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.

Oct. 9, 1974 — The grand opening of Kline’s World and the newly remodeled Kline’s main floor in downtown Warsaw will begin Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. and will continue through Oct. 26.

A ribbon will be tied between the two stores – Kline’s World at the corner of Market and Buffalo streets and Kline’s main store location at 113-115 E. Market St. – and it will be snipped at 9 a.m. while traffic is halted on Market Street for a brief period.

Oct. 11, 1954 — Warsaw, Kosciusko County and surrounding towns today were attempting to recover from the heaviest rainfall in history, a record 6.16 inches over Saturday and Sunday, that caused thousands of dollars of damage, flooded countless basements, blocked roads and highways and left water standing on valuable farmland around cottages and homes.

Oct. 10, 1884 — At precisely eight minutes past noon, Charles W. Butler paid the penalty for the crime of murdering his wife by hanging in the jail yard in Columbia City.

Six years prior to the murder, Charles W. Butler married Abbie Sheehan, a beautiful and accomplished young lady of Columbus, Ohio. During these six years, she lived the life of a dog, and it was only after all these years of inhuman treatment received from the hands of the man who today met his fate, that she resolved on separation from one who had always treated her worse than a brute.

On Sept. 29, 1883, he went to the residence of Ira Ryerson, Pierceton. After a few moments conversing with his wife, who was staying there, he shot her in the back, 2 inches below the neck.

Mrs. Butler lingered a few days, suffering greatly from the effects of the wound, and on the fourth day, death put an end to all her miseries.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels