Evening star. [volume], July 26, 1931, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
WEATHER.
( V . B. Weather Bureau Forecasts.
Generally fair and somewhat warmer
today and tomorrow.
Temperatures—Highest, 85. at 4 p.m.
yesterday. Lowest, 70, at 6 a.m. yes
terday.
Full report on page 4.
No. 1,375—N0. 31.862.
HAN PRIESTS
KILLED IN CHURCH;
GOVERNOR IS SHOT
Assassin of Vera Cruz Execu
tive Also Slain —Wor-
shipers Wounded.
FATALITIES ARE BLAMED
ON NEW RELIGIOUS LAW
Two Churchmen Put to Death by
Unidentified Men While
Conducting Services.
By the Associated Press.
VERA CRUZ, Mexico July 25.—An
attempt was made tonight to assassinate
Gov. Adelberto Tejeda in Jalapa,
the state capital, and two priests were
shot to death In a church here.
The Incidents occurred in the midst
of the dispute between church authori
ties and the Vera Cruz state government
over Oov. Tejeda's recently enacted
religious law.
An unidentified youth emptied a pistol
at Tejeda as he was leaving the gov
ernment palace in Jalapa this evening,
wounding him in the ear. The would
be assassin was shot and killed by men
accompanying the governor.
Priests Shot Down.
At almost the same hour a group of
unidentified men entered the church at
La Doctrlna here and shot to death the
two priests. Fathers Landa and Rosas.
Tejeda was taken to his home for
treatment. Heavy guards were thrown
about the government palace and the
governor’s home tonight.
A youth who was in the church at the
time the priests were killed, shot and
wounded one of the attackers and was
himself wounded and a young girl who
was attending the services also was
wounded.
A show-down throughout the state
on the religious law is expected tomor
row. Priests have said they will re
main in their churches and attempt to
conduct services in spite of the gover
nor's orders that only 13 priests could
remain on duty in tire entire state.
Church authorities have flatly refused
to obey the law, which allows only one ■
priest for every 100,000 inhabitants.
Fears Future Trouble.
Monsignor Pascual Diaz. Archbishop
of Mexico, when /lotified at Mexico City
of the violence in Vera Cruz, today,
said: ,
“That is the sort of thing that leads
to interminable trouble and grief. God
help us. What are we in for now?’’
A dispatch from Mexico City said
an immediate appeal to the federal
courts will be made by the Catholic
Church if authoritifs of Vera Cruz put
into effect the law restricting the num
ber of priests. Bishop Rafael Guizar of
Vera Cruz, warned today.
The bishop's warning was contained
in an open letter to Gov. Tejeda, which
was printed in th’ Catholic weekly El I
Pais in the capital today before the i
fatal shootings.
Bishop Guizar made a last-minute I
appeal to the governor not to apply the j
law. requesting him to think of “the j
terrible consequences," and he added an
ultimatum in which he announced that!
neither he nor the priests would comply j
with the measure.
Refuses to Obey Law.
“If the law treated with things purely
temporal or human.” Bishop Guizar
said in his letter. “I would sacrifice
all to avoid trouble, but when it in
vades the duty and love we owe to God
and the eternal salvation of the people,
I will never obey, although I should
sacrifice my life a thousand times.
“Your attitude is unjust in that it is
in opposition to the holy will of God.
attacks the sacred liberty of man and
enslaves all the people.
“Again I ask you not to apply the
law. If loving Gcd and striving for the
eternal salvation of our brothers is fa
naticism, I wish to be the most fanatic
of all, and I hope all the people of
Vera Cruz and of the world fill them
selves with this kind of holy and
saintly fanaticism ”
Bishop to Protest Deaths.
MEXICO CITY, July 25 <£>).—Mon
gignor Rafael Guizar y Valencia. Bishop
of Vera Cruz, tonight went to Chapul
tepec Castle to protest to President
Ortiz Rubio against the attack on two
priests in their church at Vera Cruz i
WEAKER ‘SIAMESE’
TWIN SUCCUMBS
Surviving Child to Have Second
Operation—Mother Leaves
Hospital.
By the Associated Press.
BALTIMORE, July 25 —One of the
“Siamese twins” born to Mrs. Albert
Forster July 7, died today.
The twins, girls, were reported to I
have been gaining strength following 1
their separation by one of the few such
operations on record, but the one whi*i
died today had been the weaker.
Dr. Kyle W Golley, the attending
physician, and Dr Albert Passagno, the
surgeon who performed the separation
operation, were planning a second op
eration to restore the children to nor
malcy. Golley said the surviving child
would have the second operation as soon
as it gained necessary strength.
