April 1

Fruit Trees Damage by Freezing Cold

The abnormal March heat continued over on Sunday, with the temperature up to the 80s, bringing nearly all peaches, plums, apricots, pears and cherry trees into full bloom. Monday followed with another warm one, until mid afternoon when a heavy gust, with hail, cooled the air greatly, followed by a freeze at night. Ice forming to the thickness of a half-inch. Tuesday was cool, warming up in the afternoon, followed by a killing frost at night.

The early fruit is likely all killed. The rain of Monday afternoon soaked the buds, causing them to freeze easily. The hopeful ones think they may be a scattering crop of fruit, but the hope seems forlorn considering the drop of over 60E within a few hours. This will be a great misfortune to many who depend largely on small fruits for reducing the cost of living. Whether the apple crop has been hurt is not known, as their buds were not so far advanced. The light snow of Thursday night no doubt help to finish up any remaining live fruit buds of the early varieties and "what next?" is now the question.

Women’s Course

The Former-Former Boozers Association has been handing out circulars promoting their upcoming series of women’s courses. Topics the Boozers plan to cover include: Ludlum, quieting a nagging wife; how to disconnect a party line so housework gets done; what makes a man happier - a woman or a faithful dog?; and, getting your woman to stop complaining about the outhouse’s smell. Each course will be followed by a question and drinking session. The courses will be held throughout the summer at the Boozer’s secret still behind the Annan barn.

April 8

Auto Hits Wagon

Charles Beard was cut above the eye during an accident on the Emmitsburg Road. Mr. Beard was riding along the right hand side of the road on a spring wagon containing milk cans. Close to the spring wagon were walking a man and a girl. Charles Murray driving, in a touring car, met the pedestrians and spring wagon at a culvert. Trying to avoid hitting the pedestrians, the driver struck both the man and the wagon, knocking down the former and upsetting the latter. Milk cans flew in all directions. The car then veered sharply to the side of the road and ran through a fence. Mr. Murray left his address with Mr. Beard and stated that he would pay for the damages to the wagon. The unidentified man and girl continued on their way un-injured.

New Milk Dealer

John Lewis of Thurmont has embarked in the milk business and has been delivering milk since April 1. It is reported that Mr. Lewis has purchased the Charles Little property on Water Street and will in the course of time, conduct a business at that place. Mr. Lewis is selling milk at eight cents per quart – two cents lower than other dealers in Thurmont.

Martins Return

A family of Black Martens that have been residing during past summers in Mr. Brinings palatial martin home, arrived last week, and although their home had been moved to the McKellip property, the birds found it and have started up housekeeping, as usual.

April 15

Roller Runs Over Child.

Harold Detter, two-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Detter, was seriously injured when a runaway team of horses hitched to a steel roller, dashed through a field and across the farmyard, where the child was playing. The roller passed over the child, injuring him internally, and inflicting bruises and abrasions of the head and shoulder. The horse dashed on and where only stopped when they came to in contact with the dwelling.

The tongue of the roller plunge through the window of the house, tearing the entire frame out, and tearing part of the weather boarding and wall of the house out. Mr. Detter, who is driving the team, was operating the roller in the field adjoining the buildings. The horses are young and became frightened at the noise of the roller, tearing the lines out of Mr. Detter’s hands in their panic.

Another Cold Snap

After several days of damp, cloudy rainy weather, a changed to cooler came Saturday after heavy local rains. Sunday was very cold and disagreeable. Monday morning ice about a quarter of an inch thick was found on water that was out all night. There is no doubt it hit the fruit again and probably injured the fruit that had escaped the cold of the previous week.

April 22

Harney Boy Commits Suicide

Fourteen-year-old Earl Munshour of Harney, took his life, when he sat on the edge of a rafter, slipped a noose over his head and fired a shot into his heart with a gun. His body dropped into space where he was found dangling a half hour later by his mother. There was evidence that he had taken poison before he used the other two methods to kill himself. There is no known cause for the act. The suicide took place after the noon meal, at which he had been unusually quiet.

The shotgun had been lent him by his father, but instead of going into the field to shoot chicken hawks, he quietly went to the barn, climbed into the hay mow, and planned the suicide so that if the shot did not kill him he would be strangled to death by the rope. His mother summoned help from a nearby mill, but death had been almost instantaneous.

Barn Raising

One Hundred and fourteen persons were present at the barn raising on the farm of Emanuel Cluck, near Fairfield, Thursday. Women of the community serve dinner to the workers at noon.

April 29

Thurmont Denies Women Vote

Women of Thurmont, eligible under the provisions of the 19th amendment, have been denied the right to participate in the annual town election by a clause in the Town charter, which designates all eligible voters as males. It is said that the women who made an effort to vote, accepted the interpretation of the town charter without demonstration.

Burglar Gives Hard Chase

Tuesday afternoon around 4:15 a Carroll County Sherriff came rolling into Thurmont and stopped at the square. He said a burglar was being chased along the western Maryland Railroad towards Thurmont 2 miles west of Rocky Ridge.

The burglar was first seen in Taneytown, with a bullet wound in his right shoulder. The bullet having entered under the shoulder blade and came out above the collarbone. The wound was dressed by Dr. Brenner, after which the man boarded the 9:40 towards Keymar. A passenger on the train gave information as to a shooting affair in Hanover, and just south of the town the conductor stop the train for the purpose of putting the man off, but he did not wait for developments, but jumped off and took to the fields.

The man was wanted for the robbery of Frey’s store in Hanover, where he smashed a window in which was displayed a lot of one dollar bills, advertising a One Dollar Day sale. He was interrupted in the act by the police who fired about 10 shots as he ran away, at least one of which took effect.

Around 6:30, Sheriff Deputies and a crowd of citizens located the burglar half a mile north of Thurmont. A Deputy shot at the man as he cross the state road. The shot went wild and only hastened the speed of the fugitive. He eluded his pursuers, hiding along the Western Maryland track until the 6:52 westbound came along. At the approach of the train the man came from his hiding place, deliberately walked across the track in front of the train and caused the engineer to slow down. He then made two attempts to board the train, but the doors being closed, he could not make a landing on the steps of the coaches. As the trained pulled away, the fugitive made a break for the bushes. Though the deputies and citizens came within 100 feet of him, he eluded capture.

It is stated that the Carroll County deputies watched the man wade the Monocracy River. When the sheriff shot at him as he went through a wire fence, he practically lost his pants. Others said that he was barefoot and was wearing only a long sweater. Officers and citizens remained along the railroad until darkness came on and then came back to town.

So far as we know the man may yet be running or he may be enjoying the sights along the western Maryland through the great Harbaugh Valley. The probability is that a capture will be made, as the wound in his shoulder is so serious as to compel attention. The Remarkable fact is that he was able to travel so rapidly, and so far with such a wound as the average man would have been unable able to withstand the pain and the exertion.

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