Indianapolis Times, Volume 40, Number 168, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 December 1928 — Page 1

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The Indianapolis Times Mostly cloudy tonight and Wednesday with snow tonight possibly preceded by some rain; colder with temperature 20 to 2o W ednesday morning.

VOLUME 40—NUMBER 168

ADMITS NINE BOYS SLAIN ON ‘DEATHRANCH’ Killed Five Himself, Officers Are Told by Northcott; Seek Bones. SEARCH OVER DESERT Refuses to Implicate Any Others in Crimes on Chicken Farm. BY GEORGE H. BEALE United Press Staff Correspondent RIVERSIDE, Cal., Dec. 4—Out on the Mojave desert through the night and today, George Stewart Northcott led Riverside and Los Angeles county officers on a search for remains of victims of his asserted “murder farm” activities. Nine boys were slain on the chicken ranch in Riverside county, Northcott stated. Os that number he personally did away with five, police said he confessed. He admitted slaying one in his written confession made JJonday night. “The other killings,” Earl Redwine, assistant district attorney, said Northcott remarked in making his confession, “Well, let the others make their own admissions.” Taken Into Desert Shortly after 8 o’clock Monday night Northcott was taken from the Riverside county jail and into the desert near Victorville. He promised deputy sheriffs he would show them the spot where he buried the head of the Mexicai youth he killed and where the body of a boy he said his father, Cyrus Northcott, murdered was interred. Officers did not put too much trust in his offer to point out the burial spot, but they waited with hiir until daylight so that a thorough search might be made. Confesses Killing Mexican Especially Northcott and the officers sought the skull of the Mexican, whose body was found near Puente, Cal., in Los Angeles county, and who, until Monday night, remained unidentified. In the written confession, he identified his Mexican victim as Alvin Gothea. “I killed Alvin Gothea on the ranch Feb. 2, 1928. No self defense,” the note he gave tcF Red wine read. It was signed "Gordon Stewart Northcott.” The postscript, “will plead guilty in Riverside county tomorrow',” was added. This postscript was initialed “G. S. N.” Walter Collins, Lewis Winslow, a youth named Richard, and another boy, whose name >vas not learned, were the ones Northcott admitted he killed, Redwine said. Slayer Highly Nervous Nelson Winslow, brother of Lewis, was killed by Sanford Clark, whose revelations led to Northcott’s arrest, the confessed slayer said. Northcott declined to reveal who was responsible for the other slayings. Northcott was highly nervous throughout the day and night. He frequently made contradictory statements. After confessing in the presence of witnesses, almost invariably he would deny such confessions a few minutes later. Under present plans, he will be brought back here today for arraignment this afternoon in superior court. BAD BREATH; IN AGAIN Man Appears for Trial as Vagrant and Is Locked Up as Drunk. Charles Sauter, 46, of 1413 Tabor street, wa; supposed to appear before Judge Paul C. Wetter in municipal court today to answer to a vagrancy charge. Charlie got there, but— Bailiff Freeman Smock smelled his breath. The bailiff told the judge. The judge ordered him held | in city prison on a drunk charge. INFLUENZA SPREADING Fear Expressed as Disease Increases in Delaware County. By United Press, MUNCIE, Ind., Dec. 4. —According to an announcement here today influenza is reaching alarming proportions throughout Delaware County. Several county schools are on the verge of being closed and there arc many cases of the disease here, the report said.

‘SHALL CHRIST BAT FOR BABE RUTH ON BOY’S HERO DIAMOND?’—ASKS RICKEY

“-rjOYS are hero worshippers! D Are we ready to substitute the heroism of men for the heroism of Christ?” Branch Rickey, vice-president of the St. Louis National League baseball club, fired that question at 2,000 Methodist men and women attending the Indianapolis Area Men’s Council of t£e Methodist Episcopal church at Cadle tabernacle, Monday night Rickey, a ball player himself until he rose to managerial ranks, illustrated his address on “The

Judge Sentences Couple to Birth Control

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Dec. 4.—A. decision unique in the annals of American courts was given here <oday by Judge Harrison Ewing, of the common pleas court, who imposed a stipulation of three years of birth control on Mr. and Mrs. Otto Kourim when the couple applied to him for a divorce. “I shall not allow you to impose more chilren upon yourselves or upon society,” Judge Ewing told the couple. “I, therefore, refuse the divorce and impose upon you three years of birth control.” The couple have three children. “Three children in three years should not be allowed,” the judge added. The husband’s salary is $24 weekly. The Kourims eloped and were married Nov. 6, 1923. Kourim then was 22; his wife, 17.

KING RALLIES; PRESIDES AT BEDCOUNCIL His Majesty Signs Order Creating Body to Do His Work. by keith Jones United Press Staff Correspondent LONDON, Dec. 4.—King George rallied sufficiently from his critical illness today to preside over a privy council and to sign an order-in-council creating a commission to carry on the royal functions while he is incapacitated. The Central News described the dramatic events of the morning at Buckingham Palace, telling how the privy council was conducted to the king’s bedroom, w'here its members remained about ten minutes while the king signed the proclamation. The queen, although not a privy councillor, was present. It was said to have been the first time a privy council ever was held in the king’s bed chamber. Still Improved The king turned over his duties to a commission consisting of the queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the lond chancellor and the prime minister. While his majesty’s condition still was a matter of concern, great optimism prevailed everywhere after the day’s developments. His five physicians paid him an unexpected joint visit and issued a bulletin revealing that his fever had risen a little, but that the slight improvement in his general condition was maintained. The bulletin, issued at 3:30 p. m., follows: “His majesty the king passed a quiet morning. Although his temperature Is now 100.2, the improvement in his general condition noted in the last bulletin has been maintained. The earlier pulletin referred to was the regular mid-morning announcement, which said : Announce it to House “The king passed a quieter night, although anxiety concerning his heart must continue. The improvement noted last evening is so far satisfactorily maintained.” News of the appointment of the royal commission to act for the king was announced to the house of commons by Premier Stanley Baldwin. Meanwhile, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, at his enthronement ceremonies in Canterbury Cathedral, stirred a vast audience by announcing that the king had slept six hours during the night and adding, “although anxiety is not yet removed, we have good cause to be thankful.”

Do You Love Your Boss? And would you let him make love to you, while he was paying you a salary for the work you did every day? That’s the problem in “Orchid,” the story of a modern moon goddess, which starts Friday in The Times. And here’s where you come in; Thirteen cash prizes are offered by The Times for the best letters giving the writers’ views on this question. Read the details on Page 8. then sit down and write your letter.

URGE RADIO POWER ACT Bill Introduced in Congress by Washington Senator. By United Press WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.-A bill to prevent radio broadcasting stations from using more than 10,000 watts power was introduced today by Senator Dill (Dem.) Washington. The bill, if passed, would become an amendment to the present radio laws.

Irrepressible Boy” with many anecdotes of the diamond. “Too many of us say, ‘You can’t count on what a boy will become. Small, trivial things seem to control their careers.’ “The truth is, we are too willing to excuse ourselves of responsibility by pointing to these ‘trival things.’ “I have learned from experience, that to the extent that a baseball club accepts responsibility for its own faults and failures—just to that extent will it become es-

INDIANAPOLIS, TUESDAY, DEC. 4, 1928

COOLIDGE MESSAGE SHELVES FARM AID TO EXTRA SESSION

Comment Following Upon 'Verbal Bomb’ Points to Delay. BY PAUL R. MALLON United Press Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.—President Coolidge’s annual message raised as much consternation in congress today as if it had been a rhetorical bombshell. The private comment was more significant than the public statements of senators and congressmen, but there was plenty of both, indicating the message would result in definitely delaying farm relief legislation until Mr. Coolidge retires, March 4, so the next farm bill could be handled by his successor in the White House. It was considered significant, too, that the President voided any reference to the Republican tariff policy or to the upward revision proposed for the relief of agriculture. Some attributed his avoidance of the subject to the presence of President-Elect Hoover in South. America where the proposed agricultural tariff bitterly has been assailed as an effort to place an embargo on South American goods. Johnson Encouraged The President’s position on Boulder dam and the naval cruiser bill had a bewildering effect upon sponsors of the two legislative proposals. After conferring with President Coolidge at the White House to ascertain what the President meant by the suggestion to leave power in the Boulder dam project to development by private enterprise, Senator Johnson, author of the measure, said he interpreted the message as disinctly favorable to his bill. Warns Against Spending Chairman Hale of t!ie Senate naval committee refused comment on the President’s request for elimination of the three-year time limit proposed for building fifteen new' naval cruisers. It was indicated the Senate would follow the House in refusing to accede to the President’s desires on the time limit phase. Warnings of the President against additional appropriations w r as taken as a warning against any new “spending spree,” rather than an effort to curtail the present legislative program. U. S. AGENT LEAVES J. J. Keene, Narcotic Division, Transferred. Jerome J. Keene, federal narcotic agent in charge of the Indianapolis office since 1915, will leave tonight for East St. Louiss, 111., where he has been transferred. Keene will bq succeeded by E. A. McHugh, transferred here from Milwaukee. McHugh arrived today. He has been in the government sendee ten years. Keene, a former Indianapolis druggist, was appointed in March, 1915 and served here continuously until early in 1926, when he w r as transferred temporarily to Kansas City, and later to St. Louis. He returned here late in 1926. At the time of his appointment he W'as a member of the state board of pharmacy. E. A. Crew’s, recently transferred from the Indianapolis office to Chicago, has been transferred to Milwaukee in a general reassignment of narcotic agents. Keene expects to maintain his home here. Maine Metal for Tablet By Times Special KOKOMO, Ind., Dec. 4.—A tablet cast from metal of the battleship Maine, sunk in Havana harbor, Cuba, will be placed on the new Howard county courthouse here by Everett Griffith post, No. 6, SpanishAmerican War Veterans.

fective in controlling the result. There’s a law of causability as akin to the law of cause and effect as it can be!” # * FOR the enlightenment of women in th eaudience, Rickey made humorous explanations of many baseball terms used in recounting baseball yarns with a moral. “Ladies,” he said once, “there is nothing immoral about stealing bases in a baseball game. In fact, the more of them you steal the i more moral you arel”

“'T'HE most difficult problem that can be presented to a court,” the A judge said, “is that in which theer are children involved. They are the most important principals in the case. “When this couple ran away at their age, it was a gay adventure. Both were ignorant of matrimonial problems and child care. “When the first child was 1 year old, some court could have given them a lesson in birth control at that time. They were before juvenile court at that time. It was a shame they were not given lessons. “It was evident that the woman could not raise more than one child successfully. The couple needed two lessons—a high school course and marriage preparation. The second was a medical course on how to get along with a small family while the husband still was earning a small salary.”

New Spending Taboo, Coolidge Tells Congress

(Details of President’s Message to Congress Page 2) High lights of President Coolidge’s annual message to congress: State of the Nation —No congress has met with a more pleasing prospect than at the present. a m a Economy—lt is necessary to refrain from new appropriations, otherwise we shall reach the end of the year with an unbalanced budget. BUB National Defense Our army does not need to be increased. Our navy is deficient in cruisers. The bill before the senate with the elimination of the time clause should be passed. a u Anti-War Treaty—lt is the most soleumn declaration against war, that it is possible for nations to make.” B B B Farm Relief—The government should aid in promoting orderly marketing and in handling surpluses. There should be created a federal farm board empowered to advise in establishing central agencies or stabilization corporations. to seek more economical means of merchandising. m b b Boulder Dam—l feel warranted in recommending a measure which will protect the rights of the states and leave the electrical field to private enterprise. Muscle Shoals—l should approve a bill granting authority to lease the property for the production of nitrates. Prohibition—The federal government is doing and will continue to do all it can inthis direction. "THANKS FOR ‘HELP’ ” —CURTIS TO ROBINSON Democratic Nominee Has Unique Memento From Curtis. By United Press WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.—A telegram from Senator Charles Curtis expressing thanks for the “help” given him in his vice-presidential campaign is being kept by Senator Robinson as a momento of the recent campaign. Curtis was the Republican nominee for Vice-President and Robinson the Democratic nominee. The form message was used by Curtis’s clerical force to answer the congratulatory letters and telegrams and Robinson inadvertently got one of them in reply to his telegram of congratulation to his opponent. PRESIDES AT MEETING Health Board Secretary to Head Conference of Engineer. Dr. William F. King, secretary of the state board of health, today announced that he will preside at a conference of engineers of the Great Lakes drainage agreement at Gary, next Monday and Tuesday. King is chairman of the agreement organization. He stated today that several Canadian provinces have asked to join and the agreement will thereby become international. The agreement is to work out measures to abolish lake pollution. Wounded Marine Visits TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Dec. 4. Charles E. Turner, United States marine corps sergeant, is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Turner here, while recuperating from w'ounds received durinj a battle with bandits in Nicaragua.

He told of introducing “Babe” Ruth to a men’s luncheon club with the words, “A man whose responsibility perhaps is greater than any of yours, for twenty million boys are watching him, worshipping him. Let your applause be a plea that he keep faith with those boys by his conduct on the field and off of it.” Rickey’s hearers applauded loudly—"just as the luncheon club did,” he said. “You have to know God before you can lead boys to him.” he concluded. ,

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MAYOR WILL SIGN REVISED TRAFFIC CODE Council Makes 5 Changes as Suggested by Slack. Mayor L. Ert Slack today announced he will sign the revised traffic code adopted Monday night by city council. On motion of Councilman Robert E. Springsteen, safety chairman, the council suspended rules and passed the measure with a few minor amendments suggested by Slack. Council refused to continue the ban on Monument Circle parking, because of the storm of protest raised by merchants and civic leaders. “I wouldn’t let that keep me from signing the ordinance,” he said. Effective in Two Weeks Several councilmen were anxious to “go along” with the mayor on the parking provision, but they felt they could not overlook the appeal from citizens. “We may be able to work something out to take care of that later,” said Springsteen. The ordinance will become effective two weeks after the mayor signs or vetoes the measur. Slack, who has ten days to make up hi.-, mind, “pocket vetoed” the first ordinance because of some minor conflicts. In adopting the new code Indianapolis has led many cities in approving the model municipal ordinance drafted by the national safety council, which w'as designed to provide uniform traffic regulations in all cities. The council “bucked” on Slack’s request to omit the traffic sticker plan. The plan provided that City Clerk William A. Boyce Jr. keep detailed check of sticker fines and make monthly reports to council. “I don’t like the present plan, but I have nothing better to offer,” explained the mayor. Rezone Delaware Corner The atimendments are: Safety board’s designation of taxi and bus zones requires council approval. Automobiles "in use” exempted from all night parking ban. Penalty for failure to give arm signals changed from S3OO and 180 from $1 to $25. "Or preferential” inserted after “through” streets in designating non-stop streets. Only municipal ambulances permitted to use red lights and sirens. The council rezoned northeast and northwest corners of Delaware and Sixteenth streets from business to apartment classification and approved purchase of two new fire department pumpers. SNOW COMES EARLY * Predicted for Tonight, Light Fall Comes About Noon. Snow', predicted for Indianapolis tonight, flitted down on the city at 11:30 a. m. today. The fall likely would stop later in the day to resume tonight, United States weather bureau officials said. There may be an inch or two or snow on the ground by morning, and again there may not be, for snow is a “mighty uncertain thing,” said J. H. Armington, bureau chief. The temperature will remain in the 30s today and the early part of the night, but will drop to a low point of from 20 to 25 degrees Wednesday morning he said. The temperature drop had been expected this morning, but a disturbance in Arkansas caused southeast winds to blow over Indiana and hold off the winds from the northwest carrying the temperature drop, ,he said.

TAMES iSNDICOTT, Toronto,former moderator of the United Church of Canada, in the second address of the evening, defended missionary work in foreign fields against the criticism of those who profess to be Christians, but declare they do not believe in missions. The Rev. Mr. Stone and Ralph Connor, author, lecturer and preacher of Wonnipeg, Can., were to address a women’s mass meet-

NEW LAW TO FIX SALARIES OF COUNTY OFFICIALS URGED TO SAVE VAST SUM IN FEES Bill Being Prepared by State Accounts Board Affects 2,000 Persons; Divert Thousands of Dollars to Public Treasury. COMPILED BY FIELD EXAMINERS Data Gathered From Every Point in Indiana, as Provided by Resolution Passed in 1927 Legislature. A bill which will set a definite salary for each of the more than 2,000 county officials of Indiana and divert to the public treasury hundreds of thousands of dollars now going into the pockets of officeholders as fees, is being prepared in the office of Lawrence F. Orr, chief examiner of the state board of accounts. The bill’s provisions are being compiled from data gathered by field examiners in every county as provided by the concurrent resolution passed by the 1927 Legislature. Abolition of the fee system and the placing of county officials on an adequate salary basis was the idea the Legislature had in mind in turning the work over to the state board of accounts.

PLUNGES FROM WAR MEMORIAL Workman Falls 125 Feet to Death. Losing his balance while working on a ledge of the Indiana World war memorial shrine, Walter Cates, 43, of 1321 West Twenty-fifth street, plunged 125 feet to his death this morning. Every bone in his body was broken, according to Coroner Charles H. Keever. His watch, however, still was ticking when workmen found the body. No one witnessed the fall, although P. E. Peterson, Roosevelt hotel, who was following Cates around the ledge, saw him disappear and heard his screams. Cates, an iron worker, and a crew of workers this morning began the task of setting up bronze fixtures on the main building of the memorial. They were walking around the ledge seeking a proper place to set a scaffold when the tragedy occurred. Peterson, the foreman, said Cates was preceding him around the ledge when he suddenly stumbled over a barricade, lost his balance and tumbled down the vent chute of the building. The iron crew is in the employ of the Flower City Ornamental Company. GENTRY INCORPORATES Old-Time Circus Man Now Out Under New Banner. Incorporation papers for the Sparks Circus Company were filed today by Henry B. Gentry, Bloomington, with the secretary of state. Gentry is a veteran showman who will re-enter the circus business after an extended retirement. The circus is the fourth to be incorporated within the last two weeks. Others were the three large circuses wintering at Peru. Sam P. Dill and Roy Feltus are incorporators with Gentry. BUTTER DEMAND” UP U. S. Consumes Twice As Much As 28. Years Ago Report. By United Press CHICAGO, Dec. 4.—The people of this country are eating twice as much butter as they did twentyeight years ago, W. F. Jensen, business manager, reported today to the twentieth annual meeting of the American Association of Creamery Butter Manufacturers. “In 1900 the people of the United States ate only 1,500.000,000 pounds of butter,” Jensen said. “In 1928 they ate 3,000,000,000 pounds.” Hourly Temperature 6a. m 34 10 a. m..— 36 7a. m 34 11 a. m 35 Ba. m 33 12 (noon).. 35 9a. m 34 Ip. m.... 33

ing at Roberts Park M. E. church th!s afternoon, 2:30 o'clock. Rickey and Connor are on the program for the high school student’s mass meeting at the Roberts Park church tonight, 7:30. “The Perils of Modem Home Life,” will be Connor’s topic at the men’s mass meeting in Cadle tabernacle tonight at 7:30 o’clock. The council will close with Wednesday night’s tabernacle meeting when former Governor Gifford Pinchot will speak on “The Progress of Prohibition."

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The resolution carried an appropriation of $5,000 to carry on the work, the money being paid out of the Governor’s contingent fund. A survey of every county office in the state, was made and the data is now being used by Field Examiners Edward Brennan and Ralph Hesler in preparing the bill under Orr’s direction. Study All Offices Study was made in the offices of all county auditors, clerks, sheriffs, recorders, surveyors, assessors, commissioners, prosecutors and school superintendents. Salaries for these offices and the office of township assessors will be fixed in the bill. Judgeships also may be included, Orr said, making the total number of officials affected 2,130. The fee system already has been curbed somewhat in Marion county. The last legislative session took away from the county treasurer the Barrett law fund interest. Before this was done the treasurer received interest and fees, over and above his $5,000 salary, of more than SIOO,OOO. The data gathered for the bill from Marion county in 1928 shows that $61,000 in fees was collected by; • Treeasurer Clyde Robinson, in addition to his $5,000 salary. Salary of the Marion county aud- 1 itor, which is $7,500, will be taken as , the gage by which other salaries in the bill will be set Orr says. Scale All Counties Population, tax valuation and area were used in determining a factor ! for the survey. The field examiners then gathered data on the number of tax transactions, assessment units, mortgage exemptions, taxing amts, administration record, bonds liquidated, miles of road, school fund loans, receipts, disbursements and deposits in completing the factor. This data rated 50 per cent, according to Brennan. The factors were then used to scale all of the counties and thus provide an equitable salary basis. “This is the first salary bill, as such, to be introduced since 1895/' Brennan explained. “It became obvious to the legislators at the last session that much unfairness exists in the money paid by various county offices. “In large population counties, like Lake and Marion, the fee system has resulted in almost untold sums, while in small population counties the meager salary originally provided has not been adequate to meet modern conditions. Lake County Is Example "Another inadequacy is often shown in counties whose population has grown beyond that of others where higher salaries are paid. We hope to remedy this situation in the bill which will be ready when the session opens. “This will give ample time for discussion and we hope passage of the measure. It will mean the saving of hundreds of thousands of dollars to local taxpayers and honest pay for honest work by the officials.” An example of salary differences unwarranted by population is shown by the auditorship in Henry and Cass counties. In Henry, the larger county, the auditor receives $3,033.80, while in Cass the same office pays $3,720. A flagrant example of where the fee system has turned Into a huge political pork barrel Is Lake county. There the prosecutor’s office, on a fee basis, pays more than $125,000 a year. CARRY AWAY SAFE, $350 Robbers Smash Window in Ohio Street Poolroom Robbery. Burglars who threw a brick through a side window of the Wallie Bhunswick poolroom, 52 West Ohio street, hoisted the poolroom safe containing $350 out of the window and carried it away early today. It pays to telephone. Basic rate to CINCINNATI only 70 cents.—Advertisement.