Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 August 1944 — Page 17

ik reports that people were on the verge of star-

e always .fare best, but just 3 till we get fo Paris. Well ~ see real suffering there.” Of course the people of Paris have suffered during these four years of darkness. But I don’t believe they have suffered as . much physically as we had thought. Certainly they don't look bedraggled and gaunt and pitiful, as the people of Italy did. In fact be just the way you would expect them * to look in normal times. However, the last three weeks before the liberareally were rough. For the Germans, sensing their withdrawal was inevitable, began taking everything for themselves. There is very little food in Paris right now. The restaurants either are closed or serve only the barest meals—coffee and sandwiches. And the “national «» Coffee,” as they call it, is made from barley and is about the vilest stuff you ever tasted. France has had nothing else for four years.

If you were to take a poll on what the average *

Parisian most wants in the way of little things, you would probably find that he wants real coffee, soap, gasoline and cigarets. »

. Still. Eating Cold Rations

EATING IS the biggest problem right now for us correspondents. The army hasn't yet set up a mess. We can't even get our rations cooked in our hotel kitchens, on account of the gas shortage. *¥ 80 we just eat cold K-rations and 10-in-1 rations In our rooms. For two days most of us were 80 busy we didn't eat at all, and on the morning after the liberation of Paris some of the correspondents Were actually so weak from not eating that they sould hardly navigate. ’ But the food situation should be relieved within ® few days. The army is bringing in 3000 tons of food right away for the Parisians. That is only about $wo pounds per person, but it will help.

cars were running when we arrived but they were all in ‘official use in the fighting. All of these had “F. F. 1.” (French Forces of the Interior) painted in rough white letters on the fenders, tops and sides.

The French Really Detest Them

ALTHOUGH IT appears that the Germans did conduct themselves fairly properly up until the last few weeks, the French really detest One woman told me that for the first three weeks of the occupation the Germans were fine but that then they turned arrogant. The people of Paris simply tolerated them and nothing more. ‘The Germans did perpetrate medieval barbarities against leaders of the resistance movement as their plight became more and more desperate. But what I'm driving at is that the bulk of the population of Paris—the average guy who just gets along no matter who is here—didn't really fare too badly from day to day. It was just the things they heard about, and the fact of being under a bullheaded and arrogant thumb, that created the smoldering hatred for the Germans in the average Parisians heart. You can get an idea how they feel from a little incident that occurred the first night we were here. We put up at a little family sort of hotel in Montparnasse. The landlady took us up to show us our rooms. A cute little French maid came along with her. As we were looking around the room the landlady opened a wardrobe door, and there on a shelf lay a German soldier's cap that he had forgotten to take. The landlady picked it up with the tips of her fingers, held it out at arm's length, made a face, and dropped it on a chair. the little maid reached up with her pretty foot and gave it a huge kick that sent it sailing across the room.

Dp 5h Inside Indianapolis By Lowell Nussbaum

GOVERNOR SCHRICKER wasn't the only one having a birthday yesterday. Also celebrating were , Shree members ‘of the Aero-Mayflower Transit Co. staff. They were G. Fred Benso n, Stanley P. Troxell and Earl D, Porter—all three horn on Aug. 30... . ; A connoisseur of names reminds Us fat gation WISH bes 4 “yes " — Bill Yess; a Seacat— Lowell Seacat; an Elaine Ax. And the “boss man” is Robert Bausman, business manager. Out of about 20 on the staff, five are Bobs—Bob Lashbrook, Bob Baus-

man, Bob Adams, Bob Ohleyer and Bob Irving. . . . The Civic ; is

the class with pin4 ups, but some people will steal anything.

V for Vatermelon

,. MRS, MYRTLE WASHAM, 506% S. East st. was “a little excited” when her daughter, Norma, almost 13, cut into a watermelon the other evening and discovered that the seeds had a perfect V “for vicon them. She bought the melon on the South Side market. . . . Mrs. Arnold Gregory, 2157 Adams looking for help from someone acquainted with Pacific islands. Mrs, Gregory's son, Clarence, is

could go deer hunting, but that he

Washington Feud

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31—8ome new crisis bobs up in Washington every seven days, Most of them blow over. On the morning when War Production Board Donald M. Nelson left Washington airport for China, he said goodby to a few of his aids with every belief that the crisis in WPB top management, resulting in the resignation of Vice Chairman C. E. Wilson of General Electric, had been settled in his—Nelson’s—favor. Three hours later the President in a press conference statement threw the whole question into further confusion by intimating that he did not know what would happen to Nelson when he got back from China—the question was too “ify.”

Aids Choose Up Sides

. BIMILARLY, on the day before, Wilson called a press conference in which he blasted Nelson for his delays in putting into effect plans which Wilson claimed the credit for preparing. This happened * right after Nelson and Wilson had called a meeting of 150 WPB executives, shook hands in front of everyone, and insisted there was no difference of. opinion between them on plans for reconverting American industry from war to peace production. ¢ Thus at a time when business most needs steadiness and assurance from Washington, what it gets is another scandal. Lesser WPB officials now choose

My Day

\ WASHINGTON, Wednesday. -+Monday I left Hyde Park in the early morning to go down, to New York City and straight on to Washington. I am only here for one day, and have come because I find that there are certain things it is wise to talk over with the : housekeeper ~ before the actual winter season begins. There has been no time this year when someone hasn't been living in the White House, and so the difficulties of cleaning and renovating an old house tax all the staff here in spite of their long experience. I had a most interesting talk with Lorenzo A. Winslow, the White House architect, today. I > learned from him the reason why : it was to have the House painted white. I had always heard that the sandstone out of which it was built had become blackened by smoke, in decided to paint over the smoke, ; did not realize, however, that sandstone is porous for the smoke to have penetrated to

depth. ' Mr. Winslow says he has found, in doing

in FEmavaiing oh the outside, that the stone was | a ]

depth of

the war of 1813, that it

didn’t think he would as he wfnted to get home “all

together” if he could. From that she dedueed he is

on an island inhabited by both Japs and deer. Has anyone any clues? . , . B. G. Zimpfer, whose address is the U. 8. naval construction training center at Camp Endicott, R. I, believes in preparedness. Mr. Zimpfer, who said he is planning to “establish a war museum for posterity to gaze ‘upon and léamn,” sent in a dime the other day for a “copy of the paper (when published) with the headline concerning the end of the war with Germany.”

Help! Help!

BOB STERNBERGER, a former Martin bomber test pilot and later a pilot in the army transport service, all over the world, had some exciting experien: uring his war service—but none to compare with a recent episode right in his own bedroom at 4002 N. Pennsylvania. Bob, who received an honorable discharge several months ago and now is with Adler's Dress Shop, awoke the other night and discovered a bat in his room. Bob, who had risked his life many times as a flier, found he just didn’t have the courage to tackle the intruder. So he hollered for his mother, and pulled the covers over his head. His mother doesn't like bats, either, but his father, Sidney Sternberger, came to the rescue with a fly swatter, putting the bat out of combat on the third swat. Honestly Bob, we don’t blame you. We'd do the same thing. . . . The local bookshops sold out of Ray Pence’s "Style Book in“English"—a secretary's manual—after it was reviewed the other day by John Hillman. Block's and Ayres’ expect new shipments, however, and are taking orders. Mr, Pence is head

our agents reports that recently he noticed a chain across the steps leading to the under-the-sidewalk men’s rest room on the Kentucky ave. side of the Hotel Lincoln. Evidently workmen were making repairs, Hanging on the chain was a crudely lettered sign reading: “Closed. If you are on official business, come on down.”

By Peter Edson

up sides and are marked as Nelson men or Wilson men, and the battle goes merrily on though both of the leaders are now out of the Washington scene.

Formula Isn't N ew

IT IS NOTEWORTHY that the man called in to try to clean the WPB stables in Nelson's absence, 37-year-old Lt. Cmdr. J. R. Krug, is not a businessman but a professional public servant—a “bureaucrat” if you must—who rose to prominence as a New Deal administrator. With the exception of one. job with a Wisconsin telephone company, his entire experience has been with the state public service commissions of Wisconsin and Kentucky, with the federal communications commissibn in New York, with the Tennessee Valley Authority as operations director, as power consultant to the old office of production management, from which job he was advanced to boss over priorities and director of program planning. Another notable point about the Krug appointment is that it was made directly by the White Housé and that in the entire Nelson-Wilson dispute, Director James PF, Byrnes’ office of war mobilization, which was set up to resolve differences within the war agencies, was by-passed entirely. Solution of this clash of officials'in the executive set-up is thus achieved by the only formula Washington seems to know. One of the offending combatants is fired or permitted to resign while issuing a blast at his opponent, and the other gets stripped of some of his power or sent on a long junket. Then some tried and true New Deal White Wing is called In to try to sweep up the mess left behind.

