USA > Indiana > Newton County > Newton County a collection of historical facts and personal recollections concerning Newton County, Indiana, from 1853 to 1911 > Part 11
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Lulu Rider was born April 19, 1876. Mabel Ross was born May 10, 1876.
PATRICK KEEFE AND JAMES B. ROBERTS
On the morning of July 4, 1904, a party of us started from Kentland to spend the day at "Hazelden," near Brook. With little thought that anything could happen to mar the fes- tivities of the day, we drove into the farm from the south. On reaching the Joseph Ade farm- house, Mr. and Mrs. Talbott came running out to meet us and brought the terrible news, re- ceived over the telephone, concerning Patrick Keefe and James B. Roberts. The news re- ferred to had been received at Kentland after
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we left there, and had reached the town through the medium, first, of an early edition of the Indianapolis Star, which gave an ac- count of a wreck on the Wabash railroad be- tween Forest and St. Louis. As it was known that Mr. Keefe and Mr. Roberts were on that train, some uneasiness was felt in regard to their safety, and inquiries were started to ascer- tain the facts in the case. The first move made in that direction was to telephone William Keefe, of Raub, Indiana, as to whether there was anything in the Chicago papers regarding the wreck, as the town of Raub received Chi- cago papers on the Big Four route earlier than we did.
About nine o'clock Mr. Keefe answered back that the Chicago papers gave a list of the killed and wounded, but none was named as being from Kentland. However, he stated, there was a James B. Roberts, of "Catlin, In- diana," reported internally injured. The gen- eral impression at once was that a mistake had been made in the name of the town, and it seemed probable that the address of a passen-
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ger named James B. Roberts should have been "Kentland" instead of "Catlin."
Then the question naturally suggested itself, Why had no message been received from Mr. Keefe?
Fifteen hours had elapsed since the accident, and those who knew him felt sure that he would, if able to do so, communicate with his friends to assure them of the safety of himself and his friend. Was Mr. Keefe also injured, or killed?
Dispatches of inquiry were sent, first to the Associated Press, of Chicago, then to the hos- pital and to private parties at Litchfield, Illi- nois, at which point the accident occurred. At IO:10 o'clock, not a word had been received in answer to the several telegrams sent, and at that time the west-bound train arrived in Kent- land. Will H. Ade, James Chancellor, George D. Rider and Bernard Roberts, a son of James B. Roberts, boarded this train and started for the scene of the disaster.
About noon the first reply to the messages sent came from the agent at Litchfield, saying :
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"Robert Keith among the dead. Notify friends."
This message merely intensified the doubt, but it was taken to mean that probably both Roberts and Keefe were dead.
About three P. M., another telegram was re- ceived from Litchfield, saying :
"Keefe died at four o'clock this morning."
Nothing was said about Roberts.
Will H. Ade and James Chancellor reached Litchfield at 5:30 that evening and half an hour later at the morgue they found the bodies of both Mr. Keefe and Mr. Roberts. They im- mediately made preparations for returning home with the bodies, and telegraphed to Kentland that they would reach there at II :IO A. M., Tuesday, July 5, which they did.
Patrick Keefe and James B. Roberts started from Kentland Sunday morning, July 3, 1904, to attend the national democratic convention at St. Louis. Patrick Keefe was one of the democratic nominees for elector in Indiana,
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and James B. Roberts held the credentials of an alternate delegate. They drove to Effner, and at II :30 A. M., took a train for Forest, Illi- nois, where they connected with a train on the Wabash leaving Chicago at 11:08 A. M., and due in St. Louis at 7:03 the same evening. At Litchfield, Illinois, a little after five o'clock, their train crashed through an open switch at the coal mines, within the city limits. The train consisted of nine coaches, seven of them being destroyed by fire. Eighteen lives were lost and thirty-five persons hurt, many of them seriously. Keefe and Roberts were both in the fourth car and were frightfully scalded by the steam and hot water escaping from the boiler of the engine. However, they were able to make their escape from the car before the flames overtook them, and were, by their own efforts, able to reach St. Francis Hospital be- fore the attendants at that institution had heard of the accident. On arriving at the hospital in a carriage which had been kindly furnished them, they were at once cared for by the doc- tors and nurses. They were placed on cots in
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the same room and everything possible was done for their relief.
The attending physicians informed Ade and Chancellor that both men remained conscious to the last, Mr. Keefe dying about two o'clock Monday morning and Mr. Roberts about two hours later.
When Ade and Chancellor arrived at Kent- land on Tuesday, July 5, 1904, with all that re- mained mortal of Patrick Keefe and James B. Roberts, a vast concourse of citizens was at the depot awaiting the arrival of the train. The body of Mr. Keefe was taken to the new and commodious home which he had just finished and furnished. The body of Mr. Roberts was taken to his late happy and comfortable home, from whence, but two days before, he had gone forth in the full strength of manhood, and with the prospect of a long life before him.
On Thursday, July 7, 1904, the funeral serv- ices of Patrick Keefe were held at the Catholic church in Kentland, and he was afterward laid to rest in the St. Anthony cemetery, seven miles southeast of Kentland, by the side of his wife,
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who had died twenty-seven years before. It was estimated that fully one thousand attended the funeral, and not less than one hundred and fifty conveyances followed the remains from the church to the cemetery. Patrick Keefe was born March 23, 1845. He died July 4, 1904.
The remains of James B. Roberts were laid to rest in the family burial lot at Pleasant Grove cemetery, about three miles north of Kentland, on Wednesday afternoon, July 6, 1904.
A short prayer and song service was held at the home at one o'clock. The funeral cortege was preceded by the Kentland Band and the Masonic order, in carriages, followed by a procession over a mile long, which nearly doubled in size before reaching the church. It was estimated that fully three hundred con- veyances and twelve hundred people drove up to the little country church door. Not one- third of those present could possibly gain ac- cess and were forced to remain outside in a drenching rain. All Newton county contrib-
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uted to this sorrowing throng, and business was entirely suspended in Kentland as a mark of respect to the deceased. Mr. Rogers, of Rem- ington, minister of the Christian church at that place, and a personal friend of the deceased, preached the funeral sermon. His eulogy of Mr. Roberts deeply affected the hearers.
Mr. Roberts was a member of the Masonic lodge, also a Royal Arch Mason. Owing to the heavy rain the ritualistic services of the order were held in the church, after which the remains were deposited in its last resting place. James B. Roberts was born in Washington township, Newton county, Indiana, on No- vember 25, 1856. He died at Litchfield, Illi- nois, July 4, 1904.
A MILL ACCIDENT
A terrible accident, by which two lives were lost, occurred at the Brook flouring mill on February 21, 1864. This mill stood on the south bank of the Iroquois, near the point now crossed by the Eastern Illinois railway.
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In this accident, Edgar Hawkins and Mrs. William Personett, both well known through- out the county, lost their lives.
Edgar Hawkins was father of Barnet, George, Frank and William Hawkins, all of whom became well-known citizens of the county. Mrs. Personett was a sister of Henry and David Jones, both remembered as resi- dents of Kentland.
The facts concerning the accident are gleaned from a copy of the Newton County Union, February 25, 1864.
Mr. Hawkins was one of the proprietors of the mill, and lived near it. Mr. and Mrs. Personett were visiting at the Hawkins home. During the evening, Mrs. Personett and Mrs. Hawkins went over to the mill and Mr. Haw- kins, carrying a light, started to show them the working machinery. Mrs. Personett's clothes were caught in a revolving shaft and in an in- stant she was drawn into the machinery and so mangled that she died within an hour. Mr. Hawkins tried to rescue her and was caught and drawn in, his arm being literally torn from
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the socket. He lingered until ten o'clock the next morning, when he died, after suffering the most excruciating pain.
Mrs. Hawkins narrowly escaped death in her efforts to help the other two. Her clothes were torn from her body but she was saved by Morris Lyons, who succeeded in stopping the machinery.
RECENT CELEBRATIONS
W ITHOUT attempting to enumerate all of the notable gatherings that have marked the history of the county, I wish to call attention to some recent public assem- blages that seem to me to have been of unusual interest.
JUDGE TAFT AT HAZELDEN
On September 23, 1908, there was held at the country residence of George Ade, two miles east of the town of Brook, what was un- doubtedly the largest and most interesting pub- lic meeting in the history of the county. Fully 25,000 people, coming from Newton and ad- joining counties, from Indiana and other states, met to take part in what was not only a political demonstration, but also a tribute by men of all parties to a distinguished American.
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Special trains were run from all directions, and 200 automobiles, with hundreds of car- riages, brought the multitude together from every direction.
