Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1905 — The Latest Cedar Lake Tragedy. [ARTICLE]

The Latest Cedar Lake Tragedy.

The following circumstantial account of the murder and suicide at Cedar Lake last Sunday Sept. 17, is condensed somewhat from the Lowell and Crown Point papers. The affair has already been men-ioned-brieflyin Ahis paper. The priacipals wftPeHarry Hoh«mn, year* <fld *»d:sen«of C. A. Hohman one. ■of Hammond’s wealthiest citixqo’s, and his former affianced Wife,; Mrs. Ida; Taylor Jeanette. She was 20 years ohi and „he 24. Young Hohman met Ida Taylor, who has worked ifor Mrs. Binyon some*five or six -seasons, when she was UtUe more .than 14 years old, but a wonderfully beautiful girl, Holman immediately tell desperately’ in love with her, but his parents olyected on account of the youth of the two. But as the years went on the lovers sought each Others company and seemed, to all appearances, happy when to gether. They finally became en gaged to be married , parental objection, as we understand, having been withdrawn. Hohman went to the Indian Territory last Spring to hunt up a location and go into business for himself and prepare a home for his .bride to be. While away at this work another man in the person of Charles Jeanette successfully wooed and won Ida; they being married August 23d last. The elder Hohman immediately telegraphed his sou of the occurrence and received a reply, stating that ‘‘life for him was not worth living: all was lost” The young man came home almost be side himself with grief, and has not acted like a sane man since his home coming. He met Mrs. Jeanette at the Crown Point fair and a scene followed. He made a trip to Steger, Ilk, where he expected to find her, hut was un successful. He attend the picnic in Lowell last Saturday in hopes to find her, but was again thwarted. He then went to Binyon’s hotel Saturday night or Sunday morning. He had often stopped at the hotel and nothing was thought of his coming this time. Sometime after dinner it appears Hohman went to the closet in the rear of the hotel. Later Mrs. Jean nette went the same road and soon several shots were heard by those in front of the house, among them her husband whom she told where she was going before starting through the house. The shots came in quick succession—.one, two, three, four and Ida Jeannette was pierced with four bullets in and around the heart and dropped to the ground dead, her blood stained white shirt waist showing the en trance of the bullets at each spot. Hohman, whose body was about eight feet away from his victim, shot himself near the nose and the ball glanced upward without fatal results. By this time the hueband and others had reached the spot and Hohman reeled and fell, but it is said made an attempt to shoot Jeannette while falling, but failed. He then placed the revolver to his own heart and fired while lying on the ground which blew out his life, and the last chapter of the sequel to an extended courtship J and love quarrel had come to an i abrupt ending. The culmination expected by all acquainted with the facts, but to the principals, the newly married couple, it was be lieved that his threats would banish with time. • To which account may be added the fact that several letters were found on Young Hohman, after the shooting, the longest one addressed to Ida. In these letters he plainly shows his intention to kill himself, and hints at an intention to kill Jeanette, but conveys the idea that he has no thoughts of killing the girl. She was the daughter of Mr. and JMrs. Albert Taylor, of near Cellar Lake. Her funeral was held at Creston, Tuesday and was the largest ever held there. Jeannette, Ida’s husband, owns a saloon at Cedar Lake and another at Steger, HL, near Chicago Heights. They had been staging at Steger since their wedding and had come to Cedar Lake to spend the day, expecting to return in the evening.