Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 226, Decatur, Adams County, 1 October 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME 1

JOE OSBURN IN COURT Murder Trial is Set for December 15th.

PLEAD not guilty Motion to Quash Indictment Overruled. fk Defendant Appeared Calm and in Fairly Good Spirits. : Joseph Osburn, charged with the [Border of his father-in-law, John [Busenhark, was arraigned in court fc- morning, this being the first tnie he has been out of the county jul since the memorable evening of September 'th He appeared before Judge Erwin at ten o’clock, hiking pile and slightly haggard, ta no signs of nervousness or fear vre apparent. Deputy Clerk Haeiingread the indictment, as returnltd by the recent’special grand jury and Osburn listened attentively thrnuhgout standing the entire ti me. The indictment is in six counts and required four closely written pages of legal cap per. The first count thaws that Joseph Osburn, on September 8, 1903, did unlawfully.

THEY DIED GAME Three Warner Brothers Executed. Ito In Electric Chair and all Over in Just Fifteen Minutes. Special to the Dally Democrat. Dunemira, N. Y„ Oct. I.—The ormer brothers were ' s ( nte<l this morning for the murof their uncle, Peter Holenbeck. "Tlis died in the electric chair at 11 -33, Frederick ten minutes later, : 1 13. and Burton five minutes ,CT *t 11:48. All went to *hair bravely and the executions without a hitch. Theypro--1 " T spiritual salvation and at no 11111 h* 7o shown that they were *lraid to die. Pedro Party. ih C. \ . M g Club, on Wednes(j >( i'div-r 7, will give a progres'’Pedro l( arty at their club rooms r. “ Studabaker building. •J 011 * knows thut the boys are ttliaL' '♦ t " r i n iner! ’ “ nd “ nyone Who W OWrtßinly miss a good

The Daily Democrat.

purposely and with premeditated malice, kill and murder one, John Busenliark, by wounding him with his fists. The second count repeats the charges of the first and also al j leges that Osburn choked his vici tim, the third recites that some other weapon, other ‘han the fists, were used, the fourth notes that the face was badly cut and mutilated, the fifth that the victim lingered until the following day, but died as a direct result of the beating, and the sixth count is a summary of all the charges. The indictment shows that the following witnesses wefe examined. Frank Ronpe, Laura Osburn, C. S. Clark. C. 11. Schenck, J. S. Coverdule, Ira Richards, Fred Thieme, Elijah Walter and Homer King. While Deputy Haefling was reading the indictment Osburn stood close by, apparantly reading the paper also. When it was finished the defendant answered “not guilty.” Attorneys for the defendant I made a motion to quash the indictment, but same was overruled. Judge Erwin then announced that the cAse would be tried the fifth Tuesday of the November term. December 15. A consultation between Osburn and his attorneys, D E. Smith and D. D. Heller, followed, after which the sheriff escorted him l>ack to his cell in the jail, where he will remain until the morning of his trial. He was away from the jail about thirty mniutes. Only a few people were tn court during the scene, as it was not generally I known that the prisoner was to be arraigned today. The ease will, no doubt, be a hard fought one from a I legal standpoint.

MAN FROM INDIA. Oil Drillers Learning American Methods. The Cincinnati Enquirer said: J. Crowder, an oil man and a representative of the largest oil syndicate in the world arrived at the Grand Hotel yesterday after an insjtection tour of the oil fields of IVnnsylvun ia, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. He comes from Assam India and was sent to this country by his oonqiany to Inspect our methods for drilling for oil and the machinery in use in order t introduce any new methods he might find into that country. “I saw a great many things that pleased me, but I will not make my report until I return home and make my report to the company, 1 will say this,, however, our oil is far superior to that I sawin Texas and West Virginia. Itoouipares very favorably with the best class of Pennsylvania oil. We have a number of very good wells in the section of India Jwhere I am located and they are jiaying.” COURT NEWS. In court today the following busi ness was transacted. State vs Joe Osburn, arraigned, plea of not guilty entered, trial set for December 15. Decatur National Bank vs Steve Longenberger, finding for plaintiff, sum of 1411. Madison Timmons vs Elizabeth Cummins, plea in abutment filed. Benj. Waggoner vs Elizabeth Cummins, plea in abutment filed. Micheal Moßrien vs Geo. H. Kelley, motion to separate complaint overruled. John H. Lenhart vs Jaoob Tester estate, E. Burt Lenhart substituted as plaintiff, finding for |7O.tH.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 1, 1903.

TAKEN BACK. Official of Toledo Insane Hospital Here. Identified M. Fisher Who Escaped a Week Ago. W. E. Greggisbery, of the Toledo Insane hospital, Toledo, □., arrived here early this morning over the Clover Leaf and left at noon in charge of Michael Fisher the escaped lunatic who was picked up near Monroeville Tuesday evening by J. B. Stoneburner. Fisher is incurably insane and has been so for several years. Prior to losing his mind he was an influential citizen and still owns h large farm near Defiance O, He took an active part in politics and other affairs of his county. He :is perfectly harmless and for two years prior to his escape he had been a trusty in the hospit il kitchen. He wandered away about a week ago i and though the officials had been making every effort to locate him they had been unsuccessful, the crazy man being an expert at concealing his idenity. Fisher was fifty-three years old. TRAINMAN HURT. Attempted to Jump From One Train to Another. Alighted on a Brake and Received Several Severe Bruises. Jud Mahana. brakeman on the | Clover Leaf west bound local was quite badly bruised in an accident which occurred about 5:30 last evening. The train was doing some switching in the yards here and Mahana was standing on the ea--1 o >se of the slowly moving local. A string of empty box cars stood on the switch and as they passed Jud very foolishly attempted to jump from the caboose on one of the cars he lost his balance and fell, his stomach striking the car brake. It was at first believed that he hud f>cen seriously injured internally but after an hour or so he was able to walk about and by the time his train left he was feeling fairly good though still suffering some. His left hand was quite badly sprained and the thumb prolmbly broken. He lives at Delphos and returned there last evening. Dr. C. 8. Clark attended the injured man and stated today that the injuries may yet result seriously. AT THE FAIR. Miss M. Zeola Hershey on the Program Tonight. The program at the Presbyterian Fair this evening is especially inter esting the star attraction being M. Zeola Hershey, who is on the pro gram for two recitations. The remainder of the program also contains some mighty good talent in music in Misses Gertrude Moses, May Niblick, Agnes Schrock, Vaila Martin, Kate Mylott and Dossie Beery. Solos and recitations are the bill of faro and a mighty good pro gram it will prove to be. Thus far the fair his been a decided success and the attendance all that could Im, asked.

A NARROW ESCAPE. W. A. Colter Was Struck by a Falling Tree. XV.A, Colter, a brother of Charles Colter, book keeper in the National Bank narrowly averted death yesterday near Rivarre. He was sawing down timber when one of the trees fell, struck another one near by and was thrown back striking Colter in the face and chest, knocking him down and falling across his body, breaking his left hand and bruising him up badly, but nothing serious will result therefrom. It was certainly a narrow escape, from death and how he escaped more serious injury is difficult to state and certainly borders on the miraculous. A PICKPOCKET. Two Attempts Made to Rob F. F. Freeh. Nervy M m On the Excursion to Portland Yesterday Morning. If there is a man who will remember the Jay county fair it will be F. F. Freeh of Union townsihp. For as he boarded the train here yesterday morning he had an experience that is only equaled by professional broad day light highway men at Chicago. The first thing Mr. Freeh remember was that while passing down the isle of the car an unknown person attempted to extract his watch from his vest pocket but in this he failed. The next thing he knew his pocket book was lying on the seat and a lady across the isle called his attention to the same and as she did so a man, tall and heavy built made a grab for the same hut Mr. Freeh foiled him in his attempt and the man made his escape into the adjoining car. Mr. Freck thinks it was certainly a professional high wayman but he is unable to further describe him than above set out. It is possible the fellow is one of the men who got in their work on the Old Settlers’ excursion and was enroute to Portland where he might be located on the fair grounds. - COAL EXHIBIT. Indiana to Show the St. Louis Fair a Few Specimens. Indiana will make an effort to furnish the largest piece of coal ever mined as a i»art of its exhibit to be made at the St. Louis expositiion. The coal display will be one of the most important made at the great fair, and a special effort will Im* made to see that the exhibit is one of that will impress itself on the minds of sightseers. Some of the gigantic pieces of coal that are taken from the Indiana mines will do this very effectively. In order that every specimen may be secured the committee on mines and mineral products of the fair commission expects to request all mining companies of the state to furnish the commission with giant coal lumps. The blocks will be shaped into pyramids and each speciman Im* marked with the name of the company and the county from which it came. A number of the hugest specimens will be aent to St. Louis, and the commissioners beleive other states will have a hard time to equal the exhibit made by Indiana.

HOLD CONVENTION HERE Nissionary Meeting to be Held in November.

COMMITTEES APPOINTED TODAY. Arrangements Begin for the Meetings. A Coming Event for the Methodist Ladies of This Conference District. The annual conference convention of the Ladies Home Missionary Society of the M. E. church will be held in this city November 17, 18 and 19 and arrangements for their entertainment began today at the regular meeting of the l<M?al society at the home of the president, Mrs. D. D. Heller. Quite a number were present at the meeting and after the ' regular prorgam, which, ny the I way, was of unusual interest. Mrs. Heller announced the appointment of various committees and which are as follows: Program and badges—Mrs. J. W. Vail, Mrs. Dan Sprang, and Rev. J. C. White. Decoration—Mesdames C. C. Schafer. L. G. Ellingham, D. E. Studabaker, Saumel Amspaugh. Reception at

DEATH RESULTS. Mrs. Lee Annen Died This Morning. Had Been 111 For Several Weeks, a Victim of Bright’s Disease. After an illness of three mottths, death came to the relief of Mrs !,<■<* Annen at 6:30 this morning, at her homo on south Eleventh street. Mrs. Annen was formerly Miss Anna Parrish, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Parrish. She has always enjoyed good health, and until recently, no one imagin<*d that she would be a victim of that terrible malady, Bright's disease, but such was true. She first became ill July 4th last, but for several weeks her condition was not considered serious. Six weeks ago she became bedfast and two weeks ago begun declining rapidly, and during the past few days the end was looked for almost momentarily. She wasn good and noble woman, popnlai among her acquaintances and her death is mourned by many. She was thirty-one years of age and was married to Mr. Annen three years ago. The father, mother, three brothers, and two sisters are left to mourn. The funeral services will be conducted by Rev. J. C. White at two o'clock Saturday afternoon from the Methodist church.’

NUMBER 226

| trains—Mesdume® David Studabaker, D. W. Beery, J. W. Vail. Reception at church—Mesdames W. J. Myers, A. R. Bell, D. E. Scott, Joseph Helm, M. A. Hamm, William Pillars, Henry Krick and J. H. Lenhart. Assigr ment to homes—Mes. dames John Niblick, Daniel Sprang and D. W. Myers. Register—Mesdames D. N. Erwin, John Rex, Wash Gilpen and T. H. Blosser. I Committee to solicit for homes for ' guests—Mesdames David Studaliaker. D. D. Heller. T. 11. Blosser. D. N. Erwin. John Rex and Wash Gil pen. Music—Ella Bell, Mrs. J. W. Vail and Miss Mary Meyers. This meeting will lx? a very important one and 120 delegates, besides many ■ other visitors will attend, including the state officers. Mrs. Bunyun. of Richmond, is president of the conference society and Mrs. W. H. Daniel, of Fort Wayne, president of the district organization. The program will be prepared at a meeting of the officers of the general society to Im* held at Poneto next week, and will then be made public and from now on the various committees will be kept busy organizing for the big convention. The meetings here will be public and much interest is expected to be manifested. In conjunction with the convention a meeting of the state missionary union, composed of delegates from the southern, northern, and northwestern Indiana conferences will be held. This organization was completed last July and this is their first meeting. At the meeting this afternoon the program subject was “ Work in Cities” and the various readings were very interesting.

BY STEREOPTICON. Rev. Allen to Entertain an Audience at the Fair. Rev. E. A. Allen will pull the string tomorrow evening, and give the assembled guests at the Presbyterian fair one of his stereopticon entertainments. Rev. Allen knows the tricks of rhe stereopticon and will give a mighty good entertainment. Many will remember his work the night of the lust election, when he gave stereopticon returns of the election for the Democrat. Any one on Second street that night could see the messages which told of elcctien results in the different states. Tomorrow evening familiar views of the ol<l and new church, as well as many others will be seen, and it will be one of the best evenings at the fair. A RECEPTION. Rev. E. H. Pontius to be Welcomed Back to Decatur. The public is c ordially invited to attend a reception at the home of Rev. E. H. Pontius, eorner Eleventh and Madison streets, on Friday evening, October 2. The object of the reception is to extend the right hand of fellowship and welcome his return to the ministry hero for another year. The conference at War saw recently saw fit to send him back to the United Brethren congregation, and in so doing, pleased many people. As we have said lx*fore, he is an accomplished gentleman and a minister of merit. His church are quite devoted in their friendship and this reception will witness a disp.ay of cordiality not often given.