Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 20 May 1932 — Page 1
FEARLESS
THE POST-DEMOCRAT “HEW TO THE BLOCK; LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MICHT.’ ,
TRUTHFUL
VOLUME 12—NUMBER 19.
MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1932.
PRICE 5 CENTS
Torment By Helfur Surton
MORE DEGRADING THAN SLAVERY. Conditions in some- textile shops in Massachusetts are so had that they cannot be discussed in mixed) company, Senator William S. Conroy, of Fall River, told a legislative committee, recently, according to an article printed in “Lagor.” He was testifying on a bill to compel sweatshops to mark ar tides produced by employes who are getting less than the scale prescribed by the minimum wage commission. Conroy is one of the authors of Massachusetts’ 48-hour-week law for women. “If any child of mine,” said Conroy, “wore in these sweatshops, I would be in danger of the electric chair. .Girls are being dragged to lower depths than in the da^s of slavery. They are being f ” I into the gutter.” Conroy and u ii r witnesses testified that wages run as low as $1 a week, and rarely more than $3 or $4. Several representatives of textile houses decalred that these charges “were, not in the least exaggerated.’ “They said the worst offenders of commerce with promchambers of commerce with promises of “an abundant supply of
cheap labor.
BELATED SUGGESTIONS. ‘‘These suggestions (in President Hoover’s message on economy) have come from the executive after the House has acted on the economy bill which was presented by tire economy committee. They might have been of value if the president had presented them earlier. They come now after the House has acted. “I regard them as the first speech of the president of the United States in his campaign for re-election as-j president.” — Democratic House Floor Leader, Henry T. Rainey.
CORRUPT TESTIMONY LOSES FOR MAYOR DALE
Here, There Everywhere
LITTLE FELLOW BEEN IGNORED
Supreme Court of U. S. Refuses to Modify
Decree.
SMALL MERCHANT CHIEF SUFFERER
Federal Government Liberal in Aid of Big Fellows.
FIRE MARSHAL ISSUES WARNING
Some to
Hints as to How Precent Various Accidents.
HURLEY AS AN ORATOR. “He (Secretary Ogden Mills) has not the reputation of being quite as eloquent as the Secretary of War, Colonel Hurley, but we know that the Colonel's brilliant Hibernian speeches have been written for him by an army officer with an outstanding Hebraic name, thus proving that Irish wit is not necessarily a monopoly of natiyps.of Jirin.’—The Nation. THERE MUST BE SOME MISTAKE. Referring to the administration’s estimates for balancing the budget, Senator Robinson, Democratic leader of the Senate, pointed out that Secretary of the Treasury Mills has since admitted that the estimates he presented were wrong by $500,000,000.
IT MAY BE JUST ANOTHER STUNT.
Last fall Henry Ford purchased 50 acres of swampland just west, of the city limits, to be reclaimed and made into garden plots for future employees if and when he builds a long-promised factory at Gladstone. He hired 100 men to clear this land and paid them $3.50 for a 10-hour day. Work suspended in January and was resumed recently, when 18 men were hired and paid $3 for a 10hour day. Is this Fords’ policy of maintaining a high standard of living or an experimental cure for economic ills?—Labor. THEY COULD, BUT ‘
TRY TO GET IT.
The “Financial Chronical” of
April 20, published the interesting bit of news that “The Mellon family fortune totals eight billions. This is over twice the entire money in circulation in this country. Soldiers asking for $2,000,000,000 might like to know that the Mellon family could give them that little and still have three-
quarters of their cake
Labor.
The Supreme Court of the United States has refused to modify a decree made by the same court some 'years ago enjoining the packers from engaging in any business save meat packing and manufacture of meat products. The packers sought modification to permit them to manufacture and wholesale certain grocery products. In refusing the application for modification the court decided that this would he a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust
law.
The grocery jobbers, apprehensive of competition by the packers, are pleased with the decision of the court. It is declared that the chain grocery companies, none of which operate their own packing plants, also will profit by the decision. All these interests which will he affected are in the nature of “big business.’ There does not appear to have been any consideration given as to how the “little fellows” will be affected. This is not unusual. Whenever the higher courts render a decision which may have an effect upon business it is always on a question of interest to the large corporations. When business representatives gather to take counsel with the president or cabinet officials, the representatives invariably are
men of many millions.
The little fellow is rarely represented. Yet It is a fact that the small business owners are the backbone of the American business organization. The owner of the corner grocery, the . town druggist, the woman who keeps a notion store, and all the various lines of business which have only a .neighborhood patronage represent in the aggregate very considerable capital and support a large percentage of our population. They must suffer from competition with, the chain stores, the large department stores and the mail order houses. In addition the small merchant is chief sufferer from had debts, as his business more than any other is on a credit basis. The existing depression has borne heavily on the small merchant but we hear little of the multitude of them that have either been forced to sell out to
left.-
“Night Court” a Sensational Drama
Will Be Shown at Rivoli Theatre, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Emphasizing the fact that the careless use and storage of petro leum and its products cause an annual fire loss of approximately $500,000 and the death of not less than, seventy-five people in the state, a warning has just been sent out by Alfred Hogston, State Fire Marshal. He points out the common hazards ami the precautions that should be observed. Stationary and automotive engines often backfire when started even when apparently in good condition. If this happens in the vicinity of combustible materials and explosive gases and dusts a fire may result. There is also the chance of a fire through an overheated or faulty muffler, hot or burning carbon deposits or
faulty ignition.
Cleaning with gasoline, benzine or oilier flammable volatile liquids is distinctly hazardous and should not. be practiced, as vapors are given off which may form explosive mixtures with the a*. All that is needed is a source of ignition, such as an open flame from a kerosene lamp, a cooking or a heating stove, a lighted match or other flame. For small cleaning jobs in the home a non-inflam-mable liquid should he used; more extensive operations should be done by professional cleaners, wTfO haVA special facilities and knowledge which enables them to do the work with the least pos-
sible danger.
Starting or hurrying fires with kerosene is most dangerous. This is easily proved by the number of press dispatches about deaths resulting from this practice. Winter should not be used to fight gasoline or kerosene fires. Sand is useful for such purposes where the smothering effect can be utilized as on small quantities of burning flammable material on a floor. Sand has no effect in ex, tinguishing flammable materials in open vessels. Buckets of sand equipped with scoops constitute a ftrst-ahl protection which should be available for an emergency. VAGATiONlSTS ON GREAT LAKES Indications Point to a Large Volume of
Business.
With the City Executive, Chief Frank Massey, Captain W. A. Farkhurst, Fred Ellis, Detectives Harry Nelson and Kenneth Horstman, Patrolmen Raymond Powell and Dan Davis.
GARAGE MECHANIC “RED" HOOVER IS ONLY ONE TO BE ACQUITTED ; Ernest Flatter and Fred Kubach Also Go Down to Defeat-Fester Holloway to Become Mayor in Event Law Forbids Dale to Function—Appeal Will Undoubtedly be Taken—Resume of Trial.
Mayor George R. Dale,; together with the other defendants of the city administration, lost their case in Federal District Court, before Judge Robert Balt-
zell and a jury.
Mayor Dale stated Friday evening during a tele-
phone conversation while en route to Muncie that the case was lost as the result of perjured evidence —confessed perjured evidence on the part of some of
those who testified for the government.
collapse started when in the course of his cross-examination the information was drilled into his thick skull that the Post-Democrat was printed by the Sun Publishing company
at Portland.
But the real picnic had just begun. Letters were produced written by himself, and identified as such by himself, in which he declared that Bolinger and Rose had forced him to “tell lies on the mayor. ,, He then admitted on the witness stand that the things he had just sworn to were lies; that Bclinger and Rose had coached him carefully and then drove him to the Y. M. C. A. at Anderson, where he told his precious story to Federal
Agents Devlin and Denny.
That was about all for Tommy and he and his drooping carcass was dragged out of the courtroom by Deputy Marshal Harry Gates, who by the way has yet to answer for his conduct on the day the
“conspirators” were arrested.
One of the lies sworn to by Duncan was that he had driven Caseins McCormick, wealthy Albany manufacturer to Canada and haul-
ed back a load of liquor.
Duncan told on the witness stand that he was paid three dollars by the federal agents at Anderson for his story and that Rose and Bolinger had promised to use their “influence” with the federal government to get him thirty-five dollars more and a job as federal
agent.
From my rather intimate experiences for the past several months with federal investigators and prosecutors I haev no hestitancy in saying that he is possessed of the one great indispensable qualification that would tit him for the job. He is a fundamental liar.
mi a i, ,. , , i , . I And with this in mind Blondy IhC mayor was not a bit disconsolate, but he and I have no hesitancy in recom-
seemed to be in good spirits and said that the first move of the defense woulid be an appeal to the United States Circuit Court of Appeal at Chicago. If that court should uphold the decision of the trial court, Mayor Dale announced that in all probability an appeal would be taken to the United States
supreme court.
“We are not through with this case by a long ways. My losing fight was the result of confessed perjured testimony by men who have had no earthly use for me, and I can say that we will fight this thing to a finish, and if necessary carry it to the highest court in the land.”
Vacationists from all parts of the country are planning to take advantage of inexpensive travel
ctain‘stores or have gone Into in-l 0 " t a !‘ e ,, Erie " l,! ! st'mmer; and voluntary bankruptcy. The Fed-K ,nd,ca , tl0 " s P 0,nt 10 “, la . r f a era! government has been liberal 1™''!“'’ °‘ I ,ass ™« er , In coming to the aid of the big a < cordmg to Mr. P. J.
'Swartz, general manager ot the Cleveland and Buffalo Transit
Company.
Mr. Swartz pointed out that, with generaU economy the watchword, scores of organizations and individuals who never before considered lal^e transportation, have
Phillips Holmes, Walter Huston, Anita Page, Lewis Stone and Jean Hersholt head of the impressive cast of “Night Court,” which will 'be shown Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at the Rivoli theatre. Filmed under the direction of W. S. Van Dyke, this picture offers one of the most sensational stories of political corruption ever presented on the screen. It focusses its attention upon a night court, magistrate who uses his office to further his activities in the underworld. Huston plays the unscrupulous jurist who presehts a respectable side to the public hut shows quite another to his nefarious associates. Holmes is seen as a taxi driver whose home is undermined by the machinations of the crooked magistrate but who ultimately brings the] dishonest judge before his own bar I of justice. Miss Page enacts the! chauffeur’s wife who is “framed” | on a morals charge and sent to ( prison to sea! her lips from judicial
investigators.
lows, the banks, railroads and in-Uj' ai , z ' surance companies. The depressed condition of agriculture has been made a matter of state and national concern. Public and private relief has been extended to the unemployed. The small business man whose existence is menaced by the chain stores, the great department stores and mail order
houses, is ignored.
Many of the little shops which are the backbone of our business organization are in a bad way. It seems high time that our courts and legislators give them some attentions. It would he a major disaster if all small shops were wiped out and big business came into complete control of AmeVjcan commercial life—Indiana Catholic
and Record.
THE LETTER “E”
“E” ie the most useful letter in the .English alphabet. While it is forever in debt, always out of cash, never out of danger and is in hell a lithe time, “e” is never in war and always in peace; is first in employment and last in leisure; is seen in depression, but is more necessary in recovery; is found in wealth, poverty, health and the end of trouble. Without it there would be no meat, no life, no heaven. — Typographical Journal.
included it in their plans this summer, because of the extremely
low rates offered.
“Passenger fares, stateroom and auto rates on regular service have been greatly reduced for 1932,” Mr. Swartz said. “Our rate schedules for this year are the lowest in the history of the C. & B.
Line.”
Last year the traveling public showed great interest in our allexpense personally conducted tours of the Great Lakes district, Niagara Falls and Eastern Canada, starting from Cleveland and Buffalo, and taking from two to ten days. These tours will be continued this year, but the fares will be much lower.” | “All this is, of course, in addition to our regular steamer service bn the Cleveland-Buffalo Division, the Cleveland-Port Stanley, Canada Division and the CleveldndCedar Point-Put-in-Bay Divisipn, I all three popular favorites for many years. Thousands are learning every summer of the infinite variety of scenic, historic and recreation interest that lies at the end of C. & B lake trails, as well as the pleasures of the lake
cruises, themselves.”
j T he C. & B. Line docks at Cleve-
(Continued to Page Two)
(BY GEO. R. DALE) Indianapolis, May 20.—This is the sixth day that I have sat in the* Federal court on trial for conspiring’ to violate the national liquor law. Most of the time has been taken up explaining to the jury how the mayor and police department persecuted and oppressed Federal witnesses, Federal agents and the gang of hoodlums who hope to send me to the penitentiary by the perjury route. , When this is read the verdict will no doubt have been rendered, as the jury is about to retire for deliberation as this is being read. Since the major part of the testimony on the government’s side was devoted to showing indignities heaped upon government agents, it seems to be to he more like a trial for provoke than a conspiracy case. The highlight of the testimony was the admission of Ed Quirk, former policeman, that the city council hired him to get evidence and turn it over to the Department of Justice, and that Councilman Bob Parkinson, of the Star advertising staff, was the paymaster. No matter what happens in this case this particular bit of information, sworn to by Quirk, is valuable to Muncie citizens as well as to myself, in confirming my statement to the attorney general of the United States that I was being framed by a bunch of rotten conspirators, and that the Departmen of Justice was being made the vehicle of vengeance. The evidence of John Cox, who told opposite stories on the witness stand, which drew from Judge Baltzell the caustic question, “which story is true?” was also very enlightening. As the perjurers fell in line the worthy Hershel Rose was awarded a place near the head of the column when it was shown that he had perjured himself twice, once before the Federal grand jury and later in the district court when Elmer Gentry was given a clean bill of health through his misrepresentations. But the prize liar of the outfit was a negro youth named Tommy Duncan. Tommy has been held in the Federal jail here for several weeks as a witness, but he proved to be the sourest lemon that was ever held in durance as a material witness. Writhing in the witness chair like a scared rabbit, Duncan swore that he had been the mayor’s personal chauffeur when the mayor was driven with a lady whom he designated as “Blondy” to the White Kitchen on drunken parties. He also said he had driven the mayor’s car to Hartford City on several occasions, accompanied by the mayor; that he and the mayor always liquored up there before loading up the weekly edition of the Post-Democrat, which he said was printed there. Tommy sort of looked like he was sick at the stomach while he was pouring forth his weird tale, but his real
mending him to President Hoover for an appointment as soon as lie gets out of jail. 1 mean Tommy,
not Herb.
JVIistah Puckett and Mistah Simms, his colored deputy, were also government witnesses. The sheriff told some kind of a rambling story that should be put on ice and kept preserved until the occasion comes up that it fits, along about bedtime. 1 Mistah Simms had a big gun on his hip. He told the jury he had himself appointed deputy sheriff so he could carry a gun. He had been told that his life was in danger. Shudders shook the courtroom as the colored ex-policeman told the jury of a mysterious warning that he was to be shot dead in the witness chair in the Federal court as he testified. I am extremely sorry that my time down here has been so fully occupied that I cannot write the the story in full this week. There are a fine bunch of newspaper beys here and I assume you are getting the story at home. As usual the Muncie Press is apprehensive. It deplores the fact that Muncie’s ignomlty is being blazoned from coast to coast, but with supreme resignation, it hopes
for the best.
A typical questionnaire in the “Voice of the City” wants to know if Muricie and Anderson are any worse than other towns, and the Press thinks the answer to our terrible troubles is to gleet the right kind of people to office. District Attorney Jeffrey asked
chaste woman and the integrity ol
public officials.
Johnny McFadden, though, has the right system. McFadden is an elderly Muncie tailor. He was trying to tell the jury how the delectable Herschel Rose bad told him how he and Fred Bolinger were to run the town after myself and the chief of police had been framed and sent to jail. That was treason. It was here say. Gazing at the flag for inspiration Jeffrey roared pi the mild tailor like the awful bull of Bash an, accusing Johnny of being an atheist and the writer of “red”
literature.
Instead of swelling up like a boiled prune and throwing the gafl right back at the hundred per center, as I would have done. Johnny McFadden, who loves his country, gave the mild answer which turneth away wrath. Amazed and stunned by the ig njorant, brutal outbreak, Mc'Fad den in a low, mild voice simply replied, “I believe in God and my country, although I am not a vei_j
good Christian.”
I am asking you, name the Christian and patriot, McFadden
or Jeffrey?
“You are excused,” said the prosecutor in a low voice. The humble tai^jr may have taught the man a lesson. I hope so, any-
way.
It’s funny, as I sit here writing this junk that the though in trudes itself upon me that I don’t care whether I am conviced oi tnot. I seem to have but one emo tion, that of curiosity. For months and months this bloodhound pack has snarled at my heels. If it were left to the vote of a jury composed of the citizens of Muncie the defendants would be acquitted by a great majority. Will the jury believe me and my friends, or will they believe the scum of the earth who seek my destruction? Boh Parkinson collected money from some unknown, sinister source, to buy perjured evidence. I would rather spend tire rest of my life in prison than to go free with the lasting stigma that would be attached to my name and the name of my family that Bob Parkinson and his fellow conspirators will carry with yiem to the grave, if I had done the things that they have done. Perjurers and suborn ers of perjury! No crime ^is greater. No punishment too''se-
vere.
After reading the record of this trifll can th^, attorney general of the United States look me in the
me today on the witness stand'face and feel guiltless after re-
jecting my plea for an investigation of the charge that I and my comrades were being framed by
government agencies?
Whether I am convicted or not the record of this trial, out of the mouths of government witnesses
what reason I had to believe that a certain witness had lied, and I told him that he had probably been solicited to do so, like the others. Judge Baltzell eased it into me once, jremarking it was not the custom for witnesess in thel ,
federal court to speak as loudly t ^? mSP V ? a ’ forever stand as as I was | indisputable evidence of the truth I toned down three or four oc-T f f the charffes 1 made in Wash
,„„!ington.
I will make a formal demand
T , . j * 4.o iwhen this trial ends, for a search woid? I apologized to the judge inp conRrPSsional investigation of
for shaking the rafters and me and
taves.
with
What’s the use of arguingi a judge, who has the last!
the judge got on fine after that. It made me mad, though, when Jeffrey sneeringly asked, “I suppose you have been out to Corbett Johnson’s place, haven’t you? I have cooled off, though, and see the light of reason. Tommy Duncan probably told him Blondy and I operated the still on Corbett’s estate. That guy Jeffrey hates to think evil of anyone. He would rather Rear a perjurer slander a woman any time than to hurt the feelings of his lying pals who drench his system with their infamous lies. An immense American flag hangs directly over my head in the court room. There’s one like it in the bull pen of the federal jail down here at Indianapolis. I sat under it also. Thus I have the infinite satisfaction of knowing that the flag of my country waves over me while stool pigeons of the government face me and swear to filthy lies involving the honor of a
this conspiracy and will seek redress from my sovernment and demand the punishment of the
conspirators.
Congress will also be asked for an investigation of the depart ment of justice, with its horde of crooks and perjurers in the ranks and the slimy heads who give sanction to a racket that is worse than A1 Capone’s. The agents working on the ease openly slandered respec^ble women and made the Y. M. C. A. headquarters for crooks and pros-
titutes.
Jeffrey in his opening statement said he would show that at the policemen’s hall at Muncie five members of the Muncie police de partment had immoral relations with another policeman’s wife. That foul slander must be explained by Jeffrey. After the abysmal collapse of the “Blondy” story, which named the wife of a policeman as accompanying me on drunken picnics, the district attorney did not dare to go further (Continued to Page Two)
There are a few large-mouthed fellows, whose mothers fed them with a saucer when they were young, who hang around the street corners every day, and who persistently gloat over the misfortunes of the mayor and other officials who ar£. facing trial in the Federal court at Indianapols. Among this bunch of misfits are to he found several who have at sometime been employed by former administrations as payroll men, and who have since the Dale administration lost their only visible means of support, and are now praying for the first time in their miserable lives that the mayor will be convicted of charges which all faic-minded men know to be without foundation or fact. Whisky soaked bums, men without honor or integrity, bootleggers, thieves and harlots, all seem to be united in an effort to disrupt the laws of the city as well as those elected to enforce the laws, and worst of all, are the low-down politicians who aid and abet this class of criminals in their efforts to accomplish the desired result in order that their party may be successful in the coming election. Under such circumstances it is no wonder that Muncie is noted for being the criminal center of the Rate, and that one can scarcely pick up a newspaper without reading of some “citizen” of Muncie being connected with some bank robbery, murder or similar crime, and all of which is due largely to the encouragement this criminal closs receives at home.
Reduce expenses of local government and by so doing reduce taxes. This seems to be the popular cry all along the line, and there is no doubt if this were done it would be a material aid fh reducing the present high rate of taxation. However, the reduction of expense in governmental units would be but a drop in the bucket, as compared with the reduction that might be made if all sequestered property were plased on the tax duplicate. In the city of Muncie, exclusive of Delaware county, there is approximately sixtyffive millions of taxable property listed m the tax duplicate, which amount •epresents about sixty per cent of the total of all the taxable wealth of the city. The other forty per ered property were placed on the lion dollars is not entered for taxation on the duplicate, and consecpiently pays no taxes, and by reason of this fact, those who pay a share of the taxes in Muncie, based on the present valuation of property, are paying forty per sent more taxes in order to make up for the deficinency of twenty-six million dollars, un^aiwfully withheld from taxation. Assuming that all salaries were reduced fifty per cent, and a reduction could be effected in all other business of the city, so that a saving of $250,000 would be had each year, how much would this reduce taxes, as comwith the reduction of taxes if chese twenty-six millions were added to the tax duplicate?
The congregation had met for the regular Sunday morning service and were smiling and happy here over the fact that the last dollar of indebtedness against, the church had been paid and the mortgage given to secure the payment of the debt had been turned aver to the board of trustees, and in order to celebrate the event appropriately it was planned to burn the mortgage. Many speeches were made and there was much rejoicing until it was suggested by the minister, that inasmuch as there were no lights in the church he favored the purchase of a new chandelier, Avhereupon Elden Simms, a deacon in the church arose, and after adjusting his glasses, spoke as follows: Brothers and Sisters: For the past ten years we have been in debt for our church, and most of the time we have been worried to death to know where the money was ceming from to meet our payments. Now we are out of debt and let us ?tay out for at least another year; besides there is something I almost forgot to mention, and that is, suppose we do buy a new chandelier, who have we in the congregation that can play it?”
We note with much pleasui that Mr. Vernon Hunt and Mis Rilla Marian Harness , of For land, have recently took out marriage license and are soon 1 be married. We presume Verne Hunted for quite a while befoi finding Harness to fit. Now tin he has them we sincerely hope will not be necessary to use stra nl in settling family difficulth md that there will be no sores c collar boils and that he may t able to wear the Harness at a times without chafing.
There were a number of co verts and the colored preacher hi just Unshed baptising the first co vert when Willie and his moth came on the scene, Willie, course, being much interested seeing the preacher dip tTie fir (Continued to Page Two)