USA > Indiana > Madison County > Historical Sketches and Reminiscences of Madison County, Indiana: A Detailed History of the. > Part 69
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HAMILTON.
This town was founded by Henry Devlin, father of the late Hon. Lafe Devlin, of Cambridge City, in 1836. He was the agent of Messrs. William Conner and John D. Stephen- son, of Noblesville. These gentlemen were very active in lo- cating towns and establishing stores along the line of the In- diana Central Canal at the time it was being constructed.
The town is situated six miles west of Anderson and four
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miles east of Perkinsville, near the south bank of White river. Considerable business was done here during the '40s, there be- ing several business houses and a post-office in the town. These have long since disappeared and the probability is that Hamilton has seen its best days.
POPULATION, TAXABLES, ETC.
The population of the township in 1850 was 950; in 1860 it was 1007; in 1870 it was 1200; in 1880 it was 1428, and in 1890 it was 1299, showing a decrease of 124 in a decade.
The value of lands as returned for taxation is $524,260; improvements, $46,885; personal property, $101,418; total amount of taxables, $687,278.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.
The first blacksmith in the township was William Park- ins, who established a shop soon after locating in the town- ship. He made hackles and did a general blacksmithing bus- iness.
Among the early "tavern keepers " in the township was John Ashbey. He kept the first tavern at Hamilton in 1842.
Robert Blair erected the first brick house in the town- ship, on what is known as the Zeller farm, opposite Perkins- ville, in 1827. The house is still standing.
An I. O. O. F. Lodge was instituted at Perkinsville in 1859, but surrendered its charter ten years ago. The first offi- - cers were : Culpepper Lee, N. G. ; T. L. Beckwith, V. G .; W. W. Boyden, Secretary, and Jacob Zeller, Treasurer. The Red Men also had a Lodge at Perkinsville during the '80s, which has since passed out of existence.
The first marriage solemnized in the township was that = of Isaac Shelton and Delilah Crist, in December, 1825.
The first birth was Sarah, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lem- - uel Auter, and the first death that of William Montgomery.
Mr. Daniel Goldsberry is the oldest living native of the township. He is seventy one years of age. His home is on the south side of White river, opposite Perkinsville.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS-A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
A story is still told by the old-timers of the mysterious disappearance of a stranger at an early day in the township. and it is intimated that certain persons now dead were guilty of his murder. The man was traveling on horseback, as was
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the custom in that day, and announced that he was visiting this part of the country for the purpose of buying land. The next day after his appearance in the township his horse was found grazing along the road between Hamilton and Perkins- ville. The bridle and saddle were on the horse but a pair of saddle-bags, which had been seen in the man's possession by a number of persons, was missing. All the circumstances of the stranger's disappearance pointed to foul play, and it was generally believed that he had been murdered for his money: In 1847 Mrs. Samuel Shultz found a pair of saddle-bags in a hollow log near where the stranger's horse was found grazing along the roadside, and a few years ago some laborers, while opening a gravel pit near the same spot, exhumed the remains of a man. These circumstances created no little talk and re- vived anew the story of the stranger's disappearance. The old-timers, and others familiar with the facts and circum- stances, have no hesitancy in saying that the stranger was murdered.
A FATED HOUSE.
Back in the early fifties a man of the name of Daniel Wise lived on a farm in Jackson township. He had built what was then considered one of the finest farm residences in Madison county, being a large two-story brick structure, situ- ated near White river, fronting on the Anderson and Perkins- ville stage road. He and his family had just got comfortably fixed when, on the 2d of June, 1853, a terrible cyclone swept through that part of the country, tearing his house to pieces, sweeping away his barn and other out-buildings and seriously wounding Lavina Regan, a married daughter stopping at the house.
It was one of the most disastrous storms in the history of the county up to that period. It leveled the timber for quite a wide strip through the adjoining neighborhood, tore down fences, and upturned houses and barns in its path of de- struction.
About two miles north of the scene of this disaster an- other house was blown down, in which James Cusack, Clark- son Snyder and a small boy were badly hurt.
Mr. Wise immediately rebuilt his house and moved into it, where he dwelt until his death, which took place a few years thereafter.
It seems that fate has been against this place, as, on the 14th of June, 1880, another storm passed over almost directly
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the same route, and again leveled this structure to the ground. Although the storm was a dreadful one, no lives were lost. Mrs. Wise and her family miraculously escaped being killed or receiving any personal injuries. The house at this time is occupied by Susan Wise, a widow, and her family.
Being a woman of fine business attainments and a good manager, she had saved the means left her at the decease of her husband and was able to rebuild immediately after the dis- aster. As rebuilt, it may be seen by the passer-by, who can yet distinguish the cracks in the brick walls that were made at the time of the first storm. Part of the walls were left standing and were of sufficient strength to permit of an addi- tion thereto.
This is known in the neighborhood as the " fated house." Just why fate should be against this particular locality is hard to tell. It is situated in one of the most beautiful spots in Mad- ison county, on the south bank of White river, overlooking a beautiful valley of fertile fields and meadows on either side.
This storm is alluded to elsewhere in this volume.
STABBING AFFRAY AT PERKINSVILLE.
On the 15th of September, 1873, a serious stabbing affray occurred in the village of Perkinsville, in Jackson township, the facts of which are about as follows : Thomas J. Thurman had a lawsuit in which Columbus Wall was a witness against him. After the termination of the suit, Thurman sought a quarrel with Wall about his testimony in the case, which ended in blows. Wall struck at Thurman, but the blow was warded off. Thurman then caught Wall, whom he tried to stab with a large pocket knife. Fortunately, the point of the blade struck a rib, along which it passed, making a gash about six inches in length.
A bystander by the name of Isham Benefiel, at this jun ture, in order to save the life of Wall, caught Thurman an held him until other parties wrested the knife from his hand Wall, being freed from his antagonist, picked up a ston- which he threw at Thurman, missing him, and striking Ben fiel in the face, cutting an ugly gash in his cheek and over I 19 eye.
Both of the combatants were arrested by the Constatf1312 of the township and taken before 'Squire James M. Garr 14 :son, where Wall plead guilty as to his part in the transaction 5 'Thurman's crime being of a more serious nature-that of
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sault and battery with intent to kill-was bound over to the . Circuit Court, in the sum of two hundred dollars, which he gave and was released from custody, to answer the charge in the Circuit Court.
DEATH OF A BAND TEACHER.
In the year 1874 a tidal wave swept over the country whereby the temperance people of the United States, in one solid phalanx, made warfare against the liquor traffic. Indi- ana was no exception to the rule, and in Madison county the excitement was carried to almost a fighting point. Women camped on the streets of Anderson, and prayed and sang in front of the saloons for months at a time. They sat in little booths in front of the places where liquor was tetailed and registered the names of each individual who went within and partook of drinks there offered for sale. The movement be- came so widespread that it entered largely into the politics of the city, and was the cause of the defeat of the nominees of the Democratic party in the city election of that year, the Democracy having taken open issue against the crusade. Other towns and villages in the county had a similar experi- ence, but not on so large a scale. In the town of Perkins- ville considerable excitement prevailed and had about quieted down when a man of the name of John J. Sims dropped into that usually quiet precinct with the intention of opening up a saloon for the retailing of ardent spirits. This was the first licensed saloon ever opened in that place. Prior to this event liquors in that vicinity had been sold by the druggists.
On one corner stood the store of John S. Hougham, where drugs, notions and liquors, for medicinal purposes, were sold, and it is said that in his back room beer could be ob- tained. He was succeeded by a man of the name of Lee, and a Mr. Ward, now deceased, who kept the store for a consid- erable length of time. On the opposite corner Mr. A. J. Ap- plegate conducted a general assortment store, where groceries, drugs, dry goods and liquors were sold. These gentlemen were the dealers in ardent spirits when the temperance wave
struck the town. About this time the Perkinsville band, memorable in the annals of the village history, was at the zenith of its glory. A young man of the name of Frank Brewer, talented as a musician, a large, good-looking fellow, came to town and took charge of the band as its teacher. However, like a large portion of common humanity, he had a
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weakness for liquor. He boarded with William H. Wise, who was a member of the band, and who lived south of the river and east of the cemetery. On Sunday night, the 24th of January, 1875, it was very cold and the river had been frozen for weeks. Mr. Brewer had been in town that night and had been drinking with some of the band boys, and left them apparently not worse for the liquor he had taken. He crossed on the ice in the river and started for his boarding house which, however, he did not reach, and in the morning was found dead in the grave yard. Above the river evidences of a desperate attempt to go across and up the hill in the cem- etery were displayed by the footprints in the broken snow. It was a solemn and tragic scene on that quiet cold morning to behold the upturned face looking towards the sky, and his head resting beside a gravestone. Mr. Brewer was last seen alive by his friend, Mr. Elliott Lee, on the evening before his departure for his boarding house. Great excitement prevailed throughout the neighborhood over the finding of his remains. The band boys took possession of his body, buried it in the village cemetery, and afterward erected over his grave a hand- some tombstone, the inscription thereon being as follows : "Frank Brewer, died January 25, 1875, aged 35 years. A member of the Perkinsville band."
No sooner was the news circulated in town that Brewer's body had been found in the cemetery than the church bells commenced to ring. It was whispered around that a man had died in the graveyard and that he had been drunk. The peo- ple became wild ; they soon congregated at the churches and a quasi organization was effected by the appointment of a committee whose duty it should be to call upon the liquor dealers and notify them to cease their ungodly traffic. Fanat- icism ran high and men who usually displayed ordinary com- mon sense in business matters were entirely beside themselves. James Webb was appointed Marshal, and ordered the people to keep away from the saloons and off the streets. The com- mittee first notified Sims, who was smart enough to see the drift of things, and without in any way crossing them in their desires proposed to sell his liquors to the committee and go out of the business.
Then the committee went to the store of A. J. Apple- gate, who did not readily consent to give up a profitable trade, but finally succumbed to the inevitable. After this the liquor trade was for a time centered in the hands of one J. M. Gar-
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retson, a leading temperance worker who sold liquors only for medical purposes. During the excitement some one entered his cellar and bored holes in the barrels and let his liquors out during the night.
A great deal of bitter feeling prevailed about the village during these times. The matter was referred to the Ander- son newspapers and many articles pro and con were written upon the subject. Enemies of Mr. A. J. Applegate charged that he had sold the liquor to Brewer. Mr. Applegate had some very warm friends, who wrote to the papers in his behalf, severely criticising the temperance people. It was even denied that Brewer came to his death from any cause con- nected with the purchase of drink or alcoholic stimulants. Medical authorities were cited on the manner of Brewer's death, and at the Coroner's inquest, held by David B. Simms, Coroner of Madison county, it was revealed that a powder had been found in the pocket of the deceased. One physician testified, on being questioned by Attorney Ryan, of Anderson, that the powder was morphine, and that he could tell it at sight. Another swore that he could not tell whether it was. quinine or morphine, but there was no evidence at all adduced. that Brewer had taken any of the powder. And thus the mystery surrounding his death failed to be unraveled by even expert medical witnesses.
The temperance meetings were continued for some time, and many hundreds signed the pledge. Inflammatory speeches. were made, and the horrors of intemperance were depicted .. The meetings to a great extent furnished a kind of recreation during the long winter evenings, and offered the people a place to go. As spring came on the people resumed their usual avocations, and the spasm was over, but as already stated the temperance agitation in Perkinsville had its political effect, as well as in the larger cities. In fact, it caused men who had never wavered in their political principles, not only to vote against the party with which they had always acted, but to fight it to the bitter end.
The Democrats in this section of the county were large gainers, because those who had been engaged in the liquor traffic were of the Republican persuasion.
This fight had the effect of making A. J. Applegate, who had been an unflinching Republican, a stanchDemocrat. This gentleman has not only acted with that party ever since, but he has been one of the trusted men in the councils of that 51
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organization. And thus ended one of the biggest sensations that ever occurred in the quiet little town of Perkinsville.
BURNING OF A BARN.
Mrs. Laura Moore, a widow living in Jackson township near Perkinsville, had her barn and all of its contents de- stroyed by fire on the night of April 29, 1876.
The building contained six hundred bushels of corn, three thorses and a number of farming implements, all of which were destroyed. The fire was supposed to be of incendi- ary origin, but why anybody should apply the torch to the property of a helpless widow was more than anyone could imagine.
The guilty parties were never apprehended.
WILLIAM HOUGHAM KILLED BY JAMES DALLAS COOK.
On the 9th of July, 1881, an unprovoked murder was committed in Jackson township on the person of William Hougham, a respectable and well-to-do young man about twenty five years of age. The perpetrator of the crime was James Dallas Cook, one of the leaders of the notorious gang of young desperadoes that had disgraced that township, known as the " Peanutters." The particulars of this revolting crime were about as follows : It seems that at a party given on the evening of the day mentioned at the residence of John Roller in Perkinsville, several of the " Peanutters " had put in their appearance, as was their custom on such occasions, without being invited. They were kindly treated by the host and all the guests present, who stood in fear of them. They were in- vited into the house and were treated to ice-cream. Not con- tented with what had been given them they repeatedly de- manded more, but were told that there was none left, and that it was impossible to comply with their request. Young Hougham, who was present as a guest, being apprehensive of trouble went so far as to invite them out on the back porch to convince them that the refreshments had been consumed. Shortly after Hougham came back into the house a stone was thrown through the window, which struck him on the head near the temple, producing a fracture of the skull, from the effects of which he died the following Sunday morning.
On the death of Hougham a warrant was sworn out and placed in the hands of Constable Young, for the arrest of Cook. The Constable knowing his character and fearing to
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make the arrest alone, summoned a posse of twelve to help him catch the offender. Cook resisted the officer and his men, who fired several shots, none of which took effect. He was finally arrested and taken to Anderson, and lodged in jail, and was held to await the action of the Coroner. On the Monday morning following, the Coroner proceeded to Perkinsville to hold an inquest on the body of young Hougham. He took with him Dr. Geo. F. Chittenden to make a post mortem ex- amination. This was done and revealed the fact that Hough- am's skull had been fractured in front and that a pus cavity had formed just under the fracture, from the effects of which he died. Witnesses who were examined by the Coroner sub- stantiated the fact that Cook was the one who threw the stone and a verdict was rendered against him in accordance with these facts.
James Dallas Cook was a young man about nineteen years of age, rather slender in build and of sandy complexion. He stoutly denied the terrible charge laid at his door and pro- tested with great vehemence his innocence. He was an orphan, alone in the world and had not even a sister, but had a half-sister, who resided with his step-father at Yorktown, in Delaware county. Public sentiment in Jackson township was strongly against Cook. He had been in other scrapes of a serious nature ; among other things it was charged that he had struck John Albright, of that township, with a stone about a year previous to this occurrence, from the effects of which he never fully recovered. Cook waived examination before Mayor Dunham, preferring not to go into an investi- gation of the affair, and was remanded to jail to await the ac- tion of the Grand Jury.
Sheriff Randle Biddle guarded the jail very closely for some time during Cook's confinement, from the fact that ru- mors had reached his ears that the incensed citizens of Jack- son township contemplated a hanging without judge or jury, but the sober judgment of the people prevailed and this was averted.
Cook was indicted and placed upon trial at the following October term, being defended by Hon. W. R. Myers and D. W. Wood. The prosecution was conducted by Thomas B. Orr, who was then Prosecuting Attorney for the counties of Hamilton and Madison, assisted by the late Colonel Milton S. Robinson. Both sides were ably represented, it being a bat- tle of giants at the bar, which has seldom been repeated in
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the courts of this county. Cook was convicted of murder and sentenced to the State prison for seven years.
KILLING OF LEWIS HAYES.
The village of Perkinsville was greatly excited on the 21st day of July, 1882, by a tragedy which occurred at that place, which resulted in the killing of Lewis Hayes by a man of the name of Clint Wilson. Hayes was a member of what was known in that neighborhood as the " Peanut Gang," a crowd of boys and young men in Jackson township who had organized themselves as a body of embryo desperadoes. While they were not so desperate in their character, or did very many bad deeds, they were, nevertheless, a menace to the locality. They were in the habit of visiting schoolhouses at singing and spelling bees and church meetings, and generally kicked up a row of some kind. The neighborhood was afraid of them.
On the day above spoken of these young men had been drinking in Perkinsville and Wilson, while in the act of pass- ing Hayes, who was accompanied by a young lady, gave him a push, which exasperated Hayes, who immediately drew a weapon and was about to assail Wilson, when the latter drew his revolver and shot Hayes in the heart. He fell dead in his tracks, and never showed any signs of life after the ball en- tered his body. The alarm was at once given in the neigh- borhood and the Coroner of the county sent for. An inquest was held over the remains and Wilson was placed under arrest for murder. The occurrence took place in Hamilton county, just on the line of Madison county.
Wilson was indicted for manslaughter and was placed on trial and acquitted on the grounds of self-defence. The late Colonel M. S. Robinson defended him.
BURNING OF WILLIAM PERRY'S HOUSE.
William Perry, farmer, of Jackson township, met with a very serious loss on Monday night, the 28th of September 1, 1885, when his residence and household goods were destroy=d by fire. There was no one at home at the time, except M =s. Perry, who was quite aged and infirm. She was badly burn ed in attempting to save a portion of the household goods.
There was a granary in the adjoining building, which contained 500 bushels of wheat, and this was also destroy ed. The loss to Mr. Perry was in the neighborhood of $2,000, with
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no insurance. It fell very heavily upon him, as all he had was but a small farm, upon which he lived, and some personal property. Besides, he was well advanced in years.
The fire is supposed to have originated from a defective flue.
FIRE AT PERKINSVILLE.
The residence of M. A. Willetts, at Perkinsville, was consumed by fire on Sunday night, the 16th day of May, 1886, together with all its contents, with the exception of a few minor articles which were taken out by the neighbors. Even the family wearing apparel was destroyed, with the exception of what the members had on their backs. The occupants of the home were all absent at church at the time the fire occur- red. It was thought to have originated from a stove pipe that ran through a closet. The building was insured to the amount of $400, which did not cover the loss. Mr. Willetts was also loser ot forty or fifty dollars in money which he had in the house at the time.
SUICIDE OF MISS EDITH FOLAND.
Miss Edith Foland, a young lady living with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Foland, in Jackson township, committed suicide on the 15th of October, 1888. For some time she had been keeping company with the son of a neighboring farmer, a Mr. John Neese, to whom it is said she had been engaged to be married. Unfortunately the young man was attacked with sickness which undermined his health, and caused him to break off the engagement, which fell so heavily on the young lady that in a fit of despondency she sought relief in death. She took a powerful dose of poison and in a few mo- ments thereafter she was a corpse. Her parents were very much distressed over the matter, and she was very much missed in the community in which she had lived. Her funeral oc- curred at Perkinsville on Tuesday following her death, a large concourse of people being in attendance. Young Neese was present on the occasion of her funeral and was very much af- fected by the sad scene.
KILLED BY A HORSE.
On the 29th of June, 1889, the family of Henry Kemp were horrified to find that he had been kicked to death in his barn, by one of his farm horses. No one was present to tell how it was done. His lifeless body was found by some of the family
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and after the excitement of the moment was over the neigh- bors were called in, and the Coroner, Dr. C. L. Armington. was sent for, who held an inquest, returning a verdict in ac- cordance with the facts.
Mr. Kemp was one of Madison county's oldest and most highly respected citizens. He was a large farmer, and had accumulated quite a large fortune. He was the father of Daniel W. Kemp, the farmer and stock raiser of Jackson township, who yet survives him. The death of Mr. Kemp was severely felt in the community, as he was a leader among the farmers in his neighborhood. He was a Christian gentle- man, and a staunch member of the Republican party, and al- ways took an active part in politics, especially in local affairs. He was respected by his political opponents for his open avowal of his principals, and his manly way of warfare. He was seventy-five years of age when the occurrence took place. Mrs. Kemp, his wife, died at the old homestead in December, 1896.
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