The Republican State Convention on Wednesday convened at Harrisburg and nominated by acclamation the following candidates: State treasurer, J. Lee PLUMMER, Hollidaysburg. Judges of the Superior Court, Judge Charles E. RICE, of Wilkesbarre, Judge George B. ORLADY, of Huntingdon, and Judge James A. BEAVER, of Bellefonte. These are renominations. Wesley R. ANDREWS, of Meadville, who for years has been secretary of the Republican State Committee, succeeds Senator PENROSE as chairman, the senator refusing again to be a candidate. The platform endorses the state and the national administrations, approves the work of the last Legislature, favors the continuance of the present pension policy, and advocates the enlargement of the rural free delivery system. Because there were no contests the convention was one of the shortest and most harmonious on record. There was a large attendance. It is stated on good authority the organization has picked ANDREWS as the next candidate for governor.
Miss Susie STONESIFER, of Hanover, York County, has just completed a task begun fifty years ago. In 1855 she began making a patch quilt, and after sewing for half a century she has finished it. It is a nine-square quilt, 6 by 7 feet in size, and contains patches of fabrics made scores of years ago. Miss STONESIFER worked on the quilt during leisure hours and sometimes was obliged to relinquish her task for long periods. She did all the sewing with the same needle and in the same house, a quaint one and a half story structure built by her father.
Rev. I.B. RITTER, of Emaus, met with an accident on Monday evening while returning from the Easter festival at Old Zionsville to his home. He was accidentally thrown out of the wagon landing on his head. The horse broke the shaft in the buggy and ran home. Rev. RITTER received several bruises on his head and face but luckily escaped serious injury.
Mrs. Millie A. SNYDER of Reading has brought action against the American Iron and Steel Manufacturing Company of that city to recover $20,000 damages for the death of her husband. Her husband was a stationary engineer, at the plant, and while packing a valve 25 feet from the floor a board he was standing upon broke, throwing him to the ground and fatally injuring him.
Rev. James O. OSWALD of Spinnerstown will preach in the New Goshenhoppen Church near East Greenville on Sunday morning, May 7 and in the evening in the East Greenville chapel. Rev. DELONG will supply the Great Swamp and Chestnut Hill pulpit on that day.
The dead body of a tramp known as Sigmund STROHM, was, on Thursday morning found lying at the bottom of the Heins lime kiln, near Bechtelsville. John B. GRUBER, of Hill Church, the proprietor of the lime kiln and stone quarry was amazed Thursday morning when he found the dead man. He drove to the quarry early that morning to load some lime for A.D. HERTZOG and when he came close he saw the form of a man. He thought the man was only sleeping and tried to arouse him by calling to him but he failed to respond, so he walked up to him and shook him. The body was limp and upon closer examination he found the man to be dead. Coroner M.H. DOTTERER wa notified and he appointed the following jury who made an investigation: Dr. LeRoy Y. LECHNER, Amos B. OBERHOLTZER, John M. FRONHEISER, Irwin B. KEHS, Amos B. DOTTERER and Justice of the Peace Jacob MOYER. The jury pronounced his death to be due to suffocation from coal gas. The supposition is that the tramp lay down near the fire at the lime kiln in the evening in order to get a little warmth while he slept and that the fumes suffocated him. The remains were conveyed to Fleetwood to the home of a brother from which place the funeral will be held.
Contractor J.M. LANDIS of Norristown, on Wednesday evening arrived at Red Hill with ten men and the necessary paraphernalia, such as carts, horses and scoops to put down cement pavements in that borough. Mr. LANDIS, last summer put down a large number of pavements for different property owners in that thriving borough and he now has the contract for three times the amount. He will start the work on Depot street and lay it from the depot to the hotel and from there up to the residence of John VONDEHEID, from the hotel south to the walks which he made last summer and from the lower end of those walks to the end of the borough. Mr. LANDIS will virtually put down cement pavement in the entire borough. He erected temporary quarters on the John SEASHOLTZ lot and several cooks which he brought along will serve the meals for the workmen. Seven cement workers beside a number of helpers are already here and as the work progresses more men will be employed. Mr. LANDIS expects to complete the work as quickly as possible. They unloaded a carload of cement this week.
A peculiar accident happened to Liveryman Joseph CROUTHAMEL of Lansdale the other day. One of his passengers had bought a paring knife, and to keep from losing it laid the knife in the bottom of the carriage. The horse didn't jog along quite speedy enough, so the driver gathered up the loose end of his lines and gave the animal a smack. It peculiarly happened that the paring knife had caught in the buckle at the end of a line and the blade struck the horse on the right hind flank, inflicting an ugly wound. The coincidence was remarkable, to say the least, and a veterinary surgeon was required to sew up the slash.
Henry W. SOUDERS, agent and operator at Vera Cruz station, on the Perkiomen Railroad, for the last twenty years, resigned that position last week to accept that of day signal man at Rock Cut, near Allentown. Ellsworth HENDRICKS, of East Greenville, extra man on the Perkiomen Railroad, is now filling the position as agent at Vera Cruz.
Frank FENNEL, a pupil of Reed's school in Upper Hanover township, was examined at Green Lane, by the county superintendent and passed a very successful examination. His average was 91. His teacher was J. Henry ZERN.
Clement SCHLICHER, of East Greenville, on Monday purchased the plumbing business from Cornelius MILLER, of East Greenville. Mr. SCHLICHER was a former partner of Mr. MILLER.
His hand having been frozen while driving last winter, Harry COOPER of Pottstown, had to have a finger amputated as a result.
Old Zionsville, Lehigh county, has the proud distinction of being the home of a fourteen year old boy who succeeded in getting the highest average for the county in the township examinations held at the close of the school year by Superintendent RUPP. The average attained is 95 1/2. Master MILLER is the son of Milton MILLER, of the firm of L.H. MILLER & Bro., dealers in hardware and stoves. Harry MILLER (picture) got his instruction and training in the primary school under the supervision of his aunt, Miss Agnes MILLER. On completing the course prescribed for the primary department he was promoted to the secondary grade, where he fell into the hands of O.S. URFFER, a veteran teacher, who has had an experience of twenty-four years in the school room. The boy applied himself diligently and under the wise instruction and the careful training of Mr. URFFER, he progressed very rapidly, always leading his class and looking for more to do. His diligence has been well rewarded and so fair a start promises a bright future. Mr. MILLER, the father of the boy, is anxious to give his son every possible advantage. He has entered Harry as a student at Perkiomen Seminary, where he is pursuing more advanced studies than the common school course provides. It is the intention to prepare him for one of the professions in which it is hoped he will make his mark some future day.
Governor PENNYPACKER on Thursday arrived at his home at Schwenksville and will spent the summer there. He and his family arrived at Emaus Junction that morning and were there transfered to the Perkiomen train which was delayed a quarter of an hour in order to convey the Governor to his home.
Jacob M. KURZ of Pennsburg has accepted the agency for the district including the following towns: Pennsburg, East Greenville, Red Hill, Sumneytown and Green Lane, for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The Company has its main office at Allentown.
Dr. Alfred O. GERY, of Chapel will in the near future move into the house at Palm of his uncle, the late Jesse GERY. The doctor started the practice of medicine at the same place about ten years ago.
A chicken belonging to Mrs. Christian O. BIELER, of near East Greenville, has made a nest in the fork of a willow tree, about eight feet from the ground and it is now hatching fifteen eggs in this strange place.
Miss Gertrude WOODMANSEE, for the past ten years bookkeeper in the Montgomery Trust Company at Norristown has tendered her resignation, to go into effect May 1st.
George SCHAEFFER of Royersford, a former resident of Pennsburg was on Monday arrested by officer BEITEMAN of that city on a warrant issued by justice of the peace J.P. KLINE of Red Hill, at the instance of his wife who lives at Red Hill. The charge was for support of a child born to Mrs. SCHAFFER, since the court has ordered Mr. SCHAFFER to pay a certain amount per week for a child born to them ere they separated. Young SCHAFFER was brought to Red Hill on Tuesday evening and was given a hearing. As no satisfactory arrangements could be made he was placed under bail for his appearance at court. An uncle going his bondsman. The Court will then state what amount he must pay towards the support of the child.
Edwin REPPERT, clerk in J.L. SCHMOYER's store at Alburtis had an exciting experience after lighting a cigar while sitting on a couch. He thought the match was out and was about to place it in the cuspidor which was under the couch. In doing this the fringe caught fire as did also the dress of his wife who was sitting on the couch holding a baby. The fire was extinguished on Mrs. REPPERT's dress, after which the burning couch was thrown out of the room. The couch was badly damaged and the carpet where it stood was singed.
Henry B. SHELLY, of Dillinger, found an egg this week which is similar in shape to a calabash. It seems the chickens in this neighborhood are all beginning to lay freak eggs as this is the second one that was found in that section within a short time.
Harvey, the four-year-old son of Leidy M. FREDERICK, of Coopersburg, on Tuesday was taken to the Polyclinic Hospital, Philadelphia. The boy last summer sprained his foot and the injury refused to heal. At the hospital it was found that an abscess had formed in the foot.
Two hundred and forty-eight dollars and seventy-nine cents, left by Cain LANDIS, of Longswamp, Berks County, was divided among 50 heirs, the highest share being $27.65 and the lowest $1.73.
Mr. and Mrs. Clayton H. ALDERFER of Norristown left last week on a trip through the south.
Charged with jealously setting fire to the barn of Dr. T.S. LIPPINCOTT, in Lower Pottsgrove, near Limerick Square, on Tuesday evening, April 18th, which resulted in the burning of 16 cows, four horses and other live stock, Mrs. B.F. NOURSE, of Altoona, was arrested on Friday at Harrisburg by Detective John J. O'CONNOR, of Pottstown, and Chief of Police HUTCHINSON, of Harrisburg. At a hearing before Magistrate M.M. MISSIMER, conducted by ex District Attorney A.H. HENDRICKS, such a strong chain of evidence was woven against her by Detective O'CONNOR and Dr. LIPPINCOTT that she was committed to Norristown prison. Henry REITNAUER, the neighbor of Dr. LIPPINCOTT, who was awakened at 11 o'clock on the night of the fire by a woman's voice inquiring where Dr. LIPPINCOTT lived, told his story. He said that, supposing that it was a burglar, he fired several shots out of the window. Mrs. REITNAUER testified that the hat and clothes worn by Mrs. NOURSE at the hearing closely resembled those of the woman who asked to be directed to Dr. LIPPINCOTT's place before the fire. Detective O'CONNOR testified that a woman of Mrs. NOURSE's description reached Sanatoga, near the LIPPINCOTT place, at 10:18 on the night of the fire. Mrs. Henry REITNAUER related how her family was called up on Tuesday night by a woman seeking directions to Doctor LIPPINCOTT's place. The stranger resembled the accused woman. On the way from Harrisburg to Pottstown Detective O'CONNOR testified Mrs. NOURSE declared that she was innocent but would plead guilty to save her friends, as she had been traced to the scene of the fire. Mr. NOURSE is about 42 years old, is rather comely and was attired in a neat tailor-made suit. Jealousy is suggested by Dr. LIPPINCOTT as the motive for her act, as a short correspondence had passed between them following his advertisement for a housekeeper. She had visited his home on one occasion, only to learn that he was about to be married to another woman.
A travelling cigarmaker by the name of Lee REEVE, whose real home at one time was Austin, Texas, left this week for that State, after his fellow employees at the Otto EISENLOHR & Bros. cigar factory at East Greenville, gave him a contribution of $33.15. Mr. REEVE has been in ill health for some time and as his sickness has developed into consumption, he expressed a desire to return to his home to spend his remaining days. His fellow employees took pity on him and held a collection, which amounted to the above sum.
For saying that Samuel FRYE stole his turkeys, and that he wasn't worth the powder, or he would have shot him, Franklin STERNER will have to pay 57 cents damages to FRYE, a jury in court having rendered a verdict for that amount against him. Both men reside near Allentown.
Mrs. Hannah BERGER of Reading celebrated her 89th birthday anniversary in lively fashion on Monday entertaining three generations of her family at her home. She danced a lively jig and entertained the company with reminiscences of her school days. She never was sick a day in her life, and reads without the aid of spectacles.
The oddest happy family in Lock Haven is one possessed by Grocer Jacob SMITH. It consists of an old mother cat, with several kittens and a like number of motherless rabbits, which she has adopted. Cats usually like to eat rabbits, not feed them.
The champion snake killer in the Perkiomen Valley for this season is Oswin WENTLING, of near East Greenville, who with a stable fork succeeded in killing fourteen snakes, which he discovered in a den. They measured from fifteen to thirty-six inches in length.
Oswin WENTLING, of near East Greenville, and Harry (KRULL?), of East Greenville, were on Friday evening arrested for fast driving in that borough. Burgess Henry KEELY fined each $5 and the cost of prosecution, which amounted to about $1.50.
The body of a woman, much decomposed, and who had apparently been dead for about three months, was found last Friday morning by Jacob WAGNER and his farm hand, Albert WEISER, in a ravine on his farm, about a half mile north of Fagleysville. They had been working in the field and WEISER, noticing an object laying among a lot of trees about twenty yards from the road, asked WAGNER if he had left his coat there. On receiving a negative reply they made an investigation and found it to be the body of a woman. She was apparently about 35 years of age and about 5 feet 1 inch in height. She wore a black skirt, brown waist and there was a brown hat lying to one side of the body. She appeared to have been well dressed and had a very high-set forehead. She was laying flat on her back when found. To one side was an uncorked bottle labelled "Laudanum," and bearing the label of Stine's drug store, Eighth and Penn streets, Reading. A pocketbook was found containing 65 cents in money and the return coupon of a trolley ticket from Reading to Boyertown, dated December 24, 1904.
It is supposed that the body had been lying in the field for at least three months from the marks of decomposition and that it had been concealed from view by the snow. Word was immediately sent to the coroner. Coroner KING told Mr. WAGNER to send it to Undertaker SHALKOP, at Trappe. The body showed no external signs of violence. The laudanum bottle gives evidence to the belief that it is a case of suicide. The woman evidently was not from the neighborhood as there have been no disappearances reported, and no one could identify the body. The general belief is that she was from Reading, and the trolley ticket from Reading to Boyertown seems to give color to this theory. A young man who teaches school in the neighborhood, while walking along the road near where the body was discovered about the first of the year, saw a woman going in the same direction whom he thought was an acquaintance, and quickening his steps, he overtook her and spoke to her. He discovered that he had made a mistake and that she was a stranger to him, but as near as he can remember the clothes she wore correspond to those on the body of the dead woman. The mystery surrounding the death of the woman was solved on Sunday when the corpse was identified by Clinton HEIST of Intercourse, Lancaster County, as that of his wife, Katie. HEIST recognized his wife by four rings she had on her fingers. Mrs. HEIST disappeared from Philadelphia last Christmas eve. She and her husband had gone to that city to visit Mrs. HEIST's mother, who is confined in a Philadelphia hospital. They had dinner and then HEIST went to a barber shop, after telling his wife to await his return at the hotel. When he returned his wife was gone, and a thorough search of the city by the police was fruitless. He went back to Intercourse and did not see his wife again until he viewed her corpse in Undertaker SHALKOP's morgue, at Trappe, Sunday afternoon. The husband said his wife had been ill and that she had a fear that she would be placed in the asylum with her mother. He believed she wandered away and committed suicide by taking laudanum, a bottle which had contained the poison being found by her side. How the unfortunate woman came to Fagelysville on her wanderings after she left her husband in Philadelphia will probably never be known.
It is supposed that she went to the Reading Terminal instead of Broad Street Station and purchased a ticket for Reading. The bottle of laudanum was evidently bought at Stine's drug store and then the unfortunate woman took an Oley Valley trolley car to Boyertown. Mrs. HEIST was 36 years of age. Her husband is well-to-do and has given his wife every comfort. The body was shipped to Intercourse Monday by Undertaker SHALKOP.
Michael ALLEBACH, of Schwenksville, died Friday after a short illness. He was taken ill at Collegeville the Tuesday before with stomach trouble, which developed into peritonitis. Deceased was a prominent resident of the Perkiomen Valley.
Melancholy because of the long sickness of his wife, financial difficulties and inability to care for a large family of children George BERGENBACH, of Church Hill, Bucks County, near Quakertown, made an effort to commit suicide on Sunday. Mr. BERGENBACH is now in St. Luke's Hospital, South Bethlehem, with slight chances of recovery. Mr. BERGENBACK is a man about thirty-five years of age and for many years kept a small bakery at Church Hill. From there he moved to West Rockhill township, near to the German school house. On Sunday, melancholy from his reverses of lack of success, he loaded up a shot gun which he had in the house and going out to the roadside near the German school house and about two miles from Quakertown, he drove a nail into a post. Putting the barrel of the gun against his breast he hooked the trigger on the nail and thus discharged the gun. Neighbors were attracted by the report of the gun and found Mr. BERGENBACH lying on the ground with a badly lacerated breast. The load of that passed through the lungs near the heart. A fraction of an inch nearer to that organ would have caused instant death. When picked up he was still conscious and when asked why he had done this he replied, "I have had so much trouble and can not get along. I thought I would put an end to it." Mr. BERGENBACH has an invalid wife and several small children.
Ex-Assemblyman Horace M. EBERT, residing at the Shuler House, Pottstown, died at 7 o'clock Tuesday morning of blood poisoning. Deceased had been ill only for the past six days and his death was a shock to his many friends. Deceased is survived by one sister, Miss Blanche EBERT, who for the past two years has been a cripple and at present is a patient in a Philadelphia hospital.
William FRETZ, of Dillingersville, this week started a strawberry patch with three thousand plants. He expects to sell the berries in the different towns in the vicinity.
A number of friends gathered at the home of Alvin MECK of Mertztown and devoted the evening to sewing carpet rags. After the work of the evening was ended the Mertztown Band serenaded the party.
Ten-year-old Alfred MOYER, son of Oscar MOYER, of South Allentown, was killed on Monday in a game of base ball by Francis STERNER, aged 43 years. The latter is said to be a religious fanatic, and since the accident he has become a raving maniac. STERNER was playing ball with a number of small boys in a field near their home, and followed young MOYER at the bat. The boy made a two-base hit and stole third. STERNER had two strikes scored against him, and as the pitcher once more delivered the ball he swung the bat around but missed the sphere. Young MOYER was in the meantime stealing home, and as he neared the plate he received the full force of the bat in the hands of STERNER. He was carried into a nearby house, where he died in a few minutes. His head was crushed to a jelly. Frantic with grief, STERNER rushed to a stream in the vicinity and made three attempts to drown himself, being prevented only by the combined efforts of a number of neighbors. STERNER is closely guarded for fear that he will commit suicide.
Mrs. Allen ROBERTS, who resides on the farm above Spring City, recently purchased by the State for the new hospital, was attacked by a mad Holstein cow on Thursday and had a narrow escape from being bitten. Dr. E.G. GILBERT, of Pottstown, was summoned and after an investigation found the animal mad. It was afterward shot. Last December a mad dog bit the cow, but up to this time it had never shown any signs of madness. The animal was a pet of Mrs. ROBERTS, and she disliked to part with it. None of the other animals on the place were bitten.
Frank FRYER, of Red Hill, will build a house in Red Hill this coming summer. It will be a single one and he expects to occupy it himself. Work on excavating the cellar was started on Tuesday.
Letters of administration were this week granted in the estate of Jacob N. OXENFORD, Douglass, to Frank F., George F. and Jacob F. OXENFORD.
The $4000 barn on the farm of Winfield DELONG, near Bowers, Berks county, tenanted by James B. DRY was entirely destroyed by a fire which broke out at half past five o'clock Monday morning. The flames made such rapid headway that the neighbors were unable to save any of the contents which included a lot of grain, hay, straw, farming implements, sixteen cows and eighteen sheep. The cause of the fire is unknown. Tramps were permitted to sleep on the lofts and it is supposed that one of the number accidentally set fire to the place. A number of the neighbors made heroic efforts to get the cattle to places of safety, but while leading cows out of the stalls part of the roof began to fall in and the rescuers got out just in the nick of time. The stock is owned by Mr. DRY, who says his insurance is small. The barn is owned by Mr. DELONG and is partly covered by insurance.
W. Mahlon BARDO, incorporated, of Lansdale, was adjudged an involuntary bankrupt on Tuesday. Referee, C. Henry STINSON.
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