Hammond Times, Volume 1, Number 265, Hammond, Lake County, 27 April 1907 — Page 1

THE W EAT H EQ. Generally fair tonight and Sunday; probably cooler Sunday afternoon. Contract Subscri&srs 9263 Street Sales - - - 820 Total, Yesterday 10083 VOL. 1, NO. 265. NIGHT EDITION. HAMMOND, INDIANA, SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1907. ONE CENT PER COPY.

DEATH CHEATED

if MIRACLE 600 Men Narrowly Escape When Fly Wheel Bursts at Steel Works. BMIJSA MECK Loss Is Estimated Between $200,000 and $250,000 Department Closes Down. "With a roar that completely drowned the throbbing of the machinery and the thunder of the huge hammers, at the plant of the Illinois Steel works, South Chicago, one of the fly wheels of the huge finishing engine broke this morning and that the 600 men employed In the building were not many of them Instantly killed or frightfully maimed. was considered miraculous. A few were injured but not a man was killed, although the huge castings whizzed by their heads and the splinters flew like hail around them. The accident occurred at 11 o'clock, at a time when most of the hands were working in all parts of the building, close beside the huge machine. The machine was working In its usual man ner, when without warning a crash like the intonation of a cannon was heard and the huge fly wheel burst, the frag ments scattering in all directions. For a moment the employes were almost panic stricken and stood as If rooted to the spot by the accident. How they escaped the flying fragments was a miracle. "With a tremendous roar, the heavy fragments of tho machinery plowed through walls, partitions and heavy beams, crushing them as If they were egg shells. The men waited no longer and fled for the yards where they were overcome by their close proximity to death or injury, that they were unable to speak, while others sent up a silent prayer for their deliverance. "When the extent of the disaster be came known throughout the works, other employes hastened to the spot to render what assistance they could, fearing that many had been Jellied or wounded. The building was badly wrecked and great gaping holes could be seen from floor to ceiling. The damage was estimated at from $200,000 to $250,000. The frame work, walls and coiling and even the roof were damaged and it is not known whether the foundations were not Injured or not. The finishing machine, on which the fly wheel is attached, is one of the largest and most Important pieces of machinery in the works. The 600 men employed in the building were In close proximity to the huge machine. The machine was examined by tho engineer before steam was put on this morning and was apparently in excellent condition. It is thought that an Imperfect iron In the casting resulted In the splitting of the fly wheel. The accident will throw most of the employes in the building out of work until it can be repaired and the machinery renovated. TELEPHONE CO. WILL HE IMPROVEMENTS Decide Definitely to do the Work Long Planned To Spend $40,000. At a meeting of the Chicago Telephone company, held a few days ago, It was definitely decided to put in the Improvements in Hammond that the telephone company have had under consideration for some time. The main Improvement will be the installation of between $35,000 and $40,000 of underground cable work. " Oscar Krlnball, district manager of the company, said this morning: "Underground cable work lsYie only kind of work for a city telephone line as there Is no danger of trouble from storms or any kind of weather. Although the work will entail great expense wo think that we will be amply repaid within a few years." The underground work will be done on South Hohman and North Hohman street, and also on Calumet avenue. The matter will probably be taken up before the city council some time this month when application for permits to go ahead with the work will be made. When asked whether or not underground work would be done In East Chicago, Indiana Harbor and Whiting, Mr. Krlnball said he did not think anythlnk would be done on these lines this year, although it might be done later. Alex Smith, superintendent of construction, will have personal charge of the work. Out of the sixty branches of the Chicago Telephone company, the Hammond branch will soon be the largest. This month's business shows a large Increase over that of last and the company la very enthuelastic over the progress o Hammond.

ILL LI8TE

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DRYS

Council Will Grant East End Prohibitionists Another Hearing. POINT IS CONCEDED Failure This Time Will Result In Attempt to Dry Up Two Entire Wards. The east end "drys" are still very active and believe the question of a prohibition district either for the territory they have outlined or for the whole third and fifth wards is a certainty. It Is said that the matter has been put up to the members of the council in such a manner that they have decided to reconsider the matter and will give the "drys" another chance. The prohibitionists are willing to exclude all of the Calumet avenue frontage from State street to the Nickel Plate railroad tracks on the ground that this 13 strictly business property and would be unjustly dis criminated against as compared with the same business property across the street, and this concession is said to have caused the council members to consider a reconsideration. Saloon Men Show White Feather. There seems to be little doubt that the men who are working for the cause could, by remonstrance, eradicate every saloon, at least from the third ward, and perhaps from the fifth as well. At least, they have made such a good showing that the members of the council who have hesitated about granting any concessions along this line, are now ready to sit up and take notice. No one realizes better than the saloon men that it would be a dangerous precedent to establish to dry up two whole wards in the city by means of the remonstrance. Down state where the prohibtlon sentiment is stronger, the remonstrance has created havoc with the saloons. In some -cases ward after ward was made dry, and finally the whole town was made boozeless. - The remonstrance is a dangerous weapon in the hands of prohibtlonlsts, and many of the most rabid pro-saloon men quake when the use of it Is suggested. Part In Fifth Word. It so happens that part of the territory which the east end people want made dry Is in the third and part in the flfth wards, and if the council will not consider their wishes in the matter, they propose not only to remonstrate against saloons in the third but in the flfth ward as well. This would include nearly half the city, and whether these people have an exaggerated idea of what they can do or not, the saloonkepers are compelled to take cognizance of their threats. The matter will come up in one of the meetings of the council in the near future and if nothing is done, there will be a fight to the finish to make two of the biggest wards In Hammond dry. BAD BLAZE If! HAMMOND PLANT Entire Concern Threatened for a Time Firemen Overcome. A bad fire started In the Chicago plant of the G. II. Hammond company early this morning and for a time threatened to destroy the whole plant. The first news that came to Hammond was to the effect that the Hammond plant had burned down and as this concern was formerly the biggest industry in this city, news from the conflagration was eagerly sought. Nine firemen were overcome by smoke and suffered severely. One Is in a serious condition and was taken to a hospital. The fire was In the hide cellars under the big beefhouse of the Hammond Packing company, at Forty-flfth and Aberdeen streets. The loss was estimated at $10,000. The first firemen to reach the blaze were members of company 54 in Packers avenue. Captain John Hagle led his men into the building and the smoke and saltpeter fumes almost stifled them. The men thus overcome were Captain John Hagle. James Hughes. Otto Miller, L. Owens, and Joseph Schimansky. When company 59 arrived its members realized the peril of the five men and Captain Peter Downey, with Peter Klehl. J. S. Foster, and Michael Regan, rushed In to rescure. They were able to drag out the five .unconscious firemen, but were themselves almost overcome when they reached the air. Captain Hagle was In the most serlIous condition and was taken to a hosBltal in a police ambulance.

CITY WILL TELEPHO Test Case to Determine Corporation's Rights Under Franchise. METHQDNMADNESS Hammond Wants Club to CompeFDefendants to Furnish Free Service to City. City Attorney LeGrand T. Meyer will begin at once an action at law to determine what the rights of the city are with reference to the use of streets for telephone poles and equipment by the Chicago Telephone company under the latter's franchise. The Chicago Telephone company, acting under its franchise granted several years ago, which gave the company the right to all of the streets of Hammond, has begun the erection of a line of telegraph poles on the extension of State street which is to be built to Gibson. The city's legal department has advised the board of public works that this franchise applies only to streets that were in existence at the time the franchise was granted and not to new streets, such as the extension of State street. The suit contemplated by Mr. Meyer will be in the nature of a test case In order to determine just what the rights of the city are. It is understood that the real cause of this action is for the purpose of compelling the telephone company to provide the city officials and the police department with telephones free of charge. In Chicago and even in East Chicago If the police desire to use a toll phone they may do so without cost to the department. Here It's Different. But In Hammond, even the mayor and members of the board of public works are compelled to pay toll when . , . . of the city, and they believe Hammond should be spared this expense when the telephone company is the possessor of such valuable franchises free of cost. If the contention of the city attorney is correct, that the city did not . . . . it ana couia not grant irancmses on me streets that did not exist at the time the franchise was granted, then the telephone company will be compelled to either confine their operations to the streets they are already in possession of or will have to come to the city for another franchise. Then when the further privileges are sought, the board of public works will make it a condition that the city officials must all be provided with phones and that the telephone poles which are to be put in on the streets in the future be placed in the alleys instead. Final result of the ball game In THE LA1CE COUXTY TIMES Sportlag Extra.

ECO.

