Ref: Town and Country Newspaper Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA Saturday - October 29, 1904 GYPSIES KIDNAP BOY AND ESCAPE TO WOODS Michael, the four-year-old son of Paul MIORSKI, of Phoenixville, was kidnapped by gypsies in the heart of that town on Friday evening. The country for miles was scoured for several days and no trace of the boy was found until Sunday when a party of boys found his murdered body in a deserted farm house within a distance of a mile and a half of the parents home. At the time he was kidnapped he and another boy were playing near the parents home. The gypsy band drove up to the boys, grasped the boy and threw him into their wagon, whipped up their horses and escaped. An alarm was soon raised and a searching party was made up but without avail. When found the boy had his skull crushed, and his throat cut. A gypsy band was encamped within a short distance of the house in which the child's body was found and after investigating into the matter the authorities decided to take them into custody. Five male members of the camp were arrested and a knife with blood stains as well as a coat with similar stains were taken from one of the prisoners. SECURED MARRIAGE LICENSES Clerk of Courts, Henry G. GROFF, this county issued the following marriage licenses to parties in the upper end: J. ???en EVANS, Limerick and Katharine ???ett, Royersford; Jeremiah CONRAD, Green Lane and Mrs. Mary M. EDELMAN, Marlborough; Edwin L. MOYER and Lizzie M. NYCE, Harleysville; Jacob D. RUSS, Towamencin and Amanda B. NYCE, Lower Salford; Joseph O. GAUGLER, Collegeville and May A. FRY, Fagleysville. OWNS SEVERAL ODD LOOKING CATS Alvin SHOEMAKER, the hostler and liveryman at the Perkiomen Hotel, Schwenksville, is the owner of several odd looking cats. They are a cross between a cat and a rabbit. The forepart is catlike and the hind part rabbit. They have a great liking for mice, but Mr. SHOEMAKER has not yet been able to find any Easter Eggs which they laid. HORSE DIES ON THE ROAD Huckster Harry TOMS, of Boyertown, was out over his huckster route gathering his produce and when near the Hill Church an egg crate slipped off the wagon against the horse, which frightened him and he ran to one side into a gutter where he fell, striking against a post. The animal broke its neck and died in a short time. RICH, BUT WENT TO JAIL TO SAVE FINE Jacob AUSTIN, of York, Pa., aged 68 years, who is the owner of a dozen houses and reputed to be work $20,000, on Saturday went to jail for ten days rather than pay a fine of $5 imposed upon him for disorderly conduct. He remarked that the ten days he will spend in will be the ???on happiest days of his life. VINE HAS MANY PUMPKINS Harvey SMITH, of Finland, has a pumpkin vine, which has twelve large pumpkins. The largest measured five and seven and one-half inches in circumference and weighs eighty-eight pounds. He beats the record in the vicinity in which Mr. SMITH lives. FOREST FIRE AT EMAUS The blazing barn on the farm of Wm. WRIGHT, on the mountain back, of Emaus on Monday set fire to the woodland surrounding it and a conflagration begun which the well-directed efforts of a large party of farmers were unable to check up to an early hour the next morning. The fire broke out in the barn about 4 o'clock Monday afternoon. Its origin is mysterious. Before much headway was gained the cattle were rescued but the farming implements and the crops of hay and grain were completely destroyed. A high wind carried the flames in the direction of the forests on the mountain side and soon the masses of dried leaves and dead branches were, in a crackling blaze and a forest fire of no mean proportions started. Efforts to save the barn were diverted to preventing the spread of the forest fire and most of the fuel was removed from the progress of the flames. The woodland that was burned is on the DAUBERT and SHULER farms. The barn, which burned, was a small frame structure and the loss on it, as well as on the implements and crops, is partly covered by insurance. The farm is tenanted by Harvey LONG and experienced a fire eight years ago when the barn, which this later one replaced, was burned down. FELL FROM WAGON AND WAS INJURED Merchant Geo. W. WELKER, of Red Hill, met with an accident on Friday afternoon while conveying goods from the depot to his store. He was seated on top of a number of boxes and a young son of Oliver ERB, of the same town, was seated lower down, when the horse made a sudden start throwing both as well as some boxes from the wagon. Both Mr. WELKER and the boy sprained their wrists and ever since the accident they are compelled to carry their arms in slings. The injuries were quite painful. INSTALLATION SERVICES WERE WELL ATTENDED The installation of Rev. W.U. KISTLER as pastor of the St. Mark's Lutheran church of Pennsburg was exceptionally well attended and the church was filled to its utmost capacity. Rev. C. KISTLER, brother of the pastor spoke in German and directed his remarks to his brother and his duties towards the church, while Rev. C.C. BOYER spoke in English and directed his words to the congregation and its duties towards the pastor. The church choir sang several well selected anthems. STOLE CORN FROM THE FIELD A thief entered the corn field of Allen DILLINGER, of Dillingersville, one night this week and stole about five bushels of corn which had been husked the day before. Suspicion rests on some one in the neighborhood and as soon as Mr. DILLINGER will be convinced that he was the guilty party, he will prosecute him. An example made of such a citizen may be the means of putting a stop to such petty thieving in this neighborhood. DOCTOR VICTIM OF BLOOD POISONING Dr. J.R. UMSTAD, of Norristown, is afflicted with a serious case of blood poisoning on the hand. A cut on the finger, made by a ring, evidently became poisoned, following an operation performed a few days ago. The hand has swollen to a great size, and is causing the physician no little apprehension. GIRL OF SIXTEEN WILL BE WEDDED Charles H. RHOADES, a 22 year old farmer of Schwenksville, this week secured a license to wed Miss Mary STYER, the 16 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred STYER, of Salfordville. The parents gave their full consent in order to get the license. EMAUS BOY HAD A CLOSE CALL Percy OTT, a 9-year-old Emaus boy, had a very close call from death. He attempted to jump on a freight car while the train was in motion. He fell in front of the wheels, but was pushed aside just in time. Besides a few bruises from the cinder he was not hurt. MOTHER SHOOTS HER SON FOR A BURGLAR John CONNELLY, of Pittsburg, aged 15, died on Tuesday of gunshot wounds inflicted by his mother. The boy was a somnambulist, and was groping about the house early Sunday morning when he was shot in mistake for a burglar. HORSE FELL INTO LIME KILN AND WAS KILLED Falling through some rotten boards into a lime kiln, a valuable horse owned by James M. MEREDITH, of Calcium Berks County broke his back and was killed.