Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 12, Number 217, Decatur, Adams County, 15 September 1914 — Page 1

Read By 15,000 Each Evening

Volume XII. Number 217.

FAST EXPRESS TRAIN CAUSES THREE DEATHS James Long, Fred Hess And Gracoma Gravoch Were Killed Last Night In Collision Os Train And Handcar

Four Foreigners, Also Passengers, Had Left Car Before it Was Struck. ACCIDENT OCCURRED j Monday Night at 10 O’clock Between Tenth and Eleventh Street Crossings. While apparently endeavoring tt> lift a hand car off the main track of the Erie railroad last night at about 10 o’clock. James Long, age fifty-eight, residing on Mercer avenue, and Gracoma Gravoch, aged twenty-two, an interpreter for one of the constrqctioi gangs, employed on the Erie doubletracking, were instantly killed, and Ered Hess, aged twenty-four, residing on North Eleventh street, was so badly injured that he died at 1:36 this morning, as the result of being stru—• by the fast Wells-Fargo express train. No. 14, due in this city at 9:35, but which was running a few minutes late Another interpreter, known as Mike, and three foreigners were also on the car, but had gotten off at their camp car before the accident. The following account of the accident was secured this morning from the interpreter by Coroner D. D. Clark and Marshal Melchi. Mr. Long, who was the assistant section foreman on the Erie, and the dead interpreter had secured the hand car shortly after 8 o’clock and had invited the other four foreigners to join 1 them in a joy ride. Hess, who was ent-! ployed as night engine tender in the I Erie yards, was coaling up an engine when the men on the hand car came up to him. They stopped and asked him if they could not use his lantern for a little while. Having finished his work, Hess remarked that he would join them on their ride. The men continued their trip until they reached Preble. At this place they decided to return to this city. While the stop was being made the foreigners went into the saloon and bought a glass of beer. Not over ten minutes' time was spent here, however, and the men started immediately on the return trip. ’Everything went along splendid-■ ly until the Eleventh street crossing ; in this city was reached. Here the' car was stopped to permit Mike and the other three foreigners to get off., while Long, Hess and Gravoch intend ed to take .the car back to the tower.; Tile four foreigners were just enter-| ing their camp cars when the express train sped by and the next instant the crash came, when the engine hit the, hand car. From the nature of the in I juries which resulted in the death of the three men, it. is thought that they; had stopped the car and were endeav-i oring to take it off the track. Gravoch was apparently standing with his back toward the engine, as the back of his head was crushed, as were his shoulders and chest. Ixmg and Hess are thought to have been at the other end of the car as their injuries were almost identical, Hess having the lower part of his legs crushed and thought to have heen internally injured, while Long had his legs broken in several places and a large gash in his forehead. Hess and Gravoch were tossed to one side, while Long was thrown upon the cow catcher of the engine, and carried to the tower, several blocks east of the scene of the accident. When physicians arrived Hess was still living and was removed to the home his mother, Mrs. Amelia Hess, on North Eleventh street. After an examination it was decided to

DECATUR DA IT A DEMOCK AT

I amputate his legs. The right leg was ! amputated just below the knee, but while the physicians were operating on the left leg he passed away.. The bodies of the two men who were killed instantly, were removed to the Meyer, Scherer & Beavers morgue, where they were prepared for burial. Much difficulty was experienced by Coroner Clark in locating the other members of the party, but after much questioning, the interpreter, Mike, finally made the statement that he was on the car, and then described the accident. Harry McGill, brakeman on No. 14, arrived in the city this afternoon, and the of the crew will arrive about 4 o’clock to be examined by the coroner. «, Well Known Citizen Mr. Long and Mr. Hess, two of the victims, were well known citizens of Decatur, Mr. Hess having lived in this vicinity his entire life and until about a year ago having been connected with James Artman in the Artrr'i & Hess case. Mr. Long was born in Versailles, O„ September 17, 1856, and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Long. He removed to this city twenty-five years ago a<d has been employed at various trades, being at the time of his death assistant section foreman. Mr. Long is survived by his aged mother, his wife and seven children: Taylor,, Hestor and Edythe of this city; James, of California; Thomas, of Montana; Mrs. Gene Kennedy, of Roan, Ind., and Mrs. M. J. Gleason, of Milwaukee. Four frothers and four sisters also survive. No funeral arrangements have been made at present. awaiting a telegram from the son, Thomas. Mr. Hess was born in Adams county February 2, 1890, and was the son of Mrs. Amelia Hess. He was a loyal member of the St. Mary’s church of this city and was also a member of the St. Aloysius society. He received his education in the St. Joseph school and was an enterprising young man of sterling worth, having clean habits and being a total abstainer from alcoholic drinks. His father preceded him in death several years ago, and he is survived by his mother, two brtJthers (Continued on Page Two) o GRANDOFFICERS Three of Highest in State in, Odd Fellow Circles Will be Here on —— THURSDAY, SEPT. 17 i i Afternoon for Lodge Members Only—Evening for ( the Public. ( I I Thursday, September 17, will be a' big day in local Odd Fellow and Rebekah circles. Three of the grand officers, the highest in the state, will be here on that date, according to a letter received by the secretary. The visitors will be: William Naler, grand master; S. O. Sharp, grand patriarch. and Ella M. Clark, president of the Rebekah Assembly. In the afternoon at 2 o’clock there will be a round table assembly at the hall, for members only, of the I. O. O. F. lodge, the camp and the Rebekahs. In the evening at 7 o’clock there will be a public meeting, to which everybody is invited The officials are great and able ones, and there will be a number of good addresses, besides other good features of the program.

Decatur, Evening, September 15, 1914.

MRS. COIL DEAD Wife of President of Indiana Board and Filler Company Died Monday at INDIAN RIVER, MICH. Had Been Invalid for Three Years—Formerly Lived Here. Receiving word that his wife, who has been an invalid for three years, had become worse, W. D. Coil of the Indiana Board and Filler company, left yesterday afternoon at 3:22 o’clock for Indian River, Mich., where she had been spending the summer, to be at her bedside. While enroute there, however, he received a message of her death, which occurred about 2 o’clock. Mrs. Coil had been suffering from an ailment similar to creeping paralysis, but it is thought the immediate death was caused by heart trouble. Mrs. Coil’s maiden name was Anna E. Stimmel. She was about fiftyeight years of age at death. Mrs. Coil is well known in Decatur as the family lived here from 1896 to 1902, during the time that Mr. Coil was in the manufacturing business here. In 1906 the family moved to Muncie and their home has be<fi maintained there since although her summers were spent in the north.

The husband and two daughters, Mary and Greta, survive. A nephew, Frank Curtzhalz, lives in Decatur, being connected with the filler plant. Mrs. Coil also has many relatives in Bluffton. Arrangements for the funeral were unknown here this morning, but the burial will probably be iu Muneie. SWjWAIGN Democrats Will Open Campaign in State With Meeting at Indianapolis. STATE TOUR SOON Candidates for State Office Will Travel by Auto Visiting Every Section. Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 15 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —The present week will witness a great deal of activity on tlie part of the democrats. The nominees on the state ticket are preparing to start a tour of the state tomorrow. They will travel in automobiles and will address many organization meetings. There will be at least fifty meetings next week under the auspices of the state committee. Early in October many prominent speakers will come to Indiana to take part in the campaign. Senator Shively will make one speech in each congressional district, j whether congress adjourns early enough for him to take a more promi nent part in the campaign. He hopes to devote all of October to tlie cam- ' paign in Indiana. Vice President Marshall is coming for at least four 'speeches and Senator Kern experts to 'speak in every district. The progressives open their campaign at Terre Haute Monday night, with Beveridge as the headliner. Roosevelt is to come to the state in 1 October. The republicans will open thefr campaign on Thursday night. I Senator Borah of Idaho Will be the principal speaker. The fact that the republicans have been forced to go 'outside the state for a speaker to open .their campaign is regarded as signifiI cant of the plight in which the party ) finds itself at this time. si The betting is now opening her? 'and it shows that the democratic ticket is an odds-on favorite for first place. ) In fact it is not likely that there will - be mucli betting on the democrats for 'the reason that it is taken for granted ,'that their state ticket will be elected. I There is some betting now on second -'place. Beveridge and Hugh Th. Milkier, republican, are about a stand-off

“DECATUR CAN AND WILL”

