Decatur Democrat, Volume 52, Number 37, Decatur, Adams County, 16 September 1909 — Page 1

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■Volume LII

WPTGRAFT IS GUILTY ffl 1 ■Verdict Was Read in Jay ' I County Court this MornI ing—Ask Clemency I I Is NOW IN JAIL ’ I H -.- r ■Vise and Family With Him ' I —Man Who Was Shot I in Capture Convicted ■ Portland, Ind., Sept. 15.—(Special ■ Daily Demcorat) —Alonzo Uptgraft, I ■ near Bryant, charged with assault Ind battery with intent to commit ■ape upon the person of Bonnie ■wens, a niece of his wife, was found ■uilty according to the verdict read ■ open court at 8:30 this morning, ■he crime was committed February ■d last when Uptgraft and his niece ■ere in a buggy enroute to his home. - “ . ■ will be remembered that the de■ndant was not captured for some ■>ys and when finally rounded up he ■lowed fight, the result being that ■ was shot through the head by the ■want marshal. He was in the hos■taf several weeks finally recovering. ■ie trial began Monday morning and , He case went to the jury at 1:10 ' Hiesday afternoon. The jury agreed ’ ■ 11:30 last night and returned a , Haled verdict which was read when ' ■art convened this morning. The , flrdict found the defendant guilty as Marged and recommended that the i ■ IKirt show clemency in passing sen- . gmce. Judge LaFollette has not an- ’ ■meed when he will pass sentence. |Htgraft was taken to jail and placed |Hthe criminal department. His wife ' I children who have remained with ■ were allowed to accompany him H IBail. The only defense offered was < he was intoxicated at the time. penalty for the offense is from 1 ■to fourteen years in prison. ‘ J I TAKE THIRTY-THIRD DEGREE j ■■ 5 «ght Rockhill Will Go to Boston for gill the Work. IHke 33rd degree in Scottish Rite ( "ißlonry will be conferred upon < W. Rockhill, of this city, one from tonight at Boston, Mass., 1 '■he imperial council, which will be ‘ I B® 881011 there at that tllQe - q - Bkhill will be one of a class from 5 \ mover the country. Mr. Rockhill j |B be the sixth Fort Wayne Mason I ■ave received that honor, the pres- 1 UH 83rd degree men being John H. Igß, William Geake, Charles Read, »V. Pixley and Charles Wilding. as an active, recommended $ for the honor. There ! s ■ one 33rd degree conferred for 5 one hundred 32nd degree mem- s iH With Mr. Geake, Samuel Geake a ■Mrs. Rockhill, Mr. Rockhill will j ■> Boston Saturday. He has long j ■ affiliated in local Masonic circles s distinction to be conferred v I him next week is appreciated t brother Masons—Fort Wayne t ■nel HHr: — o e Railing is packing up his 1< ■hold goods and making arrange- 1 ■H* t 0 move t 0 Toledo ' Mr. Rail- t secured a position with a 1 | house there, and will therehiss family there also. A ■HL*< v"

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On August 30th* I submlted to you| for publication the receipts and dis- j bursements of the city treasury, com-| menclng Sept. 1, 1898, and ending Augst 31, 1909. My object in pub-* fishing this lengthy article was to show why I believe in publicity of. municipal affairs, and why It is nec-l essary to care for the revenues 'Gt the city, cut the Indebtedness down and save the interest for our homes and business instead of giving It to the bondholders. In the first six years of this report, you will notice that the city spent nearly fourteen thousand dollars for cleaning and repairing of the stone streets. Thip much cash was spent, besides the poll tax. One year the stone was hauled on the street and the next year the same stone, or at least much of the same stone, was hauled off by cleaning. This made the stone streets very unpopular in the business section of our city and at the same time created the desire for the brick street, which is much superior. Another very important item is the temporary loan. During six years of this report, the city borrowed one hundred and one thousand three hundred and ninetyone dollars and fifty-six cents, and paid off in about the same time one hundred’ and nine thousand seven hundred and ninety-one dollars and fifty-six cents. This money was borrowed at eight per cent, interest. Figure, the interest on the above money for ond year and add to this the money used In repairing the stone streets and you will see why I said that the most of our troubles come from bad business methods. There are mgny other reasons, but the two statements above will Illustrate the idea. I am neither defending nor finding fault with any individual. I am trying to favor business methods that will force the individual to recognize the value of an open set of books that say something else besides "all paid in, and all paid out ’ I am firmly against the city handling merchandise. Many residences have been wired by cltf‘ wire 'under the direction and by permission of former councils. The wire was paid for out of the electric light fund. "How many of these people can show the city treasurer's receipt for the wire or the work deme? Now some of this talk of graft hounds to me like the kettle calling the pot black. Yet X believe 'that bad., business methods have caused ' |our greatest troubles. Our people are awake to the necessity of every city officer giving an accurate account of his official record and the only thing that bothers me Is to know why they did not wake up when the city was going in debt instead of when she is coming out. Mr. Editor, I promised you a recapitulation of that report, and here it is: Sept. 1, 1908 to July 31, 1909. Receipts General fund >125,858.02 Sinking, W.‘ W. bond & int. fund ; 78,15f1k02 Misc. streets and sewers.. 114,483.75 Special street and sewer.. 17,683 Water works meter fund.. 629.40 Temporary loan 101.391.56 Water works ext. fund.... 2,950.97 Judgment fund .. . 4,982.01 Fire fund 2,822.11 Refunding bond sale 20,000.00 Electric lights 122,685.70 WAter works i 97,706.29 —— Total .>689,348.43 Disburse. General fund >110,650.72 Sinking. W. W. bond and int fund 91,324.53 l Misc. streets and sewers.. 112,165.04 j Spec, street and sewer fund 11,484.51 i Water works mfeter fund.. 647.80 ; Temporary loan 109,791.56 j Water works ext. fund.... 2,331.87 | Judgment fund 4,970.79 Fire fund ...../ 300.00 Electric lights 126,427.84 < Water works 111,214.66!f . 1 1 Total >681,309.32 Money in treasury July 31, 1909, >8,039.11. J.' ’ „ To make the above more plain, we 1 1 will have to state what moneys con-'i stitute the totals of the electric lights and water works funds. We will give! you this statement below and allow i you to do your own thinking. In a i short time, by your permission, we | will follow with a statement showing: the city indebtedeness Sept 1, 1898, the indebtedness when it freachrfl 'i the high water mark and the indebt- i edness July 81, 1909. You may now! look at the water works and electric! light plant by using the figures as i they are or have been from Sept s 1, 1898 to July 31, 1909: Value of electric light and I>

Decatur, Indiana. Thursday, Septi 16 IPOq

| water plants >125,000.00 Street light earnings collected j>. 29,636.28 Earning colected from con- | Burners 93,049.42 Hydrant earnings 63,251.73 Water earnings collected | from consumers 34,453.56 Due from electric light consumers ...; 1,647.00 Due from water (works consumers Uncollected St. light and hydrant earnings 19,313.00 Electric light cash in treasury July 31, 4909 577.19 Water works cash in treasury July 31, 1909 160.57 Total >368,088.75 Liabilities. First mortgage water works bonds ..y> 35,000.00 Second mortgage water works bonds 13,000.00 Electric light bonds 5,875.00 Operating expenses 114,469.00 Interest on bonds carried by city 19,140.00 Plant earnings used for rep. 55,000.00 Ext. money raised by tax. 2,950.97 Outstanding electric light 'orders 2,993.31 Outstanding water works * orders 2,082.99 Interest on outstanding <?rders 1,200.00 Money retained by taxp’yers 19,313.00 E. L. & W. W. orders in >20,000 bond sale 14,500.00 Undivided profits 82,564.48 Total ....>368,988.75 The above figures can be proven to the man who pays nd attention to beekkeeping. Compare the present valuation of the electric light and water plants to our present indebtedness, which I will give in my next article, and you will find a several thousand dollar credit in favor of the city. Ten thousand of the above bonded indebtedness is" stilt unpaid. Twenty-four thousand eight hundred seventy-five dollars were paid out of the revenues of the plant, an<F nineteen thousand was paid by.taction. Another very prominent feature of the above‘ figures is seen in the sinking fund, and water works bonds and interest funds. The total disbursements were >91,824.53. Deduct from this amount the >30,000 used in redeeming bonds and you will have >61,324.53, the money paid to meet interest claims. Cut the indebtedness down and save the interest. W. J. ARCHBOLD, City Treas. x ■ — Q — COURT HOUSE NEWS The Haugk vs. Place Case Appealed to Appellate Court of Indiana i ■ \ ITEMS OF INTEREST Passwater Case Will Be Tried—Attachment Issued for Edward Knavel The case of Julius Haugk vs. J. W. Place et al, suit on contract in which >250 was demanded and a finding rendered for >125 will be taken to the appellate court. The court rendered judgment on the verdict and granted an appeal, the bond being fixed at >3OO. Ed Green has been appointed by the court to serve as house baliff during the September term of court and is already on the job. Samuel Beeler vs. Nina Beeler, dlvoifce, apearance by Macy, Nichols & Bales for the defendant, answer filed. \ \ , Isadora A. Kalver vs. Decatur Furnace company, on account, submitted, finding for the plaintiff in the sum of >261.66 with relief. Ella Debolt vs. Chauncey Debolt, motion for an allowance filed- by plaintiff. Criben Sexton Ca.vj. Decatur Hardware company, suit on note, nil© to answer absolute within five days. Adda M. and W. J. Hahnert vs. Martha Duntner et al, partition, an-

swer filed by H. B. Heller, guardian ad litem. In the case of Rosie Passwater vs. Charles Passwater, for divorce, which was heard Tuesday on a plea m abatement, the court found for the plaintiff and*the trial of the case Will proceed. The defendant was ordered to plead. Costs against the defendant on the plea in abatement. Mary Knavel vs. Edward Knavel, motion filed for an order on the defendant to show cause why he does not make payments for the support of his children as ordered, motion sustained. The defendant was also ordered to show cause why he should not'answer for contempt of court. An attachment was issued for him returnable within five days. I "* 111 Mathias Kirsch et al vs. Fannie and ■ John J. Meyer, mechanics’ lien, subi mltted. Uudgmeqt for plaintiffs in i sum of >61.27. { ‘. i i Real estate transfers: John H. i Mumma to William Kline, 160 acres ' Union tp., >l. F. M. Schirmeyer to Sarah E. Roop, lot 32, Decatur, >240. Milo WUson to Sophia Stauffer, 44 acres in Monroe tp., >4,850. Michael > Smith et al to W. E. Kintz tract in Washington tp„ >5,800. Elmer E. i Eley to J. O. Maloney, 26 acres in Blue Creek -tp., >L4OO. E. B. Lenhart et al to George deels, 80 acres Root i tp., >7,000. Henfr H. |Hart et al ; to E. B. Lenhart et al, 80 acres in • Root ; to E. B. Lenhart et al, 80 acres Root , tp., >1,250. Gilbert Strickler to El- , wood Stevens, lot 894, Decatur, >BOO. William F. Blakey, guardian for • Richard Bischoff »t al, filed his final ' report and was discharged. ( Hiram Musselman, 48, a farmer , from near Lynn, Randolph county, ( and Mary Johnson, 45, of Root township, were granted* license to marry. • . APPEAV CASE TO CIRCUIT COURT Andrew and Charles Baxter who were fined a dollar and costs for draying without a license, filed an appeal [ bond yesterday and appealed the Case to the circuit court, where they L will have the question decided definitely. It is probable that the matter will rest now until decided in circuit . court. ; —o NEAR BEER IS A FAILURE Does Not Fill the Bill and is Losing Out. ' Indianapolis, Sept. 15. —Albert Lieber, of tills city, president of the Indianapolis Brewing company, and one : of the leading brewers of the state, made the admission in a speech before the convention of the National Brewmasters’ association that near beers are a failure. “They do not fill'the bill and the Remand for them is decreasing,” he said in his address. Coming as it does from a man as prominent in the brewing business as Lieber, the statement is likely to attract considerable attention, for it has been the hope of the brewers that near beer would take the place of real beer in dry territory where the sale of lager beer is forbidden by law. ■w IT WILL OPEN TUESDAY Bluffton’s Street Fair Will Be on Next \ Week. Next Tuesday morning at ten o’clock Mayor Hamilton formally proclaims the Bluffton street fair open and turns over the keys of the city to the executive committee. Every flag will be up, every exhibit will be in place, the bands,will play, the numerous free shows will be going, and the most unique celebration of its kind in Indiana will have started on Its triumphant course. The decorations are to be most elaborate, and the Illuminations will make the night scenes most gorgeous spectacles. Hen. J. A. M. Adair will deliver the principle address at the Old Settlers* meeting at the court house on Wednesday. .—Q... It has developed that Laporte county Is without a county surveyor and that the office has been vacant since last May. Clyde H. Martin, Democrat moved from Laporte at that time and has since been located at Traverse City, Mich., where he is engaged as city engineer at a salary of >1,600 per annum.

PUNISHMENT WILL BE LIGHT Harry Imler Will Serve His Time in; the Army and Pay a Small FineMarshal Butler returned home last evening from Indianapqlis, where he took Harry Imler, who was charged with having deserted the army at Fort Monroq, Va., where he was with his regiment. The young man was turned over tp federal authorities who will in turn notify the officers at Fort Monroe. They say that he will, if his record is good for the time which he served in the army, and of which there is no doubt, be made to do special guard duty for . about two months and fined from twenty to forty dollars. This it is, said is the usual punishment in such cases. Harry is a clean young man, ' and has many friends who have faith in him. > —o-MUSSELMAN-JOHNSON WEDDING Mrs. Elmer Johnson to Marry Prominent Randolph County Citizen. Mrs. Elmer Johnson of Root township and Mr. Hiram Musselman, of near Lynn, Randolph county, Ind , will be married today some time. The particulars could not be learned further than the event is to be a quiet one, and they will leave at once for their future home in Randolph county. Mr. Musselman is a prosperous and well to do farmer, and a brother of John Musselman of near Willshire. Mrs. Johnson is a well known lady here, having resided here for a number of years and has many friends who wish her joy and happiness. o—. — ■ ; MOTHER AND BABE ARE BURIED Sad Occurrence Near the State Line —Funeral Services H«ld. Mrs. William McClymonds, of near the state line, was buried yesterday, her body being lowered into the grave with that of a six days’ old babe who died just a few minutes before the mother. The deaths came Sunday, Mrs. McClymonds having been in poor health for several months suffering from a complication of diseases. The case is one of the saddest reported for some time, as the “deceased is survived by the husband and five little children. % — — JUST A NEWSPAPER STORY About Every So Often “Uncle Joe” is Thinking of Resigning. Washington, Sept. 15.—Every now and then a story appears in some newspaper that Speaker Cannon is about to announce his retirement from public life. Then will follow a contradiction from a close friend of the speaker. The frequency of these retirement stories indicates that “Uncle Joe” will have toe fight of his life next*" winter. This does not mean a politcal fight in the sense that the Democrats will make it warm for him; it means that the fight will be within the ranks of his party on the floor of the house. The “insurgents” will make it warm for “Unclq Joe.” They made it most unpleasant for him and his program during the extra session. They did not always succeed in getting what they went after, but they made a showing of sufficient strength to cause the leaders to take notice. o— — CRIMINAL COURTS FOR HIM (Clarence Hower at Craigville, Too Old for Probation Officer. L. L. Martz, probation officer, went to Craigville Monday for the purpose of investigating the alleged delin- i quencies of Clarence Hower, a youth of that place, who, it is claimed, is a kleptimanlac. When Mr. Martz arrived, however, he found that the boy is over sixteen years of age and con-, < sequently no action could be taken. I' The boy. It is claimed, has been in J the habit of Stealing about everything' he could get hia hands on from neighbors and residents of the place. His mother, Mrs. Bohr, with whom he ' lives, states that she could do noth- J Ing with him and that he appears to' have an uncontrollable desire to take little trifles. Mr? Martz stid that if 1 any relief was found It would have i to be through the criminal courts, as i the juvenile court can do nothing ow- -i ing to the age.—Bluffton Banner. I — — I Avon Burk left today for Blooming- 1 ton, Ind., where he will enter the : Indiana university and completing his < course in law and graduating from 1 there In the spring. 1

dIfIffiULATION 2800 WEEKLY

RESULTED INDEATH Mrs. Kindel Died this Morning from Injuries Received Saturday MOTOR CYCLE WRECK Deplorable Accident Caused Death of One—Two Oth- ♦ ers Badly Hurt - Linn Grove, Ind., Sept. 15—(Special to Daily Democrat)—Mrs. Albert Kindel, of near Linn Grove, who was ?o badly injured Saturday evening when a motorcycle driven by Abe Boegley of Berne, collided with buggy in which Mrs. Kindel and her husband were riding, died at one o’clock this morning, after suffering three days of excruciating pain. Death was due to internal injuries of the stomach and bowels and the liver was also crushed, as shown by the examination of the attending physician, Dr. McKean, of Linn Grove. The unfortunate lady was years of age and is survive! by her husband and three children, two sons and one daughter. The funeral services will probably be held on Friday. In the same accident, Mr. Kindel was also quite badly hurt. His left ear was torn off about half way down and he was badly bruised about the shoulders and body, but is doing nicely and will recover. Mr. Boegley was also painfully hurt, receiving various bruises and a sprained arm. T'he accident was a deplorable one, and t 4 family have the sympathy of all their many acquaintances. — : q MAY NOT* TAKE THE JOB Contractor May Surrender Their Certified Check. While the board ot public works has issued formal notice to the Julius Haugk company of Decatur, that its bid for paving Berry street, between Clinton and Barr, with creosote block will be forfeited Thursday night, unless a contract is signed, the members dojiot believe the concern will enter into any agreement to do the work and will give the city its certified check deposited as a guarantee. The company has not refused outright to take the contract, but has intimated to the board that the bid was too low and for this reason it is anticipated that the matter will be, let go jby default The check is for >l5O and if the company does not do the work it is not probable it can be done this fall, as it is too late to advertise for new bids.—Fort Wayne Sentinel. ——o THE HULL-MILLER WEDDING Mr. Andrew Hill, of Van Wert, 0., and Miss Della Miller of Adams counity, Indiana, were joined in marriage by Rev. W. H. Mygrant at the parsonage /of the Evangelical church, I Van Wert, Ohio, Saturday, September 'll, 1909. Mr .and Mrs. full are of the Industrial class who are doing their part in the world to better their I condition as well othere. Mrs. ' Della Hill for the present will assist her parents in getting located in their new home, which has become necessary on account of their advanced age. They will leave the farm where for a number of years they enjoyed 'a prosperous and happy life. As soon as these arrangements are completed Mr. and Mrs. Hill will locate in Lima, Ohio, where they shall be pleased to greet their many friends. May many blessings attend them in life. ■' ~~~

Number 37