Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 2, Decatur, Adams County, 2 January 1923 — Page 1

Volume XXI. Number 2.

REDUCTION IN ROAD BUILDING COST IS SHOWN I Bids On Warren Striker Concrete Road, Received Today, Much Lower CONTRACT IS AWARDED — George W. Penning And Son, Os New Corydon, Get Contract For Job A reduction in the coat of building concrete roads was shown in the bid-| submitted to the county commission cfs this morning for the building ot | the Warren Striker concrete road in Wabash township. The low bid being { $36(460.00. Eight, bids were submitted, the high ) eat being 142.420.00; while George U Fenuing and Son of New Corydon submitted the lowest bid. and the con tract was awarded to them. The proposed route for the Warren Strier road commences at the west end of Line Street in the town of Geneve and runs west for 1.57 miles. Steps towards building the Striker road were first taken over a year ago. the improvement being petitioned for at that time under the name of the George Shoemaker road. Taxpayers ai ■ fected by the improvement, tiled a re | monstrance against the granting Oil the petition and the objections of the remonstrantors were heard by the commissioners. A few months later the improvement was petitioned for unde* the the name of the Warren Strier road. No objections were made against the granting of this petition and bide were received for its con struction, Brineman and Gordon of Biffton getting the contract on their bid of 141.232.00. A remonstrance was then filed by the taxpayers with the state tax board against the issuing of the bonds, and consequently, the road was not constructed. The linn of Brineman and Gordon submitted i bid this time in the amount of $38,618-1 .00, which shows a reduction in thcost of building concrete roads. The other bids filed today were: ; J. L. Teegarduer, $42,420.00; Schweie . and Davis. $39,990.14: Chas. F. Bragg , $38,970.00; Frank B. Fishbaugh, S3B ) 937.00; Yost Brothers and Reppert. $41,980.00; D. O. North. $41,638.76. The proposed road improvement will be eighteen feet wide witii a con i crete base of 8.33 1-3 inches. If con strut ted it will be the third concret | road built in Adams county. Viewers Are Appointed The commissioners appointed view I era on the following roads: The Ludy road, Monroe and Blue Creek townships. A. R. Bell and John Shafer; the A. N. Sprunger road, Monroe township, Henry Guttman and Otto Fuell ing; the Baudertscher and Braun road, Monroe township, Amos Stone burner and Henry Breiner; the David Zimmerman road, Hartford and French townships, James Barr and John Brown. The viewers on the I Ludy road will meet January 3, those on the Sprunger road, January 4 and on the Baudertscher and Braun, Jan uary 5 at the county auditor’s office, while the viewers on the Zimmerman road will meet January 8 at the of flee of Frank Foreman in Berne. To Receive Bids Blds for the construction of the David Mazelin and the Joel Lehman roads, both in Monroe township will be received by the commissioners at their next monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 6. The road program for 1923 starts with the building of these two roads. o — Plan Sanitarium For Brown County Site Nashville. Jan. I.—A large sanitarium may be located on the site of a mineral water spring in Johnson township. near here, it was learned. Capitalists have come down from Indianapolis to look over the site, and it is believed the establishment of the sanitarium is certain, although it has been talked of tor many years. The water of the spring is charged with gas. which, if ignited is very difficult to extinguish. It is said. o Generally fair In south, probably rain turning to snow in north portion tonight and Wednesday; colder Wednesday and in west portion tonight.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

GOOD UNTIL FEBRUARY 1 1922 Ohio Auto License Plates May Be Used Until Feb.; Fire Destroyed New Ones Indiana State Capitol, Jan. 1. In-1 diana state motor police have been in strutced by H. D. McClelland, manager of the state automobile depart-' iflent, to recognize Ohio 1922 automobile licenses until Feb 1. This action was taken on the request of Ohio officials. A fire in November destroyed 500,000 of the Ohio 11’23 plates and lit will be impossible to supply all motorists with the new plates before Feb. ' 1, the Ohio officials said. 0 LOCKJAW TAKES LIFE OF FARMER Nimrod McCullough, Prominent St. Mary’s Township Farmer, Died MondayNimrod McCullough, age 54 years, prominent farmer of St. Mary's township, died at his home yesterday, from lockjaw, which resulted from an, ulcerated tooth. Mr. McCullough was well-known in the community of his residence and throughout the county. Nimrod McCullough was bom ia Hancock county. Ohio, January 15. 1868, and would have been 55 years old this month. He was the son of Davis and Anna Murphy McCullough. I The early years of his life were spent ion a farm in Adams county, and his ' advantages were those of the district i schools. He remained at home until he reached the age of twenty-one years. On December 24, 1891, McCullough was married to Mary G ; Smith, a daughter of William and* Mary C. Siffith, natives of Adam;; county. The McCullough family has been active in the Methodist church at Pleasant Mills for many years. Five children survive besides th ■ wife. Ths children are Will’am of Marion; Charles, of Auburn; Mrs Amy Logan, of Bryan. Ohio; and Benjamin and Nimrod, at home. Four sisters and one brother also survive. They are: Mrs. Louis Ricker, Wil shire. Ohio; Mrs. Louis Hammond. ! Decatur; Mrs Frank Winans, Decatur; Mrs. William Herst, Decatur; and James McCullough, of Decatur, [rural route. Funeral services will be held frciu | the Methodist church in Pleasant I Mills, at 10 o'clock Wednesday morn ing and burial will be held in the Maplewood cemetery at Decatur. Tl ■ Rev. Maupin will have charge of thI funeral services. TRUSTEES WILL MEET TOMORROW First Meeting Os The New; County Board Os Education; Hold Exams The first meeting of the new county board ot education will be helu I tomorrow morning in the office of E S. Christen, county superintendent ot schools. This meeting will be a getacquainted affair, and the newly elected trustees will learn of their many duties. Various educational matters will be discussed and the work ot the year outlined. The first semester examinations will b e held in the Adams county schools on Thursday and Friday, of this week. The second semester will be started next week. The schools reopeneil today after a vacation of ten days, during the Christinas and New Year’s holidays. o Nine Killed In Auto Accidents In Chicago (United Press Service) Cicago, Jan. 2. —(Special to Daily) Democrat) —The first day of 1923 claimed nine victims from automobile accidents in Chicago. The dead included seven women and two men. There were 736 deaths from automobile accidents in Chicago during 1922. * K. OF P. NOTICE The regular meeting of the council will be held Wednesday, January 3rd. This is the meeting postponed from Monday. January Ist. Make an effort to come. —G. K. Miss Mabel Hower visited friends In Portland last evening !

LARGE DAMAGE 1 SUIT SENT TO ADAMS COUNTY • 'll 11 Fort Wayne Man Seeks $15,000 Judgment From « Pennsylvania Ry. Co. i a CONTINUE JURY TRIAL 1 i Illness Os Witness Necessi-i, tates Postponment Os -i Trial Here Today A suit for $15,000 in damages, as ;i the result of an alleged assault and ■ battery, filed in the Allen Superior I court by George W. Richhart against | the Pennsylvania Railroad company, has been sent to the Adams circuit court on a change of venue, the complaint lining docketed this moring The plaintiff states that on the morning of July 12, 1922, while the 1 plaintiff was crossing the defendant J company’s tracks at the intersection of Hanna street in Fort Wayne, two detectives employed by the defendant, without the cause, assaulted him beating him with a club and a revol- j ver. He declares that he was ser- ( iously injured and permanently dis- 1 abled, and demands judgment in the sum of $15,000. Attorneys for the . plaintiff are Charles J. Ryan. Ira M. f Snouffer, and John W. Eggeman. Damage Case Postponed The damage suits of Studebaker ' vs. Heche, Studebaker vs. Heche. * and Brown vs. Heche, which were set fir trial in the Adams circuit court 1 this morning, were postponed on ac-' 1 count of the serious illness of one of 1 the witnesses for the defense. The 1 'jury, which had been summoned to u hear the trial, was excused and ord- 1 ered to report again tomorrow to • hear the case of Fisher vs. Ramsey, 1 suit in a note. The case of the State • vs. Smith is set for a hearing tomorrow also. ' Other Cases This Week I Other cases set for trial this week i are: Wefel et al vs. Wefel et a), < (Continued on page five) | ( WILL INTRODUCE I: FORB MEASURES • c Bills Os Major Importance ’ To Be Presented To ’ Legislature Thursday |i Indianapolis. Jan. I.—Forty meas- , tires of major importance, some of j them conflicting in the legislation de- ‘ sired, are now prepared or in the state of preparation for introduction in the General Assembly with convenes Thursday morning at 10 o’clock. A number of these bills are those proposed by the administration, others • are Democratic measures carrying out | • the pledges of the party platform and;* others are not identified as partisan / measures. j ’ In addition to the bills there are at:least four amendments to the state;’ constitution to be presened to the As-j* sembly. [’ The bulk of the legislation proposed • centers around motor vehicles, schools ;' and the election laws. Three measures ' are being prepared to place a tax on | * gasoline, the essential difference being ’ in the distribution of the revenue.) ” Three bills are to be presented dealing with the motor vehicle registra- I tion fees. One sponsored by the ad-i ministration will increase the registration fee, another will see to return all the license fees to the counties, and the third proposes to give the state highway commission one-half of the license revenue and the counties the , remainder. Another Measure Pending Other bills dealing with motor vehicles are: special tax and regulation of busses and trucks used as common carriers, bills providing for jail sen- < tences for persons convicted ot driv- i 1 ing a motor vehicle while intoxicated, , and abolition of the state motor police. \ The most important bills proposed i changing the election laws and those i referring to the primary election and 1 ; the absent voters' law. Senators Wil-.l liam M. Swain of Pendleton and An- 1 i drew H. Beardsley of Elkhart will be i backers of bills to repeal some of the i 'state-wide features of the primary law, 1 I especially those relating to the nomin- ( < ation of United States Senator and < Governor and the presidential prefer- f ence.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday Evening, January 2, 1923

UNION TOWNSHIP MEETING Local Banker To Speak At Community Meetings Wednesday Night R. E. Glendenning, cashier of the] First National br.nk of Deentur, will i address the Union Township Com ) immity meeting at the Koltr school. house Wednesday night, on subject > pertaining to banking, which will lie), of much Interest to the people of the ■ community. . L. M. Uusche, county agricultural ) agent, will attend the meeting and make a short but Interesting talk. Mu ' sic will be furnished for the meetin; | by the Lehrman orchestra and the; Emanuel Lutheran church choir. [ There will be other special features,j The' people of Union township, as we ■ ) as the general public, are invited to attend the meeting. HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW AUDITORIUM New Annex Occupied Today For First Time; New Teacher In South Ward Decatur city schools, and the St.' Joseph Catholic schools resumed work today following the annual Christmas vacation, which started on Friday. Do-| cember 22. The first semester exam-) inations will be held next week and; the pupils will be busy this week inak-1 ing preparations for the tests. Th° examinations will be held on Monday and Tuesday. The high school pupils occupied th. new auditorium this morning for the] firs ttime. A total of 256 desks have] been placed in the auditorium and there is still room for more !♦' they are needed. The lighting in the auditorium is fine, there being large skylights in addition to many win 1 ,w-t it the side. A stage was built at the east end of the auditorium.Miss Vera Stomenberry. of Washington township, began her duties as teacher of the second grade in the south ward scholos this morning succeeding Miss Marie Daniels, who resigned when school closed for the , Christmas vacation, and was marrie 1 during the holidays. Miss Stouten berry has had eight years experiem o as a teacher and is well qualified for the position. She attended Madam ' Blaker’s training school in Indianapolis during the fall term. No successor for Mr. Walker, high school science teacher who resigned recently, has been chosen yet. al-1 though sev?ral applicants are said t i be under consideration. It is though* (Hat a successor will be named within the next two or three days. In th- - the science classes arc b - ing taught by \lbert Sellemeye- an 1 , Superintendent Worthmat' •— Chris Eicher of Hartford township was a business visitor here this afternoon . o —— ♦ HANG UP YOUR CUN < + ♦ + Indianapolis. Jan. 2. — The ; 4- closed season for the lawful tak- + j 4- ing of all kinds of wild game ex + •fr cept rabbits is on in Indiana. The 4- + state conservation department + also called attention to the fact + that the season for shooting rah -fr + bits ends on the night of January * •£• 9. It then will be unlawful to + + shoot any kind of wild game in •9 + Indiana until April 1. 1923. + PROMINENT MEN TO SPEAK HERE Noted Ministers To Aid In Ordaining Harry Clark To Ministry Tonight Mr. Harry D. Clarke will be publicly ] ordained to the Gospel ministry at the j Baptist church tonight. The services) will begin at 7:00 o’clock. The principal sermon will be preached by Dr. Wm. G. Everson of Muncie, Indiana. Dr. Everson, besides being pastor of a church of 1,400 members, holds a high rank tn the United States Army. He has a great personality, and speaks with much eloquence and power. Other parts in this service are expected to be taken by Dr. C. M. Dinsmore, Indianapolis; Rev. S. G. Huntington, Indianapolis; Dr. John R. Gunn, Fort Wayne; Dr. H. N. Spear, Bluffton, and others. The public is Invited.

UNION TOWNSHIP MEETING Local Banker To Speak At Community Meetings Wednesday Night R. E. Glcndenning, enabler of the First National lit ink of Deentnr, will address the Union Township Com mnnity meeting at the Kohr school licuse Wednesday night, on subject' pertaining to hanking, which will ho if much interest to the people of the community. . L. M. Uusche, county agricultural agent, wiil attend the meeting ami make a short but interesting talk, Music will ho furnished for the meetin; by the Lehrman orchestra and the Emanuel Lutheran church choir.

