Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 254, Decatur, Adams County, 26 October 1923 — Page 1

Volume XXI. Number 254.

RALPH LINDSEY CONFESSES TO MURDER

C, P. STEINMETZ, AN ELECTRICAL WIZARD, DIES Consulting Engineer General Electric Company, Dies In New York. WAS A GREAT GENIUS Conducted Many Wonderful Experiments In the Electrical Field. By PERCY SCOTT. (United Press Staff Correspondent.) I Schenectady, N. Y., Oct. 26.—Death today ended the career of Charles P. Steinmetz, the electrical wizard, the man who snatched down lightning from the skies and made the thunderbolts do his bidding. As Steinmetz lay in bed at his home at 8 o'clock this morning, recovering from exhaustion resulting from a lecture tour, his heart ceased to beat, j "I feel line today,” he said to his I nurse a minute before the end. "1 will soon be up and around again." A few seconds later his soul slipped away. "His heart just stopped beating,” i said Dr. H. E. Groesbeck. The brain which devised means of harnessing the elements and creating | "top thunder storms" in laboratories' was alert to the end. but the body , could no longer stand the strain which so many years of driving mental force had put upon it. Steinmetz, the hunchbacked little tierman who became c hies consulting, engineer of the General Electric com-1 pany, returned October 13 from a speaking tour which had taken him I to all parts of the United Slates. As in the case of the late President Harding and of Woodrow Wilson, he hail overtaxed his strength endeavoring to see all the people he was called upon to see and to make all the and to make all the speeches expected of him. His body began to crack under the strain when he made an address to •V>oo people at Denver, Col. He had expected to talk to 300 or 400 and ( the larger audience made the effort . much greater. Workmen were busy constructing, on top of one of the General Electric company buildings a Steinmetz lightning laboratory, where the "wizard” intended to make the elements perform according to his whim. In this laboratory he planned to continue the experiments with thunderbolts with which he startled the world a year or two ago. At that time, in the presence of scientists and newspaper correspondents, he produced a miniature thunder storm. Ihe lightning flashed and snapped. Bolts darted down from an artificial heaven and struck the houses in a little village which had been built to give realism to the demonstration. This, it was understood, was only the beginning. The idea could be developed and Steinmetz could be developing it. Therefore he was deeply Interested in the progress of construction on his lightning laboratory, “top the building. "hen death came, he was figuring °n getting out of bed in a few days “nd resuming his experiments. I'he end was totally unexpected, so much so that no doctor was present when the great scientist expired. Word that Steinmetz was- dead caused consternation among hundreds oi General Electric workers and others "ho regarded him as a super-man and looked forward to more miracles in •he near future. Others of the staff of electrical engineers, commenting on the death, said •hat although! Steinmetz’ feats with thunderbolt* attracted the widest Popular attention, he had other ■uhievements which were really more important in the history of science, I here were only a few people at the "wizard's” home when he died. His only close relatives in this country wore adopted ones. When he landed •n America, a crippled German immigrant, unable to speak English, he was befriended by a man named Hayden. • (Continued on page eight)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Basketball Game At Old Gymnasium This Evening' Through a misunderstanding in al telephone conversation, it was stated . ■ in yesterday’s Daily Democrat that the basketball game between Kirk- | land township high school and Bryant ; high school would be played in the I old high school gymnasium here last | night. The game will be played I (there tonight. Instead. This will be I the first game of the season for both I teams. The girls' team from both | schools will play tonight also, the the girls’s game starting at 7:30 o'clock. CORN CROP IN COUNTY IS FINE Peter Lux, “Corn King,” Tells Rotarians How Important Crop Crop Is. "The corn crop—the yield ami ; , grade—in Adams county is one of the ■ I best in Indiana," Peter Lux. of Shelbyville, who for two successive years was crowned the "Corn King" o’ America, told the Rotarians at their luncheon meeting held at the Industrial rooms last evening. Mr. Lux’s talk was greatly enjoy--led by the Rotarians. He told what an important part the corn crop play-, ied in the general prosperity of the ( | country. "Do you know that over ( 1350 by-products are made fro incornl Mr. Lux asked. He told hiw he won ' .the title of Corn King at the Inter-1 | national Grain and Hay show held at St. Louis several years ago aud how ihe apprecaited the honor. He called ; ' for a closer relationship between the ; i farming and industriay or city enI terprises and gave a few suggestions ( .on how to help the farmer. Mr. | Lux is a practical farmer and is also j a member of the Shelbyville Rotary club, being classified as a “corn breeder.” In glowing terms he described a field of corn and to him nothing is as beautiful as a field of growing corn. ( L. M. Busche, county agent, was also a guest nt the meeting. Mr. Busche | I introduced the “Corn King” and told ! what the county agent's work consistled of. "We strive to help the farj tner. Th? department stands for the betterment of conditions among the farmers and we are at all times, ready and anxious to serve the farmer,” he said. Five-Acre Contest. Both Mr. Busche and Mr. Lux ex- | plained the reason and purpose of the I five-acre corn contest. Messrs.. L.ix I and Busche have been testing the coit ( of the Adams county farmers who en-1 tered the contest last June. Mr. Lux stated that several fields j of corn in this county would yield ' over 100 bushels per acre. The far- ■ mers of Adams/ county are raising i good corn, on the average, Mr. Lux j stated. "On the Schwartz farm, south ] of Decatur on the state road is one of the best fields of corn we have yet visited,, T the speaker stated. The five-acre contest creates interest in I the cultivation of better crops. A farmer learns that his neighbor has a larger yield than himself and if that farmer wants to produce more and thus make a larger profit he will find out what kind of seed he plants. Farming has progressed a great deal in recent years but the strides are nothing compared to those of the future, the “corn king” stated. The next meeting of the Rotarians will be held next Thursday. ( Forbes Denies Statements Washington, Oct. 26.—Front h ; i place of seclusion near here, Charles , R. Forbes, former director of the vet- , erans' bureau, whose administration is under investigation by a selected , committee of the senate, today issued , a statement denying the sensational charges of Elias 11. Mortimer and asking the public to withhold its judgment until lie and his witnesses present their case. About fourteen Psi Ote girls will • go to Bluffton tomorrow afternoon to I attend the installation of a Bluffton I chapter. A banquet at the Bliss Hotel will preceed the ceremonies.

EVANGELICALS TO CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY November 1 Is Fiftieth Anniversary of Dedication of First Church BldsOBSERVANCE NOV. 4TII — Committees Appointed To Arrange for Event; History Is Interesting. November first will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the dedication of the 1 first church building of the Evangelii cal church in Decatur. On Sunday. November 4, the church Is to celeI brate this even by a Home Coming of I Evangelical and former Evangelicals (in an all day meeting. Bishop S. P 1 Spreng, of Naperville, Illinois, has acI cepted the invitation to be the speI cial speaker of the day. It will be remembered that he was the orator on the occasion of the dedication of the new edifice in 1917. Invitations are being sent to form resident pastors to participate in the day’s program. The afternoon service is especially to be given over to “reminiscences of other days.” It is the purpose of the congregation to bring l back into the services of this day as many as possible who at any time I were members of the local church. | The following committees have arrangements in hand: Program: 11. A. Fuhrman. C. E. , Hocker. L. L. Baumgartner. Geo. W. Dutcher, Ij. W. Loom. Invitation: Mrs. (’. E. Hocker, Mrs. Fred Linn, Anna E. Winnes, Mrs. E. I M. Schnitz. Bertha Fuhrman. Reception: Eugene Runyon. S. E. ! Black, Will I.inn. Cecil Lux, Mrs. i Henry Fuhrman, Mrs. Chas. Schnitz. i Mrs. J. O. Tricker, Ethel Fuhrman, Jesteen Hocker. Decoration: Henry Adler. Joe Linn. E. J. Anspaugh, Earl Butler, Robert Garard, J. O. Tricker, Lt L. Merryj man. Music: L. L. Baumgartner, D. Helm, I Mrs. H. Adler. Mrs. C. E. Hocker, ’ Zelma Fuhrman. Meals: Mrs. ' Fred Linn and the Ladies' Aid. During the sixties Evangelical (Continued on page five) SEVERALM'CRAY SUITS SETTLED Ten Civil Suits Settled In Newton Circuit Court By Agreement. — j KentlAnd. Oct. 26. —Ten civil suits (brought against Governor McCray o: , notes endorsed by him have been settled in the Newton circuit court here by agreement of counsel in tin cases. Judgment of $41,345 was awarded against the governor. It was the opinion of George Bar nard, attorney, who represented the governor in the proceedings, that the judgment would not jeopardize the trust agreement proposed by the governor for tlie settlement of his as fairs. Attachment proceedings against the home of the governor here were dis missed. This property was all that the governor withheld from his list of assets submitted to his creditors. Among judgments rendered were $10,873 to the Deleware county National bank, Muncie, and $5,800.96 to the People's Trust and Savings company, Laporte. Addtlonal suits against the governor are to come to trial'next Wedues day. Fly from Canada to Mexico Los Angeles, Oct. 26. —Lieut. John R. Richter and Captain Lowell Smith today completed their nonstop Bight from the Canadian to the Mexican borders. They flew 1,280 miles in 12 hours 15 minutes and 40 seconds.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, October 26, 1923.

Stolen: A Horse Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 26.—The bulletin board at police headquarters today carried notice of the first horse reported stolen , here in years. Placarded among the notices of many auto thefts, the bulletin I read: “Stolen: Bay horse belonging to Abe Greenbaum, 12 years old, deaf, answering to the name Zev, value | $2(1." YEGGS CRACK SAFE: GETSBS f Safe At Standard Oil Co.’s F’liing Station Blown Here Last Night. Yeggs cracked the safe in the Standard Oil Company's filling station. at the intersection of Winchester and Mercer avenues, sometime last night and escaped with S4O in cash and $45 in checks. The robbery was not discovered until 6 o’clock this morning when Bernard Keller, one of the employes, went to open the station for business. No trace of the yeggs lias been discovered. Chief of Police Joel Reynolds and Sheriff Baker were notified and are working on the case. The noise caused by the explosion which wrecked the safe in the office was heard by John Baumgartner who lives on Winchester street, di rectly opposite the filling station. Mr. Baumgartner stated that it was about 2:30 o’clock this morning when he heard the noise, but he thought it was caused by an automobile tire blowing out and he did not make an investigation. The yeggs pried open the window in the west side of the office. The screws which held the lock were pulled out of the window sash. A heavy charge of nitro-glycerine was used in opening the safe, as the door was completely wrecked. It was thrown open by the explosion with such force that a large dent was made in the plastering on the wall. Ora Baker, another employe of the filling station, stated today that he had banked what money was on hands about 3:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon and that the day's business had been lighter than usual, which accounted for no more money being in the safe. Several gasoline coupons were taken from the safe and the change belt used by the employes was also removed. No tools were left behind by the | yeggs. A large cake of soap used by them was found on the floor of the room. The yeggs unlocked the office door from the inside and left through the door. The door was unlocked when Mr. Keller reached the office. ASK JUDGMENT FOR $21,000 Foreclosure of Mortgage Asked In Complaint Filed In Court Here. Judgment in the usm of $21,000 is demanded in a complaint to have a mortgage foreclosed, filed in the cn cult court this morning by Frank »V. Leslie. David L. Hrumback and Oliver J. Harmon, trustees against Abraham Sommers and Louise Sommers. The complaint was filed through Attorney Clark J. Lutz, of this city. The mortgage mentioned in the complaint wes executed in 1920 us security on a note for SIB,OOO. The mortgage was placed on a 160-aere farm in Jefferson township. It is stated in tile complaint that the Interest has not been paid for more th in the last six months. Weather Cloudy tonight and Saturday; probably light rain; slightly colder tonight near Lake Michigan.

AMERICAN AID IN EUROPE IS UP TO FRANCE All Eyes Turned On Paris Government; Hope For World Conference. : HUGHES’ NOTE HAILED I • Document Sets Forth America’s Willingness To j Aid In Crisis. <By A. L. Bradford) (U. P. Staff Correspondent) ’ gj Washington, Oct. 26. —The fate of American readiness fully to aid it: bringing about a settlement of he European crisis today again rested upon the disposition of France, e As all eyes turned on the Paris government, it was the hope of hi th ’• officials and diplomats here that a e world economic conference, partleln pated in by the United States wo iIJ y soon be convened to make a sincere k effort at solving the reparations pro’nr, lent. n The note of Secretary of S'tie e Hughes to the government of Great • Britain, definitely setting forth Amcrid ca's willingness and readiness to ni l e in a reparations solution, was hailed today as a great step forward in the n long history of the reparations con e troversy. G It was noted hero that Secretory ‘ Hughes, in expressing in his note !■> ■ Great Britain the readiness of the s United States to. take part in an econK omic conference on reparations, sta'P ed the desire of this government ’hat ’’ all the powers concerned, including '* France, would agree to participation. Still, it was regarded as most significant that he did not say that Ame erica would not sit in such a coni >re once without Frande, but declared s that on this point the United States r would reserve decision. g While the Hughes note nominally h was replyed to a communication from g Great Britain urging an economic conference with America participatin'. e the interpretation placed on the locae ment here was that in every sens' n of the word it is a “step" by the Atnv erican government itself in the Euroys ean crisis. It # ' WILL EXCHANGE 8 ; PULPITS SUNDAY f e t Local Protestant Ministers Fill Each Others Pulpits Sunday. Tile Protestant* ministers of th? city will exchange pulpits for the evening service on Sunday. This no Ivel means of promoting the broihe--hood of the city churches and enlarging the acquaintances of the different pastors, was decided upon at a recent meeting of the ministerial asso- - elation. It is likely that another change of pulpits will be made befor the winter is over. Following is the schedule for the exchange on , Sunday evening: i Rev. R. R. ElUker. pastor of the Reformed church, at the United Brethern church. • Rev. B. N. Covert, pastor of the i Presbyterian church, at the Evon- ■ gelical church. Rev. R. W Loose, pastor of the Evangelical church, at the Decatur ■ Circuit church. Rev. Harry Thompson, pastor of the ■ Christian church, at the First Methi odist church. Rev. L. ('. Wisner, pastor of the Dcatur Circuit, at the Baptist church i Rev. B. F Dotson, pastor of the United Brethern church at the Cltrhi- ! tian church Rev. F. D. Whitsell, pastor of the Paptist church, at the Reformed church. Rev. U. S. A. Bridge, pastor of tn>? r.First Methodist church, at the Presbyterian church.

Four Children Burned To Death In Their Home Dillonvale, 0.. Oct. 26. Four yo.t.ig I children perished and their parepic | were severely burned by flames wliieli 1 swept the home of Frank Andrejlski near here at midnight. Tile dead: Stanley, 12; Dennis. 9; l»ttie, ': Alex. 5. ’ Andrejski and his wife were driv m back and severely burned when they attempted to enter the room Wheie four of their children were asleep ) when fire broke out. The father succeeded In rescuing his eldest son, Stanles, 17. i REV. BOOKMAN DIES AT BERNE i Well Known Retired Evangelical Minister Expires After Long Illness. I 1 The Rev. J. F. Bockman, 75, well I known retired Evangelical minister. , died at his home in Berne at 5: It) . o’clock yesterday evening, following an extended illness. Rev. Bockman < was strickened with paralysis twenty I years ago and had been more or less an invalid since that time but he Ind I not been be.ffast except for the last j I three weeks. During the lust three ■ weeks he had had heart trouble and general complication of diseases. He had been unconscious since last Sun ’ day. • Twenty years ago Rev. Bockmsn -■ was pastor of the Evangelical church - St Linn Grove. He wntrin a hay mow ■ of a barn in Linn Grove looking at ■ some apples when he stepped into f a hay chute. He caught himself ■ with his arms, but he was a large man and his weight pulled heavily on his ■ arms. Shortly after he was rescued ■ from this position lie suffered a stroke 1 of paralysis. • Rev. Bockman was born in North Webster. Indiana, in 1848. During his ministry he served as pastor in 1 Fort Wayne, Van Wert, Defiance, Celina. Ohio, and other cities, and he es- ■ tablished a wide circle of friends. H< was widely known througho"t Adams county. Since he was forced to give up the ministry after being stricken cd paralysis. Rev. Bockman has lived in Berne. He was married twice, his first wife dying several years ago. Four children by his first wife survive. They are William Bockn’.at, of North Webster; Calvin Boekmti?,. Mrs. Bertha Rhea and Laura, of Okl '■ • homa City. Oklahoma. Rev Bock man’s second wife. Amy Bockman. survives. There are three chil'ir n by the second union, as follows: M" Harry Knapp, of Decatur; Joy Boel-. 1 man, who is :n the Navy, stationed somewhere on the California eoast, and Roscoe, at home. Funeral services will be held fioin the home in Berne at 1:30 o’clock Saturday afternoon and from the Evangelical church at 2 o’clock. Th > Rev. Ernie, pastor of the Evangelical church in Berne will officiate. The remains will be taken to the former home at North Webster for burial on Sunday afternoon. Friends are re quested to omit flowers. o Important Telegram For Unknown Person Here J. C. Patterson, local agent for the Western Union Telegraph company received an important message today and was unable to deliver it for reason that he could not find the party to whom it was addressed to. The message was sent from Tampa. Fla., to a “Harvey Kucbler" and was signed "Mother." Mr. Patterson could not locate a Harvey Kuebler and as far as known no one by that name lives here. It stated that "Father would not live and that he did not know the seriousness of his condition." Mr. Patterson got in touch with Mrs. W. A. Kuebler, but she did not know of a Harvey Kuebler. If anyone has a relative in Tampa or could give Mr. Patterson any information about the matter he would greatly appreciate it. Frank Rowley returned to Marlon after looking after business here.

Price: 2 Cents.

ADMITS KILLING WIFE; QUARRELED OVER A WOMAN Former Adams County Man Makes a Confession In Michigan Last Night. PARENTS LIVE HERE Father and Mother Reside Near Geneva; Murder Occurred Sept. 26. Sturgis. Mich.. Oct. 2(5 — (Speto Dnilv Democrat) Riildli Lindsey. 31. lute List night, confessed Io n Burns Agency detective, that he murdered his M'ife. Hazel Lindsey. 2(>. in • heir home near here on Sep♦<’inbe’* ?(>. hv shooting her through the head with a revolver. The confession was made , 't Centerville, where Lindsey has been a prisoner since the murder. after Lindsey had ibeen nut through a long session jof -lose miestioning. I’p until Inst nii’ht. Lint’scv i hnd maintained that he h:«»l found his wife dead in their home. The coroner’s iurv (which investigated the shooting. reternetl a verdict ol murdo” on Tuesday of Ibis xveeU. Lindsey stated in his confession i that he and his wife had quarreled i over his association with Mrs. Eva ' Nii'keil. 17. The testimony given in the coroner's investigation showed i that Lindsey and Mrs. Nickell had ■ planned to elope on two different occasions, but their plans had been frustrated. Un until last night, Lindsey declared that he was putting his car in the garage near the house when ho heard a shot fired in the house. He said he rushed up sta'rs and found his wife on the floor and a revolver lying near her. He went to Sturgis where he reported the death to thpolice. Lindsey was placed in ia?! on a charge of carrying concealed weanons and had been held tinder bond of $5,000 since that time. The verdict returned by the coroner’s jury stated that trey found Mrs. L'ndsev died from a bullet wound through the bead fired from a gun in the hands of Ralph Lindsey or some nerson unknown. Lindsey is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Lindsey, of Adams countv. Indiana. He met his wife while in the service of his country during the world war. He was in the hospital corps and Mrs. Lindsey was in the Red Cross service. They were married soon after the close of the war and for some time resided near his parents in Adams county. Indiana. Prior to the murder, Lindsey was employed in the Sturgis Foundry. This was the second marriage, he having been divorced from his first wife. According to attorneys in Sturgis, Mrs. Lindsey consulted a Sturgis lawyer two days before she was killed. regarding the matter of applying for a divorce, the case to have been based on cruel and inhuman treatment. o - Expect Kellojf Be Named Ambassador To England tl’nltn.l prasji So rv I col St. Paul, Oct. 26—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Certain formalities that must be observed were understood toilay to be holding up announcement of the appointment of former United States Frank B. Kellogg, St. Paul, as American ambassador to Great Britain. Information reached here that the Kellogg appointment would be an- ' nonneed by President Coolidge soon. Kellogg, however, refused to confirm or’deny the report, and urged that nothing be said about, it at this time. 1 He felt that any announcement now would be a violation of confidence ' and a diplomatic breach, it was und- ■ erstood. He paid he would withhold any comment until ho was officially notified.