Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 77, Decatur, Adams County, 30 March 1923 — Page 1

Volume XXI- Number 77.

SIX PEOPLE KILLED IN TRAIN WRECK

WOULD FORCE AUDITORS TO REFUND TAXES Farmers Urged to Unite to Obtain Money Illegally Collected millions of dollars Horizontal Increase Was Made in 81 Counties of Slate in 1919 Indianapolis, Mar. 30—(Special to Daily l>< inoer.it) Partners in eightyfour counties where property valuations wi re increased illegally by the tax bon rd in 1919 "ere urged to unite today in court action Io force county auditors to refund taxes collected under the horizontal fnereasi s. Millions of dollars ate involved. Th. entire financial plan of the eighty four counties affected are at stake. A group of tax payers in Marion county and Indianapolis are seek'ing to force a refund since the increases wore declared illegal by th« supreme ci url The easo will he heard May 7 and will serve ;is a criterlron of liiture court action throughout the state. ' \ I tun going to meet with Willis Besson who is head of the Mari .n county unit of the federation." said William 11. Settle, president of the Indiana Partners Federation. lie wants io arrange some plan of union with iarni“rs in the other eightvthree counties whereby they win get the illegal tax refunded.” John Biickelshaus. county attorney. is fighting the suit on (lie here. 'Of course tax payers will Ir.rve to put it in one pocket and take it out i f the other," he said. "The money lia.i been spent. "If tlie cases are won and there is a muiiiplicity of suits filed, the entire lax situation in the state will be one terribit- muddle.” — o URGE LITTERS ARE REPORTE3 Imi Litter Club Membe s Start Contest With Large Number of Pigs I he 4. litters which have been reported by the members of ton Utt r eont, si in Adams county have aver aged exactly 10 pigs per litter a' farrowing time, according to, figures obtained at the county agent's office todays. This shows that contestant s have been successful in having large itig the pigs after they are farrow, d n 'ters to start with. However, savis an entirely different matter a..d soniy o! tlie members seem to be having more or less difficulty in saving large litters. •I' ailalile figures on one herd show •hat the eleven sows thus far report 'd have farrowed a total of 123 pig., of »hi<h 102 were being saved when the ng( st )Ut or wafl 5 ( | ayH of ag ., 1 " ■ i‘ ; tin exceedingly good record " iar, sine? Iho first few days after 1,1 big farrowed mark the hmdest per- >■> the young pig's life. Tlie larg- '■«! litter being saved in this " 1,1 i- ; one 01 twelve, which is a Very K<>oii prospect. Another contestant reports a litter 1 "el\ ( . which is several days old "‘■'l me lair to he a contender for "mors in the contest. Several other ■'iße litt-rs are reported to he in the nuining ______ 11 '■ J in—mi ■*■>■■■ 1 i.i « CRUEL WEATHER MAN Washington, March 33.—People m the eastern part of the United States may have to keep on t+ie old furs and overcoats in the Easter fashion parade after all. The weather bureau predicted "armer weather for today but beleves another cold spell will 8t ike this region tonight and conJ" lUL through Sunday.

DEC. vTUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

“BEAUTIFUL ANKLE" GIRL SOUGHT

F jjSST’ ( ." . A ' ,'..f A A? 1 CAj

— — .... * - —- —.- , • - - - 4 (Pacific and Atlantic Photo I Bully Inch, known for her beauli nil ankh I*, 1 *, is sought as a witness in ’ the •iivioeiioii. murder of Dorothy Keonati, murdered New York model. | Miss in. h waa close friend of the dead model.

