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■ y-, .£E5DEATHS DROP!LOTTIES LOVER LEAP3 INTOfathomless futureHe Ascends tie Se.iffold with a Emile, and Dies Mattering.Jack, the Tinker Whether Sing ing ia Heaven or Wriiliing in Hell, Paid the Penalty of His Crime.On yesterday the writer in company with several other Montezuma citizens witnessed his first hanging, and seen the body of John C. Henning, Lottie Vollmer s cruel murderer dangling in death between gh heaven and hell.An excursion trai left R» i'cv llle t o’clock in the morning, loaded with Parke county citizens, arriving at Crawfordsville at a little after 8 o’clock. The train bad scarcely stopped at the platform niTl.il the majority of the passengers took a bee line for the jail, to see if they could obtain a glimpse of the doomed man, from the window. The yard and street were crowded, but with few exceptions were any admitted in doors. At about 9 o’clock Henning asked Sheriff Harper if there was anyone from Montezuma outside, and upon being answered in. the affirmative, requested that they be allowed to see him. Our party was of course anxious to see and talk with a man who could count his remaindi ng moments on earth, and accepted the invitation. As we approached his cell, the prisoner’s eyes danced happily, and reached out his hand remarking, “vrell boys Jack is going home with yon—you bet!’’ we asked him if he d“ended it and lie said “No I am a Christian.” Here he turned around and taking a bible from the shelf, with eyes full of tears, showed us the many marked verses it contained, saying: “I know it. by Heart boys, and if 1 had heeded its teachings, I would not be hero o duv.’’being drunk, either on morphine or, the' wretch who died yesterday .both whiskey. When the sheriff scon he mistaken; or is there something was'.talking against time, he spoke , which remains untold? . to him to “come off,” and reaching; Tiie , buriai~ #over to listen to what he had to say; After the execution, Henning’s Henning stagge red, almost faIiiu£ body, was placed in the coffin, cover to the floor. Mr. harper said he rgd wjth flowers, furnished by the was given but a table-spoon full of gberiffand his family and then whiskey; but from our knowledge dipped to Rockville, where it was of the calabre of Tinker’s appetite ; metVy nnclertaker Cumberland and for that article, and judging fiom brought to Montezuma. At Rock-his manner of acting, we should ville a mimber Congregated at the guess the amount at about three witb the expectation of seeingfingers in a wash tub. ! corpgej but it was promptly plac-At 1:36, the sheriff took hold of ed in the hearse and taken awavlt; him and lad him to the drop. He”'j It was taken to Cumberland’s estab-niug almost forgot to pray and it, Aliment, and after all of the citi-was after they began to pinion him,' zftns who wisbed to, were permitted he began: ‘‘Father m heaven, have ^ yiew it. There being an objec mercy upon me; may thy all seeing j ^on rajsed by a few of our citizens eye have mercy upon those twelve jj. wag bought best not to inter the, men who took my life. Father foi |remap,g js'Oakland, and at 9 o’clock give them in heaven—I will, you bet.; f0n0Wed by a few' of the male in-Tell the boys, King David and all j habitants of the town, the procesion his tax-gatherers. Jesus of Nazar- j moved fov Arabia, where now his eth died npon the cross. Here thebones rest.murderer clapped his hands and'j VFhilethe body remained at the mingling a wink with a smile cried : andertakelvs John a Jr the poor“Do you see me? I amIsraelite. I don’t know what that iscrazy!;boy, w alked in with the tearsbut I have a heart as pure as a lamb.” jtrickling down his sunken cheeksi remarked “that’s too bad for father, but he looks just as- natural as he did at Crawfordsville.” ThenHenning seemed very nervous and looked and acted very much like when on a spree. His conversation was disconnected 'and his eyes had the same old wild expression. We asked him the question: “Jack are going to say anything on the scaffold?” Eyeing us steadily, he replied: “Yes sir, if I fee! like it,” implying that it was possible would not retain his courage, and making ns think that Jack would prefer being with his dogs and gun, hunting squirrels among the Mecca hills.After spending about ten minutes with him, he bade ns farewell, requesting ns to “see that his grave was kept green.” and promising to meet him in the Sweet Bye and Bye we withdrew, just as a deputy came and handed him a small vial, whiche took to be moiphine.At about 11 o’clock the prisoner was taken from his cell to corridor washed and dressed for death, after which he spent some time with his spiritual adviser, Mr. Birch, of the M. E. church.At one o’clock 300 people were packed in the enclosure anxiously watching for the arrival of the officers and the prisoner. After hearing the deatli warrant read Henning announced with- a smite that he was ready, the door opened, and accompanied by Rev. Birch, Mr, Harper and h's deputies, the prisoner appeared and troted nimbly up the steps to the scaffold.Ilcv. Birch offered up a beautiful prayer which lasted until Henning stepped forward and leaned against the railing looking with a crazy smile on familiar faces below. It was some time before he conld collect his thoughts, sufficiently to speak, but at last proceeded with a wild harangue about the love he had for Lottie, with now and then a foeble attempt at scriptural quotations. II# said “my heart is b© full I can not speak the sentiments of my mind. I was raised in the Shenandoah valley a Dunkard, and since I came to this country, I am a drunkard, that’s all the difference. I die in a few minutes. I don’t know where I will go. Lottie Vollmer .and Sam Good are my death. I loved Lottie. Sampson was an Israelite from God unto God-say! The master power got me, and the key to that power was Sam Good. There was sin in the Vollmer house, and it was planted there when Geo. Vollmer died. lie continued in this strain several minutes, all the while retaining that silly drunken leer. There is no question about Henningwho had remonstrated with him he remarked: “1 am going to talk tildeatn.”As the seconds swiftly flew, during the time the noose and black cap was being adjusted the insane fellow kept up. an ineesent jabber. At 1:1[ everything was ready—click! The door between earth and eternity opened and the sinful soul of Jack the Tinker passed through—but where?As soon as the drop fell the physicians gathered around it, and in thirteen minutes pronounced life extinct. At 2 o’clock the body was cut down, a rush was made for the rope by the curious and it was cnt in a hundred pieces in les:s time than it takes to write it. When the Montezuma boys escaped by some means we were in possession of the murderers hat which he laid upon the scaffold when he stepped to death. It was brought to Montezuma, and after being viewed was given to J. C‘ H. Jr., which to use the unfortunate fellow’s language he will keep “to recognize his dead father with.”glancing at the pretty collections of flowers, brought there we suppose by mothers who have boys, be remarked m a half choked manner, “thems nice’' and to writer he said, with his reckless use of words; “I want you pulverize this in your paper.”Unfortunate John Henning; his fate be a warning, and Lury his deeds with his body.THE C'KIOlE for which John Henning paid the death penalty is still so fresh in the minds of our readers that a review of such would seem tedious. Every man, woman and child in this and adjoining counties, remember of the dark tradgedy committed at Rockville on the night of the 24th of last October—of the cowardly Jack’s visit to the home of fatherless child and murdering their m.*ther in cold blood—ofthe sad death of poor, simple Lottie Vollmer, because she refused to wed a fiend.JOHN c. henntxg; or Jack, the Tinker was of a queer make up. Shiftless debauchee thalt; ho was, yet was he entirely destitute of all of the acqnmnents requisite of a gentleman. While he has entered many a homo at clock mending, yet we have heard of no misconduct while thus engaged. One whom lie liked he would favor, but when crossed, murder was his first thought. He was quite bright in some things, it is true, and witty also; but was Jack, the Tinker of sound mind, or did t they yesterday at Crawfordsvil le hang a fool—an insane man?1.0TTIE YOJ.T.VEU.who now sleeps by the side of her husband, of whose murderer her evidence secured the acquittal; she whose little children are alone to day we all pitty; but does not the four graves of the victims and their murderers; Lottie and George, Hen ning and Rutledge have some significance? Was Geo. Vollmer andGcuizioelegantly in fine cloth, gilt tops, duced in price to $6.00, including ] edition published of this magnificent wc popular history of France. The cost of this is certainly the best in form, and thlt;Guizot’s style, his grap lucidity and ease of hisphilosophic reflections,, worthy of the description lar history of France. It is as fascinating as a theatrical representation of the ever after much reflection, a mystery, for the427 Fine Dtioif, Cousin in philosophy, Guizot is in 1 Mass. “XTIS FAR THE best hist Advocate, Richmond, Va. “SUCH ers by the thousand.”—Churchman, Rii press, affluence of illustration, and lowne of the most remarkable publications now ILLUSTRATED CATALOGl world at the lowest prices ever known, .
Newspaper Details
Montezuma Reporter
Montezuma, Indiana, US
Fri, May 28, 1886
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Brittney T.
USA 18 Mar 2024
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