At about 1 o'clock last Thursday morning burglars, no doubt of the professional type, broke into the post office at Telford, which is located in the new Town Hall, opposite the depot and adjoining John M. KUHN's hotel. An entrance was effected through the front door by using a chisel at the lock and then forcing open the heavy door. Once inside the safe, was tackled, the door penetrated and a charge of nitroglycerine shattered it into small pieces, some of which were thrown into the ceiling, one piece imbedding itself. The letter case, furniture and a pane of glass in the front were damaged, but this is no loss compared with the booty taken from the interior of the safe. There is missing about $125 in cash, $50 worth of stamps and various denominations, money order blanks, drafts, account books and all the records of receipts, payments made, etc. All this transpired while the residents were enjoying a good night's rest, the first of a week's hot wave. Several persons, it is stated, heard the noise of the concussion, but paid no attention to it. One person witnessed two men carrying a mail pouch, leaving the front steps, but failed to give an alarm, not thinking that anything was wrong. The robbery was discovered when Assistant Postmaster Howard WAMPOLE went to open the office for the day's business. Postmaster Harry Z. WAMPOLE was on a vacation and only heard of the affair Thursday forenoon when he met Inspector STONE in the Reading Terminal, Philadelphia, who was on his way to the postoffice to investigate the loss. There are no clues to the identity or whereabouts of the robbers, but it is hoped the department detectives can land the guilty ones.
The frame wood shed to which is attached a frame chicken house belonging to Mrs. Lewis KEHL, of Pennsburg, was nearly destroyed by fire on Tuesday forenoon. Wm. STELTZ a painter of East Greenville was engaged in painting the roof on the dwelling house nearly when he was attracted by a crackling noise. He looked around and saw the flames shooting up from the wood shed. An alarm was raised, and in five minutes the Pennsburg Fire Company was there and had a stream of water playing on the fire. The fire was extinguished in short order. A frame barn standing within six feet was already badly scorched from the intense heat and in three more minutes it would have been in flames. The fire company did efficient work.
Quite a novel affair took place last week when a pair of pigeons, belonging to Ellwood HIGH of Dillinger, hatched a little chick and are now caring for it as if it was one of their own. A chicken had laid an egg in the box that was occupied by this pair of birds and they at once began to set on it without the owner knowing it, and had been setting for some time before it was detected and consequently they were left go until last Saturday when a cute little chick made its appearance. Both pigeons and chick are very much attached to each other and whenever they leave the nest the chick begins to chirp in a loud tone until they return.
During the ice season last winter H.B. SHELLY of Dillinger, converted an underground portion of his barn into a small ice house and filled it with ice from Emanuel MOYER's dam of near Limeport and had been using some of it occasionally until this week when they wanted to make ice cream and to their astonishment found that the ice had all melted. The fruit which was to be used to flavor the cream had already been prepared and all other preparations made when to his chagrin he found that the ice was gone.
John GEHMAN, employed as a butcher by E. WEISS, of East Greenville, has accepted the position as bar clerk at the KEELY House, East Greenville, and will enter upon his new duties next week.
A.D. CARL found a common turtle on his farm near Dillinger which carried with it the mark of P.F. 1809. The letters P.F., mean Peter FLORES, who marked the turtle ninety-six years ago.
It transpired on Wednesday that the bottom has dropped out of the case in which Henry MERKLE accused Mr. and Mrs. Reuben HUBER of Macungie, of perjury and bigamy. About 30 years ago Miss Sallie DANKLE was married to Henry MERKLE, who deserted her 21 years ago. Nineteen years ago she sued him for non-support and got separation papers and charge of her children. Working like a slave she reared her children respectably and saved enough to buy a home near Macungie. All these years MERKLE, her runaway husband, did nothing for her. He wasn't heard from, and she didn't know if he was dead or alive. Thinking the separation paper was effective as a divorce, in fact no longer regarded him as her husband. Last Easter she was married to Reuben HUBER, a widower of her own age, 52 years, who was a neighboring farmer with some property. Several weeks ago MERKLE turned up and hearing of the wedding made a great fuss about it.
He had his wife arrested for bigamy and accused HUBER of "corrupt and wilfull" perjury for swearing when he got the marriage license that his intended wife was single. Several hearings were held before Alderman FRY. The General, who is as gallant as he is full of wisdom, lectured MERKLE and wanted to know why he came around now to make trouble after doing nothing for his family for 21 years. District Attorney SCHANTZ, who reparesented the Commonwealth, came to the conclusion that no convictions could be secured. HUBER, thinking his wife was divorced, swore in good faith she was single when he applied for the marriage license. He is certain HUBER isn't guilty of willful perjury. As to the woman, he is of the opinion that no jury would convict her, since she honestly thought she was divorced 19 years ago and furthermore thought MERKLE dead. He has decided to drop the prosecutions, but advised Mrs. MERKLE-HUBER to get a divorce from MERKLE and then get re-married to HUBER.
Rev. O.R. FRANTZ, of Old Zionsville, pastor of the Reformed charge at Huff's Church will hold a harvest home service there on Sunday forenoon, August 20 at 9.30 o'clock. Rev. W.W. BOND of the Lutheran charge at the same place will hold his harvest home service on Sunday, August 27 at 9.30 a.m.
The artesian well which T.A. ZIEGENFUS, of Sellersville, bored on Emanuel LEVY's farm near Geryville was finished on Monday. It is 120 feet deep and throws from three to five gallons of water a minute. The well drillers moved to the Curtis WEISS farm a short distance away where they will also drill a well.
Isaac RAUDENBUSH, Oswin and Ambrose SEASHOLTZ and Frank SNYDER, of East Greenville, spent the major portion of last week fishing at Bushkill, Pike county. They returned on Saturday with one hundred and sixty pickerel. Some of them were of enormous size.
Joseph B. YUINGLING, of Hill Church, Berks county, found some exceptional large stalks of oats while harvesting his crop. He placed several on exhibition in DOTTERER's store which measure 5 feet 9 1/2 inches. He would like to hear from some one who raised larger stalks.
The new church organ in the New Hanover Lutheran church will be dedicated on Sunday, August 6th. An all day and evening service will be held. The work of erecting it was completed this week.
The GERY family has decided to hold a reunion at the Siesholtzville Park in the near future. A committee on arrangements has been named and they will shortly hold a meeting to decide upon the date and make final arrangements.
Prof. E.W. ERNEY, of Steinsburg, Bucks county last week was elected principal of the High School at New Waterford, Ohio.
William M. JACOBS, the counterfeiter, who was recently pardoned from the Atlanta penitentiary arrived at his home at Pottstown on Tuesday. When JACOBS arrived at the station he received a loving greeting from his wife and three children, and nearly all day he spent with them. Tuesday afternoon he visited the cigar factory of Shively, Miller & Co., one of the members of which firm is his uncle, who expects JACOBS to go in to business at Pottstown.
The Post Office Department has inaugurated a new policy in the matter of painting the rural letter boxes. The rural letter carriers are now to become knights of the paint brush, and receive an additional compensation for their extra work which will not be compulsory. There are 83,000 rural letter boxes in the country, and before the close of the Summer months these boxes will be resplendent in a coat of brilliant green paint, which paint, will be furnished the rural letter carriers by the department. In a day or two the rural letter carriers will be informed by the department that they will be allowed so much per box - the price not having yet been fixed by the Postmaster General. The department furnishing the paint. The local rural letter carriers will have quite a number of letter boxes to paint, and their extra conpensation will be considerable.
The Lower Salford Alumni Association held a meeting last Thursday and admitted fifteen new members. This new addition greatly increases its membership and some good work from this association may be expected.
The annual picnic by the Sunday school of the Old Goshenhoppen church at Woxall, will be held on Saturday afternoon, September 9th, in the grove opposite the church.
W.P. YOUNG Esq. of Pottstown, a practicioner at the Norristown Bar, will in a short time open a branch office in Pennsburg and East Greenville. He was here on Wednesday making arrangements. Mr. YOUNG is no stranger in this section he having been raised in New Hanover. He was a former Clerk of Courts in this county.
A team drove into one driven by Calvin ALTHOUSE, of East Greenville, on Saturday evening while on the public highway near Bally. The shaft of the wagon was broken and the occupants were badly shaken up but no one was injured. The team that Mr. ALTHOUSE had, belonged to liveryman Harry HEBERLE, of Pennsburg.
Charles STOTTMEISTER, of Mill Hill near East Greenville, will move to Schwenksville during the first week of August. He recently purchased a small lot there and will live retired. Mr. STOTTMEISTER recently sold his farm to Miss Sallie BROWN, of near East Greenville, who will occupy it after he moves to Schwenksville.
The brick manufacturers REED and LANDIS of Pennsburg, have purchased a 50 horse power Nadig engine and will install it in their plant. The small 25 horse power engine will be thrown out to make room for the new one.
Frederick ECKSTINE, a Trooper resident found a fishing trip along the Perkiomen to be a most expensive day's sport. He secured a fine specimen of rock bass, four inches in length. The specimen proved so handsome that he retained it, contrary to the law. While ECKSTINE was congratulating himself over his capture, the fish warden came around and almost instantly divined the situation. As a result, ECKSTINE became the warden's prisoner and was taken to Norristown, where, before Magistrate LENHARDT, he was arraigned on a charge of illegal fishing. Besides having his sport for the day spoiled and suffering the pain of arrest, ECKSTINE had to pay a fine of $10 and the costs. Considerable complaint has been received by the Fish Commission officials at Harrisburg, from residents along the Perkiomen Creek, relative to Sunday fishing. As a consequence, the fish warden in this district received notices, from the department, to place under arrest all persons known to indulge in Sunday fishing and have the fine of $25 imposed. The warden was also notified to place under arrest all persons caught fishing with more then one rod or line, which is an infraction of the law, and for which a penalty of $25 fine is imposed.
Baker S.W. KRATZ, of Souderton, was recently robbed, by a sneak thief. He went into the baking house to pay his employees, depositing several bags containing money on the seat of a wagon in the shed next to the bake house. When he returned it was discovered that one bag, containing $22 was missing. The thief no doubt had been watching Mr. KRATZ counting the money in the office and then saw where the bags were placed. Quickly grabbing the one, the sneak dissappeared in the darkness and as yet there is no clue. Mr. KRATZ considers the act a very contemptible one and will do all in his power to locate the guilty party.
J.M. SHELLENBERGER, of Telford, has been appointed to work in Bucks county by the Pennsylvania State Sunday School Association during the summer months, and entered upon his duties Monday a week in the Fourth district. Mr. SHELLENBERGER is a senior in the Franklin and Marshall Seminary, Lancaster.
The housing and dedication of the new chemical fire engine which the Red Hill Fire Company recently purchased will take place on Saturday and it is anticipated that the day will be a memorable to the residents of the thriving borough. The committee in charge of the arrangements have been given good encouragement and the affair promises to be a marked success. According to answers received from the different fire companies it is probable that almost a thousand firemen will be in attendance and take part in the parade and exercises of the day. The events of the day are: Firemens' parade at 1.30 p.m. Dedication of Engine House, 2 p.m. Base ball game, Pathfinders vs. El Paterno, of Norristown, 3 p.m. Testing of engine, 4 p.m. Firemens' picnic, afternoon and evening in C.F. MOTZ's grove. The program at the engine house is: Invocation by Rev. G.W. LUTZ. Music by the band. Address by William H. KERN. Housing of engine by Hancock Fire Co., of Norristown. Many different bands and fife and drum corps will be present in the parade who will render music during the afternoon and evening. Among them will be the well known Red Hill band which will render a concert both afternoon and evening.
Tilghman S. COOPER, of Coopersburg, and C.M.W. KECK of Allentown, on Thursday sailed on the Baltic, for Liverpool. From Liverpool they will go to London and from there to the Isle of Jersey, where Mr. COOPER will complete the purchases of Jersey cattle, begun by his son, Ralph, who was over there several months ago. Mr. KECK and Mr. COOPER will also visit Paris. They will be gone about five weeks.
