Newspaper Page Text
WEATHER. AM / _ (U 8 Weather Bureau Forecast.) __ . Fair tonight and tomorrow; somewhat ^y ■ The only evening paper colder tonight, with lowest temperature g, ■ rAM in Washington with the about 25 degrees; moderate northwest M V a • j. j ° t» winds. Temperatures—Highest, 70. at ■ ■ ■ ASSOCiateCl rreSS NeWS fO° pnL?,estertla.y: lowest. 31 at 7 a.m. jM ■ and Wirephoto Services. today. Full report on page B-14. V| f ^ 1 New York Markets Closed Today V. Yesterday’s Circulation, 143,004 __'Some returns not yet received.) 85th YEAR. No. 33,932. pos^oaice8, 8Wa"hln»ton,mDUor K (A3) Meant Associated Press. TWO CENTS. PALATIAL AIRLINER CRASH KILLING 13 REMAINS MYSTERY Five Federal Inspectors to , Probe Disaster Near Pittsburgh. PILOT OF SISTER SHIP WITNESSES PLUNGE Bodies of Victims Are Cut and Battered Almost Beyond Recognition. BULLETIN. PITTSBURGH. March 26 OP).— Officials of the Transcontinental & Western Airlines declared today that ice forming on the control equipment caused the crash of its airliner near Pittsburgh with the loss of 13 lives. by the Associated Press. PITTSBURGH. March 26—The nose dive of a palatial skyliner into a hillside, carrying its 13 occupants to instant death, furnished today another mystery of the airways. The giant Transcontinental & West ern Airlines' Silver Bird, nearing the $2,000,000 Allegheny County Airport for a stop on its journey from New ark to Chicago, dropped like a plum met seven minutes after the sun had 6et yesterday. The sky was clear for some 2.400 feet, there was not much wind, and a sister ship was cruising a few hundred yards above and behind the twin motored Douglas C-2, numbered 320. Capt. A. W. Wilkins, winging home the second ship, turned his head to avoid looking at the doomed liner's final 50-foot drop. He estimated the fatal plunge began about 1,700 feet up and that Pilot F. Lawrence Bohnet, a veteran of 10 years' service, made two complete left turns with his plane's Bose pointed straight down. Bodies Badly Battered. All the victims except the pretty blond hostess, Doris C. Hammons of Elk City. Okla.. were battered almost beyond recognition. They were cata pulted to the front of the ship, whose nose plowed into a hillside on the fringe of Mount Lebanon, fashionable suburb. The dead: Edward J. Fleming, jr., 22. student, Standard Oil Co. employe. 6042 Brook side boulevard, Kansas City. C. R. (Dick) Lewers, 22, student, Standard Oil Co. employe, 6115 Oak street, Kansas City. Hasan Haxhi, Albanian representa tive of Diamond T. Motor Car Co., 1512 West Sixty-second place, Argo, 111. John F. Hermann, 45, engineer and Inventor, 700 East Broadway, Lin coln, 111. Frederick D. Lehman, 25, Metropoli tan Life Insurance Co., 240 North Third street. Harrisburg, Pa. Miss Pauline Trask, 37. school teach er. Germantown, Pa. Edgar E. Brazelton. 36, stove sales | manager, 200 South Kenilworth, Elm hurst, 111. Mary Black. 32, employe of Stand srd Brands. Inc., New York. Miss Frances Reed. 23. department store employe and New York Uni versity student, of Wheeling, W. Va., and 20 Christopher street, New York. E. G. Neill. 37, Curtis Publishing Co., 5344 Girard avenue, Minneapolis, Minn. Capt. F. L. (Larry) Bohnet. 149 Bentley avenue. Newark, chief pilot. Howard E. Warwick, 164 North Orton Park, East Orange, N. J., co pilot. Doris C. Hammons, hostess, Elk City. Okla. Investigations by Coroner W. J. Mc Gregor of Allegheny County, the air (See AIR CRASH. Page~A-3.) MURDER AND SUICIDE ARE LAID TO INSANITY Bf the Associated Press. BOSTON, March 26.—A recurrent fit of insanity was blamed by police today for the shooting in which Jeremiah Mackey, 35. former special police officer, yesterday took three lives and his own. Dead of a bullet from his brother’s police pistol was Dr. Charles E. Mackey, 43. Boston School Committee member, ehot down as he attempted to in vestigate the slaying of Paul Costa, 21. Costa's sister, Alice, 19, a maid in the Mackey home, was next to fall, then the crazed man ended his rampage by taking his own life. Police Capt. John F. McCarthy of the homicide squad reported an official finding of murder and suicide, caused by insanity. Legion Will Fight Sit-Down Strikers Bv Militant Action %/ Bt th» Associated Press. DETROIT, March 26.—The Detroit District Association of the American Legion announced today it was pre pared to lend active support to the Government in combating "illegal appropriation of private property.” Authors of a resolution condemning such “appropriation” and any “at tempt to deprive the individual worker of the personal right of selection of his own organization or representa tives” said it referred to sit-down strikes and union demands for sole recognition as a collective bargaining agency. The resolution was adopted unani mously by 210 delegates representing 51 American Legion posts. The resolution declared that “sub versive forces” are attempting to com pel workers to join in “illegal ac tions” and asserted that the movement was led and supported in part by communistic agitators. A spokesman for the association said that the reference to “active sup port” of the Government meant that militant action would be undertaken "if It should prove necessary." Reporter’s Last Story Tells of His Oivn Death Describes Shooting From Which He Died. Ey the Associated Press. ALTURAS, Calif., March 26 — Killed in what Sheriff John Sharp said today was the climax of a news paper feud, Claude L. McCracken, 46 year-old editor, reported the story of his own shooting as his last act. Harry French, 30-year-old State em ploye and son of Alturas’ rival news paper publisher, surrendered volun tarily after McCracken was shot down in his own home last night as he ate dinner with two young women. French was held on an open charge today. Dictates Telegram. With five bullets in his body, Mc Cracken was carried to a hospital, where his wife was the nurse assigned to care for him. There he dictated a telegram to the Associa Bu reau in San Francisco. It read: "Tonight about 6:30 Harry French shot Claude L. McCracken, editor of the Modoc Mail, with an auto matic pistol. Condition of McCracken serious. (Signed) “McCRACKEN.” Two hours later he died. McCracken was the Associated Press correspondent at Alturas—one of the j best in California's small towns—and ~ (See SLAYING, Page A-6.) CAFE ‘SHAKEDOWN’ Seven Found Guilty by New York Jury Cause Scene in Court. BACKGROUND— Thomas E. Dewey was appointed, a special prosecutor in New York several years ago to clean up al leged "rackets” in the United States’ largest city. Prostitution, policy game pro moters and numerous industrial rackets, such as those in salvaging bricks, baking and supplying a community of 7.500.000 with dressed poultry, have felt the pressure of his investigations and convictions have resulted in nearly all of them. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, March 26.—A $2,000, 000-a-year restaurant “shake-down,” fashioned by the hand of a murdered gangster and spawn of a big city’s economic life, was smashed today. The foreman of a “blue ribbon” jury in Supreme Court—which in this State is a trial court—intoned the word "guilty” 182 separate times last night against the seven defendants. As he finished, woman relatives shrieked in the corridors and two de fendants cried out, protesting their innocence. Impassive as the jury filed in after deliberating only three and a half hours on almost 10 weeks of testi mony, black-moustached Thomas E. Dewey, special prosecutor, tallied an other in his long series of victories against organized crime. Face 200-Year Terms. Facing maximum terms of 200 to 300 years each were men adjudged guilty of extortion and conspiracy in the formation of a restaurant own ers' “association” and in the operation of two restaurant employes’ unions. The defendants'. Abraham Cohen, counsel for the Metropolitan Restau rant and Cafeteria Association; Harry Vogelstein, attorney and an associ ation organizer; Philip Grossel, asso ciation secretary: Paul N. Coulcher, secretary of the Waiters’ Union local; Aladar Retek, organizer of the waiters’ local: Irving Epstein, busi ness agent of the Cafeteria Workers' Union, and John J. Williams, labor chief of the same local. One Pleads Guilty. An eighth man. Louis Beitcher. col lector. pleaded guilty. Court attendants had difficulty in restoring quiet after the demonstra tion, in which Williams and Retek shouted denials they were “mur derers” or extortionists. “I’m not guilty,” yelled Williams. Retek, who served in the Austrian Army in the World War, sobbed, "It isn’t rignt. I’m not a gunman, not a murderer.” \t least two murders, including that of Arthur (Dutch Schultz) Flegenh-imer, one-time beer baron of the Bronx who turned to other fields after repeal, occurred while the restaurant extortion business was in full flower. Window-smashing, stench bombings and other violences were resorted to by the racket’s overlords. “The verdict establishes that rack eteering can be crushed," commented Dewey. Sentences will be pronounced April 7. Bodies of Air Crash Victims Badly Battered and Cut B7 the Associated Press. PITTSBURGH, March 26.—Thir teen men and women died last night in the crash of a giant T. W. A. air liner a few hundred yards from safety. A level meadow that might have saved their lives strethced just ahead, out of reach of the newest type Douglas DO-2 monoplane, luxury liner of the skyways. Eyewitnesses agreed Pilot F. Law rence Bohnet apparently lost a game fight to bring the faltering machine down on this long level stretch. Mrs. Catherine Schramm, early at the scene, watched the great ship circle desperately, then nose directly down and crack up a few hundred feet from her home. "I heard the plane so close above my head that I thought surely it was going to strike the house. I ran out in time to see it circling, as if to head down to the meadow, when REBELS RETREAT ON SOUTH ERONI Spanish Loyalist Drive Halts Insurgents in Strate gic Position. ITALIANS WITHDRAWN FROM INSURGENT AREA Removal From Guadalajara Sec tor Follows Internal Row, Valencia Reports Say. — BACKGROUND— Spanish civil war has outlasted all expectations. Last Fall com plete defeat of Loyalist defenders was predicted in almost every quarter. The Fascist Rebels had closed in on Madrid after a series of continuous victories in Spanish provinces. In November the big drive on the capital began. Its fall was expected daily. But the defenders of Madrid held on doggedly through iveeks of fight ing: m the provinces unextin guished bands of Loyalists and sympathizers fought any skirmish they could to harass the Rebels and to keep victory from them. Finally the Rebel drive slackened. There followed several months of com parative inactivity. Then a month ago the Rebels began a new drive on Madrid and intensified fighting in the provinces where their hold was slipping. By the Associated Press. ANDUJAR, Spain, March 26.— Government troops, preceded by bomb ing planes, penetrated insurgent south ern lines in fresh attacks today, forc ing Gen. Francisco Franco's Italian reinforced legions back 5 miles from positions outside Pozoblanco. Under terrific bombing and machine gun fire, the insurgents retired along the Pozoblanco-Alcaraeejos highway. From Valencia came government re ports that internal fighting among 30.000 Italian volunteers on the Guada lajara front has caused their removal from the ranks of Gen. Franco's in surgents. Their retreat, described by govern ment commanders as "disorderly,” was hastened by repeated attacks on the insurgent rear guard. (The government victory apparently halted the insurgent drive on two strategic positions: (1. The town of Pozoblanco. which had been encircled earlier by the in surgents in an effort to drive out the government garrison and gain control of a new southern field base. (2. The town of Almaden. north west of Pozoblanco. in the center of the mercury mining district, where the insurgents hoped to seize fresh sup plies of the metal used in manufac turing war materials. (Insurgent reports, meanwhile, con flicted with government claims, assert- | ing the fall of Pozoblancho was immi nent.) „ Government artillery combined with aerial bombers in laying down a terrific barrage before the infantry attacks. Pilots, returning to their base, re ported destruction of a 30-car insur gent troops train between Mon tore and Pedro Abad. The train was derailed as it was crossing a bridge, after which eight pursuit and ten bombing ships swooped down to attack the occupants. Cavalry Troops Killed. Part of a cavalry troop was also declared annihilated. Government bombers rained explo sives on Alcaracejos, Villanueva Del Rio. Montoro. Pedro Abad, El Carpiox, Villaharta. Espiel and Penarroya, all towns in the immediate sector. A column of trucks leaving Villa harta was halted by damage inflicted oy government bombs. Flying low, the pilots also bombed a number of camou flaged trucks seeking cover along a roadside. Meanwhile, at Madrid, far north of (See SPAIN, Page A-5.) LINER SAILS The President Coolidge, Damaged in Crash, Repaired. SAN FRANCISCO, March 26 (&).