CHARLES EAGER, indicted October 7, 1858, for the murder of Charles Kelley, at Mishawaka. Kelley and several companions form South Bend went to Mishawaka, and while intoxicated got into a difficulty, which resulted in his being stabbed in the heart by Eager. On trial the evidence seemed conclusive that the murder was done in self-defense, and the accused was acquitted. W. G. George and John F. Miller appeared for the defense. The same defendant was afterward convicted of manslaughter in Allen county and sentenced to eight years in the penitentiary.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


ALEXANDER WILSON. On Friday, Aug. 3, 1860, Alexander Wilson murdered, in cold blood, Samuel Pierson, near the residence of Mr. Lamadee, in Green township. They were both residents of that township. Some years prior to this sad occurrence, Wilson married the daughter of Mr. Pierson, but owing to his almost habitual brutal treatment she had left him, and in the spring of 1860 she obtained a divorce from him. Wilson had since that time made repeated threats to kill both her and her father and other members of the family. On the day of the murder, with her father, she went to the residence of Mr. Lamadee in a wagon, Wilson followed with a shot-gun. As Mr. Pierson got out of the wagon and was hitching his horses, Wilson came up and struck him repeatedly with the barrel of his rifle, breaking his arm, breaking and smashing his skull horribly, and knocking him senseless beneath his horse’s feet. Before the alarm could be raised and assistance secured, Wilson made his escape into the woods. Mr. Pierson, all the time senseless and without motion, lingered until the next day, when he expired. Wilson was always considered a bad man and a reckless and dangerous character, and so excited and incensed were the citizens that if he had been caught at the time he would have been lynched. A reward of $200 was offered for his capture by the Sheriff of the county, and he was afterward arrested and returned to Indiana for trial. A change of venue being taken to La Porte county, he was there tried, convicted and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in the penitentiary at Michigan City. He was, however, pardoned by the Governor long before the expiration of his term. Wilson was defended by W. G. George and A. Anderson.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


THOMAS BOUCHER. At the October term, 1865, of the Circuit Court, Thomas Boucher was indicted by the Grand Jury, for the murder of Alexander Laudemun. Thomas Boucher was a Virginian by birth, and at the time of the affair was a resident of Chicago, but temporarily working at Notre Dame. The killing occurred in the fourth ward of South Bend, and was claimed to have been accidental. He was brought to trial at the April term, 1866, of the Circuit Court, found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to two years in the penitentiary. He was ably defended by W. G. George and A. Anderson. After the expiration of one year he was liberated by the Governor.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


ORANGE G. STAGE. This man was charged with the murder of Charles Tibbetts in a saloon, where the opera house now stands, in the city of South Bend. The weapon used in taking life was a large dirk knife. Stage was indicted at the October term, 1870, of the Circuit Court. A change of venue was taken to Marshall county, where he was placed on trial, being defended by W. G. George, C. H. Reeves and James Davis. The plea of the defense was that Tibbetts was killed by Stage in self-defense. The reputation of Tibbetts as a dangerous and quarrelsome man materially aided this defense, and Stage was acquitted.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


JOHN SCHULKOSKI. Frank Treanofski, Martin Sass, Max Strafe, Joseph Pinkowiski and John Schulkoski were out hunting on the 27th of November, 1873, and returned about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and at the invitation of one Kitkoski, went to his house to get some whiskey, but when they arrived there they found there was none in the house, so they made up a purse of a dollar and sent for some alcohol, which they diluted with water. Under the influence of their potations they became merry and went to dancing, which they kept up until about 10 o’clock, when they commenced quarreling. Kitkoski attempted to put Treanofski out of his house, in which he was assisted by Schulkoski, who in the melle drew a knife and attempted to stab Treanofski, cutting through his vest and shirt, but not wounding him. They finally succeeded in getting them out of the door, but they did not immediately go away; they stood on the porch while Sass was putting on his gloves. While in the act of doing so Schulkoski shot at them out of the window, the load passing in front of Treanofski’s face and striking Sass in the left side of the face, destroying the left eye and carrying away nearly all the lower part of the nose, and killing him instantly. Schulkoski was arrested, and on the 26th of December was arraigned for trial. Conviction followed and he was sentenced to 21 years in the penitentiary.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


