Indianapolis Times, Volume 47, Number 232, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 December 1935 — Page 3

DEC. 6, 1935.

WITNESSES INTIMIDATED BY AGENTS, BARRETTS LAWYER CHARGES; SLAYER ON STAND U. S. Attorney Admits Questioning of Kentucky Man After Testimony; Bad Man Tells of Feud Blamed in Killing.

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had known Barrett as a roomer at her home under the name of James L. Black. She described him as a conpenial man who played with her granddaughter. Then, she said, he suddenly changed last summer and became irritable and stayed closer to his room. She said that he left ner home In June and did not return until some time in July. Newspaper Evidence Barred He left again Aug. 10, at nignt, she said, and later she found some Kentucky newspapers. Mrs. Ecker produced the papers, dated April 23, and April 24. Testimony about what the papers said was excluded and the papers were not allowed in evidence. Barrett then took the stand in his Wheel chair. Q—Where were you Sept. 18, 1932? A—Manchester. Q —Who was with you? A—Frank Baker, John Brockman, John Barrett and Gilbert Barrett. He talked in a clear, easily heard tone that conveyed by inflections some boredom. Baker’s Wife Along, He Says Q -You stopped at the Baker Hotel? A—Yes. Q—Were any of the womenfolk Os the Bakers along? A—Frank Baker’s wife. Q —The next morning, where were you? A—We got up about 6. Q —Where is the hotel situated? A—Across from the Courthouse. “I Could Hear Bullets” Q —What did Frank Baker say? A—He said ’’Let's gp over and sit on the Courthouse W'all and get the morning sun.” Q —What happened? A—We started to walk toward the Courthouse. When we had crossed the sidewalk and neared the center of the street I saw three men throw/ rifles to their shoulders in one of the Courthouse windows. I hollered “Run!” I made a dive to get behind my auto. I could hear bullets hit the auto. I could see Brockman had fallen face down on the sidewalk. Q —Did you hear any more shots? Sheriff “Promised Protection” A—Yes, volley after volley. I laid there—it seemed like ages—until the crowd gathered. “I could hear moans of a man inside the car who was wounded. About 11 or 11:15 I could see two women walking up the street and one of them saw the body of Brockman. One said, “Lord have mercy on us,” and then in a moment they went in the house. They returned later and pretty soon the sheriff came and promised us protection. An ambulance arrived at about 2 and the bodies were taken away. They gave us protection. A man was assigned to each car. A man rode on the running board of my car carrying a shotgun as far as Burning Spring, Ky., and there he got off, saying we would be safe. Stayed Only Few Days Q—Did you stay around Berea for a while? A—Yes. - Q—How long. A—Only a few days and then I moved north of there. Q—Then where did you go? A—Hamilton, O. Q—Do you recall being in Great Hawk, Ky., some time after this shooting? A—Yes. In the spring of 1932. I drove up and blowed tne horn. I saw a large car coming from toward Manchester. As it drove up it came to a stop and I recognized the driver. I saw two men who I previously had seen with rifles in the Courthouse at Manchester. I drove away and they followed but I lost them. Dealt in Diamonds Q —What did you do for a living? A—l dealt in watches and diamonds. Q —What about revolvers? A—l bought revolvers when I could find them high grade—something of a gun fancier. Q—Where you ever in McKee after the feud? A—Yes. Q—Did you go to Hamilton? A—Yes at Brother Gilbert’s. Q—How long did you stay there? A—l don’t know, but eventually I went to 317 Park-av., Hamilton, under the name of Frank Black. The witness said he received on June 25 two Kentucky newspapers relating the killing of Bobby Baker and that he left that night for El Taso, Tex., and Mexico because of this news. “I thought I was the next one,” he said. Came Back on July 18 He said he came back to Hamilton July 18, having first bought a revolver. Rice took the gun that killed Klein and handed it to Barrett. Q—ls that the gun? A—Yes. Q—ls it a valuable gun? A—Yes. Q—Why did you buy it? A—l was dealing in rare guns. He said that he had received Information in a letter Aug. 10 that “certain Manchester parties” were coming after him and that “if I fell into their clutches I knew what it meant.” Left Rooming House On the same day. he said, he was sitting on the poieh in Hamilton when he recognized two Clay County (Kentucky) enemies drive by in a car. He said he left the rooming house that night and checked in at the Hotel Hamilton because he felt it was safer. Q—On Aug. 15 you and Irvin Brockman were together and went to Cincinnati? A—yes. to tht home of George Baker, whose wife was a first cousin of Frank Baker, who was killed in Manchester. Q—Did you see Mrs. Baker? (Note: She was a Baker and married a Baker.) A—Yes. i asked her if she knew

