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 37
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Some doubts were entertained as to the real character in which Shoemaker was figuring in this matter, but the prevail- ing opinion seems to have been that he was acting in good
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faith as a detective in order to entrap the parties who medi- itated the robbery.
William Beeson, who was found in the store, was arrested by the officers, and, after a preliminary examination before 'Squire Roach, of Anderson, was required to give bond in the sum of $2,000 for his appearance at the subsequent term of the Madison Circuit Court. He was unable to give the required bail and was committed to jail, where he remained for a con- siderable length of time. At one time he made his escape and was recaptured by Albert J. Ross, who had in the mean- time become Sheriff of the county.
The Coroner, having empanelled a jury to hold an inquest over the dead body of Shoemaker, returned a verdict that he came to his death from a pistol shot inflicted by Stephen Met- calf, Deputy Sheriff of Madison county, in the discharge of his duty. A post-mortem examination was also made, after which the remains of Shoemaker were transmitted to bis friends in Centerville, in charge of a man who had come from that place to receive them.
KILLING OF J. FRANK STANLEY.
On the 22d of June, 1895, J. Frank Stanley, a blind fid- dler, a grandson of Jacob Stanley, an influential farmer living between Florida and Frankton, was killed on the Pan Handle railroad near the town of Frankton. He was seen along the track at the time, but as he was not conscious of the appoach- ing train, was run down and instantly killed. His remains were taken to the house of his grandfather. A coroner's inquest was held and a verdict returned in accordance with the foregoing facts.
REMINISCENCES-ONE OF GOD'S NOBLEMEN.
Among the old-timers of Madison county, none is more worthy of mention than Noah Waymire, late of Pipe Creek township. Noah formerly lived in Wayne county, from whence he moved to this county, in an early day, settling in the wilds of Pipe Creek township, where he cut out a large farm and made for himself and family a handsome fortune. He belonged to one of the largest families in the United States.
Every year the Waymire family, at some point in this great union of States, holds a reunion ; at these meetings, nearly every State is represented. Uncle Noah always
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delighted in being on hand at these gatherings. He was a man of commanding appearance and a fluent talker. Had he been educated and trained in politics in his younger .days, he would have been one of the political giants of the the times. Ile was large, portly and good-looking, and was a man whom one would turn around and look at if he passed him on the street.
No old settlers' meeting was complete without the pres- ence of Noah Waymire ; he went far and near to all the gath- erings of old settlers. He was generally the orator of the occasion ; he could speak long and loud, never failing to inter- est his hearers. He was uneducated, but the good Lord endowed him with the gift of commanding an untold sup- ply of language, which seemed to roll out of him without .effort. His greatest delight at an old settlers' picnic was to tell of the early trials of the pioneer settlers, and contrast the habits of the people then, with those of now, telling how the early settlers lived, worked, loved and courted. He said at one of these meetings at Perkinsville, a few years ago :
" Why, girls. you are here today, with your bustles and hoop-skirts on, you don't know the real enjoyments of young and blooming womanhood. When I was a young man, when I went out walking with a girl I didn't encounter any such obstacles as these contrivances you've got on ; when I walked with a girl I walked right up 'against' her all the way up ; when you put them riggins on you disfigure the beautiful form that nature gave you ; you deceive the one who adores you, by your false make-up."
He said that " when he went sparkin' in them good old days " they didn't have any parlor, nor any drawing-room. There was but one room in the house ; this room was used as a kitchen, parlor, bed-room and drawing-room; there was an old-fashioned fire-place in the house, where a big " back log " and a cord of wood made up the fire for warming the house. On Sunday nights, when he went to see his girl, he would have to sit and chat with the old folks until the girl got the supper dishes " done up." When bedtime came, he and the girl would shut their eyes until the old people got in bed. The smaller children were stored away in a trundle bed, and then business set in. He said he always took " shot pouch " holds on his girl, and never let go until daylight next morning.
When he took his girl to church, or an entertainment,
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she would always ride behind him on a horse, sometimes the distance being three or four miles. Uncle Noah was so enter- taining in his way of talking that his hearers always lost sight of many of his rude expressions and plain way of putting things, becoming so worked up in his stories that they were sorry when he stopped. The good old men of the Noah Waymire stripe are fast passing away, there being but few left who came with him to Madison county when it was a wilderness. David Waymire Wood is a near relative of Noah Waymire, and is, in fact, named for him and inherits much of his brilliant wit, humor and oratory.
A WOMAN IN POLITICS.
In the history of Madison county politics many women have cut a conspicuous figure, as well as the men. In many instances women who figure in politics become more active and shrewder than men, laying plans and making sugges- tions.
Among the women who have figured in the campaigns of Madison county, " Aunt Peggy Bowers," of Dundee, has cut quite a swath. Twenty years ago Dundee was known by the name of " Mudsock." There was no railroad there at that time, and Mudsock was away out in the woods, being the next thing to no place. The woods were so dense around its soli- tary precincts that the sun hardly ever peeped in. The place was rightfully named, from the fact that the mud was so deep the year round that it was almost impossible to get there with a wagon or carriage of any kind. Peggy Bowers kept a wet grocery, or liquor shop, in that isolated place for many years, Oliver Griffee officiating as her principal salesman.
Riley Etchison kept a place of the same character near at hand. Etchison's farm was a great place for shooting- matches, while Peggy's place was the general rendezvous for local poli- ticians to congregate and fix up the slate for the county nomi- nations for the north part of the county.
A candidate was not properly in the race until he had visited Peggy Bowers' ranch, and got the Mudsockers all in line. When solidly entrenched behind Peggy's works the candidate was pretty sure of victory. William Long was then a central figure in all campaigning. He was generally on hand at the gatherings at Peggy's place, taking a hand in the festivities and lending his advice to the candidates. Since
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the days of railroads Bill has lost his grip and is considered a back number.
In 1870, the Republicans, through a split in the Demo- cratic ranks, made a clean sweep and elected every officer in Madison county, except the Clerk of the Court. David K. Carver was the successful candidate for Sheriff, defeating John Little, of Pipe Creek township.
This defeat had the effect to weld together the broken links in the Democratic ranks, and in the following election in 1872 every effort was made to bring about a Democratic victory. A. Ross, of Pipe Creek township, was placed in nomination for Sheriff against D. K. Carver, who was a can- didate for re-election. Every one conceded he had a hard race, as Carver was popular and had made a good Sheriff.
Ross was then a young man, full of vim and made a hust- ling race. Many were afraid, on account of his being young and mischievous, the older and quieter element would not sup- port him. But as the fight went on, he grew in the race. One Sunday a crowd of politicians congregated at Peggy Bowers' to compare notes and lay plans. During the day, some of them got inside the house and closed the doors, shut- ting Ross and his friends out. He demanded entrance and, upon being refused, got a rail and battered the door down. It was soon heralded over the county, and it was thought he had put his foot so deep into it that he could not get through, but he only worked the harder. When the election came around he was the leader on the ticket. It was always said afterwards that Ross beat his opponent and " carried a rail."
Peggy Bowers and Riley Etchison for years sold liquor in any quantity, without license, often figuring in the courts in prosecutions for violating the law, but it was cheaper to pay fines than to take out license.
Mudsock is now a beautiful place, with the timber cleared away, and is one of the finest farming communities in the county. Peggy and her " pull " have given way to civil- ization and good society. Her days of usefulness as a local light in politics have gone glimmering, and the world moves on.
PLAYED THE INSANITY DODGE.
James Stilly, a rather worthless fellow, for many years lived in different parts of Madison county, and died in Ander- son, January, 1884. He at one time lived in Pipe Creek township, making his headquarters in the neighborhood of
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Frankton. Stilly was once placed under arrest on suspicion of being accessory to some horse stealing in that neighborhood and was placed upon trial for the crime. Ile had a bad case against him and in order to avoid the clutches of the law he was advised, by his attorney, to play the insanity dodge.
Stilly was a peculiar looking man, not being possessed of an over-bright intellect, and it was an easy thing for him to impress upon the jury that he was non compos mentis. The event of which we speak took place in the year 1851, when the late William Roach was Sheriff of Madison county. For several years prior to this time there had been a bad gang in Pipe Creek township, who had given the Sheriff and other officers a great deal of trouble. They were connected with similar organizations established in Wayne county, and to the west as far as the Wabash river. Horses were stolen along the eastern border of the State and run to this county, and after they had been rested up a little were taken- to Logans- port and other towns along the Wabash river. There are yet living many citizens in Pipe Creek township who could sub- stantiate the existence of such a band if they were placed upon the witness stand. They were generally desperate, reckless men such as are usually engaged in that calling, and the neighborhood was in great fear of them. Very often persons, whose horses had been stolen, would pursue the thieves through Anderson on towards the west, but generally with poor success, inasmuch as after they reached this neighbor- hood they would generally be lost sight of.
The cause of Stilly's incarceration was that a valuable horse had been stolen from a farmer in this county and run to the rendezvous near Frankton where Stilly at that time lived. It is said that one of the leaders of the band induced Stilly to take the horse to Logansport, where he sold it. The owner pursued him and arrived soon after Stilly did. He recognized his horse on seeing it and established its identity and secured it. He also caused Stilly to be arrested and brought back to Anderson for trial, while the man who had really stolen the horse escaped. Before the trial came on Stilly's attorney had a pri- vate interview with him in which he asked him if he could not play the insane act on the trial. The idea was favorable to Stilly. who answered that " he could try mighty hard and thought he could make it work." When the 'rial came off a large crowd was in attendance. From the very first Stilly played his part to perfection. He would look silly and indif-
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. ferent at every thing around him; would twist up small bits of paper between his fingers and holding them up between himself and the light, would laugh like an idiot. He cried during the course of the trial and acted so strangely that he almost convinced the people and the jury that he was insane. When the argument began Stilly's attorney made a very elo- quent address to the jury in his behalf in which he pictured the great injustice that would be done to humanity by commit- ing to prison this unfortunate, insane youth. He spoke feel- ingly of the great wrong it would be to punish his client for committing an act that he did not know was wrong. When the jury retired for deliberation, they were very much divided on the question of his alleged insanity, and could not reach a verdict for several hours. However, a verdict was at last agreed upon and he received a sentence of two years in the penitentiary and was taken by the Sheriff and two other pris- oners overland in a wagon to Columbus, Indiana, and then by rail to Jeffersonville prison. The prisoner behaved very well during his confinement and learned the trade of a cooper, which he for several years afterwards followed when he returned to Anderson.
James Stilly was one of the greatest fishermen that ever lived in this county. During the summer season he would go along the banks of White river, month in and month out to indulge in his favorite sport and rarely ever returned without having a long string of fish. He never referred to his early life. and after his discharge from prison was always a quiet inoffensive citizen and lived a rather exemplary life.
Stilly was the man who saved the old Baptist church from fire, a circumstance we have already spoken of in another place in this volume.
INCENDIARY FIRE.
A destructive fire, which is supposed to have been the work of an incendiary, occurred on a Saturday night in November, 1857. The building burned was a new one just erected, and was owned by Quick & Murphy. It was a large structure containing a store, warehouse, railroad ticket office, and post-office, all under one roof. Nothing in the building was saved. The proprietors had just moved into their new headquarters, and had stored their warehouse with supplies, and had on hand a large stock of dry goods and groceries. The loss was estimated to be about $5,000, with no insurance. Suspicion rested on two parties who were engaged in keeping
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a saloon, or doggery, in Frankton, named Isaac Sigler and John Ravy. It is said that they had threatened Messrs. Quick & Murphy with their vengeance only a short time before this occurrence. Sigler and Ravy had both been previously arrested, charged with tearing up a railroad switch at Frank- ton. Sigler gave bail, and Ravy, in default of bail, was lodged in the county jail. This is said to have been the cause of their purpose to burn the building. Sigler and Ravy were both tried for the crime of arson, but in consequence of insuffi- cient evidence were acquitted.
Sigler and Ravy were afterwards arrested for robbing Atherton's store at Frankton, and convicted. Sigler was sent to the State's prison, where he died, but Ravy made his escape and afterwards fell from a railroad bridge and was killed.
