Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 26, Decatur, Adams County, 11 April 1895 — Page 1

VOLUME 1.

Mrs. Frank Schirmeyer came home Saturday from a pleasant visit with friends at Fort Wayne. Mrs. Daniel Sprang is and has been quite sick for several days. Her mother from Fort Wayne is at her bedside. Ed Haley of Portland, represent- ■ ing Hall’s safe and lock company, was looking up business here the. fore end of the week. The Boston’s have a change of i advertisement for you this week, j so turn your spectacles wrong side up and post up on bargains. Robert Maloney of Willshire, i Ohio, was in town Monday looking? up his numerous number of friends, I and didn’t forget the Press in his 1 rounds. “Niceand Naughty,” a,juvenile production of journalism, published by Homer C. Underwood at Hunt- ? ington, was issued for the first time '■ last week, Attorney Adair of Portland, was , mixed up in the habeas corpus ? case brought here from Jay county | Tuesday. He is as lean, lank and ! clever as ever. John Trentman arrived home the | first of the week from Cincinnati, ■ where he stopped to visit relatives i on his return from Florida. He is looking the very best. Yesterday morning Mrs. MaryHanna received a telegram, informing her that her little grand-; daughter in Decatur, was lying verv low, —Ossian News. s Aon will notice the professional card of Dr. F. IT. Leßron, who practices veterinary surgery in our city. He thusly calls your atteu-) tion to the fact that he wants your | patronage. F. G. Eichenberger of Berne, mails the lucre for one year’s' Presses and will now read all the j local news transpiring within the: borders of Adams < ouiity. < )ne by one they drop their coin into the Press subscription slot. St. Marys Lodge, I. O. O. F. are getting out new bylaws with a list of their membership, and it might I not lie out of order for us to also say that the Press is doing the printing, and that insures neat, artistic work done with promptness and all that. John Webber came home Sator day night from the east where he : had teen for two weeks or more disposing of a good stcok of horses. He reports the sales as being satisfactory, and that means that John brought home a neat jag of money, as the fruits of that tripJudge Studabakei of this city, is a member of the board of directois of the Grand Rapids railway cor poration, he having been selected for this important position at a meeting of the stockholders which was held at Richmond one day last week. Mr. Studaker will make a valuable member of this board of managers. Many of our people know. Lee Strauss, the famous wholesale liquor dealer of Chicago, and who frequents this place in disposing of his marketable goods. A week or so ago himself and family left Chicago for a summer’s absence across the waters. They will visit all the places of interest in Europe and endeavor to see all that is seeable in that country. Mesdames Deli Locke and H. H. Rice were at home Tuesday afternoon from two to five o’clock, and the dainty souvmir thimble attached to the invitations was a sure enough indication that it was u sew,” The invitations were answered in person by a number of their lady friends, who enjoyed a friendly chatter, a few stitches, and a delicate lunch; the same taking place in the comfortable parlors at the Burt. Emma Duffield through her attorney, Clark J. Lutz, asks the court at the session now on to sever the matrimonial chains now existing between herself and Harvey Duffield. The complaint shows ; them to have beta married in May, 1890, and that they lived together as husband and wife until January, 1893. The last two years of their married bliss she alleges cruel and inhuman treatment, among which was abandoning herself and child < and leaving them without any means of support, since which time ■ he has lived apart from her, wholly , without her wish or consent. She asks the court to grant her adivorce and alimony to the amount of SSOO.

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

A sister of Landlord Locke is a guest at the Burt this week. She resides in Waterloo. Mr. and Mrs. P. W. Smith of Richmond, were here over Sunday, visiting the later’s parents and other friends. IL S. Peterson was housed a few days the first of the week, with lagrippe, something that is decidely unpleasant to say the least. R. K. Allison and wife tonight will smile on a number of their friends, in welcoming them into theirpleasant home foran evening’s social fun. We have heard nothing for a whole week of the C. U. C. & C. railroad, and wonder if it again has I collapsed and gone into the hands 1 of a receiver. Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Patterson entertained a few friends to a six o’clock dinner last Friday evening, which was most thoroughly enjoyed by those present. Attorney Headington of Portland, was attending court Tuesday, and renewing the acquaintance of many of his old time friends and members of the bar. Decatur Lodge No. 571, F& A , M. will confer the third degree this I Thursday evening April 11, 1895. j All members of the order are cordially invited to be present. List of letters remaining in the P. O. at Decatur, Ind: A.(’.Hower, P. W. Grice, J. 8. Galvin, M. Flancan, Cary D, Evans, J, S. Langle, Jenme Waltz, and Emeline White. John Wei.fley, P. M. Next Monday is the last day for paying taxes without the penalty attached. This is a busy week at the treasurer,s office and from the appearance <f things but few will remain unpsid after the expiration of the limit. R. E. Smith, jun,, one of the regular drawn grand jurors, ap peared before Judge Heller Monday and asked to be excused, giving as a reason that he was assessor of Monroe township. The judge thought the excuse worthy of consideration and excused him. Charley Spencer has l>een in Ft. Wayne several days taking treat- ' ment for rheumatism, which has i gotten the betterofone of his walk ing members. Whether or not he experimented w th Munyon’s new treatment we know not, but any way he is improved, if not permanent. Our readers will remember Jack Roush, the Bluffton huckster, who figured in a rape suit in our court some time ago. Newspaper dispatches tell of his having suicided at his home there last Friday. His body was found hanging in the barn suspended from a rafter with a rope around his neck. Despondency is given as the reason for the rash act. Through the kindness of Janitor \ Huffman at the court house, we were shown through that entire temple of justice from cellar to cupalo. Everything thereabouts seemed to shine with neatness, which told of much hard and effective work which Dolph seems to be running over with. He undoubtedly knows his business and is the right kind of a general util ity man. Luther Simmons of Hartford City, was in court the first of the week looking after the defendant’s interest in the damage suit of Longacher vs. Erwin. The defendant was formerly from Hartford City where he still retains an interest in a mercantile store. The case comes from Berne where the plaintiff alleges a disrupted character to the tune of $7,000. The defendant will take a change of venue to some other tribunal. Dr- Devilbiss is minus a mustache and he took a very sudden and determined notion to dispose of same too. He went into the basement at his home Monday evening to light the gas in the furnace. From some cause there happened to be a job lot of surplus gas there and when he threw the lighted match onto the burner, it popped like an army cannon, and the Dr. found himself lifted, some six feet backward. After he pulled himself together the beautiful lemon colored lip ornament was a dead crisp, but otherwise he was as sound as a dollar. It wasn’t very funny but still quite fortunate, and the Dr. ain’t doing a thing but shaking hands with himself in congratulation that he still lives and brethes and has his being.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, APRIL 11. 1895.

Misses Emma Jackson and Leona ■ Barthol were Fort Wayne visitors Tuesday evening. f JaccbC. Miller hashiscanoe all in , fighting trim for a day’s fun on the [ river, when the wigglers will join the angels, if they don’t wateh out. Edward Miller, captain; D. Meyers, Hist lieutenant; J. Lenhart, second lieutenant, are the officers of a new military company just mustered in last week. George Wesley Thomas cashes up i and demands the Press for one i year from date, which will this week find its way to his palatial 'fireside for the first time. Marriage licenses have been issued to Milton E. Hower and Mary E. Stevens, Bernard P. Harris and Myrtiila J. Numbers, Don 11. Edwards snd Nettie Pennington. W. F. Orcutt, who for two or three years has been traveling on the road for a machine company, resigned same last week and is now simply kicking up his heels and resting. Mrs. Jessie Townsend will return [ home next Thursday from Boston, where she has been for five months past taking voice culture. She has a beautiful voice, and her many friends anxiously await her return. j Miss Emma Jackson entertained Mrs. Harry Rosenbaugh and Mrs. Ed Rosenbaugh of Hunting tffn, over Sunday and until Tuesday when they went to Bluffton, where they are enjoying the society ' of friends there. Marion Connor and Jack Atkinson of Geneva, were here Monday, the former finding time to renew I his allegiance to the Press by a renewal of subscription. They report Geneva as traveling a lively I gait with promises of even increased | business this summer. The grand jury opened its court for business Monday afternoon, and organized by the selection ofGeorge 11. Kelley as foreman. They arenow ■ I busy investigating any illegalities \ that may exist, and when they go to nosing around on business of this | kind, you had better look just ai “lectle” out. The Rev. and Mrs. E. T. Gregg came home Monday from their conference absence being gone just j two weeks. Both were looking as ’ natural as an old shoe, beaming with happy countenances. Their many friends welcomed them, amt for another year we will have the ! pleasure of their association which alone is beneficial. Services as usual text Sabbath. J. W. Place has began the man ufacture of his mineral waters and soft drinks, which is being managed in connection with the ice j cream plant. The machinery has I arrived and works to perfection, making a very palatable drink. In addition to this Jim keeps on hand a full line of supplies necessary in the handling of any of his famous creams and soft drinks. New cases filed before the opening of court Monday include Dorcey Burch vs. Peter J. Bryan, Bolds Co. and Willis Clark; appeal from Daniel Brewster, J. P. John King, jun., vs. Malinda Zimmerman, executrix; claim. John M. Holloway vs. W. H. Rodenberg, administrator; claim. John W. Buck vs. Clark J. Lutz, administrator;claim. George H. Martz vs. George H. Martz,administrator; claim. 11. M. Aspy vs. Nathan Shepherd, ad-! ministrator; claim. John M. Holloway vs. John M Holloway, ad ministrator, claim. An exciting case was on before ! Judge Heller Tuesday afternoon, it just having came fresh and smiling from the mill of happenings. On the strength of telegrams re ceived from Pennsylvania officials, Francis M. Neeley, a laborer residing in the oil region near Pennville, was arrested by J. O. Linkenhaur, the sheriff of Jay, the , charge against the defendant being embezzlement, nothing short. The fellow kicked on being jailed,| claiming the charge false, unjust and not what any person might en- , joy. A habeas corpus proceedings was indulged in, and the fellow brought here on the noon train Tuesday. Judge Heller heard the proceedings following the case, and decided that the 'prisoner was entitled to his liberty,andso decided. The prisoner enjoyed that portion of the program without the least attempt at kicking, and when he walked out of the court room he looked bigger than Jay Gould and better than Father Adam of old.

If. L. Confer made Bluffton and i several ether towns this week, where he repn sented Place’s creams, minerals ami supplies. - D. W. Beery and wifeentertained Saturday evening in honor of Miss . Hower. Quite a number of their ■ friends were present and en joyed the ■ hospitality of the host and hoste.-s. - An exchange tells why ladies are the biggest thieves in the world, and gives as the reason that they steel their pettieoats, bone theii stays, crib their babies, and hook their eyes. William A. Aspy, one of the pro- ' prietorsof the Geneva flouring mill, was hustling about the city Tues day. The mill in question is one jof the best in the country, a'd does business in large digestive chunks. The finest blooded roadster you ever “sot” eyes on, is now the property of a company of our horse I men. It is blooded from rear to forerunner, is a line looker and is bard to duplicate the world over. He will make the season at this place. The superintendent of the county infirmary is giving the best of | satisfaction to ail the inmates confined there, as well as to others interested in the si ccessful manage . ment of an institution in behalf of the poor people, who through some misfortune are confined there. Robbers entered a Bluffton meat market Monday night, blew the I safe door from its hinges and took [ about S3O in money from the safe. They got safely away with theswag, leaving no c ue to their identity. Our merchants should load their ' safes with dynamite for the mid-! night lifter may be walking this way. This office has the honor this ‘ week of mailing to Fred Voigt of ! Peterson, the Press for which he 'is now a regular subscriber. He ; has been a resi ’ent of Adams county for forty live years and during that time has not been a regularreader of any newspaper published j in the county. The Press however, \ j touched the spot just right and Fred . wasn’t long iu adding his name to j our long and growing roster of readers. Frank L. Ervin, the defendant in the damage suit of Longaeher vs j Ervin, of which we mentioned last | 1 week, asks for a change of venire to Wells county. The grounds upon ; which this change was asked for, as stated in his affidavit, is that he ' can’t have a fair and impartial trial in this county, owing to local j prejudice against him and hiscause ; of defense. He is represented byCantwell, Cantwell & Simmons of Hartford City. Here is a summer’s job for some I of our energt .ticmathematialinclined people. A lady took a basket of eggs to town and being asked ' howmany she had,said: “If I take the eggs out two at a time I have one egg left in the basket; if I take : ; them out threeat a time I have one I left in the basket; if I take them out four at a time I have one in the basket; if I take them out live at a time 1 have one left in the basket; if I take them out six at a time I have one egg left in the basket, but ? if I take them out seven at a time there will be none left in the basket. How many eggs are there in the basket. Council met in regular session Tuesday evening. Dr. Thomas, sec I etary of the board of health repored that the alleys in the rear of . the business roomsought to be paved I to preserve the health of the city, i The matter was referred to the street committee. The city attorney reported the two streets improvement resolutions as he was ordered on last meeting night. The one ordering the brickingofCourt street was laid over without action until the next meeting night. The resolution ordering the macadamizing of Monroe st. was passed. There solution extends the crushed stone from Thirteenth st. to the corporation line, and will be met by the property owners farther on to the cemetery. So in a short time the road to the cemetery will be macadamized the entire distance. The ! C. &E. Ry. wasgranted permission I to place crushed stone between their two tracks instead of plank as heretofore ordered. A petition was presented asking the city to furnish tile for a drain across the lot of Wm. Pillars in the north part of the city. This is a public I drain and Mr. Pillars desires to fill up his lot without obstructing the ■ drain.

Coffee & Baker, the restaurant, bakers, and confectionery hustlers have had the front of their business room painted and fixed up this week, and now they are as neat and good looking as any one might be. 11. M. Romberg, the liveryman, will soon utilize his entire building for his livery business, which will I give him considerable additional room, and make his barn one of the finest in the laud. James Chronister had the end of a linger taken otf at Vail's factory Saturday, where he operates a piece of machinery, commonly known to those intimate with this business as a jointer. Thedisabled member kept hi tn from work for a few days. Shaffer Petterson was home over iSunday and reports an extraordinary sale on 1 is vest pocket law citations. The sales are far excelling his expectations, and more of them are being printed to supply the demands. This is d wnrght luck with a vengeance. The funeral of Mrs. Richard Buck master occurred Monday afternoon, with interment in Maplewood cemetery. She died at her home in this city Saturday morning after a short illness. She was quite well known ami leaves many friends who will mourn at her sudden death. The Lawson Popejoy seduction case will not be appealed to the supreme court, as, was first intended’ by the defendant. He will meekly settle the judgment and costs accrued up to date, and wipe his nose ? of any further proceedings in the matter. This is the cheapest and most sensible way out of the difficulty. The April term of our circuit court with Judge Heller presiding ami E. Burt Lenhart as clerk, opened Monday morning. The first j day was devoted to the calling and 1 docketing of cases, ami now busi ; ness is on in earnest. The usual number of cases are on the docket | but we know of none among them of any unusual importance. At the Methodist church Tues | day evening a reception was ten-! dered the Rev. and Mrs. Gregg, ! and a good old Methodist welcoming bee was given the able pastor j and his wife. Quite a number of j their membership were present and many who were not joined the' throrg in seeing what the new preacher looked like. After a round at handshaking, coffee and j cake were indulged in, winding up with a social good time.

The Shakespeare club, a literary organization enjoyed only by a limited number of our literary ladies, will soon enjoy their annual banquet, a yearly feast which is becoming quite noteworthy. The ladies of that club are already be ginuiugiug their Easter prepara tions in honor of the event, which may be expected to overflow with the brilliance of those members who have attained the recognized literary ability, which enables them to talk with culture upon literary ' subjects and literary beings. The j banquet this year will eclipse any former production, so the lips of Mad~m Rumor sayeth, and she I knoweth, so she knoweth. The German Building, Loan and j Savings Association have become j quite an influential factor in the business circles of this city. From the secretary of the corporation. Frank Schirmeyer, we were favored j with the following report showing their financial condition at the close of business, January 31, of this year. Their assets show loans on mortgage security of $60,600; dues and interest delinquent, $ 1,00(1.39; real estate, $760.51; sheriff's certificate of sale, $425; bills receivable. $269.65; office safe. S6O; expenses paid, $217.39; cash on hand, 336.42; makings total of $63,675.36. The liabilities figure installment stock, $34,368.85; paid up stock, $7,826; borrowed money, $'.000;! dues and interest paid in advance, $1,325.50; undivided profits, $14,890.88; due borrowers on nncom I pleted loans, $264.13; totalizing! $63,675.36. The association met and elected a new board of directors in the names of David Studabaker, IV. H. Niblick, J. B. Holthouse, J. T. Merryman, F. M. Schirmeyer, B. W. Sholty, C. P. Ehinger, Theodore Smith, J. S. Peterson, Gerhart Berling and C. J. Lutz The board afterwards met and of ficered themselves by making J. B. Holthouse president, B. W. Sholty vice president, F. M. Schirmeyer ' secretary, W.'H. Niblick treasurer, and Judge Studabaker and J. Tom Merryman managers.

NUMBER 26

, Dick France was surprised by a > number of friends Saturday night, * it being his sixteenth birthday. i Those who reminded him were Will I Dorwin, Dick Christen, Earl Fristoe, Earl Coverdale, Will Barkley, Charley Schafer, Bob Miller and Arthur Bollman. On April 11, 12 and 13 at Mary (’loss & Co. occurs the grand Easter ' opening, when all the latest stybs in ladies bats, bonnets, etc., wil ! be - d splayed. This will be iuterest'ng news to the ladies, and wecall th <-ii especial attention to the anuoiin ement iu another column. The Meisse House changes proprietors next Monday, Rob a Calderwood being the incoming landlord. I. J. Meisse has had control of the house for many years past, and will now rest up for a year or 'two. Himself and family will begin private house keeping in the J. S. Niblick property- on Third street. Lewis L. Mascn, the high mogul constable <-f Wabash town-hip. and a collector of “delinktum” taxes, was iu town Monday and renewed his friendly allegiances to this office by a social call. Lew was 'forty-five this same day, but he don’t look it by twenty years; a reasonable calculation judging by his happy count' nance which was beaming with the joy of youth. In a week or two a lodge of Red -Men will be instituted in our city, | the organization starting off with | some thirty odd charter members. Lhe instituting process will take place in the Odd Fellows hall, and alter they get fully organized they wi'l look up permanent quarters for themselves. This order is quite a growing one, having in the state a large and enthusiastic membership. Last Sabbath was Palm Sunday, ' which denotes the week commemorative of the sufferings of Christ, in accordance with their beautiful custom of commemorating the entranceofChi Ist into Jerusalem with palms, exercises of a fitting chartacter were held in St. Mary’s Cath- ! olic Church iu this city. This presi ent week terminates the season of : Lent, and Easter services will be |theprogiam at this church next | Sabbath. Shortly after the Presses had : been mailed last week word reached the city cf a fatal accident on the j Grand Rapids, the same occurring j some four mihs north of this place. I The body- o! an unknown man was found alongside the track, the discovery being made by the passenger crew, the body of the dead man was ct.‘ and mangled in a horrible manner. The version of the horrible affair is that he fell from a freight train which came along there an hour or so before the passenger. Coroner Clark held an in quest over the remains,(thedecision of which was that he came to his death in a unknown manner. No friends came to claim him, so his remains were interred iu the new cemetery here on Friday. Said a traveling auditor, who had just closed one of his company’s stations because it did not nay to keepagent: “Thecitizens of these smaller towns make a great mistake in not purchasing tickets before they get on the train, helping their local agent just that much. The fact is that many agents of the smaller stations are paid for their service through a commission on the tickets they sell or on freights they bill. The company has an agent at one of its smaller stations and trains made regular stops, but the agent’s report showed so little business done that the office was ordered closed and arrangements made by which accommodation trains could bestopped by flagging. The citi zens oft he town protested vigorously. The chairman of the protesting committee stated that he rode on the train two or three times a week , but admitted that he never bough t a ticket but paid the conductor. Others of the committee admitted that they had been doing the same thing, but now saw the matter in the right light. Residents of small towns who feel that they are ignored by the train service have much of the remedy in their own hands, as where the citizens of a town always pay the conductor a feeling i pi evails at headquarters that possibly the road is not receiving w hat i belongs to it; the agent of the company becomes disheartened and does not work with zeal he would did he know that he was getting full credit for all the business the station furnished.” — Cleveland Leader.