Indianapolis Times, Volume 43, Number 9, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 May 1931 — Page 9

Second Section.

DUAL SLAYING ROCKS COAST UNDERWORLD Crusading Editor and Politician Are Shot Down in Office. KILLER MAKES ESCAPE Vice Ring Evidence Expected to Be Revealed in Murder Hunt. By United Brets LOS ANGELES, May 21.—Predictions that the “lid would be blown off’’ Los Angeles underworld activities were made today by police after the double slaying of a prominent politician and a veteran newspaper man who for twenty years had exposed vice here. • Charles H. Crawford, 55, whitehaired stormy petrel of politics, and Herbert Spencer, 40, reporter, were shot to death as they sat in Crawford's office discussing Spencer's series of exposes of gambling which he had been publishing in the Critic of Critics, local liberal magazine. Crawford died without revealing the name of the slayer. Today police searched for a strong-box in a downtown bank which contained evidence of a vicering, and which was expected to reveal the name of the gunman or his superiors. Threats Are Received Bot.i had received threatening messages during the last few months. Spencer, in fact, had printed an article in the magazine of which he was assistant editor, warning those who might attempt his life. He said that evidence of corruption was in his possession, and that the documents would be turned over to the district attorney’s office should the threats be carried out. Although Spencer had keys to the box on his person when he died, his associate on the magazine, Frederick H. Schindler, professed no knowledge of the strong box’s whereabouts. Crawford had established his brother George as a bodyguard In an outer office following the threats against his life. But George was absent when a man walked in late Wednesday, nodded to Lucile Fisher, 25, Crawford’s secretary, and was greeted by the politician with: “Hello, there, old man. How are you?” Two Shots Are Heard Spencer arrived later and was ushered into the inner sanctum. After about half an hour there was the sound of an altercation. Two shots were heard, the stranger rushed out the door and disappeared in traffic. Spencer staggered out, blood streaming down his side, and pursued him to the street. As aid reached him, he cried, “Where is that guy?” and collapsed on the sidewalk in front of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament. He was dead when carried into the office, a bullet through his lungs and heart. Meanwhile, Crawford was found on the floor of his office, shot in the abdomen. He was rushed to a police hospital, and despite a blood transfusion, died four hours later. Fails to Name Assailant His wife, his minister, the Rev. Gustav Briegleb; his attorney, Jerry Geisler, and Joe Taylor, captain of detectives, who gathered in the operating room, tried unsuccessfully to learn the name of his assailant. Crawford maintained to the last that two men walked into his office. Other witnesses were positive that one man did the shooting. Police Chief Ray E. Steckel took personal charge of the case and said that solution of the crime would “rip the lid wide open” as did the similar killing in Chicago of Jake Lingle, reporter. Several years ..ago, Crawford was accused of conspiring to “frame” Carl I. Jacobson, councilman, in a compromising position with Mrs. Callie Grimes, but was acquitted. Directed Many Exposes A year ago, following his indictment on charges of bribery in connection with the collapse of the Julian Petroleum Corporation, he brought about the arrest of Morris La vine, star newspaper re-' porter, on charges of extortion. The bribery Indictment was dismissed. Spencer had been a police reporter for nearly twenty years, and until last February was city editor of the Los Angeles Express. He had directed many of his paper's exposes of gambling and underworld activities. Spencer was married and had two children.

SCHOOL FOR DEAF TO HONOR DEAD TEACHER Bronze Tablet to Mark Memory of Man Who Served 49 Years. Perpetuating memory of a teacher who served at the Indiana School for the deaf almost a half century, a bronze tablet to August Tutt will be unveiled at the school at baccalaureate serivees there June 7. Mr. Tutt, a deaf man, was educated at the institution, and upon graduation became a teacher. More than three years ago he was killed in an auto accident while en route to the school. Alumni in the state procured a memorial fund and purchased the tablet. Mr. Tutt’s last class is graduating this year. He taught at the institution forty-nine years. TRACTION DECREE DUE Judge Russell J. Ryan to Rule on T. H.. I. A E. Thb Afternoon. Decree ordering the receiver to Mil properties of the Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern Traction Company will be made this afternoon by Judge Russell J. Rvan in superior court five. Decision to rule on the case today was reached by Judge Ryan following a hearing on the case Wednesday.

Foil Leased Wire Sendee ©f the Dotted Pree* Association

ISUICIDE OF BARTON LAID TO SPURNED

LOVE BY FRIENDS

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Tired of life after his fourth wife had divorced him and a fifth woman whom he loved had jilted him, It is said, Ralph Barton, noted caricaturist and magazine artist, killed himself in his palatial New York apartment. Barton is shown here with his fourth wife, the former Germaine Marie Tailleferre, who divorced him in Paris a month ago.

‘No One to Blame Except Myself/ Says Obituary Left by Artist. By United Press NEW YORK, May 21.—The cynical Broadway which accepted a youthful Kansas City boy as a talented caricaturist and cartoonist nearly a score of years ago lived up today to the predictions of Ralph Barton in his obituary, and had many hypotheses to explain his suicide. “Every one who knows me and hears of this,” Barton wrote just before he placed a .25-caliber automatic pistol to his temple and ended his life, “will have a different hypothesis to offer to explain why I did it. Practically all the hypotheses will be dramatic, and completely wrong.” He said that no one thing and no person, “except myself,” were responsible for his suicide. Mil gossip insists upon something more definite and thrilling as a reason, let them choose my pending appointment with my dentist, or the fact that I happened to be painfully short of cash at the moment.” Devoted to Heiress But, as he predicted, his many friends brushed aside the reasons he offered for his suicide and probably the most prevalent rumor today was that Barton shot himself in his mid town penthouse because he had failed to win the love of Ruth Kresge, daughter of Sebastian S. Kresge of Detroit, millionaire chain store owner. Although Barton did not mention Miss Kresge in his “obit,” his brother, Homer Barton, an actor, said that he was aware of Ralph’s devotion to the Detroit heiress. Miss Kresge sailed aboard the Europa •Tuesday for Europe, accompanied by her sister, Katherine, and her childhood sweetheart, Rufus Clark Caulkins of Detroit, who is said to be a member of the diplomatic corps at Riga. It was reported Miss Kresge. and Caulkins were to be married abroad. Engagement Broken Friends said the heiress and the cartoonist had been engaged to marry, but that Miss Kresge broke the engagement after a quarrel. Mrs. Anna Kresge, the girl’s mother, said her daughter never had been in love with Barton, and had not been engaged to him. Another suicide theory was that Barton still loved Carlotta Monterey, who divorced him five years ago and later became the third wife of Eugene O’Neill, the playwright. Barton himself wrote in his obituary that he definitely had “lost the only woman I ever loved,” and said that she was the one person who could have saved him, “had I been savable.” • Still others attributed his death to an unsuccessful quest for happiness In marriage. Barton had been married and divorced four times.

Tried Before to Die Barton wrote that he suffered “definite symptoms of insanity,” which made it impossible to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and that he had “run from wife to wife, f r om house to house, and from country to country, in a ridiculous effort to escape from myself.” Harold W. Ross, editor of the New Yorker, revealed Barton had attempted to end his life eight months ago by taking poison. Barton was found near death in his apartment by friends, who summoned physicians and saved his life. He bought the pistol with which he took his life in Charlotte, N. C., six months ago, Ross said, and often had talked of using it for suicide purposes. BAPTIST HEAD ELECTED The Rev. T. J. Parson Named Secretary for Indiana Convention. The Rev. T. J. Parson, editor of the Baptist Observer for eight years, today succeeded C. M. Dinsmore as executive secretary of the Indiana Baptist convention, following election by directors Wednesday at the First Baptist church. Directors also named two field secretaries, the Rev. S. G. Huntington, northern division, and the Rev. G. C. Mitchell, southern division. J. E. Shewmon, Indianapolis, was named treasurer.

