The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980, December 21, 1921, Image 1

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The Oregon statesman., December 21, 1921, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextTHE WEATHER The Statesman receives the leased wire report of the Associated Press, the greatest and moat re liable press association In ti world, mm Rain or snow; fresh easterly winds. SEVENTY-FIRST YEAR SALEM, OREGON, WEDNESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 21, 1921 PRICE: FIVE CENTS V .A rEoru SOLDIER TELLS OF EXECUTIONS THE A. E. f . Major is Accused of Shoot ing Down Men in Cold Blood, Ohio Veteran Sticks to Assertion. "HARD BOILED" SMITH NAMED AS LYNCHER Taylor, Ex-Service "Man, 4 Tells of Witnessing Twelve Hangings WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. None of the six witnesses ar pearing today before a senate committee was able to give first hand evidence to support charges by Senator, Watson, Democrat, Georgia, that American soldiers had been hanged without trial in France. Testimony by Henry L. Scott, 22, of Kenmore, Ohio, that he had seen two soldiers shot down in cold blood, by a "Major Qpley," commander of the third battalion, llbth in fantry, brought a quick denial from Major IL L., Qpie.-at Staunton, Va.f who was m charge of that organization and who announced that he would be glad to go before the committee. - ? Scott was positive that he saw both men killed at differ- ent times, that the first shoot ing of a courier was witnessed by several hundred men and that he alone saw the r.econd. ," Question on Same Haying Major Opie in mind as commander of the battalion, uoi onel Bethel pressed the witness as to the spelling of the name and later informed Chairman Brande gee privately that Scott evidently ; was referring: to the Virginian. But Scott stuck to "Opley." In making sweeping denial of the charge. Major Opie declared in a statement thai Scott "writes himself down as a skulker by his own testimony," that he belonged to' another ' outfit and never should have been in the fighting line .with the Third battalion. Although he did not know of his own knowledge of executions without trials, Robert A. Harri son, of Wilmington, N. C, testi tied that he "hid witnessed two lynching," one conducted by "Hard Boiled" Smith. The sol dier, he said, was put to death for refusing to sweep a stockade with a "tooth brush," that the killing, as he remembered took place December 24, 1918, and that he saw the lynching from a distance of S00 yards. The other man lynched, he 6ald, was a Mex ican, who was strung from a tree by officers and men for a crime against a woman. Taylor Is Frail George H. Taylor, of Philadel phia, thin and Trail and under treatment, as ha himself explain ed, for epilepsy, declared he had seen 12 soldiers hanged, or ono more than the pumber officially listed by the war department, as executed in accordance with court martial verdicts. Taylor testi fied at first he had seen threo and then nnder direct question ing increased his flgurestto four, jumping finally to 12. All, he declared, were put to death in and around Is-Sur-Tille from Ap ril to une, 1919. In no instanco could he Bay be knew any or all of the 12 had dates The deosrtmen: liN Faces Officers Because of the evident physical weakness Of the witness Senator Watson suggested that army of licers. including Colonel Walter .Bethel, assistant judge advocate 'general, leave the room explais ing that Taylor was subject to ep ileptic attacks and that the pres ence of officers might disturb him. But the former, soldier an nounced he wanted the officers to remain. In an effort to clear up what he regarded as theV contusion in Taylor's testimony. Chairman Brandegee suggested that Colonel Bethel question the witness con cerning the twelve executions he claimed to have seen. Karlv in the hearing Colonel (Continued on page i) LONE BANDIT ROBS TRAIN IN HEART OF CHICAGO, ESCAPES CHICAGO, Dec. 20. An armed bandit boarded the ob servation car of Baltimore and Washington, as it was passing Sixty-third street tonight and after holding up the passengers in the observation car, left the train at Sixty-seventh street, according to a report made to the police tonight. The train escaped. Just as the train was leaving the Sixty-third street sta tion, the bandit, described as with two revolvers, appeared in the doorway of the obser vation coach and ordered "hands up!" He walked through the car, forcing the passengers, among them F. E. William son, general passenger agent of the railroad, to hand over their valuables. At 67th street he pulled the bell cord, jumped off as the train slowed down and disappeared. From Williamson the bandit obtained $10 and a gold watch according to the po lice, who stated they did not believe the loss of the other passengers "was large. DENIS WANT STATE ACCOUNTS TO UNDERGO SCRUTINY Embodying the declaration rabhr to paj'U'i'di taxus unly with the greatest difficulty and that they are unable to receive any adequate or satisfactory information about the expenditure of state funds a concur rent resolution was introduced yesterday by Senator Dennis of Union county calling for a complete audit of all state ac counts. This would apply not only to all state departments, but to all institutions and schools. The resolution calls for a committee of five members to engineer the audit. These would be two members of the senate, two members of the house and one citizen from the state at large. They would be charged to report to the pres ident of the senate and the speaker of the house at the earli est possible moment and have all data ready for the regular session of 1923. Expenses of the committee would be handled through state channels in the regular manner and expenditures not to exceed $10,000 would be allowed the committee for its work. The resolution was referred to the ways and means committee. Senator Vinton's bill providing that county courts advertise for bids when purchasing supplies ag gregating $250 or more was killed by indefinite postponement when the steering committee recom mended against it and the report was adopted. Senator Vinton did not protest. ' Upton's bill providing that bo nus money received by ex-service men under the bonus and loan act shall not be applied to debts con tracted prior to receipt of the money was passed unanimously. The Multnomah delegates en dorsed the bill providing a resto ration of the former salaries to certain Multnomah county officers whose salaries recently were cut to $125. Multnomah Prosecutor Favored Also a bill was endorsed pro viding that when a district attor ney is elected In Multnomah coun ty next year he shall be elected for a full term of four years instead Of only to fill out the unexpired term of Walter Evans, recently appointed to the circuit bench. Such. Such a provision is not in hibited by the constitution. Senator J. C. Smith intorducjed two Joint resolutions, one to re- pea lthe 6 per cent tax limitation of the constitution, and the other to repeal all millage tax levies ex tending over a period of more than two years. He will intro-- duce a companion bill to nullify all the present milalge levies after December 31, 1922, Similar legis lation was attempted by Senator Smith at the regular session a year ago. Exemption Measure Introduced Senator Nkkelscn of Hood Riv er introduced a bill to remove ir rigation districts and road dis tricts from under a law which pre vents the state land board .from loaning school moneys on lands which are encumbered. Some time ago the attorney gen eral held that moneys of the irre ducible school fund cannot bo loaned on the land in Irrigation districts where bonds have been issued, because the encurabranre of the bonds puts the lands within the scope of the act prohibiting loans on encumbered property, While the opinion did not touch Ohio train No. 6 bound for did not stop and the bandit shabbily dressed and armed S ALL that taxpayers of Oregon are on road districts, that would suffer it is believed in the same way. The board, prior to the opinion, had loaned on irrigation district lands, and since the opinion was written, has refused to renew such loans. It is said to be difficult for the banks to carry the irriga tion district settlers and they con- seauentlv are under a serious handicap. Senator Nlcklesen hopes- to re lieve them by the bill he contem plates introducing. Former Salem Man is Re arrested, Fraudulent Land Location Charge PORTLAND, Dec. 20. Rein dieted last Friday on a secret in dictment, John V. Todd of Van couver. Wash . was released to day on $",000 bail. Todd is charged with having defrauded Geor;:e X. Ausiuan. Eugene far nier. and Ruth A. West fail, Salem school teacher, out of $500 each '.u fraudulently locating thein on timber land. Todd, former Sa lem school superintendent, was first indicted with Carlos L. By ron, now a fugitive. Todd was tried in the United States district court here last month and found "not guitly' on three counts iu the indictment the jury disagreeing on the fourth. KA1X AFFECTS SERVICE SAN DIEGO. Cal.. Dec. 20. Washouts resulting from a heavy rain which fell this morning cut this city off . from rail connection wila the north this alleraoou. JOHN W. TODD RE INDICTED SHIELDS WILL HEAD KIWANIS CLUB FOR 1922 Members Affirm Nomina tions, Judge Race is Asked to Take Charge of Em ployment Bureau Roy Shields was elected pres ident of the Kiwanis club for tho coming year, at the session held yesterday noon at the Commer cial club. Oliver J. Myers was fleeted viro president; Tero M. Hicks. secretary and treasurer, and Curtis B. Cross district trus tee. Those who will have the affairs of tho club on their hands for tho coming year and who were elected yesterday were F. G. De lano, 1). L. Shrode, W. I. Need ham. I". S. Page. Harry Levy, H L. Stiff and L O. Hayrord. In order to facilitate the elec tion, by unanimous vote the sec retary. Dr. II. K. Morris, was di rected to cast the vote for those selected by the nominating com mittee. In reporting work done by the committee on charities and em ployment, n. L. Shrode, chairman. said that his committee believed that It would be for the best to ask Karl Race, city recorder, t" act as head of the employment bureau. That is, as Mr. Hace has been serving in this capacity for some time and handled the employment question in a satisfactory way, it was thought best to have but one bureau in the city. Hence. Judge Race is now in charge of the only employment bureau in the city, and those who want work done should telephone him, 130. It was also urged that to aid the unemployment proposition, that every one telephone 130, the city recorder's office, whenever thera is any work to be done. even if it is but a short Job. The Y. M. C. A. Informed Roy Shields, president, that a game wa3 planned between a Kiwania and a Rotary club team, nlavins biff and volley ball. Asking tha wishes of the Kiwanians, Presi dent Shields said: "Anything in the way of a challenge to the Kiwanians, from a football game to a pie-eating contest will bo taken tip." Two Portland Lawyers I Heated Discussion Over Bus Bill Provision A meeting of tho house road3 and highways,, committee last night was featured by an ex change of hot vjrds between Ar thur C. Spencer, PortlarJ attor ney representing th Union Pacif ic system and the Oregon-Washing Railroad & Navigation com pany, and John F. Logan, repre senting the Mo'ior ius association. The class was relative to action of the committee in making elim inations from the measure earner in the day. Speuce- took tho stand that the jiiminatio-.i am ounted to making ute of the pub lic convenience and nc-s.s.ty principle and woulu grant exclu sive franchises. This iesition was combatted by Logan, al though he favors tae convenience and necessity pnnclyle. "The railroads Have worked with the highway commission and granted it hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of riglu of way." declared Spencer an I are helping maintain roadbeds for these busi es to operate nvcr practically without cost. If you put in tb convenience and neres-Uy princi ple it will mean exclusive l'ra.i chises to them. We haw had ex perience with th.m in Washing ton where they U? one line lo an other and operate the full iengiht of the state." "You want d-"?si ruction, not construction." :;'.muca Logan. "You get your money from the public. You wale..- your block and build double lins as you have in Deschutes canyon aud vize where." The committee appeared to lo of the opinion tha; the action tak en earlier in the day and which wa objected to y Spei'cer would stand. ALA KM CAlSKS i!!. A run to Bush and Saginaw streets was made by the Salerr. fire boys'this evening at 7:lo in answer to a lalso alarm. SPENCER 10 LOGAN CLASH MUTAN IS OBDURATE ON IRISH TREAT! De Valera is Denounced by Fiery Speaker Who Takes Slam at Dail Cabinet; De rides King. LONDON HOLDS PACT AS EFFORT TO AVOID WAR Milroy Creates Sensation by Reading New Oath of Allegiance DUBLIN, Dec. 20 (By The Associated Press) After to day's session of the Dail Eir eann, it was clear that a de cision on the treaty would not be taken before Thursday af ternoon at the earliest; some members, among them Mi chael Collins, were even of the opinion that adjournment over the holidays may be neces sary. Arthur Griffith, head of the plenipotentiaries and Eamonn De Valera, who i3 strongly op posing the treaty, are agreed, however, that suspense would be bad for the country. As a I matter of fact judging by the attitude in Dublin, the whole country is fairly sick with un certainty and anxiety. It was made evident today that the Dail Eireann will tol erate no form of cloture. Twenty additional members, the speaker announced, have sent in their names to be heard. McOartan Condemns AH Tha main force of the attach n them was based on the belief that De Valera has abandoned tho idea of a republic and framed an oath recognizing the king ss the bead of the community of nations with which Ireland is to be asso ciated. The most exciting speech today was that of Dr. Patrick McCartan. who condemned everybody impar tially and declared emphatically that the republic had been aban doned in Dublin before the dele gates crossed to London. He evok ed applause by expressing prefer ence for Griffith and Collins, who he said, did their best, over the "quibblers" among whom he In cluded De Val3ra. Dr. McCartan denounced the whole Dail cabinet, saying that they ail went into the boat of Bri tish imperialism. He was an un compromising Republican, recog nizing kings as out of date and he objected to any association with the British empire. Roads Alternative Oa'th Tn conclusion he saw no way nut, for there was a divided cabi net. a divided dail. a divided ar my and a divided country. In his speech Denutv McElroy contended that the issue was not thr- treaty versus the republic but was between th. treaty and De Valra's document. Tt was an Is sue as between two forms of as ociation with the British empire. He created a sensation bv reading as follows the terms of the alter native oath proposed by De Va lera r "I do swear to bear true alleg iance to the constitution of Ire land and to the treaty of associa tion of Ireland with the British i commonwealth ef nations and to J recognize the !nnr of Great Bri-i tain as bead f the associated states. Mr. De Valera strongly protest ed that it was :i shame to attempt to nrejudire' the matter by refer ring to a document which was se cret and not relevant to the i?sue. He was. he saiJ. quite ready to have all documents published. Mr. Griffith angrily declared: "The Irish people should know that that is the difference between DeValera resnondM: "That : not so. and is unfair." liibicaticn of liorumcnt Adcil Answering Mr. Milrov. Mr. P"1 Valera said that it would be an infamous maneuver if he attemnt ed to Induce anvbodv to reject the treaty in the belief that some oth er document would be used as a substitute. The Dail had the doc ument and knew all about It, and (Continued on page 6) COX IS NEAR WHEN RADIERS SEIZE BOOZE Boston Prohibition Officers Seize Liquors in Room Where Guests Visit BOSTON, Dsc. 20 Prohibition enforcement officers, under the leadership of Harold D. Wilson, raided a room in the Qulncy House tonight, directly above a room where Governor Cox was be ing entertained at a dinner of leaders, and seized 2 0 bottles of cocktails and four bottles of whis key. According to the officers, several of the d'nner guests were in the room where the liquor was found. Ernest J. Goulston. understood to b the host of the dinner; J. J. McCarthy, one of the proprietors of the hotel, and Harold E. Kern, who lives at the hotel and in whose room the liquor was seized were summoned to appear in fed eral court tomorrow in connection with the seizure. Body of Silverton Lad Arrives from Overseas PORTLAND, Dec. 20 The bod ies of seven Pacific northwest boye who were killed in the war arrived in Portland today to be sent to Oregon and Washington. Those from Oregon were Alan V. Mercer, Marshfield; Bert E. Vil sian, Roseburg; Harley L. Rice. Pilverton; Robert F. Ingalls, Pen dleton. Waste of Water Adds to Fire Danger is Warning Salem patrons of the local water company's service are urged to exercise the utmost economy In order to insure sufficient forca for emergencies such as fire of effects of frost upon weak pres sure mains. Paul B. Wallace, vice president of the Salem Water company, re ports that the company's pumpln? units are making every effort to keep the pressure up to 90 pound" at all levels. Pumping units were set back for a few hours yester day when local electric power service was cut down, due to un usual demands on the service at Portland. The unusually cold weather ha:-- 'mpelleil many owners to open faucets in an effort to avoid freez ing of supply pipes. All resi dents were urged to cut down this waste as the total volume makes heavy Inroads upon reservoir sup plies. PAIR (JETS $.-0O0 MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 20. Two men entered the Liberty Stale bank late today and, covering sev eral officers and employes, robbed the vault of $".000. The bank was robbed of $I!7,000 two years ago. Americanization Day Program to be Held at Salem Armory Tonight Public to Welcome New Citizens What American I-cton and Boy Scout members have planned as the biggest community meet held in Salem will ta'te place at the Salem armory tonight when the numbers of a carefully prepared program will be .jreenhed. The hour of the opening number has been set for 7:"0 s-o tiiat the aud ience will not be held until oo late an hour. Many musical numbers 'ire lift ed and will be interspersed bv brief addresses. Th" principal ad dress of the evening will be giv en by W. V. Tomlinsop, naturali zation service examiner for Ore gon. Circuit Judge George G. Bing ham, who has rer-Mved national recognition for his work in build ing up the naturalization codTis, will speak briefly upon the pro blem present by those foreign -born w ho are slow to become citi LEADS POSSE AFTER IS FLORA, 111 . Dec: 20. Led by Miss Mildred Kelley. a sheriff's LL NO posse tonight chased five armed sheriff's deputies who are await men. who this aiternoon robbed ing the arrival of bloodhounds at the State bank of Iuka of $15,000 j daybreak before entering the into a wooded strip seven miles north of here. Miss Kelley is an employe of the bank. The bandits automobile crash ed through a bridge forcing them PRIESTS CHANGED. CATHOLICS RIOT New York Police Reserves Disperse East Siders Who Smash Windows NEW YORK, Dec 20. Rc sponding to a riot call, police re serves tonight dispersed a mob of hundreds of persons who stoned the parish bouse of the Church of Our Lady of Pity in East 151st street with tho announced pur pose of throwing the Reverend Father James Mehrigln in tho street. Evcrey pans of glass in the house was shattered while several priests inside, fearing for their lives, telephoned for aid. Night sticks were used freely by the bluecoats in a half hour fight with the mob. The disturbers, chiefly Italians, it was said, were incens ed at the new priest, who had sue ceeded Father Francis Oppicl founder of the parish. Illinois Legion Brings Suit Against Newspaper CHICAGO., Dec. 20. Tha 111! nois Staats Zeltune, a German language dally, today was made defendant in a $100,000 libel suit filed by Biackhawk Tost No. 107 American legion. The complaint charged that the newspaper in an editorial on Dfe ceember 13 said that the legion was an "instrument bought with British gold to suppress truth, to gag freedom and to betray Ameri can organized labor." It was also alleged that the editorial said many American soldiers were "tramps, vagabonds and hums.' The article was printed without the approval or knowledge of Dr Sidney Speilman, owner of the paper, according to a statement made today to John V. Clinnln, assistant United States district at torney. Dr. Speilman. promised to disavow publicly the article ob jected to, Mr. Clinnin said. coxinxrrou held NOKKISTOWN, Pa., Dec. 20. Charles Evans, conductor, and Walter Yeakel, engineer -of. the northbound train of the Phila delphia & Reading railway, which collided with a southbound train near Bryn Athyn, Pa.k December resulting in the death of 20 persons, were arrested today fol lowing a verdict by a coroner's jury fixing responsibility for the wreck upon them. PASSENGER IS GASSED SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 20. The body of John Hare, 47, a steerage passenger, was removed from the steamer Selyo Maru, which arrived here today. He was asphyxiated when immigration of ficials not knowing he was below decks, sealed the batches and fumigated the bold. zens of this country. Miss Margaret Cot-per. principal or Garfield school will read Gov ernor Olcott's brief on American ization. Because of the demands made upon him by the special leg islative session. Governor Olcott will not be present. Salem citizens who have been active in aiding the naturalization work in Marion county and who will greet Mr. Tomlinson are: Miss Cornelia Marvin, state li brarian : V. G. Boyer, county clerk: Mrs. IT. O. Shipley, presi dent I). A. R ; Mrs. Norma Terwil liger and Mrs. Elizabeth Smith. Women's Relief corps representa tives, Speakers will be introduced by Commander B. F. Pound, of Cap ital post No. 9. The event Is giv en nnder the auspices of the Am erican legion and United Troops of Salem B07 Scouts. S I to abandon it. The robbers are surrounded In the wooded cluo bv woods. Miss Mildred Kelley, formed a posse, loaded them Into her auto mobile and started after the bandits, BANK GASOLINE TAX SfilCFI; All Other Methods Appear Discarded, Although Bean is Still Fighting lop In come Levy. .. .. .. HIGHWAY COMMISSION FUNDS TO BE USED Members of Departmen Won Over After Stren uous Arguments At midnight there was feeling at ' the state house among some members of th( senate and the house that the legislature may fall into t deadlock and adjourn 'without reaching any sort of agree ment on a 1925 exposition ta: measure. - . j - This feeling , appeared tc grow throughout the everunr after the dinner hour, not withstanding -r the apparcr.: certainty at the roads anc highways conference j before dinner that a gasoline tax bii: would be introduced. .' I M The proposed direct property tai and apparently every other pro posed , method of . financing th 1925 exposition from the stated angle has now been abandoned with tb exception of the gasoline tax. Louis E. Bean, apeafeer of the house, however, at a late hour last nlrht. wu wartnr bat tle in behalf ot hli Income tax proposal. v . , . I In brief, the whole iltuailor. relative to the exposition has now resolved itself down to two alter natives. These are utter abandon ment of the fair or an additions? one cent tax on ' gasoline which would necessitate a diversion tem porarily ot some of the itaU highway funds for the purpose. It took much argument at a spirit ed msetlng of the Joint roads and highways committee late - yester day o obtain from the three mem bers of the state highway. com mission any concessions In favor of such a bill, but at the conclu sion of the meeting it .appeared that they had been persuaded. Also It appeared that practically every member of the two com mittees had been won over, but later doubt was rampant about the capltol. . - Argument Mad Commissioner As is generally known, the ex position association .wants fS, 000. 000 from the state, $1,000, 000 annually for three years. The additional cent tax on gasoline would produce only about balf that amount . It would be neces sary, then, to draw directly from highway funds for the other ap proximate balf million until such time as automobile traffic would be sufficient to make this utr liecessary. i As an argument to the three members of tb-j highway commis sion who were present ft was de clared that daring the exposition year motor traffic would be $0 1. eatv in the state that returns from the measure would be vastly ncreased. Further. It was point ed out that the additional 1 cent would continue after the expo-, tion, making In alt t S-cert tax on gasoline and from that tlmi forth tha highway department would have the returns from tho entire 3 cents. TMa would make the immediate divergence o? fund merely a loa.i by the commission, 1 It was explained. f People WntiM Vote j The measure ? adopted by the legislature, vrMl'go before tbepeo-; pie as a. constitutional amend-' ment. This will La necessary for the reason that the money Isto be for other ihan governmental Mirposes. . ' Franklin T. Griffith, one of the speakers for ihe exposition asso Cation, presented the entire sit uation as the first to addresa the comm'ttees and the highway com-' mission. Tie d eclated that SO per cent of the reople of the ata'.e want thj fair, but few ar-a In fa- or of a property tax. ' John II. Y'eon, member of the highway, commmlcn, polntel out that the exposition is net a Port land affair. . ; . Go Abend, Hays Ycm "If it were,' he taid. ! would take off my coat and fight it. I am undecided , as yet whether I shall be for the gasoline tax, but - (Continued oa page 6)