Morris KRATZ, of Kratz Station, met with a horrible accident on Tuesday forenoon at about 9 o'clock. While he was assisting in the filling of the ice house at that place, his arm was caught by a belt and the bones were badly crushed. Mr. KRATZ is the senior member of the firm of Kratz & Smoyer, proprietors of the ice house and mill at Kratz Station, and about nine years ago he lost his left hand almost at the same spot where the accident happened on Tuesday. The hand was so badly crushed that it had to be amputated. It appears that Mr. KRATZ was on Tuesday engaged in placing some rosin on the large driving belt when he slipped and his right arm was caught by the belt and drawn in on the pulley. The arm was so tightly drawn on the pulley that the machinery was stopped and before the arm could be extricated some of the parts of the machinery had to be taken apart. As soon as the man was removed from his perilous position Drs. J.E. BLANCK and Harvey SCHOLL, of Green Lane, were summoned who upon examination found a compound fracture of the bones between the elbow and wrist. The bones were found to have been crushed, but the doctors think they can heal the parts together and that no amputation will be necessary. It is claimed that had not Mr. KRATZ's heavy overcoat been caught with the arm the hand would have possibly been torn off.
The will of Hiram YEAKEL, of near Sigmond, Lehigh County, was filed for probate in Register of Wills Gross' office at Allentown on Monday. He bequeaths' his real estate to his son Daniel YEAKEL upon condition that he pay his sister Mary, the wife of Monroe SNYDER, $1000. He bequeaths his personal property also to his son, who if he so chooses may divide it with his sister. The valuation of the estate is not given. The will was made December 16, 1901, and was witnessed by Squire H.E.E. ROEDER and Hiram S. SCHANTZ.
Orth LIGHT, of Lebanon, who suffered untold agony for two weeks as a result of hiccoughs and who was at one time given up by physicians, has been pronounced out of danger and in a fair way to recovery. During his illness LIGHT received over 1000 letters from various States, suggesting remedies for his illness.
Victor L. GOODHART, who has been appointed postmaster at Stonersville Berks county, is a Democrat, and succeeds William DUNKELBERGER, also a Democrat, resigned. The position does not pay a large salary and, it is said, no Republican could be found to take the place.
During the past week various rumors were afloat in this section of the Perkiomen Valley relative to the removal of postmaster Charles HAMMAN from the Zionsville post office. In justice to Mr. HAMMAN we will publish the facts as nearly correct as our correspondent was able to get them. The entire trouble originated through carelessness on Mr. HAMMAN's part in making out money orders, and on account of errors in this department the post office inspector visited the Ziosville office, on December 23, 1904. After going over the books carefully and straightening out errors made by Mr. HAMMAN it was ascertained that about $183 were short. The amount was paid over to the inspector by Mr. HAMMAN and after a reprimand, to be more careful in the future, the inspector left. After another month's trial the inspector visited the office and found everything all right, but for reasons not known to the general public, removed Mr. HAMMAN as postmaster and put another man in his place. It however is a known fact that several Republicans of that vicinity with political "pull" have for a long time tried their utmost to have the Zionsville office removed to some other place, and the general feeling of the patrons of the office is that this is the first step towards such a move. Since the rural delivery routes have been established from the office, there is quite a large business done there. Accused of detaining a registered letter, Mr. HAMMAN was on Thursday given a hearing before United States Commissioner N.R. TURNER, of Easton, and held in $1,000 bail for trial by the Federal Court. It appears that some time in January a registered letter was sent to Daniel W. MEYER, of Zionsville, one of Mr. HAMMAN's bondsmen telling him about the condition in which the inspector found the post office books when he was there in December and of the shortage which he, however, had made good on demand, and that the bondsman would be held accountable if there were any further irregularities. It was this letter, it is charged, that the postmaster opened, read and answered over his surety's name.
The charge brought by one of the citizens of Doylestown, against Principal of Public Schools James M. SHELLY as published in Town and Country, last week, was withdrawn before the time set for the hearing, the irate father of the boy thus practically acknowledging that his charge had no foundation in fact, though it would manifestly have been favor to the accused principal to have had an opportunity to prove his innocence, as we are assured he was well able to do, he having kept entirely within the bounds of proper punishment in the case. Mr. SHELLY is well known among Town and Country readers as a former Student of Perkiomen Seminary. As an efficient teacher, and kind, though firm disciplinarian he has been much appreciated in positions occupied by him, notably in his present position.
The Hosensack Literary Society was called to order by the vice president last Friday evening. After the singing of a hymn the minutes were read and approved of. Then followed the election of officers, for another term of four weeks. The election was as follows: Pres., Anna V. HANGEN; V. Pres., Elmer D. ROEDER; Rec. Sec., Flora ROEDER; Cor. Sec., Charles SCHULTZ; Treas., William ROEDER; Critic, Henry GEHMAN. The following program was then rendered: Declamations, Jennie HILLEGASS, Annie ROEDER, select readings, Alice ROEDER, Charles SCHULTZ. Three of the speakers were not present and the debate was postponed. A special speech was given at the meeting last night by Henry GEHMAN entitled the "Stump Speech."
The regular preaching service at the Mennonite church tomorrow afternoon, will be dispensed with in the absence of the pastor, Rev. A.S. SHELLY, who will spend the day in Allentown, officiating at the opening services in the new chapel of the First Mennonite church there. The Sunday school at the Bally church will convene at the usual hour.
The house of the late Daniel C. KRAUSS situate near Neiffer, was destroyed by fire at midnight on Monday. It was tenanted by the family of Wilson KRAUSE and they only escaped with their lives by making a hurried exit in their night clothes. The fire started in the chimney of the outkitchen and by the time it was discovered the family had all to do to save themselves. Mrs. KRAUSE and her only child walked barefooted to a neighboring house in the snow. The only articles that could be saved were a sofa, a gold watch and a few articles of clothing. The meat of a hog and a beef recently slaughtered, all their furniture and some cash were consumed. The loss to Mr. KRAUSS is about $500, and he carried no insurance. The house was a stone one and was partly insured. $600 of insurance was carried by the Goshenhoppen Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Pennsburg.
On six distinct charges of chicken stealing, Lewis SCHWAB, aged 15, and Charles FISHER, aged 17, both Pottstown boys, were given hearings before Magistrate MISSIMER. The boys admitted some of the thefts, but said they had been prompted to chicken stealing by a tramp who had his rendezvous in an old coal yard near their homes. They were taken to jail in default of $600 bail.
L.S.A. FENSTERMACHER, formerly of Bowers, Berks county, who resigned as teacher of the secondary school at Topton last September to become a government meat inspector at East St. Louis, was transferred to New York, going on duty there Monday. P.C. LAUCHNOR, formerly of Lehigh Furnace, was transferred to Fort Worth.
John, the 17-months-old son of John H. REIFSNYDER, of Pottstown, died Monday morning from pneumonia. His twin brother died last Friday from the same disease. Arrangements had been made for the first funeral, but it was then postponed, and a double funeral took place Wednesday.
At the Farmers' Institute, which was held at King-of-Prussia, last week, Jason SEXTON called the meeting to order, using an ear of corn for a gavel. Many prominent farmers were in attendance from all over the county. At the afternoon's session Deputy State Secretary of Agriculture MARTIN made an address.
The stockholders of the Pennsburg Water Company held their annual meeting on Tuesday afternoon and elected the following officers: Dr. J.G. MENSCH, J.P. HILLEGASS, M.K. GILBERT, H.J. SMITH, E.W. SCHOLL, D.S. KERN and E.J. WIEDER.
Colonel George S. BECK, a wealthy philanthropist of Reading, has a novel plan to stop the crime of murder. He proposes a law that murderers shall not be hanged, but be inoculated with smallpox and other diseases for experiments, and to obtain toxin to cure these diseases. He has this to say in regard to the matter: "The law I have in mind would humor the murderer in his desire to live, would provide an adequate punishment, and would compel him to be useful in spite of himself. "Eminent physians have told me that there is no known specific for the cure of many diseases. They tell me that experiments upon rabbits, guinea pigs or dogs are never entirely satisfactory, because their organisms in a measure are different from that of a human being, and they aver that if competent physicians were authorized by law to experiment upon living humanity the science of medicine would make greater strides during the next ten years than it has made during all the centuries of the past. "This being the case, I submit that it would not be a bad idea for our lawmakers to put their heads together and decree that the guilty murderer take the place of the innocent rabbit in experimental work."
John ROSENBERGER and Frank HELLER residents of Milford Square, on Wednesday met with an accident at Quakertown while driving through that town in a sleigh. They attempted to turn out of the trolley tracks to permit a trolley to pass when their sleigh was upset. They were thrown out and the horse ran away and was later caught in a field on the outskirts of the town. Mr. ROSENBERGER's sleigh was a total wreck and the horse was slightly hurt at one of the rear legs. Mr. HELLER was also slightly injured at one of his limbs.
Smoking a cigar, Henry FOX, an aged resident of Linfield, set his clothes on fire and although his hands were badly scorched he was saved from burning to death by Mrs. Warren FRY, who found him unconscious from the smoke.
C.W. DAVID has sold the new hotel on site of the old "Casino," which was destroyed by fire on Broad street, Emaus, to Harry P. MATTHEWS, of Womelsdorf. The new proprietor will take charge April 1st.
William LITKA, of Allentown, a brakeman on a local freight on the Perkiomen Railroad, met with an accident on Monday afternoon, while engaged in turning a switch at the Zionsville depot. On account of the formation of ice on the rails and sills at the switch at which he was about to turn the lever, the lever flew back striking him square in the face. He was rendered unconscious. The accident was witnessed by the engineer. The train crew hurried to the unfortunate man and carried his unconscious and bleeding form into the station. The facts of the accident were at once telegraphed to the assistant train master's office at East Penn Junction with instructions to have a doctor there. The man was then placed on the carboose of the train and hurried to his home at Allentown. The doctor who attended to his injuries found the nasal bone fractured and numerous ugly lacerations in his face. Mr. LITKA is a son of William LITKA a farmer residing near Salford Station.
Thieves visited the house of Mrs. A.K. COPE, of Woxall, at about two o'clock Tuesday night, and in their endeavors to get into the house by a window they made a noise which awakened Mrs. COPE. She secured a revolver and opened fire. After discharging the revolver a few times in the direction of the thieves she lit a light and made an investigation. Through her pluck she saved her home from being robbed.
The engineers of two trains westbound stopped their trains Tuesday afternoon near Bryn Mawr depot, both engineers thinking they had killed Anthony TULLERO, an employee of the railroad. But he had lain down between the tracks and was unhurt.
Senator DEWALT, of Allentown, introduced a bill in the State Senate providing for the support out of the county treasury of the sick and injured poor when under treatment in hospitals in cities and boroughs.
The contract for the mail route between Cressman and Quakertown, was awarded this week to Lewis SHEARER, of near Cressman.
Patrick CURREN, the well known wholesale liquor dealer of Norristown, has retired from business, having disposed of his business to J.J. McQUIRK.
Baiting a trap to catch chicken hawks, Harry KOHLER, of Grimville, Berks County, captured instead a large red fox.
Victims of diphtheria, two daughters of Henry ROSENBERGER, of Topton, Berks County, were buried in one casket.
In his spare moments, Eugene ECK, an ore miner of Schweyers, Berks county, made six quilts and eight cushions.
Rev. J.B. EPP, of Brooklyn, N.Y., will preach the sermon at the Zionsville Mennonite church, tomorrow.
The team of Benjamin AUCHY, of Franconia, was struck by a trolley on Monday evening, at Souderton, the occupants were injured and the sleigh demolished. Mr. AUCHY is a tinsmith and was accompanied by Nathaniel GROFF, of South Perkasie. They drove down the hill in the centre of the town on the trolley tracks on account of the abundance of snow on the side, and as a trolley had just passed them they did not hear it when it came upon them, for the car that had just passed them failed to get up the steep grade and came back in order to make another effort to ascend the hill. The force of the collision jolted the men into the trolley car and the horse was thrown on the side badly injured. The men were painfully injured. Mr. AUCHY received a broken finger and internal injuries, while Mr. GROFF had a leg fractured and was also badly cut. The injured men were cared for and removed to their homes where both are still in a serious condition.
John J. BAUER, a fireman on the Colebrookdale branch of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad was promoted to the position as engineer on the main line of the Reading Railway. Mr. BAUER, was formerly engaged in the tailoring business in Bally, but two years ago entered the train service as locomotive fireman, from which position he was promoted after passing a creditable examination.
Mrs. Samuel HERSH, of Plover, last Fall planted a flower plant in a pot and to keep the plant straight she broke off a twig from an apple tree and stuck it in the pot. She was surprised several weeks later to find the twig growing and it gradually got small branches and leaves and by last week it had three blossoms. By Spring Mrs. HERSH expects to be able to pluck apples and roses from the same pot.
While assisting in cutting feed for the stock last week, William MACDADE, of Dillinger, Lehigh county, met with quite a serious accident. His right hand was drawn into the feed cutter which nearly severed his thumb and injured some of his fingers. Dr. A.H. TRUMBAUER, of Vera Cruz, dressed the hand and found it necessary to place a few stitches in the thumb.
William KRAMER, of Congo, on Saturday lost a horse through an accident. The animal became loose in the stable during the night and one of the other three horses kicked him causing a fracture of a rear leg below the knee. The horse was a valuable one and was not insured.
William MUMBAUER, of Spinnerstown, breeder of S.C. Buff Leghorn chickens, was awarded first premium for a trio of the fowls at a poultry show, held at Harrisburg last week. Mr. MUMBAUER has some full blooded stock and they are hard to beat.
Clement GEISINGER, of Cressman, Bucks county, slaughtered a hog that tipped the scales at six hundred and two pounds. As a result he is looked upon as the champion hog fattener of that village.
The stockholders of the Pennsburg Manufacturing Company held a meeting on Tuesday evening and elected the following directors: John R. KAUFFMAN Sr., John R. KAUFFMAN Jr., Frank S. KAUFFMAN, D.S. KERN, M.K. GILBERT, H.J. SMITH.
Walter S. RICHARDS, a resident of near Green Tree, Frederick township, was this week sentenced to eighteen months in jail. RICHARDS was at the October, 1903, term of court, indicted on the charge of forging the name of Augustus K. COPE, of Woxall. Before the case came up for trial Mr. COPE, the prosecutor died and as a consequence the case was pending until last December, when it came up for trial before Judge TREXLER, of Lehigh county, who was on the bench at Norristown. The trial resulted in a conviction on sixteen indictments of forgery. RICHARDS' attorney at once made a motion for a new trial and Judge TREXLER heard the argument on Tuesday. The motion was finally withdrawn and RICHARDS was sentenced. Judge TREXLER, expressed his opinion that the course taken was a wise one, as, under the evidence adduced at the trial, no other verdict that one of guilty could have been rendered by the jury. The prisoner broke down when sentence was imposed and sobbed convulsively. RICHARDS, whose home is in Obelisk, had been employed by A.K. COPE, of Woxall, as a buyer and seller of horses and cattle. COPE would give RICHARDS large sums of money to go west and purchase live stock. These COPE would bring east and sell to farmers in their vicinity. In payment he would take part money and part notes. This money and the notes he would turn over to his employer who would give more money to him to buy more stock. For a while all went well; but one day notes which COPE had discounted at the Schwenksville National Bank were pronounced forgeries. An investigation followed and it was developed that RICHARDS had forged notes, 16 in number, to the amount of $1600. Under the law he could have been sentenced to 160 years imprisonment. It was natural, therefore, that he should wish a new trial.
Anthony GARGES, a seventy year old farmer residing a short distance below Lederachville, was stricken with apoplexy on Saturday morning at about seven o'clock, where he was engaged in furnishing the motive power for his milk separator. His wife was near by and heard a peculiar noise so she hurried into the milk house where she found Mr. GARGES lying on the floor in an unconscious condition. She apprised her neighbors of his condition and they carried him into the house. A physician was summoned who applied restoratives and Mr. GARGES is gradually improving from the effects of the stroke.
A number of citizens of Lederachville, on Monday, were engaged in digging a grave on the Old Goshenhoppen church cemetery, near Woxall, for William WENDLER, of that town, when they discovered a skeleton. The grave was dug on the WENDLER plot and no signs of a grave or tombstone were seen. When they had dug down about three feet and had the grave almost ready they discovered the bones of a human being. The bones were again interred and a marker placed there as a headstone.
Carl MULLER, of Cleveland Ohio, a member of the committee which is circulating a petition to pardon Mrs. Kate EDWARDS, of Berks County, says he got 50,000 signers in 24 hours. The entire petition has 150,000 signatures. The petition when presented to Governor PENNYPACKER will be a half mile long. The committee is endeavoring to classify the signatures. School teachers, lawyers, doctors etc., will each have a special petition.
Irwin SEASHOLTZ, of near Pennsburg, purchased the fourteen acre farm of his father-in-law Reuben M. KLINE, for $1800. The farm is located about a half mile east of Pennsburg and is at present tenanted by Mr. SEASHOLTZ. Mr. SEASHOLTZ had leased the Chas. M. REED farm near Pennsburg but will now remain where he is.
The Telford A.A. Baseball Club has been organized for the season of 1905, under the management of Gehman & Geshart. All players that have been signed are experts in their respective positions. Catcher KILGALLON, formerly of the Cotton State League, has been signed. The services of a first-class pitcher are needed to make the team complete.
Ex-Assemblyman George C. HOLLENBACH, of Pottstown, died Monday morning of a stroke of paralysis. He was born in Lower Pottsgrove Township November 7, 1849.
The above is a cut of the Grace Mennonite church (picture), at Pandora, Ohio, which congregation several weeks ago unanimously elected Rev. A.R. SHORMAN, of Pennsburg, as its pastor. The Rev. Mr. SHORMAN has accepted the call extended him and will enter upon his duties there on the fifteenth. He is a gifted pulpit orator and an earnest church worker, and the people in the Perkiomen Valley regret to see him leave this section.
A local Institute will be held at Sassamansville on Friday and Saturday February 17 and 18, under the supervision of County Superintendent J. Horace LANDIS, of Norristown. The Institute will be held in J.D. DREHs' Hall. The first session will begin on Friday morning at 9 o'clock and the last session will be held on Saturday evening at 7 o'clock. At this session a spelling contest will take place at which four prizes will be awarded. A small admission fee will be charged for the evening entertainments. The door committee is as follows: C.K. HUBER, Philip GRUBB, Amos Z. NESTER, L.A. LUDWIG, James FAUST, Mahlon SNYDER, M.F. LEIDY and William ACKERMAN. Secretaries Miss Hattie B. WILE and Miss Bertha FAUST.
Daniel R. BECHTEL, a merchant of Huff's church, bought from the wives of the farmers of his locality 14,543 pounds of dried apples, all pared by hand, then packed in barrels and shipped to Philadelphia.
After 28 years of active service as editor and publisher of the North Wales Record, and one year an editor and manager thereof, Wilmer H. JOHNSON last week retired from newspaper work in North Wales.
Miss Mary DEEDS, of Collegeville, on Wednesday evening while passing from one room to another in the dark made a misstep and fell headlong to the bottom fracturing an arm.
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