History of Logan County, Illinois, Part 36

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co.
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 989

USA > Illinois > Logan County > History of Logan County, Illinois > Part 36

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394 HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

the city, while benefiting Colonel Latham and others owning prop- erty to the north, would entail a needless expense upon the city and many individuals. The current of public opinion became so strong on this topic that a largely attended mass-meeting was held at the court-house June 26, 1871. The sentiment of the meeting was almost unanimous for the location of the proposed railroad and depot on the south side of the city, and resolutions were adopted expressing this sentiment most earnestly. Colonel Ed. Lynch was chosen as Chairman, and E. D. Blinn, Secretary. James L. Hob- lit, J. A. Niles and James Congdon were appointed to draw up resolutions, which they did as follows :

" Resolved, by the citizens of the city of Lincoln in mass meet- ing assembled, -

"1st, That it is the desire by an overwhelming majority of the citizens of the city of Lincoln to have the Havana, Mason City, Lincoln & Eastern Railroad located and built near the half section line running through the southern portion of the city.

" 2d, That the two members of the Supervisors' Court of Logan County from the city be requested to use all honorable means to prevent the issuing of any bonds of Logan County to the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railroad Company until such time as the presi- dent thereof shall furnish irreversible guarantees that he, the said president, will, to the extent of his influence and power, procure, and cause to be procured, the permanent location of the said Ha- vana, Mason City, Lincoln & Eastern Railroad on the side of our city.

"3d, That if the officers of the said Havana, Mason City, Lincoln & Eastern Railroad Company shall locate the said road on the north side of the city against the will and wishes of the citizens thereof, that we will use all means in our power to prevent the issu- ing or payment of any bonds to said railroad company.

"4th, That, believing as we do that railroads ought to be in part at least built for the benefit and accommodation of the people, and that when our citizens of East and West Lincoln propose to contribute $110,000 toward building the said railroad, then in our judgment the interests of the business men and tax-payers of this city should be consulted in locating said road, and that any scheme for locating said road to subserve private interests in dero- gation of the public good meets with our unqualified condemna- tion."

All these were adopted unanimously except the second, and that

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by a vote of seventy-two to seventy-one. Frank Froer, James L. Hoblit and James Congdon were appointed as a committee to exe- cute the will of the meeting. In this they were successful. The road was built south of the city, being completed in 1872. It was at once leased to the Indiana, Bloomington & Western Railroad Company.

When the bonds were demanded, some objected to payment, claiming irregularity in the elections. This could not be proven, however, and the bonds of the townships of East and West Lincoln were delivered in exchange for the stock. West Lincoln at once sold its stock to the county at 30 cents on the dollar. On its $50,000 of stock it then lost $30,000, or gave that amount outright for the railroad.

The Indiana, Bloomington & Western Railroad Company oper- ated this line until 1879, when, being financially involved, in the hands of a receiver, and in litigation for over four years, it was forced to sell its interest in the road under a decree of the court. The line was then operated for the purchasers until September 1, 1879, when it was conveyed to the Champaign, Havana & Western Railway Company. They operated it until July 31, 1880, when it was consolidated with the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific system. This wonderful cobweb burst in 1884-'5, under the management of Jay Gould, and a number of its leased lines were detached and al- lowed to shift for themselves. Among these was the road forming the subject of this article, which in 1885 became known as the Champaign & Havana line.

It passes through Logan County nearly east and west, crossing Sheridan, West Lincoln, East Lincoln and Oran townships. The stations in the county are New Holland, Burton View, Lincoln, Skelton and Beason.

Sheridan Township never issued any bonds, although $20,000 was voted. Oran issued $25,000; East Lincoln, $60,000, and West Lincoln, $50,000, as already stated. No payments were made on these bonds, not even for interest, as the collection of taxes for that purpose in the three townships was enjoined in 1870. Then for eleven years there was almost constant litigation and negotiation between the bondholders and the townships. The cases were fi- nally compromised by an election held in the three townships, October 25, 1881. On the East Lincoln bonds there was at that time due $124,512; by the compromise there was saved $33,392 and $620 annually thereafter. On West Lincoln bonds there was 25

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due $106,663.50; amount saved, $28,267.10 and $350 annually. On Oran bonds there was due $53,932; amount saved, $13,898.40 and $90 annually.