By Eleanor Roosevelt

Winslow's feeling for restoring whatever he can which has historical interest in the White House. His desire is to do whatever is done now in .a way that will increase the “historical value for:the future. This is a point of view which my husband and I deeply appreciate. It" is wonderfully cool here for this season, and 1 am lucky to have come when the weather is so kind. In spite of the heat this summer, William Reeves, the florist, the ho

8 RETR £5

_|Ralph Peters, editor of Quill, the

ISSUE TO BEAT ~ F.D.R.-GATES

GOP Nominee Speaks at’ - Richmond; Woos Labor In Marion Talk.

RICHMOND, Ind, Aug. 31 (U. P.). — Ralph F. Gates, Republican gubernatorial candidate, said today that bureaucracy was one of the great issues of this year’s campaign and would result in the defeat of President Roosevelt. Gates, speaking before the Richmond Kiwanis club, said that if he were elected governor, theie would be no government by execuive order in the state. He said that he defle’ anyone to name the agencies, bureaus and departments that have been created “under the present administration in Washington and a subservient congress.” Gates said that the record was clear and that it would defeat the President. '

“Debt of $300,000,000”

He added, “There is no question that the war in Europe will soon come to a victorious conclusion. This will likely be followed in a few short months with victory in the Pacific. . . . We will be confronted with a debt of $300,000,000,“It has been estimated that it will require $37,000,000,000 to pay the cost of state, national and local government and maintain an army’ and navy each. year. The largest peace-time income America has ever enjoyed in any one year is $89,000,000,000, The seriousness of this situation cannot be over-em-phasized.”

At Marion, Ind, last night in a speech intended to woo labor, Mr. Gates declared that his administration would “do everything possible to meet the employment situation” after the war, After lauding the achievements of the workers as “unequalled in all the history of any great nation in war production, Mr. Gates promised, if elected, a program that would lead the way to the creation by private industry of “real jobs” for post-war labor,

Sees Communist Peril

He warned that the “communistic trend of the New Deal administration” endangers the future welfare of labor organizations. “Even in 1940, after eight long years of New Deal experimentation, there were still some 8,000,000 to 9,000000. persons unemployed,” Mr. Gates said. ’ “Since the New Deal administration proved itself completely incapable of providing real jobs before the war, can labor afford to take a chance on the same administration after the war?”

Outlines Proposals The gubernatorial candidate outlined many ways the state government can help the employment situation. “The state government can and should take a leading part in the promotion of post-war improvements | by the cities and towns and by the state itself,” he said. “A program looking toward this result will be carefully planned ang economically carried out so that the interests of the taxpayers will be fully protected.”

PERU, Ind, Aug. 31 (U. P).— Senator Samuel D. Jackson (D. Ind.), told party members last night that victory and a lasting peace can best be assured through the election of a Democratic President and government leaders. } Jackson, candidate: for Indiana governor, at a Masonic picnic criticized the Republican legislature for “blocking” Governor Schricker’s efforts to obtain use of the federal war ballot in Indiana along with state provisions. ’ Jackson said the Republican legislature “disfranchised” many Hoosier soldiers.

TRUMAN LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TONIGHT

LAMAR, Mo. Aug. 31 (U. P).—| The Democratic party launches its active campaign for a fourth term tonight (9:30 s Time) when its vice presidential candidate, Senator Harry 8S. Truman, broadcasts to the nation from this little town of his birth.

said his address would

The occasion was Truman's official acceptance of his nomination as President Roosevelt's running mate.

for active

cated that he will have little time campaigning

erm di LILA LEE HONEYMOONING PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 31 (U. PB). —Lila Lee, star of the silent films

Four

It's a small world. The old maxim popped into the minds of four Indianapolis soldiers, former schoolmates and chums, as they met at a base in North Africa, each unaware that the others were within thousands of miles, But if they were surprised at the first chance meeting, then amazement better describes their reaction when they. recently met again—just

Italy. The haphazard Hoosier reunions were made up of two brothers who had not seen each other since they left this country, Cpl. Ralph Jordon and Pfc. Robert Jordon, sons of Mr. Mrs. Russel] Jordon, 4628 Ross~ st.; Sgt. Herbert Pauli, son of H. C. Pauli, 2844 Park c. Charles Holland, son and Mrs. Earl Holland, 3051

eeting occurred at a ital base in North Africa June 1943, Robert Jordon’s birthday.

They Meet Firs

Ralph went to a town near the

t at

738

#4 ar vi

Four Hoesier

in his life, he later stated.

After exchanging greetings, the | pital unit. M, P,, ‘who turned out to be Robert| The men saw each other conJordon, and Ralph returned to the|tinually and their nightly bull ses-

pals . . . left to right. Sgt. Herbert Pauli, Pfc. Charles Holland, Pfc. Robert Jordon, and Cpl. Ralph Jordon.

base to pick up some laundry and man with whom they had gone to spied a familiar looking M. P.|school, Pvt. Holland, was receiving standing on a corner—the first| treatment at the hospital, and that time he was ever glad to see one yet another former friend, Sgt.

Indianapolis Men Find It's Small World After All: North African Base,

Again in Italy

copies of The Times to provide them topics for conversation. But

., |the meetings came to an end when

i one by one the men were shipped— {destination unknown.

Pvt. Holland went to Italy, Steily, Salerno, Anzio, Cassino. In rapid

, (Succession he received the purple heart, oak leaf cluster, infantry

7 badge of merit, and the bronze star

Pauli, was stationed with the hos-

¢ for gallantry. Then wounds sent

him back to a hospital station near the lines. hn. Through mail from home he learned that his North African buddies, Ralph and Bob Jordon, were stationed five miles from the hospital and he immediately contacted them. The three men got together while Pvt. Holland was convalescing to reminisce and bemoan the absence of the fourth man, Sgt. Pauli, The reminiscing is still gaing on, but the bemoaning ended abruptly.

Sgt. Pauli, who also had been

base where Ralph was stationed as|sion on Indianapolis reached a cli- [transferred to the hospital, walked a hospital attendant. THe same day| max when Sgt. Pauli received veri- [in on the trio. As far as the parthey discovered an Indianapolis!table manna from heaven — 15ients know, they're still together.

By JOHN L. BOWEN

upon the other in the early stages

No clue, however unimportant

bility, could be eliminated without ing exploration. And in the midst of fitting their clues together, detectives time and again were distracted by utterly false leads. For example, there was the case of the young woman who hailed a cab in Ohio st. between Meridian

*and Illinois sts. at 3 o'clock one

morning and ordered the driver to take her to police headquarters “where I can get this WAC thing off my mind.” ‘Confesses’ Killing Deposited at Alabama st. headquarters, she confided to officers that she was the mystery woman in black who had been in Cpl. Ridings’ room—T729—and” that she had killed the corporal in a quarrel Police sniffed the woman's breath and placed her in a cell to “sleep it off.” The next morning she remembered nothing she had said about the WAC case, was fined on an intoxication charge and released. Later the same day, a bedraggled, teen-aged boy appeared at the detective bureau bearing a rainsoaked note which he said he had picked up in the 100 block of South Illinois st. The note, which was unsigned, said: “Bob—Maomi Ridings will be at the hotel at the 28th. Make a early visit. Don’t worry.”

Detectives wasted valuable time studying the implications of this note before they were able to dismiss it as the work of a thrill-seek-

ing crank. ‘Butterflies’

This venture was no less annoying than the flurry caused by an anonymous informer who urged police to hunt for a certain sex degenerate who always left his “signature” in ink on the leg of his victim, such as the ragged, eight-inch-long streak observed on Cpl. Ridings’ right leg. Investigation proved that the story of such a degenerate was poppycock and it was assumed, with good reason, that the ink on the corporal's leg had dropped there from the pen with which she had been writing the letter to her insurance company, During the chasing of these “butterflies” (as crank clues are called in the homicide squad’s language), Detectives Noel Jones, Fae Davis, James Partain and Fred Swego were making progress with other angles. They learned that the brown whisky bottle (a fifth) with which Cpl. Ridings had been killed had been purchased by the WAC herself at a liquor store a few moments before she registered,

Bought Nightgowns They learned also that Cpl. Ridings had purchased two expensive nightgowns, presumably between the time she reached Indianapolis on the bus ‘and the time she checked in at the hotel. But this

the absence of money in her purse at the time of death, created another mystery. What happened to the nightgowns? They were not among her affects at the hotel nor have they been located to this day. (Were they gifts for the woman in black?) Dogged questioning of guests and employees at the hotel spotlighted two employees whose activities on the night of the murder were open to question. One was a food handler who once had taught school and later had been sentenced to the Indiana state prison for an offense against a 10-year-old girl The other was a linen boy who re-

BARNABY

fact in itself, possibly explaining|

In view of the tumultous manner in which developments piled one

of the investigation of the murder

of WAC Cpl. Maoma L. Ridings in the Claypool hotel, it is little wonder that weary detectives were up against a stone wall.

it looked, could be brushed aside

until fully assayed. No tip, however much it bore the stamp of incredi-

This is the fourth in a series of articles on the WAC murder case and other unsolved Indianapolis slayings.

portedly had been on the seventh floor Saturday evening “at a time when he was supposed to be off duty.” “It was reported that he carried a master key to all guest rooms. . Clues Explode In the preceding chapter, we mentioned the “confession” to the murder by an 18-year-old boy from New Castle, the finding of the WAC skirt in Tibbs ave, the woman in black seen leaving the seventh floor by the service ele« vator, the bloody shirt left at the laundry by the pint-size ex-bellboy, the presense of an ex-convict as a hotel guest and the discrepancy in the story of Bellboy Wolfington who said he had received a call to Room 729 when actually the bell captain's sheet showed no record of such a call. The New Castle youth's “confession” exploded even as he sought to convince detectives that it was on

{the level. The longer he was ques-

tioned, the deeper he became involved in a web of misstatements which showed he hadn't the slightest knowledge of the murder room or its occupant. He spoke of furniture that wasn't in the room. He said he fled by the fire escape. There was no fire escape near 729. He :was dismissed as a thrill seeker. Patrolman William Gorton clarified the mystery about the woman in black who vanished down the service elevator. She was the girl who had been escorted from the fifth floor room by the three men who were on their way to investigate the trouble discovered by Housekeeper Lillian McNamara in Room 729. The three men were John Ellers, assistant manager of the hotel, Lt. Leslie Gwaltney of Stout field and Capt. William Taylor. When they learned that Cpl Ridings was dead in Room 729, Gwaltney told the girl to “scram.” She left by the service elevator.

Didn't Know Victim

Interviewed later, she insisted that she had not known Cpl. Ridings and that she definitely had not been in the corporal’s room earlier in the evening (when Bellboy Alfred Bayne delivered the ice and coca-colas at 4:48 p. m.). The WAC skirt found in Tibbs ave., while of the same size as that worn by Cpl. Ridings, bore an entirely different identification number. It was found to have no connection with the case.

HOLD EVERYTHING

PAT. OFF

“Let's sce your driver's license!”

The pint-sized man who left the bloody shirt at the E. Washington st. laundry, was arrested. He explained ‘that his mouth had bled while he slept due to the extraction of several teeth. The blood on his shirt was from his mouth. He was discharged, completely vindicated. Both Wolfington and the ex-con-vict were questioned, the bellboy first. In explaining why there was no bell captain's record of the call from 729 between 6:15 and 6:20, Wolfington said he had received the call in the bell captain's absence and had taken the ice to the room without recording the call. In that way, he said, he would be able to fudge the 20 cents the WAC would pay for the ice and which, if the call had been recorded, would go to the till. Wolfington ultimately was released, completely vindicated. The ex-convict, detained under heavy bail, readily admitted that he had served a sentence for theft and that since his parole, he had week-ended frequently at the Claypool while holding a position at a state institution.

Check Impersonators

He said that he was caffing on a woman friend at another hotel at the time Cpl. Ridings was slain. He said also that he was in company with two male friends. All three of his friends were questioned. They supported his story. He was released, completely vindicated. Although police believed the female impersonator theory to be fantastic, they nonetheless gave it polite attention. Police checked their files in a hunt for any criminal who might have a record of female impersonations but found none who would fit into the Claypool mystery. In connection with the bellboy who dressed like a woman and “hung around downtown on Saturday nights” nothing was learned directing suspicion to his conduct on the night of the murder. The food handler and the linen boy were arrested. The food handler was released when he proved that he had left the hotel prior to the murder and was asleep at home. Another ‘Confession’

The linen boy, on the other hand, made a “confession” (the third in the case) that was nothing short of ludicrous. His description of the room was so haphazard that investigators realized he hadn't been anyway near 729. They turned the boy loose—gladly. Another loose end of the casé was tied up when detectives questioned the Camp Atterbury officer with whom Cpl Ridings had a date the night she was slain. He admitted that he was the man who had called the room twice while the body was being examined, but gave proof of his whereabouts that exempted him from all suspicion. Many persons have asked this writer what he considers the MOST IMPORTANT clue in the

WAC case, We will not answer that question

{directly but will suggest that the

solution might lie in the answer to anyone of the three following questions: Why was there a 25-cent piece in the blood near Cpl. Ridings’ head? Why was there a matchbook at the murder scene bearing the number of a room in which a poker game was being staged? Why was only 21 cents found in Cpl. Ridings’ pocketbook when she ostensibly left Camp Atterbury with $40? We end this review by simply repeating the oft-asked question: Who killed Cpl, Ridings—and why?

TOMORROW — The murder of

Gus L. Wiedenhoft.

Clues Explode One by One in WAC Murder; WARREN CITES The Question Remains—Who Killed Her?

SPEECH MIX-UP

Charges GOP Headquarters

Released Copy Without

His Consent.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 31 (U. P.).— Governor Earl Warren explained today that the mix-up created by lastminute changes in the speech he gave on a national radio network Tuesday night was caused by the premature release of a text by Republican national headquarters. He said the New York headquarters released the text on a hold for delivery basis without his knowledge or approval. The speech, as given by Warren, was toned down considerably from the text released in New York. The original was highly critical of Sidney Hillman and the C.I.0O. Political Action Committee,

Raps President

“I wonder if it was for educational and not political reasons that Mr. Roosevelt, passing through Chicago, is reported to have said to the chairman of the Democratic national committee: ‘Clear everything with Sidney,” the text released in New York said. It also criticized the President

ate the Earl Browder-Sidney Hill-man-Communist-Allied Political Action Committee . . . the last hope of the fourth term's lost cause.”

Eliminates Material

But Warren eliminated this material. He said merely: “The Republican party does not propose to buy this election. We insist, though, that Mr. Sidney Hillman and his committees shall not be permitted to do it either. We know that they do have in mind lavish and uncontrolled campaign expenditures in beha)f of New Deal candidates and that their real pur- | poses have not been fully disclosed.”

MAD BUTCHER’ NO MYTH, PARIS SAYS

PARIS, Aug. 31 (U. P)-—Dr.. Marcel Petiot, the mad butcher of the Rue Leseur whose gory crimes were broadcast by the Germans during their occupation of Paris, was no Nazi propaganda myth but probably the super-Bluebeard of all time, gendarmes of the Clichy district confirmed today. “We have identified 54 of his victims, and heaven knows how many more there are,” they said. The murders included an undetermined number of women. “He used to bicycle here daily to meet his victims,” neighbors told me. “He was a big man with frowning, shaggy brows and a hard _ look in his eyes. He didn’t look like a doctor—he always was dressed in workman's overalls. Now we know why.” The neighbors said there always was a fire in the chimney, pre sumably used by the doctor to burn his victims. He still is at large after leading the police a futile chase, and it is rummibred that he escaped to Germany, :

SPREAD OF POLIO EASES IN INDIANA

Dr. Thurman B. Rice, of the state board of health, reported today that 6 new cases of infantile paralysis were recorded last week but said the state's polio epidemic was on the decline. Dr. Rice said there were 108 cases reported during August, which brought the year’s total to 182. Six deaths have been reported. :

Mom! There IS o my window! . . .

—

Nonsense, You're imagining things. . . It's the wind end rain. ... I'll be in there as soon as | get Jane in bed.

Shelter, m'boy! For your Fairy Godfather. And my g old friend, Gus the Ghost.

for his asserted refusal to “repudi=