— After 17 days in drydock for patching up the large hole in her bowplates, the Dollar liner President Coolidge, which collided with and sank a tanker in the Golden Gate March 6, was bound to day for the Orient. Tidewater Associated Oil Co., own ers of the tanker, have sued for $853, 327 damages from the Dollar Line, charging negligence on the part of the liner’s navigators. The vessel sailed with 501 passen gers, 177 fewer than when she hit the tanker and was forced to turn back. Many persons canceled reservations and left on other ships. suddenly it nosed straight down and crashed,” she said. "I can't describe the sound. It wasn’t as loud as one would expect. There was a crash, then just silence; not a scream, not a sound of any kind, Just silence. “I called my husband. There was a tangle of wreckage there. We could hardly make out that it had ever been an airplane. There were several bodies lying where they had been thrown clear of the plang. • * * I ran back to the house and brought blankets to cover them.” The plane struck near Euclid Bour guignon, 26-year-old farmer, as he trudged homeward bringing in the family cow from the meadow. He described the scene: ‘‘The plane made as though to land on a hill near my house, but there (See VICTIMS. Page A-l.) SOLE ISSUE. m PECOGNITION of U.A.W.Ar AS EXCLUSIVE. BARGAINING UNIT. ^ITDOWN BEGINS MARCH 8. March 24 7 AT(?IU^PH OF REASON Sole i5Sue:: • RECOGNITION OF UA.WA. AS EXCLUSIVE BARGAINING UNIT. GAS SAFETY PLAN OFFERED IN TEXAS Explosion Military Court Urges State Agency, Periodic Inspections. the Associated Press. AUSTIN, Tex., March 26 —A mili tary court which investigated the New London school explosion made a pre- I liminary report to Gov. James V. All- ' red today, recommending creation of a State agency to supervise erection of public buildings and installation of heating and lighting devices. It recommended that the agency make periodic inspections of such buildings and be empowered to en force protective regulations, and that legislation be enacted requiring the mixing of a malodorant with gas so any leaks would be more noticeable. The first report will be followed by a more detailed one in about two weeks and both will be submitted to a legis lative committee ordered to investigate the explosion. Arcumulation Blamed. The report blamed the explosion on accumulation of gas in the foundation area between the ground and the concrete first floor, saying the ex plosive mixture of gas and air prob ably was fired by opreation of a knife switch on an electric line in a manual training room adjacent to the area. It said the retaining walls of the foundation and the floor were “the same thing as a reinforced concrete box with the open side resting against the earth,” that there were but four air vents of approximately 12 by 24 inches, which were covered with grills and screen wire, and the only other outlet was a 4-foot square trap door opening into the manual training room. Strata Seepage Not Cause. Daniel Harrington, director of the Safety Division of the Bureau of Mines, said today his field men at the scene of the New London, Tex., school explosion had definitely established that the blast did not result from seepage of gas through the strata. He said his men made borings deep into the earth beneath the shattered school. At the request of school boards in nearby towns. Bureau of Mines offi cials were making investigations to determine whether other buildings were in danger of explosions similar to that which killed more than 400 children at New London. David J. Price, explosion expert for the Agriculture Department, said his findings will be given to Secretary Wallace for transmittal to Gov. Allred of Texas. He declined to discuss them in advance. President May Cruise Waters Of New England Orders From Owner of Schooner Indi cates Trip in June. Ey the Associated Press. NEW BEDFORD, Mass., March 26.— George Brodeur, superintendent of a Fairhaven boat yard, today said that instructions he had received from the owner of the schooner Sewanna indi cated that President Roosevelt would cruise New England waters again this Summer. Brodeur said Harrison Tweed of New York, owner of the boat, informed him he had virtually completed ar rangements with James Roosevelt, son of the President, for chartering the schooner for the coming season. Tweed instructed him, Brodeur said, to arrange for the installation of a new 40-horsepower Diesel engine in the Sewanna and to outfit her so that she might be ready for June 1. Brodeur. who prepared the schooner for the President’s last voyage along the New England coast, said he would have the schooner ready to take the water again May 25. HOLMES AND LAMB EXCHANGE POSTS Former Is Named by Supt. Brown to Head Traffic Division. Inspector William E. Holmes today was named by Police Supt. Ernest W. Brown to succeed Inspector Benjamin A. Lamb as head of the traffic divi sion. Lamb, who asked to be shifted be cause of his health, will take over Holmes’ duties as head of the third police district. The change will be come effective next Thursday. Inspector Holmes is not a stranger to his new post, having been connected with downtown precincts for nearly 10 years. As head of the third district, Lamb will have supervision of the ninth, eleventh, fourth, fifth and harbor pre cincts. Mrs. Roosevelt Back. After a lecture tour which carried her into seven Southern and South western States. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt returned to the White House today. The President’s wife left Washing ton March 5. Her itinerary included points in Louisiana. Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. Summary of Today’s Star Page. Page. Amusements A-8 Radio-B-10 Comics_C-5 Society-B-3 Editorials_A-10 Short Story..B-15 Financial_A-17 Sports— ..C-l-4 Lost & Found A-3 Woman's Pg-B-12 Obituary_A-12 SUPREME COURT ISSUE. Hearings on court bill in recess until Tuesday. Page A-I Readers express views on Supreme Court change. Page A-7 STRIKE SITUATION. Speedy solution is seen in Chrysler dispute. Page A-l Roosevelt parley on strikes awaited here. Page A-l NATIONAL. Cale “shake-down” ring smashed in New York. Page A-l Crash of airliner killing 13 remains mystery. Page A-l Confirmation of maritime appointees hits snag. Page A-2 Confidence in plane unshaken, Amelia Earhart says. Page A-4 Federal Reserve studying possible wage-hour programs. Page A-5 FOREIGN. Anti-Jewish boycotts burst into vio lence in Poland. Page B-14 WASHINGTON AND VICINITY. Smudge pots used as safety measure, blossoms intact. Page A-l Easter visitors arrive here by thou sands. Page A-2 Dress rehearsal held for Easter sun rise chorus. Page A-2 Jury discharged after failure to agree m Davison case. Page A-S Federal Judge scores “glimmer racket” In sentencing trio. Page A-U Validity of thousands of parking signs is challenged. Page B-l Henry Gilligan resigns from Board of Education. Page B-l Former bank teller accused in $4,300 embezzlement. Page B-l Senate D. C. Committee may act on Juvenile Court bill. Page B-l D. C. share in highway funds ap proved by committee. Page B-l SPORTS. Nationals finding left-hand pitching to their liking. Page C-l Reds counted as one of five teams in N. L. pennant fight. Page C-l Some of major teams using veterans in rebuilding attempts. Page C-2 Columbia has track team that rivals California outfits. Page C-3 District horses compete in Redland Hunt meet tomorrow. Page C-4 EDITORIALS AND COMMENT. Editorials. Page A-10 This and That. Page A-10 Answers to Questions. Page A-10 Political Mill. Page A-10 Washington Observations. Page A-10 David Lawrence. Page A-1.1 Paul Mallon. Page A-ll Dorothy Thompson. Page A-ll Constantine Brown. Page A-ll Lemuel Parton. Page A-ll MISCELLANY. Washington Wayside. Page A-2 Young Washington. Page A-15 Traffic Convictions. Page B-8 Vital Statistics. Page B-8 City News in Brief. Page B-8 Dorothy Dix. PageB-12 Bedtime Story. PageB-13 Nature’s Story. Page B-IS Crow word Pusele. Page C-5 Letter-Out Page C-8 ON COURT OPPOSED Both Sides Against Hatch Suggestion as Hearings Are Recessed. With the Senate Judiciary Commit tee in recess until Tuesday, both friends and foes of the Roosevelt court bill expressed opposition today to the compromise suggestion of Sen ator Hatch. Democrat, of New Mexico to limit enlargement of the Supreme Court to one appointment a year. Senator Burke, Democrat, of Ne braska. a leading spokesman for the President's opponents, said: "Adding one judge a year would be less objectionable than adding six all at once, but the arguments against this bill as it stands apply with equal force to the naming of two or three Judges, or even one.’’ Senator Minton, Democrat, of In diana. one of the bill's most active ad vocates, commented' "There may be alterations in its provisions, but I see no justification or need for fundamental amendment of the measure." Redrafting Amendment. Burke was redrafting a constitu tional amendment to require justices to retire at 75 and to fix the size of the Supreme Court permanently at nine members. He declared this would harmonize with some administration objectives and would not impair re spect for the courts. Hatch’s proposal aroused discussion in view of the fact he is one of the few members of the Senate Judiciary Committee not committed for or against the President's bill. His vote and that of one or two other uncom mitted Democrats may be needed by the administration for a favorable committee report. Supporters of the measure have con sidered Hatch's attitude favorable in view of questions he has asked wit nesses at the committee hearings. His comments in advancing two amendments to the bill indicated no difference with the President’s objec tives, but rather a desire to meet some points raised against the measure in the hearings. First, he said, the bill should allow for a court flexible in size rather than one that could be fixed permanently at 15 members. If a justice over 70 years of age failed to retire and another was added as a result, the court would consist of 10 justices. The bill would permit appointment of a successor to the elderly judge when he eventually re tired or died. Hatch explained, but his amendment would bar such appoint ment and have the court return to nine members. It would be possible, therefore, for the court to vary in size between 9 and 15. Some objections to the bill have been based on the ground that, once (See JUDICIARY, Page A-5.) —-• ENCYCLICAL PLANNED Papal Message to Mexicans Is Due Saturday. VATICAN CITY, March 26 (4>).— The Vatican announced today the papal encyclical on Mexico would be puolished in Italian and Spanish on Saturday, although it will carry an Easter Sunday date. The encyclical was said to be un likely to touch on controversial sub jects and would be instead a direct appeal to the people of Mexico to re turn to full practice of the Catholic faith. Passenger Missing From Ship. NORFOLK, Va„ March 26 VP).—'The disappearance of a passenger listed as Ed Leroy, address unknown, from the steamship George Washington, was re ported to Norfolk police yesterday when the ship docked after a trip from New York. Smudge Pots Save Cherry Buds; 25 Degrees Tonight Is Forecast Successfully meeting the challenge of sub-freezing temperatures and high winds, the fragile-appearing but dur able Japanese cherry blossoms today still were being guarded against dam aging effects of the Spring “freeze.” Smudge pots—50-gallon oil drums filled with burning green wood and other smoke-producing material—and several hundred kerosene torches were still going around the Tidal Basin to Wing Ice Grounds Touring Sea Gulls; ‘Repairs’ Are Made tfy the Associated Press. HORNELL, N. Y.. March 26 — Two sea gulls, forced down in the business section here with their wings coated with ice, continued their migratory flight today— thanks to police and Game Warden F. S. Maloney. Police captured the birds and Maloney thawed them out. More than 50 of the birds landed on the flats south of this city yes terday during a sleet storm. Strike Problem Most Press ing for President, Ending Vacation Today. the Associated Press. The question of whether the Gov ernment can do anything about sit down strikes topped a stack of public problems awaiting President Roose velt's return from Georgia. The President will call congressional leaders to his office soon after he reaches the Capital tomorrow. Aides said he would discuss with them the labor situation, as well as other major questions. Some sentiment for Government action against sit-down strikes devel oped in floor speeches of Senators and Representatives this week. Senator Vandenberg. Republican, of Michigan said he hoped the President would make some statement on the subject. Administration leaders point ed out, however, there appeared to be little Federal officials could do unless a State asked for assistance. Relief Derision Due. Relief will be among the first legis lative matters to occupy Mr. Roose velt. Congressmen are waiting for his answer to the question. How much is needed for relief in the next fiscal year? Some of them hope for a budget balancing cut in expenditures for the needy, but others maintain the Fed eral Government must provide more— not less—relief. The President has been studying the relief problem at his Georgia cottage, working on a message he expects to transmit to Congress April 10. One administration objective which has not yet been wTitten into sug gested legislation is fixing wage and hour standards. The report of a rgee-ROOSEVELT, Page"A-6.) V 'OMAN, 43, CONFESSES $200 EXTORTION PLOT “Black Hand" Note to Aimee Sem ple McPherson Traced to California Housewife. Bj the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, March 26.—A bottle of purple ink. Detective Lieut. Robert P. Underwood said today, caused a 43-year-old housewife to confess writ | ing a “black hand" note to Aimee Semple McPherson, demanding $200. The note, one of two received yes terday by the evangelist, warned "you are in great danger of the black hand." "I needed $200 to pay down on a new car,” Underwood said the arrested woman explained. She was booked on suspicion of extortion as Mrs. Lydia Swenson. The note was signed "Mrs. L. Akers,’’ but carried Mrs. Swenson’s j Glendale address, the officer asserted. When first questioned. Detective Un derwood said, she denied any knowl edge of a Mrs. Akers and insisted I there was no ink in her house similar i to the violet hue used in the extortion | note. A search disclosed a bottle of ink of identical shade and similar cards and envelopes in a bookcase, Under - I wood asserted. After her handwriting j was checked, Underwood said the ! woman admitted authorship. Underwood identified Mrs. Swenson as the wife of P. M. Swenson, a re tired Duluth, Minn., lumberman, who said he had no knowledge of his wife's letter. STRIKE THREATENED Glasgow Arms Workers Demand Higher Wages. GLASGOW, March 26 i/P).— Two thousand armament workers, engaged on the British government's $7,500. 000,000 defense program, threatened today to go on strike unless they re ceived a 2-cents-an-hour wage in crease. The workers set tomorrow as the deadline for compliance with their de mand. They are employed in the engineering department of the Park head Forge of William Beardmore Co. $6,520 FOUND ON FARM BURWELL, Nebr., March 26 UP).— Police reported today they had found $6,520 hidden on the 1,041-acre farm owned by Mrs. Emma Whitesell, 90, for whom a guardian was appointed after a physician reported she was endan gering her health by starvation. The physician said her diet consisted of apples, grown on the farm, and bread. The aged woman customarily walked 4 miles to town to purchase bread. day and will be kept lighted tonight. This precautionary measure, the first time it has ever been resorted to in the park system here, is believed to have offset the blight of a fast-drop ping tmperature that reached a low of 31 degrees just before dawn. Forecaster Charles L. Mitchell pre dicted the temperature would sink to about 25 degrees tonight. Tomorrow _ (See CHERRY BUDS, Page A-2.) CHRYSLER PEACE EXPECTED SOON AS LEADERS CONFER Brief Parley Today Precedes Adjournment Over Easter Week End. SPEEDY SOLUTION HELD LIKELY BY GOV. MURPHY State Troopers Guard Plants Evac uated by Workers After 18-Day Sit-Down. BACKGROUND— Yesterday s evacuation of Chrys ler plants by striking automobile workers brought truce in second major drive of John L. Lewis’ Committee for Industrial Organ ization to unionize motor industry. Sit-down had lasted 18 days before Michigan’s Gov. Murphy persuaded company officials and union lead ers to agree on armistice. Previously, prolonged sit-down strike in General Motors plants ended under similar circumstances. Court orders calling for arrest of workers were ignored in both strikes as mediators sought to avoid blood shed. B' the Associated Press, LANSING. Mich., March 26.—Seek ing agreement on one issue—sole bar gaining recognition—that will enable 60,000 employes to return to work quickly. Walter P. Chrysler and John L. Lewis resumed their conferences in Gov. Murphy's office here today. A final agreement was not expected in today's short session, but Gov. Murphy, optimistic since he succeeded in getting the two leaders together, as serted that ‘'progress” was being made. Today's conferences began shortly after 9:15 a.m. i.Eastern standard time). It was planned to recess them over the Easter week end, resuming probably on Tuesday. A source close to the Governor, Michigan's industrial peacemaker, ex pressed the belief the labor dispute ] could be solved quickly, but that Murphy preferred that the opponents j discuss the situation as long as they | choose rather than reach a hasty de I cision. Keys Given State Troopers. j The evacuation of the eight striker i occupied Detroit plants was com plated before dusk last evening when the unionist sit-downers surrendered the keys to State troopers assigned to guard the gates while the peace con ference proceeds. Under the terms of the agreement reached by the corporation and the United Automobile Workers of Amer ica Wednesday night, office workers will have access to the premises, but the plants will not be operated and equipment will not be removed during the negotiations. The first task of the clerical force ■ was to complete the $2,000,000 pay i roll for work completed before the j strike began March 8 when the j corporation declined to recognize the union as the exclusive collective bar gaining agent of the 67.000 employes. Union recognition was the chief sub ject before Chrysler and his associates in their conference in Gov. Murphy's office with Lewis, chairman of the Committee for Industrial Organization, and officers of its affiliated U. A. W. A. Guard Factory Entrances. Gov. Murphy said 80 State police were assigned to guard the factory entrances to protect the rights of workers and company. He said the truce provided that there be no picket ing, although Homer Martin, union j president, had said before the strikers | marched from the plants that they would be picketed during the negotia tions. "The negotiations will proceed until an agreement on collective bargaining has been reached," the Governor said. He said that State police who in spected the plants as soon as the strikers left notified him the buildings were in “excellent shape" and that there were no reports of damage. “When the Chrysler strike is settled, the most serious of the industrial con flicts will be over,” Murphy said. "I believe the leaders in other disputes will follow rapidly with similar agree ments. Some parties to other con troversies have been in communica tion with me. They include the Hud son Motor Car Co. and the Reo Motor Car Co." Conierences to settle the strike which left 2.200 workers of the Reo truck factory here idle were in recess because one of the negotiators was (See STRIKE, Page A-2 ) COLLIE DOG RESCUES BOY, 15, FROM BULL Bites at Savage Animal's Hind Feet as It Threatens Pros trate Youth. By tne Associated Press. WAVERLY, N. Y„ March 26 — “Toots,” a 45-pound collie dog, is the hero today of the rural hill section near here for saving Robert Kline, 15, from the savage attack of a 1,500 pound bull. Robert was closing a barnyard gate when he was attacked and knocked ! to the ground. As the enraged animal renewed its attack one sharp horn tore through the youth’s rubber boot and ripped a heavy jacket but did not cause bodily injury. “Toots” rushed to his master’s as sistance and bit viciously at the bull's hind feet, frightening it so that it lunged forward and stepped on the prostrate boy, and then made off. Robert was only slightly injured, although he suffered from shock. ■■ • Oil Well Blaze Fought. TUSSY, Okla., March 26 OP).—Oil well fire-fighters prepared today to blast out a 120-foot column of flame, fed by 8,000.000 cubic feet of gas dally, which shot from a well and melted a steel derrick.