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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1920)
CITY EDITION Women's Features I Dally The Journal chronicles the various activities of the women folk. Ia The Sun day Journal there is a most complete re view of these and a forecast of events to come. , Tersely 'told, you get it ell and get i it at a glance. ' CITY EDITION liVAff Here and It's All True THE WEATHER Tonight and Friday. rain : southerly winds. Minimum temperatures: Portland ,;......55 New Orleans.. ..42 Pocatello .......44 New York. . , . . . .38 Los Angeles..... 52 St. Paul j..22 VOL. XIX. NO. 217. Knlered u Rvrnnil riui Matter l"o toff ice. Portland. Oregon PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 18, 1920.r-TWENTY-TWO PAGES PRICE TWO CENTS ON TRAIN STANDS f I AND NfWS V CtNTS J " ' ' J I I ! !! IMI .1-11' I. I II ,,., - "I - - A I-' ' " "- ' . -I ' I FIRST DEGREE MURDER LI TO SOLDIER Walter Husted May Be Hanged for, Killing Jailer Palmer; John Tillman, His Pal, Is Held as Highwayman; Confesses Holdup Deputy District Attorney Deich; said this afternoon it would not bef ' possible to hold the charge of f irsd degree murder against John Till man, who was with Walter Husted when the latter shot and killed Pa trolman Jerome Palmer. Wednesday night. The charge of first degree t murder will be pressed against Hus - ted, Delch , said, and that against' Tillman changed to highway rob bery, the extreme penalty for which is life imprisonment. According to statements male by Pa trolman Thorpe and other police officers who were in the vicinity of Sixth and Glisan streets when the shooting oc- i curred. Tillman- made -no effort to es cape when ordered to halt by Palmer. Tillman was unarmed when placed un der arrest. . j : TIL1.MA3V GIVES DETAILS When questioned by the district at torney, Tillman said he left Camp Lewis with' Husted Friday afternoon and went to Olympia. From there they went to Centralla, Wash., where they remained two days, arriving here at 3 p. m. Wednesday. j When they reached Portland both men vere armed with army automatics. . Htisted's gun was Fold at the Pacific Loan agency. Third and Ash streets, according to Tillman's statement. , and the remaining l weapon was -afterward curried by' Husted. In describing the three holdups which preceded tb& murder'oT Palmer, Tillman said that Husted covered the victims with his pistol while he went through their pockets. In the case of Byron Riffe, the last man robbed. Husted held the gun In one hand and searched the victim's out side pockets wjth the other. He then ordered Tillman to go through the in side coat pockets. RIFFE'S WALLET HF.Tl'RXEU . Tillman' says he found a wallet in Eif-.- fe's pocket, which he removed and after ward placed in ; Riffe's overcoat pocket. Following the robbery, Riffe made a threatening remark to Husted. and was struck on the temple with the pistol, the ,,arce . otUsWot diacharging the j weapon. , j f Investigations made by the police vert-' fled Tillman's statement regarding the sale ofhe automatic at the Pacific Loan Agency -and. the return of the wallet to Riffe. , ' Tillman is 17 years old. His mother and other relatives live at Sandpoint. Idaho. Husted : is 24 and says that his people , live at - Denison. Texas. Dis trict Attorney Deich said that he had received - a report from Seattle that Walter Husted and a soldier named Henry had pulled off two highway rob beries at Seattle, and that Henry is now under arrest at Camp Lewis. ' Palmer was shot by Husted at Sixth and Glisan streets at 10 :30, when the patrolman and his partner. Patrolman (Concluded on Pase SeT-ntwn, Column One) RAW DEAL ALLEGED By Floyd MacGriff y New YorkJ Nov. 18. (I. N. S.) Thirteen hundred government built 'ships are today worth less- than one, half of what the United States gov ernment spent to build them. It cost the government $3,800,000,000 to produce these vessels, and their value is today $1,800,000,000, "or less." ; This revelation was made today by Martin J. Gillen, former shipping board official,-when he resumed his testimony before the congressional investigating committee here today. Gillen, who yesterday gave much tes timony concerning waste, corruption and Inefficiency, today ' gave fresh sensa . tional details. : He told of the "cost plus" system iof shipbuilding contracts, involving immense "padding" of costs and revealed j glaring flaws in i the oil tanker program. - . "Until liquidation of the shipping - board's , war effort is completed, a new balance sheet: struck and new principles established, the government-built mer chant marine! wtll' be hopelessly handi capped," said; the witness. - : Builders of wooden ships got a "raw deal" from the governmen Gillen as serted on the stand. . ' "The government," he said, "induced contractors' to puU their money into plants for building wooden chips and then called off the' program wichout pro viding for amortization of these special ' plants, which were useless after such work w as stoprlbd. r "The wooden shipbuilders were left high and dry with their less." ; The witness had high praise for Ad miral Benson, whom he called "one of the cleanest,' strongest, most courageous men I have ever met.", Paymaster Wounded And Robbed of $8000 ' Patchogue. L. 1., Nov. 18. (I. N. &) Fifteen minutes after, the Citizens' Trust company opened for business here today, two armed bandits shot William v Brophy. an assistant paymaster of the Patchogue-Plymouth Sales corporation, robbed him of $8000 and escaped. Brophy was Just emerging with the money from the bank when attacked. Brophy was seriously wounded. FO WOODEN SHIPS HOLDUP MEN AND VICTIM S OLDIERS absent without leave from Camp Lewis who fig ured in Wednesday night's shooting of Patrolman Jerome Palmer. Above, Husted A. Walters, accused of doing the killing, photographed as he lay on cot in emergency hospital this morning. Below, at left Patrolman Palmer (photo by An gehw studio) ; at right, John R. Tillman, second robber, who is in jail. v - , &rfml(v vtmn mi mi i mif y mi i p mwmmimmmummm Mmmmm.ifk ' 7V'; s&j ffi-A I ' 1 : ' ' 1 t i e.,v . " , , ' ' ' ' 7 . ' ... 1 I ( '-r V , I PASSENGER LINER Sailing pt a 12,000-ton passenger liner from Portland to Oriental ports early next spring. is being ar ranged by officers of the Pacific Steamship'company, according t6 ad vice received this mornjng by H. L. Hudson, traffic manager of the port of Portland. Arrangements have been made by the company to place the Wenatchee, one of the -new shipping board .535's, construct ed on the Atlahtic coast, in service be tween a Pacific coast port and the Orient and the plan of the company is to give Portland a trial in maintaining passenger sailings.. TO SAIL MARCH 1 ", The vessel is one of. the largest pas senger liners : constructed Jay the ship ping board and will have accommoda tions for 250 first-class passengers.' The sailing is scheduled for March 1. This will be the first passenger steam ship sailing from Portland to the Orient in the history of shipping through this port. It will mark a new epoch In the j rapidly developing commerce of the port. it is probable that the steamer will also take aboard passengers at Puget Sound ports. Announcement of the proposed sailing was received this morning by J. Fred Larson, president of the Foreign Com merce club. " PASSENGE.KS SOUGHT Larson plans, in cooperation with the State Chamber of Commerce, to arrange for Portlanders to make a tour of the Orient on this vessel. "To my mind the sailing of this vessel is one of the most important develop ments in. shipping in Portland's history." said Larson. "Portland has been ad vertising heavily in the Orient and should follow up this advertising by a personal visit. I already know of sev eral men who will take advantage of this opportunity. , It Is probable that the vessel will make Manila and a few other Oriental ports. ahs at 7Yokohama, Kobt... Shanghai. Express Rate on Newspapers Raised Half Cent a Pound Washington, Nov. 18. (U. P.) The interstate commerce commission today approved - an express rate Increase of one half cent per pound on short haul shipments of daily newspapers. The former rate was one half cent a pound n ; daily newspapers.. The . new rate is 1 cent per pound, where the first class rate does not exceed $4.50 per 100 pounds. I " " -v This Increased rate does not apply where wagon delivery and special news paper trains are used. . - .. Approval also was given for aa in crease from 1 cent to 14 cents' in tha short haul minimum rate on newsDarjers I other than dailies. ON ORIENTAL UN HARD NG MfflB no : By David Xavnronce (Copyrisht, 1820. bf The Journal) Washington, Nov. 18. President elect Harding may be far away from the politicians and the factions in side the Republican, party geograph ically speaking, but there are some things going on . nevertheless dur ing his absence which indicate clear ly" the 'determination of Warren Harding to keep the party harmoni ous and to keep himself free from entanglement in the matter : of cam paign funds. In the first place it became known here today that Elihu Root had been in vited to come to Marion on December 10 to discuss questions; of foreign policy and particularly the League of Nations. The president-elect has also asked other distinguished Republicans to con fer with him at Marion,, but the signif icance of the Root visit is that it re veals Mr. Harding as anxious to obtain the advice and counsel of the former secretary of state. URGES SMALL COXTRIBUTIOXS In the second place Senator Harding has let it be known through his friends that he does not want the Republican campaign committee .to accept contribu tions of extraordinary size in making up the deficit of $1,600,000 incurred during the last campaign. He wants to be absolutely free from obligations implicit ; or explicit. And thereby hangs a tale. It is. no secret that there has been a serious difference of opinion inside the Republican party concerning' the man agement of the last campaign i and par ticularly with regard to its financing. Will Hays. Republican national chair- .-co,, v cmj a urne preserv ing harmony inside the ranks as the out side world may have supposed; He has been the object of considerable criticism by the original Harding men. who seem to bear a grudge against him for his (Concluded on PC Two. Column Thre) Two Women, Man Hurt When Street Car and Auto Meet of the advertising department - of the O-Wj R. A N. company: suffered a fracture of the left wrist and: numerous bruises on her arms at 11 o'clock this morning when the automobile in which she was riding collided with a streetcar at Fifteenth and Weidler streets. Chester Vester , Hopkins, the driver, who lives at 87 West Church street, was cut above theeye and about the face. Mrs. V. tl. Smith, another passenger, 655 Weidler street, was cut over the right-eye. The three were taken to St. Vincents hospital. The police are in vestigating the cause of the accident. 00 MAIN ALL LEAGUE MADE PUBLIC Lord Robert Cecil Wins in His Fight for Wilson's Point Re garding Publicity; Latins Are Recognized in 4 Appointments. By A.-E. Johnson (United News Staff Corrwrpoodnt) Geneva, Nov. 18. The principle of "open covenants openly arrived at" vanquished the secrecy of old style European diplomacy in a last minute struggle just before thf as sembly of the League of Nations began the session that named presi dents and vic presidents of the six commissions. v THOSE WHO WERE ELECTED The following statesmen were elected vice presidents : Dr. Benes, foreign minister in the gov ernment of Czecho-Slovakia ; Viscount Ishii of Japan, Dr. Pueyrredon, foreign minister of Argentina ; Dr. Karnebeck of Holland and Sir J. E.- Foster of Canada. All were elected on the first ballot. The Japanese statesman received the largest number of yotes. Dr. Octavia of Brazil was elected a vice president on the second ballot. In three appointments, by tlie way, was seen evidence of a very strong Latin bloc in the League of Nations, for nine of 12 vice presidents are Latins, thre being from South America and one from Cuba, r ; j It was Lord Robert Cecil, represent--ing South Africa, who finally caused President Wilson's famous "point" t be adopted by the assembly. Lord Rob ert had put up what seemed to be a los ing' resistance in Tuesday's conference. But bis renewed opposition to secrecy finally prevailed and Rene Viviani, for mer premier of France.,' withdrew his resolution which would have kept dark the proceedings in the committees and prevented 4he. - keeping of a formal record. : ' t "NO TIXGEOF SECRECY" , Viviani "is now willing to permit min utes of the meetings . to be taken and their full publication immediately after each session. I was privileged to listen to Lorn Robert's argument as be ham mered home to Vivian! the necessity tor open pealing. . Tha litest evidence as- to how convincingly he spoke la the fact that he ; convinced the Frenchman that the slightest tinge of secrecy would be most undesirable. The committee on world disarmament began its sessions behind closed doors this afternoon. A separate secret session was held by the committee on mandates. The old lines are again being drawn as between, those who advocate im mediate admission of Germany to the Leagve of Nations and those who would exclude the defeated nations. As in the sharp struggle on the matter of "open diplomacy." which marked -Tuesday's session of the league assembly. Lord Robert Cecil, now representing South (Concluded on Page Two. Column File) FIND MYSTERY IN MINISTER'S DEATH The Dalles, Nov. 18. Although Franklin 'B. Humiston' a retired Methodist minister fodtod dead in si local lodging house Monday, died of natural causes,-according to a coro ner's jurj", the, police were requested to investigate the robbery of the body. The body was found practically nude. The clothes and other possessions of Humiston had been taken from the room when the body was discovered. Humiston was" said to have had a con siderable sum of- money when last seen alive. Friends say that over J100 is missing. Humiston had been in ill health. No evidence of foul play was presented to the coroner's Jury. He was never an ordained minister, but had charge of small churches fh a preaching capacity. In later years h. had been doing out doors work' for his health. Local Fopd Prices Show 5 Per Cent Decline in Month Washington, Nov.--.18. (U. P.) Retail food prices decreased three per - cent between September 15 and October 15, the department of labor announced to day. Wholesale food prices during Cfctober dropped 8Vi per cent and the prices re ceived by farmers dropped by a stilt greater percentage, according, to figures given out by the labor and agricultural departments. This showed that the full effect of price drops Is slew in reaching the consumer. Prices declined for 30 out of 43 food articles ; listed. Sugar decreased 24 per cent, potatoes 15 per cent, onions 11 per cent, rice 9 per cent, steak and meats 4 per cent, and miscel laneous from 3 to 1 per cent Price increases .were: Eggs 14 er cent, lard 5 percent. bacon, butter and other articles less than, one-half of 1 'per cent. The greatest decrease in living costs was shown at Omaha and St. Paul, which recorded drops of $ per cent Decrease of 6 per cent was shown at Portland, Or.. Seattle, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. Decreases of 4 per cent were shown at Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Memphis, Pittsburg, Port land. Me., St. Louis. San Francisco and BDrtntfieldlll. . Philomath Must Pay Old Note of Benefactor; Many Involved Philomath, Or., Nov. 18. By a decision of the supreme, court handed down, Monday a suit that has been; pending for 10. years and affecting title to several tracts of land near this city and also the endowment funds of Philomath college is ended. The decision reverses the' decision made several years ago by Judge Skipworth -of the circuit court andj affirms a judgment obtained by J. W. - Ingle of Corvallis against the estate of Samuel McClaln, a pioneer of this community and a lifelong friend of Philomath college. , McClain in 1899 and 1900 deeded two tracts of land to. Philomath college but; owing to his wishes the deeds were not recorded, until 1906. In 1907 McClain deeded all his remaining land toethe col lege, consisting of 40 acres near this city and 40 acres in Lincoln county that has practically .no value. He died in 1910. - i J. W. Ingle based his claim against the land on a note purported to have been given by McClain in 1904 to secure a loan of $2500 made by Ingle to James McClain, nephew of Samuel McClain This was contested in the courts because of the fact that McClain had never said anything about such a note and because of the proverbial honesty of James Mc Clain, but the court held that the claim was vand as against the estate and gave judgment ADMINISTRATOR SUED . In 1914 the administrator of the Mc Clain estate sued to set-aside the deeds of McClain to the college, on the ground that these deeds constituted a fraud against the creditors. The college con tested the suit on the grounds that the first two. deeds were made and delivered before the note was signed ; that the third deed was for good and valuable consideration and was made in good faith owing, to having no knowledge of the existence of any note ; that Ingle slept on his rights in that he did not atr tempt to collect the note during the life time of Mr. McClain and not until after the will had been admitted for probate and more than three years after the deed had been recorded. The lower court gave the decision to the college but the new decision reverses ' that and holds that the estate of McClain is liable for the debt and that in case the judg ment is satisfied in six months the title will be confirmed in Philomath college as per the terms of the McClain will. ,. FIXE HQME8 INVOLVED M V ?;,33ii is i of- 'Importance to the WhA community because the land has been divided up and sold and many beautiful homes erected' on It. It Is also of in terest because of the legal points inv .volved such as the delivery and record ing of the deeds, the liability of a land holder to subsequent creditors of the grantor and the question of laches. President. L. L. Eplex of the college said: "Yeu may rest assured the Philo math college wiH protect all purchasers of the land involved against loss arid that while the decision is a great dis appointment to us owing to the fact that we have acted in good faith throughout and the manifest purpose of Mr. McClain in endowing Philomath college Is in ia large measure defeated, yet we shall carry out the -findings of the court in the matter and no innocent purchaser need fear any loss as a resp.lt" ES PLACE. IS RUMOR Salem, Or., Nov. 18. It was re ported here this afternoon that Eric IJauser. named by Governor Olcovt to succeed . S.: Benson on the state highway commission, had declined to accept, the" apointment. Hauser is in St. Paul, Minn. . At the governor's office Secretary Up john refused either to affirm or deny the rumor. He said Governor Olcott had left for Portland and would have an announcement to make later- in the day. ' " Hauser's appointment was given out Wednesday afternoon by Governor Ol cott with the announcement that he had hot yet heard from him. Governor Olcott said : "Hauser is a man of big and broad ideas, ideally equipped to be one of the men to shape the destines of our Im mense highway ' program. . For many years he was a railroad contractor and has had vast experience in handling of large and important work along con structive lines. He has a genius for or ganization and his experiences and abilities will fit him splendidly in con nection wiiti our , road development work." Another Sharp Drop Feature of Market Titles 1 N New York, Nov. 18. (U. P.) Another sharp decline struck the stock market at the 'closing today. Shipping shares collapsed during the last hour. Gains in other . pjyts of . the list were obliter ated.: Marine preferred dropped 11 to 44. Steel common was hammered to a new low atr 80. Other steels held above the naofhlng's low. American In ternational declined 11 to 38. George Washington's Des ce n dant to Wed New York: Nov. 18. Mary Washing ton Bond Morosini, great-great-grand-niece of George- Washington, is to be married January 19' jo Captain William Lafayette Crabbe of the United States marine corps, it was announced here today. Captain Crabbe is the grandson of former Admiral Crabbe of the United States navy. , ' ' . T V LAKE YIELDS TRAIN LOOT Youths Confess Part They Played in $3,500,000 Robbery of Mail Car at Council Bluffs; Crime Was Planned at San Francisco. Omaha,. Not. 18. -Recovery of approximately $2,000,000 of the loot in a lake and confession by three youths that they participated In the crime were the two outstanding de velopments today in the investiga tion of the $3,500,000 robbery com mitted on a BUrlington mail train at Council Bluffs last Saturday. Fred Poffenbarger, 18 .years old, one of the four accused boys under arrest told the police he was promised $10 by the bandits for breaking the seal of the mail car- and throwing the sacks con taining the valuable bonds to the ground. He said in his confession he carried out his part of the agreement, but that the bandits failed to pay him the paltry $10. Following the discovery of a part of the loot in the lake near Council Bluffs, the police started a systematic drag in the water' in the hope that the youths had thrown all the bags taken from the car into the lake...' SAYS BROTHEB IJf50CE!?T One of the' confessions -was- made by Orville Phillips,'-IT years old, who gave himself up Wednesday night. He de clared his brother. Merle Phillips, 20 years old,- previously arrested, did not figure in the robbery, but confessed to shield him.- 'The other prisoner is a young man named Roberts, 21 years old. Poffenbarger1 has" given the police a detailed account,, of how he looted the car. , "I used my gun to break the glaxs of the door close to the lock." he said. "Then I stuck myy hand In and turned the locks open. , Two men worked pn the train and two others followed the train in an auto and picked up the mail sacks which were dropped off." The youth," who says he came from Cincinnati, is younger than Merle Phil lips, who is said to have told authorities (Concluded oa Pige Three, Column Two) PROMPT AGTJON Washington, Nov,, 18 (WASH INGTON BUREAU OF THE JOUR NAL.) Admiral W. H. Benson, chairman of the shipping board, states that the question- of further suspension of section 28 of the ship ping act will be one Of the first mat ters to be brought before the new board when organized. The board never desired to use this power as a club, he says, and there is every indication that future steps will be cautiously taken with, a view to pre venting any disturbance which might re sult from an application of this provision at ports where American ships are clearly inadequate. There is the possi bility that the law wfll be ordered en forced .at certain ports where no such situation exists. PACIFIC COAST WILL, NOT DROP FIGHT AGAINST SECTION There is every present indication that Pacific coast pressure will continue to be exerted for" indefinite suspension of sec tion 28 of the shipping act. If its force is to be applied as an in tended indirect subsidy of the American merchant marine, it is said that demand will be made for a change in the law that will permit enforcement of its provisions on the Atlantic gulf coast as well as the Pacific coast. Under section 28 it is pro vided that a preferential rate may be granted export goods handled from transcontinental points in American bot toms. The fact of the matter is. It is pointed out that such rates would apply only to shipping on the Pacific coast where the Japanese carriers are dom inant. The Japanese readily, it is said, will clear their ships for ports not af fected by the preferential andhe Pa cific coast ports will be deprived of im portant business. A subsidy should be general in its application, declare oppo nents of section 28. "We are having trouble in our cam paign to increase the commerce of this port because of. the Impending enforce ment of section 28." said H. L. Hudson, traffic manager of the Port of Portland. "It should not be forgotten that the Jap anese Interests, which control the ships, also control the freight." '.. The announcement that the new ship ping board will be asked to take up the enforcement of section 28 as one of the first items of business is important, due to the fact that it will become an initial subject presented for the consideration of Joseph N. Teal, recently appointed by the president to one of the two commis sionershlps allotted the Pacific coast on the shipping board, which is composed of seven members. Mr. Teal expects to leave Saturday afternoon for Washington, D. C, to as sume his new duties. He will go by way of San Francisco and Los Angeles. . Daniels Dismisses Second Middy Hazer Washington. Nov. ' 18I-KU. P.)-With i the dismissal of a -second - midshipman from . the Annapolis naval academy. Secretary Daniels today declared his intention of continuing the war against hazing until the practice is thoroughly stamped out. BENSON PROMISES Minister Hnrfe Threat; Guilty Ease Minds by Coin Offerings Washington. Nov. J8. Wives in Washington are watching their hus bands as never before and the hus bands are watching themselves more c'osely as the result of a revival here. Rev. B. F. McLendon, the evangelist, has 85 ten dollar bills in stead of 10 dimes in addition to the "moral victory." ; At the closing meeting of the re vival series McLendon leaned over the pulpit and said he had an Important an nouncement to make. "It has come to my knowledge that there is a certain man in Washington who has- not been true to his family or his religion and who has not been lead ing an upright life," McLendon said. "Thiman Is in the congregation to nlghtW If he will deposit a $10 bill in the collection plate it will be taken as a token of his repentance and nothing further will be said. If he fails to do this I warn him that I will announce his name." When an inventory of the collection was taken it showed,' it is said. 85 $10 bills and five Aotes asking the minister to "keep quiet, for God's sake," and promising to pay the $10 in thenornlng. PRICES FOR STOCK Sensational prices expected at the sale of .prize stock !at the Pacific in ternational Livestock Exposition did not come up to expectations in the auction this morning. The tendency on the part of the purchasers seemed to be not to pay more foP prize ani mals than for ordinary stock .from the stock j-ards. This is probably due, the stockmen believe, to lower ing in prices in general, the dealers not wanting to stock up with high priced animals. U. C. Jock, an Aberdeen-Angus, win ner of the grand championship for fat steers over all breeds, sold for 50 cents a pound. The animal was owned by the University of California and was pur chased by the Sterrett Packing company of Portland. m STEERS AT It ETS A carload of Hereford steers, winners of the second prise, was sold to the United Feed company for 12 cents a pound. The grand champion carload of feeder stock went to the Sterrett Pack ing company for 9 V&' cents a pound. The grand champion pen of barrows brought the price of 21 cents from the (Continued on Pag Two, Colqmn One! Banker's Appeal u In Million-Dollar ', Robbery Case .Set Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 18. (L N. S.) The state supreme court today will hear the appeal' of C. Hunter P.aine, ormer Memphis bank president, convicted of larceny, embezzlement and breach of trust and sentenced to a term of from one to five years in the penitentiary. Raine is accused of having stolen i $1, 000,000 in cash. It 'was charged that he had used the Mercantile bank's money to gamble in cotton futures and had lost. He has already served nearly five years in the federal prison at Atlanta. Upon his release, new proceedings against him were started in the state courts resulting In another conviction. Raine is over .60 years-of age. At one time he was considered one of - the most wealthy men in Memphis. V ARE DISAPPOINTING $ 1 5,000 Swindle Explained r. . . Dead Man's Body Purchased Mystery of a dead man and an insur ance swindle involving $15,000. which created interest all along the Pacific coast in 1913, Is said to have been clari fied in a confession of J. C. "Harry" La France, held at the police statson on a charge of forgery, to Police Inspector Swennes Wednesday. La France told Inspector Swennes that the body of a dead man that he used in putting across: his daring swindle on insurance companies was purchased frm a small undertaking establishment for $300. He said that he also paid two undertakers $1000 each for assist ing him in taking the body to a lonely spot on he bank of the Clackamas river above Estacada. CHANGED HIS CLOTHES In 1918 the mysterious disappearance of La France while pn a fishing trip near Estacada attracted widespread at tention. Several moijths later Mrs. La France applied for Mis personal Insur ance, which she subsequently received, amounting to $15,000. About a year later the appearance of La Franc In Portland was discovered by the police. He was arrested and convicted for his - unusual swindle and served a term in, the state penitentiary, but the mystery as to who the dead man was remained unsolved. La France told Detective Swennes that he didn't know who the dead man waa. He dressed the body In his own clothes, leaving various , Hems in the - clothing that would indicate it to be that of La France. PRETED OX HIM La France was arrested Tuesday by Inspectors Ackerman, Schulpius snd Mwennes for forgeries which La France is said to, have admitted. He is said HARDING NOT TO PAY VISIT TO VERA CRUZ Vessel's Inability to Make Call Relieves President-Elect, of Embarrassing Situation; New ; Orleans Host to Harding Party. By David M. Church New Orleans, La. Nov, 18. (I. N. S.) President-elect Harding will not stop at Vera Cruz, it was of ficially announced today. The steam ship company was- unable to make arrangements to stop the boat at that port and thus relleved. the sen ator of the burden bf making a deli cate decision. Senator Hartling made no statement regarding the stop. . ' - ' "Neither our own nor the world's salvation Is to be worked out throusjh any patent nostrum," President-elect Warren G. Harding declared in a speech before, tho Chamber of Commerce here this afternoon in wlflch: he discussed tha industrial and economic situation, ' v "One hundred per cent' production, minimised waste," and "rational read justment" offer the jremedy for the in dustrial and economic Ills of the United States, the president-elect said, IDEAL BELATIOKSHIPi DESIRED ; After declaring there has been a "wild contemplation of earnings, wheth er in wages or dividends," Senator Harding made an appeal for the "ideal relationship where men may labor with a soul in their tasks." and for a realiza tion of "the dignity of productive labor." "Concord among Americans, South, Central and North." j was urged by the president-elect on the eve of his sailing for Panama. "Somehow I feel j that the Western hemisphere is our special field of In fluence and trade," Senator Harding said. "Our trade routes by the sea to the South ought to be as dependable as our rail routes at home. Bind our friendship with ; the i ties of trade and we shaft- make it indissoluble. ASSURANCE N PEOPLE "Our grea.t assurance at horns Hes . lO... a virile, intelligent, resolute people." th president-elect said. "In a land un ravaged by war, at enmity with no peo ple, envying none,-; coveting nothing., seeking -no territory, striving for "no glories which do not-become a righteous nation. : ,1 I "This republic cannot, will not, fall. If each of us but does his part If w but work, and use thriftily and seek the (Concluded on Page Two; Column Seran) Mexicafijjovernment Invites voy. Olcott To Attend Ceremonies -?alen. Or., Nov. 18. Governor' Olcott is today in receipt of an invitation from the Mexican secretary of foreign rela tions to be the guest of the Republic of Mexico at the inauguration of General Atvaro Obregon aa president in the city of Mexico on November JO. The gov ernor Is also urged to take his family with him on the trip. I ' - Special trains will be -provided to carry the guests to the Mexican capital, these trains leaVing from - Laredo on November 27 and from Kl Paso No vember 38. All expenses Incident to the trip will be borne by the Mexican gov ernment, the invitation! States, adding that every effort will be made for the. comfort of the republic's guests on. this occasion. to have also admitted : the theft of a trunk and suitcase from the baggage room of the Southern Pacific company Monday. lie told Inspector Swennes that the thought of his swindle and the part that the unknown dead man played in it has preyed upon his mind so much during the past seven years that it has almost' driven him to desperation. He talked freely of the affair. Inspector Swennes will make a further Investigation of the, case in an effort to determine the truth or falsity of the charges made by La France. -i. - For several months following the dis covery f the body supposed to be La France. he stayed at a private home in Aurora, La France told Hwennes. .- , WIFE VISITS JAIL Frequently during his Stay at Aurora the two men who aided him In taking the body of the dead man to the woods called on him for the $1000 each that he had promised them,' La Franca said. He had paid the undertaker $500 within a month after his wife had col lected the first Insurance, which amount ed to $5000, He alleges tht he paid ths two men several months later, on their last visit to Aurora. : This was after his wife had collected the other $10,000 from insurance , companies, Thomas O. Ryan, former deputy dis trict attorney, whose prosecution result ed in La France's conviction on the swln-' die affair, j was Wednesday retained by La France for his defending council against tha forgery charges he now", faces. ;.-', Mrs.; La Franc visited her husband In the city Jail Wednesday. , She aid that sha knew nothing about his for geries or the charges of theft of ths baggage from the Southern Pacific com-; pany. .. r . . ' . , -