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. For more history of Kosciusko County in the news visit yesteryear.clunette.com

Sept. 4, 1959 — The new Lincoln grade school in east Warsaw opened for the first time this morning. There are 204 pupils.

Sept. 5, 1963 — Some of the new 28 teachers in Warsaw Community Schools include Ellen Kiefer, Senior High; Martha Klondaris, Lincoln; Rose Marie Martin, Madison; and William Landrigan, Junior High.

Sept. 6, 1969 — For the 1969-70 school year, the Warsaw Community School system employed 32 new instructors, including Jeffrey Plank, John Musgrave, Janet R. Kirkpatrick and Robert W. Bishop.

Aug. 6, 1977 —  A Warsaw man was officially charged Friday with the death of Albert Dale Miner Jr., 56, of 713 Miner Dr., Warsaw.

Prosecuting Attorney R. Steven Hearn filed a charge of voluntary manslaughter in Kosciusko County Court Friday alleging that James R. Dawson, 35, of 1513 Brubaker St., Warsaw, beat Miner to death early Friday.

Bond has been set at $100,000 by Kosciusko County Court Judge Robert Burner. Dawson is being held in the county jail.

Hearn will present evidence collected during investigation of the case to the Kosciusko County grand jury, which is already slated Sept. 6 to investigate another death from a shooting incident.

Dawson confessed Friday morning he brutally beat Miner after Miner made “sexual advances” toward him, authorites said.

No criminal charge was brought against Lee Bradley in connection with the July 28 shooting death of Osborn, however, the grand jury used strong words in censuring his actions.

Bradley said he was checking what he termed “curious actions”of the man when the .22 caliber pistol discharged, fatally wounding Donovan Wayne Osborn, 37, Rt. 1, Tippecanoe.

Osborn was pronounced dead on arrival at Kosciusko Community Hospital at 5:06 p.m. The shooting occurred just south of the overhead bridge at Claypool approximately 10 minutes earlier.

Bradley, off duty, in civilian clothes and unarmed, said the gun accidentally discharged. He stated he was attempting to unload the pistol after taking it from Osborn.

Sept. 8, 1977 — Following a day and a half of testimony, the Kosciusko County grand jury deliberated approximately 45 minutes before returning a second degree murder indictment against James R. Dawson in the death of Albert Dale Miner Jr. and a strong censure against former Silver Lake Marshal Lee Bradley in the death of Wayne Osborn.

In issuing the indictment against the 35-year-old Dawson, of Warsaw, the grand jury raised the preliminary charge from voluntary manslaughter to second degree murder in the Miner beating death. Miner, 56, of Warsaw, was found dead in his home Aug. 5.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels