EATEN ALIVE BY HOGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 196, 19 August 1899, Page 5 (Supplement)

EATEN ALIVE BY HOGS.

END OF A ONCE WEALTHY FARMER A despatch from the small town of Kokomo, in the State of Indiana, bearing: the date of June 2\, says:— The coroner has returned a verdict in the Benton W. Coleman case, holding that the deceased was euten up alive by hogs while lying- in a drunken stupour. Ten years ago Coleman was the wealthiest farmer in this section of Indiana, owning- several hundred acres of fine land. The home was near the Sharon church, three miles west of Thorntown. Domestic troubles came, and Coleman and his wife separated. Shortly after a valuable cattle barn full of stock, grain and hay was destroyed by fire. Afevv months later the residence burned. Next, his hogs were killed by eating- pounded glass, and about the same time 40 head of fat cattle were found lying dead in the field fnyn eating Paris green that had been sprinkled in the pasture. Coleman had his wife arrested for the arson and the stock poisoning, but after a long litigation in the courts she was acquitted. The woman then sued him for slander and got judgment for 9000 dols., having previously obtained a large slice of his fortune in alimony. In 1891, shortly after Coleman's marriage to another woman, came another period of barn burning and stock poisoning, in which 4000 dols. worth of property was destroyed including- a stock barn full of valuable stallions. The second marriage was no happier than the lirst, and Coleman and wife No. 2 separated a few weeks ago, the wife obtaining a divorce and substantial alimony. Two days after the divorce was granted the couple re-married, but quarrelled incessantly since. Coleman left his home two weeks ago with WO dols. in his pocket, all that he had left of his rnagnilieent possessions, declaring he was going away, never to return. lie went to the village of Colfax, where he bought two quarts of whisky. That was the last, seen of him until his body was found in ■ the woods, partially eaten up by hogs.