Decatur Democrat, Volume 52, Number 13, Decatur, Adams County, 1 April 1909 — Page 1

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.-A-: ; ' ■ MEN are clever ' I Men’s Club of the PresbyK |J’terian Church Entertain Their Friends li ' U A GOOD PROGRAM Hi 111 I Very Interesting Talks and M a Round of Re- ■| 1 freshments I k/-.'a f - " • Hl Men are sometimes real clever. |||l This was demonstrated Tuesday night 7y,| when the Men ’s Club of the Presbyterian church acted the part of the host RM I and entertained the ladies together ■ J with several outside guests. W. A. ■■ I Lower was master of ceremonies, and acted the part well in announcing UM the program which began with a se||l lection by the orchestra, followed by |||l the invocation by Rev. Richard Spet|||l nagle. Rev. Imler gave a well direct- ■ ed talk about the accomplishment and ||l P rogress made In the last few years ’ after the men actually, became aroused (JI to the needs of the hour. Since that r”. I time it was no uncommon thing for ysjfc'l men, and many of them, to stand for the things that are right, instead of I being all things to all men at all M times. His talk was really good as ■ | well as interesting. Mr. L. E. Steele IB sang a solo which was beautiful to !■ hear and which brought forth an en||H core. Mr. D. B. Erwin followed and I his illustration again brought to mind the fact that after all, honesty is the ■ best policy. Whfen two public speakj|l ers lay so much stress upon this one ■ need in our public and business life, it would seem that we are certainly ■ growing better. Mr. Erwin’s address §■ was good and was highly compliment■ed by all present. Mrs. C. J.'Lutz > I gave ah organ recital. Mr. Steele sang ■ another solo, followed by the beneI diction and then came refreshments, ||H which the men served, and it was $9 readily discerned that many of them good home training. We do not ||l like to be personal, but if hard luck I ever hits those captains of industry ’'{.-I in last nig ht’s entertainment, there is I a good job awaiting them. The re- ||| freshments, too, were good, and the ||B evening was a delightful and a red letter one in the history of the Men’s I F lub of tbe P res hyterian church. ■IN HOTEL FIRE H Jacob Tester Wires That He Escaped Without H Injury ' i>i— i kmhbs ■letter to follow

JyfliDecatur Man in Blaze at If Liberty Center, Ohio, this Morning |j||| Harvey Schroll, of the Schafer company received a tele-V-flgram yesterday from his father-in-Jacob Tester of this city, who has ■.been superintending the construction ||flof a mill at Liberty Center, Ohio, for weeks, stating that the hotel that place where Mr. Tester has living was completely destroyed ||Hby Are at three o’clock this morning. s&flKr. Tester states th'St he escaped injury, and from the tone of message it is quite probable that ‘ flail the guests were not so lucky. Mr. is employed by the A. Van v.flpamp company here and was sent to Center some time ago. He ||Hwill write today giving particulars of Are. The town mentioned is lonear Napoleon, Ohio, and is a IHown of about I,COO Inhabitants, the i|fljotel destroyed being the only one K ■ i — o— • — ? “ at 9 p. m. On arriving at the parents, a number of friends ■.fathered and gave them a miscellashower, they receiving a numfljer of ugeful preß * nts which WM llKreciated very much, but the best fl)f all they received a good ricing. ■■HF}..’-*

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I DECLARED OF UNSOUND MIND Mrs. Louisa Kruckenberg, wife of Henry Kruckenberg, of Union township, was yesterday declared to be of unsound mind by an insanity board which met at the house. The board Consisted of Drs. J. D. Morgan, of D|xon, Ohio, the family physician and J. S. Boyer and S. D. Beavers and Squire James H. Stone of this . city. Mrs. Kruckenberg has been in falling • health for nearly two years, since the death of her mother and a [ daughter at about the same time. She is forty-nine years old and has eight children, the youngest being but five years old. In February she was taken to a hospital at Port Wayne, but the treatment failed to aid her and this Inquest became necessary. About a . year ago she attemped to hang her- ; self, bufiwas prevented by members of the family. She Imagines her friends have all abandoned her. A SOUTHERN TRIP , A'-' ■' -. • / ■ Will Be Enjoyed by Mrs. Champer, Misses Studabaker and Vesey LEAVE TOMORROW Trip to Texas and Old MexI ico—Absent Three Months z * Mrs. Katherine Champer and Miss Hattie Studabakier will go to, Fort Waynp this afternoon, , ( where Ithey wiill spend, /the evening with Mrs. W. J. Vesey. Friday morning they will leave, accompanpanled by Miss Margaret Vesey, for Texas and Mexico -on an extended visit. From Fort Wayne they will go to St. Louis, from where they will go via the Kansas and Pacific route to their destination. Mrs. Champer will stop at Ft. Worth, Texas, and visit her daughter, Mrs. W. D. Wiler. At this time of the year, Texas is state to live in, and Mrs. Champer is expecting much pleasure during the visit. Throughout the year the weather is pleasant, but it is especially so now. Fort Worth is growing wonderfully, and it is one of the m€st important cities in the state. It is about twenty-seven miles from Dallas, the home of Ar. and Mrs. Floyd Brittson and Mr. Ind Mrs. Jacob Schafer. Miss Studabaker and Miss Vesey will go to Mexico City from there they will go to Oxaca and join her sister, Mrs. Morrison, who has been there some time. They will remain there until June, climbing mountains and enjoying the scenery in that historical country. The Decatur friends in Oaxaca will be visited, which will add much pleasure to the trip. , - - —- o —■ ——■

While the people of Decatur are improving their homes here, making more comfortable and convenient the places so sweet, as runs the song, they are likewise thinking of where they will enjoy those 3ays when the sun beats down indirectly in this locality and the nights are so hot that one scarce cares to seek his' lowly oct. To make a long story short a number of Decaturites will spend the summer at the lakes. Among these are T. M. Reid and Banker A. Dugan, both of whom have invested in properties at the beautiful Rome City. The former has purchased a small cottage which he will rent and also another lot on which he will erect a modern cottage, the contract having been awarded to C. E. Suttles of this city for occupancy before the season opens. Mr. Dugan has also purchased a pretty site and will build a cottage, though he has not fully decided on the plans or when he will build. Both men purchased lots located just south of the D. M. Hensley cottage, as beautiful a spot as lies out of doors, and of course the gentlemen are anticipating some happy hours in the future in which their families will certainly share wjth equal pleasure. Other people of .this vicinity are pimping for the summer and'ho doubt the usual number wiJLhave Ash stories for nejrt autumn and wintea >, ■ — .. . Miss Qteuys JOingpK W- ji»K triads at. Pet arson tor several days.

■ 4 Decatur, Indiana. Thursday, April i 1909

ASSESSORS SESSION ...' George Gentis of this County Attended District Meeting at fort Wayne Receive Instructions from Tax Commissioners and Statistician George W. Gentis, assessor for Adams county, was at Fort Wayne Tuesday, where he attended a district session of similar ofilcers, called to receive Instructions from the state' officals. Among those who addressed theme were State Tax Commissioner Gemmer and McArdle and L. L. Peetz chief of the Indiana bureau of statistics. The meeting was held at the assembly room of the court house and from the reports submitted by the various county assessors an.average valuation ofr the assessing of furniture, horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, farm machinery and the like will be obtained. The averages in the various counties are obtained from the work that has already been done by the assessors, who have been out since March 1, and will be used in equalizing the assessments all dver this portion of the state. Mr. Peetz instructed the assessors in the work they are required to do in conjunction with the bureau. Since his inception in office Mr. Peetz has inaugurated a system that will greatly please the farmers. Heretofore the bureau has required the assessors to scure estimates in advance of the acreage in the various crpps which the farmers planned to plant Farmers objected to this estimate charging that the Information was used by speculators in market manipulation and price fixing and that the speculators were given an undue advantage. Another serious objection was the Inaecuracy of the system. As an example an assessor might visit a farmer in Jfarch who had forty acres in wheat and who proposed to plant an equal number of acres in corn. Later a frost might occur, killinjHtauch of the wheat and perhaps half the wheat ground would be plowed up and planted in corn, increasing the acreage of corn and decreasing the acreage of wheat, rendering the statistics very Inaccurate and practically worthless. Under the new system the farmers are required to give merely the results of their efforts during the previous year. ° -O-— ——' NEW G. R. A 1. AGENT NOT NAMED Mr. Bryson Checked Out and Leaves Tomorrow. No announcement has’ been made yet as to who will be appointed agent

at, the G. R. & I. railroad station to succeed Mr, Jeff Bryson who goes to Portland, and it is probable that no appointment will be made for a day or two. Mr. Bryson will begin his ‘duties, at his new place this morning, the auditor having completed the work of checking him up this' morning. Many regrets are heard here on the part of Jeff’s many friends regarding hia departure and each time he comes down street he is kept busy answering questions and saying good bye. O —' John Kule, a ditcher from Blue Creek township,- and known here as the silent “booser,” made his usual trip to the Old Adams County Bank, where he demanded a large sum ot money which he has imagined for several years he had there. He was put out and the police summoned who took him to Jail, An insanity inquest will be held on him this evening by Squire Smith and Drs. D. D. Clark and J. M. Miller, and he will likely be taken to the East Haven hospital. He has been .off for several years and recently became rather mean and it was thought best to lock him up. The township assessors are about the busiest people going now days. They are working hard in order to get along to the point where they know they can complete it within the time allowed by* law.

