Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 305, Decatur, Adams County, 27 December 1923 — Page 1

Volume XXI. Number 305

SEEKS PRESIDENT’S AID IN KLAN FIGHT

TWENTY DIE IN HOSPITAL FIDE IN CHICAGO, ILL Tragedy Occurs When Eire Destroys State Hospital For Insane SEVERAL ESCAPE Much Confusion Follows Outbreak Os Fire; Inmates Scatter (U. P. Staff Correspondent) Chicago, Dec. 27 (Special to Dailv Democrat) The list of <lea<l in the fire horror last night at the Chicago Stale llosj pital for Insane probably wilH total 20, .Judge C. 11. Jenkins, director of (he state department of welfare, estimated for the I nited Press today. Seventeen bodies have been recovered. Three others are buried in the debris of Annex No. I. Jenkins believes. Jenkins made a special trip here from the slate capital in order Io direct personally the gathering of evidence to place the blame for the tragedy., (United (-•*»* Service, Chicago. Dec. 27 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—Seventeen charred l*odl*r have been removed and a hunt Is on today for others in the fire-razed "death house" of the Chicago State Hospital for the Insane at Dunning, on the northwestern edge of Chicago. Police In automobile* ranged the country for a number Bf Tffwnh* l pa ■ tients who escaped In the mad con-| fusion following outbreak of the fire in the flimsy frame building Just after dinner last night. The known bead were: Elijah Carraker. 52. an attendant. Mrs. Mary Carraker. 50, wife of Elijah. Lowell. 11 year old son of the Car rakers. Michael Ledwith. 43. a patient. Chicago. John Bennett. 38. patient. Chicago. Official* said they would not be able to make up the complete list of dead until the escaped patients are found. Many of the toaiies were burned beyond hope of recognition. Practically all the victims were insane. The others were epiliptlca. Dr. Daniel 0. Coffey, superintenent of the institution, said. Herman Hacker, an eplltptlc. gave the alarm of fire. He had finished hto dinner earlier than the rest and had gone to his room wheu the noticed smoke coming from a closet. He threw open the door and a huge tonge of flame shot out Hacker ran through the building yelling A mad stampede followed. Great Commotion From the «0« patients in the din Ing room rose a terrifying chorus of howls and shrieks and yells. They ran about like madden**! animal*. Home leaped out of the windows, taking glass and sashes with them Oth era made a rush on one narrow exit. Ignoring several other avenue* of escape. Here the pile of humanity kicked and shoved and screw**, th* weaker going down und* r th* super lor strength of their fellow* Still other* ran aimlessly about th* hail. By this time the flumes had bitten Into the flimsy walla and were rapidly eating their way Inin h " M " room. Smoke billowed into the room Into thia Inferno plunged three women attendants —Mrs. Anna Hub en«, Mrs Margaret Gunn and Mr* Hannah Saunders They were on duty in a nearby pavilion when th* Are siren walled Its warning None of the three remember clear ly what followed. All they recall I* a nltbtmare of fighting mad men. suffering, acrid smoke, leaping flame* the noise of which, cut with th* sound of ripping cloth through howls of the men By auperhuinso effort* they restored a semblance of order am what was left of the patient* »»"’ lino and marched them out Into th* night. Inmates Break For Liberty Once outside, some of the pattcliH(Continued on Pag" trttl

£ECAT(JR daily democrat

f — 11 ' VIOLETS IN BLOOM Huntington. Dee. 27,-Mrs, Harry Gordon of 726 Woodlawn avenue, on Christmas day, picked „ bunch of violets from plant* which she put in her front yard some months ugo. Mrs. Gordon had been hav't>g single flowers from the plants I for some time, but Tuesday, she I Investigated and found u Urge number of the purple flower* peepIng through the snow, site says she Will have more of them if the weather does not turn too told ___ CHARITY BAIT’ HERE TONIGHT Annual Tri Kappa Christ- ♦ mas Dance At Masonic Hall This Evening The annual Tri Kappa Charity Ball will be held in the Masonic Hall this 1 evening. A committee has been working diligently for the past few weeks to make the affair a success. The college Inn orchestra, from Indiana '| ('Diversity. has been engaged to play for the dance, and this alone is a big attraction, as the orchestra has a wide reputation. The price of tickets for dancers is two dollars per couple while specta tors will be charged fifty cents. There will be a few tables of bridge, for those l who do not care to dance, it was stated today. The proceeds de(Continued on page five) WILL OF JOHN W, ' (AIL PROBATED Estate Believed To Be One Os Largest Ever Settled In Local Court In his will probated in court here today, the late John W Vail, widely known manufacturer. directed that hi* widow. Christena li. Vail, and his three sons continue all business enterprises in which he was engaged at the* time 1 of his death. The will provided that the widow b« appointed executrix of th 1 - document. The will was written on September 15, 1919. The first Item of the will provide* that all Just debt* be paid out of the personal property, if sufllclent. ar.d if not that they be (Miict out of the I real estate, provided that nt> part of I the estate, either real or personal, which I* devised to the widow, shall J not lie used to pay the debts If the | remaining I* sufllclent. Item two provide* that the follow • Ing bequests be made to th* widow: | |jcai in money; all household and kit I chen furniture 1 and uh-nril*. both use ' ful and ornamental; the proceeds from the - collection of all lif* Insurame polls les held by him at the time of his death: and the undivided one third Interest ot all of the residue estate. Icoth real and personal. Item three provide* that all note* j held by the deceased at th* time 1 Os , hl* death against hl* three sons »hall hn considered as an advancement, mad* to them In their share of the | estat*. Ilc-m four provides that all of th«j residue of the estate, after the above bequests have beep made, be divided j I share and shat* *l*s" ««“»■ ‘ l "' ,hrw 'son* Dan It. H««* Thomas, and ! Forest K Item flv* provide* that th* widow and son* -ball continue all *mh buri oom enterprise* as h* was engaged, tn at th* tint* of his death, Hem six provide. that the widow be appointed executrix of th* will Althouah no official estimate ha* been placed in th* value of th* M late, Il I* Iwlleted to ot (ho large*! nsUteu ever offered for set tie men t in th* local court I’. " •>* I liavsd that it will amount to several ( hundred tbottsabd* of dollar*, a* Mr. Vail held extenriva real . manufacturing interest* to the south , In addition to < onslderahl* property | sml » hoop factory In thl* • »»y. Attorney Clark J. Utts I* for the estata.

ADAMS COUNTY EIJGITY TO BE SOLDTOMORRDW It Defunct Equity Exchange Oil cred To Highest Bidder By Receiver LOSSES ARE GREAT I Stockholders Lose Entire Investment; Sureties Make Up Deficit Bids will be received Friday, De[cember 28th, by Charles S. Niblic|t. receiver, c«>r the purchase of the Adeems County Equity Exchange in this c ity, and the elevator at Peterson. the properties to be sold at receiver's" sale upon an order of court based on the suit filed by Paul Reiter, former manager, asking that bankruptcy proceeding* be started and a receiver appointed. Mr. Reiter brought suit for wages and salary due 1 him and since the proceeding* have been started, has been awarded a Judg ment for $691.50. Last May the court appointed Charles S. Niblick, of this city, receiver for the properties. Since that time the elevator and warehouse in this city and the elevator at Peterson have been closed. Bids will be received at ten o’clock tomorrow morning at the east door of the court house by Mr. Niblick, and from day to day thereafter until the property Is sold. Several inquires have l been re. eived by Mr. Niblic k .and Attorneys J. Fred Fruchte and i Fred l.itttrer, who represent the re j ceiver, and those interested in the H Equity. relative to the sale of the property, hut it is not known it. a Iconifide bid will he received tomorrow. The property in thia city, located Just west of the Pennsylvania railroad tracks, at the corner of Monroe and Eighth streets. Is appraised for $12,442.35, and, according to the order of court, cannot lie sold for les* than tlte appraised value. This figurel include* the buildings, land, machinery and equipment, hut does not to'lnde the property at Peterson, which will be sold seperately. The elevator at Peterson It located on the Henry Hrelaer real estate. It is a frame* building. Los* Will Be Great The investment of the 162 stock holders in the Equity will J-e a total loss. In addition to the claims of the general creditors, which total approx! mately 81.500. those stockholders who ! signed surety notes at the Old Adam* (Continued on Pare six' TOHOLDCHURCH AT THE LIBRARY Zion Reformed Church Congregation To Vacate Old Church Building Beginning next Sunday all anrriew of the l Zion Reformed Church. to>tb of the Sunday *' hool and congregation, will l>e held in the basement nf the Public Library. Meinhuru will plena* |taka notice and remembar thl* change in the place c»r m**Hng. The old church on North Third street whi<h hs* lm*n purchßMd W the Kukelhahn Brother* will be wreck c-d by them in the immediate future I ni II th* new churc h I* ready for occupancy th" congregation will there fora worship to the baaemant of the IJhrary. The ln*t Sunday to March ha* lt**n fsnlnttvcly selected ns the date tor I the dedication of th* new churc h. The I pl isterer* are hwy nt work now and they may not to 1 through *i*h their I | task before another month Th* heat ing plant I* nearly inatallad now. A* j MOM aa the plastering I* completed the at*! glass window* will b* Inriallicst and then the furlnturn and light fixture*. —. Ufii mat* Alfred Trullc-ndc-r wa* a buaineaa vlaltor iu llluffion yvriorday.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, December 27, 1923

Fall Denies Receiving Money l-'rom Oil Interests cl'nlted Press Staff Cni-reepon<!»nt) Washington, Dec 27 —(Special to ' Daily Democrat) Former Secretary of the Interior Full denied today that I he had ever received money or advances of money from oil Interests j lensing naval reserve oil lands. I In an affidavit read before the* sen-1 ate public lauds committee inveati-i gating the lease of Teapot Dome. Fall made u general denial of insinuations made by previous witnes-es Fall, who has been ill, did not appear. His affidavit, however, was elated "Washington. Dec. 26". n THREE GAMES > FRIDAY NIGHT High School Boys’ And Girls’ Teams Play Liberty Center Teams Three basketbt‘ll game* are on the schedule for Friday night at the- new high school gymnasium. The first 1 game will be played by the I.inn Grove eighth grade team and the Central school team, and will start at 6:45 o'clock. The second game will be played by the |). II 3. girl* and the Liberty Center girls, starting at 7:30 p. m. The big gume of the evening will be between tile D. H. 8. boys and the Liberty Center district champions. Thia game will start at 8:15 o'clock. The high school team has been practicing this week in preparation for the Liberty Center game The champs defeated the locals in a game dayed at Liberty Center a few weeks ago. by a score of 18-14. hut the De--atur team has improved since then tnd it Is believed the locals can turn the tables tomorrow night. In the ibsence of Coach Buck Howard and Principal Paul W. Linton, who are spending their vacation at their homes. Superintt-Mlent M. F. Worthman will have charge of the team. All three games should prove very interesting. FIRE BUG WORKS AT WILLSHIRE, 0. Four Fires Occur Within 21 Hours On Sunday And Monday Four fires within twenty four hours, all believed to be of Incendiary origin. l occured In Willshire, Ohio, on Sunday and Monday night*. The two fire* discovered early Sunday evening, were extingutohed before any great amount of damage was done. On Monday night, when many nt the citizens of the city were attend Inga Christ ma* program at th* Methodist church, two new fire* were started shortly after * o'clock. The first blaze was found at the, machine *hed owned by Chauncey ' De Holt The fir* hud been started In an automobile and had gained ion riderahl* headway before it was dla covered. The machine was taken from the shed and ••• saved approximately $x ms, worth of machinerv from bo-1 Ing destroyed. At about the same time a blcao was discovered in the hay and grain shed owned by Gary D. Mercer. It »»» extlngulahed before much damage wa» done. The two fire* on Sundae night show *d evidence* nf having heeU Started with oil and thl* hn* led to a march twins made for th* peruon reapon slhle for th* blaze*. Authoritlea »ay J that a certain person I* being »u« phioned and that It la nnly a qti*s j Hon nt time until that person * where . shout* at the time of the Mas** can jh* ascertained An srreri mav b* I made soon — Weather Vn»*ttl*d tonight and Friday. Rain tonight and probably snow flurries north portion Friday; much coMar late tonight and Friday.

REPUBLICANS HOLD MEETING AT CAPITAL — Party Workers Deliberate On Action To Be Taken In McCray Affair EVADE SHOWDOWN Workers Want Wall) To Defer Committee Meeting Until Later Date Indianapolis, Dec. 27—Republican | party workers, meeting here again to-1 day to deliberate* on what action the! ’ party should take toward Governo: i 1 McCray, sought away to pervent a i showndown between the Governor and ‘Clyde A. Wall,, stale chairman, who wants the party to demand McCray's ' resignation. There was a strong feeling that Walb should delay indefinitely his call for a meeting of the state committee, originally planned for this week but later postponed until "some time in January." At the state committee meeting if It is called. Wall, had Indicated hr- will ask the party to repudiate the governor and demand his realgantlou. In the event the committee should fail to approve hi* position. Walb said, he would quit as chairman. The conservative element of the party doe* not want Wall, to atep down and out with the spring primar ies only three months off. and at the same time it I* unwilling to take any step that will mark a final break with I McCftr -■ o - French Concede Loss ■ Os Big Dirigible (By Webb Millert (l T . P. Staff C„rres|M>ndent) Paris. De, !' Ixvmh of the naval dirigible Dlxmttde, some where in the Sahara, was conceded by the French cabinet this afternoon and the affair has developed Into a scandal of which ezplanatlor.* are to Ih* demanded from the government. Deputies, aroused by the confusion of reports regarding "last message"* from the tutoring airship, today demanded an lnve*ttoation and Deputy Girod will Interpolate the ministry of murine In the chamle-r etvfltl osWWetao ta taoeta «• thhh Jack Ityker. of Indlaaapoi*. called on hiirines* friend* here thl* morn | Ing. Mrs. A ItoVlnney who ha* been ' very s’ck to somewhat better today. TO SEND RADIO GREETING HERE Deroil News To Send Special New Year’s Greeting To Local Man • 1 '■ l George Wemboff. local burin*-** I man and radio fan. ha* received a I letter from Corley w Kirby, radio editor of the Detroit New*, stating that h* will send a Mptuiul New Year 'greeting to Mr. Wemhofl at the coo- < lualon <rf the program on New Year's ,-ve Mr, Wemhoff I* not Mtcqualnted | with Mr. Klrbv. hut r**ently Mr Wemhoff sent a radio poem, which h*| hud written himself, tn the New*, nad he belloveo that the New Year'* greeting will It* In acknowledgment «,f this p«**m The Detroit N<-w* station I* WWJ. A epecinl service at the St Paul'«| Eiila<<>pnl Cathedral will he broud legated at II p tn Ea«l*rn Standard | time and will * mt about 18:3*. whlth to 11:3® p. m Decolor Urn* I* will h» at th* <>>n l<t»l»n of this program that Mr, Kirby will send his »t**ttog« to Mr Wemboff Th* program will ’b* broadcasted over I'm meter* be j< auro station WCX. th* other atstloo lln Detroit, will he broad* ariing a program st the warn* time Imcal ' radio fans srw invited to "tun* io" and hear th* greeting* tn Mr, W*m ‘huff.

z > PANSIES BLOOMING Greenfield, Ind., Dec. 27 Nelson Watson wins the hand picked pansy. That to to say, Watson is picking his own pansies today, Dee. 27. right out ot his own front yard here. I He claims that this beats the : dandelions at Columbus, the lone state house dandelion at Indianapolto, the one at Richmond, the Hardy daisy at Danville, or the Zenia reported from Lebanon. TO HOLD OPENING NEXT SATURDAY Beavers & Fry back Furniture Store Moving Into Remodeled Building The Beaver* A Fryhack furniture store is moving Into their old quarter-* on South Second street, which have been completely remodeled since the disastrous fire there last fall, and will hold a formal openlug Saturday afternoon and evening, from 1:30 until 10 o'clock. Every lady who visits the store during those hours will receive a sottvenler. The building, which to owned by Mrs John Niblick is ore of the most attractive buciness building In the city since being remodeled. The front has been changed, there being one large entrance to the middle with frontlnued on page five) CAPITAL’S RUM SCANDAL GROWS Police Commissioner Gets Threatening Letters To Halt Proceedure (By William J Iswh) tO. P Staff <*orre«)mnilent) Washington. Dec. *7 The National capital's ruin scand-il. involving high government nffb-la's thro.gh dlst-n ! I cry of their name* on a list of 1.456! customer* of a loi .il l*ootli-g syndicate today wa* marked by rece.pt of threat I ening letters by Police t'ommluioni-rI Ovater of the District of t'olumhla. urging him to hslt prosecotion ot th- - which he initiati-d and presm-d Another development was the virtual del, i*<m nf authorities tn summon government official* and other* named on th* list to appear and ezplaln how their names happetieil tn b,- there. Oyster calmly announced today that he had been made the target of anonymous letters threatening him tin Itm* h*- called a halt <>u th*- prosecution nf the < a»> He also revealed that | a numte-r of le-rson* have called on him atace arrest* of 13 prisoner* were mad* to petti ton hint tn act "car*fttlly." Oyster replied that the cane would bo vigorously pushed without "tear or favor" amt that h*- would take steps to prniluce the Itot of < uatomers from It* present hiding plan- if It were not for th* comtoa when needed in tense* tiling th*- case before the grand Jury. Severe Quake Shocks Art* Fell In Columbia Again ■ lluaols tolomhla. Dec 2* <Hpe.rial to I tally Ix-moerat)—T*» of the i moot severe aborita yet felt, ro**k*d i; remains of th*- town* ot Tul*an. CumI h«l and Carlosama \N* *ln*-sd»y, nd : ding to de«astatl<*n to th*- border , region where enrthqankea of the : past fortnight have taken a toll of II several Ihntisattd Ilves, t Itogola. the < aplfal. felt the quake* I nt 7 n m v<-»ier,tov. hut m> damage i ns* tanned b»re * An I'atlan genlngiial tutoeluli I which went to Tul*an to study the re suits nt th" earth shocks, believer v they were cauncd hv "great interna! t dtspla* emenl* lit the mountain* *' I Reports from Oncheta were that " the quakes were accompanied hy a i sudden eztranrdtoary change tn tern |pernture.

Price: 2 Cents.

EX-WIZARD SAYS SERIOUS STRIFE IS THREATENED Edward Young Clark Asks Coolidge To Help In Cleaning l’p Klan THPsOUGH WITH KLAN ( lark Says That Reign Os Lawlessness Is Attributable To Klan ll'nlted Press Service) Washington. Dee. 27 (Special Io Dailv Democrat) WarInre which will make the mountain fcutls of Kentucky look like play will break out Itclwet n ruction* of the K. K. K. unless nresenl conditions are rcmovetl. I'thvartl Young ( lark, formerly imperial wizard of the klan. I redictrd today in a stutement. ('.lark arrived in Washington Io make a |»ersonal apin-al to President Coolidge Io take the lend in it move to clean up Hit* klan or stamp it out entin Iv. After an open letter from Clark had he*>n left at th* white holiae by Edgar Filler his representative. Clark, in a *« nsational statement, declared he was through with the klan, that a *'*ign of lawlessness "almost beyond bel'ef" to attrib,it—l *o klan strength In Texas, Louisiana. Arkansas anil Oklahoma; that In Ohio. Michigan, and parts of Illinois, the klan is becoming "a master political machine." Clark sa'd the licensed carrying of <UM bv klaltsmeti should I* l prohibited. “as the Influence* on th* Individual who carries the gun Is Injurious and serves to make him at, undesirable citizen, in addition to giving him powers of intimidation which should tx-long only to the regularly constituted officers of the law." "In Pennsylvania and Indiana II censes to cs.tv gun* have be,n and ar* Im'ns obtained by klansnu n under an old law with relation to the protection of cattle and other animala." Clark *aid. "I am Informed that w't.hln the | Inst tew day* about 150 ouch coiumto | atone were issued at one time In In d.ana and Ohio" K. Os I*. Degree Work And Election Tonight There will le- work in th* third degree of th* i<Hal Knight* <>( Pythias lodge tonight All members are urged to to 1 present. Tonight to al«o th* date for election of offl, *r« for th* ensuing year. . - ~o " ■ Mid-Continent (’rude Oil Makes Advance <Cn!te-t Hurt Correspondent I New York. I»e< 27 lHp«-*lal to Itaily In-iiKHrat)-The expected ad vanre to the price of mid continent crude oil, regarded a* th*- big turning |M*int in ih>- oil industry whteb ha* been suffering from over prodnetlon and consequent price slashing, cam* today. ' Ciude under 33 gravity to ninety *-*nt* » hnrret. increase of 15 cents; 13 tn 35» Is 61)5. Increase of 15 cents; 36 to 3g.» In $1 3". Inrveas* of 115 nut*, aud 39 gravity and above I I I- .• M MW. wMHMM** - HI H Deputy Sheriff Wanted On ( hargv Os Murder KI ii» *!•**•♦, Mu,, 27— I r cist to IMHy Democrat) Authorities [, with a t)r*t degree murder wa-rani t today sought Ih-pu'v Kh*tlfl Thoma - It H'tuuuhan, 54. former pre*ldtng a Judge ot the Kt ti* n*-vi*>ve county e court, tnirner slurlff and assessor , wbo shot and fatally wounded Eugen* I. Ham k. 24 nn Christmas day s ttollce nt 8t Louis, where Hauck -s dl>d tn a hospital Christmas night ,I and W. Genevtov* t*»day < <dlaborat*-6 In pel* ing together the story ot th* it tragedy, whl*h resulted from taunt* a of nhl age thrown at th* former prom a- inent office holder by Hau k and an | other youth.