USA > Indiana > Madison County > Historical Sketches and Reminiscences of Madison County, Indiana: A Detailed History of the. > Part 49
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was only by designing friends that she was induced to make an attempt of the kind.
A CONDUCTOR KILLED.
John Hyer, a conductor on the C., W. & M. Railroad was run over and frightfully mangled in the Big Four yards in Anderson on the 8th of November, 1887, from the effects of which he died a few hours afterwards; at his boarding house on West Seventh street. He experienced intense pains during the last hours of his suffering, but remained perfectly rational until the last moment. He was able to recognize his father and mother when they arrived, and other friends who called upon him.
The accident was due to the fact that he had mistaken the direction in which a train was running, and, before he was aware of it, the engine was upon him and he was unable to extricate himself from his perilous situation. His remains were taken to Wabash the day after the occurrence for in- terment.
The deceased carried a life insurance policy for $1,000 which was made payable to his parents, but a few days before his death he had made a will in which he bequeathed the policy to his intended bride, a Miss Bevelheimer, of Anderson; but his death took place before the will had been signed or attested, thereby rendering it invalid, and the insurance went to his parents.
RUN OVER BY A TRAIN.
On the 20th of September, 1891, John Rigsby, an employe at the Flint Bottle Works in Hazelwood, while passing a Big Four train that was standing across the street, met with an ac- cident that caused him the loss of both of his limbs. The train was moving slowly at the time and in making the passage across, Rigsby caught his foot and fell beneath the cars. Two wheels passed over his left leg and right foot before he could be pulled from under the train by a man who was standing close by, which prevented him from being otherwise injured. Quite a number of people assembled and physicians were at once called. Rigsby was rendered a cripple for the balance of his days.
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOY KILLED.
A most disastrous accident occurred on the Pendleton and Anderson road about four and a half miles south of the city,
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on Sunday, the 14th of December, 1884, whereby the four-year- old son of Mr. W. F. Jarrett, was shot and killed.
It appears that a boy about sixteen years of age, named Henry C. Seybert, had loaded a gun for the purpose of killing a hawk, but failing to get a chance to shoot at it he placed the loaded gun under a bed in Jarrett's house and left the prem- ises. At the time of the accident the little boy and a brother, six years older, were playing in the room by themselves. It is presumed that the little fellow had crawled under the bed and discovered the gun and pushing it in front of him, had discharged it. The child was killed instantly, the whole side of his head being blown off.
Another accident of a very serious nature had occurred to this family four years previous to this, whereby a son was killed by being burned to death, which made this a double affliction for the bereaved family.
Coroner William A. Hunt was summoned to the scene and a verdict was rendered of accidental death in the manner above described.
WILLIE LANG KILLED.
Willie Lang, a little five-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lang, of South Fletcher street in Anderson, was run over by a wagon heavily laden with stone on the 17th of April, 1890, and so badly injured that he died the evening following. The little fellow was in company with some other boys and they were swinging on the wagons as they passed by. In some manner he got caught and was thrown under the wheels with fatal results. The remains were taken to New Albany for interment.
Drs. M. V. Hunt and J. W. Fairfield attended the wounded boy, but no medical aid could save him from his doom. The parents were grief stricken and were rendered such consolation as laid within the power of sympathizing neighbors.
INSTANTLY KILLED.
On Sunday, the 11th of May, 1875, three boys were lead- ing a horse along the streets near the residence of Johh Mer- shon, on Fourteenth street. The oldest of the boys, Frank Hunt, son of Andrew J. Hunt, the liveryman of Anderson, had hold of the halter strap which was attached to the horse. The strap was so long that when the horse would go faster than the boy the boy would be behind the heels of the animal. 36
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When in this position one of the brothers touched the horse with a whip which scared him, and he began kicking, and in doing so one of his hoofs struck Frank square in the face with such force as to break his neck. He fell immediately and his little brother ran to him and raised him up, and seeing, al- though but a child, that his brother was dying, he thought to save him by laying him down and fanning him, but to no pur- pose, as the injured boy lived but a few moments. He was buried on the following Monday in the Anderson cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Hunt received the entire sympathy of the community in their sad bereavement.
