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Subject: News from Pennsburg - July 8, 1905
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 14:20:48 EDT
Ref: Town and Country Newspaper
Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA
Saturday - July 8, 1905
PARIS GREEN FOR HIS CHILDREN
Gustave A. CLOSSON, a Swedish resident of Morrisvile, Bucks county, 64 years
old, is in jail at Doylestown, accused of putting to death by poison his
half-witted son Walter, who died suddenly on May 19. The detectives who worked
up the case and who put the prisoner through the "third degree" Monday after
his arrest, over that he has made a confession of the crime, giving as his
reason the boy's feeble minded state, and declaring that he was best out of the
way. The motive for the murder was that both boys - the eldest but 14 while
the dead lad was but 11 - were feeble-minded. The story of the subsequent
events is best told in CLOSSON's own words: "Crushed by a yoke of debt that seemed
hopeless, I determined to do away with one of my idiotic sons, who was of no
use to himself or to me. I took a package of rough on rats which I had
secreted in a tool chest and made a paste of it by adding a little water. This I
carefully spread on two slices of bread making a sandwich of it and commanded
the older boy to eat it. He became desperately ill, and although the
housekeeper insisted on calling in a doctor, I refused to allow her to do it. Henry
grew alarmingly worse, but toward evening he rallied, and I then learned that
I had given him an overdose of the poison. "Determined to profit by past
experience, I concluded to try the experiment on the younger boy, Walter, so two
days later I bought 10 cents' worth of beer in Morrisville and took it home
with me. I poured the remainder of the powder into a teacupful of beer and
gave it to Walter to drink, which he did. I then gave him a penny and told him
to go to a nearby store and buy a stick of candy. "I thought he would be
stricken away from home, and in the meantime I prepared to leave home for
Tullytown, where I worked. Walter arrived home, however, before I left and was taken
violently ill. Again the housekeeper insisted upon sending for a doctor and
again I opposed it. I learned that the boy was dead. I then thought that my
troubles were at an end, and with the $250 I expected to collect from the
insurance company I could readily pay my debts and have a snug sum left."
EXPLOSION FROM POWDER IN KINDLING
Powder hidden in a stick of fire wood exploded in the kitchen stove of Mrs.
William BAILEY, of near Jersey Shore, on Tuesday evening. The stove was
shattered to pieces, the fire scattered and Mrs. BAILEY was thrown through a door
into the next room. It is not known whether the explosion was the result of
an accident or if some one made an attempt on the woman's life. The powder was
taken from the stone quarry near the house. The end of the kitchen was torn
out and the clothing of the woman and the house set on fire, when neighbors
arrived they found the unfortunate woman in an unconscious condition.
MEN HELD FOR INTERFERING WITH R.F.D. CARRIER
Wilson E. DERR and Clayton CONRAD, of Temple, Berks county, were arrested by
United States Deputy Marshal, of Philadelphia, charged with obstructing the
public highway and preventing the passage of the rural free delivery carrier,
G.D. MOYER, of Temple. Through the interferance of the men the carrier was
delayed in the delivery of the mail. The men were given a hearing before
Commissioner MALTZBERGER and held in $500 each for the United States District
Court in Philadelphia.
DOG, HORSE AND FIRE CRACKERS CAUSE FUN
"Look out, fellows; I'm going to have some fun!" exclaimed Henry WIEDER, of
near Kline's Corner, Berks County, as he tied firecrackers to a dog's tail and
ignited them. The dog ran up the road a short distance and right under Mr.
WIEDER's horse, which he had tied to a post. The horse had on a new harness
and was attached to a brand-new $250 carriage. When the runaway nag was
captured, several miles away, the carriage was a wreck and the harness beyond
repair.
FARMER'S PICNIC
A farmers' picnic will be held at Gablesville, Berks county, on July 29.
Addresses will be made by Dr. J.H. FUNK, State pomologist, of Boyertown;
Attorney Peter D. WANNER, of Reading; Assemblyman Thomas J. HOUCK, of Boyertown, and
others. A big parade will be one of the features.
THE MEMBERS OF THE BANNER CLASS OF PERKIOMEN SEMINARY WHO LEFT THEIR ALMA
MATER LAST WEEK
Class '05 Perkiomen Seminary (picture). Sue D. SCHULTZ, Clayton, Pa.; Willis
W. HACKMAN, Brunerville, Pa.; Andrew S. SCHULTZ, Niantic, Pa.; Rufus E.
KERN, East Greenville, Pa.; Alvin H. RICK, West Leesport, Pa.; Owen S. GERHARD,
Clayton, Pa.; Herbert T. MOYER, Lansdale, Pa.; J. Virgil SHULL, Perth Amboy,
N.J.; Stanley SHOENBERGER, Slatington, Pa.; John H. FAHRENBACH, Bernville, Pa.;
Otto H. STROUSE, Fretz, Pa.; John W. WIEDER, Pennsburg, Pa.; Daniel SCHULTZ,
Philadelphia, Pa.; Emma J. SEIPT, West Point, Pa.; Walter R. HARTZELL, South
Perkasie, Pa.; Lillian M. HENDRICKS, E. Greenville; Stanley H. POWNALL,
Lansdale, Pa.; Ida O. HERSH, East Greenville, Pa.; Edwin C. REBER, Millville,
N.J.; Theo. A. COOK, Phillipsburg, Pa.; Ada S. DeHAVEN, Lansdale, Pa.; Markley
C. ALBRIGHT, Hatfield, Pa.; Jeanette McDOWELL, York, Pa.; Clarence L. GERE,
Brooklyn, Pa.; Magdalene SCHULTZ, Niantic, Pa.; Frank C. LAUBACH, Benton, Pa.;
Rosa C. MERSHON, Morrisville, Pa.; William H. LANDIS, Perkasie, Pa.; John W.
ROTH, Red Hill, Pa.; L. Pearson SCOTT, Summit Hill, Pa.; Della KRATZ, Green
Lane, Pa.; Edgar NONNEMAKER, Bedminsterville; Raymond I. HALL, Mill Hall, Pa.;
Geo. W. KESSLER, Sac City, Iowa; Ruth E. BROUGHTON, Tunkhannock, Pa.; Frank
C. MYERS, Bermudian, Pa.; Ethel A. CROASDALE, Fallsington, Pa.; Wm. T.
MELCHOR, Springtown, Pa.; Chester A. GARRATT, White Mills, Pa.; Chas. K. PHILLIPS,
Dauberville, Pa.; Lucy A. SCHOLL, Pennsburg, Pa.; Rafael CORTES, Havana,
Cuba; Andrew ANDERS, Kulpsville, Pa.; Clara SCHULTZ, Hereford, Pa.; Catalena
PENDLETON, LeRaysville, Pa.; Alverda MILLER, Red Hill, Pa.; Amy KLINE, Red Hill,
Pa.; Irene M. SCHWARTZ, Pennsburg, Pa.; Ernestine THORNTON, East Greenville;
Nellie G. STOVER, Tohickon, Pa. What the graduates expect to do next year.
The following will go to College: Princeton, Frank C. MYERS, Chas. K. PHILIPS,
Willis W. HACKMAN, Daniel SCHULTZ, Markley C. ALBRIGHT, Clarence L. GERE,
Frank C. LAUBACH, L. Pearson SCOTT, Geo. W. KESSLER, Wm. RICHARDSON; Lafayette,
Stanley SHOENBERGER, Stanley POWNALL; Lehigh, Theodore A. COOK, Edwin C.
REBER; Swarthmore, Ethyl A. CROASDALE; University of Pennsylvania Law, Chester A.
GARRATT, John C. BECHTEL; Architecture, Rafael CORTES; Drexel, Lucy A.
SCHOLL; Medico Chirurgical, Andrew ANDERS, Otto H. STROUSE; Cornell, Andrew
SCHULTZ, Emma J. SEIPT; Muhlenberg, Rufus E. KERN, Edgar V. NONEMAKER; State, Alvin
H. RICK, Wm. LANDIS; Hahnemann Medical, Herbert T. MOYER; Baltimore Medical,
J. Virgil SHULL; Franklin & Marshall, Sophomore Class, Walter H. HARTZELL,
John W. WIEDER, John H. FAHRENBACH; Freshman Class, Woman's College,
Frederick, Md., Ida D. HERSH; Jefferson Medical, John W. ROTH; Weslyan University,
Raymond I. HALL; Oberlin, Ruth E. BROUGHTON. The following will teach: William
T. MELCHOR, Township High School, Springtown, Catalena PENDLETON, at
LeRaysville, Sue D. SCHULTZ, at Clayton, Ada S. DeHAVEN, at Lansdale, Elsie M. FIRST,
Perkiomen Seminary, Clara SCHULTZ, Nellie G. STOVER, Owen S. GERHARD,
Jeannette McDOWELL, Magdalens SCHULTZ, Rosa MERSHON and Lillian HENDRICKS will
remain at home. Alverda MILLER, Amy KLINE, Irene SCHWARTZ will continue their work
in music at the Seminary. Della KRATZ will teach music at her home.
Ernestine THORNTON will continue her studies at some Normal School.
HOOF IN RACEHORSE'S MOUTH
A valuable race horse belonging to Councilman L.D. RITTER, of South
Bethlehem, was found in his stall Wednesday with one of its hind hoofs in its mouth.
The shoe was caught so firmly in the flesh of the lower lip that a veterinary
surgeon had to work for some time with the aid of heavy ropes to pull the
leg forward far enough to permit the hoof's removal. How the animal succeeded
in getting itself in such a position is what puzzled the surgeon and owner.
SCHOOLMA'AMS MUST TELL AGE
Applicants for positions as schoolmams in the Tamaqua public schools who
will not set forth their true age will get no positions. This is the substance
of an edict issued by the School Board at its July meeting, when three
applicants refused to tell their ages.
INJURED IN SPEEDING HORSE
Thrown from his sulky while speeding a colt on the Phoenixville track,
Mahlon LUDWIG, a well-known turfman, was severely injured.
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