| SPECIAL GRAND JURY GAJ.LED To Take Care of Rush of Business in Jay County. ■ On account of the shooting of Alonzo Uptegraft by John DePew, marshal of Bryant, Frank Gillespie, clerk of the circuit court, was on Monday instructed to issue a call ordering the members of the grand jury selected at , the beginning of the present term ' As the court to meet on next Tuesday and conduct an examination of the -circumstances leading up to 1 the sadi affair, which it i» now thought will temlnate in the death of Uptegraft. While in session the grand jury will also Investigate other matters of less importance. The six men composing the venire are Jacob Gagle and John B. Stults, Wayne townr ship; William Hartupp and Samuel a Thomas, Green township; Finley Men- . denhall and Ward Bell, Jefferson ! township—Portland Daily Sun. . , il'i'" "0 HAVING TROUBLES J ’ Congress Getting Farther i Apart on the New Tariff Law < LINES ARE BROKEN 3 ? The Majority Cannot Agree and the Whip Has f No Effect E C ~ \ Washington, March 31.—One of Speaker Cannon’s lieutenants expressr ed regret that the house organization j did not force a vote on the Payne > tariff bill within three days after it ’ was presented. The bill has lost 1 faVor daily. On the one hand, is the , “ultimate" consumer,” demanding - cheaper living, and on the other are i the protected interests, insisting that duties that have been lowered shall be increased. Under the clrcum- . stances the house leaders were not . prepared to say when an effort will be 1 made to get a vote. “It looks as if 1 the house is almost deadlocked over ’ the bill,” said one of the members of f the ways and means committee. “Our - canvass of the membership does not ’ convince us that we can obtain a ’ rule under which the bill can be passf ed without amendments, except such ' as the committee Is willing to accept, ’ and we are fairly well convinced that 1 the various cliques are not in position to co-operate In a that will be effective In changing the bill In important places.” 1 Washington, March 31.—More congressmen are off the reservation uttering shrill warwhoops than have gone on a rampage for' several years. i Every one of them is fuller of fight than Crazy Snake. This, in brief, was the doleful report which Representative John W. Dwight, whip of the house, submitted to Speaker Cannon this afternoon. On Monday the task of making z a canvass of the majority members of the house In regard to tariff legislation was assigned to Mr. Dwight. He put in. a strenuous two days of it and completed the job this afternoon. He had the help of Congressman Tawney and two or three other sagacious members. — / / . Washington, March 31.—Francis E. Leupp, commissioner of Indiana affairs has reconsidered his intention to resign, and today told President Taft he would continue in his present duties so long as his health permits. —'- o — WANT TO BE DEPUTY EXAMINER John H. Boltz Was In the City for a Time Today. Mr. John Boltx, of Winchester, was in the city today looking up his friends. He is tn applicant for the Republican place as one of the two deputy examiners under the new accounting lav, and if experience in the affaire of county offices is worth anything, he will get there. He will bear some strong recommendations to the governor and will likely cut some ice when ths time comes to hand out the good thius. • \

