Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 9, Number 126, Decatur, Adams County, 29 May 1911 — Page 1

Volume IX. Number 126.

HOWARD PARKER’S TERRIBLE DEED Hanged Little Daughter Leah, Then Himself, In The Wagon Shed

GIRL WAS SAVED Taken Down by Frantic Mother Who Found Bodies Dangling to Ropes. HAD FAMILY TROUBLE Deed of Blue Creek TownShip Farmer Sunday Shocks Community. Distracted over family troubles, the apparent estrangement of his wife and daughter's affection, Howard Parker, aged tbout twenty-nine years, Sunday noon at 12 o'clock, took his little three-year-old daughter, Leah, whom he loved to distraction, to the buggy shed, placed the loop of a rope about her baby neck, and shoved her little body into supposed eternity, then with another rope hanged himself by her side. Mrs. I arker, fearing some thing was wrong, went to the stable within a few minutesSHRDLUSHRD yard a few minutes later and entering the wagon shed was horrified at the terrible sight, which met her eyes. The father had not done his intended work very well, as the loop had worked upward, allowing the child to continue breathing, and her legs were i still working convulsively when the , mother entered the shed. She quickly lifted the child to the wagon, loos-' ened the rope and carried her to the house. A physician was summoned 1 from Monroe and the child revived. ; Word from the Parker home this i morning was that little Leah, who was 1 three years old this month, was able I to play about the house and It is not believed any serious results will follow. Neighbors, who arrived soon, took the lifeless body of Mr. Parker down. So far as his life was concerned, he had succeeded in bringing it to a close, and life was no doubt extinct when Mrs. Parker entered the shed, as there was no longer signs of the struggle for breath that would come naturally. It is said that Mr. and Mrs. Parker had been having considerable trouble, and had not been getting along us peaceably as is necessary for happiness in a household. They had quarreled Sunday morn.ng, and it is presumed that Mr. Parker determined to die, and to take the little girl whom he almost worshipped, with him. He was a well known young man a hard worker, and well liked by many who knew him. He was a son oi W. H. Parker, who formerly lived in Blue Creek township, but later moved to this city, where he engaged in the real estate business, later moving to Van Wert county. The deceased young man was born July 4, 1883, and was therefore in his twenty-ninth year. He was married November 10, 1905, to Rilla Riley of Blue Creek township, and they made their home on a small farm owned by Mrs. Parker’s mother. Parker did labor wherever he could find It and at one time was employed by Julius Haugk in his stone quarries. Mr. Haugk speaks of him as a splendid young man, well informed , and intelligent. The widow and the one daughter survive. The funeral arrangements could not be learned. THOUGHT TRACE DEAD. Boys Play Trick on Trace Nelson and Rumor Was at First Believed. A rumor spread quickly through the streets Sunday evening, started by some of Trace Nelsons friends, that ho had dropped dead and for a whi e the many were at a loss to understand the affair, and some time passed before the question was finally settled that Trace was not dead, and was as well as usual. Some one hung a sign on the True & Runyon grocery store which read, "Trace Nelson has turned

DECATUR DALLY DEMOCRAT

up his toes,” and being noticed by passers-by, attracted much attention, and soon inquiries began to pour in to learn of the true condition. The trick, though Just in fun, is going a little too far in this line, and caused much excitement, and is not the best policy to be carried out. o— CLOSE ON DECORATION DAY. , We, the undersigned merchants of the city of Decatur, agree to close our respective places of business on Decoration Day, Tuesday, May 30, at 12 m for the balance of the day. Goode , will re delivered in the forenoon only: Niblick & Co. M. Fullenkamp. The Kueblet Co.’ F. V. Mitts. Teeple, Brandyberry & Peterson. Holthouse, Schulte & Co. The Myers-Dailey Co. Winnes Shoe Store. Charles Voglewede. * Peoples & Gerke. True & Runyon. ;1 Vance, Hite & Macklin. Ed E. Parent. Elzey & Falk. Everett & Hite. Yager Bros. & Retaking. Meyer, Scherer & Beavers. Gay, Zwick & Meyers. Hower & Hower. Bdushwiller & Baker. ( o PLAY PORTLAND. The local base ball team will leave in the morning for Portland, where they have a double header scheduled to be pulled off with that city's fast amateur team. One game is to be played in the morning, and one in the afternoon, and both will be of much interest, as the locals are going with the expectation of winning, and have prepared themselves for the event. The have a good, stiff line-up and unless they have a streak of bad luck they will bring home the honors of the game. They have but a few more games to be played away from home. By arrangements made with local people the home grounds are to be fixed up and put in shape for playing, and then some fast ball can be expected. A little boost is all that is needed. RESPECTS SHOWN. A large (attendance of sorrowful friends and relatives gathered at the Methodist church Sunday afternoon to pay for the last time their sad respects to Mrs. Clyde McClure, one whom in life they held in the highest esteem, and whose death was one of the saddest to be recorded. The services were in charge of the Rev. Imler of the United Brethren church, who paid a high tribute to the life of the deceased lady. Interment ook place at the Decatur cemetery. —~o - • FINGER CUT. Arthur, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Voglewede, met with a somewhat painful accident Sunday morning, while playing, and during which time he received a badly cut finger. He, with his brother, was playing in the yard, when they noticed the lawn mower. In some way Arthur got his fingers be- i tween the knives, cutting the little finger of the left hand, so that the attention of a physician was necessary to dress it. REQUEST FOR FLOWERS. ’ All persons having flowers, which they will give for Decoration Day use, are requested to leave them at the G. A. R. hall by 9 o’clock Tuesday morning, where they will be much appreciated by the W. R. C. committee in charge of this part of the Decoration day service. Committee: MRS. JOHN MALOTTE. MRS. VINNIE LYON. o - —' Marie Carrier, who is working at Fort Wayne, was in the city Sunday the guest of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Carrier, south of the city.

Decatur, Ind. Monday Evening, May 29, 1911.

AVIATION MEET Held in Fort Wayne Sunday Witnessed by Many People From Here. A MOTOR ACCIDENT Happened in Ten Mile Race —John Hughes, Driver, Seriously Injured. This city was well represented at the aviation meet, held in Fort Wayne Sunday, many from here attending. The day’s exhibition started off with a five-mile motorcycle race, with seven starters, and finished with three, the time being six minutes, 3414 seconds. The second event was a ten,mile motor-cycle race, free for all, with fourteen starters. On the second lap of the race, John Hughes, an amateur, unable to see the turn because of a huge dust cloud, ran into the fence, breaking three panels, demolishing his machine and breaking an arm, seriously injuring his head, and a sprained back for his share. He was thrown a distance of thirty feet, and when spectators arrived he was found to be still breathing, and he was rushed to a hospital in an automobile. He had just purchased a new racing car and the evening before, while trying the car, ran into the bank at the upper lap. He was to have run a race with one of the aeroplanes, but the injuries he sustained made it impossible to hold the race. The bird men, although complaining of the dangerous conditions of the atmosphere, gave several fine exhibition flights, rising to a distance of nearly eight hundred feet, and in making the turns tipped perilously, only to glide away in a masterful manner. The last event was a grand double flight by the two machines, one driven by Willard, making a high exhibition flight, and the other was forced to make a breakaway in drder to keep in the air. Making a long turn the machine was guided back to the ground, where it alighted safely. DECATUR COLONY In Arkansas Stone Quarry Region Getting Along Well—Like the Place. FISHING IS FINE Joe Diener Catches ThirtyFour Pound Cat-fish— Fourteen Men There. Julius Haugk, who has large stone quarry interests near Imboden, Ark., where he has a force of fourteen Decatur men at work, spent Sunday here with his family, and expects to leave again Tuesday for his quarry. He will be accompanied by his son, Herman, who will spend the summer there. The weather there is not more warm than that here and the Decatur colony likes the place fine. The fishing is especially good there and he reports Mike Meibers and Joe Deiner as the banner fishermen. Last week Deiner caught a cat-fish that weighed twenty-two pounds and the week before, one that weighed thirty-four pounds. The proposed deal for the trading of his property here for land in the south, which was considered some time ago, has been declared off, for the present at least, the family preferring to live in the north. CEMETERY TRUSTEES’ WARNING. In all kindness the trustees of the Decatur cemetery want to Ask the people who use hydrants at the cemetery to be particularly careful about shutting off the water after they have drawn what is needed for watering the flowers and plants. Last week several boys after playing around the hydrants left them open and as g consequence the big fifty barrel tank was exhausted. This causes much inconvenience and must not occur again. Please warn the children when you send them to the cemetery to water the flowers.

I BANKER JOHN MILLS DEAD. Well Known Portland Man Died Saturday Evening After Short lllnesa. ’ L. C. Waring received a telephone message from Portland Saturday evening, telling him of the death of his friend, John W. Mills, cashier of the Adair bank at Portland, and well known by many In this city. Mr. Mills had been ill only a few days, and his death was a severe shock to his manv friends. While his disease bailed the physicians and specialists who made I | every effort to save his life It is believed that death was due to uraemic poisoning. Mr. Mills was aged about forty-two. and was one of the best bankers in this section of the state. HONOR THE HEROES K 1 Fitting Tribute Paid in Union Memorial Service Sunday For i THE BRAVE MEN J 1 Who Fought For The Couni i try’s Honor—Sermon by , Rev. Chas. E. Ehle. r “V — U.a 5 With the chancel appropriately dec- - orated with American flags and with ; great bowls of beautiful garden flowX ers, at the altar, and the doorways draped with the silken folds of the American flag, for which the soldiers ’ fought, the Presbyterian church Sunday morning was a fitting scene for ’ the annual memorial services held in honor of the brave defenders of American principles. The central section ’ of the main auditorium had been reserved for the members of the G. A. R. r and all soldiers, as well as for the ’ women of the Relief Corps who attended in a boay, marching from the hall to the church, with the large Ameri can flag in the lead in the hands of the color bearers. Nearly all the churches of the city dismissed the regular Sunday morning services at their several places of worship and joined in this union service, the Press byterian church being more than filled. The service was opened with an organ prelude by Miss Elizabeth Peterson, followed by the congregational singing of the doxology, then the invocation, the recital of the apostle’s creed and the singing of the Gloria. The Rev. Imler, as presiding officer of the ministerial association of the city, in a short talk, extended to the Rev. Gleiser, the new pastor of the < church, a hearty welcome. He stated ' that the ministerial family was glad to announce an increase in the family, and especially since the new chap was ■ so promising a youngster. He stated that the association trusted that under its nourishment and care he would rapidly grow stronger and stronger in spirit and truth, and the Rev. Gleiser responded, thanking him for his words of welcome, in gladness of appreciation of the same. The reading of the appropriate • Scripture lesson was well done by the . Rev. Wise of the Evangelical church, j with an earnest prayer following by I the Rev. Semans of the Methodist , church. The special musical part of > the service was beautifully approprii ate. the choir, comprising Messrs, s Bruce and Fred Patterson, J. C. Pat- - terson. Will Schrock, C. J. Lutz, Hugh ■ Perkins and Wilson Lee, rendering a song, “We Are Marching Under the t Banner.” Miss Frances Laman also > gave a solo, entitled,. "Out on the l Misty Sea of Life.” These selections were received with exquisite pleasure. The speaker of the day was the Rev. i Charles E. Ehle, pastor of the Baptist ; church. He began by thanking the congregation in behalf of the G. A. R., i for the favors bestowed upon them, the meeting, the musical selections, for the interest taken by the various . churches, and asked their co-operation in making the Decoration Day exers cises of May 30th one worthy of the ■ day. Rev. Ehle then announced his ■ subject, “Our Nation’s Honor,’ ’taking as his text a part of the thirtieth verse > of the second chapter of the first book ; of Samuel: "For them that honor me I will honor and they that despise me ■ shall be lightly esteemed.” - • The sermon brought out the points > that our honor i|. one of our dearest • possessions, worth the giving our our . life. Just as $e boys in blue fought i for the nation’s honor so should we ' fight to preserve our individual honor, CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.