Of course, William Howard Taft, candi- date for president, was the central figure in this demonstration.
The Taft special left Cincinnati at eight o'clock in the morning, over the Big Four, was transferred to the C. I. & S. railroad at Sheff, and passed through Kentland at II :45, reaching the town of Ade at twelve o'clock noon. Six big automobiles were in waiting at Ade to convey Judge Taft and party to Hazel- den, and they reached the farm about 12:45. Upon their arrival they were at once seated at tables in the dining-room, where they partook of a luncheon already prepared and awaiting them.
At 1 :15, Judge Taft was introduced to the immense crowd that had assembled on the lawn, facing the front of the house. Two long sections of circus seats had been provided and the crowd was massed conveniently for all to
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hear the speaking. Judge Taft spoke for al- most an hour, and his presentation of the issues of the campaign was dignified, forceful and effective. He was frequently interrupted by outbursts of applause, and at the conclusion of his speech was given a magnificent ovation. Immediately following the speaking, Judge Taft and his party returned to Ade and re- sumed their journey to Chicago.
The presence of Judge Taft, as well as his speech, had a magnetic effect on the vast throng, and the woods of Hazelden rang with enthusiasm during the remainder of the day. The Second Regiment Band, of Chicago, the Purdue Band, of fifty pieces, the Juvenile Band of Monticello, the Brook Band and the Harlequin Glee Club, of Purdue University, provided the music. There was good music all day, and plenty of it.
James E. Watson, republican candidate for governor, followed Mr. Taft on the program, and he was in turn followed by other speakers of note.
The affair from start to finish was a splendid
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success. Everybody went home impressed with the fact that they had attended the great- est and most interesting political gathering ever held in this section of Indiana.
UNVEILING SOLDIERS' MONUMENT AT BROOK
The new soldiers' monument at Brook was unveiled September 16, 1909. On the evening of the 15th the veterans and their friends as- sembled at Brook held an interesting "camp- fire," at which anecdotes were told and many war-time experiences related. Then came the speech of the evening, by Hon. E. D. Crum- packer, along patriotic lines. This speech was greatly praised and much appreciated by an audience of over 1,000 persons.
Thursday had been set apart especially for the unveiling and dedication of a monument to the deceased soldiers who had gone to the Civil War from Iroquois township. This mon- ument was erected in McKinley park, and is alike an honor to those whose names are in- scribed thereon and a credit to the patriotism
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and generosity of those who assisted in its erec- tion.
The morning opened bright and fair and visitors began pouring in from Kentland, Goodland, Morocco and surrounding country. When the first part of the program was called at 10:30 A. M., fully 2,000 people had gathered, while half as many more were added in the afternoon.
The afternoon had one disappointment in store for those who came to hear Ex-Senator Mason. The band and entire delegation of old soldiers and citizens marched in a body to the depot to meet him, as the 1 :27 train pulled into the station, but he failed to arrive. The disap- pointed crowd marched back to the park, thrown entirely upon their own resources to carry out the program of the day. About two o'clock, J. B. Lyons called the people to order. After prayer by Rev. Snyder, music by the band and song by the school children, John Ade was called to the chair and he took up the task of directing the unveiling of the monu- ment dedicated to the living and dead soldiers
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of Iroquois township, and made the afternoon address.
When the ceremony was over, the old sol- diers and their families were treated to an automobile ride to Hazelden farm.
This reunion and the ceremonies connected with the same, passed into history as one of the noted days of Newton county's history.
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Thursday, April 21, 1910, was a great day for Kentland and Newton county, for on that day was celebrated the golden anniversary of the organization of Newton county.
About a week previous to this time a public meeting had been called by the citizens for the purpose of making arrangements to celebrate the event. Committees were appointed to make the necessary arrangements, and well did the several committees perform their respec- tive duties.
The day opened beautifully, so far as weather was concerned. This was the more
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remarkable from the fact that it was the only fine day we had for a long time, both before and after this date. There was nothing doing in the forenoon, except the meeting of old friends and acquaintances, the talking over of old-time incidents and the comparing of con- ditions existing fifty years before with those of the present day.
The afternoon program began with an auto- mobile parade of school children, each waving an American flag. There were about forty autos in the parade, conveying not less than 350 school children. All were singing songs and waving flags, showing that they were happy, and all who witnessed this unusual pa- rade were happy with them.
