Hammond Times, Volume 3, Number 201, Hammond, Lake County, 12 February 1909 — Page 1

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WEATHER. Threatening with rain or now late tonlgrht ox Sat. nrday.

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Great Emancipator's Birthday Anni versary Celebrated in Hammond by Many Different Functions

DAY LEGAL HOLIDAY College Will Hold Debate, Schools Celebrate and Fine Program at Church. Hammond ts today commemorating the birthday anniversary of Abraham Lincoln, whom one hundred years ago today first saw the light of day, In Hardin county, Ky. The celebration has more properly been carried over a spac of several days, but the main events will culminate tonight in the great Lincoln-Jefferson law school debate, and the exercises at the Presbyterian church. A GENERAL HOLIDAY. The banks were closed all day .and after the 10 o'clock delivery was made at the postofflce, It, too, was shut up for the rest of the day. Many of the stores were decorated with flags and pictures of the great emancipator. The First National bank and Bastar & MoGarry's had very pretty Lincoln windows, and the stars and stripes were displayed in many places. SCHOOLS CELEBRATE. In every school building in the city yesterday the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth was celebrated with proper ceremonies. In every case the children had exercises and in many of the buildings speakers had been provided for the occasion. In the Central building Rev. Sharpe of the Christian church addressed the students of the high school. His address was on the life- of Lincoln and was greatly' appreciated. In the Washington school, Dr. W. F Howalt made the address of the after noon, and talked to the students thjere of the life of the great emancipator. Mr. W. C. Belman talked at the Irving building, and there were exercises in the Lincoln. Riverside. Franklin and Lafayette buildings. While the students of the high school were having their exercises the students of the grades in the Central building also had exercises commemorating the birth of Lincoln. All of the buildings were beautifully decorated and the spirit of the Lincoln week was manifested everywhere. AT METHODIST CHURCH. The Lincoln centennial will be observed in the revival meeting this evening. The program will review the life and point its rich lessons. Dr. Martin will offer the opening prayer. Rev. A. T. Briggs will speak upon "Christian Principles in Lincoln's Life." The pastor, William Swttzer, will deal with the "Christian and Patriotic Consecration of Lincoln." Miss Dorothy Bowen will sing, as a solo, "Salvary." Mrs. A. L. Spohn will lad, s"The Battie Hymn of the Republic." Mr. Theo. Moor will give a solo..' The public school scholars are invited to share, especially in the patriotic hymns. It will be an evening highly profitable to every one. All who are not otherwise occupied are invited to share in this "mass religious service. HOLDS SHORT SESSION" Owing to the fact that today is Lincoln's birthday and the 100th anniversary of the day, the board of public works held a very abbreviated session this morning. While the city hall was not open to the .public in the afternoon, the officials were all at work, just the same in getting out the tax duplicates. MEETING WAS POSTPONED. Owing to the fact that there were so many Lincoln centenary engagements to fill by the various members of the Hammond Business Men's club, the meeting, wftlcft should have been held in the superior court-house, was postponed until next Monday evening. CENTENARY CELEBRATION. The Lincoln centenary celebration. which is provided for all the citizens of Hammond, will take place in the Presbyterian church this evening. A splendid program has been prepared under the auspices of the G. A. R. post and the W. R. C. and everybody is invited to attend. There will be good music and excellent talks on the life and character of Abraham Lincoln. The program committee got busy early and secured the best speakers in the cityfor the occasion. The celebration at the Presbyterian church is intended as a representative one for the entire city and it was with this idea that the committee has set about to arrange an appropriate program. LINCOLN SCHOOL DEBATE. The hour for the first Inter-collegiate debate in Hammond, possible because

Lid r w j j u) y GHAS. WICKER MADE HIS FORTUNE i GARY Was Owner of Land When the Steel City Was Founded. VALUE GREW WITH THE TOWN Sold Most of His Holdings to the Steel Company Resided in Chicago. The tragic death of Charles Wicker, I the former Hammond man. who was I , ni nrt nff , .. . . .. ' . coast or norma last naay, mieresisi not only Hammond but also Gary. Mr. J W'icker, according to the Chicago Examiner, was heavily interested in Gary property and is said to have made sev eral hundred thousand dollars. Charles Wicker, with his wife and 12-vear-old son. lived at the Del Prado I . I hotel, in Chicago, until last Christmas, when the family, went to Florida, in tending to remain the balance of the He was the owner of a large amount of land in the Gary district before the United States Steel corporation selected that site for its great steel works. Three years ago Mr., Wicker sold most of his holdings there at a great ad' vance in value and left with his family for a tour of Europe. They remained abroad nearly two years and, returning to Chicago, made their home for a year at 555 Washington avenue. Hammond has the Lincoln-Jefferson College of Law, has arrived, and the indications are that all those who are fortunate enough to hold an invitation will avail themselves of the oppor tunity to attend. Within a few hours the Masonic temple, in Hammond, where the debate between the team of the Lincoln-Jefferson College of Law and the team of the Illinois College of Law will be held, will be crowded with an expectant throng of humanity eager to see how home talent compares with Chicago talent, when a big question involving the question "as to whether United States senators should be elected by the direct vote of the people or not. Able Men on Teams. There is this assurance, that able men have been chosen on both sides to debate the question with which state legislatures and congress have wrestled for years. The Lincoln-Jefferson team, which h as the affimative on the question, which reads: "Resolved, That United States senators should be elected by the direct vote of the people," and is represented by Messrs. C. B. Stiver, O. F. Boyce and Charles R. Dyer, with M. P. Ludwlg, as alternate. The Illinois College of Law team on the negative is represented by Leon Edelman, Alfred Backer and Samuel A. Miller, -with A. L Morgan as alternate. Judge J. H. Gillett will preside as chairman, while Professor Charles A. Perkins, teacher of economics at Wabash college; Judge Harry B. Tuthill of Michigan City and Judge Vincent H. Perkins of Chicago will act as judges. They will base their decisions on argument 60, diction 20 and delivery 20. The evening will be opened with quartette and chorus songs by the Chicago Commons k Dramatic club, which will accompany the Chicago delegation, and college songs by Mrs. L. L Bomberger of Hammond. After the debate, which will last an hour and thirty-five minutes, each speaker being allotted fifteen minutes, with the exception of the first speaker on the affirmative, who has five minutes at the close of the debate for rebuttal. After the debate there will be dancing and refreshments, and many are expected to remain to take ln this part of the program. Arrangements have been made with Superintendent H. C. Green of the street car company to provide special cars In which to return the Chicago contingent after the dance tonight POSTPONE BASarET. Lincoln week was a busy one. and last week it became evident that not all of the events in honor of the great statesman could be carried out with success. Forseeing this condition the Lincoln Memorial association has decided to postpone, me banquet, which it had scheduled to be held at the Masonic temple last Wednesday evening,

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HAMMOND, Burglars Break Into William Wolter's Hardware Store Last Night and Steal Quanitity of Stock and Sum of Money. LADY HELD UP Oil MICHIGAN AVENUE Two Men Attack Mrs. Phillip Holz- . I Worth, 709 Michigan Avenue, and Get Away With Her Handbag Containing Valuables No Clew to the Highwaymen. After weeks of Quiet, tn which there has been scarcely a report at the poll.,.. ntinn la. nlft-Hi wfiflMafl nil (1. I f - den revival of activity in police circles and the police are now working on a hold-up and a burglary. llnrrlar. hrnli Into tli kinlmni I turgiars oroite mio we imnmurc i store of William Wolter & Co, and after going through all of Mr. Wolter's , . , ...,, , ware they carried away three raiors. Five dollars in change, left in the cash drawer, was missed by the burglars. entrance xo tne store was gainea from the rear, where the thieves pried open a door with an old rusty pick axe. The door was easily opened, as it was only of thin wood, and was fastened. by nothing but an ordinary lock. Patrolman Hanlon, who was on his beat, tried the door at about 2 a. m. He found everything all right and thinks that the burglary of the store must have taken place after that hour. After gaining entrance to the store the thieves made a hurried search of the place in the hope of finding money. It is apparent that money was what they were after, as many other things of value were left untouched. Three razors were taken, however, and an inventory of the stock is being made to determine whether or not there is anything else missing. Strumpher and Cummings bloodhounds were placed on the trail of the robbers and followed them down State street to West Hammond. There they followed the trail down an alley, but the people of the village were so curi ous about the dogs and the chase that they crowded around them and destoryed the scent. Woman Is Held Vp. The report was also made at the po lice station that Mrs. Phillip Halzwarth of 709 Michigan avenue was held up and robbed by two men late last evening, who attacked her and then snatched her handbag from her grasp I anQ escaped. The robbery took place on Michigan avenue, about 600 feet from Calumet avenue. Mrs. Halzwarth was return ing to her home from town and no ticed that two men were following her. Finally they caught up with her and one of the men grabbed her by the arm while the other snatched away her pocketbook. The handbag contained one Nickel Plate ticket, two keys to a safe deposit vault in the Lake County Savings and Trust company's bank, one small pocketbook and a 'number of other articles of small value. Mrs. Halzwarth was unable to furnish the police with a description of the men. ENTIRE SYSTEM TIED UP Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Street Cars Are Not Running. The entire system of the Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Street Railway company was tied up during the busiest part of today by the trouble in the power-house at South Chicago. The trouble is that the engines, which pump water Into the boilers, have broken down and it is impossible to do anything until these pumps are fixed. Thousands of passengers were inconvenienced, and many of them were delayed In making engagements. The local street railway company officials feel keenly the criticism which has been heaped upon them as a result of the delays in the service and are doing their best to remedy conditions. The worklngmen who rely on the street railway company to take them to and from their work are the great est sufferers and the importance of I the local street railway company is not 1 appreciated until its service is denied I the local patrona of the road.

POLICE SHOCKING OH M ARE KEPT TRAGEDY WRECKED

GOUNT

INDIANA, PEIDAY, FEBRUARY: 12, 1909.

Former Hammond Man Shoots His Wife in Cold Blood and Then Commits Suicide at Beverley, Iowa, So Telegram Says. - Hammond relatives of Fred Thomp son were astounded this morning to learn from a telegram, received by them from Beverly, la., stating that Thompson had shot and killed his wife and then killed himself. No further particulars were re- : 3 j . i .i j I tCiVCU "tc wbu iiiCiciv u wjiat disposition snould be made of i ue uuiues. J.UU1UU3UU wets tiuuuw oj years of age and left Hammond about two years ago. He was unmarried at the time and was employed by dif ferent liverymen in the capacity of hostler and was more familiarly . cit tt ml 1 I KUOWn as JTU.g Aflompson OJ men ar0und town. He visited Hammond 18.81 Sumlllcr. The last heard from him. he Wa3 i TWvor flnln onrl it wn TPnr.rtArf' " ww"' -.rve had gone On a VlSlt to hlS wiie a in wiwa. xiixmcj. yai.tlCUlarS 01 tne tragedy are awaited Tmth interest WISCONSIN'S GARY ILL UNDER 11 U. S. Steel Corporation Will Spend $15,000,000 on Plant Near Superior. The new Gary in Wisconsin, mention of which was made in the news co j j umns of The Times early this year, is already well under way. A dispatch from Superior, Wis., says: "A new city, like Gary, Ind., is to be built by the United States Steel corporation around a 114,500,000 steel plant to be erected this spring at a point on the St. Louis river within .three miles of Superior. The blast furnaces are to be located on the Minnesota side of the river, but the auxiliary plants where construction steel of all kinds Is to be manufactured and the city which is to be peopled by the employes ln these mills, are to be located on the -Wisconsin side of the river. "The steel trust has purchased and cleared 1,600 acres of land on the Wisconsin side. The sum of $14,500,000 nas Deen set asiue, piaus nave Been drawn and the same construction crew has been ordered to Superior to begin work when spring opens. All prelim inary steps have been completed, and everything but the name of the new city has been settled. Town of 30,000. "An official of the steel trust said that within five years the output of this plant would be 5,000,0000 tons a vear. This same official said that the labor item alone in each ton of steel was about $12, and that with an output of 5,000,000 tons of steel a year, the amount of wages paid out each year would amount to $60,000,000. He also stated that within five years the new city would have a population of not less than 30,000. "Two factors figured in locating the new plant at the head of the great lakes. One was the fact that the steel trust has recently added to Its holdings of natural ore, the last discovered iron range, known as the Cayuna. This makes the third iron range which the steel trust has, the two others being the Mesaba and Vermillion. "The other controlling factor ln the location was water transportation for ore and manufactured steel." IN BUSINESS AGAIN Frank T. Eschenbach Buys East Chicago Bakery. Frank T. Eschenbach, who recently sold his bakery on State street, has purchased the L Midler bakery in East Chicago and will take possession of it next Monday morning. The consideration was $7,500, in addition to $1,200 for the stock. The Miller bakery in East Chicago was considered one of the best In the region and Mr. Eschenbach intends to add more improvements until it stands in the front rank in the county. When Mr. Eschenbach sold his bakery seeral months ago he decided to retire, but he has found himself to be still too active to lay aside all his work.

Last Bit of Once Famous

Packing Plant Which Gave Hammond Its Name Dismantled This Morning With Big Crash. CHIMNEY WORTH $25,000 ONE Til Experts Riddle Base and Then Holes Are Blocked With Wood Which Is Afterwards Set on Fire and Chim ney, 139 Feet High, Collapses In Heap. Had a Hammond citizen casually walked over to the half-wrecked ruins of the G. H. Hammond company this morning at 1030 he would have seen a brick chimney, 135 feet tall and weighing hundreds of tons, sway in the wino, move pereenuoiy ai ih lop ana plunge to the ground The irn bans which bound it were hrstpi1 thprp w,a a ufr of dust ,n dozen places in the old chimney as it gainea momentum oy tne iaii ana Dr0Ke ln two or tnree Places wnue toppling oer. And then it seemed as though several minuees had passed, ln reality they were only seconds, the whole brick pll seemed to collapse and when the cloud of dust had blown away "not one brick that formerly composed the costly flu adhered to another. ' ' All that remained of the 135-foot chimney, . which for fifteen years has towered above the buildings of the G. H. Hammond company, was a long mound of brick in, which iron band and reinforcements were hopelessly entangled. The score or more people who learned yesterday that the chimney was to be toppled over, looked on in amazement as it fell and it would not have taken much of a stretch of imagination to have believed that the chimney was being shaken from its foundations by a terrible earthquake. It is estimated by brick masons that the original cost of the chimney was at least $25,000. Of course it would not cost that much to lay 160,000 brick, one on top of the other, but in the building of a chimney 135 feet high it is necessary to build an enormous amount of scaffolding and that costs almost as much as the building of the chimney. Unique Method Used. The manner of wrecking the building was most unique. It might be thought that a charge of dynamite in the base of the chimney would be all that would be needed to topple it over. However, the trouble with this plan is that there is no certainty which way the chimney will fall and there is i , ... ... , . . . The wreckers first tear out enough brick in the side of the chimney to enable them to put in a pile of wooden supporting blocks five or six feet tall. As the bricks are torn away these wooden supports are put in their places, until finally all that is left is the brick on one side and three or four wooden supports. These wooden piles of block are then surrounded with rubbish of an inflam mable nature and are covered with two gallons of kerosene. The material is Ignited and shortly the fire burns away the chimney's support. The chimney was wrecked by Fred Bruecken and Arnold Keldenich Bruecken'has wrecked five other chimneys and Keldenich furnished the money which was required, when the two men contracted for the brick in the chimney. For the past five days Fred Bruecken has been gnawing away with a pickaxe at the base of the big chimney. The last day he worked it appeared that on him at any time. It was the triumph of minB over matter when the chimney fell today, and as Fred Bruecken looked at the ruins, enshrouded in dust, he realized that a puny man had conquered 450 tons of brick and had reduced a stately pile to a chaos of debris. DRYS" LOSE BILL House Votes to Modify the Temperance Legislation. Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 11. The house of representatives this afternoon ended one of the most exciting episodes in Its history by passing the Tomlinson bill, which, if the senate takes the same action, as It is expected to do, will repeal the county local option law, enacting in its stead a less restrictive measure. The vote was 52 to 44, giving the bill one more vote than was needed for a constitutional majority. Following this, the Kleckner bill, which would substitute township and ward local option for county local option, failed to pass.

GARY WADES nrn nf?3 n

One Man Dead, One

and Four Men Injured During Car n ival of Crime Last Night

DENTISTS ARE AFTERDEADBEATS Lake County Dental Society Meets With Dr. Gillis Last Night. OR. GILLIS NEW PRESIDENT Society, Takes Up Question of People Who Do Not Pay Up Their Dental Bills. To have a dentist fill your mouth with pure solid gold and he gets nothing ln return for either gold or labor may soon become a thing of the past in Lake county if the Lake Dental so ciety carries out plajis, which were dis cussed by it last evening ln a busi ness meeting, held in the office of Dr. Robert T. Gillis of Hammond. The dentists took for an example the Du plex Rating system in vogue in the central part of Illinois. Under this system, names of debtors who show no disposition to pay are sent to the Duplex company and the lartter writes a letter advising the debtor that unless payments are at tempted the name of the debtor and amount owing will be placed in a re port the succeeding month, which re port is sent to all members as a guide to the extension of credit. As pay ments are made the succeeding reports so state. In the neighborhood of 100 towns in this immediate vicinity have been se cured, sufficiently in number of mer chants to be thoroughly representa tive In all lines. This plan of co operation must Indeed be an effective one and one absolutely fair to all con cerned. -J . The following officers for the ensu ing year were elected: President Dr. Robert T, Gillis Hammond. Vice president K. S. Meyer, Whit ing. Secretary-treasurer W. H. Davis Hammond. MASK BALLT0 MOR BOV Saengerbund-Fidelia Expec to Have Grand Time at Affair. Elaborate arrangements are under way for a masquerade ball to be given tomorrow evening at Huehn's hall un der the auspices of the Hammon Saengerbund-Fidelia, The committee has every reason to believe that there will be a crowded house. The masquerade balls given by the singers in the past have been very successful, but since the consolidation of the two organizations interest has increased and the attendance will be accordingly. Fifty dollars in gold will be awarded as prizes. II BAD GEO FIGHT Eagles Have a Riproaring Time at Social Last Night. P. E. Johnson, one of Hammond's young attorneys, located in the Hammond building, was honored last even ing by the local Eagles by being appointed referee for a badger fight, which was pulled off in the club-rooms last evening. Attorney N. J. Haageson, another young attorney on the fifth floor, in the Hammond building, acted as timekeeper, and incidentally was also initiated into the intricacies of an Eagle badger fight. The local Eagles gave one of their royal good entertainments last evening, and there surely were enough good fellows to take advantage. In addition to the badger fight there was a wrestling and a boxing bout. The evening was one of the most pleasant that the Eagles have had In many months.

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ONE CENT PER COPY. rffin rmn Woman Stabbed OFFICER KILLS W Police Face Most Trying Situation in History of Steel City. A BLOODY SIX HOURS. The Dead. ANDREW IABAR, 25 years old) shot In side and lung by Officer William Morquardt) died at 4 o'clock this morning in hospital. The Injured. JOSEPH CIGARITZ, 25 rears old, and Dan Voconavich, 30 years old, shot by Makael CiKarttz, after a narrel in shack; both victims- removed to hospital and probably win recover. UNKNOWN COLORED WOMAN, slash ed In face and shoulder by two colored men, on street at Fifteenth and Madison, following a saloon brawl. Woman taken home. OFFICER WILLIAM MARQUARDT, 28 years old, struck on head by blackjack; taken to his home. MICHAEL CIGARITZ, 40 years old, trek on head by chair; taken to police station. The city of Gary was 6tained with a crimson hue . last night in a wild night of gunplay and bloodshed. The affray started at 7 o'clock in the evening when a deadly missile of lead-was discharged into thr- 'lodies of two men, by a former companion, until a rioting, drunken Pole, refusing to listen to the commands of an officer, was shot dead on the street, following a saloon brawl. Woman taken to home, name unknown. POLICE ARE BUSY. The police last night faced the most trying situation in the history cf the city. Trouble heaped itself upon trouble until the weary officers of the law were in a quandary to find means of handling the various cases that bunched themselves for solution on this night. The bloody twelve hours followed a lull in criminal work unpreceCContinued on Page Eight.) HAMMOND BILL UP IN HOUSE Both Gary and Hammond Court Bills Come Before LegislatureTIMES BrUEAV, AT STATE CAPITAL. Indianapolis, Feb. 12. Both the Hammond and Gary court bills came up in the house for action today and the day's proceedings show that Hammond and the Gary bills are both trotting a close heat. The Gary court bill, championed by Senator Bowser, was adanced to the third reading and the Hammond bill, under Garrard's care, went to engrossment, that is. it is ready for the third reading. It is bclieed that both bills will go to Governor Marshall, but what he will do with them is of course problematical. SKATERS WANT MATCH Issue Challenge Through The Times. Harry both of Moran and Ralph Watkins, the Western Steel Car and Foundry company of Hegowisch issue a challenge through The Times to any roller skaters in this region for a relay race on roller skates. Either of the two men can be reached by addressing them at the Western Steel Car and Foundry company. MEET IN GARY Hammond Liverymen Go to Steel City Tonight. The Lake County Liverymen's association meets this evening in Gary for the purpose of fixing the rates for that city. While the liverymen of Gary belong to the Lake county association their rates have not yet been fixed, and while the county organization will '-in no way attempt to dictate to the Gary men, they will nevertheless help to make suggestions and give advice as gained from their past experiences.