When born, the twins were Joined by
a common intestinal track, which was
severed in the separation. Otherwise
the children were normal, 1 he physicians
aaid. and the second operation was
planned to restore the colon of each to
its normal position.
Mrs. Forster, mother of the twins,
left the hospital several days ago and
was reported in splendid condition. The |
conjoined twin* were her first children.
Each of the* children weiglyd 4\ 3
pounds at birth and had gained consid
erably until death took the one today.
SIXTH DYING IN ATTACK
MERCER. PA . July 25 (JP). —One
es the eight victims of a crazed man .
who slew five persons Thursday in
a mining village near Leesburg was
believed near death today while the
slayer again was seized with the mania
to kill in his cell at the county jail. .
The prisoner, Marco Demofonti, 38. ;
was shackled and under heavy guard '
following an outburst of violence last i
night. Tony Cecllian, 10, one of three j
rsons wounded by Demofonti, was I
• critical condition from gunshot
wounds.
Entered as second class matter
post office, Washington, D. C.
Exile Ordered
—
EX-AMBASSADOR TO U. S. ONE |
OF FOUR ASKED TO LEAVE.
«■ j
m *
HONORIO PUEYRREDON.
By the Associated Press.
BUENOS AIRES, July 25 —The As
sociated Press was Informed this morn
ing that police had sent communica
tions to four of the most prominent
men In Argentina, saying it would be
convenient for them to leave the
country.
The men named were: Ex-president
Marcelo de Alvear, Honorlo Pueyrredon,
former Argentine Ambassador to the
United States and for many years one
of the leading international personalities
of the country; Carlos Noel, former
mayor of Buenos Aires, and Jose Tam
borlno.
No definite time for departure was
named in the communications, as far
as could be learned, but it was undor
! stood the inference was for the men to
leave as soon as possible.
ZEPPELIN TO HOP
FROM LENINGRAD
Graf to Begin Most Difficult
Stretch of Flight Into
Arctic Region.
By the Associated Press.
LENINGRAD, U. S. S. R., July 25.
The giant dirigible Graf Zeppelin to- 1
night was making preparations for a
start at 7 o'clock in the morning on
the third and most difficult lap of its
flight to the Arctic regions.
The dirigible arrived here late today
I from Berlin and began replenishing its
i fuel supply and laying in the stores on
j which it will depend during its Arctic
1 cruise.
Lose No Time.
In spite of not quite satisfactory
j meteorological news from the frozen
regions it will cover. Dr. Hugo Eckener,
I the scientist members of the expedi
tion and the crew decided to lose no
time in getting away.
Among the huge bundles of mail
parcels which the ship took on were
several addressed to Prof. Urvantzov.
one of the three members of the Soviet
geological and meteorological group
stationed in the Arctic, and contain
ing apples, strawberries, new potatoes
and other delicacies. They wwre sent
by the wife of Prof. Urvantzov.
Will Drop Parcels.
The Zeppelin will drop these parcels
at the point where Prof. Urvantzov
and two companions have been since
last year, when the Soviet ice-breaker
Sebov landed them with four years’
supplies.
Wishing to complete their scientific
researches, the Soviet scientists do not
intend to return for a while, and the
arrival of the Zeppelin will be the
first welcome they have had from the
civilized world except by radio.
The Zeppelin was given an enthusi
astic reception by Leningrad workers
! and scientific circles when at arrived
from Berlin on the second lap of its
flight.
Arrive From Berlin.
The huge ship, which is to keep a
rendezvous with the Russian ice-breaker
j Maligin far to the north, appeared over
the southern horizon in perfect
weather soon after 8 p.m. (1 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time).
She flew over the city and then
landed safely at the Novaya Derenvia
Airdrome 45 minutes later.
CROWDS BID GRAF FAREWELL.
Weather is Perfect Daring Berlin-
Leningrad Jump.
BY ARTHUR KOESTLER.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
! ABOARD GRAF ZEPPELIN EN
! ROUTE TO LENINGRAD, July 25 ( by
'radio via London) (N.A.N.A.). —We are
1 off on our Arctic Journey. We started
this moming_at_4:3o a.m.for Lenin -
(Continued on Page 2, Column 5.)
LINDBERGHS DELAY TAKE-OFF
AT LEAST UNTIL TUESDAY
Final Testing of Radio Necessary Before Start of
Vacation Flight to Tokio.
j By the Associated Press. ]
| NEW YORK. Silly 25.—There were j
definite indications today that the start
of the Lindberghs’ vacation flight to ]
the Orient, scheduled for “some time
next week,” would not be made before '
Tuesday at the earliest, and possibly :
not until Wednesday.
The ipmaining preparatory step is,
the long-distance testing of the plane’s j
radio by the flying colonel and. more
. particularly, by his wife, who is to act I
as radio operator on the long Jaunt into j
the northern wilds.
Lindbergh has an intense dislike of j
announcing definite dates for departure
and then not fulfilling his promises. '
; He prefers to keep his exact plans to
' himself until the moment to act arrives. j
I This plan of campaign he will follow
throughout the long flight.
I Deep-seated preparations have meant
months of work and, when the Plying
Cokmel aad his wife strike the Tokio
■>
y
Me Jktttfcm PLtf.
WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION
WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 26, 1931-NINETY-EIGHT PAGES. *
TAXI WAR ACTION
i BY UTILITY BOARD
| AND OWNERS NEAR
Commission, Watchful in Sit
uation, Undecided on
Remedy for Fight.
METER RATE FOR ALL
IS KELDIMPROBABLE
Peace Parley Tne*day Planned.
Police Vigilant to Arreit
Reckless Drivers.
Definite steps to end the taxicab rate
war are to be taken tomorrow by the
Public Utilities Commission and some
of the taxi operators themselves.
The Utilities Commission regards the
taxi situation of paramount Importance
and Intends to discuss it thoroughly In
an effort to find a possible aolutlon. At
the same time several of the leaders In
the rate war propose to get together
and smoke the pipe of peace. But the
commission is puzzled as how best to
proceed, and among the taxi owners
there are some recalcitrants who are
not yet ready to consider peace over
tures. So the outcome of the dual ne
gotiations appears somewhat uncertain.
Five Held for Speeding.
The close watch being kept by po
lice' on the taxi drivers as a result of
complaints cf reckless driving on their
part led yesterday to the arrest of five
on charges of speeding. Two others
; were picked up for parking off a desig
■ nated hark stand.
Thirty-four to thirty-seven miles an
hour was the clip at which the cabs
were going when stopped by motor cycle
officers, according to the reports of the
arresting officers. Those arrested for
speeding were Charles R. Scandone,
829 Four-and-a-half street southwest:
Roosevelt T. Brower, colored, 467
School street southwest; Edwin Borven.
14 Fourth street northeast; Howell J.
| Bell, colored. 2246 Twelfth street, and
j Joshua Durfee. 2120 G street.
5 Nathan H. Davis, colored, 125 Ran
dolph place, and Thomas J. Lynch. 1101
Fifty-first street northeast, were ar
rested on a charge of parking off a
hack stand.
Commission Watchful.
Ever since the taxi rate war became
serious, the Utilities Commission ha? !
watched the developments, obviously
hoping that it would end without offi
cial action on its part. It realizes now
however, that something must be done
to restore the taxi business to normalcy,
but it is not yet prepared to prescribe
a remedy.
Richmond B Keech, people's counsel,
plans to participate in the commission's
discussion of the taxi situation and
offer some suggestions for a solution
He believes the situation can be reme
i died by the establishment of a fair
meter rate foi cabs that want to oper
ate on that basis, and a reasonable flat
rate for those who want to run on a
fiat-rate basis.
The commission has had under con
sideration for some time the adoption
of a regulation requiring all cabs U
operate on a meter basis. Keech. how
ever, contends that this will not solvr
the problem, but on the contrary wil'
force many of the flat-rate operators
out of business. He is opposed tr
stifling competition in the taxicab busi
ness because it was the advent of thr
fiat-rate cabs and the competition they
offered the organized companies tha'
forced taxi rates down in Washington
Five Groups to Meet.
Representatives of five groups of taxi
operators plan to meet in preliminary
' conference tomorrow and arrange for
i meeting Tuesday of officials of all com
panies engaged in the rate-slashing
war. The object of the conference, it
1 , was said, would be to get the warring
groups to agree to a uniform flat rate.
The Diamond operators, one of the
largest group of independents, are not
expected to take part in the conference,
chiefly because the truce negotiations
were proposed by representatives of the
firm which introduced the flat-rate
service in Washington. The Diamond
1 cabs formerly operated on a meter
i basis, but were forced to adopt the flat
rate because of competition of the flat
rate cabs.
i Officials of the Protex-U Co., which
w r ent on a 20-cent flat-rate basis several
days ago. are going to attend the con
ference. but anounced last night that
; if no amicable agreement Is reached
they propose to continue to cut rates
to meet all competition. Several other
companies have taken the same posi
tion.
