Two hangings occurred at the Rotary Jail in Crawfordsville. John Coffee was hung in 1885 for murdering James and Mary McMullen. The second hanging, that of John Henning, occurred only six months later. The same scaffolding was used in both hanging.
John C. Henning was born on December 22, 1830 in Virginia. Henning, who moved to Illinois with his parents around 1848, later lived in Vermillion and Parke Counties (Indiana). He married Joanna Hunter in 1852, and had five sons and one daughter. His first wife died in 1863. He remarried and had three more sons and another daughter. He and his second wife divorced. Henning, sometimes known as “Jack the Tinker,” repaired clocks and did other odd jobs.
Henning had known Charlotte, “Lottie,” Vollmer for several years. Mrs. Vollmer was widowed when her husband, George, was shot and killed in 1883. The couple had two children together, as well as a step-child, Anna Vollmer. Mrs. Vollmer may have ran a boarding house and a restaurant in Rockville, as it appears that there were at least two boarders living in her home in 1885: Emma Oliver and John Henning.
Henning moved into the Vollmer home in August 1885 and shortly after asked Charlotte to marry him. She agreed, at least according to Henning. On October 12, 1885, Henning bought a new pair of pants and got the marriage license. When he returned to the home to get Charlotte, she refused to marry him because he was drunk. Henning spent the next few days making various statements to people around Rockville that he intended to retaliate against Charlotte for her refusal to marry him. He stole a revolver and purchased ten cartridges. On October 24, 1885, he returned to the Vollmer home and found Charlotte and Emma Oliver there. He asked to speak with Charlotte alone and when she refused, he began shooting. Both women fled from the house. Emma escaped with a gunshot wound to the wrist. Charlotte, however, was shot in the back three time and died later that evening.
Henning ran from house and hid nearby for an hour. He was found and may have tried to commit suicide, but he was placed in the Rockville jail. Henning was transported to Brazil the next day out of fear for his safety and was later transferred to Terre Haute. In court at Rockville on December 4, a change of venue was granted, and Henning was transported to rotary jail at Crawfordsville for the impending trial.
The trial in Montgomery County opened on February 1, 1886. Henning was represented by John R. Courtney, who had previously represented Buck Stout in a murder trial. The prosecution had multiple witnesses who swore that Henning had told them he would kill Charlotte for her refusal to marry him. Emma Oliver also testified as an eyewitness to the crime. The prosecution used the fact that Henning purchased gun cartridges the same day as the murder as premeditation. Henning later took the stand and told his story up to the point of the murder, which he did not remember. He claimed he was temporarily insane until he awoke in jail the morning following the shooting. On February 5, the jury gave a guilty verdict after only one and a half hours of deliberation. Henning’s lawyer filed for a new trial, which was dismissed on Monday, February 8. Henning was sentenced to be hanged on May 27.
Tickets to the hanging were in demand. According to the Saturday Evening Journal, tickets ranged from two to five dollars. Newspaper reporters had trouble getting tickets to cover the event. Attendees traveled from Rockville and Lafayette.
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The “eye” or “staple” for the rope that was used in both hangings is on display at the Rotary Jail Museum |
At least 350 people attended the hanging. Many waited for hours to gain entrance into the yard outside the sheriff’s residence. Henning ate breakfast and met with a minister. Henning decided to be hanged at one o’clock. Henning was led to the scaffold and stopped to shake hands with people in the crowd. The Evening Journal reported that he was smiling. Henning spoke to the crowd for twenty-two minutes. He told the crowd his side of events, blamed witnesses at the trial of committing perjury, and reminded the crowd to read the 10th and 24th chapter of Ezekiel. His last words were “Beware of evil women and men, and a lying tongue.” He was hung at 1:41 from the same scaffold that John Coffee was hung only six months before. His pulse was checked multiple times, he was cut down at 1:59. His remains were sent to Rockville. His remains were later sent to Montezuma, where Henning desired to be buried.
-Saturday Evening Journal May 23, May 29, and June 5, 1886.
~Erin/Curator
