The r that P. Gray Meek edited and published for fifty-seven years and
now pu by his Estate at the Watchman Printing House, Bellefonte, Pa.
Editors.
GEORGE R. MEEK CHARLES L. GATES MARY GRAY MEEK
— ee ———
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BELLEFONTE,
PA.,
Capt. WILLIAM H
Ferguson township has lost its most notable resident, a landmark
such as we believe no other community in Centre county has ever had
to boast of. We have known many men, but none just like Capt.
William H. Fry, who died on Sunday.
Picked up on the field at South Mountain after lying three days
with much of his skull shot away, surviving the crude and unsani-
—Prof. J. A. Weaver is conduct-
a musical convention at Pine |
;
—It is said that when the Belle-
rks are ready for opera-
furnish employment
—William Mills, the barber,
on April 1st.
— Philipsburg celebrated Washing-
ton’s birthday anniversary by watch- |
of the Reliance Hose
Co., which turned out, full strength,
ing a
headed by a band.
—Benjamin F. Hunter, of Benner
tary trephining operation in a field hospital he came home to lead a
life so strenuous that often we thought he must have been super- |
human. At eighty-eight he had the mental alertness and the physi- |
cal will to do things that most men begin to shirk and dread at fifty.
Capt. Fry was a veterinarian, one who learned his profession, like!
the old time doctors, by studying under the tuition of an older prac- |
titioner. But when the tine came that
their curricula he attended climes with a regularity and interest that
might well be emulated by others who presume superior knowledge |
because of the fact that they are graduated from such schools.
We regret that we never asked just when he began to contribute
“Pine Grove Mentions” to the Watchman. We regret his passing,
because we know there are hundreds of readers of this paper, scat-|
tered in the four corners of the country, to whom it will never be
the same as it was when it carried the items concerning the people
and the places that they hold dear, written by the man who knew
most of their grandfathers, their fathers, their sisters, their broth- |
ers and their remotest kin.
We know that, rather than disappoint them, Capt. Fry spending |
a night in a barn with a sick horse or a cow has written his weekly |
letter to them with only the light of a lantern to guide his pencil |
and his knee for a desk on which to rest his pad or paper. We |
know that often he wrote his weekly letters while driving in a horse |
and buggy from one professional call to another. |
It was all a labor of love for those of the grand old days in|
Ferguson township when men wanted to do something for their fel-
lows. Capt. Fry never received a cent, never expected one from the |
Watchman. He carried on for those whom he knew could never |
lose their yearning for news from the homeland, the Watchman only
happened to be the fortunate medium through which his good will
was expressed.
We called on him three weeks ago today. He was confined to
his room then, but he was so nonchalant about his condition that we
had no thought that tonight we would be paying this tribute to his
memory. It was only a few years ago that he submitted to an:
operation from which few recover. When he came through that,
at his age, somehow it inspired the feeling that the Captain was one]
destined to be with us always.
He is gone, however, and
er link in the chain of memories that binds the Meeks of the Watch- |
man to the township in Centre county in which they had a living
representative for one hundred and forty-two years.
When John B. Goheen, John T. McCormick, the Keichlines, |
John and Peter, join “the innumerable caravan that moves to those!
pale realms where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of |
death” there will be nothing left to us, if we are spared, but mem- |
ories and hope. Memories of older men who were worthwhile in|
their communities and hope that those of our generation will muster |
enough courage to keep building
lay.
y Capt. Fry was a builder. Through his “Pine Grove Mentions” |
he kept many in touch with the environment in which they were born
and inspired them with the pride that has made Ferguson township
a lasting and beautiful memory for all of her sons and daughters, no
matter how far they may be scattered.
1
i
i
i
on the foundation they helped to]
THE WORM HAS TURNED.
The worm has turned and we are not surprised. The new
Democratic Congress that has done more in two months to push
through constructive legislation than its Republican predecessor was
able to do in three years has grown tired of having President Hoov-
er and his boomers appropriate the credit to his exploitation.
The Democrats kept their pledge to work with their opponents
township, celebrated his fiftieth birth-
day anniversary on March 1st and
says he is now just at the proper
| age to represent the county in the
| Legislature with wisdom begotten of
experience as to her needs.
. od —George Taylor, who has been
universities added that to foreman of the Osceola foundry for
the past two years, has returned to
Bellefonte to accept the foremanship
for Wm P. Duncan & Co.
—Walter E. Meek, formerly with
Hoover, Hughes & Co. at north
Houtzdale, has taken over the busi-
ness of Cresswell and Miller, at West
Moshannon, Clearfield county.
will restock the store and run it un-
der his own management.
been fortunate, too,
Geo. W. Rumberger,
remain with him in the same capac-
ity.
—Charles Harvey, aged 18, died of
typhoid fever on Thursday morning
of last week. The young man was
| very well known in Bellefonte be-
cause he frequently drove his fath-
er's milk wagon over his route here.
— Edward McGarvey Esq. a for-
mer resident of Bellefonte, died in
Karthaus, Clearfield county, on Feb-
ruary 21. Mr. McGarvey, in his
active days, was a great politician.
First a Whig, then a Republican, he
came over to the Democratic party
‘along with Governor Curtin and a
lot of others who had grown dis-
gusted with Grantism.
J. H. Wetzel left Bellefonte for
Foreston, Stephenson county, Illi-
nois, last Friday.
he is a very competent young
more highly respected.
William Dilion, P. R. R., agent court handcuffed to Corp. White.
at Braddock, came to Bellefonte last
Securday for un over Sunday Wl foreman but when called on for
fine and was sporting a fiérce mous- |
tache.
There is a new case of small-
pox in Unionvi
man family.
lle, in the Ammer-
Patterson family was over, but evi-
dently it wasn't, for recently Mrs. "
Ammerman met one of the Patter. | “Tied by law.
sons at a pump they used in com-|
mon and now she is down with the
She is a widow, but has a
disease.
son and a daughter, who are quar-
antined in the house with her.
At the recent election in Miles date of
and Penn townships the contests
for Justice of the Peace.
cases men running for a third term
were defeated. In Miles W. J. Car-
defeated W. H. Corman and in
will
move his shop into the room in the
basement of the Centre county bank
He
He has
in persuading
the popular
head clerk of the retiring firm, to!
He expects to
practice law there and the Watch-
man can recommend him to the peo-
ple of that place for the reason that |
: : : : man The ju eached a verdict
with his passing there is broken anoth- and our town boasted none who are | jury x verge
It was thought all
| danger from the recent cases in the
COLLINS CONVICTED OF
MURDERING BETTY HICKOK
| (Continued from Page 1, Col. 3.)
{times to be transferred from the
ward.
In 1909 he claimed to have had
| his skull fractured with a beer bot-
He admitted that after going to
the Hickok home he had an argu-|
‘ment with Henry Malone, the color-
ed cook in the house, and claimed
that Malone made him mad. He
also said he believes in spirits and
that they act as a hoodoo on him,
his legs getting stiff and his tongue
| becoming tied when they plague him. |
They had been after him for a week
before the murder and added:
“There's one after me right now say-
ing I'm the dirtiest deuce that ever
! got on the witness stand.” He said
they first started after him while in
the Beaver county jail.
Recalled Dr. Wholey stated that
Collins had told him about the
spirits but didn't blame the murder
of the Hickok girl on them.
CASE WENT TO JURY AT 5:35
Philip Johnston made the plea to
the jury for the defense, talking
only five minutes. Insanity was the
basis of his plea.
District attorney Love talked only
ten minutes and dwelt especially on
the fiendish character of the crime
and that Collins was perfectly ra-
tional when he did the deed.
In his charge Judge Fleming
stated that only two verdicts were
possible in the present case, that of
murder in the first degree or ac-
quittal on the grounds of insanity. |
It was just 5:35 o'clock when the
case was given to the jury.
The Judge's charge was unusually
long and it took just one hour to
deliver. After the jury retired and
before they started consideration of!
the case they were taken to The
Markland for supper.
Collins was taken to the jail, un-|
der heavy guard, and locked up in
a cell where he was given supper
and kept until court reconvened at
7 o'clock last evening.
While waiting for the jury to re-
turn a verdict in the Collins case
the court directed that a panel be
called to try the Heaton homicide
{
i
to trial early this, Friday, morning.
VERDICT GUILTY
at 7:55. |
At 8 the jury filed into the box
and the prisoner was brought into |
H. S. Moore had been chosen jury
{
their verdict all the jurymen re- |
mained seated and repeated in un-
ison: “We find him guilty as in-
| dicted.”
‘When asked what penalty should
‘be imposed they replied:
"ommend the death penalty as pre-
i
Immediately thereafter Judge
Fleming imposed sentence and Sher- |
iff Boob at once prepared to take |
Collins back to Pittsburgh for safe
‘keeping until the Governor sets the!
electrocution.
They left here for the trip to
that caused most interest was that | pittsburgh before 9 o'clock, the
| same officers accompanying the Sher-
iff as were with him when they
brought him in.
Penn P. H. Stover defeated Jacob i
Emerick.
cornered fight for Chief Burgess in
which 8. G. Gutelius, Republican,
Millheim had a three | DIPHTHERIA FATAL
TO COLEVILLE BOY.
as long as political capital was not made out of the results accom- | Won, Out over W. K. Alexander and, wgiord Confer, nine year old son
plished. So much has been done in the short time our party has;
been in control of Congress that the entire country has been heart- |
ened. General execration of Washington has ceased and a discour-
aged people are again looking with hope to the fountain of our gov-
ernment.
No sooner had the tide of public opinion shown indications ofal
turn than Republican spell-binders took to the stump and the micro-
phone to proclaim the wonders the President is performing. But
for a Democratic Congress that was willing to forego partisan poli-
tics in order to help the country out of the slough in which it has
been floundering Mr. Hoover would have been as impotent as he
has been for the three years he has held the Presidency. Utterly
lacking in constructive suggestion and devoid of tactical skill to
handle a Senate and Congress of his own party the Great Engineer
had lost his bearings entirely and the country was on the verge of
disgust with him.
Then came a Democratic majority in the House and a John
Garner with tact enough to mold it into a cohesive force that has
put through legislation that promises relief and inspires hope. It is
not legislation of Republican origin, either. Most of it has been
adaptations of war time enactments under the guidance of President
Wilson or proposals originating almost w.olly in the minds of House
Democrats.
No effort was being put forward to claim credit for it for the
Democratic party. There had been an agreement that politics
should be taboo—until the country was headed toward recovery.
i
|
{
!
The results have been so notable, however, that those who have been by
searching vainly for something that might help keep the President in
the White House have seized upon it as a drowning man clutches
at a straw. Forgetting their promise to the Democrats they start-
ed a great ballyhoo for Hoover, who they say is the man of the
hour. The man who, when all the great financiers and captains of
industry were running around in circles, finally pointed the way out.
That was too much for the Democrats in Congress. They had
expected their political opponents to keep faith with them. Cer-
tainly they had no thought that their unselfish actions were to be
turned to restore the waning prestige of a presidential failure.
From now on Congress can be relied upon to do just as well as
it has since December 7, last, but it will see to it that President
Hoover does not get credit for something he hasn't done.
The worm has turned and it had good reasons for so doing.
—Every day the Japs are getting new evidence that sleeping
China must have had one eye at least partly open.
J. H. Kreamer, Democrats.
POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENT
REPUBLICAN
COUNTY CHAIRMAN
authorized to announce that
White, of Spring township, is
Ride 00 cotice of Contre, Com
o nf y,
ecision of the voters of
at the Primaries
ay, April 26, 1982,
Ap
FOR CONGRESS.
We are authorized to announce the
name of Floyd G. Hoenstine, of Holli-
urg, Blair county, Pa., as a candi-
for nomination on the Republican
ticket for Congressman from the Twen
ty-third District composed of Blair, Cen-
tre and Clearfield counties, subject to the
rules ing the Republican party at
the primary April 26, 1
——————————— A ———
WOMAN'S CLUB TO HOLD
WASHINGTON SOCIAL
The Woman's Club of Bellefonte
will hold a “Washington” social in
the Presbyterian chapel on Monday
night, February 29.
There will be appropriate music
and a talk on “George Washington"
Rev. Wm. H. Thompson, pastor
of the Presbyterian church. Anoth-
er feature of the program will be
formel reception into the club of
the many new members lately elect-
ed.
A brief business session will pre-
cede the social hour. , The members
of the board of director: Mrs. Paul
McGarvey, Mrs. Ebon Bower, Isa-
bella S. Hill, Mrs. Walter McCor-
mick, Mrs. Roy Wilkinson, Anne W.
Keichline, Helen A. Wiliams, Mrs.
Harry Witter, Mrs. Stewart Brouse,
and Mrs. William Emerick will be
hostesses.
The exercises will start at eight
o'clock and all old members are
earnestly requested to be present to
greet the new ones.
of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Confer,
| Coleville, died on Monday night
| the result of an, attack of diphtheria,”
| following a ‘brief illness. In addi-|
‘tion to the parents a number of
brothers and sisters survive. Owing
'to the contagious nature of the dis- |
| ease burial was made on Tuesday |
| afternoon in the Meyers cemetery. i
|
of |
Students of the Bellefonte
High school were very much enter-
tained and highly interested in a talk
on Russia of today that was given
in the auditorium last Friday morn-
ling by E. C. Ramsey, news corres-
' pondent. for American and European
feature syndicates. His story of
‘the United States of Soviet Russia |
was founded on personal observa-
tions and had a most compelling in-
terest for his young hearers because
of his thorough familiarity with
things as they are there today. His
training as a news gatherer enabled
him te bring out the human inter-
est side of the unique experiment in
government that is being made in
that far country.
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS |
Odie C. Spicer, et ux, to A. Naomi
Poorman, tract in Ferguson Twp.;
$200. |
Catherine Armor, et al, to Alice
M. Spicer, tract in Bellefonte; $40.
James N. Raymond to Michael C.
Delaney, tract in Potter Twp.; $1.
Edgar G. Kustenbauder, et ux, to
Mary Cole Heverly, tract in Benner
Twp.; SL
Henry N. Hoy, et ux, to Mary Cole
Heverly, tract in Benner Twp.; $1.
Alice M. Council, et al, to Harmon
Bowes, et ux, tract in Liberty Twp.;
$700.
Warren S. Ward, et ux, to J. Max-
well Ward, et al, tract in Ferguson
Twp.; $1.
HENDERSON.—Robert M. Hen-
derson, of State College, dropped PAY STIFF PENALTIES
dead of a heart attack, last Friday | as
afternoon. He had been an invalid | Arthur Hockenberry, of Sunnyside,
for some years but that afternoon Was put in jail last Saturday after-
ILLEGAL FISHERMEN
‘had gone along with Fred Uarner noon, charged with illegal fishing
‘out to the latter's corn field for a Hockenberry was apprehended by
few shocks of corn, just for the Lincoln Lender, fish warden, of Bell-
ride in Mr. Garner's truck. They wood. In his bag a gig was found,
had loaded the fodder and started as well as three trout and three
Carl Furst, of State College.
ast
home when two shocks fell off.
Henderson volunteered to reload
get the other when he dropped to
the ground and expired almost in-
| stantly.
He was a son of James and Mar-
'garet Henderson and was born in
| Clearfield
| When he was a lad about fourteen
county 77 years ago.
‘years of age the family moved to
Centre county and located in Buf-
falo Run valley, where he grew to
manhood.
Upwards of fifty years ago he
married Miss Rachel E. Hunter, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin
F. Hunter, and they at once engaged
in farming. For a number of years
they occupied the Hunter home-
stead where Mrs. Hunter passed
away about twenty years ago.
Shortly thereafter Mr. Henderson
and children moved to State College.
His survivors include two daughters,
Miss Nannie, at home, and Mrs.
He
also leaves one brother and three
sisters, Mrs. Clayton Heckman, of
Bellefonte, R. D.; Mrs. Emma Reed,
of Pine Grove Mills; Otto Hender-
son, of Williamsport, and Mrs. Wil-
liam Lose, of Chicago.
Funeral services were held at his
late home, at ten o'clock on Monday
morning, by Rev. Edward Jones,
burial being made in the Meyers
cemetery.
| 1
MEER. David H. Mork, sativeor
Centre county and for a number of
years past a well known banker and
real estate man of Juniata, died at
his home in that place on Tuesday
afternoon. He had not been in
good health for some months.
He was a son of Henry and
‘Rachael Krebs Meek, and was born
at Pine Grove Mills on July 7th, |
1852, hence was in his 80th year.
| His mother was a sister of the late
' Judge David L. Krebs, of Clearfield.
His early life was spent at the place
of his birth but in 1885 he went to son.
‘because our boys led the way up to
case so that it will be ready to go the Pennsylvania railroad company. within a minute of the final whistle.
later he gave up his
| job with the railroad company and stood Bellefonte 12, Philipsburg 10.
All through the second the contest
was most exciting, with the score
‘mounting to 20 to 19, but with Belle-
Altoona and entered the service of
Some years
and real
Furnace,
Later he
embarked in the grocery
estate business at Blair
now a part of Juniata.
purchased a farm which he laid out fonte
91. Philipsburg
"ing the score 21 to 20 in favor of his
organized the First National bank of team.
in building lots and disposed of at
good prices. The farm is now a
prosperous section of Juniata. He
Juniata and served as vice president
‘and director for a number of years, as follows:
Whippo 4,
“We rec- Miss Annie M. Steffey, at Pine Grove 2.
who survives with six chil |
One June 13th, 1892, he married
Mills,
dren, Mrs. Orlando Taylor, of War-
James R.
RS, of
gar M,
sonic fraternity.
Funeral services will be held this,
(Friday) afternoon,
Methodist church, by Rev. M. 8. Q.
Hill cemetery.
|
erm Wiliam Cox, ga 81, and for
many years a familiar figure about
the Bellefonte Y. M. C. A., where he
was janitor, died in the Centre coun-
ty hospital, Wednesday night. In-
terment will ‘be made; from the Wetz-
ler funeral’ parlors,’in Milesburg,
Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock.
r—— ————
FREDERICK RASMUSSEN
DIED AT HARRISBURG.
Frederick Rasmussen, a former
professor of dairy husbandry at
State College, died at his home in
Harrisburg, on Sunday, as the re-
sult of a heart attack. He was 56
years old and a native of Hald, Den-
mark. He came to the United
States in 1899 and in 1905 graduat-
ed in dairy husbandry at the Iowa
State University. He served with
the American expeditionary force
during the World war directing the
establishment of dairies at base hos-
pitals.
Prior to going abroad he was
professor of dairy husbandry at
‘State’ College. In 1919 Governor
Sproul appointed him State Secre-
tary of Agriculture and at the end | play
of his term he became secretary of
the International Association of Ice
Cream Manufacturers, a position he
had filled ever since. It was while
he was Secretary of Agriculture
that he organized the State farm
show which has grown to be an im-
portant annual meeting.
It was in 1919, while yet at State
College, that he married Miss Faith
Elliott, an instructor at the College,
who survives with six children.
The Seventh district, Central
Pennsylvania dental society will
hold it’s annual two day's conven-
tion in Altoona next Monday and
Tuesday. The district is composed
of nine counties, one of which is
Centre. Officers will be elected for
the ensuing year and other import-
ant business transacted.
i
the High school basket ball team of
| that place
'suckers . Fines and costs amounted
| to $75.50 which Hockenberry was un-
|them and had put one shock back able to pay.
lon the truck and stooped down to|
| Early Sunday morning game war-
den John Nichols, of Lemont, fell on
|a trio of State College men who
| were evidently dynamiting fish near
the old Rock mill on Spring creek.
‘He saw three men standing in the
| water scooping up dead fish as they
floated down stream. Two of the
men were apprehended by warden
| Nichols, but the third got away.
The arrest of the pair, John Re-
sides and Harry Meek, of State Col-
lege, happened about 7 o'clock inthe
morning. Both men were water-
soaked from their illegal fishing op-
erations. ‘The third man, who ran
into the woods.
When the arrest was made, the
men had a total of 210 fish, mostly
suckers, thrown on the bank, where
they were rapidly dying. The fish
ranged in size from fingerlings to
about 20 inches in length. The men
and their catch were brought to
Bellefonte and lodged in the Centre
county jail until Monday afternoon
when they were arraigned before
Justice of the Peace Tressel. Plead-
ing guilty, they were fined $100 each,
and $7.40 costs, and were given ten
days’ time in which to settle in full.
Game Warden Thomas Mosier and
Assistant Warden Nicholas visited
the scene of the dynamiting later
Sunday morning and found a hole
blown in the creek bottom literally
filled with more dead fish. Warden
Nichols netted about 60 of them
from the hole, and when he stopped,
estimated that more than a hundred
remained there.
PHILIPSBURG WINS SECOND
VICTORY OVER B. H. S.
At Philipsburg last Friday night
downed the Bellefonte
quintet for the second time this sea-
It was a hard fight to lose
At the end of the half the score
still leading. Then with vic-
seemingly in the bag Henwood,
shot a long goal mak-
For Bellefonte points were scored
Rossman 6, Ulrich 5,
Caldwell 3 and Emerick
On Friday, March 4, Bellefonte
will play Mt. Union, the game being
riorsmark; Mrs. George Hynick and | their last one of the season.
Mrs. Nellie Cherry, of Altoona;
Meek, of Sinking valley; ENTS THE WEEK
Koons Oily, Mo, and Ed-|S0CIAL-EV OF
of Greenwood. He was a
member of the I. O. O. F. and Ma- | overs given at the Nittany country
The bridge dinner of sixty-nine
club, at which members, their wives
and friends were the guests, was
at the First ty. outstanding social function of
the Washington Day celebration in
‘ Mellott, burial to be made in Rose 'inig jocality.
A novelty surprise birthday party
originated by Mrs. James B. Craig,
was given Mrs, R. L .Capers, Wed-
nesday night, at the Capers’ home
on east Curtin street. Fifteen of
her close friends joined in the mer-
rymaking celebration. . .
"Mr. and Mrs. John’ Dawson enter-
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Billett were
among those who entertained in cel-
ebration of Washington Day, having
given a “500” party Tuesday eve-
ning, at which three tables were in
Eighty of their friends were guests
of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Peters, of
Milesburg, at a Washington birth-
day costume party, given at tl ir
home in that place. Cards, dancing
and a huge birthday cake, with elab-
orate decorations, were the features
of the evening.
———————————————————
The Methodist Episcopal min-
isters of Centre county, accompa-
nied by their wives, held their regu-
lar monthly meeting at the parson-
age in Milesburg, yesterday after-
noon, pastor M. H. Crawford and
wife being the entertaining host and
hostess. While these meetings are
entirely informai, with no set pro-
gram, vital questions always come
up for discussion because of the
real problems thrust upon the min-
isters each month.