Medford mail tribune., January 31, 1921, Page 1, Image 1

Medford
Mail Tribune r"
The Weather
Maximum yesterday 47
Minimum today 33
Preclp. Sat. and Sun. 97
rinlly Fifteenth Tear.
Weekly Fiftieth Yc:ir.
MEDFORD, ORIXIOX, MONDAY, JANUARY 111. 1921
NO. 2GG
LA MY
KIDNAPPED
WOMAN IS
RETURNED
Mrs. Gladys Witherall Is Found
Unharmed, Prisoner on a
Lonely Sheep Rahch Kid
napers Arrested, Confess to
Crime Grudge": Against
Father-in-Law Cause.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31. Mrs.
Gladys Wltherell, who disappeared
from her home here last Tuesday, was
found early this morning, a prisoner
in a small house on a sheep ranch
.eight miles east of Corona in River
side county about TO miles southeast of
Los Angeles according to a telephone
message to the Associated Press.
, Mrs. Witherell was unharmed.
Two men who gave thoir names as
A. J. and Floyd Carr, cousins, were
arrested'
The discovery ot Mrs. Wltherell and
the arrest of the two Carr men were
affected by Los Angeles police and
deputy sheriffs who started for Los
Angeles with the woman and the two
men,
' The officers said the Carrs con--fessed
they had ill feeling toward the
woman's father-in-law, A. J. Witherell,
because of a transaction Involving a
boat, and that they kidnapped Mrs.
Witherell both to obtain revenge and
ransom- money, , of which, It was said,
they had demanded $20,000.
Hello Girl Is Hero
A telephone operator's qulckwitted
ness led to the discovery of Mrs. Wlth
erell and the Carr's arrest. The opera
tor received a call for the residence
of O. S. Witherell and delayed making
the call until the police had been sent
to the pay station where they arresti
A. J. Carr just as he was concluding
a delayed conversation which he had
promised" relatives In a letter sent
them Saturday.
The police said they found chloro
form and other articles in his automo
bile they believed had been used in
decoying the woman from home.
At the police station, A. J. Carr, it
was said, confessed that he had spent
Saturday night outside ot Los Angeles
afraid to communicate with the With
"crells as he had agreed by letter.
Floyd Carr, according to the confes
sion ot his cousin, was the leader in
the kidnaping.
The police said A. J. Carr told them
that Floyd went to the Wltherell homo
last Tuesday night ami told Mrs. With
erell her husband had been Injured In
an automobile accident and was cull
ing for, Ser.fty. i ' j" "T.; '
Woman ChlorofbrrVled "I ", ''. : .
Floyd Carr; according to tho'p'ollce,
escorted her to an automobile where
A.' J. Carr was waiting.5 When she be
came suspicious the two men chloro
formed her. They took her to a small
house on a sheep ranch and put her In
a room with only a cot and two blan
kets. Mrs. WItheroll told the men who
rescued her the men bought her candy
and treated, her "with every respect."
The police and Mrs. Wltherell's hus
band and father started for the kid
napers" house at 2 o'clock today, pre
pared for any emergency. The officers
surrounded the house and after closing
in on it smashed the door and win
dows. A man said to be Floyd Carr
was caught off his guard and hand
cuffed. (Continued on Fane 81x1
AMERICAN SHIPMENTS 10
AT 545.000.000 ARE
BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 30. Advanc
ing exchange rates and decreasing
prices during the past few months
have resulted in a dispute over the
payment of between -$40,000,000 and
$45,000,000 of American merchandise,
which is either tied up In-the Argen
tine customs house, or is on its way
to this port. This statement was made
by Horacio B. Varla, a prominent com
mercial lawyer, who last night ad
dressed the second annual banquet of
the United States chamber of com
merce here.
Senor Varla discussed the possibil
ities of solving the conflict between
Secy. Colby Refuses
to Do Ghost Dance
With Hiram Johnson
WASHINGTON', Jan. 31.
"People of western states are
entitled to know and know
now," what disposition of the
Japanese settlement problem is
made In the tentltlvo Shldchara
Morris treaty. Senator Johnson,
republican, California, declared
today in a formal statement. He
reiterates that the treaty in ef
fect repealed the California alien
land laws.
'If Senator Johnson expects
to do a ghost dance on this sub
ject he's got to do it without
me as a partner," Secretary Col
by declared today in an Informal
statement replying to the Cali
fornia senator's latest statement
on the proposed American-Japanese
treaty.
( .
CITY CHARGED
ITHREt TIMES
VALUE0F R. R.
