Decatur Democrat, Volume 57, Number 9, Decatur, Adams County, 29 February 1912 — Page 1

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apoplexy FA lal John Kurt Suffers Cedebral Hemorrhage and Loss of Hearing—Assisted J HOME FROM WORK Tuesday Afternoon and Death Came at Midnight —Funeral Friday. John Kurt, a life-long resident of the county, and for more than a score of years a resident of the city, died Tuesday night a few minutes before U o'clock. at his home on North Ninth street, within twelve hours after he became noticeably ill. His death was due to cerebral hemorrhage or apoplexy, the case being a most unusual one. Mr. Kurt, who Is employed at the A. J. Smith lumber yard, near the Clover Leaf railroad in this city, had gone home as usual Tuesday noon to dinner, and after ea’I ing sat down and remarked to his wife and daughter that he felt queer in his I head and could not hear. He started out to work, however, but had gone but a little way when he returned home and sat down again for a short I while, the queer feeling in his head not abating, in spite of the entreaties of his family that he remain at home and not return to work, he finally started out again. He readied the lumber yard ahead of his fellow-em-ployees. and when Abe Whitright, I with whom he worked, reached the Place, he found Mr. Kurt sitting down on a pile of lumber. He still complained of the queerness and the loss of hearing and by this time had grown worse, and he stated that he believed he could not work. Mr. Whitright assisted him to his home, though the trip was made with great difficulty. Mr. Kurt being almost blinded and unable to hear. He evidentlyrealized the seriousness of his case, ss he repeated morethan once. ‘Take me home to my folks and then my Father will take me home.'' He was still conscious when they reached home and recognized the physician who «as railed and spoke to him. though Mr. Kurt was still unable to hear a word said to him. Realizing the seriousness of the case the physician called another to counsel with him. but nothing could be done to relieve the ili man, and at 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon he lapsed into tin- > nx ioasness, passing away near midnight. The case is an unusual one. on act.>unt of the slow worikng of the symptoms Apoplexy usually comes suddenly tellbng its victims as with one stroke, but in this case, the victim was able to walk about and retained consciousness for several hours after becoming first ill. - About four weeks ago Mr. Kurt fell on the ice and cut a forked wound in the back of his head. This was not thought to be serious, as it seemed to heal without difficulty, but when the illness of Tuesday came on, it was thought by many that the injury received at that time might be responsible for this last attack. The physician, however, stated this morning that it was his opinion that this wound had nothing to do with his death, as >’ apparently was only a scalp wound, ’here being no skull injury that might react uponthe brain. It is his opinion that the apoplexy was caused only by the bursting of a small blood vessel. naturally weak, the smallness of the ruptured blood vessel being the cause of the slow working of the symptoms. The sudden and unexpected death 01 Mr. Kurt brings extreme sorrow to al! his friends, who can scarcely realize that he has been called away. Had Mr. Kurt lived until next March 22nd, he would have been fiftyyears of age. He was born in R oot township March 22, 1857, and *as the son of Rudolph Kurt, a well known pioneer of that township. Mr. Kurts early life was spent in that township, and March 14, 1880, he was united in marriage to Miss Almina Railing, who, with one daughter, Miss D ella, survives. Two other children horn to them died in infancy. About t*enty years ago the family moved to this city, where they have since lived. Mr. Kurt was a sawmill man and more than twenty-seven years was ampioyeq With the P. W. Smith saw’’’lll force, working, at the various ““'Us of this company, along the lines

