Boots - Emanuel
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal 18 Nov 1893
Isaac Meharry, the well known citizen of Coal Creek Township, has been made defendant in a $10,000 damage suit, brought by Isaac H. Earle, administrator of the estate of Emanuel Boots, deceased. The complaint sets forth a state of facts about as follows: Isaac Meharry has a farm and deals to some extent in “horse flesh.” He is known to have horses to sell, and a few months ago Emanuel Boots, a citizen of Coal Creek Township, who had considerable hauling to do, being a teamster, went to him to buy a horse. Brother Meharry took him out in the woods pasture and calling up his drove offered them for inspection of the prospective purchaser. Mr. Boots did not care for a fast gaited roadster or anything of that sort. He merely wanted a good old plug that was capable of doing the light hauling for which he wished it.
There was one horse in the Meharry drove that struck his fancy. It was somewhat advanced in years and gave an occasional grunt, especially when poked in the side, but was apparently to all intents and purposes a pretty fair sort of a horse. Mr. Meharry described its good points in glowing terms and praised it as a horse among ten thousand and altogether lovely. On the recommendation of Mr. Meharry, Mr. Boots finally purchased the horse paying therefore the sum of $55. he had been in possession of his new purchase but a short time, however, when he became acquainted with a very serious and material blemish in it. The horse was subject to fits. It was likely to have them at any time and while they were on he was both very violent and very dangerous. Mr. Boots could not afford to give the animal up, however, so he made the best of a bad bargain and kept him. Matters went on until some weeks ago, when one day as Mr. Boots was driving home, his horse had one of these fits. Its violent plunges threw Mr. Boots out of the vehicle breaking his hip. While on the ground he was pawed by the maddened animal and terribly injured. He was carried to his home and after a few days of great suffering he died as a result of the injuries received.
Mr. Earle, acting for the heirs of Mr. Boots, has accordingly brought suit against Mr. Meharry for $10,000 damages and all proper relief. Mr. Meharry’s story has not yet been given out but it is surmised that he will make a bitter fight against the suit instituted against him. Emanuel Boots was an old soldier and one of the respected citizens of the county.