Trip to Allen County Museum

Sunday I had the opportunity to spend time with dad and head over to Lima, Ohio to the Allen County Musuem, where they were holding their annual meeting.  As a guest speaker they had Mr. Steve Lucht, the curator of the Dayton History Musuem, who was giving a talk about John Dillinger and the connection between Dayton and Lima.

Having wanting to visit their museum, we headed over there and were able to not only hear a good talk, but take a stroll through a really nicely displayed museum of local history.  Of particular interest to us was the Sarber-Dillinger story - which told the tale of Sherriff Jess Sarber's murder by our "bad apple" cousin, Harry Pierpont, who broke John Dillinger out of the Lima jail.

The musuem has the original jail cell that held Dillinger, and includes items such as the desk that the sherriff sat at and other items from the period.  On the walls were photos of the principal members of Dillinger's gang and some biography about what happened to them after the jail-break.

Display of Sherrif Sarber and John Dillinger

Photo of Harry Pierpont after arrested and brought back to Lima, OH

Picture of Harry Pierpont at his trial with attorney

Another photo of Harry from the trial

Actual death warrant for Harry Pierpont

If you get a chance to get over to Lima, I would recommend visiting their musuem.

Parents Deny Their Son Shot the Sheriff

Located some more information in newspaper clippings about my black sheep cousin, Harry Pierpont, and his family.  Seems the family felt like the police were harassing them because of their son's involvement with John Dillinger.  They also claimed that he didn't murder the sheriff.

His parents were Joseph Gilbert and Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont.  Lena was related to me on the Metzner side of the family.  Will have to see if I can find out anything else about their tavern plans, I believe at one point they had a restaurant near Lakeville as well.

Hammond Times, Hammond, Indiana
July 13, 1934, page 14

PIERPONTS SEEK COURT ORDER

Goshen, Ind. July 13 (U.P.) - A court order to restrain detectives from following them will be sought by Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Pierpont, parents of Harry Pierpont, Dillinger gang lieutenant.

Their intention was announced upon their arrival here to open a beer tavern two miles west of Goshen.

Both expressed bitterness over their inability to escape constant surveillance.

They denied that their son is guilty of slaying Sheriff Jesse Sarber, of Lima, O., in delivering John Dillinger from jail there last October, and claimed they neither was acquainted with the bandit leader.

They said Pierpont was at home the night Sarber was killed.  He is under death sentence in the Ohio state prison in connection with the murder.

Marie Harper Found in Muncie, 1917

Goshen, Indiana Democrat
June 14, 1917, page 5

\

Marie Harper of Muncie,who disappeared from her home, was found at the residence of her aunt, Mrs. Lena Pierpont, in Muncie.

---

Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont (1883-1958) was my paternal 1st cousin 3 times removed and the daughter of James and Samantha E. (Metzner) Orcutt.  She was also the mother of Dillinger gangster, Harry Pierpont.

Marie Harper's relationship has not been determined yet.

Metzner Family Enjoys First Reunion in Many Years

Portland, Indiana Commercial Review, July 20, 1909, page 1

EIGHTY-SIX AT DINNER

Double Birthday at Westchester Attended by Crowd

Auto Bears Unusual Burden

Metzner Family Enjoys First Reunion in Many Years

Eighty-six person enjoyed the dinner spread on the wide porch and lawns of the Axe home at Westchester Sunday, for a reunion of members of the family.  The occasion celebrated the birthdays of Mrs. Catherine Metzner, 90 and Mrs. Amanda Axe, 28.  Mrs. Metzner has been in the country since 1835, when she came from Germany.

The day was enlivened by games and exchanges of reminiscences of childhood days.  In the afternoon, a memorable hour, for Grandma Metzner at least, was a short trip in George Maxwell's auto.  With him also rode the youngest attendant, the 14 months old baby of Irvin Metzner.

Those present were: Wesley Metzner and family, William Metzner and family, Mrs. George Stolz, Mrs. Mary Huey of Rome City, Mrs. Harry Green and family, Mrs. Lydia Smith and family, Irvin Metzner and family, Mrs. Amanda Axe, Mrs. Nora Bergman, Mrs. Gilbert Pierpont of Indianapolis, Jacob Haley and family, Geo. S. Haley and family, William Haley and family, Levi Patterson, Fred Martin, Jacob Haley, E.T. Haffner, Mrs. Philip Stolz, Wesley Metzner, Eli Via, William Axe of Michigan, all Haley, George Maxwell, Mrs. Nora accompanied by their families. [typesetting error : should read from Wesley Metzner, Eli Haley, George Maxwell, Mrs. Nora Via, William Axe of Michigan, all accompanied by their families]

There were present, four children, six granchildren and 15 great grandchildren, besides other relatives.

---
Always wonderful to have these family reunions published in the papers, particularly the mention of the all of the names of the relatives.  The trick is seeing if I can identify each of these named individuals and how they are related to Grandma Catherine Metzner

Wesley Metzner and family - This is Wesley T. Metzner (1855-    ), her son.

William Metzner and family - This is William F. Metzner (1844-1929), her son.

Mrs. George Stolz - This is Catherine E. (Metzner) Stolz (1853-1943), her daughter.

Mrs. Mary Huey - This is Mary A. (Metzner) Huey (1862-1925), her daughter.

Mrs. Harry Green and family - This is Loetta J. (Metzner) Green, her granddaughter.  Loetta was the daughter of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner. 

Mrs. Lydia Smith and family - This is Lydia Ann (Metzner) Smith, her granddaughter.  Lydia was the daughter of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner.

Irvin Metzner and family - This is Irvin G. Metzner (1879-    ), her grandson.  Irvin was the son of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner.

Mrs. Amanda Axe - This is Amanda A. (Metzner) Axe, her granddaughter.  Amanda was the daughter of William F. and Mary A. (Haley) Metzner.

Mrs. Nora Bergman - This is Nora May (Stolz) Bergman, her granddaughter.  Nora was the daughter of George W. and Catherine E. (Metzner) Stolz.

Mrs. Gilbert Pierpont - This is Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont, her granddaughter.  Lena was the daughter of James and Samantha E. (Metzner) Orcutt.

I was able to identify the four children and the six grandchildren from the list of names.  The others mentioned include members of the intermarried Haley and Metzner families.

Gilbert and Lena Pierpont of Muncie come for visit

Portland, Indiana Semi-Weekly Sun, March 23, 1900, page 5

Gilbert Pierpont and wife, of Muncie, visited this week with James Huston and George Straube.

---

Located this article through NewspaperArchive.com, showing Gilbert and Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont of Muncie visiting in the Portland area.  Lena was my paternal first cousin three times removed, the daughter of James Orcutt and Samantha E. Metzner.

The James Huston being visited was likely the James who had married Caroline Metzner, Lena's aunt.  Caroline died that year.   I have not yet connected George Straube to my family.

Gilbert and Lena were married November 27, 1899 in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  They were the parents of my black-sheep cousin, Harry Pierpont, member of the Dillinger gang.

Research Trip to Ft. Wayne

Last Monday I took a day off and completed a research trip to the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne.  I always enjoy researching in this library, and manage to find something new every time.

Though I didn't prepare fully for the trip, and ended up using a 'shotgun' approach to research, jumping from family to family, I did manage to find some gems, a synopsis of which follows:

• Cummings family : Found plat maps of Winston County, Alabama locating the land where Eileen's ancestors bought land just before the Civil War.  These maps show the location of neighbors as well, many of whom married into the family, which may lead to making more connections.
• Wardlaw/Wardlow family : Found estate and guardianship records indicies in Clermont County, Ohio with references to original records for me to contact the court and obtain copies.  Also located records of deeds and mortgages in early Clermont County, Ohio and early tax records
• Wright family : Found estate and guardianship records referenced in Clermont County, Ohio with references to original records for me to contact the court and obtain copies.  Also located records of deeds and mortgages in early Clermont County, Ohio and early tax records.
• Stuber family : Located cemetery records in Spencerville, Allen County, Ohio that mark the resting place of two Stuber infants.
• Orcutt/Pierpont family : Located a family genealogy on the Orcutt ancestry that included the family of Harry Pierpont, through his mother, Lena (Orcutt) Pierpont.
• Fessenden/Wright family : Located the family genealogy on the Fessendean family and the section detailing the Hannah (Fessenden) Wright family.
• Freeze Family : Located mention of the family in early newspaper records of Wabash County, Indiana.
• Jarrett Family : Located court records of Corinne's line in Koscuisko County, Indiana.
• Chew Family : Located mention of the family in early newspaper records of Jay County, Indiana.
• Wehrly Family : Located mention of the family in early newspaper records of Jay County, Indiana.
• LeMaster Family : Located mention of the family in early newspaper records of Jay County, Indiana.
• Haley Family : Located mention of the family in early newspaper records of Jay County, Indiana.

Will follow up with more detailed posts as I input this information into my database.  

Pierpont Family in Indianapolis, 1922

Polk's 1922 City Directory, Indianapolis, Indiana

Continuing my research into the PIERPONT family in Indianapolis, the 1922 Polk's Directory at Archive.org listed the following PIERPONTs [h=house r=rents].  I have been hoping to find out more about the early years of the Harry Pierpont family.

Pierpont Blance J tel oper r533 N Belmont

Pierpont Clarence M assmblr h1152 Spruce

Pierpont Cora F clk CCC&StLRy r1152 Spruce

Pierpont Edw L lab h1138 S Sheffield av

Pierpont Ezra M mech h1537 Draper

Pierpont Frank firemn h1116 N Traub av

Pierpont Helen J clrk r533 N Belmont

Pierpont Macel A matron Cosmopolitan Community Center r533 N Belmont av

Pierpont Perry lab r1116 N Traub av

Pierpont Raymond W finshr r1322 E 24th

Pierpont Wm E pipeftr h533 N Belmont av 

The Blance Pierpont is unidentified, though she resides at the same residence as Helen, Macel and Wm E.

The Clarence M. Pierpont and Cora Pierpont were at the same location as the 1920 city directory, and their relationship to the others has not been indentified.

The Edward L. Pierpont is believed to be the son of John T. and Hester Pierpont, and the younger brother of Harry's father, Joseph Gilbert.  In the 1920 directory, he was living on Minnesota.

The Ezra M. Pierpont is believed to be the son of John T. and Hester Pierpont, and a younger brother of Harry's father, Joseph Gilbert.  In the 1920 directory, he was living at the same place.

The Frank Pierpont is believed to be the son of John T. and Hester Pierpont, and a younger brother of Harry's father, Joseph Gilbert.  In the 1920 directory, he was living on Morris.

The Helen J. Pierpont is unidentified, but she resides at the same residence as Blanche, Macel A and Wm E.

The Macel A. Pierpont is unidentifed, but she resides at the same residence as Blanche, Helen and Wm. E.

The Perry Pierpont is unidentified, but resides at the same residence as Frank Pierpont.  May be his son.

The Raymond Pierpont is unidentified.

The Wm E. Pierpont is unidentified, but resides at the same residence as Blanche, Helen and Macel A.

This directory raises more questions as to why Harry's family was not mentioned.  In the 1920 census, they were located in Ward 14 of Indianapolis and were enumerated January 6th.

Black Sheep Sunday: Youth Who Robbed The Cook Store Is Captured

"Youth Who Robbed The Cook Store Is Captured  article, Greencastle Herald, Greencastle, Indiana, January 9, 1922, page 1.

YOUTH WHO ROBBED THE COOK STORE IS CAPTURED

Indianapolis Thief Shoots Man, Who Catches Him In Attempt To Steal Automobile - Revolvers Stolen Here Thursday Night Are Recovered

The thief who robbed John Cook & Son's Hardware store of eleven revolvers and automatic pistols Thursday night, was captured at Indianapolis, near 8:00 o'clock Saturday night when he shot Edward Devine a contractor on the Circle, who caught the thief in the act of stealing his car.  The man gave his name as Harry L. Pierpont, age 19 of Indianapolis.

Pierpont confessed to the Indianapolis police that on Thursday he stole a car from New Jersey and Michigan streets in Indianapolis, and drove to Greencastle.  After robbing the Cook & Sons Hardware store of the revolvers, he drove to Terre Haute and then returned to Indianapolis, Friday night.  Back in Indianapolis he abandoned the automobile.  He has been dismissed from an insane asylum but shows no signs of insanity now.

Mr. Devine saw Pierpont attempting to start his car when he came out of his office on the Circle Saturday night with his wife.  He jumped in the car and caught Pierpont's arm which held a revolver and was pointed at Devine's waist and deflected the shot which struck him in the flesh of the left leg.  His wife attacked the bandit and helped hold him until the police arrived.  When caught Pierpont had four revolvers on him and a check for a parcel in the Terminal station check rooms which accounted for three more.  Although eleven revolvers are missing from Cook's store Pierpont said he only took nine.

He is held for shooting with intent to kill and vehicle taking by Indianapolis police.  He will also have a charge against him for burglary.

The revolvers are valued at more than $200 by John Cook, Jr., who investigated the robbery.  Insurance covers the loss, which will be about $80 for the four that are missing.

---
Cousin Harry Pierpont (1902-1934), later famous as the trigger man for the Dillinger gang, started his criminal career shortly after being struck on the head and suffering an injury.  This is the earliest mention I've found of his criminal career. I found this through the Depauw University archives.

Black Sheep Sunday – create a post with the main focus being an ancestor with a “shaded past.” Bring out your ne’er-do-wells, your cads, your black widows, your horse thieves and tell their stories. And don’t forget to check out the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG). This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Black Sheep Sunday: Dillinger Gang Hides In The Loblolly

Source: Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, January 30, 1934, page 1.

Dillinger Gang Hides For Time In The Loblolly Near Geneva

Charles Makley, one of the Dillinger gang, who is now held in the Tucson, Ariz., jail, in telling of the movements of the gang in Indiana and Ohio after the prison break last September, said:

"We were in the Limberlost country of Gene Stratton Porter's books for a time.  It's not so wild any more, yet it has plenty of isolated spots where you can hide out for a few hours to rest.

"Once we got into Ohio, everything from then on was easy.  We had lots of gun battles, of cours, as we pulled the bank jobs, but we were never seriously threatened."

Jay county officers knew that the Dillinger gang was in this part of the state soon after the prison break.  The gang was recognized by Walter C. Krienke, who conducts the Loblolly dining car just north of Bryant, where highways 27, 67 and 18 connect.

Krienke is a former railroad detective and his years of training enables him to spot an outlaw much quicker than the average individual. He also has a retentive memory and pictures seen of criminals are retained by his trained mind.

Krienke was not an officer of the law at the time the gang stopped at his place and he could not summon help at the time.  However, officers were notified as soon as possible and a search was made in the vicinity of Bryant, but the gang was not found.  It is believed the desperadoes were on their way to Ohio when they stopped at the Loblolly.

No publicity was given at the time the gang appeared at the Loblolly dining car due to the fact the outlaws might return this way into Indiana, but state police were notified and a close watch kept.

-----
My paternal cousin, Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934) was a member of the Dillinger gang.  I found this article while on my last research trip to Jay County, hoping that the local paper might make mention of his connection to the area.

Whether or not the gang truly did stop in the Loblolly area, it certainly seems feasible.  Pierpont, Makley and Copeland should have been familiar with the area, and it's pretty much a straight shot over to Lima.

Krienke was made a state excise officer in 1935, according to newspaper reports found on Ancestry.com


Black Sheep Sunday – create a post with the main focus being an ancestor with a “shaded past.” Bring out your ne’er-do-wells, your cads, your black widows, your horse thieves and tell their stories. And don’t forget to check out the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG). This is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Research Trip Notes : Jay County, Indiana

Back on Guy Fawkes Day, I treated myself to a birthday present of genealogical research in Jay County, Indiana.  It was a productive day.  Over the next few weeks I hope to digest the data and update my database with my finds.  

At the Jay County Health Department, I was able copies of death certificates for the following ancestors : Cora Belle (Metzner) Haley, Eli Weldon Haley, William P. Wehrly, Mary Keziah (Chew) LeMaster, and John Adam Metzner.  These were ones that had been identified as missing from my files as I worked through the Exploratory Analysis series.  The health department provides for $ 4.00 a "Geneology Death Record", complete with mis-spelling of genealogy.  At least it is better than nothing, more on that later.

At the Jay County Clerk's Office, I was able to have the most productive and fun research experience.  I had lists of items that I wanted to research from my previous trips to Jay County, and once I found the boxes where the originals were kept, the clerks let me pretty much have free reign.  I was able to make several copies of court cases, though they did charge $ 1.00 per page.  I was hoping to use my Flip-Pal, but it would have been too time consuming and of course nothing I wanted to copy was very small.

At the Jay County Public Library, I searched newspapers during the time period of the Dillinger Terror Gang crime spree, hoping to find mention of a local connection to Harry Pierpont.  I did manage to find an article that stated the gang had passed through the Loblolly area.  I also found an article about Arthur LeMaster's grocery store, and the death notice of a potential Haley relative.  The reporting during the time period of 1933-34 was fascinating with all of the stories of robberies, union strikes, jail breaks, etc.

At the Jay County Historical Society museum, I was able to obtain copies of plat maps from 1881 and numerous marriage returns from the clerk's office.  The society had obtained the original marriage returns and have placed them in plastic sheet protectors and are keeping them in binders in the museum.  This find was a gold mine, as it was much cheaper to make copies here ($0.25) than at the clerk's office.  The society is staffed by volunteers, but their museum is one of the best local history museum's I've seen.  They are working on digitizing many of the local records as well.

Over the next few weeks, I intend to post some of these findings to the blog. A few of them added additional family members and provided areas for further research.

On This Day : October 21

1690 - Annetje COUWENHOVEN born.  Annetje was the daughter of Peter Willamsen COUWENHOVEN and Patience DAWS.

1715 - John HARROLD born.  John was the son of Richard HARROLD and Mary Ann BEALS.

1751 - Samuel ALLEN born in Chester County, Pennsylvania.  Samuel was the son of John ALLEN and Phebe SCARLETT.

1760 - Jesse CHEW married Mary RICHARDS in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.  Jesse was the son of Jeffrey CHEW and Ann DRIVER.  Mary was the daughter of John RICHARDS and Mary ________.  They were my 6x-great grandparents.

1784 - Jane MILLS married John DAVIS in North Carolina.  Jane was the daughter of John MILLS and Sarah MILLIKAN.

1816 - Mary OLIPHANT married John McAMIS.  Mary was the daughter of John OLIPHANT and Hannah AMOS.

1819 - John Winslow CHEW married Ann Thornton VOSS.  John was the son of Joseph CHEW and Mary WINSLOW.

1857 - Elias GROENENDYKE married Hester TEAFORD.  Elias was the son of James GROENENDYKE and Joannah ANTONIDES.  Elias was my 4x-great grandfather.

1858 - Angelina MAXSON married Joseph BABCOCK in Milton, Wisconsin.  Angelina was the daughter of Jonathan MAXSON and Christiana DAVIS.

1871 - Anne Marie Catherine Sophia KAHRE married Frederick August Wilhelm HUSEMANN in St. Louis, Missouri.  Anne was the daughter of Heinrich Hermann KAHRE and Anna Maria Sophia RULLMANN.

1881 - Emma Rose MAXON married John S. GARNER in Greene County, Pennsylvania.  Emma was the daughter of Alexander Young MAXON and Margaret ROSE.

1887 - Edwin Isaac BUTLER born in Wilson County, Kansas.  Edwin was the son of Frank Carlos BUTLER and Clara LEMASTERS.

1906 - Mary Florence GILLILAND married Thomas Franklin CRANE in Monroe County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of Robert Farrell GILLILAND and Mary Ellen SWAFFORD.

1908 - Effa Mae HIXENBAUGH married Edward Jesse EAGLEN.  Effa was the daughter of Church HIXENBAUGH and Sarah A. MAXON.

1921 - William Henry METZNER died in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  William was the son of William METZNER and Barbara POWELL.

1934 - William Henderson SWAFFORD died in Hutchinson, Kansas.  William was the son of Aaron W. SWAFFORD and Elizabeth SHIRLEY.

1958 - Lena Leato PIERPONT died in Lakeville, St. Joseph County, Indiana.  Lena was the daughter of James ORCUTT and Samanta E. METZNER.

2010 - Mary Lee CLEMENTS died in Walnut Ridge, Lawrence County, Arkansas. Mary was the daughter of Luther Leroy SMITH and Hazel Loraine CUMMINGS.

On This Day : October 13

1677 - Joseph WILLETTS born in Hempstead, Nassau, Long Island.  Joseph was my 9x-great grandfather.

1694 - Eva PIERCE born.  Eva was the daughter of William PIERCE and Abigail WARRIN.

1742 - Samuel MAXSON married Ruth ROGERS.  Samuel was the son of Jonathan MAXSON and Content ROGERS.

1757 - Anthony RAINS born in Caroline County, Virginia.  Anthony was my 6x-great grandfather.

1777 - Jonathan R. DAVIS married Elizabeth COVEY.  Jonathan was the son of John DAVIS and Bethia ROGERS.

1793 - Elizabeth DIXON died.  Elizabeth was the daughter of John ALLEN and Amy COX.

1793 - Nathaniel HAWORTH born in Greene County, Tennessee.  Nathaniel was the son of Absalom HAWORTH and Mary WEST.

1804 - Abigail SUMNER born in Stokes County, North Carolina.  Abigail was the daughter of Thomas SUMNER and Hannah HIATT.

1809 - Martha Hogg MIZE born in Kentucky.  Martha was the daughter of David MIZE and Hannah PETER.  Martha was Eileen's 4x-great grandmother.

1843 - Samuel WARDLAW born in Ohio.  Samuel was the son of Levi WARDLAW and Alba HALL.

1845 - Samuel James HODGKINS died in Brown County, Ohio.  Samuel was the son of James HODGKINS and Elizabeth EVANS.

1858 - Samuel BOND died.  Samuel was the son of Samuel BOND and Elizabeth BEALS.

1872 - Martha Julesa LeMASTERS married William Wade LOOFBOURROW in Jay County, Indiana.  Martha was the daughter of Luman Walker LEMASTERS and Nancy YOUNG.

1876 - Elbert Riley SWAFFORD born in Ray County, Missouri.  Elbert was the son of Samuel Richard SWAFFORD and Susan Isabell McGAUGH.

1882 - Mary J. SWAFFORD married Walker NELSON in Bradley County, Tennessee.  Mary was the daughter of Aaron SWAFFORD and Sarah SWAFFORD.

1897 - Emma C. WHITE married Charles W. HELMS.  Emma was the daughter of Thomas WHITE and Rebecca Ann MATTHEWS.

1902 - Harry L. PIERPONT born in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  Harry was the son of Joseph Gilbert PIERPONT and Lena Leato ORCUTT.

1903 - Ora DEMPSEY born in Indiana.  Ora was the son of Daniel Andrew DEMPSEY and Nancy CHIVLARE.

1909 - Mary Olive LeMASTER born in Jay County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of Luman Cooper LeMASTERS and Barbara Isabel WEHRLY.

1920 - John Harlan PEFLEY died in Anaheim, California.  John was the son of Solomon PEFLEY and Frances ROOF.

1967 - Frances E. SEXTON died in Tuscumbi, Alabama.  Frances was the daughter of James WRIGHT and Clara B. HICKS.

On This Day : September 21

1648 - David MORGAN born in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  David was the son of Miles MORGAN and Prudence GILBERT.  David was my 8x-great grandfather.

1674 - Deborah WILLSON born.  Deborah was the daughter of Robert WILLSON and Ann HOAG.

1693 - John MARIS married Susanna LEWIS in Haverford, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.  John was the son of George MARIS and Alice ________.

1723 - Benjamin FESSENDEN died in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Benjamin was the son of William FESSENDEN and Martha WYETH.

1761 - Sarah CHEW born in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Sarah was the daughter of Jesse CHEW and Mary RICHARDS.

1796 - Polly GAMBLE born.  Polly was the daughter of John GAMBLE and Rebecca McPHEETERS.

1798 - John GAMBLE born.  John was the son of John GAMBLE and Rebecca McPHEETERS.

1803 - Lydia GARRETSON died.  Lydia was the daughter of Jacob BEALS and Elizabeth GRIEST.

1806 - John WARDLAW married Elizabeth LANCE in Highland County, Ohio.  John was the son of Robert WARDLAW and Janet DOWNEY.

1810 - Anne Marie Ilsbein KAHRE born.  Anne was the daughter of Heinrich Hermann KAHRE and Anna Marie Elisabeth KAHRE.

1823 - Alzina FISHER born in Ripley, Ohio.  Alzina was the daughter of George FISHER and Hannah WRIGHT.

1831 - Seth PIERCE married Fidelia BARRETT.  Seth was the son of Samuel PIERCE and Persis BARROWS.

1833 - Jesse B. CARSON married Mary WILLIAMS.  Jesse was the son of John CARSON and Abigail SUMNER.

1837 - Joseph SUMNER married Susan KARNS in Hamilton County, Indiana.  Joseph was the son of Absalom SUMNER and Pricilla JACKSON.

1850 - Ezekiel CHEW died in Ross County, Ohio.  Ezekiel was the son of Joseph CHEW and Elizabeth THOMAS.

1852 - Jacob LEMASTERS died in Shelby County, Ohio.  Jacob was my 4x-great grandfather.

1871 - John Hubert SWAFFORD married Eliza WOODEN in Bradley County, Tennessee.  John was the son of Thomas SWAFFORD and Millie HALL.

1891 - Job MATTHEWS married Caroline Brown BURNS.  Job was the son of Job MATTHEWS and Christina BOYER.

1901 - Fern PIERPONT born in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  Fern was the daughter of Joseph Gilbert PIERPONT and Lena Leato ORCUTT.

1906 - Arizona BOYER died in Warrick County, Indiana.  Arizona was the daughter of Benjamin BOYER and Susan FUNK.

1908 - Virgil Forest SWAFFORD born in Ray County, Missouri.  Virgil was the son of John William SWAFFORD and Viola Mae MILLER.

1910 - Margaret SWAFFORD married Wheeler R. JOHNSON.  Margaret was the daughter of John Aaron SWAFFORD and Bell SEABORN.

1911 - Elbert Riley SWAFFORD married Mattie Angeline POPEJOY in Ray County, Missouri.  Elbert was the son of Samuel Richard SWAFFORD and Susan Isabell McGAUGH.

1912 - Alice L. MORGAN died in Mooreseville, Morgan County, Indiana.  Alice was the daughter of Zimri HADLEY and Luretha Jane BROWN.

1912 - Maxine HALEY died in Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio.  Maxine was the daughter of William George HALEY and Flossie McCORMICK.

1948 - Frank GROENENDYKE died.  Frank was the son of Enoch GROENENDYKE and Minerva Jane GREEN.

1950 - William Francis PIERCE died in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.  William was the son of Edmund G. PIERCE and Catherine GROENENDYKE.  William was my 2x-great grandfather.

On This Day : August 7

1681 - Roelof Janse VERKERK married Catherine SIMONS in Flatbush, Long Island, New York.  Roelof was the son of Jan Janse VERKERK and Mayke GYSBERTS.  They were my 9x-great grandparents.


1692 - James HIGGINS born.  James was the son of Jedediah HIGGINS and Mary NEWBOLD.


1746 - Anna CHIPMAN died.  Anna was the daughter of Nicholas FESSENDEN and Margaret CHENEY.


1746 - Benjamin FESSENDEN died.  Benjamin was the son of Nicholas FESSENDEN and Margaret CHENEY.


1750 - Anna DAVIS born.  Anna was the daughter of Joseph DAVIS and Anna BABCOCK.


1767 - Mary MAXSON born.  Mary was the daughter of Matthew MAXSON and Martha POTTER.


1772 - Ebenezer LUNDY born.  Ebenezer was the son of Amos LUNDY and Ann COLLINS.


1784 - Daniel BEALS born in York County, Pennsylvania.  Daniel was the son of  Jacob BEALS and Elizabeth BLACKBURN.


1817 - Joseph DEACON born in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Joseph was the son of Joseph DEACON and Beulah HAINES.

1821 - Milton CARTER born in Guilford County, North Carolina.  Milton was the son of Jesse CARTER and Nancy KENDALL.


1831 - Friedrich Wilhelm KAHRE born in Kummerdingsen, Westphalia.  Friedrich was the son of Heinrich Wilhelm KAHRE and Marie Caroline Wilhelmina KORFF.


1868 - William F. GEGENHEIMER born in Vermillion, Erie County, Ohio.  William was the son of August GEGENHEIMER and Sarah C. HALEY.


1872 - Mary Ann LAYMAN died in Owen County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of Conrad NOSLER and Sarah PAINS.  Mary was my 5x-great grandmother.


1881 - Elizabeth Angeline KING married Eli Bird THOMAS in Edwards County, Kansas.  Elizabeth was the daughter of John Wesley KING and Mary Catherine HENDRICKS.


1919 - Fern PIERPONT died in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana.  Fern was the daughter of Joseph Gilbert PIERPONT and Lena Leato ORCUTT.


1960 - Chesley Franklin LeMASTER died in Jay County, Indiana.  Chesley was the son of Luman Cooper LeMASTERS and Barbara Isabel WEHRLY.

On This Day : July 5

1663 - John PIERCE married Deborah CONVERS.  John was the son of Thomas PIERCE and Elizabeth COLE.


1682 - Thomas MENDENHALL died in London, Middlesex, England.  Thomas was the son of Francis MILDENHALL.  Thomas was my 10x-great grandfather.



1704 - Peter WOODBURY died in Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts.  Peter was the son of John WOODBURY and Agnes NAPPER.  Peter was my 10x-great grandfather.


1705 - Anna Maria HERBACH born in Otterberg, Bayern.  Anna was the daughter of Johann Peter HERBACH and Anna Maria ________.  Anna was my 7x-great grandmother.


1721 - Samuel PIERCE died in Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Samuel was the son of Thomas PIERCE and Elizabeth COLE.  Samuel was my 9x-great grandfather.


1728 - Sarah HAINES died.  Sarah was the daughter of John PAINE.  Sarah was my 8x-great grandmother.


1775 - Lucy BABCOCK died.  Lucy was the daughter of Samuel MAXSON and Ruth ROGERS.


1779 - Silas BAILEY born in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.  Silas was the son of Silas BAILEY and Amy STILLMAN.


1793 - Daniel PHILBRICK born.  Daniel was the son of John PHILBRICK and Sally JEWETT.


1796 - Abner BEALS died in Grayson County, Virginia.  Abner was the son of John BEALS and Mary CARTER.


1813 - David KEENEY born.  David was the son of John S. KEENEY and Magdalena PETRY.


1820 - Eleanor Ann WARDLOW born.  Eleanor was the daughter of James WARDLAW and Eleanor IRWIN.


1831 - George G. LAMBERTSON born in Warren County, New Jersey.  George was the son of John LAMBERTSON and Sarah A. WILLSON.


1848 - John BEALS died in Hamilton County, Indiana.  John was the son of Thomas BEALS and Sarah ANTRIM.  John was my 6x-great grandfather.


1855 - John Ballinger SMITH married Rebecca Ann MAHIN in Fayette County, Ohio.  John was the son of Seth SMITH and Nancy CLEMONS.


1860 - Nancy Margaret CUNNINGHAM born in Jay County, Indiana.  Nancy was the daughter of William E. CUNNINGHAM and Rachel LeMASTERS.


1866 - Emeline YOUNG married Walter F. HUBER.  Emeline was the daughter of Noah YOUNG and Orlintha BROWN.


1869 - Hester Ann LEE born in Bledsoe County, Tennessee.  Hester was the daughter of Benjamin Franklin LEE and Mary Isabella THURMAN.


1890 - Benny CRAWFORD born in Bienville, Louisiana.  Benny was the son of George Netwon CRAWFORD and Mary Elizabeth BIRDWELL.


1898 - Karl Ludwig RITT died in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.  Karl was Corinne's 4x-great grandfather.


1904 - Emma RITT born in Vanderburgh County, Indiana.  Emma was the daughter of Louis E. RITT and Mary A. HOLTMAN.


1906 - Frederick W. PIERPONT born in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana.  Frederick was the son of Joseph Gilbert PIERPONT and Lena Leato ORCUTT.


1929 - Esther Miller BETZ died.  Esther was the daughter of Phillip YOUNG and Keziah CURTIS.


1944 - Levi Bertis DEMPSEY died in Yankeetown, Warrick County, Indiana.  Levi was the son of Daniel Andrew DEMPSEY and Nancy CHIVLARE.

Black Sheep Sunday: Kiss Thwarts Girl's Wedding With Suspect

Source: Kokomo Daily Tribune, Kokomo, Indiana, April 4, 1925, p. 2

KISS THWARTS GIRL'S WEDDING WITH SUSPECT


Same Kiss Was Also A Little Detail That Led to Hangout Of Bandit Suspects


GIRL IS NOT IN JAIL

Whereabouts A Secret - Some Mystifying Angles of Case Are Cleared Up


The fact that the arrest of Thaddeus "Ted" Skeer at Detroit Thursday, as a suspect in connection with the robbery of the South Kokomo bank, was to have been married Friday injects an element of heart interest into the daring holdup.


The girl is Miss Louise Brunner, 22 years old, whose home is at Ft. Wayne.  She was arrested at the time Skeer, Pierpont and Hayes were taken into custody but held solely as a material witness.  No charges were preferred against her.


Miss Brunner was brought to Kokomo with the prisoners but not lodged in jail.


As to her whereabouts a strange air of secrecy prevaded police headquarters today and all questions concerning the heroine of the sensational holdup were met with a reluctance that somehow managed to impart the impression that she was within easy reach of the Kokomo police and that her presence could be had on a moment's notice.


Developments in the case over night have cleared up a number of mystifying and contradictory angles respecting it.


For one thing, police have learned that Skeer did not go from Kokomo to Ft. Wayne following the robbery to arrange the wedding with his sweetheart.  On the contrary it is now believed that Skeer made the arrangements for his sweetheart to meet him in Detroit, by long-distance telephone from that city. She borrowed the money from her mother with which to make the journey.


Crooks never know what little detail may happen to work their undoing; the wisest heads cannot anticipate everything.  In the case of the Kokomo bank bandits, it was a kiss that led the police directly to their capture in Detroit.


This is the way it worked out.


With knowledge that Miss Brunner was to join her lover in Detroit, telephone wires fairly smoked Wednesday with hurry-up calls among police officers over the state to the end that she might be trailed from Ft. Wayne to the hangout of the bandits.  The tip on the lovers meeting came from Capt. Pappert of the Ft. Wayne police department to Capt. Main of the Kokomo police, who has successfully worked on the case from almost the moment of the robbery. At the time it was not possible for any member of the local department to make the trip to Ft. Wayne in time to arrive before the girl's train departed for Detroit.  C.F. Huntington, Pinkerton operative here engaged on the case, was not at local police headquarters at the time Capt. Pappert's message came in and when he showed up shortly afterwards the tip caused him to get in immediate communication with Superintendent Miller of the Indianapolis Pinkerton headquarters.  Miller told Huntington to remain in Kokomo and to arrange by telephone to have the girl shadowed.


