The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-17
Squaring
the Circle
With
THE HO0SIFR FnITnR
THE HoosIER EDITOR

JUSTICE in the early days of In
- e:ianapolis was a shy little crea-
ture, with crop of inhibitions that
wor;d keep a modern psychiatrist
working in three shifts.
In the first place, there was no
judge Or justice of tie peace, largely,
I suppose, because there was no
county. But the Governor fixed that
up and appointed James McIlvaine
squire.
Wayne and Fayette County courts
disputed his jurisdiction but that
didn't keep him from holding court
as he sat on the front step of his
log cabin. The jury sat on a log in
the yard.
His most memorable early case
occurred on Christmas Day, 1921.
-Four Kentucky boatmen had landed
here the night before and, realizing
it was Christmas Eve, they sought
recreation in Dan Larkin's tavern.
COMETHING disturbed them aft
~ er they had been there for
hours, and they started to tear the
place up. Dan called for help. The
entire population turned out and
after a fight subdued them.
Squire McIlvaine held court and
convicted them. He fined them
heavily and because they had no
funds, sentenced them to long terms
IN Jail. Then every one remembered
there was no Jail.
The men escaped that night.
BY 1888 the city had got around
to building log Jail which was
looked upon as escape proof and
was the pride of the populace. They
could hardly wait to put some one
IN 1t, so when a Negro came to
town riding buffalo they arrested
him. Into the Jail he went.
That night he burned it down
and escaped.
1T was along about this time that
u Moses Cox campaigned to be
elected squire. He was said to be
illiterate and shiftless and thor
oughly untitled for the job, but he
had an ingenious campaign plank.
He had, he said, been sued under
every statute and therefore knew
the law, whereas his opponents, re-
spectacle men, had been sued under
none and did not know the law. He
lost.
And this was about the time, too,
that one of the two best hotels
burned down. The frantic citizens,
seeking to save something for it's
proprietor, overlooked the contents
of the building. but seized their
axes and proceeded CALAMITY to the
base of post in front of the build
ing from which swung a wooden
sign advertising the place.
They chopped it off and when it
fell it broke into hundred frag-
ments.
NNE OF the most celebrated
~ murders of this early period
was that committed by William
Merrick, livery stable keeper. He
had Wooed school teacher and
taken from her considerable
amount OF money she had saved
Only after her earnest pleadings
did he marry her.
When she was about to become a
mother he took her riding after
dusk, gave her a glass of beer lib
orally dosed with strychnine, and
watched her die in agony.
He dug shallow grave near
stream and buried the body. No
one suspected anything was wrong
until a country boy discovered the
body.
People were indignant about this,
and there was some talk of lynch
ing, which then was pretty gener-
ally practiced in the state. But
he went to trial and was convicted
and n5enced to hang.
Throughout the trial and while
he awaited hanging he would say
nothing to any one, maintaining
sullen silence. Even when he
mounted the scaffold he mutely in
dicated he had nothing to say.
Just as the trap dropped he
opened his mouth as if to speak,
but it was too late.
4 DDED to all these other
N troubles, the citizens of Indian
apolis in 1922 had a very special
annoyance that never has bothered
them since. Gray squirrels infest-
ed the place, migrating from east
to west. In spite of the slaughter
OF great numbers of them, they
seemed to be everywhere.
They ate corn and crops, and did
other great property damage. Bull
let-like they went east to west. They
turned out for nothing. Rather than
turn aside a few inches they would
chew through rail fence.
1t was pretty much of a mess.