Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 25, Number 96, Decatur, Adams County, 22 April 1927 — Page 1

WEATHER I Generally fair ‘°- »i fl ht and Saturdayjuqhtly warmer Sat.rdav in soulh por lon. Frost tornoht, floatly heavy to lilling-

■VABASH MAN KILLED BY TRAIN HERE

DISAPPEARANCE I OF FAMILY YEAR I AGOIS SOLVED lj an smith Returns to Plead ■Guilty To Liquor Charge After Year’s Absence Lmily LOCATED AT | Al-AM AZOO, MICHIG AN | TIIP mysterious disappearance of Lu e Smith and family nearly a ■ar ago. shortly before officers conEcted a raid on their home east of - n. near the Adams Wells county ■ ( , in a search of moonshine liquor ■d a still, was solved today, when |i i th appeared in court before Judge ■ w. Hamilton, at Bluffton, and L >. red a plea of guilty to a charge L possession of a still. He was fined ■SO ami costs and sentenced to serve |i an one to five years in the state jrison. but the prison sentence was ■spended |Adams and Wells county officers Inducted a raid on the Smith farm |, May 7. last year. They found a ■i 11. some moonshine liquor and a liiantity of mash, but. Smith and his Emily were not to be found. Alliough the officers kept a close watch In the farm, none of the family ever ■turned. The family left, chickens Ind other poultry on the farm and I'.so left their furniture in the house, Lit this all disappeared from time I time until all was gone. It is thought that Mends sent the property to the Smith family. Names Are Changed I About a week ago, the officers learned that Smith and his family ■ko residing on a farm near Kalahnzoo. Michigan. They sent wortl to the police at Kalamazoo and the latter succeeded in locating Smith, festerday. Smith, in company with a man from Kalamazoo for whom he Intends to work, came to Bluffton, bud Smith was arraigned in court this morning. After being fined and sentenced, [Smith admitted that he had changed |hi< name to Irving Smith; his wife’s biame, which was Fanny, was changed to Frances Smith; and the names ol each of the Smih children were '<l'll, Smith said he expected to (for the first, time for severe! months, me said his conscience had bothered him continually. ■ — ■ i.. n - Resigns His. Position | Noble Reed, formerly sports editor of the Bluffton Evening News, has resigned his position with the Evans'ille Courier-Journal, wheer he has been for nearly tow years, and will probably accept a position either with the Indianapolis Times or a Kalama zoo paper. WARMWEATHER IS PREDICTED Return Os Balmy Weather Within 48 Hours Is Forecast By Weather Bureau Chicago, April 22.—(U.P.)—Return "•thin 48 hours of the balmy weather "hich made Easter Sunday pleasurable throughout the midwest is predicted by weather prophets following a drop in temperature which was accompanied locally by snow flurries an <l sleet. Considerable loss to fruit trees and gardens as a consequence of yesterday’s cold is reporter} from many sections, chiefly in lowa and Missouri. The 16,000,000 Missouri strawberry (I °P Was threatened by the cold snap aii well as the southern Illinois cherry and peach crops. To Frost Tonight Washington, April 22. — (U.P.) — I-ight to heavy frosts tonight will touch all states as far north as New ork and as far west as Ohio, the '’ ea, her bureau warned today. Slow- > rising temperatures arc generally Predicted for tomorrow. Heavy to killing frosts are predicte for Ohio, western Maryland, weptern Pen nsylvar.ia and West Virginia.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXV. No. 96.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS TO ' HOLD CONVENTION Washington Townshio Convention To I Be Held In Baptist Church Here Sunday The Washington township Sunday school convention will be held in this city, Sunday, Aptil 24. at 2 o'clock I'. M. at the Baptist church of Fourth stieet, it was announced today by i. D. Teepiepresident of the township association. A fine program is being arranged and it will be announced tomorrow, Mr. Teep.e stated. All members of all Sunday schools in the township are cordially invited to the convention. The Rev Harty Fernthiel, pastor of the local Presbyterian church, will . ■ the principal speaker, and a fine mm i cal program, also, is being arranged. CLYDEWALB IS ROTARY SPEAKER 1 Republican State Chairman Gives Address Here On Subject Os “Indiana" Clyde Walb, prominent northern Indiana business man and Republican state chaitman. was the chief speaker at the weekly meeting of the Decatur Rotary club, at the K. of (’. hall, last night. Mr. Walb spoke on ‘lndiana.” Mr. Walb told of the many prominent national statesmen that Indiana had produced and defended the Hoosier state against the condemnation it has received lately for its ‘‘alleged political coemption.” He said that while he condemned no one in public office, striving to do his best, he felt Uu7»-4U all fairness to the -northern part of the state, more northern Indiana citizens shorn! be placed on state commissions. The speaker deplored the fact “that not one member of the public service commission lived north of the National road, while a great percentage of the public utilities are in the Calumet district.” Following the address, Mr. Walb told a group of local citizens that lie would do all in his power to aid in the improving of the road from this city to Huntington, recenty designated as j»; fc ..r»ad number 16 Mr Walb «id ilia; he would get in touch with highway ocicials at once. When questioned regarding the rumor that he would be a candidate for governor in 1928, Mr. Walb said: ‘‘lt always reminds me of a story icinriMKn u\ rtt.i: fm:> o TO GIVE PROGRAM AT ABER SCHOOL Community Meeting To Be Held At Rural-School Building Next Monday Night A community meeting will be held in the Aber school building northeast cf Decatur in Root township, next monday night. The meeting was originally arranged for last Thursday night, but it was necessary to postpone it until Monday night. A program consisting of songs and plays by the school children, and two plays by the young people cf the community will be given. The young people have spent considerable time ia preparing the program. This will be the last community meeting cf the school year, as the school will close today. Sevetal excellent meetings have been held during the last several months. Miss Lois Fuhrman is the teacher cf the school. The public is cordially Invited to attend the meeting Monday evening. The program will start at 7:30 o'clock. o Condition Os Abe Bagley Remains Unchanged Today The condition of Abe Bagley, civil engineer, of Berne, who fell from a ladder while assisting in trimming trees at the county Jail Wednesday afternoon, was reported this afternoon at “about the same”. The attending physician reported that Mr. Bagley was resting a little easier, but his condition had changed very little. Mr. Bagley has not completely regained consciousness since the accident Wednesday.

