1894

Washington's first water system to residences was installed.

Washington News, Washington, IL, January 11, 1894, Page 5.

A deed of vandalism has come to light, the perpetrators of which, if they can be discovered, should be given a public flogging and then sent up for the remainder of their life.  It is the turning over and defacing of monuments in our cemetery.  The act was committed recently and discovered by sexton Waughop last week.  The NEWS man visited the cemetery the day the discovery was made and found that not less than a dozen head stones had been upset and dozens of foot stones torn up and scattered about.  A few weeks ago a neat monument was placed at the head of Mrs. Smith Beau, by her son who now resides in Bloomington; this had been pushed over the shaft laying on one side of the grave and the base on the other.  The stone that marked the resting place of little Daisie Heiple had been thrown over and broken into three pieces, and the base cracked.  A four inch, large slab, at the grave of Mrs. Mary Parsons was also upset and the socket in the base busted and the slab disfigured.  A small stone belonging to the Allee family was served likewise.  A medium sized monument at the grave of Lillie Mable Birkett was thrown down and broken into three pieces; also the monuments at the graves of Capt. Bogardus’ daughter; Rev. U. Z. Gilmer, Mrs. Geo. Taylor, (nee Ferryman) and Catherine Young had been tipped over and slightly damaged.  The sexton has since reset all that were whole but some of them will have to be replaced by new ones.  It is almost past believe  that Washington harbors a man or boy or a set of men or boys mean enough to commit such acts of vandalism, but it does, and the sooner they are found out and turned over to the penitentiary the better for the community.  Such willful acts as this should arouse the whole people to their duty, and together they should work and keep on working until the guilty persons are found out and properly punished.  The city council might lead off by offering a reward that would lead to their capture.