Decatur Democrat, Volume 48, Number 47, Decatur, Adams County, 26 January 1905 — Page 1

L THE NEWS ALL THE TIME

VOLUME XLVIIL

COMMITS SUICIDE 111 Health Affects the Mind of a Useful Man—Details of the Sad Story. '., T -J James A. Steele came home yesterday from Norwich, Kansas, where he went immediately after receiving the message announcing the death of Sam S. Steele, men tion of which has previously been made. He left here Wednesday night, and arrived there two hours before the funeral party started for this place. He stayed with the family, ihey being unable to leave there, owing to the illness of a daughter, Ida Steele, whose lungs seem affected, and for whose health as well as Sam ’s they went west. The daughter has been sick for three years, and while reported as somewhat better now, is far from being well. They located in Norwich, Kansas, wjiich is a growing little western town. The trouble that affected Sam’s mind, and caused him to commit the terrible deed that ended his life, was brought about by a land deal. He had contracted with John J. Norris, a real estate dealer, for the purchase of four hundred acres of land, two miles from Norwich. An optional contract and one hundred dollars had been paid, both contract and money being in the hands of the bank. After this contract was given Sam began to worry about it, and several times tried to have it cancelled. Some hot words passed between him and Mr. Norris, and on . the fateful day, Sam came aome complaining of not feeling well. He went into his bedroom to lie flown and rest, and shortly thereafter the'report of a revolver was heard. The bullet penetrated the right temple and after a gasp or two he was dead. This note was left by him: ‘John J. Norris threatened to kill me if I didn't lave my wife Sarah J. Steele, sign contract, in the Norwich bank. Rather than to have him butcher me, will take my own life. 1 want the courts to save the money that she has deposited in the Norwich bank, and do away with the contract. Jane have Dave to see after things. Good bye to all. Sam S. Steele.” The coroner’s inquest returned a verdict that the deceased had shot himself during a period of tempo vary insanity. The family which consists of the widow and six children, five of whom are with her, will remain at Norwich for six months at least, and then may return here. Mrs. Steele has been appointed guardian of the minor heirs, by the court at Kingman the county seat of their now Kan sas home, and their financial mat ters will be straightened out before they leave there. Mr. Steele was a successful business man, and had aooummulated considerable money. In the bank at Norwich is $6,300, and S4OO in his name. Besides that he had a note of SSOO, and three houses in Fort Wayne. Daring the last year or two he has spent considerable money, trying to better the condition of his health. He was a man of good address and had many friends here who will regret of this sad ending of the life cf a useful man. James A. Steele, who returned yerterday report.< the family as being as comfortable as oiroum stances will permit. They are nicely located, have formed some very pleasant associations, who will prove comforting during such dark hours. They were all devoted to their husband and father, and the blow is severe. Matthas Miller, sr., a pioneer of c this city and county, is very sick at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Kurber, in Union township, and it is feared he cannot survive more than * few days. For several years he has been very feeble, being eightythree years old. Recently he stiff ered an attack of lagrippe, which has brought on a slight stroke cf MHbsia, making recovery praffiiMlly impossible.

Christian, son of Abraham C. Bixler, four miles norheast of Berne, died at 1:30 Monday morn ing, after an illness of about fiveweeks. His sickness was not serious until a few days before death, when typhoid fever set in. Wash Gilpen was the unexpected host at a surprise party Thursday night, the thirteen members of his Sunday School class having originated and perpetrated the affair without taking Mr. Gilpen into their confidence. The deep dark conspiracy was plotted and the conspirators formed in marching column at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Tritch, and'"from there proceeded in one solid phalanx upon the victim. They found him slightly addicted to lagrippe, but after the hist few rounds he rallied and pronounced it the best medicine ever. Oysters were served and a pleasant evening enjoyed. The voters of the village of Monfoe, almost to the man, responded to the call issued a few days ago by Jonathan Burkhead for the purpose of considering the proposition of incorporating that village as a town. The meeting wn.° a harmonious one, and from good authority we learn that at least four out of every five people present favored the proposition. A committee consisting of H. J. Andrews, J L. Gross and Z O. Lewellen was appointed to circulate a petition asking the county commissioners to order an election. They will also employ a surveyor who will plat the town into lots. There is but little question but that the election will carry almost unanimous, and an election for town officers will be next on the program. It’s the right spirit, push yourselves or no one else will. The town of Monroe will soon take its place among the Indiana municipalities. Jesse Hill and Frank Cary were arrested Friday evening by Marshal Green on information given by Drayton Hill, charging the men with intoxication. They were taken to jail and this morning were arraigned before the mayor to answer to the charge. The evidence brought out the facts that Jesse and Drayton Hill live in one house and that last evening Jesse invited Frank Cary to the house tn furnish some music on his violin. Jesse desired to have his chldren hear the music and went into Drayton's part of the house to get them, and while thus engaged he and Drayton s wife got ino • ome argument and the arrest followed. The evidence disclosed thefact that they had never before had trouble and lived in a peaceable manner. The men both denied being intoxicated and after considerable talking Jesse and Drayton got together and straightened out their troubles. Drayon withdrew his charge and Jesse made a most humble apology, and all departed in a friendly manner. Mrs. Hattie Tague, mother ofFred Tague, the well known shoe merchant of this city, died suddenly Sunday morning at her home at Wilshire. On the evening previous she had entertained some company and was in good health when she retired. About seven o'clock Sunday morning some one entered her room and noticed she was breathing heavily. The family was summoned, but efforts to arouse her proved futile. A physician was summon ed but before he arrived she was dead. She was sixty-two years old, and while never real strong had enjoyed good health and her sudden demise was a terrible shock to the family. It is supposed thaf death was due to heart tbrouble though she had no recent symptoms of that disease. Her husband died about three years ago. The surviving children are Fred Tague of this city, Chauncey, of Colum bus, Ohio, and McClellan, Wesley, Charley. Mrs. Ida Hill and Mrs. Effie Byers, who live in the vicinity of Willshire, and Miss May : Tague, who lived with her mother, j Mr. and Mrs. Fred Tague left Monday to attend the funeral, the services being held at one o’clock that afternoon from the Willshire i M. E. church.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 26. 1905.

