Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-24
A TOT IS CREMATED
Small Child at Charlton Burns to
Death.
BROTHER WAS INNOCENT CAUSE
Cut heads From Matches In Absence of
Mother-Curtains Set on Fire and
Baby's Clothes Catch-CleveIand
Man Found Dead.

Charlton, Dec. 21.-The funeral SER
vices of the little ten months old babe
of Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Skidmore, who
was burned to death will be held from
the residence today The mother left
the little one in charge of his five
year old brother while she went out
doors to do some work While she
was gone the brother amused himself
by cutting the heads off of matches
with the scissors when piece flew in.
to the lace curtains which burned to
the pole and fell down, catching the
clothes Of the little one on fire. When
the mother returned the babe was too
near dead for human assistance. 1t
was fearfully burned and died before
medical aid could be summoned Mr..
Skidmore is the engineer at the new
shaft of the Inland Coal Co. and was
at work at the mine when the accident
happened.
Found Dead in Bed.
Word has been received from Cleve.
land No. of the sudden death of
VIM. McDermit, resident of that
place, he having been found dead in
his bed. Mr.. McDermott had been
thought that this was the cause of his
death as he was seen the evening pre-
vious and appeared to be in his usual
good health though somewhat intoxi-
Gated. Coroner Stanton has gone to
Cleveland to investigate.
Ice Harvest Begins.
The ice harvest has begun and both
companies are hard at work putting
UP the frozen water The Charlton ice
company begun work on the kull pond
Wednesday and the Spring Lake com
pany begun Friday on Spring Lake
The ice is of excellent quality, ten
inches thick and so clear that the men
could read a printed book through the
cake of ice. The season will last
about week or ten days and will give
employment to about thirty-five men
while it lasts.
Other Happenings.
John Irwin, of Derby, was renewing
old acquaintance on our streets
: Thursday.
Mrs. Lille Barlow has purchased
the t. e. Cakes property in the east
part of town and expects to move her
family there to make their future home
in a short time
H. A. Rhodes has secured a position
with II. d. Copeland and is employed
on his farm east of town.
j. HI. Sanders, of Lucas, formerly a
resident of Charlton, was renewing old
acaualntances and transacting bust
ness in our city Thursday.
Word has been received from Bur.
lington that Amos Hampshire, an old
resident of this place who has been
seriously ill at the nome of his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Warren DUNCAN, is much
better and able to be around.
Lucian Wright, who has been at
tending college at the State Agricul-
tural college in Ames. has returned to
his home in Warren township to spend
the Christmas vacation with his pa
rents
The Ladies Aid Society of the
Christian church held very interest
ing and profitable meeting at the home
OF Mrs. Amy Yengol on Thursday. The
women took their work with them and
refreshments We're served. The
accounts of the annual sale and dinner
last Saturday were settled up and it
was learned that they had made $50
clear money from the affair.
Thursday was pay day on the Bur-
lington and the railroad boys are now
laying in their supply of Christmas
presents. The checks were not az
large as usual on account of the gen
eral reduction in the time of working
hours which took effect the first of
the month.
The Charlton readers of the Courier
were much disappointed Friday even
ing by not receiving their daily Cou-
rler on account of the train being late.
The boy did not go around with them
and as it's pages are eagerly scanned
each evening by large number of
charlton readers who depend upon it
for the latest news, its non-appearance
was keenly felt.
b. F. Murphy, an old resident of
Charlton but who has been in business
In Marion for the past few months. is
spending a few days with his son, w.
w. Murphy, of Warren township.
Clarence Funk has accepted a posi-
ton as porter in C. P. Connells barber
shop and has already entered upon his
duties.
Miss Tessie Slater, formerly Of Lu-
cas- county, but now residing in Sher-
idan, Mo-. was visiting old friends in
Charlton on Friday.
Geo. Hampshire has resigned his po-
sition as driver for Stewart & Co.'s
lumber wagon.
There was quite a lively runaway
here Thursday. Miss Minta Rowland
was driving the yellow pony OF, G. w.
Wiltsey to sleigh when some boys
ran out to catch on and it frightened,
kicked loose from the sleigh and ran
several blocks before it was stopped
But little damage was done to the
sleigh and Miss Minta escaped injury.
Charlton, Dec. 20--The December
term of the district court has adj
Journed after almost three weeks
session, during which time much i'm
portant business was transacted.
There We're eight divorce cases dis
posed of, the grand Jury ignored five
eases and returned four indictments.
The docket was almost cleared of
cases. but few being continued. The
suit of Lucas county VS.. the c., B. &
Q. railroad on garnishement to col
lect $137.60 taxes claimed to be due
from the Western Union Telegraph
company and which was in the nature
OF test suit to determine whether the
cOmnanv can ha tovad IN fboi,, k,,.;