DEMENTIA AMERICANA." SLOT MACHINES Twenty-six SajQon . Keepers of Toleston and Gary Arrested. DEVICES CONFISCATED Marshal Young Makes Descent Upon Proprietors of Gambling Property Trials Today (Special to Lake County Times). Crown Point, Ind., April 27. In one of the biggest slot machine raids that has ever been made in the county. twenty-six saloonkeepers in the vicin ity of Gary and Toleston were arrest ed this morning and taken to Crown Point where they were given a preliminary hearing before Judge Hiram Barton at 1 o'clock this afternoon. All of the machines found were confiscated, and as they are worth in the neighborhood of $200 each, the total loss will be over $5,000. It is understood that these machines are all owned by Giles Warner and Henry Burge of this city. The raid was made on complaint of Toleston and Gary people and it is said the affidavits were filed by Deputy Prosecutor A. A. Bremer. The papers were served by Marshal Joseph P. Young of Crown Point. Mr. Boone telephoned that he would be in Crown Point shortly after noon and would personally attend to the prosecuting of the cases. It is said that four of the men avoided arrest or there would have been thirty Instead of twenty-six to answer to the charge of running slot machines in their places of business. Known for Some Time. It has been generally known for some time that Gary and vicinity was the happy hunting ground of the slot machine man, and that the laborers in this neiehhorhnnd w-pro nnttlntr Viz-m-v, i , , . sands of their hard-earned dollars into these money traps, but there was no one to make complaint, and so the abuse continued. Frequently farmers would see wagons with suspicious looking square things hidden under blankets moving in the direction nf Clnr-v- onH Tnioctnn - "" .v-own. ana wnen tney "got wise" they would remark "that a new saloon must have . been started over to Gary." The violations of the law become so ' flagrant, however, that the better class of citizens at Gary decided that the . slot machine would have to go, and the raid today was the result. The following saloonkeepers were arrested on warrants this afternoon: William Knoth. F. D. Scheldt, F. Gord. John Bennett, Charles Dellachien. John Kienis, J. S. Marquardt, John J. Garrell, Charles Glenn, Lewis Marks, Daniel Toth, Jno. Murzyn. Harry Gordon, John Jackson and Louis Gordon. A change of venue has been taken and the men will be tried at Dyer before jty. seiaier.

Macauley in New York World.

GHARfi IS OM IHE SPOT Attorney General Personally Will Conduct Prosecution of Poolroom Men 1ISGAI IS DEAD Move To Be Made to Confiscate and Destroy the Notorious "Dearborn Park Stockade." In an unostentatious manner, Attorney General James Bingham, arrived In Hammond this morning to complete termination of the notorious pool room at Dearborn Park. The trial of the defendants in the case will come up Monday in the local court, and Mr. Bingham will conduct the case for the state, personally. He will ask for writs at that time to destroy the property consisting of buildings, fences, stockades, and in fact everything that went to make up one of the most original and daring schemes ever attempted by the gambling fraternity In this country. Mr. Bingham on his arrival Immediately consulted with Judge McMahon and Chief of Police Rlmbach, and thai matter of Issuing subpoenas for wl nesses was taken up. With Chief Rimbach he went to the scene of the operations and carefully looked over the evidence in the case. The trial will undoubtedly be one of great Interest not only in the local district, but in Chicago and all the middle west cities. The fraternity, it is expected, will have the best legal talent that can be procured and against these forces it is expected that Attorney Bingham will have to make his fight. Place Out of Business. "I think we have the situation well in hand," said Mr. Bingham to a Times reporter today. "We have put the place out of business and I am here for 1 1 . t. uiiuau v. 1. . a... dence in the case preparatory to tne trial Monday. We have the subponeas ready and Monday we will ask for the nower to destroy the property. I will personally attend to the prosecution of the case and will ask for the conviction of the men concerned in the case. There is really nothing else new in the situation." The men behind the Dearborn Park stockade includes some of the best known pool room men In the country. "Bud" White of Chicago Is one concerned and is said to be the power of the affair. The Park has not enjoyed the fine patronage towards the last that it did at the start, but still a goodly gathering was present on most occasions. Lately, however, they have been depending on one set of races, under which conditions no pool room could exist, and with the close proximity of the hand books in Chicago, the going was rather bad. Plar.3 are about completed for a handsome new residence to be erected for Peter Schrum on his farm a few miles south of Hammond. The structure is to be of cement blocks and will cost 13,500.

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EAST CHICAGOJAS BAD BLAZE Fire Almost Totally Destroys Schlitz Brewing Company's Local Branch Hammond's Fire Department Summoned.

(Special to Lake County Times). East Chicago, Ind., April 27. Fire broke out this afternoon in the East Chicago branch of the Schlitz Brewing company and nearly totally destroyed the building. The East Chicago fire department arrived on the scene shortly after the flames had gained a start, but were unable to successfully cope with them at first, although later they managed to get the blaze under control. SENSATIO LAW CASE Testimony of Principal Witness for Defense Causes His Arrest. 3IEP IS A E Consternation Among Defendant's Ignorant Friends Conditions In Shack a Revelation. In the trial of Wasso Loncor yester day afternoon before Judge McMahon, charged with conducting a "blind tiger," a sensation was sprung by the j prosecutor, when the principal witness for the defense, Theodore Loncor, brother of the defendant, was arrested charged with selling liquor without a license. The arrest came as a climax to the trial after the testimony presented by Theodore and several of his fellow countrymen. In, their- evidence they made damaging admissions, and a warrant was issued. The arrest created consternation among the Illiterate witnesses and their friends who were present at the trial, and each one imagined he would be the next to fall Into the clutches of the law. The description of the shack conducted by the Loncors as a Polish boarding house was a surprise to those who were present at the trial. A one room affair, as many as sixty boarders were accommodated at one time, the men sleeping on bunks In tiers beside the walls. In a trap In the basement eighteen cases of beer were found by the police, which resul- in the arrest of Wasso Loncor. He was fined 50 on the charge. His brother, Theodore Loncor, was the star witness for the defence, and stated that the beer was not owned by the defendant, but was the property of individual boarders. Other witnesses were heard but their evidence was so conflicting that the warrant for Theodore's arrest resulted. His case was continued until Thursday and he was released in $100 ball.

SURPRIS

WIFE MURDERER GETS LIFE

(Special to Lake County Time.) LaPorte, Ind.. April 27. The jury In the Albin Ludwig murder case' returned a verdict of life sentence. Ludwig killed his wife, who was the daughter of Mrs. Henderson of Kingsbury, this county, poured gasoline over

E00IE TATE CAUGHT IN GH1GAG0

(Special to Lake County Time.) Chicago. April 27. Eddie Tate, the "gentlemanly burglar" who was mixed up in the Peoria school board scandal and who escaped from his custodian a few days ago, has been captured. He was arrested at the corner of Prairie avenue and Fifty-eighth street after a fierce revolver battle between AIDS DRAINAGE BOARD PLANS. Chleatco Commercial Association Committee Indorse Proposed Law. Resolutions indorsing the Calumet, Evanston and Joliet Lake extension projects of the sanitary district board as represented in three measures now pending In the legislature were adopted yesterday at the regular meeting of the executive committee of the Chicago Commercial association. In addition the resolutions express the association's unqualified approval of the plans and purposes of the sanitary trustees and pledge active support of the bills. Senate bill No. 74 and house bill No. 243 provide additional revenue for the sanitary district by extending for five

At first it was thought the fire would spread to several other buildings, and the Hammond fire department was called up and asked to send over part of its equipment. The chief sent the engine over but when it arrived tho necessity was passed. No sooner had the fire broke out than a crowd of over two hundred persons collected, and it was necessary for the police to hold back the crowds. The exactl oss is not known but it is estimated at $3,000. partially insured.

SANE OVER HIS TROUBLES Bootblack Pete Whose Al leged Romance was Shattered, Demented. PICKED UP Id WHITING Officer Finds Him Wandering in Streets Fears He Might Attempt Suicide. "Pete" Silas, the Hohman street bootblack who It is alleged on Thursday proposed marriage to one of the chambermaids of a local hotel after presenting himself at the door of the hotel, with a carriage and a bouquet of flowers, and then raised a dlsturbanca which resulted in his being taken to the police station, was arrested in Whiting this morning, rete, who is not much bigger than a pint of cider had not committed any crime but 1h believed to be demented. It Is thought he went insane brooding over his unfortunate love affair. When picked up in Whiting this morning Pete was muttering Incoherently and the police were led to believe by his actions that ho might commit suicide if left without restraint. He arrived in Whiting early this morning and started In walking first up one street and then down another all the time muttering words that were indistinct although he was heard to say something about shooting, so Officer Pinkerton was detailed by the chief to go out and arrest the man and bring him to the station where he Is now held awaiting the arrival of a Hammond officer to bring him back here. Although Pete said he did not Intend to get married, it looks as though the matter had preyed on his mind. This to such an extent that he left his shoe shining stand In charge of a boy and since then has been brooding over his troubles. A Hammond officer will be detailed to go over to Whiting this afternoon and bring Pete back to Hammond. her body and tried to cremate her. After that he slashed his throat with a razor in an attempt to kill himself, but he eventually recovered. Hi3 defense was that his wife attacked him first and that he was delirious when he set fire to the house. him and hl3 eafptor. Detective Joo Smith of the fiftieth precinct police station, Chicago. When Tate found himself at bay he opened fire which was promptly returned by the officers. None of the shots took effect, however, and Tate was led to the patrol wagon, which was in waiting, and carted to the station. years the special enactment authorizing the trustees to assess a 1-cent tax. The special act which operated for two years has Just expired. Senate bill No. 526 authorizes the Issue of $5,000,000 of bonds, which will increase the bonded debt of he district to about $22,000,000. This Issue is to be us-d for extending the canal to Joliet Like and to provide water power. The discussion of the canal question was opened by H. C. Barlaw, executive director of the Commercial association. "The bills In the legislature, if passed, will result in the -ultimate success of the deep water way from Chicago to New Orleans," he said. "It means more. It means fifty-six miles of lake front for manufacturing purposes to . Chicago and contiguous territory."

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