OSBORN, Myra
Source: Greencastle Banner 25 Jan 1883 p 5
The willing Workers Society of the Presbyterian Church passed the following preamble and resolution. Whereas – Our Heavenly Father has seen fit in his providence to remove from our circle by death in a sudden and most distressing manner, Sister Myra J. Osborn, we trust to that land that knows no sorry. Therefore be it – Resolved – That in the death of Sister Osborn, our band of Willing Workers has lost a warm friend and supporter, and the church an exemplary and faithful member. Resolved – that in the death of our Sister, who has gone from labor to reward from the scenes of worship below to join the songs of the redeemed above, we bear again the voice of God bidding us as Christian workers, “to be up and doing while the day lasts,” and to heed the sad warning, “be ye also ready.” Resolved – That we extend the only remaining son and family so suddenly bereaved, our sympathy in their deep sorrow, pledging them that we will bear their burden of affliction in our petition to Him who heard his children when they cry and who will lead them through the valley of the shadow of death. Resolved – That these resolutions be published and a copy furnished the bereaved family… Mrs. HM Thomas; Mrs. Mattie Black; Mrs. Arthur White, Com.
FindAGrave – obit – Steve Shook
20 March 1836 – 8 Dec 1882
At Greencastle three days ago, Mrs. Myra J. Osborne (sic) and Ollie, her son were found dead in their night clothes at home, in a room that was warmed by a base-burning coal stove from which it is said that they may have been poisoned with gas. The widow however had said that she wished she could die if her son could die with her and so some believe that the deaths are a murder and suicide. This nothwithstanding the lady’s church membership, wealth and apparently pleasant relations in life.
At Greencastle three days ago, Mrs. Myra J. Osborne (sic) and Ollie, her son were found dead in their night clothes at home, in a room that was warmed by a base-burning coal stove from which it is said that they may have been poisoned with gas. The widow however had said that she wished she could die if her son could die with her and so some believe that the deaths are a murder and suicide. This nothwithstanding the lady’s church membership, wealth and apparently pleasant relations in life.
Source: Greencastle Banner 28 Dec 1882 p 1
The most horrible affair in the annals of Greencastie has just occurred. Monday morning Miss Ella Beck, daughter of Mrs. William Beck of the North End, returned from a protracted visit to her sister, Mrs. Charles Osborn, of Indianapolis. She stated that Charley was uneasy about his mother, not having heard from her since he was here, November 28; that she had failed to pay him a promised visit, and that he requested that she go at once and ascertain what was the matter, as he feared she was sick. There had been an undefined uneasiness because of the fact that no one had had seen Mrs., Osborn or her son Olly recently; but this had been allayed by the report that they had done to Indianapolis to see Charley. When Miss Beck came home with the report that they were not there, Mrs. Beck at once notified Mrs. McKee and she summoned officers Starr and Cooper to her aid, who proceeded to Mrs. Osborn’s residence and, meeting with a neighbor, Otho Allen on the way, he went with them. They found the house closed, and Maj. Cooper at last made his way to the interior through a back window, followed by Marshal Starr. Nothing was discovered until they had passed through three rooms when as he entered the door of the general family room, Maj. Cooper threw up his hands and exclaimed, “My God, there is Mrs. Osborn!
Marshall Starr who had come up behind him looked in and said, Yes and there is a man on the other side of her. They then retraced their steps and called Mr. Allen when they all entered the room together. The room was tightly closed, making the light imperfect and one of the officers opened a window shutter to admit light. They then could see clearly the horror before them. They were in the presence of death. The stove – a new anthracite base burner – stood on the north side of the room and in front of it lay Mrs. Osborn in her night dress which partially covered the feet of Olly, who lay with his head against the wall, just beneath the mantel on which stood a lamp. On the floor beside him was the lamp chimney. He was also in his night dress. Mrs. Osborn lay upon her back with her hands upon her breast. Her features were placid and there was little to denote that decomposition had began. With Olly it was different. He lay upon his left side. His arms were drawn up, the hands clinched, thumbs drawn back, and features distorted as though he had died in a spasm. There was also a bloody froth at his mouth. The body was discolored and decomposition had made some progress. It was a solemn occasion for those present. Reverently they brought some bed clothing and covered the two forms, so as to make them secure from the gaze of the curious throng which they knew would soon invade the premises. The damper of the stove was found closed and there were the remains of a fire, indicating that combustion had not been complete enough to fully consume the fuel. The one bed in the room had the appearance of some one having lain on it, while a lounge on the south side showed by the bed clothing upon it that it had also been occupied. It is supposed that Olly slept on the lounge and his mother on the bed. The coroner was notified as soon possible, and on his arrival he took charge of the bodies. It was his intention to hold the inquest on the premises but the crowd soon became so great that this was impracticable and the bodies were removed to Smythe’s Undertaking establishment where the autopsy was held by Drs. Bence, Baker and DeVore. At its conclusion the contents of the stomachs and such parts of the organs as were deemed necessary were taken possession of by Dr. Baker and he is now proceeding with a chemical analysis, a due conclusion of which Dr… will render his verdict, having concluded the taking of testimony as it was deemed necessary to summon yesterday. The funeral of mother and son took place Tuesday afternoon from the Presbyterian Church and was largely attended. Rev. GW Bainum, the pastor, preached an appropriate discourse and was assisted in the other services by Dr. Fish. Mrs. Osborn was Secretary and Treasurer of the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the church, and between her and Mr. Bainum there existed a warm friendship. He had missed her from the church on the 17th and on the following day called at her house, but found it closed. He visited such persons as he thought would be likely to know of her whereabouts and the general opinion was that she and Olly had gone to Indianapolis as she had repeated announced her intention of spending the holidays there. On this he stopped inquiry and was startled and shocked with the rest of our citizens by the discovery of last Monday. He looked through her papers that day and found the following letter addressed to himself, which we are permitted to copy. It reads as follows: Greencastle, Dec 4, 1881 – Brother Bainum – my heart aches in sympathy for the church in their sorrow. Referring to the deaths of Alexander and Columbus Black – fyi. And to think there was some who are grieved at me for wrong words I have said in excitement and for many things left undone that I ought to have done – all for what others have said. I resolved at church yesterday to take up my work again and to add you as my pastor and perhaps I can yet be received as the other sisters, by each member of the Session. I have loved to work in the church and it has been my first thought to be an honest Christian and I can not bear to have any member of the church to think otherwise. As my pastor, I do plead your aid, that all trouble may be changed to friendship for I can not bear it any longer. I do wish that everybody in the church knew that I love my church. They have kindly remembered me in trouble. Pray for me that I may overcome the feelings controlling some and may I yet be a blessing to the church and my family. This is the earnest prayer of Mrs. MJ Osborn. Mrs. Osborn was the daughter of Milton W. Hensley and wife of the late Milton J. Osborn, once mayor of this city and afterward representing Putnam and Hendricks in the Legislature. One son, Charles survives her and Olly and is now in the grocery business at Indianapolis. He arrived on the first train Monday afternoon accompanied by his brother-in-law, Charley McKee and they are now here. Mrs. Osborn’s age was 45 years. Oliver M – known as Olly – was 16 last July. The estate left by her is supposed to be worth near $15,000. The first thought of every one on hearing of the frightful discovery was murder or suicide but subsequent investigation has changed this and it will not now be entertained unless Dr. Baker reports the discovery of poison. Two theories are advanced regarding their deaths, either of which is tenable. One is that Olly was taken sick with a congestion and attempted to light the lamp which explains the finding of the chimney on the floor. That while thus engaged he fell in a spasm and expired and his mother, who had come to his aid was so overcome with fright as to cause her death from heart disease which had become a chronic trouble with her. The other and generally accepted theory is that they were asphyxed by the gas from the new base-burner stove and that the time of their death was Friday night, Dec 8th. Olly had quit work at the spoke factory where he was employed that afternoon with the remark that he had to go home and assist in putting up a new stove. He was to call for his pay the following day but did not do so and it is yet in the hands of Messrs Brockway and Rockafellow. The work of putting the stove up was not completed until night when after starting a fire and explaining how to manage the flues and regulate the draft, Mr. Stevenson who did the work left. It is evident that before retiring to bed they had carefully closed all the openings to the room and then shut the damper of the stove, so as to shut off the draft and have a flu all night. This was the fatal mistake. The fire smouldered, the coal was only partially consumed. Gas was evolved which escaped to the room, the sleeping occupants were aroused and in terror rushed to the mantel to light the lamp when both were overcome and fell senseless to the floor where they breathed their last. None of the surroundings indicated any intention of suicide. The innate refinement of the woman almost invariably causes her to prepare her attire for such an event and a letter is, as a rule, left to some friend explaining the act. All this is wanting here. On the contrary, her letter to Mr. Bainum shows an expectation to live. Those who knew her best say that she had a remarkably strong desire to llive. The week preceding the supposed time of her death, is known to have been busily employed by her. She made various purchase including the stove, left an order for a dress which she was having made preparatory to going to Indianapolis and on Saturday, the 16th, Mrs. Bence, her dressmaker sent a little son to Mrs. Osborn to say that the work was done. He could not gain admittance and after walking about the house in the snow where his tracks were afterward seen by Mr. Bainum he returned home. It is know that she had an unhappy disposition being disposed to look upon the dark side of things and she had been heard to remark that she and Olly were dead; but it is not believed that she meant anything serious by this, but rather that such remarks were only made as the overflowing perturbation of an oppressed and weary spirit. Her letter shows the better side of her nature and no one can believe that its author could have committed suicide or poisoned her son. It is also evident that death came upon her unexpectedly. Nothing points to a murder. All her property was found intact, even to the money in her purse and the small amount due the Missionary Society. The theory of the death of Olly by some sudden attack of sickness and the subsequent death of his mother from fright is hardly probable. This leaves but one theory which we regard as tenable and that is the gas from the base-burner where death lurks!
The most horrible affair in the annals of Greencastie has just occurred. Monday morning Miss Ella Beck, daughter of Mrs. William Beck of the North End, returned from a protracted visit to her sister, Mrs. Charles Osborn, of Indianapolis. She stated that Charley was uneasy about his mother, not having heard from her since he was here, November 28; that she had failed to pay him a promised visit, and that he requested that she go at once and ascertain what was the matter, as he feared she was sick. There had been an undefined uneasiness because of the fact that no one had had seen Mrs., Osborn or her son Olly recently; but this had been allayed by the report that they had done to Indianapolis to see Charley. When Miss Beck came home with the report that they were not there, Mrs. Beck at once notified Mrs. McKee and she summoned officers Starr and Cooper to her aid, who proceeded to Mrs. Osborn’s residence and, meeting with a neighbor, Otho Allen on the way, he went with them. They found the house closed, and Maj. Cooper at last made his way to the interior through a back window, followed by Marshal Starr. Nothing was discovered until they had passed through three rooms when as he entered the door of the general family room, Maj. Cooper threw up his hands and exclaimed, “My God, there is Mrs. Osborn!
Marshall Starr who had come up behind him looked in and said, Yes and there is a man on the other side of her. They then retraced their steps and called Mr. Allen when they all entered the room together. The room was tightly closed, making the light imperfect and one of the officers opened a window shutter to admit light. They then could see clearly the horror before them. They were in the presence of death. The stove – a new anthracite base burner – stood on the north side of the room and in front of it lay Mrs. Osborn in her night dress which partially covered the feet of Olly, who lay with his head against the wall, just beneath the mantel on which stood a lamp. On the floor beside him was the lamp chimney. He was also in his night dress. Mrs. Osborn lay upon her back with her hands upon her breast. Her features were placid and there was little to denote that decomposition had began. With Olly it was different. He lay upon his left side. His arms were drawn up, the hands clinched, thumbs drawn back, and features distorted as though he had died in a spasm. There was also a bloody froth at his mouth. The body was discolored and decomposition had made some progress. It was a solemn occasion for those present. Reverently they brought some bed clothing and covered the two forms, so as to make them secure from the gaze of the curious throng which they knew would soon invade the premises. The damper of the stove was found closed and there were the remains of a fire, indicating that combustion had not been complete enough to fully consume the fuel. The one bed in the room had the appearance of some one having lain on it, while a lounge on the south side showed by the bed clothing upon it that it had also been occupied. It is supposed that Olly slept on the lounge and his mother on the bed. The coroner was notified as soon possible, and on his arrival he took charge of the bodies. It was his intention to hold the inquest on the premises but the crowd soon became so great that this was impracticable and the bodies were removed to Smythe’s Undertaking establishment where the autopsy was held by Drs. Bence, Baker and DeVore. At its conclusion the contents of the stomachs and such parts of the organs as were deemed necessary were taken possession of by Dr. Baker and he is now proceeding with a chemical analysis, a due conclusion of which Dr… will render his verdict, having concluded the taking of testimony as it was deemed necessary to summon yesterday. The funeral of mother and son took place Tuesday afternoon from the Presbyterian Church and was largely attended. Rev. GW Bainum, the pastor, preached an appropriate discourse and was assisted in the other services by Dr. Fish. Mrs. Osborn was Secretary and Treasurer of the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the church, and between her and Mr. Bainum there existed a warm friendship. He had missed her from the church on the 17th and on the following day called at her house, but found it closed. He visited such persons as he thought would be likely to know of her whereabouts and the general opinion was that she and Olly had gone to Indianapolis as she had repeated announced her intention of spending the holidays there. On this he stopped inquiry and was startled and shocked with the rest of our citizens by the discovery of last Monday. He looked through her papers that day and found the following letter addressed to himself, which we are permitted to copy. It reads as follows: Greencastle, Dec 4, 1881 – Brother Bainum – my heart aches in sympathy for the church in their sorrow. Referring to the deaths of Alexander and Columbus Black – fyi. And to think there was some who are grieved at me for wrong words I have said in excitement and for many things left undone that I ought to have done – all for what others have said. I resolved at church yesterday to take up my work again and to add you as my pastor and perhaps I can yet be received as the other sisters, by each member of the Session. I have loved to work in the church and it has been my first thought to be an honest Christian and I can not bear to have any member of the church to think otherwise. As my pastor, I do plead your aid, that all trouble may be changed to friendship for I can not bear it any longer. I do wish that everybody in the church knew that I love my church. They have kindly remembered me in trouble. Pray for me that I may overcome the feelings controlling some and may I yet be a blessing to the church and my family. This is the earnest prayer of Mrs. MJ Osborn. Mrs. Osborn was the daughter of Milton W. Hensley and wife of the late Milton J. Osborn, once mayor of this city and afterward representing Putnam and Hendricks in the Legislature. One son, Charles survives her and Olly and is now in the grocery business at Indianapolis. He arrived on the first train Monday afternoon accompanied by his brother-in-law, Charley McKee and they are now here. Mrs. Osborn’s age was 45 years. Oliver M – known as Olly – was 16 last July. The estate left by her is supposed to be worth near $15,000. The first thought of every one on hearing of the frightful discovery was murder or suicide but subsequent investigation has changed this and it will not now be entertained unless Dr. Baker reports the discovery of poison. Two theories are advanced regarding their deaths, either of which is tenable. One is that Olly was taken sick with a congestion and attempted to light the lamp which explains the finding of the chimney on the floor. That while thus engaged he fell in a spasm and expired and his mother, who had come to his aid was so overcome with fright as to cause her death from heart disease which had become a chronic trouble with her. The other and generally accepted theory is that they were asphyxed by the gas from the new base-burner stove and that the time of their death was Friday night, Dec 8th. Olly had quit work at the spoke factory where he was employed that afternoon with the remark that he had to go home and assist in putting up a new stove. He was to call for his pay the following day but did not do so and it is yet in the hands of Messrs Brockway and Rockafellow. The work of putting the stove up was not completed until night when after starting a fire and explaining how to manage the flues and regulate the draft, Mr. Stevenson who did the work left. It is evident that before retiring to bed they had carefully closed all the openings to the room and then shut the damper of the stove, so as to shut off the draft and have a flu all night. This was the fatal mistake. The fire smouldered, the coal was only partially consumed. Gas was evolved which escaped to the room, the sleeping occupants were aroused and in terror rushed to the mantel to light the lamp when both were overcome and fell senseless to the floor where they breathed their last. None of the surroundings indicated any intention of suicide. The innate refinement of the woman almost invariably causes her to prepare her attire for such an event and a letter is, as a rule, left to some friend explaining the act. All this is wanting here. On the contrary, her letter to Mr. Bainum shows an expectation to live. Those who knew her best say that she had a remarkably strong desire to llive. The week preceding the supposed time of her death, is known to have been busily employed by her. She made various purchase including the stove, left an order for a dress which she was having made preparatory to going to Indianapolis and on Saturday, the 16th, Mrs. Bence, her dressmaker sent a little son to Mrs. Osborn to say that the work was done. He could not gain admittance and after walking about the house in the snow where his tracks were afterward seen by Mr. Bainum he returned home. It is know that she had an unhappy disposition being disposed to look upon the dark side of things and she had been heard to remark that she and Olly were dead; but it is not believed that she meant anything serious by this, but rather that such remarks were only made as the overflowing perturbation of an oppressed and weary spirit. Her letter shows the better side of her nature and no one can believe that its author could have committed suicide or poisoned her son. It is also evident that death came upon her unexpectedly. Nothing points to a murder. All her property was found intact, even to the money in her purse and the small amount due the Missionary Society. The theory of the death of Olly by some sudden attack of sickness and the subsequent death of his mother from fright is hardly probable. This leaves but one theory which we regard as tenable and that is the gas from the base-burner where death lurks!