Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1912 — Page 1

Jasper County Democrat.

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“BLAGKHANDER” CAME TO GRIEF

Attimpl to Exhort S7OO From B. Forsythe Ends In Arrest. “HARO UP” FROM GAMBLING Eddie Karnatz, a Crippled Tailor, Employed By B. K. Zimmer* man, Tries Blackhand Methods for Raising Money. ' The attempt to extort S7OO from B. Forsythe, the well known retired mere hart of Rensselaer, which bias been kept from the general public in order to apprehend the “BlaickhiaindeTs, ’ ended Wednesday evening ait Hinsdale, lil., in the arrest of Eddie Karnatz a crippled tailor, perhaps 25 years of age, who has worked for B. K. Zimmerman more or less for the past four or five yeiars. On Tuesday, July 30, Mr. Forsythe received the first letter, in which he was ordered to place S7OO in a cigar box and leave it in a pile oif stone on the Swaney Makeever Vacant lot immediately east of the jail. The rock pile is about 50 feet in from the sidewalk and the dense shade mak£s it very dark there at night. On failure to comply with the demand, his fine large brick house was to be blown up with dynamite, and himself with it. The letter was signed, “One of the Gang,” and there was some attempt to disguise the handwriting. Mr. Fo-reythe was naturally worried over the matter and men were fibred to try and apprehend the party or parties who were trying to extort money from him. He also offered, quietly, a reward of $l5O, through Mayor Meyers, for the capture of the guilty ones. In the first letter—all were mailed in the night box fastened on the inside of the postoffice door in the Rensselaer poetoffice—which Mr. Forsythe recevied Tuesday, July 30, he was ordered to place the money there on Thursday night following, and after notifying the officers and having six men on watch, E. P. Honan, J. J. Montgomery. Mustard, Constable Parks, Sheriff Hoover and Gus Grant, stationed at points of vantage so that anyone going to the rock pile would be surrounded, a dummy package was placed there, as directed, by Mr. Forsythe.

Karnatz, who boarded with Mrs. John Medion s only two dooms i-jouith of the vacant lot where the money was to be left, is said to hiave walked by the pllace several times thereafter ini the fore part of the night, but Ms nerve failed him and he did not go after the “money,” although in Ms confession he said that he followed Mr. Forsythe to within a short dtatafnice of the place and saw him pllace the package there. Ab a matter of fact the dummy package was fastened with a slack wire to a small bax containing an electric bell and batteny, and had the package been taken hold of the wire would hiave sounded the alarm and J. J. Montgomery, who was the originator of the device and was on watch in the house just south of vacant lot, would hiave turned on an electric search light and the blackmailer would have been caught dead to rights. Two other letters soon followed ■the fl'rtfei —.these three have been sent to the postoffice department—making siniiliar threats unless the money was forthcoming. The dummy package was removed each time after no one approached to secure it, it having been placed there each time again in compliance with the demlatnd made in the subsequent letters. Watch also was kept at the postoffice several nights and any letter mailed there in the night box, after the office was closed, was examined and the party mailing it noted, but nothing came of it. In the vigils at the postoffice, J. J. Montgomery lay on the floor by the mail box and with the aid of a tiny electric light was able to see the address on each letter as it was dropped in the box. A wire leading

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At the Christian Church Aug. 24 and 25.

Mrs. S. B. Shaw, W. C. T. U. evangelist of Michigan, will speak at the Christian church in Rensselaer at 2:30 p. m. to-day, and at the same hour tomorrow, Sunday. She will speak on the “White Slave traffic” and the liquor problem.

Grand Stand Collapses at Marshall Notification.

During the Marshall notification meeting at Indianapolis Tuesday afternoon the grand stand, filled with hundreds of people collapsed and about forty persons were more or less injured. Among the number slightly hurt were District jChadrmian Charles J. Murphy of Brookston and John W. Hanan of Lagrange, the latter the special judge who sat here in the Bormtrager ditch case.

High Water in the Tippecanoe.

White County Democrat: The Tippecanoe river has been higher this week than ever known before at this time of the year. The tremendous rains of Saturday night, Sunday and Sunday night up near the headwaters of the river are responsible. Almost the heaviest rains ever known fell in the region from Rochester northward into Southern Michigan. At Niles, Mich., a rainfall of 14 inches was reported Saturday night.

Dr. Johnson Now Here.

Dr. C. E. Johnson, who is active in the promotion of the new hospital in Rensselaer, came Wednes.day to remain* permanently, and went to Chicago yesterday to purchase supplies and equipment for the hospital. Some people have apparently confused Dr. Johnson with the Dr. S. C. Johnson, formerly located in Rensselaer, but this Dr. Johnson is an entirely different person, and came to Chicago from Council Bluffs, lowa, some twelve years ago. Until ready to go into his own office in the new hospital, Dr. Johnson will occupy quarters with Dr. Washburn.

Longwell Re-nominated for Prosecutor.

At the republican judicial convention at Mt. Ayr Wednesday, Fred Long well of Brook was re-nominat-ed on the first ballot.. There were three candidates before the convention, attorneys Cummings and Ross of Kentland, and Longwell of Brook. Jasper county gave Cummings 3.04 votes; Rosts, .46; Longwell, 4.50. Newton gave Cumlmings 3.25; Longwell 3.75. Mr. Longwell was declared (the nominee of the convention, having received a majority of the votes cast. There was some talk of Jasper Guy of Remington being a candidate, but he decided not to let ‘his name go before the convention.

Surprised on her 46th Birthday Anniversary.

Sunday, August 18 th at 11:30 P clock, i Mrs. Edward Kays was greatly surprised when a number of her relatives and friends gathered at her heme in the east part of town to remind her of her fortysixth birthday anniversary. She received several nice presents, and a most appetizing dinner was served at 12:3(7 o’clock, which by the looks of the .table, the yellow leged Chickens had suffered considerable. The afternoon was spent in various games appropriate for the day.

Refreshments of ice cream 1 and cake were served in the evening, after which all departed wishing her many more such happy birthday anniversanieis.— A Guest-

Ralston Did Not Speak at Fountain Park Thursday.

S. M. Ralston, democratic nmoinee for governor, telegraphed the Fountain Park management Wednesday morning that circumstances had arisen by which it was impossible for him to fill his engagement at the park Thursday, and failing to secure a speaker of equal note the speaking was by local talent, including E. P. Honan of Rensselaer.

IMr. Ralston gave no explanation, we understand, but as he was on the grand stand that collapsed at Indinapolis Tuesday afternoon at the Marshall notification meeting, it is presumed he was so upset by the •ajccldmt that (he felt unable to speak at the Park. He was unhurt, but, no doubt suffered considerable of a nerve shock.

THE TWICE-A-WEEK

RENSSELAER, JASPER COUNTY, INDIANA. SATURDAY, AUG. 24, 1912.

TREE STUMP SAVES AUTO.

Was Headed for Rive) When It Stopped—Men injured. Lafayette, Ind., August 21. —Edward Health and James Docker figured in a thrilling accident here 'today. The men were riding in a new touring car owned by Mr. Heath, and were going down Columbia street at a fast rate of speed. The men were not familiar with the street, which ends ait the Wabash River with a forty foot embankment. Several persons saw the car going toward the river, and yelled warnings, which were unheeded. The front wheel of the big car. plunged over the embankment, but the rear axle caught on a tree stump, which saved the car from going into the river. Mr. Docker was thrown over the front of the m|achine, and landed at the foot of the embankment. Mr. Heath stayed in the car. Neither was seriowsily injured.

Chicken Thieves Beware.

Chicken thieves are again abroad in the land and in the last three or four weeks Mrs. Stephen Kohley of southeast of town has had over a hundred stolen. During the past four years she has lost nearly five hundred by thieves, and Mr. Kohley is now sleeping with one eye open and a shotgun loaded with buckshot in. easy reach, so that the next raid made on their flock is liable to result disastrously for the contemptible whelp or whelps who try anything of this kind. The chicken thief is about as low down in the moral scale as it is possible for a human being to get, and the killing of any person who is caught in the act is not only justifiable, but the man behind the gun should be publicly rewarded for ridding the community of the most worthless and annoying pest that honest people have to contend with.

Organ Recital Presbyterian Church.

Charles T. Hansen, thq noted blind organist of Indianapolis, will give an organ recital Friday evening, August 30, at the Presbyterian church, the occasion being the dedication of the new $2,500 pipe organ donated to the church by Mr. B. Forsythe. Mr. Hansen has been an organist in Indianapolis for over twenty-five years. He has played on hundreds of organs and given dedicatory recitals similar in nature to the one to be given here, all over Indiana, and in many states of the central west. He is one of the leading organists of the state. In his musical experience he has committed to memory thousands of compositions and innumerable accompaniments for church and concert singers and has the greatest repertoire of any musician in the state. His playing is always finished and absolutely correct both in reading and interpretation,

Tickets on sale At Long’s drug store.

Dressmaking '•— Schmal Sisters, phone 138. J

AN ANSWER, NOT SOFT, BUT EFFECTIVE

EMPLOYES MAY BE DROPPED.

Leaks Discovered On the Monon’s First Visit of Pay Car in Years. Lafayette, Ind., August 22.—President Fairfax Harrison, of the Monon railroad, was in the city yesterday with the first Monon pay car that has been over the road in twenty years. For many years the Monon has been paying its employes by check, and the employes had mot been notified of the coming of the pay car. It was discovered that men Who had been dead for years were HtlH drawing wages. Three such cases are reported in this city, and seyeeail cases are reported on the Michigan Qty and Air Line dlvislorT.

The sending out of the car also brought to light that a number of tlhe employes were ih the grip of money lenders. It is said that as a result of the initial run of the pay car several heads of local and other departments along the road will be dropped. Mr. Harrison would not confirm any of the rumors, nor w r ould he depy them. Each employe of the road in this city had to go to the car in person to draw his money, and the wage leak was discovered. Every man who applied for fids money at the car had to prove that he was an employe of tlhe road. The dead man list for the month amounted to more than $290, and it is said that three men whose wages have been paid regularly have been dead for several year. The car was in charge of men from the auditing department of the road at Chicago.

The car left here last night after paying off employes, to finish its trip at New Albany today. Mr. Harrison was accompanied on the trip by a number of other officers of the road, and it is thought they will return to this city to discover the men who have been drawing the wageis of the three dead men. Officers of the road said the day of paying employes by check had passed, and that from this time on all money will be paid from the car, which will run once a month.

Call For Congressional Convention.

< fnh<f Democrats of the Tenth Congressional district, and all who desire to cooperate with them, are to meet in ithe delegate convention, at Jackson, club rooms, in the city of Lafayette, Thursday, September 5, 1912. for the purpose of , nominating “a candidate for congress. The convention will be composed of 104 delegates—necessary to a choice, 53 apportioned among the several counties as follows: Benton, , 8. Jasper, ........ 8. Lake, ........... ..... . . .30. Newton, 6. Porter 6 Tippecanoe, 26. Warren \. . . ..... 5. White, 12. CHARLES J. MURPHY. District Chairman.

Engraved calling cards to order at The Democrat office.

An Example of What Gambling Leads To.

Pardon just a little moralizing over the arrest for attempted blackmail of Eddie Karnatz Apparently he was a very decent young man. He had worked in Rensselaer some four or five years and had quite a number of friends.

Whetlher or not he had ever gambled defore coming here, we are unable to say, but probably not. No doubt he learned to play poker in Rensselaer. Perhaps he learned in the “preparatory school” which Mayor Meyers referred to in his talk at a good citizens meeting held some months ago in the court house. At any rate, Karnatz learned to play, in fact he became so infatuated with the game that all his earnings were gambled away at these little “social games” that are said to be conducted behind locked doors in more than one place In Rensselaer. Karnatz was easy picking, and no doubt was a welcome visitor at all these places. But while he had money to indulge ini this “gentleman’s game” he had no money to pay h/is board 1 and other small bills about town. He became desperate. As a result he conceived the idea of getting some easy money by blackmailing Mr. Forsythe, then he could not only pay his landlady what he owed her, but he could indulge din the fascinating game that had been, taught him. But the way of the transgressor is h'ardi, and poor crippled Eddie Karnatz will no doubt spend ten or fifteen years in a federal prison meditating over the error of hds ways, while the “schoolmaster” referred to by Mayor Meyers will continue to graduate pupils in his school of gambling and Mayor Meyers and the city marshall and nightwatch Will be criticized for making an honest effort to suppress gambling in Rensselaer.

Interesting Letter from Washington State.

Editor Democrat:—Will write you a few lines, and also send money order for $1.50 to renew our subscription to The Democrat. Crops are fairly good in our locality this year. Harvesting began about June 14; rye and wheat are the principal grains grown. The amount of rain this year was more than usual in this desert country, and most of the ranchers have good gardens and truck. The watermelons are as good as we ever saw grown in Indiana, and were grown with about one-fifth the amount of moisture you would have to have to grow them there.

The Beverly irrigation project has a pumping plant'''that purrtps water from the great\ Columbia river, and they now have the first unit under w p ater, and we see the beautiful alfalfa growing where only last winter there was uti. ing but eare brush Our home is about 5 miles northeast ol Bev*''y, and is about 700 Tcet higher, Is located in wrat is knowjj as tthe Royal Fiajt region, and comes under the irrigation project known as the Quincey Valley project, or Quincey Valley Water Users’ Association. This is one of the 'largest projects in the northwest and will water about 475,000 acres in the aggregate. The greater portion of which is said to be the richest soil in eastern or central Washington. This is the report given out by soil surveyors. This project is well begun, as 'the topographical and soil surveys have been completed, and the board of directors are now arranging to get two crewis of surveyors in bhe field to make the final survey and classify the land. When this work is oompQeted then the project ife> ready to be financed. We aare always anxious to . get The Democrat; it is always a welcome guest. S. Bi THORNTON AND WIFE.

A Body Blow.

A farmer carrying an express package from a Chicago mail order house was accosted by a merchant who said: “Why didn’t you buy that bill of goods from me? I could have saved you all the express chargee on them, and besides you would have been patronizing a home store.’’ The farmer looked at the merchant for a full minute and then said: “Why don’t you patronize your home papers and advertise? I read them and didn’t know you had this particular line.”—Kansas City Journal.

Vol. XV. No. 41.

COURT HOUSE NEWS IN BRIEF

Interesting Paragraphs from the Various Departments OF JASPER COUNTY CAPITOL The Legal News Epitomized—Together with Other Notes Gath* ered from the Several County Offices. And still come. Ex-clerk C. C. Warner is driving a fine new EMrF touring car bought this week of the local agents. —o—■ Marriage licenses issued: August 23, David Elmer Hufnagle of Logansport, aged 33, occupation railroader, to Jessie Maj 7 Koofi, of Rensselaer, aged 23, occupation housekeeper. Second marriage for male he having been divorced in 1896. First marriage for female. —O'New suits filed: No. 7900. Emma Herr vs. C. I. & L. Ry. Co.;, action, to recover for 20 acres of hay burned Aug. 10, of the alleged value of $420, and five rows of corn of the value of SSO, which it alleged was set on fire by a locomotive on defendant’s road. Demand $350. Mrs. Horace Gilbert and children of West Carpenter were in town yesterday, and regarding the report about Uhe and her husband having had a few words the morning of the day he committed suicide, was not true. Mr. Gilbert had left the house that morning apparently in good spirits, and the first intimation she had that the stock was mortgaged and was to be taken was when Mr. Shesler called for it.

Wil Mam Messenger, who recently completed a term in jail for bootlegging, le said to have been drinkitng again Wednesday night, and as Nightwatch Critser was mlaking Ms rounds about 10 o’clock he met Messenger near John EgerM store and he skid to Critser, “I suppose you are looking for me. If you are you can find me d— quick.” Critser bold him that he was not looking for him, but for him to quit hds dminking and get off the sreet. Messenger replied that he would do as he d — pleased, and struck at Critser. The latter then hit him a couple of times with his club, and proceeds- to run him in. Messenger said he would go peaceably, but when they got inside the jail office he became obstrepuous again, and tried to get hold of a chair to strike the nightwatch, the latter says, and he then hit him three more raps, good hard ones, and the prisoner was apparently knocked senseleet-i. The sheriff did not happen to be in, and with ho one to assist him, Critser came up town to get assistance. He soon found the sheriff and they hastened back to the jail but Messenger had recovered and skipped out through the ride door and evidently got out of town, as he has not been seen since. Miss Lorene Malone of Chicago, wcho has been visiting lher grandmother, Mrs. E. H. Shields, for the past two months, went to Monticello Thursday for a week’s visit with relative®. She will return here for a few days before going to her home in Chicago.

Call for Judicial Convention Notice is hereby given to the democrats of the 30th Judicial Circuit of Indiana, to meet in delegate convention in Rensselaer, Indiana, on Tuesday, September 3, 1912, at 1 p. m., for the purpose of nominating a candidate for prosecuting Attorney for said circuit. The basis of representation at said (convention of delegates will be as follows: Jasper, . . .... . .. 8. Newton, '6. N. LITTLEFIELD, ' Chairman Jasper County. H. L. SAMMONS, Chairman Newton County. i Remember the Monon’s next excursion to Chicago is Slinday, Aug. '25; 75 cents for the round trip 1 from Rensselaer.