Sunday, August 9, 2026

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS

Host Kristiaan Rawlings visits with Shelbyville High School junior Amara Lewis, who spent the summer studying and participating in a Culver Military Academy camp.

by DONNA DENNISON

One of the favorite programs at the Genealogy and History Department of the Shelby County Public Library is the presentation of “The Famous, Infamous and Unknown.” In each of these programs we introduce everyone to one Famous, one Infamous and one Unknown person from Shelby County. On Tuesday evening, I enjoyed telling everyone about the following three Shelby County personalities. The following is the second installment.

Joseph Weintrout was born in Shelby County on May 9, 1878, to German-born parents. On Nov. 7, 1900, he married Mary Fisher. They would have four children together.

Joseph’s first run-in with the law came in December 1906. Joseph was running a saloon in Indianapolis, and he had a Black porter named Green Cheneault. Joseph owed Green $4. After several attempts to collect the money, an altercation took place, and Green said Joseph “gave him a whipping instead.”

Green pressed charges, and they went to court. There, Weintrout testified that Green provoked him. Weintrout was fined $1 for assault, and Green was fined $1 for provoking him. Weintrout paid his fine, while the other man went to jail because he did not have the $1 to pay.

On Oct. 3, 1911, Weintrout was involved in an illegal poker game in which he and a partner swindled a man out of $185. They used a classic gambling move, telling the men in the room they rarely played poker and then letting them win several times. Each time, the men bet more money. Then Weintrout and his partner began winning until the other men had no money left.

Joseph was rumored to be involved with a well-known professional gambler. On Oct. 25, just a few days later, he was arrested for gambling again. Joseph’s reputation as a swindler was starting to emerge.

The 1920 census lists him as a cigar salesman and the 1930 census as a hotel man. We also find him on several ship manifests in the 1920s and early 1930s. Newspaper clippings from The Shelbyville News had notices that Joseph Weintrout was home for a few days or weeks before continuing his work travels.

I can’t find any mention of where he traveled or what he was doing. But he and Mary prospered. Mary remained here in Shelbyville, taking care of the children and a farm valued at $14,000 in 1930, while Joseph traveled “selling cigars.”

In 1933, Joseph was in the Spink Arms Hotel in Indianapolis. As he got off the elevator, he met a schoolteacher who was living there. Joseph asked the hotel porter and telephone operator who she was and what they knew about her.

Joseph introduced himself to the fashionable, 40-year-old redheaded spinster. He told her his name was John B. Worland, that he was a member of the International Stock Exchange, that he was a millionaire and that he was friends with President Warren G. Harding and former President Theodore Roosevelt.

On their first dinner date, he asked her if she lived alone. When she said yes, he answered, “So do I, and I’m so lonely. Maybe we should get married.”

As their friendship grew, she told him she had $8,000 in Liberty bonds. He convinced her to let him invest them for her. With $8,000, he said, he could make her a very rich woman.

John Worland continued to woo Mabel Gentry. Their relationship became intimate, and he proposed to Mabel. One by one, she gave him her bonds to invest for her.

In December, they went to Chicago together and checked into a hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Worland. They had a lovely dinner until a porter came up with a telegram for John. He apologized and said he had to leave for Washington right away. She should spend the night and go back to Indianapolis without him. He’d be back as soon as he could.

He didn’t come back.

Mabel spent the first week waiting, then the next five weeks crying, and then she got mad. She went to the police and was told to check all the banks to see if her bonds showed up there. That led her to the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.

She had written down all the bond numbers before giving them to John, and the reserve said it would keep an eye out for them. Two showed up cashed at a financial house on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Mabel stormed into the banker’s office and asked if he knew who had cashed them. A man named Weintraub had arrived with a stack of $26,000 worth of bonds. He was accompanied by a man named “Dick.”

A bank detective found Dick, and when questioned, he said that, yes, he knew Weintraub. He had his home address and, pulling it from his pocket, handed it to Mabel.

She had spent three months and the rest of her savings to find out his address was in Shelbyville, Indiana. Mabel, in person, led a squad of Indianapolis detectives and Shelby County deputies to Shelbyville and found Weintrout, not Weintraub or Worland, in a bar shooting pool with his Shelby County friends.

On Feb. 26, 1934, Joseph Weintrout was arrested for racketeering and held in Indianapolis. Police, the Secret Service and several local police agencies started coming forward.

A woman from Chicago came to the jail and identified him as the man who had done the same thing to her, taking her for $3,000. Three women from different parts of Pennsylvania had reported the same scheme, losing $26,000, $12,000 and $4,000.

The man who fleeced those women went by the names J.B. Watson, J.B. Wilson and J.B. Worland. He was identified as a man posing as a card salesman on trains around the country and then using marked cards to win at gambling tables on the trains. He was also suspected of working with another professional gambler on transatlantic steamship lines.

But his friends in high places here in Shelbyville didn’t give up on him. With his bond set at $25,000, his “friends” met with the detectives and judge, trying to get them to lower the bond or release him to them for safekeeping. It was denied. A change of venue was also denied, and Joseph went to court June 22, 1934.

The first day of the trial, the room was packed. The newspapers said half of Shelby County was there to listen. The porter and telephone operator took the stand first.

After lunch, Mabel testified, and she left nothing out. She told them of her first meeting with “Worland” and the impression he made. She gave them intimate details of their relationship, his proposal and his leaving. She told of spending her last dime to find him and said, “It was worth every penny if he can’t do this to another woman.”

The second day, five Shelby County officials testified about what an outstanding man Mr. Weintrout was. They presented him as an established farmer, a wonderful father to his children and a man with a wife of more than 30 years. Mabel laughed out loud when they called him “a man of good moral character.”

Upon cross-examination, it was revealed that one had gone to the prosecutor’s office and asked as a favor that the charges be dropped. Another told the court that Joe told him he won the $8,000 from Mabel at a gambling table, and he made several offhand remarks about intimate relations with Mabel.

His friends didn’t help him, and on June 27, Weintrout was sentenced to five to 50 years in prison.

That should be the end of our story, but it is not.

On Jan. 7, 1937, Mabel Gentry died by suicide after drinking poison. She was penniless, and her reputation had been ruined by Joseph Weintrout.

In December 1938, Mary sold everything after filing for divorce. The 1940 census has her in Ohio living with her oldest son. She never remarried.

Joseph Weintrout spent five years in prison, and on Dec. 18, 1939, he escaped from a Michigan City prison farm with another man who had been convicted of murder.

We can’t find anything else about him until he shows up in a California death index in April 1961, dead at age 83.

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE

• The Shelby County Coroner’s Office is investigating a death reported Friday at Ryobi Die Casting (USA) Inc., 525 W. Industrial Park Drive. The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin. The cause and manner of death will be released at a later date, according to the coroner’s office. The Shelbyville Fire Department, Shelbyville Police Department, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and Indiana Department of Homeland Security also responded. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified of the death. The coroner’s office said limited information is available while the incident remains under investigation.

• The Shelbyville High School girls golf team is back in action, with a Friday victory over New Castle. Julie Garrison was the meet medalist with a 45, followed by Hana Stenger with a 46. Stenger had the top score in meets last week.

• The Shelbyville Rotary Club will host its “Fore a Greater Shelbyville” golf outing Friday, Sept. 18, at Blue Bear Golf Club. Registration begins at 7 a.m., followed by an 8 a.m. shotgun start for the four-person scramble. The $400 team entry includes lunch, and golfers will have four chances to win a $10,000 hole-in-one prize, along with contests for closest to the pin, longest drive, raffle prizes and other on-course games. Register here…

• CORRECTION: An earlier version of yesterday’s history article incorrectly stated that Dick and Ellie Baxter were still living. A relative contacted The Addison Times to let us know that Ellie Baxter died in May 2020 and Dick Baxter died in April 2026. The article has been updated to reflect the correct information.

• HOOSIER NEWS: NIPSCO spent $116.7 million from January through March to comply with federal orders requiring two coal units at the R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Jasper County to remain available despite plans to retire them at the end of 2025. The utility is seeking federal approval to recover $38 million in quarterly costs from customers across the Midcontinent Independent System Operator region, while warning that expenses could continue if the units are required to operate through 2028 or 2029. Separately, Indiana regulators rejected NIPSCO’s proposed $741 million, five-year natural gas infrastructure plan, saying the company failed to provide enough evidence that each project was cost-justified. (IBJ)

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This Week in Shelby County, a cartoon feature illustrated by George L. Stubbs for 38 years, is reproduced with permission of the Shelby County Historical Society and the Stubbs family.

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: MAJOR HEALTH PARTNERS

Local headlines reported on or around this date in Shelby County history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials. | edited by HANNAH BAKER | compiled by MYRON RAWLINGS

2016: Mainstreet Shelbyville director Brandy Coomes announced plans to refurbish the statue of Balser on Public Square. The statue was covered with a moss-green film. The statue once stood in front of Charles Major School, 102 E. Franklin St., and was moved to the Square as part of a downtown renovation in 1980, during Mayor Dan Theobald’s first year in office.

