Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 February 1939 — Page 1
Ld
FORECAST: Light Snow probable early tonight, followed by fair. tomorrow; ; continued cold; lowest temperature tonight 15 to 20.
FINAL HOME
SCRIPPS — HOWARD
QUIZ GUARDS IN ESCAPE OF
LOCAL SLAYER
Paul Pierce, Life-Termer at Michigan City, Is Hunted.
WATCH FORMER HAUNTS
Convicted in Murder of Orville Quinette, Indianapolis Detective.
MICHIGAN CITY, Feb. 21 (U. P.). — State prison officialsStoday questioned guards in the mysterious but “reasonably certain” escape of Paul Pierce, 29-year-old murderer of Orville Quinette, an indianapolis policeman, who was serving a life : term, | Warden Alfred Dowd, coiiironten ith the first successful break since he took office over a year ago, said that “only a few meager clues” have been discovered. © [But he added that he is “reasonably certain that Pierce escaped” from the prison after a 10-hour search of every corner of the huge institution in the earlier belief that Pierce was merely hiding and awaiting an opportunity for flight. | State police, meanwhile, were notified of Pierce’s weird disappearafice and doubled their vigilance over northern Indiana while also checking his former haunts.
Guards Are Quizzed
Mr. Dowd quizzed prison guards, each of whom is responsible for. between 10 and 20 convicts who are supposed to be checked within every h ur or half hour. Pierce was found to be missing & 5 p. m. yesterday, although Mr. ywd would not say at what time previously he had been reported as being inside the prison. ediately a search of the prison was started which lasted until midnight and was resumed this
morning. erce was employed in the mess hall
erce was first sentenced t6 the State Prison Farm in 1930 for auto banditry and was sentenced to life in 1935 after his conviction in the inette murder. tective Quinette was murdered as he and a fellow officer attempted to search an Indianapolis apartment. that was reported to pe occupied by suspicious persons. / tra guards were placed on the prison walls last night after it was thought possible that Pierce was concealed inside the prison and might make a break for freedom d g the night.
| December Plot Foiled *
In December, prison guards frustrated an escape plot by five conviets who had tunnelled 30 feet toward the east wall of the prison and were digging under the prison yard when the tunnel gave way under a prison patrol officer. ast month another escape plot |,. was foiled when a three-foot tunnel was discovered in a prison inspection. ttention of Indianapolis police . was directed to Pierce and his companion in their apartment at 12th St. and Park Ave. by an insurance
’
nt. rhe auto of an ‘agent of the company was stolen from Anderson. Another agent on a routine call discovered there were gcompany papers in! the apartment. He reported it to the company. Police investigated and the shooting followed. The fugitives later were captured near Shelbyville.
TWO FIRE CAPTAINS GIVEN PROMOTIONS
The Safety Board today promoted Fire Captains Charles D. Milender of of| Aerial Truck Co. 17 to battaljon chiefs. They will ‘succeed Wallace Fisk and Michael Murphy, retired Feb. 11 on pensions. The appointments are effective -Friday. Lieut Dennis J. Lyons was promoted to captain to fill one of the
vacancies and a test will be given}
s Private ted to a
to fill the other. First C Carl Malcolm was pro lieutenant.
KOKOMO WPA PROBE © TO OPEN MARCH 6
.'S. District Attorney Val Nolan this afternoon said the Federal Grand Jury will begin its investigation of alleged WPA irregularities in Kokomo and Howard County March 6 He said John K. Jenning:, Indiana WPA Administrator, and other WPA officials have alrsady been tbpenaed. WPA recoras ‘in the have been moved from their quarters to Mr. Nolan's office
said.
TIMES FEATURES ON INSIDE PAGES
| Books sevanan Pe B UU sessses 7 .
pomics ...... 20| Obituaries ... Crossword ... 17|Pegler .... ous World 20 Pyle pditorials .... 14| Questions .... 13 Fashions coco 11 Radio case eee 21 vos» 21 Mrs. Roosevelt 3 aynn aviaess 14 Sgherrer Forum ....... 14|Serial Story.. 6. 2 Society ...... 10
Gs, Boar I rts ... 16, 17 a Ser. Tarda ® Deatt
h h i
14 12 14 13
\ nancia
Pumper No. 7 and Philip P. Moss,
VOLUME 50—NUMBER 297
Trail Is Cold
Paul Pierce
BUTSCHATBAR, : HEAD SHAVEN
Chooses to Conduct Own *Defense; Court Names Two Lawyers as ‘Duty’
(Photo, Page Five)
His head shaven and wearing a handkerchief skull cap, William Ray Butsch today appeared in Criminal Court and declared he will conduct his own murder trial defense. He is charged in a Marion County
| Grand: Jury indictment with mur-
dering Mrs. Carrie Lelah Romig and robbing her of jewels valued at about $2000. Deputy sheriffs said the 57-year-old ex-convict shaved his head just before he was taken, handcuffed, to court. He was unshackled before the: bar, as Judge Dewey Myers asked him whether he had made any arrangements for attorneys. “No,” he replied. “I prefer to handle my own case without any lawyers.” Arraignment Thursday “I'll fix your arraignment for Thursday,” Judge Myers said. “Now are you sure you know what that means?” “Yes,” I know all about it—all about it. Ill handle my own case all the way through,” Butsch replied. “Under the law it is the Court's duty to appoint pauper attorneys,” Judge Myers said, naming Attorneys
‘| Edwin ‘Ryan and Robert Carrico.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor James Watson said: “The State wants some attorney sitting by the defendant during all procedures. However, ‘it "doesn’t make any difference to me if he conducts his own case.” Butsch interrupted. . “Judge, I see a photographer is
about ready to take my picture. Now
I don’t want any picture taken, judge.” Banned in Courtroom:
Judge Myers ruled that no pictures could be taken in the court-! room. Deputies took Butsch to the side of the courtroom and handcuffed him again. They led him into the hall.’ There a photographer flashed a picture of him. He muttered something and made a move toward the photographer, but deputies seized him and led him back to jail. A capias signed by Lieut. Donald Tooley and Sergts. Thomas Aulls, and Jess McCarty charging Butsch with murder in the commission of a robbery, was filed in Municipal Court in place of the vagrancy charge upon which he has been held since his arrest Feb. 9 in Anderson. The indictment carries a mandatory death penalty upon conviction. Police officers, who testified be-
fore the Grand Jury yesterday,!
charged that jewelry found in Butsch’s possession following his arrest in Anderson two weeks ago, was identified as that missing from Mrs. Romig’s apartment. Butsch’s stepdaughter, who was arrested with him and held here on a vagrancy charge, was released yesterday and she returned to her homein West Virginia.
PAPAL CONCLAVE SET OFFICIALLY MARCH 1
VATICAN CITY, Feb. 21 (U. P.). —It was announced officially today that the Conclave of Cardinals to elect a 262d Pope in succession to His Holiness Pius XI would open March 1. : It was expected that all 62 members of the College of Cardinals would attend the conclave, and remain isolated from the world until, by a two-thirds vote, they had named the new Pope.
COUNCIL BALKS ON $900 COUNTY BILLS
The County Council y Council today refused to pass an ordinance providing for appropriations to pay County bills totaling about $900 in excess of 1938 budgets. One item of $400 requested by the County Clerk to pay for insanity commitments was allowed. The appropriations not approved had been asked by 10 County departments.
U. S. SUPREME COURT TO GET M’CALL PLEA
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Feb. 21 (U. P.).—Attorney C. A. Avriett expect3 led to leave today for W to
{ask the United States Supreme
Court to set aside .the death
Sentence of Franklin Pierce McCall
2 Ridna
2 DIE AS 8 OF 12 U.S. PLANES
Land Safely; Parachutes Save Six Pilots.
TRAPPED IN NIGHT TRIP
One Victim Brazilian Who Was ‘Good Neighbor’ Courtesy Student.
PENSACOLA, Fla, Feb. 21 (U. P.) —Eight naval training planes, trapped in the air for five -hours by a “pea-soup” ground fog, crashed last night over an area of several hundred square miles after exhaust-
ing unobscured landing places.
Two pilots were Killed. Four planes of the original. flight of 12, which took off from the Pensacola training station shortly after dusk for night practice maneuvers, landed safely. Pilots of six of the eight planes which crashed parachuted safely to earth. Lieut. G. F. Presser of the Brazilian Navy, a “courtesy student” at +the naval station, attempted to “ride his plane” to earth through the fog, and was killed when thg machine crashed and burned. Lieut. Norman M. Ostergren, Ft. Peck, Mont. also died. His body was found close by the wreckage of his plane near McDavid, Fla., 30 miles north of here. His plane had burned. ! Six Pilots Bail Out
With the earth completely fogobscured and their motors sputtering as they drained the final drops
overside with parachutes. for minor bruises, they were uninjured. They are:
land, Vt., who parachuted down at Corry Field here; Lieut. E. G. Osborn, 26, St. Helena, Cal, who abandoned ship near McDavid; Lieut. Alfonso C. T. Horta—another Brazilian Navy man—who came down at Corry Field; Lieut. Thomas P. Cummings, 26, who abandoned ship near Myrtle] Grove, three miles east; Cadet "CW. Harbert, 28, Briston] W. Va., whose parachute | I him in a rivefi near the FloridaAlabama bord jHe was rescued by two fishermen; Lieut. R. E.:Harmer, 28, Seattle, Wash., who bailed out over the Naval air statio Three planes Bin the flight of 12 finally found a *hole” near Atmore, Ala. and. came: down safely. Cadet A. C. MeDonoizgh, 28, Madison, Wis., set at Greenville,
Total Loss $144,000
Navy men estimated the value of each of the old-type Boeing training planes at $18,000, setting ithe total cost of the eight planes which crashed at about $144,000.
Lieut. Presser .and Lieut. Horta, the Brazillan students, were taking the naval air training course as “courtesy students.” They were admitted under the Navy’s policy of permitting officers of Latin American governments to use the elaborate facilities of the air base for training. The 2 plans flight's battle with the fog lasted for more than five hours. . An air base official said three instruction planes in charge of each of the three formation groups were equipped with radios. These were contacted from the ground base and warned to fly inland when the fog surged in from the gulf, he said. The entire flight headed north, the official said, and thus all those who “bailed out” landed on the ground except Cadet Harbert, who came down in a river. : The official said the fog exterided over a 150-mile length of coast from Biloxi, Miss., to Valparaiso, Fla., and reached’ far inland. Cadet McDonough’s landing place—Greenville, Ala.—was 160 miles inland from Pensacola, while Cadet Whitener, Lieut. Jackson and Lieut. Brett flew 60 miles north to Atmore before finding -a “hole.” . The three “instruction planes,” each commanding three training ships, were piloted by Mr. Brett, Mr. Whitener and Mr. McDonough. Al-
CRASH IN FOG]
Four Naval Training Ships|’
of gasoline, six of the pilots went] Except
Cadet G. E. Chalmers, 25, Rut-}
is slp down safely :
though they were two-seaters, they carried only the pilots.
Times Special WASHINGTON, Feb. 21. — The Treasury will ask Congress at this session to increase the Government's statutory debt limit, now 45 billion gellars, it was learned today. A new limit of 50 billions is likely to be suggested. The President, in his budget message Jan. 5, estimated that the gross debt would approximate 44% billions, by mid-1940. That would leave only a half-billion margin, if the existing limit on borrowing were not changed. The Treasury regards this as an uncomfortably narrow leeway, especially since the law provides hat only 30 of the 45 billions in authorized debt may be in long-term bonds. Even though the total debt remained within 45 billions, the Treasury might be handicapped in making the best of market conditions as ' between long-term and short~ iii issues. The debt-limit laws, which date from Liberty Loan days, were revised only last May, although with-
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21,1939
ing their gasoline in vainly hunt-| &8
ELT
Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postoffice, Indianajio.is, Ind.
No Kidding About Tier Skidding
RAIL
PRICE THREE CENTS
ELEVATION
'AND WATER BILLS PASSED IN HOUSE
Times Photo.
j Praffie Slipped on N. Meridian St. ice and snow today. This is a view v irom the Monument.
og BucEas,
More Snow ‘Due roe Mergury Sinks to-20;. Two Are Ijired. ¢
TEMPERATURES
21 “11 a. m... .. 20 12 (noon). or. 30 1p m.... 21 2p Mm... 22 e
24 24
ve 08
More “snow and continued -cold|
weather tonight, with lowest temperatures from 15 to 20, were forecast today for Indianapolis hy the Weather Bureau. : It will. be fair tomorrow, the Bureau said. At the same time police warned that driving is hazardous because of ice and snow and they
attributed several accidents to conditions of the streets. Lowest temperature of the last 12
hours was 20 at 7 and 8 a. m., a 47-|"
degree drop from Sunday's maximum. . Miss Thelma Sloan, 20, of 1151 Kentucky Ave., slipped on ice near her home and broke an ankle. She was taken by police to City Hospital. Two persons were injured in four overnight auto accidents reported to police. and 49 persons were charged with traffic violations. Donald M. White, 28, of 618 W. 41st St., was ‘treated at City Hospital for head injuries received when the car he ‘was driving skidded into a water hydrant at 30th St. and N. Capitol Ave.
WLW GOES TO COURT
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (U.P)— The Crosley Corp. today asked the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse, a Federal Communications Commission order which would
force Station WLW of Cincinnati to cease using “super power” of
500,000 watts on Mareh 1.
Remedy for
“Acts Quickly | ] Irroopers Beat’ I pttocker of Kuhn in New York; Eject
“Dorothy ‘Thompson.
A potion which Miss Emma Vaible; 418.E. North St., pre- . paredstoday ds a remedy for . indjgestion _sent! her to the hospital even before she had a chance to try it. © Miss : Varble, according to police reports, placed a quan-. tity of the powder in a bottle "containing & small quantity of + water, stoppered it tightly, ‘and ‘then shook it vigorously. The .. effervescing medicine exploded, shattering the bottle. The glass cut Miss Varble on the nose and mouth. She - was treated at City Hospital.
FARMER IS FEARED “KILLED OR ABDUCTED
Wealthy Man Vanishes From Illinois Home.
MORRIS, II, Feb. 21 (U. P)— Abner Nelson, 38, bachelor farmer and member of a wealthy family, was missing today under mysterious circumstances from his model farm. Evidence of a struggle and what appeared to be bloodstains near his home indicated, investigators said, that he had been killed or kidnaped. . ‘Mr. Nelson’s brother, Sidney, also
: a farmer, reported him missing. Sid‘Iney Nelson said he found the door
of his brother’s home unlocked when he went there yesterday to visit. He searched the house but could find «no trace of his brother and summoned Sheriff H. J. Hoyt. ‘Sheriff Hoyt assigned several deputies to search abandoned coal mines in the vicinity but they were unable to find any tence of the missing man.
Treasury to Seek Increase to 50 Billion In Statutory Limit on U. S. National Debt
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
SENATE Committee recommends reciprocal salary taxation. HOUSE debates defense bill, including Guam authorization.
SENATOR WHEELER seeks abolition of rail holding companies.
INTERNAL REVENUE collections AMLIE nomination withdrawal to
placed a limit of 25 billions on longterm issues, permitting an additional 20 billions in short-term obligations. © Last year’s action was simply to move this “partition,”
biilion total
to abolished entirely, Sive it a free hand in deciding when
raising the long-term authorization |te to 30 billions, but leaving the 45-1bills and unchanged.
had - wanted nel Dispatches
-term money and|that the
BARKLEY campaign manager confirmed as U. 8. judge. JOBHOLDERS contributions rules studied by committee.
fall for eight months.
ROOSEVELT enters naval “war zone” near Cuba. °
be urged.
exemption to ‘future .issues of governmental securities. As of last Jan. 31, the gross national debt was 39 billions. Of this,
Sy To Brown (D. Mich.)
he
insisted - ceiling be the issi Sha
But Senator|50 }
_|Lewis, who wrote the novel,
PRO- NAZI RALLY (6S BATTLE
Fo 3h Ea
(Another Story, Page Three; Photo,
age Six)
‘NEW YORK, Feb. 21 (U. P.).—An Americanization meeting of the pro-Nazi - German-American Bund, attended by 18,000 persons and featured by tributes to George Washington and denunciations of Jevs, ended shortly before midnight last night with salutes. to swastikas and
the singing of the Nazi anthem, “Horst Wessel.” Outside Madison Square Garden, policemen had had a six-hour struggle with throngs of anti-Nazis who repeatedly charged their lines
trying to fight their way inside.
Although there were numerous individual fights, none was seriously injured. Thirteen were arrested. including Isidore Greenbaum, 23. a sanitary engineer, who. rushed the speaking platform in an attempt to attack Fritz Kuhn, national Bund leader, and was severely beaten by Bund storm troopers. Greenbaum’ s trousers were torn off.
. Traffic Halted
Traffic was halted completely in a six-block area most of the night and it was estimated at one time that a crowd of 100,000 was in the neighborhood. Police Commissioner Valentine commanded 1700 policemen at the scene, the largest force ever detailec to one task in the City’s history. ‘The demonstration climaxed wher. Bund members, leaving the hall were attacked on the sidewalk in & score of individual encounters. * American flags, swastikas and banners carrying such slogans as “Stop Jewish Domination of Chris tian Americans” decorated the walis. In the lobby, copies of the Rev. Fr. Charles E. Coughlin’s publication, “Social Justice,” were hawked [y
ys. : Storm Troopers wore civilian over: coats concealing their uniforms, but once inside discarded the coats, ar: ranged themselves in formations ai took orders from their leaders fi German. Kuhn denounced the New Deal spending program for relief; a:cused “dictatorial Harold Ickes” of attacking Nazi Germany without cause.
- Dorothy Thompson: Ejected Dorothy Thompson, newspaper columnist and wife of = Sinclair “Ii Can't Happen Here,” was ejected from the meeting. Storm troopers complained that she had laughed during one of the speeches. Policemen escorted Miss Thompson out-
,|side, but readmitted her in a few
id bisa they, learned she had come to re e mee “We came here: Tene was 0
public meeting,” she Saplained. oa! ; such meetings o
FIRST BUDGET HEARING DUEIN LOWER HOUSE
LEGISLATURE TODAY
HOUSE Received a committee report on a House bill to place a 5 per cent tax on the in‘come received by persons be- . cause of political connections. (Page Four.)
Ways and Means Committee continues study of 84million dollar biennial budget, as Republican leaders continue threats to withhold action on this measure unless the Democrats in the Senate approve G. O. P. sponsored bills. 3
Receives favorable reports on a series of public health measures including a bill to provide a reorganization of the State Health Board: (Page Four.)
Passed bill to facilitate pos- . sible purchase of -the Indianapolis Water Co. by the City. Passed bill to lower the railroads’ share of track elevation costs.
. Passed resolution ‘reaffirm-. “ ing faith in foreign policy set forth by George Washington. (Page Six.)
SENATE
Farm Bureau announces opposition to gross income tax rate reduction. (Page Four.) Holds in committee a Sen= ate bill to increase the administrative power of county ’ welfare boards. Democratic leaders plan com with = Republicans. over liquor, gasoline tax and gross income tax bills. ' (Page Five.)
First hearing on the $84,801,416 biennial budget bills, which now call
for 10 per cent slashes in State de|partment salaries, was to be held at 2 p. m. today before the House Ways and Means Committee. Committee members, who yesterday slashed $378,128 from the ap- . | propriation bill, said that Don F. Stiver, State Director of Public Safety, had asked to speak on proposed reductions in his department’s expenses. A single report recommending passage of the companion budget measures . was: assured when the committee yesterday adopted a motion of Rep. Edward H. Stein (D. Bloomfield) to be bound on all action by a majority vote. Largest cut approved was a $200,~ 000 slice from a requested - $500,000 appropriation for a deficiency emergency operating expense fund for State institutions. This fund is used only when an institution cannot continue functioning without additional moneys. Approval came only after Rep. Hobart Creighton (R. Warsaw), budget committee member, said that many institutions’ appropriations had been cut up to 40 per cent. Before his statement come of the Ways and Means Committee had asked (Continued on Page Five)
HITLER ‘PURGE’ IN AUSTRIA REPORTED
London Paper Says Nazi Group Plotted Revolt.
(Other Foreign News, Page Three)
LONDON, Feb. 21 (U.P). — The Daily Herald, a Labor paper, reported today that a conspiracy against Fuehrer Hitler had been suppressed ‘in Austria. The: newspaper reported that. seven high Austrian Nazi officials were implicated and removed from office to concentration camps with scores of lesser officials. The purported plot began within the Nazi Party but among Austrian Nazis who were offended by “con-
man Nazis, the newspaper said. The conspirators were represented as planning an uprising in Vienna. They also were reported to have contacted “illegal Nazi organizations” in South Tyrol, the newspaper said, but Italian police tipped off Berlin officials that anti-Nazi
frontier. The reports published by the Daily Hergld were not otherwise confirmed. ;
‘Purge’ in Austria Denied at Berlin BERLIN, Feb. 21 (U. P.) —Usually well-informed sources today described the London Daily Herald's
report of anti-Nazi plotting in Austria as “pure
- held by the city on the advisabilit
stantly being pushed aside” by Ger- |
nonsense.” It was indicated that there had | Been some ‘conflict in Austria over : irregularity o 1
Messiite on ‘Traffic Provides State Pay Part.
DEBATE LACKING
Members Also Agree On Plan for City To Buy Utility.
Measures designed to facilitate the possible purchase of the Indianapolis Water Co. by the City and to “open the door” for South Side track elevation were passed by the Indiana House today. There was no debate on either bill and they now go to the Senate for its consideration. The House passed nearly a dozen measures this morn= ing, the majority of which require the concurrence of the upper chamber. The utilities bill provides that a purchase of amy utility by the City would have to be approved by the ‘City Council, the Mayor and City Utility
the trustees of ‘the District. Wallace Explains Bill In explaining the bill on the floor of the House, Rep Joseph C. Wal= lace (D. Indianapolis) said: ; “This bill which applies only to
| Indianapolis sets up the procedure
by which the City could purchase a private utility. It contains no appropriation for that purchase. “W¢€ in Indianapolis feel that in the case of a purchase of this sort involving large sums of money an adequate check should be placed on the transaction. This bill provides that check.” At City of Io before the Affairs o
: Mes now ‘under consideration
was the Indianapolis Water Co. He said that when this bill was passed, public hearings would be i;
-|of making the Water Co. purchase,
Cuts Railroads’ Share
‘The track elevation bill, sponse sored by the Associated Railroads of Indiana, would reduce the railroads’ share of elevation costs from 50 per cent to 20 per cent. As originally drafted the City and County would divide the remaining 80 per cent of the cost. When the bill was in committee, the Associated Railroads and the Indianapolis City administration agreed to have it revised to throw part of the burden on the State. As it now stands, in cases where streets involved in elevation work are designated as State Highways, the State would assume the City and County share. : Under the present law, the city pays 34 per cent, the county 16 per cent and the railroads 50 per. cent. Although in some cases the bill would increase the. city’s share 6 per cent and county’s 24 per cent, local city officials said it actually would lower the South Side elevation costs because costs on Madisén Ave, a State route, would be paid by the State and the railroads. .- The bill, as amended, further provides that where a roadway involved in elevation work is outside the city and is not a State route, the county assumes the entire 80 ‘per cent of the cost not borne by the railroads. :
Jeffersonville Flood Aid
Bill Passed in House
Acting under suspension: of the rules the House this afternoon passed the Senate bill to set up mae chinery by which the City of Jeffersonville can receive $7,000,000 in Federal funds for a flood control wall on the Ohio River. The vote was 86 to 0. Both floor leaders, Rep. Herbert H. Evans (R. New Castle) and Edward Stein (D. Bloomfield) asked for suspension of the rules since the Federal Government must be notified by Thursday that this measure is passed if the aid is to be received. Declaring that if the City of Jef= fersonville isn’t protected it “will have to be written off the books,” Rep. Claude L. ‘Baylor (D. Speed) sa . “In 1880 a flood wall was built for Jeffersonville.” The disastrous flood of 1937 ed this little bit of pro= tection down stream. : “It is necessary, if 'Jeffetsonville is ever to be completely rehabilis tated, that some guarantee be made that there will be no repetition: of’ this disaster. I realize that I have
for final House action on this measure today, I can only say that th
da in U. propaganda was going across the desk
of blue prints for ‘this protection Clark County. This is not an ap-. Pp ‘ measure and, wl not
Lad
INFLUENZA CLOSES ANDERSON SCHOO
asked something unusual in asking