When I have a minute, I will go into a file, in this case the Garfield Bohall file, and I will transcribe a newspaper clipping. I had decided to work on the Bohall family for a while, getting their sources in and the transcriptions done. I just picked Garfield at random. I transcribed his obit and the church listed was one I had not heard of before. The Wertz Memorial Evangelical United Brethren Church in Columbus, Indiana. I can not leave it alone. One half hour transcribing session turns into a full month obsession with one person.
I found a .pdf file at the Indiana State Genealogical Society on the history of the church. That turned out to be the least interesting part of the story of Garfield Bohall.
In the beginning was the obit:
Garfield Bohall Dies At Home in Columbus
Garfield Bohall, 66, Columbus cabinet maker who formerly lived in Brownstown and Seymour, died early Friday morning at Columbus. Death followed a long illness.
Funeral services will be conducted at 3 o'clock Monday afternoon, Daylight Saving Time, from the Hathaway Funeral Home in Columubus. The funeral party will come to Seymour where burial will be in Riverview Cemetery.
Mr. Bohall was born south of Brownstown on what is known as the old Terkhorn farm, the son of William D. and Serilda Bohall. He was married to Minnie Staley of Brooklyn, Indiana, and they were the parents of two children. Following her death 16 years ago, he married Maudie Allen in Columbus. He moved to Seymour from Brownstown and about 25 years ago, moved from this city to Columbus. He was a member of the Wertz Memorial Evangelical United Brethren Church in Columbus.
Besides the widow, he is survived by a son, Raymond Bohall, of Orlando, Florida, a daughter, Mrs. Merle Allman, of Brownstown, three step-children, eight grandchildren and a brother, William Bohall, of Columbus. Two brothers and a sister preceded him in death.I decided not to go off the rails completely and leave the church file to read later. Meanwhile, going to the next article to transcribe, I forgot about my half hour limit and rode right off the rails, whatever that means.
The next article was stunning. I know, I know. I should not have been so shocked since I downloaded the article. I seldom read them online, so it was just downloaded into his file to read and transcribe later. So I was in shock. Why did I not see this earlier? Here is the article:
LIFE SENTENCE
Given Garfield Bohall For Killing His Brother
After being out all night the jury in the case of Garfield Bohall, charged with the murder of his brother Thornton, returned a verdict Saturday morning about 9:30 o'clock, finding the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree and fixing his punishment at life imprisonment in the state prison at Michigan City. His attorneys have given notice of their intention to file a motion for a new hearing.
The case occupied the attention of the court from Wednesday until Friday evening about 4 o'clock. The jury was composed as follows: Herman Brandt, August Bobb, Chas. Lambring, Washington township; John D. Summa, Chas, Huber, Salt Creek; Woody McNelly, John Beavers, Owen; Granville Tabor, Hamilton; Elmer Henderson, Chas. Weddle, Carr; Herman Neirman, Grassy Fork; Albert Singer, Driftwood.
The crime for which Garfield Bohall is sentenced to prison for life, was committed on the 28th of November 1909. On that day he and his brothers were at their father's home in Seymour where they found a jug of alcohol, which they began drinking and which ended in a quarrel. Thornton Bohall had started home, but just as he had taken a few steps outside the gate Garfield fired, the bullet striking Thornton over the left eye killing him almost instantly.
A plea of accidental shooting was set up in which the defendant was sustained by his parents and other members of the Bohall family, with the exception of the widow of Thornton Bohall. However, the accidental theory was nogt borne out by the testimony of outsiders who were on the scene about the time the shooting occurred.
This was the second trial of this case, the first jury failing to agree. Nine of them, it is said, were in favor of life imprisonment.
The Indiana Digital Archives show that Garfield Bohall was sentenced on December 7, 1910 to the Indiana State Prison at Michigan city, Indiana. There were no other records and no image. Just my luck.
In the 1910 census Garfield was listed in Brownstown, Indiana as an inmate of the Jackson County Jail. He's 29, and married. I found a marriage certificate for Garfield and Minnie Staley at FamilySearch. They married on June 26, 1906 in Morgan County, Indiana. She apparently did not wait for him to be released into her loving arms. At some point before he checked into the state prison, he became single.
I went looking for the 1920 census for him and it was not hard to find. There he was, Indiana State Prison, Michigan City, Indiana. Garfield Bohall, 38 years old, single, his occupation is listed as a weaver. The Bohall family were all basket makers, so perhaps that is what weaver meant, though I am not sure. His obit stated he was a cabinet maker when he died, and I have noticed that several of the Bohall family members list that later in life. Probably just saying they worked with wood would be enough.
I have not found what day he was released, but the next record that I have is for November 6, 1926 when he marries Maude Allen, a widow, in Bartholomew County, Indiana. He is listed as divorced. At any rate, he 'got out of the big house' sometime before 1926.
Just some great quarantine fun!
Sources:
Indiana State Genealogical Society
http://www.indgensoc.org/
Wertz Memorial Evangelical United Brethren Church in Columbus, Indiana 1892 - 1959
Compiled and Presented To The Wertz Memiral Church On Re-Dedication Day, July 19, 1959 By The Historical Committee Composed Of: Mrs. James Coles, Mrs. Forrest Noblitt, and Mrs. Lula Griffith
Obituary of Garfield Bohall
Newspaper Article
The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
September 20, 1947
Page 1
from: Newspapers.com
"LIFE SENTENCE"
"Given Garfield Bohall For Killing His Brother"
Newspaper Article
Jackson County Banner
Brownstown, Indiana
October 19, 1910
Page 1
from: Newspapers.com
https://secure.in.gov/apps/iara/search/
Indiana Archives and Records Administration (IARA)
Department of Correction Records at the Indiana State Archives
Indiana State Prison, Michigan City, Indiana
"Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV99-WHTM : 10 December 2017), Eugene T Wilson in entry for Garfield Bohall and Minnie Staley, 26 Jun 1906; citing Morgan, Indiana, United States, Marriage Registration, Indiana Commission on Public Records, Indianapolis; FHL microfilm 007578357.
"Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XFWW-Z82 : 13 January 2020), Arthur Barringer in entry for Garfield Bohall, 1926.
"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKP3-27G : accessed 28 April 2020), Edd Jerall in household of Jerry Mcosker, Brownstown, Jackson, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 58, sheet 8B, family 167, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 357; FHL microfilm 1,374,370.
"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFWZ-8XX : accessed 23 April 2020), Garfield Bohall, Michigan City Ward 3, La Porte, "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFWZ-8XX : accessed 23 April 2020), Garfield Bohall, Michigan City Ward 3, La Porte, Indiana, United States.
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