Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 27, Number 72, Decatur, Adams County, 25 March 1929 — Page 1

I 1 weather uoitiy c |oudy m ,nd Tuesday " l,M .„>Mbiy show■f P« rtion . tonight and J and south porTuesday*

SEVEN BANK ROBBERIES CLEARED UP

I bible and IBRLANESTART I (SEAT FLIGHTS ■ And Return I tu'O SPANISH airmen I start across ocean ■ By United Press I Two great air flights were I under wav U-lav. The German I .lingible t.raf Zeppelti , which I niiide a successful round trip I Hit across the At antic, set I in a non-stop flight from I Friedrichshafen, Germany, to I Palestine and return. with tfo I crew of 40 men and 2d passengI aviators. Ignacio I Jimenez Martin and Francisco Iglesias I Braga set out on a flight across the I Atlantic oce. n from Seville to Rio De I Janeiro. I Both flights were preceding sucI cessfully. according to reports recelvI ed along the line I Graf Zeppelin Starts I Berlin. Mar. 25. 4U.R)—The dirigible I Graf Zeppelin, conqueror of the AtI lantic last year, set out on another I adventure, a non-stop flight from I Friedrichshafen to Palestine and return. early today. It had aboard n crew of 10 men and a passenger list of 25. The flight was scheduled to be the longest yet made by the dirigible. Start Trans-Atlantic Flight Seville. Spain, Mar. 25. -(U.R) — Spain awaited today for news of tho young crack flyers, Ignacio Jimenez Martin, 29. and Francisco Iglesias Braga, 27. captains of the Spanish air force, who set out to establish a new world's distance record in the airplane "Jesus Gran Poder,” They started on a protected flight from Seville to Rio De Janeiro »ate yesterday afternoon, and were last reported skimming down the African coast toward Dakar, Africa. When sighted over Cadiz they were flying high and fast and travelling at a pace of about 180 kilometers an hour. It wa-> from Dakar that they planned to strike out over the Atlantic fro the South American continent, FARM RELIEF! After reading an item in the Dally Democrat, Saturday, which told about Pigs being born to a pure bred Duroc Jersey brood sow, belonging to Daniel P. Steury, an Adams county faimer residing near Berne, Abe Schnepp, who resides a short distance south of Decatur, came forth with the inforaiation that 21 pigs were born in one litter to one of his Spotted Poland China sows, recently. Fourteen of the 21 pigs are still living. Last year, is pigs were born to this same sow and she reared 13 of them. Confessed Murderer Admits Part In Robbery Indianapolis, March 25—(UP)—Af’’ead,ng guilty to the murder of 1 kinson Haag Indianapolis druggist bawrence Gbere, 24, today told local “'horities he was connected with the JOO robbery of the Palmer House hotel in Chicago. Ghere said he was supposed to have Reived $90,000 from “Prince”, a Chirobbery a,ted as < * of the n m! le .A° Uble crossed me. I received only $4,000, Ghere added. I*o SENTENCED FOR HAAG DEATH Rupert McDonald And Lawrence Ghere Get Life lerms At Indianapolis encp d ch aPOn8 ’ Mar - 25~<U.R)-Lawr-murder ! 4, pl . eaded K uil ty the D ruL X ' ilkinson Haag, Haag a» the n Pany ° fficia1 ’ Ma J’ ’7, 1926 al coined MIU barbecue in criminlor in tn ° d f y and with his compan--21. «■>/ 81aying ’ Rtt Pert McDonald, ■bent tn Santenced to life imprisonhe Indiana Btate Prison. after n « P' ea was decided on l ' v een his” e , r . ence this morning be'a<nbe ni t n rney ’ Ll ° yd D ‘ Clay ’ Stark.’ Prosecutor Judson L. ed robbery 8 Wlled dur,ng an attempt-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Vol. XXVII. No. 72.

