Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1899 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY TOLD. Kidnaped by a Horse Thief—Attempt to Poison a Wealthy Farmer—Doctor Kills a Woman-Waterworks Established Before Water Is Obtained. Roy Strickland, the 12-year-old son of the Rev. J. E. Strickland, near Fort Branch, returned the other night to his home. About three months ago the boy was sent to Princeton by his father on an errand. He was riding one of his father’s horses when overtaken by a man named Jack Green. “I will take both you and the horse,” said Green to the boy, and he did what he- said he would do. Green took the horse and boy to Illinois. He sold the horse for SIOO and at a small town above Cairo, 111., purchased a shanty boat. He prohibited the boy from leaving the boat and would strap him to a board to him from running off. The boy and man floated down the river until they reached Grand Lake, Ark. Here the boy planned his escape, but so closely was he watched by Green that it was several weeks before he could carry his plans into execution. Woman Slain by a Physician. Dr. E. E. Gray killed Mrs. Lizzie Skinner on the street within 100 feet of the depot at Bloomfield, in plain view of many people. He stabbed her four times with a surgical knife, and she died instantly. The murderer was watching for her at the depot as she was coming to board the train. After the killing he immediately gave himself up. Mrs. Skinner left a former husband on account of the doctor and he had deserted a wife and family for her. An attempt to lynch Gray was frustrated by the officers, who took hint to Jeffersonville. No Water for Town Supply. The town council of Churubusco awarded the contract for a new’ water works system, and the contractors, relying on the statement that an abundant water supply could be obtained from wells drilled anywhere, built a power house, installed expensive machinery and made all pipe connections before drilling the wells. Three wells were sunk, but all are dry, and now the council proposes to put an electric motor to pump water from a distant, stream to the pump house. Business men have retained attorneys to stop the work. Find Poison in the Sauiage, An attempt to poison the family of Willard Bottorff, a wealthy farmer living north of New Albany, was discovered recently. Mr. Bottorff made a quantity of sausage and sent part of it to a relative, John Beggs, as a present. "When opened it smelled sour and a quantity was given to a dog and a cat. The animals died almost instantly in great agony. An investigation proved that the sausage was covered with strychnine. Bottorff was at once notified and the lives of his family saved. Within Our Borders. Terre Haute is reaching out after a tin mill plant. A female brass band is one of the institutions Waterloo is proud of. A co-operative company for the manufacture of window glass will be located at Daleville. Samuel Musser, Morgan County’s oldest citizen, died near Waverly. He was born April 14, 1799, in Virginia. A horse, which for many years has done duty at the Indiana reform school, recently died at the age of 30 years. Rev. Henry C. F. Ewers, a retired Lutheran minister, dropped dead at his home in Fort Wayne of heart disease. A company which proposes to build an electric railroad between Indianapolis and Logansport has been' incorporated. The jail at Summitville burned and Fred Borlin of Anderson, who had been incarcerated for drunkenness, perished. Will A. Jackson, until recently a large manufacturer of carriages, committed suicide at Goshen by hanging. No motive is assigned. The Christian organizations of Elwood are receiving donations looking to the establishment of a home for friendless women in that city. Frank Spindler, the locomotive fireman who was scalded in the locomotive explosion on the Evansville and Terre Haute road, died at Evansville. John H. Carter, 11410 has been in the dry goods and grocery business at Matthews for thirty years, sold out to Ralph Sutton of Hartford City. Orders were telegraphed from Washington recently to Postmaster Spaugh of Hope, to put on an additional carrier for free rural mail in Hawcreek township. Katherine Vannest, one of the first women settlers of Vermilion County and daughter of the first white woman who. crossed the Wabash river north of Fort Harrison, was buried at Clinton the other day.„ Mrs. V rmnest was 86 years old. George Knight, senior member of the firm of Knight & Knight of Zanesville, reported to the health officers at Fort Wayne that in two weeks hog cholera killed off between 1,500 and 2,000 hogs within a radius of three miles of his place. The body of Peter Vanderweit was found under the bridge of the Chicago Terminal Transfgj Railway at Ham-_ mdnm Accompanied by fieorge Devnes the young man had left home and skated down the river to West Hammond, IJlc, where the ice gave way. DevricS escaped, but Vanderweit was drowned. The wool growers of the State have elected the following officers: President, W. A. Guthrie, Dupont; vice-president, Sidney Conger, Waldron; secretary, J. W. Robe, Greencastle; treasurer, John L. Thompson, Gas City; executive committee, Howard Kheime of Ladoga, C. A. Howland and W. A. Bell, LaGrange. Brazil is being asked to vote a subsidy of $40,000 to a new big steel plant. A peculiar accident happened to a Monon passenger engine at Crawfordsville. The whistle got turned around some way and, striking the water tank pipe, it was broken off and shot back through the end of the baggage car. At a meeting of the board ot trustees of the State Normal School at Terre Haute, President Parsons was instructed to get bids for a fire escape for the new building. It was also decided to take oat an additional $48,000 insurance. The trustees are carrying $102,000, but the buildings cost $250,000 and the contents ar* yalosd at. $50,000.