Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 February 1939 — Page 1

ianap

FORECAST: Fair tonight and probably tomorrow; rising temperatures; lowest tonight 20 to 25.

FINAL |

SCRIPPS = HOWARD §

MUNCIE, VEVAY

> AND ANDERSON

SCHOOLS SHUT

Flu Outbreak, However, Is Viewed-as Mild; General Health ‘Good.’

DECLINE EXPECTED HERE|

Officials Believe Smallpox ||

* And Influenza Have Reached Peak.

i City and State health records are relatively good despite influenza and smallpox outbreaks, according to health officials.

Although schools in several cities:

have been closed because of the flu,

Dr. Vern K. Harvey, Staie Health Board director, said the disease is|:

of a mild type, no deaths have been|: attributed to it, and the board does|: not expect to be called upon for i

assistance. Dr. Herman G. Morgan, Health Board secretary, said be believes smallpox and influenza in Indianapolis have reached a winter peak and shortly will begin to decline. He said City schools will not be closed because of either disease. Meanwhile, Indianapolis public school attendance was only 10 per cent below normal, William A, Evans, safety director, said a survey showed,

Ten per cent of the Indianapolis police force was on the sick list today, it was reported by Albert Schlensker, secretary to Chief Morrissey. The Chief himself was back on the job today after being confined to his home a week with influenza. Mr. Schlensker said 59 members of the force were on sick leave yesterday, all but 11 suffering from the flu.

Schools and public gatherings at Muncie, Vevay and Anderson have ‘been closed by local health officials and St. Charles Catholic school at Bloomington was shut down yesterday when 100 pupils were [ound stricken with scarlet fever. The disease was not reported in any other school there.

2040 Absent at Muncie

Out of a 10,000 enrollment in Muncie schools, 2040 were absent yesterday. Officials closed the schools and canceled all public gatherings, including a piano recital, a wrestling match and a basketball game. More than 100 Vevay school children were reported ill and school and public assemblies, including a _ basketball game, were canceled for the rest of the week. Schools and public meetings at Anderson were closed. Dr. Harvey said that the flu could be checked within a week or 10 days if proper precautions were taken. The State’s smallpox is centered in Marion County, he said. Dr. Morgan explained that since Indianapolis public schools here are subjected to health inspection, it is easier to keep diseases in check with regular class schedules maintained than with schools shut down and pupils out of the range of inspection. Both officials warned, however, that: the present. cold wave may.in-, crease the number of smallpox cases slightly because groups are inclined to congregrate in close and inadequately ventilated quarters as a protection against the cold.

Pneumonia Complication

e influenza prevalent in the ix’ and state, both officials said, is mild and is dangerous chiefly because of possible pneumonia complications. : They warned that anyone having a dry cough, headache and temperature should go to bed and call a physician. Other symptoms may be fever and body aches or fever and sore throat, they said. Dr. Morgan said ‘the number of new smallpox cases in Indianapolis this month is about 40 per cent higher than in January, running six new cases a day. There were 122 new cases quarantined in the last three weeks, he said Relative ages of persons contracting the disease have changed considerably since the outbreak during the holidays, Dr. Morgan said. Whereas at the first, 40 per cent of those affected were children and 60 per cent adults, the ratio now is 20 per cent children and 80 per cent adults. The school pupils’ vaccination order brought the change, hi said. : Bulk of Pupils Protected

Ninety. per cent of the City’s school pupils now are protected, he said, but scarcely more than 25 per cent of the adult population has been immunized. The overall number of unprotected persons has been reduced from 170,000 to 40,000 through the vaccination campaign, he deglared. About 3000 high school. and between 1000 and 1200 grade school pupils have not been vaccinated and face expulsion Monday when the Health Board order that no pupils may attend ‘without certificate of immunization is: scheduled fo become effective. : The City’s pneumonia situation this month is about the same as last, Dr. Morgan said, when eight deaths were attributed to the dis-

There are scattered scarlet fever cases in he said, and three

city 1

VOLUME 50—NUMBER 299

Merchants— Farmers—Grocers—It Seems They re All in Town

Times Photos.

Gathered from small cities of the State at the Hotel Lincoln today, grocers and “small” merchants pepped each other up for their march on the State House against the Gross Income Tax Law. Left to right (above), they are Jingle Ensminger, Laurel; Roy G. Winkler, Anderson; Guy Henry, Connersville, and H, T. Pitcher, Laure], all

grocers. Mapping their strategy (below

) are. left to right, H. D. Cooper,

Odon druggist; Elmer Bunch, meat market proprietor; N. F. Barkley, general merchandise store proprietor, and Huette Poindexter, fur-

niture store owner and undertaker.

(Other Photos, Page 3.)

Second of Twins Delayed, But Jasper D

JASPER, Ind. Feb. 23 (U. P.)

Dad Relaxes

~—Robhert Scherle, 32, four times a

father, went to work today to relieve the strain as his wife still awaited the arrival of a twin to a boy born eight days ago.

Mr. Scherle is a woodworker of

modest means. He believes there is

no point in staying home and pacing the floor. “I've been a father four times and have gotten over the stage of being nervous,” he said. “I've got to stay on the job because there'll be another

NAVY REPORTS MINE WASIN ‘SOS’ AREA

New Theory Advanced in Ship’s ‘Torpedo’ Call.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (U. P.).— The Navy Department today advanced a theory that the unidentified ship which wirelessed yesterday that it had been torpedoed in the Atlantic may actually have struck a floating mine. They disclosed .that such a mine was known to have been drifting in the general area of the Atlantic from which the mysterious SOS call came. Navy officials said that the tanker California Standard in January had reported sighting a six-horned mine drifting in the vicinity of the Azores.

| They ‘did not know the origin of

the mine or how it happened to be drifting there. Before this theory was expressed, the radio message had been branded a “ghastly joke.” The message said: “SOS ... SOS ... Torpedoed by

Unknown Submarine. Holed Below

Water Line. Sinking. 32.10 North 27.45 West. 8 a. m. PECC.” The message was heard by only

one ship—the United States freight

ship Tulsa, en route from Hamburg, Germany, to Savannah, Ga., which was then some 100 miles south and west, of the Azores. # . At dusk last night, the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Australia arrived there and found no trace of a ship, no wreckage, no oil slick. The weather was, good, visibility was excellent. area, then turned the search over to the Greek freighter, Mount Pelion, which also had responded to the message relayed by the Tulsa.

Fire Out, Ship

Heads for New York

HOUSTON, Tex., Feb. 23 (U. P.). —The freighter Texas Banker, whose crew extinguished a fire in its holds after sending an ‘SOS yesterday, was headed for New York today. ;

THROAT ILLNESS PUTS SHEARER IN HOSPITAL

HOLLYWOOD, Feb, 23 (U, P.).— Norma Shearer was admitted to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital today, suffering from a streptococcic throat infection. Studio officials said her condition was not serious. She canceled plans for attending the Motion Biotic Academy’s award dinner. to-

ANDERSON MAN KILLED ANDERSON, Feb. 23 (U.P).— Grover Headley, 50, was killed and

Hy

dames Etsler, - 15, : his stepson, was

It searched the entire:

mouth to feed soon.” Mrs. Scherle is 30. She gave birth to the first twin—her fourth child— Feb. 15. He weighed five pounds. She named him William Joseph. Her other children range in age from 5 to 11 years. : The attending physician, Dr. L. A. Salb, said Mrs. Scherle was in a critical ' condition for several days after the birth but that she recovered rapidly and was ‘doing well” now. The child had not been expected to live and was christened shortly after birth.

. No Danger Now

“The boy at first wouldn’t take nourishment but has accepted it the last few days and there is no danger now,” Dr. Salb said. “I think the other twin, when it is born, will be just as healthy.” ’ _ The delayed birth already was three days beyond that of a similar case at Kansas City two weeks ago. Twins were born five days apart to Mrs. Lillian McDonnell. The babies, now in a research hospital, are in good health, : Dr. Morris Fishbein, Chicago, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, said such’cases were not unusual if the birth of the second twin were delayed only five, seven or ‘10 days. He said the long-

days. Dr. Salb shook his head when asked how soon the second Scherle twin was expected. “It might be: two more days or two more weeks,” he said.

HINES DEFENSE OPENS EVIDENCE SUMMARY

(George Ross, Page 18) .

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 (U. P.)— The defense began today the summation it hopes will clear Tammany District Leader James J. Hines of racket charges after losing two motions to strike out .certain testimony against him and two others for dismissal of the indictment. - Defense Attorney Lloyd Park Stryker, moved when court opened today to eliminate certain portions of testimony of Julius (Red) Williams, election district captain for Hines, and John F. Curry, one time Tammany chieftain. Hines is accused of selling his political influence to the late Dutch Schultz. District Atorney Dewey argued briefly that there was “uncontradicted” evidence to show that the defendant “did in fact conspire within the two-year period” covered by the statute of limitations and that Hines “received money in the two-year period.”

BILLINGS’ CASE UP TODAY

SACRAMENTO, Cal, Feb. 23 (U. P.).—The State Advisory Pardon Board will meet late today and Lieut. Gov. Ellis E. Patterson, the chairman, will recommend a pardon for Warren K. Billings, who is

est case in A. M. A. records was 44

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1939

Entered as

un GROSS TAX CUT HEARING VISITED BY THOUS

Ee

Hoosier farmers gathered in Indianapolis today and paraded before the Legislature in protest against

MERGURY AT 10,

‘LOWEST IN 1938

Relief Promised Later On in

.Day With Tomorrow Fair and Warmer.

TEMPERATURES Midnight 13 Ya. m.... la. m.. 13> 8a. m... Lo 13 9a m.,.. 12 10a. m.... 12 1lla. m.... 12 12 (Noon). 11 1p m...

10 13 16 19 22 24 26 The lowest temperature officially recorded in Indianapolis in 1939 was reached at 7 a. m. today—10 degrees. It was two degrees lower than yesterday’s minimum ana only one degree above the winter's low of 9,

set in December. is

er, the Weather Bureau said, with tonight’s low between 20 and 25. A brilliant sun that bathed the City today will hike. temperatures to between 25 and 30 by midafternoon, the Bureau predicted. The lowest temperature reportesl from the State was 2 above at Ft. Wayne. Evansville recorded a minimum of 16 and Terre Haute 10. The week’s range in temperatures spans 57 degrees—from 67 at 11 a. m. Sunday to the new low. Meanwhile, most . street intersections had been cleared of ice and traffic moved with relative. safety.

NEW CASTLE FIRE RAGES FIVE HOURS

Downtown Blaze Results in $30,000 Loss.

NEW CASTLE, Feb. 23 (U. P.)— Firemen fought a downtown blaze here for five hours in almost zero weather early today, finally extinguishing it with a loss estimated at $30,000. °* Its cause undetermined, the fire started in the old 8.‘ A. Jennings mill, which housed the Thiery Hardware Co. and , the Hieser Hatchery Co. The mill is about 60 years old. be Included in the loss were between 100 and 200 chickens in the hatchery. company, but the principal loss was suffered by the hardware company. It had a large inventory on hand which was about half covered by insurance. . ; ‘The fire spread to the adjacent National Cigar Co. store and caused between $3000 and $5000 damage. The Chalfant Produce Co. building was slightly damaged by a wall of the cigar store which collapsed. Hose lines laid across the Penna sylvania Railroad tracks held up a Cincinnati-Chicago mail train for about three hours.

_ (National Affairs, Page Three)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (U. P.) — Treasury Secretary Morgenthau said today the Administration con-

templates no new taxes at this session of Congress and suggested Congressional scrutiny of present tax laws to eliminate any deterrents to business expansion. Secretary Morgenthau, echoing

not expeeted to be recommended at this time, called on business to discard what he called its “what’s the use attitude.” ;

Morgenthau said, “wants them to

them to make money.”

Tomorrow will be fair and warm-|

the statement of President Roosevelt last week that new taxes are]

J “The Administration,” Secretary|and

It’s Sad Tail If Goldfish Gets Break

If you put a goldfish in liquid: oxygen, he freezes as brittle as ice. If you drop him, he breaks like glass and that reduces his efficiency. H. L. Schuck of the. Indiana Oxygen Co., who freezes goldfish in demonstrations of liquid oxygen, says the freezing itself doesn’t hurt the fish, They come out of it peppier than before. But if the exhibitor is awkward, and lets a fin or a tail break off, the fish is retired. Mr. Schuck has numbers of tailless and finless goldfish happily living in his pool at home, he said. A fish lasts about ‘five: performances and he carries two spares just in case. He performed yesterday before the napolis Ki- - wanis Club and is booked today in Huntington: 2

ROCKS, EGGS FLY AT BUNDSMEN ON GOAST

Attackers Vanquished in Battle With Police.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 (U. P.. —Herman Schwinn, Wesl Coast

y

director of the German-American

Nazi Bund, stood in the doorway of Deutsches Haus hall last night, watched police struggling with a crowd of 2000 anti-Nazi demonstirators who had stoned it, and said: “We're not worried. If police can’t clear the street, we'll do it ourselves.” a : Aya He’ gestured to a group of husky uniformed Bund members standing inside the hall, his own “strongarm” squad. He did not call upon them, however, because, afier a riotous half hour, police succeeded in quelling the attackers, who had thrown first a barrage of overripe eggs and tomatoes, then their fusillade of rocks, the latter shattering ‘winddws, A Schwinn said, injuring several Bund members within the hall. . )

U.S. JUDGE DENIES M’CALL LIFE PLEA

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 23 (U. P), —Senior Judge Rufus E. Foster of the Fifth 'U. 8S. Circuit Court of Appeals today formally denied a certificate of probable cause to save Franklin Pierce McCall, convicted Florida kidnaper-slayer; :- from the electric chair. { Judge Foster refused the certificate after a private conference with Defense Attorney C. E. Rutledge. After hearing the plea, the jurist still held that the 21-year-old Flor=ida farmhand had no cause for acon. Es

Morgenthau Asks End of - Taxes Curbing Business

ture commitments.” If Congress wishes to make such a study, said Secretary Morgenthau, the Treasury is prepared to submit results of exhaustive studies of the whole Federal revenue structure. He excepted from the no “new taxes” edict the so-called “nuisance taxes,” most of which expire June 30 and which Have provided around 500 million Treasury wishes those taxes continued. rE He said he did not anticipate any action on the tax issue until after March 15 when the Treasury will the revenues from present tax laws

go ahead with normal business|pusiness. risks—wants th

dollars annually. ‘The,

have a better opportunity to study | oP

proposals to cut the Gross Income Tax. Here is part of the crowd assembled in Tomlinson Hall.

BUTSCH SEEKING

GASE DISMISSAL

Ex-Convict Explains Why He Shaved Head; Blames Crime Expert.

Arguments on a motion to quash

.|an indictment charging William

Ray Butsch with murdering Mrs. Carrie Lelah Romig in the perpetration of a robbery, will be heard at 9:15 a. m. tomorrow by Criminal Court Judge Dewey Myers. The motion was based on three grounds and presented today by Robert L. Carrico, pauper attorney, after Butsch himself started to address the Court but was interrupted. i Court proceedings were: held up for 10 minutes as Butsch sat at the defense table and read the indictment., The motion charged the indictment was insufficient and not certain since it named him with names (aliases) not his own; that it was insufficient to constitute a cause for action; that the Grand Jury had no right to indict.

“rd Like 10 Minutes Grace”

Butsch opened the Court proceedings when he addressed Judge Myers: : ; “Your honor, I'd like to ask for 10 minutes grace to prepare my defense—to read over the indictment.” Prosecutor David M. Lewis handed him a copy of the indictment and he sat down at the defense table and read it for exactly 10 minutes. Spectators crowding the’ courtroom whispered as he read. ! Then the 57-year-old ex-convict rose and started to speak, but Attorney Carrico interrupted and made the motion. Judge Myers accepted the motion and set the date for arguments.

Carrico aside ‘and addressed Judge Myers: : “Judge, there’s one question I'd like to straighten out. There’s been a lot of publicity in the press. I want to explain why I shaved my hair oil.” : ;

‘Criminologist ' Pulled it- Out’

‘Judge Myers said: “I'm afraid I'm not interested”, : : . “I still want to tell the public— I still think they ought to know,” Butsch insisted. ee 3 “All right. Tell what you want,

'|but make it brief,” Judge Myers

said. “I shaved my hair off because the criminologist at the jail pulled out some bunches of it,” Butsch gad. “I guess he wanted to examine '“So I shaved it off to prevent him from pulling any more out.” Butsch then attempted to grab the gray stubble that covers his head and demonstrated that it could not .be done. He was led back to jail.

WOMAN IS INJURED CRITICALLY IN CRASH

Three persons were injured, one critically, when two automobiles crashed into parked cars: last night. Miss Vernie Hatton, 37 N. Walcott St, was in City Hospital with a skull fracture after a car in which she was riding, driven by Howard

with a parked car in the 300 block S. Emerson Ave,

STOCKS, FIRM, DULL; 'PORKERS UNCHANGED

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 (U. P. The stock list firmed fractions to

today on the Stock Exchange. were noted in a majority ‘of the rails, oils and mercantile

Livestock prices remained station ary at Indianapolis today with the hog prices at $8.35 and the - er top at $12". = :

Second-Class Matter

Then Butsch. pushed Attorney|

Wesdorf, 55 S. Bradley St., collided|

more than & point in dull trading} Gains

(lJ

PRICE THREE CENTS

LEGISLATURE TODAY HOUSE

Receives a committee recommendation to kill an automobile “gadget” bill. (Page Two.) : Prepares to consider on third reading the revised G. O. P. measure to place the Democratic “Two Per Cent” Club under provisions of the Corrupt Practices Act.

Ways and Means Committee continues analysis of 84 million dollar biennial budget. (Page Five.) . Prepares to consider on third reading its local option bill after the second attempt to kill this measure failed. (Page Five.) Advances to third reading Housé merit, health board reorganization and auto registration fee reduction bills. Fails to pass Milk Control Law bill. >in

SENATE Democratic senators attempt to patch up their differences over liquor reform. Farmers and merchants from all sections of the State arrive to attend a hearing this afternoon ‘before the Senate Finance Committee on the House bill to cut in half the gross income tax rates for retailers. ? Studies in committee a bill to make it unlawful to use leased wires for the dissemination of = gambling information. : Kills bill to increase workmen’s compensation benefits.

MILK BILL FAILS IN HOUSE VOTE

Extension of Control Act Lacks 51 Majority For Passage.

BULLETIN

Republican members: of the Senate Textbook Investigating Committee this afternoon introduced in the Senate a joint resolution: calling for establishment of a special commission to study the public school system and its laws relating to the adoption of school textbooks. A new bill to prohibit state officials from placing members of their families on the state payrolls was introduced in the Senate by Senator Howard Johnson (R. Mooresville.)

After one of the lengthiest debates of this session the House failed to pass the Senate bill to extend the State’s milk control system for another two years when the measure failed to obtain a constitutional majority of 51. Final count showed 48 ayes and 29 noes on this measure which

lcaused many Representatives to

leave the chamber before their names were called. : Failure to obtain a constitutional majority does not kill the subject matter. This measure, or a companion House bill, may be called down again for third reading. Would Extend Act Under terms of this measure the present Milk Control Act would be extended until June 30, 1941. Proponents and opponents were locked in debate on the measure for more than an hour. Claims that the present system, which first was established by the 1935 Legislature, had brought prosperity and stability to the industry were answered by charges that the bill was “a vicious form of regimentation.” Before packed galleries almost one-third of the Representatives explained their votes. Rep. Arnold C. Nahand (D. Indianapolis) charged that the present State Milk Control Board had operated to r (Continued on Page Three)

‘FLYING HOTEL’ ENDS TEST HOP TO HAWAII

Carries 23 on 18,000-Mile Flight at 150 M. P. H.

HONOLULU, T. H., Feb, 23 (U. P).—Pan-American = Clipper 18,

back, arrived in. Honolulu at 10.50 a. m. (Indianapolis Time) today after a smooth crossing from San Francisco. = There were 23 persons aboard, 11 in the crew and 12 observers for the manufacturers, Pan-American and

shares.|the Civil Aeronautics Authority.

The Clipper, capable of carrying 74 passengers, eventually will be asned to trans-Pacific service. If

giant new 41-ton flying boat on an 18,000-mile test flight to China and

ANDS

Merchants, Farmers Carry Long Fight - To Assembly.

PARADE STAGED

Use Capitol Rotunda For Huge Crowd At Session. :

Merchants and farmers carried their six-year fight over the gross

income tax to the doorstep of ‘the State Legislature today when seve eral thousand of each swarmed the Capitol’s corridors for the Senate. hearing over the proposed retailers’ rate cut. The climax was to come at 2 p. m. in the rotunda of the State House, where the Senate’s Finance Com mittee had set up a special platform for the hearing. No room in the State House was large enough to accomodate the crowd. y: The merchants were to argue for the bill to reduce their gross income tax rate from 1 per cent to 1% of 1 per cent, while the farmers were to oppose the cut on the grounds that it might result in a shift of the tax load back to property. :

Farmers Hold Parade

A parade of farmers, estimated at between 5000 and 10,000 strong, marched from Tomlinson Hall down Market St. to the State House this morning. Leaders of the Farm Bureau, sponsor of the demonstras tion, then took a petition opposing ‘the cut to the Governor. The farmers, meanwhile, dise banded and “button-holed” .their individual representatives to “lobby” against the bill. : Caravans of merchants, meanwhile, converged on the city from every section of the State to ask for passage of the bill. They assembled . at the Hotel Lincoln and at’ the: State House before massing at the: speaker’s stand for the hearing. : Principal ers for the mers. chants were D. Wray DePrez, Shele: byville merchant, and Frank Pyle: of Van Buren, president of - the: Farmers Grain Dealers Association:

of the Associated Retailers of Indie: ana, which is leading the fight for: the gross tax cut. 5 Principal speakers for the farmers; were to be Hassil Schenck, president: « = of the Indiana Farm Bureau, and: Anson Thomas, the Bureau's Legis=: lative Department head. 2

Women Join March

Thirteen hundred farmers’ wives and daughters bolstered the Farm: Bureau’s forces in the parade. Reds : nosed from the cold air, they marched through the streets carrying signs “Save Our Gross Income Tax Law.” A 20-piece band led the procession. Cs Signs reading “Save Our Schools” and “Save Our Farm Homes” were carried every several hundred feet

reached the State House the last; of the marchers were still coming’ out of Tomlinson Hall. A One woman carried a baby: bundled in blankets. When they" reached the State House; marchers . swarmed into the Senate and Fouse chambers and galleries. Before their march, - President. Schenck told them that if a re duction in the retailer's rate was . passed it would “impair the reve-: nue producing ability .of our farms $3,250,000.” ; Merchants are demanding passage of the reduction bill en the grounds . that the present rate is “driving

large number of business failures. Specifically, this measure, passed last week by the Houce of Representatives, would reduce their rate: from 1 per cent to one-half of 1 per cent, but at the same time, lower their exemption from $3000 to’ $1000, The gross income tax was estab-: lished six years ago to take some of the tax burden off property owners. As the result, the percentage of property taxation to the total levy dropped from 80 per cent td 57 per cent. (% The farmers and railrcads bene=fited most from the shift in tax. base, but retailers and salaried: (Continued on Page Three) -:

NAZIS SEIZE JEWS’ GOLD (Other Foreign News, Page Four) BERLIN, Feb. 23 (U. P)—~Gen<: Hermann Wilhelm Goering, direc: tor of the Four-Year Plan, decreed: today that all German Jews must by March: 7 hand over all gold,” platinum, silver, jewelry and pearls: in their possesion to public pure: chasing centers established - for« liquidating Jewish properties. fe,

TIMES FEATURES | ON INSIDE PAGES |:

BOOKS ....... 13 Movies .... Broun ....... 14 Mrs. S00 Comics

Goo ord 1 sve 11|Radio .....

of Indiana, the “surprise” speaker: o

in the parade. - When the colorguard =

them to the wall” and causing a: 4

- os 4 i