officers

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

—— I 1 No Bills; Legislators Get Gold Metals From Friends

jl II can ’ t come H '■■ H' RTo tub Z;' n ' A l/T/ Wow Comedy'] A v v Cletus sit' 7 /WE'Ve NEVER f ’//I IN THE I f1 ( Been turned Losevy X '.DOWN sRCiWI & I 5 vi <1 z I ißHlwwat willw / wwe JStSU "aunty- I/.. u sSbhß everything// \ Time was when representatives went to the Legislature with the idea of winning fame for themselves by pushing through as large a mass of legislation bearing their names as possible. But Frank Hallgren, of Holdrege, and George M. Storye, of Plainview, had a different idea. And the Lincoln Cosmopolitan Club presented them willt gold medals because they didn't introduce a single hill into the Nebraska Legislature.

UlncoTn. Nrt., (1-L-N Special).— B.lls limiting movie kisses, bills prescribing how sunthes may be mixed, bills making it a crime to ettrr a traffic cop, bills providing a new State anthem—all of these and many more pop up in every Legislature in the country. It seems that as soon as the eleclion returns are in, and sometimes even before, every representative starts thinking of things to legislate about. One expert recently calculated that if a policeman started to the ’ , be ,kfaox;v.'<'!ed to inforce he could never overtake the law-making machinery within the span of his life. A ray of sunshine is breaking through the cloud of “do’s,” "don’ts," CONFESSES HF. WRECKED TRAIN Columbia City Man Says He Wrecked Train to Avenge Loss Os Job Columbia City, Ind . April 22. —(I . p ) Wilbur Wilson, 39, of Columbia City, today was sentenced to 2 to 14 years imprisonment in the state prison at Michigan City for wrecking a freight train on the Pennsylvania railroad here on Feb. 18. Wilson, a former employe of the railroad company, entered a plea of guilty when arraigned before Judge Arthur Diggs in the Whitley county circuit court. Columbia City. Ind., Aptil 22.(United Press) —Wilbur Wilson, 39, former emp’oye of the Pennsylvania railroad, admitted today that revenge was the motive for wrecking a freight train here on February 18. Wilson made a confession to authorities saying he caused the wreck by placing a piece of car coupling at a switch. . Twenty-seven cars of a fast freight train loaded with perishable goods were ditched, causing a loss of more than $300,000. For months he had brodeod oyer his discharge from the service of the railroad for drunkenness and finally decided to get, revenge, Wilson’s confession said. He told of wedging the heavy piece of car coupling in the switch joint and going to the home of a friend and drinking beer while awaiting (COXTI.XIED ON PAGE THREE)

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, April 22, 1927.

"verhotons” nitd "keep off the grass’s” that obscure the horizon of the average citizen. Representative Frank Hallgren, of Holdrege, and George M. Storye, of Plainview, have emerged from a session of the Nebraska Legislature Without having introduced a single bill. To commemorate the event, the L’ncoln Cosmopoli’an Club struck gold medals. Vernon D. Andrews, past pi-esident, with public ceremony, presented them to the legislators. Andrews has long agitated for fowov laws and greater observance of the few. “And if fewer bills were introduced,” he said, “legislators could give more careful consideration to the bus'ness before them ’’ Dodge And Wife Return San Francisco, April 22.— (U.PISmiling as they walked down the gangway of the liner President Madison, Horace Dodge, Jr., multi-million-aire. and his wife arrived here today from Honolulu. o BANK IS LOOTED AT JOUETVILLE Bandits Get SB,OOO In Robbery During Night; Safe Is Wrecked Noblesville, Ind.. April 22.—(U.P.) —Bank bandits during the night looted the State Bank at Jolietville, 12 miles west of Noblesville, of cash and securities amounting to $8 000. The robbery was not discovered until early today when persons passing the bank found the front door open and notified W. F. Thomas, cashier. The noise of the explosion that wrecked the bank safe failed to awaken sleeping inhabitants of the town and no one saw the bandits at work. Telephone wires in the town were cut, delaying the sprealTUT word of the robbery. Thomas said that all the money and securities in the safe were taken but that safety deposit boxes were not molested. The robbers entered the bank by breaking the lock,on the front door. An i acetylene torch used in the robbery was left behind and furnished the only clue on which authorities could start an investigation.

MUCH SUFFERING IS REPORTED IN FLOOD DISTRICT Cold, Disease And Food Shortage Add To Desolation In Mississippi Valley COOLIDGE ISSUES APPEAL FOR FUNDS St. I.Ollis, April 22 (United Press) Intense sull’ering from cold, disease and food shortage was reported to the midwest i branch headquarters of the American Bed Cross here today, from the scores of refugee camps, it is maintaining in the flooded Mississippi valley. The largest concentration of flood victims was at Cotton Plant, Ark., where Red Cross workers reported la.uOO destitute persons. Morr were arriving constantly, although the only transportation was by boat. Water was lapping the edges of the refugee camp and there was barely enough space on dry ground for all. Trainloads of .Refugees Lost Memphis, Tenn., April 22—(UP)— Two trainloads of flood refugees were reported lost today somewhere in eas'iern Arkansas. Officfals of the Missouri Pacific railroad have had no word from the trains since they left Hughes, Ark., late Thursday. The trains were believed marooned by high water. An airplane has been sent to locate <hem. Delta Country Flooded Memphis, Tenn., April 22—(UP)— The Delta country of Mississippi was flooded today. Residents are fleeing in panic. Two breaks in the levee yesterday unleashed the flood waters in the vicinity of Greenville, Miss. Today large sections of Mississippi are inundated and the water is creeping steadily inland. President Issues Appeal Washington, Apr. 22—(United Press President Coolidge today issued a national appeal for funds to relieve Mississipifl river flood! victims. Following the President’s appeal o'her government agencies redoubled Tin • The navy dispatched from Pensaco’a, Fla., three F-5-L seaplanes for

(CON I IX I Ell on r t<;i: TH Itl’.lU O REPORT MADE ON BOY SCOUT DRIVE Total Os $1,215.45 Contributed Here For Area Council Organization At a meeting of the general committee of the Boy Scout organization, held last evening at the Decatur Industrial rooms, it was reported that the sum of $1,215 had been contributed in the area council drive conducted in this city two weeks ago. The meeting was called by Eno Lankenau, temporary chairman, and the report of funds was made by W. Guy Brown, financial secretary. Mr. Brown stated that he expected additional money to be donated because several of the ministers had not yet presented the matter to their organizations and that, in all probability, several would donate towards the fund. The money raised to carry on the Boy Scout work, was donated by Decatur people, only. The canvass did not include any territory outside of the city. Mr. J. L. Anguish, of Fort Wayne. General Scout executive, attended the meeting last night and submitted bylaws for the new organization. They were not adopted, because the chairman felt that not enough men interested in Scout work were in attendance at the meeting. It was announced also, that a meeting of Scout workers for Adams, Wells and Whitley counties would be held Tuesday evening, at the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce building, with E. G. Hoff(CONTINUED ON PAGE THHEEI

TEN GET DIPLOMAS AT PLEASANT MILLS . Annual Commtncemtnt Exercises This I Evening; Rev. Folsom Is The Speaker Commencement exercises of the Pleasant Mills high school will be held in the high school auditorflnn at Pleasant Mills this evening. The commencement addiess will be delivered by the Rev. A. R. Folsom, pastor of the Plymouth Congtegationalist church in Fort Wayne. Diplomas will be presented to ten pupils. They are: Enda E. Rayl, Helen Rose Masters, Lovit’.e Ehrsam, Opal M. Sherburne, Marie Tague, Velma Lautzenhelser. Malian Hahnert, Merle Foor, Gerald Vizard and Elmer Ehrsam. SNOW AND FROST IN RETURN ACT Cold Wave Hits Adams County Thursday Night; Relief Is Predicted After weather forecasters, newspapers and even the birds had heralded forth the glad tidings that “spring is here” old man winter must l ave forgotten some of his belongings for he came back to Adams county last night and brought his “boy friends" Jack Frost and Snow with him. A heavy frost occurred in the county last night, but no severe damage has been reported. Another heavy frost probably cf “killing proportion”. Is predicted for tonight, with the probability of waimer weather Saturday or Sunday. Snow fell for a few minutes ‘luring the night and swow flurries were again noticeable at noon today. The cold weather came rather unexpectedly and it is feared that spring buds might be damaged by the severe frost. —o Mexican Baby Dies At Horne In French Township Filipa Ortiz, 3-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Ortiz. Mexican beet workers, residing on a farm west of Berne, in French township, died early this morning, following a short illness. The child was a cousin of the Ortiz babe that died a few weeks ago. The father and mother and several broi no a au.i .-cal i s al services will be held Saturday afternoon, at 2:30 o’clock, at St. Marys Catholic church, and burial will take (.place in the St. Joseph Catholic cemetery west of this city.

MONROE WILL GRADUATE FOUR Baccalaureate Service Sunday Night; Commencement Program Monday Evening The program for the baccalaureate service for the graduating class of Monroe high school, to be held in the Methodist church at Monroe, Sunday night, and tho commencement exercises. to be held Monday evening, were announced today by E. M. Webb, principal of the school. The school will close today. The Rev. E. M. Foster, pastor of the Monroe M. E. church, will deliver the baccalaureate sermon, While L. A. Pittenger, of Muncie Normal college, will give the commencement address. There are four graduates at Monroe this spring. They are Mardelle Hocker, Ruth Martz, Chrystal Sells and Leo Strohm. Following are the programs from the baccalaureate service and the commencement exercises: Baccalaureate Service JolH’cation March, by orchestra. Stephanie Gavotte, by orchestra. Song, by congregation. Prayer, Rev. Ralph Lawrence. Vocal solo, by Miss Ina Catherine Ingram. Sermon, by Rev. E. M. Foster. Fond Hearts, by orchestra. Benediction, by Rev. Ralph Lawrence. Commenced Program Senior March, orchestra. Morning Tears, orchestra. Invocation Rev. E. M. Foster Cornet Solo Charles Kile Address L. A. Pittenger, M. A., Muncie Normal. loyalist Overture, orchesta. Presentation of Class E. M. Webb Presentation of Diplomas Clifton E. Striker, County Superintendent of Schools Benediction Rev. Ralph Lawrence

Price Two Cents.

YOUNG ENGINEER LOSES MIND AND MEETS TRAGEDY H.W. Throop Killed By Erie Train After Walking About Aimlessly WAS BEING SOUGHT BY OFFICERS HERE It. \V. Throop, 26. a civil engineer for (tic Big Four railroad, at Wabash, Indiana, was kilted by tin eastbound Erie passenger train about 2 jniles east of tliis city about 3:25 yesterday afternoon. Throop had become mentally unbalanced last Tuesday, according to fellow employees at Wabash, tint! had started to his home in Geneva, Ohio, to recuperate. Throop had left Wabash Wednesday afternoon, in his Chevrolet coach, and had driven to Huntington and from Huntington to Honduras, west of Decatur, where he bought some gasoline. From Honduras the young man apparently became confused in roads and he abandoned his car when it! ran off the road into a side ditch, about. 10 miles southwest of this city. Awakens Farmer at Midnight At 12 o’clock Wednesday night, the young man came to the home of Hiram Wittwer of southwest of this city, and asked for lodging. Mr. and Mrs. Wittwer questioned the young man and he talked incoherently, according to them. Mr. Wittwer went down stairs to let him in the house, and the man ran across the road and disappeared. Sheriff Hollingsworth was notified and h° began a search early yesterday morning. Mr. Throop’s car was found by W. F. Waggoner, east of Berne, and. in a field about a quarter of a mile from his car, his hand bag was found. Farmers southwest of this city became alarmed and feared that the young man might have died or killed himself in a nearby barn or shed and a thorough search was made near the place where the car was found. Seen At Monroe Later, it was learned that Throop had been a' Monroe early Thursday morning and had left Monroe, headinc nnrtb toward Decatur on the Pennsylvania railroad tracks. Apparently, he had come to Decatur yesterday morning and hacl then followed the Erie tracks to Bobo. Throop arrived at Bobo yesterday about noon and spent, several hours at the Erie station there. He showed signs of having been slightly deranged mentally, but. section hands who talked to him said that he just appeared tired. He left Bobo about 2:30 o'clock (covrivi t:i> ox t’vt.t: i'm:> J o ODD FELLOWS TO MEET HERE Geneva And Decatur Lodges To United In Observing Anniversary Os Order , « The I. O. O. F. lodges of Decatur and Geneva will unite in observing the 108th anniversary of the founding of Odd Fellowship in America, by folding a district meeting in Decatur, Monday, April 25. Sessions will be held in the afternoon and evening. The afternoon session will he for Odd Fellows, only, and will be devoted mainly to degtee work. At 6 o’clock Monday evening, a three-course dinner will be served to members of the older and their families. The evening session will be open to the public and the committee in charge of arrangements announces that a great program has been prepared. Harley F. Harden, of Marion, and George P. Bornwasser, of Indianapolis, grand master and grand secretary of the order, respectively, have been invited to attend the meeting and take part in the program. AU Odd and Rebekahs, including sojourning 1 members, are invited. The meetings will be held in the I. O. O. F. building ( at the corner of Monroe and Second ! streets.

CLEAN UP AND PAINT UP