From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.

Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.

Information for this retrospective series is courtesy of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.

1996 — The top news story of 1996 was the ongoing tale of the Bicycle Bandit, an assailant who kept Warsaw residents nervous for the entire summer as he casually broke into upward of 70 homes.

In most cases, the assailant — believed to have fled the area — entered many homes that had been left unlocked. Often, the suspect rooted through purses and took only cash.

The common denominator in most cases was the bandit’s escape method — use of a bicycle — with fresh tracks in the grass left behind near many of the homes.

On two occasions, he was confronted by residents inside, one of whom included a son of Mayor Jeff Plank. In the other incident, he confronted a woman and punched her in the face.

In November, a possible suspect was confronted by an officer after an alleged break-in. They wrestled briefly, but the suspect got away. Police have not reported any related break-ins since.

April 1979 — When Debra J. Wright, Rt. 1, Barbee Lake, checked into Kosciusko Community Hospital Monday, she knew her family was going to expand … it wasn’t until just after midnight this morning she found out just how much.

Wright gave birth to triplets, beginning at 12:21 a.m. — the first triplets born in the three-year existence of KCH and believed to be the first triple birth in nearly three decades in Warsaw.

The two baby girls and baby boy, along with the mother, are all healthy, and a hospital spokesman says daddy Dennis Wright is simply walking around with a very large smile.

“They knew they were going to have twins,” Assistant Administrative Supervisor Dee Yoder said this morning, “but not triplets. That came as a big surprise to everyone — doctor included.”

Dr. Richard Galbreath supervised the delivery of the babies: Danielle, Darlene and Darrell.

March 30, 1967 — A serene Jean Lucas heard a jury of 11 men and one woman completely vindicate her in record time late Thursday, then broke into a brilliant smile.

Miss Lucas, the 46-year-old spinster who had been secretary to the late superintendent Carl Burt for 18 years, had stood charged wth theft of extracurricular Warsaw Community School funds, by indictment of the Kosciusko County Grand Jury based on an audit of the funds by the State Board of Accounts.

The jury elected a foreman, voted a unanimous not guilty verdict and returned to the courtroom within 15 minutes.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels