Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 14, Number 11, Decatur, Adams County, 13 January 1916 — Page 1

Volume XIV. Number 11.

EMPOWERED TH ORDERJN ARMY Resolution Introduced in Senate to Empower the President TO END TROUBLES In Mexico—American Consul Assaulted at El Paso —Mexico Acts. (United Press Service) Washington, Jan. 13,—(Special to Dally Democrat) —A resolution under! which president Wilson would be empowered to order the army into Mex-1 ico to settle international trouble was introduced into the senate tills afternoon by Senator Lewis of Illinois, un administration leader. He did not indicate that he had acted at the request' of the executive, but his resolution caused more speculation than any ' move made since the massacre of the i Americans in Chilhuahua. The resolution gives the president' the same authority to use armed force' in Mexico as he has with the navy in Nicaragua and Haiti. President Wilson stands squarely behind Secretary Lansing in his statement that Americans who enter Mexico in the face of warnings of this government did so at their own risk. While General Carranza has been [urged to endeavor to round up the bandits responsible for the murder of American and British subjects and punish them, it was made plain at the white house today that the president will not deviate in the least from his policy regarding Mexico. It was declared that Lansing's statement of yesterday concerning the blame attached to persons who have gone into Mexico despite warning has the endorsement of the president. The| men in the party killed Monday had also been specifically warned, it was stated. Prompt action to punish the murder-1 ers was promised today in a letter to Secretary Lansing from the Washington representative of the Mexican gov- 1 ernment. The letter declared that ‘efficient action" would be taken to ‘bring the murderers to justice.” El Paso, Jan. 13,— (Special to Daily Democrat) —Carrying its death cargo in eighteen black Mexican caskets, the train with the eighteen American 1 British and Mexican victims of the Santa Ysabel massacre arrived here today. A silent crowd of several hundred j friends and, relatives met the train and sorrowfully watched as the caskets were transferred to auto trucks and taken to the morgue. A grewsome story of the massacre, was told by Mexican eyewitnesses and American members of the rescue par- j ty who accompanied the bodies to the. border. Soft nosed bullets had been used making ragged holes in the heads of. wounded Americans, when the bandits gave them the ‘‘mercy shot . The, skulls of three men had been blown away. Each body had from two to five bullet holes. The Americans in the res- j cue party were escorted by a small detachment of Carranza troops who insisted cn stopping the train every lew minutes and reconnoitering for bandits. When the scene of the massacre was reached mounted Villistas were not over half a mile away. The Carranzistas on the train not being mount ed made no attempt to pursue the suspected murderers. -As soon as the bodies were loaded into a box the train started into Chihauhua. Chihauhau, Mex., Jan. 13,— (Special to Dally Democrat)—General Trevino commander in chief of the (arranza troops here at seven o clock a .m. today sent five hundred well provisioned men in pursuit of the bandits w io massacred sixteen citizens thirty five miles from Chilhauhua. They were ■ordered to show no mercy to the mur derers, BULLETIN. El Paso, Texas, Jan. 13, (Spec a io Oaily Democrat) —To prevent vo icnce against them General Bain ai an twelve other prominent former i”■ ta officers were thrown into ja. 'ere today on vagrancy charges. The arrests followed the dis-overj of a plot by angry Americans to ym

