Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 5, Number 250, Decatur, Adams County, 16 October 1907 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

Volume V. Number 250

martin withdrew his name from the Charges Filed Against Mayor I Coffee

JAUSED A SURPRISE ■reen's Charges Were Filed ■ to Judiciary Committee, ■ Who Will Report. more complications Mayor Accuses Councilman I Van Camp of Illegally I Selling Goods.

The council met in regular session st evening, Mayor Coffee presiding, id every councilman being present, n hour before the time set for the lening of the hall the crowd comenced to gather at 7 o’clock when ie doors were opened the room was ion filled to overflowing, and every ailable space was occupied by those isiring to hear what the action of the luncil would be on the charges filed ainsO the mayor, D. D. Coffee. Imediately after the reading of the mines the mayor orderel that the charges > filed against him be read in open ouncil, which the clerk proceeded to o. taking tihe charges filed by Green rst, which, upon motion, were reared to the judiciary committee, this eing Christen, Van Camp and Marti. The charges as filed by four of le councilmen were then read, and it as here that Councilman Martin irung the surprise of the evening, hen he rose and asked the council lat his name be stricken from the targes, giving as his excuse that he ad looked into the matters alleged, nd was thoroughly convinced that le mayor was not guilty of the barge of appropriating the sum of one undred and fifty dollars to his own se, and as this charge was erroneous e asked that his name be stricken lerefrom. This action on the part of iartin came as a complete suspise to le councilmen and spectators, and rom present indications throws a complicated light upon the entire proceedigs. The other three members of the ouncil who signed with Martin, howver, are still firm in their stand. Regarding the action and stand takn by Martin, the charges were reerred to the Judiciary Committee, rho, under the ordinance governing he trial of city officials will be compelled to file some kind of a report it the next regular meeting. What his report will be no one seems to )e able to tell as the charges filed )y ?he council now seem dead, and he only thing left to act upon is the j 2harge of Marshal Ed Green. During he evening D. D. Heller entered his partial appearance in both cases for < Mayor Coffee, and it would seem that

Jhe mayor is preparing to put up a fight for his rights and will attempt to continue in office. Another surprise was tendered the council when the Rice and Erwin sewer matters * came before the council for final action on the assessment rolls, at which < time the mayor filed two vetos on the same, making some very serious charges against Councilman Van Camp. < The Rice sewer had progressed as far as to the hearing of objections to the assessments made upon the same, and to the passing of the resolution confirming the action of the city civil engineer and ordering the clerk to certify the assessment roll to the treasurer for collection, when the mayor filed his veto, which alleged the following facts: That the acceptance of the same by the council as a whole was in contravention of a section of the statute that says that no member of the council of any city shall either directly or indirectly be a party to or in any manner interested in, any contract or agreement with any employe M such city for any matter, cause or thing, by which any liability or indebtedness is in any manner created or passed upon by the council or by anj member thereof, and any contract in contravention of the foregoing provislon shall be absolutely void. He further stated in his veto that a con-

■ tract was awarded to Henry Stevens ■ by the council, and that the said Stevens has, since that time contracted with the A. Van Camp foundry for a | cast manhole cover for the consideration of five dollars, the same being passed upon by the city civil engineer, and approved by the council; and A. Van Camp, being a member of said council and being the proprietor of , the foundry, that he thus sold to * Henry Stevens the material referred to, which was used in the completion of the said contract, consequently that i part of the contract is void and that amount should be deducted from the assessment in proportion to the entire length of the sewer assessed. Mr. Van Camp, in response to this charge, stated that the mayor was right in averring that he had sold the cover to 1 Stevens, and that the cover was used ■ in the completion of the sewer, but . that he had been advised by his at- , torneys that he could readily do so without conflicting with the statutes, and if any wrong had been committed that he was an innocent party, and that if the statute so provided he did not expect to draw one penny for the cover, and would willingly lose the same. However, before finally closing. he asked the council to give him some time to have his attorneys look into the matter and advise him more fully in the premises. With this understanding, no action toward passing the resolution over the mayor’s veto was taken. The same procedure was gone through in the Erwin sewer resolution, and these matters now stand awaiting further development.

The action on this matter by the mayor was wholly unexpected to the entire council, with the exception of Chronister, who seemed to have an inkling of what was coming as he voted “No” on the original reading of both resolutions. According to the advice of City Attorney DeVoss, Councilman Van Camp has committed no serious offense, and he is of the opinion that he had a right to sell to any contractor as he did to Stevens. Bids were then called for for the construction of the Lewton sewer, and but one bid was filed, this being by Myers & Myers, and calling for $3,000, which was five hundred dollars over the estimated costs, and the same was rejected. Bids on the Lenhart sewer were then opened and read, they being as follows: Henry Stevens. $146; Myers & Myers, $152.25. Stevens being the lowest bidder on the job, and being well within the estimated costs of the same, the contract, upon motion, was awarded to him. The request of L. F. Alexander, asking to be released from his lease with the city on the section of the building occupied by him at the city hall, was read, and upon motion granted. Mr. Alexander has secured better quarters, and the council did not desire to hold him to a contract when he derived no benefit therefrom. The following bills were read:

oid Adams County Banks4s 00 L. C. Helm 30 00 John Sprague 95 40 J. D. Wisehaupt 47 75 D. F. Teeple 26 50 J. C. Patterson 1 63 J. D. Stults 45 83 Decatur Hardware Co 5 20 Old Adams County Bank 33 75 Milt Leavell 13 65 L. D. Ray 1 00 Old Adams County Bank 56 25 Butler & Butler 74 49 Old Adams County Bank 11 25 Old Adams County Banklßo 00 H. Harruff ..o 20 00 G. R & 1 92 31 James Hurst 7 50 Butler & Butlerlsl 32 L. G. Ellingham 33 45 Old Adams County Bank 22 50 barber shop sold today. H O. Roop, w-ho has owned the . shouth-end barber shop for the past . v ear today closed a deal with Charles ■ Malcbi, whereby Mr. Malchi becomes the solt owner of the shop. Mr. Mal- - chi is well known in the city. He has • worked at the barber business in the , Dewitt Cigar Store for some time, . and has many friends who wish him } much success in this business ven- . ture. Mr. Roop will move to Chicago.

a MAP OF DECATUR IS COMPLETED. • Mr. Cunningham of the Sanborn Map Company, today completed his work or preparing a new insurance map of Decatur business houses and factories. The map will be issued in about a month. The drawing required three w’eek’s work. — — A SUDDEN DEATH 8 * ! Charles McConehey Bedfast 1 Only Few Hours—Died r This Morning. i HEALTH WAS BAD. f » 1 But He Had Been Able to l Be About Till Yesterday Noon—Well Known. Charles McConehey, son of Mr. and Mrs. William McConnehey of this city, died this morning at two o'clock, after suffering for more than a year from diabetes. About ten years ago the deceased qualified himself for the ministry, and was assigned to take the charge at Noblesville, Indiana, in behalf of the Evangelical church. He was an earnest worker for the betterment of humanity, and since his first experience in the ministry he has held charges at Germantown, Indiana; Oltamount, Illinois; Lancaster, Illinois; Edgerton, 1., Culver, Indiana; and Cicero, Indiana. During his ministerial career, he was always found faithful to the Christian cause and commanded respect from ail who knew him. His health began failing him some time ago, and his condition became so serious that he was required to abandon the pulpit. After tendering his resignation from the ministry he, together with his wife, and three children returned to this cty for their future abode. A few months ago he accepted a position with the Metropolitan Insurance Company, as it was thought that outdoor work would improve his condition, but he has grown gradually weaker from day to day, until yesterday noon he was so weak that he was compelled to give up and take to bed. It was known by the family that his death was inevitable, but it will no docbt be a great shock to people who saw Mr. McConnehey in the street yesterday morning, apparently in good health. Beside his family, the deceased leaves a father, mother, several brothers and sisters, besides a multitude of friends who will mourn his departure. The deceased was thirty-one years of age. Funeral arrangements have not as yet been completed.

FAMOUS PHYSICIAN To Deliver Two Lectures at Fort Wayne on October Twenty-eighth. PUBLIC IS INVITED. Dr. McCormack to Talk on Subjects of Great Interest. Dr. J. S. Boyers yesterday received a letter from Dr. Albert E. Bulson, of Fort Wayne, announcing that the Fort Wayne Medical Society had secured the services of Dr. J. N. McCormack, one of the most renowned physicians in the country, to deliver two addresses to the physicians of Fort Wayne and vicinity on October 28th. The first address will be delivered in the assembly room at four o’clock in the afternoon, and the evening address at the Jewish synagogue at eight o'clock, at which time he will deliver his famous talk on “Some Things About Doctors Which Doctors and Other People Ought to Know.” The entire publis is invited to attend these lectures, and Dr. Boyers has been urged to have Decatur represented at the lectures. Dr. McCormack is one of the best talkers in the country, and has done much to enlighten the public and the medical fraternity on questions of health importance.

Decatur, Ind

iana, Wednesday Evening, October 15, 1907.

KOHNE - MILLER Happy Marriage Occurred at St. Marv’s Church This Morning. POPULAR COUPLE. Mr. Julius Kohne Claims Miss Mary Miller as His Bride. This morning at 8:30 o’clock at the St. Mary’s Catholic church, occurred the wedding of Miss Mary Miller to Julius Kohne, two of Adams county’s most popular young people. The ceremony was .performed by Father Wilken in the presence of a large crowd of the young people's friends, and the services were short and impressive. Immediately after the ceremony the young couple went to the home of the bride’s parents, where an elaborate wedding breakfast was served. Miss Miller is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Miller, who reside just south of this city, she being beautiful and accomplished in many respects and her friends are innumerable. The groom, Julius Kohne, is a son of Henry Kohne, deceased, and is a bright, hustling, young farmer who resides west of this city. Mr. Kohne is quite popular among his associates, and has a host of friends. This evening a big barn dance will be given at the Miller residence in honor of the young people, and a most enjoyable time is being looked forward to by those who have received invitations. The young couple will make their futore home on the Kohne farm west of this city. The Democrat extends congratulations.

THE SOCIAL EVENTS Afternoon Party to be Given Tomorrow by Mesdames Snellen and Meibers. OTHER LOCAL EVENTS Will Berling Gave Banquet in Honor of Birthday——The Passion Play. The afternoon party to be given by the Mesdames O. N. Snellen and J- B. Meibers tomorrow afternoon promises to be a brilliant affair. More than sixty people are expected to respond to special invitations that have been issued, and it is a foregone conclusion that the event will be enjoyable. The Helping Hand Society of the German Reformed church will meet Thursday afternoon with Mrs. Ernest Slickman on North Fourth street.

Will Berling gave a little banquet last night at the Anderson & Baker restaurant in honor of his twentyfirst birtrday. The boys, who were Joe and Charles Lose, Otto Wemhoff, Herb Bremerkamp and Will Johns, had a delightful time. After the banquet and doings at the K. of C. Hall were over, Mr. Berling went home and awakened everyone in the house, telling them there was a man in the house. His folks got up to see who it was, and he shouted, “I am the man; I am twenty-one today.” The wonderful Passion Play will be reproduced by moving pictures at the Electric Theater on the afternoon and evening of October 24th and 25th, two parts ati each show, under the auspices of the Ladies’ Aid Society of the Presbyterian church. The film to be used is one of the original ones, 3,500 feet, being hand-painted. The ladies are selling tickets at twenty-five cents for the four shows, giving everyone an excellent opportunity to witness this famous religious drama.

About forty of the W. R. C. and neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Russell, gathered at their home on Mercer avenue Monday night. All were masked and there were certainly some very grotesque figures. The evening

passed in conversation, and at a late hour a taffy pulling was enjoyed. A good time was had. Mr. and Mrs. Russell will leave in a short time for their new home at Montpelier, Ind. Pregram to be given tomorrow evening at the U. B. church, under the direction of the Ladies’ Aid Society: 1. Song. 2. Invocation Mrs. Hunter. 3. Song—Anthem Choir. 4. Recitation —"The Christening” Marie Ball. 5. Paper—“ The Message of the Little Blue Print.” 6. Duet Stangle Bros. 7. Paper—“ The Real Design of the Ladies’ Aid” Mrs. Ball. 8. Reading—" The Day of Judgment” Vada Martin. 9. Quartette —“Come, Holy Spirit” Ladies. 10. Recitation —“Marriage” Harry Fisher. 11. Song—"My First Music Lesson” Flossie York 12. Address — "The Helping Hand” Lillie Hill. 13. Collection. 14. Reading—" The Cottage Oil Can” Lillie Steele, 15. Song Male Quartette. 16. Reading Donald Stangle. 17. Solo —"If I Were a Rose” Effie York. 18. Recitation Mrs. Stangle. 19- Song Choir. 20. Reading—“He Didn't Amount to Shucks” .Howard Wisehaupt. 21. Song—“ All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” — 22. Benediction Mrs. Perkins.

; COURT HOUSE NEWS ’ Two Marriage Licenses Is- : sued to Two Popular Young Couples. A JURY TRIAL TODAY. i The Kolser vs. Gunder Mule Case—O’Rourke Here as Special Judge. Marriage licenses were issued to Julius Kohne, aged twenty-eight, and Mary Miller, aged twenty-six; Henry Wietfeldt, twenty-six and Sophia Berning, twenty-three. Judge O'Rourke and a jury are today hearing the case of Kolser & Hurst vs. William L. Gunder, and from the number attending, Is creating some interest. The case is one wherein tre plaintiffs stek to recover S2OO for a worthless mule sold to them last June. L. C. DeVoss is attorney for the plaintiff and D. B. Erwin for the defendant. Judge Erwin is attending legal business at Fort Wayne today. Out of the last nint cases filed in court, seven were divorce complaints.

IN SUPREME COURT Henry Erhart Began Drinking, Lost His Temper and Abused His Wife. SHE ASKS A DIVORCE. Catherine Erhart vs. Henry Erhart. petition for divorce, is the title of a new case filed by Attorneys Peterson & Moran. According to the complaint the couple were married November 18, 1886, and lived together until the Bth of this month, when the defendant went to Huntington county. Mrs. Erhart says that ever since their marriage Henry has been possessed of an ungovernable temper, but for a number of years he managed to control it. About a year ago he began drinking, and since then has abused his wife by failure ♦> support her and the children, cursing and calling her ' vile names, beating and striking her. Mrs. Erhart asks for a divorce and for the care and custody of the four children, Homer, aged twenty; Amelia, aged eighteen, Charles, aget' sixteen, and Mina, aged fifteen, and' for all ether proper relief. I

FRIDAY i 13th the stores of the people. "What;! ask, do you wise men think e£ the situation as you now see it?” There was an oppressive stillness on the floor. The great crowd, which now contained nearly all the members of the exchange, listened with bulging eyes and open mouths to the revelations of their fellow member. From time to time, as Bob Brownley poured forth his shot and shell of deadly logic, from the vast mob that now surrounded the exchange rose a hoarse bellow of impatience, for few in that dense throng outside could understand the silence of the gigantic human crusher, which between the hours of ten and three was never before known to miss a revolution except while its victims’ hearts and souls were being removed from its gears and meshes. Bob Brownley paused and looked down into the faces of the breathless gamblers with a contempt that was superb. He went on: “Men of Wall street, it is writ in the books of the ancients that every evil contains within itself a cure or a destroyer. I do not pretend that what I am revealing to you is to you a cure for this hideous evil, but I do say that what I am giving you is a destroyer tor it, and that while it will be to the world a cure, it may leave you in a more fiery hell than the one of which you now feel the flames. I do not care if it does. When I am through, any member of the New York stock exchange who feels the iron in his soul cau get Instant revenge and unlimited wealth. You who are turning over in your minds the consideration that your great body can make new rules to render my discovery inoperative, are dealing with a shadow. There is no rule or device that can prevent its working. There are 1,000 seats in the New York stock exchange. They are worth to-day $95,000 apiece, or *95.040,000 in all. Their value is due to the fact that this exchange deals in between one and three million shares a day. Were any attempt made to prevent the operation of my invention, transactions would because of such attempt drop to five or ten thousand shares per day, or to such transactions as represented stock that will be actually delivered and actually paid for. To make my invention useless it must be made Impossible to buy or sell the same share of stock more than once at one session, and short selling, which is now, as you know, the foundation es the modern stock-gambling structure, must likewise be made impossible. If this could be done the $95,000,000 worth of seats in the exchange would be worth less than five millions, and, what is of far greater import to all the people, the financial world would be revolutionized. Men of Wall street, do not fool yourselves. My invention is a sure destroyer of the greatest curse in the world, stock-gambling.” A sullen growl rose from the gamblers. Robert Brownley glared down his defiance.

"Let me show you the impossibility of preventing in the future anyone's doing what I have done to you so many times during the past five years. All the capital required to work my invention is nerve and desperation, or nerve without desperation. It is well known to you that there are at all times exchange members who will commit any crime, barring, perhaps, murder, to gain millions. Your members have from time to time shown nerve or desperation enough to embezzle, raise certificates, give bogus checks, counterfeit stocks and bonds, and this for gain of less than millions, and when detection was probable. All these are criminal offenses and their

detection is sure to bring disgrace and state prison. Yet members of this exchange desperate enough o take the chance, when confronted with loss of fortune and open bankruptcy, have always been found with nerve enough to attempt the crimes. I repeat that there are at all times exchange members who will commit any crime, barring, perhaps, murder, to gain millions. That you may see that my successors will surely come from your midst from time to time during the future exfev< ence of the exchange, I will euumenrol the different classes of members whowill follow in my footsteps:

"First, the 'ln God We Trasd 1 schemer who is of the 'System' type;! but who is outside the magic circle. A man of this class will reason: I know scores of men, who stand high on ‘the Street’ and in the social world, who have tens of millions that they have filched by ‘System’ tricks, if not by legal crimes. If I perform this trick of Brownley’s, the trick of selling short until a panic is produced, I shall make millions and none will be the wiser. For all I know, many of the multi-millionaires whom I have seen produce panics and whe were applauded by ‘the Street’ and the press for their ability and daring, and whose standing, business sad social, is now the highest, were only doing this same thing, and having been successful, they have never been detected or suspected. But even suppose I fail, which can only be through some extraordinary accident happening while I am engaged in selling, I shall have committed no crime, and, la fact, shall have dene no one any great moral I wr<ag»_*sx ts. e*rrv sni_my

contract~to deliver the stock I have sold in trying to produce a panic, the men to whom I have sold will be no worse oft for not receiving what they bought; in fact, they will stand just where 'they stood before I attempted to bring on a panic. "Second, if an exchange member for any reason should find himself overboard and should realize that he must publicly become bankrupt and lose all. he surely would be a fool not to attempt to produce a panic, when its production would enable him to recoup his losses and prevent his failure, and when if by accident he should fall in his attempt to produce a panic, the penatty would simply be his bankruptcy, which would have taken place in any event. “The third class is that large one that always will exist while there is stock-gambling, a class of honest, square-dealing-play-the - game -fair exchange men who would take no unfair, advantage of their fellow-members until they become awakened to the knowledge that they are about to be ruined by their fellow-members' trickery.

"Next, let us consider further whether it is possible for our exchange to prevent my deviee from being worked, now that it is known to all. Suppose the governing committee was informed in advance that the attempt to work the trick was to be made. If, at any session, after gong-strike, the governing committee, or any exchange authority, could for any reason compel a member to cease operating, even for the purpose of showing that his transactions were legitimate, the entire structure of stock-gambling would fall. Think it through: Suppose a man like Barry Conant or myself, or any active commission broker, begins the execution of a large order for a client, one, say, who has advance information of a receivership, a fire at a mine, the death of a president, a declaration of war, or any of the hundred and one items of information that must be acted upon instantly, where a delay of a minute would ruin the broker, or his house, or its clients. If the governing committee could thus call the broker to account, the professional bear or the schemer, who desired to prevent him from selling, would have but to pass the word to the president of the exchange that the broker in question was about to work Brownley's discovery and he could be taken from the crowd and before he returned his place could be taken by others and he could be ruined.

"Men of Wall street, it is impossible to prevent the repetition of those acts by which in five years I have accumulated a billion dollars, impossible so long as a short sale or a repurchase and resale, is allowed. When short sales, and repurchases and resales, are made impossible, stock speculation will be dead. When stock speculation is dead, the people can no longer be robbed by the 'System.' In leaving you, the exchange, and stock-gambling forever, as I shall when I leave thia platform, I will say from the depth of a heart that has been broken, from the profoundlty of a soul that has been withered by the 'System's' poison, with a full sense of my responsibility to my fellow-man and to my God, that I advise every one of you to do what 1 have done and to do it quickly, before the doing of it by others shall have made it impossible, before the doing of it by others shall have blown up the whole stock-gambling structure. In accepting my advice you can quiet your conscience, those of you who have any, with this argument: 'lf I start, I am sure of success. If I succeed, no one will be the wiser. The millions I secure I will take from men who took them from others, and wha would take mine. The more I and others take, the sooner will come the day when the stock-gambling structure will fall.’

“The day on which the stock-gam- * bling structure falls is the day for f which all honest men and women should pray.” t Bob Brownley paused and let hia eyes sweep his dumfounded audience. There was not a murmur. The crowd was speechless. Again his eyes swept the room. Then he slowly raised his right hand with fist clenched, as though about to i deal a blow. “Men of Wall street"—his voice was now deep and solemn —“to show that Robert Brownley knew what was fitting for the last day of his career, be has revealed to you the trick —and more. “Many of you are desperate. Many of you by to-morrow will be ruined. The time of all times for such to put my trick in practice is now. The victim of victims is ready for the experiment. I am he. I have a billion dollars. With this billion dollars I am able to buy 10,000,000 shares of the leading stocks and to pay for them, even though after I have bought they fall a hundred dollars a share. Here is your- chance to, prevent your ruin, your- <dton.ee: to> netrleve your fortune, yous- <dhsa«e> secure revenge upon me, tdte ease write has robbed you." He reused long enough for his astounding advice to connect with his listeners’ now keenly sensitive nerve center*; then (Deep and clear rang out, “Barry Conant.”' The wiry form of Bob’s old antagonist leaped to the rostrum. “1 authorize you to buy any part of 10,000,000 shares of Abe leading stocks (To be continued.)

Price Two Cents