Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 23, Number 126, Decatur, Adams County, 27 May 1925 — Page 1

Vol. XXIIL Number 126.

BANDIT GANG VISITS TOWN OF BROOK

KOHLER FOUND NOT GUILTY OF LlftUOR CHARGE Jury Acquits French Township Fanner; Verdict Returned At 2:30 p. in. CASE IS OLD ONE Charge First Filed Against Kohler In Bluffton In December, 1922 Fr<<! Kohler, French township fanner, resMiii" r.onth of Honduras, v.as fined of charge of volutin," the prohibition law which has been ■ pending against him for nearly three year- when n jury in the Adam Circini court return' d it verdict ot not ! guilty at 2:36 o'clock this atleraoon. I)t was reported that thiee ballots wet’.- taken by the jury in reaching an agreement, the first one standing x to 4 for acquittal and the second 11 to I for acquittal. The jury deliberated for about two hours. The charge against Mr. Kohler : dales hack to December 7, 1922. when Sheriff Noah Frankiger k of Wells county, together with Bluffton police officers, raided his farm and found a still in an upstairs room of an old log cabin <>n .Mr. Kohler’s faFnt. Frank Seegar was found in the room with the still. Mr. Kohler was tried in the Bluff | ton city court la-fore Mayor Thompson and was convicted, lift appealed i his < use to the Wells circuit court and Judge Vaughn held that court had no jurisdiction in the case, and it. was sent to the Ada fits 'circuit court. On December 12, 1923, the Adams county grand jury returned an indictment against Mr. Kohler. It was on this indictment that Mr. Kohler was tried, here. Mr. Kohler claimed he had leased the log cabin to Seegar and did not know what the latter was doing there. He claimed no connection with the alleged liquor law violation. Attorney Ilenry B. Heller assisted Prosecuting Attorney John T. Kelly in prosecuting the case, while Attorneys David E. Smith and It. ('. Parrish. oi Fort Wayne, defended Mr. Kohler. The trial opened yesterday morning. o Fire Sweeps Through Toledo Terminal Building Toledo, May 27—(United Press)— Fire swept through the big Toledo terminal building causing damage of S2OO 01)0. Cause of the*blaze was tin determined. NINE WANT TO BE TRUANT OFFICER o Examination For Candidates May Be Held Last Os This Week E. S. Christen, county superintendent of schools, stated this morning that he expected the quest ons for the county attendance officer’s examination to arrive here from Ittdianafiolis within a day or two and that, if they did, the examintaion would he held the later part of this week At least nine men are known to be candidates for the office, tin y being. Homer Knodle, Henry IJchtenste ger and Frank Peterson, of Decatur; William Richards, b. t,. Williams of Decatur route ten; N. C. Nelson, of Geneva; George McManatna and H. D. Haggard, of near Monroe, and Alvin Windmiller of Linn Grove. The election of a county attendance officer is Tor the purpose of filling the vacancy mad" by the resignation of Frank Armantrout, who left Decatur a few weeks ago, unknown to anyone here. Mr. Armantrout and family left Decatur the first of the month and has not been heard from. Mr. Christen stated the exam nation would be held in the county superintendent’s office and expressed the hope that it could he held this week.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

i Interurban Authorities To Meet At French Lick French Lick, Muy 27 (United IT- ■ l I i National authorities on the mierur ban business will feature th.- program ' <if Urn Centra) Electric Railway a- 1 , ociatiun. which will hold it's annual I midsummer nmr-tinp here June 2. and 4. Several traction men of imli , ana. Ohio Michigan ami Kcntcky have made reservations. Lueiu s. Storrs, managing dir color of the American El. < trie Hailway Association will present a survey of the traction situation. Frank l/>roy Blanchard, of.New York city will iiiscu: s the possibilities of I passenger traffic through the use of advertising. ..— — - _ n — — SHEPHERDWINS IMPORTANT POINT — Defense Counsel Wins Important Victory In Selecting Jurors 11 t-: I )*-<--? cr i >-•<>) Chicago, May 27 ; Special to Daily Democrat)-Attorneys defending William D Shipherd against charges that In- murdered Billy McClintock with typhoid germs to get the boy's sl.oml,uim estate won an important victory today in the selection of the jury. Judge Thomas J. Lynch ruled that ; William Seott Stewart. Shepherd's i chief counsel, need not accept for Ijttiy service a man who would lieI lieve the testimony of Dr. Charles C. I Falman without extreme caution, i The man was dismissed over tlie objection of State’s Attorney Robert E. Crowe. — The ruling involved a delicate shad ing of the law but was none the less a significant victory for the defense, crat,. Faiman. who was president of an a!lege<l fake nodical school, "com fessed" he was an accomplice in the 1 al.e-ged murder, that he gave Shep-I lord the genus ami instructed him iiow they should be used to cause I Billy's death. ■ I The Illinois law declares that a juror may convict a man on the tin corroborated testimony of an accomplice but wains that the jury should view the accomplice's testimony with "extreme caution’’ before accepting it. o PRESBYTERIANS CLOSE ASSEMBLY Assembly Torn Over Question Os Virgin Birth Os Jesus Christ —— Columbus. 0.. May 27 (United Press)-Torn by doctrinal differences over whether it is essential for clergymen to believe Jesus Christ was born of a Virgin, the 137th general assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America adjourned today to meet again next May in Baltimore. The closing session was marked by outcropping of protest against the church govternn|ents. affirmation of the Virgin birth as a/pre-requisite to holding Presbyterian Tmlpits. Rev. Charles B. Swartz of Chicago rallied to the support of the much maligned modernist Presbytery of New York which was found to be in error for ordaining ministers who refuse to accept the Virgin birth, and started circulation of a petition protesting against the assembly's action. o Property Owners Want A ppra isc ments Red u ced Wawasee Lake. jnd.. May 27 — (United press)-Property owners at Winona Lake, including many residents of Indianapolis, South Bend, Ft. Wayne, and Marion, following a meet ing held here decided to appear before the Kosciusko county board of review at Warsaw and demand a reduction in appraisements. Property val nations have been greatly incresed tills year.

SINCLAIR AND FALL REINDICTED BY GRAND JURY / Dohiiey Also Re-indicted In Naval Oil Lease Conspiracy Case NEW EVIDENCE TAKEN Charge Os Bribery Not Contained In The New Indictments i Unite 1 Brers S. rvi- > > Washington. May 27—(Special to ; Daily Democrat)- Albert If. Fall for I ui< r .' e< r<-tary of the interior; Harry L Sinclair and Edward L. Imlieny Sr., jtoday w-re reindicted by the federal I grand jury fie r.- whic h ha:; b •• n tai. ling new r-vld-nee on the oil lease! I cases. Edward L Doheny. Jr., eon of the ■oil tno'-nate. who was indicted with: tile trio last year, was ma indicted today. Tile indictments obtain, d by Atle<Pomeretie ami Owen J. Roberts, special government counsel, in July 1924, were dismissed on April 3 last.; Potnereno and Roberts obtained n| new grand jury on May It and com inamled the submission of new evidence on that date, resulting in the indictments today. Two indictments were returned one charging Fall and Sinclair with conspiring to lease the Teapot Dome naval oil reserve without competitive bidding and the other charging Fall ami Doheny with the spine offense wall r.-spret te the AAHifornia oil reserve. The government apparently has dropped its accusation of bribery against Fall and the Dohenys as neither changed hrFb-ry I as was charged in cue ot the indict- ! m.-ii! ,i. .it.st Fall and Doheny last I year. > o BULLETIN i I mit.-l Press S, r> Ice) Sanford, N. May 7.—Between 50 and 00 miners were reported entombed by explosion and lire at the Carolina Coal I company mine near here today, Oflieials were finable to say whether the explosion was caused by gas or dusts. No bodies have been recovered. Appeals for asistance have been sent to nearby mines for volunteers to aid in the rescue work. FEDERAL COURT JURY IS DRAWN Three Adams County Men Drawn To Serve In Fort Wayne Court John ('. Miller and Adolph Schamerloh. of Decatur, and Thurman Gottschalk. of Berne, have been drawn for jury service in the federal court at Fort Wayne. The term will open next Monday morning when Judge Thomas Slick, of Sortth Bend, sets trial dates for several cases now pending. It is not likely that any of the trials will get unedr way Monday, it is said. Several eases will be transferred to the Fort Wayne court from the Indianapolis court and several liquor eases are on the docket, already. The federal petit jury composed of fifteen persons, lias been ordered to report for duty Monday. The members of the jury besides the three men named above, are: C. W. Black, Topetta; «i. Bonham, Montpelier; Fred Hart., Spencerville; Frank Hartup. Pennville; William Krone. Wolcottville; Charles McGrew. Huntington; Charles Newcomer, Waterloo; M. 11. Spair, Port land; Frank Taylor, Pennville; Roy Vail. Lagrange, Otto Van Matre, Port land; ami Jacob G. Wilson. Butler.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, May 27, 1925.

Dynamite Cap Explodes In Little Cid’s Hand <'uliiinlm i, Ind., May 27 (United I'reisj 'itu- thumb and three liim.rs «ere torn from Bmrieih hand ou Tb?l nia Logan Hi j« ar old danghi. c of Edward Logan tiim- mil* ea tof h. c>. when a dynamite cap with which she ami an IF months old brother were playing explode,) in her hand. The broth-r was knocked down hut not s"Ver'y injured. Th,- father found the cups in un abandoned home near his home and helieveltig them ),:vitnless gave them to (lie children to play with The girl was stringing (he cups on a cord for heads, when the explosion occurred. _o HAWKINS IN JAIL AT INDIANAPOLIS Portland Man Denies Con-J nection With Attempt To Reorganize Company < I 'nifr.l I’ric-.-- Service) llolianapolis, May 27- Morton Haw kins, of Portland, hid., today denied i any < otinri-tioii with atiempls to re i organize the defunct Hawkins Mortj gr.ge comfiany through the United i Moicag" company. "I nev.-r was behind the [dans for reorganization," Hawkins said. "It was a committee doing the work. I am ready to help hut under the circumstances I don't fe.l like worrying about the plans." Plans for reorganization of the Hawkins interests through the Vnlteu Mortgage company were announced by a committee of stockholders in Cincinnati. Hawkins wait brought here from Cincinnati last night and tdv- <i In jail awaiting trial i-narges of fraudulent use of the mails. Hawkins will not be admitted to bond tor less than sf,o.otm. it was indicate.! today by District Attorney Ward. PYTHIANS TO REPEAT PLAY Local Lodge To Stage “Damon And Pythias” Here Again Tonight Although only a fair sized audience witnessed the first performance of the play '‘Damon and Pythias”, presented at the high school auditorium by the local Knights of Pythia.s lodge last night, everyone present thoroughly enjoyed the production. The play will De given again this evening and a larger audience is expected, as those who were present last night are speaking highly of the production today. The play will open at X:m' o'clock this evening. The beautiful story of true friendship was splendidly exemplified in the play last night by the local actors. The roles of Damon and Pythias were played by Freeh Hower and W. Guy Brown, and these two men., wen splendid in their parts. Roy Mutnma played the role of Dionysius, a com manding general who was chosen by the senate to he king. He was well fitted to the part. Another leading role was that of Phllistllis. president of the senate, which was played by Ed Beery. Ati interesting and beautiful scene in the play is the tableau showing Damon with h s wife and child, after he has been sentenced to be beheaded and his friend, Pythias has substitued for him in jail in order that Damon might spend a few hours with his family before being executed The roles of Damon’s wife and child are played by Mrs. Freeh Hower and daughter, Martha Ellen. Preceding the play, several vocal numbers were rendered by Mrs. J. Q. Neptune and a quartet composed of Dr. J. Q. Neptune, Ed Beery, W. F. Beery and Cal Kunkle. Mrs. Carrie Haubold, pianist, played between acts. Weather

COUNTY SCHOOL ENUMERATION SHOWS A LOSS Adams County Has Nineteen Fewer School Children Than in 192 I DECATUR LOSES 37 Town Os Berne And Six Townships Show Small Gain; Total Is 6,307 Reports of the school rniinu ration of Adams county have been received i and comidled at the office of County: Superintendent E. S. Christen and! show loss of niiitcet t (impart'd to; lh< (numeration of 1924. The heavy ; 10-'.s of children <if a.-hool age in Decatur Is th, cause for the loss in the I county the figures show. Last year I there wore 1.43 S children be- 1 tween the ages of six ami! twenty one in the city of Decatur and ' this year the census shows only 1,491.1 In the county the count last year showed (>,326 and this year it wa’■ G.3i)7. French, Kirkland, Preble, St. - Marys, ITnion and Washington town ■hips made gains this year in the ecu sus, but their gains were not sufficient to offset tlie losses in Decatur' Geneva, ami Wabash, Root. Hartford, I Jefferson ami Monroe townships. Blue Creek tow nship showed the same census as a year ago. Berne made a gain of ten children 1 of school age bringing their total this | year to 4m>. Last year the enumeration In Bern.' •howetb Htat th»P- were .'Citi persons of school age. The ennrnera ih>n shows that there are no colored children in the county . Hoys out numbered the girls of school age in the county by more than 3t>o. but they h> t compared tn last ‘ year’s number of buys by 16. Girls, howed a los of three compared to ' last years figures. The totals in townships and towns | for this year are as follows: Him- ' Creek. 276; French. 2X2; Hartford. 322 Jefferson. 272; Kirkland, 351; Monroe 652; Preble, 295: Root, :’,;52; St. Marys, I 2S7f. Union, 296; Wabash. 4oX; Wash ! ington. 467; town of Berne. 4<tti; town of Geneva. 235; city of Decatur. L.4iil.j The school enumeration is taken each year in ( very county in the state. The three cities having the largest number of school children are entitl * ed to representation on the slate board of education. The state school; fund is distributed among the counties on the basis of the numtier of children of school age. o TO ELECT COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT Election Os County School Head To Be Held Here Next Monday The election of a County School Superintendent will take place next Monday at a meeting of the township trustees and much interest Is shown in the outcome of the meeting. There are four active candidates for the place, namely Clyde Hendricks, of Monroe; Robert Mann, of Pleasant Mills, Don Collum, of Geneva, and Clifton Stricker, of Monroe. E. S. Christ, it. who has been the efficient superintendent for eleven years, is not a candidate for the office. Mr. Christen stated that he expected a position as teacher in the public schools. Several positions have been offered him but us yet he has »ot accepted a place. The new superintendent will assume office on August 16. The outgoing superintendent must compile the annual reports which are due August 1 and also plan and arrange for tbe cotiniy eighth grade commencement which Will be held next month. The trustees will meet at. the County superintendent's office and elect Mr. Christi n's suet esaor.

Elks Will Initiate ; 12 Candidates Tonight | The Decatur lodge of th,- B. P. ttJ > Elks will hold the Ur t of a 'cries of initiation tonight at tin- local lodge ' 1 rooms, at 7:3t) o’clock, for twelve i andidates. The ,e twelve men were the first to sign applications In the i Elks’ membership drive for 100 new : members. The initiatory ceremonies wdl ho } given the candid ites by the local of fleers. Initiations will be held from time to lime during tin summer, so that tin 1 entire 100 new applw-ants will become member' r,f the lodge before moving into the new Elks , Home, formerly tin- C. C. Schafer residence. ■ o TWO INJURED IN ' AUTO ACCIDENT! : - - .j Bernard Loshe And Frank t Sprtinger Hurt When Car Overturns 1 I . Bernard Lorin- and Frank Sprunger ■w< re painfully injured about 12:4.1 * p. m., todav, and the Star automohllo I in which they Were driving was badly , . damaged by tire, on the Preble road ; near the General Electric factory in the northwest part of Decatur. The two young men. who are cm ( ployed at the General Electric plant. ! were driving at a li'gh rate of speed. 1 | tdieti the ear either whirled into a ( ditch or a front wheel collapsed and I .caused the car to turn ronifdetelv ’ 1 I over. Both occupants were thrown ' from the <ar unto the road. Loshe was badly lacerated about ' t tin- face arid bisiy ami wa. r, tid>-red ’ uin-eii. cions by the jolt when thrown I uni of the car. He was brought to thir, city where he soon gained con scion uiess ami his injuries were dressed. (in examination it was found that ’ no bones had been broken, but the. skin at various parts of the body., j especially on his face had been hrok J ien open. Three stitches were nece . 1 sary to dose a wound on one knee. ' I I jlosln-. also uffered several bruises, i one on th,- right hip ami one on tin right shoulder. Sprunger was bruised |* .and injured, probably slightly Intern-1 ' ally, it is thought that both men will l 1 ' recover, hut it will he some time In : ' fore their injuries arc healed. I The car, a tourning car, was owned by Barnard Loshe. and he used it itt I ' (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) |< o •- - - STEPS TAKEN TO : STOP BANDITRY' Bankers Discuss Means Today; Motor Police Ordered To Aid (l.’nitod FO £* rvi< ( » Sullivan, May 27. Officials of Group , X, of the Indiana Bankers Association I met here today to consider means ol ] combating the wave of bandtry which has swept the state for the last few months. The meeting Is one ■ of a scries being held throughout (Instate by the asociation. Indianapolis, May 27. State motor 1 police were ordered by Secretary of : State Shortemer lo aid local authorities in the light to supress banditry in Indiana. Shorteme’r said a detachment of police will be put to work in adjacent territory when robhories are reported. • ■ - '■ "• - O'**—" — ■■'*.■■■■—- i... Ready To Send Relief To Arctic Explorers Oslo, May 27 —(United Press) —Tim Norwegian government is now firepared, If necessary, to send relief expeditions after the AmundsenEllsworth polar fliers. This represents a change In front during the past 24 hours for the government earlier declared that kite project for a relief exi»edltlon had' not lieen considered. The govern ment has ships and naval airplanes which are ready to depart. No news t has heen received of the explorers f.-r six days.

Price 2 Gents.

BANK ROBBED OF $2,500; CITIZENS ARE TERRORIZED Second Robbery In Northern Indiana Within A Week Early Today 8 TO 12 IN GANG Telephone Wires Cut; Bank Building Badly Damaged By Explosions • I ’flit!l l‘r< : S Kentland, Ind., May 27.— Hank bandits terrorized the town of Brook, ten miles northwest of here, last night find robbed the Brook State bank of $2,500 in cash, according to word received here early today. Brook was completely ent off from wire communication with I he outside world after the bandits cut the cables in the telephone exchange. Eight to twelve men were in the gang that executed the robbery, reports indicated. Th? bandits overpowered the night wajehrnan at Brook and plnc.il a I'linrd ov<-r citizens who appeared n the streets while th.- rohbi-ry w.c, in progress. Enterin-, the town in ll(ri-e automobiles. th-- bandits divided their lore.--; part of th.- gam- goinr to the i. l. phone ex. lian-e and th.- others hunt ing th? night watchman. Irvin Clinton, night operator at the telephone exchang.', retimed in op.-n th>- door at lhe ImhilUh' 01.1.-r a(l4 tri -.1 frantically to spread the alarm r. th--men battered down th.- door. He found the outside cable’ mt and the wins dead and was pow.-r le.-< tn give th.- warning. As th.- bandits broke throm-.h the front door of the exchange Im fled through u rear door. After capturing Ralph Iximax. the night watchman, who was caught un awares, and making certain that the telephone exetiiinim was dead, the men went to the ban), and battered down the front door. The safe was wn-i ked with charges of nitroglycerine ami considerable damage was done to the interior of tin- bank by the b’.asts. A considerable amount of cash, hidden in a small safe, was overlooked. The robbers entered town between 1 ami 2 o'clock and 1 did their work speedily. It was believed they fled in the direction of Indianapolis. The robin ry was the second in nor them Indiana within u week, the Houri<'ONTi\i'i:i> ON PAGE TWO» FIREMEN ELECT TWO DELEGATES R.E. Smith And Irvin Elzey Named Delegates To Annual Convention R. E. Smith and Irvin EUy, of the Decatur Volunteer Fire Department have been elected delegates to represent the local firemen al the annual Northern Indiana Firemen's convention to be held at Hartford City June 17 and IS Several other local firemen will attend the convention. It is probable that Decatur will not enter any teams in any of the contests this year, local firemen say. because it was recently decided not to take any apparatus to the. meet. B usually is the custom to take tbe fire truck ami several firemen to enter I.lm hose laying contest and other events held annually, but at a reient meeting the firemen decided not to enter tbe events. Tbe business session, including tbu election of officers, ami the selection 'of a convention city, will be hold June 17, and the contests aud remainder ot the program will be held June 1&. It is predicted that at least 5,060 visitors will be present at Hartford City during ilto couvontlon.