Decatur Democrat, Volume 53, Number 29, Decatur, Adams County, 21 July 1910 — Page 1

| al me wvs I ALL THE TIME

Volvme LIII

A MARTYR TO LOVE . .1,11 ■■ | Leyton Potter Committed B Suicide — Despondent K * ' I • Over Finances? LONG SEPARATION From Girl He Loved—-His . . Sweetheart, Miss Armstrong of Pennsylvania. A '?'’ i ' ’*W • L That Leyton Potter, the young man | found dead in Steele** park Tuesday afternoon "came to his death by a selfinflicted gun-shot wound In thb right-, temple, with premediated suicidal intent” is the opinion of Coroner J. 4J. Grandstaff of Preble, and such will doubtless be Mb verdict, which, however, has not yet been returned. That the affair is suicidal is shown beyond doubt. On the person were found many love letters from Miss Martha Artntrong of Carmichael, Pa, abounding in her expression of love for him, ‘ while an examination of his rooms at ? the Flanders home on Third street, s v,here he stayed during his four weeks’ residence here, showed six let- . ters to relatives and friends, sealed and addressed, wrapped with a note asking that they be mailed after his ... death. ■ *■a, ~ eA >i- ' 1 ■ ■ s \ These letters were opened and read by Coroner Grandstaff to be used as evidence in the inquest, and then forwarded to the ones for whom they were v intended. The one addressed to the grandmother, Mrs. M. Z. Hudson, at Caro, Mich., is a fair sample of all, as they contained very nearly the same thoughts. It is as follows: My Dear Grandma:—Forgive your boy for this act if you can. I can * stand this separation no .lodger from the girl I love. She will understand if no one else does. Believe me. I love you and will see you some day. Yours lovingly, LEYTON. Fromnwhat can be gathered from the letters the young man had been engaged to marry his sweetheart, Miss Armstrong, in August They were theh to go the first of Septem- “ her to Grand Forks, N. Dak., where he had a position as teacher in a college. His financial resources at this time, it is said, were low, and from ?■ the substance of one of the letters addressed to* an Uhde in Michigan, H seems he had asked him for a loan of money to tide him over and had been refused. The letter to Miss Armstrong was perhaps the most pathetic of all. It contained expressions of lave and Intimated that he thought It torfdllow ; in his footsteps. That Be had once said to her at . one time, that if bhe should sicken and die, be would Wil himself wer her body, and intimated that he would have* her do the same. Other letters were to C. Beet bf Oberlin, Ohio, * a room-mate; another to hi* father, ■ Thomas i^r;-'«t' i "'TaOahii;---V?asb;' and to several friends. All the letters ran in the vein that he was tired of living and asked fW f forgiveness for the deed he was about to do. ' While-rooming at the Flanders bpme, it is said he often remarked or asked the cost of 'conducting a home, but little more was thought of ft at the time, except in relation to the approaching wedding, which they knew would be in August it now, seems that the cost, and his financial stringency, was one cause of his despondency. Coroner Grandstaff wired his relatives at once, and a telegram this morning from, his grandmother, Mrs. M. Z. Hudson, asked that the body be sent to Undertaker Buch at Lansing, Mich. It must, however, be held until money-has been guaranteed for the shipment The young man’s father lives in Tacoma, Wash. His mother, it la, said, is not living, but he has a stepmother, of whom he spoke with much love to bis many acquaintances here. . / The young map was about twentyfive years of age, five feet and nine inches in height, had light blue eyes, Mack half, worn rather long, and of

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very attractive nrjearance, as well as admirable Dead Boa, No sooner had the w. the city Tuesday afternoon ® o'clock of the discovery of i body of a young man, shot through the head, and lying near the east end of the lagoon at Steele's park, along the than large numbers Wednesday at 3:40 a. m. at his this city hastened out and Identified the young man as Leyton H. Potter, professor in the Oberlin (0./Conservatory of Music, who had been in the city for the past four weeks, acting as agept for the publishing firm of “The Standard Dictionary of Facts. ” As stated Tuesday the body had been first noticed by John Scheumann, the stock buyer, who had been looking for stray cattle in the park. He at first thought it to be a man in a drunken stupor, but on going nearer found the man'dead from a bullet wound jn the head. He then called’ .two other Bran wortfag near, and then Charles Lose and James Colchin, the last two baving bathing in the park lagoon about 3 o’clock. T»*e Colchin hastily drove to the .city/reaching here about 4 o’clock. They notified Marshal Peterson, he. in turn, notifying Coroner Grandstaff of Preble... Marshal Peterson then went to the .scene, Coroner GTandstaT arriving about 5 o’clock. After holding the inquest the body was brought to the Gay & Zwick undertaking establishment in this city, where the body was cared for and where the remains lay until the relatives could be communicated with. indicated Suicide. /All indications pointed at once to spicide. The body lay stretched out on the ground, eyes staring, mouth open, bullet wound in right temple, one and one-half inches above the right, ear. A revolver lay between his knees us though it bad fallen there fromthe right hand, which had fallen over his Chest, while in his left hand was clutched the picture of a girl, , the face of the picture lying toward, the body, and it was evidently the last thing on. which his. eyes in life had looked and oh which the sightless eyes continued to stare after death. His watch, whjch._was found on his person, had stopped at 1:20 o’clock and it is supposed that he Stopped the watch at the time of his death, taking this way to leave a clue as to the time. On his chest was also found his eye glasses, which had either been laid there or had fallen off. Several letters were found on his person, addressed to himself, thus further establishing his identity. They were love letters, apparently received every day from a Miss Martha Armstrong of Carmichael, PR. The letters abounded in expressions of her affection for him, and there was nothing in the letters op his person to show .tljat there had been any difference between them, giving cause for his suicide. • Seemed in Good cheer. The young pahhi seemed in his su-< ual good cheer during the day, and while several strange things have been called to mind since,there was nothing to indicate that he contemplated such action. He appeared at the Schlickman & Girod restaurant at ten minutes till eleven and also a hearty dinner of good substantial ham and eggs, and while there talked in his usual cheery way to the clerks. Guy Kid, ohe of the clqrJW who waited on him, was on especially good terms with him. On leaving the restaurant Potter asked if there were any nearby -woods east of town, and SUted that he Had taken a notion -ter a, stroll and thought he would go out/ He must have gone to his rooms at, the Flanders home on Third street thereAlter, because he wk? se'eri there last about 11:30 o’clock. Mrs. Flanders, at whose hame he roomed, stated that he spent the entire morning In bls rooms and the house, devoting the greater part of the morning, hours playing on the piano. He seemed-to play unusually well, and with deep expression, and she remarked on its beauty. As he came down from his room she noticed that he di& not look well and asked whether he felt as well as usual, but his reply was that he would take a walk, and would spend the afternoon in Steele’s park. Sought a Revolver. The revolver with which the deed was evidently, committed was purchased at -the Laman ft Lee hardware store, from Joe Klees, one of. the clerks, the purchase being made afterMr. Keiss returned from dinner, between 1 and 1:30 o’clock. He asked to look at the Ivers-Johnson make,

