Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 210, Decatur, Adams County, 12 September 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME 1

SPECIAL GRAND JURY

The Six Men Who Will Indict Joseph Osburn.

They Were Drawn Today. Kill Meet Next Tuesday Morning. May Also Investigate the Berne Dynamiting Affair.- Session Will Last Several Days. SPECIAL JURORS. Crist Amacher, Monroe Tp. James McCune, “ “ AmosM. Danner, Blue Creek Charles Morrison, “ “ Lawson C. Lenhart, Root Tp William Fuchs, French Tp During this mornings session of the Adams circuit court Judge Er-

HAVE ADJOURNED A Busy Week in Commissioners’ Court. J. R. Graber Appointed Superintendent at Poor Farm and T. H. Ernst Janitor Court House. The commissioners finished their » '>ion today by apj>ointing viewers on the Peterson & Prairie macadam roiiil extension, (they being RE. Lilith and C. A. Neuenschwander as viewersand G. E. McKean, engineer. The same proceeding was taken on the Decatur & Bluffton road, and the same viewers and engineer were appointed. No remonstrance was filed against either proposed extension. The auditor was instructed to give notice of letting contract for the north Preble road, the date of said letting being October 10. T. H. Ernst was appointed as superintendent of the heating plant to be established at the court house. J. R. Graber was appointed again as superintendent at the county asylum, the salary being fixed at SI,OOO a year. T. H. Ernst was also reappointed as janitor at the court house at ♦•><)<) a year. The quarterly reports of the county officers were approved, they being the clerk of the Adams circuit court in civil cases 1177.71, •107.55, marriage licenses 1114, other licenses fifty cents, transcripts ♦3.50, certificates 114.85, insurance •3. miscellaneous 1283.40, total ♦701.57. Recorder—deeds 1146.50, mortgages •15V.40, releases $37.10, miscellaneous •362.00, total $605.00. Sheriff—Pees $84.85, deeds sl, per deim S2B, miscellaneous $6. total • 110.85.

The Daily Democrat.

win ordered the sheriff to instruct the jury commissioners to meet at once and call a special grand jury to meet next Tuesday, September 15, to indict Joseph Osburn for the murder of John Busenbark. At noon commissioners H. R. Moltz and David S. Manlier met at the clerk’s office and with deputy clerk Haeifling proceeded to select the jury whose important duty it will be to hear evidence and indict a fellow citizen for the crime of murder as stated above. The jurymen selected are Christ Aniacher of Monroe township, James McCune of Monroe, Amos M Danner, Blue Creek, Charles Morrison, Bine Creek. Lawson C. Icnhart, Root, and William Fuchs, French township. They are each and everyone men of stability and good judgment who will j»erform their duty as ordered by the court. They convene Tuesday morning and continue in session until their work is concluded, it is believed they will also investigate the dynamiting of the home of Fred Rohrer at Berne, and it is jiossible that an indictment may be returned for that offense. Prisoner Osburn was not brought into court today, nor will he tie until his cast* is called. He rested much easier last night and secured some sleep . an opiate tx*ing prescribed fvi' bin. by a phy sician. It is believed he will soon be in as good health as ever. He has nothing to say concerning his trouble.

MOVES UP TOWN. Otto Bluhm Secures Place for His Ci£ar Factory. Otto Bluhm, the well known producer of such brand of hand made cigars as the “Havana Tonic’’ and the “Indiana Gentleman," will soon move his factory above the Journal office in the Rice building, corner of Monroe and Third streets. He closed a contract yesterday whereby he secures the entire second fluor, Mr. Robison, who at present occupys those rooms, will move into the B*x*knecht’s building on Third street which is now being fitted up for occupancy. Although Mr Bluhme has had his goods on the market but a short time they are selling fast, and he cannot keep up’with the orders and it became absolutely necessary, for him to secure more room and increase the number of employees, He states that within a short time he ex]x*ets to have six men at work and increase his output to from 1500 to 2000 hand made cigars per day. COURT NEWS. Routine of Business T-ansacted Today. The first case called in court this morning was the divorce suit of Sarah E. Riley vs James P. Riley. The defendant failed to apjiear and Mrs. Riley gave her testimony billing the court that her husband refused to live with her. Judge Erwin has not yet given his decision. A s]x*cial grand jury was ordered drawn to rejxjrt Tuesday. Amanda Woods vs Vernon Woods, divorce, answer filed by prosecuting after ney. Woodward & Ball vs Janies (), Ball udmr, claim of |ltl.7oal lowed, ordered paid out of estate of John Fetzer.

DECATUR, INDIANA, SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 12, 1903.

SLOW AS MOLASSES Free Rural Mail Service Making Slow Progress. At the Present Rate Adams County Will Not Be Reached This Year. According to the present rate of speed in the matter of rural mail delivery in this congressional district, it will be late next summer before the inspector reaches Adams county. It seems that the depart ment allows but one man in the dis- | trict, and they laid out his work for Randolph county in May, Jay county in June, Wells county in Julv, and Adams county in August. The fellow went to work on time, but is still laboring in Randolph, and just | the date in which he will complete that county is not known to us. The requirements of the potsal de partmentare some what laborous as for instance, the name of every one getting mail by route is listed, and the routes have to be made so that not less than one hundred families ! receive mail on any one route. This is certainly no snap, and if the department ever expects to get through they should put more people at . work. Judging from the amount of | work done so far, there is no possiI ble show for Adams county getting this service this year, und unless assistance is given the one, lone, solitary individual working tins congressional district, it will at least I be this time next year before he begins his labors in this part of the district. The convenience of rural delivery is making our country p'puation anxious for its universal establishment. As 1904 is a cam paign year, it is expected that activity will be more pronounced in this branch of our postal government. WHERE IS HE? Frank Jackson Believed to be Demented. Frank A. Jackson left his home' last Friday morning and has not, been heard of. His disappearance. is complete and gives rise to various rumors, of which the most probable ' one seems to he the theory that business loss overbalanced his mind ami that he is now wandering somewhere about the country in a frenzied condition. It was known that he bus been deeply involved and that his worries caused him to frequently consult physicians with regards to hi? nervon- condition. That he would, when sane, desert his family and business, no one who knows the man, can for a moment helievo, as he has. ever been kind ; and strictly honest. Friday morn ing Mr. Jackson rode to Fort Wayne with Conrad Nor wait. It was no ticed that he seemed particularly ( nervous. He had told his wife, before leaving homo, he meant to borrow some money in Fort Wayne. Arrived in the city he requested to be put off at Spieglo’s place on Broadway. When Norwalt called again for him Jackson had left and that was the last seen of him. A rumor has been denied saying that Charles Beck talked with him that evening. But at all events In has disap]x*ared, as completely us though swallowed up by the earth. His father, .John Jackson of Fort Wayne, is making every effort to trace him. At the present time no one lieleives there is any ground to supixise that he has committed suicide. Those best informed as to the man and his |x*euluirities, believe he will suddenly turn up and go to work again as liefore. Only a few suggest foul play.—Ossian News.

THE RUSH IS ON. Many Entries Are Being Made for the Fair. It seems that business for the Great Northern Indiana Fair has rightly opened up. A number of entries are already being made, one person alone having made twentyfive. Stalls are being taken, privileges are being sold and business in general is in advance of former years. Prospects were never so bright for the association who give name and life to the Great Northern Indiana Fair. Newspapers and individuals from all parts of the three connecting states are free and lavish with praise for this great exhibit. The opening date for this year is September 22, but a little more/han a week away. Exhibits became so thick that additional buidings were necessary to insure safety and comfort for all the live stock that have asked for room and the privileeges lof contesting for premiums. The same thing is true in many other . departments and there is no discounting the success of the fair. WON AGAIN. Decatur Horses to the Front. Wins at Van Wert and Virgil C. Takes Second at Muntpiikr. Well, Decatur certainly has the best horses on earth in al) classes of harness races, pace and trot, they win when they want to. The owners are wise and refuse to mark their horses when the purses are. small, but at that there is scarcely a race in Indiana or Ohio that a De- j catur horse is not first or second, and the minute a betting man learns a horse is from Decatur, there is where he puts his money. At Van Wert yesterday Beery & Holt I house's pacer, Kingmore. won tin* 1 free for all. purse. 1400, in straight heats, best time 2:13 1-4. At Montpelier Virgil C won the first heat in j the 2:25 pact* and second money in the race, best time 2:15 1-4. Virgil C could have won in straight heats had the owners, Johnson & Co., have cared to have him marked from 2:21 to 2:15. The races at the Great Northern fair will be the best ever seen here and will lx* fought to a stand still. All the home horses will enter here and many are coming from abroad. BURGLARS CAUGHT. Boys Rob C. & E. Car at Ohio City.

A car loaded with shoes, billed through on the Chicago & Erie railroad left standing on a siding in Ohio City, was burglarized by four boys from Galion, late Thursday afternixjn. They were detected and pursued by citzens before any of the goods were removed. Two of the gang were captured but their puls made good their escape in the woods. The two under arrest are Ed Baughman, aged nineteen years and Jesse Price, aged seventeen. The piir which esca]x*d were Barney Chryst, aged seventeen and n young fellow named Mitchell. They all hail from Galion. Baughman and Price will lx* given a preliminary hearing in Ohio City and later lx* brought to the county jail to await the action of the grand jury. —Van Wert Bulletin.

MURDERS IN COUNTY Gruesome Stories Recalled at Tnis Time.

Famous Bakestoe Murder. I I ) ’ Other Cases of Interest to Many. Death of John Busenbark Calls to Mind Other Crimes Committed Previously. ■ i — i The murders which have ocurred ; 1 within the embrace of Adams conn t ty history are recalled by many at t ter the present agitation caused by ' i the crime of Tuesday evening in t Union township . The first murder t which the early inhabitants of this place can recall happened over fifty years ago when John Fetriek shot and killed a man by the name of , Mnlrtone. The affair hapjiened near ' Fetrick's First street home in this city and was brought about by Muldone assaulting a sister of th*' ■ murderer. Fetriek was not prose < cub'd. In 1872 John Zimmerman » shot and killed John McLean near the Zimmerman home, corner Mon roe and Fourth streets. McLean I was shot three times and as was' learned through evidence in the I i trial any one of the shots would I have killed the victim. Zimmer- | man was acquited. The next mur-1 der, famous for the trail of events I l that followed, will ever be remem-1 bered by those who were in this city lin the year 1884. In the early I spring of that year Amos Backesto 1 was shot and killed at his home in Blue Creek township one mile south ’ and a quarter mile east of Oak , Grove. Shortly after Fred Richards who lived near Backsto's home, and was considered as his enemy, was arrested after considerable difficult.! by Sheriff McGriff and brought to this city. Several days later a mob, composed principally of southern residents of the county, came to town with the intention of lynching Richards. The sheriff got wind of their actions and started for the train with hi- prisoner in u bus expecting to elude the mob and take Richards to Fort Wayne. The mob I learned of his action, however, and I overtook the party near the Murray, i i then the Miesse hotel. Tin* sheriff 1 refusal to obey the command to halt, and Cartwright, the leader of i the mob, shot a horse and Richards was taken to the old fair ground, when* a n<x>se was put about his neck with the intention of hanging ■ ’ him. The deed was not carried out, however, and Richards was taken r o i Fort Wayne. His trial was finished ■ in Wayne for it was feared that the ■ trial could not lx* safely held in this (i city and the grounds for this fear • j was demonstrated. A mob congre- ■ I gated a second time and Richards I only esea]x*d through the hasty ac- . tions of the sheriff, who took his prisoner to Fort Wayne on a s]x*cial i train, which he had telegraphed for ■ at the first approach of danger. II Richards was sentenced at Fort • Wayne by Judge St. Clair, who con • | detuned him with life's imprison > I ment in the state penitentiary. . Charles Wurst wits also convicted as j an accomplice in the crime und was

NUMBER 210

sentenced by Judge Bobo to life’s imprisonment. After serving part of his term he died at Albany, while out on a parole. Both of the accused declared that they were innocent, and it was the testimony of a small boy, Davis Smith, that convicted them. Richards is still in the state prison. Almost ten years later another murder trial was before the Adams county court, the case being entitled State vs Rhoda Durbin. The defendant was charged with murdering an infant child, ■ but the jury declared her not guilty. About a year later Monroe township offered a murder on the altar of Adams county crime. Oliver Wingent was shot through the heart by Alex Bombay, a young man. Wingent had threatened to beat Bombay and the latter, to frighten his aggressor, pushed a revolver through a keyhole and fired. The unfortunate Wingent stood near the door and was hit. In September, 1894, Bombay was sentenced to four years in the state prison. He served his time, but died shortly after. And now Adams county has another case to deal with as a beginning, but the end is yet to come. THE OLIVE BRANCH Settlement of the Berne Saloon War on Tap. Fred Rohrer in Conference With Those Engaged in the Saloon Business. Fred Rohrer took a vacation from \ the commissioners’s room yesterday afternoon and went to Berne on a mission, which - f later effected, will bring about reconciliation of the waring factions at Berne. He I visited each one of the saloon keep- ' ers and later in the day hud a joint session with them all. He proposed to them that they step down and out iof their business without causing the remontsrators to force them out. They gave him a counter proposition in which they would accede to these demands providing they were paid their actual investment in fixtures, and stock on hand. The whole situation was threshed over , in a very amicable way, and Mr. Rohrer agreed to lay their propoi- . j tion before those who have in I charge the remonstrance. This . will take some little time and a final ■ result will not lx* known for several days. To the credit of Mr. Rohrer > he favored the counter proposition I and to a Democrat representative ■' indicated that he would urge such . a settlement. This would be a hap- ■ py solution und would do more to ■ sow seeds of temperance than any- . j thing we know of. In the event of ( such a settlement, all the saloon’s II property would be piled up in the 1 street and the event would be cele. 1 hrated by those in sympathy and those who believe in the annihilation of the liquor trafiiic. It would lx* a great event and a great achievement for those in charge of the anti-saloon movement in Berne. i In addition it would greatly strong- » then their cause with the public.