NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS - 1903
JANUARY
January 16, 1903
Clinton Public
BAD ACCIDENT NEAR LANE.
Thursday forenoon about nine o’clock Tinney BLAKE, aged 13, met with what will probably prove a fatal accident. While he was engaged in trying to scare a rabbit from a brush pile, by poking the butt of a shot gun into the brush, the gun was discharged, the load entering the right side just above the hip. After meeting with the accident the boy walked about a mile to home, holding his hand tightly over the wound to stop the flow of blood. R.D. BIRD a neighbor, who happened to be passing the house, was notified and hastened to Lane for a doctor. The case is quite serious and probably will prove fatal, as the entire discharge, including wads remain in the wound. He is the son of James BLAKE, living two miles sound of Lane.
January 23, 1903
Clinton Public
SHE DIDN’T GET AWAY.
A correspondent from Deland to the Decatur Review gave the following: "Last Saturday Wm. BAKER’S hired hand, Oliver KING, decided to return to his home in Kentucky and they loaded his trunk in the wagon and drove to Farmer City, where he was to take the train. Mr. BAKER’S wife accompanied them. After they had been in Farmer City sometime KING went to the livery barn and hired a rig and told the liveryman to meet them, KING and Mrs. BAKER, at a certain place. They drove to Mansfield, where they were to take a train for Kentucky together. When Mr. BAKER got ready to start home he could not find his wife any place; he kept inquiring of persons he knew and finally found out that she had eloped with the hired man, and they had started in the direction of Mansfield. He went to the depot and took the first train to Mansfield. As he was stepping off of the train he saw KING and his wife getting ready to board the same train. He grabbed his wife’s arm and jerked her back and kept her from getting on, but KING managed to get on. BAKER had the agent telegraph ahead and catch KING and search his trunk and they found some of Mrs. BAKER’S clothes inside. After searching the trunk they let KING resume his journey. BAKER brought his wife back home. Monday morning she started out again on foot, but one of the neighbors persuaded her to return home."
January 30, 1903
Clinton Public
BURNED BY GASOLINE.
Herman WELLER was badly burned about his head and hands last Sunday afternoon in Kenney. He was filling a gasoline lamp in the Fruit opera house and it appears that the lamp had sprung a leak, and when he attempted to light it the entire lamp became a blaze, burning his hands and face severely. The fire was put out by lots of hard work, and it was thought for a long time that Kenney was to have another big fire. The interior of the hall was slightly damaged.
January 30, 1903
Clinton Public
LOST HIS FARM.
John HOUCHIN, who moved here from Jefferson County and worked some years ago for Wm. ARGO, returned to that place about six years ago, after he had accumulated $1,500 and bought a farm, paying the $1,500, thinking that he would be able to pay out and get the farm. This week he moved back to Clinton, having lost the farm and his money. He has leased the E.G. ARGO farm, one miles east of Clinton and will move there the first of March. He is living in Mr. ARGO’S rent house on East Main Street until March. He says that he is glad to get back to Dewitt County.
January 30, 1903
Clinton Public
CLINTON BOY LOOSES A LEG.
John L. BARBER, who had been braking at the Wabash for a number of years, while attempting to board a train at Litchfield last Friday fore noon, fell underneath and had his foot and ankle horribly mashed by the wheels. He was taken to Decatur, where he was at once placed upon a passenger train and taken to Springfield, where he was placed in a hospital. Monday his leg was amputated just above the knee. Monday his father, A.H.C. BARBER, went to Springfield and found his son in a cheerful mood. It is thought that he would be able to return to Clinton in about 3 weeks. Mr. BARBER had carried an accident policy, but unfortunately he had failed to renew when it expired less than two weeks ago. Mr. BARBER has numerous friends who regret to hear such a sad misfortune.
January 30, 1903
Clinton Public
YOUNG FARMER DISAPPEARS.
Frank PHARES, a young farmer of Texas township, left Wednesday without leaving his address. When his wife returned from Clinton the afternoon of that day, her husband was gone, and she found a note saying that he had left and would not return. The reason that he gave was that he could not quit drinking and was a burden to her. In Decatur it was learned that he bought a ticket for Texas.
FEBRUARY
February 27, 1903
Clinton Public
GONE AFTER PRISONER.
Deputy Sheriff CAMPBELL left Tuesday for Russellville, Kentucky where he went to bring to Clinton Winster MARSHALL who is wanted here on charge of jumping board bill of $18 and stealing an overcoat. Requisition papers were secured from Gov. YATES Tuesday. Sheriff HOFF received a telegram stating that MARSHALL had been arrested in Russellville. It is thought that Mr. CAMPBELL will arrive in Clinton today with his prisoner.
JUNE
June 13, 1903, Tuesday
Decatur Herald
A BOY HELD FOR MURDER
Fired a Blank Cartridge Into the Hand of Roy Coppenbarger, Aged Eight Years.
LOCKJAW CAUSED HIS DEATH.
Clinton, June 18— Special to the Herald— Roy COPPENBARGER, who was shot in the hand last Saturday a week by Wm. MILLINGER, is dead. He died as the result of lockjaw caused by wadding in the blank cartridge.
The circumstances of the shooting were that young Coppenbarger and his brother Earl were returning home from town whey they met Wm. Millenger, the 15-year-old son of the late Samuel MILLENGER, and his brother.
The Millenger boys stopped the Coppenbargers and in some way a quarrel arose. The Coppenbarger boys ran away and into their father, Ben Coppenbarger's shop. On Monday the Coppenbarger boys went over to the Illinois Central yards where the Millenger boys found them. Here young Wm. Millenger caught Roy Coppenbarger's hand and said, "I'll shoot your hand off," at once proceeding to fire the revolver. The result was a bad wound in the palm of the hand near the base of the thumb. Dr. G. G. DOWDALL was called and dressed the wound taking out a quantity of powder and blank cartridge wadding. Lockjaw set in and Roy, after awful suffering, died at 4 o'clock this morning. Roy Coppenbarger was eight years of age.
Sheriff HOFF placed young Millenger under arrest this morning and he is now in the county jail.
Coroner Cyrus JONES held an inquest and after hearing all the evidence the jury found Coppenbarger to have come to his death by a pistol shot and recommended that Millenger be held in custody until the case is properly heard and decided.
(See obituary)
Submitted by Sheryl Byrd