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

General Salazar, suspected of ordering Tom Fountain, a popular American f mining man before a Mexican firing squad in 1912. The twenty Americans who called at Salazar’s hotel also were believed bent on other lynchings to avenge the I massacre of Santa Ysabel. The police learned of their plans and spirited away Salazar in an automobile. With the arrival of the victims' bodies indignation here was at fever heat. A great meeting oi protest against the administration “watchful waiting” policy and to demand immediate intervention was being arranged. Washington, Jan. 13,—(Special to Daily Democrat)—Confirmation of the killing of the American, Bert Kramer, of Kramer's ranch near Chihauhua, Mexico, sixty miles west of Santa Ysabel by Mexican bandits was reported to the state department today from i El Paso. | El Paso, Jan. 13,—(Specal to Daily j Democrat) —General Huerta again | dropped into a coma today after sayf,ng good by to his wife and other rela- ' tives gathered at the bedside. His pri-l vate secretary announced that his con-' , dition has become so serious shortly I before seven o’clock this morning that i death was only a matter of a few 1 hours. | El Paso, Texas, Jan. 13 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Twelve more' 1 Americans, including two women, 1 were reported to have been murdered by Mexican bandits at Madera, Chihuahua. The report was unconfirmed. El Paso, Jan. 13 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Since the responsibility for Americans entering Mexico has become an issue, United States Consul Edwards at Jaurez declared today that absolute guarantees had been assured the eighteen victims. General Gavira, Carranza commander in Jaurez, personally assured him.' ' he said, it would be safe for the min-' I Ing party to return to Mexico and re-| sume operations, saying that the district through which they would pass ' would be completely dominated by the Carranzista forces. I American mining men, refugees ' from Mexico, enraged at the part Edwards played in obtaining the en- ; trance of the Americans into Mexico, attacked and forcibly ejected the consul from the lobby of the Sheldon hotel here today. | Edwards ran up Main street and es-' caped. At first the refugees clashed with the consul, loudly denouncing the Washington administration, |and blaming it for the massacre. ' Edwards tried to argue with the result of several of them throwing him bodily into the street. BROLY INJURED Bart Schraluka Fell Down Stairway at Sugar Plant at Noon Today. KNEE CAPS'BROKEN Broken, Three Teeth j Knocked Out, Severely Bruised About Body. Barton Schraluka, a young man 1 who has had considerable bad luck, ' met with a serious accident just at ‘ noon today when he fell down a stairway leading from the third floor to I the second floor at the sugar plant ■ and was badly injured. No one witi nessed the accident but it is believ- ■' ed that he stumbled and fell head lover heels down the sixteen feet of • I stairs. The physician called stated > that the man had broken one knee I I cap and perhaps both, his nose was I broken, three teeth knocked out. a I gash cut in his forehead and he was 1; badly bruised over the body. He was ’ I taken to the home of his mother and 1 ! is being cared for. If the knee caps • are broken as is feared he will be - crippled for life as the legs will be ) stiff At three o’clock it was said j he was resting easy. The accident ?l happened just at 12 o’clock at the •- stairway at the south of, the main plant, near Mr. Kremer's,office. Elaborate preparations have been .1 made by the Decatur Knights of Py- >• thias to entertain at the K. of P. d county meeting February. 24. A class ,- of twenty candidates will be given the e'third rank/there will be a program and banquet in the evening. Geneva, y Berne and Decatur lodges will contrih bute to the candidates’ ranks.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday Evening, January 13,

PYTHIANMEETING ! County Meeting Planned to be Held Here on Febk ruary 24th. FOR ENTIRE COUNTY Afternoon and Evening Session Planned—Program Out Soon. A committee of members from each of the three Knights of Pythias lodges of the county met at Berne on the 1 tenth and made arrangements for the holding of a county meeting of the order at Decatur on February 24th. at which time a class of candidates, I known as the Centennial Class, will I be Initiated in all three degress. | The committee that selected Decatur as the meeting place is : Decatur lodge—Dore B. Erwin, F. V. Mills and A. I). Suttles: Berne lodge—T. A. Gottschalk, F C. Foreman and F. M. Cotterell: and from Geneva lodge— George Ineichen, John A Miller and A. W. McArdle. They will meet again 1 and form the program for the two sessions. Each lodge will bring a class of candiates for initiatory work, and at 3:30 o'clock in the afternoon a pic- : ture of all members present at that , time will be taken. Every member of the lodge of the county will be notified of the meeting by the committee and sent a program, so that a good attendance may be assured. o HOLD JELECTION Morris Five and Ten Cent Store Company Holds Annual Election. J. A. MORRIS PRESIDENT Company Voted to Add , Four More Stores to Their String of Seventeen. The Morris Five and Ten Cent Stores Company, at the annual meet-1 Ing yesterday afternoon, electred dir-', I ectors, as follows: J. A. Morris, George ] S. Morris, Will Morris, Fred Bell, Har-' ry A. McFarren, Ray Brown, and Fes- 1 tus Rhoten. J. A. Morris was elected, president I of the wholesale branch and George S.' Morris president of the retail branch, each being elected vice-president of the other branch . The company voted to practically double their wholesale business and to add at least four stores to their retail branch, in which they now have 17 stores. The Decatur store is one of the Company’s stores, and is managed by' L. A. Jackson. o AT THE CRYSTAL. A gripping photoplay with a strong moral to all wives and husbands, is “The Family Divided,” Essanay’s three-act photodrama featuring Edna Mayo and Bryant Wash bur nj. The story evolves around Henry P. Glazier, a well-to-do business man and his wife, both very much in love with ' each other and happy in the possession of a beautiful daughter and a handsome son. Then comes a day when the wife sees her husband leave his office with another woman, accompany her home and there give the woman money when she points to her little baby and explains her destitute condition. The wife, suspecting, groundlessly that her husband has been untrue to her, brings suit for separation, the daughter being awarded to her and the son to the father. Fifteen years pass, the children grow up and the daughter is in love with “Bob” Moulton, a rising young lawyer. The son, lacking a mother’s influence, becomes wayward, and the father decides .to send him to Panama. He writes to inform his wife, ’ suggesting that if she wants to bid farewell to their son she may do so at j 1 the young attorney’s office. By, ! chance, the parents meet here, too, i and, through “Bob’s” efforts, a recon- ’ , filiation is effected and then matters - are explained. Tonight. Three big reels; five cents, no more.