Grand Jury Holds Purchase of
Traction Co., by Seattle
Poor Business and Terms of
Contract Can Not Be Ful-
filled by City.
SEATTLE, Jan. 31. Tno terms of
the contract by which the City of
Seattle purchased the municipal
street railway system from the Pu
get Sound Traction, Light and Pow
er company for $15,00'0,000 in muni
cipal utility bonds cannot be fulfill
ed and the city is entitled to equita
ble relief through the courts, the spe
cial grand jury investigating the pur
chase decalred In its report made
public today. The report asserts the
lines are worth approximately $5,-
000,000.
The report says the grand jury
found no evidence of corruption, or
that any city official profittod by the
deal, which was completed in March.
1919. tldld find, however, accord
ing to the report, that "the negotia
tions leading up to the deal were
characterized by slack business meth
ods on the part of the mayor and
city council." No indictments were
returned. The grand jury began In
vestigation of the purchase of the
lines last November, following pub
lication of charges by Mayor Hugh
M. Caldwell that the city had been
"buncoed" out of several million
dollars. The city council ivoted an
appropriation of $10,000 to. be used
by the mayor in conducting an In
vestigation, results of which were
submitted to the grand jury.
After asserting that the value of
the lines Is approximately $5,000,000
the report declares that if the city
ot Seattle completes tiie purchase ac
cording to the contract, the people
will pay a total of $23,752,550 in
principal and interest and that by
the time the payments are completed
IlvIII be practically necessary to re
produce the system.
An addition loss of $3,750,000 will
result from the discontinuance of the
two per cent gross paid to the city
under private ownership, and In tax
es, $4,601,280, making a total over
all of $32,102,830, the report as
serts. ARGENTINE VALUED
HELD UP BY EXCHANGE
American exporters and Argentine
buyers over the acceptance of this
merchandise and payment without
loss. He declared the solution was to
be found only In private agreements
between the interested parties, ench
accepting necessary losses.
The danger of the United States los
ing its advantageous position in the
foreign trade thru the lack of an Inter
national policy was dwelt upon by
Jorge Mitre, director of LaNacion.
He praised the work done by the
chamber In bringing pressure to bear
for the purpose of preventing the pas
sage of the Fordney emergency tariff
bill by the United States congress.
CONVICTION
I
REVERSED
Supreme Court Holds Judge
Landis Should Not Have
Heard Suit After His Eligi
bility Attacked Justices
Day, Pitney and McReynolds
Dissent.
J J J ! i i S J i
BERGER UNREPENTANT
MILWAUKEE, Wis., Jan. 31.
"The conspiracy has failed and I
have nothing to retract from any
thing I have written or said about
the war or about those who push
ed us into the war," declared
Victor L. Bergcr today when ap
prised by the Associated Press of
the decision of the United States
supreme court in its reversal of
the decision in the case against
Bergor who was tried before
Judge Landis of Chicago on
charges of violating the wartime
espionage act.
AVASH.INGTON, Jan. 31. Convic
tion of Victor l. Derger and four
others, members of the socialist party
for violation of the espionage act was
reversed today by the supreme court
on the ground that Judge Landis
should not have heard the suit after
his eligibility had been attacked.
Those- convicted with Iierger in the
federal court at Chicago were Adolph
Oermer, national secretary of the
party; William F. Kruse, editor of
the Young Socialists Magazine; J.
Louis Engdahl and Irwin St. John
Tucker.
Berger and the other four were con
victed under the section prohibiting
attempts to cause insubordination and
disloyalty in the naval and military
forces.
Sentences of from ten to twenty
years imprisonment were imposed.
The appeal was brought to the su
premo court on the ground that Judge
K. M. Landis had shown "personal
bias and prejudice" against the de
fendants because of their nationality.
The court divided li to 3, Justices
Day, Pitney and Alelteynolds dissent
ing. Dissenting Opinions.
Mr. Mulleynolds added to the dis
senting opinion a strong approbation
of Judge Landis' sentiments as merely
showing his detestation of the "llun
nish warfare which was being backed
by compatriots in America under our
too indulgent laws."
Tho majority opinion held that the
affidavit of prejudice filed by Br
ger against Judge Landis was suf
ficient to have caused his withdrawal
from the case and that Judge Landis
himself was not justified in pausing
upon the affidavit.
Justice Doyf who filed a dlssu-ili.ig
opinion, held, however, that the mere
filing of an affidavit should not be
accepted as sufficient evidence of the
unfairness of tho judge. The Berger
affidavit should not be taken at "lace
value," he said, because the "facts"
therein had been made solely on "in
formation and belief," and no at
tempt was made to substantiate them.
The effect of tho court's decision
fs to remand the cases to tho appel
late division which will issue orders
for a reversal and a new triul before
some other federal Judge.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 31. William
O. MeAdoo, former secretary of the
United States treasury, is not coming
to Mexico on a mission of a political
character, a high official of the for
eign relations department said last
night. He statod further that Mr. Mc
Adoo was a representative of Ameri
can stockholders of the National
Railroad company and would take
part in the negotiations with the
Mexican government regarding the re
turn of the national lines to their
owners.
Steeping Sickness, London.
LONDON, Jan. 31. Fifty-five cases
of sleeping sickness have been re
ported here during the past four
weeks. This Is a large increase, only
Iwonty-thrpfl Imlng reported In the
previous period of four weeks.
President Refuses
to Commute Debs9
Sentence of 10 Yrs.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 3 1. President
Wilson refused today lo commute the
ten-year sentence imposed upon Eu
gene V. Debs for violation of the espi
onage act.
The president disapproved a recom-
Eugene V. Debs
mendatlon of the department of Jus
tice that Debs' sentence be commuted
to expire next February VI.
WASHINGTON, Jan. .11. Commu
tation of tho sentence of Eugene V.
Debs, effective nevt February 12, has
been recommended to President Wil
son by the department of justice, it
was learned today a the While House.
R. R. OPERATION
Genl. Atterbury, Chairman of
R. R. Labor Committee De
clares Wages Must Ulti
mately Be Reduced Abro
gation Agreement Asked.
CHICAGO, Jan. St. llankruptcy
threatens tho rallroudH of tho United
Stales unless they arc assured Immedi
ate) means for a reduction in operating
expenses, the railroad labor board was
told today by tlie Association of Hall
road Executives. General W. W. Atter
bury, chairman of the labor cnmmilteo
of tho roads' organization made tin
prediction. The executives assured th
federal officials that if there was Im
mediate abrogation of the war time
national agreements Involving work
ing rules and conditions they woldd
not seek a reduction of basic wages for
at least three months after the order
becomes effective, saying tho Interval
would be UBcd to test out the efficacy
of economics which might he institut
ed free from the limitations of present
agreements.
Ultimately, however, It was slated,
there would be need for a reduction in
basic wages If the cost of operating
the road is to bo cut to a point whore
rates may be redueod.
Ask Abrogation
As a measure of immediate relief
the roads asked the board to abrogate
at once the agreement fixing the basic
rates ot unskilled labor at 39 to 4H'A
cents an hour. They argued that this
was a higher rate than was being paid
other Industries and that It operated
to tho disadvantage of other employers
particularly farmers.
Tiie roads proposed that rules and
working conditions In effect December
31, 1917 be re-CBtabilHhed.
"Many railroads are not now earning
and with present operating costs and
traffic have no prospect of earning,
even their bare operating expenses,"
said General Atterbury. "This leaves
them without any net return and un
able to meet their fixed charges."
He said that the emergency might
be met either by an advance In freight
and passenger rates or a" reduction In
operating expenses.
Appeals to Labor Board
"The labor board can prevent this
(ContniiRif on VnfO Six).
lie
OFFERS Bill
TO PROTECT
DEPOSITORS
Representatve Sheldon Intro
duces Measure to Guarantee
Bank Deposits in State Pat
terned After Washington
State Law Not Compul
sory Effects State Banks.
SA liF.M, Ore., .Tan. fl I . Kepresen -tative
Sheldon of Jackson county to
day introduced a bill for tho guaran
tee of bank deposits, patterned almost
exaetly after the Washington state
law.
It applies only to .state banks unless
a national bank sees fit, by it.s own
action and with the permission of the
treasury department, to come under
the benefits of the law. Provision is
made for a guaranty fund administer
ed by a commission composed of the
governor,, stale bank exam (tier and
three state bankers to bo appointed
by the governor.
The law would not bo compulsory
upon the banks.
SALEM, Ore., Jan. 31. To cut off
the Income aside from salaries that
is now received by county officers,
especially sheriffs and elerkH, through
tho collection of certain fees, will be
the purpose of a bill to be Introduced
in tho committee on county and state
officers, or possibly by Senator Hell
individually.
The collections of these fees Is not
accounted for. Tho proposed bill
would provide for an accounting and
will require that the money ho re
ceived be turned over to tho county
treasurer. Tho measure will follow a
recommendation of the special com
mittee of tho'1910 legislature, which
investigated the salaries of the county
and stato officers and reported, to the
present session.
Regit lute Insurance.
SALEM, Ore., Jan. 31 A bill aimed
to regulate all insurance companlen
was Introduced today byv ltepreseilta
tlvo Hyatt of Union and Wallowa
counties. Tho bill provides for a
standardized Insurance policy form
and provides standard regulations for
all companies.
SALEM, Ore., Jan. 31. Senator Ky
an is preparing a bill which would
provide that school districts, cities,
town and other municipalities Issu
ng bonds shall offer them to the state
before advertising them for sale on
tho general market. Tho slate would
be the preferred purchaser If It offer
ed par or better. Tho expense of ad
vertising tho sales of bonds would be
eliminated should the bill pass.
FACES SEIZURE
SAX FRANCISCO, Jan. 31 Customs
officials are watching for tho launch
.Mary, which, according to Colonel
Irby, 'collector of customs, left Victoria
II. C, recently for San Francisco with
GOO cases of whiskey. Tho Mary. Irby
said, Is one of a fleet of mysterious
vessels plying between tills port and
Victoria in an Illicit liquor trudc which
has gained vast proportions.
The steamer Hoar was dispatched
from Seattle Saturday to appreliond
the whisky runners, who, irby declared
aro numerous, lie said tho launches
slip In through tho Golden Gate at
night with lights extinguished and
make their way to some secret landing
place where tho cargo is discharged.
It was' estimated by Irby that over
$1,000,000 worth of whisky Is being
smuggled Into San Francisco monthly
from the northern poi I.
E
At'OrsTA. Maine. Jan. .11. Fred
eric H. Parkhursl, governor of Maine,
died today. He failed to recover from
a diphtheritic Infection under the
tongue, with which he was attacked
three weeks ago. Apparently ho was
Improving until late last night when
he took chills and became uncon
scious. Death followed today.
Three Robberies in
East Net $129,500;
1 Killed, 3 Wounded
& S 4 & 8 i
: niCTKOlT. Jan. 111. Threo de-
tectlves were shot and seriously
wounded today by three bandits
who held up and robbed the Mor
ton bond company's office in tho
public squaro downtown. At tho
hospital, It was said two of tho
detectives probably will die. The
bandits escaped with $10,000 in
Liberty bonds.
WASHINGTON, Jan. HI. Tho
Commonwealth National hank at
Itoodsville, Va., a village 100
miles from here, was robbed today
of cash and securities totaling
$119,000 and then set on fire.
CI.KVKLANO, Jan. 31. Miss
Gretchen llrandt, 37, was found
hcutcn and stabbed to death to
day in iter room at tho homo of
her brother-in-law, with whom she
nuido her homo. Tho head was
crushed and there woro numerous
ltnifo wounds on tho body. Uoh
bory was believed to have been
the motive. $.100 worth of jewelry
being missing. -
4 Jt f $ 5 ! ! J I S -
NTO SANITY
Officials Discover That Manuel
Francis Former Well-to-do
Resident of Yreka, Cal.
Had Been Given Up as
Victim of Murder.
A hearing Is being held this after
noon on tho sanity of Manuel Francis,
the young man of Portuguese nation
ality, who was arrested a week ago
Sunday in his chicken coop home on
tho former Dunlap place on Siskiyou
heights, for breaking Into two places
and stealing food. Me had made the
hennery his home since last August.
It has developed since his arrest
that Francis is a former well-to-do
resident of Yreka, whose mysterious
disappearance from his homo there
last summer had caused grave appre
hension among his friends and others.
Ho had, find still has $:i!)00 on deposit
In one bank of that city and $1)00 in
another bank, and was supposed to
have had considerable cash on hi m
when he disappeared. In fact, it was
thought that ho had been murdered
for his money, and when ho could not
bo located, tho ground all about his
homo was dug up, it Is said, in the.
hope of finding his body. '
It also develops that some tlmo be
foro his disappearance his head had
been badly Injured through a fall, and
this Injury is thought to have affected
his mind and led him to wander to Med
ford nnd live tho life of a vagrant,
when ho had plenty of money to
clothe, house and feed himself prop
erly. When tho account of his arrest pub
lished In The Mail Tribune, reached
Yreka his friends wero overjoyed to
find that ho was alive and they im
mediately began to Investigate into
his case and Interest themselves in
his behalf. Hence tho sanity hear
ing of this afternoon.
Ubcrty Iloncls.
XKW YOKK, Jan. 31 Ulwrty
bonds closed:
HMs's 01. 0; first 4's 87.00 bid;
second 4'a 8li.H0; first 4's 87.20;
ccond 4 8tf-::(i; third 4V4s 89.20;
fourth 4'4's 8i.60; Victory 3's
07.3; ; Victory 4 s. 07.2(1.
ROOSEVELT HIGHWAYi BILL
8 A L. ISM, Ore, Jan. 31. Tho Nor
blHiMlull bill, providing- that the
$2,500,000 bond Ihhuo authorized by
the people at the special election of
1019 for the coiiHtruetion of the
Roosevelt military highway, bo made
effective without tho contingency of
an equal appropriation from the fed
eral government was deferred today
when It eamo up for third reading be
cause of tiie absence of Senator Hail.
It was made a special order for 2:30
o'clock tomorrow.
Senator Dennis' bill empowering
circuit Judges to remand back to the
Juvenllo court the cases ot minors con
INVESTIGATE
OF PORT E
AUTO THIEF
IS CAPTURED
IN MEDFORD
Ian of Many Aliases, Who
Escaped From Train in
Wyoming Last October, Ar
rested by Deputy U. S. Mar
shal Pace, From Whom. He
Escaped.
Deputy United States Marshal 8. P.
Pace Is a very tall man and has a
lengthy memory, that is why Lloyd F.
Keffer, alias I. F. Dean, Ij. O. Knox,
and J. Franklin, aged about 32 years,
for whom the federal authorities havo
been searching over tho United States
for months, and who arrived in the
city from Eugene Sunday afternoon
and registered at a local hotel as J.
Franklin of Omaha, is again behind
the bars.
The man of many aliases escaped
from Face's custody last October by
jumping through a window of a fast
moving train in Wyoming, while he
was being taken back to Shreove
port, La.., for trial, following his ar
rest in Astoria.
Keffer, It is alleged about a year
ago, stole a valuable auto from
Strceveport and drove It to California
whero ho sold it and disappeared. He
was finally traced to Astoria by the
federal authorities and arrested. Then
Pace started back with him for
Shroeveport. No trace of him was
ever gained following his. escape from
tho train, until ho showed Up In .Mod
ford Sunday afternoon.
Paco happened to bo at the depot
when he caught sight of the much ,
wanted man walking with other men
to the Hotel Holland from tho train.
That is he thought he looked like his
escaped prisoner. Karly in the even
ing, not finding the man at the hotel,
ho started to walk the streets, hop
ing to catch sight of him again. Ho
finally saw Keffer on West - Main
street, waited until he entered a olgar
store, and. followed him In, meeting
him face to face and making sure of
tho Identification. ' Tho recognition,
was mutual and Keffer was at once
placed under arrest and will be taken
to Portland tonight by Pace. .
Several traveling men who arrived
on tho samo train with Kaffer from
tin gone, say he had been stopping at
a hotel there under tho name of De- .
Frank for several days. On the train
he related that ho had won $160 In n
poker game at Eugene tho other night.
"Aro you a traveling man," his aut:.
dlence inquired, and Kcff(or!)(rep,Ued
that ho was not. , , , -rf T
"Wo knew ' It. bxeit'odly' Hx'nYaiJnod,
tho chorus,i,fclfor'i;in Uie'sS ilVrf, Mo
traveling aklV'kman Uvea1 'fch&Wia's anV'1
money. tO'ftnimbto with. o'Uunf irf Iltiitf
IHEFIN
IN
I'llOVI DUNCE, U. I., Jan. 31. Threo
fireman woro killed and eighteen sec
ioiiHly Injured when a wall of the
building collapsed during a fire early
today. Two of the Injured are expected
to die.
Thn property damage was estimated
at 1B0,000.
Trapped on the roof when flames
suddenly severed the front wall, a
company of flromen wore hurled Into
a flory pit. Their comrades in the
streets woro showered with blazing
dobrls but thoy rushed Into the ruins'
and brought out the living and' the
dead. .,, . ,
The building, of four storlos, was;
owned by a realty company. ,, t
FOR $2,500,000
icm lii t:rn
ILI1 IMLILU, !
PROVIDENCE FIRE
ISSUE DEFERREO BY STATE SENATE
victed of high crimes was passed.
Senator Hume today moved recon
sideration of his parole board bill,
which was defeated in the senato Fri
day, but on motion of Senator JoBeph .
the motion was tabled.
A bill by Senator Kills extending to
third persons interested in litigation .
further rights to intervene and pro
tect their rights was passed. (
Senator Hume's bill extending to
children of a parent killod while In
Industrial employment the tight to
sue for damages If tho other parent
dies before having opportunity tq
ring suit, was paitacd In tliq ewftla, j-