Ref: Town and Country Newspaper Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA Saturday - August 20, 1904 DIED FROM DIPHTHERIA Contracting diphtheria while nursing his little niece at Allentown several weeks ago, Frederick RICHARDS fell a victim to the disease at his home at Maxatawny, on Tuesday night. The young man was only 19 years of age and of exceptional promise, being a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, a member of the class of 1905 of the Theological Seminary at Lancaster, and having served as a spring professor at the Perkiomen Seminary during the last spring session. Three weeks ago the young man was visiting his brother-in-law, Dr. James S. SMITH, of Allentown, and during his stay on Saturday, July 30, the bright little daughter of the doctor, Marian by name, was stricken with diphtheria. Though in noticeably poor physical condition, he insisted upon nursing the sick child and remained with it throughout its illness which terminated by death on August 5th. The anguish so affected the young man that he was unable to attend the child's funeral, and a few days later was removed to the home of his parents, Dr. and Mrs. M.S. RICHARDS. Diphtheria of a violent, virulent form developed. Two injections of anti-toxin were made but with no result. On Tuesday night after much suffering he died, the result of heroic self-sacrifice. Beside his parents he is survived by two sisters: Cora, residing at home, and Mrs. James S. SMITH, of Allentown. Rev. Dr. RICHARDS, the well known former pastor of Dubbs church, Allentown, now professor at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, is an only brother. The funeral services were held yesterday. BOY INJURED BY HORSE While crossing East Broad street, Perkasie, a 12-year-old son of Allen MITMAN, was knocked down by a horse driven by John FISHER. The horse stepped on the b oy's groin and the wagon passed over his body, inflicting severe injuries, both internal and external. ACCIDENT IN FORDING PERKIOMEN Attempting to ford the Perkiomen Creek at Ironbridge, Wm. OGDEN and Dervilla TROUTMAN were thrown into the stream by the wagon overturning. OGDEN saved the horse by cutting the harness after a hard swim. HEAVIEST PRISONER IN BERKS B.F. GEORGE, of Allentown, was jailed on Tuesday at Reading, on a charge of passing worthless checks in a horse deal with Harvey TRUMBAUER, of Pleasantville. Mr. GEORGE is a horse dealer and weighs more than 400 pounds. SMALL-POX, NOT POISON IVY What was believed to be ivy poison turned out to be well-developed cases of small-pox in the home of George S. SCHWAB, in Pottstown, the father and three children being down with the disease. CAPTIVE ESCAPES FROM CONSTABLE John HALLMAN, of Limerick, arrested for chicken-stealing, escaped from Constable Montgomery YERGEY, en route to the jail, by slipping out of a side door in a Norristown hotel. THE BOAST OF SCHWAB The big Bethlehem Steel Company plant was visited by its president, Chas. M. SCHWAB , on Wednesday. He said: "I shall make the Bethlehem plant the greatest armor plant and gun factory in the world." CONSOLIDATION OF BETHLEHEMS COMPLETE Governor PENNYPACKER signed the charter for the new borough, consolidating Bethlehem and West Bethlehem, on Tuesday. The consolidation goes into effect at once. This will do away with the name of West Bethlehem. HAS A LARGE ELEPHANT PLANT Mrs. T.W. MOYER, of Topton, Berks county, has an enormous elephant plant, two stalks of which are 66 and 74 inches long and the leaves measure 46 by 32 inches and 45 by 31 inches, respectively. DOG DRAGS BOY BY THE NECK UNTIL NEAR DEAD James DEWALT, a 12 year old boy of Harmanville, a town near Norristown, was almost killed on Wednesday while playing "Wild West" with a dog and several boy companions. The boys were chasing a large Newfoundland dog which was supposed to be a buffalo. DEWALT carried a lariot which he finally succeeded in throwning about the dog's neck; but the other end circled about his own neck as the other noose fell over the dog. The boy was thrown to the ground and dragged and the shouts of his comrades only served to increase the animal's speed. He was being choked and hauled rapidly toward a rail fence guarding an abandoned quarry hole, and the fence was his salvation, for although the dog jumped over it, he was unable to pull the boy with him. When DEWALT's companions arrived they cut the rope and the dog dropped into the quarry and was killed. The boy was badly bruised. ALTERED BANK NOTE DISCOVERED About two weeks ago Harry LANDIS, paying teller of the Merchants' National Bank, at Allentown, discovered a clever swindle, although the party of the second part did not know anything about the swindle and was himself an innocent victim. The swindle was nothing less than the alteration of a $10 bill into one of $20, and the change was effected in the most artistic manner. From a $2 bill was cut the numeral and this was pasted over the figure 1 in the $10 bill. Then the green circle or emblem which adorns the back of the $2 bill was cut out of the latter and pasted over the X on the $10 bill. The small X's which adorn the corners of a $10 bill were similarly covered up. Mr. LANDIS detected the fraud by the fact that the bill bore the portrait of ex-Governor HENDRICKS, which is not the case in a $20 bill, and in examining the bill he discovered the alterations. RAISED LARGE TOMATOES George BOYER, of Pennsburg, raised two exceptionally large tomatoes on one stalk. One weighed two pounds and the other only three ounces less. The size respectively was 17 by 14 1/2 inches and 15 1/2 by 14 inches. He raised many others that were nearly the same size and weight. WILL START THE STONE CRUSHING BUSINESS Henry F. SWEISFORD, of near Perkiomenville, will start the stone crushing business. He purchased a stone crusher and a portable gasoline engine with which he expects to begin work. FOUND BLACKSNAKE IN KITCHEN A blacksnake over five feet in length was discovered in the kitchen of John WILSON at Elverson, and it was finally killed by Aaron LIEBER and Joseph SIMMERS. CAUGHT A LARGE BLACK BASS Horace H. RAHN, of Perkiomenville, this week, caught a nineteen inch black bass in the Perkiomen creek near that town.