Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 39, Decatur, Adams County, 25 February 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME I

EIGHT KILLED A Battle With Deputy * Marshals. WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINERS DEFY AUTHORITIES. Special io The Dally Democrat. 3:15 p. ni. Charleston. West Virginia. Feb. J.',. -In I desperate battle with Winchester repeating ritles. between .-triking coal millers and United States Deputy Marshal- today, eight persons were killed and six wounded. The battle •renrreo at Weight’s Mine in Ralleigh bounty, and resulted when two hundred and fifty striking miners attempted to prevent one hundred fed’ eral otli ers who had been specially sworn in to serve the miners with injunction papers. AN EXPLOSION. Rolla Shaw Meets With Painful Accident While Firing Stove. Rolla Shaw met with an accident this morning which may disfigure him for life and destroy his eye sight. About 7aJO o’clock this morning he went up to the Entre Nous club rooms where he is employed as janitor and started to build a fire but with all his efforts he could not make it burn and he finally dashed in a big quantity of coal oil. There were sufficient coals in the stove to generat. gas and when a match was thrown in an explosion occurred and a sheet of flame flasher! into the face of the unsuspecting boy, burning his head and face badly. After the acci dent he managed to make his way to the office of Dr. J. S. Coverdale, who dresser! his wounds. The burn is a very serious one and if his eye sight is not destroyed or badly impaired he mav consider himself lucky as the odds are about even. CITY COUNCIL. 3.'; ■' 1 As Extra Session Held by City Dads Last Night. The city council met in extra ses sion last night, with all members present and Mayor Coffee in the chair. The committee reported that they were unable to contract with S. Span gler for the rental of his building for a fire department, and the report was ordered struck. We are to understand then that the possibilities of securing lietter fire equipment and accommodations for apparatus is again doomed. The electric light committee will buy a new dynamo for the incandescent service, but have not yet decided what make of machines they will get. The new boiler, which is under construction at the Bass works, Fort Wayne, is expected to arrive within twc weeks. The city is quite badly in need of this steamer, as the others are in had condition and have leaky flues. No bills were allowed at last night’s meeting. RATHBONE SISTERS. They Will Give An Entertainment Next Friday Evening. Sisters have arranged 'for an entertainment next Friday evening at 8 o clock, and will afford tin following interesting program: Opening address, Judge JL Erwin. Instrumental solo, Mrs. Ed wards. Vocal duet. Reading, Ota Gilpen. Recitation. Irene Huusicker. Vocal solo, Florine Edwards. Tn Htrument.d solo, Margaret Hughes. Reading, Mearl Burdge. German recitation, Mabel Ashbacher. Readinp. Amelia Winters. Vocal solo, Marieß's-rv. Recitation, Opal lUi raff. Beading, Vada Martin. Reci tation, Fred Gay. Reading, Lola Jackson Vocal solo, Rev. Pontius. I

The Daily Democrat.

HOW THEY FEEL. A Farmer Who Thinks Well ot An Electric Line. 1 he way I look at these electric lines t hey are a greater benefit to the farm,ng community than to the cities, said L- B. Britton of Toledo. I admit that the building of these lines are of mutual lienefit, but it appears to me that the farmer gets the best of the bargain. Take for instance my case. I own 370 acres of land and if I can induce an electric line to build through my farm, I consider that it will be worth at least ten dollars more an acre than it is now. This estimate of the increase of the value is not too high. I have friends on the Toledo & Western and other electric lines, who have actually realized more that ten dollars an acre increase on their farms on account of electric lines. Figuring on this basis and taking the strip of farming land which is affected by an electric line, the actual increase to the value of farms would almost if not quite build a road. There is another feature to it besides the dollars and cents con sideration. With electric lines giving the farmers the same service that the city receives from street cars, country Iwys will not be leaving the farm as they have in the last twenty years. W ith rural delivery, telephones and electric roads, the only difference between country and city life is that the country boys and girls will have better things to eat and purer air to breathe. In my opinion, with good electric line service, business men of the city will begin to migrate to the country. They will do busines in the city and live in the country. For my part lam willing to give any electric line the right of wav along my farm. I want it on my side of the road, so that I can load my produce and milk on the cars from my barn and get into a ear from my door step. Every vear hundreds of dollars worth of produce goes to waste because we can not get it to the market. Then our dairy products can be sent to the market cheaper and quicker by electric lines than by wagon. All the farmerson the Toledo Western have to do is to put the milk in cans and set them on the platform at their barn and the electric lines delivers it in the city. Electric lines will also help pay our taxes without increasing the expenses of the county. 1 do not beleive that the farmers fully appreciate the advantages of the electric lines. Talk about rural delivery an electric line is worth ten times as much to the farmer.

CHANGE OF ROUTE Dr. George Line Will Run Through Steele. > I work Will Begin as Soon as Weather Will Permit, Perhaps Next Week. With the opening of spring comes renewed activity in the electric railway business, and it looks now very much as though by fall the rails for at least two roads will be laid in this county. The Morgan line looks like a sure thing and the Dr. George people are pushing right along. Concerning the latter road we were in formed by a representative who is in toivn that the engineer and his squad of assistants will be here either next week or the first of the week following to set stakes for the grading. He also informs us that the route will very probably lie changed from first plans and instead of going to Willshire will go direct from Rock ford to Steele, from there to the pike and into this city past the county infirmary. We feel sure that the prosperous people of Blue Creek and the other townships thus benefitted will appreciate this change which was made to avoid running parallel with the Clover Leaf railroad.

PLANS ARE READY. Contractors Can Bid on Union Township School House. The plans and apecilieatious for the new school house to be built this summer in district number five, Union township, are now on file at the auditor’s office, where they may lie viewed by contractors or any one else interested. Bids will *»' received for the construction of the new building on Saturday, March 7. It will lie a mod era and strictly up to date structure.

DECATUR, INDIANA. WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 25, 1903.

THE POWER HOUSE The Morgan Electric Line Headquarters Here. Their Representative Will Be in Decatur Monday To Arrange For The Surveying. Mayor Coffee has secured the promise that Decatur can have the power house for the new electric line which is to run from Toledo to Indianapolis and only the wise will realize what this means for our prosperous city. Besides this the representative who has been corresponding with Mr. Coffee has informed him that they expect to make this the central paying station for the line, and during its construction uot less than' $150,000 will be paid to the various emplovees from this Decatur office. The greater part of this sum would be spent here, to say nothing of the large amount of wages that would be paid each week. It is certainly too great a thing to pass by and we are certain that our citizens will make every possibloeffort to do their part towards helping them. The route of the new line has been mentioned several times and will eome down through the Blakey settlement to this city; from here to Preble, Peterson, Honduras, Linn Grove and on to Hartford City and Indianapolis. The general engineer will be here next Monday and arrangements for surveying the county will be com pleted with local engineers. The line is backed by Morgan and is a sure thing for this territory. Let’s land this if there is any way to do so, and there seems to be as the promoters are anxious to come through Decatur. When the representative comes let’s give him the right kind of treatment and talk business straight up to him.

IT IS SUSTAINED. The United States Supreme Court Sustains Ihe Barrett Law. The supreme court in an opinion handed down sustains the Barrett law, thus removing all doubt of the validity of the Barrett law bonds. The case is that of Hannah Schaefer vs Julius Worling of Huntington, Ind. ; The court says: “This case involves the validity of a statute of Indiana , known as the Barrett law. We deem it sufficient to refer to the opinion in the case of Adams vs city of Shelbyville, in which the supreme court of Indiana closed an elaborate decision of the various provisions of the law in these words: ‘We therefore conclude that see. 3, act of 1889, must be construed as providing a rule of prima facie assessments in street and alley improvements which allotments by the city or town engineer under sei 1 . 6 of said act are subject to review and alteration by the common council and board of trustees under sec. 7 of said act of 1889 as amended upon the basis of actual special benefits received by the improvement and that under said sec. 7 the common council or board of trustees of an incorporated town has not only the power, but it is its imperative duty to adjust the assessments for street and alley improvement, under said act to conform to the actual special benefits accruing to each of the abutting propertyowners.’ ”

WEIGHING MAILS. Beginning March 3, All Mails Will Be Weighed by the Government. Beginning at midnight March 3 all mail going out and coming into Indi anapolis will be weighed by a special weigher on each train. This will lie continued for about sixty days and re ports will be sent daily to the chief clerk of the railway mail service at Cincinnati, whoin turn will have them gone over by a force of tabulating clerks. These clerks will probably turn their reports some time in July and the prices fixed for carrying the mails will be given out to the railroad companies soon thereafter. The law governing the pay for the transportation of mails is based on the number of pounds aud miles the mails are carried and the weighing of the mails is to aid the officials in figuring out ex actly the amount of every contract.

THE PRIZE MONEY. The Supreme Court Decides The Dewey Prize Mondy Cases. The United States suprems court Tuesday decided the prize money cases brought by Admiral Dewey on behalf of himself and the officers and men of his fleet on account of the vessels sunk at Manila and afterwards reclaimed, in their favor, but the cases of Admiral Sampson, for whose name that of Admiral Taylor was substituted in his own behalf and that of his officers and men on account of the Maria Theresa sunk at the battle of Santiago, were decided adversely to the claimants. The Theresa was sunk after being rescued, whereas the vessels reclaimed at Manila are still in use.

SOARING UPWARD. Prices on Dry Goods Take A Big Advance. Carpets, Cotton and Woolen Goods Go Up From Ten to Twentyfive Per Cent. Dealers in dry goods in Decatur as well as everywhere else have been receiving notice the past few days of a big advance on the wholesale price of all kinds of goods handled by them including cotton and woolen goods, linens, thread, carpet, notions, in fact everything pertaining to this line and in consequence an advance to the consumer or customer will be necessary for the wholesale price on nearlv all their goods is now more than the retail price heretofore obtained. It is unusual because this is between seasons and an advance at this time of the year has nevei occurred. (Tn different articles the advance vanes from ten to twenty-five per cent, and on a few even a bigger jump is made. The continued large demand ami the small supply of goods not available at first hands for spring delivery are the factors principally responsible for the advance. The advance of .1 to cent a pound in cotion and of 5 to 10 per cent, in yarns within the last two weeks are contributory factors. The scarcity and high cost of coal, the high prices of mill supplies, the high rate of wages and other factors that increase the cost of production have been felt for some time. This is not an ordinary spring boom, but is built on a stronger foundation than usual and may be expected to last longer providing demand from retailers develops as expected. As a consequence peop-!--’ may fully expect to pay more for dry ,foods of every kind than in r’ceni vrmrs.

AT NOTRE DAME. Carl 0. France Will Work Out at That Place. C. <>. France has received notice that the Decatur, Illinois, base ball club of the Indiana, Illinois and lowa, or Three I league, will work out this spring at Notre Dame. He will re reive notice and ticket to that place soon, and will go some time between March 25 and April 2. Bones has made up his mind to plav ball again this season, and as Decatur has made him the very excellent offer of $125 per month, he has decided to go with it in preference to the Southern or Pacific league. He played at Bans and Dallas, Texas, last season. WAS DELIGHTFUL. A Very Pleasant Social Affair Given Last Evening. Miss Dixie Triplette of Stamping Ground, Kentucky, was the guest of honor at a liappv event given last evening by her sister, Mrs. Samuel Acker, at her home on Third Street. A dozen young ladies participated in progressive pedroand the other amusements of the evening, including refreshments of the most elegant kind. At cards first award was captured by the guest of honor. Miss Tripplette. The guests wore Mrs. Fred Tague, Mrs. A. E. Rose, Misses Lulu Miller, Ada Springer, Bessie and Jennie Congleton, Eva and Mints Acker, Grace and Lizzi« Peters >n, aud Miss Tripplette.

WANTS $5,000. Joseph Beery Defendant in Sensational Suit. Charges of Breach of Promise and Others of Serious Nature Are Included. At four o’clock this afternoon a damage suit of the most sensational kind was filed in the Adams circuit court, entitled Samantha Cassel vs Joseph D. Berry, demand SSOOO. A breach of promise to marry and seduction are alleged and owing to the prominence of the parties will cause quite a stir. Joseph Berry is one of the best known farmers in the county and Mrs. Cassell who was formerly Miss Samantha Andrews is likewise well known. Thecomplaintalleges that January 6, 1902, Mrs. Cassel was employed as housekeeper by Mr. Beery and went to his home to live; that about the first of February following or about a month afterward Mr. Beery asked the plaintiff to marry him and she accepted; that he continued to pay her attention until the fifth of December last. She asked him several times after their contract had been made to fulfill his promise by making her his wife but he put her off and finally told her he never would marry her. She also alleges the charge of seduction and gives dates and circumstances in too plain a manner to makegood reading. The plaintiff is about forty years old and alleges that owing to the terrible strain she has been under she has suffered terribly in anguish of mind, mental suffering and bodily pain, and has become amaciated; is unable to sleep or work; that she has spent considerable money for medical attention, but is still in poor health. The case was filed by A. P. Beatty, attorney for plasntiff.

