Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 23, Number 75, Decatur, Adams County, 28 March 1925 — Page 1

T' •i i

Vo l xxill. Number 75.

| |of COMER IS JCOIIITTEO ON I robbery charge I Jury Finds 11 ini Not Guilty I Os Part in Hannon Rob [ ben Near Wren I RETV HNS TO INDIANA I Another Charge. Said To Be pending Against Him ! At Marion [ Rov F. Comer, jail breaker J -Hid alleged bandit. was found I * n ol guilt' of participating in I t | H . robbery of Mr. and Mrs. I John Harmon, aged couple reI siding cast of this city near I Wren. Ohio, in a verdict rcI turned in the common pleas I court .1 Van Wert. Ohio, at 10 I o’clock last night. The jury de- | liberated lor six hours before I reaching a verdict. Thf robbeiy of Mr. and Mrs. HarI tnon occured early on the morning I of June 14. 1924. al their home near I Wren. The exact amount of money I stolen from them was never known. but was estimated to lie about S2OO Mrs. Harmon is a sister of John W. I Tyndall, well known citizen of Decatur. Comer, who escaped fiom the corny jail at .Marion, Indiana, several months ago. after being arrested on a charge of holding up a filling station. was re-captured a few months ago at Roanoke. Following his acquittal last night. Comer departed for Indiana. It is said that the charge against him at .Marion is still pending and it is probable that he will be taken into custody again. Harry F. Zimmerman, alleged pal of Comer, is held in the Huntlhgton county jail in connection with the same robbery pending the appeal of his plea for a writ of habeas corpus to the Indiana supreme court. Zimmerman also was arrested at

Huntington by the police a'SJmrmm-' after the arrest of Corner. Extradition procedings were at once put under way by the Ohio authorities. Charles It. Haller, Zimmetman's attorney, instituted habeas corpus proceedings, however, and when Judge Kenner ruled against them, he intimated that he would appeal the ease. The time for the filing of an appeal recently was extended. Van Wert, Ohio, March 28. The court room was filled an hour before court weut into session Friday morning when Roy F. Cotner went on trial for the robbery of Eliba Jane Harmon of near Wren. Mrs. Ed Rauner, a sister of Comer, and three other relatives were here to attend the trial. The first twelve jurors were ac- ( (Continued On Page Four) AGED FARMER DIES SUDDENLY

Julian Merillet Dies Os Pneumonia At Home Near Linn Grove Julian Merillet, 85, a native of Switzerland, died suddenly at his home in French township, near Linn Lrove, shoitly before midnight, Wednesday. Death was due to Pneumonia. Mr. Merillet was able to h« up and about bis farm on Tuesday. hut that evening he was stricken with the disease which ended his life. Mr. and Mrk. Merillet, both natives ,° r Switzerland came to this country neaily a half century ago and much 01 this time was spent on their farm 8 x n, *les west and a halt mile north ° r He is well known throughout French township and in the vicintty of Linn Grove. ile is survived by two sous and a * ■‘it. liter. One son left this coinmunJ about twenty years ago and has never been heard from since. His widow, 88 years of age, also survives, °wever, she has been in a serious condition for some time, suffering severely with cancer of the breast. Funeral services were held this thorning from the Vera Cruz Reform(hutch, of which he was a memInterment was made in the St. oltn’s cemetery. Rev. Scheery of‘ifiated.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Small Pox Epidemic In Wells ('minty Schools ItlutTlon. March 28■ -Ihipil, of the I Union Center school must be vaccli noted for small-pox Itefore they can I enter their classes Monday, This is the r< ■ tilt of three cane of the di.ea:.<- in Union township, one of which was found in the school this w.u-k by J Health Commit > inner Morris. If the pupils have been vaccinated in late years a re-vaccination is tin- [ necessary. ! The girl found I'l with the disea e | Jin school was Miss Oma Slane. The : ltari< k home in Uniondale and the > Jones home two miles east of Mar- . kle, have been quarantined. CONFIRMATION j SUNDAY, APRIL 5 J __ Impressive Services Plan-; ned In Several Churches 1 Os County • Confirmation services will be held | in the Zion Reformed church in this | • city and in a number of the Evangel-i : ical Lutheran churches in Adams ’; county on Paint Sundry. April 5. Im- ’ i prr-gsive ceremonies will mark the . ■ services. J The Lutheran church in this city J will not hold confirmation services I this year. i The names of the members of the *i different classes and he churches in I j which they will be confirmed arc us i: follows: t •i Zion JU formed Church. Decatur— ' J Rev. A. It. Fledderjohan. pastor - II Thu: man Elzey. Arthur Shoaf. Harold I! Shoaf. Paul .McGill, Ralph Egley, I ' Marie Kdtcr. Helen MoeschI berger. Gaynell Giaher. Josephine • Jaberg, Rae Dolle Andrews. Magdeline Miller, Luvera Shoaf, Manilla II Garber, Leia Yost. 11 Bethlehem Luthr ran Church. Ossian. 1 route one. H. G. Jnngkuntz, pastor— Martha Wilhelmina Kraeft, Mabel 1 Huffman. Fuelling Lutheran Church, Rev. A. 1 Moeller, pastor Reuben C.erke, Lor-

"O2e Hoerger. J Berning. Ruth Fuell • ing. -Helen Bohnke, Della Boerger. Bernice Hoile. Della Wietfeldt, A • villa Rieberieh. , St. Johns Lutheran Church. Rev. R. Truelzsch, pastor—Arthur Droego, • Paul Berning, Lydia Seheumann, Har- • old Seheumann. Viola Koenemau. , ‘ Bleeke Lutheran Church. Rev, >l.l i J. Frosch, pastor —Truman Hoile, I Edgar Kruckeberg, Paul Frosch, Em-, SCeele, Lorina Bischoff', Ida Rein- ' king. Norma Koldeway. Lutheran Church. Monroeville, Rev. August Gerken, pastor — Margaret 1 Figel, Ernest Hofftnan, Frieda Koene- • man, Dehner Franke, Frieda Wi?gnian. . Friedheim Lutheran Church, Rev. C. ! B. Preuss, pastor —Albert Callmeyer, Harold Buuck, Clara Buuck, Adele • Buuck, Velma Doehrman, Viola Bultemeier, Alma Witte, Velma Koenetqan, Ixirina Blumenberg. Anna Kiefer. St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran church, Preble, Rev. R. Gaiser, pastor — Helen and Albert Seheumann, Olga Bieberlch, Alton Bittner. Agnes Gais-J er, Lawrence Smith, Wilbert and Mil- . I dred Werling, Elizabeth Kirchner. St John's Lutheran, al Fiat Rock,

Rev. August Gerken, pastor—Delmer Frauke, Ernest Hoffman, Margaret Fiegel, Frieda Koennemanu, Frieda Wiegmann. St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, at Yoder, Rev. C. IL Schnepel, pastor - Arthur Speiin, Vernon Lahrm.nm, topis Thiele, Tastier Leininger, Everett Trennepohl, Viola Trennepohl, Vera Trennepohl, Elda Lipp, Velma Springer. Martin Lutheran, Allen county, Rev. August F. C. Buuck, pastor —Elmer Marbenke, Clara Schaper, Elna Rod-,, eubeck, Pari Adams, Helen Zollinger, Estella Linker. < II- '-0 ■ —' 4 Charles Mowery Accepts , Position At Lansing, Mich. —l. Charles W. Mowery, for four years bookkeeper and office assistant at the Daily Democrat office, left thimorning for Lansing, Mich., to accept a position in the bills payable department of the Durant Motor Car Co. Mr. Mowery came here, after completing an accounting course at the International Business colege and Fort Wayne has been making his home at the D. J. Darkless home. His parents live at Napoleon, Ohio. His many friends wish him success in his new work and those who have worked with him for the last several years know that be is capable and an industrious young man.

WINNERS IN COUNTY SPELLING CONTEST ■■ WWIMm «, > The two youths appearing in the above photos are Robert Schru’aka. ■ left, and Vernon Ogg, pupils in the Decatur central schools, who won first I prize in the “A” and “B" divisions of the Adams County Spelling contest, he'd here last week. Robert is a pupil in the 7A grade and has the distinc- ' tion of having won first place in his division of the county spelling contest I tor three consecutive years. Vernon Is a pupil In the 5A grade. First place | in the high school division of the county spelling contest was won by Marie I Burdg. of Geneva high school.

VICTORIA MILLS RECEIVES H9N9R Chosen As One Os Four Or. Debate Team At Indiana University Miss Victoria Mills, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred V. Mill-, of th: city, and a senior at In.liana University, received another honor recently when she was selected as one of j four debaters to represent Indiana University at a national collegiate debate at Cincinnati, April 24. | The four students who will rep-'-sent Indiana were selected from a Held of eighteen contestants utter a series of three prelimiary try-outs The subject of the debat was a phase of the Japanese immigration question. The same subject will be used at the national contest. The judges at the Cincinnati affair will be se lecteil from leading citizens of that city. Miss .Mills was graduated front

--Decatur High th-hoof-in 1921, having one of the highest grade averages in her class. She entered Indiana University in the fall of 1922 and has continued her enviable record there. Site is majoring in Latin and will be graduated this coming June, receiving an A. B. degree. o— CHICAGO GRAIN CLOSE I Wheat—May, $1.57 1-2; July, $141) 1-1; Sept., $1.31 3-4. Corn — May.) sl.lO 12; July. sll3 12; Sept., $1.13 J 3-1. Oats —May. 44c: July. 4Ge; Sept.. 4G l-Bc. KIRKLAND PUPILS WILL STAGE PLAY I To Present “My Irish Rose’ Next Thursday And Friday Nights “My Irish Rose," is the title of the three-act comedy-drama to be given next Thursday and Friday by members of the junior class of the Kirkland High school at the Kirkland ' auditorium. The play takes place in Ireland and is the story of the love affairs of Rose Criegan and an artist, Maurice Fitzgerald, who later fulls heir to a •large estate and also to a title. The villain of the story is a woman who desires to marry the artist and uses several methods in attempts to break the engagement of Rose and the arI tist. -Many complications set in before l the wedding finally takes place and Kven after that affairs don't rim so for about a year, but then' the unwinding of several misunder--1 standings begins and the lovers man- . age to live happily. The cast of characters Is as follows: Colum McCormack Roy R. Schlickman Maurice Fitzgerald Waller A. Smith Terry Creigun Herman E. Sautbine Mr. Archibald Pennywltt Gerald Andrews' Mr. Michael Pepperdiue Alfred Heller, Shawn MeGilly Lowell Arnold Ann Mary McCormack Edna Borne Th? Widow Hannigan Esther Baumgartner! Eileen Fitzgerald Delores Buckmaster Lady Agnes Birricklow Francis Liley Pegeen Burke.. Eva Mae Stoneburner Rose Creigan Jeanette Wilson Tickets may be obtained fro members o. the Kirkland High school.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, March 28, 1925.

earth tremor tonight F.ienzu.ltaly. March 2S. -(United Press.) —Professor Bendandi. the seismologist who predicted the recent earthquake in the United States, announces there will ho a strong tremor felt in both North a::lt Central American tonight. There will be al earthquake in the Far East on Monday. Professor B'-ndandi predicts. 'OERMANYTOiSo (ELECTION SUNDAY

Country Will Pick Successor To The Late President Ebert By Carl D. Groat, (U. . Staff Correspondent.) Berlin, Match 25.--Germany will go to the polls tomorrow to choose a successor to the late President Ebert. However, (he election, which is the urst plebiscite for president under the post-war republic, will be unavailing. according to present time. It is more reaction versus liberalism or, radicalism. i The monarchists say land there is good reason to believe they speak the | truth) that they do not now wish to try any experiments with (he idea of restoring (he monarchy. They realize the disastrous effect this would have i in the mark. I The real light appears to be: Do j the junkers and the industralists get I more power or do they gel a new j grasp on the privileges and perj quisites enjoyed before the war? Oi l i are certain curbs to be put on their ! I ambitions? Tomorrow’s election undoubtedly I will show relative strength of the num- ! erous parties, but the selection of | a new president is improbable. All German citizens over 20 may i vote. This means the battle must be refought at the pools April 2G. Tomorrow’s candidates are: Dr. C.iil Juries, burgomaster of Duisburg and joint candidate of the parties of the Right. Former Chancellor Wilhelm Marx, centrist (Catholic) candidate. Willy Helpach, state president of Baden, democratic candidate. Otto Brattm, former premier of Prussia and socialist candidate. Ernst Thaelmann, member of the reichstag. communist candidate. General Ludendorff, fascist candidate. Heinrich Held. o • — Rev. Thompson Is 111 The Rev. Harry W. Thompson, pastor of the Christian churh of this city is ill "at his home on West Adams I street. lie was taken 111 two days ago and physicians believe he is afflicted with appendicitis. He was feeling somewhat improved this morning. however. o Bank Robber Convicted Spencer. Ind., March 28 — ‘Harry Palmer, of Terre Haute, was to be | sentenced here today for complicity I in the sensational double bank robbery Here Nov. 5, 1923. He was found guilty by a jury late yesterday. Weather Indiana: Cloudiness and somewhat n>. 1.-nlght. Sunday ’.towers.

JOHNSON RESIGNS AS MAYOR OF GAST Resignation Effective Monday; Wife May Become Mayor it x'iTiiP I'u'iss sr.i.viriit Gary. Ind.. Mar. 28—(Special to Daily Democrat) ■ Mayor R. 0. Johnson. rt nh-nced .to tine year la Federal prison with seveniyfonr other Gary mon on a charge of violaion of Federal dry laws, today announced his I resignation as mayor, effective Mon'day. He has appealed the sentence and is awaiting action of the United J States supreme court. W. J. Fulton. . ! comptroller and republican candidate - I for mayor, will take Johnson's place Monday. , Fulton said his first act would be j to appoint Mrs. R. O. Johnson as city! , comptroller, lie also said he may re-1 sign later as mayor, in which case 1 . Mrs. Johnson wortd become Indiana's ( lint woman mayor. 0 — No Session Held Today In Trial Os Typhoid Case No session was held today in the\ trial of the Fort Wayne typhoid fever damage suit- which has been in progress here for the lust several days, owing to ihe absence of the court reporter. Mr. Tancey. of Ft. Wayne. ' who was secured to assist Mrs. ! Cecile Moser, the regular court re- ' porter of the Adams circuit court. .Mr. Tancey was unable to be present • today. Further hearings in the trial I wore postponed until Monday morning. o— — Bluffton Man Held As A Wife Deserter Bluffton. .March 28— Carl Cotton, wanted here on a charge of wife and child neglect, has been takn into > custody at Indianapolis and will be i returned here for trial. He failed ■ to report a few weeks ago .in re- ‘ sponse to a citation from Special Judge .lease Sutton, of Decatur who

ordered his bond forfeited. Wife Os Former Adams County Preacher Dies Bluffton. March 28— Mrs. 11. W. Page, 62. wife of a former Wells county preacher, died at her home at Kimmell, Indiana, at eight o’clock (his morning, according to word r< ■ reived here today. The Reverend Mr. Page also formerly preached In Adams county before moving to Kimmell. ‘PHONE COMPANY TO RESET POLES To Start Work Monday Resettin Poles Along Fort Wayne Road A gang of eight linemen from the Citizens Telephone Company of this city/will start work Monday morning, resetting the company’s telephone poles along the Decatur Fort Wayne road tor a distance of seven miles north of this city, in order hut the poles will be out of the way when work of improving the road is darted in the near future. The poles, located on the east side of the road, wTI be moved from three to ten feet rar her east deiui.ding (•! how much the road is widened. The road must have a fifty-foot right of way. Herman Ehinger, manager of the te’ephone company, stated today that the work of resetting the poles likely will require •tb.e.t thirty days time, it depending on how quickly the farmers reset their fences. The work will begin at the north end of the seven mile strip which will be improved. The poles, which are now twenty-five feet above the ground, will be cut off even with the ground and placed live feet down in new boles, leaving the. wires twenty feet above the ground. ATI of the old poles that are still good will be reset, but new poles will be used where needed. The wires will be placed twenty-five feet above the ground where other roads intersect the Fort Wayne road and Mil be th-it' cv- t-.-.:l high through Monmouth. Tbite are about 225 poles to b“ reset and service along the route likely will be impaired somewhat while tbe po’es are being reset, in spite of all t’i.orl.t of -,h» company to prevent it.

I Floyd Collins’ Body i Will Be Recovered J Cove city, KY.. .March 29 Work ! on the recovery of the body of Floyd Collin., in Sand < av< will Imglil about April I, W. 11. Hunt, mining J englrmei of Central City, who «<■< ci-pled a contract to recover the body from Homer Collins, brother of Floyd raid h« r<- today. Hunt said he was going out to ; Sand caw to Idok the siliiaiioft over! 1 ami -ee what plan will b< used in I recovering the body from its sixty t foot tomb. He also said that he had i received an initial payment on tinrecovery contract from Homer Collins. .-Q . . - NEW LAWS OF INTEREST HERE (Jas Tax Bill. Cemetery Bill And Auditorium Bill Os Much Interest Copies of thro bills of interest to this community, that Were passed by I the recent legislature and enacted as | laws by Governor Jackson, have been I received at this office from Representative T. A. pottschalk. of Berne. The hills are the Kitch cemetery bill. ' the Saunders community auditorium bill and the Gasoline tax bill, tile latter of which goes into effect April ' first. The Gasoline tax bill provides tor an additional one-eent taxation on each gallon of gasoline bought in Indiana. Several Decatur distributors say that it is probable that gasoline will advance one-cent a gallon in Indiana next week to meet the extra tax. The new law divides the tax as follows: Two cents to the State highway commission: of one-cent to cities and towns according to population; % of one-cent to the counties, half according to population and h ilt' according to number of improved miles of road. Under these divisions > it is estimated that Adams county will J receive between s2U,miO and |25.0001 annually, Representative Gottschalk'

says. The Kiteh bit Intakes possible the! conversion of abandoned cemeteries. | within the limits of a city or town wheie no graves have been made for ' thirty years, into municipal parks, i It is first necessary for such an ord ! inance to be passed by the council I and then a six-molith notice must be given in order that grave markers and graves may be removed if desired After such arrangements have been made, the park cap be built and maintained by the city by taxation or any other way designated by the conn- ( cil. Tite old Decatur cemetery on Win-> cheater street between the Erie and Clover Leaf tracks, can, under the I new law, be converted into a city park. As yet no action has been taken by the Decatur council but | since the bill has just been signed I recently it is expected that some discussion will arise at a future council meeting. The Saunders bill, introduced by Senator George Saunders, of Bluffton, makes posisble the erection of city halls including rooms for community gatherings and also a gymnasium for public use. The bill enacts that on petition to the city council by a certain number of citizens of a city an election shall be held to obtain the opinion of a majority of persons on whether such a building shall be erected. If the consensus of opinion by vote is favorable, the council will re- [ reive bids for the erection of the j I building. The cost of building and I maintaining such a hall shall be done i by taxation and other ways now pro-j vidfed by law. the bill Continues. Arranging Funeral For ' Dr, John N. Hurtyi Indianapolis, March 28. — Funeral arrangements were being made today for Dr. John N. Hurty, nationally known public health advocate amt for 25 years scretary of the state board of health. Dr. Hurt.' died at his home here ; yesterday. ■ Services will be conducted at his resilience Monday morning. Burial i will be at Crown Hill cemetery. I Honorary pall bearers will be Dr. i John H. Oliver, .Albert J. Beveridge. I Dr. Charles P. Emerson. Dr. William •j 11. Wlshard, Cuarles Martindale, Dr r i Charles Ferguson, Dr. Frederick R. ■| Henshaw, George C. Mill. Dr. William I|F. King, General William McKee and • Dr. Harry B. Bernard, of Chicago.

Price 2 Cents.

SAYSDR.FAIMAN WAS FORCED TO MAKE CHARGES j William Shepherd’s Attorneys File New Demand I'or Bail Today iREPORTS OF BRIBING i ; Attempts to Bribe VV itnesses In Bin Germ Murder Case Alleged il'XlTl'li PUEAR SEEVK'E) Chicago, March 28. — tSpecial to Daily Democrat)- -Threats of prosecution forced Dr. Charles C. Falman to charge that William D. Shepherd plotted to kill Billy McClintock, William S. Stewart, defence attorney ! for Shepherd, charged texlay in a new demand for bail. Attaches of the office of State's ' Attorney Robert E. Crowe told Dr. I Faiman if he did not tell his story, they would prosecute him on a charge of performing an illegal op'Tation, Stewart declared Stewart made his argument before Judge Jacob Hopkins, who rejected a petition for bail several days ago. Judge Hopkins adjourned court uction until Monday without making a ruling. Chicago. March 28.— (Special to Daily Democrat) —Reports of attempts to bribe state witnesses is the milion dollar germ murder were investigated today by State’s Attorney Robert E Crowe. Furl P. Clark, an important witness, who gave testimony which led to the arrest of William D. Shepherd on the charge of having murdered Bi'ly McClintock, was taken into custody following reports he had been offered $5,000 to leave the city. The oiVei v.i.s made by a representative of a detective agency, Crowe was told. Crowe ordered the head of the ai.emy brought in. Coroner's chemists were at work

on tbe bodies of Dr. Olson, brother of Chief Justice Olson, and Mrs. Emma McC.intoek. mother of Billy. On the demand of Justice Olson tbe bodies were exhumed to determine whether death was causd by poison. Auto Hits Fire Truck filling Two Firemen Dallas, Teg., March 28 -(Special to Daily Democrat)- —Two persons were ki.led and four others, injuted. one eriously. when a heavy automobile crashed into a stationary fire truck here early today. G.enn Briggs, fire captain. 32. and John Dardeuian, 28. hoseman. were ciuslic'd between the colliding mnhines. MORE DONATE TO RADIO FUND St. Marys Township Citizens Aid In Purchase Os Another Set The f<«'.lowing donations for the Radio Fund have been made by tlie citizens of St. Maty’s township. Mr. Henry Colter, of Bobo, has given his I time for the solicitation of these ! funds, and it is very m,uch appreciated by tite committee. This will I insure the purchase of. a radio set for i William and Rufus Brodbecy, two j blind residents of Hobo, and the same i will be installed as soon as arrangements can be made, which will be within the next tew days. Th«» folI lowing are contributors: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Colter $5.00 Mary E. Brodbeck 5.00 Chalmer Brodbeck 1.00 W'm. Kruckeberg .50 Otto Hoile -50 Theodore Bleeke .50 i J. T. Dailey . 100 Wm. Hilpert .50 Albert. Shell .50 Fred 1 lilpert 50 Geo. Martin ................. 2.00 J R. Moser . 1.00 Walter Johnson LOO Wai ten Jones .50 Mr. and Mrs. J. W Brodbeck 5.00 Alfred DanKs 100 Ed Gage -50 i A Friend . 100 I $27.00