Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 7, Number 70, Decatur, Adams County, 23 March 1909 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

Volume VII. Number 70.

THE RANSOM PAID Willie Whitla Back in the Fond Embraces of His Parents WAS WELL TREATED The Kidnappers Made Good in Getting Ten Thousand Dollars Cleveland, 0., March 23.—Little Willie Whitla who has caused the police of the entire country endless worry since he was kidnaped from school in Sharon, Pa., last Thursday was returned to his father at the Hollenden hotel here last night at 8:30 o’clock. In compliance with an agreement entered into between the kidnapped boy’s father and an agent of the kidnappers here today the boy was placed on a street car on the outskirts of the city and started to the hotel shortly after 8 o’clock. Two boys from the city, G. W. Ramsey and Edward Mahoney, recognized the lad on the car and taking him in charge conducted him to his father who was waiting according to a prearranged plan which he had followed at the dictation of the kidnapers. The boy wandered about the hotel lobby unannounced for several minutes asking bell boys for his father before the latter knew his son was in the big boyer. The moment the anxious parent heard that a strange boy was in the hotel sauntering in aimless fashion he rushed across the lobby, grasped him in his arms and smothered his face with kisses. An attempt had been made to disguise the lad. He wore a pair of smoked glasses and a large tan cap which was pulled down over his eyes and the father said it would have been difficult to have recognized the boy in such garb had he passed him on the street Willie is in perfect health. He says that he has been well treated and ever since his capture has been •constantly indoors. He believes he was taken from Sharon to Warren and thence to Newcastle, Pa. It is bis opinion expressed in a happy school boy way that he was in Ashtabula on Saturday night at the time his father was to leave his SIO,OOO in Flat Iron park. 'Whitla senior refused to state whether he had paid the ransom or not. He said that he received a letter today from the kidnappers at his home in Sharon saying that if he called at a confectionery store in the east end of Cleveland he would be told how to secure his boy unharmed and “well fed."

/ . C‘‘ ' ' \ / *■ \ f '■ 'W ' //•; W . x • • ' *tsf C DR. C. B. WILCOX, Who retires from the ministry at the end of this conference year. —

REV. KING IS READY. Geneva Pastor Closes Year With a Good Record. Rev. C. King, who has served as pastor of the Methodist church at Geneva, is closing up his years work and preparing to go to the annual conference which meets next week. Rev. King is a minister of much ability, and has made a host of friends during his work in Adams county. He is fearless in doing the things he believes to be right, and in doing so has won the respect of all who know him, whether he be his friend or not. We predict that his future holds many good promotions and will be fraught with many victories. — o—■ ARE GROWING FAST Knights of Pythias Lodge in Indiana Planned a Campaign NEW CLUB HOUSE A Committee of Knights Now Have It in Charge The (Indiana Knights Os Pythias order are going some, as bulletin number ten would indicate. They have recently celebrated their forty-ftfth anniversary, and they did the job appropriately by having a page rank class of 1,296 members. This was accomplished by inaugurating a campaign among the different lodges in the state, this campaign lasting for six weeks, and the result was that the number stated above were taken into the order and given this degree. It also meant that over $14,000 was received by the various lodges for the initiatory fees, and this certainly swelled the funds in the exchequer not a little. Twelve new members were added to the membership of Kekionga lodge in this city, showing that the Decatur Knights are up and coming as well as their brothers elsewhere In the state. This secret order is one of the strong organizations in the city, and its membership is composed of the sort who do things, and who do them well. The committee having in charge the new K. P. club house are now working out the plans. It will be located on their lot on Third street, and after plans for the building are agreed to, its erection will not be delayed. They propose to have the finest club house and lodge quarters to be found any place in a city th© size of Decatur. Knowing the Decatur Knights as well as we do, we are certain that they will have it.

HE WILL RETIRE Dr. Wilcox Forsakes the Ministry for Journalism and Lecture Platform HIS RAPID RISE He Has Had a Brilliant Career in the Church Rev. C. B. Wilcox, Ph. D., will retire from the active pastorate to give his entire time to journalism and tbe lecture platform. His resignation will be presented to the session of the North Indiana conference which meets March 31 at Greenfield, with Bishop Anderson presiding. At that time Dr. Wilcox will have served eighteen years in the ministry of the M. E. church. He entered the North Indiana conference in 1891, and like ali Methodist preachers just starting. he was sent to a country circuit, Osceola, located between Elkhart and South Bend. He was immediately advanced, however, and received his first station work at the age of twen-ty-three. This appointment was at Albion, the county seat of Noble county. After a successful pastorate of three years there, his rise in the conference was very rapid, and has successfully served the churches in Richmond, Cambridge City, Anderson, Middletown, Lagrange and this city. He has the unique distinction of having his salary increased every year in every church which he has served. His Decatur pastorate ha® been very successful. Large audiences always greet him, over one hundred have been received into the church, over two thousand dollars has been raised for benevolent purposes and every interest of the church carefully cared for. While no aged member (Continued on page 2.) —o A BOARD MEETING The Official Board of the M. E. Church Have a Meeting THEY RESOLUTE

s Pay a Tribute to Their Rer tiring Pastor Dr. C. B. Wilcox District Superintendent Wade and the members of the official board of tbe Methodist church of this city, held th© fourth and last quarterly conference at the church last evening. The business for the conference year was closed, and the showing is more than creditable to the congregation in this city. Many other things were discussed, perhaps the most important of them being the successor to Dr. C. B. Wilcox, as pastor of this church. They have an eye on a young man who bears the credentials' of being a comer in the ministerial field, but nothing for publication will be given out until the consent of the congregation is given. They paid a glowing tribute to Dr. Wilcox, and it is a fact that he leaves Decatur with the the regret of his entire congregation as well as the universal regret of the people of this city, irrespective of church affiliations. The following resolution w r as adopted at the meeting last evening: Whereas, our beloved pastor, Dr. C. B. Wlicox, has signified his desire to discontinue his relations as pastor of this charge, and has declared his purpose to cease active work in the pastorate. Therefore, be it Resolved, by the official board of this church, that no more faithful pastor, able preacher or lovable man, has ever served this church to our knowledge, and we deeply deplore and sincerely regret his inability to continue with us, but if he must go, may the blessings of God accompany him and his family In whatever field _ Ihe may labor.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday Evening, March 23, 1909.

THEY TOOK A FALL OUT Governor of New Mexico Has Tendered His Resignation. Santa Fee, N. M., March 23. As the result of a fight with A. J. Loomis editor of the Eagle, a Democratic paper, last Saturday, Governor Curry wired his resignation to President Tatt. Governor Curtly assaulted Loomis in his private office at the capitol building. Mr. Loomis last week printed an article on statehood and the statehood lobby which Governor Curry considered a reflection upon him. The governor immediately telephoned Mr. Loomis to call upon him, and when the latter put in an appearance Governor Curry, according to report, punched, him and then threw him from the office. Loomis and his friends at once started a movement to have Governor Curry removed from office and charges were being prepared against the governor to be filed with President Taft and Secretary of the Interior Ballinger. AFTER TARIFF BILL The Special Interests All Looking Out for Themselves MILLER GOT THERE He Was Appointed District Attorney for Indiana— The Census Washington, March 23. —The special interests are raising such an insistent clamor for amendments to the Payne tariff bill, and there are so many demands by interested persons and corporations for changes in its schedules that the house leaders, to prevent it from being emasculated, have decided to bring in a cloture rule under which it is hoped it may be put through the house substantially without change. The lobbyists, who are here in large numbers, camping on the trail of congressmen, have alarmed the managers of the tariff legislation, who feel a peculiar responsibility in seeing that the legislation passes over to the senate substantially as it came from the house committee. The lobby has been swollen over Sunday by the addition of new members until it now represents nearly every form of special Interest and every trust In the category.

Washington, March 23. —Charles W. Miller’s name was sent to the senate yesterday for appointment as district attorney at Indianapolis. Before this official action was taken he was in consultation with Attorney General Wickersham presumably with reference to the libel cases. Later he went over to the white house and saw President Taft and after his Interview with the president he went back to the department of justice and had a second conference with the attorney general. Neither he nor the attorney general would talk for publication. The white house referred all inquiries to the attorney general. Washington, March 23. —If congress desires the decennial census taken next year Director North of the census bureau wants about $14,000,000 to defray expenses. He made a request to the house today for an appropriation for that amount. On account of the failure of congress to pass a census bill at the last session none of the appropriation bills carried the money to do the work. Furthermore, there is no item in the census bill that passed the house the other day appropriating a cent. —o P. A. Allen returned Saturday evening from Noblesville, where he attended the meeting of the Superintendents Association of Central Indiana. While there he did some very active electioneering in an effort to secure the next meeting for Bluffton, but was not successful. He moved that Bluffton be. chosen for the place of meeting and on the first vote Bluffton and Frankfort were tied. All nominations save the two were then withdrawn and Frankfort won on the second ballot. —Bluffton News.

BUY NEW BOILERS City Will Purchase Two New 400 Horse Power Boilers FOR CITY PLANT Will Receive Bids April sth —Old Ones Are Worn Out For two years past the boilers at the city plant have been out of repairs, and It has been a big job to keep them in order so that the patrons could enjoy electric lights, power and city water, but by hard work of the men in charge and by constantly repairing machinery they have kept the plant running. However, it has been a good sized job lately, in fact the service has been poorer for a week past than at any time for several years. The men behind the engines have been working over time to keep the plant in operation and we have perhaps been too prone to criticise, but it finally became evident that the boilers were worn out and that something had to be done and that at once. Accordingly a special session of the city council was called for last evening, and at seven o'clock the members were present to take up the question of what should be done. Without any very great hub-bub a resolution was offered and unanimously adopted, ordering the city clerk to advertise for bids for two 400-horse power boilers, to be installed at the plant at once. The notice calls for bids to be received on April sth, at which time the contract will be let and within a month or so the boiler trouble will be over at the waterworks and electric station for a good many years to come unless something unforseen should happen. THEY MAKEGOOD Decatur Young Men Are Always Able to Compete With the World DELIVER THE GOODS Albert Numbers Becomes a Field Manager for Packard Company

We like to record the success of people reared in Decatur, and by the way did it ever occur to you that nearly all Decatur and Adams county young men make good whether they stay at home or go out in the big, wide world to battle with business interests of more or less enormous proportions? Scarcely a day passes that we do not record how some one from this locality has made good, and as we stated it does us good to make these announcements. In connection with this article we might say that Albert. Numbers, who now lives at Ossian, but who was reared and educated here, has been secured by the Packard Piano company of Fort Wayne as a field manager, and begins his duties with that firm next Monday. He will be sent over the country to keep in apple pie trim tbe vast number of pianos and it is needless to say that Albert is the boy who can do anything to a piano he finds it needs. Mr. Numbers was here today calling on friends and attending to business. 0 ... . .... An inventory of the personal property of the late Fred Huffman has been made by Bert Huffman, administrator, and his attorneys, Mock & Sons, showing that there was $16,000 in bank certificates, $1,700 in telephone stock, of the Mt. Zion company and SII,OOO in notes. Part of this money was divided Saturday and a distribution made. The household goods were divided between the children, and it will not be sold.—Bluffton Banner.

TO RETIRE FROM BUSINESS Scheiman & Butler Will Sell Out Their Livery Stock. Bills are out announcing that Scheiman & Butler, who have been in the livery business in the Weber building on north Second street for some time, will hold a public sale at the barn on Saturday, April 3rd. At that time they will dispose of all their stock, including horses, carriages, buggies and harness and will retire from business. The firm has been in business for about six months, and did fairly well, but the men are hustlers and decided they could do better in other lines. The sale will be a successful one, meeting Tonight The Decatur Furnace Company’s Meeting Was Postponed OTHER FACTORIES A Busy Year Among the Decatur Manufacturing Plants A message reached the members of the board of directors of the Decatur Furnace company late last evening, bearing the information that, it would be impossible for Mr. Guilfoyle, president of the company to reach the city as agreed, but that he would be here this evening. In compliance with the message the meeting of the board was postponed and will take place this evening. Everything is in readiness for the action of the officials of the company, and it is not only probable but certain that additions to their factory building will be made. This meeting of the board is necessary, however, before anything tangible is known. The meeting will be held this evening at which time all the details will be threshed out, and arrangements made for making the Decatur Furnace company the best sort of a corporation of Its kind. The busy season is on at the Ward

Fence company, and this season is the busiest ever experienced by this growing company. The orders are coming from every which way and they are coming thick and fast in every mail. The management are smiling at the prospects of making more than good in their previous colculalions, Since locating in their present quarters it is much easier to fill their orders, as they have everything complete for the manufacture of all the lines of fencing in which they make a specialty. The Ward Fenceco mpany is easily one of the greatest growing manufacturing institutions in the city. The Coppock Motor Car company is on a real boom, and are getting business and orders that are real. At Indianapolis they have gotten into the swim and have more boosters than in Decatur. They are laying up to the business that is promised from the capital city, and if they succeed as -well as the present prospects would suggest, they will have all the business in that city that they are capable of taking care of during this year. The Van Camp Machine works is also a busy place and are working more men than they ever employed at this time of the year. They have

been especially busy on flouring mill machinery and freight elevators. They have just completed an elevator in the new Schafer building which is by far the largest one in the city, and it is also the best. This feature of the Van Camp business promises to develop into one of the greatest in his line. The Decatur Packing company is also humping in order to keep pace with their growing business. They have established their business in nearly all the good towns around us, I and in the city of Fort Wayne, they I are simply going some. They have I there their own supply station, and) their product is in demand at every 1i place where It has been given a trial. 11

Price Two Cents

HEARTS SADDENED Decatur Mourns the Loss of a Most Noble and Estimable Lady MRS. G. CHRISTEN Fell Peacefully to Sleep Early this Morning—An Old Resident Here Mrs. Godfrey Christen, a noble, Christian lady, widely known and beloved by everyone who knew her intimately, died at 2:20 this morning after an illness of about one week. Quietly and without visible pain she slept away, her soul joining the myriads who have gone before, while every loved member of the family were gathered about the bedside. For several months her health had not been as good as formerly, but until a week ago her condition was not considered serious. A few days before that time she became ill with lagrippe, which later was complicated by an affection of the heart, resulting in sinking spells and which later became very frequent. Brights’ disease and other ailments developed and since last Friday the loved ones had abandoned hope. Gradually she became weaker until the end came this morning and she sank to sleep.

Mrs. Christian was an ideal home woman, living for her family and her loved ones. Her kindly face, her words of advice, her cheering, quiet and happy manner have been an inspiration to many and there are scores of saddened hearts in this community today. Death is sad at any time. We selfish people of this world regret the outgoing of a soul, even when we know that soul goes to sweet rest and well earned reward in a land where there are no burdens and happiness is everlasting. And so it is now. Mrs. Christen had lived her three score years and ten allotted, and had lived them well, leaving an example of good that .will live on; and leaving in the hearts of her family and friends a love and respect that will endure during the time to come. In hours like these such thoughts must console the mind and the full heart, and our sympathies are extended, most sincerely to each member of the bereaved family circle. Catherine Christen, nee Garver, was bom in Fairfield county, Pennsylvania November 9th, 1838. When but two years old she came with her parents to this county and located on a farm in Root township. There she was reared, being educated in the schools of that township and in 1866, she was married to Mr. Godfrey Christen. In 1874 the latter was elected auditor of Adams county and the family moved to this city a year later, having since resided here. Many years ago Mrs. Christen united with the Presbyterian church, and has since been

. a faithful attendant and worker, always willing to do more than her share. Beside the heartbroken hus- ’ band, who perhaps more than any other feels the terrible loss of his life- > long companion, Mrs. Christen is survived by feix children, three sons. Frank of Chicago, and Richard and Bruce of this city, and by three daughters, Mrs. F. E. France of Muskogee, Oklahoma, Miss Rose Christen and Mrs. Doll Durkins of this city, one daughter died a number of years ago. Other relative’s are three sisters, Mrs. Clara Gowdy of Hastings, Nebraska. Mrs. Martha Bates and Mrs. Mary Slagle of near that place and one brother, Benjamin Garver also of Hastings. Mrs. Christen was . aged seventy years, four months and fourteen days at the time of her . death. The funeral services will be conducted by Rev. Richard Spetnagle, . pastor of the First Presbyterian , church, from the home, on Thursday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock. Interment will be made at Maplewood cemetery. o— — APRON SALE IS POSTPONED The ladies of the Presbyterian I church have postponed the apron sale J advertised by them to occur ThursI day of this week and the same will I be held at the church one week later, on Thursday, April Ist. The postponement is made in respect to Mrs. Christen, who was a member of this section of the Aid Society.