Decatur Democrat, Volume 51, Number 19, Decatur, Adams County, 7 May 1908 — Page 3

OTHER CITIES DRY Hartford City, Montpelier and Crown Point Join the List of Dry Towns Portland, Ind., Mw 2,-MSpee‘a! w Dally Democrat}—The saloons must go. Just before midnight last night remonstrances were filed which means the abolishment of every grog shop in this city, fifteen in alt The battle was a hard fought one and in the fourth ward, the majority for the temperance workers was but seven. The saloon men in this ward will continue to fight, hoping to yet win out. The remonstrances will be acted upon Monday and Tuesday at the meeting of the county commissioners.

The hardest fight was in the first ward, where 165 names were needed to make the remonstrance effective and 189 were secured, a majority of 24. In the second 230 names were needed and 317 secured. In the third the necessary number was 168 and 215 signed. In the fourth where an easy victory was expected, the saloon men. almost won out. losing by seven, and they win make a fight to overcome that number by protests. The saloon men filed fifty-six retraction cards, but were far short in all but the fourth ward. Hartford City, Ind., May 2.—At twelve minutes to 10 o'clock last night the ringing of the church bells announced to the citizens that the temperance forces were victorious in ttheir crusade against the saloons. The streets were thronged with people and with the audiences from the churches, where services were being held, wended their way to the court ■house to await the filing of the remonstrance. While the two nonh wards were known to be in favor of closing the saloons, bet at two to one were being offered that the third ward would not be carried by the crusaders. The ringing of the bells seemed to give fresh impetus to the workers and ftrom time to time bodies of earnest workers hurried up the steps bearing cards with the names of people who had decided to be with the winning side. On account of the lateness of the filing of the remonstrance an exact plurality is not procurable, but the most prominent workers say that the First ward was carried by over fifty votes, the Second ward by over forty, the Third ward by eleven and the Fourth ward by ten. Crown Point, Ind.. May 1. —The liquor interests were taken by surprise today when the temperance forces filed a remonstrance against the traffic which will close 130 saloons Ln Calumet township in which Gary, Tolleston and other towns are located.

Montpelier, Ind,, May 2. —After a campaign of several weeks between the saloon and anti-saloon forces, remonstrances which assure the wiping out of every saloon in this city were filed last evening. The antis are jubilant over their victory and the saloon men are threatening. DIED LAST NIGHT At Her Wren. Ohio, Home from a Long Siege of Tuberculosis Mrs. Perry Worklnger, of Wren, 0., formerly Miss Ollie Harshman, who for many years made her home with George Bunners and family in the county, died Friday night at her late home after suffering for many months from tuberculosis. Eight years ago the deceased became the wife of Perry Workinger the most of which time they resided in Adams county. They removed to W’ren, Ohio, some time ago for their future abode. Mrs. Workinger has for a long time been afflicted with consumption and since last July she has been caused much inconvenience. However, she did not become critically ill until about tw’o weeks ago and since then she has gradually declined until last night at six o’clock when death relieved the sufferings. The deceased was a devoted member of the 'Wren United Brethren church and her faithful work in its behalf had long ago made her popular in church circles. She was twenty-seven years, two months and twelve days of age. The funeral services will he held Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p. m„ interment to be made in the Mount Tabor cemetery. A husband, father and two sisters, besides a multitude of friends survive to mourn, the ioss of this most estimable lady. Wm. Gallemeyer was in the city on business and returned home this Afternoon,

THEY HAVE AGREED Secretary Butler is Starting Something Preparatory to Great Northern Fair A. A. Butler, secretary of the Great Northern Indiana Fair association, is already arranging a list of premiums jto be given u> exhibitors and from ’ present indications this year's fair 1 ;will by far excel I any ever held in j this county. A large number of the i wide awake merchants have already subscribed to give special premiums and those who have so arranged are as fallows: The Adams county farmer receiving the largest number of first pre. miums on horses will be given a twenty-five pound pail of Prussian Stock tonic and on poultry one twelve and one-half pound pail of Prussian poultry tonic. To be given by the Holthouse Drug company. Premiums for Adams county farmers: The farmer securing the most first premiums on horses, Smith, Yager and Falk give one 25 pound sack of Hess Stock Food; securing most second premiums, one 13% pound sack Hess Stock Food. The most first premiums on cattle gets one 25 pound sack of Hess Stock Food. For hogs, the same as cattle. Poultry, the one securing the most first premiums gets 12% pounds of Hess Panacea, the most second premiums secures one seven pound package of Hess Panacea all to be given by Smith. Yager and Falk. Miss Anna Winnes will give to the farmer getting most premiums lin agriculture one pair of gents' fine 13.50 shoes. D. M. Hensley will give one |3.50 hand painted plate io the person securing the most premiums in the art department. F. V. Mills will give SI.OO worth of Ralston’s Chick Feed on poultry premiums. F. 11. Tague will give $3.50 pair of shoes to the person getting the most premiums on needle work. Elzey and Vane® will give one Knox stiff hat to person securing most premiums on cattle owned by parties living in Adams county. Charley Voglewede will give $3.50 pair shoes to the person having the best bull. T. C. Corbett will give a box of cigars th the person having the best rooster of any breed. Holthouse, Schulte and Co. will give one pair of $3 50 pants to the owner of the best yearling draft colt raised in Adams county. This Is but a few of the special premiums to be given and it speaks much for Secretary Butler that he has created so much enthusiasm in behalf of the Great Northern Fair.

TOOK FIFTY STITCHES To Close the Gap—Will Likely Recover—Clum Arraigned this Afternoon Bluffton, Ind., May 2. —Peter Poffenberger, character about town, is lying at the gates of death today with fifty stitches in his throat. as the result of an alleged murderous attack on him by Orvil Clum, 22. who is in jail charged with attempted murder. Frank Brown, a companion, of Clum’s, is also under arrest. The men had been drinking in one of the saloons last evening and it is said becoming too rowdy, tvere put out of the place. Poffenberger was ejected first and the two younger men Shortly afterward. It is said Clum followed Poffenberger down an alley and assaulted him with a pocket knife, severly lacerating his throat and windpipe. Clum declares Poffenberger struck at him first and that his use of the blade was in self defense. Immediately after the cutting Clum made his escape, 1 but later returned to the city for the purpose of securing money from a friend. Deputy Sheriff Pierce saw him at one of the hotels and placed him under arrest. Poffenbergers physicians stated on Saturday that he would very probably recover, but a hundredth part of an inch deeper cut would have severed the main artery and caused almost instant death. Clum was piven a preliminary hearing |his afternoon and bound over on a charge of attempt to murder. ■ - ' "O BUILD MILE OF MACADAM ROAD Trustee Huser Received Bids for Public Work. Trustee Huser, of Monroe township received bids for macadamizing one mile of road in Monroe township. Rufus Mershberger was low bidder on stone $1,909.20. E. M. Ray was low bidder for road grader $162.50; Rufus Huser was low bidder for bridge abuttments $82.25; N. McLain for fence at district seven S2B; Rufus Huser for fence at one and six $37.75 and $39.25. ■. : ......

IT WAS LOADED I And Before the Young Man Was Aware He Was Shot in Hand John Cusac, son of Mr and Mrs Charles Cusac, was painfully but not seriously hurt Friday night while on his way up town to deliver a revolver to a party who had asked to borrow it. i While on his way the boy made an ■ examination of the weapon and saw what he thought was an empty cartridge in the cylinder. In an effort to extricate '(he cartridge the trigger was touched in a manner that caused the gun to shoot and the bullet passed through a finger of the young man. The injury was very painful and the aid of a physician was hastily secured and the wound was properly cared for. From present indications nothing serious will result and it is fortunate I to say the least. Had the revolver, which was 38 calibre, been pointed but a few inches either way, it would have seriously wounded if not killed the young man. This occurrence will no doubt serve as a reminder of the danger of handling revolvers. PATENT APPLIED FOR And in the Meantime He Will Sell the Time Saving Device George WemholT, who several months ago demonstrated his inventive ability by planning a coin holding device to be used In rural route boxes, which is just what is needed to relieve the rural carriers from the unpleasant task of fishing stamp money out of boxes, has as before stated applied for a patent on same and today he made his initial movement in the manufacuring of tihe boxes. A few days ago, Mr. Wemhoff engaged patent attorneys Chapin and Denny, of Fort Wayne, to prepare a description of his invention and this morning he prepared the necessary papers and sent them to Washington, D. C-, to the patent department, enclosing a pattern of his coin holding arrangment which was prepared by Mr. Ratliff, of the Coppock Motor Car Co. Mr. Wemhoff has had many inquiries from rural carriers in this vicinity in regard to his invention, and he has received orders for same from Ossian. His is without doubt the coin udder that will be the most popular in the country and he should reap an ample reward for his ingenuity,

GAVE DELIGHTFUL PARTY. Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Schirmeyer Entertained Several Friends. A delightful party was given at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Schirmeyer last Saturday evening. The guests were: Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Ellingham, Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Bracht, Mr. and Mrs. Coppock, Mr. and Mrs. Hull, Messrs. L. E. Steele and Smith. The evening was spent in games and music after which dainty refreshments were served by the hostess. o —. —.— The stockholders of the Park Amusement company will hold an important meeting tonight and all stockholders are requested to be present. A school boy assigned to prepare an easy on the “Duck” wrote as follows: “The duck is a low. heavy set bird, composed mostly of meat and feathers. He is a mighty poor singer, having a hoarse voice, caused by getting too many frogs in his neck. He likes the water and carries a toy balloon in his stomach to keep from sinking. . The duck only has two legs and they are set so far back on his running gears by nature that they come very near missing his body. Some ducks when they get big have curls on their tails and are called drakes. Drakes don’t have to set or hatch, but just loaf, go swimming and eat. If I was to be a duck, I’d rather Ibe a drake. Hercules Cole was found deal in bed by his brother, Theodore Cole, in Butler, Wednesday afternon. Evidence showed that the two brothers, who have lived for some years in bachelor apartments, had been indulging in a spree for several days. Cor--1 oner Swarts ascribes the death to heart failure, resulting from alcoholism. This week the Pennville High school building was condemned as has been 'expected after the recent visit of the inspector there. The condemnation does not take effect until June Ist, and permits of the closing of this years’ school. The building is condemned as bein'# unsanitary. Any school teacher, trustee, or other who attempt to use the building for school purpose after June Ist will be prosecuted.

CITY IN MOURNING The New Aveline Hotel Destroyed—Believed Death List will Reach Fourteen THREE ARE MISSING Last Body Recovered at 3:15 this Morning—Office Building to Be Erected \ \ Fort Wayne, May 4.—(Special to Daily Democrat, 3 o'clock p. m.)—At 3:15 this morning the eleventh body was recovered from the New Aveline fire ruins, that of an unidentified man, charred and burned beyond recognition. This makes three unidentified. Three more are missing, Frank Baxter, of Auburn; Ciianes Benjamin, of Detroit and R. E. Trible, of Dalhart, Texas. All others are claimed to have been accounted for, though there may be two or three others in the ruins. Two of the injured, E. M. Mathews, of Columbus, and Miss Agnes Nadeau, the head waitress, are dying at St. Joseph hospital. It is believed the others will all recover. The work of rescue is still going on in charge of the militia and no one is allowed within the ropes without a pass. Arrangements for a modern office building on the hotel site were begun today. The trunks containing $30,000 worth of jewelry were recovered, as was many other articles of value.

THE DEAD: J. W. Deviney, salesman for Crawford & Lehman, Philadelphia. W. A. Pitcher, salesman for S. F. Bowser & Co., Fort Wayne. R. S. Johnson, a Chicago shoe salesman, of Pana, 111. Morris Rirsch, of Chicago, brother of I. Hlrsch, secretary of Howard club. Miss Mary Burkett, assistant matron of Mishawaka, Ind., Orphans’ home. Miss Sarah Hathaway, matron of Mishawaka Orphans’ home. J. B. Miller, Sheboygan, Mich. J. E. Ellis, salesman for Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co., Chicago. Unidentified Man, badly charred, supposed to Attorney Frank Baxter, of Auburn, Ind. Unidentified Body, supposed to be Charles Benjamin, of the Detroit Neckwear company. Unidentified body, supposed to be R E. Trible of Dalhart, Texas. THE MISSING AND INJURED: R. E. Trible. of Dalhart, Tex., a millionaire ranchman, known to have been in room 33. near the elevator; has not been seen since fire. F. C. O'Donnell, Detroit, right arm broken in leaping. James A. Foster, Fort Wayne, burned about face and head; at St. Joseph’s hospital.