ON TO BLUFFTON. Big Delegation of Pythians Go to District Meeting. About seventy-five Knights of Pythians left at noon today for Bluffton over the Clover Leaf. The occasion is the district meeting of this lodge and about four hundred are in attendance. The Decatur delegation were met by the committee on reception and escorted down town. The grand public parade occurred at half past one o’clock and the visiting members were escorted to castle hall where the program was duly executed. Those participating in the same were Rev. L. A. Becks and C. E. Sturgis of Bluffton, George W. Bergman of Portland, A. S. Elzey of Ossian, J. A. Hindman, man of Hartford City, Judge R. K. Erwin and E. Burt Lenhart of this city. A business session will l>e held at seven o'clock this evening, which will be followed by rank work, Keki onga lodge steering the erring victim through the mysteries of the Rank of Page, the Hartford City lodge confer ing the Rank of Esquire, and the Portland lodge the Rank of Knight.

COURT BUSINESS. Short Session This Morning and The Result. Court was in session this morning and adjourned about ten o’clock to permit members of the bar to attend the district K. of P. meeting at Bluffton. A little business was transacted and docketed as follows: State vs William Lotzenhizer and Vent Everett nolle entered and defendants discharged. State vs Carl Burley, assault and battery, set for trial March 3. Benjamin Emenne vs Mlirie Emetine, rule to answer absolute in five dare. Decatur Loan Association va Albert Schurger et al, death of Chris tian Koepper suggested,amended com plaint filed. Indiana Trust Co. made party defendant and summons issued. "UNDER THE LAURELS.” The Hoagland Dramatic club have announced the presentation of “Under the Laurels, ’ for March 7. The cast is a strong one, and we expect the people of Hoagland to get such a glare of lights and successful turns as will hold them for a while The famous Decatur orchestra will furnish the music for the evening.

NUMBER 39

LENT BEGINS. The Season of Fasting will Continue Until Easter. Today marks the opening of the Lenten season, and the observance of this occasion was duly began this morning with appropriate services at the St. Mary’s Catholic church. The word Lent has its origin in “lengtentide,” a Saxon term for spring, as being the the time of the lengthening of the day. Originally the season of fasting began on what is now the first Sunday in Lent, but, it being found that when Sundays were omitted there remained only thirty-six days, the period was made by Pope Gregory XV. to begin four days earlier, on what has since been called Ash Wednesday. This name was derived from the notable ceremony of the day in the Roman Catholic church. It was thought proper to remind the faithful, at the commencement of the penitential season, that they were but dust and ashes, and they were blessed and sprinkled with holy water. The ashes used were formerly made of the palms consecrated at the palm Sunday of the previous year.

WAGNER SIGNED. Fort Wayne Gzts The Ossian South Paw. Clyde Wagner, the young Ossian pitcher, has signed for the season with the Fort Wayne team of th® Central league. A contract wa» signed by him yesterday with I. Mautner, president and manager of the Fort W’ayne team. He is the only “south paw” pitcher on the team and he reports for duty the latter part of Mar?h at a good salary. It was largely owing to the efforts of James Keefer, editor of the Ossian News, that W'agner secured the place on the league team. Mr. Keefer has had hie welfare at heart ever since he showed up as a pitcher of promise. As a member of the minor league Wagner is subject to draft from one of the larger leagues at any time, and before the season ends may be with the Cincinnati Red or some other of the big leaguers.

BURIED TODAY. Funeral of Fred C. Shoppman Held This Afternoon at Bingen Church. The funeral of Fred C. Shoppman, who was killed Sunday morning in a freight collision on the P. Ft. W. A C. railway, at Larwill, was held at the Bengin Lutheran church, at twn o’clock this afternoon. The deceased was well known here and highly re spected by all who knew him. H« was nineteen years ord and bad been in the service as brakeman but three months. At the time of the collision he was in the cab of the engine and was caught between the boiler and the tender and horribly mangled. A widowed mother survives and is forced to suffer the loss of an only son.

TO LICENSE EDITORS. An Effort To Separate Us From O«r Money. A radical bill to confer privileges on newspaper editors, publishers, reporters and correspondents was in troduced in the senate Friday by Senator Crumbaker, of Evansville. The bill permits newspajwr men to dv cline to tell grand juries the names of their informants when crimes are lie ing investigated without being ia contempt of court. A second section of the bill makes it an offense, finable in any sum from $lO to SSO, for giving a newspaper reporter a “fake" injurious story for purpose of publi cation. HAD SMALL POX. Former Decatur Boy Very Sick in The West. Mr. anil Mrs, Cyrus Hammel re ceived word yesterday that their son, Frank Hammel, has been very sick with smallpox at Carpeutina. Califor nia, where ho has been working for two years past. He is not well yet by any means but is believed to be out jf danger and this fact is good new* to his many friends here.