Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 34, Number 155, Decatur, Adams County, 30 June 1936 — Page 1

XXXIV. No. 155.

'mperor Selassie In Direct Appeal To League Today

•oseil Ethiopian Ruler' T Appeals Personally To League For Protection Os His Nation. ITALIANS JEER Me vi. Jun? 30—(U.R)— EmperBli l P Selassie of Ethiopia, deand exiled by the Italian -KKt of his kingdom, appealed of the world repreml at the league assembly toIt for the protection of hid forlorn and hopeless figure, rrt l by the big powers, he jfssed the assembly in his Ire Amhaeric. He accused ~.e of violating the covenant delivering Ethiopia to "greedy when Paris agreed to the av-Laval plan for the partiiof Ethiopia. fben he arose to speak, after lier Paul VanZeeland of Bels had been elected president he assembly, the emperor was Ked by a hostile demonstrur from Italians in the gallery, en made numerous arrests. fee demonstration, designed to ■k the emperor's supreme apLmarsed the first time in the ory of the league that a speakhas been jeered. Italian cor-|ond-n*.s whistled and jeered, ers in the gallery responded jcheers for the Negus. It took minutes to restore order. tspite the confusion, the Negus I his speech in a calm and rtoice. As the Italian Fascist Nlists were led out the door the building, they were greeted 1 loud boohs and cries of; rn with the Fascists.” Ihen the emperor was able to me he attacked France inferhlly for l>etraying Ethiopia' in Huare-’Lavai agreement th. making marked concession !r>VTI\TKt> ON PAGE FIVE) IN LIGHTING If CENTENNIAL iborate Lighting Effects Planned During Celebration l» crate plans are being made the lighting of the city during: Centennial celebration from I •st 2 to 8, according to a remade to the general commitlonday evening by M. J. Mylott, inntendent of the city light ami W company. r. Mylott is chairman of the ting committee so rthe Centerlc committee is making plans to 1 up Third street from Adams Jackson streets. This will be i as the parade grounds. Sec-, •treet will not be available durtie week as the midway will be ( with concessions which will le it impossible for the huge Ms to see the bands, floats and »exhibits. ■addition to the present residen-' I-ghts on Third street, overhead mariee will be strung to cast, •down on the parades. new feature of the Centennial i Tear will be the stringing of j white and blue lights from the n house tower to each of the f corners of the court house ire. ootnmittee is also making ,s to supply the concessions tight. As formerly. JI will be tged f or cu t.j ns the P<)ncest The cost of the current used ,“ e one cent a watt for the •f. other words, a 100 watt "'ill cost the concession owner w the week. Irrent will also be furnished the . a,| d other large concessions the week. —o — - ■ Dance At Sun Set Thursday dance will be held at Park Thursday evening, ’ >r ’d by the Tri Kappa sororlll<y Errlngton and his eight orchestra from Port Wayne tod niStl tne muaiciln »" b® served during the *■ The public is invited to at- , n< * all those who have not 4e <i tickets are urged to do once. Tickets may be purrltv r ° m any member of the

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

SCHOOL BOARD SIGNS FACULTY FOR NEXT YEAR Contracts Signed For All Teachers In City Public Schools All contracts have been signed by the city school board for the . faculty of the 1936-37 school year., Walter J. Krick, superintendent of the Decatur schools announced today. Three new teachers will be' hired next year. These are Miss Mildred Worthman, Miss Elizabetli Frisinger and Sylvester Everha.tt. Mias Frisinger will fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Clara Reppert, who last year taught Latin, and beginning algebra. Miss Frisinger received her A.B. degree from Franklin College this spring, from which institution she was graduated with high honors. majoring in chemistry, Latin and mathematics. Mies Worthman will teach vocational home economics In high school. During the past three years, home economics has been taught only as a, part time subject by Mrs. W. P. Robinson. Miss Worthman received her A. 11. degree from Indiana state teachers college in 1934 During the past two years she has taught vocational home economics at Graysville. Miss Worthman will be em- ■ ployed the full calendar year and I during the summer months will have charge of 4-H club work in Decatur. By putting the home economics department on a vocational bask the state and federal governments will reimburse the school city for approximately onethird of Miss Worthman's annual sajary. Mrs. Robinson, who last year divided her time between the teaching of commercial subjects and home economics, will be employed part time only next year, devoting half days to the teaching of commercial subjects. Mr. Everhart will teach, coach basketball a.nd have charge of a Boy Scout troop at the Central building. Mr. Everhart formerly taught at Central and was very successful, school heads stated, i He received his B.S. degree from | North Manchester college and i han done considerable work on his ; master’s degree. He has had 11 years of teaching experience, five of which were in Decatur at < entral. Mr. Everhart was granted a leave of absence in August. w 19.>1. to enter business. The faculty will be: High School W. Guy Brown, principal; Sigurd Anderson, Deane Dorwin. Hugh Andrews. Eioise Lewton, K. A Adams. Verneal Whalen, Amos Ketchum. Mrs. W. P. Robinson. | Elizabeth Mil _ d^ d (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) - SHOWERS BRING STATE RELIEF Additional Rainfall, Cooler Weather Forecast For Indiana Indianapolis, Ind., June 30—-(UP) -Intermittent showers and cooling breezes brought relief Io #»e ing Hoosiers today but fell far short of improving the condition of pan. i ed crops. , . Damage to wheat, corn and oats from the month-long drought continued to mount at the rate of thousands of dollars a day. Agriculturists waited anxious so thunderstorms and cooler hair tures promised for more than hall the state by nightfall. The northern third of tl • received some relief last n general rainfallA .similar amount of P^*** 0 " for the other two ‘he s £ was anticipated by ‘he United States weather bureau At least two deathe were at tri bitted to the heat yester• min Ekllno, 15. dronn . “ near swimming in Kankakee^ ii Herbron. and Eldon . • died from a brokenjeok , ON PAGE FIVE)

OFFICERS HINT HO GUILTY OF KILLING MOTHER , * Police Consider Chance 7-Year-Old Lad Killed Mother Chicago, June 30—(U.R)—Police ‘are not overlooking the possibility" that Jimmy Thompson, 7, killed his mother, Mrs. Florence Thompson Castle, night club hostess, Police Capt. William O'Brien I said today. Authorities disclosed that Jimmy, a precocious lad with an imagination over-developed by frequent movies, had written to his maternal grandmother, Mrs. FranI “es New Polfus, a year ago that he “didn't like" his mother. O'Brien said Jimmy had Indii cated he didn’t love his mother and wanted to return to live with his paternal grandparents, Mr. ‘and Mrs. Bertrand Thompson of Wilkes-Barre. Pa. Police studied the boy’s "unnatural" conduct in going back to sleep after supposedly—as he said — awakening to find a man bludgeoning his mother with a, brick. In the morning Jimmy dressed carefully in his Burgundycolored shirt and white linen suit before giving the alarm. Throughout questioning he has I maintained dry-eyed calm, cheerfully supplying florid detail of the slaying and of his supposed con- . versation with the "big, dark man.” The words "Black LegtDon— Game" scrawled in lipstick with a skull and cross-bones on Mrs. Castle's mirror, might have been . written by the woman during a i game she played with the boy earlier in the evening. O’Brien . said. The police captain said a flaw in the brick might have caused it i to break as Mrs. Castle was I struck. i This development came as a > coroner's inquest was adjourned -for 10 days because police did not (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) o fBEIOA SCHERER ELECTED QUEEN Local Store Employe Finishes Far Ahead For Centennial Queen Freida Scherer, who late yesterday was announced as winner ot the title "Miss Decatur" in the popularity contest sponsored by the merchants of the city and the publicity committee, will he crowned queen of the Centennial celebration in elaborate coronation ■ ceremonies, opening the pageant I on the first three days of the celebration. I Miss Scherer will also be presented with a $25 credit slip, which may be used at any store who purchased a "Good Will” bond. This prize was offered by the pu) llcity committee. Miss Scherer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Scherer, Jr., of Union township, lives at the j Schoenstedt residence. 1016 West Monroe street. She has made her home there for the past six years, since moving to Decatur. st J e * an employee of the Morris 5 & 10, and a member of the Eta Tau big , ma sorority. Mildred Teeple, daughter of Mr. | and Mrs. I). F. Teeple, who won the title of "Miss Indiana” as run-j ner-up in the race, will lead the parade of 48 states, headed by. Miss Columbia, in the pageant, 1 who will be welcomed by Miss Decatur. Miss Teeple is employed, in her father s trucking company office on First street. Ruth Elzey, winner of the title ■Miss Adams County", will lead the parade of 12 townships in the pageant, and will be an immediate attendant to Miss Decatur. Miss Elzey is the daughter of Haney and Mrs. Margaret Elzey, and is an employe of the General Elects. she lives on West Monroe street. . The 12 girls, one (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) Local Student Is Elected To Society Word was received here this morning from the dean of Denison university that Miss land daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Ward Calland, has been elected to Ue Ph! society. This la a freshman honorary society and a scholastic standing of fifty-six pointe must be made by a freshman before he becomes eligible.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, June 30, 1936.

United Press Writer Tells Story Os Stricken Farm Area

(Editor’s note: A United Press staff correspondent visited the drought-ravaged, insect-ridden farm I region to view at first hand sped 1 mens of the damage which agricultural experts have estimated at $11)0,000,000, and hear the story of ; the victims. His story follows ) I By John Gurwell, (Copyright 1936 by UP.) Shenandoah, la., June 30.—(U.R)— Farmers beseeched county agents for poisoned bran and prayed for rain today after walking disconsolately through once-fertlle fields now stripped to oare stalks by; grasshoppers and chinch bugs and seared by endless days of scorching sunshine. The combined effects of 100-de-gree heat and crop-destroying pests was desolating. Bronzed farmers waulking through their fields kicked up hordes of crop-destroying insects at every step. The dry stubble crunched beneath their boots. These farmers cultivate 300 to 400 acres on an average, most of It in corn, oats, alfalfa, rye, clover. ! wheat and sudan grass. 1 Grasshoppers swarm over the I landscape. Chinch bugs literally 1 cut down standing crops Over! k all, the drought casts a black shadow. Dean Jackson, who farms 400 1 acres south of Glenwood, la , is a typical unfortunate. ’ “The grasshoppers," he said, “just cleaned out my pastures and

SEVERE STORM HITS COUNTY I __ _ i Lightning Causes Considerable Damage Monday Night A rain storm, accompanied by I a display of lightning rivalling II that of a Fourth of July celebra- j t tion. struck Decatur and surrounding community last night, causing considerable damage but bringing much needed rain. A brooder house belonging to Ray Smith, rural mail carrier, was i set afire when it and an adjoining I brooder house was struck by lightning at 1 o'clock this mornIng. By a queer quirk less chickens were killed in the one eei | afire than the other house. All of | the chickens were stunned, several had broken legs, and feathers ! were plastered against the ceiling lof the house. The flames were - extinguished before much damage r | was done. • Heavy winds and the lightning ■ disrupted telephone a,nd lighting . service in aud around the city. The telephone company report- . ed probably the heaviest loss of . the season, when poles were blown down, and service "drops” to homes were either blown down or burned away. Most of the damage was caused by the lightning, the company reported , Reports from the light and pow--ler office state th?,’ many fuses were blown in both the city and country, one transformer burned | out and considerable other dam- j (CONTTNUFID GV PAGE FIVE) j 0 EMBEZZLER IS GIVEN PAROLE Former Wayne County Treasurer Paroled; Makes Restitution Indianapolis, June 30 — (U.R) - Albert J. Overman, former Wayne county treasurer, sentenced May 6, 1935 for embezzlement, was paroled from the Indiana state prison today by the state clemency commission. The commission reported Overman had delivered all his assets for liquidation and the proceeds applied toward restitution of the ! $4,600 which he allegedly admitted I taking from county funds for investment purposes. The former treasurer served | approximately thirteen months of ; a 2-21 year sentence. The clemency commission grant|ed seven paroles, denied 24 petitions. commuted three sentences, continued five petitions, and rei voked one parole. Others paroled included So- ; piracies Platts, sentenced from : Laporte county February. 1935, I for swindling, and Vernon Bilyeu. ; sentenced in criminal court here May 22, 1936 on burglary charges. Platis was sentenced to serve one to three years after attempt(CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE)

iare starting on (he small grain. I I I’ve been lighting them with poisoned bran. Some of this has been stored so long the molasses appe tizer evaporated. I mixed my own molasses with the bran and the kill was twice as big." He pointed to a field on a sidehill. It was brown, partially bare. "That was a pasture," he said. “Now the ’hoppers have moved into the small grain and corn. I'm going to cut my oats green and beat the 'hoppers. Better half a crop than none, and it's pretty fair ;feed." Near Pacific Junction, not far 1 from the Missouri river, Kenneth Huffman was strolling through his fields. "If it isn't the drought and chinch bugs, it’s the darned ’hoppers," Huffman grumbled. “Look!” he snorted. He heaved a heavy stick into a field. Grasshoppers swarmed into the air. The field was once alfalfa, T)ut now is stripped to the hard, parched earth. Stalks on the edge of an adjoining cornfield were tumbled i like jack straws. “What is fine,” he said. “We ' have a fine stand and expect a good yield. But now we need something to kill these pests and 'a good, soaking rain. There hasn't been enough rain for a month. The small grain is wiped out in some places. “The government retired that,”. he said, pointing to an unused YOONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE>

Returns After Long Trip To Southwest Harold E. Steele, Adams County’s hitch-hiker deluxe* returned home yesterday after an extensive five months’ trip through southern and western states- Harold, who calls Pleasant Mills his home, visited in 15 states since February 1 He went direct from Pleasant Mills to Dallas, Texas, on that date. There, he says, an obliging salesman, motored him clear to the west coast.' . He says the “thumbing” lever has left him for a while, and he expects to find work. REVIEW BOARD ENDS SESSION iCounty Board Os Tax Review Concludes Annual Session The county board of tax review concluded lits annual session at noon t day. The board examined all assessments and corrected the assessors books for the county. A few items of personal property will be examined in the townships next week. Members of the board this year were Ernest Worthman, chairman by virtue of his office as county assessor; John W. Tyndall, clerk because of hie position as county auditor, County Treasurer Jeff Liechty, John Baker, Democratic member, and Grover Oliver, Republican member. Several objections to assessments , i were presented to the board this I year during the hearings for the various townships and corporations in the county. An opportunity for appeal to the state tax board will (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) —O Drowns When Auto Plunges Into River Washington, Ind., June 30.—<U.P.’ —Herschell Beatty, 47, local salesman, drowned yesterday when his, automobile plunged off a bridge into White river as he attempted; to avoid colliding with a truck. Eula Smith, 35. Seymour, a companion, escaped from the wreckage and swam to the bank. —o Start Highway Improvement Soon Meshberger brothers of Linn Grove will start work this week on! applying rock asphalt to highway 27 between Berne and Monroe. The; road was damaged by severe weather during the past winter and the asphalt will be applied to smooth the surface Trafflce probably will be detoured over the tile mill road during the resurfacingo Special Service At Union Chapel Church The Rev. A. Bash Arford of Indianapolis will .preach at the Union Chapel church Sunday morning. During the evening, delegates to the Wawasee youths’ convention, held last week, will give their reports.

GROSS INCOME TAX CHANGE IS BEING PLANNED Cliff Townsend Proposes — >«an Exemption For Business Losses Indianapolis, June 30. —(U.R) 1 —Ex emptlons for businesses showing a loss was given today by Lieut Gov. M. Clifford Townsend, Democratic gubernatorial nominee, as his Interpretation of the "inequal ities" plank of the party's platform on the gross income tax. Townsend is pledged to campaign this fall on a platform which proposes retention of the contro versial tax measure, with the recommendation that legislation be enacted to correct "any existing inequalities in the law." “I believe that any man who can come with the proper authority and show that his business has shown a loss should be exempt from paying a gross income tax,” the lieutenant governor said. "While I have no definite pro posals to make to effect such a change in the law, 1 believe that whenever conscientious and sincere persons set down to solve a problem the solution can be found," he added. The interpretation was taken as the lieutenant governor’s first at tempt to answer attacks on the embattled law, destined to become one of the most controversial is , sues of the fall campaign Raymond S. Springer, Connersville, Republican gubernatorial nominee, will use his party's repudiation of the gross income tax in favor of a net income tax as one of his principal attacks in the campaign. Principal opposition to the tax measure has come from retail merchants, who repudiated the act as "discriminatory" and “confiscaI tory.” I Several hundred retail merchants marched on the state capital early this year while the state legisla ture was sitting in special session Ito enact the Indiana social secur- ( ity measures, but their efforts to' ' force the solons to repeal the tax ! law failed. Their spokesmen were successful however, in obtaining a roll call vote on a motion to have reported out of committee a bill proposing ! repeal of the gross income tax law. Later, retailers announced they would conduct a lively pre-election campaign against legislative can didates favoring retention of the law. Townsend said if he was elect ed he would be glad to hear the complaints of business men concerning the gross income tax. ‘"They are in a much better; position than most of us to know the effects of the law. and they will be given a hearing." the can- ■ didate promised. “There always have been inequalities in taxation since it first was used at a method of financing government," Townsend said. "Take the property tax for instance; a property owner pays the tax whether his house or building is rented or vacant.” The state Democratic platform defended the gross income tax be(CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) Q SHOWDOWN NEAR FOR FAR EAST Series Os Japanese Demands Is Made On Chinese Official — i (Copyright 1936 by United Press) Tientsin, China, June 30 —(U,R) — | The long heralded showdown between North China officials a.nd the Japanese military inside the . great w’all was believed imminent I today. Lieut. Col. Y. Ishii, assistant j chief of staff. Ja-panese military i headquarters in North China, anI nounced a series of Japanese demands on Gen. Sung Cheh-Yuan, chairman of the Hopei-Chahar political council. The nature of the demands was u secret, but it was believed the ■ Japanese would force a long step i toward their desire for an avow- | edly autonomous North China state, Independent of the Nanking central government, in which there could be fostered a movement for annexation to Manchukuo. The Japanese demands resulted | from an Incident a.t Fengstal on ! June 25. Fengstal, an important ' railroad junction between Tienit- | sin and Peiping, is garrisoned by both Chinese and Japanese forces. I (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE)

Drought Condition ( Brings Emergency Call By Roosevelt

GOV. LEHMAN TO RUN AGAIN IN NEW YORK New York Governor Submits To “Draft” Movement Over Nation Washington, June 30— (U.R) — I President Roosevelt believes that ; “the next two years will be very crltica.l ones." he revealed in a , letter made public today in which he appealed to Gov. Herbert H. , Lehman of New York to run for j re-election. , Lehman acceded to the presi- | dent's plea. The president’s appeal was bas- , ed chiefly on the argument that , he and Governor Lehman have t I similar convictions as to the need for social legislation. "For many years you and I ( have worked for many kinds of ( social legislation — much legisla- ] tion of this type has been enact- ( ed,” he wrote, "but at the same , 1 time much remains unfulfilled. ( "Our state was and still is ( i among the pioneers, and today the | federal government is making it possible for all the states to join , in this work. , "The next two years, I think. , will be very critical ones, and | what takes place will have an outstanding effect all over the na- ( tion.” ] Although Lehman did not men- [ tion specifically the letter from the president in his statement at j Albany saying he has decided to . run, he did take cognizance of the widespread draft movement in his ] f (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) ! O , JOHN GROSS DIES TODAY I, Blue Creek Township Farmer Dies This Morning At Hospital John Cross. 80, prominent B'ue Creek township fanner, died at 7 , I o’clock this morning at the Adams , county memorial hospital after an , extended illness ot cancer. He had , I lived with his grandson, Charles Burkhart, for more than two years. The deceased was born in Mercer county; Ohio, May 13. 1856, a son of Alonzo and Mary BollenbacherCress. He married Amanda McDan-; < !el October 16, 1879. She died in 1934. Their only daughter, Mrs. Hila Belle Burkhart, died two weeks ago. Surviving are a brbother, Peter of Rockford, Ohio; one sister, E’sle Ann of Waynefleld, Okla-, the grandson and one great grandson. Funeral services will be held at the home at 1:30 p. m. Thursday and at 2 o’clock at the Mt. Hope church. Rev. George Bailor will offi- |' ciate. Burial will be in the church cemeteryI The body will be removed from the Bierie and Yager funeral homes to the residence Wednesday morning. , -o Local Scout Back From Centennial Monroe Fuhrman, eon of Mr. and Mrs. Ira Fuhrman of this city, has returned home from a trip to Dallas i Texas. Monroe hitch-hiked most of , the way. He was In Dallas when the Texas Centennial cerebration opened, and marched In the Boy Scout parade. He worked at odd jobs In ; ' various cities and earned enough . 1 money to keeip going and return- . ed home with an armful of sou/- . ■ enire- . I o — County Offices Close For Quarterly Report ’ | The majority of the offices In the I i court house were closed this after- : noon as reports were prepared tor II the second quarter of the year. -I o WEATHER Cloudy to partly cioudy tol night and Wednesday, local i thunderstorms this afternoon t or tonight south portion; not so warm south tonight and exi’ treme south Wednesday; not so cool Wednesday extreme north.

Price Two Cents.

Drought Conditions In Middlewest Reported Becoming More Acute With Each Day. PLAN PROGRAM Washington, June 30. — (U.R) — President Roosevelt called high officials ot the government to con fer with him today on the drought emergency while the weather bureau reported that great expanses of the middlewest still are baking in temperatures of 100 degrees and higher. Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace, preparing to leave late today on a personal tour ot the drought area, visited the White House at noon with Chester Davis, former AAA administrator. The president just had seen Aubrey Williams ot the works progress ad mniistration which is expected to play a major part in the adminis tration's drought relief progrma. Wallace plans to go to Chicago first where he will make an ad dress tomorrow. Thursday he will speak in Duluth and for the following three weeks he plans extensive travels in the northwest where wheat growers have teen their crop wilting away under 100 degree temperatures untempered by rain. Wallace emphatically denied that there was any political mo tive attached to his trip which will wind up with a speech in Kansas City on July 22. Meanwhile, the special drought relief committee set up by Wallace met in the office of its chair mass, assistant AAA administrator Jesse Tappe, in an effort to perfect relief plans for both drought and insect ravaged areas. The group sought to draft definite recommendations which they hope to be able to lay before President Roosevelt later in the week. The weather bureau today forecast a drop in temperature in the spring wheat area but continued 100 degree weather throughout the remainder ot the sought and middiewest. The bureau also predicted fair weather with no rain tomorrow, although reports front Ohio. Indiana, Illinois, and lower Michigan showed "fair to good" rains during the past 24 hours, and moderate showers in southeastern lowa. “Everywhere else conditions are practically unchanged," the bureau said. “Temperatures continued very high—from 100 to 104 degrees — from lowa and Kansas (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE) o Arthur Muselman Is Taken From Hospital Arthur Kenneth Muselman, six year old son of C. H. Muselman. Berne publisher waa removed to his home this morning from the Adams county memorial hospital where he had been confined for several weeks after being hit by an auto. The condition of the lad was reported to be much better. o BITTER FIGHT IS PREDICTED — Labor Leaders, Steel Executives Fight On Unionization Washington. June 30 — (UP) — Labor leaders and steel executives each declaring a ‘united front” — headed today toward a bitter struggle over efforts to organize the In- , dustry's 600,000 workers. Steel companies pooled resources of the $6,000,000,000 industry to maintain an open shop. Labor leaders pledged $500,000 for the third campaign in 50 years to unionize the industry. Both groups indicated antlclpa- ! tion of strikes and disruiptlon equal I to those in 1892 and 1919, when the 'previous unionization efforts were made. The Industry was uneasy as . (more thjn 100 labor organizers ■pushed Into steel towns. Answering the steel companies’ declaration of war against attempts at unionization, made yesterday, labor leaders roared back their defiance with announcement that a "blood’ess" drive already Is under way and will be pushed vigorously. "We are not seeking war —but we are ready for it,” a leader of the (CONTINUED ON PAGE FIVE).