RECORDS BROKEN. tUnlted Press Service) Indilanapolis. Jan. 13, —(Special to Daily Democrat) —The mercury stood at three above at seven a. m. today having from 67 degrees at noon yesin ninteen hours was believed by government weather men here to have broken all local records. POSTAL RECEfpTS INCREASE According to the annual report compiled by Postmaster J. W. Bosse the postal receipts here show an increase of S3OO or S4OO over those of last year. The receipts at Bluffton fell off. SCHEDULE GIVEN 1 For Anti-Saloon League Meetings in Adams County Sunday. TWELVE MEETINGS At the Various Churches Throughout the County —Four in Decatur. The schedule has been published for the Anti-Saloon League meeting to be held in the various churches of the county on Sunday, January 16, and the speakers for each church is given. Twelve different meetings will be held during the day: Decatur —A. M. M. E.—D. T. Stephenson, F. P. Leckliter. Evangelical—J. H. Rilling, R. C. Minton. Presbyterian—Jay C. Hanna, J. E. Cox. Christian—Benj. Borton, C. J. Everson. Bobo. M. E.—H. C. Powell, J. E. Martin. Linn Grove. M. E. —E. C. Hallman, S. A. Ross. P. M. Geneva. M. E. —J. F. Lutey, J. E. Cox. U. B. —Rev. Knipe (union service). Pleasant Mills. M. E.—H. C. Powell, J. E. Martin. Bethel. U. B. —Rev. Johnson, C. J. Everson. Berne. Mennoite —Rev. Schroeder, R. C. Minton. Linn Grove. Christian —A. D. Buckmaster, S. A. Ross. Owing to the fact that a number of the churches in the county are holding evangelistic services at this time, the number of meetings the league would have liked to have held here is restricted. MOTHER IS DEAD Was Sad Message Received by Tony Nussman — Death Was Sudden. FELL DOWN STAIRS Lifeless Body Was Found by Daughter — Lived Here Eight Months. Tony Nussman, foreman at the ' Schafer Saddlery company, received I a telephone message at noon today from his sister, Mrs. Hartman, at Ft. Wayne, giving the sad information that their mother was dead. Mrs. Nussman lived here for eight months with her son, their home being on Sixth street but for four years she has lived at Ft. Wayne, having rooms ' over those occupied by her daughter. Tony went home over Sunday and lived with his mother. He left her Monday morning in excellent health. Shortly before noon today Mrs. Hartman stared up stairs to see her mother and found her lifeless body at the foot of the stairway. Evidently she had slipped and fallen, though the details were not given in the telephone message. Mrs. Nussman was seventy one years old last October 19th and i was known by a number of Decatur ' people. She is survived by two child--1 ren mentioned. Tony left this after- ' noon for Fort Wayne. Funeral ar--1 rangements have not been made but the services will probably be held j Saturday.

SKETCHJS MADE Os Church—Submitted to Trustees of the Decatur I Evangelical Church. A DECISION IS SOON To be Made by Congregation Relative to Plans— To Build This Year. The Decatur Evangelical congregation is preparing for the erection of ■ its new church building this year, preparations for which, in the way of the amassing of a building fund, have been going on for several years. The trustees held a meeting one evening this week, when the rough sketch of a $15,000 church building was submitted by Architect Oscar Hoffman. He is also preparing another plan, and all will later be submitted to the congregation at a congregational meeting. This will probably not be held for several weeks, as it is the desire that it not conflict with the revival service. The church will be built on the site of the old church and parsonage and will be a handsome addition to the district. o NOTICE TO MEMBERS Fred Busche, president, asks that all members of the Agricultural Extension Asociation and all corn show committees meet Saturday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock in the office of County Agent A. J. Hutchins. United Press is Authorized to Announce the Kaiser is Well. TROOPS TO SALONIKA English Are Bringing Reinforcements to Grecian Soil. i (United Press Service) (By Karl W. Ackerman.) Berlin via Amsterdam, Jan. 13,— (Special to Daily Democrat) —The United Press was today officially authorized to deny rumors circulated in | foreign countries that the Kaiser is l seriously ill. The emperor's illness 1 has at no time been serious, it was stated. It was necessary for him to remain in his rooms at the Palace for only a few days. He is now improved to such an extent that he is holding daily military conferences' with the members of the general staff. London, Jan. 13, —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Anglo-French troops from Gallipoli are being landed at Salonika to re-inforce General Sarrails army, according to Sofia dispatches today. The Burgarian authorities estimate that 250,090 Anglo-French forces are, now in Greece and that more thanj 300,000 will be concentrated between Salonika and the Greek border be-j fore the end of another week. London. Jan. 13, —(Specal to Daily Democrat)—The National Federation! of Miners, the strongest labor union I in the United States Kingdom today voted unanimously to oppose the gov-1 ernment’s conscription bill. The delegates, however, refused to act on the J proposition that a national strike be called to protest against conscription. Rome, Jan. 13, —(Special to Dally Oemocrat) —Italian troops may be ordered to proceed to the relief of the hard pressed Montenegrins within for-ty-eight hours. King Victor Emanuel today summoned military chiefs and members of the cabinet Rto a confer- ' ence on the Montenegrin situation * o - BAPTIST SERVICES. The theme for the sermon at the Baptist church tonight will be “He Is 1 Precious.” The services are growing r in interest and every night sees new ' faces in the audience. The public is ' cordially invited to come. On Sat- ’ urday about noon the Ladies’ Aid sot ciety will have a pastry sale in the gas 1 office, and the public can buy pastries at that time.

1 KILLS 184,000,000 FLIES. i If Leo Kirsch, young son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kirsch, gets his just, deserts, in comparison with those of a New York “hero" he will be wearing two gold medals. For Leo yesterday killed 184,000,000 flies, actual and potential. Decatur people will probably open their eyes when they read this. And so will Leo, for he doubtless did not realize just what he was doing at the time. What he actually did was to kill two flies in the Winnes shoe store, thus cutting off 92,000,000 descendants for each one. Leo’s act of noble benefit to the race was not fully realized until Miss Anna Winnes read this morning in a metropolitan paper\ the following, dated New York City: “John Lynch Is wearing a gold award for killing 92,000,000 flies, potential and actual. He swatted one fly, the first one this year, cutting off 92,000,000 descendants. If by New York City can make so big a fuss over Lynch and one fly, Leo is worth two medals. STREEHcGIDENT George Gilbert Narrowly Misses Being Hit by Train AT LINE STREET Wagon Smashed and Tile Broken—Accident Unavoidable. i A loose string of cars, being switched by the Clover Leaf local, crashed into a heavily loaded wagon of tile, belonging to George Gilbert, on the Line street crossing at eleven-thirty o’clock today, demolishing many of the tile and breaking the wagon and bed. Gilbert had driven up between the Erie and the Clover Leaf tracks and was waiting for an Erie train to pass before proceeding. His team backed up. it is asserted and the Clover Leaf cars crashed into the rear end of the I wagon, loaded with eighteen inch tile.' The hind wheel of the wagon was |; broken, the bed smashed, and many of the tile broken. The crew saw the ,i accident in time to prevent more ser- 1 lous complications. Gilbert jumped and managed to prevent the team from running away. John Oswalt, watchman at the Line ' street crosisng saw the accident but ' blames no one, as the cause. n DOLPH S CHANCE — I I < Is Extended But Others 1 1 May Have Opportunity I : of Bidding on _ 1 THE C. B. & C. RAILROAD ’ According to the Entry ' Made by the Judge— ‘ Dolph is Hopeful. » ■ . 1 “The receiver is ordered to advertise that bids for the property herein 1 I will be received from this date up to- ' and including March 14, 1916. If 1 there is sufficient bid or bids made |on or before said date, such bid or ( I blds will be considered if found suffi-i cient the bid of F. A. Dolph, will be rejected.” | This is the entry whereby Judge Cook grants F. A. Dolph an extension | of time to make good on his bid for I the C. B. & C. railroad, and at the i same time throws down the bars to let others bld if they feel so inclined. C. K. Lucas, representing F. A. . Dolph, filed a motion for a continu- . I ance Monday morning. In it Dolph set , | out that he has formed a pool of cred- . itors claims for $278,000, and that 1 they are to be recompensed after a I reorganization is made. Mr. Dolph also set out that he had a proposition from a broker in Chicago named John R. Stinson, by which a reorganization was to be effected and s the road bought, but that one of Stin- ( 1 son’s moneyed men, was seriously ill _ with pneumonia, thus preventing the r consummation of the deal at present. , | A compromise was made in the case . I by the entry set out—Huntington Her- .' aid. s I Dolph is the man who also had his i' eye on the Fort Wayne & Springfield | railway.

Price, Two Cents.

GIRLS _SUSPECTS Daughters of F. H. Merica Said to be Arrested in Celina, Ohio. INVOLVED IN MURDER Os David Beery—Mr. Merica Formerly Conducted Garage Here. Word is current of the arrest Tuesday at Celina, Ohio, of Alma Merica Swieitzer and Marie Merica-Lutz-How-ard, daughters of F. H. Merica, a former resident of Decatur, as suspects in the murder of David Beery of near St. Mary’s, Ohio, In April, 1912. F. H. Merica, the father, came here from Bluffton about four years ago, and conducted a garage on Madison street in a building on the site of the present Kalver garage. Later the family moved to Celina, Ohio, and now reside in Portland, it is said. The Celina Standard denies a statement of other papers that two men are also under arrest as suspects and adds that the arrests have caused a sensation in Celina. The paper continues: “Two women, answering to the names of Alma Merica Sweitzer and Marie Howard Lutz, came here Saturday decoyed by two men. It is said that certain information might be obtained. Their arrest followed on the charge of disorderly conduct and the hearing of the case was continued until Thursday. “The story, not official, for Prosecutor Myers has given out no information, is to the effect that Mrs. Merica, mother of the girls, died in a Fort Wayne hospital, and made an antemortem statement to the effect that her family had been implicated in several sanguinary affairs. “How much, if any, truth there may be in this remains to be seen. As to the statements in other papers, David Beery, who met death In some way in April, 1912, was not murdered at the Nickerson Club house. His body with its numerous wounds was found at the Western Ohio station at Stop 7. The Mericas were only residents of Celina for a few brief months, merely a part of the floating population.” The Bluffton Banner says: “The Merica family moved from this city to Huntington, where Mr. Merica conducted a restaurant for some time. The girls were in court there several times. It is said F. H. Merica now lives in Muncie. Marie Merica was married to a Wells county young man by the name of Lutz and he obtained a divorce in the Huntington circuit court. She later marrier a young man by the name of Howard at Portland and they conducted a refreshment stand on the street during the last street fair here. “In telling of the arrest a St. Mary’s paper says: ‘According to the statement one of the couples had a fall out, resulting in the woman telling about the matter, to the effect that she assisted in luring Beery to the club house for the purpose of robbery rather than to do him violence. Her statements are said to involve men as responsible for the tragedy. Tho Mericas formerly had a cheap store in Celina. The Mercer county grand jury may investigate.' ” According to the word here, Mrs. Merica is still living. FUNERAL HELD TODAY Services For Mrs. Minnie Lewton Conducted This Afternoon The body of Mrs. Minnie Lewton, widow of Chester Lewton, formerly i of Tenth street, this city, late of Fort I Wayne, arrived here this afternoon at 2:10 o’clock over the interurban, and was taken at once to the Methodist church where the Rev. D. T. Stephenson and her Fort Wayne pastor, th Rev. Overdear, officiated. Pall bearers were Harry Butler, Henry Bauman, W. A. Fonner, F. A. Peoples, Charles Bailey and E. S. Christen. The body was laid to rest in the family lot in the Decatur cemetery Mrs. Lewton was formerly Miss Minnie Dutcher, and all of her life, except the past two years or so, was spent in this county and city. All arrangements as to her funeral, was completed by her, even to the time that the body should leave Fort Wayne for this city. Funeral services were held in Fort Wayne also. E. B. Adams is able to attend to business matters again after a several days' siege with lagrippe.