AGE -HERALD
VOL. LIV—N
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, TUESDAY MORNING, - DECEMBER 30, 1924
18 PAGES
PRICE 5 CENTS
NORRIS ASi
U. S. PROBE
POWER FIRM
Nebraskan .Urges Prompt
Resolution To Expose
Power Monopoly
HEARST REOPENS
tJNDERWOOD ATTACK
Editorial Intimates Coali
tion Between Fred Un
, derwood And Senator
BRUCE-HARRISON
WAGE BITTER FIGHT
MarylwuTSenator Defends Ferti
lizer Head Against Attacks
Of Mississippian
(Washington Bureau.)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.—The
Initial step towards the smashing of
the trust which controls the elec
trical current necessary to American
industrial life was taken today when
Senator George W. Norris of Ne
braska, presented a resolution in
the senate authorizing the federal
trade commission to ascertain the
Existence of such a trust.
Senator Edge of New Jertey objected
to a request for unanimous consent thnt
the resolution be considered at once. It
is regarded as certain, however, that
the resolution in the end will prevail.
Senator Norris is confident that it will
be revealed that the General Electric
company controls practically every cor
poration disseminating power in the
United States and that as result of
long litigation, the trust will be dis
solved. Senator Harrison of Mississippi
suggested that along with an electrical
trust ,the fertilizer trust, known to be
fighting the Underwood Muscle Shoals
bill, should likewise be investigated. He
based his contention on a statement
by Gustavus Ober, Jr., head of that
trust, to the effect that th'e Underwood
bill, if enacted, would “seriously disrupt
the fertilizer market." "
iwms Testimony
Harrison read testimony of Ober be
fore the senate committee on agricul
ture advocating a policy under which
Muscle Shoals plants would be main
* teined in a stand by conditions as a
preparation in the event of wat. Sen
ator Norris explained that the fertilize!
trust had already been investigated.
There followed a sharp exchange of
personalities between Harrison and Sen
ator Bruce of Maryland , which, when
amplified by a general outburst of dis
connected oratory, rendered the net re
sult of the day as far as Muscle Shoals
was concerned, inconsequential.
' Calls Bill “Dead”
Outside the senate, however, there
were developments which some regarded
as significant. Editorially, Willinm R.
Hearst’s Washington Herald, declaring
the Underwood bill “dead,” launched an
attack against the commission bill of
Senator Jones of Washington. It was
alleged that, as Underwood’s bill was
“playing the game of the powy trust,
so would Jones’ bill.”
It was explained that if a commission
were created it would result in indef
inite delay, which would give the power
trust an opportunity to secure Muscle
Shoals under a temporary lease, which,
' eventually broken, would result in
protest from all those who had grown
accustomed to service by the power
trust. The editorial declared it neces
sary that the senate enact the govern
ment ownership and operation hill of
Senator Norris, which would make Mus
cle Shoals the principal unit in a super
power zone.
Thatt was not the only move of Mr.
Heart’s local newspaper. It carried a
Birmingham dispatch purporting to be
an interview with Fred Underwood,
assistant general manager of the Bir
mingham Electric company, and brother
to Senator Underwood. Mr. Underwood
is made to declare that "Muscle Shoals
is too great a source of power to lie
neglected” and to protest against gov
ernment operation1.
It is stated that Mr. Underwood ex
plained that he was moved in no par
ticular by the energies of Senator Un
derwood, and that no conference had
been held between the two.
The generally accepted opinon pre
vailed in the senate today, however,
(Continued on page two)
NEWS FROM TODAY’S
WANT ADS
|tb Av©., Investment between 20th
and 21st Sts.. 50x240. offered for
$25,000.
Hudson Speedster for sale.,
Beo touring car offered for $550.
fith Ave., Investment, lot 50x100,
Offered for $32,600.
Young lady stenographer desires
position.
Five young ladles wanted to sell
advertising.
Old German violin for sale.
Many attractive rooms are offered.
Young man stenographer and gen
eral office man is sought.
A lot on North 26th street Is of
fered for $12,600.
A lot close in on 5th Ave., east of
20th 8t., Improved, is offered for
$36,000.
Duplex bungalow, two apartments,
each with separate bath, is of
fered for rent.
Business netting $50 weekly is of
fered for sale.
Draftsman familiar with mechani
cal and structural work is sought.
Four-room kpartmenl and house
building, conveniently located in
Norwood, Is offered for sale.
Dictaphone operators are wanted.
Lady steno-bookkeeper Is wanted,
salary $86 month.
Three experienced collectors aro
sought
Legal stenographer Is wanted.
Salesman Is wanted by local firm.
Physician Is wanted for advertising
office.
•-room bungalow in Woodlawn is
offered for sale.
Experienced cashier, who can use
typewriter, is sought.
Specialty salesman is wanted for
local territory.
Turn to pages 14 and 15.
,y
m Panic
. v... e Embargo Declared
Quotations on Rhode is
land Reds, Vermont turjteys,
and Plymouth Rocks climbed
from 20 degrees centigrade to 24
above par Mbnday. Shorts were
crowded to the wall in what, id
many respects, was the wildest day
the poultry market has seen for some
years. ,
The reason for the soaring of im
ported stocks was the ban decreed
by C. A. Cary, state veterinarian.
Cary has ruled that in view of the
European fowl pest no chickens can
legally be brought into Alabama and
as a result apparently every .family
in Birmingham is planning to cat
chickens raised outside of the state
for their New Year’s dinner. Muny
of those who had expected to feature
pig knuckles in the holiday meal have
changed their menus completely.
Its The Principle
It isn't so much the law as the
principle of the thing,” one solid
banker said Mbnday. “If this man
Cary thinks he can tell me where to
buy my chickens lie is badly mis
taken. Well,” he added with u mean
ing wink, “we’ll see what I eat for
New Year’s.”
At the same time the ban became
effective a coterie of shifty-eyed I in
dividuals in one of the lower rate
hotels were planning one of the larg
est smuggling enterprises ever at
tempted in the state. {These men, it
was learned, proposed to convert their
rum running trucks into chicken
coops and bring a henvy supply of
Mississippi Orpingtons over the .bor
der tonight.
Chicken bootleggers made their in
PHAM (MM
BK US WEEK
TO VIADUCT KF
Early Settlement 0 f
Crossing Hazard Is
Forecast
R. B. Pegram of Atlanta, vice presi
dent of the Southern railway, will be
in Birmingham before the end of the
week for a viaduct conferenee'with city
commissioners and ofiiciala Of the other
railroads, it was learned Monday.
The Southern is the only railroad
that has not approved the Twenty
fourth street viaduct plans, and a com
plete agreement that will insure an
early start of construction work is
looked for Anting his visit.
Municipal officials, heads of the other
railroads, officers of the chamber of
commerce pnd a large number of prop
erty owners are expected to meet with
Mr. Pegram when he arrives. The view
prevails that he will announce the
Southern's acceptance of the plans.
Property owners who recently or
ganised in the interest of an early start
on the Twenty-fourth street bridge will
hold another meeting this week, al
though the date and place have not yet ,
been announced.
The news that Mr. Pegram will be
here in a few days caused city officials
and bthers interested in the viaduct
plans to predict that all details of the
Twenty-fourth street pngjeet will be
closed shortly after the first of the year.
An agreement on the Twenty-sixth
street viaduct plans also is expected
in the immediate future, according to '
city hall officials. Property owners, '
headed by D. E. Menasco, are handling ;
this project direct with the railroads.
The Twenty-fourth street viaduct, ac
cording to city hall estimates, will cost
approximately $400,000.
GREEN’S SUCCESSOR
TO BE NAMED SOON
__ 1
Ball And Savage Are Prom- j
* inently Mentioned
INDIANAPOLIS, 'Dec. 20.—The
names of:Lee Ball and G. W. Savage, 1
{•resident and secretary-treasurer, re- 1
spectively, of the Ohio Mine Workers, '
and William Mitch, secretary-treasurer ■
of the Indiana miners, were utaderstood <
to be under consideration today in con- l
nectiou with the appointment of a suc
cessor to William Green as secretary 1
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
ica. John L. Lewis, president of the i
organization, who will make the ap- <
pointment subject to ratification by the i
international executive board when it <
meets January 5, is said to have given i
thought to the advisability of appoint- i
ing as Mr. Green’s successor a miner
from the anthracite field inasmuch as a 1
majority of the present officers are I
from the bituminous districts. I
Mr. Green, elected president of the <
American Federation of Labor to sue- 1
ceed the late Samuel Gompers, will re
tire from his position with the miners j
soon after January 1.
ROCKEFELLER GIVES
$1,008,000 TO ART
Oil King Makes Contribution
To Metropolitan Museum
NEW YORK, Dec. 29. —John D.
Rockefeller, Jr., has given stock of the
§tgnddrd Oil' company of California,
valued at approximately $1,008,000 to
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rob
ert W, Deforest, museum president,
announced today. The trustees have
voted to add the gift to the museum’s
permanent endowment fund, although it
can be usjed for other purposes. Here
tofore Mr. Rockefeller’s philanthropies
have been chiefly in the field of educa
tion.
AGED ACTRESS DIES
Mrs. Carlotte Church Cook Played
With Lillian Russell
ELIZABETH, N. J., Dec. 29.—Mrs.
Carlotta Cook, who appeared on the
stage with Lillian Russell and Kate
Claxton, died here today at the age of
72. For 55 years she was before the
footlights, making her debut when a
•hild in New Orleans. She retired In
1920.
itial appearances in downtown of
/ fice buildings. One of these men car
ried samples of his brands under his
arms and, although be passed numer
ous officers in the street he was not
molested. This bootlegger, ap
proached by a reporter in the lobby
of the Brown-Marx, declared he had
fnuine imported stuff and proved it
the fact that his chickens crowed
th a New England accent.
Customers Watched
- "A guy hast to be careuf when
he's buying chickens,” he said, "or
he’s gonna get gyped, see? About
the only chanct yer got is to know
the guy yer buying from, see? I ran
acrost a guy in the same biz that
I am down by the Louisville and
Nashville and he claims he had a
< flock shipped in from Virginia be
fore the lid went on. Well, I checks
tp on him, see? And come to find
out he rised every one of ’em out
near Gate City. That’s the hard part
•bout this biz,, it’s the guy without
to Ivonor that hurts the trade, see?”
Law enforcement chiefs admitted
themselves much pertrubed over
Cary’s edict. They stated that the
battle to keep down the number of
imported chickens would be a stiff
one but pledged to do their best in
combating the evil influences which
are bound to attempt to work the law
to their advantage.
"It’s a tough life for we bulls,”
said one policeman. “Here I am
just beginning to tell when liquor is
liquor by tasting it three or fqur
rimes and they stack up the duty of
trying to -stop them from bringing
thickens in. Now we gotta go out
and learn something about chickens!”
HOUSE PASSES
$11,000,000 BILL
TO FIGHT LIQUOR
$20,597,835 Also Appropri
ated For Coast Guard
Activities
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.—Provision
in the treasury-postoffice appropriation
bill for expenditure or $11,009,000 for
prohibition enforcement during the
coming fiscal year was approved by the
house today.
No effort was made to alter the
amount which is $341,770 less than the
amount available this year, but $783,
120 more than budget estimates.
The bouse also approved- without
amendment an allotment of $20,597,
836 for coast guard activities, part of
which would be' available for curbing
rum running. This amount is $11,
753,706 more than the total appropri
ated for this year.
_ Progress Is Rapid
Rapid progress was made with con
sideration of the bill which is the largest
peace time supply measure ever before
congress, carrying nearly three quarters
of a billion dollars. Taken up under
an agreement limiting debate to three
hours, general discussion was completed
after little more than half of the text
had been read.
Prohibition enforcement was assailed
during the debate, Representative Hill,
republican, Maryland, complaining
about the cost which he declared would
exceed $28,000,000 during the coming
fiscal year while representative La
Guarida, republican, New York, de
clared three or four times as much
money as is now being spent must be
made available for enforcement activi
ties if the federal government is to get
anywhere in its effort.
Mr. La Guardia, advocating vigorous
enforcement of the Volstead law so long
as it id on the statute books, contended
there was imperative need for a radical
shakeup in the prohibition enforcement
force and of a change in policy.
Asks Honest Agents
“Some of the riff-raff among prohibi
tion agents and political bums must be
kicked out,” declared Mr. La Guardia,
“and the enforcement unit placed under
civil service with an effort made to pro
curing an army of trained and honest
agents if prohibition is to be enforced.
The federal government is only playing
with the problem now.
“One million dollars’ worth of liquor
is being imported into the country
daily with equal profit to the whole
salers and such a traffic could not be
carried on without the knowledge of of
ficials charged with prohibition enforce
ment.”
Other provisions in the appropriation
bill approved today by the house were
those allotting $16,656,200 for the cus
toms service, $7,271,530 for the bureau
»f engraving and printing and $9,103,
101 for the public health service.
MIAMIAN DIES
AFTER AUTO CRASH
1924 Fatalities In Florida City
Now Total 25 •
_a
MIAMI, Fla., Dec. 29.—The number
of fatalities from automobile accidents
in the Miami district this .year 1ms in
creased to 25 today when Edson Remil
krd, formerly of Springfield, Mass.,
died at the Southside hospital from in
juries received Saturday, when his car
crashed into a tree as ho attempted to
avoid a collision with a woman motor
ist. Six persons were injured in motor
accidents over the week-end, making
the total of persons injured since the
first of the year 428, as compared with
288 for the entire year 1923.
TROTSKY ARRESTED,
SAYS DISPATCH
Soviet War Minister Said To Be
Imprisoned
LONDON, Dec. 29.—Leon Trotsky,
Soviet minister of war, has been ar
rested and incarcerated in the Kremlin,
according to a dispatch from the Mos
cow correspondent of the Daily Tele
graph.
0. S. TO DEMAND
FARE Arm*
ON DEBT DOUCE
French Finance Minister
Says Obligation Must
Be Lowered
STATEMENT STIRS
CAPITAL CIRCLES
Officials Declare France
Must Make Immediate
Plans For Payment
By RAYMOND CLAPPFK.
(leased Wire To Age-Herald)
• WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.—The
United States is about to ask the
French government for a direct of
ficial statement of her attitude
regarding the war debt of approxi
mately $4,000,000,000 owed to this
government.
This step was decided upon Mon
day because of the statement of the
French finance minister, which seeks
a reduction of the obligation. Pre
vious assurances from authorized
spokesmen of the French govern
ment to the United States all ac
knowledged the debt and merely
requested delay in payment. The
United States now desires to know
definitely whether France really
means to repudiate her obligation—
a step which this government does
not believe Paris contemplates.
The French finance minister's state
ment provoked surprise and critical
comment in administration circles and
in congress Monday. Everywhere the
reaction was the same as disclosed Sun
day night — France will lie accommo
dated as to terms, but none of the debt
can be cancelled.
Situation Is Summarized
On behalf of a high official of the
government, it was said:
1. That it would be a very serious
mistake for France not to recognize
the debt and provide for its discharge
as an international credit should be
maintained.
2. That the United States will not
consent to any arrangement for pool
ing the debts and paying according
to relative national wealth.
S. That this government does not
underrate the sacrifice and spirit of
France and hopes the entire matter
may be dealt with on a friendly basis
• 4. That the United StatarTas no
desire to be oppressive, but (that it
expects the debt to be recognized and
proper arrangements made to fund it.
Secretary of State Hughes called in
the secretary of the funding commission,
Elliot Wadsworth, assistant secretary
. e a.l_ . x_ I/’ , 11 1 it ..... c.
indicated that the state department is
preparing to ask France for an explicit
statement of her position to clean up
the contradictory attitude of the finance
minister and the previous expressions
of the French government. This prob
ably will be done informally in order
not to'provoke an embarrassing public
note-writing contest. The purpose is to
give the French government nn easy
opportunity to set the record straight,
and say definitely what it intends to do.
Meanwhile congress had considerable
to say. Senator Reed of Pennsylvania,
a war veteran, strongly pro-French and
a close friend of Secretary of the Treas
ury Mellon, made a statement on the
floor, declaring that he believed the
French people honest at heart and did
not think they would repudiate a just
obligation.
“As a friend of France, I cannot but
serve notice that she must recognize
her debt to us,” he said. “She will
find in the next jvar, if one ever comes,
that she will need money just as much
as arms to get money then, she must
meet her obligations now.” Represen
tative Crisp of Georgia, member of the
debt funding commission, said some
thing should be done to begin funding
the French debt.
Representative Wingo of Arkansas,
another democrat, declared the Pres
ident’s opposition to cancellation bus
the whole-hearted support of the nation.
“The honor and self-interest of na
tions will eventually lead them to stop
playing fast and loose with their moral
obligations,” he said.
DENIES DEBT DODGE
(By Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.—Hints
that France might be moving toward a
disavowal of her war debt to the United
States were repudiated unconditionally
tonight by the French embassy after
they had caused an tmaccnsotomed holi
day season stir in Washington.
Embassy officials reiterated the in
tention of their government to meet its
obligations, and declared the wide
spread apprehension that suddenly en
volveloped the American capital today
had been evolved.from a set of circum
stances which in themselves had no in
ternational significance.
The incident apaprectly had its gen
esis in the publication of a new balance
sheet by the French ministry of finance,
in which all reference to the debt to
the United States was omitted. This,
the embassy declared was due simply
to a provision of French law, which pre
vents inclusion of contemplated expendi
tures in the budget unless the exact
amounts are known and specific ap
propriations are included to offset them.
No settlement having been reached with
the United States, it was added, no
such item could be entered on a ledger
which must balance down to the last
entime.
THE WEATHER
Mental calibre count* for but little
unlcttu spurred into uction by a sense
of duty and moral obligation.
Alabama: Rain Tuesday; Wednes
day cloudy, not much change in tem
perature.
Mississippi: Rain.
Georgia: Rain.
Tennessee: Rain.
(Complete weather data will be
found on Page 10).
Business Worries
Lead Merchant -
To End Own Life
(iMNd Wire To Ace-Herald)
Huntsville, ai»„ Dec. 20.—
Worry over financial affairs
relating, to his business is be
lieved to have caused Theodore A.
Thurston, 72, for many years en
gaged in the wholesale graiu and'
feed business in Huntsville to place
a pistol against his right temple
and blow out his brains in the rear
of his store on West Holmes street
Monday. ^ -
He bad been talking to friends
nbout the poor condition of his
business and impressed them as be
ing in a despondent mood. A short
time later he went to the rear of
the store and when a pistol shot
was heard, friends who ran to
ascertain the cause, found his body
outstretched and blood flowing from
a wound in the head.
Mr. Thurston is survived by a
sister, Miss Mattie Thurston. He
was a widower and for many years
was prominent in the Central Pres
byterian church.
HUGHESPREDICTS
WORLD COALITION
OF SCIENTISTS
American Association
Opens Annual Conven
tion In Washington
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29.—A new
era of “international co-operation in the
scientific field,” which cannot fail to
add strength to tile influence which
make for better understandings be
tween peoples,” was forecast by Secre
tary Hughes, in an address tonight tie
fore the American Association tor the
Advancement of Science.
Mr. Hughes based his statement on
reports which, he said, revealed that the
United States, England, Japan, Aus
tralia, Canada and several European
countries had taken definite^ steps to
encourage aud support scientific inves
tigations as well as to help create in
ternational scientific agencies. The set
ting up of these new enterprises, the
secretary said, “naturally lead to ar
rangements for special International
scientific conferences.”
“Thus we are at the treshhold of a
new er**nf international co-operation
In the sflefttific field,” Mr. Hughes said.
Those outside of the scientific profes
sion, the secretary said, should make
acknokledgement to scientists for the
benefits of such “by-products” of scien
tists’ labor.
ISffO ncieniuic nmnuu
‘‘We need your method in govern
ment; we need it in lawmaking and in
law administering,” he told the scien
tists. “We need your interest in
knowledge for its own sake," the self
sacrificing ardor of your leaders; your
ceaseless search for truth; your dis
trust of phrases and catch words; your
rejection o{ every plausible counterfeit;
your willingness to discard every dis
proved theory, however honored by tra
ditional while you jealously conserve
every gain of the paBt against the mad
cap assault; your quiet temper and,
above all, your faith in humanity and
your zeal to promote the social welfare.
“It is yonr work that points to the
benefits of peaceful co-operation that
are within our grasp. Science, it is
true, forges the weapons of war and
constantly develops new and more ter
rible instruments of destruction. But
she is far more eloquent as she points
to the wastes of strife, the retarding of
progress, and the vast opportunities
that are open to industrious peoples if
they are able to abandon their mutual
fears and destroy the artificial barriers
to community of enterprise.”
Sir Esme Speaks
While Secretary Hughes wps speak
ing, the British ambassador, Sir Esme
Howard, addressed a separate meeting
of the American Political Science asso
ciation and affiliated organization. Sir
Esme, speaking on “British policy and
the balance of power,” urged a spirit
of friendly understanding of the posi
tion of England in world politics.
The opening meeting of the Ameri
can association was held in Continental
Memorial hall and was presided over
by Dr. J. McKeen Cattell, president
of the association.
.ORANGE DAMAGED
IS 25 PER CENT
Frost Wreaks Havoc In Cali
fornia Fruit Counties
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 29.—Frost
damage to the orange crops of Los
Angeles, San Barnardino, Riverside,
Venturis and Orange counties during
the recent cold snap, was approximately
25 per cent, the heaviest in a number of
years, according to a statement late to
day by H. J. Ryan, horticultural com
missioner.
Ryan issued bis statement following
a meeting here today of the horticul
tural commissions of the five counties
affected. He said that the five commis
sioners would discuss the problems of
shipping following the freeze with the
California Fruit Growers Exchange
here tomorrow.
FEDERAL JUDGE
DIES IN FLORIDA
M. R. Rerdell Was Born In
Montgomery
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 29.—Mont
fort R. Rerdell, for 20 years United
States judge in the Canal Zone, died
this morning in a hospital here. Death
was the result of a fall a fortnight
ago. Bom in Montgomery county, Ala.,
75 years ago Judge Rerdell was ed
ucated in Georgia and served In Arkan
sas before being admitted to the bar in
that state in 1874.
He was appointed to the bench in
the Canal Zone by President Roosevelt.
He is survived by his widow, two
daughters, Mrs. Charles Wimer of Or
lando and Mrs. E. Kirby Smith of
Shreveport, La. Grand children and
great grand children also survive. Fu
neral services will be held in Orlando
tomorrow morning. •
ALABAMAFORCED
TO IMPORT FOOD,
FARMERS TOLD
$60,000,000 Will Leave
State For ‘Eats’ In 1925,
Declares Gist
TOO MUCH COTTON,
SAYS AUBURN MAN
Low Yield Per Acre And
Sorry Labor Also
Blamed
AUBURN, Ala., Dec. 29.—In
1924, Alabama farmers fell short
of pcoducing food and feed enough
for themselves by 24 per cent. This
fact was placed before farmers and
agricultural workers at the opening
session here Monday afternoon of
their regular midwinter conference
by F. W. Gist, agricultural statisti
cian for Alabama.
In presenting these facts Mr. Gist
explained that they are based upon
standard needs and on evidence collected
in the regular crop reporting way. He
said also that another official, hut in
dependent, survey verified his findings.
Will Cost *60,000.000
To buy this additional 24 per cent
of food and feeds which they failed to
produce and will need in 1923 it will
be necessary for farmers of Alabama
to send out of the state $4t,000,000
and for urban residents to increase this
to $00,000,000, Mr. Gist pointed out.
Only the Iirish potato crop and milk
produced in the state were greater than
farm needs, the former by 4 per cent
and the latter by 40. He declared that
farmers are to be congratulated on the
milk production record they have made.
The hay crop was only 68 per cent
of farm needs; sweet potatoes, 89 per
cent syrup, 74 per cent; meat, 100
per cent; eggs, 68 per cent.
Three reasons were assigned by Mr.
Gist for the low showing in food and
feed produced. They are too much cot
ton, low yields per acre and ineffici
ent labor. He declared that Alabama
farmers as a whole are not troubled
with a labor shortage but that they
hnve too much labor of the kind they
have. “We must use more horse, mule,
mechanical and machine power and
less man power,” he declared.
Referring to cotton he stated that it
is possible for Texas, where natural
conditions control boll weevils, where no
fertilizer is needed and where one man
can cultivate more acres, to produce
12,000,000 bales annually, and urged
farmers and agricultural leaders present
to think seriously before increasing the
cotton acreage next year.
Duncan Presides
Prof. L. N. Duncan, director of the
j Vlabama Extension service, called the
opening session to order on schedule
time. He extended a hearty welcome to
them on this their annual visit to Au
burn and assured them that important
cpiestions must be acted upon and de
cision made by them during the week,
he will preside over all general ses
sions.
The farm home is being represented
by the home demonstration agents
headed by Mfss Agnes Ellen Harris
and by farm women delegates sent to
the conference by the county and state
farm bureaus.
Beginning Tuesday morning the con
ference will be divided into committees
on different subjects and the work of
these committees will be combined iuto
a report for the entire conference,
which will continue until Saturday.
CHAMBER DELAYS
NEWSPAPER VOTE
Opposition Refuses To Cast
Ballots After Debate
PARIS, Dec. 29.—On a vote in the
chamber of' deputies today the discus
sion of an interpellation on the prose
cution of the new’spapers, Da Liberte
and L’Eclair for the publication of al
legetk secret governmental documents,
was postponed indefinitely. The left
groups lined up solidly behind the gov
ernment, while the entire opposition
abstained from voting, thus the vote
was 302 to 0. A stiffen fight is ex
pected in the senate tomorrow on the
same question.
NORFOLK OFFICERS
DENY PLAGUE RUMOR
Three Cases Of Bubonic Blness
Reported On Ship
NOROLK, Va., Dec. 29.—Official
denial that three cases of bubonic
plague had been found on a ship here,
was made today by United States pub
lic health service physicians and port
authorities.
"Simply a rumor without any founda
tion in fact,” was the way public health
officials met the report that declared
the finding of three cases here had led
to issuance of federal warrants by the
authorities for all ports of the United
States. “There is no plague here and
there has not been,” asserted the au
thorities.
SOCIETY LEADER
HELD tN PROBE
No Disposition Made In. Mrs.
Tomblin’s Case
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 29.—No dis
position has been made yet of the case
of Mrs. John Wesley Tomblin, former
social leader of Pasadena, who was ar
rested December 18 with checks in her
possession for $100,000 and $400,000
purporting to have been signed respec
tively by Henry Ford, automobile
manufacturer, and Asa G. Candler, sun
of the drink manufacturer of Atlanta,
Ga., according to an announcement by
county officials today. Mrs. Tomblin
is being held under observation in the
psycopathic ward of th# county jail.
\
V
Belgian Monarch
Plans To Tour
Sahara Desert
KING ALBERT
(By Associated Tress.)
BRUSSELS, Dec. 29.—King Al
beit 1ms accepted an invitation
from Marshal Petain of France
to make an automobile tour across
the Sahara desert. He plans to leave
Brussels next Friday. Automobiles
with caterpillar* treads will be used.
It is the intention of the party to
reach Timbuctoo.
CHINA EXECUTES
489 AS LOOTERS
AND MUTINEERS
Men Shot ‘In The Inter
est Of Military
Discipline’
(By Associated Press.)
PEKING, Dec. 29. — Four hundred
and eighty-nine looters and incendia
rlsts found with their loot in the railway
station at Kalgan have been tried and
executed, according to what purports
to be an official report of the military
chief of the Ckalmr district, made pub
lic here today.
The men were shot, it was stated, “in
the interest of military discipline.”
Two regimental and three battalion
officers admitted taking part in the
mutiny and looting of December 10, the
report sidd. Whether they were shot
with the others was not made clear.
The chief of staff at Kalgan, and other
officers having only slight concern with
the looting, it was declared, are being
held for future disposition by the mili
tary court.
In addition, the mutinous brigade has
been ordered disbanded, and orders is
sued for apprehension of mutineers who
fled and escaped capture. These will
be ‘‘dealt with in such a way as to give
warning to others,” the report said.
Kalgan, 110 miles northwest of
Peking, was looted the night of Decem
ber 10 by a battalion of Chinese troops
whose pay was in arrears. Outside
troops enforced order. No loss of life
was reported. Several establishments
belonging to Americans and other for
eigners were among those robbed.
TENNESSEE MAN
DROWNS AT MIAMI
W. J. Dorsett’s Deatl. Is Be
lieved To Be Accidental
MIAMI, Fla., Dec. 29.—The body of
a man identified as W. J. Dorsett,
formery of Knoxville, Tenn., who has
been employed as a waiter in Miami, was
found at noon today in the river near
the south Miami avenue bridge near
the downtown business district. Police
believe it was a case of accidental
drowning.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 29.—Mrs.
John Dorsett, 500 Luttrell street,
mother of Walter J. Dorsett, believed to
have been the victim of accidental
drowning in Miami, Fla., is prostrated
with grief at the news. He worked
formery at the Busy Bee cafe here,
going to Florida about a year ago.
EX-PUGILIST
FACES TERM
OF 10 YEARS
Jury Returns Belated
Finding After 34 Hours
Of Deliberation
SELBY SCORES
UNUSUAL VERDICT
Eyes Fill With Tears As
He Protests His
Innocence
FIGHTER ACCUSED
OF MORS SLAYING
Former Ring Champion Charged
With Killing Wealthy Sweet
heart Last August
(By Associated Press.)
LOS ANGELES, Cal., Dec. 29.—
“Kid” McCoy, former pugilist, was
convicted in superior court late to
day of manslaughter in connection
with the shooting here August 12,
last, of Mrs. Theresa W. Mors. The
penalty for manslaughter is from
one to ten years imprisonment.
When the verdict was read, Mc
Coy’s eyes became tear-dimmed as
he sat at the end of the counsel
table.
“I don’t believe it was a Just ver
dict,” he said. “If I am not guilty
as charged, I am not guilty at all.”
The prisoner then rose and in custody
of bailiffs walked across the court room
to comfort his three sisters, who were
weeping.
Was Compromise Verdict.
Foreman F. W. Coulther of the jury,"
said that the verdict was a compromise
one—“the best we could do.”
The jury, which was out longer than
tny other in the legal history of Los
Angeles county, had been locked up for
seventy-eight hours when the verdict
was returned at 5:0(1 o'clock tonight
and had been in actual deliberation for
34 hours.
Twenty-four ballots were taken be
fore the fate of the former prire fighter
was read in open court. The jury was
comprised of nine women and three
men.
Makes No Comment.
Superior Judge C. S. Crail had no
comment to make other than “I guess it
was the best they could do.”
Several hundred persons, many of
them women and members of southern
California boxing circles, thronged the
halls outside the court room when the
verdict was returned.
Sentence will be passed at 10 a. m.
Defense attorneys announced tonight
that notice of appeal would be filed at
that time. Mrs. Mors, divorced wife of
Albert A. Mors and joint owner with
him of tlie Mors antique shop in a fash
ionable shopping district here,, was
found dead of a bullet wound in an
apartment leased to “Mr. and Mrs. N.
.Shields.” Her body was discovered
about 9 a. m., August 13. At about
the same hour McCoy is alleged to
have entered the antique shop and held
up several employes of the place later
lining them up on two sides of the store
room while he waited for the appear
ance of Mors whom he announced he
was going to “get.”
Women Cnmoltested
The men, after handing over their
money and valuables, were forced to re
move shoes and trousers to prevent
their escape; the women were allowed
to wait unmolested.
As customers entered, they were
similarly disposed of until one of them,
William G. Ross, made a break for
liberty. He was shot in the thigh, and
then, it was testified. McCoy went next
door to the shop of Mr. and Mrs. Sam
Schapp and shot both of them also in
the thighs.
AbtfBt this time, police investigating
the 'Heath of “Mrs. Sheids,” learned
that the dead woman was Mrs. Mors and
that “Mr. Shields” was Kid McCoy.
They launched n search for the ex
fmgilist. It was scarcely under way
before telephone reports reached central
station that Kid McCoy had run amuck
in the West Seventh street shopping
district and shot several persons.
Visits Sisters
In the midst of the reports, came word
from relatives of McCoy that he had
visited his sisters home during the
night and it is alleged, confessed to her
he had killed a woman.
McCoy, who had by this time left the
vicinity of the antique shop shooting
and meekly given himself up to a patrol
(Continued on page two)
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