Rev. T.M. YUNDT, of Reading, who has several Reformed charges in Berks County, announces that he has decided to accept the position of general superintendent of the Home Missions in the United States. He will assume the duties connected with that office Oct. 1. The headquarters of the Mission Board is in Philadelphia, and Mr. YUNDT will be stationed at that place. Mr. YUNDT was for 18 years superintendent of Bethany Home.
While Francis BORDNER, a farmer of Bethel, Berks county, was working in one of his fields, he noticed a large eagle hovering above him having a bell attached to its wing. The bird flew close to the ground, and the bell could be distintly heard. The same bird was seen in other parts of the county, and is believed to have escaped from some private museum.
David KRATZ, auctioneer, sold 72 head of fresh cows at an average of $45 per head, for BENNER and SNYDER, of Kulpsville. Time two hours and fifteen minutes, an average of one and seven-eighths of a minute to a cow. A free lunch was served to fully five hundred people who attended the sale.
A valuable heifer belonging to Max MYEROWITZ, of near Pennsburg, died on Friday from rabies. The heifer was under the care of Dr. T.S. REINHART, of East Greenville. He made an experiment with some of its blood by injecting it into a small pig.
The John HANCOCK Ice Company has started work on building a second dam on the Hosensack creek. It will be located a short distance above the Hosensack depot along the Perkiomen Railroad.
Frank M. MOLL, the East Greenville, merchant will install a steam heating plant in his store and dwelling house. He will build a 22 by 22 feet addition in the rear in which the boiler will be placed. Work has already been started.
Frank STACY, of near Hillegass on Saturday purchased a fifteen acre tract of land from the Henry ZERN estate, for $235. The land adjoins Mr. STACY's farm.
Some detestable scoundrel on Monday night placed a lump of bread fixed with strychine in the barnyard of John SCHOLL at the King of the Valley Farm, near Pennsburg, supposedly to poison the large mastiff which Mr. SCHOLL owns and gives freedom on his farm. The dog however did not touch the bread but Mr. SCHOLL's chickens ate freely of it and several dropped over dead before they got ten feet away from it. When seven dead chickens were found in the yard Mr. SCHOLL's attention was drawn and an investigation followed which revealed the poisoned bread. Later in the day dead chickens were found around the barnyard until the number reached to twenty-five. Those that did not die at once had only partaken sparingly of the bread, but enough to kill them later. Mr. SCHOLL is unable to account for the act as the dog was not known to molest anyone and in fact it was at no time allowed to go out of the barnyard. The supposition is that some one bent on stealing chickens was the culprit who placed the bread there, with the intention of killing the dog and later enter the hennery and remove the chickens. Mr. SCHOLL offers fifty dollars reward for the arrest and conviction of the guilty party.
Last Saturday a merry crowd of young people enjoyed an outing along the Perkiomen. They were Misses Essie SMITH, Bessie REINHARDT, Blanche SCHWARTZ, Mamie HEVENER, Roxy and Helen LICHTY, Mamie and Lizzie GAUGLER and Beulah KLINE, Messrs. Fred REINHARDT, Howard ARNDT, Ammond LICHTY and Fred HEVENER. Miss Essie SMITH was the hostess and in honor of her cousins, Fred and Bessie REINHARDT, the outing was held. After spending the day in playing games and fishing, the happy but tired crowd journeyed home after a day's pleasure long to be remembered.
One Saturday evening a party supposed to be gypsies, stopped at the Union House Bally and tried to raise a disturbance in the bar-room. They were at once ordered to cool down, but refused to comply with orders so they were thrown out of the place by some of the guests. They quickly entered their wagon, and drew several revolvers, warning the men who threw them out, to leave them alone; shortly afterwards they drove away firing several shots. Nobody was hurt.
In future a special tax of $25 must be paid to the government at all picnics at which liquor is sold. A copy of ruling to this effect was received by Internal Revenue Collector McCOACH, of Philadelphia, on Friday. All social organizations which give picnics or river excursions, excepting those conducted on a temperence basis, find themselves responsible to Uncle Sam for the special tax. The rule will apply to all social clubs who give balls, promenade concerts or other entertainments in halls.
