Daily Democrat, Volume 2, Number 129, Decatur, Adams County, 10 June 1904 — Page 1
VOLUME 11
ONE TO FOURTEEN YEARS Roy Woodruff Sentenced to Reformatory
A DESPERATE BOY Stole Two Steers and a Horse and Sold Them Sentenced Within a Few Hours After Capture—Plead Guilty to Grand Larceny. Roy Woodruff twenty year old son of Reuben Woodruff, has proven himself one of the worst desperadoes for his age ever in this county. About two months ago he returned home from the Plain field reformatory where he had served a long term for stealing. Yesterday morning he arose early and went to a pasture lot on the farm of Davis Dailey where the latter had a number of eattle herded. Young Woodruff oooly drove out two yearling steers, drove them across a wheat field to the road and then to the slaughter house north of this city where he sold them to Fronfield & Schieman for thirty four dollars. He cashed his check aliout eight o'clock yesterdy morning and after making a few pur chases about town went to Myers & Scheiman's livery stable, hired a rig saying he was going to Monroe. During the afternoon he telephoned from Peterson that he would not be in until ten o’clock. About four o’cicck Davis missed his cattle and an investigation soon resulted in clearing the mystery. Shortly afterward Mr Scheiman, the butcher came in and rep >rted that he hu<i met the young man east of town and it was supposed he was headed for the Ohio line. Mr
Myers and Nolan King l»‘ft at once in search of him but about seven o'clock last cveningj young Woodruff drove up in front of the Peoples restaurant, accompained by a young lady. He was iminedi ately arrested by Marshal Cordua and taken to jail where he confessed, saying he did the deed “just for meanness. ” This morning the Decatur Egg Case company missed a horse which they had on their pasture cast of town near the Davis fa’m and a search found several people who'had seen the horse with a gang of .horse traders headed towards They had told several parties that they had bought the horse of young Woodruff for 117.50. The animal was worth about eighty dollars. Sheriff Butler and Wash Gilpen, an employee of the Decatur Egg case company left at eleven o’clock this morning and will try to recover the horse. A guard from the Plainfield reformatory who was here recently said that Kay was the worst boy they had and predicted he ■would some day receive a life term at Michigan City unless he mended his ways as he was as desperate a boy as was ever at Plainfield.
Young Woodruff was brought into court at two o'clock this afternoon admitted his guilt and within thirty hours after the commission of his crime had been sentenced to the Jeffersonville reformatoiy for from one to fourteen years on the
The Daily Democrat.
charge of grand larceny. He said he was nineteen years old and asked if he could'nt be sent back to the Plainfield school. He was turned over to the officers $19.40 and when aksed what he did with the rest of the'money said, * I blowed it in and paid what I owed.” A SUCCESS Was the Arion Quartet Entertainment Last The musical entertainment given last evening by the Arion Quartett for the benefit of the Queen Esther society of the Methodist church was one of the best of its kind that has ever been given in this city and revealed to the muiscal talent the fact that this quartete is hard to beat and on a that can rival with any like organization in the state. The class of music rendered was from the best composers and was music that is today considered by expert musicians as the best and the quartett was applauded at the rendition of each selection. A particular feature of the program that will bear especial mention was the reading given by Rev. H. E. Pontius who proved his ability and he was liberally applauded for his excellent work. A large crowd was in attendance and each and every one are loud in their praise of the entertainment. A BRAVE ACT Bill-Poster Stops a Bad Runaway An Old Man Probably Owes His Life to an Employee of Barnum & Bailey Circus. A runaway today on Monroe street by a large team of horses hitched to a farm wagon, and driven by an old white haired farmer named Krickenhcrger, caused considerable excitment at noon, and a bill poster whose name we could not ascertain was voted a hero by those who saw the whole circumstances. It seems that the team became frightened near the Grand Rapids railroad and became unmanagable, the old man not being able to handle them, but still holding bravely onto the lines, the team came tearing down Monroe I street at a break neck speed nar-
rowly averting several collisioi with other vehicles until the passed the bill board next to 1 Burdge's Bar be r shop where th young man who was daubing t bills announcing Barnums ar Bailey show at Portland, yelled i the old man to hang on and 1] would help him, he easily swui himself onto the roar end of tJ wagon us it passed, crawled ups the seat took the lines from the mans hands and soon had the tejt under control. It was certain].^ 1 narrow escaixi for this farmer he was profuse in his thanks the bill poster who so heroic came to his rescue when it * or most needed, no damage was df 08
DECATUR, INDIANA, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 10, 1904.
WAS TOUCHED Johnny Eckert's Fortune Causes Trouble Lost His Wife and Trunks in Chicago and Was Robbed in a Box Car of $350.
Johnny Echerji little German, who has worketffor the Standard Oil comp my fo»ears anl for several months n made his head quarters here, Jp >rted to the police last nighwhut he had been touched for $s and wanted something don. a/nce. fl-- B tory is disbelieved Jniany but he may have lost a (Bft for that amount as he secured Je at the Old Adams County baif Wednesday afternoon at four oclcß and slept that night in a box < B Echert is a good workman Wias quit the Standard Oil havingßoeived news a few months aJhat he had inherited about |'>« from an estate in Germanyfid that he would re- | ceive stJ in installments of i
about isfevery six 'months until his fine is exhausted. The first chacame about ten days ago andkert crazy with his good luck Jediately packed his clothes id accompained by his wife lePr Chicago. In a week he retied with his wad of moneyfeplenished about S4OO. Someofcked him where his wife was ade replied,‘‘Oh, I lost her mit oufcnks in Chicago. He got a draflr the money he had left s3so /the next heard of him he haden robbed of that. He is certai/raveling an exciting pace and V not difficult to figure ho w long Loney will last.
ijo SUCKERS Jay Cf Citizens Refuse to Buy a Mortgage Lifter. Ju; mty farmers it is learned were n a chance to invest in the I F feed cooker which lost an 2 s county farmer nine hundred ars of his money and lean ini a few things that will be Jto him in the future. The cool lesman was in this city for jal days and drove over diffi parts of the county with hislrted ‘‘mortgage lifter” So farl known no Jay county fariiuiN hold of his bait. Farmers wiieen whiskers are not so ph# in Jay county as they w/jew years ago and it i« sel(l.Ut one ever falls prey any mft an oily tongued horns, wl’ Since John Franks, the Mtownnship farmer gave up t|nousand dollars to a pair of gioking crooks three years ago
i.junty citizens usually require rfnendations from strangers Hand Reivew. BADLY HURT Cruz Lady Injured in a Runa-way-Will Recover. ts. Noah Moser, formerly a rest of this city was dangerously red Tuesday afternoon north-
hJof Vera Cruz. She was driv. ulowards her home in a buggy J passing the Harry Grove farm In her horse frightened at the Hie he made cleaning out a oom iJiter. It ran away and the tiny was overturned and Mrs. I<er thrown out. She was in an Conscious condition and was ken to her home and for several Mrs it was feared that she had en fatally injured by the terrible □ok. She is lowly improving tis still in a critical condition, ir husband is a brother to Aron >ser so this city.—Bluffton News.
WAS PROMOTED Young Man’s Rapid Rise With lhe Clover Leaf. > Another important change in the t official family of the Clover Leaf came Wednesday is the shape of the promotion of Elliott S. Worth am, chief clerk to President Shonts, who is given the title of purchasing agent in addition to that of chief clerk. Although one of the ) youngest of the official staff of the Clover Leaf, Mr. Wortham has made notable advancement in his railroad career. He entered the service of the company in 1900, when he accepted the position of Secretary to the president of the Clover Laaf in which capacity, he served until March, 1901 when he was promoted to the position of chief clerk to the president, holding the latter position up to the present time.—Frankfort Crescent. IS PECULIAR
• Petition in Law Suit Says Strange Things Mrs. Williams of Portland. Says Her Troubles Have Been Numerous of Late.
Mrs. Isabella Williams of Port . land filed a petition! n the superior court Thursday asking that the hearing of the suit brought against her by Peter B. Manley be continued in order to allow her time to prepare defense. The case involves considerable property and was ' brought here on a change of venue from Jay county. Judge Heaton I had fixed June 14 as the date for the trial. In her application for continuance Mrs. Williams says that herjhusband committed |on the 10th of May last and that i j she has been prostrated most of the [ | time since. She alleges that the sheriff of Jay county never served I notice upon her of the filing 1 ofjthe suit, although he retained; the summons us having been served She claims his return is filse and because of not having been served she has had no time to prepare a defense. She alleges furthermore that a firm of Portland attorneys who appeared for her did so with- I 1 out warrant she knowing nothing ! of any mit had never retained '* counsel. The case Ims h peculiar ' aspect, and Judge Heaton granted ■ a continuance to July 21—-Ft. .’ Wayne Journal Gazette. s
INCREASE IS LESS Census of School Children Not Up to Standard.
According to the compilation of figures in the office of Fassett A. Cotton state superintendent of public instruction, the i>eople of Indian* especiallly in the rural districts are not as hot on the trail of education as they should tie, in the opinion of Mr. Cotton. Last year the increase in the number of pupile enrolled in the schools of the State w’as 5,6,33 over the proceeding Tear. This year the increase is only 1,202. The increase in population is reckoned at 1.4 per cent each year and as there is no question but that this increase has been made during the last twelve months, Supt. Cotton is at a loss to know just where the trouble Hee. He says, however that the many people forsake the country for the cities in the hope of quick success. Al) of the cities show more or less increase but even this Superintendent Cotton claims is not up to the standard.
BIG CASE GOES TO JURY Brilliant Arguments by the Attorneys
A POLE CAT Decatur Gentlemen Indulge in Early Morning Hunt.
Clint Patterson. Charles Colter Charles Bell and Clark Coverdale went to Ft. Wayne last evening to attend the famous Banda Rosa musical and got back home this morning just at day break. While passing the farm of Sampson Pillars jnst north of town one of the boys Colter by name was aroused from
his peaceful slumber by the savage I growl or grunt of a wild animal and . on looking in a near by field saw I a small animal trotting leisurely across it . All the boys were by this time fully roused up and some one suggested that they catch the creature, this was no sooner said
than ont of the buggy they all piled with the exception of Patterson. Coverdale and Colter picking up I st mes and clods to use in the fray and Bell taking the buggy whip, ! the boys hastily climbed over into i the field and started after their prey throwing stones and dirt as they went and Bell cracking the ' whip. They rapidiy gained on this wild animal and were just in 1 the act of making their capture, j 1 when Io their pursuit was abruptly ; 1 stopped and for a few minutes the 1 air was blue with perfume as the 1 wild animal proved to be nothing !
more than a pole cat. The boys made a hasty retreat and climbed into the buggy a sadder but pinch wiser bunch, all taking a solemn rfjath never to reveal their experience but the story leaked out and I we were lucky enough to pick it up and thought it no more than right j our readers should share it.
f THE NEWSPAPER It's So Good and So Cheap You Can’t Do Without It. Any man can take a newspaper It is the cheapest thing he can buy. Every time a hen chicks and lays
an egg, his paper is paid for that I day. It costs less than a postage j stamp—less than to send or receive [ a letter. It comes to you every day, rain or shine, calm or stormy. No matter what happens it enters your door a welcome friend, full of sunshine cheer and interest. It opens the door of the great world I and puts you face to face with its ! people and its great events. It is I your advisor, gossiper, and friend. No man is just to ins children who does not give them the local paper. No man is good to himself who does not take newspapers.
FUHRMAN-GOLDNER Nappy Wedding of Popular Yound People Occurred Yesterday, At ten o’clock Thursday morning occurred the wedding of Miss Kathern Goldner the beautiful accomplished young daughter of Mr. ami Mrs. Lewis Goldner at the residence of the brides parents to Mr. August Fuhrman a well to do young man from Ft. Wayne. The bride wore a most beautiful light blue silk dress, while the groom wore the conventional black. After the ceremony an elegant dinner wax servod the immediate friends, after which the young couple sojourned at Ft. Wayne at which place they will reside in the future. Friends extend congratulations. Reverend Klausing officiated.
NUMBER 129
TWO WEEKS' TRIAE OVER Jury Instructed and Sent Out at One O’clock Hon. Theodore Shockney Closes Arguments—Outcome Anxiously Awaited.
The jury in the case of William Mayer vs William Glendening, demand $5,000 damages were instructed and sent to their counsel room a few minutes after one o’clock this afternoon, after listening to seven hours of brilliant oratory from the I lips of the learned lawyers. The I plaintiff was represented by attorneys Ford of Geneva, Theodore Shockney of Union City and C. J. Lutz of this city and the defense by Dailey. Simmons <Sr Dailey of Bluff, ton and Judge D. D. Heller of this city. The arguments were all brilliant, interesting and proved the legal ability of the men engaged in the big battle. Os especial interest were the arguments of Frank Dailey of Bluffton and Mr. Shock-
ney, neither of whom had ever been heard here in a law suit. Mr. I Uiloy proved himself a lawyer of no mean ability not only in the argument but in the trial of the I case. He is shrewd, earnest, educated and industrious and his two hours speech showed his talents . and surprised his many Decatur friends. Mr. Shockney has often , appeared in the county during j political time and his ability is well , known tut his argument today which closed the big case ho proved that his talents as a speaker were not only along political lines. His argument was a st'ong one and a rhetorical outburst worth listen- . ing to. The case has been in pre - j gress two weeks ami has been ■ watched with great interest by the oil men of this and adjoining counties. Upon the verdict in this case to a great extent depends the outcome of seven other cases against the same defendants, aggregating demands of $15,000.
AFTER MUMMA Yound Man Must Settle or Answer Charge of Fordery.
Mr. Allen of Cardwell, Missouri, is here today to «ee the friends of Otto Munima in a last effort to effect a settlement before he takes steps to send the young man to the penitentiary. He wax here a few months ago and accused young Muinma of having forged his name to a check and secured thirty three dollars. Otto promised to settle but so far has made no effort to do so. He is working at Van Buren at present und unless matters are fixed up someway today Mr Allen will go there and secure his arrest.