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 43
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his headlight, when on returning he discovered a man on the track, about forty-five rods in front of him. He immediately got into the cab and whistled down brakes. The man was inside the track. on the left side rail. when the engine struck him. The train passed over him and ran some distance before it could be stopped. The engineer went back and found him in the middle of the track. He was dead when they reached him, and his flesh was still quivering. He was going towards Anderson, the same way the train was running.
On investigation of the affair before the grand jury the engineer was held blameless.
THE FIRST CASE OF INSANITY.
A great deal of the early history of Madison county is traditional. Newspapers in those days Were few and far between, and no records of events were kept, as in the pres- ent time.
The first insanity case that can be traced to any authentic source is related to us by Dr. William Suman, who is an old resident of Madison county, well posted on pioneer history, with a good knowledge of men of early times and a wonder- ful memory. We quote him as follows :
" The first case of insanity in this county was that of Isaac Van Matre, who committed suicide July 2, 1834. He was at the time living on his . place,' east of Anderson about two miles, near the Larimore ford, now owned by Mrs. James Gray, of Anderson. The particulars of the incident are as follows : Van Matre had been visiting his son, William Van- Matre, who at that time lived north of Daleville. On the morning of July 2d, in company with another man, he started toward home. Both men were on horseback. After they had gone a considerable distance. Isaac Van Matre, who was demented at the time, struck his horse a terrible blow and left his companion far behind, who was unable to keep up with him, and saw him pass under a tree and was swept off the horse by a limb. Picking himself up he rushed wildly through the woods and was soon lost sight of by his pursuer. He was found two days afterwards, hanging to a tree within sight of his home, by William Dilts, one of his neighbors. His son William, whom he had been visiting. killed himself one year afterwards, while out hunting, by shooting himself acci- dentally."
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY , INDIAV.A.
MURDER OF WILLIAM AND ISAAC ISANOGLE.
One of the most atrocious crimes ever committed in Mad- ison county occurred in Union township on the 17th of March. 1868, whereby William Isanogle, aged twenty years, and his brother, Isaac Isanogle, aged sixteen years, were stabbed to death by George Stottler.
Stottler had been to Anderson on the day of the murder. and late in the evening had gone to the Isanogle home in an intoxicated condition, where he demanded the use of a horse for a few hours and on being refused became engaged in a quarrel with the two young men, which terminated by Stottler stabbing them both to the heart with a knife that he had pur- chased at the drug store of Brandon & Hunt in Anderson on that day. Early on Sunday morning following the tragedy. news was brought to Anderson of the horrible deed that had been committed on the previous night. The excitement became very great, and knots of men gathered on the street corners discussing the particulars as they were gleaned from those who brought the news, and an intense feeling was ex- pressed that no trial should be granted the murderer, but as soon as captured he should be hung on the nearest tree. A searching party was at once formed, headed by Cornelius Daugherty, who was at that time Marshal of Anderson. The roads were in a horrible condition from the fact that heavy rains and snow had fallen a few days previous, yet this did not deter the people from town and the country from engaging in the chase. A small company started out on horseback for Dela- ware county; others scoured the country in the direction of Daleville and other points, while crowds of people went through the country in every direction in quest of the mur- derer. There were fully five hundred people armed with shot- guns, revolvers and clubs on that bright Sunday morning. looking for Stottler. Hay stacks, barns, ont-houses and the woods - in fact every place for miles around was searched in hopes of capturing him. Finally, at the hour of 1! o'clock. about one-half mile west of the scene of the murder, lying asleep behind a log the murderer was di-covered by Marshal Daugherty, A. J. Hunt and Ira Harpold, who were together. The signal was given and fifty persons surrounded the mur- derer within five minutes. . The majority of the crowd was in favor of hanging him then and there and came very near car- rying out their wishes; but a few determined men held them
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
at bay, and Stottler, in two hours after his capture, was safely lodged in the Madison county jail.
The murderer said that immediately after the killing of the two boys he had started on a long tramp, determining to get out of the country before daylight, but after two hours journey found himself only a mile from the scene of the trag- edy. The fact was that the night was so very dark that he could not see his way and soon became bewildered and went around over and over the same ground until he became tired out and laid down to rest, having no idea at the time where he was. He said that it seemed to him afterward that there was something that held him to the fatal spot ; that do what he might he could not retreat far from it although having several hours the advantage of his pursuers. Immediately after the tragedy a party was made up by those in the neighborhood to overtake him, but the darkness of the night enabled him soon to be beyond their reach.
Stottler was confined in jail several months before his trial and threats were made during his incarceration to pull down the jail and hang him, but owing to the stern determination of Sheriff James H. Snell such a scene was prevented. Finally Stottler's attorney, Hon. Alfred Kilgore, of Muncie, secured a change of venue to Delaware county and he was taken there for trial. After a hard fought legal battle, in which he was ably defended by the Hon. Alfred Kilgore, Hon. I. D. Thompson and Hon. C. D. Thompson, of Anderson, the State being ably represented by Mr. Brotherton, of Muncie, and the Hon. Jonathan W. Gordon, of Indianapolis, Stottler was convicted of the crime of murder and sentenced to imprisonment for life and was incarcerated in the Michigan City prison, where he is at this writing serving out his time. A visitor to the North- ern prison not long since gave a brief account of Stottler as follows : "Sitting on a chair with his arms banging by his side, his cold eyes fixed intently upon us as we gazed at him for a second, was George Stottler, the principal of the great tragedy in Union township in 1868. We did not interview him, as we had no desire to do so, but a mm upon whom he fixed his eyes can never forget their expression. Being a life man Stottler takes things easy and is not compelled to work hard, but like the caged hyena, pants for freedom. Stottler has made several attempts through attorneys and friends to be pardoned or to get out on parole, but all his efforts up to this time have been without avail. He has been the longest in
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confinement, with but two exceptions, of any prisoner in the Northern Penitentiary.
Since the election of the Hon. Claude Mathews as Gov- ernor of Indiana a strong petition was presented to him in Stottler's behalf, signed by a large number of the citizens of Madison county, and urged by the HIon. J. W. French, the warden of the Northern Prison, and the governor had about made up his mind to release Stottler from his confinement when opposition arose among the friends of the Isanogles, many of whom made threats of violence should Stottler be released, and upon these grounds the governor refused to par- don him.
Stottler was known during his residence in Madison county to be of a malicious disposition, reckless in his conduct, a man of undoubted courage in a combat, and when in an intox- icated condition a person to be strictly avoided. On the day of the hanging of Milton White, in 1867, for the murder of Hoppes, Stottler was present and climbed to the top of the highest tree near the place of execution in order that he might witness the awful scene, little expecting that within one year his own life would be in jeopardy for a like crime. Outside of the many friends of the Isanogles there has been for years a strong sentiment among some of the citizens, that Stottler, having spent an ordinary lifetime behind the prison walls, and suffered sufficiently for his crime, ought to be released, but as long as those are living who are related to the Isanogles, it is not probable he will ever gain his freedom. The Hon. J. W. French, the ex-warden of the prison, gives Stottler the credit of being a model prisoner, although during the first years of his incarceration he was very unruly and hard to control, the guards having at all times a close watch upon him. At one time, while working in a cooper shop in the prison, in order to avoid his task he cut off two of his fingers with a broad-axe, but during his latter years an entire change has come over him, and he is altogether a different man in his demeanor. Since the above was written Governor Claude Mathews par- doned Stottler in January, 1897, and he is now in Illinois.
IMPRISONED ON AN ISLAND.
Max Miller, a German, who, for many years, has been a resident of Union township, had a thrilling experience on the Sth of August, 1896. He had gone to a Beld, situated on an island near the Spiritualist camp grounds. with a two-horse
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
team, in quest of a load of fodder. The heavy rains caused the river to rise rapidly, and whilst there, he was entirely sur- rounded by the waters, and attempted to drive his team out, when both horses were drowned and Miller narrowly escaped with his own life. He was a prisoner on the island, threat- ened with submersion for several hours, until a raft could be constructed and men went to his relief. This was one of the most sudden rises in White river that has been known for many years. It was caused by the bursting of a cloud near the head waters of the stream, and the heavy rains that fol- lowed.
FOUND DEAD.
On the 18th of July, 1891, William Wayts. a farm hand, was found dead at the roots of a tree, on the farm of James Gold, of Union township. He had been on a protracted spree, which he was accustomed to take, and had laid out all night, and died from exposure or from over stimulation. He was a harmless fellow, well liked by those who employed him. He was a slave to alcohol and could not resist it. He was at one time a resident of Anderson and was employed by A. J. Ross as a hostler, when Mr. Ross was Sheriff of Madi- son county.
BRICK FACTORY DESTROYED BY FIRE.
A disastrous fire occurred at Chesterfield on the night of the 19th of April, 1890, by which the extensive brick works of the Gold Brothers were totally destroyed. The loss was about $3.000. covered with insurance. The fire originated from a burning flambeau that was left in the building in the evening when labor was abandoned by the crew who did the work in the plant.
The works were rebuilt, and afterwards passed into the hands of the Chesterfield Brick Company, and is now one of Madison county's best manufacturing establishments. The Trueblood Brothers are the principal owners of the stock, and operate the factory. .
They make large shipments of brick to Indianapolis and other points. Col. Roswell Hill, ex-State Treasurer of Indi- ana, was until quite recently a stockholder in these works.
REMINISCENCES-THE " MILLERITES.
We are furnished the following account of an episode in the history of our county, by Dr. William Suman, that is
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interesting. especially to the old-timers who are yet living in the community and remember the occurrence :
" There was, during the Hos, a sect known as the Miller- ites, who were quite strong in Madison county, some of whom are yet living and hold to their faith. They were always looking and predicting the end of the world. On a certain day in January. 1814. it was prophesied by these people that the last day would come. That it would commence to show on the day before. That it would turn to oil, catch fire and the elements would melt with fervent heat and all should be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Christ, with one foot on the sea and one on the land, proclaiming that time shall be no more.
" From the circumstances which followed, one is made to believe that the subject had been pondered over by everybody in the neighborhood, which was in Union township, and occurred at the 'Auterbine' brick church, one mile west of Chesterfield.
"Everybody began to wonder if it would snow on that day, and as the time approached greater concern was plainly manifested. The day before the end every appearance of the sky, clouds, wind and the condition of the atmosphere were anxiously observed.
" When the sky became overcast with: nowy lookingclouds, many times the question was asked " Will it snow?" and in this respect the prophecy proved true, for on that day snow fell to the depth of four or five inches. Now the people were amazed and began to observe among the animals on the farm to see if any strange or uneasy state among them could be seen.
"The day was one unusually dark and still, and not very cold. To complete the climax on this occasion. I will relate what took place at the . Auterbine' church on the night of that day. The Protestant Methodist church had organized a society at the home of Willliam Free, just across the river from the church. They had asked the Trustees of the . Auterbine ' church the privilege of holding meeting in their house, which was granted. Some four weeks previous to this an appoint- ment was sent and it. by co-incidence, fell on the night of the day in which the world would end. Now this added to the day still greater concern, and everybody for milesaround went to church, trudging through the snow, not knowing how soon it might turn to oil, when the conflagration would set in. thinking one place as safe as another. possibly in the church
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of God the safest. When time for services arrived the house was full, possibly four hundred people being present.
" The minister ascended the pulpit, announced the hymn : every one sang or tried to sing. With all this there was a more than ordinary solemnity. A prayer, a text, and the minister began to preach to a house full of people as still as death, pos- sibly listening to hear the first crash of the world's ending. This state of the meeting went on for about fifteen or twenty minutes when all of a sudden two windows were crushed in, and a consternation then existed that is seldom seen. Nearly everybody jumped to his feet ; women screamed and crowded to the middle of the house, many of them having been struck with the fragments of the glass ; men were dumbfounded, wait- ing, seemingly, to see if the next crash would be the end of the world. The minister called out 'Be quiet, it is a mob. I will close the meeting, sing, " When Ican read my title clear to mansions in the skies."' A part of the congregation tried to help the preacher sing. The first stanza was completed, and just at the beginning of the second stanza, bang, jingle and crash came in two more windows, and each side of the pulpit where the preacher stood ; glass flying all over the house.
" The scene was now terrible ; women shrieking, some cry- ing, the men all in a turbulent state, some calling out, . a mob! a mob!' running to the door and picking up sticks of stove wood as they hurried out. The doxology ended abruptly with no benediction.
" As soon as the men were out of the church they began to search for the cause of the trouble and discovered men's tracks in the snow by the windows which had been broken in. The tracks were followed a short distance north of the church, when Frederick Bronnenberg, now of Anderson, with Brazel- ton Noland, recognized William Griffith and Richard Godwin as the perpetrators of the joke.
" The young men were very mad when they found that they had been discovered, and at once wanted to fight and whip somebody. In less time than it takes to tell it William Griffith was biting the snow, which had not turned to oil. The only sign of oil in the snow was where William had lain, and that was mixed with his own blood.
" Upon further investigation it was found that these two young men had become intoxicated in Chesterfield and said that they would make the people believe sure enough that the world was coming to an end. Their first intention was to
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
shoot an old ' swivel' cannon into the church through a win- dow on the east side, where the women were sitting. They failed, however, in discharging the cannon, which caused them to break the windows. Had they been successful in dis- charging the gun it would have been a miracle if a number of women had not been killed, for those with their backs to the window were within fifteen inches of the cannon's mouth. Dr. George W. Godwin, father of Richard Godwin, at once went to see the trustees of the church and, if posssble, to settle the matter. The agreement was reached that the Doctor should repair the church and that William Griffith, with Richard Godwin, should come before the minister and trustees and con- fess that they had done wrong and would do so no more.
" Some time the following May a church full of people saw William Griffith and Richard Godwin go forward to the altar and confess their error. The minister took each by the hand. forgave them in an earnest prayer urging them to be good menl.
" Thus ended one of the Millerism world-ending days inci- dents which was very near a tragedy."
BRAZELTON NOLAAND, AN OLD TIME CITIZEN. .
Brazelton Noland was one of the earliest settlers in Union township, having entered the land on which the Poor Farm is located, in December, 1821. Being a large. vigorous, and industrious man, he soon had the heavy forests cleared away and made it one of the pleasantest spots in the county. He was the father of a large family, some of whom became prominent in politics. Ilis son. W. W. Noland, who died a short time ago at Riverside, California, was twice elected Treasurer of Madison county. It was at the residence of Mr. Noland that the first United Brethren Church Society was organized. They built a brick house for worship in 1-40. on the farm of Mr. Noland. He served two terms as County Commissioner, and was elected Treasurer, assuming the office in 1844. Only one person who signed the official bond of Mr. Noland is yet living, the venerable Frederick Bronnenberg. The other signers were Christopher 2. Young, John Suman. William Free, William Dilts, Dr. George Godwin, and William B. Allen. The Board of County Commissioners who accepted Mr. Noland's bond was composed of William Sparks. William W. Wilson and Thomas L. Bell. who have also passed away. The following is a copy of a report that Mr.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIAN.1.
Noland filed on the 5th day of December, 1844, with the Board of County Commissioners : " A true statement of the amount and kind of funds now remaining in my hands as Treasurer. Three hundred and fifty dollars in par funds, one hundred and forty dollars in scrip, making in all four hundred and ninety dollars. December the tenth, 1844."
"B. NOLAND, Treas ."
Ile served two terms, retiring from the office with credit to himself and the general respect of the public. After the expira- tion of his term of office he engaged for a short period in the dry-goods trade, after which he removed to Chesterfield, and there built, in 1853, a large steam saw and flour mill, which he operated until 1855, when he sold it and moved to Illinois, where he remained until 1865, when he again removed to Indiana. In the year 1878 he removed to Riverside, Califor- nia, where he resided until the time of his death. Mr. Noland at one time owned the farm on which the suburb of Shade- land, in Anderson, is now situated.
WONDERFUL CAREER OF A SLICK CITIZEN.
In the spring of 1861, about the time of the breaking out of the rebellion, a stranger appeared in Anderson hafling from the South. He was finely dressed and of very polished man- ners, and soon ingratiated himself into the confidence of those with whom he came in contact. He took up his abode with a prominent farmer of Union township, where he had rooms and board. He made daily visits to the city of Anderson, and gave his name as Henry V. Clinton. He will be well remembered by the older citizens. He was a finely educated man, being a graduate of Princeton College, New Jersey. Hle came from a good family in New Orleans. He was tall and slender, very stylish in appearance, and wore a moustache and " burnside " whiskers. He was reputed to be very wealthy. and expressed a desire to get away from the excitement of his southern home on account of the political feeling prevalent there.
He had not been in this locality very long before he gained the confidence of Mr. Berryman Shafer, the farmer alluded to above, and at whose house he made his home. His intimacy with the Shafer family resulted in his courting and marrying the eldest daughter. In the spring after this event, he and his young wife removed to Anderson and boarded among some of the best families in the city. He made mary trips south dur- ing his residence in Anderson, ostensibly to visit his relatives.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA.
Upon his return from these trips he would exhibit large sums of money which he claimed had been given him by friends at his old home. In the spring of 1862 his father-in-law, Mr. Shafer, became a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the office of Sheriff of Madison county, Mr. Clinton took charge of his campaign and spent many thousand dollars in his behalf. It is a fact that Mr. Clinton introduced into Madison county the first money campaign that ever took place for nom- inations, and educated the people in that line to such an extent that for many years it became an absolute necessity in making a successful race. This campaign placed him in close relation with many of the leaders in the Democratic party, notably with William W. Noland, who was at that time Treasurer of Madison county. He succeeded so very thoroughly in gaining the confidence of Mr. Noland that he and his wife were taken into the Noland family as confidants. During his stay with them he made many valuable and handsome presents to the Noland family, among which was a very fine silver set. His visits to the south took place as often as once or twice a month ; upon his return each time he made Mr. Noland's office a place of deposit for his money and at times deposited as much as $15,000.00, taking Mr. Noland's receipt for the same. On one of these occasions it was noticed a few days after he had made a large deposit that a package containing $4,000 was missing from the treasury safe and suspicion pointed strongly towards Mr. Clinton, and it is said that he made the shortage good. When Mr. Noland retired from the treasurer's office he came out short in the sum of $17,000. It has always been believed by Mr. Noland's friends that the money was taken by Mr. Clinton, although no positive proof was ever introduced on the subject, nor did Mr. Noland openly accuse him of the same. Clinton was mixed up in many different crimes, prominent among which was one in Rochester, New York, in the year 1867, where a gang of robbers and burglars was organized. Prominent among this gang were George Wilkes, the famous forger : Philip Hargreave, Joe Randall, and Joe Chapman. who are now serving life sentences in Smyrnia, Turkey. George and Loftus Brotherton, McCay and Charles Moore were also in the band. The Brotherton brothers were placed in prison in Sacramento afterward for the term of twelve years. Peter Burns, of Philadelphia, had to pay several thous- and dollars at one time on account of the men having obtained money on forged checks on the Philadelphia bank.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY, INDLINA.
Clinton's wife clung to him through her carnest love and fidelity, having followed him all over the Union and in many foreign countries. She finally left him, obtained a divorce, and is now the wife of a prominent farmer in Delaware county. Clinton was arrested for negotiating a stolen bond, and it is said his friends bribed the prosecuting attorney and he was released on straw bail. After the organization of the band a plan was devised for robbing a bank in Sacramento, and Clinton was the one selected to do the job. On his way to that city he forged a check at a Danville, Ill., bank for $3,000, and secured the money upon it. In a few weeks after- wards the famous bank robbery of that year was accomplished and over $100,000 was secured. The whole party left the town for the Isthmus of Panama by way of a Pacific steamer. Mrs. Clinton, upon receiving a cipher dispatch from her hus- band, proceeded to New York and there took a steamer for Aspinwall, Panama, where she met him. Their plans were to get off on a vessel for France or South America, and to get away before a draft that he had forged could be protested and returned, and before the news of the California robbery arrived. This draft was cashed by a commercial agent at Panama, but the party missed the vessel they desired to get on and before they could get away the draft came back, dishonored. All the parties escaped. however, but Clinton and his wife. In the trunk of the latter was found packages of funds and bonds taken from the bank at San Francisco, and $2,000 in gold which she claimed as her own private funds, but which were confiscated. Clinton was tried, convicted and sentenced for two years on the chain-gang, but soon escaped and walked to Aspinwall, where he boarded a vessel for Maitland, Mexico. and there he boarded another vessel which came over to Flor- ida. Ile soon tried to make a "raise" by forging another draft, but he was caught in the act and locked up. Informa- tion of his whereabouts reached Danville, Ill., and a detective by the name of Rittenhouse was sent after him armed with a requisition. He secured his prisoner and started with him and got as far as north-western Ohio on the Pittsburg. Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad, when during a temporary absence of the detective from his seat, Clinton opened the window and made a desperate leap for liberty. The night was dark and the train was flying at full speed. Fortunately Clinton fell in a swamp of marshy ground and thus saved him from instant death. He was too severely stunned to get up. The train
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