USA > Indiana > Madison County > Historical Sketches and Reminiscences of Madison County, Indiana: A Detailed History of the. > Part 45
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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.
Ile 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.
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. He was a brother of Robert J. Walton, a lumber mer- hant, who yet resides in this city. He 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 unlawfu 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, bu without avail, and finally Downey in the act of self-defens drew his pistol, and fired, the ball taking effect in the persor of Kynett which proved to be fatal. Kynett died soon aft the shot was fired and Downey surrendered himself to th officers of the law until the case could be investigated.
Coroner Armington was called and an inquest held, a ve -r- dict rendered that Downey was justified in shooting Kynet r. Kynett was a day laborer, and was not a bad man when no ot
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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- egaged in talking about robbing Dr. Brandon and about tap- Iping 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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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. He 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. He 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 H. 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 :
When the writer came to. Anderson in the fall of 1850, no stranger could stop over night in our embryo city without being thoroughly interviewed by some inquisitive Andersonian, and in a few hours we were informed where he was from and where he was going, and how long he was going to remain among us. These interviews were not, as now, published in some daily newspaper, and read by ravenous sensation seek- ers, but passed from mouth to mouth.
In the summer of 1853, among others, and the number was not great, came from Virginia, two large, tall, well-built men, each, I should think, six feet two inches in height, half- brothers, by name David H. Watson and Richards ;
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the latter remained but a short time and then returned to his native State, Virginia. Watson, like Joseph of Bible history, was a carpenter by trade, and having procured work, concluded to adopt Anderson as his home, and "grow up with the country." David, as we were all wont to call him, was a very kind-hearted, good-natured, jovial fellow, and soon be- came very popular ; a little fond of his cups, but not at that time to excess. He helped to erect the first mill or warehouse built where Wellington's mill now stands. After a few years residence here he wooed and married Miss Lydia Kindle, daughter of James A. Kindle, who was at that time a promi- nent politician, of the Democratic persuasion, having held the Office of County Treasurer and other places of trust. The fruits of his marriage were three children, two boys and one laughter, James, John and Mary Watson. After the decease of both parents, Mr. Bradley Makepeace took John and gave Lim a home, where he still lives with Mrs. Makepeace, whom he treats as a mother. Mr. Addison Holston, a worthy farmer of Madison county, took James and adopted him, having no Children of his own. James Watson Holston came to his death in 1894, by an accidental pistol shot. Mary was raised zand cared for by her aunt, Mrs. Samantha May Harriman, tuntil her marriage to the Hon. John L. Forkner, of Anderson, where she and her husband now reside. In 1858, Mr. Watson was elected Sheriff of Madison county, and served as such until 1860. Mr. Watson, though a Virginian by birth, with friends and relatives in the Confederate army from his native State, offered his services to the Union army, and became a member of a regiment of Indiana volunteers, and while at home making disposition of his personal affairs for the purpose of going into active service, unfortunately on the 2d of Febu- rary, 1862, got into an altercation with Michael Howe, of Lo- gansport, Indiana, in a house at the corner of Main and Eleventh streets, making some threatening demonstration and Howe, being a stranger and not knowing the kindly disposition of Watson, took his jokes for earnest. Howe was inside of the house when Watson was trying to gain en- trance and being a powerful man physically, he opened or per- mitted Watson to open the door, and as Watson attempted to enter, Howe, with an ugly, dangerous knife, struck at him with a downward stroke above the left collar bone from which wound he died next morning at his home, situated where the Grand Opera House now stands. The Hon. John A. Har-
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rison was Prosecuting Attorney at the time and proceeded at once in the prosecution of Howe for murder. Howe employed Calvin D. Thompson and Thaddeus Cooper, of Anderson, and the Hon. Daniel D. Pratt, of Logansport, Indiana, to de- fend him.
Mr. Pratt was an able advocate with few equals and no superiors, and was equally great physically, weighing near three hundred pounds. The defendant's counsel instituted habeas-corpus proceedings and Howe was let to bail and a
THE HON. JAMES W. SANSBERRY.
change of venue from Madison to Henry county was granted the defendant, where the case was tried before Judge Jehu T. Elliott, in the summer following. The case was on trial about six days and was closely contested throughout. The prosecu- tion was conducted by the Hon. John A. Harrison, as prose- cuting attorney assisted by J. W. Sansberry, who engaged in the case by request of Mr. Harrison and through his great re- gard for the deceased. Mr. Pratt made the closing argument for the defense, a powerful appeal of six hours duration. Ilarrison and Sansberry spoke four hours each. The jury
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spent eight hours in deliberation and acquitted the defendant on the ground that he had cause to fear personal injury to him- self sufficient to justify the homicide. During the trial a wit- ness testified that Watson was trying to break in a door in the house where Howe was inside, and with cast knucks, or some other weapon, had pounded on the door until he made indenta- tions an inch deep in the wood.
Mr. Sansberry came to Anderson, and examined the door, and, finding no such scars on it, went to Constable E. M. Roach and told him if he would produce said door before the jury at New Castle next day he would pay him five dol- lars, which Roach agreed to do. Next morning Roach went to the house, unhinged the door, took it to the train, thence to New Castle, and to the court house, where it was intro- duced to the jury and then returned to its former abiding place, having served as a truthful and silent witness.
Watson was a splendid shot with a pistol, and often in- dulged in the sport of shooting. The old court house was full of bullet holes that he had shot there when he was Sheriff of the county. It was no uncommon thing for him, while con- versing with a friend, to take out his revolver and shoot through the door or ceiling, just to see his comrade badly scared.
He was a great friend of Joseph Fulton, and made his office, when the latter was postmaster, one of his places of re- sort. He would often go to the delivery window and ask for his mail, and after being waited on shoot the candle light out, just for fun. This was as much enjoyed by Mr. Fulton as by Watson.
One 4th of July he organized a company of "Rag Tags," composed of the young and lively gentry of Anderson, and gave a grand parade through the principal streets, winding up at the court house where they were addressed by Dr. Town- send Ryan and others.
This company and its wonderful parade served for many years for the people to talk about.
The jail register that he kept when he was Sheriff was a curiosity, and contained many unique entries. He always stated what condition a prisoner was in when received, and in what condition when discharged. For instance :
" Michael O'Rourke put in for intoxication, very boister- ous during the night: his cries were continually, water!
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water ! Discharged next morning calm and peaceful but with an awful head."
" John Jones came in awfully religious-fully under the influence of 'spirits' and prayed incessantly all night ; but in the morning he was discharged a wiser and better man, his spirits having died out ."
In making returns on writs of execution, he was very brief and to the point. After he had held a writ until it expired by law and had to be returned to the Clerk's office for reissue he would say, " This execution found dead in my office."
David H. Watson was the best penman that ever held the office of Sheriff of Madison county, and before the court house was destroyed, the attorneys and court officials often perused his dockets and returns on the records with admiration for his skill as a scribe.
The many good qualities of heart and hand of Mr. Wat- son will long be treasured up by the old-timers who knew him. He had his faults like all frail humanity, but no truer friend, or more generous neighbor, ever lived than he.
His abrupt ending stopped what might have been a brill- iant army career, as he was buoyed with the hope of disting- uishing himself in the service of his country. His command- ing appearance, and native ability would certainly have given him a place in the front line of promotion.
MURDER OF ALBERT MAWSON.
About three miles south-east of the City of Anderson there lived for many years Charles Mawson and family, on the farm once known as the Stevenson land. The family were thrifty, hard-working people and had accumulated considera- ble personal property and real estate, and while they did not circulate in the very best society, they were not at all regarded as bad or vicious people. The only thing that was ever said against Mr. Charles Mawson was that which was whispered around in the neighborhood after the hanging of Milton White, that Charles Mawson had confessed upon his death- bed that he was the guilty party, and that White was innocent of the crime.
But little importance was ever attached to this story be- cause the circumstantial evidence against White was so closely woven together and united that White's guilt was proven be- yond the shadow of a doubt to the minds of the jury.
After the death of Charles Mawson his widow, Nancy,
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lived on the farm and kept house with her son, Albert. Her elder son, Thomas, had married and gone to Henry county.
On the 21st of October, 1874, news was brought to An- derson that the dead body of Albert Mawson had been found in a well on the Mawson farm. It was ascertained upon in- quiry from Jesse Knull, a tenant on the farm, and from Daniel Hoppes, a son-in-law of Mrs. Mawson, that the dis- covery had been made early that morning ; that the well had been filled with stones, and that in bailing the water out of it there had been uncovered a pair of human feet. Knull and Hoppes then hastened to the city and telegraphed to Thomas Mawson at Luray, in this State, and also notified the Coroner of their discovery.
It was but a short time before many people from the sur- rounding neighborhood and from Anderson hurried to the place of the murder. The well in which the body was found was located about fifteen rods south east of the house under an old shed that had been abandoned for some time. It was walled with stones and was quite narrow. It had been cov- ered with loose boards, which had been thrown to one side. A pile of brick and stones lay near by which had been thrown out of the well, and at about eight feet from the top the feet of a corpse could be plainly seen. On the boulders and planks near the mouth of the well the stains of human blood could be noticed, and for a distance of several rods southward across the field frequent indications were found by which it was evi- dent that a dead body had been dragged towards the well. Marks of blood were also visible on stones and bits of wood t hat lay in the foot-path.
When G. W. Maynard, the Coroner, arrived at the farm, he had the body removed. The decaying remains were gath- Cred up in a sheet, and brought to the surface. It was a sickening, horrible spectacle, and cannot be properly described. The body was in a nude condition, and the flesh was falling from the bones. The front teeth were knocked in, the jaw broken, and the side of the head crushed in. A rope was around the neck. It was developed at the Coroner's inquest, almost to a certainty, that Nancy Mawson, the mother, had gone to Albert's sleeping apartments in the dead hour of night when he was in a sound slumber, and with an axe, had knocked him on the head, killing him instantly. Blood stains were visible on the walls of the room in which he had slept. Mrs. Mawson was in a very depressed condition, and
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in her statements before the Coroner, which were interrupted by violent outbursts of weeping, and loud lamentations over the death of her son, whom she called her baby boy, she spoke of the many good qualities of her lost son, and how he had helped her in her lonely widowhood. She said she loved him dearly and truly, and that he was one of the best of boys ; that he was always kind and good to her, and had assisted her in the household work. and in turn she had helped him in feeding the stock. She stated that he had never been away from home but a few nights previous to this occurrence, and that he had left home to avoid arrest in consequence of some transactions he had had with a young lady in the neighbor- hood. Previous to his departure, he had told her that the girl's parents were threatening him with prosecution. She said she had offered him all the money he would need to de- fend himself in the courts, and told him he could have a thousand dollars for that purpose, if necessary, but he would not stay, and she fitted him up to go away. On the 17th of July, she had provided him with $143. She sewed the money in a muslin belt which she fastened around his body, and he had left home about sundown, saying that he would go to his brother Thomas, in Henry county, and requested her that she should tell the neighbors that he had gone to Cleveland or Natchez, and possibly to his father's folks in England. Mrs. Mawson said that was the last she had seen of her son, and she had begun to think that he was dead, and had been killed near home, and that she suspected a family in the immediate neighborhood of being the murderers. She did not remem- ber whether her son Thomas was at home on the night of Albert's disappearance, or not.
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