A. M. Meth. Pittsburg, burned about fact, arms and legs. Lyman Campbell, jumped three stories, badly shocked. Charles Falls. Columbus, 0., gash in leg, contusion on hand and lacerated; leaped three stories. E. M. Matthews, Columbus, 0., at St. Joseph’s hospital; back broken and burns and gashes; may die. George A. Hill, Philadelphia, badly cut and burned about face and arms. Miss Agnes Madeau, Miss Margaret Meechan, Miss Anna Block and Nathan Beil, all kitchen employes; burned and blistered, at hospital. F. C. Phillips, Calumet, Mich., face burned and head scorched. John Long, bartender, arms broken. New Aveline Hotel SBO,OOO Jones & Stevens, proprietors of hotel, personal 5,000 G. H. Brown, saloon 10,000 C. B. Woodworth & Co., drugs 6,000 Postal Telegraph company .. 2,000 Straus Brothers, bankers .... 2.000 George Stretcher, barber shop. 2.500 Lee Ivins, cigars and newstand 6,000 Bass Block, adjoining hotel .. 1.500 Total Insurance covers about eighty per cent of this loss. The most horrible fire disaster which ever occurred in this section of Indiana, was the destruction by fire Sunday morning of the Aveline hotel at Fort Wayne. The big six story building was totally destroyed and beneath the black and charred ruins, piled in the basement, are many bodies. Up to last evening, ten had been recovered, but it was known there were still several more at least, perhaps twenty. The fire broke out at 3:30 Sunday morning and In haif an hour the block was a mass of flames. The cause is said to have been the burning out of an electric fuse at the bot tom of the elevator shaft. The en-

tire fire company was ordered out and t the work of rescue began. !<; The terrible scenes will never be ! e forgotten by those who were present.' x The moans of the dying, screams of t the injured and pleadings of the fright , ened guests for help, made a hideous f din that drove the spectators wild. 1 At least twenty-five were seriously 1 injured, many of them fatally by leap- 1 ing from windows or from the burns received before aid reached them. ' All day Sunday the firemen, aided 1 by the police and two companies of 8 militia, worked to clear away the de- 1 bris and recover bodies of the unfor- 1 tunate guests. All last night the 1 work continued, twelve big arc lights c and many incandescents aiding the c gruesome search. Thousands of peo. ’ pie visited the scene Sunday. Every * Decatur car taking many to view the ' awful tomb. ! Many of the guests at the hotel ’ were known here and there were ’ many sad hearts in Decatur and every 1 item of news was awaited with interest. E. M. Matthews, a friend of P. J. ! Hyland, of this city leaped from the ' fourth floor and was perhaps fatally hurt. J. W. Deviney, of Philadelphia, a commission man, had come here for twenty years and spent Saturday here transacting business with Moltz and Moser, of the Decatur Produce company and leaving here at 5:30 Saturday evening. He was one of the unfortunates to lose his life. W. A, Pitcher, a representative of the Bowser company is said to have a sister living in this county and the Bowsers have made every possible effort to locate her. Others of the dead and imjuTed have friends here. Among those who had narrow escapes were Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Hamil, of Geneva. I They were near enough to the fire • escape and reached the pavement in safety. Mrs. Hammill says: “The wild screams of men and women in windows as we climbed down the ladders almost caused me to faint and drop from the safety ladder. I was in a state of collapse when I struck the sidewalk." J. E. Wirt, cashier of the Markle, (Ind.) Traders' bank, was one of the first to be aroused and escaped down the stairway just as that avenue of 1 escape burst in flames. A. B. Himes, of Auburn was in room 44. He rushed through flames down the hallway. It would require many pages to tell the story of each terrible death and > the marvelous escapes. Several slid down electric light wires to safety; • othrs crawled along an eighteen inch r ledge to other buildings: two leaped from the fifth floor and were saved ! by striking electric light wires.

The New Aveline hotel was a sixstory building of brick in the business center of the city. Its erection was begun in 1852 but it was not completed until several years later. In 1895 the building was extensively remodeled, and two stories were added. The hotel and furnishings were valued at SBO,OOO. Throughout the frame work of the interior was of wood, died like tinder from a half century’s seasoning and it burned with great rapidity. Within a quarter of an hour from the time the fire was discovered in the elevator shaft, practically the entire building was wrapped in flames. The whole interior became a roaring furnace and from basement to roof all was blazing at once. In rapid succession the floors fell to the basement, carrying their toll of dead. The Journal-Gazette this morning said: In the murk of the dying night, lighted up by the glare of the flames, shadowy forms dropped or climbed from upper windows of the hotel, and other forms ran hither and to in the street below, terrified but brave and willing to help. From above cries—agonized, appealing cries for succor, were shouted, and from below came answering cries of and men toiled to rescue the imprisoned people and amid all —the glare and the roar and the shadows, death stalked and grasped his victims within the seething furnace. Choked with smoke, gasping out their last breath in the dark corridors, or less fortunate, writhing in the grasp of the flames, men and women on the inside were dying while those on the outside were striving to help them. The Aveline hotel in leu minutes was changed from one of men’s abiding places to a torture chamber; in an hour to a charnel house. When the flames had done their work, and the firemen saw steam instead of fire and smoke rising from within the desolate walls, they turned their attention to the most ghastly task yet before them. Dead men and women were there below them, how many no one knew, and they must be taken from the mass of wreckage. While yet the streams of water were pouring in on the pile men began their explorations to bring out the dead. Within the four bare walls the work went on unceasing, throughout the sunlight morning, the balmy afternoon, and all through the night. The four walls were as the walls of a vast tomb. The sun beamed down through the roofless structure upon the

toiling figures, upon the confused mass of twisted iron, broken and blackened wood and masonry. The sun went down and the stars kept vigil throughout the night while the men worked with baud and pick and shovel, pausing now and then to work with more tender hands, because flesh and blood must be needs be touched with more reverence than stone and wood. And the watching crowds would shudder in horror at each pause, and silence would fall on the voluble throng as blackened, broken trunks that had but a few hours before been full of life and strength and the beauty of manhood and w r omanhood were borne out from the ruins. Another dawn came, and still the army of searchers toiled on, more bodies were digged from the splntered, broken, grimy wreck, and every blackened corps® added to the heartbreak of it all. and the workers knew that down in the depths there were more human remnants to be reached. That fe the story of the day of sor row and horror, the story of the gravest and greatest catastrophe Fort Wayne has known in the hundred years cf her existence. The churchbells, calling the people to worship in the bright spring morning, rang the deathknell of a dozen or a score of people. The church- going throngs had their prayerful attention distracted by the raucious cries of the newsboys, calling out the extras telling the story of the disaster. In many pulpits the awful tragedy was touched upon by the preachers; at many altars there were prayers for the afflicted and for the dead, and the sunlight streaming through stained glass did not dispel the gloom that lay heavy on thousands of hearts that I ached for the suffering the dawn had I risen upon. The Bowser Company, of Fort Wayne requests us to announce that it is their belief that a sister, the o-nly relative of W. A. Pitcher, » one of the unfortunate victims of the Aveline fi r e, lives in the vicin- ’ ity of Decatur, and they would be glad to communicate with her at i f once. o 1 AT A CLASS PARTY ii —— i i A Great Time Was Enjoyed i by the Merry Crowd—- .’ Amusements i s The members of the Sophomore s class of the Decatur high school were , entertained at the home of Frank 1 Mills Friday night and a most enjoyI able time was experienced. Games, guessing contests and story writing furnished the amusement of the evening and the merry party was served elaborate refreshments. Pictures e , were cut out of magazines and given to different members of the party and g they wrote stories of same after which g they were compared with the originals. ? This was unique entertainment and “ furnished ample reason for laughing. Miss Margaret Mills and Miss WlniI fred served the refreshments. During the evening excellent music was rendered by Miss MacGregor, the music teacher and the Sophomore r quartet rendered selections. Those present were Misses Ruby Parrish. Dorothy Walters, Bernice Dailey. Anna Winans, Edna Hoffman, Lucile Cusac, ' Irene Evans, Alma Kooken. Effie Pat--1 ton, Lois Meyers, Lula Beachler, Rose Dunathan, Elsie MacGregor and Miss . Johnson, and Messrs. Homer Radabush. Fred Myers, Bruce Patterson, Frank Mills, Don Burk, Howard Wisehaupt. Free Frlsinger, Clyde Baumgartner, Harold Wilcox, Lawrence Archbold and Tom McKean.

ON SUNDAY MORNING Remains Enroute Here— Will Arrive Sometime on Wednesday A telegram from Carl Ober, at Tucumcari, N. M., Monday morning announced the sad message that his wife, Clara Mumma Ober, had died at that place Sunday morning. The deceased was a daughter of J. A. Mumma, of Root township and was well known in this locality. She was married to Mr. Ober about a year ago and went to southwest country to live. Her condition had oeen delicate for several weeks, but was not known to be so serious. Besides the parents and husband, she is survived by four sisters and a brother Messrs. J. C. and Moses Augsburger made a business trip to F Wayne this morning. M. Yocum, of Ob' through the city enroute\ Wayne on business.