This parade was followed by a meeting in the court house, the courtroom being filled to the last inch, and scarcely one-third of those desiring admittance could get in.
John Ade, the only surviving member of the first roster of county officials, who were in- stalled fifty years before, on April 21, 1860, called the meeting to order. He was im-
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mediately presented, by Sherman White, of Brook, with a gavel made from a part of the chinking between the logs of the building in which the first term of court was held, after the organization of Jasper county, in 1838.
The venerable C. McCain then offered up a prayer of thankfulness to the Author of all good for the many blessings enjoyed and asked that the same might long be continued to us.
This was followed by a short talk by the presiding officer. William Darroch then re- viewed the history of the courts of the county. He embellished his narrative with some good stories and also gave a history of some of the noted trials in the county. Fred H. Longwell then made a most interesting address, after which the meeting adjourned to the court house yard. Here the crowd was treated to a very fine display of Japanese day fireworks, something entirely new to many and a source of great pleasure to all. Then came a game of soft baseball between the business men of Brook and Kentland, followed by more fire- works and adjournment until 7:30 P. M.
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At the night meeting, held in the court house, the presiding officer read letters from Judge S. P. Thompson, Judge Peter H. Ward, John B. Conner, J. C. Martin and Daniel Dearduff. He then introduced Judge U. Z. Wiley, of Indianapolis, formerly judge of Newton circuit court. Judge Wiley is a pleas- ing speaker upon any occasion, but especially so when the line of talk is reminiscent.
Judge Edwin P. Hammond was then in- troduced by the chair, and in his quiet, digni- fied manner talked for nearly an hour. His association with Newton county, he stated, ex- tended back to the days of the famous Bank of America, at Morocco, in the early fifties. Judge Hammond is a grand old man and Newton county is proud of the claim she has upon him.
INDIANA SOCIETY AT HAZELDEN FARM
Saturday, June 25, 1910, was another great day at Hazelden, the home of George Ade. The Indiana Society of Chicago had been
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invited to spend the day there and they ac- cepted the invitation. The make-up of the program for the day and the invitations to out- side guests was entirely under the control of the society, but the provision for feeding them had been assumed and arranged for by George Ade himself.
The day opened fine and the weather throughout the day was perfect, all that could be desired. The grounds had been beautifully decorated. Large flags had been unfurled and were gently waving in the breeze. About nine o'clock in the morning automobiles loaded with invited guests began to arrive from In- dianapolis, Lafayette, South Bend, Ham- mond, Rensselaer, Kentland and other points. By the time the special train from Chicago ar- rived at Brook, there were more than eighty automobiles on the ground ready to start for the station, some two miles distant, to convey the 500 members of the society to Hazelden. At 11:30 A. M., preceded by their own band, they formed a procession, marched in and took possession of the grounds for the day. By this
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time there were nearly 800 people assembled, ready to take part in the festivities.
About 12:30 a procession was formed at the east end of the grounds, and, led by the band, it proudly marched to the west end, where am- ple preparation had been made for feeding the multitude. These preparations had been under the supervision of the ladies of the M. E. Church, of Kentland, Indiana. Fifty tables had been spread, seats arranged and waiters provided for each table. Judging by what took place in the next half-hour, the guests fully ap- preciated all that had been done for them. A partial list of the bill of fare was as follows :
415 fried chickens - 50 cakes 20 gallons salad 6 gallons pickles 12 gallons beans 1,500 cookies 12 gallons Dutch cheese 50 loaves of bread 7 hams 2 crates of eggs 4 crates of lemons
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50 glasses of jelly 1,500 rolls
200 pounds of summer sausage
Also there were many freezers of ice-cream and many gallons of coffee.
After dinner was over the program of the afternoon was carried out in full :
1:00 to 1:30-Day fireworks. 1 :30 to 2:00-Mathematical races (cou- ples ) .
2:00 to 2:15-Egg and spoon race.
2:15 to 2:30-Affinity races (married cou- ples ) .
2:30 to 2:45-Affinity races (unmarried couples ) .
2 :45 to 3:00-Dressing contest for men.
3:00 to 3:15-Throwing baseball by ladies.
3:15 to 4:15-Baseball.
4:15 to 5:00-Swimming and diving races. 5:00-Distribution of prizes.
6:30-Supper.
7:00-Return to Brook.
A few of the prominent persons in attend- ance were Ex-Vice-President Fairbanks and
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wife, Senator A. J. Beveridge, Ex-Governor Durbin and wife, Mayor Shank and wife, all of Indianapolis; John M. Studebaker and wife, and Joseph Oliver, of South Bend; to say nothing of the many well-known Hoosiers now living in Chicago.
LAYING A CORNER-STONE
At the time of the location of the county seat at Kentland, A. J. Kent donated to the county 160 acres of land, for the purpose of a poor farm, the same being the southeast quarter of section 23, town 28, range 8, west. This was never used for that purpose, and on the 17th day of August, 1872, John S. Veatch, then auditor of Newton county, by virtue of an order made by the county commissioners directing him to do so, offered the above de- scribed land for sale at public auction. The same was sold to Jonathan W. Stryker for the sum of $12.01 per acre.
In the meantime the county commissioners had purchased, on the 10th day of September,
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1868, two hundred acres of land from Solomon and H. K. Warren, the same being the south- west quarter and a part of the northwest quar- ter of section 13, town 28, range 9, for the pur- pose of a poor farm. This land they held un- til June 6, 1872, when the above described land was sold to John Sell for $5,510. This land is now owned by Manro Sell and Fred Spangler.
In 1878 the commissioners purchased from W. H. H. Graham, trustee, 104 acres of land about four miles north of Kentland, to be used as a poor farm, to which has been added from time to time until now the farm contains a little over 300 acres. In 1891, George D. Rider took the contract and erected a large, commodious frame building, at a cost to the county of about $4,100. This building was used continuously until the night of January 18, 1910, when it was totally destroyed by fire. Afterward, on the 24th day of May, 1910, the commissioners made a contract with Fred Friedline and Company to erect a brick build- ing according to the plans and specifications furnished by John Bruck, architect, for the
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sum of $22,985. When the walls were up to top of the basement story, the contractor and county commissioners requested the' Masonic lodge of Kentland to lay the corner-stone of said building, in accordance with the rules and usages of the Grand Lodge of Masonry of the State of Indiana.
The writer was appointed special deputy grand master and on August 13, 1910, opened a grand lodge at Kentland by the appointment of the following deputy grand officers :
Ephraim Sell, deputy grand master.
William Perry, deputy grand senior war- den.
Levi Rehard, deputy grand junior warden.
Robert F. Seal, deputy grand treasurer.
J. Z. Johnston, deputy grand secretary.
John Higgins, deputy grand senior deacon.
David S. Fletcher, deputy grand junior deacon.
A. L. Clark, deputy grand chaplain.
Jira Skinner, deputy grand marshal.
Frank Skinner, deputy grand steward. Harry Higgins, deputy grand steward. T. B. Cunningham, deputy grand tyler.
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We proceeded to the site of the building, and there, in the presence of a large delegation of Masons from adjoining lodges, and citizens of the county, proceeded to lay the corner- stone of the Newton County Infirmary in ac- cordance with the ritual and rules of the Grand Lodge of Masons of the State of In- diana.
The following named articles were placed in a box which was deposited in a cavity in the corner-stone :
Silver, nickel and copper U. S. coins.
Copy of Newton County Enterprise, Kent- land Democrat, Goodland Herald, Brook Re- porter, Morocco Courier, and Mount Ayr Pilot.
History of organization of Newton county, with names of first officers.
List of Masonic lodges in the county, with names of master and secretary and number of members.
Names of present county officers.
Programme of the day, together with names of architect and contractor of the building.
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Copy of by-laws of Newton Lodge No. 361 A. F. & A. M.
Copy of the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Masons of Indiana for the year 1910.
After the ceremony of the corner-stone lay- ing was finished, L. H. Recher, of Morocco lodge, made a very beautiful and fitting ad- dress.
PAST AND PRESENT
I N noting the changes that have taken place in the last fifty or sixty years, we are very apt to record only the changes in what we call large things, such as the material development of the country, the building of railroads and the large expenditures for public improve- ments. But there have been marvelous changes in what we might term the little things which go to make up the comforts and pleasures of the house and home.
One of these changes, which I will first men- tion, concerns the use of artificial light. The majority of homes sixty years ago consisted of a single room, with a loft for the children above. The room below usually had a big fire- place in one end, generally five or six feet in length, and during the long, winter evenings the fire was kept brisk enough to furnish all
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