INDIANA TRAILS
INDIANA TERRITORY NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS







The Sprig of Liberty, Gettysburg, PA

September 21 1804

We learn from Vincennes, Indiana Territory, that about the middle of last month, (August) the Delaware Tribe relinquished to the United States, all their claim to the extensive tract of country which lies between the Ohio, Wabash, and the road leading from Post Vincennes, to the Great Falls of Ohio. It fronts the Ohio, about 300 miles, and its acquirements by the United States, is of immense value, as it will facilitate the establishment of extensive settlements on White river, the Wabash and the Mississippi; great part of it is first rate land, plentifully watered, and abundantly supplied with good timber.

October 5 1804

We lately stated on information from the Indiana territory that the Delaware Tribe of Indians had ceded to the United States, all the country between the Ohio and Wabash rivers, as high up as the road leading from Vincenes to Louisville. We are now informed that the title of the U.S. was incomplete by the relinquishment of the Delawares, as the Piankashaws who were the original proprietors of the country, had refused to admit the right of the Delawares to sell it. It appears that the latter, who are emigrants from the shores of the Chesapeake and the Delaware bays, went to that country about 35 years ago, and the Piankashaws offered to divide with them their land upon condition of uniting with them against their mortal enemies the Chikasaws, with whom they at that time waged a bloody and unsuccessful war. The Piankashaws on the contrary assert, that the Delawares were only to have the use of the country to live and hunt upon in conjunction with themselves, but that they had no right to sell it. The dispute however, has been happily adjusted, and a treaty was signed on the 27th of August last, by governor Harrison, as commissioner on the part of the United States, and the chiefs of the Piankashaw tribe, by which the whole right of the latter to the above described country is vested in the United States.(Contributed by Nancy Piper)

Indianapolis Daily Star January 14 1923

POLICE RAID DAMPIER, HOME AND GET BOOZE

    Police raided the home of John Dampier. 1208 Gimber Street, yesterday afternoon and took away eighty six half pint bottles of  white mule,  three pint bottles of red whiskey, and four gallons of while mule in jugs. Dampier who is 44 years old and his son Arthur Dampier, age 22 years old were arrested on a blind tiger charge. Charles E. Humphrey, 27 years old, 1201 Tabor Street  who was found near the Dampier home with  a half pint of white mule was also arrested. Dampier was held under a bond of  $5,000. The other men were held under bonds of $2,000. each.
    Dampier has been arrested and fined several times on blind tiger charges, police records show. He was at one time a saloon keeper. Officers who conducted  the raid were Lieut. Eisenhut, Sergt. O'Connor, Patrolmen Kohler and Sebert.

BODY OF MINER FOUND AFTER FIRE BURNS OUT

    Bicknell, Indiana Jan. 13- The body of Thomas Kinney, 38 years old, who was reported missing following the explosion and fire late yesterday in the Knox Consolidated company's Mine No 1, in which Peter Daugherty, 32 years old was killed and John Brennan injured, was found by a rescue crew shortly after noon today. The body which was badly burned, had been over looked in the dense smoke and was found near the shaft, after the fire had burned out.
    The loss, caused by the explosion and fire has not been determined it was said.

Oct. 27 1818

<>The crime of murder is increasing in the country to a most alarming degree. Scarce a Mail arrives, which does not furnish some new instance of that awful crime. It is but a few days since we had to record the murder of a father by his own son, and a wife by her own husband, and now we had to add, a brother by  his own brother. The latter case is thus stated in a paper of the 20th ult. published in Salem Indana....." A most inhuman murder was committed in this county, about seven miles from Salem, on the night of the 25th just, the horrid deed was perpetrated upon Joshus K Lakey, whilst he was lying in bed, and probably asleep, near the hour of midnight, he was stricken two blows with the edge of an axe, across the side of his head. He was discovered soon after the transaction, and was the alive, but expired in a  few hours. A Cproner's inquest was held over the body of the deceased, and the jury returned a verdict of willful murder and that the act was perpetrated by Clj? Lakey, brother to the deceased. We have not  heard whether the said C. Lakey, the supposed murderer, has as yet been arrested.


<>MURDERS CONFESSED. Feb. 13, 1882 Startling Disclosures by a Dying Man In Indiana

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<>New Albany, Ind., Feb. 11.There is great excitement here over the announcement that an old German, named Peter Hoffman, who died In Harrison county yesterday, had made some startling disclosures regarding two mysterious and brutal murders that had been perpetrated near his home. It appears that Hoffman was taken sick a short time ago, and as he grew worse he evinced great mental suffering. On being informed that he was about to die he cried out for a priest, and, in despairing tones, confessed that be had murdered three men, One of the crimes he had committed in Germany, to escape punishment for which he had fled to thls country. The other two murders be said be had committed In Harrison county,
and since he was taken sick he had been overcome with remorse. His mental torture became so unbearable that he was compelled to confess his guilt His statement about the murders are fully corroborated by the evidence in the bands of the authorities.

<>THE ROADSIDE MURDERERS.
<>[From the New Albany Ledger-Standard.]
<>A Double Murder in Indiana Supposed to have been Committed by the Bender Family following a BloodyTrail.
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<>The details of the terrible Bender murders in Kansas come to us with fearful emphasis, in view of our discovery of the fact that the inhuman murderers were probably for some time in the neighborhood of this city, and that circumstances in connection with the recent developments in Kansas strongly point them out as the authors of a mysterious double murder which happened in our midst some year and a half ago.
    Our readers will remember the circumstances attending the murder of a German and his wife by the name of Bandle, and the burning of the house over thelr bodies. The mystery has never been removed from that terrible tragedy, and up to this time no person has ever been accused or even suspected of the commission of that crime. We believe that the blood trail leads us to the Kansas fiends. At the time of the Bandle tragedy there was resident near this city a family by the name of Bender.
    The familu consisted of two men and two women. The men were employed on the McCulloch farm, on Silver creek, at the time of the Bandle murder, and it will be remembered that this identical farm was the sccue of that homicide. Soon after the occurrence of that shocking affair the Benders left and went to Kansas. It seems that on reaching Kansas they entered on a career of crime which is without parallel in the history of our times.
    Taking up their residence near Cherryvale, Kansas, in an unfinished house standing on roadside, and out of the view of any human habitation, they constructed, with devilish ingenuity, a regular trap for any traveler whom they could inveigle into their den. They placed the table from which their meals were taken near a curtain of cotton cloth, so that the victim would sit with his back against the curtain. A candle placed
on the table would of course, shadow the form of the person sitting against it on the cloth, and a blow with an axe or hammer given by a man on the opposite side of the curtain would fell the sitter to the floor, and then the cutting of his throat could be easily accompIished. The number of their victims is as yet unknown. Eight bodies have already been disinterred and recognized by their clothing, or by marks upon their persons.
    The circumstantial evidence which connects them with the mnrder of Bandle and his wife may be summed up thus:
1. The identity of the names.
2. The description of the Kansas murderers answers exactly to the Benders who lived here.
3. Their manner ot living in Kansas, the two men and the two women living as one family, is exactly as they lived here.
4. The Benders left this city for Kansas, the place we find them now
5. The time of their departure from this point corresponds with the time of their arrival in Kansas
6. The residence of the Benders on the farm on which Bandle and his wife were murdered, and the immediate departure from the scene.
The Benders fled from Kansas when tiny discovered the suspicion of the people there; but we predict that before they all swing from the scaffold some one of them will confess their    complicity with the Bandle tragedy near this city.

<>MURDER IN INDIANA. June 17, 1874
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Cincinnati June 10. Dispatches from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, report a horrible and mysterious murder was discovered today, two miles from that place. Mrs. Mary E. Bradley and two daughters, aged ten and twelve, were found dead, horribly mutilated. Mrs. Bradley's body  was cut open and the vicera exposed. The faces of the daughters were beaten to a jelly. The baby was found alive suffering from a slight wound, and a three year old boy was found wandering in the adjacent woods uninjured. The family was poor and had no money.  The husband was absent working on a farm in Ohio. There is no clue to the motive or persons of the murderers.

<>Oct 10 1878 A Horrible Murder in Indiana

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<>A dispatch from Vincennea, Ind., gives an account of the murder of John D. Vacelet, his wife and two sons, two miles South of that city,  Pierre Provost, who live with them as a farm hand, gave the alarm to the nearest neighbor about half a mile away, at four o'clock Thursday morning having come to them in his night clothes, saying in broken Euglish that they had had a hll of a time over to Vacelet's. On going to the house the neighbors found two sons aged fourteen and sixteen in bed, the father lying in the doorway of an adjoining room, and in the next room the mother in her bed, all dead and cold. The deed was evidently done with an axe, as the heads and throats of the victims were cut and gashed by such a weapon, and two or three bloody axes were found. Provost is under arrest and can give no satisfactory account of the affair.
He claims to have also been attacked by the murderers and escaped, but this is already proven untrue. Circumstances are entirely against him. Threats of lynching do not seemingly disturb him, and he preserves astonishing composure amid the excitement.   P. S. Provost committed Suicide Sunday night.

<>September 6, 1880 BEATEN TO DEATH.
<>Brutal and Unprovoked Murder In Indiana.

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<>BROWNSTOWN. IND., September 4. Yesterday evening at Browning's, three miles from this place, Lafe Morgan was knocked down with a club and then unmercifully pounded, by Dick Barr, a young stripling not  yet  twenty-one. In a few hours Morgan died from the effects of the beating. Barr was immediately arrested  and committed to jail. The assault was brutal in  the extreme and entirely unprovoked.    Morgan was a house carpenter, and leaves a wife and two smalee children in destitution.

<>May 17 1885 ANOTHER ITALIAN MURDER.
<>Laborerd Brutally Murder their Boss in Indiana

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<>Kokomo, Ind. May 16, During last fall a company of eighteen Italians procured work on the New Lafayette, Burlington and Western Railroad, under the supervision of Contractor McCarty, now of this city.  Four of them it seems, rented an old building on the farm of Mrs. Livingstone, twelve miles west of this city. When winter set in and work was suspended these four Italians who were all that remained of the 18, worked about the neighborhood at odd jobs and lived as best they could until Tuesday, the 5th inst, in hopes of getting the wages due them from the railroad. The Monday following they were seen buring rubbish near their cabin. Tuesday they boxed up their things and hired Buck Livingston to take them to Flora Station, in Carrell County, stating to Livingston that they were going to Chicago. But onw was absent, and the remaining three
bought tickets to Cincinnati. Nothing more was thought of the matter until Thursday morning, when Buck Livingston and W.T, Kelly went to the shanty and discovered an old mattress and two pillows in the house badly stained with blood. This aroused suspicions and they immediately instituted a search of the premises. On going down the ravine one hundred yards from the house they discovered a fresh pile of dirt in a secluded place, and were soon horrified at finding a man's arm. They quit digging and sent word to Coroner Smith, of this city. The coroner had the whole body disinterred, and it was identified as that of Antony Nicoli. the boss of the laborers and a subcontractor on the railroad works. He had a rope about  five feet Iong around his neck and had his skull crashed in by what appeared to be the pole of an axe, or a heavy club. The rope was used to drag the body from the scene ot the murder to its burial  place.There is some evidence going to show that the other italians had threatened him, believing that  he was responsible for their pay, and this, most probably, was the cause of the deed, as Nicoli had neither money or valuables to tempt them. The last seen of Nicoli alive was Saturday evening, May 2nd. This night, it Is believed by the neighbors, was the time of his murder by his companions. The inquest is now in progress in this city. The three companions of Nicoli are suppposed to have  gone  to Sharon, Ohio, to work on the public works.

<>May 1, 1885 MURDER   AND    SUICIDE. An Indiana Wretch Kills His Wife and Himself.

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<>BRAZIL, April 30. An atrocious murder and suicide was committed here today. James Young, aged 50, who was janitor at the court house, killed his wife, firing three bullets into her breast. He had accused her of infidelity, and since January they had not lived together. Mrs. Young was 45 years of age. The murder occurred at the home of her mother, four miles from this city. Young sprang upon a horse that was in waiting and galloped back to the court house. He ran to his room in the basement, called up County Recorder Kaiser through a speaking tube and bade him good bye, and immediately afterwards fired two bullets into his body, dying almost instantly.

<>August 29, 1895 Horrible Cause of Deadly Epidemics In an Indiana Town Discovered

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<>South Bend, Ind., Aug. 28. For several years Mlshawaka, a small place three miles east of South Bend, has been visited annually by contagious diseases, causing many deaths. About three months ago an epidemic of diphtheria broke out which quickly spread over the entire village with many fatal cases. Workmen engaged on an electric plant shut off the water to drain the large pit, or reservoir, from which the the water mains of Mlshawaka are supplied. The bed of the pit was covered with dead fish, snakes, dogs, cats and other dead animals. Workmen who attempted to clean the pit were overcome. All of the water used In Mistawaka was drawn through this mass of decaying animal matter.

<>December 5 1895 COMMITTED MANY MURDERS
<>An Indiana Convict Makes a Startling Confession
Long List of Murders Which He Claims to Have Committed 
A Western Farmer Butchered in Buffalo
Other Bloody Crimes of Which He Claims to Have Been One of the Authors

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<>    Fort Wayne, Dec.4. William Stone, formerly a member of the Dalton gang, under sentence of 10 years here for shooting Deputy Sheriff Harold, has confessed several murders.
    Stone says that he and his partner, William Walrath, killed a man at Kansas City in 1883 and robbed him, but later gave the money to Henry Donnelly, a policeman, for protection. He confesses to the murder of Mrs. Stewart and her son Clarence, in Cleveland. The bodies were cut to pieces and thrown into Lake Erie He says the following morning he killed a boy in the Big Four yards in Linndale, Ohio.
    In Buffalo he and Walrath and a man named Burns, a saloon keeper, killed a wealthy western farmer who was looking for a good time. The money was divided and Stone and Walrath returned to Chicago and with their share started a restaurant. Here Walrath married Stone's sister. Mrs. Walrath died and Stone and Walrath left Chicago. Later Stone returned and was implicated in the murder of a father and son named Prunty.
    Three men are said to be now serving life sentences at Joliet for the crime,  but  Stone  was  not arrested. Another murder was committed at Union City, Pa., the victim being an old man, named Horton. Another murder was committed  by  the  trio  near Youngstown, O., the victim being a resident of Ashtabula
    The last murder committed by Stone and Walrath was on April 29, 1895, on a Pennsylvania freight train. At this time Stone was shot and did not get medical aid until South Bend was reached. The next desperate act of the trio was the robbery of a Grand Trunk train in Michigan where five watches and money were secured.Two of these watches have been identified since their arrest here.
    This afternoon, when the officers learned that John C. Stone's confession had become generally known, he was hustled out of the city to the Michigan City penitentiary to serve a term of 10 years. When Stone made his private confession two months ago he implicated his pal, John Duffey, as the leading spirit in the bloody highway robberies.  This sensational confession was kept concealed till Duffey was placed on trial yesterday for assanlt  with intent to kill a posse of  deputy  sheriffs. The confession became public too late to have any effect on Duffey's case, as, when the jury retired at night, the wild tale of crimes had not reached the jury. Duffey only received a 4-year sentence.
Police Do Not Credit It.
Cleveland, Dec. 4. The police of this city think the confession of John Stone, at Fort Wayne, Ind., is based largely on imagination. Nothing is known here of the crimes which Stone says he and Walrath committed in Cleveland.

