Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 17, Number 224, Decatur, Adams County, 20 September 1919 — Page 1

R'oluine XVII. Number 224

BOTH SIDES HAVE STAGE BET FOR MEAT STRIKE Inion leaders have confidence of closing DOWN EVERY STEEL PLANT IN COUNTRY—MAKE PREPARATIONS TO PREVENT DISORDER — PITTSBURG SCENE OF GREAT DRAMA. — (United Press Service) I The state was set today for what may prove one of the greatest industrial Kramas in American history. I Every preparation had been made both by employers and employes for the Ration-wide steel strike Monday. I Union leaders reiterated their confidence of closing down every plant in ■he country controlled by or affiliated with the United States Steel corpora■ion Officials of the corporation were equally confident that the great majorK.y of their workmen would remain loyal and enbaie the plants to continue ■iperation. I State and city authorities began today precaution to prevent possible dis- ■ in the Pittsburg district two companies of state troops were ordered out ■o patrol steel towns in that vicinity. Reports were circulated that the steel ■orporation was organizing 10,000 deputies to guard its plant. From prac■ically every steel center charges were repeated by union men that the companies had armed their plant with rifles and machine guns out in no instance K cU |d this be confirmed. I J6hn Fitzpatrick, chief organizer of the steel workers, announced in* ■vashington today that women would be employed by the strikers to aid in Keeping up the morale of their wives and children. ■ Judge Gary, head of the steel corporation, did not appear at his office in Kew York and secretaries saM they did not know his whereabouts. They!l Pvere certain there had been no deviation from his attitude of no compromise. | W. Rubin, general counsel for the steel workers said in New York today, Porganized capitol must meet organized labor or organized riots.” ■ Officials of the Allegheny steel company at Brackenridge, Penna., saiU Pheir employes had voted overwhelmingly against a strike.

I Indianapolis, Sept. 20.—(Special to Kaily Democrat)—lndiana militia will Ke held in readiness for any emKrgency that may develop from the Keel strike called for next Monday, it Htac announced today. | Adjutant General Smith received a ■elegram from Governor Goqdri£h..who i K in Washington asking him to be ■eady to render instant aid in the steel Kistrict if Lake county is disorders Khould arise and grow beyond control ■f local officials. I Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept. 20.—(Special Ko Daily Democrat)—Mass meetings Kill be held in the villages and towns Khroughout the great steel districts! ■f the country Sunday, at which ornizers" and union leaders will ad■re>s the workers on the eve o' the Kcheduled big steel strike. I Telegrams and telephone calls went ] Kut from national and various district i Keadquarters today, arranging for] ■peakers for the meetings. The steel j ■orkers and members of the 24 affi Kiated unions will be urged to strike ■ Ko the man. Night shift employes are ] Kcheduled to go to their work as usual ■Sunday night, but with the dawn of] ■Monday the leaders expect to tie up or ■ripple all big mills. I Official notification was received at ■lational headquarters today from ■Pueblo that a strike appeared im■tninent among the Colorado Fuel & ■lron company employes. A commit■tee asMed that the company discontinue Hits ‘ company union,” organized under ■what is known as the Rockefeller ■plan. This was refused and action ■toward a strike is considered likely. When asked today regarding re- ■ ports that many of the steel plants ■were armed. Secretary Foster of the ■national committee said the commit■tee had no positive proof that (his was ■ the case. He said they had been ■ hearing from the men since last winter ■Y.f machine guns, rifles and ammuni- ■ tion being taken into various plants. ■ Efforts to pin the reports down and ■ gain positive information, however. ■ have been unavailing, he said. N change was reported in the atti- ■ tude of the steel corporation officials I that their plants will be open as usual I on Monday, and remain open on the E theory that the number of men walk- ■ ing out will not be sufficient to cause I a cessation of work.

Chicago. Sept. 20— (Special to Dailv Democrat) —Preparations for a gigantic industrial battle were made here today with a strike of steel workers practically certain. Unions denied any intention of force. Steel companies, dotting the entire Chicago industrial district regardless of the denials, fortified themselves for seige. Food in huge Quantities was taken behind the wooden barricades which surround most of the plants. Company officials asserted only a minority of their employes would strike. They expected to keep loyal r

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

workers inside the plant for so long a time as necessary. It was denied arrangements had been made for arm- ■ ed guards and detectives to guard the workers but union officials said there was evidence the employers were thus preparing. • ia the Chicago district' there ar'Vj over 30,000 steel workers. New York, Sept. 20.—(Special to Daill Democrat) —Judge Cary, chairman of the board of directors of the U. S. feteel corporation was not at his offices here today and will not be there during the day it was stated by secretaries. They refused to say whether he had left tho city for steel mill districts, but made it plain that no further 1 statement from the corpOraion would Ibe forthcoming today. They would neither confirm nor deny published statements relative to the policy o> ! the corporation during the strike, ex I oept to reiterate that a closed shop I will no be countenanced. Sharon. Pa.. Sept. 20.—(Special toj Daily Democrat) —No attempt to employ strike breakers will be made by the Sharon Steel Hoop company. President Kerr, of the company, today issued a letter to all employes informing them the plant will be open Monday as usual but if the men walk out, no effort will be made to operate. Reproductions of the letter sent to Judge Gary to union men in which he expresses the belief that a majority of the men are against a strike today were being circulated through the Shenango valley. , Buffalo. N. Y., Sept. 20.—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The Lackawanna Steel company has decided to continue its plant in operation in face of the . strike scheduled for Monday. Mayor Toomey had applied to Sherig Bradley of Erie county and to GovI ernor Smith for help in -case it should be needed to preserve order. “We anticipate trouble in radical . centers,” the mayor said today. Lack- . awanna has its share of radicals who [ have joined the unions, not because » they favor the American Federation . of Labor, but because they are lookng for trouble.” William J. Griffiths, representing

! the A. F. or L., issued a statement to ■ the workers today saying the strike -of the men in the iron and steel in ' dustries will go Into effect on Sunda) i night at midnight and asking all men employed in the iron and steel indus f tries in Lackawanna and Buffalo tc > leave their work at that time. THE WYNN SALE I Remember the R. M. Wynn sale, five B. miles west and two miles south o! Monroe Tuesday, September 23rd. 11 a head of cattle. 86 hogs, 18 acres oi d | corn —a big sale. Remember the daj il I and date.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday Evening, September 20, 1919.

THE PRESIDENT CONTINUES TRIP Arrived in Los Angeles at 9 ] O’clock This Morning— Big Crowd Awaits PROGRAM IS MADE I Straight Out Fight on Ist and 2nd Amendment to be Made by Opponents. ■ ■ IBy Hugh Baillie, United Press staff correspondent) Los Angeles, Calif.. Sept. 20. — (Special to Daily Democrat) —President Wilson arrived in Los Angeles shortly after 9 a. m. today after having spent the nigl< on his special train which was placed on a siding a few miles from San Diago. There was a big crowd at the station to meet him. but | Wilson was not ready to leave the train until some time after he had reached the city. (By L. C. Martin, United Press staff correspondent) Washington, Sept. 20. — (Special to Daily Democrat) —Out of a whirl of apparently contradictory development ■ during recent days the senate treaty situation appeared today to be. First—A straight out fight on the j first and second amendment to the 'I treaty as supposed by the majority [of the foreign relations committee will begin next week. Second—Senator Hiram Johnson, author of the first amendment, will return from his speaking tour despite advice from Senators Lodge and Knox and assurances that his friends in the senate will look after his interest. Third —Mild reservationists, though i oposed to Johnson’s amendment, will oppose any effort to rush a vote on it until full debate has been had. Fourth —Senator Lodge and his lieu- ' tenant are confident they have the J vote to put Johnsen-’* amendment I over, though they acknowledge theI Shantung amendment now is definitely beaten. The first two amendments to be taken up are really one. Johnson’s amendment (number 1), proposed to equalize the voting strength of the D. S. with that of Great Britain and the league. Senator Moses’ amendment (number 2). provides that in case of a dispute between Great Britain, for instance .and the U. S„ the s.elf governing colonies of the British empire shall have no votes in the assembly, should the dispute be refused there. St. Paul. Minn., Sept. 20—(Special |to Daily Democrat)—Senator Hiram i Johnson today announced definitely i his abandonment of a stumping trip ■ to th? Pacific coast. He planned to I end his journey of opposition to the league of nations covenant with 1 speeches in the Twin Cities today. Johnson’s vigorous attacks on the league of nations agreement met with hearty response hen*. Before a joint | ' session of the legislature which last winter approved the Wilsonian idea,, he drew members to their feet time' after time for long sustained applause In Duluth uast night Johnson re- ’ i peated his set speech, ironically commenting on the fourteen points of the president’s early program and the finished program; the manner in 1 which England. France and Japan 1 had fashioned the covenant to their ’ liking and handed to America for 1 adoption. The meting at Duluth last night '■ was attended by 5,000 persons who jammed the armory in which the sen--1 ator spoke. 1 NOTICE TO WORKERS All township and city workers for o the Jewish Relief campaign are ree quested to meet at C. J. Lutz’s office n at 1:30 Sunday afternoon. t- —• M. F. ASPY SALE g A sale of live stock and personal o property for Wednesday. October Ist f is announced by M. F. Aspy, six miles i- south east of Decatur. Watch for any nouncement next week. n ■ s- ASSOCIATION IS MEETING ol The Adams County Horse Thief Detective association is holding a meetin gthis afternoon i nthe sheriff’s office. e LICENSED TO MARRY >f Lester Book, on Monroeville, born 1 March 31, 1898. son of John Book, and if Mildred Gipe, born January 29, 1901, y Monroeville, daughter of Louis Gipe, were issued a marriage license.

MR. STOOPS DEAD I i .James Stoops, A Former j Sheriff of Adams County Died at His Home. AT CHESTERTON, IND. Was in Eightieth Year— Was Brother of Mrs. Sarah Blackburn, This City Miss Nellie Blackburn has gone to Chesterton to ail end the funeral of her uncle. James Stoops Jr., former Adams county and Decatur man, who will be well remembered here as the county sheriff from 1860 to IS7O. Mr. Stoop’s death occurred Tiiuts j day, but particudlars were unknown' here at the time that Miss Blackburn left for'Chesterton. Mr. Stoops was one of the nine children of James Stoops, Sr. But two, of the family are now living, being I Mrs. Sarah Blackburn of this city.' and Joseph Stoops. The deceased leaves, in his immediate family, the widow and a son from former marriage, Duke Stoops.] editor and publisher of the Pike ( County Democrat, at Petersburg. At time of death, Mr. Stoops was in his eightieth year. WILL BE DELAYED Delivery of Surplus Food Sold by Government May be Slow Owing TO GREAT VOLUME Shipments Will be Made in Order Received—Public to Exercise Patience Postmaster J. W. Bosse received the following from the office of the superintendent of the Sixth division. Chicago. Ill.: Postmaster: — I am taking the liberty of bringing to yout r attention that the subscription to our government's offer to the public to purchase surplus food, held and contracted for by the war department, exceeds in extent all expectation and the delivery will do doubt be somewhat delayed because of the task of assembling, routing and transporting so large a volume of parcel post. We have completed transportation arrangements and are employing every means at our command to expedite delivery, but at best there will be some delay. Shipments will be made in the order in which requests were received, and as rapidly as delivery is made by the war department. I am "requesting that you inform the local newspaper authorities, as a matter of public information, that the orders now on hand for territory supi plied by Chicago warehouse, amount to an aggregate of one hundred and I sixty million pounds, and that shipiments have already begun. If there are delays beyond what pur- . chasers think reasonable, they should . exercise patience. Writing to the i post office department will not ex- . I pediate delivery, but will have a ten- : dency to create additional delay. Ini, quiries should be directed to the local • I postmaster. Assuring vou of our desire to meet promptly the transportation obliga'tions, I am. — i Sincerely, R. S. BRAUER. WILL ATTEND SYNOD Rev. and Mrs. Stolte left for In- • dianapolis where Rev. Stolte will preach the sermon at the Mission Festival at his former church. From there they will go to Jeffersonville, Ind., to attend the Annual Synod of the Southwest, meeting of the Reformed church, which convenes on Wednesday. M. Kirsch will also attend ' and Mrs. M. Jaberg will represent the Ladles’ Missionary society of the fhurch. WEATHER Indiana —Rain, tonight; cooler south ■ portion; Saturday cooler, probably i fair. = • been serious. A peculiarity about i] the disease in this instance, accord--1 Ing to Dr. W. F. Jting, assistant sec- , retary of the state board, is that the , epidemic swept the institution last year. -

ARGUMENTS WERE HEARD .Judge Edwin Corr of Pub1 lie Service Commission Heard Arguments of CITIZENS ’PHONE CO. To Raise Rates — Remonstrators Also Heard — Many From Berne. From nine o’clock until eleven-thfr-Ity this morning, at the city hall, I i Judge Edwin Corr, a member of the | Public Service Commission of Indi-j ana heard the arguments for and against the petition of the Citizens Telephone company of this city to raise their rates on residences and ( business office phones in Decatur and | Berne. After hearing both sides Judge I Corr took the matter under consideration and through the Public Service Commission will make a report of 1 the' findings. In the opinion of the attorneys for the remonstrators. it is 1 ■ believed that the Service Commis-[ sion will grant the increase in rates. I The Citizens Telephone company, I ! which operates as a public utility ask-1 ed for an increase of from one dollar to a dollar and a half on residence I phones and from one dollar and a half 'to two dollars on business phones in Decatur, while the increase asked for in Berne, a station of the Citizens Phone Co., was from a dollar and a half to two dollars on office phones and from one dollar to a dollar thirty-five cents on residence phones, per month. The rural and business house rates in both Decatur i and Berne will remain the same. Attorney Charles E. Edwards, Attorney D. B. Erwin and Attorney J. T. Merryman appeared for the telephone company while J. K. Johnson. 'f an engineering expert on telephone ! appraisements also appeared in th«ir • interest Herman F. Ehinger, secretary of the telephone company and F. M. Schirmeyer, former secretary of I the company, were called cm to testi- - fy. Judge J. Moran, of Portland, rep- > resented the remonstrators from 1 Berne, while Attorney R. C Parrish, -of this city, remonstrated against the - granting of the increase in behalf of t the Decatur people. Miss rene Preair > 1 of Indianapolis acted as stenographer. - i Judge Corr will report the evidence 1 and findings to the Public Service Commission and that body will eithi er reject or .grant the increases ask- : ed for. . I Considerable interest was shown > j and the mayor’s office in the city I hall where the hearing was held was 1 packed. It was estimated that at r least forty people from Berne attended the hearing, but only one man from there. Orval Smith. . was called ! on to testify. The reason given for asking the in- ] crease in rates is the increased cost of operating the telephone company. BONDS ARE SOLD For Smith Road in French Township—No Bidders on Two Others Offered TAXES NOT FIXED State Board Will Not Pass on Proposed Levies Until Returns are Complete. The bonds for the Daniel Smith road in 'French township, were sold this afternoon to the Old Adams County ank. the total issue being $11,413 I and this the only bid filed. Up to . three o’clock no bids had been received of the other two roads authorized by the state tax board. The ■ contract for the road was awarded in . July to Fred Braun of this city. I County Attorney H. B. Heller has > returned from Indianapolis where he ■ presented the proposed levies for the various units compriseds in Adam county. The board did not pass on the proposed leaies and stated that iI they would not do so until the comr plete reports were forwarded from the county which cannot be done until the increases are made. This t work has been concluded except in I- one or two of the corporations. The ■ board however said that in those e townships where the increase was not it asked as provided uider the law, the I tax levy will be held to ?1.50. This

WANTS DIVORCE William Ayres Says that He and Not His Wife is Entitled to a Divorce ASKS FOR CUSTODY Os Their Child—Says His Wife Wanted to he Moving About Continually William Ayres, defendant in a divorce suit brought by Glen Ayres, has filed a cross-complaiht, by his | attorney, L. C. DeVoss, in which he • sets out grievences wherefore he I should be given the divorce. He also asks for the custory of their child. Billy Ayres, Jr., born December, 1918. He charges cruel and inhuman i treatment. He says that they were | married March 9, 1918, and lived together until July 15, 1919. He charges] that his wife was continually dissatis-] tied and that she wanted to be con- ] tainually moving around. They went ] to housekeeping on North Second ] street and lived there two months, I when they went to his mothf.r’s farm and lived six weeks, when his wife became dissatisfied and they j moved to Ninth street this city. Here they lived two months and then went to her parents’ home for five weeks, and then returned to Ninth street for three weeks. From there they moved to a farm in Monroe township, and there she abandoned him. He says she coaxed him to move back to this city soon afterwards and he finally consented to do so after the crops were harvested, but in the meantime, she left him. ” At one time, soon after marriage, she coaxed him to move to Ft. Waytie. which he did finally, but they lived there only a month until she wanted to come back here again. He says that she lay in bed and refused to get his meals; and was dirty and slovenly about her cooking

and ip her care of her house, hor person and that of their baby, so that the child developed sores on its head and it was necessary to take it to a physician: and that she was vulgar in her talk about the home tnd in the presence cf others. He says that she refused to perform | wifely duties except for money. Fur- ] thermore she objected to having a I family because it would prevent her! going out into society, he says. He says that on several occasions after she went to Ft. Wayne, she told of having met a man with whom she said she had a good time and that he was a good scout. She said she had known him before her marriage and that he had left his wife. That she didn't love tier husband: that she was deceived in him at the time of his marriage, believing that he had a lot of money; and that she would turn him down any time for her folks, is another charge. A CHECK CASE ‘At time ot going to press, officers were investigating the case of a young man, named Kirk Smith, turned over' to them by Ferdinand Bleek, proprietor of the Fair store. About a month ] ago a young man, giving his name as Smith, cashed a, check there for about eight dollars, given by Martin-Klepper | to one A. Z. Smith. Later it was ] found that the one to whom the check i was made out. was not the one who cashed it, some irregularity being found. This afternoon about 2:30 the young man appeared again with a check for four dollars which lie offered for cashing. The girl clerk referred the matter to Mr. Bleeke, who in turn reported the case of Marshal Reynolds. The young man stated that he was cashing thee heck for somebody else to oblige them. The

matter will be threshed out. f Later the boy confessed and under i promise to repay the money was re- 1 leased. He admitted cashing three 1 checks for a total of $17.51. He se- ■ cured the checks by calling at the' creamery and asking fqr checks for Smith and as he sold cream too, claimed those for A. Z. Smith as well as his own. I 1 ———* i will force some hardships and is an- - other of the inconveniences of the | 1 guardianship of affairs by the state - tax board. s _ ii The increased valuation for the! e town of Berne is SIOO,OOO less than e | the estimate, due to the fact that i it much of the valuation there was for i e | eash which did not come under the i s I increase order. I

Price Two Cents

FIGHT GOES ON Force of A Hundred Physicians Organized to Fight the Influenza Epidemic SHOULD IT COME To Indiana Again — First Outbreak of Season in Ft. Wayne Orphanage A force of one hundred physicians is to be organized to fight the influenza epidemic if it returns to Indiana the coming winter. Organization work, usder the direction of the state board of health, is to get under way immediately. Physicians from all parts of the state are to be drawn upon for the force. Rupert Blue, surgeon-general of the United States Public Health service, urged the state board of health to i prepare for any return of the epi- | demic which cost Indiana so many I lives last winter. Failure of the last j legislature to pass an all-time health ' officers’ bill has left the state without any more of an organization to combat contagious disease than it had last year. The first outbreak of influenza in , the state this season had been noted in an orphans’ home at Fort Wayne. Twenty-one cases have been report- . ed to the state board of health, I eleven of which are said to have I — ESCAPE Explosion of Water Heater in George A. Morris Home Basement at Bluffton i 1 CAUSES GREAT SCARE 1 The Flying Pieces of Metal Narrowly Miss Striking

Mr. Morris. An explosion of a water heater in the basement of the George Morris residence, Thursday evening, shattered the cast iron covering of the heater, and gave Mr. Morris a great I scare and at the same time a narrow i escape from flying pieces of metal, but luckily he escaped injury, and there was no damage to the property other than the shattered covering of she heater. The brass coils for the circulation of the water were not damaged. Mr. Morris explains that there is a pilot lighter on the heater, and that the contrivance works automatically, that is, when the water is turned on, in the residence above, the gas also automatically is turned on. Last evening the pilot torch had gone out and he went to the basement to light it and called to Mrs. Morris to turn off the water. She thought he said to tourn it on, and she did so, and there was sufficient gas escaped inside the heater before Mr. Morris lighted the match to cause the explosion.—Bluffton News. MRS.BURLEY DEM Wife of Thomas Burley, of Geneva, Died Last Evening From Pneumonia ILL LESS THAN WEEK Niece From Here Goes to Attend Funeral — Services To Be Held Sunday Miss Adeline Burley, who is employed hiere, left on the 1:05 train for

Geneva where she will attend the funeral of her aunt, Mrs. Mary Burley, wife of Thomas Burley, who died last evening at five o'clock, following an illness of less than a week from pneumonia. The deceased was about sixty-six years of age, and was one of the well known and very highly respected ladies of Geneva. Her immediate family includes, besides the husband, six children, who arc. Earl Burley, of Califrnia; Harper Burley, Columbus, O.; Cora Wehrly. | Newcastle; Mrs. Loren Carr. Rockford, O.; Carl Burley, Geneva; Miss I T.yda Burley, at home. __ The funeral service will be heiu _ ' Sunday afternoon I William Baker, of Fort Wayne, was | in the city visiting with friends today.