History of Jackson County, Indiana, Part 39

Author: Brant & Fuller
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 759

USA > Indiana > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Indiana > Part 39

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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

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In action and sympathy he is as young as a boy, and preaches to large congregations in Seymour.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

In 1855, M. W. Shields, founder of the town, advertised in the Cincinnati and Louisville papers that he would give suffi- cient grounds and $100 to any church organization that would locate in Seymour. April 29, 1855, a Presbyterian society of seven members was organized, with Rev. Charles White, pastor. In September of that year a frame church building was erected on the corner of Second and Chestnut Streets. This house underwent numerous repairs and improvements as time went on, but in 1882, the ground on which it stood having become very valuable, was sold, and the proceeds, with the addition of liberal donations from members and others, were used in the erection of their fine new church, standing on the corner of Walnut and Branch Streets. The congregation has had altogether, to this time, ten pastors; Rev. McKillup being now in charge.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

In the year 1858, Rev. Phillip Doyle began the solicitation of donations for the erection of a church in Seymour. In 1860, a small church was erected on South Chestnut Street, at a cost of $690. At this time, the church did not have a membership to exceed thirty families. This building was afterward used as a schoolhouse; was later purchased by John C. Grant, and is now after being remodeled, used by Mr. Montgomery as a grocery store, on almost the same spot that it was used for a church. Rev. Doyle was the first pastor, and continued in charge until 1867, when he was superseded by Rev. G. H. Orem, who filled the pas- torate until 1871. Victor A. Schnell was the third pastor, and continued until December, 1873, when the present pastor, Rev. A. A. Schenck, took charge. The large brick church, still occu-

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pied, was begun in 1870, under the administration of Rev. Orem, and completed in 1872, under Rev. Schnell, at a cost of $6,000.

Through the efforts of Father Schenck, the fine school build- ing on the church grounds was built, at a total cost of $10,000. This building has ever since been occupied by the Sisters of Providence, in whose charge the school is. The house contains four large school-rooms, and a hall 24x63 feet. The present pupils number 175. In 1880, the parsonage, located on the op- posite side of Chestnut Street from the church, was purchased, at a cost of $1,000. In 1884, large additions were made to the church; a new slate roof supplanted the old one of shingles, and various other improvements were added, costing in the aggregate - $4,000. From 1873 to the present time, a total indebtedness of $16,000 has been incurred, which, under the efficient management of Father Schenck, has been reduced to about $7,000. The church has now a total membership of 155 families, or upward of 600 persons. The finances of the church are in a very prosper- ous condition, and the pastor is respected and beloved by all who know him.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.

This church was first organized June 29, 1839, as the Liberty Baptist Church, and was situated about three miles east of Sey- mour. March 29, 1858, the site now occupied, corner of Tipton and Walnut Streets, was chosen, and the name changed as above. A substantial frame edifice was erected, which served the congregation until 1885. It then gave place to the new and handsome brick structure, which has just been completed at a cost of about $18,000. The membership at present is 209. The first minister was Elder J. W. Robinson; the last was Rev. Albert Ogle, now of Franklin. The present trustees of the church are L. D. Carpenter, C. C. Frey and Daniel Lester. Rev. J. B. Tuttle, of Brookville, has been called, but has been delayed in accepting the pastorate, owing to sickness.

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GERMAN EVANGELICAL ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.

This church was organized in the year 1859, by Henry Mass- mann, F. Voss, Frank Duhune, Detrich Duhune, Phillip Henser, Phillip Langel, Conrad Haub, John C. Henser, John Heins and others. The first pastor was Rev. Witter Strolen, and those fol- lowing, in the order mentioned, were Rev. Julius Frenderling, Rev. Edward Kuster, Rev. G. F. Engelhart, Rev. C. Heinrici, Rev. A. Schaeshter, Rev. K. Fischer, Rev. G. F. Horst and Rev. Henry Krumdedk, who is the present pastor. The present membership is seventy, and the Sunday-school, organized in the year 1860, has an average attendance of seventy, of whom Mr. Fred Voss is the present superintendent. The finances of the church are in a prosperous condition.

