Decatur Democrat, Volume 51, Number 45, Decatur, Adams County, 19 November 1908 — Page 6

A fire caused some little damage at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lyons, east of the city. Monday night,and only the brave work of neighbors saved the heme. Mrs. Lyons had taken her husband, who is a traveling man, to the train here and the children were at school. When the latter returned, they discovered the blaze which had , already made considerable headway ■ in the summer kitchen. They scream- ; ed and immediately devoted their es- ■ forts to saving the life of their pet, deg, which they finally did, driving 1 him out through the flames. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Prickle arrived and did almost miraculous work, endangering their lives, but were successful in saving the main part of the house. After the wall of the house burned I away the draft from the big fireplace drew the flames in that direction and made the fighting much easier. The Lyons had just finished remodeling and painting their home and the loss will be quite a little, as the kitchen and everything in it was totally destroyed. However, Mrs. Lyons is thankful it was no worse. Mr. Lyons who left on an afternoon train, knew nothing of the fire. The December term of commissioners’ court promises to afford considerable macadam road business. Seven roads are advertised for sale at that time, they being the W- A. Bowman road in Washington township, W. A. Tieman road in Root township, William Gallmeyer road in Preble township, Decatur and Bluffton No. 10 in Washington township, E. H. Faust in Washington and St. Marys townships, and the Henry W’afel road in Preble township. Surveyor Baumgartner is advertising the sale of the E. L. Arnold ditch, a proposed drain that will traverse part of St. Marys township. Treasurer Lachot is busy making out delinquents, but not the usual long list is found this fall. The strenuous efforts at the treasurer's office brought in many that frequently permit their taxes to lapse behind the usual statutory time of payment. | The annual convention of the Adams County Sunday School Association

convened at Berne Monday night and the Initial session was very interesting. A song service and address by E. W. Halpenny were features. This morning's session held at the Missionary church, was of intense interest, also Rev. L. C. Hessert, of Decatur, delivering an address on “The Needs of Decatur,’’ and Mrs. C. Vogt lectu-ed on “The Benefits of the Sunday school to the Home.” The program as rendered this morning was as follows: Devo’ional Rev. D. A. J. Brown Opening Remarks Jesse Rupp, County Pres. “The Needs of the Sunday School” — (a) Our Needs at Decatur Rev. L. C. Hessert (b) Our Needs at Berne.J. F. Lehman (c) Our Needs at Geneva. Rev. C. King (d) The Needs of the Country Schools W. F. Johnson Discussion. Music. “The Benefits of the Sunday School" — (a) To the Individual E. H. Baumgartner (b) Tc the Home Mrs. C. Vogt (c) To the Church ..Rev. E. L. Jones (d) Tc the Community and State Rev. E. W. Halpenny Discussion. Offering. Ar '-.uncements. Ar i tment of Committees. Song. 11:15 Benediction. —o DEMOCRATS GET ANOTHER They Now Have Twenty Majority in House ot Representative*. Indianapolis, Nov. 17.—Frank I. Grubbs, deputy secretary of state, is in.v -’ieating the vote for legislative candidates at the recent election in Cass and Fulton counties, where the - election of a representative is in controversy. If it is shown that a Democrat was elected In that district, and it is believed there is no doubt that is true, the Democratic majority in the house of representatives, owing to a change in the vote from Fountain county today, w|l] be twenty and the Democratic majority on joint ballot will be sixteen. Yesterday Mr. Grubbs was notified by telephone message from Anson G. Madden, clerk of the Fountain circuit court, that the Democratic candidate for representative in that county had been elected instead of the Republican candidate, as previously announced. FIRST SERIES TO HUEBTON St. Louis, Nov. 16—Thomas Hues 1 ton, of St. Louis, won the first of the three block series for the world’s continuous pool championship here tonight, defeating Alfred De Oro es Cuba, by a'score of 201 to 167. The championship is to be determined in a 600 point match and the second block will bo played tomorrow night.

Saturday night at the home of Rev. L. C. Hessert, H. M. DeVoss and Miss - Della Meyer were quietly wedded in I the presence of the bride’s sister, Mrs. • George Henneford and husband. The affair was planned to be quiet and it wag quiet. However, no great sur- . prise will be caused over this an- , nouncement as many of the friends j of the popular couple, who knew that a home was being furnished, were aware that the wedding would soon | ; occur. Immediately after the ceremony, which was cleverly performed by Rev. Hessert, the happy couple repaired to the furnished home on Fifth street and began housekeeping at once. Neither of the parties need any introduction to the people of ■ Decatur. The groom who is one of the most fluent shorthand writers in' this section of the state, is reporter es the Adams circuit court and held ii; the high esteem of all, as is his bride who is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Meyer. e The Schafer Sadlery company is an institution in Decatur which is growjing rapidly and which will very prob-1 J ably be one of the biggest concerns' |of the kind in the country some day. l They manufacture harness —all kinds and al! grades —and they sell it. Just now they are busy contracting for i space in farm papers all over the land and next year their announcement ' ’ will be found in all the leading journals of the land which go to the hernes . of those who use harness. They have' six men employed in this department making harness and from now on until spring they will be busy turning out single and double sets, plain and fancy j to suit the taste of the buyer whoever Ihe may be. They recently purchased forty-five rolls of leather, meaning an j outlay of nearly $3,000 in cash, and this is said to be as much leather as is used in a city twice the size of Decatur in a year, showing the amount of business they are anticipating. > Their first year in the wholesale business has been a most satisfactory one and they expect to sell one thousand sets cf harness next year and are planning their work with that idea in I view. M>. Walter Kauffman is in .charge of the department, and if you don't think he is a busy gentleman,] call some day and see. Just watch

the Schafer Sadlery company grow. | o , Boston, November 16. —The body of i a w> 11-dressed woman, found in a in this city last night, was P' iiively identified early today as tb t of Mrs. Julia Harmon Stahl, thirty two years old. the widow of "Chick" Stahl, the Boston American League b? ball player and captain, who committed suicide at West Baden, Ird on March 28, 1907. The identi- , fication of Mrs. Stahl was made by h< - father, Mr. Harmon. It was said tb t Mrs. Stahl left her home last evening wearing jewelry valued at all of which, with the exception of a gold mounted comb and a wedding ri ■ was missing from the body when fc>- ,i. In seeking to account for the lo • of Mrs. Stahl’s jewelry and her p- M-nce in the rather pcor neighborly Mi in which her body was found, th ■ police sought a man who was seen to cross Andrew Square, South Bcston, v h Mrs. Stahl just before she enD rd the hall in which she died. This tr >n is believed to have helped her into the doorway, but was not seen to le iv>- the house. Up to the time that of Mrs. Stahl noticed the a* sence of jewelry early today, the poll • bad believed the case to be one p* heart disease, but with the robbery •as i possible motive the case appeared |t'. be one of murder. Marks were P :nd on the woman’s throat, but it i' not thought these had to do with h, r death. After completing the aut> Medice.l Examiner McGrath this ?'• -moon announced that death was d’’° tn natural causes, "probably exhr.istion, brought on by the use of d'-’HS and alcohol.” The police stated tb it they were convinced that Mrs. S’ ihl lately had worn very little jewe besides the wedding ring which v ft- found on her finger. ESCAPED CONVICT ARMED. I’.urlinjfton, la, Nov. 16. —Police B- -n Burlington and Mount Pleasant i ■ lutomobiles are chasing an escaped c .let named Valentine from Fort F tdison penitentiary. Valentine is armed and is desperate, and a fight 1r almost sure to result. • 'h . Iff Lipkey arrived home at noon , to-*, ay from a trip into Adams county, , f ir miles northeast of Decatur, wb -re he arrested Henry Ormsby, r • 4 60. who is charged here on an s 'b.'avit In circuit court with stealing ( tekt-ns last summer at the John Ledb - i-r farm east of the city. Mr. Led.b- ’.'••r alleges he is the man whom he le:<ught red-handed one night, and at ■< had intended not to prosecute. Ormsby had been living previous to t - it time with his daughter, Mrs. Lee b ■'n. on the south side, but disapp .ired-shortly afterward and the offlr have been looking tor him several v -ks. He is in jail, not having fur-| r.’abed bond. He was working on' a J farm, helping kill hogs.— Bluffton News.

