Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1907 — SHERIFF KILLED. [ARTICLE]

SHERIFF KILLED.

Pulaski County Officer Is Shot By Tramps. WAS WELL KNOWN IN RENSSELAER Where He Had Many Friends.—Remains Buried In Hanging Grove Township Tuesday.

Sheriff Charles Oglesby of Pulaski county wa4bhot and so badly wounded last Saturday morning while attempting to arrest three tramps who were sneaking a ride on a Pennsylvania freight train that he died shortly thereafter. The tramps are supposed to have been the parties who burglarized Marsh Bros, store at Burnettsville the night before. They boarded the train at Royal Center, and the conductor being unable to dislodge them telephoned the Pulaski county sheriff to meet the train when it reached Winamac and arrest them. Accordingly he went to the station and when the train pulled in he climbed onto it and soon found the men and told them that be was an officer and for them to get down off the cars. Instead of doing this, one, at least, of the men pulled a revolver and began shooting at the sheriff. Reports differ as to whether all the men participated in the shooting or not and as to the number of snots fired. One of the bullets hit the sheriff in the shoulder, passing downward and coming out near the groin. He fell to the floor of a flat car on which he was standing, but quickly rallied and fired his own revolver at his assailants, wounding two of them, one of them being badly shot in the abdomen and the other in the shoulder. Oglesby returned their fire until his weapon was empty and the trio had left the train and ran across the fields, the badly wounded tramp making off with the bunch. As soon as the wounded officer could be taken to a doctor’s office posses were formed and the country scoured until the desperadoes were overhauled. Lynching was freely talked of and but for a few cool heads summary justice would have been meted out to them. Two of the prisoners were hurried to Logansport in an automobile to escape the mob and then brought back to Knox on the train and placed in jail there. Judge Nye met the train at Star City, six miles east of Winamac, and held their preliminary trial on the train, the prisoners waiving examination and being bound over to court. The badly wounded tramp gave the name of Patrick Shea, and was about 40 years of age. He was very reticent of his pjtst life even when about to die, which he did Monday night and was buried Tuesday in the potter’s field. The one shot in the shoulder gave the name of Frank Webb of South Bend, and is said to have been identified as such and to have a prison record. The third man gave the name of John Smith, and is evidently an old offender. No weapons were found upon any of them, they having thrown them away in their flight, but a pair of shoes bearing the private cost mark of the Burnettsville store which was robbed Friday night, it is reported, was found upon one of them and seems to fasten that crime upon them also. Pulaski county has no jail and the two remaining prisoners are confined in the jail at Knox to await trial.

The dead sheriff was well knowd to many Rensselaer and Jasper county people. His first wife was a daughter of Thomas Jacks of Lee and a half-sister of Wm. E. Jacks of south of Rensselaer and Alfred Jacks here in town. She died several years ago and Mr. Oglesby married Miss Martha Swisher of near Medaryville. He was a popular officer and his untimely death was a great shock to all who knew him. He was 41 years of age and leaves a wife and three children, the youngest a babe two months old. His wife and children had been hastily sum rapped to the doctor’s office where he was taken after the shooting and after embracing them and bidding them good-bye he sank rapidly and died in a few moments, his last words being

faintly whispered to Rev. Warriner, "I am going to get well.” The funeral was held at Winamac Monday and the remains brot ght to Osborne cemetery in Hanging Grove tp., this county, Tuesday and laid beside those of hie first wife. Sheriff O’Connor and several others from here attended the burial, Mr. Oglesby would have begun his second term January 1,1908. The county commissioners haye appointed Daniel W. who was his democratic opponent in the last election, to fill out the unexpired term.