Indianapolis Times, Volume 41, Number 156, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 November 1929 — Page 1

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FIVE KILLED IN GAS PLANT EXPLOSION

MRS. PANTAGES SHOWN MERCY IN QARDEATH Put Under Probation for 10 Years, Pays $78,500 to Japanese. ILLNESS MOVED COURT Wife of Theater Magnate Hears Judgment From Wheelchair. fiv United Pres* LOS ANGELES, Nov. 9.—Mrs. Lois Pantages, convicted of manslaughter in the death of Juro Rokumoto after an automobile collision. today was under probation for ten years, during which she must not drink, must obey laws and must not drive an automobile. Superior Judge Carlos S. Hardy ruled late Friday that- she would not have to go to prison. Addressing himself to the pale woman who lay in a wheel chair before his bench and stressing that her ill health influenced his decision, he added: ‘ Within five days, a payment of $78,500 must be made to the estate of Juro Rokumoto rnd to those other Japanese injured in the crash ! which took his life.'’ Signs Check at Once Supported by two white garbed | nurses who stood beside her, Mrs.' Pantages made good on that eondi- i tion quickly. She signed a certified ! check which had been prepared for the widow after an agreement with the attorney and it was paid immediately. Higher up in the hall of justice building, the woman’s husband, Alexander Pantages. multimillionaire theater man, was ropfined to a county jail ceil. He was convicted ! on a charge of attacking Eunice Pringle, 17. when she applied to him for booking, and is awaiting hearing on his motion for a new’ trial. He faces sentence of from one to fifty years in San Quentin prison. “Prison would mean serious im- j pairment of Mrs. Pantages’ health j and not improbably, death, doctors: tell me,” Judge Hardy said. Rich. Poor A’ike “The probation law is designed as, a humane measure. It applies tc j all persons, rich and poor alike. It' affords a means of compelling j restitution.” Distilct Attorney Buron Fitts j made no objection to probation being granted, but asked the court: "If Juro Rokumoto were before this court, charged with the death of Mrs. Pantages. wobld your decision be the same as it is in this case?" He asked the court to consider! further tetsimony that Mrs. Pant- j ages was intoxicated at the time the Japanese gardener was injured fatally. Judge Hardy said it was ; not established definitely in his mind that she had been under the influence of liquor. BOYCOTT U. S. PRODUCTS Secret ‘Anti-American* Society Is j Organized in France. B United Pries PARIS. Nov. 9.—A secret ’‘AntiAmerican" society, which pledges its members to boycott certain American products, has been organized here and was reported today enlisting many members. The society's boycott is directed especially against American tobacco. automobiles, operettas and motion picture films. "It's the Euro- | pean against the American spirit.” j according to the description of its I founders. DAWES LEAVES U. S. Ambassador to England Sails; Mme. Curie Goes Home. R'' Unit'd Peer* NEW YORK. Nov. 9.—Charles G. Dawes, ambassador to England, sailed on the White Star liner Homeric early today to resume his duties in London after a visit to the United States. Mme. Curie, co-discoverer of radium. sailed for home Friday night on the French liner lie De France.

Birth Control Bu l uited Prat • I GLASGOW, Scotland, Nov. 3. —The Dunfermline parish council has adopted a resolution which amounts to legislative birth control for a consumptive parent. The council, by a vote of 19 to 4. Friday night adopted & resolution to halt unemployment relief payments to a man suffering from tuberculosis whose wife gave birth to three children in the four years he has been receiving the dole. The council also is empowered to separate the husband from the wife if they have any more children.

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The Indianapolis Times Increasing cloudiness, becoming unsettled with probably showers tonight and Sunday; slowly rising temperature.

VOLUME 41—NUMBER 156

Girl Loses Million-Dollar / Fortune in Bull Market

BLONDE SOUGHT AS ROBBERY 'SPOTTER’

