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The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, March 06, 1925, Image 1

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IIHOME EDITION!
THE WEATHER
Fair tonight; lowest temperature slightly
above freezing; tomorrow partly cloudy; mot
much change in temperature; variable winds.
COL FECHET GIVEN MITCHELL’S POST
Mysterious Death of Hospital Sentry Reopened
POLICETO
QUIZMAN
/BEING
f HELD
Francis Leon Riel Accused of
“Having Knowledge" of
' Shores* Death
Renewal of the investigation
into the mysterious death of Rus
sell Shores, Walter Reed Hospital
sentry who was shot to death
while he patrolled his beat on
the night of October 21, 1924, was
started by headquarters detectives
today.
This action by the police fol
lowed the arrest last night of
George Wpsly Underhill, a private
attached to ■ the medical division
at Walter Reed, and Francis Leon
> Riel, a former patient there. Riel
told the police that he is now a
b mechanic and resides at 921 Penn
sylvania avenue southeast. Both
were arrested on liquor charges.
P Involved In Argument.
1 According to the police, the two
men became Involved in a heated
argument while at the station
house, during which Underhill is
alleged to have accused Riel of
V "having knowledge as to how
I Shores met his death.”
r Records at Walter Reed Hos
pital. according to Major C. M. j
Walson. executive officer, show i
that Riel was a patient there from J
October 6 to October 24, 1924, being
discharged two days after Shores’
death. Underhill has been attached
to Walter Reed only since Janu
ary 1, having come from Illinois.
According to the police. Under-,
hill at the time of his arrest was
carrying seven pints of whiskey,
and is being held on a charge of
transporting liquor, while a charge
of drunkenness was placed against'
Riel.
Held for Questioning.
idL The men were arrested by Pri
vate H. J. Dorrenbacher. at Sev
enth and M streets northwest, and
were taken to the Flecond precinct.
a It was there, according to Sergeant
“ J. R. Kilmartin and Policeman J. T.
Scholtzberger that Underhill made
his accusation.
While the police are disinclined
to believe Underhill, they are hold
ing the men for further questioning
while the liquor charges are pend-
BATTALION OF GIRLS
HALTS SAFE ROBBER
PHILADELPHIA, March s.—Sur
prised in the act of robbing a mill
office safe, a thief struggled with
'the mill owner for a few minutes,
which aroused a number of girl
employes. Marshaled by one of them
crowded the exit steps and
waited.
The thief Iroke loose from the
mill man, E. H. Rehbaum, president
■RL ©f the Resolute Knitting Mills, and
’ -rushed toward the stairs, where he
wa ß cornered by the girls and
. _ turned over to the police.
F CABINET ASSEMBLES
’ WITH TWO NEW FACES
The Cabinet assembled at tne
White House today for the first
meeting of the new Coolidge Ad
ministration.
Two new members, Secretary o?
Rtate Kellogg and Secretary of Ag
riculture Jardine, made their first
Appearance at the Cabinet table.
Keeping Up With
The Champions
The World Champion Griff
men are in Florida, getting
k ready for the 1925 baseball
A season—and Louis A. Dougher
is with them.
V Mr. Dougher, dean of
Washington sports writers,
will send the news and
gossip of the team daily to
readers of THE WASHING
TON TIMES.
Questioned In Death of
Hospital Sentry at
Walter Reed
FRANCIS L. RIEL.
Accused by Underhill.
!r HF*
I Ik
It
f ’I • >
I > z
I 'a H
ifcIMSW
GEORGE W. UNDERHILL,
Who Made Accusations.
PWW
PASTEBOARD
WARSHIP
Army Aviators Demonstrate
Prowess Before House z
Aircraft Group
By International New* Service.
LANGLEY FIELD. Va... March
6.—A battleship built of canvas and
pasteboard was “destroyed” this
morning by army airmen here as
the first demonstration of combat
airplanes and anti-aircraft guns for
members of the House Aircraft Com
mittee from Washington.
Small planes dropped light bombs
on the imitation battleship, and
then big Martin bombers finished
the job with 2.000-pound bombs.
Although a strong wind blew
throughout the day, those in charge
of the demonstration said the firing
at moving targets by anti-aircraft
guns at Fort Monroe would take
place as scheduled late this after
noon.
Twenty Bolling Field
Planes Leave Here to
Take Part in Tests
The greatest local aviation maneu
vers of the year began today when
twenty obeservation and light
bombing airplanes left Bolling Field
for Langley Field, Hampton, Va., to
witness anti-aircraft gun tests off
Fortress Monroe.
'J he tests are the outgrowth of
sensational testimony before the
special House aircraft investigat
ing committee by Brigadier Gen
eral William Mitchell regarding the
(CooUuued
WASHKMWES
I NO. 13,181 c. WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1925. jRSSft THREE CENTS |
SHIRT CLUE IN SLAYING OF PAPPAS
VICTIM OF
BANDIT 15
DYING
Surgeons Give Up Hope for
Heimer-—Hat Clue to Gun
man’s Identity
A soft felt hat with an out-of
town trade mark in it, believed
to have fallen from the head
the gunman who last night shot
James F. Heimer, manager of the
Big Four Candy Company, in the
latter’s store at 608 E street
northwest, after Heimer had de
fied his attempt to rifle the com
pany’s cash drawer, is being held
by police az a tangible clue to
the identity of the youthful rob
ber.
The hat was turned own* to
the police by A. J. Brauner, one
of the members of the firm’, who
at first had held it, believing it
was the property of Heimer.
Lost During Scuffle.
It is believed that the gunman
lost his hat during the scuffle with
Helmer, which lasted for several
moments and was terminated with
the shooting of the bullet which
plunged into the intestines of the
candy man.
Wiysicians at Emergency Hos
pital this afternoon admitted there
is practically na hope for Mr.
Heimer. Only once since last nigat
has he been able to speak, and this
was to feebly acknowledge his
wife's presence. Mrs. Heimer is a
trained nurse, and she has been at
his side since 9:30 last night.
Headquarters’ Detective Ira Keck
and Precinct Detectives Dowd. Cole
and Flaherty, of the Sixth precinct
station, are working on the case.
The quartet indicated today
they were satisfied they would be
able to apprehend the gunmen, as,
in addition to the hat, they have
an adequate description of him.
Blood transfusions are "being re
sorted to at Emergency Hospital
to prolong the ebbing life of Mr.
Heimer.
t A pint of blood was given early
1 this morning by Mr. Heimer’s son,
Edgar “Chifk” Heimer, and an
other transfusion was effected
shortly before noon.
Physicians said today that his
intestines are punctured.
Braved Bandit’s Gun.
■ Refusal Io accede to the demands
of a young man, believed to be about
twenty-seven years old, to “hanct
:over the day’s receipts” of approxi
? mately $65 was the cause of the
1 shooting.
A. J. Brauner, one of the men
bers of the Big Four Company, who
stood beside Mr. Heimer last night
when the gunman entered the store,
loday told the following story of the
shooting:
1 “We were about to close up for
ithe day when this young man came
Jin the store and walked up to Mr.
| Heimer. His first words were:
| ‘Stick ’em up.’
Shot Bunted Clothes.
“Mr. Heimer made an ejacula
tion and tried to knock the gun to
the floor which was leveled at his
head. The first time the gun was
fired it merely clicked.
“I ducked behind the counter
where I thought there was a big
stick. The next thing I knew the
gunman and Mr. Heimer were
struggling at the door. Then came
the second gun report.
“The gunmen held the gun, a
small shining barreled revolver, so
close to Mr. Heimer’s abodmen that
the burning powder seared his
clothes. Immediately after he ha<*
shot I gave chase.
“I followed him to Sixth and E
streets and lost him in the crowd.”
Can’t Identify Picture.
Brauner described the hold-up
man as being of medium slender
1 uild. having a dark <oat, no over
coat, and a soft hat. He said that
he had a thin beard which gave
OCoaUnuodr m £sus« GfiUiflUvXl
One Shot, One Escapes
When Young Bandit
Holds Up Store
JAMES F. HEIMER,
Shot by bandit and dying.
\ A
- IS
, 'i .'WHT"
tim»s srerr Fhots
A. J. BRAUNER.
Who escaped gunman.
ENGLISH BILL HITTING
TRADE UNIONS KILLED
LONDON, March 6.—The House
of Commons this afternoon passed
the government amendment killing
the trades union levy bill. The
bill sought to prohibit trades unions
from levying on workers wages to
support the unions.
The tories originally planned to
support the I bill, but apparently
feared the strength of the organized
workers.
Woodrow Wilson
AND
Mary Hulbert Peck
Underground • gossip, unfounded rumor, campaign in
nuendos, often connected the names of Woodrow Wilson and
Mary Hulbert Peck.
Between this remarkable man and this charming woman
there existed a strong bond of friendship and understanding.
The truth concerning their association is admirably set forth
in the next chapter of
WOODROW WILSON
By William Allen White.
"The next installment of this interesting pen-picture of the
War President will be published in The Washington Times
Monday, March 9.
Order Your Copy From Your Newsdealer Today,
or Call Main 5260 and the Circulation Manager
Will Arrange for Delivery to Your Home
FECHET 15
GIVEN AIR
POST
Former Private Named for
Army Job as Mitchell
le Demoted
Brigadier General William
Mitchell, whose attacks on the
administration of the nation’s aif
defenses aroused the ire of his
superiors in the War Depart
ment, will be retired next monm
as assistant chief .of the
service. Secretary of War Weeks
announced today.
Fechet To Succeed Him.
Weeks recommended ro President
Coolidge that Lieutenant Colonel
James E. Fechet. a native of Texas
and now stationed at San Antonio,
be appointed to succeed Mitthell on
April 27.
When he is retired as Assistant
Chief of the Air Service, aAjosition
he has held for eight yeais under
Major General Charles J. Menoher
and Major General Mason Patrick,
Mitchell will automatically go back
to his rank of colonel. He has al
ready announced that his demo
tion would not cause him to leave
the army.
It had not been decided at the
War Department today whether
Mitchell would continue to be sta
tioned in Washington or whether
he would be given an assignment
away from the Capital.
Rose from Ranks.
Colonel Fechet will become a
Brigadier-General when he becomes
assistant chief of the Air Service.
Entering the army as a private
in 1898, Fechet participated in the
Santiago campaign and was wound
ed in the capture of San Juan Hill.
He also took part in numerous bat
tles in the Philippines and served
with General Pershing's punitive
expedition into Mexico in 1916.
Announcement of Fechet’s ap
pointment was accompanied by no
statement relative to the demotion
of General Mitchell.
Fechet’s nomination will be sent
to the Senate by President Coolidge
for confirmation during the present
short session.
Objected To Writings.
One of Secretary Weeks’ chief com
plaints against Mitchell was that he
violated orders of his superiors In
writing articles on air power for a
weekly magazine without first sub
mitting the. articles for approval.
Mitchell denied this charge, stating
that President Coolidge and Gen
eral Patrick approved his articles.
Weeks and Mitchell have also
been at loggerheads over the con
dition of the American air fleet,
(Continued on Page 2. Column 5.)
Who Killed Pappas,
Restaurant Man?
Who killed Thomae Pappas, the restaurant man?
Here are the essential facts:
His body, head crashed by blows from heavy wrench,
found at 11 o’clock yesterday morning in his restaurant,
1202 Seventh street northwest. He had been dead two
hours. <
His pockets were turned out and empty. Bobbery most
likely motive.
Last seen at 7 o’clock yesterday morning, two hours
before he was killed. *
William J. Tappy, dead man's room mate, who dis
covered body, held at Second precinct. Denies any con
nection with slaying.
A colored man, named by Tappy as being in case just
before Pappas* death, sought. Jhis man is said to be
familiar with restaurant.
The blood-covered wrench, NOT owned by Pappas, held
by police. An automobile tool.
Mattress on bed in which Pappas slept before he was
killed was turned half way up when found. It was under
this mattress Pappaskept his money over night, removing
it to case every morning. /
A Pappas believed tr have many enemies. He never mixed
with his many relatives in town, nor did he-mingle with
other local Greeks.
Pair of his shoes found near body. Pappas was in
stocking feet.
One door leading to restaurant apparently had been
jimmied.
No one found who heard any noise in restaurant yester
day morning.
A piece of burlap and Pappas' overcoat were over dead
man’s limbs.
Room Locked to Oust
' I
Senator Wheeler
By WILLIAM HARD.
Senator Wheeler of Montana ran into a.new streak of bad
luck today when Senate authorities in the Senate Rules Com
mittee ordered the lock changed on the door of one of Senator
Wheeler’s offices in the Senate Office Building in order to
keep him out of it.
Senator Wheeler haa had three
rooms in the Senate Office building,
two of them his own regular rooms
and the third a special extra room
assigned to him for clerks and
stenographers while he was con
ducting his famous investigation
Into the Department of Justice and
into the conduct of Attorney Gen
eral Daugherty.
It is witl| regard to this third
room that the controversy arose.
The Senate Rules committee de
cided to take it away from Senator
Wheeler and giMe it to the new
South Carolina Senator Cole Blease.
Senator Blease, through emissaries,
approached the room. Senator
Wheeler’s forces resisted his ad
vance.
Blease Tired of Camping.
Senator Blease, from temporary
headquarters in the office of a
friend in the House Office Building,
sent a. scout to Senator Moses of
New Hampshire, Chairman of the
Sub-Committee of the Rules Com
mittee for the assignment of rooms,
and apprised him of the state of
the battle.
Senator Wheeler declared that
Senator Blease should not pass.
Senator Wheeler contended that In
the Senate Office Building now
there are just as many rooms as
there were before the last election
and that there was no reason why
one of his should be taken away
from him.
Senator Blease declined to be a
party to this controversy, but stated
only that he required room ac
commodations. He was tired of
camping with his frlead in T he
House Office Building. The dig
nity of the State of South Carolina,
demanded that he have his per
manent rooms as soon as might be.
Meanwhile, numerous representa
tives of numerous other new Sena
tors were equally besieging the
Rules Committee, all demanding
rooms.
La Follette Also Hit
It developed that the last bitter
drop in the rup of defeat for some
of the La'Follette Progressives will
be in the matter of rooms. Senator
La Follette, losing his chairmanship
of the Manufactures Committee,
will thereupon lose two lovely
rooms in the Capitol building. He
will still retain, however, a certain
other room in that building; and it
(Continued fin F«gn & Cfilwn 44
HOM El
EDITION
BEAUTY GRILLED
ON LETTERS
TO MAIO
Mrs. Dennistoun, in Love
Sacrifice Suit, Was Wor
< ried Over Nightgown
By DAVID M. CHURCH.
IXJNDON, March 6.—Mrs. Dor
othy Dennistoun, whose story of
her love sacrifices for her husband
set British tongues wagging, was
pale and drawn when she took the
witness stand today and submitted
to her fourth successive day of
cross-examination.
Sir Edward Marshall Hall, of
counsel for Colonel lan Dennistoun
in the suit his divorced wife
brought to recover money she
claimed she advanced him, ques
tioned Mrs. Dennistoun severely re
garding her letters to her maid.
Sir Edward was particularly
searching regarding one which di
rected the maid to look in the medi
cine chest, get the small brass box
labelled “dispatch” and send this
post haste to Paris.
Sir Edward said this letter was
written at the time when Mrs.
Dennistoun admitted intimacy with
the Spaniard, Bolin, and also when
she was supposed to be still under
the protection of the late Sir John
Cowans, war-time quartermaster
general of the British army.
He also questioned Mrs. Dennis
toun closely about letters to her
maid in which she seemed consider
ably worried about the way her
maid was making some night gowns
for her.
Il® said she was apparently wor
(Continued on Page 3, Column 2.)
Puzzle, Page 18.
Radio News, Page 16.
DISMED
WSUBB
AFTER
CRIME
Two Suspects Held by Police
Are Believed Innocent.
May Offer Reward
A bloody «birt which police be
lieve was worn by the man who
killed Thomas Pappas. Greek
restaurant proprietor, yesterday,
is held by the police today as the
latest clue in the mysterious
-wrench murder.
The owner of this shirt, police
believe, discarded it a few minutes
after he attacked Pappas. He
then, donned one of Pappas’
shirts and fled from the case at
1202 Seventh street northwest, is
their theory.
The shirt was found in a bundle
of clothes a few feet from the
body. It is smaller than shirts
that Pappas wore.
Hold Two Suspects.
Although two men are now under
arrest and several others have been
under observation in the last twenty
four hours, police do not believe they
are yet on the trail of the slayer.
Jesse Green, colored, twenty-two
years old, said to have been a for
mer dishwasher for Pappas, waa ar
rested today on the tip of William J.
Tappy, sixty-four-year-old cook for
“That’s not the man I saw at the
restaurant yesterday.” Tappy told
police when Green was brought be
fore him in the Second precinct sta
tion hduse.
Green provided an alibi, declaring
he was working for the Bellman
Heating Company from 7:30 o'clock
yesterday morning until late yester
day afternoon. Physicians say Pap
pas was slain about 9 o’clock yes
terday morning.
Green denied he stole a coffee urn
from Pappas. He said he had never
been in the Seventh street case nor
did he know Pappas.
Slaying Still Mastery.
Thef investigation so far has vir
tually eliminated Green and Tappy.
and police are now making fur
ther search for others believed to
be Intimately acquainted with the
dead man. They admit the slaying
is one of the most baffling mys
teries confronting the local police
department in many .years.
"If we can find the owner of this
shirt we believe we will have the
slayer," one of the detectives work
ing on the case declared. “But
there are thousands of persons who
wear this same size shirt in Wash
ington. If the man did put on one
of Pappas’ shirts, he has gotten
rid of it many hours ago.”
Police believe the slayer was cov
ered with blood after he killed and
robbed the case owner. They are
making a minute search of the res
taurants today in the hope of find
ing additional clues.
May Offer Reward
Detectives working on the case
are Cullinane, Fowler, Flaherty.
Waldron, Sweeney fend Jackson, in
addition to Captain T. Bean, of the
Second precinct, and a half dozen
of his men. There is a possibility
that a reward will be offered if de
tectives fail to find the slayer
within the next twenty-four hours.
Did Not Try to Escape.
Green was picked up by headquar
ters detectives Cullinane, Waldron
and Jackson after an all night search.
He was found in a store on Fifth
street between G and H strepts
northwest. He made no attempt to
escape.
"I don’t even know who you are
talking about,” Green told head
quarters detectives when they ques
tioned him about Pappas. "I never
Forked for any jnan on fievqnlA

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