Mrs. Mary AHNER, of Alburtis, was in Allentown, on Sunday to visit her brother, Policeman George RUHMEL. She had a purse containing $28 in money and her ticket when she got on the train on Sunday evening to return home. At Emaus she missed her purse and her ticket. The conductor wanted to put her off the train but her husband paid her fare at Alburtis when she arrived there.
Worry over an accident caused the death of Harry HARGNER, a well-to-do farmer of Lower Pottsgrove. A year ago HARGNER heard waht he supposed to be chicken thieves on his property. To frighten them off he fired a shot from the house. The bullet went through a wagon being driven on the public road and injured one of the occupants.
Night Watchman SEARS, of Perkasie, discovered the lumber yard of Joseph G. MOYER and the cigar factory belonging to P.S. CRESSMAN on fire early Tuesday morning. He extinguished the flames with buckets of water and is now looking up suspects.
The Pathfinder Base Ball Club of Red Hill will to-day make a trip to Macungie Lehigh County, and play that team.
Friends of W.M. JACOBS, the pardoned counterfeiter, who has made serious charges against the officials of the Federal prison at Atlanta, Ga., have received a letter from President Roosevelt stating that the Department of Justice will make a complete investigation of the prison and alleged misconduct of the officials. JACOBS has retained Attorney Sidney C. TAPP to represent him. TAPP will take up the matter with the United States District Attorney Mondey, when an effort will be made to swear out warrants charging the warden and deputy warden with assault and battery. This charge will be based upon alleged cruelty practiced by the officials in placing men in solitary confinement in a manner contrary to Government regulation. C.B. BARKER, a religious worker who has taught a Sunday school class in the prison for several years, has been withdrawn from his work. He declares he has seen evidence which has convinced him that the prison is not properly conducted. He received a letter from the President stating the Department of Justice would investigate the matter. JACOBS will probably stay in Atlanta and push the charges against the officials. He seems to be liberally supplied with money and in addition to a lawyer has also employed a detective.
The heirs of Mahlon J. GERHART, of East Greenville, on Saturday sold at public sale several valuable tracts of real estate. His home on Main street, East Greenville, was sold to his son-in-law, Dr. Alfred O. GERY, of Palm, for $3000. An adjoining lot was sold to his son, Paul GERHART, of East Greenville, for $1100. A double dwelling house and lot on Third street was sold to his former partner in the marble business, Oswin H. DERR, for $2120. A small farm in Upper Hanover township, consisting of 22 acres was sold to Michael KEINERT, of near Fruitville for $455.
A serious accident was narrowly averted Sunday about a mile below Quakertown at the railroad crossing near Squire Harvey D. FELLMAN's place at what is commonly known as FOULK's crossing. Charles FOULKE, a well known farmer was crossing the tracks with a coach full of people when the team was struck by the 12 o'clock express, killing one of the horses instantly and injuring another so badly that he was killed later to end his sufferings. There were fourteen people on the wagon, but none were injured, as the train struck the fore part of the horses before they had gained much headway. Linford, a son of Charles FOULKE, saw the train when it was nearly upon them and jumped off and held the wagon back as best he could. When the team was struck the tongue broke and had it not been for this no doubt the wagon would have upset and thrown some of the occupants under the wheels. There was a reunion at FOULKE's and Mrs. FOULKE had met the people at the station just before the accident occurred. Several of the women fainted. The crossing is a bad one, as there is a sharp curve in a deep cut and a train cannot be seem for any distance. One of the party looked to see if there was a train in sight and while he went back the train came. It is said the engineer did not blow the whistle and the signal bell at the crossing had been ringing all the time during Saturday night and Sunday noon. Mr. FOULKE had a horse killed at the same crossing about two years ago.
Town Council of Macungie has passed a bill to purchase the lot situated on the northwest corner of Church and Locust streets, bounded on the east by Church street, on the South by Locust street, on the west by a twelve foot wide alley and on the north by property of Dr. H.M. SCHELL, containing in front on Church street, thirty feet, at a consideration of $400. Council will erect a Town Hall on the site.
The deal for the sale of the Central Hotel, Souderton, has been closed. For a consideration of about $30,000. Hiram R. HARTZELL has sold the prop.....
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