The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-26

Death of Judge Nathan r. OVermaD, of Tip
Special to the indianapolis Journal
,. Triton. Oct. 25.-Judge Nathan r. Over
man died this morning. at 1 o'clock, after
lingering Illness. The funeral will take
place tomorrow morning at 1880. The GER
emonies will be conducted by the Masonic
fraternity. and a large attendance is ex-
pected.
Nathan r. 0verman was born in Randolph
county, Ind, April IL, 1927 Living on what
was at that time the frontier, there were but
few opportunities for education within his
reach, there being only an occasional school
term of two or three months during the win
ter season. The advantages of early educa-
ton were early impressed upon him by home
influence, and a strenuous effort was made,
Notwithstanding adverse circumstances, to
overcome the difficulty The youth improved
all the advantages offered by the schools, and
supplemented this training by diligent study
at home. At the age of eighteen he began
teaching in the winter schools, working the
remainder of the year with his parents. Az
that time the stick and clay ire-places of
country houses were being replaced by more
making became branch of industry. The
father and son, each year, after harvesting
the crops, manufactured small quantity of
bricks for the market, and the latter became
an efficient molder and burner. While thus
engaged he commenced the study of law,
in 1649, IN company with General Browne,
who was at that time studying with Judge
Peelle, of Winchester. Texts from Black
stone were copied on bits of paper and COM
nitted to memory by the young student
while at work. Late in the fall of 1S49,
young Oyerman removed with his fathers
family to Upton county. In the spring of
1850 ne worked thirteen days for SIS, and on
receiving his pay expended $3.50 in the pur-
chase of Blackstone's Commentaries, which
volume still occupies prominent place in
his well filled library. For eleven years he
continued alternately teaching, farming and
brick-making. In 1861 he began practicing
law in Upton; two years later he was adj
mitted to practice in the Supreme Court
and subsequently to the Federal courts. In
the fall of 1873 he was elected judge of the
Thirty fourth judicial circuit, carrying Tip
ton county, which generally gives less than
400 Democratic majority, by 1,432. Judge
Overman was an enthusiastic student OF
natural science, and devoted much OF his
leisure to geology and kindred subjects. His
excellent collection of fossils and objects OF
antiquity Is equal perhaps, to any private
collection in the State. He frequently rem
dered valuable services to the State GeClogist,
which are acknowledged by Professor E. T.
Cox in his reports. As a public speaker
and as a practitioner he was untiring and
faithful.
Melting in His Cell Why the Proposed
Lynching Failed.
Lafayette Courier.
Nali To ba 4ha ahea Of oil oh
servers, and now that be is jealously Sc
cluded he is dropping. He says his only
consolation is in the thought that little Ada
Atkinson is happy. The authorities are in
quandary They fear to take him out to
Fowler for trial, as it is almost certain that
mob would intercept and hang him. at the
same time they are not certain that his at
torneys would be qualified to make the de-
mand for q change of venue. They are
anxious to make no mistakes, and have
written the Attorney general for advice.
He has not been heard from.
Harris, the detective, now at Chicago, has
written a letter to a prominent citizen of
Benton COUNTY, thanking him for his services
and also thanking Coffroth & Stuart and
Colonel DeHart of this city. In the letter
Harris says: Had the citizens of Benton
county listened to me- there would have
been no trouble in taking Melting out of Jail
and hanging him. They should have been
content to have waited a day or two until
the excitement had died out The sheriff
would have made no resistance. / know he
was in sympathy with the mob. 1t was a
mistake to have that drunken gang go down
there that night-they flushed the game.
The two leaders The mentions their names,
one a disreputable fellow and the other a
clustering gas-bael, were not the men to
lead determined band. 1t is a great pity
the people OF Benton did not exercise more
patience" The fear is growing that Melting
will deny his confession, and plead that he
was insane when it was made. He is evil
IDENTIFY shaping things that way. He said to
Mr.. Underwood on last Sunday night that he
was out OF his mind when he committed the
deed, and that he was out of his UIind when
he accused young Laid of tie murder. He
says he has not been right for some time, and
has let drop several remarks tending, il would
seem, to show that he was preparing to deny
his confession.
He calculates that he has between $500 and
300. This amount would be amply sufficient
to secure the best legal talent and enable
him to make it lively for the State.
A Swindler Come to Grief.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
SOUTH BEND, Oct Pa swindler, for
whom F. ]. Cheney & Co., of Toledo, O.,
have been in search for several weeks, is now
in Jail in this city He is an old drug clerk,
named McCrea, and has several aliases. His
knowledge of the wholesale drug business