ILLINOIS MIDLAND.

This line belongs to a company formed by the consolidation of . the Paris & Decatur Railroad Company, incorporated by charter . approved February 18, 1861; the Paris & Terre Haute Railroad Company incorporated under provision of law of March 1, 1872, and the Peoria, Atlanta & Decatur Railroad Company, incorpo- rated by charter approved March 1, 1869. The road built by the last named is the one crossing a portion of this county, and hence entitled to mention in this chapter.

The Peoria, Atlanta & Decatur line was surveyed in 1869, and found to be 60.8 miles, by a not remarkably direct route. At that time any community was willing to tax itself indefinitely to obtain a new railroad, and when Eminence and Atlanta townships were asked to subscribe to the capital stock, they complied readily. The election to decide whether or not Atlanta Township should sub- scribe $50,000 to the capital stock of the road was held June 16, 1869, when 265 votes were cast for the subscription, and 29 against it. Messrs. Dills & Dunham were made directors of the road. Work began in 1870, at which time John A. Hoblit was supervisor of the township. The bonds were to be issued as the work in the township progressed, but Mr. Hoblit and the officers of the road dif- fered as to the value of the work actually done, and there were seri- ons disagreements about issuing the bonds. Mr. Hoblit issued at one time $5,000; at another, $8,000; and at another, $7,000. In 1871 James Tuttle was elected supervisor, and delivered to the company $15,000 at one time, and $2,000 at another, making $37,000. In the winter of 1873-'4 the collection of taxes levied in Atlanta to pay interest on these bonds was enjoined; but the courts decided in favor of the railroad company.

The line was pushed to completion in the spring and summer of 1874. September 19, 1874, the company purchased the Paris & Decatur and the Paris o Terre Haute railroads, and November 4, 1874, changed its name to the Illinois Midland Railway Company. The Paris & Decatur line, 73.1 miles, was opened in December, 1872; the Paris & Terre Haute line, 13.9 miles, in May, 1874; and the Peoria, Atlanta & Decatur line, 60.8 miles, in November, 1874. The company leases from the Terre Haute & Indianapolis road 7.8

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miles from Terre Haute, Ind., to Farrington, Ill .; from the Illi- nois Central 15.25 miles, from a point 1.5 miles south of Decatur to Maroa; from the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw 5.1 miles, from Farmdale to Peoria. The Illinois Midland has not been a finan- cially prosperous organization, and has been in the courts a great deal for ten years past.

It passes through but the two townships of Eminence and At- lanta in this county, and has but one station, Atlanta.

ILLINOIS CENTRAL.

This company purchased in 1876 the road from Gilman to Springfield, 111.47 miles, which had been built in 1871 as the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Railroad. Before it became a part of the Central system it was not in good financial condition, and was involved in much litigation. It does better now, but still it passes through some new country, which is yet to be developed into a profitable district before the expectations of the builders are realized. It crosses the southeastern part of Logan County, passing through Ætna, Laenna, Mt. Pulaski and Elkhart town- ships. The stations in this county are Chestnut, Mt. Pulaski and Cornland.

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CHAPTER XIV.

- DARK DEEDS.

MURDER AT MIDDLETOWN .- SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED WIFE-MURDER. -MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN 1870 .- A FARMER CLUBBED TO DEATH. -MURDER NEAR CORNLAND .- SUICIDE IN A PARK .- KILLING OF HARRY TALBOTT .- SUICIDE AT LINCOLN .-- ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUCCESSFUL SUICIDE .- THE CLARE-CONNORS MURDER .- A FATAL BLAST .- SUICIDE OF BEN FRANK .- SHOT HIMSELF .- A MED- ICAL STUDENT'S END .- TRIPLE MURDER. - A PROMINENT FARMER SUICIDES. - THE CARPENTER CASE.

Logan County has had more than its share of tragedy, and per- haps of other crime. From first to last there have been in the county not less than thirty murders, and more than that num- ber of suicides. Three or four of these have been of more than local importance, and gave the county for the time an unenviable notoriety. The reason for the numerous crimes that have occurred here can not be found in the character of the people, who are as law-abiding, sensible citizens as the average in Illinois. Certain it is, the citizens and authorities have shown greater diligence and been to greater expense for the suppression and punishment of crime than many localities can claim. Perhaps it is only for this reason that Logan County is as prominent as it is in the history of crime.

We do not propose to offer anything like a complete catalogue, but on the following pages outline a few of the best remembered cases of violence.

MURDER AT MIDDLETOWN.

A man who worked in Lincoln at the shoemaker's trade in the autumn of 1859, and who was known as John Renner, shot and in- stantly killed James Rockfora, an Irishman, in a grocery at Middle- town, a little before sundown on Monday, February 13, 1860. The murderer took to the timber immediately, acknowledging the homi- cide, but claiming that it was done in self defense. Pursuit was (398)

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instituted, but in vain. The cause of the affair was liquor, under the influence of which Rockford was always very quarrelsome.

SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED WIFE MURDER.

In February, 1870, the orderly people of Logan County were startled with the news that on Friday, the 18th, John L. Phipps, a well-known farmer residing on what was known as the Geer farm, some six miles west of Lincoln, had attempted to mur- der his wife and then committed suicide. In October pre- vious, Mr. Phipps married Miss Kate Buckles, daughter of John Buckles, of Lake Fork. During their brief married life their matrimonial relations were not of the most pleasant character. His conduct toward her had always been characterized by bru- tality, and it was proven before the coroner's jury that he had treated her more like a servant than as the wife of his bosom. A temporary parting had taken place between the parties, and only on Tuesday before the tragedy he had gone to the house of her father, sought her to return with him and gave his word and honor to her father that he would treat her in a manner befitting a hus- band. With these promises she returned with him to his home, accompanied by her mother, there in a short time to almost meet a terrible death.

In the evening on which the tragedy occurred, he had broken his promise of good behavior and had offered her gross insults. Unable to bear it longer, she had reluctantly consented to separate from him again, and only waited for morning, when he promised to return her to her father. Mrs. Buckles, the mother of the un- fortunate woman, was the principal witness before the coroner's jury, and although prostrated as she was from sickness and fright, yet she testified intelligently in regard to the horrible affair. She stated that before the crime was committed, a conversation took place between the suicide and his intended victim. He asked her to accompany him to an adjoining sleeping-room, where he wanted to talk to her. The mother, fearing his intentions, asked him to remain in the room and they would review the whole case. He objected to this, however, and insisted on having his wife accom- pany him to the fatal room. No sooner had the door closed on her retreating form than she heard the report of a pistol, followed immediately by a second shot. Mrs. Buckles ran out of the house, gave the alarm to an employe on the farm, and he went to the neighbors for assistance. At first there was some hesitancy on

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the part of the neighbors about entering the house, fearing lest the would-be murderer was there, prepared to sell his life dearly.

Under the lead of Samuel Seeley they entered the house and found the body of Mrs. Phipps lying on the floor in the kitchen, to which place she had crawled after receiving the terrible wound. Proceeding to the room where the shooting was done, they found the body of Mr. Phipps lying in a pool of his own blood, and nearly, if not quite, dead. The ball had penetrated his head near the temple and had passed entirely through the brain. A smothered groan from Mrs. Phipps attracted their attention, and on examination it was found that she was still breathing. She was tenderly cared for, and was gradually brought back to health and strength.

The body of the suicide was brought to Lincoln and the funeral held on the Sunday following. Mr. Phipps was a man of morbid temperament, excessively mercenary, and entertained a fixed idea that there existed no such thing as feinale virtue. After settling down to the business of life, instead of honoring her who had left her home and parents to share with him his sorrows and joys, he let the "green-eyed monster " of jealousy take undisputed control of his reason, and construed every act of hers into some horrid shape, until at last it impelled him to set a watch over his own household. That he had intended to murder her was clearly proven from the fact that several weeks before the end he had pointed a shotgun at her, and only failed of carrying his purpose into execution by a quick movement on her part in escaping from its range. Then he told her he was only jesting. Wednesday before the tragedy he was in Lincoln, and purchased the revolver with which he perpe- trated the awful crime. Murder was then in his heart, and he was every whit as guilty as though he had succeeded.

MYSTERIOUS MURDER.