Shot to Death '1 u 1 William J. Vercoe, Chicago merchant, who was shot to death near the spot where Assistant State's Attorney McSwiggin was killed three years ago. Police lay the murdering to the fact tha*. Vercoe “talked out of turn." PLAN FOR HOLY “ WEEK SERVICES Special Services Arranged For This Week At Catholic Church Special services will mark the observance of Holy Week in the St. Marys Catholic church in this city. On Wednesday morning, confessions of the school children will be heard and Wednesday afternoon and evening, confessions of adults will be heard On Holy Thursday, commonly krttrwn as Maundy Thursday, a high mass will be celebrated at 7:30 o'clock in the evening., Holy Communion will be distributed on Thursday morning at six and 7:30 o'clock. On Holy Thursday, the Sacred Host, which is used in the mass of the Pre-sanctified on Good Friday, is consecrated and placed in the repository on the high altar. Confessions will be heard Thursday evening. On Good Friday, the mass of the Pre-sanctified will be held at 7:30 o'clock, followed by adoration of the Cross. The Three Hours will be observed from 12 o'clock noon to 3 o'clock. P. M., during which time there will be private devotions at the Cross of Jesus, the making of the Way of the Cross and hearing of confessions. Confessions will also be heard on Friday evening. The three hours are observed in commemoration of the three hours spent by Jesus on the cross and, for several years, the devotions have been held at the Catholic church. On Holy Saturday, the blessing of the water and the Pascal candle will start at 5:45 o’clock followed by a high mass as soon as the blessing service is over. Confessions will again be heard on Saturday afternoon and evening and on Faster Sunday, the members of the congregation will receive Holy Communion at the first two masses. Masses on Easter Sunday will be held at 5, 8:30 and 9:45 o’clock. There will not be any Lenten services Tuesday evening the Rev. Leo Scheets, concluding his series of special sermons last Tuesday. Passion Week Services At Evangelical Church Passion Week services will be held at the First Evangelical church this week. Monday night will be given to the choir for rehearsal and there will be no public service. On Tuesday night, the pastor will speak upon: “The Challenge of Christ’s Authority,” Wednesday night, “The Silence of Jesus," Thursdav night, "Fellowship with Jesus”, Friday night "The Suffering Christ. ' These services will begin promptly at 7:30 each night and close at 8:30 o’clock. It will be an hour of Spiritual worship and meditation. A hearty welcome is extended to all- ■ . —~o Bus Hits Auto; One Man Killed, Three Hurt Chicago, March 25—(UP)—Vincent Maszien, Chicago, was killed and his three companions were slightly injured today when his automobile driven crashed into an Indianapolis bound Greyhound bus in Harvey, a Chicago suburb.

Xiuhoutl And International V.u.

FAIR WEATHER HELPS IMPROVE FLOOD SITOATION i ----- J Many Lives Lost And Prop- t erty Damage Exceeding $2,000,000 Results BODIES OF SEVEN BOY SCOUTS FOUND ‘ Knoxville, Tenn., Match 25 —(UP) — Chaotic fl,.nd conditions in the south t improved today with the advent of warm, sunshiny weather, but sorrow I lings reil over sections of Tennessee where many human lives were claimed by iaging torrents resulting from cloudbursts. Shipping oil the almost unprecedented tains of the last few weeks was welcomed by the homeless, left ■ stranded by receding waters. M st of • them are in Alabama, Tennessee, Floi rida ami some in Georgia. . The death toll at Harriman, on the , Emery river in eastern Tennessee, is placed at 24 persons while the property loss ther was estimated at more < than $2,000,000. ( Plants Are Damaged ( Only one of the town’s major plants ( escaped serious damage by the flood wateis which raged through the streets j to a depth of 30 meet Saturday. The I Harriman Hosiery Mill was said to ’ have escaped heavy loss, although five othet plants were said to be destroyed The bodies of seven members of a ! I Boy Scout Troop swept away by 1 have been recovered, while searching I continued tor another. White's creek near Rockwood, Tenn., * The heroic act of one Scout, who I gave his life in an attempt to succor ’ his Scoutmaster after the cabin of < the troop was swept away became 1 known today. 1 Jim T. Wright, of Rockwood, leader i ' of the boys was ffirown from the roof < ' where the Troop had taken refuge and was swept away. J. C- Hill, Jr., , leaped into the flood after him, and I 1 both were drowned. —o — Looking For Coal Covington, Ind., March 25—(UP)— < ' Drilling for a test hole, the first on f 4,000 acres of land leased near here by t the Truex coal company is under wav i 1 Strip mining will be carried on. An- ; other test hole will be put down with- < ' in a few days. 1 c ( MEETING HELD < BY BEEKEEPERS: 1 1 W. W. Hawkins Re-elected , President Os Adams County Association i A total of forty beekeepers attended the reorganization meeting of the ' • Adams County Beekeepers Associa- | tion, held Saturday afternoon, at the i Decatur Public Library. Re-election of ; officers resulted as follows: W W. Hawkins, president; Ferd Christen, i i Secretary-Treasurer. A number of bee- < I keepers from Allen and Van Wert l f counties were also in attendance, be- ( . sides the bee keeprs from this county. ] C. O. Yost, of the state department ; . of conservation, who is in charge of bee inspection work throughout the < . state, delivered the principal address < , of the afternoon. Mr. Yost talked on | . the necessity of producing and market- 1 ing a good quality of honey in order that maximum consumption can be obtained. He stated that poor honey al- I ways has an effect on the price of good honey and that only good honey should be marketed so that a profitable price 1 level can be maintained. Mr. Yost also 1 talked on summer and winter protec- ' tion, the way to eliminate sour honey 1 how to produce healthy colonies, etc. ' He also said that the model colony ‘ ! should possess a good queen, be free ' • from disease, have plenty of young ' ■ bees, and be provided with a modern hiveR. M. Baker, of Kendallville, who 1 was local inspector last year, was also 1 present and gave a short talk on mar- ' ' keting honey. Mr. Yost in a statement made Saturday, said that the bees in ' Adams county would be inspected ear Her than usual this season, probably during the month of May. 0 | Gets Perfect Bridge Hand Anderson Ind., March 25 —(UP) — : Lewis Vermillion drew a perfect hand i i of thirteen diamonds while playing ' ■ Bridge at the Home of Mr. and Mrs. . Harold Atherton, here. Statisticians | I declare a Bridge hand filled with one i , suit occurs only once in many million i deals.

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, March 25, 1929.

Woman Wins Divorce But Is Forbidden To Remarry For 50 Years Richmond, Ind.. Mar. 25. (U.R) — Mrs. Dora McClain cannot be legally married again until 1979 under an order of Circuit Judge G. 11. Hoelf- l cber. Notice of her divorce suit against Fred McClain was given by publication. After granting a decree, the judge asked: "Do you intend to marry again? I wi 1 have to make an order forbidding you to marry within two years.” “It's all right with me if you make ’ it fifty years,” Mrs. McClain remarked. "All right. I will," said Judge Hoelfcher, and fifty years it is today ( on the court's record. i BEBELS CENTER ONMAZATLAN Federals Send Reinforcements To Help Hold Important Seaport Mexico City, Mar. 25.—(U.R)—Federal reinforcements, commanded by General Evaristo Perez, were schedul- < ed to reach Mazatlan today to aid in defending that important Pacific sea- i port against the persistent attack of i the rebels, a message received by the government from General Plutarco Elias Calles stated. This detachment, said to number several thousand men, was rushed from Trapuato several days ago ami yesterday reached Rosario, 40 miles fiom Mazatlan. In addition another column will be dispatched today from the Torreon sector toward Mazatlan, under the command of General Lazaro Cardenas, General Calles said. Calles’ message added that General Juan Alamazan and his corps have i started north from Torreon in pursuit of the rebel troops in Chihuahua, i Revival Spirit Grows At Baptist Church Here The revival spirit in the Baptist ' church continues to grow in interest , and power Yesterday was a high water mark in the work of the church for recent years. A quiet deep spiritual zeal characterized the services of the day. The appropriate selection of , hymns and music added to the spirit of the day. Several young people confessed publically their faith and will , ite baptized later in the week. There will be services each night during the week at 7:30 o’clock The subject of Rev. O E. Miller’s mes-1 sage this evening is, "Would Jesus be recognized should He come to Decatur?” Thursday evening, the Lord's Supper will be observed. A hearty welcome is extended to the public to share the good meetings from night to night. Arthur Giiliom And Wife In Auto Accident Kokomo, Ind., Mar. 25. —(U.R) — Thrown from their automobile after it had been in a collision with one driven by a farmer, Arthur Giiliom, former attorney general and Mrs. Giiliom, escaped unhurt while Mrs. Fred Bayers, Indianapolis, sustained possible internal injuries. The accident was said to have occurred when the farmer, Thomas Quinn, near Peru, drove his automobile onto the pavement from a side road without stopping. The injured woman's husband also Livestock Producers To Hold Meeting Tuesday A meeting of livestock farmers will be held at (he St. John’s Lutheran school building on the Fort Wayne road, at 8 o’clock Tuesday evening, March 26. The meeting will be sponsored by the Producers Livestock Asscciation of Indiana. Lee Highlen, state director of the association, will be present at the meeting Tuesday night and deliver an address. All livestock farmers of the community are invltdd to attend. Freak Cyclone Does Damage In Wells County Bluffton, March 25 — (UP) — A freak cyclone swept down on parts of Wells county about midnight Saturday night and did damage to many trees 1 and small buildings at various points. The twister struck especially at Tocsin, Union Center and Ossian. No great damage was reported, but roofs of small'buildings in the north part of the county were torn off and trees were uprooted.

FARM RELIEF HEARINGS OPEN AT WASHINGTON President Hoover Expresses His Attitude In Regard To Relief Work SENATOR BROOKHART IS FIRST WITNESS Wasliingtcn, Mar. 25. U.R, Presi-1 dent Hoover indirectly informed the' senate agriculture committee today I at the outset of its farm relief hearings that lie does not desire to lay down any specific mode of farm re-| lief, but is willing to cooperate with the committee as its work proceeds. Mr. Hoover’s attitude was given to tlie committee by its chairman. McNary. ill a statement before Senator Brookhart. Repn., lowa, was called as the first witness. McNary (ailed at the White House this morning at Mr. Hoover’s request before the committee met to start of- ] ficially the machinery which is ex- ( pected to grind out a general farm re- ( lief bill early in the special session of r congress meeting April 15. ( "The president informed me the 3 committee would have no difficulty in v determining his attitude from his recent speeches," McNary said. “I did I I not get any assurances as to what I kind of a bill the president desires. He told me, however, that as the I work of the committee proceeds, he will cooperate.". Democrats immediately manifested dissatisfaction at the failure of the president to lay down a specific pro ( posal. Senator Caraway, Dem., Arkansas, said he had experienced "great difficulty” in ascertaining what the president meant in his farm relief speeches during the recent campaign. < Old National Bank Os Bluffton Gets Charter 1 1 Bluffton, Mar. 25.—(U.R)—The Old > National Bank of Bluffton today re- < ceived its National charter and plans 1 will proceed to open the new banking I institution in that city at once. Die < bank will be opened in the building formerly occupied by the Studebaker ■ bank, defunct for the last two years. 1 The Old National Bank of E'ort 1 Wayne owns considerable stock in the Old National of Bluffton. 1 n ( YOUNG GIRL IS CALLED BY DEATH Miss Augusta Reinking, 20. ' Dies At Home In Union Township The first death in a family of eleven , children occured at 5 o’clock Sunday morning, March 24, 1929, when Miss ( Augusta Reinking, 20, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Reinking, died , at her parental home in Union township. Miss Reinking had been work- ( ing in Cleveland for a period of eight j months, when her health failed in August of 1928 and she was fqrced to return to her home in this county. Since that time site has been bedfast ( with tuberculosis. A siege of influenza, whicli developed, only tended to ] hasten her death. Augusta Reinking was born April 4. 1908, in Union township. She was I a member of the Walther League of the Emanuel Lutheran church, and was an active worker in that organization. ' Surving, besides the parents, are the following brothers and sisters: r Herbert, of Ohio: Martin, of Fort Wayne; Oscar, of Cleveland, Ohio; ’ Edgar, Carl, Henry, Ida, Meta, Am- ’ old and Otto, al! residing at the parental home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 1 o'clock (standard 1 time) at the residence and at 1:30 o’clock at the Emanuel Lutheran ‘ church. The Rev. Mr. Frosch will ‘ off elate. Burial will be made in the , church cemetery. Funeral For Samuel Rea ‘ To Be Held On Thursday V Philadelphia, Mar. 25. —(U.R) —Funer- 1 al services for Samuel Rea, 73, retired president of the Pennsylvania railroad who died yesterday, will be held late tomorrow at the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian church. Rea retired from active service 1 with the railroad after 54 years in 1 1925. 1

Furalahrd lly United I’rene

For Tammany Head ■ I > I * * John F. Curry, above, is one of the leading contestants for the leadership of Tammany Hall in the place vacated by Judge Olvany. The young Tammanyites are battling the Old Guard and finally have forced the appointment of a committee of seven who will choose the new leader. FACiSTSWOF ITALY'S ELECTION Overwhelming Majority Piled Up For Mussolini Picked Candidates Rome, Mar. 25.—(U.R) —Italy's thunderous “yes!” sounded in the ears cf Fascists today as the result of yesterday’s plebiscite rolled in from every part of the nation. The novel system introduced by Premier Benito Mussolini required the voters to accept or reject as a whole the 400 approved Fascist candidates for the lower chamber, Tho "yes" votes presented to Mussolini, today totaled S. 506,576 and there were* still seven small sections to report. The “no" votes totaled 136,198. Eighty-nine and sixty-three hundredths per cent of the registered voters went to the polls. There were 7,966 votes annulled. o Missionary Society Plans Pre-Easter Prayer Services The Missionary Society of the Church of Christ, will observe the preEaster week of prayer, beginning March 24. The following schedule of meetings will be followed: Monday, Noah Mangold Residence, Mrs. A. D. Artman leader, 7:00 P M. Tuesday, Church, Homer Ruhl, leader, 7:00 P. M. Wednesday, Arthur Fisher residence Mrs. Dr. Charles, leader, 7:00 P. M. Thursday, August residence on Tenth street, Mrs. Railing leader, 7:00 P. M. Friday, Mrs. Acker on First street, Mrs. G T. Burk, leader, 7:00 P. M. Saturday, G. T. Burk residence, Mrs. George Meyer, leader, 7:00 I‘. M. Sunday, services at the church. RB. Hurt, pastor, 6:00 P. M. The opening meeting of the series was held at six o’clock last night at the church with Mrs. Daniel as leader. Q Alleged Cock-Fighting Joint Raided; Two Arrested — Connersville, Ind., Mar. 25. —(U.R) — Two men were arrested and the names of 150 other persons obtained when police raided an alleged cockfighting and gambling establishment near here. Two truck loads of equipment, including 50 game roosters, fighting pits, spurs, dice and poker tables, and an alleged quantity of liquor, were confiscated. The two men, Charles Ferguson, and Myron Alledredge, were released on bond. Police said the other persons would have charges filed against them. The building, an elaborate affair, was equipped with seats such as a boxing arena. —o Slayer Is Electrocuted Bellefonte, Pa.. March 23 —(UP) — Alvarez Miquel, 28. slayer of his sweetheart, Louise Jacks, was eelctrocuted shortly after 7 A. M. today in the electric chair at the Rockview penitentiary.

Price Two Centi

CONFESSIONS ARE SIGNED DY FOUR MEN HELD HERE Prisoners Talk Freely To Sheriff Hollingsworth • About Bandit Life 500 PERSONS VISIT JAIL HERE SUNDAY J. Phil Chamberlin, of Columbia City, R. W. Sinifl, and Everett (Jack) Gaither, of Fort Wayne, and Elmer Wood, of Pennville, the four alleged bandits held in the Adams county jail on charges of bank robbery, all four told their story of banditry to Sheriff Harl Hollingsworth at the local jail Sunday and all four signed complete confessions of their respective parts in seven hank robberies, two filling station holdups and the stealing of several automobiles. The men entered the upstairs cell of the jail one at a time and told Sheriff Hollingsworth the complete story. A stenographer took every word down and each man signed his name to his own confession. Make Confessions Separately Sheriff Hollingsworth asked numerous questions, and after each question came a response. At times, the men appeared nervous, especially I Gaither, but they told their stories separately and each confession compared as to dates and accuracy. Tht> first man questioned was Chamberlin. He stated that his age was 29 years and that he had participaed in seven bank robberies and two filling station robberies. He also admitted bis part in the stealing of several automobiles, used on the various jobs. Rob Linn Grove Bank The first robbery participated in by tho men was the Linn Grove robbery, March 27. 1928. All four men drove to Linn Grove on the morning of that date. Three of the men entered the Bank of Linn Grove. Chamberlin waited at a point where he could see the men working, and watched to see that nothing interrupted the plans. A Buick sedan was used on the first job and all four of the men escaped. Later on the same day, the loot was divided in Fort Wayne, where Siniff was proprietor of the Hayes hotel on South Calhoun street. The loot obtained amounted to $1,900 on the first robbery. Howe Bank Was Next A month later, on April 26, 1928, the four men staged their second holdup. They drove to Howe, Indiana, in two automobiles. One was a Hudson sedan, stolen from the Schroeder and Sons garage at Columbia City. Siniff drove to Howe in his own Buick. Wood, Gaither and Chamberlin entered the State Bank of Lima, at. Howe, and robbed that institution of about $3,200. This robbery netted the men the most money, but it also was the most dangerous. Car Goes into Ditch Siniff was stationed about a block from the bank in his car and, as the men escaped in the stolen Hudson, he followed. Chamberlin was driving the stolen ear and a few miles out of Howe, the machine swerved and went through a fence into a ditch. Without* slowing up Chamberlin continued along the ditch until he found a place where he could swing back on the pavement. The car was not damaged (COX TINI'HJn n-X PMIF. TWO! BANDITS ROB ’ BANK AT GARY Machine Gun Used In Holdup Os Glen Park Bank; Loot Is $5,000 Gary, Indiana, March 25, —(UP) — Machine gun bandits held up the Glen Park State bank today and fled through town in an automobile exchanging fire with a motorcycle policeman who had taken up the chase near the bank. One bullet struck the headlight on the policeman's motorcycle and another wounded a negro. Bank officials who were herded in’o a rear room by two of the bandits carrying machine guns said the loot was between $5,000 and $6,000. 1 The same bank was robbed of $12,- ■ 000 last fall. Five men three of them - carrying machine guns took part in today’s holdup.

YOURTIOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY