Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 37, Number 40, Decatur, Adams County, 16 February 1939 — Page 1

XXXVI! No-.

■asuryhead B|TE$ Fi Di Ri fcoFORAID MVd T" l' r:in, eln l’ ,lines t ( * W By Roosevelt riy K ■V'' i' 1,1111 ’’’ 1:111 ■B KS »-d a "' ;<r< .1 Ihp ■ ■ "M £ ,,V. 4tg<: ••!••.:• '" ■ ilHr> ' ss»' aboard .■•' j|... • - y^K c . ■; 1 \ replied: ■■ ■ ■ :be Morris th. - im > ■MES |H OFFICERS SC. Church Holds Anflnual Election Os ■ Officers of She Fil-es M-rb.><!ist hs; h-c:!.z b: Fnbl.-y K1 of Cod on Earth." the devotional service the I Os she I -a . ■ very ha- . i!H; k.-n-d ■^HF u, --. v - Improv..,) ,uily. ne» >,,„,... HC ’-’-’e ‘he tV.. ■ ■B* ** th» last i;'i:< ■ ’pi'lv that Wil! be h ,.| (l by m^ 4 ' •« j '-.pin. nas the union of the ■*. : "' ! "' b ‘ of M-’lmdism. the Methodist Episcopal |V s "uth. the Methodist my l "’ '■■■"■ It «'>d th. Metho1 birch win eona^T 1 " 1 April and win i )e |K" M Ihe Methodist church. ®^F er! ' committees. and unit ■B? ,0 ‘ enß uing i onferem e elected as follows: K elected : . ~ \\- pM|".' v " Rlltler t'ttd -Mrs E ■t„ rioidover trustees are |K) Daniel Sprang. ML ''"’ r ‘ C ' L - Walters, (.'. and Avon Burk. Stewards |RI Colt w. chairman; V M MeLL '■" Lpw,o 'b Mrs . E x w e v "“I:; a' y: H ” "'‘Her. |!| i s L record-BfeL-C. ’ V ' Mill9 ‘ ‘district IV'.v' x 0 J’"’ 1; tubee) Er sTURe readings iV ocrat thermometer M°‘< 16 2:00 p.m .27|Bt " 21 3: °op.m 29 E weather MS 1 Cl ° Ud) ' toni 9ht and K<\S ,lonal ‘"o* - « Baffler t P or tion tonight; ■'>i ° UthWe,t a " d «• ■ th Portion. Friday. j

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

House Owned By Sujgar Company Is Destroyed An eight-room house, owned by the Central Sugar company of thia city, located three and one-half miles north of Chattanooga, Ohio, was destroyed ‘by fire Wednesday. The house was tenanted by a Mexican family. Part of the furniture was saved, 'the loss has been estimated at J' 500. Origin of the fire has not been determined. HOUSE RECEIVES SALARIES BILL Appropriation Measure , To Pay Salaries Is Submitted Washington, Feb. 16—(UP)—The 1 house today received its favorite ' hill of the session, an appropriation' measure of more than $21,500,000 carrying money, to pay each tor and representative SIO,OOO next , year and support him in the legislative style to which he has become < accustomed. i A subcommittee headed by Rep. , Louis C. Rabant. D.. Mich., recommended a $22,150,698 appropriation, Including $585,000 to repair the i roofs of the senate and house wings of the capitol. The full appropriations committee, however, eliminated that Item. It made another change which, it was estimated, would add about $34,000 to the bill. That was to pet- 1 mit members S2OO worth of free government stationery each session of the $125 which they are now alj lowed. The subcommittee said it was ' i ecommending the $585,000 for roof ■ epairs “reluctantly” after hearing testimony that the roofs m'ght collapse if there ever is 30 Inches of snow in Washington. The sub-committee said that while from a layman’s point of view it would not anpear that there is real necessity so rreplacement cf these structures, the committee has availed itself of the best technical I advice obtainable, and i» view o! he engineer* reports, is unwilling 'to withhold » recommendation of i the appropriation." In addition to carrying $3,353.454 for the senate and $8,315,798 for the house, the bill includes $2,491,906 for the architect of the capitol, $3,€94.475 for the Library of Congress, and $4,587,430 for the government printing off.ee. The committee toyed with the ideal of installing a moving under-

ground sidewalk to carry house members from their office buildings to the capitol, but decided $200,000 ,vas too much to spend for it. Sen- ! _>tors have little monorail electric cars in their wing, but there are so many more representatives that Ino one has yet figured out a satisi lactory system of transporting them. Bus Driver Given Award For Safety Bin Christ, driver on the Fort Wayne-Richmond ABC bus line, which runs through this city, has been awarded a gold medal tor his safety performance, officials of the line reported. Crist has driven his bus for nine years without an accident and was one of eight drivers of the organization to receive an award. S9OO AWARDED IN CRASH SUIT Settlement Is Reached In Claim Against Jerome Gase Estate Judge Harry W. Muller in Allen superior court has given the authority to settle a claim based on the death of Detlef Petersen in an auto accident south of Decatur last Aug-; ust, for S9OO. The claim had been placed aftainst the estate of Jerome Gase, on north of Decatur, and driver of the other car, who was also killed in the crash. In the suit it was alleged that Case was driving his car in a negligent manner at the time of the accident. Petersen at the time of his death was manager of the United Press news bureau in Fort Wayne The accident will be recalled byg local citizens as one of the most tragic in history. Monica Colchin of Decatur and Linda Niehaus of Angola lost their lives in the accident, while four others were hurt, when the two cars crashed on the Decal tur-Monroe road.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

ANOTHER COLD WAVE STRIKES MIDWEST LAND Several Places Report Coldest Temperatures Os Season (By United Presa) Midwesterners shivered today in the winter's third severe cold wave while eastern states struggled against floods, fog and heavy rains which followed a severe windstorm that swept the coast from Ueorgia to New England. Some cities reported the coldest weather of the winter. Bemidji. Minn., reported a temperature of 43 degrees below zero and other Minnesota and North Dakota points registered between 30 and 40 below. U. S. forecaster H. A. Downs predicted rain or snow over most sections of the northeastern areas today with a gradual rise in temperatures. Cloudy and colder weather was expected generally throughout eastern states. The storm which battered the coast was centered today over northern New England, it reached a peak force of 65 miles an hour in New York and caused one death at New Brunswick, N. J. Two persons were killed at Pinson, Ala. The gales swept along the southern seaboard from Georgia, damaging farm property and injuring several homes at Washington. N. J., and ripped off the roof of a church in Jersey City. At New York three works progress administration employes were swept into a flooded sewer. They were pulled out by a fireman with a life preserver around his waist. Fog tied up harbor shipping in the metropolitan area. Before the storm broke, the temperature reached 62 degrees, an all-time record for the date. It had dropped to a few degrees below freez- , iCONCINUKD ON PAGE SEVEN > STATE WORKER TALKS SAFETY Highway Department Man Speaks To Decatur School Pupils

Placing special emphasis upon the traffic safety program of the state of Indiana, J. S. Newcombe, of the highway department at Indianapolis. spoke to the students of ,he Decatur junior-senior high •.chool this morning. Mr. Newcombe talked regarding the construction and binding of he highways and of the intensive efforts of the state department to institute a safety program that will decrease the number of i raffle fa’aiitles and injuries. “The first roads were built in the ■ time of George Washington, upon which the peoples of that day traveled at an average of five miles in hour. Today we travel 50 and 60,” he said. “Now our big problem -s changing the speed concept of man. That Is, making him realize the drastic difference between the highways of Washingtons time and those of today.” He cautioned the students, who | as motorists and pedestrians violate laws and make traffic mistakes that result in accidents, “In the World War 50.000 were killed, in 1937, 37,500 were killed on the nation's highways. And the most asI founding part." he stated,' is the i fart that 67 percent were ki.ed after night. Since older people retire at .n earlier hour, most o ftne fatalities must have occured and been caused by younger person?. The speaker was introduced by the school principal, W. Guy Brown. ——oNoted Prohibition Advocate Critical Portland, Ore., Feb. 16 — (UP Condition of Dr. Clarence True Wilson, 66. prohibition advocate and Methodist leader, was reported today as “extremely critical,” He had not rallied from his second heart attack within three weeks. Dr. Wilson had been in poor health for five years. He retired as secretary of the Methodist church board of temperance, prohibition and public morals in 1936. He had spent 25 years in church work and was a leader m the fight for prohbltlon and its retention. He removed to a suburban farm after his I rotirement.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, February 16, 1939.

To High Court? * /I •, « I A ' **■ Dean Wiley Rutledge One of several mentioned for the newest vacancy on the United States supreme court. Dean Wiley B. Rutledge. 44. is dean of the lowa University Law school. sTeuisST FROM RAILROAD Mrs. Norah Schnepp Sues Railroad For Husband’s Death Van Wert, Ohio. Feb. 16 —A $15,000 damage suit, ‘based on a fatal accident Oct. 2 1938 at Richey, Union township has been filed in the Van Wert court of common pleas, by Norah M. Schnepp. admnstra’rix of the estate of Leonard Schnepp. against the Pennsylvania Railroad company. The petition avers that on the above date. Leonard Schnepp was a passenger in an automobile drive by Clarence Miller, deceased of Decatur, Ind.; that as the auto passed southward over the tracks, it was struck by an east-bound passenger train; and that injuries received □y Schnepp resulted in instant death. The plaintiff contends that the accident resuited from carelessness jnd negligence on the part of the defendant company, in failing to have any signals at the crossing; falling to give a signal of the apfCONTINUEn ON PAGE rHREEI _____loH— —— City Experiences Another Cold Snap While other communities in the nation were suffering last night and today in the grip of the third cold wave of the year. Decatur and neighboring territories were no exception. The temperature last night reportedly reached a'low of nine above.

This morning at 8 o’clock the Democrat thermometer registered 13 degrees above, one of the coldest readings of the season for that liour.A warm sun, however, quickly boosted the mercury until at noon the thermometer recorded 21 above zero. o DRUNK DHIVING TRIAL MONDAY First Jury Trial Os February Term Is Set For Monday The first jury trial of the February term is scheduled to be heard in the Adams circuit court Monday with Judge J. Fred Fruchte presiding. The trial is that of Louis Mil-! ler, who is charged with drunken driving. Miller was arrested November 12 of last year and pleaded not guilty when arraigned. The petit jury panel was to be notified this afternoon to appear in court next Monday for the trial. The balance of next week is also expected to be taken up for the greater part with criminal cases in the court. Wednesday, the trial of Ornell Stauffer, of Berne, who is also charged with drunken driving, is to be heard. Friday, Don Doherty of this city is to appear on a like count. Saturday, Fred H. Ahr is to be tried on a charge of embezzling by bailee. The "bank night” case against Isadore and Roy Kalver, which was scheduled for February 27 is expected to be heard a week or two later. The case was continued until the return of Sam Jackson, defense counsel, from a vacation 1 in Florida. , 1

F. 0, R. SENDS TWO MESSAGES TO CONGRESS Calls On Congress To Draft National Conservation Policy Washington. Feb. 16 -- (U.R) — President Roosevelt today called on congress to study the nation’s energy resources with a view to drafting a national policy for their use and conservation. At the same time he suggested | the desirability of an integrated federal-state program for reduction of water pollution. The president's recommenda-, tions were contained in two messages submitted to congress tn connection with reports by the national resources committee. Mr. Roosevelt's recommendations were couched in general terms. He pointed out that some federal legislation concerning energy resources expires this year, some in a few more years. He said the committee's energy report “sets for a useful frame of reference for legislative programs affecting these resources and illustrates another approach to the synthetic husbandry of our natural resources. Specific recommendations are advanced for solution of the most pressing problems." In connection with water poll:t tlon, he proposed establishment of a central technical agency to promote elimination of pollution and a system of federal grants-in-aid and loans which would be integrated with other water resources and public works programs. Regarding conservation of energy, he said: “Our energy resources are not inexhaustible, yet we are peri mitting waste in their use and production. In some instances, to achieve apparent economies today future generations will be forced .o carry the burden of unnecessarily high costs and to substitute (CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN) DEATH Cl AIMS MHS.GEPHART Mrs. John Gephart Dies Wednesday At Home In Wren, Ohio Mrs. John Gephart, 71, life-long , resident of Wren, Ohio, died Wednesday afternoon at her home in that town. Death was due to complications. The deceased was born in Wren November 18, 1867, the daughter iof Adam and Charlotte BrownHarker. She was married to John

Gephart April 10, 1888. He preceded her in death July 5, 1931. She was a member of the Wren U. B. church. Surviving are the following children: Mrs. Byron Meyers. Mrs. C. S. Tumbleson. Joe and i Basil, all of Wren; Owen, of Ohio City. Ohio; Forrest and David of Wren. Mrs. Oliver Hullinger of Lima, Ohio; Mrs. Edward Bren-j ning of New Haven. Mrs. Clarence Drake of Decatur and Edward of Fort Wayne. Two sisters, Mrs. Stella Mitch of Decatur and Mrs. Richard Stevens of Van Wert, 0.. also survive. Three brothers and two sisters preceded her in death. Other survivors include 27 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 12:30 o’clock (CST) at the home and 1 o'clock at the church, with Rev. Sullivan of Dunkirk officiating. Burial will be in (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) O Nussle Starts To Serve Prison Term Charles Nussle, who was sent-1 enced yesterday to serve a one to ■ seven year sentence in the Indi ; ana state prison after pleading | guilty to a charge of obtaining money under false pretenses was taken to Michigan City today to I start serving the sentence. He made the trip in the custody of Sheriff Ed Miller. o Rep. Heller Submits Liquor Control Bill Indianapolis, Feb. 16 — (UP) — Rep. Robert Heller. Decatur, D., In troduced a measure to strengthen ihe law against selling loquor to minors. The entire responsibility would be placed on the tavern owner, who could not use the defense that he thought the purchaser was over 21 years.