anything about new indictments in the feud case. Q—Did she know? A—She referred me to Bobby Baker's family at Buena Vista. I wanted to know if they still were trying to get me before the grand jury and the court. Trying to Make Indictments Members of the family told me that they were trying to make indictments and that they could not make them without George Barrett. Q —Did you see Bobby Baker before he went to Manchester? A—l saw him three days before he was assassinated. Q —Who stayed in the hotel with you the night of Aug. 15? A—Clarence Bc'irg. Q—Did he leave earlier than you? A—Yes. Q—Did you go to eat then? A—Yes. Q —While you were in the restaurant did you see Boling again? Seen On Central-Av. A—Yes sir, just as I was served he came in and said: “Your suspicions are correct. They’re here. I seen them five minutes ago on Cen-tral-av.” Q —What did you do then? A—l left the restaurant by the back way. He went to his hotel room, he said, and later to the Central Motors Cos. where he got his car. Stopped at a crossing by a red traffic light, he said he again saw the feudists who were after him but they did not see him. Irving Brockman, he said, met him and they drove to Lockland, 0., to the home of Barrett’s sister, Mrs. Sylvanus Woods. He said he talked to John Lawes, Hamilton, 0., pool room operator, later on and that Lawes had told him Federal officers were after him. Barrett’s brother. John, near whose home Barrett killed Agent Klein, told the jury yesterday that he hid under a mattress in a hotel in Manchester, Ky., in Sept. 1932, while opposing feudists killed two of his cousins. The Manchester battle, he said, lasted for five hours, with enemies shooting out of windows of the Manchester courthouse, right across the street from the hotel. Those killed were Cousin Frank Baker, then commonwealth attorney, and Cousin John Brockman. Seek Hit-Run Driver Times Special SHELBYVILLE, Ind„ Dec. 6. Police here are looking for a hitrun driver whose truck struck Robert Brummer, 14, as he was riding a bicycle yesterday. Hurled to the pavement, the boy suffered only leg bruises.

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TAKE LEADING PARTS IN FANTASY DEC. 13

■yyy' : £ '. •>:. A three-act fantasy, “Sleeping Beauty of Loreland.” is to be presented by the Children’s Playhouse of the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church Dec. 13 in the church recreation hall, 34th-st and Central-av. Thirty-five children are in the cast. Leading parts are to be played by those pictured above, left to right: Marjorie Burris and Patty Peterson, seated, and Glenna McCullough, Betty Moriman and William Evans. Mrs. James B. Martin is play director.

BRUNO‘NOT THE MAN,'IS CLAIM Hauptmann Did Not Kill Lindbergh Baby, Says Ace Detective. (Continued From Page One) I get to Buffalo I will mail it to you. That will give me more time to safety escape. I quit the fellows because they don’t agree. “I figure I am in enough trouble. I got cold feet and the fellows knew it. They are nearly crazy and so am I. I promised not to squal and they gave me money and I am going home. Fellows “Sorry, Afraid” “We all thought we could make some easy money. We got a place near Elizabeth, N. J., and one of the fellows who was pretty smart runs a wire to this place and listened to everything the Lindberg people say. . . . “The fellows don’t want no more ransom. They are all sorry and afraid. There is three more left now. We already stayed in this place eight weeks. ... I don’t know where is the name of the street or road but not far from Elizabeth, N. J., when we took the kid. “We road 55 minutes and not very fast because somebody would see us. . . . “Follow the Linbergh telephone wires and you will find the baby and three fellows. The fellows were pretty nervous, if I did not like the baby I would not write this. But if you want the baby and the fellows, you must keep this a secret. . . . “(SIGNED) THANKYOU.”

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES .

OFFICIAL WEATHER United States Weather Bureau ___ Sunrise 6:53 | Sunset 4:20 TEMPERATURES Dec. 6, 1934 7 a .m 31 1 p. m 31 —Today—--6 a. m 36 II) a, n .. S9 7 a. m. 36 II a. m 42 8 a. m 36 12 (Noon) 43 9 a. m ~3 1 p. m 43 BAROMETER 7 a. m 30.48 1 p, m 30 43 Precipitation 24 hrs. ending 7 a. m 00 Total precipitation since Jan. 1 35.91 Deficiency since Jan. 1 1.51 OTHER CITIES AT 7 A. M. Station. Weatijer. Bar. Temp. Amarillo, Tex PtCldy 30.00 40 Bismarck, N. D. ...Cloudy 29.98 22 Boston Clear 30.38 8 Chicago Cloudy 30.40 38 Cincinnati Cloudy 30.54 32 Denver Clear 29.94 32 Dodge City, Kas. ...Cloudy 30.02 40 Helena, Mont Clear 30.14 16 Jacksonville. Fla. . Clear 30.48 46 Kansas City, Mo. .. Rain 30.10 42 Little Rock. Ark. .. Rain 30.26 44 Los Angeles Clear 30.16 48 Miami, Fla Cloudy 30.32 68 Minneapolis Rain 30.14 32 Mobile, Ala Clear 30.40 44 New Orleans PtCldy 30.34 54 New York Clear 30.52 20 Okla. City, Okla. ...Cloudy 30.06 48 Omaha, Neb Rain 30.04 40 Pittsburgh Cloudy 30.56 28" r Portland, Ore Rain 29.80 38 San Antonia, Tex Rain 30.04 64 San Antonio, Tex Rain 30.04 64 St. Louis Rain 30.36 38 Tampa, Fla Cloudy 30.40 52 Washington, D. C... Cloudy 30.56 34 FIREMAN KILLS SELF Greencastle Man Believed Despondent Over Death of Wife. Time* Special GREENCASTLE, Ind„ Dec. 6. Believed despondent over the death of his wife more than a year ago, Brice Brown, 36, city fireman for the last nine years, committed suicide by shooting himself at his home here last night. He is survived by a son and daughter, local high school pupils.

