Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 37, Number 20, Decatur, Adams County, 24 January 1939 — Page 1

Jtoer House Votes Wun Proposal To J Hear Stephenson

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DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

SURVIVORS SAY NO WARNINB OF LANDING GIVEN Passengers Os Crashed Flying Boat Tell Os Tragedy New York, Jan. 24.— (U.R) The passengers of the lost British flying boat Cavalier reported today that they had had no wanting of an impending serious accident and jbad not received lite preserves un i til the plane had hit the sea and water was gushing in through its broken floor. The four tnen of the Cavalier's crew who survived were closeI Upped as to the cause of the accident which killed three of the 13 persons aboard and flung the othI er 10 into the Atlantic 300 miles; front the nearest land, where they I drifted for 10 hours before picked ' up by the tanker Esso Baytown. Hut Captain Neil Richardson, first i officer of the $200,000 Imperial airways craft, said he had ordered ! the stewards to distribute life preservers before the crash. The adio log of the Cavalier while it I was fighting to stay in the aitshowed that the crew had been aware of impending disaster for ; almost an hour before it overtook the plane. Today began the investigation into the disaster. Captain M. R. Alderson, master of the Cavalier, and his crew were to be questioned by Captain G. C. Pirie, air attache of the British embassy, and (CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR) LOUIS SEVERIN TAKES OWN LIFE Prominent Bluffton Physician Commits Suicide Monday Dr. Louis Severin. 68, prominent Bluffton physician, and well known to many Decatur residents, took his own life in his office in that city late Monday afternoon by shooting himself in the right temple with a .32 calibre rifle. His body was found by his wife when he failed to answer calls by a patient at his office, which is located adjacent to his residence. Members of the family stated he j had been despondent over ill health for some time. Dr. Severin had practiced medicine in Bluffton for 40 yea’rs, with the exception of one year when he was located at Preble. He served as city and county health officer Tor nine years. Dr. Severin is survived by the widow, formerly Carrie Plessinger, and one daughter, Martha C. Severin, at Jtorne. The deceased was a member of the First Baptist church, the Bluff ton Rotary club, Masonic lodge, Elks lodge, and Knights of Maccabees. Funeral services will be held a' the Thoma funeral home in Bluffton Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock. o Hear Petitions For Extension Os Lines Hearings of the petitions for individual rural light line extensions m Madison township, Allen county and in Root and Preble townships, Adams county, filed by ths City of Decatur, were held this afternoon bv the Indiana public service commission Indianapolis. M. J. Mylott, superintendent of the city light and power plant, Forrest Elzey, mavor. and other city officials attended the hearing. The petitions were filed last month. Lewis Habegger Is Slowly Improving Lewis Habegger. of Berne, who has been critically ill at the Lutheran hospital in Fort Wayne for days. Buffering from a kidney aili ruent, is reported steadily improv- ' ing. He is not completely out of dandanger. however, hosiptal attaches reported. He is still in an oxygen I tent.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Dramatic Rescue at Sea Told by Plane Survivors

I t ■ I I I ' 7 • liniaisr,- * . ■’••kA.. View of the ill fated Cavalier on a previous flight

QUINCY RITTER DIES SUDDENLY Decatur Man Dies Monday Afternoon Os Sudden Heart Attack Quincy Orlando Ritter, 55, well known local resident, died suddenly Monday afternoon of a heart attack. The deceased was born in Willshire, Ohio, the son of Albert and Elva "Ritter on June 20, 18*3? His wife, Elva, preceded him in death 19 years ago. Surviving are the following children: Audrey and Donald, all at home; the following brothers and sisters. John. Richard and James, all of Sturgis, Michigan and Mrs. Addie Kelpper of Van Wert, O„ His mother also lives at Sturgis. He had spent his entire life in or near this city, residing at 1167 Eleventh street at time of his death. Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the residence with the Rev. Elmer Young of Van Wert, Ohio assisted by the Rev. Glen Marshall officiating. Burial will ba in the Decatur cemetery. The body will be returned to the residence today from the Gillig & Doan fttneral home and may be viewed there until time for the funeral. o James Glendening Is Class Valedictorian James Glendening, Hartford high school senior and son of Mr. and Mrs. Milo Glendening. has been named valdictorian of his class, Norman Augsbnrger, son of Mr. and i and Mrs. J. C. Augsburgor, is the class salutatorian. o NO APPRAISALS OF REAL ESTATE Assessors Will Make No Real Estate Appraisements This Year County Assessor Ernest Worthman reminded the public today that no real estate appraisements will be made by assessors this year. The appraisals will not be made because many new county treasurers. auditors and assessors have been elected throughout the state, he stated. The next appraisal will not be made until 1941. since the statutes provide that they cannot be made in an election year. The appraisements are made by the local assessor at the regular assessing period. Preliminary steps toward making preparations for this year’s assessments will be opened at a meeting with a state tax board representative some time in February, Assessor Worthman stated. Mr. Worthman is planning to attend a district meeting of county assessors, to be held February 1 | In Muncie.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, January 24, 1939.

1 Mrs. Margaret Host Dies Monday Night Word was received here today | that Mrs. Margaret Host, sister of the late Judge Daniel D. Heller of this city, died late last night of in- ■ firmities. She was 95 years old last I October and had lived her entire life at Bowerston. Harrison county, I Ohio. She was the aunt of Mrs. I John W. Tyndall. Miss Bertha Hel- | ler and H. B. and J. H. Heller. Fun--1 eral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2:31) o'clock. ' 1 Q DEATH CLAIMS ISAAC PETERS Farmer Decatur Resident Dies Monday; Funeral Here Wednesday Funeral services for Isaac Pet- , ers. 85. of Aulburn, former resident of Decatur and father of R. Earl I Peters of Fort Wayne, state FHA director, will be held in this city at 2 o’clock Wednesday, afternoon at . the United Brethren church. Mr. Peters died Monday morning , at the Canders hospital. Auburn, following a stroke of apoplexy, which he suffered last Friday. He lived on the Peters farm near Au- . burn. Born in Geneva, June 22, 1853, Mr. Peters was a resident of Decatur until about 30 years ago. He lived in Colorado for a time and later made his home with his son. He was employed for a number of years ( by P. W. Smith in the sawmill busi-I I ness. Besides the son in Fort Wayne, one daughter, Mrs. E. E. Mentzer of Hicksville. Ohio, survives. The body will be brought to Decatur Wednesday afternoon and takn; to the U. B. church where the casket will be opened from 1:30 to (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) o Fort Wayne Station Attendant Is Robbed Fort Wayne. Ind., Jan. 24 —(UP) ! —Police this morning w’ere search- j ing for two men who masked, held up Herman Weber, a filling station onerator, here last night and escaped with $l4O. The robbers cut the • light switch, bound Weber, and es- ; caped on foot, he to'd officers. 1 o K. Os C. Planning Party Here Tonight The Decatur council of the Knights of Columbus will hold an old fashioned card party and dance for members, their wives, sweet- ' hearts and members’ families at the K. of C. hall tonight. Cards will , start at 8 o'clock, with dancing at 10. No admission will Ibe charged. o R. D. Schrock Named Academy President R. D. Schrock. Omaha, Neb., brother of W. P. Schrock of Decatur has been named president-elect pf the American academy of orthopedie surgeons, according to word | received in this city today. |

T* £ Z J ■ / Y % Oil 1 Capt. Frank Spurr Survivors of the ill-fated flying boat, Cavalier, tell the story of the dramatic rescue at sea of 10 of the 13 persons aboard the wrecked plane by Capt. Frank Spurr and his crew of the oil tanker Esso Baytown. The Cavalier. shown on a previous flight above, crashed into the open sea 300 miles off the Jersey coast in a storm.

G. E. OFFICIALS TO MEET HERE Luncheon Wednesday Noon To Close TwoDay Conference Superintendents and assistant managers from more than a half i dozen plants of the General Electric company will meet here Wednesday noon for a luncheon ' and concluding session of a two--1 day meeting of the officials. which . opened today at the Fort Wayne i works of the General Electric company. Luncheon will be served in the club rooms of the Decatur plant. The business session will follow, presided over by C. H. Matson, i superintendent of the Fort Wayne works. E. W. Lankenau. superintendent of the Decatur plant will be host to the company officials, members of the factory equipment and practice committee. The officials who will attend the Decatur meeting are: B. G. Tang, general superintendent of the Schnectady, N. Y„ works; G. M. Stevens, superintendent of the Lynn K Mass.. River works; C. S. Dixon, superintendent, Pittsfield, ' Mass.: C. F. Smith, superintendent. Erie, Pa.; J. F. Woodman, superintendent, East Lynn, Mass.; i A. W. Winnerstrom. asistant to manager of Bloomfield, Mass., works; D. W. Skinner, assistant to manager, Bridgeport. E. F. Schaeffer, Philade’lphia, supervisor of planning and wage; A. J. Vandestadt. Schenectady, manufacturing general department; A. C. Danekind. Schenectady, manufacturing general department; G. N. Young, Toronto, Canada; Robert Wiley. Fort ' Wayne, supervisor planning and (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) 0 DELAY QUIZZING I OF ROBBER HERE Man Who Admitted Robbing Local Homes To Be Questioned Stanley Galbreath, 38. confessed robber of about 20 Decatur homes and business places, will not be brought here for questioning for possibly another week, Sheriff Ed. P. Miller stated today. It was originally understood that Celina, Ohio authrities were to bring Galbreath to Decatur Monday evening to permit Sheriff Miller to question him fui’ther and identify the homes which he confessed robbing. The Ohio authorities, however, stated that they wanted to question h’m further before giving him to Sheriff Miller for temporary quizzing. He is being held at Celina on a habitual criminal charge, following his arrest while wearing a stolen paii of trousers. Galbreath has reportedly admitted about 78 robberies in Auglaize I county, Ohio and others In towns of j surrounding community.

Fall Os Barcelona Imminent As Nationalist Forces Pound At Gates; Evacuate Citizens

LEGION HOLDS DISTRICT MEET Northern Vice-Command-er And District Commander Speak Here Splendid attendance marked a special meeting of Adums post number 43 of the American Legion, held at the Ix>giou home in this city TWonday night. V. J. Bormann, post commander, presided over a short business meeting, and then introduced visitors and guests of honor. W. Carl Graham. Fort Wayne, northern vice-commander of the Indiana department, was the principal speaker. Fred Lynch, Kendallville, fourth district commander, reported on the district membership drive. Nine posts of the 21 in the district. Mr. Lynch reported, have ex- , ceeded last year’s membership and only three have not equalled last year’s quota. The district is only 300 members short of last year’s total membership, the district commander reported. In closing Mi-. Lynch said. “Decatur is dragging her feet to the tune of 50.” Other guests introduced were: Harold Schrank, past commander of Kendallville post number 86; Gene Carteaux. Kendallville, district adjutant; Dave Bennett, Kendallville, district service officer and member of the state hospital commission; Grover Turner, Fort Wayne, district head of the Sons of the Legion and member of the state commision: J. Ray Schomp. Fort Wayne, district publicity officer; Ed Ernst. FYirt Wayne, district membership chairman. o MARY 0. ELZEY DIES SUDDENLY Mrs. Mary Elzey Dies Monday Evening Os Heart Attack Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon for Mrs. Mary , C. Elzey, 78. pioneer Decatur resident. who die dsuddenly Monday evening at 4 o’clock. Death was due to a heart attack. The deceased was born in Chami paign county. Ohio November 5. 1860, the daughter of Rudolph and Elizabeth Venis. She came here with her parents when three years old. Her husband, Thomas Elzey, proceeded her in death. She was a charter member of the First United Brethren church in this city. Surviving are two children, Mrs. Charles Howell of Marion and Erwin Elzey of this city; a sister, Mrs. Charles Howell of Defiance, Ohio and a brother, Sylvester Venis of Decatur. Three grandchildren and five great grandchildren also survive. Services will be held Thursday 'afternoon at I:3d o’clock at the home and. 2 o’clock at the church with Rev. James A. Weber officiating. Burial will ibe in the Decatur I cemetery. The body will be returned to the \ \ home Wednesday morning from the S. E. Black funeral home and may be viewed there until time for the iuneral. o Marionette Show Here This Evening The presentation of marionettes by Tom Sellers of Fort Wayne, as i part of the Lions Club program, will begin at about 7:15 o’clock. The program will be given in the aud - torium of the old high school building on Fifth street. The public is invited to attend. The young man has earned quite a reputation as an entertainer with his marionettes and presents an interesting and delightful program. The program is free to the public. o New Game W arden Is Assigned Here H. W. Wyndham of Brazil is the new game warden in Adams county, il. W. McClean of Bluffton had been assigned this territory. Mr. . and Mrs. Wyndham plan to reside . Berne. |

HARRY HOPKINS CONFIRMED TO CABINET POST Senate Confirms Hopkins As Secretary Os Commerce Washington, Jan. 24. — (U.R) — Secretary of Commerce Harry I. Hopkins, confirmed in his new i cabinet post despite bolting sen-; i ate Democrats, appeared today to be the potential new deal peace maker with business if there is to | be a reconciliation. Hopkins was confirmed yesterday by a vote of 58 to 27. He was expected to become the new- deal trouble shooter primarily concerned with improving relations between the administration and public utility and other industrial ele- . inents. It has been reported and denied that President Roosevelt also assigned him to establish peace between the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. I Some observers believe Hopkins 1 may be the new deal choice to i succeed Mr. Roosevelt in 1940 if the president is not a third term candidate. He recently has been the White House's closest political adviser. His new post provides an outstanding opportunity for a national political buildup because the secretary of commerce is charged in the act creating the I department with “the work of promoting the commerce of the | United States and its manufacturing. shipping, fishery and transportation interests." Opponents I of confirmation said he was unI fitted for that responsibility and j also was disqualified for permittI ing the works progress administration to play politics. Hopkins was confirmed after blistering debate which demon- j I strated that any effort to put him 1 in the line of new deal presiden- , tial succession probably would 1 ; split the Democratic party still ; further. Five Democrats voted | against his confirmation yester-1 day: George. Ga., Gerry. R. 1., ' Holt. W. Va.. King. Utah, and Van Nuys, Indiana. Three others, all sharply‘opposed to Hopkins be- , cause\of the conduct of the WPA during the 1938 campaign excused themselves from voting: Bailey. N. C., Glass. Va., and Tydings. Md. The confirmation vote demonstrated that the new deal senate front has been broken in places. Some observers believed that future politically controversial votes would develop further defections. Several Democrats who voted to confirm Hopkins might have voted “no" if the nomination had been for any but a cabinet position. They felt that the president should be given the widest possible latitude in selecting his own official family. Sen. Harry F. Byrd. D. Va., who refused to vote at all but did not . seek “excuse," explained it this I (CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR) I MONROE CHURCH PLANS SERVICE Comradeship Week And Revival Services Being Planned — “Commrades Week” will be ob-s-rved at the Monroe M. E. church the week of January 29, the pastor, R“V. R. F. Hart, has announced. Revival meetings will also bo held at the church Felbruary 5-19. Rev. Hart will be the speaker. Services will be held each even- ■ ing during "Comradeship Week” with visiting pastors as the speakers. The high school choir will also furnish music on Tuesday evening. The speakers: Tuesday. Rev. Paul Stephenson of Poneto; Wednesday, Rev. James A. Weber of Decatur; Wednesday. Rev. Caude A. Fawns, of Geneva; Thursday, Rev. Ray Noland of Geneva; Friday, Rev. Paul Brandyterry of Decatur. The young people have been extended a special invitation to at tend the services. The general public is also invited.

Price Two Cents.

I Franco Troops At Gates Os Loyalist Capital; U. S., Britain, France Rush Evacuation BREAK DEFENSE Perpignan. French-Spanish Frontier, (2:30 p.m.) Jan. 24 (U.R) | The insurgent annies of Gen. Francisco Franco crashed the lust main line of loyalists defenses today and closed in on the great city of Barcelona. United States, British and French officials, aided by warships in the Mediterranean, rushed evacuation of their nationals as rebel obtnbing planes pounded at the loyalist capital and fast motorized units smashed against the nearby river Llobregat defense line. Insurgent artillery opened up on the outskirts of Barcelona, with the main part of the city and the harbor in range of the guns. Government ministries evacuated northward toward Gerona and Figueras. Loyalists rushed evacuation of civilians from the Barcelona fighting zones. but more than 100 were reported killed by aerial raiders. Official military dispatches from insurgent headquarters at Burgos and Lerida reported early in the afternoon that rebel troops had smashed against the loyalist defense lines along the river Llobregat. which empties into the Mediterranean just south of Barcelona. and had broken it. The dispatches described the maneuver as resulting in the “capture of the entire Llobregat defense line, which is Barcelona's i last defense line." Details of the maneuvers, however, indicated that the line had been broken by a rebel encircling movement around Martorell, 10 miles north of Barcelona, but was still holding near the mouth of the river, where the defense lines are only about three miles by direct line but five miles by highway j from the capital. In brief, the military situation (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) FUND DRIVE TO END SATURDAY “March Os Dimes” Movement To Close Here Saturday The “March of Dimes" movement. which was launched here last week to aid in raising funds for combatting infantile paralysis, will be concluded Saturday, Harry Grube, chairman of the movement, stated today. The canvass of the Decatur public schools was concluded Monday and the contribution containers were scheduled to be placed in the Catholic school today. 6oy Scouts made a complete canvass of the downtown districts. Results of the canvas will not be I known until Saturday when the ; containers are opened. The Scouts who assisted: Roy | Friedly, Iven Howard, Bob Hunt- ; er, Jim Hunter, Bob Yost and Bob Mutsehler, all of Troop 61; Ed I Boknecht. Bill Beery, Brice Brein- ; er and Max Burgd, of Troop 62; i Pete Lord and Don Williams of i Troop 63. The Girl Scouts who led in the canvassing were Joan Bodie, who ' sold 45 buttons, and Anna Jane j Gunder, who sold 40. o Minnesota Man To Be Berne Speaker Dr. Harry Rimmer of Duluth, Minnesota, has been selected as tho commencement speaker for the 1939 Berne high school graduating class at the exercises next spring. o TEMPERATURE READINGS DEMOCRAT THERMOMETER 8:00 a.m 26 2:00 p.m. 27 10:00a.m 26 3:00 p.m. 29 Noon 26 WEATHER Generally fair In south, mostly cloudy in north portion tonight and Wednesday; light snow in north portion tonight; somewhat colder Wednesday and in north portion tonight.