Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 14, Number 13, Decatur, Adams County, 15 January 1916 — Page 1

Volume XIV. Number 13.

E-2 EXPLOSION KILLSS#ILORS Internal Explosion on Late Model American Submarine Late Today. 5 KILLED, 15 HURT Navy Yard Closed—Cause Believed to Have Been Bad Battery.

(United Press Service) New York, N. Y„ Jan. 16—(Special to Daily Democrat) —One man is', known to have been killed and others may have lost their lives when an internal explosion practically blew the top off of ’the sumbarine E-2 at the Brooklyn navy yard this afternoon. Reports on the number of dead ran as high as five. Many were injured. Officials declared that it would be impossible to determine the actual I casualties for some time. Some of the men lifted from the submarine appeared to be deaft, when carried out, it was stated. A defective battery is believed to have caused the explosion. The interior of the submarine was found in Hames by the party which rushed to rescue the crew, upon hearing the boom. Whjle a dozen men played water into the blaze others ran in and began dragging out the injured. The officer of the day said that while only one man is known to have been I dead, he believed many others would I die in a short time, so badly were they burned. Several of the men were : dragged from the submarine with their, clothing aflame. The E-2 was built in 1910. She, disnfcces 350 tons on the surface and, is 140 feet long. She has a speed <_f 14 knots on the surface and 11 submerged. is a petrol burning boat and is equipped with four torpedo tubes. Rear Admiral Usher, commandant, was in the yard at the time and he and his staff helped in the rescue! work. Latest reports outside the navy' yards at three o’clock are that five men were killed outright and upward of fifteen probably fatally injured. j Under a departmental order officers refused any information until the complete casualty list could be prepared. It was stated, unofficially however, that “more than three or four” were cer-. tainly killed. All of the men taken out were black with smoke and grime and at first it was impossible to tell whether they were badly injured or only suffering from slight burns. The E-2 had a crew of 35 men. Most | of them were on the submarine at the! time. Repairs were being made by the crew'. As it began to apear that the accident might prove more serious than first indicated, the navy yard was closed. Officials said the number of' dead and injured might be raised but that it would be some time before additional casualties, if any, would be known. BOOKKEEPER A THIEF tTTnlted Pres* Service) Evansville. Ind., Jan. 15,— (Special i to Daily Democrat) —George H. Sink, 1 40, who escaped today with $17,000 of the pay roll of the Hercules Buggy: Company was captured later at Boone-] ville Indiana and returned here. The t money was found on him. Sink was assistant bookkeeper of the buggy | company. Sink fled on a traction car.. When he picked up the sack containing the money he told a clerk that an error had been found in it. Previously he had left a call for his employer] which drew the latter to another part of the Plant. Sink told the clerks he was taking the money to another office to have the error rectified. The friends of Sink were at a loss to exain his act. He is married and has small family and was a trusted employee. COTTON’S "JOB NOT VELVET, The rosy path is not that of being marshal at Ossian. At 1< as so thought William Cotton, who resinged his position after serving a few weeks in that capacity. Mr. Cotto did not like the grumbling of the people, and laid down his job. e pos i tlon will be filled by Mr. E. H. Justus. The salary which goes With the job is not large enough and probably some day the town can see its, way clear to pay enough to male < position worth while— Ossian Journal.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

FIVE REELS OF LAUGHS. George Kleine’s “Stop Thief,” founded on the Cohan & Harris farce of that name, written by Carlyle Moore, will he seen at the Crystal theater on Tuesday, January 18. With his usual thoroughness, George Kleine has utilized most of the members of the original stage cast which included Mary Ryan, Harry Mestayer, Harold Howard, Albert Tavernier, W illitm Boyd and Marguerite Boyd. "Stop Thief” is a screaming farce and has been filmed in five parts. There is a snap and action from title to tailpiece, with a laugh in every foot. It was considered one of the funniest comedies on the American stage and in film has proven itself a genuine laugh-provoker of the merriest kind.

AMERICANS FLEE Americans Were Fleeing from Mexico Today, Fearing Threats. 'PROMISES ACTION Os Mexican Authorities Says Summary Punishment to Come. (United Press Service? El Paso, Texas, Jan. 15, —(Special' to Daily Democrat) —Americans were fleeing from northern Mexico today. | Threats of bandits to extirminate forI igners, the murder of twenty Ameri- ' cans and one Englishman in Chihua- ] hua within the last week, and the i state departments appeal to leave the troubled districts, were having their 1 effects. A special train was sent from El Paso was returning from Parral, a mining tow nin southern Chihuahua, with about 150 Americans, including many women and children. Fifty-two other refugees arrived here last night. j New York, Jan. 15, —(Special to the 1 Daily Democrat) —Every member of ! the gang of Mexican bandits responsible for the massacre of Americans at Santa Ysabel will be executed imme-1 diately upon capture, General Trevino, i Carranzista commander at Chihuahua' has wired the United Press. “The punishment to be administered to the culprits in the Santa Ysabel massacre iof Americans, I inform you, will be identical with that meted out to Rodriguez and Almeida. They were made prisoners and shot to death.’ wired General Trevino. i —o — GERMANY REFUSES PLAN. — Berlin via Saville, Jan. 15, —(Special to Daily Democrat) —The German government today rejected the suggestion made by Sir Edward Grey, British foreign minister, that the Baralong j case, in which officers of a British steamer were accused of murdering a German submarine crew, be submitted to an investigation by a court of American naval officers. The text of the German note, transmitted to Great Britain through the American embassy, was made public here today. It denies British charges I that German soldiers and sailors have been guilty of inhuman practices and informed Great Britain that German;. ] will adopt methods of reprisal for the 1 alleged cold blooded slaying of the 1 German submarine crew. Vienna via wireless, Jan. 15, (SpecI ial to Daily Democrat)— Montenegrin [troops after abandoning Cettinje, retreated on the whole south and west front toward the Albanian border, it | was officially announced today. The I war office also reported the renewal of the Russian offensive around Czernowitz. IBELIEVES^IN TOKENS Mrs. John Johns is a firm believer in tokens. Sometime ago a lamp chimney broke for her she stated that it tokened a death. Sure enough. Word came of the death of her husband’s sister. Last Sunday evening while the family was sitting in the house, another lamp chimney broke and Mrs. Johns agani recalled to mind the superstitious belief that it heralded a death. Sure enough. Tnesday, Mrs. Johns got a letter from her son, Herman Johns, that his cousin’s stepmother’s father, John Hess, had died . at Defiance, Ohio. He is the step- ! grandfather of Miss Tilly Moran who visited here at the Johns home during the holidays.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday Evening, January 15,1916.

THE POLICE NEWS Henry Schillinger of Akron, Ohio, Taken Off of Erie Train Here. ON THEFT CHARGE Jacob Grim May be Discharged—Has Two Jlibs Broken. Henry Schillinger, of Akron, Ohio,

a liveryman, working for a firm in Akron, Ind., was taken off of Erie passenger train No. 226 yesterday at 1:26 p. m., by Marshal Melchi, on a charge of theft. Schillinger admitted his guilt this morning. Shortly after dinner Melchi got a long distance call from the Huntington chief of police to head off the fugitive here. The conductor of the train ideitfied Schillinger as having boarded the train at Akron, and Melchi made the arrest. Schillinger stole a nine-dollar traveling bag. Schillinger refused to go with the local police officer and it was necessary to remove him gently by his coat collar, to the amusement of the occupants of the car. He denied his guilt at first, but confessed when confronted with incontrovertible evidence this morning. Edward Leverton, chief of Erie detectives, will take Schillinger back to Akron today. Jacob Grim, who broke two ribs and skinned up his face when he fell down a stairway while drunk, is still confined to his cot in the county jail here. If a brother agrees to care for him, he will probably be discharged, as the authorities believe he has paid roundly for his spree. BROOOIL Frank Nolan Broke Into Jail Cellar to Draw Vinegar Cider TWICE THIS WEEK ( Is Now Behind the Bars — Caught Hiding Under Pootato Bin. The second attempt of Frank Nolan a well known character about town in this week to break into jail proved eminently successful, and he is now lodged behind the bars of the Adams county jail. He was apprehended in the cellar of the jail last night where he had gained entrance to draw cider from a barrel stored there for vinegar purposes, and which Nolan evidently wanted for the purpose of pickling himself. Nolan’s attempts showed a persistence worthy a better cause. Thursday night, Mrs. Green had occasion to go into the cellar about eight o’clock and in doing so surprised Nolan who had gained entrance by tin bolting the outside cellar door by slipping aside a panel and reaching in. Nolan who had been in jail about three months in the fall, hal learned of the storing of the barrel of cider to be made into vinegar, and now when his whistle had acquired that dryness that needs wetting of this kind, his mind turned to the jail cellar. He had gotten a fruit jar and had drawn this full, and the can with its contents that were almost, but not quite vinegar, was evidently very tempting to him. Mrs. Green called Sheriff Green and Nolan was ordered out, with the warning that if he returned, he would have to be locked up. Yesterday afternoon, members of the Green household, however, saw him emerge from the cellar. Last night again, about eight o’clock, a racket issued up from the recesses of the dungeon, and suspecting that he had returned, Sheriff Green and his son, Lawrence, took a lantern and went below. The cellar contains some eight rooms, and Nolan was finally found hiding in one under a potato bln. The fruit can had been filled again, but when the window through which he had gained entrance this time, fell, and made the recket, he time, fell, and made the racket, he the cider barrel faucet, for several gal-

lons of the liquid had escaped and run out on the floor. He was taken and placed behind the bars, to await the filing of charges. Quick work was made of Nolan. Judge Smith this afternoon gave him $1 fine and 120 days at the state penal farm, for petit larceny. The first count charging him with breaking into a house to commit a felony was dismissed. Sheriff Green will take him to the farm Monday morning. - o TIGERS HAVE A GAME. Next Monday, January 17, the Decatur Tigers will play the Monroeville high school second team at 7 p. m„ sharp. It will be over in time for the lecture course entertainment. Buy your tickets now. Admission 10 cents. The line-up:

Monroeville. Tigers. Adams F Myers Daugherty F Maddy Crates C Thomas Bolyard G Daniels Dawson G Hamrick Martin sub Teeple Hartsub. thTgourTnews November Term of Court Closes Today—Hon. Jno. Aiken of Fort Wayne IS SPECIAL JUDGE In Interurban Receivership Case —New Suit Filed— Marriage License. The November term of court closes today. A three weeks’ vacation will follow. A marriage license, the third in January, was Issued this morning to Joseph Parker Brookhart, farmer of Ohio born March 21, 1886, son of G. H. Brookhart, to wed Bertha May Ferguson .teacher, born September 22, 1887, daughter of Dye Ferguson. R. H. Hartford of Portland, declined to serve as special judge in the Fort Wayne & Springfield interurban receivership case and Hon. John H. Aiken of Fort Wayne, was appointed to serve, He assumed jurisdiction and the cause was submitted as to allowances and priority of claims against the receiver. As today is the last day of the present term of court the cause was continued until January 18. E. Collins Ford vs. Cecil Ford. Defendant defaulted. Prosecuting attorney ruled to answer. Answer filed. In the matter of the case of Jeff Augsburger et al vs. Peter Fox, for withdrawal from bond, finding was made that the defendant had been duly served with summons. New bond was filed and approved. The costs were adjusted against the petitioners. Cecil Miller vs. William Miller. Appearance by Peterson & Moran for (Continued on page 2) installWicers Ben Hur Lodge Installs Excellent List of Officers Last Night FOR NEXT SIX MONTHS Discussion of the Spectacular Degree Work Here January 28th. Installation of officers was the important business coming before the Ben Hur lodge last night at the regular meeting. Discussion of the spectacular degree work was also held and resulted in the final selection of the cast of thirty-five. The officers installed and their respective. offices are: Chief —Russell Acker. Judge—Goldie Hilliard. Scribe —Mary E. Artman. Keeper of Tribute —Emma Burk. Captain—Martha Hays. Guide —Minnie Weis. Inner Gate —Cora Worden. Outer Gate —Joe Palmer. Pianist —Goldie Closs. Drill Master —Adam Weis. Janitor—John Burk.

AS PATHFINDERS Happy Holthouse anc Franklin Frantz Working Scarborough Routes. EIGHT FROM DECATUR Will be in 1916 Guide Book for This Nationally Known Agency. Happy Holthouse and Franklin

Frantz of the Holthouse Garage are s acting as pathfinders for the Scarbors ough route agency and are traveling s to and for over various roads which lead from this city to other places, g It is necessary for them to mark carefully each turn in the road to | designate same in some way that will k aid the traveler infinding his way. The company now has four routes out of this city, namely: To Bluffton, [• Van Wert, Portland and Fort Wayne, and they are now establishing four more, making a total of eight. The new routes now being covered are from Decatur to Huntington, througli Magley, Preble, Tocsin, Kingsland and Markle and return; Decatur to Ce- ! lina through Willshire, Pleasant Mills and Rockford and return; Decatur to Paulding, through Monroeville, Dixon ) and return; Decatur to Columbia City through Echo, Ossian and return. The routes will be printed in the 1916 route book and will certainly put Decatur on the map for auto travelers. The Scarborough company is recognized as the best now’ in existence in I their line and the recognition of Decatur was secured through L. A. Holthouse of the Fireproof parage. o M. E. MEN MEET To Make Plans for Every Sunday Attendance of Members. MEETING WEDNESDAY For Final Plans—Move May Become Undenominational. Beginning a campaign for better attendance at church, a number of Methodist men gathered in the Sunday school room of the church last night, to make the necessary plans. The work, under the direction of a committee, will begin next week. Another meeting will be held next Wednesday night at which time the completed plans will be presented to the body, and work on them commenced. In the larger cities of the nation this movement for better attendance at church is growing popular, and is :e---ceiving much attention from the laity. The local movement, while started by the Methodist men, is not necessarily sectarian, but may develop into an undenominational movement. Steps in this direction may be taken later. TO SPEAK AT°FORT WAYNE. As Rev. L. W. Stolte will be the speaker at the graduation exercises of a teacher training class of St. John’s church at Fort Wayne, Sunday evening, there will be no evening services at Zion Reformed church of this city. Sunday school, German preaching service in the morning and C. E. services in the evening will be held as usual. o LOOP HOTEL FIRE. f (United Press Service) i Chicago, Jan. 15, —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Seventy-five guests fled ■ into the snow covered streets early today when fire destroyed the Hotel Reed, a landmark in the Loop. A score of women rescued by firemen. The loss was SIOO,OOO. BOY IS BORN. Roger B. is the name of the son born to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Meshberger of Linn Grove, this being their first child. Mrs. Meshberger is a sister of Mrs. S. P. Hoffman of this city.

I TODAY’S HOOSIER ODDITY. I (United Press Service) ligonier. Jan. 15—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Beware of a tramp with heart trouble! When a tramp burst into Sampson Lung's home, crying for brandy and holding his side, Lung brought out his choice lot of wine. The tramp drank freely, his groans ceasing gradually. Lung had played the part of a good Samaritan and was satisfied. But when he learned the same tramp had played the same trick on three neighbors, he felt differently about it. o MISS HUBBARD WILL SING. The many friends of Miss Frederica Hubbard will be glad to know that she will sing tomorrow at the morning service at the Presbyterian

church. ISINWASHINGTON Will Conrad, Graduate Decatur High School, Holds Position WITH GOVERNMENT Is in U. S. Naval Observatory—Probably Permanently Located. Decatur friends of Will Conrad, son of John Conrad, a graduate of the Decatur high school, of a few' years ago, later a student in the state university, will be interested in hearing from him. Will has a government position and is located in the U. S. naval observatory at Washington, D. C. The following letter was received by Attendance Officer Jesse Steele, in response to an invitation sent Mr. Conrad to attend the recent home coming at the Pleasant Mills school: “Washington, Jan. 12, 1916. “Mr. J. H. Steele, Pleasant Mills, Ind.: “Dear Friend; —I am very sorry your kind invitation did not reach me before I left Washington on my vacation. I spent the holidays in Indiana and might easily have made arrangements for a short visit to Pleasant Mills and I am surt I should have enjoyed rambling around over my old tramping grounds and shaking hands with old friends. Remember me to them all and if any of you ever come to the capital do not fail to look me up. I am probably permanently located in the observatory here, and so could be easily found. “Who is teaching in the school now? Do you have a high school still? If I can be of any service to you or your school in a scientific and especially astronomical line, feel free to call upon me. I shall be very glad to assist you in any w r ay I can. "Thanking you for your kind invitation and hoping I may receive the next one in time, I am “Very truly yours, “WM. A. CONRAD.” LEE REED'S° DAUGHTER Os Portland Was Badly Burned At St. Mary’s Yesterday. In a St. Mary's dispatch to the Muncie Morning Star the following article tells of the serious injuries which Mary Elizabeth Reed the little daughter of Lee Reed, manager of the Adams Lumber company of this city suffered from burns as a result of her clothes catching afire. St. Marys’ 0., Jan. 14 —Mary Eli'.abeth Reed, 5, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee H. Reed, of Portland, Ind., is feared to be fatally burned. While visiting Friday at the Hobard Scott residence, St. Marys, the chld’s clothing ignited at an open grate. Resultant burns affect the face, scalp and more than half the entire body. Mrs. Reed's hands and those of Mrs. Scott were burned in the effort to smother the fire. MONROE TOWN BOARD. The town board of Monroe met on Friday evening and organized by electing C. W. Merryman as president. The new members are G. D. Glancy, who succeeds Sam J. Martz, and John E. Nelson, who was appointed in the place of J. F. Crist, who was appointed as electrician for the town, and entered upon their terms. Robert A. Andrews, the town marshal, entered upon his duties on January 1, as did also the town clerk. o GENEVA VETERAN DEAD. Geneva, Ind., Jan. 15 —Frank D. Hipkins. 79, veteran, died suddenly. He! leaves a wife and two sons. | •

Price, Two Cents.

SWITZER TAKEN I I ? I Arrested in Muncie and Will be Taken to Celina to Tell WHAT HE KNOWS Evidently in the Matter of the Murder of David Beery of Celina. The Celina (Ohio) Standard tells

further of the two F. H. Merica girls, I Alma Switzer and Marie HowardLutz, held there to gain information that might lead to the clearing up of the murder of David Beery in 1912: “Marshal Duncan and Sheriff Pum- • phrey spent yesterday at Portland seeking more information on the alleged story, but undoubtedly were not very successful, as no arrests resulted from the visit, although the officers visited the Merica home. i "The report that the mother of the girls had died in a Ft. Wayne hospital and in a death-bed statement , made certain accusations, proved to be false, as she is alive and well at Portland. “The girls seem to be of a rather hardened sort and have told some mixed up tales. Yesterday they requested to see Mayor Scranton and wanted him to have them released. He said last night that he would release them from custody today unless Prosecutor Myers filed other charges on which to hold them. “Where the alleged story originated which caused the detention of the two girls we have been unable to solve, and all the information given out by the officers is that there is nothing to the rumors afloat and the story as gathered, which is as follows is purely rot: “The rumor is that a quarrel between the girls caused one of them to let out information to the effect that they had been Intimate with Beery while living here and had found out that he always had considerable money on his person. This information was imparted to the husband of one of the girls, the couple at that time living together as common law partners. The trio agreed that the girls would entice Beery to the rear of the second hand store building on South Main street and there secure hjs money. The old man didn’t play into their hands as readily as expected and; they attemped to rob him. In the scuffle, which took place in the darkened recesses of the rear part of the building Beery was struck a couple of hard blows by the man, with a blunt instrument which he had picked up during the melee. “When the trio realized they had killed the old man they placed the body in an old wagon and took it to the waiting station where it was found by members of the Nickerson club. “The story is certainly a good one, but the deuce of the matter ik to prove any of it. “That’s what is confronting Prosecutor Myers and his assistants." It evidently is bearing results for the Muncie Star today says: “The old adage, ‘murder will out,’ was strikingly illustrated yesterday when word was received by Sheriff O’Harra to arrest Ora Switzer, who is wanted in connection with the murder of David Beery, whose dead body was found in a traction station a few miles east of Celina. Ohio, on April 5, 1912. Ever since the night of the death of Berry detectives from the Ohio city have ben tireless in their efforts, to apprehend the guilty party. “It is believed that a former wife of Switzer’s gave the Celina police their clue to his whereabouts and probably ■ his alleged connection on with crime. She and a sister, Marie Howard, it is said, were decoyed to Celina and there arrested on a supposition that they knew something about the mystery which had been baffling all efforts of the officers for almost four years. “Immediately upon receiving the call the sheriff informed the police and Chief of Detectives Fred Puckett instructed Detectives Miller and Gufflgan to arrest Switzer. Miller, who knew Switzer personally, happened to pass him on the street while enroute to the East Howard street boarding house where he resides and immediately apprehended him. He seemed highly incensed over his arrest and said ‘that he thought the whole affair to be “cooked up” by his father-in-law and wife.’ He was tak[en to the county jail, where he will be | (Contlnued on Faga 2.)