While this was done, it was not so simple a matter as it may appear.  The police were at the disadvantage of not being able to identify the girl, while they did know her father.


At the Ft. Wayne railroad station, at 5:15 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, Miss Brunner, starting for Detroit to join her sweetheart, turned up her face to receive her father's farewell kiss.  Detectives who had been watching the father instantly knew that here was the girl they were to shadow, and the trail was taken up.


But officers did not follow Louise to Detroit.  Word was passed along to the train conductor who, in turn, carried instructions to point out the girl to detectives who would board the train at Detroit.  Arrangements were made by telephone for the train to thus met on its arrival.


Accordingly, therefore, when the train bearing the girl who looked forward to being a bride the following Friday - yesterday - arrived in the outskirts of Detroit, plainclothes men boarded it, to whom the girl was shown.


The rest was easy. Both Skeer and Pierpont met the train at Detroit.  While the sweethearts withdrew to a waiting room for a conference, Pierpont mounted guard outside, but all three of them at the time were under the surveillance of many lynx-eyed detectives.  If anything had occurred to their suspicions escape would have been impossible.


But nothing suspicious occurred.  The three basked in perfect security - so much so indeed, that Skeer, Pierpont and the girl thought nothing of it when an extra passenger, carrying a suitcase, climbed into the taxicab with them and rode to their destination.  They doubtless regarded him merely as an extra "pickup" fare.


But he wasn't.  He was a Pinkerton man, one of the number detailed to shadow the suspects to their lair.


Thus it was that a kiss, innocently bestowed in Ft. Wayne, led the police straight to the rendezvous of the men charged with the bank robbery at Kokomo.


Furthermore the same kiss was the direct means of thwarting the wedding of the girl and Skeer, arranged for Friday.


-----


This article is another in a series of follow-up stories to the robberies of the South Kokomo State Bank by a group of robbers, led by my paternal cousin, Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934).  Harry later became famous as a member of the "Terror Gang" with John Dillinger.  These earlier robberies terrorized Indiana during 1924-25.

Black Sheep Sunday: Is Hayes Innocent of Connection With Bank Holdup?

Source: Kokomo Daily Tribune, Kokomo, Indiana, Saturday, April 4, 1925, p. 1.


IS HAYES INNOCENT OF CONNECTION WITH BANK HOLDUP?


Belief Expressed That Suspected Man Had No Hand In Robbery


Now Said That Only Four Men Staged South Kokomo Holdup - Two Suspects Are Still Being Earnestly Sought By Police - Story Comes To Light Telling in Detail Just How the Crime Was Committed - Claim Evidence Connects Quartet With Three Other Recent Bank Robberies


That not more than four men participated in the robbery of the South Kokomo Bank the afternoon of March 27 seems to have been established by the Kokomo police.


This has been the theory upon which Captain Omer L. Main of the Kokomo police department has worked from the first.  Captain Main, though, says that all along he admitted the possibility of a fifth bandit being mixed up in the matter somewhere along the line.  That this has been proved not to be so is one of the newest developments in the case.  


Just how the police have obtained their information that pieces together all the circumstances leading up to the sensational robbery they will not divulge.


Whether either or both of the two men under arrest and held here at the county jail has confessed or admitted any participation in the crime, local police headquarters will neither affirm nor deny.  Captain Main said that there had been too much talk and newspaper speculation about the case already and that there was nothing new to give out.


It was admitted, however, that both of the prisoners are "hardboiled" and the impression was imparted that they showed no signs of weakening in making a denial of their connection with the robbery.


Whether Miss Louise Brunner is in any way connected with latest developments also could not be directly ascertained, but the fact that she is not in the county jail and no one seems to know her whereabouts is taken as significant as to the importance with which her relation to the robbery is regarded in police circles.


However through different sources that may be taken as authentic, it may be accepted that the Kokomo police department no longer believes that John Roscoe Hayes, known here as "Whitey", and erstwhile singer with the Sullivan entertainers, participated in the robbery, and this in spite of the fact that he is said to have been identified by "Chick" Nelson and by A.E. Gorton also perhaps.


Furthermore it has been developed that the strongest kind of evidence has been accumulated that connect Harry Pierpont, one of the men held here, and Everett Bridgewater, directly with at least three other bank robberies or attempted bank robberies of recent months.


These are the ones at Noblesville that was frustrated, the robbery of the State Bank of Upland, and the robbery of the bank at Marion, Ind.


Bridgewater is one of the men charged with the Kokomo robbery for whom the policy are searching.


No linking of the fourth man's identity, or even whether the police know who he is, has been given out.


According to the story of the robbery here, said to be established as fact, Pierpont, Skeer, Bridgewater and a fourth man, drove into Kokomo about 12:30 p.m. the day the robbery was committed in three automobiles.  One was the stolen "blue Moon" car that figured so conspicuously in the case, and the other two were, respectively, a Ford coupe and a Ford sedan.  This procession drove straight down Washington street, past police headquarters and to the entrance of the city park.


Here, at a point where the driveways diverge, the Ford coupe was parked, headed east, its occupant climbing into the Moon car.


This machine and the Ford sedan then proceeded west to a point about two miles south of Melfalfa park - where the Moon car was found abandoned - where the Ford sedan was parked and its occupant also climbed into the Moon car.


The party now circled back to the city and arrived at a point about a block west of the South Kokomo bank at approximately 1:30 o'clock on the afternoon of March 27.  The Moon car, driven by Skeer, continued east in Markland avenue and halted just clear of the alley east of the Hotel Markland, which was about 100 feet east of the bank.  Skeer then went back and joined his confederates and the robbery was perpetrated as already described.


That there was no other car in the neighborhood connected in any way with the robbery seems also to have been established.  


In making their getaway the bandits drove south in Union street dividing the loot as they went.  Division had been effected by the time they arrived at the park.  Here two men left the Moon car with their share of the booty and reentered the Ford coupe in which they made for the Range Line road by the most direct route, the other two in the larger automobile returning to the spot where the Ford sedan had been left.  The Moon car was abandoned here, having served its purpose, and the two remaining bandits drove away in the Ford sedan.


Whither?


That is a part of the story that remains to be told.  When police are scouring the countryside for an automobile as conspicuous as was the big blue Moon, it is easy for a Ford or even two Fords, to slip past unnoticed.


Other details, however, tend to show that Skeer and the unidentified fourth member of the band were unfamiliar with Kokomo, but that Bridgewater and Pierpont had the lay of the land all mapped.  It was these latter two, it is believed, who engineered the affair and that in doing so spent considerable time in Kokomo prior to the holdup.


In this connection, a brand new Nash coach found by the police in Patterson park two or three weeks ago has been traced to the bandits.  It originally carried a dealer's license and at the time it was stolen at Terre Haute had been driven only 400 miles.  When found here the speedometer showed a mileage of 3,300 miles.


Also an Oakland car belonging to Ot Pearcy and stolen from the alley back of the salesroom on the west side of the courthouse square about three weeks ago is said to have been used by the bandits at least on one trip into Kentucky where it was believed a quantity of liquor was procured.  The car was found abandoned at Indianapolis.


That Hayes will be brought back to Kokomo as soon as the Detroit authorities are through with him, seems certain.  But whether he will be held for trial charged with participation in the robbery appears doubtful.  Why such positive conviction prevails that he was not one of the bandits has not been revealed, but Capt. Main expresses confidence that he was innocent of any connection with the Kokomo bank robbery.


In this connection, it is said that the nearest Pierpont came to making any sort of admission was when Hayes' connection with the robbery was mentioned.


"He doesn't know anything about this case," Pierpont is reported to have said.


Police say this is the only comment Pierpont has made touching the robbery.


Skeer is said to have expressed surprise that Hayes was placed under arrest and to have declared positively that he never heard of Hayes and never saw him prior to the arrest in Detroit.


The re-entry into Kokomo of two men suspected of being members of the bandit gang that held up and robbed the South Kokomo bank a week ago Friday was more imposing than their swift departure after the robbery.


Heavily manacled and handcuffed to two Kokomo policemen and escorted by an armed guard of eleven men in three automobiles, the party arrived from Detroit about a half-hour after midnight this morning.


The suspects, who have been positively identified as members of the robber gang are Thaddeus Skeer, 23 years old, and Harry Pierpont, 24, both of whom are charged with the robbery of the Kokomo bank on March 27 and who are also suspected of numerous other robberies of a similar type.


With the party was Miss Louise Brunner of Ft. Wayne, 21 years old, sweetheart of Skeers, whose journey to Detroit Wednesday from Ft. Wayne, was the direct means of leading the police to the rendezvous where Skeer, Pierpont and Roscoe C. Hayes, known here as "Whitey," were captured.


Hayes was identified as a member of the bandit quartet engaged in the holdup in South Kokomo, but is said to have been held by the Detroit police as a material witness in a murder case there.


Officers Archie Thompson and Rosenbrock were the two members of the Kokomo police department who were detailed to go to Detroit and fetch the prisoners to Kokomo after recovery of bonds constituting part of the loot of the South Kokomo bank robbery had been recovered.


A.E. Gorton, cashier of the bank, "Chick" Nelson, golf professional at the Kokomo Country club, and Vernon Shaw, a victim of the bandits, accompanied the two officers to Detroit and lent cumulative strength to previous suspicion by positively identifying the trio as three of the men engaged in the robbery in this city.


Furthermore, the case against the prisoners is said to have been still further strengthened by a subsequent search of their rooms, as a result of which Liberty bonds amounting to $900, identified as part of the booty of the Marion  bank robbery some months ago, are reported to have been found.


Every precaution was taken to safeguard the prisoners, and not to take any chances that confederates might attempt to rescue them, the guard was strengthened when the party arrived at Peru on the homeward trip, which was made by a secret, circuitous route from Detroit.


---
This article is a follow up to the robbery of the South Kokomo bank by my black sheep cousin, Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934).  Fortunately, old copies of Kokomo newspapers are online through the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library.

Pierpont Family in Indianapolis, 1920

Polk's 1920 City Directory, Indianapolis, Indiana

Continuing my research into the PIERPONT family in Indianapolis, the 1920's Polk's Directory at Archive.org listed the following PIERPONTs [h=house, b=boarder].  I have been hoping to find out more about the early years of Harry Pierpont.

Pierpont Clarence M mach h1150 Spruce

Pierpont Cora F clk CCC&StLRy r1150 S Spruce

Pierpont Edw L lab h1722 W Minnesota

Pierpont Esther A (wid Jno T) h1742 W Morris

Pierpont Ezra uphlr h1537 Draper

Pierpont Frank H mach r1742 W Morris

Pierpont Gilbert engr h2113 W Morris

Pierpont Wm E elect r967 King av

Pierpont Wm R fnshr h2812 Schofield av

The unidentified Clarence and Cora Pierpont remain at the same address they lived in the 1919 directory.  Their relationship to the other Pierponts hasn't been established.

The Edward L. Pierpont is believed to be the son of John T. and Hester Pierpont, and younger brother of Harry's father, Joseph Gilbert.


The Esther A. Pierpont is the same as Hester Pierpont, Harry's grandmother, and widow of John T. Pierpont.  In 1919 directory, John T. was alive at the same address.


The Ezra Pierpont is believed to be another son of John T. and Hester Pierpont, and brother of Joseph Gilbert, Harry's father.


The Frank H. Pierpont is another son of John T. and Hester Pierpont, the younger brother of Harry's father.  In the 1919 directory, he was listed as being in the U.S. Army.


The Gilbert Pierpont listed as an engineer is Harry's father, Joseph Gilbert Pierpont.  There is a gap between his appearance in 1920 Indianapolis, but not in the city after 1912, the last city directory that listed him.


The remaining Pierponts, William E. and William R., remain unidentified, though they appear in the 1919 directory at the same address.