Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1894 — INDIANA STATE NEWS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

Latest fad in Washington is “mum” socials. Hammond won its salt for the annexation of East Chicago. Indiana has eighteen special pension examiners to her credit. Sunday was a good day for Kentucky ' elopers at Jeffersonville. The new K. of P. hall art Martinsville was dedicated. Wennesday, For the first time in twenty years there is a licensed saloon at Farmland. Five barns were destroyed by Are of Incendiary origin in Fort Wayne. Saturday night. Isaac Wagner, the aged Mayor of Madison. died, Sunday. He had been ill for some time; “ “ 5 Several very ancient porcelain relics have been found by diggers in a mound near English. Ernest Dorsey and family, of Crawfordsville, were made seriously ill by eating head-cheese. « The Indiana Poultry Association opened its annual exhibit at Masonic Hall, Indianapolis, Tuesday. Miss BeDe Pierson, New Albany, has been appointed organizer for the American Federation of Labor. Incendiaries burned the school-house at Dark Hollow, near Bedford, because of dissentions among patrons. The Victor window glass' works at Anderson, after a shut-down of several months, has resumed operations. " Charles Clark, Shelbyville, has been sued for £5.000 damages by his wife, who claims that he oroke her collar bone. Mrs.' John of Flatrock, died while seated in her buggy en route for church. She was sixty-four years old.’ Hon. David S. Gooding, of Greenfield, is said to be seriously embarrassed financially. Liabilities, £II,OOO. Assets not stated. Additional men are being employed in the Lake Shore railway shops at Elkhart and the working hours have been increased. Batesville, with a population of 2,000, only had 16 deaths during ’93. The undertakers there don't make a living out of the dead. George Conrad and family, near DarHngton.returned from an entertainment to find their house and contents entirely consumed by fire. The Anderson Herald, by authority, announces the candidacy of the Hon. John W. Lovett for Attorney-General on the Republican ticket. John A. Jenkins, the defaulting treasurer of Clarke county, died at his home in Jeffersonville, Monday, of consumption. His case was never tried. Prize fighting still breaks out at intervals in Northern Indiana. Near the Kankakee river, south of Valparaiso, Monday, three mills in one ring were fought by amateurs. 4 An infant son of Douglas Curry, colored, of Greenfield, secured a small bottle of carbolic acid and drank a portion of the contents, satuiating his head with the re* mainder. He died almost instantly. Mitchell Shanks, school teacher at Pello, drove a supposed tramp out of the school house, Monday. The tramp pulled a revolver, but before he could use it Shanks pulled his own gun ana shot the fellow deaa. Mrs. Thomas O’Donnell, of this place, received S6OJ or S7OO from the estate of her relatives in Ireland a few days ago. It will be well taken care of, for Mrs. O’Donnell is.a careful auJ prudent woman.— Hancock Djmocrat. Mr. Fred Bourdon, a popular young gentleman of Elwood, secretary of the. Elwood Club, is partially paralyzed on his right side, and he is unable to close his right eye. The paralysis is attributed to the cigarette habit. 3 Judge Baker, of the U. S. court, in a decision handed down, Monday, held that the charter governing the city of Indianapolis is unconstitutional, both under the constitution of Indiana and the constitution of the United States. Colonel Milligan,of Huntington, recalls that the winter of 1843 was almost an exact parallel with the one nowexperienced. He reports that on the Ist of February the weather turned very cold, which continued without a break until spring. The suit brought by the city of Hammond to enforce the annexation of East Chicago is on trial at Valparaiso. The tract which Hammond wishes to annex will add 3,000 acres and about $4,000,009 taxables to its corporate limits. The Sullivan Democrat, speaking of the low price which a herd of horses brought in that city, advises its readers to sell off all surplus stock, as electricity is rapidly superceding the horse, and there is likely to be still further declines in value. The now order of Bon Hur, a secret society recently organized at Crawfordsville, is the cause of great annoyance to Gen. Lew Wallace, who is receiving scores of inquiries concerning it through the mail. The General has no connection with the order whatever. Charles Burnett, of Mnncio, fourteen years old, under arrest for several days because of a badly deranged mind, caused by reading “Nick Carter,” “Old Sleuth,” and kindred literature, will be taken to the asylum. He imagines that ho is an agent of Carter’s in detective w ork. , Lawyer Davis got angry in court at Terre Haute, Wednesday, and drew a revolver and drove lawyers Walker and Eggleston out of the room. The latter men accused Davis of writing newspaper articles against them, and one of them tried to hit him with a big law book. C. H. Over, whose glass factory at Muncie burned down some months ago, has filed a second suit against the Lake Erie 6 Western railway, in which his damages are now laid at SIOO,OOO. It is alleged that his factory was destroyed by sparks from a passing engine owned by the defendant company. The Jcffersohvltle News says that the leaves are already out on the scarlet japonicas and a day or two more of warm weather would have brougnt them into full bloom. It also says that the trees on the island fronting Jeffersonville were growing green before the recent cold breeze set in. The joke is on two yonng watchmen of the canning factory. One of the proprie-, tors happened along late at night and went In upon thorn and found them asleep. Their feet he tied together an 1 carried away their pocketbook and watch. What their feelings when the articles were returned?—Kokomo Times. The G. A. R. of Princeton, failing in

