Decatur Democrat, Volume 49, Number 39, Decatur, Adams County, 30 November 1905 — Page 1

all THE NEWS all the time

VOLUME XLIX.

william Fruolite, who resides wOS t of this city, while working on bis farm, picked up a small piece of stone, which has hrmly indelved into its surface the very image of aj small watch. The hands, figures and all showing plainly. The stone j S a curiosity and none are able to explain its mystery. Mrs. Sam Simison and daughter, intend to leave some time next month for West Palm Beaoh, Florida, the home of Dr. W. Broadwell, formerly of this place. They will spend about a year in the south, for the benefit of their daughter’s health, who is troubled with oatarrh.—Berne Witness. George St. Claire, a traveling musician, gave a conoert Saturday at the W. E. Smith rnusio gtore. and certainly proved to the public his ability as a thorough musician. He can play almost any musical instrument known, and his handling of classical music on the piano was marvelous. Tom Peterson, who is employed as cutter at the mitten factory, met with an accident Monday that will result in his mying off for several days. Tom was cutting a heavy oak block with an adz, when the same slipped, throwing the adz against his left foot, the same striking him near the instep and outting a gash several inohes long. Dr. S. D. Beavers was oalled and dressed the injury, whioh although nothing serious, is very painful. Isaac Copps, an old citizen from Monroeville, frightened the poeple of Monmouth Friday morning. He was brought to town by L. N. Grar.dstaff and was taken oare of by his son-in-law, George Doctor. Copps' mind is affeoted. He was picked up near Hartford City two or three weeks ago as a suspect of the Ridgeville bank robbery. He was treated at the Blackford oounty infirmary and recently came here. He started to Monroeville at midnight last night, but didn’t get very far. He said he walked fifty miles in the rain. The Shonts’ speoial train passed through here over the Clover Leaf railroad o’clook A number of other railroad officials were with Mr. Shonts and they were making a tour of inspection of the entire line, from Toledo Ohio, to St. Louie, Mo. The train was making remarkable time. They will go from St Louis to Chioago, where the offioials will transact other official business. The train only stopped here a few moments. The Adams Connty Board of Chartiy held a meeting this merning. They visited the county jail and carefully inspeored it, and their report regarding tbe same will be ready for publication at an early date. A report of the state meeting recently held at Vinoennes was discussed, together with other points in connection with their work here. The meeting was attended by all the members. Report of the potato crop goes as follows: The total crop this year will be forty million bushels short. The latest estimate plaoes the total Orop at a quarter of a billion annual against 289,000,000 last year. Wisconsin has suffered more than any one state, but the shortages are also very marked in Michigan, lowa and Minnesota. Further east the orop ia more nearly a normal one, although some falling off in New Pennsylvania. Indiana and Ohio, Nhew England has seoured a reasonably good crop; including Maine, where the quality is remarkably fico. Jiixoessive rainfall in the iniadle and central west caused serious damage to the potato crop in the early months of its growth. Date summer brought a moderate decline, and finally came the general and serious spread of blight and rot in the west and northwest at the close of August and during September. In many important Portions of the potato belt the stand w as uneven and poor from the beginning, due largely to the wet condition of the soil in the spring. ®i'ght prevailed very generally through Wisconsin and Michigan, j and rot seemed particularly severe on heavy soils.