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday July 21,1910

| NOMINATED AT MUNCIE 1 , I” 8 c1... 'fe/--- i '' I CONGRESSMAN JOHN A. M. ADAIR. -- ——

stating that he had heard of the excellency of the brand and wished to have a revolver about the house for safety. He looked first at the 32-cali-bre, but stated that he | had not enough money for the purchase of that and then looked at a smaller and cheaper one, a 22-short. He asked bow far the shot would carry,- and asked If it was guaranteed to work well, and stated that he would prefer the smaller one, as it was lighter and handier. He waited for his change,’ and seemed no unusual customer, the only thing noticed by Mr. Kiess being that he hurried from the store with greater than the usual customer. f .y ' Walked With Him to Park. Henry Trim, a well known man of this city, walked with Potter from the bridge to the park entrance Tuesday afternoon, two two happening along at the sapie time, and was pernaps the last person who saw him alive. Arriving at the buildings at the west side of the park Potter asked Trimm what they were, Trimm informing him that one was the ice house and the other had formerly been, used as > a saloon. Potter stated that ne believed he would investigate ahd turned into the driveway at the park. Trimm walked on and shortly afterwards heard a shot. Thinking the occurrence rather unusual, Trimm looked at his watt* ahd it was just 12:04 o’clock. If this were the shot fired by Potter, there must be some difference in thte timepieces of the severe! parties, as the hardware clerk stated that the revolver s?as not purchased until after 1 o’clock. Made Many AeqeMhtaneefc. ' The unfortunate young man came w thii. City about four weeks ago, in company with John DeHaven of Tor iedto, and i Mr. Donaldson of Medina, Ohio. All were teachers or students from Oberlin, Ohio, who were spending the in order to help pay their expenses for the winter at college. Mr. Potter was a teacher of violin in the Oberlin Conservatory, and also a student in languages, etc., in the Oberlin college. He had spent two winters studying in Leipsic, Germany, and was a most accomplished musician, as well as being highly educated in other lines. He made many friends while here and was well liked by all. For the winter he had received an appointment to serve as teacher in a college - in North Dakota, and expected to take up that work in the fall. DeHaven, who was working here, suffered a sprained ankle and was forced to re- ■ turn to his home at Toledo about i two weeks ago, while Donaldson, the I. other comrade, became sick with stomach trouble and returned about a week ago. both being away, at the time of the unfortunate death of their i friend,

7 „■ s Friends Know no Cause. Messrs. DeHaven and Donaldson arrived today ahd were much shocked over the death of their friend. They stated that they were in very intimate relation with his affairs and knew absolutely nothing to cause the rash act, and .most certainly not remorse of any sort, : as he was a man of the highest morals; kind hearted, clean minded and honest throughout. He was a musician of unusual ability, highly • x■' - - J-4 • strung and of vs*y sensitive nature and changeable moods, and it is supposed that he did the act in a mood of despondency. He was to have been marred in August, it is said, to Miss Armstrong, after which they were to go to Grand Forks, N. Dak., where he had a position as teacher in a college. His funds at this time were rather stringent and it is thought that this may have contributed to the cause of his despondency. ANOTHER IPEECH Speaker Cannon Again Skins the Insurgents and Insurgency. WATCH REFORMERS ■ 4 He Says ThM Any One Kicking Out of Party . Traces Bears Watching. ■ ’'.er? Herrington, <Kans. t July 20—Speaker Cannon’s second speech today, delivered here, was a tariff argument and an attack oainsurgency. ‘They call me ‘old standpatter,’” said Mr. Cannon. "And I was, and I think that I had as much to do as any other in convincing former President Roose velt that the time ’had not come to revise the tariff, thereby halting production. But the demand for revision grew, and, in 1908, the republican platform pledged itself to revise the tariff. I did not want that kind of a platform, but tnere war only one of two things to do. As a republican I was in honor bound to abide by the platform or to leave the party. We carried the country. We saw the trend of events and we prepared to revise the tariff. For twelve months the committee on ways and means studied the schedules. The greatest economist in the country, so far as tariffs are concerned, is Sereno Payne, and he is chairman of that

committee.’' ©focussing the various schedules of the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill. Speaker Canrfov referred to the attitude of “Bristow and Beveridge, and all of these democrats.” Mr. Cannon plunged directly into to attack on insurgency. “Whenever,” he said, “jrou hear a man talking about How hj congress he is going to kick out of the party traces, telling about fiow fie iis going to be a reformer and straighten out things, when you get a fellow that talks like that, you want tb watch him.” ■. -o - PURCHASE AUTOS. X, Ji Smith and Dr. Miller Purchase Tearing Cars. A. J. Smith left last evening for Elkhart 1 , where he will make arrangements for bringing home a fine Pratt touting car, which he purchased a /ew weeks ago, but owing to the large number of orders ahead he was obliged to wait for his car. Dr. Miller has blso made the purchase of the same make, his being a forty-horse power, five passenger touring ear. Both cars will be brought to this city Thursday and-toddy Mr; Smith was at Elkhart learning to run his machine. --oI 11 ■ JJHN KING DEAD _ - Life-Long Resident of the City Passed Away at an Early Hour THIS MORNING Had Been Bedfast Three Weeks—Funeral Will be 'Held Friday. John E. King, aged sixty-two years, a life-long resident of the eity, died this Morning at 3:4® o’clock at bis home on Mercer avenue. Mr. King had been ailing since March, but later developed, maiariai fever, which later turned into typhoid. Tuesday gangrene set in and his life was then but a matter of a few hours. Hb bad been bedfast three weeks. Mr. King had a wide acquaintanceship and was perhaps as well known as any in the city. He was a son of John and Sarah King, prominent residents of the city, and was born April b 1848. lue deceased was married: to Lavina Brake, who survives; al» ohe sonNolan King, of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Emma Case and Mrs. Kato Hout are surviving sisters. Funeral services- for Mir. King will be-Held Friday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the home.. — o — COURTHOUSE NEWS A Transcript in the Straub " Case Was Filed at the Clerk’s Office. OTHER COURT NEWS ■* : ■ / A Bond Has Been Filed by Ben Lett and He Will Probably be Released. A transcript in the case of State vs. Straub has been Sled at the clerk’s office, the bond of the defendant being fixed at two hundred dollars, but as yet he is still confined in the councy jail and will probably have- to stay there until the case is tried in the Adams circuit court. _ c 9 Benjamin Lett, one of the defendants in the criminal action, being Implicated in the stealing of two horses from Jaeob Schwartz and selling them at Fort Wayne Saturday, has filed a bond with the sheriff of the county. Owing to the absence of Sheriff Meyer no action will be taken upon the matter until his return, which will be some time the latter part of the week. The bond will likely be accepted and the defendant given his

OIReULATKMI 2800 WEEKLY

liberty ffltefl the case ft tried at the September term of court. NOTICE ORDERED I { For Receiving Bids For New Brick and Cement Columns of CEMETERY FENCE Decatur Cemetery Association Held Meeting; Yesterday Afternoon. The trustees of the Decatur Cemetery association held a meeting Tuesday afternoon for the consideration of the plans and specifications for the eight columns of the new fence to be erected at the Decatur cemetery soon. The plans and specifications were adopted and the notice was ordered given for the receiving of bids August 11th, at 2 o’clock, at the office of 'Squire J. H. Stone. The fence was recently decided upon accordinc to plans furnished by the Ward Fence company and will be a beautiful structure. The columns to which the fence will be attached will be of brick and Cement and will be eight in number. o BOY WAS DROWNED Seven Years Old Son of Editor Keefer of Ossian 4. Was Drowned. FAMILY PROSTRATED The Father Was Absent s From Home But Came Back Last Night. Teddy Keefer, aged seven, youngest son of Editor James H. Keefer of the Ossian News, was drowned about 12:40 thf& afternoon in what is known as the town gravel pit, located near Eight Mile creek, between east and west Ossian. The little fellow, with some playmates, had been to the gravel pit during part of the forenoon, enjoying the usual form of boyish sports around the big gravel pit lying just north of the street from the interurban station to East Ossian, and directly after dinpqr he and hip brother, Max, aged nine, -aiad Ger&ld' Nor- ~ wait, another boy of about the same age, went to the gravel pits again to play. Teddy ventured too far from the bapks into a portion of the pit before unexplored by him, and suddenly stepped into a deep bole, reported about ten feet deep. He could. . not catch himself and his brother apd little friends were too frightened themselves to rescue him. Almost crazed with excitement and fear they.... ran screaming for help, but before men could reach the scene title Teddy, .had sunk for the last time, .and ~po. trace of him could ,be seen. Then began the search for the Jxjdy, .yie searchers being gukted only by the directions of the other two boys as to '* where tbey thought Teddy sank front sight Mr. Keefer, father of the “ ’ drowned child, was not at home at the time of the accideftt, bot bpd gone to Alexandria on business and passed through the city at 9 o’clock this morning. He was located by telephone and summoned home, and will reach Ossian sometime late this afternoon.—Ossian News. — - o "" — — YOUR LAST CHANCE. Tonight will be your last opportunity to see the LaCroix’s in their highclass vaudeville acts at the Crystal Airdome. The act tonight will be en : tirely different, from any yet given and will be a comedy sketch by Mr. and Mrs. LaCroix. If you enjoy good, clean, nifty vaudeville acts, don’t miss this one. for it is a hub-dinger. Complete change of. pictures and songs. Same old price. o Rev. D. O. Wise left this morning for Ridgeville, where he will make A short visit with his parents.

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