Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 10, Number 38, Decatur, Adams County, 13 February 1912 — Page 1

Volume X. Number 38.

A STRONG CHAIN — Os Circumstantial Evidence Holds Omlor and Young Utz on A MURDER CHARGE Ttiat of Administering Carbolic Acid to Aged Utz— I He Left a Will. The alleged murder of Samuel Utz. in which Fred Omlor, of Fostria, ■ Ohio, related and well known here, where be has often visited, is impli-| x I cated with James Utz, the nephew of | the alleged murdered man, is attract- j ing much attention in Tiffin, and is of much local interest here also. Utz. the accused nephew is about thirty-five years oid. and is connected with the American House feed barn in Fostoria, Ohio, and Mr. Omlor, who is fifty years of age, married and the father of three children, has resided ' many years in Fostoria, Ohio, also, and is connected with Mr. Utz in the feed barn. Young Utz had been married Friday, January 26th, to a young lady at Monroe, Mich, The alleged murdered man, Samuel Utz, resided alone in apartments in the Harter block in Tiffin. Late Wednesday night, . January 31st, he was visited by Tiffin officials, aho found him in bed, very ill, with .conditions in the room very bad. Upon second notice and advice that unless given care the aged man would have to be turned over to the township trustees, the nephew, James Utz, arrived Friday aftSeruoon at 1 o’clock. The uncle refused to have a physician as he said he was afraid of them. The nefrhew said he went to a drug store and got some diarrhoea tablets, cough medicine and a small vial of carbolic acid to be used in cleaning* the filthy room, all of which acid he said he used for this pf.rpcs. He then telephoned for Omlor to come over and he arrived at 3 o'clock that afternoon and remained all night with the sick man, young Utz returning home at 7 o'clock that night. Omlor says he found James cleaning the uncle’s apartments, and he helped, anti says he saw no carbolic acid, and says he would not have known what it was if he had seen it. He also said he gave Mr. Utz no medicine of any kind, nor even a drink of water, during liis stay there. He slept in an adjoining room r;om the sick man, and about a half hour after the clock struck two that night, the sick man asked for Jimmy. vVnen told he had gone home and would apt be back till morning the man groaned, and was ' then quiet. Omlofr says he got up and stood by him for about five minutes, and decibed Jte was dead, and late,, | about five or six o’clock, he went out I and told a man on the street who noth ' tied the undertake). Saturday morn mg James came over and made arrangements to have the funeral Sun dav afternoon. It is said the nephew was cognizant of the aml z ! freely discussed it. placing the value, of the estate at several thousand dol- 1 lars. He alsb displayed two of his tin z ole's pocketbooks, and placed all of his personal belongings on a sled, and sent them to Fostoria, Ohio. It seemed that relatives taore ill feellug to the deceased man, who Is said to have never repaid certain money owing to them, and felt entitled to a part of the estate to reimburse them for old debts. When a niece from Marion arrived for the funeral, she noticed the uncle’s lips fippeaAd to have been burned, and suspii ions [rapidly grew until an autopsy' waglfinally held. The mouth, throat andfcoesophagus were found in a condition characteristic of the ac tlon of e ca&>llc acid, and the verdict of the coroner later was that the carbolic acfdjwas administered with a murderous intent by James Utz and Fred Omlor, and made affidavit leading to their arrest. Both men protested th' ii innocence. _ It is said that a man giving his nam as J, H. Fritz, and supposed to have been Omlor. presented an order wr; ten in ink Md' dated on January 29tL. to Philip Morcher asking him to give bail”' (hearer) $1.50, and one pint of whiskey for ram Utz. Fritz signed the order and his writing is not the same as that of the body of the order. It. also developed that on Saturday

