Ref: Town and Country Newspaper Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA Saturday - July 8, 1905 CONFESSES TO MURDER Confessing that he killed his wife and then burned down his home in order to wipe out the evidence of his crime, Alfred LOOZ, of Pine Grove, is in jail at Pottsville, on the double charge of murder and arson. He can assign no reason for his action, and it is believed he has lost his reason. FIRECRACKER TAKES GIRL'S LIFE Her dress having been set on fire on Tuesday while she was lighting a firecracker, 5-year-old Lizzie STUFFLET died on Wednesday at Pottstown of her burns. The child's waist was almost completely burned away and her whole body was badly blistered. STRUCK BY BRIDGE, BRAKEMAN DIES Andrew ARNOLD, 30 years old, of Harrisburg, a brakeman on the Reading Railway, was killed late on Wednesday night while riding on top of a car. His head struck an overhead bridge at Franklin street, Pottstown, and he was hurled under the wheels. RUNAWAY ACCIDENT Henry BILLGER, of Tylersport, met with an accident last week on returning from taking a load of hay to Philadelphia. The horses ran away and the wagon passed over him, breaking one of the bones of the leg above the ankle. CHANGE OF STATION AGENTS G.M. CARL who has been Station Agent, at Schwenksville, for the past 14 years, resigned and has been succeeded by Allen E. BORTZ, of Zeiglerville. SURPRISE PARTIES A pleasant surprise party was tendered Miss Maria LANDIS at the home of her sister, Mrs. Henry GERHARD, near Palm, on the evening, July 3rd. Those present were as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Alfred MOLL, Lucy, Henry, Lizzie and Edna MOLL, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel GERHARD and daughters, Mahala and Stella, Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel RAUDENBUSH, Mrs. Henry GEHRING, Lizzie MOSER, Freeda, Katie and George GEHRING, James and Weldon GERHARD, James SCHELL, Frank SCHELL, Wm. MARKS, Victor SHERER, James WEISS, James SHERER, Edward WEISS, Edwin KECK, Homer SCHULTZ, Charles HUBER, Elmer KRAUSS, Charles SCHULTZ, Martin LANDIS, Samuel GERHARD, George EDWIN, John and Wilson GERHARD, Levi FETTERMAN, Harvey HUBER, Horace HEISTAND, Claude HUBER, Misses Stella SALLADE, Sallie KRAUSS, Mabel FETTERMAN, Cora SCHULTZ, Stella HUBER, Sallie HIESTAND, Katie GERHARD, Minerva KRIEBEL, Tevillia GERHARD, Mary KRIEBEL, Amanda, Adlaide KRIEBEL, Anna RAUDENBUSH, Sallie KNETZ and Mabel WANNER. A surprise party was tendered to Miss Sallie HUFF, of Shimersville, on Friday evening in honor of her birthday. The evening was spent in playing various games suitable to the occasion. The guests were served with a splendid spread out on the lawn at about 10.30, after which the evening was spent in dancing. The guests returned home at a reasonable hour, after wishing Miss HUFF many happy years. The following were present: Mr. and Mrs. Barton KLEPPINGER, Misses Sallie HUFF, Katie HUFF, Marie HUFF, Emma HELD, Anna STICHTER, Ruth HUDSON, Millie FOSTER, Lizzie STICHTER, Irene WEIDNER, Stella DELLICKER and Jennie M. KERN; Messrs. Chas. BORGER, Stanley URFFER, Howard DELLICKER, Horace STAHLER, Monroe GEISSINGER and Allen BORGER. ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE FOURTH While shooting at a mark placed on a telephone pole opposite the Amercian House, Pennsburg, Claude BICKLE was shot in the thigh by Matthias RUMMEL on Tuesday forenoon. A number of young men had congregated at the Hotel and in token of their patriotism they used a twenty-two caliber rifle to shoot mark, the number taking successive turns. While the shooting was going on Matthias RUMMEL came along and expressed a desire to try his skill, Mr. BICKEL, the day operator at the Pennsburg station, whose home is at Reading, slipped a cartridge into the rifle and handed it to Mr. RUMMEL. After passing the rifle to Mr. RUMMEL, BICKLE turned to talk with a companion and the report of the rifle was simultaneously with a sting in his left thigh. On investigation it was found that the discharged bullet found lodgement in that part of his body. Dr. J.G. HERSH, of East Greenville, was called to dress the wound. The doctor probed the wound to the depth of several inches but failed to locate the bullet. The bullet made an opening sufficiently large for a 38 calibre bullet to enter but as no artery was cut and no organ injured, Mr. BICKEL resumed his work after the wound was dressed. Thumb Shot Off. In celebrating the fourth at Niantic, on Tuesday evening, a gun exploded in the hands of Andrew SCHULTZ and tore off one of his thumbs. The served member was not found till next morning. At first it was feared that it would be necessary to amputate the entire hand but later it was found that the hand could be saved. The unfortunate youth is a promising young man. He was a member of the class of 53 that graduated at Perkiomen Seminary last week and was one of the Commencement speakers. PAPERS CONSOLIDATED With the issue of this week, under date of July 4, the "Bauern Freund" and "The Perkiomen Valley Press," both published at Pennsburg, the former in the German language and the latter in English have been consolidated into one paper. The paper as now issued consists of a nine colum four page edition, pages one, two and three are printed in German, while page four is printed in English. Both papers were owned and edited by Henry A. KNEULE, the present editor and proprietor of the consolidated paper. The idea is a novel one and it is hoped that the consolidation may prove of mutual advantage to the proprietor and his subscribers. ESTATE OF E.F. KANE DIVIDED Judge SOLLY, in Orphans' Court, at Norristown, on Wednesday, made distribution of the $98,902.50 estate of Edward F. KANE, an attorney of Norristown, and former Democratic county chairman. The widow is awarded $32,317.50 and each of the three children $21,545. The payment of $1000 to the Academy of the Visitation at Fredericktown, Md., and $1000 to Miss Alice M. KANE, a sister of the deceased, two bequests authorized by the will, were indorsed by the Court. CHILD HAS DIPHTHERIA When Dr. D. George KNECHT left his home at Allentown, for Pennsburg where he has a dental office, on Wednesday morning, his child was showing symptons of sickness. Later in the day he was called home by telephone message, stating that the child had developed into a dangerous case of diphtheria. It is likely that Dr. KNECHT may not be able to meet his many patients in these towns for several weeks. A NOVEL WEDDING TRIP Dr. HOEFFER and Miss Mame ZIMMERMAN, young society leaders of Pottsville, who were married on Thursday evening, were forced to make the trip from the bride's home to the railroad station perched high on the seat of an old-fashioned fire engine drawn by a score of friends. With the fire bells madly clanging, a concourse of people blocked all the approaches to the depot, and the couple were of necessity unloaded at the freight station. CHILD BURNS TO DEATH Having seen her older brothers celebrate the Fourth with fire and noise, five-year-old Mabel KLINE, daughter of Mrs. Katie KLINE, of Allentown, began her own celebration by starting a bonfire in the back yard. Her dress caught fire and she was burned to death.