Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 111, Decatur, Adams County, 9 May 1923 — Page 1

Volume XXI. Number 111.

COMMISSIONERS BUY COAL FOR NEXT WINTER part of County Coal Bought Cheaper Than Last Year; Part Higher ROAD VIEWERS NAMED ■ » Commissioners Appoint Viewers for G. E. Road; Road to be Staked Soon With th** exception of the Pocaliontu- coal, prices received by the county commissioners, the other grades of coal, that is, those accepted by the board, are lower this year than those paid by the county under contract last year. The decrease on Hocking Valley was sl.lO per ton; W. V. and Kentucky, 50 cents per ton, while the increase on Pocahontas this year over last is, $2.40 per ton. Bids for the furnishing of the coal at the jail, court house and county infirmary are opened by the county fommissioners in regular session Tuesday afternoon and the contracts were awarded before they adjourned. Carroll and Son of this city, was awarded the contracts the price being: 100 tons W. V. white ash. delivered at court house, $7.25; one car Pocahontas, deivered at jail, $9.90; three cars Hocking Valley tor the County Infirmary, f. o. b. the railroad station, Decatur, SS.SO. The prices lust year were: Pocahontas, $7.50; Hocking Valley $6.90; Kentucky lump, $7.75. Carroll and Son had the contract last year for the Hocking Valley and the Pocahontas while the Decatur Lumber company had the contract for the Kentucky lump. Last year the county saved considerable money by contracting for the coal in the spring, and coal men advised the purchase of it early this year. Other Bids Received Other coal bids received by the county commissioners were: Decatur Lumber company: 100 tons Kentucky lump $8.00; 100 tons Kentucky, large, $7.35; 100 tons Virginia lump, $8.35; 1 car Pocahontas, $10.50; 1 car Pocahontas mine run, $9.90; 1 car Kentucky lump, $8.00; 1 car Kentucky egg, $7.35; 3 cars Hocking Valley. $6.00. The bid of Hudler and Hopple was rejected and could not be considered for the reason that no particular grade of coal was specified nor did the bidders file the required bond. Their prices ranged from $5.44 to $5.94 and although their bid did not state, it was understood they were bidding on Hocking Valley coal. E. W. France of Pleasant Mills submitted a bid of $6.40 per ton on Hocking Valley lump. G. E. Road Viewers Appointed Martin Bleeky and Godfrey Lehrman were appointed viewers on the G. E. road; they to meet Thursday morning at the auditor's office with the county commissioners and Surveyor Dick Hoch and assist in staking off the proposed road improvement. This new road, runs west, beginning at the north end of North Seventh street in this city, extends across the tracks of the (1. R. & L railroad and continues west beyond the corporation line to where the Chicago Erie railroad tracks are located. The road was petitioned for | by property owners in Washington township, following the action of the city council in ordering the road opened and extended. The G. E. road will open a new district in Decatur, the road running between she General Electric plant and the Decatur Casting company's foundry. The road will be the first road in the county to be constructed under the provisions of the new 2 per cent limit road tax law, there being sufficient money avaiable in this township to build the road this year. Commissioners Adjourn Before adjourning last evening, the ■ county commissioners authorized Harry P. LaFountain, of the county infirmary to sell nine head of cattle and to report the sale in his next report. The commissioners will meet again on Thursday morning. ~ o Sash Trimming The sash of wide satin ribbon with long ends reaching to the floor Is a feature on nearly all thin summer frocks.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

