Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 29, Number 103, Decatur, Adams County, 30 April 1931 — Page 1

Jathfr Kj, |r north: not t o n warmer n i.

LABORATORY EXPLOSION FATAL TO MANY

i •: no ORDERS "piSSIONERS ■ TAKE BIDS i Ijman bridge May Be < Tax Board to : Situdy Problem :,ATio *Bs'(;s are lH MEED HERE J I mat'd of tax com- ] Honors has ordered the | Hos commissioners of t to receive seal- « ,r' ' building of the " 1 ridge, spanning K. Jury’s river in Preble Kp-ti* r of the state board e K {result of the hearing )n. S. Kit!,. a Imiisc last Friday n, i representative of th,t. Eoa> Tlie hearing was held the tiling Os a remont lie issuing of $30.- 1 of bonds for the builde K ft)., iii'idse. (Injection was s,), tn ihe proposed location lliil-.. i!ie petitioners favor:on. location. 9ii. signed by Janies chairman of the state ion ■(I tax ■ immissioners, reads "Tlie officers of the — diali advertise for and Kelhiil' fur the construction iiiprov.inent as is provided' • 'Ha ind t hat the liids wiien re-j he reported to this' WM®, jithin five days after the KhiHt im-.-n received and this, cnntimied until said bids■ for further action." I , Auditor Albert Harlow | uH| that the matter would be to the commissionare and that in all prohab- . .i.lders would he giv- . Htv:i»i the commissioners ]o ‘ i^K Ig]> 1 g]> tlie state lioard did not. what action it would take j. to building the bridge, Ksjjininu was expressed by _K| iffi. mis tiiat they believed ! ids were under the $30,000 “ that permission would he Kid’lNltip ON PAGE SIXH- - —o Hkston Files Report ■ ■m H. State Fire Mar-i i- aed the report of the of the Arson Division of for the months, of] Fein-nary and March, were 103 rases ihvestigatthese. io confessions wert I*' arrests made, charges! IT eases and 6 cases taken Jury. 12 cases were Court and 9 convictions selan average" Mr. Hogston "50 per cent arrests n connection with arson case in convictions. During these nonths. only 2 cases were disfrom Court. The number of nvestigated during the first of 1931 was 35 per 101 '" tiian tlie number inves- « in the corresponding k 01 1930 and the number of '^^■hi'iuu lit the trial and convic■J* fen red (luring these months was also much greater than H th " same months of 1930." BT BOX CAUSE ■of train fire iny ‘One Killed In GgyptK” Tragedy of WedI nesday Night H r °. Egypt, April 30.—j(U.R)>—A I (bo* which spread flames >h a crowded passenger train was blamed today for the fophe which killed 41 persons, to? ten children, on the Alex- ' express. express caught fire just to arrival at Benha and the quickly spread through a '•class coach, burning many E ngers and causing others to fr °m the moving train. The ■te crew of the train was not e °f the fire and continued tobenha, thus permitting the to carry the flames to two third-class coaches which destroyed. Tfty-slx were taken to hospitals exandria in serious condition. of tlie dead was a Spanish but all other victims Ivere

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXIX. No. 103.»

Herbert Wilding Hurt Herbert Wilding, 3404 Hoaglnnd avenue. Fort Wayne, was injur,. d Wednesday afternoon when his automobile collided with another carat Harrison ami Pontiac streets. He was taken to the St. Joseph’s hospital where it was reported he had a severe cut on his head, inflicted by broken glass from n window of ills car. His condition was considered good last night. Mr. Wilding is known in this city, his wife being a former Decatur woman.

DAMAGE SUIT BEING HEARD

Florence Wagner Seeks $5,000 Damages; Case Venued From Allen Co. A damage suit, here from Allen county was being heard before a jury in Adams circuit court today, with Judge D. B. Erwin presiding. The case was Florence Wagner vs. Mose Higgins, suit for $5,000 personal injury damages. The plaintiff alleges that she was injured in an automobile accident in 1929, east of Fort Wayne. The jury was sworn in at 10:30 o'clock this morning and the trial was put underway immediately. Members of the jury include John W. Lusk, Monroe township; George Colchin, Decatur; Luther Martin, Hartford township; Charles Thieme, Union township; Ernest Doehrman, Preble township; Karl Farlow, Wabash township; Albert Burke, Blue Creek township; Raleigh H. Kirkland township; W. M, Foreman, Blue Creek township; Harry Ray, St. MaTys township; John W. Marshall, Jefferson township and Adolph Hart, Decatur. The plaintiff alleges that she has been partially disabled since the 1929 mishap. The case was venued to this county on motion of the defendant. Other Court News Fred Rose was fined $5.00 and (CONTINUED ON PAG® SIX)

STORM HERO IS HOOVER GOES! Bryan Untiedt Visits President As Reward For His Bravery Washington, April 30 — (UP) — Bryan Untiedt, 13-year-old boy hero of the Colorado school bus tragedy who now is the guest of President Hoover at the White house, started His second day of sight-seeing in the capital today by watching tlie President's medicine ball cabinet in action. Bryan, as far as is known, is the first person outside of members of the medicine ball group and the White House staff ever to have seen the morning game which gives the President his daily exercise. Bryan did not partiepate. He sat on tlie White House steps however, and enjoyed, as only a boy of 13 might enjoy, the spectacle of President Hoover tossing the heavy hall to Associate Justice Stone of the Supreme Court, Stone throwing it vigorously into the waiting arms of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jahncke; and Jahncke hurling it to Lawrence Richey, of the President s secretarial staff. Then he gathered in the breakfast room with the medicine ball players and had toast and milk with them. Tlie others drank coffee. (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) Jury Fails To Agree Chicago, April 36 — (U.R) jury which heard the SIOO,OOO damage suit of Mrs. Louis McCusker against the Curtiss-W right Flying Service reported inability to agree today and was discharged. Judge David M. Brothers of circuit court set the second trial for June 22. The jurors reported deliberating until 12:3ft a.m. without bfcdng able to break a 6 to 6 deadlock on whether the Flying service was liable for Mrs MeCurker's injury in an airplane accident near Waynestown, Ind. a year ago. Mrs. McCusker charged she was seriously hurt when the airplane in which she was a passenger iplunged into a tree while attempting a forced landing. She declared the pilot, who was killed in the crash, was inexperienced.

II y I ultnl I'reNN

Is the Old Scheiman Bridge Doomed? \, * '■s***s fa* The state board of tax commissioners has order yd the county commissioners to receive bids forth building of a new bridge, replacing the old Scheiman bridge, manning the St. Mary’s river ill Preble towr ship. The bids are to be reported to the state board. The Scheiman bridge was built in 1878 and is one o three wooden, roof covered bridges remaining in Adams county. The question of building the bridge ha been contested by residents in the north part of the county. Tlie estimate of cost is $30,000.

OGDEN RULES PROBE ILLEGAL Committee Investigating Morals of Tourney Attendants Powerless Indianapolis, April 30 — (UP) — No power rests with the state board df education to either summon witnesses to aid in its investigation of alleged immorality among high school students at the annual basketball tournament here, or to abolish the tournament, attorney general James M. Ogden has ruled. Tims stripping power from the committee which has the immorality charges before it, Ogden set forth that the only capacity in which the board can work is of an advisory character. With this ruling. George C. Cole I state superintendent of public instruction, began looking lip laws to determine if there may not be some “round-about’ manner in which board can abolish state high school athletic events when considered ahisable. He expressed belief that this might he accomplished through revocation of commissions of schools which participated in tournaments. Ogden set torth that individual schools might refrain from participation in stat contest upon decision of school boards but that such action would have to be local. (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) LOCAL WOMEN'S BROTHER DIES Harry Crosbie, Formerly of Bluffton Expires at His Gary Residence Harry Crosbie, 52, former Bluffton man and brother of Mrs. David Campbell and Mrs. Nathan Twigg of this city died at his home in Gary at 6 o’clock Wednesday morning of influenza and complications. Death followed an illness of seven weeks. Mr. Crosbie was born in Bluffton, February 4, 1879, a son of John and Margaret Johnston Crosbie, and resided in Bluffton until about 20 years ago when he moved to Fort Wayne. Latfer he moved to Gary. He was united in mariage to Eva Gonzer at Auburn in September 1919. Surviving are the widow, and one daughter Miss Amber Crosbie; two (CONTINUED ON PAOE FIVE) College Head Expires Charlottesville, Va„ April 30. — (U.R) — Edwin Anderson Alderman, president of the University of Virginia, died late last night at Connellsville, Pa. He was on his way to Champaign, 111., to deliver an address at the inaugural of President Harry Chase of the University of Illinois, when he was stricken with apoplexy. Removed from the train as Connelisville, he died soon after. Efe was nearly 70 years old.

ONLY OAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, April 30, 1931.

Local Y r oung People To Attend Convention Thi:ty-five young people of the , \ Presbyterian church of this city I will attend the Northeastern Indiana Conference of Christian Endea- ■ jvor at Columbia City Friday and 1 1 Saturday it was announced today. j The young people are members of I the local Christian Endeavor so- | ciety and the Young People’s Olioir. -j The conference will begin with a I j meeting Friday night at which time I the local Young People’s Choir will | furnish special music. Sessions will 1 be held Saturday and the cont'er--1 lence'will terminate with a banquet ' Saturday night. '| There are 28 towns and cities in '; the district and several hundred En- | deavors are expected to attend the “ 1 meetings. INSURANCE IS CHIEF TOPIC I ; ! Chamber of Commerce Is i 1 Divided in Opinion on 'I Unemployment Aid Atlantic City, April 30 —(U.R)— American business, as represented 1 in tlie U. S. chamber of commerce . convention here, found itself sharpi ly divided today over unemployment insurance—most widely advocated remedy for the ills of depression. Some industrial leaders were outspokenly hostile and most advocates only lukewarm. But frankly facing adoption of such a system by a number of I states in the most Radical form of , state compulsory insurance, most i business men here seem to realize the necessity of meeting this movement. Consequently, a variety of plans for working out relief measures within tlie industry have been ' brought forward, some of them already in successful operation. Accepting the unemployment I (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) : — o Tocsin Man Expires William Donaldson C.oshorn, 60. 1 Ossian retired business man died at 8:15 o’clock Wednesday morning j after a few day’s illness. Mr. GosI horn was identified with the Sani- ! tary Grocery Company of Ossian at one time, and iater with the Wayne Company at Fort Wayne. He was the son "of William and . Fannie Ogden Goshorn. He was united in marriage with Martha E. i Hoopengardner in November, 1894. i Surviving is the widow, three children, Garry L. Goshorn of Sandusky, Oi)io; Russel W., of Fort Wayne, and Mary Goshorn at home; two brothers, John V. of Ossian and Charles of Delphos, 0., - and two sisters, Mrs. Jennie Wood- , ward of Fort Wayne and Mrs. W. . A. High of Bluffton. The deceased was a member of the Ossian Presbyterian church , and a charter member of the ■ Knights of Pythias lodge at Ossian. ! Funeral services will be held i Friday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock at ■ the Ossian Presbyterian church with Rev. Frank Baker of Anderi son officiating. Burial will be in the Oaklawn cemetery at Ossian.

GUSHER STILL ROARS FLAMES Firemen Are Unable To Control Disastrous Fire In Texas Oil Field Gladewater, Tex., April 30 —(U.R) —A great pillar of fire roared toward tlie sky today from the No. 1 Cole oil well, marking the vicinity where eight men had been burned to death and bleating back asbestos clad firemen who braved the intense heat in an effort to snuff out the flames with an explosion. Veteran oil field workers held little hope of extinguishing the 200-foot pillar of flame within two days. It fed on oil spouting up at the rate of 18,000 barrels daily, supplemented by strong gas pressure, from the Sinclair company well. Under the supervision of M. M. and Harry Kinley, famous oil field firemen, the crews swathed in asbestos suits started bearing away the molten metal and other debris at the mouth-of the gusher. l)Titroglyceriii will be set off in the red hot maw. If the effort is successful, the blast will drive the gas and oil down into the well, severing it from the fiery spiral. The fire liazarjtl removed, there stili will remain the task of bringfCONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) PARDON BOARD MEETS TODAY First Seven Applicants Refused Leniency By Pardoning Group United Press Staff Correspondent Michigan City, Ind., April 30 — The Indiana pardon board showed itself strongly opposed to leniency for prisoners as hearings of clemency applications opened today. In the first seven eases heard, all pleas were denied. Included in the list were two convicted murderers seeking parole. The lioard held that most applications were brought too soon alter incarceration. Igmg arguments preceded each decision. Those whose petitions were defied were: Andrew Combs, Greene Circuit court, sentenced on a charge of murder, February 10, 1922, life, whose parole was denied despite 1,(CONTTNUED ON PAGE SIX) President Supported Greencastle, Ind., April 30—(U.R) —Veterans of Foreign Wars in Greencastle have added their endorsement to the growing list supporting Dr. C. Bromley Oxnam of DePauw University, against charges by U. P Evans, Indianapolis, that speakers he has chosen for the school have leaned toward "Sex, Sovietism and Socialism." In a lengthy resolution, the local V. F. W., post details its reason for staunch support of the DePauw IPoHcjr. _ ,

Klitlc, \it I lot* it I Add liilcrnnllitititl Kem

BANDITS ARE GAPTURED IN STATE HOLD-UP Kaklandon Hank Robbed of $3,000; Two Taken After Short Chase CITIZENS AID IN CAPTURES Indianapolis, April 30—(U.R) Two men who robbed the Oaklandon State Bank of i ,s.'s,ooo early today, and were I captured 10 minutes later by j citizens who chased them across a field, gave their names, as James Cordell, 37, Detroit, and Charles Leroy Palmer, Cleveland. The two rose from behind a I counter when Edgar Mock, assist-1 ant cashier, opened tlie bank at I 7:30 a. m. They forced him to open the vault, took the money, then pushed him into the chamber. Mock slammed the vault door shut to protect himself, and simultaneously pulled a burglar alarm. An armed posse was close on the lieels of the Ixandits when they fled out of the front door. Alexis Riley, unarmed, bluffed one of the bandits into surrendering, and the other was quickly (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) Jury Reaches Verdict Washington, Ind., April 30.—KU.fi); —A verdict of not guilty was returned by a jury which deliberated It) minutes in Daviess circuit court’ here today in the second trial of j Walter Williams on an embezzle-] ment charge growing out of bis business associations with John L. Waggoner, former township trustee. Williams’ first trial ended in a jury disagreement. INDEPENDENCE IS PROCLAIMED Chinese Provinces Establish Provisional Governments In South Shanghai April 30 —(UP) —A proclamation of "independence” was issued today by anti-f,'overnment leaders on behalf of the Chinese provinces of Kwanctung, Fooien, Kweichau, Hunan and Kwangsi. It was announced that a “provisional revolutionary government of South China" will be established. At the same time the position of the Nationalist President, Gen. Cliaing Kai-Shek, was strengthened when Oil a tig Hsueh-Liang, son of the late Mukden Warlord, Chang Tso-Lin, and himself ruler of Manchuria and North China, arrived in Nanking after having flown down fromTlentsln. A banquet will be given young Chang by General Cliiang who is expected to exert every effort to keep this powerful Ally in line against the sudden revolt centered at Canton. The political and military situations were confused, with alignments for and against Chiang re(CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) Enumeration Shows Gain According to the enumeration released by E. M. Webb, superintendent of the Berne schools, there are ten more children in Berne this year than a year ago. Tlie figures this year show a total of 478, 217 of which are boys, and 261 girls, while last year there were 222 boys and 256 girls. Os the total number of young people. 407 are attending school. Only three children are physically disabled. Ladies’ Quartet to Sing On Sunday evening, May 3 at 7:30 o’clock the public is cordially invited to come and bring friends to hear a musical program given by the Ladies quartette of the Fort Wayne Bible Institute. The work of this particular quartette is highly spoken of and local people are locking forward to a service that will be inspiring to all. The pastor will bring a short message at the close of tlie musical program.

Price Two Cents

Watchman Loses Life Hammond, Ind., April 30. — (U.R!- — William Petraltis, 47, Wabash railway crossing watchman, sacrificed his life in a vain effort to save Roland Rice, a motorist, from being struck by a passenger train here. Rife's auto struck and killed Petraltis as the watchman frantically waved his danger sign, then car-: eened into the train. The auto was demolished, blit Rice escaped in-J jury. Petraitis is survived by tlie widow and six children. ASK CHANGE IN | RESIDENCE LAW | FOR MINISTERS Evangelical Pastors Tb; Seek Longer Residence In One Pastorate I PRESENT LAW IS 7 YEARS Berne, April 30.—(Special) —Delegates to the seventyninth annual session of the Indiana Conference of the Evangelical church, which is being held at the Trinity Evangelical church here, this afterno o n are endeavoring to change the old law of the conference which limits a pastor’s ministry in one church to seven years. The new law that is being proposed will permit a pastor to remain in one church for an indefinite period of time. At the morning session today | Rev. Arthur H. Doescher of Elk- . Hart was elected secretary of the .conference. He appointed as his i assistants the following men: Rev. IM. O. Herman of Huntington: Rev. W. J. Danner of Kendallviile; Rev. 5. H. Baumgartner of New Haven, Conn., and Rev. S. G. Keubler of Rochester. Rev. Lewis S. York, superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) I o Police Answer Call The Decatur police and a local ambulance were called north of tlie Miller Betid inn on the Fort Wayne Decatur road about 2:30 o'clock this afternoon where a mail was reported to have been hit by an automobile. When the police arrived at the scene of the accident it was found that Charles Laisure of Hoagland had fallen off the bicycle which he was riding and had suffered ail epileptic fit, to which lie is subject. Mr. Laisure had received a cut above his right eye, and his face was bruised and cut considerably. BUS BILL PROBE TO BE DROPPED Jury Unable to Find Any Evidence to Substantiate Charges Indianapolis, April 30 —(UP) — Grand jury investigation of alleged conspiracy in passage of house Hill 6, taking bus and truck regulation from city governments and placing it in the hands of the public service commission, appeared today to be destined to an early and fruitless termination. So far as could be learned no testimony on which indictments would likely tie returned, had been offered, and a temporary Halt was called while new evidence was sought. The investigation was ordered by Judge Frank P. Baker, based oil the civil suits of tlie cities of Minicie and Indianapolis, seeking to restrain Frank Mayr Jr., secretary of state, from publishing the bill, on the ground that it was signed by Governor Leslie in a different form than it passed the legislature. Fraud and conspiracy were charged in the civil suit. — o— Equipment Is Destroyed Indianapolis, April 30.—(U.R)— Autos, delivery trucks and equipment to an estimated value of from $15,000 to $20,000, were destroyed in a fire in tlie garage of the Carl Gutzwiller and Son Bakery here today. Two horses were burned to death.

YOUR HOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY

TWENTY-NINE KNOWN DEAD IN EXPLOSION Nichteroy Chemical Laboratory Scene of Tragedy; Many Hurt DETAILS ARE NOT KNOWN Rio De Janeiro, April 30.— <U.R> — An explosion to d a y wrecked the Nichtteroy Naval chemical laboratory. Twenty-nine persons were killed and sixty wounded already have been taken from the ruins. Details of Ihe tragedy were i not received in first reports. It is believed, however, that many more dead and injured will be removed from tlie debris of the labor atory as workmen continue tlieii efforts. The cause of the explosion was not known but officials were conferring on the probable causes. It was regarded as one of the major disasters of the year. Workmen are still digging in the ruins and other bodies were expected to be found. The exposition was attributed to (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) Pastor Answers Suit Memphis, Tenn.., April 30—(UP) —The Rev. Israel H. Noe, Dean ot St. Mary's episcopal church has replied to his wife's divorce petition by declaring he stands with his church in regarding self control as the only Christian standard of birth control. “1 have tried to live up to this code for the last three years" lie asserted in his answer. His wife sued for divorce several months ago "I desire to state that I have come to this conviction." the reply read, “through a slow and steady growth in spiritual development and thought." o Claims He Is Straight Chicago April 30 —(UP) —Joseph "Yellow Kid" Weil, notorious confidence man, is “on the straight and narrow now and forever.” He made this announcement today after police had released him and Fred Buckmaster under bond after parading them before several contidenie game victims who failed to identify them. o BULLETIN Cincinnati, 0., April 30.— .U.R' —An enraged lion cub broke its lease and leaped upon Vivian Leichner, 6, during a natural history lecture in Whittier school here today, inflicting injuries which may cause the child's death. The child, badly clawed and bitten, was rescued by Patrolman Howard McMiller, and | William Hunter, school janitor. Meantime, William Harwood and a woman trainer, owners of the cub, and another lion and a bear, placed the animal in a cage and fled. PHI DELTS TO HOLD BANQUET Loc a 1 Fraternity Will Welcome New Members At Dinner Party The Phi! Delta Kappa fraternity will celebrate the opening of its new club rooms above the Coil tHeater with a banquet Monday evening at the Rice Hotel dining room. The occasion will also honor a number of new members of the fraternity. The club rooms were moved from the location above the Atlantic and Pacific Company store to the new rooms today. John Burnett, president of the fraternity, will be toastmaster and a dinner program in charge of the social committee of which Cecil Melchi is chairman, and Don I .■■»- Brim and Eugene Inirkin are members, has been arranged. Members of the fraternity who will attend the banquet are requested to see a member of the social committee for reservations.