JONATHAN HICKMAN. On Tuesday morning, July 16, 1874, the people living about three miles north of New Carlisle were surprised to find the log cabin in which a Polander by the name of Thomas Cihanski, better known by the nickname of “Tommy Polander,” lived with his wife, to be burned to the ground. On closer investigation they were horrified to find the remains of two human beings in the ashes, which proved to be those of the Polander and his wife. The sight was a most horrible one. The legs and arms were almost wholly consumed, the bodies with their shriveled intestines and the open skulls, showing the brains within baked to a cake, being the only parts which were not charred to cinders. At first it was thought they had been burned to death, but closer examination showed a foul double murder had been committed. The remains of the man were still recognizable, and on inspection it was revealed that the back part of his skull had been crushed in. The body of the woman was so badly charred, that whatever marks of violence may have been on her person were undiscoverable. Locks of hair and clotted blood were found on the grass near the ruins of the house, seeming to indicated that a terrible struggle had taken place between her and her murderer outside of the house. A bloody nightcap was also picked up near by.

The remains of both parties were found close to where they were known to sleep, showing that the woman’s body must have been carried in and thrown on or near the bed, to convey the impression that both came to their deaths while slumbering, by accidental burning of the house. The house was built of logs in a partial clearing made by Cihanski, on land belonging to James Swank.

The report that there was a considerable sum of money in the house, supposed to have been the motive of the killing, was positively confirmed by the evidence brought out at the inquest, the brother-in-law testifying that Cihanski had about $600 in a belt which he carried around his waist. He had been repeatedly urged to put this in a bank, but would not.

Sheriff Turnock, who was present at the inquest, had his suspicions aroused by the actions of two young men, James Bennett and Jonathan Hickman. They were arrested, but no evidence being found against them, they were discharged. The Sheriff kept track of them, however, and becoming more and more convinced of their being implicated, organized a party, and going to the residence of their parents, a few days after the murder, arrested them and confined them in the county jail, where they remained until the December term of the Circuit Court, when they were placed on trail, Judge Stanfield presiding.

After hearing the evidence of a number of witness, James Bennett, one of the parties indicted, was placed on the stand and turned State’s evidence, narrating every particular of the horrible deed. Upon his evidence as well as by circumstantial evidence by other witnesses, Hickman was found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary for life.

The prosecution of the case was conducted by O. S. Witherill and Lucius Hubbard, the defense by Major Plympton and Judge Hagerty.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


JOHN SULLIVAN. On Saturday evening, March 18, 1876, a little after six o’clock, John Sullivan appeared at the county jail and asked to be locked in, stating as his reason that he had stabbed William Quinlan in front of a saloon on South street, opposite the Lake Shore depot. It would appear from evidence given in the case, Quinlan and a man named Harrington had been having some trouble about a woman. Harrington had cast some aspersions upon the character of a woman in whom Quinlan was interested, and the latter, when intoxicated, went to a house where Harrington was stopping and demanded satisfaction. It is said that Harrington and others took advantage of Quinlan’s partial helpless condition and gave him a severe beating. Out of this grew the difficulty which ended in the death of a human being. The parties met in the saloon of Thomas Krick, near the Lake Shore depot, and after partaking of a quantity of villainous whiskey, the old difficulty was renewed and they proposed to fight it out. Some feeble protest was made against the fight, but the general voice of the crowd was in favor of it, fisticuffs being recognized as the only true way of settling misunderstandings, particularly if it happened to be an old grudge. Krick objected to fighting in the saloon, and as the crowd wanted more elbow room, all moved outside, Quinlan and Harrington clinching and falling as they cleared the door. They then had two or three rounds, breathing a moment between each, when Sullivan, a cousin of Harrington, who had been standing with an open knife in his hand, gave Quinlan a slash in the bowels, driving the blade in its full length. Quinlan did not at first realize that he was cut, but continued fighting. The blood streamed from the wound, however, and he soon got faint. He leaned for support against a building, and with an exclamation that he was stabbed, staggered a few steps and fell. He was taken into the salon and physicians summoned. Soon after he was removed to the residence of his parents, where about six o’clock the next morning he died.

On Wednesday, May 31, Sullivan was arraigned for trial, the evidence being substantially as narrated. After hearing the evidence and the counsels for the prosecution and defense, the jury retired, and in a few minutes returned with a verdict of eleven years in the penitentiary.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


MURDER OF EPHRAIM DICE. On Friday night, Aug. 20, 1880, Benjamin and Ephraim Dice, had some trouble with Charles Perkins and Maennerchor Wall, in South Bend. The parties met again on Monday afternoon following at J. K. Seltzer’s saloon, No. 117 Michigan street, where the trouble was renewed. Ephraim and Ben Dice were sitting in the salon when Perkins and Pfaffenbach entered. Perkins and Ben Dice renewed their quarrel and engaged in a sort of a wrestling fight, which Pfaffenbach interrupted by striking Dice. The latter then turned his attention to Pfaffenbach and knocked him down, when he gave up whipped. A short time afterward the two brothers met the other crowd in front of Hughes’ saloon, where talk of a fight was entered into, Pfaffenbach making a demonstration toward Ben Dice. The Dice boys saw that they were greatly outnumbered and didn’t care to fight. Meantime George Keck, who like most of the others was partially under the influence of liquor, was anxious to get at Ben Dice, and finally did break away from a couple of his friends who were holding him and struck Ben Dice. Ben was knocked down and partly stunned by two or three blows rained in upon him as he fell, and did not fully recover consciousness until informed that his brother was killed. When Ephraim Dice saw his brother beset by so many he naturally went to his aid, and thus through his brother’s troubles came to his own death. He was immediately engaged by two of three of the crowd and quickl knocked down with what is supposed to have been a pair of metal knuckles on a slung-shot. He fell head foremost against a box and then rolled down upon the sidewalk from, whence he was kicked into the gutter. As he struck in the gutter his hands went up like the last grasp of a man for receding life. The next moment he partially raised himself on his elbow and was picked up and carried into Snyder’s drug store, close by, where within ten minutes he breathed his last, without having uttered a word or recognized a friend. A large crowd immediately gathered, and when the injured man was pronounced dead, people began to look around for his assailant, but during the excitement of the moment they had taken to their heels and made their escape. The police were scattered over the city, but were soon summoned, and as soon as they could get any information began to work, resulting in the arrest of Michael Lynch, Charles Kelley, Martin Pfaffenbach, Charles Perkins, Daniel Casey, Patrick Touhey, Geo. Briner, and a number of young men who witnessed the fight.

On being pronounced dead by the attending physicians, Drs. Partridge and Myers, the remains of the unfortunate young man were removed to Liphart’s undertaking rooms on the opposite side of the street, where Coroner Miller viewed then, and assisted by Dr. Flory, made a post-mortem examination, which resulted in the discovery that in addition to a bruise and cut over the left eye, presenting the appearance of having been made with a hard, blunt instrument, his neck was dislocated close to the base of the skull. The physicians satisfied themselves of this fact by making an incision in the back of the neck, by which means the dislocation could be plainly felt. The dislocation was caused, the doctors say, by the fall into the gutter, but it might have resulted from one of several kicks that forced him from the sidewalk.

The parties arrested were taken before Judge Harbaugh, and after an examination lasting two days, Charles Kelley and Andrew Pfaffenbach were held to bail in the sum of $2,000 each. The others arrested at the time were discharged.

A few days after the examination, Pfaffenbach was taken before Judge Noyes, on a writ of habeus corpus, for examination with the intent of having bail reduced. After hearing the testimony, the Judge remanded him to jail without bail.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
Dark Deeds


FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE DROWNED

On Tuesday evening, June 2, 1868, at about half-past six o’clock, Eugene Seixas and Charles Walterhouse, accompanied by Miss Adele Seixas and Miss Molly C. Miller, started boat-riding, with the intention of going a short distance up the river from South Bend. Launching the boat near the headgates of the west race, very close to which runs the elbow of the dam, it is supposed that before the young men got hold of the oars or were conscious of the danger, the boat was drawn into the swift current and carried over the falls. Two men on the bank of the river saw the boat go, and stated that it went over sideways, all the parties being in it until it capsized just on the edge of the dam. There was nobody near enough to render them any assistance, the workmen having all left the shops, consequently all were lost. The body of Miss Miller was found the same evening, fifteen minutes after the accident happened, near the bridge. That of Charles Walterhouse was found the next morning at six o’clock; the body of Eugene Seixas about nine o’clock, and Adele about noon, near a large sycamore tree beyond the foot of the east race, and a quarter of a mile from where the disaster occurred. The young folks were well known in the city of South Bend, and their terrible death cast a gloom over the entire community.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF HENRY F. PORTER

Henry F. Porter was the superintendent of the Carriage Works of Studebaker Brothers’ Manufacturing Company. Some time in the month of January, 1878, he resigned his position for the purpose of accepting a position in Philadelphia; so he stated. A farewell supper was given him on the night of the 31st of January, on which occasion he was presented with a fine gold watch by the Studebaker Brothers, valued at $300. Mr. Porter was a very talented man, and a writer of merit. He was at one time connected with the Carriage Journal, and a regular contributor to other trade journals. On the evening of the 5th of February, Mr. Porter suddenly disappeared from the city. Fears were entertained that he had committed suicide by drowning in the St. Joseph river, but the facts in the case were not fully known until the evening of March 8, when his body was accidentally discovered by a party of fisherman. They were drifting down stream, with a torch-light in the bow of their boat, engaged in spearing fish, and had reached a point about a mile and a half below the city of South Bend, when a white object on the surface of the water, near the shore, attracted their attention. They immediately turned the boat into shore, and on reaching the object, discovered it to be the lifeless body of a human being, resting on its face, with the back protruding white and ghastly from the water, and the arms disposed close to the sides. Believing they had no authority to remove the body, the men secured it in the position it occupied when discovered, by thrusting their spears in the river bottom in such a way that the current could not carry it down stream and necessitate further search for it. The alarm was given the next morning, and the body taken from the water. Its condition is terrible to contemplate. It was stark naked with the exception of a stocking on the right foot, and a shoe and stocking with a piece of his red flannel drawers clinging about the left ankle and foot. The face was considerably disfigured, though but little swelled, an the him hair of his head was full of the sweepings of the river and looked much darker than its natural color on that account. The body was not bloated in the least. The naked condition of the body was a general surprise, and created a new mystery in the premises, as when he disappeared he wore a full suit of clothes and an extra heavy overcoat. The whereabouts of these articles was a question. Whether they were taken off by the drowned man, or whether torn off by the hidden powers of the river will remain a secret until all mysteries are exposed. But the remains were fully identified as being those of the missing Henry F. Porter. They were placed in a metallic casket and forwarded to Philadelphia for interment.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


HENRY SHERMAN.
On Sunday afternoon, June 8, 1879, W. R. McCracken, of South Bend, was rowing up the river in a small boat, and when about half way between that place and Mishawaka, he discovered an object in the water which at first sight resembled a valise, but upon closer examination proved to be the skirts of a coat floating over the shoulders of a man’s body. The body was lying upon its face and was lodged upon a snag. Mr. McCracken immediately turned his boat about and floated down stream a short distance where he found three men fishing. To them he disclosed his startling discovery, and the entire party repaired to the spot where the body was still held by the obstructions in the water. The men hauled it on the shoe with some difficulty. The face was black, the limbs stiff, and it had the appearance of being in the water for some time. The coroner was notified and an inquest held over the remains, which were recognized as those of Henry Sherman, of Mishawaka. Mr. Sherman had been of unsound mind for about four years, and to end his troubles threw himself into the St. Joseph river, and added one more to its long list of victims.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


FOUND A WATERY GRAVE

Joseph S. Kenyon and Ellet W. St. John went in swimming in the river near South Bend, Sunday, Aug. 3, 1879, and their two sons, Johnny Kenyon, aged 13, and Henry St. John, aged 12, went in with them. The two men, after bathing awhile swam across the river, leaving the two boys to bathe where they then were. At this point the water was quite shallow some distance from the shore, then it deepened suddenly at a clayey bank. Henry St. John was the only one of the boys who could swim. While the fathers were across the river, the two boys were playing in the water, walking backward and splashing the water over each other. Suddenly Johnny slipped on the clayey bottom and into the water over his head. Henry, who was with him, made an attempt to save him, but was so much smaller that when he grappled Johnny both went down. John Marble was on the bank watching the swimmers, and although lame, he plunged in when he saw the danger, with his clothes on. He reached Henry first and started him toward the shore and he got safely on the bank. He then turned his attention to Johnny, but the moment he seized him, Johnny grabbed him by the throat with a vise-like grip and choked Mr. Marble so that he was nearly drowning himself, and was obliged to throw him off and catch him by another part of his body. When he attempted to do this Johnny was out of reach, and Mr. Marble was himself so exhausted he could scarcely get to shore. The alarm was then raised, and the two fathers swam across as rapidly as they could and began the search for Johnny’s body. As soon as they found it every effort was made to resuscitate the boy, but in vain, although they did not cease trying for over an hour.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


KATY FLECK’S TRAGIC DEATH

About the first of April, 1876, the wife of Charles Schaeffer, of South Bend, died, leaving an infant child about four months old. A sister of the deceased, Miss Kate Fleck, then came to keep house for Mr. Schaeffer, and attend to the motherless one, receiving as compensation the sum of $2 per week. On Wednesday, July 5, she demanded an increase of wages to $2.50 per week. Mr. Schaeffer told her he could not afford it, and if she was not satisfied with what he was paying her, he would have to hire someone else. The following morning Schaeffer arouse at an early hour, went down to his shop and returned to the house at his usual breakfast hour. Instead of finding the meal prepared, he found a note from Kate as follows: “Charley: - Hunt me and your baby on the other side of the railroad bridge in the river.” Search was at once instituted, but no trace could be found of the bodies, and it was thought the letter was an idle threat, a mere blind, and that she had gone elsewhere, probably to her father’s house, near Plymouth.

On Friday evening the dead body of Kate was seen going over the dam, the arms nearly encircling the head, and the hands above as if fighting the water – the position in which the arms of most drowned people are found. The river was high and the current swift, and the body floated rapidly down stream after emerging from the seething waters under the dam. It kept the middle of the river and passed the iron bridge before a boat could be secured to follow it. Two men finally brought the body to the shore about 20 rods below the Singer factory.

The action of the current in forcing the body against obstacles had bruised the face and head somewhat, and torn and displaced the clothing so that below the waist the body was bare. The face was discolored slightly from being so long in the water, but otherwise the body presented a very natural appearance.

On the Sunday following, the dead body of the baby was seen floating down the river, and was taken from the water by Theodore Chaudoni. The body was bloated and badly discolored. The legs were spread out and bent at the knees, with the knees drawn up toward the shoulders. Around the waist was tied a scarf, the ends of which had been made into a loop, which evidently Kate had put around her neck to keep the child by her that their bodies might be found together. Certain discolored marks around Kate’s neck were thus accounted for.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF J. C. MARVIN

On the 25th day of March. 1870, J. C. Marvin, engineer in the lower shops of Studebaker Brothers’ Manufacturing Company, disappeared. On the evening of the day mentioned, he parted with some of his associates on the street, telling them he must go to his room. He boarded at 167 Michigan street. Reaching there, he got out his old letters, and spent an hour or two looking over them, after which he burned them. He then placed his watch and keys upon the table and left the house. About ten o’clock he called at Rupp’s drug store for chloroform, as he had often been in the habit of doing, using it to relieve neuralgic pains from which he at times suffered so severely as to render him temporarily insane. After applying the chloroform, he conversed with the clerk a short time, and then started, as the clerk supposed, for his boarding house. This was the last seem of him by any of his acquaintances.

Not making his appearance the next day, and his manner of leaving his boarding house exciting considerable surprise, search was made for him. He had been in the habit of visiting a house near the bank of the river, in the north part of the city, and on examining the bank there, foot-prints, supposed to be his, were discovered near the water’s edge. On Sunday, March 27, a large force turned out and dragged the river, but no traces of the missing man were found.

On Tuesday, the 29th, a gentleman from Niles, while driving across the river at Bertrand, discovered the dead body of a man floating in the river. Giving the alarm a boat was procured and the body secured, but not until it had floated some distance below the town. The body was dressed in a full suit of clothes, and had on, in addition, an overcoat. The right arm was fastened to the man’s side by a rope passed around the wrist two or three times, and then tied around the waist. A letter was found in one of the pockets addressed to J. C. Marvin, and believing it to be the body of the missing engineer, a messenger was dispatched to South Bend, and from the description he gave of the clothing, no doubt whatever remained of its any other than the body of Marvin. Sheriff Glover, Mr. Rupp and Mr. Marks went to Bertrand and brought the body to South Bend, where it was recognized by his associates. An inquest was held, the Coroner’s jury holding that he came to his death by drowning in the St. Joseph’s river, and that the drowning was the result of his own act for the purpose of self-destruction.

Before the war, Mr. Marvin was a banker in New York. At the breaking out of the Rebellion, he enlisted and served in a three months’ regiment, and afterward went to Iowa, where he assisted in raising a company and was made Captain. He received several promotions and was a Brevet Brigadier-General at the close of the war.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


DEATH IN THE RIVER

About six o’clocl Tuesday morning, Dec. 13, 1870, two employes of the Union Cabinet Manufactory, while going to their work, were hailed near the Penisular railway bridge by a man in his shirt sleeves and bare-headed, standing on the bridge, who requested them to take his coat and hat to Bartlett & Orvis’ grocery, and he pointed to those articles, which were handing on Mr. Huey’s fence, just across the street from the bridge. The man acted rather strangely, and having suspicion that he was bent on self-destruction, they started toward him with the intent of preventing his jumping in the river, but he motioned them back, saying he was bound to go down, and almost before they could realize it he leaped from the bridge into the river and immediately sunk. He struck the water at full length, and as the distance from the top of the bridge to the surface of the water is between 40 and 50 feet, the severe shock must have stunned him into insensibility. The men then took the clothes down and left them at the grocery store of Russ & Co., the only place then open, and gave the alarm. Shortly after a clerk of Bartlett & Orivs recognized the clothes as belonging to R. A. Orvis, the junior member of the firm. No cause could be assigned for the rash act by friends of the deceased except that he had become temporarily insane. He had for some time been suffering from dyspepsia, and arose that morning about half past four o’clock and told his brother Willard, with whom he slept, that he was going out and would return shortly, and that was the last any of his friends saw of him. He had but lately come to South Bend from Baraboo, Wisconsin. The body of the unfortunate man was found on Thursday afternoon following his self-destruction.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


DROWNING OF JACOB BAUER

About half past two o’clock, Tueday afternoon, Aug. 20, 1872, Jacob Bauer was drowned in the river a few rods about the Peninsular railroad bridge. The drowned man, who was employed on the race, assisting in the construction of the water works, had been laboring in the forenoon as usual, but feeling rather poorly at noon concluded to rest the remainder of the day. Shortly after dinner John Miller and John Wanderlich invited him to join them in a ride on the river, to which he unfortunately consented. Near the spot where the casualty took place, Bauer arose to change his position in the boat, his balance was lost, and in a moment the craft was bottom upward, and the three men were struggling in the water, Miller, who could swim a little, reaching the shore by his own exertions. Wanderlich climbed upon the overturned boat; but Bauer, unable to swim, with not so much as a straw to meet his random dying clutches, again and again coming to the surface, finally sank almost within reach of the shore, in less than seven feet of water. His body was recovered soon after, a Coroner’s inquest held and a verdict rendered in accordance with the foregoing facts.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


Johanna Sharinghausen, who had lived with the family of A. G. Cushing in the capacity of housemaid about three years, very unaccountably disappeared some time during the night of Aug. 15, 1872. She retired to her room at the customary hour, after making some trifling inquiries of Mrs. Cushing regarding culinary matters. Her last words were comments on the beauty of the evening. Her absence was first noted about six o’clock the next morning. It is presumed she made her exit through the kitchen window, as that avenue was the only one in the house unfastened. Her mother and sisters were immediately notified of her absence, but they were utterly at a loss to account for her strange act. The presumption was strong that she must have been attacked with insanity, as nothing in reason could have actuated her to take such a course. She attended church and prayer-meeting with great regularity, and was exemplary in all her walks of life. The river, near both banks, was dragged between South Bend and Niles, and the west race also was searched. On Wednesday afternoon following her disappearance, some tinners who were at work at St. Mary’s, discovered a body floating in the river near the bank. It was secured, and although distorted almost beyond the semblance of humanity, it was recognized as the body of the poor unfortunate girl.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


On Monday afternoon, June 8, 1874, John Schuman, a young German, attempted to cross the river by walking on the apron of the dam. When about mid way, where a small stream of water pours over the dam, by some means he lost his foothold on the slippery planks of the apron, and was immediately whirled into the boiling, seething, eddying waters below. He immediately sank out of sight and did not rise to the surface again. His disappearance was noticed by some persons, and in a few minutes several parties, good swimmers, commenced diving to recover his body. They continued their diving at intervals for two days, their efforts being rewarded on Wednesday afternoon by discovering the body at a depth of twenty-two feet, fast by the arm to some logs. They could not release the body from its imprisonment that evening, and, when preparing to make another effort the next morning, it had by some means become detached from its hold, and was floating on the surface. The necessary steps were immediately taken to rescue it, and by the time a boat went out, the body had floated further down the stream and was picked up opposite the Eagle Works. A legal inquest was held and a verdict rendered in accordance with the foregoing facts.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


