Daily Democrat, Volume 1, Number 242, Decatur, Adams County, 20 October 1903 — Page 1

VOLUME 1

DECIDES IN HIS FAVOR w. J. Craig Gets Judgment for $40,000.

AFTER TWENTYFIVE YEARS Man Who Built the Clover Leaf is Rewarded. Brother-in-Law of Mrs. J. 0. Hale Finally Wins Bit* Law Suit Against Frankfort. By decision of the Supreme Court rendered Friday Wililam J. Craig the man who built the Clover Leaf is entitled to recovery from Montgomery county, in which Frankfort is located, <20,000 voted him 25 years ago to sercrue the shops for Frankfort and interest and costs that time which will bring the amount to nearly <40,000. The decision was in the celebrated case of

IN THE CRUDE. Test Well on the William Baughman Farm. Operations Are Active in the Indiana Field and Some Good Producers Found. A derrick is now under construction on the William Baughman farm, located west of the St. Paul church in this Washington township. In a wook or ten days the active work of drilling an oil well will begin, and "every one hereabouts are holding their breath in the hopes that it will be a gusher. The well is being drilled by Acher A-Hamilton, a firm of Pennsylvania oil men, who have greath hopes that something good is in store for them. They have a nice block of leases and in the event fortune smiles upon their efforts they will have money to burn. A well is under way of completion on the Foster farm beyopd Pleasant Mills anil “Iso another one in that vicinity. The increase in the price of the crude will make operations active in the Indiana field. Some big producers are being found in the Mari on and Parker City Held, and some new territory is being opened near Winchester, all of them unusual producers. The price of oil is the current talk every where, and while the price |1.23 is the highest ever known, yet opinion prevails that a Htl ” further increase may bo ex perfect.

The Daily Democrat.

State ex rel Moore vs the Board of Commissioners of Montgomery county which has been in the courts since 1878. When the Clover Leaf was being built as a narrow gauge Craig was the principal stockholder an<l officer of the Western Construction Co., which was doing the con struction work on the line. He offered Buffton the shops in return for a two per cent bonus but the township turned it down. The offer was made next to Frankfort and accepted. The Clover Leaf shops made Frankfort. But the township, instigated by several influential tax payers did not get a rake off on the tax, repudiated the debt after the shops were located and suit had to be brought to collect it. The suit has been tric-d several times in the circuit court of Montgomery county and has been appealed several times. The decision of the Supreme Court Friday upholds the claim of Craig on every point but does not say how the money shall be collected from Montgomery county and among other things asked of the court was a mandate on the commissioners. Mr. Craig, who will benefit by the decision as soon as the money is collected, is in a hos pital at Joliet, Illinois, lying helpless with the result of years of suffering with rheumatism. He is well known here and a brother-in-law of Mrs. J. D. Hale. GAVE GOOD SHOW.

Local Comedy Company Starts on the Road. The “Wrong Made Right Company” gave their ojiening perform ance at Bosse's opera house last evening and surprised those who supposed that because the performers lived here they could not act. The house was well filled and the company were well applauded throughout the entire performance. The play is a well written comedy, opening with a prison scene and each member of the cast did his or her jiart in the manner of old timers. D. H. Spvnoei played the lend and did nicely, while his support was as good as the average show. | The company went to Berne today for a two night engagement They j expect to make a several weeks trip. Mr. Charles Hendricks is manager of the company. COURT NEWS. — Routine of Business Transacted Today. Business in the Adams circuit court was transacted this morning as follows: John D. Edwards vs city of Decatur, before D. E. Smith s|N*cial judge, additional paragraph answer filed, rule to reply. Troy Huey, ex parte commissioners report apporved, drainge ordered constructed and same assigned to Pot er Kinney, who will superintend construction of ditch, bond filed at <2500. Franklin E. Felta vs William 8. Smith, depositions ordered published. Henry Nelson vs J. 8. Bowers separate demurrer filed to complaint Harriet E. Haviland vs Grant Haviland, defendant res trained from in any way desjxising of real and personal property.

DECATUR, INDIANA, TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 20, 1903.

THE CONVENTION W. R. C. Program is Complete. Arrangements for the District Meeting to be Held Here Thursday.

The members of the Decatur poet Women's Releif Corps are busy arranging for the district convention which convenes here Thursday morning, and which it is believed will be attended by 300 visitors and delegates. A committee has arranged with some fifty or sixty people to open their homes and assist in entertaining the guests. The district is the same as the congressional and includes Madson. Deleware, Randolph, Jay, Wellsand Adams counties. Included in the district are twenty-two lodges, and each will be represented by from two to thirty of the members, the latter number having signified I their intention of coming from Bluffton. All proper committees I have been appointed by the local . lodge, and arrangements are comi plete for a good and interesting meeting. During the day the district business will be transacted and in the evening a camp fire will be helu at the hall, at which time the following program will be given. 5 Song My Country ’Tis of Thee, J. Q. Neptune Prayer Rev. E. A.' Allen Duet, Rov. and Mrs. J. A. Sprague Short Talk, ... Commander Lankenau Song, Quartette Short Talk, .. Miss Laura Burns Recitation. W. F. Brittson Music Aeolian Club Short Talk Rev. J. C. White I Flag Drill Ladies of W. R.C. I Free for all short talks only .. Song, “God be With You 'Till we Meet Again.”.. I Benediction . In honor of the convention it would be but right that flags be displayed epecially in front of the business houses. Let us show our loyalty to the noble women who assisted our brave men in times of war. SIGNED TODAY. Alaskan Boundary Award is Signed. The Canadian Commissioners Were Very Bitter Over the Award. t Special to Dally Democrat, London, England, Oct. 20—The engrossed copy of the Alaskian boundary award was signed this afternoon. The Canadian commissioners who declined to sign are very bitter over award and will submit a contrary opinion to tribunal so as to go on record offlcally. While they declined to sing award they did sign maps agreed on by the majority

LAID CORNER STONE. Murderer John Terrel Did the Act at Bluffton. John W. Terrel, the Wells county self confessed murderer was I made the hero of the corner stone ' laying of the new Bluffton opera house yesterday afternoon. He has been in jail since last May when he killed his son-in-law in cold blood. He owns <IO,OOO stock in the oj>era house and was taken to the site by deputy sheriffs. The ceremony was very simple, Terrel simply took a trowel and leveled | up the two stone in the north west ; corner of the building which com-. posed the corner stone. He was then given a few minutes to look over the building. A PROCLAMATION Congress to Convene in Extraordinary Session. —— President Roosevelt Calls Congress to Meet November Ninth. Special to The Daily Democrat. Washington, D. C., Oct. 20— President Roosevelt today issued a proclamation calling the fiftyeighth oonrgess into extraordinary / A < ! IW \ 1111 F RES IDE.ST ROOSEVELT. I session. Nov. 9, 1903. The proclamation stated that the purpose of i this called session is to consider the commercial convention between Cuba and the Untied States. Congressman Cannon will be the new speaker and preside over the session. ANOTHER ACCIDENT. Henry Hackman Goes Down an Embankment. On the levee east of town, at the place where two accidents occurred one evening last week another happened last night and Henry Hackman the victim did not escape as luckily as did his predecessors whose horses jumped down the steep embankment. The accident happened just as the others did and before he knew it he was at the bottom of the ravine. The buggy was demolished and Henry’s right collar bone was dislocated. It is certainly time to take some precaution against this dangerous place and the proper officials should look after same. An electric light might be a good remedy.

BIG DAMAGE SUITS FILED

Seven Cases in Which the Demand is $36,500.

FILED BY ATTORNEY SHOCKNEY Parties Were Members of Drake Oil Co. Seven Claim to Have Been Frozen Out of Company in Illegal Manner. Attorney Theodore Schockney has tiled within the past few days in the Adams circuit court seven damage suits, in which the demands aggregate the enormous sum of <36,500. Two of these cases were filed last Friday, one Monday and four today each is similar to the other except in the parties who were until a few months ago members of the Col. Drake Oil Company ” which was organized February 19th last. According to the the complaints, each of which covers ten pages typewritten, the company secured valuable oil leases in Jay countv 1,656

acres on which were thirteen wells, producing 100 barrels of oil daily. The company was organized with <IOO,OOO capital stock, <72,000 common and <25,000 preferred. Their stock was owned as follows: Wililam Mayor, <4soo,otiso. Judy<l2,000 Andrew J. Judy <6,000, Alexander Craix <4,500, E. W. Evans A GOOD ACT. Decatur Man Plays Coal Oil Johnny Role. Gave Poor Urchin Winter Outfit of Clothes and Good Advice. A Decatur man, much under the influence of liquor, did a good act here Monday afternoon which will always be a big mark in his favor. He staggered down one of our principal srreets, well dressed and with a pocket full of money which he was spending freely. In passing one of our leading clothing stores he saw a poor little chap, probably about 7or 9 years old, shivering in bare feet and ragged clothes, gazing wistfully in the show window at the nobby little suits on display. The drunken man saw the longing look in the little fellow's face ami he gathered him up in his arms and carried him into the store where he fitted him out complete, with nice new underwear, a new suit, shirt and cap. He took the lad to a shoe store and bought him a pair of shoes and after he had fit ted him out in wearing apparel complete, ho told the little lad to

NUMBER 242

<9,000, A. D. Dutton <3,000, C. R. I Small <3,000, Wm. Glendening <1,350. George Shoemaker, *4,500, Melrose Oil Co. <9,000. Officers were elected as follows: Wm. Mayor president, William Glendenning vice president, Currry S. Pyle secretary, J. H. Hardison treasurer. The complaint alleges that soon after the organiaztion of the company it is alleged in the complaint a few of the company began a systematic scheme to lower the value lof their property in order to buy ] out their other members of the company. As a consequence the wells which would ordinarily make 100 barrels daily made only thirty one i barrels and as such property is usually bought on the basis of <IOOO, per barrel the amount means considerable. The (property was finally purchased in August for <35,000, since which time it seems the part of the company who disposed of their stock have discovered that they were in a “freeze out game’* and these suits are the results. The plaintiffs and the amount of damages asked are as follows: William Mayor, <5,000; Ottis O. Judy, <12,000; Andrew J. Judy, <6,000; Alexander LaCaraix, <1,500; Charles A. Small. <3,000; Winfield 8. Small, <3,000 and Alexander D. Dutton, <3,000. The defendants are William Gendening, James H. Hardison, Archie P. Hardison. Charles D. Porter, Elmer Schindler.and George Shoemaker, the complaint stating however that the last named is made defendant that he may show his interests he being one ot the i stockholders to sell out. The deal is said to have been made by Mr. Porter for a foreign company. The . papers have been sent to attorney Eichhorn of Bluffton who will ap- | pear in the case. go to his mother and told him as a parting word, to be good boy and never touch intoxicating liquor. When the little man started on his homeward journey with his new outfit his benefactor looked after him until he turned the corner and was out of sight, and it is safe to say that his thoughts carried him back to the time when he was a youngster the size of the one he had just fitted out. His only comment was. “I’m drunk, but I don't remember of ever spending my money in a better cause.’'—-Mont, pelier Evening Call. BOUGHT A DWELLING. - Jacob Brenneman Invests In More Berne Realty. Jacob Brenneman made his first, visit to this city since his return from his European trip. He camo down this morning and had a deed recorded for a newly purchased dwelling in which himself and wife will reside, his former business room and residence being rented. He reports his trip us one of the most pleasant of his life. The most of the absence was sj>ent in travel. His health is greatly im proved and benefittod after a long and continuous career amid the perplexities of active business. Marriage Licenses. Norris Wells to Jennie Johnson. Frank M Railing to Nora E. Tricker. William H Engle to Mary C. Walter. « — M. ...