other efforts to reclaim John Daugherty, a pensioner, filed a petition in the Circuit Court to have him declared a habitual drunkard, and asking the court to appoint a guardian. The petition is filed under a law passed before the war, and which has been declared valid by the Supreme Court. Postmaster Phillips, at Wallen, was attacked by six men, Tuesday night, and stabbed in several places, all on account of a postoffice fight. Phillips is about the only Democrat at the place, and when ho was appointed postmaster it didn't please the Democrats. He filed affidavits Wednesday, against six prominent citizens, charging them with assault. As the result of a factional row in Huntington, in which much bad blood is engendered in a political way, one of the county officials has filed a charge of drunkenness against Mayor Z. T. Dugan, of Huntington. The mayor’s friends claim that the charge is brought to prevent the renomination of Mr. Dugan for the office he now holds. He is of the same political faith as the complainant. Last summef. while Thomas Eckert and Amos Rude, of San Pierre, were boating and fishing on the Kankakee river. Rude fell overboard and was drowned. Eckert was accused of killing him, but a trial resulted in his acquittal. He has now retaliated by bringing suit for damages against a number of residents of San Pierre who tried to connect him with Rude’s death. Louis Pruett, who killed John Thomas at Nyesville. May 23, 1893, was allowed to plead guilty to manslaughter by agreement of counsel, at Rockville, and given a ten year sentence. The verdict gives great dissatisfaction, as the crime was one of unusual brutality, the victim being literally chopped to pieces with a broadax. The general sentiment was that Pruett should hang. Calvin Armstrong, the defaulting deputy treasurer of Tipton county, whose trial will soon come up at Kokomo, has made application for the appointment of resident counsel under the poor criminal act. It is probable that C. C. Shirley will be gnamed to defend, the expense to be borne by Tipton county, which will al so pay assistant counsel in the prosecution and court costs. Eight New York jewelry firms, including Tiffany & Co., have been victimized by a New Albany confidence man to the extent of SIO,OOO. The thief had diamonds shipped to the address of A. Barth, a well known and wealthy resident, and by means of forged orders and letters of identification secured the goods and escaped. The express companies will haye to bear < a part of the loss. Judson Tyler and Wm. Suttley, of Ft Wayne, scions of two prominent pioneer familes, were arrested Thursday morning on charge of burglary. Relatives and friends were shocked, and they were completely overcome later, when Tyler, the wealthier one of the prisoners, confessed to having been a ringleader in the robbery of seven business houses. He implicated three companions. The boys have always borne excellent reputations. The plant of the Standard Oil Company at Whiting, Ind., the the total valuation of which is $8,000,000, has been bulletined to be sold for taxes Feb. 5. The delinquent taxes'amount to $10,627.25. The delinquency is based on a valuation of $33,0(0, which the coipp my claim was an error in their assessment. The saleais to test the legality of the action of the authorities. It is probable that the delinquency will be paid and the matter taken into the courts. 1 The famous L. S. & M. S. railroad company vs. Peterson damage suit, at Elkhart, was finallysettled Friday, when the judge grant *d Peterson SII,OOO for the loss of both arms. About three years ago Peterson was put off a moving freight train by one of the brakemen and in falling he fell under the train, losing both his arms. Motions for new trials were immediately overruled and Peterson is to have $660 annually until the above amount is paid. A farmer in Washington county has a persimmon orchard of five hundred trees. His neighbors made great fun when he first began setting out his orchard, but at the end of three years, when he began harvesting his fruit, frequently selling it, at $1.25 a gallon, many concluded that there was money in the undertaking. The persimmon raiser has perfected a method by which the fruit is kept fresh and sweet until spring, and he is making a good thing out of his odd investment. George Parent, living near Union City, who has charge of the leasing of a farm owned*by Mrs. Dr. James, of Marshall, 111., Saturday, sold 836(9 worth of gram in Union Chy, for which he received the money. He stood at the desk a moment m calculation, and in a fit of abstraction, seized the bills lying near and tossed them into the stove, mistaking them for the paper on which he was moting some figures. Ho did not notice what he had done until too late to save the money George Bingham, of the land department of the State auditor’s office, has returned from a trip of inspection of the savings banks of the State. There are eighty-six State banks and five savings banks in the State which report to the State in much the same manner that National banks report to the Comptroller of the Currency. The latter are located at Lafayette, Laporte. South Bend, Evansville and Tefro Haute. Mr. Bingham made the regular examination of their affairs and reports them to be in first class condition. A telegram from the department at Washington not to cash money orders purporting to come from Noroton, Cal., was received too late at Valparaiso, and W. 11. Clark, who successfully swindled the postoffices at Canton, M ansfield and Lima, 0., got away with $209, on advices sent by Mrs. W. IL Clark. Inspector Leatherman was placed on the case and Clark was traced to Chicago, where the trail was lost. While this trick was being played at the cities named, the postoffices at Decatur, Springfield, Aurora, Bloomington, Streator and Rock Island were successfully worked in the same manner. Samuel Von Lenox, seven-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Lennox, died at Muncie, a few days since, of a very peculiar cause. The ca e completely baffled the medical fraternity, and a postmortem examination was made. It was discovered that a small black bug had been swallowed by the boy, and that it had eateh through his stomach and intestlnes and to the heart. A hole had been eaten into the heart, causing death from loss of blood. The parents recently

moved to Muncie from Hartford City, and they explain that the boy frequently drank from a spring near their home. ville show that there has been a feud between James Spradlin and Wm. Mitchell. The .Mitchells are hard-working, eminently respectable people, having the entire sympathy of the community. Spradlin is twenty-four years ol<> and of good family. The circumstances leading to the killing show that young Henry Mitchell and a boy named Miller were quarreling over the possession of a slate, and William Mitchell, who was near by. told them to stop and quiet down, Spradlin was near at hand and somewhat intoxicated, and ha immediately took sides with the Miller boy. Mitchell then remonstrated with Spradlin, telling him that his interference was not called for. This enraged Spradlin, who used his revolver, firing three shots at Mitchell and striking him in the arm, thigh and abdomen. The fourth and remaining shot he used upon the Mitchell boy. the bullet hitting the lad in the throat and inflicting a wound which resulted fatally. Sprallin fled after the killing, and that night he was sheltered by a relative in the vicinity of Pikeville. The next day he went to the hills. At last accounts scores of men were hunting for the fugitive, determined upon a lynching. Patents were granted to Indiana inventors, Tuesday, asfollows: 8. Bettage, Mariah Hill, folding frame for ironing table; J. W. Bliss and J. C. Erwin, Elkhart, machine for waxing or coating paper; E. W. Bradford. Indianapolis, fountain attachment for pens; A. P. Craig, Michigan City, vehicle axle; T. F. Harrington, Indianapolis, railway mileage ticket; J. P. Kelso, Jackson, wind or current operated wheel; C. M. Kiler, assignor of one-half to H. E. Urmston, Indianapolis, fence: J. C. Morgel, A. T. Ball and £l. M. Nagel, Brazil, broom and brush: E. Neff, Milford, pump for water systems; J. Richey, Evansville, table leg fastening; B. W. Smith. Rockport, railway car brake; J. T. Sollenberger, assignor of one-half to A. A. Charles, Kokomo, apparatus for plugging and topping tomatoes, etc., in cans; T. F. Vandegrift, Shelbyville, belt tightener and shifter; J. J. Weicher, assignor of one-half to G. Haller, Fort Wayne, mail box; C. L. Wheeler, Marion, rail joint; L. Woodard, Muncie, sash fastener An attempt to wreck the west-bound passenger train on the Baltimore & Ohio road, was made, Monday night, near Bremen, at “Big Marsh.” the most desolate spot known to that road. The train was running fifty miles an hour, when the engine struck a large piece of timber. When the train was stopped the timber was found wedged firmly between the trucks of the baggage car. Had the train not been stopped almost instantly six coaches would have been derailed. The passengers were panic-stricken and huddled down to escape the bullets that were expected. Footsteps were heard by Conductor Reid, but owing to the thick underbrush no attempt was made to capture the desperadoes. It is not known whether the attempt at a wreck was made for the purpose of robbery, bi■; the general opinion is that it was the work of a desperate gang that inhabits an island in the center of the marsh. The railroad company now has armed men patrolling the track along the entire border of the marsh. Ed McAtee, the old bachelor near Oatsvillo, who was reported as having been killed outright by Perry Debry, a young desperado, has so far recovered as to be able to talk of the affair. Debry was his guest, and was actuated solely by robbery. While McAtee was in the act of dipping up water out of the river, Debry shot him from the rear, the builet passing through his ear and cheek, and coming out of his chin. McAtee whirled and grabbed the muzzle of the revolver, and the second shot tore through his right hand and entered the arm, ranging up to the elbow. The third shot struck him in the left arm, and as he tried to run away a fourth entered his hip, while a fifth struck him on the side of the head, knocking him down, Before McAtee could regain his feet Debry reloaded his revolver aad again began firing. McAtee again tried to escape, but the fourth shot, making nine altogether which had been fired, struck him iu the shoulder, bringing him down Debry then robbed him of six dollars and walked away. There was strong threats of lynching at the time of Debry's arrest, but the excitement has cooled down. McAtee stands some chance of recovering.