The Washington times. [volume], February 14, 1922, HOME FINAL EDITION, Image 1

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WASHINGTON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 14, 1922
NUMBER 12,163.
? & rtr ? ? V ? # it ? ? ? -A
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Mystery Witnesses Quizzed In Film Death
The Two-Shift Man.
31 Millions, Please.
Wiae Men in Europe.
Foolish Discussing.
IL-By ARTHUR BKISBAN*_
(Copyright. Hit.)
.. Ediion, tolling of hU
birthday, uya he "feels well."
A two-shift" man always feels
well, says he, meaning that if
you work hard enough you are
always happy.
That depends, dear, young,
seventy-five year-old genius, on
HOW you work.
Working as Edison does, be
cause he likes to work, because
he is working for himself, car
rying out his own ideas, is one
thing.
Working because you are
driven to it, doing a "double
shift" because your employer
knows how to get it out of
you, working against the grain
without interest, at unattractive
Work?that's another thing.
* There will be plenVy of Edi
Sons in the world when human
intelligence makes labor attrac
tive for the great mass of
Workers.
Now conditions make it re
pulsive And the "two-shift
man is not to be envied.
The New Haven Railroad
wants the Government kindly to
" a over thirty-one
million dollars. The road wants
to pay off twenty-six millions
borrowed in Europe, and needs
? little extra. That's interest
ing to the widows and orphans
that bought New Haven stock
for two hundred dollars a share
and up, then saw the* road
gutted and mismanaged. It is
interesting to others, who ob
serve that, while the Govern
ment isn't good enough to own
and manage railroads, it Is quite
good enough to supply incompe
tent management with millions
when it needs them.
The soldier, by the way, will
want to know whether the Gov
ernment, which has no money
for his bonus, has thirty-one
million dollars to hand to a
bad'v managed railroad. That
railroad never crossed the ocean,
never lost its job.
Half of all the gold of all
the nations is now in the
United States. Last month our
exports fell off fifteen millions.
Business is bad. And the cen
ter of financial control is said
to have returned to London.
They seem to know some things
over there that we do not
know.
In one church on Sunday the
Rev. Dr. Straton argued with
the not reverend William A.
Brady as to the morals of
moving picture and stage peo
ple. Foolish discussion. There
are some immoral actors and
actresses. Thefe are even some
immoral clergymen, and some
have gone to /all. But nobody
with any qMsfe denounces the
stage* or. ^nat1 great modem
educating *orce, the moving
picture, because some actors or
managers are fools. Nobody
certainly would denounce the
church because here and there
a clergyman had committed a
crime, or been convicted of
breaking up somebody else's
family. An institution is one
thing, the individual another.
In another church last Sun
day?these are days of open
minds?there was a service of
the Zoroastrian creed. A Parsee
priest went through the serv
ices of his faith, with the regu
lar clergyman, an Episcopalian,
looking on, assisting and en
couraging. The worshipers
adored the sacred fire. It was
interesting, old and quaint.
If Zoroaster could have come
back to that Episcopalian
Church, through four or five
thousand years of time?no
body knows exactly when he
did live?he would have been
surprised to see what the Par
sees have made of his religion.
As for Ormuzd, he would not
have recognized it.
In Yucatan the legislature is
considering a bill to reduce the
number of Catholic priests in
the whole country to six. Prob
ably the Yucatan legislature,
hostile to religion, feels that it
is exercising great power. But
across the ocean Pius XI is
crowned "Rector of the World,"
and accurate statistics show
that his church in the United
States has more members than
any other church. Those that
manage the church are wise.
Little incidents do not disturb
or interfere with them.
British soldiers waiting to pour
back into Ireland, one part of
Ireland kidn iping citizens from
the other, He Valera proclaimed
President of the Irish Republic
all over again, and great crowds
repudiating the agreement ac
cepted by the Sinn Fein repre
sentatives.
Not a pleasant outlook. Civil
war in Ireland, with England
looking on, waiting to see what
will happen, seems as probable
as anything.
Treasures in gold and silver,
candlesticks, jeweled ikons, and
other church property, will he
seized by the Bolshevik govern
ment to feed the starving. Those
In charge of the churches will re
sent the violence, but will, of
course, not regret the use to
which the metal will be put. How
interesting and convincing it
would be if, by a miracle of the
ancient kind, all of the treasures
Could be restored exactly as they
were, after having been melted
down to buy food?
*Vhat a rebuke to lack of
fa'ih!
OFFICERS
CLINETO
TIORVOF
DRUGRING
Mabel Normand Writes Parents
Police Have Absolved Her
From All Blame.
By CHARLES E. HUGHES.
Intarnatianai Ntwi (wtW.
LOS ANGELES. Feb. 14.?The
demand of Mabel Normand that
the murderer of William Desmond
Taylor must be found and pun
ished, and the announcement of
Adolph Zukor, president of the
Famous Players-Lasky Corpora
tion, that hia company "will leave
no stone unturned" to bring the
perpetrator of the crime to jus
tice were the chief development*
today in the most baffling mys
tery In years. i
Investigation Proceeds.
Tin triple inveatigat.on eaijrled
on by the polio*, department, the
sheriffs office, and the district at
torney prooeeded.
The sher.ff's office continued to
work on clues that involve a known
powerful cl.que of drug peddlers,
whose pern .clous activities have be
come f.Xmly seated in ? certa.n sec
tions of Los Angeles and Holly
wood and in the belief that this
band, headed by a woman, was con
nected in some manner w.th the
alaylng of Taylor in his bungalow
on February 1.
The investigation of District At
torney Thomas Lee Woolwine and
his aides was being conducted under
cover today. Off.ciaia stated that
their preliminary survey of the
case and Interrogation of all per
sons known to have been even re
motely connected with the murdered
director or events shortly preced
ing the slaying is still far from
complet:on.
Witnesses Interrogated.
Several "mystery" witnesses were
interrogated by the district attor
ney yesterday, including two wom
en. one of whom was handsomely
gowned and wore expensive furs.
Officials, however, refused to reveal
their identity or discuss their pres
ence at the Hall of Regards other
than to say they had failed to yield
information that would have added
substantially to the solution of the
crime.
The theory of Jealousy was men
tioned as a fresh clue that had been
advanced following the quest.oning
of one of the women appearing at
Woolw ne's office.
Sticks to Drug Clique Theory.
Police were checking further* today
statements of George F. Arto, a
machinist, who declared that he saw
a third man in front of the Taylor
home on the night of the murder.
This man. he said, was in conver
sation with Henry Peavey, colored
servant of the film director, while
William Davis, chauffeur for Mabel
Normand, was sitting In the car
waiting for Miss Normand. Davis
said he saw no one talking to
Peavey. Arto made a similar state
ment several days ago, but was not
certain at that time as to the date,
but by checking with friends today,
fixed the occurrcnce as of February
1, the night of the murder.
Deputy Sheriff Dewar was con
vinced today that his search for a
drug clique will produce definite
clues. According to information
already unearthed In this connec
tion. officers found that a woman
leader and other members of the nar
cotic ring disappeared from their
usual daunts the day following Tay
lor's murder. Police have traced the
movements of the woman for several
weeks and have established, they say,
that she maintained headquarters
not far from the slain man's home.
IRREGUURmESwTa s.
WHEAT GRADING CHARGED
An immediate investigation of al
leged irregularities In the grading of'
wheat by the Department of Agricul
ture was advocated today before the
Senate Agriculture Committee hy
Oeorre D. Mosely, a "dirt farmer" of
Dickinson, N. D.
Mosely charged that the Govern
ment grades in wheat showed ? vari
ance of SO to 10 cents In sale values
and only > cents In flour value.
The committee Indicated It would
call upon Secretary Wallace to ex
plain the system of Government
grading.
Close Up of Taylor's
"Blessed Baby"
Mabel Normand, Who
Wrote Love Letters to
Slain Movie Man.
w
BONDS TAKEN UP BY CABINET
marro
MABEL NORMAND,
Noted film star, whose name has been linked with the Taylor mur
der mystery. She is shown here in bathing costume just after one
of the gray swimming parties that frivolous Hollywood stages.
IS. MATTIO'S
CLAIM TO BA8Y
BACKED BY TRIO
Midwife Identifies Child, Claim
ed by Mrs. Peck, as Offspring
of Italian Mother.
Three women have identifed the
?even-month-old baby, now lit the
custody of the Board of Children's
Guardians, aa the offspring of Mrs.
Maria Antonio Mattlo, of 2S26 Geor
gia avenue northwest. The Identifi
cation was made last week when the
child was brought to Juvenile Court.
Despite poaitlve Identification, Mrs.
Etta Peck, of Tuxedo. Md., Insists
the baby was born to her Ilast Sep
tember, and will continue her fight
for possession.
James Corby, of 71 ? Fifth street
northwest, who witnessed the trans
fer of Mrs. Mattlo's baby to Mrs.
Peck, testified in Juvenile Court that
Mrs. Peck told him it cost her $50 to
get the baby. The Board of Chil
dren's Guardians is Investigating to
learn to whom the |50 was paid.
Dr. Charles Allen, of 941 New York
avenue, who was one of the wit
uesses to the transfer, has told the
court that he can not identify the
| haby. He sal dthe transfer was made
i at 716 Fifth street on the night of
! September 12, and that he drove Mrs.
the baby und others to Tuxedo,
Md., on that night.
Mr*. Marie de Marco, of 808 Fifth
] street northwest, the midwife who at
tended Mrs. Mattio, is one of the
women who declares the baby is the
son of the Italian woman. Mra. Con
trlstan, of 320'Indiana avenue, who
! cared for the baby a short time, also
I Identified the child. The third per
' son to identify 4t was the mother.
Of late there has been confusion
aa to the sex of the child. Mrs.
Peck Is said to have declared it to
I be a girl and Mrs. Mattlo said It
was a boy. The board of children's
guardians announced the child waa
a boy.
The mystery deepened when it
was learned Mra. Pack declared she
had given Mrs. Mattlo's child to a
"rich woman In the South," who
was passing the baby off to her hus
band aa her own.
CHOOSE HUSBAND LIKE
FROCK, JUDGE ADVISES
WHITE PLAINS. N. Y., Feb
14.?To lessen divorce choose a hus
band with the same skill and care
that you would exercise in purchas
ing a dress.
This formula for married bliss
was advanced by Justice Seeger in
granting an annulment of marriage
to Mrs. Mariee D. Stevens. Mrs.
Stevens declared she was only fif
teen years old when she met her
husband, William, and married'him
ten days after their first meeting.
"The next time you get married,"
said the Judge, "take a couple of
weeks to think It over. When you
are buying goods for a dress you
go over all the goods In the shop.
You ought to take at least as much
care In picking out a husband."
STATE MAY CONCILIATE
MATRIMONIAL TROUBLES
ALBANY, Feb. 14.?To patch up
differences between husbands and
wives who bring their troubles Into
court is the purpose of a bii. Intro
duced by Assemblyman Bioch, of
Manhattan.
The measure provides for the ap
pointment of a conciliator in matri
monial actions In New York county.
The justices for the First district
are authorized to choose, from year
to yeas, an officer of the court to
act as a conciliator, under rules to
be adopted by the Justices. His
compensation is not to exceed that
of an official referee.
100 YA. MEN HUNT MAN
FOR ASSAULT ON GIRL
DANVILLE, Va.. Feb. 14.?A hun
dred Halifax county men were re
ported late this morning trailing
Vincent Barksdale, a negro, who is
alleged to have attempted an as
sault on Lyd;a Orrell, a young girl,
at Ingram yesterday.
The girl was surprised in an out
house near the home of her father,
J. W. Orrell, and her screamy caused
her assailant to flee.
He was tracked yestereday to
some woods near Chatham, where
he hunt is now being undertaken.
Efforts to secure bloodhounds failed.
eAILURE OF NEW YORK
BROKER FIRM ANNOUNCED
NBW YORK. Feb. 14.?Fallufe of
the brokerage firm of Crawford,
Patton and Cannon, of this city, was
announced today from the rostrum
of the stock exchange. The firm
?vas admitted to membership in No
vember, 191L
FEAR PLOT
FREE-ERIN
Plan to Overthrow Government
Revealed?Fifteen Killed in
Belfast Fighting.
Djr International Ntwi H#r?tre.
LONDON, Feb. 14?Member* of
the Irish provisional government
at Dublin are taking vigorous
measures today to avert a threat
ened revolutionary outbreak by
extremist republicans.
It has been learned that foe* of
the Dublin government are plot
ting its overthrow and are con
piring to get control of the
"rtsh republican army.
Hostility Simmering N
| Hostility against tbe Arthur Or if
nth Mlrhsei Colllcui faction of the
the Anglo-Irlah was
ratified by Dall Eireann It was
brought to a head by fighting on
the Ulster frontier, which followed
raids and the forcible seizure of Re
publicans and Ulaterttes.
British government officials are
watching the Irish situation with
anxiety. There are two momentous
possibilities:
1?Revelation with In the Free
State.
2?Civil war between the Free
State and l ister.
The cabinet is hopeful that both
will be averted and that cool, calm
judgment will result in a tranquil
settlement satisfactory to all.
The news that the British gov
ernment had canceled orders for the
evacuation of British troops from
South Ireland aroused consterna
tion at Dublin.
Later It was stated on good au
thority that the British government
has not canceled all orders for troop
withdrawals, but only instruction*
for evacuations from certain districts.
British troops will be maintained at
Cork, which long has been a hotbed
of trouble and disorder.
Collins to See Premier.
Michael Collins, minister of finance
in the Dublin government and known
as "the power behind" the provis
ional administration, la expected In
London lata today to confer with
Premier Lloyd Oeorge. Colonial Sec
retary Winston Churchill, and other
members of the cabinet.
17 Die In Fighting.
BELFAST. Feb. 14.?Seventeen per
sona. Including: a woman and four
children, have been killed in fight
ing between Orangemen and Sinn
Feiners in this city and suburbs dur
ing the past 48 hours.
Bomb .explosions and rifle fusil
lades rattled through the streets dur
ing most of the night.
The Ulster border has been
"sealed" to civilian traffic, accord
ing to Information from Monagh'in.
Two heavily armed forces, one of
Republicans and the other of Ul
Hterites, are lined up facing each
other along the Ulster-Free State
line. No shots have been exchanged
but the soldiers are refus ng to
allow civilians to use the highways
crossing the boundary.
Twenty persons were wounded in
Belfast throughout the night, sev
eral of them policemen who were
trying to rout snipers.
?0 Feiners Released.
LONDON. Feb. 14.-?Sixty Sinn
Feiners who were convicted of po
litical crimes committed on English
soil were released from English
prisons today under a grant of am
nesty. Announcement that these
prisoners would be freed was mnde
by Colonial Secretary Winston
Churchill on Saturday.
MASKED VISITOR SEVERS
MAN'S NOSE WITH RAZOR
MARION. CENTER. Pa.. Feb. 14.
?Marko Mnrtuzzi, of Iselln, Is In the
Indiana Hospital as the result of
an attack made upon him at the
door of his home.
A rap at the front door was an
swered by Martuzzl, and as he
stepped Into the open doorway a
stranger grabbed him by the nose,
and with a razor severed that mem
bar. The person making the at
tack was so well disguised that the
authorities have not tha slightest
clue as to his identity.
INQUIRY ON
DISASTER
IS ENDED
Coroner'* Jury Starts ftelibera
ations to Place Blame for
Knickerbocker Crash.
Hearing of evidence to fix re
sponsibility for the Knickerbocker
Theater disaster was concluded
shortly after noon today by the
Coroner's jury, sitting at the Dis
trict building.
The evidence immediately was
turned over to the jury for delibera
tion. The jury was permitted to
take a recess for lunch, and at the
conclusion of this lunch period its
member* began a discussion behind
clesld oaeca in preparation for their
findings.
Many Thing* Wrong.
Substitution of materials, lack of'
sufficient bolts, use of shorter
beams than called for In speciflca
1 tions, and Insufficient fastening,
splicing, and bracing were made in
the construction of the Knicker
bocker Theater, according to the
{ report of Robert Henry Davis, en
, K'neer of the building Inspector's
j office, which was read at the in
quest this morning.
That one or another of these con
ditions was directly responsible for
the collapse of the roof was the ]
opinion of Davis, as stated in his
report, which was r?>ad at the in
I quest by John P. Healy, District
I building Inspector.
Truss II, for instance, Davis said,
| was six Inches less than called for
I In the sepclflcations that were
! passed on by the building inspector's'
office. The other trusses and
beams, U was said, were overloaded,
and web members of the roof were
not of the stock size called for in
plans as approved.
In his testimony as to the cause of
the disaster. Healy declared he i
could not give a positive statement1
as to what caused the collapse of the
roof. He urged a complete revision
of the District building code.
Would Hold Examinations.
"I slso believe It would be help
ful and in the nature of a safe
guard," he said, "that those en
gaged In building should be required i
before being licensed to demonstrate i
by examination their competency."
It also was developed that the I
two Inspectors who were detailed!
to make daily Inspections of the,
work on the theater during Its
course of construction received only
(1.200 a year.
Healy Says Masonry Good.
It was at the suggestion of At
torney Frank J. Hogan that Cor-1
oner Nevltt asked *>hn Uitchle,
custodian of property In the Build
ing Inspector's office, that the sal
aries of the employes be brought
out.
Healy told .the Jury that the
masonry of the building was of ]
good workmanship, as were the I
walls.
He believes, however, that the I
snow weight, as well as the over
loading of the trusses by the steel
structure, contributed to the col- j
lapse of the roof.
Harry Sheets, an Iron worker,
of 113 H street northwest, declared]
that while placing a beam in the I
wall he heard the tile crack. Re- J
porting It to his foreman, Sheet* j
declared that the foreman stated '
that the tiles would be filled with
concrete.
"It could not have been done?
certainly not in the tiles under the
beam."
Sheets said he was taken off the
Job several days after that.
The last witness on the stand
was Charles E. Hardel, of 709 Fifth
street northwest. a structural
worker on the Knickerbocker. He
testified that he had found the wall
no weak that he was afraid It would
fall over at any time. "I'm sorry
I ever worked on It," he commented.
Justice Hoehling's Son Dies.
Wilfred C. Hoehllng, four-year-old
son of Associate Justice A. A. HoohJ
Ing. of the District Supreme Court,
died this morning at his home. Chevy
Chase, of croup. The boy was taken
111 about 9 o'clock last night
Former D. C. Lady Who
Lost $2,000,000
by Elopement ?
Mrs. Preston Gihoon, third wife
of Um forwer Washington society
and club man, who lost an In
heritance of $2,000,00# left- her
by her grandfather, U? late
Hanry H. Rovers, by sloping tn
1?1?, has started suit, to Parig.
preparatory to deniaudrl* a di
vorce.
JUDGE IS URGED
10 REVISE LAW
ON 1TA. DIVORCE
Bar Association Sends Alexan
dria Jurist Copy of Pro
posed Measure.
By HARVKY L. COBB.
(Copyright, 1922, by The Washington
Time* Company )
Pending legislative enactment of a
"lawyer-proor' anti-dlvoiVe bill In
the State of Virginia, Judge Robin
son Moncure, Little Reno divorce
magistrate, was today asked by mem
bers of the Alexandria Bar Associa
tion to live up to the provisions of
the proposed association's bill.
A copy of the bill, which has been
drafted by Judge J. K. M. Norton,
Judge Louis C. Barley, and Judge
C. K. Nicol, as being "lawyer-proof,"
wan sent to the Little Reno divorce
Judge, and by a resolution, sent to
J. Itandal Caton, chairman of the
Alexandria Bnr Association, Mon
cure was asked to conform to the
provisions of the bill until it could
be enacted Into law.
The resolution transmitting the
har association's request to Moncure
asked him to put the provisions of
the measure Into effect by a -court
order.
This step of the bar association
is regarded as an emergency stop
on the wholesale divorce business
which has made little Reno "fa
mous." Whether or not the court
would live up to the provisions of
the measure was a matter of spec
ulation to members of the bar as
sociation.
Few cases have been filed in
Moncure's court since the expose
of the scandals of Alexandria.
Commenting on the bill drafted
by the. three members of the com
mittee, Attorney Frank Stuart de
clares that the bill is probably as
good as any, hut denies that new
legislation is needed.
"This Is a part of the bucket of
white wash that is being prepared,
for Moncure," Stuart said. "It fs
being used' to shield members of
the ring,from criminal prosecution.
"By clamoring for the passage of
new divorce legislation the ring ex
pects to divert the people's mind
frpm the main question?that there
has been corruption, greed and graft
in the divorce business here and that
several of our 'leading citizens and
beat people' are now in the shlulow
of the penitentiary wall, If the law
is enforced.
"The same practices?of false affi
davits, forgeries, crooked witnesses
and suboroating lawyers?will secure
a divorce under the new provisions
of the bill. Just as It did under the
old status," Mr. Stuart declared.
Members of the ring who are clam
oring for a hew law with teeth In It.
according to Stuart, might be sin
cere, provided the "teeth are gold
niled."
HARDING
10 THRESH
OUT BOKO
QUESTION
Leaders in Congress Anxiously
Wait Decision of
Executive.
Br J. BART CAMPBELL.
liMMOItaal News Ssrrtee.
Republican leaders of Congreas,
?till at loggerhead* over the way
the money for the aoldiera' bona*
should be rsiaed, ere awaiting
with ^ntanttnt anxiety the out
come of the meeting today of the
President with' hia Cabinet, at
which the whole bonus situation
is being carefully considered.
Harding Te Make Decision.
President Harding la expected to
announce after the meeUng hia de
cision aa ?o whether, in his
Judgment, the plan of certain Re
publican Senators for the issuance
of ahort-ternj Government securi
ties ought to be substituted for the
eight-fold tax program recommend
ed by the House Ways and Meana
Committee for financing the bonus.
Congressman Hamilton Fish of
New York, went to the White
House this morning as a commit
tee of one representing the ex
i service men of the House to In
form the President that this group
was opposed to the direct taxation
scheme to raise money for the
bonus, and that they favored a
bond issue.
Fish did not see the president,
' but Communicated his views to
Secretary Christian.
A number of Republican Senators,
Including 8moot of Utah, are un
derstood to have frankly Informed
the President that they are con
vinced that the eight tax proposals
would be rejected by the Senate
even though they were accepted by
the House.
Secretary Mellon is understood,
however, to be still opposed to a
bond issue to pay for the bonus on
Ibp grounds that It would hamper
Treasury refunding operations, and
hurt the bond market.
On the other hand, Senator Smoot
is not alone in the Senate in the be
lief that a bond Issue would offer
the most practical way out of the
bonus muddle. If Congress will not
accept a llUcs tax, and would prove
far less unpopular than direct taxa
tion.
Favors Five-Year Securities.
Smoot would have the Government
provide for the issuance of five-year
securities, subject to "call" any time
any part of the foreign debt might
become available, and bearing a rate
of 4% per cent, at which he believed
they would find a ready market.
Smoot and several of his Republi
can colleagues are hopeful that the
President will view the situation as
they see It, despite Mellon's opposl
i tlon. They recall that the Senate re
fused to agree with Mellon when he
aaked that surtaxes be cut to the
lowest possible minimum when the
new revenue law was enacted; they
point to the foreign debt refunding
' bill as a more recent Instance of
/ where the Senate and Mellon were In
conflict, with the result that the Sen
ate had its way In Imposing restric
tions on payments of principal and in
terest which Mellon did not want.
See Present Flan Scrapped.
Whatever the outcome of the pres
ent situation, it Is the consensus of
opinion among Senators that the
1 Ways and Means tax program Is as
good as scrapped^ With the Repub
lican majority in both Senate and
House committed to the passage of
the bonus bill. It is agreed that some
other method of financing must be
found.
If there must he taxation, let a
aales tax be Imposed. Smoot and
Kdge of New Jersey are demanding,
llnless a bond Issue is provided,
Smoot Intends to offer a sales Ux
aa an amendment to the bonus bill
when It reaches the Senate. Presi
dent Harding Is known to favor a '
sales tax, but a canvass of the sit jt