Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 230, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 February 1928 — Page 1

SCRIPPS-HO WARD

OIL PROBERS • ARE DEFIED BYSTEWART Chief of Indiana Standard Refuses to Tell of Secret Profits. FACES CONTEMPT CASE Given Until Tomorrow by ; Senator Walsh to Tell All of Story. 9u United Press WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.—Robert W. Stewart, chairman of the Indiana Standard Oil Company board, refused to tell the Senate Teapot Dome committee today what he knew about the mysterious dispoBitlon of $3,000,000 profits of the (Continental Trading Company. “I never got a dollar out of the deal personally,” Stewart said. "I never gave any of the bonds to any political party, any Government official or any official of any municipality. “Further than that I must decline an answer.” Senator Walsh of Montana announced the committee would give Stewart another chance to answer Friday and that if he persisted, contempt proceedings would be begun against him. He would either be taken into custody or cited to the district attorney for court contempt action, Walsh indicated. Guaranteed Contract The Continental firm made its money by buying millions of barrels of oil at $1.50 a barrel and without handling the oil sold it immediately at $1.75 a barrel. Stewart testified he had bought some of this oil from Continental, but only because he thought it was cheap. He said he was not concerned with what the Continental made out of the deal. Stewart admitted he guaranteed the contract whereby the Continental made the $3,000,000 profits the committee is tracing, but said he had to do it to get the oil. “It was just like guaranteeing a note after the note is paid,” Stewart said. For that reason he joined with Harry Sinclair, he said to consummate the deal. From these $3,000,000 profits, the committee already has learned that Sinclair sent $233,000 to former Secretary of Interior Fall, after Fall had leased Teapot Dome to Sinclair. Went to See Humphries Stewart said he heard A. E. Humphries of the Mexia field, after a Pure Oil deal, was willing to sell the other half of his output. “The board of my company asked me to go to New York to see Humphries. “Humphreys said he was going to meet some gentlemen in Blackmer’s hotel room and asked me to be present. x “I went and found Humphreys, his son, Beaman Dawes, Sinclair and others. I was told the Sinclair Crude Oil Purchasing Company was going to get the oil and that I would have to get it through that source. He said I w'ould have to pay $1.75 per barrel for it. I didn’t know what they w ere going to make out of it. I didn’t care because I knew the market price of oil was $2. That oil was cheap at $1.75 and we wanted it.” Stewart Shows Temper * Stewart showed traces of temper; ordered a news photographer not to take his picture on the stand; obviously was disturbed by the proximity of newspaper men to the witness chair; and resisted Walsh whenever they differed on interpretations of his testimony. 2. A contract worth $5,000,000 was bought by oil men in the Continental Trading Company deal for $400,000, E. G. Seybert, president of the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, told the committtee today. He preceded Stewart on the stand. After the Continental had made $3,000,000 profits from the contract tjnder which it w'as to buy 50,000,000 barrels of Mexia oil, it sold the contract. to the Sinclair Crude Oil 1 Purchasing Company and the Prairie Oil and Gas Company, Seubert xaid. Senator Bratton (Dem.), New Mexico, brought out that by repurchase of the Continental contract the two purchasing companies were able to buy their own oil for 25 cents a barrel, absorbing the profit which the Continental had been making for them from them. WOMAN DROPS DEAD Mrs. Esther Schwartz, $5, Collapses at Home of Neighbor. Mrs. Esther Schwartz, 65, of 2311 N. Meridian St., dropped dead shortly before noon today while visiting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Freidman, 17 N. Gray St. She collapsed in a chair, according to Mrs. Freidman, and was dead when a neighboring doctor arrived The body was turned over to Coroner C. H. Keever. who pronounced death due to heart disease. Mrs. Schwarts lived with a stepson, William Schwartz. Funeral services will be at 10 a. m. Fridaj at the home, followed by burial ir the Hebrew cemetery.

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The Indianapolis Times Mostly cloudy and warmer tonight and Friday; lowest temperature 25 to 80.

VOLUME 39—NUMBER 230

Tag, Who 9 sit? John Julian, 474 S. Luett St., has ait automobile and wants to drive it, he told police, and being aware that dire misfortunes are threatened those who have not 1928 license plates on their motor vehicles, he journeyed to one of the proper places and purchased some of the same. But alas, misfortune was not thwarted—for some citizens, who abides not by the law of the land, opened his automobile door when_ he parked for a short time on his way home and stole the nice, new, shiny 1928 tags.

POLICE START AUTO SEIZURE Cars on Streets With Old Tags ot Be Impounded. Indianapolis police today were ordered to impound all automobiles with 1927 license plates found on the streets, but not to start arresting the delinquent owners until Monday. Tuesday was the deadline for old license plates, set by Secretary of State Frederick E. Schcrtemeier. State police announced they would impound cars and arrest owners Wednesday and five cars were hauled to the neatest garages that day. State Police Chief Robert Humes announced today the policy had been changed, to give motorists one final period of grace. Police throughout the State are being asked by Humes to follow the policy of impounding cars until Monday and after that both to impound cars and arrest the owners. Owners can get their impounded cars back when they produce 1928 license plates and pay storage charges. As soon as the rush of license purchasers at the Statehouse lightens and State policemen handling the crowd are released, the men will be sent into the field to catch license offenders, Humes said. COP’S HOME BURNED Boy, 17, Saves Baby Sisters From Fire. Fire destroyed the interior of the residence of Patrolman Glyndon Macy, police embergency dnver, at 939 N. Tibbs Ave., today. Macy s son Carl, 17, 'was in the house with his sister, Rosaline, 3 months, and Flenna Jean, 4, when the blaze started. He carried them to safety and called firemen. Macy rushed to the house in a police emergency automobile, but found the flames, believed started by defective wiring, had wiped clean the interior of seven rooms of the eight-room bungalow. Seven hundred dollars worth of furniture bought last week was destroyed. “I’d have been out of debt by May, but now I don’t know what I’ll do,” said Macy. He estimated the total damage at $5,000. The house was owned by his father, Jule Macy, and was only partially insured. Ten Die as Fort Wall Falls By United Press MEKNES, Morocco. Feb. 2.—Ten persons w'ere killed and many injured today when fifty-five yards of a fortification wall collapsed and destroyed three houses.

M’ADOO SLAPS AL; SMITH SLAPS BACK

RICHMOND, Va„ Feb. 2.—Prohibition policies of Governor A1 Smith of New York were assailed by William G. McAdoo, candidate for the 1924 Democratic presidential nomination in a speech to the Virginia Anti-Saloon League here last night. McAdoo predicted that an end would be written to the Eighteenth Amendment if a wet were elected Resident. “Attempt is being made to convince the country that no matter if a wet is elected President, the Constitution and the laws will be enforced. This is both unsound and true. Neither the Constitution nor the law is self-executing.” ALBANY, N. Y.. Feb. 2.—“ The gentleman doesn't know his Constitution,” was the reply of Governor Alfred E. Smith today to the

Many motion pictures owe much of their success to the cleverness of titles. Many others might have been successful except for their poor titles. The profession of writing titles for motion pictures is not only interesting, but profitable. Title writers are drafted from many walks of life, and surprisingly few are real writers, in a professional sense. This is because the successful subtitle is not necessarily a literary gem, but rather a clever thought expressed in simple words of one or two syllables. ItVthe idea that counts in subtitles. Almost any person who can read or write English is a potential subtitle writer.

SLACK OUSTER IS TRACED TO COFFINGRODP Council Attempt to Unseat Mayor Inspired by G. 0. P., Bartholomew Says. MACHINE ASKS ACTION Two Petitions for Move Are Signed by Republican Leaders in County. Republican politicians inspired the calling of the special meeting of city council Monday at which the resolution to oust Mayor L. Ert Slack was voted through. Council President Otis E. Bartholomew declared today. Bartholomew denied that gamblers inspired the move and made public a petition, signed by a group of Republicans, headed by George V. Coffin, indicted Republican county chairman, asking for the special meeting. The petition boldly states that the purpose in asking the meeting w r as “to re-establish a Republican administration.” “I was convinced that we made a legal error and wanted to make it possible to get quicker legal action,” said Bartholomew. "I am a Republican and an organization Republican, and these men who signed the petition are the heads of the Republican organization.” Coffin Signs Both Bartholomew exhibited two copies of the petition. Coffin had signed both, although the wording was identical. The petition follows: "We, the undersigned, members of the Republican political organization of this city and county, respectfully ask you, as president of the council, to call a special meeting of the council for Monday, Jan. 30, 1928, for the purpose of voting on the resolution now’ pending in which the council’s action in electing L. Ert Slack as mayor be rescinded. “We further respectfully request that the council, by its action, do everything possible to re-establish a Republican administration of city affairs, and W'e suggest that in addition to adopting the resolution now pending in the council, the Republican members elect Ira M. Holmes as mayor. “We believe Mr. Holmes legally is appointed mayor, and should be given the office.” Many Sign Petition The signature, some in pencil, besides that of Coffin, were: Wayne Emmelmann, secretary of the Republican county committee; W. Todd Young, paving material agent; Clyde Robinson, county treasurer; A. O. Meloy, United States marshal; George Snider, county commissioner; Omer Hawkins, sheriff; George O. Hutsell, county clerk; Charles W. Mann, F. D. Brattain, Morton M. Mathews, William Edwards, George Woodward, Elmer Petty, H. D. TuteWiler, former county commissioner; Alfred Middleton, Earl Garrett, former city market master; Frank Hawkins, Warren E. Sampsell and Paul S. Dunn, county councilman. Hourly Temperatures 6 a. m.... 16 10 a. m.... 25 7 a. m.... 16 II a. m.... 29 8 a. m.... 18 12 (noon). 34 9 a. m.,.. 21 1 p. m..,, 35

speech of William G. McAdoo in Richmond, Va., last night. The Governor was answering assertions of McAdoo that Smith’s position in signing a repeal of the Mullen-Gage State prohibition enforcement act by holding that the Volstead act is as much a part of the laws of this State as any State act, was “without justification.” The Governor quoted Section 2, Article 6. United States Constitution : “This Constitution of the laws of the United States shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made or which shall. be made under the authority of the United States shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in State shall be bound thereby, anytning in the constitution of laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.”

WRITE A SNAPPY SUBTITLE FOR ‘THE GORILLA’ AND WIN A CASH PRIZE

INDIANAPOLIS, THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 1928

Internes Learn How to Feed Infants

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City hospital internes have to know pretty near everything—including the proper way to feed an infant. The budding medicos don’t brag much about this particular phase of their work, however. It was harder to get the internes to sit still for the picture that: the babies. As for their names—they threatened to perform a major operation upon the photographer if they were used.

Tuxedo State Bank Closed by Order of Commissioner

SENTENCE CITY PAY ROLL BANDIT ‘Pizzy-Wizzy’ Crouch Gets 5 to 25 Years.' Hilton (Pizzy-Wizzy) Crouch. 24, was sentenced to Indiana State prison to from five to twenty-one years by Criminal Judge James A. Collins today on auto-banditry charges growing out of the Duesenberg Motor Company $4,273 pay roll robbery. The case got under way in Criminal Court Wednesday. Crouch took the stand Wednesday afternoon and denied being in the city at the time of the Duesenberg robbery. According to Staley Chapin, former timekeeper at the plant, Crouch and three other men crowded the car in which he and Robert M. Watt w’ere carrying the company's pay roll to the curb on the W. Washington St. White River bridge the afternoon of April 16, 1926. Crouch said he did not know Gene Calhoun or Steve O’Hagan, who were implicated with him in the hold-up. Calhoun was convicted and is serving a ten-year prison sentence in the Indiana State prison and O’Hagan was returned to New York for sentence in another robbery. FIRED; KEEPS ON JOB Buchanan Says He’s Keeping Records in Pocket. Joseph C. Buchanan, whose position of combustion engineer was abolished Tuesday by the board of safety, continued “at work” today. Buchanan said an attorney advised him that the board could not abolish his position, created by city ordinance. “I’m going on with my work, keeping records in my pocket so as not to interfere with any one,” Buchanan said. “I guess it is my business if I want to work for the city after being cut from the pay roll,” he said. Building Commissioner W. A. Osbon said he did not know whether Buchanan was “working” or not. “He reports every morning,” Osbon said. Sues Doctor for SIO,OOO Bu Times Soecial ELKHART, Ind., Feb. 2.—Dr. Benjamin K. Kuhn is defendant in a SIO,OOO damage suit filed by Mrs. Goldie Diveley who alleges he was careless and negligent in performing an operation on her husband, William R. Diveley, causing his death.

With this idea in mind, The Indianapolis Times is sponsoring a subtitle contest, and has chosen the First National Production, “The Gorilla,” as the picture for which the titles are to be written. “The Gorilla” opens a week’s engagement at the Indiana theater Feb. 11. Conditions governing the contest are simple. Starting Monday, Feb. 6, The Times will publish daily a reproduction of a scene of “The Gorilla.” Accompanying it will be a brief description of the action it illustrates. Contestants will write what in their opinion will be the snappiest, most applicable subtitle to use on this picture in connection with the scene.

Frozen Assets Are Cause of Action, Assertion of Thomas Barr. The Tuxedo State Bank. 4304 E. New York St., was closed today by the State banking department. “Tiie immediate cause of the closing are frozen assets and small but steady withdrawals of deposits.” explained Thomas Barr, assistant State banking commissioner. The Tuxedo bank has been the victim of several holdups in recent years. The last statement by the bank showed $151,000 in deposits, capitalization Of-185,0007 surplusUr~ S’FOOO and undivided profits of SI,BOO. Earl Gillun is president; Georgs Snider, vice president; Oren E. Kem, cashier, and W. A. Miller, J. A. Miller, Albert E. Schmollinger. F. A. Carr and Joseph Guidone, diectors. Robbers got $9,000 from the bank on the afternoon of Nov. 23, 1923, and $3,000 on April 8, 1927. Charges c 4 issuing fraudulent checks for a total of $2,500 are pending in Criminal Court against Ray Castetter, a former cashier of the Tuxedo bank. Castetter was returned here from Detroit on this indictment about two years ago. Transactions in which Castetter was alleged to have been involved resulted in $12,000 loss fer the bank, according to Harry Webster, head of the Indiana Banker’s Protective Association. Some of this amount was recovered, Webster said he understood. State Banking Commissioner Luther R. Symons announced that a receiver for the bank will be asked in Probate Court. SIX BURNED TO DEATH Mail, Wife and Four Children Die; Seventh of Family Escapes. By United Press PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 2. Six persons were burned to death in a fire which destroyed their home here early today. A seventh member of the family, a boy of 7, escaped. The dead were Armando Mantiel, 38; Carlina. his wife; Anna, 8; Ophelia, 6; Henry, 4, and Armando Jr.. 4. Police believe the fire started from an oil stove on the first floor. CONTINUES AIR TOUR Good Will Flier on Hop From Atlanta to Miami. By United Press ATLANTA. Ga., Feb. 2.—Capt. Joseph Donnallan left Atlanta airport at 8:30 a. m. today for Miami. Fla. Captain Donnellan is en route to South and Central America on an air tour to demonstrate the practicability of long distance flights in small, inexpensive planes. The Chicago flier said he might continue his flight to Havana to- ! day, if weather conditions permit- ! ted

Knterod as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis

LINOY ARRIVES IN PORTO RICO Flier at San Juan Field After 75-Mile Hop. By United Press SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO. Feb. 2.—Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh arrived at 1:40 p. m.. local time, today in his Spirit of St. Louis, after a seventy flight -from St. Thomas. Virgin Islands. From Porto Rico Lindbergh will proceed to Santo Domingo, thence to Haiti and his trip of good will ends at Havana, .Feb. 8. DEFIES POLITICIANS Safety Board to Push War on Gamblers. Tire board of public safety today defied politicians who have threatened them with impeachment proceedings in cito council because of the recent police drives upon gambling in Indianapolis. “No threats of impeachment from any source will induce us to deviate one iota from our policy of law enforcement,” said a statement issued by the board, consisting of President Fred Connell and. Ira Haymaker and Robert F. Miller. Following the passage of the resolution attempting to declare Mayor L. Ert Slack out of office by the Republicans in the council, reports that the council planned reprisals against other officials were thick at city hall. The talk about the board of safety got so strong that Council President Otis E. Bartholomew issued a statement, printed elsewhere in this edition, that gamblers had nothing to do with the council action against Slack. JANUARY WARM MONTH First Day Coldest; Average Was Above Normal. January was a warm month, in spite of the bad start Jan. 1, when the mercury dropped to its low mark for the winter, 8 degrees below zero, according to a summary of the United States Weather Bureau today. Temperatures averaged 28.9, which is .5 degree above normal. It was a dry month, too, with only 1.74 inches of rainfall, 1.21 below normal. Snowfall during the month totaled 1.2 inches, 5.6 inches below •normal. There was a total of 156.4 hours of sunshine, ten clear days and twenty-one cloudy and partly cloudy.

Six scenes will be published, each a contest in itself. There will be daily prizes and grand prizes, totaling STSO cash and 320 tickets to the Indiana theater. Seventeen awards will be made daily, and three grand prizes awarded at the contest end. The daily prizes are: First, $7.50; second, $5; third, five awards of $1 each; fourth, ten awards of one pair of free tickets to the Indiana theater. Grand prizes to be awarded at the close of the contest: First, $25; second, sls, and third, $5. The contest is open to everyone except employes of The Indianapolis Times, First Nntjonal Pictures, and the Indiana i theater.

SADDENED TEACHER TEELS HOW MARION PARKR WAS LURED AWAY TO HER DEATH Hickman Inspired Confidence When He Appeared at School and Told Child That Her Father Was 111, Says Witness. CHANCE SAVED TWIN SISTER’S LIFE Another Instructor, on Stand, Asserts Slayer Looked Perfectly Sane; Detective Chief Cline Gives His Testimony. BY DAN CAMPBELL United Press Staff Correspondent COURtf ROOM, LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2.—The story of how William Edward Hickman lured Marion Parker from school on the pretext that her father was ill, was told to a jury in Superior Court here today. Naomi Britton, a teacher at the Mt. Vernon junior high school, Los Angeles, was called by the defense, which is attempting to prove Hickman insane and save him from hanging for the murder of Marion. Miss Britton, a little woman wearing heavy glasses, walked timidly to the witness stand and related how Hickman came to the school and asked for Marion Parker. Her voice was hardly audible as she told the story, and it seemed that the fact that she had permitted Marion to leave school with the youth weighed heavily upon her.

Hickman drove up to the school during the noon recess on Dec. 15, went to the office, and asked for the Parker girl, Miss Britton said. The youth was informed that there were two Parker girls and Hickman replied that he wanted the youngest one, she said. Marion then was called tp the office and was told that her father was ill, and that she was wanted at home immediately, Miss Britton continued. Girl Hurried Away Marion asked anxiously about the conditioiT of her father; the youth told her to hurry along, and they left the office at once, the teacher said. She added that there was no hesitation on the part of Marion. There was nothing about the actions of Hickman to arouse the least suspicion as to his motive in asking for the girl, Miss Britton testified. A'moment aftA they left the office of the school, Edward and the girl stepped into the automobile he had parked at the curb and drove away. A little more than two days later Hickman returned the dismembered body of the little girl to her father and collected $1,500 ransom money. Sister Escapes by Luck By a chance of fate, the teacher's testimony brought out, it was Marion who became the kidnaper's victim instead of her twin sister. When Hickman asked for the younger Parker girl, the teacher sent, without hesitation, for Marion, not knowing the two girls were twins. Miss Britton testified that, In her opinion, Hickman appeared perfectly rational and intelligent when he abducted the child. Mrs. Mary Holt, another teacher at Marion’s school, followed Miss Britton on the stand and recounted her meeting with Hickman. Mrs. Holt’s testimony was substantially the same as that of Miss Britton. She also expressed the opinion that Hickman appeared quite sane during the short time he was in the school office. She said Hickman was well groomed and that he instilled confidence rather than aroused suspicion. Herman Cline, detective chief who led the man hunt for Hickman after he had been identified as the killer, followed Mrs. Holt to the witness stand. Welby Hunt in Courtroom Welby Hunt, former bandit pal of Hickman, entered the courtroom while Cline was on the witness stand and was taken to a small room just off the judges’ chamber. Hunt and Hickman are under indictment for murder in connection with the death of Ivy Thoms, a Los Angeles druggist, during a hold-up on Christmas eve, 1926. Before the opening of today’s session, Jerome Walsh, chief defense attorney, said it was highly improbable that Hickman would take

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the stand as a witness during the trial. There was a tremendous jam to get into the courtroom for the session today, with the prospect of Hickman’s father, mother, and brother testifying. Several persons in the crowd fainted. Identifies Confession The confession of Hickman to the kidnaping and murder was shown to Cline. He identified it and said the statements therein were made voluntarily by Hickman. D. W. Longuevan, police official, was called by the defense and identified the various confessions. He was followed by Welby Hunt. AX KILLER UNDER GUARD Fear Ex-Pastor Will Attempt to Take Own Life. By United Press BAYSHORE, L. 1., Feb. 2.—A special guard was placed over Claude H. Priddy, former pastor and dry crusader today, through fear he might attempt suicide after confessing to the ax murder of his wife and two sons at their home in Farmingdale, Wednesday. Priddy was arraigned last night and held without bail after confessing ealier in the day that he had beaten the three members of his family to death with an ax through fear the family might contract the same incurable disease from which he was suffering. K 0 B LfTTeA VES~s3dd,ooo Mill Chief’s Estate Is FMed for % Probate. The estate of William C. Kobln, who was president of the Real Silk Hosiery Mills, amounting to $300,000 in personal property, was filed for probate with Probate Judge Mahlon E. Bash today. The widow, Mrs. Helen B. Kobin, and the Indiana Trust Company were named administrators. TROTSKT IN COLLAPSE Ex-Dictator of Russia Suffers Breakdown on Exile Trip. By United Press BERLIN, Feb. 2.—Leon Trostki, former co-dictator of Russia, collapsed during his journey to banishment in Turkestan and is suffering a serious nervous breakdown, the United Press was informed through a usually reliable source today, SCORNS IuRTH CONTROL Italian Woman Granted Separation From Mate Refusing Children. By United Press ROME, Feb. 2.—A husband who practiced birth control lost his wife today when the local courts granted her a separation on the ground that she had a right to bear children. “A husband insults his wife by forcing her into sterility,” the court ruled.

5 CALLS “Five people wanted to rent my house. Wish I had more places to rent,” said Mrs. A. Bradfleld. 363 Congress, after running the following want a4 only three days in The Times. C0N0RE88,"364^6-room "modem bungalow: wat*r pd.: $32. Ta. 6095. Write a good ad and place It in The Times and you, too, can get good results. CALL MA IN 3500 YOUR CREDIT IS GOOD.