LAPORTE
COUNTY, INDIANA
THRILLING
ACCOUNTS AND
PERSONAL INCIDENTS.
In this chapter it is proposed to
group together a few of the incidents
which have occurred in the history of the count)7 and which may be called from their nature
thrilling, and yet there is no
intention to make them sensational. It may be said, however, that to produce the result intended by
their narration it will be necessary
to give them, as nearly as may be, with the same feeling which was elicited by them when they
occurred. The little threads of
influence which have gone out from them may have, and no doubt have, produced results which to the
most observing have been unnoticed,
and which have escaped the attention of the sagest, results which have been attributed to
other causes, and which can now
be judged of only as they are brought under the focus of a second consideration in connection with
the true cause as it may be connected
with the incidents which we are about to relate.
It may be that the force of
this latter statement will not be felt by all if left as it has been stated. If
not, an illustration will make it
apparent.
Accidents and thrilling personal adventures are somehow connected in the public mind with a personal
oversight and supervision of
a divine agency. The few of men who do not, are only an exception to a general law, and will not
affect the conclusion which we
shall draw from this fact. Under the influence of this sense, accidents and thrilling personal incidents
have become the pivotal elements
in many men's lives; from these, men have become factors in producing other effects which it is
legitimate to conclude would not
have been produced without these. For instance: A man may have been, in current terms, "a very bad
man," causing by his perversity
neighborhood broils and community disturbances, thus very perceptibly affecting the industrial
interests of the community, by
loss of time and clandestine destruction of property. .Now, let this man be the subject of a thrilling
personal incident, and let him understand,
with all the thrilling interest which an incident of this kind will inspire, that it is a
providential interference in his behalf, and let him, under the influence of this
thrilling inspiration, realize the
former morbidity of his life, now to this man this incident will prove the pivotal point in his life, and
from that time his energies and
powers will be used in the production of results entirely different from that which they did before the
incident. In this way adventures
and personal incidents are fruitful in the production of results, not only to those who are the
subjects of them, but to others who may be similarly affected by them. So,
whether true or false, the
sense which men have of a divine supervision in the affairs of humanity has been fruitful in the
accomplishment of that which has
been done through the agency of men. Some of the results attained in La Porte" county are directly
attributable to this influence. These incidents are therefore legitimate
items for record, not that it
is expected that their influences, as indicated above, will be traced to the results which they
produce, but that they will be
given as the causes from which certain results have come.
A CASE OF ACCIDENTAL
DROWNING
In the early years of the
settlements, the wells were not as well protected as they are at present The
method of reaching the water
was with a rope and bucket; or with a " well-sweep," a lifting machine made of a long pole suspended near
the middle upon a fork by
means of a pin fastened in the pole and passing through the arms of the fork which served as an
axis upon which the ends of
the pole could be moved up and down. This was so placed that a rope or smaller pole attached to one end
of the sweep, to which was
fastened a bucket, would dip into the well. The other end of the sweep, being larger and weighted,
corresponded with the weight of
the bucket when it was filled witli water, so that a very little effort was necessary to lift the water
from the well. This method of
drawing water necessarily left the top of the well open. Around one of these wells, a little child of Mr.
Bunce was walking, when by
some chance it fell in and was drowned. This is said to have been the first death in the settlement.
The influences of this death told
on more than one in that neighborhood.
MARY GARROUTTE
In the western border of St.
Joseph county is the little village of Hamilton. Where it now is situated, in
1831, a man by the name of
Garwood lived. In the month of February his wife was sick. Living over in Wills township of La Porte
county at the same time, was
another family, who were their friends, by the name of Garroutte. Hearing of the sickness of Mrs.
Garwood, Mrs. Mary Garroutte
went over to visit her, riding on horseback, which was very customary in those days. Good
Samaritan-like, or good pioneer-like,
for in ministrations of kindness and mercy these two terms seem to be almost synonyms, she
waited on her friend and ministered
to her wants as a friend. She did this until it was time for her to go home. Her horse was brought to
her and she mounted for the
ride. The weather was quite cold, but she made the trip all right until she came to the house of
Mr. John Wills, where she dismounted,
went in and warmed and rested herself. After chatting pleasantly with the family, and feeling
that she could make the trip
home, she mounted her horse again and started. The ground was covered with a light, dry snow.
In the meantime the wind had
arisen, and was blowing furiously. The light snow was driven before it in fierce sheets. The
intensity of the cold of the storm
began to overcome Mrs. Garroutte, and she felt the blood to chill in her veins. The country was so
sparsely settled that she could
not find a stopping place. Brave of heart, she dismounted from her horse and sought by walking and
active exercise, it is thought,
to keep up proper warmth and beat back the inevitable, but she was overcome by the cold, and the
next morning she was found by
a mail carrier dead, stark and cold. Glad to minister to the wants of her friend who was sick, yet
she was called upon to perish
alone. This sad incident had its effect upon the pioneers, and was long remembered by them.
WAS FREEDOM DEAD? OK
WAS IT ONLY SLEEPING?
In looking over the records of
the county, gathering items for this narrative, the author was struck with
astonishment when he ran
across the following item of record, which was made at the May term of the Commissioners' Court,
1834. The author, a " Hoosier"
by birth, who never had a citizenship only in Indiana, felt his face mantle with shame that a
record like it must be made in
order to comply with her laws. And then he remembered that progression is the watchword of the
universe, and that Indiana had made
some progress in the matter of human freedom, for no one, no difference what his political creed,
can be found, it is believed, in
all her 2,000,000 people who would endorse that law as a political principle now, — who would make the odious
discrimination which it made.
Two centuries back is a more fitting place for it in the " dark ages" even than now.
The record was a compliance with that law which, and its kindred statutes, have disgraced the statute book
of Indiana, in which any colored
person was required to furnish security that he would not become a public charge on immigrating into
any county of the State. It
seems that one colored man was ambitious to become a citizen of Kankakee township, and
through him La Porte furnishes one
example of fact in the disgraceful history of Indiana in relation to this discriminating law. On May 5, 1834, the following record was
made in the Commissioners' Court:
"
Now come Alexander Blackburn and Israel Markham, Overseers of the Poor, and make report: We, the
undersigned Overseers of the
Poor for Kankakee township, La Porte county, respectfully report that we have taken bond and
security of William Greenwood, alias
Kandall, a free black man, immigrated into this county, as required by law; and that we have acted on
no other business. ( Signed,)
A.
BLACKBURN, ISRAEL MARKHAM, Overseers of the Poor."
Some potent power has been at work and important results have been worked out since the enactment of
that law under which this record
was made. The day-dawn of universal freedom has burst upon the world since that day.
A SCHOOL-HOUSE ON A
RAMPAGE
The old pioneers of Pleasant township will remember the " Old Charity School-house." It was the first
school-house built in the township.
We have been induced by some means to look on the 'past as the "good old days ofauld lang
syne," and to think that the present
is not as good as the long ago; but a few incidents like the following will show that notwithstanding
the many good qualities of
the " fathers " there was a good share of the " old man, Adam " in them as well as in the later progeny.
This house would have been better named had it been called the " Old Migratory School-house," it appears.
When it was first built, the
location did not suit every one equally well. After it was completed, the disaffected portion of
the neighborhood put it on
wheels or rollers, and by some power seen or unseen it moved to a place which was more acceptable to them.
But this did not suit the
other portion of the neighborhood; and again it is on rollers, and in the darkness of the night it would
seem to be traveling by its
own inherent power, but it stops at its former location. This was evidence to the other party that it
did not do it itself; and so it
migrates a second time. It was thought that by anchoring it fast to a stump it would take no more journeys.
But such calculations were
not well founded; for, when a habit is formed of doing a thing, it seems very easy to do it. At
least it seems easy for this house
to suddenly move from place to place; and we find that it took two or three more jaunts before it
found a settled place. If the
reader will let his imagination out, he may see a very ridiculous state of affairs in this migratory
school-house, while it was on the move; but, from its subsequent name, we
judge that a different condition
of affairs prevailed in the neighborhood, and " Old Charity School house " expressed that condition.
A DISTRESSING CASE OF
POISONING
In the year 1835, Mr. A. G. Webster settled in Noble township, and with him came also his brother-in-law,
Mr. William T. Harding, who
took a claim in Clinton township not far away. These two men worked together and cropped in
partnership this year. As Mr.
Harding had not yet brought his family, he lived with his brother-in-law while they were raising
their crops. After their corn
had come up, the ground-squirrels became very troublesome, and destroyed much of it by digging it up. To
take a flank movement on the
squirrels and thus gave their crop, they bought some arsenic and put it as a tempting morsel for them.
In accomplishing their design
upon the squirrels, however, they used only a part of the poison. The rest was put away in
the usual receptacle for such
things in the farm house, the receptacle among the pioneers I mean, the clock. During the summer
following, Mr. Harding, becoming
sick, procured some calomel. A part was used, and the remainder went into the same receptacle,
the clock, and nothing more
was thought of it. Afterward Mr. Harding returned to his home in Ohio, his former place of
residence, and in the latter part of September returned with his family,
consisting of his wife, two sons,
and three daughters. The Webster family glad of the arrival of their friends and relatives, the next
day after their arrival went to
visit them and, probably, to help them in getting ready for housekeeping. While they were all thus
away from home, Mr. Harding went
to their house and, his oldest daughter being unwell, he went to the clock to get the calomel which
he had formerly procured, to
administer to her. He then went home; and, as the Websters were still there, he related to Mrs.
Webster what he had done in their
absence. As was his custom, at the usual time Mr. Webster went to the clock to wind it; and, missing
the arsenic, he mentioned it
to his wife. In a moment it flashed upon her where the missing poison was, and she related what
Mr. Harding had told her.
Alarmed for the safety of their friends, Mr. Webster ran all the way to the house of their newly
arrived relatives, but was too late.
The fatal poison had been administered to the daughter but a quarter of an hour before, the father
had just the moment before swallowed
a dose of it. No antidote being at hand, and no remedy which could be administered only lamp oil,
it was promptly given. The
father was saved; but the daughter, before the morning came, having passed through all the terrible
suffering of poison by arsenic,
"its violent gastrointestinal irritation, its proportionate depression of the circulation, intense
burning pain of the stomach, obstinate
vomiting, and extreme depression," was relieved bv death only. This is said to have been the
first death which occurred in
Clinton township.
THE MISSING LAWYER
Among the first lawyers who came to Michigan City was Thomas Tyrrell. After a short residence he
mysteriously disappeared one day
and has never been heard from since. This is one of those cases of unsolved mysteries which
sometimes occur.
THE DANGERS OF THE
FOREST
As they who go down to the sea in ships and do business on the great waters see the wonders of the Lord
and envelop themselves in
dangers, so do they also who go into the depths of the woods and carve out of the deep forests life and
fortune. In the year1836, Mr. Purdy Smith and others were engaged in
felling trees in Cool Spring
township. His little son, a lad of about 10 years of age, was employed in carrying water for
the men. He had just returned
from one of his trips with his vessel of water, and was standing near by when a tree started to
fall. The tree in falling fell
upon the top of a high stub of another tree, and springing back, as the result of the resisted
momentum, it struck the boy jn its
fall and killed him instantly. One young life swept under the falling forests of Cool Spring township.
DANIEL WEBSTER'S
ESTIMATE OF CHILDREN
Daniel Webster, the eminent statesman, has fixed himself in a niche of his country's history by the
eloquence of his tongue. This honored
man, in the year 1836, was making a tour of the West, and was in La Porte on the Fourth of July. A
Sunday-school had been previously
organized, and was out on procession on this day. A very large concourse of people had
gathered around the carriage of the eminent Massachusetts statesman, who
'was pouring out to them a
stream of his wisdom and eloquence. The procession of Sunday- school children, bearing their banners and
their faces wreathed in smiles,
came filing around the corner of the public square. The eye of the great orator caught the procession,
and with that quick inspiration for which he was noted exclaimed, with the
index finger pointing in the
direction of the procession, and the eyes of the assemblage quickly turning in that way also, with the
full force of his magnetic
power wrapped around each word like halos of light, " There, fellow citizens, is the hope of our
country." Never was there a
truer sentiment ever uttered by this gifted man, either on the stump, or on the forum, or on the
floor of the Senate, than this which
was born of the inspiration given him by the sight of the Sunday-school procession in the city of La
Porte. His other well known
aphorism, " We must educate, we must educate, or we must perish," is closely akin to it; and when
put together, they will read, "Educate
the children, and the Republic is safe; neglect the education of the children, and it will perish."
THE SPIRIT OF THE DEVIL
IN POLITICS
Politics ought to be as pure a science as any which men reduce to an art, but somehow a vast deal of
devilishness gets into it. A case
of this kind occurred in the political campaign of 1840, the campaign of " log cabins," barbecues, and
wild excitement. The La Porte
papers walked into the vortex of excitement and were carried away with it, if they did not even produce
the terrible ebullitions which
characterized it. The Whig secured a " log-cabin " wood cut, and illustrated its subsequent
issues with it. The ingenuity of
Dr. Fosdick was called into requisition, not only to illustrate the newspaper, but to illustrate the
campaign as well.
It is not surprising that some bitterness ensued, even between individuals of the different political
parties. It was so. On Saturday, July 2, 1840, Hon. Henry S. Lane made a
speech on the political topics
of the times in La Porte. This speech gave the Herald occasion to make some statements of a
personal nature which was characterized
by the Whig as personal reflections upon the ladies who attended the speech. The reflections
so aroused one of the prominent
members of the Whig party that, on the morning of the Fourth, while the audience was dispersing
from the court-house after
listening to the oration, he attacked Mr. Joseph Loinax, the publisher of the Harald, with a cane, and
attempted to give him a caning
and public castigation on account of the alleged insult to the ladies who were at the Lane speech on
the Saturday before, which
insult was published in the Herald. Mr. Lomax quickly drew a knife and returned the attack with
two thrusts of the knife. At
this juncture the friends of the parties interfered, and they were separated without serious injury to either
party. This is but an illustration
of the spirit which will prevail in the political campaigns in which high party spirit is fostered. It
is quite probable that no
such event as this would have occurred between these parties had there not been such a high party
spirit and rancor.
PERSONAL INTEREST
IMPELS TO MURDER, FOLLOWED BY REPENTANCE
In 1841, or about that time, Charles Egbert had a tavern stand on the road which ran along the south line
of Hudson township, and did
an excellent business. James F. Smith had made efforts, and succeeded, to get a direct road from
the town of Hudson to La
Porte. This took all the travel away from Mr. Egbert's place of business, and, of course, destroyed it.
This enraged him against Smith.
They had numerous disputes afterward at different times. Brooding over the ruin of his business,
and attributing it all to Smith,
who had been instrumental in taking the travel from his place, and this, connected with the
disputes which he had had with Smith,
he was finally led to a most desperate determination. On the 5th of December, 1841, he went to the
store of John Reynolds and bought
a dirk-knife. Armed with this he went to the bar room of Smith, and taking a seat by the door, he
sat there for a long time. At
last, arising as if to go out, but turning around really to open his knife and prepare to carry out his
purpose, he wheeled around and
advanced upon his victim with desperation in his countenance. Smith, seeing his purpose, seized a chair
and raised it to defend himself.
At this moment Andrew Foster caught the chair, and while he prevented Smith from defending
himself, Egbert succeeded in
inflicting two wounds on the body of Smith, one in the left arm, the other piercing his heart,
from which he died in a few minutes.
It is right to say in this connection that Mr. Foster afterward explained his part in the affray by saying
that when he caught the chair
with which Smith sought to defend himself he did not see the knife in
the hand of Egbert, and was therefore ignorant of Egbert's real purpose, and sought to do
his duty as an officer of the
peace. He, immediately after the event,'issued a State warrant for the arrest of Egbert, which was
returned, together with the prisoner,
before R. Munday, Justice of the Peace, by John C. Hale, Constable. The result of the preliminary
trial was, after several sessions
of the court, that Egbert was bound over to court in the aura of $5,000. He gave bail in the sum
required by Elisha Egbert,
Paul Egbert and Jacob Egbert going on his bail bond. He was then released. But he never
appeared in court. He escaped
to Texas, then a part of Mexico, where he lived until after the Rebellion closed. His rash act was a
source of untold regret to him.
He finally became a religious man and a Methodist class- leader.
THE LEGITIMATE WAY OF
MAKING MONEY WAS TOO SLOW
During the years between 1836
and 1844 Springfield township had
more money than it wanted, of the kind of course. The surrounding country shared with it also in
its flush of money. It at
last transpired that there was a cabin about a mile northwest of Springville, which was situated on a dry
knoll in the midst of a marsh
and surrounded by willows and other shrubbery, from which issued this flow of money. This cabin was
the headquarters of a most
industrious band of counterfeiters, a mint for coinage. The thing was finally found out; two men,
named Van Velser and Strond,
were found to be at the head of it. Van Velser was convicted and sent to the State's prison, in which
he died. Stroud escaped to
find a still more ignominious death at the hand of an enraged Illinois community, who, it is
said, lynched him for horse stealing.
HE DIED THAT HIS BOY
MIGHT LIVE
It is said that love is
stronger than death. This is exemplified in an incident which occurred in Galena
township about 1844 or 1845.
There came a man from Missouri and settled in the township, named William Mathews. While he was a
strong and powerful man, yet
he was noted for his quiet and unobtrusive manners. He had a little boy about six years of age.
The devotion of his attachment for
this boy was remarked by everyone. There are but few fathers who equal him in his devotion to
his boy. He lived in the vicinity
of Lamb's Chapel, and the following incident took place not far away. He was out in the woods
chopping timber, and as usual
his boy was with him. The wind was blowing a gale, and swayed the trees hither and thither. He
chopped at the body of a tree
as much as he thought was prudent, and stepped away a little to take in the situation; suddenly hearing
the snapping noise of the tree
giving way, he looked up and saw his danger. His boy was byhim. There was no time for parley; it was
save himself and lose the
boy, or save the boy and die himself. There seems to have been no hesitation on his part. With a
strength, nerved to desperation, he seized the boy and landed him beyond
danger; but he at the same
time was caught by the falling tree and crushed to death. Such devotion to another deserves to be
celebrated in immortal verse.The
world has seen but one example which excels it. Men may die for the good and their friends and
loved ones, but for their enemies,
never. " Peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die; but God commended His love to
us, in that while we were
sinners, Christ died for us."
ANOTHER FATAL TREE
Seven or eight years after the last incident narrated, that is to say, in January, 1852, another accident
occurred in the same township. One
of the most enterprising men of the old pioneers, Mr. Whitman Goit, was in the woods getting out
ties for the railroad. By
some means he was killed by the falling of a tree. His death was lamented by the whole community.
MR. KELLOGG SHEDD
The community had not settled down hardly from the commotion which the last accident narrated produced
until another startled it. On
March 5, 1852, as Mr. Kellogg Shedd was hauling saw-logs to the mill, his wagon was tipped over and
himself crushed under its weight.
He, like Mr. Goit, was highly respected, and his death deeply regretted by all the citizens of
Galena township.
THE TOTTERING CANOE
In New Durham township, in the year 1860, two boys were sailing on the mill pond of the Medaris mill. By
some means the canoe in which
they were sailing was sunk and one of the boys was drowned. The canoe, a boat dug out of
the trunk of a tree, is a
very tottering one, and easily upset. The place where this accident occurred is now dry land.
STEAM UNCONTROLLED
Steam unconfined is a harmless substance; confined, but under
control, it is an obedient and powerful servant; but confined and uncontrolled it becomes a most destructive
and irresistible agent. In
Kankakee township, at Rolling Prairie, in 1860, Mr. Jesse H. G. Coplin owned a steam grist and saw mill.
An explosion occurred at this
mill in which Thomas Lewis lost his life, Frederick Knight lost an arm, and Mr. Ooplin was
slightly injured. The powerful
agent burst the bonds of its confinement and threw the wreck of its
bonds in every direction. A cloud of vapor arose; a load report as if thunder mingled with the
crash of falling timbers followed.
When the consequent dust and vapor were cleared away, the result was found to be as stated
above, — one dead and two wounded.
THE TERRIBLE DEED
INDUCED BY WHISKEY
New Durham township, on November 27, 1865, was the scene of a tragic occurrence, — in one sense an
accident, in another the most
reckless intent. A party of Germans during the day had been husking corn, and were moving along
the road with loaded wagons.
They were met by James Woods and William Fulton, who were on their way from Westville where
they had been drinking, and
were just in that condition when whiskey most inflames the blood and leads its victims to the
most desperate ends. On coining
up to the first wagon, Woods ordered it to halt; but no attention was paid to the maudlin command.
Fulton then said, "Why don't
you shoot?" At this Woods whipped out a revolver and discharged it. However he missed his
aim, the ball passing by
those on the first wagon and hitting John Lohm, who was on the second wagon. The wound was a mortal
one, causing his death in a
very short time. This deed could not have been the result of persona] enmity, for it is said
that they. were perfect strangers.
Both Woods and Fulton were indicted for the offense; the former was found guilty of murder in
the second degree, and sentenced
to the State's prison for life; the latter, of man -slaughter, and sentenced to the State's prison for a
term of 13 years. Whiskey,
whiskey, bane of life. Spring
of tumult, source of strife. Could
I but half thy curses tell. The
wise would wish thee safe in hell.
THE BREATH OF FIRE
New Durham township was the scene of another accident on the 14th of March, 1869. It is but the old
story. He took the gun; he blew
his breath of fire into the muzzle, and the deadly missile hurled him from the land of the living.
The circumstances of the accident
were as follows: Nicholas Aker, a boy of about 15 years of age, together with two younger
brothers, was playing with a £iin. He blew into the muzzle. By some
means the gun was discharged and
killed him instantly, thus terminating a "play" with a terrible " tragedy."
THE WINGLESS WAS WINGED WITH UNSEEN WINGS
Feathers are not the only things out of which wings are made. Imparted power may serve such a purpose.
The neighborhood of Puddletown,
in Wills township, in the year 1871, was the witness of an incident
like this. A windless scantling was winged by the imparted power of the saw of a steam
saw-mill, and winged its flight on these viewless wings, struck Matthew
Feather on the head, penetrated
his brain, and killed him instantly.
THE UNTRUSTFUL SHOT-GUN
In 1874 there was a man living
at Bigelow named Frank Kopelsi He
had a boy named August, who was about 15 years of age. On November 7, this boy was out shooting
ducks. His method of holding
his gun seems to have been peculiar, he held the muzzle under his arm. In walking along that day,
lie accidentally struck the
lock, exploding the percussion, and discharging the gun. The charge of the gun tore upward through his
arm, nearly severing it. from
his body. The injury was so great that the boy died in less than an hour. "
"l WOULD HASTEN FROM
THE WINDY STORM AND TEMPEST."
A storm of fearful severity swept over Galena township on the morning of August 15, 1874. Occurring
about five o'clock in the morning,
the early risers were treated to a sight seldom seen. The heavens were overcast with dark clouds
which poured down sheets of
monstrous hail, some as large as pigeons' eggs. These sheets of hail were whipped by the most terrible
winds. Intermingled with these
was the constant glare of the most terrific lightning, which rendered visible the fantastic tossing of
the hail by the wind. Then
the patter of the falling hail was almost drowned by the crash of falling timber which was giving way
before the fierce force on every
hand, and both these were almost smothered under the tremendous roll of thunder which kept up one
continuous roar. The whole
scene was terrifically grand.
The storm was a very devastating one. The standing corn was cut to pieces with the- sheets of hail;
thousands of fruit and forest trees
were uprooted and broken; fences were demolished and scattered everywhere; houses were unroofed, and
barns blown down. "I would
hasten from the windy storm and tempest."
Source: History of La Porte County, Indiana By Chas. C. Chapman & Co