Walkerton Independent, Volume 34, Number 29, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 1 January 1909 — Page 2

WALKtETONINDEPENDENT W. A. ENDLEY, Publisher WALKERTON, - INDIANA Soon, predicts a Cornell professor, children will quit being born. All the children we know have done so already. The duke of Abruzzi is to try Alpine climbing. He is determined to get to the top of some of his mountains of difficulty. England shows its good manners and good sense in not getting excited over those alleged interviews with the Garman emperor. Both England and Germany would Bleep better on dark nights if they would generate a little more of the spirit of brotherly love. “Mr. Hammerstein says “a theatrical man can’t be a pinochle husband.” Which would doubtless be interesting information if we could translate it. Lord Roberts has grown so nervous over the aggressive curl of Emperor William’s mustaches that he demands for England an army of 1,000,000 men. A St. Louis justice became very indignant when a bridegroom offered him a drink after the ceremony. The customary fee will buy several drinks. Sir Theodore Martin, the doyen of English literature, recently celebrated the ninety-second anniversary of his birthday at his Welsh home, Bryntisilio, Llangollen. A powder firm in Cologne refused to fill an order from Roumania on ac- ' count of previous large orders from other Balkan states. Naturally, a Cologne firm would be able at first sight to scent war trouble. Mr. Rockefeller has just drawn his check in favor of Richmond college, Richmond, Va., for $150,000. Another Item added to the cumulative evidence that he really has some other business besides that of making money. A society in Norway has concluded an agreement to work Dr. de Saval’s patents for making metallic zinc out of low-grade ores. At first about 50 tons of metallic zinc and about one ton o metallic lead, as well as a little copper and silver, will be treated each day. —===== Mrs. Charles Brodie Patterson, a student of longevity, announces that it is possible for a man to live forever. Precisely. Not only “a man,” but all men live forever, although they cannot remember this earth, which is rather j limited in its standing capacity. Man has to move up to give other fellows a chance here below. ■ I An attempt is making in New York to limit the height of buildings in that city to 350 feet. It is urged that the higher buildings, those of five or six | >. feet, are a menace to the People as -well as dan- ‘ In Boston and wer limit has ■ w 1 statistics just published i em .'n the need of a uniform nat uivorce law as the only means byNvhich the evil can be kept in check. As a chain is no stronger than its weakest link, neither is divorce in the union more difficult than in the state with the most lax laws. There is no use in passing a restrictive law in one state which can be nullified at individual pleasure in another. Mr. Powderly, after investigation, declares there are few men in the New York ‘‘bread line” who want to work. He suggests state farms. Good, as far as it goes. But many of these men would be of no use on any kind of a farm. Some are better adapted to building roads. The plan of Orlando F. Lewis for employment stations is more comprehensive and more practical, thinks the Pittsburg Dispatch. A British peer advocates temporary confiscation of a car for automobile speeding. The remedy is, in the opinion of the Baltimore American, rather drastic, but it is evident from the increasing number of accidents and the disregard for life and limb manifested by the speed maniacs that something must be done in the way of punitive legislation. The present system of fines is wholly inadequate; in fact, they constitute but the smallest part of the running expenses of motoring, and plainly are so regarded. The navy department wants a wireless telephone plant established In i Washington for its use. If the system is sufficiently practical to be in such demand it will soon be in general use and vocal messages will be floating through the air in every direction. But where is the sound while the message i is on its travel? The query suggests the old problem: If a tree falls in the middle of a forest where no man can hear it, is there any noise from the crash? Wilbur Wright is going after a $15,000 prize in a French aeroplane race next month, although he knows perfectly well how the French aeroplanlsts hate to lose the money. What satirist of society has done such a sketch of degenerate aristocracy as is drawn of themselves by the ; French princelings in the court pro- I ceedings for the possession of an ! American girl’s fortune? Is the bau- i ble for which American heiresses barthemselves to titled rakes worth t^SJncumbrance? asks the New York WotK There isx^voung woman in Connecticut who an odd quarrel with fate. Her hum^^avocation in life Is that of a domes^^^and she has no hurling ambitions to above her station, but she cannot ki^^a job be- ■ cause she is too good-look?^. The oddest thing about this odd ^ing woman, says the Baltimore Amerie^. is that she is still trying to break int^! unsusceptible households, and has never given a thought to the musical comedy chorus, where the demand for good looks is greater at present than the supply I

The Iron Pot-Still a Mystery By a Former Secret Service Man Ex=Operative Tells of Cleverest of Counterfeiting Plots

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4 * ' lERE are few mysteries which are never cleared up,” commenced Capt. Dickson, as he sat before the cheerful wood fire of his cozy study one night last winter, “although some of them slumber for years among the things forgotten, until the denouement is accidentally developed by some person who, perhaps, never

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heard of the original matter. Such was the case which I have come to remember as that of ‘The Iron Pot.’ It was a vessel of this humble character that finally cleared up a great mystery and brought the guilty to justice. “You are well aware that the silver dollar passes current for something like 49 or 50 cents more than the actual silver in it is worth. This fact has not been overlooked by counterfeiters, and because of it the secret service has had some knotty problems to unravel. “The largest percentage of counterfeits of specie are crude, black, leaden things that are readily detectible and difficult to pass. The handling of these coins is beset with excessive danger. But there have been some cases where counterfeiters have so perfectly imitated the silver dollar that experts have been deceived by it. Such a coin was brought out by a gang operating in St. Louis some years ago. Their dollar was of the same fineness and weight as the coin of the government’s mint and had the same ^aantity of alloy. The only difference between the tw’o was that the spurious coin was a shade thicker than the genuine, which fact was due to the machinery of the counterfeiters being somewhat lighter and less powerful than that of the federal mints. “The popular idea that coins are cast or molded is quite erroneous. They are stamped or pressed out of narrow' strips of metal. It is only by this means that they can be sufficiently compressed to stand the wear to which they are subjected in circulation. The machines used for this purpose are heavy, ponderous things, and it is difficult for counterfeiters to secure the manufacture of such a machine, and quite as hard a proposition for them to find a suitably secret place in which to operate it, once they have got it made. “The St. Louis gang had their plant in a cleverly constructed cave in a suburban district. It was an artificial cave, dug back in the face of a clay and gravel bluff. The entrance was through rhe shanty of a poor Irish family, a circumstance that diverted suspicion from it and one to which is partly due the long immunity the gang enjoyed. “There was no scrap of metal, no coins, chemicals, or other thing used in the art. Only the machine and a few w'renches and similar tools. The ^gang had skipped out. The Irishman half-witted, and his w'ife was too cß^arto be caught in the traps w r e laid l^Jier. We had made a water- , haul, e^ut for the machine, which was destro^L The cave was filled ! up. Acting uuM^ orders from Wash- i

— s— J < _— _ ^7- - ington we maintained secrecy about the entire matter and nothing of it got into the newspapers. “I found one thing in the shanty w'hich might or might not offer a clew to the counterfeiters. It was an empty envelope bearing the postmark of an obscure railroad station in the sunkland district of northeastern ArkansasI had long ago learned that it is the seemingly insignificant things that lead to the discovery of criminals, and while this envelope might mean nothing, on the other hand, it might be of the gravest importance. It had been found beneath the sheet of metal on which the cook stove stood, the tip of one corner, discolored and grimy, attracting my attention. I had secured it and pocketed it without attracting attention. “If the gang had never existed it could not have disappeared more effectually. We were face to face with a blank wall. This made us the more anxious to capture the counterfeiters. As nothing better offered, the chief suggested that I follow up the clew of the empty envelope. “With as cumbersome and complete an outfit as every city sportsman carries into the woods with him, I left the train one day at the wayside station which bore the name of the postmark. Securing a guide and cook, in the person of a lanky native, I had my truck hauled out to the St. Francis river, only two miles distant, where I pitched camp and made preparations for an Indefinite stay. “It was the greatest game country I have ever seen. There w’ere deer without limit and a good sprinkling of turkeys, some bears, and water fowl of every kind, until the killing of them lost much of its charm, and became more like ruthless slaughter. “I had a plentiful supply of liquors and cigars, a fact my guide lost no time in spreading broadcast about the country. This was just what I wanted him to do, for it brought the natives flocking to my camp to partake of the liquors and cigars w'hich I distributed with a lavish hand. It gave me the opportunity for w’hich I was playing. “By making inquiry of my visitors, I learned that about five miles down the river were camped, in a snug cabin built by themselves, three gentlemen from parts unknown. They maintained the place as a sort of club and had spent the spring season there. They left about March and were gone until October, when they returned one night and again took possession of their cabin. Our raid on the cave had been made on the 15th of October, and this caused me to think that perhaps the empty envelope was making good. “As the three gentlemen did not deign to visit my camp, I decided to make a call upon them. “I started out in a folding canvas canoe, late in the afternoon, and arrived in the vicinity of their camp just at nightfall. With a sharp cypress tree, aided by a jagged cut from my hunting knife, I succeeded in punching a bad hole in the bottom of the canoe, and with the boat rapidly filling with water. I landed just after sunset at the very door of their cabin. The three i men ware at home and they welcomed

_ <>. • A»e with the < hospitality of campers, insisting v. < I spend the night with them. This was just what I had been playing for. “It was easy to see *hat the men were crooks. There is always something to disclose the counterfeiter, if the observer is only sufficiently- versed in their ways and mannerisms to recognize the telltale signs. I was pretty sure, before the evening was over, that these were the men who had done the job in St. Louis. “Nothing about the cabin was the least bit suspicious. A large iron pot bubbled invitingly over the open fire, the fragrant odor of boiling meat issuing from under its lid when the steam pushed it up on one side. A steaming haunch of vension, cooking with some vegetables and dumplings, was produced from the pot for our supper, which was served soon after my arrival. In the center of the room was a big table, crudely constructed of heavy oak timbers. The cabin was well lighted, the lamps being of expensive character and great brilliancy. Guns and fishing tackle and hunting toggery of every kind gave the cabin the atmosphere of a sportsman's Aub. “The men talked (freely of everything but themselves. They spoke of many cities, but never of their homes. They ’ told me they were Icollege chums who had always made it; a custom to spend a few months together each fall in the woods. They wer^ clever men and readily passed for t he lawyer, the doctor and the merch< mt, the characters they respectively pi etended to be. The one to whom the ot’ >er two deferred in everything was a k (rge, powerful man with clean-shaven f ice and a jaw like a bulldog. His face was too shrewd to be pleasant. He was ched me furtively, a sinister, amused senile ulaying about the corners of his r nouth. That smile spoke voluuft made me lie awake till night. It t o S ay that he knew my real ch and therefore I thought it b(f s ^ t 0 keep on the watch. The man i*e o med capable of offering me per*oif a f violence. But the night passed a way without incident. After breaks ^gt, I repaired the leak in my canoe 2 paddled slowly

up-stream, trying tc| fi gure out where I had seen the big m , W jth the square jaw before. “While I was sm n g a ] as t cigar before retiring thaWr^ning, it came to me where I had seel him. p was on a street car in St. i fuis, on one occasion when I was /.hadowing the shanty at the cave. U e had been on the same car and ha|. kept his seat when I alighted ne JG hu t. He had looked at me then' if he wanted to know me the next t| me he saw me. I was assured that ' was one of t he counterfeiters, and up m y mind to arrest the thre<j hem the first thing next morning. “Here I learned a Jn in procrastination. While I has gobbled down my breakfast the ne day, a trapper, who camped near br w ho had gone to the village the n <efore for supplies, happened alo^ a d told me a most disconcerting 1 ,f news . The three men had '<'rench leave. They had cau^g ough freight about midnight ^little or no baggage with t r tened to the Qd

Captain Dickson Relates Tale —He Tells of Encountering Desperado Gang and the Ultimate Consequences—Man with Bulldog Jaw and His Daring Escape from the Grip of the Law. $ $ $ $

village, and although I worked the single telegraph wire to its utmost capacity, the three men succeeded in making their escape. “Sending a full cipher report to M ashington, I repaired to the cabin in the swamps and made a careful search of it. Everything within was in the greatest confusion. Clothing and shells, guns and fishing-tackle were strewn about the floor, evidencing a precipitate departure. It was tantalizing to again allow the criminals to escape. I felt deeply chagrined, and resoived never again to put off a matter of this kind. The men had forestalled me by only a few hours, for I had intended arresting them that morning, and there had been nothing in their conduct during my visit to their cabin to indicate that they thought of flight. “In one corner of the cabin, beneath the very bunk on which I had slept, there was an excavation three feet square and as many deep. The cover was down and dirt was strewn over it which gave it the same appearance as the dirt floor of the house. I discovered it by a hollow hound when I tapped over the spot. It was empty. “I noticed the absence of the pot which had supplied my supper, but it was rather a subconscious notice of it. The fact really made no appreciable impression on me at the time, nor did it, in fact, until more than a year had passed. It was then recalled by a newspaper dispatch under date of the small village. "Some of the boys in the village had appropriated the cabin as a sort of clubhouse, after the three men had fled. They would spend Saturdays there, fishing and swimming and hunting. Immediately in front of the cabin was a steep bank, and the river widened out into a broad, deep pool which afforded good fishing and swimming. The boys would throw white pebbles into this hole and dive for them from the bank. One of them had struck his head against something hard at the bottom of the river and had been pulled up a corpse, his skull having been fractured by the impact of the blow. “The others investigated and found

a large iron pot half buried in the soft mud. Its cover was sealed down and its weight had been so great the boys couldn’t lift it from its oozy bed. The dispatch stated that the pot was to be raised and its contents examined. “I was In Little Rock when I read this dispatch and. without waiting for instructions from headquarters, I boarded the first train and set out for the village. I was in a state of feverish excitement, fearing I would arrive there after the pot had been secured. I wanted to be the first to view its contents. I felt sure I knew what was in it. “After a journey that seemed interminable I arrived at the village and inquired about the pot. My fears had been groundless. With the indifference so characteristic in country people the villagers had forgotten, after the funeral of the unfortunate young man. the incident of the pot. While there had been some talk of raising it, no one had taken the lead, and there the matter had rested. “Securing a team 6f mules and some strong ropes and chains, I drove out to the cabin. By dint of much diving I succeeded in fastening the chains about the pot and had my assistaant drag it out upon the bank. It was the vessel which had hung over the fire when I had visited the counterfeiters in their lair. Then I remembered 'ts absence, when I had searched the hut after their departure. It was seal ?d with paraffin and sealing wax, and not a drop of water had passed the lid.

“I contained a complete set of ragravers’ tools, several bottles of pow >rful acids, glass stopped and sealed, a number of bars of silver, some three hundred odd counterfeit silver dollar's, and the dies with which they had been , stamped out. The dies were thickly coated with wax and w’ere as bright and fresh as when they beat out the false coins in the secret cave. “After swearing my assistant to secrecy, I returned to headquarters with my booty. “Not many weeks later two of the men were captured. 1 had given the department a minute description of them, after their unceremonious departure, and its vast machinery had been set in motion for their apprehension. It is a maxim of the service that a man once a counterfeiter is at ways a counterfeiter. This rule held good with reference to two of the men, at least, for they were captured and convicted of another job. The incidents I have just related were not introduced in evidence against them and consequently escaped the press. . The man with the bulldog jaw escaped I completely at that time, but I met with । him, years after, under circumstances j neither of us will forget so long as we live.” ^Copyright, 1908, by W. G. Chapman.) (Copyright in Great Britain.) Practical Labor. “George,” spoke his better half, “you are interested in the temperance movements, are you not?” “Why, certainly I am,” he answered. “Well, suppose you go out and make a few of them wdth the pump handle. I am in need of a pail of water right away."— Bohemian.

ETHEL ROOSEVELT S DEBUT SHE MAKES HER BOW TO SOCIETY AT THE WHITE HOUSE. President's Younger Daughter is Introduced to the Fashionable World at a Brilliant Ball. Wethington.—ln the historic east , room of the White House, beautifully decorated for the occasion. President Roosevelt’s youngest daughter, Ethel, i Monday night made her formal bow to society. Preceding the dancing in the east ! j room, which began at ten o’clock. Mrs. ' i Roosevelt and Miss Roosevelt received । the invited guests in the blue room. Miss Roosevelt's gown was of soft white satin trimmed with crystals, while that of her mother was of dark blue satin. Seldom, if ever, has the east room I , presented a more attractive picture. Seated on a platform at the north end . I of the room was the marine band- ' orchestra, whose brilliant scarlet uni- .. v. 1 ' '.''A t - L ‘ Miss Ethel Roosevelt. forms against a background of green i formed a rich frame for the beautiful j color scheme lavishly painted in the ! center of the room by the handsome ; gowns of the fair debutantes present. The invited guests numbered about 400, only unmarried members of the | younger set participating in the dancing. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who came home from Connecticut to spend Christmas with his parents, remained over to attend the dance. L At midnight the music ceased and the guests partook of a supper which was served at small tables arranged along the lower corridor and rooms leading into this corridor. Before the ball. Miss Roosevelt was the guest of honor at a dinner given by Assistant Secretary and Mrs. Bacon at their residence. Covers were laid ' for 60, the whole party going later to ' the White House. Mrs. C. A. Munn j also entertained a large house party i which later went to the White House. ' i i SIX ATHLETES SUSPENDED. i I Prominent Men Are Accused by A. A. U. of Professionalism. Ney York. —At a meeting of the ; registration committee of the Amateur .

inent athletes were suspended. They are: Melvin W. Sheppard. Charles Bacon, Harry F. Porter and George V. Bonhag of the Irish-American Ath- j letic club; F. G. Behars. New York Athletic club, and J. J. Lee. formerly of the Boston Athletic association, but now unattached. The charge against the men was professionalism, the allegations being that they accepted or asked for exorbitant expense moneys. NINE KILLED IN COLLISION. Freight and Work Trains Meet in Montana, with Awful Results. Great Falls. Mont.—As the result of a collision between a freight train and a work train on the Great Northern ' late Monday afternoon, nine men are dead and a number of others badly injured. The collision occurred at Mid-Can-yon. about forty miles south of Great Falls, but details are lacking thus far. , The work train was carrying men engaged on dredge work for the company, and with one exception all the men killed were carpenters.

BECOMES “NO MAN'S LAND.” Valuable Strip Adjoining Fort Smith, Ark., in Dispute. Fort Smith. Ark. —By a decision of the circuit court here Monday a strip ■ of land 12 miles long and two miles wide and adjoining this city becomes "no man's land.” The strip was originally a part of the Indian land and was allotted to the Choctaw nation, s but was ceded by congress to Arkan- • sas. The failure of Arkansas to accept the land by an amendment to its ■ constitution is given by rhe court as a ! reason for its ruling, which holds that the boundary line of 1880 is still in effect. Oklahoma claims the strip. Daring Burglars Get $25,000. New York. —A safe robbery which is said by the police to be unexampled in J point of daring was revealed by Oscar C. Jackie, a jeweler of 866 Third avenue, whose place of business was en- ; tered and looted of $5,000 in cash and $20,000 in jewelry. Tom Longboat Is Wedded. Toronto. Ont. —Tom Longboat, the Indian long-distance runner, was married to Miss Loretta Maracle Monday : night at the Church of St. John the i Evangelist. Merger of Texas Ranches. Denver. Col.—According to dis- । patches received in this city a merger ! of Texas ranches in the territory penetrated by the Colorado & Southern is being formed and will comprise 7.000,000 acres of land, worth $75,000,000. Prohibition Wave Too Much for Them. Cincinnati. —Giving as a reason that their business is being run at a loss cn account of the prohibition wave, a receiver was obtained for Eckhouse Bros.' wholesale liquor business at 204 Walnut street, Monday.

WHAT THE DOLLIES HAD. 4mail Wonder That the Little Mother Was Really Alarmed. Little Mary was really very ill. Mother said she was sure it was an attack of appendicitis, but Grandma was equally sure the little one was threatened with convulsions. The argument waxed warm in Mary s presence, and appropriate remedies were used, and the next day she was better. Coming into her mother’s room du> ing her play she said: “Mamma, two of my dollies are very sick this morning.” “Indeed, dear. I am very sorry. What is the matter with them?” “Well I don’t really know, mamma, but I think Gwendolyn has ‘a pint o’spiders’ and Marguerite is going to have ‘envulsions.’ ” INTOLERABLE ITCHING. Fearful Eczema All Over Baby’s Face —Professional Treatment Failed. A Perfect Cure by Cuticura. “When my little girl was six months old I noticed small red spots on her right cheek. They grew go large that 1 sent for the doctor but, instead of helping the eruption, his ointment seemed to make it worse. Then I went to a second doctor who said it was eczema. He also gave me an ointment which did not help either. The disease spread all over the face and the eyes began to swell. The itching grew intolerable and it was a terrible sight to see. I consulted doctors for months, but they were unable to cure the baby. I paid out from S2O to S3O without relief. One evening I began to use the Cuticura Remedies. The next morning the baby’s face was all white instead of red. I continued until the eczema entirely disappeared. Mrs. P. E. Gumbin, Sheldon, la., July 13,08.” Potter Dreg & Ciem. Corp^ Sole Props, Boston. JUST A TEST. 1 “Goodness, sonny, what’s the trouble ?” “Nawthin’. I just wanted to see if I had forgotten how to cry—boo-hoo’.” Beware of Ointments for Catarrh that Contain Mercury, as mercury will surely destroy the sense of sme3 and completely derange the whole system when entering it through the mucous surfaces. Such articles should never be used except on prescriptions from reputable physicians, as the o———■ they will do is ten fold to the good you can possibly derive from them. Hall's Catarrh Cure, manufactured by F. J. Cheney & Cw Toledo. 0.. contains no mercury. and is taken Internally, actins directly upon the blood and mucous surfaces of the system. In buying Hall's Catarrh Cure be sure you get th* genuine. It is taken internally and made in Toledo. Ohio, by F. J. Cheney A Co. Testimonials free. Sold by Druggists. Price. ’sc. per bottle. Take Hall’s Family Pilis 'Or constipation. Meteors Add to Earth’s Weight. The meteors which fall upon the • r their weight earth. Thus the earth is increasing a minute quantity in weight each year. Ifut not enough to be perceptible in thousands | of years. Except for the escape of light gases from the atmosphere there is no known way in which the earth can lose weight. Important to Mothers. Examine carefully every bottle of CASTORIA a safe and sure remedy for infants and children, and see that it Bears the XTy Signature of In Vse For Over 30 Years. The Kind You Have Always Bought. “Marriage Service” Defined. A Boston cynic of the female persuasion defines the "marriage service” as "waiting on one’s lord and master in the capacity of cook, laundress, seamstress and maid-of-all-work.” After a ^nan has been married a year he doesn't get brain fag from thinking of his wife when she is spending a few weeks in the country. OMY ONE ‘BROMO QUININE” That is LAXATIVE BROMO QUINT Ml. Lock fct the signature of E. W. GROVE. L or.c over to Cure a Cold in One Day. 25c. It is better to begin late doing our duty than never. —Dionysius. Lewis’ Single Binder Cigar has a rich taste. Your dealer or Lew >3’ Factcry, Peoria, 111. He isn’t much of a baker who eats til the bread he kneads. Use Allen’s Foot-Ease , Cnrest'red.aching.sweatingleet. 35c. Tna.px ~ktgw free. A. S. Olmsted. Le Koy, N. X. A singer doesn’t weigh his words on the musical scale. GROOMING COUNTS | But It cannot make « Fair Skin or a Clossy Coat. Women with good complexions connot be homely. Creams, S lotions, washes and . powders cannot make a fair skin. Every fi horseman knows that I'l V/jO \ the satin coat of his |L /[ /\, / thoroughbred comes 1 I A from the animal's / / “all-right” condition. Let the h rse get 1 I lln and his / / • I coat turns dull. Curi Tying, brushing and rubbing will give him a clean coat, but cannot produce the coveted smoothness and gloss or v the horse’s skin, which is his com- ' plexion. The ladies will see the point. Lane’s Family Medicine j Is the best preparation for la lies who i < desire a gentle laxative medieine that I will give the body perfe' t cleanlimiss I I internally and the wholssomeness I I that produces such skins as pam-.ers I I love to copy. At druggists’, 25c. If '■ 1- ■ y ^^^UR^WHERE^II ELSE FaEs L j K 3 Best Cou^h Syrup. lastes < 1. M w t ; rH Use in nme. Sold by druggists.