1'Ht,
lib,
Medford Mail Tribune
The Weather
prediction. Generally cloudy
Maximum yesterday 55
Minimum today 29.S
Weather Year Ago
Maximum
52
Minimum ..
42
n.uy Seventeenth Tear.
JfVjkly Flfty-Seoond Year.
MEDFORD, OUEGOX, THURSDAY, MAKC1I 22, 1923
XO. 308
LADY II
PIRATES IN
i6.C. WATERS
Women
Traffic
Engage in Liquor
From Canada
Wandy With Gun Smug
glers Men of Education
Lonely Isles Used as Signal
Bases. ,
TACOMA, March 22. Whiskey
Johns and Rum Jennies hijackers
and hljanea are infesting the waters
of British Columbia along the imagi
nary boundary line of the United
feuites, according to a special dispatch
to the Tacoma Ledger.
Women are following close on the
heels of the men In rum runnins
ventures and nearly 25 per cent of
the trips made with cargoes of liquid
refreshments are engineered by
women or have women indirectly as
sociated with them, It is declared.
During the past week a small boat
was "knocked over" in the Gulf of
Georgia close to San Juan island, and
thirty cases of liquor taken and the
leader of the "knockover" gang was
a woman.
Hailing the rum runner, the maid
leaped from her boat to the deck of
the carrier, colliding with the owner
of the runner In such a manner that
she had to be supported. So en
grossed was the young Bkipper in as
sisting the young lady to keep her
feet that he failed to notice two men
leap from the other boat to the deck
by his side until it was too late. One
covered the engineer with his gun
while the other commenced to move
the cases of whiskey from one boat
to the other.
The owner of the cargo reached for
his 'gat," only to find tho young lady.
wiiuii biiu itiuititeu uf;u.iiini. .nut ...
.Jumping to his boat, had quietly re
Tnioved the gun and was standing
guard over him.
There was no disputing the fact
that she was first in command and
her deputies did nothing but follow
instructions.
Backing away from the owner of
the cargo as the last case wos trans
ferred the young lady held him under
cover until she had safely negotiated
the Jump to her own boat and then
tossmg a kiss from the end of her
fingers she and her boat dissolved in
the darkness.
BELLINGHAM, Wash., March 22
.Whiskey smugglers operating In
San Juan waters, south of British Co
lumbia boundary lino, have a system
of lookouts and signals and follow
fixed courses in their efforts to evade
federal prohibition enforcement of
ficers, according to a story appearing
in the Herald todny.
It is declared that lookouts re
cently stationed on Obstruction
island, near Orcas, moved later to a
point near Deception Pass when the
owner of the place refused to renew
the lease on the property and that
Inter an underground cache, largo
though for 100 cases of whiskey, was
found. Entrance to the cave was ef
fected through a small outbuilding.
Suspicious lights have been rcport
' ed on Shaw, Frost, Blakcly. Cypress.
Lopez, San Juan, Jones and Sucla
iHinnrtn. Thev nre so nlaced that a
runner by night is always in view of
one or more of them. If the light is
turning, it signifies that the coast is
clear, if it does not appear, tho whis
key runner, usually in a luunch, lays
his course toward a burning ngni
Hmtin nthni ehnnnol.
Some of the lookouts are declared
to have the appearance of persons
of means and education and con
siderable personality. One now
poses as an invalid from the east.
The liquor usually is transferred
nt the boundary because tho British
boats as a rule will not cross the line,
but some transfers have been report
ed as far south as Peapod rocks, near
Orcas Island.
Various courses are followed. Much
of the liquor is unloaded by boats in
river channels on the mainland. Oc
casionally a smuggler, hard pressed
to revenue cutters, secretes his cargo
on the Islands.
ANOTHER PARON BY
SALEM. Ore..
March -w.
A. Ausnlund. former i-orunna i"j
slt-lan, who was received at the stiito
prison here March 15, 1921. to serve
from one to fifteen years on convic
tion of manslaughter, was granted n
full pardon on December 6 msi.
-nn.n t,nnnn hore vesterday. It also
was revealed by the records of thej
secretary of states omce mi
und had previoumy m-i-ii i.u.. .
Governor Ben W. Olcott on condition
that he leave the United States and
"rLsTow returned to Portland, it
Lizzie Wizard Buys
Kentucky Coal Lands;
Figures in Millions
LEXINGTON', Ky., Mar. 22.
It was learned today by the Lex-
Ington Leader from what It con-
4- aiders reliable sources that
Henry Ford had bought a tract of
coal and timber land covering
about 125,000 acres In eastern
Kentucky. The purchase price is
said to be between ten and twen-
ty million dollars.
The tract was owned by the
Peabody interests of Chicago.
ON TOE EVE
Extravagance Charged in Use
of Money Deluge Chain
Stores and Cafeterias Pur
chased at Fancy Prices
Started On Small Capital
Advertising Reaped Harvest
TOLEDO, Ohio, March 22. Leon
ard R. Steel, 43, of Buffalo, head of
the L. R. Steel corporation, died sud
denly on a westbound New Tork Cen
tral train near hero early today. Mr.
Steel was found dying in his berth
by Ernest Mattey, his chauffour,
When Mattey reached his stricken
employer the latter was unable to
speak and died before the tram
reached the Toledo station. Heart
disease is believed to have caused
BUFFALO, N. Y., Mar. 22. Leon
ard K. Steel, founder of the L. R. Steel
corporations, which went into receiv-
ership on March 8, died early today on
a train enroute to Chicago. Mrs. Steel
was advised of her husband's death
in a telephone message from Toledo.
Steel's sudden death came on the
eve of Investigations Into the stock
selling and other financial methods of
his promotions by county and state
authorities. Carl B. Herman, state
attorney general, yesterday notified
the receivers that he desired to make
a thorough examination of the books
of the various Steel corporations and
District Attorney Guy B. Moore an
nounced last night that on account of
reports of gross extravagance in the
handling of the $20,000,000 invested by
50,000 stockholders, he would Join In
the inquiry. Federal agents are also
in touch with the receivers but have
taken no action,
Starting -with a small capital in
1919, Steel, personally directing adver
tising and stock selling campaigns,
disposed of more than $20,000,000 in
L. R. Steel, Inc., and its various sub
sidiaries. As the money poured in
new corporations were founded, chief
among them being the L. R. Steel Ser
vice corporation which had to do with
stock sales; the L. R. Steel realty de
velopment, handling all leases and
real estate owned by the various
branches, and other interlocking cor
porations, both in the United States
and Canada,
Mr. Steel, his former associates say,
ruled the policies and destinies of the
house of Steel with a high hand. Any
suggestion from a subordinate In oppo
sition to Steel's plans for expansion
rRsnlted in immediate dismissal, it
was said. Chain stores were purchased
at what were alleged to be exorbitant
prices, restaurants and cafeterias
were opened and run at a loss; a large
sum was invested In a coal mine ana
about $180,000 was spent in exploit
ing a permanent international exposi
tion at Niagara Falls before the enter
prise had advanced beyond the blue
print stage,
The first sign of distress bo far
as the nubile knew came in January,
when it was announced that Stoel had
surrendered the presidency of the
narent and several subsidiary corpora
tions. It was said at that time that ho
was broken in health and was retiring
virtually without a dollar except Ills
large investment in L. R. Steel stocks
A financial audit in progress since
then is reported to have disclosed
scarcity of quick assets in volume
.,, - maii fraction of the
.- . ... .b,,i,i.a
f'n nnono Invested by stockholder.
The audit, it was said today at the re
ceiver's office, will not be completed
until About April 1.
Steel was born In MIddletown, Pa.
In 1878. He was employed by a chain
, cnrnnrnilnn in 1918. when he
concelve(j ln0 jca 0t branching out
for himself.
nFM.IN The Cologne police are
reported to have run down the Basalt
'ants of Joseph Smeets, the separatist
STEELPROIVIOTER
DIES
R N
Boston Beats
; Contest
' ' 'NEW YORK Alyce'McCormick was only "runner-up" in the beauty contest held by the Kotail
Milliners' Association at their Spring Fashion show at the Hotel-Astor, but you can t make Omaha,
Nebraska, believe she shouldn't have been first. They point with pride" to the fact that Alyce s looks
do not suirer in the least by comparison with Winifred Blair, queen ot the Montreul Winter Carnival, and
Helen Morgan, chosen "Canada's fairest daughter." Letitia Marvin of Boston was jua;ed most
handsomely and originally gowned" contestant.
DAViEER
AND 40 GIRLS
Left Men's Suits in Each Room
to Leave Impression They
All Had Husbands Cult
Founder Rolled in Wealth
Feared Counterfeit Money
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 22.
(By the Associated Press.) How
Benjamin Purnell, head of the Israel
ite House of David colony at Benton
Harbor, Is alleged to have herded 40
girls in Shlloh, -his home, into the
attic of the residenco when he fear
ed a visit by federal Investigators,
was revealed In federal court , here
today during the trial of the suit
against the colony Instigated by John
and Margaret Hansell.
The testimony wub given by Mrs
Hazel Wuerth, high priestess and
preacher In tho cult, who Is a witness
for the plaintiffs.
"Benjamin told the girls in Shlloh
that there was to bo a special investi
gation and that officers were coming
to make medical examination of us,1
Mrs. Wuerth testified. "He put a
coat, a pair of men's trousers and a
vest In the room of each girl to give
the impression that we had husbands
living with ub. Mary, the wlfo of Pur
nell, gathered the girls whom Benja
min feared would talk and hid them in
the attic Forty or fifty of us were
kept there. While this was going on,
others carried Benjamin's beer bottles
away so the Investigators could not
find them.
"After we had been In the attic two
or three hours, Mary brought us down.
Benjamin said 'that's the time wo
fooled them.' "
That Purnell was the possessor of n
large fortune in money and jewels
which he kept hidden In Shlloh was
declared by the witness.
"One time," she said, "Benjomln
heard that counterfeit bills were be
ing circulated In Benton Hnrbor. Ho
took me to help him examine his
money which ha kept In a private
vault in his clothes press. He exam
ined every bill. There was more than
SAYS PRIESTESS
Out Omaha In
At Spring Hatmakers Meet
PUTCASH1N DEAL
FOR SEATTLE TEAM
LOS ANGELES, Col., March 22.
William Wriglcy, Jr., owner of the
Los Angeles club of the Pacific Coast
league, declared today ho had "not
one nickel" invested in tho Sonttlo
club and declared ho woleomed any
Investigation of the recent purchase
of the latter club by Wado Klllifer,
Angel manager, and Charles Lock
hard. This statement was made after Mr.
Wrlgloy was informed that Ed R.
Maler, president of the Vernon club,
had wired William H. McCarthy,
league president, urging an investi
gation of the sale.
"Charley Loekhnrd Is wealthy,"
said Mr. Wrigley, "why, ho could bor
row enough money to buy tho Seattlo
club, using his Catallna island prop
erty as security. Ho did not have to
borrow tho money, howover. Lock
hard hnd cash enough to swing his
end of tho deal.
"Wado Klllifer Is putting his own
money in tho club also. All tho boys
around tho ball park know where ho
got tho money. Ho sold his walnut
grove near Whittier and hiB homo in
Los Angeles to muke ends meet."
The Noted Dead
WASHINGTON, Mar. 22. Milo D.
Campbell of Michigan who recently
became the "dirt farmer" member of
the fedoral reserve board, dropped
dead today whllo playing golf at the
Columbia country club.
Mr. Campbell, whose homo Is at
Coldwator, Mich., was president , of
the National Milk Producers' associa
tion and was widely known as a prac
tical farmer. He was named a mem
ber of the reserve board by President
Harding under a new law authorizing
farmer representation on the board
and took office about a weok ago.
Willamette Debaters Lose
APPLKTON, Wis., Mar. 22. Law
rence college negative team won from
tho Willamette university team of
Sulem, Ore., last night by a two to
one decision.
$100,000 In paper currency. Indicat
ing an intention to bring tho suit to a
speedy close, Judge John E. Bator ord
ered counsel for the plnlntlfrs to con
clude their .case this afternoon.
Beauty
PROMINENT MEN
NABBED IN FILM
TOWN BOOZERING
Member of Liquor Landing
Party Drowns Seize Seven
Autoes and $20,000 Worth
of Scotch Whiskey Two
Japs Make Getaway.
LONG BEACH. Cel., March 22.
One man Ih believed by the police to
have been killed In a raid early to
dav on a liquor landing party whlcl
also resulted in tho arrest of throe
promlnont Long Beach men and fou
others Buspoeted to ue momuora 01
Ilnllvwuod smuggling ring.
Tho nolli-o fired upon a launch
seen pulling awny from the dock of
the Curtis corporation, fish pacKors
One man waa seen to fall ovorboard
"His hodv was not recovered.
Tho men. arrested wore Alexander
Stewart, president: V. C. Lord, saloB
manager, and Albert C. Leahy, gene
rnl manager of the Curtis corporation
all of Long Beach; G. O. Hogan, Joo
Morris, Lewis Edwards and Joh
Johnson of Hollywood.
The raiding officers seized seven
automobiles belonging to the Curtl
corporation and 160 cases of liquor
they said wos worth $20,000, nHfcgod
to havo been landed from the launcn
Tho cases hnd been billed from Scot
land to Ensennda, Lower California,
vln Vancouver H. C.
Tho polleo said they bollovod the
man who disappeared in tho water
was a Jananoso. Two other men
nlso said to bo Japanese, escaped'
from one of the seized automobiles.
AMOY, China, Mar. 22. (By Associ
ated Press). In a threatened Invasion
of Fuklen, province, Sun Chuan-Fan,
the general from Klang-Si province, in
reported to have entered Shaowu and
to bo proceeding to Klonnlng In a
drive toward Foochow, the cnpltal.
ghaowu and Klonnlng are In Fuklen.
Jewish Athlete Able to
Bite Thru Steel Bars;
fiends Rails On Head
LONDON. Mar. 22. That a
Jowlsh athlete named Breltbart,
4- 34. six feet 3 Inches in height,
and weighing 210 pounds, can
bite through steel, is vouched for
by a medical correspondent of the
Lancet.
Ureitbart's performances
astounded a committee of cngl-
needs, smiths and athlotic heads 4
who saw him sover with his teeth
several iron and steel chains one-
fifth of un inch thick; bend into a
circle Iron rods half an inclt
square; using his mouth us a fill-
crum to bend over his head a rail
four Inches thick by two and a
half Inches.
The corresionilont says:
"The committee are satisfied
that he accomplishes these tasks
by means of extraordinary nuts-
cular power, coupled with excel-
lent scientific training and mus-
culaf energy."
SAYS WALL SI.
Piggly Wiggly Head to Figh
Ten Million Used to Cor
ner Stock, Profits Unknown
Grocery Clerk Now Mil
lionaire.
NEW YORK, Mar. 22. While doz
ens of Its members . were Bcurrylng
around In quest ot Piggly Wiggly
stock to cover their short accounts,
the New York stock exchange this
afternoon by action ot Its board of
governors , struck Piggly Wiggly
Stores, Inc., permanently from the list
ot securities traded in upon the floor.
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Mar. 22. Clar
ence Saunders, Memphis groceryman
and head of Piggly Wiggly Stores, Inc.
stood today with a demand that "short
sellers" in Piggly Wiggly stock settle
with him on the basis of $160 a share
by three o'clock this afternoon as his
answer to the riddle which came as a
sequel to a hectic day's trading on the
New York stock exchange which ter
minated in the banning of Piggly Wig
gly temporarily at least, from - the
"big board."
Mr. Saunders made his demand In a
statement In , which he scored what he
termed "Wall street and Its gang ot
gamblers and market manipulators,"
and declared that, as a result of the
battle in the sotck market Tuesday,
more than 25,000 shares of Piggly
Wiggly are "short" to him on delivery.
Three o'clock this afternoon was
fixed by Mr. Saunders as the time
limit tor the $150 price. After that,
his statement in effect an ultima-
tum'declared the price would be $250.
He Indicated that recourse In the
courts would-be brought If settlement
is not made.
"A razor to my throat, figuratively
speaking, Is why I suddenly without
warning kicked the pegs from under
Wall street," Saunders declared in de
tailing his fling in the stock market
with Piggly Wiggly, which, he de
clared, was his first experience In
trading In the Now York exchange.
"It was strictly a question of whe
ther I should survive, and likewise my
business and the fortunes ot my
friends, or whether I should be 'licked'
and pointed to ae the 'boob' from Ten
nessee," he said.
Mr. Saunders, who came to Mem
phis aa a grocery salesman and at
tained wealth on his idea of a self-
serve grocery, christened Piggly Wig
gly, asserts in his statement that, as a
result of his drive In the 'streot ho
now holds 108,872 of the outstanding
200,000 Bhnres ot the corporation, 105
000 of which ho accumulated within
the last few days.
