Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 10, Number 95, Decatur, Adams County, 19 April 1912 — Page 1

I Volume X Number 95.

■OFFICIAL STORY IS TOLD ■Survivors Os The Wrecked Titanic Tell I Tale 01 The Sad Disaster i

■DINED IN STYLE ■ Captain Smith Feasted and Disregarded Warnings v from Other Boats. ■CARPATHIA RETURNS ■ Sailed at 4 This Afternoon —Col. Astor Ordered from Life Boat. (United Press Service.) £!■ ' New York, N. Y„ April 19—(Special ■to Daily Democrat)—Captain Rostron, ■ commander of the rescue ship Car- ■ patliia. told of turning his vessel at ■the first wireless signal from the Ti■tanic He said that he sung out his F. lift- boats and ordered up the doeduois. Then he said that he moved Hpe passengers ail together to make sgjroom for the survivors. Rostron as- ■ ■•'rted that he ordered the crew io * stop all work on the Carpathia and ■to prepare to take care of the possible Hrsurvivors of the Titanic. “Maybe I ■ will be criticized for going so fast ■through the ice field, but I believed I ■’was justified in doing it to reach the si U tile .’apt’!” “jfyafcif

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■entitled toWh f said Chairman Smmi That Cajnain | Smith of the Titanic was at a dinner Iparty last Sunday night in the big ‘ restaurant of the ship, despite the I fact that he received numerous warnI'ings by wireless of ice ahead was the | direct charge made today by Major |Arthur Peuchen of Toronto. He said ftha. the ship was estimated at travEeling twenty-three knots an hour, and (was nothing less than criminal or tie said that the cap- ; tain was at dinner with J. Bruse Ismay. managing director of the line, and a number of other millionaires. Ismay said he did not dine with the captain that night as has been reported “I sa w no <ne on the deck when I reached it, but I was told that the ice had swept the deck," he said. The director sai dthat the equipment ot the Titanic complied strictly with the regulations of the British board of trade. The charge that he instituted a censorship over the wireless on the > Carpathia he flatly denied. New York. N. Y„ April 19 —(Special : to Daily Democrat)—lt was well into the morning when the last of the 715 ( survivors of the Titantic were landed ■ from the Carpathia. The last taken . off were the steerage passengers, j They are being <a >d for by chariti able organizations and were placed in I the city lodging houses today. The I Cunard line today was anxious to get i the Carpathia tinder way again as | soon as possible. Captain Rostron, : after a conference with the officials ■ of the line, said that he hoped to have ; his ship ready to sail by 4 p. m. this afternoon. The Carpathia is bound for the Mediterranean sea. Miss Caroline Bonnell, in a copyrighted interview’ with the United Press today said that the sixteen life-saving boats that were lost from the sinking ocean liner were at the mercies of the wave's for .eight hours. “Hundreds of lives were needlessly sacrificed and T for one am personally willing to go before the senat ecommittee and tell all I know. I want to see justice done." This was the statement today of Mrs. J. J. Brown of Nenver, Colo., and one of the heroines of the Titanic disaster, who rode on a life boat until she was completely exhausted, before she was picked up by the Carpathia. ‘I know of no words to express by indignation of the arrogance of the men in charge Os the life boat,’ - said Mrs. Brown. "When Mrs. Astor came aboard our boat, her husband was with her." Get out of here,” cried the officers in charge. “This boat is for ladies only. Mr. Astor explained that his wife was in a delicate condition, and that he ■would like to accompany her, but when the office"' cir ed, he bowed

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

very courteously and smilingly left the boat after kissing her good-bye. The life boat started off with a number of seats vacant.” Along with the story of the perishing of John Jacob Astor and C. M Hays, president of 1 the Grand Trunk railroad today, came the story oi Madji Marsani and Jim ' Hawkins, both peasants. The former left a wife, who like the young Mrs. Astor, is about to become a mother. Hawkins and his mother sold their little farm in Ireland, and were bound i for the northwest to live. New York, N. Y., April 19—(Special to Daily Democrat)—J. Bruce Ismay, managing director of the White Sta: • ne, which owned the ill-fated ocean liner, Titanic, took the stand as the first witness before the senate inves- ( tlgating committee, investigating the ocean tragedy today. After expressing his grief and saying that the company courted f full investigation, he ■ said: “The accident took place Sun-i i day night following the Wednesday ■ of her departure. I was asleep in my i stateroom at tan time. The ship sank > I am told about 2:20 o’clock Monday -1 morning. It lias been stated that the > > I ship was going at full speed. She ; I never went at full speed. If the weatli- ; > er had been good it was our intention [ to go at full speed.” Chairman Smith t asked Ismay to describe what took, i place after the collision. “I lay in > by bed a few minutes, not knowing '■ '., i , ceo’fnuvu •-- rl’pja.f.CK ■HC.

Stif was. He didn't know. I retur ’ to Wy styte-room again, dressed myself and went to the bridge, where I met Captain Smith. He said that the ship had stritck ice and he feared that it might have been seriously damaged. I rushed down to the office of the chief engineer and he told me that he feared the ship had been damaged. 1 went back to the bridge and heard an order given to let out the life-saving boats. I assisted in getting them our. 1 then went back to the star board of the ship and stayed there until four of them had been lowered, and which 1 understood was the last boat to have left the 1 itanic. I do not know whether the captain w T as standing on the bridge After summoning Bruce Ismay, head of the marine company, to apepar as a witness today before the senate committee, investigating the Titanic disaster, Chairman Smith said: "We will not fail to give the American people all of the facts. We are not going to use clubs on the witnesses, but we are going to get the truth. I was very much struck by the story of the witnesses, who are slightly ill, but whom we expect to have before the investigating committee before the finish of the investigation." Major Archibold Butt and Clarence Moore of Washington stood at salute on the deck as the last boat was lowered. “From what I have gathered so far not an American jostled a woman in all the confusion aboard the Titanic." TOOK DEPOSITIONS. Os Witnesses for Defence of Warren Wilkinson in Court Martial. I Captain Edward Calvert of the Ninth cavalary, of the U. S. army, was i in the city this afternoon and at 1:15 1 o’clock began his work of taking the depositions of Judge Merryman, Prosecutor R. C. Parrish, Eli Meyer and Mrs. Minerva Wilkinson, the evidence to be used later for the defense at ’ Fort Slocum, N. Y., in the court mar- ■ tial of Warren Wilkenson, who is' charged with oeserting the army. ! Wilkenson enlisted last summer and ' it is said deserted some time in February, going about ten miles to an-1 other army or regiment, where he en-. listed. Mr. Calvert had no informa- ‘ . tion to give out relative to the matter as he was detailed only to take the evidence of the witnesses and knew nothing whatever of the case outside of this. Mr. Calvert left this after-, noon at 3:10 over the G. R. & I. north-, j bound. The depositions were taken , at the postoffice, Postmaster W. A. j Lower 'having served the subpoenas [ Thursday. J

Decatur, Indiana, Friday Evening, April 19, 1912.

NOW BEAT AS ONE Do Hearts of Thomas Yelinck and His Bohemian . Bride—Romance Begun — IN THE BEET FIELDS Os Michigan Continues in I Honeymoon in Adams County Beet Fields. I Some one, some where, has broken into a beautiful poem to the effect that two soul affinities, born in far distant parts of the earth shall roam the wide world over in unconscious search for one another, and finally meeting by chance shall look into each other’s eyes with the consciousness of coming into their own, and “live happily ever after:” while on the other hand, two soul affinities, roaming, may be so near that should they know, the putting forth of an arm might bridge the distance, but each failing to recognize the nearness of the other, pass on and on, and farther apart, till both are lost again in the world, and roam, unsatisfied and longing, alone to the end of their days. No doubt this happens every day, but we fail to look at it in the light of the poet, and that is the reason why those who “miss” each other are 1 called tne very unpoetical names of “old maids’ or “bachelors.” I The very good fortune, however, of the first case is what has befallen a young Bohemian lad and lassie, of Chicago. Strange to say the very prosaic beet fields of St. Louis, Mich., * was the spot where these two soulaffinities recognized each other as such last summer, an ’ now the beet fields ot uid Adams mty will be -i i infill

[ be tile groom, going a: ■ ..fl t low, cozy had preI pared for his brlof* on the ilarting farm southeast of the city. Little did . the Wallingford Beet company of this . city, which was organized last fall ;o I lease the Harting farm of sixty-five CONTiN7 c 7t, PAGE TWO AGED LADY DEAD . Mrs. Caroline Meyer. Wid- , I ow of Diederich Meyer of Allen County Passed TO HER REWARD .1 At Age of Eighty Years—j Was Great Aunt of Wm. Zwick of This City. I Mrs. Caroline Zwick Meyers, widow I 'of Diederich Meyers, died Thursdayi evening at 7:30 o’clock at her home a : half mile east cf Poe. Mrs. Meyers ' was one of the highly esteemed pioneer ladies of that community, where she resided since coming to this country from Germany in childhood. Her death was due to asthma and the infirmities of old age. The husband : died many years ago, and Mrs. Mey- ; ers has been living on the home place ' with her children—Fred, Carrie and • Mary. One son, Henry, and three | daughters—Mrs. John Winte, Sophia ‘ and Louisa, preceded her in death ! also. The funeral will be held Sunday afternoon. The procession will leave the house at 1 o'clock for the St. John’s Lutheran church, where j the services will be held at 2 o’clock i by the Rev. H. C. Jaus. DON’T FAIL * to see tonight s bill at the new Rex , theater. See the great Sierra Nevada I mountains, Yosemite valley, Maripose I grave, Imperial canal, death valley ! and southern California, the land of sunshine and flowers, really the garden of Eden, the beauty spot on the world, brought right to your door. It : will do you good to look down over i the auditorium and note the refined : class of people attending these enterI tainments. You cannot afford to miss ' tonight, and the balance of the week.

I BULLETIN. WM. MERSMAN, AGED NORTH SECOND STREET RESIDENT, DIED AT 4 O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON. MR. MERSMAN HAS BEEN FAILING RAPIDLY SINCE HIS FALL OF LAST WEEK hT THE SCHAUB HARDWARE STORE. f> BABY GIRL'S FALL ! From a Basket Resulted in Her Death on Tuesday. Little Mart Brandt, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Caesar Brandt, living on the Will E! >y farm, east of Herne, fell out of her basket sitting on a chair Sunday morning, while M r s, Brandt was attending church in Berne and Mr. Brandt had gone out of the house for just a few minutes, and as a result of it died on Tuesday noon of meningitis. The age of the child was only three months and seven days. Funeral was held yesterday forenoon at the Mennonite church. One sad feature connected with this affair is that Mr. Brandt understands no German and no English. He speaks only the French language. He and his wife came here from Switzerland last year, he in December and she in November. Mrs. Brandt is a sister to Mrs David N, Sprunger, northeast of Berne. —Berne Witness. MRS. HOLTHOUSE HOME. Called on Son, Arthur, at Rensselaer, Who Was Hurt on Sunday. Mrs. R. J. Holthouse returned Thursday evening from Rensselaer, where she was called on account of the accident which befell her son, Arthur, who is a student at the St. Joseph college at that place. Arthur, while on his way to church with the other students, by a sudden and qunck turn, caused the knee bone to slip from its socket, causing a very painful mjnrr. and had to b I carried to the jjsfirmar-.- o " t?!

I r 1 ' v ’ : I 111 .1 ■ ■ 11. Wlj.< a pbisi.-i ■Fu i.- ■ made to same in its required ;fl ; sition. hWls still bedfast, and wfl . be for several days, and six weeks MV i more will be necessary until the mem- ' i ber is completely healed. It is the ■ | same knee which was injured a year | ago last March, and with the second : mishap, make it still more serious, and care wiil have to be taken to al- ; low it to heal as rapidly as possible. ■■ ' — — o— READY FOR BUSINESS. The D. Gerber & Company’s new ; meat market on Monroe street will be I open for business tomorrow morning and this firm invites all of its friends to come and see them. The firm is comprised of David Gerber and son, Edgar, and Charles Battenberg, i all experienced in this business which they have followed for many years. They are located in the Niblick building, three doors w est of the Old Ad- | ams county bank. The building has ! lately been remodeled and refinished in an attractive way, and presents a most clean and inviting appearance. The furirture and fixtures are new and up-to-date and indicative of the I way the firm will serve the public. _o SUB-DiSTR!CT CONVENTION. » The sub-district convention of the Epworth League will be held at Monroe, Sunday, April 21st, when the following program will bo rendered: Afternoon —2:30. Song—Congregation. Devotional —Rev. Crafts. Music —Orchestra. Offering. Address —S. W. Johnson. M'.fic- Orchestra. Address —Rev. Semans. Benediction. Evening—7:oo. Song—Congregation. Music —Mabel Hocker. Address —J. C. Tritch. Discussion. Music —Francis Kessler. Address —Rufus East. Benediction. THE HORSE SALE The horse sale being held today is progressing finely a large crowd cf farmers and buyers being present. Being the first ideal day upon which a sale has come this season the crowd is very lively’ and the horses are being sold very rapidly. About three hundred head are being disposed of this sale and by far the largest quantity going to farmers who desire horses for spring work.

A DARING ESCAPE Edward Tobin Makes Good His Escape at the Jail This Morning. SIMPLY WALKED OUT Sheriff Missed Him, But He Made Quick Work and Got Away. What was, perhaps, a daring premeditated escape from detention was effectually carried off this morning at nine o’clock by Edward Tobin, a prisoner at the jail, who picking up his mattress walked out to the barn and forgot to return.. Sheriff Durkin was attending to the daily cleaning of the cell room and Tobin was in the compartment with him. Tobin picked up his matress and started out and the sheriff, who was near, told him not to go, but having his attention divided between the work in hand and watching the prisoners did not see slip out but missed him shortly after. Making a trip to the barn he found where . Tobin had thrown away the mattress and fled towards the river bank. Policeman Peterson, Melchi, Constable John Andrews and the deputy sheriff were at once called by the sheriff and a systematic search was instituted. Marshall Peterson watched the north bridges, Melchi covered a large acreage of the river front and Andrews made flying trips to various vantage points throughout the city No trail of the fugitive was found and no one seemed to have seen him at large. He wore his coat and vest, but is not thought to have a hat. Owing to the fact that so few- people know Tobin his escape was doubly sure as he had little to fear from pedestrians as > ly

, me uPt of a hundred would ho Shi w.i: - u" i obiri ”■ ,:s a>■!•,.sted cm charge was ■ a two thousand dollars bond could not furnish. All available We- , | puties are scouring the surrounding ■ territory and police within striking distance have been notified by wire to be on the lookout for him. GOLDEN WEDDING Will be Celebrated Sunday, April 28, by Mr. and Mrs. John Schurger. WEST OF THE CITY Pioneer and Highly Esteemed Citizens Reach Fiftieth Year of Wedded Life. Mr. and Mrs. Jahn Schurger, two of the most highly esteemed elderly people of the community, are making arrangements to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary—their golden wedding—Sunday, April 28th. Invitations have been issued to their children and their families and other immediate relatives and the day will be one long to be timbered. Mr. and i Mrs. Schurger have been residents of near this place for many years, Mr. Schurger being a pioneer farmer and business man of the community, and for many years engaged in the abstract business, with his partner. Attorney D. E. Smith, forming the firm of Schurger & Smith. The Sdhurger farm is located a short distance west of the city and is noted far and wide for its hospitality, which will on that day of the anniversary be at its best. STILL SERIOUS. The condition of William Mersman still continues to be quite serious, and this morning he was at times delirious. He asked for some of his friends, and when they called on him he failed to recognize them or their presence. His system seems to be entirely poisoned from the poor action of his kidneys, thus leaving him in a very w’eak condition. The gash on the side of his head is healing nicely, while the main trouble is that affecting his system.

MURDOCK’S NARROW ESCAPE | Samuel T. Murdock, the millionaire traction and gas magnate of Lafayette of the Indiana Lighting Company which has a branch in this city, had a engaged passage on the ill-fated steamship Titanic eary in June, having made arrangements to sail with his family for a summer sojourn in Europe. He received word only recently from the White Star line offices in New York that his apartments on the ship had been reserved for him. Mr. Murdock was personally ac quainted wdth several. of the passengers who perished in the disaster. He probably will abandon his trip to Europe Mr. Murdock, while in Europe last year, booked passage on the steamship Olympic, which ran into a Britisli battleship and was badly crippled, causing the transfer of passengers. COURT HOUSE NEWS Hamrick-Brandt Highway O', .traction Case Still on Trial in Court. CHANGE OF JUDGE Granted in Will Ward Case —Judge Moran of Portland Will Hear It. The case of Miles W. Hamrick vs. Maria Brandt and her former tenant, Fred Bilderback, for abating of nuisance, damages and injunction, still ocupied the attention of the court today. The trial was begun Thursday morning, and many witnesses are being examined. The case is said to have grown out of the obstruction of a highway with fences, which the de-

a fendants declare 'Ais a private lam I instead of a public highway. ■ today on business relating TH thWease of Minnie Heine vs. Fred i ; Nahrwald, suit on note, in the Allen ; ; I superior court. The final report of Laure A. Van- i Camp, executrix of the Anson Van ! Camp estate, was approved and the: executrix discharged. The uncollect-! ed accounts, etc., are ordered assign-1 ed to persons entitled. — in the case cf the State vs. William , ' Ward and Ode McClish, for conspir- j ! aey to steal, a change of venue from j judge was granted. Upon application | of the defendant, Ward. Hon. James Moran, judge of the Jay circuit court, being appointed special judge. — By Heiler, Sutton & Heller, John M. j Wells and Marcellus E. Hutton have filed petition to be released as surety on the bond of Zachariah T. Aspy, the Geneva marshal. - ■ «F * “ ADJUSTED FIRE LOSSES. George Lystev, adjuster for the Continental Insurance company, for which the Decatur Insurance company is the local agent, was here Thursday and adjusted two losses on Adams county property, recently burned. With Chester Johnson, of the local agency he visited the Mrs. S. J Laman farm south of Peterson, on which the house was burned on i Easter morning, settling for SI,OOO. The loss on the James Hendricks barn at Monroe, which was struck by lightning some time ago, was adjusted for SIOB. The Decatur Insurance company is a busy one, having the agency for some thirty insurance companies. Thursday they filed with the county clerk, twenty-four certificates issued by the companies annually, of their financial standing, as required by law. Four others will be ready for filing soon, several also having been filed some time ago. A NEW GRANDSON Mr. and Mrs. John Christen this ; morninjg received announcement of the birth of a new grandson, being a ■ little son born Wednesday morning to the Rev. and Mrs. B. B. Uhl cf Mansfield. Ohio. This is the first son in the Uhl household which includes besides two daughters, Mary Catherine and Jessie May. Mrs. Uhl was Miss Minnie Christen before her marriage.

Price, Two Cents.

PROBABLY ARE FATAL I I I ■«<■*. - - p. Dangerous Burns Received by Mrs. Rose Houk and Wm. Weimer in GASOLINE EXPLOSION At Houk Home Last Even-ing-Taken to St. Joseph Hospital for Care. Fort Wayne, Ind., April 19, St. Joseph’s hospital, 2)30 p. m.—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Mrs. Rose Houk of near Bingen, who was thought to have been burned much less severely than William Weimer, her employee, now seems to be the more serious of the two. She spent, a very restless day and is unable to retain any nourisnment. The severe vomiting attacks wh.ch she suffered ail day, lead physicians and nurses to believe that she inhaled the flame. The entire region of the back is burned so that the skin has fallen off, but it is not thought the burns are deep. The hands and neck are also burned to a blister. Mr. Weimer passed a very quiet day, sleeping much of the time, and retained nourishment, which is a condition encouraging To the attendants. His hair was burned from his head, his face badly blistered, the hands burned very severely, also a part of the arms, from which the skin has fallen, it is not kno >n whether they will recover, as the attendant

ie, stated that the stage is too early to admit of the forming of any definite conclusion. ~ ♦ - fifty-two, widow of ' aSflWfc -» gSiL ■ F a a E1 i i.'l 1 Tv '” J® I the St. Joseph hospital, FoiwWayne, victims of burns received Thursday ■ evening in a gasoline explosion at the : Houk home. The injuries may prove I fatal. Mrs. Hauk is very badly burn- | ed, the most severe burns being about I the back. The man is thought, to be ; the worse of the two, being burned | about the head, face, arms and hands. I So severe were his burns that the j flesh dropped from his flingers. The accident happened about 7 o’clock Thursday evening after dusk, when the kerosene lamp had been lighted and placed on the diningj room table. Mrs. Houk sat with her back to the lamp, while Mr. Weimer sat facing it. The lamp, it is said, had been placed directly under a gasoline chandelier hanging over the table, which was supplied by a gasoline lighting system. Whether the gasoline generator became overcrowded, weakening the system, or whether the heat from the coal oil lamp under it melted or weakened it in such away that the gasoline escaped and fell into the flames of the lamp below, is not known. At least the gasoline lamp exploded, and bursting, sent, the burning fluid about the room and upon the two occupants. Mr. Weimer received the fiery fluid in the face. His hair was burned off, and as his clothing caught fire, ran from the house into the yard, where he rolled in the mud to extinguish the flames. Mrs. Houk received th. greatest part of the burning L mid on the bark, but her clothing whs in a mas« o. flames in an instant. It was totally burned from her, with the exception of a collar about her neck, before it was extinguished. The plucky woman, however, thought of saving the house, and was successful m putting out the fire before help arrived. The screams of the two were heard by many of the neighbors, all of whom rushed to their aid, the first one on the scene being Mrs. Buuck, who lives in the Sam Houk house across the fields. Mrs. I Houk’s only son, Clifford, bad gone to Hoagland for the evening, and was at once notified .together with Dr. W. A. Smith and son, Dr. Orval Smith, of that town, who hastened to attend ’ he sufferers. A telephone message wns sent to Fort Wayne for Dr. A. H. McBeth, who sent a taxicab to the Houk CONTTNWKD PAGE TWO