The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-27
OLDEST IN THE STATE
INTERVIEW WITH HALE AND
HEARTY WIN. GREENE, AGED los.
Domestic Trouble and Shortage
Drives WeiI-known Muncie Man
tn Suicide-stnte News.
sneclal to the INDIANAPOLIS Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
LoGANSPoRT, Ind. Feb. 26.-William s.
Greene. aged los. passed through this city
yesterday. He was born in Pennsylvania
Nov. q. 1857. The old gentleman was travel
ing alone and stopped to change cars at the
Panhandle station, where he was the center
OF attraction during the two hours he re-
mained in the city. His eyesight and hear
ing are both good. He said. however, he
could thread a needle and demonstrates the
fact that he could read ordinary type with
out glasses.
II was born in Pennsylvania. near Phila-
delphia.' said Mr.. Greene, Nov. q, 1871. 1
will therefore be 100 years old next Novem-
Der. IL live. 1 remember when my parents
removed to Ohio; 1t was to settle upon a
tract Of land which had formerly belonged
to George Washington-land to which he
had secured government patents. 1t was a
part of a twenty -thousand-acre tract that
Washington acquired before the revolution
airy war. My parents finally settled in
Trimble county and afterwards removed to
Butler county, where | was reared. came
10 Indiana TO live during the last year
OF Jackson's second term as President"
Mr.. Greene was under William Henry
Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe He
was somewhat confused about the war of
1912 and said: There was no war in 1872
The battle OF Tippecanoe was fought on
the morning of Nov. Z, 1871. i remember
ii well. L was private under. Captain
Davis, my uncle. We went intro camp at
the request of the Indians on the night of
Nov. 3. the Indians claiming they wante1
to parley. General Harrison, however, was
too odd an Indian fighter to be caught nap
ping, and when the Indians attempted 10
surprise us at o'clock they found us ready
for them and we gave them severe whip
ping, although we lost over hundred men,"
Again in talking about the battle the old
man semed confused and talked about the
death Of Tecumseh. He described the chiefs
attack on mounted officer. He said the
with his tomahawk, when the officer drew
his pistol and fired. At the same time a
soldier who saw the attack fired and both
shots struck the Indian. In this account
OF the death of the chief Mr.. Greene may
be right, but he is mistaken as to the
chief being Tecumseh, as that gentleman
was not killed until two years later in
Canada. His brother, however. commanded
in the battle Of Tippecanoe.
Regarding events in recent years, Mr..
with some hesitation that he remembered
that fourteen of his twenty-nine children
were living and as to the number of his
grandchildren he could not make an esti
mate. more than to say they would make
army. His Oldest living child is Mrs.
enty-five years old His youngest child was
born when the father was eighty-two years
old. The old gentleman seems to have means
enough to provide for his wants, though he
SAYS he has no property and deplores the
fact that the government will not grant
old son. Peter. six miles from Portland.
jay county. He has been visiting at Bed
ford and is now on his way to Sweetser
to visit his daughter.