On Sunday, November 13, 1870, the body of a woman was found under a log in Salt Creek, a short distance above the Chi- cago & Alton bridge. The inquest showed that she had been murdered and afterward put in the creek for concealment. The remains were kept at the office of Undertaker Evans for several days, and great efforts were made to learn who the woman was, but without avail. She was roughly dressed, and it was thought she was one of a party of tramps who had been in the vicinity a few days before. As no person could recognize the remains, and

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no one was missing from the county, it was clear that the woman was a stranger. The county offered a reward of $800 for the arrest and conviction of the murderer, but there was no clue to work upon and no discoveries were made.

A FARMER CLUBBED TO DEATH.

On the evening of Sunday, August 15, 1875, Timothy Murphy, an Irishman renting a farm a mile and a half east of Cornland, in this county, while driving some cattle out of his field, was beaten with a club so terribly that his skull was fractured, and he died an hour or so afterward. Murphy's own statement and the circum- stantial evidence elicited at the inquest indicated that while driving the cattle out he met his neighbor, Martin L. Turley, between whom and himself an old grudge existed, and that a quarrel fol- lowed, in the course of which Turley knocked him off his horse with a club, and subsequently struck him over the head with the same weapon, inflicting a fatal wound. Both men had borne a good character, and the murder created intense excitement in that portion of the county. There had been a feud between the parties. Turley was tried in January following and acquitted.

MURDER NEAR CORNLAND.

A cold-blooded and atrocious murder occurred on Sunday even- ing, November 14, 1875, near Doyle's Mill, a locality in Mt. Pulaski Township, about three miles northeast of Cornland. John Daily and Frank Fletcher were farm laborers and single men. Both were formerly from Kentucky, both were drinking men and neither bore a good character. It was rumored that there was a woman in the case, and that the difficulty arose from jealousy, but whether this was true or not, the two men met in the road on Sat- urday, the 13th, and had a fierce quarrel. Fletcher the same day threatened to kill Daily, and the next day repeated his threats, and, seeing his enemy pass down the road, borrowed a gun and awaited his return. As Daily rode by, Fletcher stepped from be- hind a tree and shot him at such short range as to set his clothing on fire. Daily survived until midnight, and before his death stated that Fletcher had shot him. Fletcher, on returning from his murderous errand, openly boasted of what he had done. No immediate attempt was made to arrest him, and he fled the country the same evening. Neither of the men had any property, nor, it is believed, any relatives in this county. The coroner's jury de-

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cided that the shot was premeditated by Fletcher, and a pursuit was then instituted, but in vain. He was finally discovered in Kentucky, by means of a letter written to an acquaintance here; was brought back, tried in Sangamon County by change of venue, and acquitted, the jury deciding that the shooting was in self-de- fense.

SUICIDE IN A PARK.

Tuesday night, April 2, 1878, between the hours of nine and ten, some of the boarders at the house of Mrs. Thompson, near the south park, in Lincoln, heard the report of a pistol, but the shot attracted. little attention. Early the next morning the body of Frederick Neuman was discovered by early passers-by in the south park, near the northwest corner. The dead man was seated in an easy position, at the foot of a small elm, and at a little distance a care- less observer would have thought him asleep. His head drooped a little to the left, one foot was thrown across the other negligently, and his right arm rested easily across his lap. Still grasped in his right hand was a small silver-plated pistol, while on the right side of his head, above the ear, was an ominous hole from which a little stream of blood had marked its way down his neck. Death must have been instantaneous, for the slight droop of his head was evi- · dently the only change of position that had followed the fatal shot.

Neuman was a German, a bachelor, thirty-eight years of age. He was a native of Bavaria, whence he emigrated to the United States when about twelve years of age. He had lived in Lincoln about eleven years, was a cigar-maker and had worked several years for Messrs. Scheid & Rethaber. For some years he had been in the habit of indulging in strong drink, and he would occasionally go on a spree of several days' duration. When sober, he was a very good man and he could have had work all the time at good wages if he would but have remained so; but being untrustworthy on ac- count of his bad propensities, he had been discharged a number of months before by Scheid & Rethaber, and afterward found it difficult to obtain work. Sometime in February he received $109 from Germany, but the money was soon spent for liquor. He was usually very despondent after indulging in a spree, and had often threatened to kill himself, but no one thought he would carry out his threat. Some letters written from a neighboring village showed that a woman was mixed up in the affair. Among other things, she told him repeatedly in these letters that he must quit drinking

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or she would have nothing more to do with him. These may have done their part in producing the melancholy state of mind which always followed his harder drinking bouts. A memorandum on the back of an envelope found in his pocket began thus: "If I can- not live like a man, I can at least die like one."

KILLING OF HARRY TALBOTT.

Shepard S. Bell shot J. Harry Talbott a little before noon, Jan. 1, 1879. The latter had rented the farm of the former, near Burton View, in 1878, and owing to some misunderstanding the parties became involved in a lawsuit. This engendered bad feeling, and in attempting to make a settlement in the office of Boyd, Paisley & Co.'s shoe store on the day of the shooting, it seems that a quar- rel arose. No one was in that part of the store at the commence- ment of the trouble, save the shoemaker and the two men them- selves; but Mr. Paisley, on stepping in, observed Mr. Talbott standing by the stove and saw that Mr. Bell, still inside the office railing, had a revolver in his hand. Mr. Paisley asked what he was doing with the pistol, and was informed that he (Bell) intended to defend himself. Mr. Paisley and Mr. Boyd, who soon came in, endeavored to prevail upon him to put away the weapon, promis- ing that he should not be harmed, and Mr. Talbott also said that he would not trouble him. Bell at last came out from behind the railing, but still refused to put away the revolver. Finally Talbott said, "If you don't put away your pistol, I will take it from you." Bell dared him to do it, when Talbott sprang forward and caught him around the body. Bell then fired a shot which took effect in the right shoulder, ranging downward, and before Mr. Paisley could prevent him, he fired two more, the last one missing the intended victim and striking the floor, but the other ball entered Talbott's body just under the ribs on the left side, about four inches from the median line of the stomach. Messrs. Boyd and Paisley took the pistol from him. Bell then walked out on the street, where he was arrested by Constable Hukill.

Drs. Sargent and Little were called in and probed Talbott's wounds for the balls, but without finding them. He was then re- moved to the Lincoln House. The ball in his shoulder was subse- quently extracted, but the other could not be found, and he soon began vomiting blood. He died the following morning, after mak- ing a will and a sworn statement of the circumstances of the shoot- ing.

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Bell had purchased the pistol but a half an hour before the shoot- ing, and just after having some warm words with Talbott on the street. It is evident that murder was in his heart, and that he was guilty of a heinous crime. He set up the plea of self-defense, how- ever. At the May term of court, the case was continued to Sep- tember. Then a change of venne was taken to McLean County, where he had a long and expensive trial in March, 1880. He was defended by able legal talent from Lincoln, and also Chicago. When the jury went out, they deliberated three days, and then re- turned a formal disagreement into court. A part of the jury were in favor of a long term of imprisonment, and a part, influenced by the evidence adduced on the plea of self-defense, voted for one year's imprisonment. Bell's final trial was in Sangamon County, where he was acquitted. He was last heard of in Dakota. While in Lincoln he studied law for about a year with Harts & James. He had taught school for some time in the county. He bore a good general reputation, but was extremely passionate and vindictive. He was about thirty-five years of age. Talbott was well and fa- vorably known, and was highly connected with respectable families in this county.

SUICIDE AT LINCOLN.

A German named Joseph Koomer, residing in the southern part of Lincoln, shot himself with a shot gun on the night succeeding Thursday, March 6, 1879. He was a bachelor, about forty years of age, and lived alone. He cultivated a vineyard, being a vine- dresser by occupation. Although he was in debt for his property to the amount of about $400, bis services were in good demand, and he always received good wages, so that his indebtedness need not have troubled him had it not been for his drinking constantly and sometimes deeply. His friends said there was no doubt that strong drink had unsettled his mind and that it was the direct cause of his self annihilation.

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUCCESSFUL SUICIDE.

. Charles Herbeck, a German in the employ of H. L. Pierce for two years or more at a farm near Rocky Ford, southwest of Lin- coln, shot his wife on Tuesday, March 11, 1879, and shortly after- ward killed himself. They had not been living amicably together for some time and Herbeck had threatened before to kill his wife. About two weeks before the end, he left her and came to Lincoln, where he remained until the day mentioned. He then hired a team

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History of Logan County, Illinois, Part 36

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co. Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Number of Pages: 989

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co.
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 989