Evening star. [volume], January 21, 1935, Page A-2, Image 2

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

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HUGE WORK REEIEE
BILL INTRODUCED
$4,000,000,000 Measure Is
Offered in House After
Secret Hearings.
(Continued From First Page.)
the duties and functions of any gov
ernmental agency. Including a cor
poration, and to consolidate, redistri
bute, abolish or transfer the functions,
duties, property and personnel of any
governmental agency.
The President may delegate the
powers conferred on him under the
bill to any governmental agency he
selects. He may guarantee loans to j
or payments of needy individuals. He
may make grants, loans or contracts
and he also may acquire by purchase
or by the power of eminent domain
any property, which he may improve,
maintain, lease or sell. The rules and
regulations to carry out the provisions
of the bill are to be prescribed by the
President. Penalties for the violation
of such rules are to be fines not ex
ceeding $5,000 or imprisonment not
exceeding two years, or both.
Reports Are Provided.
It is provided that a report of obli
gations incurred under this bill shall
be submitted to each of the next three
regular sessions of Congress before
January 10.
The provisions for civil service laws
may be waived by the President in
appointing officers and employes to
carry on this work.
The proposed lump-sum appropria
tion will be attacked by Republican
members of the House and perhaps by
some of the Democrats when the bill
comes up for consideration. The ad
ministration leaders, however, have no
doubt that the bill can be passed in
its present form.
Speculation was rife meanwhile as
to how the fund will be administered.
One idea was that no single Individ
ual would be picked, out a board.
If an individual is chosen. Relief
Administrator Harry L. Hopkins is
considered by some observers to have
a good chance for the job. Secretary
Ickes has been mentioned, too, but no
one could foretell the outcome of a
move in Congress to bar him from the i
position.
One House leader said the feeling
against Ickes was strong enough to
provide a prospect that he may be
“spanked" by the insertion of a clause
In the work relief measure barring a
cabinet member from the post or re
quiring the President to submit the
appointment to the Senate for con
firmation.
"Secretary Ickes,” said one House
leader who did not wish to be quoted,
“has not been courteous to congress
men. He has taken the attitude that
all congressmen are trying to do the
Government out of something.”
--—■ »■■■ —
MRS. CHARLES POE
DIES IN NEW YORK
Widow of Famous Writer's Kin
Was Mother of D. C. Real
Estate Man.
Mrs. Ellen Eyre Conway Poe,
mother of Francis B. Poe, Washington
real estate man. and. through mar
riage, connected with Edgar Allan
Poe, died last night of a heart attack
in New York City.
The Associated Press reported Mrs. |
Poe was the widow of Charles Poe.
Washington and Baltimore lawyer,
who was a second cousin of the fa
mous literary figure.
Born in Richmond, Va.. of an old
Virginia family. Mrs. Poe. who was
in her 70s, was a great-great-grand
daughter of Col. William Byrd of
Westover, Va., and of William Giles,
twice Governor of Virginia.
Mrs. Poe left Washington 10 years |
ago to live with her daughter. Mrs. |
Ellen Poe White, in New York where
she died. Until her husband’s death;
in 1924. she lived at 2022 Hlllyer |
place here.
Another son, Charles K. Poe. a
Beattie, Wash., attorney, also sur
vives. The late Mrs. John Moncure
Robinson of Baltimore was a sister.
Her son Francis, who lives with
his family at 2133 R street, left last
night for New York City where he
will be joined later by the brother
who Uves In Seattle.
Burial will be In Baltimore.
MOTION IS FILED
TO FREE 2 BOYS IN
AUTO THEFT CASE
(Continued From First Page.)
such that I saw no way open to make
any other decision.
“The boys are not sentenced for any
definite .lumber of years, rather they
are committed during their minority.
This Is a matter of law, such disposi
tion being the only one allowed the
court. It is up to the school authori
ties and parole officials to determine
how long tfe boys shall remain.”
Investigation of Juvenile Court
records disclosed that the Penn boy
had a record of nine previous charges
brought against him In court. Seven
of these were charges of larceny of
money, keys and small articles on
June 30, 1931. At that time the
Penn Doy was round guilty of the
charges and was placed on probation,
from which he was dismissed during
the following year. An additional
charge was one of unlawful entry on
May 10, 1931, and one of disorderly
conduct on June 26, 1931. These
counts were dismissed In Juvenile
Court.
As for the Panning boy, his only
previous connection with the court oc
curred when his parents were brought
in to answer complaints of the young
ster’s truancy from school. This
occurred last Pall, the case being dis
missed at that time.
During the conference held between
Cusick and corporation counsel of
ficiate Judge Bentley left the court
building and It was announced that
she would not return today. Ordi
narily no court Is held on Monday.
Parents Wait for Conference.
For several hours this morning,
parents of the two boys waited to
present plea to the Judge.
Although neither Judge Bentley nor
Cusick disclosed all that occurred at
a conference between them and Miss
Helm on Saturday. It was learned that
Judge Bentley had offered to extend
the term of court an additional month,
thus allowing more time for legal ac
tion in the case.
Cusick said this morning that If
Judge Bentley declines to hold a
hearing on his motion he will ask
that the boys be released on bond.
Further action, he said, probably will
be taken In the filing of a writ of
habeas corpus in the District Supreme
Court.
A
What’s What
Behind News
In Capital
Security Program Out
smarts Foes of
New Deal.
BY PAUL MALLON.
WHOEVER said President
Roosevelt is losing his
punch spoke too soon. The
delicate finesse of the new
social plan was up to New
Deal standard politically. Again he
has outmaneuvered his opposition by
giving it something which cannot
be generally opposed.
You may score it as at least a nine
strike. The one pin he will lose will
be old age pensions. Congress will
hike up his proposed $15 a month
maximum, possibly even doubling It
to $30 a month. The rest of the plan
will go through with non-essential
modification.
Fools Townsendites.
There are reasons for suspecting Mr.
Roosevelt left the old age pin to be
knocked down. His problem was to
fool the Townsendites, those embryo
financiers to whom a trillion dollars
is two easily spoken words.
You may recall that his last
word on the subject some months
ago was that he was going to drop
the old age angle of his program
for a few years. If he had. the
Townsendites would have taken
the issue out of his hands.
Instead he has given them some
thing milder to play with. It will not
cost much money, even if they treble
his old age ante, because no one is
to be immediately affected except
those on relief rolls w'ho are more than
70 years old.
There are not enough of them to
make the game steep no matter how
high the ante goes.
The political trouble with the plan
is that it may be financially sound.
That fact was not stressed in the
presidential message. It will not be
stressed in congressional debate. It
must be kept a secret because any
thing sound is considered unpopular
right now. You will hear the radical
aspects played up in the coming dis
cussion.
What you probably will not hear
is that business earnings are not
expected to be influenced. The
taxes for unemployment insurance
will come out of the pay envelope
in one way or another, depending
on State taws to be enacted. Wall
Street appeared to be very sure of
this. The market reacted favor
ably to the plan.
Also obscure is the fact that it is a
long-range venture, which will not
start functioning effectively for !
years and may not reach a level -1
efficiency for 10 or 20 years. It
will not affect the present unemployed
(except the aged) and will pay Its
own way.
Enthusiasm “Lukewarm.”
This does not mean every one is
for the plan. The fact Is no one is
100 per cent for it, even the super
brain trust which composed it. Some
of the liberals in Mr. Roosevelt’s own
cabinet are displeased with it. They
cannot say anything out loud, but
they wanted to take a bigger first
step, something like the British plan.
The authors are mostly college
professors and welfare workers
whose names would mean little to
you. They are experts on the
subject from Yale, Harvard, Prince
ton, California, Pennsylvania, An
tioch and other campuses. Their
opinions differed and their work
was trimmed in spots by Mr.
Roosevelt’s committee, which they
served as an advisory staff.
The conservatives are against it be
cause it starts a vast new system
which may eventually store up $15,
000,000.000 to $17,000,000,000 in the
hands of the Government. This
money may be taken from labor's pur
chasing power. The Government
might use it in inflationary ways.
There will be a constant temptation
for Congress to boost the allowances
every year. Also there is the consti
tutional aspect about the Government
bludgeoning the States into the
system.
This developing situation would
teem to indicate that, economically,
Mr. Roosevelt has again chosen the
middle of the road.
Politically, however, he offers what
nay be a cheap price for defeat of
;he Townsend plan.
Possible Appointments.
One or two of the following trio
nay get appointments to the board
ivhich is to administer the new social
irogram; Abraham Epstein, wizard
n old-age pension systems; Barbara
\rmstrong of the University of Cali
fornia; I. M. Rubinow, Jewish fra
ternal actuary.
The New Dealers are not going to
nake the mistake of drafting laws
'.o~ the State Legislatures to pass for
social planning. They are merely
fdng to write to State executives and
)ffer to help each State work out the
lest law to meet its peculiar local
social problem.
India and China are the only two
•major nations, other than the
United States, which do not have
some kind of social insurance.
Only one State has jobless In
surance (Wisconsin), but 28 States
lave old-age pension laws.
Some of these same super-brain
rusters who framed the social lnsur
ince plan were called in here by the
Hoover administration to solve the
memployment problem. They were
rssoclated with Col. Arthur Woods,
the now forgotten man, who sub
mitted a public works program, but
leard nothing more about it. They
ilso helped Rail Co-ordlnator East
man frame the railroad pension sys
tem last year.
Mr. Roosevelt first became inter
red In social Insurance when he
sent Secretary Perkins to England
;o study the British system while he
was Governor of New York. Her re
port Is still In the New York State
archives, where it is gathering dust.
(Copyright. 1935.)
Dover Postal Aide Dies.
DOVER, Del., January 21 OP).—J.
Edwin Palmatary, 58, assistant post
master of Dover, died Saturday In a
Philadelphia hospital after an oper
ltion for a tumor on the brain.
HAUPTMANN BANK
DEALINGS AIRED
Justice Trenchard Takes
Notes of Experts’ Figures
for Personal Uses.
(Continued From First Page.)
wife deposited a total of $12,830.28 in
a Joint account from 1928 until 1933.
j Hauptmann appeared to bo the
j most alert listener in the court room
as Frank gave his testimony. He
kept a financial statement In his lap
and scrutinized it as he followed each
question and answer.
The defense attorney fairly thun
dered when he asked Frank if one of
Hauptmann's bank accounts, opened
three months after the kidnaping in
Mount Vernon, N. Y., had not started
with "the large sum of $52.50?"
"With the sum of $52.50, yes,” the
Government man said.
Had Money Before Kidnaping.
Reilly traced over the bank
accounts, and finishing this, he asked:
"So that Anna and Richard both
had money before the kidnaping, did
they not?”
"Yes, sir.”
"And they were both doing a bank
ing business?"
"Yes. sir."
"They were depositors in banks?”
"Their deposits ran SI,800, $2,100,
as high as maybe $2,800 a year?”
j “Yes. sir."
I "Both before and after the kid
i naplng?"
! "After the kidnaping they were
I hfcrhpr than that ”
“How much higher?”
•'1933. the total deposits in the bank
accounts were $5,607,50.”
“What were the withdrawals?"
$1,022.03.”
“And what was the withdrawal the
next year?"
“1934. $319.30."
“And what was the balance when
it was closed?”
“$2,500 and some odd.”
“Within $50 of what it was when it
was opened?"
“Yes, sir.”
The defense chief also got Frank
to say that Hauptmann began buying
stocks on margin In 1930.
"Then he didn't need so much
monev?” Reilly suggested.
“No, sir," Frank agreed.
Defense Drills Bruno,
With only three days remaining be
fore It starts to present Us own case,
the defense drilled Hauptmann for the
star role he must play in the attempt
to save himself from the electric chair
His chief counsel gave Hauptmann
copies of his own accounts to study
and coached him about the questions,
both friendly and hostile, to be put to
him later this week.
Reilly asserted that attempts have
been made to intimidate at least two
prospective witnesses for the defense.
“Within the last 24 hours one im
portant male witness for the defense
whoie name was mentioned the other
day, has received phone calls and
messages threatening harm to his wife
and children if he dares to testify,”
he said.
"This man was first called to my
attention by another man who was
to have been a witness and who also
was told to keep away from Fleming
ton.”
Whether the men will appear, Reilly
did not say.
The defense also has subpoenaed a
woman witness, It became known, to
offer her own solution of the crime—a
solution that would absolve Haupt
mann and incriminate his dead friend,
Isador Flsch.
Mrs. Bertha Hoff, a New York
housewife, said she would name Flsch
and several others whose activities led
her to believe they kidnaped and killed
the baby and collected the ransom.
She said she knew Fisch and the other
suspects for several years.
Never Knew Hauptmann.
"I never knew Hauptmann or heard
about him until his arrest, and I can’t
see how he could have been in It,"
she said.
The suspects, in addition to Fisch,
she declared, had been known to her
for several years.
Mrs. Hoff, mother of two boys and
a girl, said she gave her story to
James M. Fawcett, former attorney
for Hauptmann, and it was investi
gated by Henry Kress, who has served
Fawcett, and also Hauptmann’s pres
ent chief of counsel, Edward J. Reilly,
as investigator.
‘‘I was subpoenaed by Mr. Reilly
to appear in Flemington on January
8, but he told me it was too early
to come over. He said I should wait
until thev were ready for me,” said
Mrs. Hoff.
‘‘Mr. Fawcett told me that the
Bronx hearing did not require my
story, because it was only to bring
Hauptmann to New Jersey.”
Mrs. Hoff said that after the kid
naping "I gave the police the informa
tion I had, but all we heard from it
was that the Department of Justice
had opened an investigation into new
angles of the ease. That was about
eight days after the kidnaping.
Certain Fisch Was Involved.
“I am certain that Isador Fisch was
involved and equally certain that these
other people were as well. I saw Fisch
sometime later, when he wanted to
leave two suit cases and two small
packages at my home.
“Bv that time I had come to know
so much of these people that I refused
to have anything to do with them.
"I was with Mrs. Hauptmann, under
subpoena, when Hauptmann went to
court in the Bronx to fight extradition
to New Jersey.
“The little revolver produced at the
trial, the one that was found in the
Hauptmann home, was similar to one
that had been stolen from my home
by the family I had in mind. I am
almost certain it was the one, but It
will be hard to prove, because the cus
toms records which carried its number
have been destroyed.”
Her circumstantial case against the
persons she said she would name In
volved their being near Hopewell Just
before the crime, possession of ladders
and other major factors in the case.
Fisch Known as “John.”
Mrs. Curt Schwartz, another Bronx
housewife, said today Isador Fisch was
known as “John” during a trans
Atlantic crossing after the Lindbergh
kidnaping.
“John” was the name taken by the
man who collected the $50,000 Lind
bergh ransom—a part Imputed to
Fisch by Hauptmann’s defense.
“Fisch. was a most peculiar char
acter,” Mrs. Schwarz said in an inter
view. “My husband and I sailed with
him on the steamship Washington
when he went back to his home lc
Leipzig to die.
“He always gave us his name as
‘John’ on the ship; and later, when
he wrote us two letters and two postal
cards from Leipzig, he signed that
name to them.
“We did not think to look up his
real name on the passenger list until
long after the voyage. Then wa found
it was Isador.”
Mrs. Schwarz said that she had
■4
No. 1 Outlaw Escapes in Gun Battle
*"■**' -.. " — " ■■■ ■ — ■— — -
Copyright, A. P. Wirephotos.
■ A .■ ■■ •.■.•.•..■.vi'/wX-: vxa mamtnmmiliil I ilPruHifiMiln 111 ..
No. 1—Tire Dan-Mor Hotel, near
the Boardwalk in Atlantic City,
where an alleged member of the
Bremer kidnaping gang was trap
ped, but escaped yesterday.
No. 2—Alvin karpis, rated as
public enemy, No. 1. who escaped
from the trap with Harry Camp
bell (No. 4).
No. 3—Winona Burdette, radio
singer and one of the two women
taken by officers. She Is supposed
to be the wife of Campbell. The
other woman, Dolores Delaney,
was known as Karpis’ companion.
-<
asked relatives in Germany to find
Fisch's correspondence with the sig
nature, "John."
"But, I do not expect to go to
Flemlngton to testify,” she said. "I
have too much work to do around
home.”
Mrs. Schwarz was also examined by
Kress. Neither she nor her husband
has consented to testify in the de
fendant's behalf.
Says Fisch Acted Funny.
Mrs. Schwarz said Fisch's name and
address, as recorded during the voyage
in her husband's address book, were
"John Fisch. Johanstrasse 45. Leipzig."
She said Fisch was extremely
nervous when he disembarked at
Hamburg. December 15. 1933.
"He acted terribly funny,” she said
"When the customs Inspectors came
on b^ard, Fisch turned out pale and
shaking.
"He looked as though he were
almost about to collapse, and his
nervousness seemed to make the in
spector suspicious.
"They gave our luggage just the
usual examination, but they looked
through Fisch's baggage very care
fully.
"As I remember, he had only a
suitcase and a handbag, but he
trembled so much that he could
scarcely get them open.
"He had two boxes of chocolate.
The inspectors were so suspicious
that they tore the corners off the tops
of the boxes to see if he had any
thing sealed in them.
“Fisch had talked with us a good
deal on the trip, and we noticed that
on the day prior to our landing he
seemed to be in good spirits and
health.
"But he could scarcely get down
fforrmlowlr Vs a a.irt rtf utnKKlnr)
down it and had to be helped."
"During the ride from the pier, he
continued to be sick and nervous.”
Mrs. Schwarz said that throughout
the trip Fisch gave every evidence of
suffering from tuberculosis.
Fisch went to Germany with Henry !
Uhllg of New York, who is prepared
to testify for Hauptmann. Uhllg has
said several circumstances surround
ing the mysterious Fisch indicate
Hauptmann unwittingly stored part
of the ransom money for Fisch.
State Reduces Witnesses.
The State, in its final drive for con
viction. cut ruthlessly into its list of
witnesses, eliminating 18 alone in the
number to testify about Hauptmann's
bank and brokerage accounts.
Two certified public accountants,
Ernest Weller and Albert Bauer, both
Government men, were called to
establish the contention that ransom
money financed Hauptmann's dabbling
in Wall Street.
The prosecutors, at a conference in
Trenton during the week end recess,
also decided to call only one more
Federal agent to tell of the trail of
the ransom bills that led to Haupt
mann's arrest.
The kidnap ladder, considered by
the State its best bit of evidence
against Hauptmann, assumed an im
portant part in the closing days of
its case.
“He has got this ladder right
around his neck,” the State has in
sisted to the eight men and four
women of the jury. “He took part of
that attic of his and built the ladder
with it.
"One rung of that (adder, one side
of that ladder comes right out of that
attic, put on there with his tools, and
we will prove it to you.”
Another bit of wooden evidence was
the panel from a closet in Haupt
mann’s Bronx home. It bore in the
carpenter's handwriting, authorities
said, the penciled notation of two
ransom bill serial numbers—serial
numbers which through some over
sight never were included in any list
made public after the $50,000 ransom
was paid.
Defense Blocked Ladder.
The State has tried several times to
have the ladder accepted as evidence,
' but each time, urging technical legal
objections, the defense kept It out of
the case.
Hauptmann, the small-time carpen
ter dabbling in Wall Street, was por
trayed carefully in the last phases of
the prosecution’s case. By way of a
prelude the State intended to show
the Bronx alien was fascinated by the
market, playing it in a quiet, con
servative way before the ransom was
paid.
There was testimony that at one
time prior to the kidnaping Haupt
mann’s brokerage account carried
stocks valued at $5,000, and that a
day or so after the ransom payoff,
April 12, 1932, he closed out an ac
count listing 50 shares of stock and
received an equity of $600.
It was an entirely different story
after the $50,000 ransom was paid, the
State contended, with transactions
totaling $350,000 in the next 30
months.
In mixing surprise witnesses with
this testimony, the State borrowed
freely from the stage and motion pic
ture technique of a "flash back.” The
idea was to show how Hauptmann
was enjoying the fruits of the famous
crime, and then to keep the minds of
the Jurors reverting frequently, by
testimony, to the contention that he
was actually present at the scene of
the kidnaping.
The kidnap ladder remained the
major factor In the rest of its evi
dence, and three experts were ready
to give testimony to Unit it to Haupt
mann.
They were Arthur J. Koehler, Fed
eral wood expert; Stanley R. Keith,
metalurgist and expert on nails, and
J. J. Dorn of McCormic, S. C, a
lumber man.
Other evidence In this phase of the
case was Hauptmann’s own carpenter
tools, his planes, his chisels, his saws,
his wood clamps. The State tech
nical experts hoped to convince the
Jury that Hauptmann’s tools left tell
tale traces on the kidnap ladder.
Wood Came From Attic.
On this technical proof, the prose
cution was certain It could pile still
more damaging evidence—evidence
that one rung and one upright in the
three-part section ladder of the kld
Daplng came directly from the attic
/
?
of Hauptmann’s attic in the Bronx.
The upright, the State contended,
came from the attic flooring. As for
the rung, the only one of Its kind In
the ladder, state authorities said they
were ready to show it was once part
of a board found at the entrance to
the Hauptmann attic.
SOCIAL SECURITY
LAUDEDBY WITTE
Program Explained Before
Ways and Means
Committee.
i
BULLETIN.
The resolution calling for $4,880,
000,000 for emergency and work
relief was introduced today In the
House and preparations were made
to bring it up for action tomorrow
under a "gag” rule.
By the Associated Press.
The administration's social-security
program started a confident journey '
toward the statute books today.
Edwin E. Witte, executive director
of the President's committee which
drew the security plans, was the first
witness before the House Ways and
Means Committee. As rows of spec- (
tators listened he summarized the bill
and said:
"The entire program represents a j
substantial beginning in the develop- |
ment of ‘safeguards against the major
hazards and vicissitudes of life.’ It Is
a program following no set formula,
but one that is adapted to our Ameri
can conditions and traditions.
"It will In time require additions
and very probably also changes. It Is
'not the last word on the subject.’ but
a long stride forward toward 'the se
curity of men, women and children,’
which the President has very properly
described as the first objective In the
task of recovery.”
He estimated the cost of an outright
Federal old-age pension system would
reach $1,300,000,000 by 1980.
Changes Still Possible.
Demands from Capitol Hill that the
Government raise its ante on social
security brought a reply from Witte
earlier, indicating the door is not
closed to changes considered feasible.
"There's no thought on the part of
the committee." he said, "that it pre
sented a perfect program or that Con
gress won’t dot an ‘i’ or cross a ‘t’
in it.
"If Congress can liberalize the bene
fits, well and good."
He made no specific reference to
congressional criticism. Senator Borah,
among some others, has come out for
more liberal benefits. The Idaho Re
publican called the proposed Federal
contribution of $15 to pensions for
those now aged inadequate.
President Roosevelt has taken the
stand that, while that is the highest
the Government can go with wisdom,
there is no reason why the States
should not contribute more than the
$15 originally suggested as their share.
Witte opposed as "impractical" both
the Townsend plan for $200-a-month
pensions and the Lundeen social in
surance bill. Neither, he said, could
be managed under the present eco
nomic order, for they would cost too
great a share of the national Income—
if not more than that income.
After the House committee hearing
today the Senate Finance Committee
is to hear social security witnesses to
morrow, including Senator Wagner,
Democrat, of New York, and Repre
sentative Lewis, Democrat, of Mary
land.
BANDITS KILL 11
IN SUMMERY
Receipts at Chevy Chase
Lake Car Barn Taken.
Body in Creek.
f Continued From First Page.)
almost a mile from the car barn dissi
pated the theory that profesional gun
men and robbers did the work.
"They don't go In for that sort of
thing," a police official said today.
"They don't cart away their victims.
Th let 'em lay where they shoot
’em "
That the transit superintendent,
Schmidt, may be right in his belief
that some one familiar with the pro
ceedings at the car bam did the work
is borne out by certain facts, Sunday
is said to be the only day this par
ticular point of company contact con
tains any large sum of money—taken
in from the sale of street car passes
over the week end. Some one un
doubtedly knew that.
Whoever killed Mitchell apparently
walked into the car barn office and
fired on him before he had time to
open the desk and get his own gun.
Thrown Into Car.
At the roadway near the point from
which firemen followed a trail of blood
through the snow to Smith's body in
the creek was a quantity of broken
glass, which led police to believe that
the bandits shot Smith when he put
up a fight. It is believed they over
powered him, threw him in a car and
sped away. L. W. Bell, a next-door
neighbor of Smith, located the blood
trail and notified authorities. Smith
apparently had been dragged through
the snow from the roadside to the
creek. He had been dealt several
severe blows on the head, apparently,
before he was shot, indicated by a
large bruise and a swollen place on
his head.
It was nearing 6 o'clock when Mont
gomery County police arrived at the
car barn office. Immediate search of
the premises showed ail monies gone.
Schmidt, called to the scene, declared
the money had not been in the safe
and was, therefore, accessible. The
doors to the office, he said, are ordi
narily kept locked, including a heavy
grated door to the inside office where
the money was kept.
Veteran Employes.
Both of the murdered men had
worked for the transit company many
years. Mitchell has a record of 40
years’ service to his credit. Besides his
widow Mitchell is survived by two chil
dren, Melvin, 31, and Mrs. Frances
Blerach, 23, both residents of Wash
ington. Born in Marlboro, Md., Mitchell
came to Washington at an early age
and went to work for the company.
Smith is survived by a widow and
two step-daughters, Helen and Alice
Anderson, students at the Chevy Chase
High School. Alice is in the Junior
department.
Just about the time Smith was
murdered his mother, Mrs. Edith
Smith, died suddenly at his home. She
had been visting her son over Sunday,
coming here from Frederick, Md.
Detective Sergts. C. C. Stepp and
Thomas Nally of the metropolitan po
lice force, were assigned to help out
Maryland authorities in the investiga
tion, after a request for help from the
chief of police at Rockville. Later
more men from th* Washington force
will be ass'gi.ca to the case, it was*
learned, if necessary.
KARPIS GANG AIDE
IS REPORTED SHOT
New “Public Enemy No. 1”
Blazes Path to Freedom
With Machine Gun.
(Continued From Fust Page.)
•outh to Cape May and the broad ex
panse of Delaware Bay. State troop
ers were sent to patrol all of them.
William S. Cuthbert, city director of
public safety, blamed the eacape on
lack of proper warning as to Karpis’
identity.
"If we had been told or had suffi
cient indication that this was Amer
ica's public enemy No. 1, and that he
waa as tough as he turned out to be.
I would have sent the entire police
force down there," he said.
Guns Blaze In Hotel.
Bullets spattered on the walls of a
narrow, dlmly-llt hotel hallway, gun
fire flashed In the darkness of the
hotel stairs and Karpis was free from
one more police trap.
Outside. In a pouring rain, men
waited with guns ready. Every exit
was covered. Every door was watched.
But Karpis was gone.
While two detectives blazed away
from the landing, the "No. 1" enemy
walked from the fourth floor of his
I nun.1 Miucono?-a ou/ijc o uuun liUIIi
the Boardwalk, vacation haunt of
thousands.
Not until his submachine gun barked
again, from a garage arrow the street,
were the police sure what had hap
pened.
How It happened Is a puzzle yet.
How Karpls, with a machine gun
under his arm. and Campbell, with a
coat thrown over his underwear, could
melt into the darkness and rain is the
mystery touch that was needed to com
plete the detective-thriller story of the
gangster's getaway.
Three detectives—Eddie Mulhern,
Arch Witham and George Brennan—
who sought to trap him, but were
trapped themselves
The marksman played his role, shot
a key from a woman’s hand without
touching her fingers.
Challenged to Fist Duel.
Policeman Jimmy Campbell topped
off the drama by dropping his empty
pistol and shouting to his machine
gun duelist:
"Drop that gun and come out in the
street and fight like a man." A deadly
"rat-a-tat-tat" was the answer to that
challenge.
The detectives had entered the
Dan-Mor Hotel to surprise what they
thought to be "an ordinary tough guy."
When the raiders reached the fourth
floor of the hotel they met a man walk
ing down the hall In his underwear.
"Looking for some one," he asked
politely.
"Yes, who's the fellow in that room
there."
"Oh. he’s a pal of mine. Walt a
minute and I'll tell him you want
mm.
And Campbell—for it was he—went
in the room, locked the door and
; snapped off the lights.
Key Shot Away,
The hotel owner's wife, Mrs. William
Morley. was summoned with a pass
key. a bullet spat through the open
ing as the door swung back and the
key in her hand flew to pieces.
Mulhem stuck his pistol through the
doorway.
"Stick 'em up,” he yelled. "Were
officers.”
“Stick 'em up yourself.” came a
voice inside. The door swung wide,
and a machine gun started to chatter.
The detectives, outlined clearly in
the light, could see only the gun
flashes in the darkened room. They
1 scurried for safety as bullets bit Into
[ walls around them.
Down the hall and down the stairs,
again into the cover of darkness,
i backed the gangster, always keeping
a curtain of gunfire between.
"Rat-a-tat-tat." "rat-a-tat-tat." Kar
pis was sweeping the street with a
leaden hail so Campbell could steal
a car from the garage.
Firing as they went, the fugitives
sped in one street and out another,
twice doubling back from dead ends
at the Boardwalk.
In “Snake alley.” which winds and
bends like a curling reptile, past the
rear of the Dan-Mor Hotel, the smal
ler machine made the turns at higher
speed than the clumsy “black maria,”
and the patrol was lost.
Before fleeing from the hotel dis
trict, Karpis amused himself by blaz
ing away at every policeman he saw.
and they dotted the neighborhood
seeking a chance for a pot shot at
him.
"He’s worse than Dillinger,” they
1 said.
I ___ .
CLERGY PRAISES BROWN
Protestant Ministers Also Advo
cate Increased Police Force.
A resolution praising the work of
Maj. Ernest W. Brown, superintendent
of police, and favoring an increase in
the police force of 100 men was re
ceived today by the police chief from
the Methodist Protestant Ministers'
Association of Washington.
The resolution asked that Congress
not only provide the funds for the ex
tra policemen, but that it also pass
laws to promote more efficient police
work.
Women to Hear A. A. A. Speaker.
COLMAR MANOR, Md., January
31 (Special).—A speaker from the
Agricultural Adji4stment Administra
tion will address the January meet
ing of the Women’s District Demo
Viawc ViUU ui mujv. .v.
tomorrow night in the Municipal
Building here.
Plans will be made for the ball to
be held by the club the evening of
March 1 at the Beaver Dam Country
Club.
BAND CONCERT.
By the United states Marine Band
tomorrow at 11:30 am. in the Marine
Barracks Auditorium. Capt. Taylor
Branson. leader; Arthur S. Witcomb,
second leader.
Patriotic Shutins’ Dream Hour.
Marines' hymn,
"The Halls of Montezuma."
Overture, "William Tell”.Rossini
Song, "Hiawatha”.Moret
Euphonium solo, "Beautiful Colo
rado" .De Luca
Donald Kimball.
"Menuet” . Paderewsky
March, "N. R. A. Victory.”
W. A. Sutton
Trumpet solos:
"Ben Bolt."
1 “Sweet Genevieve."
John P. White.
Selections from “H Trovatore”.. .Verdi
March. "French Foreign Legion” Ducat
Song, "Listen to the Mocking Bird."
“Valencia.”
“Pilgrim Chorus and Song to the
Evening Star” from “Tann
hauser”.Wagner
Son*. “Home, Sweet Home."
Hymn. “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere.”
"The Star Spangled Banner."
A A
WAR TIME COST
PADDING CHARGED
Senate Probers Told Ship
builders Entered $17,000
for Cigars and Drinks.
By the Aisoclt ted Press.
Senate munitions Investigators con
tended today that the New York 8h‘o
building Corp. sought to charge the
Government $17,000 for cigars, wines
and liquors as part of the coat of con
structing war-time ships
This item, Investigators told the
committee, was used to swell the “con-’
which the company trr’d to charge
the Government on “cost-plus" con
tracts.
Listed as an expense Item also was
“a Chinese representative" at $2 000
in connection with contracts held by
the company.
The evidence was brought out by
Stephen Raushenbush chief investi
gator, in questioning an accountant
for the committee as the Senate Com
mittee reopened its investigation of
trade in implements of war.
N. R. Parker, treasurer of the com
pany, said charging of such expense
to cast of building ships was practiced
at the present time in construction of
merchant vessels.
$300,000 Tax Item Alleged.
The evidence said the company in
cluded about $300,000 In Income tax
as a cost item on one contract, but
this also was stricken out by the
Government.
Evidence also was presented that
the New York Shipbuilding Corp.
bought a $14000.000 shipyard from
the Government after the war for
$500,000 and two years later—1925—
appraised It at more than $2,000,000.
The yard was built on company
owned land at Gloucester. Mass
Company officials said the yard was
regarded as more valuable because it
was to be used for a different pur
pose than planned at first.
To Consider "Universal Draft.”
Tomorrow the House Military Com
mittee starts hearings on another w ar
subject—a proposal for a "universal
draft" in ease of conflict. It is a
measure to draft all "necessary" serv
ices and material resources of cit
izens and industry into the military
forces.
The Munitions Committee started
work today with $50,000 additional
funds granted by Congress last week.
With the money went a command to
report back to the Senate before April
1 with legislation to take the profit
out of war.
Chairman Nye. Republican, of North
Dakota said legislation would be
ready, but that continued investiga
tion beyond April 1 appeared desir
able.
Outline of Future Business.
Business before the committee in
the next several weeks includes
1. An inquiry into the steel In
dustry.
2. Questioning of international
banking interests on the munitions
trade.
3. Completion of an inquiry into
the source of arms for gangs.
4. A study of the possibility of na
tionalizing the munitions Industry.
Bernard M. Baruch, chairman of a
committee appointed by the President
to study methods of regulating indus
try during wartime, will be called as
a witness. Nye said. While Nye has
expressed opposition to the proposal
of Baruch to freeze prices at the ad
vent of war. he said the committee
would consider information supplied
by the financier.
"Freezing of prices at the begin
ning of the World War would have
found many, particularly those of the
munitions industry, at a very high
level,” said Nye.
PAY RESTORATION
GETS STRONG PLEA
BEFORE SENATE GROUP
iContinued From First Page)
purchasing power and the improve
ments in the living standards that
result from the expansion of produc
tive efficiency. I think that you will
agree with me that the marked decline
in the price levels and the consequent
decrease in the cost of living between
1928 and 1933 were not in any sense
to be attributed to that source. I
believe that you will further agree
that every portion of the American
public suffered a decline in income
during this period of falling prices.
"I am fully conscious of the fact
that the past year and a half has
witnessed a substantial Increase in
the price of certain commodities. This
has been particularly so of retail food
prices, which have advanced by 13.6
per cent from their low level of June,
1933. Appreciable increases have also
occurred in the prices of other com
modities. However, when all of the
important items that enter into the
cost of living of the average American
family are weighed in accordance
with their importance in family ex
penditures. the net increase in total
family living costs from June. 1933,
to November. 1934, aggregates 8.3 per
cent. This increase compares with
a decline of 25 per cent which oc
curred between the first six months
of 1928 and the first six months of
1933
Lower Costs Cited.
“The cost of living for the average
family In the United States was 18 1
per cent lower during the last half
of 1934 than during the base period
specified in the economy act. The
cost of living for the average Federal
employe living in Washington was
13 per cent lower. The salary of
Government employes, In contrast,
are at a level 5 per cent below that
which prevailed during the first half
of 1928.”
Mr. Steward argued that the effects
of last year’s drought are just begin
ning to be reflected in the living cost
of Government employes.
Mr. Babcock told the committee his
organization asks for more than mere
ly a living wage, but advocates a sav
ing wage, one that would enable the
worker to profit from the improve
ments wrought by science and inven
tion.
One of Senator McCarrau’s bills
seeks to repeal certain other features
of the economy law, such as cuts In
travel allowances and the ban on re
allocation of employes from one grade
to another. There were Indications,
however, that members' of the Senate
subcommittee might go further in
considering the 5 per cent pay restor
ation than In attempting to change
various other features at this time.
-•—
Warning Shot Answered.
CHICAGO <A’).—Traffic Policeman
Walter Tyrcha has an effective method
of stopping speeding cars; he fires his
pistol into the air. When four men
whizzed by him at a dangerous Inter
section, his gun cracked In a sharp
warning Instead of halting, the men
discharged a fusillade of shots. A few
minutes later he learned the gang had
I'cbbcci a drug store.