COURT NEWS, Altoona Tribune, May 3-7, 1918, Altoona, Blair County, PA
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COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Friday Morning, May 3, 1918, page 1
BEDFORD
Mr. and Mrs. Silas Conlon Charged With Selling Liquor Illegally
Bedford, May 2. - Charged with selling liquor illegally and also furnishing
same to a soldier, Mrs. Margaret Conlon and her husband, Silas Conlon, of North
Point, Broad Top township, were given a hearing before Justice Frank P. Ake at
this place yesterday, and upon furnishing bail, each in the sum of $500, were
released. The couple was arrested by State Police Schell on oath of Burzey
Kreiger, following an investigation made by a U. S. marshal.
At the hearing it developed that the soldier, James Troy, who shot Theodore
Reideler, aged 15 years, at Riddlesburg, on April 22, when the latter was trying
to persuade his father and several others not to drink any more, had been
supplied with liquor by several friends, who secured the same from the Conlons
and were "celebrating" Troy's furlough from Camp Lee, Va. For a week the lad's
death was daily expected, but he was removed to his home from the Huntingdon
hospital last Saturday. He is a hopeless invalid, the spinal cord being severed
by the bullet.
Being convinced at the hearing that the shooting was purely accidental and was
the result of the plentiful supply of liquor, District Attorney H. C. James got
into communication with the government, turning the case over. An investigation
followed, the soldier being escorted back to camp, and the arrest of the Conlons
resulting.
Testimony revealed the fact that the couple had been selling liquor for
several days preceding the shooting and that these men had paid $6 for two
quarts of whiskey. They made no denial of the charges. Attorney E. M. Pennell
represented the prosecutor. Kreiger was one of the six companions of Troy who
were arrested with him and held as witnesses to the shooting, he having served a
short term in the county jail not long ago for selling liquor on Broad Top.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Friday Morning, May 3, 1918, page 5
NEW CLAIMS RECEIVED
Widow of Miner Asks Large Compensation for Death of Husband Caused by Blood
Clot.
Two new claim petitions have been filed at the office of Referee Jacob Snyder
of the Sixth compensation district. The first is that of Mrs. Damey Berry and
Thomas W. Berry of Holsopple vs. the Victor Coal Mining company, in which the
widow claims $15,000 compensation for the death of her husband who died as the
result of a blood clot on the brain, which the widow alleges was caused by
striking his head against the roof of the mine in which he was working.
The second case is that of Patsy Foss (Pasquale Tossi) of 158 Forest street,
Gallitzin, vs. the Pennsylvania Coal & Coke company (State fund) Harrisburg,
which is a petition for modification. Foss was injured on December 21, 1917,
when he was caught between a mine car and the roof of the mine, spraining his
right wrist.
The coal company alleges that Foss has received $32.34 compensation and that
he returned to work on February 1, 1918, and that he has suffered no loss in
earning power.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Friday Morning, May 3, 1918, page 7
JUNIATA
FRANKS FOLLOWED FLITTING
Tom Watson moved from East Juniata to Altoona yesterday morning and was
yesterday afternoon brought back to settle a little matter of fines for
violation of the compulsory school attendance act. The late citizen of the
borough was on April 16 haled before Squire D. D. Coleman at the instance of
Truant Officer W. L. Calvert. Because his daughter had not made good in school
attendance the man was handed a decision of $4.50, fine and costs. He asked for
time and was released with the understanding that the money would be paid by
april 29. Without coming across he moved out of Juniata yesterday. Constable
Clair Franks followed the flitting and Watson retraced his steps to pay a bill
that additional processes had swelled to $8.
EVENTS ABOUT TOWN
Waived Hearing.
W. V. Shaffer, of East Juniata, last evening waived a hearing before Squire
Coleman, on charges of drunkenness and disorderly conduct and entered bail for
appearance in court. Shaffer was arrested on Tuesday night on information
preferred by D. H. Meck, and is alleged to have made some headway in an attempt
to smash the front of the D. H. Meck and Son store.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Friday Morning, May 3, 1918, page 10
VARIETY OF GOODS STOLEN.
Man on Shopping Tour Makes Many Purchases - Entire Afternoon's Purchases Stolen.
When Joseph Eiber, of 1602 Twenty-third avenue, entered a local hotel
yesterday afternoon he had no idea that it was a hospital operating room, but
subsequent events seemed to point that way. Before he left the hotel three
kidneys in his possession, as well as a number of other articles, were found to
be missing.
Eiber on a shopping tour made quite a variety of purchases, among them being
two chair seats, a bottle of medicine, an electric brush and three kidneys from
a local butcher shop. He laid the packages down in the hotel and when he
returned to get them found nothing but the medicine bottle, which had fallen
from its wrappings and broke. Kidneys, chair seats and electric brush were
gone.
Information was made before Alderman Theodore Crawford of the Fifth ward and
C. Krider was arrested last evening, charged with the theft of goods. The case
will receive a hearing before Alderman Crawford this afternoon. Mr. Eiber's
purchases were worth $2.35.
MOTORISTS FACE MAYOR
One Driver Discharged for Parking Car in Restricted Area - Two Other Hearings.
W. L. Brown, charged with parking his motor car in the restricted traffic
district at Union and Eleventh avenues, was given a hearing and discharged
yesterday afternoon by Mayor Rhodes, at police court. He was arrested Wednesday
night.
S. B. Boyer left $5.80 security yesterday afternoon to answer the charge of
leaving his machine stand in front of a fire plug at Eleventh avenue and
Fourteenth street. W. C. Lingenfelter was arrested during the day for violating
three sections of the city traffic ordinance. His case is scheduled for police
court tomorrow afternoon.
ALDERMANIC NOTES
Cases Heard or to Be Disposed of in Courts of Local Magistrates
Mrs. Madeline Little, this city, charged with assault and battery upon Mrs.
Mary Charles, will be accorded a hearing Tuesday evening at 7:30 by Alderman
Gorsuch, Third ward, the case having been continued from last evening.
Fred Ferguson, of 1324 Sixteenth street, arrested on Tuesday, charged with
violating the automobile act, received a hearing before Alderman Shuff yesterday
afternoon. He was discharged.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Saturday Morning, May 4, 1918, page 4
CLAIM PETITION DISMISSED.
Compensation Referee Jacob Snyder Dismisses Claim of Miner's Widow.
The claim petition of Mrs. Sophia Doran, of South Fork vs. the Priscilla Coal
Mining company, in which Mrs. Doran asks for compensation for the death of her
husband, Louis Doran, was disallowed by Referee Jacob Snyder, of the Sixth
compensation district, in a decision handed down yesterday.
Mr. Doran, who was employed by the defendant company as a driver in the mines,
on June 16, 1916, was squeezed between a car and the rib of the mine. He later
developed kidney and heart trouble, which Mrs. Doran alleged was caused by his
accident.
The claim was dismissed for the reason that evidence deduced at the hearing
did not establish the fact that Doran's death was the result of this injury or
from disease contracted during his employment in the mines.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Saturday Morning, May 4, 1918, page 8
NOTES FROM THE COURT HOUSE
The May term of argument court will convene at Hollidaysburg on Monday
morning, May 6, with sixty-nine cases on the list.
Notice has been posted on the bulletin board at the prothonotary's office, of
the intended application in court for the transfer of the liquor license of the
St. James hotel, 925 Seventeenth street, Altoona, from Anthony McNelis to
Patrick F. Burk of Altoona. The application will be made on May 13.
Short Court Session
A very short session of the county court was held yesterday morning at
Hollidaysburg by Judge Thomas J. Baldrige, at which additional arguments were
made in the Calvin estate case, presented by Attorney W. L. Woodcock and
District Attorney M. D. Patterson.
