Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 35, Number 158, Decatur, Adams County, 6 July 1937 — Page 1

/01. XXXV. No. 158.

)ne Killed Near Decatur Sunday; Several Injured ■■ 11. ! I f .■-1 I- «——— — '

lexandria Man Dies This Morning Os Injuries In Auto Crash; Wife Is p Feared Dying. OTHERS INJURED a— i One dead, one dying, three sertsly hurt and seven leas seriousinjured that was the accident 1 today in this community, re- ) Iting from the heavy traffic | er the two-day celebration of i ly the Fourth. / Four accidents, two of less seris nature, extracted the toll. Dead: J. W. Davis. 77, of Alexandria, -ath occurred at 9:15 o'clock Is morning at the Adams county jmorial hospital, resulting from ' F ock and uremia. He also bus'or- ined a compound fracture of the jht leg in the accident Sunday ternoon. Seriously Injured: Mrs. J. W. Davis, aged about 70. s wife, is reported dying in the 'tajams county memorial hospital jjom shock, a fractured left thigh, p actured right arm and fractured *‘ft collar bone. Pneumonia has so developed, it is thought. The ■•tending physician has given her a few hours to live. fc Mrs Ralph Cain. 21. Middle Ohio, sustained a fractured dvis and other severe injuries uL er condition, described last night 71 critical, was thought a little im- * >ved today, according to the Blending physician. y Ralph “Lefty" Braun. 24. well B Vtown minor league baseball play t’r and former Berne high school Mar athlete is in a serious condiBon at the hospital. The attendig physician stated at a late hour •day that he suffered a fractured \ lelvis and other severe injuries r, (is condition remains serious. V Carl Sprunger, 25, teammate of >:rsuu, is also at the hospital in a Merlons condition. A slight change B>r the better has been noted in ■ is condition, although still sei »us. He sustained internal chest tjuries and an injured shoulder lelther of the boys could be Xayed until a late hour today be(CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) COMBINED BAND ; PLANS CONCERT Joys And Girls Band To Present Concert Wednesday Night The first public concert of the | iew combined boys' and girls’ I land, numbering approximately 75 ncrabers. will be given Wed.teslay night at 8:30 o'clock on the oiirt bouse band stand in the Mourth of a series of free concerts sponsored by the Decatur Junior Chamber of Commerce. At 8:15 o’clock, the program will ie opened with a 15 minute concert by the United Brethren hurch orchestra. The program foi his has not yet been announced »y Bernie Franklin, the director mown musical organizations in of he orchestra is one of the best Shis area. •The combined Decatur boys' and girls' band will play selections t rom Bennet, Albert Sellemeyer, • he director, has announced. ' On the Initial program will be: >| March, “Activity” ! March, “Mutual" Serenade, "Idle Fancy” March, “Normal” * March. “Safety” • Overture, “Zenith” ~ I March. “Military Escort" , March, J Tndian Boy" ' (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) (Slight Injuries Are Caused By Fireworks , WBBBKnrely exploding firecracki ers and noisemakers resulted in several Injuries here over the holiday. Phyllis Hoagland, local girl, ■ ustained a painful burn on her left shoulder land an injury to her left ear from a firecracker tossed by a fellow celebrant. When a pinwheel in one hand caught -fir-' from another, already hghtedMpaul H. Briede sustained a baud When Ernest Worthman’s ♦ttention was drawn from a “cracker' te was lighting, the thing exploded burning his hand. Herb I ‘-•oaeheiand Jack Reed were others *0 sustain burns from handling the

