The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The 1919 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1919

Stronghurst Graphic: Oct. 2, 1919 

SENT TO THE SLAMMER: Ed Rockwell, a youth of about 16-18 years, who has been employed by various parties here recently, was arraigned before Justice Hurd on the charge of stealing a coat containing a gold watch and chain and a pair of gold mounted spectacles, the property of Mr. J.W.Bolton of this place.  The young man acknowledged to the theft and was sent to jail at Oquawka to await the action of the grand jury.

The coat was taken on Sept. 22nd from the shed of the Stronghurst Lumber Co. where Mr. Bolton had left it hanging on a nail and after the theft, young Rockwell, who had been working there disappeared.

It seems that he walked from here to Raritan, attending to celebration on Sept.23rd and exhibited the watch and chain to various parties.  He came back from Raritan with Earl Beardsley in the latter's auto and claims that he threw the watch away some where along the road.  He also stated that he went to Media after his return to Stronghurst and threw away the coat and also the watch chain along the road.

This part of his statement was verified by the finding of the coat at the spot which he indicated.  The spectacles were also found lying in the road near the Stronghurst village park. 

The watch and chain, however, have not been recovered as yet.  The circumstances in the case, taken in connection with the actions of young Rockwell previous to the theft, indicate that he is mentally unsound and no doubt investigation to determine the correctness of this theory will be made by the county authorities before any further punishment is meted out for the crime committed. 

Mr. Bolton estimates the value of the property which was taken at $90.Later-the watch was found lying by the side of the road between here and Raritan by a young man named Strand and returned to Mr. Belton yesterday.

**OBITURARIES**MRS. DAVID MINK-Laura E. White, third daughter of W.S. and Sophia White was born at Fall Branch, Tennessee, August 3, 1886 and died at Stronghurst, Ill. Sept. 26, 1919, aged 34 years, 1 month and 13 dys.  She was married to David Mink Jan. 10, 1912 to which three sons were born, namely, Lee, aged 7; Roy, aged 5 and Hollis, aged 2 years. 

Besides the husband and sons, she is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.S.White of Media; two brothers, Walter White of Roseville and Barnard, at home; three sisters, Mrs. J.D.Mink of Stronghurst, Mrs. Wm. T.Frye of Canton, Mo. And Mrs. Homer Wood of Media.

The deceased united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Tennessee .in her girlhood where she has since held her membership.  She had been a sufferer for a number of years, but bore her afflictions patiently and with no word of complaint.  The immediate cause of her death was diabetes, which developed a few months ago.  The funeral was held at the Stronghurst M.E.Church with interment in the Stronghurst Cemetery.

***MISS ELEANOR ERSKINE***Eleanor Erskine, the eldest daughter of Rev. William and Jane M. Erskine, was born in Pennsylvania and moved with her parents to Illinois in 1874 when Rev. Erskine became the pastor of the Olena United Presbyterian Church.  She entered Monmouth College the same year.  After her father's death in 1875, the family moved to Monmouth, Ill., where she taught in the ward schools until poor health caused her to resign.  Then she moved to Coldwater, Kan., later building a home in Hurley, Ida., where she remained until her death Sept. 10, 1919, being 62 years of age.  By her request, her body was shipped to Stronghurst to be laid beside those of her parents in the North Olena Cemetery.

1894 GRAPHIC: A team of horses attached to a buggy, belonging to Joseph Thompson was taken from a hitch rack in town one evening by some evil disposed person, who attempted to drive away with them.  The team, however, ran away and dashed into the cattle guards at the section house railway crossing in the east part of town. 

One of the horses was held on the track by the harness and was run over and killed by a train which passed through a few minutes later.  J.W.Yeast of Fort Madison sold his branch clothing store here to Messrs. Miller and Taylor.  A.E.Jones, who had been local manager of the clothing store, was preparing to make a trip to his old home in Wales. 

Mrs. Anne Roberts, an old resident o Henderson County, died on Sept 29 at the home of her daughter in Springfield, Ill. where she was visiting.  The deceased was the mother of George H. Roberts, who was at that time a resident of Stronghurst. 

Stronghurst had just invested in a $600 chemical fire engine as a means of protection against fire.  E.Doty sold his residence on the corner of Elizabeth and Main to Mr. Thos. Cooper and was preparing to build a new home on some lots further north on Elizabeth St. purchased from R.B. Miller. 

Dr. Trask, an old and well known resident of Terre Haute, died very suddenly at his home there on the night of Sept. 28th. 

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Patrons of the Lyric Theater will have one of the greatest treats of the season when "Oh, Dearie Dear," the season' brightest and most up-to-date musical comedy will be shown on Oct. 11th.  The women of the Community Club invite all women of the vicinity to attend their next meeting at the high school building.  The subject will be "The City and Country Beautiful."

The village of Little York was visited Monday night by yeggmen (burglar) who gained entrance through a window into the Little York State Bank and forced the door of the vault open by means of a railroad spike maul and a chisel.  The safety deposit boxes of the bank's customers were then rifled and something like $10,000 in Liberty bonds and other securities stolen.  No attempt was made to get at the contents of the big bank safe. 

William C.Lovitt, prominent farmer and commissioner of highways for LaHarpe Township, committed suicide last Saturday morning by hanging to a rafter in the barn on his farm one mile north of LaHarpe. 

He had recently sold the farm he lived on and purchased another; and though these deals were profitable from a financial standpoint, the thought of moving from his old home seems to have caused him much worry, which led to the unbalancing of his mind and resorting to suicide.

LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: The Macomb By-Stander has been sold to a stock company organized to establish a new democratic newspaper for McDonough County.  The men at the head of the enterprise are said to be experienced newspaper men.  The last statement of the Houston Banking Co. of Blandinsville allows deposits of $1,424,859.83 and resources of $1,537,089.83; this is the best showing made by any bank in a town of this size in the U.S.

While cutting cabbage for kraut, A.L.Beaver cut his right thumb quite severely on the kraut cutter.  On account of the scarcity of sugar, an allowance something similar to the war time one is to be put into effect soon.  After a few days treatment for lumbago at the Santa Fe Hospital at Fort Madison, Ia., Mr. Dave Moore returned home somewhat improved.  Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rockel of Jordan, Mont.are visiting home folks.  Mr. Rockel stopped in Lomax and will join her shortly.  George Matzka and William Weddington, two of our soldier boys who were in the 1st Div of the American Expeditionary Forces and who came back with General Pershing and participated in the big parades of the 1st Div. in Washington and New York, arrived home same and sound after receiving their honorable discharge at Camp Grant. 

Rev. Victor Crumbaker and family arrived in town and filled the services at the M.E.church; they were joined the the U.P. church congregation at the evening service as a tribute to the new pastor. 

HOME AT LAST: Mr. and Mrs. C.H.Davis and daughter, Martha, Elmer Davis and Andrew J. Davis returned from a 3,000 mile auto trip to the mountain states made in A.J.Davis' touring car.  They visited many points of interest in Colorado including Pike's Peak, Lookout Mountain(burial place of Buffalo Bill) and the famed Moffett mountain railroad.  They report that the Pikes Peak auto road, recently completed, is a fine piece of engineering work and road construction.  It is eighteen miles in length and the grade is such that 10 miles of the 18 had to be made by the car at low speed.

GLADSTONE GLEANINGS: Master Roy Kemp, grandson of Mrs. Charles Kemp, was badly bruised up by the silo filler running over his head.  It was thought his jaw was broken and he was taken to the Burlington hospital for treatment but was able to be brought home again.  Mrs. Amy Lewis had the misfortune to break both bones in her arm.  She had been to Burlington in a car and in some way broke it on the way home.  Mr. and Mrs. Gear Putney from Kansas City were visiting the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Pence.  Amos Forgey, one of our soldier boys who has been across, was honorably is discharged.  Lightning struck a barn where Mr. Swank lived and burned it up while the folks were away.  His automobile and numerous other farm implements and all his hay was burned.

OLENA OBSERVATIONS: A few of the Olena people had the pleasure of greeting their old time friend, I.N.Stevens of Denver, Colo.  Miss Viola Lant has enrolled in the Media Academy while the Misses Vera Detrick and Audrey Marsden, Esther Johnson and Thelma Peterson are attending Stronghurst High School.  Miss Lavelle, "wielder of the rod" in the village school, reports getting along nicely with her school work. 

Mr. James Marshall is teaching the Hopper school.  Frank Peterson has just completed a fine large hog house on his farm east of the village.  Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Lant and adopted son of Tulare, Calif. are visiting their many relatives.  Previous to coming to Illinois they were at the Henry Lant home in Weiser, Ida. and the Ralph Lant home near Boise City.  Fifteen years ago this fall the couple immigrated to California.  George Fort has cash rented his farm to Wm. Hicks for the coming year and has decided to spend the winter with his daughter, Mrs. James Hicks in Stronghurst. 

LOMAX LINGER-INGS: W. F. King is holding a revival meeting at Adrian, Ill.  Joe Starkey lost two fine calves from corn stalk poisoning. 

G.L.Reams will open a restaurant in the old R.A.Lomax Building after a thorough remodeling.  J. Tannus commenced his broom work; he has a very completely equipped factory bringing a goodly number of experienced employees with him from Canton, Mo.  Mr. Tannus hopes to have a hundred or more employees by Jan. 1st.  Rumor says that Lomax will have an 8 page weekly newspaper commencing in the very near future.

LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: Mrs. Joe Bartlett and son John of Baltimore, Md. are visiting the lady's father and sister, Mr. Buren and daughter of Forest Park Farm.  The First National Bank has added to its force beginning Oct.1st; Lloyd Chant, who has been in school for the past few months making special preparation for the work.  The increased business of this institution has made it necessary to add two additional persons to the force in the last two years, which speaks well of the management. Richard Peasley returned to Knox College where he is a freshman.  George K. Peasley is employed as a salesman for the Four Wheel Drive Auto Truck Co. in Sioux Falls, S.Dak.  Eugene Peasley has been transferred by the Burroughs people with whom he is employed from Grand Forks, N. Dak. to Wichita Falls, Tex., a city in the great oil field region which has increased in population from 30,000 to 70,000 within the past year.  Eugene Wilson has been employed as time keeper at Williamsfield, Ill.  Otto Steffey and Elzie Gilliland are on a land viewing excursion visiting Flint, Mich. neighborhood.

LOCAL AND AREA HAPPENINGS: Mrs. R.E.Campbell of Tulsa, Oklahoma was visiting at the home of her brother, W.C.Regan. Mrs. Campbell's husband was formerly a federal judge in Oklahoma and is now chief counsel for the Cosden Oil Co. Dave Anderson, brother of J.W.Anderson, who left here some fifty years ago when a small boy, is now located in the Pan Handle country of Texas where he owns a 4,700 acre ranch and a large number of cattle. His ranch is situated in the center of the famous Texas oil fields. The farmers report that the long dry spell of the early fall has caused the corn to be somewhat lighter in weight than last year. The new five gallon measuring gasoline pump of the Johnson & Gregory Garage is being placed in position in the front of that building. Sutliff & Wallin garage are removing the old frame building inside their new garage preparatory to covering and finishing the new brick building that is being erected in its place. Last Friday night the weekly meeting of Mrs. C.M.Bell's class of the U.P. Sunday School was held at the home of the Misses Agnes and Florence May Findley under the guidance of their teacher. The Willing Workers of the U.P. church held their monthly tea in the home of Mrs. Hugh Allison; quite a number attended and proceeds amounted to nearly ten dollars.

Mrs. Maggie Coonrad of Portland, Ore. visited her sister and mother, Mrs. Catherine Ross. Miss Winetta Knisley, who has been night operator at the telephone office for some time, resigned and will resume her former position in the Biggsville telephone office soon. During last Sunday afternoon's storm, lightning struck the house building, burning out a fuse in the Bruce restaurant and otherwise damaging the wires: it also flashed out of the front door almost halfway across the street. Mr. Bruce, who was in the restaurant at the time, received quite a shock. On Sept. 25, a pleasant family dinner was served at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Staley. All of their children and grandchildren were present. The dinner was served as a farewell to their children, Ed Wanders and wife, who were about to leave for Racine, Wis., where Ed has been employed by Webster Electrical Manufacturing Co.