Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 230, Decatur, Adams County, 28 September 1923 — Page 1

Volume XXL Number 230.

train plunges through bridge TAKING 20 LIVES Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Passenger Train Wrecked In West. RIVER is SWOLLEN Five Coaches Completely Submerged: Bridge Weakened by High Waters. (Unite-’ Se-v1r») Casper. yo„ Sept. 28— (Special to Daily Democrat) — Rescue of additional survivors] to ( iav from the wreckage of \o. 30 on the Burlington railroad which plunged through ~ bridge 11 miles from here cut the number of missing to 20. These are probably dead, in the opinion of C. A. ’Mcßride, assistant superintendent in charge of the rescue work. All members of the train crew first believed lost were found alive in the wreckage just out of reach of the swirling waters of the little mountain stream swollen to a torrent by a cloudburst. All were seriously injured. Mcßride's tabulation showed of the sixty-six passengers and six trainmen aboard, the following were saved: Thirty-two passengers in the two rear sleepers which remained on the tracks. Fourteen passengers who were in the two day coaches which tumbled into the creek. Most of these were seriously injured. The train crew of six. This leaves twenty still unaccounted for. Casper, Wyo„ Sept. 28 —(Special to Daily Democrat) — Thirty-five lost the'r lives, according to estimates of officials of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad, when passenger train No. 30, on that road, went through the bridge of the sw-ollen Big Muddy river shortly before midnight. Two bodies of trainmen had been recovered at daybreak this morning. Rescue workers who toiled through the early hours of the morning were unable to make much progress due to the high water. Five passengers who escaped from the submerged day coaches with minor injuries, were being cared for on the last bank of the river by rescue workers sent from here on a special train. A crew of workers also was engagP <l on the other bank of the river and they had taken seven who were still alive from the muddy waters. The Burlington crosses the Big Muddy near Lockett, about 14 miles from Casper. Five Cars In Water The Burlington superintendent in charge of the rescue train telephoned the dispatcher’s office here that he believed between thirty-five and forty had lost their lives. Besides two day coaches, a mail, a baggage and an express car went into the creek and were completely covered by the little stream which is usually little more than a brooklet. Bain had been falling throughout the day along the head waters of the Big Muddy, but railroad officials did not have a thought that there would be any danger. Traveling 40 Miles An Hour Number 30 was traveling about forty miles an hour when it hit the bridge, weakened by the rush of the water. The bridge crumpled beneath the 'ngine. As the engine nose dived into the deep water and mud, the other ears went over it in leap-frog fashion. One chair car and one Pullman were °nly partly submerged and passengers who escaped crawled to the upper ends in terrified groups. Only two coaches of the seven car train failed to go into the water. f harles McLocken of Denver, who escaped from one of the day coaches, sa:<i he didn’t believe more than fifteen in the two passenger coaches were saved. 100 Aboard Train I believe there were at least 100 lp the two coaches,’’ he said, ~ The conductor of the train appar(Continued on page five)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Went To Sleep While Driving; (Joes In Ditch Dr. F. F. Jacobs, of Indianapolis, a veterinarian, went to sleep while driving his Ford touring car on the Decatur Ft. Wayne road eleven miles north of this city yesterday afternoon. He didn’t sleep long, but when he did awake his car was headed for the side-ditch. He made a quick effort to pull it back into the road but it turned over in the ditch against the wire fence. Dr. Jacobs was not injured. The windshield was not broken and the top was not badly damaged on the car. but the front end was bent, making it impossible to drive until repairs had been made. The car was brought to the Kitson garage for repairs. NEW BUILDINGS AT PENAL FARM Six New Brick Buildings To Be Built To Replace Wooden Barracks. Indianapolis. Sept. 28 —(Special to] Daily Democrat) —Six new brick i , buildings to replace the old wooden barracks at the Indiana state farm at Putnamsville will be built in the' next two years, Ralph Howard, superintendent of the institution, told Judge Collins of criminal court, to- . day. The first of these buildings Is now under construction. The buildings will cost the state $60,000 and will house 900 men. They will be built by prisoners of bricks made on the farm. Judge Collins made an inspection of the farm yesterday with a view to sending more prisoners there to relieve crowded conditions at the Mar-! lon county jail. A movement to keep long term i federal prisoners at the farm instead of in jail, where they sit in idleness, ’ may be started as the result of Judge Collins’ visit to the penal farm. , — o Ward Case Goes To Jury White Plains. N. Y., Sept. 28. (United States.) —The case of Walter S. Ward, charged with first degree murder for the slaying of Clarence M. Peters, was given to the jury at 12:32 p. m. today. ' The jury retired immediately, i ATTENDSMEET OF WAR VETS George Cline Attends Annual Reunion of 47th Ind. Volunteers. i George B. Cline, civil war veteran, has returned from Huntington i where he attended the 41st annual re- ’ union of the 47th Indiana Volunteers ' ' held there yesterday. Mr. (Tine was' the only veteran from this county to , attend. The total registration at the meet- ' ing was only 31. The youngest vet--1 eran present was 78 years of age and ’ the oldest, Comrad Hoffman, was 94 years old. It was reported during! • the business session that seventeen, ' of the former members of the or-1 ' ganization died during the year and 1 that the total membership now was-, 75. Mr. Cline is a member of Company T‘‘C,” which was organized in this 1 county. Company "E” and “F” were 1 organized in Huntington county during the early days of the Civil war. | 1 James 11. (Tack was colonel of the; regiment and later became brigade' commander. The 47th Indiana Vol- 1 ' unteers saw much service in the war, I 1 participating in the battles of Fort Donaldson. Island No. 10, New Mad-i rid ,Mo., Fort Pillow, New Orleans, I I Vicksburg. Champ'on Hill and Jack-1 ' son, Miss. At Champion Hill the' I regiment lost 161 in killed and wound-' ’led. The regiment was mustered out ’ at Baton Rouge, La., October 23, 1865. ? KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS MEET *1 Important business to come before I the council at the regular meeting I Monday. Oct. Ist. ( A good attendlance is desired. G. K. |

BLOG LEADERS PROMISE FARM SUBSIDY BILL Say Money Will Be Slashed From Other Departments To Help Aid Farmers. USE UTMOST PRESSURE Such a Step Would Wreck Government’s Whole Budget Program. By LAWRENCE MARTIN Copyright 1923 By United Press. Washington. Sept. 28. —Unless effective help is rendered the farmers, the agricultural and libera) blocs in ! congress will get behind a '‘farm | subsidity bill" in December, the I money for which will be slashed ruthlessly from appropriations for government departments. This is the heroic measure determined on by bloc leaders who are putting the utmost pressure on the administration to start action on the agricultural problem. If such a revolutionary step were 1 resorted to, it would mean wrecking ' of the government's whole budget pro i gram and would involve a fight to a knockout between administration , forces and the liberals who will hold the balance of power in congress. Just what form the bill would take has not been determined, as bloc I leaders who have discussed the plea say they will hold it as a last resort, keeping it as a club over the administration to force action instead of more talk and conference about the farmer. But the idea back of the plan is | that no money shall be granted for the shipping board, or for numerous i bureaus of the government until the farmer has been taken care of. .I o v , W alter S. Ward Is Found Not Guilty White Plains, N. Y., Sept. I 28.—Walter S. Ward was found “not guilty” of the murder of Clarence Peters by a jury here today. The verdiet came after slightly more than 4 hours’ deliberation during which the jury once more came back into the courtroom to ask additional instructions. o Those Fox-Trotting Feet Muncie. Ind., Sept. 28.—The hand that rocks the cradle is greater than the foot that does the fox trot. So declares Judge Clarence Dearth, I I of the Delaware circuit court, who I refused to permit Mabie C. Lamb to see her children tp'ter they had been taken from her by the court. Evidence showed she had left the children at home to take care of themselves while she attended dances. Women who prefer dances to honie duties have no claim on their children. the judge said. i

r — 5 The First Telephone In Adams County Was A Crude Affair, But It Saved Alex Much Time And Energy *

(By F. Q.) In Adams county today there are . about 3,500 telephones and every day I about 15,000 thousand calls, but there was a time, not so far distant in the past when Adams county and all the inhabitants thereof did not know the difference between a telephone and I the fourth dimension. In fact, tele--1 phones were not born and if one wane- ! ed to .“listen in" when some thing snappy was going over the wire, the opportunity simply did not exist. But I there came a time when a telephone I was born in Adams county. It was a .poor thing. But the darned thing I worked. You could talk to it, and i listen to it. Kipling said something about a beautiful object as “a rag. a bone and a hank of hair" but this I contraption only was a wire and a piece of tin and a button. I Here is the how of it: Along about the year 1880 in the town of Decatur ' in said Adams county, one Alex Bell, then living and now living in said ' town, conducted a livery stable (a business now extinct), and had also the government contract for hauling the mail. Part of his occupation was driving a hack from the hotels to the > railroad stations and superintending ; the transfer of baggage to and from ■ railroads to other points of interest in | city and county. The Burt House was

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, September 28, 1923.

I Coolidge Asks Governors 1 To Meet In Washington (United Press Service) Madison, Wis., Sept. 28. —President Coolidge today requested the gover- | nors who plan to attend a conference of governors at West Baden, Ind., Oct. 17. to meet with him in Washingion immediately aftey conclusion of their meeting. Miles C. Riley, secretary of West I Baden conference, wired Bascom | Slemp, secretary to Mr. Coolidge that tile governors would be in Washington on Oct. 20. While the telegram from the White house (iid not state the nature of the Washington conference, it was 1 assumed prohibition enforcement ■ would be discussed. 0 GERLMANY FEARS i A DEVOLUTION Population Very Nervous Fearing Outbreak At Anv Moment — By Carl D. Groat (U. P. Staff Correspondent) Berlin. Sept. 28.—Germany today was still jumpy and nervous, fearing a revolution around the corner. Following yesterday's startling developments, in which the reieh gov- ' ernment declared limited martial law throughout the nation to offset a similar declaration in Bavaria, the population lived in momentary expect a- , tion of an outbreak. ‘I Military rule, if anything, tended to 1 ■ heighten the popular apprehension. ' 1 The people seemed to think that the terror of dissolution, which has ' lurked in the back of many Germans' ' » I minds ever since the revolution which 'followed the armistice, was about to Ibe realized. Nervousness Not Justified > r i Munich messages, however, so far, have failed to justify the jumpiuess of the population. It began to appear popular nervousness was greater than events so far have justified. Indeed, as tbe day began, it was evident the Bavarian dictatorship of Dr. Von Kahr. at least in its inception, certainly was not a raeaneuver to further separation of Bavaria from the reieh or designed against the federal government. Instead events indicated, the Bavarian dictatorship was an iron-handed eleventh hour move to halt the Bavar- 1 1 ian Fascist!, led by Merr Hittier and 1 supported by General Ludendorff, both 1 of whom Von Kahr apparently hates ‘ ' as plotters behind the scenes. ’ Munich advices said Von Kahr was > _ i (Continued on pags five) Weather ‘ Partly overcast tonight and Satur- ] day, probably showers in north por- ] tion; not much change in temperature. 1

a hotel located three blocks in a due northeasterly direction from Bell’s livery stable. Some times there were passengers from that hotel to transport and baggage as well to railroad stations and sometimes no passengers and no baggage. When there were I A. R. BELL Originator, Manager and Operator of the First Telephone In Decatur.

DIVORCE CASE ENDS ABRUPTLY THIS MORNING' ( Case of McCrory Vs. Me- « Crory Dismissed; Com- < plaint Insufficient. NEW CASE IS FILED | Plaintiff’s Attorney Files < New Complaint; Case i To Be Heard Nov. 27. < The trial of (he divorce ease of 1 John S. McCrory vs. Elsie A. McCrory, local residents, came to an abrupt ending shortly after the first witness was ' called to the witness stand, in circuit court this morning, when the court ! ruled that the complaint was insuf-1 fident and that the court had.no jurisdiction to try the cause or render ; judgment. The case was dismissed, i each party to pay their own costs. Approximately fifty witnesses had ' been subpoeaned to testify in the case. There were several spectators in the court room also, when Special Judge Alonzo L. Bales, judge of the , Randolph circuit court, rapped for ( order. The attorneys were instructed to proceed with the case and Attor- ( ney L. C. DeVoss, representing the | plaintiff, called John Niblick, local ( merchant, to the witness stand. Attorneys John M. Aiken and Hugh , Aiken, of the firm of Aiken, Douglass ; & Aiken of Fort Wayne, represented ' the defendant. Case Is Halted. Mr. DeVoss had just begun to ques- ' tion Mr. Niblick when attorneys for the defense suggested to the court i that the complaint had been improperly drawn and did not comply with the statutes. It was pointed out by , Attorney John M. Aiken that the com- | plaint did not state specifically where , the plaintiff had resided for the past ! two years. the street address having been omitted. The court made an in- , vestigation of the statutes governing ; the matter, and found that the complaint was insufficient, and that the court did not have jurisdiction to try the case. The case was dismissed. New Complaint Is Filed. After the court had dismissed the case. Attorney DeVoss filed another complaint for his client. Mr. McCrory. This case will be an entirely different case in the court, the other case hav- . ing been dismissed. The complaint filed today is practically the same as the first complaint, with the above named fault ifrreeted. Mr. McCrory ] charges in the complaint, that his ' wife is guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment; that she is grouchy and ; quarrelsome; that she has often said ' that she only married him for his | money; that she is a hinderance to , him in his business; and that at presi ent she is threatening to take his auI tomobile and drive to California. Mrs. McCrory filed a cross-complaint (Continued on page two’

no passengers and no baggage Alex’s visits to the hotel were distinctly unprofitable and tiresome. That frequent situation annoyed Alex and he. thought over the matter considerably seeking a solution. There was a way out. He had heard of such a thing as a telephone. How, is neither here nor there but he had heard and that was enough. He had an idea. One Racy Bowers, was one of his employees. Alex and Racy conspired and conspired to some purpose. They got some broom wire. They got quite a hunk of broom wire. They stretched that broom wire from the livery stable over and above and around such obstacles as may have been, to the office of the Burt House. To the livery stable end of that wire and to the hotel end they attached a tin quart can, just an ordinary canned corn can, one end of each can being left Intact and the other end they carefully removed and through the. intact end they made a small hole and run the wire through the hole into the can and held the wire secure therein by using a pant’s button off Alex’s pants. Now at both ends of this wire was the can, upon the wall of each place they suspended, not just exactly an ornament but nevertheless quite (Continued on Page six)

Forty Empty Houses On Portland Rural Routes Portland, Sept. 28.- Approximately 40 empty houses are to be found on the twelve rural routes out of Portland. according to Postmaster M. T. Jay, who is making a trip of inspection over the various rural routes. Postmaster Jay has already gone over seven of the route and has found a total of forty empty farm houses. Os this number there were four vacant homes on Route 8; fourteen on Route 4; twelve on Route 2; tw oon Route 10; one on Route 3; four on Route 1. and three on Route 5. The postmaster states that practically every house now vacant is in a presentable shape for occupancy. In the majority of cases the land adjacent to the houses was not being tilled. BUSINESS FIRM IU MOVE OFFICE Graham & Walters To Move From South Second To West Madison St. The abstract and loan office of L. A. Graham and C. L. Walters will be moved from the company's building on South Second street Io the building recently purchased by Messrs. Graham and Walters from I). W. Beery on West Madison street, north of the court house. The firm has been in its present location tor more than three years and previous to moving into it, the building was remodeled and made modern in every respect. The second floor is occupied by the Decatur Industrial Assocation and the Decatur Rotary club as club rooms. The first floor will be for rent after it is vacated. The building on Madison street is being remodeled, a steam heating system is being installed, the front will be changed and the second floor will be made into a flat. This will be occupied by George Phillipi. Graham and Walters hope to be able to move to their new location some time next week. o CHICAGO MARKET CLOSE Wheat: Sept. $1.04%; Dec. $1.06%. May sl.ll. Corn: Sept. 92%c; Dec. 73c; May 72%c. Oats: Sept. 41%c; Dec. 43c; May 44%c. WIFE DF RALPH LINDSEY DIES Former Resident of Hartford Township Expires In Sturgis, Michigan. In a telephone message to Earl D. Conner from Mrs. Eugene M. Lindsey, of west of Geneva today, it became known that Mrs. Ralph Lindsey, a daughter-in-law, of near Sturgis, Mich., died yesterday at her home near Sturgis. The cause of i death was not made known in the telegram to Mrs. Lindsey, but it is thought that her death was caused] from the injuries she received several weeks ago when their machine was struck by another auto in Stur- ' gis. She had not been very well since that time. No funeral arrangements have been made known. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Lindsey, father and mother of the bereaved husband, and Milo B. Lindsey, of Bluffton, a brother and his family, left today for Sturgis. Mrs. Lindsey is a native of the east and came to the central states withj her husband several years ago. They made their home for some time in Hartford township, later going east and then again returning to Indiana where they resided for some time. For the past several months they have been residing in Sturgis, where the husband had employment in the Sturgis foundry. It is not known whether the body will be interred in Sturgis, brought to Geneva or returned to the cast for burial. n BOY SCOUT MEETING Members of Troup No. 2 will please meet at the Old Gym tonight at 7:00 o’clock for further organization. All other boys interested in Troup No. 3 will also meet at the same time. Committee.

Price: 2 Cento.

WALTON FACES TWG SERIOUS THREATS NOW Voters To Ballot On Law Permitting Legislature To Meet October 2. INJUNCTION SOUGHT Application Filed For Injunction Against Troops Now Interfering. (United Press Service! BULLETIN Oklahoma City. Okla.. Sept. 28—(Special (o Daily Democrat) — The supreme court was asked todav bv attorneys for Gov. J. C. Walton to hold a rehearing on the legality of the election set for October 2 at which Oklahoma voters will ballot on a law permitting the legislature to meet without call from the governor. Oklahoma City, Okla., Sept. 23— (Special to Daily Democrat) —Governor J. C. Walton today faced two serious threats in his battle to prevent the Oklahoma legislature from meeting in extra session to start immediately impeachment proceedings against him. First is the special election set for Oct. 2 and held to be legal by the supreme court at which the voters of the state will ballot upon an initiated law which would permit the legislature to meet in a special session without call from the governor. Second was the application for an injunction filed in the district court of Oklahoma county which would prevent the military authorities mobilized by Governor Walton to “suppress insurrection and riot" from interfering with the proposed meeting. Members of the legislature who attempted unsuccessfully to assemble on Wednesday departed for their homes today and will await call from their leaders. The governor extended the enforcement of drastic martial law to . Murray county on appeal from resi- • dents of Sulphu, a village of that county. Want Whipping Investigated. Oklahoma City, Okla., Sept. 28.— T’etitions asking Governor J, C. Walton to order a military investigation into whippings o f Rev. T. J. Irwin. Presbyteran pastor of Lawton. were presented to the executive today by ' residents of Commanche county. The petitions sa'd that “hooded and masked mobs slugged, gagged, strip- . ped and beat" Rev. Irwin and left him by the roadside when he was thought dead. Rev. Irwin first attracted national attention when he preached the tuner- ' al service over Jake Hamon, Oklahoma political leader, slain by Clara ' Smith. The petition asking the governor to investigate the outranges said the "masked mob ordered Rev. Irwin to | leave the state and never mention the 1 1 name of Jake L. Hamon again." 11 — 0 . Will Oppose Bankruptcy Action Against Dollings Indianapolis, Sept. 28.—Bankruptcy proceedings against any of the Dollings interests in Indiana will be vigorously opposed, Harold Taylor, attorney for Bert Mcßride, receiver, said today. Taylor's statement was in answer to growing dissatisfaction on the part of some of Randolph county holders of ! Dollings securities over the adminis- .' tration of the receivership. J A great majority of the stockhold- .' <>rs favor reorganization and not liqJ nidation, Taylor said, adding that I through reorganization the stock hold- / ers will find their interests best proa tected. o > Would Build New Track a (United Press Sorvl<-e) Washington. Sept. 28.—The Evansville, Indianapolis & Terre Haute railway today asked the interstate commerce commission to authorize cone struction of six miles of new line from fl'a point on the main line to connec--11 tion with the Southern railway at 3 Oakland, Ind. The new line will lopen a strip of mining territory heretofore undeveloped.