Thus the situation stood today with
tho next move necessarily to come
from traders who Saundors asserts
are Bold "short" to tho extent of 26,000
shares.
Mr. Saunders has not made public
any estlmato of tho anticipated pro
fits to hlniROlf and his associates. He
doclared, however, that $10,000,000 In
cash was required to handle his opera
tions on the stock exchange.
Saunders doclares he is through
with stock exchange trailing.
"Our compnny never will allow Its
shares to be traded In again on tho
New York stock exchange," he de
clared. '
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J. Brigadier
General Caleb Honry Carlton, U. S. A.,
retired, civil war veteran, died.
GROCERT IA KING
RAZORATTHROAT
SUGAR PIE
GOUGE UNDER
FEDERALOUIZ
Vague Fear of Shortage Sole
Basis Gamblers and Prof
iteers Reap Benefit To
Call Spreckles As Witness
Hoover Rouses Iowa
Senator to Demand Probe.
WASHINGTON, March 22. De
mands tor an investigation of fluctua
tions In the sugar market during the
closing days of congress by western
senators were revived today by pub
lication of a letter written to Presi
dent Harding by Basil Manly, direc
tor of the People's Legislative Ser-,
vice, charging that the Amoricnn
people were In a fair way of being
robbed of $500,000,000 "for the
benefit of sugar gamblers and pro
fiteers." "It is suggested," said Mr. Manly,
whose organization was formed by
members of the progressive bloc In
congress, "that as one of the first
witnesses the federal grand jury '
should hear Claus Spreckles, presi
dent ot the Fedoral Sugar Refining
company, . who has publicly stated
that the sugar gamblers, aided by the
department of commerce, "have been
enabled to rob the American people .
of millions of dollars."
Mr. Manly declared tho rise In
prices bad its sole basts, "so tar as
the public Is informed," In a state
ment Issued by the department ot
commerce on February 9, which was
interpreted by all the newspapers, as
"predicting a great shortage of sugar
during tho coming year," and that al-,
though Socretary Hoover had declar
ed the statement was misinterpreted
the opening sentence was so worded
as to "Bend prices leaping upward."
"Even' after this statement had
aroused an orgy of speculative activ
ity on the sugar exchange, and its
evil otfects were known," the state
ment continued, "the department ot
commerce further 'bulled' the market
by issuing a statement particularly di
recting attontlon to the Increased
consumption of BUgar In the United
States during the past year."
The letter cited what It described
as efforts to reduce the sugar crop ot
Cuba, declaring that Mr. Hoover
played an Important part In that
plan. Correspondence between Sena
tor Smoot, republican, Utah, describ
ed as "undertaking to represent beet
sugar Interests," and General Crow
dor, then the president's representa
tive In Cuba, relating to the prices,
was quoted.
"You may not be Informed," Mr.
Manly continued, "that Secretary
Hoover has on other occasions dis
played a readiness to use the powers
and resources ot the federal govern
ment In order to maintain artificially
high prices at the expense ot Ameri
can consumers."
Declaring that an attempt ot Sena
tor Brookhart, republican, Iowa, to
socure a senate Investigation of sugar
prices was blocked by Senator Cur
tis ot Kansas, the republican whip,
who plodged an investigation by the
commerce department, the letter as
sorted that since that time Secretary
Hoover had announced that his de
partment did not intend to make an
inquiry, and suggested the grand
jury also should summon Mr. Hoover
and Senators Smoot, Curtis and Edge,
republican; of New Jersey, to ascer
tain "what they know regarding in
fluences that were exerted to block
the senato Investigation."
Action of Basil Manly, director of
the Peoplos' Legislative Service,
formed by the progressive bloc In
congress, In writing to President
Harding that department ot com
merce statements had assisted sugar
speculators, was characterized by Mr.
Hoover as the circulation ot a 'le
gend.
"As I have repeatedly stated, there
Is no economic justification -for the
high price of sugar as there is an es-
(Continued on page eight)
E TAX LAW
PORTLAND, Ore.. Mnrch JJ.
Headquarters wore opened here yes
terday by an organization calling
Itself tho Oregon stnto Income tax
referendum league. Its purpose la to
Invoke the referendum against the
stale Income tax law enacted by the
recent legislature.
was said. .. Jeader,