The Last Spark of Life

Don't forget to register for Thursday morning's opening program (November 6 10:00 at the History Center) featuring 'Stories from the Wardrobe: The Dresses and the Ladies who Wore Them', by Curator, Nancy King. Admission $10 Goodie bags will be provided.   Seating is limited to 25 people.  Reservations required and can be made by calling 908-208-2372.

October 29 1880

JE Black carried off a great many prizes at the Vincennes Fair including the first premium on ewe and lamb class, long- wool buck weight 350 pounds, Poland China sow and pigs, and a pair two year ewes. Chas Pinkstaff advertised he had two fresh milk cows for sale with calves at their side.

The salary of the sheriff is $1,200 per annum with $400 for a hired deputy.  Moses Petty was running for sheriff on the Democratic ticket and Ed Ryan on the Republicans. John P Scott was the current Sheriff.  The salary of the circuit clerk is $1,100 with a clerk’s allowance of $500. To vote in the election, Illinois required a residence of one year in the state, ninety days in the county and thirty days in the election precinct.

On February 5, 1875, the County treasurer’s Safe was robbed of several thousands of dollars in cash. George W Stoltz, the treasurer, was a loser by way of theft by unknown person and being unable to replace the money, gave his notes for the amount. One of these notes was then due. Quite a number of taxpayers of the county presented a petition to the Board of Supervisors asking that the proposition to relieve Mr. Stoltz from payment of the notes not yet due be submitted to the voters of the county at the next election. The board granted the petition, and the ballots would contain two lines as follows: “for relieving payment” or “against relieving payment”. This course was taken out of compassion for Mr. Schwartz who was well advanced in years and who would be bankrupt should the notes be collected. Mr. Schultz would pay the note due and all the expenses incurred by submitting the question to the people.

November 5, 1880

The election was over, and the Republicans were celebrating, the men with their whiskey and the ladies with their fireworks.  Misses Ida Allender, Bertie Carter, Rosa and Dora Roberts as well as Mrs. Ted Roberts were too full of joy to permit the occasion to pass without general merriment. Even the Rural Republican acknowledged that the excitement and enthusiasm that manifested the first of the week entirely ‘unfitted them for work’. The jubilation of the Republicans opened Tuesday night and continued for about forty-eight hours.  Crowds of joyous men and women were on the streets, shouting, singing, laughing, yelling ‘Glory, Glory, Hallelujah’. Impromptu speeches, songs and every conceivable thing was exhausted to add to the merriment.  (Unfortunately, the paper didn’t print the list of local winners.)  Republican nominee James A Garfield defeated Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock. (Garfield would be assassinated during his first year in office and be succeeded by his vice president Chester A Arthur.)

The only local news that could be gleaned from the newspaper this week was that Evans and Blevins were the new butchers in town.  They were located on the north side of the square with a sign of a beef’s head over their door and always kept a full supply of fresh meats on hand.  Final settlement of the estate of Washington Wood was given by the administrator, W J Mayo. W H Meadows advertised cheap groceries such as sugar, tea, Arbuckle roasted coffee, flour, bacon etc. He was located 3 doors east of the Post Office. President Hayes proclaimed that Thursday the 25th day of November be set aside for Thanksgiving.

The Vincennes Weekly Western Sun was not quite as happy with the election returns. No local news except the suicide of Cal Robeson, the 24-year-old son and oldest surviving son of W R Robeson, a well -to- do farmer who resided on the west side of the Wabash.  Cal had been in charge of his father’s vast acreage of land known as Jackson Hills or Walnut Hills as it was sometimes called, the most beautiful landscape viewed from Vincennes to be found in the West.

Some years ago, the aged father and mother had lost by the accidental discharge of a gun in his own hands their oldest boy. And yesterday morning through the instrumentality of a similar weapon, Calvin, a few years his junior, lost his life, but in a fit of mental aberration by means of the two barrels from a shotgun that pierced his heart.

Early in the summer Calvin was a victim of a runaway. While in the performance of his duties on the farm he was one day driving 2 -horse team hitched to a road wagon. The team became frightened and ran away, throwing him to the ground.  From the fall he sustained severe injuries to the head which completely deranged his mind.

 Once before he showed slight symptoms of insanity, and made an attempt to take his life. The proper medical aid was given to him, and it was thought he had entirely recovered, until a few weeks ago when there seemed to be a return of the symptoms and the strictest surveillance by the members of the family was kept over him should he once again attempt and then succeed in destroying his life.

On Monday night, however unknown to anyone, he obtained a shotgun and secreted it about the premises. Rising early the following morning he proceeded to where he hid the gun, and placing the stock against a tree and the barrel to his breast, pulled both triggers and as related above the contents pierced his heart, passing through his body, and mutilating it in a horrible manner. Doctor Smart, a physician residing in the vicinity, heard the report and hastened to the spot from whence he heard it, but alas he was too late. The last spark in the young life of Calvin Robison had died away.