Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1907 — Indiana State News [ARTICLE]

Indiana State News

»- * A PARLOR CONFLICT WITH SABERS. Rlvala for Widow’s Smiles Fight Duel In Her Starlit. Charles W. Bennett and Otis Gooden called at the house of George W. Guard in Lawrenceburg to see Mrs. Minnie Hess Cooper, a comely widow. A quarrel soon arose. Hanging on the wall in the parlor of the house were two sabers 5 that had been used in the Civil War by Mr. Guard’s grandfather. Each man seized a saber, and a sword fight ensued. The commotion in the parlor and the screams of Mrs. Cooper attracted the attention of Guard, who had retired. He partly dressed, ran into the room and found- the two men slashing each other with the sabers. Bennett was proving a poor fencer, and was getting by far the worst of the fight. He was bleeding profusely from cuts and asGuaf <r"<mTerat Betpnett fell on the floor covered with blood. Gooden seemed ahput to run the saber through his fallen opponent when Guard interfered and felled him to the floor with a heavy chair. The widow ran into the street crying for help. Policeman Wingerter arrived, and after a struggle with Gooden compelled him to surrender at the muzzle of a Revolver. He was taken to jail. Dr. George F. Smith was summoned and dressed the injuries of Bennett. There was One serious stab in his abdomen which required eight stitches to close. Bennett is in a serious condition, but will recover unless blood poisoning develops. Mrs. Cooper declares that she will not countenance either man in the future. -*■- -—= — MAY SOLVE MURDER MYSTERY. Discovery Made at Buffalo Throw* Light on Indiana Crimes. Through a mistake mide at Buffalo, N. Y., in switching on to the wrong track a car of horses bound for New Yottc the police made a discovery that may solve three murder mysteries that have perplexed northern Indiana. The attendant was missing, the mattress on which he had slept was soaked with blood there were other evidences that murder had been committed. The car had been in charge of A. W. Murphy, whose body was found, a few days ago near the Lake Shore crossing in South Bend. It is now believed that Murphy was killed by a gang of robbers who had boarded the car. There is evidence to show that Ralph Kyle and Henry Ronk, whose bodies were found at other points along the Lake Shore track, were decoyed into the car and murdered. LAWRENCE SMITH ADMITS GUILT Sentenced While Surrounded by Wife and Kleven Children. Surrounded in the Circuit Court by his wife and eleven children, including three sets of twins, Lawrence Smith, charged with killing James O. Lane at Cloverland Sept. 5, entered a plea of guilty of manslaughter and was sentenced to prison for from two to twenty-one years. Mrs. Lane, widow of the slain man, disappeared some time ago, is still missing and did not appear against the slayer of her husband. Smith was accused of ambushing Lane and striking him on the head with a club.

FEAR EXODUS TO CITIES. Teach Farm Work la Schools tor Grangers’ Aid. Since so many of Indiana’s sons have left tfie plowshare for the pen and have written their names in gilt ink on the records of literature, the people of the State are beginning to fear for the bucolic pursuits. According to reports from many districts the young men are leaving the farms in such large numbers that the grangers are in distress for aid. To remedy this defect a movement is sweeping the State to have agriculture taught in the public schools to arouse more interest in this work. DELAYED BY OLD CAUSE. Leaf Drift Stops Big Four Train In Deep Cnt. A Big Four passenger train was delayed two hours between Warsaw and Claypool all because millions of oak leaves had swept upon the tracks in a deep cut nearly a mile long. The engineer could not see the track when he entered the cut, but he knew that it was there. There is an up grade at the point and the drivers began to slip. There was a twisting of iron and the locomotive was disabled. Repairs were made while the passengers scraped away the leaves. Breaks Week In Halloween Prank. In Terre Haute I’eter Byrne broke his neck in a fall from a ladder Hallowe’en, but the cause of his death was kept secret till the funeral was held. He was ing a small wagon on the roof of his house to amuse his" children. Stricken with Hives and Dies. George Bouchard died in Peru within a few hours after becoming afflicted with hives. He suffered terrible agony. ±L ' Brief State Happenings. Because he refused to pay a SSOO fine, Enoch White of Fort Wayne.'uged 00 and worth $40,000, la in a cell in the county jail in Warsaw. White is alleged to have transferred all his property with a view to avoiding paying the fine while contempt charges against him were being heard. Former State’s Attorney George A. Kurtz was sentenced by Judge Vail of -South Bend to be disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Indiana, the disbarment being for life. Kurtz’s attorneys made a vigorous argument for a new trial, but the motion was overruled. The dwelling owned by Janies Ireward and occupied by David Goff was burned in Shelbyville while Mrs. Goff was away visiting. Loss $3,000, no insurance. When Mrs. Goff left, the house she left g gasoline stove buralng and forgot to take it off n pine box on which it was resting. The firs ignited the box.