Slight differences regarding a lease for the use of rooms of 808 Green avenue,
Altoona, for an automobile repair shop conducted by Lee Black were adjudicated
between him and Charles W. Eckenlaub, a real estate agent of Altoona.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Saturday Morning, May 4, 1918, page 16
PERSONAL NOTES
S. B. Beyer forfeited $5.80 security in police court yesterday afternoon, when
he failed to appear on the charge of violating the city traffic ordinance.
ALDERMANIC COURT NEWS
Cases Heard and Pending Before Magistrates of the City.
Fred Ferguson, charged with driving his motor car on the Buckhorn highway
while intoxicated, on information of Oliver Tressley, a coal truck driver,
before Alderman Gorsuch, Third ward, yesterday brought a like allegation against
Tressley. Both cases will be hard at 7:30 Monday evening.
C. Krider, who was arrested on Thursday evening, charged with the theft of
three kidneys, two chair seats and an electric brush, the property of Joseph
Eiber, of 1602 Twenty-third avenue, had a hearing before Alderman Theodore
Crawford, of the Fifth ward, yesterday afternoon. He was committed to court.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Monday Morning, May 4, 1918, page 8
HOLLIDAYSBURG
EVENTS ABOUT TOWN
Fritz Fisher, who was arrested at Hollidaysburg on Friday night, by Major
James W. Hayes and Officers J. F. McIntosh and Charles Seeley of Company G, Home
Defense Police, is still confined in the county jail awaiting an investigation
of his case. Fisher came to Hollidaysburg three weeks ago from Chicago and
secured employment on the P.R.R.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Monday Morning, May 4, 1918, page 12
TWO JUNIATA GIRLS MUST FACE CHARGE
Baltimore Police Claim Young Women Are Implicated in Jewel Theft
Julia Wilhide, alias Jean Bradley, aged 17, and Ann St. Clair, aged 18, both
of Juniata, were arrested Saturday afternoon at their homes by City Detective J.
W. Hauser, on the charge of larceny and defrauding, preferred by Baltimore
police, who claim they are implicated in thefts of jewels.
Police claim the young women had been away from their homes about six weeks,
visitng Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore and Rochester, N.Y. It is said the
St. Clair girl wrote to her parents for money while in the Empire state city and
her father went there and returned with the pair on Friday.
Chief Tillard received an inquiry about the young women about April 23,
shortly after they had departed from Baltimore, authorities in that city claim.
The girls were not at home at that time. The robbery is alleged to have
occurred on April 8.
A stick-pin valued at $60, another worth the same amount, six diamonds worth
$5 each and which had been cut from the pieces they ornamented, and twelve
sapphires valued at $2 each, or a total of $174, are cited as being the loot
taken from John K. Wetter, a Baltimorean.
Baltimore detectives worked up the case against the girls, charging them with
receiving stolen goods, and a verdict of guilty was returned against them by a
jury. It is unlikely that they will not waive extradition papers. An officer
is to arrive for them today, the prisoners being detained at city hall.
DRUNK WEARS TWO SUITS; MUCH COIN
Inebriate at City Hall Disgorges Money from Every Pocket, Totaling $9.61
Police station attaches debated over the question of whether they had arrested
a miniature clothing store or a walking national bank Saturday night when Harry
Shannon, drunk and disorderly, revealed that he was encased in two suits, every
pocket of which contained nickels, dimes or pennies.
After the inventory had been completed, it developed Shannon's supposed wealth
did not exceed $9.61. The man was brought in from Green avenue and Eleventh
street, at 7:20 o'clock, where he had been entertaining a group of admirers, it
is said.
A suspicious drunk was arrested at 1:50 a.m. yesterday at Eleventh avenue and
Twelfth street, but left $10 security. Three other drunks were corraled, two of
them getting home before breakfast by leaving securities.
H. N. Krembav, charged with driving a motor car while under the influence of
liquor, was arrested at 11:55 p.m. Saturday at Twelfth avenue and Eleventh
street. Four bottles of beer were taken from his car. He was released after
furnishing $25.80 security.
COURT ITEMS from the Altoona Tribune, Tuesday Morning, May 7, 1918, page 7
DOMESTIC TROUBLES TROUBLE THE COURT
Argument Court Opens With Minor Cases - Lists Gone Over With Attorneys
The opening session of argument court yesterday morning was occupied with the
hearing of several desertion and non-support cases and quite a number of motions
and petitions that were presented to Judge Baldrige. The court, with members of
the bar, went over the trial lists for both argument and common pleas court, and
many cases were continued.
The first case to come before the court was that of Mrs. James E. Eckels, who
charged her husband with failing to support herself and two children. The wife
claimed her husband drank considerably and had not lived with her for some time.
The court ordered him to pay her $21 per month, the payments to start at once.
John Koch, Mrs. Sarah McClellan and Mrs. Hulda Fagan were defended in a suit
brought before the court, in which they were charged with neglecting to support
an indigent mother. Each of the three was directed to pay $5 monthly toward her
support.
Glenn Black, otherwise known as Charles Black, submitted to the charge of
desertion brought by his wife and was sentenced to pay her $15 per month, the
payments to start this month.
Walter M. Miller, charged by his wife with desertion and non-support, was
directed by the court to pay her $17 per month for herself and child. Frank
Fields and Mrs. J. B. Fields were in court seeking the appointment of a guardian
for John B. Fields, now confined to the Blair county hospital, who it is claimed
is weak-minded and unable to look after his affairs. The people are residents
of Tyrone. Dr. H. J. Sommer, superintendent of the Blair county hospital, and
several other physicians were called to the stand to testify regarding the
mental condition of the aged man, who is a Civil war veteran. The latter is to
be removed to the home of his son, Frank Fields, and a guardian appointed by the
court at a later time.
Motions and Petitions.
The bond of Albert G. Pasco, esq., as trustee of Nancy V. Walton, late of
Tyrone, in the some of $500 was approved.
The Hollidaysburg Trust company was named guardian of Melvin Francis, Regina
Marie, Vincent DePaul, Mary Elizabeth and Matthew Plagenta, and its bond of $100
in each case was approved.
A rule was awarded, returnable next argument court, to show cause why A. S.
Vogt and A. B. Vogt should not be discharged as administrators of the estate of
Clara A. Flynn, late of Tyrone.
A subpoena, returnable the first Monday in June, was awarded in libel in
divorce of Oliver Gossett vs. Grace Gossett.
Rule was awarded to show cause why Robert A. Cook, administrator of William T.
Cook, deceased, should not be discharged and sureties relieved.
The petition of the Hollidaysburg Trust company, guardian of Michael Zeigler,
of Allegheny township, asking for an increase in monthly allowance, was granted,
the sum being increased from $30 to $50.
Charles M. Kurtz, master in the divorce proceedings of Anna F. Himes vs.
Samuel D. Himes, filed his report recommending a divorce on the grounds of cruel
and barbarous treatment.
John Woodcock was named as master in the divorce case brought by Elva Green
Glass vs. Earl Ranson Glass.
The bond of Daniel Waite in the sum of $400 as guardian of Earl Waite, a minor
and son of David B. Waite, was approved.
An alias subpoena in the divorce case of Sadie Cupp vs. Lawrence Cupp was made
returnable the first Monday in July.
H. F. Walters, master in the divorce proceedings of Lena Moser vs. Joseph
Moser, submitted his report, recommending that the latter's second marriage be
made null and void, it being alleged that Moser has a wife living in
Blandenberg, Germany.
Action in the divorce case of Martha Treese vs. Irvin R. Treese, now deceased,
has been stopped, following the death of the respondent, and the prothonotary
ordered to pay all unpaid costs.
The Lincoln Deposit and Trust company of this city was named guardian of John
E. Brubaker, minor child of W. H. and Jennie Brubaker, and of Roy, Raymond and
Clayton Closson, minor sons of David and Sadie Closson.
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