in the betting as far as second place is concerned, although the republican leaders pretend to be confident that Beveridge will not get as many votes as he did two years ago and that Miller is going to run far ahead of him. However, the shrewd election betters are waiting for the developments of the next month before they risk much on second place. o TO ATTEND TRACTION MEET Albert Scheumann, the general freight and passenger agent for the Fort Wayne & Springfield railway, left yesterday afternoon at 2:30 for Indianapolis where he will attend the regular monthly meeting of the Central Electric Traffic association, at the office of the state chairman, Al Neereamer. o CHAPTER MEETS TOMORROW. The Decatur Chapter will meet Wednesday evening to confer the past master degree on several candidates. All members are urged to be present. A BRAVE BATTLE Fought by Robert Quinn — Death is the Temporary Victor. —— « SUFFERINGS ENDED At 10:05 Last Night— Young Decatur Lad Succumbs. Battling bravely for several weeks against a strong and insidious foe, meningitis, that developed following injuries received in June, and fighting loyally every inch of the way, Robert’ Patterson Quinn, only child and son of Mr. and Mrs. French Quinn, of First street, was at last forced to give up the good fight and acknowledge Death the temporary victor, when he passed away Monday night at 10:05 o'clock. It will be remembered that he was first injured June 17, when, while employed on a milk car on the Ft. Wayne & Springfield railway, fiis head came in contact with the trolley wire and 6,600 volts of electricity passed through his body. His escape from death was considered miraculous, and in fact it was believed at that time that he was only slightly injured. The wounds made in the scalp, however, failed to close and heal properly, and lie was taken to Hope hospital, where an operation was held to close the wounds. He recovered nicely and or. his return here had become able to walk down town. Five weeks ago he suffered an attack of meningitis and in spite of the best of care that could be given him by the best of physicians here and in Fort Wayne, he grew (Continued on Page Two) • 0 > HERE SATURDAY

C. F. Martin, President Na-i tional Detective Association, to Give Address. PUBLIC IS INVITED Meeting to be Held Saturday Morning—Exact Place Will be Announced. \ Every farmer and every one else interested in protecting their property is invited to attend a public meeting to be held in this city Saturday morning next, by the Adams County Detective association at which time C. F. Martin, president of the National Detective association, will be present. Mr. Martin resides at Jamestown, Indiana, and has devoted many years to building up this society, which has had more to do with preventing horse stealing in tlie middle west than has anything else. Tlie meeting will be held at 10 o’clock, the place to be announced later, but those in charge desire that every farmer and every one else interested know about the meeting and plan to attend.

THE CW NEWS Friendly Suit Begun by Architect Oscar Hoffman Against Trustee OF HARTFORD TWP. For School Plans—lnjunction Suit Delays Payment of Same. Attorney R. C. Parrish for Oscar Hoffman, architect, filed a new case in the circuit court at noon today. Tlie defendants are Hartford Township School Trustee John W. Cowens, and his advisory board, which includes John H. Reiff. Eugene W. Lindsey and Fred Liddy. The suit is a friendly one and demands S7OO for services as an architect for plans, specifications, etc., for a proposed new school house. These were submitted May 29, 1913, and he has received no compensation therefor. The advisory board held a special meeting May 6, 1913, and made an emergency appropriation of $30,000 for a new school house at Linn Grove in Dist. No. 2, as the old one was condemned, and hired Mr. Hoffman to make the plans. It will be remembered that the building of the school house was stopped by an injunction suit which is now pending, and which injunction was so sweeping that it even prohibited the payment of the money to the architect. The court set October 7 as the day when it will determine the cash value of the estate of Mary A. Wilson. Judge D. E. Smith 4s in Chicago today attending a meeting of the supreme council of Scottish Rite Masons (Continued on Page Two) o THE OLD PEOPIE

Special Ray for the Old Folks Will be Observed at M. E. Church. ON NEXT SUNDAY Is Annual Event—Conveyances Will Take Them to the Church. Next Sunday will be a day preeminently for “The Old People” of the Methodist church, a Sunday which is ebserved annually with special serv ices. The members who are well up in years, or who on account of ill health j are “shut-ins,” or who on account of great distance, could not come otherwise, will be brought in special conveyances, automobiles being furnished for the conveyance. The regular communion service will be held at 10:30 o’clock in the morning. Dinner will be served in the church dining room at noon, to all over sixty years of ■ age. In the afternoon there will be a special service. The dajf will be made especially attractive for the old people and a great love feast is expected. — o- — BOYS TURNED LOOSE The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette' says: Bertha McKee, fourteen-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George. McKee, who confessed to having given birth to a child and then throwing it into the alley, and which died a few hours later in a hospital, was arraigned before Judge Eggeman in the juvenile court yesterday and, upon her plea of guilty to manslaughter, sentenced her to an .>> 'eterminate term in the girls’ industrial school at Fairmount. The girl was little affected when sentence was passed. A few moments later Bruce A. Stewr.rt and Clifford Gordon. nineteen-year-old boys were arraigned before the judge. Both pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of the McKee girl and were fined $25 and costs each whidli they paid.

FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IS REACHED BY GERMANS Retreating German Troops Rally On The Bank Os Aisne River And Make First Resistance Against The French

MANY KILLED IN WRECK St. Louis, Sept. 15, —(Special to the Daily Democrat) —A Frisco passenger train bound from St. Louis to Texas points was derailed this morning near Lebanon, Mo. One report stated that 45 persons were killed. This cannot be confirmed as all wires were torn 'down. The train was composed of all steel cars. They rolled down the embankment into a creek. Those killed were either crushed or drowned. The dead were in the chair car and which contained 68 persons. Os this number, only 18 have been accounted for. The chair car was near the front of the train and was completely submerged. A cloudburst had caused a washout near Goodwin Hollow. The Pullmans at the rear were not derailed. o RAIDED ICE CHEST Prowlers, presumably the tramp that had called at the house and walked through tl | porch yesterday afternoon, visited the ice chest at the residence of Mrs. Victoria Hill lasp evening and made way witli a quantity of eatables that made him an excellent repast. The things stolen included a quantity of cream, eggs, peaches, salmon. o UNCLE HEZEKIAH OBSERVES Mis’ Plum whut boards out has thirty-six new receipes for hominy t’ add t’ her recipe book. Wun is fer th’ orginal cookin’ uv th’ dish an'' thirty-five is fer fixin’ th’ left ovurs uv ut. 0 UNCLE HEZEKIAH OBSERVES Funny how we go through life with an everlasting near-hatred fer sum pepul jist beku;; they wu;; hold up t' us fer models whun we wuz kids. DAILY CENSUS REPORT. The nine-pound baby girl born yesterday to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bartlett of Eleventh street has been named Stella Viola.

A LONG LIFE Brought to Close for Wil liam Schroeder—Neai ly ■ Hundred Years Old. WORD OF DEATH I Was Received by the Son, L. F. Schroeder, Well I Known Salesman. : I L. F. Schroeder, the stock food salesman, received the news today of the deatli of his father, William H. Schroeder, of New Bremen, Ohio. I which occurred this morning at 2:05 J o’clock. Had the aged man lived until next January 17th he would have been one hundred years old. Deatli was caused by the Infirmities of old age, which bore heavily upon him. The deceased lived a long and useful life, and raised to maturity thirteen children, all of whom are still living. Twelve, six boys and six girls, were the fruits of his first marriage; and one daughter from his second marriage. Mr. Schroeder of this city is the youngest of the twelve children of the first marriage. There are fiftyi.one grandchildren and nine great I grandchildren living. i The funeral will be held Friday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock.

Reaches Every Nook Os County

Price Two Cents.

DEFEATRUSSIANS German Troops Victorious Over Large Force in Russian-Poland. ABANDONS HIS PLAN Czar Will Not Invade Hungary But Will Concentrate Forces on Berlin. London, Sept. 15— (Special to Daily Democrat)—The German troops have now reached their line of defense along the river Aisne in France, prei pared in advance tor them, and are .now ready to renew the bittie. They are outnumbered by the allies and 'critics believe that the stand will be I but temporary. Reports of the capture of General Von Kluck and 25,000 'of his picked troops are discredited. The French war office would have reported it had it been true. Hundreds of prisoners have heen taken, but totals are >iot available. The official war bureau this afternoon confirmed the report that the army of Crown Prince Frederick Wilhelm has now been driven farther back and is occupying the line on the river Aire, sixteen miles northwest of Verdun. Paris, Sept. 15 —(Special to Daily i Democrat) —Tlu» official bulletin issued by the war office this afternoon stated that the German retreat has been checked and that they are not furnishing a strong rear guard resistance. It stated that the Germans on Monday began to resist the Frencli advance line established nortli of Aisne. “On the French right the Germans continue their retreat,” the statement said. "In Alsace the situation is unchanged.”’ Petrograd, Sept. 15—(Special to the Daily Democrat) —The Russian forces now have the Austrian left wing including German reinforcements, hemmed up in an angle form by the junction of the Vistula and San rivers. These troops were defeated and driven to this point, and it is stated that they will be unable to avoid either surrender or destruction. It is claimed tile Austrians are surrounded by cavalry in front and a strong Russian infantry and cavalry behind and that the Austrians are on marshy land. London, Sept. 15—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Prenier Asquith announced in the Commons this afternoon that the government had begun the formation of the first steps toward an investigation of the charges of German atrocities in Belgium. The premier introduced a bill that would suspend the operation of the home rule bill one year “or for the duration of the war.” Berlin, via wireless to the United Press, Sept. 15 —(Special to Daily I Democrat) —The general staff today Announced that heavy fighting continued in France and the general r<4 ult was still in doubt. General Von Hindenberg has reported further sweeping victories over the Russians in Russian Poland. His official reports to the emperor state that the Russian army made up of the first, third, i fourth and twentieth corps, two re- , serve divisions of infantry and five cavalry divisions had been defeated. advices state that the I wireless has been removed from the i; British embassy there. Petrograd, Sept. 15,—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The proposed invasion of Hungary by a strong Russian (Continued on Page Two)