"Evansville Suicide Attempt Reported in Oregon"

On a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, I spent a few hours in the public library, the Multnomah County Central Library (http://www.multcolib.org/). It was a gorgeous library and I spent time looking through some of the old historical newspapers. While there, I also took some time to search the Oregon Newspapers Index (http://libweb.uoregon.edu/govdocs/indexing/index.html) for any Evansville-related stories and found this one from the April 29th, 1929 issue of the Oregonain.


Divorcee Shoots Friend & Self


Evansville, Ind., April 28. – Mrs. Josephine Green Conrad, 27 year-old wealthy divorcee, who wound up an evening of entertaining some of Indiana’s well-known political lights by shooting her girl friend, Margaret Maley, 25, and herself, early Saturday morning, will be charged with criminal assault in an affidavit to be filed against her by the county prosecuting attorney.


Mrs. Conrad, who is the mother of a 2 year-old girl, was reported at the hospital tonight to have a fighting chance for recovery. Due to the nature of her wounds little hope is held out however. When and if she recovers the affidavit will be served. Miss Maley, who was shot in the thigh, is reported out of danger.


The evening started out politely enough, according to reports. Miss Maley and Mrs. Conrad, who have been living together for some time, invited several friends to their home after a political rally Friday night. F. Harold Van Orman and his wife, the latter a candidate for the republican nomination for mayor, for whom the rally was given, were there. So were State senator John H. Hewitt, Jessica Greene, cousin of Mrs. Conrad; Mrs. Van Orman’s political secretary, and several others. There was some drinking, it was said, though not much, for these personages are politically dry. The party broke up about 2 a.m. and the girls decided to take an automobile ride to cool off.


They returned and when Miss Maley entered Mrs. Conrad’s bedroom she found her toying with a revolver, according to her story. She attempted to take it away from the divorcee and in the scuffle that followed was shot in the thigh. Mrs. Conrad, upon seeing what had happened, turned the revolver on herself and sent a bullet through her right breast. It penetrated the liver, lung and stomach and left the body near the left hip.


Mrs. Conrad confirmed the statement of Miss Maley that Mrs. Conrad did the shooting. Miss Maley stated later that Mrs. Conrad was threatening suicide. Mrs. Conrad did not say however, that the shooting of Miss Maley was accidental. She repeated over and over “I did it. Oh, I did and I don’t know why. I’m sorry.”

- Submitted by Taneya Koonce

A Review - Family Tree Maker 2009

Family Tree Maker 2009

A Review

My copy of the all new completely revamped Family Tree Maker 2009 came in the mail yesterday. It has undergone many changes in ownership, since I bought the very first version back in about 1994 or 1995. It has undergone many revisions. Ancestry.com began making more drastic changes, but it was still similar to the original basic format. This 2009 version is all new - a totally new type of program that only has the same name. I have not had it long enough to play with everything - so, I may be able to change the layout on the screen, but the default has four frames on display at once. There is a generation chart (displaying up to four generations) in middle top with a lower section that is similar to a family group sheet. On each side are other two frames - left side is an index listing of names in the database file and on the right side is the individual data for that person highlighted on the generation chart. The various sections are not as easy to navigate as the older versions in finding notes, etc. but, it is just different than the way it has been for 15 years.

For some reason the default "Home Person" is one of my father's uncles. I do not know haw to change that, yet. But I have not had time to do extensive changes to the default settings. You can transfer databases into this program quite easily... it only took about a minute to download my older files from FTM 2006. You can also download Personal Ancestry Files (PAF), The Master Genealogist, Legacy, Gedcom's, etc.

Now, of course, I bought this version because Ancestry.com had it on sale that also included a reference library CD - all for about $30 for the upgrade & the library. At first I thought I was going to have to return the CD since it did not seem to function. It uses Adobe Reader to read the PDF format. I learned that I could open up the Adobe Reader and go to the CD Drive through the program and then open up any of the books which includes: a genealogical dictionary, finding answers in the US Census, historian's address book, The Red Book, The Source, U.S. military records and the Library of Congress guide to genealogical research. These are every page PDF's, searchable and printable.

Overall, my first impressions are good for the new FTM2009 and the reference library is a great resource... a definite bargain for $30. Of you who have this new program, please share your comments on it.

- Reviewed by JGWest

Tombstone Thursday - Martin

Oak Hill Cemetery

Evansville, Indiana

World War I Soldier

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest
[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

Another one of God's beautiful sunsets!

Taken on Interstate 64 on way back home from Louisville Zoo on 06 Jun 2009. Becky & I had such a nice trip to Louisville. We ate at Joe's Crab Shack, toured a nearby car cruise-in and local bands playing music (fund raiser for children) and then to the zoo where we witnessed a wedding in the cemetery in the zoo! This sunset was just a wonderful close to a great day. Many have liked the sunsets on this blog, so I thought I would share this one with you.

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

Republic Aviation

Evansville, Indiana

P-47 Thunderbolts

My father helped build the P-47's - JGWest

-Photo taken & submitted by Chris Myers

1901 "Colored Folks" Evansville News

The local newspaper is one of the often-overlooked resources for African-American research in Evansville during the early years of the 20th century. Columns titled “Colored Folks” provide information on deaths, church events and visits from former residents. These columns do not appear on particular days; they seem to appear whenever there is enough information to warrant them. Most often they appear in the Sunday issues, but also appear throughout the rest of the week. The following items are from the Evansville Courier in February 1901.


Sunday, 17 February 1901

The infant daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Ed Roberson died Saturday morning at their home, 1201 West Virginia Street. The funeral will take place Monday from the family home, 1207 West Virginia Street [sic].


The funeral of the late Edmund D. Gooding took place Saturday about 12 o’clock noon from his late home in Thiele’s Row. Rev. C.N. Majors officiated in the service.


The funeral of the late Mrs. Minerva Love took place Saturday morning from the Independence Baptist church. The service was conducted by Rev. C.N. Majors. The services were largely attended.


Mrs. Mary E. Reed is seriously ill at her home in Newtownville. She has been confined to her home for several week with la grippe.


Professor W.A. Green, who is engaged in teaching school out in the country below Howell, was in the city Saturday on business.


Mrs. Mary Jackson of Louisville, Ky., was in the city Saturday visiting friends in Upper Fourth Street.


Mrs. Bettie Cabel is quite sick at her home, 315 Elliott Street.


Friday, 22 February 1901

After a long and painful illness of nearly ten months duration, all that was mortal of the late Mrs. Mollie Jones yielded up the ghost and her immortal spirit left its tenement of clay forever. Mrs. Jones was a native of North Carolina, where she resided until just two years ago. She was married to Columbus Jones and came to this city, where she lived until Wednesday afternoon at 5:15 o’clock, aged 25 years. She had no relatives in this section of the country except her husband and little son. Although she had resided here but a comparatively short time, yet she had made for herself many true and devoted friends, all of whom feel most keenly her death. Her funeral services took place Thursday afternoon from Alexander chapel. Rev. Charles Hunter officiated. There was a large crowd of sympathizing friends present to pay a last tribute of respect for her remains, which were laid tenderly to rest in Oak Hill cemetery.


Mrs. Rosa Harris was born at Canton, Miss., May 26, 1874, where she resided until she came to this city in 1878, and lived here till within the year when she went to Louisville, Ky., and returned to this city almost 10 days ago and died at the home of her grandmother, 617 Mulberry street, Feb. 20, 1901 after a short but fatal illness. She leaves a son, a sister, two brothers and other relatives to mourn her death. Her funeral takes place from Alexander Methodist church today. Rev. Charles Hunter will officiate in the funeral service assisted by Rev. W.H. Anderson and J.D. Rouse.


Arthur Banks of Morganfield, Ky. is here the guest of friends in Fulton avenue.


The Baptist Sabbath school union will hold its regular monthly meeting with the Mt. Zion Baptist Sunday school Sunday, Feb. 24.

- Submitted by Brenda Joyce Jerome, CG