ANNOUNCES HIS . PLAN TO RETIRE AFTER MARCH 4; _ ( i Interior Secretary Is Second i Member Os Harding’s < Cabinet To Resign NO SUCCESSOR NAMED Opposition By Harding To Fall’s Views Said To Be t Cause Os Action United Press Staff Correspondent Wtashingtoil, Jan. 2 —(Special to. Daily Democrat)—Secretary of the Interior Fall will retire from President Harding's cabinet on March 4. it was announced officially at the White House today. n He will be the second member of the cabinet to resign during President Harding's administration. Will) Hays having retired to become head of the motion picture industry. The president offered Fall a posi-! tion on the supreme court succeeding ] I Justice Pitney, it is said, but Fall i declined to accept this position. At the White House, it was stated ; that Kall was insistent upon reurn--1 ing to his private business interests which he has long neglected because l of public service in the senate and the cabinet. It was believed, however, that; President Harding's recent decision to support the conservationists in i their fight against Fall’s plan to gain I control of the forest reserve of the ! country by having the forestry bur-) eau transferred from the department) of agriculture to the department of interior played some part in the see- ] retary’s determination to retire. There was no indication today as to who would succeed Kall as Sec- [ retary o£ the Interior. President' Harding has made no decision as to I his successor, it was said. Carmi Thompson, recently defeaied for the governorship of Ohio, Senator Harry New. defeated for the sen(Continued on page live) QUITS POSITION AT LOCAL BANK D. J. Darkless Goes Fro»n Peoples Loan And Trust To Old Adams Co. Bank D. J. Harkless today assumed a) position with the Old Adams Count v I i bank, having resigned his position ;<■; j cashier of the Peoples Loan and Trust company where he served the past two years. An addition was also made to the clerical force at the bank, Miss Helen Gass, former stenographer at the Fruchte & Litterer law’ office taking 1 a position as bookkeeper. Mr. Harkless is well known in this city and is well versed in the bankI ing business. He has been engaged in. it practically all his business life, i In 1878 he came to this city from Ft. ) Wayne. He taught school several ) years, and was employed at the First | National Bank, of this city, from 1892 Ito 1898. He and his family then I moved to Paulding, Ohio, where they I made their home for about twentythree years, Mr. Harkless being associated with both banks there, the Farmers State bank, and for eighteen years was cashier of the First Na-1 tional Pank, of Paulding. He came back to this city on November 1. j 1920, and became cashier of the PeoI pies Loan and Trust company, resigning his position with that institution effective January 1, 1923. Mr. Harkless will be found back ot the second teller's cage at the Old Adams County bank and will be glad to meet his many friends and acI quaintances and take care of their I needs in the banking line. He is [ accommodating, rapid and efficient j in his work. E. X. Ehinger is cashier of the Old Adams County bank and the clerical force, including the officers now numbers eleven persons. The bank has total resources of over a million and a half dollars. W. A. Lower, secretary of the Peoples Loan and Trust company, stated that no change would be made in the clerical force at present. The annual meeting of the Trust , company will he held January 16. R. A. Smith, of Pleasant Mills, attended to business here this morning.

FEW GAME UAW BILLS State Department Os Conservation To Seek Enforcement Os Present Lawc Indianapolis, Jan. 2.—lndiana’s fish and game laws are as good as nny ether state's, therefore, the fish and game division of the state department of conservation will put a few bills into the hopper ot the coming legislature, George Mannfeld, director of the division said today. The important thing to further Ashing and hunting in this state is the strict enforcement of the laws we already have, he said. Mannfeld has also set out these facts in a bulletin sent out to 143 fish and game protective clubs in Indiana. CLERK OF COURT MAKES A REPORT Collects $798.83 During Last Quarter; 169 Marriage Licenses Issued A total of $798.83 was collected in fees during the quarter from October 1 to January 1, by John T. Kelly, clerk of the Adams circuit court, according to his report just compiled. The amount collected was distributed among the various items as follows: Civil cases, $221.60; probate cases. $183.55; criminal cases, $18.70; marriage licenses, $102; other licen- ; ses, $6; official bonds, $14.30; miscellaneous, $9; ex-clerk’s fees, $52.23; ex-sheriff’s tees, $4.95; docket fees. $42; jury fees, $4.50; fines and forfeitures, $140; total, $798.83. One hundred and sixty-nine marrii age licenses were issued in Adams | county during the year 1922. Twenty- ; three couples obtained marriage licen- ] ses during the month of December, . 1922. This was an increase of three ) licenses over December. 1921. and an i increase of five over November, 1922. A total of 896 hunting and fishing licenses were issued during the year. The number of civil cases docketed during the year 1922 was $327 and the number of estates opened was 79. Thirty-nine Fire Alarms In Bluffton Bluffton, Jan. 2.—Thirty-nine tires in Bluffton during the past year caused a total loss of $85,336, according to the annual report of the city fire departmentment made public today. Two of the fires started front cigarettes one front firecrackers and nine I from sparks on shingle roofs. JURORS PROBING ROUBLE MURDER Grand Jury Begins Investigation Os Shaffer Murder At Newcastle Newcastle, Ind., Jan. 2 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —An echo from the Honey Creek murder farm where Bill Shaffer and Ills wife were slain a month ago resounded in the court house today when a grand jury Investigation was st trted. The jurors seeking tl.-e real facts behind the crime may turn to 3 year old Billy lluffstickle, a nephew of Mrs. Shaffer who was rescued from the death house five days after the crime was committed, suffering ft ju I exposure, hunger and thirst. Billy with his chlldit.n prattle has implicated a woman whom he said came to the place and got him a glass of jelly, leaving again.