DEATH COMES i TO MRS. SRHAR Highly Esteemed La d y Passes Away Late Last Night: Husband 111 '■ Mrs. Margaret Ann Sphar, ago 71 ' years, highly esteemed lady, died at i her home. 102'J North Secund street, at 11:45 o’clock lasi night, followi ig an illness of about a week of ccmplication of diseases. Mrs. Sphar had been a sufferer of Asthma for a num her of years. Funeral services will ba coudiut il from the home al 2 o'clock Sunil iy afternoon, tin Rev. I. S. A. Brid ,e, pastor of tlie Decatur .Methodist church officiating. The body will >e taken to Van Wert. Ohio, for buri il. Margaret Aru Sphar was Ite daughter <n Mr. and Mrs. Syfve ,i r Sanders. She was born in Gr. n c ount... Ohio. November 7, ISSL Fie was married to John Sphar and a? couple came to Deeatgr from o o. twentyeight years ago. They h.r.o resided in this city since that tile'. Mr. Sphar i. .1 veteran of the t'hil War. He is seriously ill at the |>r sent time, suffering with a coinpli r.tion of disea :es and the infirmities of old age, he being 76 years old. Tlie following children survive: Orphus, tn in me; Dale, of Wabc 1, and Clark, of Detroit, Michigan. M • . Spahr is uirvived by the follow :g brothers and .- Isler.;, aiso: Hnrv y find Charles Sanders, of Van W- t. Ohio: l.anra John on. of Lima, Ohio; 1 Mrs. Jenny Beil, of Van Wert, Oh o,: and Mrs. Emma Baldwin of Porter,l Washington. PICK’SPELLERS IH PREBLE TP. Township Spelling Match Hehl at District No. 5 Yesterday Afternoon Owing to the fact that most of tlie schools in Preble township were dismissed today in order that till' pupils might attend Good Friday chun It services, the township spelling match was held yesterday afternoon instead of today as was planned The contest was held in tin- acho'l building- of district number 5, under the direction of Milton Werling, teacher of I bat school. Districts No. ■I. 5 and 6 were represented in the ontest Til? ditriet mulches were held last week and the winners of the distric t matches took pari in the township match yesterday. The winners in fifth and sixth grade mat h yesterday were: Alfred Ruprlght. Clarence Scheuman. Voiirl Heller. Raymond Borne Lois Engelmann. George Englcniann and Emma Bloemker. The winners of the seventh ami eighth grade match were: Thtinntin Fuhrman, Ruth I’ruess, Anno Heckman, Martha, Fishbach. Sara Engelmann, Edna Peters, and Edna Beineke. Those pupils will represent Preble township in the sectional match which will be held In this city on April 13. The township •matches in other parts of the county will be held this afternoon.

WEALTHY MEN NAMED (United Press Service) Now York, Mar. 30—(Special to ! Daily Democrat) —Names of a num-1 , i her of wealthy men who were friemb ly with Dorothy King are understood to have come into possession of Assistant District Attorney Pecora tody through letters to the "Brodway Buttenly" found in her safety deposit box. SAY PERJURY ENTERED INTO LIQUOR TRIAL — Government Witnesses in Trial of Gary Case Charged With Perjury CASE GOES TO JURY Government to Close Argument and Submit Case to Jury Late Today (ITiilcd Press Service) Indianapolis. Mur. 30 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Charges that government witnesses purjured themselves in trial of the Gary booze conspiracy case were made in federal court today as attorneys for tlie 62 defendants closed their final arguments. “There was a great amount of perjury by government witnesses in this ease," said Attorney Charles McCabe in his talk in behalf of Clyde Hunter, former prosecuting attorney of Lake county who is one of tlie defendants. "1 do not mean that the government had any part in this perjury but the perjury wag there.” With thf| close of the defense District Attorney Homer Elliott, prepared to wind up the government's argument late today and submit tlie fate of Mayor Roswell Johnson of Gary, other officials and lesser witnesses to the jury. David Standsbury made a vigorous! defense of Blas A. Lucas, a Gary at-! torney, who is one of the leading defendants. "The government lias accused him of receiving untold sums, from police court cases," Stansbury said. "Taking the word of the government wit-j nesses- he received $5.855 in three days from fees in police court assessed. But of this amount he spent $2,425 for fines and costs. "This left him the magnificent stun of $3.71 a day for cases handled by 1 him. And yet they called him king 1 of police courts." • Tlie fact tiiat bootleggers donated ! to the Johnson campaign fund should not bo hold against the defendants, ' Stansbury said. * "It is a notorious and open fact," 1 he asserted “that a man who wants to carry favor witli an ndministrat 1 tion subscribes to holh campaign 1 funds.” I The government licensed highest 1 officials of the Calumet and many 1 others of conspiring to protect boot- I loggers from arrest and to dispose < of confiscated whiskey for their own I profit. I 0 _ SPORT COATS < Mannish spert coats of white and ' gray camel's hair are a pleasant ‘ change from the more conventional tan model and answer the same purpose. i

Decatur, Indiana, Friday Evening, March 30, 1923.

SO THIS IS SPRING — < I 'nileil )’!'»•• - S'TVli el Escanaba, Mich., Mar. 30- Soo line snow plows plunged through 10 and 15 feet of sncv{ drifts today in an effort to give relief and communication to towns and , villages in the upper eastern Michigan peninsula where inhabitants are reported suffering from lack of fuel and food. Communities in the entire eastern part of the peninsula have been isolated for three days, by a blizzard which left railroads and highways blocked, according to word here. Snow plow operators expect to get through today. fEOMANLOOGE FOR PGRTI ANO Decatur Men Instrumental in Forming Organization in That City ' As a result of the efforts of S. E. Brown, of Decatur, who has been working in Portland during the past two weeks in tlie interest of. tlie I Brotherhood of the American Yeomen, tan' organization of 22 charter numbers lias been effected in that city. ;The ineniliers met for the organizaIlion meeting Tuesday, with the 22 I members present. Mr. Brown, assisted by J. M. Breiner, John B. Stultz land S. IL Peoples of Decatur, lielpeil iin putting on Hie organization work. During the business session an election of officers was held and the i lollowitig offices filled: Eoremiin. It. <). Huey; Master of Ceremonies, I Charles Hower; Correspondent, Trie K Cramer; Chaplain, C. R. Madden. Tlie name chosen for tlie organfzat ion was the "Portland Homestead I No. 6450." The next meeting will be n < ill meeting and will he held some evening next week. In about two weeks the Decatur!' Degree Team will visit the Portland I organization and pm on the Degree I work. It is planned to have a large |' class take the' work at that meeting. Public Utilities Hard Hit by Tax Increases Indianapolis. Mar. 3fi. Tax increa: es lave hit tlie public utilities as hard a blow in the past few years, ns they save anybody else according to oltiei rs of the Indiana Public Utiliiy association. The Indiana State Tax board in , 1919 appraised the public utilities of tlie state for state purposes fit SS7.)i84,654. last year the state hoard appraised th< same utilities jn the same way lor $‘J5,704.473 taxes to lie | paid thin year ( This increase is slightly more than . 2 per cent. NORTH WARD TO 1 PRESENT PLAY t ] One Hundred Pupils in Play at High School Auditorium, April 6 ■ i i Pupils of Hie North Ward school are , j planning a rehearing for a play which I i they will give in tlie high school audi- | j loritnn on Friday evening. April fi. at r 8 o’clock. Tlie title of the play is. j j "Tlie Shut-Op Posey.” it is a dramatic and musical program, written by Mar , | garet. J. McElroy, and designed for i ( pupils of the grade schools. | f One hundred pupils will take part i^'t the play. The play ia in keeping with !| tlie spirit of spring which is preva | ( l-.-nt at tills time of tlie year. The ad- s mision charges will lie ten and fifteen cents, and tlie proceeds derived from,, the affair will be used in purchasing | equipment lor the playgrounds and for Hie interior ol the North Ward school . building. , n , ♦ WEATHER ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦*++ + ++ **♦ + INDIANA —Fair and colder tonight; cold wave In east and south ( portion; Saturday fair and continued cold. j 1

GOOD FRIDAY IS OBSERVED IN THIS CITY Business ( eases as Far as Possible Commemorating Crucifixion CHURCH SERVICES Number of Local Churches Hold Special Services Tonight and Sunday , I Business iii this <itv ceased, as far I las posilde. from twelve to three | •o'clock toilay and tin- thoughts cf all' Christians turned to the crucifixion i 1 and deatli of Jesus Christ, on tluCross, commemorative of tlie three, hours Hint Christ spent on the Cross! on Mt. Calvary. All tlie clothing, dry goods, and shoes stores were closed, and a number of the groceries, cigar manufacturing concerns, office, and Other places of liusines-. were closed, during the throe hours. The throe bunks closed at twelve o'clock and remained closed for tlie balance of the day. Silence seemed to reign throughout the city and on every hand tinobservance of tin- hol> and sacred day was carried out. Services at Churches Good Eridat services were being held in a number of churches in this city. Services incident to Holy \\ , .1, have been held in the differ,-nt churches during the week and today • the Christian world, although in mourning over tlie d.-.-ith of Je, us. happily awaits the day of ressurree thin ihul IBs risiny, from the tmnli on i Easter morning. A number of Hie churches will hold services this ; evening. The Easter Services Ou Easter Sunday all tin- ehnr<'u-s | will celebrate the joyful least ami . pc Icial services will he held both nr rn ing and evening. Religiously sjieak ing, E.c ter is one the most import ant days of the year and tlie oh: • rv.an.ee of it is always tilled witli I- in ‘ tiful religious ceremony. ROTARY CLUB PICKS OFFICERS 1 ! I John Carmody Elected President at Meeting of Directors Last Night John Carmody, manager of the 1 Holland St. Louis Sugar company, will head the Decatur Rotary •'ub I as president during the coming y. ar ami Henry B. Heller, who made an enviable record a; secretai-y duri ig tlie past year, will fill this import at office again. At a meeting of the directors ot tlie club held last evening at Dr. Ere 1 Patterson's office. Hr- di- , rectors elected the officers. Tlie three other officers lining: George Krick, vice-president; Wilson 1 „>e treasurer, and A. R. Holthouse, . r geant-atarins. The now officers w ill assume office next Thursday at tlie regular meeting of the club. Tin- 1 retiring officers are: Ci.irem - B 11. I M. F. Worthnian, O. L. Vance, He: ry t B. Heller 11. F. Ehinger am! Dr. Fred , Patterson, past president. Mr. 801 l remains a member of lhe board dur- ' ing the year. ‘ At tlie meeting last evening Goo. Krick of tlie Krick-Tyndall Tile t eonipauy, gave an excellent and in- | strut five talk on tlie relations between "employer and employe," citing the many problems existing hetwien employe and employer and stating that Hie question was an engineering question and could ne solved if both side worked together. ! TO OBSERVE PASSOVER Barney Kalver will go to Bluffton on the Clover Leaf train tomorrow 1 morning and will remain in that city 1 ♦ n for eight days to observe the Jewish Passover. The observance begins on 1 Saturday night and will last until a s week from Sunday. During this time 1 those observing the Passover will bel‘ on special diet- jt

IDEAL HEAD FOR SCULPTORS Marcliesa Llsy Spinoln is in popu I lar demand by Italian artists and I culptors who say that the Marches:! has an id< :il head for their work. March) a Spinola is a daiigliler of Commander C. E. Elia, famous tliir ; i ty years ago as tlie inventor of sub-; I marine mines. MEQuST*! BEING IMPROVE!! Sum of SIOO,OOO Expended on Old Troy Hiiey Quarry Near Geneva Road builders and taxpayers are greatly interested in re-op<-niii:- ol the stone quarry on the Adams .lay county tine, formerly known as the Troy Huey quarry. John Karscher of Celina, Ohio, recently closed a <leal for this place and is spending , sl(>n.(ioo in ■■ v.- machinery with v.liich to work tlie quarry, humi ns • | new i rushers are being erected, and !;i fleet of substantial trucks will be instil in delivering Hie product mined '.-it this quarry. The quality of stone produced at the quarry is known as blue stone, and it is said by road experts that it in -els with tile most exacting tests wliicli zsin li road luiihlitig material is subjected to. It is the equal if not the superior of what is known and generally specified on roads herebouts, as Bluffton blue stem-, and is said to be greatly superior to stone produced at the Ridgeville, Indiana, qnn rry. Mr. Karscher proposes, it is said. Io develop at this quarry, four miles east of Geneva, one <>f th,, greatest quarries in this section. There I; an unlimited amount of unexcelled quality al lliis place, and it is propoieil 1o ma lie •.deli veries by motor trucks, greatly reducing the cost of stone. Tliis should stimulate road huihlint,' hereabouts, as heretofore stone of this quality has had to be shipped in at a great expense and loss of time. WEKITSf MAN SWT BY GHH. Young Woman Then TinnGun on Herself; Belit ved Temporarilv Insane z- “ ■ < t’nitci) Press Service) New York, Man ii 30.- (Special io 1 Daily D 'inocrat I Frederick W 1 Burnham, wealthy New York contractor. died today from a bullet i wound inflicted by Helen Ziegler. < who shot him and killetl herself, up- ' on di; < ovej-ing he was married. Burnham lived with hi wife in a fashionable residential section of r Dobb's Ferry. Miss Ziegler, who < was 26. lived with her parents. Tlie young woman had informed friend; she "could marry Burnham al any time." Suddenly she discov ' eri'd (he fact that he was marj'ied 1 and that is believed to have driven •! her temporarily insane. Miss Ziegler went to Burnham's ! ■ office yesterday afternoon. She ob • tained admittance and laid in wait!’ for the contractor for two hours j' When he .entered, she engaged him I In whispered conversation and then' shot him with an ancient Derringer, t turning the woapou upon herself, i dying instantly Burnham lived tin- I til today. :

Price: 2 Cents.

MANY INJURED WHEN SPEEDER HITS AN AUTO Entire Train on Big- Four Derailed Nea? Columbus, Ohio, Today MAKING UP LOST TIME Crack Passenger Between Boston anti Cincinnati Slrikes Stalled Auto (l’llilP)l I’IVSN SpTVH’O) Cojumluis, Ohio. March 3<i. (Spc-- | ial to Daily Democrat) Six per.on; : are known dead and at least a score ! Injured in a wreck of a Big Four lim jiled passenger train which crash, d into an automobile today at Clintonville. a suburb, north of here. Tin dead. John Kleem, Cleveland, fireman of the locomotive. Earl Wilson. Columbus, traveling fireman. Horace Holbrook, Warren, editor Warren Democrat passenger. Mrs. Frank Henmiinger, Columbus, driver of tlie automobile. Two children of Mrs. Hemming rs. The speeding train was making up lost time. The automobile suddenly ran onto the crossing and stall--d for an instant—then the crash. The engineer applied all brakes. In stopping so suddenly the entire train was derailed. The loeonioli-.-e buriid itself into (he road bed. ams tlie next four cars overturned amt idled up. ”The train w.n one <-f (be best on the Big Four between Boston and Cincinnati, and was enroute from Cleveland to Columbus, Mrs. Ileinminger had just started with In-r children on a nip to Piqua, Ohio. All three were instantly crushed and killed. All available aid was rushed to the scene and the injured w.-re taken Io Columbus hospitals. . JUDGMENW SIIHHNOA Jury Awards Damages to Joseph Schmitt in Suit Against Avon Burke A verdict in favor of the plain’iiT was returned late last night by the jury in (he ease of Joseph Senmilt. (lirougli his ’m xt friend.. f iubcrl S< limit!, against Avon Burk. Tim tinnmnt i>f damages was fixed al miitl and the defendant luil -t pay I tie costs of the trial. Schmitt brought the action t > recover damages tn Ills automobile caused in a collision with Burk' ear last Dm ember, lie demanded s(>(iil in his (•inpialnl. The collision <»•■ ■ured at the intersection of Second ami Marshall streels. The trial was completed lot ■ yestenlay afternoon and the case was givi n to tli? jury at 5 i."> o’clock. It was it o'clock last night when the foreman -n the jury anmmined to the court bailiff tiial a verdict had been reached. 'Jilin wa ■ lhe second night this week which tlie jury has spent in delibt-r.itioii. The jury wan deliberating on a verdkt in lhe ease of 1 i-'her against Ramsey on Timsdiy ni; hi. reaching a decision at 2:15 o'clock Wednesday morning. Estate Is Opened L-.'tii r:', of administration were is.ncd today fir Isaac Brown in the (■state of Samantha t Brown. Mr. Brown ",ave bond in the mm, of $!.0l)0. Tlie administrator in tlie enlale of .lo;.eph I'., Kanapke was ordered by lhe com l to pay the proceeds from War Savinr. Stamps to the surviving widow. —e 10. nville When Norman Foley to turned to his laundry wagon after making a .ielivery, lie found a hen had er.awed into one of the ha kets and contributed an egg.