Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 25, Number 304, Decatur, Adams County, 27 December 1927 — Page 1

WEATHER Unsettled; probably rain, beginning tonight <> r Wednesday: partner tonight. «

HUGE MOB TRIES TO REACH HICKMAN

tITV OBSERVES CHRISTMAS IN JOYFIILMANNER Beautiful Services In Local Churches Commemorate Birth Os Christ many family FATHERINGS HELD Decatur nnd the surrounding; community was recovering today from the double holiday marking the observance of Christmas, and business houses, farmers and individuals v.ere getting back to work with quickened step, preparatory to closing the old year and beginning the m w one with increased enthusiasm. Religious services, stressing the beautiful meaning of Christmas, predominated in the observance of Chiistmas day in this city. With the joyful feast day falling on Sunday thi.s year, the services were doubly impressive, and all churches report large attendance at all the services. special Chrismas music was sung in the churches and from the pulpits the ministers preached the sermons on the birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem and of the joy His coming did and has caused in the Christian world. Although the weather man did not send a blanket of snow, the weather was ideal, the temperature being equal to an early fall day. The poor in the city were remembered by the Good Fellows club and the Elks, who distributed gifts and baskets. Other lodges and societies also remembered the needy and helped to make Christmas happy for those who might otherwise not have been favored with a visit from Santa Qlaus. The Good Fellows Club Santa Claus visited the homes Saturday evening and distribute! toys and useful gifts to the children. A report of the Good Fellows Club work will be made later. The Moose lodge gave a Christmas party for their members and their fam'lies, Monday evening, at the high school auditorium. All business was at a standstill on Monday, in observance of Christmas day, and all county and city offices wore closed. Next to the church services in solemnity and sacredness, came the many get-togethers of families, some of whom had not met around the family table since the last Christmas day. The members of almost every household were either the hosts at a family dinner or had left their homes to join other kin at some other home where the "turkey’’ er "chicken’’ it igned supreme. No fires or accidents occurred in this community to mar the happiness of the day or cause sorrowing hearts at a time when joy should be manifest in every heart. St. Marys Church Nine masses were ceWirated at (CONTINUED ON PACE TWItl : O — MRS. BARBARA QUANDT EXPIRES Native Os Madison Township, Allen County, Dies At Her Home Here Mrs. Barbara Flaugh Quandt. <O. died at her home on Thirteenth street at 5:30 o’clock Monday evening, following an illness due to bronchitis and asthma. She had been ill for several months. Mrs. Quandt was born in Madison township, Allen county, October 17, 1857. She was married to Louis Quam.t in early life. Mr. and Mrs. Quandt moved to Decatur about five years ago. (Surviving are: the busband, six children, John of Chicago, Mrsk Gust Krueckeberg and Martin Quandt, o Fort Wayne. Mrs. Rose Meihe. of Madison township, Allen county, ant Charles and Mrs. O. F. Bucher of Decatur; two brothers, Jacob Flaugh, o Fort Wayne, and Michael Flangi, o Madison township, Allen county, o.ie sister, Mrs. Eva Mock, of Fort Wayne one half sister Mrs. Fobert Figel, U Madison township, Allen county, halfbrothers. John at*d Fred Huffma., of Madison township, Allen fifteen grandchildren and one great grandchild. Two children precede their mother in death. Funeral services will be held at t Zion Lutheran church at 10 ocloc Thursday morning, with Rev. • Schultz officiating. Burial will be ma at New Haven.

DECATUR DAIIV DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXV. No. 301.

Decatur Woman’s Brother Dies At Marion, Indiana Mrs. Jam- Frislnger received word hustmas day that he: btothr-r, Washington Petersen, had died at his home at Marlon, Indiana, aft.-i a short 1)1ness. Mrs. Frislnger has gone m Marion to attend the funeral services. Mr Peterson was teared In this county and began the piactice of law here about thhty years ago. later in ring to Marion where he has since resided. He was also a brother of the late ShaffePetei son. FINO NO TRUCE OF Navy Officials Hold Little Hope That “Dawn” And Crew Will Be Found Washington, Dee. 27. — (INS) — Navy officials held little hope this afternoon that searchers would be able to'find Mrs. Frances Wilson Grayson ind her three compinions aboard the lirplane “Dawn.” The dirigible, Los Angeles, mesaged the department she was midway between Cape Sable and Sable Island, when it is believed the Dawn went down and that no trace of the ■ irssing flyers was found. Aboard V. S. Destroyer Sturtevant at Sea, Dec, 27. —(INS)—Under full ipee 1 two naval greyhounds wore .ushing north in a roiling sea today ‘o the rescue of the trans-Atlantic lirplane Dawn, believed to be float'ng on the ocean somewhere within 1 radius of fifty miles off Halifax or Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Information from the shore that the Dawn vas heard faintly calling for help olf ‘he Nova Scotia coast at 9:45 PM. on Sunday caused Commander R. R StewuH of the Sturtevant to order his destroyer and the destroyer 'Jahan out of Provincetown, Mass., to uoceed with all haste. State Militia Called Out In South Pittsburgh South Pittsburgh. Tenn., Dec. 27— (United Press)—A company of State Militia today preserved order in South Pittsburgh pending an investigation of the Christinas gun battle which claimed the lives of six officers. Three additional officials were wounded. The shooting climaxed a year old labor feud, which began when the Wetter Manufactuiing company released 400 men. The shooting began according to bystanders, when Marion County officials told South Pittsburgh police they were to be disarmed to pievent Double. The dead aie: Chief of Police James Connor, special policeman O H. Larrewe, night marshal Benjamin Parker city marshal Ewing Smith, all of South Pittsburgh, and Sheriff Wash Coppinger and his chief deputy, L. A. Hennessey, of Marion county. Mrs. Adeline Dailey, 98, Dies In Wells County Mis. Adeline Dailey. 98, a sister of the late Jesse Niblick, of Decatur, and Robert Niblick, of Adams county, died of paralysis at the home of her son, Jesse, northeast of Bluffton, at 2 o’clock this afternoon. Mrs. Dailey was well-known in Adams county. o Bank Bandits Get $25,000 Springfield. Mo.. Dec 27-(UP) Two bandits held up the Peoples of Springfield today and escaped $25,000 in cash. Harrv Hill Goes * ()n Trial Bor Murder By Bert M. Demby, UP Staff Correspondent 0U..., !«.. state of Illinois today opened its fig stale oi 2 , a form . to electrocute Harry nut, • , er college student, who is ihargeu ei con s ,„„ r ,|p rp( | his mother, with having niurdereu Mrs. Elizabeth Hill. After four months in the Labaue . lai | the debonair youth per(lUnr e n C Hill. Streator and Spring X at his side in the court room.

Btnt». Vntlonnl And InK-rnatlunni New.

i Principals In Latest Air Tragedy

/A— J—W.... ... - Mll X.. A

• "THE DAWN" <!■ • •ado.’Ml Illustrated Al>ove is shown a picture of “The Dawn,” the airplan . t .Jrs. Frances Graysen (upper right) hoped io fly across the Atlantic ocean The plane and crow of so ir are lost somev.Lore between New York City and Harbor Grace, N. I*'. The upper loft inserts show, Oskar Oh tn lai pilot, (left) and Brice Goldsb-'rough, co-pilot.

BERNE WOMAN ' DIES MONDAY Mrs. Magdalene Zeurcher Dies After Long Illness Due To Tuberculosis Berne, Dec. 27.— (Special) —Mrs. Magdalene Zuercher, 65, of Berne, lied at tlie home of her daughter, Mrs. Elam Steiner, at 2 o'clock Mon | lay afternoon, following an illness of several years. Death was due to ‘.uberculosis. Magdalene Tout hat Zuercher was ’ Uotai in Leuqpthol - Cantou ’ Bern, Switzerland. November 28, 186a. ' When a young lady. Mrs. Zeurcher came to the United States and settled in Ohio. On January 3, 1885, she was united in marriage to Frederick iuercher, who preceded her in death 26 years ago. Until five ysars ago, Mrs. Zuer her resided on the Zuercher farm In Monroe township, Adorns county, i When her health failed she moved to Berne and has resided with her laughter since. Mrs. Zuercher was a member of ' the Reformed church of Berne. Surviving are the following children: Fred F. Zuercher, cf Monroe 1 -owdship; Mrs. W. M. Bracht, of ' Fort Wayne; Mrs. Elam Steiner, of Berne; Mrs. John C. Soldner, of Mon--1 roe township; Mrs. Homer Steiner, 1 if Monroe township; W. M. Zuercher, 1 of Monroe township; Mrs. Melvin ’ Johnson, of Fort Wayne; John Zuer- ( roxTisiUF.n ox uvgk •"«;»> o

JOHN WAGONER DIES SUDDENLY Pioneer Resident Os Adams County Dies At Home In This City ’ John Wagoner, 78, lifelong resident r of Adams county and a well known 1 resident of Decatur, died suddenly at j ' his home on First street, at 10:15 o'clock Sunday night. Hemorrhage was cause of death. Mr. Wagoner had been In ill health for several months but 0 he had appeared to f>e improving ref cently and his death was unexpected. It Mr Wagoner was born near Monroe March 15. 1849. and spent his entire life in Adams county. He was married to Miss Sarah Jane Hughe-. r of Monroe township, in early life, but r she preceded him in death, March ... 1917. Later Mr. Wagoner was married to Ellen Roe, who survives. Other surviving relatives are: three sons by the e first wife, Hen. of Denver. Colorado t Albert of McComb Ohio, and David .. of Pontiac, Michigan; two brothers. ,1 Eli. of Spokane Washington and Ira. • of Monroe; two sisters, Mrs. Mary J Baker, of Decatur, and Mrs. Armlnda e Laisute, of near Monroe. . Mr. Wagoner served as constable l in Decatur tor many years. He also r served as township supervisor ci Monr roe township for eight years. 1. Mr. Wagoner was a decendant ot t. one of the oldest families in Adams t county. His father, Nicholas Wagoner e was born in France and came to Adams county, in 1843. Funeral services will be held at v the Evangelical church in Decatur at j 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, with burial in the Decatur cemetery.

Q N L Y DAILY NEWSPAPER IN AD AMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, December 27, 1927.

Hickman Tells “True Story” About Murder I Confessed Kidnaper-Murderer Os Little Marion Parker Tells Os Events Leadin g Up To Kidnaping And How He Put The 12-Ye ar-Old Girl To Death.

Aboard Prison Car Enroute to Los t Angeles, Dee. 27.—(INS) — "Well, gentlemen, this is the true < story of everything that has appened." I I William Edward Hi kman. confess- ‘ s ed kidnaper-murder, then told of I events leading up to kidnaping of i 1 Marion Parker ami how be put the I: 12-year-old school girl to death. "On" November 23 I came to Los Angeles after stealing a car in Kansas City. I had wanted for some time i J to kidnap a girl, so I could get money j SEVENImF' TRUANCY OFFICE 1-—— Examination For Applicants Held In This City This Morning * Seven applicants took tlte examinaf tion for Adams county attendance of- j • ficer at the office of County Superin '• tendent Clifton Striker, this morning. ’ The examination was held following ‘ a controversy with Miss Blanch Merry state attendance officer. Following the grading of the papers, an election will be held by the Adams county board

ot education and the person elected 4 will take office at once. i Those taking the examination were: * Mrs. Ella Peoples and Mrs. George Squires, of this city; Charles Martz and William Stauffer, of Berne; LozierEckrote and Harold Reynolds, of Hartford township and Robert Myers of Monroe. i The examination papers were sent * this noon to the state board and will be gtaded at once. Every person who will be nominated at the meeting of the county board, according to the present attendance officer law. t QUARTET UNABLE E TO APPEAR HERE; _—— I Accident F o r c e s W illiam t Jewel College Quartet To Cancel Engagements Owing to an accident which occured ■ somewhere in Missouri, the quartet from William Jewel College, of Liberty , Missouri, which was scheduled to present a concert at the First Baptist] church in this city Wednesday evening. has been forced to cancel all of its engagements. A telegram was received this mern-, ing from Howard Brumley, former Decatur young man who is a member | cf the quartet, stating that it would be. impossible to complete the tour on ac-1 count of an accident. He added, however that no cne was injured and that and Mrs. Brumley would continue on their trip to Decatur. | Although the concert will not be ( given at the Baptist church Wednes-j , day evening, the regular prayer service will be held.

Hr The Tatted Freni unit lutrrnntlunai .Xewa Service

to go to college. , "On Dec. 12 1 decided to locate another man and s.eal his daughter, but I finally gave her up because I thought site was too young. "Then I thought of Mr Parker and his girls because 1 remembered seeing them come in the bank where he was an officer ami where 1 used to work. “So 1 drove out to Parker's home on SrtWTr MllnffTHn- e on Deu 14 and ! saw the little girl Marion riding on a bicycle. "And on Dec 15 1 (talked near Mr. Parkers house again in Hie morning 'and saw Mr. Parker drive away and i noticed his car. I "Then i followed the two girls that ’ morning Io school at 8 o’clock I "So when it was about 12:30. 1 went 'tight into the school and asked for I the younger Parker gir'. I didn't know they were twins, but anyway, they sent for Marion and 1 told them ' my name was Cooper and I worked in I tlie bank and that her father was hurt in an auto accident and wauted hei tight away. j "They let her go, and 1 put iter it ' the car and we drove first to Glen dale. There 1 told her of my deceit but said 1 would have* to hold her un til I got $1,500 from iter father. "She didn't try or tight or anything jroxTixt i:n ox-

o— CHILDREN GIVE FINE PROGRAM Large Audience Attends Service At Zion Reformed Church Saturday Night The Christmas program rendered at the Zion Reformed church Saturday night was attended by a large audit nee. The little folks rendered every number on the program in a complimentary way. A play, entitled, Ihe Poor Street Waifs," given by a class of intermediate boys, presented a fine lesson of Christian giving at Christmas time —to give until we feel it. The last number on the program, entitled. “Christmas on the Sunset Slope." presented the memories of an aged father and mother, who in th< lr memories heard the Christmas carols as sung by the young folk years ago. The Playing of vlctrola records and reproduced through a radio set added much to the impressiveness ot this presentation. ,\ giant electrically lit Christmas tree, which almost reached to the celling of the auditorium, added to I the beauty of the two-hour program. . The offering for the Orphan Home at Port Wayne amounted to 8100 even. ' The little folks of the Sunday school [received their usual treat. I After the program, a Zion Reformed "Santa", in the form of a cash gift, was presented to the pastor. Tor this gift and for the gifts presented I by the Phoebe Bible class, as well as the many individual gifts which were brought or sent to the parsonage tor 1 the pastor and family, sincere appre I elation is expressed.

1). H. S. Class Os 1921 To Hold Reunion Sunday « The members cf the class of 1921 of Decatur high school will hold their mnual c'tis-. reunion at th" Decatut ■ ;• i v. s I a , vis, huib .nia a..J s .o.thear: ire ccrdlally Invited to attend the din ner and reunion. Reservations forth« banquet which will open at I o'clock may be made to Franci.i Costello *ot Marcella Kern, of this city The affair is an annual event. MURDERS TWO: ENDS OWN LIFE North Manchester Man Kills Couple Near Columbia City Monday Columbia City, Ind . Dee. 28. —(UP) , —A Christmas holiday tragedy with in obscure motive confronted authorities today in the killing of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Moshet by Newman Harper of North Manchester at the Mosher home six miles north of here yesterday. Mosher asked for an ambulance after shooting lite couple to 1 death and then killed himself. All three were 30 years old. Responsibility for the murders was assumed by Harper in a note de daring "they drove ine to it." but except for knowledge of bad feeling between Mosher and Harper, there were no other clues to a motive. Investigation developed that the Moshers and Harper had roomed at the same house a year ago. The two men were declared to have quarreled ,)vei Mosher’s treatment of his wife, ' especially in connection with .Mrs. Mosher's child by a former marriage. This HI feeling resulted in Mosher ’ leaving his employment here and taking work in Warsaw. He moved tt> North Manchester. ’ Harper’s note was addressed to 1 "mother" and said: "Forgive me anil try to forget for they have drove me to it and it is the only way out. .My s mother has nothing to do with this ' Good bye and God help yon." The Harper automobile was found 1 some distance south of*the Mosher Tome with Harper's body beside it 5 A motorist, Grrtver Gaerte, saw the r body and notified authorities. I Half an hour earlier, Harper had '• called at the David Fisher home adII joining that of Mosher’s. n "Call an ambulance," he told Fisher. He drove off without further ex--1 planation. — (J — M. " Thinks Rural Churches Must Combine Or Perish ii- —— Indianapolis, Dec. 27. — (UP) — Rura' g, churches must combine or perish, ac'wording to the Rev. J Newton Jessup >f Lafayette, president of the Indiana

'hrlstlan Ministerial association. Address! 4 ministers assembled a ! I ' midwinter retreat for D'snlnle; <■ 1 ministers here las* n'ght, thNe ton warned that Protes it chur her In small twn comm/ 7 ties must prepare to abolish their inlividuallsm and group themselves for pastoral care or pass into oblivion. "The country and small town churches seem clearly on the road to disintegration," he said. "The efforts at co-operative pastoral shepherding seem all to have failed." ■■ ■-■QForty Drown When Two Turkish Steamers Collide Constantinople. Dec. 27.— (INS) — Forty persons were drowned in the Sea of Mammora today when two Turkish steamers collided, one of them, the Sevindjl. sinking immediately with all hands aboard. Hoosier, Suspected Os Parker Slaying, Back Home Terse Haute. Ind., Dec, 27 (IP)— Louis 0. Wyatt, kcal man is back at his home here after being held a prisoner at Las Vegas, New Mexico a suspect in the kidnaping-murder of Marlon Barker. Arriving here Monday, Wyatt said he was in rested while traveling on a bus and when a search of his person revealed S2O bills suspicion was strengthened, as ransom money paid to the ghl’s slayer was in S2O bills. But the money Wyatt had was that telegraphed relatives in Cory, Indiana, to pay his way back so ho could spend Christmas at homo. Amends were made quickly by officials when they found bo was not the man wanted, Wyatt said. Upon hit • release, they used every means al I their command to speed his trip home ward.

Price Two Cents.

SLAYER SAFELY PLACED IN JAIL A i LOS ANGELES Cries Os "Lynch Him’’ Fill Air As Prisoner Reaches Hall Os Justice MOB’S FURY FILLS YOUTH WITH TERROR I.os Aitgjelcs, Dee. 27. (INS) ‘Lvitcli him String him tin live him to us!" , Ihe shouts of an infuriaksl mob of 3.000 pel-sons which surged about the new hall ol usflee filled the air as William Edwanl Hickman, confessed kidna|>cr and murderer of little Marion Parker, lilerallv was iragged through a lane of annul police today into the hall ol ’ustice where the IjOS Angeles -ountv jail is located. Tt-rrnr stricken by the fury of th<•nob, Hickman, hi- face aahen white, was pulled by the manacles of bl» 'wo powerful body guards through the tottble doors of the building so hard ’.hat it seemed to onlookers his arms must have been dislocated. Hlekman, palid and trembling, was wked the usual booking questions luring his formal identification, Mob Threats Increase Threats and calls for vengeance from the molt swelled into i mighty :horu« of hate as Hickman was shoved into -in elevator and shot up eight floors through the jail. One nytn broke through the police ’infs in tlte corridor and kicked thi< bedraggled prisoner. Strong armed officers fairly hurled the enraged man back into the swerling mass of > htimanf’y that crowded toward the captive. , Once safely inside Hickman was I taken into the photographer's room , to complete the jail record with ogues’ gallery pictures. Here, he al •nost recovered hi.i nonchalance lickmun smiled, bowed and registerI >d emotion almost Hite an actor as te was called for by the jail pholo•raplier. Not once did he show new , rnsness. From a demeanor of dejec lon and lethargy. Hickman braced ■ 'p as various photographs were tak--n. It seemed to please his vanity. Kansas City. Mo., Dec. 27 —(INS) ■ Jerome Walsh. Kansas City attorney, ’eft here today for Los Angeles to defend William Edward Hickman. Walsh was selected at a family con fetence yesterday, following news 1 fr in the Pacific coast that young Hickman had. "told all" in the mur- ’ der of Marlon Parker 12 year-old •- school gill.

"I do not believe" said Mrs. Eva M. fiikman today, “that my son compitted this murder unaided; 1 believe e was forced into nrakln gthe ecusalon from tear of violence and he -'"‘••'•tVlTD ON PAGE TWO) OLIVEOYL! The female Charlie Chaplin of the American comic art stage! You will want to see this laugh siren perform. She and her companions will be with us in the columns of the I)EMO C R A T each evening, starting TONIGHT ASr * t * Turn to page 3 and attend the first performance of Thimble Theatre.

YOUR HOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY