Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 24, Number 85, Decatur, Adams County, 9 April 1926 — Page 1

Vol XXIV- Number 85.

SEARCH FOR DR. ROSS IS WIDESPREAD

SHIP DISASTERS HINEW ORLEANS TAKE 818 TOLL Thirty-four Men Missing Following Explosion Os Oil Tankers I IRE DESTROYS SEVERAL VESSELS Orleans, April (United Press)—The port of New Orleans today recovered from its night of horror and relief workers set about caring for those rescued from a succession of ship disasters that brought death, injury and destruction. A checkup of the hospitals and among the seamen along the docks tevealed that 34 men were still missing from two of the vessels which, within 12 hours, were rocked by a series of explosions. Five men who were abroad the O. T. Warring, which was fired in dry dock yesterday, tiave not been heard from. Twenty-nine members of the crew of the Patch tanker Silvanus have net been located since that vessel collided with the Standard Oil tanker Wheeler in the Mississippi river at Point A La Hache, fifty miles south of here. The Wheeler was beached after the colision with slight damage. The Silvanus was last seen with her decks a mass of blazing oil. helpless in the flow of the Mississippi. The origin of the fires and explosions was in dispute today. The fire in the dry dock was said by the taptain cf the O. T. Warring to hare started from sparks carried by a shore fire. This was denied by company officials however. o Mysterious Sniper Kills Man In Gary Gary. Ind., April 9. —(United Preset —Gary today was aroused by the actions of a mysterious sniper who shot and killed Joe Mullins, 45, as he was walking through a park here. The man leaped from behind- a chimp of bushes, tired three shots and fled. Mullins died before he reached a hospital. DEATH CAUSED BYHEMORRHAGE Coroner Makes Report On Death Os Fred Gerke, Allen County Farmer An acute hemorrhage was the cause of the death of Fred Gerke, 51, farmer residing on the Decatur-Fort Wayne road, Wednesday night, according to the report of Coroner Mendenhall, of Alien county. Mr. Gerke’s hotly was found about 6 o'clock yesterday morning. The body was found, face downward, in a ditch containing about five inches of water, by Frank Norton. a farmer residing in that vicinity. Death is not attributed to drowning, however. Gerke is believed to have been stricken a short time after he stepped out of the automobile of Herman M. Hoffman, 2408 Smith street. Fort a ytte, with whom tie had been rid'"g- Hoffman is believed to have been the last person to see him alive. The men separated about 9 o’clock Wednesday night near Gerke’s home. Gerke lived with his mother, Mrs. I-ouise C. Gerke, He is survived by two children, Marie, 22, and Herbert, 20, two brothers, Henry and Herman G'rke, of Fort Wayne, and two sisters. Mathilda and Clara, at home. —o— L. Vance Speaks At Kirkland High School G. L. Vance, local merchant, delivered a talk to the pupils of the Kirkand township high school this morn»g- Mr. Vance spoke on the early ii-toiy of this part of the country.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Berne Quartet To Sing At Presbyterian Church The Berne Mennonite quartet will provide a feature of the evening service at the Presbyterian church in this city nxt Sunday. The service will begin at 7:30 o'clock. The quartet is composed of Messers. Elmer Baumgartner. .Mennas Baumgartner, C. T. Habegger and M. E. Stauffer. They will sing four or five selections. This quartet is widely known and is in great demand. The public is cordially invited to attend the service. PLEA OF LABOR IS PRESENTED Senate Committee Told That Prohibition Menaces Lives pf Millions By Paul R. Mallon (United Press Staff Correspondent) Washington, April 9 —The health of four million working men is menaced by prohibition, William S. Roberts, of the American Federation of Labor, told the senate prohibition investigating committee today, presenting labor's plea for beer and light wines. "The man who lives by the sweat of his brow is-drinking deletrious spirits which detracts his life and health," Roberts said after onnouncing himself as personal representative of President Willia mE. Green, of the federation. Good beer and wines would be beneficial, Roberts argued. Roberts outlined a 30,000 mile trip across the country which he took with the late Samuel Gompers. "Everywhere there was plenty of distilled liquor, but seldom real beer," he said. We found homes of the people had turned.imp breweries and distilleries turing out dangerous concoctions which would ruin the health Os thane Mho drank them to any extent.’’ Roberts outlined the following effects which his organization believed had resulted from prohibition. "A general disregard for the law among all classes of people, including those who made the law. "Creation of thousands of moonshiners among both country and city dwellers. "Creation of an army of bootleggers . “An amazing increase in the traffic in poisonous and deadly coivoctions drugs. "Increases in taxes to city, state and national governments amounting to approximately one thousand million dollars a year.” o— Harmony Boys To Hold Dance Here This Evening A public dance will be held at the Masonic hall tonight. The General Electric Harmony Boys, an eight-piece orchestra, will furnish the music. Admission will be 65 cents for men and ladies will be admitted free. Dancing will start at 8 o'clock and the public is invited to attend. It is probable that a similar dance will be held each Friday night for the next several months, it was announced by the orchestra yesterday. The Harmony Boys have broadcast from radio station WOWO, in Fort Wayne, on several occasions. o FIRE NEAR BERNE IS INVESTIGATED Assistant State Fire Marshal Probes Blaze At Earl Farlow Home Roy E. Gates, assistant state fire marshall, was in Berne this week, conducting an investigation into the fire which destroyed the residence of Earl Farlow, south of Berne, February 26. The fire occurred about 3 o’clock in the morning and was of a mysterious origin. Owing to the fact that Mr. Gates was called to the southern part of the state, it was necessary to postpone the Investigation at Berne until next week, at which time Mr. Farlow will be called to Indianapolis.

In the Battle of Wets and Drys ■'iml w ***=;• w w*- 4 BL v ■ — ■■ ■ — -— - ■ . Here tire three leaders in the prohibition fight which is now being waged before a committee of he I’. S. Senate. Left to right they are: Senator Reed, of Missouri, spokesman for the wets; Senior Means, of Cd'orado, chairman of the commi mv l Senator Walsh, ol Mon tana, a “dry.

GROCERY STORE ~ CHANGES HANDS Ed Miller And Walter Deitsch Buy Store From Mrs. Mary Miller A buslpess deal, whereby Ed Miller, of this city, and his brother-in-law, Walter Deitsch. of Celina, Ohio, will become owners of the Miller Grocery, on West Monroe street, has been closed. The new owners will take ncssession next week, probably Monday. it is said. Mr. Miller formerly conducted the South End Grocery and restaurant and is well qualified for his new duties. Mr. Deitsch, of Celina, is said by the Celina paper to Se one of the best grtf'eTy'TYft'irTirTTdtna. He and bis wife and son will move to Decatur this week. The new grocery will be known as the Miller and Detisch West End grocery. They will continue th former policy of Mrs- Mary Miller, and will be ready to greet their old and new friends in their new property next week. LITERARY-MUSIC MEET SATURDAY Annual Adams County High School Contest At D. H. S. Auditorium The annual Adams County High School Literary-Misic contest will be held in the Decatur higli school auditorium, Saturday evening. April 10. J The program will stprt at 7:30 o’clock.. The preliminary contests, to select | the 'contestants from the north and south halves of the county to take part in the final contest Saturday I night, were held at Berne and the Kirkland high school last Friday I night. Sig-schools won events in the! preliminary contests and will be represented in tile finals here Saturday night. Those six schools are Decatur, Berne, Monroe. Monmouth, Kirkland and Jefferson. Persons residing outside of Adams county have been selected to act as judges in the final contests Saturday night. The admission price will be thirty-five cents. The winners in the quartet event will receive a pennant, while the winners in th other events will receive medals. The school scoring the most points in the meet will receive a trophy. Following is the order of events, the names of the contestants, and the subject or title of their selection: Ladles’ Quartet: Berne (Josephine Reusser, Rebecca Russr, Mary Ann Nuenschwander and Elizabeth Habegger), “Mother Machree"; Monmouth (Irene Gerke, Helen Boehnke, Ade'.la (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) — o Crisis In Condition Os Burbank Not Reached Yet Santa Rosa, Calif., April 9.—(United Press) —The crisis in the condition of Luther Burbank, stricken plant scientist, <still has not arrived. Dr. Joseph H. Shaw, his physician indicated today.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, April 9, 1926.

Auto Wrecked On Railway Tracks Just Before Train Is Due; Occupants Saved Tn' 1 '- ” ’• <1 'n ■ ’ ” ; d P <?s RM’ o ’ nt wrecks ai'toniubil on t.< , tracks a few minutes befo.e a .a train was due. The auto, containing Ernest Bran ham. 21. Ralph Bland, 21, and J oh" ’ Hutton. 23, failed to' make a sharp curve, and overturned on the tracks pinning them unde neath. The thre were taken to the city hospital and ordered held in the detention ward for intoxication. SPAIN, FRANCE TO TALK PEACE Nations To Discuss Terms For Ending War In Morroco By A. L. Bradford (United Press Staff Correspondent) Paris. April 9— France and Spain today agreed to discuss peace terms with Abdel Krirn in formal conference.) Negotiations between the European | allies have been in progress for some time in an effort to find terms which would be mutually acceptable. Franco-Spanish agreement on terms' of peace to end the war which has! raged in Morocco for twenty years was announced today by Paul Painleve, minister of war, following a cabinet meeting. The French and Spanish plenipotentaries will meet in Paris and thence will proceed to Oudja, Mor- ' rocco. where they will begin negotiations with representatives of the Riffian leader. | France’s delegates have already ■ lieen selected and it is understood [ that Genra! Primo de Rivera, the Spanish dictator has named the men to represent Spain. North Ward Play To Be Given This Evening The annual North Ward school play will be given in the high school auditorium at 8 o’clock this evening. The title of the play, which is a humorous operetta for children, is "The Magic Wood." o Gold Watch And Chain Stolen Here This Morning Arthur Fisher, of this city, reported to the police today that a valuable gold watch and chain was Stolen from his overcoat pocket this morning. The watch was valued at S6O and the chain .at several dollars. o Small Roof Fire Today The fire department was called to Moftroe street the C. E. Ho’thouse residence on West Monroe street at 3:15 o’clock this afternoon, to extinguish a roof blaze caused by sparks. The b aze was soon extinguished and the loss was estimated to be about sls. Weather Mostly cloudy tonight and Saturday. No decided change in temperature.

ENGLISH MINERS •Cf eral Strike, Bex ginning May 1 By Mlnott Saunders (United Press Staff Correspondent) London, April 9. —Representativies of Great Britain’s hundreds of thousands of coal miners today rejected the proposals of the mine operators for settement of the wages and hours of labo rdispute which may result in a general strike May 1. The miners’ federation national conference, which acted today merely approved the recommendations of the union executive committee that the I operators’ proposals be rejec ted and that the miners adhere to the principle that wages shall not be reduced .nor hours of labor lengthened. The conference also rejected the proposal that district wage agreements be substituted for the existing national agreement. The delegates said they expected to confer with Premier Baldwin tonight. o IM. WELDY DIES IN MEMPHIS. TENN. Well-known Decatur Man Succumbs At Home Os Son; Death Unexpected Christian M. Weldy, 78, of this city, died at 1 o’clock this morning at the home of his sen, Harry Weldy, at Memphis, Tennessee, where he was visiting. Death was said to be due to an inflammation of the kidneys. Mr. Weldy had been seriously ,11 for several weeks at Memphis, but had been reported to be considerably better the last few days. A wire was received this morning by Mrs. E. W. Johnson, of this city, a daughter, bringing the sad news. Mr. Weldy was a lifelong resident of Adams county and a few months ago had gone to Memphis to visit his son. He became ill about a month ago and had shown marked improvement the last several days until yesterday when he suffe ed a relapse and died early this morning. Born in Adams County Christian M. Weldy was born in Adams county in 1848. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs Dan Weldy. He received his early education in the Adams county schools and. at an early age, he chose the occupat'on of farming. When a young man, he was married and Mr. and Mrs. Weldy lived on a farm in this county for many iCONTINI'Un ON P4GK FIVE) o ’ S" "v' , r Funeral To Be ’ Sat-’H Funeral services for Louis Sawyer, former Monmouth school teacher, will be held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the First Presbyterian church at Bluffton. Burial will take place in the Bluffton cemetery. Mr. Sawyer formerly lived in Decatur 'and was well-known here.

Agricultural Association Directors To Meet Monday The directors of the Adams County Agricultural Association will meet in the Decatur Industrial rooms Monday night, at 7:31) o’clock, for the purpose of electing officers. The election was to have been held last Wednesday night, but owing to the heavy rain that night, it was impossible for the directors who reside In the southern part of the county to be present and the election was postponed. 0 LAYMEN PLEDGE AID TO DRY LAW Methodists Adopt Resolution Supporting Enforcement Os Prohibition Newcastle, Ind., April 9. — (United Press) —Laymen of the northern Indiana Conference of the Methodist church today adopted resolutions pledging their aid in strict enso _ cem< nt of dry laws The resolution urged support of all movements “tending to uphold public morals and the dry laws." W. R. Wrecking, of Anderson, was elected president of the laymens’ Association. Other officers chosen were: F. E. Beauchamp. Sheridan, vice-presi-dent; R. L. Eastman, Marion, secretary; and E. Stanley Garid, Fort Wayne, treasurer. Newcastle, Ind. .April 9 —(United Press) —Laymen of North Indiana conference of the Methodist church were gathering hero today for their annual meeting in connection with the conference. The laymen will meet apart from the general conference sessions and there will be little work for them to do aside from passing resolutions. A move to give the laymen repreentation on the conference floor was defeated by a vote which tabled ence. the proposal until the 1927 conferProf. J. F. Williamson, choir leader of Dayton, 0., condemned introduction of jazz music in religious services in an address before the conference. “Choir leaders who resort to jazz music are stealing the stuff of the stage,” he said. “Ministers should not tolerate it.’’ Bishop Theodore Henderson, of Chicago, delivered the principal address at the session last night. o Stephenson’s Appeal To Be Filed Next Week Noblesville. Ind., April 9.—(United Press)--The appeal of D. C. Stephenson, former Indiana Klan Dragon, fnom the sentence of life imprisonment for the murder of Madge Oberholtzer, will be filed with the state supreme court next week, it was learned today. Attorneys for Stephenson, who is now serving his term at Michigan City, yesterday obtained permission to file a duplicate of an exhibit offered at the trial. With his duplicate, the transcript of the evidence in the case was comp'.eted. — o FARMERS GAIN BY TESTING COWS Members Os County Cow Testing Association Tell Os Their Benefits "How were you benefitted by the first year’s work?” was one of the nurgtions contained in a letter recentmailed to members of the Adams County Cow Testing Association, by L. M Busche, county agent. Firht of the twenty-six farmers answered the letter. Below are their answers to the above question. "I learned to be more accurate in feeding and thereby lowered the cost. The rations were not changed very much. We did not locate arty board(CONTINUEU ON FAGE FIVE)

Price Two Cents.

MISSING LIFER BELIEVED TO BE LEAVING COUNTRY Letter Bearing Signature Identical With That Os Ross Is Received PARDONS BOARD GETS MANY REPORTS (United Press Service) Indianapolis, April 9.— Members of the state pardons board today checked reports from widely separated sections of the United States on the whereibouts of Dr. N. B. Ross, missing lifer from the state prison ot M ; ch’>a" Citv The most important clew was a letter deceived from New Orleans, bearing a signature which pai*don board officials said was identical with the signature of Dr. Ross. An investigation of the clew was started immediately. At the same time, reports were received from Louisville and New York that a man resembling Ross had been seen in both cities. "We are checking these reports as rapidly as we can,” George S. Henninger, president of the pardon board said. "We are as yet unable to verify the reports.” Henninger said he Iftlieved it possible that Ross had obtained money from friends and was seeking to make his way either to Mexico or South America. Police in all border towns have been notified to be cn the lookout for Ross. o ... Valuation Os Telephone Company Is Increased Indianapolis, April 9. — (United Press.) — The state tax board late yesterday ordered a $300,000 increase in the taxation valuation of the Home Telephone and Telegraph company of Fort Wayne. The property will be taxed on a valuation of $1,885,128 as a result of the board's action. The old valuation was $1,580,880. Other valuations included: Putnam County Telephone company. Noblesville. $62,478; Mooresville Teelphone company, $26,335; Morgantown Telephone company, $6,360. o ■ FRENCH CABINET MEMBER RESIGNS Louis Malvey. Minister Os Interior, Quits Post Under Fire Paris, .April 9. —(United Press) —• The cabinet today accepted the resignation of Louis Malvey. minister of the Interior. Jean Durand, minister of agriculture, was named by Premier Brisnd to succeed Malvey. Matvey's presence in ihe Briand ministry formed following the defeat of the Briand government on March 6, caused tremendous opposition among right deputies who charged that he had never been cleared of war-time charges of treason for which he was once exiled. During debate in the chamber, following the League of Nations meeting at Geneva, a scorching attack was launched at Malvey. He sought to reply, but could hardly speak for emotion. A few moments later, he collapsed and he has not appeared in the chamber since. o t.rtai ment To Be Given ’' ’’artford High School Manlove, the man of many faces, will give an entertainment at the Hart- _ ford township high school auditorium Saturday night. April 10. His program will be the last of a series of high class entertainments which have been given at the Hartford si-bool this ’ year. The entertainments have been given under the auspices of the senior class of the high school.