History of Vigo county, Indiana, with biographical selections, Part 58

Author: Bradsby, Henry C
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : S.B. Nelson & co.
Number of Pages: 1032

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this juncture Beauchamp drew the knife with which he had pro- vided himself, and Mickleberry, who was unable to defend himself from the weapon, was killed in his own yard, and in the presence of his wife and daughters. Another story is that it was Mrs. Mickleberry who had said this, and that the murdered man only spoke when Beauchamp commenced to abuse his wife, and then Beauchamp struck him to the heart with the knife. The latter gave an alarm, Beauchamp having fled immediately after the commission of the deed. The first man to reach the scene of the killing was Rice McCormick, the veteran carpenter and boatman.

Beauchamp made his way to the Wabash, which he swam sev- eral miles above here. Search was instituted for him as soon as the news of the crime had been spread, but the murderer succeeded in making his escape, and nothing was heard of him for several months. Handbills were struck off, giving a description of the murderer, and offering a reward of $500 for his arrest. These handbills were sent to all parts of the country, and a person going from this county to Texas, took one of them with him, and to this chance occurrence the capture of the murderer was due. The bill was posted in a rude country hotel, in a little place near the Rio Grande border, in Texas. A couple of young men visiting the hotel read the description and the offer of reward, and knowing a man em- ployed in a blacksmith's shop in that vicinity who answered com- pletely to that description, charged him with being the culprit. It was Beauchamp, who had escaped to that far-away and seemingly secure place of refuge, and when confronted with the offer of a re- ward for his capture, confessed that he was the man. The young men took charge of him, and set out on horseback to return the criminal to the scene of his crime. The great southwestern system of railroads had not been dreamed of in those days, and a journey from the wild Mexican province to the distant Hoosier State, on horseback, over unfrequented and strange roads, fording rivers, with the accompanying perils to life and property, was the work of weeks and months. It was completed in safety, however, and the men turned Beauchamp over to the authorities here, re- ceiving the reward offered for him, and for which, rather than any desire to see justice administered, they had made their long journey.

Beauchamp had a hearing before the Vigo court, and applied for a change of venue to Parke county, on the ground that there was such a public feeling and sentiment against him in this county that he could not receive justice. But this did not save him, as after a long and tedious trial before the Parke county court, at Rockville, he was convicted of murder in the first degree, and sen- tenced to be hanged. The death penalty was inflicted at Rockville

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in the winter of 1842, nearly two years after the perpetration of the crime, the execution being public, and witnessęd by a large crowd of spectators. There was great interest in this county in the crime and the penalty, and great numbers of persons went to Rockville on horseback and in wagons to witness the last scene in the tragedy. This was the first murder ever committed in Vigo county for which the death penalty was inflicted, and the first and only hanging that ever occurred at Rockville.

First Hanging in Vigo County occurred on July 5, 1844, at the foot of Strawberry Hill. A man named Dyas had brutally murdered George Brock, an Illinois drover and cattle buyer, in Nevins township, this county, in the fall of 1843. This was the first death penalty ever inflicted in this county, and being public the place of execution was adapted, like a great natural amphitheater for the grewsome show. The crowd that gathered to make a holi- day of it was estimated at thousands who came from all the sur- rounding country-even some considerable distance into Illinois- many coming a distance of fifty miles, or even more. It was a memorable day, and possibly Dyas never realized that he was of any importance in this world until the day of his exit out of it. The man rode from the jail, on the corner of Third and Ohio streets, to the gallows, seated on his coffin, which was placed in an open two-horse wagon. He was dressed in his white shroud, and he headed the great procession to where the performance took place.

William Ray was sheriff and Marvin M. Hickox was his deputy, who fixed the rope around the man's neck while the sheriff sprung the trap. In adjusting the rope the knot slipped, and instead of breaking the man's neck he was strangled to death.

As stated the murder was committed in Nevins township, and was unprovoked and brutal. The scene of the crime was the cabin of a notorious old woman, Mrs. Brady, with whom lived a daughter as disreputable as herself. She lived near the old Brooks' mill on Otter creek, three-fourths of a mile west of the station formerly known as Milton, on the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, about a mile north of the present station of Grant where the Chicago & Eastern Illinois coal branch crosses the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad.

