Indianapolis Times, Volume 41, Number 189, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 December 1929 — Page 1

-"oWABfl 1

‘KILLER’ BURKE BRANDED VOTE FRAUD LEADER Made Bargain to ‘Frame’ Lake County Polls in 1928.. Says Butler. U. S. ACTION IS FUTILE Government Agents Failed to Clean Up on Tips, Investigator Avers. Urn Timrx sa; < HUNTINGTON, Ind., Dec. 18.— I Fred Burke, killer of a policeman at St. Joseph, Mich.; accredited with the St. Valentine day massacre in Chicago; identififed as the bandit who robbed a Peru bank, and known to the police as the “most dangerous man alive,” made the bargain under which truckloads of Negroes were brought from Chicago ana voicd in Lake county at the 1928 election. This is the statement of Robert Butler, Indianapolis newspaper man, confined to a hotel here as the result of injuries in an alleged assessination attempt Saturday night. Butler is said to have unearthed the evidence under which the federal probe of crime and corruption ; In northern Indiana was started. Name Given to U. S. Agents Burke was the man whose name was given to the federal authorities j as the chief figure in the election frauds. He was pointed out as the man who arranged for importation of fraudulent voters to Indiana. When the federal officials re- | ported that they were unable to serve a subpena upon him, newspaper men located Burke, then living in a south side Chicago hotel. This fact was reported to officials. When they went to serve the subpena, Burke had checked out ten minutes before their arrival. There w'as a suspicion that he had been tipped off. It is known that since that time Burke robbed banks in Indiana and Wisconsin. In the home which he maintained, more than $300,000 in bonds were discovered. There also was a fully equipped arsenal of machine guns and other weapons. The trail of election frauds, newspaper investigators say, led to Burke. Affidavits were offered to the government, they declare, showing the impertantion of voters. Some of them admitted voting as many as fifty-two times. But the federal officials, including prohibition agents, never produced Burke. Arsenal Is Found In the Michigan home which housed the arsenal and in which the loot was recovered was the common law wife of Bur'ke, known as Viola Daniels. She formerly operated a resort at Ft. Wayne and ■was prominent in Steuben county scandals of a year ago, when the sheriff was tried for the murder of Tommy Burke, a gangster. The charge was made at that time that this was the funnel to the liquor route into Indiana Burke was supposed to be the gunman for the Capone interests and in charge of the safe conduct of liquor through the northern part of the state. Butter is confined to a hotel by ; his injuries In addition to a plight bullet wound in the ear, he suffered a fracture of the pelvis. As soon as he is able to leave the hotel he intends again to call attention of the federal officials to the connection between Burke and the election frauds, he declares. Thus far the federal probe has had negligible results. In the most important case of liquor violation involving the alleged hijacking of a truckload of beer by policemen, the indictment was drawn so faulty that it was dimissed without trial. This _ case had been expected to develop the connection of not only policemen in the northern cities, but of certain state highway police, in a conspiracy to protect rum-running through the state. Identified as Peru Robber B'i t nit erf Press PERU. Ind., Dec. 18.—Positive identification of Fred R. Burke as the leader and driver of an auto load of bandits who robbed the Peru First National bank of $93,000 a few months ago, has been made by a Peru man. The name of the man who identified Burke is withheld for fear vengeance might be visited on him by friends of Burke. The man said he watched Burke for three minutes from a room above the bank. Burke, he said, was on guard in the automobile with a gun while the bank was being robbed. Another suspect. Harry Cook. 24, is being held at Mishawaka. Burke is wanted for slaying Charles Skelly. at St. Joseph, Mich., Saturday night, and is suspected of being the man behind a machine gun which was used in slaying seven members of the Bugs Moran gang in Chicago Feb. 14. Seek Burke in Detroit B'l r titfd Press DETROIT. Dec. 18.—Police squads today raided alleged underworld haunts of Fred Burke, “the most dangerous man alive,” and arrested two men and two women.

Complete Wire Reports of UNITED PRESS, The Greatest World-Wide News Service

The Indianapolis Times Snow tonight, followed by mostly fair Thursday; much colder, with temperature 10 degrees or slightly lower.

