Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 25, Number 177, Decatur, Adams County, 28 July 1927 — Page 1

WEATHER Mostly cloudy with neobable local thunrtfr shower*. Much cooler Friday and In we st and north portions tonight.

CORN BORERS FOUND IN ADAMS COUNTY

claims geneva OIL LEASES WERE misrepresented Buyer Says Detroit Promoter Represented Leases As Worth $270,000 ACTUAL VALUE IS PLACED AT $9,000 Detroit. Mich.. July 28., (I Press) Oil leases near (leneva. Indiana, held by the Security Oil and Refining company wen* worth only SO,OOO, but’ E. I). Fitzgerald, Detroit promoter, represented them as being worth $270,000 when he Mild out Io two Kansas oil men lor SIOO,OOO, it was testified today at Fitzgerald’s trial on iharges of using the mails to defraud. Ix-Roy Varnes, of Independence, Kansas, one of the purchasers, was the witness. He presented an affidavit signed by Fitzgerald in which the promoter swore the holdings were worth $270,000. "The six leases near Geneva were pumping only about four barrels of oil daily.” Varnes testified," as oil land is valued upon production at about $2,000 a barrel per day. the holdings were worth only about $9,000.” Varnes and Charles Eddy. also of Independence, bought out Fitzgerald after protracted coi. espom| ■netthrough mails. The charge against the promoter is that he deceived them in his letters to them. Beal Bicpon. of Tipeka, and em ployee of Varnes and E<ldy, was anoth'er witness at today's session of the trial. ” r He said that a large portion of $400,000 worth of accounts receivable list ed upon the books of the company were not oollectable., ♦one of the state and others having defaulted in their payments for several years. o_ Traction Company Loses Fight Against Bus Line Indianapolis, Ind., July 28 —(UP)— The Union Traction company of Indiana. which received a setback today when Federal Judge Robert Bal'zell ruled against it in its fight against independent bus operators, may make a new attempt to put the operators out of business. Attorneys for the company said they had not decided whether to continue the battle by trying to obtain a per manent injunction. Judge Baltzell's titling today was on the application of the traction company for a temporary injunction against operation of the busses on lines out of Muncie in competion with the traction company's trains and busses. He reviewed the cider holding that his court was without jurisdiction o — Two Trials To Be Held At Berne This Week Berne, July 28—Two cases are scheduled to be tried in the court of Chris Stengel, local justice of the peace, this week. On Friday morning, the case of the state vs. George Becher, of Chattanooga, who is charged with unlawfully taking hay from a plot of ground owned by Homer Debolt, will come up for trial Friday morning. Debolt asks damages in the sum of $7. The case of the state vs. Harvey Eckrote, of Geneva, who is charged with assault and battery on the person of his son. William, age 17. is scheduled to be tried before Squire Stengel Saturday morning. Both cases were continued when they came up for trial week. o Gentlemen Burglar Is Sentenced To Serve 50 Years In Penitentiary New York, July 28.—(UP)— Bos-' ton Billy Williams, gentleman burglar was sentenced today to 50 years in the penitentiary for burglary and larceny. He was a second offender. Williams, whose real name is James Monhan, pleaded guilty to robbing he Jesse Livermore home on Long Island of SIOO,OOO in Jewelry.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXV. No. 177.

Adams County People .Join Farmer-Banker Tour John W. Tytidal, of the Old Adams County Bank, Roscoe Glendenning. of the First National Bank. John P. Braun, of the Monroe State Bank. J. D. Winteregg. of the Bank of Berne, and L. M. Bnsche, county agent left this morning to join the party of bankers, farmers and county agents win are.making a farm management tour of north-eastern Indiana today. The group was to meet at the farm home of Ray Bechtold, who lives near North Manchester. Other stops to be made on the tour were at the fa tin of J. J. Kyler. near Columbia City, and C. (’. Palmer, near Albion. The purpose of the tour is to inspect farms where ‘Agricultural Extension methods as recommended by Purdue are in practice The party will return this evening.

DRY CZAR TO CLEAN HOUSE Rr. Doran Orders General Cleanup Os Dry Machine Before October 1 Washington, July 28 —(UP) —Dr. J M. Doran, prohibition commissioner, has ordered a general housecleaning of the federal dry machine before October 1. to substitute tiained investigators for police-type agents. Prohibition administrators today were told to survey their personel and submit to Doran al once a list of the subordinate employes they wish to retain. The weeding out order will cut the government's dry force by one third, as a preliminary survey made by special inviestigators showed a large number of agents unfit for "enforcement work, it was stated. o Coolidge Plans To Reduce Taxes Os Corporations Rapit City, S. D.. July 28—(UP) — President Coolidge has evolved the administration's tax reduction program since he has been in the Black Hills and decided that it will lie built around reduction in corporation taxes. Every business house in the country which lias failed to receive a reduction in the recent tax revision bills will benefit by the administration project. It is Mr. Coolidge’s plan, according to indisputable authority, to recommend to the pext session of congress a plan whereby corporations will be granted a reduction from 13Vi per cent to at least 11 per cent. _ o Republican Editors In Session At Lafayette Lafayette. Ind... July 28 (UP)- The Indiana republican editorial association, bringing editors together here today for the two-day session, was to be asked to take a hand in the political inquiry. Thomas L. Adams, editor of the Vincennes Indiana. Commercial ami chairman of the association’s investigating committee which set est the Sephenson *fireworks, was expected to attend. He W/is ready to introduce a resolution asking the widest of publicuty for all evidence uncovered by the Mai ion county prosecutors and others. There were reports of even more severe resolutions to lie offered to the association, and a feeling of expectancy held the representatives of the press as they reached Lafayette. 0 Famous “Firecracker Case’’ To Be Tried At Anderson Alexandria, Ind., July 28 —(INS) Alexandria’s famous ‘‘firecracker case” shortly wil be taken before the circuit court at Anderson, according to the announcement of the three defendants. James Wales, Farrell McNett and Orville Byrd were found guilty by Special Judge Humrickhouse, of Anderson, of Sabbath day desecration, in firing off crackers. They were fined $1 and costs each. The case Is said to involve a number of new points of law. It will be set for the docket at Anderson some time duriuz the fall.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

VALUATIONS IN I ADAMS COUNTY ARE UNCHANGED State Tax Board Approves Personal Property Assessment In County COUNTY ASSESSOR ATTENDS HEARING The state board of lax commissioners has approved the assessment of personal properly in this county and also ratified the action of the Adams County Board ol Review in the changes ordered by that body. County Assessor Jay Cline returned last, night from Indianapolis where lie attended a hearing before the state board of tax commissioners and, after tak tig up the assessments In- this county, the tax commissioners informed Mr. (Hine that no changes would be ordered for this county. They also approved of the action of tlie county board of review in making horizontal changes in several of the townships and towns in certain classes of personal property. Farm Valuations Cut The total of personal property as assessed by the township assessors and including the changes ordered by the board of review amounted to $7,946,900. This is an increase over a year ago. The state board last week ordered a 16 2-3 T>er cent cut pi the assessments on reu>l estate in this county and County Auditor Martin Jaberg is now busy making the changes on the books. The work requires much erasing and listing the new assessments iu veil ink and will require sometime to figure and list all the changes on every piece of farm land in Adams county. The state’s assessment of personal .property owned by railroads and utilities has not yet been certified to the county auditor. B. & O. Limited Wrecked Allison Park. Pa., July 28 —(UP) — Two passengers cars were derailed and the occupants shaken up and two enginmen were seriously j ijijureil early today when the Capital Limited of the Baltamore and Ohio railroad plowed into a derailed freight car.

FAIL TO FIND STOLEN MONEY Search for Loot Taken From Rockford Bank Is Unavailing Celina. Qhio, July 28—Sheriff Betz, and his deputies in company with Merle Yocum, self-confessed bank robber, had a strenuous day Tuesday when they retraced the roads taken by the bandit automobile following the robbery of the First National Bank at Rockford, last Wednesday. At first Yocum claimed he thought the lodt was hidden between Spencerville and Lima, but when the officers retraced the roads, Yocum conceded (hey had covered a greater distance than lie realized and led the officers nearly to Sandusky before he found the hiding place where he claimed tlie money had been concealed. However the money had been removed by some other member of the gang, but the heavy rubber .bands which had been around the money packs were found and a necktie near by betrayed the presence of a recent visitor. Yocum feels that, if he must stiffer, Why not all of the guilty parties share and share alike. Yocum’s attorney at Cleveland caused the Celina men considerable trouble in getting their man away from Cleveland, and tried everything possible to hold him in Cleveland, having instituted habeas corpus proceedings when tlie Celina officer hurrieij their men away by automobile before they could be caught in the tangle of red-tape and technicalities, so often street, and will move his sales agency save the guilty from the clutches of the law.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, July 28, 1927.

This Must Have Been A Big One, But It Got Away Hammond, Ind. July 28 —(INS) — The biggest fish in Michigan Lake, Michigan, not only is large enough to command the respect of other fish, bill is large enough to haul a distinguished jurist off his quiet fishing perch on the pier into the cold water. Judge Clyde Cleveland, who took an impromptu swim on account of the fish, has returned to Hammond, with the announcement that he is going to leave it in the Michigan lake. Harold Hammond, deputy prosecuting attorney, was sitting on the pier with the judge when the latter suddenly disappeared into the water, clutching his fishing pole and shorn ing, "Lend a hand. He’s a big one." Hammond faithfully rescued the judge, and the pole as well, but the fish had got .away. DATE FIXED FOR BIRGER’S DEATH Gang Leader’s Plea New Trial Denied; Execution Set For Oct. 15 Benton. 111., July 28—(UP)— Formally sentenced to "hang by the neck until dead." Charlie Birger, who once ruled over the most powerful gangs in southern Illinois, today awaited his doom, set for October 15. Judge Charles 11. Miller fixed the date of execution in Franklin county Circuit Court yesterday after deny ing Birger’s motion for a new trial on charges growing out of the murder of Joe Adams. West City Mayor. At the same time, the court denied similar motions of Ait Newman and Ray Hyland, former gangsters, who were tried and convicted with Birger, and committed them to the penitentiary "for the rest of their natural lives.” An appeal to the minors supreme court will be made.

Bookie And Six Pals Sought at Montpelier Hartford City. July 28— Charges may be brought against the bookie and six men who complained Friday evening at the Montpelier races, regarding his operations. The six men are said to have been horse owners. They charged that the bookie didn’t conduct his operations on Ute square. All had tickets, showing they had arranged bets with him. With this evidence of gambling at hand, charges of gambling may be preferred against tlie men. who are said to have gone to the Warren fair this week. —o Decatur Citizens Inspect Paving At Marion, Warren A party of local citizens affected by the Winchester street improvement went to Marion and Warren today, to look at similar street improvements in those two cities. Those in the party included T. H. Baltzell. R. I). Myers, ’>. E. Hite, J. H. Heller, Councilman Hetman Gilltg. City Engineer Orval Haiuff and Ed Green. The bids of PhilL. Macklin and Son for Natural rock asphalt was the low bid on resurfacing tlie street. o High Temperature And Sunshine Predominating With predictions of rain and cooler weather forthcoming, the high temperature and sunshine continued to rule in Decatur and Adams county today. Summer heat predominated, and only a few clouds gave any hope of rain. Most farm crops are badly in need of rain. o Pierceton Man Is Killed South Bend. Ind., July 28.—^UP) — Lee L. Speigel, 40, of Pierceton, Ind., was instantily killed last night when he stepped in front of a passenger train while crossing the tracks.

INVESTIGATORS ADJOURN UNTIL FRIDAY MORNING Representative Duncan Is Only Witness Heard In Political Inquiry Today SESSION THROUGHOUT AUGUST IS PLANNED Ind'anapolis, July 28. —i (United Press) One witness appeared before the Marion county grand jury today and then the investigating body adjourned its inquiry into political corruption until Friday when it will announce that it intends to remain in continuous session during August. Indications that the grand jury had struck a warm trail in its questionng of Representative Russell B. Dun can. of IndianaipoJis, Wednesday, were seen today, when Duncan was recalled and interviewed a second time. He was believed to have been questioned in connection with alleged Ku Klux Klan dominance of the last two legislatures. The jury already has inquired into three angles of alleged corruption, questioning witnesses about. Mayor John L. Duvall's campaign for nomination and for election; about the control and distribution of federal patronage, especially in Indianapolis, and about the last legislature. This questioning on.lv scratched the surface of the inquiry, however. Many more subjects will be covered before the grand jury is through. Reps. Russell V. Duncan and H. Walker Dehaven and Senator Fred M. Dickerman, all of Marion county, were in the grand jury room Wednes- ■ Yhey were the first witnesses. o Failure Os Geneva Conference Foreseen Geneva. July 28—(UP) —British delegates to President Coolidge’s naval limitation conference, who arrived today to resume the stalemated discussions, indicated that no vital changes in the British proposals were possible That was in line with yesterday's statement in the House of Commons by. Sir Austin Chamberlain, the foreign secretary, which was interpreted in Washington as meaning that the con ference would fail.

AIMEEANDHER MOTHER CLASH Evangelist May Face Court Action Agan As Result Os Quarrel Los Angeles, July 28— (UP) —The red haired, comey Aimee Semple McPherson. whose business is religion of hard and fast tenets and whose followers are legion, today faced possibility of another seige witli tlie courts. “Mama" Kennedy. Mrs. McPherson's mother and aid in the work of Angeles Temple, made the threat because she •lid not like the way her daughter had treated her. The older woman not only said she planned to take their difficulties to court, but she added the court might care to inquire further into the famous Carmel-by-the sea incident which first brought the woman evangelist national renown. While Mrs. Kennedy has believed until recently that "Sister told the truth" she Is beginning to wonder whether some of the circumstances of Mrs. McPherson's kidnapping story are not the truth. At one time. Authorities charged Mis. McPherson with living in a cottage at ('armel-by-the-sea with Kenneth Ormiston, Temple radio operator, during the period of her absence from Los Angeles. The evangelist was legally cleared of the charge, however This and other things have resulted in a misunderstanding between mother and daughter—A misunderstanding so complete that the two have refused to communicate with each other except thrc’izh lawyers.

South Bend Ax Murder Remains Unsolved Mystery South Bend. Ind.- July 28.—(UP) — Another unsolved murder mystery was heading for the police records 1 ere today, as operatives of detcetive bureau confessed they were without clues to solve the ax-slaying of Arthur Kare, 6S. (rooming house operator, Tuesday afternoon Seven suspects, including three women who have been taken into custody are all released. , Kare was beaten over the head with and ax until he was unconscious Tuesday afternoon, dying five hours later. Police began working on the theory that an elderly woman killed Kare for his money. But assistant chief J. B. Kuespert, said tadoy that if Kare was killed for money, the slaying was in vain, for the victim was penniless save for the "fortune" he is known to have boasted about. JAY COUNTY GETS RAIN, HAIL, WIND Heavy Rain Falls, But Little Damage Results; Light Shower Falls Here A severe rain, hail ami wind storm struck Portland and western Jay county about noon today. A heavy rain fell but no damage Is thought ta have resulted from the hail and wind. Hartford City and other parts of Blackford county experienced a severe electrical storm shortly after noon. The Hartford City fire depart ment was called out twice to extinguish fires started by lightning. A light shower of rain fell in Decatur about 1:30 o’clock, but no lightning or wind accompanied the rain. Bluffton reported at 2:30 o'clock that no tarn had fallen there. 1 o Debt Os Van Wert County Is Reduced Van Wert. Ohio, July 28— According to figures released by C. W. Ringer, county auditor. Wednesday, Van Wert county’s debt has been reduced SI3S,350.38 during the past year. The debt of the city of Van Wet t was reduced $3,558.89, making a total reduction o:' $141,909 27. The county's debt on July 1, 1927 was $925,515. evcluding the city of Van Wert.

Monroe Woman Expected i To Recover From Lockjaw 1 i Monroe, July 28—(Special) — Mrs. Elmer Ely, w'ho is suffering with lock- ‘ jaw, is reported to be somewhat im- ! proved. Mrs. Ely stepped on a rusty nail several days ago and her foot be- 1 came infected. Her condition is very serious, but it is thought that she will ’ recover. o Detour Signs Are < Meant For Everybody. Gov. Jackson Learns Fort Wayne, Indiana, July 28. — ' (INS) —“Hey, you—you can't go up that road. Can't you read that closed sign back there?” The road construction foreman, ; superintending the laying of concrete on the Upper Huntington Road, (Federal Road 24) betwee Fort Wayne and Roanoke, glared at the driver of the dust covered automobile. Which had stopped at his command. “Didn’t you see that barricade,” he demanded. “I don't believe you know me,” said I the driver of the car, "Um Ed Jackson, Governor of Indiana." Well, I don’t care if you are President of the United States you aren't going up that road.” said the foreman. “Williams (director of the highway commission) said I could get through here,” said Jackson. “Well, yon can't, so go on back the way you came,” said the foreman, who pleads guilty to being no respecter of personages. IThe Governor’s car turned around and disappeared.

Price Two Cents.

PESTS FOUND IN FOUR TOWNSHIPS BY INVESTIGATORS St. Marys, Preble, Root And Union Townships Temporarily Quarantined MAY QUARANTINE ENTIRE COUNTY The European corn borer has infested Adams county, and four townships have been temporarily quarantined pending verification ol the report ol the field men investigating this territory for the I nited Slates deDartinent of agriculture. EC LBeougher, George Gould. T. E. Bardin and B. F. Liston are the crew searching for the borer in this county. The pest has been found in Union, Root, Preble and St. Marys townships. The £irst borer was found in the com field of Virgil Barkley, in Union township, yesterday afternoon. The second was found on the Louis Weber farm, in Root township, and the thi rd wag found yesterday on the Martin Schroeder farm, in Preble townsh p. Specimens of the borer were sent to the federaj laboratories where the final examination is made to make sure that the worms are actually corn borers. More Specimens Found The same erew today found borers on the E. W- Dailey farm, in St. Marys township. Specimens of these worms were sent to the federal laboratories, also. The crew will continue its search in Kirkland township this afternoon, and will take the south half of the county tomorrow ami Saturday. At the E. W. Dailey farm this afternoon several stalks of corn were cut and the borers were found in their Infancy stage. Mr. Gould, the foreman of the crew working in this county. stated that the borer waa not bad in Adams county, and probabilities are that it would not affect the crop this year. Townships Are Quarantined Wherever the borer is found, that township is placed under quarantine and farmers are not pemitted to ship their corn. They can, however, ship to any place (in the infested area, which is northeast of Adams county. Mr. Rardin, a member of the crew, found the borer in the Dailey corn fe’-d. The four men had almost completed the entire field on the farm, when the first borers were discovered. They took several stalks of the corn and in the presence of C. W. Gulick. Mr. Dailey and representatives of the Daily Democrat, (jut 'nto the infested stalks, finding several borers, which were bottled to be rent to the federal! agricultural department. Mr. Gould stated that where the borer was found, and the township quarantined, it. was necessary for the farmer to deal up his field completely in the fall. For this work, the government allows the farmer $2.00 an acre. Federal men will again visit the quarantined part of the county in the fall to see that the government orders are carried out. If a farmer fails to dean up his corn field and either burn or plow under the stubbles, the government wl'il hr're It done and charge it to the farmer. May Quarantine Entire County The federal crew will continue its investigation in Adams county the rest of this week, and it is probable that the entire county will be quarantineo. Every field visited by the government men so far in this county has been found to contain borers, and that is a good indication that the entire county will be placed in the restr’eted area. Farmers will not be affected by the order, it Was explained, because of tlie corn will be practically as good this year as before, and most farmers , of tlie county use most of their corn j for feed. Corn from the restricted area can lie shipped to any other place in » the restricted area. The burning or j plowing of the fields is a precautionary f measure, it was explained, and it is probable that the borer can be eradi- ,] cated in this country, if means are (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)

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