VanFossen, George - Putnam

August 12, 1876, George VanFossen, a well-to-do farmer of Parke County, Indiana attended a Grange picnic near Rockville.  There were several hundred people present, and among them a noted rough named Warren Goddard.  Just before the day closed Goddard became noisy and quarrelsome from drink, and declared his intention to “whip the best man in Indiana.”  Mr. VanFossen attempted to quiet him, when he suddenly drew a large knife and stabbed. Mr. V. so severely that he lived only five minutes.  Goddard was armed with both a revolver and knife, and appears to have completely cowed the entire party, for no attempt was made to arrest him, and he made his escape.  That night the murderer lay concealed in some brush, and the next day, by the aid of some relatives, made his way to Illinois.  There he stole a horse, saddle and bridle and rode to Mercer County, Missouri, where he had relatives.  From there he removed to Wayne County, Iowa, and obtained employment in a coal mine.  Meantime a change of sheriffs took place in Putnam County, Indiana, where Goddard resided, the present officer, Mr. Lewman, coming into power.  He decided that the murderer should be arrested, and immediately commenced work on the case.  He succeeded in tracing his man to Illinois and part way through that State, and then lost the trail.  Finally he caught the thread again; this time in Missouri.  Then he procured a requisition on the Governor of Missouri.  In due tie he received it and followed the murderer to Mercer county, arriving there a few days after he had left.  Strategy and perseverance procured the information of the fugitive’s whereabouts, and last Monday night at dark, accompanied by a guide, the Sheriff left Princeton for Iowa.  They rode all night through the snow, stopped an hour for rest and pushed on another entire day.   Meantime the force had been increased by ex-Sheriff Robb, of Wayne County, Iowa, and the Marshal of Chariton.  Tuesday night they learned where their man was – in a wild, rough, mining country, where there were few inhabitants, and those not of the class to furnish materials for first class angels.  After dark they found the house of one Munden, where Goddard was boarding.  They approached carefully, and looking through the window, saw their man.  The other occupants of the room were Munden and his two little girls.  The later and Goddard were singing a religious hymn. It was a short job to open the door and before the astonished murderer had time to make any resistance Sheriff Lewman had him by the arm, ant eh two revolvers were pointed at his head.  He surrendered instanter, vouchsafing the cheerful remark that all three of them could not have arrested him “if they hadn’t got the drop on him. “   The next day he was taken to Chariton and a preliminary examination took place, resulting in the Sheriff being allowed ten days in which to procure a requisition.  Leaving the prisoner in jail, the officer came to Des Moines to procure Gov. Kirkwood’s order, having telegraphed Williams to send the requisition to this place.  And here, at the Aborn, he is awaiting it.   Goddard is a desperate character, utterly reckless, and a terror in Putnam County.  Sheriff Lewman has done a good and plucky think in arresting him.  The Indiana murderers stretch hemp, a fortune that will undoubtedly befall Warren Goddard. – St. Louis Globe Democrat, Tuesday 16, January 1877