VOLUME 41—NUMBER 189

Reinstate Chief of Schools

'’oSH W&tfe, WEr* JEmm

Charles F. Miller Ruling of Commissioners Puts Miller Back on Job. Charles F. Miller, removed as school superintendent Dec. 10, today was reinstated by majority faction schcol board members at a special meeting. The meeting w r as attended only by Mrs. Lillian V. Sedwick, Lewis E. Whiteman and Fred Kepner. The three issued a statement defending their removal of Miller, explaining that the change was made in view of results of the November election, to relieve the incoming board of embarrassment of deposing Miller, “whom we considered one of the best school superintendents in the United States.” The statement attributed today’s action to the “storm of protest from the Indianapolis papers, all of which condemned our action and indorsed Mr. Miller. Miller, when notified unofficially of his reinstatement, said he would accept, but w r ould not comment on plans in connection with inauguration of the three new commissioners Jan. 1. Removal of Miller w r as accomlished when Kepner and White joined Charles W. Kem and Theodore F. Vonnegut, deserting the side of Mrs. Sedwick, Miller’s strongest supporter on the board. Refusal of Donald DuShane, Columbus (Ind.) superintendent, to accept the acting superintendency, resulted in a special meeting Tuesday, adjourned for lack of a quorum when the majority faction did not attend. Kern and Vonnegut did not attend today. Cuba’s Oldest Woman Dies Du United Press HAVANA, Cuba, Dec. 18.—Margarita Fernandez, who claimed to have lived 121 years, and who was known as the oldest woman in Cuba, died Tuesday at her home in Madguga.

OUTLINE DRIVE TO CHECK MENINGITIS

Session of Health Experts May Lead to Adoption of j Drastic Moves. Elaborate control measures to avoid any serious epidemic of spinal meningitis in Indianapolis were adopted today in a conference of health experts in offices of Dr Herman G. Morgan, city health commissioner. No ban on Christmas parties was ordered by the health board, but it was indicated some restrictions will be levied the latter part of the week if conditions do not improve. City, state, and private agencies will co-operate in an intensive campaign to prevent further spread of the malady. Homes, schools and factories will be invaded by the medical experts to take throat and nose cultures from between 1,200 and 1,590 persons who have been in contact with persons suffering from the contagion. Public Christmas parties of large size are to be frowned on. The St. Margaret's Hospital Guild, which annually gives a Christmas party to about 500 children at the city hospital. has been ordered to discontinue plans for the event. Instead, the guild will deliver toys, clothing and candy to the children in their own homes. Entire resources of Eli Lilly & Cos., research laboratories have been turned over to the city health department for work in connection with the precaution move. Under a special permit granted by the state fire marshal the city hospital will move all meningitis patients from the dispensary ward into the old condemned dispensary building, making vailable the first ward of forty-two beds for meningitis cases. All nurses attending cases of the contagion will be isolated from other patients and nurses. All persons coming into contact with persons suffering freon the con-

SLEET MARKS APPROACH OF FRIMVE Ten Degrees Above Zero or Lower by Nightfall, Is Prediction. RIVERS AT FLOOD STAGE Interurban Traffic Halted by Ice-Bound Lines; Worley in Warning. A chill rain early today turned to sleet endangering automobile traffic, temporarily halting interurban service on several lines, and heralding the arrival of a cold wave predicted by J. H. Armington, meteorologist, to arrive tonight. Although no trouble was reported on telephone lines in the state, maintenance gangs were alert for wire trouble resultant from the sleet and ice. No serious automobile accidents were reported to police or deputy sheriffs here today, but Police Chief Claude M. Worley warned motorists to exercise extreme care on slippery streets. Rivers All Up Rivers in the state were reported near flood stages as the result of persistent rains for more than a week, according to the United States weather bureau. However, this danger was believed averted with promise of fair weather after today. Two roads w'ere reported flooded, according to the state highway department. Suspension of traffic between Nashville and Bloomington w T as threatened by fourteen inches of water over state Road 46, and the detour. The water was rising today. Rising at the rate of two inches an hour, water covered state Road 67 in three places between Martinsville and Spencer. Detours are to be provided by tonight. Unable to Operate Interurbans on lines to Connersville, Greensburg, Newcastle and Rushville were unable to operate this morning, and the Crawfordsville line was not used until 11 a. m. Sleet on trolley wires made it impossible for the cars to get current On lines in operation, the majority of cars were running from a few minutes to more than an hour late. Busses also were well behind their schedules, both in the city and on state highways. Snow Is Predicted Snow is predicted for Indianapolis and vicinity this afternoon and tonight. Thursday probably will be fair and much colder, Armington said. The mercury, standing at 32 at 7 a. m, was scheduled to drop to 10 degrees, or lower, by night, he said. Temperatures in Indiana will range from zero or low'er in the northern portions to from 5 to 15 degrees above zero along the Ohio river.

Cites Methods Measures advised by Dr. Herman G. Morgan, city health commissioner, to prevent a serious spinal meningitis epidemic In Indianapolis are: Avoid exposure to severe cold. Spray nose and throat with standard antiseptic solutions twice or three times daily. Avoid crowds and crowded places. Keep up physical resistance. Watch bodily eliminations. Take plenty of outdoor exercise, as the germs can not live long in fresh air.

tagion will be isolated and quarantined. Fumigation of homes after persons suffering from the disease have been removed, was ordered by the conference today. Closing of schools Friday for the Christmas holidays was looked upon by the health authorities as a hope for curtailing spread of the epidemic, but parents were warned not to permit the holiday-free children to attend places where crowds congregate. Nine fatalities have resulted in twelve days, the most recent being Surullia Anderson, 4, Negro, 2411 North Rural street, and John Edwards, 17, Negro, 440 North California street. Total cases rose to nineteen here with the reports today of three more victims stricken. They were: Orville Whitney, 24, Negro, 1049 North Belmont avenue; Lawrence Willmore, 22, of 161 Geisendorf street, and Charles Stanley, 27, of 1322 East Market street. In the Air Weather conditions in the air at 9:30 a. m.: North wind, twenty-four miles an hour; barometric pressure, 29.72 at sea level; temperature, 30; ceiling, 400 feet; visibility, one mile; sleeting and smoky; field soft.

INDIANAPOLIS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1929

ON WATCH FOR SANTA CLAUS

Waiting by the fireside for a look at Santa Claus as he brings his big pack down the chimney is the most thrilling game any child can play. Unluckily, however, tired little eyelids usually flutter shut before the old gentleman puts in his appearance. In this case the younger of two young ladies probably has all the better of things—if sleep comes upon her she's at least got her bed right with her.

Mm 7 "• w I

DRY OFFENDER MURDERS TRW Blame Anger at Arrest in Rapid Fire Killings. Bu United Press ROMNEY, W. Va., Dec. 18.—Enraged because of his arrest on a liquor law charge, Walter Crabtree, 28, called three men to the doors of their homes here early today and shot them to death. The victims were H. C. Inskipp, 35, justice of the peace; Ben Miller, 45, turnkey at the Hampshire county jail, and Ed Folford. 18. Three women, caught in the line of fire, were wounded slightly. Crabtree, described by the sheriff as a “bad man,’’ was arrested last week on charges of intoxication and possessing liquor. He was arraigned in Squire Inskipp’s court, fined and sentenced to three days in jail. Young Wolford, according to the sheriff, gave the information which resulted in Crabtree’s arrest. Shortly after last midnight, Crabtree, armed with a shotgun, knocked on the door at Judge Inskipp’s home. “I want to see the squire,” he said. As Inskipp appeared in the door Crabtree fired killing the justice instantly. From Inskipp's home, Crabtree went to the Miller and Wolford homes and followed the same proceedure. Crabtree was arrested by State Police Corporal Joe Ruckman and Deputy Sheriff Horne, while returning to his home. He offered no resistance, although he still carried the shotgun. As news of the triple killing spread, public feeling became intense and Crabtree was removed to the Keyser (W. Va.) jail for safekeeping. FEAR FOR AVIATORS British Pair Unheard From for 26 Hours. BY UNITSD PBESS Without direct word from the big plane, in more than 26 hours, fears were felt today for the safety of two British fliers attempting a nonstop flight from Cranwell, England, to Capetown. The possibility that the fliers, squadron leader A. G. Jones-Wil-liams and flight Lieutenant N. H. Jenkins, had met with disaster, was raised by native reports from southern Tunis that an airplane had been wrecked and its two occupants killed. The plane was not identified and French officials left Tunis Sunday for the neighboring country of Libya, en route to the far east. HOLD SLAYING SUSPECT Question Man for Possible Connection With Teacher Murder. Bsi United Press BELLEVILLE, HI., Dec. 18.—A man answering the description of one wanted for questioning in connection with the slaying of Miss Cordelia E. Gummersheimer, Rockford, 111., school teacher, was held in jail here today. The man was said to have attracted attention when he sought a room in Hillstadt. He admitted he formerly lived in Rockford. Miss Gummersheimer was clubbed to death as she lay in bed. Belleville was her home. Hourly Temperatures 6a. Aa 32 10 a. m 29 7 a. m 32 11 a. m 28 8 a. m 31 12 (noon).. 27 oa. m..... 31 Ip. m..... 26

Edge Presents Credentials as Envoy of U. S. Bu United Press PARIS, Dec. 18.—Ambassador Walter E. Edge presented his credentials to President Gaston Doumergue in a brief ceremony this afternoon at the Elysee palace. The presidential automobile took the ambassador to the palace. Edge was saluted by infantry troops and bugles and drums were sounded. The ambassador, with his staff attaches, entered the palace where he presented his credentials in the grand salon. Edge delivered a short formal address and the president responded. Later they chatted informally. TWO CONVICTS ESCAPE MOUND SVILLE, W. Va., Dec. 18. —Two long-term prisoners escaped from the state penitentiary here during the night, it was learned today. Prison officials declined to discuss the escape. The convicts were Adrian Bryan, 23, and Daniel Chroder, 23.

MAHOLM ORDERED JAILED BY COLLINS

Attorney Faces Citation in Failure to Appear at Murder Trial. Brought into criminal court before Judge James A. Collins today to show' cause why he should not be cited for contempt of court, T. Ernest Maholm, Indianapolis attorney, was remanded to the county jail until he is “in condition to appear in court.” No formal charge was placed against Maholm. He was carried into court by two police officers today after Judge Collins has issued forthwith subpenas for his presence to show cause why he should not be cited for contempt of court. The summons followed Maholm’s failure to appear in court Tuesday to defend Andrew Judt, 66, charged with fatally shooting his wife, Mary Ann, at their home, 321 Virginia avenue, two months ago. Because Maholm did not appear on Tuesday, second day of the trial Judt will be compelled to go on trial a second time for the crime. Jurors who heard a majority of evidence in the case were discharged late Tuesday on motion of new counsel for Judt. The action of withdrawing evidence from a jury in a criminal trial because of an attorney’s failure tc appear, is unprecedented in Marion county. Bearing forthwith subpenas, Harry McGlenn, criminal court sergeant, and Grover Hinton, police sergeant went to Ms holm’s office today. Brought into court, he was ordered remanded to jail, Judge Collins commenting, “This is pitiful. Your condition is such you are not fit to be in this court.” Judge Collins later announced he would release Maholm from jail Friday, if conditions justified, and would order the attorney into court Saturday. Maholm’s failure to appear in court had other consequences today. The court had set sentencing of Charles Brown, 54, convicted of second degree murder of his wife, for today. Failure of Maholm, his attorney, to appear, prevented sentence being passed and it was deferred to Saturday. A divorce case in superior court 2, in which Maholm was an at tor-

FORD PLANT TO REOPENJAN, 6 1,000 Employes to Resume Work by That Date. Approximately 1,000 employes probably will return to their work in the Ford Motor Company plant, 1315 East Washington street, before Jan. 6, local officials said today. Assembly of pleasure cars has been suspended for several weeks, and employes of the commercial vehicle department were laid off a few days ago, according to Rex A. Hayes assistant manager. Several hundred men suspended from work in their Usual departments were employed in the maintenance department since the shutdowm early in November, Hayes said. Work in the commercial department probably will be resumed by Monday, and in other departments about a week later. Other Ford plants throughout the United States, also closed to allow dealers to rid their stock of machines on hand, are resuming production.

ney, also was delayed because of his failure to appear. Maholm is not a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association. Judge Collins announced. He is a former justice of the peace and has been defeated as Republican candidate for the criminal court judgeship on several occasions. His offices are at 312 East Washington street. BATTLE GN JUDGE Anti-Saloon League Link Is Fight Center. Bu United Press WASHINGTON, Dec. 18. A charge that Richard J. Hopkins of Kansas disregarded the fine ethics of a judge, when he accepted more than SI,OOO expense money from the Anti-Saloon League, was lodged against Hopkins’ confirmation as federal judge by Senator Tydings (Dem., Md.), in the senate today. Tydings also charged Hopkins with failing to make a proper report on the fees of his office as attorney-general of Kansas from 1920 to 1922. Senator Capper (Rep., Kan.), denied Tydings’ charge and asserted the records proved Hopkins “accounted for every dollar through the reports of the state treasury and the attorney-general. CLU6BERJS INDICTED Muncie Slayer Pleads Not Guilty at Arraignment. Bu United Press MUNCIE, Ind., Dec. 18.—The indictments charging James Wood, 30, World war veteran, with first degree murder of George and Elizabeth Heath, aged farmers of near Muncie, Tuesday night, Dec. 10, were returned by the Delaware county grand jury today. Wood was arraigned immediately after the indictments, and entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. During the proceedings he sat silent with bowed head. Trial date was set for Jan. 20,* 1930.

Entered as Second-Class Matter at Tostoffice, Indianapolis

MINE RESCUE CREWS TAKE 57 BODIES FROM DEATH PIT; FEAR ANOTHER GAS BUST Last Hope Yielded for Five Men Still Locked Far Down in Chambers of Poison-Filled Shafts. SCORES LABOR ALL THROUGH NIGHT Hundreds of Gray-Faced Men, Women and Children Mourn on Slopes Near Scene of Tragedy. Bu United Press M’ALESTER, Okla., Dec. 18.—Death held dominion in McAlester today as grief that had given up all hope went hand in hand with heroic efforts to bring out the remaining bodies of the sixty-two coal miners trapped by the gas explosion in the Old Town mine. Os the sixty-seven in the mine, five escaped alive. Peril of further explosions haunted the entries and shafts, where more than 100 weary men labored far underground to bring out the charred, smoke-blackened forms of fathers, brothers, sons and comrades. Fifty-seven bodies had been brought to the surface early today, and hope had been abandoned for the five others still locked in the chambers of the mine, some 2,000 feet below the surface and nearly a mile from the mine entrance. Dawn, blinking through the murk, caught up the gleams of bonfires scattered over the slopes about the maw of the mine.

