Decatur Democrat, Volume 58, Number 15, Decatur, Adams County, 10 April 1913 — Page 1

Volume LVIII

BATTLE IS IN PROGRESS Remonstrance Fight Dragging Along Slowly—May Take Another Day. many AS WITNESSES Remonstrators Claim That All But Six Signers Will be Held Valid. The remonstrance case before the board of commissioners is dragging along rather slowly and gives every appearance of not reaching an end before tomorrow evening. It was resumed this morning at 9 o'clock, with the scene amout the same as that of Wednesday, with the exception that the crowd was not so large by about half. Not over a hundred people attended the morning session, of which perhaps onefourth were ladles. The trial has failed to provide anything sensational or particularly interesting and is very much like an ordinary trial. The remonstrators will conclude their evidence about the middle of this afternoon, which session opened at 1:30, unless there is some delay in arguing legal points. Thev concede that six signers of the remonstrance did not have a legal residence in the Second ward and they made no effort to prove such. These are George Sheler, who recently returned from Michigan, where he voted last November: Jonathan Sovine, Mike Heinica, Jake Grim, Carl Noble and Frank Johnson. The remonstratora believe they will be able to establish certain proof as to the rest which would allow them ten to go on. About twenty witnesses were examined last evening and this morning, among them being Charles Hill, D. A. Baumgartner, Russell Harniff, L. H. Lake. Clinton Grim. Lester Baughman, Mrs. E. B. Kern, Edwin Fledderjobann, Frances Cole, Paul Reinking, C. L. Walters, James Hurst, L. A. Graham and several others. Considerable interest was manifested in the case of L. H. Lake, whose name appears on the remonstrance as L. D. Lake. It was shown by Mr. Lake that he writes the letter "H” in such manner that it resembles the letter "D” and he also stated that when he was writing his name some one accidentally pushed his elbow, making the letter appear as it did and when it was copied, it was typewritten “L. D.” Because of the fact that the board will hear all the evidence and the arguments before passing on any of the names, it is impossible to state whether any of the names will be stricken off or bow many. Several legal points are to be discussed before the final adjudication of the cause and it Is probable that it will not be decided before Friday evening or Saturday morning. Afternoon Session. The court room was packed to the doors this afternoon, the crowd being the largest so far during the trial. The remonstrators concluded the evidence as to the signers within an hour and then began a red-hot scrap when the remonstrators introduced the city clerk to show the number of votes cast in the Second ward at the election of 1908. Attorneys for the retnonstrators argued that they should have the right to prove the number of votes by other evidence and the attorneys for the applicants objected, the result being the most Interesting of the trial. D. N. Brain, one of the election commissioners at that time, was called to testify. At 2:50 a tenminutes' recess was taken. ■ , LEAVES FOR LEO, IND. To Work With Burk Construction Co. on New Bridge. Newton Cunningham will leave Monday to join the Burk Construction company, of Newcastle, of. which he is a member. The force will begin Its season's work next Monday at Leo, Indiana, where they have the contract for an *IB.OOO bridge. Mr. Cunningham was a member of this construction company when it built the new Monroe street St. Mary’s bridge in this city last summer. Since finishing the work here he has been employed during the winter at the Schlickman, n °w the Smith & Company's restaurAM.

Awcatilß

810 BOX OF EATABLES Sent By Mrs. C. C. Enos To Sister In Dayton, Ohio. k Mrs. €C. Enos is [tacking a big box ’ of eatables to send to her sister in Dayton, Ohio, who was in the flooded district and lost all of her worldly possessions. During the several days’ - time that they took refuge in the schoolhouse and were isolated from mankind by the surrounding waters, only dried herring and dry bread were available for food. Even now the large I city with its hundreds of homeless ones is dependant upon the relief sup--5 [tiles sent in, and which are doled out to rich and poor alike, as nothing is sold. Many of Mrs. Enos' neight bors contributed to the box of supplies with delicious viands of all kinds, and the ones to which it will be sent will surely rejoice in the goodness of the, Decatur people. TRY FOR A MEDAL g y ■ Country School Children to i Write Composition on Repair and Upkeep. I JOF EARTH ROADS ,i s I Aricles Must be Submitted r Before May 15—Who • Are Eligible. e • ——— ft I e County superintendents of schools t are receiving letters from the office 0 of public roads, United States departII ment of agriculture, Washington D. C., *■ to the effect that a gold medal to the '■ school boy or girl between the ages 1 of ten and fifteen years, who writes the best composition on the repair and maintenance of earth roads, is to I be awarded by Loban Waller Page, di- ■ rector of the public roads department. The composition must not exceed • 800 words and may be based on ■ knowledge gained from books or • other sources, but no quotations • should be made. All compositions must be submitted to Mr. Page be- • fore May 15, 1913, and the medalswill ’ be awarded as soon thereafter as the compositions can be graded. After many years' experience In ’ dealing with the public road situs-1 ’ tion of the country, it Is Mr. Page's ’ belief that ignorance on the subject 1 of repair and maintenance of roads , r is as much the cause of their bad con- ’ dition as any other one factor. It is , ’ expected that the competition will ’ bring about a better understanding of i 1 the subject of repair and maintenance in the rural districts. 1 Many children living in the rural ‘ districts have experienced the disad- 1 5 vantages of roads made impassible " through a lack of proper maintenance 1 and it is expected that their interest I ' in the competition will stimulate ' greater interest among parents. Any children between the ages j ’ mentioned, attending a country school ‘ may compete. Only one side of the paper must be written on; each page ’ numbered, the name, age and address ’ of the writer, and the name and loca- ’ tion of the school which he or she is attending must be plainly written 1 at the top of the first page. The an- ' nouncemept of competition has been sent to all superintendents of schools. 1 in the rural districts. WAS LAID TO REST. Funeral of Harvevy Klopfenstein Was Held This Morning. ’; The funeral of Harvey Klopfenstein,' ' son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Klopfen- ' stein, west of Monroe, was held this' ’ morning from the Winchester church, I ' Rev. Eli Lantz officiating. Interment was made west of Monroe. His death. occurred Wednesday after a two days , illness of acute gastritis. He was born August 14, 1891, and i had been an invalid all his life. He leaves besides his parents, three | , brothers, six sisters, grandparents and many other relatives. ' —o- —* PLEASANT VALLEY FRIENDS. Rev. Isaac H. Hollingsworth of Lynn, Ind., will preach at the Pleasant I Valley Friends’ church next Sabbath morning and evening, but the evening 'meeting will be at 6:30, as Mr. Hollingsworth wants to return home on ’ the evening train which leaves Mon|roe at 8:18.

BOARD CAME HOME School Officials Attend Delayed Meeting With the State Commission. HIGH SCHOOL TALK Committee of Two Named to Re-inspect Decatur School —Come Next Tuesday. Irvin Brandyberry, O. L. Vance and Fred Fruchte, members of the school [board of the city of Decatur, arrived home from Indianapolis this morning, where they met by appointment Wed ] nesday the members of the state board ( of education, regarding the real condi- | tion of school affairs in this city. The jmeeting was to have been held some two weeks ago, but the date fixed at that time was the Thursday of the ■ flood week, and it was impossible to get anywhere near the capital city, consequently the date for themeeting i was changed to Tuesday of this week. On that date the board started for Indianapolis, bright and early,, but the train on which they were due to ar- . rive was five hours late, and the session with the board could not be held until yesterday. The school board itook up with the commission the question of revvoking the high school commission in this city. For some time | there has been considerable discussion of the matter and the board wish!ed to talk the matter over direct with the state board. They were well received and exact conditions In Decatur thoroughly explained and discussed with the result that the state board appointed a committee of two, Professor Kelly, of Richmond, and Professor i Study, of Fort Wayne, who were directed to come to Decatur next Tuesday for the purpose of reinspecting, the school here. They will then confer with the local board and report to j the state board of education. The school board is doing its best to take. care of the conditions here and with thing that is best for everybody as , the support of the people will do the they see it. Mrs. B. Earl Parker of Richmond is the guest of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Hale. IS STILL ALIVE A No. 1, Champion Tramp, Turns Up Again in Spite of Death Report. LAUGHS ABOUT IT His Sole Mission is to Prevent Boys from Becoming Tramps. A No. 1, the “champion tramp of the wold," whose sole mission is to prevent boys from becoming tramps, was in Indianapolis Monday. With his ] arrival there his travel record aggregated 512,445 miles, at a total cost I for transporation of $7.61. j A No. 1 was last in Indianapolis in 1911. He has a hobby for procuring autographs of prominent persons, rail- ■ road officials and high employees. ' Since he was in Indianapolis he has added to his tong list, those of , President Wilson, Admiral George Dewey, and yesterday he visited Mark Rpb|bins, chief of detectives on the Peoria & Eastern division of the Big Four railroad and obtained his autograph and indorsement. I A recent report was to the effect that A No. 1 had been killed in a railroad wreck in Texas. He carried sevieral newspapers containing accounts of his death and laughed as he said he had returned to Indianapolis to asi sure his friends that he was still alive. (He left here for New York and will jthen return west. He boasts that he never stays long in one place and | says he hopes to travel 1,000,000 miles before he dies. Will Winness and family are arranging tb move to their farm in Union township, the bad weather having caused somewhat of a delay.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday April, 10 1913.

BILL HITS MILLINERS.

BILL HITS MILLINERS. Tariff Measure Will Take Feathers Off Women's Hats. Washington, D. C., April 10 —The 1 importation or sole of, any kind of aigrette, egret, or the skin or feathers of any wild bird, domestic or foreign, except ostrich feathers, is absolutely prohibited in the Wilson-Underwood tariff bill. Dazed milliners were today only dimly realizing what the brief paragraph In the new bill meant to them. The slauguhter of beautiful game birds all over the world has [almost annihilated them. Under the | tariff regulation, game birds’ feathers lean be imported or shipped from state Ito state only for scientific purposes. (Ostrich feathers alone are exempted. This is because large ostrich farms are today meeting the market demand by scientific production. BEGIN DUTY TODAY On School Children and Soldier Enumeration—Be Sure to Give All. MORE IS ADDED The More the Children, the More State School Funds Will be Given. The annual enumeration of all chi!- , dren under school age began in this . city and county today under the direc- . I tion of the school authorities. The . 1 state law provides that the enumer- ' ation must be taken between April 10 .and 30. ■ i Much moe work is added to that of the enumerators by a recently enacted law in the state of Indiana, which ’ requires that in additioon to the enumeration of persons between six and I twenty-one years, the same enumerai tor must at the same time enumerate all who have served in the army or navy of the United States during the Mexican war, the civil war or the 1 Spanish war and all who have served one or more enlistments in the United States army or the national guards. The usual difficulties will be met in the work of enumeration and it is a most important thing that the field workers and deputies secure the name 1 |of every inlividual between the ages ' iof six and twenty-one years. On the i total of the count which shall be I made before the close of the month will depend the amount the city is to receive from the state school fund. The percapita allowance for children of school age is $4, and the name of every child between the ages of six and twenty-one years, withheld from | the enumerator means a loss of that much money to the school fund. Many of the parents think that the matter of taking the enumeration is but a matter of form and has little value, except as a statistical record and through this belief thousands of dollars are lost by cities and districts each year. Hundreds of children are not enumerated and this embraces mostly the children or adults employed as clerks, in the shops and in the factories. Since their school days are over parents do not regard the children as still of school age and they are no longer interested, and do hot for various reasons give correct answers. Then, too, many believe that the compulsory school low comes under this enumeration and fail to tell I the correct ages of those in employ-1 ment. There has been enacted by the state legislature a law to cause parents and guardians to realize their responsibility. This imposes a fine of $5 upon any parent or guardian who refuses to give to the enumerators the names of all their children who are of school age or who do not give correst information. Messrs. L. C. Helm and Omer But- . ler have been appointed by the city school board to take the city enumeration. The country enumeration will be taken by the township trustees or their deputies. John M. Gibson is deploring the loss of a buggy robe which was either stolen from his rig while in this city or at the barn at home, or lost along the way. The robe was used Saturday and was left in the rig while hitched in this city. It was not missed, however, until Sunday morning, but may have been taken Saturday while in this city.

SPECIAL SESSION

SPECIAL SESSION 1 t County Council Called by Auditor to Meet Here ‘ Monday, April 21st. i REPAIR OF BRIDGES ! 1 i Commissioners Will Rebuild * ( Ceylon Bridge and Make i Other Repairs Soon. , Between the hours when the board . of commissioners are acting as a j court to hear the contest over the saloon fight, they are transacting such business [is comes up and several linI portant items appear on the docket, One of these is entitled “Public Highway Emergency,” and says that on account of the recent floods in Adams county, much damage was done to a number of bridges, culverts, approaches to bridges and the roads; that over these roads are free delivery routes of mall and that an urgent necessity exists for the immediate im-1 provement of said roads. It is therefore ordered by the board that the members of the board look after such necessary improvements and repairs in their respective districts, securing ■ the labor and material and see that i such repairs are made. Ordered also 1 that such expense be paid out of the bridge repair fund now or hereafter appropriated for that purpose. Another entry of importance along' the same lines is one which states that j; on account of the damage done by the : floods, including the destruction of a ; bridge over the Wabash river near Ceylon, it is nesessary that arrange- ! ments for said work be made at once i and the auditor was requested to issue 1 . a call for the county council to meet as soon as possible to make additional appropriation and to arrange for the i temporary loan of the money. The auditor accordingly issued the call for Monday, April 21. In the account of the awarding of j contracts for bridges in yesterdays is- , isue it was stated that the McKnignt , bridge was awarded to the Berne Sup- • ply Company. This contract was a- j ' warded to Samuel Butler of this city, i j DEATH AND FLOOD! j J T • < % Have Sadly Stricken the Family of George Bolen, ] Traveling Salesman WELL KNOWN HERE ! , 1 While Family Was at Burial Floods Inundated Home and Ruined It. ] i The family of George Bolen, late , a traveling harware salesman, exper-', fenced sad misfortune in the past sev- < eral weeks, according to a traveling | 1 salesman who called here today at.' the Schaub-Dowling hardware store. 1 Mr. Bolen is well known to Decatur 1 dealers and others, and for a week assisted in the invoice of the SchaubDowling stock, when Mr. Will Dowl- ( ing became a partner. His death occurred at Fort Wayne just before the recent flood, and while his widow and four children accompanied the body to ( Madison, where the interment took , place.the floods came. Their home at < Lakeside, Fort Wayne, was filled with , water, and with no one to care for it, ( everything in the home was ruined. ( When the saddened family returned to j Fort Wayne, they found even their little home practically gone. Owing to ( the nature of his illness,—cancer of j the stomach—Mr. Bolen was unable to , carry life insurance, and his family is left in reduced circumstances. — - . ■ — ■ ■ ■" The Robert Cashen family which went from Chicago to Bloomington recently to make their new home, do not like the place and have returned to Chicago, their residence being 751 Dearborn avenue. ' Mrs. Cashen was formerly Miss Gertrude Rugg and is a daughter of Mrs. Rugg of this city.

JACOB FULK OPERATED UPON.

JACOB FULK QPEHAItu urun. Jacob Fulk, son of Peter M. Fulk, living south west of town was taken to the Provident Hospital at Pennville, Ind., on last Saturday where he unuderwent an operation for osteomyelitis, a disease which Is the Inflamnation of the bone and its marrow, and which in this instance affects the upper part of the left femur bone. Mr. Fulk received an injury caused by falling from the top of a book case in attempting to put up the stove pipe last January the 21th. Mr. Fulk’s, case being critical, an operation was deemed the only means of saving his life. The operation was performed by Dr. C. E. Caylor, and was quite successful. o-— — Miss Rose Smith went to Geneva yesterday afternoon to give her weekly- music lesson. TASTE OF HADES __. L. Desired by Woman During Attack of Temporary Insanity—Now Dying POPE PASSES CRISIS Os Relapse But Crisis of Inj fluenza and Fever Still to Come—Restless Night Tuxtonburro, N. H., April 10 —(Special to Dally Democrat) —Desiring to ] ' get a taste of hell, Mrs. Annie Me- ■ Keen, temporarily insane, set fire to her clothes, shot off one of her fingers and placed her bare feet in a red hot Stove and today she is dying from the 1 injuries received. She recovered conscious sufficiently to explain her ac- 1 tions. Rome, April 10 —(Special to Daily i Democrat) —It is believed by the attending physicians that the Pope has successfully passed the crisis of the I relapse altnougii the crisis of the in-1 fluenza and fever Is still to come. They : said that the consequences were no more serious than is natural to a man 78 years old. His Holiness’ condition , is so weak however that the docto-s have forbidden his sisters to talk with him. After passing a restless and trying night the fever had dissapeared j this morning but his heart action is | still feeble and is giving the physi- j cians the most alarm. Michigan City, April 10 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—Prison stripes, solitary confinement, and bodily punishment is to be abolished in the Indiana prison, Warden E. J. Forgarty announced today. The striped suits are being torn up and used as mop rags. The convict suits will hereafter be made of light blue. Washington, April 10 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —Senate Leader J. W. Kern of Indiana discussing the new senate rules said, “Under the old schedule the committee chairman could smother any bill by refusing, to call | a committee or by naming a hostile subcommittee or hostile conferees, and by placing these powers in the hands of the majority it will abolish the one man power and has left the senate truly democratic. The democrats in the senate are as progressive as those in the house. DR. W. E. SMITH AN OFFICER. Elected Second Vice President of the Twelfth District Association. At the session of the Twelfth District Medical association in Fort Wayne Welnesday, Dr. Waldo E. Smith of this city was elected second vice president. Dr. J. W. McKinney of Bluffton is president; Dr. T. J. Creel, Angolo, first vice president; Dr. L. T. Rawles, secretary and treasurer. As stated Wednesday, Dr. Smith of this city was on the program, speaking on the general'practitioner as a diagnostician. .—o— — GETS NEW TYPEWRITER. The department has sent the local postofflee a brand new Underwood typewriter with the latest tabulating improvements and others. The new machine Is especially adapted to the report forms used by the local office and is very convenient for all the work.

Number 15

FAVORS HOOVER

FAVORS HOOVER Defense in the Wife-Murder Case at Van Wert Has Favorable Testimony. THE SUICIDE THEORY Has Strong Hold — Some Think Hoover May Eat Sunday Dinner at Home. The first emotion expressed by Ralph Hoover, accused of wife-mur-der, was shown when his mother, worn and weary from the strain, testified in the Van Wert court in the course of his trial. During her testimony, which covered his life from his birth to the present, large tears coursed down his cheeks. The theory that his wife took her own life, and that it was her own hand that sent the fatal bullets into her brain, was taken up and eminent physicians testified that it could have been possible, over much speculation" of others to the contrary. They also stated that persons in her.-condition, were often suicidal in their tendencies, and the fact that she had been subject to severe headaches, also lent color to that theory. The trial Wednesday was given over to expert witnesses who testified to this effect, among them being Dr. Duemling of Fort Wayne, Dr. William Roush, chief surgeon of the Lima hospital, Dr. J. Matthew Pullian of Fort Wayne. As the defense piles up favorable answers from the medical fraternity it becomes more and more apparent that they are gaining favor with the jury, I and even a few of the spectators, who i from the first, have expressed strong prejudice agains tthe defendant, are admitting that there is a chance of acquittal. Those most schooled in court proceedings, basing their judg- | ment from long observations in the trial courts in criminal eases are i unanimous in the opinion that the state will have to make a strong show:ing in their rebuttal if they succeed in getting a verdict charging even manslaughter. The defendant seems to be much encouraged by the way the tide has been turning, and is taking a very great interest in the proceeding, never taking | his eyes from a witness all thetime ]he is on the stand. Attorneys for the : state are strong in their belief that they will be able to convince the jury that the defendant is guilty as charged in the indictment, while counsel engaged In behalf of the defendant make the assertion openly that the accused will eat his Sunday dinner at home. It. is possible that the defense will close their case this afternoon, and in the event they do the defendant will be called some time after the noon recess. When the defendant comes to the stand it is expected that some new matter will be injected into the trial. o--NO HOPE ENTERTAINED. For Recovery of Helen Jean Hunter— No Improvement. Mrs. W. J. Myers visited Wednesday with her daughter, Mrs. Robert Harding, in Fort Wayne, and with her niece, Miss Helen Jean Hunter, who since she became orphaned two years ago, has made her home with the Hardings. Miss Hunter remains dangerously ill, being now in the seventh week of her illness. She shows no improvement and there is no hope for her recovery. Mrs. Myers found her niece greatly emaciated —in fact the nurse and physicians state that at no time has a case come to their knowledge where the emaciation has been so great. In spite of her serious illness, Miss Hunter remains in good cheer and is able to extend a loving greeting to the ones about her. Her cousin, Mrs. R. C. Pifer, of South Bend, formerly Miss Wilhelmina Myers, of this city, is visiting also at the Harding home, and should Miss Hunt- , er not take a turn for the worse, will be down here today or tomorrow to visit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Myers. A card received by W. A. Kunkel of Bluffton, from his son, W. A. Kunkel, jr., states that out of 2,000 students at Indiana university only 700 returned this term so far. A good many of the students are staying out on account of the flood, but will enter school later. I