Killed by Train at the Knapp Crossing

This story was published by The Daily Ypsilanti Press on Wednesday, February 13, 1913. The commonplace but no less sad tragedy of a man meeting a lonely death of the railroad tracks was repeated Tuesday night just about a mile and a half west of the city at Knapp’s crossing. It was train No. 6, due to reach Ypsilanti at 6:25 that struck the man. He was brought on the train to the baggage room and from there conveyed to Jay Moore’s undertaking establishment. The coroner Dr. Clark, of Ann Arbor, came and by means of letters in the victim’s pockets his identity was established. He was a marine fire man, Charles Stieber by name, and his home is in Cheboygan, Wisconsin, where his mother resides. Whether he has a family besides his mother is not known. She has been advised of his death by telegraph. The young man was twenty-two years old and rather shabbily dressed, though the body was so shattered by its impact with the train that it was difficult to judge the cloths. An inquest to fix the responsibility for the accident will be held in Justice Stedtmiller’s office next Wednesday night.

Students Arrested with Beer

Five young men were arrested on the morning of Wednesday, February 7, 1923, after their car skidded into a water hydrant at 2:00 a.m. and officers found three cases of beer in the car. The young men said they were students at the University of Michigan, and gave their names as, Ronald Selway of Seattle, Washington, James Hoover of Debols, Pa., Max Van Sandt from Oklahoma City, Okla.: Sheldon Brown from Dubols, Pa.: Lawrence Howe of Clearfield, Pa.. Two of the students said they were seniors and expected to graduate in June. The other three students were freshmen. All of the young men were members of a fraternity at the University, and one was a member of the Michiganensian. That afternoon the five were arraigned before Justice Stadtmiller on a charge of unlawfully transporting and having in their possession 63 pints of beer. “According to the story told Justice Stadtmiller, the boys had gone to Wyandotte where they purchased drinks. Two of them, both freshmen, became intoxicated, but the other three were not. One of the boys, Ronald Selway, a senior from Seattle, Washington, took all responsibility for having the booze in the car, stating that he purchased it for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, 1408 Washtenaw Avenue, the inference being that possibly it was for J-Hop consumption. He declared that he did not tell the rest of the boys that he had secured the liquor, or that it was in the machine, and that they accordingly knew nothing of its presence. The boys corroborated his story. Selway himself does not drink, he told officers, and he was not drunk when arrested,” reported The Daily Ypsilanti Press of Thursday, February 8, 1923. The five waived examination and were bound over to the March term of the circuit court. Bail was set at $2,000, which none were able to give. All were taken to the jail at Ann Arbor.

Vorce Home is Burned

This story was published by The Daily Ypsilanti Press of February 1, 1913. The horrors attendant upon a fire in the country were experienced Friday afternoon by Fred Vorce when his country home near the county line three miles east of Ypsilanti burned to the ground. It took littlemore than an hour for this substantial structure built when big timbers were liberally used to become ashes. It was about five o’clock in the afternoon when flames burst from the furnace room. Earlier in the day Perry Vorce had cleaned the carbide lighting plant in the furnace room and refilled the tank. This he had done on many former occasions, but in some way the gas seems to have escaped. Fred Vorce went down later into the furnace room and detected a peculiar odor which he could not identify. Twenty minutes later, shortly after his wife had returned home, there was a terrific burst of flames from the furnace room. R. Vorce owns a chemical fire extinguisher and he quickly set this into operation, but it made no headway in quelling the fire which had begun large. The word quickly spread abroad tha the homestead was burning and farmers from miles around made their way to the scene. All helped in saving the furniture and this was entirely accomplished except in the case of the two rooms above and the contents of the cellar. The wind blew violently and it seemed doubtful at times if the barns could be saved. The horses and cows were brought out, but no attempt was made to remove the 400 bushels of beans stored there. However the fire was so valiantly fought that it was confined to the one house. The house which was destroyed was the old Vorce homestead into which Fred Vorce moved with his bride about two years ago. The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Perry Vorce, who are wealthy farmers, immediately opened their home across the way to the son and his wife, and the furniture was taken there at once. The insurance, which amounted to but $1200 would not go far toward replacing the homestead.