Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1896 — WESTERN. [ARTICLE]

WESTERN.

At Butte, Mont., Judge Knowles has signed the final decree for the sale of all the Butte and Boston properties by the receiver. Capt. Couch’s' resignation as receiver was accepted, leaving J. T. Forbes the sole receiver. The sale includes the 'properties covered by the mortgage of the Massachusetts Loan and Trust Company and other claims. Bluford Bethel, of'Hannibal, Mo., has Oust received notice from London that he is the heir to a large estate in England. He is “the grandson of William Bethel, brother of Alexander Bethel, who died in England many years ago, leaving a large amount of money in the Bank of England and considerable real estate to be divided between his legitimate heirs. Alexander Bethel was' a .bachelor, and soon after his death his brother, William Bethel, came to America before the estate had been settled. Since that time the money has remained ip the Bank of England and the real estate'has greatly enhanced in value until it is now said to be worth about SS,<XHi,OOO. Bluford Bethel’s share of the fortune is said to be about $1,000,000. After a long preliminary examination, Rudolph Brockpian, a wealthy farmer living in Osage' Township, near Osage, Kan., has been held in the sum tof $lO,000 to answer for the murder ofglis 17-year-old daughter, Mary. Four weeks ago Brockman gave the girl a terrible beating because site did not work to suit him ip his cornfield. He then tied a rope around one of her ankles, fastened the other end of the rope to the rear axle of his wagon and drove to his barn, a quarter of a mile on, dragging the.girl behind. Arriving there, he locked her up in the barn without sufficient clothing and without food. The girl was found by her uncle and another neighbor, who carried her away, but her injuries were so serious that she died NoV, 22, A disastrous wreck occurred Monday morning near Storr’s station on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railway, in which two persons were killed and a number injured. The trains which collided were an accommodation from Cochran, Ind., and a special made up of a passenger coach and two private cars, carrying the general officers of the road, who were starring out to make an inspection of the line. The engineer and cohductor of a special had orders to follow fifteen minutes behind a preceding regular traiu and to keep out of the way of the accommodation, which had the right of way. The special stopped at Storr’s, where it should have waited, but the engineer and conductor both- forgot their orders aud pulled out. When three-quarters of a mile west of Storr’s the trains came together. There was a fog which prevented seeing clearly, so neither engineer suspected collision until the shock. The killed are Engineer John Price. Fireman Homer Dixon, and L. Zepernich. The Iron Mountain fast express, outgoing, was .held up by six masked men one mile from thee union station, within the city limits of St. Louis, Wednesday night at 9:30 o’clock. - Two robbers wontto the express car and demanded admittance. Express Messenger W. J, Egan refused to let them in. They threatened to kill him. but he was inflexible. They then placed a stick of dynamite at the car door, and blew it to pieces. The explosion badly shattered one side of the car. When the robbers looked for the treasure they were told that the money was in a time-locked safe. Finding it useless to try to; bibw open the strongbox, the robbers jumped off and notified their companions ou the engine that they had failed to get anything. The robbers then disappeared, and Engineer William Green started ahead. As fid’, train pulled away Express Messenger Egan came to the shattered door of his car, intending to shoot at the marauders. No sooner did they see him, however, than they opened- fire and he fled behind a pile of boxes. r J’he noise of the shooting attracted the derks in the mail car and they opened the doors and a fusillade followed. Express Messenger Egan said the Pacific Express Company had lost nothing.