Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 36, Number 300, Decatur, Adams County, 21 December 1938 — Page 1

XXXVI. No. 300.

|IL PROPOSAL fl) CONFERENCE I BEING REVISED gentina Discloses Change \t Pan-Amer-ican Conference B, Hobart C. Monte*. (Copy in' l ’ i® 33 hy ' i* l jua Peru I 21. — <U.R) Mtina disclosed to the eighth ■.American conference today a mßla Americana" revising Secvof Stale Cordell Hull s proil for a declaration of continil solidarity. ha d rejected any p ; ng declaration of continen(Ulidariiy ill the face of extratrican aggression, and it was w tood that the Argentine ption had been instructed l Buenos Aires not to alter its ttion. fit Argentine position virtually deadlocked the conference on noat important business and KX t move appeared up to L There were indications he Mt have something to say tofoe proposal, as revised and bej worked out for circulation Lg the delegates, was anCwnetit by Dr. Isidoro Ruiz |reno. leader of the Argentine legation, after a long conference ih Foreign Minister Carlos ( on--lof Peru and Dr. Alfranio de lilo Franco of Brazil, who acted mediators on Hull s proposition. The revisions of the new pronl were not revealed by Ruiz ireno. but he indicated that patina, Peru and Brazil would unit with the representative Rrnments before putting it belt the conference. she revised proposal supersedi compromise which had been ivn up by Peru and Brazil. It eld have bound the 21 Panlerican republics to present a Ited front against aggression by her an American ora non-Am-to nation. It called for united ton also against other activities it as political penetration w hich ght impair the nation instituos of the republics. The implied rejection threatenthe United States policy toward i totalitarian states, although pntina was represented as willIto declare unity of purpose in serving peace among the Amleas. If Argentina should format reject the compromise the iiferenee, with cnly a week to I before adjournment, might fail (approve any declaration. This hmld affect United States presE among the Latin American Butries and please the European Katorships. In this connection vas believed that Hull was preted to accept the Argentine-mtvian-Brazilian re-draft rather •a risk a break in continental Revival Services Are Planned By Churches A series of revival meetings is belt planned by the Union U. 8., ltd the services opening at the Bilshire charge 'Sunday night, Jankf 1. Rev. Alva Barr, pastor of n Salem and Pleasant Mills M. ‘Church, will be the evangelist for * three weeks meeting. Following these meetings, rev;II services will open at the Salem torch, with Rev. Walter Marks 1 'he Union church delivering the ’rmons. Services in each church ® be held every night except hturday at 7:45. • — —■ Q —

El MEN FLAN ANNUAL PARTY Annual Christmas Party Will Be Held Thursday Evening T hp annual Christmas party for len >bers and their families of the ‘ d Men and Pocahontas lodges 111 be held Thursday evening at 'Red Men hall. Jhe program will begin at 7:00 ™ck W j th a pot luck SU pper and Change of gifts. Free treats will B Biven the children and the embers are urged to attend and their families. Each year the two lodges join 11 entertaining the families of “embers and the program is one ' 'he delightful Christmas events 'he season. Mat Breiner, chairman, extenda welcome to all and mentioned 1 special efforts were being , a e to provide a happy time for e mothers and children.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

CITY PURCHASES $25,000 BONDS I City Utilities To Have SIOO,OOO In Bonds , First Os Year Tlie Holthouse administration i will leave the city utilities wltn HllO.OtW in government bonds when Il turns the reins of government over to the new administration on January 1. Last night at the regular meeting i of the council, the mayor and clerkr treasurer were authorized by reso- . lution to purchase $25,000 of U. S. . bonds with electric light funds and - place the purchase to the $75,000 now held and owned l>y the city. I Four years ago the council estah- - lished the bond fund and each year ■ $25,000 bonds has been purchased. 1 At the close of business. Decern- ‘ her IS, the electric light utility has I $80,730.59 in available cash, and 1 from this surplus the purchase cf bonds will be made. Interest from ' the bonds is credited to the depre--1 elation account. ' Mayor A. R. Holthouse submitted ’ a financial statement to the council 3 and recommended that the bonds be purchased in keeping with the policy established in 1535. The bonds the electric and water 1 utilities now own have a greater value than that shown on the bonds. J The bonds were purchased at market value and at one time the purchase price was under face value. The water department owns $5,000 I of bonds. While the state auditors are here ’ j the entries will be made charging , out the city’s loss on accounts in . the old Peoples Loan and Trust I company and the Old Adams Coun- ■ tv Bank. The final payment, in the . latter bank will be made after the first of the year. FILE OBJECTION TO AS SESSMENT I i One Objection Is Filed In Acker Sewer Assessment Samuel Acker filed a written re--1 monstrance against his assessment on the Acker sewer with the coun--1 cil last night and the objection was ■ referred to the street and sewer ’ conunittee, in conjunction with the , city engineer. I The committee will report at the , special meeting of the council to be held December 27. It will be the i final meeting of the present city l i administration. l I It was the only objection filed. . The cost of the sewer, which was ■ built by WPA labor, was approxi- • mately $4 750 for the material. | A contract with Attorney W. H. Eichhorn of Bluffton who has assisted City atorney John L. De ; voss in representing the city m the , ' voss in representing the city in 1 ■ the suits against the city as a result of the auto accident at the Er le tr in was sited by Th© crossing in iwG J ’ council and approved. ‘ A communication from Ralpi ' Roop, city engineer and members E of the council, authorizing the .pay ’ ment of S4BO a year as the engin- ’ eer’s salary from the two untllittes was filled and approved by the ' council. The salary is fixed by ord- ’ ‘"a petition by Clifford P Houk 3 for a rural Ugh’ extension in 1 Madison township. Aden county. [ ! was filed and referred to the board of public works and safety. The council adjourned to December 27. when a r-pecial meeting will be held to allow bills and dispose of unfinished business. MooS Candidat t es Tuesday ' t ,,e regular meeting of Adams lodge 1311 Loyal Order of Moose. . | members are urge dto attend. _ -0 — ‘ _ ♦ * Buys Health Bond J

The American CHRISTMAS SEALS ? jSI I >' J J Help to Protect Your Home from Tuberculosis

Legion has voted purchase of a $5 health bond, W. Guy Brown, chairman of the Christmas Seal drive, announced today. Proceeds from the health bond fund are used to aid in the fight against tuberculosis and to provide milk f° r unde rnourlshed children.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Dedicate New School Building Thursday * - Decatur's new quarter-million dollar junior-senior high school building will be formally dedicated Thursday night, when a program will be held in the auditorium of the building, with Floyd I McMurray, state superintendent of public instruction, as the principal speaker. The above picture is a view of the new school, taken from the Jefferson street side.

DECATUR LIONS ENTERTAIN BOYS Local Service Club Entertains Boys At Christmas Party Nearly 100 young boys of this community were given a preview of Christmas and personally met Santa Chius as the guests of the Decatur Lions club at its annual Christmas party, held Tuesday night in the Knights of Pythias home. The dinner was served by the Pythian Sisters, the boys being the individual guests of the members of the club, who called for the boys and sat with them during the meal. On a green colored stage, decorated with a lighted Christmas tree. Cliff LaDelle, Fort Wayne policeman and magician ajtd a former Decatur man, made dogs appear from boxes and other articles disappear into boxes. He climaxed his iprogram by breaking an egg into Fire Chief Robert Robenold’s hat and pulling from it a number of appropriate Christmas articles instead of the smashed egg. After the magic act, Santa Claus' appeared in person to distribute his gifts. The boys lined up to meet ' him, for receiving their gifts and ■ giving their Christmas order. During the evening Christmas ' songs were led by W. F. Beery until Santa Claus' arrival, when he ! led the boys in two songs which ! nearly “took off the roof.” As a part of the Christmas pro- ' gram. Dr. N. A. Bixler, who pre- ! sided, presented Miss Louise Haubold, pianist so rthe club, with a .gift. Lowell Smith. Scoutmaster of the 1 Lions trooip. was given a high power telescope in reward for his services to the Scouts and because cf his interest in astronomy gained through giving the astronomy merit badge. 1 Recently Scoutmaster Smith and a number of the Scouts, with the assistance of Dr. Bixler, constructed (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT) LEGION PARTY HEBE THURSDAY American Legion To Hold Christmas Party For Kiddies The program for the first annual i American Legion party for kiddies, to be held at the Decatur Catholis high school auditorium Thursday night was announced today. The party, open to children of al! Legionnaires and deceased members. will start at 7:15 o’clock. The time was set earlier than previously announced to permit Legionnaires and their families to attend the dedication program of the new school, after the party. A large Christmas tree will be set up in the auditorium and Santa Claus will appear with a treat for children. Following is the iprogram: At the Race —March By Accorion Band. Welcome — Commander V. J. Bormann. Instrumental Music — Kathleen FryfraCk, Marjorie Miller, Alico Yost. „ ... Recitation — Esther Gould. Evening Shadows — Waltz by Accodion Band, Song — Margine Bauer. Western Shadows — March by Accordion Band. Song — Paul Sauer. Finale —Community Singing led by Paul Saurer. Appearance of Santa Claus.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, December 21, 1938.

Evangelical Church Plans For Services A Christmas worship service will! Ibe held at the First Evangelical church this evening at 7 o’clock. Chrtsimas hymns, the Christmas | story and a Christmas message will J feature the service. The public is I invited to the service. A sjiecial program rendered by the children's division of the Sunday school will be given Sunday morning at 10:10 o’clock. Christmas treats will be given to those who are present. A pageant will be delivered Sunday evening at 7 o'clock by the young people of the church. FATHER, SON UNDER ARREST Accuse Each Other Ot Murder Os Elder Man’s Wife Los Angeles, Dec. 21. —(U.R) —Police put a father and his son in , the same room early today and for more than an hour the son ■ urged the father to confess that he killed his wife, the youth’s mother. The father would not. He accused the son of having killed her , himself, and insisted he knew nothing about the disappearance of his '; wife who had been missing for two weeks. He was a dwarf, less than five feet tall. He readily admitted having had intimate relations with two of his daughters. He was held on a charge of incest. Near the incinerator in the home 1 of William Spinelli. 50, the police had found a collection of bones. ' one of which was said, on medical authority, to belong to a human ' skull. The others were tentatlve- • j ly identified as turkey bones. In a bed room, they found a ■ blood-soaked mattress, a bloodl stained floor, and a hand ax spat- > tered with dark stains. I ■ Police said they were convinced that either Spinelli or %is son, William, Jr., had hacked Mi's. Rose Spinelli to death, dismembered hetbody, and reduced the pieces to ashes in the incinerator. The son was booked on a charge 'of suspicion of murder. He told detectives that his father had forced him to write to_his sister saying their mother had gone to South I America with another man. He wrote another' note, he said, to which was forced his mother’s signature. The sister to whom the notes I were addressed, Mrs. Helen Agu--1111, 25, didn’t believe what they J said and she had her father and r brother arrested. The son’s story, detectives said, i j seemed shaky in parts. First he said his father had dictated the ' letter and later had it rewritten by ' a filling station attendant. Then, i (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) Christmas Greetings Friday The annual Christmas ■j greetings edition of the Decatur Daily Democrat 1 will appear in Friday’s paper. This edition will contain the season’s greetings of the local merchants, professional men and industries. Those who wish greetings and who have not notified this office are rei quested to phone 1.000 not later than Thursday after- | noon

XMAS PARTY IS HELD TUESDAY Annual Cloverleaf Party Is Held Here Tuesday Night Cloverleaf’s annual Christmas party was held Tuesday evening at the Decatur Catholic high school i auditorium, with approximately 400 I people in attendance. Employees of Cloverleaf Creameries, Inc., togeth»r with their families, from Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Huntington, and Decatur were present. C. J. Klepper, Huntington manager, acted as master of ceremonies for the program, whicii began with community singing. A welcome address was then given oy W. A. Klepper. This was followed by a tap dance by Merlene Thcms, and an acrobatic dance by Ann Gass. The Inniger Brothers from Berne entertained with a number of songs and Swiss yodeling. An Irish dance was given by Marlene Thoms and Ann Gass, followed by a heading by Janet Bailey. The Okuly family from Huntington entertaiued with several instrumental numbers, followed by community sUig'ng. Mrs. , William Gass accompanied 'he mus- ; ical numbers. While “Jingle Bells” was being sung. Santa Claus made his appearance and presented a gift candy and balloons to each child. Gifts from employees were also present- ; ed to W. A. Klepper, C. J. Klepper, I and various department supervisors .A Christmas check, together with a booklet, “Kllftwood Gardens’,, written by J. L. Kraft, President of Kraft-Phenix Cheese Corp, was then persented to every employee' of Cloverleaf. The remainder of the evening was spent in dancing to music of Ted Mann’s orchestra. W. A. Klepper, in his address, expressed his appreciation to J. L. Kraft for authority to present the Christmas checks. Mr. Klepper statled that he felt 1939 would bring a brighter outlook than past years. (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT) o —————— VIOLENT GALES SWEEP EUROPE Much Suffering Caused As Severe Cold Wave Continues I London, Dec. 21.—(U.R)—Deaths and widespread privation continued today as all Europe suffered from the fourth day of bitter ■ cold weather. : Violent gales swept the Black ■ Sea, the Baltic and North Sea and temperatures remained below zero in sections of England, France and Germany. Great Britain counted 39 dead, France 23, Rumania 11, Czechoslovakia three and Hungary two. Seventy persons were reported frozen to death in the Lodz area of Poland. On the Polish-German border, where German-Jewish refugees are living in improvised shelters, at least ten persons were dead. In Berlin, the cold wave caused a run on coal yard reserves resulting in a temporary shortage in the retail supply. In Paris, the weather bureau announced that the temperatures would be slightly higher today. A light snow fell in Paris. Heavy snow drifts paralyzed transportation in Saone Et Loire department. The heaviest snowfalls in a generation were reported near Cherbourg, blocking all traffic and hampering telephone and tele(CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT)

,New High School Building To Be Formally Dedicated Here Thursday; Plan Inspection

POLAND DENIES UKRAINIA PLEA FOR AUTONOMY Reject Proposal; Hitler Demands Halt On Boycott Warsaw. Poland. Dee. 21-<U.R> —The government today notified the Vkranian deputies in parliament th.'t their request Jor coni sideration of a proposal for I Ukrainian autonomy had been reject >d In rejecting the Ukrainian j autonomy resolution, the government spokesman pointed out that | the autonomy demand involved a I change in the constitution which requires signatures of one-fourth of > ie members of parliament before it can be considered. The Ukrainians, who have only 16 members, admitted they could not get the necessary 52 signatures. Meanwhile, they submitted a written question asking the government whether it is known that clasnes occurred between Ukrainians and Poles in southeastern Poland in October and November. The question asserted that police intervened. wounding several Ukrainians. The Ukrainian agitation had (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) CHRIS BOKNECHT TAKEN BY DEATH l ■ - Prominent Decatur Man Dies This Morning At Hospital Christian W. Boknecht, 72, life- • long resident of Adams county and i well known Decatur man, died this .'morning at 5:05 o’clock at the Adams county memorial hospital. i Death was attributed to tetanus, following a hip and leg injury suffered last Friday in a fall at his ■ home. He was taken to the hospli tai last evening. > ’ The deceased was born in Adams i county April 6, 1866, the son of Mr. ( and Mrs. Frederick Boknecht. Ws wife, Anna Franz-Bokneclit. preced- . ed him in death in 1934. Mr. BokJnecht was a charter member of the .' first Zion Lutherajr church in the ■ city of Decatur. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. | Clara Schultz of Akron, Ohio and Mrs. Marie Ellis of Cassapolis. Michigan and a son, Edwin F. Boknecht, of this city. A brother, Louis, of Mott. North Dakota; a sister, Mrs. Fred Shearer of Allen county, three grandchildren and one great grandchild survive. Funeral services will be held Fri(CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) 1 Walther Leaguers To Present Play “DOWN ON ABBIE'S FARM” is 1 the title of a farce in three acts ' i to be given by the Walther League •iof St. Paul’s Lutheran church of ■ i Preble, Thursday and Friday nights ■ December 29 and 30. .' —o 1 Decatur Man’s Mother J Buried This Afternoon Funeral services were held this ' . afternoon for Mrs. Mary Ann Hake. 88, of Hoagland, mother of Clifford I Ha'ke of Decatur, who died Monc day at the Allen county infirmary ! hospital. Surviving are the son in . this city, another son, Lee, of Hoag--1 iand, and a daughter, Mrs. Anna j Adair, also of Hoagland. —o — I TEMPERATURE READINGS ! democrat thermometer 8:00 a. J 10:00 a. 30 i Noon 33 I 2:00 p.m 32 3:00 p. m 3 1 1 WEATHER r Generally fair tonight and 1 Thursday; colder tonight ex- • cept in extreme southwest portion. I

MORE RACKETS ! ENGAGED IN BY MCKESSON FIRM Attorney Asserts Swindle ( Gang Involved Even 1 In Murder x i New York, Dec. 21 <U.R>-Par-ticipants in the frauds which 1 mulcted McKesson & Robbins, inc., of millions oi dollars "wont even so far as to commit murder,” 1 assistant attorney general Brien McMaho:., who is in charge of the manifold federal investigation, asserted today. McMahon said the investigation into the activities of Philip Musics, swindling ex-convict, who as F. Donald Coster masqueraded his way into control of the SB6.- 1 000,000 drug firm, had extended to murder cases in Brooklyn. “There was something more than a mere business fraud — it was a fraud involving many other rackets and it involved illicit narcotic importations and sales, rum frauds liquor tax evasions and the participants went so far as to even commit murder,” McMahon said. Simultaneously Brooklyn police also reopened the unsolved cases of the slayings of Joseph Cohen and Bar ley Cohen, wealthy poultry dealers. Musica-Coster had arranged perjured testimony against Joseph Cohen at his trial in 1914 for the slaying of Barnett Bass, poultry racketeer. The Cohen brothers were killed I in 1932. Joseph was shot down in | the doorway of his home in Flatbush. His brother was killed about one month later in Jamaica. Police speculated on the possibility that the victims might have threatened to expose Musica-Cos-ter, who by then was well established in his new role as a respected financier. Musica-Coster came in contact with the Cohen brothers in 1913 while he was being held for trial in connection with a human hair swindle. Subsequently Musica became a stool pigeon for the district attorney’s office and uncovered "evidence” which was used against Joseph Cohen. Police Inspector Michael F. McDermott, head of the Brooklyn detective bureau, announced that he planned to talk with relatives of the two brothers and may also attempt to question the surviving Musica brothers. Local Man’s Brother Dies In Wisconsin Rev. Herman Thoms, 32, brother of George Thoms of this city, died Monday at his home in Berlin, Wis- , consin. Funeral services will bo held Friday afternoon at Clinton, : Icwa. o CIO TO FIGHT FOR LABOR ACT Would Compel Contractors To Obey Wagner Labor Law i Washington, Dec. 21 —(UP) President John L. Lewis of the congress of Industrial organizations I I announced today that the CIO'S No. j II legislative objective in the new | ,! congress will be a Bill to compel I i government contractors to obey the l Wagner Labor Relations law. The announcement served notice' ’ i that the CIO still is determinedly behind the measure, killed in the I last session, to make W’agner Act compliance a prerequisite for any I I government contract. Lewis went personally to the office ot speaker of the house Bankhead, D., Ala., in closing days of the last session in an attempt to force passage of the bill, but failed. “This measure will force large corporations such as Bethlehem steel, Electric Boat and Douglas Aircraft and many others profiting from fat government contracts to obey the law, and will applv to any loan, subsidy or license or purchase of gold and silver by the government,” Lewis said. In contrast to the program of (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE)

Price Two Cents.

State Superintendent Os Public Instruction To Head Speakers For Dedication. AT 8:00 P. M. For the first time since il was completed In late October, the new quarter-million dollar Decatur junior-senior high school is to he thrown open to the inspection of the general public Thursday night. The modern structure is to be dedicated tomorrow in appropriate ceremonies, starting at 8 o’clock. The program will be held in the school’s gymnasium-auditorium. A list of prominent speakers Cor the occasion will be headed by Floyd 1.. McMurray, state superintendent of public instruction and Mayor Arthur R. Holthouse. Approximately 600 persons may be accompanied in chair seats on the gymnasium floor, while more than 1,200 seats are available In the stad<um seats surrounding the floor. The ptogram will be opened at 8 o'clock with the singing of the national anthem. Rev. C. M. Prugh W’ll deliver the invocation, followed by the Decatur high school hand playing "Stars and Stripes Forever.” Ira B. Fuhrman, president of the Decatur city school board, will deliver the address of welcome in behalf of that board. "Dream Realized”—Mayor “Our Community’s Dream Realized" will be the theme of the address to be given by Mayor Arthur R. Holthouse, who will speak in behalf of the city. The high school glee club will present a short musical program, following the address of R. Earl Peters, state administrator of the FHA. Mr. McMurray’s address will be followed by that nt W Gny Brown, principal of the school, who has chosen “Appreciation to the Community” as his topic. Superintendent Walter J. Krick will introduce the prominent guests and notables in attendance. The program will be closed with the singing of America. Band selections will be In charge of Albert SeUemeyer. Decatur band instructor, and choral numbers, will be directed by Miss Helen Haubold. supervisor of music in the public schools. Tour Follows Program Following the program the public will be escorted on tours of inspection through the new building. Members of the faculty will serve as guides. The program is expected to cover about one hour, with the remainder of the evening devoted to inspecting and visiting the school. Members of firms in charge of construction, representatives of the PWA, school leaders and enthusiasts from neighboring communities and other prominent persons from this vicinity are expected to attend. The entire program will be presented from the laige stage in the auditorh’.n - gymnasium through the facilities of the school’s public address system. Superintendent Krick will act as chairman of the program and will be assisted by Principal (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT) | Good Fellows Club Previous total $263.82 Mr. and Mrs. Henry Meyer 1.00 ! Loyal Order of Moose 10.00 Frank Barthel 1.00 Friends 518 B. P. O. Elks — 25.00 Kathleen Smith JOO , Knights cf Columbus 500 j Total — — $310.00 , With contributions considerably I less tnan last year, no more fami--1 lies can be cared for by the club than already contacted and no more names will be accepted.

BUY CHRISTMAS SEALS