Decatur Democrat, Volume 57, Number 30, Decatur, Adams County, 25 July 1912 — Page 1

Volume LVII

WAS NEGLIGENCE Coroner Investigating Corning Wreck, Blames Two Employees. MIKADO UNCHANGED Rear Admiral Murdock in Charge of American Asiatic Fleet, Gives Up. Washington, D. C., July 24.—(Special to Daily Democrat.)—Attorney General Wickersham, it became known today will go to Milwalkee next month to make a personal plea for the retension In the American Bar association of his colored assistant attorney general William H. Lewis, of Boston If he fails Wickersham will tender his resignation from the association. The question promises to cause a lively battle at the convention. New York. N. Y„ July 24.—(Special to Decatur Democrat) —A man who told the police that his name «as Consay walked into the real estate office of Frederteh Wlscrfman and Sey•l an) shot anl fatally wounded J. | Frederick and slightly wounded Nor-| • Perch. A third shot went wild. Frederick will probably die. It was I said that Conway was greatly troubled over a real estate transcation. Corning. N. Y., July 24.—(Special to Daily Democrat*—Negligence on the irt cf flagman Ijine and engineer Schroeder was held responsible for th* wreck on July, 4th, when forty persons were killed, according to a verdict of the coroner today. Coroner Smith issued warrents for Lane and Schroeder. — Shanhi, July 24.—(Special to Daily Democra' >—Rear admiral J. B. Murdock retiring surrendered command’ of the American Asiatic fleet today to Rear admiral R. P. Nicholson and will start for home on the first steamship. Tokio, July 24—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The Mikado was unchanged today excepting that bis fever was a little higher. ———————o HERE FOR VISIT. Richard Ellison, or more commonly known to his old friends as "Dick," ' was in the city today for the first time in ten years, for a brief visit. Something more than an every-day oc- ■ currence is noted in his visit, as Mr. i Ellison some years ago served as a railroad engineer, and upon the oc-! casion of the corner stone laying of ( the present Adams county court house, in 1872, was the first engineer♦n br’ng an excursion train into the city for the event. The road at that time, now the Toledo, St. Louis A Western, was known as the Toledo, Delphos and Burlington, and trains carried large crowds from all along the line for the memorable occasion. William Crits was the conductor and ‘ 'heir train of eleven coaches was so crowded that four passengers rode on the engine into the city. Mr. Ellison has for the past nine years been farming an eighty-acre tract four miles north of Monroeville, which he realized after meeting with an accidisqualified him from railroading. He was accompanied by Mrs. Ellison, who made her first trip to this city today, and who was anxious to see the court house of which her husband has so often spoken, and which she had never seen. o FLOWERS FOR THE SICK. Berne W. C. T. U. Kindly Remembers the Sick of Decatur. Mrs. Eugene Runyon today received from the W C. T. U. of Berne, through its secretary, Mrs. Fred Rohrer, another box of the beautiful flowers grown by the Berne ladies, for distribution among the sick of this city. This is not the first time that the little messengers of fragrance and good cheer have been received from this source by the sick here and they are indeed much appreciated. The Indiana Lighting company of Fort Wayne, which has a branch in this city, is the loser of one of their warehouses as a resudt of its being •truck by lightning on Sunday night.

