Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 27, Number 93, Decatur, Adams County, 18 April 1929 — Page 1

WfATHFR Mostly fair exeept trentf ’° 1 d ’S'y owe,?, ’“th, increas'og ‘loudiuM’ north

WOMAN KILLED BY BANK BANDITS

■Huge Alcohol Distillery Seized; Three Men Arrested

■two big stills IFOUNDONFARM I NEAR THIS CITY ■ Decatur Man, Two StrangII ers Arrested And Turned ■ Over To Federal Agents ■ BELIEVE CHICAGO ■ GANG OWNS PLANT H Ed Miller. Joe Oberto and ■ Daniel l.amoiite. the three men ■ arrested late yesterday after- ■ noon when they were caught ■■operating an alcohol still on a ■ farm northeast of Decatur were ■ turned over to federal author- ■ itiesthis afternoon by state’s at- ■ tomev, Nathan Nelson, and ■ sheriff Harl Hollingsworth. The ■ men were taken to Fort Wayne ■ this .afternoon and wil be ar- ■ raigned in federal court in that ■ dty ■ Federal agents began this as- ■ temoon to dismantle the large ■ distilling plant and will use the ■ liquor confiscated in the raid as ■ evidence against the three men. ■ Two alcohol -tills capable of turnIng out at least 350 gallons of al< o- ■ ko! daily, ttid three men were eaptur|H e! late yestf t'ilay afternoon by federal ■ men and Sheriff Hail Hollingsworth Hand his deputies, four miles northeast Mos Decatur while the officers were ■ working on a ' tip" that Kit by Davis, H wanted ai Angola in connection with ■ a bank robbery, was in Adams county. ■ The men under arrest and "in the ■ Adams county jail are: Ed Miller, 28. B of Decatur: Joe Oberto, 33. of (''overB lin, Minn.. and Pan l.amonte. 35, of B Chicago. The distillery was one of B the largest alcohol distilling plants B ever captured in Indiana. B The federal officers from the de- ■ partment of justice, came to Decatur ■ Wednesday afternoon and told SherI iff Hollingsworth that they were of ■ the opinion that Pavis was hiding on ■ a farm near Decatur. They said they ■ had received a tip that Pavis had an ■ akolml plant either in or near Adams toiutty and that they thought he (Dariai could be located on the Wil*, liam Harting farm northeast of Pera tur. Stills Are Discovered The federal men,, together with Sheriff Hollingsworth, Deputy Sheriff Clarence Elixman, of Fort Wayne, and Arthm Hyland, of this city, went (o the Harting farm. One of the federal men knocked at the door and "hen Oberto opened the door he statMl that he had a warrant tor the arrest of Pavis and that he believed that Davis was in that house. The officers entered and started to search the house. Sheriff Hol’ings "orth opened a door and two large "ooden vats, containing mash in the making of alcohol, were discovered. •' further search revealed two stills, eight huge wooden vats with a capsei|y of about 1,000 gallons each, and tanks - The Btills wert> novrisißiu on page seik.* HOVE POLES FROM STREETS Telephone Company Is Removing Poles From Monroe Street Work has started on removing the e ephone poles on Monroe street. ’ e (ttizens Telephone company will etnove all but one cr two poles along lf ‘ north side of the street, it being ecessary to keep a few standing on ■«onnt of the city electric light Tt. 8 connect with the poles. le felephone poles on Fifth street ‘ 'e been removed and, as rapidly l ’ le <>,ker telephone poles , De cut down. The Citizens Telew '° ne eom Pany has put most of its '"ng underground and, wherever f r n . ’ P°' es kave been removed aliey 8 tiiS streetß and placed in the In' 1 'I’® 1 ’® cit Y of Decatur will cooperate every way in removing poles and nol ng neW conne ctions so that the tel > 6> h were used jointly by the trie Hk 6 eoinpan y and the city eleclt Kat department can be removed. 1

PECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXVII. No. 93.

French Liner Goes Aground (MT England Plymouth, England. Apr. IS.—-«J.R) - The liner Paris, of the French line, went aground today off the Eddystone Eight, 14 miles southwest of the Plymouth breakwater. The French line announced shortly afterward that the Paris had pull-1 ed off the rocks ami was en route to Plymouth. It was not known whether she was damaged. The Paris sailed yesterday from be Harve and was due In New York next Tuesday. Many Americans were aboard. GENEVA MAN IS SERIOUSLY HURT Christ Lehman Falls 25 Feet When Scaffold On Silo Breaks Geneva, April IS. — (Special)—Chris Lehman, manager of the Farmers Cooperative Silo company, of Geneva, was seriously injured Wednesday at the Mercer county, Ohio, infirmary, west of Celina. He is a patient in the Otis hospital at Celina. Mr. Lehman sustained serious injury to his l>ack and il is feared ho was injured internally. An X-Ray examination yesterday evening showed two vertebrae in his spine dislocated. The misplaced vertebrae were replaced by physicians. Another X-Ray examination was to be made today. Last night. Mr. Lehman suffered from pains in his abdomen and legs. Mr. Lehman was working w> a scaffold when the hooks holding the . scaffold broke, allowing it to fall to ■ the bottom of the silo, a distance of ' about 25 feet. An employe of the county farm was inside the silo ready to ascend to the scaffold, but none of the falling timbers struck him. The injured man was unconscious for thirty minutes after the accident. He was rushed to (Mina in an ambulance o Township Trustee Ends Life With Gun Logansport, Ind., Apr. IS. — (U.R) — Relieved to have been despondent following an argument with his wife, Conrad Gerrard, 45, Clay township trustee, committed suicide near here today by firing three shots into his chest. The body was discovered in the barnyard of the man's home, three bullets having pierced his chest. A small automatic revolver was found near the body. — o New Security Company To Open Office Here The American Security company, of Hartford City, has leased a suite of rooms on the second floor of the Schafer blot k on Second street and will ojten for business, May 1, according to the terms of the lease. The company operates loan offices at Hartford City, Bluffton and Huntington. On account of a similarity of names with a local company, it was stated that the new company would operate under the name of the Franklin Loan -company. The lease for the rooms was signed b£ A. N. Pursley, president, and F. G. Culberson, secretary. —— o Names Os Two Election Inspectors Are Omitted The names of two inspectors for the city primary election were omitted from the story appearing in the Daily Democrat Wednesday, They were: James Hui»k, second ward B, and Marlin Jabeig, thiid ward A. o Say Sinclair Will Be Ousted By Oil Company New York. April 18.—(IJ.R)— Reports persisted in financial circles today that Harry F. Sinclair, under sentence to three months in jail for contempt of the senate, would be ousted from his position as chairman of the board of the Sinclair Consolidated Oil Corporation, which he organized in 1919. The rumor was without verification from any source close to Sinclair. Martin W. Littleton, the oil man’s attorney, said Sinclair’s position in the corporation had not been changed, but refused to discuss further plans of his client.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

SlKte. National And luternndonnl Xrn>

I Babe Ruth Goes “Benedict” Again ■WfRWiTWS i •> - ctP. t IT ’ i - i i iWwaw r » rW - i • I ILH 1 > 1 r- «-> fe'-L 'A*-'. < Here are shown, left to right, at the wedding ceremony of Gecage Herman Ruth, tl e big pun in the baseball world, and Claire Hodgson, former Foil es girl: George Henry Lovell, Babe Ruth, (Xaire Hodgson, Mrs. Lovell. The Rev. Father William F. Hughes peitoJiued the ceremony at St. Gregoty.s ifficb iiHffVTork.

Man Falls 60 Feet Alighting On Canopy And Auto Top; Unhurt Chicago, April 18.- (U.K —Bdward Chaboen. 25, blown from an electric sign 60 feet above a loop street, while replacing light bulbs, bounced off a canopy and through the root of a large sedan parked by the curb, landing upright behind the steering wheel. His only injury was a sprained shoulder. o COMMENCEMENT ATBERNEMAY24 Dr. A. .1. Folsom, Os Fort Wayne, Chosen To Deliver Commencement Address Berne, Ipril 18—(Special)—Dr. A. J. Folsom, pastor of the Plymouth Con gregational church of Fort Wayne, has been engaged to deliver the address at the annual commencement exeucises of Berne high school, to be held in the Community Auditorium Friday evening, May 24, at 8 o'clock. Dr. Folsom is one of the prominent ministers of Foit* Wayne and he is well known in this part of the state as a lecturer, ment address here in 1926. The Rev. C. fl. Saukau, pastor of the Dr. Folsom delivered the commenceFirst Mennonite church, has been invited by the graduating class to deliver tlie baccalaureate sermon. The. baccalaureate service Will be held at the Mennonite church on Sunday evening, May 19. The graduating class is made up of about twenty pupils. . — 0 Small Fire Occurs In Clothespress In Residence A small blaze which oiiginated in a clothespress at the James Arnold home, on West Marshall street, was extinguished by members of the Arnold family befoie the arrival of the fire department, about 7:30 o’clock last evening. The fire is believed to have started when the Arnold twins, enroute to the nursery with a burning candle, stopped in their sister Winifred’s room, to get some party favors to nlav with. A tulle dress belonging to Miss Arnold quickly caught fire from the open blaze and the blaze spread to other pieces of wearing apparel. The children screamed and the mother, rushing to ascertain the cause, found the clothes ablaze. The damage is covered by insurance.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, April 18, 1929.

YAKE TO FACE FEDERAL JUDGE — Adams County Farmer Arrested By Federal Officers On Liquor Charge George Yake, Adams county farmer residing in the vicinity of Linn Grove, was placed under arrest by federal officers. Wednesday afternoon, on a charge of violating the prohibition law. He was taken to Fort Wayne where he will be held pending a hearing before Judge William Slick, in federal court. Yake was at. liberty under bond on a similar charge in the Adams circuit court. He was arrested several months ago following a raid on his home. Judge David E. Smith, of Fort Wayne was appointed this week to sit as special judge in his case. Yake was previously sentenced on a I'qtior charge in federal court. Factory Employing 1,200 To Reopen At Indianapolis Indianapolis, April 18- —(VP) — The employment of 1,200 persons was seen in an announcement by officials of the Westinghouse Lamp Company that they would re-open their plant here for the manufacture of elect: ic lamps and radio tubes. It was understood that installation of equipment would be started within 60 days and actual production before September 1. 1 o START FICHT FOB DEBENTURE PLAN Plan Included In Farm Relief Bill Introduced In Senate Today Washington, Apr. 18.—(U.R>—The export debenture plan which would give the farmer a bounty of half the tariff duty on his exported products was included in the farm relief bill introduced in the senate today by chairman McNary of the senate agriculture committee. While President Hoover has been silent on the plan and the house has ignored it, McNary has revealed that his committee is prepared to adopt it in the administration's general cooperative marketing bill.

SIXTY PUPILS ARE CANDIDATES FOR DIPLOMAS List Os Prospective Graduates Os Decatur High School Is Announced COMMENCEMENT ON FRIDAY, MAY 21 Sixty young people are included in tjie list of piospective graduates of Decatur high school this spring, re leased today by Walter J. Krick, principal. 'Die commencement exercises will be held in the high school auditorium Friday evening.’May 24. Boyd Gurley, editor of the Indianapolis Times and one of the prominent journalists of America, will deliver the address. Three types of dlpolmas are award ed by the local high school, namely, academic, general anil commercial. There are 35 girls and 25 boys who are prospective graduates this spring. Last year's graduating class consisted of only 52 pupils. Members of this year’s senior class, who will receive diplomas providing their grades are passing, and the kind of diploma each is seeking ate: Viviau Acker, Academic; Florence Anderson, Academic; Josephine Arch bold. Academic; Kathryn Aurand, Commercial and General; John Beery, Academic; Lewis Butcher, General; Robert Butcher. Academic; Cyrus Cable. General; Wilma Chronister, General and Commercial; Richard Clem, Academic; Labella Cloud. Academicl Roberf-f'ole, General; Virginia Cook. Academic; Emily Cramer. Academic; Emma Ctozier, Academic: Hatty Dailey, Academic; Maty Jane DeVor .Academic ; Helen Drajter, Academic and Commercial; Catherine ! Eady, General; Charlotte Elzey, Academic; Thurman Elzey, Academic, John Engle. Academic, Mary Jane Fritzinger. General; Lucile Gay. Academic and Commercial; Irene Getke, Academic; Gaynel Gtabei, Academic; iCovr!' 1 ’ r<‘.r» ox i*«r:K GENEVA ALUMNI TOHOLDBANOOET Annual Meeting To Be Held Friday Night; Commencement To Be Held April 23 Geneva, Apr. 18. —(Special)— The annual banquet of the Geneva high school alumni association will be held in the Methodist church Friday evening, starting at, 6:30 o’clock. The ■ banquet will be served by the ladies aid society of the Methodist church, and will consist of three courses. A series of toasts will be given , during the banquet, the general theme 1 of which will be, “The Big Parade.” , The program for the banquet is: ] Invocation Kenneth Shoemaker , Welcome ... Joseph Anderson t Response Walter Hawbaker , General Theme—“ The Big Parade” ; with Pianist accompaniment Mildred Shoemaker 1 Come All Ye Kiddies i Elmira McKean, June Buyer, asst. • Vocal Solo Ina Briggs When a Feller Needs a Friend Ramon Hunt. The Air Is Full of 1t... Ruth Mahoney Laugh, Clown, Laugh . Nellie Knipe Hit ’em High Leslie Reeves I Instrumental Solo Kenneth Shoemaker The Old Home Town Vergil Wagner Benediction Kenneth Shoemaker The annual commencement exercises of the local high school will be held on Tuesday, April 23. Three Towns Taken Into Boy Scout Area Council The Anthony Wayne Area Council 4 Boy Scouts of America has been en- ’’ larged with memberships given to Lig- ‘ onier. Pleasant Lake and Fremont, it 3 was announced yesterday by scout officials. 11 Ligonier will operate directly with 3 the council through its own scout comt mittee. Pleasant Lake and Fremont t will receive its representation in the >• council through the Steuben county scout committee.

I'urnlMlied lly I nllrd I’rtMM

Southern Cross Flies To Northern Australia ! Sydney, Australia, Apr. IS. —(U.R) — The airplane Southern Cross arrived at Derby, Not them Australia, today, having flown from the Mud Flats in (he wilds where it was forced down J on March 31 while on an attempted flight from Sydney to England. Captain Charles E. Kingsford-Smith and bis three companions were rescued by search planes after a period of . near starvation ami were enabled to fly back to civilization in their own plane. o ZIMMERMAN ON STAND AGAIN I Declares He Was Out Os County At Time Murder Was Committed Angola. Apr. IS. U.R) — Assuming the witness stand on his own behalf, Charles Zimmerman, former Steuben county sheriff charged with the murder of Thomas Burke, alleged bandit, today denied he was in Steuben county from noon, previous to the night on which Burke was killed. He also denied he was friendly wit It Kirby Davis or any other bandits or rum runners. During his testimony the former sheriff reviewed his whereabouts on the day previous to the murder and told of his trip to Montgomery. Michigan, where he met Nellie Coleman, his stenographer. Zimmerman said In* and his stenographer went immediately to a cottage near Colon, Mich., from which they did not emerge only to obtain ice until the day after the murder. -o Sweetheart Os .Jack Gaither Is Sentenced Evelyn Bell, of Fort Wayne, said to be the sweetheart of Everett (Jack) Gaither who was sentenced here recently for robbing the Linn Grove bank, was sentenced to jail for four month by Judge Thomas Slit k, in Federal court al Fort Wayne, yesterday, on a charge of selling liquor in a road house on the river road. The sentence was suspended and she was placed on probation for two years. Relative Os Berne Family Is Killed Berne, April 18—(Special) —Mr. and Mrs. Fred Blum, residing near Berne received by the Blum family. Mr. and nouncing the accidental death of Walter Hutton, husband of Mis. Blum’s sister, at Saybrook. Illinois, yesterday. Mr. Hutton was fatally injured in an accident with a gasoline engine, but details of the accident were not receivd by the Blum family. Mr. and Mrs. Hutton have one daughter, Eleanor. Funeral arrangements have not been made, but Mr. and Mrs. Blum are pieparing to motor to Saybrook today or Friday. Legionnaires To Talk Over WOWO This Evening Fort Wayne, April 18. —Pleas Greenlee, state adjutant of the American Legion, who is in Fort Wayne today assisting with the program planned by post No. 47, will speak over station WOWO tonight at 10 o'clock for 15 minutes. He will talk on the aims and purpose of the legion. A full day's program has been arranged for the membership drive today. A luncheon at the chamber of commerce this noon with industrial men of the city as guests will start the program. Several public officials will be special guests. Speakers will be F. A. Wiecking, of Bluffton, state commander of the legion; J. J. Patchell of Union City, and Mr. Greenlee of Indianapolis. This afternoon at 4:15 o’clock a meeting of ex-service men who are post officer employes will be held. Tonight, a session is to be held at the General Electric company in the clubhouse. o Smith Funeral To Be Held Friday Afternoon Funeral services for William R. - Smith will be held at 3 o’clock Friday t afternoon, at the residence, 325 North ? Third street. The Rev. Ross W r Stoakes will officiate and burial will be made in the Decatur cemetery.

Price Two Cents

MACHINE GUN BANDITS VISIT COLUMBIA CITY Sheriff Dan Haynes And Another Woman Are Wounded In Gun Battle BANDITS ESCAPE; TWO BELIEVED WOUNDED Columbia City, Apr. 18.—<U.P) A burglar alarm which they touched off themselves prevented four machine gun bandits who held up the state bank here today from obtaining approximately $50,000 from the vault, it developed here this afternoon. Only SI,OOO was obtained from the cash drawers in the teller's 'a woman in an a.nartment across the street was killed by a stray bullet and two other persons were wounded in a gun fight which occurred when officers answered the alarm. It was at first reported that Ralph R. Ferry, bank, cashier, had turned in the alarm which brought Sheriff J. M. Haynes and his deputies in time to face a withering machine gun barrage just as the vault was swinging open. Bandits Set Off Alarm Ferry explained, however, that he had been unable to reach the button, but that a safety cap on the cash till in his cage set off the bell as the bandits were scooping money from it. Hearing the officers approach, one of the gang, who had been posted at the door with a portable machine gun. opened fire, killing Mrs. J. Fred Binder, 40, who was at. the window <f her apartment across the Rtreet; wounding Sheriff Haynes in the head and striking Miss Eva Harsharger, a .passerby, in the foot. After temporarily driving back the officers, the bandits gave up their efforts to force Ferry to operate the combination on the bank’s vault and fled. Sheriff's Wounds Serious They went west and were last seen three miles from town by a motorist who reported they were travelling about 60 miles an hour. Miss Harsharger and the sheriff were taken to a. hospital. An examination by psysicians at the hoi ;nital revealed that Sheriff Haynes had been wounded seriously and perhaps fatally. Miss Harsharger's wound was not serious. The search for the bandits was continued. It was believed two of the robbers had been wounded by the return fire of the sheriff and deputies. According to eye witnesses, one of the men fell to the street as he was leaving the bank and had to be carried to the automobile by his companions. Another wa seen to stagger. Bloodstains on the street indicated the wounds were serious. oHour For Whitright Funeral Is Changed Funeral services for Abraham Whitright, which were scheduled for 2 o’clock Friday afternoon, have been changed to 1:30 o'clock, to permit the officiating minister the Rev. Ross W. Stoakes, to assume charge of the Wm. Smith funeral at 3 o'clock, the same afternoon. 0 BERNE SCHOOL HEAD ENGAGED E. M. Webb Employed To Succeed E. W. Jeffery As Superintendent Berne, April 18. — (Special)—Earl M. Webb, principal of the Monroe high school for the last two years, has been 1 employed by the Berne school board to succeed E. W. Jeffery as superin- ' tendent of the Berne schools. Mr. ' Jeffery recently resigned his position here. Mr. Webb served as principal of the Berne high school during the 1925-26 school term. He is a graduate of I Earlham college and holds an M A. degree from the University of Chi- :. cago. y The employment of teachers for h the next school year is occupying the attention of the local school board ai II present, but no teachers have been employed so far, it Is said.

YOUR HOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY