Bloody Mary:
Legend of
Vernon, Indiana
by Elisa Walter
Continued
| He
and Mary are both at Vernon City Cemetery and are listed in the
cemetery’s records. Mary survived 10 years after the death of
her
husband. Perhaps the portion of the above legend which speaks of
Mary’s removal from Baldwin sprang from this confusing double
burial record. The fact is, Samuel was not murdered, he knew he was
dying and bequeathed his farm and personal property to his
“loving wife”. As for Mary Smith and her tragic murder; this is a harder nut to crack. The Jennings County Courthouse has court records dating back as far as 1817, but if her assailant was never identified, there would be no court record. Additionally, no newspaper clippings describing this crime have been found. Her marked grave is in the very old back section of Baldwin Cemetery amid the tall pines and undergrowth. For years it was protected from vandalism by a wrought iron fence. The fence is long since gone and her stone is unreadable. I find it quite sad and unjust that the name of a young rape and murder victim has been degraded and debased, her grave desecrated. Does Mary Smith’s spirit linger at Baldwin? Is she restless because of the trauma of her death or because of the callous treatment her memory has received over the years? Or, is it all a story made up to feed the imaginations of local thrill seekers? |
Did
Jennings County perform hangings on the courthouse lawn? Yes, they did.
Four men have met this fate. The first hanging was in 1866. The
man’s last name was Sage and he was hanged for the murder of
two
children named Todd. This is the most documented and notorious murder
case in Jennings County. (Attached
is a copy of an 1866 newspaper story written by an eyewitness to his
hanging) Three confederates were captured during the infamous Morgan’s Raid. One was released while the other two were executed. The last man to be hanged on the Jennings County Courthouse lawn was in the early 1900’s; also a convicted murderer. |
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