Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1916 — COUNTY CLERK PERKINS DEAD [ARTICLE]

COUNTY CLERK PERKINS DEAD

Jasper County Official Expired Sunday Morning in Chicago Hospital. The many friends of Judson J. Perkins, clerk of the Jasper circuit court, -were greatly shocked Sunday morning when word came from Chicago that Mr. Perkins had expired at 2 o’clock that morning at the Presbyterian hospital where he had gone about 10 days previous for examination and treatment for what the doctors there pronounced pemphigus, a very rare skin disease. While Mr. Perkins’ condition had been quite bad for a time, he was thought to be gaining steadily the latter part of the week. He had been visited frequently by his wife and daughters, and Miss Ethel Perkins went up Saturday afternoon and went out to the hospital to see her father. She found him resting well and apparently getting along alright. From there she went to stay all night with friends in the city and went to church with them Sunday morning expecting to call and see him again in the afternoon before returning home, but after getting back from church she learned of her father's death. It seems that she had told her father and others where she was going and the authorities at the hospital could not locate her when Mr. Perkins became much worse during the night, because of misunderstanding the street number. Dr. Perkins at the hospital is a nephew of Judson h. Perkins, and he called the family here Saturday night at 11 o'clock and told them that Mr. Perkins had grown suddenly worse and was sinking fast. Another message at about 2 o’clock stated that he had passed away. At this writing it is believed his death was caused more from the excessive heat than anything else. Mr. Perkins was 63 years of age and had resided in or near Rensselaer for the past 25 years, coming here from near Goodland where he resided on a farm for several years. Before coming to Indiana he had resided in Illinois and taught school there for some years. He was a man of sterling character and was held in high esteem by all who knew him. He was elected clerk of the Jasper circuit court in November, 1910, taking the office on May 1, 1912* He was re-elected in 1914 and had served but two months of his second term at the time of his death. His first wife died here several years ago and he remarried some two years ago. He is survived by a wife and two daughters, Mrs. Jay W. Stockton of Newton tp. and Miss Ethel Perkins of Rensselaer. Also an adopted son, Sam Perkins, also of Newton tp. The body was* brought to Rensselaer on the 2 o'clock train Monday and taken to the family home on the corner of Cullen and Grace streets, and the funeral was held yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock from the Baptist church, conducted by Rev. J. P. Green, assisted by the pastor, Rev. F. H. Beard, and burial made in Weston cemetery. Ross Benjamin Suffers Broken Leg. While returning from a trip to Cedar Lake Friday night Livingston Ross, Emmet Laßue and Ross Benjamin, in the former’s Ford car, had the misfortune to run into the ditch north of Lowell and the car turned over, pinning Benjamin underneath and fracturing both bones of his right limb between the knee and ankle. The car suffered no damage except a broken windshield. Young Benjamin was taken to Lowell and his injuries looked after, and Saturday he was brought home. The injury wall lay him up for several weeks. The boys state that the accident occurred from meeting a large touring car, the lights of which blinded the driver of their Ford. Rensselaer Chautauqua, August 10 to 15.