Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-11-30


psychology department of the state
university declares that Willetta Hig-
gins, Is, GAINESVILLE girl, who asserts
that she is able to smell colors and
hear by the sense of touch, has no
such powers. Tests made at the uni
versity psychological laboratory show
that the young girl, inmate of the
Wisconsin School for the Blind, is
neither totally blind or deaf, the doc
| tor says. The doctors lengthy re-
port sums up that the girl gets a
knowledge of color through what Wis
ion she has and the same is true in
regard to hearing Articles have been
printed about the girl as a second
Helen Keller" in nationally circuIa
ted magazines and newspapers. Be
fore Willetta became blind and
deaf her teachers regarded her as
stupid and indolent. Then it was
discovered that both hearing and
sight were impaired She was put
in the GAINESVILLE institution. A
year or so ago she was discovered"
by people who, it seems now, were
ready to have their credulity i'm
posed upon
The Monument Point Hermit" as
he was known to summer residents of
Door county peninsula, was found
dead bv neighbors in the shack he hal
lived in for thirty years. Investigation
of the old mans belongings showed
that his name was John Peter Mo-
der, and his age as SO. Many years
ago the hermit arrived on the shores
of the bay, obtaining a ''life lease"
from John Parkinson, Chicago at
torney, an extensive land owner in
the peninsula, for a plot of ground.
Ever since he had lived the life of a
recluse. He made his living by fish
ing and made some extraordinary
catches. The body was buried in the
potter's field.
Because the average total cost of
mile of concrete road in Green coun-
ty is $4,000, including cost of grad
ing, relocation, bridges and surfac-
ing, the Green county board voted to
change to other than cement construc-
ton. Applause greeted the declara-
ton by Supervisor John P. Nolty Of
Spring Grove, that there's too much
Madison to this road business and we
have to pay the bills Two years ago
Green county voted 100000 bonds
for concrete highways. The legisla-
ture empowered the county boards to
change to a cheaper type of highways
if they saw fit. The Green county
board made the change. The revolt
against Madison is on.
Mayor r. D. Haentze of Fond du
Lac has called for the resignation of
Chief of Police F. A. Nolan, being met
with a defiant refusal. A public hear
ing will be called. Women's organ
izations informed the mayor that a
girl named Vera Clark, 81, had been
arrested and fined $50 and costs by
Municipal Judge Fellenz, for disorder
ly conduct in hotel with two men.
The police blotter indicated that the
men had been released on bail with
no further action in their cases. The
case seemed a fragrant violation of
fair play and the mayor holds the
chief responsible.
George Webster, 25, Oneida Indian,
living on the outskirts of the reser-
walton near Green Bay, was arrested
on a warrant sworn out in Wisconsin
Rapids charging him with obtaining
money under false prctenses. 1t is
alleged the that the red brother is
sued a number of small checks with
out having funds in the bank they
were drawn on. An epidemic OF
check passing is prevalent among the
redskins at the reservation. Webster
is the seventh Indian in the last two
months to be brought into court on
the same charge.
A petition signed by So farmers of
Winnebago county was presented to
the county board asking that it pro-
vide a bounty of 4 cents on each
blackbird The petition declared that
action was necessary because black
birds are increasing so fast and are
SO destructive that they are wiping
out crops along lakes and rivers.
Chairman Mcdonald of the county
board was at loss as to procedure on
the petition but referred it to a COM
mittee
The state pardon board has been
considering the claim of John Dietz
for $4,000 damages ror false impris-
onment The meeting was closed and
the public refused admittance. 1t is
known that Dietz continued to main
tain that he had never killed Deputy
Sheriff Oscar Harp, for whose death
he was serving a life imprisonment
when pardoned by Gov. Blaine. Mr..
Dietz told the board that most per
sons connected with the case had lit
tie regard for the truth.
Forcible feeding has been resorted
to at the Milwaukee county hospital
with Anton Staubli, 6S, who refused
food following the death of his wife,
Molly, whom he strangled in their
home. When forcible feeding was at
first used the old man relented and
accepted food given him, but return
of melancholia is believed to have
caused his renewed determination to
starve to death. A commission of al
ienists will examine the old man to
determine his sanity.
Six residents of Chippewa Falls, en-
route home from a party, noticed that
the residence of George Joas was on
fire. The family, sound asleep, were
first aroused and taken to safety. The
fire was then located and put out with
buckets of water. One of the children
had dropped match on a mattress in
the afternoon. The blaze smouldered
all day, breaking out at night. Not
much damage was done.
Escaping coal gas caused the death
of Fred G. Boil. 81, and his wife, 78.
at Sheboygan. Nelghbors invading