Indianapolis (IN) Sentinel, January 6, 1885. Available at
www.newspapers.library.in.gov/.
Seymour, Ind., Jan. 5-It has just come to light that J. S. Michaels,
residing at Hardenburg eight miles east of this city, has committed several
forgeries in drawing spurious notes on several prominent businessmen of this
city and selling them to innocent parties and getting the cash. Yesterday
the necessary papers for his arrest were placed in the hands of Joseph W.
Swift, special constable, who procured the O. and M switch engine and
steamed for Hardenburg. When the engine whistled for the village, Michaels
was attending religious services at one of the churches, and upon hearing
the sound of the whistle, Michaels said, "There comes that engine after me
from Seymour." He then delivered a prayer as long as the moral law and then
left the church and ran over a mile in a southern direction and entered a
dense thicket with the officer close behind him. The officer, not being
able to capture him, went back to town and, procuring help, hastened back
and surrounded the thicket. Michaels, seeing there was no chance for his
escape, drew a revolver from his pocket and put a bullet through his heart,
dying almost instantly. His remains were taken to his residence. Deceased
had been a prominent temperance worker; was about 36 years old, and leaves a
family. The affair has produced intense excitement. He knew that had he
lived he was good for a term in the state prison as the evidence against him
would have been positive.