John H. Yager et al vs. Dot E. Piercy et al, note S3OO, motion to quash writ of summons and service filed and overruled. Drucilla Mentzer vs. Clarence Hicks et al, damages, appearance by L. C. DeVoss for plaintiff, set for hearing on motion to retax costs for Friday. November 20th. I Edward L. Arnold et al petition for drain, report satisfactory and drain ordered as prayed and assessments confirmed. L. L. Baumgartner appointed superintendent of construction and his bond fixed at $1,500. Bessie L. Davies et al vs. Clarence Williman, partition, report of sale filed and confirmed, deed ordered reported and approved. Charles F. Rinehart vs. Charles F. Rinehart, admr., partition, before D. E. Smith, special judge, summons ordered for Glen and Frank Johnson, rej turnable November 28. ■ Della M. Chapman vs. Esther R. Chapman et al, partition, final report filed and approved and commissioners discharged. E. H. Leßrun has been granted a hunter’s license. Look out for the quails and rabbits. i A license was issued Saturday evening to another couple of rather mature years, the grocm being Jeremiah Russ°il. ag<»d seventy-one. of this city, and Winifred J. Rnsadl, aged sixty-five Each has been married once before. I Another license to wed granted Saturday evening was to Huber M. DeVoes, 29, official court reporter, and Della M. Meyer, 26, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Meyer. Real estate transfers: Charles B. Wilcox et al to Daniel N. Erwin, pt. outlot 24 Decatur, $250; Mary L. Andrews to Edwin Bteele, 40 acres Union tp., $2,500; Mary A. Ahr to Rose Keller, inlot 660 Monroe, S9OO. John M. Wells, guardian for Oral and Alta Pontius, filed a current re-

port I The stockholders of the Great Northern Fair association held their annual meeting at the Modern Woodmen's hallMonday.the first session convening at ten o’clock. The first thing on the program was the adoption of the reports of the managing board, secretary and treasurer, as published in the Saturdav issue of this paper. All were approved. Then came the election of officers, interest centering in who should be chosen secretary. This job went to Ear’ B. Adams the well known attorney, who will have charge of affairs during the next year. Thomas H. BaJtzell was reelected as president, A. J. Smith as vice president and Charles S. Niblick ag the treasurer. Another short session was held that afternoon when the matter of placing Insurance and attending to a few other necessary duties of a routine nature were attended to. The fair next year will be given about the usual time it is believed and will be bigger, better and grander in every way than ever before. The reports this year showed the asscciation in good condition and that they made money this year when nearly every other fair in this locality lost. | Lemuel Ray, born and raised in Adams county, died suddenly Monday morning at three o’clock at his home cne quarter of a mile from Monroe, his age being 41 years. 2 months and 17 days. For some time the deceased had suffered from organic heart trouble, but his condition was not considered serious. In fact but last Saturday he transacted business in Decatur and yesterday he attended to his chores about the farm as usual, working until late in the evening. This morning at three o’clock, his • wife, who slept in an adjoining room from where Mr. Ray lay. heard her husband moaning. She hastened to the bedside but too late to see her companion alive. Life had gone out in an instant and efforts of a physfl clan could be of no avail. The sorrow attending the untimely demise of this husband and father is most poignant. The many acquaintances of the deceased deplore the misfortune of losing a friend and have sympathy for the bereaved widow and three children. Besides these, a sister, Mrs. J. J. Hoffer, who resides at Monroe, survive to join the multitude of sorrowing friends in sharing in the hour of bereavement. The funeral was held from the house Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clck. Mrs. Florence Rice and daughter Bernice have gone to Fort Wayne for a few days’ visit with relatives. I Miss Anna Elcock, of Van Wert, r«- • turned to her home this morning after remaining for several days as the guest of Mrs. Shrock.

Sheriff Lipkey, of Wells county, was here Saturday afternoon and arrested Henry A. Ormsby, who has been employed on the Henry Rodenbeck farm for several weeks, and took him back to Bluffton on a charge- of chicken stealing. The story is told in a dispatch sent from Bluffton as follows: A surprise was sprung on the people of Wells county yesterday, when Henry A. Ormsby, aged sixty, one of the best known and respected citizens of the county, was placed under arrst on the charge of attempted larceny. He is charged with trying to steal chickens from his employer, John Ledbetter. Two months ago Ledbetter was awakened about midnight by chickens squaking. When he went to I the ocops, armed with a board, he feund a man putting one of the chickens in a sack. He immediately made use of the board, and was starting to hit again when the man spoke and asked him to desist. This much was known at the time, but not until Ormsby was arrested was it known that he was the man who tried to do the stealing. Ormsby continued to work for Ledbetter on his farm for a few days after the event, Ledbetter refusing to tell who the person was. In a short time, however, Ormsby left the county, going to a farm near Decatur. Ledbetter then thought better of the filing of the charges, and as a result Sheriff Lipkey made a trip to Decatur yesterday to bring back the man. The prisoner had nothing to say for himself. c STOUT’S TRIAL BEGAN TODAY Second of Woodburn Murder Cases at Fort Wayne. With Judge Edward O’Rourke presiding in the circuit court the trial of John Stout, one of the four men indicted for the murder of Marshal Columbus Croy, at Woodburn, on the morning of June 7. 1907, was taken Monday morning. A special venire of 100 in addition to the regular panel of twelve men have been summoned. It is believed that the jury of twelve should be secured from this number within two days and Prosecuting Attorney Thcmas is inclined to the opinion that the trial proper will not con- , sume over two weeks. The state’s

attorney will be assisted in the* case i by Attorney James M. Rcbinson and ' Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Harry I F. Hllgeman, while Stout will be de- ’ fended by Judge J. K. Erwin and Attorney P. B. Colerick. Stout is the second of the feur men to be brought to trial, Herman Miller having been : tried and convicted last June and sentenced to life imprisonment. This case dragged through twenty days, the prolongation of the trial being occasioned by the illness of Juror Cooke. At a special meeting of the county council on Saturday afternoon the sum of S4OO was appropriated for the employment of Judge R K. Erwin to assist tn the defense, as recommended by Judge O’Rourke. Prosecuting Attorney Thomas asked for a sum of S3OO in addition to the S4OO left out of the SI,OOO appropriated for the prosecution of the Miller case.—Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. —♦ The Ladies' Mite Society of the M. E. church will be entertained by Mrs. Roy Archbold Friday afternoon. The meeting will be an important one as the proceeds obtained therefrom will be used for local charity. There are many movements under way at present to relieve trying situations in the homes of the deserving poor. The convention of the Christian Endeavor societies of the Fort Wayne district, which will convene in Decatur at the Presbyterian church Thanksgiving evening will be a great event. It i* expected that great good will be derived from the meetings of the two days. Everybody should plan to attend the Union Thanksgiving service to be held at the M. E. church. Representative rrembers of all churches of the city 1 should be present to enjoy the special services. Rev. Richard Spetnagle, the able Presbyterian minister, will deliver the sermon which will be very entertaining. Special music will be rendered by the M. E. church choir. Thansgiving is a holiday calling for religious devotion as well as worldly festivities. The event i» nothing if not observed as intended to be. Praise and thanksgiving to Almighty for the achievements of the past, and future possibilities, -will be in order and let’s all Decatur observe this, one of the most memorable of all occasions, appropriately. That all denominations will worship together on Thanksgiving is only a clever demonstration that all religious organlzaticns a re working to one end, that of championing the Christian cause and the uplifting of mankin*.'' Mr. and Mrs. Charles Loch charmingly entertained a number of their' friends last evening at six o’clock dinner and an elegant time was enjoyed. Those present were Messrs, and Mese dames Grover Hoffman, Wesley Hcffman, Dr. Knorr and O. L. Vance.

The grand jury met at just nine o’clock Monday morning and were instructed as to their duties by Judge Merryman, and immediately went into session, in charge of the prosecuting attorney, Henry B. Heller. The jury as sworn include Messrs. Charles Brown, of Geneva. Frank C. Y* etchter, of Blue Crees, Alphonse Kohne, Washington; Ezra Mcßarnes, St. Marys; Marion Ketchum, Jefferson, and Charles Kerber, of Union. The court ap pointed Frank Wechter as foreman and Joseph T. Johnson as door bailiff. The instructions were regular as provided by the statute, and the men were ordered to investigate all crimes and misdemeanors which might be reported to them or of which they may have knowledge and to examine the public institutions, etc. The jury will no doubt investigate the charges cf murder against young Wolfe and several other affairs of interest are to be brought up. It is probable that the session will last for ten days as there is more than the usual amount of investigation. H. M. DeVoss will serve as stenographer and Ed Green J. H. Smith of Decatur, William Tucker. Berne, and Jack Atkinson, of Geneva, as riding bailiffs. The Gold Cure is a graft. This is what Frank Cotton, who has been arrested times innumerable by the officers of the city, stated this morning. Another date was added to his already long list In the county bastile this morning when he was brought to the city by Sheriff Lipkey from Decatur, where he was found on the streets still celebrating over -the Adams county fair. A few months ago Frank took the cure at Plymouth, Ind., and stood by the law for several days after his release, but was placed in jail in this city on a charge of forging a check, but on his promise to pay $lO on the fine each month was released by Sheriff Lipkey, who waited for the ten tnat never came. Lipkey was in Decatur this morning attending to business matters and found Cotton still at his old trade of driving the Holthouse hack. He was brought back to this city and will now spend the full ninety days helping make it comfortable for the other prisoners but will probably expese the great

graft of the state, where he ’ was “stung.” It is the “hobby” of Cotton to keep the dates of when he was locked up and when released. The list already covers one entire side of his cell and still keeps growing. About the time the blue birds come to the north he will be released and again go to the aid of his parents, who will welcome the prodigal son as though he had come back from a foreign country with a native missionary wife and money to burn. —Bluffton Banner. Lucy Terrell was in Bluffton Saturday and in addition to visiting with her father at the county jail she also consulted with her father’s attorneys who will have charge of the case when it is again called in court, and it is said that a line of action was decided upon. Upon inquiry a News reporter was informed that the case would likely be called in court next week, but the counsel and Lucy Terrell would make no statement as to the course of procedure that will be adopted. Nothing definite will likely be done however, until Judge Sturgis appoints a special judge to Assume jurisdiction. Lucy Terrell and the attorneys will, endeavor, however, to get an early hearing in the case. Ed Fitzpatrick, the clerk of the supreme court of Indiana, and one of the republican leaders for this district, wap here Sunday morning on an important mission. He is assisting his party in preparation for the defense to the contests that will be filed by several of the Democratic candidates, in an effort to oust the Republicans and install the men who have been declared defeated. Mr. Fitzpatrick says the contest is an assured thing and will be one of the important features of the coming session of the legislature. He called on the election commissioners here and asked them to have two opposing candidates on the county ticket here file a petition in circuit court for an order allowing the clerk to open the sealed packages left with him by the inspectors from the various precincts, and which contain the returns. The idea is to carefully compare the returns with those reported and see if there is any possibility of an irregularity in this county. If this is not done the inspectors, commssoners and others will have to make a trip to Indianapolis during the contest at their own expense and it is quite probable that the order of i court will be obtained today or to-'; morrow. It is not believed that aay- i thing startling will be found in the i examination of the returns here. —o 1 , The violators of the law have an appropriate time to feel somewhat shaky, now the grand jury i 8 i n ees . sion. It is thought that an unusual- i ly large number of indictments will i he returned. i

