The Decade Was 1930's
 

Various newspaper items concerning Boone County and its residents in the 1930's. You'll find a bit of everything ... deaths, births, accidents, crime ... and even humor. All items are transcribed exactly as they appeared in the publication, so please bear in mind that it was a different time and sometimes those editors wrote with a bit of flair, and describing gory details seemed to be their specialty! Even if you don't find an ancestor or two among these pages, you'll still find it interesting to read the news of their day. And if you *do* find a relative in some of these news clips, you might turn up a real surprise or two!

Use the "find" feature on your browser to locate particular surnames
 

Hammond Times
Hammond, Indiana
Wednesday, July 14, 1937
Page 7

DEATH OF DOCTOR

Crawfordsville, Ind., July 14 -- (U.P.) -- Dr. Charles Riley, 70, former Montgomery county coroner, died of a heart attack late yesterday while preparing a prescription for a patient in his office at New Ross, Ind., near here.

The heart attack was believed induced by the recent heat wave which has already claimed four lives in Indiana. The widow, two daughters and three brothers survive.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - August 20, 2007

The Port Arthur News
Port Arthur, Texas
June 22, 1931

SANDWICH DEATHS OF GIRLS INVESTIGATED

Lebanon, Ind., June 22 __(?) -- The deaths of two young girls after eating chicken sandwiches their mother said she prepared for a family reunion here yesterday were investigated by authorities today. Attending physicians said they believed the girls victims of poison.

The dead are Alice Jean Simmons, 10, and Virginia Simmons, 14, daughters of John W. Simmons, 48.

------------ Article #2

The Port Arthur News
Port Arthur, Texas
June 26, 1931

MOTHER DENIES SHE POISONED DAUGHTERS

Lebanon, Ind, June 26 __(?) -- Held for a grand jury investigation of the poison deaths of her daughters, Mrs. John W. Simmons reiterated to officers here today that she had no knowledge of how or by whom poisoned capsules were placed in the sandwiches eaten by Virginia, 14, and her 10-year-old sister, Jean, at a family reunion picnic last Sunday.

The woman's husband, refusing on the advice of an attorney to answer questions, returned to his home at Greenfield to await developments.

------------ Article #3

The Port Arthur News
Port Arthur, Texas
Friday, October 9, 1931

Star Witness

Vencia Belle Patterson, above, 18-year-old Lebanon, Ind., high school girl, is the state's star witness in the trial of Mrs. Carrie Simmons, charged with poisoning her two daughters at a picnic. Miss Patterson said she bit into a chicken sandwich at the picnic and found a strychnine capsule. Below is a closeup [sic] of the capsule. [newspaper photos are not included with this transcription.]

------------ Article #4

Lima News
Lima, Ohio
November 5, 1931

CARRIE SIMMONS POISON MURDER JURY STILL OUT

Lebanon, Ind., Nov. 5 -- (AP) -- Two nights and a day of deliberations have failed to result in a verdict in the Carrie Simmons poison murder case.

The jurors retired early last night wearied from 28 hours in the room where they have been trying to decide whether the 47-year-old farm wife is guilty of poisoning her ten-year-old daughter, Alice Jean.

Alice Jean, her sister, Virginia, 14, died after eating poisoned sandwiches at a reunion picnic here last June 21. Mrs. Simmons admitted preparing the sandwiches, but denied knowledge of how poisoned-filled capsules came to be inserted in them.

The case was given the jury at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday. Since then there has been no indication from the jury room as to how many ballots have been taken or what their trend is.

------------ Article #5

The Port Arthur News
Port Arthur, Texas
November 6, 1931

JURY DISMISSED IN POISON MURDER CASE

Lebanon, Ind., Nov. 6 -- The five weeks' long trial of Carrie Simmons for the poison murder of her daughter, Alice Jean, 10, ended last night without a verdict.

A jury of Boone county farmers, unable to agree after 48 hours deliberation, reported a verdict was impossible, and was discharged by Circuit Judge John W. Hornaday. The vote stood at eight to four for acquittal on the final ballot.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - 8/10/2007

The Bee
Danville, Virginia
May 27, 1930

Today's Queer Story

Lebanon, Ind., May 27 -- The funeral of Joseph A. Sandlin, 90-year-old Civil War Veteran, took place today just as he had rehearsed it 24 years ago.

In 1906 Sandlin called together the members of the Red Men lodge for rehearsal at his funeral. He arranged and rearranged details of the burial and even climbed into the coffin to show them just how he wanted to be placed after he died.

Next he had photographs made of the funeral scene. Then he wrote a lengthy set of directions for his pall-bearers.

"I want my funeral to be as simple as possible," said the manuscript. "I want to look comfortable. A fellow isn't buried but once, and it should be done to please himself. If he knows how it is going to be done, he will go with a great deal more satisfaction."

So, four aged members of the Red Men lodge refreshed their memories of the rehearsal with the faded photographs and the directions Sandlin left and buried him exactly as he had planned.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - July 16, 2007

Hammond Times
Hammond, Indiana
June 27, 1935

WOMAN DIES OF INJURIES

Lebanon, Ind June 27 -- (I.N.S.) -- Mrs. Mont Fisher, 64, of Frankfort, was dead here today of injuries received in an automobile accident caused by a bee entering the car in which she was riding.

The bee alighted on the hand of her son Fred Fisher, who was driving. Her son opened the door of the car to let the bee out. His mother fell out of the car and received injuries that caused her death.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - July 16, 2007

Decatur Evening Herald
Decatur, Illinois
November 4, 1930

Democratic Centenarian
Votes Straight Once More

(By United Press)

WHITESTOWN, Ind., Nov 4 -- William H. Miller, 100 years old, walked a mile from his farm home to the precinct voting place Tuesday to cast a straight Democratic ballot. It was the 76th consecutive years that he had voted the Democratic ticket in the same precinct.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - 1/20/2007
 

Hammond Times
Hammond, Indiana
Wednesday, February 26, 1936

STOCKHOLDERS MUST PAY

Lebanon, Ind., Feb. 26 -- (U.P.) -- A Boone Circuit order today required 10 stockholders of the Whitestown bank, closed for liquidation in November, 1929, to pay approximately $25,000 plus interest to a group of depositors headed by David Syncoop, who sued to recover the deposits.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - 1/20/2007