Decatur Democrat, Volume 45, Number 22, Decatur, Adams County, 8 August 1901 — Page 1

ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME.

VOLUME XLV.

Mr. and Mrs. Claude Cole will return to their home at Lancaster, Ohio, after a two weeks stay. An interesting letter from Major Allison, who is now eozilly domiciled among the refreshing breezes of Oden Michigan, will be found in this issue, The Peterson, Bell and DeVilbiss families were at Monmouth Tuesday and enjoyed the day as guests of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Kunkle and C. D. Kunkle and family. B J. Terveer's new residence on Madison street is nearing completion and will be a convenient and modern house. The dwelling contains ten rooms besides a cellar and bath room and will be right up-to-date in every respect. R- J. Holthouse and family will occupy the house. The state tax board has closed its summer session and has rated the different corporations for taxes in 1902. The Standard Oil Co., was assessed at $1,585,429, the United Telephone Co.. 60 miles at SBS a mile, Ft. Wayne (las Co., $519,867, Clover Leaf with 171 miles of track SI2,(XX) a mile and the Ft. Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville 128 miles at $14,000 a mile. Recording to the Bluffton News Dell Locke has renewed his lease on the Bliss hotel and can have the management of it until 1909 if he so desires. Dell is one of the best that ever happened, and is entirely too good to sacrifice himself in such a little town as Bluffton. Under his skillful eye the Bliss is now credited with being the best hotel on this side of the earth. A young man named Harry Dan iels living in St. Mays township was badly hurt Monday evening while assisting in loading baled hay. Harry was standing on the load when one of the bales slipped and he fell backwords. As he did so he caught his foot in a wire and the left leg was badly broken at the ankle. The foot was bent entirely backwards and all the ligiments were torn hose. The county commissioners while in their regular monthly session beginning Monday, granted liquor licenses to John Tounelier and Matt Schafer They also settled with the school, boards and city and town officers, besides making their estimates for the needs and demands for the county for the coming year. The latter is no small affair and involves considerable labor. The estimates of the county officers has been tiled with Auditor Boch, as the Jaw suggests. The Commercial Bank at Andrews followed in the footsteps of the Avilla and Cardwell institutions and closed its doors Monday. J. M. Key, the proprietor, is in jail at Huntington. It stems that Key was associated with Leach, the Avilla man, and seems to have been a man after his heart. He cut quite a dash at Andrews and when in need of a few thousands, he simply forged the name of some well-to-do citizen to notes and thus got the money. An Indianapolis firm got nervous and began to take steps to make itself safe after the banks at Cromwell and Avilla wont under, and Key’s crooked work came to light very soon afterwords. The losses to depositors will l)e heavy. Albert Yager, a farmer of French tawnship and one of the best known Pioneers of the county died at his home Sunday afternoon. He had not been feeling good for some time and on Wednesday of last week while doing some trading at Bluffton he was stricken with paralysis. He was taken home and medical assistance secured. but he never rallitfl and lived but four days. Mr. Yager was a native of Germany, where he was born in December, 1844. When only four years of age he came with his family to this country and shortly after located in Adams county, where he has since resided and where he has lieen regarded as one of the foremost citizens. His wife and four children survive him and mourn the loss of a loving and indulgent husband ami father. The funeral services were held from the Reformed church at Vera Cruz, Thursday morning, at ten o'clock, Rev. Vitz officiating in Ger man and Rev. String, of Bluffton, in English. The Adams County Fair Associ ation is rapidly becoming a reality and only time is necessary to make their annual meetings the best in Indiana. The committee appointed to lookafter securing the grounds, closed a deal with Williard Steele Monday where by the beautiful park east of town was leased to them for a periixi of ten years at a reasonable price. These grounds an* undoubtedly the best in Indiana and cannot help but be an attractive entertainment resort. The track is an almost jierfect one, the drives are beautiful, the lake a valuable addition and the now buildings will be the best possible to erect. The ixiard of directors will meet at the court house today noon and will at once decide upon the exact dates and make further arrangements for a big meeting this fall. They will erect new buildings and the grandstand will be completed. In fact everything will lx* arranged to make the Adams county fairs unequaled in the state.| Help them along The fair this year, owing to a late start will probably be[ held the latter part of October. '

W. A. Lower of Indianapolis, will arrive this week for a short rest from duties in the Public Instruction office. Col. and Mrs. M. B. Miller left this' morning for Petoskev. Michigan, where they will rest fora few days and enjoy other luxuries of that famous summer resort. Mrs. Anthony Holthouse, after two! months with her children here, left [ Tuesday morning for her home at I Jonesboro, Arkansas. She was accorn-, panied as far as Fort Wayne by her son, R. J. Holthouse. Miss Meek Thompson, who several years ago was employed at Doty’s tailoring establishment, in this city and made many friends, died Monday morning at the home of her father at Geneva. She was twenty-seven years old and had lieen ill for a long time, her death being due to consumption. The funeral services were held at Geneva yesterday morning. Lewis Holthouse found his pacing horse Thursday after an absence of several days, 'it had been eared for by a farmer near Vera Cruz and the owner was advertised for in Bluffton papers. The horse was a speedy | traveler as may be shown by the fact' that it escaped after ten o’clock at night and at daylight next morning ' was looking for breakfast seven miles I south west of Bluffton. Al Rothchild the genial young man who has assisted Gus Rosenthal for two years past is busy closing up his business in Decatur this week and will leave within the next few days for New York City, where he will as- ! sumo charge of a large wholesale clothing house owned by his cousins, iAI is a business hustler and will I make things count during the coming ! years and we expect to see his name rated high in Dunn and Bradstreet. Mr. Simon Freistrotfer has received information that near his farm in Adams county natural gas has lieen struck by parties boring for oil. Wild reports reached him of the find, but ho doubts that any great quantity of gas has been discovered, although he will take a trip over there to look over I the ground. Mr. Freistroffer’s land i lies a few miles east of Decatur. Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette. Well now if Air. Freistroffer’s land is located near the Teeple land, the chances are he has all kinds of gas beneath it. If there is anyone in town who discredited the fact that Rufus K. Allison had actually caught a monster muss-, kellunge on his recent trip to Canada they can now be convinced by calling on him at the Old Adams County Bank. Mr. Allison had the head of this monster fish mounted and it was recently sent to him. It is a prize worth keeping and one even we would be proud of. The musskellunge is [ the largest and gamiest fish of northI ern waters and he who lands one is entitled to all possible honors from his bn tlier anglers. This fish was forty-six inches in length, weighed about thirty pounds and required a battle of about half an hour to land him and the story of his catch is interesting and best told by Rufus. Get him to tell it to you. Mrs. Sally Seabold, an inmate of the Allen county p<x;r house, is about to come into the possession of a fortune estimated to lie up in the millions. She is ninety-eight years of age and a sister to Binkhart Moser of Tamaqua. Pennsylvania, who died leaving an estate worth $30,000,000 or $40,000,000. The estate has bt>en in litigation for three years, but will be distributed at the .September term of court. Mrs. Seabold was living with her son, near Arcola, but some years j ago he took her fora drive and landed her at the poor house. When informed of her good fortune she wept tears of joy and said she knew it would come some day. The son who took her to the poor house, we suppose, will not I find the old lady such a burden on his hands now should she again desire to live with him. She also has relatives at Bluffton who have suddenly be come very much attached to her and I explain that she was only taken to the I infirmary that she might receive better care than her relatives could give. The merchants business carnival is a matter of history; all the lemonade, balloon and sure thing men are in other fields and once again we are settled down to the old routine. The occasion of last Friday and Saturday brought many people to town and the manv stands, snows and fakes did a thriving business. The program of the two days consisted of trapeze performances, wire walking ladder feats etc. The various attractions were scattered over the business portion of town from Court to Jackson street and from Second to Third street. The balloon ascension Saturday morning was as good as ever witnessed here, Prof. Reid, the aeranaut, performing wonderful fonts while depending in his parachute. Other attractions wore of the usual circus variety and at least found favor in the eyes of the young folks. Prof. Corbin's band furnished music and did nicely, showing that j the new Decatur City Band is a win uer and will make the finest organiza tion of the kind ever in the county. The shows and attractions left Sunday morning, most of them going to (Irevn town, where a fair is in progress this I week.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1901.

Three days races by the Decatur Driving Club and a county fair are[ among the amusements booked for t he ensuing two months, pnd both are looked forward to with interest. Mrs. D. D. Heller and daughter Bertha left yesterday for Millersburg Ohio, where they will visit the for mers mother, Mrs. Marv Corbus for a period of two weeks. They will also visit relatives in Harrison county before returning home. John Jones, another pickpocket, whose true name is unknown of course, was tried liefore Mayor Beatty Tuesday afternoon and released because of! the evidence not being sufficient for a conviction. He attempted to steal a watch from Mr. Cockeran, the window screen man, but his work was a little course and he was caught before he had secured the time piece. This will be a banner year for peaches. The crop throughout the whole country is estimated to be about 75,000,000 bushels and rather over than under that mount. The prolonged drouth in some parts of the country has effected it somewhat but not to any great extent, and the hot weather of July has helped to atone for the backward summer in developing the fruit. Monday's issue of the Bluffton | Evening News said: Smith & Bell j had a bad fire on the Will Eugeler i farm near Vera Cruz Sunday. They have a portable mill at work cutting out timber and sparks from the engine fired the underbrush. Logs and bolts to the value of $75 were burned while [ the tree tops were destroyed. A gang j of four men were stationed there last night and kept the Hames from ' spreading. David Flanders has been busy this ' week instituting a search for two of ! his valuable horses which have been I stolen. The horses were purchased I last spring of a man named L. Gray, i the latter being employed to care for them. He was keeping them near Celina, Ohio, but last week disapI peared and the horses with him and Iso far no trace has been obtained of . man or beasts. The animals were stallions and were very valuable. A ! reward of $75 has lieen offered for the return of the horses or arrest of Gray. Bright prospects in the way of a big gas field are now a certainty as the Teeple well is the biggest ever struck in Indiana by seventy-four pounds so we are informed by people who have studied the matter. Within the past week the cap has blown off twice and the gas is escaping at such a rapid rate that it is almost impossible to do anything with it. It is said the | biggest gas wells of the state had a I trenton rock pressure of 325 pounds. | while this well has tested over the 400 i pound mark and is still on the inI crease. The big Findley wells of ' several years ago showed a pressure I of 400 pounds and were considered i wonders. This well is owned by the ; Decatur Oil and Gas company and [ they will nut down several more wells in the same locality yet this fail, Matilda Jane Coverdale, daughter of Dr. L. N. and Mrs. M. A. Cover dale, was born in Muskingum county. Ohio, April 4, 1853. In this same year she was taken by her parents to Allen county. Indiana, where they resided about five years, after which they moved to Adams county, Indiana. The life of the deceased was not without its sorrows. February 27, 1879, she bid farewell to her sister, Rhoda C. Rawley. In the year 1887, her father and in the year 1889 her mother. She was converted and united with the Evangelical Lutheran church at the age of fourteen. After moving to their farm in Adams county alxjut twenty-one years ago, she united with the Methodist Episcopal church at Pleasant Mills, of which church she has since been an earnest and active member. She leaves to mourn their loss two brothers, six sisters, nieces and nephews and a host of friends. Funeral services were held at the M. E. church at Pleasant Mills, conducted by her pastor, Rev. E. 11. Peters. John Falk, one of the members of the drug firm of Smith, Yager & Falk i is housed up with an outlook of sever al weeks of such business and a chance that he may never be sound of limb. He was riding his bicycle home on Wednesday evening of last week from his farm which is located several miles east of town. While riding along at a rapid gait his wheel struck some quicksand, and in a Hash he washuried to the ground, receiving a fall which for a time rendered him unconscious. Being on an untraveled road and after partially recovering, he liegan to reason out someway to get home. His first attempt to arise failed, but he managed in some way to get. on his wheel and ride over to the main road Hero he again fell from his wheel exhausted. After a time a driver for E. M. People happened along and brought him home, arriving thereat ten o’clock. Dr. D. D. Clark was Allied and an examination showed that one of his legs had lieen broken j just below the knee and the knee joint; also badly fractured. He was very sick during the mghtand hiscondition was serious. However, he has been [ improving since and his physician brings cheering reports each visit. !

Lafayette Rape, of Wabash township, was looking after business here yesterday. He reports that the dry weather has about eliminated all outward indications that there ever was such a thing as' the Wabash river. The Marcy Mfg. Company, builders of wind mills who have been Bluffton’s leading industry for many years will leave that city about January 1 and seek a location where the railroad facilities are better. They couldn’t do better than to come to Decatur and there is a probability that if given an opportunity they would do so. Graham Earl the popular cotnmedian who always crowds Indiana opera houses is booked here for one week begining Monday, Aug. 19th. The opera season proper however, does not open until September, when Carters "Down Mobile” will be presented. Graham Earl has a stronger company than ever this year and will do a thriving business. The Decatur Driving Club have decided upon a three days race meeting to be held at Steele’s Park September 18, 19 and 20. They will be the three biggest days ever given at that popuj lar resort and the races will far exceed anything ever seen here. Fifteen hundred dollars will be given in purses and all races are free for any one in the class. The Driving Club does things right when they advertise and the affair of next month will only add to their reputation. The Democrat is happy to relate that not a case of small-pox, chickenpox, Cuban itch or any other old thing of a contaminating nature is now prevalent within the confines of our city. All the cases under quarantine have run the limit, been properly disinfected and the inmates therein per mitted to go their several ways. Every person afflicted has recovered and everything is lovely. While there never was any danger of contracting the disease, yet there always was more I or less fear, which will now be entirely eliminated. S. P. Beatty has secured an excel- ■ lent position with the Wells, Fargo ! Express Company. He applied for a place several weeks ago and owing to his good service while in their employ here he was immediately favored with a reply stating that he would lx l given the first opening. Yesterday he received word to report at Chicago at once prepared to go to Omaha, Neb., where his services are needed at once as cashier. His work there is only temporary and will continue about three weeks, after which he will probly be sent elsewhere to do extra duty I until an opening is found for him. ' His present position is a very respon j sible one as the Omaha office is one of their largest ones and the cashiers duties are many. The change shows the high regard with which he is held by the company. The sudden death of Benjamin j Beltz, a Union township farmer, ocI curred Friday evening. He was at ! the home of a neighbor Mr. Woods, where a party of men from the comi munity had gathered to assist in threshing. Mr. Beltz bad done an i exceedingly hard days work but had not complained of being ill or did he ; appear in any way other than bis usual state, in fact he was one of the I liest spirited laborers of the day. The I men had been to supper and returned Ito their work, making an effort to I get through. Benjamin was feeding ! the machine when he was seen to retd and fall backward, alighting upon a pile of straw. His comrades hastened to his side but he had breathed his last having died almost instantly. His death was due to heart failure, and probably was hastened by over exertion. A wife and six small children are left to mourn the loss of a husband, father and protector. The funeral services were held Monday morning at ten o’clock from the Blakey church. Henry Trim, whose true name is unknown is one of the holdovers at Erwin’s parlor, from the street carnival of last week. He is charged with I picking the pockets of Lawrence Koeueman, the young man whoisem ployed at Woodward & Balls furni turn store. Koeueman says he was standing in front of the court house Friday afternoon watching the spindle wheel, a gambling device. He felt something in his left hip pocket and reaching back discovered thathis ixx-k et book containing a five dollar bill was gone. He turned about and saw a suspicious looking fellow just behind him and at once grabbed him by the arm saying, “Fellow what are you doing. I’ll have you arrested in a minute.” The supposed crook retorted, “I aint got it’* and just at that moment the book fell at his feet. Lawrence picked it up and immediate ly went for Hart who arrested the fellow and took him to jail. His preliminary was heard before Mayor Beatty Monday morning. L. C. t)e Voss appearing for the defendant and entered a plea of “not guilty.” Koeneman was the only witness examined and Mayor Beatty bound the defendant over to the circuit court in the sum of SI.(XX). The young man is from Greentown and is said to be a clevfr individual, with quite a reputa tion in his lino. His true name is Fred D. Fisher and he is wanted at Marion on a similar charge.

John Schurger is handling his left arm with care this week on account of a felon on one of his fingers, which is no doubt a painful luxury. John has just recovered from a seige of about a dozen carbuncles and thinks his afflictions are becoming rather numerous. Miss Della Sellemeyer entertained at her home on Tenth street Tuesday evening in honor of her guest, Miss Clara Hood, of Portland, and the occasion was delightful. The guests were entertained on the lawn which was tastefully and beautifully decroated, Japanese lanterns adding to the actraetiveness of the occasion. Misses Marie Beery and Frances Bryson assisted in serving. An automobile bicycle was in town yesterday, being owned by a representative of the Thomas Auto Company, of Buffalo, who makes them. The machine is run by motor and it is possible to speed it up to thirty-five miles an hour, faster than an ordinary train. The gentleman rode here from Ft. Wayne in an hour, which is fast enough for ordinary use. The wheel weighs about 100 pounds and sells for S2OO. There are quite a number of them in use over the country. Hon. Levi Mock, the stalwart Bluffton attorney is a spiritualist and last Sunday while attending a state meeting at Chesterfield talked to the spirit of A. N. Martin. He asked him concerning the much talked of funeral sermon and received this reply: “Friend Levi Mock I cannot condemn that man Miller in strong enough terms. I was not a saint, as you know, and as I know. I did not commit a crime. I was my own worst enemy. Instead of blackening my character, he, as a friend, should have shielded me and upheld me. Yours, A. N. Martin.” The races at Steele's park Friday afternoon were not very largely attended but were quite interesting, four races being on the day’s program. The first race was the 2:40 pace and was won by Dr, Miller’s colt, Maud M, in two straight heats. Berman K. S., the well known Lon Swaim's horse got first money in the 2:25 pace, and Jaunetta, E. M. Peoples, did a like turn in the 2:25 trot. The free-for-all pace was a fast one and was a sure enough race the first heat, but in the second Glad Boy. owned by Elmer Johnson, got tangled up in the harness and fell throwing Mr. Johnson clear over his head. While the horse was not injured to any extent still no attempt was made to enter him in the other heats and Mack K, Homer King’s fast one won the race. Elmer escaped without in jury. Strange things come to pass and among them our people may have an opportunity to listening to the famous haehet jugler, Mrs. Carrie Nation, although there is nothing known deli nitely about her visit. L. C. Masters who is the prohibition district chair man secured her for a few speeches over Lis district, when she was seized with a fighting spell and pro ceeded a lew days ago to cause col sternation among saloonists. She was arrested and fined the total costs amounting to S2OO and in default of same she was sent to jail. Hearing of this Mr. Masters appealed to Gov ernor Stanley tor a pardon and was successful to such an extent that the, hatchet thrower was released upon promise that she would pay her fine in monthly installments of five dollars each. She will tour Indiana and while we are informed that like the rest of the big circuses she has not been scheduled for Decatur, still there is a possibility of securing her ser vices for a night's lecture. Should such be the ease she will no doubt be greeted with a large audience. Hon. R. S. Peterson of this city was at Indianapolis several dais last week and on Wednesday presented a forcible argument before the judges of the supreme court for a stay of execution in the case of John Rinkard eon demned to be hanged August 23 for the murder of his wife. Mr. Peterson assisted in the defense of Rinkard at Wabash last spring and to him was assigned the duty of appearing before the supreme court. His brief was tiled Monday and on-Wednesday a quorum of the tribunal consisting of Judges Monks. Jordan and Hadley were pres ent to hear the argument. The brief filed was a voluminous document, containing eighty printed pages. Most of the brief is devoted to argument of the question whether Rinkard was insane at the time he murdered his wife or not. Stress is laid by the condemned man’s attorneys on the lower court’s refusal to grant a now trial on account of certain newly discovered evidence. The evidence was that ten years liefore the commission of the crime Rinkard lived in Lima, Ohio, and was there known as “Crazy John Rinkard.” Rinkard was sentenced to be hanged on August 23. His con duct at the prison where he is under the death watch is that of a man who seems to care neither for himself nor anybody else. He sits in his cell like a person in a stupor, lie eats and slisips and seems to have no concep lion of his impending doom. Rinkard can neither read nor write. Warden Shideler stands ready to carryout the orders of the court, whatever they may be.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

NUMBER 22

Judge and Mrs. A. O. Marsh, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Knecht, and Mrs. Bader S. Hunt of Winchester, were in the city over Sunday as the guests of Col. and Mrs. M. B. Miller and L. G. Ellingham and wife. Saturday even ing the occasion was of somewhat unusual importance, Winifred and Martin Miller Ellingham being bap tised according to the usages and cus toms of the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. and Mrs. C. G. Hudson were present. A six o’clock dinner was also enjoyed. Those who have paid us recently for reading the Democrat are William Wechter, VV. F. Orcutt, Mrs. P. P. Ashbaueher, Mrs. David Everheart, Frank Sipe, Samuel Nelson. John P. Stinner, Sarah A. Barkley, George Zimmerman, David Hammond, Mart in Laughlin, John Hessler, B. A Mclntosh, J. M. Swigert, Louis Ham mond, H. H. Bremerkamp, J. H. Steele, H. M. Madison, Davidson Mattox, Thomas Cloud, Emma Ault, August Peters, Henry Bresdorf, Geo. Smitley, D. J. Coffee, Andrew Barkley, J. C. Patterson and R. D. Patterson. The case of Ben Middleton vs Willard Steele in which the former charges Steele with burning a house on his farm which contained Ben's household goods was called liefore 'Squire Coverdale yesterday morning. The sum of S2(X) damages was demanded for payment for the goods and costs acruerd thereby. The plaintiff was represented by Schafer Peterson and the defense by C. J. Lutz and L. C. De Voss. After the evidence was. in and before the case had been given to the jury the plaintiff withdrew the case and the proceedings closed for the present at least. There was a surprise in the city league base ball circle Sunday when the Leaguers, tail-enders,defeated the Creams in a hotly contested game at Steele's park, the score being nine to seven. Bart France and Milo Trout were in the points for the Leaguers ami Ora France and Scott Hughes for the Creams and the game was an interesting one. The best work perhaps was done by shortstop Ned Bobo of the Leaguers who redeemed his bad plays of two weeks ago nicely, making a number of assists and batt ing like an Indian. Immediately following this game the Reds and Sanspareils met, the former winning by a score of 29 to (J. This places the clubs in the following order: Reds, Creams, Sanspareils. Leaguers. Next Sunday the Creams and Reds meet while the Leaguers and Sanspareils cross bats. The Huntington News Democrat of last Friday quotes from a letter received by a friend from Mrs. A. N. Martin and daughter, as follows: “No Iru > friend of the deceased could ever afford to receive money derived from such a source for the purjxjse mentioned in the announcement, and we earnestly, bet gently enter our solemn pre test against the use of a fund tor iiis 1 enefit procured in that way. It would be heaping insult upon injury. Rev. Miller has wrung our heartstrings l>v his sermon and letters and we have hoped and prayed that he would abstain from a course which is painful and annoying to us in the extreme. \Ve earnestly request him to never mention the name of the deceased again in print in connection with his own for we feel that in view of the past it is not just for him to do so. \Ve again assure the public that not one cent of the money derived from the sale of the pamphlet will be received by any one for the benefit of the deceased and we hope that no one will purchase the pamphlet with that end in view. The regular meeting of the city council was held Tuesday evening with Mayor Beatty presiding and members llaefling. Myers, Leßnm and Niblick present, Mann and Suttles lieing absent. The minutes of the meeting of July 16 were read and ap proved. A large number of bills were presented but only the following, due for salaries, were allowed, the rest being carried over on account of a short age of cash in the city funds: J. VV. Stevenson, salary. $65; Jacob Eady, salary, S4O; Thomas llaefling, salary, S4O; Milligan Jackson, salary, SSO; J. K. Mann, pay roll, $55 95; H. B, Ktioff, pay roll, $30.45; Thus. Baker, salary, $lO. Th. of the city commissioners with regards to the Lister sewer was flksl and consists of twenty type written pages. The council then fixed Monday, August 26, 1901, at eight o’clock a. m„ at the office of B. VV. Sholty, as time and place, where the city commissioners shall meet and determine the cost of said improvement tipon the property benefitted in proportion to the bene fits derived therefrom but not in excess of sueh lienefits and the city clerk is directed to give two weeks notice of sueh meeting as required bv law. A petition was filed by .lames K. Niblick and others for the assent of the council to build a erushed stone road on Nuttman avenue. Themnyor ordered a vote by roll call, the result being four ayes, and it is therefore ordered by tlie city council that the [consent of said council be granted to the Adams county board of cominisIsioners to build such stone road. [Council adjourned.