Hammond Times, Volume 1, Number 110, Hammond, Lake County, 26 October 1906 — Page 1

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VOL. 1, XO. 110. NIGHT

THESE GASES

Lake Shore Attempted Hold" up and Aetna Explosion Inextricably Linked. EXPECT COIIFESSIO n Sheriff Daugherty Separates the Two Prisoners and Hopes to Learn the Truth. Every day brings the story of the attempt to blackmail the Lake Shore railroad by threats of blowing up the limited, and the story of the Aetna boarding-house explosion closer together. The two men who occupied the room where the dangerous explosive was hidden, and who were arrested yesterday, have made damaging1 admissions that may prove them td be leaders in one of the most dangerous gangs of criminals that have ever operated in this part of the country since tho carbarn bandits were captured. At Crown Point, where the men are under arrest, Fred Gerstung, one of them, was put in the sweat-box for several hours, but the examination was not carried far enough to enable the inquisltors to determine definitely whether or not Gerstung was connected with the abortive atttmpt to blackmail the Lake Shore railroad. The men were forced to admit that they stole the explosives found in their room, thaf. they stole It for illegitimate purposes, and that one of these purposes was to sell it to safe-breakers, and, most important of all, that there was a gang in existence of which they were 'members, ..organised., evidently for the purpose of carrying out some nearlous plans, the nature of which could not be determined at the time. I'nekhard Shows Emotion. Charles Packhard, the most clever of the two men, has not been examined to any great extent, and it is believed that he will be the most difficult to secure a confession from, but when he was told by Sheriff Dougherty that Gerstung had told the whole story, implicating other members of the gang. Packhard showed considerable emotion, and said that he did not see why any one else need be brought into the matter. He even threatened that if Gerstung did not keep his mouth shut that he would get even with him. The preliminary hearing was held last night before Justice Nicholson, when the two men were bound over to the Circuit court under bonds of $3,000 for Gerstung and $2,000 for Packhard. Superintendent Clayton of the Aetna Powder company was the prosecuting witness. When they were arraigned for trial both of the men denied the theft of the explosives, and disclaimed any knowledge of its presence in the boarding house. They were then taken in hand by Sheriff Daugherty, who separated the men and questioned each one separately. Gerstung was the first one under fire, and soon broke down, and confessed to stealing both the nitroglycerin and th stick of dynamite which were found wrapped up in a towel in a bureau drawer in the room where the explosion occurred. Skillful quv-tioning brought out the story that leads the sheriff to believe that both prisoners are members of a gang of bold and daring criminals, who have planned a long list of daring crimes in which tho holdlng-up of the Lake Shore Limited was to be the beginning. Oil Stolen Two "Week Ago. According to Gerstung's story, the "oil," as nitroglycerin is called among the powder mill employes, was taken two weeks ago. when a pint whisky bottleful was taken from the mills and concealed in their room at the boarding house. The bottle filled with the deadly explosive was carried to Chicago a week ago last Sunday, where they expected to deliver it to experienced safe-blowers, whom they expected to meet at Rubins' saloon, at Clark and Madison streets. They failed to find their men, however, and returned to Aetna. The dvnamite cartridge was secured last Friday and concealed in Orrs tung's room. According to Gerstung's statement Packhard was the leader and planned all of the schemes to steal the nitroglycerin. Gerstung stated that Packhard had been in troble before, and threatened to kill him once because he knew too much about him. Packhard showed a surprising knowledge of the law, and insisted on waiving examination. He skillfully parried all questions, but fin ally admitted that lie had put Gerstung up to deny all knowledge of the explosive anvl how it was obtained. Gerstung gave his age as 16 years, although he looks to be 20 or more. Packhard said that he was 19. Sheriff Daugherty has separated the prisoners, and hopes to secure the whole story from one or the other sooner or later. He is confident that the boys are a couple of desperate young rogues whose capture has nipped in the bud a erles of daring crimes.

EDITION.

PROFITS GO UP;

Eailroad Statistics Show Increase All Along Line Except in Salary. DECREASE IS GENERAL Number of Injured this Year larger, as Is Also Number of Killed. ; (Special to Lake County Times.) Indianapolis, Oct. 26. Joseph H.. Stubbs, chief of the Indiana Bureau of Statistics, has just completed some statistics with reference to all the steam railroads in the state that startle a little because of their sie. They are the total figures for the lines that cross the state, and include the entire scope of their business, and not Indiana alone. Comparative figures are made those for the year ending June SO, 1906, comparing with those for the year ending June 30, 1905, making a satisfactory basis of comparison. One or two facts stand out rather clearly from an examination of these comparative figures; that while general freight and passenger business has increased; that while the gross income from and the gross expenses for various parts of the various phases of the general transportation business has increased; yet the average daily wage of almost every class of employee has decreased. Almost all along the line" the 1900 figures show an increase over those for the corresponding year both on the Income and the expense "side.- "'-Earnings, operating expenses, passenger arid freight traffic, freight-traffic movement all these have increased their totals. Even the number of accidents increased and the amount of damages are larger. t The number of injuries increased from 4,163 in 1903 to 4,220 in 1906. Of the 1905 accidents 351 were fatal, and 3.S09 were just injuries of different degrees of seriousness. Of the 1906 acci dents 325 were killed and 3.S95 in jured. The damages paid in 1905 were $36,577.85, as compared with damages in 1906 to the amount of $43,132.95. The gross earnings increased from $21S,397,693.14 to $265,319,901.72, grand total expenses from $162,736,141.75 to $202,560,098.53, gross income from $55,661,551.39 to $71.61S,106.50, net income from $13,528,053.70 to $23,095,417.21, net surplus from $6,933,S51,1 7 to $11,035,377.02. Over against this general increase there is an almost general decrease in the average daily wages paid during the year 1906. In a few instances there was a slight increases:; station agents did five cents' worth more good to themselves in raising their average from $1.95 to $2 a day; the average of other stationmen was raised from $1.42 to $1.75; machinists from $2.60 to $2.64; carpenters from $2.16 to $2.17; and common trackmen from $1.36 to $1.37. Then comes the decreases: General officers, from $12.69 to $9.65; other officers, from $6.67 to $5.63; general office clerks, from $2.41 to $1.93; enginemen from $4.10 to $3.S4; firemen. from $2.36 to $2.39; conductors, from 53.37 to $3.33; other trainmen, from $2.33 to $2.26; shopmen, other than ma chinists and carpenters, from $1.90 to $1.S6; section foremen, from $1.84 to $1.73; switchmen, flagmen and watchmen, from $1.50 to $1.43; telegraph operators and dispatchers, from $1.91 to $1.89; all other employes, from $1.90 to $1.70. STATE CHEMIST FINDS BIG REDUCTIONS IN ADULTERATIONS. Books Iteing Balanced at State House this Meek for the Close of the Fiscal Year. (Special to Lake County Times). Indianapolis. Ind., Oct. 26. Books are being balanced at the state house this week for this is the end of the fiscil y jar. State officers are taking account of themselves to see what good they have done in the world in a year. II. R. Barnard, state chemist, did a little figuring on his own account today. He took figures on the food analyses for the year just ending and compared them with the analyses on the same stuffs a year ago. Last year, the figures showed that 91 5 per cent of the valilla extract was adulterated; this year, the amount adulterated was only 27.2 per cent of all examined. The percentage of adulteration in the lemon extracts decreased in a like way, from 93.4 to 63 per cent, the majority still being bad, but the majority a "reduced" one. Per cent of adulteration for cMr vinegar decreased from SI. 7 to Go. 3: olive oil from 3S.1 to 15.1; lard from 5S.3 to 40. The biggest reduction was as regards the spices. Last year 43.5 pet cent of all samples analyzed were adulterated; this year the per cent of adulteration has decreased to 9.4.

HAMMOND,

S MT mliS Ml Mv;" If

DEFAULTER ID 0. J. Dawson of the E. J. & E. Office, Absconds With Eoad's Cash iS LOCATED IN CHICAGO Hard Luck Story Touches Agent Salisbury, Who Gives Crook a Job Has Bad Record It has just transpired that C. J. Dawson, who for the past few weeks has acted as telegraph operator at the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern local office, and who has been absent from his post recently, is a defaulter. Dawson it is said, collected $30, while his chief, Mr. Salisbury, was away in Detroit on a visit, and in Monday he failed to put in an appearance. He had also neglected to turn over the money collected to the office and detectives were at once put on his trail. Yesterday the officers captured Dawson in Chicago and brought him back to Hammond to face his superior in the local office. Dawson came to Hamond about three weeks ago looking for a job. He represented to Mr. Salisbury that he was in hard luck, without the price to buy his next meal. Salisbury put him to work as operator and for a time he worked faithfully and well. Then he began to be late at his work, and show other signs of demoralization. Last Friday Salisbury went to Detroit, and it was during his absence that the operator took in the thirty dollars, with which he subsequently absconded. The money was paid in for freight charges. Dawson was also observed during this period trying the combination on the company's safe. When he failed to appear Monday at the office inquiries were made which resulted in Salisbury notifying the superintendent of the road, and the latter put the detectives on his trail. The culprit managed, after turning over all the money he possessed, to obtain his release. Salisbury says he has learned that the man is a crook, and had worked for the road before under a different name. He also declared that Dawson had served a sentence in Joliet for embezzlement. :xoTicn. The water will be shut eft on all district lying east of Calumet avenue and between Chicago avenue and Calnniet river, Sunday. Oct. 27, IfHNi. SIFT. WATER DEPT. THE WEATHER. Showers tonight and possibly Saturday morning followed by fair and cooler In afternoon.

INDIANA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1906.

"WHEN IHb LuAViS BEGIN TO FALL!"

HPT PWi i "

mum

Chicago, Oct. 2C. It is believed that Leonard Leopold, the strangler of Mrs. Margaret Leslie, is only a few minutes ahead of ultimate capture. Hundred of cities In the country near Spring Valley, 111., and surrounding LaSalle, Bureau and Spring: Valley are In the posse, armed with shotguns, revolvers and rifles, led by Lieutenant Morgan Collins, -with four Chicago detectives, leading the chase. Leopold struck into the brush from Spring Valley early today. His trail was at once taken up. The posse spread out in fan fashion and closed In. The murderer was eea at 3 o'clock this morning fit Spring Valley. He swung himself upon the blind baggage of a westbound nock Island traiu at dawn, but was chased oft by the train crew. When last seen the fugitive was dressed in a blue serge suit, tan-colored bat of the 4,tclcscope' variety, and wore a pair of patent leather button shoes. He bad no overcoat.

STEVENSON'S

Cmcago, Oct. 26. Threatening letters written to Attorney Charles H. Stevenson, who was found slain at the rear of 96 Washington street, were found today by his widow. They were nt once placed In the hands of Captain P. D. O'Brien. "I have found letters that show that Mr. Stevenson had an enemy," asserted Mrs. Stevenson. "I think I have evidence that will be valuable In tracing the murderer." Stevenson's hidden life story, with Its amazing chapters of love and Intrigues that have no parallel in the moat lurid pages of twentieth century Action, was revealed today for the ftrst time. Letters from a score of women breathing the deepest afTection have been brought to light, furnishing the police with an incontestible movement for his murder. Here are n few of the theories advanced by the police for these new astounding revelations: That Charles II. Stevenson conducted a divorce colony. That he encouraged, and in miinj- instances compelled, his women clients to seek separations from their husbands. That by promises of marriage he secured big loans from his victims. That be actually married a number of these women clients, among them Avlda Marsland, his widow-bride, and that be was a bigamist on more than one count. That he posed under different aliases in order to keep his Jekyl-Hyde existence a secret from his confidants. That finally the wronged husband of one of his many admirers, convinced of his gnilt, trapped and killed him.

BANK ROBBED; DYNAMITE USED.

Odin. 111., Oct. 26. Safe-blowers wrecked tbe bank of Odin early today, fought off a posse of one hundred citizens and escaped with most of the bank's

funds, about $15.G0u.

Following the report of the dynamite charge the robbers used a crowd of citizens gathered and opened fire on the robbers. Their lire was returned, more

than thirty shots in ail being escbanged, but no one Is known to have been

injured. The bank is a private institution, capitalized at $10,000.

SHOT DEAD

Goshen. Ind.. Oct. 26. Mrs. Lou Fuller, wife of a farmer and borse bnyer living north of here, n as shot dead In bed early today. One hundred ant",

twenty-seven dollars belonging to Mrs. RACING RESULTS AT JAMAICA

First Race Lotus, first; Dertba E.. second; Quadrille, third. Second Race Sister Francis, first; AVatergrass, second; Nellie Bora, third. Third Race Johnstown, first; Chalonte. second; Penryha, third. Fourth Race Rye, first; "Wes, second. Only two starters. Fifth Race Clara Huron, first; Lady Vincent, second; Sally Preston, third. AT LATOKIA First Race McChord. first; Field Lark, second; King Pepper, third. Second Race Emma V., first; Buren Arnold, second; Veneto, third. Third Race Mcllvalne, first; Hoe Coyne, second; Tartan, third. Foarth Race Darthnla, first; St. Noel, second; Beanie Cramer, thl

-Kessler in St. Louis Republio.

I ma LIFE RENE IN BED. i nlier s missing. PARS

NEW SYSTEM HE

IS HI

Independent Insurance Rating Bureau to be Established. SCHOOL RATES LOWER Hammond Board of Education Takes Advantage and Insures Schools at Enormous Reduction. The question of fire insurance ratemaking schedules is nearlng a solution I T o1-a ...... - j : r x . , . I ... c ... ma uirougnoui the whole state. Insurance companies will be furnished with estimates of risks. This method, which is already ....... . , established in Ohio and several western states, is Intended to do away with the squabbles over the different schedules that the state board and the state league have indulged In. Rate-schedule agitations have been coming and going: in Hammond until last Tuesday insurance men in this city, union as well as non-union men. got together and petitioned the Western Union insurance companies for a man to be sent to Hammond, in order I to re-rate it under the Dean schedule, ana mus ao away wim me aimonson schedule, which has been largely in I The petition had hardly gone out of Hammond when it was given out that at a. meeting of the state board at In-,

dianapolls last Monday that body hadnaroe apparently .'was chosen to' make decided .to discontinue its functions as it nmMnMv kn..t.4

a rate-making body, and instead acknowledge the rates that will be.glven out Vy the independent inspection bu reau wnicn will oe estaDJisnea Dy M. Sellers, the present secretary of the Indiana state board. This plan, however, is not to go into effect until Dec. 1. It is understood that most of the companies doing business in Indiana will adopt the new rate. The state board, as an organization, will continue, but will have no voice in determining and promulgating insurance rates, a thing that will be very acceptable to the state league, or the non-union companies. All companies. whether union of non-union, may buy rates from the new bureau, bimilar changes have been forced in other I states by the enactment of anti-corn-pact laws, but in Indiana the bureau system has been adopted as a matter of choice. The disturbance in Indiana insurance circles became especially strong since the San Francisco disaster, and came to a climax last June, when the state board tried to promulgate certain advances on certain risks, among them being a twenty-five per cent, raise on school buildings and churches. Later, however, this was canceled, and the local board of education took immediate steps to get in on the ground

floor for the good rates that were of- They tiro i:i the extreme southw.-st corfered instead. I tier of Can's coinorate linli which

Take Advantage of New Rate. E. E. Beck, insurance inspector, rerated all the school buildings under the new rate, and he and the board of education have consequently been able to save the city almost twenty-five per cent, of the insurance expenses that it has been paying heretofore. The board bought up its outstanding policies, and had new ones issued for a term of five years, adopting the eighty per cent. Insurance clause, thereby getting another twenty per cent. off. The eight Hammond schools under the old and new rating are as follows: Old. New. Central School

60 50 75 65 75 65 60 50 60 55 75 65 60 50 100 60

Riverside School Lincoln School Franklin School Wilcox School In addition to the territory that Insurance Inspector E. E. Beck has covered, he has also been given the terri tory of Gary and Tolleston. BIG TURF WRITER HERE. Daniel Trude .Murray, the eminent correspondent Known an over tne United States from Maine to California, and throughout Canada as an authority on matters appertaining to the turf, spent the day in Hammond. Mr. Murray arrived in Chicago from Buffalo yesterday in company with his wife and he came to this city this morning to visit friends on the staff of The Lake Cocntt Times. He spent his time in looking over The Laxk Cocntt Times plant with a critical eye. He returned to Chicago this evening and will remain in the vicinity for a week or two. Mr. Murray is a brother of John S. Murray of the printing firm of Bentley & Murray. Fred Memhard accompanied him on his trip to Hammond. J. L. Fox. claim agent for the Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville road, who has been in Hammond on business this week, left today for Cincinnati where he was called on business.

ONE CENT PER COPY.

CASE OF GUI Lincoln Fark Addition tc Gary Bears Earmarks of Fraud. LOTS IN DUCK Sli Uncle Joe Cannon's Name Used a$ Side Suggestion in Furthering Sale of Realty (Special to Lake County Times). " Gary, Ind., Oct. 25. When small mem deslre to exploit a proposition they borrow or rent the use of a prominent name. With the same purpose your larger Jl0,)10t?r makfs a corporation. officers it with puppets, whose reslgnations he hoKls ,n hand before he flKU them and gives it a well-sounding name. The latter method seems to have been the one pursued in the disposal of forty acres of land recently purchased by Walter Le Seur, a tanker-promoter of Danville. 11!.. and W. C. Piper, an east ern promoter. LeSeur is a son-in-lav of "l.'ncle Joe" Cannon, who Ij well versed in the art of hiding promoters. and whose name was traded upon as a Port of si;le suggestion In the deal. It even that s?nator "opsins of ll.'inoia is interested to the citont nf getting a slice of the luscious melon.About two monUlM aro fhft tu.,., . statea Uxnd compal!y took ovcr forty . j-Mivuooiu VtU HIV Will JVU.14t;V estate in the southwest nuartrt af ertion sixteen, townshln thirtv-si r9ll!,a ...j. nf lhf, toAn , "p ,r . Ti " Gt,(jl r0rmration; wMr.h At t ts Uarchasets i,ah! Sl?5 t, that. was frequently offered for sale before at j23 ner acre. The latter nrit : l3 mon, Uian it js worth now Tim tt s: i.nn,i rirnv. a t'oton engineer to survev the fortv acres and oonvert it into six hundred lots. T!,ev bought a title guaranty policy from t!ie Chicago Title & Trust company an,, thJs of ,.oursP( WOuld have thP effect of landing the public mora ;,ilv. T'.w nrii..-v- .x- WMv fn, r the DUrc-haser of a lot to the. Vst.-nt of about $17.50 when pro-rated on each lot. The purchaser of a lot would feel vc-ry secure in his title if he knew he was insured to that extent. These lots are the ones that are beirii offered to the public in lirre advertisements cverv Sunday, as being la -Lincoln Tark audition to Gar v. tha most desirable residence section; the nlat annroved bv tht board of trustees ?nd its clerk " In their behalf it should be said that the board of trustees made the promoters comply with every possible demand before Iinally. reluclantlv. arnrovlntr what they fcarcd to b; a get-rich-quick scheme. The lots that arp beinir offered and Sold in that addition li exactly three anJ on?-ouartcr miles from -?ither the business or residence section of Gary. comprise some twenty-two square miles. Two of the meander linp of the; Little Calunu-: river, nearly I've miles from Lak. Michigan, run throut;.i the trac This means that at some time juiirg the year, at leas part of tho jana is good duck hunting ground. The entire trac: is surrounded ty the Toliton Gun club s hunting grounds, which are i( course, largely low lan.ls cover with i:;gh water in vl.rs spring anj fan. jt iiCS west of the extension of Broadway nearly a mile. The company graded the streets and put up street markers away out there in the country. In fact, they have made the proposition seem as nearly bona-fide as possible. If they sell as planned they will clean up over $59,000, which allows some $10,000 for cost, survey, title guaranty, grading and adver tising. A nice little sum for a little wr.rk, some scheming and -lenty of 'nerve,'" all of which is but au led evi dence that the American public is a good field to work. ACID EXPLOSION STARTS FIRE. Conflagration in Lion Store Averted by Yiailancc of Entnlnves. This morning as the manaeer of the Lion store drug department was heatjng some carbolic acid in the basement it exploded, setting fire to everything near, and a disastrous fire was averted only by some of the clerks, who made quick use of the extinguishers. The explosion presumably was causpd by a leaking pipe. The damage was approximately given as ?10a. COAL THIEVES ARE CAFGHT. John Zebo. John Dode and John Gaik, three East Chicago men were arrested last night by special railroad detectives for stealing coal from railroad cars. They were brought before Judge McMahan this morning. Dode was discharged because he is an epileptic, while the other two received a sentence of one day in jail. They were also fined $1.00 and costs, which amounted to I $13.00.

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