Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 5, Number 165, Decatur, Adams County, 9 July 1907 — Page 1

DECATUR DAIRY DEMOCRAT.

Volume V. Number 165

PLAYERS RESIGNED New Base Ball Association is Formed began business last night All Old Men Excepting Linderbeck Sign Contracts—New Season Opens Today. * For just twenty-four hours the members of the Decatur ball team were at liberty. They were released Sunday evening after arriving home from Ft. Wajyne. Jim Pierce says the crash was something awful, and though he stuffed cotton in his ears, by the bale, the awful din continued to reverberate through his head during all the long hours of the night. Monday morning when the facts became noised about, there was consternation among the fans and at once talk of a new company to take the team over became the principal topic. Lew Holthouse got busy yesterday afternoon and assisted by one or two others, formed a company to complete the season. Last evening every play, er, with the exception of Linderbeck, was re-signed. “Dutch." the old reliable home run hitter, yesterday received an offer from Quincy, 111., and his transportation arrived last night. It is supposed he has joined that club. He was a fair outfielder and one of the best hitters in this section, but his place will be easily filled. Every other member of the team has signed a contract to remain and it is probable that they will be strengthened by one or two other favorites. The new management will continue a team that will uphold Decatur’s past reputation, the ball players have lost but one day and the fans are happy. The Portland team plays here today and tomorrow. THE EAGLESDAY

Program of Amusements is Complete COMMITTEE HAS BEEN BUSY Secure Several Good Attractions Mule and Pony Race, High Dive • and Base Ball Game. The committee on entertainment for the Eagle Day doings on next Tuesday have completed their program and are now resting until this eventful day rolls around. The committee has had a stenuous duty to perform and they have shown the right kind of spirit by keeping on the move until their program was filled, -and they are thus afforded the satisfaction that they will be able to entertain their guests in a royal manner. Every one of the local order of Eagles have consented to take some part and it was through this assistance that the committee saw their way clear to carry out the entertainment. Frank Garard, who is the chairman of the entertainment committee reports that the following program will be carried out: A swimming race in which ten men will compete; a tub race for which ten entries have been secured, a pony running race, three heats; a mule race, three heats; after which Pro fessor Grim, of Lorain. 0., will make a high dive into a tank of water four feet deep. This will conclude the en. tertainment for the morning and the visiting brothers will then be fed and nothing will transpire until after dinner, when Professor Smith, of Cleveland, O„ will make a high dive and if all reports are true, this gentleman is the best high diver in the country, and the committee shoull congratulate themselves in securing his services. At two o clock the base ball game between the Ft. Wayne Eagle team and the local Eagle team will take place and this event promises to be an enjoyable one. The dancing halls will be open all day and for this feature the committee has secured the service of the local orchestra to render the music. The day promises to be a great one in the annuals of the local order and will be one long to be remembered.

CARNIVAL WILL OPEN TONIGHT Everything in Readiness for the Entertainment. All shows not being quite ready, the carnival company did not open last evening, but everything will be ready by 7 o’clock this evening. This company has numerous attractions and the largest merry-go-round on the road. Among the exhibitions are the Wild West show, showing in picture form the life of an American cowboy, and featuring the "Lily Dance.” "Fairies in the Well” is one of the big attractions from the world’s fair, a beautiful exhibition given by handsome women fifty feet below the surface of the earth. In the big Electric theater the latest films are shown, including the Thaw-White case, Escaped from Sing Sing, and others. The girls in red present a high class vaudeville show. Every afternoon at four and evening at half past seven and ten the two big free acts are given. “Fearless Van” in his thrilling “slide for life” on a wire stretched the length of the park and high above the tents and “Dare Devil Myers” who makes a startling plunge down a steep incline on his bicycle.

COURT HOUSE NEWS Five Claims Filed Against Niblick Estate TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS Board of Review Business —Question of Paying Costs of Fast Ditch Case Up in Allen County. Five Claims were filed this morning against the William H. Niblick estate, Christena R. Niblick, administratriy, as follows: Theodora Spencer, $746.49; William Sudduth, $125.78; Myers & Gillig, $1,151.67; Dave Ritter, $87.85; John Coffee, $449.37. The board of review were still busy today digging up mortgage notes held in Decatur and other parts of the county and assessing them for taxation to the proper person. The work will just about be completed with the required time. The question of payment of costs in the famous Fast joint ditch case w r as before the board of county commissioners today for extended hearing, and at its close the board, not yet certain regarding the manner of paymen, deferred a decision until Wednesday. The matter has been hanging fire for several years, but as the present proceeding is under the new law the viewers and commissioners contend that the county is liable for immediate payment. About $2,000 of recent costs are involved, with a still larger sum yet due under the older proceedings. It is said that Huntington and Whitley counties have already paid their proportion of the costs. — Ft. Wayne Sentinel. — o■ — ■ CASE GOES TO SUPREME COURT Question of Who is County Superintendent in Blackford. - : Judge Sturgis' decision in the county superintendent CdsO Friday is considered to have been the beginning of the end for M. Geiger says the Hartford City News. Good lawyers are of the opinion that the court correctly interpreted the law in the case and the legislators who made the law, Mr. Geiger has given notice of an appeal, but it is believed that a higher court will uphold Judge Sturgis and W. P. Modlin will become the county superintendent. According to a dispatch from Indianapolis, state superintendent of public instruction Fasset A. Cotton, disagrees with the decision of Judge Sturgis. He said that he was backed up by a verbal opinion of the Attor-ney-general's office, that no person was eligible to the office of county superintendent unless he had a thirtysix or sixty month’s, or a life state license, granted by the board of education. He takes his stand on the ground that those county superintendents who are graduated from the state normal school at Terre Haute, as in Modlin's case, would not, under Judge Sturgis’ ruling, be amenable to the state board of education, not having granted the license, the state board could not take it away, and would therefore have no jurisdiction over the county superintendent who had no state board license.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday Evening, July 9, 1907.

GOT FIVE YEARS Ex-Mayor Schmitz of San Francisco Sentenced THE CROWD CHEERED WILDLY Man Who Made Millions by Graft Must Serve a Sentence in the Penitentiary. San Francisco, July 8. —Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz.who was recently convicted of extortion, was today sentenced to five years in the penitentiary. When the sentence was pronounced there was a remarkable outburst of applause from the hundreds of persons who crowded Judge Dunne’s court room. Judge Dunne sentenced to imprisonment in San Quentin penitentiary. Sentence followed the recent conviction of Schmitz for extorting $1,175 '.from French restaurant keepers of San Francisco. As the last words of the sentence fell from the judge’s lips the great crowd that had stood throughout the dramatic scene, sent up a thunderous cheer. “Godd for you!” shouted a man in the back of the room. His ejaculation was echoed and re-echoed by one after another of the spectators. Several threw their hats into the air; others scrambled on chairs to look over the shoulders of the crowd. The greateset confusion prevailed. Attorney Fairall, of the defense, raising his voice above the din, called out to Judge Dunne: “Your honor, this cheering is a very unseemly occurrence.” “Well,” retorted Judge Dunne, with spirit, “if we had a sheriff worthy of the name, it would have been stopped instantly.” Sheriff Thomas O'Neill was standing inside the rail. He turned to the court and protested: “Nobody could have stopped that, your honor.” PREBLE BOOMING Lots of Business at That Little Town THE CORONER LIVES THERE

The Standard Pumping Station Would be a Great Industry for Any Place. Preble is a busy place. In a short time spent in that hustling burg Mon. day, a member of the Democrat household was at once impressed with the progress of the people there. Pretty and neat residences are scattered everywhere. Two new homes are under erection, and happiness and contentment was observed on every hand. It is evident that commissioner David Werling is pretty much the whole thing in the business life of Preble, He has a beautiful home, a saw mill and tile mill, giving employment to a number of people, and is always perched on a front seat in any progressive movement, and such movements have been plenty during the past several years. Coroner J* G. Grandstaff lives in Preble, where he enjoys the distinction of a practice that is both remunerative and a credit to his profession. He traverses a goodly section and as the boys say, is getting the candy. The Standard Oil pumping station are building something all the time and is certainly a great Industry. There are about eighty people draw substantial salaries from that plant. They now’ have sixteen tanks, holding 35,000 barrels each, and intend to build seven more. The valuation for taxation purpose figures near $150,000 and that is an item worth considering. The Jeff Kloppenstein hotel is a commodious affair with thirty sleeping rooms, large dining room, office, barber shop and bar. He is housing about twenty regular boarders and doing the sort of business that makes a business man smile. His hotel building also contains a public hall, plenty large enough to accommodate two hundred people.

THE SMITH-CHARLES NUPTIALS Parties Wed at Elkhart—Well Known Here. Tuesday evening at 8:30 occurred a pretty home wedding, when Miss Verna Charles and Mr. W. O. Smith were united in the holy bonds, the ring ceremony being performed by Rev. Rice, and was quite impressive. The house was nicely decorated with cut roses and ferns. The bride was attended by Miss TeFrona Crist, of Decatur, while the groom's best man was Mr. C. W. Smith, a brother pf the groom. The bride wore a pretty gown of white silk. The happy couple were the recipients of many beautiful (presents. /Their many friends join with wishing them* an abundance of success. They will be at home on 211 Marion street, after July 10th—Elkhart Truth. C. D. Kunkle, secretary of the Great Northern Indiana fair association, left this morning for Ft. Wayne, where he will attend to matters pertaining to his association. He will go to Lima Wednesday, where he will endeavor to secure a number of entries. ONLY SEVEN WEEKS Until the Great Northern Fair Opens % HELP MAKE IT A GOOD ONE Every Farmer Should Compete for Premiums —Every Business Man Should Make a Display. Citizens of Adams county, do you realize that just seven weeks from today the Great Northern Fair association will open the gate’s at their beautiful park, for the annual fair, and that this year will be the biggest and best ever held in this part of Indiana? Well, it’s true, and at this time every merchant in Decatur should be arranging for his display at that time. The crops this year will be up to the average, and the farmer needs many things—machinery, wearing apparel, etc. If you want your share of their business, make a display at the Great Northern fair and advertise it in the Daily Democrat. Not less than 60,000 people will visit the fair this year and if you are wide awake you will ask them for their patronage. The farmers of our county are a progressive people and would rather pay more for their goods to the live, energetic business man who advertises, than trade with the drone who lolls behind his counter or in his shop and is too indolent to say, “I want your business.” The premium lists show that several thousand dollars in premiums will be given and every farmer in this section should compete for his share. That’s what makes a good fair, one we will all feel proud of. Help the association make it a success. Q CALEB TOWNSED WAS KILLED Lived Near Monroeville and Was Known Here. . i ' *' Caleb Townsend, a farmer of near Monroeville, was instantly killed Monday morning at Convoy, when he was struck by a Pennsylvania passenger train, his body being dragged 300 feet, his head torn to pieces and his body ground into small pieces. Mr. Townsend was a well-to-do farmer who owned 140 acres near the little town mentioned. He had visited Convoy in the morning in search of hired help to aid in the putting up of his hay crop and in harvesting his wheat. He had talked to a number of men, among whom was Samuel Calvert. While talking to Mr. Calvert he noticed that the west bound interurban car had arrived and was starting from the station. This was the car he had intended taking for his home. , Determined to maka the car so as to be at home at ths appointed time, he started to cross the Pennsylvania track directly in front of the coming fast line. He noticed the train coming, but must have figured that he could make the crossing in safety. A large crowd of people were standing near and called to him not to make the attempt, but before >he words of caution had died upon their lips, Townsend was struck and was being ground to death and atoms beneath the wheels of the locomotive.

LICENSE REVOKED | On Gambling Boat “City of Traverse” GOVERNMENT TAKES A HAND Big Steamer Which Did Such a Business on Lake Michigan is Put Out of Commission. Washington, July B.—By the revocation of the passenger certificates of the steamboat City of Traverse, the government today dealth a heavy blow to the alleged gambling syndicate of the city of Chicago. The City of Traverse leaves Chicago each day and anchors in Lake Michigan near the lines of intersection of the states of Illionis and Indiana and Michigan ,and, it is said, conducts there gambling operations, Infortnation concerning the refsnlts at the various race tracks of the country are received by wireless telegraphy and the steamboat, it is further alleged, is operated as a floaing poolroom. The authorities of Chicago have endeavored to suppress the evil, but their efforts have been futile. Finally, Mayor Busse appealed to the government authorities, urging them to take steps which would put an end to the operations of the steamer. To. day Acting Secretary Murray, of the department of commerce and labor, instructed Collector of Customs John C. Ames, at Chicago, that if the facts were as represented, he should cancel the vessel’s license at once. This involved the cancellation of the steamer’s passenger certificate as well. This action is taken under the authority of the revised statutes of the United States, which specifically provide that a license granted to any vessel shall not be considered in force any longer than the vessel is engaged in the employment for which she was specifically licensed. U. S. SPOTTED FLAG Subject of Lecture at the U. B. Church AT THE WEISHAUPT HOME Ladies' Aid to Meet There—A Picnic Supper at Steele’s Park —Rebekah’s to Meet This Evening. “United States Spotted Flag” will be the interesting subject of Mr. Carl B. Roop, of Wren, Ohio, when he gives his lecture at the United Brethren church at Bobo, on Sunday evening, the 14th day of July. The lecture will be free, but during the evening a collection w’ill be taken. Everybody including the young as well as the old, are invited. Ladies’ Aid Society of the United Brethren church will meet at the home of Mrs. John Weishaupt on Thursday afternoon at two o’clock. All ladies and friends are invited to attend. Nine young girl friends were roy. ally entertained at a picnic supper at the Steele's Park by Miss Lulu Atz in compliment to her cousin, Miss Auleta Spangle, of Berne, Ind., last evening. There will be no use to try to describe the jolly good time that the girls had, for it would be impossible, so all that is necessary to say is they had a picnic supper. All members of Olive Debekah lodge are requested to be present this evening. Business of importance. After which we will be entertained by some of the best musical people of the city. Following this a banquet will be served. Come, all Rebekahs. The Y. P. C. U. of the United Brethren church, will give an ice cream social on the church lawn, Thursday evening. Every one invited. Come and spend the evening with the young people. The Pythian sisters enjoyed a social session last evening at their lodge rooms and also installed their officers who are: M. E„ Bess Vaughn; E. 3., Maude Hower; E. J., Nora Ahr; Manager, Anna Vance; P. T., Elizabeth Sellemeyer; O. G-, Della Sellemeyer; P. C., Vada Martin.

POOR MAN LOST HIS HOMEJ. G. Miller, of Blue Creek, Suffers • Loss by Fire. The dwelling house of J. G. Miller and family, in bluecreek township, was totally destroyed by fire, Thursday evening. The loss is estimated to be about S3OO, including all the household goods and clothing of Mr. Miller and family. At the time of the disaster the family was at Monroe at the Fourth-of-July celebration and did not know anything of the destruction of their home, until notified by telephone. The flames were first discovered by Wes Miller, a half brother, but it was too late to save anything. The contents included $65 in cash which was destroyed. It is thought that the fire originated through an incubator, which was in he house: Mr. Miller and family are nearly in destitute circumstances, as nearly everything they possessed w’as destroyed. Mrs. Miller’s father, W. W. Clymer, passed a subscription paper in town Saturday, to take donations for the unfortunate family.—Berne Witness. WILD AND WOOLY The West as Judge Erwin Sees It A BIG, RICH FERTILE COUNTRY Visits Several Decatur People Now Prospering in Kansas and Oklahoma. Hutchinson, Kan., July 4, 1907. Dear Lew —I have promised to write to so many at home and my time is so occupied that I thought perhaps I had better write you, and you could either tell my friends what I say, or else publish the letter and let them read it. And you know too, it is fashionable for people abroad to write their observations and experiences, and sometimes their impressions of the country through which they pass. We left Decatur on the 19th of June, at 9:12 p. m. and arrived at St. Louis, Mo., in time to catch the Chicago and Alton train for Kansas City, where we landed at 6:00 o’clock p. m. on Thursday evening. The Chicago and Alton is the best ballasted and best equipped road I ever traveled over. For miles it is ballasted with crushed rock and sprinkled with oil, so that their is no dust at all. The chair car and dining car service are fine and the prices are reasonable. We spent Thursday night at Kansas City and left there at 10:30 a. m., for Hutchinson, where we now are, arriving here at 6:00 p. m. on Friday. We spent the night here and left at 8:30 for Kingman, to visit some friends. The city of Hutchinson is a city of about 7,000, and formerly had many more. It has the largest salt factory in the country and is called the salt city. They have a street car system electric light, several fine hotels and three railroads, ice plant and a river (the Arkansas-, which is dry half the year, and half dry the balance of the time. But 1 might add that the river is no exception to the inhabitants of the place.

