John Simple, aged and feeble, Mrs. Ylattie Johnson, a boarding home keeper, was arrested at Kokomo on the charge of btitiko steering. Simple, whose home is in Chicago, was a lodger at the Johnson house. The woman is charged with obtaining various sums from Simple, at one time S2OO with which to obtain a divorce from an alleged cruel husband. An effort was made to secure $2,000 Simple bad in a local bank. Shoots Self on Wife's Grave. Despondent over hi* wife's death, which occurred last June, ex-Mayor George Slateihan of llessville visited her burial place and fired a bullet into his brain. lli*4body * was found lying upon his wife's grave. Slatemnn, who was a prosperous farmer, attributed much of his success to his wife. Since tlie day of her death, however, lie was a changed man. His temperament, once liappy and contented, 'became morose. He appeared to have lost nil interest in life. No children arc left. Indiana to Grow a Forest. Indiana lias purchased 2,000 acres in Clark County for a State forestry reserve. The clearing of tlie ground* of underbrush and dead trees will lie taken up at once. About 200 acres will be devoted to a nursery and trees of every variety known to the State will be grown from seeds. These trees are to be transplanted later at different parts of the State where their growth can be watched. Death Follows Graduation. A I.ogansport girl, who graduated from high school the other day, is dying and her father, James Morrison, is already dead as the result of a collision between their buggy and a street car. Both were thrown out of the buggy by the shock and the car mangled their bodies. State Items of Interest. is tlie owner of the Casino at French Lick. He is worth SIOO,OOO. A college for the Mennouite people o< the United States and Canada is to bo located at Goshen. Alexander Short, a lineman, was electrocuted by a live wire at Kokomo. Ha leaves a widow and twelve children. Mrs. Samuel Van Cleave of Kansas City was killed at Crawfordsville by junipiug from a carriage when she thought the horses were going to rug away. At Valparaiso Truman Beam entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of murdering Martha Lawrence. The defense secured a continuance until the September term. Because lie could not find a .-uitable housekeeper to care for hi* nine children, recently made motherless. I’eter Kansfield went to his wife’s grave at Hessville cemetery and shot out his brain*. George A. Homer, a young man living near Pleasant Mill*, while swimming with a brother and another companion, suddenly threw up hi* hands aud sank in eight feet of water. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental drowning. Farmers in Dearborn and adjoining counties are making a determined war upon negroes as a reisilt of the murder of Miss Anna Kaiser. Many families have been ordered to leave, ami negroes employed by farmers are being discharged. Indiana was- storm swept tlie other day. Four lives wen* lost aud over SJ,000,000 damage was done. The worst destruction was in the gas belt. Six faetories at Kokomo were partly wrecked, scores of buildings were blown from their foundations and partly destroyed and the eab from a passenger engine was biowu away while the train was at full speed. The loss in and about Kokomo is estimated at $200,000. Willie Black, aged 10, was killed at. Converse and Langford Ntephenson, a farmer at I.ogansport. by lightning. In the northern part of the State, there was heavy wind aud 'bail. At South Bend, Columbia City aud Chent* busco damage was done to wires, buildings and trees. Indianapolis suffered damage-to shade trees. Heavy hail fell. Evansville and other southern Indiana cities were visited by high winds with damage to trees and light buildings. Ira Dixon, a Wabash section hand, took refuge uuder a tree near Hamilton. The tree was blown down and it Crushed hint to death. Indiana was visited by a heavy storm and the damage will run into thousands of dollars. The principal damage was caused by lightning. Wind blew down large buildings at Lebanon, and at Elwood property worth $20,000 was do- ‘ etroyed. Roy Chenaweth. student in Do Pauw University, was drowned at Greencaatl*. while bathing in tbe river. He was exhausted and slipped from t companion's hands into twelve feet of water. Chettoweth’s parents lived at Union City until this spring, when they moved to Nevada. Mo.