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

The following persons were instrumental in organizing the Church of Christ in this city: W. T. Huff, J. H. Hagens, Gallons Cummins, J. W. Hollenbeck, William Olliver, John Litt, James Blythe, Andrew and Buckles. The wives of all the above named persons were members, except the wife of James H. Blythe, who was a member of the Methodist Church. William Olliver, Sam- uel P. Harris, Joseph Hagens, Michael Yontsey, J. W. Hollen- beck and Gallons Cummins, were the first board of trustees of , the Church of Christ. W. F. Huff was the first minister of the Christian Church in Seymour. The church of this denomination was built in 1866 on a lot lying directly south of the planing- mill, now owned by T. Carter & Co. The church was built of brick, at a cost of $4,000. This building was destroyed by fire in 1879, when Carter & Co.'s planing-mill was burned. Pre- vious to the building of this house, the society held their meet- ings in Griffith's Hall, a building now situated on East Second Street and occupied by D. A. Kelly, as a boarding-house. After this fire, the society held their meetings in Woodmansee's Hall,

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over the store now occupied by H. P. Billings. In 1873 their new church building on the north side of Fourth Street, between Broadway and Vine Streets, was completed, and has ever since been used by the society as a house of worship. Thomas Jones is the present pastor, and the present board of trustees are S. P. Harris, John M. Seaman and William Olliver. Two vacancies, caused by death and removal, will be filled at the first meeting of the trustees.

THE GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.

This church was organized by Rev. H. Juengel, from the White Creek neighborhood, February 3, 1870 .. The first trustees elected by those present were Henry Buse, E. H. Ahlbrand, and Nik. Deppert. The following were the original members: Nik. Deppert, John Rapp, A. Reichel, Louis Messer, Andrew Voegt, Jacob Hutzel, E. H. Ahlbrand, Martin Ahlbrand, William Ahl- brand, William Buehner, John Mascher, G. H. Hallow, J. H. Schepmann, J. F. Bettenbrock, George Schad, H. Buse, and John : Deppert. In the first meeting held by these members the above named trustees were instructed to at once select a suitable site for a church building. The new church edifice, erected at the cost of about $3,500, was dedicated June 4, 1871. The member- ship being small, the church did not feel able to have a pastor of its own, and, therefore, joined with the Lutheran Church of Way- mansville, Bartholomew County, and called Rev. Father Wendt, as their minister, who, for two years, divided his time between the two charges. In 1873, the membership meanwhile having handsomely increased, it was resolved by the church at Seymour to have a pas- tor of its own. Consequently a call was sent to the Lutheran Theo- logical Seminary, at St. Louis, Mo., for one of the graduates there, and Mr. Henry Fischer thus became pastor of the church. Rev. H. Fischer continued his labors for eight years, and during his pas- torate new members were added to the church annually. When he

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left to accept a call of a Lutheran church near Columbus, Neb., the membership had increased to 225.

His successor was Rev. Ph. Schmidt, the present pastor. Rev. Schmidt was born in Wuertemberg, Germany, in 1850; two years later he immigrated with his parents to this country, and passed his boyhood in Auglaize County, Ohio. At the age of fifteen years he entered Concordia College, at Fort Wayne, Ind., where he went through a regular classical course of six years. Having graduated here he, in 1871, entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary at St. Louis, Mo., to prepare for the ministry. In 1874 he graduated, and was stationed at Liverpool, Medina Co., Ohio. This church, however, being small, and there being but little pros- pect of increasing its membership, he, after serving it for five years, accepted a call extended to him by three charges in La- Porte and adjoining counties, this State. Here he labored with great zeal and apparent success; but the many hardships he had to undergo soon caused his health to fail, and, in the fall of 1881, he accepted the call tendered him by the Lutheran church at Seymour, Ind. During his labor here the church has been on a steady increase, and at present numbers 350 members. In the spring of 1883 a handsome parsonage was erected by the church, at an expense of about $1,500. The present officers are : Trus- tees, F. Fordermark, H. Bettenbrack and G. H. Hallow; senior elders, William Buse, E. O. Krueger, J. Buehner, E. H. Ahl- brand, F. Heitkamp and G. Schulte.