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

! an attempt was made to cash a certifi- j t I date for S2S.O<L at jne of the Tiffin j j (banks, drawn to the order of Samuel j j Utz, and on the back of which his | I name appeased as an The bank refused to take the paper be I J i cause the signature was thought to be I not genuine. It is said that James ! Utz had succeeded in cashing the certij ficate at a well known business place . earlier in the day. Omlor denied that he was the man : "Fritz," and stated he had not been in Tiffin for several years until he arj rived there Friday, February 2nd, to care for the sick man. o . CAN’T MUZZLE IT Editor Rohrer Says It Would t be a Pleasure to “Die With 1 His Boots On.’’ i i HOPES TO DO IT ( 1 When Colonel Roosevelt Couldn’t Muzzle Press, i How Can Sam Kuntz? Ii The Herne Witness in telling of the ] 'affair with Sam Kuntz concludes with 1 ; the following: "After Kuntz left, the office he went I ito Chauncey Lautzenheiser and had ■ him swear out an affidavit before' Squire Joel Liddy. charging Kuntz h witli assault ana battery, to which he i' plead guilty and paid a fine of SI.OOI and costs in the sum of $8.65. And then lie told one of our employes that ' he v.aiu nothing said about this in ’ the Winess. “The poor fellow 1 Dies he actually ' think that he cap muzzle the Witness? ■ Even Theodore Roosevelt, when he, 1 was president and brought suit in the | 1 name of the United StateSsigainst the 1 New York World and the Indianapolis 1 News for having said ugly things about , him, lost out in the end—and we can I 1 still see quite a little difference be- 1 tween a president of the United States I : and Sam Koontz. j 1 "Has Kuntz forgotten that no amount of hammering in the face, no 1 mobbing and not even dynamite | daunts us or fuuiiiidales us? Although I up to this day we never caused anyone’s arrest for any of those outrages. 1 Everyone still living who participated l in that dynamiting episode ought to remember it to his deathbed, for our daughter, Margaret, who was born a few months after the dynamiting of our home, suffers to this day on account of It, and Mrs. Rohrer, who had been a strong and stout woman up to , that time, is today a nervous Wreck. 1 because of what she voluntarily went through and endured during that blind i liger war which lasted several years: | and every one in Berne knows and ’ the court records will bear this out. that no man was more lawless and ! more law-defying than Sam Kuntz. “Many an editor who has been true l to his calling rias sacrificed his life in 1 a noble fight, and somehow we always wished and do hope that some day we ' might "die with our boots on,” for I death has no terror for us. We look ' upon death as a promotion. "There is no nobler cause in all the world today for which a can die, than the temperance cause, and especially when a man has to see inno- ' cent ones, those of his own household, ' suffer every day on account of this damnable lawless liquor business, no ' one can blame him for flirting with death and staying in the fight to the ' end.” YEOMEN TONIGHT. • < The Yeomen have completed all ar- ' rangements for their meeting this evening when several questions of im- 1 portance will be up for disposal. On ' one week from tonight the degree 1 work will be conferred upon a class 1 of candidates and preparations, are be- ; ing made relative to the coming event • which promises to be one of great ' interest. ■ MR. OPLIGER AT SANITARIUM. County Superintendent Lawrence E. Opliger, accompanied by his father, . Samuel Opliger, of Linn Grove, left < Monday afternoon for Cincinnati, ’ where the former will receive treat-11 ’ ment in a private sanitarium. Since [ 1 his experience a month ago, when hep , waß almost frozen, he has since been I: in ill health. It is hoped his re- ( ’ covery will be speedy.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday Evening, February 13, 1912.

IT IS CHEAPER I For Insane Man to Live Than a Sane Man—Costs State 59 Cents a Day. TO CARE FOR THEM I In Various Insane Hospitals Same Statistics Compiled ■ by State Board. — ' I While it drives many a man insane trying to make both ends meet, there is some consolation in the fact that it is much cheaper for an insane person to live than a sane man. It costs the state of Indiana an average of 59 cents a day to care for its insane patients in the various hospitals in the state for the three months ended De-' cember 31, 1911, accotding to figures which have been compiled for the report of the board of state charities. I The total number in the care of the five hospitals was 5,075 and the total of expenses for the quarter, including permanent improvements at the insti tutions, was $268,295.57. There were 4,749 patients in the five state hospitals for the insane December 31 —2,327 men and 2,422 women. There were 1,353 in the Central hospital in Indianapolis, 843 in the Northern at Logansport, 807 in the Eastern at Richmond, 758 in the Southern at Madison. On the same day 326 patients were on furlough. The daily average attendance for the period was 4,705.42. An average of 995 officers and employees were on the pay roll of these five state institutions. Their salaries and wages for the three months amounted to $91,610.14. Food supplies for the quartet cost $43,657.1 4. patients’ clothing $43,765.83, repairs to the property $44,895.29, and miscellaneous purposes $30,848.45. Altogether the regular operating expenses of the five hospitals amounted to $254,776.85. and average ot $54.15 for each patient for the three months. ELECTED OFFICERS The T. P. A. Held Annual Meeting Last NightDelegates Chosen. TO STATE MEETING Lodge Has Sixty Members— Lunch and Cigars Followed Business Session. The T P. A. boys held their annual meeting at the rooms of the Bowers Realty company Monday evening. President Reid presided and in the absence of the secretary, C. 11. Colter, that place was filled by L. A. Graham. The election of officers resulted In the men who have done such good work being retained. They are: T. M. Reid, president; L. C. Waring, vice president, and C. H. Colter, secretary and treasurer. French Quinn, O. L. Vance and T. M. Reid were selected delegates to the state convention at Muncie in Mqy and J. S. Peterson, Ed Lyons and L. A. Graham were made alternates.. C. H. Colter was elected delegate to the national convention at Peoria, and J. H. Heller alternate. A committee, consisting of J. S. Peterson, French Quinn, J. O. Sellemeyer, O. L. Vance and J. H. Heller was named to solicit new members to the order. The T. P. A. is a splendid organization and the members of Post X enjoy numerous pleasant sessions. Following Monday night's meeting the boys went to Holty’s Case, whe. e they had lunch and cigars. STATE FAIR DATE SET. Indianapolis, Ind.. Feb. 13 —The Indiana State Fair is to be held this year dufjng the week of September 2nd The dates are September 2nd to 6th, inclusive. President I. Newt Brown of the state board of agriculture, has called a meeting of the executive committee of the board for February, at which the list of premiums for the annual exhibit will be revised. •

A CLEVER COMPANY At The Opera House—Pleased Large i Audience. —— The Shannon Stock company opened a week’s engagement at the Bosse opera house Monday night to a goodsized audience, presenting "The Last Round Up” that delighted the audience, every member of the company being an artist. The specialty work between the acts brought forth rounds of applause. This is by far the best 1 stock company ever in Decatur. They should play-to big business here, as it is a treat to have good shows visit Decatur. Tonight the sensational comedy, "What Money Will Do?” will ■be presented. The play abounds in | comedy, thrilling climaxes and startling situations. The comedy in the play is furnished by a young Irishman, Larry Brogan, and a German character, Hans Blickensderfer. Wednesday night “The Village Gossips” will be presented. The theater was nice and comfortable last evening and it will be kept warm during the week. Ladies’ free tickets again for tonight “only.” COURT HOUSE NEWS Judge Merryman Makes I New Ruling Regardng Filing of Duplicates. OF THE PAPERS In Court Cases—Judgment Rendered Aganst Hanni Court Notes. Owing to the fact that certain papers in Vases In court are orten taken out by attorneys for reference, and mislaid, or neglected in the return, thus causing delay and inconvenience in the precedure of the case, Judge Merryman this morning adopted a new rule relating to the filing of pleadings in duplicate, In substance as follows: "In order to facilitate the procedure ■ in civil causes therein all complaints, 'answers and replies filed in civil actions in this court shall be filed in duplicate, one of which shall be denomij nated a copy and the other the original.. The rule is that the original of such pleading shall remain on file with the clerk of this court at all times until the cause in which any of such I pleadings have been filed, shall have , been finally adjudicated and determini ed, and such original pleadings while | the cause in which they are filed is ! pending in this court, shall not be re . moved without permission of the court ■ first. obtained. This rule shall be es ■ fective on and after the first day of ' the April, 1912, term of this court. Fredrick Hanni vs. Charles Schug Jet al. Judgment on verdict for the i defendants. Costs adjudged against I plaintiff. in the Landis receivership case, the ' j claim of Mamie Kitson for $15.50, or i dered paid as preferred claim, and ' that of Cape Grant Co., for $49.75, was 1 also Ordered paid. . I | Martha E. Ahr vs. Fort Wayne & Springfield Co., for appointment of re- ' ceiver, appearance by Lutz for defendant. Ruie t-j answer ■ I I The current account of C. J. Lutz, j guardian of Francis May, of unsound mind, was allowed. Emmet V Emrick is. William R. ( Haines, damages. Appearance by Heller, Sutton & Heller for defendant. Real estate transfers: Elnora Beettel et al. to Minerva Johnson, lots 71, [ 38, Decatur, quit claim deed, $2400; j George Colchin to Seth D. Beavers, SO .acres, Wabash tp., $9600; Miles J. McCollum to Samuel 11. Teeple, 16 acres, Jefferson tp., $800; Ambrose F. Shoaf [to George Colchin, 80 acres, Wabash tp., $11,200. i ■ The Murray Hotel Co. filed suit j against the Fort Wayne & Springfield Railway Co., asking S2OO, on account for board and lodging. Peterson & Moran are attorneys for the plaintiff. — Joseph Wolfe files suit asking for ; the appointment of a guardian for Washington Wolfe, who through old age and Infirmities, he says Is incapa- > ble of managing his estate. Peterson & Moran are the plal. ...iff's attorneys.

J.F. MANN HONORED I . Former Decatur Lawyer is < Elected Chairman Dela- ( ware Co. Democratic i J CENTRAL COMMITTEE i I ' By Vote of Twenty to Thirt i teen—Picture in Muncie Star is Natural. -i I J. Frank Mann, the former Decatur ; attorney, now of Muncie, was honored by the democrats of Delaware county I Monday, when he was elected chair- , man of the democratic central commits. tee. The Muncie Star this morning contained an excellent likeness-of Mr. I Mann, and the following article regarding his election: | “Before a large crowd in the circuit ' court room and in a spirited contest, I with the committeemen apparently di- ' vided when important issues were at j stake, on the temperance question, J. j Frank Mann Monday afternoon was j elected chairman of the democratic county central committee by a vote ot i2O to 13. His opponent, whose name ! was sprung in the way of a surprise ( for many of those present at Monday's meeting, was Lewis J. Hooke, a former resident of Washington township, who j now resides in Muncie. The Taggart forces in the county gained complete I control of the committee. . “The nomination of Mr. Hooke came as a surprise to those attending the meeting, as the supporters of Mr. Mann had predicted that his election would be unanimous. Mrs. Hooke’s nomination is said to have followed a day's campaign conducted by his fol- - lowers. a “In assuming the duties of county , chairman, Mr. Mann said: We are [ going to win in Delaware county this i fall. I believe the democrats are go I e ing to present a ticket, that will make ~ it easy for the voter? to make a choice. s I want the hearty co-operation of every democrat, and if we get together and push, we will win a clean-cut victory j in the county and in the state.’ Cheers j followed Chairman Mann's remarks." I ■■, 1 o i iELKS STATE MEET f i bl I Alexandria to be Host to II - p . Elks’ Reunion at That City e! in Three Days’ Meet, d t r MAY 22ND, 23RD, 24TH , f i I Decatur Will Send Delegae | tion to Assemblage—Good Time in Store. e At a meeting of Anderson and Alexandria Elks field in tne Alexandria s lodge rooms Friday night the date for ; the state reunion of the order was set ! and initial plans were discussed for t' entertaining the antlered hosts. I The annual reunion of the Indiana p Elks will be held in that city, Wednes jday, Thursday and Friday, May 22, 23 and 24. ; 1 Several features were proposed for d the Anderson convention. Tfm chief j ; matter discussed was a night parade this year. It is proposed to have the I annual parade, which is always a fea- ]. ture of the state meeting at night ' under the blaze of electric lights and | fire works. This will make one of the : prettiest features ever given at a | state convention. Brizes will be giv-1 ; en for the lodge sending the largest | a delegation, for the prettiest float in >- the parade, for the smallest Eik in ats, tendance, for the largest Elk in attends ance, for the best dressed delegation h ! in the parade, for the most uniquely j attired delegation, for the best decorated building in the city, and nuniert ous other things, to bo definitely ded termined. t i Fort Wayne has guaranted to send i two hundred delegates to the convenf. tion. There are forty-eight Elk lodges ' in Indiana and many of them will r send a band. A band contest will bo r one of the features of the convention. (11 t- Mrs. G. Johnson of Albany. Ind., who n has been visiting here with Mrs. Cora ;. Schlegel, left yesterday for her home.

LAID TO REST The funeral of Miss Louise Frank, who two weeks ago suffered a stroke of paralysis, anrl until last Wednesday was in a serious condition, when death relieved her of her sufferings, was held at her home at Berne, with a number of friends in attendance to show their respects to the deceased young lady. She left to mourn their loss a sister, Mrs. Minnie Aschleman, and three brothers, Charles, Adolph of Minnesota and John of Bluffton. A FOND GREETING Sent by Fred LaDelle to Decatur Friends—His Heart Yearns FOR OLD DECATUR Will Return to Sow Beets in His Back-door Geranium Bed This Spring. The Fred LaDelle family has come down from Canada and North Dakota into Michigan, on their entertainment tour, and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdoy of this week will be at Mariquette, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Fred wrote from Fargo, North Dakota, February 10th, in the following longing strain, to his friend and fc-Ilow Coonskin member, D. M. Hensley: Friend Heck —Your letter at hand and noted; also copy of the brotherly message sent to the absent members of our worthy order, Coon Skin club, and I surely must congratulate you (on such a masterly effusion, which I shows that you have the good of our noble order at heart. In that loving message, sent in a good cause, I can also detect the subtle and ingenious character of your trusted and faithful i accomplice, Jeffreys. While, you, youri self are blessed with a superabundance I,of antipose tissue, and your failthful ; henchman, Jeffreys, has just the re- : verse, being so lean that his backbone rubs abainst his stomach, still you | both have the true brotherly spirit. I (Green Seal.) I And when the summer comes again | and it is so not and oppressive that one has to take off their flesh and sit around in their bones to keep cool, then we can hie again to the spacious and commodious quarters of our worthy chef at the rear of the jewel palace, conducted by uur fleshy and good na lured captain When your worthy traveling representative returns to his native heath and the balmy, soothing breeze is surging across the open space between your place of business and Everett & Hite's grocery store, filliikng the air with fragrance from the noble equine from the suburban country, then the clans will gather again and your worthy traveling representative will break forth in story and song, filling the ears of his interested listeners with his hair-breadth escapes from those savage tribes that infest North Dakota, Minnesota ami Canada—Swedes, Poles. Norwegians and Canucks. I am so touched that 1 am at the present time in tears, so must desist Well, Heck, now that I have recovered from the intense feeling which I came over me while writing about our I noble order, I will now come back to [earth and relate on cold earthly facts. 1 Well, any one that, comes up in this country will be touched deeply with the country. This is tile truth, as J j have been touched every time 1 have j turned around. Beer in Canada was i 15 cents a glass; quart bottle, 50 cents, j Beer in the bucket —never. Rushing I the can is unknown there. They cannot get your money quick enough that way. Tell all those that live in Decatur that it is a place of paradise compared to this country. I would sooner be a bum in Indiana than a millionaire up here. We want to get back in time to get our sugar beets planted in our geranium bed bac kof our mansion.! We want to help the good cause all | we can and boost the best we know i how. We expect to stay up in this country for four weeks yet and then to Chica-, go. All of us wish to be r emembered to yourself and family. ‘ With true Coon Skin brotherly M lection FREDERIC LA DELLE. 1

Price, Two Cents.

