Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 27, Number 202, Decatur, Adams County, 26 August 1925 — Page 1

Number 2 °2.

CONFESSES HE BURNED OWN HOME

■ iBITORSAND I j||® NEARING I IB DEADLOCK I little Hope Os Settlement ■ InPispute Before Time ■ Set For Strike ■ COOLH ),iE INTERESTED ■ President Talks U ith Disfl (erent Authorities Refl garding Situation _ —. Hb (United Pr.ss Service) fl 9 ’Vilk'-i’arre. I’.i . Aug. 2b —Possl■Sß jjj../ ..i a r-« •: >-.i>ll • '< k between mifl .. . • operators n pMB .umim-nt today as M ~ bti'inoss men's flfl ■■■" ar). 'lee at Hazelton. Jafl Al'.boiigit a' 1,1 draw J. L. Lewis fl jro'bnt of th. United Mine Workfl of America. mto the p6ace meet- ■ ins. the rommi'*- appears to have fl succeeded in m< r» Iy permitting him fl io declare the n ' ■■■ '- last stand, and fl ths fails to make dear that the operfl Stirs will agie . negotiations being fl reopened on t'-rms Lewis distates. 9 (Swampscott Ma ,s . Aug. 26—This is 9si opportt;iie time for an anthracite 9 coa. strike, an ! the walkout schedul--9 ri for next Tuesday would he w< 19 retue if it come tomorrow. Janies J. 9 ftorrnw. Boston Panker and former ■ ,V» Engler..! V. 1 a'lm nistrator. said 9 today after a cull on President Cro|9 idfest the summer white house. ■ Th" President, who is ■ creased attention to the strike sttua fl tion. also received today W. H. Coo 1 - fl 9 ** '“‘H a rP ‘ at • VP| os,on> wbo fl has"large holdings in the West Vtr■B jiiia ifltumnious coal mines. fl —o ■ Jails In Calumet S District Are Empty fll fhry. [nd . Aug 26—(United Press) |fl -Jailers of the Calumet distiict are fl. tetr faced ami gloomy these days. Bb Their business is on the bum. fl- f;’.!- of-•.■hr-bastllei-it Hemsionf.’ V Ent Pbiciom. Indiana Harbor and I jfl are empty. 91 When fl drunk was towed to a ■ cHat Indiana Harbor the turnkey |9 pt so excited over the pick-up in ■ business he forgot to take his- custfl tuner’s name. I After sobering up. the unnamed culI ® r ' t was sp nt on his erring way, leavF l»S the turnkey in his solitude. B FESTIVAL ATTRACTS MANY Dance Proves To Be 4 Feature Os Tuesday Night’s Activities ft Tl" 1 dance proved the feature of | asl night's activities of the Elks Fun ■ Clival, a large crowd attended the jnei- after other festivities had endt • red T. S< hurger announced today ‘‘J the dances would continue each J„t th ' B week at the K. of C. hall • admission is charged and the dance ■ 18 Jun on the park plan. Rood sized crowd took advantage he many offerings of the Fun FesIron- r Llberty Wa >' last night, and I», ’°’ Clock " ntil 1° o'clock the tent v * w -th an enthusiastic crowd. -» eatures wi'l be.added tonight, it ■ " as announce. ■ popularity contest is treating > it ' erab e * nter< :St. The standing of i contestants is published each night rhat at the p °P u l ar lty booth tn u . ° f Dr- J . W. Clark and Arthur ■ and. The winner will be determin- “ Saturday night. disprn^. 8 are 81111 ° n Bdle for the B |ft J'bution Saturday night. The gifts s |. pm , he represented have been (11 >,v ,hie tent an< 4 can be inspectwll, , eyery body. Tonight's festivities Ml . egn at about eight o'clock and 0[ conduotted with the presentaiton J °or prize about 10:30 o'clock.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

ROYAL ROMANCE Hi BE*'’ j 1 bxAl J . V&,, A met t Jjflfc. f i j. £«»sjmcf >rE,xr%.v j Prince Henry, brother of the Prince of Wales, will wed Lady Mary Scott, daughter of the Earl of Bucclenoh. in November at London, according to present p ans. BANDITS VISIT ILLINOIS TOWN Gang Numbering From 10 Ta lj- BloMk. Safe At Hayworth, Illinois Hayworth, 111., Aug., 26—A gang of bandits numbering from 10 to 15 roared into town in a huge auto ear.y today cut all telephone wires took several prisoners pc.trd'ed the streets and blew °Peu <he state bank escaped with $4,001) and a large quantity of securities. The first blast of glycerine brought scores of residents to windows. A te'c-phe-fic operj.t.pr called by ’he bank cashier who heard the blast thrust her head from the window across the street from the bank She found the wires had been cut All were ordered to "get back and stay in”. Blast after blast rocked the town the residents powerless as armed men patroled the streets. o Search For Loot Taken By The “Blue Phantom” Dayton, 0., Aug 26—Authorities today resumed search for $6,500 of the S2B 000 loot obtained by the "blue phantom,” Fred O. Nickel, factory president, in the robbery of the North Dayton branch of the Dayton Savings and Trust company on August 12. Held under $50,000 bond pending convening of a spec al grand jury tomorrow, Nickel insists he obtained only $21,500, nearly all of which was recovered in his $40,000 nome. Bank officials were as insistent that $28,000 was obtained.

AN HONOR STUDENT Christian D. Macy. Decatur, Placed On Honor Roll For Second Semester Os Last Year At Purdue Lafayette. Ind., Aug. 26. —Only one person from Adams county was listed on the honor roll «t Purdue University during the second semester of the last academic year, it was leirned today with the announcement of the Distinguished Studen list by President E. C Elliott. Out of the entire student body of more than 3003 only 130 gained this coveted scholastic honor. To get on the honor roll, a student must have at least three fourths of his or her grades A or better and nothing below J) which is 85 to 90. The Adams k-ounty representative was Christian D. Macy, of Decatur, who has finished his junior year in mechanical engineering. Mr. Macy will be a senior with the opening of 4he Jail semester, Sept. 16.

, — —x Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, August 26, 1925.

MANY TICKETS ARE BEING SOLD Large Attendance At Chautauqua Indicated; Opens Next Monday The advance ticket sale for the Decatur Community Chautauqua which will be. held here next week, August 31 to Seprtembei 5, is progressing nicely, according to John S. Peterson, chairman of the ticket committee. The season tickets were placed in the hands of workers several days ago and a supply was left at each of the three banks ttnd the Daily Democrat office. All indications point to a large attendance at all sessions of the Chautauqua. The annual county teachers institute will be held in conjunction with the Chautauqua this year- The teachers will attend all sessions of the Chautauqua and it may be necessary to call a few special meetings of the teachers, to be held during the forenoons. The ehautauqua will open on Monday morning with the Children's honr at 9 o’clock. The first attraction for adults will be the presentation of the four-act comedy, "in Walked Jimmy." by the Community Players, at 8 o'clock Monday evening. There will be two sessions each day from then on until the close on Saturday night. %The officers and committe chairment of the Chautauqua Association have announced a program for this years Assembly w,hich appears in every respect to be the best that has ever been given here. The Mtrwetewm wlweled ine.uAe the Community Players in the four act comedy "In Walked Jimmy”; the Mac-Murray-Kackhy Players in the three act drama, "His Honor Abe Potash.” the best known play of the Potash Perlmutter series; the ImperiaJ Syncopators, a group of instrumentalists, ptesenting unique programs of musical (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) o — AMERICAN LEGION COIMIffION ENDS Clarence Jackson, Os Newcastle, Elected State Commander Fort Wayne. Ind., Aug 26—. United Press)—The last of the American Legion visitors were departing for their

home today after the close of the seventh annual convention of the Indiana department. Legion officials' described the convention as the most successful and harmonious gathering of the former service men ever held in the sate. Clarence Jackson, of Newcastle, was eleetd state commander and Bowman Elder. Indianapolis, was re-eltced natnoal executive cominitteeman from Indiana. Prospects for a hot fight over the two offices vanished and both selections were by acclamation. The other officers named were Clay Phillips. Terre Haute, first vice commander; Rev. Cassius Hunt. Indiana Harbor, second vice-commander; Robert Daffert, Indianapolis, state finance officer; Rev. Fred Hill, Milford, chaplain; Harry Muller, Fort Wayne, judge advocate; James Briscoe, sergeant-at-arms; Robert Bushee, Wells county, athletic officer; Ray Dickman. Evansville, historian; F. A. Henisele, Tell City, Americanism officer. Marion was chosen for the 1926 convention. Mrs. Charles Combs, Bloomfield, was re-elected president of the women's auxiliary of the legion. Other officers: Mrs. E. S. Rose, Evansville, first vice president; Mrs. Neva Feller Lagfange, second vice president; Mrs. Mae Dunlap. Franklin, third vice president; Mrs. Claire Thurston, ImManalpolis, secretary; Mrs. Helen Green, Garrett, treasurer, Mrs. O E. Adams, Brazil, chaplain; Mrs. Clarence Hughel, Indianapolis, historian; Mrs. J. C. Glackman, Rockport, national committee woman.

North Webster Boys In Jail; Broke Into Cottages North Webster, Ind.. Aug. 2C “Let the law take its course," say the parents of four North Webster youths confined in tb A county jail. The boys, Ortle Miller. 20, Barry Mast, 18. Donald Smith. 17, xnd Harold Mack, 18. arc awaiting a hearing on charges of breaking into summer cottages at I.ake Papakertchio. A charge of burglarly is -pending against Miller, said by the authorities to be the ringleader of the gang. Miller was arrested on a previous occasion for larceny. When officers nabbed the youths they had an automobile, loaded revolver and rifles and a large store of ammi- ’ition. —— " — — -■

VETS TO MEET HERE IN 1926 Veterans Os 160th Regiment, Spanish-American War, To Gather Here The 1926 reunion of the 160th Indiana Volunteer regiment of the Span-ish-Amerhan wtr will be held in Decatur. This was decided at the annual reunion held in Columbia City Monday. R. D. Myers, of this city, is president of the reunion tor next year. About 200 veterans attended the reunion at Columbia City, including several from this city- Tents were raised on the court house lawn and the veterans made their headquarters in them. The forenoon was spent in visiting. The officers. Col. Ounder. Lieut. Col. Kiger Majors. Harter. Bashman and Miller, arrived early and their men were anxious to renew old bonds of frienxiship and to sh ike hands once more with their faithful officers and men. At noon the members of the regiment enjoyed a chicken dinner at the U. B. church and from there went to the city hall where at 2 o'clock President D. S. Linvill called the meeting to order. He spoke at some length, telling of the organization land activities. of tho 160th The regiment was mustered into service on April 25. 1898 and mustered out on April 26. 1899. The boys were in the service soon after war was declared and remained until practically all trouble was over. Among the speakers of the afterncon were the officers and men called upon by Dr. Linvill. Col. Gunder delivered an address.

RANSOM ZECHIEL DIES Son Os Former Methodist Preacher At Monroe Dies After Operation At Indianapolis Ransom Zechiel, a son of the Rev. and Mrs. S. L Zechiel, former residents of Monroe, died at a hospital in Ind'anapolis at 9 o’clock this morning, following an operation performed last week for appendicitis. Mr. Zechiel was about 23 years old He was a student in the Indiana Urtivers'ty school of medicine at Indianapolis. and was a graduate of DePauw university. His father was pastor of the Methodist church at Monroe until last spring, when he was transferred to Walton, near Logansport Surviv ing the young man are his parents and one brother, Norris, who is teaching in Wilmington. Daleware. Funeral atfangiements have not) been learned here. —o Tokio Flooded By Seven Hour Downpour Tokio, Aug. 26—Thousands of dwellings are inundated and railway service is suspended as the result of a seven hour down pour of rain here. Landslides at same po'nls have buried street car tracks and made traffic impossible. Guests have been compelled to quit the Imperial hotel where the lower floor is flocd-'J. Weather Indiana: Generally fair tonight and Thursday. Cooler tonight in north and central portions. Rising temperature Thursday afternoon in northwest portion.

FURTHER CUT IN GAS PRICE SEEN Downward Trend In Price Os Gasoline Is Started; Two-fold Cause (United Press Service) Chicago. Aug. 26 —With motorists of the midwest riding on the cheapest fuel since the war, the prosepect of even further gasoline price reductions appeared imminent today. Chicago automobile drivers were buying gasoline for 19 cents a gallon today as a resu.t of an unexplained cut made by the Standard Oil company in 11 middlewest states. Motorists In sections of Kansas, Illinois, South Dakota and Missouri were enjoying even lower prices as a result, of local price wars between nationa clompanies and sma’l independents. L. V. Nichols, president of the National Petroleum Marketers asocial ion declared additional reductions were likely throughout this section and the east. "The present drop is the beginning of an inevitable trend," said Nicholas. "The cause of the drop is two fold: The increased production of crude o'l and the rapid improvement of refining processes. “Gasoline bootleggers have had very little to do with the price reductions. The so-called bootleggers sell inferior gasonlie and by so doing they cannot force down the price of higher grades". Nicholas said an important factor in the present situation is the flooding of the midwest am! The east with gasoline from t'a.ifornia where there is an over abundant supply. “California producers have found they can ship their product to the Atlantic seaboard byway of the Panama canal and still undersell midcontinent producers who ship east from Oklo(CONTTNUFD ON PAGE TWO)

FILM TAX LAW IS PROHIBITIVE Connecticut Must Repeal New Law Or Do Without “Movie” Shows (United Press Service) Ne w Haven, Conn., Aug. 26—Desertion of Connecticut by the movie interests, threatened when the state imposed special taxes and other regulations on films, began today. Fifteen branch exchanges, through I which most of the films are distributed I in the state, began packing up their possessions preparatory to moving out of the state. lister S. Tobias, manager of one of the largest exchanges, said: After Sunday of this week, Connecticut will be 'as free of films as goldsmiths’ deserted village, was of people. New Haven. Conn-, Aug. 26 —Connecticut was faced today with the choice—repeal the film tax law or do without "movies.” Owners of Connecticut motion picture theaters sent a petition to Governor Trumbull asking for a special sesr'on of the state legislation to consider repeal. The theater owners’ committee returned at mdinight from a conference in New York City, in which they were advised that organized producers and distributors have decided to withdraw all their exchange offices from Connecticut Films they will sell to state exhibitors but only on orders received outside the state, (in which case the new motion picture tax law' will fall upon the theater owners. The latter announce they cannot pay ts'.s tax and will be forced to close their houses. The tax law w'hich also involves a censorship by the state tax commissioner, another thing to which the film producers and distributors objected, places a tax of $lO on the first thousand feet and fifty cents on each additional hundred feet of film shown in Connecticut.

of the state.

BACKS ANDREWS i Wayne B. Wheeler, general counsel for the Drys, says the newly appointed Federal prohibition admin strators will make good if given a fair chance.

JAIL BREAK AT HARTFORD CITY Two Prisoners Saw Their Way From Cells Early Today (United Press Service) Hartford City, Ind.. Aug. 26—Ralph Waldron of Antwerp. Ohio, and Ernest Mullen, of Hartford City, escaped from i the Blackford county jail early today I after sawing the bars of their cell. Working stealthily with saws. Waldron is belelved to have smuggled into jail in his shoes at the time of his arrest, the two men out through the bars, walked down a eoridor and out the front door of the jail "Their escape was not üb. til Sheriff Goodrich went to serve breakfast thi*-morning. Two other prisoners. Dorie Williams and Walter Evere, refused to join in the jail delivery. Waldron was arested at Antwerp and brought back to Hartford City to face a charge of stealing an auto from John Feichler, of Bluffton, at the Montpelier fair —o Man’s Life Restored Bv Use Os Pulmotor Crawfordsville. Ind., Aug. 26 —Two policemen by vigorous use of a pulmotor restored the breath of life to John Hendncks, who made a heroic dive into Sugar Creek. Hendricks explained to the policemen he was trying to rescue a woman and baby drowning in the stream. The policemen explained to the city judge that Hendricks had eaten too much "canned heat" for its alcoholic content. 0 LARGE WALNUT TREE Tree Hauled To Handle Factory Here Measures Eight Feet In Diameter At Stump Possibly the largest xvalnut tree and stump that has been hauled to Decatur in many yearc was that hauled by P. F. Hodle of this city today to the yard of the LaFauntain Handle Co. This tree was bought by O. C. Chronister from Philip Harshbarger who lives two miles east of New Cordyon in the south part of this county. The stump is 6 feet across and has an 8 fott log attached which contains fully 1000 feet of veneer lumber and has been resold to a well-known walnut dealer of Ohio . This tree was bought by C.O.Chronwhich Mr. Harshbarger was born and he remembers It as a sapling in tlje year 1860. Much of the old house and ■fire place remain.

Price 2 Cents.

GEORGE MUMM.4 ADMITS BURNING RESIDENCE HERE Decatur Man Savs He Burned Building To Collect Insurance IN NEED OF MONEY Confession Is Made To State Fire Marshall At Indianapolis “George Mum ma confessed at noon todav.” This was the word received by the Daily Democrat this afternoon from Albert Fowler, assistant state fire marshal, who has been working in this city in an effort to find the person who started the fire that destroyed the George Mumma residence on Fourteenth street early last Fridav morning. Mumma, who was placed under suspicion last Saturday when questioned bv Mr. Fowler, was taken to Indianapolis yesterday.

Mumma set fre to his home to collect the insurance according to his confession. A United Press dispitch from Indlanapd is this afternoon gave the following account of the confession: •'George Mumma a well driller, has confessed burning his house at Decatur. Indiana.” N. T. Miller, state fire i marshal announced this afternoon. 'Mumma set fire to his home to co’lect insurance of 13.000 because he was in financial difficulties, accord ng to the confession. ‘The day before the fire Mumma sent other members of the fami’y to visit with relatives in Ohio, the con | session said. ‘‘Mumma. in the confession, told how he had worried over his financial tioubies and sought away out until ho had finally determined to burn his house for the insurance money. ‘‘After sending the family away j Mumma returned to his home and . later took an auto ride trying to ; ueCiue tiie be’S’t' nuj ter the house. “Returning, Mumma said he sprinkled gasoline about the house and went to the barn and overturn ed a large tank of gasoline throwing some in the haymow. “Mumma used about 35 gallons of gasoline in getting ready, according to the confession. The house was (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) TRUSTEES PUN FOB SCHOOL YEAR Several Matters Discussed At Meeting With County Superinrindent Plans for the school year, 1925-26. which wiY open on September 7 were discussed today at the meetink cf the township trustees, held at the cffice of the county superintendent. Clifton Striker. Al of the twelve trustees, with the exception of Martin Moesberger, of French township, who was unable to attend on account of illness. Among the matters discussed today were the opening of schools, clean'ng of school yards and buildings, report of all teachers, the importance of the first day of school, which falls on Labor Day, read ng circle books and the inspection of the schools by the trustees and the superintendent. All teachers in the county schools must hold school for at least a half day on the opening day of school. To Dismiss For Fair The schoo’s in the county will be d'smissed all day on Thursday, September 17, to pennit the pupils and teachers to attend the annual Northern Indiana fair in this oity. It was decided to have some patron talk on our Constitution in the schools on Constitution Day, Septem(CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)