Remember When: Train Tragedy And Fires
The following is information from a 1932 article from the files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.
REMEMBER WHEN — A laundromat located at about 118 W. Market St. in Warsaw experienced an explosion which wrecked and set fire to the building. At the scene, the laundromat owner, named Taylor or Miller, before a large crowd, accused his competitors, the Chinese laundrymen, with causing the explosion and fire.
The mob proceeded to 118 W. Center St., Warsaw, to the Chinese laundry and found the men diligently ironing and at work. The foreigners were dragged outside and preparations were made to lynch them to a tree in the courtyard just across the street. Gen. Reub Williams and Rev. John Hatfield, father of Ham Hatfield, interceded for the Chinese and warned the mob against rash, hasty action on such flimsy evidence.
The mob was calmed and hesitated. Soon thereafter, it was proven the American laundromat owner had blown up his own place of business with a powder charge, probably to collect insurance or to cast suspicion on his competitors, who had taken his business. The man had been seen running from the rear of his laundry after setting off the powder charge. He later admitted it and left town.
REMEMBER WHEN — Boys with shoe-shining outfits were numerous on the streets of Warsaw. That was back in the 1870s. The “outfit” consisted of a small wooden box with straps attached to one end which was slung over a boy’s shoulders as he paroled the street in search of customers.
Within the box were brushes and shoe polish, while on one side of the box was attached a block upon which the customer would place his foot during the shining process. These youngsters were quite ambitious and were on the alter. On occasions when a crowd would be attracted to town, the “shines” would ply their trade with a vim worthy of emulation by business men of more mature years. Frequently some of the boys would transfer their activities to neighboring towns on the occasion of a gala day.
In the summer of 1875, two of Warsaw’s industrious “shine merchants,” namely Lewis Neer and Al Cuffel, made a trip to Plymouth, where some sort of celebration was in progress. They made the journey via Pennsylvania freight train, a practice much in vogue among young men and boys of that day.
They remained in Plymouth until a late hour at night, when they boarded a fast freight train for the return trip home. They were riding between the cars. About two miles east of Bourbon, a big, burly brakeman, while walking over the train, spotted the lads and commanded them to get off, at the same time striking at them with a heavy club which he carried.
Cuffel leaped from the train and alighted safely, but Neer, in his haste to disembark with his shining outfit thrown over his shoulder, made a misstep and fell beneath the wheels. One arm and leg were terribly crushed and he was hurled down a steep embankment.
Cuffel witnessed the accident and called to a couple of other boys who were farther back on the train to come to his aid. They did so, and Cuffel instructed them to run back to Bourbon and report the accident.
Meanwhile, Cuffel took the unconscious form of Neer in his arms and endeavored as best he could to minister to his comfort and stop the flow of blood. His messengers to Bourbon had made haste and soon returned with some men on a hand car, on which the unfortunate lad was quickly placed and taken to Bourbon.
Dr. C.W. Burket, the company’s surgeon at Warsaw, was at once notified and rushed to the scene on a special engine, but a few minutes after his arrival Lewis Neer died without having regained consciousness.
In commenting on the unfortunate affair in The “Indianian,” General Williams laid great stress on the bravery of Al Cuffel, then a boy of 14, for his tender care and efforts to alleviate the suffering of an unfortunate companion. The editor proclaimed Al a juvenile hero. In later years, when referring to the experience above related, Cuffel has always maintained that he has never been inclined to superstition or posed as a believer in miracles. Yet he avers that when he saw those wheels crush the form of Lewis Neer, notwithstanding midnight darkness prevailed, a circle of light as bright as the noonday sun appeared for an instant around the form of the unfortunate lad with his shine box and little round hat as they lay beside the rails.
“And it wasn’t imaginary,” Cuffel said. “It was real, and such a light could only have emanated from some superhuman source.”
REMEMBER WHEN — The disastrous Winona fire of April 18, 1914. The conflagration was caused by the burning of piles of leaves which had been raked up near the park entrance. After the fires had been lighted, a heavy wind suddenly came up and the leaves were blown among the frame cottages in that locality.
A house adjoining the Winona Hotel became ignited and the flames, fanned by a strong west wind which swept across the lake, leaped with astounding rapidity from one cottage to another. The Winona volunteer fire department was powerless to cope with the situation and the Warsaw department responded to a call for aid.
As a last resort to check the onrushing flames, dynamite was employed to blow up a couple of buildings further up Chestnut Avenue in the path of the fire. This had the desired effect. The flames were thereby brought under control, but not until twenty-three cottages had been burned to the ground, few if any of the contents being saved. Only by almost Herculean effort on the part of the firemen was the Winona Hotel saved from destruction. A company from the Fort Wayne fire department had been requested and was rushed to the scene on a special train, but did not arrive until the fire was virtually under control.
This was one of the most stubborn conflagrations that ever occurred in this vicinity and the loss amounted to several thousands dollars. However, work of clearing away the debris was soon begun and it was not many months until new and pretentious homes covered the area laid waste by the flames. Since then, Winona has been provided with a modern system of water works and an up-to-date fire department, rendering a repetition of such a disaster almost impossible.
— Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels