Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 19, Number 307, Decatur, Adams County, 29 December 1921 — Page 1

Volume XIX Number 307

FUTURE WAS IS NOW PREDICTED Between France and Great Britain and Arms Conference is in Dumps BALFOUR IS GLOOMY Over Break of Long-Time Friendship Between Two Nations of Europe. — By Carl D. Groat. United Press Staff Correspondent Washington. Dec. 29.—(Special to Daily Democrat). —The phantom of future war between Frame and Eng-land-conjured up by Arthur J. Balfotir —hung over the arms conference today as it proceeded to rescue what it might from the wreck of the submarine and auxiliary craft program. Balfour, surprisingly direct, has let the conference know there might be a conflict between the two powers, that Britain would prepare against France's submarine program, and that his nation believed it could “take care of itself." There is no doubt that the long standing friendship between Great Britain and France has received a severe blow as the result of the bitter debates over the French naval position. Likewise, France by her wrecking of the program for submarine and auxiliary craft limitation, has endangered her historic friendship with the United States, many observers believe. France has given no satisfactory reason. British and American leaders said, why she needs so many submarines and auxiliary craft and has aroused the suspicions of the world regarding her future military and naval plans. The conference has agreed on battleship ratios for the five naval powers. It hopes still to set a limit on the size of auxiliary craft. Ten thousand tons per ship with eight guns is opposed but France and Italy are asking home about it. It is also hoped to limit the tonnage for airplane carriers—some times called the "capital ship of the future’ but is going to ask more tonnage in this arm than has been allotted and Britain may do likewise on the theory that a restriction would hamper its anti submarine preparations. The Root resolution establishing humane laws for U-boat warfare probably will be adopted, but the British have served notice that while this is well from a moral and psychological ground, it will not be depended on as a real check on the Teuton type of submarining. Secretary Hughes and the British maintain the conference is a success despite the fizzle of the submaiine and auxiliary program. DISTRICT DIRECTOR. Indiana Farmers’ Associations to Be Here at Saturday Meeting. W. H. Settle, President of the Wells County Farmers’ Association will be in Decatur next Saturday afternoon to address the farmers' meeting to be held in the court room at 1 o clock. This is the annual meeting of the Adams County Farmers' Association at which time officers will be elected for the next year. Mr. Settle is dis trict director of the Indiana I . '.i tion of Farmers Associations and is on the Live-Stock Committee of the same organization. In addition to the*' ot flees he has also been elected to the executive board of the same oigani zation and accordingly is well post" on the past accomplishments and tu ture plans of the organization. 11 addition to Mr. Settle, .Maurice Douglas, former secretary of the State I' eratlon and at present a member ot the Public Service Commission of Indiana, will speak and a good meeting is expected. — Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Hockemoj' l of near Monroeville, were visitors m this city today. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦***** ♦ THE WEATHER FORECAST < ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ Indiana: Fair tonight and F ri d“ y ' colder tonight, rising tempeia Friday. , . Lower Michigan: Generally fair , night, and Friday, colder to niF, • warmer Friday; diminishing 1101 and northwest winds shitting southerly by Friday. . . . Upper Michigan: Generally fam , night and Friday, continued coni tonight, warmer Friday< __ .

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

OFFICERS INSTALLED With R. D. Myers and Daniel Sprang acting as Installing officers 'he new staff of officials elected ten days ago by the Masonic lodge were installed last evening. The new offl. cats are: M.—L. L. Baumgartner. Senior Warden—o. L. Vance. Junior Warden—Robert Shirk Senior Deacon—Ed Ashbaticher Junior Deacon—J. L. Gay Secretary—E. B. Adams Treasurer—A. D. Suttles Tyler—Freeh Hower Stewards—Ben Elzey and Ed Miller THE BONUS BILL Will Be Enacted, Say Members of American Legion By Present Congress EFFECTIVE IN JULY Bill Now Under Consideration Makes Dictinction for Oversea Service. (United Press Service) Indianapolis, Dec. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat)—National Commander MacNider of the American Legion today stated that he had assurances that the World's War Veteran bonus bill, now in congress, would pass congress and go into effect in July. 1922. His assurances, he said, came from Senator McCumber, N. D„ and Rep. Fordney, Mich., sponsors of the bill in the senate and house respectively. When and if the bill becomes law in its present shape, each ex-service man or woman will be entitled to the following options: (1) Adjusted service pay, at the rate of $1 a day for home service and $1.25 for foreign service. Maximum of SSOO for man without overseas service; $C>25 for man with overseaservice. (2) Adjusted service certificate (so called insurance feature), a paid-up--20-year endowment policy. The face value of this policy will be 3.338 times the amount that would be received in cash. The face value of this policy would be payable to the veteran at the end of 20 years, the face value would be paid to the beneficiary of the policy. Loan values are also provided for. (3) Vocational training aid of $1.25 a day while taking a course in voca tional training. The amount thus paid in no case would exceed 140 per cent of what would have been paid in cash. (4) Farm or home aid. 140 percent of what would be paid under option No. 1, if the money is used to pur chase, improve or make payments on approved farm or city or suburban home. (5) Land Settlement: (A) Provides for the establish ment of reclamation projects for the development and improvement of va cant land. This may be government land or may be land purchased by the government. If possible, project will be located in each state, the state paying part of the purchase price ot private lands bought for this purpose. Ex-service men to be employed on the project as far as possible. (B) Provides for the sale of faun units on these projects when they are ready for settlement. Sale price is to include purchase price of land plus cost of improvement. Terms, part down, rest in 40 years at 5 percent Interest. (C) Veterans may have their a justed service pay applied as first payment on this land. The legion refers to the bill as the adjusted compensation me»' claiming the term “bonus bill, is unjust to the men who will profit by i " investment. HOSPITAL NEWS. Walter Colchin, son of Mrs. Lucy Colchin, was operated upon. Wednesday at the St. Joseph hospital at Port Wayne for hernia and varicocele. Dis. Kruse of Fort Wayne and D. P- . Clark of this city were the surgeons ; in charge, and the patient is getting •dong as well as could he expected. ' Arthur Hough. «1 !«•” „„ „1 Marlin Hourt.“ He ' his right thumb this morning. He ' a nd a brother were working woods and scared up a rabb . J animal ran into a him ■ X Os the axe swung by the bro her. ‘ T he end of the thumb was nipped off, ‘nd a hurried trip was made to he - XfoDr. D. D. Clark to have the “ injury, dressed, . <~ — I

LOSE ANOTHER High School Varsity Drops Second Game of Season in Clash With the FORT WAYNE C. C. 11. S. Game Proved to Be Rough From Start to FinishScore 17 to 11. The basketball game staged last evening at the Athletic hall between the Fort Wayne C. C. H. S. five and | the local high school varsity, resulted in the locals losing their second game of Hie season, Fort Wayne winning by a score of 17 to 11. Keen rivalry exists between the two schools, each team being out for a victory and as no friendship ruled on the floor the contest proved a hard-fought, rough and tumble game from start to finish. The locals started early In the game with a field goal which was quickly followed by the visitors with a foul goal and later a field goal. The locals then registered a free throw, tieing the score and were forced to be satisfied with only one more point the first half, the visitors registering five more and the period ended 8 to 4. The second half resulted in a free for all. neither side scoring many points. Both teams being given a number of free throws, many of which failed to register. The visitors held the lead throughout the second half, the score being close at all times, the score standing 17 to 11 in favor of the visitors when the final whistle sounded. In the preliminaries, the Central eighth grade defeated the St. Joe eighth grade in a hard-fought battle, the score being close at all times. The next battle on the locals schedule will take place Friday evening at Bluffton. The local teams will be accompanied by a number of rooters and a hard-fought game is expected. DIED EARLY TODAY Mrs. Sarah Ann Bell Succumbed to Attack of Pneumonia—lll One Week WELL KNOWN LADY Husband Died Four Years Ago-Nine Children Sur-vive-One is Deceased. After suffering one week from pneumonia, Mrs. Sarah Ann Alexander Bell, residing at 225 North Tenth street, passed away at 1 o clock this morning. Mrs. Bell had been unconscious most of the time since she was first taken ill. and for the past day or two her death had been expected. She was born March 26, 1842, in Pennsylvania, and had lived most of her life in French township, Adams county. Her husband, V. D. Bell, died four years ago and a year later Mrs. Bell moved to Decatur to make hei home, moving into the house at 225 North Tenth street, where her death occurred, the son, William, being the only child living at home. Other children living are: Charles, of Craigville; Vincent, William, Mrs. J. A. Zerkle, Mrs. (). P. Mills. Mrs. George Everett, all of Decatur, Mrs. Mary O. Parrish, of Bluffton, O.; Godfrey Bell, North Yakima, Wash., and Hilyard Bell, of Craigville. There are also several grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Craigville U. B .church, the Rev. C T. Payne officiating. Burial will be at the Elm Grove cemetery at Bluffton. MRS. BENTZ DIES Wife of Samuel Bentz Passed Away at 4:30 TodayWas 111 Several Weeks FROM COMPLICATIONS Parents, Husband and Sisters and Brothers Survive —Funeral Saturday. A complication of ailments, from which she had suffered the past several weeks, caused the death at 4:30 this morning of Mrs. Samuel Bentz, living just east of the city on the Piqua road. Mrs. Bentz had been to the St. Joseph hospital for an operation, and returned to her home (Continued on page two) 1

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday Evening, December 29, 1921

A HAPPY NEW YEAR Wish your friends and | everybody in Adams county i a Happy New Year through i the columns of the Daily Democrat. We will rim the New Year Greeting cards in ! Saturday’s paper. If qur j representalive is unable to see you. call 'Phone 51 and we will lake care of your New Year’s Greeting. Copy of your Greeting card should be in the hands of the printer by Friday. WILLIAM CUSTER ANSWERS CALL Well Known St. Mary’s Farmer .Died at Daughter’s Home at 10:20 ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT Had Lived in County Since 1885-Funeral Friday at Pleasant Mills. William Custer, retired St. Mary’s township farmer, died Thursday night at 10:20 o’clock at the home of his daughter, Mrs. M. F. Aspy at Pleasant Mills, after an extended illness from complications and infirmities due to his age. He had been a resident of St. Mary’s township many years, and was well and favorable known by many residents of the northeast part of Adams county. Mr. Custer was born August 24. 1843, in Mercer county. Ohio, a son of John and Elizabeth Custer, making his age at death seventy-eight years, four months and four days. He grew to manhood in Mercer county, coming to Adams county in 1885, and had lived on a farm in St. Mary’s township since, retiring from active farm work j fifteen years ago. In 1868 he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Streete, her death occurring August 4, 1912. To the union were born six children, one daughter, Mrs. Carrie Watkins, having passed away September 5, 1920. Those stir viving are Mrs. Asa McMillen and Mrs. M. F. Aspy of Pleasant Mills, Mrs. W. F. Beery of Decatur, and John and Lee Custer of Hicksville, O. there are also seventeen grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. The deceased was a soldier in the Civil War, having served throughout the conflict from 1861 to 1865, being a member of Company A, 46th Ohio volunteer infantry, his enlistment being at Columbus, O. Mr. Custer was with Sherman on the famous march to the sea. Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon, leaving the Aspy home at 1 o'clock, and from the Pleasant Mills Methodist church, the Rev. E. J. Maupin officiating. Interment will be at Rockford, O. PLANS FOR FAIR Will Be Announced Soon--Mulholland Wants to Bring Aumustment Here VISITS FAIR GROUND And Declares It the Finest He Has Ever Seen-Work for 1922 to Start Soon. Arthur J 5 Mulholland, recognized as the leading amusement proprietor of the country, whose home is at Kai amazoo and who has heard of the Northern Indiana Fair, was here today to look over the grounds. He declared it the most beautiful fair grounds he has ever visited and is anxious to bring his shows and amusements to the next Adams county fair and chautauqua which will be held next August. Mr. Reppert and his force will begin work on the fair early in the New Year and will have several important announcements to make soon. Already a number of applications for privileges have been received and indications are that the 1922 fair will excel all others in every way. Sev--1 eral new features are to be added and improvements made which will ' please and delight the public. Con- ' ducting a fair is a big job and re- ■ quires much advance work and this 1 must be started soon. 1 Dick Heller attended the Tri-Kappa dance at Bluffton last evening.

BRUTAL MURDER — Peru Man Killed Wife on Christmas By Battering Face to a Pulp With A LUMP OF COAL Dream of Sister Ix-ads to Confession—Body Was Buried in Celler. Peru. Ind., Dec. 29. — (Special to Dally Democrat).—A dream of her sister dressed in shrouds and muttering as though trying to divulge a secret worried Fannie Flitcraft from 1 midnight until morning Tuesday and 1 resulted today iu the apprehension of a wife slayer. Joseph Flitcraft. 40, a laborer, signed a written confession saying he had killed his wife by battering her face ! to a pulp with a lump of coal Christ- | mas afternoon. He accused her of I "being through" with him. Margaret Flitcraft. 35, the murdered woman, was Fannie’s sister. They had married brothers. Fannie swore out an affidavit charging Joseph with first degree murder and Judge Albert Ward was expected to call a grand jury today to consider the case. The multilated and partly nude body was found by police in an parture in the cellar wall at the Flitcraft home following the confession. The hands were tied together and the face was wrapped in old clothes and strings were tied around them. One cheek was out and the other was bruised and cut and swollen. A pile of trash covered the body, which was in a crude dirt vault four feet from the cellar floor. Ip putting the body in place, Flitcraft had to carry it down a flight of cellar stairs and crawl over it as it lay in the open ing. J. H. Heller made a business trip to Fort Wayne this morning. RUN OVER BY FORD E. M. Ray Well Known Citizen of Berne Painfully Injured Last Evening BONES ARE BROKEN Ankle. Rib and Hand Broken in Accident-On Way Home from Church. Berne, Ind., Dec. 29.—(Special to Daily Democrat). —E. M. Ray one of the best known citizens of Berne, was knocked down and run over by a Ford car driven by Frank Liechty at 9:30 last evening as he and his wife were returning home from the church services at the Mennonite church, his ankle, one rib and hand being broken in the accident. Mr. and Mrs. Ray were walking walking along Franklin street, going east, and in attempting to cross the street, the auto hit him, knocking him down and running over him. The ankle on the right foot was broken, a left rib broken, while the bones in the left hand were also broken. The injuries, although very painful are not thought to be fatal dr serious and it is thought that a few weeks rost will see him up town. Following the accident he was taken to his home and at noon today was resting quite easy. Mr. Moser is the manager of the A. J. Moser and Co., of this city and is also one of the trustees of the Adams County Hospital. Witnesses say that the accident was unavoidable and no blame is placed on the driver of the car. Mrs. Ray was not injured. married’ today i 1 Miss Alina Bowers and Earl Colter Sprang Surprise on Friends Here THE REV. TINKHAM Officiated at Service at the 1 John Bowers Home—On ' a W edding Trip. The marriage of Miss Alma Bowers 1 and Mr. Earl Colter was solemnized 1 at 2 o'clock this afternoon at the John Bowers home on Marshall street, the Rev. Tinkham of the Methodist church 9 officiating. , Members of the immediate families and a few intimate friends witnessed the ceremony and 1 (Continued on page three)

MALE HEADS WAVED London, Dec. 29—The West End dancing man—his sex may be deterI mined on the streets by his trousers and hut —must have his hair waved. Fashionable hair-dressers (they aren’t barbers over here) are overrun with wave-seeking sweeties on the days before big dances. Those who go in for these, however, are the comparative rough I necks of the dancing world. The regular out-and-outer requires, and Is > now able to get, a permanent wave ifj he has the necessary eight inches of | front hair, four hours of time and sis j teen dollars. GAVE BAD CHECKS St. Mary’s Township Farmer Arrested and Taken to Bluffton SETTLEMENT IS MADE With One Merchant and Arrangements Made to Take Care of Second Check. —’ Sheriff Henry Gehrett received a message from Decatur last evening, informing him that Clyde Beam, an Adams county farmer, was under arrest there and was being held at the Adams county jail for the Wells county sheriff, to answer to a charge of 1 issuing a fraudulent check, filed last week in the Wells circuit court. Sheriff Gehrett deputized Lem Stout to go to Decatur this morning after Beam. The charge on Beam is that of passing a fraudulent check for $lO at the Bluffton Shoe Market, a store belonging to Earl McFarren, on North Mainstreet. The check was cashed for Beam on December 6th, and was given after Beam had made a purchase I at the shoe store. He received part of j the face of the check in cash. The check was written on the Farmers and Merchants’ Bank of Wil-’ shire, 0., and came back wtih the notation that Beam carried no account In that bank. On the same date that the bad' cheek was passed at the shoe market. Beam also gave L. F. Hartman & Son , a similar worthless check on the same I Wilshore bank calling for sl9 in payment for an automobile accessory. It is reported that Beam was given an opportunity to make good the checks before the affidavit was filed, but he refused to do so. I The specific charge is issuing a check without funds in the bank. Bond was fixed at SI,OOO. Settled With Hartman. Today, after reaching this city. Beam settled with Hartman and son by paying in full the amount due them and he expressed a willingness also to pay the sum due Mr. McFarren the sum due him tomorrow. Whether or not prosecution will proceed in the event he does this, remains to he seen. Bean is reported the owner of a ’ farm of 80 acres, unencumbered ex cept for a $1,500 mortgage. He and , his wife are reported to have had do mestic difficulties ami to be separated j at this time. He was arranging this afternoon to give bond.—Bluffton News. Beam has issued several checks here, at Van Wert and other places, : and in each instance, has made the I amounts good. Beam was released late last evening after furnishing the fPffuired , bond. He returned to his home in | Adams county at once. HENRY COUNTY BOY IS CORN KING OF INDIANA Lafayette, Ind., Dec. 29.—(Special | to Daily Democrat).—R. H. Hardin of Henry county, was named king of the ; , 1921 corn growers by the Indiana corn ' growers association and Purdue university here today. Hardin won the five acre contest with an average yield of 129.7 bushels an acre. I Roy Shoeberger of Carroll county was second with 121.9 bushels an acre and S. E. Thomas of Henry county, third with an average 120.9 bushels j an acre.

NOW IS THE TIME TO RENEW Renew your subscription now to the Daily Democrat, your home paper ' and be assured of getting the items of luterest about the home folks, your neighbors court news, deaths, births, marriages, market reports, and local ‘ happenings and events of all kinds. The Daily Democrat is entering upon ' its twentieth year as a daily newspaper and as an anniversary offer It will 1 give to every subscriber who pays his subscription to January Ist, 1923. a Genuine Leather, seven ln one Bill Fold which has a retail value of from SI.OO ’ to $1.50. Besides, the price of the paper has been reduced, in this county, to J. $3.00 a year by mail. Take advantage of this liberal offer, renew your subscription io the Daily Democrat and get a handsome Bill Fold.

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IS OPTIMISTIC AS TO OUTLOOK Governor of Federal Reserve Board Says 1922 Will Bring Prosperity REACTION IS OVER And Declares This M ill Be Followed By a Big Swing Toward Better Times. By Lawrence Martin United Press Staff Correspondent Washington. Dec. 29.—(Special to Daily Democrat). —The bells that > ring in 1922 will usher in a business . revival that will develop in due course 1 into a "new era ot prosperity" for the United States. This confident prediction was made I today by W. P. G. Harding. Govern■or of the Federal Reserve Board. ■ Choosing his words with care and weighing his phrases before he utteried them. Harding told what his exI ceptional opportunities for surveying the nation’s financial condition have shown him. "Business has passed through the ' primary stage, the acute period of reaction." he said summing up his observations. “It is my sober conviction that basic financial conditions are very much better than they were twelve months ago. "There are many indications that the beginning of a revival cycle is not far distant. When it does definitely set in, it will be followed in due course by a new era of prosperity.” Speaking thus, Harding sitting at his desk in the Treasury, looked like a finance expert. By reaching out his hand to press a button he marshalled “battalions of figures" and facts to support his predictions. Harding sits here in Washington. , but his eye is everywhere. He can tell you at a given moment the state ' of the financial health of any city in the country or of the country as a j whole. He has his linger on the eoun- | tries gold pulse. If you saw him on the street you | might mistake him for a doctor or a lawyer, or a preacher —a quiet, homely, kind man. whose clothes fit him but look as though they don't. "Why do you think a business revival is indicated?" Harding was ask ed with an intimation that his prediction might be considered official optimism. He repudiated that suggestion. "There are well defined cycles in . business," he said. "We are nearly at the end of a long period of slow diquidation. business depression and stagnation. Such a period is followed by ' revival.” BENEFITS OF BACTERIA Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat)—“We should j be thankful for the little bacteria in ' our Swiss cheese, saur kraut and dill pickles for they are what gives those delicacies their good flavor, according to the twenty-third annual meet- ’ ing of the society of American bacteriologists here today. The German scientists also solved the mystery as to "why are the i holes in Swiss cheese." It was explained that the bacteria in the I cheese give off some kind of gas, which eats holes in the "Swiss" delicacy and gives it a pleasant taste. - ++++++++++++++++ + NOW AFTER CONTRACTORS + + + + Washington, D. C., Dec. 29 — + + (Special to Dally Democrat)— + + More profiteering indictments ♦ 4> as part of the federal drive at + + high prices are imminent, it be- + •fr came known today at the de- 4* + partment of justice. + + Some of these indictments ♦ + will be against building material ♦ + concerns, as prices in this line + + are soaring in spite of the re- ♦ ♦ cent anti-trust activities of the + + government, Attorney General ♦ + Daugherty has been notified. ♦ +++4.++++ + + + + + + + +