Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 22, Number 308, Decatur, Adams County, 29 December 1924 — Page 1

XXII. Number 308.

FOUR MEMBERS OF FAMILY MURDERED

(congress back I AT WORK AFTER I SHORT RECESS ■Little Business Expected To I Be Transacted This Week, However Lil ATION UNCHANGED ■Views On Postal Salary And Muscle Shoals Bills Show No Change I ißy Paul Malibu) I (i nitc-a Press Staff Correspondent) i | Washington. .Dec. 29. -- Congress l anif . back from its Christmas holi-i | ( 'py today but under a gentleman'si 1..-cement no business will be trans Lfted this week if it can be avoided. |?he big fights'over Muscle Shoals, [,nd postal pay rates will go over luntil next Monday. I The house plans to go immediately I into the appropriation measures that |., r ,. waiting action. The senate may I , nd a few flays considering unI objected minor bills on the calendar I Wore adjourning for New Year's day I and the week end. I The situation after the week's rest li 3 littie changed. Those in the senate who are championing the Coolidge , plan of paying a 168,000,000 raise in the salary to postal employes by increasing postal rates are preparing ■ to conclude their committee hearings end report the bill to the Senate. This will be done before the end of the week. The plan of publishers to post--.-me action upon yie administration bill has been rejected. The drift away from the Under wood Muscle Shoals bill still is apparent and republican leaders believe it will be defeated and the Jones plan of referring the Shoals problem to a commission adopted. With debate cut by leaders to the minimum to expedite its passage, the house today was scheduled to consider the treasury and postoffice appropriation bills. o Calvary Ladies Aid To Hold An Oyster Supper The Mt. Calvary Ladies Aid of the Evangelical church will meet Wednesday evening at th ehome of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Miller, near the Schnepp school house, where an oyster supper will be served. The members, their families and friends are invite dto attend the women are urged to bring pies with them. A fine program is being arranged for meeting. AGED RESIDENT OF COUNTY DIES Hannah Erhart Dies At Age Os 92 Years At County Infirmary Mrs. Hannah F. Erhart, age 92 years, a resident of Adams county for •he last fifty-eight years, died at the Adams county infirmary at 3 o’clock Sunday afternoon. Death was due to senility. Mrs. Hannah Franks Erhart, was born in Germany, February 3, 1832. She came to America in 1848 and settled in Piqua, Ohio. Fifty-eight years ago she came to Adams county. Mrs. Erhart was married twice, her first husband, Henry Thomas, having died in 1879. Her second husband, U- Erhart, died eight years ago. She had been on inmate of the infirmary since last February. Mrs. Erhart is survived by one son, Herman Thomas, who resides one •nile south and one mile west of i Honduras, in Kirkland township; and one sister, Mrs. Charlotte Scheeler, of Piqua, Ohio. Funeral services will be held from the infirmary at 1 o’clock Wednesday afternoon. Burial will be made in the cemtery at Honduras.

DECATTTH

Medals For American ‘ Round The World Flyers I (UNITED PftFiss SERVICE) Washington, Dec. 29.—The American army round the world flyers will i awarded distinguished service ( modaa and four to fift.-n years adv. ncement in the army's seniority promotion list, by the i..g iHlalion l(> recommended to congress by the administration ,tho war department announced today. ■ ■ II I Q SHOT MAT PROVE FATAL 10 CHILD * Five-Year-Old Bov Accidentally Shot By Father Near Berne Cletus Bollinger, five-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hollinger, of j Fort Wayne, lies in a critical con- . dition at the Adams County Memorial hospital as the result of being accidently shot through the abdomen i with a .22 calibre rifle last Friday I morning, at the home of his grandfather near Berne. The shot was ’ fired from a gun in the hands of the lad’s father who was assisting at a butchering on his father-in-law’s I farm. The shot entered the child’s ab- ■ domett in front, penetrated the bowels | and lodged in the back. The bullet was removed. Il was reported today i that the child lias small chances of j recover)’. Mr. Bollinger was loading the rifle and when he attempted to close the magazine the weapon was discharged land the bullet struck the child. The lad was brought to the hospital here i where every effort possible is being .-made tajuve lus -Use. . The Bollinger family formerly resided in Bluffton, but recently moved ■ to Fort Wayne. o AUCTION SCHOOL IS OPENED TODAY About Twenty Students On Hand For Opening Session This Morning The annual mid-winter term of' the Reppert School of Auctioneering' j opened this morning. About twenty | ; students were on hands for the opening session of the school. Several i ! more are expected to arrive during the next two or three days. The school is being held in the room formerly occupied by the Old Adams County Bank at the corner of Second and Monroe streets. Practically all of the instructors have arrived to begin their work. The schoolj will continue for three weeks. The, daily auction sales will be started within a few days. ’ Lodge Buys Health Bond The Pocahontas lodge has purchas- , led a five-doliar Health Bond, W. Guy| Brown, county chairman in charge of the Christmas Seal sale, stated today The sale of Health Bonds will be kept open for a week or ten days yet to enable other lodges and organizations to purchase bonds- Several lot the organizations have held no meetings to take action on the mat-| ter since the sale opened. The sale of the Christinas Seals has ended. . Fry Released From Jail Elwood Fry, Adams county youth' who was arrested on a grand jury indictment charging him with robbery and automobile banditry ■ Friday, was released from the county jail Saturday evening when he pro vlded bond in the sum of StreerCornmissiojer Has Paralytic StioKe i Ed Augenbaugh, city street commissioner. was feeling much belt - toda y and was able to walk m the day. - u

CALIFORNIA VOLCANO AGAIN REPORTED IN ERUPTION »• « • . **'’**‘.'l I' 1 -•_<. . jt ? ■ The above picture shows Lassen peak, the only acti/e volcano in the continental United States, which is reported active for the first time . Ince 1915.

COMMISSIONERS HOLO SPECIAL; SESSION TODAY I Allow Claims And Pay Bills Today; Defer Naming Os Hospital Trustee ' RE-ORGANIZE JAN. 1 1 Road Matters May Come Up At January Or February j Sessions The county commissioners met in special session this morning at the curt house and the forenoon was i devoted to cheeking up and allowing bills, it being desired to have all claims against the county paid befor* the close of the year. At noon the commissioners. Ernst Conrad, B. F Ereiner and George Shoemaker visited the County infirmary Where they were the guests of Supt. and Mrs. II I’. LaFountain. They also (Continued On Page Five) o SALESMEN HOLD ANNUAL MEETING Annual Conference Os Schafer Co., Salesmen Opens Here Today The annual conference of the I Schafer Company's salesmen open|ed today at the local office of the I company on First street. Ihe conference will last for the next three days * and on Tuesday evening the sales 1 /ten and employes of the compan.' will be the guests of the management at a banquet to be served at the Masonic hall Seventeen of the twenty salesmen were present at the opening of the conference this morning. Matters pertaining to the trade and subjects of interest to the salesmen and the office management were discuss'd ( I'he Schafer salesmen cover a wide territory including Indiana. Ohio and parts of Michigan and Illinois. Besides the wholesale hardware line, the company deals in electrical, radio, wood, saddlery, paints and other supplies. The wholesale house occupies the three-story buildings at the corner of Madison and First streets, north of the alley, giving it many thousand feet of floor spaceC c Schafer, general manager and founder of the Schafer Company, stated that the volume of business enjoyed during 1924 showed a substantial increase over the previous var and that the company was anticipating good business during 1925. The company employs between «j and SO people, including the salesmfcn. Twenty-five people are employed in the office alone.

DAILY DEMOCRAT

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, December 29. 1924.

Home Economics Club Os St. Marys Township to Meet The St. Marys township Home I Economics club will meet Wednesday afternoon at one-thirty with Mrs. ('. F. Nyffler. All those interested in the work are urged to attend the | meeting. Plans for county roundup of the Home Economics clubs will be made and every member is invited to participate. The different homes economics clubs in the county are planning to display their work in this city in the near future. MOT TOWNSHIP LADY ISDEAD Mrs. Henry Getting Dies Saturday; Spent Entire Life In Adams Co. Sophie Getting, age 72 years, wife of Henry C. Getting, died Saturdayevening at 6:15 o’clock at her home in Root township. Mrs. Getting was born in Root township. September 14, 1852. and spent her entire life in that township. She was married to Henry Getting, October 21. 1875. Mrs. Getting is survived by her | husband; two song, Henry L. at i home, and Carl H., of Harlan; three daughters, Mrs. Lydia Fuhrman, of I Preble township, and Mrs. Emlie Scheuman and Mrs. Emma Scheuman, both of Allen township; one sister, Mrs. Fred Heine, of New Haven; and five brothers. Jacob, Henry and Charles Fuelling,-of Root township, Fred Fuelling of Woodburn, and the Rev. Martin Fuelling, of Chicago. Funeral services will be held Thursday morning at 10 o’clock, at the home and at 10:30 o’clock from the St. Johns Lutheran church north of the city, the Rev. Truelsch officiating. Burial in tips church cemetery. o — NO VERDICT IN M’COY CASE YET ‘Jury Retires For Fourth Day’s Deliberation Jn Murder Trial (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Los Angeles, Cal.. Dec. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat) — Jurors started their fourth day of deliberation over the fate of Kid McCoy charged with murdering Mrs. Theresa Mors at 9:10 a. m. today. The nine women and three men on the jury appeared refreshed after a long nght’s sleep as they entered the jury room. A verdict is expected today. Weather Light snow probable tonight and Tuesday; not so cold.

MERCURY DOES COMEBACK AFTER TAKING PLUNGE Temperature Fell To 20 Below Early Sunday; 25 Above This A. M. NO SUFFERING HERE Several Telephone Lines Snap; Fire Department Has No Calls The mercury was climbing today and at about two o’clock this afternoon street thermometers registered from 22 to 25 above. This is a change of about 40 to 45 degrees warmer than Sunday morning at eight o’clock when local thermometers registered from 15 to 20 below zero. The government weather bureau station at Ft. Wayne reported 17 degrees beolw zero at eight o'clock Sunday morning, the coldest point reach(Continued on page two) o COUNTY CLERK TO HAVE NEW DEPUTY Miss Bernice Nelson To Become Deputy In Father’s Office Jan. 1 Miss Bernice Nelson will become deputy county clerk under her slather, John E. Nelson. Adams county clerk, on New Year's day, succeeding Mrs. Vincent Borman, who has been tho efficient deputy clerk since January 1, 192 Mrs. Borinan has tendered her resignation as deputy county clerk as she is going to move to ' Huntington to join her husband who | iis tho assistant manager of the | Cloverleaf Creamery plant, at that jNlace. Mr. Borman has been located in Huntington for the past several { ’ months and Mrs. Bormau has been living her with her parents. Mr. and Mrs- E. F. Gass. Miss Nelson was graduated from i the Decatur high school last May and since that time has been serving as a clerk in the county clerk's office. She is qualified for the placff and I knows the routine of the office. Mrs. Borman served as a clerk in the county clerk's office for several .years previous to being appointed deputy by Mr. Nelson and those who frequent the c'-.-k’s office or transact business there will vouch for her ability and accomodating manner j She has been a capable deputy and those about the court house regret to see her leave. For the present, an extra clerk will not be appointed in the clerk's office, Mr. Nelson stated this morning.

Granddaughter Os General 1 Ulysses S. Grant Ends Life; San Francisco. Doe. 29—(Special to Daily Democrat)—Mrs. Fanny G. Purdy, granddaughter of General ] Ulysses S. Grant, leaped from the I sixth floor of a hospital here Sunday and was killed Mrs. Purdy was being treated for a nervous breakdown Her condition is said to have been brought by sickness and financial troubles. - ■■ -o DAMAGE SUIT GOES ON TRIAL Judgment For $13,000 Damages Asked In Two Suits On Tria! Here The case of Gottlieb Kraemer, next friend to Hugo Wengert. against E. J. Fricke, and of Gottlieb Kraemer against E. J. Fricke suits for damages as the result of an automobile ac cident which occured on the Fort Wayne road on April 13, went on trial before Judge Sutton and a Jury in the circuit court this morning. Mr. Kraemer Is demanding judgment for >lO.-1 000 damages for personal injuries al- j leged to have been sustained by the j boy, Hugo Wengert. and $3,000 for damages to his automobile. The accident occurred near the nine mile house. Attorney William Fruchtenlcht, of | Fort Wayne, represents the plaintiff, j and Attbrney Dore B. Erwin, of De ■ catur is appearing for the defendant. I The members of the jury hearing the i case are: Russell Long, Henry Diebrick, Godfrey Lehrman, Martin Kelter. William Mitchell. Samuel Beeler, Melvin Malonee, Marcellus Davidsen, George Hough. John Stelgmeyer William Beineke and Frank Meadstine. O x ASSESS DAMAGES INROAD MATTER Aporaisers File Report On Condemnation Os Land For State Road The appraisers, A. R. Bell, George H. Rice and John Brown, appointed Uy Judge J. C. Sutton in the case of the State of Indiana vs. James A. | I Hendricks and Dr. and Mrs. M. F. Parrish, relative to the condemnation of land for highway purposes and the ' fixing of benefits and damages in the matter have filed their report with the clerk of the Adams Circuit Court. The appraisers met at the County . Clerk's office last Monday, but their report was not spread on record until Saturday. It was approved by the court. According to their report no benefits were assessed against the property owners and damages of $650.00 were awarded Mr. Hendricks and $473.75 to Dr. and Mrs. Parrish. Their findings relative to the damages due the property owners was as followed: Mr. Hendricks. 3.2 acres condemned; value of land at $l5O per acre, $450.00; damages to fence etc.. S2OO. 00; total damages due to Mr. Hendricks. $650.00. Dr. and Mrs. Parrish. 2 acres condemned; value of land. $150.00 per acre, $300.00; damages to fence, $173.75; total damages due property owners. $473.75. It was stated that Mr. Hendricks had asked $750.00, while Dr. Parrish had asked $1,000.00 for the land re-] Iqnired by the state for the improvement of state road number 21. j The land involved is that stretch] north of Monroe, beginning at the Hendricks farm and continuing north east the Parrish farm on the west side of the Pennsylvania railroad] •racks and west of the present! road . The state highway commission wishes to eliminate the curves crossing over the Pennsylvania in Monroe and north of Monroe and with the lan don the west side of the track a new road would be constructed.

Price 2 Cents.

BODIES OF FOUR FOUND ON A FARM NEAR LOGANSPORT All Killed With Shotgun; One Member Os Family Is Missing DAUGHTER SUSPECTED Tragedy Believed To Be Culmination Os A Family Quarrel Logansport, Ind., Dec. 29.—Mrs. Mary Hobough, who fled from the home of her father, Henry Bassler, today, after four members of the family had been murdered, was taken into custoda.v late this afternoon and is being brought to the jail here for questioning. The woman was arrested at the home of Mr. Thomas Sheetz, a farmer living four miles from the scene of the tragedy. Sheriff Bowyer, who made the arrest, was guided to the Sheetz home by neighbors who said they saw Mrs. Hobough enter the home about 10 o’clock in the morning. The woman refused to discuss the murders or to answer the questions of Sheriff Bowyer. She talked incoherently of being mistreated at home. She was placed under arrest and apneared to ; be in a highly nervous state. • UNITED PPI'PS SERVICE) I ngansnort. Ind.. Dec. 29— (K-v-'ial to Daily Democrat) — Radios of four members of the family of Henrv Ras’lor. 69. a farmer living eight miles north of here, were found dead on the farm at noon todav. They had been killed with a shotgun. The gun and several rinntv shells were found near the house. The dead: Henrv Bassler; Ffilherine Bassler. 60. Ills wife; ' r io l a Hobough. his grandAnunlifer 3 years old: John p-x-cb-r 22. his son. The tons of the heads of ’hree of the victims were shot ! awav. The bodies of Bassler j and the little ffirl were found in the house. Those of his son and his wife were found in the yard near the home. Mrs. Mary Hobough, daughter of I Bassler and mother of the murdered (Continued on page two) WAG VETERANS NAME OFFICERS John D. Andrews Elected Commander Os Spanish War Veterans John D .Andrews was elected commander of the Arthur B. Miller Post, No. 53 of the United Spanish American War Veterans at a meeting of the post held in the American Legion hall on North Second street Sunday after noon. Mr. Andrews succeeds O. L. Brentlinger, who moved to Ft, Wayne | last fall. All of the other old officers were Ire-elected yesterday. They are; John IM. Lenhart, senior, vice-commander; Jesse B. Roop, Junior; Charles Brothers, adjutant -.Charles Kitson, i quarter master. About twelve mem- | bers of the post attended the meeting yesterday. The post has a membership of about nineteen at present. Mr. Andrews stated today that he would call a meeting of the post in the near future at which time plans . for the year will be discussed. The new officers were installed at tin I meeting yesterday by R- D. Myers..