Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1904 — Page 1

VOL. XXXVI NO. 48.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The semi-annual missionary •onvention of the Christian church •f Indiana will be held at Laporte on April 13th and 14th. The state is composed of fouiteen dis iricts of which this is the second, consisting of the counties of Mewtoo, LaPorte, Lake, Porter, Jasper. White, Pnlaski and Stark Rev. J. O. Smith of Valparaiso is president of the district. The Christian chnroh of Indiana now number over 125.000 members, and is a moat aggressive religions V»dy. Hammond Tribune: In all probability there will be plenty of time for the candidates for joint representative to make a good long canvass. The date of the convention will doubtless not be set until after the supreme court passes upon the oonstitutionality of the legislative apportionment. A comparison of the voting strength between Newton and Lake counties shows that we outnumber them even when the anit rule is applied. On a basis of one delegate for each 200 votes Lake county will have twentythree delegates and Newton eight, in the convention. Should the apportionment law be declared illegal therein little question but what Jjsse Wilson of Rensselaer will be re-nominated. Philosopher Wheeler of the Crown Point Star recalls, with a remenisoent and regretful tone, the halcyon days of yore when cord wood oame in freely on subscription in this kind of weather, and no embarrassing questions were propounded from the editorial sanctum as to the ownership of the-laud the wood was cut from. He says: “This kind of a winter, twenty-five years ago, would have been grand for stealing wood along the Kankakee marsh, but it is watched so closely now that very little of that work is done. It was the style in those days to forage wood and was not looked upon as •rime.” A poll of the Democratic mem- ♦ bersbip of tho bouse of representatives show that 162 are against a reaffirmation of the Kansas City platform, 42 are non-committal, and 7 are in favor of reaffirmation. It is said that three out of four of the Indiana Demooratio members privately express themselves as opposing a reaffirmation, but all are in the non-committal column, A party that passes that sort of a verdict on the wisdom of its own three-year-old conclusions and beliefs will hardly oommend itself to the favor of the American voter. If Democratic leaders themselves say that they were wrong three years ago, what guarantee are they going to,furnish that they are right ■ow ? Indeed, does not this confession of lack of sound judgment in 1900 constitute a good reason that the same leadership is not capable of enunciating correct principles now?

Old John’s Restaurant still serving meals day and night, square or round hot or cold. Second door south of depot. dtf A. C. E. Valentine Social The Christian Endeavor Society ■'of the Christian church will give a Valentine social at the hour 9of L." H. Hamilton, on Friday evening, Feb. 12th. Ladies please bring old hats and trimmings for same. Admission 15 cents. dw2w Two good farms td rent. Apply to 8. M. Laßue. Buckwheat bran only sl4 per ton, at the mill. dwlwp Lot 1. Untrimmed hats 50ota worth double. Mbs. Puhcupilb.

THE RENSSELAER SEMI-WEEKLY REPUBLICAN.

A Cinch on Spring.

r . The weather lately has not been very springlike, for a truth, but for all that there is now reliable evidence that spring is right at our doors, and nobody seems to known it. The ev dence of this is the 1 fact that those old reliable harbingers of spring, the meadow larks, have already begun their I harbinging engagement, and have arrived from the south with a 'whole assortment of harbinges. Evidently they, like the rest of us, have grown weary of the way the 'ground h g and his partner Parson: J Hicks, have been butchering up the weather and have come in time to get a sure cinch before the ground-hog makes his annual appearance The early bird catches the worms, and when there ar - no worms to catch, there is still plenty of enfiuenza lying around loose to supply all demands. The particularmstance in which the return of the meadowlarks was noted, ochpred Thursday, a mile north of town. H J Dexter, now of Union Tp, a man of unusual intelligence and of complete leliability reports that he saw two genuine birds of that species on i the gravel road, as he was coming to town. Very likely they were seeking to obtain an honest though precarious living from the grain spilled along the pike, as the farmers' were hauling it to town For meadow larks to be seen here in January, and especially such a January as this has been, is something very unusual But there is no doubt about their being seen, for Mr Dexter is too close and intelligent an observer to be deceived in such a case; and as to the possibility of his trying to deceive others, that is not to be thought of either. And especially not since he resumed his pristine occupation of an honest tiller of the soil. If he were still engaged in mercantile business in Ren>-selaer and consequently not expected to be always using the strict truth when he had plenty of “something else just as good” right where he could reach it any time it might be per missible to conclude that it was possibly a pair of quails or blue jays, or even extra large and fluffy English sparrows that he is now trying to pass off for meadow larks, but under present conditions no such assumption is to be entertained.

Olliver Well.

The following concerning Olli ver M. Daugherty, a boy born and raised in Rensselaer, and a son of Lewis L. Daugherty, of Hammond, a former sheriff of Jasper county, and himself well remembered here, is from the Defiance, Ohio, Crescent-News:

O. M. Daugherty, local agent for the Pacific Express company has received an excellent promotion by being appointed general agent for the company at Springfield, 11lMr. Daugherty came to this city a year ago last June and has enjoyed the acquaintance of a wide circle of friends. He has been a progressive spirit in the express business, having established branch agencies throughout the oity. He has been with the Pacific company for 10 years and came to this oity from Montpelier. 0., previous ta that time being located at Hammond, [nd.

Weetill have it, home mads sauer kraut only 5 cents a quart at John Egers. - - * If there is anything you need in the grocery line call up phone 54. Lords Beat Flour sl.lO and Minnesota XXXX $l5O at John I Egers.

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA, TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 1904.

Decision on Vote Buying.

I The Supreme court Friday reversed the “vote-buying case” from Clinton county, in which R< b*rt Davis* had judgement for S9OO in veward for obtaining the conviction and disfranchisement of persons who sold their votes a» the election in the fall of 1900 One defense set op by the county commissioners was that Davis persuaded and induced tbe convicted persons to sell their votes with tbe intention of obtaining testimony by which to convict them and obtain a reward. Judge Monks, speaking for the court says that the law does not permit a man to take advantage of his own wrong, or to found any claim upon his own iniquity. Under this rule, be says one who aids in committing crime can not claim a reward for the detection of himeel’and nia fellow criminals. Of course be says it was not a crime under our law to buy tbe v>>trs but tbe act would have been a crime at common law and not very long ago was a serious crime in Indiana Ruch conduct is still wrong and immoral, affecting the whole community.

He concludes that public policy forbids one who has wickedly bought a vote and thereby induced another to commit a crime to enforce payment of a reward for securing his dupe’s conviction. Tbe act itself is declared to be constitutional. and Davis to have a right to the rewards claimed if he can disprove tbe charge that he was himself concerned in the vote buying.

Some Late Land Sales.

Geo F. Meyers of our city has just sold a 300 acre tract in Walker Tp., a mile east of Knitnan which be bought in June 1902 of A. Leopold, to W. Harvey Martin, of Effiugbam County, 111. Mr Martin will build a good house and barn on tbe farm and occupy it as his own residence. He will move on it this spring. Another deal negotiated by Mr. Myers was the exchange of Tom Brusnaban’s 115 acre farm in Union Tp. near Parr, for a 200 acre farm in Kansas, in Bourbon county, 18 miles from Fort Scott. It.is a highly improved farm, and Mr. B r usnaban is well pleased with his new property. He intends to move out and live in Kansas, but each party retains their present place until next year.

Death of James F. Antrim.

James F. Antrim, an ex-recorder of Jasper county and a former well known resident and business man of Rensselaer, died Friday night at the home of bis brother Frazier Antrim, in Wheatfield Township. He has been hopelessly sick for a lung time past. The body was brought here Sunday and |aken to the residence of N. 8. Bates, where the funeral was held Monday afternoon.

Blood poisoning Patient Is Recovering.

Will H. Stuoker, on the Squire Moore farm west of town, was kicked on the leg by a horse about two weeks ago, and badly bruised over the shin bone. He paid little attention to the injury- and four days later blood-poisoning set in and for a time bis condition was very critical. Last Wednesday however Dr. A. J. Miller opened the infected spot aud removed the pus and now Mr. Blacker is recovering very satisfactorily.

Do not give up because you can not find what you want in these MIXED 81’OOk ESTABLISHMENTB. The Ideal carries just what you want at the right prices. Louis Wildbebg, Prop.

Wild Man From the Wild Woods.

Friday afternoon Constable Christie Vick went up to Fair Oaks, and in the woods near there, with the help of Gus Grant, who happened to be in that vicinity captured what comes as near being the original “Wild Man From Borneo,” as anyone ever seen in this region. The man’s name is given as Benjamin Brannon. He has been living in the woods, about a mile east of Fair Oaks, all winter He lived with no other shelter than simply a large piece of canvass, like a cover swiped off a hay stack, stretched over some poles. The only furniture inthis tent was a bed, and all the bed was, was a long hollow place scraped in the ground, and in this he passed the nights and much of the days. He had not even a blanket to cover himself. The only thing in the tent besides this long wallowing place, was a stove made out of two old lard cans in which be sometimes built a fire He professed to be a wood-chopper, but so far has only cut four cords of wood the whole winter. •

H a went into Fair Paks a few days ago, heavily armed, and made various threats and demonstrations which caused a general panic, and hence resulted his arrest Noone there was willing to take the risk of going out to help arrest the wild man.

His capture was effected largely by strategy. It seems that many days ago, a wandering Dago, recognizing through the deep covering of dirt on Brannon’s countenance that he was a kindred spirit, took up his abode with him for a few days and slept in his hole at night.

When Messrs Vick and Grant approached the tent • they found Brannon outside with an axe, chopping wood When the officers approached he gave his regu ar hail of “Hello you ” etc. They drew near and began to ask him about the Dago, whom they pretended to be the one they wanted to find. Taking the precaution to approach him so as to be be tween him and the tent, where his outfit of weap >ns was supposed to be. they continued to ask about the Dago, until they were c ose enough to suddenly seize him by each arm, and to clap the hand-cuffs on him. On being searched a loaded and cocked revolver was found in his coat pocket, ready to have reached in a second. Inside the tent he had a single shot Winchester rifle, and a huge butcher knife. He was. of course, unspeakably dirty, but of a rather happy and cheerful appearance, being in fact, a good study for Happy Hooligan of the comic papers He talks rationally much of the time though he is doubtless insane. Brannon has two sisters in Chicago, one of them a teacher and the other formerly one. They have supplied him with money regularly fora long time, but do not seem desirous of having him in their neighborhood, which probably is not to be wondered at. He also is said to have a brother-in law in Kentucky, his original home, who is a minister. He is said to be be very intelligent when in his more rational intervals, and is said to be well educated Ed Griggs, who accompanied the officers near enough to point out his lair, says when he gets to slinging a pen he writes the finest hand in Jasper county.

He was taken before Squire Irwin Saturday but bis examination was. postponed until two p. m this Tuesday, to give him time to communicate with bis friends He probably will be found insane and sent to an asylum.

Elegant Residence Burned.

6. W Michaels’ Fma New Brick House Totally Destroyed. Prof. G. W. Michaels, present owner of the former Fatka farm three miles southeast of town, □ow has another disastrous fire to add to tbe many be has sus ained in years past. The elegant brick veneer bouse be has bad under construction on the above named farm since early last fall, is now only a heap of smouldering ruins The building which was undoubtedly tbe finest farm residences Jasper county, and up to-date in architecture, and with all modern convenience was almost eompleted. It was ready for the finishing coat of plaster, and all the material for the interior finish was in the building except the inside doors. As it stood it represented an outlay of $4,000. Fires were kept in the building to keep tbe plastering from freezing, both in a furnace and in stoves. Saturday night Mr. Hurley, tenant on tbe farm, remained in tbe building until midnight and then, according to Mr. Miobaels’ instructions put fuel in the stove and furnace, closed them and. went to his house, some distance away. About 130a.m. he looked out and saw the new bouse was on fire, and the slimes bad gained such headway that nothing could be done to check them, and the building was soon totally destroyed. Mr. Mioheals attributes the fire to an explosion. A baseburning stove was used with a coke fire. After it was refilled and closed at midnight, Mr Miohaeisihinks gas in large quantities collected in tbe stove, and then exploded with force enough to blow the stove to pieces and thus set the building on fire. The scattered fragments of the stove confirm this theory. The building was insured for only $1,700, or about two fifths of its value. It is Mr. Michaels' intentions to rebuild it on the original plans, at onceProf. Michaels bought this 300 acre farm last year of Mr. Hurst, and became a resident of Rensselaer last fall, He has long been a prominent educator in high and normal school work, and also once own-d a large college at Logansport, known as the Smithsonian college. He has been particularly unfortunate in tbe matter of fires, this being the sixth time be has suffered serious loss from that cause. Tbe college building burned in 1896. Much of the furniture and equipments was saved and stored in bis large barn. Two weeks after the college burned, tbe barn caught fire also, and all be saved from the college was then lost, He also lost a fiue residence in Logansport, and another fine winter home, in Poco, Florida. His lose at tbe college fire alone was $27,000 above the insurance. It was an SBO,OOO building to start with.

Preparing for School Exhibits.

State Superintendent of Publiu Instruction Fat-set A. Cotton and bis deputies are expecting a rush within the next two weeks. The contributions from the schools of the state to be planed in the Indiana building at the St. Louis L <uieiana Pmchaee Exposition will begin yourugin soon and arrangements are being made for their reception. A room will be set apart in the 8> ate House for the storage of school work until time for the transfer to the exposition grounds. . The bottom han gone out of can tomatoes. Only 5 and H--cents a can at John Egers. —*

Beam Jury Again Disagrees.

The second trial at Hammond of Truman Beam for the murder of Martha Lawrence in Porter county has also resulted in a disagreement. The jury was discharged Saturday forenoon after being out 26 boars. It is said they stood seven for eonvict on to five for acquittal. It is now generally thought that tho case against him will be dismissed and he will go f<ee, as it is not believed the Porter County Council will make another appropriation for another trial, tho cost to the county having already amounted to about $6,000. Tho defense made their t trong fight on tbe assumption that the girl died in a fit and made ti e marks on her throat by her own fingers Evidently, however, the jury saw through this piece of humbuggery, for the Hammond Tribune says: It was learned on good authority that, tne entire twelve men upon, the jury agreed that a murder had been committed; that Martha Lawrence had come to her death by hand other than her own; that all the evidence pointed towards Truman Beam as the guilty party but according to the consciences of five of the jurymen the evidence presented by tbe state did not satisfy them sufficiently for conviction.

How any sensible . man on the jury .ould take that view and yet doubt Beam’s guilt is beyond comprehension If she was murdered there was practically no possibility of any one but Truman Beam being the murderer This failure of justice illustrates several hideously wrong practices in the court methods of this country One is in allowing attorneys for the defense to everlastingly and unceasing y din into the jurors’ ears the principle, that they must believe the prisoner “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt ” Another is in permitting the defense to abuse, slander and vilify men of high standing because they are witnesses for the prosecu'ion. Another is in paying out vast sums of the people’s money in hiring the ablest and most unscrupulous attorneys that can be found, to defend every worthless wretch who gives rein to bis infernal instincts until they lead him to the commission of abhorrent crimes.

Death of Grandmother Lewis.

Mrs. M J. Lewis, wife of John M, Lewis, died Sunday, at 2o'clock a. m. at the home of Lewis Tanner 6 miles northeast of town. She was born in Kentucky, Jan 4,1826 and her age at death was 78 yean and 27 days. Her maiden name was Martin, and she was married four times, the last time to John M. Lewie. She was the mother of 10 children, only four ol whom are now living: Harry Davis, ol LaFayette; Rebecca Hastings, of Danville, 11l ; Mrs. Hoffman, of Monticello, and Chas. Cantwell, of Danville, Ilk The funeral was held \ Monday forenoon, at Mr.Tanner’ sresidenoe by Rev. Elam, of Rensselaer. Interment was in the Brown cemetery.

The number that drew the “Great Malleable Range” at E. D. Rhoades’ hardware store was 620. All parties holding tickets on this range must hold them until there is a notice in the papers that the stove has been delivered to the owner. E. D Rhoades. Lots of skates both big and litthb for gents or Indies boys or girls at 'he McOoysburg hardware. Have you seen those $45.00 buggies-at Sohleman’s. A first-class phaeton for sals Enquire at this office. 4wd