Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 8, Number 76, Decatur, Adams County, 30 March 1910 — Page 1

Volume VIII. Number 76.

CASE IS REVERSED Ira Porter, Randolph County, Given Another Chance For Freedom. SENT UP FOR LIFE For Murder of Wife—Supreme Court Has Reversed the Verdict. Ira Porter, the Randolph county man, who nearly two years ago was convicted at Portland for the murder of his wife and sentenced to prison for life, will have another chance. The supreme court Tuesday reversed his case on the grounds that Judge LaFollette erred in refusing to give instructions on the absence of a motive for the murder. The opinion of the court was written by Judge Jordan and concurred in by all but Judge Monks, who took no part in the case. Porter is now seventy years old. Prior to his arrest he owned an eightyacre farm on the Randolph-Jay county line, but it was necessary to mortgage this and it has since been sold to meet the expenses of the trial. He will be returned from Michigan City at once and it is very doubtful if he will ever be tried again. The former trial cost Randolph county $2,000, and while his neighbors believe him guilty it will be difficult to again secure a conviction, it is claimed. o IMPORTANT M. E. MEETING. This evening will be held the regular prayermeeting service at the Methodist church, beginning at 7:30 o’clock. This will be followed by a baptismal service and at the conclusion of the meeting a very important meeting of the church board is to be held. Rev. Powell desires that all who ' can do so attend these meetings tonight. o ■ ■ ; Joel Reynolds left this noon for Flint, Mich., where he will work in one of the shops at that place.

TWO TOOK WORK Cal Magley and Charles Bowers Rode the Masonic Goat Last Night. VISITORS WERE HERE Bunch of the Boys Came Up From Poe—Social Hour Followed Work. The Masonic lodge enjoyed the most ■delightful session in months Tuesday evening, when the master’s degree •was conferred upon two candidates, Calvin Magley and Charles Bowers, the latter of Peterson. A large attendance, including the regular team, ■was there and the work was conferred in a splendid manner. Quite a large delegation from Poe came up unexpectedly to witness the work as performed by the local lodge and seemed to enjoy the meeting as well as anyone, in fact they expressed themselves as delighted with the evening. Master D. E. Smith was aqual to the occasion and promptly ordered refreshments and cigars and after the woik was completed a social session ol an hour or so made the minutes fly, and it was late when the boys got started home. The Masonic lodge is growing rapidly at present. There are five or six candidates on the way and se. oral applications for membership in the hands of the secretary. —n— RETURNS TO PITTSBURG. P. C. Mitchell, in the employ of the Westinghouse company, returned Monday to Pittsburg after a two months ■stay here, during which time he went over all the motors of the Fort Wayne & Springfield railway company. During his stay here Mr. Mitchell became quite popular with the young people o the city, all of whom express their regret over his departure.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

INJURED IN RUNAWAY. Miss Bessie Jeffries, who figured in an accident while out riding last Sunday and who has been unable to be about since that time, is somewhat Improved and it is thought she will beall right in a few days. She, with her’ friend. Miss Tillie Meyers, and brother, Fred, had secured a livery rig and when near Steele’s park the front wheels became loosened from the rig and all three were thrown out in the street. None were seriously injured in the fall, but received a number of bruises that were quite painful. After the horse broke away from the rig he ran to the barn with the front wheels fastened to him. The occupants were forced to foot their way to the city. No other damage was done.

HARTMAN FUNERAL Will be Held at Geneva on Thursday Afternoon— Remains Arrive Today. MISS DEYO IS DEAD Former Resident of Blue Creek Was Victim of Appendicitis. Geneva, Ind. March 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —The remains of the late George Hartman, who died at Indianapolis Tuesday, arrived at 1 o’clock this morning. The funeral services will be held at 1:30 o'clock Thursday afternoon at the M. E. churcn at this place in charge of Rev. C. J. Graves, assisted by the Rev. Carter of the German Reformed Reformed church at Herne. Interment at the Studabaker cemetery, two miles north of Geneva. Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Loyd of High street received a message Tuesday evening announcing the death of Miss Elva Deyo, the fourteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Deyo, of Montezuma, Ohio. The family formerly lived in Blue Creek township, two miles south of Steele. Death was due to appendicitis. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd left this morning for Montezuma to attend the funeral. John Goff, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Goff, who has been working in the oil fields near Montreal, Canada, is here for a visit with his parents, the first time in two years. Ex-Marshal T. M. Atkinson, is now employed at Honor, Michigan, where he is scaling lumber for a big lumber company. John Hartman and mother of Bulffton are here to attend the funeral of Geo. Hartman, the deceased being a half brother of Mrs. Hartman. —o — RETURNED HOME. Leonard Merryman returned home yesterday from Indianapolis, where he was called on account of the serious illness of his sister, Miss Dessie Merryman. She has been sick but a short time with peritonitis and on Sunday took suddenly worse, and sent for her brother to come. He left his sister somewhat improved, but still in a very bad condition. —— o OPERATION SUCCESSFUL. Homer Lower, the rural mail carrier, was operated upon at the Lutheran hospital at Fort Wayne at 10 o’clock this morning by Drs. Duemling and Miller. A telephone message received here at noon said that the operation was a complete success and it. is believed that Homer will soon have entirely recovered. —— o THE DIDOT JEWELRY SALE. The public auction of jewelry advertised to occur last week, was postponed on account of it being holy week. The auction will be given soon, the exact date to be announced later. Watch for it. This will be a bona Aide sale that will interest you. _— o Mrs. J. B. Fonner of Fort Wayne is visiting with Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Fenner at Monmouth. While on a trip to this city this morning Mrs. J. B. Fonner had the misfortune to lose a purse containing four dollar bills and some change.

Decatur, Indiana. Wednesday Evening, March 30, 1910.

THE COURT NEWS Ml ——J New Divorce Case Filed— Parties Live in South Part of County. AN INSURANCE CASE Is Being Tried in Court Today—One Marriage License Was Issued. Butcher A. Armantrout have filed a new case, Anna E. King vs. Jacob King, for divorce. The parties were married at Geneva May 6, 1899, and lived together until February 10, 1909. Failure to support, drunkenness and abandonment are alleged. Mrs. King owns a small property and asks that the defendant be stopped from taking any part thereof. People’s State bank vs. Mary Neaderhouser, administratrix, and Emil Erhart, claim, answer and cross-com-plaint filed by defendant Erhart. In the William Glendening et al, petition for drain the same was referred to drainage commissioners and and John Brown appointed additional commissioner, to meet at auditor's office Monday, April 4th, and after qualifying to proceed to view the said premises. The German Fire Insurance Co. vs. Graham & Lower, damages, S4OO. Demurrer overruled. Written request filed by plaintiffs for special finding of facts and conclusions of law. The trial of the case began this morning. The plaintiff is represented by C. J. Lutz of this city and Merril Moores of Indianapolis and the defendants by Peterson and 'doran. The president and treasurer of the insurance company, Stine and Ryer, are attending the trial. A marriage license has been issued to Mary Topp, 20, of this county and Romanes LaFountaine, 22 a farmer of Jay county. The jury ommissioners have been ordered to meet at the clerk’s office between April 4th and April 9th to select the petit jury for the April term of court.

SNAKES IN DROVES Austin Straub and Boyd R. Keever Had a Busy Hour or Two. KILL MANY SNAKES Are Awarded the Belt For the County of St. Joseph in Michigan. Austin O. Straub and Boyd R. Keever, second and third trick operators, respectively, employed at the G. R. & I. passenger station in this city, are accustomed to take a jaunt in the country each afternoon to enjoy the fresh spring breezes. One afternoon the first of this week the boys decided to go fishing at a small lake known as Plum*lake, just east of town. Soon after arriving at the lake the boys discovered several snakes lying in the sun and each procured a stick and started killing snakes, which were found in great numbers near the water's edge. Upon their return to town they related their experiences of an hour ago, and both of them declare they saw* seventy-five, snakes and were successful in killing seventy of the reptiles in a short time. Both are highly respected young men of this community and are accredited with always telling nothing but the truth regardless of the outcome. Neither of them will admit that they have had anything to drink stronger than water for six weeks or more. As the foregoing is a true story the boys are undoubtedly entitled to the championship belt as snake killers of St. Joseph county, Michigan.—Sturgis Journal.

