Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1874 — A Mother Killed by Grief. [ARTICLE]

A Mother Killed by Grief.

The Indianapolis Sentinel gives tlio fotlowing account of an incident which recently occurred in Crawfordsville, Ind.: “The depot had been broken into that noon, and some money and a quantity of tickets stolen from the office, and things generally upset, by a party of boys. Warrants were issued, and among them one for a boy named Mike Me-* Neal. About midnight the McNeal family were called upon by the officer of the law and informed that the boy Mike was wanted, at the same time reading the warrant. Mrs. McNeal was astounded, and said there must be a mistake. None of her boys would be guilty of theft, 6he knew, and it was all a mistake. Her feelings overcame her and she fainted. The officer, however, bearing the warrant had no other course to pursue but to demand the boy. The mother again fainted, and, when she was restored to consciousness, the officers agreed to let the boy remain until they had seen the party by whom the warrant had been sworn out. If ‘Mike’ proved to be the one, they would return to the -house, if not, he would of course not be arrested. The officer found, however, that except in name * Mike’ was not the boy. The real culprit was Mike McNeal, a cousin of the former. The officers returned to gladden, as they supposed, the mother’s heart by telling her the boy was Innocent. To their horror they reached the house and found Mrs. McNeal dead. The shock and grief combined had been so great as to kill her. The affair caused considerable excitement m town.” . -Li . «. V—The city of Philadelphia had 4,1 § drinking places in 1873, and spent for intoxicating drinks $30,000,000 in one year. Chicago had 2,300 liquor saloons, and spent for intoxicating Mtjuors $14,000,000. Newark had 864 unnking saloons, and spent so- strong drinks $4,500,000.