Decatur Democrat, Volume 45, Number 1, Decatur, Adams County, 14 March 1901 — Page 1

all the all the time.

OLUME XLV.

--111111X1 IXXlllllllillillllllllllllllllll 11 h GENERAL HARRISON DEAD. t H At 4:45 yesterday afternoon General Benjamin Harrison died t at his home, North Delaware Street, Indianapolis. The end came L peacefully, as the General was unconscious at the end. The ex- rpresident was sick but six days, the first three of which were not H regarded with any alarm. He was first taken with a pain under the H left lung, and which became very severe by the following day, £ showing a congested condition developing pneumonia, which caused £ death at the time stated. He was sixty-eight years old. h ExPresident Harrison was a national figure of great prominence. £ He began life as a lawyer, and the first office held was that of re- £ porter of the supreme court. He served three years in the union h army during the civil war. For one term he served as United h States senator and also one term as President of the United States. The funeral will take place in Indianapolis on next Sunday, £ and early newspaper reports regard it as not unlikely that Presi- h dent McKinley and his cabinet may attend, also Ex-President Cleveland, as well as the cabinet officers who server! with the General during the time he was president. The body will lie in £ state at the capitol building in Indianapolis on Saturday. Flags £ are now floating at half mast from the public buildings in Indian- L apolis and Washington. h ► •

I? I Tin' Knights of Pythias of this city all at Bluffton today, attending ■be district meeting of this very popu benevolent order. The lodge in city is flourishing as it never • ■ouri-Jusi liefore. having degree work Thursday night. E'l S v happy couples have entered the state since our issue of Mist wnek, their names being: Charles and Emma Moeschberger, G. Wittgenfeld and Mariam ■"rout. Adam Syphers and Mary J. John Parr and Eva Sims, C. Runyon and Catherine XeusKirtus Johnson and Madge ■B .1 W Bain! of Indianapolis, has in the city several days this ■reek. making arrangements for an for his son, who will probably ■ocate in the dental business here ■rithinafew months. Mr. Baird ex ■leets to purchase a farm in this vicin■y and himself and wife will also rehere. Mr. Baird has sold for years and comes recom‘■nmded as one of the best citizens on Ell The Democrat knows of a good establishment that is of locating in this city in ■rder to get the advantage of excel ■(‘lit shipping facilities. No bonus is ■equired, except in stock in the incur ■ "‘ration, which by the way, is flourish ■ng and pays a good per cent. Our ■»' ic yed men should get together and boom our city and incidently ■lii niselves. Foreign corporations can ■k‘ represented here and carry away ■nore than $5,000 to be invested else■rbvre. while they slight an effort that ■nt ans more business for this city. It ■s time to reverse this order of things. g|| William Walker, who resides in the part of the city, is in serious as thv result of stealing coal ■roni a car on the C. & E. tracks. The was tiled Monday in the Adams Bin trit court by prosecute.' Moran up■n an affidavit and information tiled ■>} John A. McCarty, a detective for ■lm railway company. It is alleged ■hat upon February 21 said Walker a team of one of his neigh went to thecarand proceeded ■e help himself to a ton of coal valued ■>t three dollars. He was arrested up a charge of petit larceny and placed ■» jail. The following day he gave Bond in the sum of SIOO and was re■eased. Walker has always been a |3p>o<( citizen and an industrious work■nan. For some time he has been ployed as a section hand for the ■’hicago & Erie. ■ Elmer Johnson never does things ■y halves, and his much-talked of ■or.se sale last Friday was a rousing and the result will probably ■*• that such events will in the future D“ frequent and popular. Precisely ■t 9:80 o’clock, as advertised, on the ■horning of the sale a parade was given ■>> which was shown a number of the ■torses to be disposed of. The parade ■'as headed by Prof. C. O. France, ■'ho by Bounding the bugleannounced ■he coming event. In a rig following ■' ere many horsemen from a distance ■he came to snatch a few bargains. of the press were also pre ■«nt. Immediately following the ■>arade the sale opened at Peoples’ Barn, with Harry Batin as auctioneer ■ n chief, and from that time on until ■our o’clock p. in. business was con■iuued briskly. About forty head ■vere disposed of, several teams rang ■ng near the four hundred mark and ■naking a total amount of over SS,(XX). ■'hilo most of the horses brought ■k'sxl money, several of them went be- ■'°" their actual cost, thus giving ■purchasers the Irenefit. Everyone ■eetned satisfied and another sale may ’*•' given at no very distant date. The animals left on hand were shipp'd to 1 ittsburg Saturday.

Klbcatilß

■ | The “Hot old time” show billed for ; j here tomorrow night cancelled their , engagement and will not appear as r advertised. The company changed ■ j their route and could not double i back here without a great expense. i which they did not fee! would warrant s them. f C. J. Lutz, as attorney for the town I of Geneva, has filed four suits in the , Adams circuit court entitled State of i Indiana vs George W. Hamma et al, . meaning a number of Geneva citizens , who were bondsmen for said Hamma during his term as treasurer of Ge » neva. The cases arose from the shortage found in Mr. Hamma’s accounts i as town treasurer discovered about a i year ago and which is said to lie ! about S2OOO. The action is brought upon order from the Geneva board of , trustees. The St. Mary's river was a sight worth seeing Sunday and hundreds of people viewed same from the Monroe I street bridge. The ice was breaking up and was being hurried down 1 stream at a rapid rate, in fact so swift i was the current that a dam was form1. ed by the ice just lielow the bridge i j and the icebergs when striking this I j would either bo thrown upon top or j dive far underneath and then come up i whirling and spinning until the whole i mass seemed alive. The rains of Sun I day and Monday,however, have raised •, the river to such a degree that the ice 1i can float through without any trouble. John Sloat, of Middlebury, Ohio, ' came near getting himself in serious trouble here Monday evening. He ’ imbided pretty freely and when keyed ' up to about the right pitch he bolted ’ into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Augus- ' tus op Third street. Mrs. Augustus ■ was alone and the intruder, who was i a stranger to her, proceeded to make ! indecent proposals, whereupon the ' lady escaped from the house and ran i over to Jacob Miller’s grocery where she found her husband and reported the trouble. Mr. Augustus hastened • home, planted a couple of left-hand-ers on the stranger's jaw and kicked • him out of the house. Later the police were notified and after a diligent hunt found the cause of the trouble over Nichols’ saloon, arrested him and took him to jail. The fellow is a black smith, fi.'i years of age, and well liked i by all who knew him, and when his friends heard of his trouble they in . terceded and by paying the costs had the case already filed dismissed. Robert Workman, representing a ' Chicago picture house was placed under arrest Saturday evening upon i information sworn to by Mrs. Mar garet Good, a lady residing in the ; west part of town. It seems that ' several days ago an agent caller! at the > home and after considerable talk as to • the merits, succeeded in taking an » order for the enlarging of the picture i of a little daughter who died some ■ time ago. The picture was to cost i $1 tiM and if she wanted the frame , usually accompanying such a picture I the total was to lie S3.IW. In order to ; show her good faith, Mre. Good paid < the agent one dollar and was to make . up her mind as to whether she desired a frame or not by the time the picture i was delivered. Last Saturday another ' agent, Mr. Workman, appeared with • the picture and frame and demanded I the balance due. $2.Gs. Mrs. Good objected, saving she did not order the I frame and therefore owed the firm but ■ sixty-eight cents, which she was perI fectly willing to pay. The agent , would not consider that amount and I promptly loaded up the picture and - the photograph and took them with ’ him. Mrs. Good notified the officers s and Workman was arrested upon a y charge of |xdit larceny. He was taken a liefore Mayor Beattv and bound over 0 to the circuit court in thesum of .*IOO. which he gave and was released.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1901.

Matthias Miller Sr., is reported quite ill at his home on South Fifth street. He has been failing slowly all winter but until now he had managed to keep up Attorneys Adair, Moran, Denny and LaFollette, of Portland, were in the city several days this week attending to duties for their respective clients in the Adams circuit court. In the Epworth League lecture course at the Methodist church, the third lecture will be delivered by Rev. H. J. Norris, of Fort Wayne, next Friday evening at 7:30 o’clock. Subject, "The Yellowstone Park." J. D. Rieter returned Monday from Portland where he has been most of the time for ten days past on account of the very serious illness of his little son, Dick, who has been suffering with congestion of the lungs. He is great ly improved now and considered out of danger. At tlie “spellin’ skule” given by the Epworth League at the Methodist church Friday evening, a young man from Magley proved himself the peer in the art of spelling and was awarded the prize, a handsome bible. Over twentv dollars was taken in and every one who paid ten cents really had their money's worth. Another like event will be given soon. New cases filed with the clork of court this week include: Jesse Robison, exparte. admitted to the bar upon recommendation of attorneys Beatty, Moran and Lutz. Mann and Beatty vs Adams Count v et al, mandamus. Four eases entitled State of Indiana ex rel Town of Geneva vs George W. Hamma et al, each being complaint on liond and demanding ¥2OOO. Fredrick Berran vs Louise M. Berran. insanity proceedings. Probate matters are recorded as being disposed of in the following manner: In the mater of the Win. P. Rice estate, separate demurer filed by executors to each of the exceptions filed, demurer withdrawn, answer filed to exceptions. Magnalina Lobsiger esstate, notice of final settlement filed, administrator discharged. Noah Clem estate, final report filed and notice ordered. Samantha V. Gage estate, sale bill filed. Elis King estate, will probated, letters issued and confirmed and inventory filed. The legislature has passed the new fish and game law. The fish law practically prohibits fishing in any other maimer than with hook and line, which is allowed at all times of the year. The law makes it a fineable offense to possess a seine of more than twenty feet in length and prohibits seining except for minnows. The game law provides that no hunter shall kill more than twenty-five birds at a time and requires that non-resi-dents of the state shall take out a license liefore being permitted to hunt in this state. The license will be 525 and 50 cents fee will be charged by the county clerk for making it ont. School officials inform us that through diligent work of instructors and teachers our public institutions of learning are sailing along smoothly, and in this connection we wish to ask, why is it that so few people visit the public school. Not once a month does any mother find her way to the school room in which her child spends so large a part of his time. The teachers are anxious to have parents more familiar with the daily routine of school work, and if doser relation could lie established between the home and- the schools it would lie far better for the pupils. Misapprehensions and misunderstandings would lie avoided on the establishment of more intimate relations between teacher and parent. If the father finds it impossible to visit the schools by reason of business engagements, the mother, at least should see that this duty is not neglected. A few visits to the school your child attends will pay.

Bluffton was the scene of a real ease of excitement last Friday evening and in fact the citizens have not entirely recovered yet. At about 6:30 on that evening while Miss Kitty DeLong, who resides about a mile east of Bluffton, and who works in town, was returning home, she was terribly assaulted by an unknown man and finally left in an almost dying condition. The affair occured near her home and after lying unconscious for an Wiour oi more the girl aroused sufficiently to stagger up to the porch where she was sixm found. Physicians and officers were notified and soon the entire male population of the city were in search of the culprit, who if found would have no doubt gone the way of many other such monsters who have committed similar outrages lately and paid the penalty only when their life less forms were hanging to a telegraph pole. Bloodhounds were secured from Portland and an offer of *2OO made for the capture of the man, but so far not a trace has Iswi found. A native of Wells county was suspected but his innocence has been proven and there is said to lx* no clue as to the identity of the brute. Miss DeLong is still in a serious condition and unable to describe her nssilant further than that he is a tall man with dark mustache. It is believed she will recover, though for several days death I seemed inevitable.

Miss Dora Peterson arrived home from Fort Wayne Monday, her sister Grace having recovered sufficiently to continue her journey to Montqelier, Ohio, where she will look after millinery duties. A five minutes altercation between two citizens occured on the street Monday evening, and for a timethings looked pretty fair for a free-for-all fight, but the strong arm of an officer intervened and no blood was shed. We are in receipt of a daily from) Terra Haute, sent by Bernard Adies-| perger and giving a full account of a I terrible double murder, in which | Charles Roger, in a jealous rage, kill-j ed his wife and her father. Terra Haute is getting bad. The funeral services of Elias King were conducted from the Monroe Methodist church last Friday by Rev. E. H. Peters, Mr. King died on Wednesday of last week, being sixtyseven years of age. He was a native of North Carolina, having resided in this county, however, for ten years past. Two daughters and a son remain, the wife having proceeded him some years ago. Mrs. W. J. Craig, of Chicago, well known here, was the guest of her sister, Mrs. J. D. Hale, the first of the week returning home yesterday. She reports that tier husband, who has been an invalid for several years on account of rheumatism, is still pratically helpless, having only improved sufficiently that he can move his hands just a little and is enabled to write some. His time is for the greater part spent in reading. State vs Dave Hugheswas the title of a case before ’Squire James H. Smith last Wednesday. Henry McLean was the prosecuting witness and claimed that Hughes, who is a bartender in Krantz's saloon, had assaulted and struck him. Several witnesses were examined and it was shown that the trouble arose over Hughes refusing Henry a drink, whereupon the latter drew a home-made billy from his pocket and was promptlv knocked down by Hughes. 'Squire Smith dismissed the case. The handsome residence of Dan Beery on North Second street was sold Tuesday to Dr. C. S. Clark for a consideration of §3.000. Mr. Beery has made arrangements to remove to Ft. Wayne Mav 1, where he will take charge of one of the largest and best board and sale stables in Northern Indiana. Mr. Beery and family have been life-long residents of this city and while we greatly regret to lose them as such, we join their array of friendc in wishing them prosperous and long lives in the Allen county metropolis. Mr. Beery is one of the very best horsemen in the west and is; acknowledged as such all over the state. Judge Studabaker has been at I Marion several days this week com -; paring notes with Architect Elder re-I gardiug some change# in the new | block to be erected at once south of I the court house. Last Thursday was j the day set for receiving bids for the building and about twenty contractors were present to give their prices. Linn A Patton of this city were the lowest bidders, butaftercarefnl consideration Mr. Studabaker decided to make some changes in the plans. The new build ing will la* 100 feet long instead of 132 feet as before intended and will probably lie a division wall in the downstairs room. Linn & Patton will very likely look after the carpenter work, but no contract for the entire work has been let. Miller A Hardzog have been awarded the contract for the excavation and work will begin on same at once. The small building now occupied by Adolph Hart as a barlier shop will be removed to the lot al the corner of Second and Jefferson : streets. Quiet, though beautiful and exceedingly impressive, was the wedding ceremony of Miss Mariam Trout to Mr. Harry G. Wittgenfeld which occur cm! at four o’clock last Thursday after noon. The affair took place at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. 1). G. M. Trout, in the south part of the city, only the immediate relatives lieing present. The bride wore a handsome and costly white silk dress while the groom wore the fashionable black. Rev. C. G. Hudson of the Methodist Episcopal church sjxike the words which united for life the happy young couple and the ring ceremony was used. Immediately after the wedding a delicious supper in several courses was served and at eight o'clock Mr. and Mrs. Wittgenfeld left over the Chicago A Erie for Buffalo and other eastern cities for a several weeks tour, and after a few days with Decatur frienda they will go to Cincinnati where they will reside. The bride is th«» very talented daughter of Dr. and Mrs. D. G. M. Trout, of this city, and has for several years been very popular in society. Mr. Wittgenfeld is a young man of many good qualities, fie owns con siderable stock and represents as a traveling salesman one of the largest shoe supply and sundry houses in the west, located at Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. Wittenfeldt start upon life's journey with the most brilliant pros pects and we ho|x» for them a continuance of same.

Mrs. Mary Meyerly, mother of Mrs. Herbert Pennington of this city, died at her home in Hume, Illinois Monday. Mrs. Pennington left Monday hoping to arrive at her mother’s Ixxfside before the end came, but word received later stated that she was un able to do so. The great Irish holiday, St Patrick’s day in the marnin', March 17, falls this year upon Sunday. Arrange roents have been made all over the country to celebrate the event Mon day the following day. Wearers of the green will probably be out here in full force next Sunday. The barber shop of Lose & Shrank is being enlarged and remodeled. The partition has been taken out and the two rooms thrown into one, the shop is being repapered and repainted and fans, run either by electricity or water, will be put in. The owners of the shop will make it very metropolitan in appearance and in doing so give themselves more room in which to take care of their largely increased business. Today is K. of P. day at Bluffion, the district convention being in session there with Judge R. K. Erwin of this city in command. The Portland lodge arrived here this morning and will accompany the Decatur lodge to the scene of action at noon. The bovs will no doubt have a “hot old time ”as arrangements for their entertainment has Ireen going on for several weeks. The lodge from this city will send a large delegation.

The board of commissioners wound up their business for this month by appointing Clark J. Lutz as county attorney for another year and entering into contract with him in conformity to same. Mr. Lutz is an old hand at the business, having served as the legal advisor of the board for several years past, and by the way is especially fitted forthe place, he being onto all the curves of county reform and its tributary importance. The selection is a good one and will find especial praise from the public. The official report of oil production in Indiana during the month of February places Adams county far in the lead. The first report did not show this, but the latest from the Standard Oil company does. In this county nine wells were drilled, with only one dry hole, and the producers averaging forty-four barrels. Grant county comes second with eleven wells, no dry holes and an average of thirtyfive barrels. A peculiar feature of the work of the last month was while the operations were the lightest in two years, the average well production was the largest in two years twenty-four barrels. The summary of new work shows a remarkable increase over January, and indicates the activity; that may be anticipated. Andrew Carnegie, the all around I benefactor and disseminator of useful gifts, has heard the appeals from a numberof Indiana cities and has opened up his heart and his pocket book in a very generous way that nobody but a millionaire could stand very long. Monday Wabash accepted the offer of Carnegie to furnish $20,000 for a free library in that city, the council deciding to raise $2,000 a year for its maintainance. Mr. Carnige also Monday' notified the public library officials of Peru that he would donate $25,000 for a building if a suitable lot and an annual revenue of $2,500 were assured. The offer has been accepted. And still more to follow. An Indianapolis correspondent is authority for the statement that Mr. Carnegie has given $50,000 for a library at Muncie and $30,000 for a similar purpose at Elkhart. While the fever is on with the great steel magnet, he might drop a few sheckles in this direction if re-1 quests were properly forwarded. At : any rate it is worth the trouble. Our citizens have never been grant- j ed a greater privilege in the literary 1 line than that of listening to the Rev. Father Xungent. who delivered his famous lecture “Philosophy of Civilization,” at the opera house Saturday evening. We do not use flattery and we know we voice the sentiments of everyone who heard him when we say that his equal as a smooth, dear and concise lecturer has never appeared liefore a Decatur audience. He compared the highest pinacle of civiliz ation of various periods of the world’s history with that of the present, showing in a clever manner our superiority and proclaiming that the only safe-; guard for substantiality of our present high grade is Christianity. Beautiful sentences and metaphors seemed to fall from the learned gentleman's lips like magic, and during most any time while he was talking one could almost have heard a pin drop. Quite a gixxl I sized audience greeted Rev. Nungent, but we feel safe in saying should ho ever visit us again there is no building in town within which he could crowd his audience. He was introduced by Father Wilkens, by whom he was entertained while here, and upon Sun- ' day morning ho talked in an eloquent manner at the St. Mary’s church, exI pressing many good and impressive thoughts. Rev. Xungent is a resident lof Des Moines. lowa, where he is pastor of the church of Visitation. He is not yet an old man by any means and the zenith of* his powers as a lecturer has not yet boon reached.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

■ | D. J. Erwin and daughter, of Lake I City, Michigan, were the guests of , relatives and friends here over Sun day. Dr. Erwin is an old Adams | county boy and his visit here was a pleasant one for both himself and | those he had the pleasure of greeting, j He is a staunch democrat and last week attended a meeting of party men at I Grand Rapids, taking the opportunity thus afforded to run down the G. R. A ■I. a few hundred miles and grasp the hands of a few of his old schoolmates. Saturday night and Sunday the weather filled every requirement of a typical March. Saturday night the | wind was strong, rain fell, thunder j could be heard, it hailed, snowed and i "cleared off.” all within a few hours. I Sunday the rain fairly poured down at ■ about 10 o’clock and by 1 o’clock the ■ sun was shining but in a short time there was more rain. Monday morning the ground was white with snow and everybody said “it is better to have it now than later in the spring.”

The well known milling firm of \ anCamp A Buhler have dissolved partnership, the same going into affect last Tuesday, at which time Mr. VanCamp purchased of John Buhler hjp one-half interest in the concern. The name of the institution in the future will be plain A. Van Camp, who will continue business at the old stand and solicits a share of the patronage of the citizens of Adams county. For the present Mr. Buhler will continue as an employee at the mill and John’s handsome smile will still greet you. There are perhaps nobody in the city more pleased than the telegraph companies' local managers over the news from Washington that after July 1 it will not be necessary to place stamps on telegraphic messages which gave much trouble. Os course it was only a cent, but many people would go up to the telegraphic office, write out a message and laydown a quarter, then forgetting, or pretending to forget. all about the extra cent, walk out. The law requires that those sending messages must cancel the stamp on the message and according to the law an operator is not compelled to send a message until the stamp is affixed and canceled by the person desiring the transmission of the message. Bank checks will also be free from stamps after the same date, and depositors and bankers alike are pleased. Adam Kern, a life-long citizen of the county and well known here, died at his home near Monroe Thursday morning. He had been a sufferer from kidney trouble for many years and had been failing gradually during the past few months. However, his health just prior to death seemed alxtut as it had been for several weeks and the sudden end came as a great surprise to his friends and relatives. He was born in this county in 1848, his father. John Kern, having been one of the early pioneers of the county. He was raised upon a farm in St. Mary's township and there enjoyed the greater part of his life. About a year ago he removed to Monroe town ship, where he resided at the time of his death. He was fifty three years of age and was as well known here as any farmer in the county. His wife and five children, one daughter and four sons, survive him. The funeral services were held Sunday morning from*the North Salem church. Rev. Martz officiating. Criminal and civil procedure about the court room this week is docketed thus: State vs Charles D. Murray, trial by jury and verdict returned of guilty, fined §2O. State vs William Walker, larcenv, Ixruch warrant is sued, bond of 5100 filed and approved. John D. Edwards vs City of Decatur, demurer by defendant to complaint. Aetna Life Ins Co. vs Charles P. Bestow et al, receivers report and receiver discharged. Attorneys Schurger A Smith ordered to pay < 2h,<>2 in their hands to plaintiff. International Bld A Loan Association vs Frank Winans et al. foreclosure, trial and submitted. Abraham Boegly vs Wa bash school township, motion bv plaintiff to have defendant required to make third and fourth paragraph answer more specific. John Clem vs John Clem, extr, answer filed, case submitted, allowance of Sl.llti madt to be paid out of estate. Peterson allowed 525 for making defense. Stephen A. D. Whipple vs Citizens Gas A Oil Company, demurer over ruled. rule to answer and answer tiled. John Reynolds vs George W. Roop, set for trial next Friday. Reuben Greist vs The Ohio Oil Co., damages §2,500. now being tried by jury. Isa IxJl Botkins vs Hiram Aspy. answer filed, set for ninth Tuesday. James Ault vs Mattie Schlegel et al. addi tional answer filed by Bippus, offer to allow judgment withdrawn, answer filed by plaintiff, reply by plaintiff to answer of John B. Holthouse. Joseph Rich vs John Shank and Ferdinand Jacks, separate answer filtxl by Jacks, also cross complaint, rule to answer. George Zimmerman vs Chicago A Erie Ry Co., affidavit and motion by defendant for change of venue. Berg hoff Brewing Co. vs John C. Manley, rule to answer. Kuebler A Moltz Co. vs Geo. E. McKean, dismissed by plaintiff. Mann A Beatty vs Adams County et al. alternative writ ordered, returnable on the 25th day of March nt 9 o'clock.

NUMBER I