Decatur Democrat, Volume 47, Number 40, Decatur, Adams County, 10 December 1903 — Page 1

ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME.

olume xlvii.

The case of the State of Indiana aainst Clarence Mowrer was ” o ught up before S’quire Smith aturday at ten o’clock and he court after hearing all the evience and pondering well over the governing the case found that he defendant had not committed fl v breach of the law and acquitted im. There was virtually no case gainst Mower. Tuesday presented quite a busy oene at the Ft. Wayne & Spring eld Interurban Railway offices, as his is the day set for the company o receive bids for the large engines hat will be placed in the mammoth ower house that will soon be under instruction near the lower river iridge. There are twenty-one large ngine firms represented here and wenty-one bids were received by he company on these engines. Grandpa G. W. Calder wood was ighty eight years old Thursday and he event was celebrated by a big inner at the old homesead twelve dies south of this city. About wenty five relatives were present nd the day was a happy one for 11 concerned. The dinner was a jasq and a delighful one for those emitted to indulge. We beg to cknowlege receipt of a plate of (datable cake asarememberance of he occasion. Mr. Calderwood is he oldest citizen of his part of he county and a pioneer of Indina. A deal is on whereby Beery & Mthouse, who for some time have iwned and operated the Fashion tables, largest and most modern irery barn in northern Indiana will ikely dispose of same to Duke hnfield, a Toledo merchant. The eal was practically m ide 1 ist Frilayand Mr. Canfield expects to arire soon to close same. The cnsideration is said to be about 10,000 and includes a large farm (ear Kenton, Ohio. The Fashion scertainly a great stable and Mr. 'infield can scarcely help makigitwin. He is a practical busies man having been in the hardrare business in Toledo for years, le is clever and a thorough gentleman. As stated the negotiations rill probably be completed Tueslay. Some more saloon business was ransacted in circuit court Satirday, judgment being renderdon the verdict returned in th# ase of the State vs Moritz Ehram. Another case against the ame defendant was dismissed ipm m (tion by the prosecuting atorney. The ease against John feineke went to the jury about ten •block after a hard legal battle. Prosecutor Moran made a good ight and the defense was ably repented by attorneys Schafer Pet*son and Mr. Doughman of F'rt kvne. In the Troy Huey, ditch iroceedings, the commissioners •onrtWas-filed and approved. In KTassigment of John B. Stone•urner matter, a petition was filed H attorneys Merryman and Sutt< n an organ factory, ask's for an order against the asignev to deliver certain property in • s possession. Ft- Wayne suffered another severe !ss by fire Thursday and as the St. Paul German “•theran church lies in ruins, 11all I destroyed. The temple was De ofthe most beautiful in the ,a te. and cost nearly SIOO,OOO. It hs located on Barr street and in “ e midst of a German settlement B ®posed of modern houses. Six a ndso no dwellings were destroythe total loss $125,006. IVe firemen were injured, two of lem quite badly. The fire broke Q 'about three o'clock and raged rce ly until eight this morning. ? 13,000 insurance was carried 11 church, only enough to pay tbe pipe organ. Included in loss are three chime bells, cast ' ar ' J P“ a century and a half ago ' •nsidered as valuable as ’any ‘ the United States. The fire; orsflated in the church basement 0 caused by the furnace be-over-heated. This city has had more than its share es tructive fj res Garing the past '“year.

Obcatilß

Trustee Rupright of Preble tewn- ’ s hip was here Saturday and informs us that the drillers are again I at work on his farm, making a test of a deep oil well. The well was > drilled in several weeks ago and a good showing of oil jwas the result • though not enough to pay to pump I it. The company believes another • vein will be struck by going deeper and work was resumed Wednesday. . The drill will be sent down several hundred feet deeper. 1 The vice presidents elected at the county Farmers Institue Thursday 1 were as follows, Jacob Koos Union, J. W. Broadbeck, St. Marys, S. Campbell, Blue Creek, Ed Ferry Jefferson, Henry Hobrock Root, George H. Tricker Washington, George H. Martz Monroe., M. S. Smith Wabash,Josuha Bright Kirkland, Wentz Rupright Preble, V. ( Bell French, and S. Pontius Hartford. The other officers as stated were the same as heretofore, C. D. Kunkle President, and I. N. Teeter, secretary. The session was a very pleasant and profitable one and the attendance fair. A new secret society has been or--1 ganized at Geneva being the ' Knights and Ladies ot Columbia. The organization there was effected by Deputy Supreme Counselor L. 1 N. Owens, under the supervision of Supreme Counselor Ormond Kennedy, of Souh Bend, Ind. There are about thirty charter members of the society here and the officers ■ elected for the ensuing year are: Past Counselor, Mose Schindler; Counselor, Henry Sahl; Vice Counselor, F. F. Cregg; Scribe Chas. Waltz; Casheir, i.S. Armentrout; Chaplain, William Weaver; Sergeant, Archie B. McEvoy; Master at Arms, Fred Mason; Ist guard, Jessie Swank; 2nd guard, George A. Ford Pickett, James Mason. The meetings ot the society will be held on each Tuesday evening. John Short, bar tender at Ed Johnson's saloon, is lying at his home in a very serious condition, the result of a fierce fight in which he indulged Sunday night with a well known young man as his opponent. It seems as though there has been an old grudge between the< boys which culminated in last night's affair. Hot words led to blows and rather severe ones at that as Short has a broken leg, a dislocated ankle and severe wounds and bruises on his face and body. Short was standing on a step when his assailant struck him knocking him down and kicking him into insensability. Dr. Clark was called to the Beery & Holthouse barn where the injured man had been carried and dressed the wounds. The small bone of the left leg is broken, the right ankle dislocated and his condition is most serious. At noon today Short had not regained possession of his faculties antrsurrre fetrrrf his brawrbeing-im •Jarett is expressed by the physician. John Frisinger returned from Chicago Saturday where he firm of Frisinger and Company had on exhibition at the International Live Stock Show six Beligum stallions supposed to be the cream of the thirty animals they winter here. The horses were showed against a field of sitxy seven other stallions which represented twelve of the largest importers in the United States and against as good animals as the country can produce and in this they captured two places. It seems as though the two sorrel stallions received special attention from all those exhibited and on the evening they were shown the spectators could hardly be subsided in their cheering for them. One very rich horseman from the east said he wanted a picture of the two animals if it cost him fifty dollars and John says he shall have it. Beyond all doubt the firm of Frisinger and Company®had on exhibition the largest stallion among the R>ur hundred others and John states that the stable was crowded from mornin- until night with sight seers who wanted to have the honor of seeing the largest horse in the country The firm speak pretty highly of the show and say they will exhibit agaiu next yeai*

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1903.

Friday evening about six o'clock Marshal Cordua arrested two suspicious looking characters and pro ceeded at once to place them in the care of Sheriff Albert Butler at the county jail, where they roosted over night and this morning were brought up before 'Squire Smith in a charge of loitering and vagrancy, lhe court after hearing what the men had to say and questioning them himself concluded to let them go and at once at that. On hearing this they asked the court where, and he said "Oh, go to Bluffton,” where they at once headed. The men gave their names as William Boyer and James Crompon. Marshal Whiteman, of Geneva, arrived Tuesday morning, having in charge two prisoners, Bert Votaw and John Jones, who will remain as guests of Sheriff Butler for twelve days, and it may be proper to add that the boys are lucky to escape with so light a punishment. At about twelve o’clock on the night of October 30th. last Votaw and Jones waylaid a young man named Wallace Schoonover, against whom they imagined they had a grudge, and gave him a terrible beating with clubs, the effects of which the young man still carries., in the shape of an ugly scar on the head. His condition for a few days was quite serious and the beys were arrested on a charge of assault and battery with intent to kill. They were arrested and yesterday tried before Squire S. Armanstrout, of Geneva. They offered to plead guilty to assault and the charge as to intent was finally dismissed and the'Squire fined the bds two dollars and costs amounting to twelve dollars each. They refused to pay and are serving'their time oat in jail. S

The report of the rural route carriers for the month of November shows a slight increase of business over October. It compares well with report of routes from other counties and proves Adams county an up to date community. Clayton E. Dailey of route one delivered 6062 picees of mail, collect 509 and sold stamps amounting to $9.68. William H. Engle, route two delivered 4820, collected 447, sold stamps $8.44. Ralph A. Beaver, route three delivered 5991, collected 517, stamps $9.84. Henry Fuhrman, route four, delivered 43-13, collected 327, stamps $6 10. Melvin J. Butler, route five delivered 6417, collected 565, stamps SIO.BB. Elmer Archer delivered 4807, collected 473, stamps, $88.96. Total number of pieces delivered 32,444; collected 2,838 stamps cancelled $53.90. As usual route five is the banner in every way, route one is second on delivery but is beaten out by route three on collections and stamps, routes two and six about even on business and route four is last, though each makes a splendid showing.

The board of commissioners had another busy day. Surveyor McKean and John Steel as superintendent made a report on the West Pleasant Mills macadam road. On petition of Trustee Boknecht gravel roads numbered three, four and five were accepted and made a part of the county’s system of macadam roads. The petitions numbered one and two were rejected. The claim of Mercy A. Andrews for the cure of poor was rejected, from which decision she appealed. The liquor license applied for by John Hey of Bingen, was granted. The discussion over the ditch petition of P. J. Brvan, ended in the appointment of Joseph Johnson, Sylvester Pontius and C. W. Yager as reviewers. The bond of clerk-elect David Gerber in the sum of $lO,000 and signed by Clinton C. Clound, Eli Sprunger., Gotlieb Gerber. C A. Dugan and J. M. Frysinger was approved. The bond of Recorder elect C. C. Cloud was aso approved, it being in the sum of sdf<>, rod was signed by F M. Schirmeyer, John Falk, David Gerber and Erast us FritzinSer. The quarterly report of Jacob Graber as superintendent of the infirmary, was approved, it making the usual glowing showing. His requisition for supplies was also approved.

Louis Ludlow, Washington correspondent of the Indianapolis Star says: “Speaker Cannon has had his attention called to the fact that the appointment of Congressman Cromer on the insular affairs committee would give Indiana three members of the committee—Cruinpicker, Robison and Cromer.Therefore he has about decided to put Cromer on the ccmmitee on agriculture. The Eighth district Congressman lias not entirely given up hope of being retained on the committee on postoffice and post boards ami some of his friends here are active in his behalf, but the Speaker long ago decided to make practically an entire change in the personnel of that committee andCromer will have to walk the plank. A large and enthusiastic crowd attended the dance and peanut frolic given by Miss Loretta Fletcher dancing teacher at the Columbian Club Rooms Monday evening. The dancing lasted until a late hour and every one present had a good time. At eleven o'clock the lights were turned off and a large bag of peanuts were scattered on the floors and the one who secured the most nuts in the dark captured the prize; and Eugene Christen proved to be the lucky person and secured a box of candy for his good luck while Miss Lizzie Patterson contented himself with the booby which was a peanut doll baby. Miss Fletcher was complimented on the way she conducted her evening’s entertainment and should she give another frolic soon a large crowd will be present to enjoy it.

Prof. H. A. Hartman, together with L. W. Johnson, county truant officer, Thursday adjudged W. Dennis and Aaron S. Baker, con firmed truant, and the complaint alleging this fact will be filed in the 1 Adams circuit court tomorrow morning. It then becomes the duty of the court to send them to the boys reformatory at Plainfield or some other institution for a certain period of time. This is the first suit of the kind ever filed in the county or in this part of the state and will attract considerable attention. The boys are under twelve years of age and simply cannot be kept in school, though every possible effort has been made by teachers and truant officer and the present action is only taken as a last resort. The time is past in Indiana when a child or his parents can do as he likes in educational affairs, the young children must go to school. The papers in the case have been prepared by Prosecutor J. C. Moran The two boys are sons <>f Mrs. George Baker who lives in the west part of town. The regular monthly session of the board of comitnssioners, and the last one for the present calendar year, begun at their room at the auditor's pffic£_Mondajr. The viewer’s reportson the two West Washington and one East Washington macadam roads, were approved. No remonstrances were filed and Tuesday, January 5, was set for the day to receive bids for their construction. Trustuee Rupright asked to have several macadam roads accepted and this was done in the regular way. The viewers on the highway petitibned for by J. W. Flesher, i eported that they found the proposed road of no public utility and this report was concurred in. Liquor licenses were granted to T. E. Shell and B. E. Young of Geneva, Walter A. Hunt of Linn Grove, and C. D. Murray of this city. Bids were opened on the extension of the Decatur and Bluffton maedam road, that of Samuel Butler being $3573 and Calvin Miller $3543. The contract was awarded the latter at the price specified. The construction of ditches created a lively interest, the remonstrators on the Christian Zehr petition, whilch had previI ously been dismissed, had motion j recorded asking for judgment for I costs. The absence of County At- | torney Lutz caused the board to ■settle this on Wednesday. A motion i to dismiss the P. J. Bryan petition was hotly argfted most of the afterInoon, but this was overruled.

A grand entertainment was the second number of the Christian Endeavor Society of the Presbyterian church at the opera house Monday night. The attraction was the Dunbar Company Male quartette and bell ringers, with Ralph Dunbar, the American 'cellois assisted by Elma Smith, reader and bird warbler. Others who were, with the company were George E. King, tenor, Harry C. Dunbar baritone and Ralphl H. Pailand, bass. They proved themselves, as i advertised, the most novel and versatile company of artists now before the public, at least they were | superiors to any who ever appeared I before a Decatur audience. The bell ringers were sirhply the best. I Miss Smith is an impersonator, reader and warbler of the cleverest J typo and the quartette was so good the audience refused to hear enough of them The entertainment was a success and beyond doubt as good as any feature of any lecture course in the land. Charles H. Fuhrman, a citizen of Adams county for half a century, a man well known for his honesty and entegrity, died at 4:30 o’clock Sunday aftrenoon at his home on North Fifth street. On Monday previous he first became ill, the ailment apparently being the grippe. Neither the family or physician were greatly alarmed until the last of the week when it became apparent that pneumonia had developed. He sank rapdly and the end came Sunday afternoon. He would have been seventy-four year* old Tuesday had he lived and hi# long life has been a busy and useful one. His wife proceeded him to the better land three years ago, as have two children. The remaining children are Mrs. N. A. Loch, Mrs. Sofa Hudnett, Samuel F.. John T., Mrs. Frank Jackson, Ossian; Mrs George C. Bailey, Mrs. H. A. Reppert, Benton, Oklahoma; Mrs. W. W. Foreman, Logansport. The remains may be viewed by friends from nine o’clock Tuesday morning until five o’clock p. m. The funeral service will be held from the Evangelical church Wednesday afternoon at one o'clock.

Judge Erwin Tuesday morning appointed David S. Mauller and Harry R. Moltz as jury commissioners for Adams county for the ensuing year. During the time these gentlemen h ive served in this capacity they have proven themselves efficient and worthy officers and their services have been wisely retained for another year. They’ appeared in open court and took the oath of office. The report of the committee on resolutions of respect for Martin B. Miller were filed and upon motion by Judge Heller were ordered spi ead on record on the memorial page of she court docket. In the case of Nicholas Gasser vs L. W. A. Luckey et al demurrer filed to second paragraph of reply and overruled. Jane Acker vs Walter D. Ayers et al, demurrer filed by Heltz to amended complaint overruled. In the hay case of George Zimmerman vs Beery and Holthouse, the jury retired at five o’clock and returned a verdict at seven o’clock Monday evening, the same being made in open court, finding for plaintiff in the sum of $8.40. This was the amount tendered by Beery & Holthouse and throws the cost on Zimmerman. Officer Butler is busy this week subpoening witnesses for the murder case next week, about seventy-five having been summoned. a number of whom are from Grant county and will be used by the defense to prove Osburn's good character. The state will use about twenty-five witnesses and the defense probably fifty. Attorneys in the case believe the trial will continue at least ten days, counting a day to impanel the jury. Judge Erwin will have some strict rules during the week as it is presumed the attendance will be large. No one except members of the bar and officers will be permitted inside the railing and no talking will be permitted by others than those who address court or juty. The case will begin Tuesday and a verdict is not expected before the latter part of week after next.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLV

NUMBER 40

’1 Disquieting rumors were much discussed around the Erie shops and I offices Sunday. It was rumored i that the Erie was to go into the hands of a receiver and that the time set for the transfer is today. No reason was assigned, the only basis tor the talk being gossip from j the railroad columns of metropolitan papers. The quarterly reports of the road have been most favorable and show decided gains over last year for the same periods. The recent cutting of the mechanical ■ force has been explained by the i statement that the appropriations were not sufficient to maintain a full force all the time. Huntington is interested in the report from the I fact that a receiver any change the ■ entire policy of the present management. Retrenchment in expenditures might mean that the work in the shops would be reduced to the minimum and other disagreeable things done that would materially effect the local business. However, the rumor may not be true and it is hardly philosophy to cross a bridge before it is reached. There is a feeling of unrest and insecurity among the employes of the Erie in this city. It is hoped their fears are not well grounded. At any rate the public will know in a few days if any important moves are to be made.—Huntington Journal. Henry Werling, who died at his home near New Haven, December 2, was born on July 18,1831, a Lumsheim, Providence of Rheinpfalz, Germany. His early days were spent in his native town. When nine years of age his parents emigrated to America and setttled on a farm near Pomeroy, O. Here he grew to manhood but being of an active and an energetic spirit,he became dissatisfied with the meager opportunities offered in that section and sought a more promising field for his activity. Attracted by the rapid growth of northeastern Indiana, he left his parents, brothers and sisters and set out for Adams county where an uncle resided. The journey was made by boat on the Ohio river and the Miami and Wabash canals. In the spring of 1852 he reached his uncle's farm where he worked until the following year when he was joined by his parents, who also settled on a farm in Adams county. In 1858 Mr. Werling was united in marriage to Miss Wilhelmina Gallmeir and to the union was given twelve children. In 186-11 e was drafted into the service of the union and was enrolled as a private in Company K., fifty first regiment of Indiana infantry to serve one year. During this period of active service he saw many of the hardships and trials of a soldier's life. He took part in several fierce battles of the army of Tennessee, especially in the battle of Franklin under Gen. Schofield, and in the battle of Nashville under General Thomas. Alter the proclamation of peace his army corps was ordered to Texas where he had to endure new hardships, marching with his comj rades over glowing sands under the rays of a tropical sun. At San Anonio, Tex. Mr. Werling was honorably discharged from the service on October 15, 1865. He returned to his home in Adams county but moved to a farm near New Haven in 1868. The remainder of his useful life was spent on his farm. Those who survive to mourn his death are his wife, and eleven children as follows: Fred J., of New Haven, Mrs. F. Meyer, of New Haven; Mrs. George Hermann, of Gar Creek ; Mrs. William Bremer, of New Haven ; Mrs. Gorge Brudi, of Fort Wayne; Mrs. J. Lunz of Geoglein,; Henry of Woodburn; Charles of New Haven the Rev. J. W.of Humbolt, Kan; John of New Haven; i Miss Tillie of New Haven, and two I brothers Andrew Werling of TocI sin, Ind., and John Werling, of i'.-i. 4b 1 im. Ind., and one - ..»er Mrs. .1. Kiefer, of ,<4*reble,' rid. Mr. Werling was known I fellowmen as a hard worker and a man of eminent industry and honiesty. The funeral services will lie held in New Haven at 10 o’clock Sunday morningtn the Evangelicial Lutheran church of which he was j an old and faithful member.