Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1916 — JASPER COUNTY’S FIRST JAIL [ARTICLE]

JASPER COUNTY’S FIRST JAIL

Newton County Man Tells About First Prisoner to Occupy It. By turning to page 452 of the history of Warren, Benton, Jasper and Newton counties the reader will find the following brief mention of Jasper county's first jail and the first prisoner to find "shelter” therein; “The first jail was built in 1 847, the erection of which was constructed by George W. Spitler, the actual work being done by Willis J. Wright, who was then a carpenter by trade. It was built of hewed logs, twelve inches square, and was constructed about twenty by twentysix feet in size, with two rooms. Its architectural plan was simply that of a tight box with one small window and door to each room. One room led'off from the other. Th former was the stronghold and was constructed 'of double timbers, th° door of heavy timbers and windows guarded by strong iron bars. For this building- Spitler received four blocks of the village plat, containing forty-eight lots, which had been donated for the purpose of providing public buildings.' The first prisoner incarcerated was the famous

Shaffer, who was subsequently killed in Newton county. The lock of the - door had been put on in such a way as to expose the bolt, where it entered the socket, and Shaffer, who was extraordinarily strong in his fingers, managed to shoot the bolt back, and before the sheriff was out of night was standing on the outside of the building to the no small amusement of tinlookers on. The sheriff replaced him and that night the prisoner repeated the performance, but seems to have become bewildered and found himself in the morning near the dam at the head of the rapids. He then concluded ho would go to the sheriff's house for breakfast, where he appeared before he was missed, and subsequently was sent to the penitentiary for a five years’ term.” And further, with regard to the man Shaffer, the history aforesaid .sayeth not, the author probably being ignorant of the fact that he •had here material for the most interesting chapter in his entire book. Shaffer, who, after being released ■from the - penitentiary, located in Lincoln township, Newton county, vas regarded as a desperate character and as such was feared and shunned by everybody. Mothers quieted rebellious children with the whispered name of “Shaffer,” and natives who were compelled to pass in the vicinity of his lonely cabin at night did so with fear and trembling. He was accused of about every unlawful act from highway robbery to horse stealing and from counterfeiting to plain murder, and -while not guilty probably of all the crimes laid £t his door,* he was guilty of enough, in the opinion of his neighbors, to earn for him the reputation of being the prize bad man of northern Newton county at that time. Shaffer was murdered in his cabin one night about forty years ago, but

by whom and for what particular cause will likely never be known. From the gun-shot wounds in his side it was the general opinion that more than one person was implicated in the murder, a theory which was strengthened by the belief that no man in all that region who knew Shaffer had the temerity to undertake the grewsome task of killing him single-handed and alone.

Certain parties were arrested, charged with the crime, and a preliminary hearing was held before Thomas Harris of Jackson township, justice of the peace, Robert Dwiggins and Simon Thompson of Rensselaer being attorneys in the case; but owing to lack of evidence the prisoners were discharged, and the natives of northern Newton, no longer oppressed with the dread of Shaffer, began to breathe naturally once more and to venture out after sun-down.

But, Shaffer—always a contrary fellow—refused to stay dead, but must vacate his “narrow cell” o’ nights and go traipsein about the country frightening people ten times worse than formerly, or at least it was so reported. One man—so the story goes—who was driving his cows home in the dusk of the evening, two weeks after Shaffer had been laid to rest, was surprised and pained to come across that selfsame personage leaning against a tree and apparently contemplating the beauties of the landscape. “It’s a pooty tol’ably fine evenin’,” remarked the shade, grabbing its heard with its left hand and slavering a jack oak stump with a copious shower of tobacco juice. Now it may have been a fine evening and all that—hsitory doesn’t say—but, if it was, the native was not aware of it just then, for at that particular jmoment his mind was completely centered on performing the impossible feat of covering

a mile and a half in a minute and forty-five seconds, weighted down with a pair of number ten boots and over ground cumbered with underbrush and wild grape vines. • The very next evening Jehonadab 1 lac berry, a man of unquestioned veracity, was accosted by Shaffer’s ghost while out coon hunting near Boegum Ridge. On this occasion, if the writer’s memory serves him correctly, the ghost bummed a “chaw of nach’al leaf’ off of Jehonadab, after which it locked arms with the coon hunter and walked with him “ter a little risin of two milds,” chatting the while quite sociably. Three weeks later Corrington Foxworthy, who had been happily converted at the last February revival, was warmly embraced about midnight by the spirit of the murdered man while the former was on his way home from Lake Village. On this occasion Foxworthy is said to have displayed something strictly new and classy in the line of knee work, and the writfer has it from good authority that old timers along the Kankakee still point with pride to the sprinting record made by him on that eventful night. Subsequently Shaffer’s ghost was seen In different places and by various reputable citizens, if reports may be credited, hut suddenly and for some unaccountable reason its nocturnal wanderings were discontinued. With the passing of the ghost the name of Shaffer gradually lost its terrors, and today there are few people in either Newton or Jasper county perhaps who remember the man and the circumstances at-

tending his death.

S. S.