Decatur Democrat, Volume 48, Number 32, Decatur, Adams County, 13 October 1904 — Page 1

Ten JPages.

VOLUME XLVIII.

Mrs. Carrie Suddeth, who wa s severlely burned about the hand a few days ago , after which blood poison set in, is suffering untold agony. The attending physician, however, thinks that there is no immediate danger, and that Mrs. Sudduth will soon be all right. This will no doubt prove to be welcome news to her many friends. Without doubt the happiest and proudest man within the city limits today is Jacob Kalver, the clothing man, as he is going about our streets with a big smile on his face and his chest thrown out, and all on account of a big bouncing boy making its appearance at his home on Sunday. Both mother and babe doing well. Jacob says it is the prettiest babe in town.

W. A. Kunkel now has a signature that is worse than Nel Todd's. The latter kng enjoyed the distinction of having the worst signature of any man able to write English without the aid of a typewriter but Kunkle gees him three or four better. Todd and two other men can read his signature but no one can read Kunkle’s. When a hotel clerk sees it on the register he can’t call the name after reading it upside down as he does other signa tures and pretend to be well acquainted with its owner. He has to ask what the writing means or whether it means anything. —Bluffton News.

Early Sunday morning burglars gained an entrance into the West End meat market and got away with |1.60 in cash and a large quantity of meat. Entrance was gained by breaking a screen door and then forcing the lock on the door. Saturday night upon closing, the above amount of money was left in the drawer to make change for the Sunday*trade, and on opening up Sunday morning the door was found open and the money missing from the drawer, also some choice ham, steak and veal were gone. There is no clew as to who the guilty party was, but the proprietors think it was home talent on account of the bungling job they Sade of it. J. W. Bosse was engaged Sunday in hanging his new asbestos curtain, which by the way is a dandy, and ; credit to any opera house in the country. This curtain was made in Tiffin, Ohio, and was miid<- by a firm which has the repntati >n of putting out nothing but the best. The front of the curtain is artistically adorned with many printed signs, presenting the 'cards of a number of our business men. The curtain was put up by Mr. Bosse to c miply with the new state law which declares that every play house in this state must be provided with a curtain of this description to protect the people attending a performance in case of fire. The curtain has been thoroughly tested and complies with the law in every respect. John Stelzer, the man who was so seriously injured in the Wabash township lumber camp last Saturday evening, is an enigma to medical science. Despite the fact that a large sliver of the skull was driven an inch into the brain he now sits up in his bed and takes nourishment and his physicians say there is every reason to expect his recovery. His respiration and pulse were normal Saturday morning and Dr. Boekoven is looking for some plate to take'the injured man " that he may be removed from the county infirmary. At this time Selzer is absolutely deaf, the auditory nerves being paralyzed, perhaps only temporarily, and the left facial nerve is likewise paralzyed, so that his countenance is somewhat distorted. When one understands how serious was the operation that Stelzer underwent then it is less difficult to appreciate how critical his condition must have been. In operating upon him it was neessary to bare seven inhes of the, surface of the skull. The one piece of bone ws>.-> removed from the brain, the pressure of numerous other particles of bone was lifted and with shattered skull in proper position the flesh was reunited. —Port land Commercial Review.

Mrs. Garrett Berling left for Battle Creek, Mich., today, to visit her husband for a short time. He is there taking treatment at a sanitarium. Mrs. Berling stated that her husband was improving slowly and would probably return with her. Fred Patterson left Monday for Indianapolis, to complete his course in the Indianapolis Dental school. This is Fred’s last year and he expects to receive his diploma and then look for a location. During the past several years Fred has been engaged in the newspaper business during his vacation, hut hereafter has severed his connection in this] line Jand will put his whole time in dentistry. Word was received Monday night from Gas City announcing the sad news that Mrs. Eli Smith of that city had died yesterday morning. Mrs. Smith will no doubt be remembered by a great number of the citizens of this city and the surrounding county, having only a few years ago resided near Pleasant Mills, where she has a host of relatives. Mrs. Smith was afflicted with a complication of diseases and had been sick for a number of years, at last succumbing to the ravagings of her complaints. She was near the age of sixty years. The funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at that place and interment will be made in the Gas City cemetery. Mrs. Smith was a sister-in-law to Shaffer Peterson of this city. She leaves a husband and several children to mourn their loss. A number of relatives from this city and Pleasant Mills will be in attendance at the funeral.

Ralph Brittson, the little son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Brittson. was quite badlv injured Sunday, by being kicked by a horse and how he escaped instant death is somewhat of a miracle. The little chap was holding the horse in the front yard, allowing it to eat grass, when the animal gave a quick jump, pulling the halter strap from the hand of the little chap, whirled suddenly and let fly with its hind feet, striking little Ralph an iMch above the temple. He was carried into the bouse and Dr. S. D. Beavers summoned, who dressed the I wound, it taking several stitches to I sew np the ugly gash The little ! fellow is still confined to his bed, i feeling quite badly. Dr. Beavers ' stated th it he did not think the wound was a serious ine, but cau- ■ tioned the parents to give the little i one file best of care. The horse .had just been freshly shod and hail the heavy shoe struck an inch lower, it would have caused instant death. Phillip Kem, aged seventy years, an old and res}>ected citizen of this county, died suddenly at his home three miles and one-half east of this city Sunday morning at three o’clock, of heart trouble. . Mr. Kern had been in the best of health and had been doing hie own farm work with the assistance of his son, Frank. He was a robust 'and healthy man for his age, and had always been a hard working farmer. Saturday morning, however, he was taken ill with a sudden attack of heart trouble and for a while was in very bad shape. A doctor was summoned and relieved him to a ceitain extent from his suffering. All during the balance of the day he rested easier and was apparently much better until three o’clock Sunday morning, when he was again attacked and expired in a few moments, his constitution not being able to stand the second attack He was one of the old settlers of this county, having come here in the early days, and ever since remaning a citizen of this county. He was a member of the Salem church and was an earnest and conscientious worker in its behalf. The funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Salem church at 1:30 o’clock. Rev. Haist will conduct the services, and interment will be made in the Salem cemetery. He leaves a wife, three sons and two daughters to mourn their loss. proceeded him to the great beyond.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1904.

Mr. and Mrs. Kunkle went to La fayetteTuesday to attend the Farmer’s Institute, which is being held there this week for the benefit of the chairmen of the state to assist them in conducting their local farmers instiute. James Place is the owner vs a colt that is perhaps the most valuable ever in the city, and its future will be watched by the lovers of good horse flesh in this community. The colt’s mother is Edna Medium, the famous little pacer, witn a trial mark of 2:15 and a track record of 2:22. The sire is Atlantic King, Centlivre’s 2:04 pacer. The colt, thougfli butafew days old, is a picture, perfect in every particular, and Mr. Place has an offer of SSOO for the animal. George Rahman, who lives near Ossian, had a runaway while corai g to this city Tuesday morning in wmcb he was bruised up to a certain extent. The origin was the breaking of a bridle, causing the horses to run. Mr. Rahman pluckily held onto the lines and managed to get the team stopped. He then jumped from the rig, and as he did so, the team again started. He made a lunge and caught one of the horses by the bit, being thrown right in front of the team, where he was kicked and trampled upon before he could regain his footing His wounds although painful are nothing serious. The Decatur High school has decided to give its field day meet on Friday, October 21st at Steele’s park, and from all the arrangements that are being made a big time will be in order. The object of this meet will be to select a trackteain Os athletes to compete with Muncie, Bluffton, Winchester and Portland at the inter-high school meet to be held next springj at a place that will hereafter be determined. The events that will be contested are running broad jump, standing broad jump, hop, step and jump, running high jump, standing high jump one hundred yard dash, 220 yard dash, 440 yard dash, half mile run, pole vault, throwing twelve pound hammer and putting the 16-pound shot. All of these events have been well filled and the high school boys are all going in with the determination of Winning a place on this team; and to represent Dceatur at the high school meet. The teachers have taken chage of this event and will endeavor to make it a banner day for the Decatur high school. The event will be extensively advertised and a large crowd will no doubt be in attendance. If all present plans carry out to the wishes of the citizens of Monroe that little town will during the long winter evenings be beautifully lighted with electriciy. Last week President Stuckey of the Berne Electric Light Works received a lengthy letter from Shelby Ray, postmaster of Monroe, and one of that town's most influential citizens, asking whether or not after the electric plant at Berne was completed if they would put up poles and wire from Berne to Monroe, and furnish the business men and residences with light. Mr. Ray is backed up in this petition by a number of the leading citizens of hat place and they are very much in earnest in their request. The Monroe people base their claim up on the fact that they have not very muoh dependence and faith in the gas and they do not desire to move backwards and again take to the oh lamp, and state that if the Berne people will look kindly upon their proposition that they are willing to stand for a hign rate at first uptil the expenses of putting bp the poles and wires are paid for. President Stuckey of the Berne plant has the proposition under advisement, and states that he will give no definite answer until the plant is fully established and under running orders at Berne and he can tell just ho* muoh of a load this plant will be able to pull. He further stated that the Monroe proposition was a good one and that they fully appreciated their wants, but he must first be able to serve his own people. „

I Postmaster Brittson has received notice that the negro, whose scheme of raising money orders and cashing them at business houses, who was spoken of a few days ago, is still . getting in his work and is coming towards this city. If a “coon” presents a money order to a busi- ' ness house, the proprietor should notify the police. Quite a jolly crowd were entertained three and one-half miles west of town at the home of Harry Fuhrman and sister Ada, Sunday The guests present were Misses Minnie Sheets, Rosa Swank, Dossie Butler, Addie Ruckman, Etta Mallonee, Ruby Sheets, Ada Malonee, Clar Steele, Elsie Fuhman, Tishie Singleton* Lizzie Close, Edith Cook, Mary Steele, Alma Fuhrman and Earl Butler, George Steele, Will Rackman, Charles Cook, Ray Butler, Dem Ruckman, John Singleton, Wilda Fuhrman, Jesse Hurst, Walter Brown, Ira Fuhrman, David Cook and Charlie Fuhman. The day was spent in music and games , and at a late hour in the afternoon the crowd departed and went to their homes, hoping that Harry and Ada will entertain them some time again in the near future.

State Auditor W. D. Gulbert will soon make his first call for state bank reports under the new law. It will come some time this month, though of*course the exact date will be kept seerret until the call is out. The old law required reports from these banks twice a year on dates specified in the statute. The new law permits the auditor to make two calls a year, and to fix any date he desires. It was held that the old law was of little benefit since the bankers could put their institutions in such conditions on the known dates as to make a creditable showing. They will now know nothing about the date of the call until it is published. He can call for the bank’s condition on any past date. The new law as it stands closely follows the National bank law of the government and when there is a provision for their examination at pleasure, by a state official, the stale supervisor of state banks which has been proposed for several years, but rejected by the legislature, will be secured. Louis Vines, who claimed to be 103 years old, died at the home of his nephew, Perry Vines, on Patterson street in the south west p irt of town at two o’clock Monday. Few people in Decatur Knew that such a man lived here or that we had as a ciliz n centenarian, for during the two years he has lived here he had never been down street. According to his statement he was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, November 9th, 1801, thus making his age within one month of 103. His nephew says , be has no way of telling the exact age of his venerable relative, but believes him Vo be at last ninetyeight. As we gazed upon his form this morning we were convinced that he bad spoken his age correctly. His hair was long and white as the driven snow, as was also his beard and his kind old face appeared a*» a picture from the biblical times. He was never married and his only near relative is a sister wbo lives at Paulding, Ohio. When a young man he learned the shoemaker trade and for over fifty years he worked at that business, being located at Datyon, Piqua and other Ohio cities. When his age prevented him from working at the bench he did chores and light labor wherever he could get work. He lived for several years with his sister at Paulding, Coming here two years ago. He was an interesting character to talk with and remembered distinctly incidents of the war of 1812. Mexican and civil wars. His health had been unusually good and death was due simply to infirmities, the vital organs having worn out. He was in bed a week but felt better yesterday and expected to be able to set up in a day or two. The funeral services will be held tomorrow morning at ten o'clock fiom the house, Rev. Luke of the United Brethern church will conduct the services. Interment at Maplewood cemetery,

W. H. Stults and John Meyers, of Wren, Ohio, returned Tuesday from Lexington, Ky., where they were attending the race meeting of the grand circuit race horses, and while there purchased two well-bred and i valuable horses which are low marked. I Both animals are stallions and are geauine beauties. The democrats had another one of their large and enthusiastic meetings Monday evening at the Booher school house in Jefferson township. The Hon. David E. Smith and Hon. Fred Fruchte delivered the principal addresses of the evening. These speakers were accompanied by the Decatur Democratic Glee club, who rendered some very choice selections of campaign songs. Both speakers fully covered the ground, taking up the real issues and expounding them to the fullest extent. The threatening weather held the attendance down to a certain extent, but those who attended were well pleased with the meeting. Presiding Elder Herrick went to Arcadia Wednesday evening to accept the resignation of Rev. J; E. Ferris pastor of the M. E. church at that place, and to make arrangements for filling the vacancy. Rev. and Mrs. Ferris will sail from New York about November 1 for their new field of labor, Umtala, in the province of Rodessa, East Africa, where Rev. Ferris has been appointed to take charge of a large Methodist missionary school known as the Umtala acadmey, which comprises five departments, viz: kindergarten, primary, grammar, music and high school, which is self-sustaining. This very desirable appointment comes to Rev. and Mrs. Ferris through Bishop Hartzell, who has charge of the Methodist missions .in Africa. The school has been established in one of the splendid Enlish government buildings, which, together with 13.0C0 acres of fine land, has been—for the consideration of a nominal sum—transferred to the M. E. church. Rev. Herrick speaks in the very highest terms of Rev. Ferris as a polished scholar and a most excellent young preacher. He will also be ably assisted in > his work by his talented young I wife.—Kokomo Tribune. The following is in part a disj patch to the Rockford, Illinois, ' Register-Gazette frbm Caledonia, Illinois, and shows the high esteem !in which Rev. Alexander, a former I Decatur minister of the Presbyter - I ian church is held in that locality: Caledonia, 111., Oct. (s.—Last | evening almost the entire congrei gation of the Willow Creek church, augmented by people from the neigboring towns and districts surrounding the parish, gathered in the lecture room of the church for the purpose of giving Rev. JAlexander anu family a farewell reception, before his departure to Elmira, 111., their new field of labor next week. Rev. Alexander when he preaches his last sermon next Sunday, will have completed the longest and no doubt the most sucessful pastorate inthe history ofthe church. It is nearly ten years since he came here and during that time he and his wife have become endeared to the people. Mr. Alexander's work has not been confined to this parish alone but was ever ready to extend his help wherever it could be used for good. Last fall and winter he held meetings nightly in the school houses on the outskirts of the parish and in Harlem and Roscoe, for nearly fifteen weeks, and secured 200 converts. A short time ago he received a call to the Scotch Presbyterianohuroh at Elmira, 111. The congregation felt that they could not let him go without some testimonial of their appreciation. So a committee was appointed to receive voluntary subscriptions for a present. Only the members of the church were asked to contribute, but a number from other congregations asked to be alloWed to share in the testimonial. Dr. Penniman in behalf of the congregation presented Mr. Alexander with an elegant easy chair for his study, Mrs. Alexander with a china closet full of china dishes, and there little [daughters with lockets and a ring.”

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

NUMBER 32

|The supreme court has just rendered a decision in favor of C. Francis Knowlton, of Corn and Glass fame saving that worthy from paying a judgment of SSO. The case grew out of Knowlton’s famous Corn and Glass palace of Dunkirk. John W. Smith, one of the contractors on the palace foreclosed a mechanics’ lien for SSO and secured a judgment against Knowlton for that amount. Knowlton wasn’t satisfied with the decision of the lower court and through hie attorney, J. J. Moran, he appealed the case. The decision of the upper court is in Knowlton’s favor.—Portland Commercial Review. The prohibition party met in this city last night and nominated a complete county ticket. William Drew,|the Geneva attorney, acted as chairman and James O. Ball as secretary. The following well known men were chosen to lead the party: For representative, George Haitman, Geneva; prosecutor, William Drew, Geneva; auditor, Sylvester Spangler, Decatur; treasue, James O. Ball, Decatur; sheriff, Charles Davis, Steele; surveyor Samuel C. Cramer, Berne; county assessor, John E. Cramer, Decatur; coroner, Lewis T. Brokaw, Decatur commissioner, first district, Henry Fuhrman, Decatur, commissioner third district, Jasper I. North, White Oak. At last night’s meeting Aaron Worth, the nominee for congress, was endorsed. Carl Peckham, of Monroeville, was perhaps fatally injured, and George Gault also of near Monroeville and William T. Peckham, of Fort Wayne, badly wounded, by being shot by a revolver in the hands of a man named Daniel Tuigg, of Chicago, who was crazed from drink. The terrible affair happened on a Pennsylvania passenger train, when a shoit distance out of Warsaw, at seven o’clock Sunday evening and caused a wild panic. Mr. Gault is a cousin of Titus Ernst, of this city, and both he and his wife are well known here, the latter being a sister of the Misses Rebecca and Allie Steele and Mis. Clinton C. Cloud. While the train was running at high speed Tuigg, who was seated in the women’s coach, rose in his seat drew a b’rge revolver from his hip pocket and with flashing eyes turned upon George Gault, a farmer of Monroeville, and Carl Peckham, also of Monroeville, and who were seated immediately behind him. Tile first shot from the insane man’s weap in took effect in Gault s mouth, shattering the jawbone and knocking out several teeth. The violent passenger then leveled his revolver on young Peckham, who was endeavoring to take refuge under his seat. He pulled the trig ger again and the shot took effect in the left shoulder of the defense less youth. The first shot grazed the forehead of W. P. Peckham, uncle of the wounded boy, barely cutting the flesh. Mr. Peckham’s was also hadly burned by the powder. A fourth shot went wild. By this time the passengers had become panic-stricken and the screams of terrified women and children added to the horror of the scene. Tuigg ran through the aisle of the coach trying to refill the chamber of his revolver with cartidges, when John Winteringham,a traveling man from Chicago, seized the insane man. Winteringham struggled fiercely m an endeavoi to overpower Tuigg, but finally fell to the floor, having been kicked in the stomach. At this stage the trainmen and other male passengers leaped upon Tuig and threw him to the floor. He was dragged into the baggage car, where he was held until the train arrived in Fort Wayne, where he was lodged in jail. The wounded passengers were taken in charge by Drs. Porter, White and Stemen at the station and were hastened to Hope hospital where the wounds were dressed. The bullet was removed from Gault’s jawbone, which had been shattered. The wound of young Peckham has not yet been carefully examined, though the physicians believe that the bullet ranged upward from its entrance at the shoulder, and if so ne n ay recover. • .. — - — “ “