To continue our story of the "Fountain County Aerolite" from the January 19,
1879 Indianapolis Daiky Sentinel:
DETAILS OF THE TRAGEDY
The account given in the journal was substantially correct except in one
or two particulars. The young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Frowde, returned home
from a blue ribbon meeting at the neighboring school house and found Mr.
Grover sitting by the fire waiting for them. They retired soon after, Mr.
G. going to his room first. Being tired from a long walk, the young couple
soon fell asleep and slept so soundly that neither awoke until after
daylight, and were somewhat surprised that the old gentleman was not yet up,
it being his usual custom to get up and make the fire. Mrs. F. went about
her household duties, but a feeling of uneasiness coming over her at the
unusual quiet and mysterious stillness that seemed to pervade the house (her
husband having gone to the barn to feed the stock), she went to her father's
door, and knocked, and receiving no answer, opened it, when the horrible
scene met her sight. With a loud shriek she fell to the floor in a swoon,
her head striking the foot of her father's bed, making an ugly wound in her
forhead. Hearing the scream, her husband rushed to the house, to find his
wife and his father-in-law, (as he supposed) murdered during the few minutes
of his absence to the barn. Seizing an axe that was standing near the
fireplace, he rushed through the rooms and into the cellar, the door of
which was open, in search of the murderer. He there discovered the
mysterious hole in the ground, and a long and ghastly
ICICLE OF BLOOD
hanging from the floor, and the light streaming through the bloody and
jagged hole from the room above. He at once returned to the upper floor, to
find his wife just recovering from the swoon. Helping her to a chair and
wiping the blood from her face and binding up the cut made by the fall he
was more mystified than ever on discovering the hole through the ceiling
roof, his father-in-law, and the bed and floor, into the cellar. Going to
the door, he hailed a gentleman going down the road, who proved to be Mr.
Wm. Jacobs, the teacher at the school house where they had attended the blue
ribbon meeting the evening before. Being of a scientific turn of mind, he
at once proceeded to investigate the dreadful occurrence. After inspecting
the premises, he soon defined the cause of the singular and sad occurrence,
and to him our party are under many obligations for particulars derived
outside of what could be learned from a mere inspection of the premises. He
at once procured a spade, and although a good deal of ice had been formed
about the hole from the blood, soon reached the deadly missile and took it
out with much of the congealed blood and dirt adhering to it. Anxious to
examine the shape and structure of the aerolite, he thoughtlessly washed it
off, almost obliteratiing the blood stains, which, to some extent still
plainly show where the intense heat of the stone has indelibly left their
marks. Noticing a peculiar scratch or indentation on the side of the stone
before leaving there that seemed unusual in a meteorite, I was led to
investigate the cause, and found, after diligent search, that it was made
during its passage through the roof by striking a piece of broken
three-cornered file that had been driven into the rafter with nails, for
hanging farm products on, and being intensely hot, the file cut the groove,
which had it been cold would have been impossible from its hardness. The
end of the file had the appearance of having been burned.
TRIUMPHANT RETURN
After a great deal of coaxing and many promises of future reward, or a
return of the stone, I succeeded in persuading them to part with it, and a
more elated and enthusiastic party never returned from a successful hunt.
Mr. Pickwick and his club, when they found and deciphered the ancient stone
in the old village, that came near disbanding the club in a row because one
member insisted that the inscription only meant to read "Bill Stumps, his
mark," were not a circumstance to the party that entered Covington with that
trophy. Many insisted that I should remain over night and deliver a lecture
on meteorites, and exhibit the stone at the court house, but I refused all
entreaties, and hastening to the train was soon speeding away toward
Indianapolis. I was not, however, to get back in the quiet manner I had
hoped, for some of the traveling men and doubting Thomases insisted on
knowing whether I succeeded, noticing the heavy bundle I was carrying into
the car. I finally yielded, and, opening the traveling blanket into which I
had rolled and strapped it, displayed to their astonished gaze the celestial
wanderer. The tables were turned and each, as he got off at Veedersburg,
Waynestown, Liston, etc., came to me and apologized, and asked that I take
the oysters, etc. at their expense, the first time I met them in
Indianapolis. And now, sir, thanking you for selecting me as your
messenger, and at the same time congratulating you on the success of the
undertaking, I resign it into your hands as another contribution to science.
Veritas.
Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 17, 1879.
(The story was also printed by the New York Times and the Paducah Daily
News. One more installment to come, from the "History of Greater
Indianapolis.)
Dave
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