Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1897 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY TOLD. State Factory Inspector After Employers of Child Labor Circus Lemonade Contained a Rank Polson -Meeting- Breaks Up In a Row. After Child Employers. State Factory Inspector McAbee is raising a commotion in the Indiana gas belt by making a personal round of the factories. In the last legislature an an-ti-child labor law, making it unlawful to employ children under 14 years of age, was passed, together with a compulsory education law, which required every child between 8 and 14 to be in school. McAbee found gas belt manufacturers paying absolutely no attention to the antichild labor laws. Some of them were employing 100 or more children and running their business on that cheap labor basis. Doctors In a Row. The Miami County Medical Association, consisting of all the physicians of the city and county, held a monthly meeting at I’eru and broke up in a general fight, which started over a discussion as to the ethics of allowing a physician’s name in the newspapers. Revolvers were drawn and several prominent city physicians threatened to kill each other.

Contained Poison. A chemical analysis made by Health Officer Fairfield of Anderson reveals the fact that from 35 to 50 per cent of the supposed tartaric acid used in the Barnum show lemonade which poisoned 200 persons, was tartar emetic, a rank poison. Fifty of the victims are still in bed. Some of the cases are serious. All Over the State. Ida Vawter, 30 years old, was burned to death at Glenn’s Valley while trying to fill the reservoir of a gasoline stove. Up to the present time not one-fifth of the wheat usually marketed at this season of the year has been placed on the market at Seymour. Sam McCune, one of the reputed wealthiest citizens of Parke County, has made assignment. The assets are estimated at SIOO,OOO. The liabilities are unknown. Joe Parker, residing southwest of Elwood, sold his farm products and took home SI,OOO, which he hid under the carpet. When he went to get it the money was gone. Three convicts escaped from the Reformatory at Jeffersonville. They were detailed to scrub the kitchen floor and, securing three ladders and ropes, scaled the wall. James 11. and Will G. Wiggington, former residents of Clark County, have struck it rich in Colorado. They own a half interest in a mine near Denver which is netting vast profits. The backbone of the wire-drawers’ strike in Anderson has been broken, and they will return to work. The company met all of their demands on the scale, but refused to recognize, the union. Over 50.000 people attended the annual meeting of the Delaware and Randolph Counties Old Settlers’ Association at Muncie. The crowd was the largest in the history of the organization. A force of two hundred employes was put at work by the Terre Haute Canning Company to put up tomatoes. The company contracted for more than five hundred acres of tomatoes, but owing to the drought the crop will not be so large as counted on.

Mrs. Elizabeth Harness, who has been mysteriously assaulted throe different times at her home near Middlefork, remains in a serious condition. The hunt for the miscreant whose deeds have thrown the people of three counties into a fever of excitement has been practically abandoned. While the people have returned to thir homes, the excitement has by .no means died out. The mastery remains as inexplicable as ever and grows in interest. A tragic suicide occurred at Waynetown. The victim was John White, aged 21 years, the village baker. He was to have been married the same night to Miss Nettie Whitaker, a most estimable young lady. He went to the barn and drained a vial of carbolic acid. His body was found half an hour later, and but an hour before the time appointed for the ceremony. The bride was partially dressed and the guests were beginning to arrive when the news of the expectant groom’s fate was announced. No cause is assigned for the deed. At Washington, B. F. Strasser of the Cabel Coal Company, J. J. Glendening, bookkeeper, and Andrew Kerker, mine boss, started to No. 9 mine with a force of ten men to go to work taking out coal. Just before reaching the mine a crowd of fifty strikers arose from hiding and surrounded the men. Frank Salters, a striker, stepped up to Strasser and struck him twice over the head with a club, felling him tc the ground. Another striker hit John Kermode,; a non-unionist, in the back of the head and cut a deep wound. A third striker hit Joe Small in the face and knocked him down. Strasser got to his feet and the party made a hasty retreat, leaving the strikers holding the ground. A terrific windstorm swept over Indianapolis. The cloud came from the west, and for fifteen minutes the velocity of the wind was sixty-five miles an hour. Many buildings were unroofed, and several private residences were overturned. A panic occurred at the ball park, where 3,000 people had assembled to witness two games between Indianapolis and Milwaukee; It seemed for a time that the grand stand would give way, and the 500 or 600 women, becoming panic-stricken, rushed out into the diamond in the midst of the storm. Some of them were picked up by the wind and carried a considerable distance. All over the city windows were blown in and hundreds of shade trees were uprooted. Masked men whitecapped and whipped Bass Sherwood and his daughter Lilly, aged 20, in an unmerciful manner near Nashville. They claim to have recognized in the mob several of their neighbors, and have sworn out warrants for their arrest. Gov. Mount has determined to make examples of the white caps of Monroe county, and has written to the local prosecutor asking for full particulars of the outrages that have recently taken place there. He proposes to get rid of this class of citizens and will send a company of militia into the county to aid tike local officers if necessary.