Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 22, Number 300, Decatur, Adams County, 18 December 1924 — Page 1

Volume XXII. Number 300.

I MMAGE CAUSED I BY COLD WAVE I IN NORTHWEST I I ( old And Storms Pile Ip I A Large Casuality List I RELIEF BY FRIDAY I (’eld Wave Running Three Days Behind Schedule In Indiana BS (UNITED PRESS sei;vkt:i 111 ( Imago, Dec. 18.- The colil wave I ■ r'id ’he snow and sleet storms now HI <•. ntering in the northwest and Ina invading the middle districs pil BH ii:v up a large' casualty list and de- ■ ui-.raliztng wire communication--, will ■M i!ii app< ar by Friday, the weather ■M bureau here forecast today. UK Extremely low temperatures pre-1 ■ vail in the northwest section, the th.-r : I mometor being 22 degrees below .■ zero in American territory and below in Canada. Wire conditions in Illinois, jowa ■ an:' Missouri are in a chaotic condi- '!•■ lion. Illinois is the worst sufferer. I r.ianv small towns being isolated. H While the cold wave will lift in the northwest, lower temperatures may .■ be expected in the central valleys toI nimrow, the forecaster stated. J Reports from the telegraph and ■ telephone companies were that many hundreds of poles are down, broken by the weight of the sleet on the ■ wires. ' Sleet is falling on much of this I I territory, converting sidewalks ami ■ streets into treacherous sheets of ice. it The death of seven persons in the Chicago territory is attributed to *■ this condition. Scores of persons were I injured by falls. Due Here Tonight Indianapolis, Dec. 18 — Running ■ three days behind schedule, the pre I dieted cold wave will strike Indiana | tonight or early Friday, the weather I bureau forecast today. Rain today will turn into snow toI night and by Friday the mercury will ■ drop to zero in the northern part of; I the state and to ten above zero in the j southern part. Peculiar local conditions shunted I I the cold wave away from Indiana ? I earlier in the week, weather bureau | officials said. ■ Goshen, Dec. 18. —The cold wave I I hit northern Indiana this afternoon j I with a terrible storm of rain, snow I and sleet which glaced the entire secI tion with ice, paralyzing business and , I crippling rail and wire communica- i I tions. Cities 45 miles southwest of Gosh- | en were cut off from communication. I The Winona Electric Company, operI ating traction cars was unable to; I operate its properties for three and I a half hours. g o — I MAKE INCREASE IN ASSESSMENTS State Tax Commissioners Boost Assessments Os Five Firms Here County Auditor Martin Jaberg received notice today from the state board of tax commissioners that the personal property assessments of five local concerns had been incrased by orders of the board. Several weeks ago, James Showalter of Wabash, representative of the state board held a hearing at the auditor’s office and through his investigations and recommendations the increase were ordfir- | ed. The total of the increases placed on the five concerns was $14,630. The five concerns included a manufacturing plant, which was given a ' boost of $8,700, a confectionery, a furniture store, and a shoe store and , a hardware store. It is not known if these firms will object to the increased assessments, but as yet no remonstrances have been filed with the auditor. Last year a number of of local concerns were given boosts . in their valuations, the total being thousand dollars.

hFCATUB BALLY DEMOCRAT

Employe Os Local G. E. Plant Receives Reward Edward Frederick Boknecht, an employe of the local plant of the General i Electric company, today received a toward of $1IH) for a suggestion In re;gard to an improvement in his department. Officials of the local plant received the following letter from. E. .1. Kitnin, secretary of the Fort Wayne suggestion committee, this morning in regard to the reward: I "Kindly secure for us SIOO worth of G. E. security co-operation bonds in i the name of Edward Frederick Boknecht, 253 North Fifth street, Deeatur, Indiana, who works in the testing department of the Decatur branch of the Fort Wayne works-. This is his reward for his suggestion regarding the elimination of writing the I test data on the test tags of S. A. motors, manufactured at the Decatur I works.” ELKS WILL GIVE BASKETSTOPOOR Lodge To Provide Good Things To Eat For Christmas Dinner The Decatur lodge of Elks will distribute Christmas dinne-s to those families who otherwise likely would not have the usual good things to eat on Christmas day. At a meeting of the local Elks held last evening Dr. Roy Archbold was appointed i general chairman in charge of preparing the baskets and seeing that they are distributed on Christmas day. The Elks will personally see that the baskets' are distributed and Dr. Archbold is now preparing a list of eatables for the baskets. It has been the custom of the Elks in this city to remember the poor on Christmas day and many times as uuuv a*. forty to titty baskets have been distributed. The best of eatables are placed in the baskets. The baskets will be distributed in time for the Christmas dinner and anyone knowing of a worthy party or family is requested to send their name and address to Dr. Archhold. Last year the Christmas gift of the Elks was distributed through the Good Fellows Club of this city. 0 .lap Youth C” tight Prowling Near American Embassy < UNITED PRESS SERVICE! Tokio. Dee. 12—(Special to Daily Democrat) — Police today arrested Bunkai Aikawa, a Japanese youth, who was found, armed with a knife, , prowling outside a window of the ■ American embassy. The boy was I said to be mentally deranged. The foreign office is investigating. CAR OVERTURNS IN OENSE FOG Mr. and Mrs. Frank Arm- ' antrout And Others Have Narrow Escape Frank Armantrout, county attendance officer, and his wife, of Geneva, land a Mrs. Meeks and her sister, of this city, had a narrow escape from serious injury when Mr. Armantrout's automobile, in which they were riding, turned over in the side ditch along the Decatur-Van Wert road, about four miles west of Van Wert, at 8 o'clock last Tuesday night. Mr Armantrout, who was driving, was unable to follow the road closely on account of the dense fog, and the car ran over the enbankment and turned over on its side at the side of the road. Mr. Armantrout had one arm and his chest bruised; Mrs. Aramantrout suffered injuries to one arm and shoulder and Mrs. Meeks had a few cuts on her head. They had been to Van Wert for a medical examination and were returning home, at the time of the accident. Several men who | were hunting raccoons nearby came to their assisstance and with the aid of a few motorists who soon came by. they succeeded in getting the car back on the road and the party returned home in it. The car was not badly damaged. Three other cars in .the ditch between Decatur and Van Wert that same night, due to the fog.

i CONFERENCE ON J IMMIGRATION IS I BEING PLANNED Plan For Parley Os Countries Os Western Hemisphere Approved WANT UNIFORM POLICY — Purpose Is To Ban Together Countries Os New World ’ (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Washington, Dec. 18.—(Special to Daily Democrat) — The house immigration committo have approved a project for summoning a conference of all the countrys of the western hemisphere to meet in the United States to bring about a uniform immigration policy. | President Coolidge ma/ shortly be I'called upon to summon the conferI ence. Return of Secretary of Labor I Davis, from South America where II he has been sounding out sentiment | toward such a meeting is waited bei fore giving the movement definite [form. The projected conference which '[ had been discussed by the committee u in secrecy for the past three months I would seek first to ban new world , countries into a sort of Monroe Doctrine of immigration and second to standarize admission requirements I and administrative details of handling and locating immigrants. t Such questions as exclusion of , Japanese would come up only in a , general way at first The conferI ence would not attempt to take up I the question of the immigration into the western hemisphere from (Continued on page three) 1 o Judge Sutton Selected To Hear Explosion Cases , Judge Jesse C. Sutton, of the AdI ams circuit court, was selected yesr terday. to sit as special judge in the r remainder of the Montpelier explosion trials, growing out of the blast , which did great damage in the city ? of Montpelier on January 9. The cases will be held in the circuit court at Hartford City. A. L. Bales, of Winchester, resigned as special judge ’ \ after trying one of the cases, d _o GIBAULTHOME DRIVE EXTENDED 3 8 Drive For Funds to Improve Home For Boys Extended To Jan. 12 Joseph Laurent, grand knight of the Knights of Columbus of this city. ■ received a telegram this morning adI vising him that the campaign for the sale of bricks for the Gibault Home for delinquent boys at Terre - Haute had been extended to January 12, 1925. The campaign for the sate of the tickets, with which,’ bricks for the addition to the Gibault home will be purchased, has been under way in ' Indiana for several weeks and the f local K. of C. council and members 1 of the St. Marys Catholic church, in- ’ eluding the women of the parish have ’ been assisting in the sale of thfn. 9 A large number of tickets have been 1 sold, but the quota ot $4,000 has uot 1 yet been reached. The telegram stated that the cor- • nerstone of the new addition to the ’ home and the distribution of four 5 high priced automobiles and many 1 cash prizes had been postponed to f January 17 and that it was hoped that by that time the state quota of 1 $250,000.00 will have been raised, t Several cities, including Union 1 City, Bloomington and Kokomo have : alread]/ oversubscribed their quota. > Tipton and Bedford have reached i their quota, while the city of Indian- ; apolis is so near its goal that the > quota will bo reached by Saturday. . In the spirit of Christmas giving and I in following the words of Christ, ‘ Suffer little children to come unto r me,” the manager of the state cam- - paign calls upon the citizens of the t state to’ subscribe the quota for the i Gibault home so that the necessary a additions and improvements to the place can be made.

Dectaur, Indiana, Thursday, December 18, 1921

GOOD FELLOWS CLUB j Give Your Bit And Make Some Poor Child Happy On December 25 With only four more days before all money in the Good Fellows Club must, be in, a large amount is still needed to adequately provide a merry Christmas for th* poor children of the city. The Good Fellows Club, which is sponsored by the Delta Theta Tau sorority, will dose on next Tuesday. The toys, candy, nuts, clothing and other articles will be distributed among the children by Santa Claus on Wednesday evening. The fund now totals $129.80, a total of $4.25 having been added today after the rounds of the boxes had been made. The sorority has decided to hold a tag day Saturday to help swell the fund. Following are the new donations: | Previous total $125.55 Good Fellows 1.50 The Kuebler Co 1.00 A friend ’25 L. William 1.00 Billy Bell 50 Total $129.80' o HENRY MEIBERS BURIED DEG. 17 Former Decatur Man Died In Michigan After Paralytic Stroke Funeral services for Henry G. Meibers, age 70. former Decatur resident and a brother of Mrs. Henry Voglewede of this city, were held Wednesday morning at Ludington. Michigan Charles Voglewede. of this city, a nephew of the deceased, attending. In response to a telegram received Sunday, Mr. Voglewede left for Ludington and when he arrived there Mr. Meibers had died. He suffered a stroke of paralysis early Sunday morning and died a few hours later. Mr. Meibers was born in Decatur and was well known here. He was a son of the late John Meibers. He lived in Chicago for a number of years where his wife died and several years ago moves} to Ludington. Besides Mrs. Voglewede, J. W. Meibers. Mrs. Anna Droppieman. Mrs. C. S. Clark and Mrs. Joe Tonnelier of this city are half brothers and sisters of the deceased. O_ CHICAGO GRAIN CLOSE Wheat: Dec. $1.69; May $1.73%; July $1.49%. Corn: Dec. $1.24%; May $1.29%; July $130%. Oats: Dec. 58%c; May 64%c; July 63%c. CITY SCHOOLS CLOSE FRIDAY I I Start Two Weeks Christmas Vacation; Semester Closes Jan. 17 The city schools will close Friday ' afternoon for the Christmas vacation, ' which will last last two weeks, school reconvening on January 5. Short 1 Christmas programs will be given in most of the schools sometime Friday. The first semester will close on January 17. The semester exaniinaI * tions will be held on January 12 and 13. At a meeting of the principals of the different schools of the city held Tuesday night, arrangements were made for holding the semester examr inations. Weather Rain turning to snow and much 1 colder tonight; Friday fair. Colder with cold wave. Temperature by . Friday night zero in north and zero to 10 degrees above in south portion, s n ) j ■ ■ 11 * * ■ •

COOLIDGE LETS BIG STICK FALL ON NAVAL HEADS Orders Investigation Os Alleged Revelation Os Navy Secrets EMBARRASS PRESIDENT Naval Officers Have Embarrassed Coolidge In His Naval Policy (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Washington, Dec. 18 —(Special to Dally Democrat) —President Coolidge has brought the big stick down on the heads of naval officers who have embarrassed him in the conduct of his naval policy by ordering a board of inquiry to investigate alleged revelation of navy secrets by them in the heat of controversy. At the direction of Secretary of rhe Navy Wilbur, the board will meet in New York probably today. The specific matter to be looked into is a letter said to have been written by Captain Hugo W. Osterhaus, Jr„ of the naval war college at Newport, R. 1., to Captain R. L. Berry of the New York navy yard, which subsequently found its way into print. The letter is said to have discussed frankly the relative disadvantage of the American fleet in gunfire range and was construed by the president and Secretary Wilbur as being confidential information ‘‘of benefit to foreign powers." • o Defense Begins Fight To Free Mrs. Sweetin (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Mount Vernon. 111.. Dec. 18 —(Spedal to Daily Democrat) —The defense today begin.’ its drive to free Elsie Sweetin and Lawrence M. Higlit, who are on trial for murdering Wilford Sweet in. The state rested just before court closed yesterday after a final dramatic and smashing blow directed at Mrs. Sweetin. Columbus Sweetin, father of the slain miner, took the stand and testified that Mrs. Sweetin had told him she killed her husband by giving him poison. The court ruled the testimony was fair. WILL HOLD TAG DAY SATURDAY Delta Theta Tau Sorority To Solicit For Good Fellows Club M Owing to the. fact that the fund donated to the Good Fellows Club is falling far short of what is needed to provide a merry Christmas for the poor children of the city, the Delta ’ Theta Tau sorority, which is sponsoring the Good Fellows Club, has decided to hold a tag day Saturday for the benefit of the fund. Little tags ' bearing the inscription, ‘‘l’m a Good , Fellow” will be sold for any amount 1 the purchaser wants to give to the t fund. i The sorority has found that there . are many more children in the city i who need the help of the Good Fel - lows Club that more money must be 1 raised. The total donated to the fund f so far, including the balance of $26.16 I carried over from last year, is only B $129.80. Last year approximately •• $275 was donated to the fund. The Good Fellows Club will close * next Tuesday as it will be necessary for the purchasing committee in charge to know how much money is available by that time. All purchases II must be made by Tuesday night or r Wednesday morning at the latest, as y the distribution will be made Wed--0 nesday evening. The Good Fellows Club was conS ducted by the sorority last year and the year before and scores of youngsters were made happy on Christmas eve and Christmas day. If it had 1 not been for the Good Fellows Club. I those children likely would not have known when Christmas came and - passed. It is believed that many who have not already donated to the Good Fellows Club will respond by buying a tag Saturday.

Christmas Program At Rupright School Friday There will be a Christmas entertainment at the Rupright school near Magley Friday night, at 7:30 o'clock standard time. The public Is cordially invited to attend. Following is the program to be given: Opening song by the school. ‘Txive for Santa,” by Walter Conrad. "Aunt Nancy's Christmas Gift." "In Christmas Land," by Ruth Worthman. "Comrades Courageous,” Music by Luella Doehrman. "Silent Night" (pantomine.) by eight grade girls. "I'm About Like Santa,” Cordelia Worthtnan. Song by King and Queen. "Christmas is Here,” by Myrtle Ru pright. “What Became of the Christmas Dinner?" "God Be With You," by the school. SUNDAY SCHOOL TO GIVE PROGRAM Christmas Program To Be Given At Baptist Church Sunday Night The annual Christmas program of the Baptist Sunday School will bo held next Sunday evening at 7 o'clock instead of at the Morning School hour. A special program. In which the children participate, is being prepared. in charge of Mrs. E. W. Carmichael. Tlie revival meeting at the Baptist Church closed last night after 18 consecutive nights of service. It was a very successful meeting from every angle. On Sundays, February 1 and Feb. 8, Dr. r. B. Fitzwater will fill the pulpit of the Baptist Church. Dr. Fitzwater is Dean of the Moody Bible Institute Evening School and Teach--1 er of English Bible and Psychology in the Day School. He is one of the ' ablest Bible teachers in the country, and writes the Sunday School lesson expositions which are printed In the ' Democrat and thousands of other I papers throughout the country. A Bible Conference will be held at ' the Baptist Church from March 22 to 29 inclusive, with Rev. H. C. Thiessen ' teaching the Bible. Rev. Thiessen : was for seven years Principal of the ’ Fort Wayne Bible Training School and is now an assistant professor in the \orthern Baptist Theological Seminary Chicago. JURY UN ABLE TO REACHVERDICT r No Verdict In Damage Suit Os John Elzey vs. Joseph Myers II The jury in the case of John Elzey e J . a vs. Joseph Myers, which was on trial r . in the Adams circuit court the first three days of this week, was discharger ed at 11:45 o’clock this morning after -s it was found impossible to reach a (1 verdict. The vote was said to be 9 it Ito 3 in favor of the plaintiff on the e | last ballot. The jury began dellberaI tian 2:15 o’clock yesterday afternoon P and throughout the night and effort y was made to reach an agreement. 1- The vote was reported to be 6to 6 e for a long time and then the majority d favored the plaintiff. When court con--0 vened this morning, the jury asked to y be instructed again and Judge Sutton y read the entire list of instructions again. At 10:30 o'clock the foreman e announced that a verdict had been y reached. When handed to the court n it was found that the alleged verdict s read. "We of the Jury agree to diss I agree." The judge informed the r jurors that that vas not a verdict s and ordered them to retire for further I- deliberation. Elzey sued Myers for $2,000 for ini’ juries he alleged he suffered when d he was struck by an automobile driv- ;- en by Myers on a road east of Bluffs{ton in January, 1924 (1 | o ). | L. A. Jackson, who has been cone‘ fined so the home of his father-in-d law. W. O Bigham, for the past sevo eral weeks, was üble to go to the e home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E y W. Jackson, east of the city, for t few days.

Price 2 Cents.

CRIES OF BABY AWAKEN PARENTS IN BURNING HOUSE Harley Welker, Wife And Baby Barely Have Time To Escape HOUSE IS DESTROYED House In Boho Burns At Midnight Last Night; Contents Destroyed The crying and fretting of a little baby who awakened its parents, probably saved the lives of the baby and the parents. Mr. and Mrs. Harley Welker, of Bobo, six miles east ot Decatur at about twelve o’clock last night, when it was discoylercd that their home was in | flames. Mr. and Mrs. Welker had company during the evening and it was. after |len o'clock when they retired for the night. The baby awakened at about midnight and h|S cries awakened his parents. The odor of smoke was prevalent throughout the house and Mrs. Welker stated that "the stove must be smoking." Her husband attempted to step into another room when the flames shot into his face. He and his wife and baby, who were sleeping downstairs, had to climb out of the window in their night clothes and had no time to spare as the fire was fast enveloping the house. The Welkers had just installed a new soft coal stove and it is thought that the flu burned out and set the house afire. The house, containing six rooms, was burned to the ground and not a piece of furniture or clothing was saved from the ruins. The parents did not have time to pick up their own clothes. Escaping from the burning home Mr and Mrs. Walker and fishy went to the home of Levi Schafer, nearby, where they were cared for. The house was owned by Eph Heath. Mr. and Mrs. Welker carried $1,200 insurance on their household goods, but it was stated that the value of their furnishings was much more , than tiiat. It was stated that the household goods were insured only a few days ago. i o — i Detective Association Will Meet Saturday i The regular meeting of the Adams County Detective Association will he held Saturday. December 29, at 2:30 p. m. in the assembly room of the Old Adams County Bank and every ■ member is urqed to attend, v report iof the national convention, which was held at Terre Haute last October, will be made. The new journals of the convention will also be distributed t aeid the meeting promises to be one of real interest. During the vear tlm detective associations in Indiana aided in capturing 734 thieves. —o NEW RECORDER IS LEARNING DUTIES Ed Green Acquainting Himself With Office; Appoints Deputy County Recorder-elect Ed Green is acquainting himself with the duties of the office, which he will as- ; sume January 1. succeeding Joseph McConnell, who has served as county recorder for more than five years. Mr. Green has appointed Miss Alice Lenhart, daughter of Mr. and Mrs E. Burt Lenhart, of this city, as ■ his deputy and she has already started to work in the office. Mr. Green will devote most of hl? time to the office a«d will also continue to operate his taxi service when i business of the office does not de- ■ mand his services. He is also an - agent for an Insurance company and will continue to represen’. his company. i- Mr. Green was elected county re- -- corder last November. He has held z- county office before, being sheriff of e Adams County from 1915 to 1919. 2. Miss Ixmhart is a capable young lady a and will make a valuable assistant in the county recorder'" office.