Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1904 — GAS "LAID FOR” HIM [ARTICLE]

GAS "LAID FOR” HIM

While He Worked It Hid Close to the Ground and Awaited the Match.

WHOLE FAMILY SEVERELY HURT Circus Horse Charges the Spectators —Jury Surprises Kveu tho Defendan t—N otcs.

Marion, Ind., May (>. —A natural gan explosion at 7 a. in. wrecked the dwelling of Janies B. McDaniels, of Jonesboro, six miles from this city, and seriously injured four members of the family. McDaniels was making repairs to a gas pipe In the foundation of tine house. After finishing his work he .lighted a match to ascertain if there wae a leak at the point where ho madle the repairs. lie was standing in the yard at the side of tlie building. The match ignited the gas that had accumulated under the floor of tho bouse. An explosion followed which sent the floor and roof of the house upward and the walls outward.

Did Not Ignite, by Good Luck. Mrs. McDaniels was stand Ini' at thß side of her hufUiand, and both were caught by falling walls and piiinfully Injured. Tlieir daughter Ethel, 10 years old, and a son, Edgar, IT years old. were eating breakfast in the dintag room. They were lifted witli the floor and tossed! against the ceiling and botli painfully injured. The dintag table was broken into splinters. The debris dkl not ignite after the explosion, or the family would have been burned to death, as all were pinned beneath tin- wreckage. Neighbors removed the timbers, and it wais found that none of the family was fatally Injured.

One Child Is Ha<l!y Hurt. Mrs. McDaniels was overcome by the shock. It is feared that tin daughter may be internally injured, as she complains of Intense pain in the lungs. Edgar McDaniels received painful bruts els al>out the head, but was not seriously injured. McDaniels suffered crushed feet, both being pinned down by heavy timbers. The loss- on the building will amount to .$2,000 and on the household goods, SI,OOO.

Horse Breaks Loose in a Circus. Marion, Ind., May 6. —A panic was narrowly averted at a circus performance here when the trick horse became uncontrollable and carried its rider out into the crowd, tramping on Bertha Williamson, 14 years old, and seriously injuring h<r. Several worfifen fainted, and others in their efforts to escape trampled on those beneath them. The rider, who was a woman, clung to the reins, and by her pluck got the animal back into the ring.

DEFENDANT HIMSELF SURPRISED

Jury Said to Uave Been Very Merciful la a Murder Cane—An Indeterminate Sentence. Petersburg, Ind., May (5. —Huntingburg people are surprised by the leniency of the Pike county jury, which found Howard Tate guilty of manslaughter for killing John Hodges, and recommended that be be committed under the indeterminate-sentence act, instead, of returning the death penalty or at least imprisonment for murder. The defendant is also said to have been surprised, and thanked the jurors individually because of their clemency. He requested that there should be no delay in sentencing him, as he wanted to enter immediately upon the expiation of his crime.

Indians Weather Bulletin. Indianapolis, May o.—The Indiana weather and eropbulletin for last week says: “Rain with unseasonably low temperature during the first part of the week retarded the germination of seed planted and the growth of crops already up. These weather conditions also delayed, and in many localities, caused an entire suspension of farm work. On Thursday and during the balance of the week the weather was more favorable.” Block Coal Trouble About Settled. Brazil. Ind, May ♦!. —At the meeting of the joint settle committee of the operators and miners of the block coal district the mimere accepted the operators’ proposition after a spirited discussion. One concession which placed the firemen on the same scale as the. “top men” by increasing theft- wages from $1.82 to $1.91*4 a day was the only concession made by the operators. toward Guilty of Manslaughter. Danville, Ind., May (5. —After deliberating for thirty-two hours, during which fifty-three ballots were taken and new instructions asked, the jury rendi-red a verdict of guilty of manslaughter against Henry M. Seward for the alleged killing of his wife oo May 16, 1903. Terrel Tpken to an Asyloin. Bluff ton, Ind., May 6. John W. Terrel, who killed his son-in-law, baa been taken from the Bluffton jail to the Richmond insane hospital, in charge of Sheriff Johnson, his son and and Elias Paffenberger, who had taken care of Terrel since his insanity. Both Should Get ft Hard. Madison, Ind., May 6. Walter Kahn and Charles Gale met on the street here and exchanged revolver shota Neither was hit, but one of the bullets struck Miss Lulu Harris the bullet glancing from a corset steal. Both young men were arrested. ,