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.

May 1, 1992 — Ten students from Warsaw Community High School competed Saturday in the Indiana Mathematics Contest, sponsored by the Indiana Council of Teachers of Mathematics. For 90 minutes, students answered questions provided by the mathematics departments of four Indiana colleges and universities. Top honors went to Myer Bremer, who scored a nearly perfect test. WCHS students participating in the contest included Jason Stone, Ryan Becker, Preston Baker, Brad Forschner, Matt McClelland, Tim Becker, Anne McLane, Kurt Homburg, Zach Netzler and Bremer.

May 1, 1974 — Caught in a severe financial squeeze and headed for deficit spending before the end of the year, Warsaw Community Schools officials have instituted massive budget and program cuts to keep the school system out of the red.

Superintendent Dr. Max E. Hobbs painted a dreary financial picture for school board members in a special session at the administrative offices last night.

Included in the cuts are the reduction (from two weeks to a month) in administrative personnel contracts (principals and other department heads); non-replacement of 10 teachers who are resigning; reduction of two teaching positions; curtailment of all elementary athletic and intramural programs (coaches’ salaries); summer athletic programs; and certain other junior high and freshman high coaching salaries.

To add to the school’s financial misery was word Friday from Texaco that the price of fuel oil was being raised retroactive to last September, costing the system an additional $22,000.

1900 — Wilbur F. Maish, Sr. built the first “auto” ever in Warsaw. A stationary engine was mounted on a light frame. It made about three miles per hour. This was years before autos were anything more than a curiosity, probably about the year 1900. The Maish “invention” attracted much attention here as it chugged around town on its few trial runs.

1880s — The murder of Bill Hull, the butcher, occurred at the cabin home of Joseph Rowe during one of the country dances characteristics of the early 1880s. The scene of the crime was located a short distance west of the curve in the Pennsylvania railroad tracks at the western outskirts of the city. John Schaeffer was accused of the crime. He was arrested and his trial took place in the old Methodist church building, which was being used as a court room while the new courthouse was being built. The evidence submitted was purely circumstantial and the jury returrned a verdict of four years in prison. Public sentiment strongly condemned such a verdict, the exception being based on the fact that Schaeffer was either guilty or not guilty, and if guilty, he should received a more severre sentence; if not guilty, he should be acquitted. Judge E. V. Long evidently thought so too, for he unhesitatingly granted an application for a new trial, at the conclusion of which Schaeffer was acquitted. The defense was based on the fact that the dead body of Hull was found near the railroad tracts, indicating that he had been struck by a passing train. The circumstantial evidence against Schaeffer was due to the fact that he and Hull had indulged in a quarrel during the progress of the dance.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels