Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 32, Number 202, Decatur, Adams County, 24 August 1934 — Page 1

I * eather ■.W'r

HOMER VAN METER KILLED BY POLICE

becafur s City Tax Rate Is Cut To 40 Cents

ifCOUNCIL ! ■IUKES CUT IN [DECATUR RATE ■ vailing This Year ■OFITS OF CITY ■ pi wi win. \in ■%. nl\ council cut I >ei;i- ■ s Civil citv t.ic I'lile Iron; ■pin n Ih'lniiKlic. ■ - liml will npplv ■| ? ptolils li-oin lln iiiu■|H:|>:hi! "I' Hi" ■r |(, hri o lll"lll III" ■tli'H ill 111" I"" - ■„. 1,11.1. t 10l H"\t year ■is williin SXIKI ol the ■mni iinnropi'i.ili <l. this ?ll!;rl ~,!!< for $29.-| cent It’vy on , I' ssoo property. will produce 1 ■ th.- (■,;!.hoc b»ii:g ■> up from rev. from other ■ces and cadi donations by ■water and • trie liuht de- ■ B mts of the city plant. K,, iiiidaet - ■ "‘I l1 "’ moll" ■fofiowed iii arriving at the L' ■. be ra.'.'l b> taxati >u ■bio'..: ripomlii.ir-s s2f'.S! JO I rerenua — ns tax $4,860 excise tax 2.75(1 ■ viloading 2,000 fines . 300 Mkm water dept. SSO elect ric depart. 1.680 necessary to be by t.:\.C : ■ $17,452.1"! ■ A 40 Cent Levy ■ (“rent levy on the JK’O will ■Mur- uiiproxim ■■■!.. $17.452.mi. ■ri on the city's taxable valuaKot $4,361.22 providing all ■lues are |.aid next year. Hue Bddiri-s t!..-i<- is a shrink- ■ brrt" n ’!:■ estimate.; ■ tie areceived at ■nd of the year. ■ A Sig Saving ■■pared with 1931. the pro■td levy for next year and the ■mt to be rai ed through taxa- ■ means a big saving to local ■tfers. In 1931 the rate on the ■ was 75 mils and the budget ■anted to s4B,Sihi. Last year ■ amount raised by taxation ■ 119.130. The total for next ■ hits a new low mark, I ■WM ■ Municipal Plant Helps ■ 1931 the city levied $12,000 ■ ornamental street lighting and ■ hydrant rentals. In the last ■ years and as in the case next I B ’ no levy is made for these Mr services, in 1931 the elec-! h department received $5,000 M the water department $7,000. P* two items alone, if figured ithr present valuation would hire nearly a 30 cent levy on • hundred dollars. ■sides eliminating the levies 1 Wreet lighting and fire hydrant I Rls. the municipal plant will •m- $2,530 on next year's tax Iso that a five t ent cut can be ■ p in the rate. FhMrnen estimate that doneH'and waiving of charges by! {••ter and electric light deRients of the municipal plant, [ P 'he taxpayers at least * each year, or more than I L Wal amount now raised by; ■ttion. ! Budget Published Today L ri,y budget. as compiled by J 7«r George Krick and mem„,.J he counci| . Is published ON PAGE FIVE) Land Farmers Digging Potatoes p ***' u" in the muck lands east «*, e "''l s,art this wee<k to toda P l tatoes ' it was announr-' lit •» a * 6ar ' y iPOtktees are to harvested, but ' seio?? tatoes w " not b® ready jWal !* e^ tllto Crop Mst ot lierne is in» er? J A ° f the leadfpg potato OM thi ° rVal Jonee wh Q lias 36 Hie 0( b ’ year - He reports that mhel s „ potat oee will yield 4-00 18 »«r acre.

DECATUR DATES' DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXXII. No. 202.

Van Meter Slain ! _______ Opr IHomer Van Meter. Fort Wayne I outlaw, one of the original tnenii hers of the liillinger hand of des-1 peradoes, was slain by police offij cers in St. Paul, Minnesota,! , Thursday night. Van Meter had i had his face lifted and hair dyed in an effort to escape detection. JOHNSON WILL NOT QUIT POST NR A Reorganization Is Scheduled To Be Settled Within Two Weeks Washington, Uug. 24 —(UP) — The whole question of NR\ re rganization willl'J.. settled two weeks from Monday at Hyde Park. N.Y., Gen. Hugh S. Johnson, recovery administrator, eaid today after • near+r~an fronr’s conference With* President Roosevelt. Johnson, in a jovial mood, left the White House insisting that he was* resigning and that the only thing that brought him back was a “slight misunderstanding as to timing." ■*The President decided that I should go off on a two weeks vacation and he will settle this matter in two weeks at Hyde Park." J hneon insisted that “this thing is not serious at all." The Blue Eagle chieftain was referring to reiports of sharp conflict ■ with Donald R. Richberg and secretary of lalbor Frances Perkins over reorganization policies. Concerning questions as to re- , ports of his passible divorce from recovery efforts, the administrator pointed out that he wanted to change his relationship to the program. adding that “I recommended that before 1 went away." To interrogrations as to whether I that meant he was to become head ! of the board ot directors of the JJRA, Johnson refused to commit himself, declaring that that was a question for Mr. Roosevelt to de-j j cide. Before he left the White House 7cONTI.NUED*ON PAGE FIVE) —o WILL REQUEST APPROPRIATION Court House Repair And Old Age Pension Appropriation Asked At the regular meeting of the Adams cou.ity o< uncil, September 4. a ' request fur an appropriation for S7OO for court house repairs and $7.- ! 000 for old age pensions will be made. The S7OO is for repairing the bell-! er. New flues will be installed and | ibids from contractors will be re-, ceived by the county commissioners : next month. The appropriation for old age pensions is to cover the state’s onehalf share of the local expenditure. Last year when the budget was made up, only $7,000 was listed, al-! though the total for pensions this year is $14,000. The state pays one half of the amount, but payment will not be made until next December at the tax distribution. The $7,000 appropriation will be. replaced In the county’s general fund when the state repays its onehalf share ot the $14,000 expenditure. To have funds available for paying of pensions now the county must advance the amount for a few months.

■tat*. Watluoal *ad lulrrnatlunal Nrw*

CHICAGO COACH COMPANY LOSES ITS BLUE EAGLE Bus Company Defies Recoven Administration To Halt Strike WILL NOT COMPLY WITH BOARD ORDER Chicago, Aug. 24. — (U.R> —The Chicago Motor Coach Company re-1 | moved the NRA Blue Eagle from its buses today and detied the rei eovery administration to force a settlement of an H-day old strike ot union bus drivers. A sympathetic general transportation strike became an immediate possibility as a result. “emoval of the Blue Eagle was ordered by the NRA late yesterday when John A. Ritchie, company president, refused finally to comply with an order by the national labor relations board to reinstate 25 discharged union men. Buses, their patronage apparently unaffected by the strike of American Federation of Labor employes, maintained regular schedules again today, despite picketing by tlie strikers and members of the associated street car and elevated unions. Ritchie said in a “statement to the public” that "we are quite willI ing to sacrifice the Blue Eagle” rather than re-employ men whom he described as incompetent and inefficient. Ritcliie has asserted *~niroifghout a long dispHle wif!T the union that the men were fired because they violated safety rules. Threat ot a sympathetic strike of 20.000 street car and elevated (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) CLUB ENTRIES SENT TO FAIR Canning And Sewing Exhibit Winners Are Sent To Indianapolis Adams county 4-H club entries to the state fair at Indianapolis were packed and shipped this morning by Mrs. Robert Mann, I county chairman. Each of the entries won first place in the exhibit held at Berne several weeks ago. Canning and sewing students were represented in this shipping. The entries in the canning division from the country are: first year. Irene Fosnough, cherries and raspberries; Pauline Yost, peaches, beets and corn; Vera Belhold, waxed beans; Linda Marbach, carrots; Bernice Cable, greens; Donabelle Arnold, peas, and Elizabeth Arnold, tomatoes. Second year: Beatrice Mathys, five quarts of fruit and five quarts of vegetables. Third year: Marjorie Dilling, five quarts of fruit and five quarts of vegetables. The entries in clothing are for the third, fourth and fifth years as no entries are accepted for the first and second years. Miss Alice ! Jane Archbold will represent the I county in the dress review to be ; held on the first day of the fair, Saturday, September 1. She will. i wear a sports dress costume. Clothing entries to the state fair ! will be: third year, Mary Baumgartner, guest towel; Louis Niles.' cotton costume; Erlene Stucky. ! dresser scarf. Fourth year, Lois Mann, sports costume and Ruth Ineichen, best dress costume. (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) Licensed Pilot Will Make Flights Sunday Lloyd K. Pierce, Fort Wayne, government licensed transport aviator. will be at the Elting field Sun- | day to give airplane rides and a glider demcnstration. The pilot Is being brought here (by the Model Airplane chub ot this city. Pierce will use a fast Waco-F plane. The charge for rides will be I 50 cents for school children and 75 cents for adults.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, August 24, 1934.

FERA Payroll For Week Totals $628 The total PER|A payroll for this ! week ie $638. divided as follows: relief, $673, non-rellef $36 equipment sl9. There are 80 men and women 1 working this week. The men were on the following projects: home-1 steads. 40 relief men and four n. n- , ' relief men; South Ward athletic field, three men; IHanna-Nuttman ! park. 13 men; county roads, 10 men sewing clothing for the Washington township trustee, two women: ! cleaning schools, eight men. ROTARY SCOUTS ENTERTAIN CLUB Local Club Is Entertained By Scouts At Han-na-Nuttman Park Boy scout.' of ‘Rotary tr op No. 61. entertained members of the Deatur Rotary chib at Hu 1 a Nutt-1 roan park ’.s«i evening. Under the direction of Scoutmaster Steve Eve’hart and aerirted by Sc utmaster Lowell Sr.iUh and | Eagle Scout James Burk. The boys Tf'Pared u.iJ served “mn’ligan , stew" to the Rotarians and their ; g leets. A 1 ng table was a ranged ’ P. the picn>c grounds of tl'e park and the scouts waited on table. ; A short program was 1 eld. Fred > C. Lehman «f ißochesier, N. Y., music teacher in the New York ’ state norm.l college, sang two i songs. An oitau was brought to the I park on the Ashbauchet truck. I Community singing was led by , r*nr Fred Paterson and a eh >'t play-, I let was given by a trio of scouts.: P.ryce Thomae, president of the ■ c’.ub an i local scout commissioner I was in charge of the meeting. The boy scouts will build a cabin in the park and Mr. Thomas anncunced that work would start on it! w thin the next few weeks. Several Roiarians frjm B uffton and a few guests from Berne at- | tended the meeting. Corn Cutting Is Started In County Corn cutting has started in parts , of the county. Although the stalks are good size, the ears are not up i to standard and estimates of the ■ production are far below normal. • Many farmers are now filling the i silos. CLUB WINNERS AT INDIANAPOLIS Adams County Girls At State Fair Home Economics School County Agent L. E. Archbold took the two girls who placed highest in the county achievement 4-H club work today to the state fair home economics school at (Indianapolis. The girls are Beatrice Mathys | of Wabash township and Vera Sch- : wartz of Monroe township. Miss Mathys received a grade of “A" in both canning and clothing. She has been a member of the calf club I for several years and received a grade of “A" in clothing. She will ! represent the ccunty in the district : judging contest near Fort Wayne (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO)

Who Has 1920 Daily Democrat Newspaper File? A strange thing has happened in the Daily Democrat office. The : bound file of the 1920 papers has disappeared. Considered ns the most valuable item in a newsipaper office, because it cannot be replaced, an eagle eye is always kept on the tiles ! of daily papers. Each day as the papers are printed, one copy is placed in a cabinet drawer and at the end of six months or a year ihe copies are bound in a book. In 1920 the entire year's edition was bound in a single book. Because of the fact that the files cannot be replaced, a newsipaper never permits the taking from the office th? bound files, hut since tlie 1920 edition cannot be found around the office, it apears tliat it "walked away" With someone, who probably wanted to use it for reference. The return of the file will serve to steady nerves of those employed in this office and if the person who has it will call Phone ONE THOUSAND, the editor, business manager and entire force will be glad to call and get it.

! FEAR LEAGUE TO FIGHT NEW DEAL Liberty League Headed By Men Hostile To Roosevelt Policies Washington, Aug. 24 — (U.R) — i Political party lines are sagging I today as the new deal goes under the critical microscope of the American Liberty league. Conservative democrats and republicans are summoned to meet around Alfred E. Smith's brown derby in what may easily become an anti-new deal rally under league auspices. First word from the Roosevelt ! administration high command | welcomed the league—headed by prominent, members of both po- : litical parties—as a movement toward party rc-alignment iSecretary of Interior Harold I. ! Ickes put that construction on the new born organization. His words indicated the admin- ! istration is ready to meet any league challenge. President Roosei velt will discuss the league at his 4 p.m. press conference. There is no indication that he will go much ! beyond acknowledging the right 1 of any group to organize for collective and constructive criticism of government. But he cannot fail to observe that democratic sponsors of the league include only those hostile to his nomination in 1932 and | since ihen critical of many administration policies. Named with Smith to the leagu- 1 executive committee —which will | he dominated by easterners drawn | from the New York area — was ■ John W. Davte, 1924 democratic I presidential nominee. Jou ell : Shouse, one of the 1932 convention ‘ “Stop Roosevelt" leaders, will beTcO.NTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) PRISON GUARDS FIND SHOTGUN Michigan City Prison Guards Find Gun: Vigilance Tightened I Michigan City, Ind., Aug. 24. — (U.R) — Guards tightened their vig- | ilance at the Indiana state prison ' today following the finding pf a home-made shotgun within the walls. The weapon was discovered when guards made a thorough ! search of the buildings after findJ ing fire arms dumped in a waste | basket in one of the offices, it was reported. Several days ago rumors leaked out ot the prison "that enough nitro-glycerine to blow up the prison and effect a wholesale escape" was found near one of the walls. This report was denied emphatically by Warden Louts E. Kunkel. An unusual undercurrent of unrest has been noted among the in-: mates for several weeks, it was said. The utmost precaution is being taken to prevent an outbreak. Powerful beams of light are benig trained on the walls both inside and out at night. Power for the searchlights is being furnished from the city light plant rather than from the prison power plant in order to prevent prisoners from cutting inside wires.

Furnlabrd By lull'd I‘rrau

ANOTHER JAIL BREAK IS MADE IN THIS STATE Four Prisoners Escape From County Jail At Franklin, Ind. SHERIFF NABS FIFTH INMATES Franklin. Ind., Aug. 24.— (U.R) —' Four prisoners who escaped from the Johnson county jail last night were believed to have found temporary safety today either in Indianapolis or in the hills of Brown county. Both provide scores of hiding places. Tlie escape was the second major break in Indiana since Wednesday when hve prisoners sawed their way out of tile Hamilton county jail at Noblesville. Five (prisoners figured in the plot here last night but Sheriff Albert R. Mulking captured one before he got outside the jail. A sixth prisoner slept through it all. Those who escaped are: James (Jabo) Mathis, 35, Franklin. held on burglary charges. Chester Carson, 22, Indianapolis, charged with automobile banditry. James Jerry Griffin, 22. Indianapolis. charged with automobile theft. Virgil Witham, 26, Franklin, charged with housebreaking. The prisoner recaptured was Bethel Adams. Greenwood, charged with housebreaking. Witli the possible exception of Griffin, none of the escaped prisoners is considered a desperate (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) 0 Michigan Police Find Myers’ Auto Sheriff Burl Johnson received a telegraai this morning stating that a car belonging to Tqny Myers of thia city had been recovered by the . Michigan state police near Grand Rapids, Mithigan. The car is in running condition. The car, a 1926 Ford coach was stolen from its parking place in front of the Catholic church U?re on Sunday morning, August 12, while t Mr. Myers was attending services. Lions Club Will Entertain Wives The Decatur Lions Club will entertain their wives and sweet hearts Tuesday night. August 28.! Out of town talent will be procured : for the program and local people : will also take part in the evening’s entertainment for ladies’ night. SCHOOL BOARD OFFICERS SAME No Changes Are Anticipated In City School Board Officials Although the formal election haS not yet taken place, it was an-! nounced today that there would not be any change in the official positions cf the Decautr school board members this year. Dr. Burt Mangold will continue | to serve as president; Ira Fuhrman,: will be the secretary and Mrs. Car-: rie T. Haubold, will be the treasurer. Due to illness, members off : the (board have been unable to hold ! 1 the meeting to ratify the election ! ot the officers. Dr. Mangold began his twelfth ■ vear on the board this August and j ! Mrs. Haubold started her thirteenth ! i year. She was eletted by the city j I council last June to her firtli term. ! Mr. Fuhrman Ibegan the second (year of his first term this month. A meeting of the board will probably be held tonight or the firs'. |of the week at which time the. (teachers contracts will be signed i Contracts with janitors for the different school buildings will also be ! negotiated and plans made for the jciening ot school. V‘.ry few | changes are expected in the teach-, I ing staff.

Price Two Cento

Co-ed Found Slain IW aim / A i Miss Faye New, 19-year-old ■' co-ed of Howard College. Birmingham. Ala., who was found will: her throat slashed after taking 1 an automobile ride with Harold Taylor. Taylor maintains his innocence, but is held for her death. SURVEY SHOWS REPAIR NEEDED Housing Survey Reveals Adams County Farms Need Improvements Washington. Aug. 24. — Farm homes in Adams and Noble counties need more modern conveniences and improvements, a farm housing survey recently completed ; by the U. S. Department of Agriculture reveals. Adams and Noble counties were | two of 10 counties in Indiana where the department conducted conducted the survey. Adams and Noble counties were selected, along with the eight others, because they were regarded as representative of typical farm areas, in order that the results of the surveyed coun- ( ' ties might be projected over the! 1 ! whole state by applying appropriate multiplying factors, officials . of the Department of Agriculture : explained. The data and information obtained in Adams and Noble and 1 the other eight Indiana counties 1 now is being assembled and will ! ibe made public early in September.! 1 The preliminary reports, however, | * reveal that Adams and Noble county farniere are badly in need of J many improvements in their homes and that they are not enjoying many of the modern conveniences , of home life which they should have and which are accepted as | common necessities among the : rank and tile of city dwellers. The data also shows that most I : homes in the farming sections of ( the two counties should have more space. In adequate plumbing and i toilet facilities as well as old fash-' ioned and unsatisfactory heating: plants were found to be the rule. I ! Virtually all of the homes, the sur- [ ! vey shows, are in need of some! 1 form of repairs. Every farm home; i in the counties was visited during e the survey. | f When all of the data gathered l < is completely assembled and sum-i ] marized in workable form, the in-, ] formation will be turned over to ■ v (CONTINUED ON PAGfTfiVE) i o —L Van Wert-Decatur Link On Highway Is Started 1 \ 1 Van Wert O„ Aug. 24— Another < 1 : link of the Benjamin Franklin High- : f way improvement program wa.s be-1 gun Wednesday between Van Wert!’ i and Decatur Indiana when a force:’ lof 30 formerly unemployed men j 1 started work on the 2.44 miles I ’ : stretch four miles west of here. 11 The Lynn Construction Company < of Paulding, 0., was low bidder for! ! the concrete paving to be done on : < 6. S. 224. 1 A concrete job of three miles’ i length was completed cn the high- t way just west of Van Wert a,bout 1 : two weeks ago. The new' work ex- | tends west from the recently com-11 pleted pavement, <

OUTLAW SLAIN BY OFFICIALS AT ST. PAUL Baby Face Nelson And John Hamilton Are Sought By Police TO RETURN BODY TO FORT WAYNE (Copyright. 1934, by UP.) St. Paul, Aug. 24.— ‘U.R’ — The United Press learned that federal agents have established “beyond a doubt” that .John Hamilton, ace machine gunner and lieutenant of Dillinger is dead. His body is hidden in a swamp either between South St. Paul and Hastings. Minnesota, or in Pierce county, Wisconsin, they said. St. Paul, Aug. 26.—<U.RX—A tremendous drive to stamp ! out the last remnants of the John Dillinger gang was launched here today at the scene of the slaying of Homer Van Meter. Elated by the success of an ambuscade in which Van Meter, sleepy-eyed but deadly Dillinger machine gunner. 1 was killed last night, federal agents I and city police hoped to capture j two more henchmen of tlie bold Indiana outlaw. Their quarry was George (Baby Face) Nelson, the gunman who killed a federal agent in escaping from an ambush last spring near Spider Lake, \Vis., and John Ham- , ilton, believed by some to be al- ! ready dead. Almost certainly, they thought, :at least Nelson was somewhere within the net of men and guns spread around the city. Every police agency was thrown into an attempt to rout him into the open. Van Meter's death was a continuation of the disasters wreaked upon the DilliTiger gang by iove ot a pretty face. Maintaining close seclusion in a St. Paul hideout. Van Meter never- : theless found opportunity to go about with a young woman whom police refused to identify. He made a fatal mistake by choosing a girl whose parents notified police. With ! utmost caution they set their trap ami Van Meter walked into it. He was given orders to surrender and was slain only when he fired two shots from his own gun and turned i to flee. Van Meter — sleepy, blue eyed machine gunner who killer! at the drop of a hat —lay on a morgue slab with 27 bullet holes in his i back. He was killed late yesterday in a police ambuscade. Like Dillinger, slain in Chicago just one month and one day ago, "(CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR) HURLS CHARGE AT GOVERNOR Republican Woman Worker Says McNutt Usings Beer License Funds Marion, Ind.. Aug. 24. — (U.R) — Funds from the sale of beer licenses in Indiana are going into the governor’s campaign fund, it was charged at a fifth district Republican rally today by Mrs. Ebon Ijesh. Huntington, active G. O. P. worker. “It is a well known fact," she said, “that in nearly every county ! beer licenses have been sold for : sums far in excess of legal requirement, the excess going into some I mythical pot that has been desig- : nated as the ‘governor's campaign fund.’ “While the people of our state I voted to repeal the 18th amend- ! inent they never voted for such a lawless orgy of uncontrollable and | unrestricted liquor traffic as exists j practically all over the state of In- ' diana.” Other speakers at the rally included Frederick Landis, Logansport. second district congressional [nominee; Sen. Arthur R. Robinson, [ and former Governor William Harding, of lowa. More than 10,000 persons attendling the rally were guests of Grant county Republicans at a barbecue.