The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume], February 12, 1917, Image 1

About The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917

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ntirti ct
VOL. 53 -NO. 37
BRIDGEPORT, CONN., MONDAY,FEBRUARY 12, 1917
PRICE TWO CENTS
V
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:?VAlI&jfflF. CHEWS (Df (EffiMM LIMES MM
', . . , !
13 DIE
Minneapolis Hostelry Is
Srept by Flames and
Many Guests Perish As
' Building Crumbles -x
Scores JKurt in i Their
-Flight to Safety. .
Engines Delayed iri Reach
ing; Fire and Flame Cuts
, Off Escape of Many Vic
tims Man and Wife, Em
bracing, Leap Together
, From Room. ) v :
m'. '
fit
IE
gB6
Minneapolis, -Feb.' 12 At
; least 13 persons were Relieved
to have lost their lives hra fire
"that destroyed the J Kenwo6d
Hotel here, shortly after mid
night, according to police ; esti-
" mates-today. v A v
frr addition to the, known
missing, there -y are 1 1 others
. unaccounted for who may Che
in 111 e ruins,; according to E. D.
. talker, proprietoj of the hotel.
v 1 One person is V known ' to be
. oead; A score of persons. Were,
' injured, some . seriously,' by
leaping from the top floors pf
the structure, when the one fire
escape became heated. ; One
. . woman, Mrs. Lucile Squire;
jumped to her death from the
third floor; ' .' '
Police, and fir department, offlcials
believe that narly a fecore of persons
were precipitated into -the basement
by crumbling fldors and buried in, the
debris, over . which thick, layers of ice
41 have formed. - ' ' .V, "
Many Of the seventy-six Quests were
transients and the .. actual death .list
. 'probably will never b known. , .
The, fire, which apparently started
in the basement, spread rapidly and
- soon the .building: was enveloped - in
flames. '; The stairways were impassa
ble and people rushed to the. windows.
While figures hung from many win
dows other shot through the air into
nets and snow'' drifts. One woman,
her night' , clothing aflame, rushed
from the group of hysterical guests
on the;top floor and droped' out of
, the window; Into a snow, drift. She
may "live. ' ', , 'V 1 .
Whert the fire started most of the
downtown apparatus was fighting an
other fire and it 'was nearly 15 min
utes before the first company reached
the scene. 1 A' crowd of spectators who
were pushing planks- o the lower
windows ' as a means of rescue, at
tacked the fiif men because they car
ried no ladders, according to the. fire
chip, Charles Ringer. The police soon
quelled the disturbance. ' The second
1 company arrived with ladders several
minutes later. . ' .
, A number of children were dropped
from windows into the arms of spec
tators. None were' seriously hurt.
"We are at sea as to the number of
deaths," said Ernest D. Stalker, pro
prietor of the hotel.1 "Until the sur-
v'yors are checked; up .the death list
will be unknown." , , , '
Chif itinger declared - recovery of"
bodies was unlikely, adding that iden
tification would be impossible even
. if the bodies were dug from the ruins.
While several of. the injured were
in a serious cdnditiotj it was reported
a the City, hospital that most bf them
would recover. One women who be
came hysterical " after being rescued
ran down the street screaming and her
feet were frozen ; before she was overtaken.-
Others, garbed in' night attire,
suffered intensely in the 10 below zero
temperature. :
' While the fire was at . its height
jHenry-Jensen and his wife crawled to
jfi window ledge on the top floor. For
a moment they paused, then , Jensen
embraced his wife and togethpr they
leaped to the street while s"pectators
icheeredj Mrs. Jensen was severely
linjured, but her husband was not se
'riously hurt. . ':
FLEE HOTEL FIKR ,
' North Providence,' R. I.,efeeb. ; 12.
Eighteen persons escaped without in
Jury from the Squantum htel, a
small ' wooden structure, which was
damaged by fire, today. One woman
was taken down a ladder fr?m the top
floor by firemen and the others were
aroused in time to reach the street be
fore the flames gained much headway.
fThe loss was estimated at $5,0001
GERMAN WAR LOAN.
Amsterdam, Feb. 12 A telegram
, received today from Berlin, says the
. payments oh the fifth . German war
loan have brought the total payments
on the five war loans to 47,200,000,000
marks. Of ' this sum, 899,000,000
markrf'was subscribed through banks.
SHE LOVED NICE
INSURANCE MAN,
SO THETf ELOPED
New York Woman Leaves
Husband ; Lover Quits
- Family of Four.
INDIGNANT SPOUSE
LOCATES PAIR HERE
Won't Take Wife Back, He
Tells Police, But Wants
to Get Divorce.
Mrs. William E. Spence, wife of
a New York real estate broker, about
a year ago, heavily insured tha lives
of both herself and her husband ac
cording to th.e police. Each week
Morris Goldberg also of tyew York,
in7 the empldy of the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Co., visited Mrs. Spencg
to collect the premiums.
Both being disciples of Plato they
contracted a friendship, which, how
ever, gradually exceeded the grounds
of "propriety as- lafd dowij by the phil
osopher and resulted in , Mrs. Spence
running, away ..from her' husband with
Goldberg, who left behind him, in
New YorkV a vjfLfe and - three 'small
children., , , , ,
7.t Mrs. Goldberg obtained a bench
warrant: for. hia arrest on abandon
ment -charges! Spence somehow oi1
other heard '.Goldberg was missing.
He:gotbusy'and heard thai; his wife
canie here "with Goldberg ' about 10
days .go. " Tlie irate husband came
into1 Capt.' E- O Cronan's office this
morning and said he knew the Coupl.e'
were living together at . 8 6 Washing-?
ton avenue, v . , l ,..'"'
Detective- Seery visited the house
and arrested Goldberg who will be
turned over to the New York authori
ties. Spence as he left police head
quarters declaimed as follows:
. "Take, her i T3ack? Not on your
life! ; I'm going up there to take a
look' at her. ' I want to identify her
for future use.. I'm going to sue for
divorce."
Whether he "looked at her" is not
known. The police have not seen
him since' ' ' .
AUCTION SALES
CO. DISAPPEARS
FROM THE CITY
;'-"i';;" - - ' '"..
Folds Its Tent, So to Speak1,
and Silently Slips Away
From Creditors. ?
The Auction Sales Co., operating an
auction room at 1192 Main street, has
closed ' its doors, leaving the city by
stealth in the 'night with a full motor-truck
load" of all the available as
sets. -, - ' i : ( -
Creditors galore have flocked " to
the doors -of the company's offices to
find them locked and sheriffs bearing"
writs of attachment have been un
able to recover property ' for their
clients.. - . -
As a result of the operations - of
the managers of the v Auction Sales
Co. in'this city, large stock subscrip
tions now believed to be valueless,
were made ' by .Bridgeporters and -on
several occasions the methods of the
auctioneers; employed came under po
lice surveillance and regulation.
It has been found that goods val
ued between. $800 and $1,000 , have
been conveyed into the state of New
York and it is..' likely that with the
filing of a petition in bankruptcy at
Hartford today, federal officers ' will
be asked to consider criminal prose
cutions under the conspiracy act.
Attachment was made in this city
Saturday upon the proceeds of a bond
filed with the treasurer of the state
of Connecticut to cover an itinerant
vendor's license, taken -out by the of
ficers of the Auction Sales Co. and
later claimed by John Yates, of New
York, who claimed judgment against
those who applied for the li
cense. -. .-. "
The whole scheme is denounced to
day by Alexander L. Dellaney, coun
sel for the creditors in Bridgeport, as
one of the most flagrant attempts to
'defraud stockholders and creditors
ever perpetrated within the i:ity of
Bridgeport.
The concern opened its place of
business here in November and dur
ing the holiday season attracted much
attention, although few sales were
made because! the goods offered did
not equal the representations made
by the vendors. Many certificates
of stock in the company were sold in
Bridgeport, under the direction of
Sol Krause and Philip Waldman, ac
credited officers the company,
formed under if.- of Connecti
cut. Both off! -iow In New
York state anr- " -. y that they
will return to fa. .de of cred
itors who are angry over the mid
night removal of the company's assets.
0 (JKfl!3 GUNS T0
Washington, Feb. 12. P. , A. S.
Franklin, president " of the Interna
tional Marine, today made formal ap
plication to the' navy department for
guns to arm the passenger liners of
the -American line.
The request says that the company
has be.en unable to find guns else
where. It is indicated that the navy
department, while 'opposed for mili
tary reasons to any v project of . con
vo vina: ' American merchantmen
through the prohibited; zones, favors
mi'rnishine- such shitos with guns for
tneir own defense. Inasmuch as the
government has recognized that naval
stores are the only supply of naval
eruris. it has been held that obtaining.
guns from that source does not alter
jthe privilege or commercial charatcer
of a ship. ..
The navy department, it was said
officially, has a "considerable number
of old model' three-inch to six-inch ri-
GEO. IV. KNIGHT,
AGED INSURANCE
MAN DROPS BEAD
Succumbs to Heart Failure
Attack While Walking in
A Courtland Street'.
George W. Knight, of Stratfield
road, one of Bridgeport's oldest and
most .widely known real estate and in
surance agents, dropped dead on the
sidewalk' in front of Christ-church, in
Courtland street this morning at 9:X0
o'clock. .His death, according to
Medical . Examinv S. M. Garlick, was
due to heart failure, which it is
thought was superinduced by the ex
treme cold. ,
Knight had besn to his offices at
952 Main street, where he Opened his
early morning mail. Taking a bundle
of . laundry which he had brought
from his home, he left the office and
started for the Crawford Laundry in
Fairfield avenue. While walking past
Christ church, Miss Nellie F. Wilson,
of 599 Warren street,, a member of
the Visiting Nurse association, saw
him fall to the sidewalk. s
She immediately called the emer
gency hospital corps and Dr. S. I.
Aranki .removed Knight to the latter
institution in the ,ambulance. Assist
ed 'by '-Miss Katherine Hehlir, the
njrse at the hospital, the physician,
"finding the body 'still .warm, worked
heroically to restore life without
avail. " f . ' J
Opening the laundry bundle the
docjtor obtained his first clue by
means of the mark on- the 'clothing
and sent -for the dead mad's grand
teon, George W. Wright, of 27 Park
terrace, who made the identification
positive. Mr. Wright said , his grand
father was about 80 years of age.
Mr. Knight was born in 'Orange,
Nf J., 80 years ago. In his youth he
engaged in real estate and other busi
nesses in Paterson, N. J. Twenty
four years ago , he came to Nichols
where for 20 years he was the pro
prietor of a large farm. After the
death of his wife, Mr. Knight came to
Bridgeport and engaged in , the' real
estate business here, with offices in
the City Savings-bank. He was promi
nent in Masonic circles of Paterson
where he was1" a member of the.
Knights Templar. - '
Mr. Knight is survived by two sis
ters in-; New York and - three grand
children in Paterson."
NAME BONILUS .
MEXICAN ENVOY
AT WASHINGTON
Carranzistas Designate Late
Member of Mediation
Board for Post.'
Washington, Feb. 12. Ignacio Bon
illas, one of Gen." Carranza's represen
tatives on the Mexican-American Joint
commission, has been named ambassa
dor from Mexico to the United States.
Ramon De Negri, who has been in
charge of the Mexican embassy since
the departure of Eliseo Arredondo,
ambassador designate, was informed
today of Mr. Bonilla's appointment.
Mr. Bonillas is now in Palm Beach,
Fla- It is expected that he will come
to Washington this week to present
his credentials at almost the same time
that .Henry P. Fletcher, the American
ambassador to Mexico, is received by
the Mexican government.
Mr. Bonillas has been the minister
of communications in Gen. Carranza's
cabinet since the formation of his gov
ernment. '
fles evailable fpr arming merchant
ships, but not enough for . the conver
sion "of all shipsv it would require in
war and to furnish defensive arma
ment for all merchantmen.
The question of supplying trained.
gun crews for merchantmen is more
difficult from the departmental point
of view There is. objection to with
drawing men from the active service
of the navy at this time an there is
also some question as to what effect
sue ha step would have on the status
of a ship. French ship owners fur
nished guns by their navy were re
quired to make oath - that they were
to be handled by civilian crews.
The possibility that the navy might,
supply guns indirectly through loan or
sale to ship owners has received some
consideration, but a preference for
direct action by the department in
placing the guns aboard in indicated
by the ship owners.
ARRESTS LIKELY
FOR ATTACK ON
POSTAL WORKER
John H. Murphy; Slashed by
Ruffian Without Provoca
tion, May Die.
- v,- .:. .t
'- ' . ,
Detective Sergeant James DooISy to
day picked up the trail of the six
men, one of whom murderously, and
without the slightest provocation
slashed John H. Murphy, the clerk in
charge of the registered letter win
dow at the post office, as he was walk
ing with his wife at 9:15 o'clock last
night. .' x ; . -.
Murphy, ?who is about 30 years of
age atnd of a quiet and retiring dispo
sition, accompanied byhis wife, alight
ed from a Beardsley : park car -and
walked along Berkshire . avenue in
tending to go; directly to , his home.
As he approached East Main street,
he observed six men proceeding to
ward him. ' .
Four of the mn passed him and the
two who brought up the rear, as they
passed Mrs. Murphy' pushed her vio
lently, adressing some remark to her
at the same time. Murphy, astounded
by tHeir actions, impulsively inquired,
"Why, what do you mean: What's
the matter," He had no sooner ut
tered the words when one of the pair
drew a long knife which he plunged!
into Murphy's abdomen.
The 'postal clerk dropped to the
sidewalk and was carried unconscious
into the drug store : at 1,365 East Main
street. He was removed in the emer
gency ambulance to the Bridgeport
hospital' and immediatelv onrntri
upon, but physicians at e institution
today stated he has no more than an
even chance of recovering.
Murphy could give no accurate de
scription of his assailants owing to
the fact that the street at th point
where the- stabbing occurred is very
poorly lighted. He thouerht from ty,
general appearance, however, that alii
oi tne six men were foreign born.
Detective Booley had located several
witnesses of the stabbing1 but they
have not been able to give any infor
mation which would. lead to the iden
tification of the party.
Stratford Dominie
Wallops Prosecuting
Attorney By Mistake
v - ' : - - k-
Stratford, Feb. 12 With one eye
at half mast and a damaged elbow
that is keeping the arnica bottle
working overtime Prosecutor Ivan
Morehouse is the synosure of the cur
ious villagers at present. It was at
fir thought Ivan had interrupted
some rowdy person who was trying to
recite "The Face on the Bar Room
Floor."
Investigation by the village
sleuths brought out the fact thai
there was no scandal lurking in the
background.. It was found that Ivan
had been induced to try his hand at
basketball and in a game at the Audi
torium Saturday night ran afoul of
Rev. Robert C. Whitehead. In the
midst of a scramble for the . ball
somebody pushed the clergyman and
his arm struck Ivan with disastrous re
sults. When he goes to the General
Assembly tomorrow Ivan epects to tell
anxious inquirers that old one about
running into the pantry door in the
dark. .
Ex-Mayor Henry Lee
Still Seriously 111
The condition of Ex-Mayor Henry
Lee, who is suffering from double
pneumonia, at his home in Colorado
avenue, is reported this afternoon
about the same as during the night.
The state of his health is critical
but physicians hold out hope that his
rugged constitution will repel advance
of the maladv.
PLANTS IN WEST
END TIED UP BY
HOLIDAY DISPUTE
Union Members Want Time
and One Half for Work
ing on the Holiday.
MANY REFUSE TO
GO ON WITH WORK
Conference of Workers and
Heads of Factories Will
Adjust Differences.
When is a holiday not a holiday?
An attempt to determine this ques
tion will be made during the coming
week by representatives of the man
agement of he American Grapho
phone Co., Harvey Hubbell, Inc.,
Bryant Electric Co. and the Siemon
Hard Rubber Co. in a conference they
will endeavor to bring 'about with
representatives of the various unions
of the working people emplqyed in
their . factories.
There are a number of days mark
ed in the calendar as holidays which
the management of the factories
named do not consider holidays in the
terms of their agreement to pay time
and a half to employes for labor per
formed on those days. Today, Lin
coln's birthday, is one of the days in
dispute. ,
The action today of the management
of the American Graphophone Co. re
garding the status of this oliday and
the agreement .with employes has
brought the matter to a head. Last
week the company posted a notice stat
ing that while the management did not
recognize Lincoln's birthday as a holi
day in the meaning pf the agreement
with the employes, the factory would
be open asx usual but rio extra time
would be paid those who worked. A
similar course was adopted by the
management last year. After the no
tice had been posted members of the
unio(n were informed' that if they
worked today without getting the tima
and a. half pay, they would be fined $4
each by the union. "
In consequence less than one-quarter
of the employes reported for work
this morning. E. A. Hervey and other
union officials were on hand despite
the cold to check up those who went
to work. A number of the hands who
reported and went to work were said
not to be members' of the union. Some
of those who did go to work .when they
saw others standing about outside the
factory took off their aprons and join
ed their co-workers outside.
The preence of these men and
women about the factory entrances
gave rise to a rumor that there had
been a strike at the factory. Asked
about the matter Superintendent
Hanson first denied that anythinj? un
usual had taken .place. Later, he ad
mitted that a large number of his
employes had stayed away from the
factory. ,
"There has been no strike," he
said. v "What has happened is hard
ly worthy of mention. A" aamber
of the employes stayed out today be
cause we. will not pay them time and
a half for the day. They will all be
back at work tomorrow."
Rather than pay the .extra com
pensation for work today, .or have any
disputes with their workmen, ,the
management of the Bryant Electric,
Harvey Hubbell and , , Siemon ' Hard
Rubber companies, closed their fac
tories entirely today. Some time
this week they will get together with
the heads oi the union and endeavor
to have the holidays designated to
which the extra compensation rule
applies.
.: The faptory managers are willing
to pay the overtime for labor on Me
morial Day, Fourth, of July, Labor
Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
and posibly Good Fr;day. They ob
ject, however, to paying overtime for
Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays,
both of which occur this month, St.
Patrick's - Day, Columbus Day and
New Year's.
Ever since the agreement with the
unions and these factory superintend
ents the facts as to the holidays in
cluded in the articles have been in
ii.uueu in ine arncies nave ucen iu i
dispute. An effort will be made this
week to write into the articles of
agreement the names of the holidays
for which the extra compensation
shall be paid. . i,
BABE STRANGLES TO DEATH.
New Britain, Feb .12 Mr. and Mrs.
Stanislaw Kowalski ran nearly a mile
early today in an effort to prevent
heir baby, 15 months old, from
strangling. They were unsuccessful.
The , child was sucking a soup bone
for breakfast and a sliver of bone be
came lodged in its throat with fatal
effect.
THE WEATHER
Connecticut: Fair and continued
cold tonight; Tuesday, fair with ris
ing temperature; moderate to fresh
northwest . to 'iiortli winds.
i y
German Foreign Office Asks Swiss Envoy Here to
Ascertain Facts Regarding Sailors in U. S.
Ports Zimmerman Says Americans Will Not
Be Released Until Status of Germans is De
finitely Determined--Reported in Berlin That
Interned Crews Have Been Seized Ambassa-:
. dor Gerard and Suite Are Received in Switzer-1
land.
Berlin, Feb. 12, by Wireless to The. Associated Press via I
Sayville-Foreign Secretary Ziinmerman today informed the ;
Associated Press that he had requested the Swiss government
to make inquiry in Washington regarding the status of the crews !
qf interned German ships in American ports.
- Pending an answer, the 72 Americans taken by the German ,
raider and brought in jpy the Yarrowdale, whose release had'
been agreed to, are held in Germany, the foreign secretary said.
During the last week recurring rumors have reached Ber
lin by way of London in which it was announced that the United
States government had sequestered the German ships and in
terned their crews. so definite official denial having been re
ceived, the German government was prompted td ask the gov- v
ernment bf Switzerland to obtain specific information.
"We could not consent to the release of the Yarrowdale
prisoners which .was taken to be agreed to a week ago," said thtf
foreign secretary. "These men had been taken off armed mer
chantmen and their. status had been established. They will be
liberated just as soon as we learn the fate of the German crews
in American ports."
"The release of the Yarrowdale prisoners was agreed to
with Ambassador Gerard Qn the eve of the break in relations,
but he possibility of the German crews being interned in the
United States prqmpte.d the admiralty to rescind the orders lib- .
erating the Americans held with the rest of the Yarrowdale
prisoners." : - , . .
, GERARD AND SUITE AT ZIJRICII
Washington, Feb. 12 Official reports on the arrival .of
former Ambassador Gerard and his suite in Zurich, Switzerland,
reached the state department today from American Minister
Stovall in Berne. They. added nothing to the information al-.
ready published. . 1
The Swiss legation received a' dispatch today from 'its for
eign office announcing Mr. Gerard's arrival in Berne.
Minister Stovall's message, dated yesterday, follows: ;
v "Ambassador Gerard, withr staff and party, have arrived at
Zurich and will reach Berne at 9 o'clock this evening. All are
wellr I met the ambassador at the frontier and Col. -Bruegger,
adjutant general of the Swiss army, specially designated by the
federal council, welcomed him on behalf of the Swiss govern
ment." . J ' s
WILL MEET SWISS PRESIDENT !
Berne, Feb. 12 Ambassador Gerard will receive President)
Schultuss and Herr Hoffman, chief of ttie foreign department,
toay. ;.v .
WARY OF GERMAN PEACE PROPOSALS
Washington, Feb. 12 Officials today were still inclined to
regard the latest offer of Germany to discuss means of present- -k ,
ing warr presented through the Swiss minister on Saturday, only
as an effort to cast on the Unjted States the appearance of being
belligerent. '
The official attitude seemed to be that the United States
and Germany can have no diplomatic dealings until Germany
gives up its program of unrestricted submarine, warfare and
that any other advances will serve only to becloud the issue of
American rights. It is not certain whether any answer will be:
made to the suggestion. . ,
Officials noted with interest today that the submarine toll
of merchant shipping yesterday had sunk to the lowest levet
since the campaign began.
SHIP F
London, Feb. 12. The sinking of the
.
British steamer Netherlee is reported
by Lloyds
The Xetherlee, 4,227 tons gross, was
last reported on her departure from
Philadelphia Jan. ' 21 for Dunkirk,
France.
Lloyds this afternoon announced
that the British steamer Voltaire of
409 tons gross, and Olivia, of 242 tons
gross, had been sunk..
STRIKE DELAYS STEAMER.
Boston, Feb. 12. The sailing of the
steamer North Star for Portland was
delayed today by a strike of firemen
and deck hands employed by the
Eastern Steamship So., owners of the
vessel. Officers of the company said
the trouble was due to a controversy
between rival unions and that no
other ship had been affected. One
hundred and fifty men quit work,
they said.
ROEIil
U S. POBT
Washington Tells
Status of German
- Ships In Port Here
. -
Washington, Feb. : ,12 There are
two classes of German ships, in
American ports. Those interned are.
war vessels, such as . the commerce
raiders Prinz Eitel Friedrich, Kron
prinz Wilhelm and such naval vessels
as the gunboats Cormorant at Guam
and Geier at Honolulu. The crews ot
these vessels, as well as the ships, hie
ing part of the German naval forces
which have taken refuge in neutral
harbors,, are interned as prisoners for
the duration of the war under pro
vision of international law and the
Hague conventions.
The status of the warbound Ger
man merchantmen Is different, and
so"is the status of their crews. The
merchant ships are not interned in
any sense of the word, but aio re
maining in harbor of refug. They
are free to put to sea at any time and1;
take their chances "with the enemy
warships. Their crews are in the
same status as. any other aliens com
Ing to the United States. ' Any one it
them may be admitted to the country
on fulfilling the immigration require
ments. While they are in the status -of
aliens they are for the present con
fined aboard their ships by the immi
gration authorities in accord with the
steps taken against the destruction of
property or menaces to navigation la
American harbors.
V
ft
L.