Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 24, Number 87, Decatur, Adams County, 12 April 1926 — Page 1

y 0 |. XXIV. Number 87.

DRYS OPEN FIGHT FOR VOLSTEAD LAW

iiOiD WOMAN ADMIT MURDER OF DARY MAN Killed Husband So That They Would Be Free To Carry On “Love Affair” HOT AND MURDER ARE DESCRIBED Cary, Ind., April IS—(United Press —While a hysterical woman t iday pleaded with him to admit that he slew her husband for her love, W. A. Donaldson, 33. admitted to police that he shot and killed Joseph Mullins last Thm- lay nigm so that he and Mrs. Mullins would be Tree to carry on a •love affair." Donaldson made his confession while Mrs. Mullins sobbed hysterically, admitting her part in the affair, and begging him to confess that he fired the fatal shots, after the murder had been planned by the two. , ■We worked this thing out together." he said. "Virginia and I planned to kill him last Tuesday night. She was to take him walking and I was to shoot him. But Mullins insisted on going another way. The same thing happened again Wednesday night. But then on Thursday we went to the park and selected the exact spot at which I would -tand to kill him. Then we planned' on how Virginia would get him to the place. “Thursday night I went to work at 4 o’clock. Then I slipped out of the mill at 7:30 and went to the tree in the park where we had agreed the murder would take place. "Virginia and Mullins came along. I tired. Mullins went down. Then I fired some more. Virginia ran away screaming. We had planned for her to do that. "Then I went back and slipped hat h to work. No lone missed me.” — - —o TINA ALEXANDER DIES SATURDAY • Resident Os Bobo Community Succumbs To Complication Os Diseases Miss Tina Alexander, 54, of near Bobo, died at her home Saturday night, after a long illness. Death was due to a complication of diseases. Miss Alexander lived with her brother, Sherman, on the farm where she was born. She was well known in Adams county. Tina Alexander was the daughter of George and Emma Alexander. She was born on the Alexander farm, a mile and a half east of Bobo, in Ohio, in 1872. She was educated in the. Ohio schools and lived her entire lif t > in western Ohio. Miss Alexander became ill several weeks ago and her condition became worse Friday. Death came Saturday evening at 6:45 o’clock. She was a niembor of the Pleasant View Baptist church, near Bobo, and was always a faithful and tireless worker for her church. She is survived by three brothers. Isaac, of Convoy, Ohio; Wilbur, whose address in unknown, and Sherman, at home; and two sisters, Ada and Nerva, of lowa. Her father nnd mother preceded her in death several years ago. Funeral services will be held from Ihe home at 1 o’dlock Tuesday afternoon. Burial will take place in the Pleasant View cemetery. o Bank Cashier, Short $65,000, Shoots Self Ludlow. Ky„ April 12. — (United Press.)-- Thomas W. Balsley. 65. cashier of the Farmers and Merchanics ank, which closed its doors Saturday after Balsley confessed he was short $65,000 in his account, shot and killed himself in a downtown garage here od,iy. jj e jj at j b een al Hb er ty under , 011(1 pending an examination of his books.

DECATUR DAISY DEMOCRAT

Plant Wizard Dies 1 ' a <ql I Up Sr f V' £ | Ajfe ■ /I 1 jijflLkJßf fl . f nkJL Hkc* KI V SJW MfSte ' 3 njftLlLi ' ’ 11/UTHER BXJggAKlI<~] Luther Burbank, who was made famous through his work in creating new plants, flowers and fruits, diet! at his home in Santa Rosa. California, Sunday. Burbank, who recently expressed his conviction that life ddi not exist beyond tiu. -gtavu.-reununciL linu in his belief amt died a skeptic. Two Gary Men Arrested For Selling Malt Tonic Gary. Ind., April 12—(United Press) —Two men were under arrest here today charged with violating the state prohibition law because they sold the malt tonic beer sanctioned by the fedeta! prohibition department. The men arrested were George Paimankos, candy store proprietor, and Paul Remmanos, a clerk. They were to be called for trial in city court today. it was expected that a continuance would be asked to permit their attorneys to prepare fully for the trial, the first test case of sale of file tonic in Indiana. Gary druggists have not put the topic on sale, although large orders have been placed with wholesalers for the malt tonic. D:y leaders raised a violent protest over the proposed sale by drug stores and the proprietors decided to wait until legality of the sale under the Wright bone dry law was determined. CITY FIREMEN MAKETWO RUNS Roof Fire Occurs At Al Burdg Home This Morning; Small Blaze Sunday A roof fire this morning caused damage to the extent of approximately $250 at the Al Burdg home, on Mercer avenue. Firemen responded to the call and soon had the blaze under control. A large amount of the roof was destroyed, however, before control was secured. It is thought that the fire started from sparks from a chimney. Ihe blaze soon gained headway and for a while threatened to destroy the house. Fire Sunday Afternoon Firemen were called yesterday afternoon to the Reynolds home on Oak street, where sparks had ignited the roof of that home. The blaze was soon extinguished and damage was estimated to be about $25. This is the second fire at the Reynolds home within two months. This morning’s fire was the fourth call for the local department in the last four days. All four of the fires have been roof blazes and the total loss is estimated at about $340.

BERNE IS FIRST IN ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOLCONTEST Scores Total Os 28 Points In Literary-Music Meet And Wins Shield DECATUR SECOND WITH 11 .DINTS Berne high school won the annual Adams county Literary-Music con- . tost, held at the Decatur high school I auditorium, last Saturday night, by H garnering five first places ami one second for a total of 28 points. Decatur was second with a total of 111 points. Seven high schools scored, points in the meet. A good sized audiend' attended I the final contests of the county! meet. The elimination trials were held a week ago, and only two schools ; were entered in each of the final ! contests. Monmouth high school won third place in th4 meet with 8 points; Jefferson and Pleasant Mills were tied for fourth and fifth places with 5 points each.;Monroe and Kirkland won sixth and seventh places with 3 (mints each. Berne Wins Shield Considerably good talent was shown in several of tho events, and the audience, on several occasions, showed its appreciation of the fine work by applauding the contestants. Berne high school was presented with a silver shield, which will become the permanent property of that school. It having won first place for two csjmmeuxivt yenrs Individual winners were presented with medals. In the ladies’ quartet, composed of the Misses Josephine Reusser, Rebecca Reusser. Mary Ann Neuensehwander and Elizabeth Habegger, (CONTINUED OX PAGE TWO) o —— G. E. BAND TO GIVE CONCERT Free Band Concert To Be Given In U.S.Auditorium Thursday Night The General Elictric Company’s band, wliS.-h was re organized last September. will give Its fire.t public concert at the high school auditorium next Thursday night, at 7:45 o'clock. The concert will be free and the public Is cordially invited to attend. The G. E. band is directed by Signor Cafaro, of the European School of Music, of Fort Wayne, who is teaching the members of the boys' and girls' band of this city, alsoo. The G. E. band held weekly practices throughout the winter and has developed into a high class musical organization. The hand is composed of eighteen members, thirteen of whom are employed In the G. E. plant. The other five members reside i.i Berne, V, dlshire, Ohio, and this city. There will be several feature numbers in the concert Thursday night, including saxaphone quartets and quintets. Signor Cafaro and his wife and two daughters will constitute a saxaphone quartet and play several numbers. There will be a saxaphone quartet from the junior band, also. The following program will be given Thursday night: Part I March, by Miller. Oveiture, “The Bandman’s Delight." by Skagg. Novelty. “Lassus Trombone," by Fillmore. "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.” by Soldier. Flag of Humanity Match, by Hayes. * Part II Violin solo, by Carmela Cafaro, accompanied by Theresa Cafaro. Saxophone quintet (Mildred and Lillian Worthman, Violet and Georgia Squier, and Theresa Cafaro.) Part 111 American Soldier, by Meyers. Overture, “Determination,” by Miller. Waltz, ’’Danube Waves,” by Ivanovice. Banner of Democracy and the Star Spangled Banner.

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, April 12, 1926.

Thanks For The Buggy-Ride "Thanks for the buggy-ride,” chirped a little speckled Inn. In chicken language, as she was removed from the running board of Fred Sehurger’s automobile when Mr. Schurger parked his car in town Sunday evening. Mr. Schurger. who is a member of the Si burger Abstract company, of this city, resides on a furm a short distance west of the city. The thicken, of the feathered variety, evidently had chosen the running board of the car for its sleeping quarters lor the night before Fred started for town and, since the car is u brand new one, had no objections to taking a little ride. I Site rode home in the rear compartment of the sedan. COMMENCEMEif OATES ARE SET Series Os High School Commencements In County Starts On April 20 Dates for the high school commencements in Adams county were announced today by (Tifton Striker, county superintendent of schools. The first commencement will be held at the Geneva high school, April2o. The others will follow within the next ten days. Speakers have not yet been obtained for all the exercises, but will be announced later this week. Mr. Strlk er stated. The complete list, excluding Berne and Decatur, is as follows: Geneva, April 20; Pleasant Mills. April 21; Kirkland, April 12; Monmouth. April 23; Hartford, April 24; Monroe, April 26, and Jefferson April 27. Final examinations will be held the week previous to commencement, in several of the schools. Other high Schools are beginning their final examinations this week. The Commencement exercises will cl.’se, the week cf activities in each high school. Some of the schools are planning I plays, teceptions and other forms of entertainment for the closing week of school. The complete list of county high school graduates has not yet been compiled. RUFUS RAMSEY DIES SUNDAY Monroeville Man Expires At Hospital, In This City, Sunday Evening Rufus Ramsey, 43, of Monroeville, died yesterday afternoon at the Adams County Memorial Hospital. Mr. Ramsey had been a patient there since Saturday. Death came at 2 o'clock. The cause of the death was said to have been bowel obstruction. Mr. Ramsey had suffered for some time. The remains were taken to Monroeville by Painter Brothers, undertakers. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Tickets For Dcmocraitc Banquet On Sale Here Tickets for the Twelfth District Democratic banquet, to be held next Thursday night at the Shrine Auditorium at Fort Wayne, were placed on sale at the Daily Democrat office today. The price of admission is $1.50 each and only a limited number of tickets were alloted to Decatur. All candidates for'the democratic nomination for the United States senate will be on the program following the banquet. Fred VanNuys, Indianapolis attorney who nominated the late Senator Samuel R. Ralston for president at the New York democratic convention, will give an address. Weather Fair tonight except unsettled in extreme south portion. Tuesday mostly fair and so so cool.

~i aDR. LIGHT IS RETURNED TO LOCAL CHURCH Two Other Methodist Pasors In Adams County Return To Old Charges FOUR NEW PASTORS SENT TO THIS COUNTY Tlie Rev. Somerville Light, D. !>., pastor of the First Methodist church of this city for the last year, was reassigned to tho local pastorate today at the annual session of the Northern Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, at Newcastle. Dr. Light came to De' at itr a year ago, after serving as superintendent of the Richmond district of the conference for several years. The congregation and official board of the local church had asked fcr Dr. Light’s return. Dr. W. W. Wiant was re-assigned as superintendent of the Fort Wayne district. cf which the local church is a member. Two other Adams county pastors were given another year at their old (charges. The Rev. E. M. Foster was returned to Monroe and Rev. F. A. Shipley was returned to Pleasant Mills Pour Adams county Methodist churches received new pastors. They were Bobo, Decatu’’ Circuit, Geneva, and Geneva circuit. The Rev. L. L. C. Wisner, pastor of the Decatur circuit. was transferred to Arcola. Newcastle, Ind., April 12. —(United p res S—The annual gathering of the Northern Indiana Conference of the Methodist church closed here today with assignments of ministers by F'shop Shepard. Next year's conference will be at (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) O EIGHTH GS SUE TESTS SATURDAY Locations For Annual Examinations In Each Townshin Are Announced Thirteen places in Adams county have been designated for holding I the eighth grade examinations next Saturday, it was announced today at the jffice of Clifton Striker, county school superintendent. There will be one place in each township in the county except Monroe township, whore there will be two places where the pupils may take the exatn- . (nations. In the other townships the most , central location has been selected. ; Mr. Striker stated today that pupils attending one school. lint living near- , er another school where the tests will be given, will be permitted to tak ethe examination at the nearest . school. Begins at 8:30 a. m. The examination will begin at 8:30 o’clock Saturday morning in each center and the pupils will not lie permitted to leave the room until the examination is completed. Each ' school will be placed in charge of a competent person, and the pupils will not. be permitted to communi(CONTINI'ED ON PAGE TWO) I Miss Ruth Castle To • Broadcast Next W ednesday Mis Ruth Castle, of this city, will ’ broadcast a group of four piano solos c from radio station WOWO, in Fort - Wayne, next Wednesday evening. . Miss Castle is a teacher in the Euro--1 pean School of Music, of Fort Wayne, i and members of the faculty of that In- • stitutlon broadcast every two weeks. • Other Instructors will be on the program Wednesday night, also. Miss ’ Castle will be on the air about 7 or 7:15 o’clock. She will play the follow. Ing numbers: "Rapsody in G minor,” -by Brahms; "Scherzo Varse," by Mosr chowski; "Valse in A flat,” by Chopin; and ‘‘lmpromptu,’’ by Chopin.

Returns To Decatur ... Dr. Somerville Light Dr. Somerville Light, pastor of the First Methodist church of this city for the past year, was re-assigned to the local church for another year at the annual session of the Northern Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, at Newcastle todav. BROWNIN6AND - BRIDE TU SAIL Millionaire, 51. To Take 15-Year-Old Bride On Trip To Europe Cold Spring. N. Y„ April 12 —(United Press.) —The “honeymoon house” of Edward W. Browning was deserted today—perhaps for good. Browning, the dapper 51-year old millionaire, left Cold Spring on a train during the morning, apparently bound for New York, and a short time later his bride, the former Frances Heenan, 15, drove away from the 15 room castle with her parents. Tradesmen were advised that there would be no further orders. Cold Spring, N. Y., April 12. —(United Press.) — From her honeymoon ‘castle.” a severe and melancholy house in this Hudson river village, Mrs. Edward W. Browning will go voyaging to Europe in a manner be (CONTINI ED ON PAGE FIVE) o Two Lifers, Who Escaped From Prison, Are Caught Nashville, Tenn . April 12—(United Press)—Two life term murderers who, with fifteen other convicts, escaped from the state prison here Friday, were captured today as they slept soundly in a deserted cabin hidden near here. The convicts, W. A. Craig and James Oliver, offered no resistance. They had been deserted by a “Buddy” who was standing guard, they told officers. In all, six of the seventeen have been recaptured. _o SCHOOL EXHIBIT I TO BE FEATURE I Teachers And Pupils Urged To Prepare Exhibits For , Fair Here Next Fall j Steps are being taken at present to make the school exhibit one of the big features of the Northern Indiana Fair next September. All school teachers in the county schools have been asked to collect ,the best work of their pupils and prepare it for exhibit in the fair next fall, Clifton Striker, I county superintendent of schools, and » the superintendent of schools in DeL catur and Berne, have appealed to . their teachers to enter the work of - the pupils in the exhibit. , E. B. Williamson, manager of the -fair, stated today that the premium . list for the school exhibit will be - changed so as to include more work s done by the pupils. Prizes will be r awarded for the best exhibits of note - books, designs for posters, drawing, ” monograms, maps, spelling tablets, i- and all kinds of articles made in man- ; ual training and domestic science work.

Price Two Cents.

CORPSOFWOMEN BESEIGE SENATE COMMITTEE TODAY Welfare Leaders Plead For Retention Os Eighteenth Amendment PRESENT PETITION SIGNED BY 16,306 By Paul R. Mallon. (United Press Staff Correspondent) Washington, April 12. — A corps of 65 women welfare leaders beseiged the prohibition investigating committee today pleading for retention of the Volstead act and the eighteenth amendment in its present form. The room had to be cleared of spectators to permit the dry witnesses to be present as the drys opened their case. The 65 were sworn in a body by acting chaii man Harreld, republican. Oklahoma. Mrs. Henry Peabody. Beve>’ely, Mass., (hairman of the National Committee for Law Enforcement, the first witness read the name of witnesses listed to testify one minute each. "We have a strong feeling that the women ought to be represented by the men who hold our views,” Mrs. Peabody said. "We represent the home, the chuich and the school. "We are opposed to all prohibition amendments. Instead we stand for strengthening of law enforcement." A petition signed by 16,306 residents in Jersey, “mostly women.” presented by Mrs. Peabody pleaded for retention of prohibition. Senator Reed, democrat, Missouri, wet, asked Mrs. Peabody how she wanted the Volstead act retained and strengthened. Mrs. Peabody replied that she desired to have it made stronger If (CONTINUED ON PAGB. FIVE) 0 LUTHER BURBANK DIES A SKEPTIC Plant Wizard Dies Convinced That Life Beyond Grave Does Not Exist Santa Rosa, Calif., April 12. —(United Precs.) —Luther Burbanl, in death today received the tribute of mourning from a world his genius had made more beautiful. The plant wizard died yesterday at the age of 77. He passed peacefully, skeptical as to a life in the hereafter. His conviction that life did not exist beyond the grave remained unfaltering as lie breathed his last. Such an unorthodox belief hastened the end. His pronouncements of his beliefs precipitated a flood of profests. It was too much of a strain to answer each thiinderlug letter yet this Burbank attempted to do. His calmness was tried sorely and the nerves and heutt of his too staunch frame were affected. He died as might one of Hie plants lie nurtured had it been subjected too fully to the elements. Santa Rosa will hold a memorial service for its most beloved citizen in the Frank Doyle Memorial park Wednesday afternoon. No religious rites will compose the ceremonies. Burial is to be private, with only the immediate family present. —o Beveridge Speaks At Shelbyville Sunday Shelbyville, Ind., April 12.— (United Press) —The span of human history shows that “attempts to force ma. ses of people into a standardized moral straight-jacket have always ended in i revolt," Albret J. Beveridge, former i United States senator, declared in an : address here yesterday. > "People need variety and will have i it," he said. "The method that, works . best is to set up a very few f.imtamen- , tai Ideals toward which every Individual can work." 0 Beveridge spoke on the Bible as a literary work.