Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1893 — INDIANA STATE NEWS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

Libel suits are all tbe rage in Anderson. Marriages are epidemic throughout Indiana. Gas has been found in paying quantities at Weisberg. ~--trvr. — Wavnetown had a $30,000 fire, Wednesday night. 1 • Harley Drake was acquitted of a charge of criminal assault at Brazil. James Fear’s residence, near Marion, was destroyed by fire. Loss $2,000. Barney Steward, a Wakarusa lawyer, fell from a tree and received fatal injuries. Two new bronze drinking fountains are to be built on the public square at Bedford. It is rumored that spies are engaged at the Soldiers’ Home at Marion to hunt down pensioners. During the past week weasels i have killed over two hundred chickens in the New Albany neighborhood. A report from the Indiana State University at Bloomington shows the largest attendance this year in the history of the college. Josiah Antrim, 74, and Mrs. Nancy Sharp, 70, were married at Marion, Tuesday. Case of love at first sight and brief courtship. Laporte young ladies are organizing under an instructor in the science of “sportsmanship,” the art of duck and quail shooting. Now that a Hoosier has discovered that papaws can be raised in your front yard, if you know how the banana may well fear for its popularity. The mayor of Anderson has issued an order to the policemen to flog every tramp caught within the limits of the city and drive him out of town. , « ,

Brown county, which has no railroads and no largo town, has never had a convict in the prison south. A Pennsylvania train run into an open switch at Whiting, Tuesday. The engineer and fireman were killed. The engine and mail car were totally wrecked. The Indianapolis city election, Tuesday, resulted in the complete triumph of the Republican ticket and the election of ex-Mayor Denny by a majority of about 3,003. John Swartz, jr., residing three miles north of Henryville, has an apple tree which is blooming the second time this season. It is completely covered with blossoms. The sorghum season is about oVbr. It seems as though there was a goodly amount of this excellent commodity grown hereabouts this season and of excellent quality.—Mt. Vernon Democrat. John U. Denton, postmaster of Aurora, died Wednesday night. Mr. Denton was appointed by President Harrison and his term of office would have expired January 8. He was a model citizen and postmaster. Sixty men employed at the old Hoosier quarry, the principal quarry operated by the Bedford Stone Quarry Company, quit work, Tuesday afternoon. They say they have received no money since the middle of July. Two.handsome brick buildings are being erected at Newport and six business houses were recently finished on the public sqnare. Numerous dwellings have also been erected in the suburbs within the past year. There seems to be no doubt that a receiver will soon bo appointed for the Kentucky & Indiana Bridge Company. It is said a preliminary agreement has been entered into between the directors and officers to this end. 3 The other day a Seymour cow broke into a kitchen and ate a half a barrel of apples, a large chocolate cake and other delicacies. The family have been closely watching the cow ever since, anxiously expecting her to give an abundant supply of neapolltau ice cream. J. W. Paris, of Indianapolis, President of the collapsed Paris-Dwlggtns bank, at Greentown, indicted, along with ex-Gov-erhor Chase for embezzlement, filed an affidavit at Kokomo, Tuesday, for a change of venue, alleging he cannot got justice there bn account of the indignant state of the public mind produced by the failure. Mr. Chase put in an appearance and will insist on immediate trial. He was accompanied there by ex-District Attorney Smiley N. Chambers, who, with the present District Attorney, F. B. Burke, will be his chief counsel. Bv agreement Mr. Chase’s trial is set for Wednesday, Oct. 18. The indictments against James K. and Calvin Armstrong, who left the Tipton county treasurer’s office $43,000 short,were dismissed at Kokomo, Tuesday, by the State’s attorney because of irregularity, and, in consequence, the officers will not be tried on the embezzlement charges this term, and unless they succeed in giving bond the lather and son must continue to lie in jail until December, at which time the grand jury reconvenes. William Snyder, a well-known sporting man, claiming Philadelphia as his homo, died at Vincennes, Monday night, of heart disease. He went there, Saturday; to attend the fair. He was known to the sporting men all over the country as

“Big” Snyder. He weighed 480 pounds. His remains were buried there. A coffin had to be made to order for the body, and a piano lifter had to be used in handling it. The coffin could not be put into the hearse, and had to be hauled to the cemetery in an open wagon. The weapon with which the Wrattan murders were committed has been found by the coroner of Daviess county. It is a corn knife. It was found -secreted in a crack of the Wrattan smoke-house. It hkd been made of an old scythe. On its blade were found unmistakable bloodstains and a number of human hairs. The hairs were .of various lengths and colors, showing that the weapon had been used on several heads. A quilt, on which was found the bloody outline of a corn knife, was brought out, and it was found that the knife fitted the imprint of blood. The officers have a clew to the ownership ot the knife, and they are now; hopeful that convincing evidence will soon be forthcoming. A rumor having been circulated in Westfield to the effect that a man from Broad Ripple was expected. Thursday, to set up a saloon in that place, the people en masse camo to the depot to meet hlm. A large crowd of women and men assembled with the determined purpose of preventing the opening of a saloon. The citizens issued a pronunclamento to this effect: "We respectfully warn all whom It mdy concern to desist from any such attempt; for if persisted in. the will of the people will be enforced- Come what may, the

people win not tolerate a saloon in this place.” , A Grant county footpads have introduced a new wrinkle in “holding up” people after nightfall. A few nights ago Nathan McCoy, a prosperous farmer living near Fairmount, was accosted by two men while he was on his way to attend lodge at that place. The men drew a revolver upon him and backed him into a corner. They then tied him securely to a rail fence and went through his pockets deliberately. McCoy was gagged so that he could make no noise. After the footpads had relieved him of his watch and money they went away and left him tied to the fence. He remained in that position for several hours, when he was released by some of his neighbors who happened to see him standing in the corner white on their way home. Harvey Shields, a young carpenter, was thrown out of work at the Jeffersonville car works, and for weeks was unable to secure another job. He and his family tasted the bitterness of poverty and hard times, little knowing that a fortune lay ready to their hands at Milwaukee. A few days ago his uncle, Owen Baldwin, of Lime Ridge. Wis., requested him to come there, but Shields had no money and wrote so. The uncle went to Jeffersonville, and found him wheeling mud in the Portland canal. Mr. Baldwin told his nephew that he was wanted at Milwaukee to settle up a large estate in land, worth over SIOO,OOO, o! which one-fourth was his share. Tuesday night the two men left for Wisconsin. The estate comes through his mother, and consists of itiO acres of suburban property. Shields has played in Lard luck for years, though hard-working and sober. Deputy Sheriff Kidder, who sits on the battlements of the jail at Elkhart and guarcre Khe prisoners therein confined, did a funny thing the other day. Judge Vanfleet felt in the humor for conducting business, and summoned Mr. Kidder from his high wall to bring in a prisoner named Wishart. A young man supposed to be the desired defendant was produced, and, after a few preliminaries, the Judge lectured him and sentenced him to the penitentiary for three years. “Your father was a good man,” said the kind-hearted Judge, and he told the prisoner that for old time’s sake sentence was suspended and he might depart. The prisoner hastened his exit,and has not been seen since. It was then discovered that Wishart was still in jail, and that the fellow who had been turned loose was a barber, serving sentence for wife-beating. Deputy Sheriff Kidder now sits on the jail parapet at night and consults the October stars.