South Bend, Ind-. Nov. 15.—8 y drilling a hole, fourteen by fourteen inches, through the walls of the Scuth Bend postoffice and vault, yegg, men entered the safe and took sUmp,. amounting to $18,653.50. The discovery of the robbery was made at 8:30 o’clock this morning. The rob bers escaped leaving no clews upon which the police can work. The yeggmen worked within 100 feet of the rocm in which clerks were handling the mails. The robbery was discover ed by a clerk in the employ of the household outfitting company, one door north of the room temporarily occupied for poetoffice purposes during the construction cf the new sloo,oom building. A clerk, having occasion to enter the store found it impossible to open either entrance to which he had keys, and. suspecting • something was wrong, called Patrolman Parker. Throwing their weight against the doors the two forced an entrance and on examination'showed that they had been fastened by large screw hooks. Investigation showed a hole fourteen by fourteen inches had been electrically drilled through the fourteen-inch fire-proef wall, forming one side of the postoffice vault, through which on» of the thieves had entered the vault and passed the plunder to his confederates. Access to the household outfitting company store room was gained by ascending a stairway, fifty feet south of the store, to the third floor of the building. From the head of this stairway th« robbers crossed over to the building north of the postoffice and descending to the first floor next to the postofflee. Before beginning operations on the wall the robbers covered the floor and stairway with scores of blankets and quilts taken from the stock of the store and also hung a thick quilt on the north wall of the vault, under walek th* drilling was done. As the bricks were loosened they were pulled out of the driller’s way by means of a small tackle and pulley which was left behind. The electric drill used by the yeggmen was work'd by power taken from lighting wires less than twenty feet from the wall, the wires being detached from a desk tamp in the office of the Household company. The drills picks and other tools, all new, and a bottle of nitroglycerin wihch was preb

ably to be used if the thieves found a steel lining to tb<- vault, were lefJ behind and are now in the hands ol the police. Inspector A. B. Holmesj at Cincinnati, Ohio, was notified ana he ordered Inepec'or A. B. Burr, ol Fort Wayne to South Bend, the latte.J arriving here this evening. Washington, November 1& —Wit Im remarkable unanimity Republican seJ ators and representatives are sayinl that there will be but little, if anJ general legislation enacted at the cona ing short session of congress. TIJ views of the Republican legislative leaders on this question are interesl ing because it is generally known th J the white bouse expects a great de4 of important legislation to be enact J before the 4th of March. The pre® ident is busy with bis last messagß If the congress should, at this st® sion, do one-half the things he w® ask it to do, it would put in tfl busiest short session in years, sfl nificance is attached to a statemeH recently printed in some of the neß papers that usual’ly reflect the whß house view to the effect that Speakß Cannon will be on probation duriß the short session; that the outgoiß president will “put up to congreß his legislative program and in the wB ot carrying out th<- r<-commendati(B he will be opposed fro re-election Hi the speakership by the present "P<fl ers that be” and that those safl powers will exercise whatever inß ence they may ha > with the president to persuade him to use influence against the re-election H Mr. Cannon to th > speakership. Soß| cf Mr. Cannon’s legislative do not like the implied threat. £ | ( . MJ The time of year for hunting dents is here, and scarcely a B| passes that we d hear of some of a hunting aft’?.-. ... me serious others slight. T- or three accidß| have been repo r ' d in this cotHM this year, but luc-C’s none have bß| fatal. The later' story comes ffl| Linn Grove, wb -o Arthur Schaß| was quite badly hurt. last Sat'.irßg Schaupp is the t-'acher of the grade at that rmc- and is a known young m--’. On that dav|B| had been (ndulgi ; in ’he a hunt and had :'t returned buggy. A a he w•. removing bis Btf from the rig the hammer caught the cartridge wa discharged, ir. the teacher’s right arm, away the muscle ■ r making an and serious wour ’ lr was convßg to the office of Dr. McKean, Pyj dressed the inJu -1 arm and tient is reporter! ”i. doing though he will sr r for with the result c bi--> days' sporߣ " "■ iii _ gSgmaLt' Petty thievery - o-en temporarily in T .'<tnr. but cials can well ‘ -1 there is always c- m b- ’ore a