VOL. LXI-NO. 19,374
Entered at Portland (Oregon)
Poatoffioe Second-class Matter.
PORTLAND, OREGON. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1923
PRICE FIVE CENTS
TURK'S
UPSETS
WOULD-BE HOLD-UP
AT RAINIER FOILED
CHINESE PAY TRIBUTE INEW DISEASE INFECTS
OFBANDf
IH LUKE
PIERCE
MR. BEAN TO RUN
STATE FOR WHILE
WEIRS TO FACE
TO DEAD MISSIONARY
PASSENGERS ON SHIPS
MODE
Tl
OUTLINES
PLAN TtfGUT TAX
Message to Legislature
to Suggest Ways. "
LAUSANNE
FOUND
MURDER
CHARGE
CLUMSY ATTEMPT MADE TO
ROB STATE BANK.
MARY BERKELEY BURIED IK
ORIENTAL SOIL.
'GIMMIES' REPORTED TO ACT
ON ALL ALIKE. -
ACTING GOVERNOR RITNER
PLANS TO TAKE TRIP.
I
Delegate Flatly Refuses
Allies' Pleas.
RIZA NOB BEY INSOLENT
Moslem Sullen and Stand
. Roils French.
CHRISTMAS IS RIDICULED
Appeal for Military Exemption
as Holiday Gift Answered
With Angry Retort.
LAUSANNE, Dec. 21 (By the As
Eoclated Press.) Christmas threat
ens to be a stormy time at the Lau
sanne near east conference. Thurs
day was a bad day; today was
worse. A temper which did not seem
to harmonize with the usual spirit
of the yuletide, pervaded today's
session of the sub-commission on
minorities.
Efforts were made to get Dr. Riza
Nur Bey, the second Turkish dele
gate, who formerly was accredited
by the Angora government to repre
sent it at Moscow, to agree to the
exemption of the Christian minori
ties in Turkey from military serv
ice. But he refused flatly and seem
ingly sullec'y. He declined to give
any reason for this declination and
several others equally as flat.
M. Laroche of the French delega
tion made an appeal to Riza Nur
Bey on military exemption, saying:
"Come on, make the allies a little
Christmas present on this point."
The Turkish delegate, however,
retorted angrily: "We don't be
lieve in Christmas presents."
Riza Nur Bey also refused to
agree to a provision for the preser
vation of Christian cemeteries jn
Turkey. This caused much surprise
among the other representatives, as
the Turks ordinarily are extremely
careful to protect all cemeteries.
Allies Insist on Clause,
The allies Insisted upon consid
eration of the clause providing that
the Turks must respect the work
done under the league of nations in
recovering and restoring to their
families Christian women and
Christians who were seized and
Islamlzed by the Turks before the
close of the great war.
The Turks also declined to agree
to this provision, and the sub-commission
ended the session seemingly
with a feeling of utter disgust at
the attitude of Riza Nur Bey, which
several members of the sub-commission
described as "highly insolent."
. The Turkish delegation has re
ceived instructions from Angora
that no agreements are to be made
et Lausanne on economic questions,
which are to lie over for negotia
tion at some later time.
This has created dissatisfaction
among the allies, especially the
French, who are anxious that
economic questions should be set
tled at this conference.
Straits Control Up.
Control of the straits still is
being considered in private sessions.
Lord Curzon, M. Barrere, SIgnor di
Garroni and Ismet Pasha were in
conference on this subject yesterday
nd again today. The representa
tives of the three great powers have
made It clear to Ismet that if they
give the special guarantees Turkey
eeeks to protect Constantinople
from attack, Turkey In turn must
give the allies Jurisdiction over the
straits and the entire demilitarized
zone. Ismet has this under con
sideration. '
The intransigeant position of the
Turks on capitulations, straits con
trol and the rights of minorities, is
generally regarded by the allied
delegates as being due, at -least in
part, to their desire to hold as many
questions as possible In reserve for
the purpose of future trading, and
that they may yield many moot
questions if they are able to get
strong guarantees which will pre
vent the invasion of Turkey.
Outlook Is Dark.
The outlook for a satisfactory
outcome, however, is far from
bright. The prominent delegates
are so uneasy about the situation
that few of them are planning to
leave Lausanne for the Christmas
tide. Meetings will be held again
tomorow, but Chrtstimas, day will
be a holiday and the sessions will
resume next Tuesday.
Rear. Admiral Bristol of the Amer
ican delegation left for Paris to
qy, but Ambassador Child and Jo
seph C. Grew will remain in Switz
erland for Christmas.
The impression that settlement of
the problem of the Turkish straits
was not progressing as rapidly as
anticipated became general as the
result of a statement Issued by fxr
Turkish delegation.
This made It clear that Turkey's
acceptance of the proposal to ap
point an international commission
of control depended upon acceptance
by the allies of certain conditions
demanded by the Turks.
The Turks, furthermore, have de
manded a pact by which the allies
individually and collectively guar-
ACuuciudeU. ua age 3. Column i.J
Alarm Frightens Amateur Outlaw
' and Capture by Armed Busl--,
ness Men Follows.
RAINIER, Or., Dee. 22. (Spe
cial.) A clumsy attempt was made
at 3 o'clbck this afternoon to rob
the State Bank of Rainier. A man
giving his name as W. May entered
the bank and at the point of a
revolver commanded the cashier,
Al Fuller,' to "stick 'em up." Miss
Leola Weston, a clerk, made her
escape by way of the front door and
rushed into a department store,
while the cashier set off the bur
glar alarm system in the bank.
-When the alarm sounded the
would-be robber became frightened
and started to run, throwing his
revolver and overcoat as he went.
He was soon overtaken by O. B.
Granigan and S. Nassar, local busi
ness men, who were both armed.
Sheriff Wellington was in Rainier
at the time of the robbery.
The man said he' was a resident
of Ttainler, having moved here about
three weeks ago from Kelso, where
he was employed by the Inman
Poulsen company, and that he had
been working for the Menefee com
pany here. May Is :.bout 50 years
of age and has a wife and two
small children who are apparently
in poor circumstances. He gave as
his reason for the attempted rob
bery that he needed the money.
EUROPE VISIT RELATED
Major G. C. Franklin Addresses
Vancouver Rotarians.
VANCOUVER, Wash, Dec. 22.
(Special.) Major G. C. Franklin, who
is with the medical corps at Van
couver barracks, today told the local
Rotarv club of his recent visit to
Europe and the impressions he had
carried away with him. He said
that found that Americans trav
eling in France, Belgium and Hoi-
land were charged higher prices
than people of other nationalities,
because the shopkeepers in those
countries have an idea that all
Americans are made of money. The
neonlR in the countries of western
Europe appeared to be prosperous
and in France and Belgium were
proceeding rapidly with reconstruc
tion plans, he declared.
The V.npniiVAr Rrttnrv lllh todav
sent J100 to Astoria for relief work.
YULE MAILS CURTAILED
One Delivery to Be Made In City
Christmas Day.
Announcement of the mall deliv
ery rules to prevail on Christmas
day has been made by Postmaster
Jones.
All carrier stations and the main
office will be open from 8 A. M.
to noon, except the money order
and postal savings section of the
main office and central station,
which will remain closed all day.
Carriers will make one delivery
of all classes of mall matter. They
will be assisted by temporary car
riers employed for that purpose.
Regular holiday collections from
the street boxes will be made and
regular dispatches to outgoing
trains will be made as usual.
SEAPLANE FORCED DOWN
New York-Rio Janeiro Voyage Is
Interrupted by Mishap.
NATAL, Brazil, Dec. 22. (By the
Associated Press.) Lieutenant Wat
ter Hinton and his fellow aviators,
flying from New Tork to Rio Ja
neiro, left here in the , seaplane
Sampaic Correla II for Cabedella, a
coast town about 100 miles south of
here, at 8:50 o'clock this morning.
Word was received later that the
seaplane had had a mishap and had
put in at Bahla Formosa, between
here and Cabedello. One of the air
men took a rowboat and started for
Cabedello to board a steamer there
for pernambuco, to obtain supplies
for repairs to the machine. All th
crew of the plane was safe, the dis
patch stated.
JAIL OPENS CHRISTMAS
Chance to Be Given Members of
"Alimony Club."
CHICAGO, Dec. 22. The Christ
mas spirit -will open the doors of
the county jail and strike a blow at
the "alimony club" in that institu
tion, and, incidentally, reunite a
dozen or more families, Superior
Judge Hurley let it be known today.
"I intend to free the husbands I
have sentenced to jail for non-1
support and failure to pay alimony,'
said the judge. "They can spend
Christmas with their families, and
then, who knows, perhaps with an
other chance they will ,do the right
thing."
In accord with the spirit, 30
broken homes have been restored in I
the eourt of domestic relations.
MEAT CONSUMPTION BIG
,
150 Pounds Eaten by Each Per
son in America This Tear.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Dec. 22.-
xne department or commerce in a I
statement tonight estimated that the I
per capita consumption of meat in j
the United Staes will exceed 151) I
pounds his year;.
. The estimate was based on returns
covering- eight months and which
were said to show an average
slightly Above that figure.
Bodies AreJdentified as
Missing Men.
TROOPS ARE ON GUARD
Martial Law Is Expected iryeaft' despite what, mpiing said.
... . . ' She must sleep with our people,
Louisiana Parish.
a
ARRESTS HELD LIKE
Bits of Clothing and Buck!
' Belts Declared to Belo
to Kidnaped Fair.
MER ROUGE, La., Dec. 22.
Bodies of two men blown'' from the
bottom of Lake La Fourche early
today by unidentified dynamiters
were lying at an undertaking es
tablishment here tonight while mil
itary men stood guard pending the
arrival of additional troops from
Alexandria and New Orleans, -ordered
here today by the adjutant
general. The bodies, badly mutilated and
befund with wire, were believed by
the authorities to be those of .Watt
Daniels and Thomas Richards, mem
bers of a party of five prominent
Mer Rouge citizens who -were kid
naped last August by white-robed
and hooded men and who have been
missing since, and the object of
three days of raking of the- lakes
of Morehouse parish by national
guardsmen, federal agents and pro
fessional divers.
Authorities here declared that
they were satisfied that the bodies
were the ones sought. Relatives
and close friends of the missing
men viewed the bodies during the
day and tonight and it was reported
bits of clothing found on the men
were recognized. , " '
Inquest to Be Held.
The coroner announced tonight an
Inquest would be held over tfle
bodies, probably tomorrow. The ar
anval of the attorney-geneiral of
the state and two. prominent path
ologists of New Orleans is awaited.
In the absence of official informa
tion, the next move on the part of
the state was not known here, but
It was learned the consensus of opin
ion the inquest would be "followed
by the arrest of at least 20 persons,
alleged ring leaders of the August
mob. The names of these men will
be presented the military or civil
court by 'department of justice
agents have been conducting secret
investigations, it was stated.
Mer Rouge citizens . expressed
themselves tonight believing
martial law would be declared here
and the arrests made by troops.
Everything was quiet and peace
ful on the surface here tonight, but
(Concluded on Page 2, Column 2.)
SURE
7 , W JL 7 : MXYXWYAy
Worker in Local Colony of Celes
tials. Claimed as Member
of Race She Helped.
Alien by birth, of another blood
and speech, yet kindred by thooi
ties that are far from geographical,
Mary Berkley, missionary, found her
last rest yesterday" within the
lacquered and gilded precincts of
the Chinese area of Riverview-cemetery.
For east" is west, and west is
th our most honorable ancestors,"
id the Chinese, "for was, she not,
ldeed, a sister to us?"
Arid so it came to pass that the
Baptist mission -worker, who passed
,in her 76th year, was honored in
death as few Caucasian folk ever
have been, and that the oblique eyes
of the orient were wet with tears
when she came to the close of the
chapter. Her loyal service among
the Chinese of Portland,' to which
she long ago was assigned by the
board of home missionaries of her
church, so endeared Miss Berkley to
these friends that to them she was
one of the household.
At White Temple yesterday, when
funeral services were held, scores of
Chinese from the bent and wrink
led merchant of old days to the
dapper striplings of now paid
tribute to her memory. "More than
a mother to us," said an elder of
the colony. It has been said that
the east is not outwardly emotional.
There were tears, and low voices of
grief, to give the lie to this.
Not only is the sacred . soil of
their burial ground the resting
place of their friend, but they, the
Portland Chinese, have insisted that
the stone which marks her plot
must- be their gift. From Indivi
duals and from various organiza
tions there were dozens of floral
offerings yesterday some inscribed
with lettered sentiments in English,
but many in the characters of the
ancient culture.
Miss Berkley had been asso
ciated with the Baptist home mis
sionary movement for many years.
When Dr. Thomas J. Villers, who
conducted the funeral service, was
a lad in Marietta, O., Miss Berkley
was his school teacher.
When Miss Berkley left Ohio she
went to Salt Lake City as a home
missionary until public schools
were established there, when she
became a teacher in that system.
At the request of the Baptist
Home Mission society Miss Berkley
came to Portland 15 years ago and
devoted her entire time to -the
Chinese section.
Miss Berkley is survived by' a
brother, James E. Berkley, of Salt
Lake City. Incidentally ha js a
deacon of the Emanuel ' Baptist
church, of which- the Rev. Russell
Brougher, formerly of Portland, is
pastor.
CASH GIFTS PROHIBITED
League Acts to Prevent Further
Note Inflation in Austria.
VIENNA, Dec. 22. To . prevent
further note inflation, the league of
nations representatives have for
bidden the government to distribute
Chrlstman gifts in cash to civil
servants.
YOU. HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ANYBODY?
- ;- '
Travelers Show Symptoms Soon
After Voyage Starts; Drink
Seems Only Cure.
- NEW YORK, Dec. 22. Surgeons
on ships flying the American flag
have discovered an Insidious disease,
the "gimmies." It was described
today by Dr. E. S. Kippel of the
President Garfield, which made port
yesterday. "It's terrible," he de
clared. "It's ravages appear beyond
control. It starts soon after the
ship leaves port and continues al
most until she is docked.
"Men and women come to me with
the disease1 stamped clearly all over
them. 'I'm sick,' they say. I ask
them what's the matter. They tell
me they ar feverish, they are suf
fering" with stomach pains, they
have headache their eyes ache,
their bones creak with pain every
thing. ,
"And then, when I am properly
sympathetic, everyone of them shows
the, one common symptom.
" 'I must have a drink,' they say."
Dr. Kippel said that on the Pres
ident Garfield's last two trips the
number of sick passengers num
bered nearly 100 per cent.
CLEVELANDJBACKER DEAD
Close Friend of One-Time Presi
dent Passes Away.
SOUTH ORANGE, N. J., Dec 22.
William J. Gibson, the man credited
with having convinced Grover Cleve
land that he should accept the d'emo
cratlc -nomination for president In
1892, died today at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. Lome Campbell. He
was a New Tork lawyer and during
the Cleveland administration was
assistant counsel to the treasury
department.
With Daniel Lam on t and William
C. Whitney, Mr. Gibson headed a
delegation to Princeton in-the .sum
mer of 1892 to urge the former pres
ident to run again for the office.
Mr. Gibson was born in' Oxford,
Pa., and was 80 years of age.
MATINEE ROBBER CAUGHT
100 Afternoon Burglaries Con
fessed; Loot $200,000.
NEW, TORK, Dec. 22. A "mat
inee" burglar, who confessed 100
afternoon burglaries, according to
the police, but who was caught the
first time he worked after dark, was
at policy headquarters here today.
Police said the value of goods stolen
since last August was $200,000. He
was Thomas F. Belford, who dresses
like a collegia.
Belford, the police said, admitted
looting the apartment of Lou Telle
gan, actor, of J5000 worth of goods.
YULE MAILSHOWS GAIN
Increase In Parcel Post Is 15 Per
Cent Over Last Year.
THE OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU,
Washington, D. C., Dec. 22. A gain
of 28 per cent is shown jn the re
ceipt " of Christmas mail over the
same period last year, the post
office department reported today.
Ths gain In parcel post is 15 per
cent.
NEW ROAD WORK OPPOSED
Completion Of Present Pro
gramme to Be Favored.
LEVY CHANGE IS URGED
About $3,000,000 of Property
Escapes Tax Assessor Now,
Farmers Are Told.
LEBANON. Or.. Dec. 22. (Spe
cial.) Walter M. Pierce, goVernor
elect, who will take office January
8, tonight at the annual meeting
of the Oregon and Idaho farmers'
union here outlined the message he
will send to the legislature, which
convenes on January 8.
' Mr. Pierce promised that he
would use every means in his power
when he takes office to better the
conditions of the farmers." As one
means of accomplishing this relief,
he declared that he would advocate
amendment of the state assessment
laws so as to include about $2,000,
000 worth of property which, he de
clared, escaped the assessor at ftaes
ent. He explained that he was op
posed to the use of any part of this
added revenue in maintenance of
state educational institutions.
Severance Tax Favored.
Enactment of a severance tax on
timber and minerals taken from
government land also will be rec
ommended to the lawmakers, as
will the establishment of a grad
uated income tax along the same
lines as the national levy.
That the Oregon Agricultural col
lege, the University of Oregon arid
the state normal schools keep with
in the limitation of the millage tax
will be Advised in the message. -
The creation of a state market
commissioner to regulate markets
and to send out official market re
ports will be proposed. Mr. Pierce,
in discussing this plan, told the
farmers that he thought that the
reports carried by the daily press
were neither reliable nor correct.
He even went so far as to allege
that at times they were late and far
front accurate.
Fabric Lair Favored.
That a "truth in fabric" law to
compel manufacturers to feive on
labels the correct quantity and
quality of goods offered for sale
would be of benefit to everyone in
the state, was the declaration of the
governor-elect.
Mr. fierce added that he would
ask the legislature to repeal the law
exempting from taxation notes se
cured by mortgages on land.
The stand of the American Legion
for the exclusion of Japanese from
either ownership or holding of land
was backed by the governor-elect,
who declared that he would support
measures intended to exclude
Asiatics. .
Completion of the present high
way programme will be advocated
to the legislature and 'particular
emphasis will be laid on the finish
ing of the Roosevelt highway, but
he will oppose any extension to the
present programme and any further
issues of bonds. Retention of the
state market road law will be sup
ported. Gasoline Tax Lift Urged.
That the tax on gasoline be in
creased from two to four cents a
gallon will be suggested by the
governor without any lowering of
the. present license fees. He declared
that he was in favor even of in
creasing the license on expensive
cars. '
Retention of the two-mill tax for
institutions of higher education and
also that for the elementary schools
will be urged as will the one-mill
levy for market roads. These three
levies, under , estimates for 1923,
total 15,000,000.
At the two days' session of the
farmers' union the address of the
governor-elect was regarded as the
biggest event. There was a large
audience at the night meeting, at
which it was also decided that the
next annual meeting C the union be
held in Lane county, the town yet
to be named, sometime In Decem
ber of next year.
Officers Are Elected.
Just before closing the morning
session officers for next year were
elected. The following were chosen:
President, Herbert Egbert of The
Dalles; vice-president, A. G. Rempel
of Dallas; secretary-treasurer, MrB.
G. B. Jones of Monmouth; executive
board, A. R. Saumway, Milton; H.
C. Jackson, - Eugene, and Frank B.
Ingles, Dufur. .
The address last night by C. S.
Barrett of Georgia, national presi
dent of the Farmers' union, who has
headquarters In Washington, D. C,
and looks after the legislative end
of the union's interest before con
gress, was the big event of the ses
sion. The convention will close
t oiMiiflw, , - j
Speaker of House Is Next in Line;
If Mr. Bean Leaves, Exec
utive Will Be Lacking. y
SALEM, Or., Dec. 22. (Special.)
Louis E. Bean of Eugene, by
virtue of his office as speaker of
the house of representatives dur
ing the last session of the legisla
ture, will be acting governor of
Oregon for two days, starting at
midnight Sunday.
This was announced here tonight
by Acting Governor Ritner,. who
said that he intended to leave Pen
dleton late Sunday for Garfield,
Wash., and probably would be ab
sent for two days.
Acting Governor Ritner later
called Mr. Bean by telephone and
informed him of his plans. Mr. Bean
probably will not come to Salem
unless summoned to look after some
important state matters.
Since" thve departure of Governor
Olcott for the eaat three weeks ago
Mr. Ritner has been looking' after
the affairs of the executive offices
Mr. Ritner"s proposed absence from
the state now maks it possible to
hand the honors down to Mr. Bean.
Should Mr. Bean leave the state
before the return of either Acting
Governor Ritner or Governor Olcott
Oregon would be without a presid
ing executive.
SHIP'S CREW IS RESCUED
Six Men In Lifeboat Picked , TJp
1000 Miles Off Coast.
NEW TORK, Dec. 22. Nearly 1000
miles off' the Atlantic coast, the
freighter Menominee, plowing its
way through heavy seas toward
New Tork, found a lifeboat con- j
taining six men halt dead from
fatigue and lack of food, according
to a wireless message received to
day from the Menominee. '
The men, members of the crew of
the fishing schooner Gordon Rudge
of St. Johns, N. F., abandoned tbeir
craft after a long and bitter strug
gle with storms on the return trip
from . Torreviega, Spain, with a
cargo of salt fish.
LA GRANDE GIRL CHOSEN
Miss Bollman Will Be Assistant
Secretary to Governor.
SALEM, Or., Dec. -22. (Special.)
MIbs Cella -E. Bollman of La Grande
has been appointed assistant secre
tary to Governor-elect Pierce. Miss
Bollman has acted as secretary for
Mr. Pierce for severaT years. It was
said. She will succeed Miss Violet
Welborn, who Has served as assist
ant secretary to Governor Olcott for
the last three years.
Miss Bollman will arrive In Salem
about January 1, according to an
nouncement made by the governor
elect. FREE SEEDS DEFEATED
House Rejects $360,000 Appro
priation, 74 to 71. '
WASHINGTON, D. C, Dec. 22.
Free seed went down to defeat in
the house today when an amend
ment offered by Representative
Langley, republican, Kentucky, to
add an appropriation of $360,000 to
the agricultural appropriation bill
for distribution of seed by mem
bers of congress was voted down,
to 71.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
' The Weather.
TEPTERDAY'S Maximum temperature,
48 degrees; minimum, 83 degrees.
TODAY'S Occasional rains; southerly
winds.
Foreign.
Attitude of Turks upsets Lausanne coi4p
terence. Page 1.
National.
Proposal for American commission on
reparations is far from definite form.
Page 6.
Brief for liquors on American ships filed
with supreme court. Page .17.
Old state rights .. fast disappearing.
Page 6.
Greater scrapping of navies is urged.
Page S.
Domestic.
Oil chiefs deny price combine. Page 2.
"Gimmies," new disease infects ship
passengers. - Page. 1.
Arbuclcle pardon arouses country. Page 2.
Defense opens up Herrin testimony.
Page S. - i
Protest made against proposed cut in rail
rates. Page 4.
Victims of band found In lake. . Page 1.
Pacific Northwntt.
Peace terms are sent to rival Columbia
basin league. Page 5.
Louis E. Bean to try hand at acting as
governor. Page 1.
Clumsy attempt to rob State Bank at
.Rainier Is Irustratea. rage l.
Sports.
Joe Lynch retains title in battle with
Midget Smith. Page 17.
LeasA chief rows with ball scribes.
Page 16.
BUI to provide racing commission
drafted. Pag 1.
Corvallls boosters to greet Toledo eleven
In Portland. Page 18.
Commercial and Marine.
Return cargo movement from Philippines
strong. Page 14.
Stock prices fluctuate In Irregular way
In New York market. Page 23.
Grain prices drop to bottom levels. Page
22.