In an issue of an Anderson paper of November 27, 1857, we find the following editorial : "The citizens of Frankton having endured a low groggery, kept by an Italian by the name of John Ravy, until forbearance ceased to be a virtue, the ladies of that place a few days since boldly walked into his saloon and quietly poured out the disgusting compound." We are informed by a friend who chanced to be in Frankton at the time, that the act was done in a quiet and orderly man- ner, and that the ladies deserved credit for the manner in which it was performed. Ravy is the same person who was connected with the burning of Quick & Murphy's store.
A BURGLARY.
We find, in the Anderson Standard, the following account of a robbery committed at Frankton on August 12, 1858 :
" On Tuesday night, last, the store of Messrs. Atherton was robbed of $6.15 in cash and about sixty dollars worth of goods. On Wednesday James and Isaac Sigler, of that place, were arrested and the money found on their persons, and the goods were found secreted. They were detected by means of a plan laid by Officer Raney, of Cincinnati. Frankton had been for some time infested with housebreakers, and the citi- zens secured the services of this officer to ferret out the crime, which resulted in the capture of these two persons. Two other persons were suspected as being accessories to the lar- ceny, but made their escape. The two Siglers were brought to Anderson, and tried before 'Squire William II. Mershon
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and were bound over to appear before the Circuit Court, and in default of bail were placed in jail."
On the 2nd of September, following, James and Isaac Sigler were tried in court for the above robbery and were con- victed and sentenced to the State's prison for a term of two years each. They were safely lodged in the penitentiary at Jeffersonville on the Saturday following their conviction. Isaac Sigler is the same person suspected of burning Murphy & Quick's store, referred to formerly.
CHAPTER LXXVI.
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP.
This township contains an area of twenty-eight and one- half square miles and is situated in the eastern central part of the county. It is bounded on the north by Monroe township. on the east by Delaware county, on the south by Anderson and Union townships, and on the west by La Fayette township. The land is as rich and productive as can be found in Central Indiana, and hence the township was christened " Richland." It was organized in 1834, or about four years after William Curtis entered and settled on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 31, where he built a log cabin-the first erected by a white man in the township. Soon after Mr. Cur- tis located in the township, David Penisten entered a part of what is now known as the David Croan farm. John Shinkle was the next settler. Following these two early settlers came John Beal, William McClosky, James and William Maynard, Adam Pence, Joseph Brown, Joseph Bennett, Peter Keicher, Samuel Stephens, J. W. Westerfield, John Hunt, Christian Lower. J. R. Holston, Thomas Thornburg, Michael Bronnen- berg, Randolph Chambers, Jonathan Dillon. John Coburn, Weems Heagy, Jacob and Michael Bronnenberg, Jesse Fork- ner, Jacob Stover and others. The first settlers were com- pelled to cut their way through a dense forest as the township was heavily timbered and the underbrush so thick that travel on horseback or in wagons was. impossible. In the fall of 1830 the State road from Shelbyville to Fort Wayne was laid out and, as it passed through this township, the settlers soon had an outlet to Anderson.
Big and Little Killbuck flow through the township and are its only streams. The former in an carly day furnished water power for several mills, all of which have disappeared save one, the Broadbent Woolen Factory. Among the mills that once stood on the banks of this unpretending, but impor. tant stream was a saw-mill built in 1833 by Matthew Feni- more in the extreme south- west corner of the township. Soon
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after this mill was built, William Curtis and James Barnes erected a small grist-mill near by it. These mills both used. the same dam, but divided the water until the saw-mill was abandoned. The grist-mill was afterward purchased by Rob- ert Adams, an Englishman, who, in 1850, converted it into a woolen-mill, which he operated successfully for many years. This mill was situated at the intersection of the road now known as the Alexandria pike and the road running east and west along the south line of the township. It was destroyed by fire in 1876. It was thought at the time that the fire was the work of incendiaries, and a number of the employes at the factory were arrested on the charge of arson, but nothing could be proved against them and they were acquitted. Ben- jamin Walker built a saw-mill on Killbuck on Section 28 at an early day, and in 1840 added a carding machine, which he operated with indifferent success for a few years. Not long after this John B. Purcell built a woolen factory near the same site, which he operated for several years, when he sold the property to Stephen Broadbent.
CHURCHIES.
A small class of Methodists was organized at an early day in the edge of Monroe township and their meetings were held for several years in private houses. The class or society after- ward held its meetings in the Holston school house for a num- ber of years and in 1860 erected a neat place of worship on Section S at a. cost of $1,200. This church was christened " Wesley Chapel," and is as widely known as any place of worship in the county. The membership at the present time is about thirty. Among the early ministers who held services regularly every two weeks at this church were Revs. B. H. Bradley, Isaac King, H. Smith, Joseph Marsee, J. H. Hall, J. R. Lacey and J. H. Jackson.
In 1832 the Asbury M. E. Church was organized by Elias Hollingsworth and Joseph Barnes near the Union township line, and in 1833 Elias Hollingsworth. Samuel Shinkle and Joseph Barnes were selected as a Board of Trustees for the purpose of erecting a permanent place of worship. On the 28th of December, 1833, Joseph Barnes and wife deeded to the trustees one and a half acres in Section 28, on what is still known as the John Nelson farm, where a log church was sub- sequently erected. Meetings were held here for many years, Elias Hollingsworth officiating. In 1870 the society built a
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new place of worship on the bank of Killbuck, a short dis- tance west of the old meeting-house. This building cost about $1,500, and was dedicated September 13, 1870, by Rev. Dr. Bowman, President of Asbury, now DePauw, University. Among the early members of this church should be mentioned the names of Samuel Shinkle, Joseph Barnes, Daniel Goody- koontz, David Tappan, and their wives. The church main- tained a flourishing Sunday school for many years.
In 1854 Hiram Chambers and wife, John Chambers and ยท wife, Susan Chambers, Mary Chambers and Nancy Scott organized what has since been known as the Chambers Chris- tian Church. Hiram Chambers deeded the society a small piece of land on Section 27, and in 1869 a place of worship was erected there at a cost of about $1,500.
What was known as the Wesleyan Camp Meeting Asso- ciation flourished at one time in this township, and meet- ings were held annually for many years and were largely attended by people from all over the country. Meetings have not been held for several years past. The camp grounds were situated on the old J. R. Holsten farm near Wesley Chapel.
THE SCHOOLS.
In 1858 the township had 401 children of legal school age ; in 1868 it had 398; in 1872 it had 386, and in 1896 it had 230, or a decrease of forty-three per cent in thirty-eight years. The township has seven school buildings, five of which are brick and two frame, and employs seven teachers. Mr. Joseph Keicher is the present trustee of the township.
OTHER STATISTICAL MATTERS.
The population of the township in 1850 was 850; in 1860 it was 926: in 1870 it was 1,056; in 1880 it was 985; and in 1890 it was 891.
The value of lands in the township in 1896 was $524,865 ; value of lands and improvements $555,085; total value of tax- ables $663,605.
VILLAGES.
In 1835 Zimri Moon laid out a town on Section 15, which was afterwards known as " Moonville." From 1838 to 1840, or during the time of the construction of the Indiana Central Canal, considerable business was done here, but with the col- lapse of that enterprise Moonville began to decline and is today a village of memory, as its houses long since disappeared and 59
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its site is now devoted to agriculture. The farm where the village stood is owned by Joseph Hancock, of Anderson, and his son, William II. Hancock, cultivates it. Among those who did business in Moonville were Abraham Adamson, Nathan Williams, James Trimble, and James Swaar, Riley Moore, Samuel and Joseph Pence, John C. Gustin, and John Winslow. The late John W. Westfield was the only resident physician the village ever had. He practiced his profession here in the latter '30s. At that time the locality of the village was very unhealthy, but it is now one of the healthiest sections in the country.
One of the noted characters of Moonville was a man of the name of Zachariah Cook who kept a lodging house on his farm near the village. Mr. Cook had a handsome daughter, Eliza, who was a general favorite and is still well remembered by the old-timers in that and other parts of the county. She was a fearless horsewoman and won many premiums for superior riding at county fairs.
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