Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 18, Decatur, Adams County, 14 February 1895 — Page 1

VOLUME I.

Mr. and Mrs. N. Kellogg Todd of Bluffton, vi-ited the latter's pa rents in this city over last Sunday. Miss Lulu Douglass of Willshire, Ohio, is visiting in the city this week a guest of the Misses Littie Thomas and Osa France. Next Friday is the time fixel for the joint teacher’s institute at Berne, which event gives credence of being well attended by all teachers as well as others interested. Half fare rates on the railroad. At the Methodist church Sabbath morning one member was baptized and taken into full membership. Also the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey 11. Hart was baptized. No services are being held at thechurch this week. Kewbler & Moltz of the Boston store, are beiag represented in the New York marketsby the latter end of the firm. The trip isbeinginade to buy goods, which will later on i decorate the counters at the Boston. The firm are wide wake hustling hustlers. To-night at the Shamrock hotel in Geneva there will be a social hop to which those holdingthe required invitation may attend. The dance people at Geneva neverdo anythin by halves, so we may expect this one to l>e brimming over with a good time. Theeditor of this sheet acknowledges the rec ipt of an invitation. It is truly certified to that an inventive genius has gotten up aeon trivance that ought to sell like hoi cakes in church circles. It is in the shape of a contribution box. and is certainly a triumph in its way. The coin falls through slots of different sizes, and dollars, halves, quarters and dimes drop on velvet, but the nickles and pennies drop-on a Chinese gong, Fort Wayne will be a member this year of the Western Inter state Base Ball league. The other cities are Evansville, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Ind., Danville, 111., Decatur, Joliet, and Bloomington. Mr. Charles E. Jewell of Findlay, Ohio, will manage the local club. Five hundred dollars is set as the salary limit. The season will be short. — Ft. Wayne Journal. Jaco > C. Robinson, a farmer in Allen county, has fugitively lied with >5,700 of other people’s money. He mortgaged his own farm for >2,700, forged noteson his relatives and friends f0r>2,500, and ■secured the name of Fred M. Smith of Fort Wayne, to a note of >SOO. He formerly stood very high among his acquaintances and this panic ■caused much surprise among iris friends.

Out readers will well remember the comeidcnce last summer when Eli Lovell, a stock dealer of liluff—ton, was left fondly holding an infant baby while a woman drove off with his horse and buggy. The near est house was that of Chris Lugibull whose kind hearts took the infant in and with whom the babe has still lived. The woman was scemingly swalled up, nothing remaining with which to hold her name in memory. Although Chi is flit hers a large but happy family, they all found room for the new addition, and it became so endearing to them that they came into court Tuesday and asked to havethe blushing boyadopted intotheir name and family. Tin- request was granted and every body was made happy. The resilience of John Heller of Hartford township, was destroyed by fire last Friday evening. The fire was caused by a defective flue and was not discovered until the roof was ready to fall in. The family lost nearly everything they had as the fire had got such a start before it was discovered, that it was impossible to save anything. Mr. Heller seems to be very unfor tnnate of late. On the eleventh day of last August his mother died leaving h is father a helpless invalid. The next morning after his mother was buried his father fell and broke bis hip, and has had to be nursed like a child ever since. This duty fell upon Mr. Heller, who for eight weeks did not get a chance to lie down undressed and has been from home only one night since the eleventh of Angus* last, urgent business compelling him to go at that time. He cannot leave the house one hour at a time unless he has some man to stay in his stead. This makes it very hard on Mr. . Heller, as he is a poor man and has no help to run his farm only as he hires, consequently he has the sympathy of every one.

