Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 133, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 October 1923 — Page 1

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VOLUME 35—NUMBER 133

M’CRAY FORGERY CHARGED

COOLIDGE STUDIES DEMAND HE HALT ‘WHISKYREBELLION’ Gov. Pinchot Calls on President to Take Personal Charge of Enforcement. GRAFT ALLEGATION FIRED Steadily Increasing Violation of Law Laid to Collusion With U. S. Employes. By Timet Special WASHINGTON, Oct. 15. President Coolidge is faced today with a demand that he ‘‘take personal eharge” of the prohibition enforcement organization to quell “the~whisky rebellion.” The demand came from Governor Pinchot of Pennsylvania. He delivered it in a ringing address yesterday before the citizenship conference, in session here, under auspices of the Federal Council of Churches. May Pledge Support President Collldge may pledge the most vigorous support of his administration to strict enforcement of the prohibition laws. Delegates to the conference meeting here to arouse the people of the country of the danger of disregarding prohibition were received at noon by Mr. Coolidge at the White House. The conference looks for a statement of attitude from the president, ' especially in view of the address before the dry meeting by Governor Pinchot Sunday. - The President’s expected statement 'to the dry conference delegates be in the nature of a direct reply to Plnchot's suggestion. Pinchot’s speech, in which he put responsibility for lax enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead act up to Coolidge personally, contained these high-lights: "Two facts stand out in the confront inued on Page 6) FOUR BODIES RECOVERED IN BRUSH FIRE DEBRIS Twelve-mile Area in California Swept by Flames By United Xeict LOS ANGELES, Oet. 15.—The bodies of four unidentified persons were recovered Sunday in the wake of the disastrous brush fire which raged Saturday night over an area of twel’ve square miles between the cities of Glendale, Pasadena, and Eagle Rock. The four are believed to have been fire-fighters. LEAGUE BICYCLE PARADE Prizes Offered for Best Decorations | Will Boost Industrial Show. In the interests of an industrial show at "Riverside Park Tuesday through Thursday conducted by~the Ufetter Business League of North Indianapolis. a bicycle parade will be held Tuesday afternoon. All bicyclists are invited to decorate their wheels and be at the starting pofht, F. W. Banister's Bicycle Shop, Thirtieth and Rader Sts., at 4 p. m. Prizes will be awarded for the best decorations. The Boy Scout drum corps will lead the parade.

By ALFRED SEGAL ' Ohio, Oct. 15. | f | —Thece has come to the U~JcityNa professional wrestler, Karl F- Himes of Greensburg. Ind., to train for a wrestling match with the devil. Many men this wrestler has thrown in eighteen years. Now he Is to try Jiis skill on The Devil, the champion wrestler of them all, the strangler who throws men and breaks their backs besides. Two years the challenger will be in training at the Cincinnati Bible Institute, a school for evangelists. and when his training is completed he will go out into the world to wrestle with The Devil wherever he may be. So we said to the artist; “Make a picture of this wrestler wrestling with the devil.” And the artist asked; “Who shall win this. wrestling match in the picture—The Devil or the man?”And we answered: “Put The Devil on his back, prostrate, beaten. A picture of The Devil down and out will be a great novelty.”

THE LID IS OFF (Editorial) It has remained for Governor Pinchot of Pennsylvania to yank the lid off prohibition enforcement aRd-turn the spotlight on the hidden mess. Pinchot’s speech at Washington, Sunday, is an indictment of the Secretary of the Treasury and the enforcement division as well as of the Department of Justice. ,/It opens the way for the Governors, iVhen they meet with President Cfcolidge, to call a sj>ade a spade. Also it checks the whole business up to President Coolidge. The lid is off.

McGraw Wants Pitchers Yanks Can’t Hit And Send Some Batters and Earn My x Thanks to Hit the Pitching Staff of the Yanks, By BENTON BRALET /S NEA Poet Who is Writing the World’s Series Games in Rhyme for The limes.

I~'~*n HE well-known manager. John MeHTI Graw. ! J[ I Sat with a pen in his ample paw, Vi J And scribbled a letter, a frantic note. And this Is the gist of the words he wrote: "I know it's early, dear Santa Claus. According to all of the serial laws. To write for presents, but listen here. I’m up against it for fair this year. So I am writing with you to plead That you will send me the gilts I need. And these are the presents I'd like to git— Send me some pitchers the Yanks can't hit. “They’re hammered Bentley: they’re walloped Scott: They’ve battered Ryan around the lot: On Barnes and Watson they’ve made a killin’: They've shattered Watson and smashed McQuillan. The only pitcher that ain’t gone deaf From hearing bingles Is Artiv Xehf— And if the Yanks vim. I’m Pfetty certain they'll maltreat him. / The outlook’s awful, 1 must admit— Send me some pitchers the Yanks can't hit. “In Saturday's game five pitchers twirled. But they were slaughtered. I’ll tell the world. -la„Susidgfa I used up. four. ~. , Ton know what happened, you've read the score. I bring up pitchers in droves and flocks. The Yankees hammer them from the box. And though I sit on the bench and think. My smoothest strategy is on the blink. Those Yankee murderers came to bat. And bloody tragedy follows that. What is the use of my keenest wit? Send me some pitchers the Yanks can’t hit. U I"’ " " ND while you’re at it. dear Santa A Claus. /“\ Send me some sluggers, too, bei cause. Although they started to crash the ball. Os late my hitters can’t hit at all. In Sunday’s battle, as you may know, Bancroft and Qowdy and Frisch and Groh, Kelly. Bentley and Scott and Young. Barns# and Jonnard all vainly swung; and Btengel. of all my push. Alone succeeded In hitting Bush. So send me some batters and earn my thanks.* To hit the pitching of the Yanks. “However. Santa, if you are loth To send me pitchers and sluggers both. I'll take the pitchers, I need them most; Send me a legion, a crowd, a host. I sure do need ’em. I do in truth. For when my pitchers by chance, fan Ruth. Or walk the Infant. Blob Meusol comes And makes my twirlers a bunch of bums. Or els 4 the rest of the Yankee team Lambasts the spheroid with zest and steam. H _ ON’T wait for Christmas, for hear my vow. I J I need them pitchers, and need Jem now. Send me some twirlers. some moundsmen tall.’ * Who have some stuff on the horseklde ball. Come on. dear Santa, and do your bit. Send me some pitchers the Yanks can't hit. My heart is bleeding and sore and raw; Send me some pitchers. Yours. John McGraw." CHICAGO CITY EDITOR MUST GO TO JAIL Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal From District Tribunal. By United Prett WASHINGTON, Oct. 15.—The Supreme Court today dismissed the appeal of Hector Elwell, city editor of a Chicago newspaper, from the order of the District. Court in Chicago, imprisoning him for contempt of court for refusing to testify before a grand jury concerning the source of articles published in nis newspaper.

A WRESTLING MATCH A Man Who Has Won Physically—He Seeks Moral Success

iyr E called the wrestler from his training in a classroom -J at the Bible Institute. And there came to us a shqrt, stocky man, broad of shoulders and deep of chest.

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SIXTH GAME OF WORLD SERIES 1’ DESPITEWEATHER Landis Orders Gates Open When Giant Officials 0, K. Playing Field, By HENRY L. FARRELL United Prett Staff Corrctpondent. NEW YORK. Oct. 15.—For the first time in three years John McGraw found the historical wall and not the Yankees at his back, when he. fbsembled his athletes for a few words today. All the little Napoleon of the National League champions had to offer in the way of a plea for his men to get busy and keep the Yankees from winning the world’s series today was that old moral lifter: “My men, you are still the champions.” Seconds tell fighters that when they are out In their .corners, and sometimes it fans the spark back Into a flame. Maybe the Giants can be fanned back into the race by the fiery tongue of McGraw. Official announcement that the sixth CBJpa was “op" was made tqday at noon by* Giant officials. Jatnes Tierney, secretary of the Giants looked over the playing field at the Polo Ground and conferred with Judge Landis over the telephone telling him the field was In good condition. Judge Landis then told him to open the gates. In the fourth and fifth games of the series, the Giants were terribly outhit, outplayed and cutpltchcd. They seemed to have slumped mechanically and morally. Tht big break in Sunday’s game, which the Yanks took by the lop'sided score of 8 td 1 came In the second inning. With two on bases. Joe Dugfin lined to right-centerfleli. Stengel, making a desperate running attempt for a pick-up, came In fast. Young Pulls Boner Young should have cut over hack of Stengel to support him if he failed to stop the ball. Instead Young went after the ball, they both missed and fell out of their stride whan they almost collided, Thep they had to turn rnd chase the ball to the fence, Dugan getting a home run. That stroke knocked off Jack Bentley and he had to be removed from tjte box. The same kind fading pulled by Irish Meusel and Stengel in the first nnning allowed Boh Meusel to get a triple and knock in tyo runs. There isn’t much to explain in yesterday's game. The Yanks simply picked up their bats, walked to the plate and slapped them out. Nehf Last Hope McGraw will take a desperate chance today and send Arthur Nehf back in to stop the rush of the Yankees. If Nehf should tie the series again, the plight of the Giants would be just as bad because Me Graw would have to send Mule Watson back in the seventh and deciding game.

We said to him: “So you are going to wrestle with The Devil?” And HimeS answered: “Eighteen years I wrestled with men. I took on some good in my time. Frank Gotch beat me, but

INDIANAPOLIS. MONDAY, OCT. 15,1923

BODIES OF NINE VICTIMS IN CITY

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Lone Survivor of Fatal Crossing C rash Sunday Near Shelbyville Is Sorry He Escaped Death —Officials Blame Driver of Auto, * Bodies ot nine victims of one of the worst grade crossing accidents of the year, in which a Big Four passenger train crashed into an automobile at Brookfield, twenty miles southeast of here Sunday, lay in the undertaking establishment of J. C. Wilson, 1230 Prospect St., today. The dead: MISS GOLDA GAITHER, 18, 823 Woodlawn ,Ave., Indianapolis. MISS MARTHA GAITHER, 21, #23 Woodlawn Ave., Indianapolis. J. W. MEANS' I69, farmed, living two mites east Os London, driver of the automobile. MRS. JENNIE MEANS, 49, his wife. BYRON MEANS, 14, their son. MRS. MADGE BRITTON, 27, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Means. V MARY ROSAMOND BRITTON, 7, her daughter. MRS. JESSIE M’GUIRE, 28, sister-in-law of Mrs. Means. MARJORIE PEARL M’GUIRE, 7, daughter of Mrs. McGuire. Both Golda and Martha Gaither were employed as operators by the Indiana Bell Telephone'Company. They were sisters of Mrs. M’Guire. Relatives of the victims were to arrive in Indianapolis today to make funetal arrangements, Wilson said. V One passenger death car miraculously escaped injury. He was Roy Britton, husband of Mrs. Madge Britton. According to his story the party of ten was on its way from the First Baptist Church of Brookfield, where all had attended Sunday School, to the Means home.

Wishes He lltv4 Died “I wish I had been filled with the rest of fliem,” Britton said. “I heard the train coming before we reached the tracks and called to father (J. W. Means, father-in-law), but he is deaf apd apparently did not hear me. When the front wheels of our car got just across the track the motor sputtered as If It were going to stall. Then I heard the train whistle and we were struck. When I struck the roadside the wheels of the passing within a few inches of my head. “It seemed as If every one was in the air at the same time. I saw Byron Means in the drive wheel of the engine. I walked over to Mr. Means, who was lying beside the chassis of the automobile. “ ‘They are all gone father,’ I said.

I am smaller than he. I won an international championship in Cuba. To keep trim fr "~ tling I led a clean life, and, strong „an(Tf\L. I have come to the Lord to offer myself as a challenger for

He looked up raised an arm, fell back and died.” Britton then walked over to where his little daughter lay, and sat down with the body In his arms, witnessua said. Mrs. Britton is the niece of Robert Harding, 1028 W. Twenty-Seventh St., Superior Court bailiff. Martha Gaither celebrated her twenty-first birthday last Tuesday, Oct. 9. Bhe had been with the telephone company since May 14. Gold Gaither entered the telephone company’s training school twelve days ago. %oth girls formerly were employed at the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. The bodies of the three sisters, the Misses and Mrs. McGuire, and Mrs. McGuire’s daughter, Marjorie (Continued on Page 11)

His cause. I have not yet the gift of words for preaching, but the Lord will give me that in this training school.” • * * tyrlE sai<i.Jo him: “The Devil \Y is a sli*ong wrestler. We __J ha' - e wrestled with him ourself.” And he answered: “He has only a reputation, but he can be beaten by any one who half tries. The life of every man is a wrestling match with evil. m Many win; many are 'thrown on their backs and are broken. They don’t resist; they are weak, flabby. I plan to beat The Devil by teaching many men to wrestle with him and not go into ’fixed’ matches with him. Asa wrestler The Devil is a great fraud. He has never beaten a man w)io has given him a good fight. He conquers only the weak! never the strong. He has never put a man with trained character on his back. I plan-to teach men to develop muscular characters.”

Enterew Js SecoDl-ctass Matter at Postofftce. Indianapolis Pu-olished Daily Except_j3unday.

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MISS GOLDA GAITHER (LEFT, ABd ’E), MISS MARTHA GAITHER (RIGI TANARUS, ABOVE) AND MRS. MADGE BRITTON (BELOW), THREE OF NINE VICTIMS OF THE FATAL AUTOMOBILE - TRAIN ACCIDENT AT BROOKFIELD, IND.; ROY BRITTON, LONE SURVIVOR.

1 BLEW WHISTLE,’ -SAMiIER Locomotive Guide Gives His Version of Tragedy. “There was no reason in the world why they should not have seen us,” says George Diver, engineer of the Big Four train that struck the auto at Brookfield Sunday, killing nine autcists. . "The track is clear on both sides for seventy-five feet. We were going forty-five to fifty miles an hour. We stopped within 600 feet after striking the machine. "We gave two Jong and two short blasts befere we reached the crossing.” When we knew we were upon them and going to hit, we blew the whistle loud and long. “That was the first machine I ever str-ick with peopl® in it. I understand the driver was hard of hearing. , I don’t see why they do it. “There ought to be'a law passed to keep such persons from driving.” BASEBALL UCKEiTSSE I ZED Poolroom Owner Is Arrested by Police in Raid. Baseball pool tickets for the world series and a quantity of whisky were seized, police say, when they raided a poolroom at 12 E. New York St. today. Patrick Moraity, 4t> part owner at same address, was arrested.

Brownstown (Ind.) Bank in Suit Upon One of Governor's Notes, Filed Against Local Institution, Alleges Fraudulent Signature, COMPLAINT SAYS EXECUTIVE PREPARED PAPER Meyer-Kiser Firm Denies Any Knowledge of Law Violation —Rumor That Absent State Chief Is Dead, Declared Untrue, Charges that Governor Warren T. McCray forged a $2,500 note of A. Messman & Cos., of Kentland, Ind., to himself, was made in suit filed in Circuit Couht here today by the Brownstown (Ind.) Loan and Trust Company against the Meyer-Kiser Bank o# Indianapolis. It isf alleged that the Meyer-Kiser the Messman note as valid collateral, ‘‘when in trmh and in fact they were not what they were represented to be by defendant.” The complaint also charges that McCray ‘‘had embezzled a lffrge amount of money of the State of Indiana and of the Discount and Deposit Bank of Kentland, Ind.” The complaint asks $3,000 judgment from the local bank, alleging the sold to the Brownstown Bank a $2,500 note of McCray, dated June 18, secured by tt s alleged forged note of A. Messman & Cos., dated April 1, 1923.

Reasons for this charge, as given in the cotnplaint are: Not Genuine Note Charge “That said note purporting to be the note of A. Messman & Cos. payable to Warren T. McCray in the sum of $2,500 was not the genuine note of A. Messman & Cos. to Warren T. McCray, but that the same was a false, fraudulent and fictitious note. “That said note was written and signed by Warren T. McCray and that the signature of A. Messman & Cos. thereto was forged by said > Warren T. McCray. “That said note purporting to be the note of A. Messman & Cos. did not represent a valid indebtedness of any person or firm to Warren T. McCray and that said note ws.s not at any time a valid obligation of A. Messman & Cos. or of any other person or firm to said Warren T. McCray, but that the same was at wtt times a false, fraudulent, fle- * titiou l and note. “Tiiat said note was prepared, signed and executed by Warren T. McCray for the false, fraudulent and unlawful purpose of unlawfully and fraudulently obtaining money and credit thereon.” Messman Manages Farm A. Messman Is manager of a McCray farm In lowa. He formerly lived In Kentland, the Governor’s home town. A number of notes signed A. Messman & Cos., nave appeared in connection with the McCray financial tangle. The second paragraph of the complaint alleges: No Such Firm, Is Charge “That the name A. Messman & Cos. w as forged to the said note by Warren T. McCray, that there was at that time no such firm or corporation doing business under the name and style of A. Messman & Cos., who was Indebted to said McCray to the amount of said note, or who had ever been indebted to said McCray on account of" said note, but that the same was prepared, executed and uttered solely by McCray for the false, fraudulent and unlawful purpose of deceiving and defrauding the purchaser thereof.” The tjiird paragraph charges: “That the defendant (Meyer-Kiser Bank) fraudulently represented to the plaintiff: “that the defendant had investigated McCray’s financial condition; that McCray was solvent and in good \ financial condition, and was owner of assets of $2,174,732.32 and had liabilities of only $386,674.10; that McCray for some time been steadily reducing his indebtedness; that .the A. Messman & Cos. note was genuine, and the company* solvent." State Money Mentioned Plaintiff alleges the fact really were: “But that the liabilities of McCray really in excess of $£,500,000; that he was insolvent; that the A. Messman and Company note was fictitious and forged and did not represent indebtedness for cattle sold by McCray to A. Messman and Company, that the defendant at thq time of making said representation knew that said Warren T. McCray had embezzled a large amdllllt of money of the State of Indiana and of the Discount and Deposit Bank of Kentland, Ind; that he was unable to meet his obligations then due, that he was insolvent and not In sound financial condition.” Renewal Paper, Meyer Says Sol Meyer, president of the MeyerKiser Bank, discussing th.e suit, said: “Attorneys were in here trying to get a settlement. We refused to settle and told them to go ahead. “We disclaim any guilty knowledge of any transaction. That note was a renewal piece of paper, not new. The Brownstown Bank had it more than a year. “A director of the Brow'nstown tank, a man named Welch, sold them the note. They asked for it, not because we recommended it. “We understand they bought on the strength of getting a State deposit, which they did. “We are, ‘in’ SIO,OOO ourselves. We were all suckers.” Meyer detailed what he said was the method by which McCray sold his paper. He said McCray first made his own sworn statement in writing, claimed he was a large owner of farm lands, that he was a big cattle raiser and th< Governor of the State. "Hoi 1 could you ge* better references?” Ifleyer asked. couliLwe

Forecast MOSTLY cloudy with rain . probably tonight and Tuesday. Not much change.

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go out and investigate the Governor’s financial status, bank by bank?” “Os course, we knew nothing about any alleged embezzlement. I? we had we have been 9tuck ourselves. ’ Federal investigation of the affairs of the Discount and Deposit. State Bank of Kentland will be made “in all probability,” Homor Elliott, United States district attorney, said today. Meanwhile, a State investigation is under way of the affairs of the bank, which closed its doors Saturday. Governor McCray formerly was president of the institution. The Governor still was out of the city and persons close to him continued their refusal to tell wheie he Is. His absence led to persistent rumors that he was dead. “The Governor left Indianapolis at 3 p. m. Saturday” WilUam P. Evans. Marion County prosecutor and - son-in-law of the Governor, said. “I know where he is, but I do not care to, telL He will be back in the city this afternoon,” Prosecutor Is Still 111 Charles W. Moores, special prosecutor in charge of the Marion County grand jury investigation of McCray’s affairs, still was confined to his home by illness. At hfc- home it was said he was much better, but that the date for resumption of the j grand <jury investigation isYndeflnite. In connection with thg probability of a Federal Investigation, Elliott dictated this brief statendftt: “In view of the closispKrt the bank and the assertions mjjSe.by s:m* of its present officers; in probability a Federal investigation 4nll be mads.” “I am not going -to - say another word aboutrit,” he declared. McCray Pape# Cared For The Discount and Deposit State Bank is a Federal reserve deposits-y and as such would corns under Federal as well as Stale JurisdictionThe Investigation, If any, is expected to be made by agents working directly under the Department of Justice at Washington. William Darroch. president of the bank, said the ' situation, concerning that institution is unchanged. “I have no Idea when the bank will be reopened,” he said. * Darroch said, when the bank was closed, that it was cjosed for reorganization. Thomas D. Barr and Elmer Johnson, State bank examiners, are in charge of the investigation of the bank’s affairs. The bank had a large amount of McCray paper, but it was understood this was taken care of through the "pool” headed by James P Goodrich. Twenty-Throe Suits, New Total It Is alleged in the bankruptcy petition now pending In Federal Couit. against McCray that the bank was made a preferred creditor. If the bankruptcy action is successful, it ia believed the payment of money to the bank will be declared an act of bankruptcy. Under these circumstances the bank is In a position to lose heavily. It Is understood the closing of the?* bank resulted from the withdrawal of deposits. Including $60,000 of IJtate money, since that institution became a storm center in the McCray tangle. Two more suits on notes have been filed against McCray at Kentland. One for SIO,OOO was field by the Delaware County National Bank of Muncie, and one for $3,500 by the Grand View Bank of Grand View. This brings the total of suits to twentythree and the amount Involved to $116,000. BLOODY CLOTHING IN CAR Owner Sought in Mystery as His Auto Is Found. Police today were confronted with a mystery after an automobile c6ritalning bloody clothing was found in an alley near the 900 block on E. St. Clair St. The certificate of title showed the car owned "by Russell Beyer, 617 Hudson St., police said. When police went-to the Hudson St. address \ they - were informed that Beyer had moved to 722 Talbott Ave. Mrs. Ada Osborne, who lives at this addreiß. said Beyer was employed at a construction camp near the city. He had not been home since early Sunday evenip.'„\ she told police. Beyer has not bem located. HOURLY TEMPERATURE 6 a. m. 53 10 a. m 59 7 a. m 63 II a. m... 62 8 a. m 54 12 (noon) ...... *s' 9 a. m„ u ,„, 56 - - ■ , *