NEWS: Cambria Freeman; 1907; Ebensburg, Cambria Cnty., PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Patty Millich Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ Cambria Freeman Ebensburg, Pa. Friday, 13 Sep 1907 Volume 41, Number 37 Local and Personal Edward Oldham of Beaverdale accidentally stepped into a pit filled with boiling water at the boiler house of the Logan Coal Company Wednesday afternoon and received painful scalds on one of his feet. Mr. Oldham is about twenty-three years of age. Miss Mildred Shoemaker of Pittsburg, who is a clerk in the Joseph Horne's store in that city, is spending her vacation at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Shoemaker of Julian street. Miss Maude Shoemaker and her guest, Miss May Downey of Pittsburg, who have spent the past week here, returned to Pittsburg Sunday afternoon. Arthur Evans, who has been visiting his father, Hosea Evans, returned to his home in Pittsburg yesterday. Mr. Evans is in the employ of Hyde and Patterson, contractors of the Smoky City, and for some time has been working at the new shaft being sunk at St. Michael's. Mrs. A. V. Barker and daughters, the Misses Lovell and Helen, left this morning for Philadelphia where they will spend several days with friends, after which Miss Helen will enter upon her college duties at Chambersburg, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Al Leib of Sunbury, who have been visiting Mr. Leib's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Casper Leib of Lloyd Street, returned home Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Leib accompanied them to Altoona. Mrs. Oscar Kinkead will leave Monday morning for Johnstown, from which place she will go to the Jamestown exposition, accompanied by the Misses Martha Kinkead and Winifred Jones of Johnstown. Postmaster J. G. Lloyd lost his "specs" one day this week and is thereby very much inconvenienced. The finder of the very useful article will receive one dollar reward if left at the post office. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Behan and child of Cleveland, Ohio, returned home Monday after spending several weeks with Mrs. Behan's mother, Mrs. Mary Maloney of the Center ward. The fall term of the Ebensburg Elementary School for young boys and girls, under the management of Miss Sarah M. Gallagher, was opened Monday with 17 children enrolled. A. E. Lehman, a student at Albright College, Myerstown, Pa., has returned to his studies after spending his vacation here with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Lehman. T. Stanton Davis, Dr. D. H. Shoemaker, Ronald Darragh and W. F. Dill composed an automobile party that went to the north of the county Sunday. Miss B. J. Roberts, who has been spending the summer at Fenwycke Hall, left Wednesday for Philadelphia where she will visit her sister, Mrs. E. K. Plank. Miss Margaret Uptegraph entertained a number of friends at her home in Cambria township last Friday evening in honor of a guest from Pittsburg. John Rosensteel of the West Ward has opened his new garage for the use of automobiles. The structure is commodious and strictly up-to-date. Attorney F. J. Hartmann's residence, in course of construction, was struck by lightning Tuesday and damaged to the extent of about $50. Miss Margaret Davis, daughter of Mrs. Sarah J. Davis, will leave Tuesday for Oberlin, Ohio, where she will enter Oberlin College. Hon. Ed James left yesterday morning for Mt. Gilead, Ohio, where he will visit relatives and attend a reunion of the James family. Miss Julia Brown and brother, Charles, of Cresson were the guests of their parents, Joseph Brown and wife in this place over Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Davis of Conemaugh are visiting Mrs. Davis' parents, Steward and Mrs. Thomas Hughes of the Poor Farm. C. C. Linton of Harrisburg was in town Tuesday. David A. Lantzy of Hastings was in town yesterday. Mrs. Ed James is at South Fork visiting her daughter, Mrs. I. R. Stineman. Mrs. Jno. H. Evans of Oil City is visiting her niece, Mrs. John W. Kephart. Mr. and Mrs. George F. Dillworth gave a dinner to a number of friends Wednesday evening. Lieutenant Governor Murphy of Johnstown was an attendant at court this week. Misses Lulu McKenrick of this place and Bessie M. Logan of Spangler are visiting in Washington D. C. John D. Bradley of Loretto was in town on business Monday and while in town called at THE FREEMAN office. Miss Elsie Lloyd, daughter of Postmaster and Mrs. J. G. Lloyd, is visiting her aunt, Mrs. Roland Baird of Pittsburg. The Rt. Rev. E. A. Garvey, Bishop of Altoona, spent Saturday in Ebensburg as the guest of the Rev. Hugh O'Neal. Misses Stella Schroth, Edith S. Schroth and Kate Grief of Carrolltown were the guests of Miss Marie Link of this place Sunday. Ashville Notes Great Boom at Ashville, Pa. The Ashville Coal and Coke Company which E. G. Jones as manager, has increased the revenue in the town to a great extent and prospects are very bright for the future as they are placing a $30,000 plant and expect to operate same about October 15th. R. C. Herman of Philipsburg and B. N. Burlingame of Altoona spent Tuesday evening in town. A. B. Chriton, of Johnstown, was in town on business this week. James Young was a business caller Wednesday. Miss Dorthea Litzinger of Patton spent Sunday with friends at this place. Mrs. O. P. Conrad of Dysart was in town Sunday. Miss Kathryn Myers spent Monday in Cresson. Proprietor of the Ashville House, Robt. Litzinger, made a business trip to Cresson on Wednesday. Lilly Bakery Burned The bake shop of L. E. Allen at Lilly was completely gutted by fire Sunday shortly before noon. A boy employed at the establishment started a fire in one of the ovens and then went home. Ten minutes afterward the building was discovered to be on fire and the fire department was called out. The frame of the building was saved, but the interior is ruined. The loss is partially covered by insurance. Twin Rocks Miner Meets with Accident George Motto, aged nineteen years, is at the Memorial Hospital in Johnstown, with terrible burns about his face, neck and shoulders. Motto is employed at a mine, about two miles below Twin Rocks. He was on night shift on Monday and was filling a five-pound can of powder preparatory to going to the mine. A spark from the lamp on his cap fell into the powder and caused an explosion. It is thought he will recover. New Tipstaff Just before adjourning Court last Friday evening Judge O'Conner filed the following written order: And now, September 6, 1907, George Gurley, is appointed special court officer to fill the position made vacant by the death of the Hon. John D. Thomas. This appointment to continue until the further order of the Court. Mr. Gurley has conducted a grocery store in Ebensburg for many years and is a veteran of the Civil War. He has been a Democrat in politics all his life and will doubtless make an obliging special court officer. Parade of Automobiles A parade of thirteen automobiles carrying a total of almost fifty people was the interesting and unusual sight witnessed by people of this town and vicinity Sunday. All the cars were from Johnstown. From here the tourists went to Loretto, thence to Chest Springs, Patton and Carrolltown and return. They departed from here about 7 o'clock for Johnstown. The different cars were driven by the following people: Walter Dowling, Bert Murdock, C. C. Wehn, Dr. Covode, Frank Phillips, Louis Zang, Harry Swank, George Swank, William Wier, W. A. Munroe, Leo Replogle, Charles Price and H. Y. Haws. Returns from New York Albert Fleitzer, proprietor of the Vintondale Inn at Vintondale, returned from New York Wednesday night after bidding farewell to his brother-in-law and wife, Dr. S. Gebrak, who sailed for Europe on the Adriatic. Dr. and Mrs. Gebrak arrived from Europe two months ago on a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Fleitzer. They left for home ten days ago by way of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, accompanied as far as New York by Mr. and Mrs. Fleitzer. Mrs. Fleitzer will visit friends in Connecticut for several weeks. Stineman's Western Trip Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Stineman and son of South Fork left Monday for Mt. Clemens, Mich., where they will remain until October 1st. At that time Mr. Stineman expects to return home while Mrs. Stineman, who has been in ill health, will go to Denver, Col., to stay some time. Crowds Hears Sousa - Extract His Wonderful Band Attracts Thousands to the Pittsburg Exposition John Philip Sousa and the greatest of all American bands are at the Pittsburg Exposition and will remain there all of next week, bringing joy to the thousands and thousands that are flocking to the immense show to hear the "March King." Sousa last week completed his season at Willow Grove park near Philadelphia with a patronage that ran daily into the 50,000 class and on several occasions into the hundred thousands. Closing his season there he came to the Exposition on last Monday for a two weeks' engagement – the eleventh year in which he has played to Pittsburg audiences at the Exposition. Sousa, who is most partial to American musical talent, has the greatest confidence in home-born merit and gives reality to this confidence by representing with the band this season, the pick of American trained musicians as solo performers - Miss Lucy Anne Allen, a new soprano, who has been creating much favor in Pittsburg during the first week of her engagement at the Exposition with the Sousa band; Herbert Clarke, the prince of modern cornetists, whose work with the Sousa band has placed him in the front rank among musicians; Miss Jeanetta Powers, the violinist, who proved to be a remarkably gifted young woman. The trio of soloists have been heard during the present week with Mr. Sousa and have won rounds of applause at every concert. Sousa has evenings of rare pleasure and delight for all who will be fortunate enough to hear him and his band, his splendid soloists, his dashing programs and his many sparkling encores this week and next. The new music hall, which seats over 3,500 has been found too small for the Sousa enthusiasts who pack the hall afternoon and evening. [snip] Victor Herbert follows Sousa's engagement. Gettysburg, Pa. Sept. 12 The national encampment of the Union Veteran Legion, which opened here last night, is well attended by veterans from every section of the union and every union army in the field during the Civil War. Survivors of the battle of Gettysburg are numerous and the story of the great struggle is being told again. Another Bigger than Lusitania Belfast, Sept. 12 The shipbuilding firm of Harland & Wolff admits officially that they are at work upon plans for a White Star line steamer that is to be bigger than the Lusitania. Murder at Almshouse! Mother Brutally Chokes to Death Her Two Little Girls while She Was Spending the Night with them in Their Bed Room Word reached here this morning that murder had been committed at the Almshouse. A few minutes later a member of the State Constabulary brought a woman to town and lodged her in the county jail. A representative of THE FREEMAN went at once to the county almshouse and secured a report of the affair. The facts are as follows: Catherine Thomas, an inmate of the County Home, retired at 8 o'clock last night as the rules of the institution direct. In the same room with her were her two little girls, Catherine, aged 4 years and Martha, aged about one year. Not long after this, another inmate is said to have heard one of the little girls cry out, "Oh! Don't do that mamma! Don't! Don't!" On the inference that the mother was administering some small punishment for some act of the child, nothing more was thought of the matter at the time. This morning at about 7:30 the Thomas woman came down stairs and tried to persuade her two little boys, David, aged 10, and John, aged 6, to go up stairs with her. As the boys were eating their breakfast they did not go at once. The woman then went to the kitchen and sat down there. Mr. Hughes, steward of the Home, went to her and said, "Your room is warm enough, go on up there. You are in the road here." The woman left the kitchen and mingled with the inmates in an adjoining room. She told one of the women that her children had "died last night." The news spread through the building and Mrs. Hughes, matron of the Home, went to Mrs. Thomas' room to investigate. Mrs. Hughes found the two little girls sleeping their last sleep. Word was immediately telephoned to Mr. Hughes who had come to Ebensburg in the pursuance of his duties. Mr. Hughes hurried back to the Almshouse, where he found everything in confusion and everybody excited. When asked by Mr. Hughes why she had killed her children, Mrs. Thomas said, "How do you know I killed my children? Did you see me?" One member of the State Constabulary happened to be in town. He hurried to the Almshouse, brought the woman here and lodged her in the county jail. Dr. Prothero was notified at once. He could not come to the county seat and deputized Dr. McMillen of Spangler, who he knew [words missing] time, to hold the inquest. Dr. McMillen empanelled the following persons for that purpose: Messrs. David Davis, Thomas Peach, Rev. F. L. Sigmund, Prof. Leonard S. Jones, T. A. Osborn and Postmaster J. G. Lloyd. The jury met at the Almshouse at 11 o'clock and after thoroughly studying the facts, decided that the two children met death by strangulation at the hands of their mother. Mrs. Catherine Thomas, the mother of the children, is thirty-one years of age. She is described as being very hysterical, nervous at all times and given to wild hallucinations. She told one of the women at the County Home a few days ago that she practiced "Black Art" and could "bring a spell on anybody." When at liberty, she is a heavy drinker, seldom being entirely sober. Of course, during the time that she was under the charge of Officers Knee and Hughes, she received no liquor, but she seems to have become so thoroughly steeped in poison that she could no longer control her mind. The Thomas family formerly lived in South Fork. Some time ago they moved to Barnesboro. Mr. Thomas says that their reason for moving to Barnesboro was the fact that they "could not get a house to live in in South Fork." Since going to Barnesboro, Thomas has done very little work and has used practically all his money for drink. About a month ago he was arrested by the State Constabulary on a charge of desertion and non-support and lodged in jail. About the same time Mrs. Thomas was brought to jail for cruelty to her children. On last Wednesday night the two plead guilty to the respective charges and promised to stop drinking, support the children and move back to the hard coal regions where they formerly lived. Mrs. Thomas then went to the Almshouse. Until the costs of their criminal suits are paid, Mr. Thomas was remanded to jail. During the past week the woman expressed a desire to go back to her parents at Scranton.