Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 29, Number 19, Decatur, Adams County, 22 January 1931 — Page 1

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BANDITS BOARD TRAIN; ROB PASSENGERS

fa PASSES tai TO DIVIDE K TH FUNDS LelMillioß I’olkirs Will \mong I vbi'uan I I INVESTIGATE K\ih (EMISSION ■ ■ H c ?- HIS TEETH - J- 111 -lI.Rk-- ■ ■ ■St. ■&, 1 „,.. . ’"‘i ■ 1 |,is EL|iL i' " : "' 1 !!,11! "' ,,i ‘ ,,p «>f ~f llis I Jan. 22. (U.R) Im, J of the much debated un-E-£K,.,.' '•■!;■: lull and instij with chief state senate representII.. i a I ry debate on inof the state oil inspects Antim-nt. [The f mate was to hold an afttrjoon s Bsion in an effort to dear L mioir matters preparatory to of tax legislation. IA hots- resolution providing for fcvestii ation of oil inspectors was Etaiaown after R presentative Rep. Winchester, “sinking as low as senate by becoming an BrestU Hing body.” ■? however, orderid Att< y General Janies M. Ogalleged shortages ot' fel.OOf it: -tie oil inspection d - kattAn. At the same time, they kderet. "dismissal forthwith of J. v i> UX C'Hsl ElGEi’i ■LD DIVIDE BTATEBALLOT Ml Favors Separate Ballot! For President and I State Officers M Jan. 22. — <U.R> — of the national and tete li( ket? on voting machines of separate ballots Hvi'l iitial electors, state canmill township officials, are pl in a bill to be introduced general assembly today by tentative Earl Crawford, Milton. ballots would be prepared of t| le state board commissioners. One names of presidential for each party and th? <airy the names of the for state office. election commissioners names of candidats for gBI offices printed on white township candidates would on yellow ballots.

■ — "" Breen Beauty Conquers ■ugs, Pneumonia Fatal

B er of Miss Alma Ru■ns Ends In Death at Bollywood Earlv This ■° rn ing. ■ywood, .Jan. 22.—(U.R) —The career of Alma Rubens, '■and screen star, cajne to a W ul and' sudden end last night ■ sll *' died of pneumonia. W Rubens, once acclaimed the ■ beautiful actress on the was stricken four days ago ■' Hol| ywood apartment. She ■emoved to the home of Dr. OF 8 P ' Pfle «ger, a close friend. 8 e apsed into unconscious- ■ ami after 4 g hourg d(ed W' in. ■ estranged husband, Ricardo not arrive before her ■ 'R her mother, Mrs. Ther-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXIX. No. 19.

Jury Sees Girl Slay in Court ■ Jf ' Y . AB' Helen Spence Eaton, 17-year-old ‘ De Witt, Ark., girl, who shot and 1 4 killed Jack Woris who was on|t trial in a crowded courtroom for ' the murder of her father, Cicero:* Spence. After firing four shots atm Woris the girl walked across- the 1 ' courtroom to look at her victim 1 and make sure that she had 1 ■ accomplished her purpose. She ' i then surrendered to the sheriff. , , OIREGTORSWILL i BE ELECTED! C. of C. Banquet Monday; Fort Wayne Banker t Will Speak ' W. L. Linn, president of the Deca-;’ itur fhrmber of Commerce fodJty?. 'named the three retiring directors ‘ lof the organization as the nomtr[ating committee to name six men Jas candidates tor director, three of , f whom will be elected at the annual i meeting on Monday, January 26. r ! The committee is composed of' J Cal E. Peterson, chairman, Eno Lankenau and H. P. Schmitt. These men have served on the board for' the past three years, being elected in 1928. According to the new by laws of the organization a director can esrve only one term'. 1 Edward G. Hoffman, vice-presi-ident of the First and Tri State National Hank and Trust company lof Fort Wayne, will deliver an a<l--1 dress before the Chamber of Com■lmerce members at the meeting. Mr. i Hoffman is a banker of wide exper- - ience and has served in several of i flcial positions in Fort Wayne Cham ber of Commerce. The meeting will be held at 6:15 1 o'clock Monday evening at the K. ’ of C. hall. Tickets for the dinner t went on sale today. Mr. Linn stated. - Tickets may be purchased for fifty > cents each. I —o Yeggs Blow Bank Safe Gain Loot of $2,000 }i Oxford, Ind.. Jan 22— ( UP)—Loss lof approximately $2,000 was suffei?ied by the bank of Oxford when 1 yeggs blew the safe early today, as- [ ? ter cutting all telephone wires lead- ? ing into town. No one witnessed the robbery, s which could not be reported to conn *' ‘y autorities at Fowler until t ue yeggs had a good opportunity to et1' feet their escape, because of the I severed wires.

esa Rubens, a sister, Mrs. Hazel Large, and her husband's brother, Stanley Cortez, were with her. Miss Rubns gained much publicity when it was learned she had become a drug addict. A long battle which she waged against narcotics aroused admiration for her fighting qualities and gained many friends for her. Narcotics first were admimsteied to her. during an illness by a New York physician, Miss Rubens told friends. A few months later, further opiates became necessary and it was not long before she was taking them for every real or imaginary ill, she said. ' Her addiction became known when she attacked a physician who was taking her to a sanitarium o treatment. (CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN)

Faratukea lly llßltvd I‘rraa

LIGHT VOTE |' REGISTERED c HERE TODAY; Less Than 30 Per Cent. * Cast Ballots to Name State Representative I WELLS COUNTY HAS HEAVIER VOTE CAST! A small vote, probably not mor'' than 30 per < ent, of the average 1 total was being cast today by Ad- . ants county voters in the special leg J islative election, held lor the pm-1 pose of electing a member of the house of the state legislature, succeeding the late George L. Saunders , of Bluffton. At one-thirty o'clock this after 1 noon 403 votes had been cast in Decatur. Last November a total of? 2,012 votes were cast for the two' 1 candidates for this office .The vote? at one-thirty today compared with ' this total is about 20 per cent. Reports from Berne at 1 p. m. * indicated that a vote not to exceed ' 40 percent would be cast in the! 1 three precincts there. It is expected: l that the rural vote in Adams conn-! ty will be lighter than the Decatur 1 vote. Word from Bluffton this after-r noon predicted a vote of less than? 50 per cent in that city, with the!" rural vote in Wells county expected to be considerably lighter. The vote 1 in that county is expected to be hea- 1 vier than in Adams as both Demo ! crat and Republican candidates are ■ Bluffton residents. Virgil M. Simmons, Bluffton at-]' toney and Democrat chairman of he Eighth Congressional district is:' the 'Democratic nominee. The Re-> publkan candidate is Dillon Myers florist, and president of the Bluff- ■ ton Chamber of Commerce. ia AUs IW, geu^r-' [al election, gave a majority <>T OlT] votes to George L. Saunders, Demo-1 rat over Amos Burkhalter. Republican nominee. Saunders' vote was 4.: 151 and Burkhalter. 2.340. o BROWN FEARS LOSS OF FUNDS Director Predicts Loss of Federal Road Aid If Gas Tax Is Cut Indianapolis. Jan. 22. —(U.R)—Loss of all Federal aid in the construction of highways, including partici- [ pation in the $80,000,000 emergency ! fund set up to relieve unemploy-1 ment, is faced by Indiana, it was [ revealed today by John J. Brown, director of the state highway de-1 partment. Brown said he had been advised in a recent conference with Thomas H. McDonald, chief of the United States bureau of public roads,! that Federal aid would be withdrawn from this state in event the state’s share of the gasoline tax was reduced by the general assembly. McDonald. Brown said, was aroused by reports of such impending legislation, which has been incorporated in a bill introduced by Frank Finney, democrat, Martinsville. Taking an extra cent away from the highway commission’s share of the gasoline tax, Brown said, would result in slashing the department's funds $4,009,000 yearly and, in ad-j dition, would lose the $2,000,000 Federal aid that this amount would | draw. The state’s share of th? $80,000,000. emergency fund appropriated by Congress would be nearly $1,000,000, Brown said, adding that the state already has applied for 20 per cent of the total due, so that road work may be launched as quickly as possible in sections of th? state where the distress ot the unemployed demands attention. Whether or not this would be (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT) Civil War Veteran Dies At Danville Danville, Ind., Jan. 22. — (U.R)i — Captain Jeconiah Rutledge, 92, Civil War veteran, died at his home here yesterday. He was a member of Company K, Fourteenth Indiana Infantry. - Two sons, Hugh of Martinsville, and Roscoe of Duluth, Minn., sur-j vive.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana Thursday, January 22, 1931.

Funeral Rites For Rev. White Saturday Funeral services for Rev. J. ('. White, former pastor of t'le Methodist Episcopal Church In this city, who died at his home in Tipton, Wednesday morning will be held, in the First Methodist Episcopal Chuiiii in Tipton, Saturday utter-; noon at 2 o'clock. Burial will be I made in Mathews. 1 ——o WM, REICHERT i IS ARRESTED! — Berne Young Man on Rampage at Yoder; Knifes Agent, Ruins Store William Reichert, 23, of Berne,! was arrested at Yoder late Tuesday i night and taken to the Allen county jail, where he is being held on a [ charge of public intoxication. Other; charges were expected to be filed i against - Reichert today. Reichert is alleged to have engaged in a drunken rampage at Yo-. der.Tuesday evening, during which he knifed the Indiana Service cor-' poration ticket agent and wrecked the interior of the general store. I H. 11. Adams, of Fort Wayne, Yoder ticket agent, suffered knife wounds about the face ■ when he jstruggled with the Berne man after Reichert entered the station. j Adams was not badly injured. Reichert first started the trouble i when he kicked in the front door lof the general store and started I wrecking the interior of the place, (throwing merchandise on the floor and attempting to overturn the comi !ters. Roland Reche, proprietor of the store, said the damage would amount to several hundred dollars. After leaving the store, Reichert went to the traction station. When ■he broke down the ticket window, Adbnia grappled with him and was iinjured by the knife. Several Yode.♦wMdents snlslued the Adams uuiui-' ity man and held him until Allen' l county officers arrived. Debating Team At Churubusco Tonight The Decatur high school affirmative debating team will meet Churubusco's negative team at Churubus- ■ co tonight in the final no-decision j debate of the season. Subject for t ie debate will be: “Resolved: That the installment buying of consumption goods should be condemned.”. Q Baroness Depidoll Dies In Shanghai Shanghai, Jan. 22 —(UP) —Baro|ness Paulitte Depidoll. wife of Barion Charles Depidoll of Luxenbourg [died today at a local hospital. Physicians attributed her death [to poison taken last Saturday. The Baron in a formal statement said he had been estranged from Baroness Depidoll since last October. Representative And Wife Saved From Fire Washington, Jan. 22 — (UP) — Firemen today saved Rep. and Mrs. William B. Bankhead of Alabama from flames which swept into their apartment from an adjoining house. One fireman was injured when embers seared his face as he wan carrying Mrs. Bankhead down a ladder. Damage to the Bankhead apartment and the one next door was estimated at $15,000. o FORMER LOCAL RESIDENT DIES Henry Hackman Di e s Wednesday in Hospital at New Hampton, la. Word was received here today of the death of Henry Hackman, former Adams county farmer, who ■died at a hospital in New Hampton, lowa, Wednesday. Death followed an illness of more than a month dur ing which time the deceased was a patient at the hospital in New Hampton. The deceased lived in Adams County until twenty-five years age when he moved to lowa. Surviving is a son, Clem living north of this city, and a numbe rof nieces and nephews residing in and near Decatur. Funeral services will be held at New Hampton Catholic church, FriI day. Burial will be made in the adjoining cemetery.

COMMITTEES IN JOINT MEETING APPROVE PLANS Tax Bodies of Both Houses Agree on Tax Legislation Remedies TO CENTER EFFORTS ON FOUR MEASURES Indianapolis, Jan. 22.—(U.R)~Ini itial efforts to revise the .present [taxation syst in will center around] , bills providing for income, luxury, I I amusement and poll taxes, it was | agreed late yesterday at a joint meeting of tax committees representing both branches of the legisilature. Legislation providing for these [taxes will be brought uy in the ; house within a few days. It was I believed that in this manner all [arguments would be aired and the joint committee would have a basis for further consideration. i Both Walter Myers, speaker of I the house, and Edgar D. Bush, president of the senate, favored this plan. I Opinion was divided whether to proceed with plans for new revenue sources or to first place a limit on property taxes. Bush favored the latter plan and suggested that the joint committee support I the measure of Senator Addison Drake.. Democrat. Fairbanks, which would place a limit of $1.75 for each $l6O of taxable property. Several committeemen feared that the state would suffer if property taxes were reduced before the new revenue laws were found constitutional. Rcommendations of the Indiana tax survey commission were presentend, including a $2 poll tax for , men and women; an income fax I for individuals; an for I corporations, and a retail mercbi ants license which would have the | effect of a sales tax. The plan of the commission was I to eliminate the state levy, which | product s approximately $15,000,000 [ (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT) AGED DECATUR RESIDENT DIES Mrs. Elizabeth Rice, 79, Passes Away at Hospital Early This Morning Mrs. Elizabeth Rice, 79, wellknown resident of this city died at the Adams County Memorial Hospital at 2:05 o'clock this morning following a short illness. Death was due to heart trouble and complications resulting from a fall suffered several days ago. Mrs. Rice was removed to the hospital Tuesday. January 13, after she received injuries in a fall at ber home, 216 North Seventh stre t. Before that tint? she had enjoyed her usual good health. She was one of the oldest residents of this city, having moved here 75 years ago. She was born in Adams county, August 111, 1851, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Hart. In the year 1868 she was united in marriage to Benjamin Rice, who preceded her in death on November 23, 1917. To this union were born five children, all of whom stir vive. They are. Harve D. Rice and David M. Rice of this city; Mrs. Nora Butler, of Fremont; Mrs. Mand O'Kelly of Tigard. Oregon, and Mrs. Blanche Elzey of Akron, Ohio. Eleven* grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren also survive the deceased, together with two brothers, Harvey Hart of Oklahoma City, Okla., and Joseph Hart of Pontiac, Michigan. Mrs. Rice was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church of this city for many years, and was a very active woman all her life. Friends may view the remains at the home on Seventh street, Friday evening from 7 to 9 o'clock, Saturday afternoon from 1:30 to 4 o'clock, and 7 to 9 o’clock Saturday evening. Funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 1:30 o’clock | at the home and at 2 o’clock at the Methodist Episcopal church with Rev. B. H. Franklin officiating. Burial will be made in the Decatur | cemetery.

Nlate, Nntloaal Aad IntrrvattoaMi News

APPROVAL OF | MEYER DELAYED Senate to Investigate; Congress Debates Wet And Dry Question Washington, Jan. 22.—’U.R)— Nomination of Eugene Meyer, Jr., to be governor of the Federal reserve board was recommitted today to the senate banking and currency committee for further consideration after Senator Brockhart, Repn., lowa, complained on the floor of the senate he had been re- | fused an opportunity to question Meyer prior to ths favorable committee report. — Congress In Debate Washington, Jan. 22. (U.R) —Debate in which both wets and drys sought to draw consolation from the Wickersham report broke out in the house today as a forerunner to an organized effort by wets to restrict enforcement funds carried ' in the justice department Appropriation bill. • Beer Bill Introduced Washington, Jan. 22. (U.R) —Sale [ *of 5 per cent beer, produced under government supervision but sold [ tax and permit free, and the sale!, of light wines and hard liquors by : drug stores under the medicinal' I clause of the present law. was ad-1 vocated today in the house by Rep. Hull, Repn., Illinois. Hill said his plan had been devised prior to the Wickersjtam report, and expressed surprise at what he considered similarity in ’ conclusions. • i 1 Hoover Is Repremanded Washington, Jan. 22.—<U.R>—A,' second quandry in connection with ■ Wickersham report arose today when President Hoover was repremanded in some quarters as be- ■ ing not necessatily opposed to revision of the 18th amendment, but only to the specific chang's conditionally suggest'd by the commia-j sion. !, 1 Mr. Hoover’s letter transmitting! 1 the report to congress was gener- ; * ally interpreted at th? time as a , definite stand against any tampsr-! ing with the amendment. Today,: however, a number of his friends insisted that the President still is open-minded on the whole prohibition situation. I Service Clubs Will Attend Farm Banquet! ,| • Members of the Rotary and | Lions clubs of this city will attend the annual farmers' banquet | at Monmouth this evening. Thej Rotarians will meet at the Daily I ■ Democrat office or at the Graham 1 and Walters building at 6 o'clock. I o WOMAN FORGER IS ACTIVE I 1 Stranger Who Passed Checks Here Believed to Have Worked Blullton i • —— i John B. Stults, of the Home Grocery, and FI. F. Kraft, manager of . the North Second street Kroger store, left for Hartford City this I afternoon, where they will attempt ( to identify a woman held by autorities as the one who passed worthless checks on the two Decatur stores last Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Andy Berrier, 45, was arrested at Hartlord City Wednesday, • charged with having passed four ■ worthless checks totaling about S6O ■ The Hartford City merchants have I • identified Mrs. Berrier but she de--1 nies the charge. While no trace has been found of i the woman who passed two fraudu- - lent cheeks on Decatur merchants t Saturday afternoon, officers at Bluffton have connected woman r with one who has passed five ! checks in the past month. I Two fraudulent checks were passr ed in Bluffton about a month ago and three more were cashed there ? two weeks ago. The woman present ing the checks answered the general description furnished Decatur of- ’ fleers by the local merchants who ’ wore victimized. The checks passed at Bluffton were in denominations of $22.50 and * I $10.50. The two checks received c here were for $22.50 and $lO. It is J also thought the same woman has 1 cashed worthless checks in Wayne- • dale. It is hoped that with police of r three cities searching for the woman. she may be apprehended.

Price Two Cents

Deserts Mayor ll I W r I v I JI George F. Harding, former county treasurer of Cook County, 111., and lifelong friend of Mayor William Hale Thompson, who has announced that he has parted company with the mayor and is throwing his political support to Judge John H. Lyle in his race for the Republican nomination for mayor of Chicago. rWaylads” RETURNED HOME Two Kendallville Freshmen Found Wandering Decatur Streets Today Two fourteen-year 5 old boys, freshmen in the Kendallville high chool, were returned- t»-t-heir hottie?? tils morning after spending the [night at the Adams county jail. The two youths were found wandering Decatur streets at 2 o'clock [this morning by night policemen and were turned over to Sheriff Burl [Johnson. The boys gave their names as Don Whiteman and Doyne I Nickerson. When questioned, the boys said they left Kendallville at 8:30 o'clock Wednesday evening. They [claimed they were on their way to I Florida. When picked up here, the boys had just fifty-seven cents belt ween them. They were dressed heavily and said they were planning |to sell part of their clothing when I they reached Florida. Sheriff Johnson notified the Kendallville chief of police and the (Nickerson boy's parents came after | them this morning about S o'clock and returned them to their homes. — 0 Zions Walther League Has Annual Election T’.ie Zions Walther League of the Decatur Lutheran Church held die annual election of officers at a business meeting Wednesday evening. \ social gathering was held after the business meeting. Newly elected officers are: Erwin Boeker, president; Henry Kruekeberg, vice-president; Mollie Haugk, secretary; Victor Miller, treasurer: Mrs. Cail Smith, Edna Haugk, Grover Bleeke. entertainment committee; Alma Bucher, Harry Heuer, Robert Zwick. memjbersbip committee; Mrs. Harold Sautter. Irene Zwick. sick committee; Oscar Lankenau, Arnold Gerherding hospice committee.

Chicago Woman Fleeced Os sso,ooo_By Sharks

Mrs. Myrtle Blacklidge, Collector of Internal Revenue, Loses Large Sum In Card Game. Springfield. 111., Jan. 22. —(U.R)' Mrs. Myrtle Tanner Blacklidge, United States collector of internal revenue at Chicago, told police early today she had been fleeced of $50,000 in cash and $207,500 “on paper", by two men with whom she played faro at the Abraham Lincoln hotel. Mrs. Blacklidge told Police Chief T. P. Sullivan that she came here last Sunday, at the suggestion of a friend, and gambled with two men whose last names were Reyn- , olds and Parker, but whose first names she did not know. At that time, she said, she won

YOUR HOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY

FLORIDA MAN IS WOUNDED BY BULLET (Six Masked Men Hold Up Passengers on Big Four Train at Carey, O. (ESCAPE WITH $2,500, VALUABLE JEWELRY Bellefontaine, 0., Jan. 22.— (U.R) — Six bandits held up a Detroit-Cincinnati Big Four train at Grants, near here, early today, shot one passenger and robbed seven others of $2,500 in cash and jewelry and then escaped as the train entered Bellefontaine. Edwin K. Nelson, Jr.. Tampa. Fla., was shot through the lung l when he made an outcry as the •j bandits sought to search him. .I All the victims were occupants •|of a sleeping car, which th banddits entered when the passengers I were asleep. They were arotts d. ’! forced to accompany th: outlaws to *jthe dressing room and there robb- ' ed. The names of (the victims as furnished by local railroad officials i were E. W. Warner, Cincinnati, S2O loss; Mr. and Mrs. A. McPherson. Cedar Springs. Ont., S9O; Mrs. L . G. Dearing, Chattanooga, T-nn., 1 diamond ring valued at $2,000: Mi. ' and Mrs. W. W. Young. Toronto, I Ont., no loss; and Mrs. E. J. Zacharias, Atlanta. Ga., diamond stu hied watch valued at SSOO. '! The train was held up as it lay on a siding at Grants, awaiting another train to pass. Wearing red masks, the outlaws entered from a day coach ahead and began rousing j the passengers from their berths. prodded, by guns, they were fore <1 ' rr to~marcfi down' the th? smoking room where others had I preceded them and there plac d • under guard of four of the bandits. k Nelson made an outcry when he '[was awakened. Warned to remain I I silent, he again shouted for help ' and the bandit fired. ; i Brakeman F. E. Morison of B?lle- , i fontaine, had alighted from the [| (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT) QUEER ACCIDENT !| KILLS PATIENT Explosion of Anaesthetic In Lungs Causes Death of Woman I Hollywood. Calif., Jan. 22.—(U.P) I One of the strangest accidents in the history of surgery the explo- > sion of an anaesthetic in lite lungs > of a patient—caused the death of - Mrs. Maude Branton, 45. as sb i . was undergoing a major abdotn- • i inal operation. , Coroner Frank Nance started an - investigation today into the use of • anaesthetics in hospitals of tho • [county in an effort to determine , | the cause of the accident and to i prevent a recurrent e. Mrs. Branton was inhaling a ,i mixture of ether, oxygen and -1 nitrousoxide when a spark, apparIjently caused by atmospheric static -[ignited the saturated cone. Her • jlungs were ruptured by the explosion.

$207,000 "on paper”, which th men refused to pay until she hail given cash for a $50,000 check which she had put into th? game. She went to Chicago, she said, and told Edward R. Litsinger, member of the board of review an 1 a prominent politician, what had happened. Litsinger, she said, furnished her with $50,000 in SI,OOO bills, which she brought back to Springfield last night. Again she gambled with the men, this time at another hotel, she said, and on the first deal lost all of her $50,00(1. The men left the room a few minutes later and disappeared. Mrs. Blacklidge. a woman about 45, expensively dressed and of very striking appearance, said that Fred Litsinger, nephew of the politician, (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT)