Hammond Times, Volume 3, Number 256, Hammond, Lake County, 17 April 1909 — Page 1

WKATHKB Partly cloudy weather, probably showers late tonight or Sunday. ptiw llMjCal EDITION VOL. in., NO. 256. HAMMOND, INDIANA, SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 19 09. ONE CENT PER COPY.ILL PA! HSKS FOR Weston, Famous Walker Who Went Through Lake Co. Today new UL

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FRANCNISE PROBLEM 1P0R1T

BIG PRICES

Notorious Dave Johnson of Gary in Toils Prosecutor Qreenwald Says "Clean Out"

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UST CEASE County Authorities Ignore the City Officials in GaryCLEAN THEM OUT! I am thoroughly In accord with the action of Alexander Rodman In filing- an affidavit azalnKt nave Johnaon and MilHam Piper, who hae long had an unaavory reputation In Gary. These men are charged with oomluctimt a bouse of ill fame In Gary .and Hare Johnson ,. Is charged with having gambling pnrcphernnlin In hlH place of O baMiaesn. I Intend to prosecute these canes vigorously and will do my best to purse Gary of such disrepntnble places. 4 t IIAHI.ES GKEEWVAI.n. Prosecuting Attorney. O The notorious Dave Johnson, 1624 "Washington street. Gary, who, for two or three -:yeafS "img' oeeftf rnrhune " from erest by the Gary police, under whose protection he has become a power for evit in the new steel city, was arrested by Sheriff Tom Grant of this county late yesterday afternoon on a warrant sworn out by Alexander Rodman of Gary. In a similar raid William Piper, another alleged keeper of a disreputable place, was arrested and will have to account to the state of Indiana for his conduct. PROOF OF GAMBLING. If there are any doubts as to the prevalence of gambling in Gary, it was dispelled when Sheriff Grant, accompanied by Deputies Albert Morris, Fred Furman and George Blocke, entered the Johnson place and a little later carted away a whole wagon .'oad of gambling appartus. An inventory of the fmbllng machines which were taken by Sheriff Grsnt in the raid is as follows: One penny in the slot machine. One chuck-a-Iuck outfit. One crap table and dice. One penny in the slot machine. One Brownie nickel plot machine. One stud poker table. One roulette table, value. $500. ( OVDITTEI) WITT! SECRECY. The raid was conducted in the strictest secrecy. A special t ffort was made to keep the fact that a raid was to be made from the city officials and especially the Gary police. Alexander Rodman, the man who made the affidavit, especially requested that this be done. Even the Gary Tribune staff' was not aware of the fact that the raid was to be male until Dave Johnson waa safely under arrest, and the chuekaluck tables and roulette wheel was carted away. All arrangements for making tr.e raid were planned in Hammond. The warrant was sworn out in the Lake superior court and a search warrant was secured here. The raid, in every detail was planned here and then the party went to iiary to execute their plans. (ilS WAXTKU TO KNOW. They had no more thnn arrived In Gary until they were espied by Officer Gust Newman of the Gary police force. Newman was very inquisitive about the presence of the sheriff and his detectives in Gary. He not only asked what they were there for, but he became insistent when Sheriff Grant refused to tell him his mission. When Newman found that he could not get any information from the sheriff and his deputies he became very angry, but he was ignored and the officers went to Johnson's place. Johnson was found and placed under arrest at once. He is a big negro, a big fat pussy one. said to be a relative of the famous Mushmnuth Johnson, but he did not resist the officers. APPAItATCS fABTKI) A WAV. The place was then searched and all of the gambling apparatus was found. Sheriff Tom Grant and hi3 deputies gathered it together, while others guarded all of the exits and then it was all carted away. The raid created a great sensation in the new steel city. The other proprietors of gambling joints become terrorstricken and thought that the raid was to be general. They were somewhat relieved, however, when they found that the raids were to be confined to Dave Johnson's place and to that of William Piper, for the present.

RUFFLES HUD 11 PICHIC YESTERDAY

Threw Aside All Caution But no One Succeeded in Capturing Him. NOBODY WANTS THE MONEY He Will Take a lot of Chances Tonight, However, So Get Ready. Raffles had a picnic with the people of Hammond yesterday afternoon. He threw aside all caution and a score of them had the opportunity to catch him if they only had been alert enough to do so. He started out yesterday afternoon at five minutes to 4 and stood at the corner of State street and Oakley avenue for a while. There were two men and police officer No. 16 standing there at the time, but they did not make any effort to capture him. Raffles walked down State street to Hohman street and stopped in front of Ortt & Towle's millinery establishment for a while. Two women saw him and started after him but he walked away end they did not stop him. He ent to the corr.er of State and Hohman streets again, where he sawofficer No. 12 standing.' He asked the officer when he could pet a car to South Chicago, and he replied "in twenty minutes." Steals Bottle of Whisky. He then walked into Kammerer's saloon and found a dark-haired saloonkeeper on duty. He stepped behind the cigar counter and stole a . quast bottle of Canadian Club whisky and got away with it. Next he went into Summers' drug store, where there were three ladies sitting at a table. He was not asked if he cared to purchase anything and so he toog fifty books of views of Hammond with him. At the five and ten cent store he stole a cut-glass dish. He stole a clock from the store of the National Shoe Co., and the manager offers him $5 if he returns it between 5 and 6 p. m. tonight without being caught. He will try to do so. He tried to get nto K- c- Minas' store but failed to do so. Two women were watching him too closely. He went to a barbershop, east of the Bijou theater and asked to be shaved by five minutes to 6. The barber finished him at six minutes to 6. and Raffles said he guessed he would not stick around there any longer when the barber suspected him of being the mysterious man. Ruffles getting Bolder. Between 6 and 7 o'clock he strolled around the streets without having any very unusual experiences. Tonight Raffles says he will try to enter the stores of all of the mer-

chants who have offered prizes for his Judge Charles Hanley of Rensselaer,' that he represented the city as an aidcapture. This will be a hard job. but j who is sitting as special judge in the! erman, been offered a bribe for his vote.

he will do his best to keep his prom- j ise. It should be remembered that $25 cash will be given by Mr. Raffles ti the man, woman or child who says, "You are the mysterious Mr. Raffles of the Biiou theater." and has a ticket to the I show on his person. Ten dollars will be given by him to

the person who says, "I always buy aj On the other hand, the "drys" won a i as Mr. Schrage believes, implied that Times extra" and has a copy of the j point, or two when the judge ordered j there would be $1,000 in it for Schrage sporting edition on his or her person, j the attorneys for the "wets" to make ' if he voted right. The proprietors of such firms as E. j their answer more specific by setting; Mr Schrage ptated in the open meetC. Minas & Co.. Paxton & Baker; Silver. ; forth the names of those who signed, , u-icr v,h the otfite-

the jeweler, the Idle Hour theater, De-j laney. the cleaner, and others offer valuable prizes in case Itaffle-s is caught in their places of business. It is worth a great deal to catch Raffles today. PLAINTIFF GETS ' J JUDGMENT At 10:30 o'clock last evening the jury which for two weeks has been considering the case of Smith, the admtnistrator of the estate or Frank Shearer, vs. the National Flreproofmg company, returned a v.rdict of $4,000 for the plaintiff. Attorney Peter Crumpacker represented the estate of Frank Shearer, and Attorney William J. Whinery represented the National Fireproofing Co. The jury got through with the 400 Interrogatories in short order, and it was surprising to the attorneys on both sides that it was able to return a verdict as quickly as It did.

OF STREETS

Majority of Property Owners on Calumet Avenue, Between Carroll Street and Nickel Plate Tracks, Want Improvement. Calumet avenue is to be widened from Carroll street, north to the Nickel Plate tracks, if the majority of the frontage owners continue in the same spirit in which they were this morning when they appeared before the board of public works to boost the proposition against the opposition of one-third of the property wners. The street is now 60 feet wide, but the proposed Improvement will widen it seven feet on each side, thus giving it a total width of seventy-four feet. The board has taken the matter under advisement until next Monday and in t !"' meantime it will go over the territory in order to get some idea of the benefits arid assessments. as far as they know now only a few cottages will have to be moed back a little farther and this can oe done with little cost. Sidewalk for Wood Street. The indications at this time are that the widening will be made, as the board is willing to act in conformity with the majority of the property owners. A petition of Wood avenue property owners who want a sidewalk was adopted, and the city engineer Instructed to prepare plans end specifications for a five-foot walk. Discuss Opening of bath noose. With the opening of spring and the approach of the summer season, the board is also giving the bath house at the lake front sole consideration in order to have this in shape when the swimming season opens. The board feels that the people of Hammond .did not receiveall the accommodations at the bath house last year that they might have received, laying part of the responsibility on the crowded quarters and to some extent also on the management. The board, for instance, has not forgotten the complaints that were made last year that all accommodations were lacking toward the end of the, swimming season ana tnat when the bath house were open conditions were such that one party would keep one for an indefinite period of time. Apropos of these conditions Peter Davis made a suggestion which may be considered by the board members. His scheme is not to lock the dressing rooms, but to let anybody use them to dress and disrobe, and while the people are In the water their clothes In the meantime may rest in a basket provided purposely for this purpose and so arranged that it may be locked. With several hunared baskets an equally large crowd could be accommodated, while tinder the old system only twenty can avail themselves of the accommodations at the same time. II AND DRY II COURT FIGHT In the preliminary contest, in which the attorneys for the "wets' 'and the "drys" are fighting to determine whether Gary and Calumet township j shall remain dry, the honors were di j vided. case, decided to overrule the motion of

Attorneys Matthew and Bruce, repre-1 Chicago landscape gardner, who seeks senting the "drys," to dismiss the ap- I the contract from the city to beautify peal. Whiting's new Ijake Front park, npThis of course settles the question J proached him at la Is home and after of the right of the attorneys for the j stating that he expected to make fl,saioonkeepers to appeal the case. Had j 500 out of the contract, said that he he ruled otherwise, the cases would 1 would be satisfied with a profit of $500,

. have been thrown out then and there, th remonstrance and were not resi - dents of the township at the time, and ! also those who gave the power of attorney to the circulators of the remonstrance. The applicants' conditional examination was set for May 1, and the judge set May 17 as the date of the final hearing. The issues will not be fully made up until after the conditional hearing May 1. DANCE FOR CHARITY William Stevens, the 17-year-old post- . office messenger, who had the misfor i tune a week ago, will be the beneficiary of the postoffice clerks' dance ' Wednesday evening, April 21. next The young man is supporting himself and has had a streak of hard luck recently, having only come out of the hospital a short time ago where he suffered from typhoid fever. The fact that the dance is to be given for a charitable cause has enlisted the sympathy of many, and there promises to be a good attendance. Besides, the mail clerk are among the entertainers in the city.

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Throwing a kiss to the young ladies in The Times office, in the Hammond building, Edward Payson Weston, champion veteran walker rounded the corner of Fayette and Hohman street at promptly eleven o'clock this morning. Kscorted by Chief of Police Peter Austgen, Captain George Hanlon and Officer Oscar Borchert, he made his way at the head of the crowd to the Majestic Hotel, where his valet awaited him, ready to give him a shave, a change of clothes, and a dish of rice pudding. His stop in Hammond was limited to half an hour, as the old man expects to be in Chicago this evening at five o'clock. He had the company of Hammond enthusiasts from the time he entered the city limits until he set foot across the Illinois state line where he was received by a delegation of the Chicago Athletic Club, whose guest he will be during his stay in Chicago. Capt. George Hanlon, met Mr. Weston east of Highlands in A. M. Turner's automobile and walked with the aged pedestrain Into Hammond. The old man kept tip a rapid fire conversation, and seemed to be glad to meet the Hammond people. Where ever he met a lady, his broad brimmed Panama hat came off In a gallant fashion to greet her. He had a kind word for everybody who spoke

to him. and despite his constant talking he diO-aot-let tl4-iai'fere with his gait. "The finest roads in the - woria7"he commented about the Lake County roads, "Be careful boys don't step on my heels" and aside to the chief of police who was walking at his side: "I am always afraid to have somebody walk behind me, fearing that they might step on my heels and strain a tendon. I have had those experiences before. "The schedules that some people give are fierce. YeBterclay upon reaching Chesterton I was told that the distance to Hobart was only 10 miles. I found it to be eighteen. They told the distance from Hobart to Hammond was 10 miles, I found it to be 18. Oh! its a gay life to walk that way. My days walk Is 43 miles. I have been making 48 recently, however. Mr. Weston arrived in Hobart at 10.33 last night and left the town at six o'clock this morning. He expects to finish his trip to San Francisco by July 8th.

SCANDAL BREAKS

1I1G COUNCIL LAS'

Henry Schrage Sr., Honored Citizen, Charges That An Attempt Was Made to Bribe Him, and City Is Amazed.

(Special to Ttte Times.) Whiting, Ind., April 17. A sensation was sprung in the Whiting city council last evening when Henry Schrage, sr., president of the First National bank, openly made the allegation to the members of that body that he had for the first time, in the seventeen years i He claimed that Edward Koenig. a providing he could land the job. and. i ment tQ ,ljm that clty Englwer Reynolds and Alderman Long were against him and wanted some money before they would use their influence in his favor. Koenig is also alleged. by Schrage, to have stated that Reynolds did not have a vote in the council and that he would much rather make a deal with Schrage, who did. The affair is one of the worst scandals that has ever been stirred up in the quiet little city of Whiting. The prominence of Mr. Schrage and his undisputed integrity, the fact that Kdward Koenig. tne accused, was mgniy recommended by Father Berg of Whiting, and that the pointing of the finger of suspicion at Koenig indirectly involves an oi me cny omciais wno sup - ported him, makes the case all the i more Involved. In fact it is distracting the people of Whiting today The charges of attempted bribery came like a bomb shell in the midst of a quiet meeting the council. The presence of a Chicago American reporter, accompanied by a stenographer, was the only intimation that there was likely to be anything out of the or dinary.

OUT

Iast night's council meeting had adjourned. During the meeting the letting of the contract for the landscape gardening had been under consideration. The fact was brought out that Edward Koenig had drawn the original plans for the park. As the cost of the improvements were to be considerable, it was thought that competitive bids ought to be had on the improvement. Accordingly the Peterson Nurserycompany of Chicago, was asked to draw Tilnns for the narb oti (n cuV..v.; " "".""ill. irk,t,-( fieattons of the trees and shrubbery! that would be planted in it. J There was considerable difficulty i

about the question of specifications. I . Edward Koenig was asked to submit; specifications along with his plans. He i The Hammond attorneys have notiis accused of copying Peterson's plans i A"1 Junge Virgil S. Reiter and all of and, it is said, that the Peterson Nur- j lnp attorneys who are interested to apsery company, of Chicago, has started rear at the court house Monday mornsuit in one of the Chicago court, tiling at 9 o'clock to meet Architects

recover $600 damages from Edward Koenig for copying Peterson's nlans and specifications for the landscape gardening and putting his name on them. ... . . ,, Whether this charge is well founded remains to be shown, but the fact is ! very plain that there was intense rivalry between Edward Koenig and the Peterson Nursery company, both of Chicago, to secure the contract for laying out Whiting's park. The members of i" iny council asked Koenig to submit, not only the r,lanSi blJt th specifications as well, Hp slated that it would take him until Monday to get up the specifications and , . hf. ooll!lcii adjourned until he ,M have time to prepare them. Just as the council members were preparing to leave the hall the Chicago American reporter arose to his feet and addressed Alderman Schrage. "You have made the statement." said the reporter, "that you have been approached with a brihe by this man Koenig. why don't you speak up?" (Continued on page rive.)

OR REALTY

Gary and Interurban Company Is Negotiating for Lot on West Sibley and Oakley Avenue to (Jet an Outlet. If the Gary & Interurban line secures a franchise in Hammond it will pay the record price for a piece of ground. A few days ago Gostlin, Meyn & Co., acting for the Gary & Interurban company, secured an option from Henry Dahlkamp, 275 Douglas street, on the corner of the lot ha owns at the intersection of Sibley street and Oakley avenue. The Gary & Interurban company does not want the whole lot. It happens that the proposed route of the line Is west on Sibley street, to Oakley avenue and south on Oakley avenue to either Fayette street or Douglas street, where it will find a route to the State line and out of the city. This makes it necessary for the com pany to round the corner of Sibley street and Oakley avenue. This cor ner is not an angle of forty-five de grees, but is a wedge-shaped piece which is very difficult for a car to pass around. J275 a Square Foot. It was accordingly necessary for the company to buy the point of the wedge. It is not know just how much of the piece was purchased, but It is said to have been approximately 800 square feet, for which $2,200 was paid. This would make the cost of the piece $275 a square foot, not a front foot, mind you, but for a piece one foot long and one foot wide. This is only one of the indications of a return of the normal activity of the realty market In Hammond. Every day. sees more deals ma and H is expected that by spring there will be a real boom on, In Hammond. Peter Meyn, one of the' veteran real estate dealers in this city, said yesterday, "Things are looking better every day. The people of Gary talk about that city's growing to a population of 100.000. I believe they are right about it and no one would rather see such a consummation than I, but I want to say that Hammond is the pulsating heart of this whole region, and If Gary grows to be a city of 100,000, Hammond will be a city of 150.000. In other words Hammond will grow as fast as does Gary." This was an exceedingly optimistic view of the situation to be taken by a man as conservative as Mr. Meyn. SAYS STORY IS UNTRUE The report was circulated in Hammond today to the effect that the Lake Shore railroad would put on 13 extra trains on its suburban service around the loop. Mr. F. If. Wilson, superintendent of the Lake Shore suburban service, with offices at the IaSalle street station, was i interviewed over the telephone about the matter this morning and stated that there was no truth in the story. 'It must have been round-house talk," said he, and there is absolutely no truth in the rumor. Mr. Wilson was asked if there would be any more trains put on when the factories open and get to running full force. "We did not take off any trains when the hard time came," said he, "and it will not be necessary for us to put any more on now that times are picking up. ATTORNEYS ARE TO MEET ! Beers & Beers and make any sugges-j i tions they may care to offering regard- t 'ng the floor plans for the remodeling of the building. The local attorneys desire that every i nttnrnev have the oDr.ortunitv to . ; altorn na,e,lM opportunity to ex nress tiiR ooinion regarn me nest, wav of remodeling the court house so that there will not be any objection to the! i wav it is done after the work is comi Plf',ef'j At thp meeting Monday every de tail or tne plans win ti gone over in I the presence of the attorneys and the (architects will be glad to listen to any j suggestion that may be made. Gets Fine Fight Pictures. Messrs. Herron and Hayes of the (Jo- ! to secure the pictures of the famous Summers-Britt fight. This fight was very fast and as only the best parts of it were taken, the pictures are exceedingly interesting. These pictures are positively the original ones and will bne a fir.e attraction. The Trocadero theater of Chicago paid $350 recently to secure this same atraction.

City Administration Advised to Carefully Consider Municipal Traction Problems, and Promoters Appear Before Mayor.

ATTY NEVER RfffipSIl Asks That Definite Action May Bo Deferred as He Will Appear Before the Board With a Franchise Taxpayers Want Open Door Policy To Be Chosen. The appearance of Mayor Becker at his office this morning after his return from Battle Creek last night, where he had spent two weeks for his health, was the signal for interurban promoters to get busy with their franchises. Attorney Lewis Meyer, for the Chicago, Lake Shore & South Bend; Mayor Lemuel Iarrow, for the Gary & Interurban, and Walter Riley, for the Indiana & Chicago Traction company, conferred with the board of public works this morning In Mayor Becker's office. The conference resulted in a crystalizatlon of the open-door policy for Hammond. This was given the first consideration by both the city officials and the promoters, and with the latter In the game, H began to look as though there will be no weak spots In any of the TranrhTses when IT tomes ttf icttttrg" new Interurbans use the track of parent lines. Attorney Meyer Haloes BIk Qnentlon. The greater part of the forenoon was taken upon this proposition, and, while there was nothing definite done In this line. It is probable that the board of public works and the city council shall act as a board of arbitrators. Attorney Meyer, for the South Shore line, having argued that neither a circuit nor a superior court would have jurisdiction in the matter. Attorney Meyer also asked that definite action on any of the franchises be postponed for a number of days, as his company would approach the city In a few days with a franchise. It is thought that one line will insist upon the other for the opendoor policy, with provision to use each other's tracks, where necessary for them to reach an agreement among themselves or the board of public works or city council to arbitrate. Although the Gary & Interurban franchise has been prr.ding before the board longer than the Indiana & Chicago Traction company's franchise, the competing lines will insist on a full hearing befora action is taken. There is a lot of work before the administration on tl.is matter ami there is no possibility that any of the franchises will be in shape for passage by the city council next Monday evening. The big qufrstion confronting the adminlbtrat ion now is how to save the streets to the city, maintain the opendoor policy and at t-ie same time g' t the best possible street car and interurban service. HEARS OF SUDDEN DEATH Brother of Hammond Man Is Accidentally Killed at Capital. News of the siidden death of Wi'iiam Walker, brother of John Walker. 4 13 East State street, was received In Hammond last evcTing and was to the effect that he had been accidentally k:!!1 -d The mess-age did not contain any ; other particulars as to the circumI Ptances. The mother of the Yta'rs lives in lndtanapons. ami sn- is ir..i -' - - j PPrti(l to survive. John Wa;kf'r !'ft f"r Indianapolis i 'a PVf'nme- t'"ta lp an" ms n"ca5a brother are plasterers Ny trade. Did Not Run Away. Little Elizabeth Kiinsmap, wan was missing from her rome in Iff ssvli'.e. has been found. ft claims that she was just visiting a friend at Black Oak and did not mean to run away. Meet Weston at State Line. Illinois weic'imed Edward Payson Weston into that commonwealth today when twelve police offiot-rs, two sargeant3, two lieutenants and a captain of police met him st the state line and escorted him into Chicago. The Hammond police, represented by Chief A u f t -gen and Captain Hanlon, escorted th famous walker through Hammond.