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THE BRIDGE WORK I he work of putting In the concrete in the eastern portion of the Monroe Street bridge was begun yesterday. The form for the east arch is now in place and ready for material to be cast and the work from this time will progress rapidly. A good crowd of Interested citizens is always on hand to watch the progress of the work and the same is being pushed with vigor at this time. The most Interest is exhibited in the working of the huge centrifugal pump which Is placed in operation to free the foundation work from water. This pumn throws hundreds of gallons of water in the course of a few minutes and rapidly frees the work from water. o UNCLE HEZ OBSERVES. Did y’ ever kno a nusepaper to git a scoop on a nice cream sociable notis a nunklamed lettur list era "the presunc uv all Is desired’’ notls? Sich is life. COURT HOUSE NEWS D. C. Shoemaker and Others Ask for Drainage of Wells-Adams Ditch. TEN IN THE JAIL Four to be Released Today Scherry - Hildebrand Marriage License. Simmons & Dailey of Bluffton, attorneys. have filed in the Adams circuit court, a petition signed by D. C. Shoemaker et al, for the drainage of' Big Three Mile ditch, affecting land' in both Wells and Adams counties. There are at present six inmates of the Adams county jail, four of wlujui will be released today or tomorrow. The jail sentences of the six foreigners, who engaged in a riot on the Isch farm a short time ago, have expired, and three settled for their fines, being released. It is quite likely the other three will make arrangements with the beet company to have their fines paid and will then go on their way rejoicing. Sheriff Dur Kin received from R Waldo, of the New York police fdrce, a circular containing the picture and I description of Nathan Schwartz, aged 1 twenty-four, who was wanted in that ■ city for the murder of twelve-year-old Julia Connor recently. The circular reashed here too late, as Schwartz’s I dead body was found a few days ago, Ihe having committed suicide as ad- ■ vised by his father to whom he had ' confessed his deed. Licensed to wed: Rosena Hildebrand, born October 4, 1886, daughter *of Henry Hildebrand, of Magley, to I wed Otto Herman Scherry, minister. I bom January 7, 1886, son of Christian Scherry, of Magley. Real estate transfers: Alonzo J.' ' Powers et al. to John Bailey, lot 30, to the Three Miles Cemetery, Powers’ addition, $10: Ezra F. Gass et al. to Ralleigh C. Parrish, lot 26, Decatur, $4,000: Ralleigh C. Parrish to Ezra F. Gass, lot 26, Decatur, $4,000. • — o— —— HOMESICK MAN RAN AWAY. Erie Brakeman Ran Away from the Hospital. Harl Steele, the Erie brakeman, who had his left arm pinched off some time ago, when caught between two cars, and who had been a patient in the hospital at Rochester since the accident, ran away from that institution Monday and is now at home on High street in Huntington. Mr. Steele had a week yet to remain at the Rochester hospital, but he became homesick and made a get-away. When he reached the train at Rochester he had about collapsed, but managed to muster sufficient strength to board the train without assistance. On reaching his home he was much fatigued but happy to again be amid home surroundings. It is thought that Mr. Steele will experience no ill effects because he left the Rochester hospital in the summary manner that he did. Mr. is well liked among Erie employees and much sympathy has bden tendered him.

THE YEAR AROUND Term of School May be Proposed to Legislature by State Superintendent CHAS. A. GREATHOUSE May Advocate a Half-day School Session Through the Summer Months. Indianapolis, Ind., July 24—Laws providing for continuing tne terms of the public schools or Indiana cities practically throughout the entire twelve months of every year and doing away with the summer vacations now customary, are favored by Charles A. Greathouse, state superintendent of public Instruction. He declared today that he believes the taxpayers will welcome such an Innovation, and said that he Is strongly in favor of proposing some such legislation before the 1913 general assembly. Wholesale reforms In the methods or regulating the length of terms in the city schols of Indiana may be provided in legislation contemplated by Superintendent ’ Greathouse and the state board of education. Mr. Greathouse argues that the ancient system of breaking up the school year into several terms and alowing the school buildings to remain idle for long periods in the summer months should be abolished and that a new era. embracing a system very nearly akin to the German system of school government should be instituted if Indiana is to keep Its ! range in the forefront of the educa-' tional circles of the United States. At least a half-day school session ’ ' during the summer months’ play in' I the larger cities should be devoted to Industrial and domestic education. HAIR SNOW WHITE Conductor Spillers one of the Few Survivors of Kingsland Wreck Suffered SUCH GREAT AGONYI That Hair Turned White— Has Regained Bodily i Strength and Poise. The hair of Conductor Spillers, one of those who went through the Kingsland wreck alive, and who now is in California, has turned snow white, from the horror of the disaster. An exchange says: “It will be remembered that when the cars crashed together Conductor Spillers went down in the wreck and was completely covered with dead bodies, eight corpses being dragged ' from his prostrate person before he was rescued. "The horror of that awful moment has been an ever-present nightmare with Mr. Spillers, who gave up his position on the road at once' and took up work in the California oil fields in the hope ' that ime would soften the terrible j memory. He has recovered his bodily health and his shattered nerves are again restored to their usual steadiness, but his snow white hair attests the agony of mind of the brave ' 1 conductor, who went through the valley of the shadow in the awful Kingsland death trap and emerged alive, j and almost alone, from the horror which snuffed out nearly half a hundred lives. o— DECATUR CIRCUIT. Preaching service, Sunday, July 28tb: Beulah, Sunday morning: ( Washington, Sunday evening. Mem-' bers of Mt. Pleasant Sabbath school are invited to attend picnic Saturday, 1 July 27th. M. E. TONIGHT. The Rev. Karl Thompson will have charge of the prayer meeting service' at the Methodist church tonight in the absence of the pastor, R. L. Semans, who is away attending a fu-' neral.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday July, 25 1912.

