Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 29, Number 94, Decatur, Adams County, 20 April 1931 — Page 1

ONDURAS SCENE OF NEW REVOLUTION

fudge Erwin Holds Five-Sixth Verdict Is Unconstitutional

I TRIAL IS ' lANTED HERE; ft PRECEDENT _ — Written on Case Tu o Jury men Did Hot Sign Verdict ’■trial I IS DISMISSED passed in 1929 by' I< ijskiture per-j ’ i li' ( •'i''*b iurv ver- ■ c> \il cuses of Indiana was i tiled to be tintoday in a opinion of Judge D. Krivin in Adams circuit when Judge . trial in the vs. Monia daniag*' suit. which circuit court I ''.i. having failed to on a verdict in (better known as verdict allowing damages of $3,210. the jury had failed to ihatt 20 hours deeviiic lite hearing of last February, ’ Judge th" jurors into the ins' ted them that a verdict would l>e accepter the 1929. law. wing the verdict, attorneys : I defendant. Fruchte and i t of this city and L. B. HarFort Wayne, filed a motion lew trial. The point involvl five-sixth verdict law was iy one stressed in the mor a new trial. Samuel JackFort Wayne represented the ‘diately after Judge Erwin’s opinion was read this g. on motion of plaintiff the was dismissed. ruling, it is believed, is one first given in an Indiana ] ■lnce the law was passed | ■ars ago. The complete] of Judge Erwin is as folINUED ON PAGE THREE)! — ——n — —— — ed Drunken Driver its Decatur; Escapes torist, alleged to have been ig It is automobile, under the * of intoxicating liquor was set of a two-hour chase by officers sSunda night but ie failed to produce the man. utomobile swerved through sets of Decatur early last and side-swiped two parkmobiles. Later the same au- ? crashed into the traffic t Five-Points, but the driver le to continue in his autos Bur! Johnson was notified al police offeers also were The driver was not found, ' understood that his identimight be learned through miohile license plates. IL EXAMS ■ STARTTODAY' ■a! Schools to Close ■day; Commencements I Held This Week ■ al examinations in the rural ■schools of Adams County are ■ held this-afternoon and Tues- ■ a ' ul schools will close Friday ■’Menden t announced. , baccalaureate services ■conducted at various churches L. night, and commencement ■ es will be held each night this beginning at Monroe high ■ )l tonight. ■’Amercement services, will be ■ uesday evening, April 21, at K lis h school; Wednesday, ■J. at Kirk ’and high schooi; L Ap ’’’' 23 at Jefferson ■h Pri<lay April 24 at Mon B Ign school, Saturday, April ■ Ant-, ,tOrd high sch °ol, and Men ■cl " 27 at Pleasan t Mills high ■ L wm S 5 Hessert of Plymouth |.]! o . ’ , he the speaker at each Iv M o chplomas wi » be award- ■ ho ' ’ f'iker. Nihety-one pupils I schooi a s dUated fr ° m the rural

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXIX. No. 94.

Kidnaped Brewer Home S I * 1 ■ zv I 1 r* ■ i ( IrJ J : 'WJI ‘ !'"'*< « JSi WIIIB ' , <» -lit .. Fred J. Blumer (left), wealthy brewer of Monroe. Wise., is shown here with his physician. Dr. C. H. Meyste. at Blumer’s home in Monroe. Blumer. who was kidnaped and held for eight days was released by his .aiptors without a ransom payment, in Decatur. 111. This picture was taken after his anival home Friday.

WILL DISCUSS POWER SYSTEM Engineers Will Meet Tonight With City Council on New Plans — Engineers who wish ’o prepare; the plans for the new electric distribution system in Decatur will be heard by city council in session Tuesday evening. Three engineers have taken the matter up with the electric committee, of which O. L. Vance is chairman and they will be asked to submit their propositions to the! council Tuesday evening. The council desires to have a plot of the entire city drawn and proposed to carry out the work of rebuilding the electrical lines on a unit basis, doiyg a certain amount of work each year. The First stretch of line to be rebuilt would be Second Street, from Marshall street, (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) Mayer Funeral Will Be Held Wednesday The funeral service for Mrs. Margaret Mayer, who died Saturday morning, will be held at 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at. the Mayer residence, 713 North Second Street, with the Rev. A. R. Fledderjohann officiating. o County Test Winners Will Be Named Soon X Winners in scholastic examinations held at the Centra! school building, Saturday mornng, will be ' announced in a day or two, Clifton E. Striker, county superintendent, ■ stated today. The examinations were given for : pupils of the rural high schools of Adams county and a large repre- • sentafion from each school partici- 1 pated in the tests. Scholarship “A’s” bearing an inscription of the subject in which the student is champion, will be awarded winners in each subject. , Tests were given in the following < subjects: English 9, 10. 11, 12; al- t gebra, biology, world history. U.S. ; history, physics, Isatin 1 ami 2; t solid and plane geometry. rhe I manuscripts are being graded by ' Mr. Striker. £

Fiirnlalirll lly I nlti-d ITvm

Fort Wayne Man Is Auto Mishap Victim — Columbia City, Ind., April 20. — ;U.R> —E. G. Laudeman, 63, Fort] i Wayne, was Killed, Faye Laudeman, j 35, was injured critically, and four others were recovering from injurI les as the result of an auto collis- ] ion near here. The injured were | Mrs. Laudeman, 51; Walter and I Willard Belding, twins, and their ] father, Willard Belding, 48, Huntington. Laudeman, a real estate dealer, was driving one of the autos, and : Willard' Belding Sr., the other. o LEGIONNAIRES PLAN MEETING District Conclave To Be Held at Bluffton Sunday, May 3 A meeting of the eighth Indiana district of the American Legion will be held at Bluffton, Sunday, May 3. This will be the last meeting of the organization held before the state convention at Anderson, in August, and promises to be an outstanding meet of the year. All past state commanders will attend the meeting, and twelve uniformed drum and bugle corps will participate in a parade at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. The business session will be held at 4 o’clock, and will be presided over by the district commander Thomas O. Westcott of Muncie, assisted by Harold C. Curry, district adjutant of Alexandria. A banquet will be served at 6:30 , o’clock with addresses by prominent Legionnaires at 7 o’clock and special entertainment following. Every Legionnaire of the eighth district and visiting members are cordially invited to attend. o Engle Funeral Held Funeral services for Clay Engle were held at the home, 816 Win- ( Chester street, Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock with Rev. M. W. , Sunderman officiating. Burial was 1 made in the Decatur Cemetery. , Members of the Moose Lodge, of , which the deceased was a member attended the services in a body.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, April 20, 1931.

MURDERSTHREE CHILDREN THEN HANGS HIMSELF Wexter Wainwright And Children Found Dead In Syracuse Home POLICE HOLD MAN’S WIFE Syracuse, N. Y., April 20.—{U.R) 1 — A triple slaying and a suicide were discovered in a home here today when police investigated a tip that “something was wrong" in the house. The body of Wexter L. Whinwright, 64, was found hanging in a hallway of the house. The bodies ■ of the man’s three children, Rosalind, 11, Richard, 9, and Jacqueline, 4, were found in a nearby room I They had been poisoned, clubbed | and hanged. Letters police found in the house indicated Wainwright had killed his children and then committed suicide. The letters were addressed to Wainwright’s wife, the police, the press and the public. In the one to Mrs. Wainwright, the aged man said: “They hollered so loud, they had to hang so no one would hear them. (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) o Mayr To Give Address Ijafayette, Ind., April 20.—XU.RX— Frank Mayr, Jr., secretary of state, and Samuel B. Pattengill, congressman from the Thirteenth district, both of South Bend, were to be principal speakers at the dinner and service honoring the memory of Thomas Jefferson, here tonight. The meeting is sponsored by the Women’s Democratic Club of Lafayette. POLICE KILLED IN GUN BATTLE Bandits Open Fire On Police; Escape After Stealing Auto Marlow, Okla., April 20. —(U.R) — Three gunmen opened fire on two policemen who sought to question them early today, killed one of the officers, wounded the other, accidentally disabled their automobile with a gunshot, stole a second machine and escaped. The shooting occurred when Ike Veach, night chief of police, and R. J. Hill, patrolman, found the gunmen’s car parked in front of the home of J. T. Hill, one of the wealthiest men in Marlow. As the officers approached, the gunmen opened fire. Veach fell with wounds in the head, leg and (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) ALFONSO WILL LEAVE PARIS Former King Is Asked by Paris Police to Leave French Capitol Paris, April 20. — '(U.R) —Former King Alfonso of Spain will leave Paris at noon Tuesday, accompanied by the Duke of Miranda, the management of the Hotel Meurice, where the royal family is living, said today. Later he will return to rejoin the queen here. The president of the municipal council said that no effort would be made to persuade the former king to leave Paris and that no re- ' strictions would be placed on his activities except the usual rules applicable to political exiles. The condition of the Prince of the Asturias was such as to require absolute rest today. Alfonso and his party will stop at the Claridge hotel in London. They will arrange details of Prince Juan’s entrance into the British naval academy during their six-day (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)

Former Local Resident Sends Greetings Home ♦ + John T. Gllllg who nearly thirty years ago was a reporter on the I Daily Democrat and who has become one of the leading architects of the country, now located at Ix»xington, Ky., where he is associated with H. A. Churchill, writes us in response to a visit of Jack Brunton of this city to his office to extend greeting from Decatur friends. John says in part. “Tell Charli? Sether and ‘Ginger’ Gass that I certainly appreciate their kind thoughts. It may interest you to know that Decatur is not badly represented in Lexington. ' Ray Allen is at the University of Kentucky, department of zoology and is a full fledged professor, sure enough. Then there is Dan Haefling who is in charge of an important division of the Lexington Utilities. which is a subsidiary of the : Instil properties. 1 see Dan occasI (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) ROAD GROUP TO URGE ACTION Local Committee Plans Meeting With Indiana Highway Commission A. R. Ashbancher, president of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce has named a committee composed of Avon Burk, W. A. Lower, Cal E. Peterson and Jesse Rice to go to Indianapolis Wednesday to attend the regular monthly meeting of the Indiana state highway commission, at which time they will urge the state to take over the road between here and Willshire and to improve same as soon as possible. The road was tentatively taken over fiy the commission a year ago but since then no action has been taken. It is believed this is due to the lack of enthusiasm and effort here and it has been decided by 1 those interested to make an effort I to create interest in the road with | the state group. The highway is one of the most important entering Decatur and would mean much towards completing the state sys(CONTINUED* ON PAGE TWO) Teachers Meet Tonight There will be a city wide meeting of all public school teachers at the Rice hotel at 5:45 o'clock tonight. Superintendent M. F. Worthman called the meeting and refused to comment on what the nature of the meeting would be. o NEWSPAPER MEN IN CONFERENCE Annual A. N. P. A. Meets In New York; Press Freedom Is Big Topic New York, April 20. — (U.R)i —Approximately 500 newspaper publishers and editors were gathering here today from throughout the United States and Canada for the 45th annual meeting of the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association, which opens tomorrow. Such vital topics as freedom of the press, adjustment of newspaper publishing to the present depression, completion of the radio, condition of the newsprint market, advertising, labor problems, traffic and mechanical progress are to be discussed during the four-day session. Howard Davis, of the New York Herald-Tribune, vice-president, will preside. Harry Chandler, of the Los Angeles Times, president, was unable to attend the sessions this year. The initial session will be devoted to discussion of papers with 50,'CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO! o BULLETIN South Bend, Ind., April 20.— (U.R) — Jesss Harper, former Notre Dame football coach, was named director of athletics today to succeed the late Knute Rockne, Rev. Charles O'Donnell, president of the university, announced.

Mntr, Nntloniil And liiteriindoiifil News

KIDNAP PLANS FAIL TO WORK Young Husband’s Wife i Leaves Note W hich Results In Arrest Madison, Wis., April 20.—(U.R) — • A young husband who took drastic measures to bring about a reconciliation with his heiress wife, an I ‘ two friends who traveled to New York to aid him. were under arrest 1 today while the wife, who cleverly 1 outwitted all of them, was in technical custody. Kidnaped Thursday night in front of her apartment at 504 West 112th street, New York, Mrs. Helen Fisher Drill, heiress to $50,000. was ■ rescued here Sunday after police 1 of Indiana. Illinois and Wisconsin joined in a seareh prompted by her trickery. Her husband, Harry E. Drill. 30, nephew of United States District Attorney Lewis L. Drill of St. Paul,! was one of the three men arrested I when they drove to the Park Hotel i here to get Mrs. Drill’s clothes,] which had been forwarded from New York. The other men arrested were' Howard Caldwell. 30, and Elmer] Peterson, both of St. Paul. Police] said they would hold them and Mrs. Drill pending action of New York authorities. Drill, meanwhile, protested that his wife willingly had accompanied him from the east. (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) Hoagland High School i to Hold Commencement ♦ — -♦ The commencement program for the graduating class of the Hoag ] land High School will be presented j in the Hoagland school building, I Wednesday evening, April 22. Fifteen members comprise the I graduating class and the Allen County Superintendent D. O. Me-1 I Comb will present the diplomas. The address will be delivered by I Dr. Rees Edgar Tulloss, President of Wittenberg College. Following is the complete pro-1 gram for the event: Piano Duet —Florence Drown and ] Willo Fry. March —Florence Brown. Song—“By the Bend of the River" —Sextette. Address —Dr. Rees Edgar Tulloss President of Wittenberg College. N Violin Solo Helen Franke Presentation of Bibles —By Fred lehler. Trustee. A Song of Ships—Boys Quartette Presentation of Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Presentation' of Diplomas — By County Supt. I). O. McComb. The members of the graduating class include. Glennis Barkley, Mary Leona Bergdall, Loretta Brokamp, Rose Brokamp Ruth Pauline Feasby, Mildred Franke. Isabelle Cable, Marjorie A. Smith. Henry Hoke, Clarence Jamison, Gilbert McLelleu, Charles Reynolds, Franklin G. Roberts, Thelma C. Newport, Robert Shive. 0 AUTO UPSETS; FIRE FOLLOWS Eight Occupants Escape Without Serious Injury Alter Mishap An Essex sedan, driven by a For' Wayne motorits struck loose gravel two miles south of Decatur on the Sunset road Sunday afternoon, turned over and caught fire. The flames almost completely destroy- ' ed the automobile. The eight occupants of the car escaped without serious injuries. Mrs. Joseph Reitz, 47, of Fort Wayne was taken to the Adams county Memorial Hospital following the accident, suffering with several cuts and bruises. She was later taken to her home in Fort Wayne in an ambulance. Her condition was not (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) 0 New Sign Installed New Gold letters with the words “First State Bank’’ are being placed in the stone front, of the First State Bank building in this city today.

Price Two Cents

Mends Hearts <■* •ar WW m I ■ Mrs. Nellie Brooke Stull, of I Elyria. 0.. founder of the Widow ] and Widowers’ (Tub, posed for ] this picture in Chicago, where she I I told of the work of her organizai Hon. Mrs. Stull says that there are nearly a million admittedly lonely men and women in the | United States, most of them living ! in large cities. Mrs. Stull has been the recipient of 988.367 letters from loveless men and women and she estimates that she I has been able to bring together in marriage about 10,000 couples annually. SORORITY ENDS TWO-DAYMEET —— Tri Kappa Convention Closes Saturday At Claypool Hotel The two-day session of the Tri Kappa sorority state convention which was held in the Claypool hotel in Indianapolis, closed with the Saturday afternoon business session. Miss Isabel Hower was a delegate from the local chapter. The convention opened with an informal reception on the mezzanine floor of the Claypool hotel. Thursday night. | The business sessions were pre-1 sided over by Miss Clara Sturgis, of Bluffton, grand president of the sorority, and Dr. D. P. Deering, president and flounder of the Oakland City college addressed the organization on the subject “Hoosier (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) o Legion Officers Hold Annual State Meeting Indianapolis, April 20. — (U.R)I — Political activity of the American Legion was defended by Cleon M. Mount, Tipton, district commander in an address before 500 persons at a conference of Legion post officers here. He said the organization must stay in politics to gain legislation suitable to veterans and their families. “Take the Legion out of politics and its greatest power to aid the exservice man will be lost," Mount said. Floyd L. Young. Vincennes, state commander, named a committee to study the problem of whether Legion districts should be altered to conform with recent congressional district changes. The group will report at the state convention at Anderson, August 22 to 25. Membership gains in Indiana have brought the total to 33,001. a new record, O. A. Davis. Tipton. state adjutant, reported.

YOUR HOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY

ONE TOWN IS CAPTURED BY REBEL TROOPS Women. Children Placed on Ships; Men Remain to Protect U. S. Interests WARSHIPS ARE HURRIED BULLETIN Washington, April 20—(U.R) Honduran rebels were reported in private advices received today to have taken the town of Pimento and to be moving on the town of San Pedro Sula probably for an attack. The advices came from American companies with interests in Honduras and were being turned over to the state department. Fruit company agents at I Tela, Honduras, reported everything there quiet early this morning with no disturbances during the night. An earlier dispatch received said tnat women and enuaren at Tela were placed on board the steamship San Benito last night while all men remained on shore to protect fruit company property. Washington, April All Central Amenta’s coast ol adventure the Honduran north coast is again the scene of revolutionary activity. with American hattieships speeding to the area ot Ir üble. i For several decades, this shore has been the center ol recurring political strife, and it was there that Lee Christmas, soldier of fortune, helped Honduran revolutionists, led by Manuel 1 Bonilla, frustrate Taft's policy of “dollar diplomacy’’ in 1911. At that time also U. S. cruisers came from all directions. In 1924 there was civil strife on this coast which caused property damage to foreigners estimated at $3,000,000. Honduran north shore ports always have Iteen centeis of political activity because (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) — o Van Wert Minister Is Baccalaureate Speaker The baccalaureate service for the members of the graduating class of the Monroe high school was held in the Methodist Episcopal church in Monroe, Sunday evening, and Rev. Robert W. Rash of Van Wert, Ohio, delivered the sermon. The commencement program will take place in the Moproe Methodist church tonight at 7:30 o’clock, when Dr. L. C. Hessert will deliver the address to the members of the class. Doyle Hoffman will give the salutation and Louis Hoffman will act as the valedictorian. County Superintendent C. E. Striker will award the diplomas to the graduating class. PROBE POLICE BANK ACCOONTS Chicago Police Captains Are Under Fire In New Jury Investigation Chicago, April 20 —(U.R) —Investigation of police department corruption charges are carried to a. new battilefront today as the records of the bank accounts of 17 police captains were sought by the state's attorney’s office. Subpoenas demanding that these bank records be suMnitted immediately to a special grand jury were ordered served on loop bankers and financial house managers. More than 200 banks in Chicago and Cook county were ordered to produce records of their policemen depositors. Evidence found of undue wealth will bring the officials involved before the grand jury, the state’s attorney indicated. In explaining this move. Assistant State Attorney Charles J. Mueller said the special grand jury demanded evidence to bear out charges that “the police are in a corrupt alliance with the criminals of Chicago.” (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)