Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 23, Number 26, Decatur, Adams County, 30 January 1925 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Volume XXIII Number 2S.

MAN’S BODY IS FOUND IN TILE KILN

ffIIANS PLAN ffIRDISTRICT MEETING HERE I odges From Five Counties ' Planning To Be Here February 5 STATE HOME PLANS Grand Chancellor Erwin Explains Steps Taken ‘ For New Home \ very interesting meeting was i held at the Kn of Pythias lodge ] aM evening, all the officers bei ing 'present and a large attendance [ cf the members. The principal business transacted vas the arrangement for the sub-dis-trier treating to be held in this city nil next Thursday, in which the lodges of Blackford. Wells. Grant, Wabash. Jlrxtington and Adams counties will participate. Distrct Deputy F. 11. Roberts, of LaFontaine, will preside at the meeting. To Initiate Candidates A class of candidates from Diackford. Wells and Adams counties will fie initiated. The ritualistic ’ work »11 ie given by the Grand ixidge officers, after which the Lesson of Friendship will be exemplified by the local dramatic team, recently organitwl in this city. This team is com-p..-><l of about twenty members, all cf whom are proficient in their work and make a good showing. The : Pythian Male Quartet will render sevral selections. A detailed program el! iie published on next Monday. ** Harry Wade, chairman of tfio Pythian Home Fund Committee, will be present and give an address, and Carl R. Mitchell, Grand Keeper of Records and Seal, will give a stereoptiean exhibit of Pythian Homes in other states. At the meeting last night an executive committee was appointed to have charge of the campaign for the collection of donations for the Pythian Home to be built in Indiana next year. The committee will meet tonight at the Pythian Home and the names of the members will be divided among the solicitors and every member who has not already made his donation will be called upon in the next week to make his donation. Much Interest Shown Grand Chancellor Dore B. Erwin, of this city, was present at last eveflings meeting and gave a talk on the success of the district meetings held throughout the state, the last one of which was held at Franklin. He reported much interest manifested in (Continued on page two) o— UNION TOWNSHIP INSTITUTE FEB. 3 Basket Dinner Planned For Aoon Hour; Sessions At Kohr School i-' ' D. Spuller, chairman of the Union township farmers institute, has an"ounced that a basket dinner is be- [ llg planned for the noon hour when rniers and their families can enjoy old-fashioned dinner, where everyy gathers ’round the table and eats o s heart’s content of all the good ongs the farm women prepare. The swsioiis of the institute will be held “ the Kohr school building, about six • es north-east of Decatur, on next luesday, February 3. Morton Fordice, of Russellto e w a n ", Mr ' V ' V ’ Clarkc ’ ° f Brls ’ • i deliver the addresses during ' a> sessions an< l subjects have tX /. eCted Which wl » be ins to an farmers and their fambo fn'r ° attend - Other numbers will the n Bed by I<M:al peo I l,e - making ,:x." •• - Pared \ n ' ne pr ° Kram has been pre- °« agrin i? hlCh Ume motloll Pictures It cu'tura.! subjects will be shown. ’Peaker* 0 «'t n ' led to have a special in the ev Sc ; h001 chil(,ren wi >l assist he evening program.

Sorority To (Jive Bed Spread Away Saturday The hand embroidered bed spread set, which Was on display in the Beavers & Fryback Furniture store • 1 window several days ago, w'H be giv--1 I en away by the Psi lota Xi Sorority ' Saturday, Auto Day, at 1:15 o’clock. I The drawing will take place just before the Merchants' drawing ,and I will be given from the platform at Monroe and Second streets. o 10. E. LECTURER TO SPEAK HERE Charles M. Ripley To Give Lecture In This City February 4 Charles M. Ripley, of Schenectady, New York, consulting engineer and w'dely known lecturer of the General Electric company, will give a lecture at the high school auditorium in this city next Wednesday evening. Feb. 1. The subject of Mr. Ripley’s lee-1 ture will bo "A 25.000-Mile Trip Over Europe in an Airplane." Mr. Ripley is an interesting speaker. He has appeared in this city before. under the auspices of the General Electric company, and those who heard him enjoyed his talks immensely. The lecture will be free and the public is invited to attend. o BULLETIN (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Washington, Jan. 30. — The nostal bill, granting a $68,000,000 wage increase to postal service employes and re-adjusting ooslal rates to meet the added expense was passed by the senate this afternoon by a vote of 70 to 8. The bill now goes to ’he house. I ■■■■ 0 — Jury Holds Fate Os Col. Charles R. Forhes Chicago, Jan. 30.—(United Press.) —Cautioning against the testimony of Elias H. Mortimer, star government witness, because Mortimer is “an admitted crook.” Feedral Judge Carpenter today placed the fate of Colonel Charles R. Forbes. former head of the veterans bureau, and John W. Thompson, St. Louis, contractor. charged with conspiring to defraud the government, in the hands of the jury. Judge Carpenter warned the jurors, however, that if they were satisfied that Mortimer was telling the truth, they should accept his testimony. o Relative Os Local People Hurt In Wreck Mr. and Mrs. John Kelly, of Johns street, and their daughter, Mrs. A. Boyd and family of Lansing, Michigan. a»d Mr. Robert Chronister, of south of the city, returned last night from Van Wert, Ohio, where they were called on account of an injury to Mrs. Charles Riggen. Mrs. Riggen, who is a sister of Mr. Kelly, was seriously hurt in an automobile accident last Monday while enroute to this city to attend the funeral of Mrs. Robert Chronister, who died of injuries sustained in the railroad crash at the Adams street crossing here on January 11. Mrs. Riggen was thrown against the steering wheel, splintering ' the pelvic bone and causing internal ' injuries. o i Two “Lifers” Paroled By Gov. Jackson Today Indianapolis, Jan. 30 —(Special to - Daily Democrat)—-Governor Ed Jack- - son today approved all recommenda- ; tions of the state pardon board in > the first report submitted to him • since he became governor. Eight persons were paroled includl ing Robert Griffith, Knox county ; and Otto Auman. Parke county, both 3 sentenced for life. Thirty-five petitions for clemency i- were refused by the governor on s recommendations of the pardon i. board. 1 Petitions refused included that of t Lawrence Vardaman sentenced from Wells county for forgery.

MEANS AND COL FELDER FOUND GUILTY TODAI Former Department Os Justice Agent Convicted Os Conspiracy SENT TO PENITENTIARY Means Sentenced To Serve Two Years; Felder Fined SIO,OOO — (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) New York. Jan. 30—(Special to I Daily Democrat) —Found guilty of a conspiracy to defeat justice Ga- ton i B. Means, former agent of the depart- ' meat of justice, was sentenced today to two years in Atlanta penitenti try I and fineil SIO,OOO. Colonel Thomas B. Felder, n Nev York lawyer, who was found guilty i together with Means, was fined! $lO 000. Both Means and Colonel Felder, were affected at the verdict, although | after Elmer Jarnecke, the former’s secretary, had turned state’s ovi 1 dence, there was little doubt as to what the jury, which reitr,ed late yesterday after a charge by Federal Judge Walter Lindley- would decide ; Means Is under $25,000 bail pend | I ing appeal from his conviction for I violation of the Volstead act and an I additional sls 000 bail covering anI other indictment. His bail of SIO,OOO iA -tha casju. furnished by Frank A. Vanderlip, was cancelled. Both defendants claimed to be in poor health. Colonel Felder is 70 years old. He was represented at the trial which ended yesterday by Frank P. Walsh. CHICAGO GRAIN CLOSE Wheat—May. $2.03%; July, $1.71%. Sept. $1|.57%. Corn—May, $L35%; July sl-36%. Oats—May 63%c; July 64%c; Sept. 60%c. o — DEMDCRATS WILL NAME CHAIRMAN Precinct Committeemen To Elect City Chairman February 7 Daniel H. Tyndall, democratic county chairman, issued a call today for a meeting of the precinct committeemen in Decatur, to meet at Democratic headquarters, above the Decatur Daily Democrat office, on Saturday afternoon, February 7. at 1:30 o’clock, for the purpose of electing a city chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary and treasurer of the city Democratic committee. According to the rules of the Democratic state central committee, the county chairman shall call the meeting and preside as temporary chairman at the meeting, in the event that there is no city chairman. J. O. Sellemeyer was city in the last city election, but about two years ago he moved to Los Angeles and a successor has not been appointed. J At the meet on February 7, the six precinct committeemen in * Decatur will elect a new city chairman and other officers of the city committee. Mr. Tyndall, being county chairman of the Democratic party, has issued the formal call for the meeting, in compliance with a notice sent to him by Walter S. Chambers, state Democratic chairman. The six Democratic committeemen in Decatur are. Fred Mills. Charles Yager, Daniel H. Tyndall, Joe Hunter. R. J. Harting and Tillman Gerber. Anthough no active candidate is . working for the place, it was stated i that several receptive candidates were casting their eyes towards the : appointment. The city chairman will 1 have charge of the coming city election next May.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, January 30, 1925.

Miss Esther Sellemeyer Leaves For California Miss Esther Sellemeyer. who has been visiting with relatives hero for ’ Hie post year or more, loft Wednesday night for Berkley. California, I where she will enter the University tlieii. Miss Sellemeyer spent six year as a missionary to China from he local Zion Reformed church, and is now enjoying a two-year furlough in this country. She intends to return to China, next year, her health | permitting- ’Her parents, Mr. and i Mrs. A. H. Sellemeyer, who accompanied her here in October, 1923, reI turned to their home in Los Angeles, after the holidays. Esther was acI companies by Miss Bertha Graber, ■of Robertsville, Ohio, who was a i-las'.mat# at Heidelberg university. ANOTHER LARGE CROWD SEES PLAY Seniors Play To Large Audience On Second Night Os Production Another large audience witnessed !:e second performance of the sen- | ior class play. “Billy'.” at the high I school auditorium last night. The I audience was almost as large as the I first night. The members of the cast did remarkably well again last night and I bowed improvement over their first! j sight acting, they having become' more accustomed to their makeups: md having cast off all stage fright. The specialties were well received again last night. Miss Mildred But•er. who entertained the audience be- • :ween acts Wednesday with a number of piano solos, again furnished music last night. The members of the senior class and those having to do with the training of the cast and management of the play are well pleased with the i support accorded »by the public. Wheat Takes A Small Drop This Afternoon (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Chicago. Jan. 30 —(Special to Daily Deinorat) —Selling orders pilled into the Chicago board of trade today in I such volume that May wheat which | today shot up to $2.05% a bushel fell off to $2.03% at the close. Profit taking was held responsible. —o THREE OVERCOME BY COAL FUMES Mrs. Anna Laman And Daughters Narrowly Escape Asphyxiation Mrs. Anna Laman and her two daughters, Misses Neva and Naomi, were nearly asphyxiated a few nights ago at their home at Battle Creek, Michigan. The pipe whicli leads from the furnace to the chimney came aapart, filling the basement with coal gas which permeated the house and only the timely arrival of the man who looks after the furnace saved their lives. Mrs. Laman was just recovering from a four week's illnes* with pneumonia and consequently her condition was the worst. A physician and a trained nurse, who were called immediately by a neighbor who found Mrs. Laman and both of the girls unconscious, feared that Mrs. Laman, because of the bad condition of her and the gas filled lungs, could not possibly recover. Word today, however, was that all three of the patients are practically out of danger, but are weak and will i require a few days to recuperate, i They had a very narrow escape and ■ are thanking the furnace man for his . appearance so early in the morning. , -— Weather ) 1 Fair tonight and Saturday. Some - what warmer Saturday in ext’■erne south portion.

1 PUBLIC SERVICE : COMMISSION BILL DEFEATED TODAY — ’ State Senate Refuses To Give More Power To i Commission i HOT DEBATES HELD — Bill Introduced To Increase Tax On Gasoline To i Three Cents (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) ; Indianapolis. Jan. 30 —(Special to i Daily Democrat) —A second bill to '[strengthen the hand of the state pubflic service commission in regulating I public utilities went down to defeat in the senate today. The bill introduiijd by Senator Barker of Thorntown to require utiliI ties to fight out rate cases in the state courts before going into federal court failed of the necessary votes for passage when it was taken up today. Lines were drawn in discussion of the bill practically the same as when the senate earlier in the week killed the bill to permit the public service commission to regulate utility hold ing companies. After being booted about on the • floor of the house in hot debate the | chiropractic bill was carried back to I ’he senate committee on state med! I cine and public health. With the hill back in committee the chiropractors will seek to ‘restore the bill to its original form which «-*rled for eetatelisfanMit of a state boanl of chiropractic members to license chiropractors. Tiie senate by unanimous vote passed the English bill providing for more stringent penalties for drunken auto drivers. Senator Cann cf Frankfort introduced a bill to increase the state gasoline tax from two to three cents and providing that the money shall be paid into a "gasoline fund” of the general fund instead of direct to the (Continued on page’two) FRESHMEN LEAD IN SCHOLARSHIP Have Highest Average For First Semester In Decatur High School The Freshmen class led the other classes in Decatur high school in scholarship during the first semester, according-to the honor roll for the semester announced today by Principal Walter Krick. The four classes were grouped closely together, however, there being less than two per cent difference between the Fresh man average and the average of the Juniors, who were last in the standing. The averages of the different classes were: Freshmen, 84.8; Sophomores, 84.7; Seniors, 83.7; and Juniors, 82.9. Miss Marilyn Wherry, a senior, and Miss Mary Katherine Schug. a fresh man. tied for individual scholarship honors for the semester with an average grade of 95 per cent. Thirty- ' five pupils were placed on the honor roll for the semester, their average grade being 90 per cent or higher. Those on the honor roll are: Wherry, Marilyn. 95. Schug, Mary Katherine, 95. Haley, Margaret, 94 5-6. Akey. Mildred, 94 4-5. Mills, Margaret, 94 1-5. Fisher, Ireta, 93 2-5. Elzey, Harretta, 93 2-3. ' Schroll, Helen, 93. Thomas, Vivian, 92 4-5. Thomas, Vivian. 92 4-5. Macy, Mary, 92 1-2. Dixson, Katherine, 92 1-5. Haugk, Mollie. 92 1-5. Kauffman, Katherine, 92 1-5. Castle, Richard, 92 1-6. Steele. Jeanette. 92. ; Wilder, Edwina. 92. Nelson, Marcella, 91 2-3. e (Continued On Page Four)

Night School Classes Will Meet This Evening The night school in commercial subjects will meet a» the high school building tonight. Entries in the I classes may be made at that, time, but none will be received after tonight. The night school was reorganized for the second semester last Tuesday night and several signed up ' to take the work. Work is offered in beginning and advanced typewriting, bookkeeping and short hand. YEOMAN LODGE TO HAVE GUESTS * State And District Managers To Attend Meeting Monday Night J L. Dumar. state manager, and R. E. Parker, district manager of the Brotherhood of American Yeomen, will be the guests of the local Yeoman lodge on next Monday evening. February 2. An inteiesting program is being planned for the meeting. Plans will be made for conducting a membership campaign during February and March and an effort, will be made to secure at least 28 new members during the signifi cant of the twenty eighth anniver ’ary of the lodge. All members of the lodge are urged to attend the meeting and take part in the membership campaign. o Crew Os Stranded Submarine Rescued Portsmouth. N. H.. Jan. 30.—(United Press.) —After a harrowing night, during which their craft was buffeted by icy seas, the crew of 35 of the stranded submarine S-48 was removed safely today. Coast guardsmen, aided by soldiers from Fort Constitution, took the men off the undersea craft after a night of tremendous struggle during which rescue apparatus was dragged six miles through slushy snow. Efforts will be remade to refloat the S-48 which went aground on Jaffery Point during the snowstorm which swept the harbor during the night. o Geneva Lad Injured When Rifle Explodes Geneva, Jan. 30.—The ten-year-old z son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Armantrout was painfully injured recently, when a 22 rifle bullet struck him in the left leg. The lad had started for I church -and stopped at the Win. Longnecker home to accompany the Longnecker lad. The boys got a target rifle out and were playjig with it when the accident occurred. Just 1 how the gun happened to be discharged is a mystery, as the Armantrout boy accused his companion of doing the shooting and the latter said the victim had the gun in his own hands when the accident happened. The hall entered the left leg just below the knee and followed the bone downward, being extracted Dear the ankle joint. The wound is healing nicely and the lad will soon be able to be out again. —o Chinese Lady To Speak Here Sunday Evening Miss Marion Lyon Lee will give an Interesting talk at the Evangelical church at the preaching hour, Sunday evening., under the auspices df t’,V AVoman’s : Missionary 'society. Miss Lee is a native of China and has been in the United States only eighteen months. At. the present time she is a student at the Bible Training school at Fort Wayne. The public is cordially invited to hear the interesting message Miss Lee will bring. A silver offering will be taken. o Sen. Ralston To Speak (UNITED PRESS SERVICE) Indianapolis, Jan. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat) —Senator Samuel M. Ralston will deliver the principal address of the mid-winter banquet of the Indiana Democratic Editorial as sociation at the Claypool hotel here next Thursday night, it was announc ed today.

Price 2 Cents.

. UNIDENTIFIED -MAN KILLED BY EXCESSIVE HEAT t « ) ) Believed To Be A Tramp; Crawled Into Kiln To Spend Night FLESH IS COOKED Man Seen About Tile Mill Early This Week; Companion Missing The body of an unidentified man, about 45 years of age, was found on top of the tile in a kiln at the KrickTyndall Tile mill about 8:30 o’clock this morning. The man, said to be a tramp, is supposed to have suffocated from the heat in the kiln. His flesh was partially cooked and decomposition had begun. The discovery of the dead man was made when employes of the tile mill went to the kiln to remove the newly made tile this morning. When the kiln was opened a strong stench permeated the air. Further investigation disclosed the man's body on top of the tile. Probably Died Wednesday Night The fire was removed from the kiln last Wednesday morning. A ventilating fan. used to cool the tile, was turned on and left operating until 11 o'clock Wednesday night, when it was turned off. It is thought that the man crawled into the kiln while the fan was operating Wednesday evening and went to sleep on top of the warm tile. When the fan was turned off. the heat in the kiln rapidly mounted to as high as 600 degrees ind the man was probably suffocated to death before he awakened or had time to crawl out of the kiln. The tile kilns hold heat for many ours after the fire is removed, and he intense heat in the kiln during the remainder of Wednesday night after ithe fan was turned off and yesterday and last night cooked the man's flesh until it. had a brownish color this morning. Coroner Investigates. The body was removed from the kiln and taken to the Gay, Zwick & Myers morgue this morning. As the county has no coroner since the death of Dr. L. L. Mat tax. A. C. Butcher, /justice of the peace in Washington township, was called to act as coroner. Mr. Butcher tabulated a description of the man and made notes lot the articles found on his person. He stated he would make a report (Continued on page two) WANT MATTAX NAMED CORONER Friends Petition Commissioners To Appoint Geneva Man A petition, containing 59 signatures and asking' the board of county commissioners to appoint Harold Mattax. publisher of the Geneva Herald and son of the late Dr. L. L. Mattax, coroner of Adams county, succeeding his father, has been filed vith County Auditor Martin Jaberg and will be presented to the board next Monday. Mr. Mattax did not intend to be?ome a candidate for the appointment, until his friends .at Geneva irculated a petition and asked that. , he accept the place, if tendered to ’ him. Mr. Mattax consented to have ( the petition filed. Dr Mattax. whose death occurred on January 8, began his third term as county coroner on January 1, 1925. He "was elected for the third term last November. S. E. Black, of this city, filed a petition with the auditor asking that he be o appointed coroner and action in the fl matter will be taken next Monday, il It was rumored about the city today if that, several respective candidates j- would take the appointment if tende ered them, but that they would not e- become active candidates for the place.