DEATH OF MOTHER Called John Potter to Greencastle Tuesday. • John Potter was called to Greencastle Tuesday by! a telegram apprizing him of the death of his mother. Mrs. Potter had been a sufferer from heart trouble for some time, and several weeks ago suffered a sinking spell, at which title it was thought death was immlnest, the children Being called to her bedside at that time. She grew better, however, and lingered until Tuesday -i—, , -—o ABOUT THE SICK Mrs. O. L. Vance Still 111 at Dr. McKean Home in Linn Grove—Weak DAILY IMPROVEMENT Noted in Condition of Mrs. Ben Shrank -- Martin Gallmeyer Better. Mrs. O. L. Vance, who was taken very ill with an attack of gall stones, Sunday evening, while attending the old settlers’ reunion at Linn Grove, is still at the home of Dr. McKean, where she was taken at that time. She is still very ill and it is not known whether jhe will be able to be brought to her home here this evening. Martin Gallmeyer of Root township, who a week ago today was thrown 1 from a wagon, breiking his left arm. 1 was in the city todav, receiving treatI ment. The fracturi is knitting nicely and will come out afl right. While re--1 ceiving theatment, which was some what painful, he became dizzy, and fainting waq barely avoided. Mrs. Ben Schrank still continues to I improve and her condition is very encouraging to the physician. She is i now permitted to eat light foods and ! strength will soon be restored to her. Dr. D. D. Clark will leave on Sunday next for Rochester, Minn., where he will take a week's course in surgery to better equip himself for the work which is necessary quite frequently. THE FREE SHOWS — 'old Home Week Committee j is Securing Splendid and Thrilling Attractions FOR HOME COMING There Will be Plenty Doing to Please Everybody Who Comes to the City. Mr. Quinn, representing the Barnes Amusement company of Chicago, is here today in conference with the Old 1 Home Week committee, in an effort 1 to book the free attractions for that ■ week. It is probably that the enter- ! tainment will Include an elephant act, 1 a comedy act and what is known as 1 a thriller, that is a high dive, an automobile leap-the-gap act, or something of that sort. Besides this, there ' wil-be a balloon ascension and other performances. Added to this, too, will likely be several free attractions from ' the show companies to be secured, as--1 suring a big program. Special atten- ' tion will also be given to the musical end of the week’s events, and the committee will see that the air is filled with music a!X the time. The committee is in touch with several of the high class companies, and it is 1 thought possible that several con- ' tracts will be closed this week. No 1 effort will be spared to make the oc'casion the biggest, grandest and best that ever was given in this section. It is not a question of cost but of securing the attractions that will really entertain those who come. The people may also rest assured that what- ' ever is advertised will be given. The business men back of this week will not stand for any misrepresentation, ' nor for anything shoddy. It must be Crst-ciass.

THE HOLD UP GAME Was Played on Columbia City Pennsylvania Night Operator by a LONE MASKED MAN Probably Same One Who Held Up Night Operator Death in This City. The hold-up gent that forced Night Operator Death of the Clover Leaf, this city, and also the G. R. & I. night operator at Winchester, recently, to give over cash at the point of a gun, seems to be making a specialty of hold-ups of this vicinity. At Columbia City in a manner very like the one used on Death here, a bandit played such a game on Heber Mosher, night agent at the Pennsylvania railroad, Monday night, at 10:25 o’clock, compelling him at the point of a gun to unlock the safe and hand over $146.97. which ft contained. Mosher had counted the cash and locked it in the safe after the passing of a strain a few minutes earlier, and was making out his report, when he heard a slight sound and was startled to find a big blue gun with the muzzle a foot away from his face. Behind the gun was a big, 27 Jpound masked man, who commanded Mosher to turn around and open the safe at once, the bandit pulling down the blinds as he did so. When the safe door was swung, open, the robber still commanded Mosher to keep his eyes off him, and to walk over to the wall, and stand there with his face toward it. Mosher did so, and the gent pulled two sacks of coin out of the drawer in the safe, walked east through the baggage rpom, from which source he had entered and jumped off the platform in the dark. o HELD MEETING The Local Rebekah Lodge Holds Meeting of Inspection Last Night. STATE PRESIDENT Was Here—Team Acknowledged to be Best in This i Half of State. The meeting of the Rebekah lodge i . Tuesday evening was one long to be remembered in the annals of the order, it being one of the times at ’ which the state officers of the order inspect the various lodges and report upon their condition. The lodge convened at the regular hour, with about seventy members present. Mrs. Kate I. Nichols, the ’ state president of the order, was I present to view the work. After the t business session the lodge team, the t best in the northern half of the state, . gave the work to a candidate. This ,! team has practiced upon the work ■ for several years and the inspection . brought out the fact that there was . only one small error in the work > as given. This will be corrected at • once and the local team will pracI tically be perfect in the presentation i of the degree. For the past year and . a half the lodge has had a standing . challenge against the northeastern I quarter of the state, and as yet have . not been challenged. I In the period following the team . work the president gave an interest- . ing and instructive talk in which the i objects to be attained by the order . were ably presented and the lodge , urged to put forth more and stronger . efforts to attain the Ideal set forth. In behalf of the lodge, Mrs. Andrew Artman presented the president . with a handsome berry spoon, a token ■ of the segard in which she is held by - the members here. Mrs. Samuel Shamp, who leaves the s city this week to live in Fort Wayne, I was given a set of salad forks as a token of esteem. Following the clos- > ing ceremonies refreshments were served to the members present.

SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC. The Sunday school of the Mt. Tabor M. E. church of Bobo will hold afl allday harvest picnic at the Teeple grove one mile east and one-half mile north of Rivarre on Saturday, July 27th. Good programs will be rendered, both in the forenoon and afternoon and ample arrangements have been made for comfortable seats for all. Dinner will be served by the ladles of the church (every one knows what that means), while ice cream, melon, and other confections will be on sale at the stand all day. An ice cream festival will be held it the grove in the evening, and conveyance furnished from Rivarre for all. Invitations have been sent to all the neighboring Sunday schools and an exceptionally good time is anticipated. ’ Come and grow young. How could any one have a better time in one day than that offered to all next Saturday? If you’re not hungry, just take a look at those dinner tables and you soon will be: and if you are, welt Vou'll know where to get the eats. o . A FALLING OFF Is Shown in Personal Property Appraisements Over Entire State. FORAGE SHORTAGE Resulting in Decrease of Stock is Said to be the Cause. C. J. Lutz, county attorney, has returned from Indianapolis, where Tuesday he represented Adams county at the meeting of the state board of tax commissioners, which was attended by county assesors, county auditors and county treasurers, summoned to talk over county appraisements. Almost all the counties in I the state have decreases in persona! ’ property appraisements, according to statements made before the board Teusday. Shortage in forage and grain crops last year resulting in a shortage of feed for live stock, was given as the chief cause of the decrease. From all parts of the state came the same story. No hay to feed the cattle and hogs, sale of the stock last fall or during the winter, and a consequently sharp decrease in the number of cattle, hogs, sheep, etc., on March Ist, assessing date. The county officials reported also that the relatively high price offered for grain during the fall and winter months resulted in a 1 greater per cent of the crops being taken to market beforn March Ist than usual, and a correspondingly smaller amount on hand on that rate ! for taxation. The board has not yet determined what the total assessment figures on personal property this year will be, but it is known it will fall considerably short of that last year. Investment of money in nontaxable bonds during the last year was given ■ as a cause for falling off in some coun- . ties. The decision reached in the annual meeting of the county assessors last winter to assess mortgages I and similar securities at 75 per cent ’ of Their face value was given as an- > other cause. Some of the officials . said the fact was not generally II known when the township appraise- : I ments were made this year, but that i they believed next year, since the fact i is known would see a great deal of se- : questered property of this class come : to light. Appraisement of bank properties i varied, the officials reported, from 70 I per cent of the par value of the cap- : Ital stock to 85 per cent, most of the i counties reporting the lower figures. ■ Bank credits, etc., were appraised at from 70 to 80 per cent. : o BABE AT KORN HOME. t Mrs. Herbert Pennington went to > Fort Wayne yesterday to be with her • daughter, Mrs. Henry Korn, to whom a baby girl was born. Mrs. Korn was Miss Nora Pennington before her mar- : rlage. Mr. Pennington went to Fort i Wayne today to see his new grand- ■ daughter. — o — s The Misses Lucile Kapp, Helen Run- , yon, Joe Simmons and William Worki Hr an of Bluffton were in tbe city this - Borning for a brief stay, on their way > to Toledo for a short stay. The trip whs made by automobile.