! DEATH BEATS AIRPLANE
I
lowa Contractor Reaches Father in
'Ohio Half Hour Late.
TIFFIN, Ohio, July 25 —Harry Noel.
Peterson, lowa, contractor, today lost
by half an hour an airplane dash from
Omaha to see his dying father, Samuel
Noel, 67.
He used three planes, the last one
landing him in a wheat field at the
edge of Tiffin near his father's home.
Before he arrived, however, the elder
Noel was dead.
| trail, more will be In store for them.
Pew would consider a flight of more
' than 7,000 miles, over varying inhos-
I pitable country, as a vacation; yet to
• the Lindberghs it -will mean the rest
i that comes with a change.
To Lindbergh himself it may bring a
| lessening of the wanderlust, which he
! says grew into him when his late Con
i gressman father took the future world
air hero on his many travels.
For the natural hazards of the trip
j little preparation has been spared.
| Submersion in water will bring out
a fully equipped emergency boat. Radio
will be a\ ailable to keep them in touch
! with the outside world. Both Col. and
Mrs. Lindbergh will pit their navigating
j skill against foggy weather, and, except
for refueling the giant monoplane, the
pair will be nearly free of any de
pendence.
Their plane has a ranee estimate
(Continued am Page S, Column 6.) .
‘ SQUASH CENTER COMMENTS ON THE MORATORIUM.
NEW BANK FORMED!
! FORGERMANHAID
! Institution Established to Re
store Unhampered Cur
rency Circulation.
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN. July 25.—The swift course
j of developing events in Germany did
’ not slacken with the arrival of Secre
j tary cf State Henry L. Stimson today
and the homecoming of Chancellor
I Bruening and Foreign Minister Julius
' Curtius from the seven-power confer
j ence at London.
I While the Secretary of State, who
! especially announced he had come for
| "an unofficial friendly visit" was dining
j with Ambassador Frederick M Sackett j
| and members of the German cabinet at
J the American Embassy tonight, the
government made public the result of
today's conference with the represent
-1 atives of the Relchbank and other lead-
I ing bankers. It announced the estab- !
1 lishment of an acceptance and guaran
-1 tee bank designed to restore unham
j pered currency circulation and to put
crippled Darmstaedter und National
Bank back on its feet.
Stimson Meets Groener.
Secretary Stimson, himself, had a
long conversation immediately after the
dinner with the German defense min
ister, Wilhelm Groener, in which they
discussed quesU'-ns of armament.
Chancellor Bruening returned from
the seven-power conference at London
today and immediately took over the
task of adjusting Germany's economic
situation.
All the members of his cabinet as
sembled at the chancellory to hear the
reports of the chancellor and Foreign
Minister Curtius on the Paris and Lon- j
don parleys of which the chancellor
previously had given the main points to
; President von Hindenburg.
"There is away out of every situ
ation." is the motto the chancellor
has adopted for meeting difficulties, and
1 this served as an answer to many
anxious inquiries from friends as he
alighted from the Nord Express this
i morning.
Again “Under Fire."
As he sped homeward, scanning the
■ landscape of Northern France and
Belgium, he recalled to a fellow traveler
that this was a region, where, as an
officer during the World War, he often
had been in a tight corner, but that
except for a few scars he had come
out unscathed. He added that he knew
that once more he was "under Are,”,
(Continued on Page 4, Column 2.)
TODAY’S STAR
r
PART ONE—I 6 PAGES.
General News—Local, National and
Foreign.
PART TWO—B PAGES.
Editorials and Editorial Features.
The Home Gardener—Page 4.
PART THREE —12 PAGES.
1 Society Section.
PART FOUR—I# PAGES.
Amusement Section—Theater, Screen
and Radio. _
In the Motor World— Page 3.
Aviation —Page 4.
Serial Story, "Moon of Delight
Page 5. _ .
Spanish War Veterans— Page 5.
District of Columbia Naval Reserve —
Page 5 - _ -
Army and Navy News—Page 6.
Public Library—Page 6.
Marine Corps News— Page 6.
Marine Corps Reserves—Page 6.
American Legion—Page 6. \
News of the Clubs —Page 7.
Y. W. C. A. News —Page 7.
Veterans of Foreign Wars—Page 7.
District National Guard—Page 7.
Fraternities —Page 8.
Organized Reserves Page 8.
Radio—Page 8.
PART FIVE—4 PAGES.
■ Sports Section.
PART SIX—I 2 PAGES.
Financial News and Classified Adver
i tising.
PART SEVEN—2O PAGES.
I Magazine Section.
The Bridge Forum —Page 15.
, News of the Music World—Page 18.
Reviews of New Books—Page 17.
Cross-word Puzzle-Page 18.
. The Boys’ and Girls Page—Page 19.
! Those Were the Happy Days—Page 20.
1 GRAPHIC SECTION—B PAGES.
> ; World Events in Pictures.
COLORED SECTION —8 PAGES.
■ Moon Mullins: Mr. and Mrs.: the Timid
Soul - Reg’lar Fellers: Little Orphan
l Annie: Highlights of History; Tarzan j
. and Mutt ani Jeff. - . I
Cruising Speakeasy
Is Seized by Police,
Ending Long Search
Detectives Baker and Mc-
Yearry Report Buying
Rum in Raid.
A “cruising speakeasy" was captured
in a series of raids, some of them war
rantless, in which members of the vice
squad made six arrests and confiscated
225 bottles of beer ar.d 30 quarts of
liquor yesterday.
The wandering bottleggery—a large
autom r bile—was not doing any moving
about at the time it was raided, how- 1
ever. Instead, members of the raiding
party said, it was parked in the 300
block of Pennsylvania avenue, appar
ently waiting for business.
Report Two Months Ago. *
Search for the vagabond speakeasy
was begun about two months ago. when
the vice squad received a report that
liquor was being sold from a car which
(Continued on Page 2, Column 3.j~
1,476 CLAIMS FILED
IN RHEEM FAILURE
Referee to Accept Others To
day Following Last-Minute
Rush Yesterday.
Nearly 1.000 creditors of Swartzell,
Rheem & Hensey Co., anxious to save
what they can of the many thousands
of dollars they invested with Edmund
D. Rheem and lost, jammed the office
of the referee in bankruptcy yesterday
and Friday In a last-minute lush to
file their claims.
Shortly before noon “eslerday Referee
Fred J. Eden had recorded 1.476 claims, j
ranging from *IOO to SIO,OOO.
A peculiar legal situation, which may
add to the already confused state of
the bankruptcy, was revealed yesterday. j
Time Expires Today.
The mortgage banking house was
adjudged bankrupt January 26, and the j
court allowed creditors six months .n
which to file their claims. The last
day under the court order being a Sun- J
day, the question has arisen whether
creditors can still file tomorrow, or i
whether all claims must have been sub
mitted to the referee yesterday.
Mr. Eden has expressed no opinion '
on the legal question involved, but has !
indicated he will accept claims sub
mitted tomorrow. It is known, how
ever, that several attorneys for creditors
are of the opinion that tne deadline
was reached yesterday, and they may
take legal steps to bar any claims sub
mitted tomorrow. If they are success
ful, creditors who took their day of
grace will, in the language r.f the street,
be "out of luck."
Judging from the number of claims
filed, however, most of the creditors feel
as did one elderly woman who bustled
into the referee's office Saturday and
filed her claim.
Why Wait Till Monday?
“What?” she asked, “Wait until Mon
day? No sir, Mr. Reporter, I've waited
long enough already. If there's any
money there I'm going to get mine while
the getting's good.”
Claims are being filed principally by
persons holding notes secured by re
leased trusts, noteholders who delayed in
cashing interest checks until after the
bankruptcy when the banks refused to
honor them, and several banks holding
large Swartzell, Rheem dr Hensey Co.
notes for large loans.
Referee Eden explained that after the
claims have been filed, the trustees will
proceed to liquidate the bankrupt estate
and pay off as many cents on the dollar
as they can. One trustee estimated
they would be able to pay as high as
80 cents on each dollar Invested. Oth
ers, however, have been less optimistic.
Waterspout Drowns Six.
PARIS, July 25 (TP).—Heavy squalls
were reported off the Normandy coast
tonight and a waterspout occurred off
Honfleur. A fishing boat foundered 3
miles off Etretat and five members of
I the crew and one passenger were
1 drowned.
U S. COURT ORDER
DEFIED BY MURRAY
I
Oklahoma Governor Takes
Command in Blockade of
Toll Bridge.
By the Associated Press.
DURANT. Okla , July 25—Gov
W. H. (Alfalfa Bill) Murray, an ancient
horse pistol in his valise, arrived here
| tonight from Oklahoma City and took
personal command of Oklahoma Na
tional Guardsmen engaged in the Red
River Bridge war.
One of hi* aides. Lieut. Col. John A.
: MacDonald, gave verbal notice to Joe
W. Bailey, attorney for the Red River
Bridge Co , that he would defy a Fed
eral court order handed down today |
bv Judge Colin C. Neblett of New Mex
ico at Muskogee. Okla., restraining
maintenance of barricades erected by
Oklahoma at the approach to the
Denlson-Durant toll bridge.
Gov. Murray departed from the State
Capitol late today to take personal com- j
: mand of operations in a martial law
zone he had ordered at the Oklahoma
end of the bridge. The south end of ;
the structure is in Texas.
Not Named in Writ.
i The temporary injunction named
Adjt. Gen. Charles F. Barrett and other J
Oklahoma officials, but not the Gover
nor.
I United States Marshal Clark Wasson j
at Muskogee said no deputies would be
sent to the bridge to carry out the re- j
1 straining order.
Thg bridge war turned to a clash of j
authority between the Governor and!
Judge Neblett on the Oklahoma side of
the Red River after “Alfalfa Bill" won j
his major objective when Texas Rang- ;
ers threw open to travel the Denison- j
Durant interstate free bridge, near the i
toll structure.
As the Texas barrier came down ;
following the lifting of a Federal Court
injunction at Houston, Tex, happy
motorists streamed across the span in j
each direction without cost.
But It rankled Murray to learn that ;
Judge Neblett had interfered with what
the Governor considers to be the sov
ereign rights of Oklahoma.
He contends martial law takes pre
cedence over court OTders and anything !
! else except the executive order of the ]
President of the United States.
Valet Gets Pistol.
The horse pistol was stuck into his
. luggage_on_the inspiration of Jake, his
(Continued on Page 2, Column 3.)
SPEEDING AUTO KILLS
ONE AND INJURES THREE
Car Overturns on Curve Near Win
chester—Two Survivors
Badly Hurt.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
I WINCHESTER, Va. July 25—Clark
Snapp. 32, was almost instantly killed
' and three other young men, all mem
; bers of well known families, were in
jured tonight when their automobile
overturned on North Frederick road
near here. Other motorists said the
machine was traveling at terrific speed
and failed to take a sharp curve.
Snapp's skull was fractured and he died
in a hospital. C. J. Sloanaker. owner
and driver of the car, had both legs
fractured and crushed. Romie Lonas
sustained a probable skull fracture and
other injuries. French Theophilus
escaped with scratches.
FORD DENIES ANYONE CAN PREDICT
TIME OF BUSINESS RECOVERY
1 Finds People Thinking and Says Hard Work Alone Will
Restore Prosperity.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, July 25.—Henry Ford,
In one of his infrequent interviews, to
night declared the world must recognise
that hard work alone will bring back
prosperity.
The Detroit manufacturer was inter
viewed just before leaving for that city,
after a three-day trip East to visit his
old friend, Thomas A. Edison, and to
collect additional specimens for his
museum at Dearborn, Mich.
He was non-committal on the prob
ability of an economic recovery in the
near future. Asked about the possi
bility of a definite financial upturn next
; | Spring or sooner, he replied:
*T don’t know anything about that,
and neither does any one else.”
He said he saw a “favorable sign,”
however, in the fact that people are
'beginning to think.’*
. - My . ■■■
“From Press to Home
Within the Hour**
The Star Is delivered every evening and
Sunday morning to Washington homes by
The Star’s exclusive carrier service. Phone
National 5000 to start immediate delivery.
I
(A>) Mean* Associated Press.
FIVE CENTS
IN WASHINGTON AND SUBURBS
THREE DIE AS AUTO
HITS B. S 0 TRAIN
NEAR ROCKVILLE
S. T. Norris, Farm Hand,
Wife and Daughter, 4,
Victims in Collision.
SISTER AND INFANT
ARE SENT TO HOSPITAL
Tragedy Following Shopping Trip
Second Near D. C. Within
Last Week.
SD»ci»l D 'flatch to The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Md., July 25—Three
person* were killed and two injured
late today when an automobile was in
collision with a westbound Baltimore &
Ohio train at the Derwood grade cross
ing. two and a half miles north of here.
The 4**d are Samuel T. Norris. 43
years old, * farm laborer, of Travilah,
Md.; his wfee. Mrs. Mamie A. Norris, {
31, and thtlr 4-year-old daughter,
Hazel.
The injure* *e Mrs. Lottie Whalen,
21, sister of Mrs. Norris, and her 1-
year-old daughter. Helen.
Norris, who was driving, and his
daughter were killed instantly. Mrs.
! Norris died shortly after being admit
ted to the Montgomery County General
Hospital, where she was rushed In the j
ambulance of W. Ruben Pumphrey.
Mother and Daughter Victims.
Mrs. Whalen and her daughter were '
taken to the hospital in the ambulance I
of Warner E. Pumphrey. Mrs. Wha
len suffered a possible fracture of one
arm and lacerations on the back and
| legs, but her condition is not regarded
as serious. Her daughter sustained
serious lacerations and bruises and is
in an undetermined condition.
Sergt. Roy Bodner and Corpl. Harry
Meron, who investigated the collision,
said the automobile apparently ran into
the train, striking it at some point back
of the engine. The automobile was rolled
about 35 feet and demolished. The j
officers said there was no evidence of
negligence on the part of the train
crew and an inquest would not be
necessary.
Police said the Norrises had been
shopping in Gaithersburg, where they
| picked up Mrs. Whalen and her daugh
i ter. The car in which they were
riding was a coupe recently purchased
by Norris.
No Eyewitnesses Found.
No eyewitnesses to the tragedy
could be found. The Derwood crossing
is regarded as dangerous because a
; large mill near the tracks obstructs the
view of westbound trains. Engineer
G. M. Richerts and Conductor N. E.
Reese were ir. charge of the train, a
Hagerstown local due at Derwood at
6 o’clock.
It was the second fatal crossing ac
! cident involving a Baltimore & Ohio
! train near Washington within a week,
two engineers having been killed when
a stalled automobile was struck at
Berwyn Tuesday.
VERDICT CALLED ABSURD.
B. A O. Officials Score Coroner’s Jury
and Exonerate Men.
The crew of the Baltimore & Ohio
; passenger train which struck a stalled
automobile at the Berwyn. Md.. grade
I crossing last. Tuesday, resulting in the
j death of the engineer and his assistant
| and injury of the fireman, were com
| pletely exonorated by officials the
\ railroad company in a statement made
1 public yesterday afternoon,
i The findings of the coroner's jury
which placed the blame on the engineer
j of the train were characterized as glar
! ingly inconsistent and "so absurd and
ridiculous that the unjust criticism of
! the engineer cannot go unchallenged.”
j in the statement which was made by
I Charles W. Gallowav. vice president in
! charge of operation and maintenance
of the railroad.
Leaped to Death.
The accident occurred after an auto
mobile driven by Miss Ethel Thomas
had stalled on the railroad tracks. Miss
Thomas failed to get the car going
again and abandoned it after two men
were unsuccessful in an effort to push
it from the tracks.
When the train struck the vehicle
the engine was enveloped in a sheet of
flame from the exploding gasoline tank
and the engineer. J. Albert Ward, and
his assistant. L. R. Walters, were killed
as they jumped from the train to escape
the flames. The fireman was also
badly burned by the flames.
The coroner's jury, which met last
Wednesday night in the railroad's own
station at Berwyn, which had been
loaned for the purpose, brought in a
verdict in which they declared the
train crew ‘‘failed in using proper
precaution in bringing the train under
control, having a view of one-half mile
of the automobile stalled on the cross
ing.”
Brakes Applied Quickly.
The statement given out by Mr. Gal
loway on behalf of the railroad com
pany pays tribute to Mr. Ward, who
had charge of the train, as an out
standing engineer. A sealed recorder on
the engine, the report continues, shows
I (Continued on Page 3, Column 6.)
“People are doing: a lot of thinking
today,” he said. "They’ve got to get
used to a new era. We are in a differ
ent era and we have got to face it and
recognize there is only one thing in the
world that makes prosperity, and that
is work.”
Mr. Ford condemned financial specu
lation as "gambling” which leads to
periods of inflation, which are always
followed by economic depressions.
He said his factory in Detroit was
operating "from 40 to 50 per cent off,”
but declined to say whether this rep
resented either an increase or a de
crease as compared with recent months.
Accompanied by his son, Edsel, Mr.
Ford spent Thursday and Friday with
Mr. Edison at Orange, N. J. Edsel
Ford left with his father for Detroit
tonight.
The elder Ford scouted reports that
Mr. Edison was in ill health, but said
(Continued on Pace 3, Column 4.)
TEN CENTS
ELSEWHERE
SCHENCK IS CALLED
FROM PRISON TO
TELL GRAFT STORY
Grand Jury Probe Ordered by
Rover on Charges Against
Police Officials.
STAPLES MAY APPEAR
AT HEARING AUGUST 10
Statement of Ex-Policeman Says
He Was Sent to ‘'Get'’ Latter
and Took Shot at Him.
