Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 April 1914 — $10,000 BLAZE AT MONTMORENCI [ARTICLE]

$10,000 BLAZE AT MONTMORENCI

General Store Near Lafayette Burned to the Ground. CAUSE OF FIRE IS UNKNOWN State Bank, Adjoining Brick Building, Is Slightly Damaged by Flames— Bucket Brigade Fights the FlamesLafayette. Montmorenci, eight miles west of here, was the acene of a SIO,OOO fire, the general store of Frank Gear being burned to the ground. The building was a brick structure belonging to d. J. Styner, who had kept a store there 25 years. Gear had a $5,000 stock of merchandise, on which there was Insurance for $2,000. The cause of the fire is unknown. The Montmorenci State bank adjoining jsvas damaged by the flames, but not seriously. The bucket brigade had a hard fight to save the rest of the business district from destruction.

Aged Indian Fighter Dies at Home. Shelbyville. Thomas C. James, eighty-five years old, died at his home in this city. His wife, a son and a daughter survive hitn. Mr. James had been a harness maker and merchant in this city the greater part of the time since 1852. During the Civil war he kept a restaurant in Nashville; Tenn., and shortly before that he served for two years as a conductor on the old flat-bar railway operated through this city from Edinburg to Knightstown. In 1859 he and a number of men who had formed a company here for mining in the vl-; cinity of Pike’s Peak, narrowly escaped being massacred by a band of 1,500 Comanche Indians on the prairies. They drove the Indians away only after a most determined stand. The mining venture proved a losing one for the men, and they soon returned here. Mr. James was the last survivor of the expedition Fire at Winona Costs SIOO,OOO. Warsaw.—Xvindna Lake suffered a loss of between SIOO,OOO and $150,000 as the result of a fire which started from burning leaves. The fire, started within fifty feet of the big Winona hotel, worth $25,000, and for a time that structure seemed doomed. A sudden turn in the wind drove the fire into the residence section and before it was checked at 1:30 o'clock 21 cottages had been destroyed, among them being some of the finest on th« ground The fire started in the ■'Toboggan.” a cottage owned by C. V. Taylor. The Warsaw fire department arrived half an hour later, but could do little because ,of the lack of water pressure.

School Head Is Re-Elected. ' Terre Haute;—Charles .1 Waits, who was re-elected superintendent of the Terre Haute public schools, announced that appbihtmetit will he made in two weeks of principals and teachers. The school board has increased the salary of superintendent from $3,000 th $3,200 a year and added a new officer to the executive staff of the city schools. The hew man is E. D Guinn. who will be superintendent of buildings and grounds. His salary was fixed at sl, 500 a year. Albert Allen, business director. also was re-elected, as were Mrs, Salite Hughes, librarian, and Ora D. Davis, attorney. Nomination Costs Nothing. South Bend.—Senator B. F. Shively did not spend a penny to obtain his nomination in the Indiana Democratic convention, according to his statement filed with the clerk of St. Joseph county. Senator Shively will begin his speaking campaign in September. It is his intention, according to his friends, to visit practically every county in the state. The senator's health is much improved. Forger Sentenced to Prison. Anderson. —Eugene Bowen, arrested by the police some time ago for issuing a check purporting to be signed by the Vonnegut Hardware company of Indianapolis and cashing it at the Citizens’ bank in this city; was sentenced by Judge Bagot.to a term in the Michigan City prison. An examination of his record showed he had served terms in five prisons. Farmer Dies From Injury. Warsaw.—Frank Hill, forty, a prominent farmer, was thrown from his buggy and died. His head -’Struck a curb. The runaway was said to be dae to the fact that the horse had just been clipped and became frantic from the cold. He leaves a wife and three children.

Afraid to Tell of Death. Anderson. —The body of a man which was found in White river near this city was identified as that of Paul Slebodrich, a Hungarian, of Johnstown, Pa. With this brother, Slebodrich was crossing a railroad bridge in this city, March 7, when they were overtaken by a train. Both men lay down on the bridge and one was knocked Into the river and drowned. The brother was afraid to notify local authorities and withheld the infonnatinn nntll he reached home recently.