Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 73, Decatur, Adams County, 4 April 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME I

I TWO DEATHS. ' 1 I larding House Fire at Kansas City. Fatalities Reported and Many Very Narrow Escapes. H Jansas City, Missouri. April I.— 1 lliam Podgely a railwya mail M rk. and John Pugh were burned to Ideath this morning in a disas irons fire which destroyed a ’ four story lioarding hou > n Fourteenth H het. kept by Mrs. Mary Hallen. Th > flames spread through the big litf,|se rapidly and many narrow H I thrilling escapes are reported. $ financial loss is >50,000. I GOOD YEAR. Rtf Wagner’s Annual Report of His Charge. I ave the liest charge in the I'ort Wd rne district, assuming the duties of (he pastorate one year ago, 1 liai p found this to lx- the best and haj biest year of my life. Best in grd rth, both numercially and spirits lx*st in spiritual manifesta ten test in hearty co-o]x»ration of SB people 1 find on the Bote charge people, an intelligent p-o---plel a people open-hearte 1, open booked, open handed, houses op® to which, without exception, tha pastor is always a welcome kW open mows and bins and in the back of the parson's buggy al an open sack. Our ]x-ople are mJ Ing their church indebtedness hero ally. During the year >l. 400. lavt teen pi id for the church, iwfl ding pastor's salary, which is over paid >330.00. With the church intte tedn ss our benevolences will nos full, but larger than last year. Onr val meetings \fere very ten eflckll to the entire communities in hey were held. Sixty-three claimed conversion, thirty thrfrl aeeeptances on probate n. ami ■ tWMty-one accessions by letter I meetings were prayed down fmj , heaven. The pastor loves to to his people and -the ap lon of the ]XH>ple for the Gosikeisshown in the attendance he means of grace. We saida paiple, loyal to the church, to the pastor, holding up his as did Aaron and Hur thi of Moses, loyal to Methodist to Christ who saves. Dear with your consecration to mis will be born into-the kingand added unto the church We liespeak a very hop'ful for the Bobo charge. May blessings, intellectually, morIhancially, and spiritually rest sou. A. D. Wagoner, Pastor. CHILD DEAD. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Miller. X Lucille Miller, one year and ' 'biys old. and daughter of nil Mrs. Charles Miller, who on the Holthouse farm, three miles south of town, bis morning The cause was ionia and the tete had been ly three days. The funeral b* will Im* held Sunday after fc* three o’clock at MonriX'.

The Daily Democrat.

MEETS JUNE FIRST. I The County Board of Review to Adjust Assessments. The county board of review will meet this year on June first. Judge Erwin will appoint the two members of the board which the law requires him to name. The hoard is composed of his appointees, the county as sessor, who acts as president, and the count., treasurer. They are in session twenty-one days and review the work of the township assessors. ProjxTty owners who believe that their property has teen rated too high apjx'ar before the board to have their assessments reduced and the board either of its own notion or on the complaint of others can increase assessments of property owners who have not listed their property high enough. This is one of the few boards that pays its own way as it generally adds from >50,000 to >IOO,000 to the tax duplicate and is worth a great deal more than it costs the county. The judge of the court is obliged to appoint one man from each of the two leading parties so this year there will be one republiI can member of the board. COURT CLOSES. Last Day of the February Term. I Small Amount of Business Done and the Session Closed at Noon. Today marks the closing of the February term of the Adams circuit court. Usually the last day is a very busy one, but this was out of the ordinary as not a great amount of work was done. Next week is the regular vacation and a jwi-ek from Monday the April term begins, and from the present outlook it will teun impirtant one. At this morning's session the following entries were made on the docket: Van- ■ Camp Hardware conqiany vs ('. W. j Hoeker. judgment 'against plaintiff forcosts. Victoria Foster vs August Kolhsart. jugdment against defendant for costs. Lewis Sadler vs Edward E. Smith et al. demurrer to answer sustained, demurrer to cross-complaint overruled. Lemuel B. Stevens vs Archie Hardison et al answer filed by defendants. Ben S hrank, guardian for Douglas Dudgeon. filed his tend which was approved and letters isssued. .John M. Broadlwck, administrator of the estate of Solomon Gilp-n, tiled his final account and was discharged. Simeon Sprunger, administrator of the Abraham .1. Sprunger estate, filed notice of sale of real estate which was confirmed. A RULING. Supreme Court Holds Against Wage Law. The minimum wage law has Ixa-n declared unconstitutional by the supreme court of tins State. The law holds that for public work no less than twenty cents an hour should i lx- paid and nt the time it was passed by the legislature a whole lot of trouble was engendered in many cities where smaller wages were ixiid. At Richmond the street cleaners received a big sum which ' thcyweutt'dns hick wages and that city has teen plying twenty cents an’ hour for their work ever since. The mon( . v thus paid will not te recalled. however, nor will the old scale be enforced ns it is said that the Inlxirers work very much tetter nt the higher price.

DECATUR, INDIANA, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 4, 1903.

STILL MISSING. Bodies of Stetler and Covalt Can’t be Found. The Affair is Mysterious and Causes Much Comment. Although every effort has teen made to recover the bodies of John Stetler and Charles Covalt, which are supposed to lx- at the bottom of Lake Mercer, the mystery surronding their disappearance is no nearer solution than it was last week. A subscription pap>r was circulated last Friday and a sum raised to meet the expenses of the searchers, and Marshal Weber with volunteer assistants have dragged the reservoir for several hundred yards around the stump where the gnus were found, without finding any trace of the bodies. The mud reaches depth of three feet in places, and the bodies may be completely covered, which, if the case, would prevent their ever raising to the surface. Sentiment is divided over the case. Many claim that the men have disappeared of their own accord, but this report is strenuously denied | the friends of both Stetler and Covalt, who assert that there could te no possible reason for such action. There seems to te little doubt, however, but that the men are really drowned, and it is altogether likely that the txxlies will never te found.—St. Marys Standard. Both lx>ys were known here and had relatives in th county. CAUGHT SUCKERS. How Fulton County Farmers Bite on a Sure Thing. The steel range agents have left the county carrying away >4.000 of pure cash and good notes. One of them said before leaving : "We sold sixty-eight ranges to farmers and got cash or bankable notes for every one of them." The regular price of the ranges was >73 but they usually allowed >lO for the old stove they took in exchange and it made no difference what kind of a stove it was. Any old stove was worth >lO to them if they could get the >63 to boot. Any dealer would have teen delighted to sell just as good a range for >35 or #4O, but the agents were oily fellows who worked all the 'tricks of the trade” to sell their ranges at enormous profits. Several farmers and their families were taken to the Arlington hotel and given good dinners, others were jollied up by presentsand where they found a man who flatly refused to pay the price they talked low and said being it was him, and he was a leading man in the neighlxirhhixxl, and a sale to him would help them to other sales, they would cut tlie price to actual cost, >55 and the old stove. HAS THE GRIT. Five-Year-Old Boy a Good Student. Altert Miller, a little five year old boy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Miller, has made a school record that proves he is built with the grit that brings success in life. He attends at district number five, Preble township, and during the past four months has missed but three days and these from sickness. Besides this fact he has teen a hard worker at his hioks and the little fellow is fur advanced for his years. His teacher, .Jesse Kelley is very proud of him.

ANNUAL ELECTION. The German Building and Loan Association Soon to Elect Officers. Secretary Frank M. Schirmeyer has given notice that the annual meeting and election of eleven directors for the German Building, Loan Fund & Savings association will take place at the office of the secretary on Monday, April 13. The present board is composed of David Studabaker, James T. Merryman, John B. Holthouse, Frank M. Schirmeyer, R. B. Allison, J. E, Moser, Mat Kirsch, R. K. Allison, John W. Vail and John S. Bowers. The annual reports of this enviable institution show it to te continuing along the lines that has made it so strong financially as well as successful in all its business dealings. Its economical management is one of the strong cards in its favor. If even more of the Decatur youth would patronize it with regularly monthly savings they would find a friend and protector that would greatly aid in hoarding a hank account. LOOK OUT. New Counterfeit Bills in Circulation. The local tenks have been warm'd against two new eonterfeit bills. One is a >5 silver certificate and the othre is a>s national bank note. The silver certificate is one of the series of 1599, and its check letter is D. It is a poorly etched reproduction and is printed on a thin soft pip'r, that has no imitation of the silky fibre that characterizes the genuine bills. The seals and the large denomination characters are so dark as to te almost black. The >5 naj tional hank note tears on its face the inscription, "United States the Citizens' International tenk New York, to pay to the hearer on demand >5.00.” There is no such tank in the country. It tears the picture of Garfield, and its charter number on its face is 196. and on the back is 127. The seal appears to te that of some secret organization and is not a counterfeit of a government seal. BUSY SESSION. The Commissioners' Court Promises to be a Busy One. Two ditch petitions will te filed tefore the Ixmrd of commissioners for their action while in regular session next week. The one is a joint ditch for this and Allen county, and is petitioned for by Ernest Fuelling. The other is in the hands of C M France and affects West Washing ton township. Specifications will also te on hand for the fill at the Wabash river one mile north of Linn Grove, the appropriation for which was made by the county council at there lust m<>eting. In addition there are several stone arches upon which bids will lx* asked for their construction. In all the session will lx» a busy one. GETS FAME. Marshal Cordua is Being P-aised for Good Services. The Indianapolis News Os Thursday contains it picture of Marshal Cordua of this city and the likeness is a goixl one. An article in the same issue praises the officer for his method of dealing with the tramp question and tells of the succcess lie has had in keeping Decatur free of the trump nuisance lately. Tlie statements are true and our citizens need have no fear of teing |x»therod by tramps so long as the ordinance to make them work is enforced.

ALL READY. M. E. Conference Begins Next Week. Big Crowd Looked for and Arrangements Complete. A special from Noblesville says: Preparatons for the North Indiana M. E. conference, which begins in this city next Monday, are nearing completion. Places for all the visiting ministers have been secured. One of the principal features will lx* the lecture Friday evening by Dr. H. E. Jamison of Dayton, Ohio, on "Grit, Greenbacks and Grace.” An admission fee will te charged and the proceeds will go toward helpingthe l<x-al church defray the expenses of the conference. Rev. Frank Brown, D. D., of Cincinnati, assistant editor of the Western Christian Advocate, will preach in the local church on Sunday morning preceed- | ing the conference. Rev. A. G. Neal jof Angola will occupy the pulpit in I the evening. The conference proper I will open on Monday evening. The services will be Conducted by Rev. L. M. Krider of Auburn. The conference board of exmainers will meet at 8:30 o'clock Tuesday morning for the examination of undergraduates. Rev. H. J. Norris of Winchester, a former pastor of the church in this city, will not lx- here until near the close of the conferennce. He will attend the dedication of the Indiana monuments on the battle field of Shiloh. He was placed on the program by the monument commissioners and has permission from the authorities of the conference to go. It is estimated that about three hundred ministers and probably one hundred women will attend the conference. THERE ARE RUMBLINGS B Some of the G. 0. P. do Not Admire the Appointment of Eli Ritter. The appointment of Eli F. Ritter of Indianapolis by Governor Durbin, ' as a member of the Ixiard of trustees of the Soldiers' Home at Lafayette, has caused considerable gossip among politicians. Ritter was appointed as a republican, but he is regarded by some of the republican leaders as a prohibitionist. Some of the leading republicans are dissatisfied with the appointment, as they say the governor could easily have found a regular party man for the place. Ritter is one of the leaders of the anti-liquor forces of the state and for a long time was a prominent prohibitionist, but during the last campaign he did not affiliate with the prohibitionists. ANOTHER CANDIDATE. Theodore Shocknev of Union City, a Probable Congressional Candidate. Thetxlore Hhockney of Union City, a well known eighth district politician, is regarded s a candidate for the republican nomination for congress against George W. Cromer of Muncie. Ho made a race against him last year when Geeorge F. McCulloch the interurban magnate, and Cromer had their famous pili tical encounter. Shockney was the center of a dramatic scene in tlie convention when his delegation broke and half of it went to Cromer. But Shockney is regarded as a strong factor and if he gets into the running in e irnest it is likely he will make a very creditable show ing.

NUMBER 73

RAY PAROLED. George Ray, the Shelbyville Editor, Released From Prison. George Ray, former editor of the Shelbyville Democrat, was paroled from the state prison at the last session of the board of parole, held the first of the month, and was released last night. He was met by his wife, who has teen unceasing in her efforts to gain his freedom. She has been a regular visitor at the prison since Ray began servinghis time. They left for Chicago and declined to say when- they would go from there. Ray said he had not fully decided what he will do in the future. For at least a year Ray will te under the control of the board of parole. Ray was sent up from Shelbyville to serve from two to fourtx'en years for defrauding Shelby county by filing false claims for stationery. He served nearly twenty-five months or one month more than his minimum time, and the reason his case was not taken up at the March session of the board was his time had not expired. A large number of Shelbyville jx'ople signedt he petittion for Ray’s par don and no opposition developed. GREATLY SHOCKED. New York’s Four Hundred Are in Convulsions. New York’s four hundred is in the throes of polite cunvulsi ins. A woman tearing the sacred name of Vanderbilt is going to open ashop—to sell things to persons. It is true she is not a member of the inner circle now—she was divorced out of it several years ago—but she was once It. and now she is going to open a shop. It is perfectly dreadful hut it's true for she says so hersel. The woman who is thus hacking great chunks out of the traditons which have beeenn safely followed for several years is Mrs. Jacob H. Vanderbilt, jr., whose former husband is a cousin to William K. Vanderbilt. She broke into the real i thing in lss6 and after ten years :of married unrest obtained div< reo in 1K96. She has a lot of exclusive memories but they are poor breakfast fo< d and so, after vainly endeavoring to secure alimony from the aristocratic Jacob, jr., she has deeidi-d to go into business and dine regularly. A CANDIDATE. Major Steele Wants to Succeed Fred Landis in Congress. Representative George W. Steele says that he will try to knock out Frederick Lundis in the nominating ' convention next year. He dodged ! the direct question, hut said: '“Should I get liucjk I won’t again jte guilty of somnambulism," reI ferring to his defeat for renominution last summer by Landis. “But lit was nevertheless largely the performance of a duty that led to my defeat,” ho soliloquized. ”1 re. mained in Washington to vote for I th<> Unban bill in the ways anil ; means committi'e where there were enough republicans [against it to have caused its detent in my absenc®.” WANTS GUARDIAN. Petition Filed in Court This Morning. A new ease was filed in circuit court this morning by Lawyer I'. G. Hoojxt entitled Emanuel Woods vs Hannah Elzey, n p-tition to have a guardian upjxiintcd. The sum mons was ordered returnable April 15. This is the sixtieth new case filed since the first of January, a record never tefore equalled in the flinty.