‘BIG BUSINESS’ OUTLINES WAR ON NEW DEAL 1500 of Nation's Wealthiest Men Pledged to Fight Roosevelt. By United Press NEW YORK, Dec. 6.—More than 1500 of the wealthiest and most powerful men of the country left a four-day convention today pledged to use politics, propaganda and personal influence to defeat President Roosevelt in next year's elections. The industrialists declared war without quarter on every deviation in government from “the American system,” and asserted an intention to enlist their stockholders, employes and the general public. Closing the annual convention of the National Manufacturers’ Association and the congress of industry last night, the executives of more than 1000 corporations adopted a “platform for industry” that declared the New Deal a hindrance to recovery and menace to freedom. Few Dissenting Voices Not more than half a dozen voices dissented from the program of the belligerent majority *>f an organization which only a year ago urged all industry to “co-operate in every feasible way” with the government. The platform adopted by the convention demands immediate and complete abandonment of attempts to control or plan production, distribution, wages and employment and asserts that private industry is amply able to deal with 10,000,000 unemployed if left unhindered. It defines “the American system” as one restricting in no way the liberties given by the Constitution, encouraging individual initiative, protecting the rights of individuals to hold property and the private ownership of means of production and limiting government to minimum functions. FOOD INDEX STEADY Prices Hold at $2.79, Highest in Last Five Years. Times Special NEW YORK, Dec. 6.—Dun & Bradstreet's weekly food index for the week ended Dec. 3 continued unchanged at the highest point reached during the last five years, according to figures released today. The current price stands at $2.79, compared with $2.45 in the corresponding week a year ago. Price changes during the week included seven advances. They were corn, hams, dry salted bellies, butter cocoa, peas and hogs. Declines numbered 11. They included wheat, rye, oats, barley, lard, sugar, eggs, potatoes, steers and lambs. Old Town Has First Holdup * MARBLEHEAD, Mass., Dec. 6. This 300-year-old seacoast town has had its first holdup. Stuart Eynon, a salesman, was held up at gun point by two youths and robbed of sls.

City Officials Withhold Decision on Natural Gas While Report Is Studied $750,000 WPA Loan Could Be Used to Put Equipment in Order If Change Is Made, Kern Points Out; Loss of 350 Jobs Is Denied. BY GEORGE H. DENNY Several weeks’ study may be necessary before action is taken on an engineer's report indicating rate reductions as high as 36 per cent could be made possible by use of straight natural gas, city and Citizens Gas and Coke Utility officials said today.

The report, prepared by W. E. Steinwedell, Cleveland engineer, proposes a shutdown of all existing plants except the Langsdale plant, Fall Creek and Northwestem-av. Substitution of straight natural gas is advocated as the method promising the best chance for lower rates to consumers and greater profit to the utility. Such a move, gas company officials point out, necessarily would re-

51 Clothed Clothe -A- Child Campaign Takes Leap With Two Big Donations.

PENNIES, perseverance, and a store's kinship to Santa Claus were the backbone today of a leap in Clothe-a-Child of The Times, sending the 1935 campaign mark to FIFTY-ONE children assured warm garb. The Leader Store took 10 children and said: “Bring them to us and we’ll shop for them early in the day.” Employes of the J. L. MacDaniel Printing Cos. adopted a unique "method of becoming Clothe-a-Child foster-pa rents. Each worker each week during the year contributed the price of an out-of-town postage stamp, and thus raised SBO, pr enough to clothe eight children. “Each employe gave three pennies each week. We are pleased to advise that this same plan will be carried out through the coming year,” says a letter from the company enclosing the check. Bowlers renewed their faith in Clothe-a-Child with two leagues, Indianapolis and Fountain Square, tying for a ten-strike and first honors among the ten-pin goodfellows. Belmont telephone operators, the Knight Klub. and I Want Last Year’s Children, were three 1934 donors joining the new campaign. The donors’ list follows: The Leader Store, 10 children. Employes of J. L. Mac Daniel Printing Cos., four boys and four girls. Indianapolis Bowling League, PritchFountain Square Recreation League. Fountain Square alleys, boy. I Want Last Year’s Children, four children. Operators of Belmont Exchange. Indiana Bell Telephone Cos., two girls. Lady With Brown Hat, girl. South Side Man’s Club, two children. Mrs. G. 8., girl. Knight Klub, girl. Big Four Wheel Shop Employes, Beech Grove, Boy.

suit in loss cf employment for 350 persons at the Prospect-st plant. Objection to reduction of employment at the plant is said to have been dissipated consideredly by an explanation Mr. Steinwedell made in a conference with utility officials. The engineer said that the reduced rates likely would bring an increase in business of such proportions that many of the plant employes would be absorbed in other work. It also would mean conversion of customers’ appliances at an estimated cost of $150,000 plus anew investment of $160,000. It contemplates, however, a saving of $204,270 yearly over present operations even with no increase in sales. Kern Issues Statement, “This report.” Mayor Kern said today, “indicates that we should give consideration to what we all have felt would be necessary sooner or later; that is, the use of natural gas in some form by the municipal plant. We should get right down to work considering the $750,000 WPA loan as a means toward putting the plant and equipment in condition for introduction of natural gas if we decide to use it.” “The report boils down to this,” commented Thomas L. Kemp, general manager of the utility: “That plans for using a mixture of natural gas and manufactured gas are unsound and we must continue our present methods or turn to straight natural gas.” Property Survey Awaited “Much will depend on the property appraisal now being prepared by Ford, Bacon and Davis of New York City. We expect it in three or four weeks.” Mr. Steinwedell’s 29-page report, complete with a number of charts and graphs, begins with a review of present methods of operation of the Citizens Gas and Coke Utility, formerly the Citizens Gas Cos. Cost of the mixed coke oven and water gas for the first nine months of 1935 was about 30 cents per 1000 cubic feet in the company holder and about 84 cents per 1000 cubic feet delivered to the consumer, the survey reports. The average price per 1000 cubic feet obtained by the company in 1934 was about 91 cents. B. T. U. Rating Is Higher By contrast, the average price paid to the company per 1000 cubic feet of natural gas as estimated at the end of five years under the proposed lower rates and resulting higher consumption would be sl.lO. However, the natural gas has a B. T. U. rating of 1000 to 570 for the present product, the report shows. After outlining methods by which

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ADD 100 WPA ROAD WORKERS IN CITUOUNTY Construction Represents an Outlay of Million in Federal Funds. Addition today of 100 more workers to WPA road construction gangs brings the total number of men employed under government highway grants in Indianapolis and Marion County to 1797. officials announced. These men are engaged in road and street improvement projects representing an outlay of $1,008,324 in Federal funds. Work under the Marlon County Highway Department now has virtually ceased due to lack of funds and new work will not start until after Jan. 1. when money will be available in the new budget, according to Herbert Bloemker, county surveyor. WPA construction work on county highways includes: Widening of High School-rd from 34 feet to 50 feet from 10th-st south to Rockville-rd. Laying of 1500 feet of drain tile, sloping ditches and finishing berms on Post-rd from Brookville-rd to lOth-st. Construction of anew roadway with a 50-foot right-of-way including grubbing, grading and graveling, on Lyndhurst-dr from W. lOth-st north to W. 16th-st. Preparation of 60 miles of highways for black-top surfacing including setting back of fences and grading. Reconstruction by grading, grubbing, draining and shaping of 75 miles of highways. Widening and reconstruction of E. 56th-st from Arlington-av to Fort Harrison. About 4.4 miles of streets In Indianapolis already have been improved by grading and graveling. Other streets on which work now is being done include Arnolda-av, Ver-mont-st, Pershing-av, W- St. Clairst, GrofT-av, Sharon-av, Gent-st, 24th-st, Crown-st, Millersville-rd, Bolton-av. Gale-st, E. 36th-st, But-ler-av, E. St. Clair-st and La Salle-st. Two gravel pits are being operated by WPA to supply materials for road projects. operating costs of the utility could be decreased, the report proposes three methods whereby natural gas could be mixed with manufactured gas. One of the methods is dismissed as impractical and savings on the other two methods are estimated at much less than might be realized by use of straight natural gas. The report criticizes the 99-year lease of the mains, plant and equipment of the Indianapolis Gas Cos. as “too high for the best interest cf the consumers,” and recommends a readjustment. The estimated cost to the .company per 1000 cubic feet of natural gas is 33 cents, a rate comparable to offers made to the Utilities District by natural gas companies in the last few months.