Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1899 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE , PAST WEEK. Struck by a Lightning Bolt—Rural Mull Delivery System to Be Extended— Ceught by an Undercurrent—Mew Trial for Fiery—Foretold Hie Death. During a heavy thunderstorm Earl D. Simpson met death in a tragic manner. He, in company with Edward Jones, was diving from the Chester River Steamboat Company’s wharf at Chestertown. The swimmer had mounted a pile twelve feet high for the purpose of making a dive, and as he stood poised for the plunge the fatal flash came from a comparatively clear aky and the yonng man fell to the wharf dead. His companion and a teamster and fonr horses that stood scarcely twenty feet away, were shocked, but in no degree stunned by the current. Rural Delivery in Indiana. Rural free mail delivery, which has been in successful operation at several points in the State for some months past, may be greatly extended within the next year. E. H. Hathaway, special agent for the wprk in Indiana, has begun reorganizing old routes and establishing new ones. Many places have applied for the delivery of mail in the country districts, bat Mr. Hathaway does not think- all can get their petitions granted, although most of thorn have the indorsement of Congressmen. He thinks that perhaps twenty new routes will be established within the next year. Boys Drowned in the Wabash. • Five boys were in bathing in the Wabash at Lafayette ,and three of them— Charles Zink, Walter Vellinger and Pan* Held —were drowned. Two boys named Snyder were heroically rescued by another boy named George Miller. The boys were drowned by the under current at the month of Durgee ran, the most treacherous place in the Wabash. None were over 12 years old. Flory Given a New Trial John Flory, whom the jury at Paoli sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of Jessie Burton at Mitchell last November, was granted a new trial by the court on account of errors made in instructing the jury. Flory was taken to the reformatory at Jeffersonville for safe keeping, owing to some fear of mob violence. Preacher Foretells Hia Death. Rev. Qniller Partee died at Martinsville, aged 50 years. He preached at a basket meeting a few days ago, and remarked that he would make no further appointments, as he did not expect to live long. The next day he was seized with brain fever and his premonition was verified. Within Onr Born era. Diphtheria is raging in Patricksbnrg. Martinsville will have a -street fair in August. Barr flour bill, Princeton, damaged SIO,OOO by fire. George Gentry, 17, Boonville, drowned while swimming. Hnston Hood, 22, drowned while seining in Haw creek, near Columbus. C. T. Godford, fanner near Brazil, was drowned while fishing in Eel river. North Vernon has seven churches and eleven saloons, the crap shooter’s limit. James Cook, Carbon, says robbers chloroformed his family and stole $l6O. Harrison Kurz was seriously stabbed near the heart by Albert Blake near Pilot Knob. Alpha McDowell, 3, Kokomo, set fire to her clothing while playing with a box of matches and is dead. Ten cattle belonging to O. M. Tustison, Putnam County, licked white lead from a paint keg and died. James T. Reid, an influential citizen of Sullivan, is dead in Denver, whither he had gone for the benefit of his health. The Peerless flour mill at Mount Vernon, the property of Kauffman Brothers of St. Louis, was destroyed by (ire. Loss SIIO,OOO, insurance $75,000. Elmo Interreiden ,late of the 159th Indiana volunteers, committed suicide by shooting himself through the head while standing in front of his father’s place of business at Vincennes. G. T. McKim of Thorntown has received a letter from Stephen Fell, formerly of that place, dated from Sonth America, which says that for twelve years he has been a slave in a tribe on the upper Amazon.

Mrs. William A. Cullop of Vincennes has been appointed by Gov. Mount an honorary commissioner to the Paris exposition to represent the women of Indiana. Jacob Ellis of Anderson, aged 85 years, has beedme father of his sixteenth child. The mother is but 45 years old. The youngster is sturdy and has good lungs. It weighs ten pounds. The Fairmount zinc spelter works at Fairmonnt were destroyed by fire. The fire was caused by an explosion of gas. About 100 men were employed in the plant. There was no insurance. The plant will be rebuilt at once. Huntsville, the town built on alleged . magnetic iron ore, has been torn to pieces again by an electrical storm and one death—that of Mrs. James Rodgers—resulted. The town has been the mark of lightning each year. Every great storm! is certain to center its worst bolts at that point. Joseph Mosely, colored, a carpenter, was the victim of a peculiar accident at Evansville, and his death will be the result. While engaged in repairing the roof Of a house he started to saw a board for a scaffold. He carelessly sat on the outer edge, though, and sawed between himself and the fastened end. As a consequence when the board broke he plunged down head foremost a distance of eighteen feet between two houses, z William Richards while swimming at Robinson Park, Fort Wayne, was seized with cramps and drowned almost within reach of his companions. Fire destroyed the large farm residence of W. C. Fisher, abont four miles northeast of Franklin. It is supposed the hooafe was set on fire while the family was attending church. One hundred and in Uin tin