A FATAL FALL.
One of the most horrible occurrences that ever took place in Andersop was the falling off of a scaffold from Louis Loeb's building on the south side of the public square, in February, 1877, by Geo. Brown and Simon P. Shetterly. They were painting the front of the building, using a swinging scaffold. They were standing close together at work when it became necessary for them to move their position. Shetterly sat down, or squatted rather on his feet for the purpose of allowing Brown to pass around him. Brown was in the act of passing Shet- terly, and had thrown one leg on the opposite side and was just in the act of bringing the other around which would have made his passage safe, when the scaffold shook, or from some other cause frightened Shetterly, when he jumped and straight- ened up throwing Brown backward. Brown in attempting to save himself, caught Shetterly, and in less than an instant they lay upon the stone sidewalk a shapeless mass of broken bones and bruised flesh. Shetterly was almost instantly killed. Brown was so terribly mangled that every one thought it was a pity that he was not killed outright.
Shetterly's body was conveyed to his home on Nichol avenue, from whence he was in due time buried.
Brown was taken to his mother's residence in the south part of town, where Dr. N. L. Wickersham was called and attended to his wounds. There was scarcely a bone in his body that was not broken. His legs, his arms, his jaw bone, and in fact he was all broken up. Everyone thought it would be a blessing if death would relieve him as he would certainly be an awful cripple if he survived.
But Dr. Wickersham never let go of George. He stayed with him like a twin brother and patched him up; set his
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broken bones, bound up his wounds, and while he did not exactly make a new man of him, one would hardly think to see George Brown, the painter and paper-hanger, on the streets of Anderson, that he had been run through a threshing machine in his life time. George gets around about as nicely as any one, and is a prosperous and happy man ; does as much work as any man in town, and enjoys life as well as the best of them. He has been as near death's door as any man ever was to get back.
Poor Simon Shetterly never knew what caused his death. He was never conscious after landing on the stone pavement. He was not so terribly mangled as Brown, but was in some way killed in the fall. He left a widow and a small family of children, who yet live on Nichol avenue, in comfortable circumstances. Simon was one of the first members of the Knights of Honor, and held a policy of $2,000 in that organ- ization, which his family received at his death. He was a Spiritualist in belief, and his immediate friends and relatives claim that he often comes back to his old home and associa- tions.
Simon Shetterly was an honest, upright man, as indus- trious as the busy bee, never gave any one a crusty answer or angry word, and was a man universally liked by all who knew him. The fall from the scaffold was witnessed by several people who were standing near by, but every one was so horrified that they turned their backs and held their breaths until the heavy thud announced the landing on the pavement. So dumbfounded were they that it was some time before a person moved or came to the relief of the unfortunates. This is one of the occurrences that will never be erased from the memory of the Anderson old-timers, and it is hoped that it will never be repeated.
KILLING OF CHARLES GIPE.
On the 25th of June, 1895, Charles Gipe, a carpenter employed in the construction of the Grand opera house, at the corner of Twelfth and Main streets, in Anderson, fell from a scaffold and was instantly killed. He was engaged at the time in placing some timbers on the building along with other workmen, and in some manner lost his balance, and fell from the second story, landing upon the timbers on the first floor, striking his head in such a manner as to cause instant death. He was a resident of Park Place where his remains were taken
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by his fellow workmen. He had but recently come to Ander- son from Wayne county.
A FATAL FALL.
On the 31st of August, 1896, Milton Gipe, a carpenter, while working on a building at the Straw Board works in Anderson, was killed by falling from a scaffold. He was employed in placing some timbers in position, when he lost his balance and fell to the lower story of the building, and was almost instantly killed. But little over a year prior to this, a brother of his, Charles Gipe, lost his life in the same manner, while working on the opera house in Anderson.
Milton Gipe was a man well thought of, and a prominent member of Kamala Tribe of Red Men, he being sachem of the tribe at the time of his death. The lodges of Anderson all participated in the ceremonies at his funeral. The remains were taken to Mechanicsburg. in Henry county, and buried beside his brother, followed by a large funeral cortege.
Mr. Gipe was in the employ of P. B. Millspaugh at the time of his death as was his brother Charles at the time of his sudden taking off. Both men were held in the highest esteem by their employer, and it was a sad blow to Mr. Millspaugh, as well as to the relatives and friends of the unfortunate men.
KILLING OF HIERMAN SEITZ.
Herman Seitz, a citizen of Anderson, was killed by the cars at Pendleton, on the 27th of June, 1894, while in the attempt to board a moving train. He had gone there for the purpose of purchasing a cow, and in his anxiety to get home attempted to get on the car that was just leaving the station, and in some way missed his footing and was dragged under the wheels and almost instantly killed.
Mr. Seitz was a married man and left a family in Ander- son, who still reside here. He was by trade a glass blower, and came to Anderson with the American Glass Company in 1888, and was a stockholder in that concern when it went to the wall, losing what he had invested in it. After going out of the glass house he went into the saloon business, in which he was engaged at the time of his death. He was a German, and well liked by those who knew him.
KILLED BY A TRACTION ENGINE.
David Wynant, a young farmer, was killed on the farm of his father, six miles south-west of Anderson, on the 5th of
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August, 1896, by a traction engine. He, in company with Clay Brown and a man of the name of Sissons, were engaged in running a threshing machine into the barn, and had placed the engine behind it to propel it, having a pole between the machine and the engine. The engine had started and was well up to the barn door, when the pole slipped and allowed the machine to run backward, catching Wynant between the engine and machine, crushing his skull and killing him almost instantly. He was a young man well respected, and had many prominent relatives, among whom is Charles II. Neff. the city editor of the Anderson Ilerald.
Sissons came near losing his life in the same manner, but was dragged out of the way by a by-stander.
PECULIAR DEATH OF W. A. WHITAKER.
On Sunday, July 12, 1866, W. A. Whitaker, who lived about three miles from Anderson, met with a peculiar death. He was sitting in a rocking chair, and in leaning backward, his chair became unbalanced, and he fell over backward, strik- ing his head against a sewing machine in such a manner as to cause concussion of the brain, from which he died in a few minutes. His remains were interred in the cemetery at Ches- terfield, by the Odd Fellows, of which order he was a mem- ber. He had many relatives and acquaintances in the com- munity.
KILLED BY A RAILROAD TRAIN.
J. G. Starbuck, a brakeman on the Big Four Railroad was killed at the crossing of the Pan Handle, on Ohio avenue at Anderson, on Tuesday morning the 24th of June, 1884. He was making couplings in the vicinity and in passing between two freight cars caught his foot in a "frog," and before he could extricate himself, he was caught by a moving train and knocked down, the car passing across his body. He was picked up immediately after the occurrence, but within a few minutes life was extinct. Ilis remains were removed to Win- chester, Indiana, near which place he resided, and where he was buried. He was an experienced brakeman and held the position that he then filled for several years. He was about twenty-nine years of age and left a wife in humble circum stances, but no children.
CHAPTER LVI.
A FEW LANDMARKS AND OTHER INTERESTING MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THE HISTORY OF ANDERSON TOWN- SHIP.
A LANDMARK IN MADISON COUNTY'S HISTORY.
The old Moss Island Mills that stand now silent and almost deserted, near a beautiful little island in White river, three miles west of Anderson, have a history clustering around them that when referred to brings back recollections of the long ago. They were erected before the railroads were thought of, but about the time of the agitation and construction of the canals; and in fact were built for the purpose of catching the trade incident to that enterprise. The western branch of the canal passed near these mills, which were located at the near- est available place in the neighborhood of the intended canal, which would give them a splendid outlet through which the surplus product could be shipped to other ports.
They were built in the year 1836, by Joseph Mullinix. Since that time they have passed through the hands of many persons, some of whom have been prominent men in business, political and social affairs. Frank Davis, L. Brown, Vanpelt & Wyman, John Garretson, James Hollingsworth, Isaac P. Snelson, Nichol & King, Traster Bros., A. E. Russell, William B. Allen, William C. Fleming, Elias Seward, William Dove and Reuben Pulse have each owned the plant. The mills con- sist of a large flouring mill with a saw mill attached, having water motive power. Steam had not come into use when these mills were erected, and they ground the " grists" of the people by means of the old water wheel, while the jolly miller watched and took his " toll " when the hopper was emptied.
While there are many happy memories attached to this romantic spot, there are some of sadness as well.
While some of the owners of this property made money, others lost. The improved machinery in mills of the present day, to a large extent killed them off as merchant mills, and
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the fact that they were so far from the railroads put them to disadvantage as to shipping, so they have at this time but little to do outside of a small neighborhood grinding. These mills are alluded to elsewhere in these pages.
A WINDMILL FACTORY.
Prior to the time that the grain separator and threshing machine were combined, there was a great demand for fanning machines, or wind mills, as they were called.
A factory was located in Anderson, and stood on the corner of Main and Ninth streets, the site of the present loca- tion of Daniels Bros'. drug store. It was operated by Wolf and Sherman, and a large and lucrative business was the result of their undertaking. It was destroyed by fire in 1851, this being the starting point of the conflagration which swept the south side of the public square, a full account of which is else- where given.
The senior member of the firm was Adam Wolf, a capi- talist of Muncie; the junior was Thomas S. Sherman, the father of Charles L. and J. E. Sherman, well known to the people of Madison county.
J. E. Sherman is a resident of Alexandria, and was the first mayor of that thriving city, and Charles L. Sherman has for many years held the responsible position of book-keeper of the National Exchange Bank of Anderson.
Laura, the only daughter of Mr. Sherman, is the wife of ex-Senator A. E. Harlan of Alexandria, a prominent business man, capitalist and stock breeder.
Mrs. Sherman, the widow, is now the wife of William G. Kelley, a merchant of Alexandria.
THE FIRST FOUR-STORY BUILDINGS.
Up to the time of striking gas in Anderson, there were but one or two buildings in the city that ran above two stories in height. One was the Odd Fellows' Hall, situated at the corner of Ninth and Meridian streets which is now occu- pied by the " White House" dry goods store. Another was on the corner of Eighth and Main streets, known for many years as " Union Hall," and which was occupied for a long time by the Masonic Order. When the city began to take on a boom after the discovery of natural gas, many three-story buildings sprang up in different localities, but the first struc- ture four stories high was the Masonic Temple on South
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Meridian street, erected jointly by the Masons and the Ander- son Loan Association during the years 1895 and 1896. The second was erected by John W. Lovett at the corner of Eighth and Main streets, in the year 1896, and is one of the largest and most commodious blocks in the city. We merely make mention of the two buildings as in years to come it may be interesting to the people who live in Anderson to know when and where the first buildings of this description were erected and who the parties were who built them. Should Anderson keep on in its present march of progress it may be within the next decade she will have " sky scrapers " in the shape of nine and ten-story buildings, and perhaps become a rival of Chi- cago. While we do not make this a prediction we sincerely hope that it will come to pass.
The first three-story building erected in Anderson was the old United States Hotel at Ninth and Main streets, in 1852.
THE PIONEER DAILY NEWSPAPER.
Landmarks have been established on every hand by the different branches of civilization and industry, and the many enterprises of the county have each had a starting point, to which the citizens look back with pride. The press has also its pioneer history which has to a limited degree, been dealt with elsewhere; but in this article we wish to speak especially of the Daily Bulletin the first daily newspaper ever estab- lished in Madison county. There have been other daily papers printed at various times prior to its existence, but they were only for a special purpose, as a rule being gotten out for the period of a week at a time during the county fair, or on similar occasions. The Bulletin is entitled to the honorable title of pioneer. It was the first daily paper in the county that " come to stay," and has through all kinds of weather, fair and foul, stemmed the tide, and is one of the solid institu- tions of the county. It has handsome and well-equipped quarters on Eighth street, where it daily issues its publica- tion. The Bulletin has no politics, yet it wields a mighty influence in the political field. It is outspoken in its advo- cacy of any candidate whom it thinks is the best man for the place, often coming in contact with a personal friend in its support of a candidate for political preferment. The Bulletin is always on the alert for news, and gives it without fear, favor or affection. It has on all occasions guarded the inter-
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ests of the people and has never hesitated to call down a dereliction of official duty, although sometimes undergoing the painful task of chastizing a friend, or even a relative. This has made it a journal of the people. It has enjoyed a large circulation from its infancy to its present days of full maturity.
J. W. KNIGHT.
C. R. CRAVEN.
DORY BIDDLE.
The originators of this journal were Dory Biddle, James W. Knight and Charles R. Craven, the two latter being prac- tical printers. Mr. Craven several years ago retired from the firm, and the remaining members took in new capital and incorporated it as a company, Mr. Biddle and Mr. Knight remaining at the head of the concern, having safely steered it through all its ups and downs, and are yet at their posts guid- ing its destiny. Asto the conception and birth of the Bulle
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tin, we quote from one of the officials of the company, in his own language :
"The Bulletin, which was the first daily paper published in the county, came into existence under peculiar circumstances. Dory Biddle, Chas. R. Craven and J. W. Knight had been left out of employment by the consolidation of the Democrat and Review upon which they had been employed. On Friday afternoon, March 15, 1885, they were sitting around a little coal stove in a printing office run by Geo. Winter, in the Odd Fellow's block, when Craven said ' boys let's start a daily paper.' Knight and Biddle agreed. Next Monday Craven and Knight went to Elwood and boxed up the material of a little old office there that had been closed for some time and shipped it to Anderson while Biddle went to soliciting for the new paper. By Monday, March 25, they were ready for busi- ness. The office had been set up in the north-west corner basement room of the new court house and at 4 o'clock that day the first Anderson Daily Bulletin with Dory Biddle as editor, and Chas. R. Craven and J. W. Knight as business managers and compositors, was printed. The paper for the first week's issue cost $7.40. The proprietors had exhausted their combined capital, $27, in setting up the office, and John L. Forkner stood good for the paper bill for them. The paper has been issued every day since and has been successful. De- cember 14, 1886, the office was destroyed by fire and was again burned in the following August. On account of failing health Mr. Craven sold his interest in the office in the summer of '87 to his partners for $400. The paper is now published by a stock company composed of Dory Biddle, editor ; James W. Knight, business manager, Frank Makepeace, Frank Lowther and James E. Burke as active members."
When natural gas was discovered in Madison county the Bulletin was one of the prime factors in bringing capital to our midst to utilize it. It not only made free use of its columns to advertise the richness of our find and to attract the atten- tion of the outside world to the advantages possessed by our community, but the members were also liberal subscribers to the fund to raise subsidies to locate manufacturing establish- ments in our midst.
AN EMBRYO THEATRICAL TROUPE.
Anderson has always held the reputation of being up to date in all that was going on. It is not only so now, but
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away back when it made but little pretentions of being a city the people took a lively interest in what the balance of the world was doing, and were not slow to take up any fad that came along. In the year 1868 there was more than the usual number of minstrel troupes traversing the country, and one of these organizations stranded in Anderson, and some of the party remained here for quite a while.
During their stay many of the young boys became infatu- ated with the stage and the profession of minstrelsy. A primi- tive organization of black-faced artists was formed among the boys, under the name of " Peak & Cartwright's Varieties," the leading lights being John Peak and Charles Cartwright.
Peak has long since died, but his partner is still living somewhere in Indiana.
One of their principal performers was Cliff Dehority, a son of the late Henry V. Dehority. Cliff is yet a living monument of that aggregation, being now a resident of the City of New York.
The company met for rehearsals over the hardware store of John P. Barnes, on the east side of the square, and after a two-weeks' training gave a public performance in Westerfield's Hall to a crowded house. The boys were so well known that a crowd was not hard to " raise" to witness their debut. They surprised even their most sanguine friends in their proficiency. " Tom " Cartwright, a brother of the proprietor, and Cliff Dehority took the house by storm with their " gags," which were all new and original, and of a local nature that made many good hits.
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