The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-01-01
Cold BiJoded Murder.
Howard Tate shoots and
Kills John Hodges I'm
Huntingburg on
Christmas Day.


On Christmas afternoon about 3
O'Clock, occurred one Of the worst
tragedies ever happening in Hunt
ingburg. John Hodges OF Lincoln
City, 8 brakeman on the Southern
railroad, had occasionally, with HE
wife, stopped ST q Mrs. Wagner's
boarding house in Huntingburg,
and called Christmas to pay his bill,
and ne and the landlady got in a
dispute over the amount, aud he
said he would not pay il. Then
Mrs. Wagner telephoned Marshal
Brown to come and arrest him toI
not laying bis board Howard
Tate came IN Just then, and unssk-
ed took Mrs. Wagner's side vi the
dispute, and being hall drunk
threatened Hodges. Tate is saw
fler IN the employ OF Stimson. and
is from one OF the feud counties OF
Kentucky, which be left q few
years ago on account OF feuds, his
father being shot and killed 10 one
OF them. he always carries pie
toll and has the name Of being quick
10 use il, and a good msrksman.
Sober he is q quiet, unostentatious
person, but when drinking is bois-
terous and quarrelsome. and il Is
reported the reason he took Mrs
Wagner's side, was because he was
intimate with her gro-n daughter
He and bis wife have not been lly-
ing together for some time. Alter
Threatening Hodges. the latter told
him that he had no gun. and that
Fate had, and drawing large pock
I knife and opening it, told BIN 10
keep sway from him, bu, that if ne
Sould give his gun 10 the women
nd come outside he would whip
him IN two minutes, aud when they
we're about 10 NIX IL, the mother
and daughter caught Tate aud held
him and told Hodges 10 get away
dod ge- left the house, but on gel
ing 10 the sidewalk found that be
had lift his lantern aud gloves, and
got lad 10 get them for him. a. be
cared fuss II be went after then
lm--li. ~ nile the boy wss aftel
y them the women let Tate gel
sSay from them, and be rushed
outside. Jumped over the low ienc:
adjoining the sidewalk, and pul,lnl
bis pistol close TO Hodges side shoI
I five times in quick succession, TIT
fret shot being before Hodges knew
he was away from the women, anC
Hodges dropped dead on the pave
ment.
! Just a. the LAST shot was fire,
Marsbal Brown got there and ar
rested Tate and took him TO ID
lookup. The news Of the ragged
soon resched the railroad yard.
and the hands, with whom Hodge
vas a great iavorile. immediatel
thought Tate should be hung, an
liz only lac ked a leader for them |
have s,ormed the lock up and hans
I'd him to the nearest tree. BIZ
fortunately no leader appeared, an
a quiet examination was held be
lore Esq. Johnson and be was ser
TO the Jasper jail On the early morr
ing train.
More lynch talk was INDUCED
2 some and Sheriff Cassidy took pr
cautions by getting extra guards
80 if any attempt at lynching VS.
/ made il would meet with q waII
? rece piion. and little chance Of su'
. cess. Tate's case will 90 before ii
D grand jury next week, and if ther
are no delays viii be tried at ii
January term Of court, " bich beglr
next Monday.
D AT the time of Hodges death b
: wife was sick with typhoid fever |
= Lincoln City, and il was reporte
( was dying.
Mrs. y agners boarding house
r the same one from which Mi
D Stork was taken to her death
louisville.