Fearing to face his creditors, it is alleged, John F. MENSCH, proprietor of the Green Tree Hotel, in Frederick township mysteriously disappeared last Thursday. All traces of him have been lost for ten days, although a persistent search for him has been made by his family. Mr. MENSCH is a well known hotel man and has conducted the Green Tree Hotel for a number of years. He was reputed to be in good financial circumstances until recently, and close upon the news of his disappearance came hints of irregularities in his business dealings that have surprised his friends. During the past few days it is said that notes which Mr. MENSCH turned into cash at the Schwenksville National Bank, and which were discounted by that institution, have been discovered to be forgeries. The authors of the notes claim that they never put them out. The extent of the worthless paper said to have been issued by Mr. MENSCH is not known.
His creditors have taken steps to protect themselves and judgments have been issued against the missing man. Sheriff LARZELERE has seized his property and will sell it to satisfy Mr. MENSCH's numerous creditors. It is claimed that Mr. MENSCH has of late been a heavy drinker and that the excessive use of intoxicants made him unfit for business. He left a wife and seven children. The oldest is only eleven years of age.
James, son of Farmer Abraham DOTTERER, of Hill Church, Berks county, had an experience one day last week which he will not soon forget. He was hauling lime from the OBERHOLTZER lime kiln and had sixty bushels on his body wagon. He thought he would use a quick way of slacking it, so he drove into the creek with the load and poured water on the lime. By the time he was ready to drive out of the creek the lime spread, bursted the body and broke the chain on the top-boards. Mr. DOTTERER, Jr., will in the future slack the lime in the old fashioned way.
Allen RITTER, of Hill Church, Berks county, assisted his father, David RITTER, in felling a tree and was caught by the branches. He was pinned down to the ground and it was some time before he could be extricated. His nose was broken and he received slight bruises about his body. Dr. R.Y. LECHNER, of Bechtelsville, was summoned and dressed the lad's injuries.
A slight fire occurred in the hardware store of John F. WEYAND, of Pennsburg, on Saturday evening. The hanging lamp in the office fell from the ceiling and the oil was scattered on the floor and burning. Henry D. SPAAR, the salesman discovered the blaze at once and hurriedly extinguished the fire with the dry powder fire extinguisher. The damage was very slight.
John FOX has erected a birch distillery close to MELCHER's pantaloon factory, at Bally, in order to use Mr. MELCHER's power. He expects to start manufacturing birch oil, about Monday. He already has a large supply of material at the distillery.
Thieves ransacked the shoemaker shop of Jeremiah CASE, of Bally, Tuesday night. They took with them several pair of boots, one pair new ones and several other small articles. They also visited several other places, but secured no booty.
Philander K. POTTER, of Scranton, died on Wednesday of hydrophobia, caused by a scratch from a pet dog which he was chloroforming two weeks ago, the dog having gone mad.
Farmer John RHOADS, of near Steinsburg, had a thrilling experience with an infuriated bull, which he purchased at a public sale about a week ago. After purchasing the animal he drove him to his home and when ready to put into stable the bovine becomes infuriated and started to run away. Several neighbors assisted Mr. RHOADS in trying to secure the animal but without avail. For one whole week the bull was running wild and Mr. RHOADS concluded to shoot the animal. E.G. KRAMER and Edwin ROEDER started out one morning to shoot him, they got a glimpse of him, but he got away from them before they could fire at him. They then scoured the woods until late in the afternoon when they came close enough to shoot him. The carcass was then removed to Mr. RHOADS who slaughtered it.
Mayor PRICE, of Wilkesberre, on Wednesday sentenced Joseph KUTZ, a vagrant, to spend two hours in the bathtub. "Make the water hot, and let him soak," he ordered. After the bath KUTZ spent forty-eight hours in the lockup on bread and water, and he will then be removed, in any direction he wants, thirty miles from that city. As the city does not provide a fund for deporting vagrants, Mayor PRICE will foot the expense of sending him the thirty miles. He has done this in several cases, preferring to pay the money rather than have the vagrants remain in town. He thinks the bath sentence will frighten some of them away.
For some time residents on Grant street, Allentown, have been perturbed by one of their fellow countrymen persistently beating and maltreating his wife.
Wednesday morning his wife came screaming from the house and ran down the street, and the neighbors piled into the dwelling and gave the husband a terrific beating. Then they learned that the wife had not been touched, but had only become hysterical on account of the sickness of one of her children.
A third judge may again be required in this county, for the December term of court, the criminal sessions of which will begin on Monday next. The PAYNE-ROBERTS civil suit encroaches and will not be finished until the criminal court opens. If such be the case a third judge will be necessary to take the place of Judge SWARTZ in the criminal court, and thus permit the court to dispose of the many cases.
In the Cumberland County Court on Monday in the case of Harrison NOR against William MELL for $2500 damages, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of NOR, for $1100 and $325 for his father. This was the bulldog case in which damages were claimed for injuries inflicted upon young NOR by two ferocious bulldogs which jumped upon him, biting him 65 times. The dogs were killed.
Phaon DIEHL, the auctioneer, of Allentown, this week received a bell weighing 1200 pounds from Chicago. The bell will be placed on the top of his new seven-story building on North Eighth street and will ring for the first time Christmas morning. It will be used to announce auction sales.
William OMEN, of Cressman, formerly of Quakertown, started a dancing school in the hall at the Spread Eagle Hotel, Cressman. The class meets once a week on every Wednesday evening.
Rumor has it that District Attorney Abraham H. HENDRICKS, of Pottstown, is to be appointed to the office of the Appraisership of the Port of Philadelphia, as successor to the late Linn HARTRANFT, a Montgomery county boy.
George YOUNG, an aged tinsmith, of Hill Church, Berks county, claims to have the ability of foretelling the winter weather. He says no ice will be housed this year until after the holidays.
When Mrs. Sarah BOWMAN, of Norristown, was informed of the death of her brother-in-law, Mark BOWMAN, she fell over and expired. The woman had been ill for several days.
Milton H. WALTERS, Esq. (picture). Rudy is the home of one of the most busy and active men of the county. His time is divided among his diversified interests so that he has hardly an idle moment. Born in Marlborough, in 1848 Mr. WALTERS was raised on his father's farm and during his early boyhood years attended the public schools of his native township and later the private schools of his vicinity, Washington Hall, Trappe; and Freeland Seminary, now Ursinus College. At the age of fifteen he became a public school teacher and taught for four consecutive terms in Upper Salford township. When sixteen years of age he was elected Sunday school superintendent and has ever since served in that capacity. At the age of twenty Mr. WALTERS apprenticed himself to learn the milling trade and followed that successfully for sixteen years. Later he engaged in the wholesale clothing business, but followed it only one year. In 1887 Mr. WALTERS bought the ex-Sheriff Rudy farms at Salford station, where he now resides. He immediately turned his attention to farming and has continued at it ever since. Later he acquired more land and for a number of years he has been conducting the farming operation on upwards of 200 acres. In the fall of 1889 his party, the Democratic, honored him by electing him to serve in the Legislature of 1890-1891. Among other official positions, he has served as school director for nineteen years and is at present serving as such, Secretary of the Board of Health for Salford township, Justice of the Peace for eighteen years, Vice Chairman of the Montgomery County School Directors' Association, Standing Committeeman for his district, Treasurer of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee, and one of the managers of the Union Mutual Fire and Storm Insurance Company, of Norristown. In addition to these official positions, Mr. WALTERS is engaged as broker and real estate agent and Life Insurance solicitor. The multifarious duties of the various enterprises in which Mr. WALTERS is engaged and with which he is connected keep him so busily employed that he has hardly a minute that he can call his own, yet with all his duties he is cheerful and pleasant and is ever courteous and showing the civilities of the old school gentleman. Mr. WALTERS has always been a faithful and consistent attendant at church, being a member of St. Paul's Lutheran church of Upper Hanover, where he buried his entire family of his youth, his first wife, one son and one daughter.
The golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Robert ESHBACH, of Pennsburg, was celebrated last Friday. Their children and grandchildren tendered them a surprise on the occasion. The aged couple were agreeably surprised when they saw all of their family at their home. The evening proved to be an enjoyable one to all. A splendid dinner was served. Those present were: Hon. Horace ESHBACH, wife and children, of Pennsburg; Mrs. Emma HERSH and children, of Pennsburg; Mr. and Mrs. Daniel U. REED, of Norristown; Mr. and Mrs. C. LEITENBERGER, of Philadelphia, and Miss Ruth ESHBACH, of Pennsburg.
To get a bag of gold fresh from the Klondike, to think it was coal and refuse to accept it for fear of being a practical joker's victim, and then to find that the bag contained a small fortune, was the experience of L.C. SMITH, a Williamsport produce merchant. Returned to the express office, the sack, an ordinary canvass affair, was tossed into a corner, where it remained until another L.C. SMITH appeared, proved his property and opened the sack. It was full of gold quartz, estimated to be worth $4000 or $5000. While the last named SMITH was en route from the Klondike the sack went astray. Locating it he had it forwarded to Williamsport by express and trusting to luck to recover its valuable contents completed his journey leisurely. The other L.C. SMITH, who lives in Williamsport, refused to accept the shipment, which seemed to be for him.
The Board of Directors of the East Greenville public schools elected Frank FISTER as Principal of the schools in place of J.C. LANDIS, who recently resigned. Mr. FISTER will take charge of the schools on Monday. Prof. W.E. SHERMAN, of Kutztown, had charge of the school since Mr. LANDIS' resignation, but he also resigned on Wednesday. The balance of the week there was no school, in that room.
The coat of Oliver C. TRUMBORE caught fire on Thursday while he was assisting Wm. B. DIEHL in putting a tin roof on a building. Mr. TRUMBORE had been smoking a pipe and placed it in his pocket before the tobacco was all burned out. The side of his coat and a portion of his trousers were burned ere he could extinguish the fire.
Adam McCLEAN, of McLeans, left on Wednesday for Wilmington, N.J., where he has secured a position as stenographer.
During the past two years ten unavenged murders were committed in this county. In neither of the following have the murderers been apprehended: Richard CORBLEY, struck down by a blunt weapon at West Manayunk, January 12, 1903. James McLEAN, brewer, of Jenkintown died from fractured skull received at hands of unknown assailant, January 16, 1903. Charles HOOD, killed at Port Providence by blow on head with hammer, April 19, 1903. His body was laid on the railroad tracks in an effort to cover up the crime. Andrew BROWN, negro, killed at Edge Hill by blow on head, and body hid in hay loft, May 25, 1903. Regina CURRY, young dressmaker, of Lamott, struck down in Willow road after leaving car, February 12, 1904. George KRUGER, stabbed to death at Narberth during quarrel, March 23, 1904. Constable Daniel O'BRIEN, shot and killed at Hillside while chasing chicken thieves, August 8, 1904. His father was also shot, but recovered. George HENDERSON, shot at Bethayres by Frank SAYLOR, November 22, 1904. Henry HENDERSON, shot by SAYLOR, same date. Anna GROCHE, shot by husband at Edge Hill, November 26, 1904.
The oldest horse in Montgomery county died last week in the stables of John G. ARMSTRONG, of Montgomery township. The animal was forty-eight years old and was owned by A.G. FREED, a former Lansdale resident. Seven years ago Mr. FREED gave the horse to Mr. ARMSTRONG with the understanding that he must not sell or ill treat him. He was then thirty-nine years old and it was thought his days were about ended. The animal lived on and only last summer he was so frisky that he ran away with a hay rake to which he was hitched.
O.J. ENGELMAN, proprietor of the Steinsburg Hotel, H.H. SOUDER, proprietor of the Bush House, Quakertown, and several others from the latter town, who spent several weeks in the wilds of Pike county, on a hunting trip, returned on Monday evening. They were quite successful, having shot four deer and two large black bear. The game was brought along back and Mr. ENGELMAN will have a deer and bear lunch this evening.
Aucilliary letters of administration were granted in Philadelphia, Tuesday, by the Register of Wills in the estate of Edward L. WENTZ, the wealthy young Philadelphian, whose mysterious death in the mountains of West Virginia has never been cleared. The estate is variously estimated at from $200,000 to $500,000 and the bulk of the property is left in trust for the benefit of his fiancee, Cornelia BROOKMIRE, who lives in St. Louis.
The special sermon to lodge members given in the Pennsburg Reformed church on Sunday evening by Rev. G.W. LUTZ, was exceptionally well attended. There were about 625 people present and nine lodges were represented. The sermon was an instructive one and was well received by the large audience. Every available space in the spacious church was occupied. The collection amounted to thirteen dollars.
Alone for a few minutes, three-year-old Mary METTZ of Reading pulled a table cover on Tuesday evening and threw an oil lamp on the floor at her home on Buttonwood street. Although the room was ablaze in a moment, the child escaped the slightest injury. The fire was quickly extinguished and the damage amounted to only about five dollars.
Ex-Senator Frank R. BRUNNER, of Eschbach, is proud of an orphan colt which he has brought up on the bottle.
Accused of forging the name of Lawyer A.S.L. SHIELDS, of Philadelphia, to a check for $9045 which he left as security for a loan with Robert BECK, of No. 8.10 Callowhill street, of the same city, Samuel NOLL, of Lansdale, was on Wednesday held in $500 bail for Court by Magistrate TERNAN. NOLL had been employed by BECK, and on Monday he went to his old employer and borrowed $2. Later BECK says he returned and borrowed $2 more and left a check drawn on the Lansdale Trust and Safe Deposit Company. He said the check was for money due him from an estate which Mr. SHIELDS had settled. NOLL, according to BECK, said he would return on Tuesday and deposit the check with the Corn Exchange National Bank. He did not show up on Tuesday, and on examination BECK discovered that the check was very clumsily drawn. The figures $90 were in the corner of the check, but the amount called for on the body of the check was $9045. Mr. SHIELDS told BECK that he never heard of NOLL and pronounced the check a forgery. So when NOLL appeared at BECK's place Tuesday night he was arrested. Several checks for small amounts were found in his pockets. The man is believed not to be mentally sound by the police, and thorough inquiry will be made before the case is pressed against him.
Jacob WARNER, a cigarmaker of Sellersville, came to Allentown Tuesday evening to attend a wedding. The frequent toasts to the newly married couple left Jacobs' brain in badly befuddled condition, and he spent nearly the whole night wandering the streets in an effort to find a way home. Early Wednesday morning he stopped Rebecca MOYERS, an employe of Peters & Jacoby's near the latter's dining rooms and insulted her grossly. Charles KNERR another employe of the plalce came to her rescue and had WARNER locked up. At Mayor's Court the offender was fined $5, which was furnished by friends.
When John HENRICH, of Sellersville, was hauling gravel from the creek on Friday, the front wheel struck an elevation of ground which gave the wagon such a jar that it pitched. Mr. HENRICH head foremost over the front of the wagon and at the same time the front wheel passed over his chest, crushing it in and breaking several ribs. He kept hold of the lines and was dragged some distance which skinned up his face and other parts of his body in a horrible manner. He is in a critical condition, and there are very little hopes for his recovery.
Last week while six men were loading cornfodder in a field on Edward W. TWINING's farm, near Yardley, Bucks County, smoke was noticed to rise from the loaded wagon. The two horses were soon panic stricken and it was with the greatest difficulty they were unhitched. In a few moments the flames burst out enveloping the wagon and burning it and its contents. It is supposed that matches had been left in some of the shocks by the Italians working on the trolley road as these men had been seen taking their morning rest hour in the field.
The gasoline house and an adjoining ice house of A.H. NYCE, the merchant and clothing manufacturer, of Vernfield, was destroyed by fire on Saturday at about ten o'clock. The large three story brick building alongside of the ones destroyed by fire was saved by a bucket brigade and the heroic work of the neighbors. The orgin of the fire is a mystery.
Rendered desperate, it is said, by her inability to provide a home for her fifteen-year-old son, Mrs. Henry CORNELL, 55 years old, a domestic, employed by Dr. J.C. MARSHALL, of Coatesville committed suicide Tuesday morning by drinking carbolic acid. The woman's husband is in Harrisburg, but at one time the family resided in Philadelphia and was well-to-do.
Miss Flora K. HEEBNER, of Worcester, Schwenkfelder missionary to China, has been heard from by mail as having arrived in that Country on October 11th.
Close upon the stealing of a hog out of the cellar of J. JOHNSON, at Swoyer's Crossing, near Kutztown, comes an attempt to poison the live stock of Mr. JOHNSON. An unknown fiend entered the corncrib of Mr. JOHNSON and sprinkled the corn with Paris green while Mr. JOHNSON was at work at the Kutztown foundry. Mrs. JOHNSON first noticed the poison on the corn and also found the empty can in which the Paris green had been brought to the corncrib. She immediately sent for her husband, who left his work to work out a clew as to who the person could be that perpetrated the deed. Some time ago one of Mr. JOHNSON's hogs became sick and suddenly died. Just before the hog died Mr. JOHNSON secured a veterinary surgeon, who diagnosed the case as one of poison. The case was thought strange, but no suspicion was raised at the time that the deed was done by any person with malice aforethought and no attention was given to the matter. Mr. JOHNSON will have the matter thoroughly investigated.
John W. MORRIS, of Norristown, has brought suit against Dr. J.R. CARE, of the same town, for $16,000 damages, because of alleged negligent treatment of a broken arm of plaintiff. Mr. MORRIS, through his attorneys, Hillegass & Larzelere, has filed a statement, the allegations of which are as follows: On August 5, 1903, the plaintiff, residing at No. 508 Stanbridge street, Norristown, being the proprietor of a blacksmith shop, and doing a large business, met with an accident, resulting in the fracture of the two bones of his left forearm. On the same day the defendant was called to plaintiff's residence, and reduced the fractures, taking from that time full charge of the case, placing the arm in splints. It is further alleged that Dr. CARE in a grossly negligent manner treated the fractures and injuries so that he was obliged to resort to the expenditure of large sums of money for hospital service, other medical attendence, nurse's attendance, carriage hire, etc., all because his injuries had not received skillful treatment in the first place. Dr. CARE formerly resided at Centre Point and had a lucrative practice there.
Leaving her 3-month-old twin daughters in a cradle together, Mrs. Lizzie SHENDALE went out in the yard to hang up clothes Monday afternoon, and when she turned around was horrified to see her house in flames. The house was a frame structure, a short distance west of Coatesville. Stricken with grief, the mother could not venture inside the house to rescue her babies, and they were burned together with the house and contents.
Frank K. WALT, of Reading, formerly of Pennsburg, this week wrote a letter to this office from Illinois. In it he states that the weather there is fine and that the farmers are having an immense corn crop. He also states that they are still busily engaged in husking the corn. Mr. WALT is on his way to the St. Louis Fair.
Dr. John H. HOOVER, of Washington Rhode Island, on Thanksgiving Day lost his pocket book, containing about twenty-five dollars, while driving from the Pennsburg Depot to the home of Mrs. Peter HARTRANFT, of Klinesville. The purse was one just for bills and was a small one.
Walter SLAYSMAN, a Douglassville iron worker, while in a drunken stupor, went to sleep on the Philadelphia and Reading tracks, at Pottstown. He was dragged away from in front of an oncoming train, in the nick of time, by a watchman.
County Treasurer-elect Henry B. FREED has resigned as burgess of Souderton, and Montgomery Court will appoint his successor.
Dr. J.B. RHOADS, a prominent resident of Boyertown, narrowly escaped serious injury at the Reading Railway station at Pottstown, by stepping off a northbound passenger train before it had come to a stop at the station. He was cut about the head by the fall. Dr. RHOADS, who is past 60 years of age, had been to Philadelphia, where he was the guest of his son, Lieutenant J.B. Leidy RHOADS, of West Point, at the game of foot ball at Franklin Field on Saturday between the Army and Navy teams. He took a train for Pottstown early Sunday evening, getting on train due at 7.51 o'clock. Dr. LEIDY (should be RHOADS), who is quite active for a man his age, was among the first to alight. He did not wait until the train had stopped, but stepped off while it was in motion.
Dr. RHOADS was not aware that the speed of the train was so great, and he was carried off his feet. He was thrown heavily to the ground, but away from the wheels of the train, which by that time had come to a stop. A number of passengers hastened to Dr. RHOAD's assistance, and he was taken into the waiting room. It was found that he was not seriously injured. He was slightly cut about the eyes and nose by coming in contact with the gravel between the tracks. He was also slightly bruised about the body. Dr. RHOADS was able to proceed to his home in Boyertown.
A.C. KOONS, who conducts the livery stable at the Tremont Hotel, Lansdale, notified the police of Norristown, of a horse theft that occured there on Wednesday night. Last Monday Mr. KOONS employed a man who gave the name of David THOMAS. On Wednesday night a resident of Willow Grove, who had missed the last train wished to be driven to his home. A team was secured and THOMAS was ordered to make the drive. He drove the man to his destination and since that time he has not been seen. Information has been received, however, that indicates that THOMAS drove on to Philadelphia. The horse is described as being a bay pacing mare, 9 years old and 15 1/2 hands high, with white fetlocks and white spots on the shoulders. The harness was nickel mounted and the buggy had red running gears. A lap robe and a blanket were also stolen. THOMAS is described as being 5 feet 10 inches in height, weighing 150 pounds, aged between 40 and 45, and has a light sandy moustache. He wore a light overcoat, slough hat and rubber boots.
Reuben KULP, 45 years old, who has been an inmate at the Hospital for the Insane at Norristown, for the past nine years, escaped from the institution last Thursday. He was captured Sunday afternoon at Douglassville. KULP had entered a house and asked for a needle and thread. Shortly afterwards he was taken into custody and returned to the hospital.
Howard LUFT, a Pottstown resident, is a prisoner at the county jail. He was sent there in default of $300 bail, to answer, at court, the charges of desertion brought against him, before "Squire BAIR, by his wife, Mrs. Kate LUFT.
In the upper of the famous Sequatchie Valley, in East Tennesse, a man and his wife settled when the country was new and wild, says the Springfield Republican. One of the first crops that they raised was a considerable field of cotton, when it was ready to be picked they went out together, prepared to make a holiday out of this pleasant labor. Their one baby was left in a cradle at the edge of the field and the faithful dog was instructed to watch the tiny sleeper. After a considerable time they looked toward the cradle to see if all was well there. They were startled by the discovery that the little couch had been turned completely over. The dog was making queer dives underneath and yelping as if in anger. As they hastened to the place they were horrified to find the animal's jaws covered with blood, and instantly came to the conclusion that he had been rending the child with his teeth. The angry father hit the animal a death blow with a cudgel and then hastily turned the cradle right side up. There was the baby all unharmed, and there in the bedding was an enormous rattlesnake, killed by the faithful dog after a fierce fight, in which both combatants had received many wounds.
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