The Washington times. [volume], March 07, 1925, Image 1

About The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939

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IHOME EDITION!
THE WEATHER
Increasing cloudiness tonight; tomorrow
unsettled and slightly warmer; variable
winds, becoming moderate south.
BOY, 15, CONFESSES KILLING DOCTOR
MOTHER WAS CONVICTED OF SLAYING
WANTED TO
SEINE LIFE
SENTENCE
FDR SDN
“Iron Woman” Breaks Down
When “Sonny” Tells Truth.
Did It to Save Her
By International New* Service.
LOS ANGELES, Cal., March 7.
Harold “Sonny” WiUis, fifteen
year-old son of Mrs. Margaret B.
Willis, under life sentence for the
slaying of Doctor Benjamin B.
Baldwin, confessed today he killed
the physician. *
According to the authorities.'
the youth related his story to his
aunt, Mrs. Virginia Nelson.
District Attorney, Asa Keyes
launched an investigation of the
startling story told, by the con- ,
victed woman’s son.
Shielded by Mother.
Breaking the sea! of silence, he de
clared, was imposed upon him by his
mother who, he said, was willing to
Immolate herself on the altar of jus
tice to avoid implicating him in the
crime, the youth bared what he as
serted were the facts of the slaying
Which gained nation wide notoriety
as the “mystery’ trunk murder."
“Why did he tell? Oh, .why
didn't he keep silent?” Mrs. Willis
sobbed in her jail cell.
“He is your son and would not
let you make the great sacrifice
of going to prison for life.” one
of the matrons answered Mrs. Wil
lis.
Did It to Save Mother.
Young Willis’ confession stated
that he killed the physician when
he found him struggling with his
mother on the floor of the Willis
home.
The boy confessed:
“I had just come home from
school. It was between half-past
S and 4 o’clock. As I came in.
I found mama on the floor strug
gling with Doctor Baldwin. She
•was fighting him off. When I got
in she said, ‘Sonny, come over and
help me,’ the doctor hit me and
mama shouted ‘get the gun in
the closet in the little hand bag,
quick, and give It to me.’ I ran
in the closet and got the gun—a
.32 Remington that I have shot
many times on hunting trips, but
Instead of giving it to mama, I
shot him myself.”
The body of the physician, found
murdered here last Ap-il, had been
stuffed into a trunk and hurled over
a canyon cliff.
As a result of the boy’s dramatic
recital, steps were on foot today to
bring about a complete reopening of
the historic case.
Appeal to Governor.
An appeal is to be carried to Gov
•rnor Friend W. Richardson by Mrs.
Willis’ sister. Mrs. Virginia Nelson,
asking for his Intervention, if neces
sary, to gain the convicted woman
a rehearing.
As the first move of the bitter
legal campaign which promises tn
become one of the most spectacular
In the annals of Los Angeles courts,
an attempt was begun to have Mrs.
Willis kept in'her cell in the county
jail, pending a full investigation of
her son's story, instead of being
sent to San Quentin to begin serving
her life sentence.
Mother Breaks Down.
The confession of the self-asserted
youthful slayer succeeded in break
ing down the phenomenal composure
of his mother, who gained the so
brlequet of “the woman of iron and
steel” during the weary weeks <n
which she fought desperately for
her life on the witness stand. Scarce
ly a ripple of emotion played over
her cool, intelligeat features when
she stood up to receive the sentence
Which shut her off from the rc»t
Os the world. The news, however,
of her son’s act, threw her into a
hysterical state.
“Oh, why did he tell, why’ did h i
tell?” she moaned ove” and over be
tween gusts of sobbing that shook
her frame.
Radio News, Page 6.
Puzzles, Page 12.
Bandit Victim Gets
$41,000 From
China
I Br ' s
\ £ tRU
Jk * A
m ■ **
-• »
■F 'OF
U
*J \ we
Ml
INTERNATIONAL NEWS M&
MISS LUCY ALDRICH,
Sister of Mrs. John D. Rocke
feller, jr., who has been awarded
$41,000 by the Chinese govern
ment in payment for her suffer
ings when she was captured by
Chinese bandits more than a year
ago. The bandits held her for
million dollar ransom, but later
released her. Miss Aldrich Is now
tn Peking.
SMILLPTCISE
GOING TO
TRIAL
Nine “Martyrs” Fighting Vac
cination Are Released on
$25 Bond Each
Shoulder to shoulder and with
smiles of ready compliance to
orders of the court, nine of the
“martyrs”, in the fight between the
city health office and the students
and faculty of the Chiropractic
Research University at 1349 L
street northwest, stood before Judge
John P. McMahon in the District
Branch of Police. Court today and
pleaded not guilty to the charge
of violating the city health regula
tions and demanded’ a jury trial.
They were released on $25 bond
each.
When the court convened today
the nine men and women. Doctor
Jesse C. Jenkins. Carrie Rochrohr,
H. L. Lewis. C. D. Stewart, Blanche
De Wolfe, Doctor A. B. Chatfield,
president of the university; Mrs.
Annie C. Chatfield, John Figi, and
Thomas Elias, who had been ar
rested when they were released
from the pest house, w'ere all sit
ting side by side in the second row
of seats in the court room.
After they had made their
and were taken into the flnane’al
clerk’s office tef post their col
lateral, Doctor Jenkins, a member
of the faculty, scored Doctor Wil
liam C. Fowler in an impromptu
statement as she handed the finan
cial clerk her $25.
“Our bodies belong to us,” she
said, "and Doctor Fowler nor any
one else has a right to make us put
anything into them. We' haven't
been vaccinated and we are not go
ing to be. We have been arrested
twice for the same offense, and
we are going to fight to the end.
"I think we have grounds for a
suit against the District, but I
don't know whether we will bue
or not. One thing is certain: we
haven't been vaccinated and we
are not going to be.”
Attorney Andrew Wilson is the
counsel for the defense.
Mr. and Mrs. Lignus Vita
Ironhead
Announce the Publication
of another •
Full Page of Puzzles
in this edition
of
7he IV ashing ton Times,
WASHINGTONTIMES
V THE- .IM A, -Fl OM AL fl PAILYv
no. 13,182 ** Washington, Saturday, march 7,1925. UtSSSt. three cents
Arrest Due Soon in Pappas Death
BUILDING
FDRCDURT
PLANNED
Commissioner Bell’s Proposed
Structure Would House Po
lice and Traffic Bureau
Engineer Commissioner J. Frank
lin Bell today announced he would
direct Albert L. Harris, District
architect, to draw up plans for a
new city building to be erected in
the block directly south 'of the
Municipal Building.
In this structure Colonel Bell
would i house tfie Police Court,
Traffic Bureau, office of automo
bile licenses, police headquarters,
and a central police station.
Cites Overcrowding.
“The District building is now
overcrowded, “Colonel Bell said.
“The same condition exists at po
lice court. I believe that we should
get a centrally located building In
which all of these departments
could be housed.”
New quarters for the police court
were made necessary by Congress’
action in increasing the number- of
judges at the court from two to
four and increasing the clerical
force.
Colonel Bell pointed out that,
each year larger quarters are need- 1
ed for the traffic bureau and dis
tribution of automobile tags. Re
cently Congress decreed that motor
ists must renew their autojnobile
operators’ cards annually.
Suggestions for a central police
station near the District building
were made many years ago, hut
no definite action was ever taken
to carry’ out the proposals.
CAPPER AND BUTLER GET
FOREIGN RELATIONS JOBS
Senator Arthur Capper (Rep.) of
Kansas and Senator William M.
Butler (Rep.) of Massachusetts, chair
man of the Republican national
committee, were named today as
new members of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee.
Capper succeeded the late Senator
McCormick (Rep.) of Illinois, while
Butler was given the seat formerly
Held by Senator Wadsworth (Rep.)
of New York, who resigned. Cap-'
per was the highest ranking Repub
lican to apply for membership on
the committee, while Butler was
assigned to represent the East.
Judge Faces Quiz March 23
The Congressional investigation
of Federal Judge George English of
Illinois will open at St. Louis on
March 23, it was announced here
today.
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
Labor Member Calls
Prince of Wales
“Nincompoop”
DUMBARTON, Scotland,
March 7.—Calling the Prince
of Wales a “nincompoop,” David
Kirkwood, suspended member of
the House of Commons, again
attacked the amount of money
spent by the prince on his world
tours, in an address to his con
stituents here today.
“The money that the working
class produces ought not to be
wasted on a nincompoop like the
Prince of Wales,” Kirkwood
shouted. “This young fellow
ought to do some work instead
of spending his time attending
race meetings and dance halls.”
Kirkwood was suspended by
the speaker of Commons Thurs
day for heckling Austen Cham
berlain, British foreign minis
ter. This action resulted in the
entire* laborite body walking out
of the session.
IMWIIOF
IISMI
ORDERED
Lee Wing Arrested on Sus
picion During Recent Dis
turbance on Avenue
J
Echoes of the recent tong dis
turbance in Washington's Chlna-
I town awoke when United States
I Comrrrissioner George H. Macdonald
announced that he had authorized
the deportation of Lee Wing, alias
Lee Ching, alias Lee Chang.
Lee Wing was one of the Chinese
arrested in this city during the
tong alarm on lower Pennsylvania
avenue. He was held with others,
on suspicion. His companions were
released.
According to Commissioner Mac-1
dona Id, the Chinaman said he was
an American by birth, and there
fore was not liable to the Immigra
tion authorities.
However, the immigration buieau
' of the Department of Labor busied
I itself with the case. A. R. Archi
bald,. chief inspector of tfte de
partment, investigated Lee Wing's
claims to American birth and said
,he found them faulty. He accused
the man of unlawful residence in ■
the United offered evidence
to that effect, and Commissioner
Macdonald took action yesterday,
Lee Wing was placed in the
1 custody of United States Marshal
I E. C. Snyder, who sent hint to the
I District jail.
Attorney James A. O’Shea, Wing’s
attorney, is planning an appeal to
I the District Supreme Court, it
I was stated.
LENIENCY
OF GOURI
rm
Sergeant McQuade Attacks
Judge Schuidt for Handling
of Wet Cases
Sergeant James McQuade, asso
ciate of Lieutenant O. (JT. Davis
dn the vice squad, may no longer
present in court cases involving
violations of the Volstead law,
he said today.
After two liquor cases were
dismissed and one nolle pressed
Judge Gus A. Schuidt in
■Police Court today, McQuade, an
gered by the failure to prosecute,
patted his-pocket, where a batch
of liquor warrants rested.
McQuade Angry.
“I’m going to talk this over
with ; Davis and some of my super
iors,” he declared, heatedly, “and
find out if there’s any use In
serving these warrants.’’
“Law enforcement In the Dis
trict is falling down day by day.
It Is getting harder and harder
to get a conviction of a liquor
law offender in the District courts.”
MoQuade came to Police Court
this morning with stinging mem
ories of the day before, when, in
one of the speediest trials ever
held in the District, two allged
bootleggers were freed.
Work Found Useless.
Shortly after the liquor cases
were called up for disposal. Me-
Quade discovered that the work of
the squad had been useless.
The charges against Herbert Phil
lips and Richard Edelin were
dropped, and the case of James
Thomas was nolle prossed.
Elsie Hughes and George How
ard, colored police agents, testified
in the cases, but their testimony
conflicted.
In the Edelin case, Howard stated
that he had bought corn liquor
from the alleged bootlegger. A
bottle, not entirely filled, was of,
sered in evidence.
Adams Howard and Larry Ma
honey, newspaper reporters, were
asked to examine the evidence and
say whether it was corn liquor.
They sampled the contents and re
ported that it was gin. On the
basis this decision, the case
against Edelin was dropped.
Clashes Frequent. /
This is • not the first time that
members of the vice squad and
prohibition agents have criticized
publicly the handling of liquor
cases in the District courts. The
cases occasioned by the enforce
ment the prohibition law have
been a source of constant wrang
ling between the enforcement offi
cers and police court.
Os late, the battlefront has been
ominously quiet. McQuade’s decla
ration that he may lay aside the
role of liquor sleuth, however, is
the first open avowal of the un
friendliness existing in ipany
months.
HIS PET TERRIER KILLED,
MAN,'76, FALLS DEAD
BOSTON, March 7 Muttering
“Peggy’s gone now; what shall I
do?” seventy-six-year-old Demott
O’Leary swooned and fell when vet
erinarians had pronounced Peggy,
his pet Irish terrier, dead after the
dog was run over by a taxicab.
A few minutes later he was dead.
Physicians said the probable cause
of death was heart trouble.
POLICE QUELL GIRLS’ RIOT
IN NAPLES REFORMATORY
ROME, March 7.—Police were
railed to quell a riot of 300 girls
who mutinied in >a reformatory
in Naples, according to a dispatch
received here today.
The mutineers locked the nuns in
a cellar and attacked the police.
Six of the girls were arrested. Th©
outbreak followed punishment meted
cut to three girls.
WHO KILLED O
TOM PAPPAS .
Who killed Tam Pappas, the restaurant man?
Here are three theories:
1A former dishwasher, colored, entered Pappas*
case early Thursday mornin*. When Pappas,
holdin* a ba* of money in his hand, came down, the
man struck him with a wrench, knockin* him to the
floor and killin* him almost instantly. Fearin* de
tection, the man took off a blood covered shirt, threw
it to the floor. He then donned one of Pappas* shirts.
Findin* only a few dollars in the ba* Pappas was
holdin* and confident there was more money in the
house, the man went upstairs. Here he encountered
William X Tappy, the cook, asleep in bed. When
Tappy woke, he made an excuse and went back
downstairs, leaving the case immediately. POLICE
HAVE A SHIRT WHICH THEY THINK MAY BE
LONG TO THE SLAYER. / .
2 That Tappy, the sixty-four-year-old cook, knows
somethin* of the murder. The aged man says he
no noise in the case, but reports seeing a cel
, ored man with a “round face.** He found the body,
notified police. Tappy’s story has led police to
> search for »the “round face** colored man. If the
man referred to by Tappy is found and police are
unable to connect him with the slayin*, police may
again turn their attention to Tappy and make a fur
ther investigation of his story. TAPPY STOUTLY
DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF THE KILLING.
3 Pappas had enemies who sought his death. There
is an abundance of evidence that Pappas never
associated with local Greeks nor mixed with his
many relatives. Persons who knew Pappas say he
had many quarrels with other Greeks. So far, po
lice have no definite information on this theory, but
are retaining it for investigation if they hit a blank
wall after following other “leads.**
Cook, in Cell, Gives His
Version of Slaying
Editor’s Note—While his employer, Thomas Pappas, was being
beaten to death in the kitchen of his restaurant, William Joseph Tappy,
sixty-four, native of Madison, Va., a cook, was sleeping tn a room
above. He says he heard no strange noises and denies knowing who
killed Pappas. He is held as a “witness” The following, written ex
clusively so The Washington Times, is his story:
By WILLIAM JOSEPH TAPPY.
First let me say I didn’t kill Tom Pappas. He was one of
my best.friends. He gave me a job, a place to sleep, and was
always good to me. Why should I kill him?
I know things look bad for me. I was sleeping upstairs,
over the restaurant, when Mr. Tom was killed. It might seem
strange that I didn’t hear anything below. I can hardly hear
out of my left ear and, besides, I am a sound sleeper. That’s
why I heard nothing.
Police have questioned me lots'
and lots, I want to help them and
have told them everything I know.
If the police want to find the
man who killed Mr. Tom, let them
get that colored fellow who was in
the case. I saw him Inauguration
Day. He was looking the place
over. He asked for Mr. Tom, but
I told him he wasn’t in. I think
he came in there then to get Mr.
Tom. He came back Thursday
morning.
Awoke 7 O’clock.
The day Mr. Tom was killed, I
woke up about 7 o’clock.
“Do you want me to go down
stairs now?” I asked Mr. Tom.
He said:
. “No, you rest awhile and I’ll
call you when I need you.”
I never saw him alive again.
I went back to sleep, waking up
about 8 o’clock, I guess. Someone
was walking in the room. Booking
<4* I saw a colored man. I asked i
him what he wanted.
“Mr. Tom sent me up to clean
up,’’ he said, and to tell you he’ll
call, you later.”
? , Had Bucket in Hand
The man had a bucket in his
hand. I thought he had water in
It and was going to wash up the
(Continued on Page 2, Column 2.)
Home
EDITION
WML Nit
LULL ■
CGIIfIT
Charges of Insubordination to
Be Placed Against Demot
ed General, Report
Although silence was maintained
at the War Department today,
strong rumors were current in
army circles that Brigadier General
William Mitchell, demoted assistant
chief of air service, is to be sub
jected to still further punishment
for his spectacular criticism of air
craft conditions.
Charges of insubordination may
be preferred against General
Mitchell, it was intimated, which
(Continued on Page Column t.)
> 1
ONE MAN IS
WANTED
NOW DY
POLICE
Slayer of Restaurant Proprie
tor Believed Known—For
mer Employe Quizzed
The slayer of Thomas Pappas,
Greek restaurant proprietor,
beaten to death arid robbed
Thursday morning in the kitchen,
of his case, 1201 Seventh street
northwest, is believed known by
police.
By a process of elimination,
police have narrowed the investi
gation to one man. They have a
fairly good description of him and
his arrest is momentarily ex
pected.
The man sought was seen at
6:30 o’clock Thursday morning in
Pappas’ restaurant, three hours
before the killing. Again at 8
o’clock, William Joseph Tappy,
sixty-four, cook and roommate for
Pappas, saw him.
Confident of Early Solution.
Detectives working on the wrench
murder mystery were confident of
solving it within forty-eight hours.
They have worked day and night
since Pappa’s badly mutilated body
was discovered Thursday. Those
working on the case are Detectives
Cullinane, Sweeney. Waldron, Fow
ler and Jackson.
The suspicions of the police were
said to have been further confirmed
today when Mrs. Nannie Brooks,
colored, former employe at Pappas*
restaurant, was taken to headquar
ters and questioned. She is said to
know the man for whom police are
now searching.
Police, however, did not reveal
what information they obtained
from Mfs. Brooks. They declared
that she had not worked for Pappas
since last October, and that they
merely questioned her in the hope
of getting "a line on” several per
sons. She was released.
Another Man Questioned.
John H. Corbin, colored, was ar
rested last night by police. Through
him police hoped to get informa
tion of another man. He stated
he has been in Washington but
two months, coming here from
Florida. He will be released. ’
Two other colored men, Richard
Foster 1541 Sixth street northwest,
and Jesse Green 122 N street south
east, held for questioning, also will
be turned loose.
Several others persons have been
taken into custody questioned and
released.
Detectives have Spent most of
their time in running down a score
or more of clues. Most of them
have been eliminated.
Police believe that the wrench
used in the slaying and the bloody
shirt found near the body are the
principal pieces of evidence. In ad
dition to the search for the sus
pected man, police are also trying
to find the owners, or owner of the
wrench and shirt.
Grant) Directs Search
Inspector Clifford D. Grant, chief
of detectives, was in conference
numerous times today with the
men on the case. He is personally
directing the investigation.
“The men are doing the best they
can and we hope to clean up the
case,” was all Inspector Grant
would say.
The man the police want is said
to have known Pappas and was
familiar with the case owner's
habits. He knew whore Pappas
kept his money and he knew how
to gain entrance to the restaurant