Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1895 — A CASE OF SUICIDE! [ARTICLE]

A CASE OF SUICIDE!

IRA CRIPPS, THE SECTION BOSS, PUTS HIS HEAD UNDER A CAR WHEEL. A horrible case of suicide took place in Rensselaer yesterday morning. The subject was Ira Cripps, for many years a section hand on the Monon, and at the time of his death, boss of one of the section gangs located here. . The circumstances of the tragic occurence, snd the events immediately preceding it, briefly related are as follows: Mr. Cripps and his wife have not been living happily, and Tuesday night, on retuhiing to his home, he found that she had left him and gone

to her father’s, Elias Hammerton’s, near Francesville, leaving him notice that she would not live with him any longer. After finding his wife gone, he called at his mother’s, -on Elm atreet, and told her of his troubles. He then procured a team and drove to Mr. Hammerton’s place; but was refused admission to the house. Returning to town, he spent the balance of the night in the depot, seeming greatly dejected, and talking to Mr. Royster, the night operator about his family troubles. When the 4:45 a. m. mail train arrived at Ike depot,

being 28 minutes late, or at 5:13, both Mr. Royster and Cripps went out on the platform, and as the train came to a stop, Royster went to the engine to hand his orders to the engineer, and Cripps started to the rear of the train, and it being still dark, Mr. Royster did not see where he went. The train pulled out, and about 10 or 15 minutes later, Barney Koezma, the depot poultry dealer and his son went to load some poultry, and they found the body of a man lying north of find alongside the main track, about 75 or 100 feet east from the depot door; while the head belonging to the body, and entirely severed from it,

laid between the rails, but dose to the north rail, on the other side of which lay the body. Mr. Koezmae run and told Mr. Royster that a dead man was by the track, and Mr. Royster at once said it must be “that poor section boss.” An examination at once proved the truth of his surmise. From the position of the body, and the blood on the tracks, it was evident that Cripps, on leaving Royster had passed through or under the train and deiibeiately, while the train was still standing, had laid his neck on the north rail, with hiß body outside the track, and when the train started up, the wheels immediately severed his neck. The blood on the rail showed that he was dragged about 6 feet. When found he laid on his back, alongside the rail, with his feet towards the east. The body was not moved until nearly 7 o’clock, when Coroner Wright arrived, and it was carried into the depot A deep long cut on the jaw was the only injury besides the severed neck.

Cripps was about 32 yean old. Was married 6 or 8 years ago, bat had no children. He was at least of ■late years, a sober man, and always an industrious one. He was rough spoken and uneducated, but according to the opinions of most of bis associates, a kind hearted and well mewiing man As to his treatment of his wife, however, there is a diversity of opinion. His father, who was a carpenter, met death some fifteen or sixteen yean ago, from injuries received inf ailing from the second story of a boilding. This is the first known case of suicide ever taking place in Rensselaer; although quite a number have ooomed in other parts of the ooonty. Cripps had just reoeived a month’s wages from the railroad, and $42 in money was found in bis pockets. Also a silver watch. 4v *

lnquestrwillbeheld, butnot is time for reporting this week Cripps belonged to the Odd Fellows, bis membership being in the Monon lodge. The body, after preparation by the undertaker, was taken to bis mother’s honse, on Eimateset. The time for the funeral had not been determined when we went to press.

Henry Jones, three miles sontb, has sold his farm of 190 acres, to George Buckley, of Newman, HI., for s4l per acre. It is a good price for the quality of the land. Burgett and Penn negotiated the sale. M Rensselaer Wilkes ”(Over lod) rode to Lebanon last Sunday, a distance of 90 miles cyclometer measure. He left Reneselaer at 6:30, stopped at Lafayette 1£ hours and reached Lebanon at 3:30„ . Charles Hoover, sou of Hon. Fred Hoover, formerly of Remington, and at one time one of the Lading politicians of this part of Indiana, was murdered on the night of Oct 17, at a farm house near Holton, Kansas, where his father now lives. The murderer was a young married man named Samuel Newman, who suspected criminal intimacy between young Hoover aedkis wife* Newman gave oat that he was going away for several days, returned unexpectedly at night, and found Hoover at his bouse and after beating him horribly, shot him through the head with a Winchester. A brother of Newman’s was with him and was thought to have taken an active part in kilting Hoover. Letters from Mrs Newman found on Hoovej’s person which bore out the charge of undue intimacy* Both the Newmans are in Hoover was about thirty years old, and unmarried. Newman is somewhat younger than Hoover. Young Hoover was a guard in the Michigan City prison, atone time, and was discharged on account of his immorality.