All night hundreds of grayI faced men and moaning wom- | sn had stood among the fires, holding babies in their arms or patting the heads of sobbing children. “This is the saddest Christmas we’ll ever know, son,” said a grayhaired father, shivering in the zero weather, as he wiped tears from his face with one hand and held the arm of a little grandson with the other. He had a son somewhere in the treacherous depths of the mine. The boy had a father there. Color Line Forgotten Grief wiped out lines of color and race among those who waited. Native Oklahomans, Mexicans and Negroes shared the gloom, for of the trapped miners, sixteen were Oklahoma men, thirty-four were Mexicans and fifteen were Negroes. The joy of families of five men who escaped when the explosion roared through the workings shortly before noon Tuesday, flashed up and then died away in the face of the universal sadness. Heroes kept coming from the mine mouth throughout the night, lugging sacks that bulged with bodies. "Another explosion as bad as yesterday’s may come any moment,” Miller Hay, state mine inspector, told the rescue squads. “Gas is so dense in the lower shafts where the rest cf the bodies are buried that we'll have to be mighty careful.” Rises From Sick Bed The spirit of the man was epitomized by what Bill Duvall, mine foreman, did. When he heard of the disaster, he got up from bed w'here he was lying ill with influenza, and hurried to the shaft. “Count me in, men,” he said grimly, as he donned a gas helmet. From 6 o'clock last night until daybreak he toiled with the others His brother and a nephew were somewhere down below. Red Cross workers, too late to dc anything for the men who had been in the mine, turned their attentions to the living. They moved in and out among the groups at the camp fires, urging cups of hot coffee on those who would take them. Coffee was served the rescue crews when they came to the surface. Identification of the victims pro- ; gressed slowly. As long as bodies were unrecovered, men refused to turn from the task of battering through the debris. DEATH THREAT BY BOY Prisoner, 16, Held at Ft. Wayne With Revolver and Cartridge. Bu Times Sneruit FT. WAYNE, Ind., Dec. 18.—Fred A. West, 16, will be called upon to explain in city court here Dec. 28 his statement to police that he intended to kill Mrs. Ross Polios, a member of a charitable organization at Wabash. Officers found the boy loitering here. He carried a .32-caliber revolver and a box- of cartridges. He said he was a formex inmate of White’s Institute, Wabash, and had been mistreated. ACCURACY LICENSE NEED Warning against misspelling words and otherwise improperly filling out applications for automobile license plates for 1930 was issued today by James A. Bradley, head of the license plate division, who said several hundred applications were being returned daily because of mistakes. Information on the applications, particularly addresses, must be legible and accurate, he said. Feb. 1 has been set m the deadline for 1929

HOME

TWO CENTS

WOMEN ESCAPE BULLET ATTACK Lives of Two Endangered as Lead Riddles Cab. Lives of Mrs. Ed W. Hunter, of 2317 College avenue, wife of the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, and Mrs. R. W. Remp, of 2315 College avenue, wife of R. W. Remp, superintendent of the Dravo Contracting Company, were endangered Tuesday night by a shot fired into a taxi in which they were riding. The two women summoned a Brown cab to the Lumley tearoom at Sixteenth and Meridian streets to go to their homes after a social function Tuesday afternoon. At Meridian and Eighteenth streets a shot was fired into the ! center of the taxi windshield. It : passed out through the rear of the cab. just above the women’s heads. From the direction the shot took in the cab, it is believed it was fired by a man on foot and not from another car. Police had no reports of an attempted holdup in the neighborhood at the time. ORDER SHIP TO U. S, Wright, With 500 Marines on Board, to Come Home. Bn United Press WASHINGTON, Dec. 18.—The aircraft tender Wright, with approximately 500 marines aboard, has been ordered to return to the United States, it was announced at the state department today. The Wright was ordered to Haiti during the disturbances of a fortnight ago, but at the suggestion of Brigadier-General John H. Russell, the Wright was diverted to Guantanamo bay, Cuba, when Haitian conditions improved suddenly. MINE STRIKE NEAR END Last Group of Illinois “Outlaws” Expected to Resume Work. TAYLORVILLE, 111., Dec. 18.— The “outlaw” coal strike of the National Miners Union, which last week kept 3,000 workers out of shafts in the southern Illinois fields, practically was at an end today. Only one mine at Kincaid still was idle and workers were to vote today on a proposal to return to work if national guardsmen were removed from duty there. Promises that the soldiers would be withdrawn have been given the miners and an overwhelming vote in favor of ending the strike was expected. POSTPONE STOCKS QUIZ King Resolution to Be Taken Up After Christmas Holidays. Bn United Press WASHINGTON, Dec. B.—The King resolution, proposing a congressional inquiry into the price manipulations on stock exchanges, w‘ll be taken up after the holidays by the senate banking and currency committee, Chairman Nor beck announced today. Centerville Man Dies CENTERVILLE. Ind., Dec. 18.--Johr. T. Voorhees, 62, is dead herei He was born near Whitewater. Hm leaves a daughter. Miss Inez Voofl hees, at home, and two brotheal W. D. Voorhees, Centerville, mm l. C. Voorhees, Richmaagl

Outside Marion County 3 Cents