Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1883 — ILLINOIS AFFAIRS. [ARTICLE]

ILLINOIS AFFAIRS.

Omus W. Horuur, of Madison county, pleaded guilty in the United States Court, and was fined #BO for defrauding the United Statee malls. A Moocaanr snake snooeeded in biting a young eon of James Campbell, of Dixon Spring, Pope county, recently. The patient is not expected to reoover. Tbs patents issued one day recently to residents of the United States numbered 414, of which thirty-three were issued to residents of Illinois. Boswell Abel, of Springfield, who was born on Sharon Mountain, in Litchfield, Ct, on July 23, 1785, and served all through the war of 1812, has just died in Springfield. The coal companies of the Wilmington district of Illinois have taken active measures toward the construction of a drain twenty-five feet wide and one to five feet deep, for a distance of eight miles, to the Mazon creek, in Grundy County. Thebe is an unusual amount of sickness around Mattoon at this time. Dysentery and flux are especially prevalent Quite a number of deaths is reported. R W. MoQuown died at the age of 78. He ba 1 been a resident of Coles oounty for thirty years or more, and was one of its most respected citizens. During a heavy storm at Marshall the school, a large three-story brick, was struck by lightning and rather badly used up Tbe spire was knocked into splinters, a shutter wrenched off, and one side of the cupola oaved in, the boards Deing sent in every direction. Things were tumbled around at a lively rate inside also. The shoe.; was distictly felt for some distance around. Intelligence has been received of the suicide of Joseph Dawson, a young man aged 22 years, living two miles east of Melrose, a little village several miles south of Marshall. The young man went ont to feed horses, and his brother becoming alarmed at his long absence hurried to the barn, and was horrified to find him lying on a pile of oats shot through the heart NA cause is known for the act Thebe was something of a disturbance in the African Methodist Episoopol Conference, which ‘is in session at Springfield. G. J. Hamilton, of South Carolina, who is said to possess some medical ability and is also a member of the conference, arose to a question of personal privilege. An article had appeared in one of the city papers which took occasion to criticise him, and he tried to repel the charges. The conference was in the midst of a discussion as to the propriety of allowing him to proceed, it being contended that the matter was foreign, to the business of the conference, when the Bishop appeared and peremptorily ordered Hamilton outside of the door of the church. The episode occasioned a good deal of feeling. The business of the conference was principally hearing reports of committees. C. 8. Smith and M. W. Beekey were elected delegates to the general conference, which meets in Baltimore in May. . The next meeting of the Illinois Conference will be he d at Bloomington.

The Rival Lovers—A Fayette County Tragedy. Ixmis Phillips and Jacob Kosenbrook, two young men residing in the northern part of Fayette county, got into a difficulty and decided to settle toe matter with pistols One was killed, while the other lingers at toe threshold of death, being badly wounded in the chin The scene of toe affray was at one of the churches in London township, fifteen miles north and east Vandalia. The two young men, Louis Phillips and Jacob Kosenbrook, met at the church by accident For several months previous neither had entertained a very exalted opinion of the other, and this ill feeling was attributed to the misfortune of both becoming enarmored of toe same faindamseL In pressing their respective suits with the fair one no opportunity was lost by either to poison toe maiden’s mind against the other. On an occasion when PhlUlpe • would have the honor of gracing the presence of the beautiful maiden he would impart such Information concerning Kosenbrook as was not the least complimentary to* toe latter. Possiily toe next company the lady was called upon to entertain would be that of her admirer, Kosenbrook. Kosenbrook was slow in expressing his mind freely concerning bis antagonist, Phillips. His expressions would become threatening should the young lady Inadvertently quote some of toe remarks of Phillips, and so toe courtship continued. The young men came frequently and loved toe girl more and more, and learned tb hate one another more intensely. This continued verbal rehearsal of their respective grievances to toe maiden, grew monotonous and resulted In neither seemingly gaining ground in toe affections of the girL Finally, to bring matters to • focus and attain some decisive action on the part of all, one of toe wobers resorts to the pen. He indulges in a letter to the lady. He records a great many utteranoes purporting to come from, his rival, reflecting upon her character. This letter toe young lady carefully preserved until her visitor called, at which time she presented it to him for his perusal. The charges he stoutly denied, and begged to have possession of the letter tost he might oonfront the writer with it This request the lady granted. The next Sunday evening the two gentlemen met at church. The party bolding toe letter called the other’s attention to it and charged him with perverting the truth repeatedly on every page Bitter denunciations were indulged in on either side, whereupon revolvers were drawn and .four shots were fired, Phillips receiving one shot in his chin and Bosenbrook a shot in his neck; After toe shooting Kosenbrook walked half s mile, became weak and stopped at a friend’s house, where he lingered through the night and died early in the morning. Phillips retired to a friend's house, where he. lies badly wounded. His recovery is thought improbable.