Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 37, Number 18, Decatur, Adams County, 21 January 1939 — Page 1

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DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Indiana State Fair To Open September 1 Indianapolis ■>•••• 21 The state hoard of agriculture announced, that the Indiana state fair this year will be u day longer than In' recent years. It will open Septeinber 1 and close September N The extra day was added because of increasing youth and club activities. DELATES PAYING RANSOM MONEY Government Seeks To Obtain Back Taxes From Humphreys Chicago, Jun. 21.—(U.R)—Attorneys for .Murray Humphreys, oneI time gangster, sought today to refute testimony of government witnesses thaf he was involved in i union rackets and a kidnaping — j activities the government believes supplied him with an income on which he did not pay taxes. The testimony was given before Bolon B. Turner of the U. S. board of tax appeals at a hearing in which the government seeks to prove Humphreys owes $37,165 in back taxes and penalties. Steve C. Sumner, 90, secretarytreasurer of the milk wagon drivers' union, identified Humphreys late yesterday as the "thin man'' he saw pick up 350.000 ransom money paid for the release of Robert G. Fritchie, 75. kidnaped union president, in 1931. Fitchie had testified previously about being kidnaped in December, 1931. He said he was held for two days and wrote to the union urging that the ransom be paid. He said Sumner had delivered the money. Sumner, a spirited old man. then climbed up on the stand. He i twiddled his thumbs as John B. ; Kiley, government counsel, asked ' him his age. “t might have to look for a job some time,” Sumner said, "but I am of voting age and have been in Chicago since 1879 and have I been with the union since 1902.” ; Then he told of seeing the man who picked up a package contain-. ing the ransom. The delivery was made on the steps r:t s south side scmibl. He was asked if he saw the man in the courtroom. He paused dramatically, then raised a finger and pointed at Humphreys. "That's the boy," he- said. He said he wasn't able to identify Humphreys until he came to the union office several months after the kidnaping to offer SIOO,OOO I to union officials to withdraw from the union. The offer, he said, was refused. He said one of the men who accompanied Humphreys at the time the ransom delivery was made was George (Red) Barker, a Chicago gangster. "Where is he?” Kiley asked. Sumner smiled, then replied: “He is in the cemetery. I understand he was machine-gunned." The government contends that the $50,000 ransom was part of the income on which Humphreys failed to pay taxes in 1931. Ironically, the government is not interested in Humphreys’ criminal career, but only In the amount of ' money it gained him and how much he owes in taxes. He is in no danger of prosecuj tion on the kidnaping charge be- 1 cause, even if it could be proved. 1 ; Illinois law provides that an indictment for kidnaping must be returned within three years of the (CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO) VOTERS TO BE TAKEN OFF LIST < 400 To 500 Voters To Be Removed From Registration List Approximately 400 or 500 persons "ill be dropped from the list of registered voters in preparing for the next election, County Clerk G. Remy Bierly estimated today. The names of all persons on the list who 'iave not voted within two years after registration will be removed. In addition to these, names of Persons who have died or been disfranchised will be stricken. Ail the non-voters who are to be taken off before the election in 1940 will be notified of the fact by mail and given an opportunity to register, Clerk Bierly stated. The notices are to be mailed out within g month. Failure to heed the notice will result in disqualification. I ersons knowing that they are not properly registered are asked to [call at the clerk’s office.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

LAND ORDERED APPROPRIATED Eight Properties Ordered Appropriated For Feeder Highway The appropriation of eight properties In Adams county aloug the new Geneva-Bluffton feeder highway has been ordered in circuit court here and the suit for a ninth given a change of venue to Jay county. Suit to appropriate the land was filed in court here by the county commissioners in May of last year, so that the highway, running from Geneva to the Wells county line, might be improved. Owners of nine properties refused to accept the appraisement of the commissioners for securing the necessary right-of-way. On June 11, last year, the court heard the evidence and found for the plaintiff, thus making the sale of the properties inevitable after ' re-appraisal. The appraisers’ reports have been submitted in eight of the cases and the land ordered appropriated as soon as the commissioners make the payments according to the appraisements. The names of the property owners and the amount they are to receive for their land: Oma. Benjamin and Mary Meshberger, $113.30; Flossie O. Hart. Byron Hart and Clarissa M. Shanks. $93.75; George T., Rose and Guy T. Shoemaker. S7B; Effie A. and Frank Filer, $175.85; Luther and Fannie Martin. SB6; Edith E. and Asa C. Munro. $162; John F. and Ida Moerschberger, $80.20; John A. Lindsey. Fletcher Joint Stock and Land Bank. Milton Miller. S3O. The suit against John Moser was the one venued to Jay county. G.M. TRIAL IS EXPECTED SOON Government Ready For Trial On Anti-Trust Violation Fort Wayne. Ind., Jan. 21 —(L'P) —The government's case charging General Motors corporation, William S. Knudsen, president, and a number of its other high officials with violation of the anti-trust laws is ready for trial, it was learned today. James R. Fleming, who returned yesterday from Washington after a conference with heads of the antitrast division, indicated the govern- ’ rnent would ask for speedy disposiI tion of the case. Indictments returned last May, General Motors, Ford and Crystlcr corporations, together with executive officers of the companies, were accused of “coercing dealers to finance the sale of automobiles through financing companies controlled by the manufacturer. A hearing is expected to be scheduled at the early date on a demurrer to the Indictment filed by General Motors. Both Ford and Crystler entered into a consent decree with the anti-trust division, agreeing to discontinue practices the division charged were illegal. —o— December Term Os | Court Ends Today The December ter n of the Adams circuit court closes today with Judge J. Fred Fruchte making last minute entries on the December docket. The February term open= Monday, February 6. following a two week’s court vacation. — o Schmitt’s Condition Slightly Improved The condition of Dyonis Schmitt, who suffered a fractured hip last Sunday evening, was reported by the attending physician to be slightly improved this morning. —o Robert Johnson Is Associate Editor Bloomington, Ind.. Jan. 21 Robert Johnson of Decatur has been named one of the associate news editors of The Indiana Daily Student, campus publication at Indiana University, for the next semester. Johnson was named to this honor by Prof. John E. Stem-‘ pel. head of the I. U. journalism department. Andrew Olofson of Cranford, N. J., and Sam Gordon | of Indianapolis are the newlynamed editors-in-chief of The Student for next semester.

Decatur, Indiana, Satur day, January 21, 1939.

“Rich” Brothers? No, Robbers! S* r ? r 0 , Il F SW- ik *■’ ' I'a BL A \ Peyton and Quentin Wilson i After pretending they were wealthy "scions" of a meat packing family, Peyton. 28. and Quentin Wilson. 22. sons of a family on WPA in Louisiana, were arrested in Cleveland in connection with a series of robberies in several states. The Wilson brothers worked their way into the favor ; of a prominent Cleveland family, Peyton courting the daughter of the family head. Julian P. Inglefield. retired British air corps captain. Peyton now has admitted he has a wife and daughter in New Orleans

ANNUAL FARMER BANQUET PLANS Tentative Dates For Annual County Banquet Are Set The Adams county extension program committee met yesterday at the First State Bank, with the following persons present: H. S. Heckard of Purdue: H. P. Schmitt. | P. B. Lehman. Benj. D. Mazelin. Dale D. Moses. E. W. Btwche. E. \V. Baumgartner, Roy Price, Henry L. Dehner. Ed Neuhauser. Henry Aschleman. Winfred Gerke. Victor Bleeke, Mrs. E. W. Busche and L. E. Archbold. This committee decided that the fifteenth annual farmers' banquet should be held at Berne with Elmer Baumgartner as master of ceremonies. The date will fall either the week of February 6 or February 13, dependent on the convenience of the date for the speaker. J. Raymond Schutz of North Manchester and Robert Phillips of the history department of Purdue were requested to submit available dates for the occasion. County Agent Archbold gave a brief report of the 1938 activities and Mr. Heckard discussed the trends in rural population and trends in livestock and crop production. The committee suggested tha( the hog project be put into effect | and that this be started with a hog school conducted by John Schwab at Decatur, February 23. They ilso suggested that in addition to sheep dipping being continued, that some work be done on sheep improvement and that this be started with a sheep school February -0. The committee elected the fol-' .CONTIXUEP ON PAGE THREE)

Tomorrow Is Anniversary Os Pupils Marooned By Blizzard

Students of Hartford and Jefferson township high schools tomorrow night will remember the same day of the month three years ago. That Wednesday night in 1936 they spent in their respective schoolhouses, shut off from anxious parents by huge barriers of white, drifting snow that defied the most zealous efforts of res- ! cue workers. It will be exactly two years Sunday afternoon when one of the most severe sustained cold waves in the histofy of the country suddenly struck the entire community. At noon on that day, residents were going about their daily life entirely unconscious of the subzero blizzard that was rapidly approaching. Two hours later it struck. The mercury fell away with lightning speed. Shoppers, visitors at the McCormick - Deering store opening and the beekeepers meeting at Charles Brock's were unable to reach their homes by auto. Cars stalled in the rapidly forming huge drifts. Drivers abandoned autos, and braved frozen ears, feet and hands to reach their homes. Approximately 200 school child ren and seven teachers were not rescued from the Hartford school until late Thusday afternoon, wliile Jefferson pupils and teachers were;

42 Patients Confined To County Hospital Hosiptal attaches reported that 42 patients were confined at the in stitution this morning, Normally t’i« hospital has a capacity of 31 adults and six infants. One accident patient has been placed in the rear hall, another patient in the X-ray room and lx>th sun parlors are filled. Hospital attaches report, however. that no one is being turned away despite cramped housing facilities. ANNUAL PULPIT EXCHANGE HERE Annual Exchange Os Pulpits Here Sunday Morning The annual exchange of pulpit services will be held Sunday morning in eight of the city's Protestant churches. The services and plane of exchanging pulpits are under the supervision of the Decatur ministerial association. No announcement, is to be made previous to the services as to which •Hurth the various pastors will be assigned by the association. The services are held in January each year with a purpose of promoting fellowship among the 1 churches and fostering a better understanding of the problems facing the ministers and the congregations. "Tell me the old, old story" will be the theme of all of the eight services. Each pastor will develop his own sermon from this theme. Special music will be provided by | be musicians of the respective conl gregations in each church.

marooned until late that evening. The incident brought about colorful fT not entirely true publicity all over the nation. Lowell Thomas and Paul Sullivan, radio commentators over broadcasting chains were among those to pass comment. However, the true situation was considerably different from that pictured, with children huddled around wood fueled stoves, slowly freezing and starving to death. In reality they underwent but little hardship in the steam-heated structures with plenty of food available in the cooking rooms. Those days started a series of more than 20 days in which residents were to suffer from sub-zero weather. Official readings fell to 20 below’ during those days, while unofficial readings tumbled to as low’ as 23 and 24 below. Following are the temperatures recorded on consecutive days from January 22 to January 31: 20 below. 18 below, nine below’, five below, If below, two below, zero, nine below. And still it continued. Here are a few of the February temperatures: two below, seven below, four below, six below, seven below, five below, five below, and on February 18, 14 below. The above figures have been cited as “warming facts" in event i residents complaint of the slightly | chilly weather of this winter.

OUSTED UNION HEADS DEMAND MARTIN TRIAL Auto Workers Union Split Wide Open After Suspension Detroit. Jan. 31.— (U.R) —Fifteen susended members of the executive board of the United Automobile Workers Union "suspended" president Homer Martin today and ordered him to stand trial. The action seemed to complete the division of the leadership of the huge union, which has 350,000 members and contracts with every automobile manufacturer except Henry. Ford, into two factions. Martin yesterday suspended the 15 board members. They retaliated by Impeaching him and ordering him to stand trial before them. The impeachment was based on Martin’s action of suspending the board members. They claimed they were acting in accordance with the union’s constitution. They ignored Martin's suspension order in impeaching him. By the union’s constitution, the dispute will be settled by the membership at a special convention. Before the 15 members were suspended. the board of 24 men called a special convention for March 20 in Cleveland. Martin was preparing to call a special convention for the same dttte in Detroit. There will be a question of which convention is the legal one. 1 The unin is <n affiliate of the congress of industrial organiza--1 tions. The 15 board members in their ■ impeachment proceedings made eight charges against Martin. They were: that he conspired with the Ford Motor Co. to create a secession movement in flie union; that he conspired with enemies of the union and of labor to set up a union dominated by manufacturers in opposition to the UAW; that he had attacked the CIO publicity; , that he had issued false and malicious statements about union officials; that he had conducted secret negotiations with employers to the detriment of union locals; that he bad violated nine rulings and orders of the executive board; that he had incited violence among the membership; that he had persistently violated the unions constitution. The board members called Martin a "madman surrounded by ■ gangsters." and sent a message to all locals in the Detroit area declaring that: J "The board is confident the UAW can not be switched into , company unionism by any wouldbe Hitler under guidance of Harry . Bennett and the Ford service department.” The current leadership battle broke out last week when Martin’s opponents charged him with privately negotiating with Bennett, personnel director of the Ford company, for organization of Ford employes into a virtual company union. Summoned before an emergency session of the board Martin acknowledged that he was negotiating with Bennett but de(CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) SEAL CAMPAIGN IS NEAR QUOTA County’s Quota Os 70,000 Christmas Seals Nearly Reached W. Guy Brown, president of the Adams county anti-tuberculosis association, today announced that the drive for the sale of Christmas seals in the county has neared itt quota and is expected to go over the top within a short time. The county’s quota has been set at 70,000 seals and reports to date are of the sale of 65.962 seals. The latest organ iization to be announced as purchasing a $5 health bond is the I. O. O. F. Officers of the association, Mr. Brown, president Mrs. E. M. Webb, Berne, vice-president; and Dr. Roy Archbold secretary-treasurer, expressed appreciation today to the organizations and the general public for their splendid support of the seal campaign. The association sponsors four free clinics annually, and the next one will be held at Berne the last week in Februaray. An early diagnostic clinic will also be held in March. The association also distributes necessities to the undernourished, and gives relief and guidance to tui berculosis patinents.

Hitler Delivers . Another Blow To German Banking

ASK OUSTER OF JUDGE KISTER Petitions Circulated To Remove Wabash Dredge Judge Portland, Jan. 21 Asking the removal of Henry J. Kister as special judge in the Wabash river drainage project, petitions addressed to Gov. M. Clifford Townsend aid being circulated in the sections of Jay. Adams and Wells counties assessed for the improvement. Copies of the plea to the governor were received in Portland by J. Gordon Meeker, one of the counsel for Tod Whipple, local attorney who. charging Kister with irregularities and dishonesty in the conduct of the case, took thejead in demanding the judge's dismissal. Kister recently held Whipple to be in contempt of court because of the attorney's charges and sentenced him to 30 days in jail and imposed a fine of SIOO after refusing a petition for a change of judge. Whipple appealed the decision to the state supreme court. Ouster Petition in Full The petition for Kister's removal and the appointment of another special judge to sit in the Wabash ease follows: “To His Excellency, the Honorable M Clifford Townsend. Governor of the State of Indiana: "We the undersigned, taxpayers of Adams, Wells and Jay counties, Indiana, hereby petition and ask that Your Excellency request the resignation of the Honorable Henry Kister. special judge of the Adams circuit court of Adams county in said cause, which special judge was heretofore appointed on the | 4th day of May. 1931. by the Honorable Harry G. Leslie, then governor of the state of Indiana, for and upon the following reasons and grounds, towit: 1. That said Special Judge Hen-1 ry Kister is a resident of Prince-! ton. Gibson county, which county is situated some three hundred miles from the jurisdiction of said cause herein and that said special judge, because of said distance from the jurisdiction of said cause incurs a large and unnecessary expense to the state of Indiana. 2. That there are over 5000 land owners assessed for said improvement in said cause and that the methods of said procedure, attitude and conduct of said Special Judge Henry Kister has been such as to inject hatred and ill feeling among said landowners and that said actions, conduct and procedure of said Special Judge Henry Kister has brought about much ill will toward him as special judge and to the cause in which he is sitting as special judge and as a result thereof there has been a prevailing lack of cooperation from the tax payers, interested persons and local units of government. 3. That there is on file in said cause, an answer by one Tod Whipple, one of the attorneys for the petitioners in said cause, which answer sets out certain alleged acts of misconduct by said Special Judge Henry Kister and which allegations are such that : the continuation of said Special Judge Henry Kister sitting in said cause will be unwholesome and tend to create additional ill feeling and ill will. “Wherefore the undersigned petitioners pray that because of the foregoing, the best interests of the parties interested in the above captioned cause, the people of said counties and the units of government thereof will lie best served by the resignation of said Special Judge Henry Kister and the appointment in said cause of another fair and impartial Special Judge. And the petitioners further pray that upon the failure of said Special Judge Henry Kister to tender his resignation in said cause, that this petition be certified to the General Assembly for the purpose of appropriate action thereon.” —n ' - Receipts Os Fox Hunt Given To Red Cross Kirkland township residents, sponsoring a fox hunt several days ago, captured two of the animals, sold them for $3 each and donated the money to the Adams county chapter of the American Red Cross. Mrs. H. A. Brelner of Peterson re- . ported the donation to the secretary | today.

Price Two Cents.

Vice-President Os German Reichsbank Removed By Fuehrer; Goebbels Attacks U. S. SECOND BLOW Berlin, Jan. 21— (U.R) —Adolf Hitler, following up his dismissal of Dr. Hjalmar Schacht as president of the reichsbank, today removed Dr. Friedrich Dreyse from the bank's vice presidency, and Dr. Ernst Huelse from his place on the bank’s directorate. It was the second blow in two days to the orthodox banking element in the Nezi Reich. These changes — and perhaps more — had been forecast as the sequel to the dismissal of Schacht and his replacement by Walter Funk, veteran Nazi and economics minister. Dreyse was president and chairman of the bankers' advisory council. Huelse was director of the economic and statistical department of the Reichsbank. He had been with the Reichsbank since 1925. in an executive capacity, except for the years 1930 to 1935, when he was assistant general manager of the bank for international settlements at Basle, Switzerland. In Dreyse's place as vice president of the Reichsbank. Funk named Rudolf Brinckmann, who had served for several months as secretary of state in his economics ministry. As Hitler took his new blow at conservative banking propaganda Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels lashed out at the United States. Democrat Want Ads Really Get Results Ed Ixtbsiger. of this city, asserted this morning that Democrat want ads get results. Mr. Loiisiger lost a pet dog this week and when a thorough search failed to reveal the whereabouts of phe canine, resorted to the classified i < olumns of tlie newspaper. One hour and 25 minutes after the paper had gone to press, Mr. Lobsiger's dog had Ibeen returned to its rightful owner, he reported. Payrolls, Employment In State Show Gains Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 21 —(UP) —(ndiana payrolls and employment continued a steady upward march between mid-November and midDecember for the fifth consecutive month, the Indiana state employment service reported in its monthly analysis today. Employment gained 3.3 percent during the period while payrolls rose 4.9 percent, the report claimed. adding an estimate that 16.700 workers were hired during that time. The report covers 2.947 establishments employing 252,757 workers who earned a total of 36,365,760, CHICAGO GANG LEADER EREED Criminal Jury Acquits Bugs Moran Os Conspiracy Charge Chicago, Jan. 21— (U.R) —The state lost its first attempt last night to convict George (Bugs) Moran, former Chicago gang chieftain. and two co-defendants on conspiracy charges in an alleged plot to force and cash $500,000 worth of travelers' checks. However, prosecutors immediately prepared to try them on more serious chages in the same case. A criminal court jury acquitted Moran. Frankie Parker, one-time millionaire airplane bootlegger, and Frank Hicketts, an ex-convict, last night after deliberating less than four hours on the conspiracy charge. Immediately after the verdict was announced, assistant state’s attorney Robert Wright said he would seek an early trial of the trio on one or more of five other indictments which they still face in connection with the alleged scheme. He said they would be arraigned on the other indictments Monday. Their acquittal came after a two-week trial during which the state sought to show that they had (CONTINUED ON PAGB fUK).