The place was then sparsely settled, and the old woman kept whis- ky to sell, and here the hard characters met and danced and caroused on many occasions. It was a low resort, and among those most welcome to the place was Henry Dyas, who had a family but was at the old woman's cabin frequently, and stood well in her and her daughter's favor.

One Saturday evening in October, 1843, the woman quarreled 35

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with George Brock, who had been stopping at the house, about a whisky bill she had presented. She used violent language, and it was said, threatened his life. The next morning (Sunday) Brock saddled his horse preparatory to leaving for his home, and returned to the house to bid the occupants good-bye. This cost him his life, for while seated before the fire conversing with Alexander Mars, Dyas entered the door, and before Brock was aware of his presence, Dyas struck him in the back of the head with the blade of an ax he carried in his hand. Mars who had noticed the murderer enter, but not suspecting his intention, when he saw the fatal blow fled precipitately in great alarm for his own safety. When Brock's body was found, it was discovered that he had been struck three times with the ax, one blow severing the spinal column. Either of the blows would have produced death.

Dyas fled to the woods, and Mrs. Brady gave the alarm and soon people began assembling. As Mars fled from the house, he had been stopped by the old woman, whe explained he need have no fear, that no harm was intended him, but this did not quiet him, and he concealed himself in a hollow tree. From his hiding place he saw the woman emerge from the house and going to the corner of a rail fence, change the dress which she wore, and which was covered with blood, for a clean one. She then gave the alarm. Dyas concealed himself in the woods, but a guard was placed around his house and during the night he was captured as he attempted to enter.

This crime was a year's excitement to the whole surrounding country, and you may now chance hear some man whose head is whitening with the fleeting years, tell that he "saw Dyas hung," and remembers it although a child in his mother's arms. Many peo- ple reckoned things from the day that "Dyas was hung."

Mars-" old Alec " lived many years near old Fort Harrison, and except in his cups he was loth in after life to tell again the story of the horrid murder, where upon his testimony a wretch was executed. He was a little dried-up old man, one of that kind, as he was often seen on the streets, that would cause the boys to gather about and sometimes jeer at him.

Asa Fenton was one of the witnesses in the case. He became insane during the progress of the trial and remained so till his death some years after. The conviction of Dyas occurred in the Vigo Circuit court June 4, 1844.

Old Mrs. Brady and daughter it was believed had hired Dyas to do the bloody deed. They left the State soon after, or about the time of the execution, and the rumors came back that she had been mobbed and killed (hanged) in a Southern State.

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HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.

Second Hanging .- A man named Morgan was executed in Terre Haute, December 23, 1869, for the murder of John Petri. The sentence was pronounced by Judge Crain, and Sheriff Stewart con- ducted the execution. The gallows was erected in the center of the crossing of Walnut and Third streets, near the jail.

At the same term of the court that convicted Morgan, another murderer, Stevens, was sentenced to death for the murder of John Reeves. A new trial was granted, and he was imprisoned for life.

In 1862 Oscar Grovefield was shot in his saloon, on the east side of the public square, by William Kirltey. The wounded man lingered some time and died.

April 6, 1868, John A. Reeves was deliberately shot to death by an employe.

A. C. Mattox a prominent citizen was murdered on the street in the early twilight. This occurred on Chestnut street, and although several persons were soon on the spot, the murderer could not be found. This was a murder for robbery. Mr. Mattox was proprietor of the Prairie City Cooper shops.

Dr. James B. Armstrong was assassinated on the street, August 7, 1877, while returning home after visiting a patient. For this crime two men, Flowers and McKenna, were given life sentences in the penitentiary.

The murders of Armstrong and Mattox and killing of a deputy sheriff were in quick succession.

A criminal who was noted as the "Young Bandit of the Wabash " was run to the ground in Terre Haute, by the same officer he had at one time seriously wounded while trying to arrest him.

C. W. Brown and Maj. O. J. Smith, editors and proprietors of the Evening Gazette were shot and both wounded on the corner of Sixth and Main streets, July 6, 1869, by E. D. Erney, a day police- man. This grew out of some comments in the Gazette.

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HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXII.

RAILROADS.

T THE Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad Company was organ- ized in 1849, and was inspired by the late Chauncey Rose. There was considerable delay in getting to the work of construction. Strangely, at least strange now, opposition was met. At some places along the road the people were incredulous, and said the road was not needed; that one train a month would carry all the surplus crop, etc., and that the highways would be ruined and the cattle killed; and the peace and quiet of the country destroyed. Illinois had just gone through a bitter experience of exaggerated public im- provements as had other States, and the people were skeptical as to any of these big enterprises. There was then but one railroad in In- diana, the Madison & Indianapolis, but Mr. Rose was indomitable, though many of the wealthy men hereabouts were disinclined to aid him. In New York John Rose, his brother, who was in mercantile life, was rich and moved in the best financial circles. He helped raise the money, as did the Indiana firm of Winslow, Lanier & Co., but the most of it came from Boston through a man named Wells who furnished the iron. In the spring of 1851 the work of con- struction began simultaneously at Indianapolis and Terre Haute.

Mr. Rose wanted a man who was practical and who knew some- thing about motive power. John Brough, who as auditor of the State of Ohio, attracted the attention of Winslow, Lanier & Co., the Madison people in New York, who had been put in charge of their Madison & Indianapolis road. With him was a young man named Charles R. Peddle, who had come out from the east. Peddle took service with Mr. Rose and went with him to Boston to buy four engines from Hinckly to use in the work of construction and was started home with them. They were top-heavy things, with no pilots, and very clumsy machines. When leaving Boston Mr. Rose gave him money and advice-the latter to sew the bank bills in his vest taking out occasionally enough to pay expenses. In those times you could not get through bills of lading, and freight had to be paid at the beginning of each line. From Boston they went to Troy, where they crossed the Hudson on the bridge and then went down to Albany; thence by what afterward became the New York

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HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.

Central to Buffalo. Here the four engines were hauled through the streets to the lake dock and there, after much difficult work, loaded on a vessel for Toledo. At Toledo two canal boats were brought into service and two engines put on each boat. Then began the long ride down the Wabash & Erie canal. At Defiance, Ohio, one boat continued on to Cincinnati, the other coming around through Indiana to Terre Haute. Two engines were wanted at each end of the proposed road; two were thus brought to this end, but the others were carried from Cincinnati down the Ohio river in the Canal boat and at great risk to Madison, Ind., where Mr. Brough turned over his force of men and facilities to get them over the bluff by the incline and on the track of the Madison & Indianapolis road. From there to Indianapolis was comparatively an easy journey.

The road was completed with the exception of six or seven miles when winter, a hard winter, came on and prevented further work that year. Early in March, 1852, the two sets of workmen met at a point between Fillmore and Greencastle. The track-laying was done by John Hise and a man named Trindel, Hise being from Pennsylvania and Trindel from an eastern State, perhaps also Penn- sylvania, the latter a contractor, afterward superintendent of the Union depot at Indianapolis. The two Trindels, afterward con- ductors, and the Sachs family, the latter engineers, came with these contractors and worked at track-laying. From these track workers most of the original train crews were made up. Geet. Sherburne, brother of Asa and the others, saw Peddle when he was passing through Rochester, N. Y., with the four engines and they said they would be out here soon. Thus came the Sherburnes. Sylvester Heustis, father of Ed Heustis, was the first superintendent; he died of consumption while holding that position in 1855.

The first train over the road was a special, carrying Mr. Rose and party. William Baugh was engineer, and he is still with the company here in the shops. Three Taunton engines with pilots were secured and passenger coaches from Columbus, Ohio. The roundhouse being here, this was the starting and ending station, and so it came that Terre Haute became the residence of the train crews as they " tied up " here at night and over Sunday. A day's work on a passenger was a round trip to Indianapolis, about four hours each way, for which the passenger fare was about five cents a mile, or $3.65 one way. Mr. Rose retired as president after a few years, to engage in the building of the Vincennes road and the Rockville road, and to act as executor of his brother John's estate, much of which was left to himself. Samuel Crawford, father of Paymaster Frank Crawford, succeeded him until about 1857, when he died, and Mr. Peck, of Indianapolis, became president. When

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business increased it was found necessary to run trains at night. Heustis was afraid, but Crawford said they could get big head- lights. Mr. Peddle ordered some from Cincinnati, and trains began making night trips, killing fewer cattle than expected and meeting with no serious accidents. After awhile Ricker came in as superintendent, coming from somewhere about Michigan City, and bringing with him as his telegraph operator, John S. Simpson, afterward general manager. Then came Herkimer as superintend- ent, but he was turned loose at the same time Mr. Peck was voted out of office, and W. R. McKeen was elected president in 1866.

When the road was in operation between Terre Haute and Indianapolis only the route of travel from St. Louis east was by stage from St. Louis here, thence by rail to Indianapolis, over the Madison and Indianapolis to Madison, by the Ohio river to Cincin- nati, thence over the Little Miami and on to the Pennsylvania road, a zigzag trip of it. The Terre Haute & Alton (now the Indian- apolis & St. Louis Railroad) from here west was built, along in 1855 and 1856. The Indiana Central, from Indianapolis to Rich- mond was contemplated at the time the Terre Haute & Indianapolis road was started, and it was to be part of the through line across the State, but the Wayne county people who were engineering the project were slow. The Bee Line was also started, earlier than the Terre Haute & Indianapolis, but did not reach Union City to con- nect with the road building down to there from Galion, as soon as the Terre Haute & Indianapolis was completed, so that the Terre Haute & Indianapolis was the second through road in the State, the Madison & Indianapolis being the first.

The Terre Haute & Alton was in a very bad condition for several years until Mr. Griswold took it. Sometimes the engines would come in covered with mud, splashing through several inches of it near St. Mary's. A. A. Talmage was a conductor on the road then. He tells the story that when he had a new engineer he went on the engine with him to give him the points. Running along over in Illinois and making good time around some curves, the jolting grew monotonous. He watched the engineer bobbing up and down on his seat. He saw the new man was getting nervous, and finally, as he bounced nearly to the top of the cab he reached for the throttle to slow up. Talmage caught his arm and prevented him, explain- ing that the head brakeman had his brake set tight; that with the throttle wide open the train was kept taut, and that if the engine slowed up, and set the cars to swaying they would swing off the track. But under the Griswold management the road was improved and trains made good and regular time. The Indiana Central was built, but it continually brought in the eastern trains an hour or so

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later than the arrival of the trains over the Bee Line. The latter folks wanted Mr. Rose to carry their trains right through, but he showed favoritism to the Indiana Central. The Bee Line folks then tried to buy up the Terre Haute & Indianapolis, and presently letters written by President Peck in 1866 or 1867 to New York parties encouraging the deal were sent back here to Mr. Rose ask- ing what they meant. The directors met and Mr. Peck retired, as did Superintendent Herkimer who was his ally. Mr. McKeen suc- ceeded as president and Mr. Peddle as superintendent. Then began the new roads, the Bee Line building from Indianapolis here, and the Pennsylvania & Vandalia from here to St. Louis. The latter was the first completed. Then the war commenced, and in the Union depot at Indianapolis there were lively times caused by the runners of the two routes. The Pennsylvania had an interest in the Terre Haute & Alton, yet was its rival. Up to this time the Terre Haute & Indianapolis had things all its own way, paid good dividends and sometimes issued stocks for dividends, having a hard fight with the legislature on the law that required that all earnings above a six-per-cent dividend were to go into the school fund. After a few years the Pennsylvania made some arrangement by which its interests in the Indianapolis & St. Louis passed to the Bee Line.

The building of the Vandalia line through Illinois is quite a chapter in railroad construction in the west. Illinois from the early thirties had suffered with a severe attack of " home policy." That is, her statesmen had resolved that it was the best thing to develop Illinois cities and fight outsiders. The Illinois lawmakers supposed great cities were to be made by statute laws, and they fixed upon Alton, Shawneetown and Cairo as the "future greats " of the State. In 1851, when it became certain that the Illinois Central would be built, came the era of railroad building. The Illinois legislature was appealed to for charters. What is now the Vandalia line asked for a charter to run direct from Terre Haute to St. Louis. But this, in the opinion of the Illinois statesmen, would ruin the State and build up St. Louis, so they granted a charter for the Indianapolis & Alton Railroad, and, by a combination, also a charter to the Ohio & Mississippi from St. Louis to Vincennes, and refused to charter a direct line from Terre Haute to St. Louis. In 1854, after the Ohio & Mississippi and the Terre Haute & Alton were built, then Brough applied to Illinois, had a special session of the legislature, and a charter was granted over the line as it is now. This came just in time to meet the panic of 1857, and Brough failed to build. The matter lay dormant until after the war, when a new organization was effected and the Vandalia line

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completed in 1858. This accounts for the present two lines from Terre Haute to St. Louis. Alton is hardly a way station on the Indianapolis, Terre Haute & St. Louis Railroad.

The Evansville & Crawfordsville (the corporate name) was incorporated January 2, 1849, and in August following was organ- ized. It was first intended to go to Mount Carmel, but the amended charter allowed it to go to Vincennes. The road was built from Evansville to Vincennes under the charter of the Wabash Railroad Company, and the first section was completed in 1854. The line from Vincennes to Terre Haute, fifty-eight miles, was constructed under W. D. Griswold and Chauncey Rose.

The Evansville, Terre Haute & Chicago was organized under the general law of 1869, to build from Terre Haute to Danville, Ill., a distance of fifty-five miles. It has been in operation since 1871. Josephus Collett and Chauncey Rose were principals in this enterprise. Mr. Collett was president until the consolidation, and the property became the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Company.

The Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad .- This is mostly an Illinois road, but is an important outlet to Chicago for western Indiana. It was completed to Danville, Ill., from Chicago, in 1871. The next year a branch was built from Bismarck, Vermilion county, Ill., to Brazil, Ind.

The Logansport, Crawfordsville & Southwestern .- This extension of the Evansville was built to Rockville, and was an operated road, running partly over the track of the Evansville & Cincinnati Rail- road, in 1872.

The Illinois Midland .- While there is none of this road's track in Indiana as it comes into Terre Haute over the Van track, yet it is an important outlet for Terre Haute to Decatur, Ill., and the northwest. It was opened and operated in 1872. Its first presi- dent was a man of Terre Haute-Mr. Harvey.

Terre Haute is now a prominent railroad center, and that too for some of the most important trunk lines in the country. Eight railroads strike the county as follows: Chicago & Indiana Coal, 4.80 miles in the county ; Evansville & Indianapolis, 13.71; Evans- ville, Terre Haute & Chicago, 4.47; Evansville & Terre Haute, 15.16; Indiana Block Coal, 8.64; Indianapolis & St. Louis, 22.49; Terre Haute & Indianapolis, 16.14; Terre Haute & Logansport 11.12. The main track of those roads within the county is 96.5 . miles; side tracks, 54.58 miles; improvements on right of way in the county valued at $58,965.

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HISTORY OF VIGO COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

COURT-HOUSE-JAIL - COUNTY FAIR - POOR ASYLUM - HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY-TROTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION-PEST HOUSE, ETC.

F NOR the comparative cost of the building, Vigo county has one of the finest court-houses in the land. I wish the tradition were true, as written on the corner-stone card by S. P. Crawford, that the first court-house cost $18. This would add somewhat to the dramatic interests of the coming and going of the public buildings-the natural evolution from the rudest of log cabins to the grandest of great public buildings of oolitic, marble and iron, sitting like a jeweled crown at the capital of the county, in whose tall dome is the Francis Vigo bell, so cheerily clanging off each passing hour. As it is, however, the truth of history compels the conclusion that the present court-house is the third erected in the county, not counting the old Town Hall that belonged in com- mon to the city and county, and was built only for offices and a safe place for the records. The original idea was to secure a fire-proof building, and a coincidence to that is that it was the only one of the public buildings that was burned.

The first court-house was commenced in 1818 and completed -- that is, the upper part-in 1822. It was of brick, and served its in- tended purposes until 1866, or forty-three years. Within its walls were memories of some of the many of Indiana's most noted men, as well as such men as Usher F. Linder, O. B. Ficklin, James C. Allen and Timothy Young, of Illinois. At this primitive, old-fashioned, court- room bench and bar commenced the great careers of such men as James Whitcomb and Edward A. Hannegan, Elisha M. Huntington, John Law, Delana R. Eckels, James Hughes, James M. Hanna and Tilgman A. Howard.

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History of Vigo county, Indiana, with biographical selections, Part 58

Author: Bradsby, Henry C Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago : S.B. Nelson & co. Number of Pages: 1032

Author: Bradsby, Henry C
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : S.B. Nelson & co.
Number of Pages: 1032