IN CIRCUIT COURT - Judge Merryman Hearing J an Important Will Case at Portland J t —— ,IS A HARD FIGHT 1 '. — > t And Will Require Several i Days—Real Estate ! Transfers Numerous 1 Judge J. T. Merryman, of Decatur, - arrived in this city Monday evening, 3 and assumed jurisdiction iti the case brought by William 8., Jesse 0., James C. and Effie Manor, Cora , Hoppes and Mary A. Reese, to set ’ aside the will of the late Jane Manor. Emma Boots, Charles Manor, John Manor, Hannah Dowden, Rosa Martna Havling, Opal Bales, KOllie Bales, Emma Bales, May Bales, Dellie Bales, Harriett Bales and Jesse 0. Manor, administrator of the estate with the will annexed, are named as defendants. The case was referred tc Judge Merryman as special judge, on account of Judge J. F. LaFollette being disqualified by writing the will 4 before he was elected judge at a ' time when he was practicing law in this city—Portland Sun, Real estate transfers: J. S. Colchin et al to Fred Scheiman, 60 acres Root tp., >3,200; D. N. Erwin to W. C P. Schrock, lot 993 Decatur, >160; ’ F. M. Schirmeyer to Roy Archbold i and W. P. Schrock, lot 53, Decatur, s >335; D. D. Habegger to Albert Hut ser, 80 acres In Monroe tp., >3,400; Jacob Shanebeck to George Zehr, 55 ' acres Wabash tp., >5,000; Abraham s Lehman to Anna X Sprunger, lot 214 j Berne, >1,600; Anna J. Sprunger to . A. A. Lehman, 6 acres Monroe tp., t >2,800. 1 o LEAVE FOR CUBA J ■jr*' !J. E. Moser of this City Joins Party for That t Rich Island i ‘ TO LOOK OVER LAND - i May Invest There—Have Option on Rich Plantation James E. Moser, of this city, In company with a crowd of business men from Fort Wayne, left Tuesday for Cuba, where they will investigate thoroughly the opportunities there for investment and may purchase a large tract |bf .land ion whpch the Fort Wayne men have had an option for some time. It is said this tract abounds fn timber, valuable almost beyond belief, being covered with the original growth of mahogany, red cedar, ebony and other trees of almost priceless worth. The plantation also includes a coffee farm, sugar cane and other articles that make it a bargain. In the party are D’. Barnett, who first discovered tfie ,and and its value several years a>6; A. J. Vesey, the attorney who will investigate the title while Mr. Moser and Mr. Jones of Fort Wayne will take a number of views of the place. They left Fort Wayne yesterday at noon and will arrive at Havana on Saturday going via Key West From there they go to Trinidad and from there Into the interior twenty-four miles on pack horses. The trip requires about a month and it nothing else will prove an interesting and educational journey. Mr. Moeer has promised to let us know the outcome of his trip. y ... K — Frankie Sutherland, of Butler, six years of age, while running away trton his mother to evade punishment sos some small short-coming, ran against a stove with such force as to sustain concussion of the brain.

OUVCULATTON 2800 WEEKLY

Number 13

* OWENB WA6 fl NALLY CAPTURED Ex-Secretary of' State Must Face Serious Charge. Augusta. Ga., March 31.—(Special to Daily Democrat)—w. D. Owens, I former secretary of state of Indiana, and an ex-congressman of that state, I has been arrested here, after being a fugitive for over four years. The charges against him are in connection •f' with the Übere Plantation company, of Boston, whose gigantic swindle of five years ago, startled the country 3 from one end to the other and in , which hundreds of people lost their i money. t — ~o - — DRYS WIN AGAIN 1 ’ Three More Indiana 'Coun5 ties Vote Against the 3 i Saloon 3 ' JBIG MAJORITIES K — More Than Fifty Counties in the State Are 3 Now Dry ■■ l ■ - * : I t /Newport, Ind., March ■ ion county temperance forces are ju- > bilant because of their victory in the J county option election yesterday, after having encountered great j put up by the saloon interests in , parts of the county. The county gives a majority of about 300, with one or two precincts yet to be heard from, in favor of the “drys.” The 1 election passed off quietly In every township efbept Clinton, where it is reported the “wets” imported 250 ner groes and 150 foreigners from Terre Haute, a number of whom succeeded in voting. Two arrests were made at Clinton, both being foreigners for attempting to vote without theii^papers. The brewers of Terre Haute sent twenty-five automobiles to Clinton to 1 help haul in the foreign vote. Most of the saloons there were open. 3 Columbus, Ind., March 31.—Bartholomew county gave a “dry” majority of 801 in the option election. Columbus township, in which Columbus is situated, went ’’’wet” by a majority of thirty-eight It is estimated that about 700 votes were lost on account of the machines not registering and many believe that they were tampered with. Eighteen saloons in Columbus and five outside the city will be put out of business. Churth bells were ringing from almost every belfry while Bartholomew county cast her vote today. Sunrise prayer meeting were held at Hartsville, Elizabethtown, Hope and at the Columbus church, where the bells rang every hour while women prayed. North Vernon, Ind., March 31.— Jennings county voted against licensed saloons today by a majority unofficially given as 518. There was a good percentage of the vote cast and no incidents to mar the day’s events. Center township, in which North Vernon is situated, voted “wet” by a majority of eighty. There are thirteen saloons In this city and In Vernon which will be affected by today’s voting. o— —— TO MANAGE BAKERY AT OSSIAN Troby' Cramer, the baker at the . Peoples restaurant, weni to Ossiafi this morning to become manager of the bakery owned by Abner Elzey,who h the Methodist minister of that place. MT. Elzey is a son-in-law of Sbl Linn of this place. He recently bought the restaurant there. He came over here to select some one for the place. Troby is a number one kilter and will nd doubt be successful in his workrat that place.