House Kills Republican Plan For List Os State Employes; Senate Considers Income Tax

FIGHT PAYMENT OF INCOME TAX Retailers, Meeting At Fort Wayne, Protest State Tax Fort Wayne, Ind., Feb. 16.—(U.R) ' — Merchants from ten northwestj ern Indiana counties prepared today to “put on the gloves" with kid legislature in Indianapolis to protest the Indiana gross income tax law. Nearly 400 merchants from Allen. Whitley. Huntington, DeKalb, Noble, Miami and Steuben counties and pledges from Adams, Kosciusko and Wells counties attended a meeting here last night, discussing the tax which they claim works an excessive hardship on their business. One spokesman said, “we pay too much tax. any- i how." The resolution passed by the group last night asked all classes of retail merchants not to pay th" , state income tax until the levy is reduced to one-quarter of one percent, retaining the exemption of $3,000. The merchants attending the meeting voted to attend the public hearing on their resolution when it is presented before the state legislature. A few of the many speakers favorde direct repeal of the state income law while others suggested passage of house bill No. 47 which reportedly calls for reduction of the tax to one-half of one percent and an exemption of SI,OOO. Speakers pointed out that In event the legislature did not meet their demand for a lower tax and they united in not paying the levy, a test case would probably be brought before the courts. The retail dealers reported that the resolution concerning not paying the tax was to become effective at once. o Issues Statement On Spring Tax Payments In answer to numerous requests, especially from rural residents of the county. County Treasurer Jeff Liechty issued a statement today regarding the payment of the spring taxes. Treasurer Liechty stated that receipts for the township taxpayers are now available in the treasurer's office at the courthouse and may bo secured there. He stated, however, that the corporation and town tax receipts are not available as yet. Tha office force is now at work in compiling and preparing these receip'o. They ere expected to be ready within approximately the next 10 days. Tiiose in the latter ciass include re ceipts for Decatur, Berne Monroe and Geneva. GERMAN LEADER PRAISES POPE Nazi Ambassador To Vatican Addresses Cardinals Today ■ —— —— I Berlin, Feb. 16—(U.R)‘-Nazi Ger- i many, mobilizing all its economic resources and man power for vast ; self-sufficiency and armaments drives, found itself confronted today with a shortage of labor al- i most unparalleled in modern times. Almost every other great power ; was struggling to find work tor ; millions of jobless people. But Germany was unable to find suffi- i cient men to carry out the work to be done. Today 6,600,000 more i Germans were at work than in I 1929, and men in the 70's were coming out of retirement to re- i turn to their old jobs. The labor situation was mirror- i ed vividly in two decrees issued this week by Field Marshal Her- | mann Goering, dictator of the four year plan to make Germany eco- i nomically self sufficient and able to resist an economic siege in event of another war. . One decree, empowered the min- J istry of labor to make all questions of employment and dismissal of labor subject to the control of the government labor office j The other will compel all Germans y if called upon by the labor ex-1 ( (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) ‘

FIRE DESTROYS T. NOLL HOUSE 1 — . Farm Home Burned To (■round; Loss Heavy On Household Goods Fire completely destroyed lhe two story farm home of Tom Noll, former Washington township trustee last night and ruined much of the households goods and furnishings. The fire started. Mr. Noll stated, in the kitchen of the home presumably from defective wiring about 11:30 o’clock. All members of the family but a daughter, Juanita, were asleep at the time. She heard a noise in the kitchen and upon investigation cant'd the family. Within a few minutes the entire rear portion of the home was enveloped in flr.mes. The family and a few persons who passed by attempted to carry out the household goods. Mr. Noll stated that only one-third of the household goods was saved from the flames. He estimated the loss on the house alone would amount to about $1,500 He said the loss was partly covered by insurance. The Decatur fire department answered the call, but the flames were beyond control when it arrived. The I department stood by to prevent the flames from spreading to other buildings. The home had been recently remodeled. A log structure, around which the new home was built , burned long after the rest had been destroyed and the wood fire attracted scores of Decatur persons to the scene. The home was located near tho county infirmary. —— o —— FARMER ADMITS BRUTAL MURDER Elderly Hoosier Farmer Confesses Murdering Neighbor Bedford, Ind.. Feb. 16 —(U.R> — A feud of long-standing over boundary lines between their farms was believed by authorities today to have led Sam Pierce, 69-year-old farmer, to murder Earl Roach, 41, an Avoca WPA worker ' and inventor. Although Piepce made a full confession to state police admitting he killed Roach, the elderly farmer declined to reveal his motive. At Indianapolis, where he was taken yesterday for a lie detector test prior to his confession. Roach told state police superintendent Donald F. Stiver: "I killed him but I ain’t a-goin’ to say why.” Pierce was a member of a I searching party which started ‘ hunting for Roach Sunday after his wife reported him missing. In a clump of bushes near Springville, the body was found. It was bullet-riddled; the skull had been battered and the throat slashed. Sheriff Lincoln Dunbar of Lawrence county arrested Pierce and his 27-year-old son. Ray. on suspicion. Both denied knowledge of the crime. Dunbar took the father to Indianapolis for the lie test and as the appartus was being prepared for him he told officers he was ready to make a confession. The statement related that Pierce waylaid Roach on a road Sunday morning and fired a shot gun at him from the bushes. After Roach had fallen, he said he clubbed him on the head until he was dead and then slashed his throat. The searchers found the bloody mace near the body. Pierce exonerated his son of any part in the slaying. Young Pierce was released late yesterday. Authorities investigating Roach’s personal effects at the time Pierce was arrested said they discovered correspondence that (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) Q Legion Auxiliary Party Here Friday The Legion auxiliary is sponsoring a public party at the Legion home Friday night at 8 o’clock. The general public is cordially invited io attend.

Price Two Cents.

Speaker Knapp Sides With Democratic Minority To Kill Measure; Reduced Tax Passes House. POINT OF ORDER 1 Indianapolis, Feb. 16 — (U.R) — Speaker James M. Knapp today 1 sided with the Democratic minority as the house killed a Repub- . llcan proposal to order Gov. M. , Clifford Townsend to produce a list of every state governmental . employe. Knapp, speaking on a point of order, agreed with the contention of Rep. Edward Stein, Democratic floor leader, that the legislature has no authority to order the governor to do anything. This was the turning point in the hot partisan debate and th,house then by a voice vote killed a resolution calling for the list: of employes which it once previously had passed. The resolution demanding the list of employes was sponsored by Rep. Robert A. Hoover, Goshen Republican, the idea being that the legislature then could eliminate useless jobholders as an economy move to reduce the biennial budget. It also asked details of all the office space rented by the state for various governmental branches. Hoover’s resolution originally was approved, but it had no clause stipulating that the governor be notified of the action, which required further house consideration that was climaxed by a letter from Townsend yesterday saying that it w’ould require 30 to 60 days and an appropriation of SIO,OOO to produce the employe list. When the resolution came up ’ this morning Stein addressed his | remarks to “the cooler heads on the majority (Republican) side of the house.” He said it would be a “very difficult job" to look un the name of each state employe and the statutes which authorized their employment, including parttime workers of the state highway commission and about 2,000 persons employed for two weeks during the state fair. Knapp then said that “I think this house is butting its head against a stone wall. In the spirit of fairness, the chair is of the opinion that if the resolution had been couched in proper terms it might have been possible for the governor to have complied in a reasonable time. “The house has no authority to order the governor to do anything and the governor couldn’t order this house to do anything ” Knapp then put the resolution to a vote and there was a loud roar against it and only a couple of mild yells in favor of it. A few minutes later, however, the house passed by a standing vote of 48 to 46 a resolution reI quiring the governor to furnish by ! February 25 a statement of all the 1 state automobiles and the amount of gas and oil used. Two important measures — reduction of the gross income tax on retailers and the administration's marriage law revisions — moved a step nearer final passage today as the senate took them under consideration. By overwhelming majorities, both bills were passed by the house of representatives late yesterday and sent to the upper (CONTINUED ON PAGE SEVEN) 0 LOB DREDGING STARTED HERE Contractor Starts 120Day Dredging Os Lob Ditch At Geneva Work of dredging the Lob ditch in Jay and Adams county was started Wednesday, according to reports received here. Dredging machinery was moved into Geneva early In the week preparatory to the work near that town. The contract for cleaning ths ditch was recently let to Sam Lare of Portland. His Bid of $14,269 was the lowest of four bids submitted. The ditch starts in Penn township, Jay county and runs through Hartford and Wabash townships in this county. A total of 120 days are to be allotted for the cleaning.