Jesso Misohaud of Berne, passed through our city Friday evening enroute to Woodburn, where he will cry a big sale tomorrow. Jesse is gaining considerable notoriety in i this line and is a fine auctioneer. Ho is in great demand owing to the fact that he speaks three languages. “Red” Knoff, a looal oharacter, while in a state of intoxioation Saturday evening, walked into the home of John Parr in the west part of town without even knocking, and nearly frightened Mrs. Parr to death. Her son, however, happened to bo home and “Red” was bodily thrown from the house. A police alarm was sent in, but Knoff could not be looated, and is still at large. Again there seems to be a possibility that Geneva will have a hotel. A prospective renter was here Friday looking over the situation and seemed very muoh pleased with the outlook. When C. D. Porter, the owner of the hotel building, was asked regarding the matter, he said that though there was nothing definite done, it was very probable that there would be some news in a few days. The windows and doors of the plaoe have been whitened, and it is thought that the interior of the building is being repainted and papered. Geneva needs nothing any more than a hotel just now, for there is not a day when there are not from eight to twelve strangers walk up to the door and try to go in. and the way the Grand Rapids has of aooomodating travelers, many are forced to spend the night here. Several deputy sheriffs are guarding a little strip of ground on Front Street, East St. Louis, to prevent the employes of the Clover Leaf railroad from laying a ten-inch sewer beneath the Wiggin’s Ferry oompany’s seven traoks at that print. The sewer was laid Saturday night and yesterday a foroe of Wiggin's Ferry workmen tore it out and filled in the ground. It was feared that the employes would try again to lay the sewer and a force of men was kept on the ground. To prevent a clash until the matter is settled several deputy sheriffs were assigned to keep the respective sides from interfering with eaoh other. The Clover Leaf is erecting a new $50,000 freight house on Front street and the sewer desired will drain the freight house and yards. The property between Front street and the river is owned by the Wiggin’s Ferry company and the sewer to reaoh the river must be built under seven Wiggin’s Ferry tracks and through tbe Wiggin’s Ferry land. It is believed that the officials of both corporations will oome to an amicable agreement in a few days. The sportive mind is in a state of unrest. The approach of Thanksgiving time has brought about this state of unrest. Heretofore the turkey rattle and the wheel of fortune have been as muoh a part and paroel of Thanksgiving as the forenoon union service or the family dinner But the last legislature thiew a oloud over the wheel of fortune and put the turkey rattle in the clear. It is this oloud that the dealers in paddles are trying to dispel, but so far wthout avail. There are some things that even a police department oannot do. To grant a permit of this oharacter is one of them. Indiana’s new criminal oode regards rattling as an offense against publio polioy. Section 554 provides that whoever sets up or uroposes that any money, goods, chattels or thing s in action, to be rattled for or to be distributed by lot or ohanoe to any person who should have paid or contracted to pay anv valuable consideration for the chanoe of obtaining such money, goods or things in action, shall on oonviotion be fined not less than $lO nor more than SIOO. This feature of the criminal code which has put a crimp in the turkey raffle, is something now. The law was not in foroe a year ago. and up to rhat time turkey rattles were common at Thanksgiving.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3#, 11)05.

John Green, while assisting Friday in outting down trees in the Voglewede orohard, west of this oity, had the left side of his face severely bruised and out, caused by a branch of a falling tree striking him. His injuries, however, are nothing serious. Burt Lower received a letter from Tom Railing Monday, statng that he was getting along nicely and that his team was still in the lead. Tom lost his first fame sinoe joining the team on Sunday, November 19th, and it was a pitoher’s battle, resulting in a score of three to one. Tom let his opponents down with three hits and struck out eight men. which is a nice reoord if he did lose. A special from Richmond states that Connty Clerk Haas, of Wayne oounty, at the request of Quakers there, has written Attorney General Miller asking if, under the new law, the Quakers are compelled to get a license to be married. Mr. Miller handed down an opinion in whioh he states it is not neoessary for them to do so. Information from Riohmond is to the effect that until the new law was passed, the members of the Friend’s ehuroh did not get licenses and they had only done so sinoe the enaotment of the law pending a decision. It is probable this deoision would apply to the Amish of this county, who are adverse to taking out lioenses to wed. Several of them were cenvioted on this charge a few years ago. Postmaster Brittson received a letter late Friday afternoon from Miss Elsie Abell of Baltimore, Md., stating that her brother, William, had died at Pensaoola, Florida, several days ago, from an attaok of yellow fever, and she desired to know somethiug concerning his wife, Mrs. Lizzie Abell, as there was a number household articles and effects that she desired to send to her, and whioh her brother had left in her care. Mr. Brittson was unable to answer the letter to any satisfaction, so he sent the same to Mrs. Abell, who is residing north of this oity with her mother. The death of Mr. Abell will no doubt prove a surprise to the many people in this oity who were acquainted with him, for as long as he resided here he was never known to have seen a siok day, and was alw*ys a big-hearted, jovial fellow. While here he was engaged in the clothes dyeing business, and later opened a tailoring establishment, and was doing a good business until he left. Mr. Abell had a host of friends here. The town of Hoagland was visited by a disastious fire Monday evening. Benjamin S. Williamson was the ohief loser,to the extent of S2OOO. The origin of the same is unknown, but it is supposed to have started from a defective fiua, and before the same was notioed, had gained such a headway that all efforts to oontrol the fire were useless. Although the oitizens of that village did everything in their power to extinguish it. The building oooupied by Mr. Williamson was of modern strnoture, although frame, the ground floor being used as a busipess room in whioh he carried a heavy stook of sohool supplies. The upper story was used for household purposes. Mr. Williamson has been married only a year and has only ocoupied the building sinoe last July, when the same wa3 completed. He formerly had been principal of the Hoagland sohools. He is a hustling young business man and had worked up an enormous trade. The amount of insurance that he oarriod was sixteen hundred dollars, which was distributed as follows: SSOO on the building : SSOO on the stock; S3OO on furniture and fixtures and S3CO on household effects. The following named oompanies, of whioh Graham & Lower are agents, carried the same.: The Aetna and the Phoenix of London; The net loss sustained by -Air. Williamson is S4OO, which i 3 a very heavy blow to him. He is as yet undecided | whether he will re-engage in busi-1 ness at Hoaglandt again. I

Miss Maude Christen and Guy Johnson were united in marriage Saturday evening at the home of the bride, by Rev. John C. White. Th9 event was a quiet affair, r.o one being present exoept tho immediate relatives. A big wedding dinner was served yesterday at the Johnson home south of this city, when the young folks will make their future home. No more advertised letter lists will appear in the Decatur papers. ‘lf the letter that one longed for never oame” it will be up to them to ask Postmaster Brittson about it, for it will not be “advertised.” Economy has struok the postoffioe department with such a cyclone that it has been determined to discontinue the advertising of uncalled for mail through the newspapers, as has been the habit for twenty years and more. The order has been issued to all postmasters. It is asserted by Postmaster General Cortelyou that investigation shows that of the letters advertised uncalled for, less than one per oent are ever claimed. In most instances the government paid for the insertion of the “advertised list,” but in Decatur, Unole Sam has always asked—and been granted gratuitous space in all the newspapers. Berne, Ind., Nov. 28—Mrs. Josiah Engle, one of the best known women of this town, hung herself at ten o’olook this morning, the result of her mind, being affected from brooding over religious studies. She was about fifty years old and had been in rather poor health for some time, but it was not supposed that she would try to harm herself. Her daughter. Miss Nellie Eagle, who works in the laundry here, went home for dinner as usual and found a note on her plate, whioh read: “You will find me in the barn. Mother.” Another note similar to the one the daughter had received was also pinned to the coat of the husband, who was away at work. Suspecting the awful truth, Dut afraid to go alone to the barn, Miss Nellie rushed to the Home of a neighbor, where she seourod help, and going to the barn fonnd the inanimate body hanging to one of the low rafters. Coroner John S. Falk, of Deoatur, was immediately notified and drove to the scene, where he held an inquest. Mrs. Englo was one of the most highly respected ladies of this community. She leaves a husband and three daughters, two of the daughters being married. At this hour no funeral arrangements have been made. Acoompanied by Sheriff Jesse Grice, Polioe Patrolman Mike Brennan and his father and brother, George, John M. *We)ker left Monday at noon over the Niokel Plate road for Miohigan City, where he will begin his senienoe of life imprisonment, imposed for the murder of Miss Minnie Melching on April 25, last. With a full knowledge that he must spend the re mainder of his life behind prison bars, with only a bare possiollity that the supreme court may grant him a new trial or that he may in time be pardoned, Welker bade j goodbye to his fellow prisoners and the officials at the jail, kissed his little sister who has stood so loyally by him, and embraced his sister-in-law, Mrs. Louis Welker, all without any sign of emotion. During the morning he was taken by tho sherift to bis home to bid farewell to his mother, but even during that trying ordeal he shed not a tear. He promised his mother that his conduct in prison would be model and that he would write to her as often as possible. When informed that he would be taken away Monday, he made his preparations with deliberate oare, and before starting ate a hearty meal. As he boarded the train with the officers and his two relatives, he smoked ooolly at a cigar and appeared the pioture of self-or>mposure. He declined to make any statements to the newspaper men regarding his case, exoept to assert that He had no knowledge of the crime.—For Wayne Journal-Gazette.

Unole Daniel Urlok was surprised the other day by fifty of his sons, daughters, grand children and groat grand children taking possession of his home during his absence. One of those good old-fashioned dinners was all ready to servo and one of the happiest days of his life was spent with his family and connections. Uncle Dan was ninety-seven years old, and from an early period in our county’s history has resided among us. He was the reoipient of many presents. Deputy Sheriff Dallas Butler returned from Fort Wayne Tuesday, having in charge William Fort ney, the Union township farmer, who has shown signs of insanity and who was taken in charge of at Dixon, Ohio. In our yesterday’s artiole we give the name as Fred Troutner, our informant having misunderstood the message which oame by telephone. Fortney was kioked in the face by a horse several months ago, and it is supposed that this aooident caused his present condition. An inquest will be held for hi m today. Papers for the admission of Grover Deihl arrived today, and he will be taken to Easthaven asylum Thursday morning. Sheriff Butler will aooompany him and will bring George McDonald home with him. The latter is in curable and will be given a home at the oounty infirmary. Fortney has not shown any violent moods sinoe taken into onstody, says he knows his mind is affeoted and wants to be taken to a hospital for treatment. A shrewd young Cuban, who had accurately sized-up the gulibility of Americans in the matter of imported oigars, oleanecl up SSO in this oity Tuesday and Wednesday by selling cigars that oust him $8 a thousand to dealors and consumers lor $25 to $45 a thousand, representing them as the imported artiole. ‘Y‘es, it is fair wages,” said the Cuban, in converaiton with an equally shrewd oitizen of this town who had reasoned out the truth: “yes, it is fair wages, hut not half what I made in Maricn. There they fell over one another to snatoh the bargains 1 was offeiing in Havana oigars.” The Cuban’s plan is a variation of the methods that have been exposed time and again, and therefore more effeotive. He affeoted a Cuban aooent, although he could talk English more fluently than any of his customers. His story was that he was going to sohool at Notre Dame, north of South Band, and the oigars he sold had been sent to him by his father, a Cuban planter, in order that by selling them he might realize his expenses at sohool. He brought the oigars to town with him and he sold for cash. The Cuban first visited the dealers. To them he told his story of cigars that cost him nothing because his liberal father in Cuba gave them to him so that be might get his spending money by selling them. He would take a cigar from the box, appirently at random, and dissect it for edification of the dealer. The expert manner in whioh he skinned off the wrappers should have convinced the purchasers that he was no sohool boy. But his story was believed and he had no diffionlty in selling all the oigars he brought to town with him. And he got the oash. To tho oitizen with whom he beoame confidential He told his plan of operations. He was not a student at Notre Dame, but instead he made his headquarters in New York, although he really was a Cuban. In New York he bought the oigars for $8 a thousand and he had quantities of them shipped to different points on the route he had seleoted to travel. Be admitted that the tobacco contained in the oigars was not fit to put in a live-cent cigar, much less a ten-center, and it is likely the oigars he disseoted in order to make sales were planted in the box for that purpose. After he had oanvassed the dealers, silling to them at various prioes between $25 and $45 ft thousand, he | visited the offices of professional men and sold single boxes at any | I old price.—Hartford City News.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