2006: Shelbyville Central Schools unveiled a new look with new logos, created by Rachael Ackley. It was the first time SCS had official logos.

1996: Heritage Automotive announced plans to lease the former Ford dealership building at 1001 N. Riley Highway, just south of Crystal Flash. The dealership would employ 18 people.

1986: An open house was held at the newly renovated wastewater treatment plant. Plan Superintendent Brad Fix said the open house was necessary so residents could see firsthand their investment.

1976: New buildings were under construction on E. State Road 44 to be the new site of Carter Plumbing, Electric and Heating Corporation supply store.

1966: Shelby County Fair officials finalized plans for the fair, set to open Aug. 14. A so-called “Shindig A-Go-Go-Record, Revue of Stars,” an appeal to teenagers, was scheduled in front of the grandstands.

1956: The Shelbyville Common Council approved annexing property for the Riley Village neighborhood.

Herbert Connor announced that Connor Jewelry Store would open in new headquarters at 203 S. Harrison St., just five doors north of its current address. The new store had a Bedford limestone facade and glass with aluminum trim. The interior walls were completely wood-paneled in natural birch. The ceiling was of variegated wood in paneled squares and the floor was gray tile.

1946: Freddie’s Barbeque Bar, 900 Miller Ave., operated by Freddie Brantford, launched a new carry-out and drive-in service.

1936: Shelby County Fair officials announced that opening night had drawn the largest crowd in history, with more than 20,000 coming through the gates.

1926: The chautauqua was drawing large crowds. “One heard enthusiastic praises everywhere today for yesterday’s program,” The Republican said. “And not one word of criticism about the entertainment, the management or even the weather.”

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory

James Allen Waggoner II (Jim or Wags), 56, of Shelbyville, Indiana, passed away Thursday, Aug. 6. He and his family moved to Shelbyville when he was 4, and he called it “home” for the rest of his life. He attended SHS and was extremely active in Masque and Dagger. He appeared in multiple productions and was always willing to jump in and help out where needed. He was also a very talented artist and car enthusiast.

James graduated from Shelbyville High School in the class of 1988. He later found his occupational calling in being a tile-setter and created a plethora of beautiful works of art for others to enjoy. Jim was known for his quick wit, his dry sense of humor and his unwavering loyalty to those he cared about. He was a quiet man and did not often let others see what he was dealing with. He preferred to focus on others and what he could do to help make their lives better.

Jim is survived by his “still,” Sarah Kramer-Smith. Their love story took many twists and turns, but they always found their way back to each other. He was able to be with her during his last few hours, which is exactly what he wanted.

He leaves behind his caring ex-wife, Suzanne (Stafford) Waggoner, and their beautiful son, Nikolas. He is also survived by his older brother Chris (Kim) Aldred and his sister Nikki (Aaron) Orr. He was preceded in death by his younger sister Jone, his daughter Mikayla and his mother Judy (Hughes) Waggoner. Jim is also survived by his nieces, a nephew, many cousins and extended family members in Indiana and Kentucky. He was very well known in the community and is survived by a plethora of chosen family and friends he made throughout his irreplaceable life.

His unique spirit, benevolent soul and goofy smile will be celebrated Aug. 15, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church in Shelbyville, Indiana. Celebration will begin at 3 p.m., with the main service starting at 4 p.m. Funeral directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve James’ family. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made in his daughter Mikayla’s name to Animal Outreach of Shelby County, 910 Revello St., Shelbyville, IN 46176; or the Shelbyville/Shelby County Animal Shelter, 705 Hale Road, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.

Karla Jean Mathena, 63, of Shelbyville, passed away on Friday, August 7, 2026, at her home. She was born on January 9, 1963, in Johnson County, the daughter of Donnell Earl Mathena and Annalee (Lawson) Mathena Moore. Karla is survived by her daughter, Angel Jean Mathena Johnson of Indianapolis; brothers, Joseph Mathena and wife, Lisa, of Camby, and Bill Mathena of Franklin; sisters, Karen Cline and husband, Greg, of Monticello, and Kim Harmon and husband, Terry, of Shelby County; step-brother, Frederick Moore of Edinburgh; grandson, Christian; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; step-father, Frederick Moore; fiancé, Herbert Mauldin; and brother, Scotty Dean Mathena.

Karla was a member of Bengal Christian Church. She enjoyed drawing, reading her Bible, going fishing and mushroom hunting. Karla also leaves behind her dog, Love.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon, Friday, August 14, 2026, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. The funeral services will follow with Pastor Scott Phenis officiating. Interment will be at Star Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared with Karla’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.