Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1901 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY TOLD. Body of Farmer Fonnd in Lumber Yard -A Whole Family Arrests 1 on Sus-picion-Coroner Fails to Secure Proofs' of Murder—Explosion in Distillery. Willis Ilaynes, a young fanner, near New Maysville, sentjjis teams to Coat.esville for lumber, following in a buggy, and despatching the loaded wagons on the return, while he remained behind. That evening, about 7 o’clock, he was seen passing a lumber yard, and the next morning he was found iu the yard, badly beaten and unconscious. "He died without regaining consciousness. Investigation discloses that he was attacked by unknown men, and his cries for help were heard by Samuel Oliver, living one hundred yards distant, but he gave no special heed thereto. A post-mortem disclosed that Haynes’ skull was fractured sufficiently to cause death. There is no clew to the identity of his assailants. Fails to Prove a Murder. An impenetrable mystery still shrouds the finding of Mrs. John Mullinix’s body in an abandoned cistern at the home of her father, John Sharp, at Asherville. Coroner Mushon held an inquest and several witnesses were examined, but not one was able to throw any light on the case. The coroner says there was no water in the luugs, which convinces him that death was not caused by drowning. No clew to any crime has yet been developed and the parents of Mrs. MullinlX are confident she jumped into the cistern. They say she had been brooding over her husband’s death, which occurred a year ago, and at times was morose and acted queerly. Deserter Finds Life Hard. Virgil Weber, 24 years old, is a prisoner in the guardhouse at Fort Sheridan, and is said to be dying from grief because "he cannot see his mother, who has been sick for some time. Weber deserted last March and came to Evansville to see, his mother. An officer from Fort Sheridan, arrested him and took him back. He was sentenced to the guardhouse and, it is said, has been confined there ever since. The old mother has worried hejgelf gray over her son, and it is feared she cannot survive many days. A letter to her from Chicago states her boy was fast turning gray. Miner Lured to His Death. William Heck, a coal miner, went to the house of Levi Bird in Terre Haute, and while sitting in a chair was struck from behind and injured so badly that he died. At first it was said that James Bird, a 22-year-old son who Is thought to be demented, had struck the blow, but Levi Bird and the mother, a sister and Mrs. Hansen, a stepsister, who were present, have been arrested. The son escaped. The story the coroner is investigating is that Heck was lured into the house to be assassinated because he was a “blackleg” miner. Explosion in a Distillery. An explosion from ail unknown cause at the Merchants’ distillery in Terre Haute caused a loss of about $20,000 in property. As the distillery was grinding at a capacity of 25,000 gallons a day the interruption proves a great loss. It is expected to be able to run about one-tifth that capacity temporarily. Four firemen, Morelock, Early, Walsh and Cravens, were badly injured. State News in Brief. Holley Mosher, 15, Columbia City, accidentally shot off one of his arms. Fire in the Big Four freight depot at Indianapolis caused $25,000 damage. Johnson, the negro who killed Joel Combs, has been given a life sentence at Indianapolis. Henry Allen, aged 12, fell into a corn bin at an Onktown elevator and was crushed to death. R. It. Scott, proprietor of stores at Bieknell and Mooresville, lias assigned, with liabilities of $37,000 and assets of $34,000. Ex-County Commissioner John W. Wilson, Kokomo, was thrown against a telegraph pole in a runaway and perhaps fatally injured. An electric car loaded with twenty-five glass workers at Anderson collided with a coal car while returning to the city from the factory. All of the workmen were more or less injured, three fatally so. A strike in Terre Haute at- the works of the American Car and Foundry Company owing to a reduction in the pay for one kind of work on an order for 500 cars for the Illinois Central lias thrown 150 men out of employment. The body of a man with a bullet wound in tjie back of the head was found five miles south of Indianapolis in a wood on the bank of Lick creek. Levi Fisher, a farmer, says he saw two men in the woods and heard revolver shots. The dead man held a revolver in one hand, all the chambers except one being full. William Boyd, who was mourned ns dead, returned from the Klondike with $60,000 that he has accumulated by prospecting in the Alaska gold field. Boyd formerly lived at Great Falls, Mont., was n prospector nnd miner in the Western States and made a number of small finds. Seven years ago he came to Indiana. Boyd, four yeurs ago, pipcured an outfit and went to Dawson. He returned to his wife nnd daughter after a year’s absence and reported that lie had not located a paying claim. He went hack to the frozen north three years ago with all the money he had. As nothing was heard from him it was thought that he had perished. His wife was compelled to work as a servant in n Marion, hotel to support herself and daughter during his absence. Martin Veneman of Muncie c<{*ne home the other night and told his wife that his seprch for work was unsuccessful. His wife handed him a letter informing him thHt he had fallen heir to SIOO,OOO from the estate of his grandfather in Pittsburg, Pa. Fire damaged the plant of the Crescent Printing Company nt Evansville to tbo extent of $50,000. Insurance, $20,000. For some tlmo the Masonic Temple, which Is over the printing plant, was threatened. The fire originated in the rear of the building and is supposed to ha*e been of Incendiary origin.