USA > Indiana > Madison County > Historical sketches and reminiscences of Madison county, Indiana : a detailed history of the early events of the pioneer settlement of the county, and many of the happenings of recent years, as well as a complete history of each township, to which is added numerous incidents of a pleasant nature, in the way of reminiscences, and laughable occurrences > Part 1
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GC 977.201 M26fok pt. 2 1858097
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00827 6419
4.487
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
REMINISCENCES
MADISON COUNTY.
INDIANA. Pt.a.
A DETAILED HISTORY OF THE EARLY EVENTS OF THE PIONLE. SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY, AND MANY OF THE HAPPEN. INGS OF RECENT YEARS, AS WELL AS A COMPLETE . HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, TO WHERE IT IS ADDED NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF 1
PLEASANT NATURE, IN THE W.IS OF REMINISCENCES, AND LAUGHABLE OCCUR-
BY
JOHN L. FORKNER
BYRON H. DYSON.
ANDERSON, INDIANA. 1897.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
him. This had the effect to disperse the crowd, and Learned walked to the drug store, and had his head bathed with arnica by Garrett W. Brown. The blow was on the left side of the head just above the temple. At that time it had indicated nothing serious, the skin being but slightly broken.
After having his head bathed he went out on the street and returned in about twenty minutes to pay for the service ren- dered. He was then smoking a cigar and appeared to be all right. About five o'clock he complained of nausea and went home. A little later he complained of being chilly, pulled off his hat and went to bed. In a very short time he became de- lirious, and about six o'clock on that evening, died.
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Peter Madara, a next door neighbor, came down town to inform a number of the citizens of the turn of affairs. Coro- ner Sims was called and an inquest was held at the residence of the deceased on South Central avenue on the next morning. The Coroner's jury was composed of the following named gentlemen : H. L. Trueblood, E. B. Hartley, W. W. Jack- son, Joseph I. Seward, James A. Thomas, and Andrew K. Rockenfield. Drs. Chittenden and Jones were witnesses in the case, having examined the body. Drs. B. F. Spann and C. S. Burr concurred in the opinions rendered by Jones and Chittenden as to the cause of his death.
After a full investigation of the affair, the following ver- dict was given : " That we, the undersigned jurors, empan- eled and sworn on this 8th of November, 1876, at the resi- · dence of the deceased in the City of Anderson, Madison county, to inquire into and to make a true presentment in what manner and by whom, Judson J. Learned, whose body was found at his residence on the 7th of November, 1876, came to his death, after having heard the evidence and exam - ined the body, we find that the deceased came to his death by being struck on the left side of the head by the butt end of a billiard cue in the hands of Cornelius Daugherty, on the after- noon of the 7th of November, 1876."
After a full and fair investigation, it was decided that the Marshal acted in the discharge of his official duty as Marshal of the City of Anderson, and no indictment was ie- turned against him by the Grand Jury of the county.
Mr. Daugherty immediately after he learned that Mr. Learned was dead, surrendered himself to Deputy Sheriff Biddle until an investigation could be had, and gave bond for
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
his appearance to answer the charge on an indictment that might be brought against him.
Although politics was up to fever heat in that memorable campaign, that could not be assigned as a cause for this terri- ble occurrence, from the fact that Daugherty and the victim were both of the same political belief, being ardent Repub- . licans.
Mr. Learned was at the time of his death twenty-five years of age and married. He left a wife and one child.
No one regretted this occurrence more than Mr. Daugher- ty, the Marshal. He was not even conscious of whom he had hit until told afterwards, his aim being only to quiet the riot and to preserve the peace. Mr. Daugherty is yet liv- ing, and is an honored and respected citizen of Anderson.
A TRAGEDY THAT SHOCKED ANDERSON.
Louis TitherIngton was a cab driver who lived in the house now occupied by Dr. J. W. Fairfield as a sanitarium at the corner of Meridian and Thirteenth streets.
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Titherington went to his home on the 19th of October, 1876, in an intoxicated condition and became'engaged in an altercation with his wife and sister-in-law, a Miss Jenkins, who lived in the family. Ile was in the act of severely chas- tising Miss Jenkins, and, it is said, had whipped his wife, when Daniel Jenkins, her brother, came into the house and ordered him to desist in his abuse, when he turned upon Jen- kins and made threats of violence, whereupon Jenkins drew a revolver and opened fire upon Titherington, filling his body with leaden missiles, causing almost instant death. Jenkins was placed under arrest and indicted by the Grand Jury, and on a trial in the Circuit Court was acquitted on the ground that the killing was justifiable.
On the trial was exhibited a large lock of hair which Titherington had pulled out of the head of one of the women. Titherington was a familiar personage on the streets of An- derson for a quarter of a century, having been at one time a half owner of the 'bus and transfer line, which was a good paying property.
" Lew," as he was known by the people, was not a bad man when not drinking, but disposed to be unruly when im- bibing to excess. He was mixed up in a great many street fights and other troubles, the result of too much liquor. His headquarters for many years before his marriage was at the
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old United States Hotel. He was known by every traveling man from New York to San Francisco who stopped in Ander- son.
John Alderman was for many years his partner and they made money fast and spent it with lavish hands. One of the jurors who tried Jenkins said after the trial was over that " the jury thought that he was not exactly justified, but that Titherington needed killing anyway, and that they just voted to let him off."
Neal Daugherty was City Marshal at the time of the killing and arrested Jenkins. Andrew J. Griffith was Sheriff and Randle Biddle his deputy.
Titherington left a widow, but no children. Ile was a brother to Robert Titherington, who yet lives in Anderson.
KILLED BY AN ASSASSIN.
Thomas Walden was a boy born and reared in Anderson, where he lived until he reached his maturity, when he started out in the world to do for himself. He finally arrived at Springfield, Ill., where he secured work in a rolling mill. He was a son of Samuel Walden, an old citizen of Anderson, and a half brother of the late Elijah Walden, once Trustee of Anderson township. His untimely death was the result of a feud between union and non-union laborers in the neighbor- hood in which he was working.
On the 12th of April, 1883, a party of men left the works and walked towards the railroad, near by which there was a co-operative coal shaft. They had reached the crossing, when a shot was fired, apparently from the lower works of the shaft or from some empty cars that were standing close at hand. This was followed by an order to fire, delivered in a loud voice, and instantly a rattling volley was poured in upon the men, who had not recovered from the surprise of the first shot.
Mr. Walden was struck by a number 31 ball, which killed him on the spot. It was never known to a certainty who did the deed, but it was known to have originated out of an ugly feeling that existed between the two labor elements in that locality, young Walden being a non-union man.
The Coroner held an inquest over the remains, and also notified Mr. E. J. Walden, of Anderson, who had the body brought to this city, where it was interred in the Anderson cemetery beside that of his father.
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IHISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
SUICIDE OF A POPULAR YOUNG MAN.
On the 6th of October, 1878, William Arthur Hunt, of Anderson, took his own life by taking an extraordinary quantity of morphine. Ile was the youngest son of the late Dr. William A. Hunt, was born in Madison county, on the 17th of June, 1855, and had spent nearly his entire life in the county of his birth. He was well known and highly esteemed by the people generally, and was a man of noble impulses and kindly disposition. He was a machinist by trade, having learned that occupation in the Anderson Foundry and Machine Works.
Just before taking the drug he went to the Griffith House and requested the use of a room, which Mr. Griffith ' complied with. Young Hunt intimated that he contemplated self-destruction, whereupon he was informed that he could not have a room under any circumstances. He seated him- self in the hotel office and Mr. Griffith supposing the matter ended, turned to other duties requiring his attention. No sooner had he left the office than Hunt approached the porter and repeated his request for a room, who being unaware of the circumstances gave him one, at the same time supplying him with some writing material which he demanded. In a short time Mr. Griffith returned and made inquiries as to Hunt's whereabouts. On being informed of what bad tran- spired during his absence, he hastened to the room and found . that the door was locked.
He made repeated efforts to gain admission, but with no response. A view of the interior was finally obtained over a transom, and Hunt was discovered seated at a table, busily employed in writing. Mr. Griffith abandoned the effort to gain an entrance, but sent a messenger for the City Marsha! and for Hunt's father. They both arrived at about the same time, and the door was forced open, not however, until Hunt had destroyed what he had written. He then accompanied his father home, and at his request retired to his room to sleep off the excitement under which he appeared to be labor- ing. The method of self destruction was not, as yet, under- stood by his father, and it was not until some time thereafter, that he learned that his son had obtained during the day, of Pierce & Richwine, druggists, a bottle of morphine contain- ing sixty grains. This alarmed the father who hastened to his son's room. Finding the door locked he forced an
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
entrance, and found young Hunt lying on the bed in a coma- tose state from which he was aroused, when he informed his father that he had taken sixty grains of morphine, and had thrown the bottle out of the window. The Doctor at once notified the boy's mother, and sent for medical assistance.
It was but a short time until numerous friends of the family came and offered their assistance, and from that time until early next morning they did everything they could to save young Hunt's life, but without avail. He expired at half past five o'clock on Sunday morning without a struggle and, doubtless, without the consciousness of pain.
The causes which prompted the deceased to do the act are not known or understood, as he spoke very seldon of any trouble. It was supposed at the time to have been the result of a misunderstanding between himself and a young lady to whom he had paid marked attention for some months previous.
Young Hunt was an honest, upright man, and had been employed at one time by the express company as a messenger, and at another period was assistant to the corps of civil engi- neers who surveyed and marked out the right of way for the Anderson, Lebanon & St. Louis railroad, now known as the Midland. He had many friends in the community who mourned his loss and sympathized deeply with his parents and brothers, who survived him.
KILLED ON THE STREET.
About 10 o'clock on the morning of April 10, 1893, the people in the neighborhood of Main and Ninth streets, were startled by the sound of a pistol shot. Hurrying to the scene, it was ascertained that John Moriarity had shot his neighbor, McLelland Streets.
Before the police arrived, a Mr. Ed. King, who was the first upon the ground of the tragedy, took Moriarity into custody and held him until the police arrived. He was taken to the jail, while his victim was removed to the office of Dr. C. L. Armington, where he was examined and found to be mortally wounded. He lived but a little while after being taken to this place, and was turned over to the Coroner, who held an inquest. It was ascertained that the shooting was the result of a neighborhood quarrel and a general disturbance of the people in that locality over some trivial matters. Moriarity had become so worked up that he had made up his
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mind to slay his enemy on sight, and carried out his design at the first opportunity.
It was a great surprise to all who knew Moriarity, as there was never a more peaceable man in Anderson than he. The writer will never forget the wild, vacant stare on the face of Moriarity when he first saw him, immediately after the shooting.
He stood in perfect silence, with no signs of remorse ; not a muscle moved. The very looks of a maniac were de- picted upon his countenance as he stood with the smoking revolver in his hand.
It is almost certain that reason had left him before he committed the deed, as he was never himself again. Visitors at his cell were met with a cold, expressionless stare; he did not even recognize his old-time friends, and did not court their sympathy.
Moriarity was a married man, and had a respectable family, who felt severely this awful tragedy. He was a very industrious man, and had accumulated some property, but left it encumbered, so that it was not of much value to his family.
This was one of the saddest occurrences that ever marred the peace of Anderson. It was the most unexpected. No one who ever knew John Moriarity ever suspected that he would commit murder. He never had murder in his heart ; but being goaded to desperation by petty annoyances, his reason left him, and in his insane fit of anger he committed the deed that stained his hands with the blood of his fellow man.
He was incarcerated in the Madison county jail until the 16th of June following, when he took his life by hanging himself to a bedstead in his cell.
McLelland Streets, his victim, was a day laborer, and but little is known of him. His family seemed but little dis- tressed when they were informed of his sudden ending.
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SUICIDE OF ALBERT C. WALTON.
Albert C. Walton was during his life time one of the shrewdest and best business men that ever resided in Ander- son. Ile was a brother of Robert J. Walton, a lumber mer- chant, who yet resides in this city. Ile moved to Madison county from near Willow Branch in Hancock county, in the year 1878, and in connection with his brother, Robert J. Wal-
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ton, was engaged in the lumber business for several years south of the Bee Line railroad on Dolman street. About the time of his location in Anderson he was seized with lung trouble, which terminated in consumption. He was a very proud and high spirited gentleman, and a man of great nerve. He fought the troublesome disease as well as he could ; he visited all southern climates and watering places within his knowledge for relief, but the disease had taken such hold upon him that there was no hope of recovery. After all his efforts had failed he came home, and on the 19th of May, 1884, while in his room at his home, he requested his wife to go out to the pump near by, and get him a drink of water, and as soon as she had left the room he got up, went to the bureau drawer, and taking from it a revolver, placed the muzzle to his temple, pulled the trigger and killed himself almost instantly. Mrs. Walton was just in the act of stepping into the room with the water, when she saw what was taking place, and called upon him to stop, but he warned her to keep away, and in her pres- ence committed the awful deed. The only reason that could be assigned was that he had fought the fatal malady until he had given up all hope, and rather than die a slow death, a victim of consumption, he decided to end it all by the means he had selected. He left a wife and interesting family. Mrs. Walton, his widow, died a few years since.
