Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 29, Number 58, Decatur, Adams County, 9 March 1931 — Page 1

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SEVERE STORMS SWEEP ENTIRE GLOBE

■SON'S ONLY I !ffl ROARS ■WARDS MSI kL| c West Struggles ML to Normalcy [■After Storm ■jl'TV-ONE DEATHS THREE STATES Mar UP> The ' "' :il '' ,d oast ii. ''H load of Mi.llia.in •i'" l I ' akl * <)n ' Jrtivi- th-- nod.llo west to back to normalcy. K' st prm ’t"-‘ sta,PS hardest • Illinois, InWisconsin. t^K inn < that the parU !!1 " gizzard lifted by nightfall. continued to pile up ■, r< blit ■ thousands of fighting to font* plows were b-miiining to get hand. highways opened to traffic kly during the with the exception of Milwaukee. I, . . and costly. -<e same time one of the blizzards itself in the east, ou’ of the southwest, had laid an eight to tensnow, the storm K its height in the north state-. ' eastward, paralx f: ~:‘fi>, death and in its wake. iem> it Chicago all or parts of six the most. Through■i- - ■ ‘Wfall ranga 4o mile gale that whipinto a fury, blinded ped- 1 and practically stopped ■ for hours. estimated the storm cost alone more than a million and the surrounding terrimore, but it was ■ the best "investments" ever' ■ for its benefits to crops and ■ought suffering communities 1 ■Khicago. the immediate beneto thousands of men who employment for the first ■n months. More than 10,000 Itliese were hired by the surface ■ elevated and motor coach ■nies. Their average pay was ■ $5.50 a day. ■e than a score of deaths were KONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) E- o ■nhouse Totally I Destroyed By Fire ■mihouse located on the Davi.l E'l 1 ' arm miles east of this Burned to the ground and the ■ er part of the furniture was ■d this afternoon at 1:30 o'- ■- The fire, which was of an ■own origin, burned for more ■an hour and a half, and was ■burning at three o’clock this ■loon. Be dwelling house, a coven room ■ structure, was tentated by Be Kern. LESSORS GIVE fIRST REPORTS — -rages Are Holding up, hn F. Felty, County Assessor Stated 16 township assessors made ' first weekly reports to John 6 lty, county assessor last SaturAll of the assessors reported. r - Felty stated that he was satis with the work so far done and the average assessment was igh Bowen, special assessor in itur stated that there was only nail decrease in the value of Behold goods in Decatur, and he did not expect much of a r - Felty stated that the average «sment on milch cows was S7B; les $110; brood sows $33; hogs sheep $9. 16 assessors will report next Way to Mr. Felty. The reports is assessors are compiled each • and the figures sent to the ! board of tax commissioners.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXIX. No. 58.

Boy Battles for Life I w< > ■ ■' v ' . • Y >- -i ' T \ * - *«« Charles Caughey, 7-year-old Chicago liny, dangerously ill with diphtheria, has been placed in a mechanical respirator which forces his chest down and up rhythmically, providing life-giving breath as he Patties against death. As a result of his illness paralysis spread from his throat downward to his chest muscles and he was placed in the “mechanical lung.”

CLUB MEETING PROGRAM GIVEN 1 — Eighth District Convention of Federation At Bluffton —.— ( The program for the annual convention of the Indiana Federation I of Woman’s Clubs of tlie Eighth i District, which will be held in the First Reformed Church in Bluffton. Tuesday, March 10. has been au- i nounced. The morning session will begin at 9:30 o'clock with the singing of “America ", followed with greetings , by Mrs. Frank Ashbaucher, president of the Wells Countv Federa •tion, and the response by Mrs. John W. Tyndall of Decatur. The minutes of the 23rd annual convention will be read, and re-i ports will be made by the various otfiegrs. Among the Decatur women; who will give reports will be Mrs. Ed. S. Christen who will speak on “Rural Copperation,” Mrs. Ed. D. Engeler, “Educational Agencies" and Mrs. Charles Knapp, "Public I Welfare”. „ At twelve fifteen o’clock, a lunch-1 eon will be served, and the afternoon program will follow at one-' tthirty o'clock. Mrs. Edwin F. Miller of Peru, president of the Indiana Federation ’ of Clubs will address the assembly on “Our Common Goal,” and music [ will be furnished by Mrs. Florence Springer Starr, of Bluffton accompanied at tlie piano by Mrs. George Mosiman. Mrs. Robert A. Hicks, of Cambridge City, first vice-president of the federation will deliver an 1 address on “The Departments.” Mrs. Ralph Rinear of Bluffton will entertain with music, after which report of the resolutions committee will be made. Mrs. Frank Downs of this city is. the county president of Adams | County and Mrs. E. D. Engeler is the second vfeerpresident of the district. o Special Meeting At Chattanooga Thursday A meeting of special interest to [ Adams county farmers planning to grow truck crops next summer will be held at the St. Paul Parrish house a half-mile southeast of Chat- ( tanooga, Ohio, Thursday afternoon , and evening. The meeting will be ( held at 1:30 and 7:30 p. m. eastern , standard time. ( O. H. Anderson Mercer county ag- , ent will have charge of the meeting ! and will be assisted by E. R. Lan- ( cashire of Ohio State and Dr. H. H Leoach research director at the ( state university. o ; Final City Scries Game at 7 Tonight The final game of the eighth ( grade city series will be played to- 1 night at D. H. S. gym, starting I promptly at 7 o’clock. Central won the first game, played early In the [: season but St. Joe retaliated an<l j evened the series by winning ‘he . second battle two weeks ago. |

Furulahrd By I ii 11 rd

Reports Heavy Snow Encountered Sunday T. C. Wertz of the Macy Conveyor Company, left here Saturday noon to spend the week-end at his [home at Elkhart. He got along fine until he left Churubusco when the drifts made travel next to imi possible. He got as far as Wolfi , I,ake where he had to spend the night. Sunday morning he cwtrght a bus which fought its way through [to Elkhart where he arrived Sunday evening at five o'clock. In a telephone message he said the storm was one of the worst ever known in that section of the coun ■ try and that snow was tailing again last night. / There is much damage to utility wires and the north end of the state is snowed in tor the first time this winter. o FIFTY STUDENTS SEEK DIPLOMAS High School Graduating Class is Smaller This Year Than in 1930 W. Guy Brown, principal of the , Decatur high school, announced today that tiiere were 50 candidates fot* high school diplomas this year. Mr. Brown also announced tliat tlie annual commencement exercises would be held on Wednesday. May 20 at the higli school auditorium. Final examinations for the graduting class will not lie given until the first of May. Eight students were graduated at tlie close of the first semester. The class this year is smaller I than a year ago when 56 students : were graduated. M F. Worthman, superintendent of schools, is in touch witli a speaker to deliver the address at the commencement exercises and stated today that probably an acceptance from him would be received this week. Step-Mother of Local Woman Is Buried Today Mrs. Henry Baumann and Thurman Drew left today to attend ‘the funeral services of Mrs. D. 11. Fulleton, 92, step-mother of Mrs. Baumann who died at her home at Greenville, Ohio, last Friday. Mrs. Fulleton was well known here, having visited Mrs. Baumann on several occasions. Funeral services were held at Greenville, Ohio, today. Dairy Calf Club To Meet At Hartford Twp. The Dairy Calf Club will meet at the Hartford township school Friday evening, March 20. All boys and girls interested in 4-H club work are invited to attend this meeting. A I special program has been planned bv the conrmittee. '■ Calvin Steury, iLorine Rich, Eli Schwartz, Helen [Mitchell and Frederick Duff.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

INSINUATION j OF TAMPERING ! BOBS UP TODAY I Prosecutor Attenints To Gain Admission From Defense Witness DR. .JOSEPH SPRINGER DENIES ALLEGATION I Valparaiso, Ind.. Mar. 9—(U.R) — An insinuation that defense medl-i cal experts tampered with vital ! pathological evidence boblied up 1 today at Virgil Kirkland's trial on I charges of murdering Arlene (•raves. Dr. Joseph Springer, the final defense witness, smiled as he replied to questions fired at him by Prosecutor John Underwood, in an unsuccessful attempt to draw an admission that tissues from Arlene's body were switched. The courtroom battle centered on the defense testimony that the examination of the tissues proved the 18-year-old girl was not attacked by force. This testimony, despite its circumstantial nature, has been the 1 defense’s most effective weapon 1 in attempting to save Kirkland from the death penalty. “Did Dr. Joseph Bicknell (medi-i ■ (CONTINUED ON THREE) O ANNA METZGER DIES SUNDAY J r j Decatur Young Woman ti Dies at Hospital of Pneumonia i ' * i Miss Anna Metzger, 30, well ■ known Decatur young woman, 1 died at the Adams County Meinor- ■ >al Hospital, Sunday afternoon at r 3:30 o'clock from double pneu- • monia. Miss Metzger was ill for > a w r eek, and was taken to the hoss nital last Friday. 1 She was employed at the White > Stag Cigfr Company and was a ■ •limber of the St. Marys Catholic Cliurch and the St. Agnes Sodal-

Sty. She was graduated from the St. Joseph Catholic school. The deceased was born in Decatur, where she spent her entire 1 life, on October 26, 1900, the | daughter of Joseph and Catherine Metzger, both of whom survive. ' together with the following broth- . ens and sisters: Mrs. Marie An- I ■ derson, this city; Sister Mary Virgene of Fun du Lae, Wisconsin; Joseph H. Metzger of Pontiac, Michigan; Edward and Frances at , home. Funeral services will be held | Tuesday morning at nine o'clock at the St. Marys Catholic church, j ’ and interment will be in the St. | Joseph cemetery. INDIANA FARMS ARE BENEFITED Heavy Precioitation Aids 1 Crops to Extent of Millions i ) —•, I Indiana farm crops will be bene-I i fitted to the extent of many mil- ( lions of dollars, with scarcely an item of injury to mar the outlook, as the result of Heavy precipitation over the week-end, experts at Purdue University said today. Temperatures were not low enough to cause damage, and the ’ moisture was of tremendous bene- ’ fit to fruit crops, said Professor ’ L. G. Green, chief of the horticul- ' tural department. Wheat likewise will reap only benefits from the snow and rain, ' in the opinion of Professor A. T. ’ Wiancko, head of the agronomy department. Ground crops will receive nearly the full benefit of the moisture, as it is absorbed (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) o—t C. 0. Yost Will Speak To Bee-Keepers Mar. 14 t —— i C. O. Yost, chief of Aparies of the l state department of conservation 1! will speak to the bee-keepers of AdJams county at 1:30 o'clock Saturt'day afternoon in the Chamber of Commerce room in Decatur.

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, March 9, 1931.

Dramatic Department Will Present Plays The Woman's (Tub will meet al the high school auditorium, tonight I at 7:45 o'clock when the Dramatic; Department will have charge of the program, presenting two oneact plays. Tile first will be in charge of Mrs. Charles Knapp and will Include Hie following members in the cast of characters: Mrs. Frank Downs, Mrs. Raymond Koline, Mrs. Dore Erwin. Mrs. I Lawrence Linn. Miss Lee Anna! | Vance. The second play will be in the charge of Miss Verneal I Whalen, and tile east will include I I Miss Florence Magley, Mrs. James] I Cowen, and Miss Jeanette Clark. ■ i Members may bring guests to i tlie program. FINAL PROGRAM HEREWEDNESDAYi — Elliott James Will Give Last Lyceum Program At High School Elliott James, featuring liquid air domonstrations, will appear at the Decatur high school auditorium. | Wednesday evening at 8:15 o'clock under the auspices of the senior class. This program will be the final number of a series of four Redpath [ Lyceum program presented here this winter. Mr. James assumes the task, of presenting a scientific program in ' a colorful, entertaining and even • sensational manner, without detract-: I ing from the educational value. He I illustrates the practical uses of 11-' I quid air and demonstrates the pe- i | euliar qualities given various sub! I stances when submitted to its freez-1 iing contact. Byway of introduction, Mr | (James cites liquid air as the basic’ production of argon, for light globes ; neon, for neon signs; nitrogen sor 1 explosives, oxygen, for welding and ' for Lie separation of helium from natural gas. He calls attention to the fact that liquid air exists in normal atmospheric pressure at a temperature of about 312 degrees below zero, and many feats are performed including freezing mercury on the end of a {handle so that it can be used to (drive nails. Liquid air is so cold i (CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR)

o LOG Al. KEMBER S ATTEND MEETING Decatur Women Attend Fellowship Congress At Fort Wayne A large delegation of members from the local Reformed Church at-1 [tended the Clwistian Fellowship: [congress which was held in the, St. John’s Reformed Church in Foit 1 Wayne. Sunday afternoon. The j meeting was sponsored by the Women’s Missionary Societies of the [ Fort Wayne classis and similar j meetings are being held in different sections of the country. Delegations were also present from the Reformed Churches in Berne, Magley, Hunt ington. and Fort Wayne. Tlie choir of the St. John’s church rendered two very beautiful anth-j ems. and Mrs. John Balzer of Huntington. presided over the meetinv. with Mrs. William Rippe leading the devotionals. At the afternoon session Dr. D. Burghalter of Tiffon, Ohio, spoke on tlie subject. "Fellowships Which Widen Horizons”. This address was very inspirational and educational. Following this address. Mrs. Abram Simons of Bluffton gave a talk on “The Fruits of Fellowship". — o — Postpone Cottage Prayer Meeting The cottage prayer meeting of the Church of Cod, scheduled for Tuesday night, has been postponed l ecause of tlir absence of Rev. Arnzil Bragg. Announcement will lie made Sunday ’of the time and location of the meeting. ■ O ““ — ’ Holy Name Society Meets Tonight Members of the Holy Name society of the St. Mary’s Catholi- > church are invited to attend th 1 i: monthly meeting of the society to ■ be held this evening at eight o'clock • lat the K. of C. Hall. J. Herman .'[Buetter, banker of Fort Wayne will [deliver an address at the meeting.

Suite, Nntlonnl Ami InteraatiuuHl Ne»»

FINAL SESSION OF I LEGISLATURE IS OPENED TODAY 4 — Democrat Senate Leaders Threaten to Block Passage EXTRA SESSION IS NOW POSSIBILITY Indianapolis. Mar. 9.—<U.R)>—The final session of (lie seventy-seventh igeneral assembly started off in an! atmosphere surcharged witli hos-j itility today, with threats from Dem-I locratic senate leaders to block, ; passage of the $76,(100,000 budget ' bill. Possibility of an extra sessI ion was seen in developments. Republican senators succeeded in (reporting the bill from committee !of the whole, just as it was agreed upon Saturday evening, turning ! $12,500,000 of highway funds from the highway department to the ; general fund. Senator Walter H. Chambers. Democrat, Newcastle, minority floor I leader, backed to James J. Nejdl, i Republican insurgent, Whiting, then hurled a challenge to the Republican majority to try to pass the Dill under suspension of rules. In order to do so, the Republicans would have to muster 34 of the 50 senate votes. With tlie 21 Democratic senators 'against them, the Republicans | could not pass the budget, not to (speak of opposition from two of , their own members Nejdl and Al 'onzo H. Lindley, Kingman. Opinion was divided as to wheth;er failure of the senate to adopt (the budget bill would automatically I renew the budget or the last bienI nium, or leave the state without funds for the next two years. In either case, however, it was iviewed as likely that an extra session would lie forced —either by public opinion or necessity. Chambers denounced the Republican action as a "slap at the poor man" and bluntly forecast that the I budget was doomed to defeat unless the $12,500,000 lopped from the highway department were reinstated. “It is nothing more nor less than petit larceny, in a large way," ' Chambers charged. "It increases the burden of government on the

! (CONTINUED hN °AGE TWO) |c 0 ] [ e i Drivers Uninjured In Auto Accident ' E Berne, Ind., Mar. 9 —(Special)— < [Two cars driven by Mark Leberidge i .and Ermin Bixler of Berne were i badly damaged as a result of a col- I lision which occurred on Federal I £ road 27, between Monroe and Deca It |tur at 8:30 o’clock Sunday evening. !< [Occupants of the cars escaped in-[l [jury but both cars were badly dam-!t • aged. Tlie accident was blamed to I [the snow storm which blinded then ; drivers. t OPLIGER TAKES WITNESS STAND L. E. Opliger Takes Wit- i ness Stand in Ow n De- [; tense at Insanity Hearing L. E. Opliger took the witness j stand in his own defense this as [ ternoon at the hearing contesting! the physician’s report as to his P sanity. Following an hour's testimony a [ ten minute recess was granted by Special Judge Henry B. Heller, a!'- ! ter which Mr. Opliger was to be cross-examnied by former Judge W. 11. Eichhorn, Bluffton, employed by Opliger's father, Sauniel Opliger to prosecute the case. Mr. Opliger was on the stand aabout an hour, during which time he , gave a short history of his life, lie told that he was a former teacher and a former county superintendent of schools in Adams county; held and Illinois. He was questioned by C. J. Lutz his attorney. (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) 1 Leslie Signs Bill Creating Holidays Indianapolis, March 9 — (UP) — • Armistice day and discovery day now are legal holidays in Indiana, i i as a result of governor Leslie’s ac-[i I tion in signing a senate bill with I . those provisions.

Price Two Cents

Indicted 1 'MI A * F X • Chris Paschen, city building i commissioner of Chicago and i prominent Republican leader of • that city, wlio was indicted by the federal grand jury Friday on a i charge of income tax evasion. The i government declares he owes , $113,497 on hLs income tax for tlie • years 1927 and 1928. , BAPTIST WOMEN’S ! TO MEET HERE Missionary Conference Will Meet in Decatur Wednesday I Tlie Women’s Missionary Confer k ( ence of the Salatnonie Association t of the Baptist churches, including eleven neighboring churches, will I be held at the Decatur Baptist | 'church. Wednesday. March 11. i. •• Mrs. Roy R. Henuerson of Mont-| , pelier is president of the Salatnonie , Association and will have charge of -Ithe meeting. Mrs. C. E. Bell of this,

city is secretary of the devotional life and will conduct the opening devotionals at the morning session. Wednesday. Special music at the morning ses sion will be presented by the Decatur church and Mrs. J. W. Kin j nett will deliver a talk on “Child- ; reu s Work." Mrs. Edith Garrett of I Montpelier will sing a vocal solo, after which the business of the asso-1 elation will be transacted. The prin- 1 cipal morning address will be given Ijy Mrs. L. (’. Trent. State President. After a luncheon at 12 o’clock, the afternoon session will begin at one o'clock witli Meditation by (CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR) o Sam Jordan Fatally Wounded at Ft. Wayne Fort Wayne, Ind., Mar. 9. —(U.R) —Alleged spurring remarks about a woman led to the fatal shooting here last night of Sam Jordan, 41,1 of near Fort Wayne, by Henry Schoonover, Fort Wayne. Schoonover called police to inform them of the killing, and was! taken into custody on a murder [charge. He said that a quarrel started when Jordan slurred a wom|an acquaintant. precipitating the I killing. 0 Special Program Is Arranged Tonight Following the regular business meeting of tlie Adams Post of the American Legion tonight, the members will be entertained with a series of boxing matches. A number of local amateurs have been engaged to battle tonight and an entertaining and interesting program is in store for all legionnaires who attend. O Tague Funeral Rites Held This Afternoon Funeral services were held at. 1:30 o'clock this afternoon at the United Brethren church for George E. Tague, telephone lineman, who died suddenly of apoplexy here Friday afternoon. Rev. R. E. Vance officiated and burial was made in the Mt. Hope Cemetery.

YOUR HOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY

EARTHQUAKES, GALES, SNOW DO i GREAT DAMAGE Much Loss of Life And Property Damage Results From Storms FISHING VESSEL IS BROKEN TO PIECES (United Press) E;irlli(|itakes, g:t I cs . and snow and rainstorms eotnIbined Io torment inhabitants in widelv separated sections (of the globe over the week • jend. In th<* United Stales heavy snowfall in the mid-west and biting gales and rainstorms (along the Atlantic coast caiis!ed loss of life and Iteavv oroDertv damage. The storms [had abated today. The British Isles and northern I Europe also Buffered from high i winds, snow and rain. There were floods in France. Shipping and fishing along the Welsh coast were hindered. Earthquakes rocked a section of Macedonia and portions of Japan. The Macedonian temblors were severe, taking a death toll estimated at around 50 and destroying more than 1.000 homes. The Japanese quake was centered on the Island or Honshui. where [many houses were reported dam[nged. Crew Appears Lost Newburyport.. Mass.. Mar. 9. — : (U.R) —A fishing vessel which ap- | parently was broken to pieces off (here during last night's fierce , | storm was tentatively identified | today as the Boston dragger (Julia, a 52-ton craft. . I The registry number ’‘C-4899’’ appeared on a piece of wreckage found by coast guards on Plum Island. This number was listed in the registry office at Boston as that of the Julia, which was reported missing. No trace of tlie crew was found, j The number of men aboard the Julia could not lie determined |immediately, but such craft generI ally carry four or five men. coast guards said. j It was feared all niemliers had perished when tlie vessel was ' caught in tlie gale and cracked up after coast guards had tried in vain to warn them witli flares. The Julia, built at Essex, Mass., in 1925, is listed as owned by Guiseppe Ciaramiro of Boston. London Has Snow London. Mar. 9—(U.R) -A heavy | snow storm struck Lomloti at. noon today after the coldest night I recorded here in 14 years. i (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) o Former Berne Woman Dies in Burr Oak, Mich. Berne. Ind.. Mar. 9—(Special) — Word was received here from the death of Mrs. Jacob Klopfenstine of Burr Oak. Michigan, and former Berne Woman, which occurred Sun , day morning at six o’clock. Mrs. Klopfenstine was 75 years of age and had several relatives in anil near Berne. Funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon' at BurrOak. QUAKE GAUSES GREAT DAMAGE Vast Damage, Large Death Toll Follow Quake In Europe i Belgrade, Jugoslavia, Mar. 9. — , (U.R) The rough mountain country of Macedonia which overlaps i the frontiers of Jugoslavia, Greece . and Bulgaria lias been widely de- , vastated by three days of the most ! severe earthquakes which have oc- . curved in many years in the Bal- . kans. The full extent of the disaster was still uncertain today, although official advices from more than a score of towns in tlie three coun--1 tries revealed vast damage and heavy loss of life. The official death toll was placed ’ at around 50, but unofficial advices ’ placed the number at more than ’llsO and various reports indicated ' it was considerably higher. Shortly before noon an Incom(CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR)