Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 23, Number 3, Decatur, Adams County, 3 January 1925 — Page 1

Volume XXIII. Number 3.

HAWKINS FIGHTS RETURN TO INDIANA

COMMITTEE IS | NAMEO TO PLAN ANNUAL MEETING Three Men Appointed To Arrange For Industrial Association Meeting DINNER IS PLANNED Many Important Subjects Up For Discussion During Evening ————— « Avon Bark, president of the Decatur Industrial Association has appointed Walt Johnson. Fred Kolter and Will O’Brien as the committee to arrange plans and select the place for the annual meeting of the association to he held on Monday, January 12. It is planned to serve a dinner at Ihe meeting after which several hours wilt be devoted to adoptin ', a program for 1925. Every member of the association is invited to attend the meeting and ■ participate in helping to do some- j thing for Decatur. Subjects of inter j c*.#*, tMK’.h as a paid secretary, m i agriculture program and other propositions will be acted upon. The new survey books. “Facts About Decatur, Indiana.’’, will also he distributed to the members. President Bnrfc in discussing the 1925 program for Decatur, stated In an interview this mornlrg. K “The Decatur Industrial Association can feel very proud of its record for 1924. There are a lot of things UiftL«4onld have ,been done that ar > undone, bat 1524 has gone ams the j new year Is here. , “In order to do anything there 1 must be jmoney to do it with. The dues in the Decatur Industrial Association are not sufficient to meet any obligations. There should be either twice as many members in the association, or the dues shonld be 1 JlO.oflt per year. Some members of the lioard have suggested that we have a graduated membership fee according to the financial strength of each concern Different suggestions have been made along this line. Another suggestion came to us as follov.'s£ ‘All firms have a membership Te. of SIO.OO per year, and ' very indi vidua- that wishes membership should be charged a membership fee of $' 00. Thi would permit every farm r that cared to be a member, a mem lerohip fee at a nominal gum. \\'9 boh id have at least $3,000 to takesaro of the organization for the year V ( * “Wnfct do we want with the money? The rwnning expenses of the organization ire not so large. We have rent, light, water, postage, secretary's salary and; many other little expenses to take care of. that about takes core of the nsual dues that we .have. A • “This year we have in mind things that all takes money. Some of onr members think we/ should have a paid secretary that will devote his entire Continued On Page Five)

Daily Democrat Is 22 Years Old; Splendid Support Is Appreciated

The Decatur Daily Democrat is now twenty-two years old. To say the < least; we have enjoyed the one score ’ and two years existence in a community where friendship and home- ' loyalty mean so much. We have tried to be of service to the comt inunity and have endeavored to pror gross in a commercial way, in keeping with a progressive community. I We intend to serve when called upon, ttj During our anniversary month it ,i has been oar custom to invite our jllloyal subscribers, who receive the home paper by mail, to renew their x subscription for another year. With a continuance of the splendid support and co-operation shown us In the last 22 years we are sure that the future will warrant our taking t in activities of the community aud in being of -whatever service that, migfat be demanded of us. y vi $! *

