Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1912 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

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ANOTHER SUICIDE IN RENSSELAER

Harrison Wasootheßusman Dies By Taking Carbolic Acid i* - CAUSE OF RASH ACT UNKNOWN - -J Although It Is Hinted That a Little Domestic Quarrel Prompted the Act—Only Lived a Few Moments After Taking the Drug.

RENSSELAER SUICIDES.

David Platt, July 13, 1904—Carbolic acid. Jack Lahy, July 3, 1905—Carbolic acid. Jay W. Williams, Nov. 17, 19 07 —Revolver shot. Harrison Wasson, April 15, 1912 —Carbolic acid.

Rensselaer people experienced another shock Monday morning when it was reported on the street that Harrison Wasson, the well known busman, had committed suicide by taking nearly two ounces of carbolic acid. The news spread like ■wildfire, and the report was found to be only too true. Mr. Wasson had made the early train with his bus aa well as his man, Wm. Fry, and had told the latter at the barn, when they hitched up for the milk train, that he would look after some outside calls as soon as toe got his breakfast, and for Fry to attend to the hotel patrons! He then drove to his home on North Van Rensselaer street, and went directly to his bedroom upstairs, and in the presence of his wife swallowed nearly two ounces of carbolic acid. Mrs. Wasson was in the bedroom gathering up the clothes for the wash, and while some matters she is very reticent about, says that he came in, said “good-bye, Fannie,” and kissed her, then poured the contents of the Vial down his throat. She attempted to seize it and some of the, burning fluid was spilled on his chin and her hand. She screamed and called one of the girls to bring some milk which he promised her he would take with the last words he spoke. But he fell back cross-wise of the bed and was dead before a physician, who had been hastily sumomned, could reach the seene. City Marshal Mustard was passing the house on his way up town and hearing the great commotion, hurried in. He was the first person on the seene outside of members of the family, and Rev. Winn, who lives across the street, came a few moments later. Mr. Wasson never spoke a word, in fact was unconscious at the time the marshal arrived and only breathed a few times after he reached the scene. Marion Adams and others also came in shortly after tihe marshal and Rev. Winn. The wife and children were in the room when the marshal went in and the scene waa most affecting. Mr. Wasson had made the train

the night before With Mr. Fry and both were in tihe Nowels restaurant < after the night train and he seemted as jovial as usual. He told Nightwatcih Critser to call him for the morning trains as there "were too many calls for “Billy” to attend to alone, and he made these trains, and nothing unusual was noted in his action;?. The acid vial bore a label from t'he Long drug store, but when it was purchased is not known. It was at the barn over on Division street where some of it had been used on one of the horses. Mr. Fry says the bottle was probably twothirds full,, and thinks Mr. Wasson took the bottle from the barn when •he drove to his home for .his breakfast. There' is a rumlpr of a little domestic spat that morning, and Mr. Wasson, while of a jovial, happy disposition and well liked, is said to have had a very high temper, and it is generally believed While in a rage, drank the deadly acid. Mrs. Wasson will teay nothing about any differences, and it will pj*ob-

ably always remain a mystery as to just why he took his life.

Htis age was 4 4 years, a large, strong man in good health, and the rash act which ended his life so suddenly, occurred alt about 7 o’clock in the morning. The suicide of Mr. Wasson makes the fourth suicide that has occurred in Rensselaer in less than eight years. We have also had one murder here within that time. This is certainly quite a record for a ciity of less than 2,500 people. Of the suicides three have chosen carbolic acid, the most dreadful manner of "shuffling off,” it would seem, imaginable, and one used a revolver. It is generally conceded that a man who domimiits suicide must be mentally unbalanced, and two of the lour suicides here in the list given above were almost the last men one would think of who wou(d take this means of ending their lives unless they were temporarily unbalanced.

■Mr. Wasson, leaves a wife and ten children six girls ar.d four boys. The elder six, all girls, are selfsupporting, two toeing teachers in the district schools. His aged lather and mother, who reside in Union City, from Which place he caime several years ago, came yesterday.

Until same three years ago he. resided upon farms near Rensselaer, ae a renter. He then bought the Kresler bus business and moved to town and has since followed the bus business. He was doing well at this and there is no intimation that financial affairs had anything to do with the rash act. Also, his family life has apparently been pleasant and all seemingly got along very harmoniously. He carried $2,000 insurance in the M. W. A. order which is incontestable after three years—he became a member in December, 1908—and $2,000 in an old line company, which is also non-contest-ible, it is thought, thus leaving his family in comfortable circumstances. He had a host of friends and both he and his family were highly respected. ' '

The funeral .will! be held at the M. E. church today at 2 p. m.,1 conducted by Rev. C. L. Harper,! assisted by Rev. Winn. The Mod-! ern Woodmen will have charge of the burial. The K. of P’s. o-f which' order he was also a, member, will 1 attend in a body. Burial in West-?' on cemetery. The body will be in ! state at the house from 10 to 12 today.

Now “The Rensselaer House.”

The name of the old Now-els hotel, which is now under the management of Mrs. Cook and Son, has been changed to the Rensselaer House, and ha? been thoroughly renovated and cleaned. New paint has added much to the appearance of the interior and considerable new furniture -and fixtures have been added.

This hotel is well Located and under its new management will no doubt secure its share of the transient trade.

Fealty Only a Matter of Wanting the Offices.

Sam Sparling, who is an ardent Roosevelt man—after LaFollette-—■ is highly pleased over the result of the Pennsylvania primaries, and says that as .soon as Roosevelt has demonstrated that the north is for him the southern “Colonels” will all climb on the band wagoin and beat their tom-toms fop Teddy. All they want is the offices anyway, and they’re not so very particular whether iit’s Taft or Roosevelt, who deals them out, jusit so they get ’em, according to Mr. Sparling.

Grand Jury Investigating Alleged Check Forgeries.

It is reported that a Rensselaer; young man is “in bad” and is likely to go over the road. He has 1 not ‘been living with his wife for some time nor contributed to her support, it. is reported, and she recently went home to her parents' with her children. He is alleged to have been spending his money on Wbmen of dissolute character and to have forged checks on his employers here and in another city for various amounts, and the grand jury is said to be investigating a check here that was cashed by H. W. Ki:plinger and Which the party whose name was signed thereto states the signature as a forgery.

Feed your cows Badger Dairy Feed, a great milk producer. Get it at the River Queen Mill.

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA. WEDNESDAY, APR. 17, 1912

COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF

Interesting Paragraphs from the Various Departments OF JASPER COUNTY CAPITOL The Legal News Epitomized—Together with Other Notes Gathered from the Several County Offices. Prosecuting Attorney Fred Longwell of Brook wa-j in the city Saturday. *■%—o —- Abstract and compLalint backs? for gale at The Democrat office. Don’t use “any old t!h®n|g,” but get a supply of backs that will give tone to your abstracts and pleadings. Marriage licenses issued: ■ April 16, Clarence Holdeman Lintner of Wlheatfield, aged 21,’ occupation farmer, to Iva Mae Johnson, also of Wlheatfield, aged 17, occupation housekeeper. First marriage for each. Married by Squire Irwin. White county democrats nominated the following ticket at their county convention Saturday: Auditor, Albert G. Fisher; Treasurer, Otto Middlestadt; Sheriff, Thomas •Downey; Surveyor, Paul Ward; Coroner, Dr. H. B. Goble; Commissioners, Marshall Personette, Andrew Nagle. The case of the Kentiand town board against the two field examiners who examined the town records there about two years ago, to enjoin the county auditor from paying them, for t'heir services, was dismissed by the plaintiff at the last term of court in Newton county at the town’s Cost.

New suits filed: No. 7859. William H. Cheadle, trustee of the. estate of Robert Parker, bankrupt, vs. George A. .Chappell, Mary M. Chappell, his wife, Charles V. May, Green ip I. Thomas and Charle- L. Hens.or; action, to foreclose mortgage. Demand SI,OOO.

No. 1 8 60. William ,j. Ballinger vs. Cecelia E. Green; action to quiet ti'tlle.

The grand jury this term is sitting by easy stages. It was in Saturday again and investigated the alleged hunting without license forni the north end, against H. G. and .1. P. Swisher, and did - not consider the evidence sufficient for returning indictments, it •is said. At least no bills were returned, and the two men, Who had him iin jail since the Wednesday previous, were dist'.aged. The eases filed against them in Squire irwin’s court were dismissed by the prosecutor and the matter placed before the grand jury, with the above result. The grand jury adjourned from Saturday ’$ session until next Sa/tufiday, April 20. Circuit Clerk Charles W. Warner will retire from office May 1, after having served two terms of four > earns each, and will be succeeded by J. H. Perkins, Oerk-elect, who has been an the office most of the time for the past two months learning the routine of the office. Mi Warner ihias been am obliging. and popular official and his many friends wish him well in What ever vocation he may decide to take up. As chairman of the republican county central committee his time during the coming campaign will no doubt be largely taken up with the duties ot that office. Mr. Perkins, who succeeds him, is well known over the county and Will no doubt make a good official. Miss Eva Moore will continue as Mr. Perkins’ deputy. , [ William Leweller\ , a shoemaker, formerly of Rensselaer and Remington but for the past few years a resident of Brook, was declared insane last week and brought here and placed in jail pending his acceptance at Longcliff, where he will bo taken Hater.. Lewel'len, it , £ ' Be >tns, taikes on periodical sprees, and Brook, being as dry as a powder | horn, he has bad .to go to other

towns to slack his thirst when it reached the overpowering stage. A trip to Chicago Heights the first of last week was too much for him and the officers caught him up at Kentiand and had him declared insane; The writer saw him in a barber shop getting ithaved Saturday" and no one would imagine that be was- deranged. But it’s mighty easy to get committed to an insane asylum these days. Lewellen is said to be a good workman and a good Citizen when himself, but becomes crazed under the Influence of booze.

Adds More Wild Birds to His Flock.

iChas. Bussell of Hanging Grove tp., added another live willd goose and a wild duck to his collection last Wednesday, when with the aid of his son-in-law, James Lefler, he fixed up a shute and drove the birds, which had been* hanging about for, a few days into the yard with h:s. other wild birds and clipped their wings. Mr. Bussell l now has a flock of 35 wild geese and 20 wild ducks, a number of which are real wild birds captured in various ways, but. the greater part of' the flock were- raised from the domesticated wild birds.

Married In Lafayette.

Miss Hazel Moore and John E. Lyons of Rensselaer evaded their friends yesterday and came to this city to get married. The ceremony was performed at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon by Rev. Borden B. Kessler, pastor of St. Paul’s 'M. E. church, at his home, 726 Brown street. Mr. and Mrs. Lyons returned to Rensselaer last night and will reside in that city. They are young people of excellent standing and, while the announcement of their marriage will be a surprise, they will have t)he best wlsihes of a large circle of friends.—Yesterday’s Lafayette Journal. . The bride has clerked for some time in the Jarrette Variety store, while the groom is the son of W. A. Lyons of Remington.

No Good Reason Why Papers Fail to Arrive.

Report comes from towns along the Panhandle road west of Reynolds, where The Democrat has a very large circulation, -that Saturday’s paper did not arrive as usual Saturday morning. In fact it is said that they have missed several times recently. The Democrat makes up a special sack of all the packages tor those towns, which is transferred at Reynolds to the Panhandle road. I his sack is always placed in the Rensselaer post office in time to leave Tuesday and Friday evening-, and there -is no good excuse for the sack being miscarried. The matter has been taken up with the division railway 'mail superintendent and the blame will be located. The sack last Friday evening left the Rensselaer postoffice as usual and was taken south on the milk train. What became of it thereafter we at present are unable to state.

Roosevelt Makes Almost a Clean Sweep In Pennsylvania.

The result of Saturday’s primaries in Pennsylvania, Where Roosevelt got 67 of the 76 delegates, has caused Confusion in tlhe Taft ranks of the p. The result exceeded the moll sanguine expectations of the Roosevelt backers, and to say that they are elated is putting it mildly. The Taft supporters are, of course, correspondingly depressed. With the sweep made in Illinois only a few days previous those who have been jeering at the Rough Rider candidate's campaign are now sitting up and taking notice. ,

Wilson got. 74 of the 76 Pennsylvania delegates which gives Clark only a small lead. - " -

Not taking into conwideration the congested delegates for Taft, the line-up pf delegates already chosen now is: Taft 319; Roosevelt, 185; LaFollette, 26; instructed 26. On the democratic side Clark leads with 131; Wilson 109; Marshall 30; Burke 10; Harmon 6; uninstructed 99.

Seed Potatoes.

Car of No. 1 Rural and Rose seed potatoes, will sell in any quantity desired.—Globe Onion Farm, A. DONNELLY, Prop.

Buy your envelopes of The Democrat, either * blank or printed, whichever you desire. A fine XXX 6% business envelope for only 5c per package of 26; six packages for a quarter.

OCEAN LINER SINKS AT SEA

Over 1,800 Lives Lost When Levithan Titanic Goes Down LARGEST SHIP IN THE WORLD Strike's Iceberg Off Coast of Newfoundland and Goes Down Before Aid Can Reach Her —Ship Was Making Her Maiden Voyage —Many Millionaires Are' Drowned.

LAST WORDS FROM SHIP.

New York, April 15-.—The accident of the Titanic occurred at 10:25 o'clock last night. Two hours later the ship’s wireless apparatus, which had been working so badly as to permit of only intermittent and fragmentary messages, failed completely.

The last words sent by the operator told that the vessel was apparently doomed, “sinking by the head,” and that the’ women passengers were being rushed into the lifeboats.

New York, April 15.—The White Star • Liner Titanic, the world’s greatest steamship, has gone down some 500 miles off Cape Race, with more than 630 of her 1,300 passengers and her full crew of 860 men on board. The text of the message from the steamer Olympic reporting the sinking of the Titanic and the rescue of the 675 survivors, which reached here late tonight, also expressed the opinion that 1,800 lives were lost. “Loss likely to total 1,800 souls,” the dispatch said in its. concluding sentence. It is hoped and believed here that this is an error, unless the Titanic had more passengers on board than was reported. The list, as given out, .-towed 1,310 passengers. The liner Carpathia, the first vessel to come within sight of the Titanic, rescued all the Titanic's lifeboats, in which were 670 persons, most of them women and children. Many women and children, however, have parished When the Carpathia reached the ill-fated vessel no sign of life was to be seen anywhere, the mountainous ocean swells giving mute evidence to the stupendous disaster.

Scores of terror-stricken passengers, among them women and children, are reported to have leaped into the sea soon after the vessel collided with the iceberg. Other women and children struggled desperately with the men to reach the lifeboats. Early Reports Had All Safe. Early reports stated that all the passengers and the crew of the Titanic had been taken off by the Allen Liners Virginian and the Parisian, and then the Carpathia, but wireless messages received here tonight discredit these reports in every detail. That the sinking of the Titanic was witnessed from the bridge of the Carpathia which was leading the Parisian and the Virginian to the rescue, is believed here tonight. That the vessel was seen through the glasses of the Carpathian captain to be afloat is regarded as the source of these early encour aging reports. No hope is' held out at the offices of the White Star Line that any man on board has survived to tell, the story of the final sinking of the leviathan, although some of the women in the boats may have witnessed the sinking. Only by a miracle, it is pointed out, could any person who stood by the ship escape the great vessel’s powerful suction as she sank to the bottom. Pulled Under by Suction. One wireless report late tonight stated at least three or four lifeboats were pulled under the water by the suction when the Titanic sank from view. The Titanic carried the most not

able list of passengers ever borne across tbo Atlantic by one vessel Home-coming American tourists arranged their sailings weeks ago so as to ride the new wonder of the seas on her maiden voyage. Tonight's dispatches state that the Titanic went down at 2:20 o'clock this morning. The delay in the transmission of the news is attributed to the fact that all dispatches have been subject to difficult relays. The collision of the Titanic with an iceberg is now known to have been a head-on crash that occurred while the liner was proceeding at little less than her best speed. Day Ahead of Her Schedule. She was a day ahead of her schedule, and it is considered probable that an attempt to make a record-breaking voyage was the hope of her crew when she entered the ice field. Her forward plates were completely wrecked, a gaping wound opening below her water line and letting the water into her forward compartments. In the meantime the lifeboats were manned and into them were placed as many of the women and children as they could hold. These boats were put off while there was yet some hope of holding the Titanic afloat until her wireless messages could summon help. The Titanic was the greatest of modern steamships and was nearly 900 feet in length and 92 1/2 foot beam. She was making her maiden voyage and her passenger list contained the names of many prominent millionaires among whom was John Jacob Astor, who went down with the ill-fated ship. Only women and children were saved, it is reported, and the disaster is the worst ever known.

GARY BRIBERY CASES

Are Tukcn up in Porter County Court at Yaliuiruiso. Hammond, Ind., April 13-—The Gary bribery cases were taken up in the Planter County Circuit Court, at Valparaiso, late to-day before Superior Van Fleet, who ruled that former Comptroller Nyhoff be discharged anrl that, the cases against Alayor Knotts and Alderman Bowser he dismissed, only leaving action open so the state can fib* new charges against the tiwo If it. so decided. No ruling wa-< made in the ease of C. A. VV iLlLston, in which the jury disagreed at a recent trial. The casesi against four of the defendants in the Crown Point Court are not affected by the ruling to-day.

BOYS SOB WHEN SENTENCED

Youthful Burglars Kent to Jeffersonville Reformatory. Lafaye to, Jnd.. April 13.—Three sobbing youths, with their mothers and sisters in tears, were sentenced to the JetTersonvi'lle reformatory today by Judge DeHart, in the circuit court, after pleading gulty to charge* o( burglary. The boys, Gilbert Shaw and Abe and Jesse Christy, were arrested Thursday night on a charge of robbing Monon railroad cars and local business house.-". The jiollce visited the homes of the boys and found several hundreds of dollars woTtih of stolen merchandise. None of the lads is yet twenty years old, but the Christy brothers have a!ready been inmates of the Indiana Boys’ school at Plainfield. The three boys were sentenced to terms of one to fourteen years in the reformatory.

WILL BUILD OWN RAILROAD

Monon Crushed Stone Co. Buys Rolling Stock. Tlhe Mlonun Crushed Stone Co. has received an engine and seven cars, which was purchased in Chicago, to be used by the plant. Two acres of ground will be stripped and about one mile of track will be laid to convey the dirt where it will bo dumped. After this work is completed, the cars will be used in conveying stone from the quarry to the crusher. The enlargement of the plant begun last lall has been hindered by delay in transit of building material, a carload of heavy framing timbers having been on the road over a month and ha,s mot yet arrived. When the improvements are completed the crusher will have a capacity of 2,000 yards per day,- instead of 500 as at present.—Monon News.

An armful of old papers for a nickel at the Democrat office.

Vol. XV. No. 4.