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of the G. R. at l, ami having a large i , acquaintance The fact that he was' with this company so many years, is • one of the very best evidences of his | ability as a workman and the esteem 1 in which he was held. Industrious and quiet, he made friends of all whom he met, and was regarded as a man of the highest integrity. About a year ago he changed employment companies and began work for the A. .1. Smith mill company, by whom he' was employed at the time of his death. | the widow and daughter, Mr. Kurt Is survived by one brother and two sisters. A sister, Mrs. Lena Roberts, has preceded him in death. The funeral will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Methodist church, in charge of the Rev. Be-1 mans. Interment in Maplewood ceme- 1 i tery. ■■ —■ iii.. , ~, „„ „ AN OLD PIONEER Pius Schultheis, Known to I Older Residents Here, Dies at Ft. Wayne. I MARRIED IN DECATUR i Was Also Cousin of the Late Leopold Yager—Funeral to be Friday. Anna and Herman Yager were at Fort Wayne Wednesday, where they were called on account of the death of Pius Schultheis, one of Ft. Wayne's most prominent and pioneer residents, who was a cousin of their father, the late Leopold Yager. The deceased t came to this country forty-seven years ago and with the exception of a short time made his entire abode at Fort Wayne. He was married at the Catholic church in this city, but at once moved to Fort Wayne to make his home He was known to some of the older residents of the city, who will regret to learn of his death. The Ft. Wayne Sentinel of Tuesday evening contained the following relative to the deceased. "Plus Schultheis, aged 70 years, 2 months and 8 days, a pioneer resident of Fort Wayne, died this morning . at 7 o’clock at the family residence, 621 East Jefferson street. Deatly was ( due to bowel trouble. "The deceased was born in Basil, Switzerland, and came to the United States forty-seven years ago, making the trip in a sailing vessel in ninety days,, locating at Tiffin, where he engaged inthe carpet weaving business with his father and brother. A year later he moved to Fort Wayne and has resided in this city continuously since that time. His first employment in Ft. Wayne was with the old woolen factory, where he remained for several years. Thirty-five years ago he accepted a position with the old Coombs Hardware company, later going to .Mossman, Yarnelle & Co., and at the time of his death he was employed as clerk with the firm. “The deceased was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Hirtzlin Burguy, at Decatur, in 1869. Miss Burguy came from Basil, Switzerland, two years after Mr. Schultheis arrived in this country. Five children were born to the union, one daughter dying in infancy. Surviving are the widow and four children, Louis, Philip, August and John, ail of this city, and one brother, Louis Schultheis, of Basil, Switzerland. The deceased was a charter member of St. Mary’s Catholic church and was one of the most, substantial parishioners. He was a member of the Married Men’s sodality, St. Mary’s Catholic School society, and of the C. B. L. of I. "Funeral services Friday morning at 8:30 o'clock from the residence, thence to St. Mary’s church at 9 o’clock. Interment at Catholic cemetery." WAS LIFE-LONG FRIEND. •H. H. Bremerkamp Attends Funeral of Mr. Minch at Portland. Henry Bremerkamp was at Portland on Wednesday where he attended the funeral of Joseph M. Minch, a life-long friend, which was held at 9 o’clock from the Catholic church in charge of Father Travers. The deceased was known by Mr. Bremerkamp for the past forty years and the death of his friend caine as very sad news to him. |

A BIG “SCRAP" ON — In Pennville Over the Relocation of the Postoffice —North vs. South. TOWN IS SHAKEN — From Center to Circumfer- 1 ence—lnfluence of Congressman Adair Asked. I Washington, Feb. 28—The little town of Pennville, in Jay county, is in the throes of excitement. When Penn-1 ville becomes agitated, as it frequent- j ly does over local public issues, it is I agitated from center to circumference. 1 There are no non-combatants. Ev-1 erybody takes a hand In the “scrap’’ until the issue is settled. Just now the matter that is agitating Pennville and calling the en-1 tire citizenship of the place out on the | tiring line is the relocation of the post- j office. The north end of Pennville is arrayed against the south end of Pennville, and it is a fight to the finish. Officials of the postoffice department who are handling the case at this end. said todav that Pennville ev-1 idently is inhabitated by a very war- j like race of people. The Knights of | Pythias lodge has offered a room for j the iiostoffice in the south end of town.l for 1120 a year. A. D. Parks, repre-1 senting the north end population, has ; offered a room in that section for $250 I a year. A postoffice inspector who | went out to investigate, has reported I in favor of the Parks site, but the government has not yet accepted it, probably on account of the disparity In price. It is learned at the department that Representative Adair has been flood ed with letters by bath factions, each seeking his influence, but as he has! warm friends and supporters on both I sides of the proposition he has refused to take part. Henry Schultz of Winchester street j and daughter, Mrs. Hugh Daniels, left ■ this afternoon for Tiffin, Ohio, where! they will attend the funeral of a nephew and cousin, which will be held tomorrow. BOTH WANT CHILD ir" - * I Court Will Decide Whether 1 Margaret or Earl Reber May Have Daughter. CASE FILED TODAY By Mother Asking Writ ot Habeas Corpus—Father Now Has the Babe. The question asto who shall have' possession inree-year-old Kglia Re-j ber, who was snatched from the arms of her leather, Margaret Keber, by her father, Earl Reber, while In the city on a visit February 18th, mid by whom she has been detained' since, will be determined by court. A case asking a writ of habeas corpus was filed Wednesday by Attorney R. C. Parrish for Margaret Reber against Earl Reber, her husband, and his parents, Ezra and Mary Reber. The defendants were ordered to appear in court March .2, with the child, when the case will) be determined. The Rebers were married June 27, 1909, and have two children—Celia, aged three, and Doris, aged one. Mrs. Reber s complaint sets out that she lived with her husband . until last. August 13th, when Mr. Reber ejected her and the children from their home and she took them and : went to live with her father, Henry Hirschey, where she and the children were given a good home. She states that she had been given the sole care ot Celia and that the babe, tender of years is much attached to her and the baby sister. She states further that her husband has contributed very little to the support of the family except that which he was obliged to do to escape prosecution. She recited how, when she came to town February 18th, with her mother and the child, Celia, itytd she and the babe had gone | yOm'JNITEB PAGE TWO. I

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday Feb, 29 1912.

FELL TO WALK. Harve Sprunger Taken Sick at Star Tuesday Night and Fainted. Harvey Sprunger of east of Berne. I was in the city Tuesday, visiting between trains, expecting to return 1 home on the night train. In the eveni ing he took in the picture show at ) the Star theater, and while there bei came sick and started to leave the play house. He had no mote than i reached the street, when he fainted and fell to the icy pavement, where he i was picked up by Will Johns and oth-, ers who were passing, and carried to the Simeon Haines meat market, one door west, where he again fainted, falling to the floor. He was assisted by others until he revived somewhat and stated that he would spend the night with his uncle, Elijah Mann, on North ‘ Monroe street. He stated that he beI lieved that the place was too warm for I him, and when reaching the fresh air, the sudden change caused the fainting spells. COURT HOUSE NEWS Yaney-Foreman Case is on Trial Before Special Judge D. D. Heller. MRS. EVANS' WILL ; — Probated—D. B. Erwin Will Assist in Prosecution of Mackey. — The jurors reported Wednesday for toe trial or the case of the State ex rel. i Luella Yaney vs. Manley Foreman, for bastardy, which is being heard by Special Judge D. D. Heller. The jury was empanelled and all the preliminaries gone through with by noon, and ' the afternoon opened with the evidence of the witnesses. The case will probably last two days. Miss Yaney is a twenty-year-old girl of Jefferson township. Die case waa_Jiled in the circuit court last July, being appealed I from the court of Justice J. T. Ault; of Jefferson township, where the de- 1 iendaut was found guilty. R. C. Parrish and J. C. Moran are appearing for the state, while L. C. DeVoss and D. E. Smith are cohducting the de--1 tense. A large number of auditors ) j seem to find the court room an inter- I i esting place, i Prosecutor R. C. Parrish filed appli-, . cation for the appointment of counsel| to assist in the prosecution of John ! Mackey, charged with grand larceny, 1 and the court appointed Dore B. Erwin to assist at such compensation as ' the court may allow. I Commissioners James Hendricks and Henry Zwick were here this moru- ) ing making turnpike report and attend-1 ing to other matters relative to the 1 opening of the March session of com- ) missioners’ court, which will open next ) j Monday. Charles N. Christen, administrator ■ Albine Smith estate, filed current report. Upon petition for partial distribution Ira and John Wagoner, executors of) Nicholas Wawoner estate, are ordered to pay $054» of cash to the devisees of deed. Current report of Joseph D. Moser, guardian of Susan Hirschey et al. was allowed. Final report of Flora Neaderhouser, guardian of Elma and Edna Neader- ! houser was allowed; guardian discharged. Wm. J. Vesey vs. Coppock Motor Car Co., appointment of receiver. Receiver authorized to permit assets of. Decatur Motor Car Co. to be sold and removed as petitioned. Samuel Barger vs. J. H. Koenig and Henry Schroeder. Separate answer of Schroeder filed to complaint; also cross-complaint filed by him. Real estate transfers: David Maxwell Usher et al., to Abraham B. Nieer, 40 acres, St. Mary’s tp., $5300; Bowers Realty Co. to Emma L. Daniel, 160 acres, Wabash tp., $2000; Frank Amstutz to Emil Dro, lot 370. Berne. $1400; Mary E. Eley to Manasse M. Leichty, 29 acres, Monroe tp., $2900; John Schuman to Hiram Potts, lot 509. Decatur, ‘ (Continued on Page 5.)

(killed at akrun Janies Robinson Killed by Express Train Had Papers on His Person for GOODS SHIPPED HERE ■ ' - Marshall Received Notice to Aid in Search for Relatives, if Any Here. Akron, Ohio, Feb. 26, 1912. Chief of Police, Decatur, Ind. Dear Sir—A man was killed in our city this morning by a railroad ex- ' press train, and on his person were I found two bills, for merchandise, ; (needles) shipped to him from Cleve- ; land, Ohw>, to your city. This man is about fifty years of age, bald headed. I brown hair, smooth face, and had two I marks on both arms. The name on | the bills found on his person is James Robinson. Our coroner wishes me to ; try and learn the identity of this man. If he is not known to you a publication I in your local papers might help to loi cate some of his relatives. His body ' is now at the morgue in our city. Very respectfully yours, JOHN DURKIN. Chief of Police. I Tlie above message was received Wednesday by Marshall Peterson, the I chief of police of Akron, Ohio, asking his co-operation in the tracing of relatives. s'r.ce the bill for merchandise which was shipped from Cleveland, 0., to this place, were found on his person. No information relative to the death of the man could be ascertained by the marshal, and he is under the impression that the man is a person who traveled from place to place, disposing of his goods and ordered the goods shipped to this city, when making his rounds here. He called at the ! various express offices and railway ata- ! tions to see if any such package was delivered here, and none were found. ; He is not thought to have any relatives i living here, but should there be, the ■ above notice will perhaps bring the necessary information wanted by the Akron police. total blindness Is Often Caused by Bathing I Face in Beauty Lotion— There is Danger .IN FACE CREAMS Says Barnard—Many Sail Under False Colors — Beware. Tlie young ladies of this community should be very careful as to just what j kind of beaatifier they use on their i face. E. E. Barnard, chief chemist for the state board ot nealth, has just completed the examination of a half dozen common face creams, used extensively for complexion improving purposes, and is ready to pronounce ' them a half-dozen fakes of the worst sort, all the more dangerous because of the false claims set upon the labels and the false colors under which they are sold. Mr. Barnard was surprised to find ) as one of the ingredients of the creams a first cousin to his old enemy, benzoate of soda. The cousin is benzaldehyde, which is a material 'formed from coal tar, the same as j benzoate of soda. The beautifiers also contain prussic acid. Another ingredient found was trabicanth. This is a gum substance of such striking qualities that it is oftentimes used for the ordinary office paste. Still another ingredient was wood alcohol, which was found in three of the halfdozen cosmetics. The office of the state laboratory contains numerous acounts of total blindness caused by bathing the face in wood alcohol. - — G. W. Pyle of Geneva was a business visitor here today. Mr. Pyle has invented a number of articles, including a metallic lath that promises to be a popular one in the future.

SITE IS A LAKE OF ICE. ) The big lot north of town, where 1 the sugar factory is being erected, is , a lake of Ice. The water poured over I the ground a foot or more deep anil has frozen. Work has stopped and j there is nothing that can be done at ) this time to hurry things along. The ) lumber and other movable material ) has been anchored so as to escape | damage when the thaw comes. o A SOCIAL. ■ The white side of the young peoi pie's class at the U. B. church will hold ■a ten cent social at the home of Miss . Blanche McCrory upon next Thursda; evening to which the public is invited. I The young people of the church are ar ranging to entertain the patrons In ) royal style and you will do well to attend. CUPID AWAKENING (I ' Two Weddings Performed in Clerk’s Office Within > I Eighteen Hours. RUSH FOR LICENSES Wedding of Viola Nicodemus and Hayes Spittier This Evening. j After a season of inactivity, Cupid , is awakening, and quite a grand rush for marriage licenses was reported at •: the county clerk's office this morning, two marriages taking place there since '; Tuesday afternoon. i The first occurred there Tuesday afternoon at 4 o’clock, when Squire ) J. H. Stone united the lives of Josephine Bowman, daughter of Isaac J. Bow- ■) man of French township, and Art , Baumgartner, son of Isaac Baumgart- '! ner, also of that place. The bride was born in March, 1895, and the i . groom, January 29, 1889. Tlie couple drove to this city Tuesday morning and applied for the license. As the bride is under age the written con : sent of one Oi ner parents was required, and to get this the couple were re . f required to make the long drive back to French township, get the written consent and then return here, which | they did at the hour stated Le;'< rr ! There was no objection to the mu | riage on thdjpart of the parents, and ) although consent was given over the ; telephone, it was detuned best to have the written approval, to be kept on file in the clerk’s office. The second marriage took place this morning at 10 o’clock in the clerk’s office, Mayor Teeple officiating. The happy couple were Miss Bessie Pear! Miller, the popular Berne telephone operator, and Henry Clay Shaner. The bride was born October 12, 1890, and .is a daughter of Absalom P. Miller, while the groom was bom August 9, ' 1886, and is a son of Silas Shaner. They will live in Celina, Ohio, where | the groom is employed at the furnace factory. The third marriage license was issued this morning to Viola Nicodemus, born March 6, 1892, daughter of Chas. : Nicodemus, to wed Hayes Spittier, ■' farmer, of Pittsburg, Ohio, born Oc tober 28, 1886. They will be married this evening. MANY LADIES ATTEND. Paper Bag Cooking Demonstration — Witness Superiority of Cooking. A large number of Decatur ladies, eager for any new ideas in the culinary line, found places in the chair circle at the gas office Tuesday afternoon, when Mrs. Stella Phillips, domestic science teacher of Fort Wayne, assisted by Mr. Kauffman, of Lafay- : ette, gave a paper bag cooking demon-1 stration, the first of the regular | monthly demonstrations to be given by the gas company. The actual cooking of chicken, apples, fish, bacon and eggs, in the paper bags in the gas stove ovens was done, showing the superior way of preparing the food in this way, preserving the fla- . vor and juices retained by the moisture proof bag and preventing shrink- ( : ing and wasting. After cooking, the ladies were served with the delicimv viands cooked in this way.

Number 9

MANY HAVE BITI EN Wells County Men Have Been Swindled by “Green Goods” Game Also. MANY OLD STORIES Os Bunco Games Brought to Light—Many More Have Never “Squealed.” Jobs Mackey, arrested on the charge of stealing, and conspiracy to | steal $515 from Edward Marscband, ) gave Wells county officials work to do, as well as those of this county. ' when he furnished his SI,OOO bond and ) was released from jail Tuesday. Says the Bluffton News: “A mortgage for SI,OOO was received here for Record Tuesday by County Recorder John B. Kreigh, given by John Mackey, as an indemnifying 1 bond by John Mackey to the four men, his brother, Henry Mackey, Robert and Thomas Archbold of Wells county and James E. Moser of Adams county, who signed their names to secure bail I for him. This guarantees them against loss in case he should “dig out" and in effect releases them from risk. “From Ossian came the word Monday that his friends were there endeavoring to gain signatures to a bond to secure his release from the Decatur jail, where he was lodged Saturday under bond of SI,OOO. It is reported that his friends expected to gain his release Monday, but that they had difficulty to find any one in Ossian who cared to go on the paper as surety, until Tuesday. Wells County Bites, Too. That Wells county men folks, as well as Adams county men, have bitten on the “green goods” game with the same gusto that the small boy plants his teeth into the green apple is evident from tales that will creep out somehow, in spite of the efforts made by those bitten to keep back the “squeals" when the colic pains come, ft will be remembered that Mackey was taken up here about ten years ago when he was alleged to have tried a bogus money selling game on Martin Keiffer, being afterwards released without being convicted. It seems he is also known in Wells county in the swindle game, as the Bluffton News continues further: “The arrest of John Mackey of Jefferson township, on “green goods” charges at Decatur, has caused the revival of the stories of former swindles of a similar character in the northern part of this county and also is bringing out stories of other swindles of recent date, and it looks like an extensive business was done in soliciting membership in the “financial club." It is said that there were numerous “suckers” in Jefferson township as well as in Adams county, and many of them will never be known, for rather than gain notoriety many will swallow their losses without a ' murmur. ! “The recent arrests recall old stories in Jefferson township, this county, and in Adams county, twelve or fifv teen years ago, at which time there were also many investors who grabbed at the “get-rich-quick" schemes. At that time John Mackey was arrested as one ol the green goods agents, but was released without prosecution. It is related that one man who lost at that time was Jacob Ginter, a hardworking farm hand in Jefferson township. He had saved S4OO, or SSOO from his hard toil, and invested it all. He was to go to a certain point in Ohio, where SI,OOO in passable greenbacks that could not be told from the genuine article would be turned over 'to him. Another investor, still living in Jefferson township, accompanied him to Ohio, having made an investment similar to Ginter’s. They found that they were “stung” and lost all the money they invested. It was such a bitter experience to Ginter that lie pulled stakes and left the county and is said never to have returned. “There are reports to the effect that : the green goods operations have been much more extensive in this vicinity in recent months than one would imagine. And the agents have a smooth scheme. Their plan is to propose a sale of greenbacks to the ‘sucker’ which he is assured will pass muster. To prove it to him they give him a ( .bright new ten-dollar bill and tell him to try to pass it at any store or bank. Os course it is a g’sStuine U. S. bill CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR