Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 10, Number 96, Decatur, Adams County, 20 April 1912 — Page 1

■Tokime X Number 95.

po LIVES Lb? * Monday s Message Receive’ I Relative to Titanic Disaster Was Today ■LOCKED INTO ■loloucl Asia ’s Son Vincent X ’ Today Sent SIO,OOO for 'SS; the Relief Fund. ■EK New York. N. Y.. Aj.rll 2'i is ? ,-. • Daily , Tinthan r.veh«■ewers <ji the Titanic ■U ■■ i ■ an.-? f:o!u i. ■■ White Siar Monday saymg Him no li>I:: ■! 11 ,ost were ,lle subjects taken no «•.' -e:;:H.. :;i ~ -st -j..,. , j . EKess < , e:at>u on i :e Car >.i !:<? i-.-u that ice n< " of the entire tiE&nic disaster was sent from >■... Cai ■■thia at loci!' o'clock Monday motnMpt. - who said tha' be himself, fiasii•Mpd the news to the liner Baltic. Tne HBjarpathia was < nt of touch v ith the ppfcnd station The operator -,-c. - flee that he at no time sent any niesly •ago- rum the Carpathia win. h would Htalieate that all of the passengers and ' W*" had been saved, and that the ■tan c was coining slowly into port in tow. ■ Halifax, No l Scotia, April 2- - MeßMlßneeial to frail? i.>t-ino- , at ‘ -Th. ,ii Kd|U'P of disco, “nng aay m<

-w w'" -'t;--' MB|frne. i T wireless m&s MKtge '.' iiad no signs or bodies er wreckage while cross Jug tire banks ; ■ of Newfoundland. England, April 20— Sj>”< - lal to Daily Democrat) —Captain Hatl■Hbck of the Olympic today positively denied that the wireless message B Which the operator at Cape Race sta-j Etlon says was picked up by himself | K«ui saying that the Virginian was g towing the Titrnic. was sent from his ’ Vkcsel. He said that he never had apy such information to that effect. On Board the Steamer Olympic—it % was not until the England papers' were brought on board the steamer Olympic that full details of the Titanic disaster were known to the pas- : sengers of the lost sister ship. Only the most meager information had been published by the England papers. . Seme of the women passengers on board the Olympic were on the verge* i of collapse when they read the lines I concerning their friends and relatives I who had perished. t’New York, N. Y., April 20—(Special ' ■s' tc Daily Democrat) —Vincent Astor, bon of the Colonel .John Jacob Astor, Who lost his life in the Titanic disasHw*r, today sent a check for SIO,OOO to Mmsayor Gaynor to be used for the beneof the distri ssed survivors of the ;' .Wr.'cked ship The total tor the relief §i 4 iund is now s'>7,ooo. B||>Ke>v Y ’IX. Y. April 20—(Special it .1 Brit e. HL wireless epi rator explorer of the Iffl&'ltaiiic, who '■ as called b fore t : ' investig.it ing committee here is ~®nly twenty-two years old. Both of feet, which were frozen in the ter-s|fe-Jtible hours during which he ’eft the Bl&iaklng Titanic, and the time he was up by the Carpathia, were j wrapped in heavy’ bandages. Brice ! ISjkaid that the Carpathia called him Hjfthat it had an ice report. He said that was busy at the time copy r j?.nd that he did not answer. A K '.ialf hour later the same operator’ wjlransrnitted the same report to 'he > IwSßaltic and I copied it. He said that KS& copy of it was sent to Captain Slfifeinith on the bridge, but that he did KShot know whether he had received it. Rgpenator Smith, who is chairman of [■the investigating committee, said ioLjWflay that J. Bruce Ismay, managing ■aKdirector of the White Star line, lia'l S®jtesked him for permission to sail on Lapland today. “I told him that HKtnder no circumstances should he ■kg from this country at this time In that there can be no mistake I IJKR'ersonally saw to it that Ismay was MKBcain subpoenaed, so as to compel ’JgM'-.im to remain in this country until j|ffl®fter the investigation is ended." Sen Heitor Smith said that a government BBdetective yesterday mingled with tt ■■ I CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

1 WATER NOT AN ADULTERANT. I — | St. Louis, .Mo., April 19—J. W. perkea, United state* commlialoner of revenue, ruled In 1903 that 16 per cent of moliture in butter wun adulteration and 11,500 pound* of butttar lof the .Milton hairy company of St. ; I'aul, Minn., were seized under his , ruling. The dairy company wotvfn the , federal court at St. Paul and the gov- , eminent appealed. The United States circuit court of appeals has sustained the lower court's decision. - WILL BE HERE MONDAV. In answer to the letter sent the first of the week hy the Christian church congregation asking the Rev. Ernst Fitch of Angola to become their pastor, Cnurch Ch rk G. C. Steele this morning received word from Mr. Fitch i that he would be here Monday or else I write later, as to whether he would I I crept the call. CHASE WRONG MAN Mrs. Philip Carper Awakened to Find Burglar in Room—He Got Away. WITH SOME MONEY Mr. Carper Gives Man Chase to Town Who Later Proved to be Wrong One. V' ■••niiig I „ two and •

' i - ’icdtoom, Mrs Philip Carper, , i.Wir. on the Chris Beery farm four 1 raileS west of the city, finally aroused j her husband who with the children were asleep in the second story of the house, and a brisk hunt was at once begun for the man, who in the meantime had made his escape, taking with ; him some three or rour dollars. SevI era’ neighbors joined in the hunt and I fnally a man who was thought to answer the description of the burglar as given by Mrs. Carper was spied going east on the Clover Leaf railroad. Mr. Carper followed at a safe distance, and in the mean- ; time, others had sent a message to I Sheriff Durkin to be on the lookout i loi the fellow who was coming toward i this city. Sheriff Durkin started west in his buggy, and with Mr. Carper following the supposed burglar in .he ; rear, the man Lad little chance for esi cape. Finaly he reached this city nt o’clock this morning and turned off the railroad into the Ike Chronister house, supposedly for something Ito eat. Sheriff Durkin happened a- ■ long just about that time, met Mr. Carper there and when the strange man 1 came out of the house he was brought to jail here. He gave his name as Roy ‘ Dice, of Pennsylvania. He is about 1 sixty-five years of age and wears a gray mustache. He vigorously denied the charge but was taken to jail and held until about 10 o'clock when Mrs. Carper came to identify him. She ator.ee said that he was not the man, stating that the man who broke into their house was about twenty-four years of age. She also noticed a dif- | ference in the voices. Frank and Sam Bentz of the same neighborhood, who had also helped in the tracking of the man, stated that lie was the one that they had noticed in that vicinity. Upon Mrs. Carper’s statement the mm wrs I therefore released. | Mrs - . Carper stated, however, that i the man’s appearance was familiar to her, as he was the same one, apparently a tramp, who had called at her home about a month ago, at the time I of the wreck on the railroad, to get | something to eat. When Mrs. Carper awakened this morning and found the intruder in her loom, she at once legan to call for her husband, who slept upstairs and called several times, but he did not awake, and in the meantime the burglar told her to keep still and everything would be well. After ransacking about, he finally, went to the kitchen and then into another room, and Mrs Cai per slipped out quietly and upstairs to awaken her husband. On the way, however, she stumbled over something, which made a noise and frightened the man away. ■ Herman L. Conter of Indianapolis is in the city looking up friends and attending to such other business, requiring bis attention. i

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday Evening, April 20, 1912.

A FAMOUS HOUND ‘’Sol,’’ a Pun Born in Decatur, Now Valued Highly by A. E. Herrick. REFUSES BIG SUM Denver Times Recently Contained a Half Page Picture of the Animal. In this day, when everybody is rpeakin - , singin or sayin’ “They've got ta quit kickin' my houn’ aroun', it may be of interest to many to know that a real houn born in Decatur, has acquired more than ordinary dog fame. The hound's name is Sol and hi- now lives in Denver, Colo. So famous has Sol become that a recent issue of the Denver Times contained a four-column picture of him. He is said to be the ideal houn' as described in the song which has furnished much capital for Champ Clark, speaker of the house, and a prominent candidate for the presidency. To get back to Sol, he was formerly owned by Marsh Burdg and George Flanders of this city. He was sold by them to A. E. Herrick, formerly proprietor of the Wigwam saloon here, for two dollars. That gentleman now lives .n Denver, and he was recently offered seventy-five dollars for his houn’ dog, which he ref”*ed. Sol was the son of a Beaddk ' onnd owned by Mr. Henr* '• ’due Ken- - -rwklnob n »->. it a Lviv mrod nriil i i>l ;

was black lop eared, atm with a wail tht< fairly made you quivei. He was a good dog, as fjood dogs go, and when Mr. Hendck left here he took Sol with him to the west, where he seems tc have found a happy , home and many friends. The photograph of Sol was made by Charles Mace of Denver, who last fall sold cne photograph for SSOO. He is one of the best in the land and believes he found another subject which will advertise him. He has copyrighted ■ the picture and ras begun negotiations with the Clark headquarters to sell the rights of the photograph to the supporters of the speaker. Mr. Herrick no doubt feels that “you gotta quit kickin’ his houn’ around'.” MONTHLY MEETING Os Zion Lutheran Ministers Held Friday at First National Bank. READ GOOD PAPERS Session Lasted for Five Hours—lmportant Questions Discussed. The regular monthly meeting of the Zion Lutheran cnurch ministers of the county was held Friday from 10 a. m. until 3 p. m. at the First National bank, where the meetings have been held for years. The gathering was a very’ interesting one, many questions of importance being up before the ministers for discussion and the reading of several papers, according to the plans of carrying out previous meetings. Rev. Wehmeyer of this city gave a talk in the morning, taking for his text, “Exegises on from the Colossians; ’’ 1:13-20, which was listened to with much interest. In the afternoon a paper read by Rev. Dornseif, and a sermon which he will deliver on Sunday was taken from St. John, chapter 10, twelfth to sixteenth verses, was most closely listened to and which was very appropriate for the meeting of Friday. The ministers present included Rev. Wehmeyer of this city, Rev. Preuss of Freidheim. Rev. Dornseif of the Fuelling settlement, Rev. Hoch of Preble, Rev. Dietrich of Hoagland, Rev. Bauer of Union township and Rev. Hoile of Schumm, Ohio. The winter of 1912 will go down in history as the one which had the toughest back-bone ever known. It has been broken so often and then had a speedy recovery, that even the coal man has become disgusted.

J CAUSED A ROUGH HOUSE. Sam Locu* of near Monroeville, n Irother-ln law of Ed Whitright, who with his wife put up at the Whitright house over night, awoke In an ugly mood this morning and threatened to burn down tho tjugo and kill the people, ft is sa’j, frightening the women folks neatly to death. The man then left the house and later told .Mr. Whltrlght, whom he met down town, that he v.as going to quit the country. The officers were notified to , get him and then began a mad chase. Locus started down the Ciover I eaf then turned and went down the G. R. ci I. north. Harvey Clark at Monmouth was notified by Sheriff Durkin to be on the look-out for him, and he saw Locus turn west toward Preble. The deputy sheriff Immediately started for him and it is expected will round up his man and bring him back to this city to be put under a peace bond, in the meantime Sheriff Durkin had apprehended a voting man, John MitcheL, 24, of Cleveland, Ohio, thinking him to be Locus. When the mistake was learned, Mitchell was released. o— FORMER DECATUR LADY DEAD. Mrs. Mary Dent Crabbs Died at Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cincinnati Enquirer of April 19th, contained the following notice of the funeral of a former Decatur woman. known to many here: “The funeral of Mrs. Mary L. Crabbs will take place from her late residence, 7 Section av *nue, Hartwell, at 11 a. m. today. She is survived by five sons and on”' daughter: George D. Crabbs, Roscoe o- I ’. r h- AA •i n.l Uro I I . a v ,»’ im•l >i _

1 pbU, and Mrs. Dwl. Gray o' Cincin- - nat’. Mrs. Crabbs was born in Decas tur Ind., on July 4, 1839. She was s the daughter of George A. and Martha , Dent, pioneers of that city." D . — EPWORTH LEAGUE PROGRAM. s - — I The following program will be giv- ! en Sunday evening at 6:30 o'clock by i the Epworth League at the Methodist 1 church, toxwhich everybody is invited: 1 Song. i Scripture Lesson. 1 Song. 1 Prayer. ■' Vocal Solo —Helen Walters ! Address —Mrs. K. D. Myers. i Piano Duet—Crystal Kern and EdI win Merry. J Address —Miss Williams. [j Vocal Duet--Sherman Beery and Gregg Neptune. Address—Harvey Segur. Naming Books of Old Testament — i Dorothy Walters. Song—Jniors. Closing. o DON’T MISS TONIGHT. That the Cornell-Price Players are becoming popular, is shown by the increased attendance nightly. Friday night a large cudience was present to see “Just Plain Molly,” and it proved to be the best play yet given by this company. Tonight the company will close its engagement by presenting the comedy-drama, “The Bowery Detective,” with new specialties, and no doubt they will be greeted by a packed house. oNEW BASEBALL BOOK. “Who’s Who in Baseball” just compiled by i the Baseball Magazine company is on sale at news stands and is a valuable book for fans. It contains big League stars’ age, height, weight, birth-place, positions played, all batting averages for the player's entire career, fielding averages, trades, drafts, sales, outlaw career, etc., price 15 cents. BEGINS CONCRETE. Butler and Son this morning commenced placing the concrete driveway in front of the new city building and believes they will be finished placing the work some time tomorrow. Then with a few days in which to dry and to smooth up the work the entrance to the new city building will be unimpeded and it may be occupied. GIVE LECTURE TALK. The Rev. R. L. Semans will deliver an address on Martin Luther at the Methodist church Sunday night at 7:30. This will be one of the most interesting of the series of Sunday night lectures on the reformers. There will be special music furnished by tie Sunday school orchestra.

COURT HOUSE NEW' John F. Snow and Henry Blakey Appointed Members Board of Review. TO MEET IN JUNE Gehring Divorce Will be Heard May 9th—Three Marriage Licenses. John F. Snow and Heniy Blakey were appointed members of the board of review for the current year. The board comprises Treasurer C. W. Yager, Auditor H. S. Michaud and County Assessor Henry Gentis, and will meet the first Monday in June. The damage case of Emmet V. Emerick vs. William R. Hainer, set for May 9th, was left off the trial calendar. The petition of Isaac Gehring for divorce from Elizabeth Gehring, has been reset for May 9th. May 13th was the first date named. Licensed to wed: Jane Grandlierard, aged 40, daughter of Samuel Winkler, to wed Enos Twigg, laborer, born April 24, 1879, son of Osborn Twigg, of Wells county. Both were married before. The bride lost her companion by death September, 1906, •’ the groom, bis wife by death eight r .Mingcr, born Sepr -

■bsa Miiui-r <>: Tloffmar.. carpenwF born June 28, ’ 1891, son of John Hoffman. Realty transfers: Theodore F. Springer et al to Christian C. Beerv. lot 425, Berne, $250; Ruby S. Baker et al to Charles A. Burdg, lot 73, Decatur, $100; Charles A. Burdg to Rachel Burdg, lot 72, Decatur, $100; Catherine E. King to Eli W. Steele, lot 271, Decatur, quit claim deed, $1; Markey Buffenbarger to Iva A. Winans, lot 1064, Decatur, quit claim deed, $75; Jacob W. Baumgartner to Menno A. Neuenschwander, lot 93, Berne, $1000; Margaret J. Spannuth to Cyrus Lyon, 14 acres, Root tp„ $650; Cora A. TeeCONTINUET ON PAGE THREE JUMPS THE RAILS Tony Hackman and Frank Kitson Have Narrow Escape Just as THEY REACH WATSON Broken Rail Sends All of the Cars off Track—Nobody Was Hurt, Tony Hackman and Frank Kitson, who left on Wednesday of last week for Watson, Saskatchewan, Canada, for the summer, had a narrow escape from injury and perhaps death, last Sunday night when but within a quarter of a mile of their destination. Just on this side of Watson, a broken rail caused their train to leave the track, every car being thrown off, only the engine keeping its place on the track. To add to the horror of the occasion the accident happened at midnight. The passengers were badly shaken up but strange to say none were hurt. The affair caused much excitement, and the escape from death is considered miraculous. POSTS ARE READY. Mike Gaffer of Fort Wayne was'in the city Thursday, looking up friends, returning in the afternoon with his mother. Grandma Gaffer, who has been visiting here with her son, Peter Gaffer and family. Mr. Gaffer, who received the work of painting and getting in shape tbe twelve new lamp posts to be placed around the court bouse and jail, has completed his work. They are now’ all ready for shipment and will be sent here some time next week and then placed in position whenever desired by the city.

WHO WANTS A BABY BOY? An Indianapolis mother has asked State Statistician Thomas W. Brolley to find a permanent homo foh herl- . < ir-old bauy boy, which she asserts | she is unable to provide for. The weman In a conference with the state official protested that she did not want her child to grow up within a said her baby is healthy and that both its parents were healthy persons. Her reason for wishing to place the child in a family where she knew it would bo taken care of site would not discuss for publication. Mr. Brolley said that bo would take charge of the case and attempt to find a home for the child through the office. SERVICES AT SALEM SUNDAY. Rev. John Gibson will preach at Salem church east of the city, Sunday morning. The public is Invited *o hear him. DEATH THE RELIEF Mrs. Rose Houk Succumbed at 5:55 This Morning to Burns from GASOLINE EXPLOSION Os Thursday Evening—The Funeral Will be Held on Tuesday. er lingering two nights and a : fror ■ ■ Jh. - £

w ' 1 ' V ' ' Hams. Mrs. Rose Aima Hot*. of Elijah Houk, succumbed at 5:55 o'clock this merning at the St. Joseph hospital, Fort Wayne. After the explosion which occurred about 7 o'clock Thursday evening, and in which also her farm employee, William Weimer, was also probably fntally burned, both were taken at 3 o’clock Friday morning to the St. Joseph hospital, where they were given the best of care. Mrs. Houk, however, received internal burns, and the anguish suffered Friday augured little hope for her recovery. Prepared as were her many friends for the worst, the news of her death coming as it did this morning, was received with inconsolable sorrow. Mrs. Houk was one of the best known ladies in this community. She waXborn in Wayne county, Ohio, January 7, 1851, and was sixty-one years ot age at death. She was the daughter of J. M. and Catherine Smith, late of Madison township, Allen county, and the greater part of her life was spent near thar place. She was mairied in young womanhood to Elijah Houk, a well known and prominent farmer of that community, and they i esided on a farm near Williams, where gy wealth and diligence they accumulated a large competence, and were known as one of the most prosperous fami’ies of the community. Mr. Hou kdied several years ago and Mrs. Houk, with her oij/ly son, Clifford D., continued to reside on the homestead. Besides the son, Clifford, and many friends three sisters and three brothers are inconsolably grieved over her death. They are: Mrs. Samuel Houk of Hoagland, Mrs. Mary Persuhn, of Michigan. Mrs. Clinton Lenhart of Madsion township, Allen county; David M. Smith, Nebraska; Janies W. Smith, Arkansas; H. AV. Smith, Kansas. Mrs. Houk was for manyyears a member of the Concord Lutheran church in Root township, a teacher in the Sunday school, and a prominent and active worker in all departments of the church, to which she contributed with the whole-souled devotion that was her characteristic. She wasa Christian woman of the truest type and her good influence will survive her many years. She was also prominent in the woman’s auxiliary of the farmers’ institutes, and active in all that contributed to the welfare of society in general. The funeral will be held Tuesday, April 23rd, from the Samuel Houk home at Hoagland. Mr. and Mrs. John Houk, who returned this afternoon from Ft. Wayne, stated that the body would lie at the Melching morgue in Fort Wayne until Monday morning, when it would be bi ought to the home of the sister, Mrs. Sam Houk, at Hoagland, where the funeral would be held Tuesday CONTINTTED 0N PAGE TWO.

Price, Two Cents.

DEATH FROM FALL William Mersman, Aged and x-espected Citizen, Dies After Brief Illness. ON FRIDAY EVENING End Came from Fall of Week Ago-—Funeral to be Held Monday Morning. Sickness of but a litle more than a 'reek's duration brought to a close the earthly career of William Bernard Mersman. one of the best known and highly respected citizens, for many years engaged in the beer bottling business, at 3:35 o’clock Friday evening at his home on North Second street, death being brought on as a lesult of a fall into an open stairway, at the Frei Schaub hardware store cne week ago last Thursday, and inflicting a severe gash on the left side of the head and otherwise bruising himself, through the heavy fall which he received. It will be remembered that on Thursday noon, a week ago, he en’ered the Fred Schaub hardware store to secure some small article, and finding all of the clerks busy, started back of the counter to help himself to the articles which he wished to secure. Being somewhat blinded from the bright sun he did not notice the open stairway and in an instant stepped into the open, aud fell wtih great force to the basement floor below. immediately following the acident i He a u fihfjrt while and

_ kic.y griiT-H? Fto ■Tny little things aboutthe ' feelwg quite well and although was known to be badly hurt, and the physician advising him to keep quiet, he was around and conversed as usual until Monday morning when he complained of not feeling so well, and was told to He down on the church, which he did. Later in the day his condition seemed to get worse instead ot improving, and he was forced to take to his bed. Erysipelas soon set in on his face, and spread downward over the entire cheek, but never reached upward to the cut he had received lln the fall, it having been closely ! watched by those caring for him. Another ailment, and which was no doubt largely responsible for his death, was kidney trouble, with which he had been a sufferer for years, it having poisoned hi sentire system, and with poor action, caused him to become serious, and for the last several days was at times delirious, not always recognizing those about him until told of their presence. Thursday evening bis condition became so serious that the end was soon expected, and he was pronounced dying from that time on, the end coming peacefully and quiet. He was born in Laure, Germany, seventy years ago the twenty-seventh day of last October, remaining there until reared to manhood, where he worked in the bottling business until the year 1879, when he came to this country. He first went to Newport, Kentucky, where his former trade was again resumed, remaining there for sceveral years. From there he came to this city and after again taking up this work, bought the plant and for a while engaged in the manufacture of beer, later only bottling, and which he carried out until a lew years i ago when business in this line ccas- . vd here. Shortly after his arrival here he was united in marriage, the wedding i ceremony taking place in this city, i To the union were born four children, to of whom died in infancy. Mr. ■ Mersman, since his residence in this - city of more than thirty years, became one of the best liked citizens, i being a man of pleasing personality and was always willing to extend a : hand to those seeking aid. He will be ■ sadly missed, not only in a business way, but to his wide acquaintance of friends, whose daily associations w-ere always pleasant. He leaves to mourn their loss two sisters, both living in the old country, a wife, two children, Joseph and Mayme, at home; also two step-children, Mrs. Joseph Knapke and Miss Kate Colver. He was a meinbel of the C. B. L. organigation and. and one of the few’ surviving members living. The funeral services will be helA Monday morning at 8:30 o’clock, stan dard time, from the St. Mary’s church. Interment at the St. Joseph cemetery.