Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 1 November 1935 — Page 1
“Our flag for a ceir ury and a half has been the symbol of the principles of liberty and equality before the law; and these concepts are deeply ingrained in our national character ” —President Rcoseveii-
VOLUME 16—NUMBER 40.
m
THE POST-DEMOCRAT
"As the burden lifts, the Federal Government can and will divest itself of its emergency responsibility but, at the same time, it cannot ignore the imperfections of the old order,” —President Rcosevelt-
MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1935.
PRICE: FIVE CENTS
THE LONG MAN STAGES ANOTHER ROBBERY
Cops Escape Without Being Tied Op By
The Bold Bad Man
Lengthy Bandit Binds and Gags Employes I Free Ride of Franklin Security Company and Man I
and Woman Customer and Gets Away Wtih Cash—Holdup Took Place Within City Block of the City Hal! Friday Morn-
ing,
Stole Tax Board Was Kind to Gimme Boys After Charging City With Illegal Operations in Spending Without Authority, Board Finds in Favor of Illegality—City Will Probably he $150,000 in Debt By End of
the Year.
r"
The most impudent and brazen daylight robbery of the long series of gunmen-gangster exploits that have disgraced Muncie this year, was the holding up of the Franklin Security company, 216 South Mul-
berry street, shortly after 9 o’clock Friday, morning.
A lone bandit pulled off the raid on the company’s office which occupies a first floor room in the business block a few doors north of
t he liivoli .theater.
"Stick ’Em Up’ . gunman. It is reliably reported With the conventional stick em | wag no ^ even considerate
up,” a tall man wearing colored goggles for disguise sauntered in.
Manager C. R. Cummings and' his assistant, Dean Norton promptly stuck ‘em up, not. liking the appearance of the pistol pointed in
their direction.
C. E. Van Tress and Mrs. Cleveland Hamilton, business callers, were also apprehensive of the nervous trigger finger, so they of-
fered no resistance.
The bandit then leisurely bound and gagged the three men and dragging Mrs. Hamilton to the rear of the room, threw her violently on the floor and roughly orderedJier
Nlo. lie atilh
up ;|'.i :,!s and depariod. Air. Van Tress ran out on the sidewalk and the unusual sight of a man with a gag in his mouth and his hands tied together behind his back, caused quite a commotion indeed among passers by. f
Po.lice Were Not Tied Up Eventually a squad of policemen
City employes who have been mystified as to the final destination of the two per cent deducted from their pay checks (if any) each month now know how it is
spent.
It was reported Tuesday in pro-1 tration, has apparently become just bate court by the executor of the i so much talk since it has been anesiate of the late Rollie Cummins, j bounced during the past week that
of Yorktown, that he had sold,
j enough to leave his fingerprints on | the neon sign over the main eti- ! trance of the police station, which is only a block from the scene of the robbery. He should have done that while the police were untying the three men. It is only a short
walk.
There is only one suspicious cir- j wou j^ use( | py tp e city’s weleumstance which should be care- | j; are department to help the poor
fully studied by the local sleuth j and needy.
department I ^ nf ‘ ^e promoters of the club Shortly after the robbery the 11™?.'* .'ifelared that it Governor
a portion of the bond issue and all the special requests for expendi-
for $1,100, to Hubert L. Paikmson, | j n excess of the budget were city controller, a roadster with ( Authorized by the commission. The
original bond issue ordinance provided for the expenditure of $221,000, but. this amount was remonstrated against by more than thirty appellants. The special appropria-
parlor car trailer.
The Star Wednesday quotes
Parkinson as saying that the rolling stock was bought for the two per cent elub by him as secretary and treasurer. The outfit is built to resemble a railroad locomotive,
with parlor car attachment. It is to be painted and recondi-
tioned and used for advertising
purposes, according to, Parkinson. It. was announced when the club
was organized that the fund raised by the monthly collections
„ , i McNutt could do it in the state,
state police department called up ^j a y 0r j5 unc h had the same right
and wanted to’ know what was go- | in ,h P city.
- m*. .hen,* 4 ;1 % -a xs
police probably called the roll and . difference. The state house club some of his men didn’t answer. | is raising funds for the openly Usually when some robbery occurs announced purpose of securing here local police shake down any j contributions to he used to defray state policeman who happens to , fhe expense of the Democratic
venture in the war zone.
No Security Offered
However it is an outrage that people living in Muncie are not
arrived on the scene, in time to re- safe> either day or night . if they
move the bonds and gags of
victims, but too late to be tied up
themselves by the gunman. The description ’of the bandit
correspondes so closely to that of the “tall man” who has been working so successfully here of late with the “short” man, that it is be-
lieved to be the same outlaw. It will be recalled that the short
man causually remarked that “this is too easy” on the occasion several days ago of robbing a local
finance company.
Apparently it is so easy that Shorty didn’t get up early enough Friday morning to go along with his lengthy companion in crime. Either that, or acting on the theory that it is “too easy” in Muncie the long and the short of it have decided that it is a waste of ammunition and man power to work together but will go alone hereafter. Have Divided Forces There are so many nice places to rob and so many people to be bound and gagged that they can work singly and cover so much more territory in a gi^en time. As usual no clue was left behind that would lead to the identity of
are not awakened in the dead of night by armed intruders they are liable to be held up and gagged in broad daylight while transacting business in mercantile establishs-
ment.
Muncie is full of yeggs, cut(Continued On Page Six)
REACTIONARY BOSSES HIT BY MISS PERKINS Lansing, Mich., Oct. 24— Employers who refuse to meet labor half way in striving for adequate living standards and working conditions were raked over the coals by Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins in a speech here last week. Capitalism as it exists today, she said, is not far different from serfdom, and she added: “Man is not master of himself —he is not independent He has no voice in settling his daily wage and he cannot decide whether it shall continue beyond today.”
party, thus making it automatically unnecessary to accept money from undisclosed sources. He added that no state employe was kicking, because they get their salaries regularly which is something that cannot be said of the
city employes.
It is assumed that the recondi tioned locomotive with its bright new coat of paint will be used to take hungry widows and orphans
for a ride.
The payless city employes who paid for the contraption have already been 4aken for theirs.
__
The “show-down” mentioned by ihore was not sufficient money to State Tax Commissioner Aihei t ■ pay them nor approval of any proWalsman, who conducted the hear-jAl.sions by the tax board. The speing hero October 22 on the pro fpiai appropriations as made by the posed bond issue and special ap j Common council represent the aupropriations of the city adminis-^ Liorizing of money to he expended
Ijyhich the city does not have nor
will they get.
Tax Board Wea K ened. It is evident that the state tax board is willing to relinquish its right, by law to curb public extravagances by promptly ncoepting any And all requests and rendering their stamp of approval whether a -city has the money to spend or not. The problem to face local city officials now is how to acquire the
Chamber of Commerce Pats the Maul on Mayor’s Wish Bone
Assuming Command of Municipal Affairs the Commercial Body Discards Peace and Issues Orders — May is Instructed By a Commtitee How to Run the t own— the Doctor is Satisfied But Not Contented.
tions totaled approximately $47,000 i fnonay after authority has been
pf which over $24,000 was requested to pay salaries of the police de-
partment.
Bought in Front. The original bond ordinance provided for the purchase of some new automobile equipment for the police department. These new cars
granted to spend it. Practically all the money to be received by the civil city for the balance of the year has already been spent and all further indebtedness and operating costs of the administration for the balance of the year will represent an outstanding unpaid indebted-
were bought several months ago [; n€ss against the civil city at the
oh the assumption that authority would be granted by the state ; tax board to issue the bonds and thereby pay for the new equipment. An increased police department which placed thirty additonal employes
close of the year. Amount Piles Up.
It is estipiated that this amount of unpaid current obligations .against the city administration at the end of the present ^ear will
on the payroll and necessitated the tota i nP arly $150,000. This amount expenditure of nearly $25,000 in (%- will establish a recqrd in 'l^uncie
cess of the
present administration. The street department, the park department, ’the city engineer’s office were other factors in the requests for more money to spend than was provided by the budget as fixed for the pres-
ent year.
At the hearing conducted by Commissioner Walsman, he was accredited with the statement that such actions would result' into a showdown as to the validity of the present law requiring all special appropriations and bond issues to be approved by the state tax board. In the local case, automobiles were purchased for the police department without any funds made available with which to pay for the same. Police officers were continued on the payroll although
ation of the state tax board, the present civil city officers should succeed in placing Muncie in the bankrupt column before the end of their respective terms of office. The bond issue proposed for $221,000 was approved at one-third the amount with the consent of the administration. These funds will be expended for street- repairs, payment of claims for new police autos already bought, and the construction of a new city barn on Hoyt avenue. Of course, the issue of bonds are subject to the $1.50 tax limitation law and may only be paid with the consent of taxing officials at the time they become due. The bond does not become a mandatory debt of the city, but merely
g moral obligation.
Mystery
The Sunday Star will carry another full page entitled “America Speaks,” ihe page hmng sponsored by the mysterious “American In stit.ute of Public Opinion.” The page displays, which pur po?i to reflect a cioss-section view of America’s opinion of .certain phases of the New Deal, is sent out of New York by Dr. George Gallup, and it represents itself as drawing its conclusions by a careful poll of all classes of voters in every part of the country. Since nobody in Muncie ever heard of George Callup or of the “American Institute of Public Opinion,” and since a careful research here fails to disclose the name of a single person whose “opinion” has been sought, there are grounds for the suspicion that it is just another page ad promoted and paid for by one of the holding companies of the Republican National committee, ; At least if the Star is xfot befttg paid for it, it. is being cheaied, stud so are its other numem^s advertisers, who do not congeal their identity, and are required to pay a good price per inch for every advertisement. the> pljtce in the
Star.
Tuesday’s edition carried a first page, double column display advertisement. a choice pbsition
budget appropriatiotvkai- unpaid expenditures, by « city, denied to its Muncie cash cus- sested. that a , committee should for 1925 was also an act of ( ho ~i milll;M l , )li(jn . With (lie A, oprr Turners, announcing that on Sim- nan..-.!, pan. official _ aarf par
Jim Watson Sweats as Government Digs Into His Takeoff
The Corn-Hog Vote
The nation voted last Saturday on the corn-hog feature of the triple A feature of the New Deal and eighty-five percent of the vote favored a continuance of the program next year. In Indiana the vote stood nine to one New Deal and Delaware county, normally Republican by a substantial majority, led all other counties in the state in upholding this vital Roosevelt policy. The vote in this county stood 1565 for and 111 against a continuation of the federal farm act, the ratio being fifteen to one. A labored editorial in the Star following the election sought to create the impression that every federal appointee worked to get out the vote, and selected Democrats in every precinct were on the job to see that farmers poked in their ballots, and that propagandists for the administration did all the urging while the opposition remained silent and bashfully backward in expressing their sentiments. With such a campaign being waged, according to the newspaper version, it was not surprising that the vote turned out the way it did. The Star seems to forget that none but Republican daily newspapers circulate in this locality, and the Star itself, which is taken by ninety percent of the farmers around here has been one of the bitterest opponents in America of every phase of the New Deal. It is all very silly therefore to say that farmers have heard only one side of the question, when they are daily regaled with booming editorials praising the patriotism of those who oppose the AAA and holding up to scorn and ridicule those who uphold it. The Star is one of the best morning newspapers for a city of this size in the United States, but. if it will pardon us for the suggestion it is taken tor the news it contains and the people being broad minded don’t mind its editorials. And that election! Did anybody see busy precinct workers dragging unwilling Delaware county farmers out of their cornfields to vote? Not that you could notice. It was actually the quietest election we ever heard of. A careful inquiry has failed to disclose the name of a single individual who was even solicited to vote. The vote was entirely voluntary. Why darn it, the editor of the Post-Democrat has a farm in Union township and he forgot to vote, in fact didn’t know it was election day until it was all over. Can you beat that?
Finkelstein, Indicted for Evading Income Tax on Questionable Fee of $150,000 Says He Gave Watson Half of It—the Big Indiana Gas Balloon Becomes Very Explanatory — Indicted Lawyer Discloses That He Was the Indiana Senator’s Perpetual Campaign Manager. Music treasures its Rubenstein, Relativity Its Einstein, The Chamber of Horrors points with pride to its Frankenstein, but former Senator Jim Watson is suddenly confronted by a Finklestein. This Mr. Finklestein is a Chicago lawyer under federal indictment, for evading national income tax. He is charged with failure to report a fee of $150,000 for representing a radio outfit that needed influential friends in Washington in 1929 when Jim was senator. Watson Got His — rrrrri—:—rw Mr. Finkelstein rather resents save him $50,000, but his memory
the implication that he received
all the money. He says he gave Watson $75,000, half of the alleged “fee” that he earned. Astonishingly, Mr. Finklestein relates that he was Senator Watson’s campaign manager, which is news indeed to Indiana, and especially in Muncie, where the former senator possesses a small band of faithful admirers and apologists, who confess now that they had never heard of Finklestein. Jim does not deny that the gentleman under indictment was his campaign manager but he rather haltingly denies that he received any such a sum as that mentioned by the Chicago lawyer. He rather thinks though that Finkelstein
is rather at fault concerning tlm exact amount, but whether it was $75,000 or a mere trifle of $50,000, it is pretty evident to the mine run of folks that the senator business was looking up in 1929. That Open Book Former Senator Watson’s in come is now being carefully scrutinized by the department of justice, but Jim’s life is an open book—with most of the leaves
torn out.
Nevertheless the former Republican leader of the senate has not overlooked the slight formality of hiring a lawyer named King, who happens to be a brother of United
Auto License Chief
FRANK FINNEY Motor Vehicle Licent* Commissioner When a newspaper man is honored with appointment to a public office, the public usually expects to see a high degree of public service being rendered. That tradition has been kept to the letter by Frank Finney, editor of the Martinsville Democrat, who became Indiana’s Commissioner of motor vehicle licenses when Paul V. Mc-
Nutt also from Martinsville, be-
States Senator King, Democrat, oi came Governor. One of the first re(Continued On Page Six) (Continued From Page One)
day the “America Speaks” page will give the result of a nationwide poll, answering the question “Should the Supreme Court’s Pow-
er Re Crushed?”
Elsewhere in the Issue Charles Michelson, director of publicity for the Democratic National committee, discusses the Galluping genius and his new-horn forum of “Public Opininon" which should be thoroughly read and digested by people here ana elsewhere before they become too deeply in-
terested in it.
Di\ Gallup failed to poll the question that will he solved Sunday. If he had the answer would
have simply been “Yes.” DRIVERSARE ON THE FRINGE OF LUNATICS
100 Per Cent Deaf to Elementary Principles
of Reason
A peculiar condition has arisen in Muncie. The chamber of commerce, which has normally functioned as a commercial body, attending strictly to the business of soberly going to the polls on election day and voting the Republican ticket, and making feeble gestures in the way of ordering public reform, has suddenly bloomed into commanding position, and snaps orders to the Democratic city administration in a manner that would make a hard boiled drill sergeant turn green with envy. Original C. of C. Foe , t ^ at tde executive seems to And oddly the mayor, who made j be somewhat in d{mbt h i mself) a p
his political delml in Muncie a
generation ago as the arch enemy of the “commercial club,” as it was then known, has subdued the wrath which possibly pervades his soul, and has not once raised his voice to register indignant protest against this infamous invasion
Jby |$-s^ancient enemy.
Tints kdien a committee from the clr/imber of commerce called an the mayor one day this week, arid calmly laid befopd him a planned program decided upon by the chamber as a business-like chart for the city to follow in its major activities, the mayor did not explode and order his visitors out. He even took the gaff without flinching when ihe. visitors.
selected from mere citizens, the committee to supervise street construction, traffic rules and
other municipal activities. W5tb his fingers probably
crossed the mayor informed the committee he welcomed suggestions, was deeply impressed and would give the matters under discussion the consideration they de-
served.
It was an answer that would do credit to any one of the old world diplomats who hate Mussolini but speak gently, hut, as one of the mayor’s old-time boosters said; “I can’t hardly believe that; Doctor Roll certainly isn’t turning
panty waist.”
Citizens’ Gatherings
Joe Meredith is the president of the chamber of commerce and has been holding twice-a-day meetings with various groups of citizens in which all are invited to discuss various phases of city government. One gathers from the general trend of these discussions that the chamber of commerce and its invited visitors are not altogether satisfied with the manner in which the city administration has been rapidly progressing backward. Reduced to its lowest common denominator the concensus seems to be that the city hall needs a guardian, and this opinion is shared by many who could not be dragged into the holies of the
“There is a lunatic of drivers who chamber of commerce with a yoke
create hazards, for themselves and everyone else, as they rush on their heedless way,” said an article in the Ladies’ Home Journal for July, 1935. “They are the 5 to 10 per cent of drivers who are responsible for 90 per cent of all accidents.” This “lunatic fringe” has so far shown itself to be 100 per cent deaf to the most elementary principles of reason. Its members know that excessive speed Is the most prolific of all causes of serious accidents, and that a collision that would be unimportant at 20 miles an hour will probably prove fatal at sixty—yet they continue to push the throttle through the floorboards. They know that passing on hills and curves is an invitation, to the coroner—yet so important does time seem to them that they are perfectly willing to risk their nocks and the necks of other drivers to save a few usually unimportant minutes. May Mean Sudden Death They know that weaving in and out of traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road and similar stupid practices, may mean sudden death in one of its most horrible forms— yet they persist in these practices. They know that many accidents, fatal and minor alike, can be attributed to cars in faulty mechanical condition—yet they continue driving many an “old heap” when its horn is silent, its lights are either glaring or inadequate, its steering shimmies, and its brakes are about as valuable a stopping device, as the accelerator. Result: an annual death toll that (Continued On Page Six) <
of oxen. A Guardianship Proposed And the curious part of it
though it is questionable whether or not he is willing to accept the guardianship of the chamber of commerce. However, the chamber of commerce seertis to have established itself as a spokesman, or ambassador representing the people of Muncie. Whether it is to be an ambassador without portfolio, rests entirely with the mayor. The people of Muncie are waiting for him to speak up and either declare that the mayor and his departments are competent and capable of administering the affairs of the city jvithout the aid of e^tra-legal assistance, or admit failure and petition for a gnartlianship. - Five Years’ Quiet The former mayor got along very comfortably with the chamber of commerce during his five years in office and at no time during that period was there any evidence of record that offers were made from that quarter to tell him what to do. and this in the face of the fact that he has no patience with the hard boiled Republican United States Chamber of Commerce, of which the Muncie branch is a unit. There was never a time during that period that the chamber of commerce or any of its affiliates or any other private citizen or organization ever appeared before the council, the county tax adjustment board or the state board of tax comissioners to protest any tax rate, bond issue or special appropriation proposed by the city administration. Contrasting that five year period is the record of the present ten-month-old city administration. Short-time loans for $120,000 first started a rumble. The rumble rose to a roar of protest w T hen the mayor proposed a tax levy of $1.62, in contrast w r ith the existent 89 cent
rate.
Bush Takes up Sword Lester Bush, secretary-manager of the chamber of commerce, w r as the spokesman before the council and the tax adjustment board to lead the fight against the rapacity of the new and strange “gimmie” spirit that pervaded the air. By the time the council and tax (Continued On Page Six)
m %
AW, FORGET IT
A compliation of state papers during the Harding administration discloses that Charles Evans Hughes, then secretary of state, but now chief justice of the United States supreme court, addressed a note to the Cuban government, then in a quandary over an immense over-production of sugar cane, advising over his signature that cane raisers should plow under a large portion of the growing crop. And now the matured conclusion of Justice Hughes when he w r as a mere secretary of state, is raising cane with the crow r d that has been using tho^e w’ords, “plow’ under,” as its most thunderous anathema aimed at President Roosevelt. In doubt as to the propriety of publishing the “deadly parallel," quoting the words of a chief justice written at a time when New Deals and prosperity were committed -to the Republican party for solution, those who ran across the state paper, appealed to Charley Michelson, the extremely competent press agent of the Democratic national committee for advice. “Suppress that? I should say not!” was the exclamation. “It is a complete answer to the critics who want to plow under the present national administration.” Charley Michelson probably felt somew’hat like the manager of a professional wrestler did w’hen a w r restling match was pulled off In Muncie some years ago in the old Wysor theatre, and when his opposing strategist advised the other w r restler that his own manhandler had a bad boil on the back of his neck, “so go easy on the boil.” Did he go easy on the boil? He did not. In fact he avoided head spins, strangle holds, head-on bumps in the gizzard, toe twists, scissors holds, face contortions and all other devices of an orthodox nature. He worked exclusively on that boil until that the overgrown pimple bore the appearance of a ripe tomato that had been run over by a balloon tire and its unfortunate possessor lay so flat on the mat that the referee couldn’t count the number of “points” down. If a chief justice of the supreme court has a boil on his neck that needs massaging, v.’hy let it come to a head peacefully and unobtrusively when we can have so much fun squashing it?
f* 5
,
o /Z
J L