This church has no Sunday-school, but, what is deemed much better by its members, a parochial school, or Christian week-day school. In this school the children are every day instructed in religion, the German language, the English language, and in all other branches which are taught in our public schools. This parochial school was organized by Rev. H. Fischer, and was for a short time conducted also by the present pastor. Soon, however, it became evident that it was too much work for one man to at-

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tend to the ministry and to so large a school at the same time. The church, therefore, resolved to have a special teacher for its school, which at that time numbered sixty-five scholars. A call was extended to Mr. H. C. Wagner, which was accepted by him, and in February, 1882, he took charge of the school. Mr. Wag- ner accepting a call to a Lutheran school at Chicago, Ill, in 1884, the church succeeded in getting Mr. W. H. Kastrup to con- duct their school. Mr. Kastrup is a native of Washington County, Ill., and is a graduate of the Lutheran Normal School, at Addison, Du Page County, Ill. The school at present numbers ninety-five children. The schoolhouse was built in 1874, at a cost of about $1,500. Both church house and schoolhouse hardly afford the necessary space, and the society contemplates building a new church edifice, in the near future-a suitable site having already been purchased for that purpose-and to use the present church building for a school room.

The Emanuel Church has its own cemetery, situated about two miles west of Seymour. The church is connected with the Ger- man Evangelical Lutheran Synod, of Missouri, Ohio and other States-the largest Lutheran body in this country.

GERMAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

This church in Seymour is one of three which form a circuit, now known as the Seymour Circuit. The one is known as St. Peter's Church near Reddington, in this county, of which Mr. William Miller, Joseph Fox, C. Benkmann and others, are promi- nent members; in 1870, Mr. C. Ackert, now of Seymour, wa's then the leading member. The other church is located in the German settlement, about four miles southwest of town. Promi- nent among its members are Frederick Kasting, Frederick Thias, George Pfaffenberger and D. Miller. This church was built about only five years ago. The church in Seymour is by far the largest of the three, and has a membership of about 100

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while the circuit has about 166. Several appointments in the county, formerly visited regularly by the circuit rider, have been dropped, and everything is concentrated in Seymour. Among the old charter members of the circuit, may be mentioned William Miller, father of H. P. Miller; Conrad Ackert, P. Heller, Jonas Peter, J. Freyhoefer, C. Fill, L. Schnek, and H. P. Miller. The first parsonage was built six miles southwest of town, by the old camp-ground. The second was built in Seymour, at the corner of Bruce and Poplar Streets, in the year 1868, and first occupied by Rev. Charles Lurker.

The church in Seymour was built in 1866, and Rev. William Riechemeier preacher in charge; it was then about 30x40 feet, but has been enlarged in 1884, and is now large enough to seat 300 per- sons, and was improved at a cost of $3,000. About 125 worship here regularly, and its membership is earnest and religiously inclined. The Sunday-school, with H. Siebenburger as its super- intendent, numbers about 125, and meets every Sabbath at 9 A. M. The officers and teachers number about twelve. This school was organized about 1868. Among the persons that have served as superintendent here are L. Schneck, J. Krenwell and William Burkley.

The first preachers that came to this county of the German Methodist were Joseph Kisling, G. A. Breuning, Joseph Schwahlen, Fr. Becker, J. Rothweiler and many others. The present pastor (1886) is Rev. J. F. Severinghaus, who took charge in Septem- ber, 1884. During his administration the church has been en- larged and beautified, and the parsonage improved, now having nine good rooms. The property generally is in good condition, and the finances of the church are also good. The members are hopeful, and look toward a bright future.

COLORED CHURCHES.

A colored or African Methodist Church was organized near

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Seymour several years ago, the records of which have not been preserved. In 1872 a brick church house was built in Seymour, and dedicated to the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The present congregation is quite large, and services are held regu- larly.

The African Baptist Church was organized here some three years ago. Rev. Benjamin Hines is the present pastor. This organization has not yet erected a church, but are at present solic- iting donations to that end.

THE "RENO GANG."

A history of Seymour would be far from complete without more than a mere allusion to the dark days of 1865 to 1868, inclusive, and the scenes of lawlessness that were enacted in and about the town during that period.

Situated at the junction of two great railways, connecting four of the largest Western cities, namely Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louis- ville and Indianapolis, it was of easy access to the camp follow- ers, thieves, counterfeiters, garroters and confidence men who gathered at all railway centers to entrap the unwary soldier returning to scenes of peace.

Here, too, was the home of the long famous-or infamous- Reno gang, whose daring feats of robbery have taken front rank in the pages of the criminal history of our country.

Frank Reno, the recognized leader of the gang, was the oldest of five brothers, three of whom met their deaths at the hands of a mob; another has but recently begun his second term in prison, while the fifth has at all times been adjudged innocent of crime. The family was reared on a farm near Seymour, and, previous to the latter days of the war, were highly respected and prosperous. Frank was a strange compound admixture of good and evil, the latter trait predominating. Among his neighbors and every-day associates he was very popular, was strictly honorable in business

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transactions, and more than once he gave warning to friends of impending robberies about to be perpetrated by some of his asso- ciates. He was tainted with that dangerous doctrine of the com- munist, whose chief tenet is that the rich may be robbed with impunity, having more than their share. Perhaps, to the end that his conscience might find relief, he distributed a part of his ill-gotten gains with a lavish hand among the needy of his native town.

It is the generally accepted belief that the Reno brothers themselves took little or no part in the petty robberies, burglaries and other thefts that were of almost nightly, and sometimes daily, occurrence from 1864 to 1868. They were, no doubt, however, cognizant of what was going on in that regard, but confined their personal operations to more prolific fields. Numerous bank and county-safe robberies, which took place in various parts of the country, during the period named, were, without doubt, their work, or that of some of their more skilled confederates.

EXPRESS ROBBERIES.

Marshfield, an isolated water-station, is situated about twenty miles south of Seymour, on the Jeffersonville, Madison & In- dianapolis Railway. Here, at 11:45 on the night of May 22, 1868, while the engine was taking water, the engineer was sur- rounded by half a dozen men, one of whom knocked him down, while another presented a pistol to his head and threatened to take his life if he uttered a sound of alarm. The fireman shared a like fate. The robbers then uncoupled the combination bag- gage and express car from the train, and all were disengaged, getting on board; the engine with the baggage and express car were run northward. After passing Austin, the first station north, they forced an entrance to the car, overpowered the messenger, and broke open the safes. They were rewarded for their work in the capture of $90,000 in new notes. On nearing Seymour they

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halted, and, leaving the engine and car on the main track, dis- persed.

Some eighteen months previous, a train on the Ohio & Missis- sippi Railway was boarded when a short distance east of Seymour by three robbers, said to have been John and Simeon Reno, and Frank Sparks. The messenger was knocked senseless, and after rifling one safe containing some $15,000, the other, containing $30,000, was rolled from the moving car. The robbers in this in- stance being close pushed, the safe and contents were recovered intact.

In December, 1867, Michael Collarn, then a mere boy, and Walker Hammond boarded the Ohio & Mississippi train near the same place, and, under almost similar circumstances as related in the foregoing paragraph. They secured $8,000, but were recognized and were soon after arrested, Previous to his arrest, Hammond was decoyed to Rockford, two miles north of Seymour, through a message from a dissolute woman of that village, and, while on his way at night, was set upon by one of his com- panions in crime and robbed of his share of the booty. Both himself and Collarn were sent to jail, where they baffled the law for a time, but a plea of guilty and a sentence of seven years each finally saved them, no doubt, from the terrible fate that was meted out to so many of their companions by the vigilance com- mittee.

The last of the four great attempts at express robbery, which went so far to give Seymour an unenviable name, was not only not successful, but it proved most disastrous to the gang and was destined to be the beginning of the end of outlawery in this region. James Flanders, an engineer on the Ohio & Mississippi Railway had by some means gotten into the good graces of the robbers, and they counted him as one of them, though he was by no means Bo regarded by the community. The plot to rob the train at Brownstown was hatched and Flanders agreed to render them all

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the aid in his power. The plan was that they should come upon him unexpectedly, at the water station, apparently overpower himself and fireman, and uncouple the express car as was done at Marshfield. The attempt was made early on the morning of July 10, 1868; the programme worked perfectly to all appearance at first. The car was uncoupled without the least alarm being given, and the engine and express car moved swiftly eastward with six robbers on board the former. After going a few miles, the engine was halted in a lonesome spot, and the robbers made a rush for the express car and forced open the door, being eager to finish their work. Flanders had secretly notified the authorities, and six guards, armed to the teeth, were ready to receive them. This was a most grievous surprise to the robbers; but the guards acted in- discreetly in opening fire before the robbers could get into the car. The result was, that after a short resistance, the robbers beat a hasty retreat and escaped, all but Val. Elliott, who received a severe wound in the shoulder. The engine and express car were returned to Brownstown, and the train went on its way to Cincin- nati, where Elliott was placed in jail. The other robbers proved to be John Moore, Charles Roseberry, Frank Sparks, Frelingheysen, Clifton and Henry Jerrell. In the surprise and shooting from the express car, Sparks had a finger shot away, and Moore received a wound in his side.

The news of the attempted robbery was soon made known, and in less than an hour a squad of thirty men started in pursuit of the robbers. After.a long search, Clifton and Roseberry were found and captured in a dense thicket near Rockford: they were at once heavily ironed and conveyed to Cincinnati for safe keeping.

JUDGE LYNCH'S WORK.

Whatever the opinion of the casual reader may be, the resi- dents of Seymour and vicinity at the time of which this history treats, felt that they were justified in taking steps to check the

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lawlessness which worked as a menace to honorable trade, ren- dered life and property insecure, and offered an example for the rising generation which must ultimately result in ruin. The recognized law being found inadequate, through the manipula- tion of the leaders of the gang, whose stolen money was found an ever ready means with which to influence juries, witnesses and prosecutors, the law of might was appealed to. A vigilance com- mittee was organized in the ranks of which were the majority of the best and most trustworthy men of the city and county. A brief summary, to follow these details, will enable the reader to judge whether or not the extreme measures they inaugurated for relief were justified:

Ten days after the attempted robbery of Brownstown, July 20, 1868, Roseberry, Clifton and Elliott were taken on board a train at Cincinnati for the purpose of being conveyed to Browns- town, where a preliminary hearing was to be given them. The train and prisoners passed Seymour unmolested, but two miles west, the engineer was brought to a sudden halt by a red light vigorously displayed before him. As soon as the train halted a crowd of masked men entered the train and demanded the three prisoners, calling them by name. A slight resistance on the part of the guards was ineffectual, and Elliott, Roseberry and Clifton being taken in charge by the mob, the train was signaled to move on. The train had been halted at the mouth of a narrow lane. A beech tree stood by its side some 200 yards distant from the railroad. Here the prisoners were halted and told that their time had come. A few minutes were given them to prepare for eternity. Roseberry maintained a dogged silence, Elliott was defiant and Clifton begged in vain for mercy, declaring his inno- cence to the last. Soon the word of command was given by the leader, ropes were hurriedly placed about the necks of the three wretches, and, at a second command, they were launched into eternity.

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So quietly was the work done that a German farmer living but a few rods away was not aroused. Next morning he was horrified to find three stark and stiff bodies dangling from a tree almost at his door. He promptly gave the alarm, and after a coroner's ver- dict of strangulation by parties unknown, the bodies were allowed to be taken charge of by relatives.

THE SECOND HANGING.

It will be remembered that Frank Sparks, John Moore and Henry Jerrell were concerned in the attempted robbery at Brownstown. They were in the thicket near Rockford when the pursuers were pressing them, but escaped and made their way by rail and on foot to Coles County, Ill. Here, being out of money, they went to work as farm hands, though two of them were suf- fering from painful, though not serious wounds. Jerrell had a sweetheart at Louisville, and, unknown to his companions, wrote to her, detailing his distress and that of his friends, and soliciting an answer to be sent under an assumed name. Of course every friend of the outlaws was shadowed by Pinkerton's detectives, who were employed by the Express Company to hunt down the guilty parties. The young woman, being illiterate, asked a second party to read the letter, and the reading was over- heard by a detective. Two days later the three were arrested, and on their way to Brownstown jail via Indianapolis.

The south bound train from Indianapolis to Seymour was late, missing connection with the night train west on the Ohio & Mis- sissippi Railway. There being no place of safety in Seymour the officers having the prisoners in charge determined to convey them by wagon to Brownstown, eleven miles distant. A wagon was at once procured in which they were placed, heavily guarded. Having to pass under the very tree on which their companions were hung but a few days previous, the prisoners were naturally uneasy until beyond that point, when they manifested relief.

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History of Jackson County, Indiana, Part 39

Author: Brant & Fuller Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Number of Pages: 759

Author: Brant & Fuller
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 759