A.H. Sellemeyer returned Monday evening from a several days’ trip through Ohio. He attended the meeting of the Lumbermens’ association at Dayton, spent a day at Columbus and Sundayed with his son Jesse, who is attending college at Oberlin, Ohio. Harry Zell, the nine-year-old son of William Zell, of Rojk (’reek Center, Wells county, was shot and fatally injured by his half brother, Ross Highlen, fifteen years old, Thursday afternoon. The boys were playing with an old muzzleloader, which was defective in the arrangement of the trigger. It was necessary to snap the trigger with the thumb. The older boy had snapped the hammer several times wthout discharging the gun, and the smaller boy got in front of the muzzle, when the old weapon, which had “hung fire,” was discharged. The bail went through the lad’s abdomen and came out of his back. The accident happened at 4 o’clock Thursday afternoon, and the boy died at 4a. m. yesterday. The office of oil inspoor.or in Indiana is no slouch of a job if anyone asks you. The work is next to nothing and the pay good. For instance, a tank car of oil is shipped into the state. A sample, say a half gallon, is taken from the tank and submitted to the inspector. He plunges t, little thingamagig of a tester in it and if it shows up right the oil is approved. If not it is ordered back. Because of this inspection oil not of the z standard requirement is never shipped into Indiana. The inspector receives one-half the fees for his salary. He has about a dozen deputies who are paid a salary or percentage amounting probably to SIOO a month each. Sid Conger is at present the state inspector. He got $3,300 last year for doing nothing but count the money his deputies took in for him. A man who claims his name as John Dutcher, is in jail at Portland, being charged with robbery of the Redkey postoffice and shooting the merchant who tried to stop him. His picture appeared in this morning’s Munroie Star. Under the same name he was arrested with a man giving his name as Perry Roebuck about three weeks ago for intoxication and served nine days in jail, being released January Bth. He and his partner sold $17.50 worth of hides and furs to B. Kalver & Sons. It is believed they had stolen the goods, but no proof has yet been obtained. Since bis arrest the Portland officers have been notified that he is wanted at Payne, Ohio, for crime. He was arrested at Hartford City. Officials here do not believe he was connected with the Redkey affair, but think he is a dangerous crook. He and Roebuck when arrested hereby Marshall Green said their home was at Pleasant Mills. Harry Cooken, an employee of the Krick & Tyndall tile mill, was kicked by a mule Tuesday morning about eight o'clock, the result of which he is now lying at his home tn a serious ccndition. Mr. Cooken was doing his usual work about the mill with his team of heavy mules, and during the snow storm got off his wagon to throw a blanket over one of the animals, and while straightening the same over the mule’s back, the animal let loose with both feet, kicking him a terrific blow in the pit of the stomach, knocking him backwards at least twenty reef. Fellow workmen hastened to his assistance and carried him into the office. Dr. C. S. Clark was summoned and made a thorough examination of his condition and found the flesh badly bruised and the patient suffering untold agony, the injury being internal. The injured mnan was removed to his home, where his wounds were dressed and an opiate given him to relieve the pain. Dr. Clark stated that Mr. Cooken had a miraculous escape from instant death as the animal was heavily shod. Mr. Cook en’s clothing was cut in several places, and what in all probability saved him was the amount of heavy clothing be had on. As it is, he is in a serious condition and is no doubt hurt internally.

It is said that Lloyd Dalrymple, the baker, is unable to do anything tight today, and he is so nervous he cannot do his work half all on account of the arrival of an eight pound boy at his home last evening. It is thought he will be able to settle down in a few days and hand out the cigars to his many friends. —Dunkirk News. An enjoyable event occurred Sunday at the home of R. B. Johnson, of Peterson, when a surprise was given in honor of that popular gentleman’s sixtv-fifth birth day. A big dinner was one of the features and the day was a happy one for everyone present, tho guests including Messrs and Mesdames George McWhirter, Grant Ball, Will Selby E. B. Lenhart, Mrs. Rebecca Ernst, Mrs. Jane Ball, Miss Opal Ball, Cora, Edna, George and Albert Selby, Herman Johnson, Velma, Orval and Alice Lenhart. The Indiana supreme court handed down a decision a few days ago of more than ordinary importance to liquor dealers as well as those who oppose the liquor traffic. Under the law, as it has been for years, after two convictions of a licensed saloonkeeper, the circuit court or in certain cities, the mayor may revoke the license. After three convictions the authority named shall de so, there being no discretion left in the matter. In rhe recent decision the proprietor of a saloon must answer in person for illegal acts of his agents or bartenders. As heretofore most of the liquor law convictions were found against bartenders, and thus did not affect the record of proprietor, this decision, it will be seen, will enforce more caution on the part of the latter, as their license to do business would be jeopardized by disregard of the law. After nineteen hours’ deliberation the jury in the circuit court brought in a verdict at 10 o’clock Sunday morning in favor of the gas company in the damage suit brought by the school town of Geneva. Some strong evidence was introduced by the plaintiff but it appears tba there was a weak point in establishing a danger line as to high pressure. It was 'shown by one of the company’s employes that pressure had a very wide range on the night of the fire, jumping up in three hours from thirteen ounces to twenty-four oun ces, but some of the plaintiff’s own witnesses, why, is not known, testified that four pounds was a dangerous pressure and intimated that that pressure represented the minimum of danger. The first ballot of the jury was u 8 to 4 and later it stood 16 to 6, swinging back and forth until finally a verdict- in favor of the defendant was agreed upon. —Portland Commercial-Ravi ew. The beautiful and commodious home of Mr. and Mrs. R. K. Allison was ablaze with social enjoyment Thursday night, at which time tbev with Dr. and Mrs P. B. Thomas entertained at a six o’clock dinner. The tables were artistic from profuse decorations of fliwers, and over each of the small tables there protruded ribbons, from the otherend of which were quotations, and they were read by the particlar guest who palled the string. Over the large dining table was a surprise stocking knit of different colored wool, each guest participating iu the novelty of spinning a real yarn and later reading a quotation. “That reminds me” said the dark-haired gentleman who occupied a seat of honor, and so it went. Every one had a good one to tell, and some of them took the lid off, and the stories that were told sim ply tickled clear down in your boots. And this was not all. A dinner was served, and it was one of tho-e dinners you read -about. Four courses of all the delicacies of the tines, served in away that made you regret that there is a limit to the physical endurance of such indulgence. And then came more of the pleasures that causes one to forget the tribulations and to see nothing but the rosy hue of life. It was an enjoyable evening and a social success from beginning to ending.

Atorney John F. Green of the firm of Judson & Green, St. Louis, was here taking the deposition of several witnesses for use in the trial of a case in Missouri, entitled The Lille Lumber company vs Vail & Thomas. It is a suit on contract. The depositions were taken at the law office of D. D. Heller & Son. Court Rip orter Huber De Voss did the stenography work. Prosecutor Moran went to Berne Saturday where he was summoned to prosecute two boys named Eley and Friend, who are charged with the wholesale stealing of brass. The lads are only about twelve or fourteen years old, and for several weeks have been engaged in taking the brass fixtures from off traction engines and other machinery and selling them for junk. It is estimated that they have stolen at least seventy-five dollars’ worth of goods, the losers being Jacob Moser, Ransom Smith and Moserman & Wolliman. The boys were arrested last evening and will have a hearing this afternoon. The boys’ age may save them from severe punishment, but they will likely get a jail sentence or a term at the Plainfield reformatory. Senator Askren has introduced a bill providing for changing the time of election for township trustees and assessors in 1908 from November to the first Tuesday in August of that year, and on the same date every four years thereafter, and changing the time for the ele3 - tion of justices of the peace and constables from November 1906 to August 1906, and providing that the officers elected at that time shall not take their office until January 1, 1909 at which time the trustees and assessors elected in 1908 will take their office. The bill extends the terms of office of the justices and constables now in office until January 1, 1909. Senator Askren says the purpose of the bill is to secure uniformity and to remove the township elections from the influence of national and state politics. He says it is hoped to make the elections hinge on purely local issues by holding them at a time different than that of the general elections. There has been considerable legislative discussion along this line, and It is not impossible tha 4 some kind of a law will be made . The bill of Senator Askren seems the most sensible, and may be reported favorably and passed by the general assembly. The Fort Wayne & Springfield Interurban Railway company yesterday let the contract for their cars that will be used over their line the same going to J. A. Hanna, who represented the Niles Car company, of Niles, Ohio. The contract calls for four cars of the latest pattern and with all modern appliances and to compete with any used by other lines. Three of these oars will be used for passengers and one for express. The coaches will be composed of three compartments, including ladies’ room, a smoking and baggage room. They will be finished in mahogany, of the best quality and the baggage compartments will be finished in quarter sawed oak. The seats in the ladies’ compartment will be upholstered in plush, while the smoking part seats will be of rattan. The entire floor will be covered with Manila matting of the best quality. The cars are to be patterned after the regular Pullman style, and are to be of the same color. The contract calls for delivery in this city not later than June 1, 1905, which time this company is anticipating to make their first run over the line. The schedule has already been made out and calls for the time of 45 minutes between this city and Fort Wayne. There were five car companies represented here and the biding was close, with the Niles company winning out by a narrow margin. This company has a National reputation, : and turn out nothing but the best i work. The firms represented here i were The Cincinnati Car company, Cincininati, Ohio; St. Louis Car Co. of St. Louis; Jewett Car Co., of Newark, 0., Barney Smith Car Co., of Dayton, O.; Niles Car Co., of Niles, O’ io.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

NUMBER 47

Clell Eley, who was implicated with Vernon Friend in ihe stealing lof brass from traction engines at I Berne, must also answer in circuit ! court here. Friends’ case was filed at the clerk's office yesterday and Eley’s came today. The boys were bound over in the sum of SIOO each. Eley had his hearing Monday before Town Clerk (,’ris Stengle. It is said the proof against the boys is pretty conclusive and the two lads will likely learn a severe lesson. The cost in each case is already quite a neat amount. Tues, evening at the home of Mr, and Mrs. Andrew Crabill on Adams street, occurred the wedding of their beautiful and accomplished daughter, Miss Dottie to Thomas Railing. The wedding ceremony was performed by Rev. Luke of the United Brethren church, and was witnessed by only the immediate relatives of the contracting parties, the ceremony being simple but impressive. Both these happy young people are well known in this city, having made this their home since childhood. Mr. Railing has gained a reputation as a baseball player and his name is on the tongue of every one in town, being mostly referred to as “Tom, the pitcher,” having gained his fame in the Texas league. It is the intention of Mr. and Mrs. Railing to reside here until March, when they will leave for Dallas, Texas, where he has signed a contract to again pitch ball this season, and it is hoped by all his admirers that he will this season make a still better record than last year. The Democrat joins with the many friends in wishing them a long married life. The Citizens Telephone company now own their own home, a deal having been consummated Tues day, when they purchased the Mrs. A. A. Nichols block, on Monroe street. The telephone exchange has been located in this block for a number of years and the deal to buy the propei ty has been under consideration for several months. Mr. Nichols arrived yesterday and a meeting of the parties interested was held last evening at Manager Sohirmever’s office, when matters were satisfactorily arranged. The sale was made through Attorneys Merryman & Sutton, who represented Mrs. Nichols, while the telephone company was represented by F. M. Schirmeyer. manager and secretary. The consideration was not made public, but was large enough we are informed to place a new value on Monroe street property. The telephone, company will remodel the building this spring, building an addition back to the alley and improving the basement so that it may be used as a storage room for their supplies. The exchange will occupy the entire Second floor of the block. The Citizens is one of the strongest independent telephone companies in Indiana today, and that this fact is appreciated is proven by the rapid increase in the market price of their stock, which sold at the time of the recent re-organization at fifty dollars a share, having increased from ten dollars to that amount. The company has arranged for further improvements this spring, when they will change their Decatur lines from the old-fashioned one wire sys tern with a common return wire to what is known as the full metalic system. Under this new plan each patron will have a separate line thus dispensing with the cross talk now so exasperating. This is but a step toward further improvements, such as the use of automatic telephones, which ring themselves when you take down the receiver or of dispensing with the central office. These changes are a possibility of the near future and the people of Decatur may rest assured that the Citizens is an enterprising company, capably managed by efficient officers who will give us the best and most modern service at all times. Considerable improvement I will also be made this spring in the I way of adding farm lines and it is the expectation of the company to have every farm house within a radius rff ten mile® connected with central within a short time.