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

James R. Smith files a >2,000 bond for which he has been given authority to fill the the capacity of justice of peace. The bond bears the signature of Harlo Mann. Mrs. S. O. Irvin of Winchester, visited in the city over Sunday with her daughter Mrs. Patterson. She is very much in love with our city of Decatur and would like to cast her daily lot among us. A jolly crowd of merry-makers sleigh-tided to the home of Sim Weiand Sunday evening, and for a short time fairly took charge of that palatial house. Refreshments were served and at a late hour the tun broke up. It was thejwentieth birthday anniversary of John Weiand. Henry Schulte, a member of the firm of Holthouse & Co., will take charge of their branch store at Geneva in a short time. He takes the place of W. W. Harris, who \ has been there since the inaugura- \ tion of their business. Mr. Schulte is one of the best clerks in the land and will manage that end of the business with perfect satisfaction to all concerned. William Zimmerman tiled his bond of >2,000, with County Clerk Lenhart, and is now a fulllledged justice the peace. E-q. Zimmerman ■ is a yard wide aud all wool and will very ably fill the judicial capacity ito which he has been called. Who knows the Esq. may be governor some day for stranger things have happened. Any way here is wishng him all kind of glittering sue | cess. This is St. Valentine's day, at : which time it is customary to remind your friends and enemies as | well, that you remember them well —but not too well. The fashion used to be quite the thing, but thanks to, a remarkable degree of progression that has fastened upon the people in this nineteenth century, the wearisome valentine is fast fading ami will soon be known only in the dark dim ages of the past. A Muncie man recently was swindled out of >SOO on the green goods plan, by Chicago parties who was to pay him >1,500 in good coin for >SOO in ancient bills, with dates so old that they would raise a fair crop of whiskers. He went to Chicago, they made the deal, placed the money in the same old box, presto change, and the Muncie fool was a victim of the same old game. He was >SOO wiser when he got through. Monday was delinquent tax sale day at which time all lands and town lots advertised for saleforthe : non payment of taxes, sells for that purpose. The list of such descriptive lands is always fewer in Adams county than most any county in tae state, and this year was no exception to the rule. As advertised in the Press but 189 descriptions were advertised, and by ten o’clock Monday morning, the day of sale, i but fifty seven of that amount re ! mained unpaid. This made the sale short and sweet, for it took but a fraction over an hour to close, those out, the purchasers receiving| therefor a tax title for the amount j ' paid which reverts to them i’> fee ! simple providing the rightful owner ; doesn't redeem same. A somewhat sensational suitcome ] Ito this circuit court for trial from I Wells county* which the plaintiff seeks to recover >IO,OOO da nages, the charge being nothing short of | cold blooded seduction of the plaintiff's wife thereby alienating her affections and breaking up a happy family circle. The complaint con- [ tains these words: Henry C. Miller I complains of Lawson Popejoy and says that prior to the 21st of August, 1894, said plaintiff and wife, Mary M Miller lived and cohabited together,their two daughters living] with them. That on the day ami year aforesaid the said defendant did, without plaintiff’s consent, un- ] lawfully* and wickedly seduce, debauch and carnally* knew said Mary M. Miller, the said wife of the said plaintiff, whereby the plaintiff has lost the society and services of his wife, and l>y reason thereof, the plaintiff has suffered great grief, mortification and anxiety, and has been damaged in the sum of ten thousand dollars, for which he demands judgement. Watson, Mock, & Simmons are attorney s for the plaintiff, while Sharpe and Sturgis will look after the defendant’s interests. Our readers will please remember that this caseeomes from Wells county.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1895.

William Wareof Geneva, is plain-I till in an action taken in the circuit court Tuesday against William P. Black. He was given judgement for >1,300. Peterson, Lutz, & Peterson and Mann & Beatty* were the attoneys in the case. Saturday morning fire totally obliterated the house of Joseph Heavlin of Monroe t >wnsnip, destroying a building worth from >BOO to >l,000, besides the bulk of household goods the house contained. It was another case of defective fine. The morning was cold with a good wind blowing, audit was but a very short I time until the flames had entirely enveloped the building. Henry Kintz, living three miles north of town is haulingstone to be used in a foundation for a bran new house and barn on his farm proper ty. The contract for the barn has been already made with David Werling, and the contract for the house will be made shortly. This , seems to lw» spreading it on medium ■ thick but Henry knows his job full , well, and such enterprise is com ( i mendable. Proliably the largest hog ever . brought to Geneva was the one sold . to Haviiands, the butchers, by I ] Chris Hirschey last Monday. The ( portly porker tipped the beam at I seven hundred and seventy pounds . I and brought >30.80 coin of the j realm. Mr. Hirschey at the same r time sold two young hogs, which J weighed three hundred andeighty- ’ five pounds each. These hogs brought more money than can be got for the average horse, nowdays. —Geneva Herald.

Destructive tires have been numerous the past week, among which totally destroyed, the bouses of Wesley Hamrih of Monroe township. The fire occured Sunday when the entire family were absent from home, they returning later in the day to find nothing remaining but burning embers. Their household goods were entirely consumed. A defective flue was the origination of the destruction. Their many friends sympathize with them in their loss and financial trouble. ArtiiDE'l gas is the coming commodity for heating and lighting purposes. Such ; n for mat ion comes from a representative of the natural gas trust, controlled by Calvin S. Brice, of Ohio, who own franchises in nearly fifty cities and villages in this state aud Ohio, that they are remodeling their lines for the specific purpose of furnishing artificial gas made by a new process controlled by the trust as soon as natural gas gives out. The diminishing of that article is not worrying them a bit, for its exit cannot come too soon for them. For the artificial gas they can command their own price and have no fear of competition, as they own the lines aud the process, which, on good authority, is made chiefly from crude oil, making it cheaper than water gas.

Green goods operators at Hart- . ford City are just now receiving the effects of the law on such discrimi- ] nations. The following was in Monday’s Sentinel: “The prosecu- | tion of George Huggins in the cirI euit court, which resulted in his 1 being sentenced to the penitentiary ! for oue year for larcony, will, it is [ believed, be followed by others, I which will break up a gang of green goods swindlers who have been operating in Blackford, Wells ] and Adams counties for several [ years. The existence of these swindlers has been known to the officers i for a long time, but as the victims never complained nothing could be done. Finally, Lewis Martz, a tool, was caught aud convicted, aud on his evidence Huggins and other in- , fluential citizens of Montpelier were indicted. The evidence against Huggins showed that each member of the gang selected his victim and : by the usual argument induced him to furnish funds with which to purchase counterfeit money. The swindler would then start for Chi cago, where he claimed to have arrangements with a green goods agency. In a few days he would reappear, claiming that he had l>een robbed in the den of the green goode men. In the ease of Huggins it was proved that he induced a man to give him >IOO and he never went to Chicago at all. Hesimply pocketed the money and put up the usual storj* about being robbed. The victims were usually farmers, and it is now known that thej* contributed several thousands to the swindlers. Two others of the Blackford countj* gang will be tried this term of court.”

Prof. Moffatt told us to tell you that on February 22—Wash ington’s birthday—the public schools will hold public exercises to which the public is cordially invited. The •‘public’’ is here used sufficient to impress upon your minds the fact that your presence is de>ired upon that day and date. Be sure and remember it and show interest in our excellent public schools by at tending. It is jour duty to fulfill it. News reached here from Scott, Ohio, last Saturday which stated thar the home of Rev. George Schroder had burned to the ground that morning, leaving but sufficient time for the sleeping occupants to get safely from the burning building. George received a slight in jury while trying to save some household goods. The fire occurred alsmt two o'clock in the morning, it being a decidedly cold time to be thrown upon thfe mercies of the 1 weather. Rev. George is known bj* every one in Decatur, behaving lived here for many years. List Thursday night at midnight while mercury stood some twenty odd degrees below the zero mark, the house and contents on the George Hactling farm, east of the city, caught fire, and in less than no time lay in massive ruias. Nothing was saved, the inmates of the house barely escaping with their lives and perhaps a little clothing to cover their naked forms. There was >7OO insurance on the house and the loss is estimated at >I,OOO. Not a cent’s worth of insurance however was on the contents. It was a cold night to be turned out of doors, but the firefiend waits not upon the weather or other ceremonies. The fire originated in the flue.

othingofany importance was ] done at the council meeting on i Tuesday evening. The rec< rd was . broken as the council was not in ' ‘ session over a half hour. A number of claims were allowed includ- ! ing >17.00 to the fire company for the Pete Forbing fire. A large amount for so small a fire, but “the l boys” responded to the alarm and were entilled to pay. Thejudiciarj | committee were instructed to emjployß. S. Peterson to assist City 11 Attorney Mann in the trial of the Madison street opening case. The fire wardens in first ward weie in- | structed to investigate the smoke stack at J. I). Hale’s elevator and j require him to make itsecure. The | Citj* Attorney reported progress of I the street sweeping bill now before | the legislature. It is designed to (empower councils in small cities to ! make contracts for street sweeping l and sprinkling and assess the cost against the abutting property. The j bill was prepared by our City At- [ torney and has been piloted through by Senator La Follette, who has succeeded in getting a favorble rei port from the committee. There is on file in the circuit I court a case which makes Perry j Robinson the plaintiff and Amos S. Gillig the defendant. The com-! [ plaint as tiled is as follows: “The’ [ plaintiff herein, Perry Robinson, j complains of the defendant, Amos [ 8. Gillig, and says that the plain j tiff and defendant have for five years last past been doing business under the firm name of Robinson, ‘ Gillig & Co., Gillig & Co., and Rob ] inson & Gillig. That while so as seriated together they had mutual' dealings with each other, each re [ ceiving and expending money and | purchasing property and making j sales of property, and taking con tracts for work all on the account of and by virtue of such partnership, the items of which are very numerous andapart of which trans actions are within the exclusive ’ ’ knowledge of said Gillig, That on [the — day of February, 1895. and at divers other days, the plaintiff i requested the defendant to produce [his accounts, and tue plaintiff of sered to produce his, plaintiff's, ac counts in order to come to a se tleinent of said accounts; but that the defendant refused to produce his accounts, and the accounts of said partnership and to make a settlement and an adjustment thereof. That there is due plaintiff from defendant as a balanceon said mutual accounts, about the sum of >15,000. Wherefore plaintiff' prays that the defendant be ordered to account to and with the plaintiff upon said partnership accounts, and that he may have judgment for the balance found due him, with interest from January 1, 1895, ami for all other proper relief. France & Merryman and Mann & Beatty are attorneys for the plaintiff.

Benjamin Me Laughlin came home the latter part of last week from Elkhart, where he had been attending the funeral of his son, Wil liam McLaughlin, who died there , the first of the week, after an ailment of some two years, supposed all the time to be consumption. As- , ter his death an autopsy was held which disclosed the fact that death was the direct result of chronic pneumonia. There was au extensive ulceration of the left lung. , which grew worse as time went bv until the case became chronic and , hopeless. He was thirty-three , years, nine months and fifteen days , old, and was known by a large circle of acquaintances here who will learn of his death with sorrow and regret. At on • time he was deputy surveyor here and taught school formanj* j*esrs in the county. In 1887 he married Ada Crist, also well known here. Some five years 1 ago they moved to Elkhart where I they have since lived, and where his remains were interred. Au obituary notice appears elsewhere. A sensational affair comes from Bryant and as stated by the Portland Commercial are somehow as follows “Papers have been filed with clerk Adair which smacks greatly of the sensational and will cause quite a stir in Bryant. They are in a damage suit for >IO.OOO broughtbj* James 11. Wheeler against John Minehart, a well known business ' man of the place mentioned. Wheeler complains that the defendant has been intimate with his wife, one Minnie M. Wheeler, has alienate her affections and that he I (Wheeler Jias been deprived of het society and aid ia domestic affairs i and by the occr rence has suffered great distress of mind. As com pensation he prays for judgement in the name of the sum named. A petition for a divorce asked by Wheeler from his wife is also on file and in this plaintiffalleg sthey were married Oct. 18,1890, and i lived together until some time in January, 1892. His wife is charged ■ with being unfaithful to her marital s ; vows, and beside thedecree, Wheeler wants custody of Everett M., their three year-old child. Gas was the all absorbing topic , last week. The demonstrations upon the subject weren’t the kind which can be referred to as a mat tor of brotherlj’ love, but decidedly to the contrary. It all happened in this way. A break in the gas line between Geneva and the field proper caused the supplj* at this end to be reduced to a fractional nothing. The break couldn’t be located without a thorough exami nation of the entire line and that took the biggest end of three days, so from Thursday* until Saturday night before our people, who de- [ : pend upon natural gas to warm up their shivering bones, could thaw ! out with any degree of comfort. |ln the meantime mercury stood j > from zero to twenty degrees below, | Iso anyone can easily imagine the consternation that was brewing 1 during this stormy period. Heaters ] took the place of gas stoves, wood [ and coal took the place of gas. ! Fond and loving husbands who generally* appear as meek as the| white robed angel, here lost their virtue, and if their declarations [ could be recorded, annunciations [ | too deep tangled for common prose [ ; would have to be signed up against them. However by nine o’clock Saturday night thetroublehadbeen located, the leakage mended and peace reigned. The attendance at l church the following morning showed beaming countenances and a happy people. Intuition was transferred even to the ministers [ who felt the good effects, and could effectively allude to the shining] temple in the new Jerusalem when- ] shortage of gas was unknown, as also the bad effects accompanying same. ; Many harsh and unbecoming words habe been spoken, and the gas com -, pany escaped none. Even many of the republican brethren took up the democratic theory that monop olies were a conglomeration of! wickedness, and joined the circus parade of harsh words against the gas company. The Press has nothing derogatory to say against the company, to the contrary we will have to admit that they were powerle-s to prevent the chilliness hereabouts, and after it did occur did everthing within their knowl edge and power to speedily rectify the existing evil. Manager Bowers and his assietants traversed the line, and faltered not until the horny eye I difficulty was mastered. At any rate we now have gas and plenty of it, so let’s all rejoice.

NUMBER 18

Snow in Florida. Braidentown, Fla., Feb. 8. My Dear Ellingham- One of the most remarkable changes took place in southern Florida in the last twenty-four hours that ever occurred in the state. Yesterday Thursday) the 7th, we were out fishing up to noon the weather being very warm and pleasant: when we came in for dinner Capt. Fogarty called my attention to the barometer which had ran down to 29° and said we were going to have a severe storm, aud sure enough the wind shifted round to the northwest and soon we had a terrific gale blowing from that direction with the mercury ranging down very fast and finally it went from 78° to 20°. The tide was the highest 1 have ever seen on the Manatee. This morning it began to snow and for the first time in my experience in this country we were able to throw snow balls at each other, and the young people seemed to enjoy the [ sport very much. Ice also formed one eighth of an inch thick on water in tubs and other small vessels. At this time, noon, the wind is changing to the northeast and the weather is moderating with the prospect of more favorable conditions. The experience the people of this country had on Dec. 31 made [ them hustle to try and save their j vegetable crop which had just began to be ready for use, and they went to work covering up the plantswith everything they could make available. 1 was out a few moments ago watching them at their work and it was amusing to hear the re- ■ marks made regarding the singular ! (to them) weather. They arc fearIful that if it clears np tonight and does not moderate more they will undoubtedlj* loose their new crop of tender vegetables, and perhaps have i their prospects for a crop of oranges injured as the trees are full of blosI soins now which are very tender, i There is to be a yacht race tomorrow I between the Wild Goose,owned by I Win. Fogartj* of Fogartyville, and ■ the Florence, Gilbert S. Warner . master, of Patma Sola. The contest is expected to be an exciting one as both the vessels are considered very fast. There is money up ] on the race which will intensify the interest in the race. The course is down the river and out to the outer buoy in Tampa bay aud return, a distance of about eighteen miles. , lam collecting information regarding an old sugar mill that , stood back of Ell. nton, east of here live miles, on the north shore of the Manatee river, but which was destroyed by the federal forces late in the war of the rebellion, which I shall take pleasure in giving your readers in the near future. Trentmau and self are in good health but not much pleased with this modified j Indiana weather. We have had ' new cabbage; onions, lettuce and [ one small mess of strawberries, but i if the present weather continues I [ am afraid our stomachs will not be j tickled again that way v.-ry soon, i During the storm j'esterday afternoon several vessels in the harbor were so pressed by the high vind they dragged they anchors aud were with much diflicultj kept [ fro n going ashore. Capt. Toll Fogarty says some of the weather the past six weeks has been the most severe he ever experienced since his residence in Florida, 1865. I expect you folks north are hugging your fires as the mercury is hugging zero, but hope you will come out on top. Was down ta Port Tampa a few dajs ago to ■ see some relatives from Indianapo- ; lis off for Cuba on the steamer Olivette, and while there learned that 'another big cigar manufacturing firm. Amo, Oritz & Co., of New York, were going to locate in A'bor City aud had leteontraetsfor building a factory. They will employ about 100 hands when they get to work. Major, Representative John T. Kelley struck town Fridaj* afternoon coming direct from his democratic seat in the lower house of the general assembly, where he has been doing business as the representative of Adams and Jay. He reports the republican legislature as doing a big job of bluffing in their manner of economizing. They have one more clerk and one more page than the legis'ature two years ago had, and the same number of door keep ers. Their whole mode of economy is a bluff with a big Italiac B. But little legislation has been done and but little will be done this session.