Three Germans, working in the shops of the Studebaker Brothers’ Manufacturing Company, having been paid off a few days previously, took a holiday on Thursday, June 11, 1874, and celebrated the event by imbibing large quantities of whisky during the forenoon. About twelve o’clock they found themselves on the river bank, a short distance about the Jefferson street bridge, in South Bend. The subject of swimming was discussed, and one of the party, Albert Neuman, declared his ability to swim across the river at that point. To make good his word, he plunged into the river with coat and boots on, and was making fine progress as far as the middle of the stream, where he struck the rapid current. This was too much for him, loaded down with clothing and alcohol as he was, and he commenced being carried down the stream, losing every moment more completely the control of his actions. He managed to grasp a piece of timber connected with the ice-breaker of one of the piers of the bridge, and here for a few moments he made a determined effort to support himself. His perilous position was observed from the shore, and he was called to hold on to the support until a boat could be brought to the rescue, but, being too weak, or losing control of his sense of self-preservation, long before assistance could reach him, he sank under the waters. His body was recovered in fifteen minutes after sinking, and although every means were taken to resuscitate him, yet the were unavailing; the spirit had left the mortal tenement and was then in the presence of its Maker.

History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


ANOTHER VICTIM.

James H. Fleming, an employee of the Register office, in company with Samuel Carney, of South Bend, on Saturday, June 20, 1874, visited Lumley Lewis, Superintendent of the county poorhouse and farm, with shoe family he was acquainted. About seven o’clock the part went to the river, about midway between South Bend and Mishawaka, - Lewis, Fleming and a boy named Van Amburg, for the purpose of bathing, and Carney, of looking on. After being in the water some minutes, Lewis and Fleming swam out to a sand bar, about midway of the stream. Lewis warned his friend that if he was not a good swimmer he had better not follow him, but return to the shore by the way he came, as the water was much deeper and the passage more dangerous. Lewis began the passage, Fleming followed, saying “I am going, Jim.” In a few momens Lewis notice a peculiar sound in the direction of Fleming, and looking back, saw him showing signs of strangulation, and struggling in the water, evidently unable to support himself on its surface. He immediately returned, and before reaching the spot saw his friend sink. He saw him rising again some distance down stream and he dived toward the spot, but the drowning man had already been carried out of his reach by the current. He swam to the shore, and hastening along the bank opposite where he saw the bubbles rise, he plunged in again and swam to the spot, but Fleming never came to the surface again, being taken with sudden cramps, as is supposed, which deprived him of all power to help himself.

Very much exhausted by his exertions in the water, and darkness rapidly coming on, Lewis was unable to make any further search for the missing body. Intelligence of the sad affair was at once sent to South Bend, and the next morning the proprietor of the Register, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Carney, Thomas Cottrell, John Beurva, William Gantz and Charles Bickel commenced the search. After nearly two hours diving and watching the river bottom, just as the search at that point was about being given up, and Cottreel was dressing, Gantz, rowing over the spot where the last signs of the sinking body had appeared on the water, discovered the body lying prone on the sand within a few feet of where it sank. Cottrell dived down and brought him to the surface, nearly meeting with an accident, which would have been unfortunate, had he note been a good swimmer, for as he came to the surface with the body in his arms, mistaking the depth of the water, he undertook to touch bottom, and, weighed down with the additional load, he sank under the water. With the assistance of Beurva in the boat, who caught Fleming by the hair, Cottrell came to the surface again, still maintaining his hold, and brought him to the shore. A coroner’s inquest was held and a verdict rendered in accordance with the facts as given. The body of the unfortunate man was sent to his parents at Gettsburg, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Fleming’s age was 26 years. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, where he spent the earlier years of his life. For nearly two years he served his country in the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, participating in a number of engagements and receiving an honorable discharge at the end of the war. Some years before coming to South Bend he connected himself with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and on arriving here, he was received by the First Church, of that denomination, in full membership. He was also a member in good standing of a Baltimore lodge of Odd Fellows, the Grand Army of the Republic, of Gettysburg, and Good Templars, of South Bend.


History of St. Joseph County, Indiana
Chicago, Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
published in 1880
History of Saint Joseph County
St. Joseph River & Its Victims


Deb Murray