USA > Indiana > Madison County > Historical Sketches and Reminiscences of Madison County, Indiana: A Detailed History of the. > Part 59
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
One time he was making his annual settlement with th E he County Board whose duty it was to see that the trustees ha. ad proper vouchers for money expended by them. Jacob Bror - con-
on
nenberg was one of the Commissioners. He was always o. the alert and lookout for leaks and waste ways in the publi in treasury. He thought Wilkinson was a little too " slack " if his use of the public funds, and was eyeing every voucher files ed.
lic
Joe was slashing them down and reading them off in 7 a great hurry, slapping them down on the table a great deal lil- ke
a man in an interesting game of " seven-up " would play a trump in taking a " trick ."
"No. 1, John Smith, ten dollars.
"No. 2, James Johnson, fifteen dollars," and so o == n. Uncle Jake broke in :
" Hold on ! Hold on ! I want to see that vouch r. What's that for? That's too much. You'll break up the count There's no law for it."
683
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
Joe never stopped or paid any attention, but kept calling off his vouchers and slapping them down on the table.
" I want to know who's running the county-the County Commissioners or the Township Trustees?" asked Uncle Jake.
" Oh d-n it, Jake, be still, you're interrupting the court," replied Joe, and on he went reading his vouchers until he was through.
"Now, gentlemen, there's my report and my vouchers. I am through with them. Thank you for your attention. Good day."
The Board of Commissioners could do nothing but order his report filed and make a record of it, and let him and his constituents fight it out if there was anything wrong in it. Law, gospel, death, hell or the grave had no terrors for Joe Wilkinson, let alone the wrath of a Board of County Commis- sioners.
But in all Joe Wilkinson was one of the best fellows in the world at heart. He hung his worst side out. The deeper you dug into him the better he got.
MOCK LEGISLATURE.
In the rural village of Ovid, or New Columbus, as it is familiarly called, during the winter months of 1879 the citi- zens of that place and surrounding country indulged in a good deal of pleasantry by organizing a mock legislature and hold- ing meetings once a week, in which all the prominent men of the township took an active part.
The " house " was formally organized on Tuesday even- ing, the 14th of January, 1879. The plan of organization was such that every one desiring to become a member should select a certain county in Indiana and work for its in- terest, after subscribing to the constitution and by-laws of the organization. An election was held for officers, with the fol- lowing result : A. W. McAllister, representing LaPorte county, as Speaker ; Mr. Galloway, of Madison county, as Clerk ; Samuel Gray, Sergeant-at-arms ; and M. Y. Spauld- ing, Door-keeper. George Fesler assumed the name of His Excellency, Governor Rosecrans, and acted as the Chief Ex- ecutive.
After the organization the Governor sent in quite a lengthy message recommending certain internal improve- ments and other business matters. The following were a few of his recommendations : An amendment to the fish law, that
684
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
persons should never fish until they were sure of making a catch. He also recommended the construction of a belt rail- way around the capital at New Columbus, and asking for the annexation of the suburban town of Anderson, in order to provide it with a more efficient municipal government; also recommending a bill for facilitating commercial intercourse between the capital at New Columbus and the town of An- derson.
The first bill introduced was for opening Fall Creek as far as Forney's farm for the purpose of navigation. These bills went through the ordinary committees as though they had been in a legislative body and were reported back to the house, where they were warmly discussed pro and con, when they were either passed or met defeat as other legislative bills do. These meetings were kept up during the winter months and not only furnished amusement for all those who partici- pated therein, but served as an education to them in parlia- mentary law, as they were held down by the speaker to a strict construction of all parliamentary usages in the discus- sion of bills and other matters pertaining to legislation.
The Governor, George Fesler, has long ago passed be- yond this vale of tears, while the Speaker of the House, A. W. McAllister, is now a resident of Anderson and fills the important office of Assessor for Madison county.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS-SUICIDE OF MRS. SURBER.
About three miles southeast of New Columbus in the year 1834, there occurred one of the most horrible suicides that ever transpired in Madison county. The person who took her life was a Mrs. Surber. It appears that her husband had left home early in the morning to go to Pendleton to attend a muster. The law then required all able bodied male citizens between the ages of 21 and 45 to appear at designated local- ities once a year to drill in the manual of arms. Failure to do so meant a fine for the person offending. Mrs. Surber was opposed to her husband going and endeavored in every way to dissuade him from so doing; but in order to avoid the payment of a fine, Mr. Surber concluded to attend the muster despite the protestations of his wife, and started away leaving her alone-
From all that can be learned, his wife took umbrage a his going, and determined that he should never see her alive again, and went about deliberately to kill herself. From th floor to the joist in the cabin was about seven feet. To thi
S
_. t
e
t
685
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
she securely fastened a rope. She then mounted a stool and fastened the other end of the rope with a noose around her neck. She then kicked away the stool and swung off, her feet almost touching the floor and her body turned around with her back to the door.
Mr. Surber, all unconscious of the terrible deed which had taken place during his absence, returned at three o'clock in the afternoon. He was unaware of the condition of affairs, and approached the body, took hold of it by the right arm, and asked her what she was doing there and why she had closed the door. In doing this he caused her body to turn around, and the countenance of his dead wife stared him hor- ribly and ghastly in his face. So tightly had the rope been drawn by the weight of her body that her tongue protruded from her mouth and her teeth were firmly imbedded in it.
The neighbors gathered at the house and gazed upon the sickening sight. From a foolish feeling prevalent at that time that the body of a suicide must not be touched by any person until the Coroner had viewed the remains, it was allowed to stay in its position until the following day. This occurrence was fixed on the memory of those who had wit- nessed it as long as they continued to live. It was the talk of the neighborhood for years and many persons were afraid to go into the house or venture upon the premises for fear of being bodily captured by ghosts or spooks.
BURNING OF A LITTLE GIRL.
A little three-year-old child of Stephen Orr, who resided on the farm of Jesse Skinner, near Markleville, was burned to death on 21st of March, 1879. The mother of the child had gone to a neighbor's house, leaving the little one with a sister. When she returned she found the little one lying on the floor, with its clothing entirely burned off its person. The cries of the child failed to reach the father who was in the woods near by making rails, and he did not know of the sad affair until his wife gave the alarm. This was indeed a terrible accident, and will long be remembered by Mr. and Mrs. Orr, and their neighbors who witnessed the horrible spectacle of the unfortunate child in its charred and lifeless condition.
AN OLD BURGLARY.
On the 1st of June, 1852, the house of Andrew Bray, Esq., of Adams township, was entered by thieves, ransacked
686
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
and plundered of its contents. Considerable valuable prop- erty and money were obtained.
Mr. Bray was one of the well-to-do farmers of that lo- cality and always had more or less cash about the house, there being no banks in Madison county in which to deposit it.
No one was ever apprehended for the crime, although suspicion pointed strongly to two well-known characters, but no evidence of a positive kind could be adduced against them.
An occurrence of this kind at that time caused- much excitement in the neighborhood, and was for a long while a cause for gossip.
Mr. Bray enjoyed the distinction of being the richest man in Adams township, and he knew it as well as his neigh- bors. It is said when any one in the locality would sell a farm, Andrew would swell up and walk up and down his posses- sions, and interrogate himself, "why don't some one buy Andrew Bray?" " No one able."
He was the first to build a brick residence in the south part of the county. At that time it was considered simply palatial.
KILLED BY LIGHTNING.
John Markle, a young farmer living one mile north of Markleville, while cutting logs in the woods near White Chapel, about one and a-half miles from his home, was over- taken by a storm on the 7th of August, 1890, and he and one of his horses were instantly killed by lightning. Mr. Markle and a boy had gone into the woods with the intention of load- T ing logs and hauling them home, from which place he intended to remove them to the saw-mill the next morning. The boy was terribly shaken up, but suffered no serious injury, and after returning to his senses spread the news in the neighbor '- hood of Markle's sad fate. The dead man was taken home to his young wife, to whom he had been married but a short time_ and whom he had left shortly before in the best of spirits. It t
was a terrible blow to her, and she was completely overcome me by her grief. Young Markle was only about twenty-two years
rs of age. He was sober and industrious, and was held in the e highest esteem by all who knew him.
SUICIDE OF MRS. MAGGIE SHOVER.
On the 26th of November, 1882, the citizens of Adam township were thrown into a state of excitement and cor . sternation by the rumor that Mrs. Maggie Shover, wife
d
687
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
Henry Shover, had committed suicide. Mr. Shover was a wealthy and highly respected farmer of that township. Upon investigation, it was learned that Mrs. Shover had gone into the cellar, and finding a rope, had thrown it over a joist, and by this means had strangled herself to death.
She had been married in July previous to Mr. Shover, who was then a widower and the father of three children.
It is said that domestic trouble was the cause of her un- timely end, as she and her husband did not live together hap- pily. A Coroner's inquest was promptly held and a verdict returned in accordance with the above facts.
Henry Shover, her husband, is yet a resident of Madison county, and a brother of James Shover, who is well known in Anderson.
DROWNING OF WILLIAM RECTOR.
William Rector was an epileptic who for many years lived in Adams township, and who on the 9th day of July, 1889, was drowned in Fall creek while in the act of bathing, in company with his brother-in-law. He had been in the water for some time and after coming out for the purpose of chang- ing his clothing he went in again. He made a jump and im- mediately sank to the bottom. He evidently strangled or had been seized with an epileptic fit. His brother-in-law became frightened to such an extent that but little attempt was made to rescue the drowning man. Rector's body was not recov- ered until a day or two later, when an inquest was held by the Coroner of Madison county, who returned a verdict of acci- dental death by drowning. His remains were interred in the neighborhood of his home on the following Wednesday.
SUICIDE OF OREN VAN WINKLE.
Oren Van Winkle, a young man of Adams township, committed suicide on Sunday, the 27th day of April, 1885, by shooting himself. He was a farm hand employed by Isaac Jones, of that neighborhood. For a year or more he had been paying attention to a most estimable young lady of his imme- diate vicinity, who received his attentions as a friend, but not as a lover. It seems that young Van Winkle was very much devoted to her and became deeply enamored of her. A few days before this occurrence, in a conversation with the young lady, he made known his love, and, it is supposed, asked her hand in marriage, to which she had not given her assent. Her . refusal had such as: effect upon him as to cause him to become
688
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
temporarily deranged. Several days prior to his death he wrote a letter to his sweetheart, in which he told her how dearly he loved her and if she would not marry him he did not care to live any longer. The weapon used was a small 22-calibre pistol. Shortly before committing the deed he laid down upon a lounge and then placing the muzzle of the pistol against his head pulled the trigger. The ball penetrated his brain and death was instantaneous. He was a very quiet young man and was only eighteen years of age. His mother, two sisters and a brother lived near Elwood. He was a cousin of John Quincy Van Winkle, who is the present Superintend- ent of the Big Four Railway system. His funeral took place from the residence of Charles Van Winkle, near Mechanics- burg, on the following Tuesday.
A PECULIAR INQUEST.
William Creason was for many years a resident of Adams township and was considered a very peculiar and inoffen- sive man, of a harmless disposition. He knew enough to go about his business, was industrious, temperate and observ- ant of his obligations. He was about forty years of age and had been married, but his wife had secured a divorce from him.
In the month of August, 1881, he mysteriously disap- peared from the neighborhood and his whereabouts were un- known to his relatives, who manifested a great deal of anxiety, but could find no clue of him. On Sunday, the 21st of August, a man of the name of Socrates Campbell was riding through the edge of a swamp about two miles southwest of Markleville when he was startled by coming suddenly upon what appeared to be a human skeleton partly hidden from view by the thick growth of bushes. A hasty inspection enabled him to identify the clothing as belonging to William Creason. Mr. Campbell rapidly rode to a neighbor and in- formed him of the discovery. Coroner Michael Ryan was notified. The remains were permitted to lie in the position in which they were found until his arrival late at night, when an inquest was held. The verdict of the Coroner was that the deceased came to his death by a pistol shot fired by his own hand with suicidal intent.
The cause assigned for this act by Mr. Creason's friends S was that his wife, after having been divorced from him fo some time, had given evidence of wanting to return to liv with him, but a few days prior to his disappearance, at a meet
1
1
1
689
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
ing between the two, the wife had changed her mind and refused to again become his wife. Over this announcement he brooded so much that his mind became deranged, and he took this means of putting himself out of the way.
In holding the inquest Coroner Ryan, while making an examination of the head, and for the purpose of ascertaining. the location of the ball, chopped the skull open with an ax. This action on the part of the Coroner subjected him to a good deal of unfavorable comment for a long time afterward.
A SAD CASE OF SUICIDE.
On the 18th of June, 1872, Decatur McCallister, a son of John McCallister, a prominent citizen of Adams township, committed suicide by shooting himself. He was one of the leading young men of that neighborhood, well educated, and refined. He had a pleasant home and his relations with his. brothers, sisters and parents were most happy. No cause could be assigned for the rash deed other than that he had been suf- fering from some trifling ailment, although nothing serious was thought of it by his friends. He had been to Anderson. on the day of his death and returned home in the evening,. when he started in company with his father to the barn to feed! a lot of hogs that they were fattening. He complained of not feeling well and stopped before reaching the barn saying that he believed he would return to the house. On reaching the. house he sat down on the veranda, drew a pistol from his. pocket, said to his sister, who was standing near by, "Good bye, Mary," and putting the pistol to his forehead, fired. The bullet entered his head, he fell over and expired within a few minutes. He was about 21 years of age and was of remarka- bly good habits, and paid close attention to business. It was difficult to account for his strange conduct.
His father and mother were deeply affected, and it is said that John McCallister, the father of this young man, never really recovered from the shock, and was never the same genial, lively companion with friends and neighbors that he was before the sad occurrence. The father was a prominent Democrat, and at one time held the office of County Commissioner, and was on several occasions a candidate for the Sheriff's office of Madison county.
FOUND DEAD.
On the 5th of June, 1874, Henry Rector, an old and re- spected farmer of Adams township, was found dead in a fence
44
690
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
corner in his field where he had been plowing. Mr. Rector was a bachelor, and had resided on his farm for many years. He was an upright, straightforward man, and had but one fault - that of too free indulgence in alcohol, to the use of which his death was attributed. It was a very warm day, and having been exposed to the burning rays of the sun, this, with the alcoholic poison which he had imbibed, was believed to be the cause of his sudden demise.
He was alone in the field at the time, with no one to wit- ness his last moments. Some neighbor passing along found his remains. Word was sent to Anderson, and it was not long before the Coroner was upon the ground and held an in- quest. A verdict of death from over-heat and from the excess- ive use of stimulants was returned.
Mr. Rector will be remembered by the older residents of the neighborhood in which he died, as being one of their most thrifty and useful citizens. He always kept his farm very neat and clean.
He was a familiar figure on the streets of Anderson, as hardly a Saturday passed on which he was not in the city. He was a very free-hearted, jolly, good-natured fellow, and was fond of mingling with people, which was largely the cause of his drinking habits. If he chanced to be in a place where liquor was obtainable he never waited to be asked to drink, but invariably called up the " house." He was well- liked by people who congregate in such places, and his arrival was always anxiously looked for.
AN ACCIDENTAL KILLING.
Frank Main, a young man in Adams township, met with a fatal accident on Monday, the 9th of December, 1889, while out hunting with Joseph McCleary. They had started up a rabbit which took refuge behind a log. Main ran to the log and standing the butt end of the gun at the end of it, stooped over to look after the rabbit, and in doing so accidentally dis- charged the weapon which was heavily loaded. The entire charge struck him in the side just above the right hip, passing upward and lodging in the region of the heart from the effects of which he died about 5 o'clock on the same evening. The deceased was an excellent young man and his death cast a .. gloom over the home of his childhood, he being well beloved by all the neighbors in the community. He had been at one time a resident of Anderson, having purchased a lot in Hazel-
691
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
wood, and it is said that he was engaged to an estimable young lady of Ovid to whom he would soon have been mar- ried had his life been spared. The parents of the young man now reside in Anderson.
ROBBERY AT MARKLEVILLE.
Mr. S. F. Hardy, of Markleville, is one of the oldest mer- chants in Madison county, having kept a store at that place and been postmaster of the village for many years at different periods. On Monday night, the 8th of December, 1884, burg- lars effected an entrance to his store and took away with them goods and merchandise to the value of $300. Mr. Hardy was at that time postmaster and kept the office in his store, but the thieves did not disturb the mail or take any of the stamps. There was never any clue obtained as to the guilty parties although Mr. Hardy offered a liberal reward for their arrest and conviction. Markleville was at that time without any railroad or telegraph office and therefore the escape of the criminals was a very easy matter. Suspicion rested on certain parties known to Mr. Hardy, but no arrests were made for want of positive evidence.
KILLED BY DYNAMITE.
Many years ago there was a dam built across Fall Creek on what is now the farm of John Forney, for the purpose of damming the water sufficiently to run a little mill that at one time stood on the stream. Roman Gilmore came into posses- sion of the land adjoining on which the dam was located, and spent considerable money in trying to prevent the water from flooding the portion of his land adjoining the stream. It was a source of much aggravation to him, and he finally made up his mind to get rid of it. On the 21st of July, 1890, he accomplished his desire to a certain extent by blowing up the dam with dynamite. A camp of railroad builders was located near the Gilmore farm. At the camp a large quantity of dyna- mite was stored for the purpose of blasting. Gilmore had talked considerably to the railroad laborers and spoken to them in regard to his trouble. Some of the parties suggested to him that the way to rid himself of the nuisance would be to blow it up with dynamite. Following the suggestion Mr. Gilmore, with his two sons, Hugh and Michael, procured a quantity of the explosive from some source, and about half past 10 o'clock in the night repaired to the place and placed a
.
692
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
couple of changes under the dam. One of the cartridges was placed in a piece of gas pipe and the other, containing about seven pounds, was put at another point. Both charges were fired, but only the one in the gas pipe exploded. Hugh Gil- more was standing about eight feet from the charge, and when it was fired failed to hear the warning given. When the explosion took place a piece of the burst gas pipe was driven with fearful force through his body, terribly lacerating it. The terror stricken father and his other son, as soon as they had sufficiently recovered from the effects of the explosion, were horrified upon returning to the scene to see Hugh writh- ing in mortal agony upon the ground. The wounded boy was taken home and Dr. Lundy Fussell, of Markleville, was sum- moned. The young man lived but a few hours after he reached his home, as no medical aid could be of any benefit to him. The father of the boy, as well as all the neighbors, was very much affected by the affair. The Gilmores were a prominent family in the community, and they had the sympathy of all who knew them. Forney, the owner of the dam, felt greatly outraged over the matter, and for a time threatened Gilmore with prosecution, but on account of the fatal result in Gil- more's family his heart was softened and no proceedings were ever begun against him. This affair caused a profound sen- sation throughout the county at the time. Roman Gilmore is still a resident of Adams township near the spot where the explosion took place.
THE BROWN-CUMMINS MURDER.
In the annals of crime Adams township, though a peace- ful and law-abiding community, has furnished many bloody affairs that are within this volume, handed down as a matter of history, without comment or conclusion.
Among the most horrible of these affairs was the murder of young Cummins by Luther Brown, which is yet fresh in the minds of many people in the county who lived here prior to the age of natural gas. It darkened the homes of two. neighboring families, and caused the death of a well-respected young man and ruined the life of another. The facts gleaned from papers printed at that time and memoranda made are as follows :
In the spring of 1885 a dance was given at the residence of Isaac Ayleshire.
Eli B. Cummins and Luther Brown were rivals for the
693
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
affections of Cynthia Ayleshire, the daughter of Mr. Isaac Ayleshire, at whose house the dance was given. Both young men were about the same age-twenty-one, perhaps.
Cummins was of a stalwart build, while Brown was slen- der and small. The former had rather supplanted Brown in the affections of Miss Ayleshire, and, stung by jealousy, the latter conceived the bitterest hate for Cummins.
Young Brown belonged to the neighborhood orchestra that had been invited to play for the dance, and went with- out any other invitation. Upon his arrival at the house he and Cummins became involved in a quarrel, which ended in a fight, and Brown was worsted. Smarting under the humil- iation of the affair, and maddened by jealousy, he remained outside the house until the dance was over, and skulking in the shadow of the barn, armed with a rock, he waited for Cummins to pass by. His opportunity came. Cummins, un- conscious of the fact that Brown, with murder in his heart, born of jealousy, lay in ambush, passed by the barn, when the latter, with the ferocity of a tiger, rushed out and struck Cum- mins on the head with a stone, fracturing the skull.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.