Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1901 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK. Assaulted by Five Hoodlums—Cyclonic Storm in Many Parte of State—Enoch Arden in Modern Life— Whisky Explosion Kills a Man. Five men, four of whom are now trader arrest, brutally assaulted Letha Puckett, 26 years old, a domestic in the employ of a prominent family, after frightening away her- escort. The assault occurred in a much-frequented woods about a mile from the eastern limits of Muncie. As soon as she could the girl staggered through the hot sun three miles to central police headquarters, where she reported the outrage. A patrol wagon with half a dozen officers visited the woods, and found all the men except one. They belong to the city’s lowest gang. The girl says she fought them until she was exhausted. Walter Richards and Arthur Favors, two young men who know the girl's assailants, were passing, and, seeing signs of a struggle, went to the girl’s assistance, but were driven awdy. She says that in company with Henry Inglehart she went walking. As they were passing pear the woods the two were accosted by “Shug” McCarthy, who said he was an officer come to arrest them for trespassing. At this point Inglehart deserted her and she was dragged into the woods by McCarthy. The four men charged with the crime are James, alias “Shug" McCarthy, Charles Smith, William Tharp and Arthur Shepp. Return* Like Enoch Arden. The story of how Enoch Arden left his wife only to return after many years and find her remarried has been vividly illustrated by Aaron Gidler of Madison County, who mysteriously disappeared from his home thirty years ago, leaving a wife and one small child. Mrs. Gidler, thinking she had been abandoned by her husband or that he had met with foul play, married Joseph Hurbler eight years ago and moved from Indiana >to Missouri. Gidler has now returned in search of hi.s wife. He says he was suddenly stricken with the gold fever, and leaving his work one day set off for California. He was afterward taken sick and has since been unable to find his wife. Three Killed by Lightning. Damaging storms prevailed over large portions of Indiana. Crops in northerb Indiana, especially in Allen County, were badly damaged. Thirty oil derricks and many barns and houses were demolished by lightning in Blackford County. Three persons were killed and several injured by lightning. The storm took on cyclonic aspects at several places. At Marion the First Presbyterian Church was struck by lightning and badly damaged; James Rowans* saloon near the soldiers’ home was struck and partially destroyed. Ffve men who were in the saloon were knocked senseless. Whiskey Causes Fatal Fire. While repairing a drawbar on a Vandalia freight car at Logansport which was loaded with whisky Lawrence Beeson was killed, William Eskins was fatally and Calvin Neff and John Moore were dangerously injured. A spark from the well ignited a barrel of whisky and explosion and fire followed. Eskins was literally cooked to death. Neff and Moore jumped into the canal with their clothing on fire and were rescued just in time to prevent death by drowning. Kills a Woman and Himself. Albert Towne, aged 26 years, a glass cutter, shot and killed Mrs. William Granger at Frankton, and then took his own life. Towne was a boarder at the Granger home for two years, and was forced to leave there because his attentions to Mrs. Granger were repulsed. Within Our Borders. The pea crop is said to be slightly short in some localities. The brick famine at Shelbyville has been broken, one kiln having turned out a large burning. The Hartford City Paper Company ha< purchased 70,000 acres of Canadian forests for wood pulp. George Waldron, aged 19, and “Doc” White, aged 14. were drowned in a pond east of Terre Haute. Ex-Congressman Henry U. Johnson, Richmond, and John Robbins, opposing attorneys in a railroad case before Judge Barnard, New Castle, came lo blows in the court room, and were each fined $25. The fight was spirited until the men were pulled apart by a deputy sheriff.

Alex. S. Mcßride, ex-trustee of Franklin township, mortally wounded James Greene of Freedom by shooting him through the right lung. Greene had assaulted Dow- Hickam, an employe of McBride, and was ordered from the premises. He left muttering threats against both their lives. Later Greene came to Mcßride & Courims’ store and began abusing Mcßride, who drew- a revolver and shot him. Greene is a day laborer. Councilman W. B. Woolley, prominent in Anderson as a manufacturer and political leader, was publicly whipped by Mrs. Benjamin Lukens. The joman, accompanied by her stepson, Ben i.ukens, Jr., drove to Mr. Woolley’s home just as the manufacturer arrived home for dinner. Mrs. Lukens accosted him and then struck him across the face a stinging blow with a rawhide. The assault was maintained with surprising fierceness for several seconds. As Mrs. Lukens applied the whip her son knocked Mr. Woolley down and kicked him in the head several times. Then the mother and son re-en-tered their carriage and left Mr. Woolley bleeding and dazed on the sidewalk. The affair is the r»-sult of the sensational suit filed a few days ago and Mr. Woolley’s reply thereto. Mrs. Lukens and herjf >n were arrested ami released on * It is reported at Laporte that the syndicate controlling the franchise for an electric line between Laporte and Michigan City is preparing to begin the road soon. 1 Ernest E. Steadman, aged 24 year*, died in the Indianapolis city hospital from the effects of excessive cigaret smoking. For years he had consumed four or fiv* boxes a day. George Lock was drowned in White river, at Indianapolis, and his young wife, whom he married five days before, attempted to jump into the water white divers were seeking the body.