ABOUT THE SICK Mrs. Irvin Acker Goes to Fort Wayne to Submit to Operation. OTHER FOLKS BETTER Miss Emma Terveer is Improving Rapidly, as is Also Mr. Ellis. Decatur people who Sunday paid a visit to the hospital at Fort Wayne, return with good news and state that ‘all are doing nicely. The condition of 'Miss Emma Terveer is still improving, as she has been doing for nearly a week now, and she Is pronounced by the physician to be out of danger. Just what day she will return home is not known, but It is thought some time the latter part of the week. Mr. Ellis is still gaining strength, and those caring for him are well pleased with the in his condition, which is shown, and believe be will now get along all right without any trouble. He is now able to sit up and be about the hospital, and it is believed that he, too. will be able to return to his home here before the pass- . ing of many days. I Mrs. Irvin Acker, accompanied by her daughter. Miss Eva, left this morning for Fort Wayne, where the former entered Hope hospital, and on tomorrow morning w’ill undergo an operation for hernia. She has been afflicted with this illness for sometime and it was deemed by the attending physician that the only way to obtain relief was to submit to an operation. Dr. Beavers, who has been in charge of her case, will look after the operation and will be assisted by several Fort Wayne physicians. PYTHIAN SISTERS’ NOTICE. : All Pythian Sisters are requested to ' be at the meeting this evening at the hall. I oSMASH RECORDS ' I Wild Bill Burman Breaks I Up All Previous Attempts at Motor Speedway. WRECK IN NEBRASKA I Ten Known to be Dead and Twenty Injured, Many of Them Fatally. (United Press Service.) Indianapolis, Ind., May 29 —(Special . to Daily Democrat)—Riding faster ■ than any man has dared to ride on the Motor Speedway track here, "Wild Bill” Burman today established new records for quarter-mile, half-mile, ' kilometer and mile. His time for a miles was 35.35, for the quarter 8.16, for the half 16.83, and for the kilo- ■ meter 21.40. Big crowds are arriving for the 500 mile race tomorrow, and it is expected that a hundred thou- > j,and people will witness the race. I Indianola, Neb., May 29—(Special i to Daily Democrat)—While running at the rate of fifty miles an hour near herethis morning two passenger trains on the Burlington railroad collided . head-on. At least eight are dead and a score badly injured, ten of them fatally. The wreck is said to have occurred by a disobedience of orders , by the eastbound train, which was to have taken a siding. Steam pipes in . the wrecked train scalded the vic- , tims who were pinned under the dei bris. The enginemen of both trains • were killed. The Omaha and Denver ■ base ball teams were on one of the trains and several Denver players ■ ,were hurt. CARD OF THANKS. Clyde McClure, Mr. and Mrs. Elijah ■ Nidlinger and Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas take this way of thanking the ■ many who so kindly assisted them at the time of the death of their wife and daughter.

SENIORS OFF TO COLLEGE. Many of the graduates of the high school who completed the course last week will enter at once upon a course of normal training to prepare for the profession of teaching. Five leave today to enter training schools. Among them are Marie Daniels, Mutie Chronister, Ruby Parrish and Hulday Bauer, who go to Marion, and Roy . Jahn n> Valparaiso. During the follow- ' Ing week several will enter the school at Angola, among them being Ruth Gay, Bernice Dailey, Martin and Harry Hoffman and Louis Adler. Clem Stelgmeyer will enter Indiana university in the fall for a full university J course. TO ETERNAL CITY Was Mrs. John T. Baker, Well Known Kirkland Township Lady CALLED LAST NIGHT , . I b . Had Been in Failing Health i > Since Accident a Year > Ago February. In failing health since a year ago last February, when she suffered a fall down tne cellar steps, sustaining a broken leg, Mrs. John T. Baker, aged 1 sixty-eight years, one of the best be- ’ loved and best known ladies of Kirk- ( 1 land township, passed into eternal life ' at 12:30 o’clock this morning. Mrs. 1 Baker never fully regained her .strength since the accident and later ’ complications of asiiima and lung trouble arise. For several weeks she had been at the point of death, but la- ■ ' ter became better, only again to be- ’ come worse until final relief at the hour stated. The maiden name of the deceased was Malinda Beery. She was the daughter of Eli and Hester . Beery and was born January 13, 1843, in Fairfield county, Ohio. When but (| four years of age, she came with her parents to this county and settled! west of this city, spending the remainI der of her life in this vicinity. She L ' I was married April 15, 1860, to John T. I Baker, the couple arriving the the fifty-first anniversary of their marri- I, age last April 15th. Those who have been acquainted with Mrs. Baker say I ( ' that nothing too good can be spoken i , of her life, as she was an ideal woman, L wife and mother, a devout Christian in ] every respect. The marriage was un- j usually happy and. besides the heart- ( broken husband she leaves the follow- , ing grief-stricken children: Ellen, , wife of B. F. Beery, of Goshen; Frank t Baker, of Elkhart; Jonas E. Balder, of ] Peabody, Kansas; Samuel Baker, of-j Mott, N. D.; John Baker of Houston, ] Texas, and Rosa, wife of Charles Andrews, who resides at the homestead, j Quite recently the children from a , distance were called to the mother's , bedside, and were here with her for several weeks, but upon her improve- j I ment, returned again to their several , ■ vocations. Mrs. Baker leaves the fol- ; . lowing brothers: Martin Beery of j I this city, Reuben, John and Chris , Beery of near this city, and Dan Beery , of this city. The funeral will be held , t Wednesday, the hour to be arranged 1 later upon receipt of word from the i - children who live at a distance. The I ; services will be held at the Beery t I church west of this city. The Rev. f - A. B. Yoder of Bronson, Michigan, a < minister of the Mennonite church, of | which Mrs. Baker was a member be- ,1 I fore uniting with the United Breth- f ' ren in Christ, and the Rev. G. W. i • Tevis of New Carlisle, Ohio, will con- t i duct the services. ,1 I . During her declining days, Mrs. t I Baker made the request that should .1 her friends desire to pay their re- ’ ■ spects to her after her death by the ; i giving of flowers, that the floral pieces i i be of the white flowers only, with the i i green foliage as a background. j MR. VAN CAMP HAS RESIGNED. , i B. L. Van Camp, the accommodating • ’and genial manager of the local gas s ’plant, has resigned his position. He i Ijhas been here for ten months and has .innumerable friends who will regret to learn that he will probably leave Decatur soon, as he has a splendid offer in one of the cities of northern i Indiana. His resignation was sent i ten days ago and he was relieved from e duty Saturday. Mr. Anderson of For' t Wayne will be in charge here tempore arily until Mr. Van Camp’s successor is named.

Price, Two Cents

ON CAR IN COLLISION Chas. Colter Escaped With Minor Injuries in Traction Collision. SOUTH OF BLUFFTON Wreck Occurred Similar to That of Kingsland Wreck Last Fall. Charles H. Colter, who was returning Saturday evening from a business trip to Munoie and other points in the interest of the Smith & Bell lumber company, was one of those who sustained minor injuries in the wreck between a southbound Muncie-Bluff-ton interurban car and an Indianap-olis-Fort Wayne limited northbound car on the Indiana Union traction line south of Bluffton Saturday evening a few minutes before 5 o'clock. The wreck was very similar in mode of occurrence to that of the Kingsland wreck of last September 21st, though in this wreck there were no fatalities, three being seriously Injured and five others quite badly injured, though twenty or more of the sixty on the limited and the thirty on the local received minor bruises. The wreck occurred a mile south of Poneto, or about six miles south of Bluffton. The Kingsland wreck occurred just about that distance north of Bluffton. The southbound car in charge of Motorman Farber and Con‘ductor Smith, was standing one car ‘length north of the siding, ready to take the switch, which is the regular passing point, and allow' the northbound car to pass. The northbound ’car, which is the limited, ran three car lengths past the point where it ’should have stopped, and crashed into the stationary car at the rate of about twenty miles an hour. ’ Mr. Colter stated that the north bound car was somewhat behind time >and had been running with full speed ,to make up for lost time. Mr. Colter »was about five seats from the rear of (the car. As he was sitting there unconcernedly, he suddenly noticed the passengers at the front rise to their feet with oqe accord, and then he heard the tooting of a whistle. Knowing that something was wrong he got to his feet in less time than it takes to tell, and got into the aisle, where he saw with horrow the car into which they were about to run. Simultaneously he seemed to spe all the passengers lifted from their feet into the air, himself with the others —and then slammed down with full force onto the floor. Mr. Colter, however, was fortunate enough to be thrown upon several other people and escaped with little injury. The fact that he was in .the aisle, also, out of the way of the seats, which were flopped about violently, also saved him more serious jinjury. Mr. Colter stated that the collision occurred near a curve in the road, and that the motorman, as soon as he saw the approaching collision, tried to turn on the brakes, but they refused to work. The emergency brakes he also used and tried to reverse the car, and while this may have to some extent helped in averting a greater disaster, could not prevent the wreck. The front platform of the .southbound car ploughed into the front platform of the northbound car. a distance of some five or six feet and the partition between the main room and the smoker of the southbound car was broken out. The northbound car on .which Mr. Colter was riding, had the .vestibule broken out and nearly all the windows in the car were broken, many injuries being inflicted by flying glass. Doctors from Poneto were summoned and many of the injured were taken to Fort Wayne hospitals. Mr. Colter assisted in caring for some of those hurt. He stated that it is an experience which he does not care to repeat and one that might easily have resulted just as seriously as that of the Kingsland wreck. He stated that one can form all sorts of plans as to what he would do- if he were in a wreck, but when it comes to actual oc- ' currence, the plans have all sped Beyond scratches on the shins and bruises on his elbows, Mr. Colter escaped injury. CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.