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

I Directors Os Industrial Asociation Meet Monday An informal meeting of the directors of the Decatur Industrial Association and those Interested in the program for Dooatur and community for 1925 will* he lipid at the Industrial rooms Monday night, January 5. The meeting will he held at seventhirty and tflose Interested in discussing subjects of Interest to he adopted at the annual meeting on January 12 are invited to attend. Round table discussions Will be held. TO BE BROUGHT BACK FOR TRIAL To Brinj* McCleater Back From Reformatory For Fry’s Trial Judge Sutton today ordered a subpoena issued for Cleho MeCleator. a prisoner in the Indiana State Reformatory. commanding the superintendent of the reformatory to bring McCleater to Decatur to testify in : the trial of Elwood Fry next Wed- ! nesday morning. January 7. Fry is j charged with larceny in connection j with the holdup and robbery of I Homer P. Crum, store keeper at j Honduras, last. July. McCleater and Fry were both charged with the holdi up and McCleater pleaded guilty to the charge. He was sentenced to the reformatory. Fry entered a plea of not guilty and provided $2,000 bond I for his release. Attorney J. Fred Fmchte has bepn appointed assistant counsel for the state to assist ProseI cutor John T. Kelly in the prosecuj tion of the case. Killed By Shot Gun Trap Set To Catch Thieves Munole, Ind., Jan. 3.—Davie Shockley, 34, died at the Home hospital here today from wounds received this i morning when a shot gun set as a trap for thieves by Addie Burke, a farmer, was discharged. Burke, who lives on a farm near Middletown bad been bothered with thieves and concealed the gun in some loose grain. The men who were with Shockley at the time rushed him to the hospital where he died. o U. S. Representatives To Financial Parley Named (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Washington, Jan. 3 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Appointment of Ambassador Kellogg at London, Ambassador Herrick at Paris and Colonel James A. Logan, unofficial observer of the reparations commission, as the American representatives to the Paris financial conference January 7, was announced at the state department today. The inclusion of Kellogg as one of this country’s representatives was interpreted here as meaning this government will use the LondonDawes agreement as a 4 confirmation of its rights to collect $250,000,000 of American war claims from the reparations fund.

We kindly invite the subscribers to the Decatur Daily Democrat to renew their subscription now. By doing this you will be assured of receiving the paper every day of the year, for less than one cent a day and we hope you'll find the columns of the paper interesting and educational. We have a .calendar and account book which we are giving to subscribers as they renew and will be glad to have you call at our office and receive one, or we will mail one to you If you send your remittance by mail. With heartiest appreciation for past favors and hopes that the year 1335 will bear tor you in unstinted measure, Health, Happiness and Porsperity, we are. Your Home Newspaper, DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

DRILLING FOR OIUNCOUNTY 'Wells Being Drilled Near Monroe And Geneva; Few Are Producing Work on the drilling of an oil well on the J. N. liurkbead farm at the east edge of the town of Monroe is progressing nicely. The drive pipe has been landed in the rock, about eighty feet below the surface. As soon as the rock and slate have been penetrated the well will be cased and the drilling will progress rapidly from 1 that time on. Some delay was occasioned last week when water lines froze up and it was. necessary to shut down the “ driller for a few days. The lease on which the well is being drilled Is owned by Jacob Rawley. The drilling is being done by Floyd Kenyon, of Jay county. Mr. Rawley has more than 1500 acres leased in this vicinity. A well is being drilled a short distance north of Cleneva. also. Two or | three wells have been brought in in the Geneva locality recently and they , are said to I>p producing about forty barrels. _o State Highways Are Like Boulevards Now 1 Indianapolis, Jan. 3. — I.ike boulevards, is a term that can be oonscientiously applied to the major mileage of state gravel and stone surfaces now, John D. Williams, highway director, said in the commission's weekly traffic bulletin today. Reports from all districts show 4 , WtTTfams WnffSWEWtwr most surfaeoa are in excellent shape. Highway officials do not anticipate any serious breaks this winter in view of the large volume of work just completed at strengthing secondary types to withstand the rigors of freezes and thaws. IDENTIFY FOUR MEN AS BANDITS Ohio People Identify Men Arrested At Terre Haute As Robbers Van Wert. Ohio. Jan. 3.—Four men who robbed Jacob Sluterbeck, Union township farmer at his home last Saturday, were identified yesterday at Terre Haute. Ind., by Mr. Sluterbeck, his daughter, and Darius Albert, Paulding young man. The men, together with a woman, were arrested in an apartment house at Terre Haute Tuesday night by police and detectives armed with riot guns and accompanied by a United States post office inspector. Among those arrested was John E. Baldwin, 34, alias John Moran, under indictment a't Buffalo, charged with a robbery at East Rochester, N. Y„ December 14, 1923, of a mail messenger, in which a registered pouch containing $13,370 in bills and silver was stolen. Unless liberty through habeas corpus proceedings is obtained, Baldwin will be held to answer this charge, but it is probable that the other three men wil be brought back to Van Wert for the Sluterbeck robbery. These three are Martin Walsh, 30, Frederick Miller, 28, and Samuel Gallagher, 30. The woman in the apartment with them was Bessie Young, 23. When arraigned in city court at Terre Haute the bond of each was placed at $20,000. The five at once tried to free themselves through habeus corpus proceedings which were ignored in one court and then filed in another. Two of the men arrested in Terre Haute are believed by authorities of that city to be the pair who held up and robbed the Wayne Littlefield iewelrv store. 214 West Berry street, Fort Wayne, two wSeks ago, according to word from Terre Haute last night. The other two are thought (Continued On Page Four}

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, January 3, 1925.

I i Deaf and Dumb Woman Talked Her Deaf And Dumb Husband To Death Chicago, Jan. 3~ Although deaf j and dumb. Mrs. Allison Reynolds talked her husband sick, according to testimony introduced In court of domestic relations todayReynolds,, accused by his wife of non-support appeared in court 1 1 and told the judge through an ini terpreter bis wife nagged him i from morning to night until he s had gotten sick. Reynolds is also deaf and dumb. Whereupon the outraged Mrs. Reynolds opened fire with all tpn fingers going and the judge retreated in disorder, continuing the case on the docket. JESS J. BUTLER i DIES OF INJURY Former Adams County Man Lies Os Fractured Skull At Fort Wayne Jess J. Butler, age 43, a former Adams county resident, died at the Methodist hospital in Fort Wayne at 1 o’clock this morning from a fractured 3kull received when he was struck by an automobile driven by R. D. Mcßaver, of Fort Wayne, on the evening of December 23- The accident occured when Mr. Butler ran diagonally across the street and into the path of Mcßaver’s car which had already passed the intersection, according to the driver’s police report. Mr. Butler owned a grocery store i in FoH Wayne. He was married and the father of three children, Ber niece. Alice and Bobbie. Mr. Butler was born in Adams county in ISBI. He was a son of Albert Butler, former sheriff of Adams county. The parents now live in New Haven. Mr. Butler wis a nephew of Will, Sam and Ben Butler, of this city. Funeral arrangements have not been announcedo CONGRESS TODAY Senate Considers unobjected bills. Oouzens committee continues tax investigation. House Considers army appropriation bill. Appropriations committee begins work on independent offices supply bill. HARDING HIGHWAY MEETING JAN : 12 — Annual Meeting To Be Held At Marion, Ohio; To Plan For Future The annual meeting of the Harding Highway association w-ill be held at Marion, Ohio, January 12 and those Interested are invited to attend. Special trains to and from over the Erie have been arranged for. The morning session will include a report of the marking to date, miles improved, miles unimproved, future outlook. After a noon luncheon at the Marion club there will be an inspection of the highway and a visit to the president’s tomb, then a visit with Dr. G. T. Harding, father of the former president. At four o’clock a meeting of the directors will be held nd at 6:15 the big banquet. Delegations from each state will attend and soon after the meeting plans for the coming year will be announced. The road has been marked through this county, but it is quite likely that it will be changed to follow what ever route is decided upon by the state for the Huntington to Ohio state line route. , * IF eather Indiana: Cloudy tonight with light snow in north portion; Sunday mostly fair. Not much change in temperature.

HOSPITAL GETS HAY MACHINE T Trustees Purchase Portable Machine For Memorial Hospital Delivery of the Victor portable bed-side X-Ray machine, which the trustees of the Adams County Memorial hospital purchased for the hospital this week, Is expected sometime within the next thirty days. Miss Emllic C. Christ, superintendent of the hospital, stated this morning. The X-Ray machine was purchased through a representative of the Fort Wayne General Electric company. The machine is manufactured by the G. E. company. A room is being fitted on the first i floor of the hospital as a developing room and local physicians who have patients at the hospital and need the use of ttie machine will be permitted 4 to use it. 1 The developing room will be in charge of Miss Christ. The new device will prove a great convenience at the hospital. The machine cost • approximately SI,OOO, including all , equipment. ( o Fetters Taken To Prison * Celina. Ohio. Jan. 3. —Sheriff Char- , les Creeden and Deputy Otto Vonder - Haar took James Fetters to Mansfield 1 Thursday, where he will start serv- ’ ing his sentence in the reformatory. 1 He was found guilty recently by a ■ jury of manslaughter and sentenced 4 by Judge Barnes on Wednesday to serve a term of one to 20 years. FI —— O1 Fireman Killed At Work (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Philadephia, Jan. 3.—One fireman was killed, two others, injured and ’j more than 200 persons were driven from iheir homes when a $750,600 fire swept two buildings here today. i o RELIGIOUS CENSUS NOT FINISHED YET Ministers Os City Making Effort To Finish Task * Soon An effort is being made by the min-1 i isters and members of the local churches to complete the religious census of Decatur within the very near future. Sponsored by the Decatur Minisiterial Association, the first canvas of J the homes was made early in October land three-fourths of the homes have been visited by the solicitors. It was stated that only seven small districts remained to be canvassed and when the people in those sections have i been interviewed as to their church or religious affiliations, or preference given, the canvassers will again j make a double-check of the homes visited in October. Rev. B. N. (’overt, pastor of the Presbyterian church is director of the census and the report cards have; 1 been turned over to him. The hope ; of the Ministerial Association is to find out how many church-going members there are in Decatur, their religious affiiliations and if they do not belong (o any church, to obtain their | preferance. These' perference cards will then be turned over to the pastor of the church, which the individual has a perference for. ' If the public can be of any assist- | ance to the solicitors or aid in cotn- . pleting the census in qiuck order, ’ their efforts will be greatly appreciat- ! ed by all tfoncerned. i ' 0 Revival To Begin At Honduras Monday Night Revival meetings will begin Monday, January 5, at the Zion Christen : church at Honduras. The services ■ will be conducted by the J. F. Parter - and wife. The public is cordially invited to attend the services.

Mrs. C. C. Schafer Is Removed To Home Today Mrs. 0. C. Schafer was removed ( from (he Adams County Memorial hospital to her home on North Second street today. Mrs- Schafer undi erwent a serious operation at the hospital about five»weeks ago. Al though her condition was serious for several weeks, she gained strength and within the last two weeks lias been progressing, nicely. She was ‘ able io walk from the hospital to her 4 car today. ; MILLER WILL IS SET ASIDE Court Finds That The Will Os The Late Michael Miller Is Void The will of the late Michael Miller was declared void and the probate of the said will was ordered revoked 1 and set aside by Judge Sutton, in circuit, court, after he had heard the ! evidence offered in the suit brought by the widow 4 , Mary Miller, to contest 1 the will. The court found that the will was written on July 7. 1922, that Mr. Miller was unmarried at that I j time, and that Mr, Miller was married to the plaintiff, Mary Miller, after that date, thereby making the' will void. The estate will now re- j vert to the widow. Several parties! received bequests in the will, including the St. Mary's Catholic church. Charges S. Niblick was administrator of the will. New Year’s Services At First Evangelical Church A unique New Year's service will be held Sunday evening at the First Evangelical church. It will be a | candle service. The pastor. Rev.] R. W. Loose, will be assisted by 1 twelve girls from Mrs. Avery's Bible class. Every adult in the congrega- ' tion will be given a candle during j the service. Friends are cordially invited to worship with the memberj ship. The service begins at 7:00 p I n). Mrs. Frances Vail Has Position In Indianapolis Mrs. Frances Ward Vail, formerly of this city and who for two years ' past has had charge of the fancy ] j work and hosiery department of the 1 I Boston Store, at Cary, Indiana, lVas been selected to have charge of the, hosiery department of the Wasson | store at Indianapolis, according to word received today by Mr. and Mrs. 1 H. L. Conter who are visiting hereMrs. Vail will begin her new duties 1 January 12 and will be assistant buyer as well as manager of ber depart- ' ment. The Wasson store is one of 1 the largest retail establishments in Indianapolis and the position which 1 | Mrs. Vail will hold is a responsible 1 | one with a future. Her many friends here will be glad to hear of this 1 recognition of her ability and this proof that she is more than making good. ~

Prohibition Made Little Progress In 1924 If Matter Os Drunks Is Index

(UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Washington, Jan. 3.—Prohibition made little headway in 1924 if arrests for drunkenness may be taken an index, according to statistics from 37 principal cities throughout the nation gathered by the United Press today. Arrests for intoxication in the year just ended were in practically the ratio as 1923, 233.916 arrests being made in the 37 cities during the year, compared to 230,209 for the preceding year. ; Police officials in nearly all cities saw little change inthe drinking situation as far as their blotter records go and they considered this a good - indication of the extent of , public drinking. Philadelphia, Butlerized Police force led the country in arrests, but

Price 2 Cents.

DIRECTS FIGHT FROM HIS CELL IN DAYTON JAIL Former Head Os Mortgage Company Fighting To Escape Trial HEARING ON JAN. 12 Will Be Unable To Provide $20,000 Bond For Release From Jail (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Dayton, 0., Jan. 3.—Despite financial ruin and breaking health, Morton Hawkins, former head of the Hawkins Mortgage company, of Portland, Ind., from his cell in jail here today directed the fight to prevent his removal to Indianapolis for trial in federal court on charges of fraudulent use of the mails. It seemed certain that he would be unable to provide the $20,000 bond under which he was placed by Andrew Iddings, United States commissioner, to bind his appearance here on Jan. 12 at a hearing on his re- ] moval to Indianapolis. The commissioner’s hearing re- ! suited in at least a temporary victory for Hawkins and the prisoner announced he would carry the battle against removal to thp supreme court if necessary. Every legal technicality will be brought into play in his behalf, it was indicated. Fred Warner, of Marlon, D.. his attorney, said he would attack the sufficiency and legality of the indictment against, j Hawkins, the jurisdiction of the I court, the manner of selecting Judge | Geiger to hear his case in Indianap- ; oXs, and the organization of the grand i jury which indicted hint. The government was unrepresented by council at the hearing and Hawkins and his attorneys availed themselves of the opportunity to fight the proceedings bitterly. Hawkins’ mother arrived in Dayton late yesterday and was permitted to talk with her son for more than an hour. Tears came in Hawkins’ eyes when he was informed that his mother was waiting in the jail office and if was with difficulty that he composed himself for the interview. Indianapolis, Jan. 3. —Homer Elliott, U. S. district attorney, today asked the department of justice at Washington to designate one of his assistants to represent the government in removal proceedings against Morton Hawkins, former head of the Hawkins Mortgage Co., at Dayton, Ohio. Elliott said it was doubtful whether he could be present himself at the hearing in Dayton, on Jan. 12. The district attorney was confident that the government would win its fight for the removal of Hawkins to Indianapolis to stand trial on charges of fradulent use of the mails regardless of the attempt attorneys for Hawkins will make to evade removal on' legal technicalities.

it was emphasized the sobriety of cities cannot be judged from the number of arrests made, owing to the ditference In police methods in the vaiious municipalities. In the Quaker City 49,501 intoxicated persons were taken in custody during thhe year, while five boroughs of New York, with a far greater population showed only 10.783. Far Boston with 39,536 drunks, and Buffalo with 12,300 .were ahead of he Metropolis. The sariie condition prevailed in the middlewest where Cleveland, ■ with a much smaller population than Chicago .showed a far grater number of arrests. n the south and seaboard sections, Atlanta led with 7,399 arrests and on the Pacific coast Los Angeles with 9,525.