Evening star. [volume], October 04, 1926, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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WEATHER.
<TT. S. Weather Bureau Forecast!
Fair, slightly warmer tonight; to
morrow showers, slightly cooler at
night.
Temperature—Highest. ST. at 2:45
p.m. yesterday: lowest, 66. at 6 a.m.
today. Full report on page 9.
Closing N. Y. Stocks and Bonds, Page 28
QA, Entered as second class matter
■i-At*. ot/ ? iuu. post office. Washington, D. C.
CHINESE BRIGANDS
ROB AND KIDNAP 3
U. S. MISSIONARIES
Two Women and a Man Car
ried Off by Band in
Hunan Province.
SEVEN OTHERS ESCAPE;
SOLDIER GUARDS FLEE
Sun Reported in Control of Nan
chang—Troops Break Into Orgy
of Slaying.
By the Vc, .atoil I’ron
HANKOW, China, October 4.
Bandits yesterday attacked a lat'se
party of missionaries while they weie
proceeding to their stations at Shen
chowfti, Hunan province, -and robbed
and carried off three Americans.
The Americans are .Miss Minerva
K. Wei!. Reformed Mission: Miss
Lydia Koebe. Kvangelican Mission,
and Karl 11. Beck, Reformed Mission.
Seven other missionaries who
escaped are now safe at Taoyouan
Tavo. They are Miss C. Bunnemeir,
Miss .1. Granner, both Americans of
the Evangelical Mission; a Miss
Schweitzer of the Evangelical Mis
sion; Misses R. N. Messitner, Antiski
and lienneberge and a Mr. llilgeman,
all of tlte Reformed Church.
The party httd paid $153 for the
services of 30 armed soldiers of the
Changteh guard, but when the
bandits appeared the soldiers fled.
Sun Rules Naur hang.
Telegrams from authentic sources
In Nanchang, dated September 2k.
pay that Sun Chuan Fang, overlord
of five eastern provinces and ruler
of Kiangsi, who is fighting the Can
tonese, is completely in control of
city of Nanchang and that his sol
diers are murdering and pillaging,
with casualties running into the
thousands.
A* supplementary message from the-
Methodist Mission in Nanchang asks
that volunteers he sent to assist in
caring for the wounded Chinese.
Foreigners known to tie in Nan
cl'.ang are John S. Kitteil. Edward
M BitteH, Rev. Lloyd Creaighill. wife
and child, all of the American church
mission; Rev. \V. R. Johnson and Mrs. I
Johnson and Dr. \V. E. Libby of the.
Methodist Mission.
Nanchang is the capital of Kiangsi J
province and the seat of Sun Chuan j
Fang, who as an ally of the Northern j
military leader. Wn Pei Fu. has been
engaged in warfare against the Can-,
tonese for some weeks. The. Can- !
tonese were reported early in their j
Northern invasion to have penetrated
to the extreme north of Kiangsi!
province and to have conquered Nan- j
chang. Recent reports indicated iliei
tables had been turned and latest I
available information indicates tlie* |
Stm Chuan Fang soldiers are engag- |
Inc in an orgy of slaughter and j
looting.
I rge End of Sailings.
BEK ING. October 5 (4*). A nies-j
twee from Hankow says the American j
natal authorities have requested the;
suspension of American sailings be
tween tehnng and Chunking on the!
Yangtze River, in view of the situa- |
tien at Ichang and tile likelihood of)
resistance against the landing of Gen. i
Yang Sen’s troops.
This message refers to the coni !
ni it deering by Gen. Yap.g Sen’s forces t
f the American steamer Ileng. which, j
o ."-ding to a report from Hankow !
yesterday was pressed into service!
by the Yang Sen troops for the trans- •
portation of soldiers to a point near j
Ichang.
JOHNSONS FROM ILLINOIS. j
NEW YORK. October 4 (A 5 ).- Rev. |
*W. R. Johnson and Mis. Johnson,!
tvho are reported among the American '
Missionaries at Nanchang, China, are 1
from I’olo, I!!.
The Methodist Missions lieadquar-1
tei-s here received a cablegram, dated
September 29, from the Methodist!
Mission correspondent in Shanghai,)
saying that all missionaries in Nan-:
hang were safe. No word of any!
frouhie lias been received since. Dr. 1
Kjhhv is head of the Nanchang Hop- i
pita! and lte\. Mr Johnson is super- '
Ir.tendent of the Nanchang district. (
ASKS EXTRADITION I
IN HALL-ILLS CASE
New Jersey Governor Seeks
Detective Accused as Ac
cessory After Murder.
By the Associated Press
SOMERVILLE. N J October 4.—-!
The extradition of Felix di Martin of'
Brooklyn, private detective accused of |
■e;ng mi accessory after the murder I
four years ago of Rev Dr. Edward |
W. Hall and Mrs Eleanor R. Mills, I
been requested by Gov. Moore. 1
Di Martin is free in $lO,OOO bail pend- j
ing a hearing in Brooklyn Supreme j
Court Friday. He announces he will j
fight extradition.
Three of the defendants charged !
with the murders will he tried first j
on the Indictment « barging the mur- I
of Mrs. Mills. They are Airs, j
Frances Stevens Hall ami iter ;
brothers. Henry and Willie Stevens. |
Trial is set for November 3. The ,
fourth defendant. Henry de la Bruyere
Cat pender. will be tried later.
Special prosecutor Simpson plans to
ssk indictments against three men
».rd a woman as accessories after the
fact. An allegation attributed to
Henry E. Hickman, former State
.ooper that Mr. Carpender paid him j
?r 500 in 1923 to drop his private in
■ estigsDnn of the. case, is denied by
Mr. Carpender. who says that to the
best of his knowledge he has never
<-een Hickman. Hickman, who is a
military prisoner on Governor's Island,
made an affidavit for the prosecution
which Senator Simpson says Is “too
sensational to publish.’*
EAGER ST. LOUIS AWAITS CARDS
AS 6-TO-2 VICTORY TIES SERIES
National League Champions Homeward
Bound to Face Wild Ovation After Im
pressive Triumph Over Yankees.
BY BRIAN BELL.
NEW YORK, October 4 OP).—Two
good base ball teams.were speeding to
the West today, all even, to give St.
i Louis its share of the world series
and to appease the hunger of fatis,
who have waited 3$ years for a
chance to acclaim a championship
team.
Tomorrow afternoon the series
starts all over again at Sportsmen’s
Park. The Cardinals have a home
coming demonstration in prospect.
The Yankees expect nothing but a
hard fight. After the Yankees took
the opening game, 2 to 1, the Cardi
nals came back with a G-to-2 victory
yesterday.
In the box tomorrow Hornsby will
start either Reinhart, a clever left
hander, or Haines, who pitched an
inning in tlie series opener Saturday.
Miller Huggins hail narrowed his
available choices to Hoyt, young in
years, but a world series veteran, and
Ruether, experienced lefthander, who
carries a punch at bat.
St. Louis Fans Wild.
The players expect to find a crowd
at St. Louis who will make up in en
thusiasm what it lacks in numbers.
The limited capacity of the park wilt
not permit the breaking of the record
made in yesterday’s game at the
COOLIDGE PRAISE
OF MILLER READ
Letter Lauding Him for ‘‘Effi
cient Services’’ Pro
duced at Trial.
. By Th" Associated Press.
NEW YORK, October 4. —Thomas ]
;W. Miller, former alien property
j custodian, whom the Government
charges accepted $50,000 of a $441,000
; bribe paid for release of $7,000,000 of
| impounded American Metal Co. shares,
j was lauded by President Coolidge for I
his “efficient services,” it was revealed
j today at the Haugherty-Miller con
' spiracy trial.
I A letter signed by President Coolidge
| and dated March. 1925, was read to
! the jury by William Rand, Miller’s
| counsel. The letter caressed the
| President's thanks for “all you've
j done” and for “efficient services.”
; The letter was a reply to Miller's
I letter of resignation,
j The President's letter said in part:
i ”1 wish to express to you on leav-
I ing the public service my I hanks
i for all you have done in the way of
! helping me. You were very active
! in the conduct of the campaign of
j 1920. and, while your public duties
j were such as to make your activities
i less in 1924, 1 know that I had your
j cordial support.
i "I want to congratulate you upon
I being chosen to assume the duties
| of the head of an international vet-
I era ns' association. You will certainly
1 find there an opportunity both for
{ satsfying your own desire for public
i activity and for promoting the gen
| era! welfare of the world. You must
j take with you into this field my
■ thanks for all the efficient service
| you have rendered in the past and
jmy best wishes for tHe future.”
Reporter Takes Stand.
Harry N. Price, a reporter for the
I Washington Post, was called by Max
| j). Steuer, counsel for Harry M.
i Daugherty, former Attorney General,
i Price testified that on April 19. 1921.
i the date on which the Government
i contended Daugherty was conferring
j in New York with Richard Merton,
German metal magnate, who paid the
! $441,000 bribe. Daugherty was in the
; party of President Harding who had
! come to New York to dedicate a
' statue of Gen. Bolivar, Venezuelan
i patriot and warrior.
This testimony did not account for
| the time Daugherty spent in New
York, or show that he did not see
1 Merton, hut was offered. Steuer said,
i io show* that Daugherty did not travel j
1 from Columbus to New sork, at Gov
: eminent expense simply to keep an
j appointment with Merton.
! steuer did not admit, in any way.
j that Daugherty did meet Merton.
' smith. King or Miller while In New
York.
j Daugherty Secretary Testifies.
W Frank Gibbs, who was a stenog- j
! raphe" for Harding when Harding was |
a Senator, but who was private sec- j
! retarv to Daugherty when the latter
was \ttornev General, testified that j
I he handled all mail and interd.-part- j
1 mental jKipers intended for Datigheitx.
! v,, claims for seized enemy property:
I were received for Daugherty in 1921.
| Gibbs testified. Gibbs said he never
I heard of the American Metal Co. claim
\ a nd had no knowledge of such a claim
i being paid. , .
! "Senator Goff was the last word in
i regard to claims in the Attorney Gen
! crabs office." Gibbs said, explaining
! that Daugherty paid no attention to |
| such matters. • . , I
After 1922. when newspapers printed j
| stories alleging graft in the payment
lof the American Metal co. claims,
i Gibbs said instructions were given the
i department that all claims for more
! than SIO,OOO were to be signed by the
; president.
The trial was resumed today witn
“Continued on Page 2. Column 8.)
Wedding Parties in “Tin-Canned Autos,
Witk Tooting Horns, Ruled Off Streets
! Insanity may he a good defense for
I murder, but it will mean only another
arrest for wedding parties with tin
! cans on automobiles, if Maj. E. B.
i Hesse's policemen follow his orders
to the letter of the word.
For lo: today’s bulletin to Washing
ton policemen has the following little
note for the '’force":
"Attention of members of the force
is invited to the regulations prohibit
ing unnecessary noises, and it Is di
rented that these regulations be rigid
ly enforced.
©he fEbenitm Jfe.
V y J V WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION
WASHINGTON, D. C.. MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1926-THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES.
Yankee Stadium, when 63.000 custo
mers paid to see the athletes work,
making an attendance for the two
opening games of 125,258.
The first two games of the series
were much alike, domination of
pitchers being the prevailing note.
On Saturday Pennoek held the Cardi
nals to three safeties, two in the first j
and one in the ninth. Grover Cleve
land Alexander yesterday allowed the
Yankees four hits.
Three hits were made from the de
livery of the 39-year-old star in the
second inning and one to start the
third. From that point, the game
was over so far as the Yankees were
concerned. Alexander retired the last
21 New York batsmen in order, strik
ing out tlie side in the fourth inning.
His strikeouts totaled 10. Only
Combs was able to escape the third
! strike. Ben Paschal, who went up
j for Severeid. needed only three
| pitches to end his stay in the bats
man's box.
Alex Has Plenty of Stuff.
Alexander had all the stuff a world
series pitcher needs, plus brains. He
put the ball just over the corners,
inside and outside, high and low. The
heavy-hitting American League cham
pions had few good halls offered them.
Fhocker, who started for the Yan
' kees. was an in-and-out performer.
Shawkey went to his rescue in the
(Continued on Page 3. Column 4.)
EDITOR SEEKS AID
IN INDIANA INQUIRY
Charges Klan Grafts in State
and Says Reed’s Commit
tee May Act.
By th" Amneiated Press,
j INDIANAPOLIS. Did., October 4. -1
While political Indiana wondered
where the lightning of wholesale j
charges of political fraud, and corrup- \
tion. dating hack to 1924, would strike,
Thomas H. Adams, veteran Vincennes j
! publisher-, who has conducted the cru- l
sade almost single-handed to date, pre
pared today to go to Chicago to seek
backing in his effort to obtain an in
vestigation of conditions in Indiana
by the United States Seriate.
Undeterred by the frank skepticism
which in some quarters greeted his
broadside of charges of corruption,
barter and sale of offices, graft, fraudu
lent indictment of public officials as
parts of a gigantic “frame-up” and
domination of officials by the unseen
hand of D. C. Stephenson, former
grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan.
Adams and the followers attracted to
his expose undertook numerous moves
looking toward investigation by an offi
cially constituted body of the evidence
he has gathered.
Probe Move Under Way.
Six State Senators who reviewed the
evidence in Adams’ possession over
the week end and pronounced it as
meriting “legislative investigation”
proceeded with plans to sound out
opinion among members of the Senate
of the last session of the Indiana Gen
eral Assembly as to the possibility of
obtaining a special session, formal or
informal, to appoint a probe com
mittee
At the same time attorneys directed
their attention to determining specific
powers with which a Senate session
would be clothed in any attempts to
dig to the bottom of the publisher's
assertions.
Adams has not yet made his charges
specific, although it is understood that
he has a mass of documentary evi
dence.
Governor Not Advised.
Gov. Ed Jackson, from whom some
lawyers say. a call for an official spe
cial session would have to come, said
in Cleveland last night that the
charges had not been brought to his
attention.
The campaign against conniption
was inaugurated by the white-haired
editor last week after an investigation
conducted by him acting as chairman
of the executive committee of the In
j diana Republican Editorial Associa
tion in conjunction with a group of
publishers of Indiana daily news
papers. all of them constituting a self
appointed committee of the associ
ation.
The central figure in what Adams
denominated as an unscrupulous and
powerful combination of political
j forces, is Stephenson, now serving a
life sentence in the Indiana State
j prison for the murder of Madge Ober
| holtzev. The former grand dragon's
conviction on this charge last year
J followed one of the swiftest and most
j colorful rises to power that the State
• has ever known. i
I
Reed Committee May Act.
From an ahscure position in the
ranks of the Ku Klux Klan late in
1023. Stephenson rose to virtual con
trol of the Republican party in the
State. The completeness of his sway,
Adams charges, was best demon
strated in the 1925 legislative session.
| and it was just before, during and
I immediately after this 60-day session
! that the publisher says most of the
acts of malfeasance occurred. Al
though he has not proceeded in this
direction, Adams says many of the
facts at his command have been
placed in the hands of the senatorial
campaign funds investigating com- I
mittee headed by Senator Janies A. !
(Continued on Page 3. Column 2.)
"This applies to the practice of
members of wedding parties attach
ing tin cans to automobiles and rac
ing through the city dragging such
tin cans and insanely sounding their
automobile horns."
And now it's up to the policemen
to decide just when an automobile
horn is "insanely sounded.”
Frank S. Hight. manager of the
j Willard Hotel, recently complained to
1 the Commissioners concerning the
j noise of wedding parties in the down
I town district.
BANDITS INDICTED
ON MURDER CHARGE
IN BUSCH STAYING
Silverblatt, Marino, McCabe
and Proctor Accused in
First Degree.
i ONLY SEVERAL CALLED
TO GIVE TESTIMONY
Three of Prisoners Declared to
Have Confessed to Police
After Arrest.
Murder in the first degree was
charged in an indicernent returned
today by the grand jury against
Lee Silverblatt, alias Nicholas Lee
Eagles; Samuel Marino. .John E. Mc-
Cabe and John Proctor, in connection
with the death of Policeman Leo W.
K. Busch last Tuesday.
Policeman Busch died from wounds
received in a gun battle with the four
alleged auto bandits and hi jackers
early on the morning of September
26 ant| the indictment was returned
within less than a week of the date
the offiwu- succumbed.
Maj. Peyton Gordon, United States
attorney, immediately following the
gun battle near Grant Circle in the j
early Sunday morning hours, prom- j
ised speedy action in getting the four;
accused men, who had been charged j
with murder, before the grand jury. !
Following the death of Policeman j
Busch, the men were formally charged j
with tho crime and on the following;
day were ordered held for the action I
of the grand jury by a coroner's jury. I
Eight Counts In Indictment.
The indictment returned today is in j
eight counts. In the first count it is j
alleged that Silverblatt, alias Eagles, ;
held the pistol which inflicted the;
fatal wound on the policeman. By;
the second count the weapon is j
! placed in the hands of Marino. The 1
j third count accuses McCabe as the
I one Holding the fatal pistol, while the i
j fourth count places the weapon in the j
hands of Proctor. The fifth count j
I alleges that either of the four ac- I
loused —the exact one to the grand;
j jurors unknown —inflicted one mortal;
wound on Busch. By the sixth count j
jit is alleged that all the accused held :
I pistols and all shot, inflicting one ;
mortal wound.
The seventh count resembles the j
fifth allegation except that it is i
charged that some one inflicted three J
fatal wounds on Busch. By the ;
eighth count it is charged that all ]
fired and all inflicted three mortal
wounds.
Witnesses who gave testimony to
the jurors were; Headquarters Detec
tive Edward Kelly, Ralph C. Proctor,
brother of John: Edward J. Duffy,
newspaper man: Policeman Enoch S.
Bradshaw, ('apt. Fred M. Cornwell,
Dr. Ralph J. Benoit. Precinct Detec
tive Dennis J. Murphy and Roscoe L.
Oatley, through whose residence near |
Grant circle one of the bandits ran.
Go to Question Proctor.
Immediately after leaving the grand
jury witness room Detective Kelly, ac-
I companied by Headquarters Detec
tives Sweeny and Waldron, left by
automobile to question John Proctor,
who is hi the Franklin Square Hospi
tal, suffering from bullet wounds re- j
ceived in the battle, and is understood j
to be on the road to recovery. To (
date the detectives have not discussed |
the case with him. owing to reports j
that he probably would not recover, j
Confessions purported to have been
made by Silverblatt, Marino and Mc-
Cabe were understood to have been
given to the jury by Detective Kelly.
Proctor's testimony was to the effect
that immediately after a gun battle
on the Sunday morning in question.
John, wounded, came to his house j
and requested that he he taken to ■
Baltimore.
Silverblatt, at the coroner's inquest. |
gave a description of the shooting as j
he declared lie saw it.
COUNSEL ARGUING
VALUATION APPEAL;
Court Hears Plea of Public Util
ities Body in Traction
Case.
The District Court of Appeals this
afternoon began the hearing of argu
ments of counsel on the appeal of the
Public Utilities Commission from the
decision of Justice Hoehling of the
District Supreme Court in the valua
tion case of the property of the Capi
tal Traction Co. The argument was
opened by Francis H. Stephens, cor
poration counsel, who claimed that
the lower court erred in allowing an
item of $5,150,000, representing the
franchise, good will and other In
tangible values involved, in the pur
chase of the old Rock Creek Railway.
The argument will be continued to
morrow by Attorney G. Thomas Dun
lop and George E. Hamilton for the
company in defense of the valuation
of $23,000,000 given the company by
the decision of Justice Hoehling. Mr.
Stephens will close the case insist
ing that the valuation of $17,500,000
allowed by the commission represents
the true value of the property of the
traction company. A decision is not
expected until December.
DISCREDITED, BUT WINS.
PARIS. October 4 (A 3 ).—Maurice
de Rothschild, member of the famous
family of hankers, whose previous
election to the Chamber of Deputies
was invalidated because of charges
of the excessive use of money in his
campaign, has again been returned by
a heavy majority in a by-eleetion in
hfftutes-Alpes department.
He received 10.540 votes, against
3,684 for the Socialist Inghels, his
nearest opponent.
2,000 QUIT DOCK WORK.
LONDON. October 4 (A 3 ).—The work
of loading and unloading vessels at
the Tilbury docks was suspended to
day by the sudden strike of 2.000 men.
The strikers’ grievance is an alleged
new regulation by the Port of lamdon
authority that union delegates will not
be allowed to eidei the ducks.
p
FLOODS MAROON
MANY IN 3 STATES
; Kansas, Oklahoma and llli
; nois Rivers Still Rising.
Levee Breaks.
i
j By thf* Associate!
| CHICAGO, October 4.—A dozen
; Midwestern towns were turned into
new world “Vonioes ’ lodßy as motor
| boats splashed through water-covered
i streets to rescue flood-hound residents
I front treetops and roofs of houses.
Nearly a score of streams and
j rivers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Illi
! nois were rampaging at flood crest
I under the impetus of unceasing t ain
j fall, and thousands of persons were
j forced to seek shelter as the swirling
! waters inundated lowlands,
j The flood situation at Reardstown,
I 111., became menacing again when the
(angry waters of the Illinois River
! plowed two large holes in a levee and
j poured into city streets in the lower
! portions of the town. The levee,
I which had withstood the onslaught of
I the swollen stream' for two weeks,
gave way Inst night, and volunteers
■were unsuccessful in efforts to repait
the damage as swift currents forced
them back.
River Nears High Mark.
The river stage at Reardstown to
day was 23 feet, within two feet of
the high mark set in the devastating
(flood of 1922. While scores of homes
i had been flooded and considerable
I damage done, the gas, light, power
I ;I nd water stations were in no imme
| diate danger. City officials said no
I outside assistance would be asked un
less the situation became more acute.
Large supplies of disinfectants and
chemicals to combat disease are
available at emergency stations.
The main breach in the levee, which
is 1-2 blocks from the business area,
was 30 feet, and was being constantly
j widened by the invading waters, om
j inous under a heavy downfall of rain
i last night.
i a 24-foot, river stage was looked
j for l>v Wednesday, with the belief
j expressed that this would cause in
i undation of three-fourths of the city, i
| A higher stage would place virtually
| the entire community under water.
I The flood area in the Kansas-Okla
I homa district was 60 to 100 miles wide
(and more than 200 miles long. The
• rain was abating early today, but re
ports from the Oklahoma-Kansas bor
der indicated streams were rising
slowly, with the crest due to reach
Oklahoma today.
Chief damage was to crops and
buildings, as many farmers heeded
Saturday’s warning and moved their
families and live stock out of the
danger zone.
Scores of villagers, however, were
caught unawares and sought safety
in trees and on the roofs of dwellings.
Many were homeless in Arkansas
City, while 1,500 refugees at Bar
ilesville. Okln.. were quartered in
churches, schools and private homes.
Two deaths were recorded in the lat
ter city.
Series Trains Delayed.
PITTSBURGH, October 4 OP).—Six
special world series trains, carrying
players, newspaper men and others,
were delayed for almost an hour
early today because of an accident to
the "Kevstone Express of the Penn
sylvania Railroad near Johnstown
late last night, in which 16 passengers
and two postal clerks received slight
scratches and cuts.
THREE LIVES IiOST.
Railroad Foreman Drowns Trying to
Save Bridge.
KANSAS CITY, October 4 OP). —The
death toll in the flood which swept out
of southern Kansas into -Oklahoma
yesterday, sending thousands of low
land residents from their homes,
reached three today when it became
known that Oscar Brooks, a railroad
loreman. was drowned yesterday while
attempting to save a Rock Island
bridge over the Elm Fork of the Red
River near Mangum. Okla.
Two deaths, one from drowning and
one from fright, were reported near
Bartlesville yesterday. Several were
still missing today, and officials were
attempting to make a check.
The Walnut River, in Kansas, and
the Red River, boundary lines be
tween Oklahoma and Texas, were
added today to the list of rampaging
streams which have tied up traffic and
caused several hundred thousand dol
lars' worth of property damage in
southern Kansas and Oklahoma, as
the result of a week of heavy rainfall.
Radio Programs—Page 22.
CROWN PRINCE ENGAGED.
Italy’s Heir and Duke of Guise’s
Daughter Betrothed.
PARIS. October 4 (P). —The Havas
Agency today says it is reported that
Crown Prince Humbert of Italy and
a. daughter of the Duke of Guise are
engaged.
The Duke of Guise has been the
head of the House of Orleans and, as
such, pretender to the French throne
since the death of the Duke of Or
leans ! earlier this year. He has two
unmarried daughters, Princess Fran
wise, who is 23. and Princess Anne, 20.
FIVE-DAY WEEK SET
AS A. F. OF L. GOAL
Greater Production Predicted
by Green —Labor to Enter
Life Insurance Field.
By the A “Sofia ted Press.
DETROIT. Mich., October 4. Com
mitted to the five-day week as the
next major forward step for “the
highest-paid workers in the world,"
executive officers of the American
Federation of Labor turned today, in
the opening sessions of the federa
tion’s forty-sixth annual convention,
to a multitude of problems centered
on the welfare of American labor.
Eleventh-hour agreements between
groups widely separated on several
vexatious questions opened a fair
prospect for the two weeks' assem
blage, bringing forth the prediction
of prominent leaders that the entire
time probably would lie devoted to
deliberations upon constructive poli
cies bearing directly upon the im
mediate program of the organization.
Foreboding divisions of sentiment
in the preliminary gatherings last
week on the question of relations
with the Mexican Federation of Labor
were bridged by an informal agree
ment by representatives of a majority
of the convention voting strength to
accept without debate the recommen
dations of the executive council on
Mexican relations for tiie coming
year.
Five-Day Week Stressed.
The executive council's report was
the first ofcder of business at the after
noon session.
The five-day week of 40 hours was
defined as a cardinal point in the
federation's “policy of constructive
progress” by President William
Green, alter the final pre-convention
gathering of the executive council
yesterday.
Although it was a mere coincidence
that the announcement came in the
(Mty in which Henry Ford last week
declared the five-day week the op
erative wage base for thousands of
workers in the motor industry, Mr.
Green alluded to the Ford program as
a sign of the times. The automobile
industry was mentioned as one now
ready for the shorter schedule. Other
fields ripe for the step, in the view
of Mr. Green, are the building trades,
mining industry and needle crafts.
No Reduction in Wages.
"The five-day week seems inevitable
in American labor,” Mr. Green said,
"for the simple reason that it is eco
nomically sound and profitable. It is
profitable for the worker and for the
employer, and has been tremendously
successful in the numerous crafts in
which it is already partially effective.
“We have constantly maintained
that hours must be reduced in direct
l proportion to increased productivity
| (Continued on I‘age 5. Column 2.)
i ~
Boy Crushed to Death by Auto,
Hurrying to School on Last Bell
His desire not to be late to school
cost 6-year-old Frederick Grosskurth
of 13 Bryant street northeast, his
life today.
Frederick, dashing across the street
this morning as the gong of the Gage
School, at Second and Elm streets,
sounded a last-minute warning, was
! crushed beneath the wheels of an
j automobile and fatally injured,
i The driver of the car, Francis Gassa
| way Simons, 17 years old, colored, of
I 1629 Columbia road, is being held for
j the action of the coroner's Jury, which
j will hold an inquest later.
The hoy’s mother, Mrs. Carl Gross
| kurth. afflicted with heart trouble, is
I in a serious condition from shock.
| Frederick, with another boy, had
, just flighted from th* automobile of
• Charles I’—Roach of 32 Brjant street,,
.. -—■
OP) Meant Associated Press. TWO CENTS.
JEALOUS KILLING I
SAD END 10 JOKE
i
Former D. C. Newspaper Man
Slain in New York—Wife
and Ex-Friend Quizzed. !
i
A practical joke played l>y » bus- |
band and wife at the expense of the ;
former’s co-worker in the city room \
of the Washington Post several |
months ago hail ft tragic sequel in |
New York City last night when the
husband, Joseph Ruffner 3-V -year-old !
copy reader, fell mortally wounded j
under a rain of bullets tired, police :
charge, by the victim of the joke,
Gerald Dwyer, 30-year-old reporter. i
The grim turn of affairs is said to j
have been the outcome of a friend- j
ship which had sprung up between j
Mrs. Ruffner and Dwyer as a result ;
to have culminated from a jealous :
quarrel in the hallway of the Ruff j
tiers' apartment house at 208 West
Ninety-seventh street.
Ruffner died early today in the
Knickerbocker Hospital, New York, ;
from five bullet wounds in the chest. |
back and side. Dwyer, captured (
•shortly after the shooting, is held at '
the 100th 'Street I’oliee Station on a
-of homicide.
Joke Vividly Recalled.
Friends <.,f the two men while they |
were employed on the local paper !
| recalled vividly today the joke on |
Dwyer which is believed to have led I
indirectly, to the shooting. Many of j
Riiffner's colleagues in the city room |
were “in on’’ the joke, which consisted j
in having Mrs. Ruffner call Dwyer on ;
the telephone and represent herself ,
to be a strange woman seeking a j
“date."
Dwyer took the by-play laughingly j
and expressed pleasure at having been ;
afforded the opportunity of meeting ,
Mrs. Ruffner. it is related. The Ruff- 1
ners later left the city and took tip j
their residence in New York, where 1
Ruffner obtained employment on the,
Bronx Home News, a community i
organ.
Dwyer also obtained work in New!
York as a reporter on the Brooklyn j
Daily Eagle, and is said to have re- ;
newed his acquaintance with Mrs. j
Ruffner, to the husband’s displeasure. •
According to the story told by
Dwyer and Mrs. Ruffner. who were
taken to the station for questioning,
the two men had not seen each other j
since last August. Dwyer arrived ini
New York last month. A quarrel |
the two men had in Washington!
over Dywer’s alleged attentions to)
Mrs. Ruffner was resumed when i
Dwyer telephoned the Ruffner apart- |
ment at 10 o’clock last night that he i
was on his way to visit there.
Argument in Lobby.
When he reached the apartment
lie telephoned from the lobby and
Ruffner'went, down to meet him. An
argument ensued, according to Ralph j
Dortch, elevator operator in the
apartment house, who was on duty at
the time.
“You are breaking up m.v home,”
Ruffner is said to have shouted at
Dwyer. Other heated words followed,
Dortch said, and Ruffner hit Dwyer
on the jaw, knocking him down. Ruff
ner then assisted Dwyer to his feet j
and the two men went outside. The |
shots followed immediately. Dwyer,
is alleged to have shot at eiose range j
with an automatic. As Ruffner coi- j
lapsed. Dwyer ran down Ninety
seventh street toward Amsterdam ave- j
nue. pursued by employes of the i
apartment house and pas.sersby.
Near Amsterdam a venae he was
(Continued on Page 2, Column 1.) j
and was waiting at th« curb, in ac
cordance with Mr. Roach's instruc
tions. when the gong rang.
Visions of a teacher’s r eproaches!
and of possible penalties that go with j
tardiness flashed through Frederick’s'
mind, urging him to delay no longer.
Although a flow of traffic had not sub
sided, the boy was seen to rush behind
Mr. Roach's machine and head direct
ly into Gassaway's oncoming car.
The colored youth stopped his auto
mobile almost within its own length,
and the boy jumped to his feet, a ppm*
ently not seriously injured. He soon
collapsed, however, and lapsed into
unconsciousness while being placed in
Gassaway’s car to be taken t<> the
hospital He died shortly after reach
ing Freedmen's Hospital.
Frederick was one of five < hlldren,
, the oldest 14, and the ) ounfest 5.
The only evening paper
in Washington with the
Associated Press news
service.
Saturday's Circulation, 101,326
Sunday's Circulation. 108.685
PAYNE PROPOSES
REDCROSSCENSURE
FEORIDA OFFICIALS
Wants Definite Action
Against State's Officers
and Special Interests.
ORGANIZATION STARTS
ITS ANNUAL MEETING
President Coolidge Will Address
Gathering at Session Tonight
in Honorary Post.
Declaring that failure to sp.-nk out
strongly now would anuuitr to con
nivance with an untruth. Judge John
Barton Payne, chairman <>f tin* Amor
lean I ted Cross, addressing the op. n
ing sesslcn of the annual convention
of til" national organization at the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States this morning, railed upon tie*
convention to take definite action
against the activities of "officials and
special interests" in Florida to mini
mize the hurricane losses.
Judge Payne laid aside his prepared
address of welcome to present the
“true facts of the Florida situation"
before the convention, which rcpi.-
i sents more than H.oon.tjno membeis
I throughout the United States. He
' said copies of his prepared speech
j had hcen made so that those who
j wished to read it might do so later.
| For the morning, he declared, he
| wished to nse his whole time telling
i the delegates why he had issued his
j denunciation of tin' Florida situation
: last week
Payne Explains Position.
"I thought 1 ought to tell you. ho
i said, "just what led up to that state
Intent. T want to tell you that the
| disaster in Florida is really much
(greater than the interests there would
] have us helieve. And there is going
ion in Florida a conflict between the
{humanitarian efforts of some on the
j one side and the selfishness of husi
| ness interests on the other. The time
l has come when we must consider
j seriously whether it is too late to
'renew our campaign >r the relief of
| tiie poor and stricken jn the storm
j area.
“Tiie first intimation I had about
| what was going on was when the
j chairman of the Chicago chapter
| called me up on the telephone, and
I read me the message Gov. Martin had
j sent to the Mat or of Chicago, thank
■mg him for offers and aid and assur
-1 ing the Mayor, he, the tlovprnor,
j would let him know if further assist
ance was necessary. At first I could
'scarcely believe that a Governor
! would lie such an idiot as to make
! such a statement, right at the height
I of a campaign to raise money for the
relief of the poor people of his Stale.’’
Judge Payne read Gov Martins
telegram, which was also sent to the
mayors of a number of oilier large
I cities. He also read all of the mes
. sages and correspondence that had
i passed hack and forth between hini
-1 self and Florida officials and business
j men. I.nud applause greeted tiie
j reading of his suggestion that the
1 governor should call in the now.-pa
! per men in .Miami and give them an
• unbiased statement, without trjing
| to advertise Florida.
“Time to Speak Now."
I "I suppose that the desire of a group
1 to protect its business interests is a
i natural weakness." Judge Payne con
| tinned. "Hut the poor victims of the
; storm arc regarded as of lev*- impor
tance that the tourist business The
j time has come for the American Kcd
\ Cross to speak out. There are tune
land circumstances when ii»i to speak
j out is at least to connive. The Amerl
: can lied Cross can never connive in
I a falsehood.
j "The American people should still
I he ready to go forward and provide
! adequate relief for the many iieopb
I in Florida, who are in diie need of it
IWe have something more than
j s3.nlio,noo now What we will do in
j the future rests with you. Some es-
I fort should hi* made to complete our
j campaign. We should, at least, have
jthe satisfaction of feeling that we
j have done our utmost."
In the address which h«' oast aside,
j Judge Payne had begun to declaring
j that "again the meaning of Ceil Cross
I service is emphasized by the dreadful
, disaster to the people of Florida, and
j shows the imperative nee.l of main
| taining our peace-time strength ” The
I power to meet great emergencies, he
said, depends on membership, on nr
ga.niza.tion and on the financial and
spiritual resources of the American
I ted Cross.
"That we are able to keep our
t»eace-time strength to more than
3.00(1,000 by our annual roll •■.•]) js a
I great tribute to the organization and
to its active and influential chapter
workers.” he said. "These constant
ly-reeurring disasters suggest the
need of an even greater membership,
and I confidently believe If all eouM
realize the great opportunities as
forded io members to rentier service
to their fellow men. we might even
hope for a mnibership of 10,000 000.”
Cell Call Armistice Day.
I On Armistice day. Judge Payne add
I ed. the mil will be called again. He
! urged all who can to join. To il
lustrate the need for peacetime or
ganization, he pointed out that in
the fiscal year which ended June 3n
there were 63 domestic disasters alone,
In which the Red Cross participated.
These called for appropriations ag
gregating $278.407.84 from the organ
izatton’s own treasury, above public
subscript lons.
William Fortune of Indianapolis,
who did considerable work when the
j call came for help for Florida, was
elected chairman of the convention.
Almost overnight he succeeded in get
ting 100,000 units of typhoid fever
j vaccine, 50.000 of which lie had ship
j pod by airplane. In. Thomas K.
j Green was made secretary. Commit
i ’ee chairmen included Hieut. Gov. I».
i J. Itavis of Pennsylvania, resolution*
committee: Mrs. George A. McKin
lock. Chicago, nominations, and Rev.
A. E. Backus, rules and organization.
President Speaks Tonight.
Right Rev. James E. Freeman, the
Bishop of Washington, made invo- *
cation, and commissioner .1. Frank
lin Bell welcomed the delegates to
Washington. Elliott II Goodwin,
resident vice president of the Cham
ber of Commerce of the I'nitod States,
and Vieomte Bonabes d» Rouge of
tbe l.eague of Red Crosa Societies al*r>
on Pas* fc. Column f)