Brownsville herald. [volume], May 05, 1933, Image 1

About Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current

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THE WEATHER *]
Brownsville and the Valley: Pair
Friday night; Saturday partly ^
FORTY-FIRST YEAR—No. 261 BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS, FRIDAY, MAY 5, 1933 fie A COP*
HURTS HUNDREDS
JUST WHAT IS A CASH BUY
er?
What is a shipper?
A packer?
What are the distinctions?
These are questions that have
been recurring since so much at
tention has been focussed this sea
son on the produce handling and
^he markets.
S' We have talked to a lot of people
^about it, and we will try to give The
Herald’s readers a general picture
of the situation.
rn m m
FIRST, BECAUSE THEY HAVE
been here longest, are what is
known as the “produce dealers.”
These are the long-established
dealers who have packing sheds, of
fices, and a lot of investment in the
Valley. They own trucks, they have
regular employees the year round in
the Valley.
Even so, there is a difference be
tween these.
Some of them operate largely as
commission merchants or broker^.
They pack a farmer’s produce
(sometimes they go out and harvest
it also) and ship it on a commission.
Others buy it, giving the farmer
cash, or a credit slip, and ship it,
usually to some established connec
tions in the markets.
As we understand it the commis
sion broker has a fixed charge per
car—the shipper who rolls produce
on consignment takes a percentage
of the return.
• • «
SO MUCH FOR THE ESTAB
lished shippers.
And we do not mean that there
are not other kinds of established
produce dealers—
Then there are the salaried cash
buyers. A salaried cash buyer is
sent down here, or kept here, by
one house or chain. He may buy
for a large broker or jobber in the
east or north—or he may buy for
a chain of retail stores.
He buys only on order. He usual
ly wires in quotations on the mar
jftts, etc., and then buys later in
ttie day.
• • ■
THEN, WE ARE TOLD, THERE
is the buying broker. He buys for a
number of houses, or for any houses
where he might sell, and makes his
money on a brokerage fee, or on a
commission, and not a straight sal
ary.
There is also what the trade re
fers to as a “speculator.” There are
only a few of these, though.
The speculator usually buys in
large lots, 30, 40 or more cars, on a
“hunch” that the market is going
up. He will buy stuff that is rolling,
and maybe divert it.
Some speculators are operating
in the Valley.
• • •
AND THERE IS THE PACKER.
By packer in this connection we
mean the specialist whose principal
job is packing.
He usually follows the deal, from
. Florida to the Valley to East Tex
as, to Mississippi, etc.
He will start operations where he
can get a shed.
There are some itinerant pack
ers now using tents in the Valley.
The number is indicated in the
fact that there are more than 200
individuals and concerns, including
all kinds of produce dealers, now
packing tomatoes in the Valley.
The packer buys from the farm
and sells to the cash buyer or
■nivinp hroker.
*99
IT HAPPENS THAT FREQUENT
ly the itinerant packer operates
with only a small amount of capi
tal.
This means that when he buys a
car of produce, he has to turn loose
of it in a hurry.
If he gives a check for the pro
duce, sometimes he must sell the
car to cover the check.
When he can not get one price,
sometimes he will tak. less—some
times almost any price, to get cash
And when he sells for less—down
gies the market.
• • •
WE ARE TOLD BY SOME
shippers who are old hands at the
game that almost all produce deal
ers of all kinds—including the cash
buyers, usually prefer a rising mar
ket to a falling market.
“Falling market, everybody loses,
“Rising market, everbody makes
money,"
They say.
In their opinion the market
breaxs—except where the market
is actually overloaded, are due to
unforseen circumstances, such as
packers getting caught short, ani
having to t'ump.
The cash buyers watch these
packers—and gst the stuff for less
when they can.
In the opinion of the veteran ship
oers much can be done by licensing
shippers, providing compulsory in
spection and grading.
The “fly-by-night” packer would
to a reat extent be eliminated.
A
New Boca C hica Road Is Sought by Cunningham
COUNTY JUDGE
BEGINS WORK
TO BAN TOLL
Public Road Along
Beach Would Be
Designated
Valley residents will no longer
have to pay toll to reach Brazos
island, if a movement instituted by
Co. Judge A. W. Cunningham Fri
day culminates successfully.
The judge’s plan is to designate
a public road along the beach
from the mouth of the Rio Grande
to the south jetties at Brazos San
tiago Pass.
Petition Circulated
He instituted the movement by
sending a petition to be circulated
in the Los Fresnos territory asking
“I have nothing to say about
the matter,” Col. Sam A. Rob
ertson of San Benito said today
when asked by The Herald for
an expression of opinion on thp
report that a move to condemn
a highway through the posts at
the entrance to Brazes Island
beach has been started.
I ^__________
that such a public road be design
ated. According to the judge, only
eight signatures are necessary, and
after 20 days posting, the petition
can be presented to the county
commissioners court.
Judge Cunningham expressed con
fidence that the commissioners
court would act favorably on the
petition, and that a jury' of view
would be appointed immediately
to designate the proposed public
highway.
If necessary, the judge stated,
condemnation proceedings would be
instituted to obtain the necessary
right-of-way. The petition asks
that “a first class county road be
laid out and established between
high and low tide from the mouth
cf the Rio Grande to the South
jetties.”
Through Fence
Tills would go through the fence
j which now makes it necessary for
motorists to use the toll bridge.
The Boca Chica toll bridge was
one of the arguments Judge Cun
ningham used in successfully con
ducting his campaign against Judge
O. C. Dancy. During the campaign
Judge Cunningham scored the old
commissioners court for “building
a highway up to a toll bridge.”
There will be no expense in con
structing the road, Judge Cunning
ham stated, as the stretch now
constitutes an excellent highway
without furthei improvement.
McAllen Youth !
Drowns In Canal
t
(Special to The Herald)
McALLEN, May 5.—Guy David
Morgan, 8, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.
M. Morgan, who reside south of
McAllen, wa's drowned in the Pharr
canal about 100 yards north of the
Pharr pumps early Thursday night;.
The youth had returned home
from school late in the afternoon
and had eaten a large supper, ac
cording to his parents, and had gone
into the canal for his usual eve
ning swim. Apparently seized with
cramps, the boy was unable to make
his way back to the shore and was
carried a considerable distance b'<
the swift current before his body
sank
Funeral services will be held Sat
urday. Surviving are his parents.
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Morgan, and
i two brothers, one younger and one
! older.
Valley Students
Win In Austin
(Snecial to The Herald)
AUSTIN, May 5.—Edna Marie
Stromen of Sharvland won first
place in the Class B essay contest
conducted here Friday by the Tex
i as Interscholastic league.
Edwin Hunter of McAllen won
third place in the Class A contest.
Valley Developer
To Represent U. S.
SAN ANTONIO, May 5. VP)—
Ralph W. Morrison of San An
tonio. who wull be asked to be one
of this country’s representatives to
the London economic conference,
had been identified with industrial i
development of this section of the
state and Mexico since 1918.
Four years after coming to Texas
Morrison removed the center of his
operations to San Antonio. He is
credited with leading the first heavy
investments into the Rio Grande
Valley. With his partner, he con
structed a power station at San
Benito to serve the Valley and sev
eral Mexican border towns.
New South American
Conflicts Reported
NEW YORK, May 5. (^—Renew
ed activity in South America’s two
current international conflicts was
indicated in dispatches today.
At Asuncion the Paraguayan min
istry of war announced that a bat
tle was raging along the entire
front in the Nanawa-Pirizal area
of the Gran Chaco with Paraguay
ans repulsing the Bolivian thrusts.
Losses were said to have been
heavy.
From La Paz came an announce
ment that detachments of Bolivian
troops, after accomplishing their
purpose in the Bullo sector, weie
dropping back.
1$ FARMERS
MAKE BONDS
Group to Appear at Next
Term of Court; Charged
With Intimidation
(Special to The Herald)
HARLINGEN, May 5.—The 18
Cameron county farmers who were
charged Wednesday by B. Stacu,
local tomato buyer, with alleged in
timidation in connection with price
pegging activities, made bond yes
terday afternoon in the sum of S150
each.
They appeared before Justice of
the Peace Will G. Fields.
They will appear at the next term
of county court-at-law in Browns
ville before E. T. Yates.
The farmers, most of whom live in
the Primera community north of
here, all waived hearing. They ap
peared separately and made separ
ate bonds. They were cited bv De
puty Sheriff Bob Hall and Sheriff
W. Frank Brown.
The charges against the farmers
were filed by Stack following a visit
of a delegation of farmers to his
place of business Wednesday. Stack
alleges that the men. by inference,
intimidated him, giving him to un
derstand that he would be harmed if
he did not stop handling culls.
He said they did not directly
threaten him but referred to the
Weslaco case.
The farmers, who had called on
other shippers and buyers, declar
ed that they merely sought to reas
on with Stack as they had with oth
er buyers.
Road Hearing
Again Delayed
(Special to The Herald)
AUSTIN. May 5.—Rep. W. E.
Pope Friday declared he is confi
dent the senate committee will act
on his bill to designate a highway
through Kenedy county although it
failed to reach the bill Thursday
night. The delay was caused because
the income tax bill was unfinished,
he stated. Pope declares he will
press for an early hearing.
The bill provided for construc
tion of a highway through Kenedy
county by the state, closing the last
gap in the Hug-the-Coast highway.
This highway will trim 50 miles off
the distance between Cameron
count points and Corpus Christi.
Chapa Rites To
Be Held Today
Mrs. Nicolasa B. de Chapa. 74.
will be buried at 4:30 p. m. Friday
with services at Immaculate Con
ception church. Interment will be
made in Buena Vista cemetery.
Mrs. Chapa died Thursday at 6:05
at her residence on 222 Adams St
affer a several weeks illness. She
was born in Jimenez, Mexico, and
came here more than 20 years ago.
She is one of the pioneers of this
section and a member of one of
most prominent families of
Brownsville. Surviving her are the
following sons and daughters:
Felix. Isidoro and Eduardo, who
reside in San Antonio; Miguel of
Mexico City, Clotilde, Maria An
tonio, Concepcion, Aurora. Enrique
and Gregorio of Brownsville and a
brother of Monterrey.
Mrs. Chapa is the step-mother
of the late Col. F. A. Chapa of
San Antonio.
Delta Funeral home is handling
arrangements.
Russia Moves To
End Rail Trouble
TOKYO, May 5. (JP)—'The Rus
sian government has advanced sig
nificant proposals for ending its
dispute with Manchukuo over the
Chinese Eastern railway, a foreign
office spokesman said today, and
the situation is “considerably clari
fied.”
Japan was urged by the Rus
sians to negotiate directly with
Russia about the line and to aban
don “the transparent fiction” of
Manchukuo’s responsibility in the
joint management of the road, it
was learned.
MANYSTOCKS
SOAR TO NEW
HIGHLEVELS
Cotton Up $1; Grain,
Sugar, Utilities ,
Stronger
NEW YORK, May 5. uP;—Specu
lative markets continued to boil to
day, with many securities and com
modities reaching new high levels
for the recovery.
The forward movement was fre
quently changed by profit-taking
however. Trading in the stock mar
ket slackened somewhat after a hec
tic pace for a time in the morning.
A notable factor in the fresh bull
ish speculation was a drop in the
dollar to a new low for a long time
in relation to leading currencies.
The pound sterling jumped 8
cents to touch $4 for the first time
since England dropped the gold
standard, and French francs rose
.10 of a cent to 4.72 cents, which
indicated a depreciation of the dol
lar, from its gold parity, of about
17 per cent.
The pound and franc slipped back
a little, after reaching these levels.
Wheat rose about a cent a bushel,
and cotton about a dollar a bale in
the earlier dealings. These advances
were partly lost in a midday flurry
of selling, but the markets came
up to around the best in the after
noon. Several other staples, includ
ing silver, were higher. Bar silver
advanced 5-8 of a cent an ounce.
In the stock market, many Issues
advanced $1 to $3 a share, with the
sugars and recently lagging utilities
notably strong.
ROOSEVELT URGES
HIGHER SALARIES
WASHINGTON, May 5. (ff»—'The
nation’s business was pointed to
day by Pres. Roosevelt to higher
wage scale and a government sup
ervised control of production and
competition.
The hopes of the president, which
will be supplemented shortly by
broad legislative proposal to carry
them into effect, were outlined in
general terms in a brief address last
night before the chamber of com
merce of the United States.
Today his advisors who have oeen
working for weeks, brought to com
pletion legislation designed to bring
about this new order in business.
Government sanctioned trade as
sociations to govern production,
wage and competition agreements
are contemplated.
Tliis proposal probably will be
made a part of the public works bill
| which the president is framing to
stimulate business in a counter at
tack upon deflation.
Placing great emphasis upon his
words as he spoke before the busi
ness leaders last night, Mr. Roose
velt said:
“It is essential, as a matter of na
tional justice, that the wage scale
should be brought back to meet the
cost of living and that this process
should begin nowr and not later.”
Japs, Chinese
Clash Again
TIENTSIN, China, May 5. (IP)—
Hostilities between the Chinese and
Japanese in the east coast area
south of the great wall and east of
the Lwan river are threatening to
resume, Chinese sources said today.
After a few days of quiet result
ing from the Japanese withdrawal
toward the wall and a Chinese ad
vance to the east as far as Peitaiho,
the two armies clashed again in the
vicinity of Peitaiho.
Ashton Heads Rotary
(Special to The Herald>
MERCEDES. May 5.—Dr. John
Ashton has been elected president
of the Rotary club. The following
directors were named, who met and
elected officers: Dr. Ashton, Lee H.
Kidder, R. H. Kern and E. H. Po
teet.
Other officers elected are Lee Kid
der, vice president; Packard Bar
ton. secretary and John Bruce
treasurer. Mr. Barton, Mr. Bruce,
H. L. Scott, past president, and the
four elected directors will make up
the club directorate for the new year
which begins July 1.
Robbery Trial Set
DALLAS, May 5. UP)—Raymond
Hamilton was taken to La Grange
today to face trial Monday for the
Nov. 9 robbery of the Carmine
State bank.
Gene Odare, returned to Texas
with Hamilton from Michigan, faced
trial several months ago and was
sentenced to life imprisonment.
Tlie bank was robbed of $1,061.
23 Hurt In Fight
BILBAO, Spain, May 5. UP)—A
clash between socialists and nation
alists today resulted in injuries to
23 persons and the arrest of 120.
FIRE ENGINES PAINTED
The Brownsville fire department
has completed repainting and re
conditioning all apparatus.
‘Chattel Wife’
Mrs. Dorothy Funk Clark, above,
is the central figure in an aliena
tion of affections suit filed in
federal court against Norman
W. Harris, Chicago banker, by
her former husband. An Illinois
judge dismissed a similar suit,
terming her ‘‘a chattel wife.”
TOMATOES HOLD
AT 3c A POUND
1SOO Potato Carloads Are
Shipped From Valley
This Season
The price of tomatoes was still
holding today.
The industry’ in the Valley looked
hopefully for a change of weather
in the receiving markets where the
cold, rainy weather has hurt the de
mand, but tl^ere wras no change to
day,
A sudden warming up in the east
and north would greatly stimulate
demand.
Shippers were paying 3 cents a
pound this morning to the growers
for the No. 1 tomatoes, the same
as they were paying yesterday, and
indications point to a continuation
of this price.
The Valley rolled 57 cars of to
matoes last night and Florida drop
ped off to 29 but Mexico had 45
cars in two trains, the first in three
days. Mexico is rapidly nearing the
end of her deal.
Cuba shipped one car into the
country'.
The Cameron county producers
association today continued its ac
tivity of calling on produce dealers,
packers, buyers, and others, asking
them to refrain from shipping out
culls, and to help hold up the price
of tomatoes.
1600 CARLOADS OF
POTATOES SHIPPED
The Valley has shipped approxi
mately 1600 carloads of potatoes.
Figures announced Friday show
that a total of approximately 1000
cars have rolled by freight in solid
cars.
The total movement in mixed
cars and by truck is estimated at
600 cars.
Another 100 cars will move by the
end of the season, it is expected,
placing the final potato figure at
1700 cars.
The estimate of shipments by
truck and in mixed cars is based on
the 1931 ratio, when exact figures
were kept by the Rio Grande Valley
Potato Growers association. It show
ed that the movement in mixed cars
and by truck wras 60 per cent of
the straight car movement by rail
The movement by truck this sea
son has been heavier than ever be
fore, in the opinion of those in
touch with the deal.
Congress Notified
Of ‘Bonus March’
WASHINGTON, May 5. (A>)—All
members of congress were notified
today of a forthcoming bonus
march to Washington in a letter
signed by L. Parks of Chicago, as
national commander of the “Bonus
Expeditionary Forces, Inc.”
The letterhead carried the name
of Rep. Adolph J. Sabath of Illi
nois as a member of'the honorary
executive committee.
Mrs. Pinchot Joins
‘Sweatshop’ Fight
ALLENTOWN, Pa.. May 5. (TP)—
Mrs. Gifford Pinchot. wife of the
governor of Pennsylvania, today
threw in her lot with “child strik
ers” protesting “sweatshop” condi
tions in the garment industries.
Dressed in red, she joined picket
lines of teen-age girls and boys
w'ho have walked out of textile
plants because they say they get
as little as 57 cents a week.
*
KIDNAPING IS
LINKED WITH
UNDYCRIME
Solution of One May
Lead to Other,
Say Police
HARWICHPORT. Mass., May 5.
(JP)—A report was current here to
day that Ralph Snow. Harwich
banker, was visited by five men in
an automobile last night and that
he drove with them, possibly to ne
gotiate for the return by her kid
napers of 10-year-old Margaret
“Peggy” Snow McMath.
• Snow, who is head of the Cape
Cod five cent savings bank and who
was described earlier in the day by
a representative of the family as
being the logical man to raise any
ransom that might be demandde, de
clined either to confirm or deny the
report.
There was great interest in the ex
pected arrival of Robert McMath.
brother of the girl’s father. He sent
word that he was en route to Har
wichport by automobile and re
quested a state police escort on his
arrival.
Gen. Daniel C. Needham, head of
the state police, refused a plea of
the McMaths that his officers with
draw from the case for 24 hours.
They became resigned to his posi
tion in the matter.
Needham expressed the belief that
the solution of the McMath kidnap
ing might lead to a solution of the
Lindbergh case.
The parents were still hopeful that
the kidnapers might contact them,
or failing this, that they might con
tact one of the girl’s grandparents
in Detroit or Tyron. N. C. All ave
nues of contact were left open to
the kidnapers and Aaron Davis, N.
Y. advertising man, was named an
intermediary.
State troopers, who searched the
back roads of Cape Cod all yester
day, faced a dead end to their en
deavors. Reports and rumors that
they traced pcpved valueless. Nc
new clues -were uncovered.
Meanwhile the search went on in
other sections. The state police of
the Cheshire Barracks sent a call
through western Massachusetts and
southern Vermont last night for po
lice of all communities to stop an
automobile with Rhode Island reg
istration plates bearing a negro and
a small white child. When last seen
the car was headed for Bennington,
Vt., where one of the main highways
to Canada begins.
CINCOMMAYO
IS CELEBRATED
_
Bridge Remains Open All
Night As Valley And
Mexico Play
“Cinco de Mayo” celebrations,
commemorating the 71st annivers
ary cf the Battle of Puebla, were
in full swing along the border
Friday afternoon.
Appropriate programs were being
obsreved in Brownsville, Matamo
res. Rio Rico, Mercedes. Reynosa,
and other points in this section.
The Brownsville program got
under way at 6 a. m. in front of
the Mexican consulate, but the
chief program was to be held Fr
day night at Van Buren and 11th
streets, near the Rio Grande Ry.
depot. Appropriate talks, patriotic
exercises and music were on the
program beginning at 4 p. m. and
lasting until 11 p. m. The Ft. Brown
band was to play a group of selec
tions beginning at 8 p. m.
The Mat am cr os program was to
! be held in the main plaza Friday
afternoon and was to continue into
the evening with musical numbers.
The international bridge here will
remain open all night Friday and
Saturday. Harry Sexton, newly ap
pointed collector of customs, made
provisions Friday for the bridge
to remain open at Eagle Fass.
The program at Mercedes was to
get under way at 2 p. m. with
coronation of Queen Adelina Gal
van at the city park.
San Benito Rotes
Entertain Youths
iSpecial to The Herald)
SAN BENITO, May 5. — More
than a thousand happy youngsters
thronged Lake Olmito Friday aft
ernoon as the San Benito Rotarians
held their annual Boys’ Day.
The San Benito schools let out at
2:10 p. m. to allow all of the
youngsters to attend the outing.
The boys were taken to Ohnito aft
er gathering at the Stonewall Jack
son hotel.
Swimming, sports and eats were
the order of the day. Those in
charge were: Ed Brady, sports;
Floyd S. Wright, lifeguard; W. W.
Housewright and Asa Agar, com
mittee on refreshments; and J. E.
Bell and James Sweeney, committee
on transportation.
■ " *
Doors Are Removed
From Catholic Church
PHILADELPHIA, May 5.
Parishioners today removed the
main doors from the Catholic
church in South Philadelphia they
are holding against Diocesan au
thorities.
They feared surprise attackers
might dislodge them and then lock
them out.
A guard of 400 men was formed
to retain possession of the church,
' seized on Wednesday when their
priests, members of the Augustinian
order, were transferred and Diocesan
priests ordered in.
DISTRICT 15
CHANGED UP
Bulk of Population Now
Centered In Hidalgo
And Cameron
The old Fifteeijjft Congressional
district, which sent John Nance
Garner to Washington term after
term, is not what she used to be—
not by 10 counties and 87,596 peo
ple—under a redistrciting bill
which is said certain to pass.
The bill takes eight counties
from the 15th and places them in
the 14th, and also takes two others
into the newly created 21st.
The 15th formerly was composed
of 23 counties with a population of
370,887 people. The new 15th will
contain 13 counties and ’83,291 peo
ple,
Counties taken from the 15th and
placed in the 14th are Atascosa,
McMullen, Live Oak, Duval, Jim
Wells, Kleberg, Brooks and Ken
edy. Kiney and Uvalde counties
will go into the 21st district. This
leavse Maverick, Zavalla, Dimmitt,
Medina, Frio, La Salle, Webb, Za
pata, Jim Hogg, Starr, Hidalgo,
Wilacy and Cameron counties in
the old fifteenth.
Under the new arrangement, the
bulk of the population in the dis
trict will be centered, in Cameron
and Hidalgo counties. In fact, these
two counties will have more than
half of the population of the dis
trict. The combined population of
these counties is 154.544 as com
pared to 283,291 for the entire dis
trcit. Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and
Willacy counties—the Valley— will
have 70,000 more people than all
the remainder of the district. A to
tal of 70,000 people can be trans
lated into 9,000 poll taxes, general
ly speaking.
The only other heavy center of
population in the district will be
Webb county with its 42,128 citi
zens.
This is part of the redistricting
from the 1930 census which show
ed that Texas was entitled to
three new congressional districts.
The 10 counties which are being
culled out of the 15th district have
a population of 87,596 and were
trimmed off the eastern and
northern sides of the district.
Three Die In
Electric Chair
McALESTER, Okla.. May 5. (#)—
Three men paid with their lives ear
ly today for two slayings and a rob
bery.
In Oklahoma’s first triple exec
ution since 1928, Joe L. Martin, 53;
Proctor McDonald, 23, and Albert
Ellis, 25, were put to death in the
electric chair at state’s prison here
in the half hour following mid
night.
Martin, a blacksmith, who killed
Pete Von Nearop, a Hollander, in
Noble county last July because, he
said. Von Nearop "cussed the United
States,” broke down in the death
chamber, talking excitedly until
the death current was sent into his
body.
McDonald and Ellis, who followed
in that order to the death chair,
were more composed. McDonald was
condemned for the fatal shooting
of Raymond Butler, 8-year-old son
of an Oilton druggist, in an at
tempted holdup, and Ellis for the
robbery with firearms of the fam
ily of ~ John Weber. Fort Worth,
Tex., broker, on a highway near Sul
phur.
Federal Jury To
Open Work Monday
The grand jury for the regular
May term of federal court will be
empanelled here Monday morning
I by Judge T. M. Kennerly.
The remainder of the day is ex
pected to be devoted to non-jury
pleas of guilty in liQuor and im
migration cases.
These are 115 federal prisoners
now in the Cameron county jail
awaiting trial. Over 100 prisoners
in the Hidalgo county jail will be
brought here for trial this term.
Japs Offer to Pay
For Church Damage
PEIPING, China. May 5. (/P)—
The Japanese military command
j offered today to reimburse the
American Methodist mission for
damage done a mission at Miyun
April 20 by bombs. The mission
accepted.
ALABAMA AND
LOUISIANA ARE
HARDEST HIT
I
Wind Adds to Toll
Of Many Storms
Over South
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 5. —
(/P)—Nineteen persons were murf
and more than 200* Injured by a
tornado that swept three west
central Alabama communities short
ly before dawn today.
Helena, a mining village oh 700
population, bore the brunt of tin*
storm, with 13 dead and nearly 100
injured.
Other Towns Hit
The other communities struck
were Demcpolis, two killed. Center
ville, two killed. Brent, three dead
and Adamsville, Union Grove,
Coaimont and smaller communities
where a number were injured.
The storms added to the toll of
May storms in the south which
swept Louisiana, Arkansa and Mis
sissippi. Two were killed in storms
in the lower Mississippi Valley
yesterday, one at Tallulah La
and one near Pine Bluff, Ark.
Alabama s death list was expect
ed to increase during the day as
several of the injured were in a
critical condition.
Residents Dazed
Relief facilities of Birmingham
and nearby cities which last year
taxed to capacity as disastrous tor
nadoes killed 300, were functioning
within an hour after the word of
the storms had been brought here.
The twister lasted but a moment
and was gone, leaving dazed and
terror stricken residents without
means of communication or lights
by which to seek relatives who
were scattered in the confusion.
The body of one of the dead.
Mrs. N. D. Thomas, wife of a de
puty' sheriff of Helena, was found
lodged high In the branches of a
tree yards from her home.
• -
STORM STRIKES
IN LOUISIANA
TALLULAH, La., May 5. —f/P)—
An intense atmospheric disturbance
which moved out of Texas center
ed last night over northeastern
Louisiana and dipped Its fury
around Tallulah, causing one re
ported death and at least 13 In
juries. it dispersed eastward, bring
ing tornadic apprehension and a
warning of gales along the ocast
from Mobile, Ala., to Oarrabelle,
Fla.
The force of the elements’ spear
heads hit worst, it appeared, at
the W. M. Scott plantation, two
and a half miles east of Tallulah,
where Millie White, an aged negro
woman, was crushed to death in
the falling timbers of her cabin.
The 15 other casualties counted
nearby were negroes, but none was
seriously injured in contrast to last
Monday’s tornado which centered
at Minden, La., to the west, with
a death toll of 35 persons, hun
dreds of thousands of dollars in
property damage.
25 Quizzed In
Flogging Case
EDINBURG, May 5.—More than
25 witnesses have appeared be
fore the 92nd District Court grand
jury engaged in an investigation
of the flogging of two produoe
buyers at Weslaco the night of
April 26.
Two Texas Rangers from Head
quarters Company, Austin, have
returned to the capital, their work
reported completed, but Ranger
Sgt. D. E. Covington, permanently
stationed at Harlingen, is assisting
the grand jury.
T ▼ ▼' T.V
MARKETS
A T GLANCE
NEW YORK
Stocks firm: utilities strong;
.industrials spotty.
Bonds strong; rails hold lead
ership.
Curb strong; all groups advance
Foreign exchanges strong; Ster
ling “touched $4.
Cotton higher; unfavorable
weather; higher cables; firm
stock market.
Sugar lower; selling by produ
cing interests.
Coffee higher; European buy
ing.
CHICAGO
Wheat higher; inflation buy
ing persistent.
Com strong;- big shipping de
mand.
Cattle fully steady, lower grades
in demand.
Hogs steady, moderately active,
top $4.
AAA