Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 11, Number 90, Decatur, Adams County, 15 April 1913 — Page 1

'olume XI. Number 90.

ARGIING THE CASE Hoover Case May Not Go to Jury Before Wednesday Noon. PROSECUTOR GOOD Consumed Morning for the State—O. W. Kern for Defense Was Next. i Van Wert, Ohio, April 15, 1:30 p. in. ►(Special to Daily Democrat) —The He of Ralph Hoover, on trial in the fan Wert court for the past two reeks, on the charge of the murder of ds child-wife, Helen Hoover, will probably not be given to the jury before tomorrow noon. | The day began this morning with llu> arguments of attorneys, the evi■ence having been concluded Monday afternoon. F No definite time was allotted the attorneys. The arguments opened with that of Prosecutor Good for the state, Who consumed the entire morning. \\ hen the afternoon session opened, Attorney O. W. kern for the defense began and at this hour is still speaking. He will be followed either by Attorney Dailey or Attorney Hoke for ■he defeny?, and Special Prosecutor H L. Conn will close for the state. The arguments will probably close by 6:30 o'clock tonight. In this case the court will probably not instruct the prors until tomorrow morning after which the case will be given to them for their final consideration. ■ As far as the evidence In the Ralph Hoover wife-murder case at Van Wert , Ohio is concerned, the case is at an ’end. The evidence in rebuttal and surrebuttal was finished yesterday after- f noon at 3:20 o’clock and the jury was excused until this morning. Public ’ opinion at this time is hard to obtain, 1 as both sides of the legal defense 1 have made a fine showing. By far the most telling blows of 1 the state were given their opponents Monday when they introduced the strongest kind of medical testimony to rebut that offered by the defense I and presented on the stand an era- > ployee of the Winchester Arms Co., Mr. Dickerman, who testified that from long years of experience he was able to state absolutely that the shell which fired the shot into th ■ dead girl’s head was loaded with black powder. The defense has contended. all the time that it was smokeless powder and much of their fine-, •pun theory of the suicide will fall by this damaging evidence. Mr. Dickerman is perhaps the most noted expect ever introduced into a local court, he 'being one of the important employees at one of the country’s greatest industries. | The testimony of this witness may ■lead to a theory being advanced by for the state in their arguttent, that inasmuch as only two shells were found at the Hoover home and that three shots were fired, '♦hat the other, the one which Inflicted Khe most dangerous wound ,and the one which the expert says was flrad ■with black powder, was not discharged •From the revolver at all, but from a |.22 rifle, and that the gun was procured lat the time Mr. Johns saw the defendant go to the barn, shortly after the noon hour on the fatal day. The much-talked-of Hoover letters were read, the defense going so far as to read them itself. They were simple letters, such as any girl might write to her mother, with a strain of homesickness in them, and an indication that the young husband and wife had had some arguments in regard to the expenditure of money to provide the necessary preparation.

Dr. Wilson, who was at the Hoover home when Helen Hoover was suffering from the effect of gun shot wounds and present when an operation was ]>erformed at the Fort Wayne hospital, was an important witness In rebutaal for the state. After having expressed the opinion that suicide In the case was not to be considered, the witness was permitted to explain his reasons, and told the jury as follows: •'■Tther one of the two wounds where the balls passed through the tables ol the skull—either one of them produced sufficient pressure and caused sufficient concussion to have rendered het unable to have fired the other one. In addition to that, I do not consider it ■would have been possible for her to have fired the shot that produced the

