Daily Democrat, Volume 5, Number 35, Decatur, Adams County, 9 February 1907 — Page 1

Volume V

WASHINGTON NEWS Whiskey Trust Given a Hard Jolt PETITION FILED AGAINST SMOOT By Indiana Branches of the W. C. T. U. —New Bank Authorized at Medaryville, Indiana. Washington, Feb. 8. —In passing the bill amending the denatured alcohol law of last June, the house struck a blow at the whisky trust which, as pointed out in these dispatches two months ago, is counting on controlling the output and the price of denatured alcohol. The amendatory bill passed last evening is intended to enable farmers to take advantage of the legislation of last year. The new legislation permits the establishment of central denaturing bonded warehouses other than those at distilleries.

The vice president today presented petitions of the Woman's Christian Temperance unions of Broad Ripple, Gosport, Caslteton, Hamilton, Hartford City, Barbersville, Fort Wayne, Goshen, Liberty, Hilsboro, Oakland, Marshall, Bluffton, Jonesboro, North Vernon, Markle, Nottingham and Sheridan, asking that Senator Smoot be ousted. The senate committee on libraries today reported favorably the bill for a monument on the Tippecanoe battleground near Lafayette. The bill provides that the general government shall bear half the expense and the state of Indiana half. Representative Crumpacker, who originated the idea, hopes to get the measure through in time for action by the Indiana legislature this session. The government’s aggressive plans for the prosecution of the Honduras lottery because of the big operations in New York, Chicago and other large cities are to culminate in an important trial at Mobile. A grand jury Is soon to be summoned and a special session «f the Federal court convened by Judge Harry T. Toulmin. Whether there will be other trials than that arranged to be held at Mobile is not known. There have been conferences here this week over the matter. Attorneys for the lottery have participated in some of them and propositions for a settlement of the cases have been considered. Assistant Attorney General Cooley, who has the litigation in charge, imposed very severe terms incurring a fine of $250,000 for each of several leading officials of the company. The lottery company has been greatly surprised at the government’s determination to put it out of business. Representative Overstreet has ed the attention of congress to the fact that during the six months period ending December 31. 191'6, ft an e matter which would have *■_> 285 427 if postage had been pa on it, was mailed by the department here at the capital. Assuming t.ns record for six months was one-., of the business of the year. sajs Mr. Overstreet, in his report. m work rendered by the postal >er " for departments and estabhshmen - was e ;„ al at the usual postal charges, to 14.470,855.24. e ’ perhaps, a few reports which a • date have not been filed which p ably would slightly increase amount.” , The postoffice department is now putting on men to weigh t e in the division of the rm waj service, including Indiana, t 1 • nols, Kentucky and sever al ot her states. The weighing will begi a few days and will eontin three months. In making ‘ weighing force eligibles tor a ment in the railway man s nrp f er . substitute employes hare 1 e ence. After this list is pointments will be made on ommendation of membets ot co The controller of the cu!,e ' 1C _ the Issued a certificate . viH e. First National bank o. - _ Continued on Page

The Daily Democrat.

TROUBLE FOR TELEPHONE LINES Caused by the Fort Wayne 4 Springfield Traction Company. The Fort Wayne Sentinel says: The operation of the Ft. Wayne and Decatur interurban road has generated trouble for the telephone lines south of the city, and incidentally will compel the Home Telephone company to rebuild its long distance line to Decatur, Like the line to Auburn, the Decatur trolley is a single phase alternating current system, and this makes it impossible to operate telephone lines under the central energy system in close proximity to the wires of the trolley company. South along the Piqua road the Home 'phone wires are within from three to thirty feet of the Interurban road for the greater part of the distance between Fort Wayne and Decatur, and it is impossible to use the wire, so that independent telephone business between Fort Wayne and Decatur is now being transacted by w-ay of Van Wert. Many of the rural line 'phones are also affected, and these are being changed over to the local battery system as rapidly as possible, and new instruments are being substituted for those -’hich have been in use. It is said that when the Auburn trolley line was placed in service independent telephone interests were compelled to expend several thousand dollars to make changes necessary to overcome the effects of the trolley road current upon telephone wires along the route.

MAY FILE SUIT Bluffton Contractor Loses his Temper ■ T WILL DEMAND SATISFACTION Claims Randolph County Commissioners Gave Him the Worst of the Deal. David Gottschalk and J. N. Neff, gravel road contractors, were at chester yesterday to place a bid on the construction of seven and threequarter miles of gravel road. Their bid for the entire amount was 123,800 and was >lO3 lower than any other bid. They bumped up against a set of commissioners who tried to give them the worst of it by throwing a contract to another bidder, seeking co pick a flaw with the bid of the Wells county men. There is every indication that the case will develop into a nice lawsuit. Mr. Gottschalk stated this morning that the Winchester board refused to award the contract to he and his partner, claiming that they had failed to specify in their bid that they would pay for all labor and stone. Mr. Gottschalk claims also that such a specification is not necessary. The local bidders at once filed a protest against the awarding of the contract to any other bidder and say this morning that they will proceed at once to test the question in the proper manner before the courts. The two have built a large amount of gravel road since being in the business and they are determined to have their porper share of the w'ork that is going round.—Bluffton Banner. The road referred to above is the one of the three awarded to Calvin Miller of this city, as noted yesterday. o BLUFFTON CLOSES A CONTRACT Have Thirty Days in Which to Raise Factory Fund. Bluffton claims to have landed a piano factory, employing 250 men. The one concern takes all the factory fund secured by selling 400 lots at S2OO each and they must sell 75 more lots within the next thirty days. The agreemnt calls for the erection of a two-story brick factory building with at least 75,000 square feet of floor space upon a tract of five acres of ground. The building will be 60 feet wide and over two city blocks in length. The factory is now located in Chicago and ,ast year manufactured 3100 pianos.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday Evening February 9, 1907.

MUSICAL BLIZZARD To be Given by the Salvation Army AT MISSION HALL TONIGHT. Salvation Brass Band From Fort Wayne Will be Here—Also Big Sunday Meetings. Captain and Mrs. McKay from Fort Wayne, are again to conduct meetings at the Hopkins' Mission, Saturday and Sunday, February 9th and 10th. • ggggsi a ■jjtfe. ■ J The Handsome Citadel, Built by Capt. McKay at Fort Wayne, and Dedicated Nov. 10 and 11. A Special Musical Blizzard will be conducted Saturday night at 8 p. m., admission 25 cents. The Salvation brass band is coming from Fort' Wayne. Among the many things Captain and Mrs. McKay have been successful in is the organization of a brass band. The Captain will bring Cadet Fields, who will solo. Mr. Lockwood, the converted traveling man, will be among the party. Mr. Lockwood was converted last Monday evening at the Army Citadel in Fort Wayne. He left his family in California about hine months ago, and took to the bitter cup. The Captain expects to soon have them joined together. Mr. Lockwood comes from a good family and is a well educated man. The Captain promises a good time to all who will attend. Mrs. McKay, the woman cornetist, will render several solos. Sunday meetings will be conducted by Captain and Mrs. McKay. At 1:30 the Captain will preach. 2:30 p. m., Christian Praise Meeting. 7:30 the great Salvation meeting. Special singing at each and every service. TERRELL HEAVIER THAN EVER But He is Troubled With a Heart Affection. John W. Terrell, confined in the asylum for the insane at Richmond, is in better health physically, regardless of what his mental condition may be at the present time, says the Bluffton News. His daughter, Mrs. Lucy Terrell Wolfe, was in Bluffton yesterday making some purchases for her father, consisting of a new outfit of clothing, as per request of Dr. Smith, superintendent of the asylum, and the purchases made show’ that he has grown very large. The waist measures for trousers purchased was fortyeight inches and Mrs. Wolfe said that her father had increased in flesh until he now weighs 210 pounds. At the time he was taken to the asylum he had lost greatly in flesh and weighed considerably less than 200 pounds. Although he has grown heavier Terrell is reported not to be enjoying really good health, however, and his daughter said that he was troubled considerably with a disease of the heart. The clothing for Terrell is purchased by his family. A meeting of the Eagles is called for tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock at the city offices. Al Eagles and especially the committees are requested to be present.

LENT BEGINS NEXT WEDNESDAY Bishop Alerding Announces Rules for the Season. The Rt. Rev Herman J. Alerding, bishop of the Catholic diocese of Fort Wayne, has announced the rules governing the Lenten season, which will begin on Wednesday, February 13, and close on Easter Sunday, March 31. The features of the rules are as follows: All the days of Lent, Sunday excepted, are fasting days. All those who have completed their twenty-first year are, unless lawfully excused, obliged to fast during Lent. Custom has introduced the habit of taking a cup of coffee or tea with a small piece of bread in the morning; and in the evening a collation or the fourth part of an ordinary meal is allowed. By dispensation, flesh-meat may be used at the principal meals on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, except the Saturdays in Ember week, and Saturday in Holy week. Those who are under 21 years of age or performing hard work, or are unwell or convalescent, or unable to fast without serious injury to health, may be exempted from the fast with the permission of their confessor. Those who are excused from fasting by reason of age or hard work or ill health, may eat meat at more than one meal on the days on which its use is permitted. In case of doubt the advice of the pastor should be asked. The time for fulfilling the Paschal duty extends from the first Sunday of Lent to Trinity Sunday. STOCK IS GOING About Two Thirds is Subscribed for LOOKS LIKE A SURE THING Promoters Expect to Close Up the Deal by the Last of Next Week. The canning factory industry looks like an assured fact for Decatur and Messrs. A. A. Butler and Brent, who are pushing the enterprise, expect to : complete the sale of stock by the last of next week. More than half of the 115,000 stock offered has been sold to the business men of Decatur and farmers of this vicinity and by tonight the amount of stock subscribed for w’ill reach SIO,OOO. If you want in this concern you should secure stock at once. As soon as the capital is made up a meeting of the stockholders wil be held, a site chosen, manager selected, and arrangements made for the immediate erection of the buildings. This concern will prove one of the best industries in Decatur, and Mr. Butler certainly deserves great credit for the effort he has made to land the enterprise. The factory will run the year round and will give employment to a large force of people, especially in season. It will also furnish a market for garden truck unexcelled in Indiana. 0 — THAW’S WILL IN EVIDENCE Evelyn Will Be on Witness Stand All Next Week. Scripps-Mcßae Special New York, Feb. 8. —On Monday, Attorney Delmas will place in evidence the strange will of Harry K. Thaw to show that Thaw’s mental deficiency. Mrs. Thaw will be on the witness stand nearly all of next week. Her, direct examination will not conclude before Monday night and Jerome will require three days for the cross-ex-amination. Thaw will probably not take the witness stand. His nerves are terribly shattered as a result of Evelyn’s recital of her terrible treatment by White. He sat in his cell today in a state of extreme mental depression. Experts predict that Thaw will be acquitted.

ACTING QUEERLY Is Mrs. Eli Middleton Formerly Lived Here RECALLS AN OLD STORYJ Does Her Strange Act of a Few Days Ago at Her Home in Wabash County. Mrs. Eli Middleton, formerly of this county, but who for a number of years has lived at Servia, in Wabash county, has caused considerable excitement in an unusual way. Going tb Fort Wayne a few days ago she secured a four days oid babe, returned home, went to bed and sent for physicians and neighbors, claiming the child her own. Her false representations were soon discerned by those called to attend her, but her reasons have not yet been made clear. Speaking of the affair the Huntington News-Democrat brings to mind an old affair here as follows: The publication of the story from Servia of the attempt of Mrs. Eli Middleton of that place, to make the doctors and her friends believe that she was the mother of a child that she had procured at Fort Wayne, recalls another strange event that occurred some twelve years ago in which it is understood the same parties were concerned. The information came from a gentleman who resided in the community at the time and was one of the searching party engaged in looking for the lost woman. It is said that Mrs. Middleton’s maiden name was Kate Bunner and at that time she and her husband who had already lost the sight of his eyes, were living near Bobo, a little station on the Erie railroad east of Decatur, in Adams county. The story goes on to state that Mrs. Middleton had informed her husband that the stork was likely to visit their home in a short time and preparations for the event were being made. A few weeks later Mr. Middleton is said to have awakened in the night and calling his wife, received no response and on investigation was horrified to find that she was not there. He at once aroused the neighborhood and diligent search failed to locate the missing woman. It was feared that owing to her condition she had become suddenly deranged and so great was the sympathy for the husband that a searching party of about two hundred men was formed and scoured the country for miles in the hope that if she was in hiding, they would find her, but without success. In about two weeks the woman appeared in a negro settlement several miles east of Bobo and across the state line in Ohio. It is related that attention to her presence there was caused by the negroes who complained of the white trash invading their domains and the woman was restored to her home and friends. She could give but little information concerning her absence. How and why she left home could not be remembered. However, she claimed to have been at Fort Wayne and that in some place, she could not tell where, she had been delivered of a child. She said that she had heard it cry but did not see the babe and knew nothing of what had become of it.

Mrs. Middleton said that when she left Fort Wayne, she was taken in a closed carriage, by two men and conveyed to the negro settlement where they left her, after having traveled all night. She said they drove past her father's home and one of the men was heard to say: “This is where her father lives, shall we leave her here?” But the other objected and they drove on. Mrs. Middleton’s parents were good citizens and highly respected in the Adams county community where they have long been residents. This case seems almost as mysterious as the one reported last week and created a big sensation at the time it occurred. ———o The Huntington News-Democrat is ce.iaimy u ..... —i against Mayor Anderson oi that city. Their Friday issue devoted a large amount of space to the scoring of their executive in most scathing language.

G. A. R. TO MEET IN JUNE Annual Encampment to be Held at Fort Wayne. The annual encampment of the Indiana department, Grand Ar*uy of the Republic, will be held in Fort Wayne Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 11, 12 and 13. This was determined upon Wednesday evening after a conference between Judge Samuel M. Hench, who is chairman of the state council of administration of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the local committees.

When the encampment voted to come to Fort Wayne for its 1907 meeting, the administrative officers of the department determined to leave the matter of the selection of a definite date very largely with Judge Hench and the local committees, and announcement of the selection of the second week in June has been forwarded to Department Commander E. R. Brown of Monticello, and Assistant Adjutant General J. R. Fesler of Indianapolis. It is expected that these officials, together with the other members of the council of administration, will promptly ratify the choice made by the Fort Wayne veterans. With Judge Hench on the council of administration are W. M. Cockran of Indianapolis, Andrew Fite of New Albany, Charles Myerhoff of Evansville, and C. W. Scott of Warsaw. The second week in June was chosen owing to the fact that it was desired to get the encampment far enough away from Decoration day in order that this might not interfere - with the program, and the second week in June was chosen because of the state Sons of Veterans’ encampment at Bluffton on the previous week. An effort is to be made to secure the presence of President Roosevelt, Governor Hanly and National Commander Brown of Zanesville, Ohio. —Ft. Wayne Sentinel.

THE ICE HARVEST ,-- X £ Will Practically Close This Evening THE QUALITY IS EXCELLENT And th* Various Firms Her* Hav* Secured an Abundance of This Summer Necessity. The ice harvest will probably be concluded or practically so today in this city. All week an army of men, employed by the J. W. Place company, Kleinhenz, Mersman, The Decatur Packing company and others, have been busy handling the crop and as a result, tons upon tons of a very excellent quality of ice has been stored in the sawdust houses. Those who feared there would be an ice famine next year may now rest easy for quality of ibe was never better and there is no end to the quantity. It requires an enormous amount of the frozen water to satisfy the 5,000 residents of Decatur and care' for the Various institutions where ice is a necessity, and the ice harvest is quite an industry while it lasts. The crop this year was taken from the river, Steele’s lake and the various quarries. The blocks are unusually clear and the ice averages about eight inches in thickness. o FEBRUARY 21 IS THE DAY SET The Eagles Lodge in This City to be Instituted on That Day. Word was received today from the installing officer of the F. O. E., that Tuesday, February 21st wan the day that had been set for the institution of a local lodge of Eagles in this city. A large number of invitations to various aeries were sent out today and without doubt February 21st will be a gala day in this city for the Eagles and their friends.

Number 35