One Week Yet in Which i to Pay Taxes on Dogs i — Owners of dogs have but one more week in which to pay their tux without penalty clauses and a rush is oxduring the remaining days of paying. Persons not paying the taxes by next Tuesday evening will have their names turned into the township trits- | tee who will make an effort at collection ami after a reasonable time, the tuxes will he placed in the hunds of the prosecuting attorney for collection. M ■ ] DEATH OF BOY 1 IS MYSTERIOUS l i Rockford Boy Died of In- ' juries Suffered When Run Over by Auto Mystery surrounds the accident 1 which proved fatal to Oscar Hook, 19, Rockford, Ohio, boy who died at j the Otis hospital at Celina at 5 £ o'clock Monday night, fifteen hours , after he was run over by an automobile south of Rockford before day- t break that morning. ( The sheriff of Mercer county has j taken up an investigation for the f purpose of determining exactly how Hook came to meet death. , Two Van Wert boys are involved!, in the accident, but whether they are , directly responsible for the death of , the lad has not become known. William Crabtree and Floyd Debolt ■ k of Van Wert, both have stated thatj t they ran over Hook while he was on: the road, just south of Rockford, but, ( how he came to be there, and what another car had to do with the accident has not been arrived at. Debolt states that he. Crabtree and . some Rockford boys were returning from Celina when they hit the boy. ‘ They state that they realised they ( had run over something but, seeing [ another car u short distance down the road, feared that it was dummy placed in the road, and that the two men standing by the side of the car were going to attempt a hold-up. For that reason they went on to Rockford, located the night marshal i there and prepared to return to the i scene of the accident. I As they were aliout to return what , appeared to them to be the car stand- , ing at the side of the road where • Hook was, came into town. The mar- , shal, he states, tried to stop the car, . but the driver hurried on. . When the Van Wert lioys and the , marshal returned to Hook they found , that his body had been dragged from j the place where he was run over to a the side of the road and was lying in the ditch. Stories connecting the other car with the accident indicate that Hook had ridden that far in the car, but either got out while the. car was standing there or his friends put him out to walk around and sober up from a drunk, which he is alleged by the Van Wert boys to have been Buffering from. The Van Wert boys do not know but what the car they saw at the side of the road had hit the Hook boy first, and then waited until the • Van Wert car came along and then left.. , | They state that this? called to tlm , scene of the accident were of the same opinion as they, that Hook was intoxicated. , Just what the Mercer county am ] thorities are trying to arrive at. ’ what their theories of the accident • may be can not be determined, but. Sheriff Carl Creeden called Rocklord ( boys who knew of the accident to Celina Monday night to tell what they knew of the case. Hook died after suffering intense j agony from broken legs and a deep.: gash in his chest besides interna) in-|i juries. The sheriff of Mercer county I states the boy made some explaua I tion of the cause of tbe accident but . was not »ble to tell about the details. Debolt and Crabtree are staunch in 1 tbeir declarations that they could not ! possibly' have avoided hitting Hook, i and that they went back to see about ! ti e youth seems to be pretty well i e» fabliahed. Hook Whs the son of Mr. and Mrs. I David Hook. He was the pitcher if i ihe Rockford high school has l ull I t“.?m. Slips of cloth of silver bound at ( the bottom with a fold of ribbon the i color of the frock make creations out of simple blue, pink and orchid < organdies. When the shoes, too, I match the frock, the effect is lovely. I

SAY BRIGANDS ARE READY TO ACCEPT OFFER Chinese Bandits Reported Ready to Make Best of Bargain Today FEAR FOR FOREIGNERS j Fear for Safety of Foreigners Held Captive for Last Few Days Pekin, May 9. —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Pressed on all sides by government troops, Chinese brigands who wrecked and robbed the crack Shantung-Shanghai-Pekin express ear rying off foreign men and women ss hostages, are reported to be ready to make the best of their bargain and take what ransom they are offered. From the bombastic demand for $1,000,000 first asked, the bandits now are willing to accept $50,000 according to advices from Lin Cheng. Meanwhile fears for the safely of the foreigners still held captive increases for the entire brigand camp is short of food and is suffering hardships. All evidence from the zone to which the horde withdrew with its prisoners Monday indicated that at least four women still are prisoners, a Miss 1 Jillian Aulds, her aunt, Mrs. or Miss Seaton and Miss Fleming, a British [subject, their companion. These had I reservations on the wrecked express and prisoners who escaped the bandit J camp describe a woman they left behind as having white hair and of the general appearance of Miss Seaton. The Mexican minister here state he is positive that Manuel Ancira Verea, a rich Mexican of Guadalajara, Mexico, and wife, wel*e captured by the bandits and have not yet been released. Bluffton Sees Union Depot An Rail Merger Bluffton residents are writing letters to the Intersate Commerce Coinmisison, urging the merger of the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati and Louisville railroad, the Chicago State Line railroad, and the Lake Erie and Western and tlie Toledo, St. Louis and Western, hoping that, in case the lines are merged into one company, a union station will be. erected in Bluffton intake care of the business of the K E. I Ac W. and the T. St. L. & W TEN ENTERED IN TRACK MEET Ten I). H. S. Athletes Entered in Sectional Meet at Ft. Wayne Saturday Coach A. G. Moore, of the local high school, will take a squad oi ten athletes to the sectional high school track mid field meet to be held in Port Wayne next Saturday, May 12, he announced last night. Decatur will be represented in nine events. Niue schools from live bounties will be represented in the meet. Geneva has entered three athletes. The schools to be represented in the meet are Fort Wayne Central, Albion. Bluffton, Columbia City, Decatur, Geneva, I Lancaster, Kendallville, and South Whitley. The Decatur entries in the meet will be: Myers in the 440 yard dash: Frishinger and Keis in the half mile; Holmes in the mile; Gay and White iin the shot put; Castle and Farr in the pole vault: Dorwin and Spuller in the high jump; Castle in the broad jump. Geneva has entered Lough in the high jump, broad jump and pole vault; Pyle in the half mile; and Lyebarger in the mile. Keen competition is expected in the meet. Last year Columbia City won by a narrow margin over Auburn and Fort Wayne, which were second and third, respectively. Geneva finished fourth with 11 points and Decatur was eighth with 6 1-3 points. The meet next Saturday will start at one o'clock. Because of the large number of entries, qualifying heats will be necessary in many of the events. Tents will he erected at the track to serve as dressing rooms for the athletes.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday Evening, May 9, 1923.

Injunction Against Sugar Exchange Is Denied Today I (United Press Service) New York’May 9—(Spe- j cial to Daily Democrat) — Judge Mayer (his afternoon announced that the government’s application for an injunction to restrain the New York Coffee & Sugar Exchange and the New York Coffee & Sugar association from speculating in sugar prices had | been denied. THREE CHARTER MEMBERS LIVING —— K. of P. Lodge Plans Reception for Oldest Members Thursday Night — A happy time is' anticipated by the members of Kekionga lodge of the Knights of Pythias on Thursday evening when an informal reception will be given to the three living charter members of the lodge and the rank of Page conferred upon two untried neophytes. Os the thirty-five charter members of Kekionga lodge only three men are living today; they being: Fred C. Schafer and A. R. Bell, of this city, and C. T. Dorwin, of Lafayette, who is visiting with friends and relatives In this city. These three men will be guests of the lodge members Thursday evening. Kekionga lodge now has a membership of over 225, and since 1910, the lodge has occupied its beautiful and comodious home on Third street. The present officers of the lodge are: C. 1 Fisher. C. C.; Benj. Hoagland, viceC. C.; John Parrish, M of F.; W. A. Lower, M. of E.; Joe Hunter. K. of R.; Frank Mclntosh, prelate; Freeh Hower, M. of A.; Howard Mailer, O. G.; C. S. McClure, I. G.; Joe Linn. M. of W; trustees, Fred Bosser. Roy ■ Mumma and A. D. Suttles John Smith is the custodian of the home. Every member is urged and invited to attend the meeting Thursday eve- ■ ning. o Accountant to Examine Hildebrand’s Bank Books 1 Columbia City. May 9. —An expert accountant will be sent to Columbia ’ City within three or four weeks to examine the books of the First National bank and prepare data to present to the federal grand jury, in the case of Thomas L. Hildebrand, former cashier, who appeared before United States Marshal L. P. Meredith at Indianapolis Monday, and was released on a $19,000 bond, following his arrest last week on a charge of misappropriation of $347,500 of the bank s funds. o MAKING PLANS FOR GRADUATION Supt. Christen States That ’ Bth Grade Commencement May be June 14 E. S. Christen, county superintendent of schools stated that in all probability the annual county school commencement would be held at Monroe on June. 14th. Mr. Christen is now endeavoring to secure a speaker for the occasion and is looking after the many other details pertaining to the commencement. As yet the final examination has not been held and it is therefore impossible to state how many pupils will be graduated from the eightn grades of the rural schools. The largest class ever graduated was 218 and the smallest 180 and Mr. Christen believes that the class this year will be composed of at least 200 boys and girls. ' According to the last school enumeration there were over 6,000 ehil1 dreu of school age in the county and of this number approximately 4000 are attending school. As yet the 1 enumeration for this year has not been totaled, the final reports being handed to Mr. Christen last week. i In Wells county the enumeration shows a decrease of 125 children of school age this year, the total for 1922 being 6,769 and this year 5,646. The city of Bluffton, however, gained 43 In the enumeration this year.

COUNTY LOSES 105 CHILDREN IN LAST YEAR i Enumeration of Children of School Ajfe in Adams County Completed DECATUR SHOWS GAIN — Decatur, Berne and Four i Townships Show Small Gain During Year | The enumeration of all children in , Adams county between the ages of I six and twenty-one years, shows a I loss of 105 during th*' past yetit. The figures on the annual enumeration [were compiled in the office of the I county superintendent, E. S. Christen, today. There is a total if 6.355 children of the so-called school ag”» in Adams county row. The city of Deiatur showel .1 '.ain of eight pupils du.'in; the past year there being 1,417 children of school age in the city this year while there was only 1.409 last year. Berne showed a gain of 13 childre,n, while Geneva lost 17. Only four of the townships showed a gain during the past year. Preble township gained 23. Hartford gained 21. Kirkland gained 9 and Jefferson gained 2. The largest loss during the past year was in Monroe township where the loss was 51. There are no colored children of school age in the county. The white boys out number the white girls 99, there being 3,327 boys and 3,028 girls in the county. There are 1,109 children in the county between the ages of 14 and 16 years. There are 4,904 children in the county attending school, while there are 1,349 who are regularly employed. On* 1 hundred and two children of school age in the county do not attend school and are not regularly employed. Following are the 1 total number of boys and girls of school age in Adams county: Corporation Male Female Total Blue Creek Tp....158 117 2,5 French Tplsß 128 286 Hartford Tplß4 161 345 Jefferson Tpl43 159 302 Kirkland Tpl46 150 296 Monroe Tp343 311 6 >4 Preble Tpl47 153 300 Root Tp2o6 168 374 St. Marys Tpls9 137 296 Union Tpl66 118 254 Wabash Tp23:l 203 436 (Continued on page eight) SEARCHING FOR DECATUR WOMAN Mrs. Lewis Murphy Left Home Here Month Ago; Mother Starts Search Mrs. W. R. Woods, residing on Decatur route 8, has requested the police in Fort Wayne to make a search in that city for her daughter. Mrs. Lewis Murphy, who left her home here about a month ago. Mrs. Murphy is believed to have obtained employment as a cook in a restaurant or hotel in Fort Wayne. Mrs. Murphy left her home lure one night about a month ago. leaving a note on the dining room table addressed to her husband, saying that she could not live with him any longer and that she was going away. Mr and Mrs. Murphy have had domestic trouble, it is said. They have seven children. Mr. Murphy says lie has not heard from his wife since she i left here. Since it has been some time since Mrs. Murphy left her home here and has not been heard from since then. Mrs. Woods lias begun to feel uneasy ■ for fear that her daughter is in ill health. It is reported that Mrs. Murphy has been seen in Fort Wayne since she left here home here. Mr. Murphy reported to the local police and Sheriff John Baker that his wife had left here about a week afteri wards, but owing to the circtim- ■ stances under which she left her home, no investigation has been ; made. Mr. Murphy is of the opinion that his wife is in Fort Wayne. i She is 37 years old. Their home is 1 al the corner of Adams and Jeffei son • streets. e Mrs. Jesse Gilbert was a Monroe] visitor Tuesday P. M.

Poppy Day Will be Observed on May 26 Poppy Day wil bo observed this year on May 26. Plans for the local observance are not yet made, but It will probably tie along the same linos as last year. The popples nre sold as n moans of raising money for the Auxiliary Welfare fund and for the endowment fund for the decoration on Mentoriol Day of the 32.100 graves of the American dead in Franc* 1 . EXCITED OVER BIG OIL BOOM Portland and Jay County Enthused Over New Well Shot Yesterday A two hundrer barrel serai-wildcat oil well was shot on the Meh in Mock farm, eight miles southeast of Portland, Tuesday morning about 11:30 for Nick Masters, a local promotor and operator. This well extends the south field one-half mile to the east, bi-ing one-half mile east of any well in that field. Tbe well began gushing Friday before the drilling had been completed Between two and two hundred and fifty barrels of oil was lost b'lore the well was shot. The well shot a jet of oil one hundred and twenty feet high when it was shot. It still gushes about every two minutes. The ground about the well was covered with oil. This quickly ran oft’ however, going down a ditch to the creek, which is about one hundred yards south. A tool shanty which was close to the well was given an oil bath. The well is drilled to a depth of forty-five feet in the sand stata, which is 1.017 feet down at that location. Tbe well began gushing Friday after a depth of twentyfive feet had been reached. The drilling was continued however until the depth of forty-five feet was reached. Masters has a lease of nine hundred acres in the south field, all of which he will develop. He has five producing wells averaging one hundred barrels apiece on the Rittenour farm, which is located to the west of the Mock farm. Well number six is now being drilled. He also has the lease on five producing wells on the Lyons farm. A corporation located at Chicago has leased the Thomas Lyons farm, which Is located still further east and will start operating some time this summer. The first well drilled in the south field was opened up about fourteen months ago. There lias been a sudden boom and now that, section is speckled with derricks and pumps. Mr. Masters is very enthusiastic over the outcome of his wild-cat project. He has been investigating and testing this field for the last two years. He is now .interested in getting some substantial promotors with a large amount of capital to develop it. if this takes place it will mean a big oil boom for Portland and Jay County. The well shot today is by far the best looking well ever seen here and the fact that it was struck in a comparative new field, leads to wild speculation as to what may be expected in other wells to be shot in that vicinity. Just Keep It There; No One Is Hungry’ Now O————————— —o Another cracker is found and Capt. William F. Ranke, who has been given considerable publicity because he has a full-sized piece of old army "hard tack,” used in the SpanishAmerican war, is not as he claims in possession of the only relic of that kind. Dr. J. S. Boyers of this city, has in his possession, a regulation “hard tack" from the Spanish-American war, full sized and in good preservation, given hint by Sergeant Frank Peterson of that war on his return from Cuba where he went as a member of the old 160th, twenty-five years ago. The "hard tack” hung in Dr. Boyer’s_ office several years suspended by a cotton cord and then drifted in:to a drawer where it is now careifuly kept in a paper box.

Price: 2 Cents.

SUDDEN COLD WEATHER DOES MUCH DAMAGE Weather Bureau Reports Coldest Day on Record for This Ijite in May I) ANG E R TO CROPS Much Fear Held That Crops and Fruit Will he Killed by the Cold Indiana —Fair tonight and Thursday; Frost tonight; rising temperature Thursday and in North and Central portion* tonight. > (United l*rv«* Sertlce.t Indianapolis, Muy 9—-(Special to Daily Democrat) —Today was the coldest day on record for this late in May, the local weather bureau reported. The lowest temperature recorded was 31 degrees at six. sex -n and eight o’clock this morning. The temperature is expected to continue low with frost tonight and moderating weather tonight. Three inches of snow were reported at Warsaw. The storm assumed hlizzard-fiike proportions and was still sweeping over the northern part of the state. Thousands of families, autfc-iptit-Ing warm May weather, were without fuel. Physicians issued warnings against the possibility of a pneumonia epidemic. Snow was rejtorted throughout tho southern part of the state as far south as Vincennes. There was no frost in this region, due to the strong wind throughout the night. Damage to the fruit crop will not ba great, according to Frank N. Wallace, entomologist for the state department of conservation. "It will take much colder weather to kill the crop,” he said. “Cherries, apples and peaches should not be greatly damaged, although apple trees are now in bloom in central Indiana. “People who will take care of their trees will find that the yield will not be greatly reduced.” While one of the worst blizzards for this time of the year in history was raging last night and today, residents of Decatur, Adams county and surrounding territory were. Speculating as to the damage which will result to the fruit and crops. The snow ceased falling shortly after noon today after having fallen almost continuously for several hours. Although the temperature last night and today was not believed cold enough to injure tbe fruit und crops indications were that the mercuryl would take a drop before night and do much damage. A fruit man said this morning that as long as the snow remained on the trees there would not be much danger of damage to the fruit. However, he said, if the snow fails oft and the temperature tails, the fruit will be killed. County Agent Busche stated today that in ease the temperature fell below freezing tonight, the wheat likely would be damaged considerably, but there was not much danger ofdamage to the oats and corn. Not much corn has been planted and that that has been planted is not up yet. The only danger to the corn is that it is apt to rot if the cold damp weather continues. Chicago, May 9—A May “blizzard" that swept the middlewest left abnormally low temperatures, damaged fruit and vegetables end demoralized Great Lakes shipping in its wake today. Fruit damage was reported heavy lu Nebraska, Illinois, and the south central portions of the central west. Freezing temperatures were declared to have killed a majority of the early spring gardens in the northwest. One man, William R. DoehrIng. was killed at Pana. Illinois, when blown into the water while fishing. Two lake vessels were reported grounded near White Fish Point. Washington, May 9.—" Topsy turvy" weather predicted by scientific experts here us a result of the suo’s "vacation” was In evidence today as a cold wave made tbe east and middle west shiver while California. Arizona und other western stutee baked under abnormally high temperatures. Cold weather in the east will cou(Couliuued on page eight)