Republican News Item.
Published Every Thursday.
Volume 4.
) we ntyv Years
in Dushore.
The largest and best stock of goods
We ever had for the \
? J^all anb HXHtnter TLrabe S
112 The finest line of
r
q Ever seen in a Jewelry Store in Sullivan
\ RETTENBURY, P
DUSHORE, PA. THE JEWELER. ✓
Coles.. ~" *
1 GENERAL
M^SARDWARE
PAINTS, OILS, VARKSHES and GLASS.
SPECIAL inducements given on
CTOVES and RANGES
and all kinds of HEATING STOVES
for Wood or Coal, suitable for parlors, halls, churches, school houses,
camps, etc. Attention to a line of Cheap air-tight wood heaters from
$3.00 to SIO.OO. Also a line of coal heaters from $2.50 up to $35.00.
My Special Bargain Sale is open on a line' of heaters slightly
damaged by water. Good as new, but they must be sold CHEAP
If in need of a cheap heater, call early.
My "Dockash" Ranges are without a question the finest in the
market, made up of the best material and designed to be a handsome
Range. Furnaces always the best on the market. In fact we are
ready to heat the universe either in liot water, steam or air. Iry us,
we guarantee satisfaction.
STOV REPAIRS AND REPAIRING.
PLUMBING, STEAM FITTING AND SUPPLIES.
MILL SUPPLIES.
Goles Hardware,
DUSHORE, PA.
This stove is the very best one made
for Cold Weather.
(its name )
"Maple Clemont"
We keep sizes No. 22 and 24. Wood is putin top
Keeps fire over night. Cast iron lining.
For prices write us.
Jeremiah Kelly,
HUGHESVILLE.
"ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY."
LAPORTE, PENNA., THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1900.
Wanted at once for cash
Cut 4 1-2 feet long, sto 15 inch
es diameter.
Apply to
AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION,
SONESTOWN, PA.
This strip is manufactured under a U. S. patent
and is the neatest, strongest and most durable
window shade holder on the market, and we
guarantee it to be as represented or money re
funded. The price, Express paid, to all points in
Pa., Md., Del., N. J. and N. Y., One Dollar per doz.
other states 11.25. Your order solicited.
JOHN A. PARSONS A CO. CtUwlMl. Pa.
T J. KEELER.
I« Justice-of-tlie Peace.
Olliee in room over store, LAPORTE, I'A.
Special attention given to collections.
All matters left to the care ot this office
will l>e promptly attended to.
CARROLL HOUSE,
D. KEEFE, Proprietor.
DUSIIOKE, PA.
One of the largest anil best equipped
h n>.l in this section of tlic state.
Talile ol tlie best. Ki.tes 1.00 dollar per day.
Largo ati'blM. ______
COMMERCIAL HOUSE.
THOS. E. KENNEDY, Prop.
LAPORTE PA.
l'liia largo ancl well appointed house is
the most popular hostelry in this section
~LAPORTE~HOTEL.
F. W, GALLAGHER, Prop.
Newly erected. Opposite Court
Ilouse square. heat, bath rooms,
hot and cold water, pool
room,and barber shop; also)good stabling
and livery,
\yM P. SHOEMAKER,
AttornoyatLaw.
Office in County Building.
LAPOKTE, I'A.
Collections, conveyancing; the settlement of
estates ami other legal.business will receive
prompt attention.
J J. BRADLEY,
ATTORHBT-AT-LAW,
orrica is couaTT building
NBAR COURT HOUSE.
LAPOKTE, PA
Fikst national bank
OF DVSIIOKK. PE.N'NA.
CAPITAL - - $50,000.
SURPLUS - - SIO,OOO.
Dot B*a General Hanking HUH in ess.
11. W. .1 KN XINGS, M. I>. S\V A UTS.
President. Cashier
J # J. & F. H. INGHAM,
ATTOKRKVS-AT-LAW,
Legal business attended to
I in t.lii" and adjoining coi.nties
_ A PORTE, PA.
£ J. MULLEN,
Attorney-at-Law.
LAPORTE, PA.
Office over T. .J. Keeler's store.
J # H. CRONIN,
ATTORBET-AT -LAW,
ROT ART PUBLIC.
orrics oa hair strbbt.
DUSHORE,
■ Eureka Harneaa Oil la the beat I
H preservative of new leather ■
■ and the beat renovator of old
■ leather. It oils, softens, black- ■
H enaand protect#. Uee M
I Eureka S
■ Harness Oil |
on your beat btmm, your old bar- H
H| new, and your carrlagetop, And they
will not only look better but wear
longer. Bold everywhere In cans—all ■■
H sizes from half pints to Ave gallons. ir
■ II»da bj STANDARD OIL CO. 11
Wellington Lavelle Found Guilty. John
B, Qansel Acquitted.
The trial of W. Lavelle and John
It. Gansel in the Federal Court at
Scran ton, before Judge Buffington,
was completed on Wednesday last.
United States District Attorney
Daniel B. Heinor conducted the case
for the government and C. L- Peas
lee, of Williamsport, appeared for
Lavelle, and W. M. Stevens, also of
Williamsport, for Gansel. Lavell's
attorney requested that the defend
ants be tried seperately, as their
defenses would in no way be iden
tical. The request was opposed by
Mr. Heiner, who said that the men
were indicted jointly because they
are charged with the same transac
tion and the government's testimo
ny was in a sense identical. Judge
Buffington decided that the men
have to be tried together.
It was a case with some rather
peculiar features. Gansel alleges
that he was acting as detective to
catch Lavelle at the instance of
Constable llobert Hess, of Muncy
Valley, and Lavelle as positively
declared that he was innocent of
wrong doing; that the whole plan
to make counterfeit money originat
ed with Gansel and carried out by
them even to the manufacture of the
rather crude coins which were pro
duced by them, but which they
made no effort to pass.
Lavelle was a traveling photogra
pher, whe made his home in Ilones
dale, where he has a wife and eight
children. In winter he conducted
a photograph gallery at Honesdale
and in summer he went out to the
small towns in the state and estab
lished his gallery in a tent which
he transported from place to place-
In September last Lavelle and his
tent made their appearance in Mun
cy Valley and there Mie made the
acquaintance of John R. Gansel,
who is a stone mason, and some
what of a performer on the violin.
Lavelle also is a violinist and this
seems to be the primary bond which
brought the men together. Gansel's
story of what happened after they
became well acquainted is as follows:
Lavelle broached to him the project
of making counterfeit money, and
after some persuasion he agreed to
assist in the work. On the night of
Oct. 20, it was decided togo up in
the mountain and make some coin.
They had to pass Gansel's house on
the way and when they reach
ed it Gansel went in. llis wife
would not let him go out again and
the idea of making coin that night
had to be abandoned. About the
time that Lavelle first broached the
matter of making spurious money
Gansel told Constable Hess about
the matter and the latter advised
him togo on and get some evidence
against Lavelle.
Gansel met Lavelle on Oct. 21, the
day following, and explained to him
that his wife would not let him go
out on the previous night. They
agreed togo to the mountain that
night. Gansel borrowed Constable
Hess' overcoat and about 7 o'clock
they started from the village, La-
velle carrying a [bag. After they
got up In the mountain they built a
fire and Lavelle took metals and a
mould from the bag and proceeded
to melt the metals and cast half dol
lars and quarters. They made nine
coins, but six of them were poor and
were thrown brck into the pot.
That ended the nights work. Gan
sel possessed himself of one of the
moulds by representing that he
wanted to make some changes in it.
This he turned over to Constable
Hess about 2 o'clock the next morn
ing, together with one of the coins.
The next day Lavelle [was arrested
and a few days later Oansel was
taken into custody by Secret Service
Officer William Flynn, on informa
tion furnished by Lavelle.
Constable Hess corroborated Gan
sel in some respects, althouge he de
nied that he had requested Gansel to
engage in the counterfeiting. He
toWJofgettingJthe"|niould and coin
from Gansel*and£of other] moulds
and pieces ofjmetal found on the
site of Lavelle's tent after it was
moved away aud of similar finds at
the spot in the mountain where Gan
sel said the coins were manufactur
ed. He said that Gansel told him
when they were going to make coins
and asked that they be followed and
arrested, as he was afraid Lavelle
would kill him because he was op
posed to the idea of engaging in
counterfeiting.
Lavelle tells an altogether differ- j
ent story. He said that about Oct.
10, last Cansel came to him and ask
him to send for babbit metal, block
tin and plaster of paris. Ile said he
wanted them to manufacture ma
sons plumb bobs. On Oct. 20, Gan
sel invited Lavelle to accompany
him on a coon hunt. They started
out but did not do anything that
night. It was then rrranged for the
following night and Lavelle, at Gan
sel's request, took with him a bag to
carry apples. In this he placed his
revolver.
When he started out with Gansel
the latter had neither dog nor gun
with him and Lavelle suggested it
was a queer way togo coon hunting.
Gansel replied that he had traps set
in the mountains. When they got
up in the mountain Gansel built a
fire and after a time undertook the
task of manufacturing spurioui
coins. Lavelle had no wish to be
mixed up in any such transaction
and left his companion. Lavelle's
attorney in opening to the jury said
they would show that Gansel while
in Lycoming county jail after his
arrest told a number of persons that
Lavelle was not guilty of counter
feiting. Several witnesses from
Honesdale testified that he was a
mad of good reputation and honest.
The following witnesses in addition
to Constable Hess, testified for the
government: Bert Craft, A. J, Brad
ley, Herman Mittendorf, John Big
gar, H. J. Shaffer, Philip Rider, of
Sullivan county; and Win. Flynn,
secret service officer.
The jury was not long in delibeva
ing when they returned a verdict
of guilty for Lavelle and acquital
for Gansel.
Lavelle was then sentenced to
undergo eighteen months Imprison
ment in the Western penitentiary at
Pittgburg.
Lavelle had an able attorney in C.
1,. Peaslee, of Williamsport. He
painted a black picture of Gansel,
denouncing him as "a liar and vil
lage loafer," and of his crude mind
in trying to concoct a story that
would incriminate Lavelle.
W. M. Stevens addressed the jury
in behalf of Gansel, arguing that
the latter was only an inexperinced
country boy without the knowledge
or skill to manufacture spurious
coins.
United States Attorney Daniel B.
Heiner opened his arguement with
the trite saying that "when thieves
fall out honest men get their due."
He declared that there was little for
him to say. He, too, discredited
the story that Gansel made the
moulds, and said the moulds are not
clumsy productions, but the work
of an artist, of a man of the inteli
gence and skill of Lavelle.
1.25 P er -
Number 44
HON. CONRAD KRAUS DEAD.
Associate Judge of Sullivan Co.
Expires Suddenly at His Home
Sunday Morning.
SUFFERED PAIN IN ONE UMB.
He Was an Active Self-made Man of
High Bepute. Succumbs to Heart
Failure.; Many Mourn His Loss.
Hon. Conrad Kraus (lied on Sun
day morning, March 18. His death
was sudden and entirely unexpected.
He was in attendance at the term of
court commencing February 2G, and
appeared well, but complained of
pain in one of his limbs. After his
return home he sent for a doctor,
who put a bandage on the limb, and
he was able to attend an argument
court held at on the follow
ing week. Although the limb was
painful it was not considered danger
ous. On the morning of his death
he appeared no worse than usual,but
the pain in his leg was so severe that
he asked to have the bandage re
moved. When this was done he
said it felt hotter. Not very long
after this he called for water, and
as his wife brought it to him,observ
ing his head drooping, she said,
"What is the matter?" He said
feebly, '•! don't know,"and said no
more. In a few moments he was
dead.
The news of his death spread rap
idly and was a shock to the whole
community. Arrangements have
been made for his funeral in Dushore
on Thursday, tin- 22d inst. at I
o'clock p. m.
Judge Kraus was born in Tama
qua, Pa., December 27, 1858. His
parents Henry and Catharine Kraus
were natives of Hesse Cassel, Ger
many. He remained with his par
ents until he was eighteen, pursuing
his studies in public and private
schools. He became well acquainted
with Gorman and English literature.
He then went to Philadelphia where
he was employed for two years by
John Waster, a butcher, and then
took charge of two meat and provis
ion stores for Levy & Block for five
years. May 4,1880, he was married
to Miss Kate M. Hecker by whom
he has had seven children.
in ISBI Mr. Kraus removed to
Sullivan county and worked about
two years for Jennings Bros, in the
lumber woods. Ho next engaged in
the meat business with John Utz, jr.
in Dushore, whose interest he bought
two years later, and then for five
years carried on the business with
his brother William, whose interest
he then purchased and continued
the business in Dushore himself
until 1893. He then purchased a
farm in Cherry township, on which
he established a slaughter house,
steam chopper and all necessary ap
pliances for an extensive business—
farming, keeping cattle, butchering
and dealing in meat.
The active business life of Mr.
Kraus did not prevent him from
reading and study. His library,
well stocked with literary and scien
tific works, with which he was
familiar, attests his well cultured
mind. His excellent qualifications
and popularity, much more than his
own solicitations, induced his Dem
ocratic friends to nominate him for
the office of Associate Judge, and he
was elected by a handsome majority.
His conduct upon the Bench secured
lor him the esteem of his associates,
and all of the members of the Bar..
He had a clear reasoning mind and
a quick facility for mastering legal
questions when the facts and author
ity wore placed before him. He
took groat pains to inform himself
in reference to the duties required
by him, and no Judge who haw ever
sat upon our Bench, has exceeded
him in the attentive and conscien
tious discharge of his duties.
(>wing to the fact that a number
of new President Judgtw have come
upon the Bench in this part of the
State, and the long illneus of Judge
Peck, of Towanda, it has happened
that Judge Dunham has been called
out of the county to hold special
court for a large part of the time.
Continued on pace Five,