NUMBER 39

Nibliok &Co. Tuesday concluded their work of carpeting the United Brethren church in this city. Two hundred yards of the best wool carpet was used and adds greatly to the appeurauce of the church, this j improvement being made by the Ladies’ Aid sooiety of the church. Rev. Lukp has shown a most progressive spirit since taking charge of the Decatur pastorate, and those who attend 1 the Thanksgiving day union services will see as pretty a little church as can be found anywhere. The interior has also been re-papered and painted and presents a cheerful and welcoming air. David Largent, aged eighty years, and one of the oldest citizens in Adams county, met with quite a serious aocident Thursday afternoon that might have resulted in his death. Mr. Largent had gone to tho barn and into the hay mow to throw down some hay to the horses and oattle, when he slipped and fell through a hole in the barn loft, being thrown heavily to the barn floor bslow. His cries soon brought assistance and he was taken to the house and Dr. C. S. Clark summoned, who upon examination found that he had sustained a broken oollar bone in three places and was otherwise badly bruised. His age makes his injuries serious and the outcome oannot be determined for several days. William Hunter, who for the past year has been driving the delivery wagon for Everett, Hite & Son, was instantly killed Wednesday on the Erie railroad by being struck by an engine, while on his way to dinner. The accident happened near tho Tenth street crossing at whioh point he was attempting to cross the traoks. Mr Hunter as usual, did his morning work for the grocery, and at 11:30 had went to the residence of John Everett where he stabled his horse, and then started out Adams street to his home. As was his custom when he oame to the Deoatur Egg Case mill te out aoross their property to save steps. When in the rear of the P. W. Smith mill he stepped upon the Erie tracks, there being three at this plaoe, one being the main line and the other tw) side traoks. As he stepped on the first side traok a through freight was rushing by eastward on the main track. Unoonscious that an engine and tender was slowly baoking up on tbe other side traok, Mr. Hunter stepped upon the traok and proceeded on his wa; westward. He had gone only a few steps when the engine baoked into him, tbe tender striking him in the small of the back, nearly severing his body. When the engine struok him he was thrown forward and away from the traok with the exception of his legs, whioh lay aoross one of the rails. The engine and tender passed over and severing them from the body. He also reoeived a severe out across the forehead whioh might have bean caused by ooniing in oontact with a tie. The aocident was not notioed by the trainmen until some distance away when the engineer noticed it and immediately gave the alarm. Coroner Falk was immediately summoned and hastened to tho scene, where he Viewed the remains and took what evidence he oould find and then ordered Undertakers Ball & Meyer to take oharge of the corpse. The only eye witness to the sad aooident was Harry White, an employee of the Decatur Lumber Co., who relates the aooident ia the above manner. Mr. Hunter was fifty years of age and had been a resident of this oity nearly all his life. He was a hard working man and was well thought of among his associates, and had a host of friends. He was a member of the Red Men’s lodge, who will no doubt have charge of the funeral. He leaves a wife and four children to mourn their loss. No funeral arrangements have as yet been made. Speaking of the sad affair, Mr. Everett, of Everett, Hite & Co., said: “We feel deeply grieved over the terrible aocident. We found Mr. Hunter an honest, trust- ! worthy, industrious employe, ! whose place we feel, we will be unable to fill.