Decatur Democrat, Volume 48, Number 8, Decatur, Adams County, 28 April 1904 — Page 1

ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME.

VOLUME XL! HI.

A LOTTERY SCHEME Operated in Stone Block—Had Office at Indianapolis and Various ■ Agents Over the State. Among the sixteen indictments returned by the April grand jury, there is only one real surprise and that was sprung yotterday afternoon when Judge Erwin ordered a bench warant and the arrrest of Jesse B. Koop, a well known young man on the charge of operating a lottery in this city. He was arrested by Sherriff Butler and gave bond for his appearance in court in the sum of 1600. Strange as it may seem a real Louisana lottery, on a smaller, but just as profitable plan in proportion, has been an institution of Decatur for six months past and had it not been for the disatisfaotion of one of the principal employes of the concern might have been still doing business at the old stand. The operating room was in the front suite of the Stone block, where behind locked doors and darkened windows a printing outfit handled by Ned Bobo, a competent niechancic produced the tickets, instructions to agents, addressed envelopes, drawing sheets and other necessary stationary. The concern known to the unsuspecting public as the Montrea Lottery Company of Canada thrived for several months, until Mr. Bobo became disgusted as to his part of the affair and left the city, first conveying information to proper officials, which led to the affairs being brought to light. While Mr. Roop was the manager and general s|ipperintendent of the affair, several other prominent citizens are said to have been implicated slightly. Mr. Roop was supposed to be representing an eastern cigar firm and as such had an office in Indianapolis, where all communications were sent from and to by express only. Agents were appointed at Berne, Geneva, Monroe, Willshire, Warren and many other places and the stock holders saw future visions of wealth equal to the fabled get rich quick concerns of St. Louis and other places, but this has all vanished and the grand jury has said that the next drawing must be held in the Adams circuit court room. Bobo left here several weeks ago and soon afterward the printing outfit consisting of a hand press, type and other necessary paraphanalia were quietly removed to a safer place. The indictment charges that Roop conducted a lottery here as stated and further accuses him of selling a ticket to one John Jones whose true name 'is unknown. If the state proves that the lottery was a fake, that no prizes were given, the outcome may be a verdict for obtaining money under false pretenses and the penalty a term in prison. If the finding is for selling lottery tickets the penalty can only be a fine or jail sentence or both. Mr. Koop is one of the best known young men of Decatur and has heretofore borne a splendid reputation. Contrary to the expectations of many, there will be an excursion to Ohio this year and it will lie run under the auspices of the Ohio & Indiana Old Settlers Reunion as of old. O. L. Enos, taveling passenger agent of the Chicago & Erie road, with headquarters at Marion, 0., was in the city yesterday and had along conference with W. W. Weisell, Sr. The result was that it was positively decided to run the excursion and reunion as of old. Many people were under the impression that because of the St. Loins fair the trip would be abandoned this year. It is thought, however, that the fair will out little figure with the excursion. Mr. Weisell stated this morning that the rate to Youngstown, Ohio, would be the same as always and •hat from Youngstown to all other , Joints a half fare rate would no loubt be secured by the j iionists.—‘Bluffton Banner.

Oecatilß

The~condition of Judge David Studabaker continues very serious, his physicians stating that but little change for the better is yet perceptable. Mrs. Vesey has been summoned from Fort Wayne and will remain with her father for several days. Dr. Boyers the attending physician and Dr. Thomas were in consultation Wednesday afternoon. Gus Sellemeyer met with a painful accident last Tuesday morning. While loading a wagon with heavy pine timber for a farmer one of the planks slipped throwing the entire weight of the same upon his right leg causing a large splinter to run ! into the fleshy part of his leg. He .at once proceeded to dress the ; wound and thought that he had re- , moved all of the splinter, but as the I same was causing him severe pain ihe went to Dr. S. D. Beavers who , operated upon it finding a piece of the timber in his leg probably an inch long. It was necessary to cut into his leg about three inches before the same could be located. The wound is nothing serious but is giving Mr. Sellemeyer much pain and impedes his travel to some extent. Charley Jacob Friday finished tearing down the old barn on Dr. C. S. Clark’s lot on North Second street. To many this item will be of but little interest but to others it will be for it will remind them of days a half century ago, when Decatur's best industry was looated there. The building was built about 1840 and was used for many years as an ashery. Several different firms managed the business, one of the best remembered being Michael Smith. Within the memory of the present generation however the building has been_nothing but an old stable and for several years has been nearly ready to fall in. Dr. Clark will move the little house on the lot back, build an addition a cellar and fill up the lot making the property a nice appearing place and a valuable one. The G. R. & I. Railway company has just received a little purse of $25,039 from congress. The amount was claimed for transporting the United States mails from Fort Wayne to the southern line of the state of Michigan from July 1, 1876, to June 27, 1896. The postoffice department regarded the road as a land grant road, and under t he law such roads receive only 80 per cent of the price fixed by law for transporting mails. After the road passed to the Pennsylvania, the point was made that the section of the road between Forb Wayne and the Michigan line was not a land grant road, and the new company put in a claim for a little over $35,000 back pay. The case was taken to the court of claims which allowed $9,985, covering a period of six years, Prior claims, the court held were barred by the statue of limitation. With the decision of the court the railroad came to congress and obtained the $25,039 in addition to the $9,985 the court had allowed. The firm of Peoples and Holthouse are cetainly going into the transfer business right and for the ease and comfort of their patrons, they have ordered a new bus from the Cunningham Brothers firm of Rochester New York, that will excel anything of a like nature tnat was ever driven up our public streets. This new bus will be model and up-to-date in every respect, having large heavy rubber tires, French plate bevelled glass in the windows, upholstered in leather and the top of the bus lined in satin, a large mirror will adorn the front of the bus and the whole inside will be lighted with electricity. The outside will be of the latest pattern of buses and the headlights win also be completely fitted with electric lights and the seating capacity of the same will be twelve persons. The bus will not be due here yet for sixty days it taking all of that time in its manufacture and inshipping. The Cunningham Brothers have a world wide reputation as the finest bus builders in the country and as this bus will be of the latest pattern will cost the enterprising firm of Peoples and Holthouse a neat price, and will be a credit not only to the firm but to our city.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, H)O4.

The home of Mrs. Fred Scfiafer on Monroe street was the the scene of a delightful social affair Tuesday afternoon, the event being an elaborate reception given by Mrs. M. A. Himm, Mrs. H. A. Fristoeand Mrs. Schafer. Over three hundred invitations were issued and all afternoon the commodious home has been thronged with fair visitors. The invitaions were for various hours from two to five. The house was beautifully decorated with flowers and plants and presented a most inviting appearance. The three ladies were assisted in receiving by Miss Mary Myers. The event was a happy, yet formal one and as well enjoyed by the many who accepted the invitation. Several out of the city guests were in attendance. Delicious refreshments were served. The Opera house was crowded last night, the attraction being ‘A Southern Gentleman" presented by a home talent company, for the benefit of the Daughters of Rebecca. The event was a financial as well as in every other way a pleasing success, and much credit is due to Mr. Henry Thomas who managed the rehersals and other particulars. J.Q . Neptune did the comedy work and showed that he had no little ability in other lines than the dental profession. Others in the cast were Homer Sowers, a banker; Henry Thomas, his nephew; Mrs. Judge St.'dabaker, the bankers wife, Miss Blanche Carrol as Sadie, faithful and true, Miss Kate Mylott, a disputed possesion and Frank Wen hoff as Jack Worthington, in love with France. The scenes were of the south. Pleasing specialties were given by Dr. Neptune, Misses Snellen, Clara and Mayme Terveer, Louis Holthouse, Albert Sellemeyer and True Fristoe. The program was delightful and the large audience well pleased. Treasurer Voglewede had a bond sale at the room of the board of commissioners last Friday. The bonds are for macadam road purposes, the North Preble, the extensions of the East Washington number one, West Washington number one and two. Decatur and Monroe number one, and Decatur and Bluffton number one. The old Adams county bank was the only bidder and they only for the North Preble road. The face of these bonds are $10,660 and bear four and one half per cent payable in forty semi-an-nu 1 payments, covering a neriod of twenty years. The reason assigned for there being no demand for the extension bonds is the fact that the amounts are too small and the time too long. Bond houses like to do business in job lots and in consequence the larger the denomi nation the better premium they offer. It is probable that the contractors who have bid on these extensions will take the bonds and arrange to dispose of them. The Adams County Bank paid a premium of $55 on the North Preble bonds. Fire which started from a defective flue threatened the destrucion of the Clover Leaf depot at Curryville Monday afternoon, but a backet brigade whiv_i was quickly formed managed to extinguish the flamt s and save the structure atfer partly dismantling it. The fire had the result of opening the eyes of the residents of Curryville to the fact that the old building had been the hiding place for a small fortune belonging to the agent, Harvey Curry. He is the old man who acts as agent. When the fire broke out he was lying on a bench down stairs asleep. He was aroused by the cries of those outside and ran out of the door. Scarcely had fie reached the air until he dashed into the burning building and hurried as fast as he could upstairs. A minute later be dashed out with a great leap, clutching a canvas sack closely in his hands. of what was the matter and what he had the old man replied that it was money which he had hidden in the garret. He would not say how much but from the size of the sack it looked like a pretty snug sum. The old man almost collaped from his fright. He should now hunt a bank—Bluffton News.

Wells county has always borne the reputation of producing prize | winners but A. W. Bown, a young medical student of Bluffton has all preious records “skinned" according to the following from the Bluffton News: “A W. Brown, son of Asa Brown who returned from the Indianapolis medical college Sun* day, brought with him the corpse of a negro who was partly dissected at the school. It is now reposing snugly in a box at his home at the corner of South and Bennett streetsj He will finish the work of dissecting, will clean up the parts and will put the bones together into a complete skeleton. ” The annual meeting of the State Bar association to Indiana will be I held at Fort Wayne on Thursday and Friday, July 14 and 15. The principal address will be delivered by Henry St. Georse Tucker, of Virginia, dean of the College of Law of Columbia university. Mr. Tucker is the son of the John Randolph Tucker, and is one of the I most celebrated Virginia stars. The president’s address will lie deliered by the president, the Hon. W. P. Breen, of Fort Wayne, and papers wil Ibe read by Charles W. Smith of Indianapolis; Samuel Parker of Plymouth and Charles Baker of Columbus. There will be a general discussion of the work of the codification commission. The Gus Sun American Minstrels showed at Bosses Opera House Wedda y night to a packed house, and if the opinion of the theatre going public is worth anything at all it was a success in every respect. The first part, “A Dream of Mars” was certainly a handsome scenic production and the arrangement of the circle was unique, unlike anything ever produced here, before. The company is composed of a goodly number of stars and their songs and witty sayings were up-to-date in every respect, no old chestnuts handed to the crowd. Without doubt Fred P. Russel and John Goss have the best in their line that ever struck this city and they kept the house in an uproar. Perhaps one of the best specialties of the whole show was the marvelous work if the Greta Heiler the bounding wire artist, who was the center of attraction by his daring work upon the wire, his feat of turning a somersault upon the wire was a rare performance and won him much merited applause. Mr. Sun carries a fine band and orchestra with him which alone are well worth the price of admission. Will Buuck, of Freidheim was robbed Monday night of seventy one dollars in hard earned cash and a reward of twenty five dollars is offered today for information leading to the arrest of the guilty culprit, who is known to be a young man named George, who claims his home at Johnstone, Pa. Mr. Bunok is to be married tomorrow to Miss Schroeder an estimable young lady of Williams, a small town north of here, and last evening went to call on her. During the drive he was caught in a heavy i rain and was drenched to such an j extent that it was necessary for | him to change clothes ater arriving at the Schroeder home, which he I did, leaving his pocket book in his j trouser pocket. At the Schroder , home a young man who was known ! only as George had been employed jas a farm hand for about two weeks. He was a stranger and had been given a home and employment. Sometime during last night George entered the room where Bunck had exchanged clothes and stole the ■ pocket book, containing a little over seventy-one dollars and immediately lef * the country. He also took a quart bottle of whisky which he | found handy. The robbery was not discovered until this morning I when Will prepared to return home. Sheriff Butler of this city was Shmediately notified and has began a systematic search for the fellow having sent cards to all surrounding cities and. towns. George is de scribed as being about five feet and four inches tall, weighs about 140 pounds, sandy complexion, medium, red hair, wore blue cap no vest, black shirt and blackcoat

Judge Robinson, of the appelate court, has expressed himself forcibly on the evils of a loose view of marriage and divorce. In approving the action of the Wells circuit court in inquiring intc the character of an applicant for divorce and refusing the divorce upon learning that the plaintiff was living with another man and had borne him a child Judge Robinson said: “When an agreement to marry has been executed in a legal marriage, the relation thus formed becomes more than a mere civil contract. The marriage executed regular as it is t by law upon principles of public policy, is an institution of society in which the state is deeply concerned. The state itself regulates it, because the state has an interest in maintaining the family relation. The trial Judge not only had the right but representing the state, an interested party it was his duty to elicit the facts as too the plaintiff's own misconduct. The Geneva Traction company is a new company to enter the interurban line construction in Grant county. The articles of incorporation were filed in the office of the county recorder yesterday, and although it is not certain when the company will have a line operating in this county something will be done by the new company before long. The purpose of the orgnization original} 7 was to construct a street railway in Geneva. Afterwards the project '’ ••q extended to take in a line through urns, Jay, Wells, Blackford and Grant counties, connecting Geneva, Montpelier, Matthews and other cities in the counties named. A branch from Montpelier to the Ohio state line has been planned also, and in order to gain a terminal point of premi. nence the, line will probably be extended into the Buckeye state. Included in the stockholderrs are some of the wealthiest men in Eastern Indiana. S. W. Hale, one of the directors, is president of the State Grain Dealers’ association, and a man of influence in affairs. No time is mentioned in the articles as to when the constructs n is to begin.—Marion News Tribune. T. H. Harris died yesterday afternoon at 2 o’clock at his home on Main street. His death had been hourly expected for the last few days and he quietly and peacefully succumbed in the presence of his family and other relatives and went to his rest after a lingering illness of six months of consumption. His health had been failing for about a year and a half, and he had been confined to bqd for three mofiths. Mr. Harris was born on the old Harris place northeast of Berne on •Jan. 18, 1858, bringing his age to 46 years, 3 months and 7 days. He lived on the farm where he was born until a few years ago when he moved to Berne with his family. He was well known throughout the counnty as a school teacher, having taught, in all, eight terms of school in Monroe and French townships and seven in Berne. He was married to Rebecca Ann Laisure, Oct. 16, 1879, who died Feb. 14, 1886. Four children were born to this union, three of whom are living. He married his second wife, Pauline Ida Lehman, on May 3, 1890, who now survives him with six children, the youngest being two years old. He alsc leaves, to mourn their loss, one brother, B. P. Harris, "of Winchester, two sisters Mrs. J. W. Reffey, of Portland, and Mrs. Wm. Hendricks, of north of Berne, and his aged mother. The deceased was secretary of the Great Northern Indiana Fair for three years, which office he filled very satisfactorily. In politics he was a strong prohibitionist and he did much for the temperance cause. He was a faithful member of the Evangelical Lutheran church and took an active part in church work. The funeral services will be held at the Evangelical church here tomorrow at 1 o’clock p. m. Rev. Koenig will preach the funeral sermon and wil] be assisted by Rev. Kliewer, of the Mennonite church, who will speak in German. Interment will be made in the Backenstow cemetery at the Spring Hill church northeast of Berne—Berne Witness.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

The annual election of a board of nine directors who will have in j charge the affairs of the Decatur j Commercial Club will take place at the club rooms next Monday evening at seven o’clock. That will mark the first anniversary of the club and their accomplishments for one year are of a character that reflects credit upon the club. It has also become apparent during this, one year that such an organization is a benefit to the town in more ways than one and that the future of Decatur has even better things in store and the efforts of this business oragniaztion will aid materially in making them a reality. Every member should be on deck next Monday eveniing and exercise the privilege of helping choose those who will represent the club in an official capacity. Rev. J. C. White left Tuesday for LosAngelesCalifornia, where he will be a spectator during the sessions of the national Methodist conference and incidentally will see a goodly portion of that beautiful country. It affords an opportunity for a well earned and a well deserved vacation, and it is expected that Rev. White will enjoy it to the limit. It is the first time during his career as a Methodist minister that he has absented himself during the regular work. During the last winter his time was so taken up that his health was in away affected, and his absence spent in this way will prove a very beneficial card, and he will likely return with the bloom of youth and vigor of mind and body written on all sides of his countenance. Druing his absence services will be held without a break. Next Sunday Rev. J. A. Sprague the popular Monroe pastor will fill the pulpit and arrangements will be made for future services. While there he will convey to Rev. and Mrs. C. G. Hudson the regards of their many Decatar friends. The trip fe an enviable one and Rev. White is fortunate that he can indulge in the trip of a life time. For several days news concerning the development of Decatur as a division point for the Clover Leaf railway has been a scarce article and we have several times been asked if the proposed deal has fallen through. An answer to this question we can only say that railway deals are never rushed but so far as can be ascertained the arrangements are being completed and today our opportunities for becoming a railroad town look brighter than ever. The Clover Leaf surveyors have been here on three different occasions and have conducted their business in a quiet manner stating that they prefer no comment as to the extent of their findings until the proper time comes. Mr. Tyndall, chairman of the committee in charge of the matter for the commercial club says that he has assur ancos that the ultimate resulls will be entirely satisfactory to every one concerned. It is known that the Clover Leaf company lave been ready to close the deal for several weeks but some of the improvements to be made here will also be used by the Erie road hence a delay has been caused in completing arrangements between the two roads. This part of the affairs has been rather difficult to understand but the following from last evenings Chicago Journal some what explains it: Rumors are again in circulation that the Hawley-Gates interests are about to conclude deal for a merger or absorption of Toledo, St. Louis & Western railroad, of which Theodore P. Shontz of Chicago was recenty made president and general manager. The rumor that a consolidation for the “Clover Leaf" is in contemplation has been in circulation for some time. Today it is reported in the east and also in Chicago that. he deal now contemplates purchase bv the Erie and a guarantee of 3 or 4 per cent dividend for the preferred stock of the Toledo. Further details or anything resembing official confirmation were entirely lacking. If this deal is completed the future |of Decatur is assured as this city j would no doubt be made the central 1 division of the two roads. At least jit is a strong possibility.

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