Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 32, Decatur, Adams County, 23 May 1895 — Page 1

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

VOLUME I.

Next Sunday is Memorial Day. E. J. Meis.se was at Fort Wayne several days last week. Martin Van Baren Archbold has returned to Indianapolis. Miss Mary Baughman spent several days this week in Fort Wayne. Titus Ernest is the contracting carpenter on the new J. 8. Niblick barn. Mr. ('has. Miller and wife sj»ent Sunday with relatives and friends in Bluffton. Charles Scheifer was at Fort Wayne Monday, looking after his interests in an estate. Jake Park and Miss Clara Krill drove over from Bluffton Tuesday and took in the circus. Ringling’s circus took quite a number of our show loving people to Fort Wayne yesterday. Miss Black of Geneva, was visiting several days last week with the Misses Cora and Kathereen Meisse. j The five cent tin type freak hied himself to Bluffton yesterday, after doing business in the city for one week. Attorney France and A. R. Bell, accompanied by their wives were rusticating in Toledo the first of the Week. The front of Ike Rosenthroll’s clothing house has been painted a bright color.which looks fine as tine can make it. G. W. Gander of Marion, colonel of the 4th Regt. I. N. G., was in the city yesterday, inspecting the Decatur militia company. The daughters of Rebekah lodge of this city, were represented in grand lodge this week by Mis. J. E. Smith and Mrs- Henry Winnes. Bread is still in the market for the same reduced price—two for five. Coffee & Baker are said to be turning out several hundred loaves daily. Telephone agitator Al Oppenheim of Bluffton, stopped in town last Friday enroute home from Portland, where he is puttnig in a system of phones. Holds Bros, new well on the Mil lerfaim has been flowing for almost a week and several hundred barrels were wasted but was finally got under control this week. —Geneva Herald. List of letters remaining in the postoffice at Decatur: Miss Eva Princes, Antonia Yaquet, W. A. Dowden, Mark Smith, A. P. Whit ney, Geo. Shuman. John Welfley, Postmaster. Lou Miller, Henry Winnes, Henry Sholte, R. K. Erwin, A. P. Beatty and Norval Blackburn attended the funeral Monday of Wil liain Rabbitt, who died Saturday after a short iljness. The deceased was an old resident and a highly respected citizen. Five thousand people were in town Tuesday, that being circus day. The show wasn’t the biggest on earth, but it was a fair representation in this line, and everyone | who attended seemed perfectly sat- [ isfied. The elephants were a true ■ representation of their advertisement, being monstrous in size. They were greeted with a crowded canvas both afternoon and evening. After battling in court for some four months, and after the Wayne circuit court had decreed that the Morrison will should be broken and a redivision of the property made, a compromise was effected in which the heirs thereto will be satisfied. The costs of the suit will figure something like $50,000, which amount might have been saved had the two sides not logger-headed the case into court. But then the pub lie notoriety they attained is w orth something. Through the courtesies of Whiting Allen, the advertising contrac tor for Montana’s Wildest West, who are due here June 6, we took a peep into their advance car No 2. It was just new, made by Pullman. It contained all the latest conveniences, was neat and just right. There we met Mr. Campbell, another very pleasant gentleman, who told us all about the show business, especially the Wildest West. Seven teen bill posters got in their work during the day, and now our little city is fairly loaded with their sparkling paper. Iftheshow itself compares anything like their advance representatives, we shall have to pronounce it the best on earth-nothing less.

Lula Marker left for Indian Ter-' ritory Saturday evening. \ Tim F. Golden of Geneva, was * among the crowd who took in the I circus Tuesday. i Lloyd Dalrymple and Chauncey 1 Young will open up a bakery and e restaurant in Toledo. Book binder Weltly of Fort f Wayne, was here looking afterbusi- ’ ness with a bigß, Monday. 1 The Misses Spake and brother Harry of Bluffton, visited with 1 Miss Vinnie Cutting over Sunday. ' Mrs. R. K. Allison and Mrs. Jessie Townsend were in Portland over List Sunday, visiting with relatives. S Mis. Jacob Schafer and daughter j were visiting Fort Wayne relatives several days the latter part of last week. I j John R. Engle,state agent for one j of our best fire insurance companies, f was in town a short time Tuesday I morning. i ( Chai ley Segur’s new residence is ( a beauty and adds much to the ap- , pearance of Madison street, where ] it is located. John Christen, jam. of Mon i mouth, was in town Tuesday. He , repor ts considerable damage to the , crops by the recent freeze. Pete Holthouse was a Grand Rapids passenger to Geneva Monday, where he looked after the interest of his mercantile business. C. Bookwaiter, the junior member of Bookwaiter & Son, the roller makers of Fort Wayne, was calling upon the newspaper fraternity Tuesday. N. K. Todd and wife came over j Saturday from Bluffton. The former returned Monday while Mrs. Todd remained and will spend the week with her parents. The Junior Order of American Mechanics are fixing up the third | floor in the Niblick & Tonneliar Block, corner Monroe and Second Streets, and will use it for their lodge hall. The power of rating pensions of ex-union soldiers has been restored I to county examining boards, subject, however, to change at Wash- ! ington. The power of rating was i taken from county boards two years ago. Auditor France was out early ! show day. He fed the elephants on ; peanuts, watched the parade and j smiled at the beautiful lemon haired beauty riding the white horse. But then since we come to think I about it, there is nothing like a genuine circus. Elizabeth Scott and Mary Ridle- | berger now occupy comfortable quartersat the county bastile. They ■ were brought here from Portland by Deputy Finch, who cut such a I forlorn figure last week, when the ■ crook gave him the cold, cold shake. IHe didn't have any trouble with the girls, however. They are penned up on a charge of intoxication . and will linger until a fine of some ' $lO has been boarded out. Pref, and Mrs. A. D. Moffatt en tertained the senior high school i class at their pleasant home Tuesdre evening. Twenty were present, Fanny Rice being detained by sickI ness, and she was the only ! one absent. The class has been exceptionally progressive this year and it was but fitting that their school i work should end in pleasant social ! gathering. Luncheon was served ! I and the evening devoted to a social j i reminisence of the year’s work in j | school. The class is composed ■ : mostly of girls, all bright, and full | of life and energy. The box factory was visited by a Press reporter last week, and he seen enough during the brief period , of his visit to keep him busy telling !it for a month, had we the space and he the lungs to give the ueeesIsary oil painted touch. Some thirty employees are busy there ten hours every day, and the output is lar-e i enough not to be sneezed at. They make egg cases, taking the timber and cutting it into carpet rolls, steaming, heating and drying it, and then cutting it into proper ! length, breadth and width. The factory is away behind its orders ! and quite likely will remain so all summer long. Manager Herbert Rice showed us through the various departments and explained numerous points only known by one of experience. The industry is quite fvoluminous and beneficial to the ' city, so here is hoping it may live long and grow fat.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1895.

Cashier Dugan of the National, was at Auburn, last week, a guest of relatives and friends. Dr. Miles Porter ot Fort Wayne, was in town Monday, medical business being the object of his short stay in the city. A marriage license has been issued to John T. Cootsand Lydia C. Close, who embarked in matrimonial gear the first of the week. Will Boesse is absent this week representing the Dr. Marshall’s medicines in the markets abroad, lie reports his sales on theincrease. Surveyor Fulk and Sheriff Ash baucher, with their wives, were viewing the splendors of the rurals Sunday, stopping with the former’s parents. Mrs. Dell Locke and Mrs. H. H. Rice returned the first of the week from, the May festval, which they ■ pronounce too magnificent to describe in prose. Trustee Laughlin of Jefferson township, was smiling about town circus day, but whethei it was the elephant or business that attracted i his attention we know not. Dick Menefee was here from Geneva several days this week visi- - ting relatives. He was a former ! typo on the Democrat, but for the last few years has been in Wisconsin. The last frost made short work with the grape crop, very seriously if not entirely ruining it. The crop of beans will be somewhat I shortened, thereby increasing the ' cost price of bean soup. The largest gathering of ladies ever held in this state was at Huntington last week, when a state! |convention of historical and club’ societies was held. The represen- I tatives from this city were Mesdames E. T. Gregg, J. 8. Niblick, ’ R. B. Allison and Dorwin. Some time ago a tragedy occurred at Elwood in which a man was killed, and Henry Hires was con vieted and is serving a lifesentence in prison. Dr. Callen of Indianapolis, hypnotised a Mrs. Bolton, the prosecuting witness in the trial of Hires, and she confessed to the deed herself. The confession stirred up quite a sensation at Anderson. Harry Grubbs loaded himself up with a few extra dollars and proposed to see the world as itactually existed. In accordance with this idea he left his home here and nothing was heard of or from him for two or three days, when he was located at Bluffton—not a very good place to behold any part of this worldly sphere. He was brought home, taken through a very systematic trial of penance, and has given evidence of being a : first rate boy ever since. Sam Yost of Craigville, but form erly a denizen of French township, had his right hand amputated last week. The cause that brought forth this necessity dates back to two or three weeks ago, when he met with an accident at the tile mill at Craigville. He nad his hand badly mashed which necessi- | fated the amputation of his thumb ! and fore finger. Afterwards blood- ' poisoning set in making it neces-1 sary to take off the entire hand. It. is much to be deplored. Sam is a young fellow, energetic, and had just embarked in business for himjself. A representative of the Howe j | Pump and Engine Company will be I ! here today to close up the water! j works contract, after which we will! i give our readers a full and complete text of the contract. The contract, as we stated last week, has been verbally agreed upon and it is to be closed up today, unless something unlooked for turns up and spoils all affected plans. The plant will be one of the best in the state any where. A cheaper plant could \ have been purchased, but we consider that the council have acted wisely in putting in something that will be durable and lasting. It will be cheaper in the long run, and our people will realize these benefits. The piping will extend into every part of the city, so that not a family desiring the use of water will be disappointed. To do this it takes an unusual amount of piping besides the expense of putting them in. We also stated last week that the city would have to test the wells, which they- would have to have done had the Fort Wayne parties gobbled the contract. But the Howe people will make the test without any expense whatever to the city.

Sam Roush, the owner of the famous 8. 8. S. cigar at Bluffton, was i mingling with his trade here last Friday evening. It is claimed that the Richmond hospital is very much overcrowded and that over one hundred patients are awaiting admission. ( The additional passenger train that was to have been put on the Clover Leaf last Monday, failed to materialize. It is still forthcoming and will be a reality next Monday. Cashier Allison of theOld Adams, Sundayed at Cincinnati, where he twisted finger joints w ith old friends and saw the Cincinnati Reds wallop the Bostons in a league ball game. Shale gas which was struck on the Tom Hollingsworth faim, east of Geneva; caused several double headers in that many daily papers. The How was so strong that operations for the time were abandoned. The new A. G. Briggs residence at Genevaisacominodiousaffair,be-! ing large, handsome and quite an ornament to the resident portion of Geneva. Its completed cost is $4,- ! 000, so you may little imagine the! elegant comfort that will be conceal-I I ed therein. Esq. P. J. Bryan of Berne, stopi ped over in town last Friday on his return from Ohio, where he had ! been settling up an estate of his j deceased father-in-law. The surviving family are insisting strongly on the Esq. taking up his residence j j there, but we hope he won't think such a step necessary. A very natural curiosity has led many of our citizens to ask Ehinger ■ & Meyers to see the famous “H. 8. & M.” attire for men, which they show this year in greater variety I than ever. Whether you have I | bought elsewhere or not it is worth : ; while to go in and see the sort of j clothing being worn by the best j dressed men in all the greatest cities of America. The world is running ou wheels just now. The enormous growth of i the bicycle business in recent years is indicated by the fact that while ! the total number of bicycle manufactories in the United States was but six in 1885, with an out-put of only 11,000 wheels, and in 1800 but seven, with 40,000, at the pre sent time there are 136 factories which will make nearly a half million wheels this year. The first new case docketed for the August term of court is one in which Laniel A. Straub seeks to be divorced from Sarah J. Straub. The complaint shows them to have been married December 17, 1881, and lived together until May 21, 1805. The plaintiff alleges cruel i and inhuman treatment among ! them the failing to cook his meals, manj’ times having to do it himself. The fruits of their marriage were four children, respectively, Henry aged thirteen years. William aged I seven, Charles aged five, and Frank ■aged six months. He asks the court to sever the matrimonial ties ! and to give him the custody of the ! children. C. M. France is attorney j for the plaintiff. In order to give all a fair show ; for the $200.00, our accomplished , horse editor has solemnly promised not to ride the Belgrade Bucking Bull in Beveridge's Montana Wild esl West, on June 6, or at least not until all others have failed in the ! attempt. What he may then conI elude to do, as yet, remains a secret' I between himself and the bull. It is I however, an open s ecret that by long odds the biggest and most uniquely attractive show ever seen in this enlightened community may be confidently looked for, and there is universal anticipation of a notable., busy, profitable and memorable holiday. The only tribe without a country-—and hundreds of uni adulterated and most savage kind ■at that, the champion Abdallah i troupe of Arabs: the big new era ! border hippodrome; the SIO,OOO ! challenge congress of crack shots, j including Cap. A-H. Bogardus: the i noted bevy of aerial lady artists: ' the Indian village of fifty wigwams; \ the regiment of rough riders; the | cowboy camp; the battle scenes, ! barbaric fiances, ceremonies ami customs: the daring ami skillful equestrian rivalries: the various ■ rifle, pistol, shotgun, lariat and other contests; the breezy illustrations of pioneer sport and the grand j inaugural free pageant of the plains I are among the assured attractions and such a big show cannot well fall ! short of attracting a proportionate attendance.

Paul Hooper is making quite an extensive addition to his residence property, which will make things look vastly different thereabouts, < Will Moon is the artist. J. Frank Mann was attending I. O. O. F. grand lodge this week, as 1 a representative of St. Mary's lodge. Agent DeLong was the regular representative but C. & E. business kept him from attending. The memorial services will be held at the Methodist church next i Sabbat h,wr.ich everybody is cor- < dially invited to attend. The sermon will be delivered by Rev. ' Vitz,while other city ministers will be present. The marriage record shows the uaim sos Beach Graham and Florence R. Carey, Henry Lutmann and Louise S. Bohnke, John T. Coots and Lydia C. Close as having sup I plied themselves with the required license to marry m haste and repent at leisure. F. W. Fuelling & Bros, are the ! owners of Monargue, a beautiful !dark bay stallion, which is a fine specimen of horse flesh. The horse weighs 1,850 pounds and is seventeen hands high. He will make

the season on Mondays and Tues- ; 1 days at Frederick Bohne’s, Wed- j nesdays and Thursdays at F. W. . ! Fuelling’s, and Fridays and Satur- j days at H. D. Fuelling’s. , At Parker Citj’ last Friday morn -1 ! ! nig a divorced husband tried to get ■ ! I even with his once was wife by try- ' ■ ing to blow her through the pearly ! gates of heaven. He placed dyna-1 1 mite under the house where she ■ lived, and the result was a terrible shaking up of every thing there abouts. The woman lived through the ordeal ami at once pioclaimed , i it a conspiracy in which her former husband was a central figure. He I is now in jail. The Geneva public schools closed last Saturday. This term has been ■ uniformly successful throughout. Every teachei, so far as we have ■ I been informed, giving complte sat i isfaction to the patrons, so far as such a thing could be possible beI fore the millennium. Prof. M inans i and his corps of teachers deserve • i the highest commendation for their jatility and success in <li-eipliug ■ and instructing Geneva’s rising i generation.—Geneva Herald. The fruit farm of Will Mj ers that bloomed forth in such radiance a few j weeks ago, is now numbei <1 among the what might have been’s, had not Jack Frost traveled this way with his spring bottom snow shoes, and left a footprint that will

be remembered with anything but pleasure. Grapes, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and everything that then showed such unmistakable signs of vitality, are now withered and crestfallen, never to be revived. The loss incurred to Mr. Myers will suiely make a thousand dollar bill look sick, and that is surely enough for one man to lose. But those that have must, ! lose, an old time consoling saying ' that can properly be utilized al this late day. The great Indian and Wild Wes! show (Beveridge’s) which will be here on Thursday, June 6, goes from here to Wapakoneta, on Friday; Piqua, Saturday, and Ciuein- ! nati the week following. A short ' time ago Builalo Bill caused a mis leading statement to be sent out to ■ the press of the country, to the el- > I feet that the secretary of the inte- : rior would not permit any Indians j ; excepting the 41 that are with Bus-! falo Bill's show. Now, that is par- ■ ! tially true, as it applies to the In- i idians under government control. ! But the 178 Indians with the Bev- i ! eridge show, and there are exactly that number, are utterly savage Indians of the Cree tribe, the only tribe that is not under government control and clothed and fed, land either ha'f or wholly civilized by Uncle Sim. Mr. Beveridge, who is one of Montana’s millionaires, has been feeding and clothing this homeless tribe for over a year and organized this show to make them in a measure self-sustaining. When he read of thiscovert assault ! upon his philanthropic measure, his ire was aroused and he imme diately set about organizing a show • I so much larger than Buffalo Bill’s, that there can be no question about ! It, and he is heading eastward to meet Mr. Buffalo William upon his ■ own ground and prove the falsity i of that dime novel hero's statement; i and at the same time do a little ■ business for his helpless red refu- | gees.

NUMBER 32

Henry Knepstein Dies. The shocking news of the tragic death of Henry Knepstein reached this city some time Saturday forenoon. The d< tails of the affair are shocking in the extreme, and again reveals the same old reminder that recklessness will sooner or later meet a fate unlooked for. ami most always a fatal one as this proves. The accident happened across the Allen county line in Madison township, near Hoagland. The closing exercises at No. 4 took about the usual number of interested there. After that was over George Roudebush agreed to drive several of the party home in his big wagon. The driver seems to be of a reckless, daring kind, and trieil lo race with several passing vehicles. Along came C. Sprague, driving a single buggy, and the one challenged and the other accepted. VYhile driving at a frantic pace the tongue of the big wagon dropped to the ground. The wagon upturned and the occupants were thrown out. All this only made the horses become unmanageable, running away and dragging the wagon over many prostrate forms. Henry Knepstein only lived a half hour after the fa-

tality. Earl Roudebush had a leg broken, Caroline Auwfeldt had several ri'os broken and her hips injured, and her condition is yet considered critical. Lizzie Knepstein had her right leg and shoulder severely bruised, while George Roudebush was injured internally. In all it was a sad and deplorable occurrence, ami created sufficient grief to last the inhabitants of that community alifetime. The funeral of the young Knepstein boy took place Monday. He was but sixteen years nld. and his parents are simply heart broken at his sudden untimely death. Frank B. Johnson, the collector lof bad debts and the organizer of l local boards, is now in limlto, there to remain until judgment is passed ! on him. Our mention of his methods !of doing business is still fresh in I the minds of our people so we won’t rehash that this week. Our officers located him al Versailles, Ohio, and Deputy Sheriff Dan Erwin went there Sunday night returning Monday after.loon with the prisoner, jwho s»oie the shining bracelets, lb- is a good looking fellow, but i rather sm. oth we judge. In a short interview w.th a Press reporter he | boldly proclaimed his innocence, stating that the local fraternity for whom he done business was a little premature in placing the fetters of law on him for embezzlement. His

statements proclaim that no contract or definite time was fixed for the turning over of monies collected, an 1 that any time within a year was valid under the contract and understanding between all concerned. He tailed, though, to explain why he suddenly departed between two days, failing to make any explanation of his absence, and whether or not he ever intended to | duplicate his appearance with the collected money as well as many j unpaid statements and notes then lin his hands. The fact of the busii ness is, he is smooth, nothing more nor nothing less. A letter from Toledo police informs our people that the election agency " horn he 1 pretended 1 represent, had not been in existence for some time, ' and that at no time duringits bnsii ness career was there ever in their l employ a man or agent by name of i Frank Johnson. The local agency : here had to give up S2O as a reward I for his capture as well as all exI penses in connection therewith, which will make it rather a dear scheme for the collection of other i monies then due them, part of : which had already been collected and was in the pocket of another. But si ill it ought to be an impressive lesson to them, so it is useless for us to exercise a newspaper privilege by reminding them that collectors ami lawyers were herein abundance, ami if they couldn’t collect their amounts they might as well figure them into the lost column. trade them for a dog and then kill tiie dog. A Boston girl thus describes the manner in which a goat butted a boy out of the front yard. “He hurled the previous end of his anatomy against the boy’s after- , ward with an earnestness and vei loeity. which backed by the ponderosity' of the goat’s avoirdupois, imparted a momentum that was not ■ relaxed until he landed on terra firnia beyond the pale of the goat’s jurisdiction.’’