Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 40, Number 132, 17 May 1915 — Page 1

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HUMAN TORCH ENDS HIS LIFE IN BARN FIRE Hagerstown Man Pours Coal Oil on Clothing, Lights Match and Meets Death in Flames.

BARN IS DESTROYED Thwarted in Former Suicide Plan, Thad Rudy Succeeds in Plan to Incinerate Himself. HAGERSTOWN, Ind., May 17 Using himself as a flaming torch, Thad Rudy, 70 years old, a Civil war veteran, set fire to the barn of John Locke in the north part of the town, and incinerated himself. His body, charred beyond recognition, was found in the debris. Set on ending his life, Rudy entered the barn with a can of coal oil, satur ated his elothcr. sprinkled the fluid! over the ba:r ! oor and walls and touched off clothes and the boards with ...itch. In a few minutes the structure was a mass of! flames which the fire department; uofeld not extinguish. Entrance Unnoticed. His presence in the building was I rjt recalled until the roof and walls ?iad caved in. A neighbor then remembered that Rudy had been seen ntering the barn ten minutes before te flames were discovered. Search d to the discovery of the body, ttudy, who was slightly paralyzed, r ! en entered the barn to rest and his entrance at 9:30 o'clock this morning was given little attention. Suspicion that he might be in the structure grew when the flames enveloped it, but there was no chance to search the burning barn. Threatens Suicide. A few days ago, Rudy threatened to shoot himself, but his wife, more than 60 years old, succeeded in wresting the revolver from his hands.w Since then, friends believe he has been planning to end his life, and this morning decided on incinerating himself. Rudy cherished no hatred against Mr. Locke, owner of the barn, who lost $1,500 on the building and its contents. Locke believes Rudy used his barn to execute his suicide plan. Rudy is survived by his wife and a brother, D. A. Rudy, of Indianapolis, a prominent insurance agent. For the last two years, Rudy has been unable to work. At one time he was a prominent stock buyer and trader. His downfall is attributed to drink. He came to Hagerstown a year ago from Ohio. mm FROM ZEPPELIN ; ATAL TO ONE WOMAN IN LATESUIR RAID British Flyers Chase Hostile Aircraft From East Coast! Across North Sea to Home ! Station. LONDON, May 17 The Zeppelin airship which bombarded Ramsgate early today was chase' a'.! the way across the North Sea 'ho Belgian coast by swift Britit! ;)I:t.ci;. The ad miralty believes ppt-lin was damaged when eight naval guns at Dunkirk threw bombs at the airship and a large quanity of smoke was immediately visible. One death will probably result from (he air raid early today, the fifteenth one to be made over the east coast of England. At Ramsgate, sixty-seven miles east, of London, where between fifteen and twenty bombs were dropped, the Bull and George Hotel was partly destroyed by u missile which fell upon the roof. Ail the windows in the building were shattered and a woman was seriously injured. A man was also hurt. Three other persons were struck by flying debris. At Ramsgate a sentry who fired at the Zeppelin, was wounded by fragments of a bomb thrown at him. Several air craft were observed at Dover approaching the harbor, but high angle guns were turned against the hostile flyers and they turned and fled out to sea. It was reported from both Deal and Margate that Zeppelins had been seen. WeatherForecast FOR INDIANA Fair tonight with light frost In low portion. Tuesday fair. Slightly warmer. For Richmond Fair tonight and Tuesday. Freezing tonight. General Conditions The storm of the past 36 hours proved to be severe in many places over the central states and lake regions and is now moving down the St. Lawrence river. Much cooler weather follows it Temperatures of freezing in the northwest. The temperature will begin to rise after tonight. .W. E. Moore, Weather Forecaster,

HALDANE HINTS AT

NEED OF RECRUITS Viscount Haldane, Lord High Chancellor, in the House of Lords, has sounded a note of warning to the nation on the possibility of conscription. He said: "We are fighting for our lives in perhaps the most tremendous war in history and, even . though we may think that under ordinary conditions and in time of peace the system of vol untary enlistment is one from which it would be the most difficult to depart, yet we may find that we shall have to reconsider that situation in the light of the tremendous necessities of the nation. I think conscription may come, but it is well to remember that our voluntary system has given us an army which, for quality, compared with anything that can be put in the field." U. S. TO SPURN ARBITRATION OF WILSON'S NOTE Germany Expected to Offer Mediation and to Suggest America Stop Exportation of Arms to Allies. WASHINGTON. May 17. Offical Washington believes the German government will offer to submit the questions at issue between the countries to arbitration, but the opinion is growing stronger that such a proposal will not meet the approval of President Wilson and his advisors. The belief is general among officials and diplomats, that Germany will not agree to cease her submarine warfare against non-combatants and will urge that a "country too proud to fight," should find a way to prevent the furnishing of arms and ammunition to her enemies by means of passenger ships. Such practice, Germany is expected to declare is unmoral and should be stopped at once. Oppose Arbitration. The belief that a suggestion of arbitration will be opposed by this government is based on the attitude taken by President Wilson in the discussion of sinking by the German raider r:'r,f Eitel of the American sailing ?h!p William F. Frye. Then It was stated that this question was not one for a prize court as suggested by Germany, but for diplomatic consideration. It is pointed out that if the American government could not consider arbitration in a prize court in the Frye case it. could not adopt this matter of settlement in the Lusitania case, as a submarine whose methods of attack the President so vigorously denounced caused the destruction. Note In Berlin. Official notification reached the state department today that the president's note concerning the Lusitania had been formally delivered to a German foreign office Saturday morning at 10:30 o'clock. The cablegram was merely a formal announcement of the receipt and presentation of the American communication, and gave no information of how the note was received. THIEF ROBS STORE A thief entered the store of the Atlantic and Pacific Tea company, 727 Main street, late Saturday night and secured about $15 in small cahnge from the cash register and a box kept in the bookkeeper's desk. A man by the name of McNeil, who Had been employed by the company as a solicitor until recently, has been arrested on suspicion, but has denied that he is guilty of robbing the store. The thief entered the building by removing a grating over a surface window in the alley, crawling through this opening into the basement.

LIGHTNING SETS BARNS ON FIRE DURING STORM Three Farmers North of Richmond Suffer Almost Total Loss of Stables and Valuable Contents.

HEAVY RAIN FALLS Water Taxes Capacity of New Elm Place Sewer Police Signal System Burns Out. The electric and rain storm Saturday night did hundreds of dollars worth of damage over the county, but was of inestimable. value to farmers. The deluge at times approached a cloud burst. Many trees were blown down in the city county. Little damage from lightning Is reported in the city, the farmers suffering most from this element. The northern part of the county was hardest hit by the play of electricity. During the heavy rain, the barn of Earl O'Dell, between Fountain City and Lynn, was struck and set ablaze. Only the stock was saved. The feed and grain were lost and the structure was almost completely razed. Lightning struck a barn east of Fountain City, owned by Benjamin Wright but no blaze resulted. The bolt tore the corner off the roof. Water which entered the break did slight damage. Lightning Ruins Barn. A barn owned by O. L. Crawford near New Madison, was struck and burned. It is said the barn was a complete loss. In Richmond, the flood of water soon filled sewers and flooded streets. North E street merchants said the new Elm place sewer relieved the E street line so they suffered no damage from water in basements. The North C street swr east of Sixteenth street street, flooded and in some places, backed sewage onto the street. Sidewalks were covered with a deposit of mud Sunday morning. The same trouble occurred at points on South C street, where the inadequate line there filled in a few minutes after the rain started. The police flash light system and many telephones were burned out. The light companies did not suffer much. Farmers in the vicinity of Richmond said almost all of the deluge remained in the ground and as a result, they would not wcrry if no rains fall for some time in the future. It was the first rain that penetrated the ground to the depth of a plow. The only anxiety expressed was that the sun would bake the finely plowed late corn fields and form a crust which would prevent corn shoots from breaking through. PORTUGAL GETS NEW RULE IN CIVIC REVOLT Lisbon Garrison Surrenders While New Cabinet at Once Takes Up Matters of Internal Policies. LISBON, May 17. The revolution has been completely successful. Fighting has ceased and the capitol is resuming its normal aspect. The cabinet has been reconstructed under the premiership of Jao Chagas, and today took under consideration the matters of internal policies which have been a cause of contention for many months. The casualties of the revolution are estimated at 20 killed and 150 wounded but reports that exPremier Costa had been assassinated are officially declared untrue. The Lisbon garrison after a futile chnw nf resistance has surrendered and word has been sent to the detach-! ments of provincial revolutionists that were marching upon the city to retire. Oporto has been bombarded by the gunboat Limpopoc whose crew mutinied and joined the rebels. Hundreds of arrests are being made. The revolutionary party issued a manifesto declaring that all citizens found with arms outside the ranks of the revolutionary army would be arrested. BLAZE COSTS $400 A spark from a chimney started a blaze at the home of Fred Keller, Bridge avenue, this morning, and the flames were not extinguished until the roof and a part of the ceiling of the second floor of the frame dwelling had been destroyed. Most of the household goods were removed but some of tho furniture, on the second floor was damaged either by fire or water. Thej loss will be at least $400. ; Fireman Pinnick of the No. 1 hose j i1t workine with a hose. 1 slipped off the roof. of the building, but escaped with a few slight briuses and was able to return to bis duties.

Glub Asks Status On Purchase Deal

The following communication, requesting information pertaining to the status of the proceedings for the purchase of the electric plant of the Light, Heat & Power company, was submitted to the board of public works by Secretary Haas of the Commercial club today: "The committee on Public Service Corporations of the Commercial Club has held several sessions for the purpose of making investigation of the proposition as instituted by the city for the purchase of the electric plant of the Richmond Light, Heat & Power Co. At one of these sessions held at the club rooms' April 28th, the Mayor, Mr. Robbins, the president of the Board of Works, Mr. Bavis, and superintendent of the Municipal plant, Mr. Kleinknecht, were invited and were present for the purpose of fully laying before the committee the data they had prepared upon which they had based their conclusions favorable to the purchase. It was at this meeting that the committee was informed by Mr. Robbins and Mr. Bavis that the proceedings brought before the Public Service Commission were only preliminary and did in no way legally obligate the city to buy the plant, but were simply instituted to secure an appraisal of the property of the Richmond Light, Heat & Power Co., and that when the price had been fixed by the commission the city had 120 days in which it could determine whether or not it desired to buy the plant. "After this conference with the city officials, it was deemed desirable by the committee to have a like conference with the representatives of the Light, Heat & Power Co., to get their viewpoint of the proposition, as it might assist materially at this stage of the proceedings in shaping the committee's recommendations. On the invitation of the committee, Mr. Tripp, vice-president of the company, Mr. Olney, general counsel for the company, both of New York City, and Mr. Wilfred Jessup their local attorney, and Mr. Nimrod Johnson, manager of .their plant, were present at a meeting last Saturday evening, May 14th. "These gentlemen submitted a proposition to the committee to lease the Municipal plant for a period of 50 years and Mr. Tripp, who presented the company's statement to the committee, casually remarked that the city was now irrevocably committed to the purchase. It was this statement that the committee seized upon and the entire discussion subsequently turned on this issue. The Light, Heat & Power Co., takes the position that the city is now bound to purchase the plant, and cannot of its own volition recede only by mutual agreement of both parties. This view is at direct variance with the position taken by the city officials. This committee thinks that the citizens should have some definite information on this point. If the city's position is right as expressed by the officials, then the citizens still have opportunity to discuss and determine whether or not to purchase the plant; but if the Light, Heat & Power Co.'s position is correct, that when the city availed itself of the option to purchase by passing the resolution in council, the purchase was then compulsory, then the city really purchased the plant when it passed the resolution. The question, therefore, before us is has the city still got the right to exercise its option to purchase the plant, or is this closed to it by the resolution of council, and all that remains to be done is to fix the price. "The committee, therefore, petitions your honorable body to convey to it the opinion of the city's legal department as to the force and power of the resolution adopted by council as it relates to the option of purchase. Are the proceedings irrevocable or not?"

CROWDS CHEER WILSON DURING NAVAL REVIEW New York Gives President Greatest Ovation Since Inauguration660 Detectives Stand Guard. SHIPS FIRE SALUTE Cruiser Baltimore Acts as Convoy to the Executive's Yacht on Cruise From Hampton Roads. NEW YORK, May 17. Frequent showers, lowering skies and chill breezes furnished an unpleasant setting today for President Wilson's visit to New York and his inspection of $300,000,000 worth of warships assembled in the Hudson river. Nevertheless the city gave itself up wholeheartedly to welcoming the distinguished guest and cheering him upon his arrival to review the great fleet. The review took on added significance because of the uncertainty shrouding the international situation at the present time. Detectives Stand Guard. Elaborate precautions were taken to guard the president today. All the available detectives of the city, about 660, were summoned to headquarters and assigned to duty in connection with the land parade. As son as the Mayflower arrived in port a wireless message was sent to Secretary of the Navy Daniels on board the Dolphin, and greetings to the chief executive were then flashed from every warship in the line. It was not until the Mayflower reached this port that it became known that she had been convoyed all the way up the coast from Hampton Roads by the United States cruiser Baltimore. President Wilson was accompanied by Acting Mayor McAneny, Secretary of the Navy Daniels, W. Butler Duncan, the chairman of the welcoming committee, and a number of other officials as he drove to the reviewing stand. Uniformed patrolmen could be seen upon roofs of houses where they had been sent to guard against possible bomb throwing along the route. Marines Pass Stand. With trumpets and brass bands five thousand bluejackets, marines and members of the naval militia paraded before the president. Four regiments of sailors and one regiment of marines led the procession on horseback. When passing the reviewing stand the band played the "Star Spangled Banner," and the cheer of the thousands of spectators were so vociferous that they rattled the windows of buildings. When the parade had passed Pres -:dent Wilson was driven to the Biltmore hotel, the scene of the official luncheon. The ovation given to President Wilson on his way to the Biltmore was the greatest he had ever received in New York.

TENNIS STAR KILLED AT DARDANELLES

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AT Winding. Anihony F. Wilding of New Zealand, former lawn tennis champion of Great Britain and who several times has been a member of the Australian team in the Davis cup matches, has been killed in the fighting in the Dardanelles. Mr. Wilding was a second lieutenant in the Royal Marines. CONTEST TO DELIVER MEMORIAL ADDRESS Under the direction of Mr. Null, head of the Enslish department of the high school, thirteen members of the public speaking class will contest to be chosen as the speaker to deliver Lincoln's Gettysburg speech at the Coliseum on Memorial Day. The members of the G. A. R. and the D. A. R. have made arrangements for the contest with the high school faculty. The contest will last for three days. The winner will receive three dollars and the privilege of making the Gettysburg address on this occasion. The students who attain second place and third place in the contest will receive two dollars and one dollar respectively. MRS. WISE DIES GREENSFORK, Ind., May 17. Mrs. Charles Wise of Greensfork, died Sunday afternoon after an illness of several years. She is survived by a husband and two daughters. Mrs. Charles Cummins, Greensfork, and Mrs. Verl Sheffer of Williamsburg. Services will be held at the home at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. Interment will be in the Greensfork cemetery.

SMS COUNCIL'S ACTION CONSTITUTES CONTRACT FOR BUYING L.H.&P. George H. Obey, Representing City Electric Plant's Competitor, Declares Resolution to Purchase Binds Richmond to Complete Deal at Figure Set by State Utilities Commission Under Terms of 1913 Negotiations When Company Gave Up Its Franchise and Extended Option to City Condemnation Suit Automatically Closes Contract

ARGUMENT STRIKES

Officials Had Informed Commercial Club Committee that Proceedings Constituted Preliminary Steps and Were Not Binding, Serving Only to Compel Public Service Board to Establish Selling Price Carefully Baited Trap Suspected Secretary Haas Demands Legal Opinion of William A. Bond Attorney Refuses to Comment on Case.

How They Compare Municipal light plant has 5,200 consumers. The Light, Heat and Power Co. has 1,600 consumers. The Light, Heat and Power Co.'s plant is supposed to be valued at $200,000. The city can use $50,000 of this equipment, the balance to be sold for junk, estimated value $15,000. This leaves a balance of $135,000 which the city is paying for the L600 consumers, .or $84.00 for each consumer. The city last year made $24,000 net from the light plant with 5,000 consumers, or $4.80 for each consumer.

