The Enigmatic Sweitzers, Chapter 5

On 1 Jul 1873, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she had been living, Malinda Jane Robinson, daughter of L. D. Robinson, probably Clark County’s wealthiest farmer, married Frederick K. Shipley, a recent British immigrant. What Malinda was doing in Grand Rapids is anybody’s guess. Perhaps she was searching for her own fortune. Her father certainly had money to fund such adventures.

Portion of 1892 Plat Map, York Twp.

For a while, Malinda and Fred lived in Michigan, but then Malinda returned to Clark County with Fred in tow. There, by 1892, they acquired 80 acres (N ½ SE ¼ Sec 5) in York Twp northeast of Walnut Prairie. And there, on 11 Mar 1897, Fred died. But living in York Twp at the time was John W. Sweitzer, a widower with three children—Everett John, Ethel Mae, and the youngest, Charles L.  Malinda and John, who was fifteen years younger (though the marriage record knocked nine years off her age), were married 20 Oct 1898 and settled on the Shipley farm.

The marriage was very brief. Sometime during the winter of 1898/1899 Malinda is said to have “become tired of him [John] and drove him away,” keeping the youngest child, Charles. Then Harry Shipley, brother of Malinda’s first husband, arrived on the scene. Harry saw a treasure trove, for not only did Malinda have the farm, she was a beneficiary of her wealthy father, L. D., who died 13 Jul 1899. Malinda had received personal and real property valued at about $7500 ($215,000 in 2017 dollars). Harry ingratiated himself, effectively becoming Malinda’s business manager and generally running the household. All of this greatly upset John, who wanted his rightful place again as head of the family and, presumably, the economic opportunities the position entailed.

When all efforts to reverse things failed, John W. resorted to force. The night of 14 Nov 1899, near the Shipley farm, John stopped a buggy containing Harry, Malinda, and Charles and fired three shots at Harry. All three missed their intended target, but one struck 4-year-old Charles in the forehead. This mishap further incensed John, who pistol whipped Harry savagely.

York Twp was accustomed to violence. The first murder in Clark County is said to have been committed there around 1842 when a person by the name of Lacy was killed by Joseph Evans. In 1869 or 1870, William H. Ayers was shot by Jack Dixon in the town of York. Ayers, a scoundrel, survived. And in 1896 David McDonald and John Clements murdered Charles L. Bell as he tried to escape by leaping from a buggy in York Twp.

And John seemed to be intrigued with his revolver. In the 14 Jul 1889 edition of the Clark County Herald is the following story:

Last Thursday, John Sweitzer and Butler Miles started to go to a house near the Grand Turn to do some work. they stopped at Ernst Rohl's, where they drank a lot of sour wine, which made them drunk, and then proceeded to their destination. When they got there, Sweitzer said he was going back for more wine. On the way he came to the house of one Lloyd, which he entered and ransacked, \searching for whisky, he says. He fire several shots from his revolver in a random way, scaring the family considerably. As soon as he left, word was send to town and Farr and Harlan went down and arrested him. He was examined before Martin and was jailed in default of $200 bail.

Butler Miles was a rascally character who had served time in the penitentiary for stealing wheat.

The child, Charles Sweitzer, survived, as did Harry. John, who pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon and to assault with a deadly weapon, was fined $250 in March 1900, the same month Malinda was granted a divorce. Deemed "A Generous Wife," by the Clark County Democrat, Malinda paid the fines, court costs, and attorney's fees for her ex-husband. 

Fearful of John or of publicity, Malinda, Harry, and Charles appear to have hid out for a while. They are nowhere to be found in the 1900 census. It is, however, possible that they missed the census enumerator since following the divorce, Malinda sold her farm just north of Walnut Prairie and moved to Casey.

John, on the other hand, does appear in York Twp with his 9-year old son, Everett (for some reason listed as "Benj. E.," though the first name "Benjamin" is found no where else). John's 7-year old daughter, Ethel, is found boarding with Charles and Maude Phillips, a Clark County family with no known ties to any of the protagonists in this portion of our tale, which we will wrap up next time. (Oops! Spoke too soon.)