‘‘i thought it was you, Mamma, and I cried,” Billy said. The events of horror during the five days and nights in which he slept beside the mutilated corpse of Mrs. Shaffer impressed themselves very dimly on the undeveloped mind of the youngster. Authorities fear he never will be able to lead them through the mystery surrounding the murder, the brutality of which is ’unsurpassed in eastern Indiana history. As a result investigators have fol lowed independent clues, searching through the underworld, watching neighbors who are tnder suspicion and looking for two men and two women who were seen to abandon Shaffer’s stolen automobile ou the night the couple as I'.'cked to death and 57,000 worth of diamonds stolen from their home. Marion Hoagland spent yesterday in Fort Wayne.

Price 2 Cent*

PLAN PURCHASE OF COAL MINES BY GOVERNMENT Concerted Drive For Nationalization Os Coal Industry Is Proposed SUBMITTED BY MINERS United Mine Workers Os America Ask Consideration By Commission By THOMAS L. STOKES United Press Staff Correspondent Washington. Jan. 2. —A concerted drive for nationalization of the coal industry as it remedy for its present ills will be inaugurated shortly by the United Mine Workers ot America, among progressive members of con gress, mine workers, and the general public, it was learned today. The nationalization plan which will be placed before the United States coal commission, provides the purchase of all the coal mines in the country by the government at an approximate cosi of $4,500,000,060. In addition to a campaign for “education” which is to be carried directly to the rank and file of the mine workers, it is also planned to enlist the support of tile railroad brotherhoods in forwarding the na tionalization idea. Formal reqnesf that consideration be given the plan submitted by the \ United Mine Workers is now before the coal commission. It is contained in a telegram sent to John Hays Hammond, chairman of the commission, by Norman Thomas. chairman of the League of Industrial Democracy, as a result of a meeting of 200 members of the league at a dinner in New York Saturday night. “I was instructed particularly to urge a full and sympathetic consideration of the plan offered by the nationalization committee of the United Mine Workers for a national ownership of coal and democratic control of the mining industry.” Thomas said in his message. The United Mine Workers suggest that the federal government can purchase the mines under the "general welfare” clause of the constitution. The plan provides for placing control of the mines under a national mining council similar to that of Great Britain. o MERRIMAN BARBER SHOP CLOSED FOR SEVERAL DAYS The Merriman barber shop, located in the Holthouse garage building, will be closed for several days on account of the serious illness of Mr. Merriman's mother. BIRTH Doris Jane is the name of an B*4 pound girl obrn to Mr. and Mrs. Haul W. Linton, of orth Fifth street. Mr. Linton is principal of the higli su bool. Robert Carlysle and daughters moved today from Marshall street to the John Baker home on Mercer Avenue. Frank Nussbaum of Linn Grove was attending to business here this afternoon- He has just completed his 1 term as township trustee. 1 o PENN STATE LOSES GAME University Os Southern California Wins Grid Game From Easterners, s 14 to 3

(United Press Service) Los Angeles, Jun. 2. —(Special to Daily Democrat) —The scalp of Penn State is nailed on the door of the University of Southern California’s den here today. The U. S. C. trojans proved exceedingly bad medicine for the easterners. and twlight of a summery New Years day in Pasadena's rose bowl marked the end of another east vs. west football game, with the score 14 to 3 in favor of the home folk. A crowd of about 53,000 journeyed to Pasadena for the fray. They waited and waited and waited for the opening whistle as the Penn State players didn’t arrive at the stadium until ten minutes after starting time. It looked like the old prize ring stunt of making your opponent sit until h« gets scared, but the real reason was truffle was so thick the Penn State team’s automobile was delayed. -