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100 Years Ago This Month

February 1919

February 7

Organization Formed For Fairfield Highway

The Adams County Chamber of Commerce has voted hearty cooperation to get a satisfactory permanent road between Fairfield and the Waynesboro Pike. The idea is to work with the newly formed West End Good Roads Association and, by united effort; it is proposed to ascertain the desired results.

Fountaindale Band Reorganized

The Fountaindale Band met on Tuesday night and reorganized as follows: Charles Warren, President; John Warren, Vice President; Peter Sites, Secretary; Joseph Carson, Assistant Secretary. The band intends to hold concerts on a monthly basis in the local fire hall.

Lieut. Eyler Died In Motor Truck

Lieut. Edger Eyler, of Thurmont, who was picked up off the battlefield on September 29 wounded and singing, "There is a Long, Long Trail," died on the way to the hospital. A friend wrote his family: "I met a medical officer from another outfit who dressed his wounds and placed him on a truck en route to the hospital. At the time Ned was wounded the roads were very congested and ambulances had difficulty in getting to the front. Every available conveyance, trucks, wagons, &c. were used in the evacuation of the wounded. After being dressed, Ned was placed in a truck and started for a hospital. I knew that his wound was serious but hoped that his vitality was sufficient to carry him through. He died on the way to the hospital and the message he sent to his parents was probably written while on the truck and given to the driver for mailing."

February 14

Husband And Wife Dead

Lawrence and Ella Gillelan died on their farm just outside of Emmitsburg last week, victims of the Spanish Influenza. Mrs. Gillelan died Wednesday night, after an illness lasting only a day and a night. Mr. Gillelan died Friday, two days after his wife, without having been told of her death, on account of his extreme illness at the time. Three small daughters, aged ten, seven, and three years survive them. Both Mr. and Mrs. Gillelan were of the same age, 34 years. A double funeral will be held in Emmitsburg on Sunday afternoon.

Confirms News Of Soldier's Death

Rev. and Mrs. Firor, of Sabillasville, Pastor of the Reformed Church, have been officially notified that their son, Carl, was killed in action on October 2. The family learned last month that another son, Paul, died of the influenza while at Fort Harrison. Up until the past week, the family of the young soldier had hoped that he was still alive. Letters had been forwarded to him, but these were returned unopened. The Red Cross was appealed to assist in locating him. They found that he had been killed in action.

Civil War Veteran Dies

John Alexander Rockwell, of Hamiltonban Township, died at his home on Monday, aged about 76 years. He was a veteran of the Civil War, had always been a staunch Democrat and was elected and served a term as a Director of the Poor of the County. His interment was in the Fairfield Union Cemetery.

February 21

Shoots Through Door At Husband

Discharging the contents of a shotgun through a closed door at her husband, when he returned to their home in Harney Wednesday evening, Mrs. Frank Kaiser inflicted wounds which will prove fatal or else result in his being a mental wreck for the remainder of his life, according to the physicians in attendance.

The home life of the Kaisers had not been entirely serene, it was said, and it was about seven o'clock when Kaiser returned home. He was a huckster and traveled extensively about that section. After he entered the house and approached the door leading into one of the rooms, Mrs. Kaiser fired a shot, which went through the panel, a large portion of the charge lodging in the left temple. The gun was fired at close range; so close that she would have blown her husband's head off had the door not intervened between them.

The wife went next door to the nearest neighbor to tell them what had occurred and to ask that some men be summoned to take charge of the badly wounded husband. Two physicians were called, Dr. Elliot of Harney, and Dr. Benner, of Taneytown. They worked with the patient for the greater part of the night.

Mr. Kaiser is a man past middle life. Reports in the vicinity of Harney say that his wife had accused him of unfaithfulness and that this was the reason for her action. They have one son, who is with the American Expeditionary Force in France. No legal action has yet been taken.

No Road For Fairfield To Waynesboro

No encouragement was given to the committee of men from the West End Good Roads Association who visited the State Highway Commissioner on Tuesday, in an effort to get action on a road from Fairfield to the Waynesboro Pike. They were told that during the next three years only one road was to be built, so far as Adams County was concerned, and that the only way the Fairfield Road could get attention was by the state aid plan which, in turn, would be possible only by bonding the Township through which it passes for the construction of a highway costing $30,000 a mile. The Highway Commission said that roads will now be made of concrete, that they were to be permanent and would require little to no maintenance.

February 28

Last Rites For Murdered Harney Man

A large number of people attended the funeral of Frank Kaiser at his home in Harney Monday morning. His wife, who fired the shot that killed him, accompanied the funeral cortege to Taneytown where interment was made.

Mrs. Kaiser spoke freely of the long strain, which she had undergone for many months, alleging that her husband had been under the spell of another woman living in the same neighborhood of Harney. She reportedly told the officers investigating the shooting: "I could not stand it any longer, and had to do something. Three weeks ago, as he sat at the table, I shot him with a revolver. The ball went through his coat collar and struck his collar button. I told him that the Lord had spared him that time, and that ought to be a warning. He did not run after her [the woman he allegedly was having an affair with]; she ran after him. I think she must have put a spell on him, for it did not stop. Yesterday she walked up and down on the other side of the street in front of our home. She made signs. I saw Frank waving as if to make a signal to her, and then he drove away. I thought he had gone with her, for I did not see her afterwards. I waited for him to come home and when I heard him put the horse in the stable I took the gun and stood inside the kitchen door and shot him when he entered."

Casualties Still Coming In

Over three months have passed since the armistice was signed, but the one fact remains - Frederick County casualties in the daily casualty list still mounts. In yesterday's list was Charles Sherrer, of Emmitsburg, who was listed as being wounded in action. From what could be gathered last night, Sharrer is at Camp Meade now awaiting his discharge. His wife, it is said, was at the camp with him. He left Emmitsburg for training in September 1917, and embarked for France during the middle of summer. Sharrer was wounded in the early fall.

Summer like Storm In Heart Of Winter

The first real thunderstorm of the season, accompanied by rain, hail and lightning occurred throughout the northern part of the county on Thursday. The storm followed up unusual humidity for this season of the year. Between three and four o'clock heavy black clouds gathered in the Northeast and occasional flashes of lightning indicated that a midwinter storm was approaching. It broke in the vicinity of Emmitsburg and moved rapidly over Thurmont. Shortly before eight o'clock rain fell in torrents accompanied by heavy hail.

There is a tradition that the first storm of the season indicates the direction that the majority of the storms will follow. If this holds, heavy downpours next summer may be expected from the northwest. It is generally taken that the first real thunderstorm is the turning point towards spring and it is now felt that the backbone of winter has been broken.

Weather conditions this winter, thus far, have been unusually mild. Robbins and bluebirds have made their appearance, and other harbingers of spring are far in advance of the season this year. This day last winter all the roads in the county were snowbound. For two days a force of men shoveled drifts from six to eight feet deep to open the state road between Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg.

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