Indianapolis Times, Volume 38, Number 305, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 March 1927 — Page 9

Second Section

WIFE IS INCOMPETENT AS MURDER WITNESS

THREE EX-LOCAL -WOMEN BURNED IN FE|l FIRE Mrs. William J. Wright and * Two Daughters Victims —Two Critical. I!ii Timet Special HOWEY, Fla.. March 30.—Three Indianapolis women were seriously burned, two perhaps fatally, today at 7 a. m. in an apartment house fire caused by an unmarked high test gasoline drum. The victims were Mrs. Jeanette Wright, 55, whom it is believed can not live; Marion Wright, 22, a daughter, whose condition is almost ;is serious, and Dorothy Wright, also a daughter. Rolled in Sand Dorothy Wright is believed to have saved her life by hurrying outdoors and rolling in the sand. The father, Dr. William J. Wright, formerly a Christian Church minister in Indiana, was away from home at the time. Mrs. Wright lighted a kerosene heating stove, which had been filled with high test gasoline from a newly installed drum which bore no marks to indicate its contents and which had been set beside a kerosine irum of identical color, it is alleged. In Orlande Hospital The Wright family came to Florida last October, the daughters to leach in the Howey schools and ihe father to sell real estate. They were, taken to Orange General Hospital in Orlando. WAS SALESMAN HERE Family Resided in Ambassador Apartment s—From (,'rawfortlsvllle. Dr. William J. Wright, his wife and daughters lived at .the Ambassador Apts., 850 N. Pennsylvania St., lu re until they went to Florida last year. Dr. Wright retired from the ministry several years ago, moving to Indianapolis from Crawfordsville; He was in the real estate business, with an office in the Hume-Mansur Bldg.

FLOOD COVERS TWELVE TOWNS Bu United Prett LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 30. —Swallowed up by a wall of muddy water, a dozen small towns of Desha County, Arkansas, today were almost completely under water, while frantic efforts are being made by workmen along the Mississippi river front to prevent further floods. Villages in the area—known as Laconia Delta—were reported here to have given way late last night, letting the river into thousands of acres of crop land. Danger warnings broadcast since 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon gave residents of the area time to flee with the most of their movable goods, it was reported, and no deaths had occurred. Residents of the area are being provided for in homes outside ethe flood district and in nearly four hundred boxcars at Snow Lake. The Missouri Pacific Railroad has sent officials to provide relief. The Mississippi has been rising for some time, fed by northern rains, and yesterday afternoon had reached a fifty-foot stage at Know!ton. The levee there was one tlrst to go out. Livestock Drowned Henrico, Laconia and Knowlton ■ r e thought to have suffered greatest damage. The towns are on marshy ground. The total population of the three villages is less than a thousand, however, and the damage is. therefore, comparatively small. Property and crop damage will be heavy. Thousands of acres of fertile land Is inundated and many head of live-stock believed drowned. FLYNN CASE IS ENDED Rochester Men Sentenced on Pleas of Guilty. Bu Tima Special ROCHESTER. Ind., March 30. Men Butts, 24, and Chester Young, 28, who were with Ray (Foxy) Flyrin when he was shot to death when the trio tried to hold up a farmer here last January, were sentenced to two to twenty-one years when they pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit a felony. RELIGIOUS MEETING ENDS H a Timet Special MARION, Ind.. March 30.—Council of Religious Education conference closed here today. E. T. Albertson, State secretary, spoke.

70,000,000 U. 5. Dollars in China Bu United Prett WASHINGTON, March 30. American business interests have approximately $70,000,000 invested in China, the Commerce Department estimated today, while a similar amount is involved in missionary and philanthropic enterprises. The industrial money investment is In bonds of the Chinese government, railway bonds and concession advances, longterm credits by American concerns to the Chinese government and land, buildings and equipment.

Spring Vacation Accident Score In 1925—Tw0 children were killed and fifteen injured during spring vacation. In 1926—0ne child was killed and seventeen injured during spring vacation. This week; Killed 0 Injured }

FIRST VACATION ACCIDENT TODAY Negro Boy Rides Bicycle Into Automobile. The first school child Injured during spring vacation week was Clifford Towers, 13, Negro. 1019 W. Walnut St., who, riding a bicycle, turned the corner of Walnut and Lock Sts. this morning and ran headlong into an automobile driven by Verne Harvey, R. R. M, Box 164. The boy’s right leg was injured, but after treatment at city hospital he was taken home. He attends School 24.

BRAZIL COMPANY AGREES TO KEEP MINERS AT WORK Hope of Averting Strike Brightens—Test Comes Thursday Night. Hope of preventing a shut down of bituminous coal mines in the central competitive field brightened today with the announcement by the Big Bend Coal Company of Brazil | that it had signed up with officials of District 8, United Mines Workers to continue operations under the old scale until a general settlement is effective. The company with an annual output of 200,000 tons is one of the largest producers in the block coal fields of the State. p District 8 officers will meet at Brazil Thursday as other compares have indicated a willingness to continue work under the present scale. Elsewhere, however, operators were standing firm in their demand for a reduction in the wage scale. The wage agreement expires at midnight Thursday. No move had been made by the operators to accept the proposal of the international policy committee of the United Mine Workers for district negotiations. Illinois operators met in Chicago today to discuss the wage crisis. Rice Miller, president of the Illinois operators, gave out word that the union proposals were unsatisfactory. The first condition to continued operation of the mines must be a wage reduction which will place union mines on a competitive basis with those of non-union territory, Miller said. “Arbitration Blocked” William Hamilton, president of the Indiana Bituminous Operators” Association. declared “arbitration is impossible where fixed conditions are demanded by the miners.” The attitude of the Indiana operators is identical with that of the other operators of the central competitive fields, who held out for a wage reduction at the joint Miami conference in February, according to Hamilton. He said he saw no hope for an adjustment of the dispute as long as the miners insisted on retention of the basic pay of $7.50 a day fixed by the Jacksonville agreement which ends at midnight tomorrow night. Operators of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, the other two States in the central competitive territory, also are standing behind their wage reduction demands, according to information received here. Excitement When Home Burns Fatal 4 Bn Timet Special WILKINSON, Ind.. March 30. j Mrs. Minnie Collier, 71, was dead to- | day from excitement caused when i her home burned here Tuesday. PAROLES ARE REVOKED Pardon Board Limits Clemency as It Nears End of Existence. Passing of the Indiana Pardon Board, as decreed by act of the recent Legislature, is marked by revocation, rather than granting of paroles. The second batch to be passed upon by the last session of the board have been signed by the Governor and made public. Thirty paroles were revoked and only six granted, these temporarily. Eleven Indianapolis persons were on the list of parole revocations, all for failure to make fine payments as agreed. The temporary paroles were granted in cases of sickness or death in the prisoner’s family. Those from Indianapolis whose pa roles were revoked are Robert Cox, William Dilley, Philip Bible, George Yocum, Ernest Davis, John Morgan, I John Morrison, Airy Lowe, John , Petro, Julius Dibrell and Dav e Huffman.

The Indianapolis Times

ARMITAGE’S STAR ASCENDS IN CITY RAIL FIRMAMENT Boss Coffin’s Efforts to Save Oberleas’ Job Are Fruitless. Prestige of William 11. Armiiage as a political power at the city hall continued to grow today at the expense of George V. Coffin, Republican county and city chairman, as Coffin's efforts to save the job of Chester C. Oberleas, city civil engineer, appeared fruitless. Oberleas was dismissed by Mayor Duvall, effective Friday and Frank C. Lingenfelter, who had the job under the Shank administration when Armitage was boss, was named to succeed Oberleas. Places Blame Oberleas said Armitage and a group of asphalt paving contractors caused his dismissal because he changed street specifications making asphalt paving mdre expensive to lay and concrete cheaper. Rumors of a general shake-np continued. These had become so general that politicians were speculating upon whom the mayor would pick to succeed Roy C. Shaneberger and Oren Hack, board of works members, and George Woodward, street commissioner. Shaneberger and Hack stood with the engineer in the change on street specifications and the asphalt interests are openly denouncing them. Break Rumored Woodward is a Coffin man. Politicians were saying that the mayor, recognizing that Coffin's political hold has been weakening while Armitage quietly has been rebuilding the fences Coffin once tore down for him, might ditch Woodward and replace him with an Armitage appointee as a means.of serving notice he has broken with Coffin. The talk that Armitage is coming back into power at city hall was so strong that politicians were speculating upon whom he would select for the board of works and street commissioner jobs. The names of William H. Freeman and Dr. M. J. Spencer, board of works members in the Shank administration, were mentioned frequently in this connection. MASONS GATHER HERE 500 Attracted Daily to Scottish Rite Annual Convocation. The sixty-second anniversary convocation of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Volley of Indianapolis, which opened Tuesday at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, is attracting more than five hundred Masons daily. Degrees from the fourth to the thirty-second will be conferred. The convocation banquet will be Thursday at 6:30 p. m., after the thirtysecond degree has been conferred. Charles U. Patton is general reception chairman, assisted by J. Frank Holmes.

‘Folks&

The Indianapolis Times is proud of its children. It wants you to know the folks who make the paper something more than ordinary, the folks who make it a thing of flesh and blood, almost—a welcome interesting visitor in your home, a personality. Today The Times introduces:

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Edgar Martin

It hardly sounds reasonable—but (be first picture thpt Edgar Martin, creator of the famous comic strip, “Boots and Her Buddies,” ever drew', wan a picture of an ugly, scaly salamander! Boots is just about the daintiest, most truly feminine character in any comic strip in America. But Martin, nevertheless, got his start as an artist by sketching prosaic, everyday reptiles. It happened like this. Martin was living in Nashville, Tenn., where his father was professor of biology in a small college. Martin had never drawn in his life; (he was 16*at that time); one day his father pressed him into service to j draw some biological charts for 1 him. Martin showed such talent that lie and his father agreed he ought i to study art. So off to Chicago wen* tlie youngster to study at the Academy of Fine Arts.

‘THE MARINES HAVE LANDED-’

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The picture shows the Army transport Uhaumont as it arrived in Shanghai with its cargo of 1.200 United States marines. The marines arc now protecting the foreign settlement there. The photograph was taken by a passenger on the President Jefferson and part of the Jefferson and several passengers are visible in the lower right-hand eomer of picture.

IRE DESCENDS ONFARM BILL VETO Dire Results Forecast by Federation Speaker. Luke Duffey. of the speakers bureau of the Indiana Farm Bureau Federation, in a telegram to Senator Watson today declared that six farm district meetings in ludiana within a week have expressed their disj approval of President Coolidge's stand on farm relief legislation. “Organized farmers issue a bold and brazen dare to our party to place President Coolidge on the ticket for 1928,” Dufley said, adding that he I was “still a Republican firm in the faith of an all serving tariff.’* Pointing to the fact that ten banks have closed in Indiana since the first of the year, Duffey predicted that “almost one hundred Hoosier farm-serving banks in Indiana will close before the presidential race of 1928, as a result of the ruinous Coolidge free trade farm policy." KILLS FELLOW EMPLOYE Bit i tilted Prrs/t * EAST CHICAGO, Ind.. March 30. —Salvaa Inyalis, employe of the Last Chicago plant of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, was held here today on a charge of murder following an argument at the plant here which ended when Inyalis shot and killed Apolonia Martinez, a fellow employee.

Boots and Her Buddies

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BOX ITS JUST UKE AMY CITY IU THE \ STATES - YOU COUYO MERY EASWY j ( YOOR EARS cyose yoor eyes a secowo J V ' J&L

YVlien he finished his course he got a job with N’EA Service, Inc., at Cleveland, Ohio.

THREE WIDOWED, ELEVEN FATHERLESS IN SLAYING Jobless Chicago Man, Crazed by Hungry Children’s Cries, Killed by Police After Two Murders.

Bu United Prett CHICAGO. March 30.—Sobs of four hungry children brought sorrow today to three homes on Chicago’s West Side. Joseph Clemente. 45. was driven mad by despondency last evening when he found his children suffering from lack of food. He had lost his job as a laborer and blamed his ’employers for the suffering of his family. And so Clemente sought revnge. He approached John Palumbo. 39. a

Judge Approves Wielding Rod Bu United Prett ALEXANDRIA. Va . March 30.—Teachers in this city who wield the rod on unruly pupils were upheld by Judge William Snow, who cleared Mrs. Cora Kelley, public school tecchcr, of charges that she haa excessively whipped a pupil. “For the purpose of correction,” Snow ruled, “the teacher represents the parent. It is a sctlted rule of common law that in such cases a teacher stands in the place of a parent.” t

It occurred to him to sketch the adventures of a girl at college. He set to work, “Boots and

| construction foreman, and when he was refused the job he had lost, he | shot Palumbo three times, killing ( him almost instantly. Then the crazed father went to the home of John Prete. another construction foreman, for whom he had worked. Prete was listening to the evening prayers of his children . when Clemente entered and shot him to death. A poiic squad, touring th West j Side in search of the killer, came I upon him hiding under a wagon in the back yard of his sister's home. : He held the police away for nearly |an hour before they killed him with a heavy rifle fire. Three mothers were made widows I and eleven children were made fatherless by the tragedy. trinkets bequeathed NEW YORK—Under the will of Morton Pa ton, retired lawyer. J. P. Morgan received a gold pencil appraised at $25, which formerly was the property of his father, and Clarence H. Mackay was left a SI,OOO sapphire stickpin and a $7 collection of athletic trophies. The latter were won by Paton and Mackay jointly in contests.

—By Martin

Her Buddies" was the result, Mid Martin became famous from coast to coast.

Second Section

Further Testimony Barr' 1 by Special Judge Fre mont Alford. FOLTZ TAKES STAND Defendant Relates Story of Fatal Shooting. Mrs. Grover Foltz, 30, was ruled an incompetent witness today in the murder trial of her husband, Grover Foltz, 30, charged with fatally shooting Malcolm Grayson, 32. Special Criminal Judge Fremont Alford ruled# out further testimony of the defendant’s wife, following heated argument between Deputy Prosecutor Judson L. Stark and Defense Attorney Frank Symmes. Move to Impeach Lost Foltz cook the stand in his own behalf and testified to shooting Grayson when he returned home and found his wife in the murdered man’s arms in their former home, 228 E. Wyoming St., Nov. 15. 1926. A motion of Stark asking impeachment of Mrs. Foltz, after she had testified on Tuesday, on the grounds that her testimony was “surprising and hostile,” was overruled by Alford. # Tuesday's testimony of the State’s chief witness was allowed to stand. Stark charged Mrs. Foltz’s testimony differed from her story as related to police and Coroner Paul F. Robinson. Objection to Robinson’s testimony was sustained. Foltz declared he did not know Grayson, but that his wife spoke of him previonsly regarding rental of a room at their home. “I left home the night of the shooting and returned a few minutes later for a book. Entering the rear of the lot. I saw a man enter the kitchen door,” said Foitz. Told of Shooting He told the jury of returning to his car for a gun. Foltz testified he found the kitchen door locked and saw his wife in the man’s arms. “When he grabbed my wife I fired two shots through the door. Then I broke down the door and fired two other shots as he ran out the front door,” Foltz declared. The State rested its case at 11 a. m., after which Symines made his opening statement.

REED AND SAPIRO IN WITS DUEL Two Sharply Contrasting Men Fight in Million-Dol-lar Case. By Earl Sparling Tiw s Cos 'rcstmtidcnt DKTROIT, Mich. March 30. Greek, to take a few racial liberties, has encountered Greek. Or, mixing things even more, the Jim Reed, Scotsman, has grabbed a legal headlock on Aaron Sapiro, Jew. and found himself holding a tartar. Not since a certain memorable 110-round bout in 1893 has there been so much to look forward to. Even the Honorable Jim, in politics most pugnacious, seemed to realize what he was up against as he renewed today his attempt to save Henry Ford’s million dollars by breaking down Aaron Sapiro’s own story of his farm marketing career. Frightening Growl “How long will it take me to crossexamine him?” The Senator’s brows did strange things above his steel gray eyes and the growl of his voice was such as to scare the whole Republican party. Senators-eleet Smith and Vare included. And then he grinned, as only Jim Reed grins, “How can I tell?” It's a grand drama, this rumbling white-haired man of irdn matching wit and will with a black-haired, soft-spoken opponent who strikes with a smile end gives blow for blow. And, for the first time, Detroit is seeing Jim Reed really in action. Thus far in Aaron Sapiro’s milliondollar libel suit against Henry Ford the man from Missouri has been as much like his senatorial self as gum is like what he customarily chews. As he explained to Federal Judge Raymond, “Your Honor, I’m trying to speak low. I have a habit of raising my voice.” But, before his first tilt with Aaron Sapiro had ended yesterday, the Senator had shifted at least into second gear. He tried to prevent Sapiro from testifying how much money he had made out of farm cooperatives. Smiling enthusiastically, Sapiro told the jury, however, that he hafi made from SIO,OOO a year in 1916 to a maximum of $61,531 in 1922. Reed tried to delve embarrassingly into his early legal career, intent apparently to make the jury wonder how a young man admitted to the bar in 1911 could, five years later, be embarked on a comet career. Helped Sapiro The questions merely enabled Sapiro to tell greater details how he battled his way up against the greatest difficulties. In 1911 he was getting only SSO a month; in 1913, $200; in 1914, more than S6OO. This money angle is important because Ford’s Dearborn Independent alleged Sapiro made at least a million in the last ten years and Reed informed the Jury early in the trial he would prove it. Sapiro admits his firm made perhaps that much, but asserts he received less than a third of It. And, as Reed tackles Sapiro, another attorney sits at the long counsel table and loads for Henry Ford. W. H. Gallagher, chief counsel for Sapiro, will get hia I vengeance late in the week, if everything goes swiftly.

PREPARES MOTION 10 DELAY RETURN OF STEPHENSON Gilliom Seeks Ruling on Subpoena for Ex-Klan Head in Civil Case. Attorney General Arthur L. Gilliom today prepared a motion to sot asir’e the order of Superior Judge James M. Leathers for D. C. Stephenson, life convict, to appear in his court in civil proceedings. Gilliom hopes to secure a court ruling on the authority of a judge to order appearance of a prisoner in civil proceedings. The final fight may be taken to the Supreme Court. On a previous occasion Gilliom held it was l ot necessary for the prison warden to recognize such a subpoena for Stephenson. Serving Murder Term The subpoena for the former Indiana Klan dragon, now serving a life sentence for murdering Miss Madge Oberholtzer of Indianapolis, was not expected to be served on State Prison Warden Walter H. Daly today. Sheriff Kroll left Michigan City for La Porte on another mission. The subpoena mailed to the sheriff had not been received this morning. The order instructs Stephenson to appear forthwith in Superior Court One, to testify as to whether or not he owns property at 5432 University Ave. This is in connection with a suit filed by his former wife, Mrs. Nettie Stephenson Brehm of Oklahoma, for $10,600 to support Stephen son’s 11-year-old child, Florence Catherine Stephenson. The complaint alleges Stephenson owns the property and the court claim might be levied on it. Daly said Tuesday, after the order was issued, that he probably would not honor it, and would get an opinion from Attorney General Gilliom. Floyd Mattice, attorney for Mrs. Brehm, declared he did not expect the subpoena to be honored, but will follow with a petition for a writ of habeas corpus ad testificandum, which would order Daly to bring Stephenson here. Has Precedent This procedure was followed several months ago when Herbert E. Wilson, receiver for Hoosier Tailors. Inc., brought Stephenson into Superior Court Three for examination about property holdings. Stephenson refused to answer questions. Gilliom ruled at that time the man could not be borught here for participation in civil suits. Another subpoena also was Issued for Ira Holmes, attorney, and Fred Butler. Stephenson’s former secretary. to appear in court April S, and tell whether or not Stephenson owns real property in the county. Holmes signed Stephenson’s bond when the latter was arrested on the murder charge.

BANDIT GETS SBS AT GESTATION Blackjacks Attendant and Makes Getaway. With a changeable mind, but a powerful right arm, a lone bandit held up the Shell gasoline station at Madison Ave. and Meridian St., late Tuesday night and escaped with SBS. Melvin Peacock, 721 N. Pershing Ave., attendant, said he was closing up when an auto drove in. The driver leaped out of the car, ran toward him and said. “Put ’em up, boy,,” according to the attendant. After he got his hands up, Peacock said the bandit changed his mind and demanded, “No put ’em down and give me the money.” Peacock told the police that as he opened a drawer containing the money, the robber hit him on the head with a blackjack. While tho attendant was stunned the bandit seized the money and ran to his car, in which he escaped. &

Gone, but Not Forgotten

Automobiles reported stolen to police belong to: George Deeb, 753 De Quincy St.. Studebaker; from Michigan and Alabama Sts. Claude Bivin, 404 Massachusetts Ave., Hudson; 512-018; from in front of 400 N. Alabama St. Harry Shell. 910 Union St., Chevrolet; 563-109; from in front of that address. Allister Smith, 51014 W. Washington St., Chevrolet: 529-953; from garage at 173 N. Bright St. Freda Heider, 3131 Kenwood Ave.. Chevrolet; 14-427; from Pennsylvania and Vermont Sts.

BACK HOME AGAIN

Automobiles reported found by police belong to: John I. Rush. Morris St. and Tibbs Ave., Moon; found at Illinois and Ohio Sts. “RAIN MAKERS” WASHINGTON Hottentots around Mt. Brukkaros, Southwest Africa, believe instruments used by American solar observers there have power to make it rain, according to a report from the observers to the Smithsonian Institution. They are worried, however. In that his hasn't rained at Mt. Brukkaros since the Americans arrived.