Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 228, Decatur, Adams County, 3 October 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME 1

SHOT AT A BURGLAR Mrs. Ben Baxter Battles With Masked Man.

A BOLD ATTEMPT Robber Enters House and Demands Money. Homan Drives Kim Away With a Revolver, Then Collapses From Heart Trouble. Mrs. B-n Baxter a well known D atur lady successfully battled with a burglar last evening and fired a revolver shot at him as he left, a token of her respect; then fainted and was in a very precari >ns condition for severa 1 hours with heart prostration Mrs. Baxter lives on North Second street and the former came up town last evming about seven o’clock to pur chas.* some groceries, Mrs. Baxter remaining atone. She was seated in the sitting room a few moments afterward when she heard some one enter the kitchen door closing it behind him. She supposed of course it was her husband who had returned for some reason or other She paid no attention for a moment and the fellow walked up to the sitting room door and stopped immediately behind her. She glanced casually around and her amazement can be imagined for there stood a red burglar, masked as a highwayman. his face being covered with a cheap white false face, the only mark on which was a painted mus-

THE RURAL ROUTES No Halt in Rural Free Delivery Service. Indiana to be Given Complete Service in Advance of Any Other State. Facts and figures from the office of the superintendent of free delivery do not substantiate of the pre '’ailing impression that there has been a lialt in the extension of the rural free delivery service since the investigation of the affairs of the Postoffloe department began. On the contrary more new routes have been established during the last year than in any previous year. *>n October 15, 1902, SK7 routes wore 'nojs'rntion in Indiana. On the same date next month exactly 1300 routes "’ill Im, in operation in theatate a gain during the year of 423. It was feared that the removal of division headquarters from Indianajtolis "’ould tend to lotsen the state's chancefl of getting its share of new

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tache. In deep tones he demanded “give me your money.” Mrs. Baxter was so frightened for a moment she could scarcely speak but finally managed to say "why, I havn’t any money,” but the fellow repeated his demand and the woman walked to the dresser to obey him. As she did so she noticed the revolver and though she had never shot one in her life, the brave lady decided to put up a battle. She grasped the revolver and started towards the robber who in the meantime had unlocked the screen door, near where he stood and when he saw the gun immediately took to his heels. Mrs. Baxter followed him out doors and with the villian but a few feet away fired at him. The fellow never stopped but procceeded on toward the river. Mrs. Baxter, whose health has been rather poorly of late fainted immediately and neighbors who had heard the shot carried her into the home of Mr. Cusick next door, where she

remained in a precarious condition until one o'clock this morning. She is subject to heart trouble and the shock might have resulted fatally. When seen this morning by a Democrat representative she was still very weak though able to be up. She stated that she could imagine no reason why anyone should attempt to hold them up as they never hept any large amount of money about the house. On two or three different occasions this week a man whose appearance was similar to this one has been seen loitering about and looking in the window of Mr Kusicks s home an oil man who lives just north of Baxter’s and it is possibly the burglar got into the wrong house. He was certainly surprised when he bumped up against the revolver and it is safe to say Mrs. Baxter will not be bothered again. The man was a low heavy set fellow, wore a dark stiff hatband a black suit of clothes.

routes, but the department says there has not been, and will not be, any change of getting its share of new routes, but the department says there has not been, and will not be, any change of policy with reference to the state. It ha« >w*»n estimated all along that Indiana oould be completely oovorod with 2,000 rural routes and at the present this number will be reached within the next eighteen months. More than a year ago it was decided to give Indiana complete service in advance of any other state, and the officials say that policy has never been set aside. QUICK RETURNS. It Pays to Advertise in The Democrat. That the Daily Democrat is a gixxl advertising medium was proven again last evening,. Yesterday R. K. Fleming advertised that he hud taken up a stray Jersey cow and an hour after the paper was out Henry Heidman read the notice and was at Mr. Fleming's home to claim the oow which had wandered away Wednesday evening. Mr. Hiedman called at this office last evening, paid for the lixiul und thanked us kindly besides. It's no use talking, if you want to roach the people you must make your wants known in the Daily Democrat.

DECATUR, INDIANA, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 3, 1903.

KEPT HIS WORD. U. S. Deputy Takes Charge of Puckett. Young Man Taken to Fort Wayne and Released on S3OO Bond. As stated in last evening’s issue a deputy United States Marshal arrived during the night and this morning took charge of Fielden Puckett. He was taken to Fort Wayne on the morning train accompanied by his attorney L. C. De Voss and Marshal Cordua. He was taken before Commissioner T. J. Logan and it was arranged that he be “released on bondof |3OO which was signed by Puckett’s father and by Mr. De Voss. He will appear for trial in the United States court at Indianapolis in about thirty days. Puckett is the young man who sold whisky on the fair grounds and who has since been confined here on a sentence imposed by Mayor Coffee. His father who lives in Muncie arrived last night and is making every possible effort to prevent his son from a United States penitentiary. Puckett is about thirty years of age and claims I this is his first offense. IS BEARISH. New York Bank Statement Shows Decline. Report of the Money Market That Rules Stocks the World Over. Special to the Dally Democrat. New York, N. Y. Oct. 3—The statement of all New York City banks at noon today showed a mod- • erately Bearish condition over a week ago as may tie noticed fro|u the following (report. Reserve Jlecreased <631,800. Loans, decreased <1.111,600 Specie declined <667,400. Legal tender, declined <1,057,100. Deposits decreased <4,130,800 and circulation declined <II,BOO. The deposits are said to have fallen off because the money is being used to move over the cotton crop this week HOME TONIGHT. ...... „ John Frlsinijer Will Arrive With Thirty Belgians. Eli Sprunger received a message this morning from John Frisinger stating that he hud arrived safely in New York City, with thirty head of horses. He will arrive home this evening after an absence of several months in Belgium. He shipped a number of horses home a month ago In time to take first premium at the State fair and Great Northern. The firm of Fry singer & Company is one of the largest importers in the United Sates and this is the biggest bunch of gixxl ones ever brought o’er at one time and the price paid for them aggregates thousands of dollars.

WILL WED. Announcement of Popular Geneva People. Miss Edna Dean-Hardison and Mr.l Archie P. Hardison, prominent I young people of Geneva will tie I married at that place on Wednesday October 7, according to the an nouncement just made. Mr. Hardison is one of the best known oil operators in the Indiana oil field. His holding in the Geneva field are far in excess of any other individual producer. He has been in the Indi ana field during the past ten years, and during that time he has amassed a goodly fortune. Miss DeanHardison is one of the most highly respected and accomplished young ladies of the city. Mr. Hardison has purchased the Thayer property on west Line street Geneva and al] is in readiness for the beginning of their home life immediately after the wedding ceremony. REPORT OUT. State Truancy Law a Good Reform. Over Twenty-Three Thousand Childreh Brought Into School Last Year. The compiled reports of the truant officers of the state to the board of state truancy, for the last school year, show that through the efforts of the truant officers, 23,267 children were brought into school during the 1902-1903 term —22,135 to the public schools and 1,132 to the private or parochial institutions. This was accomplished at a financial outlay of <19,209.91 for the salaries of 1 officers and <20,215.02 for clothing I and books given poor children—a total of <39,424.93, cr an average of <1.69 for each child brought in to school. The aid furnished was given to 8,618 children, of whom 8,313 went to the pbulic schools and 305 to the private sch<xi]s. Under the provisions of the law, which permits the truant officer to prosecute parents who violate the law, 325 prosecutions were made during the year, all but sitxyfive of these being successful. In twenty seven I counties no prosecutions were made; • forty five there were from one to five. St. Joseph had the highest j number, twenty-five; Vigo camel next with twenty-four; Jefferson county had twenty; Boone county i seventeen; Grant and Vermilion each thirteen and Manon county eleven. The officers of two coun ties, Steuben and Miami report no children brought into school. Martin county reports one. Twenty-eight i I counties report less than 1(M), twenIty two counties from 100 to 200, fourteen counties from 200 to 300,1 thirteen counties from 300 to 400,1 five counties from 400 to 500. The • following counties report the highest numbers: Madison 568; Dubois 627; Henry 630; Laporte 656; St. Joseph 769; Marion 2,049; Vig02,019. IS WORSE. Condition of W. B. Reynolds Is Serious. The condition of ’Squire W. B. Reynolds of this city who has been ill at the home of his son at Marion for several weeks is reported to be serious. He is suffering from stomach trouble and was supposed to lie getting along nicely until a day or two ago when a turn for the worse camo. He is an old citizen of this county and has many friends who hop' for his spnily recovery. I* 1

W. R. C. CONVENTION A District Meeting Here on October 22nd.

MANY GUESTS ARE EXPECTED. — Committees Appointed Last Evening. Ladies of Six Counties Will Hold Annual Meeting Here Soon. An important convention will be held in this city Thurday, Octo- | ber 22, the same being the annual meeting of the Women's Releif Corps of the eighth congressional district composi-d of Madison, Delaware. Randolph, Jay, Wells and Adams counties. Between two and three hundred delegates and visit- | ors are expected and the Decatur ladies are arranging to entertain them royally. Mrs. Jennie Mcaughlin of Muncie is president of the organization, Emma Studabaker. Bluffton, vice president and Mrs. Theodore Kennedy of this city secretary. Besides the district officers and delegates several state officers will no doubt be present. The proNOT THE MAN. Officers Return Without Prisoner. Man Arrested at Marion and Supposed to be Fellow who Shot Fisher Was Not Him. No little excitement was caused last evening in police circles when ] Marshal Cordua received a telephone j riiessage from chief of police at Marion, Ind., stating that they had arrested a suspicious looking character whom they believed to lie the man who shot policeman Fisher here ten days ago. The description answered perfectly the suspect even having the marks across the face supp)s<>d to be effects of Fisher’s club. He also had a bullet wound in the log and the officers here were almost certain it was the man wanted. Accordingly Officers Cordua and Fisher and John Schafer went to Marion on the 9:19 Clover Leaf train last evening to identify and bring the desperado here It was a wild goose chase however and the three Decatur men were forced to return empty handed. They suy ho fellow answered the description to the man wanted here in every way with the exception that he lacked several inches in height. He was arrested at the hospital and refused to state how he got his injuries. lie was released

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I gram will be arranged this week and will be an interesting one, especially for the members. Besides the business and literary features the convention will conclude with a big banquet. At the meeting of the local W. R. C. last evening the president Mrs. Gilson appointed the following committees who will proceed at once on their various duties: The committees are as follows: Reception at hall,—Mrs. Morris Hay Mrs. John J. Mayer; reception at railroads—Mrs. George Woodard, , Mrs. M. Wertzberger, Mrs. George Louden. Committee to arrange fur hall—Mrs. Samuel Doak. Mrs. Rinaer and Mrs. John Bollinger. Committee on program—Mrs. Theodore Kennedy and Mrs. M. Gil-. . son and Mrs. George Louden. The visitors will be entertained during their stay here by the various members of the local order, but if more arrive than expected the W. R. C. rest assured that the homes of Decatur in general, will be open for the convenience of their guests. The W. R. C. is a fraternal organization |of noble women and we owe it to them to extend every courtesy to the ladies of the eighth district. It is suggested that during the day the various business houses display the American flag and otherwise decorate in honor of the occasion. As stated the program will be completed next week and will be published within a few days. We join •he other citizens of Decatur in bidding the'W.R.C. ladies a hearty • welcome. I A NEW FIRM. Hooper & Lenhart the Name of a New Law Firm. After October 15, a new combination in law will be in force, Paul G. Hooper and E. Burt Lenhart, l combining at that time. The firm will be known as Hooper & Lenhart and will occupy the rooms in the | Studabaker block, that are nowused by the former. Besides the law they have several insurance companies which they will proceed to get mixed up with. The partnership goes into effect the fifteenth. MANY KILLED. Explosion at Peoria, Illinois, Distillery. Many Were Killed and Many More Were Badly ln|ured. Special to The Dally Democrat. Peora, 111., Oct. 3—An awful catastrophe occurred at the plant of the Cornish Distilling Company this morning. The immense cookers exploded with deafening report, killing several employees and maiming many more and completely wreck - ing that portion of the distillery.