Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1898 — FATAL INDIANA FIFE. [ARTICLE]

FATAL INDIANA FIFE.

VILLAGE OF FRANKTON IS THE SUFFERER. Business Houses Destroyed and One Man Crushed Under a Wall-Young Girl Kills Herself Upon Learning of Her Lover’s Deaths Fire Loss of SIOO,OOO. The business portion of Frankton, Ind., was practically entirely wiped out the other morning by a fire which originated in the opera house block. The origin of the tire is unknown, but it is thought to have started from a small gas leak. Inadequate fire protection service made it impossible to check the flames, and the opera house, which had a seating capacity of 800, and the business blocks of Loeb, clothier; A. Wise & Son, hardware; Leach & .Tones, grocery; George Knowlnnd, furniture, and the offices of J. M. Farlow, Dr. Peek, Dr. Van Horn and others were entirely destroyed. The loss is about SIOO,OIXI, with insurance of about half. Most of the business of the town was done by these firms and they carried heavy stocks. A small gas explosion in the rear of the Commercial block blew part of the roof off. It fell into the alley, crushing to death William Wallace, aged GO. Daniel Bradley and several others were severely bruised. Frankton is a gas-belt manufacturing center noted for glassware. It has a population of 3,000. RIOT ON STREETS OF PARIS. Anti-Dreyfus Meeting Becomes Demonstrative and In Dispersed. At a meeting under the auspices of the Patriotic League, the most violent antiDreyfus organization in Paris, Messrs. Millovoyo and Deroulede declared that the time had arrived to pass from words to acts. The audience thereupon started to march to the Sherche-Midi prison, where Colonel Picquart is confined. The police interfered, whereupon the “patriots’ made for a meeting being held by the advocates of revision. A collision occurred, revolvers were fired and one man was wounded. M. Deroulede’s frantic followers continued the parade,- shouting “Vive I’armee!” and “Conspuez Dreyfus!” until they reached the Strasbourg monument, where they were finally dispersed.

RUN CORNER IN BROOMCOHN. Two Men Control the Prodnct of Kansas and Oklahoma. Robert Findley & Co., of Sterling, and C. R. Lee, of Lincoln, Neb., have purchased all the available broomeorn brush In Kansas and Oklahoma, comprising the principal growing districts of the United States, and pushed the price up sls per ton. They paid S4O to S6O per ton tor the product, but have refused $75 per ton. Broommakers know that Kansas and Oklahoma are the principal brush-growing districts in this country and the shortage of the crop enabled these men to run the corner. PRETTY GIRL KILLS HERSELF. Grief Over the Death of Sweetheart Ends in a Tragedy. Miss Laura Flick, a beautiful girl of 17,' living in Skagit County, Wash., killed herself on hearing of her betrothed’s death. She was engaged to Matthew Ruth of Hamilton, who was building a fine home for his intended bride. He was taken ill a few weeks ago. He became suddenly worse and died before Miss Flick, who lived in the country, learned he was ill. When the news was told her she walked to her room and shot (herself through the right temple. She was buried at Hamilton with her lover. Ohio Wheat Crop Falls Off. The Ohio State crop bulletin shows that the condition of the growing wheat crop in Ohio has fallen off 2 points since Nov. 1, due to the ravages of the fly and the grubworm. Still its condition is 100 per cent of a full average. The corn area in Ohio for the year 1808 crops is given as 2.054,504 acres, producing 111,354,701 bushels, or 38 bushels per aero, the largest crop except that of ISI Mi in the history of the State. The potato area was 117,341 acres, producing 8,254,121 bushels. The cattle being fed for spring market is 82 lH*r cent average number and sheep 82 per cent.

Cliicnuo '1 hen ter in Kuinn. The Lincoln Theater, on North Clark street, Chicago, was discovered to he on lire the other evening ten minutes after an audience of 700 had left the building, and before the thunes were checked the tnulding had been gutted, and $73,000 damage done. The tire is supimsod to have originated accidentally. Bnrglum Kill Hotel-Keeper. Michael P. Corcoran, proprietor of the Anthracite Hotel at Duryea, l*a., was murdered in the most cold-blooded manner by burglars, one of his two servants wan, bound/ gagged and blindfolded and the safe in his bedroom was blown open and about $llOO in money and other valuablea stolen. The robbers made their escape. ’ Duelists blar Kach Other. A duel to the death with revolvers took place at Jackson. Ky„ between C. C. Runyon, ninrsbal of Jackson County, and Alfred Allen. a well-known character. They fought over an old difficulty, and both men were instantly killed. Decrease in French Vintage. The French vintage of ISPS is officially estimated at 32,282,000 hectolitres, which is <IB,OOO hectolitres below the vintage of last year. Walton Woolen Mill Horned. The Walton Woolen mill, at the village of Walton, It. 1., was burned. All the machinery, a quantity of wool and a large amount of finished goods were burned also. The plant was practically the only industry in the village. The loss is estimated at about $75,000. Fire in a New York Church.' Fire wrecked the end of Bt. Agnes’ Catholic Church on Fifty-third street New York, destroying valuable altars, paintings and a new organ. Loss SIOO- -