Minor State Items
Many farmers of Carroll County are preparing to move to the Dakotas in the spring.
Charles Pritchard and wife, with two children, were overcome by escaping gas in their home at Lafayette, and narrowly escaped suffocation.
Aurora Schools have temporarily closed owing to the discovery of a case of diptheria in the family of the janitor of the north school building.
Coal supposed to be in quantities sufficient to pay for mining has been found on the Alfreds farm, near Granger, and a stock company has been formed to mine it.
George Bailey of Mulberry, slaughtered a thoroughbred Berkshire hog weighing 850 pounds. The last twenty days the animal gained an average of four pounds a day.
Mrs. William Masters, 45 years old, wife of a farmer, living six miles northwest of Elwood, was probably fatally injured by the explosion of a lamp. Her body is a mass of burns.
Granville, six years old, son of John Hutchinson of Marion, failing to return home, a search was made, and his body was found in a pond, he having broken through the ice.
The infant daughters of Arley Wallace of south, Washington, were found dead in bed by their parents, having smothered during the night. They were twins, and but two weeks old.
An epidemic of measles and mumps prevails in Tipton county. Over 100 cases are reported in Prairie Township. Schools and houses of worship have been closed.
Aaron McPherson, of Paoli, a plaster, while handling lime and mortar, got lime in one of his eyes, which began eating that organ, and gave him so much pain that he lost the sight of it, and it finally necessitated removal of the eyeball.
Matthew Humphrey, the 19-year-old son of traveling engineer, Ennis Humphrey of the B & O Southwestern railroad, was run over and killed by a freight car, while switching in the B & O Southwestern yards at Washington. He slipped from the top of the car.
Mrs. Delia, Gilson, wife of William Gilson of New Albany, died from the effects of burns. She had been ill, and in crossing her room staggered against a stove, and her outer garment was ignited. The flames were quickly extinguished, and she was not severely burned, and it is thought that the shock and nervous freight caused her death. She was 24 years old, and, besides her husband, lives two children.
Kurt Munma, a blacksmith, working for the Southern Indiana Railway Company at Indian Springs, was thawing out dynamite, and he caused the accidental explosion of three kegs of powder and 36 sticks of dynamite. He was alone at the time, but the sound of the explosion attracted the other employees, who found his lifeless and mangled body, one leg, having been torn off. The victim was 30 years old, and a man of family.
John Bilskie, a farmer, living near Vincennes, broke his leg when more than a mile from his home. He lay in the snow for over an hour, trying to attract attention. He then made a desperate and successful effort to reach home, and he started on his hands and knees. After crawling five hours he came within 150 yards of the house, and fell exhausted, but his wife happened to pass the spot and dragged him into the house, where he is doing well.
* This is just one week of "Minor State Items!" The Aaron McPherson, who lost his eyeball, is a 2nd great-granduncle by marriage. He married one of the Crawford girls.