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

FORD WORKERS FACE CHARGE AFTER ATTACK „| . I ..—l— — 16 Warrants Issued Following Probe Os Wagner Act Violation Detroit, July 6.—(U.R) —Common Pleas Judge Ralph W. Liddy, who sat as a one-man grand jury investigating the Ford riot of May I 26, today issued 16 warrants charging assault against company employes. Issuance of the warrants came | as the Ford company appeared before the national labor relations board on charges of violating the I Wagner act. The warrants named nine Ford ‘ employes, the company itself, and six were issued in iTe some of "John Doe.” Each was charged with "assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than the crime of murder.” Named were Everett Moore, head of the Ford service department; Angelo Caruso, Worshon Sarkisian, a professional wrestler; Charles Goodman, Ooscar Jones, negro tighter; Samuel Taylor, Wilfred Comment. Theodore Gries, wrestling referee, and Russell Edick. The warrants were signed by Judge Liddy upon recommendation ( of Wayne county prosecutor Dun-, can C. McCrea. McCreat had re- ! quested Judge Liddy to sit as the one man grand jury inquiring into the Ford riots in which 15 members of the United Automobile Workers were injured when they sought to distribute literature at the Ford plum. — — - Reverse Ruling Chicago, July 6. —(U.R) —The national labor relations board today; reversed the ruling of its trial ex-; aminer and ordered that Inland Steel company should be furnished a transcript of all “off the record" proceedings in the nation's first test of whether the Wagner act requires a written contract. Chief trial examiner Benedict Wolf telegraphed from Washington to Inland s chief counsel, Em- ' est S. Ballard: “I am instructing the Inland trial examiner (Charles A. Wood) to permit an official reported to make a full stenographic report of all ’off the record' proceedings for use of the respondent, these matters not to be considered part of the official transcript.” Wood announced at opening of the hearing that he had received the instructions, granting a petition telegraphed directly to the board at Washington Saturday as- 1 ter the Inlana counsel had walked out of the hearing in a huff. Wood Saturday had a stenograph-1 er engaged by Inland forcibly ejected from the courtroom when (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) 0 PATIENTS AGAIN CROWD HOSPITAL Adams County Memorial Hospital’s Facilities Taxed Miss Elizabeth Pitman, superintendent of the Adams county memorial hospital, reported today that, the institution Is again filled almost to capacity. A total of 37 patients are confined in the hospital at present. The ' i number was swelled considerably' over the holiday, when five were ' admitted for treatment sustained in an auto accident and eight for other i treatment. The sun room and all vacant i spaces have been utilized, Miss Pit- i man stated, to take care of the pa- i tlents received. Nurses, physicians ' and surgeons, and all hospital attaches are being worked overtime, i Some inconvenience was report- i ed to the more seriously 111 patients I over the Fourth of July holiday, I when youngsters failed to heed the i warning of local authorities and i proceeded to set off fireworks in i the vicinity of the hoapital. j 1 Most of the pranksters took warn- ’ Ing, however, and refrained from < creating much disturbance in the ; vicinity. j1

HOLIDAY DEATH 1 TOLL IS LEAST IN MANY YEARS “Safest A n <1 Sanest” Fourth Os July In Years Is Recorded (By United Press) The "safest and sanest” Indepertuence Day celebration in years , was recorded today on police and coroner's records. A nationwide United Press sur- ' vey showed 615 violent deaths during the three-day celebration. The toll was expected to approach 650 1 with deaths of many of those injured, and with tiling of reports, from outlying districts. National ’ safety council statisticians had an- | ticipated 900 deaths, on basis of' 19'36 figures. A comparison showed: Predict- Ac- ■ dieted tual Drownings . 300 152 j Traffic 500 319 I Fireworks 75 5 Miscellaneous 139 Coroner and police officials said traffic, health and fireworks tarn- | paigns, through newspapers, were responsible for most of the reduc- | tion. Rainy weather which dampened celebrations in some sections of the country, reduced highway traffic, and discourage dswimming and boating, aided. Greatest single tragedies were in Texas and Florida. Five persons drowned when a fishing boat overturned in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast. Three men were killed and six injured in a Jefferson. Texas, oil test well explosion. More than 1.000 were injured in fireworks accidents, but only four died Immediately — one each in , Ohio, Rhode Island. Massachusetts, and near Washington. D. C. PoisI on and infections threatened lives ; of numerous of those injured, howi ever. The safety council estimated 20,000.000 automobiles crowded onto (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) SCOUTS,CUBS' MEET WEEKLY All Boy Scouts, Cubs Meet Wednesday At Hanna-Nuttnian Park A call was Issued today to all Boy Scouts and cubs to attend weekly Wednesday afternoon sessions at the cabins in Hanna Nuttman park, where arrangements have been made to entertain the Scouters. Sylvester Everhart, scout commissioner, stated today that sessions will be held each Wednesday afternoon throughout the summer; months at the park. Bail games, contests and scouting activities will be features of ' the sessions. All boys are asked l i to bring food for luncheons along. ' Arrangements are being made | I for overnight camping for Scouts at the park. The first of the sess- 1 ions was held last Wednesday with ) an enthusiastic group in attendance. The sessions will be held each Wednesday afternoon at 1 o’clock. Scouts are to go immediately to the camp site. Plans are also being made for the camp at Rome City. All Scouts desiring to at-| tend are asked to see Mr. Everhart as early as possible. Mr. Everhart stated today that a table is still needed at the camp site. Anyone having a table for donation to the project is asked to call Mr. Everhart. o Roosevelt And Wheeler Confer On Court Bill Washington, July 6 —(UP)—President Roosevelt and Sen. Burton K. Wheeler, D., Montana, who leads • the opposition to reorganization of • the supreme court, decided today • in a White House conference to fight the issue out to a finish as senate leaders brought the adminis- ; tration bill up in a storm of debate l in which justices were charged with ] "usurping the power of the people.” < Wheeler and the President met in 1 a surprise conference, apparently I through the mediation efforts of i Sen. Homer T. Bone, D., Washing- i ton. Wheeler associates in the anti- i reorganization said Wheeler went s to the White House at the invitaton first of Bone and later on the t personal invitation of the president. < The Montana senator returned to 1 Capitol Hill to report to his collea- I gues, that “we went round and i round on the whole iproposition.” 1 1

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Guard Girls’ Killer Against Lynching IK i rt S SEM- fl %iI ♦ I —J j .. 1 I 10 ’ iifif if B' I I I I kII I I MI ■ 4 I nimiiiurfii—NMl

While an angry citizenry muttered lynching threats, Albert Dyer, shown above in cell, was kept under heavy guard following his purported confession ot the slaying of three little girls near Los Angeles, Cal., June 26. Dyer, a crossing guard, admitted the crimes after an all-day grilling, a district attorney announced.

BO6MEIBERS DIES MONDAY Former Bank Cashier Dies Monday After Extended Illness Robert E. Meibers. 42. World War veteran and former cashier of the Old Adams County Bank, died at s:4o_j)_ in. Monday .at Walter Hines Memorial hospital, near Chicago, following an extended illness. Mr. Meibers suffered a breakdown in health several months ago. He was a patient in a Fort Wayne hospital and was admitted to the Hines Memorial hospital several weeks ago. Born in Decatur. March 14. 1895. a son of C. L and Mae Meibers. deceased, Mr. Meibers was a member of one of the oldest families in the city. He was graduated from St. Jos | eph's Catholic schools and spent his life here. Previous to and following the World War he was employed at the Old Adams County Bank and was promoted to assistant cashier and then cashier. He enlisted in the army and served several months overseas ; with the American Expedition forces, returning to this city and l resuming his position in the bank. Recently Mr. Meibers was emI ployed in the finance division of the works progress administration lin Fort Wayne. The deceased was > I a member of the Knights of Co- ■ lumbus and B. P. O. Elks. The body will arrive in Decatur this afternoon and will be met by the Zwick and Son ambulance and i (■CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) O WEATHER Fair tonight and Wednesday somewhat warmer tonight except extreme southwest; warmer Wednesday.

Former Resident Tells Value Os Reading Democrat Daily

The unequalled value of a home paper and the way it becomes endeared to a former resident, who is more than a thousand miles away from hie former home, was amply described Saturday by W. G. Bleeke, of Walburg, Texas, when he stopped at the local office for a chat. Living but a few miles from Austin, capital city of the Lone Star state, Mr. Blee'ke depends upon the regular issues of the Decatur Daily Democrat to keep him informed each day of the happenings in his native city, county and stateIt was the Democrat, which first reached his home with the news of an accident to his brother, Gerhard,; when the local young man lost the ( sight of his eyes at a local factory. ■ He watches with interest all of ■ the events occurring in his home I county through the pages of the ( Democrat especially those in “the, Bleeke settlement,” his native community. The Centennial edition, ! publieed last August by the Dem-1

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, July 6, 1937.

Sale Os Church Is Closed Today The sale of the Pleasant Valley Friends church, eight miles south I of Decatur, was closed this afternoon at the Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends at Richmond. The Indiana conference of the Wesleyan Methodist were the purchasers. The church will be opened for services Sunday. July 11. The Rev. Grant Whitenack, of Portland, will serve as pastor. o TRUSTEES MEET THIS MORNING Trustees Discuss New Law Regarding Canadian Thistles A new act of state assembly, which makes it mandatory for sari mers to eradicate Canadian thistles, was discussed by the 12 township trustees who held their monthly meeting in the office of county superintendent of schools Clifton EStriker this morning. The law, found in the acts of 1937, chapter 140, page 793, requires township trustees to notify property owners of Canadian Thistles growing on their farms. Work must be completed within three days after the receipt of the notice from the trustee, or the trustee is compelled i to order the eradication and the' costs charged against the property owner as a lien aganst his land. Eradication may be done by cutting the plants down, or with chemicals. It was also announced today that all ditches must be cleaned and mowed before September 1. Transfer statements for the school year of 1936-37 were distributed and the amount owing each ON PAGE THREE)

> ocrat, is tucked away for future ref- -' erence, its pages already soiled s from frequent handling, he stated. ' ’ Mr. Bleeke, a teacher in the Luth-1 ' 1 eran school system there, a position ' .: which he first accepted seven years - ago after graduating from college, j related many interesting compari- ■ sons between the largest state in ■jthe Union and the home of the . Hoosiers. ■I When he, with his wife, daughter ■ 'Helen and Mrs. Bleeke’s mother, i Mrs. E. Keim, left Texas it was 194 degrees in the shade and still going up, he said. Rain there is scarce this year—in constrast to the almost i daily downpours here. Walburg is located in the heart of a rich agrit cultural section, rivalling that of Adams county, he stated. The Texas residents plan to spend ( about six weeks visiting with Mr. Eleeke's parents, Mr. and MrsTheodore Bleeke, east of the city, 1 ! and other relatives before starting lon the 1,300 mile journey home.

Search Still Continues For i Amelia Earhart; Signals Are Reported By Radio Amateur

TOWNSEND AND STEEL LEADERS IN CONFERENCE % One Point Unsettled; Roosevelt Intervention Sought Indianapolis, July 6 ~dj.R)—Only ! one point is unsettled in a prosI pective agreement over ending the I strike at Youngstown Sheet and Tube company’s East Chicago plant, it was indicated today after a two-hour conference between Gov. M. Clifford Townsend and four Youngstown officials. The conference will be resumed at two ■ o’clock this afternoon (CST> after which there may be a statement. Those who conferred with the governor were J. E. Daly, manager of Youngstown’s East Chicago plant; J. C. Argetsinger. vice- . president and general counsel for the company; R. M. Welch, assistant to the president; and George Zink, secretary to Daly. Townsend's aides in the conferI ence were Thomas Hutson, state labor commissioner, and Arthur Viat, state labor department conciliator. Neither side had anything to say about the progress of the negotiations and steel men were absoI lutely silent. From the governor's staff, however, it was learned that discussion had settled upon one point entirely separate from any , of the three included in the agree- • ■ tnent reached last week to set.le the strike at the Inland Steel coml pany. Shortly before today’s parley reI cessed, the governor and his aides left the steel officials alone in the ♦"jfovernoPs office briefly, during which time it was understood tht y wrote telegrams and placed teleI phone calls. Ask Intervention (Copyright 19’37 by United Press) I Washington. July 6 — (U.R) i President Roosevelt has been aski ed to intervene in an attempt to I settle the dispute between the i American Federation of Labor and I the committee for industrial organi ization, it was learned today from usually reliable sources. A formula has been laid before i the chief executive in the hope it I may be used to reunite the more than 5,000.000 members of the two organizations. Prepared by a senator closely identified with the labor movement. the formula has been kept secret. Neither William Green, federation president, nor 'John L. ' Lewis. C. I. O. chairman, has been (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) o REVIEW BOARD FINISHES WORK County Board Os Tax Review Ends Annual Session Saturday The county board of tax review concluded its annual session Saturday afternoon with the fewest number of complaints on records in ,e---cent years. Although four persona appeared before the hoard, only one could be considered. Two were on real estate assessments, for which the time exipired in February for the I filing of objections. One was due to the assessment of property in I two townships. County Assessor Ernest Worthman today was tabulating the bookts of the township assessors as approved by the board, to make cpmparisons with previous years. Members of the board this year were: County Assessor Worthman president; County Auditor John W» Tyndall, clerk; County Treasurer; Jeff Liechty; Frank Heiman, Monroe township, Democratic member; Benjamin R. Farlow, Geneva, Republican member. The board each year checks the books of the township assessors and eqqualizes assessments. Where personal (property Is believed assessed too high, the board will hear complaints. Last year eight abjections were filed. The board reported a large increase in the total assessment of | the county this year.

HUGETHRONG AT FIREWORKS Legion Fireworks Display Draws Crowd To Decatur Monday A veritable mass of spectators thronged their way to the HannaNuttman park Monday night to witness the fireworks display, sponsored by Adams Post No. 43. American Legion. The display, a climax to a twoday holiday in commemoration of the 161st signing of the Declaration of Independence, brought an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 persons to the park. Approximately 1,000 cars jammed their way into Nuttman avenue, Washington street and each one of the intersecting roads through the Homewood addition. Hundreds were unable to get close enough to the display to witness the ground works. Others were unwilling to drive their cars into the dense traffic occasioned by the crowds. Members of the Legion committee in charge made the estimates on crowds and autos. The display was described as one of the most colorful and brilliant ever to be held by the Legion in celebration of the event. Booming rockets of all colors, ground works of stars, the American flag. Niagara Falls and others combined into forming the brilliant spectacle. Scores of foreign license plates were seen among the autos visiting the display. Traffic at the park site and adjoining roads was efficiently handled despite the large number, by members of the (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) . O RED MEN WILL MEET SATURDAY Tri-State Convention Os Red Men To Be Held Here Saturday The city of Decatur will, for the second time within a week, be host to a large crowd of persons, when they entertain members of the Improved Order of Red Men from three states next Saturday. Estimated on the number of delegates who will attend from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, range from 400 to 700, local and tri-state officials (proclaim. Opening at 9 o'clock in the morning with registration in the Rice hotel, the entire day will be taken up with special features, climaxed in the evening with a busines session for members only at the Decatur Catholic high school auditorium. At 6:30 o’clock in the evening a street trail, well remembered from I last year’s session in the city, will be held on the streets of Decatur. Scores of prominent Red Men officials will be in attendance at the convention and take part in the activities. Local members, under the chairmanship of J. M. Breiner, will meet this week for the last time before the trf-state session to close plans for the convention. A much larger and more enthusiastic meet is predicted for Saturday than was held •i erft last year, with the members of the Pocahontas orders in many cities expected to swell the crowd considerably. Ed Parent Rites Held This Morning Funeral services were held at the St. Mary's Catholic church in Fort Wayne this morning for Edward E. Parent, 55, former Decatur resident, who died suddenly of coronary occlusion Saturday morning while fishing at Ridiuger lake. Burial was made at Fort Wayne. | o Claims Are Allowed By Commissioners Claims were allowed by the county commissioners this morning for expenses of the county daring the month of June. Late this afternoon contracts were let for supplies for the county infirmary a for three months period. Contracts will also be let today for a new roof, re-wiring and other improvements at the county jail.

Price Two Cents.

Coast Guard Officials Deny Rumors Vessel Has Sighted Plane Os Noted Aviatrix. HEAR SIGNALS San Francisco, July 6 — (UJ?) — Charles McGill, Oakland radio amateur, reported today that he picked up al 6:35 a. m. (PST) a faded voice message on the band of Amelia Earhart’s missing plane saying: “NRUI — KHAQQ. KHAQQ — SOS, SOS, SOS — KHAQQ. "281 North Howland. "Cannot hold out much longer. “Drifting slowly northwest. "We above water. Motor sinking in water. Very wet.” Miss Earhart's husband. George Putnam, said he placed "fair credence" in the authenticity of the message McGill pickets up. Coast guard headquarters were skeptical. Coast guard officials denied rumors that the minesweeper Swan had sighted the plane in which Miss Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were forced down out of fuel after overshooting Howland Island Friday on their flight from Lae, New Guinea. They likewise said "there was nothing" to a report that the cutter Saranac at Galveston had intercepted a radio message from the cutter Itasca saying the Itasca had sighted the plane. The Itasca is in the Howland area—one of 15 coast guard and naval vessels searching for the missing fliers. McGill said this morning's message was in a faint voice. He was unable to say whether it was a man's voice or a woman's voice. “It was too faint and came widely interspersed over the carrier of 31.05, one of Miss Earhart's band*” •McGill said Saturday's messago . was in Miss Earhart's voice. “She said SOS four times followed by the call letters of,her pIane—KHAQQ,” he added. “Then she repeated SOS twice followed by KHAQQ. "Then she said ‘Fred Noonan taking over.' “Her voice stopped and it was immediately followed by code.” The code message, McGill said, was as follows: “225 north northwest of Howland. Battery very weak.” “Can’t last long. "Flares all wet." "BAKS." McGill was unable to explain the meaning of the letters “BAKS." New Hope Honolulu. T. H„ July 6—(U.R)— Faint carrier wave signals, believed from the sending set" of Amelia Earhart, brought new hope today for the rescue of the woman flier and her navigator, Fred J. Noonan, although they were almost four days overdue at Howland Island on a projected | (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) CONFESSES TO KILLING GIRLS WPA Worker Admits Killing, Ravishing Three Girls Los Anf,*iWss July 6. — (U.R) —Albert Dyer, win confessed the murder and ravishment of three small Inglewood girls, today offered to swap a guilty plea for a job in the prison barbershop in an effort to escape the gallows or lethal gas chamber. "If I plead guilty they can only give me life and I can do barbering work in prison,” the 32-year-old relief worker said after making a new and more complete confession. District Attorney Burton Fitts said he would place the case before the grand jury tomorrow and ask an early trial. “I will ask a first-degree murder indictment and demand the death penalty,” said Fitts. “There will be no trading.” In his new confession Dyer told of kneeling by the bodies of his victims and offering up a prayer. “I knelt down by each one—one by one—and prayed.” He prayed in the order in which, he killed and ravisheff the girls. “I said: ‘Oh Lord forgive my I (CONTINUE©, ON PAGE FIVE).