Ref: Town and Country Newspaper Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA Saturday - July 29, 1905 TELFORD POST OFFICE LOOTED BY BURGLARS At about 1 o'clock last Thursday morning burglars, no doubt of the professional type, broke into the post office at Telford, which is located in the new Town Hall, opposite the depot and adjoining John M. KUHN's hotel. An entrance was effected through the front door by using a chisel at the lock and then forcing open the heavy door. Once inside the safe, was tackled, the door penetrated and a charge of nitroglycerine shattered it into small pieces, some of which were thrown into the ceiling, one piece imbedding itself. The letter case, furniture and a pane of glass in the front were damaged, but this is no loss compared with the booty taken from the interior of the safe. There is missing about $125 in cash, $50 worth of stamps and various denominations, money order blanks, drafts, account books and all the records of receipts, payments made, etc. All this transpired while the residents were enjoying a good night's rest, the first of a week's hot wave. Several persons, it is stated, heard the noise of the concussion, but paid no attention to it. One person witnessed two men carrying a mail pouch, leaving the front steps, but failed to give an alarm, not thinking that anything was wrong. The robbery was discovered when Assistant Postmaster Howard WAMPOLE went to open the office for the day's business. Postmaster Harry Z. WAMPOLE was on a vacation and only heard of the affair Thursday forenoon when he met Inspector STONE in the Reading Terminal, Philadelphia, who was on his way to the postoffice to investigate the loss. There are no clues to the identity or whereabouts of the robbers, but it is hoped the department detectives can land the guilty ones. WOOD SHED AND CHICKEN HOUSE ON FIRE The frame wood shed to which is attached a frame chicken house belonging to Mrs. Lewis KEHL, of Pennsburg, was nearly destroyed by fire on Tuesday forenoon. Wm. STELTZ a painter of East Greenville was engaged in painting the roof on the dwelling house nearly when he was attracted by a crackling noise. He looked around and saw the flames shooting up from the wood shed. An alarm was raised, and in five minutes the Pennsburg Fire Company was there and had a stream of water playing on the fire. The fire was extinguished in short order. A frame barn standing within six feet was already badly scorched from the intense heat and in three more minutes it would have been in flames. The fire company did efficient work. PIGEONS HATCH A CHICK Quite a novel affair took place last week when a pair of pigeons, belonging to Ellwood HIGH of Dillinger, hatched a little chick and are now caring for it as if it was one of their own. A chicken had laid an egg in the box that was occupied by this pair of birds and they at once began to set on it without the owner knowing it, and had been setting for some time before it was detected and consequently they were left go until last Saturday when a cute little chick made its appearance. Both pigeons and chick are very much attached to each other and whenever they leave the nest the chick begins to chirp in a loud tone until they return. ICE HAD MELTED IN STORAGE PLACE During the ice season last winter H.B. SHELLY of Dillinger, converted an underground portion of his barn into a small ice house and filled it with ice from Emanuel MOYER's dam of near Limeport and had been using some of it occasionally until this week when they wanted to make ice cream and to their astonishment found that the ice had all melted. The fruit which was to be used to flavor the cream had already been prepared and all other preparations made when to his chagrin he found that the ice was gone. BUTCHER GOES TO NEW POSITION John GEHMAN, employed as a butcher by E. WEISS, of East Greenville, has accepted the position as bar clerk at the KEELY House, East Greenville, and will enter upon his new duties next week. AN OLD TURTLE A.D. CARL found a common turtle on his farm near Dillinger which carried with it the mark of P.F. 1809. The letters P.F., mean Peter FLORES, who marked the turtle ninety-six years ago. MACUNGIE BIGAMY CASE AT AN END It transpired on Wednesday that the bottom has dropped out of the case in which Henry MERKLE accused Mr. and Mrs. Reuben HUBER of Macungie, of perjury and bigamy. About 30 years ago Miss Sallie DANKLE was married to Henry MERKLE, who deserted her 21 years ago. Nineteen years ago she sued him for non-support and got separation papers and charge of her children. Working like a slave she reared her children respectably and saved enough to buy a home near Macungie. All these years MERKLE, her runaway husband, did nothing for her. He wasn't heard from, and she didn't know if he was dead or alive. Thinking the separation paper was effective as a divorce, in fact no longer regarded him as her husband. Last Easter she was married to Reuben HUBER, a widower of her own age, 52 years, who was a neighboring farmer with some property. Several weeks ago MERKLE turned up and hearing of the wedding made a great fuss about it. He had his wife arrested for bigamy and accused HUBER of "corrupt and wilfull" perjury for swearing when he got the marriage license that his intended wife was single. Several hearings were held before Alderman FRY. The General, who is as gallant as he is full of wisdom, lectured MERKLE and wanted to know why he came around now to make trouble after doing nothing for his family for 21 years. District Attorney SCHANTZ, who reparesented the Commonwealth, came to the conclusion that no convictions could be secured. HUBER, thinking his wife was divorced, swore in good faith she was single when he applied for the marriage license. He is certain HUBER isn't guilty of willful perjury. As to the woman, he is of the opinion that no jury would convict her, since she honestly thought she was divorced 19 years ago and furthermore thought MERKLE dead. He has decided to drop the prosecutions, but advised Mrs. MERKLE-HUBER to get a divorce from MERKLE and then get re-married to HUBER. HARVEST HOME SERVICES AT HUFF'S CHURCH Rev. O.R. FRANTZ, of Old Zionsville, pastor of the Reformed charge at Huff's Church will hold a harvest home service there on Sunday forenoon, August 20 at 9.30 o'clock. Rev. W.W. BOND of the Lutheran charge at the same place will hold his harvest home service on Sunday, August 27 at 9.30 a.m. ARTESIAN WELL IS FINISHED The artesian well which T.A. ZIEGENFUS, of Sellersville, bored on Emanuel LEVY's farm near Geryville was finished on Monday. It is 120 feet deep and throws from three to five gallons of water a minute. The well drillers moved to the Curtis WEISS farm a short distance away where they will also drill a well. FISHERMEN HAD GOOD LUCK Isaac RAUDENBUSH, Oswin and Ambrose SEASHOLTZ and Frank SNYDER, of East Greenville, spent the major portion of last week fishing at Bushkill, Pike county. They returned on Saturday with one hundred and sixty pickerel. Some of them were of enormous size. FARMER FOUND LARGE STALKS OF OATS Joseph B. YUINGLING, of Hill Church, Berks county, found some exceptional large stalks of oats while harvesting his crop. He placed several on exhibition in DOTTERER's store which measure 5 feet 9 1/2 inches. He would like to hear from some one who raised larger stalks. CHURCH ORGAN WILL BE DEDICATED The new church organ in the New Hanover Lutheran church will be dedicated on Sunday, August 6th. An all day and evening service will be held. The work of erecting it was completed this week. GERY FAMILY WILL HAVE REUNION The GERY family has decided to hold a reunion at the Siesholtzville Park in the near future. A committee on arrangements has been named and they will shortly hold a meeting to decide upon the date and make final arrangements. ELECTED PRINICIPAL OF OHIO SCHOOLS Prof. E.W. ERNEY, of Steinsburg, Bucks county last week was elected principal of the High School at New Waterford, Ohio.