John and Ophelia Rodgers returned home on Christmas Day one hundred years ago to find their home ransacked, drawers opened and general havoc in their home at 711 Clayton. Mr. Rodgers, a vigorous 64 year old man, searched the house for the perpetrator and found him under a bed.
The two men grappled, but the intruder was armed with a 32 caliber Harrington and Richardson revolver. The gun fired four times, once hitting Mr. Rodgers in the calf. Mrs. Rodgers and her neice Miss Leopold were witnesses to the scuffle and shooting. In her panic, Mrs. Rodgers opened the front door to call for help. The burglar took his chance and ran through the door. Mr. Rodgers was quick to snatch up the dropped gun and fire at the burglar.
A blood trail was found in the snow and it was thought that either Mr. Rodgers had wounded him, or the man had shot himslef during the fight. He ran toward the cemetery and was lost to sight. The blood hounds were brought out to search for him that day and the next but he was not found. The injury delayed a California trip the Rodgers had planned for several weeks, and the burglar was never located.
Mr. Rodgers owned two shoe stores in Bloomington, one at 106 Main Street. He was also the president of the Liberty State Bank. Mr Rodgers later moved to 1325 E Washington Street. He was originally from Indiana, but moved to Bloomington in 1881. John and Ophelia had three sons who operated the shoe stores at the time of his death and one daughter who died as an infant. He died in August 1929 and was remembered for his involvement with various fraternities in Bloomington and especially for being involved in the rebuilding of the Odd Fellows temple after the fire of 1900.