WAR 1 3 1922
fr
CIBCCIiATION
Average for February 8871.
population of Salem, 1800, 4258;
1910, 14,094; 1920, 17,679.
Marlon County, 1920, 47,177; Polk
County. 1920, 14,181.
Member of Audit Bureau of Circu
lation. Associated Pres Full
Leased Wire.
THE WEATH.KK
OREGON: Tonight and Sunday
occasional rain. Fresn winds, most
ly southwesterly.
LOCAL! Rainfall .58; southerly
wlncat; cloudy; max. 48, mln. 14;
river 2.8 feet and rising.
11
FORTY-FOURTH YEAR NO. 54
SALEM, OREGON, SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1922
PRICE TWO CENTS
ON TRAINS AND NEWS
STANDS FIVE CENTS
MAN SAYS
HE KILLED
DIRECTOR
fetter Received by
Los Angeles Police
Chief Alleges Writer
Shot Taylor
Los Angeles, Cal., March 4.
rwnln David Adams of the Los
viJ -
Angeles police department an--onnfPil
today that he had re-
celved a letter from a man whose
same he refused to disclose, stat
ing that the writer had killed
William Desmond Taylor, motion
picture director, whose recent
death had baffled investigators.
The letter, Captain Adams said,
Waa written by an educated man,
was sent from a city in Connecti
cut the name of which he declined
to disclose, and made circumstan
tial statements that filled In with
developments of police.
Captain Adams said he would
not say definitely that the letter
was a genuine confession but he
would say that the department put
much credence in it, and was mak
ing a thorough and quick investi
gation. The letter, according to the of
ficer, expressed regret that he
could not collect the rewards of
fered for the arrest of the slayer,
but announced that the writer was
leaving the country immediately.
It gave revenge for an old feud as
the motive for the shooting of
Taylor and was signed by a name
that had not been connected with
the previous investigations.
Captain Adams declined to give
out any further details and said
he would not show the letter at
present.
Teacher Bound
And Gagged And
Left In Shack
Tacoma, Wash., March 4. Miss
Elsie Sparre, 19, school teacher at
Elgin who disappeared last night,
was found early this morning tied
with wire and rope and gagged in
a deserted house two miles oft the
main road and about two miles
from the school house. Hysterical
ly she told how a masked man
held her up and robbed her and
then forced her to walk to the
house.
Miss Sparre was found by C. L.
Blacklee, a trapper, who was one
of the party that started out from
Gig Harbor to search for the miss
ing girl when she failed to return
last evening to her boarding house
about a mile from the school
house.
With the first streak of dawn
this morning Blacklee followed in
dications leading him toward the
vacant house. There he found the
girl In such condition that she
could not tell much of her story
but she declared she had suffered
no physical injuries other than
those caused by being tied and
bound. She was taken to her
hoarding house and a doctor call
d.
Miss Sparre is the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Sparre of Ta
coma. She is. a graduate of Lin
coin high school here and attend
cd Washington State college last
Tear.
Mrs. Wurtzbarger
. Dressed In Here;
To Be Seamstress
Mrs. Alma Wurtzbarger, con
fessed slayer of her husband,
Andrew, Chemawa laborer, ar
rived at the state penitentiary
from Portland at 10 o'clock
this morning and was "dressed
in" shortly before noon.
Mm. Wurtzbarger, who was
sentenced in federal court to
serve a term of ten years after
she had pleaded guilty to man
slaughter, admitted that she
killed her hubsand with a ham
mer as he slept in their com
mon bed on the Chemawa cam
pus several months ago.
Officials at the penitentiary
said this afternoon that Mr
Wurtzbarger will be employed
as a seamstress while in prison
here. She will be renniro tn
make new garments for nrisnn-
ers and to mend old ones.
STATE IS
IN MARKET
FOR FLAX
Commission To
Settle Nitrate
Project Urged
Washington, March 4. (By
Associated Press.) Creation of
national commission, empowered
toy congress to straighten out the
fovernment tangles as to existin
contracts with respect to the pro
jects at MuBcle Shoals, Ala., and
to enter into negotiations for Bale
or lease of the properties, was ad
located today in a statement is-
Med by Chairman Kahn of the
house military committee, which
has before it the three offers re
eeived by the government to date
ir the plant.
The commission would consist
of the secretaries of war. agricul
ture and treasury and Its first ob
Ject would be to insure produc
tion of nitrates for war purposes
s well as the production of fertil
izers for the nation's agricultural
needs.
BADINQ NOMINATED
Washington, Mar. 4. Gerhard
A- Bading, former mayor of Mil
aukee. Wis., was nominated to
ay by President Harding to be
. fcinUter to Ecuador.
ITALIANS
IN CONTROL'
OF FIUME
Provisional Govern
ment Overthrown
and Zanelli Porced to
Sign Abdication
Fiume, March 4. (By Associ
ated Press.) The committee of
national defense proclaimed the
final overthrow of the provisional
government under President Za
nelli and the constituent assem
bly today. The government capit
ulated after fierce fighting. The
committee, upon assuming power,
asked the Italian government to
send a represetatlvne to adminis
ter the government of the city un
til quiet is restored.
Girl Under Knife
of Surgeons 59
Times Recovers
Dallas, Texas, March 4.
Dorothy Cannon, six years old,
who has undergone 14 serious
operations and 45 skin graft
ing applications, will be dis
charged from a hospital here
within another month a well
cK(ld doctors declared today.
Dorothy was found lying on
a live wire in a puddle of water
last June, her clothing having
been burned away and her body
black.
She will be dismissed with
very few visible signs of her
experience.
HARDING
ONE YEAR
I IN OFFICE
President Says Ac
complishments of Ad
ministration Speak
for Themselves
mproved Conditions
Cited As Reason. For
Renewed Buying by
Prison Plant
Denying statements that state
officials are extending their ef
forts to discredit the flax industry
of Oregon, and signifying willing
ness to make contracts with grow
ers who have not become mem
bers of the Willamette Flax &
Hemp Growers association, be-
of the increasing demand
for the fibre, E. J. Hansett, super-
ntendent of the penitentiary flax
plant issued a statement this
morning, saying that the officials
now had an offer for four car
loads of flax from linen mills in
Belfast, Ireland.
"Some people are under the
impression that our state officials
are doing their best to nikae
failure of the flax industry of the
state," said Mr. Hansett. "This is
to be regretted as I know posi
tively that Warden Compton is
enthusiastic in promoting the in
dustry and is doing all that he
possibly can to aid the new com
pany which has started here.
It is a fact that he had a good
market for all flax seed produced
in the state flax industry by
grinding it into stock food, and
was making a handsome profit by
handling it in that manner. But
In order to help the new company
he stopped grinding the seed into
stock food and furnished seed to
the company for planting purposes
under the market price.
Mr. Hansett stated that at the
time when the flax industry wai
about to be given up by the state,
the market had been demoralized,
but that now, due to conditions in
Russia and Belgian the market
was nicking up.
The state will contract, he said.
with those who have not Joined
the association to work the crop
from a limited acreage and charge
only for the actual cost of the la
bor, to prove that there is money
in the industry.
Farmers are invited to call at
the penitentiary plant for further
information.
The formation of the Wlllam
ette Valley Flax & Hemp Growers
association was the result of an
anouncement made some time ago
that the state would contract lor
no more flax and the delinquency
on the Dart of the officials to re
mif in irramrs for their 1921
i-rnn. Through legislative meas
ures the growers made something
like $35,000.
Zanelli's Attitude Queer.
Rome, March 4. (By Associ
ated Press.) The council of min
isters today discussed at length
the crisis in Piume which has com
plicated the alreaw difficult situ
ation confronting the new cabinet.
The attitude of President Za
nelli, who has been forced to hand
over the government to the na
tional committee of defense, does
not appear quite clear here. Short
ly after be assumed power in Oc
tober last he came to Rome and
obtained a loan of 200,000,000
lire. He then expressed a great
belief in the Italian aspirations in
Fiume, but upon his return to
that place, almost immediately In
curred the enmity of the Italian
element.
Since early yesterday forces of
fascist!, legionnaires and repub
licans have been i possession of
the city. They captured the posts
and telegraphs and before their
advance the police organized by
Zanelli retired to the government
palace.
Palace Is Shelled.
Zanelli's forces placed machine
guns on the roof of the palace
which for some time checked the
progress of their assailants. Dep
uty Giunta, leader of the fasclstl
then captured an armored motor
boat belonging to the Italian navy
in the neighboring bay of Abbazia
and with its guns opened fire
against the palace. Thirty 75
millimetre shells were thrown into
the building causing considerable
damage.
Italian torpedo boats in Fiume
harbor captured the motorboat,
but the latter was again seized by
the fascist! who resumed their
bombardment of the palace. The
defenders then hoisted a white
flag.
The report that Zanelli flea
from the city is denied. Accord
ing to latest reports he was still
inside the palace. Zanelli has sign
ed a statement agreeing to retire
forever from public life in Fiume
and renouncing any aspiration of
a political character.
Hops Bring
16-18 Cents
In Contract
Contracts calling for the deliv
ery of 30,000 pounds of hops this
year and 50,000 pounds from
1923 to 1926, signed by A. M.
Jerman and Harold Ray, Portland
representative of Hugo V. Loewi,
New York hop broker, at a price
of 16 and 18 cents were filed with
the county recorder's office this
morning. ,
The 1922 contract calls for the
delivery of 30,000 pounds of fug
gle hops only, on which an ad
vance is to be made by the broker
September 1 of (1200, and for
picking purposes an advance of six
cents a pound while the balance of
eight cents a pmnd due at the
contract price is to be paid on de
livery.
Two contracts for each succeed
ing year call for the same amount
of fuggles on like terms and the
delivery of 20,000 pounds of clus
ter hops with an advance of $1800
by September, an advance of six
cents for picking purposes and the
balance of the contract price of 16
cents to be paid on delivery.
While this is considerably low
er than the top price paid for hops
last year, experts agree that at
present the contracted quotations
are fair covering a long period of
time.
The Jerman farm is located
nine miles north of Salem.
Washington, March 4. Warren
G. Harding at noon today com
pleted his first year as president
of the United States and when
asked for an expression regarding
the accomplishments of his admin
istration to date, authorizing this
statement:
'The record of the administra
tion speaks for itself; It would be
poor administration that re
quired the executive to speak for
it."
Mr. Harding spent his first an
niversary in the White House
working on a number of routine
matters and had the usual number
of appointments. He stopped work
shortly after noon to receive and
shake hands with a delegation
from the National Merchant Ma
rine association, and In that con
nection White House attaches fig
ured out that he had shaken hands
with more than 150,000 persons
in the last year.
Heir's Scrap
Over Aged
Man's Land
State Hospital
Is Quarantined
Polish Cabinet
Resigns In Body
Woman Lives 40
Years After Doctors
Said She Would Die
Zion, 111., March 4 Mrs. Delia
ti-o- mi vears old, formerly of
Los Angeles, died today from in
fluenza. More than toriy
ago she was said to have con
tracted an incurable disease and
was told that she could live only
a few months.
Transport Workers
Seize Gas Plant;
Hoist Red Colors
Tipperarr, iTeTald, March 4.
. ,. Pr"M 1 The local
fBv Associated fress.j
branch of the
Workers' union seued the gas
works here today and hoisted the
red flag- w-nrfca was
The m-'nager of the works was
replaced with sn employe, who
has been dismissed.
Warsaw, March 4. Failure of
the representatives of Vilna and
Poland to agree on the terms es
tablishing Vilna as a part of the
republic resulted in the resigna
tion of the Polish cabinet under
Premier Ponikowskl yesterday.
The Vilna delegates refused to
sign the pact because it did not
orovide for immediate union, but
nnlv a later adjustment of the
Question. The cabinet held out
for the Polish terms and In its
stead is reported to have had the
secret support of the entente al
Mrs.
A three-day celebration which
has been planned in connection
with the signing has been can
celled and the delegates are re-
nnrtert to be returning to Vilna.
The Vilna diet on February 26
voted 36 to 6 for complete cooper
ation with Poland and repudiated
all Russian or Lithuanian claims
for the district.
Silverton Pastor
Resigns to Accept
Philadelphia Call
Rilverton. Or., March 4. At
business meeting of the members
of St. John's Lutheran church of
Cilverton Thursday afternoon the
inaHnn of Rev. J. C. Roseland
. Two new Candi
das nv ' v
.., pr chosen for the pastor
ate. Rev. II- J- Thorpe of Portland
i. fit candidate wltn itev. u.
Holen of Tacoma, second. A call
has been sent to Rev. Mr. Thorpe
of Portland. Rev. Mr. Roseland.
the present pastor, has been called
Dy a congregation at Philadelphia,
Pa and has accepted. His resig
nation will take place June 1.
In an effort to forestall an epl
demic of influenza at the state
hospital the institution was placed
under quarantine against all visi
tors today, according to announce
ment by Superintendent R. K. Lee
Steiner. Only a few minor cases
of lagrlppe and colds Vive been
experienced at the hospital this
winter, according to Superintend
ent Steiner, who explains that epi
demics in the Institution generally
follow several weeks after an epl
demlc In Salem and surrounding
territory. This, Steiner declares,
Is due to the visits of people to the
hospital who are not entirely re
covered from the illness, thus
spreading the germs among the
patients which he is attempting to
prevent at this time through a
quarantine which it is planned to
rigidly maintain so long as mere
is any danger.
Woman Solomon To
Decide Which Wife
Is Mother of Baby
The gullibility of an aged man,
and the rivalry of his chldlren for
the greater share of his estate are
apparently the basic causes of a
suit brought by Christian Daniel
son, Mary Palmer, Lena Peters and
Hans Christians against their fa
tter, Jens Christian and his third
aon, Emil Christian, larmers. nv
lng in the north end of the coun
ty near Monitor.
The plaintiffs have filed a com
plaint recently asking that a deed
made by their father, which gives
him a life estate in the 55-acre
farm, and them possession of the
property after his death, be de
clared valid.
In the answer filed by the 88-
year-old father and his son, Emil
the defendants allege that Chris
tian and his brother and sisters
took advantage ot their father's
Infirmity and Ignorance of the
English language and on August
22, 1921, took their father to
Woodburn under the pretext ol
aiding him make his will, but in
stead made him sign the deed In
their favor, which they Imme
diately had recorded, with the pur
pose of later taking possession of
the property themselves
They further assert that the doed
Is invalid because there was no
consideration paid for the proper
ty.
Washington, March 4 Miss
Kathryn Sellers, Judge of the Dis
trict of Columbia Juvenile
Court, today shared honors with
King Solomon, the "wisest of the
wlae," when she essayed to decide
the parentship of a seven-months-
old baby ardently claimed by two
.women.
The women are aa strangely
different as the stories they have
unfolded, each averring that she
l ,1.n nr.tlia fin a Ifl CI 11 Ttlll
lian, Mrs. Marie Antonio Mattlo,
who recently arrived in this coun
try; and the other is Mrs. Etta
Peck, of Toledo, Maryland.
The Italian woman claims she
put the child In the custody of
Mrs. Peck, being unable to care
for it at the time of birth. Mrs.
Peck admits receiving the child,
but declares she gave it to anoth
er woman, who took It to Georgia.
In the meantime Mrs. Peck says,
a child had been born to her.
"It is My Baby I"
But the doughty little woman
who recently left the sunny
shores of Italy for the "promised
land" only to step into her pres
ent difficulty, refutes Mrs Peck's
story.
"She has hot sent my baby
away," says Mrs. Mattio. "It is
my baby she says was born to
her."
On the other hand, Mrs. Peck
emphatically denies Mrs. Mattio's
statement and declares she will
fight to the utmost for the cus-
today ot the child. And that's
that.
The story begins in the early
summer. Mrs. Mattlo comes to
America and then to Washington.
A few days later a baby Is born,
but Mrs. Mattio is unable to care
tor it. So, on advise ot friends,
she advertises for some family to
care tor the child.
Under the name of Mrs. Mary
Smith, Mrs. Peck offers to care
for the child. An arrangement Is
made and Mrs. Peck takes the
girl to her home In Tuxedo. This
was in late August.
But for the timely advent of
Miss Agnes Ferrlter, Red Cross
worker in Prince George's county,
which embraoes Tuxedo, the story
probably would have ended here.
Miss Ferrlter learned that Mrs.
Peck was ill in bed and decided
to visit her.
Entering the house, she found
Mrs. Peck and was Informed that
a baby had just been born.
"How old is this child?" asked
Miss Ferfiter.
"Four days,'" was the response.
Whereupon Miss Ferrlter
promptly suggested that Mrs.
Peck return to bed.
"Oh, no! In our family the wo
men are always out of bod with
in a few days," is said to have
been the reply.
But Miss Ferrlter, disliking
conditions In the house, Investi
gated and found Mrs. Peck had
recently adopted a child. Through
the Maryland authorities she ob
tained the child's custody. It was
later ordered sent to the custody
of the Children's Guardians. By
this time Mrs. Marttio had stepp
ed into the picture. ,
Mrs. Peck followed the child to
Washington and sought its cuat
ody from the board. But officials
of the board decided it was a case
for the Juvenile Judge, and the
case was referred.
And today a woman, fittingly
appropriate in these modern days
of suffrage and woman's rights,
will enact the role of Solomon the
wise in deciding who is the real
mother of the baby.
14 DIE IN
AUTOBUS
ACCIDENT
Jitney Trying To Beat
Tram Over Crossing
Smashed When Fast
Express Hits It
Cleveland, Ohio, March 4. The
death ot George E. McGee today
brought the toll from the collision
between a New York Central pas
senger train and an automobile
bus at Falnesville late last night
up to fourteen. Five persons are
seriously Injured, three expected
to die.
A coroner's Inquest will be held
at Painesville this afternoon. City
officials at Painesville and Offi
cials ot the New York Central
railroad started an investigation
this morning.
Three of the dead were found
on the locomotive pilot when the
train, In charge ot Engineer F. S.
Fernandez of Buffalo and Con
ductor C. Ernst was brought from
its 60-mile an hour pace to a bait
about three blocks from the scene
of the collision.
- Oas Tank Explodes.
Most ot those killed had left
dance hall in Painesville less than
half an hour before the crash,
while several others had attended
a lodge meeting. -
An explosion ot the gasoline
tank ot the machine set fire to the
debris and several bodies were
badly burned.
The bus, which was operated
between Painesville and Kalrport,
was making its last trip for the
nlght. A. W. Barnes, crossing
watchman, declared he flagged the
driver. A declaration by Chester
Parrish, manager ot the bus line,
that a large oil tank obstructed
Driver Adams' view of the watch
man's lantern end the approach
ing train, was discounted by Carl
Sullivan, one ot the Injured.
Saw Train Comine.
I saw the train before we
reached the tracks," Sullivan said.
"We had stopped to take on two
passengers juBt south of the rail
road or we would have been
across.
'People near me screamed as
the engine came on. I saw the
driver reach down and pull some
thing, I don't know whether It
speeded us up or slowed us down.
Schools Not To
Be Closed, "Flu"
Cases Are Fewer
Big Curb Market
Bond Firm Fails
New York, March 4. Failure
of E. H. Clark & company, one of
the largest brokerage ifrms with
membership in the New York curb
market, was announced today. The
house has offices in Chicago and
several other mid-west cities, and
dealt largely In oil and copper
shares.
The announcement was follow
ed by the filing in federal court
of an inoluntary petition In
bankruptcy against the firm.
Liabilities were estimated at
1400,000 and assets at $250,000.
Judge Learned Hand named David
Miller receiver, with bond of $30,-
000. Claims of three petitioning
creditors totalled only $582.
Chicago, March 4 The local of
fice of E. H. Clark & company.
brokerage firm which failed today,
was unable to give any estimate
of the assets or liabilities of any
of its middle western offices. All
books have been forwarded to New
York. It was said.
A. W. Gardner, who was oper
ated upon for knee trouble at the
Salem hospital last Wednesday Is
doing as well as could be expected.
Mr. Gardner Is an overseas man
and a member ot Capital post No.
American Legion.
Unless the influenza epidemic
in Salem becomes more serlouu
than it is at present, the public
schools will not be cloned, George
W. Hug, superintendent of schools.
saldt his afternoon.
'Present indications are that
the crest lfag been reached and
that there will be fewer cases in
the immediate future," Mr. Hug
said. "Unless there is a change
for the worse, the schools will re
main open as there would be notb
ing gained by closing them now.'
A number of teachers and pupils
will be back in school Monday aft-
short illness, Mr. Hug said.
Principal J. C. Nelson, of the high
school, was back In his office this
morning.
Man Arrested Here
Sent to School For
Feeble Minded Folk
Car Dives Thru
Hedge; Reckless
Driving, Charge
Salem police announced this
afternoon that a complaint,
charging reckless driving, will Is
sue against Dale Alter, ot this
city, following an accident this
morning In which an automobile,
said to have been driven by Alter,
skidded about 100 feet on south
High street, and rammed its way
through a hedge onto the front
yard of Paul Johnson, Salem
merchant.
The front wheel of the automo
bile was broken, officers said, and
the Johnson hedge was badly
mashed down. The car was said
to have been moving north on
High street when the accident oc
curred.
No one was Injured.
Ed Carson, who was arrested
here yesterday on a vagrancy
tharge by Acting Chief of Police
Walter BIrtchet, was this morning
committed to the state school for
feeble minded by County Judge W
M. Bushey following an examina
tion by Dr. W. M. Byrd, county
physician.
Carson was taken In custody by
Chief Britchet when he essayed to
enter a women's lavatory. He was
reported to have annoyed a num
ber of little girls.
Carson, when arraigned before
Police Judge Earl Race yesterday,
pleaded guilty to a charge of vag
rancy, but was temporarily re
leased pending an Investigation of
his case.
Relatives of
Dead Veterans
May Get Bonus
Washington, March 4. . An
added provision to the compromise
soldiers' bonus bill under which
the immediate relatives of men
who died since their discharge
from the service would rocelve
adjusted compensation Is under
consideration by majority mem
bers of the house ways and means
committee. Decision is expected
Monday.
Sponsors of the proposal favor
paying such relatives the faco
value of adjusted service certifl
cates on the same basis as is pro
posed in the bill for service men
generally. This would equal the
amount of the adjusted service
pay plus 25 per cent. They estl
mate that the cost to the treasury
probably would not exceed $25,
000,000, and argue that the pay
ments would be a matter of simple
justice.
Two Suspects In
Portland Shooting
Case Are Arrested
Portland, Ore., March 4. Two
more suspects were taken Into
custody today by the police in
vestigating the shooting Thurs
day night of Miss WUIamene Ful
ler, choir girl at St. Stephens pro
cathedral. Luther Shields, 20, and
B. D. Martin, 21, who were picked
up by detectives for questioning,
admitted knowing Elmer W.
Weatherford, who Is being held
because ho Is alleged to have made
a remark Indicating he knew who
did the shooting.
Miss Fuller was reported rest
ing well at a hospital and her
early recovery was expected un
less complications develop.
Fletcher to Seek
Election to Lower
House Once More
(Continued on Page Three.)
Lloyd-George
May Retire To
Head New Party
London, March 4. What wa
regarded In political circles aa
seemingly a plain intimation ot
the early resignation ot Prime
Minister Lloyd-George with an
endeavor to form a new national
centrist party out ot the moder
ate conservatives and coalition
liberals was given by Winston
Spencer Churchill, secretary fo
the colonies, In his address at
Loughborough this afternoon.
This party, as Mr. Churchill de
scribed It in the reports ot tils'
speech received here, would bo
"liberal," progressive and pacifld
In its outlook, at home and abroad,
and resolute also to uphold and
maintain the traditions of the
state and the power and unity o
the empire.
Idaho Tossers
Leave To Enter
National Meet
D. E. Fletcher of Independence
wants to come back to his old seat
in the lower bouse of the state
legislature. In his formal declara
tion as a candidate for the repub
lican nomination for representa
tive from Polk county, filed with
Secretary of State Kozer today,
Fletcher declares his readiness to
'render honest and conservative
service for my district and state."
In his slogan he declares: "No in
terest to serve but the people's interest."
Mr. and Mrs. Ceorge Waters re
turned last night from a month's
trip to California. They went as
far south as San Diego.
Moscow, Idaho, Mar. 4. Can
celling the secondgame of its ser
ies with Washington State college,
scheduled for tonight, the Univer
sity ofldabo basketball team left
here this afternoon for Indianap
olis, to enter the national Inter
collegiate basketball tournament
March 9, 10 and 11.
Coach David McMillan was ac
companied by nine men. Captain
R. Fox, forward; A. Fox, forward g
Oswald Thompson, center; Har
old Telford, guard; William Gar
tin, guard; Percy Steiner, guard;
A. D. Nelson, substitute center
Harvey Edwards, guard; Henry
Canine," substitute forward.