The grand jury will investigate “cer
tain charges of malfeasance” made
against “certain District and Federal
officials” by Frederick A. Schenck,
former Washington policeman, now
serving a 20-year term for robbery, ac
cording to a formal statement issued
last night by Leo A. Rover, United
States attorney.
Schenck, once a teammate of Orville
Staples and, like Staples, credited with
a hectic career on the local police force,
will be brought here from Leavenworth
penitentiary, in Kansas to testify before
the grand jury, on August 10, Rover
| announced.
Rover Announces Probe.
Mr. Rover's: statement follows:
“Frederick A. Schenck, who is now
j serving a 20-year sentence in the
I Leavenworth penitentiary, as a result
of his pleas of guilty to two cases of
I robbery, has made certain charges of
! malfeasance in office, naming certain
District and Federal officials. These
charges will be prestnted by me to the
grand jury on August 10. Schenck will
be brought from the penitentiary to
testify and all persons who are in a
position to shed any light on the mat
ters involved in the charges will be
summoned as witnesses.
"Agents of the Bureau of Investiga
tion of the Department of Justice,
under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover,
director of the bureau, are actively as
sisting me in the preparation of this
j matter for presentation to the giar.d
jury.”
Officials Unidentified.
The identity of the officials against
whom Scher.ck has aimed his charges
and the specific nature of the charges
were not made known.
Rumors of an impending grand jury
probe of reported charges by Schenck
against high police and prosecuting
officials here have been current for
several weeks. It is known that
Schenck has been in communication
with Staples recently. It Is understood
Staples may be among other persons
who will be summoned to appear be
fore the grand jury.
Statement Held Two Tears.
A photostatic copy of a lengthy
statement. supposedly written by
Schenck while an inmate of the Dis
trict Jail two years ago. has been in
the files of the Department of Justice
for many months. The Star learned
from a reliable source.
This statement was brought to the
department by ? local newspaper man,
who desired an official investigation
of sensational charges made against
several police officials and of allega
tions of widespread police corruption.
The statement was not signed, but on
its face purported to be a "confession”
by Schenck.
Because of the lack of signature and
the record of its reputed author, the
document was not taken very seriously
in official circles. At the time the De
partment of Justice declined to take
any action on the ground of lack oi
jurisdiction.
Says Told “to Get” Staples.
The 1929 statement was rather ram
bling and incoherent, officials said. It
outlined its author's experiences as a
policeman in Washington, including his
difficulties in keeping “straight'’ in the
face of general "corruption.”
Ii contained a charge that the author
and another policeman were called into
the office of one of his superiors and
"instructed” to "get” Policeman Staple*
because he had done too much
"squawking.” This was about the time
that Staples was co-operating with
Representative Blanton of Texas in the
latter’s campaign to "clean up the po
lice department.”
Tells of Firing at Staples.
The statement declared the police
man carried out the orders and he and
a brother officer lay in wait at Staples’
home and that his companion shot at
Staples as he entered his garage. One
shot was fired and then, the statement
deelared. Schenck and his companion
left hurriedly and threw the weapon
they used into the Potomac at the foot
of New Hampshire avenue, thus avoid
ing discovery when their sendee pis
tols subsequently were examined In the
police station after Staples made a
complaint that he had been fired upon
The statement ascribed to Schenck
also charged that an assistant district
attorney received S7OO for releasing an
automobile which had been used by a
bootlegger in a manslaughter case. In
(Continued on Page 2, Column 4.)
daweFbankjoins
$250,000,000 UNION
Central Trust and National Bank
of Republic Ratify Consoli
dation.
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, July 25.—The Central
Trust Company of Illinois, known as
the "Dawes Bank." &pd the National
Bank of the Republic were merged to
day into the Central Republic Bank
& Trust Company.
Chicago’s third largest bank was
formed by the consolidation, with $28,-
000.000 In capital, surplus and undi
vided profits and $250,000,000 In de
posits. Plans for the merger were an
nounced several weexs ago ana it was
ratified by the directorates today.
Ambassador Chafes G. Dawes, hon
orary chairman of the board of the
Central Trust, retains the sa*ta
in the new bank. Phillip R. Clarke la
president, his post In the Central Trust,
while Jdhn A. Lynch, chairman of the
executive committee of the Republic
Bank, will continue in that post in the
merger.
Investment affiliates of the banks,
the Central Illinois Company and the
National Republic Company, became
the Central Republic Company In the
consolidation.
T fc,
< *