Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 92, Number 72, 25 March 1922 — Page 1

MOM) VOL. XCIL, No. 72 Palladium. Est. 1831. Consolidated With Sun-Telegram. 1907. RICHMOND, IND., SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 25, 1922. SINGLE COPY, 3 CENTS

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WATT'S DEALS PILED UP INTO BIG EQUITIES Takes Original Poor $50,000 Investment and Runs It Up to $660,000 Worth of Undesirable Securities.

GOV. BREWER TALKS The story is gradually unfolding of how $50,000 of poor Investments for the Dickinson Trust company were used by Edgar F. Hiatt, its deposed ' president, for speculations that went into large figures. The $50,000 was used by him as an original investment, which was traded r-nd re-traded in Chicago property and southern lands until the total of these trading operations amounted to more than $660,000 of undesirable securities I As the trades were made from time to time it was necessary to use mora money to protect the equity already in the property, and, it is alleged, thai ecurities belonging to the trust company and money belonging to Hiatt personally, went into the trades in arder to work out the original investment. , Bad trades and general business conditions rolled up the investments until they reached the figures discovered by the state hank commissioner. Orders Note Returned. Definite suspicion that something was vitally wrong arose about five weeks ago when a note for $41,000. rigned by Mr. Hiatt, was presented ior payment through a local bank. This note was made payable to an Indianapolis man and was ordered returned by Mr. Hiatt, who said he would arrange for its payment in that city. This note came at a time when local hanks were receiving many inquiries from different sections of the United States about, the credit'of Mr. Hiatt, indicating that he was attempting to borrow on a large scale in a number of places The investigation that followed re - suited in the discovery of Mr. Hiatt

irregularities in the Dickinson Trust company and the closing of that institution until its stockholders could make good inadmissible assets in excess of $660,000. . Deals Cover Wide Area. Mr. Hiatt's operations seem to hrrvn been confined to real estate speculations and their trail leads through Indianapolis and other Indiana cities, t Chicago, and through the south. Con nected with Hiatt in his land deals have been a number of land operators, one of whom acted as his representative in his trades and in his negotln tions for loans in other cities. Mr. Hiatt's operations extended from city property to southern plantations. Some of the land operators, who ifg, have been connected with Mr. Hiatt in his extensive trades, declare that if he is given time he can work hin f.elf out of his present position without any loss of the capital he has used. Mr. Hiatt's trading operations covered deals in the following cities: Chicago. Indianapolis. Marion, lnd. Grand Rapids, Mich.

Muncie, lnd. Hamilton, Ohio. Clarksdale, Miss. Greenville, Miss. Somerset, La. Anderson, lnd. , Dayton, Ohio. Deal With Mr. Brewer. One of Mr. Hiatt's transactions was with ex-Governor Earl Brewer of Clarksdale, Miss. Mr. Brewer holds Mr. Hiatt's note on a transaction and among the inadmissable assets turned over to the trust company by Mr. Hiatt was a note signed by Mr. Brewer. CLARKSDALE, Miss, March 25. Ex-Governor Brewer said today he knew all about Mr. Hiatt's dealings in that section. He said he had met Mr. Hiatt several times in Chicago, the first time being last November. He was i introduced to Mr. Hiatt by Clyde L. Peck who is understood to be Mr. Hiatt's representative. In January -of this year Mr. Peck negotiated for Mr. Hiatt with a Mississippi bank an unsecured loan of $25,000. Mr. Hiatt owns about 50 mules, implements and other personal property connected with his land holdings, alof which have been attached on account of indebtedness, according to Mr. Brewer. Ex-Governor Brewer stated that on March 20, a friend at Clarksdale received a telegram from Mr. Peck, who was then at the Hotel Astor. New York, telling Mr. Hiatt's trouble at the Dickinson Trust company and stating that Mr. Hiatt was personally involved only to the extent of $30,000. Mr. Brewer further said that Mr. Hiatt was involved around Clarksdale in deals and that he felt it would, pay the Dickinson Trust company to send a man there to investigate the situation. INDIANAPOLIS. March 25. A number of Indianapolis men participated more or less directly in real estate transactions with Edgar F. Hiatt, former president of the Richmond Dickinson Trust company, now closed by order of Charles W. Camp, state bank commissioner. Some of the Indianapolis men were interested in deals by which Mr. Hiatt eventually acquired real estate securities-which Camp ordered out of the bank's assets. The bank's stockholders now are replenishing the assets by assessments of $205 a share. The local connection came to light with the suit filed by Robert A. Leavitt, an Indianapolis dealer in Mississippi lands, aganst George E. Meyers, an Indianapolis and Marion land dealer, and G. B. McLemore, a Mississippian, in the superior court here this week. Inquiry into the nature of the suit led to the various connections with (Continued on Page Three)

fJO ACTION IS TAKEN BY COUNTY OFFICIALS TO PROSECUTE HIATT No official action has been taken by the Wayne county officials toward prosecution of Edgar Hiatt, deposed president of the Dickinson Trust company, according to statements by

Judge W.Ia. Bond and Prosecutor Paul A. Beckett Saturday. Asked : if a grand Jury would be called in connection with the Dickinson Trust 'company matter, Judge Bond said nothig had been called to his attention that would require such action. "No official representation has been made to you that would require the calling of the grand Jury?" he was asked. "None whatever," was the answer. Prosecutor Beckett said he was waiting for the bank officials to get "squared around" before starting an investigation. "The initiative rests with the bank?" he was asked. "Yes," he answered. "I would think that the bank depositors would call me in, and if they do not do so in a ! reasonable time, I am going in my self." "Will there be an investigation by the county officials?" he was asked. "There will be," he answered. 17 MEN ARE DEAD OR MISSING, RESULT OF MINE EXPLOSION fBy Associated Press TRINIDAD, Colo., March 25. Seventeen men were dead or missing today as a result of an explosion in the Sopris mine of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company near here yesterday, an official check by mine officials revealed. Eight bodies had been recovered from the tunnel this mornine. but hone that, anv of the missine workers mieht be rescued had been abandoned when the check was made. No attempt has been made as yet to ascertain the cause of the explosion. According to officials, the 17 men deidu and. missing were the only men in the mine at the time of the disas ter, the more than 200 members of the day shift having left the mine but a few minutes before the blast W.G.T.U. WILL STAGE LAW ENFORCEMENT RALLY AT ECONOMY W. C. T. U. members from every union in the city are urged to attend the county institute to be held Thurs day and Friday, March 30 and 31, at Economy. The gathering is to be in the nature of a law enforcement rally with an address by Mrs. Elizabeth T. Stanley, president of the state W. C. T. U. She will be leader of the institute and is scheduled to speak at both sessions. The Rev. George G. Burbanck, pastor of St. Paul's Episcopal church, of this city, is to address the institute Thursday afternoon, his subject being "Social Morality." A large part of the program will be given to citizenship problems and the importance of the primary election, ! strengthening of the Volstead act and i other subjects are to he stressed. A white ribbon recruit program will also be conducted by County Superintendent of Mothers' Meetings Mrs. Ella Bond, of Fountain City. Mothers are asked to bring children under six years of age to receive the white ribbon. HANDLEY GETS ROSES FROM LEWIS SHANK Mayor Lawrence Handley, just back from the Salazzo, Mariso home east of Richmond Saturday, was treated to a surprise when he entered his of fice shortly 'before noon Saturday. - A ,arge' bouquet of roses, sent with' the compliments of Samuel Lewis Shank mayor of Indianapolis, occupied the center of his desk. The flowers were sent in connection with the flower show which opens Saturday. BOUNDARY DECISION IS KEPT SECRET CBy Associated Press) BERNE, Switzerland, March 25. The Swiss federal council as arbitrator of the long standing boundary dispute between Venezuela and Colombia has reached a decision but the conclusions are being kept secret until interested governments are officially informed. It is said, however. that a reconciliatory compromise has been proposed. The Venezuela-Colombia frontier, dispute was submitted to the Swiss federal council in May of last year, both governments agree to accept its decision as final. Swiss engineers were sent toSouth America to mpe surveys of the disputed territory. Thirty years ago the King of Spain made an award in the same dispute which both Colombia and Venezuela found unsatisfactory. Soldier, Member of Peary's North Pole Expedition, Dies (By Associated Press) NEWTON, Mass., March 25. The death of George J. Costlgan, who was a member of Admiral Peary's expedition to the North Pole in 1909, a vet eran of the Spanish-American war. the boxer uprising and the Philippine in surrection, became known today. He had been in a hospital here for a year and a half suffering from the effects of gas poisoning contracted while em ployed at the Watertown arsenal.

U. S.TO BLACIE FOR EUROPEAN TRADE CHAOS If Democrats Can Get This

Issue Before People They Will Have Powerful Issue in Campaign. HAVE RESPONSIBILITY Br MARK SULtlVAW WASHINGTON, D. C, March 25. Someone asked a Democratic leader the other day what would be the issue in the coming congressional and senatorial elections. He said the issue would be "The Economic Effect of Hermitage. By this he meant that the present economic distress in the United States 13 due to the fact that our trade with the rest of the World is paralyzed and that this in turn is due to the fact that America's policy of isolation has been responsible for halting and holding back the restoration of the world to peacetime economic conditions. If the Democrats can once get this issue before the people in an easily intelligible form, they will have a powerful issue. But if the Democrats merely phrase it as "America's failure to join the League of Nations," they will not have stated the whole story, and they will have injured their own cause. Failure Our Fault There cannot be much doubt that the failure of the world, three years and six months after the end of fighting, to have made much real progress towards normal conditions in an econ omic sense, is chiefly due to the United States. If Wilson had not gone to Paris at all, and if the United States had not attempted to take a dominant hand in laiigms me worm, tne other na tions would have taken some course or other of their own initiative, and would have gone ahead on it. The course they would have chosen might or might not be the best one; out at tne worst they would have been pointing at something and getting somewnere. rneir course might not have been the best; but it would have been a course. But what happened at Paris was that the United States didn't leave Europe free to choose its course. Threw Things Overboard ; The United States insisted that the rearrangement of the world should be made along lines dictated by what was

then the government of the Unftedfof the American government that pay

States. Having insisted on that and having started the world off in the direction we dictated, we thereupon halted, hung fire for two vea rs. and I then threw the whole thing overboard. incu. uur country is responsiDle for the resulting chaos there can't be much doubt. The cause of the present paralysis of international relations and of the failure of the world to be well on Its way to some kind of economic stability, is largely on our shoulders. To go deeped into the subject than (Continued on Page Three) MAY ASKlEAGUE TO ASSUME CONTROL OFTHEOARDANELLES (By Associated Press) PARIS, March 25. The league of nations is likely to be asked to take control of the Dardanelles, it became known despite the secrecy with which the allied foreign ministers have veiled their deliberations here. The Tivalry between France and Great Britain in the near east and the constant friction which has ex isted between them at Constantinople i are pointed to in international political circles here as showing the practical Impossibility of applying any scheme of internationalization to the straits that would suit all the allies. For that reason Premier Poincare, Marcus Curzon, British foreign secretary, and the Italian foreign minister, M. Schanzer, have discussed the eventuality of asking the league to relieve them of this burden. ' M. Schanzer, a strong advocate of the league, Is said to have particular ly urged this solution, while M. Poin care and Lord Curzon are understood to welcome any plan that will relieve them of a problem which thus far has developed only trouble and contributed to irritation between the two allies. CONSIDER ATTITUDE TOWARD U.S.G.G. HEAD ' . (By Associated Press) CHICAGO, March 25. The anti-ad ministration faction of the U. S. Grain Growers, Inc., which held a protest meeting following adjournment of the annual convention yesterday, met again today to consider its future attitude toward the administration of President C. H. Gustafson. The anti-administration delegates expect to formulate a plan by which they can continue to support the general policies of the United States Grain Growers, Inc., but at the same time express their dissatisfaction with the regime of President Gustafson. Typical March Gales Promised For County Wayne county promises to be the center of wild, ttormy March weather during the next 36-hour period, according to Weatherman W. - E. Moore Saturday. The weather will be very Lstormy, with rain and probably fol lowed by freezing temperature or lower. v

But When He Loaned

INDIANA CONGRESSMEN BACK U.S. MOVE TO COLLECT EXPENSES OF RHINE ARMY

PAIXAIUVM JVEAVS BIREAU WASHINGTON, March 25. The action of President Harding in ordering the withdrawal of the American forces on the Rhine, coming shortly after the French government began to show a disposition to dicker over the request ment of $250,000,000 out of the German reparations be made for the maintenance of American troops in Germany, meets with the approval of all Indiana i members of congress who have expressed themselves on the subject.' The experience this government is now having in attempting to secure reimbursement for its occupation of the Coblenz sector affords proof, in the opinion of Indiana congressmen, of the wisdom of the United States declining to participate in the Genoa conference. 1 It is pointed out that the allies agreed to reimburse the United States for assisting in the occupation of Germany. This agreement was entirely apart from and independent of the treaty of Versailles. The allies are now showing a disposition to repudiate this agreement and are insinuating that the United States must "sit in - an international economic comerence ana aicKer ior ner money or agree to recognize the Versailles treaty if she expects to be paid what is due her from the German government , Tired of Allied Policy The Harding administration, it is generally understood, has become heartily tired of the "whole, hog or; ORCHESTRA TO RETURN SUNDAY AT 10:45 A. M. Word has been received here from the Richmond high school orchestra which has been giving a series of concerts in Nashville, Tenn., that the organization will arrive in Richmond, Sunday morning at 10:45 o'clock. Weather Forecast FOR RICHMOND AND VICINITY By W. E. Moore x. j c-j-w. tonight ana bunday, continued warm tonight; colder by Sunday night or Monday. The eastward advance of the Rocky mountain storm indicates general precipitation sometime during the next 36-hour period, probably beginning tonight, with strong south wind3. changing to westerly winds, and followed by falling temperatures. Temperatures Yesterday Maximum 69 : Minimum 4i Today Noon 69 Weather Conditions The warm! spell continues unbroken over the central and southern states, hut it was colder last night over northern Indiana, due to a cold wave over southern Canada where temperatures are zero and below. . It Is snowing in the northwest behind the approaching storm. For Indiana, by the United States Weather Bureau Unsettled weather, probably rain or snow, tonight and Sunday; colder Sunday and in northwest portion tonight , Paid Circulation Yesterday, was 11,547

Them $10,000,000,000 the

none" policies of certain of the allied governments; tired of having this country characterized as mercenary when it infrequently asks a settlement of just claims resulting from the war. "We came out of this war with nothing except the most monumental debt any . country ever had piled upon it," remarked an Indiana congressman. VT ti nthor hand fjroat Tlritnin emerged from the conflict the undis puted mistress of the seas and with the lion's share of the German colonies. France obtained the tremendously rich p rovince of Alsace-Lorraine (Continued on PageSixteen) SUPPLEMENTAL PACT ATTACKED TODAY BY TREATY OPPONENTS (By Associated Press) WASHINGTON, March 25. Debate Ion the four-power .Pacific treaty was resumed in the senate today with a momentum entirely unaffected by yesterday's ratification vote giving final senate consent to the pact. . The treaty opponents started the argument by again raising a question as to the validity of 'the "accompanying declaration" signed by the arms delegates. At the same time they affixed their signatures to the treaty itself. This declaration stipulates that "domestic" issues shall not come within the scope of the treaty. Consideration Put Over. The supplemental declaration came up for ratification immediately after the final vote on the four-power treaty yesterday but consideration was put over until todays' session when Senator Robinson, Democrat, Arkansas, i announced that he desired to present and discuss an amendment to the supplemental pact It was understood he would seek to amend the latter so that the island of Sakhalin, occupied by the Japanese would be excluded from the scope of the four-power agreement. More than 20 unsuccessful attempts to qualify, senate action by reservation or amendments distasteful to the administration were made 'by the iri- reconcilable element yesterday before i . . .... J , the treaty was ratified by the final vote of 67 to 27. The only reservation adopted was the no alliance declaration proposed by the foreign relations committee and accepted by President Harding which carried by a vote of 90 to two. On the ratification roll call 12 Democrats voted for the treaty and only four Republicans opposed it. PRINTER-ROBBER SETS ' EXPLOIT HEADLINES (By Associated Press) PORT HURON, Mich., March 25. Frank Davis, 20, compositor for a local newspaper, robbed downtown stores at night and in the daytime set head lines of his own exploits, he told Pros ecutor Henry Balrd today. Davis who was arrested early today, admitted, according to the prosecutor. a series of 30 rohfceries. He said he entered the stores "for fun" and that he divided the proceeds with an unknown accomplice for whom the police are searching. , ' v Taking 19 pennies from a cash register. In which there were 50 pennies, removing Canadian money- from a cash register and leaving American currency undisturbed, and taking material from a first aid kit, were among the robberies Davis admitted. y

Door Was Wide Open

200,000 NON-UNION MINERS OBJECTIVE OF STRIKE LEADERS (By Associated Press) CLEVELAND. Ohio, March 25. Leaders in the nation-wide coal strike of union miners .set for April 1, turned attention today ' toward winning 200,000 non-union miners to a walkout which seemed assured the united suppurt of the half million union men. Calls for the non-union to act will be issued in several states early next week, probably on Monday. The program of striking the nonunion fields was decided on by the general policy committee of the United Mine Workers of America, which in concluding its formal meeting here yesterday afco affirmed the union's policy of a general suspension of work with no wage contracts being made for any soft coal district until an agreement had been reached for the central competitive field. Doubt Expressed Doubt that the policy could not be maintained in some partly unionized fields was expressed by Frank Farrington, the Illinois leader whi voted to support it, but declared the Illinois union would make a contract with the operators whenever the strike began to crumble. , . In addition to laying plans for extending the strike, the committee meeting was marked by a private conference between John L. Lewis, the miners' international president, and Warren S. Stone, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. It ended with Mr. Lewis' announcement that Mr. Stone had "proferred assistance in any way that it can be utilized," but the miners' chief declined to define the nature of the proposed aid, and Mr. Stone refused to make any statement GUNMEN ARE BUSY IN BELFAST TODAY BELFAST, March 25 Gunmen were busy again today. Three men ambushed John Beresford, a Protestant and an employe of a morning news paper. He was wounded twice. Several men entered the home of a coal hawker in Georges street in East Belfast, set it afire, and then shot a pony and a donkey belonging to the hawker. David Christie was stopped on the street by several men who interrogated him regarding his religion. He turned and fled, escaping unhurt, although a shot was fired after him. EAST END MARKET LOCATION NOT DECIDED The matter of a location for the East End market this year is giving the marketmaster and city officials some concern. Mayor . Handley said Saturday. The place used for a mar . jiel laai. year i iiuw occupiea uy 3 gasoline filling station, and no other site has been located at present, "The logical location would be on South Sixteenth street, near the East Main Street Friends church," said one official discussing the matter Saturday.' "This location is convenient to all sections in the east side of town, and the only objection would be the spoiling, of the grass. This might be taken care of, however, if the city would cement the space between the sidewalk and curb." - i. LLOYD GEORGE TO RETURN , (By Associated Press) -LONDON, March 25. Prime Minister Lloyd George is expected to return Monday from Criceieth, where he has been enjoying a brief vacation.

PASSENGERS,. GOLD CRAZED, DIE AT SEA Rescued Pilot of Flying Boat, Delirious and Exhausted, Tells Story of Tragedy at Sea Missed by Ships.

LEAP FROM AIRCRAFT ("By Associated Press) MIAMI, Fla, March 25. Two of the women passengers of the flying boat. Miss Miami, which left here Wednesday for the island of Bimini, and was forced down in an open sea by a broken propeller, died of exposure, and two other passengers crazed by exposure. jumped overboard into the sea, accord ing . to the stories told by Robert Moore, pilot of the craft to members of the crew of the steamer, William Green, which rescued him last night from the .wrecked hulk of the boat. The fifth passenger, a man whose name, as well as those of the others, Moore could not glve slipped quietly into the sea early yesterday, after having become exhausted from clinging to the craft. Passengers aboard the Miss Miami when she left here were: Mr. and Mrs. August Bulte and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Smith, all of Kansas City, and Mrs. J. S. Dixon, of Memphis. Death is Feared. The sub chaser 154, arrived in port shortly after 10 o'clock today after having transferred the delirious pilot from the steamer, William Green which picked him up. He was rushed to a hospital where it is feared the exposure will result in his death. According to the disconnected story which the exhausted , and delirious pilot told during , intervals when he was rational, two women died in his arms from exhaustion, two of the passengers became panic stricken and jumped over board to their death and the remaining male passenger finally slipped quietly into a watery grave Friday morning as a result of sheer exhaustion. The incoherent story of the tragedy as tpld to the members of the crew by the pilot before he lapsed into a semi-conscious condition ia to the effect that shortly after the Miss. Miami . left tins port last Wednesday morning a broken propeller forced her down and she rode on the waves in safety drifting northward in the Gulf streams. , - , ' Hull Springs Leak 1 " Nothing happened until Thursday morning, when the hull of the flier began to leak a3 a result of hitting against something. Men and women passengers took turns using the pump until all became exhausted, and one of the women on Thursday night (which one Pilot Moore could not say) jumped overboard. A man, whom he though was her husband, jumped after her, and both disappeared, never to be seen again. The fate of the man and woman depressed the other women and they fainted away, but were supported by Pilot Moore for seven and a half hours. After seven and a half hours the two women died in the arms of the pilot, and he gently dropped their bodies into the water, which had now claimed four passengers. This left only Pilot Moore and Au gust Bulte, vice-president of the Larabee Flour Mills corporation of Kansas City, who took turns manning the pump in an effort to keep the flying boat afloat. - They kept this up until Friday morning, when they were so exhausted they could no longer man the pump. Flyer Overturned. About this time a huge wave came along and overturned the flyer. Bulte and Moore scrambled over the sido of the boat and Moore fastened a rope around himself to support him in case he became unconscious. Standing on his feet he waved a white handkerchief, keeping this up all day long.; " After crying for help, Bulte, realising his condition and that death was not far away, took a roll of money containing $2,000 from his pocket rnd handed it to Moore, saying, "You are a younger man ana may De able to come through, but I cannot hold out any longer." Then he dropped to Y.s grave beneath the waters of the Atlantic. According to the story of Moore, nine boats passed the Miss Miami after she was down, one so closely that he could read her name, but they did not see the wrecked craft. He said that on Wednesday and Friday he saw planes flying overhead, but saw none on Thursday. ; , - Mrs. J. Stewart Williams, who wa aboard the William Green, took charge of the stricken pilot when he wrs rescued. In his delerium M pore fan cied she was his mother and kept repeating "Mother, you made me give up the automobile racing game, but don't take my plane away from me." That. divine providence had something to do with the rescue Is the firm belief expressed by Captain William Wachsmuth, of the William Green. He said that something impelled him to go to a point off his regular. - 1 course and that when he did this i ho sighted the wrecked seaplane with a . . i . its sole survivor. its sole survivor. It was dusk when he came from hH cabinet for the. last time Friday night before going below and as he looked out over the waters he noticed an object - . 'i - Using his glasses he saw that It was something waving. He turned hi3 ship toward the object, and although a high sea was running lowered a small boat. As the craft reached the side of the overturned flier, Moore fell exhausted in their arms and was unconscious for some time. $2,190 Building Permits Are Issued Daring Week Building permits issued in the past week by Inspector ,J,, Ed. Higgs totalled' $2490 for construction costs. Their prices ranged from $100 to ?500.