Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 27, Number 74, Decatur, Adams County, 27 March 1929 — Page 1

weather I 9 Not much K ■ Hire. I

BANDITS ROB BANK AT INDIANAPOLIS

I nickel plate I TRAINS CRASH, I 3 MEN KILLED ■*’ — Three Trainmen Meet Death In Accident At Edwardsville, Illinois WRECK OCCURS ON clover leaf BRANCH Edwardsville. Hl. -Three trainmen we<■ killed and two were injured in a head-on collie,ion between two freight trains of .he Nnickel Plate ssytein near the Edwardsville station. Fire followed the crash and the bodies of the victims were not recovered until firemen had extinguished the flames. Fourteen cars piled up in the crjsh. The dead: John Franklin, 38, engineer. Charleston. 111.. Frank Adair, 30, fireman. Charleston, 11l , O. T. Bendey, 30. brakeman, Charleston. 111, The injured were Harry Smith, engineer. cut ami bruised and J. N. Kittle. fireman, fractured skull. Ttaintnen attributed the crash tt> confused orders, but the blame has not been fixed. The wreck referred to in the above I story occured on the Clover Leaf division of the Nickel Plate, which runs through this city, according to officials at the local office of the Nickel Plate road. i — o — Panic At Prize Fight Is Fatal To Spectator Chicago, Mar. 27. —(U.R) —With one spectator dead and two others near death, a three-fold investigation into the panic in the Coliseum Monday night was under way today. Herman Landfield, who was pushed est the baJcany at the helghth of tho panic while Jackie Fields and Young Jack Thompson were fighting died of a skull fracture Two o'hers, Alonzo Stroud and John Mahoney, who also were crowd- • ed off the balcony, were in a serious condition with fractured legs and internal injuries. The Illinois Boxing commission and Coroner Herman N. Bundesen started investigations, the commission to consider banning mixed fights and the I coroner into the death of Landfield. The city council also looked into whether building laws had been I violated. Thirty-five persons w’ere injured, in the panic which started when two negroes started a ffght over the merits of the boxers and drew weapons. Once started the panic grew until the Coliseum was in a pandemonium. Claim Man Stole SI,OOO Ring Off Corpse’s Finger Attica, Ind., Mar. 27 (UP) jarred with stealing a $1,500 diamond ring from the finger of a dead n. a " as the 1,0(1 y lay in the casket, I hp Rader, 33, Indianapolis, was held in jail | ]ere today. H ail er. said to have been the last view the body, was cafftured short- ■ a ter the theft was discovered, but aulhom.es failed to find the ring. fflY CONVICTS ATTICA SLAYER Li fe Imprisonment Recommended For Kenneth Ratcliff, Age 27 y ‘Hiamsport, Ind., Mar. 27,—(U.R)— cliff i “ pr . isonmen t for Kenneth Rata inrv '' i. l ? ca ' was recommended by ren <q Ch found llim guilt y in Warof Vi 'i CUIt court to( lay of the murder “unty°tl “ er ßrlgg8 ’ wea,thy Warren Harle.. K r< Rm. Waß received by Judge senten, , Bl lng ’ who will pronounce Tbe Jury deliberated ‘he'slam 6 B ' UCe Briggs > a nephew c.f sentence ”° W Berving a life at the n he m,,rtler - He testified i trial tb *t Ratcliff did ed Briggs a . hooting - The state charguncle m ,?' red KafeWf to kill his herit part of ( '}° Pe ' hat he would fn " Part of the estate. Indi^ Orn Borer Law Upheld state's S iß t ’ D Ma r 27> ~ <U ’ R) ~ The eradicating » enforce measures for ana farm “ ° f the corn borer on IndiColl rt today"^ 8 111)1101(1 by tbe appelate I

DECATUR DA 11. J DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXVII. No. 74.

Still Missing fcf $ 1. B T1 T. Ray Finucane, Rochester. N. Y.. millionaire, one of four men who left Norfolk. Va.. in Sikorsky amphibian plane several days ago for New York, has not been heard from since.

TO OBSERVE GOOD FRIDAY Business To Be Suspended Here For Three Hours Next Friday A general observance of the Three Hours, commemorating the three hours which Christ spent on the cross ih His program of redemption for mankind, will be held in Decatur Frida v afternoon from 12 o’clock noon to"o'clock, P. M Retail stores, offices and, in several cases, factories and manufacturing plants will close during ttie three hours. The banks will close also. A union church service of all Protestant churches will be held at the Reformed church, beginning at 12 o’clock and continuing until 3 o’clock. The ministers of the different churches will each participate in the service and there will lie special music by the different choirs. The Thtee Hours will also be observed at the St. Marys Catholic church. Private devotions, the making of the Way of the Cross and hearing of preparatory to receiving Holy Communion, on Easter Sunday, will be held. For several years, the Three Hours have been observed in Decatur and each year the beautiful custom is more generally observed. Highway Department Buys Portable Scales To Weigh Trucks On Road Indianapolis. Mar. 27. — (U.R)—Five new motorcycles and a pair of portable scales have been purchased for the state police and trucks with <i weight, with load, in excess of 26.000 pounds are to be halted and the driver’s fined, Secretary of State Otto G. Fifield, has announced. o Gasoline Tax To Go Up One Cent April 1 Indianapolis, Mar. 27.—(U.R. I—Motorists must dig up one more cent a gallon for gasoline starting Monday, April 1 when the four-cent gaso’ine tax enacted by the recent legislature goes into effect. An added $4,000,000 or $5,000,000 annual boost in road building funds for the state highway department 4s the object of the increase. Gasoline company officials here do not contemplate any increase in gasoline prices Monday beyond the onecent tax boost. * King George Able To Officiate At Ceremony Bognor, Susex. England, Mar. 27.— (U.R)—King George officiated at a ceremony today as the monarch ot Great Britain for the first time since his illness began. The king granted an audience in Craigweil house to Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who formally presented the new archbishops of Canterbury and York, who paid homage and swore allegiance to the king. It was the first time since his illness began that the king had conferred with the prime minister. The two chatted together for several minutes before the ceremony.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

*<■!», Nnllonni And lu(rrnniluuu|

MANY PEOPLE VISIT JAIL TO SEE BANDITS Four Men Held Here On Bank Robbery Charge Talk Freely With Visitors MORE OF LOOT REPORTED FOUND Hundreds of people from northern Indiana continued to file in and out ■ of the Adams county jail yesterday and today to see R. W. Siniff, Eime. Wood. Everett (Jack) Gaither uml J. Phillip Chamberlain, held on charges of bank robbery in connection with the holdup, March 14, of the Bank of Linn Grove and six other bank robberies. All four men talked freely with visitors and their great popularity among their fellow workmen on the Pennsylvania railroad was shown by the many personal visitors that have come to the local jail to visit with them. Fellow Employe Breaks Down One aged employe of the Pennsylvania railroad talked to the men and then broke down and cried, stating that he couldn’t believe l hat the men were guilty even after they had told him so with their own months. . All of the visitors who knew the men personally stated that the alleged bandits were always fair and square with their dealings on the railroad and that they would go out of their way to do good deeds for their fellow employes. Intend To Plead Guilty The four men reiterated again Tuesday night that they Intended to plead guilty to bank robbery, but no date has been set for their arraignment in Adams circuit court. A great deal of myglery surrounds the recovery of $360 more of the loot from the Linn Grove robbery. The total amount recovered as made public amounts to about SI,OOO now. There is still about SI,OOO as yet unaccounted for in the public press. Believe Part of Loot Spent It is not known whether the rest of the money has been recovered or (COVTIXVF.n r>N PICK TWOI TWO VERSIONS OF DRY RAID DEATH Self-Defense And Fanatical Action Are Two Versions In Slaying Aurora, 111., Mar. 27.—(U.R)—Out of the maze of statemen’s about the "death-for-a-gallon" slaying of Mrs. Lillian DeKing by dry raiders, emerged today two distinct versions—that she was killed by Deputy Sheriff Roy Smith in self defense and that she was murdered in a fanatical effort to enforce prohibition in a district where the law is regarded lightly. Both versions had their adherents, State’s Attorney George Carbary saying "I am satisfied Smith shot the woman in self defense," and Robert A. Milroy, attorney who was talking over the telephone to Mrs.' DeKing when she was shot vowing he would erystalize public wrath “into a move for justice.” MiWoyi said today unless immediate action is taken against the dryraiders he will petition for a special grand jury and special prosecutor to take the case out of the hands of Carbary. Known as dripping wet, Aurora was aroused by the raid and slaying, branding it as “death-for-a-gallon” killing on contrast to Michigan’s “life-ftar-a-pint" law. A gallon of wine was all the liquor found in the DeKing home by '.he raiders. Milroy said he had determined that no warrant was made out on the name of the DeKings; that it had not been shown to the DeKings by the raiders and that DeKing never bad been convicted of violating the dry law. —• __ o _ Julius Haugk Expects To Erect New Houses Julius Haugh is planning to build one or two houses on his lots on West Jefferson street and on South Seventh street- The old egg case factory which formerly occupied the half block at the corner of Jefferson and Seventh streets, has been torn down and Mr. Haugh stated that he probably would build one or two houses this spring and more if anyone wanted to buy one.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, March 27, 1929.

I Prince Os Wales Performs His First Kingly Duty Today London, Mar. 27 —(UP —The Prince lof Wales performed his first actual kingly duty today when he Invested with their insignia part of the men and women whose names appeared in the recently published New Year honor list. Under formal circumstances, the king is tho only person who can confer knighthood. He is the "fountain of honor" and It was necessary for the king personally to sign a royal warrant with the “sign Manuel" In order to transfer his hereditary right to his son. ICE JAM CAUSES DAMAGING FLOOD Bombing Planes Sent To Bismarck, N. I)., To Break Jam In Missouri River Bismarlr, N- D. Mar. 27 —(UP) — Flood waters of the ice-locked Miss uri river swept over thousands of acres of rich agricultural lands today and inundated parts of Bismarck and Mandan as the huge gorge at HuiT, 20 miles routh of continued to hod. Ten thousand pounds of dynamite wore to be "shot" in the mountainous jam around noon and if that failed i to dislodge the barrier army bombing 1 planes were to bombard the jam from the air. A bomber from Wright Fie’d, Dayton, ().. and three smaller planes from Selfridge Field, Mt. Clemens. Mich., were expected during the morning from Minneapolis where they stopped for the night enroute west. The “B’g Muddy” went .out of its banks during the night when a torI rent of ice and water rushed down the valley from Indepenence and ’ Sanish where ice jams had earlier loosed their burdens. Today the river wax more than three feet above flood level here and there were indications that it would go still higher. Farmers in the lowlands had been ■ warned of the danger and fled to the I bluffs driving their stock before them. Cumber land Reaches Chest Nashville, Tenn., Mar. 27. —(U.R) — I The flood crest of the Cumberland) river was expected to be reached i here today with the stage a little be-I II low 50 feet. Police kept an all night vigil and | worked steadily removing families from the flooded areas where water wag. rising during the nigh’, More I than 200 families have been driven | from their homes and many others will be removed today under police direction. The rise was slightly over a foot last night, reaching the 47.5 mark this morning. In several sections of the city the • water has climbed will over first, floors and in two sections had prac1 ticaily covered roofs of abandoned houses. > _u. o Two Auto Equipment Industries To Merge Indianapolis, Mar. 27. —(U.R) — The > Noblitt Sparks Indus:ries, Inc., Indit anapoli.’, and the Borg-Warner Cor- ; poration, Chicago, both manufactur- ; ers of automobile equipment, will be I united in a merger, it has been learn- * ed here. It was understood that the deal - would be closed soon. r Officers of the Indianapolis com--1 panjA have confirmed the proposed j merger, but. refused to issue a formal f statement. SCOUTS SEEK PORTER ESTATE t — ’ Plans Under Way For Boy s Scouts To Obtain Author’s Rome City Estate Kendallville, Ind., Mar. 27.—(U.R) — Plans are under way whereby the An- , thiny Wayne area of Boy Scouts will ’ assume ownership of the estate of 3 Gene Stratton Porter, Hoosier autii- (. or, it was learned here. , The es’ate, known as “Llmberlost” [j is situated on a lake near Rome City, t Ind. It was understood that a $20,000 .. offer for the estate has been made to i Leo Meehan, administrator of the g estate, and son-in-law of the famous ■. poet.

Trudy, Deaf, Didn’t Hear Judge Say, ’’Suspended”

Speeding Case Reveals That Swimming Has Injured Her Ears New York, Mar. 27. — Gertrude Ederle, so deaf she could not hear the magistrate, smiled happily when a traffic court attendant shouted into her ear sentence had been suspended after she had pleaded guilty of speeding on Riverside Drive. She won the suspension. Miss Ederle was told, because of the glory s]je brought her country by swimming the English Channel and because of the explanation she offered for her offense. Charge Overshadowed The revelation of Miss Ederle’s fight, against deafness since 1926. when she conquered the Channel, completely overshadowed the traffic charge, on which a warrant had been issued for her arrest. About eight months ago, she said, it liecame apparent her hearing was failing rapidly. She had just completed movie and vaudeville contracts. *Three months later, at her Pelham home, she said, she could hear only the most terrific noises. Since then she has been under treatment and her hearing has improved. Miss Ederle was ordered into Traffic Court on February 18 and March 18 on the speeding charge, but failed to appear on either date. On March 18 Magistrate Rosenbluth issued a warrant. Yesterday she explained she had not heard of either order until Thursday, when she read of them in the newspapers at. Highland, N. L, where she had been staying with a friend. Late for Appointment In pleading guilty of speeding Miss Ederle said she was late for an appointment with her ear doctor and drove faster when she saw traffic was I’ght. As she was leaving the court someone asked her if it were really true that she had been totally deaf five months ago. She replied smilingly’ “Yes. I couldn't even hear the sweet words my boy friend was telling me —that was the worst of it. Just think I might have missed a proposal." o STOCK MARKET STEADIER TODAY Optimism Pervades Market After Tuesday’s Wild Trading New York, March 27 —(UP)— Optimism prevaded the stock market today after yesterday's wild 8,000,000 share trading. The rally which closed the previous session in the face of 20 per cent call money was resumed at today’s opening. Then, after a short period cf irregularity, transactions proceeded at a quieter, more confident pace. Call money was at 15 percent. Trading at noon compared with yesterday as follows: Shares Today Yesterday 10 to 10:30 800,600 705.400 10:30 to 12:00 ..1,320,300 2,124,000.. Total to noon ..2,120,900 2.839,400 The outstanding incident of the day was a reduction of 1-8 of one per cent in bankers’ acceptainces. This rate was raised a few days ago and the rise helped precipitate the stock market bleak. On News of the reduction today the market rose one to 10 points above the previous closing levels. 0 Express Company Sued For Money Taken In Robbery South Bend, Ind., Mar. 27. —.'ll.R' — Suit for SIO,OOO has been filed in superior court here by the American Trust company against the American Railways Express company to recover money taken in robbery. The trust company's money was part of the contents of a truck robbed Sept. 11, 1928, while being driven to the New York Central railroad station here, for shipmen’ to the Chicago branch of the Federal Reserve bank. If was the contention of the plaiu- ■ tiff that as a common carier the exI press company was liable for losses ’ in goods it transports. Patient Escapes From Hospital ' Indianapolis, Mar. 27. —(U.R)—Lowell . Parker, 45, Bloomfield, a patient at Norway’s sanitorium, escaped today i from a cot to which he had been > strapped. Police investigated and t said the bed straps had been cut. i Parker was wearing a bathrobe and night gown.

I’urnlMlird lly I itllrd l*r<*N«

’ 'i- > ww? H > £ - & & K' T, gS® ft i I f ’ '■ 1 Ujt J ■ ■ * GERTRUDE FF" * ALCAPONEiS -- UNDER ARREST Notorious Chicago Gang Leader Faces Charges Os Contempt Os Court Chicago, Mar. 27 —U.R?-The United States government today arrested “Scarface” Al Capone, notorious Chicago gang leader, on a charge of contempt of federal court growing out of his attempt to dodge a federal grand jury summons. The warrant was served on Capone as he emerged from the grand jury room in the federal building where lie was being questioned concerning the activities of beer runners in the suburb of Chicago Heights. He gave bond of $5,000 and returned immediately to his suite in the Lexington hotel. Although his name has been linked with almost every major crime in the Chicago underworld in the last five years this was the first time that the "big shot” of beerdom had been arrested in three years. His previous arrest was on a grand jury indictment charging violation of the prohibition (CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT) o Relative Os Geneva People Shoots Himself Geneva, March 27— (Special)—Word has been received here that Raymond Linton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe LinJon of Hemlock. Michigan, relatives of the Linton families in this community, is in a critical condition as the result of shooting himself at Saginaw, Michigan, last week. It has not been learned here whether the shot was accidental or an attempt at suicide. The bulet passed through one lung near the heart. Mr Linton is reported to be making improvement and, unless cmplications develop, is expected to recover. He had been staying with his sister. Mrs. Clarence Hoch, at Mid land. Michian., and working at a chemical plant. o Officers Elected By DePauw Student Body Greencastle, Ind., Mar. 27. —(U.R) — Franklin P. Cole, Warsaw, DePauw University junior, has been eelcted president of the •student body. No candidate opposed him. Miss Cora Ewan, Cuba, 111., was elected vicepresident; Miss Betty Neely, Sturgis, Mich., secretary and Fred Rollbins, Tulsa, Okla., treasurer. o Charges To Be Filed Against Williams Soon Indianapolis, March 27 — (UP) — Charges against director John D Williams of the state highway department, have been prepared by attorney general James M. Ogden and will be filed with the state highway commission Thursday, Ogden announced today. Commissioners will then serve notice of hearing for next week. Williams will be given a copy of the charges, which will stress "neglect of duty" it was reported. This will be based largely on the allegations that the road construction voted by all commissioners and demanded in a written order, was countermanded verbally by Williams, it was said.

Price Two Cents

FIVE MEN LOOT EAST SIDE BANK, GETTING 55,000 Take Giri Employe With Them To Prevent Being Shot Bv Pursuers ALL OF BANDITS CARRY REVOLVERS Indianapolis, Mar. 27.— ( U R >— Four bandits robbed the East Side State bank here today of $5,000, while an accomplice wailed near the scene in an automobile. The quintet escaped. At the points of revolvers, the men forced K. I’. Cam]4iell, assistant cashier, to hand over approximately $1,900 in cash that he had before him at his window. C. M. Bechtold, cashier, was relieved of all currency in his cage. They overlooked $1,500. Miss Dorothy Edwards and Louise Regan, employes <♦ the bank, were in the bank at the time. Force Girl Into Auto After scooping up the money, the quartet forced Miss Edwards into their automobile and sped westward. The woman was forced from the machine near the city limits. According to the cashiers, all the men had revolvers. The bandits told Miss Edwards? when they kidnapped her that "no one will shoot at us if you are along." o Hammond Man Fined For Buying Liquor Hammond, Ind., Mar. 27. —(U.R) What is believed to he the first conviction in Indiana for purchasing liquor was obtained in the case of Hugh Stewart who was sent to jail and fined sl°o and costs because he bought intoxicating liquor from Dock Ward, a friend. — o School Board Accepts Resignation Os Teacher At a special meeting of the city school board at noon today, the resignation of Miss Dora Marie Magley, instructor of the eighth grade classes in reading and hygiene at the Central school, was accepted. Miss Magley today announced her marriage to Dan Aughenbaugh, which occured last August. Mis. Cora Downs, supply teacher, will fill the vacancy in the teaching corps until a permanent teacher is employed. o Gov. Long Wins Point In Impeachment Scrimmage Baton Range, La., Mar. 27.—(U.R) — Governor Huey P. Long, facing impeachment by. the legislature on charges of plotting the assassination of a political opponent in the house of representatives, and 18 other counts won the first, impeachment scrimmage tn the house today when J. n. Fournet, regular speaker, was permitted to take his seat over the protest of Long’s opponents. MODEL PLANES DEMONSTRATED Members of Boys Aero Club Demonstrate Models At Lions Club Meeting A demonstration of model airplanes was given by members of the Boys Aero club at the weekly meeting of the Lions Club, held at the Decatur high school building, last night. A meal was served to the Lions ami their boy guests in the domestic science room of the high school building and the demonstration was held in the gymnasium. Four‘-members of the Aero club, Don (Miller, Marcellus Miller. Dick Macklin and Paul Hancher, were present to display their model airplanes. The flying power of the various types , of planes was demonstrated. An f effort will he made to interest more boys in the work of building model j airplanes and to increase the niember--1 ship in the Aero club. It is probable - that a model airplane tournament wiil - be held later In the vear. t G. H. Wehmeyer was fn charge of the Lions Club meeting last night.

YOUR HOME PAPERLIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY i