Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 23, Number 132, Decatur, Adams County, 4 June 1925 — Page 1

Vol. XXIII. Number 132

OHIO MAN MURDERS EIGHT RELATIVES

MORE Ulf AS HEAT RECORDS ARESHATTEREB Sixty-eight Deaths Reported Due To Heat During Last Three Days storms DO DAMAGE Cloudbursts And Electrical Storms Add To Damage Done By Heat Chicago, Juno .4—(United Press) — For i lie fourth successive day, a fiery sun flamed out of the east this morning, threatening to increase the death toll of the current heat wave which already has killed 68 persons and caused numberless prostrations over a large section of the country. Twenty-five more deaths attributable to the heat have occurred during the past 24 hours while the heat has soared to new heights, shattering all records for the date in many cities. Forty-three persons died directly or indirectly as a result of the intense heat during the first three days of the week. A devastating cloudburst struck western lowa and eastern Nebraska in the wake of the storm. Damage estimated at upwards -of $1,000,000 was done to crops and farm buildings. Many towns, including Sioux City. lowa, and FEerman and BThir, Neb., were partially flooded Patrolman Bledsoe and Fink carried five families. including 12 children, to safety from their flooded homes. t In a few low-lying spots families climbed to the housetops to escape the rapidly rising waters. At Neoia. la , the cloudburst was followed by a small tornado. Approximately SIOO,OOO damage was done in this vicinity. Estimates today placed the injured in the lowa-Nebraska storm area at 14. Communication facilities in the section of Minnesota struck by a storm Tuesday night were still demoralized today. Casualties totaled five dead and 37 injured. Property damage was (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) CANDIDATES SPENT SI 37.80 Only Two Candidates Have Expenses In Recent Primary Election A total of $137-80 was spent by all candidates in the city primary election in Decatur this spring. None of the republican candidates had any opposition and none of them used any money in connection with the campaign. The two candidates for mayor on the democratic ticket were the only persons who spent any money during the campaign, according to figures compiled at the city clerk’s office. The democratic mayorality race was the only one this year. George Krick, the successful candidate, filed expenses at SB2 35. Charles Yages. the other democratic candidate filed expenses at $5,5.45. All candidates were compelled to file statements of their expense, according to law. Tomorrow is the last day for filing, but At ten o'clock this morning all of them had reported to Mrs. Catherine Kauffman, city cTerk. The candidates are as follows: democrats—George M. Krick, mayor: Catherine Kauffman, clerk: Luella Magley, treasurer; Fred Ashbaucher. and George Miller, councilmen-at-large; Fred Linn, councilman of first, ward; Joseph Hunter, councilman of second ward; O. L- Vance, councilman of third ward. Republicans— Avon Burk, mayor; Laura Krill, treasurer; John Schnitz and William E. Moon, councilmen-at-large; Frank Butler, councilman of first ward; James Kocher, council man of second ward; Frank Downs, councilman of third ward.

JJECATUR daily democrat

Berne School Teacher Is Fined At Portland • — ... ■ — Andre w c. cook, Berne school t-a-I < her. was fined $1 and costs in a jusI Hoc of the peace court at Portland, I J Tuesday evening, on a charge of speedI ing. The affidavit was hied against t'ook by Hal c. Ayers, slate motor | policeman. Two other arrests were made by Mr. Ayres, they being ClarI ence Kabisch, of Fort Wayne, and ■ Edgar Freeberger, of Portland. KahI isch was charged with speeding. He ; failed to appear for trial Monday. Free- | berger wag lined $1 and costs for op- | eratlng his cur with licenses plates beI longing to another person. ——o ANOTHER STATE’S ■WITNESS IS GONE 9 I ‘Nurse, An Important Witness In Shepherd Case, Has Disappeared i I Chicago, June 4. — (United Press.) —Disappearance of Miss Estelle Behi- , ing, a beautiful nurse and one of the . state's witnesses against William I), i Shepherd, aroused State’s Attorney RobePt E. Crowe today to fresh ac- : tion against persons tampering with l witnesses. ■ Miss Gehling was an Important witI ness. She had letters from Shepherd in which he referred to her as the , “sunshine of my life.” They reveal- . ed his relations witli young Billy MeI Clinlock. tlie wealthy foster son, lie • is charged with murdering. ’ The nurse had been reported missing for several weeks but no official 1 notice was taken until today when Crowe called her for questioning and found her missing from her room in 1 a hotel. She had checked out several weeks ago, Crowe found. "if 1 can find the people that are tampering with our witnesses, i'll send them to Jail,” Crowe declared heatedly when word of Miss Gehling's disappearance was brought to him. Roll’ert White, another star witness for the prosecution, has been missing for three weeks. In letters received from him in Philadelphia, White said he tied because he feared violence. An attorney who had been retained by Miss Gehring to defend her interests in tile ease told Crowe he did not know where the girl liad gone, but he had expected her to flee. "Miss Gehling was very unhappy because of the publicity she obtained through her testimony at the coroner’s inquest,” the attorney said. "She found trouble in getting employment and told me she was considering leaving Chicago. “Where she has gone I am unable to say.” OBED SCHWARTZ EXPIRES TODAY Man Who Attempted To Burn Self To Death Dies At Bluffton Bluffton. June 4—Obed Schwartz. 28 who attempted to burn himself to death on a bonfire on March 23. died at the Wells county hospital here at 9 o'clock this morning. He is surviv-1 ed by his father, two sisters and one brother, Levi. Schwartz formerly lived in Adams county. Bluffton, June 4— Obed Schwartz, Wells county young man who has been confined at the Wells County hospital here for many weeks, following his failure at suicide when he attempted to burn himself to death on a bonfire, i, said to be losing his fight for life and his death is expected soon. Schwartz suffers from a heart disease known as mal carditis and in such cases the end may come at any time. . Thus would end the experience of a young man. once accused of making away with his brother, later greed of suspicion and then drawn before the (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX)

SUNDAY SCHOOLS !T0 HOLD COUNTY PICNIC ON JULY 4 r All-day Affair Will Be Staged In Lehman’s Grove Near Berne TO SECURE SPEAKER — Program Committee to Meet Thursday To Plan For i Program ' An a'.l-day county Sunday School , picnic will lie held In ijehman's grove i near Berne, on the Fourth of July, i • according to plans made at a meeting of the council of the Adams Coun ty Sunday School Association in Id at Berne. Every Sunday School in the county will be invited to the picnic. The program committee, which consists of every Protestant minister in I the county and five laymen, will meet j • I at the Evangelical church in Heine, J 1 Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, to 11 complete tile program for tile event r and to select the principal speaker. - It was planned recently to have Way > ne B. Wheeler, legal advisor for the National Anti Saloon League, of Wash- • ington 1). ('.. to give an address, but ' the committee has received word that ” I it will lie impossible for Mr. Wheeler 1 to he present on that date. Following are tlie committees apf ‘ pointed to make arrangements for the big picnic; Program: E. ('.* B'erie, chairman; I all the ministers in th<y county and II I I the following hiynn-n. Fred Rohrer. Berne; Fred Lindsey, Geneva; C. L 1 Walters. Decatur; F. W. Studler, Linn Grove and Menas Lehman, Mon-1 roe. ( Grounds: Otto Stucky. Chairman, iD. C. Sprnnger. Sam Beitler, T. A. Gottschalk. Leonard Baumgartner. Orval Ailspaw and Menno Hirschey. r Refreshment: E. J. Schug. chair- ■ man. Ford Mettler. U-o Ijehman and , C. H. Muselman. > Entertainment: J. J. Diltz. chairman, Hugo Beitler, Fred Blum and E. I ■ W. Baumgartner. REVIEW BOARD MAKESCHANGES Real Estate Assessments Raised And Lowered In Certain Townships The real estate appraisement in French township was increased 7 per cent., the appraisement in Washington and St. Marys townships decreased 6 per cent., and in Wabash townI ship it was decreased 5 per cent., by the county board of review, which convened last Monday. Ihe assessments on improvements in French township were increased 20 per cent., ' and in Jefferson township 10 per cent., by the board of review. In comparison to the other townships it. was found that the real estate and improvement assessments in the above townships were not in | keeping with the appraisements in other townships. The real estate in | French township was assessed at sl,1146,790 or an average of $74.75 per acre. The improvements were assessed at $199,800 or $13.02 per acre. in Washington township the real estate was assessed $2,002,245 or $90.98 per acre. In St. Marys township the real estate was appraised at $1,188,450 or $77.78 per acre. In Wabash township the real estate was appraised at $1,633,008 or $7-1.52 per acre. The average assessment of farm lands in the county was $80.37. In Jefferson township the improvements were assessed at SIBB,IOO or $12.36 per acre. The board members, in making the increases and decresases, did so to bring about a more equal appraisement in the different townships. Today, the board members were taking up the appraisements of real estate and improvements in the towns and cities In the county.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, June 4, 1925.

Question Taxi Driver in Effort To Trace Bandit I Indianapolis, June 4. Ernest Hickle, i 25. a taxi driver, was questioned by detectives today In an effort to trail I the bandit who roboed the rural i street branch of the Fletcher Sav.ngs and Trust company of s3,out) yesterday. Sickle said he drove a man to the hank about the time of the holdup, picked the man up as he came out of the bank and drove him back toward the center of the city. Sickle told detectives he paid lit- ■ tie attention to the appearance o, the man and knew no ning of the ho...up 1 while it was in progress. FINED $250 FOR DYNAMITING FISH Three Berne Men Arrested On Affidavits Filed By • (lame Wardens Three Berne men have been arrested for dynamiting fish in the Wabash river in this county, and one of them ' has been fined $250 and costs. The other two have not entered a plea. The men arrested on affidavits filed by Chancy N. Hardy and. Edwin H Cole, state game wardens, were Pat Hershey, Peter D. Emery and Martin isenhart. Emery pleaded guilty shortly before noon today and was fined $250 and costs, the minimum penalty. Hershey was arrested late yesterday. He claims to have , had no part in the dynamiting, but , merely took the other two men out to the river. The dynamiting is alleged to have taken place in the Wabash river at the point where the G. R. i I railroad tracks cross the river, on May 25. MARSHALLIS - BURIED TDD AY Simplicity Marks Funeral For War-time Vice-Pres-ident Os U. S. Indianapolis. June (--(United Press) i —With the same simplicity that markI ed his life. Thomas Riley Marshall. ; war time vice-president of the United States and former governor of Indiana I was born to a resting place in Crown Hill cemetery here today while public business was suspended in his honor. In keeping with his wishes, only the immediate relatives, a group of close personal friends and members of the Masonic order were present at the brief funeral services at the Marshall home on North Illinois street. Before the casket resting in a front room of the home. Dr. William Smith, pastor of the First Presbyterian ( church of Indianapolis, of which the i Marshalls were members, read the re I ligious service. Tlie funral ceremony of the Scottish Rite was conducted by William ( Gaeke, of Fort Wayne, deputy of the supreme council of the order. The casket was banked with flowers 1 (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) , ROCKFORD GIRL DIESATHOSPITAL Miss Eleanor Weimann Dies Os Peritonitis At Midnight Last Night Miss Eleanor Weimann, age 19, daughter of Charles Weiman of Rockford, Ohio, died at about mid night at the Adams County Memorial hospital, of peritonitis, following a major i operation. Miss Weiman had beeen ill . for sometime and the operation was held with the hope of relieving her . suffering. She was removed to the 1 home of her parents early this morna ing, and the funeral services will be held from Rockford.

CAPACITY CROWD ATTENDSANNUAL COMMFNCEMENT Annual Graduation Exercises Os Catholic Schools Held Last Night CLASS PLAY GIVEN Father Seimetz Delivers Commencement Address; Musical Program Given The third annual commencement of I I tie Decatur Catholic nigh school and. I tlie forty-third annual exercises of! the St. Joseph grade schools were ( held in the auditorium of the new | Catholic high school building on Monroe street last night, u capacity crowd attending . Six young men received their dip lomas from the high school, seven ■ hoys and girls were graduated from the commercial department ami twenIty five were graduated from the eighth grade. Awards were also made to a number of boys and girls who had perfect attendam-e records throughout. A playlet and musical program was given during the evening and the exercises were interesting and delightful throughout. Rev. Father J. a. Seimetz, pastor of the St. Marys Catholic church, delivered the commencement add re s. opening his talk with words of thanks and appreciation to the members of the congregation who through their .sacrifices, made possible rhe heantlful new scliool building, which is now nearing completion. He stated that the ne w auditorium in which the exercises were l>eing held was the real ization of a fond dream and that he I hoped the new scliool building would he a place of community and congregational activity a place of learning an would serve in educating the youth for generations to come. The pastor also stated that the Catholic school, besides teaching the elementary sub (CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR) ELKS INITIATE ANOTHER CLASS Second Os Series Os Initiations Held; Another Class Next Week Initiation was held last night by the Decatur lodge of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. This was | the second of a series of initiations, to he held for applicants of the re I cent membership drive. Next Wed I 'nesday about. 50 more persons will be I admitted to the order Plans are moving forward for the Elks Fun Festivdl to be held on i Liberty Way August 24-29 for the| benefit of tlie new home fund. The I bouse committee made a report last: 'night to the effect that plans were advancing rapidly for the new home. . formerly the C C. Schafer home oti North Second street. Furniture and fixtures will be pur chased soon and some remodeling will be done, Lt is said. Complete 1 plans will be announced soon, the committee stated. The membership drive will continue through this week and it is expected that more than 109 new members will be initiated within the next few weejts. o— M. E. Conference To Be Held In Newcastle In 1926 Marion. June 4—The 1926 convention of the northern Indiana conference in the Methodist Episcopal church will be held in Newcastle next April, the committee on location de--1 tided at a meeting here Wednesday. : —— Weather Partly cloudy tonight, and Friday ! Possibly local thunder storms in ex treme north portion; continued warm

Fetters Testifies In His Own Behalf Tuesday George Fetters went on the witness I stand to testify in his own defense in his trial on a charge of murder at Wapakoneta, Ohio, Tuesday. Fetters who is a Celina, Ohio, young man. is charged with tlie murder of Ed Moyer, Rockford, Ohio, farmer, in 1922. Fetters repudiated the confessions I which were submitted earlier in the J trial, saying that he was forced and | beaten ipto signing them, and that he ' did not know what he was doing when he signed them. Indications are that the trial Is | drawing to a do e. MAN KILLED IN I ! AUTO ACCIDENT I Fort Wayne Merchant Fatally Injured In Accident North Os Decatur One man was fatally injured and three others were painfully hurt in an automobile accident which occurred on the Decatur-Fort Wayne road, near the Philley station, at 6:10 o'clock yesterday evening. Charles E. Greer, vice-president and general manager of the Wayne Hardware company, Fort Wayne, prominent lodge man and civic association worker of that city, died at the St. Joseph hosp tai at 6:55 o'clock, without regaining consciousness. Death was attributed to a fractured skull, internal injuries and a crushed chest. Albert Weinmann. Fort Wayne, a carpenter contractor, who was driving the machine, received only a slight cut on the top of his head. Charles Hess, manager of a tire and vulcanizing shop, and 11. F. Conner, manager of the Brinkman pa nt store, both of Fort Wayne, were painfully, but it is not thought seriously injured. Hess suffered a fracture of his colar bone and Conner sustained a painful injury to his back. The party of four men were on their wuy to Willshire, ().. to attend a Masonic initial on and were driving, according to Mr. Weinmann, at least 35 miles an hour. Witnesses said they were driving much faster. I and Hess is reported to have said I the machine was traveling at least 55 miles an hour. The ear turned out to allow a lighter I mach ne to pass, driven by H. C. Wickliffe, and struck some loose stone and gravel which caused it to l turn over twice and land again upright on all four wheels. The occupants were thrown clear of the wreckage and the car was demolished. The car was a seven-passenger touring car, equipped with a California top. it was new. having been driven only 1,700 miles. 0 HOTTEST DAY OF YEAR HERE No Relief In Sight; Mercury Soars To Near 100 • Degree Mark The hottest day this year, ami no I sign of relief! This is the present condition in J Decatur and Adams county. It is be- , lieved generally that the rain ached- ( , uled for this part of the state yester- , day was side-tracked, and it is doubtful if there will be any rain for at ( least a day or two. Thermometers scattered at points along the business district of this city varied from 95 to 98 degrees at two o’clock tills afternoon. The hottest weather was recorded by the • thermometer in front of the Hensley Jewelry store. It. registered 98 most of the afternoon. . A cool breeze that has been blow- ! ing most of the day has aided considerably in withstanding the heat and no prostrations have been reported in _ the county. Neighboring towns and cities are experiencing the same heat spell and many of the eastern states report similar weather. y The sky has been almost cloudiest X- —- ■ it. (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX)

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HEAT CRAZED MAN FIRES 50 SHOTS AT KIN Mother, Brother, Sister-in* Law And Five Children Are Slain ATTEMPTS SUICIDE Murderer Expected to Live; Bodies Are Riddled With Bullets — Hamilton, ()., June 4.—(UnitI ed Press.) —Crazed by the heat I and financial reverses, Floyd Russell, 42, today shot and killed eight relatives. He then turned the gun on himself, sending a bullet through his chest, but physicians said he will recover. The murder orgy took place at Russell’s home. His victims were his own mother, his brother and sister-in-law, and their five children, ranging in age from four months to ten years. “The mortgage was due, I couldn't meet it. I wanted to go. and take them all with me so they wouldn’t worry." Russell said at tin jail It was so hot I couldn't think." When police arrived in response to cnlls sent in by neighbors, they found Russell raving about the room. "Wait I want to shoot my p ettire off the wall." he told police. The bodies of Russelj’s victims were strewn throughout the house Dorothy Russell. 8. was the only member of the family to escape wTTh her life. She tied to the house of a neighbor at the first shot. The <lead are: Mrs. Rose Russell. 6u. Russell's mother, slain in lied. John Lowell Russel,. 35. his brother. Emma Russell, 35. his sister-in-law. Julia, Kt; Robert. 8; Grace, 6; Paul l-oii s. 3; Richard, three months old. children of John and Emma. The location of the bodies indicated the family had fled before Itus sell's wrath. The shooting started about 5:30 a. m. Mrs. Russell, killed as she slept, apparently was the first victim Rus (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) MARY HOFFMAN DIES AT PREBLE Lifelong Resident Os Preble Township Found Dead In Bed Early Today Mrs. Mary Hoffman. 75. a lifelong resident of Preble township was found dead in iter bed this morning by relatives who came to visit her. Before her death she appeared in apparently good health and had been up and around the day before. Mrs. Hoffman lived alone in her home in Preble and persons who had seen her yesterday said that site seemed to tie lin Iter usual health Death was due to paralysis. ! Mrs. Hoffman was born in Preble I township and lived there her entire i life. She was married to Henry P. i Hoffman, who preceded her in death ! several years ago. She Is survived ( by two brothers. William Meyer, of t Preble, Edward Meyer, of Prehle , township, and three sisters. Mrs. , Minnie Linnetneyer. Preble. Mrs Susanna Bunk, Lima, Ohio, and Mrs. t Martha. Homeyer, Fort Wayne, and a. host of frlneds throughout tlie coun- .. ty. I_ Mrs. Hoffman was a member of the d St. I’aul Lutheran church and was n always a willing and faithful worker. f ) Funeral services will be held Sature day afternoon at the' house at 1 n o’clock and at the St. Paul Lutheran church at 1:30 o'clock Burial will 1S take place at the St, Paul cemetery. - Reverend Geiser, pastor of the St. Paul church will officiate.