Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 15, Number 14, Decatur, Adams County, 16 January 1917 — Page 1

Volume XV. Number LI.

BRUTAL MURDER Joseph Parrant, Brother-in-law of John Hessler, Killed by Burglar IN GROCERY STORE Assailant Makes EscapePolice Drag-net Has No Suspects Gathered in. Fort Waynuo, Jan. 16—(Special to I Daily Democrat) The tramp murder-1 er of Joseph Parrant, grocery clerk, was still at large today. One suspect arrested today established an alibi! and was released. Police are scouring nearby cities. The police were using every means; in their power this morning to apprehend the murderer of Joseph Parrant.; 44, who was shot and killed behind; his counter in the J. L. Cattez grocery! 1302 .Maumee avenue Fort Wayne, at six-fifty o’clock last night. Parrant was a brotherinlaw of Jonn Hessler of this city. The bullet from a thirty-eight caliber revolver entering Parranls head directly over the left eye and ploughing through his ' brain caused his death, thirty five' minutes later, at the St. Joseph hos-; pital. Parrant never uttered a word j nor regained consciousness. The bullet was later found to be lodged di' - -1 ectly above his right ear. George Geerken. delivery wagon, driver, who was in the store and th" ! only witness of the tragedy said: “Parrant was behind the coutPer! when the fellow entered. “Give nte ai can of beans,” the murderer said, and 4, ‘ Parrant walked toward the front of, the store, returning with a fifteen 4 cent can of beans. ’ls that the big-|' gist can you’ve got?' the man asked Parrant. “Yes" said Parrant and at i -<■ th r same time wheeled around to t'm left to look on the counter behind him. When he faced to the front I again he stared into a revolver. “Throw up your hands; 1 want your cash!” said the stranger. } With a gesture of his hands and * the single ward "Don’t” the assailant fired and Parrant dropped to the, floor. The motive is not clear as Parrant was given neither time to produce the, cash nor to throw up his hands, i'o-i lice believe the assailant might have] pulled the trigger before he intended to, being under stress of excitement' or an ameteur. Gerken rushing up behind him may also have caused his, to pull the trigger prematurely. The police assert their belief that the as-' sailant did not intend to kill his man. Apparently the murderer made his, escape through the front door as no 1 one saw him go byway of the saloon entrance next door. Jttle Cattez. owner of the store and two men in the saloon rushed into the grocery when they heard the shot but did not see' » the assailant as he fled. According to Geerken the assailant who killed Parrant was about thirtyfive years of age, six feet tall, hftd a two or three days growth of beard,! wore a blue knit stocking cap with a light border, has dark hair and complection. The police are of the opinion that he was desperate with cold and hunger. The man had loitered I about the store front most of the as-j ternoon and at one time Parrant said to him “it is pretty cold,” Notification of the murder was sent to night policeman Reynolds at eight! o’clock last night and a close watch! g was kept on all incoming trains cars' Bk and automobiles with no results. Two, suspects were seen walking fast to-i wards New Haven, and the police' B notified New Haven authorities to] keep a sharp look-out. Today how-} ever, but few clues remain to aid in weaving the net of evidence around} the perpetrator of the tragedy. Mr Parrant lived at 1313 East Wayne street wtih his sister, Mrs. John Hessler, with whom he was boarding. There are also three brothers in this city—-Frank A., 1313 East H Wayne street: Jule, Corner Creighton and Lilly, and John corner of Lilly and Miland. Besides Mrs. Hessler, there is a sister, Mrs. John Grund, | 1321 East Wayne street. The deceased started to clerk at the store when} 16 years of age. K Funeral services will be held from the home 1313 East Wayne street at eight-thirty o’clock Thursday morning and from the Cathedral at nine o’clock

DECATUR DAU/V DEMOCRAT

I ] with intermeni In the Catholic chii? ; J twy L . EXPECTS DEUTSCHLAND New York, Jan. 16 (Special to th< ' Daily Democrat) Paul Hilken, general manager of the Eastern Forward ' Ing Company has left Now York for! ; New London in anticipation of the J early arrival of a German merchant ; ■ submarine. Reports have been received here ! that a submarine larger titan the Deutschland is coming this week and that* I the Deutschland is to follow. A ie-, turn cargo for both boats is now stored in New London. NEW DINING HALL At a recent meeting of the executive ! board of the Reformed Orphans' Hom.' of which M. Kirsch is president, the contract was let for the new dining hall which will cost in the neighborhood of $25,000. This will be built on the grounds of the orphange near Ft. I Wayne. MADE A BIC DEAL I C. S. Peterson & Co. Purchase White Signal Mine in New Mexico. 1 THE PRICE WAS $50,000 I' Will Incorporate Company and Operate Mine Under Laws of New Mexico. i The following item concerning an ; investment recently made by C. S. < | Peterson, son of Attorney Shafer Peterson of this city will be of interest. * It is taken from the El Paso Herald ’ of January 12: * “Silver City, N. M.. Jan. 12—The i White Signal copper property of the i Precious Metals Exploration com- . pany. of which T. W. Carter, of this ( city, is president, has just been sold ( to Raymond Bell and C. S. Peterson, i , of the brokerage house of C. S. Peterson & Co., of El Paso, for a consider ation of $50,000. j “This property has been idle for a < numb, r of years and since 1907 only ( the assessment work has been kept up. Recently, however, in sinking an ' 1 incline shaft on the vein, a fourteen 1 foot ore shoot was uncovered at a 1 depth of sixty feet. This ore shoot | is in place solidly between walls and 11 assays across the face on an average ' of three to six per cent copper, with a picked sample from two feet of high I grade copper on the hanging wall as- | I saying 2’.20 per cent copper, $13.80 in silver and $3 gold per ton. “Up to 1907 the White Signal prop I I erty, which is located in the Burro mountains of Grant county, was own- ■ ed by a syndicate of California capitalists and when they got caught in the panic of that year, work was stop-1 ped on the property over night. However. before being compelled To stop work they had sunk a 150-foo’t double compartment shaft off the vein with the object in view of going to a depth of 300 feet and cross-cutting to the vein. This shaft is well cased with California redwood timbers and is now filled about ninety feet with water. In sinking this shaft good grades of milling ore were encountered in several places. “A shift is now at work drifting on the high grade ore shoot in the new 1 I shaft and this will be hoisted and shipped to the smelter to take advan- ( ! tuge of the present high price of copper. “The White Signal property lies on , the south side of the Burro mountains just opposite the famous Austin-Am-} azon copper property. “Messrs. Bell and Peterson are pre--1 paring to incorporate a new com-1 i pany, the Burro Grande Copper com-I ] pany, for the development of this property. They will incorporate under the laws of the state of New Mex- ] | ico shortly.” attended” funerals Mr. and Mrs. John Schnitz and I daughter, Wilhelmina, returned from * Bippus last evening where they attended the funeral of their sister-in law, Mrs. George Schnitz, of Fort Wayne. j Misses Josephine Malley and Bern- ■; ardine Heidemann have returned from j >i Plymouth where they attended the ] funeral of Mrs. Mary Walters. Mrs.] i Walters is the mother of Sister M. ] Gregory, formerly connected with the] ; Convent of the Sisters of St. Agnes,* : this city.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday Evening, January 16, 1917.

HALF CENT COIN — Dr. Barnard Says Half-cent or Two and One-half Cent Coin is Needed TO SAVE MILLIONS Annually for the American Housewives—Explanation Reads Sensibly. (By Dr. H. E. Barnard.) Food and Drug commissioner for Indiana. Indianapolis, Jan. 16—(Special to Daily Democrat)—When the director of the mint decides to coin a half penny either in the form of a two and 1 1 one half cent piece of half a cent, he will make it possible for purchasers to save millions of dollars, which now goes to the grocers, bakers and department store. Many commodities are priced in half vents but without suitable money the buyer has either to take two articles when he needs 1 but one, or pay half a cent more than the purchase actually costs. If the housewife buys a yard of lace for seventeen and one-half cents a yard she pays eighteen cents for it. When she wants a half dozen eggs at thirty- ■ five cents a dozen, she pays eighteen cents for them. If a half pound cf! butter, costing forty-five cents a pound will meet her need she pays twenty three cents for it. If the housewife were not compelled by lack of suitable coinage to give away these hard earned pennies she could save several dollars every year. 1 ( This may seem a small matter, but there are some twelve million house- 1 wives in the country and everyone of 1 them gives up many half pennies. It ' < is not so small a matter afterall. A two and one half cent piece would, 1 severy very well to make the exact change. The coat of minting such a 1 coin would be slight when compared' with the help it would be to business. ' Half Stick Candy. One young farmer girl of days of 1 long ago when candy was a cent a 1 stick solved this problem of the frac-, 1 tion cent in a unique way. When the ! I I grocer with whom she did her trading, took advantage of the half cent 1 trick the girl invariably spoke up: ! “Well, just give me a half stick of 1 I I that peppermint candy there, for the half cent you owe me. She got it. o COMIN£WEDOING Miss Kate Wolpert and Albert Segrest Will be Married January 30th. • t i AT ST. MARY’S CHURCH /] 1 Will Reside on Farm in Un- i ion Township — Well ' Known Couple. Tuesday, January 30, at the St. | Marys Catholic church, will be solemnized the wedding of Miss Kate Wolpert, well known young lady of this city, and Albert Segrest, an enterprising young farmer of Ohio, who has been a resident here for some time. Mr. Segrest has purchased p farm ] in Union township near Ate Joe Steig- i . meyer farm and it is there the newly married couple will go to I ing. Miss Wolpert was born and reared west of the city but has made her; home in this city much during the] ; past several years. She is a sister of Mrs. John Baker,! Mrs. Thomas Malley and Mr. Philip} ; Luley. I NEW OWNERS IN CHARGE. Messrs. Harry Close, and Ed Aughenbaugh are now in change of the tonsoirial parlors on Second street for- j merly owned by J. W. Rabbit. Both men are well known to Decatur peo-! pie, Mr. Aughenbaugh being trustee for Washington township, and having worked in various shops in the city. Mr. Close has been employed at the ] Wertzberger shop, several months, is i a good barber and a good fellow. The ; new firm is bound to do their share of the business.

REVERSE DECISION (United Press Serv'-n) Washington, Jan. 16- (Special to I Daily Democrat)- Completely reversing their famous export grain decis--1 ion of a year ago the Inter state comi merce Commission today permitted i railroads an increase of one cent nn ] one hundred pounds on grain pm jducts and by-products from Chicago and central freight association territory to Atlantic ports for export. e — —- HAVE YOU A TICKET You can but a ticket for fifty cents or two for a dollar for the entertain tnent to be given Friday evening at the Masonic Assembly rooms by the Chicago Troubadores. It opens at 8:16 with a concert until 9:30 and then the big dance with the finest music in the land. Its going to be a big night. Better forget dull care and enjoy yourself for a few hours. THE FIRST CLASH The Democrats Succesfully Block Attempt to Make Big G. O. P. District. FOR THE REPUBLICANS Attempted Reapportionment Would Make a Strong Baliwick. (United Pr«M Service) Indianapolis, Jan. 16 —(Special to 1 Daily Democrat)—The first clash b tween democrats and republicans c.t strictly party lines in the senate o< ■ curred today when a vote was taken > on the congressional reapportionmeiit committees report favoring the pa ; sage of senator Lanz’s bill making changes in the boundaries of the first, i second and third congressional dis tricts. The senate refused to adopt the committees report by a vote of 24 i 22. Democrats voted to refuse t’lej committee report as the bill would make a strong republican majority in I the second district. The woman suffrage bill drafted b) ( the legislative council of Indiana w > men was presented in the senate by ' senator McKinley of Muncie and Mas-! ton of South Whitley. According to the rules of the senate Maston sent a card to lieutenant governor Bush asking that the bill be sent to the ( judiciary committee. Bush disregarded Munstons note and sent it to thej committee on rights and franchise:: This committee is known to be opposed- to suffrage. ' The bill appropriating $«;0,000 for the purchase of the old state capital at Corydon was passed by the senate with but two dissenting votes. Sena-1 tor Lanz’s bill providing for the erec tion of sign posts an all main high ways was passed by the senate by : vote of 39 to 9. Pubilc utilities would be prevented < from granting a minimum rate in :i bill presented by senator Thornton Under its provisions all consumers would pay a flat rate. hurCmllengf ' 1 Thomas W. Lawson Hurls Dramatic Challenge at Chairman Henry. ; i PROBE INTERESTING —— Lawson Further Implicates High Officials in Note Leak to Wall Street. I (United Press Service) Washington, Jan. 16 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Hurling a direct challenge at chairman Henry of the house note leak probe committee’ Thomas W. Lawson, Boston financier ! declared today “one or the other of us is a rank perjurer.” His statement referred to chairman Henrys denial of the Lawson charge I that Henry had named a cabinet member as involved in the leak situation. , Lawson said he and Henry had agreed ! upon a statement to be given out by i Henry after their conference but that I ~ (Continued on Page 2.)

GREAT PROGRAM i Superintendent M. N. Dunbar, Hartford City, to be Here Thursday. AT THE U. B. CHURCH To Speak at Parent-Teach-ers’ Meeting Commencing at 7:15. The Parent-Teachers' club of the West Ward is anticipating a great time next Thursday evening. The program which they have arranged is one in which parents and teachers , take part. Every speaker on the program with the exception of Supt. VI. N. Dunbar, will be limited to a four [ minute talk or discussion. The meeting will be held in the U. i B. church and the program will begin promptly at 7:15. Supt. M. N. ! Dunbar of the Hartford City Schools has quite a reputation over the stat? lin discussing the parent-teachers’ problems. The patrons of the schools should be present. The public is cordially invited. The following program will be given: Music —America. Music—West Ward Glee Club. Aim of the Wes’ Ward—Supt. M. F. Worthmann. What to do witli the boy. who is habitually untruthful.-Mrs. F. H. Har-! mon, Mr. W. J. Archbold. Are punctuality and regularity in school, factors of character building’’! —Mrs. Barye Smith. Mr. O. P. Mills. Etiquette in the home circle—Mr. A. L. Brentlinger Etiquette on the street—Mrs. Will I Caesar. Etiquette in the school —Miss Nellie Winnes. Reading—Miss Martha Tucker. Readings on a Victrola. Parent-Teachers’ Problems —Sunt, i | M. N. Dvnbar. Handing in questions for future! discussion. Music —Victrola. Announcements. o ADMIRAL DEWEY WORSE Washington, Jan. 16 —(Special to] Daily Democrat) —Admiral Dewey is distinctly worse it was announced to , day. “Admiral Dewey has slowly declined during the night and early; morning” said the statement. THE COURT NEWS John Williamson Sentenced to Six Months at State Penal Farm. WILL GO TONIGHT Judgment Rendered in Fort Wayne Case —Bittner Realty Sale Reported. John Williamson, of Geneva, who j pleaded guilty to stealing coal from! the G. R. & I. railroad, was fined sls and given six months at the state pen-! al farm. Sheriff Green was author!-} zed Io take him there. A judgment of $239.87, on the ver- ! diet of the jury was rendered for the defendant, The Fort Wayne Engineering and Manufacturing Company, against The Pfau Manufacturing Company. Deputy Clerk John Kelley is at Paw Paw, Mich., with being connected with | a horse stealing case. — In the matter of the Harvey L. Sipe, ] et al drain case, a veri'ied motion bv I the petitioners to strike out the remonstrance of A. J. Dellinger et al was made. In the Bittner partition case, re- ! port of sale of real estate was approv- ] ed, deed ordered, reported and approved. Real estate transfers: Melvin W. Hobbs et al to D. L. Reynolds, 80 of Wabash township, SBSOO. Certificate of election of the following trustees of the churches of the Decatur Methodist circuit was filed with the county recorder: Washington M. E. church, Grant Owens, Jacob

I! Johnston. B. F. Breiner, Ed Arnold, [(’. B. Poling: Beulah Chapel, William Ehrinun, James Steele, Marl Sialt - r, ' Ferdinand Yake, James Niblick, Dr. 'John Grandstaff; Mt. Pleasant, Sam- * uel Fuhrman. George Dutcher, (’. (’. ' Sheeths, S. J. Spangler, J A. Fuhrman, Ben Butler. Sheriff Ed Green will "leave tonight for the state penal farm with John . Williamson who will enter upon his 1 six months’ sentence. U A. Holthouse has made applici- ■ tion for the appointment as trustee of the legacy bequeathed Alma Holt ! house by tile late J. B. Holthouse. FACES COAL FAMINE , (United Press Service) , Chicago. Jan. 16—(Special to Daily , Democrat)' —With only forty-eignt j < hours supply of coal on hands Chiea- .■ go today faces the worst coal famipe | - in its history. One school has already] closed and others will probably bel r forced to dismiss their pupils today. VERY HOT WATER Should Not be Taken—Old “Cure-all Attacked by Doctors. MAY CAUSE CANCER Or Ulcers of the Stomach, When Taken on Empty Stomach. The following, written by Dr. C. C.t Rayl of Monroe, will he of general in- ! terest: There is a practice much in vogue ' and increasing daily against which a ! warning should be sounded. I refer to the habit of drinking very het wa-! ter before breakfast. % This has be- , come a fixed habit with many peo-, pie and they recommend it to their friends as a cure-all for nil dTST’hsi’R ' from dandruff to ingrown toe-nails. So many are addicted to this habit ! ' that some shrewd patent medicine men head their advertisement with ! the words: “Drink a cup of hot water j before breakfast,” while down fur-} Ither in the ad they advise adding] ! some of their medicine to it to increase the water's efficiency. My purpose in writing this is not; to attack the patent medicine (people I 1 I are bound to dope themselves), nori ' to discourage the use of water or I warm water, before meals, alone, or with various additions. But I do want ! ! to warn people to refrain from the ; continued use of hot water on an ' empty stomach, and from the use of hot food and drink on all occasions for the sensible reason that there is almost unimpeachable evidence that their use is one of the biggest factors in the causation of ulcer and j cancer of the stomach. Ulcer and cancer of the stomach | are almost unknown in lower animals ' which eat cold food. It is also rare! ! in savages, who as a rule, live on cold ! ] food and drink. Ulcer and cancer } come with civilization. In a province j of China it is the universal custom for the men, who eat at the first ta- | ble, to take their rice very hot. Can- ! cer of the esophagus and stomach I abound, among these men. Their wo- | men folk, wh oeat later when the rice I ! is no longer hot. are remarkably free | ! from this disease. Moreover, evarn ! ! ination with the X-Ray throws reI markable light on this subject. It is ! observed during the ingestion of liquids on a partially distended stom ' ] ach, that they go down the gullet to ] ] the opening in the stomach and then I . j instead of falling straight down and -! mixing with the other contents, they flow along the lesser curvature to the plyorus or outlet. These places ' along the lesser curvature and the i ’ pylorus are the very places yhere u! j cer and cancer usually develop. Hence it is very reasonable to infer ! that the constant irritation due to hot drinks has much to do in causing ul . (cor and cancer in this region. 1 Now as cancer is greatly on the in-1, crease it behooves us to use all means at our command to halt its .. ravages. It is practically certain that H too hot food and drink have much to ' do with the causation of cancer ot the stomach. All the best authorities ’. |in the world think so. Therefore, it i is only sensible that we give this due : consideration and act accordingly. Parents should tell their children ■ ■ and teachers should bring it forcibly - before their pupils. An ounce of pre-; 1 vention is worth a ton of cure in can-, - cer. DR. C. C, RAYL, ) Monroe, Ind. |

Price, Two Cents

TO ANNOUNCE SCHOOL SITE Council Asked to Confirm Action of School Board at Tonight’s Meeting. WILL LET CONTRACT In Early’ Summer and New Building Will be Readv by September 1, 1918. — At the meeting of the city council ! tonight, action expected to confirm j the action of the Decatur school board in selecting the site for the new high ! school building in this city, will bo taken. At a meeting of the board [held hist Friday evening the site wag determined upon but action of the I council is awaited before announce* | ment is made to the public. The wish and dream of hundreds of ' our citizens for a new high school building that will meet the requirements of the state board of educa* tion and will provide facilities for the better instruction of the young people of this community seems about to be realized. It is probable that the contract will be let in the early summer, about July Ist and the new building la ready for occupancy by September Ist, 1918. It Is planned that the 1 building will cost from $65,000 to $75.i 000 and it will be a handsome and in I every way modern school house, eqi;> 1 ped with a gymnasium, an auditorium. ! school rooms built for the best re- ! suits from ventilation, light and heat and will be one that any city can w c ll I i'eel proud of. The school board have been plan- . uing the improvement for several years and have the problem about out. ff they are supported as i they should be by the city and he ! people they will give us a real high I school building. The selection of the site has been a hard one to solve, a dozen sites haveing been offered and seriously considered by the board, among them being the proposition to remove the present high school building and build there but this was soon discarded and in the search for another site the board has considered the following sites: The R. K Allison homestead. Nor*it Second stfeet. Arnold and Eley properties, South Third street. Christian and Smith lots. 4th and Monroe. Kocher and Old Adams County Bank lots, sth and Adams. Smith property owned by J. G. Niblick, north end of 4th street. Vesey lots, West Adams street. Nuttman property near gas tank. Closs property, north Third street. Much interest is manifested in the decision which will be made public tomorrow if the decision of the board is concurred In by the council. The work on the new building it is expected will begin by the middle cf summer and should be under roof bv i next fall, allowing the winter for work I on the interior and giving ample time I for finishing it in time for school openI ing the fall of next year. o FINE PLAY TONIGHT Much interest centers in the home , talent play “The Deacon’s Second Wife" to be given at the Bosse opera house this evening by the faculty of the Central School. The proceeds will be used in buying a Victrola for the school. Anyone who desires a seat may get one of the high sehc.tl students who will give up their opera chairs and take tho gallery. The j show will open promptly at eight p. m. The opera house will be good and warm and everything is ideal for the presentation of a play full of fun and good cheer. BUILDING DRY KILN The Bluffton Hoop Company will tonight shut down for a period of a few days or until Monday, January 22, ! during which time a force of carpenters will be busy building a new dry kiln, an-l making other improvements. The Hoop Company now employes about fifty men daily, besides giving employment to those who haul the logs from the country. It Is indeed j one of the flurishing and good IndusI tries of this city.