Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 33, Number 157, Decatur, Adams County, 3 July 1935 — Page 1

Vol. XXXIII. No. 157.

Plans Os Roosevelt Are Threatened By Rebellious House

Lobby Inquiry Certain To Make President's Efforts At Control More Difficult < — INQUIRY MONDAY Washington. July 3. (U.R) Presideai Roosevelt's legislative plans wtre threat' tied today by a rebellious house which spurned his utility control bill and ordered a lobby inquiry certain to restrict the eajnioi activities of his ‘'contact men." A second and more extensive (ohbyliiK investigation cleared its St first hurdle in the senate today. • The senate interstate commerce <oiiimlttee| reported favorably the * resolution of Sen. Hugo L. Black, D.. Ala., for appropriation of $150,000 tor gbgaenate inquiry into all lobbying activities in connection with the bill. Black’s Resolution now must lie passed by Abe committee on audit i and control which must approve all demands for special senate expenditures. The resounding house defeat, 258 to 147 of the President's cherished "death sentence” holding company hill, virtually served notice on the White House that the Democratic majority hereafter cannot be relied on to rubber stamp adminisratkm legislation. Endangered by the break in muse Democratic ranks are adminstration plans for continuing the Tennessee valley authority uncurb'd, and gfcHiin- through this season the tax-the rich program. Lead- . a privately want to shelve the atter to force early adjournment. The house utility regulation bill. ,pposed by the President, now oes to the senate. A last ditch 'iuiinisiratioii tight "ill be made londay to prevent the senate from ; übstltuting -the house bill for its wn. The "death sentence" proision in the senate or Roosevelt di was apprcsl last month by a L (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) 11* :$»$"» ■- o — ariGHTER PAROLE f SYSTEM URGED tate Clemency Commission Will Adopt Stricter leniency System —• Indianapolis, July 3— (U.R) — A Rghter parole system, one point which will be a requirement — at all persons sentenced to life ’.prisonment. serve at least 15 >ars before their pleas for lenn ? will be heard, will be adopt--4 by the state clemency comiesion at its next meeting, it was arned here today. The new policy is expected to I • adopted when the commission eets for its summer session rly in August, and follows a neral plea of U. S. department justice to tighten parole sysk ms throughout the country. . While the commission is , cted to adopt other more-rigid gulations concerning paroles of sers th short and long-term con>ads :ts,« ; he 15-yenr rule on "lifers” ” is considered the most important. asc . The 15-year rule Las been pruned by the commission for eevU years, but has not been a * •. jd finite policy. With promulga- 1 n of the definite rule, no ex- ' itions will be made. Cost The commission has been less I _;ient in its rulings since the • torious escapades of John Dil- ’ (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) I '"’Miyig —o i >cal Rotarians At Bluff ton Club Jr. and Mrs. C. E. Bell and Mr. 1 Mrs. Harry Dodd of this city fended the'meeting of the Rotary , i b at Bluffton last evening. Hitt ’fte dub entertained the wives J ;inC* flW 't'?theart.s of the members. ( x Markley was installed as pre- , < f the club. —l’eaturQs of the program ware the ( ts given by President and Mrs. | r'fley on the convention of Ro- | y International held in Mexico y, Mexico. lust mouth. Mr. and" < I. Markley attended th? . onven- < 1 as delegates from the Bluff- i club. t 'he speakers told of their interng trip to Mexico and gave the t Mights of the big Rotary con- < tion. 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

CITY WILL AID AT STREET FAIR Council Acts To Furnish Electric Current Here During Fair The city council in its regular meeting last night determined to charge SSO for the labor and material nee. ssary to hook-up the rides at the Decatur Free Street Fair next August. Tlie city will donite the current used by the rides and the free acts. The light department has made this contribution to former fairs. Free light and hookups are also furnished at the live stock exhibits. Private concessions will be charged a flat rate of $1 for cut-ins to the city electric line. They will be charged 50 cents per 50 watt bulb used during the week. This has been the customary charge. A petition filed by Roy Johnson and other* to transfer the ornamental lights now on second street to T nth street was referred to the electric light committee. These light (posts on Second street will be removed when the | n w ornamental lighting system is I instilled. This will be done as soon [•-a the n-w federal work relief program is begun. The city has an application f r 50 to 75 men to work on this other projects. A petition by Schafer company coking the ity to install a light in the alley north of its office was also r ferred to the electric light committee. It was reported that results have been obtained from the letters I y th • representatives of the state board of accounts to dlinquent municipal utility consumers. A meeting of the, city councU, the mayor and the city attorney to set up regulations concerning the matt r will be held next week. o— Party Planned To Honor Miss Fogle Miss Mildred Fogle of Geneva. I who was graduated last week from ' Moos heart was in the city yesterday. She w s the guest of Mr. and I Mrs. Charles Heare. Mr. Heare is secretary >f the lo al Moose lodge. Arrangements are being made to honor Miss Fogle at a meeting to b held at the Moose club in this! city, probably on July 11. A committee w .s named by the lodge to meet with the Ladies Auxiliary of the Moose to (plan the meeting and fix a definite date. Miss F gle is the first Adams County person to graduate from Mooseheart. Her sisters and brothers are still at Moosehe rt. HOPE TO END CASE TONIGHT Closing Arguments Scheduled In Huntington Power Fight Today Huntington. Ind., July 3. —(U.PJ — Hostilities between Mayor Clare' W. H. Bangs and the Northern Indiana Power company Teopened in Huntington circuit court today with c.’osing arguments on a suit tiled by the utility. The suit seeks a permanent injunction to prevent the tiny municipal electric plant from competing with the power company in sale of current to domestic and com 1 mercial customers. Although the final arguments were unlimited, it was hoped the case could go to Special Judge David E. Smith, Fort Kayne, by evening adjournment. One item of evidence relating to sale of electricity to a civilian conservation corps camp was Introduced by the city today at the close of the presentation of direct testimony. Bangs, in jail on a contempt charge growing out of the utility fight, was freed to attend today’s hearing. The city contends it has operated a utility since 1885 and was given permission of the public service commission in 1913 and 1914 to sell current to the public. The power company contends tho tiny municipal plant is authorized only to generate current for street lighting and public buildings.

INDIANA GIVEN NEARLY FIFTY MILLION GRANT Hopkins Announces Indiana Grant; Work To Start At Once Washington, July 3 — (U.R) — Works progress administrator Harry L. Hopkina today announced outright grants totalling s6u,647,811 to Alabama. Georgia and Indiana. He said the three states would have 96.692 persons at work in 10 days to start the $4,000,000,000 national work relief program. Hopkins said the money would he augmented by $13,303,159 contributed by the political subdivisions to finance 2,196 projects. Hie allocations included: Indiana: $44,194,362 for 1,141 projects with the state augmenting the fund by $7,141,889. "Work on all the projects approved can start in ten days,” Hopkins said. “We have made all our surveys, plans and a check of costs.” As Hopkins made the first allocations to states, President Roosevelt approved an order dividing the program between Hopkins and public works administrator Harold L. Ickes. In general, it provided that Ickes would handle all construction projects costing more than $25,000 slum clearance and lowcost housing. Hopkins will handle the smaller works projects, all non-constructio projects and miscellaneous plans. The Indiana program included $20,299,789 from the federal government for improvement of secondary roads and streets in 341 projects with sponsoring bodies contributing $3,687,657. Labor will receive $15,172,480 of that amount with $1,439,642 going for materials, supplies and overhead. Indiana will have 108 projects : costing $3,101,376 with the spon(CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) — ——o CITY EMPLOYES GET VACATIONS Council Orders Week’s V acation For Employes With Service All city employes who have worked for more than a year were granted a week's vacation with pay at the meeting of the City council Tuesday night. The dates for the vacations will be determined by the department heads. The departmnts wherever possible were ordered to arrange the vacations without undue exiuense to the -city. In some departments it is possible to double up by employes working a few (hours additional each d..iy. The park committee reported that a new 63 foot flag pole had been purchased and set up at the Legion Memorial park. This will be dedicated at a siervice held by the American Legion on the Fourth of July. City officials invited .bv the American Legion to ride in the parade on the Fourth of July andestpecially to be present when the flog pole with the flag purchased by Adams p st number 43 of the Amman Legion is dedicated. Mayor Holthouse was asked to present the key to the city to the American Legion as ~'art of the program. All the officials were given special guest cards to the affair. The iinvitation was accepted. It was reported that complaints are still b ing .made of persons who are dumping garbage at the city dump during the night. The odor and appearance caused by this practice is offensive both to the residents in the north part of town and to visitors passing through the city on U. S. highway 27, Ralph Roop (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) Near Three Hundred Hunting Licenses Here Hunting Lind fishing are about 11 times as papular as mariage even in the month of June according to a report issued by County Clerk David D. Depp today. During June there were 26 marriage licenses issued and a total of 377 hunting and fishing licenses. A total of 269 of the hunting and fishing licenses were given to residents. One person was given a 10 day nonresidence hunting and fishing license and six persons were given one year non-residence hunting and fishing licenses.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, July 3, 1935.

“Joy Ride” Tragedy Probed r • \ aK~'" 7 (I® \. ■«> K zJrfwreSl Safety Dire, tor Lavelle | Mildred Brockman -Iz The "joy-ride" tragedy of a Cleveland municipal clerk. Mildred Bfockman. inset, has caused a furor in the city administration. Miss Brockman was drowned when she fell into Lake Erie from a speedboat which carried seven other persons, one of them an ex-beer baron. Martin 1. Lavelle, safety director, one of the party, pictured above as he told the county coroner of the drinking party and subsequent boat ride which resulted in the girl's death, refused to resign his office despite demands for his dismissal.

BBIDGE FALLS AT WILLSHIRE Truck Crashes Through Bridge; Neither Occupant Injured A truck in whi.'h Kenneth Craig ■ and Carson Mills of Farmland were the occupants crashed through a bridge Tuesday night which colkips ed on the road leading to Schumm, Ohio, at the Willshire, Ohio, city li- ; mils. The truck fell to the bed of the ! St. Mary’s river approximately 20 ' feet below. Neither of the occupants | was injured. The tru.k was driven on the ! bridge just as a p ssenger automoI bile driven by John Cully of east I of Willshire started from the other i side. The bridge was too narrow for i I both the car and the truck to pass lat the same point The truck had i;urtially backed to tlie road and I the automobile had left tlie bridge i when it collapsed. The east half of the bridge, conI structed of a wood fl or covered with asphalt and reinforced with iron guardrails fell. The bridge was supported by on abutment in the center. The portion of the bridge west of the abutment did not fall. The bridge was built 40 or 50 years ago. It is believed that its age caused its collapse. o ARRAIGN KILLED IN COURT TODAY William Schweitzer And Two Girls To Face Murder Charges Detroit, July 3. — (U.R) —William ; Schweitzer, murderer of Howard | Carter Dickinson, New York attor- i ney and nephew of Chief Justice Charles Evans .Hughes, will be arraigned in recorder’s court today on a charge of first degree murder. With him will be arraigned Florence and Loretta Jackson, sisters, who hired Dickinson to a party that ended In his murder for a purse contajning $l2O. They, too, will be charged with first degree murder. Jean Miller, the third woman on (the fatc.l party, has turned state’s evidence. When she is arraigned she will face a. lesser charge, it was believed. The state’s case against Schweitzer and the Jackson sisters was I ((CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE)

DECATUR EXTENDS A HEARTY Welcome « to the Legionnaires, Women’s Auxiliary, and their guests who will attend the Fourth District Legion Conference JULY FOURTH

Local Man Fined For Assault And Battery Ralnh Johnson, South Winchester street, plead guilty to a charge of assault and battery, filed by his wife, Mary Johnson, before Mayor Holthouse in mayor's court. He was fined one dollar and costs, amounting to sll. which was paid. Efforts to effect a reconcLUation between the couple were futile, the court offering to suspend judgment if such was done. Mrs. Johnson charged that her husband struck her in the eye last Saturday. They have two children. o DEFERRED SALE LAW IN EFFECT All Installment Sales In Indiana Affected By New Legislation Indianapolie, July 3 — (U.R) — Regulations ami rates for financing all installment sales in Indiana were promulgated today by. the state department of financial | institutions. The order, effective immediately under consumer credit acts of the 1935 legislature, sets a maximum schedule of ratea for; finance charges for periods rang-1 ing from two months to two I years on both new and used merchandise. Another feature includes minimum refunds for prepayments ranging from one per cent on one month prepaid to 9.5 pre cent on 18 months prepaid. The order makes Indiana the first state in the country to bring al) types of installment dealers under state jurisdiction. A test of constitutionality of the law is scheduled for hearing in northern Indiana district federal court at South Bend on July 8 on a suit filed by the Genera! j Motors Acceptance corporation of Indiana and the McHenry Chevrolet company, Indianapolis sales (agency. Three federal judges, George T. Page, Peoria. 111., Patrick Stone, i Madison. Wie., and Thomas W. I Slick, South Bend, conducted a (preliminary hearing on the suit (CONTINUED ON PARE FIVE) Public Library Closed Thursday Miss Ruth Winnes, city librarian, announced today that the city library, according to the annual custom, will be closed aJJ day on the Fourth of July.

ARRANGEMENTS COMPLETE FOR LEGION MEET Thousands Expected To Attend American Legion Meet Thursday Final preparations were made today to handle the 10.000 to 20,000 people expected to be in Decatur on the Fourth of July, when Adams post number 43 of the American Legion will be host to the Fourth district American Legion and Legion Auxiliary. Norbert Holthouse will announce the speakers at the conference which will be held at the Decatur Country Club at 2:30 o’clock in the afternoon. Dee Fry back stated today that there will be no "dead spots" on the program from 10 o'clock in the , morning when the guests will register at the Country club until the ' conclusion of the dance <ln the eve-, ' ning. Golf will be played all day ax the club. Speakers will be: Perry Faulk- ' ner. past state commander: Mrs. Peggy Barr of Princeton, state president of the auxiliary; Walfred Lindstrom, Fourth district commander; Col. A. L. Moudy of Waterloo, educator, soldier and lecturer, and Mrs. Hattie Whitman of Columbia City, Fourth district' president of the auxiliary. Dee Fryback. general chairman, today announced the judges for the mile-long paraue to be held in Decatur in the afternoon at 1:00 o'clock. They will be True Fristoe, Dave Rice, W. A. Lower, M. T. Doan, Herman H. Meyers, the Rev. C. M. Prugh, the Rev. J. M. Dawson, ajid Robert IL Heller. The judges will be situated on the porch over the sidewalk at the Moose Home. The 15 or 20 bands and drum corps will march with the parade in front of this reviewing stand. Thby are competing for $75 in prizes divided a.s follows: first, I $35, second. $25 and third. sls. It was learned today that the Journal-Gazette 40-ptece band will (take part. During and before the fireworks (display at the Country club for the ' guests and the public at 9 o’clock : concerts wi.'l be played by four or ' ! five bands, including the American Legion city band under the direction of Bob White, the Decatur girls ; baud under the direction of Albert' Sellemeyer and the Journal Ga-, ; zette baxid. Several other numbers will be, on this program. (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) o Pleads Guilty To Public Intoxication Nate Haley plead guilty to a i charge of public intoxication and was fined one dollar and costs, amounting to sll. by Mayor Holthouse in mayor’s court, Tuesday afternoon. Haley was arrested in Legion Memorial park by officer John Reynolds. Bail was furnished for his fine. F. D. R. TELLS OF WORK PLANS — Plans For Various Projects Are Outlined By President Washington. July 3 — (U.R) President Roosevelt turned to | : poetry today to express his feeling over the defeat of the death sentence” clause in the public I utilities holding company bill. To a room full of newspaper [ correspondents at the regular Wednesday press conference. Mr. ' Roosevelt replied to a question as i to his reaction of the defeat in | the following words: "That I cannot tell, said he, i ! but ’twas a famous victory.” "That’s fl-om ‘Old Caspar’”’ , Mr. Roosevelt said. The poem dealt with the battle i of Blenheim. Further than that Mr. Roose- ; velt would not go in spite of sevj eral questions designed to draw him out. Instead, he turned the I conference into what appeared for a moment to be an open forum lon the work-relief program. , The President was in a jovial mood. He forced the perspiring correspondents to listen to a long list of projects that had been approved for Georgia and Alabama to prove that ail was not boondoggling. He reminded his audience to let him, know when they got ((CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE)

Slayer Sought For Months Captured By New York Police

COMMITTEES OF CLUB ARE NAMED Lloyd Cowens Names Committees In Charge Os Lions Activities Lloyd Cowens, new president of the Decatur Lions c'ub announced his committees for the coming year ax the reorganization meeting held at the Rice Hotel Tuesday night. The committees are: Program: Walter J. Krick, Dr. Burt Mangold, George Morris, and Merle Ellenberger. Membership: Andre'w Appelman, Alva Nichols and Ralph Gentis. , Publicity: Clifford Saylors, Rev. H. W. Franklin, Carl Baxter and Arnold Gerberding. Constitution and byJaws: Bryce Butler, Dan Mullenkopf and Dr. Henry Frohnapfel. Finance: Dr. N. A. Bixler, G. H. Wehmeyer and Robert Zwick. Attendance: Alva Nichols, Ed Boknecht and Harry Knapp. Lions education: C. L. Walters, Dr. Ben Duke and Rev. H. W. Franklin. Major activities: W. F. Beery, Clifford Saylors and Arnold Gerberding. Extension: Roy Mumma, Dr. Burt Mangold and Carrel Burkholder. Boy Scout: Dr. Burt Mangold, Charles Robeno'd, W. J. Beery and Leland Smith. “No Drop”: Ed Boknecht, Clyde Butler and George Rentz. C. L. Walters reviewed the club's i code of ethics for the Benefit of the new members. COUNTY BOARD ACCEPTS BIDS Commissioners Award Contracts For Supplies And Equipment Several bids were accepted by the board of commissioners Tuesday aft?rn on for supplies and equipment | for the county highway department I for the remainder of the year. The contracts are effective immediately. The bids for g eoline were acceptI ed at 1% cents off the bank wagon I price, minus the federal gasoline tax. The as will be purchased from the following .comipanies; Phillips 66, Sinclair Refining company, Western Oil company, the Eastern Indiana Oil company and the Ohio Oil company, A total of 12,000 gallons may be purchased. The rfkeraßfcne contract of not more than 100 gallons was given to the Ohio Oil company. Motor oil and grease will be purchased from the companies having the gasoline contracts as | needed. Tlie repairs for the county highi way trucks were awarded to the I following companies at discounts from the regular retail (price: White Truck Sales oampany of Fort Wayne, Reo parts; Fulton Machine Shop of Berne, (International truck parts; Butler garage of Decatur, Dodge parts land standard make | parts, and England auto Sales of Decatur, standard make parts. The lumber bids were all the same and will be purchased from the nearest concern. Companies i which bid were the Kocher Lumber ! comipany of Decatur and the Gilliom and Berne lumber companies of Berne. The bids were S4O (per sl,- . 000 feet for either number 2 shiplap ! (cbNTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) Limited Divorce Suit Filed Today A suit so ra limited divorce has been filed by Mary O. Johnson against Ralph O. Johnson on the grounds of cruel and inhuman treatment. There are two children in the family. A petition for a restraining order was granted Mrs. Johnson. The plaintiff also filed an (application for an allowance. This will be heard on July 6. — o WEATHER Partly cloudy tonight and i Thursday; probably scattered thunderstorms; warmer Thursday along Lake Michigan- , . _

Price Two Cento

Merton Goodrich Admits Killing 11-Year-Old Detroit Girl Last September. SECOND OFFENSE New York, July 3—(U.R>—Merton W. Goodrich, former jazz band trap drummer, confessed today to the murder of 11-year old Lillian Gallaher in Detroit last September, police announced. Convicted of disorderly conduct for his actions while watching a group of children wading in a (pool, Goodrich insisted he was Raymond Johnson. 27, until detectives told him that his crippled wife, Florence, was in custody. "I guess you know all about me.” he said dully. With little urging he told of the fiendish Detroit slaying. “I was walking along Cass and Woodward avenues between 3 and 5 p. m. on September 20,” he said, "when I saw a little girl passing the library. I said will you come to my room and help me take some books back to the library. She said she would. "We went to my room and I took her to the bedroom.” Goodrich then said he told the child what he meant to do. "She screamed and tried to run away,” he continued. “She ran into another room and slipped on a rug. She hit her head, knockJ ing her unconscious. I feared the , worst because 1 had committed a , I similar crime some years ago. (An i attack for which he was com- , mitted.) ’ "I took a towel and gagged her and I choked her and put her in the bathtub and let her stay there a while. Then I put her in the trunk. I went out looking for my wife.” Mrs. Goodrich sold pies and i cakrw in a nearby establishment. "I said. 'Florence dear, two men * are following me. I am afraid of J the old case in Lima. Do you re- | (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) O Valuable Horse Is Stolen Last Night Mort Bulmahn who lives on U. S. highway 27 six miles north of Decatur is wondering today what has become of the remnants of that once flourishing organization the “Horse Thief Detective’s Association." Tuesday night thieves opened the gate to his pasture (and led out a hors- valued at approximately $l5O. Tracks led the officials to believe that the horse was taken away in a trailer. This is the first case of horse stealing reported in Adams county in many years. Older residents remember when horse stealing was considered worthy of capital punishment. o — LIBERALS TO MEET FRIDAY > Secret Conclave At Chi1 cago May Be Start Os Third Party Move a t (Copyright 1935 by United Press) Chicago, July 3—(U.R) —Liberals, s leftists and radicals, a number of ! whom have been courting favors ' from the new deal, will gather here quietly Friday for a two-day secret conclave out of which may f come the nucleus of a third party campaign in 1936. Nearly 200 representatives of discontent within the ranks of labor and agriculture will meet with a sprinkling of socialists and progressives. Invitations of the "left-hander” variety were extended to Father Charles E'. Coughlin’s national union for social justice and Senator Huey Long’s sbare-the-wealth crusade but ringmasters of the convlave were assured the bids would go unheeded. The Farmer Labor political federation, sponsor of the so-called "exploratory conference,” promised delegates today that their identities will remain secret and that the sessions will be without | publicity of any kind. ! The crux of the "explorations” I will be a determination of wheth|er the time is ripe for an actual I presidential drive next year or (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE)