NEWS: Items from the Altoona Mirror, September 15, 1899, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich & Alice James Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _______________________________________________ News Items from the Altoona Mirror, Friday Evening, September 15, 1899 BLAIR ARGUMENT COURT. THIS MORNING'S SESSION. Daisy E. B. Grubb, et al, vs. Margaret Galloway, administratrix of the estate of Joseph Galloway, deceased. Reserved points continued until September 25. John Loudon, administrator, and W. Loudon vs. Emory Loudon's committee; motion for new trial. Continued until September 25. City of Altoona and Blair County vs. Tillie Bluebell; certiorari. Continued until September 25. Winn & Nicholson vs. Mrs. Mary C. and J. B. Harnden; certiorari. Argued. The question of partiality was raised, it being alleged that one of the plaintiffs was a relative of the alderman. Decision deferred. In the assigned estate of P. W. Finn, rule to show cause why the assignee should not be discharged. Continued until September 25. Florence A. Wilt vs. David M. Wilt; rule to show cause why attachment for non-payment of alimony and counsel fees should not be quashed. Continued until September 25. In the assigned estate of Fox & Curtis, rule on Sheriff Bell to pay Curtis, Jones & Co., the sum of $48, 191.27, etc. Continued until September 25. Rule to show cause why balance of money due Eastern B. & L. association, on mortgage, recorded in mortgage book, vol. 32, page 254, by James M. Hess, to said assignee, should not be paid into court. Rule discharged. Report of Edmond Shaw, auditor of the estate of A. F. Olmes, deceased, and exceptions thereto. Argued. Decision deferred. Appeal by W. C. Fletcher from the judgment of the mayor of Altoona. Continued until September 25. The county of Blair vs. John Loudon, John A. Crawford and A. J. McKee, directors of the poor of Blair county; rule to show cause why judgment should not be satisfied. Argued. Decision deferred. Pennsylvania B. & L. Association vs. George Emfield; rule to show cause why judgment should not be opened. Argued. Decision deferred. In the matter of the sale by the administrator of the lime plant and stone quarry property belonging to the estate of James Funk, deceased, to C. R. Fay for $4,000, which was confirmed nisi on Monday, September 11, W. I. Woodcock stated that on Wednesday Nicholas Funk filed exceptions, alleging the inadequacy of the price, and the purchaser has given notice that unless the sale is confirmed absolutely soon he will decline to take the property. The court is asked to confirm the sale absolutely on next Monday, unless the exceptant pays into court $4,000 as a guarantee of re-sale. L. W. Flanagan vs. First Presbyterian Congregation, of Altoona, and G. Kruger, et al. contractors; rule to show cause why judgment should not be entered for sufficient affidavit of defense. Argued. Decision deferred. Samuel A. Green et al, vs. John W. Ebert, et al; rule to show cause why decree should not be made, directing the sheriff to serve the summons in the above cases. The matter was argued to determine whether or not the sheriff can demand his costs in advance for serving legal process. Decision deferred. ALTOONA SOCIAL EVENTS. Mrs. John Kline gave a reception at her home, 501 Seventh avenue, last evening in honor of her birthday anniversary. A most enjoyable surprise party was held at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. David Claybaugh, 2006 Fifth avenue on Wednesday evening in honor of Master Raymond's sixth birthday. Games were the chief amusements of the evening. Music was also rendered by Master Walter Hughes. Refreshments were served at 10 o'clock after which they all departed for their homes wishing Master Raymond many more such happy birthdays. Last evening the car shop employes who are members of the Railroad Men's Christian association entertained a number of employes of the railroad machine shops in the rooms of the association. The program consisted of an opening piece by the mandolin club, a welcome song by octet, a piano solo by C. C. English, some words of greeting by the chairman of the entertainment committee, H. B. Lorman; a recitation by George S. R. Miller, more music by the mandolin club and then by the octet, a second piano solo by C. C. English, closing with another admirably rendered recitation by George S. R. Miller. On the 26th inst. a similar entertainment will be given at the same place by the machine shop men to employes of the car shop who are not members of the association. ZACH ENDRESS SERIOUSLY ILL. Mr. Zach Endress, the well known butcher, is lying dangerously ill at his home on the east side. Last evening he was very low and his life was despaired of, but he is slightly improved today. He is suffering from a nervous contraction of the bronchial tubes, together with several other maladies. DOINGS OF THE CITY POLICE. Our Reporters' Notes Gathered at the Mayor's and Aldermen's Offices. Brit Irvin, charged with drunkenness, was given twenty-four hours by Mayor Giles yesterday. John Higgins was arrested at Green avenue and Eleventh street at 9 o'clock last night. He is charged with drunkenness and vagrancy. David Powley will have a hearing this evening at 7 o'clock before Alderman Raymond on the charge of cutting John Williams' head with a stone. Walter Wallace and Fred Beach, arrested for vagrancy at Tenth avenue and Nineteenth street, Wednesday, were given twenty-four hours each yesterday. John Kinney, charged by the police with interfering with an officer and disorderly conduct, was sentenced to seventy-two hours in the city prison in default of $10.80. Martin Higgins appeared as the plaintiff and Harry and William Weiss as the defendants in an assault and battery case before Alderman Irvin last evening. After hearing the evidence, the alderman reserved his decision until today. At 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon Mrs. Sue Feeney will have a hearing before Alderman Raymond. It is alleged that she fired two pistol shots at her husband, James Feeney and then struck him on the head with the butt of the revolver. D. M. Tate, charged before Alderman Stephens with assault and battery upon C. B. Clark and with interfering with Constable Snyder while the latter was conducting a sale, had a hearing yesterday. He was held on his own recognizance pending a settlement of the case. The local police authorities have been requested to look out for and arrest Joseph Goenczi, a shoemaker, who is wanted in Berlin, Germany, for murder and robbery. On August 23 a widow woman, named Auguste Schultze, and her stepdaughter, Clara Schultze, were found murdered in their home in Berlin. The two women had been killed by means of a sharp and heavy instrument, through blows on the head. Their bodies were then wrapped in black oilcloth, nailed in boxes and concealed in the cellar of their house by shoveling earth thereon. Goenczi has left Berlin and is strongly suspecting of having committed the crimes. A reward of 1,000 marks is offered for his apprehension. When he left Berlin he was accompanied by his wife. The family living next door to 700 Third avenue most indignantly deny that there is any board bridge between the attic window of 700 and the attic window of their house. Indeed, it looks as if Policeman Carney was drawing on his imagination when he said that the girl Marguerite, whom he was searching for, escaped from 700 in that way. There is over ten feet of space between the two houses and it would take both a strong and a very nervy girl, or man, for that matter, to put a plank across between the attic windows and then climb over it. Marguerite says she hid successfully from the astute Carney behind a clothespress in the house, and indignantly denies that she stole any money from Frick. She says he had none to steal, for he borrowed money from a friend in the house because he had none. NEWS IN RAILROAD CIRCLES. Local and General Items of Interest to Mirror Readers. An eastbound Pennsylvania railroad freight train, drawn by engine 1173, met with a serious accident at Bainbridge, near Lancaster, Wednesday afternoon, due to a broken car wheel. Eight loaded cars were knocked to pieces and four other derailed. Of the wrecked cars, four were thrown into the Pennsylvania canal, which at that point is close to the railroad, one of these cars being of the new style steel cars. Brakeman R. E. Sibbett, of Harrisburg, was on one of the cars thrown into the canal, and he was pinned under the car in the water and drowned. The tracks were badly torn up by the wreck and great delay caused to travel. Edward Miller, of West Chester, is said to be the oldest railroad conductor in active service in the United States. Mr. Miller has been railroading without interruption for more than half a century, he having been employed in earlier life to haul wood for the locomotives on the old State line. Before the Pennsylvania company came into possession of its present line to Lancaster Mr. Miller made trips up and down the road in the capacity of state agent. Away back in the fifties, when the railroad was being built from Philadelphia to West Chester by way of Media, Mr. Miller assisted in making the survey, and has since been employed on this line to the present day. He is 75 years of age, and inasmuch as his health is excellent, he will probably be in condition to conduct trains and collect tickets for several years to come. In excavating for second and third tracks in the Paleozoic folds between Altoona and Johnstown, the workmen made many curious discoveries. Fossilized fishes, plants, tree trunks and saurians in most instances in a solidified condition were blasted out of the rock and carelessly dumped into the ravines. The laborers thought the casts of Carboniferous tree trunks were the remains of ancient serpents and that the fish and reptiles were merely freaks of nature. In some instances the foremen and the contractors or a few thoughtful spectators preserved the relics and many locals museums have been enriched by the finds. The excavations range in location from the upper Silurian to the Devonian and carboniferous strata and the fossils are all typical specimens of the formations in which they were discovered. The third annual reunion of the Veteran Employes' association of the Middle division will be held in Harrisburg, in the rooms of the Railroad Men's Christian association, on Thursday, September 21. the banquet will be held at the Bolton House in the evening. This association is made up of employes who have seen twenty-one years or more of service with the company, and was organized in this city with a membership of seventy-five, which has been increased to several hundred. Among the leading spirits in the association are R. H. Vandevander, Bellwood, foreman coal wharf, A. W. Greenwood, now superintendent of the East Broad Top road; D. D. Wood, Tyrone; W. D. Reese, Edward Caum, John Craig, Irvin Crane, George Whiteman, Chas. McCarthy, George Winter, W. Brooks Moore, James Wells, L. C. Clemson, this city. WORK OF AN INCENDIARY. Mr. S. S. Reighard in going through the ruins of his oil house yesterday discovered that the big cast iron cap on one of the tanks had been taken off by the incendiary who probably took oil from the tank to fire the warehouse. The cap was securely fastened with bolts when the warehouse was closed. The books and papers were taken out of the safe yesterday and found to be in good condition. The safe had been badly twisted but the combination locks were not injured. The work of rebuilding will be commenced as soon as the debris can be cleared away. ANOTHER WHEEL STOLEN. John R. Reichart, of Fifth avenue and Twentieth street, while out riding on his bicycle last evening, stopped at Ninth avenue and Fifteen street about 9 o'clock, to see a friend, and left his wheel stand outside the house. On coming out about a half hour later he discovered that his bicycle had been stolen. The wheel was a --sance, No. 191,141, 80 8-9 gear, Morgan & Wright tires, Kelly handle bars, 2? Inch frame with 28 inch wheels. BOARD OF HEALTH NOTES. The quarantine at the residence of W. E. Gettig, 226 Sixth Avenue, where Miss Ella Hoffer died of diphtheria was lifted this morning. The quarantine at the residence of Rev. J. S. James was also lifted today. Up to yesterday evening the board of health officer had disinfected thirty-five houses, containing 527,155 cubic feet of space. Two cases of typhoid fever were reported to the board yesterday. They were: Gilbert McGough, 3122 Walnut avenue and Eva Swishler, 2917 Spruce avenue. BICYCLE RIDERS INJURED. About 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon Frank Matthews of 1232 Sixteenth avenue started to the fair on his wheel, accompanied by Thomas Brown. Near Llyswen the fork on Matthew's wheel broke and he was thrown off and rendered unconscious. He was assisted to the city and taken to his home, where an examination showed that his upper lip was badly cut, his face cut and scratched in many places and his front teeth loosened. He complained of a pain in his chest and also may be injured internally. Last evening about 7:30 o'clock, a man named Young, who was under the influence of liquor, fell off his bicycle at Eight avenue and Twenty- fourth street, badly cutting his forehead and left eye. He was taken to the office of Dr. Morrow, Eighth avenue and Seventeenth street, where his injuries were dressed. Young said he attended the fair with a friend, who deserted him after he fell off his wheel. DUNCANSVILLE. James G. Wallace, wife and family of Homestead are visiting at Mr. Wallace's former home. The condition of Arthur Reed is somewhat improving. Rev. J. A. L. Romig, the evangelist, will hold services in Drass' hall this evening. TYRONE NEWS ITEMS. Verne C. Fortney of 578 West Washington avenue has a new boy baby at his house. Hugh, son of Dr. Thomas Tobin, of Pennsylvania avenue, left yesterday morning to resume his studies at Dickinson college, Carlisle, Pa. Dr. F. L. Weiser of Altoona was the guest of his friend and former associate, Dr. George W. Moorehouse on Wednesday evening. Ed Pleasant of Canonsburg, Pa., a former resident, after twenty years' absence, is visiting friends in Tyrone. Omer T. Smith, of Oaks street, near Hamilton avenue, for some years past an employee of the Morrison-Cass paper company, with his wife and little son and daughter departed yesterday afternoon for Black Hawk county, Iowa, where he will engage in farming. A. G. Morris is in Pittsburg on business. LOGAN TOWNSHIP INSTITUTE. The first monthly institute of the teachers of Logan township will be held in the Millville school building, October 14, 1899, commencing at 9:30 a.m. Following is the program: Forenoon session - Music, institute; devotional exercises, Rev. E. J. Metzler; roll call; reading of minutes; music; recitation, Miss Mildred Burget; "Penmanship," R. Wade Davis; "Composition," H. F. Crouse. Afternoon session - Music; essay, Miss Bertha Madden; class recitation, A. S. Harnish; lecture; remarks, J. H. Hennen; music, adjournment, L. B. Stoudenour, Kirk Walter, Clara O. Long, committee. PURELY PERSONAL ITEMS. Agnes Eppler will spend the next few days with friends in Bellwood. Mr. Milton Blumenthal of this city is the guest of Dr. Marcus of Philadelphia. Gus Simon, the shoe merchant is seriously ill at his home on Thirteenth street. L. Z. Replogle and wife left yesterday morning to visit friends in Woodbury. Miss Jean Bluementhal, accompanied by her mother, left on day express for Philadelphia. Mrs. H. E. Butz, wife of Editor Butz, of the Huntingdon Globe is visiting in Altoona. Mr. Ebright and wife of 506 Fourteenth street left last night for a visit to Philadelphia. Editor Warner Bell accompanied by his wife left on day express today for a tour of eastern cities. John Ross a well-known railroad man of Bellwood, was calling on friends in the city last night. Samuel B. Hare left yesterday for Susquehanna university to coach the football team at that school. D. E. Maginley, chief burgess of Bellefonte is an Altoona visitor and is registered at the Altamonte. Mr. Lou Kline, son of Photographer Kline of Huntingdon, was a visitor at the Blair County fair today. Miss T. M. Stackhouse of 1001 Sixth avenue left yesterday to visit friends in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Gonder of 60 Fifth avenue left this morning for Cedar Rapids, Ia., to visit his sister. Supreme Justice John Dean came up from Philadelphia last evening and left for his home in Hollidaysburg soon after. Mr. Thomas F. Dillon who has been confined to his home, 1911 Twentieth avenue by typhoid fever is slowly recovering. Mr. John Fleig a hoseman at No. 2 engine house left today for a week in Carlisle. It is remarked that he will return with a bride. Mr. Cal Beegle who has been very ill for the past week is slightly improved today although he is not entirely out of danger. Miss Gussie Devender who has been a guest for several days at the home of H. W. McCartney left for her home in New York on day express this morning. Mrs. M. M. Haines, of 2507 Beale Avenue, accompanied by her father, left this morning for a three weeks' visit to friends in the east. Miss Mary Mickle and niece, Miss Bertha Mickle of Cumberland, Md., are visiting at the home of Mrs. Sadie Carver, 1412 Thirteenth avenue. Mr. James M. Lee has resigned his position as engineer at the Logan Valley power house in this city to take a position with the Westinghouse motor company, Pittsburg. Miss Daisy Fox of Altoona who had been visiting her friend, Miss May Robert in this city the last three weeks, returned to her home last night. Miss Fox is an accomplished pianist and vocalist. [Johnstown Democrat] LOCAL NEWS BRIEFLY GIVEN. Gathered by Mirror Scribes on Their Daily Visits. Col. Theo. Burchfield has received the resignation of Adjutant John B. Fair and Edgar S. Stayer and Lieutenant George L. Jackson from the Fifth regiment because of their having entered the United States service. Charles Klunk, proprietor of the Duquesne hotel met with a painful accident while attending the fair yesterday. In getting over a fence he slipped and fell, spraining his left knee. He was brought to this city in a carriage. George E. Steel, of this city, who was enlisted by Captain Fair for the Forty-third regiment, United States volunteers, now stationed at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, has been appointed regimental clerk by his commander, Colonel Murray. He is well fitted for the position. Rev. B. H. Hamlin, D.D., formerly presiding elder of the Altoona district and now pastor of the Methodist church in Houtzdale will preach his celebrated flag sermon in the Epworth Methodist church, corner of Broad avenue and Twenty-ninth street, Sunday morning, September 17.