ASK HIS RETURN Methodist Quarterly Conference Asks for Return of Rev. Semans. FOR ANOTHER YEAR Review of the Year’s Work Shows Church to be in Excellent Condition. The session of the fourth quarterly conference of the Methodist church was held Monday evening at 7:30, Rev. J. A. Beatty, district superintendent, presiding. The review of the year's work showed the church to be prospering ’ in every department, about forty persons being added to the membership from all sources during the year. The [ report of C. L .Walters, Sunday school superintendent, showed an average attendance for the year of three hundred, one Sundays daring the year showing a total attendance of five hundred and fourteen, the highest number in the history of the school. ‘ Reports from the heads of other dei partments indicated favorable comparison with that of the Sunday school. That the members of the church are well pleased with the results attained and with the work of their pastor, R. ' L. Semans, will be indicated by the 1 following resolution which was unani- . mously adopted: To Rev. J. A. Beatty, District Superintendent, Ft. Wayne District, North Indiana Conference: The conference year is rapidly comi■mg to a close. We have had a prosi perous and satisfactory twelve months sI in this church. Loo-king forward to ,; the work of the coming year, we deem i ‘ it fitting to offer the following at this i. time: i' | Whereas, Our pastor, R. L. Semans, ;jhas so faithfully performed his duty i! on behalf of Decatur church, and, s I Whereas, We are pleased to express 1 our confidence in our pastor and his work; be it , Resolved. That Rev. Semans has, in 1 an able, careful and conscientious -J manner, served us during the past ?: year. i: Resolved, Further, That we do here--1 by offer our thanks and expression of J appreciation for his excellent sermons, i untiring effort and earnest concern lor t! our welfare. i i Resolved, Further, That it is the , unanimous desire of the church that 5 Rev. Semans be returned to this • charge for another year. , Adopted by the Fourth Quarterly Conference, February’ 12, 1912. The quarterly conference boards and s committees for the year 1912-1913 are ; as follows: i Local Preacher —W. J. Myers, s Recording Steward —John Niblick. , District Steward —Daniel Sprang. i Sunday School Supt.—C. L. M alters, i President Epworth League—J. C. r Tritch. President Ladies’ Aid Society—Mrs. > B. J. Rice. President W. 11. M. S—Mrs. F V. i Mills. t President —Y W. F. —Mrs. J. C. I Tritch. s President Queen Esther Band — t Pansy Bell. 5 Triers of Appeals—J D. Hale. Custodian —J. I>. Hale. Education —J. C. Tritch, John ParII rish, A, D. Suttles. r! Freedman's Aid—Morris F. Hay, i Joshua Parrish, D. W. Myers. i. Hospitals Mrs. Nellie Ellingham, s | Mantie E. Erwin. Agnes Krick, Mrs. 11 Earl Adams. I J Church Records —Dr. J. Q. Neptune, J Chas. 11. Colter, C. E. Hocker. 31 Auditing Accounts—B. J. Rice, C. D. I Levton, O. L. Vance, J. N. Parrish. > ' Parsonage and Fin aiture —Mrs. A. R. Bell, Mrs. John Niblick, Mrs. John W. II Vail. j Church Music —John D. Hale, A. R. 'Bell, Daniel Sprang, Dr. J. Q. Neptune, 11 John Niblick, C. H. Colter, John T. i Myers. On Estimating Ministerial Support ! [—C. L. Walters, A. R. Bell, A. J. Smith, ij. T. Merryman, W. H. Fledderjohann, [John Niblick, J. N. Parrish j Janitor—A. J. Smith, Sylvester Spangler, F. V. Mills. ; The district conference will be held at Bluffton, Ind., during the last week 'of the present month. The local church will be represented at this con ference. Mrs. J. W. Rex was elected 'to represent the class leaders. She, CONTINITEt) PAGE TWO.