<>November 29 1903
<>Crimes Committed By Indiana Bandits
<>Will Stand Trial For Murder At An Early Date
<>Indictment Voted Against Murderer Of Officer Quinn

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<>    Indictments were voted by the Grand Jury today against Harvey Van Dein, Peter Neldermeier and Emil Roeski, the three young bandits who were arrested yesterday. An indictment was also voted against Gustav Marx, who murdered Officer Quinn, and was with the others in the majority of their crimes.
Indictments were voted charging Van Dein with complicity in five murders; against Neidermeier for four charges of murder and of Marx for four murders. Roeski will stand trial for one murder. The following are the crimes for which indictments were voted by the jury.
    Van Diel and Marx for the murder of Otto Bauder July 9th; Neidermeier, Van Dein and Marx for the murder of Frank W. Stewart during the car barn robbery August 20th; Van Dein, Neidermeier and Marx for the murder of John B. Johns at the barns for the murder of Detective John Quinn November 21st; Van Dein and Neidermeier for the murder of Adolph Johnson August 1st. at North One Hundred and Seventy eighth street and West North Avenue in the saloon of B.C. Legrosse, also the murder of Legrosse at the same time.
Cognizance con not be taken in Illinois of the murder of Brakeman Sovca in Indiana Friday, nor of the shooting of Detective Driscoll and Zimmer in Indiana
It is the intention of State Attorney Dincen to bring the men to trial as quickly as possible. It will take two weeks, as all four of the men worked together, but it happened when the greater crimes were committed one of the men was absent. Roeski was not at the robbery of the car barns and had no part in the murders committed at that time. Marx was alone when he killed Officer Quinn and was in jail yesterday when the murders were committed in Indiana. Either one of these two, therefore, will probably have a separate trial unless a general plea of guilty is made by all four men.
    Peter Neidermeier confessed tonight that he had been guilty of robbing trains, in addition to his other crimes. He admitted that he was the leader of a gang that held up and robbed a Baltimore and Ohio passenger train near Miller, Ind., about two years ago. The robbery was committed the spoilt where the three men were discovered yesterday by the police and Neidermeier said tonight that the dugout in which he and his companions were found yesterday, was the exact spot where he and hs partners in the train robbery had hidden before holding up the train. He also confessed to the killing of a train detective who attempted to put him off a freight train on which he was beating his way through Canada.


INDIANA NOTES:
The Ninth Indiana Cavalry will hold its annual reunion at Fortville on Oct. 12, 1899.

Oct. 4,1899
< style="font-family: arial;">Twenty-eight divorce cases are docketed for the present term of the Circuit Court at Peru

Wilson Bailey, a farmer of gill Township, Sullivan County, is reported to have been robbed of $1,000 in gold, which he kept in a corn bin.

A company of 54 men has been mustered into the State militia of Muncie. J.K. Ritter is Captain, and John Seldomridge and Jacob Melton first and Second Lieutenants, respectively.

Anderson Methodists laid the first foundation stone of their $50,00 church yesterday, and the Christians have commenced the construction of a $35,000. both will be dedicated next Summer.

Bryce Moore was Wednesday appointed truancy officer in Tipton County, vice Joseph major, who resigned. Major resigned because the county Council cut his salary to $120 a year.

Isaac W. Little, of Blackburn, IN. was locked up at Evansville on a charge of fraudulently signing a pension voucher and securing the money. Isaac W. little, of Blackburn , KY. is the alleged victim of the fraud.


The charges preferred against Councilman John McMillen and Commissioner McCandless, of Anderson, of gross misappropriation of city funds and converting them to their own use, were quashed and both men discharged.


The Terre’ Haute district Women’s Relief Corps of the G.A.R. held its 6th annual convention at Terre Haute Thursday, with about 60 delegates present. Mrs. Minerva Nolan, of Clinton, was elected President. The districts work is very flourishing.

The third annual reunion of the G.A.P. of Hendricks County will be held at Plainfield in the schoolhouse grove, Saturday. Oct. 7th 1899. Adjutant General R.M. Smock, of Indianapolis, and Walter Russell, of the Indiana Reform School for Boys, will make the addresses.

An epidemic of malaria of a very severe type has broken out along the Mississinewa river, near Matthews , owing to the pollution of that stream. Whole families are sick, and 3 deaths have occurred within 2 days. The infected strip does not extend more than half a mile inland from either bank of the river.

Jan. 04,1899
“Old Dick” the oldest horse on the farm of the Indiana Reform School is dead. For nearly a score of year this faithful animal has served the State. Last Thursday afternoon, while drawing a small wagon, he staggered and fell over on his side and soon after breathed his last. He was about 30 yrs old and was buried near the place where he fell.


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