Northwest wheat growers will direct
general organization work. Page 2Z
Slight improvement In general bond list.
Page 23.
Portland and Vicinity.
Bane use required to preserve timber,
.ays lumberman. Page 22.
Fire chief warns of danger at Christmas
time. Page .
Unemployment aid Is planned. Page 8.
Memorizing of poetry works cure for
tardiness at Lincoln. Page 7.
Christmas vegetables crowding market.
Page 13.
Lift in gasoline tax is declared certain,
tage 8.
Yule Joy-givers reaching to all. Page 1.
Search quickens in Weir murder mys
tery case. r Page 1.
Chinese pay tribute to dead mission
worker. Page 1.
Portland Boy Scouts close most laDoe-
tful-yeai'a rwwls, fag IS,
Father and Son Heard
Talking Alone, a
HIDDEN POLICE GET CLEW ;
Woman's Story of Girl's
Death Now Believed. -A
BODY WILL BE SOUGHT
Formal Complaint to Be Filed To
day, Says Deputy District j
Attorney on Case. g
Incriminatory conversation, over
heard by detectives who "listened
in" on Earl Weir and his accuser,
Mrs. Helen Leary, at police head
quarters yesterdav afternoon, will
result in the filing of formal
charges of murder against Weir and
his elderly father, Cash Weir, Dep
uty District Attorney Mowry an
nounced late last night.
The father and son will be ac
cused of the killing of an unidenti
fied 15-yea-old girl in the older
man's scow home at the foot of East
Taylor street, September 23. Ac
cording to the story told by the
wpman,the child was killed in the
course of a criminal attack by Weir
Sr., and the two men later loaded
the body in a launch and disposed
of itomewhere in the Willamette
or Columbia rivers.
Officials admit that the charge of
murder, as it now stands, is weak
from the legal angle, but they are
morally convinced that the startling
story told by the Leary woman is
true and that the older Weir is a
brute of the lowest type.
Much Data Collected.
Toung Weir and the woman, and
later the father, and son, were al
lowed together in a room in police
headquarters, where detectives had
previously been hidden. . Through
the several hours of conversation
which followed, the officers gained .
enough information to lead them to
the belief that the two men are
guilty of the murder1 and that ths
woman is telling the absolute truth.
One tell-tale remark, dropped by
young Weir, practically placed the
noose about the father'9 neck, of
ficials say.
"Why did you say at Rainier,
Earl, 'Did they find the body yet?" "
the Leary woman asked.
"Because I wanted to know If
they had the goods on us," the un
suspecting young man answered.
In a conversation between the
two men, much of the talk related
to the advisability of "keeping our
mouths shut."
"You keep still, you d old fool.
the son is reported to have said.
"They haven't got anything on us
yet."
Murder Not Mentioned. 1? .
While there were no open refer
ences to murder, or no direct re
marks regarding the disposal of the
body, made during the course of
these conversations, the talk be
tween the three indicated that the
Weirs had much to conceal.
When the ycunger man, who had
previously associated and lived with
the woman, met his ex-paramour
and present accuser, he did not
charge her with lying or with bring
ing false charges against him and
his father. Instead, the. listeners
reported, he attempted to Induce her
to explain away her charges by say
ing that she was drunk when she
(Concluded on Page 4, Column 1.)
WHY "ROSE CITY"?
Portland is known as the
"Rose City" not merely be
cause roses happen to thrive
in this climate, nor by reason
of the annual Rose Festival
held in this city.
Portland is the rose center
of the world, maintaining an
international rose test garden
in Washington park which is
the largest and most compre
hensive in the world. The
Portland Rose society re
ceived as gifts during the last
year all rights to the propa
gation and sale of several
wonderful new varieties culti
vated by amateurs. Nursery
men would have "paid thou
sands of dollars for the rights
. in several cases.
Jesse A- Currey of Port
land, nationally known as an
authority on rose culture,
contributes an illuminating
article on progress in the cul
tivation of roses during the
past year to the New Year
Edition of The Oregonian, to
be issued on
MONDAY
JANUARY 1
1923