At Kingman we met Ernest Eason, who a number of our poeple will remember as Pierce’s clerk; also the husband of Minnie Bobo; Bernice Bobo, who married and lives in the same city. Kingman is a “boom” town with the boom gone. She had at one time about 8,000 people, a street car system, several banks, a lot of nice dwellings and the greatest salt mines in the world, several large elevators, a mill for grinding grain with a capacity of 500 barrels per day. The mill, elevators, the banking buildings and the salt mines are still there, but the street cars, a large number of the houses and about 5,500 of its former inhabitants are gone. It is surrounded with a beautiful and rich farming country, the wheat and corn and alfalfa looking fine. After spending three days here visiting relatives and friends I left Mrs. Erwin behind and took a trip to almost the eastern end of the state, visited Wichita, where I met Mr. S. G. Humphries, w’ho formerly ran the Burt house at Decatur. He is now owner and landlord at the Corey House, the largest hotel in the city. From Wichita I went to Cherry(Contlnued on page 2.)

Price Two Cents

A SPECIAL SESSION The City Council Considered a Little Business FINAL PAYMENT ON DYNAMO Some Old Orders Destroyed—Next Regular Meeting Wednesday of Next Week. * The Common Council met in special session, Mayor Coffee presiding, and every councilman being present with the exception of Van Camp. A resolution was read and adopted authorizing the city clerk to draw his warrant on the treasurer for the final payment on the new dynamo recently installed at the city plant, said w-arrant to be in favor of the Ft. Wayne Electric works. Burns moved that orders numbers 8638, calling for $1,178.24 8639 calling for 881.56 8568 calling for 89.71 8570 calling for 235.15 8634 calling for 1,450.00 all being in favor of the Old Adams County bank be destroyed as they had all been marked void having been issued for more money than the fund held at that time. This motion carried and the orders were destroyed by the clerk. Upon motion it was decided to hold the next regular meeting on Wednesday the 17th day of July instead of on Tuesday the 16th, as the mayor will ’be busily engaged at that time in looking after the entertainment of a number of visitors, who will attend he Eagle Day exercises. The motion was adopted. Upon motion by Burns the clerk was ordered to draw his warrant on the treasurer for the sum of $20.00 in favor of A. C. Gregory for rent for the building now being occupied as a city hall. No other business coming before the council, they adjourned to meet at their next regular meeting.

FELL UNDER TRAIN John Minahan’s Narrow Escape From Death SAVED BY A FELLOW WORKMAN Who Pulled Him From His Perilous Position Just in Time—Received a Few Bruises. John Minahan, who has been working on the interurban work train for some time, narrowly escaped death yesterday afternoon. He was standing on one of the cars when the engine backed into it, the shock throwing him to the ground. He was lying between the two freight cars unnoticed by the brakeman, who was giving the signal for the engine to back up and had it not been for one of his fellow workers, he would without doubt have been crushed beneath the wheels of the car. One of the boys who was standing near grabbed him and pulled him off the track and thus averted what might have been a fatal accident. Mr. Minahan was fortunate in escaping with several bad bruises and he is thankful that things are not worse. o — MARRIED WOMAN COMPLAINS. Says Her Husband Has a Sweetheart at Fort Wayne. A married lady of the city, who was at the interurban depot last night awaiting the return of her husband, was sadly disappointed for he forgot to return on the car that he was supposed to. The man went on a business trip to Ft. Wayne and from her statement he should have been home on the 9 o'clock car. but she stated that he was in the habit of making love to another woman, while gone on his trips, while she must console herself by patiently awaiting his return and stand his cruel treatment after he comes home. To hear her story it could not help but throw all the smppathy her way and if this man does as she accuses, a little tar and feathers would certainly be a good treatment to administer to him. Clay Engle, of west of the city, was a business caller in our city today.