NEWS: Cambria Freeman; 1907; Ebensburg, Cambria Cnty., PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ Cambria Freeman Ebensburg, Pa. Friday, 17 May 1907 Volume 41, Number 20 Items Local and Personal Isaiah Gates, a well known and prosperous farmer of White township, was here on business the early part of the week. Sergeant Marsh of Co. D., state constabulary, and two companions were here Monday in consultation with District Attorney Leech. F. J. Hartman Esq. and A. J. Darragh, both of Ebensburg, went to Philadelphia Monday morning to attend the state convention of the Knights of Columbus. The Rev. Father H. M. O'Neill of the Church of the Holy Name of Ebensburg went to Cresson Monday morning to assist in the 40 hours devotion now being held at Mt. Aloysius church of that place. Russel (sic) Leech, son of District Attorney J. W. Leech, who lately underwent an operation in a Philadelphia hospital for appendicitis, is home and is getting along nicely. Liveryman Al Clark of Hastings, Druggist Albert Morris of Barnesboro and Dr. Anderson of Spangler were visitors here Wednesday night. Bernard Wills of Loretto and William A. McGuire, Esq. of Ebensburg have applied for a patent on a nutlock which they expect will be just what railroad companies have been looking for this long time. H. S. Butterworth of Harrisburg, the genial landlord of the Ebensburg Inn, is here making arrangements to have the Inn put in proper shape for the accommodation of guests when the "good old summer time" comes. Jail Warden Ed Knee left Monday morning for Pittsburg, having in charge, Augustin Delaney, an insane man from Gallitzin township, whom he placed in Dixmont asylum in accordance with an order of court recently made. The directors of the Mountain Summer Assembly of Ebensburg are very much elated over the numerous applications for enrollment as students in the coming session of that institution of learning. The attendance will in all probability eclipse that of any previous year. Mrs. Sarah Davis, of Wilkesbarre, and daughter, Mrs. G. A. Zimmerman of Johnstown, visited Ebensburg relatives and friends Wednesday. J. B. Denny and family of Johnstown have taken up their residence at Belmont cottage in this place for the summer season. Master Edwin Englehart, who is employed in the C. & C. office at Cresson, spent Sunday at his home here. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Kimball of the Metropolitan have been spending a few days in New York. Mrs. George D. Kinkead and Miss Edna Roberts spent last Friday in Johnstown. Mr. Wallace Humphreys of Conemaugh spent Sunday with his parents here. James A. McClain of Spangler was in Ebensburg Tuesday on a business visit. Miss Minnie Flick of Loretto is attending the Summer Normal School here. Col. J. Spangler of Bellefonte, Pa., was a visitor to Ebensburg Tuesday. Summer School The Misses Mabel and Laura Parrish will open their Kindergarten and Primary School Monday, May 20, for a term of four weeks. Attention G.A.R. Capt. John M. Jones Post No. 556 G. A. R. will meet at the Post Room on Julian street at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 26, for the purpose of attending divine service at the Congregational church. And will also meet at the same place Thursday, May 30, 1 p.m. for observance of Memorial Day. All old Soldiers and sons of Veterans are cordially invited to meet with us on both occasions. [Signed] T. W. Dick, Adjutant Ebensburg is Scene of Destructive Fire Tuesday Night Residence of Wm. D. Jones, of the East Ward Almost Totally Destroyed, Together with a Large Amount of Household Goods Family Barely Escape with Their Lives On Wednesday night about 10:55 the residents of Ebensburg were suddenly alarmed by the ringing of the fire bell and the roar of the big fire whistle on the Ebensburg Light, Heat & Power Company's plant. The residence of William D. Jones, at the corner of Lloyd and Caroline streets, was discovered to be on fire and was a seething mass of flames before even those who occupied the house were made aware of their peril. About ten o'clock in the evening, Mr. Jones, whose bed room was on the first floor, was in the kitchen and noted before going to bed that everything was in the usual state of safety. The fire in the kitchen stove had died out and Mr. Jones retired for the night without the slightest suspicion that he and his family would soon be rudely awakened from their slumbers and find themselves in the midst of a furnace with the flames bulging through the house. When Mr. Jones left the kitchen to retire to his room, he left a large oil lamp burning on the kitchen table for Miss Nettie Ross, who lives with his family and who had gone out to visit a neighbor and had not as yet returned. A few moments later, Miss Ross returned to the Jones house and blew out the lamp and started for her bed room. While preparing for bed, Miss Ross heard a noise in the kitchen and called the attention of Mrs. Adam Lentz, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, who, with her family, lives in the same house, to the disturbance in the kitchen. After conjecturing for a couple of minutes as to just what caused the noise, Miss Ross took a lamp which lighted her room and started down the stairs to investigate the mystery followed closely by Mrs. Lentz. When they opened the stair door in their descent to the first floor, they were met by a blast of smoke which filled the first floor of the house and the sight of raging flames which were sweeping everything before them. The two women screamed and alarmed the other members of the family as well as three boarders who occupied rooms on the second floor. When Mr. Jones was awakened, the flames were bulging through a window in his bedroom. The kitchen was a furnace of flames and the three boarders in the room above the kitchen were almost suffocated with smoke as they arose from their beds and left the room. There was no time to save personal belongings. The occupants of the house grasped anything they could reach in the way of wearing apparel and ran to the street in their night clothes. The children were carried out and cared for by kind neighbors. The alarm given by the big fire whistle soon filled the streets with people and every assistance that could be rendered to the distressed family was freely given. A large force of men carried much of the best furniture out of the first floor of the house. The Dauntless Fire Company arrived promptly and soon ran three lines of hose to the scene of the fire and began to flood the house with water. The fire had gained such headway, however, that from the street but little hope of saving the building was entertained. But by hard work the fire was gotten under control and the front part of the house saved. The rear of the house is ruined and much of the roof will have to be renewed. There was considerable damage done by water and Mr. Jones places his loss at about $6,000 with about $1,700 insurance. The origin of the fire is unknown but it is believed that when the lamp was extinguished, that it did not go out entirely but formed a gas and exploded, shattering the lamp and scattering oil all over the kitchen, which gave the fire such a great start before being discovered. The Jones family were (sic) seamstresses and a considerable loss in dress goods and made up wearing apparel was suffered by them. While the occurrence is an unfortunate one of the Jones family, yet they were very fortunate to escape from the building with their lives. Incendiaries are Again Busy in Cambria County Dr. Ruthrop, of Mountaindale, is Loser of Two Dwelling Houses by Fire Within Last Two Weeks County Detective Investigating Several Arrests May Follow Two fires within the last two weeks have laid bare the ruins of two handsome dwelling houses owned by Dr. Ruthrop at Mountaindale, Reade township, and resulted in the loss of about $25,000 worth of property. The fire, which, without doubt, was of incendiary origin in each instance, was a heavy blow to Dr. Ruthrop and his family, as they are now practically homeless. Everything was destroyed. Nothing of any value was saved from the flames. All of Dr. Ruthrop's surgical instruments, medicines, drugs and over 800 volumes of valuable medical works, including all of the household furniture were destroyed. The first fire occurred about two weeks ago when a substantial dwelling house in Mountaindale was destroyed about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The house had been occupied by a family which had moved out just two days before the fire. Dr. Ruthrop feels certain that the building was set on fire by some one who desired revenge upon him for some imaginary grievance. The second fire occurred last Friday night. Dr. Ruthrop, with his family, occupied one of the handsomest homes in Mountaindale. The interior was furnished in modern style, the furniture being of the best. Dr. Ruthrop was in Blandburg when his home took fire. The blaze was discovered in the cellar of the building shortly after 11 o'clock after Mrs. Ruthrop and her daughter, Grace, had retired for the night. The doors down stairs, which had been securely locked before the family retired, were found standing open and a large piece of tar paper, which had been dragged from the rear of the lot, was found burning fiercely in one corner of the cellar. Efforts to put out the fire were unavailing, it being some time before any assistance arrived. Some letters, several canceled notes and other articles which had been securely locked in a secretary belonging to Mrs. Ruthrop in an upstairs room were found scattered about outside the burned building, which leads to the belief that the house was first plundered and then set on fire by the miscreant. This belief is further strengthened by the fact that the house of ex-County Treasurer E. F. Spencer, a short distance from Dr. Ruthrop's residence, was also entered and pilfered a night or two before the fire. There was only a small amount of insurance carried on the burned building and Dr. Ruthrop's loss proves a very heavy one. County Detective J. L. Berkebile was in Mountaindale this week investigating the matter. It is said that an arrest or two may follow shortly, as some very strong clews (sic) have been unearthed. Letters Lately Issued Estate of John Mellesky, late of Johnstown, to George Klenk. Estate of John F. Stull of Adams Township to D. G. Hubert. Estate of John A. Gillinger of Johnstown to Harry E. Gillinger. Estate of Bert Makin of South Fork to Thomas H. Wicks. Estate of James O'Hara of Munster Township to Albert O'Hara. Dunlo Man in Jail James Morris, of Dunlo, in default of $500 bail was brought to jail here Monday morning to await the next term of court. He is charged with surety of the peace, the prosecutor being his wife. Mrs. Morris alleges that her husband became so violent a day or two ago that he threatened to use a butcher knife and kill her. She sought the protection of a neighbor and later brought information. Black Hand Altoona, Pa., May 15 Members of the Black Hand are believed to have started the fire in the armory of Company E, Fifth Regiment, National Guard. The company's equipment was destroyed. Immortals to Meet "306" of 1880 Republican Convention to Hold Reunion Washington, May 14 An interesting feature of the next Republican national convention will be a reunion of the delegates to the national convention in Chicago in 1880, who, for 36 ballots, supported General U. S. Grant for the presidential nomination for a third term. The call for the reunion has been issued by Colonel A. M. Hughes of Columbia, Tenn., the only surviving member of the Tennessee delegation to the 1880 convention. Colonel Hughes estimates that there are between 60 and 80 of the "immortal 306" Grant delegates living and he hopes, if possible, to have all the survivors at the reunion. Mrs. Eliza Sturgeon, Altoona, Pa., May 15 A widow of 10 days, Mrs. Eliza Sturgeon, age 57, of Duncansville, was killed by an engine within sight of her home. She was picking coal. George S. Robinsteen Blairsville, Pa., May 15 While on his way to Pittsburg to begin serving a six months' sentence in jail, George S. Robinsteen died on the train at Blairsville Intersection. He had been convicted of conspiracy to defraud.