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.