The Indianapolis Times

AIDS LAD; IT'S HIS TOST’ SON Boy, Unrecognized, Leaves Note With Neighbor. A ghost of the past visited Le Roy Ragan, 1159 Udell street, Wednesday, but, unrecognized, sauntered on. A tired, thirsty youth knocked at Ragan’s door, and was given a drink c * water. A few hours later a neighbor delivered a note to Ragan, saying the boy left it with instructions to withold delivery until evening. “Goodbye, good luck, and God bless you. Your son, James Leßoy Ragan,” it ended, after a short autobiography. Six years ago Ragan and his wife were divorced, and his brother, William Ragan of Detroit, adopted the boy and a sister, Anna Mae. Ragan searched the city, with police aid, and drove on highways leading from Indianapolis toward Detroit, but failed to, find the boy. BITE CASE HAY END State Studies Compromise With Utility. Public service commissioners may settle the Southern Indiana Telephone Company rate case by compromise and quash proceedings in federal court, it was indicated today. Chairman John W. McCardle declared that a meeting Wednesday of commissioners and attorneys involved in the suit, resulted in arrangements for further conferences on the matter. It was learned that Harry K. Cuthbertson, newest member of the commission, favored making rates for the company oased on valuations found by commission engineers. This would mean approval of rate Increases and about $40,000 annual Increase in gross revenues of the company on all properties. Their petition asked about $60,000. SOCIAL WORKER TO BE BURIED FRIDAY Enoch Hall Served Twenty Years in Volunteers of America, Funeral services will be held for Enoch B. Hall, 60, captain in the Indiana division of the Volunteers of America, at 2 Friday, from the J. C. Wilson undertaking establishment, 1230 Prospect street. Burial will be in New Crown cemetery. Mr. Hall died Wednesday at the residence of a daughter Mrs. Frank A. Lounsberry, 1145 South Randolph street, after a brief illness. He had been engaged in social work for the last twenty years and was captain of the Volunteers for five years. Survivors are his widow; a son, Henry Hall of Indianapolis, and five daughters, Miss Gladys Hall and Miss Martha Hall of Indianapolis; Mrs. Marie Bissel of Pontiac, Mich.; Mrs. Esther Bimey of Wilson, N. C., and Mrs. Lounsberry'. YOUTH SHOT IN CHEEK Pistol in Friend’s Hands Goes Off; Taken to City Hospital. Lewis Stump, 22, of 2038 Houston street, was in city hospital today, the victim of an accidental shooting. He sat with his friend, John Harter, 26, in the latter's room at 11714 North Alabama street, Wednesday, while Harter toyed with a pistol. After snapping the trigger several times, Harter pulled it again and a bullet went through Stump’s cheek, emerging from the back of his neck. State Bank Closes Doors Frozen assets today caused closing of the Berckmann State bank at Ferdinand in Dubois county, according to officials of the state banking department R. L. Garrett is president and Austin W. Inman, /-wchiar jjf tho defUUCt infadtnfcinn

INDIANAPOLIS, THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1931

LA FOLLETTE DEMANDS U. S. AID FOR NEEDY f Immediate Call for Session of Congress Requested by Senator. DARK PICTURE PAINTED Survey Shows Depression Is Not Waning; Thousands Face Famine. By Scripps-Hotcard Newspaper Alliance WASHINGTON, May 21.—A detailed survey of American business at the present time furnishes conclusive evidence that the number of unemployed will be as great next winter as in the winter just past and that they will face dire distress, Senator Robert M. La Follette Jr. said todav, and on the basis of this survey, h < demanded an immediate session of congress to deal with the problem. The survey was made by the subcommittee on unemployment and distress of the progressive conference, headed by Dr. Isador Lubin. The survey showed the following Freight car loadings declined by 27,000 in the week ended May 8, a most unusual slump for this time of year. Employment in manufacturing industries fell In April to 74.8 per cent of the 1926 average. The employment index for April was only 1.4 points higher than for January, though a large gain is usual in the spring. Steel Far Down While steel production has ceased to drop it has not increased and remains at 47 per cent of its theoretical capacity. The output of electric power, an element which enters into the production of most important commodities, is declining, and was lower in March, than in any other month in recent years except February. American exports to foreign countries in April reached the lowest point since 1914. Combined imports and exports were lower by $236,000,000 in April than in April of 1930. Department store sales declined in March and were lower than those of any recent month except December. While automobile and cotton industries made marked gains early lu the spring, sales of cotton cloth dropped sharply in April and automobiles “appeared to have difficulty in holding the April level.” Building Permits Low Building permits gained 7 per cent in April, but still were 16 per cent below the figure for last April. “Even thougn some unforeseen factor should cause a rapid improvement in the economic situation, a sufficient number of unemployed could not be absorbed to prevent great suffering vlthin the next twelve months,” La Follette said in discussing the survey. “Complete and part-time employment have resulted in disappearance of the largest part of the savings of the working classes. More and more of those who have tried in every possible way to avoid seeking public or charitable aid will be forced to turn to those j

agencies. “It is highly questionable whether many of the relief agencies will be In a position to meet what is sure to be a growing demand upon their finances.” Cities Face Crisis On this point the survey showed that ten of the largest cities in the ’'country still were paying out $5,500,000 for relief in March, a figure two and a half times the amount expended at the beginning of last year. La Follette stressed the fact that neither charitable contributions nor municipal contributions can continue at the same rate as in 1930, “Due to inability of property owners to meet their obligations, virtually every city of the country has experienced a fall in tax receipts. The situation is complicated further by the fact that many municipalities already have borrowed up to their legal capacity. “Unless the federal government spends now, the cost of healing those injuries which are likely to occur during the coming twelve months will be many times more than what may be shaved by our present policy of federal economy,” he declared.

Four Lads Win in Marble Matches

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Sectional winners Times marble championship (left to right)—John Logue, Ralph Carnine, Merl Lemay, Lester Haas.

These four lads took the first hurdles in their try for the trip to Ocean City, N. J., in June as guests of The Times for the national marbles championship. John Logue, 13, of 835 South Pershing avenue, was winner in the Rhodius park sections, and Ralph Carmine,fl3, of 1845 West Morris street, Was nmnerup.

8A Graduates of School No. 57

Donald McClain

John Crawford

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Sara A. Mclrtosh

Louise Clark

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Don Underwood

John P. Worley

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Margaret Carter

Helen Woerner

Raymond Thorne

Don Vogel

Ruth Riley

Barbara Downs

Philip Wolfard

John Booth

Betty A. Glse

Evelyn Hadley

BROOKS WILL DEFENDED BY TYPEWRITER EXPERT

Treasure House ‘Some Old Art Objects’ in Will Are Worth Half Million.

CHICAGO, May 21. —When Julius Starrett died he left a will placing his estate in charge of the Continental Illinois bank, and directing that “some old art objects” in his home be sold and the proceeds given to charity. “We’ve had an offer of SB,OOO and wish you would go out and appraise the objects,” an official of the bank told Alfred J. Mendelssohn, art appraiser, Wednesday. Mendelssohn went. A short time later he called the bank. He was so excited he hardly could talk. “Did you say $8,000?” he almost shouted between gasps. “Why, this is one of the finest collections in the country. It’s worth hs.lf a millon dollars, if it’s worth a cent!” It was decided to sell Che collection at auction.

Merle Lemay, 13, of 1519 Madison avenue, was winner at Garfield park, and Lester Haas, 14, of 260 Beecher street, was runnerup. These boys will compete on June 15 at Willard park in the final games with the winners and runnersup at the other eight sectional championships, to be held Sautrdajr June 6.

Edwin Woods

Myron Melrin

Helen J. Coin

Lois La Fara

Jack Kingsbury

Archie Hoover

Charlotte Webb

Betty Mangas

Bob Alda*

Jimmy Cummings

Virginia McGlasion

June Allen

Wedmore Smith

David Robertson

Evangeline Murphy

PhyUis Pfeifer

LAW GRADS TO DINE Alumni Banquet to Be Held at Claypool June 3. Twelve hundred graduates of the Indiana law school, including the classes of every year since 1895, have been invited to the alumni banquet at the Claypool on the night of June 3. Judge Clarence R. Martin of the supreme court, alumnus of the school, is to be principal speaker. Graduation exercises of the school will follow the banquet. Henry M. Dowling, attorney, will deliver the address. Glenn K. Funk, Evansville, coach of the school debating team, will give the valedictory. Eddie Rickenbacker to Speak Colonel Edward V. Rickenbacker, America’s ace of aces in the World war, will give the address at annual memorial services Friday, May 29, conducted by Hamilton-Berry chapter, Service Star legion, in the grove of Remembrance, Garfield park.

Fred Elstrod, 12, of 41 Hendricks place, was winner at Willard park, and Virgil Knoll, 11, of 238 North Keystone avenue, was runner up. The second set of sectionals Saturday at 10 a. m. will be held at Sixty-first and Broadway, Riley, Ellenberger and municipal ' A.

Second Section

Entered as Second-Class Matter % at Postoffic*. Indianapolis

Gordon MesserUe

Bobert Clark

Barbara J. French

Genevieve Campbell

Merrill Hamilton

Bobert Hobgood

Alice B. Fitts

Panla Hlntze

Jim Hull

William Tyner

Virginia Hal!

Dorothy J. Tork

Bad Howard

Robert Rablee

Loretta Atwood

Dorothy H. Barnes

Asserts 1930 Document Was Written on Only One Machine. When a good cld-fashioned Hoosier “expert” meets a “furrin expert” in court the “furriner” must take the count. This was demonstrated today in the jury trial in probate court in the contest over the estate of Bartholomew D. Brooks, Indianapolis business man. And in the “experting” melee, jurors, spectators and a coupe of bowling teams of attorneys got a thorough course in the management of a typwriter and how a paper slips or doesn’t slip when you put i* in a typewriter. Turns Court Into College The unofficial business college in court came with the testimony of Lex A. Cory, Indianapolis typewriter "expert,” that the 1930 Brooks will was written by one and only one machine and that machine was one of the exhibits in the trial. Previously attorneys for city charitable organizations contesting the estate placed Jay F. Wood of Chicago, handwriting and typewriting “expert” in the Loeb-Leopold trial, on the stand to tell how the last will drawn in March, 1930, was written on two different typewriters. Wood said the major portion of the will was written with pica type and that the underscoring dashes beneath the hames of witnesses to the will were made by a machine with “elite” type. Proves Type is “Pica” Cory disagreed. He said the will, which gives the Brooks estate to Robert A. Hackley, secretary to the dead man, was Written in its entirety by the same typewriter. He even proved, by writing exhibition copies on the typewriter, that the machine on w’hich Brooks wrote his alleged last will did not have chameleon ways and that the type was “pica” from “Q to ?". His testimony for the defense and Hackley could not be shaken on cross-examination. Store Bandit Sentenced By Times Special SOUTH BEND, Ind., May 21. Russell Early, 23, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Dan Pyle to serve ten years in the state reformatory for his part in the holdup last January of Mrs. Jack Nowakowskl in a grocery- Early pleaded guilty to robbery and asked for probation. His companion in the robbery, James Spears, was sentenced two months ago to serve ten years in the same institution. Jf

TRADE SLUMP HELD BENEFIT TOAMERICA Economic Firetraps Swept Away by Depression. Says Roy Howard, OPTIMISTIC FOR FUTURE Business on Sounder Basis in Five Years ‘Because of 1930/ His View, By United Press PARIS, May 21.—1n a realistic interpretation of the American economic depression, Roy w. Howard, chairman of the board of the Scripps-Howard newspapers, told 300 business men at an American club luncheon today that the current slump has benefited the United States, that reconditioning of sound business is going on, and that Americans have not yet added a “yellow stripe’’ to their national emblem. He predicted radical changes in the business and economic structure which will give Americans a quality standard of life not approached by any other nation. “Five years hence,” he said, “many businesses will be In infinitely better shape by reason of 1930. A lot of economic firetraps have been swept away, and quite a few of our economic slums have been cleaned out. Fear Holds Up Buying “Much of the slump in business naturally has been due to the fear of much more difficulty, due to five or six million unemployed workingmen. Two years ago the workingman was listening to the siren songs of each new installment salesman and using dollar bills for incense to burn before the gods for pleasure. “Now he is worshiping before the shrine of the savings bank. This thrift is a fear-induced acquirement. Banish this fear and the buying will start. “The money is there. When the money starts to come forth, the whole aspect of the American situation is going to change.” “I foresee only one major threat to relatively early resumption of trade activity. This danger is understood fully by Washington. The President is, in my judgment, entitled to forgiveness for many political sins because of his tentacity and foresight which fought to prevent any move in the direction of wage cuts or a lowering of living standards. Babbittry Powerful Force “I believe that the commercial and financial leadership in the United States is farsighted enough to head off efforts of a few industrial reactionaries who would bail out the boat by boring a hole in the bottom.” Referring to scoffers against “Babbittry” and “Rotarianiem" and provincial Americanism, Howard said: “Ridicule it as much as you please, but the force is a powerful one and it gets results. During the last few months, with quantity production a definite fixture in our industry, this vital American force has been acting as anew urge toward quality as well as quantity. “The new urge has taken form t demand a better quality of life for a larger portion of the people, and a better quality of methods and men for public relations leadership. “This changed objective is going to work a metamorphosis in American life.” On Sound Basis Declaring that recurrent panic no longer has ample justification for continuance and that breadlines in the metropolis of the richest country in the world must be eliminated, Howard continued: “Many plans are under consideration and radical moves are going ‘to be suggested, but they were not originated in minds of radicals or evolved from soapbox oratory. These ideas are originating with thoroughly practical men of large means, convinced that our measure of prosperity will be the ability of our leadership to make life more worth while for the largest possible number of our own people. “The soundest plans come from what, a generation ago, we scornfully referred to as ‘big business.’ Theirs is not a plan to wreck our industry. “If at first blush it looks like radicalism, be certain it Is based on the soundest impulses—enlightened selfishness.” HEFLIN WINS SKIRMISH Victorious in Fight for Probe of Every Ballot Box In Election. By Bcripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance WASHINGTON, May 21. ExSenator J. Thomas Heflin has won his argumefet that all the ballot boxes in Alabama's senatorial election of 1930 should be Investigated, in his fight to prevent the seating of John H. Bankhead. Orders have been issued to Harrison W. Smith, supervisor, in charge of the preliminary examination of,ballots from ten selected counties, to continue the investigation through the state’s fifty-seven other counties. The instructions were issued by Chairman Hastings of the senate subcommittee in charge of the Heflin-Bankhead contest. RED CROSS WILL DINE Anniversary Celebration Here to Be ,Attended at L A. C. by 200. Anniversary dinner of the Indianapolis chapter, American Red Cross, will be attended at the Indianapolis Athletic Club tonight by more than two hundred members. Charles Evans Hughes and President Hoover will speak In the national program, which will be transmitted through station WFBM, co-operating with the Columbia Broadcasting system. ,•