Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 7, Number 296, Decatur, Adams County, 14 December 1909 — Page 1

Volume VII. Number 296

MUNCIE CHOSEN Democratic District Convention Will be Held There January sth. WAS DECIDED TODAY f , Democratic State Committee is Holding Session at Indianapolis. f Indianapolis, Ind., Dec. 14. —(Special to Daily Democrat)—The democratic state committee met at the Denison hotel in this city at 11 o'clock this morning, the principal object of the meetings being the fixing of the dates for holding the district conventions, at which time, district chairmen and members of the state committee will be elected. The meeting was presided over by the state chairman, Stokes Jackson, and the committeemen were here from over the state, the eighth being represented by L. G. Ellingham of Decatur. It was decided that the delegate meeting of the eighth district be held at Muncie, on Wednesday, January sth. At this time a district chairman is to be chosen to succeed Mr. Ellingham, who has served for four years past. Among the others who attended the meeting today were Thomas Taggart, John E. Lamb, Samuel Ralston and other famous democrats of the state. County conventions will be held over the state December 30th to elect delegates to the district conventions. The district conventions will all be held on January sth, except in the seventh district. The state committtee will meet in Indianapolis on January 6th for re-organization, according to an agreement of the committee today.

LAID TO REST. The funeral of Solomon Schnepp was held today at 11 o'clock from the Salem church. Rev. D. O. V ise, pastor of the Evangelical church of this city had charge of the services. A large number of relatives and riends of the deceased were present to show their last respects to one who had been in their midst for so long a time. Interment was made st the Salem cemetery. o — CARD OF THANKS. In this manner we wish to extend our sincere thanks to our many friends who were so kind to us during the recent illness and death o our dear husband and father, also or the floral offerings which were very beautiful. Mrs. Sol Schnepp and Children. NOTICE TO WOODMEN. The Modern Woodmen are requested to meet at 7 o’clock Wednesday evening to transact business, o'clock a social session will 1 And John I?. Volz of Indianapolis ■deiver an address. A banquc specla program foiledJack Monahan was here from De tur to .spend Sunday. He is still employed in that eity looking after the lines of the Indiana Lighting com pany. He probably will be transfer red here soon to help install th< sys tern for artificial gas in Bluffton, u he said yesterday that bfl had no r. ceived jmy orders to that effec Bluffton News. , , .. 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

OPERATION FOR APPENDICITIS. Tocsin Woman Was Taken to Fort Wayne Hospital Sunday. Mrs. Fred Kolter of Tocsin is suffering from an attack of appendicitis which developed on Friday afternoon. Her condition is quite serious and at a physician's advice she was Sunday taken to the German Lutheran hospital at Fort Wayne, where she will undegro an operation. Mrs. Kolter is the wife of the gentleman who operates a meat shop and restaurant in partnership with Charles Smith, at Tocsin. Her parents reside at Magley.—Bluffton News.

FILES SCHEDULE Smuck, Picture Man, Takes Advantage of the Exemption Laws. DEFEATS CREDITORS Owes Number of Bills at Auburn at Well as a Few in City of Decatur. C. B. Schmuck has done just what was expected from one of his caliber; he has filed a schedule to defeat the payment of May Shilling to whom ne is Indebted in the sum of $10.95 for labor performed. His trial was set for Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock and Schmuck failed to appear; judgment was taken by default and an affidavit was at once filed stating that the plaintiff thought that Schmuck intended selling out and leaving the city. An execution was then placed in the hands of the constable and was served, Schmuck filing a schedule showing that he was worth but little more than four hundred dollars. The law allows him an exemption of S6OO and he has thus defeated the claim. It is indeed deplorable that there is no "‘atute b v which he can be vigorously prosecuted for he certainly deserves punishment of the severest kind. Certainly a man of his capacities cannot prosper and he does not deserve the support of any individual until he pays this woman and his other creditors for services rendered.— Auburn Courier.

LADIES’ SUCCESSFUL SALE. The Pocahontas lodge ladies have finished checking up their sales and their expenses during the week's rummage sale which they conducted a short time ago, and find that they have the sum of eighty-eight dollars entered to the '‘gain” account. Their •ale was quite a successful one and the members are congratulating themselves that they have cleared this sum to apply on the debt which they incurred in purchasing the new piano for the hall. . SERIOUSLY SICK AT TIFFIN. Mrs Charles Pennington and sister Miss Anna Lichtle Monday evening received a message from Tiffin, Ohio, stating that their sister Mrs. Sophia Hilb, was seriously sick and asking that one of the sisters come to be with her. They will make arrangements tor one of them to leave at once Mrs. Hilb was well known phia Lichtle. Charles Pennington of the firm nf Pennington & Baker, meat dealers, is working under difficulties T" davs. About a week ago while nutting up a stove pipe at the butcher P ” n the box on which he was standtag slippy and Charles was thrown L i e was considerably shaken up at the time, but it was not until last Saturday that he fought his infuries e onmiffh to consult a pnysi Tn "'hc aw 80 then and ro, ' nd ttat broken. , _ GOOD PROGRAM for the star. _ nf the best Biograph reels ever ° will be that shown at the produced will m entitled Star theater this > evening, “ Tl!e tamous reel. "Sister AhgelihT Both of these are extra fine and possibly ba there

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday Evening, December 14, 1909.

THEOLDOLDSTORY Will be Interestingly Retold by the Children of the Churches. ON CHRISTMAS EVE Are Practicing Daily—Zion Lutheran Church Has a New Choir. In all the churches are active preparations being made for the observance of the Christmas, this service being given over chiefly, as usual, to the children. The exercises at the Zion Lutheran church on West Monroe street will be held this year on Christmas eve. There will be a tree, as usual, and a program consisting of music, recitations and drills by the children under the direction of the teacher and pastor, Rev. Wehmeyer. A choir has been newly organized at this church, the first one since the establishment of the church in this city. This choir is working under the direction of Chris Gotch, a musician of ability, who also has charge of the pipe organ. The choir meets twice a week for practice and will take a prominent part in the Christmas program. The members of the choir are: Charles Heckman, Fred Jaebker, Rev. Wehmeyer, Mart Weiland, Hugh Reinking, Louise Hobrock, Anna Boese, Clara Weiland, Tillie Meyers, Luetta and Della Bohnke, Esther and Marie Heckman and Freda Prange. Nearly all the other churches are arranging for their exercises to be held on Christmas eve also: At the Reformed churc there will be a Christmas tree, and a miscellaneous program for the children. The Evangelical Sunday school is practicing also for a miscellaneous program, while the children of the Christian and United Brethren churches will give cantatas. The Presbyterian and Methodist churches also promise an interesting entertainments and at whatever place the public decides to renew its youth, by the witnessing of the children in their presentation of the old, old story, they will be cordially welcoftied and given an evening of unalloyed pleasure. COURT DECIDES IT Judge Heaton Takes the Aveline Damage Case Out of Jury’s Hands. NO LIABILITY THERE Fact That Building Had a Fire Escape Makes Recovery Impossible.

Under the Instructions from Judge N. Heaton in the superior court this afternoon the jury empanelled to try the lawsuit filed by John P. Strohecker against Mrs. Susan Shoaff and her husband, John Shoaff, owners of the Aveline hotel, and Fred A. Stevens and John McAlevy, returned a verdict for the defense. This means that, the action was defeated by the language of the Indiana statutes which provides that hotel buildings and others designated in the laws, shall have fire escapes on the outside and prescribes the mater- ( lai of which they shall be made. The complaint was not able to offer any proof that this section of the law had not been complied with and for that reason the court sustained a motion made by the attorneys on behalf of the owners and lessees to instruct the jury to bring in the verdict. The decision involves a great amount of money. A dozen persons lost their lives in the fire and a great number were injured and the Strohecker suit was a test on which rested the iifte of several other suits already filed and a number that were being held in abeyance. The statutory penalty fixed for each person killed where the law is not complied with is $5,000. In his opinion Judge Heaton says in part: "This court and jury are absolutely

bound by the laws enacted by the legislature of Indiana applicable to this case. The law provides that every hotel building more than two stories in height shall beprovlded with proper ways of egress or means of escape shall be kept free from obstruction; shall have one or more fire escapes on the outside of said building, and described the character, material and manner of construction of the fire escapes. It requires that the halls shall be kept lighted at night and that red lights shall be placed at the intersections of hallways with the main corridors and at places to Indicate the location of fire escapes and with other stated provisions for the protection of hotel occupants from fire. "Now keeping in mind that the plaintiff’s right of recovery in this action is confined entirely to the provisions of the statute and from the fast that plaintiff makes no claim or offers no proof that there was an absence of the fire escapes, he therefore has no basis in law for recovery or damages for injuries received and the court instructs you to return your verdict for defendants.”—Fort Wayne Sentinel. WAS IT POISON? Pete Russell Drains a Bottle of Strange Liquid and He is Now in a SERIOUS CONDITION At County Jail —Semi-Con-Conscious and Unable • to Explain. Quite a tragic occurrence took place about 11 o'clock today, and may end in the death of Peter Russell, one of the most familiar characters in Decatur, who is lying in a semi-sonscious condition at the Adams county jail. Whether his condition is the result of poison, or too large a dose of alcohol in an unusual mixture, is unknown, as he cannot be sufficiently aroused to learn the exact details, and what can be learned, was gotten from those who were near him at the time, and the doctor who treated him. About 11 o’clock today Pete was seen in the alley behind the Steele Brothers’ Plumbing shop. He took a seat on the step and presently drew out a green looking bottle and attempted to draw the cork. He was unsuccessful in this, and to get the liquid broke the bottle, and then began to drain the contents. He soon became perfectly limp and helpless and persons who were attracted to him, simply thought that he was in a state of usual intoxication. His aimless contortions became worse, however, and the persons around him made examination of affairs, and, thinking he might have taken poison, lay Him in the Steele shed nearby and called the marshal. In the meantime the bottle and Its contents were

> examined, though only a little amount of liquid remained. It was taken to , the Blackburn drug store, but the con- . tents were notyidentified, only a drop ' or two of the liquid being left in the ! broken green bottle. Persons who examined it noticed an odor as of anise [ oil. In the meantime the marshal had arrived and the luckless man was put . in the Schmidt butcher wagon and taken to the jail, where Dr. D. D. Clark was called. All attempts to get at the details of the affair were uncussessful as . Pete could not be aroused sufficiently . to talk, other than in a rambling way. At last reports he was lying helpless. It is the opinion of the doctor that : the man, who was crazed for drink, and being unable to get the alcohol in ’ the dry town, swiped a bottle of hair ; oil, bay rum, or some other preparation from a barber shop and drank ; it, and that his condition is simply a ; matter of plain intoxication. He ad- ; mits, however, that the mixture might . have contained poison, which, if tak . en in the right quantity might prove . fatal. That remains to be seen. Al ■ all events, the fact that a man has ■ reached such a state of craving, that . his appetite can only be satisfied In ! such away, is a very deplorable thing ■and the man is certainly deserving of the pity, instead of the ridicule of the people. j v • « €•: ■< >. •> ’

COURT HOUSE NEWS Last Will and Testament of Harlo Mann Was Probated Today. DONE BY DEPOSITION Other Matters of Interest as Taken From Hall of Justice. The last will of Harlo Mann was probated in court. Mr. Mann left no real estate but about $5,000 worth of personal property, all of which he gave to his wife, Winnie A. Mann. At her death he asks that what is left be divided equally among the children, Sarah Lammiman, James F. Mann, Nora E. Gilpen and Mattie A. Reichart. The will was written January 2nd, last, and was witnessed by Hallowell and Eddie McAlhaney, both of whom are now located at Texico, New Mexico, and it was necessary to probate the will by securing the deposition of these. This is tne second time such action has been necessary in Adams county, according to the records. Orlo E. Lesh vs. Sadie B. Lesh, a sensational divorce suit, from Wells county, has been set for trial, Saturday, January Bth. John Clem vs. Frederick Lillick, cancel mortgage, default of defendant, submitted; finding for plaintiff, mertgaVe cancelled. Clerk ordered to enter satisfaction of mortgage. Judgment against plaintiff for costs. Jesse A. Swartz vs. Jesse A. Swartz, adm., partition; petition filed by commissioners for an order to re-appraise portion of real estate. So ordered Real estate transfers: Eli W. Steele to John E. King et al., 10 acres. Root tp., $1100; Charles E. Bohner to Robert L. Sprunger, pt. lot 47, Monroe, *600; Isaac Summers to Charles E. Bohner, pt. lot 47, Monroe, $500; A. M. Counterman to W. C. Campbel], 60 acres. Blue Creek tp., $100; Alice Niblick et al. to William C. Campbell, 60 acres, Bue Creek tp., $400; Joseph Rich to C. C. Burry, pt. lot 321, Berne, S7OO.

NEARLY FINISHED Frosty Weather Prevents Finishing Touches to Macadam Streets. READY FOR ROLLER Will be Leveled at First Opportunity Given by Frost King. ♦ ’ Had the weather remained warm a few days longer, Decatur would have two smooth and rolling streets macadamized under the three-mile road law, and all ready for the bricking to be done by the property owners along the way. The last loads of screenings for the covering of the crushed stone on the Adams street improvements were hauled the first of last week by the men under the direction of Julius Haugk, the contractor, and It was his intention to finish at once the contracts for the 'macadamization of this street and Mercer avenue by the levelling with the roller. The cold weather, however, set in before this could be accomplished, so the rolling was necessarily postponed and will doubtless be done at the first opportunity—that is when the frost king gives up his rule sufficiently to allow the sun to put in his coaxing influences and make Mother Earth and her constituents soft and yielding. These streets are the only ones in the city improved under the threemile road law', providing for the macadamizing to be done by the township, leaving the bricking alon° for the property owners. The macadamizing consists of a crushed stone bed covered with screenings, and 'edged I with a stone curb. When finished! these thoroughfares will be the best I and most beautiful in the ciy. I

MAY SUMMON TRAINED NURSE. Sam Lehman Suffers Relapse and is Again Bedfast—Seriously Sick. Samuel Laman, of the hardware firm of Lehman & Lee, is very sick and unless there is a change for the better by 12 o’clock tonight a trained nurse will be secured from Fort Wayne. Mr. Laman has been bedfast for the past three weeks, suffering from bowel trouble. About a week ago he thought himself well enough to venture forth on the street, and he was out one day. This proved a sad mistake, however, for him and he has since been confined to his home and bed, no improvement.

BALLOTS PRINTED I Tickets for the Big Democratic Primary to be Held 3 c Next Friday Ready. ■ ■ c OVER FIVE THOUSAND J , 5 Twenty-Seven Candidates to t be Voted on for Eleven ( Different Offices. j - < i The job presses at this office today , whirled off 5,325 tickets, the same to ] be used for the big democratic pri- i mary, which occurs in this county ‘ on Friday of this week. The work of j overseeing the printing of the tickets, j to see that no mistakes w’ere made i and that the exact number needed 1 were printed, was in the hands of 1 Thomas Gallogly. countv chairman. I and F. V. Mills, treasurer, and Henry Lankenau, secretary of the county central committee. The number of tickets printed is estimated at about sixty per cent more than actually needed, that is to say that there will be cast at the Friday election about 3,000 votes. The tickets are as usual in the primaries, without any emblem at the top, for it has been found that when a design is used, often some fellow wanders in who votes ’er straight by marking in the circle, thus not voting for any one. The names for the various candidates are alphabetical, thus where there are five candidates, the one whose name begins with the letter “A” would be first on the list and so on down the line. The inspectors will call for the ballots Wednesday. There are twenty-seven candidates. - — MONROE HAS NEW STUDIO. Newton Shirk, of the firm of Newton & Shirk, photographers and architects of Monroe, passed through the city this morning on his way to Fort Wayne on business. This firm Is one that has been newly established at Morfroe, and their place of business is known as the Monroe studio. Mr. Newlon Is the architect and Mr. Shirk the photographer, and both have had much experience in their line. ORCHESTRA THIS EVENING. A special car on the Interurban this evening will convey the C. C. Schlatter orchestra of thirty-five members to this city, where at Bosse's opera house they will give a musical and literary entertainment under the auspices of the Epworth League, the proceeds to be used for missionary pur poses. Many tickets have been sold, and the attendance promises to be unusually good. o i, - AGED LADY SERIOUSLY SICK. Mrs. John Burkhead, an aged and well known lady of the county, Is quite sick at the home of her son-in-law, Jacob Johnson, living near the Washington M. E. church, west of the city. Mrs. Burkhead is suffering from liver trouble and has been bedfast for several days. She is about sev-enty-six years of age and this fact . makes her illness the more serious. I —• ANNUAL MASONIC MEETING. - All members of the Masonic lodge r are urged to be present at the regular - meeting tonight, as this is the annual I meeting at which time will occur the election of officers for the ensuing year. There are other matters of importance and all members should be there.

Price Two Cents

TOUGH OLD TRIP Was That Taken by Mr. and Mrs. Martin Jaberg to Toreva. Arizona. WILL TEACH INDIANS Their Life on the Frontier Starts With a Number of Minor Mishaps. Toreva, Ariz., Dec. 2, 1909. Friends of the Daily Democrat, Decatur, Indiana: To those Interested in hearing of journeys and travels we might give our experiences. Upon leaving Decatur the morning of the 23rd we arrived in Chicago at 8:15. We at once went to the Annen home at 3227 Flournoy street, where we saw the city and were entertained until Wednesday evening when we boarded a Santa Fe train. Being night we saw nothing until we were awakened and found we were crossing the Mississippi river. Just after ?rossing the river some boy took the pleasure of throwing a stone in the window and sent glass a'l over our bed. We went out and soon saw the muddy Missouri. We arrived in Kansas City at 11 a. m. We stopped there until 2:35 and soon were going over the plains of Kansas, and nothing special to attract attention. The next morning we got our breakfast at LaJunta. Colorado, from where the scenery became more picturesque, as mountains could be seen in the distance. At ElMoro they put two extra engines on our train to take us over the mountains. At Raton we went through a tong tunnel and from there on we were gofng up grade all day until we arrived at Las Vegas, where the engines were taken off. It was then night. We awoke at Albuquerque at about 1 o'clock and saw the eclipse of the moon. We finally reached Gal|pr onr stopping place. Saturday morning. Then the fun commenced.

We started out about 7 o’clock in a seven-passenger White steamer intending to go to Ganado, Arizona, that day, a distance of sixty-five miles. Instead we arrived at St. Michaels about 1; started away from there about 3, and as we were going over mountains we only got about four miles, as there was about five inches of snow, so we decided to go back to St. Michaels for the night. On Sunday morning we left St. Michael’s. Everything went lovely for about tw'elve miles, when we had to stop and melt enough snow for eighteen gallons of water. We built a fire and had the snow melted about noon. We proceeded and went only abount five miles when our auto broke and the driver tried to repair same, but it was soon night: so we built another fire and decided to stay for the night. We sat up and slept as best we could. The next morning the machine had been repaired and we again started. We got within three and one-half miles of Ganada when the driving shaft was bent and the Chaffeur walked to Ganado, got a team and we arriven in Ganar.o at 2 o’clock, having had nothing but a few crackers to eat for thirty hours. Hungry? Oh, no! At Ganado we stopped with Mr. Hubbell, an Indian trader, for a day and a half. Mr. Hubbell, by the way, is very rich, having enough Indian relics and pictures to make several fortunes. He has one picture alone that he refused SI,OOO for, and about 400 that are worth S2O each and baskets, blankets, etc. We saw him make one deal in which he sold S9OO worth of Navajo blankets. We were entertained to a queen’s taste and finally left on Wednesday morning on a fifty-mile drive, starting at 8 and arriving at Ream’s Canyon at 7. We saw at. one time a canyon fifty feet deep and above us rocks seventy-five feet high, and a drive-way about fifteen feet wide, one side as badl as the other, should anything have happen-

At Ream’s Canyon Is a large boarding school: about seven stone buildtags and thirty employees. We met the superintendent and we will be taken to our field Saturday morning, still a distance of thirty-three miles, making a distance of one hundred and thirty-three miles from a railroad station. Chinopody. our field, has never had fCourinuoft oas wage 43