Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1904 — INDIANA INCIDENTS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA INCIDENTS.

RECORD OF EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK. '. ■ ' ,'• '' -. Cruel Sort of Practical Joke—Fireworks Cause $15,000 Loss—Fortune Found in Old Bible—St. Paul Bank Closes Live Wire Kills Two. There was sorrow in the home of Fred Westbrook, 5 Laporte veteran, when a telegram arrived from Chicago telling of the death in a hospital of his son Will, and stating that the body would be ahipped to the old home for burial. The family pastor was notified, word was sent the relatives, an undertaker was engaged, pall-bearers secured, flowers purchased, and a grave dug, but when the undertaker and the relatives went to the train to meet the body none arrived. Telegrams sent to Chicago brought a reply, alleged to have been signed by the supposed dead man, that he was a lively corpse, and that he had wired his parents that he was dead “just for fun.” The funeral was postponed. Efforts since made by the parents to locate their son in Chicago have failed, and the records of the hospital where he was supposed to have died do not show he was ever there. The parents believe they are the victims of a practical joker. i Fireworks Start Egaze. The nsnal conflagrations resulting from the use of fireworks had their beginning in Michigan City the other day, when three small boys, after having secretly procured a supply of firecrackers, went into a bam owned by Joseph Bates, and after setting off part of their fireworks, discovered that the building was burning. Fanned by a stiff breeze, the flames rapidly spread to five other bams and to the residences x>t Mr. Bates and Mrs. Henriette Jencz. A-ll of the buildings and their contents were totally destroyed, entailing in all a loss of $15,000. Old Bible Hides Fortune. Mrs. John Wheeler found SI,OOO of old money hidden in an old family Bible that was hidden away by her husband thirtyfour years ago. When John Wheeler, a young farmer of Shelby County, was married, thirty-four years ago, he had saved SI,OOO. On his wedding day he told his wife that he would put the money away until they needed it. The husband died a year ago. Mrs. Wheeler had hunted for the money, but failed to find it St. Paul Bank Closes Doors. The Home Bank of St. Paul closed Its doors the other day. It refused to pay depositors until its affairs are settled in the courts. Fred Gillman, president of the Goodland bank, which failed for $200,000, had drawn extensively on this bank, of which he w r as also president, although he only held $2,000 of its stock. Deposits to the amount of SOI,OOO are tied up. Sunday Schools Election. C. W. Hall of Indianapolis will again head the Indiana Sunday School Association, having been rechosen to that place. The other officers are: E. W. Fell of Greenfield, Josiah Morris of Rockville, and E. A. Hackett of Fort Wayne, vice presidents; C. M. Lemon, Indianapolis, secretary; and W. H. Elvin, Indianapolis, treasurer. Electrocuted by Live Wire. Frank Valentine and W. K. Stacy, electricians at the power station of the Indianapolis Northern etectric line in Kokomo, came in contact with a live wire. Valentine was instantly killed and Stacy may die. It is estimated 30,000 volts passed through their bodies. All Over the State. Frank Becker, 14 years old, was drowned in the lake at Whiting when landing fish he had caught. Despondent because of ill health, due to a sunstroke w'hich he suffered several years ago, John Hatt, a business man of Robertsdale, committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor. Antone Kloza of La Porte was given a verdict against the Haskell & Barker Car Company for $7,000 damages for loss of a leg while in the employ of the company. He sued for SIO,OOO. The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal taken in the name of Moses Fowler Chase, the» young Lafayette millionaire, from the decision appointing his father, F. S. Chase, as his guardian. The Western Telephone Manufacturing Company of Chicago has begun suit in Fort Wayne for infringement of patents against the Chicago Telephone Supply Company and George Briggs of Elkhart. George Dewald was killed and a carpenter named Lowrnan perhaps fatally injured in two accidents at Denver, remarkable for their similarity, in that each fell from roofs on which they were working. Wallace Moore’s children in Wavelaatl tried to use a lawn mower for a perambulator. The little boy that was riding got his hand mixed up with the knives. One finger was entirely cut off and the others badly bruised. One of the. graduates of the Indiana State normal who received his diploma n few days ago is John Stahl, 53 years old, who has been taking the prescribed course, irregularly, for twenty-seven years. Stahl entered the normal in April, 1877. Thomas Wiley, 21 year* old, was shot while driving to his home south of St Paul. He and Frank Fagil, a young friend, were driving home together, and when they had covered about half the distance Wiley decided to ride the rest of the distance with his brother, who was In a buggy just behind him. As lie was in the act of getting into his brother’s buggy Fagil drew a revolver and shot him in the abdomen, after which he whipped up hie horse and disappeared. No cause is known for the act. Clarence Fryer, 3 years old, eon of Robert Fryer of- Springfield township, obtained a whisky Husk and drank a full pint. He died twelve hours later of alcoholic poisoning. The 2-year-old child of McClun? Bass strayed to a creek near Shelbyvllle and when foind by the father was sitting at the water’s edge In a nest of water moccasins, one of which was coiled about its anas and neck. Mr. Bass’ shepherd dog seized the snake, tore It from the child and killed it The others escaped. Th« child was toying with the serpents and Fas cooing when Mr. Bass arrived^