Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 63, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 August 1928 — Page 1

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FIGHT INSUII POWER GRAB IN NEWCASTLE Business Leaders Charge Neglect on Part of City Officials. VOTE DRIVE LAUNCHED Municipal Ownership Ticket Will Be Put in Field at Election. BY CHARLES E. CARLL NEWCASTLE, Ind., Aug. 3. This city and its municipal lighting plant soon may be parted. Facing that possibility, business leaders today prepared to fight what they consider an encroachment by the Insull utility interests and neglect on the part of the city government here in signing a contract which gives the Insull-owned utility the job of lighting the city. Thursday afternoon a step in the wrafare which is intended to enlist the aid of all the citizens of this community, was announced by Charles Mouch, president of the Farmers and First National Bank, who predicted a municipal ownership ticket will b- launched in next year’s city election. Remonstrance Is Filed Mouch stated he was certain that a municipal ownership ticket would , carry. With that, he said, eventually will come ownership of all Newcastle utilities by the city. One effort to stop the Interstate Public Service Company, the Insull utility, from gaining control of the > electric supply to the city already has been taken. At the instance of Mouch, Samuel Cory and Arthur B. Ayres, a remonstrance has been filed with the public service commission against the contract being carried out. If this had not been done Wednesday the interstate company would have been lighting the downtown and residence streets of this city. As it is there will be a hearing before the commission Aug. 9 befoy*: the five-year contract is permitted to go into effect. Five Year Contract Although a copy of the contract could not be obtained here, it was pointed out the city ordinance passed by the common council and signed by Mayor Strode Hays, also president of the council, contained most of the pertinent facts. Survey of this document shows that it was typewritten in March, but was not passed until July 17, so the typewritten date was penciled out and the new one penciled in. Here is what the city and the Interstate are to do: “The company agrees to sell and the city agrees to purchase all of the requirements for street lighting for a period of five years to start within four months of the signing of this contract. “The company is to give alternating electric current of 2,300 volts at approximately 60 cycles. These rates will be paid: For the first 25,000 k. w. hours per month $.0175 and for all over this amount $.015. This rate is considered cheap by the opponents of the proposition, and they admit it. “But the company could afford to give away the power to light those street lights just to get our plant out of the way,” one citizen said. The present light plant, operated by the city, is run, together with the waterworks plant, municipally owned, in one building situated near the edge of town. There are about 650 street lights. The mayor estimated 313 in the downtdwn district. Hard Fight Ahead Hays and Mouch, proponents and opponents of the Insull contract, will have a hard fight ahead of them. “Ninety per cent of the people are for it,” said Hays. “Most of the people are against it,” said Mouch. Hays went on to say: “To buy the power will save the city about SB,OOO a year. Cory is against it because Ihe is an electrical engineer and f wanted to sell engines to the city for a bigger plant. Ayres is against it because he has gas wells in Rush County and he wants to get in here, and Mouch wants to stop it because —well, because he had trouble with the waterworks department. “There will be no loss to the city under this contract because at the end of five years we can either reopen our own plant or renew the contract.” But Mouch feels that some obstacle will be thrown in the way of the city ever getting another chance to carry on municipal lighting if the Interstate once gets the contract. Tied Hand at Feet “I am against any kind of a merger,” he said. “The people will be tied hands and feet : nside of five years. Insull wants in and this is the way. This a growing community and with all these factories and the increasing population this is great territory for the utility serpent. L “We can build our own plant, big Bkough to light all the homes, busihouses and for every other ♦*BP ose 10r $30,000. Why not do it? Bn we are rid of the utility evil.

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The Indianapolis Times Partly cloudy tonight, with probable showers or thunder storms Saturday.

VOLUME 40—NUMBER 03

FRED STONE HURT SERIOUSLY WHEN HIS PLANE FALLS

Crash Victim

Bflg: x V

Fred Stone, famous actor, seriously hurt In plane crash.

CAMPBELL VOTE CONTEST LOST Ballot Suit Dismissed by County Commissioners. County Surveyor Henry Campbell today lost his contest of the nomination of Paul Roscoe Brown when the county commissioners dismissed his contest suit on the grounds that they had lost jurisdiction. Removal of the cloud on the nomination of Brown removes the last doubt as to the overwhelming victory of the Coffin-Hawkins faction of Republican politics in the primary election of May 8. . Campbell can appeal from the board of commissioners to Circuit Court. He was out of the city when the ruling today was made. The commissioners held that their jurisdiction was lost when they failed to dispose of the contest within twenty-one days from June 4 as provided by law. They passed today on a motion presented Tuesday by Frank Symmes for Brown for dismissal. The action was based on recommendation of County Attorney Clinton Givan, none of the three commissioners being lawyers. The vote was unanimous, all three voting for it: President C. O. Sutton, Cassius L. Hogle and George Snider. Another continuance until Aug. 30 had been granted Tuesday on motion of Campbell to allow him to gather additional evidence of alleged irregularities in the election. PREDICT 25 WILL DIE Doctors Report on Twenty as Oil Blast Toll. Bis Times Special LAWRENCEVILLE, 111., Aug. 3. Deaths are expected to reach a total of twer ty-five as a result of an explosion in an oil still at the Indian Refining Company plant here Wednesday. With twenty already dead at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Ind., doctors announced there was no chance for recovery of five others. Thirty-seven were injured by the blast. Doctors say that fumes from the burning oil combined with those of a chemical used in fighting the fire that followed the blast, formed a deadly poison in the lungs of the injured. Spends Night on Buoy Hj/ United Press _ . „ CORONADO, Cal., Aug. 3—When his racing shell capsized, Sidney Graham of San Diego swam to a beacon buoy in the bay here where he perched all night. He was rescued by sailors.

SLACK HOLDS TO VIEWS ON RESTRICTING GAS STATIONS

Efforts of attorneys and other representatives of oil companies to change the view of Mayor L. Ert Slack about filling station locations failed today. The representatives seek to block the ordinance which would put filling stations in an industrial, rather than business classification in city zoning regulations. This would mean filling stations would be barred from residence districts and

Both Legs Broken in Dive of 100 Feet: Daughter Sees Plunge. Bit United Brens NEW LONDON, Conn., Aug. 3. Fred Stone, famous song and dance man, was taken to the Lawrence Memorial and Associated hospitals today with both legs broken after his airplane crashed in a potato field near the State airport at Groton. The actor was flying solo while his daughter Dorothy, leading lady in her father’s stage productions, waited on the ground with Lieut. John Campion for a flying lesson. After Stone had been operated on it was announced that he was suffering from a compound fracture of; the right leg. a fracture of the left; leg, and a scalp wound not regarded | as serious. In addition, it was said, he was bruised badly. Stone's Travelair biplane crashed ; from a height of about 100 feet when the motor went dead in a bank. The, plane slipped off to one side and' dived nose first to the ground. Miss Stone and Campion watched j the plane waver and then plunge to! earth. The plane was smashed, its j nose buried in soft earth, its fusel- 1 age broken and its wings crumpled and torn. Campion extricated the actor from j the cockpit and a motorist, who had j seen the accident, brought Stone to I the hospital, where he was operated upon immediately. Stone iias held a pilot’s license; for several years and is an ardent airman.

Ed’s High Up Jackson Elevated to Kentucky Colonelcy by Sampson.

WHAT the Governor of North Carolina said to the Governor of South Carolina is nothing to what the Governor of Kentucky did to our Governor today. Until today it was just plain “Major” Ed Jackson when Governor’s friends got up to defend him, harking back to the days when Jackson trained the boys of the R. O. T. C. at Purdue University during the World War.. Today the Governor was promoted by act of the Kentucky executive, Flem D. Sampson, there being no statute of limitations upon the creation of Kentucky colonels. a a o HOOSIERS knew something was bound to happen, what with all this visiting back and forth between Kentucky and Indiana. It started back in May when Jackson went down to Louisville and attended the Kentucky Derby as the guest of Sampson. The Governor’s regard for and knowledge of valuable horseflesh has been widely discussed. Then there was that little junket into Kentucky the other day out of which came the announcement that Sampson and Jackson had agreed Kentucky was to share in the expense of constructing the Evansville bridge over the Ohio. tt tt IN certain oriental countries it is customary for the host to give the guest anything he happens to express admiration for—even though it be the Mrs. Host. The only thing they have in ' Kentucky that Indian doesn’t have (not excepting hill-distilled dynamite) is colonels on the Governor’s staff. Anyway, It’s Colonel Jackson now. Some of the Governor’s friends were wondering whether the Governor, with his pronounced dry beliefs, could live up to all that Is popularly expected of a Kentucky Colonel who ordered beef steaf and a quart of whisky, explaining the beefsteak was for his dog. The dispatch announcing the honor to Jackson fails to disclose whether Jackson was commissioned in the cavalry or infantry, which is what a lot of Hoosiers would like to know. Lea/S 17 Stores to Death By United Press CHICAGO, Aug. 3.—George Gaso, 35, leaped from the seventeenth floor of St. Luke’s Hospital today and was killed. It was believed his mind had become affected by the heat. Gaso was operated on July 29 for hernia

would have to locate in out-of-the-way neighborhoods. Alvan J. Rucker, former corporation counsel, argued for the oil companies that the ordinance would tend to give the • Standard and Western Refining Companies a monopoly because they now are so well established in residential districts and other companies could not invade their territories. Slack contended that further ruination of beautiful residence districts should be stopped at any cost.

INDIANAPOLIS, FRIDAY, AUG. 3,1928

WIFE ADMITS GUILT, DELAYS MATE’S DOOM Husband Framed in Murder, Love Triangle Climax, Woman Says. SNATCHED FROM CHAIR Reprieve Granted When Midnight Confession Is Made. BULLETIN j Hu United Press ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 3.— Eula Mae Thompson lost her lastminute attempt to save her husband’s life this afternoon. Governor Hardman declined to grant Clifford Thompson, doomed to the electric chair, a respite, after perusing an alleged confes- , sion by Mrs. Thompson that she and her lover were guilty of the murder of Coleman Osborne. Chatsworth, Ga., merchant. Hll United Press ATLANTA, Ga., Aug 3.—Clifford Thompson was given two more hours to live today, when his wife’s confession that she and her lover J committed the murder for which he was to die secured a reprieve from Governor Hardman. Unless a further reprieve is granted, Thompson will go to the electric chair at 2 p. m. today. He was scheduled to be executed at noon. Jim Moss, a Negro sentenced as an accomplice in the murder, was granted the same delay. Thompson’s blonde-haired wife, in a midnight statement, said she and a lover killed Coleman Osborne, Chatsworth, Ga., merchant and “framed” the slaying on her husband, whom she had ceased to love. "Other Man” Named The statement came dramatically after a two weeks’ fight by Mrs. Eula Mae Thompson, the condemned man's wife, to save his life. She previously had accused a jealous lover of framing her husband. Thompson himself is under sentence for murder. The alleged confession named B. W. Swann, middle aged north Georgian, as the man completing the triangle. The death of Osborne was planned, she said, to silence his knowledge of their relations. At the same time the statement said it was arranged to fix the crime on Thompson, "to get him out of the way” besides. Osborne, a small town merchant, was slain a year ago. when called to the front of his store at midnight. No one saw the actual shooting. Voice Is Recognized Although Mrs. Osborne testified at the trial of Thompson that she recognized his voice, there was no apparent motive for the slaying. Circumstantial evidence figured almost entirely in the trails. Automobile tre treads in front of Osborne’s store corresponded to those on Thompson’s car. The bullets used bore the same firing pin mark that Thompson’s gun made. Sitting on her cell cot ir. Fulton County prison, Mrs. Thompson calmly made *her statement last night, answering in detail questions put to her of discrepancies in her story and the known facts of the shooting. Egged on by Swan Slg said Swan proposed the death of Osborne soon after her husband threatened to sue Swan for alienation of affections. “Ain’t you going to do something to help me from paying Cliff all that money ($5,000 in the suit)?’’ she said Swan asked her. "I told him yes. He said, ‘I know a way.’ "Swan then told me that Osborne was the cause of aH our troubles. He said if he wasn’t out of his way he would ruin him with his family. No, he didn’t say anything about ruining me. He said he knew how to get Osborne out of the way and to get Cliff framed so he’d be out of the way, too. Pistols Were Switched "He said for SSOO he could get someone to shoot Osborne and then fix the pistols so they would think Cliff did it.” On the morning after the murder, Mrs. Thompson said a Negro, Jim Lowry, gave her a pistol and she gave him her husband’s. “I took it and put the pistol in a trunk. It was found there when we were arrested two days after that,” she said. SENTENCE MAIL BANDIT 25 Years, SIO,OOO Fine Given in Chicago Robbery. By United Press CHICAGO, Aug. 3. Charles (Lim,jy) Cleaver was sentenced to 25 years in the Federal penitentiary and fined SIO,OOO by Judge James H. Wilkerson, in Federal Court today, on charges resulting from his conviction of participation in the $133,000 Evergreen Park mail robbery, last February. Cleaver’s plea for anew trial was overruled. The total sentence on seven counts amounted to eightytwo years, but the prison terms will run concurrently.

SUNNYSIDE CHILDREN FROLIC

Remember Sick Tots on Their Annual Outing

SHOWERS TO HELP BREEZES SHATTER HEAT WAVE GRIP

City Gets Some Relief as Winds Spring Up; Night Scorching. Hourly Temperatures 7 a. m.... 74 11 a. m.... 84 8 a. nv... 76 12 moon).. 86 9 a. m.... 80 1 p. m.... 87 10 a. m.... 82 A fifteen-mile north to northeast breeze, which rose at dawn and continued through the day, saved Indianapolis citizens from sweltering today to the extent that they did Thursday. Further hope for heat relief was seen in the prediction of showers or thunderstorms tonight or Saturday. Although the temperature stood at 86 at noon, there was not the same suffering as when it reached a similar point Thursday. Thursday proved one of the best midsummer scorchers and nightfall caused little change in the high temperatures. The maximum reached was 90, shortly after noon. Until midnight the mercury failed to fall below 80 degrees. Every form of relief was tried by the suffering citizens. Parks and other supposedly cool places were crowded and hundreds sought the pools and beaches throughout the city. became a problem to be solved by seeking coolness in every possible breathing space throughout the house and on roofs and porches. The lowest temperature reached was at 1 a. m. today, when the mercury slid a few degrees, but halted at 77. At 3 a. m., it had started on the upgrade and was then standing at 75. A degree drop at sa. m., and back it went to 76 at 8 a. m., at 9 a. m., and 82 at 10 a. m. At 11 a. m„ the mercury had risen to 84. at noon 86, and 1 p. m„ 87, with every respect of hitting 90 before nightfall. Heat Wave Covers East By United Press A scorching sun rose up out of the Atlantic Ocean today, turning the eastern seaboard and several inland States into a vast steam oven A humid haze covered most of the easternarea, making the heat almost unbearable. Reports indicated that the heat extended inland as far as Chicago, where seven persons were reported to have been killed by high temperatures which reached a maximum of 91 degrees. Three heat deaths were reported from Ohio and one person died of prostration in New York, where six were reported drowned at the beaches. Weather bureau predictions indicated that the heat wave would be broken by thunder showers late today or tonight. Ten Drown During Cyclone By United Press VIENNA. Aug. 3.—Ten persons were drowned in the Danube River when a sudden cyclone at Neustaz, Jugoslavia, whipped waves furiously and caused a landing stage for steamers to break its moorings and carry thirteen persons into the water. Three were rescued.

Sunnyside Sunshiners Sun ning in the Times’ Whirl.

Chance to Aid Who wants really to “go somewhere” and actually "do something” with his car? Here's a chance to spend your gasoline for something besides just "riding ’round.” MaJ. W. B. Sowers. Salvation Army commander, appealed to The Times to find him twelve motorists who will transport approximately 100 mothers and children to the Salvation Army summer camp, fourteen miles northeast of the city, the morning of Aug. 9 and bring them back to the city the morning of Aug. 14. The camp is a mile and a half north of Sunnyside sanitorium, off the Pendleton pike. Major Sowers wants to be sure to have enough cars to prevent disappointment of many of the cooped-in mothers and children, so telephone the citadel, Ri-9275, at once. The office is open between 8:30 a. m. and 5 p. m.

PROCESS SERVER IS HEIR TO VAST ESTATE “But I Can Get Along on My S4O a .Week,” He Comments. Belt United Pre*a NEW YORK, Aug. 3.—News that he has become one ot two heirs to an estate of from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 has failed to ruffle the calm of Claude R. Link, 33, a process server in District Attorney Joab Ban ton’s office When Link received word that his grandfather, L. A. Bigger, who died some time ago in Hutchinson, Kan., had left the process server and his mother the large fortune, he said: “Really, It doesn’t matter much whether I get it or not. I shall take it, of course, but chiefly on account of my mother, who is ill. I get along all right and am quite satisfied to live on my salary of S4O a week.” Strong Earth Shocks Felt By United Press CONSTANTINOPLE, Aug. 3. Strong earth shocks were felt at Baindir today, and slight ones were recorded at Smyrna. No damage was reported

M’NARY-HAUGEN FARM AID BILL OPPOSED BY SMITH

Bp United Press NEW YORK. Aug. 3.—Governor Alfred E. Smith said today that the McNary-Haugen bill, specifically, is “not acceptable” to him as a form of farm relief. He reiterated, nowever, his statement of yesterday that he favored farm relief which will assess the cost of marketing surpluses against commodities to be benefited, which is in line with the equalization fee principle in the McNary-Haugen bill. The Governor explained that the McNary-Haugen bill is contrary to

Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianapolis

THE sun shone its brightest at Riverside amusement park Thursday for the Sunshine Club brought the children from the Sunnyside Sanatorium on their annual outing. The children came in busses donated by the Street railway company. In charge of guides from the Sunnyside Club, they climbed into the train for a ride over the mountains and down through the valleys ot that giant oak and steel structure called tl* "thriller,” and into other fun devices. But as they enjoyed themselves, the children remembered their ten little comrades who, lying on little white beds back at Sunnyside, could not be with them on their outing. When they were ready to board the busses for the trip back “home,” each child with a big red balloon, two proud youngsters were made custodians of an extra allotment of the balloons for their fellow patients who couldn’t come to the picnic "’cause they’re sick in bed!” JAILED AFTER FIGHT Much-Arrested Man Fails Fails to Escape Sentence. Willie Carey, 31. of 319 N. West St., Indianapolis’ most arrested man, has escaped serving time on nearly every charge in the statute books, but when he threw a brick through a church window he spelled his doom—at least for 120 days. The brick got thrown through a window of the Garden Baptist Church, New York and Douglas Sts., during a free-for-all fight the evening of July 13. Municipal Judge Clifford Cameron today sentenced Carey to 120 days on Indiana State Farm and fined him S2O and costs. The judge sharply refused to suspend the days when Willie offered to pay the fine and the window repair cost. Archie Anderson, 45, of 160 Douglas St., was fined $lO and costs for drunkenness; Lucille Miller Hart, 22, of 218 Douglas St., $lO and costs, thirty days, drunkenness; John Ford, 24, 912 Broadway, SSO and costs for vagrancy, and Arthur Hathaway, 25, of 339 Limestone Ave., $25 and costs, thirty days. A charge of vagrancy against Goldie McGowan. 530 W. New York St., held in connection with the same case, was dismissed. Ten Die in Ammunition Blast By United Press BERLIN, Aug. 3.—The Vossiche Zeitung’s Warsaw correspondent reported ten Lithuanian soldiers were killed and sixty seriously wounded when a Lithuanian ammunition dump near Olita exploded.

the Democratic platform adopted at Houston. In divorcing the McNary-Haugen bill from Democrat farm relief plans, it is believed the Governor desires to get away from the fire of opposition directed against that specific measure. He plans to continue his farm relief discussions to formulate a definite Democratic plan. The Governor, who returned here today from a yachting trip, said he plans to slip down to his favorite bathing beach in the Seagate section at Coney Island this afternoon for a swim.

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POLISH OCEAN FLIERS FIGHT RAIN AND FOG Plane Believed Far at Sea in Nonstop Flight, Paris to New York. SHIPS SIGHT .MACHINE Dash Is Made by Way of Azores, but No Halt at Islands Planned. By United Press LE BOURGET AIRDROME, PARIS, Aug. 3.—Heading out to sea in fog and drizzling rain, Majs. Louis Idzikowski and Kasmir Kubala, Polish fliers, were believed today to have passed over the French coastline and to be well over the Bay of Biscay on a nonstop fight to New York. The flight Is backed by the Polish government. The two fliers, after weeks of preparation, left here at 5:41 a. m. (e. s. t.) The French fishing smack Pinguoin reported that at 2:15 a. m. (e. s. t.) it saw a white airplane—the Marshal Pilsudski, as the Polish plane was named, is white—fiftyfive miles off Loriet, on the French coast. It was too foggy, the ship reported, to make out the plane’s markings. Penmane radio station, near Lorlent, a little later intercepted a message from an unnamed English steamship, reporting that it saw a white plane heading out over the Bay of Biscay fifty-seven miles southwest of Lorient. There seemed no doubt that both ships saw the Marshal Pilsuudski. The plane was heading exactly on the course Idzikowski and Kubala intensified to take to the Azores Islands. Weather Is Bad Weather reports at French meteorological stations were not encouraging. They predicted the fliers would meet fog and drizzling rain all the way to the Azores. Idzikowski and Kubala are prepared to land at the Azores if they think it. advisable, but they hope to make New York, via Newfoundland, without a stop. It is of interest to note that four trans-Atlantic flights of five recent ones have been started via the Azores, the route that experts say commercial airplanes will adopt when trans-Atlantic flying becomes a matter of regular schedule. The weather is more equable on the southern route, winds are milder, and the sea usually is calm most of the way. Carry No Radio For the next thirty or more hours these rather calm appearing Poles will be out of communication with the world. Their craft carries no radio equipment and the only means of tracing them on the trans-Atlantic attempt will be through vessels that might sight them. Just before the start was made M. Amlot, builder of the neat plane, went up to Idzikowski, embraced him and then in a loud whisper said: "There’s a 10,000-meter landing field at the Azores.” Idzikowski laughed and shook his head. “We won’t need it,” he replied. Idzikowski is 36 years old and Kubala 35. The former received his flying license in 1915 and the latter received his a year later. They had much experience in the Polish army service, the former as leader of a bombing squadron. They both had made separate long distance flights and about a year ago decided to link their endeavors. They suggested a great ocean flight to the Polish government and it was accepted readily. The authorities assumed all expense and it was settled that the flight should be from Paris to New York. Machine Caught Fire By United Press LONDON, Aug. 3.—Capt. Frank T. Courtney, trans-Atlantic flier rescued at mid-sea Thursday by the S. S. Minnewaska, today sent the following radiogram to the Star. "We were pick- p by the Minnewaska after a terrible experience. Our mcahine caught fire at midnight at 1,500 feet and landed in flames on a rough sea.” In a radiogram to the Evening News, the commander of the liner Cedric said that Courtney's plane had been abandoned when the crew was embarked on the Minnewaska. i On Way to New York By United Press NEW YORK, Aug. 3.—Their attempt at a trans-Atlantic flight a failure. Capt. Frank T. Courtney and three companions proceeded toward New York today aboard the Atlantic transport line’s Minnewaska, after a thrilling rescue in mid-sea about 5 p. m. Thursday. The fliers had ridden on the sea for almost a full twelve hours while some of the great ships of the trans-Atlantic fleet switched from their courses to go to their rescue. It took almost nine hours for the nearest boats to arrive. The four men—Courtney, E. H. Hosmer, Fred Pierce and E. W. Gilmour—were well when rescued. Courtney started from the Azores Wednesday, bound for some Newfoundland port.