Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1896 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK. Mr. and Mrs. Austin’* Seventy-fowr Years of Wedded BHsa-rJohn Graham, a Man of Mystery, Diesat Anderson—Oil Men Despondent. A Remarkable Couple. Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah T. Austin, of Rolling Prairie, near Laporte, are believed to be the oldest married couple In Indiana. They recently celebrated their seventy-fourth wedding anniversary. Mrs. Austin was Miss Hannah Teeter and she became the wife of Mr. Austin before coming to Indiana in 1834, they being pioneers of this section of the State. Both husband and wife are hale and hearty, a living testimonial that early marriages are not detrimental to longevity. The residence of the couple in Laporte County has been continuous from the time they came West from New York in the days when northern Indiana was yet a wilderness of forest trees. Twelve children were born of this union, five of whom are living—two daughters and three sons. Mr. Austin has been si<jk but few days during his life. He has always been temperate and the venerable couple believe that they will live to celebrate many more anniversaries. Their faculties are unimpaired and life with its changing scenes is still sweet to them. Slump in Petroleum Prices. The week just passed has been a disastrous one over the Indiana oil field, and men who were considered in high luck a month ago are in anything but an easy fratne of mind now. The decline in the price of crude oil has been so great as to make it unprofitable to work the Wells, and the demand being so small, the tanks and repositories are filled tb the fullest capacity. Three or four deals have been engineered where owners of wells have closed out all they had on hand at 25 cents a barrel. This makes a loss’to them. Companies and private individuals all over the gas belt have shut down their wells and are waiting for times to brighten and the men who were erecting derricks are stopping the work. The outlook to many is hazardous and to all very dismal. It is safe to say that the number of wells completed this month will- fall 50 per cent short of last month, while it showed a decrease over the preceding one. Leasing of land has stopped, altogether; and many options have been dropped. A month ago money was passing hands live- . ly, but now it is being held close.

All Over the State. William Jones, aged 17, of Bourbon, was drowned while bathing in Gilbert Lake. Two -.children of J. E. Jones, a mail clerk on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad, were drowned at the North Vernon water works dam Sunday. One of the children was 8 and the other 11 years old. The supposition is that the younger child fell in and that the older one attempted to rescue him. The drowning occurred within 160 yards of the home of their parents. A verdict for SIO,OOO damages, the largest ever secured in that county, was awarded to Henry Bane in his suit against Keeper & Fisher, contractors, in the Wabash Circuit Court. The action was baaed upon injuries sustained by Bane While in the employ of defendants nearly two years ago at Huntington. He is entirely blind from an explosion. The trial lasted al! the week, was hotly contested and the jury was out seven hours, agreeing on the amount of damages, however, on the first ballot. N. E. White, a merchant at Moran, was awakened at an early hour Sunday morning by burglars entering his store. Calling several villagers to his assistance, he attempted to arrest the thieves, and in the effort fired five shots from his revolver, four of which took effect. Gustave Schmidt, one of the thieves, who claims to live in Terre Haute, was shot twice in the arm and once in the neck, and his companion, George Hal), of Columbus, Ohio, was shot through the legNeither of the wounds is dangerous. On the thieves were found goods stolen from M. Bolts at Cyclone. • Lee, Edward and Theodore Shotski, brothers and well-known Shelbyville, young men, met at the house of Flo Dowden. when they began drinking. Edward and Theodore were ejected, after which they stoned the house. On reaching home they laid down on the lawn and fell asleep. About 1 o’clock Saturday morning Officer Magill heard screams of murder in the vicinity of their homeland on investigation found that both men had received fatal-wounds on the head with thejiutt end of a billiard cue. Theodore recognized his assailant as* his brother Ix?e, and he is now in jail in default of $5,000 bail.

A fatal -shooting affray occurred at Birds, Lawrence County, IIL, Monday morning, between Dr. J. H. Daily and Prof. Sampson T. Mickey, two of the leading citizens of that county. Prof. Mickey walked into Dr. Daily’s office and asked Airs. Daily to retire, as he wished to have a private interview with the doctor. She had gone but a few steps when firing began. She called for help, and, accompanied by others, entered the office. Dr. Daily lay dying before his desk, with a revolver clutched in his right hand, and Prof. Mickey stood near with a smoking revolver in -his hand. It was empty, while the doctor’s was fully loaded. Five shots were fired by Prof. Mickey, three of which took effect. He at once gave himself up, and said he shot in self-de-fense. The trouble occurred over a girl named Emma Smiley, who made her home with Dr. Daily’s family, and who was betrothed to Prof. Mickey. It is reported that his visit to the doctor was to demand an explanation of certain stories. Others say Dr. Daily had ordered him not to come about his house. The body of Fred Friedley, drowned Saturday near Aurora, has been recovered and taken to his home at Scottsburg for burial. Scull, a fellow student, who; nearly lost his life in attempting Friedley's rescue, is out of danger. Mrs. Jacob Pickett, of Greensburg, is dead, the result of a fright. Mr. and Mrs. Pickett moved a few days ago into an old cottage which had been vacant for soma time. On the first night some fishermen, not knowing the hut was occupied, tried to get in. The woman, having heard that the house was haunted, went into hysterics. from which she never recovered. At Green’s Fork, a small place northwest of Richmond, Dr. Charles Fear and Edward Wright quarreled, aa a result of which the latter shot the former four times, each ball taking effect, but not producing fatal wounds. Wright gave himself up. Lase Cumming, a noted insurance worker, arrested at Kokomo three montha age for burning a house for the insurance, broke jail Saturday night and escaped. He was supplied with saws by one of two women, who say they are his wives* one from Millersville, the other from Indianapolis. His trial was set for Monday, several insurance companies being preoared to testify against him. 1 • Ti