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

posterior wound because of the man--1 Der in whlch 11 h ad passed through the jskm and skull, it having passed through the skull fully one-half inch below the point where it had passed through the skin, meaning by that, that It would have been necessary for her |to have pulled that skin down witn , something and that being on the right ■side, she would necessarily have had to have pulled it down with her right hand, and it would have been rather difficult to have handled a fire arm with the same hand." Following his explanation as to why I the deceased did not commit suicide Dr. Wilson introduced a new theory, which caused a surprise to the attorneys for the accused, it being that inasmuch as the wound in the skin was above the wound in the skull it was reasonable to suppose that in the instance under consideration, Helen Hoover, when attacked, threw her hands to her head, pulling the skin downward, accounting for the difference in position of the wounds. Before the witness left the stand he (Con'..fm«en on Page 2) CRY OF DISTRESS Comes from Lawrenceburg. Ind.. Where the Floods Did Great Damage. MONEY IS NEEDED Fund Will be Raised Here—Send Contributions to Mr. Rice or This Office. Lawrenceburg, Ind., April 7, ’l3. E. E. Rice, Decatur, Ind.: My Dear Superintendent:—Telegrams and newspaper reports have rather understated conditions resulting from the apalling calamity which has befallen our people. Practically the entire city has been under water jfrom five to thirty feet deep. More than 3,000 people were driven from their homes by the waters which swept down upon us when the levee broke. A hundred houses or more of the wage-earning class were swept , away or moved at some distance from their foundations, and the families who occupied these are now homeless and threatened with destitution. Their homes and household goods are gone, and they must begin the struggle f or life anew. To them is left only the courage born of love for home and de- ■ pendent kin. , We need money with which to buy J clothing, bedding, etc., and to make habitable homes for those who are now homeless, but not friendless. We cannot meet the situation alone. Help from others is needed, to care for the suffering and to -ehabilltate the homes of our deserving poor. Any assistance will be gratefully received by the relief committee for the benefit of our unfortunate people. Money raised by i contributions In your schools, or from any other sourse, will be for the benefit of a sorely stricken city and of a . suffering people. • i The treasurer of the Citizen’s Relief I committee is Mr. George H. Lewis, manager of the Lawrenceburg Roller Mills Co., to whom contributions may I be sent. Respectfully, JESSE W. RIDDLE, > Supt. of Schools. i The above letter to Superintendent i E. E. Rice of the Decatur schools is i the first direct appeal for help to the ' people of this city, and it should be responded to in an unselfish manner, i'Donations in any amount will be gladlily received by Mr. Rice, who will see ■ that the funds are sent to the proper • i authorities nt Lawrenceburg, or if you ' will leave your donation at this office

we will see that It is added to Mr. Rice's fund. The United Brethren Sunday school raised $26 last Sunday, which was sent to Peru. Other Sunday schools will give the offering next Sunday for the relief of the flood sufferers. The school children and others will no doubt assist In this movement. The people of an Indiana town are in need. They have asked us for help. Let’s give them all the aid we i can. This is real missionary work. ' Send any amount you desire to give to Mr. Rice or to this office. Shall Decatur respond? o , 1 i ■ ■ , John Hessler of Fort Wayne, but who still feels that Decatur Is hfs ’ home town, was shaking hands with . friends here today.

“DECATUR CAN AND WILL”

HORSES HAVE GRIP Strange Epizootic Proves Fatal to Wells County Animals. CARE IS TAKEN To Prevent Spread—Want None Driven to Public Meetings. Wells county is all stirred up over a strange epozootic which is affecting animals in that neighborhood. Nate Roberts of Liberty township lost another horse Sunday from the disease, making three in all which he lost. Another fine team, which he values at s’>oo is also slightly affected. Dr. W. E. Coover, the state veterinarian, who was called to Liberty Center Saturday, pronounced the disease that is prevalent among the horses as influenza. M ith this disease there have been complications of pneumonia, lung fever, etc., that have made some of the cases extra severe. The state veterinary ,and other veterinaries who have been called, express the belief that the disease should be stamped soon, with careful treatment. The disease had been pronounced influenza by other veterinaries before Dr. Coover arrived, although there had been some differences of opinions. The farmers are much worried and those in the vicinity of Pleasant View church have published a notice requesting friends and neighbors in and around Liberty Center to avoid driving any horses to the Sunday school convention to be held at the Pleasant View church on the night of April 19. To do away with the driving of horses they state that all who attend the convention will be met by necessary conveyances at the interurban stop.

A NARROW ESCAPE Casten Roempken Fought Fire in Sheltering Building in the FLOOD AT DAYTON Roempken Family Known to Decatur Wawasee Visitors Escape. Decatur summer visitors at Lake Wawasee who are acquainted with Casten and Ruth Roempken of Dayton, Ohio, will be pleased to hear of their escape from the floods. Their home is on a hill and escaped, though their neighbors’ houses had a foot of water In them. Such was the news received by Miss Vernia Smith yesterday. Casten, who is a young man, and assists his father who is a contractor for artistic painting, had a narrow escape from death. He was down town when the water began to rise, and hoping to save some of the goods, began bringing kegs of paint up from the cellar. He worked on until the water finally became knee deep on the first floor and he was then forced to the second story. As the building was but two stories, he was finally driven to seek shelter elsewhere. With others he walked across the roofs of other buildings, crossing alleys on ladders, till they reached a large candy factory, In which 300 took shelter. Fire broke out all around them and the windows in this factory were broken by the heat of the flames. With the others, Casten was obliged to fight the flames for the lives of the occupants, else all would have been burned. From Tuesday evening until Thursday evening, all they had to eat were candy and peanuts from the factory stock. A boat came for them at 6:30 o’clock Thursday evening and when he reached the boat, Casten collapsed. The other members of the family were at home, and their rejoicing was great. They had known that he was in the building in the midst of the fire and feared that he had lost his life. First word received here was to the effect that their home had been washed away, but luckily this has proven false.

Decatur, Indiana. Tuesday Evening, April 15, 1913.

TO UNDERGO OPERATION. Mrs. Andrew Moyer of Decatur is in Fort Wayne for the purpose of having performed one of the most delicate operations known to medical science—the cutting away of certain tissues of the heart. Mrs. Moyer has been informed that unless she submits to this operation she has practically no chance of living for any great length of time. The operation, too, is a very dangerous one. The operation will take place at St. Joseph's hospital. Mrs. Moyer's disease is a rare ’one. Ulceration of the tissues of the heart, the doctors call it, and the inflammation caused by the ulceration almost always affects the tissues of the tissues of the heart, causing death. The heart must be in good condition, and the patient physically strong before he dares to undergo an operation of this sort. While the operation is one to cause Mrs. Moyer great concern, she and her physicians feel certain that this operation, which is the second one for the same trouble, will bring relief.—Fort Wayne News. Mrs. Andrew Moyer formerly lived in this city, but lately moved to Fort Wayne. She is related to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fisher of this city.

TO NEW CHARGE Rev. and Mrs. Ruf Are Released from the Superintendency of THE ORPHANS’ HOME At Fort Wayne —To Visit Here Before Going to New Home. Several Decatur members of the German Reformed congregation will go to Fort Wayne this evening to attend the services installing Rev. and Mrs. John Winter, superintendent and matron of the German Reformed orphanage. They will succeed Rev. and Mrs. B. Ruf, who are parents of Mrs. L. C. Hessert of this city. Last April fourth was the fourteenth anniversary of the time Rev. and Mrs. Ruf took charge, during which time they have served as parents to hundreds of orphans, directing them into the paths of noble womanhoon and manhood. The position is a responsible one, but was fulfilled with honor by the retiring ones. Rev. and Mrs. Ruf will come here this evening to spend the night with Rev. Hessert and family, and will leave tomorrow for their new home at Bay City, Mich., where Rev. Ruf will take a charge. Rev. Winter comes from Toledo, Ohio. The services for the installation will be held this evening at the Salem Reformed church in Fort Wayne. They will be in charge of the pastor, the Rev. Volmer. Members of the executive board of the orphanage will also speak, these being Rev. Kattman of Berne, and Rev. Dlehm of Huntington. Other speakers will be Rev. Busche and Rev. Ruhl of Fort Wayne. Among those from this city who will attend are Rev, and Mrs. Hessert, Mrs. Peter Kirsch, August Sellemeyer, and others, and Mat Kirsch, a member of the executive board. Rev. Ruf requested some time ago to be released from the superintendency, but no one could be found at that time to take charge, so he continued until a new helper could be se- ' cured. - ■ — ■ — ■ o—■ .. —..11—.—. ■■ STEELE BOY IS ILL. Aria, aged eleven, a son of Mrs. Nelson Steele, 516 East Central avenue, is ill with diphtheria, and the house was quarantined Sunday morning. The boy was able to play with some companions all day Saturday, but in the evening his throat was too'sore for him to eat supper. He was worse Sunday morning and a physician, who was summoned found considerable membrane in the throat. A dose of 5,000 unites of anti-toxine was administered at once and the word from the Steele home today is that the lad is slightly improved. The small boys who played’with the Steele child Saturday will be kept at home for a few days as precaution to see if other cases develop. Miss Orpha Marks has been secured to nurse the Steele boy. •—Bluffton News. The boy is a grandson of David Steele and a nephew of Charles Steele of this city.

TO MEET TODAY Merrtbers of State Board of Education Coming This Afternoon TO MEET THE BOARD Relative to City’s Need of More Room for the Schools. Dr. Kelly of Richmond, president of I Earlham college, and Prof. J. N. Study superintendent of the Fort Wayne schools, both membera of the state ! board of education, will be here late .this afternoon to meet at 4 o’clock with the city school board. This meeting is held relative to the examination of the high school conditions here, the committee having been appointed at a meeting of the board last week when the city school board went to Indianapolis. Professor Kelly visited the high school last November on his regular inspection tour and recommended a number of changes, necessary to bring the schools up to the best standard. These included the purchase of a number of reference books, and equipment for the laboratory, which the school board then bought. He also suggested that the city schools needed more room. If a new building must be made this year this condition cannot be complied with because financial conditions do not allow it. No action has yet been taken by the state board on failure to remedy this, so the city school board made the trip to Indianapolis last week to lay the matter in its entirety before the state board. The result was that the committee was appointed to come today to make another investigation. The result, of course, cannot be told at this time and the outcome is watched with much interest.

REGAINS SANITY Edward Fuchs, thfe French Township Young Man, Regains Sanity. CAME AS SUDDENLY As Did the Derangement— Will Dismiss Asylum Ap- , plication. Just as suddenly and unexpectedly as he lost his reason during the middle of March, has Edward D. Fuchs, the French township young man, regained his sanity. The young man was declared Insane by a duly authorized commission, March 19, and at the present time his application for admission to the Easthaven insane asylum at Richmond, is on tile there. His physician, Amos Reusser, of Berne, who was one of the insanity commission board, pronounces him entirely sane again and asked what steps should be taken to dismiss the petition for application to the asylum. Ho was advised to take up the matter with Dr. S. E. Smith, superintendent of the asylum, in order to dismiss the case there. Mr. Fuchs has entirely recovered and was a visitor in the city Monday on business. One of the causes of his insanity, which came upon him so suddenly and left j”st as suddenly, was given as farm losses.

COVERDALE CHILD V">RSE. f t Ruth May, little daughter of Mr. and , Mrs. Clark Coverdale, of Nashville, | Tenn., who has been very 111 the past 1 week with broncho-pneumonia, follow'- 1 Ing the measles, had been reported as , very much better. Today, however, w'ord was received that she Is not quite so well, and relatives in charge i were much worried. Her grandfather, Dr. J. S. Coverdale, left a week ago tonight to be with the family. Mrs. Noah Baker went to Fort Wayne today noon, where the family ‘ will make their future home.

BEN HUR DELEGATES. — The Ben Hur lodge has elected delegates to the fraternal congress to be held May 6. Delegates at large are Mrs. Mary Dailey and Mrs. A. E. Artman. Others are Mrs. Minnie Daniels, Mrs. Mollie Cramer, Mrs. Jessie |Burdg, William Teeple and Ross Tyndall. At the regular meeting Friday, delegates to the Indianapolis convention will be elected. The place of the May congress has not yet been announced. WILL NOW RECOVER. Mrs. Michael Rezek, wife of ane of the Hungarian beet workers, living in one of the little houses near the beet I plant, is on a fairway to recovery after being at the point of death from septic poison. For eleven days she lingered at the point of death, and so low w-as she that the last sacrament was given her. To her kind nurse, Mrs. Minnie Daniels, is due her recovery, as she was given the very best of care.

COURT HOUSE NEWS Special Judge David E. Smith Presides During Illness of JUDGE J. T. MERRYMAN Much Business Disposed of —Three New Cases Filed Today. I Judge J. T. Merryman remains ill with neuralgia and was unable to be in court this morning. He therefore appointed Judge-elect David E. Smith special judge until he is able to take his place on the bench again. Charles T. Challenger vs. Samuel R. Allen et al., case from Allen county. Motion by plaintiff ti substitute Wm. Cass, alias Mechekenoquahs by his guardian, the Citizens' Trust Co., as plaintiff was sustained. Upon leave, amended complaint was >led.

| Edna Springer vs. Abraham Spring- ! er et al., affidavit of non-residence of ' defendants. Notice of affidavit in gar- 1 nishment filed against Eli Sprunger. ' Summons ordered returnable April 30.. I * The Old Adams County bank vs. William H. Fledderjohann et al. Ap-/ pearance for W. H. and Caroline M. ! Fledderjohann by C. J. Lutz. William Fuchs vs. Edward Fuchs, 1 appointment of guardian. Appearance 1 (entered by D. B. Erwin for defendant. ' i j Real estate transfers: Susan A. G. 1 Clay et al. to Clark D. Stanley, 20 J acres, Wabash tp., $2000; John F. J Merriman et al. to Minerva E. Kelly, | lot 2, Berne, SIOSO. I 1 The current report of Oscar Lanke-|* nau as guardian of Matilda Meyer, was approved. i The current report of 0. L. Vance,, 1 guardian of Otis J. Riley, filed in vacation, is approved. Courtalso approved the current re- * port of Lucy Colchin, guardian of Ag- f nes Colchin et al. I I The current report of Martin Laughlin, guardian of Addie E. Kelly, was 1 approved. 1 * A. H. Sellemeyer, guardian of Flor# 1 ence L. McLean et al., reported sale of real estate. This was approved, deed

ordered, reported and approved. Upon petition, John.C. Augsburger,, guardian of John Baler, of unsound f mind, was ordered to make repairs on farm buildings at a cost of not more than S4OO. , The reports of the clerk in probating the Ulrich Lehman and David J. Habegger wills in vacation, were approved. — I A Geneva oil man was made defend-, ant in three cases filed this afternoon .by Attorney Mills of Portland and Peterson & Moran, as follows: Aaron A. I Moser vs. William F. Wilson, on note, demand, $150; Samuel E. Black vs. William Wilson, on note and foreclosure of chattel mortgage, $300; | CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE

Price, Two Cents.

SCHOOL CHILDREN :i Os Strikers in Paterson, N. J. Numbering 18,000 to Go On a Strike TRUANCY LAW RIGID On Both Parents and Children—Pope’s Condition is Slightly Improved Rome, April 15—(Special to Daily , Democrat)—The Pope continued his improvement this afternoon, his temperature lowering and the bronchitis declining but in spite of the optimistic bulletins issued by the physicians, preparations for his death went steadily on. Following the customs of centuries a new- mobile guard was formed to guard the body in case of death. J Chicago, 111., April 15—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Detectives today (sought to establish a connection between the mysterious murder of Geo. Dietz and the death of Edna Frederickson, a 16 year old girl who died March 7 from a criminal operation. The murderer left a note charging that Deitz J betrayed a young girl and in Deitz's pocket was found a clipping of the Fiedrickson girl's death. The police are also looking up a young girl formerly employed in Deitz's fashionable ladies’ tailoring establishment and who i had quit work two weeks ago. The police have uncovered evidence that Deitz had a special liking for young 'girls. St. Leonard-On-The Sea, April 15— (Special to Daily Democrat) —Suffragettes today burned the handsome sea side home of Arthur DuCros, a mem- . ber of parliament.

Pittsburg, Pa., April 15—(Special to Dailj» Democrat)—The character of Miss Ethel Fisher was as bitterly attacked by cross-examination as was the testimony yesterday against the character of S. L. Heeter, superintendent of schools against whom serious charges were made by the girl. She denied that George Patterson, her sweetheart was responsible for her condition or that there had ever been any trouble before entering the Heeter household. ■ Paterson, N. J. April 15—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Incensed by the attack today by public school teachers against the silk workers and the I. W. I W. leaders, the strike organization issued a call for a meeting tonight of all the mothers and children and plans for a strike will be made of IS,OOO children, the majority of them children of the strikers. The city authorities said that, the truancy law would be enforced against the parents as well as the children. o LEFT TODAY FOR DAYTON, OHIO. John Harvey Responds to Sister's Plea For Help. John Harvey, the real estate man, left this morning for Dayton, Ohio, for a two or three days' stay. His trip is in response toa plea from his sister, Mrs. Alta Rawe, made in a letter received yesterday by Mr. Harvey. She stated that they had lost all in the floods, and that the family was destitute. The letter ended a season of much worry by relatives here, as they had had no word from there since the flood ,and telegrams telling of her father’s death at Pickard last week, had >been returned here undelivered. —. o TO CLEAN DAYTON STREETS.

Columbus, Ohio, April 15—A flood relief committee from Dayton compos•ed of John H. Patterson, E. A. Deeds and F. T. Huffman called on Governor Cox today and presented a formal report of the conditions. The report shows that SOOO,OOO will be required to clean the streets of Dayton. This sum does not include the cost of reconstructing public property damaged by the recent flood. Members of the committee estimate the loss of merchandise is their city at $13,000,000. Leaf tobacco valued at $900,000 was destroyed by the flood they said. WABASH OUT OF BANKS. Visitors here from the south part of the county state that the Wabash river is far beyond its banks and has been so for the past two weeksk.