USA > Indiana > Madison County > Historical sketches and reminiscences of Madison county, Indiana : a detailed history of the early events of the pioneer settlement of the county, and many of the happenings of recent years, as well as a complete history of each township, to which is added numerous incidents of a pleasant nature, in the way of reminiscences, and laughable occurrences > Part 11
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The old " Henderson drug store " is one of the landmarks of Anderson. It was erected away back before the war, per- haps as far back as 1860, and has been occupied as a drug store ever since its existence. It is now occupied by the Cassel Bros. The late Dr. John W. Westerfield for many years did a flourishing business there, and the major part of his hand- some fortune was made there. During the war the firm was Westerfield & Menefee. Dr. Menefee retired about 1866, and removed to Alexandria, where he started his famous "one- horse " drug store, and made a fortune, which he left when he died a few years since.
Dr. G. N. Ililligoss was for many years a clerk in the Westerfield and Menifee drug store, before starting into the practice of medicine. In the year 1868 Doctors William A. Hunt and J. F. Brandon formed a partnership under the firm ' name of Brandon & Hunt, and purchased the stock of drugs in that room, where they did business until they sold out to the Henderson Bros., Edgar and Charles A., who for many years occupied the room and did the largest business ever done in Anderson in that line.
Their store was headquarters for everyone - politicians, school teachers, lawyers and preachers. It was run on the " high pressure " plan and was never closed. Day and night, Sundays and week days, it was wide open. Both of the Hlen- dersons were politicians by nature, and called around them all of the leading lights in politics.
Hendersons' drug store was a power in local, as well as State politics. Many a candidate has made his start from that store, and when once in the race, with the Hendersons behind him, he generally went through. It was while in this room in business that Major Ilenderson made his race and was elected to the legislature. Ile afterwards made a brilliant race for
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State Treasurer, but was defeated for the nomination by a small majority. It was from that place that Charles A. Henderson started in the race for Clerk of the Madison Circuit Court and was triumphantly elected. Newt Pence was a clerk in the Henderson drug store when he was a candidate and elected City Clerk of Anderson. Albert C. Davis started from there and was elected City Clerk in 1870, and after serving his term, went back in the store where he remained for some time and in 1878 made a race for County Recorder and was elected. While many men who started from there for office were elected there have been many aspirants quietly taken into the back room and retired from the field.
This famous and long-to-be-remembered old landmark has to Anderson's old-timers many hallowed memories clinging around it. It had its brighest and happiest days when occu- pied by the Henderson Bros. It was there that such men as Colonel Stilwell, John F. Wildman, Colonel W. C. Fleming, J. M. Dickson, Joseph Pugh, ex-Mayor Wesley Dunham, James II. Snell, Andrew J. Griffith and George Nichol, who were the lights in politics, met. It was their rendezvous at night, and a place of meeting of Sunday afternoons to discuss the situation; to make and unmake candidates. The Hon. Green Clay Smith, of Kentucky, Cassius M. Clay and George Francis Train have all met with the Anderson gentry there in social conclave. These last named gentlemen were often the guests of Colonel Stilwell in his lifetime, and of course much of their time was spent with the genial Hendersons and their friends. While the old building is rather a back number in appearance, it stands as a monument to a great part of Ander- son's history.
THE OLD GINSENG DAYS.
In gathering dates and facts for a work like this a person has often to call upon the old-timer. Ile can furnish one with a date that coukl not otherwise be gotten. In coming in con- tact with them a person learns to love them, and to listen to their stories with an interest unabated. Often the point you wish is entirely forgotten, and you have been led off in a direction different from the one in which you started. In the old-timers of Madison county there is material for a book as big and as good as the Holy Bible. Their trials, joys and hardships are as sacred to them and as instructive to those who listen to them as Holy Writ. This may seem a little 40
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strong, but, to appreciate it, "cultivate " the old-timer, as we have done. In the halcyon days of the pioneer of Madison county money was a legal tender just as it is to-day, but there was but little of it to tender, and people didn't make much fuss about free silver or a gold basis, as they do nowadays. Coon skins, tan bark, venison and wolf skins were good enough for them, and ginseng was a staple article. Many people made quite a little money by gathering this root and drying it for sale to the traders that came around at intervals and took up their stock on hands.
Ex-Mayor Dunham is one of the old-timers. He came to Anderson in 1839, and is authority on all points of "ancient history " relative to Anderson. Mr. Dunham has in his pos- session a day-book, or blotter, used by one of the early mer- chants of Anderson. Ginseng, hoop poles and wolf scalps were entered upon the book as cash payment for various ar- ticles purchased.
Money was very scarce, and the articles mentioned above passed as the medium of exchange.
There is to-day a man living in Anderson who earned a livelihood in his boyhood days by digging ginseng. A ginseng factory was at one time located on Central avenue, near the spot now occupied by the armory, and the proprietor did a thriving business. The establishment was afterwards turned into a spruce beer factory. This has long since disappeared, . but many of the older residents of Anderson will have a dis- tinct recollection of it.
CHAPTER LXIV.
IN WHICH A NUMBER OF INTERESTING HAPPENINGS ARE REMEMBERED.
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Mr. Otto Ballard, who is at this time a member of the editorial staff of the Anderson Herald, came near losing his life by being drowned on the 14th of June, 1886, when a lad of sixteen or seventeen years of age. He had gone to White river, in company with several boys, for the purpose of bath- ing in the "old swimming hole " below Norton's Brewery. Ballard had not fully learned the art of swimming, and before he was aware of it was in water beyond his depth. He be- came frightened and losing his presence of mind began to sink. The boys around him were very much excited and could do nothing to relieve him.
Mr. William Cain, who happened to be passing by, heard the cries for help and went to Ballard's rescue. Cain jumped in. The drowning boy grabbed him around the neck so tightly that Cain could not release his hold and both came near losing their lives. Finally Cain succeeded in freeing himself from Ballard, and with the assistance of some boys, was able to land him in safety on the river bank. Had it not been for the timely arrival of Mr. Cain there is no doubt that Mr. Ballard would have been drowned, as his comrades were too badly scared to render him any assistance.
NARROW ESCAPE OF A WELL DIGGER.
John Estel, one of the old time residents of Anderson who has seen the place grow from a village of a few hundred to a city of twenty thousand souls, came near losing his life on the 9th of April, 1875, while engaged in digging a well at the corner of Thirteenth and Delaware streets, Mr. Estel be- ing down in the well, filling a bucket, while his co-laborers would draw it to the surface by a windlass. Knowing the
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treacherous character of the gravel walls and that they were liable to have a slide at any moment, a wooden curb had been prepared and was on the ground ready for use, but just before the men were ready to put it in the men on the outside of the well suggested to Estel that it was time for him to come out, as there was danger of a cave in.
As he sent the bucket full of sand to the top he said that after one more round he would come up. His words had scarcely passed his lips when the banks gave way and he was covered up to his arm-pits with drifting sand and gravel and it seemed at one time as if no earthly help could rescue him from an untimely death. Fortunately he had presence of mind enough to clasp his hands over his mouth and eyes and thus prevent smothering. One man descended quickly and removed the drift from about the imprisoned man's head and thus en- abled him to free his hands; but there he was firmly imbedded and no means of getting him out except by digging. It was not safe for any one to stay in the well to assist him, as all this time large portions of the earth had fallen in, leaving quite a hole in the gravel with a heavy bank of sod and earth over- hanging. The dirt and gravel kept falling in about his head until once he was entirely walled in, and had it not been for the presence of mind of a young man of the name of Edward Brown, a son of ex-Mayor William L. Brown, of Anderson, he would undoubtedly have been smothered. Brown saw sit- ting at the corner of the house an old barrel which had been used for the purpose of catching rain-water from the roof. He ran and got the barrel, knocked the head out and running to the well dropped it down over the head and arms of Estel, after which a man was sent down who scratched the gravel away from his mouth and this gave him a chance to breathe.
The barrel served as a place for the falling gravel to lodge against and thus prevented further encroachment on the person of the prisoner.
Estel in his perilous position prayed vehemently, called ' on Almighty God to save his soul, and to rescue him from his danger. It was a pitiful sight for the bystanders to behold him in this sad plight and to listen to his petitions addressed to the Great One above and not to be able to render him any assistance.
He was then imbedded in the gravel for nearly two hours until the workmen could cut away the banks for sufficient space around and by digging the gravel and sand out to such
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an extent that a rope could be placed around his person and by this means he was slowly and carefully lifted up out of his confinement.
Estel prayed on this occasion as he had never prayed be- fore and probably as he has never prayed since. It is safe to say that he will never forget the awful things that passed through his mind while buried in the gravel on that occasion.
Mr. Estel is yet a resident of Anderson and has ever since been engaged in well digging, but it is said that he never ven - tures beneath the surface of the earth, himself, but always gets some one else to engage in that treacherous part of the busi- ness.
A FRIGHTFUL FALL.
On the 26th of October, 1880, while Clark Sharpe was building the Boring-Hannah block, on the north side of the public square, he had a lad of the name of Andrew Thomas laying brick for him. Young Thomas was the boy wonder in the line of his trade; there were but few men in Anderson who could compete with him. He was the son of Benjamin Thomas, who died on the ocean a few years ago while on the way home from the scenes of his childhood in England. Ben- jamin Thomas was a good mechanic, one of the best stone masons in the country. Young Thomas inherited the traits of his father in that respect, and being left an orphan, he at an early age began the trade of a brick mason. He went as an apprentice with Clark Sharpe, contractor, who at that time lived in Anderson. It was but a very short time until young Thomas was a swift hand with the trowel, and being a favor- ite of his employer, he was put ahead in such a manner as to soon be earning journeyman's wages. It was in this capacity he was working when on the 26th of October, 1880, he fell from a scaffold and was badly hurt. He was so terribly mangled that it was thought he could not possibly recover. Mr. Byron Il. Dyson was standing near by, and picked up bis seemingly lifeless body and with assistance, it was carried into a place where medical aid could be had. He soon began to show signs of returning consciousness, strong restoratives were administered, and he was in a short time able to be removed to the home of his mother, where he for a long time, laid in the hands of a physician. . Finally he recovered, and is yet living in Anderson and is one of her best citizens, and one of the best brick masons in the county.
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SHOOTING AT JAMES W. SANSBERRY, JR.
One to look at the placid features of James W. Sansberry, Jr., would scarcely realize that he had faced the muzzle of a breech-loading shotgun and had received the contents in his face. Yet such is the fact. In the merry month of May, 1875, when the bluebirds were nesting and the jays were singing their songs in the boughs of the trees, James W. Sansberry, Jr., Isaac Ehner May and Charles Perrett were plodding their way down the banks of the placid waters of Greene's branch in pursuit of birds, when they got into an argument about their marksmanship. Perrett had the gun, and Sansberry twitted him about not being a " center " shot, and offered to step off to a distance of two hundred yards and allow Perrett to prove it by shooting at him. Perrett agreed to the arrange- ment, and Sansberry stepped the necessary paces and squared himself, and bade Perrett blaze away, not thinking, perhaps, that he would obey the command. Hardly had the word been given before Perrett leveled his gun and fired. The dis- tance between them saved Mr. Sansberry, no doubt, from an untimely death. It was found that several of the shot had struck him in the face with such force as to knock out one of his teeth, and the others spotting his face in several places. To use his own expression, it gave him the sensation of hay- ing been shot in the face with a gun load of red pepper. The boys were nearly all scared to death, and kept the affair a secret for a time, but it afterwards leaked out through friends * and crept into the public prints, which gave an account of the affair shortly thereafter. Mr. Perrett was about as badly hurt by fright as Mr. Sansberry was by the shot. He did not realize that the shot could go any such distance as to where Sansberry was standing.
This was a lesson to both of these young men, and in handling a gun from that time forward there is no record of either of them being willing to stand up in front of it.
A SHOOTING AFFAIR.
In the year 1874 what came near being a fatal shooting affair, took place in the billiard room connected with the bar of the Doxey House. Robert F. Shinn came near mortally wounding John B. Kinnard, of the Anderson Hearld. Shinn was a young man, born and reared in Anderson. He had no particular occupation, but is supposed to have been a gambler
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by profession. He was the son of Robert and Martha Shinn, respectable Irish people, who had lived in Anderson for a great many years. Robert F. Shinn's father died about the year 1876, leaving behind his widow Martha, who died a few weeks previous to this writing.
John B. Kinnard was a native of Pennsylvania, born and reared in Westchester, his present place of abode. His brother, William M. Kinnard, was in those days the editor of the Anderson Herald, and John B. was acting as city editor.
From some cause the Herald had singled out Shinn from among others who pursued the same occupation that he did, and waged a relentless warfare on him through the columns of the paper, giving him the name of " Fakey " Shinn. In allud- ing to Shinn, the paper would not use his proper name, but always applied to him the name of " Fakey."
Shinn had prior to this affair been mixed up in some shady transactions with one Ithamer MeCarty, in which, it is said, that Shinn had " buncoed " McCarty out of a consider- ble sum of money, and was arrested and placed on trial for the offence. This was often alluded to by the Herald in its attacks on Shinn, also many other transactions which Shinn was alleged to have been connected with. The matter was kept up to such an extent that Shinn became desperate, and Kinnard being city editor was thought to be the writer, and without any warning whatever, upon meeting Kinnard in ' the bar-room of the Doxey House on the day above men- tioned, drew a pistol from his pocket and fired. The ball grazed Kinnard's head, for a moment dazing him and almost felling him to the floor.
Shinn at once fled from the scene, but was subsequently arrested by the City Marshal and indicted by the Grand Jury on the charge of assault and battery with intent to kill. At his trial in the circuit court, Shinn was convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for a term of five years. He was vigorously prosecuted by the Hon. Thomas B. Orr, prosecuting attorney. Mr. Orr was assisted by the Hon. Charles 1 .. Henry, now member of Congress from this district.
The defense was conducted by the HIon. Winburn R. Pierse, Howell D. Thompson, and Calvin D. Thompson. The case was tried before the IIon. Eli B. Goodykoontz, Judge of the Madison Circuit Court.
When Shinn had served about two years of his sentence he was, through the efforts of his friends and by the kindness
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of heart of James D. Williams, Governor of Indiana, released from imprisonment on account of ill health. He returned to Anderson, resided here for several years and died of consump- tion.
It was doubted by many at the time of Shinn's trial whether he deserved so severe a sentence, and it was freely asserted by certain citizens who were acquainted with the cir- cumstances in the case that he should have been acquitted.
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CHAPTER LAV.
MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS AND REMINISCENCES.
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.
During the early part of the war a man by the name of McCloskey kept a saloon on North Main street, in Anderson, on the ground at present occupied by the Terhune block be- tween Ninth and Tenth streets. He did a good business and accumulated considerable real estate, being possessor of the lot and building upon which he carried on his business. Ile was also the owner of an excellent piece of property at the corner of Thirteenth and Main streets, now owned by Dr. J. N. Hilligoss.
McCloskey had a wife and a step-son whose name was John Dunlap, who lived with him.
Some time during the year 1863 or 1864, he mysteriously disappeared and nothing has been seen or heard of him in this community since. It was thought by some that he had gone to a distant city and been foully dealt with or that he had come to an accidental death, but no one ever knew of his whereabouts or what had befallen him. After the striking of gas in Anderson and the city had commenced to put on " airs" the old buildings that stood between Ninth and Tenth streets on the east side of Main, were torn down and gave way to the present brick structures. In digging the cellar beneath one of the buildings in 1888, a human skeleton was unearthed. No one could give an account of why it should have been depos- ited there as no burying ground had existed in that locality to the knowledge of even the oldest settlers. This mysterious affair set the tongues of gossips wagging and it was said by many that it certainly must be the skeleton of McCloskey, but no evidence was at hand to demonstrate that McCloskey had been killed by anyone in this community, nor was there anything found to cast suspicion upon anyone.
After his disappearance Mrs. McClosky having remained a widow for a period of two years became the wife of " San- dy " Carr, with whom she lived, and who carried on the sa-
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loon business in the block occupied by her former husband. During her widowhood, to make it certain that there would be no mistake in her re-marriage, she applied for a divorce in the Madison Common Pleas Court, which was granted by Hlon. William R. West, then judge of the Seventeenth Com- mon Pleas District. In her application she stated the facts of McCloskey's disappearance ; that he had abandoned her, and that his whereabouts were unknown to her, and also said that he was the owner of the real estate above mentioned and that she was his sole surviving heir, there being no issue by their marriage. She therefore claimed the title to the real estate, which the court accordingly decreed to her. Some question was afterward raised as to the validity of the title to the prop- erty, from the fact that the Common Pleas Court did not have jurisdiction in cases where the title to real estate was involved: but in a later proceeding brought in the Circuit Court to quiet title a verdict was granted in favor of the owners by purchase under Mrs. McCloskey. She afterward separated from Carr and drifted away from Anderson to Hamilton county where she may now be living for aught the writers know.
Sandy Carr, her husband, is yet alive and was in Ander- son only a short time ago.
To this day whatever became of McCloskey is a mystery and it, perhaps, will always remain so.
ARRESTED FOR FORGERY.
George L. Wilson, a young man residing seven miles west of Anderson, in Lafayette township, was placed under arrest on the 9th of September, 1887, for forging the name of John W. Closser, a well-to-do farmer in that neighborhood, and for attempting to procure funds upon the forged paper at the Exchange Bank. During the Madison County Fair a note was presented to one of the officers of the bank who examined it and became satisfied that the signature of John W. Closser was not genuine. Making some excuse to Wilson he was told to return in the afternoon and the note would be cashed for him. It had been ascertained in the meantime that Closser was in the city attending the fair. A messenger was sent for him and upon examination of the note he denounced it as a forgery.
William A. Kittinger was at that time Prosecuting At- torney of the county, and was at once notified of the affair. Ile in company with the City Marshal concealed themselves
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in the rear end of the bank, and when young Wilson returned for the money he was invited to take a seat in the back room while the clerk would compute the interest. As soon as he had closed the door behind him, he was placed under arrest by the Marshal, who accused him of the crime. The young man immediately broke down and confessed that the note was a forgery, but claimed that another party had committed the deed and had sent him after the money. The Circuit Court was then in session, being presided over by Hon. David Moss, of Noblesville. Wilson was placed in jail and an indictment returned against him by the grand jury on the following day. Ile was at once placed on trial. He made but little defense, but his attorney plead for him on account of his youth. Judge Moss found him guilty of the crime of forgery, but in conse- quence of his youthful appearance and his apparent ignorance of the enormity of the crime, and as this was his first offense, after pronouncing him guilty, gave him a good lecture and turned him loose on his good behavior. Ile immediately left the county and went to his people, who resided somewhere in Illinois, and has since that time never been seen in this vicinity.
GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN VISITS ANDERSON.
In the days of the old Union hall, George Francis Train, the renowned lecturer, editor, politician and theologian, de- livered one of his peculiar lectures in that once popular place . of amusement. Thomas N. Stilwell was then Anderson's great man. In his meanderings through social and political life he in some way met George Francis Train and was struck with his peculiar style. In the parlance of to-day, he was " stuck " on him.
Tom Stilwell, whether at home or abroad, always put Anderson down as the greatest town on earth. He loved the place and loved its people, and the people loved him. In order to give Anderson a taste of first-class literature, and an exam- ple of fine ability as an orator, Stilwell invited Mr. Train to visit him at his home, and while in the city to give the people a lecture at Union hall.
The time arrived and Mr. Train was on hand, with long, flowing locks and dressed in a black velvet suit of clothes, with diamonds in his shirt front and glittering on his fingers. In his full prime of life, he was one to be admired. Ile was as restless as a hyena, prancing from one side of the room to the
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other, greeting his callers with a warm grasp of the hand, in- forming each one that the people would arise, throw off the yoke of bondage and oppression, and, with a spontaneous out- burst, elect George Francis Train the next president of the United States.
It was evident from his actions at that time-1871-that he was strongly bordering on to " crankism," afterwards de- veloping into a full-blown crank.
The time arrived for him to go to the hall to deliver his lecture ; he was escorted there by a committee of prominent citizens. Stilwell, being the lion of the occasion, was to in- troduce Mr. Train to the audience. Mr. Train and his escort had arrived at the hall and were behind the curtain. Stilwell, for some cause, was late in getting in. Mr. Train wanted to get out of the city on an out-going train, and his time was growing short. He walked back and forth on the stage like a roaring lion, giving Stilwell the very devil for not coming. Finally Stilwell put in an appearance and up went the curtain. Stilwell stepped to the front, and in his happy style, placed his famous guest before the audience. Mr. Train pranced out like a wild man let out of a cage, and thrusting his hand through his shaggy hair, he commenced :
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