News From The Past
$200.00 Reward
The above reward is offered for the arrest and delivery to the sheriff of Bartholomew county, Ind, of Francis Marion Fox, who on Friday, the 20th day of May, 1881, shot and mortally wounded Mrs. Mary Pittman, of said county.
Description of Fox - Aged 37 years, about 5 feet and 9 inches high, weighs from 150 to 160 pounds, has black hair, blue eyes, and is rather fair completed, a scar from a musket ball wound, (either in the right or left shoulder, not positive which,) the ball entering in front near the top of shoulder and ranging downward, was extracted from near the shoulder blade, leaving an ugly scar, was clean shaved and wore a dark suit of clothes when last seen.
--FL Whittington, Columbus, Ind.May 23, 1881
From The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel, March 28, 1919
Plows Up $200 In Old Fair Grounds Near Columbus
Columbus, Ind., March 28 - Odo Boyer was plowing garden lots in the old Bartholomew county fair grounds. The plowshare turned over a furrow and Odo discovered a badly worn and decayed billfold. Two hundred dollars in gold and paper fell from it as he opened the folds, the paper money falling to pieces. Boyer says he will try to get the paper money redeemed.
From the Sandusky, Ohio Register, January 11, 1895
A Kiss for All
Shelbyville, Ind., Jan. 10 - In Union township Miss Emma Bedstadt was found in her room with a vial of carbolic acid half emptied near her bedside. She was found by George Theobald, in whose family she was living, and when he entered the room she handed him a letter and pointed to the acid, after which she turned over and died. The letter stated that the world had no charms for her and that she would be better off in the grave. She begged forgiveness from her aged parents, who reside in St. Louis Crossing, Bartholomew County, and closed with a kiss for all.
Thank you to:James & Debra Wilson
From the Decatur Illinois Morning Review, October 3, 1889
- Workmen in the northern part of Bartholomew county, Indiana, while repairing a road, uncovered five skeletons in a gravel pit.
They were all full grown men but one, which was that of a child
From the Ft. Wayne Sentinel, May 15, 1907
ONCE RICH; DIES A PAUPER Man who spent $5,000 in one week expires at Poor Asylum.
Columbus, Ind., May 15 - Joseph Anthony, 75 years, died yesterday at the Bartholomew County Poor Farm and his body was buried in the afternoon in a lot which his wife, who left him thirteen years ago, purchased recently. Anthony owned one of the finest farms in the county twenty years ago, but drank incessantly, and when intoxicated gave money to any one to whom he took a fancy. When his wife brought suit for divorce, he sold his land and gave her twenty-two acres. His farm alone was worth $10,000 and for years he drank in excess. The last of his money was spent six years ago when he went to Matoon, Ill. and wasted every cent of it in a week. He returned to this city a penniless man, and has been at the county home twice. Five weeks ago he was readmitted and died of Bright's disease. He had four children, who did not attend his funeral, though his wife paid him that respect. There were no service at the grave or at the county institution.