Indianapolis Times, Volume 43, Number 272, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 March 1932 — Page 1

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LIQUOR SEIZED IN GIGANTIC RAID REPORTED AS MISSING; U. S. PROBE LAUNCHED HERE 1,200 Pints of Choice Liquor Disappear From Federal Strong Room, Is Intimation as Dry Chiefs Investigate. WILD PARTY ANGLE UNDER INQUIRY North Side Apartment Declared to Have Been Scene of Revels, With Prominent Public Officials Involved. Pirhirp of liquor cache on Pajjp 9. Secret investigation of the alleged disappearance of approximately 1,200 pints of confiscated whisky from a storeroom in the federal building has been conducted rapidly during the last two weeks by high federal^ prohibition officials, it was learned by The Times today. The whisky is said to have been part of the box car load of 1,182 sacks seized at Evansville March 4, 1931, w r hile en route from Ansley, Miss., to the cutting parlors of notorious

Chicago liquor rings. Investigators are said to be checking reports that whiskybearing “Old Log Cabin” la-; brls, similar to that in the car load, was being peddled here at that time. Reports have been made to the probers, it is charged, that this whisky has been the principal item at a score or more hilarious drinking parties, in a north side apartment house, at which high local Republican officials were present. At these parties, it is said, "ladies of the pavement” mingled with ladies of the high rent district. Other Liquor in Room The room in the basement where the liquor was stored contained not only the box car booze, but 110 quarts and 178 pints of Scotch and Canadian liquor, cognac, brandies and wines. The "load'’ also included imported beer and ale seized March 12, 1931, by deputy sheriffs in a raid on a mansion at Eightieth street and College avenue, leased by Claude and Nellie BittrolfT. The federal building storeroom is the one which gained national notoriety six years ago, when it was revealed that approximately $225,000 worth of Squibbs liquor from the Lawrenceburg, Ind., distilleries, had been stolen. Federal authorities arrested five men in connection with this theft.. Evidence showed that the liquor was stolen by removing hinges from the door to gain entrance into the basement, hiding pj^ce. Figures Do Not Check The Evansville and BittrolfT liquor was destroyed several ago and a check list made. It is said that disparities in the figures at the time of the destruction, with those obtained when confiscated, resulted in the investigation. Officials of the Indiana Anti-Sa-loon League here also are said to have participated in the investigation and are said to have obtained information that the nocturnal exploits of certain dry agents were not such as they desired in defenders of high morality and law and order. Much correspondence passed between the local dry league office and Amos W. W. Woodcock, national prohibition director, regarding the manner in which prohibition agents were making rases against "half pinters.” while the "big shots” were not touched unless raided by police or deputy sheriffs. Currie Case Probed In addition, "the heat" was turned on Charles Britt, formerly deputy prohibition administrator here, with his favorite a’d, Patrick iTwoGun) Currie. who had an uncanny faculty of making so many buys that none or very little liquor was found in places raided. Currie shot up the Happy Hour" barbecue Oct. 15. It. was charged that Currie was intoxicated at the time. He was arraigned in municipal court. Trial of the case was postponed time after time, while Britt is said to have attempted to “square things" for Currie, against whom all charges finally were dismissed. It was then that Colonel F. J. J. Herbert of Chicago, former administrator for the entire area, came here, accompanied by the present deputy administrator. John W. Morrill, and told Currie: “When you go out on search warrants today, you go as a private citizen” which Currie understood to mean he was dismissed summarily. Morrill then succeeded Britt, who w’as demoted to agent at New Orleans. Hourly Temperatures 6a. m 27 10 a. m 40 7a. m 29 11 a. m 41 Ba. m 33 12 moonri. 42 9 a. m 38

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The Indianapolis Times Generally fair tonight and Thursday, somewhat warmer Thursday; lowest temperature tonight about 30.

VOLUME 43—NUMBER 272

WATER CO. OFFERS SYMPATHY, BUT NO RATE CUTS TO CITY

Just Ticklish By United Press GREEN BAY. Wis.. March 23.—Ben Fontaine, scoffed today when he learned police credited him with unusual bravery for knocking down a holdup man with his fist. “I’m neither brave nor foolhardy.” Fontaine explained. “I was all set to give the fellow my money when his gun touched my ribs. I let him have it then. I can't stand being tickled.”

HUGE ESTATES MADE TARGET Shift Burden on Rich, Say Sales Tax Foes. BY MARSHALL M'NEIL Time* Staff Wrltix WASHINGTON. March 23. A tense and expectant house, still zealously fighting to free itself of the conservative leadership of both parties, today awaited the showdown vote on the sales tax, expected Thursday. The spontaneous uprising in behalf of people of modest means and the poor already has succeeded in giving a definite social aspect to the revenue bill which at the outset taxed but mildly the incomes and estates of the rich. Rallying against (he $600,000,000 sales tax, the coalition of progressive Republicans and * (Turn to Page Two)

3 Shot in College Feud Over Co-Ed’s Kidnaping

Law Student Fires Volley at Engineers Bent on Class Vengeance. By United Prrti/t COLUMBIA. Mo.. March 23.—A bitter college feud between University of Missouri engineers and law students today passed from hazing to actual violence with three students suffering gunshot wounds and a fourth in the hospital with a possible skull fracture. Kidnaping of a co-ed. Mary Louise Butterfield of Kansas City, last Saturday so she could not reign as queen of the engineers’ ball brought an attempted reprisal that ended in gunplay. Burnis Frederick, law student who had been identified as one of Miss Butterfield's abductors, shot three engineering classmates when they tried to kidnap him in revenge. Frederick, after he had wounded Frank Luckey of Columbia; Charles Love of Jefferson City, and Jerry F. Cebe of St. Louis, was beaten severely by the engineers. His skull may be fractured. Luckey was shot in the abdomen, and physicians, after an operation, described his condition as “serious.” Frederick faces possible criminal charges in connection with the wounding of the three youths. The feud between the engineering and law school students at Missouri is of long standing, but always before it has been confined to minor hazings. The engineers became irate however, when Miss Butterfield, whom they had elected as queen of their traditional St. Patrick’s day ball, was kidnaped. She was taken to the nearby town of Moberly until the dance was over. The engineering students swore %engeance against her four abductors and marked Frederick as the first they were going to punish. He had regained in his home for the last tw* days.

INDIANAPOLIS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1932

Ruined Towns Left in Path of Storm

Utility’s Attorney Listens to Distress Story and Makes Counter-Plea. Story of direct economic distress in Indianapolis today brought a counter plea from the Indianapolis Water Company that the business not be made to bear any of the burden through rate reductions. The depression picture was painted at the public hearing on water rate reductions before Harry K. Cuthbertson, public service commissioner. Witness after witness testified as to the thousands of unemployed being fed daily by public or private charity groups. When the city completed its case, the New York lawyer for the water company, William L. Ransom, expressed his sympathy. A tall, prepossessing person, with conservative clothes and a white thatched head, Ransom expressed his concern regarding conditions here with considerable warmth. But he concluded with a plea to keep the water rates where they are, and thus let it be known that sympathy is all the company intends to contribute. Another Ransom point at the morning session was objection to introduction of data regarding w’ater company affairs covering the period 1925-1929. Such reports could have no possible bearing on the present period, he continued. It then was brought out, however, that the 1931 report of the company, due to be filed with the public service commission not later than March 10, under the law, has not been completed. Company officials said the com(Turn to Page Eleven)

free” If you want to know more about me watch for the new serial, “The Man Hunters beginning Wednesday, March 30, in The Times

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■ Wind-shattered wreckage of Northport, Ala., one of first targets smashed by the tornado that swept through southern states, is shown in this picture, rushed by telephoto from the disaster zone. In Northport, a town of 2,100 population on the

WATSON SIGNS DRY VOTE PLEA Hoosier Joins in Request for Senate Ballot. By Timex Special WASHINGTON. March 22.—Senator James E. Watson of Indiana joined with twenty-three colleagues Monday ;n requesting a senate vote on a resolution for resubmission to the states of the prohibition amendment. Watson was one of the signers of a petition presented by Senator Millard E. Tydings (Dem., Md.), asking that the judiciary committee be discharged from consideration of the resolution so that senate vote could be taken. Signers of Tydings’ petition were: Republicans—Barbour, New Jersey; Bingham, Connecticut; Bulkley, Ohio; Carey, Wyoming; Couzens, Michigan; Glenn, Illinois; Hawes, Missouri; Hebert, Rhode Island; Kean, New Jersey; Keyes, New Hampshire; Moses, New Hampshire; Walcott, Connecticut, and Watson, Indiana—thirteen. Democrats—Broussard, Louisiana; Coolidge, Massachusetts: Copeland, New York; Long, Louisiana; Metcalf, Rhode Island; Oddie, Nevada; Pittman. Nevada; Tydings, Maryland; Wagner, New York; Walsh, Massachusetts, and Wheeler, Montana^—eleven. A majority of the senate is fortynine. Wets had no hope of commanding a majority for resubmission, even if they won the vote for discharge. What they desired was to follow the example of the house in putting members on record, as clearly as possible, regarding the liquor problem. LION TO RETREAT AS TEMPERATURE RISES Moderate Weather to Stay at Least 36 Honrs, Is Forecast. Rising temperatures and generally fair weather will drive the March lion back into his den, at least for thirty-six hours. J. H. Armington, weather man, forecast today. Prospects for continued spring weather are good, Armington said, with teamperatures in the far northwest, source of the last cold wave, rising considerably. Lowest temperature here tonight will be about 30. followed by a gradual rise through Thursday, he asserted.

FIGHT ‘BABY MARATHON’ BEQUEST

By Uttited Prtts TORONTO. Ontario. March 23.—The provincial government today moved to annul the “capricious'’ will of Charles Vance Miller, who bequeathed almost $500,000 to the Toronto woman who. ten years after Miller's death, had borne the most children. Miller died in 1926. To date Mrs. Florence Brown. 42. married twenty-two years, seems to be leading the marathon. She has given birth to twenty-seven children, thirteen of whom are living. ttra. Florence Bagnafo, 37, ia a close second. She

banks of the Black Warrior river, 35 were killed outright, 750 homes were battered roofless. Fire followed the storm and eight city blocks were wiped out.

Cash for Kids Here you are. children. How would you like to win some cash prizes or theater tickets to help you enjoy your Easter vacation? The Times has a special Our Gang comedy picture identification contest which offers child readers opportunity to win one of the eight cash prize? amounting to sls, or one of the ten prizes of two Lyric theater tickets. Watch The Times Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day The Times will publish a photograph taken from Our Gank film comedies in which Mary Ann Jackson, who comes to the Lyric theater for a week, starting Saturday, in a personal appearance singing and dancing act. All you are asked to do is to tell us the names of the three comedies which these photographs represent. Send them to the Our Gang Comedy Contest editor of The Times before Sunday at midnight, together with a tenword trade-last about “Why I Like Mary Ann Jackson.” Watch Thursday's Times for the first picture and complete details of this contest.

Find Cop’s Badge, Lost 16 Years By United Press NEW YORK. March 23.—Police shield 2156 lost by patrolman James Coughlin sixteen years ago has been found behind the door of a First avenue tenement.

Held for Child Neglect; Has Pictures of 14 Girls PICTURES of fourteen girls, a lock of hair, a withered rose, and a theater ticket stub which appropriately could have marked exhibits L, O. V and E formed evidence against Clarence Powell, 31, of 273 South Ritter avenue, alleged truck driver-Romeo, who appeared in juvenile court today before Judge John F. Geckler on a child neglect charge. Powell is $25 behind in payment of money for support of his 5-year-old son, it was charged. “You can continue your love-making,” Geckler said, “but if this support money remains unpaid ninety days from now, you’re going to Jail.” Mrs. Myrtle Powell, divorced wife of the defendant, said Powell now has seven “girl friends.” He was divorced following conviction on a child neglect charge in 1930. He was fined $1 and costs and sentenced to three months at state penal farm, but all was suspended. A note was part of the evidence against Powell. It reads: “I’ll meet you at 7 instead of 6. Have to take my wife Myrtle home.”

is married twenty-four years and has had twenty children, eleven of whom are now living. A bill has been introduced in the provincial legislature by Attorney-General Colonel W. H. Price to convert the money to the use of the University of Toronto. In introducing the bill, Colonel Price quoted the following section from Miller's will: “This will necessarily is uncommon and capricious because I have no near relatives, and no duty rests upon me to leave property at my death. WhatI do leave is proof of my folly In gathering and retaining more than I required in my lietime.'* \ *

Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice. Indianapolis. Ind.

STIMSON URGES JOINING COURT ‘Root Protocol’ Protects Us, He Tells Borah. By United Press WASHINGTON. March 23.—Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson today sent a letter to Chairman William E. Borah of the senate foreign relations committee, declaring that he was in agreement with Elihu Root as to the meaning of the so-called “Root protocol” to the world court agreement. The “Root protocol” was drawn to meet reservations to the court agreement made by the senate. Stimson said he agreed with Root that the protocol “fully accepts the five reservations of the senate resolution of 1926.” “By joining the court,” Stimson said, “we incur absolutely no liabilities except the insignificant lia- | bility to pay our share of the court’s expenses, while, on the contrary, we gain a power to exercise our influence not. only in the choice of ! the judges of the court, but in its methods of procedure as well. “We have delayed long in availing ourselves of that opportunity.” Delay Road Bill Action WASHINGTON, March 23..—Senate action on the $136,000,000 house, emergency road construction bill j was delayed today.

TORNADO DEATH TOLL IS BOOSTED TO 310 IN SOUTH Intense Suffering Throughout Stricken Region Is Pictured as Governor Hiller Voices Call for Help. MORE THAN 1,000 ARE INJURED Alabama Hardest Hit With 254 Lives Claimed; Thousands of Wrecked Homes in Wake of Gale. RT SAM SLATE United Press Staff Correspondent (Coovriaht. 1932. be United Press* MONTGOMERY, Ala., March 23.—Ruined towns, wrecked homes, broken families, maimed bodies, scenes and incidents that tear at the heart and brought an appeal for help by the Governor, were revealed to me in forty hours of duty in Alabama’s storm-torn districts. I just had returned from Clanton in Chilton county, hardest hit in tha great storm-swept area over five states, in which the United Press found 310 were dead and more than 1,000 w r ere injured, when Governor B. M. Hiller issued his appeal. The tabulation of deaths by states: Alabama, 254; Georgia, 34; Tennessee, 18; Kentucky, 2; South Carolina, 2. Although food, medical supplies,* temporary homes in shelter tents, and other immediate needs of the stricken people were being provided, Governor Miller, citing the intense suffering of the community, asked: “Citizens of Alabama and others able to help to contribute as they are able to the relief of the storm-stricken area, through the Red Cross.”

Here’s the picture as I have found it, the picture that has moved the Governor to call for relief of the homeless, hungry and injured: One trip took us past leveled telephone and telegraph lines, along roads strewn with debris, blocked here and there by fallen trees. A flashlight that flickered and blinked

Every Home in Town Razed

We came upon another man who had thrown a heavy overcoat over his shoulders and stood gazing silently at the.ruins of what had been his home. He was former Sheriff J. L. Gore of Chilton county, living at Union Grove where not a home was left standing, where only one family, the Gore family, was spared death. * “It was an act of Providence we were not all killed." he said. “The storm came so quick—we were seated at the table eating. When I came to I was wedged under a trunk out in the yard. I pushed the trunk off, and found I was not hurt,. “The wind was howling like mad. Lightning was flashing. I heard my son call out from across the yard. He was lying against the stump of a tree.

“We went to find his wife and the four children, and heard them crying in a nearby corn patch, blown clear of the wreckage, and unhurt, thank God. We made them comfortable. “Then we went down the road to find our next door neighbors, Battle Hamilton. We couldn’t find his house. “We found him down the road, cut to pieces, his body hanging on a barbed wire fence. “His wife had been blown into the com patch and was badly hurt. We finally found their 6-months-old boy dead in a creek, a half mile away.”

Miracle Escape Stories Told

Grady Wheatley lay ill in bed with a broken leg. The tourist cabin in which he slept was whisked away. The bed was not, moved. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hammett near Sylacauga were driving along the road. The storm lifted their auto eight feet in air, broke every window and the ignition key, but didn't harm the Hammetts. Mattie Richardson, a Negro woman near Birmingham, ’’seen that tornado coming. It was a ball of fire. It chased me from the depot to my house, and blowed me between a chair and a wash stand.” Luther Kelly, also of Sylacauga, lost his second wife in the storm. The first Mrs. Kelly was killed in the 1917 storm. John M. Queen of Throsby, also in Chilton county, received two broken legs, and other severe injuries; his baby was killed in his arms; his wife Lucille died under falling timbers. They had six children.

“The first wind took the roof from our heads,” he said. “The rain nearly drowned us. Another gust of wind, and the house tumbled down. “The baby was screaming. I held her close. Then my wife and I were pinned under timbers. I don’t know what happened to the baby’s body. Fire started, and I couldn’t move. The wind fanned it toward us. Then the children ran for help, and a man dug us out. Lloyd Butler of Jemison was badly injured, and lay in the same hospital telling his story.

Relief Work Rushed in Region

One family at Avondale northwest of Atlanta was saved when the father, John Henry Law, his home battered to pieces about him, seized a bedpost which had been driven into the ground. His family gathered about him, and they hung on for their lives. Another family there leaped into a shallow pit. A dog, nursing four puppies bom Sunday, saved them by crouching under the floor of Gus Cannons home. Cannon was killed by timbers of his own home. Relief work is under way in every district. Three companies of national guardsmen are in the Northport area with units of the state university R. O. T. C. from Tuscaloosa across the river.

Extension sendee workers from Auburn were given orders to go wherever needed. Red Cross headquarters was established at Birmingham. Dr. William Dekleine, director of medical and health service of the Red Cross, Washington, was expected momentarily. The Red Cross and the Legion ; have sent truckloads of cot& tents. [ blankets, old clothing and tffpplies.

HOME EDITION PRICE TWO CENTS Outside Marion County. 3 Cent*

among the ruins of crumbled homes revealed the dead. Farther up the road, we were blocked by splintered, jumbled timbers of what had been a home, lifted in air and dropped in a heap in our path. And a few moments later we met a weeping father, carrying a crying baby. The father sought his wife, missinj in the storm, and later found to be dead.

The Joe Littleton homestead presented another picture. He was a famous fox hunter in this district. His body lay near what was left of the house. Five of his hunting dogs, loyal even In tragedy, crouched quietly in the ruins, and refused all day long to budge. At one place I saw seventy-five homes sprayed over the countryside as if brushed by a huge broom. Another section was cut as cleanly as if by a huge scythe, a path a mile wide and six miles long. One stove had been blown High In air and longed in a tree.

“I told my wife and children to rush into the house. I put the mule in the barn, and followed them. We locked doors, and braced against them, but the wind tore some down, howled down the chimney and threw burning ashes all over the room. It sounded like a freight train. I know Mary Lou was killed —she was bom on my birthday.” From Georgia came stories to relief headquarters of what had happened there where twenty-nine were killed.

including food to the storm areas. Much is national guard equipment. More food, clothing, supplies and money is needed. Governor Miller in hie appeal late Tuesday night asked that “such contributions be made to the local chapters of the Red Cross in the neighborhood nearest the stricken area, or to the Birmingham headquarters, which will properly distribute them.”