Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1914 — BLAZE CAUSES $100,000 LOSS [ARTICLE]

BLAZE CAUSES $100,000 LOSS

Plant of Wardrobe Company Is Almost Wiped Out.

FIRE STARTED BY EXPLOSION

B«verat Employe* Have Narrow Escapes as the Flames Cut Thsm Off From the Stairways— One Injured in Jump.

Shelbyvllle.—The Shelbyvllle Ward robe company's plant, valued at SIOO,OOO, was almost destroyed by fire here. The blaze started on the third floor from an explosion that occurred when a spark from the smokestack blew through a window into a can of finishing wax. Many of the employes had narrow escapes as the flames cut them off from the stairways. Alonzo Comstock jumped from d. third-story window and was seriously injured. Jerome Collins was taken down with a ladder after he had hung by his hands from a thirdstory window for several minutes.

Plan Centennial Celebration. Indianapolis.—One hundred years of continuous residence in Indiana will be commemorated by the Rooker family at Brookside Park on Thursday, October I. William Rooker, who planted the Indiana branch of the family, .was born in London, England, in 1755. Seven generations of the Rooker family have resided In Marion county, six in Hamilton county and six in Morgan county. At the centennial reunion the facts commemorating the family's first 100 years in Indiana will -be placed in suitable form for preservation. It is expected there will be a representative attendance of the family, as the function will be the first of the kind held by Indiana people. The committee in charge is Otto E, Rooker, Camby, Marion county; Hugh Rooker, 338 North West street; William Rooker, North Salem, Putnam county; Mrs. Frances King, Carmel, Hamilton county, and William V. Rooker, 820 Board of Trade building

Thirteen-Year-Old Burglar Caught, South Bend. —A boy, thirteen years old. arrested by the police and charged w ith robbery,. has con tessed robbing 21 residences in South . I tend in the last three months. He look nothing but money. Whenever lie found jewelry he threw it on the floor. The police had supposed that tjie robberies were being carried on by an organized gang of housebreakers. The boy is probably the youngest burglar ever arrested here. His operations extended to all parts of the city and on only one occasion was he caught in the act of robbing a house. ' his happened when he was pulling off a daylight robbery. Discovered by E. B. Lewis, lie explained his presence in the latter’s home by saying that he was “doing some cleaning for the lady of the house.”

Luther League in Laporte Meeting. Laporte. -The seventh annual meeting of tlte Illinois Conference Luther league was held id Laporte. Questions of Interest to the young persons in the conference, which embraces Illinois. Indiana. Wisconsin and Michigan, were discussed by the 200 delegates here. The election of officers resulted as follows; Rev. V. O. Bengston, Chicago, president; Miss Olga Bachman, Galesburg, 111., recording secretary; Miss Josephine Young, Chicago, statistician; Rev. Joshua Oden. Chicago, literary secretary; Austin Laurence, Paxton, 111., treasurer; Miss Marie Setterdahl, New Windsor. Ill.; Miss Helega Johnson, Laporte. and Rev. E. VV. Magnuson, Geneseo, 11l . executive committee. ■ j-

U. S. Officials to Attend Rescue Meet. I erre Haute., —'l hat the department of the interior will be represented at tlte National First Aid and Mine Rescue meet to be held here September 12, by R. Sweehey, assistant secretary of the interior, was the word received by Dr. August F. Knoefel front 11. M. Wilson of the bureau of mines station at Pittsburgh, Pa. Van H. Hanning, assistant director of the bureau of mines, also probably will attend.

$lO5 Paid for Steerage. Columbus. Miss Carrie Ong, daughter of L. K. Ong, cashier tof the People's bank here, returned from a three months’ tour of Europe. She went over op the California, which was rammed off the Island of Troy, and on returning she was objiged, because of the war, to take steerage passage, for which she paid $lO5.

Luther League Convention. Laporte.—Between three and four hundred delegates from all parts of Illinois and Indiana attended the annual convention of the Luther league at the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church. The opening sermon was preached by Rev. C. O. Bengston and Rev. August Johnson delivered the address of welcome. Rev. E. W. Magnuson qf Genesee, 111., responded. The convention which opened last night will remain in session until Moaday.