NO LADY WANTED Crawfordsville Hermit Left Instructions Concerning His Funeral. DIDN’T WANT HEARSE Nor Minister, Nor Suit of Clothes—Wishes Were all Adhered to. Crawfordsville, Ina., July 24—Milton R. H. Kirkendall, better known as the "Hermit of Indian Creek," died at the Vandalia station at Browns Valley, Saturday. Kirkendall lived in a hermitage near Waveland, and was j on his way to that place when be was I atacked by heart failure and died at i the station. The funeral services which were held Monday afternoon were unusually strange and portrayed tbe many eccentricities of the man, who has lived all alone for years near Waveland. Several years ago the hermit called on his old friend, Frank Kritz, the Waveland funeral director, and made known to him bis wishes in regard to his funeral ceremonies. Every few months this action would be repeated and was continued until his unexpected death. His wishes had also been written and placed in the hands of his trusted friend. According to these ceremonies, no woman was to follow his body to the silent city of the dead. He directed that his body be not covered with an expensive suit of clothes, but be wrapped in a shroud; that it be conveyed to Freedom in no pretentious funeral car, but in a light spring wagon without a top of any kind, and an oak box for hjs body was to take the place of an expensive casket. He specified that none but the undertaker and pall bearers be present when the body was consigned to its last resting place in "the most obscure part” of the graveyard on the hill. He requested that Mr. Kritz conduct the services. No minister nor member of any secret order should be in attendance to pray or preach, and there was to be no song service. The only thing he desired was that “Thanatopsis” be read by the funeral director. His wishes were all scrupulously adhered to. He provided in his instructions that John Wilder of this place be paid $25, and for this sum he is to obtain a favorite boulder of the deceased from the banks of Indian Creek, convey it to the cemetery and place It at the head of the deceased. An Investigation is being made at the hermitage today by friends and relatives of the recluse in'order to find out whether he left any valuables, instructions or a will. o —• TOWNSEND TO CONVENTION. Is President of Illinois Hotel Men, Attends annual meet this week. Dick Townsend left this afternoon for Peoria, 111., where he will attend the annual convention of the Illinois Commercial Hotel Association, of which he is one of the prominent members, being the president. For several years Dick has taken a big part in the affairs of the association, and some important steps have been taken. He has a new one for this year and will make a fight for it, his idea being to urge that the hotel men of the country insist on the admission Os Chinese to this country to be used and employed solely in hotels. Dick figures this will solve the help problem and will insist on immediate steps taken. The convention will be held at the Jefferson hotel and an elaborate program has been planned Including a bodt trip, luncheons, auto rides, etc. ■ o ICE CREAM SOCIAL The attention of all Is called to tha ice cream social to be given by ths Christian Endeavors of the Presbyterian church on Thursday evening. The members will serve ice creom and cake and will be held on the church lawn. SALEM AID. The Salem Aid will meet with Mrs. Sam Workinger, Thursday afternoon. o John Mayer of Monroe was here today attending to some business mat- | terß . - ...

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