Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1908 — Indiana State News [ARTICLE]

Indiana State News

ROWDY BOYS REAP DISASTER. Stona a Hermit, Who Them Cut a "v Shotgun. Sir young men and a double-barreled shotgun in the hands of John Barrett, an. eccentric hermit, living near Oatsville, have the neighborhood excited, and four of the young men are carrying buckshot in the bodies and faces. Rufus Crecillus, one of them, is so badly wounded that he has been taken to Vincepnes for treatment. The slight of his right eye is destroyed. The shooting is said to be the result of a foolish escapade by the 1 young men. The boys were passing the home in which Barrett |ives, and one of them suggested that they throw stones on the roof to see what-the old man would do. The stones had hardly struck the house before Barrett appeared at the door and emptied the contents of a double-barreled shotgun into the group.

YOUTH COMMITS SUICIDE. Despondent Became His Sweetheart Wns Sentenced to Girls' School. Clifford Mack Smith, 18 years old and the only support of a widowed mother, committed suicide in Covington by swallowing carbolic acid. He was on the way home at the time, and on entering his mother’s presence, he remarked, “Ma, I have taken it,” and threw himself on the bed. Before anything could be done in relief, he was unconscious, and he died before a physician could be called. Five months ago he attempted to commit suicide In a similar way, but was prevented. A few days ago Judge Schoonover sentenced Smith’s sweetheart to'the Indiaua Girie* School. The young people had set Jan. 4 as their wedding day, and‘it is supposed that while brooding over the fate of the girl he renewed his determination to end nis life.

DECLARES UNION UNLAWFUL. ■ <%u r > flow Fights (or Estate Deft Father’s Second Wife. s,> Mary Johnson Strunk of Niles, Mich., is the defendant in a sensational case now on trial ip the Porter county Circuit Court. An estate of $40,000 is involved. The plaintiff is Jennings C. Strunk, who alleges he is the lawful heir to the estate, because his father’s marriage to the Niles woman was bigamous, the elder Strunk having failed to obtain a divorce from his first wife, who was Jennings Strunk’s mother. The second Mrs. Strunk has been in possession of the property since the death of John C. Strnnk, who is alleged by the son to have led a dual life. ' • ■/ -

BURGLARS FIRE STORE. Uso Kerosene to Saturate Grocery Establishment and Escape. Angered by not finding money after they had broken into the Butterfly grocery store, in the heart of the business district of Muncie, burglars saturated the place with kerosene and set fire to it, and left through the rear door, which they had broken down to gain entrance. The firemen had a hard fight to check the flames, which had been started in several places.

SHORT LIVED HONEYMOON. Bridegroom Stricken wltk Doable Paesaoais and Dies. John Reedy,' 19 years old, who was married on Christmas day, died the other afternoon at Decker of double pneumonia. He was taken sick on the day following his marriage to Miss Katherine Manning of Decker. At first little attention was paid to Bis ailment, under the belief that it was a cold, but later pneumonia developed. I Mr. Reedy was well known as a melon raiser.

Put to Flight hr Cray Wolf. A big gray wolf, the first seen in Cass county in many years, put John R. Donglass and Earl Smith, two hunters, to flight while they were setting traps in a woods three miles west of Logansport. They came upon the animal unexpectedly, and Douglass, who had a loaded shotgun in his hand, was so frightened that be could not shoot. He was afflicted with “buck fever.” The wolf stood its ground and Smith and Douglass, after glaring at it for several moments, turned and ran. Boro with Sot of Teeth. Supplied with a full set of teeth. Baby Crow was bom to Mrs. Elve Crow near Evansville. The infant is s girl and weighs about four pounds. She is in good health and exhibited the full power of her teeth by biting the nurse’s finger on the twelfth hour after becoming a member of the family circle.

Cesstr doll IcorekH. Fire originating from s defective flue damaged tbe Knox county jail in Vincennes $5,000. Tbe loss is covered by insurance. Tbe thirty-nine prisoners were boused In tbe basement while tbe Are was being suppressed, and no ona was suffered to escape. Killed ky Brother’s Train. John Ullery of Indianapolis, a Pennsylvania freight conductor, waa instantly killed at Richmond by another freight train, of which his brother, William Cilery, was sngineef. AMO VO OUR VEIOHBORB. „ The Rev. C. E. Weidner has resigned as pastor of tbe Brethren church it Nappanee to accept a call to Cariron,

Mat. . The safe in tbe poetoftce and general store owned by F. O. Peckinbaugh, at Sprlngport, was raided by burglars, and a small amount of cash and stamps wens carried off. After tbe robbery the burglars stole s horse and boggy from Clarence Swain, in which they drove to a point naar Anderson, whore they abandoned the rig.