Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 56, Decatur, Adams County, 16 March 1903 — Page 1

I VOLUME 1

BANK IS CLOSED ■ first National Bank at I Jacksonville Involved. ißk Closing Order Was Made by the Comptroller of Currency. J Bp- al to Dally Democrat. 2:30 P. M BXVashington. D C. March V'. — First National Bank at .lackBssß|s3s!iE # villi'. Florida, was closed today by order of the .Comptroller of Chi - noy. The bunk examiner is and no statement is 1» ing out. It lias always been rejor 1 as the oldest and strongest I*l in the state. *p«< . to the Dally Democrat. 2:30 p. m. ■ppringtield. 111.. March 16.—-One K fatal injury by an explosion in the ■ Cardiff mine, is reportixl today, Jyhere three men were killed last ■■ursday. ■ COURT NEWS. | Legal Business 1 ransacted Before Judge Erwin. Hk": ■ Court eases Were docket'd to £ day us follows: Decatur National vs Steven Isingeiiberger and Heath, evidence of Steven law office of C. .1 Lutz next Saturday morning: George Haines vs -s Haines et al. answer filed; IIP Beatty appoint'd t<> represent Ch.-'.' es Hames and tiles his answer. Jul jus Haugk vs. Mary. Adam and plosan Brown, appearance entered by Heller & Son for Isaac, ruled to answer in five days Samantha 'list'd vs . Joseph Beery, answer £to complain* Ohio Farmers rance ccompanny vs James 8. ison, suit on note, evidence hear by Judge Erwin. In probate •ourl the guardianship cues of ‘iffetm a Louis and Huber DeVoss. L. C DeVoss. guardian, was or dijtod left off docket. A motion Was files! in the ease of Janies T. Bail y guardian for Mary G Gage, to build a line fence and drill a well and the same was ordered. SEVERE PENALTY. Be* Law for the Protection of the Public Highway. Mhf’c ate bill No 380 amends sec tior 047. Burns. 1901, which terbids hugrv hauling when the roads are •UM It r< quires the weight of the .SBjH' or” to ho inelnded with that of th<" ‘hide and load in determining size of the load hauled. The weight which may be on narrow tire-. G redue>m 3,'.’00 t0'.’.500 jKjunds, on three nd four inches Wide from 3,7(31 to 3,000, on tiros from four to five inches wide, from 4,0t>0 to 3,000 anil on tires over five inches wide from 4 500 to 3,K00, i>esides the reduction incident to Mounting in the driver’s weight as jmrt of the load. A proviso is added that road sujx'rvisors and su]xtintendents shall have jxilice jxiwers to urest on sight or by legal process any person, who in his judgment, is or has Ixen violating the law, and shall be entitled to a fee of ♦'?, to lie mates-' <] against the culprit in case of. bis conviction. The act took effect March V.

The Daily Democrat.

PARCEL DELIVERY. John Trim will Soon Put a Wagon in Service Here. John Trim, a son of Jacob Trim of this city, recently moved here from Van Wert and is making preparations to start parcel delivery system for Decatur. A wagon for the service is now under construction and as business warrants it, more carriages will be put in use. The regular price for deliveries will be ten cents and parcels can I be sent to any part of the city for that price. It is the promoter’s intention to make* quick service the most noticeable feature, which is the highest essential to a successful delivery system. The installation of this parcel delivery will certainly ’ lie a great convenience to merchants ' and the citizens of this town, as it ' is just what is needed. YOUNG ONES. Six Bluffton Youths on a Bum. Go Many Hours Without Food and Then Walk Back Home. Six little boys, only one ot whom jis over the age of nine, dead-headed ; a freight train frrom Bluffton over ' here Saturday. Their names are Hower Smith, Buck Huffman, Roy Miller, George Walbert and Low , Connett. The last named is said to be the leader of the crowd and is fourteen years old. He has planned these trips several times and it is said action will be taken, commencing today in the Wells circuit court to send him to the reform school. The boys left Blutffon about eight o'clock Monday morning and arrived here some time before noon. They being about the railroad all day without a bite to eat. At five o'clock Constable Pennington saw them and ordered them out of town. It was growing dark but the little fellows started west down that track, crying from fright and hunger Three of the boys walked home the entire distance of sixteen miles, while the other three hid near the G. R. & I. crossing. About this time the jiarents of the lads began telephoning and kept the lines busy for awhile. At seven o'clock Mr Elliott and another gentleman from Bluffton came over to get the boys ! and were very angry when they learned that an officer hed driven their lioys out of town under the circumstances. A telephone mesI from Bluffton this morning j said the boys had all arrived safe. INSURANCE CASE. A Suit in Court to Collect Note for Premium. The case of the ()hio Farmers Insurance comjainy vs. James Johnson is lieing heard in the circuit court today, this being the'suit tried several weeks ago liefore 'Squire Baughman, who returned a verdict. Jor the plaintiff. The case was npjH'uled by Mr. Johnson. A not*' was given by Mr. Johnson for insur ance on his farm jiroperty, but was cancelled aliout the time it went into effis't, the company claiming the policy was in force three days which would permit them to collect, twenty per cent, of the premium. John on claims to have cancelled before the date of the policy. J. W. Toepie appeared for the plaintiff and Schafer Peterson for the defendant.

DECATUR, INDIANA, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 1903.

LIFE CRUSHED OUT Boy Tramp is Killed on Chicago & Erie. NAME WAS AMOS CRAIG, THE YOUNGEST TRAMP IN THE WORLD. Reckless Career of a Twelve-Year-Old Lad Ends in Death on the Rails. In the cm blaming rooms at L. Yager & Sons in this city lies the remains of a brown eyed, light haired boy of but twelve summers, a lad in knee pints. His name is Amos Craig and his former home was St. Louis. He has been known as the boy tramp of America and his boyish appearance and sad story have brought him dimes in all the big cities of the country. A month i ago he landtxl in the gas belt of Indiana and in all the cities of this generous section he has been treated with sympathy and aided in every possible way. Ten days ago he went to Marion and was locked up by in the police station. His story was given to the newsjiaper reporters and published and the next, day he was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Arville Graham of that city. They offered him a home and all the advantages of an education. After two days he relx-llixl and was again turned over to the police; then Mr. and Mrs. Merriman took him in with similar offers of everything that money could buy. He remained there until Saturday, when he informed them he preferred life on the road to being the pet of any household. He went to the Clover Leaf railroad and came to this city on the head end of the east bound passenger train Sunday morning. On the way he fell in with two young men from Wabash, who gave their names as Barton Rousey and Oscar Hoover They arrived here at 8:30 and the accident which caused the death of Amos occurred at eight o’clock. The three boys intended to go to Lima and had gone west down the C. & E. tracks, nearly to the tank when fast freight, numbber 78, came past run ning about ton miles an hour. Hoover and Rausey both tuoceeded in getting on and their boy companion attempted to follow but misse i hi* foot hold and war thrown to the ground with terrific force. The train was stopped and Conductor Hamilton and others who arrived soon, carried the injured youth to the home of John Drummond where he died at 9:20, after suffering terribly. Immediately after the accident Dr. Miller was called but found the boy beyond aid. The right leg was broken at the thigh, both hips crushed and a terrible wound in the Imek, the latter causing an internal hemorrhage and death. When Con ductor Hamilton reached the injured boy's side, he found him sinking into unconsciousness from which he never awoke, the only words ho said intelligibly being to tell his name and residence. He cotitiniiixl to mutter until death came, but' could not be understood. His Ixxly I was taken to the Yager establishment at one o’clock and a post' mortem examination held by Dr<. i Miller, ( lark and Keller, the stomach showing that, the lad had drank a large amount of liquor within a few hours before death. On the theory that he had lx <n intoxicated from whiskey given him by companions, Hoover and Ramsey and a man named Clinton Ormsby who said his homo was at Uniondale, were arrested and plaixxl in jail. Coroner C. E. Schenck of Berne, was notified and arrived at noon holding an inquest at the jail at two o'clock. The information given by the several witnesses examined con firmed the story as given above, but the boys arrested claimed to

have no knowledge of his having anything to drink and Paul Wooten who saw Amos a few moments before the accident said he showed no effects of liquor. Ormsby proved he knew nothing of the case but admitted he had Ix'en drinking. Hoover and Rumsey told their stories in a plain and honest, manner convinced their hearers that they were innnocent of the crime. A telephone message from Marion said the boy's father Warren Craig, lived in St. Louis and was a glass blower ' and that. Amos claimed to have ran away from home because of cruel treatment from his step mother. A message was immediately sent to the chief of police at St. Louis, asking him to locate the father. It is indeed a sad case and should lx 1 a warning other youths who have wild desires to go on the road. Coroner Schenck will give his verdict this evening but says he doesn't lx>lieve any of the men arrested are responsible for his death. A telegram from Chief of Police Macklin Kelley of St. Louis, this afternoon said that Warren D. Craig lived at 1514 California avenue, St. Louis, but says he lias no children away from home. Unless some other infomation is received the lad will be buried tomorrow afternoon. OUT OF OFFICE. W. A. Lower Has Good Official Record. William A. Lower of this city, ‘ concluded his term as deputy superintendent of public instruction i Saturdayevening,after four years of I faithful service. He has proven [himself an efficient public official . and made many friends over the state. Mr. and Mrs. Lower will arrive home this evening. The Educa-tor-Journal in its March number contained a good likeness of Mr. Lower and said as follows: "The Educator-Journal takes pleasure in recording on its pages words of praise for the work of Mr. W. A. Lower, just retiring from the deputyship in the department of public instruction. Mr. Lower is a young man of successful experience in school work, having been a teacher in the schools of Decatur and Adams county for a period of nine years. He was graduat'd from the Decatur high school and was a student in the Tn-State Normal schhoool, and in the Indiana Business University. He entered the office of the State Department of Education in 1899 as chief clerk in charge of school book requisitions, and two years later was promoted to chief deputyship, a position he has held with honor to himself and good service to the state In this position Mr Lower has complete charge of the collection and compilation of the department statistics and has been secretary of the Indiana Reading Circle Board and Clerk of the State Board of Eduction. Mr Lower retires from the officx» with a host of friends." Ho will probably engage in the mercantile business. We are lonfident of his success." A FIRE. Pohn Priest Has a Valuable Team of Horses Killed Sanday Morning. John Priest, a teamster, lost alxiut two hundred and fifty dollars iiarly Sunday morning, through u eonllagration which destroyed a stable I that stood near the corner of Decatur and Nuttman stixx'ts, a team of Igood horses, harness and a barn of liay and grain. The fire, the cause [of which is unknown, was first dis (Xivored by Mr. Priest about, four o’clock in the morning, who rushixl out and endeavonxl to get the horst's, but was unsutx essful, xiwing to the intense heat, as the Hanies hud already spread over the entire building. An alarm was turned in bit the fire hud made so much progress before the arrival of the department that but very little gtxxl could be done. The Imm whs owned by Mrs. Mites and the horst's and equipment by John Priest., and both wore total losses as they did not carry any insur ance.

A BAD ACCIDENT. Lawrence Felts, a G. R. I. Brakeman, Injured. Caught Between Cars Standing on Opposite Track and Severely Crushed. Lawrence Felts, a brakeman in the employ of the Grand Rapids & Indiana railway, was perhaps , fatally injured Saturday evening, [ while his train was switching in this city. A number of cars had been left standing on the main track, just north of the Niblick elevator, while the engine run down and switchixl a cut of cars in on the sid- [ ing which is known as the house [ track. Felts rode in on these cars, i which had been cut loose from the [ engine, had set the brakes and was climbing down the side ladder, when he was caught and rolled along between the cars on the main track and the one on which he was | riding. After being rolled along I this way two or three times over, the divergence of the tracks permit- | ted his body to drop through and he ■ fell to the ground- His fellow train men Carried him to the depot and Dr. Boyers was immediately summoned. An examination showed that his left shoulder was severely bruised. Ids left leg badly injunxl and his shoulder blade torn loose. A report was telegraphed to the officials of the road at Fort Wayne and iConductor Quivev of the switch rim on which Felts was braking, was ordered to set his train off and bring the injured man to Fort Wayne. A fast run was made by the engine ; and caboose and in a very short I time the brakeman was at. St. Joseph hospital. Dr. E. J. McOscar attended ' him and stated < hat his condition was very serious. Felts is a single man, twenty-one years old and his parents live at Fountain City, Indiana. He has been in the railroad service but two months and was certainly unfortunate in meeting with such a severe aix'ident in after i so abort a time. HIS ITINERARY. The President will Spend Twt Ma«tb in Travel and lecrtatloa. It is reasonbly certain now that President Roosevelt will start, from Washington on his western trip on April 1. Several senators discussed the subject with him, all of them tx'ing anxious to induce him to make stops in their stat*'. The itinerary of the journey, which will occupy [at least two months and perhaps I a little longer, is L ing prepared. Indeed, many of the details already have bix*n worked out on the Imsis of starting on the first of April. The greater part of the month will be spent by the president in the Yellowstone jxirk in rest and nx'reation. Several impirtant stops will be made by the president on the route to the jHtrk. He will go from Washington to Chicago. Thence ho will go to Milwaukee, LaCrosse and Madison, Wis., Minnea]x>lis and St. Paul; Yankton, S.D ~ and perhups to some other ]><>ints east of the Yellowstone. In the latter part of j April he will start for St. Ijouis in time to partieijiate in the oxen'isi's I incident to the dedication of the I Louisiana purchase exjiosition [grounds on April 30. From St. Louis the president wqll go to the Pacific coast, making stops Imth on the outgoing and on the return trip. During his sojourn in California th<> president will visit the Yosemite valley. The, trip includes u journey to and numerous stops in the northwestern states. It. will b® a Tong and arduous trip, put promises to l»i one of the most, memorable everjmode by a president.

NUMBER 56

SURPRISED HER. Neighbors Walk in on Mrs. R. S. Peterson. Several neighbors of Mrs. Rolx'rt. S. Peterson rushed in upon her Saturday evening and exasperated her terribly for a moment until she realized that she was the victim of a deep and well laid plot. The Petersons have lived in the home on Chestnut street for twenty-two years and some close friendly ties have been formed with the neighbors of that community. Owing to ! a fact that they will move to the north part of town within a few days, the surprise was executed. It wals a most enjoyable affair for all concerned and everyone present seemed to lie there for the express purpose of making the others happy. Among the features of the evenings I program was a fancy cake walk by two of the guests, and they were I encored again and again. A guessI ing contest was given and the prize was awarded to Miss Carrie Tester. Mrs. Robert Perkins gave the recitation, “Curfew Shall Not Ring [Tonight." The ladies presenttxl Mrs. Peterson a beauiful jurdinier. AN OPPORTUNITY. a Our Serial Storv a Great Masterpiece. "When Knighthood was in Flowi er," by Charles Major, is one of the [ most popular works of fiction that has been produced by our latter day ' novelists. The book first made its I apix'arancre alxiut three years ago, | but is still in popuar demand and is sold almost as extensively’ as the i J . other copyright Ixxiks of a later date. It is a standard production, i and has been dramatized and is today one of the most popular of [ stage productions. Many ptxiple have no doubt read this book, but there are mure Who have u<>t 1 mil the opportunity and this a rare advantage for the subscribers of Ui» Daily Democrat to get the story through this paper NOT A MILLIONAIRE. Settlor Beveridge Ibkn Money Two Ways. Senator Beveridge is not a wealthy man and he would be in a hard row of stumps in a financial way if it were not for the ready market which he finds for bis articles on public questions. The junior Indiana senator indulges freely in society at the national capital and his living expenses are greater than his salary as a senator The procinxls from his articles, however, enable him to ]iay his debts as be goes along and lay by a little money for ti rainy day. He docs his writing for publication at odd moments, dictating m a few hours to u stenographer the material that brings the equivalent of that stenographer s salary for ti whole year. SHOTS FIRED. Drunken Men Wield Revolvers and Cause Alarm. Throe young men from Uniondale came to town Satinay night on n errand for their employer, nt least that’s their story. They arrived ut eleven o'clock, came down street, and got drunk, then went to the Erie railway and Ix'gun tiring a revolver. Many |X'ople in that neighborhood heard them and wonder<xl, several even going to the trouble to investigate. One of the men wax Clinton Ormsby, who was locked up with the boys who was with young Craig. He said his pirents were dead and he lived with liis grandparents, whom he supported. He was held on a charge of intoxica tion.