At a meeting of the members of the public service corporation committee and directors of the Commercial Glub Saturday night, George B. Tripp and George H. Olney of New York City, representing the Richmond Light, Heat & Power company, declared that when the Light, Heat & Power Company gave up its franchise in. 1913, it, under the provisions of the law, extended an option to the city to buy its property, and that when the city council recentlypassed a resolution authorizing the purchase of the plant, a contract was automatically closed between the company and the city, which contract could not be rescinded without the consent of both parties. This, Mr. Olney and Mr. Tripp said, was the opinion of their attorneys, and had been borne out by recent decisions of various public service commissions. If a bomb had exploded in the room the city in such a petition these proit would have caused but little more j feedings could not be withdrawn, sensation than the unexpected assert-j Today Secretary Haas of the Cornion of the two New York representa- j mercial club, acting under the intives of the Light, Heat & Power com-; structions of the public service company. At a meeting of the members of! mittee, waited upon the board of pubthe club committee about ten days i;s works and presented a petition askprevious Mayor Robbins, President ing that the city legal department give Bavis of the board and Superintendent: an opinion as to whether the proceedKleinknecht of the municipal plant ' ings instituted by the citv, under a had informed the committeemen that resolution adopted bv council at a the city's recent action in filing con-; ' star chamber" session, are irrevocdemnation proceedings with the state . able, as the Light. Heat & Power corncommission was merely a preliminary j pany maintains. move for the purpose of having the; After this statement had been rad commission establish a selling price1 Mr. Bond declared that he had "no for the electric plant of the Light, statement to make at this time" Heat & Power company, and that after ; Mayor Robbins, President Bavis and such a valuation had been established ' other city officials. In the discussion the city then had 120 days to decide which ensued, made no effort to conwhether or not it desired to purchase , Ceal the ill feeling thev entertain the plant. These officials informed toward the Commercial chih and inH.

the committeemen that they had been' given this advice by City rtuuiu Bond. Jessup Makes Statement.

After Mr. Tripp and Mr. Olney had to purchase the electric plant of the sprung their sensation Wilfred Jessup. Light. Heat & Power company local attorney for the Light. Heat & Thi(, fn lo . . , . , Power company, declared that the 1 1 ' eJIs's " shared bv at '"f1 Indiana law which provides for mu-i ' " rlbte ..... , . . , , i or instituting the condemnation rromcpaluies taking over public service ceedingSi wfiam Bradburv" f Pt corpora , on properties through con-; . committee and a demnation proceedings was a literal ,K f .v - f , copv of the Wisconsin law on thisif '. , u ;. ,.-,- t .public service committee, and Elbert point and he said decisions of Russell, a member of the citv council. Wisconsin commission on such con- . . demnation proceedings corresponded Said Step Preliminary, with the surprising statements Mr. j At the meeting Saturday night Mr. Tripp and Mr. Olney had made to the; Bradbury declared that the mayor's. Commercial club representatives. I special committee had been positively Apparently so convinced were theiinformed bv City Attorney Bond thar representatives of the Light, Heat & j the proceedings ordered by council did Power company that the city has ac-!not bmd tbe city to the purchase of tuallv purchased the electric plant of!the PJant unless it desired to consumthat concern, it now being merely a j rcate the deal. Professor Russell made question of what price the city would i a similar statement and both declared

have to pay, that they advanced a proposition for the leasing of the municipal plant by the Light, Heat & Power company, the terms of which the Commercial club men regarded as impossible and which were declared to constitute a "dirty insult to the people of Richmond." by President

Bavis today. They intimated that the I wneiner or not ine cuy administration accentance of this proposal would benad walked into a carefully baited the only action which would prompt i traP- 11 was practically the unanimous the company to join with the city in opinion that such was the case, requesting the commission for a with-1 When Mr. Tripp outlined the rough drawal of the pending condemnation ! draft of the company's proposal for proceedings. They frankly declared j lonS term lease of the municipal that unless the company did join with Continued On Page Two.

CITIZENS LIKE A BOMB

mate.-' that if the city had no author- ( uy to withdraw its condemnation pro ceedings they were perfectly well satisfied as the administration Hirt iuey wouia not nave iavorea me institution of the proceedings if there had been any doubt in their minds as to whether such action irrevocably bound the city to purchase the plant. Representatives of the Light, Heat' & Power company with smug smiles ! listened to the excited discussion of