Society Women Relieved of Fake Jewels in Gold Coast Holdup. Hii t ailed Pres* CHICAGO, Nov. 9.—A pretty blonde woman was the only clew police had today to the identity of five bandits who trailed the automobile in which Mrs. Arthur W. Cutten. wife of the multimillionaire grain trader, and Mrs. Alfred T. Martin, wife of a leading grain broker, were riding through the gold coast, and robbed them. Mrs. Martin said the entire loot would not total more than SSOO as most of their jewelry was imitation. Mrs. Cutten was reported hysterica l . Cutten, whose name is known ~nd respected in the grain marts of the world, on account of his extensive dealings, refused to comment on the robbery or estimate the loot. "Police officers.” announced one of the bandits as he pressed a gun against the chauffeur’s side, after forcing the Cutler automobile to the curb. Whffe two bandits marched the chaiiffeur arcund the block, two others opened the door of the limousine, training revolvers on the society women, who were dressed in evening garb, as they had been to the Erlanger theater. "Now, ladies," said the spokesman bandit, ‘ “this is a holdup. No screams or we’ll shoot your hands off.” The women shrank back as the robbers switched off the light and crouched in the auxiliary seats. The gunmen snatched a diamond ring from Mrs. Cutten s finger, her necklace. of imitation pearls, and a beaded bag containing $lO. The i other jerked off Mrs. Martin's ruby ! ring, a sapphire ring and her imitaI tion pearls. A whistle from the leader, the other two bandits raced up and the quintet sped away in their car. Tlie blonde woman sought by police was described by Mrs. Joy Morton, wife of the millionaire head j °* Morton Salt Company, who

SULLIVAN PARTY MAKES TRIPS TO HISTORIC SITES

BY.BEN STERN Times Staff Correspondent FRANKFORT. Ky., Nov. 9.—Reginald H. Sullivan, Indianapolis mayor-elect, continued his postelection vacation here today and planned a series of short trips to historic and scenic sites. Sullivan and his party, consisting of Indianaoplis newspaper men and Walter W. Watson, his publicity director. were to go to Lexington later today and expected to spend the night at Hodganville, the birth place of Abraham Lincoln, after visiting Harrodsburg, where the pioneer state park is located and Bardsstown, where Stephen Foster composed "My Old Kentucky Home.” The mayor-elect's jaunt is expected to end Sunday and he is due back in Indianapolis Monday.

Margaret Shotwell

Times to Tell All About It Can passenger ships fight? What is "freedom of the seas” and how does it affect you? Why do they speak of “the lawless ocean?” How did we come virtually to scrap our naval base at Manila? The Times will tell, beginning Armistice day, Monday, as it pictures for you the background of the coming naval conference at London. Don’t miss' these articles.

had accompanied the party to the theater and got out of the limousine at the Blackyone hotel to go to her suite. “This young woman, extremely attractive and fashionably dressed, sat near us at the theater,” Mrs. Morton said. "She stared at us throughout the performance and when we waited our car in front she stood behind us, ifUking to two men. She apparently nodded in our direction several times.” FOREST FIRES THREATEN California Flames Are Believed of Incendiary Origin. Iljl United Press SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9.—Fire believed to be incendiary in origin offered stubborn resistance to armies of fighters in various sections of northern California today. Near Berkeley and Oakland, conflagrations had been checked after desperate work by more than 4,003 men. In sections north of here, however, the situation remained serious with thousands of acres of brush and wooded land burned over. Two thousand acres of Redwood trees were burned in Sonoma county, while hundreds of men were fighting another fire in upper Lassen county.

Mayor-elect Frank Pritchard and Mayor Marcus Suizer of Madison accompanied Sullivan and his party on an inspection tour of the Ohio river bridge under construction and a launch trip on the river Friday. Sullivan spent some time Friday visiting the family cemetery at Madison and the old Sullivan home, which was erected in 1818 by Jeremiah Sulllivan. great-grandfather of the mayor-elect, and one ox Indiana's first supreme court judges.

HOOVER ‘DEAR OLD QUAKER,’ SAYS MACDONALD

Bu United Prct* LONDON, Nov. 9. —Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald has confessed that he was so impressed by the forcefulness of Herbert Hoover in their recent disarmament conversations that he was tempted to exclaim, “Oh, you dear old quaker.’’ Addressing a meeting of fellow Laborites at Friends hall Friday night, MacDonald praised the "power, calm and quiet forcefulness” of the United States executive hea&

INDIANAPOLIS, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1929

!hf T'nited Press NEW YORK, Nov. 9.—The mil-lion-dollar fortune of Margaret Shotwell, 19-year-cld Omaha concert pianist, has been lost in the stock market. "I was terribly upset at first but what’s the use cf crying over spilt milk,” she said in confirming reports of her losses. “I expect to keep up my piano work and will go to Omaha in a few days to settle my affairs.” Miss Shotwell inherited $1,000,COO at the age of 13, from John Neal, a friend of her father. Her youth, beauty and rare musicianship brought her considerable newspaper attention. asm ONCE, it was reported from Europe that a duel had been fought over her. Several times she was reported engaged. She appeared at the Paris national opera house and with the London symphony, and made her New York debut on Oct. 2. Miss Shotwell’s inheritance was in Reynolds Tobacco stock. She said that upon seeing friends double and triple their money in the booming bull market she bought other stocks on margin, principally General Motors, Paramount, City Service and Montgomery Ward.

INTERSECTIONAL TILTS FEATURED Clean Slate Grid Teams Have Easy Day. By United Press Although few important football games are scheduled for today, some 2,000.000 persons will watch 7,000 players in action throughout the country. None of the year's unbeaten teams is facing threatening competition, and intersectional games are the feature attractions of the day. Army and Harvard are in the middle west to try conclusions with Illinois and Michigan, respectively. Gecrgia is at New York to play the New York university Violets, while another southern eleven— Maryland—is at New Haven, where it will face Yale. No sectional honors are at stake on either coast, but in the middle west the lowa-Minnesota and Ohio State-Northwestern games will have an important bearing on the Big Ten race. Purdue, one of the Big Ten’s teams, meets Mississippi in an intersectional contest. At Chicago Nctre Dame meets Drake, Missouri valley conference champions—and this is looked on as the Rambler’s idea cf a breather! With Notre Dame at Chicago to battle Drake, and Indiana and De Pauw idle, Wabash at Butler and Mississippi at Purdue topped the state schedule of nine games today. Renewal of the Bulldog-Scarlet grid rivalry at Butler Bowl at 2 p. m. promised local fans action galore.

PORK MARKET STEADY AT LOCAL STOCKYARDS Lambs Dull and Unchanged; Vealers Selling at 515.50. Hog prices were mostly steady today, with Friday’s average, at th.e local stockyards. The bulk, 160 to 325 pounds, sold at $9.40; top price $9.45. Receipts were estimated at 6,500; holdovers 347. Cattle scarce and unchanged, with a slaughter class of steers nominal. Vealers held stationary selling at $15.50. Sheep and lambs steady with a good and choice grade of lambs selling at $11.50 to $12.50. Chicago hog receipts were 6,000, including 4,000 directs; holdovers 3.000; market steady with Friday’s average, few loads of good and choice grades of 190 to 250 pound weights, sold at $9.25 to $9.40. Cattle receipts were 200; sheep, 5,000. DISCUSS PARLEY SCOPE Hoover Wants Freedom of Seas as Topic At London. WASHINGTON, Nav. 9.—President Hoover is seeking some means of broadening the London naval conference to include discussion of freedom of the seas, it was learned Friday. News of this development in the naval conference preparations drifted to diplomatic circles today following an hour’s conference at the White House between the chief executive and Secretary of State Stimson.

FATHER, CHILD ill FIGHT FOR DEADWOMAN Court Called On to Decide Rights to Funeral in Family Quarrel. BURIAL IS RESTRAINED Mrs. Charles Allison Also Tragic Figure in Son’s Legal Case. Whether a father or a daughter shall have possession of the body of the wife and mother for burial was to be decided today by Superior Judge Willim McMasters in one of the most unusual cases ever tried in a county cs>urt. The court action Is the outgrowth of a suit filed late Friday by the father, Charles Allison, 1317 Roache street, to prevent his daughter, Mrs. Bessie Olsen, 3840 East Thirteenth street, from disposing of the body until he has had opportunity to show the court that he is entitled to the care of it. Killed Nurse Mrs. Lola Allison, 65, the mother, died Friday. The case is the aftermath of a family quarrel that resulted in a charge of voluntary manslaughter against Ross Allison, 42, son of the dead woman. Ross Allison is charged With throwing Mrs. Ida M. Davis, 52, housekeeper and nurse, from the porch of his parents’ home, June 23, injuring her fatally. He is alleged to have fled to Chicago, but was returned to Indianapolis to face the manslaughter charge. The case is pending in criminal court. Sent Undertaker Charles Oilison Friday made an attempt to obtain the body of his wife by sending an undertaker to the daughter’s residence. Mrs. Olsen refused to surrender her mother’s body and Olsen obtained a restraining order from McMasters preventing f unerr I services or burial. Mrs. Oilison had been ill for several weeks and had been staying at the home of the nurse for treatment. Mrs. Oilison w’as moved to her daughter’s house shortly before death. The husband charged the body was removed without his consent and he had supported his wife until they were ‘‘forcibly separated” by the daughter.

SHOO, NOT SHOOT, IS EDICT FOR SQUIRRELS Friendly Animals Save Lives by “Cultivating” Police Chief. Bn United Press CHICAGO, Nov. 9—Lake Forrest’s police chief, Lester Tiffany, draws the line on executing friendly squirrels. Three of the animals had eaten away one corner of the roof of P. J. Carr’s home. He complained and Tiffany appeared with a shotgun. The culprits came out of their hiding places, leaped on the officer’s shoulders and explored his pockets for nuts. “I just can’t kill them,” the chief admitted. “I’ll post a policeman to see that they don’t bother you any more.” Today a burly bluecoat paced back and forth before Carr’s house, shooing off the squirrels whenever they attempted to return to their nests.

Playful Hubby Bu United Press CHICAGO, Nov. 9.—Gilva McClathie’s sense of humor brought him into the divorce court Friday. Every morning, according to a complaint filed by his wife, Mabel, he would send her into the kitchen and then hide 75 cents securely somewhere in their apartment. “Don’t peek,” he would warn playfully, “you’ll have lots of fun finding your allowance today.” “But some, days there was no evidence that he hid it at all,” Mabel’s statement continued. “I’d hunt high and low until noon and never find it. I had to borrow from the children or go hungry.”

MacDonald said Hoover’s powerful way of furthering argument made him almost smile. He said he was tempted to exclaim from the happiness of his own soul. “Oh, you dear old Quaker.” MacDonald paid tribute to the assistance rendered him by his daughter. Ishbel, on the American trip. “Without her, it would have been impossible for me to accomplish what I did,” he said. “I would have seen things from the angle of a solitary maife’*

Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice. Indlsnapolls

PILOTS HER OWN

Claire Takes Vacation in Air

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Claire Luce, whom two continents have acclaimed variously as the most beautiful aviatrix, the loveliest dancer, the prettiest trans-Atlan-tic commuter, and the fairest of actresses, again Is on her way to Europe—this time for a three weeks’ flying vacation. For she pilots her own, does Claire, and she has made arrangements to dash about England and France in a light plane. For several seasons she has appeared alternately on Paris, London and New York stages.

MYSTERY GIRL • ISjDENTIFIED Home of ‘Tessie Blue’ Is in Passaic, N. J. Tessie Blue, mystery girl who has been held in Marion county jail on vagrancy charges since she appealed to police two weeks ago for aid in reaching New York, today was identified as Thresa Oberling, 15, Passaic, N. J. Through correspondence, the Travelers’ Aid Society also learned the girl was one of three who roamed the United States under the nameof Tessie Blue since early in September. The others, one a Passaic girl, and another from Louisville, were returned by the society to their homes from Kansas City and St. Louis. Police are trying to communicate with relatives of the Oberling girl. BAN U.s7 NEWSPAPER American Daily at Shanghai Is Barred From Mails. [in United Press SHANGHAI. Nov. 9,—The American Daily Post, only American daily newspaper in Shanghai, has been barred from the Chinese mails because of its allegations of corruption and bribery against the department of public safety. The Post’s charges followed what the paper termed "illegitimate collaboration” between the department and striking Chinese employes of the Post. Hourly Temperatures 6 a. m 34 8 a. m 39 7 a. m 35 9 a. m 44 10 a. m 47

APPROVAL OF BIG UTILITY MERGER BELIEVED SURE

Although notice of hearing in the $70,000,000 Insull utilities merger has been mailed by Howell Ellis, public service commissioner, it'was being predicted at the statehouse today that the huge combination will be approved. Those familiar with the present commission makeup contend there will be at least three votes of approval of the merger, which affects all types of utilities in 216 Indiana cities and towns.

EVERSON ILL SPEAKSUNBAY Militia Bureau Chief to Be Y. M. C. A. Orator. William G. Everson, United States Militia Bureau chief, will address the first "Big Meeting” of the season at English’s theater at 3 p. m. Sunday, on “Throw Off the Brakes and Give Her Gas.” Everson, formerly of Muncie, will come to Indianapolis from Washington, D. C., by airplane, to deliver this address in general observance Armistice day. Special delegations of his friends will come from Muncie to pay honor to their fellow citizen. A. H. GGodard, general secretary of the Indianapolis Y. M. C. A., sponsor of the “Big Meeting” movement, has announced special music for the meeting by the Y. M. C. A. orchestra. Members of the Indianapolis National Guard and high school R. O. T C. units will attend. H. s7 FOOTBALLER DIES Heart Disease Fatal to Greencastle Gridder In Game. Bn United I’ress JASONVILLE, Ind., Nov. 9.—A high school youth whose spirit and loyalty were too strong for his heart brought the football game between Jasonville and Greencastle football teams to a tragic ending here Friday night. Charles Haymei, 17, Greencastje guard, dropped dead of heart disease as he was walking from the field at the end of the first half. The game was stopped. Jasonville was leading, 7-0, at the half. Haymer was the son of Mrs. Tullis Haymer. widow.

Commissioners whose favorable vote is being predicted as assured are Chairman John W. McCardle; Ellis, who is in charge of the petition, and Commissioner Jere West. Listed as doubtful, or possibly adverse, are Commissioners Frank Singleton and’ Calvin Mclntosh. Three votes will be sufficient to pass the merger plan. Hearing date is Dec. 2 at 10 a. m. Notices were sent to the clerks of the cities and towns and to fifteen individuals and organizations which have entered appearances. Organizations include the Federation of Indianapolis Community Clubs, Indiana State Federation of Labor, Indianapolis local of Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes, Terre Haute and Marion Chambers of Commerce, and Gavin L. Payne, broker, representing a group of Indianapolis tfttwafc

NOON

TWO CENTS

FOUR OTHER WORKERS ARE NEARDEATH One Man Reported Missing After Blast at Elyria, 0. WALLS ARE CAVED IN Machinery and Wreckage Are Thrown High Into Air to Trees. Fill United Pres* ELYRIA, 0., Nov. 9.—A gas explosion in the Timm Spring Company plant today leveled the plant and resulted in deaths to at least five employes. Several other persons are In such serious condition they are not expected to live, while at least one man is reported missing. The explosion came shortly after 7 a. m. Police reported that a watchman had detected gas in the building and had warned against any one lighting a match, but that one man had not been warned and etered smoking a cigaret. Three women and a man are dying ana at least one more is missing. The dead: Louis Butcher, 37. John Rahle. Mike Swetz. Unidentified man about 30. Unidentified man about 25. The injured: Margaret Oltman, Mary Downs, Myron Sossler, Augusta Grennell, 1 Sam Husted, plant foreman. All are at Elyria memorial hospital in serious condition. All of the dead were burned almost beyond recognition and the task of Identifying them was difficult. The bodies were in wierdly distorted positions. Blast Levels Plant The last levelled the brick and steel plant as though it had been smashed to bits by a bombing squadron. The detonations could be heard for ten miles. Walls In adjacent buildings were caved In and in an area of one mile around the springs works glass was shattered. Hundreds visited the grewsome scene of the wrecked building to watch police and firemen search for bodies In the ruins. The Timms’ works would have been filled with thirty-five men and women workers, who were due at work at 7 a. m., had the explosion occurred fifteen minutes later. The blast was believed to have been caused by gas leaking from high pressure gas lines installed ill the plant Friday to feed a battery of new boilers. Sam Husted, day foreman at the plant, near death in Eyria Memorial hospital, told how he approached the plant to go to work. He was walking with four other employes. Husted said he opened the door and smelled gas. Then he saw one of his men light a cigaret. "Don’t light that,” the foreman yelled. “You’ll be blown to hell.” The warning was too late. Flames shot skyward. The exploding gas roared. The building trembled and splintered. Machinery and pieces of wreckage were thrown high into the air and caught in the boughs of nearby trees. That added to the danger that the rescuers had to cope with. Windows Are Smashed

Immediately east of the spring plant is the Sunshine Laundry Company. Its workers had not yet arrived for the day. Windows were smashed, however. In the SouchUthe Screw Works, nearby, and In the General Pattern Shop. Because of the early hour, there was no one in either building. Mrs. John Horvath was In bed with her baby in her home not far down the street. She was thrown to the floor by the explosion. She said she was seized with the terrible fear of death as she saw the walls of her home buckle under the percussion. “It was like a giant clap of thunder,” explained Mrs. Loretta Taylor, who lives around the comer from the Times plant. The first battalion of the One forty-fifth infantry, was called out to help locate bodies. The Infantrymen also strained to hold back the crowd that surrounded the pile of wreckage where the springs plant had stood. Women were weeping, gasping and crying out names. The fire was extinguished quickly and It did not spread from the Timms plant wreckage. In the Air Weather conditions at 9:30 a. m.! Southeast wind, 10 miles an hour; temperature, 45; barometric pressure, 30.45; celing unlimited; visibility, one mile, dense fog and smoke; field good.

Out*de Marion County 3 Cents