TO CANDO, NORTH DAKOTA. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Merryman and daughter left yesterday for Cando, North Dakota, where Mr. Merryman hired himself to John Durbin, formerly of this place, and who is now located at that place. Heretofore the Merrymans lived on his father's farm In Blue Creek township, but left to see how he would like the northwestern country. If satisfactory to him he may later on purchase land and also make that place his future home. PLEASED' MANY “Parish Priest” by Home Players Found Favorable Reception. PLAYERS SKILLFUL And Delight Large Audience With Their Excellent Interpretation. A cast of nine of the city's young people, In the home talen play, “The Parish Priest,’’ given at Bosse’s opera house Tuesday evening under the auspices of the local order of the Catholic Benevolent Legion of Indiana, again demonstrated the fact that Decatur is possessed of much histrionic talent. While several of the players have appeared before in home talent plays, others were new, yet they proved themselves equal to the trial, and won the compliments of all who were privileged to attend Tusday evening. The play itself is an excellent one to work with, and with suitable and well-detailed scenery, gave the players an admirable setting and material from which to develop. It would be difficult to say who were leading lady and leading man —so dependent were each upon the other for the development of the play, and so good were all. Father Whalen, the parish priest, who, with here and there a word of advice, good cheer and good will, set straight the tangled webs of life that in the end were woven into a beautiful and happy pattern, was well represented byHenry Thomas, who managed the play, and who has become too well known to Decatur people to need any further word. Otto Wemhoff excellently portrayed the aged Dr. Cassiday, who was about to turn over his practice of forty years to young Dr. Edward Welsh, who was the unconscious cause of the whole confusion and misunderstanding, by expressing the wish that Dr. Edward might marry his daughter, Agnes Cassiday, when for years he had been the lover of Nellie Durkin. Dr. Edward Welsh was personified by Howard Wisehaupt, who played his part in a sympathetic way. Miss Agnes Cassiday, a vixon under adverse corcumstances, when engaged to Dr. Welsh, whom she did not love, after a quarrel with her true lover, Frank Dougher, was well given by Miss Ada Murray. Frank Dougher,, her lover, and the attorney for Shea & Co., found true and admirable expression by Jay M. Falvey. No one could have better struck off Michael Sullivan, the true son of the Emerald isle, as Dr. Cassiday’s man of affairs, who kept the audience laughing with his witty sayings, than did Martin Mylott. Jim Welsh, a brother of the young doctor Welsh, was well interpreted by Hugh Hite, and Miss Katharine Corrigan, a visitor from Ireland, Mrs. Louis Holthouse. The most lovelycharacter, perhaps, that of Miss Nellie Durkin, niece of Father Whalen, a trusting, loving little lady, yet, who, under conditions that demanded it, could be very haughty and firm, was most excellently given by Miss Verena Niblick. Each of these characters, step by step, with consumate skill, brought the plot to a head, and the grand climax lay in the close, when everything “turned out lovely," and demonstrated the old fact that the course of true love, while it. mayend so happily, does not always run smoothly. Miss Naomi Niblick, an accomplished musician, presided at the piano. The C. B. L. of I. is very well pleased with their success in this matter, and wish to thank all for their patronage, and for their help in the matter, Mr. Thomas, the players, and especially the business houses who assisted by helping with the stage settings and costumes.

CUT THROUGH BARS Two Murderers Escape from Jail at Norfolk, Virginia —Kill a Man. A MICHIGAN WRECK Colonel Roosevelt and Party Leave Cairo for Alexandria and Naples. (United Press Service.) Portsmouth, Va., March 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Two men, John Carter and John Smith, murderers, awaiting transfer from the Norfolk jail to the prison at Richmond, for electrocution, cut through the bars of the murderer’s cage and escaped with another prisoner. Blood hounds and posses are now on thentrail. James Smith saw the escaping prisoners and was killed while attempting to give the alarm. (United Press Service.) Jackson, Mich., March 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Rounding a turn at a high rate of speed at the foot of Watts Hill today, a United Railway interurban car jumped the track, killing an unidentified man and seriously injuring five others. The coroner has begun an investigation. (By Staff Correspondent to United Press.) Cairo, March 30 —(Special to DailyDemocrat)—President Roosevelt and family left here this morning for Alexandria. They will sail from the latter city this afternoon for Naples, where they will arrive Saturday. \ great crowd of Nationalists gathered at the hotel and made a demonstration against Roosevelt today but there was not attempt at violence. ManyAmericans and friends of the ex-pres-ident bid the party farewell. They are ail in the best of health. ' -o THREE INDIANA POSTMASTERS. (United Press Service.) Washington, D. C., March 30 (Special to Daily Democrat)—'Wie president today sent the following nominations to the senate to be postmasters in Indiana: Isaac M. Zent, Auburn; Maynard Schupp, Michigan City; Henry Pighenor, Princeton.

NEEDS NEW FENCE Decatur Cemetery Association Considers Erection of Iron Fence ALONG THE FRONT Os the Decatur Cemetery— Prospective Visit Yesterday—Submit Plans. The board of trustees of the Decatur Cemetery association, comprising J. H. Stone, John Niblick, Matt Kirsch, Sylvester Spangler and J. W. Tepele, accompanied by M. E. Brackett of thcWard Fence company, visited the De.catur cemetery on West Monroe street Monday afternoon on business relative to the erection of a new iron fence along the front of the cemetery on Monroe street. The present wooden fence, which has served for a number of years, is somewhat dilapidated and wholly out of keeping with the beautiful cemetery otherwise kept in such excellent condition. Recognizing the need of a new fence, both from the standpoint of necessity and attractiveness, the board has been considering the erection of a new one for some time. The trip yesterday, which was merely a prospective one, resulted in no decision. Mr. Brackett was asked to draw a blue print, showing plans of the proposed fence, and when completed these will be submitted to the board for decision or adoption. Hkesman & Garard of the Fair store are building in their display windows, thus giving them greater room for the showing of their goods, the stock having been lately enlarged.

SENIORS STUDY THE X-RAY. The seniors of the Decatur high school, with their science teacher, Miss Nora Smith, visited the Dr. Coverdale office this morning, where they were given some practical demonstration of the working of the Xray instrument,which interesting study has just been reached by the class in th course of its work. It has been proven without a doubt that Bruce Patterson has a heart, as they saw this organ in its work, and also the bones of various members of the class who submitted themselves for the demonstration. The morning lesson was a very interesting one and the class feels much Indebted to Doctors Coverdale for the use of the X-rays.

A HOWLING SUCCESS Was the Opening of Beaver’s Racket Store at Monticello. THE JAM WAS GREAT And Everything Started Off Under Most Auspicious Circumstances. A. J. Beavers, a life-long resident of this county, and one of its most enterprising farmers, who a fewweeks ago with his family moved to Monticello, where he opened a racket store last Saturday, writes friends here that the opening was a complete success. Hundreds were in attendance, several women in the crowd fainted, some fought, and the scene was one otherwise of great enthusiasm as the Monticello Evening Journal gives in its Monday’s issue: “Talk about jams and crowds, the one at the Beavers 5 and 10 cent store opening Saturday morning was about the limit in this city, except It has been some circus day attraction or political demonstration. The side walk in front of the store was crowded to the gutter when the clock struck 10 and how the tinware did go as soon as the crowd pushed through the door.

Mr. Morris stood in the window and handed the articles out over the payjitipn, Such grabbing, pushing and hauling you never did see. Only about one person in five secured an article, but the ladies engaged lost rats, combs, hats and were generally tousled and fussed-up when they drew back out of the melee. “The crowd was one that the store room had never witnessed before and the most of the people had never been in the room. They were surprised to see what a fine room it was and the stock on display. “The fixtures are all new and were built especially for a notion stock. The goods are also all new and the. most of them are entirely new patterns for this town. Mr. Morris, the buyer, is an expert in his line, as he has been at the work for years, and is on the watch. “The business for the day was away beyond Mr. Beaver's expectation and the goods displayed surprised those who visited the store. The other special sales of the day drew good crowds. The store would be a credit to any city a dozen times larger than this.” His many friends here are pleased to hear of the successful launching of his enterprise. STEUBEN COUNTY IS DRY. The Majority is 889 in Local Option Election Held Yesterday. county voted “dry" by a majority of 889 in a local option election yesterday. The only township to return a “wet" majority was I’leasant, in which Angola is located. It gave the wets 54 majority. The county was previously dry by remonstrance. The total vote cast was 3,093, only about seventy per cent of the total vote cast in the congressional election in 1908. Many of the farmers remained at home caring for their spring work, and the, dry leaders claim that if there had been a full vote their majority would have been close to 1,500. The stay-at-home vote is estimated at twothirds dry.

Price Two Cents

ABOUT THE SICK Paralysis Added to Many Other Afflictions of Mrs. D. P. Reynods. AT POINT OF DEATH Is Entirely Helpless—Mrs. Harriet Longenbacher Very Sick. Mrs. D. P. Reynolds, who was operated upon some time ago, revealing a cancerous condition of the liver, but who has been able to be up and about the house at times, was taken suddenly worse about noon today, suffering a stroke of paralysis. It was thought at that time that she was dying. She is apparently unconscious and helpless, though it is thought that her hearing Is not affected. Doctors stated that her death might occur at any time, though she may live several weeks in this condition. Her daughter, Mrs. Priest, of Oklahoma, has been with her some time and her son, Will, only recently returned to his home there. She is sixty-six years of age. , J

Dr. McOscar of Fort Wayne was in the city this morning and held a consultation with Doctors Clark regarding the condition of Mrs. Harriet Longenbacher, who has been suffering with asthma for some time at the home of her daughter, Mrs. M. Kirsch. Dr. McOscar agreed with the local doctors that the complaint is asthma, and it is thought that there is no permanent cure. Mrs. Longenbacher is quite aged, and it is said that but for the very strong condition of her heart, she would not be able to withstand the great suffering she endures, from the difficulty in breathing. She is also the mother of Mrs. A. G. Sellemeyer. o Mrs. Sherman Essex of Monroe, who was in the city for a short visit with her sister, Mrs. Jonas Tritch, returned to her home on the afternoon train. « o WILL GROW HEDGE

G. R. & I. Railroad is Further Beautifying Grounds in This City. SURROUND THE LAWN North of Depot With Hedge Fence—Now Making the Trenches For It. The Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad is bound to make its depot grounds in this city equal to the others along its line which are noted for their beauty and taste in arrangement. A short time ago the company built a new brick depot, with everything beautiful and convenient for the accommodation of Its patrons, and a year or two ago took especial pains in laying out the plot of ground adjacent thereto and sowing it with grass seed, which has now developed into a lawn that with the care and passing of years will be one of the most beautiful and velvety in the city. To further the beauty there, workmen are now engaged in digging a trench around this plot, on the north side of the depot, In which will be planted a hedge. The trench has now been dug around the west and north sides, and will soon reach the east and south sides. This Is being filled with good soils and fertilizers and everything will soqp be ready for the setting out of the shrubs. The work is being done by John Logan, Levi Poling, James Urick and Will Sudduth of the railroad force. o ._ TREATMENT AT HOPE HOSPITAL. B. P. Harkless, a prominent farmer . of Root township, who has been ail--1 ing for some time with kidney and liver trouble, went to Hope hospital, i Fort Wayne, this morning, where he will take treatment. He was accom- • panted by his son, J. C. Harkless.