CHARLES KYNETT KILLED BY THE CITY MARSHAL.
On the 28th of December, 1890, Marshal Edward Downey, of Anderson, was called to the old Rozelle House that stood at the corner of Eleventh and Main streets, to quell a disturb- ance in which Charles Kynett was engaged. Kynett was a bad man when drinking and on this occasion had been indulg- ing to excess. The Marshal ordered him to cease his unlawful conduct, and to behave himself, when an encounter ensued be- tween the officer and Kynett, in which Kynett was the ag- gressor. Downey ordered him several times to desist, but without avail, and finally Downey in the act of self-defense . drew his pistol, and fired, the ball taking effect in the person of Kynett which proved to be fatal. Kynett died soon after the shot was fired and Downey surrendered himself to the officers of the law until the case could be investigated.
Coroner Armington was called and an inquest held, a ver- dict rendered that Downey was justified in shooting Kynett. Kynett was a day laborer, and was not a bad man when not
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
drinking, but a demon when under the influence of strong drink. At the time of the shooting many were disposed to criticise the Marshal, but those who best knew the circum- stances agree that he did no unlawful act in defending him- self and upholding the law.
No one in Anderson regretted the shooting more than Marshal Downey, and it is said he was greatly relieved when his term of service as City Marshal expired.
BATTLE BETWEEN OFFICERS AND THIEVES.
One of the most exciting battles that ever took place in the county occurred about four miles south of the city of An- derson, near the residence of Tunis Whetstone, about 1 o'clock on the morning of March 15, 1881, between City Marshal Al- fred Coburn, his deputy, Amos Coburn, Sheriff Randall Bid- dle, and his son, Dory Biddle, who was then Deputy Sheriff of Madison county, and three burglars named Daniel Leehan, of Indianapolis, Ben Kramer and David Fetty.
On the Tuesday night prior to this event several resi- dences in the city of Anderson had been burglarized, among which were those of A. B. Young, then a partner of the late Edwin P. Schlater; James A. Larned, a conductor on the Midland railroad ; ex-Mayor Dunham, and H. C. Ryan. These robberies set the officers to work to catch the thieves. On the following Monday night, through some source, it was ascer- tained that the robbery of some farm houses in the south-west- ern section of the city was planned, and was to be carried into execution that night.
At about 11 o'clock on Monday night the thieves stole a horse and buggy belonging to Joseph Sigler, near the Big Four depot, and drove rapidly south-west of the city to the residence of Tunis Whetstone. The officers who were watch- ing them were soon in pursuit on horseback. About one-half mile this side of Whetstone's place the officers spied the buggy hitched in a fence corner. They immediately fell back, tied their horses, returned to the buggy and laid in wait for the thieves. When noticed approaching they were busily en- gaged in talking about robbing Dr. Brandon and about tap- ping Tucker's jewelry store.
The officers waited until they were all in the buggy in order to make a sure case of it. When the thieves spoke to the horse to go, Captain Amos Coburn, the present chief of the Anderson police force, bade them halt. Kramer and Fetty
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surrendered immediately, but Leehan jumped from the buggy and started to run. The Captain ordered him to halt, which he refused to do, when Coburn snapped his pistol at him. Kramer then made for Alfred Coburn, who met him as he was aiming his revolver at him. Kramer shot at Coburn, but the ball struck the barrel of Coburn's pistol and glanced off and struck the knuckle of his right hand, wounding two of his fingers. This had the effect of knocking the pistol from Co- burn's hand. Had the ball not struck the barrel of Coburn's pistol it would have undoubtedly killed him, as it would have struck him in the region of the heart.
Alfred Coburn then spoke to his brother Amos and told him to catch Kramer, that he had shot him. The contest now became decidedly interesting. The horse had become fright- ened and was plunging to get away. Pistols were being rap- idly discharged, and none of the parties knew whose time would come next. Capt. Amos Coburn and Dory Biddle started in pursuit of Kramer, who was now rapidly retreating. They followed him for about half a mile. During the running battle fifteen shots 'were exchanged. Kramer finally disap- peared in the woods and made his escape.
During the affray the scene at the buggy with the officers was exciting in the extreme. Alfred Coburn and Sheriff Bid- dle kept their men under surveillance. Leehan, as before stated, had jumped out of the buggy, and Alfred Coburn had ordered him to give up, but to this he dissented with an oath. Coburn then asked him a second time to surrender. Leehan stepped back one step, put his hand to his hip pocket and made the same reply a second time. Coburn then fired, when Leehan exclaimed, " You have shot me." To this Coburn made answer that if he had given up he would not have shot him, and that he himself was wounded and did not propose to take any more chances.
The officers then returned to the city with the captured prisoners and placed them in jail. Kramer was an old offender and had long been a resident of Anderson, and was well known to the officers, while Leehan was a' stranger. Shortly after being incarcerated in jail Leehan died. An inquest was promptly held by the Coroner, and a verdict of justifiable homicide rendered.
Leehan had a sister in Indianapolis who was notified and came to visit her dead brother in jail, when she gave the fol- lowing history of him: " Daniel Leehan was born in New
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
York in 1854, and was twenty-seven years old on the 22nd day of May preceding his death. With his parents, when he was quite young, he went to Louisville, Ky., and thence he came to Indianapolis. The last work he was engaged in was braking on the Belt railroad. His parents died when he was eight years of age, and he had been without a home ever since."
Leehan left Indianapolis on the Thursday preceding his death. His sister stated that he never drank, and that he had always treated his parents with the greatest respect. He made his home with his grandmother in Indianapolis, who was rendered heart broken over his fate. She had been a cripple for about two years before this sad affair took place, and had never walked in those two years, except with the aid of crutches. Leehan's body was taken to Indianapolis and buried in the Catholic cemetery beside his parents. His father wask illed in the army at the second battle of Bull Run.
Alfred Coburn, the Marshal of Anderson at that time, was a fearless officer; he was possessed of steady nerve, and he had sound judgment. His deputy, Amos Coburn, is well known to the citizens of Anderson, and has figured in a great many scenes of this kind.
Randall Biddle, who was then Sheriff, is now dead. Dory Biddle, the Deputy Sheriff, is now one of the editors and proprietors of the Anderson Bulletin.
AN OLD SUICIDE CALLED TO MIND.
Near what is known as the Frank Lee farm, north-east of Anderson about two miles, a single man of the name of William Nelson committed suicide by hanging himself to a tree in 1834. A neighbor in the settlement was walking along the road running north and south near where the resi- dence of Mr. Lee now stands. He was horribly shocked to discover a man hanging to a tree near by. A rope was tied around the limb of the tree and around the neck of the man, thus telling more forcibly than words the means by which the deed had been accomplished. It was a most horrifying sight to behold; the eye-lids of the deceased were open and his ghastly stare met the eyes of him who discovered the body. He rapidly retreated from the scene, summoning the neigh- bors, and the body was taken down. It was discovered to be that of William Nelson, who had lived in the neigborhood. Hle was known as a man of quiet habits, and had been missing
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only a few days. There was no known cause assigned for him thus summarily taking himself off, other than that his mind had become unbalanced. Ile had relatives in the county who were notified and took possession of the body after the Coroner had viewed the same. The remains were interred in a neighboring cemetery.
KILLING OF DAVID 11. WATSON.
David H. Watson was in 1858 elected Sheriff of Madison county, and served two years, shortly after which he unfortu- nately lost his life in an altercation with one Michael Howe. The following account of the affair is furnished by the Hon. James W. Sansberry, who was one of the attorneys who
EX-SHERIFF DAVID H. WATSON.
prosecuted Howe for the crime. We copy what Mr. Sans- berry says about it, and have also added some additional mat- ter to the same, as follows :
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