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, VOL.5a-NO. 271
usIieB of
Potatoes
Plan to Beat Hgh Cost
of Livinga Great Suc
cess ?When Supply is
Exhausted Maine Po
tatoes WU1 Be Sold
Public
'Bridgeport families .were
quick to take advantage of the
sale of the Bridgeport Hydrau
lic Co.'s potato harvest the
old McElroy building on Water
.street today and up to noon
more than 100 bushels had
been disposed of - at $1.50 a
bushel, which is approximately
v 75 cents less than the wholesale
market price. About one-third
of the buyers carted their
"spuds" away in all sorts of
vehicles, ranging f riom baby
carriages' and express wagons
to flivvers and limousines. 4
It la reported today that when the
impply ol 20,000 bushels is exh&ust
,ed, tt -win be replenished -with Maine
potatoes as a plan to defeat the high
prioe scheme of -wholesale dealers. A
. rumor -was current about the market
today that a -wholesale produce deal-
' r bad offered the Hydraulic company
a bushel lor the entire lot.
a urnn 01 inree Duanela to a pur
chaser has been set and a charge of
is cents is made tor the delivery to
' any part of the city. "A' policeman
fazofllar with the wholesale district
"bear is stationed at the market on
the lookout for speculators and ven
. docs, Several -vendors who attempted
o purchase potatoes this morning
. were turned away. The market -will
; "be ppen only on Thursday of each
. " week. It was expected'-, that more
-than 2,500 bushels would be sold be
lore the day was out. . ,
The potatoes -were grown on ' the
Hydraulic company's farm in Easton
; iw! -with the co-operation of city of
ficials the public sale was made pos
sible. The city loaned street clean
ers to harvest the crop, which was
. drawn to the McElroy building- by
, Kydraallo company trucks. The
' building is owned by the city. . It was
purchased for the proposed widening
. of Water street.
At 6:45 o clock this morning, one
hour and one-quarter before opening
J , time, there were approximately 150
' persons and 10 automobiles lined up
in front of the building and when the
market opened at 8 o'clpck the crowd
had doubled in number. During the
first hour 600 bushels weresold.
TAKES OWN LIFE
AFTER TRYING TO
MURDER WOMAN
-. Following an attempt to murder
Mrs. Freda Clayton Wass, a cabaret
singer; in her apartment at 842 Eighth
, avenue, New "Sork. city, early last
evening?. Private Jphn Becker, of Com
pany H, 804th Infantry, National
Army, stationed at Camp Devens,
-. Ayer, Mass., and formerly of this city,
committed suicide by sending two bul
- lets through his breast and . one
through his temple.
' i Becker, according to report, was In
' fatuated with ,the woman, who is the
, wife of a diamond cutter, from whom
he is separated. . A quarrel arose
. shortly after Becker's arrival at Mrs.
' Wass apartment, and quickly resulted
in the shooting. When the police ar
rived, they found the soldier lying
' dead on the floor."
While in this city .Becker was em-.
, ployed by the Bilton Machine Tool
t Company, In its plant . on Housatonic
- avenue. He worked here until he was
drafted and sent to Ayer. The man
was 28 years old and leaves a wife
and three children, who reside in
Elizabeth, N. J. A sister lives in New
Tork. -
Partly cloudy, tonight and Friday
slightly warmer in the Interior to
night; moderate southwest to west
winds. -
w 1 1 ' " Q '"
' . : : : : : : : . ' t ' .
FUEL BOARD TO
AID STRATFORD
TO OBTAIN COAL
. The Fuel Board, which has just
completed its investigation of the coal
situation in Bridgeport, will make a
similar investigation ' in Stratford,
where the coal shortage is most
acute. Chairman Carl F. Siemon re
ceived notice today from State Coal
Administrator Russell to have au
thority - over the town of Stratford.
Siemon said the Investigation -would
start next week.
The board's action in the Bridge
port situation will bring relief before
the end of next week. Dealers, who
have patriotically agreed to co-operate
with the . board, ordered several
thousand tons of bard coal today.
The board will not interfere in the fix
ing of a price but in all probabilities it
will be sold at $9.60 or $10 a ton.
Meanwhile the dealers will distribute
coal to families mostly in need.
SUGAR SUPPLY
IN BRIDGEPORT
IS EXHAUSTED
The retail and wholesale sugar sup
ply in ; Bridgeport is a few pounds
from exhaustion. It can be obtained
in only one or two large groceries and
at these one-pound to a customer is
the established limit. Hundreds of
housewives find themselves --without
a grain, of sugar in the house. Larger
quantities of condensed milk or brown
sugar are used as substitutes in cof
fee. " .' ':
Bakers have received , temporary
relief from the government's distribu
tion of a reserve supply. Candy mak
ers are still going- along on their own
stocks, purchased before the famine,
but estimate that their supplies will
be completely exhausted -within three
weeks. V -
At the Bridgeport Public Market,
one of the few stores selling sugar,
there is a continual line of buyers at
the sugar counter, but it is dispensed
in only one pound lots.
LABOR HERE IS
FIRMLY IN BACK
OF GOVERNMENT
After futile efforts on the part of
several members of the organization
to rescind the vote of the last meet
ing in endorsing United States Sena
tor LaFollette, the Central Labor
Union of Bridgeport at .its meeting
last night passed a resolution pledg
ing allegiance to the constitution of
the United States and pledging its
support to its laws.
The meeting was featured by the
warmest debate in the history of the
union. According to several dele
gates the socialistic element of th
Central body which is at present in
control fought bitterly to maintain
the attitude assumed at the last meet
ing and to prevent the members not
agreeing with them from absolutely
rescinding the vote of the past meet
ing which supported LaFollette. ,
Since the previous meeting of th
Central ; Labor union many of tin
unions affiliated with the body have
passed resolutions disavowing the
action of the Central body and by
vote spread a record of disavowal on
the minutes of the meeting and also
voted to give them as much publicity
as possible, a
It is stated' that the - socialistic!
members of the Centra) body at the
meeting last night assailed the union
taking such action and condemned
them for disloyalty to the Central
body. In turn the unions, expressing
patriotism and a disavowal of the al
leged unpatriotic utterances- of Sena
tor LaFollette, attack the supporters
of the LaFollette resolution.
. For several hours the debate waxed
warm with neither faction, gaining
any advantage. Finally, as a com
promise measure and, it 13 stated.
under threat of action beyond the
control of the' socialistic members of
the Central' body, it was voted to
pledge allegiance to the constitution
of the United States and as a. body
pledge support for all Its laws.
John'Htchell was named president
of the New York State Food and Mar
ket Commission at its organisation
meeting in Albany-
U.S. FLAG IS
FIRST OVER TOP
OF VIMY RIDGE
-St. John, N. B., Nov. 15 A
small American flag- was first over
the top of VImy ridge in the fa
famous charge of Canadian forces,
according to J. J. Allen, of this
city, home today with wounded
troops from the provinces. When
the order to charge was given, Al
len said, he pinned the Star sand
Stripes to his coat and kept them
there. He was wounded three times
in the day's fighting but saved the
flag.
26,500 SOLDIERS
AT CAMP GORDON
Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 15 The soldier
population , at Camp Gordon - has
reached about 26,600, it was an
nounced here -today. Approximate!)
arrivals to date .from eastern camps
follow:.
Camp ' Dozens, 4,500, " allotment
8,000; Camp Uptdn, New York, 6,000,
allotment 7.000; Camp Dix, New
Jersey, 2,000, allotment 5,000. . ,
THROWN OUT OF
VEHICLIWOMAN
ISlDiPHURT
With j probable Internal , in juries,
Mrs. Sophia Kramer, of Avon .Park,
Stratford, Is a patiant In the Bridge
port hospital, today, and in a critical
condition, as the result of being
thrown from the side-car of a motor
cycle, early this morning. '
Mrs. Kramer was riding with her
husband, about 6:45 o'clock, -when the
latter, endeavoring . to avert collision
with a bicycle, veered too sharply to
one side and upset motorcycle and
side-car. The accident occurred at the
corner of Stratford avenue and Bun
nell street. '
Y.M.C. A.FUND
TOTAL $95,960
AT NOON TODAY
. iEaston is the first town " in the
Bridgeport district which has "gone
over the top" in its collections for the
$36,000,000 fund for the Y. M. C. A.
work for which a campaign is under
way, having reported today, a grand
total of $611, while Its quota was set
at $500. , The team members were
warmly congratulated by fellow work
ers who have not been quite, so suc
cessful, but are still assured of reach
Wig their allotments.
Today's grand total as announced
at the luncheon at The StratflaM is
$95,960. . Of this sum Division A has
contributed $11,2811 and. Division 'B.
$13,584. ' '
The Boys' department turned in
$1,650 today, with a grand total of
$3,940, and the Citizens' committee re
ported contributions today of $8,743,
making Its grand' total $50,463.
Honors for the women's . team is
again taken toy Mrs. David S. Day,
who reported collections of $1,154, and
for the men toy A. H. Terry, who re
ported $1,140.
CLAIM HE STOLE
$2,100 PAY-ROLL
Rather than faee the rospeet of im
prisonment, Thomas Ferguson,' alias
F. McCue, of 170 Thorme street, this
city, would gladly serve in the Na
tional Army, and K was his profound
regret to learn, 'this morning, that in
stead of going to Camp Devens, next
week, as he was scheduled to do, he
will have tox return to Hackensack,
N. J., for trial on robbery charges.
Ferguson is accused of having held
up and robbed the paymaster of a
factory In Hackensack, of a -pay-roll
amounting to $2,100. Others were
implicated in the job, the authorities
say, but Ferguson is believed to have
been their leader. -
The young man has been Hving 4n
this city for some time, and was em
ployed at the plant of the Reming
ton Arms Company, as an assembler,
under the name of F. McCue, until he
was arrested last evening by Detec
tive Sergeants Bray and Dooley, and
Detective Derrick, He is quite well
known about the eity, and is a mem
ber of the Bridgeport Club,
He was to have gene to Ayer as a
member of the next draft consign
ment,' ' ' ' ' ,.
BRIDGEPORT, CONN., THURSDAY, NOV. 15, 1917
i in mini On
C loth, Slue
To filling
Outline of Bloody Hand
on Table Linen in
Home of Mrs. Ruzzy,
Found Dead With Her
Throat Cut, may Solve
Mystery.
Discovery, of the bloody im
print of what appears to be a
man's hand on a table-cloth in
a room adjoining that in which
Mrs. Annie Ruzzy, aged 28, of
632 State street, was found dead
yesterday ' afternoon with her
throat cut, has lead the authori
ties to. believe that she mav
have been a victim of murder.
The suspicion that she took her
own life is not substantiated in
the slightest degree, and all
outward appearances the
blood-staned condition of her
home ; the fact that no plausible
suicide motive can be advanced.
and the manner of her death-
are taken to - indicate that she
was slain.
Detectives who were assigned by
Captain of Detectives Edward Cro
nan to investigate the case, found the
blood-stain' in the table cloth, and by
comparison arrived at the -conclusion
that it could not have been made by
Mrs. Ruzzy. The finger marks were
larger than would have been left by a
woman's hand, and even allowing for
spreading caused by resting heavily
against the table, it is doubtful If the
impression could have been made by
her.
Report of what they had found was
made by the detectives to Coroner
John J. -Phelan, at a preliminary ex
amination held this morning, and the
coroner has ordered a-thorough in
vestigation. ' He will commence his
formal Inquest tomorrow morning.
Today he examined blood soaked ex
hibits, from the home of the dea,d
woman, and is holding these against
future need. . "'
Mrs. Ruzzy was found dead by Max
Plotkin, a tailor, owner of the house
in which she lived. The screams of
her . two young children attracted
Plotkin's attention, and entering th
rooms, he discovered that the wom
an's throat was cut from ear to ear.
A blood stained razor found nearby
gave evidence of how the wound had
been inflicted.
. All three rooms of the Ruzzy flat
were in an upset condition, when
Plotkin entered, and there was blood
on the floors, chairs and walls, giving
rise to the belief that there might
have been a struggle, or that . Mrs.
Ruzzy had walked about before fall
ing dead. - '' '
The fact that no one was known to
have entered the woman's home from
the time her husband left at noon: to
go to his work, to the moment when
she was found' dead on the floor of
her.,4)ed.-room, is as yet unexplained.
The one outer door to the flat was
locked, the winHows were bolted and
nailed, and the only possible ; entry
could have; been through Plotkin's
tore. The tailor is certain that no
one .went into the house from his
shop. '
BELGIAN WAR
OFFICE REPORT
: Paris, Nov. 15 The Belgian com
munication issued by the war office
last night says:
"During the day of Nov. 13 the ar
tillery fire was rather lively southeast
ot Dixmude. Enemy aviators carried
out a raid on the night of Nov. IS
and dropped several bombs on Adln
kerke, Panne and Furnes, causing a
number of victims among the civilian
population, North of Dixmude pne
of our - detachments exploded a mine
near the German lines. During today
the activity of the two artilleries was
stronger along the entice front," '
(GEI1MS SMELIL
TIE MMICMI
HEMES
With the American Army in France,' Wednesday, Nov. 14
(By the Associated Press) A number -pf American soldiers
have been killed or wounded in the recent shelling of the Amer
ican trenches by the Germans. . .
One shell which dropped into a trench caused several cas
ualties. V . -. '"v-:V. ;:: .-v v;. ' ' 'v; '"
The American artillery fire -has been heavy recently and
there is good reason to believe that it has accounted for a con
siderable: number of the enemy. :
A - revised . report from Gen. Per
shing today : on the German raid on
American trenches on Nov. t puts
the killed, at three, the wounded at 11
and the missing 11. ' The first report
was three killed, five wounded and 12
missing. .
First Ueut. William H. McLaughlin
Is adtted to the list of wounded. IPri
yate WilHanv P. Qrigsby of Louisville,
previously i.rpoTte4i ,C IferlsflrneJ1.; ftUF
hands' of ' the Germans,, is among;- the'
wounded also. .' -."!.',' " . -i .
- The list of three killed Is unchang
ed but the following. others are added
to the wounded: . . . .
Private ,Xous v A.- Deifer,-,- mother,
Mrs. Catherine -Deifer, --Sullivan,; Ind.
Private Paul- W.- Fann, father,
George; W. ,Fann, .Carona,- Wis. v
Private George Wesley, Miss Mar
garet T. Welch, Dayton, Ky.
Private .Lester. C-Smith,. R. A.
TOOKWHISKEYP
TO BED- WIFE
GIVEN DIVORCE
"He drank almost continually, Mrs:
Margaret Mohn of Stamford told
Judge Howard J. Curtis : in the1 Su
perior Court today testifying in 'her
suit for divorce from James J. Mohn
of Greenwich. -"He took a 1 bottle of
whiskey to bed with him and took a
drink whenever he woke up," she con
tinued. Judge Curtis granted the de
cree and custody of a child. Margery
Antoinette, -six years old. - -,
The Mohns were married in Green
wich October -27,. 1909, and- Mohn's
drinking habits became known to. his
wife Just a week after the wedding
when, he collapsed in' a drunken fit
and had to .be given a hyperdermic in
jection to .quiet him.; . ' V s-
At the time of their marriage Mohn
had a prosperous business, but.: his
drinking habits caused him to lose It,
and last summer his property was
foreclosed, and sold,' realising aboui
$100 over his debts and the mortgages
He has an equity now-of about $900
in another piece of -property.
. Mrs. Mohn's stbry was corroborated
by a physician from the sanitarium,
and by Mrs. Antoinette Scbromberg of
Brooklyn, who spent part of a sum
mer ej a lodger in the house of the
Mohns. : .;. i .
PRICE OF FLOUR
MAY BE REDUCED
According to information received
at the offices of some of Bridgeport's
most prominent wholesalers, the
price of flour will gradually reduce.
There is a plentiful supply on hand
but they, are rapidly supplying . the
wants of the eager retailers in the
city. ' ,
The next most important step to
be looked after by these busy men
is the coming "turkey situation, of
which they have not the least idea,
neither of price or quantity.
Their orders have been sent but as
far as could .be ascertained they have
not been filled. - Notiees have been
sent around to the different meat
packing houses in the country, with
government caution not to send in
for an unneeded supply of turkeys or
chickens, so . that ' the unnecessary
killing of these birds can be avoided
and therefore provide for future use.
VERDICT FOB DEFENDANTS;
, Judgment for the defendants to re
eev, $4Bl.ai, was landed Aswtt by
Judge John R, Booth of tJe seaxmon
pleas court today la the cult of Nich
olas Draehevsky against - Olga Dxa
ehevaky, - .
Smith, Concord, N. C. '
The following are added to the list
of missing and probably captured:
Private Clyde .1- Grimsley, Frank
Grimsley, Stockton; Kas. .
, Private Hoyt D. Decker, W. F.
Decker, .Vinceanes, . Ina. .
The casualty, reported as Private
Harry R. Langham should be Private
Harry' R. Laugbman, Ada Laughman,
1 Chicago.
FT'Th IfliMlttff lrfvo W.nrti1 11
Dewef'if erh is Dewey D. Kara,
mother, "? Mrifc" Eva ; Tilton, Collins,
Iowa, and 'he has been accounted for.
"3-No" casualty list ;' "of the American
troops under '. German shell 'fire had
reached the.; War, department today.
Amsterdam, ' Nov; 1 5 German " il
lustrated ' papers received here repro-
dilcse yphotographs of . "types of the
first Americans captured on the west-
I ern front,!'
HOLLAND LEAVES
REMINGTON CO.
OPENS BUREAU
Bridgeport Is soon to have the ad
vantage of an Employers' Consulting
Bureau' with .offices in the Poll bulld-
dng In Main street of which Joseph A.
Holland,, at' -present .manager of the
employment department of the Rem
ington shops, . will be the head.
H has- already . presented his res
ignation to.': the Remington Co., but
will not . leave until his successor, who
has been selected but not announced,
Is able to take over the work Holland
is how .doing. He expects this to be
about December 1.
The .new -bureau; .will serve (both
employers and employes, its main
idea being to secure 'the best man for-.
the Job, and the best Job for the "man.
It will not- be affiliated with any or
ganization of manuf acturerslor- other
association, and under no conditions
will the (bureau attempt to supply la
bor in 'places where there. is any la
bor diflieulty"- no matter what the
cause. - '' .; .
Holland 'before coming, to. the Rem
ington shops in 'August of 1916 had
charge of the employment department
of the-General Electric . Co. , in Schen
ectady, N; T., where 21,000 men are
employe ' , ; ''.''
AMERICAN DIES
GAMELY IN RAID
ON ENEMY POST
Paris. Nov. 15 William Parrinsr-
field of Ban Francisco, member of
the. ' French foreign legion, lost his
life as a result of wounds he receiv
ed in a recent action, the Herald an
nounces today. - t-
"Tell the folk back home J. went
out gamely, pal," Parrlngfield mur
mured as his captain' stooped to pin
on his breast the military medal, says
a letter received r-by '. Jack Berry of
Brooklyn, another member of the. le
gion, who is en a furlough In Paris.
, The letter was written at the front
by Oscar - Mouvet and gave the cir
cumstances - of the death of this vol
unteer i Lorraine. ' It was necessary
to clear the Germans from a point of
vantage; in" a Motion of the front near
the Alsne, When volunteers were
called for Parrlngfield was among the
first to "step 'forward. . He was shot
down a short distance away. He fell
by . a machine '.gun bullet soon after
the charge from.'- the parapet.: was
made," ' ... ''' ;
Five ' of t)te erew ef the American
steamship . JV N, ZAebenlbach were
lost whan - the shin . was sunk tiv &
PRICE T&O CENTS
Nuns Ire
Defeated
AMiave
Few Detachments Which
Have Effected Cross
ing, of River Held in
Check Renewed Ef
forts a Failure Mass
Troops in North.
(Late Bulletin)
London, Nov. 15 Fire has
broken out in , the city of
Petrograd, states a wireless
report which was picked up
here today. The fire started -
early this morning . and is
sweeping through the capi
tal, beyond the control of
the military and , civilian
populace which is fighting it.
Rome, Nov. 15 The Italians
have defeated renewed efforts
of the Germans to cross the
Piave river. Those of the en
emy who forced a crossinq at
two points on previous days are
being held in check, the ' war
office announced today.
Berlin, Nov. 15, via London--Ger-mn
troops on the mountain front in "
northern Italy are advancing to the
south from Fonzaso and Felte, says
today's official communication. -
No change js reported along the
lower Piave river. The announce- ,
ment follows: ; ','..'
"Our detachments advancing south
ward in the mountains from Fonzaso
and Feltre are in fighting . . contact
with the enemy. "
"On the lower Piave there is noth
ing new.";
KERENSKY HOLDS
RUSS IS BELIEF
HELD IN LONDON
Ixndon, Nov. 15 Word was again
received by wireless today from Pe
trogwad that no report from army
headquarters had been received. Al
lied diplomats are still in the dark
as to the true military situation In
Russia.- 5
Reports purrent that Premier Ker-
ensky and Gen., Kornllofl have Joined
forces and are swaying practically ,all
Russia are gaining force. These can.
not be - verified at the present time,
however, as the Bolshevik! apparent
ly have' -'control of the wireless and
cable stations in Petrograd. .
According to press reports frorft. "
Stockholm travellers who ' arrived,
yesterday - evening ' In Haparanda,
Sweden, from Finland, say rumors are
abroad; there that Petrograd Is in
flames.. . : ' - -
REPAIRS TO AUTO
WERE EXPENSIVE
After a trial lasting since yesterday
morning a Jury in the Common Pleas
court, ' civil side, rendered a verdict
today In favor 'of F. A, Rants to re
cover the sum of $209.28. as a "balance
due for repairs upon, an automobile
for George A. Douglas. Both parties'
to the suit are residents of Bridgeport,
Rants conducting a garage, in Laurel
avenue, and Douglas being engaged in '
the painting business. .
Douglas left a second hand automo
bile at the Rantz garage for repairs.
He paid about J250 of the bill, and
then declined to pay any more on the
ground the charges - were excessive.
Rants sued for a balance of about
$191, claiming damages of $250.
Trial started yesterday before. Judge
John J. Walsh and -the jury, and the
verdict was entered shortly before
noon today in favor ef the plaintiff. -
submartae Ost, ?r . .
V'
'95