Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1901 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

Indiana incidents tersely TOLD. Farmer. War on a Railroad—Slater’s Labors Finally Rewarded—Oil Money for Indiana Landowners—Clay County Woman Barely Escapes Burial Alive. Judge West in the Circuit Court at Crawfordsville refused to grant a temporary restraining order in the case of the Chicago and Southeastern Railroad Company, which wus barred from crossing the land of Wesley Grantham. He declared Grantham had already been kept out of his property seven years and that the constitution guaranteed him certain rights with which the court did not propose to interfere. The road’s attorney l asked that an order be made giving the road possession until the land could be condemned, hut the court refused this, saying the company had had seven years to do this and had failed. Farmers rallied to the assistance of Grantham, and wrecked a mile of track. The court issued an order forbidding any further destruction of the road’s property. Sister Frees from Ponds. Gov. Mount pardoned William W. Kennedy, who was sentenced to prison for life in 1885 for the murder of David Baker at Greensburg. Kennedy was paroled in 1897 ami has for several months been attached to the sanitary service in Havana. The case attracted national attention because of the efforts of Kate Kennedy, the convicted man’sisister, to secure his pardon. The sister has appealed to every Governor since her brother’s conviction, but without success until now. For several years, in- man's garb, she traveled over the country in an endeavor to locate the real murderer, and, tramping her way, never missed an opportunity to interview tramps and criminals with the view to ascertaining the whereabouts of the man for whose crime she claimed her brother was suffering. Farmers Made Rich by Oil. During 1900 almost $1,000,000 was paid in royalties to Indiana farmers for oil territory. Indiana oil for the year averaged a fraction less than 94 cents per barrel for the crude product at the well. The pipe line companies charge a rate of 20 cents for running the product. During file year the output of the wells in the State of Indiana amounted to 5,650,950 barrels, representing a value of $5,284,624.94. Farmers say that some of the land which has proven the best oil territory would never be worth one cent per acre for cultivation. Returns to Life in Time. Mrs. Cyrus Clark, wife of a farmer of Clay County, came to life after having been pronounced dead by physicians. Her body was attired for burial and preparation was made for the funeral when she spoke. Intense excitement was caused among the mourners who crowded around her. Finally she opened her eyes and is now growing stronger. Bh<* was conscious some time before she spoke and realized that she was being prepared fdr burial.' Grief Drives Him to Suicide. Grief caused by the death of his young wife a few months after her Wedding impelled Robert E. Lee Pryor of Eastbank, W. Va., to send a bullet crashing into his brain in George’s Hotel In Indianapolis. He died later. On a table was found the photograph of the wife, placed in such a position that as he stood before the mirror her image was reflected in his face when be shot himself.

State News in Brief. Brazil will have a new brewery. Jasper N. Frist will be the next postmaster of Clinton. Work on the Muncie-Hartford City electric line will not begin until the ground thaws. Anderson postoffice has passed the $40,000 mark*, and Postmaster Small gets a raise in salary. Jacob F. Sours, 88, Huntington, called his five children together and distributed $13,000 among them. “Uncle” Charley Price, 85, died near Elwood. He was once a cook in the navy. He married at 83. Robert Burke, Madison, and Sarah S. Schrodt met in Louisville, and after five minutes’ acquaintance, decided to get married. They were refused a license in Jeffersonville because they were too young. Mrs. Mida Dewey, Elwood, 13 years old, has brought suit to have her marriage with Charles G. Dewey set aside. He says he was an engineer on the warship Brooklyn. He is in jail at Anderson, charged with beating a board bill. For the time in the history of Clay County criminals expiated their 'crimes by receiving a severe whipping at Brazil. Three colored boys, Davey Jones, David Bowman and Harvey Bass, vtere brought up in police court on a charge of petit larceny. The judge decided that the boys should go free if tbeit' mothers, who were present, would give them a public thrashing. The mothers consented and with rawhides punished their recreant sons for three minutes. Grover Allen, the heaviest boy for his age in the country, died in Anderson of fatty degeneration of the heart. He was apparently as well as usual when going to the lounge to lay down, but died within a few minutes. He was 8 years old, 4 feet 10 inches tall and the last time he was on the scales weighed 251 pounds. The past year be had been gaining in weight at the rate of ten pounds a month. The parents have declined offers from meet all the circuses on the road. His health would not permit it. His weight was such he could got around with the greatest difficulty and when he stepped to a curb he had to be helped. The Wilson Mercantile Company of Washington, of which Mayor Wilson is the manager and treasurer, failed. The assets and liabilities are each about $40,000. Martin Crevision, 80. got from two to fourteen years, Laporte, on the charge of assault and battery with intent to kill. The Governor will be asked to pardon him. Board sidewalks, Elwood, will be torn up. The city has lost in, three damage auits for accident*. Citizens will have to build good sidewalks or go through t\e mud.