News
Page last updated September 7, 2009
BARREL OF MASH FOUND 
Owen County Leader September 14, 1921
T.S. Tungate Arrested Thursday Charged with Manufacturing Illicit Booze
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
CHARLES GREENWOOD FINED
Owen County Leader September 21, 1924
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Charles Greenwood of Quincy was fined $5.00 and costs on two charges Monday; allowing minors to congregate and play pool in his pool room.
TRY TO BURN SCHOOL Owen County Journal May 5, 1930
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Incendiaries made two attempts to burn the Royal Center school building, but both fires were extinguished at a loss not exceeding $200. Coal oil ws used. The erection of a new school building is contemplated and a special election has been called for May 9 to get views of taxpayers. The old building is insured for $4000.
"John Laymon of Spencer, Whipped By Whitecaps For Intimacy With a Woman"
The Evening Herald (Montpelier, Indiana) 27 April 1907
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Spencer, Ind. April 2? -- Early this morning the home of JOHN LAYMON, three miles west of town was visited by whaitecaps who took him out and
administered to him a sound whipping with switches xxxxxxxx, he was shot
xxxx xxxx he is now in critical condition. It is claimed that his relations
with a woman was the cause of the xxx xxxxxx taken by the whitecappers. Laymon is married and has a family and the affair has caused much
excitement. Officers are investigating the case.
JOHN LAYMON STILL ALIVE "Authorities Awaiting His Recovery Before Prosecuting Assailants."
The Evening Herald (Montpelier, Indiana) 1 May 1907
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Spencer, Ind., May 1 --- There is no perceptible change in the condition of JOHN LAYMON, shot during an encounter with "whitecaps" Friday night, and his recovery is still a matter of doubt. The state authorities have telephoned to the deputy prosecuting attorney of the county, making inquiry as to what action has been taken relative to bringing the trespassers to justice, but
the local authorities so far have not moved in the matter, as they are
awaiting the outcome of Laymon's injuries. No affidavits have been filed,
althought Laymon in his statement to the prosecutor, said he identified the
man who shot him, while the LAMBERT woman professed to know several of the
principals.. There is but little outward excitement over the matter
.
NOT PARTY TO WHITECAPPING "Revenge Said to be Motive for Connecting Watchman With Outrage"
The Evening Herald (Montpelier, Indiana) 6 May 1907
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Spencer, Ind., May 6 --- JOHN LAYMON, the whitecap victim, is rapidly growing worse, and in spite of the favorable reports xxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxing from his bedside for the last two days, it is feared he will die. MONN
BAUGH, whom LAYMON implicated in the shooting, has produced twenty-five
witnesses to prove his alibi and the citizens of the town are now convinced
that the associating of his name with the mob was a deliberate attempt on
the part of the woman to obtain revenge upon him for searching her home in
an attempt the officers made to arrest LAYMON. BAUGH ended his work as
marshal Monday night, but his resignation was not, as was stated, a result
of his being under suspician. His contract with the merchants to act as the
night watchman ended at that time, and previous to the raid he made
arrangements to begin other work.
LAYMON ARRESTED IN BED
The Evening Herald (Montpelier, Indiana) 16 May 1907
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Spencer, Ind., May 16 --- Warrants have been served on JOHN LAYMON, who is
still confined to his bed, the result of being wounded by "whitecaps" in a
raid on his home at the midnight hour, and MRS. JENNIE LAMBERT. Based on
complaints in which they are accused of immoral relations, and the LAMBERT
woman has been arrested and committed to jail. LAYMON was not disturbed at
his home, where he will be permitted to remain till he has fully recovered
from his wounds.
"Charles E. Cash Wanted in Owen County For Highway Robbery"
Ft. Wayne News 25 June 1897
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
CHARLES E. CASH surrendered to Greencastle
officers yesterday as a fugitive of justice from Owen County. In May, 1896,
THOMAS BRYANT, a peddler, was waylaid and robbed, and Cash was charged with
the crime. Cash since then wandered over the greater part of the country,
and he worked for several months near Bluefields, Nicaragua, in a mahogony
camp. He returned to this country last May. He claims that he left home
because he had no money to fight the case.
"BENJAMIN SHOUSE ROBBED"
Indianapolis Star 20 November 1917
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Spencer -- BENJAMIN SHOUSE of Freedom was held up Sunday night near Freedom,
bound and robbed of his watch and $5. No clew was obstained, but the two
robbers who blew the post office safe at Freedom, Ind., Sunday morning, when
they obtained only $3 and a few stamps, are supposed to have been the same
fellows.
"HIS NOTION OF A JOKE"
The Evening Herald (Montpelier, Indiana) 5 August 1907
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
Worthington, Ind., Aug. 5 --- GEORGE SHOEMAKER was arrested and imprisoned here on a charge of stealing $200 from his father, a miller of Spencer. The prisoner confessed that he took the money out of his father's safe and left town, but said that he did it for a joke. He was taken home in handcuffs to try to explain the joke to his parent.
BIGAMY
Indianapolis Star 19 Sept 1913
Submitted by Kathy Bargerhuff
OWENSVILLE -- Lige Anderson, 32 years old has been found guilty of bigamy and given two to five years in prison.
Shot in Poker Row
Owen County Leader July 14, 1934
Submitted by Carole Heidrick
John Medaris, former Spencer man, was shot Sunday in the Eagles lodge room at Bicknell, according to a story in Monday's flier.
The shooting was done by James Crenshaw following an argument over a poker game, it was said. He was persuaded to go home, but later returned to the Eagles
room and began shooting as soon as he entered. Medaris was shot in the side, Kenneth Pinkstaff? received a wound in the shoulder and Norman Keith was shot in
the stomach. It is thought he will die.
Medaris is the son of Newt Medaris who formerly lived in Owen County.
Bloomington (IN) Telephone, February 3, 1891, p. 1.
Submitted by Glorianne Fahs
John Black and James Goss, two highly
respected young farmers who reside a half mile west of
Gosport, became involved in a quarrel Friday morning
regarding a fence that stood on the dividing line between
their farms. But very few words had passed when Black
drew a revolver and began firing at his friend and neighbor
from boyhood. He shot three times, the third shot striking
Goss in the bowels. Goss cannot recover. Black mounted
his horse and escaped. Both are men with families.
Shooting at Spencer
Bloomington Weekly Courier, October 31, 1911; PAGE 1
Henry Baldwin, a farmer living about
four miles north of Spencer, was shot twice and probably
fatally injured yesterday afternoon by his brother-in-law,
Homer Gantz. The shooting occured at the Baldwin home,
Gantz apparently having gone there to settle a former
difficulty. Both shots penetrated the breast and the
physician gives small hope for Baldwin's recovery. Some
time ago Gantz and his wife separated, the trouble between
the two arising out of Baldwin's association with Gantz's
wife. Baldwin is now under a surety of peace bond, the
result of a suit Gantz filed against him some time ago.
Public sympathy is with Gantz. Both men have several children.
Gantz has not yet been placed under arrest, and thus far
no move has been made by the authorities to do so. Gantz
has never been in trouble before.
Bodies May Be Exhumed...
Bloomington Weekly Courier, June 11, 1915; PAGE 1
Spencer, Ind., June 8--Spencer today transferred its interest to another angle of the "Poison Plot" case following a report that several bodies might be exhumed to determine whether any murder secrets have been carried to the grave. Ever since the sensational disclosures of a poison plot growing out of the sending through the mails of bottles of quinine adulterated with strychnine, there has been much speculation whether certain deaths within recent years, some of which occurred under suspicious circumstances, might have been due to poison. Suspicion has grown to conviction in the minds of many persons and all today the town was fairly buzzing with talk that the county authorities had decided to open a number of graves... "For my part, I don't believe there would be anything gained by exhuming and examining bodies unless we have strong evidence not only that Drescher might have had a hand in the death, but that some other person aided him. We can't take criminal action against a dead person, of course, but it may be that some other person was involved. In that case, it might be necessary to exhume some bodies," (said J. L. Duncan, deputy prosecutor in charge of Owen County). ...Many sudden deaths within recent years have been recalled since Drescher was found dead in his home Wednesday evening, and of these it is said that nine died under mystifying circumstances. One of these persons, Maud Clark, died in the Drescher home. She was a domestic employed there. That death occurred before Drescher became coroner and at a time, it is said, when he and the girl were the only persons in the house. Drescher, who was an undertaker, embalmed the body before the coroner arrived, it is said, and no autopsy was performed... F. K. Mason died in Spencer two years ago, quite suddenly, it is said, and his name is another in the list of nine. Drescher, as coroner, pronounced death due to natural causes and conducted the funeral. Mrs. Baldon, a third whose sudden death has been recalled since the present poison mystery developed, died at her home near Spencer while alone in the house. Mrs. Baldon had been ill. She had taken some medicine from a bottle found on the table near her bed. The woman evidently had died in convulsions for she was lying on the floor when found having thrown herself out of bed. Drescher conducted no autopsy. As undertaker, however, he embalmed the body and conducted the funeral. No examination ever was made of the remaining contents of the bottle. Mrs. Alice McHenry is the fourth in the list...Drescher pronounced death due to cerebral hemorrhage and, as undertaker, he embalmed the body and conducted the funeral. D. H. Johnson, fifth of the nine, died in Gosport under similar circumstances...Thomas Karns died while in apparent good health. His death was declared to be due to mitral insufficiency by Drescher. Jacob S. Harris, the seventh, was said by the coroner to have died of heart disease. John W. Rivers was said to have suffered from organic heart disease. He, too, died in convulsions. The Rev. A. B. Banta, the most widely known man of the list, who was the pastor of the church of which Drescher was a member, died in bed, also while in the throes of convulsions. In none of these cases was an autopsy performed... (Justice and Acting Coroner James) McClure is continuing his investigation but declines to reveal what has developed. It has become known, however, that one point brought out was that just before his death Drescher visited a shed in the rear of his home and was heard hammering something. This gave rise to a rumor that some of the quinine packages might be hidden in the shed, and it is likely that a thorough search will be made of the premises tomorrow...
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