Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 140, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1904 — RECORD OF THE WEEK [ARTICLE]

RECORD OF THE WEEK

INDIANA INCIDENTS TERSELY TOLD. Peculiar Recluse Is Officially Declared Insane Four Suspects Held in Kffertz Murder Case-“ Red Serpent” Band of Terrors—Women Suicides". A lunacy commission found Jules Samplotix of Orestes insane. Satnpioux had become known all over the gas belt by reason of his eccentricity. He became unbalanced nearly ten years ago. when his gttjaneed back ill Belgium jilted him. -Ab that time lie was-rated as one of the besj/ glass blowers in the gas belt and made as high as $12,-* weekly. His mental condition Was first noted when lie laid down the blowpipe and quit work. One morning soon after he was found iu his room in the glass works boarding house down an liis knees, covering liis floor with uneasiied wage checks amounting to fully ss.ooo. He was asked to vacate and built a shack Bxlo feet on a lot near l*y, where he lias since resided id company with a fine sorrel horse, whose straw bed Sampioux shared, refusing all intercourse with mankind, ’ except what was absolutely necessary. Held in Effertz Murder. William Montague, suspected of complicity in the murder of Jacob H. Effertz of Chicago, who was found Oct. 5 at Wilder With a bullet bole in his head, was arrested at San Pierre. The formal charge against him is the alleged robbery of Efferlz’s body after the alleged murder by William and Mary Davis, now held under SIO,OOO bonds. Frank Montague, a brother of the man captured, was arrested several weeks ago. Officers believe these two, who have been in trouble before, robbed the body and helped to dispose of it. Sheriff Craft’s investigation shows that Effertz must have had s.'loo or S4OO on liis person wheu decoyed to the lonely wood along the Kankakee river, where the crime took place.

Black Hand Has a Rival. The confession of Abram Mullen of Starke county of the plot to kidnap Dr. C. W. Brown of Lafayette for ransom and to murder him if he offered resistance has brought to light an organization known as the “Red Serpents,” the workings of which are alleged to be responsible for the reign of terror which has existed in the Mullen locality iu Starke comity. Respected citizens have been threatened with White Capping aud bullets have been fired into the homes of innocent people. Haines, the victim of Mullen, was killed near the spot where a few years ago the reign of terror then existed. Edward Fetters was shot by William Sutherliii, the body of the victim being buried under the carcass of a nude. Self-Slain Mother Discovered by Baby. While all of her family was absent except a o-year-dld soil, Mrs. Wesley W. Wilson, aged 32, formerly of Amboy, put a shotgun to her,.breast in Anderson and fired. When the body was discovered tlie baby boy was smoothing out her hair and explaining: “I’m taking hair pins out so mamma's head won’t ache.” Mental derangement from ill health 4s thought to have been the cause of the suicide.

All Over the State. John Ouandio was killed by a locomotive at Peru. He leaves a family in Italy. file G-year-old daughter of William Wood of Petersburg fell from a chair at tlie dinner table and broke her neck. Representative-elect Elias 11. Ower, recently chosen for the third tinieTO the Legislature, was killed by a falling tree in the Archer woods near Bridgeton. Edward Hudgens of Kokomo is bedfast with serious injuries received while endeavoring to clean out a flue with an explosive. He expected its force to ascend, but instead it, blew sideways. By (lie verdict of a jury in the Circuit Court Mrs. Bertha K. Chittenden will remain in possession of the South Bay Hotel in Indiana Harbor, for which a determined legal battle has been fought. Marshall Smith, after serving a term of eighteen years in prison for murder, has returned to Edgar county and sued John Dalrymplc for $">,000 for slander. Dalryinple alleged that Smith had committed theft. The apparently well-founded report is current in railroad circles that with the opening of spring the Lake Erie and Western-Railroad Company will put on electric cars between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. The entire force of patrolmen in the, Princeton police department resigned in a body because their demand for an increase of s>lo a month was not acceded to. The City Council refuses to reinstate the strikers. An attempt was made to wreck a passenger train on the Baltimore and Ohio road west of El wood. Just ns the passenger train had left Elwood, the engine ran over a chain which had been fastened to the rail. The engineer applied brakes and stopped a few feet from the end of tin high trestle which spans the river. Had the train left the rails it would have been dashed on the rocks of the creek at least 100 feet below, The crew found the tracks wrapped with a wire chain and securely fastened. Stnte Statistician Johnson says: “It is considered by those interested that wheat can no longer be raised in Indiana at a profit. In 1004 the average yield was a small fraction more than ten bushels to the acre. Deducting one and one-half bushels for seed the net crop was but eight' and one-half bushels to the acre, to pay for sowing, harvesting, thrashing an«l marketing, to say nothing of-the interest on the value of the land. It muy be expected that under these circumstances the wheat acreage will decrease 'xom year to year." . Edward Frazee, while riding home from Lebanon in a buggy, was seized of heart failure and pitched forward, his head and shoulders lodging between the wheel and shaft, locking the wheel. He was still alive jrhen found, hut soon died. Action look ng to the consolidation of the Terre Haute and ludianapolis Railroad Company with the St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute, the Logausport and Toledo, and the Indianapolis and Vincennes railroads was blocked when a temporary injunction forbidding the merger was granted by Judge Anderson ia the federal court at Indianapolis.