Indianapolis Times, Volume 45, Number 62, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 July 1933 — Page 3

JULY 22, 1933.

MISMANAGEMENT, REIGN OF CRUELTY AND TERROR LAID TO PENAL FARM OFFICIALS Former Choir Singer Paints Appalling Picture of Life at Putnamville Institution for Petty Offenders. Thin is the tenth of a series on renditions at the Indiana penal farm. BV ARCH BTEINEL Tim** Staff Writer The rhurch organ plays softly. Voices hum out of the multi-colored stained windows. One baritone voice rubs like a smooth chamois on the restful windows. The windows change. They are barred. The scene is the Indiana state penal farm The baritone who sang for churches, took leads in cantatas, taught voice, changer to the crescendo of life. Violence!

He. Maurice Lucas, once a singer of "Lead. Kindly Light" In the churches of Connersville. marches with other men into the state farm mess hall. A matter of some checks issued against his bank account when no money was there changed the windows from the stained glass, with inscriptions of donors "In Memory of My Mother.” to bars. Behind those bars the choir singer saw. according to his affidavit to The Times, an old man stagger in the line entering the farm's mess hall. "Old Man Struck," He Says “One of the guards saw him. He grabbed hold of his arm. jerked him out of line, cursed him 'l’ll teach you how to march straight,!’ "The old man shuddered. A fist lashed out. The old man was spun against a brick wall. "I turned to see what, happened and the guard told me to go on and attend to my business, or the same thing would happen to me," relates Lucas, the baritone, in his affidavit to The Times The old man went out to the penal yard, without his dinner. Tells of Violence The choir singer forgot the glassstained windows. But in an affidavit to The Times. Lucas, the former choir leader, tells of bickerings and quarrels between officials of the farm, tells of the farm's violent life. Sentenced to the state farm from Richmond, Ind.. on a charge of issuing a check without funds. Lucas learned before his release that the very crime he was charged with could be committed by the state of Indiana without .fear of punishment or retribution, he says. "On one aerasion," he says verbally. "while 1 worked in the state farm office as a clerk, the guards and farm employes had to wait for money to be placed in the bank so that, their pay vouchers could be cashed." On Lucas' entrance to the farm, around April 7. 1932. he was placed in the kitchen. Sanitation Called Bad "The sanitary conditions were not good in the kitchen. Half of the time men handling the food had dirty hands. Plenty of flies and roaches in the kitchen. The milk looked like blue water,” his affidavit says. I got sick from eating some of tho meat beef. I got ptomaine poisoning. I tried to get a runner to take me to the hospital, but the guard said, ’I haven't got time'." , ■ Finally they let me go to the hospital. Both and Gillespie tthe farm's doctor* were gone and so an inmate waited on me for three days. They said an outside doctor came through, but he didn't come up to the sun parlor." Lucas says under oath.

Clubs and Oaths •• carried a club during the time he was in charge of the kitchen He would curse continually. They all d 0 that They can’t talk to you without saving he charges in his sworn statement One of the farms rules is that prisoners and officers shall not curse. Lucas declares in his affidavit that the "spoiled beef that sickened him was reported to have been from a cow that became sick and that was ordered killed by a veterinarian. "After we got sick, they said it wasn't that cow and that it was another cow that broke its leg. Lucas charges in his affidavit. Craig Is Defended Clifford Craif. superintendent of the farm at the time Lucas was an inmate, is defended by him against brutality charges. "I saw a man knocked down in the fish room one Sunday by a guard and the guard had a blackjack in his hand Craig, the superintendent. took it away from him." swears Lucas in his statement. He says, in his notarized statement. that Craig told the guard. "I don't want any more of that going on around here ” Placed in the office of Harry H Wissel. acting superintendent of the farm, as a clerk, the choir singer overheard quarrels between officials of the farm. Heard Bitter Arguments "The office of Arment, captain in charge of discipline, was just across the hall from Wissel's office. I have heard cursing and loud noises in his office <Arments office'.” declares Lucas in his affidavit. “I have heard Arment. standing at the window in Wissel's office, receive an order to do something from Craig, and 1 have seen him tear the paper up and throw it away, saying. Hell, he doesn't know anything about a place like this!” asserts Lucas m his affidavit "I have been in Wissel's office.” he continues, "and the man from the storeroom, an mmaie, would report to Wissel that hams were missing and there was no order for them. Wissel would say. ‘I told every one to gt an order.' A guard was over the inmate at the storeroom * Lucas charge* in his sworn statement. Bribe Charges Made In other affidavits to The Times, charges have been made by former prisoners that guards bribed Inmates to slip them meat and provisions that they could take home. Subsistence is furnished to the superintendent, assistant superintendent and chief clerk, according to Wisael. Wissel denies any improper issuance of food. ”1 have heard inmates say that

guards slipped hams in their cars that they were not paid for. or a requisition obtained for the ham from Wissel." swears Lucas. "During my term there in April. 1932 I was in the office and chief bookkeeper. , was talking to Wissel. He said, in my presence. Can this be right? We show a S2O 000 loss this month,’" charges the affidavit of the choir singer find vocal teacty>r. Wissel said. If that's what it shows, I guess that's what it is. Things are in such a muddle that we’ll just have to charge it off. ” declares the sworn statement of Lucas. Alleges Envelope Sales "Things are guarded loosely. The inmate who had the job just before I did told me he sold more than S6OO in stamped envelopes that were in the office. He said he sold them to inmates for tobacco." charges Lucas under oath. "I have heard Craig and Arment get in at least a dozen arguments about the discipline and work on the farm." accused Lucas in his statement. “On one occasion I heard Arment talking to Wissel. They were talking about a bridge that was being built on the place and Arment wanted anothef fifty bags of cement. Wissel said to him. This is the sixth time you've been after fifty bags of cement for this bridge and the original requisition called for only fifty bags That's 300 bags you've gotten so far'." relates Lucas in his sworn statement. Lucas in his affidavit says Arment replied. "By God, were using it down there " Barred From Library "Thp wifo of Mr. Arment used to purchase her groceries in Putnamville and the bills were sent to the farm for payment. Many times this included gren vegetables that werp already available on the farm.” asserts Lucas in his sworn statement. Lucas, in his affidavit, says the farm has a library, but that prisoners can't use it. "Sometimes Christian Science practitioners would tell prisoners they could get Science and Health' in the library and when the prisoner would go to thp library they and laugh at him. The prisoner could not get a book out of the library. Guards use it for a loafing room," declares Lucas under oath. Sent to State Prison On a count similar to the one for which he was sent to the farm. Lucas was taken to the state prison at Michigan City to serve a one to five-year sentence. On Junue 29. 1933. he was released from Michigan City, after serving the minimum of his sentence. "As far as the treatment is concerned." concludes Lucas in his affidavit. "Id rather do a year at Michigan City than six months on the state farm That is. if I had to take the regular line of labor " • Next—The Farm Versus the Prisoner.) SAVES 100 IN 10 YEARS Rescues Are Just an Old Story to Kansas Lifeguard. Ru T'nitril Prrt* WICHITA. Kan.. July 22 —George McCormick, who has been a life guard at the municipal pool for eleven years, has rescued more than 100 persons in that ime. Most of his rescues, he said, were men. and due to over-confi-dence. or •grandstanding." He has rescued a large number of women, but he said that women, as a rule, are afraid of deep water. Hanover Trustee Is Buried His 1 nift ti prn • FRANKLIN. Ind. July 22—Funeral services were held here today for J. W Lagrange. 67. trustee of Hanover college for many years. He died Thursday near Madison.

The Universe

How far away is the sun from the earth: how long does it take the sun's light to reach the earth; is the sun stationary or in motion: what is the moon made of: why does it change its apparent shape: why does it cause an eclipse of the sun every so often; what are the stars made of; how far away are they: how manv are there: what causes their different colors; what is a “light-year.” what is the largest constellation in the sky; how do we measure distances to the stars? How many planets are there in the solar svstem: what are planetoids; what is the r.ame of the latest planet discovered: is there life on the planets: how old is the earth; how can it be proved that it is a sphere: is the earth nearer the sun in summer or winter; what causes the seasons on the earth; how fast does the earth travel in its orbit around the sun; what is at the center of the earth? How much of the surface of the earth is land and how much water; what causes tides on the earth; what is the temperature in the deepest oceans: how deep are the deepest? All these and scores of other questions about the sun. moon, earth, planets and stars are answered in simple and understandable language in our Washington Bureau's new bulletin POPULAR ASTRONOMY. If you wish a copy of this bulletin, fill out the coupon below and mail as directed: CLIP COUPON HERE Dept 244 Washington Bureau. The Indianapolis Times. 1322 New York Avenue. Washington. D. C. I want a copy of the bulletin POPULAR ASTRONOMY, and inclose herewith 5 cents in com or postage stamps, for return postage and handling costs: NAME STREET AND NUMBER CITY STATE I am a # reader of The Indianapolis Times. (Code No.)

THEY’RE HEADED FOR HIGH PLACES

Here are three of the girls for whom a glowing future in the movies is predicted. Left is Frances Dee; above. Constance Cummings, and below. Ginger Rogers.

The Nation s New Code Highlights of the voluntary agreement to which all employers are asked to subscribe in the nation’s recovery drive: 1. The agreement would become effective Aug. 1. 2. Child labor is banned, with certain exceptions. 3. Clerical or "white collar” workers will be limited to a 40hour week, with a minimum pay of sls in cities of 500,000 or more; $14.50 in cities of between 250,000 and 500.000 population; sl4 in cities between 2,500 and 250,000, and 20 per cent wage increases in towns of less than 2,500, provided this does not require more than sl2 a week. 4. Factory or mechanical workers limited to 35 hours a week until Dec. 31. with the right to work 40 hours a week for any six weeks within thus period. No worker shall be employed more than eight hours in any one day. Forty cents an hour shall be the minimum wage, unless a scale lower than that was in effect July 15, 1929. and in no case shall less than 30 cents an hour be paid. 5. Prices must not be increased over the July 1 price except where made necessary by increased costs or taxes. 6. Flexibility is provided to avoid working hardships in particular cases where limitation on hours of skilled labor would reduce production, but time and one-third must be paid for all work in excess of the maximum hours. 7. The voluntary agreement will cease to apply to any industry upon the approval by the FTesident of its code of fair competition. 8 Sept. 1 is fixed as deadline for submission of codes. The President otherwise will fix dates for hearings arbitrarily.

‘Goodbye,’ Wails Suicide Note; Wife Is Skeptical

TWO street car conductors returning from work Friday found a bottle of poison and a note threatening suicide, on the guard rail of the Illinois street bridge over Fall creek. Police said the note was addressed to Mrs. Alice Foreman, 713 North Noble street. It read: “To whoever finds this hat send it to above address and tell Alice I said goodby. Hope she will be happy. (Signed* W. R. F." Police hurried to the North No-

BATTLE STILL RIDDLE, EVEN TO THE JUDGE "He called my girl a brat.” charged Elzie Gray in municipal court three Friday before Judge pro tern Dewey Myers. "He left the gate open and my cow could have been killed.” countered Gurney Lanham. accused by Gray of shooting with Intent to kill. The men live in the same house at Eighty-sixth street and the Allisonville road. Lanham is a farm hand. Trouble apparently has been brewing between the pair for some time, their testimony indicated. Recently, they passed the "words” stage. A shot was fired. Gray had Lanham haled to court. Each told the judge their versions of the affair. Myers withheld judgment until Aug. 10. He warned the men to remain on "good terms” until that time and after. Women of ancient Egypt had their hair dressed about every ten days, very much as modern women are accustomed to do.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

ble street address and awakened Mrs. Foreman. She was unperturbed. Admitting that the note was written by her husband, Walter Ray Foreman. 25, who recently lost his job in a cleaning establishment. she said that he had writen several other notes threatening suicide. They had quarreled, she said, because he wanted her to move to Ft. Wayne to live with relatives.

DISCOVER NEW INDIAN VILLAGES IN ALABAMA Forty Sites Are Found by Party of Museum Scientists. R’i Science Service UNIVERSITY. Ala.. July 22Forty heretofore unknown sites where Indians once had their homes and villages have been discovered in this state by a party of scientists headed by Dr. Walter B. Jones, director of the Alabama Museum of Natural History and state geologist. The expedition, which has returned here, spent two weeks traveling by water through counties of northwestern Alabama. One bluff shelter, previously known and partly explored by the owner of the land, David Barger, further was investigated. and some of the bones of the ancient occupants were found. The shelter had been used by two young adults, a child, and an infant. Several thousand specimens of beetles, some already recognized as new to science, were obtained by naturalists of the expedition. FLY BUGS ACROSS U. S. Thousands of 'Em Are Shipped to Seattle: Bound for Orient. R;i T'nitnl prr*g SEATTLE. July 22 —When the airmail pilot handled a person waiting for a package from the east, all he said was "bugs.” And bugs they were—thousands of them. A large box of bugs from the laboratories in Moorestown, N. J. designated for Japan. The bugs were "beneficial'' ones sent to the Orient in return for a number of beneficial bugs sent here.

> 16ZO* 8,Q43,652 Pil' 1 prims start For °America* from Holland. 17Q6*Moses Cleaveland founds city of Cleveland. Ohio. approx i male ftatistxs pothered frsm the rtu/n Per of people *hose ancestors came wgr With the Pi&*n Mhen\

CODE PROPOSES ROOSEVELT AS OIL DICTATOR Hearing on Rules Urged by Petroleum Institute Begins Monday. BY MARSHALL M'NEIL Times Special Writer WASHINGTON. July 22—President Roosevelt would take on the role of oil czar, controlling production and licensing marketing under the American Petroleum Institute's code of fair competition which is to be headed by the national recovery administration starting Monday In this hearing the pressure of ' the great international figures of oil will be felt; there, too. the governments of the oil-producing states j will be represented: and the small; independent wildcatters whose enterprise in seeking for this black liquid wealth will raise their voices. Issues Are Clear The issues are clear and the code hearing controversies will revolve about four major points: 1. Whether the federal government shall be given authority to control production. 2. Whether marketers of petroleum shall be licensed 3. Whether the federal government shall fix prices. 4. Labor provisions. These latter are paramount to the Roosevelt administration and the recovery administration, but generally they are of secondary importance to the industry's leaders, who are concerned more deeply in price-fixing, licensing, federal production control. Propose 40-Hour Week The institute's code proposes a forty-hour week, with minimum wages ranging from 40 to 47 cents, depending upon the region. An independent code that will be proposed at the hearing provides minimum wages of 50 cents and a 30hour week. The production provision* of the code leave no doubt that the great of the oil industry want President Roosevelt as their dictator. For they providp that before a well can be drilled the drillers must obtain a permit from the government at Washington; and. having found oil. the pool in which it is located may not be developed until a plan for its utilization is worked out. Thus if Farmer Smith in Chambers county down in Texas wants to drill a well in an abandoned pasture cn his own land, he must first come to Washington, or through the mails 5 seek federal permission. Ask Minimum Prices Here, according to some, is a serious conflict with Texas law. constitutional guarantees of property rights, the well-recognized petroleum law of capture which permits a man to take from under his own land all the oil he can. There may be, also, conflicts with proI ration and conservation statutes in j Texas and other states. If and after Farmer Smith pro- ! duces his oil, its price would be set |at Washington, for the code says “the President is requested to establish, from time to time, minimum prices for crude petroleum in the various petroleum producing areas . . . and ... to protect consumers, may also fix maximum prices . .

Banner Event Ethiopian Flag Made in Nick of Time for Prince’s Arrival. , R" United Prcun WASHINGTON. July 22—Behind the pomp and circumstance of welcoming a royal Ethiopian prince to Washington are problems as tough on the prince as they are on bandmasters. hotel keepers and diplomats. Ask Prince Ras Desta Demtu. He knows. His troubles began before he arrived. The state department wanted hi-, arrival at the May* flower hotel to be as magnificent as possible. The department wired the prince, please, would he get all dressed up? The prince obliged. He wore a banmaster's shako a : foot and a half high. It was made of the hide and mane of an j Ethiopian lion. He had on a i cream-colored coat, incrusted with gold braid. It fitted tightly about the princely waist and flared at the princely knees. The hotel recognized the prince, all right. The royal Ethiopian flag given was waving in the Connecticut breeze. A beautiful flag it was. too. with a green stripe, a red stripe and a yellow stripe, from top to bottom. The hotel had a hard time getting that flag. There was no Ethiopian flag In the hotel's flag files. The state department had no Ethiopian flag. Neither did any of the embassies. The assistant to the assistant manager finally unearthed a picture of i the flag in the back of the dici tionarv. He sent the picture to ! a flag factory in Philadelphia. The factory made a flag in the nick of time. DROUGHT CAUSED BY PLANETS. IS ASSERTION Forecaster Says Clash of Bodies to Bring Dry' Spell. By United Pretg WASHINGTON. July 22 —This old world may look for another drought this summer—and it's all on account of a planetary quarrel between our neighbors. Mars and Ju- : Piter. The celebrated altercation occurred last March, according to an astrologer and amateur weather forecaster, who predicted the IS3O drought. Asa result. Mars will "raise miserable hot weather.” Schimmack said. "I have only four heavy rams before Aug. 21—July 13. 14 and 19 and Aug. 19.” Mars and Jupiter came together with Neptune in the sign of Virgo last March 7. parted and again met in June. Schimmack said. It was a bad combination, as a weather sign, he believes.

‘TWO’S COMPANY —THREE’S CROWD’

■ y i ; ;f : €- f vW-f

Mrs. Curtis Dali, sister of Elliott Roosevelt, may have arrived in Chicago at the same time as her brother and his "friend Ruth Googins just for a "fun visit." as she explained, but part of the "fun'' consisted of chaperoning the two young persons, who deny an impending wedding The photo shows Roosevelt driving his sister, center, and Miss Googins to their hotels after a swim and dinner at a Chicago club.

The Most Read Book Yes. you're right—it's the Bible. And our Washington Bureau has ready now anew bulletin on curios and interesting facts about the Bible, together with the history of the old and new Testaments, and the story of the Bible from earliest times. You will find in this bulletin a great many interesting things that perhaps you never knew about the Bible. Fill out the coupon below and send for it. CLIP COUPON HERE Dept. 235. Washington Bureau. The Indianapolis Times, 1322 New York Avenue. Washington, D. C. I want a copy of the bulletin Bible facts, and enclose herewith five cents in coin or postage stamps to cover return postage and handling costs: NAME STREET AND NUMBER CITY STATE I am a reader of The Indianapolis Times (Code No.).

** * * The president has proclaimed a “blanket code” dealing with wages and hours of employment to be effective Sept. 1, 1933. This code is intended to bring about more employment at better wages pending the adoption of specific codes by the nation’s varying businesses and industries. We intend to support the President and the National Recovery Administration to the best of our ability. We shall sign the President’s Agreement when offered and when the Code for Retail Business is completed and accepted, we shall comply with the provisions of that Code in the spirit of the President’s Proclamation of July 20. L.S.Ayres&Co.

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STRIKERS NOT TO BE REFUSED RELIEF MONET Important New Policy Is Announced by U. S. Administrator. Rv R'-rijipt.Hou-0"1 X rvpnprr AHionrg WASHINGTON July 22—Workers. striking in defense of their new right to collective bargaining, will not be denied relief funds by the United States government if their own war chests run low in the future. Harry L Hopkins, federal emergency relief administrator, announced this important new policy today. In the past, private relief funds as well as public funds in many cases have been withheld from strikers and their families. "Each rase applying for relief to the local emergency relief agencies should be treated on its merits as a relief case wholly apart from any controversy in which the wage earner may be involved." Hopkins said today. "The federal emergency lelief administration will not attempt to judge the merits of labor disputes. State and federal agencies as well as courts exist which are duly qualified to act as arbiters and adjusters in such disputes." MEXICAN ROAD CLOSED Rain Blocks Work of 30,000 Men to Open Highway. | /?•/ United /’em* MEXICO cm'. July 22 The Pan-American highway from Monterey to Mexico City will be impassable to motor traffic until the rainy season ends nex f. ovember or December. according to observers who have inspected the road recently. It had been hoped to put it in satisfactory shape for American automobile tourists’ use this summer. Under the handicap which the rain imposes, construction work is proceeding steadily. Approximately 30.000 men are employed