Medford mail tribune., February 29, 1924, Page 1, Image 1

m rrr
Mail
The Weather
Prediction Rain
Minimum yesterday 50
Minimum today 40
Weather Year Ago
IVJLJCi.
"No SIch Hung"
Dally Eighteenth Tear.
Weekly Fifty-Third Tear.
TWELVE PAGES TODAY
MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 192 i
NO. 291
ECTOR OF-VET. BUREAU INDICTED
VV .171
IJKJLoUtNJci
EX-01R
CHAS.FORBES
IS INDICTED
FOR BRIBERY
Ex-Director of U. S. Veteran
Bureau and J. W. Thompson
of Chicago Charged With
Conspiracy to Defraud Gov
ernmentFour Weeks' Jury
Probe Concluded.
CHICAGO, Feb. 29. Charles Forbes,
former director ot the United States
veterans' bureau, and John VV. Thomp
son of Chicago and St. Louis, were in
dicted today by the federal grand jury
which has spent four weeks investi
gating the administration of Forbes.
Forbes and Tnompson were jointly
indicted in two true bills charging con
spiracy to commit bribery and offen
ses against the United ' Stales govern
ment in connection with the construc
tion of veterans' hospitals. A sepa
rate indictment against each man, also
was returned, one charging Forbes
with accepting a bribe and the other
charging Thompson with giving a
bribe. ,
, , The two . Individual indictments
merely dealt with bribery. In the case
of the joint indictments $10,000 ball for
eaclr defendant was fixed.
Congressman Involved,
i The Joint two indictments wore of
two . kinds, , the first charging con
spiracy to cftnyiiit , bribery .arul o
' fenses against the government, and
the' second conspiracy tq defraud the
United States government, Both in
dictments .were based on details In
volving the construction of veterans'
bureau hospitals. Charges that gov
ernment funds were used for specu
lation by a. government official and
that certain sums of money were paid
tp certain members of congress were
contained in the special grand Jury re
port. .
The Indictment against Forbes,
charging acceptance of a brthe, de
clares that the former vctoi-ans" bu
reau director "unlawfully ami felon
iously accepted from John W. Thomp
son, James W. Black, now deceased,
and Blias H. Mortimer $5000 l.all
Against the peace and dignity of the
United States." - '
The .Indictment against .Thompson
for giving a bribe. In, addition to
naming the $5000 alleged to have been
given Forbes outlines payment of
"hotel bills and traveling expenses,"
for the former director;
This indictment also charges that
Charles F. Cramer, former general
counsel for the veterans' bureau, now
dead, accepted . a . promise from
Thompson to pay him "as protended
attorney's fees JlOOlOOO," with the In
tention on the part of Forbes nnd
Cramer to divert contracts to his
company. : . '.
CHIGAGO, Fob. 29. Indictments in
the grand jury investigation of tho ad
ministration of the veterans' bureau
under its former director, Charles R.
Forbes, were returned this afternoon
before Federal Judge Carpenter.
It was rumored that there were four
indictments containing many counts
but until bail arrangemontg and other
details could be arranged, the indict
ments were withheld from publicity.
- ' This Is Prune Week
' $250,000 Fire n Detroit..
DETROIT, Feb. 29. Fire of undeter
mined origin destroyed the four story
brick warehouse of the Commercial
Milling company today with a loss es
timated by a company official at $250,
000. Thirty thousand barrels of rye,
corn and barley flour were destroyed.
"NEARER MY GOD TO
RADIO TUNE FOR
ZION, III.. Feb. 20. "Nearer My God
to Thee," Is the favorite song of the
"Smoke Eaters." who fight the na
tion's fires, according to advices re
ceived at the radio broadcasting sta
tion of Wilbur Glenn Vollva, overseer
at Zlon.
Vollva's fifty piece band last night
broadcast the number, dedicated to
the flromon, after requests that it be
played had heen received from fire
fighters In Chllllcothe, Ohio; Racine,
Wis., and McDonald. Pa. Before the
rendering of the number, a letter ex
Youth in Suicide
Pact Loses Nerve,
So Pal Shoots Him
.
POTTSTOWN, Pa., Feb. 29.
Authorities investigating the
death of Thomas Shenton and
James Wnrmkesscl. night stu-
dents at Wharton School of FI-
nance at the University of Ponn-
Bylvania, whose bodies with bui
fr let holes through the chests were
found yesterday In the local Y.
M. C. A. expressed the belief
4 today that the young men had
4 entered 'Into a suicide pact and
that Warmkessel lost his nerve
at the last minute and was shot
by Shenton, who then took his
own llfo.
4
IS
Senator Heflin Claims Atty.
Genl. Told Subordinates to
Lay Off Case Against G.JO.
P. National Committeeman
Probe to Be Ordered.
CHICAGO, Feb. 29. Attorney
General Harry M. Daugherty has
, retained George E. Chamberlain,
former United States senator
- from Oregon, and Paul - Howland,
Cleveland attorney, to represent
his interests In the senate oil rn
vestigation. Announcement of his
employment of counsel was made
by Mr. Daugherty In a telegram to
Senator Frank B. Willis of Ohio,
sent from here before the attor
ney general left last night for
Miami, Fla., to Join his wife, who
is ill there.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29. Senator
Heflin, democrat, Alabama, told the
senate today he could submit a letter
by 'Attorney General Daugherty In
structing a district attorney In the
west not to prosecute a certain repub
lican national committeeman. He said
the letter contained the sentence "He
Is our man."
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28. Attorney
General Daugherty today became the
center of one of the bitterest senate
debates In recent years.
When the resolution for an inquiry
into the department of justice was
brought up for action democratic sen
ators let loose against r.ie attorney
general an attack bristling with accu
sations against his personal and offi
cial acts since he entered the cab
inet. Single hifnded, genator Willis of
Ohio, Mr. Daugherty's home stnte, at
tempted to stem the tide of criticism,
while republican party leaders looked
silently on. The Ohio senator conced
ed he had discussed the make up of
the investigating committee with the
attorney general but Insisted there
was nothing improper in his conduct.
Charges of efforts to select a
"packed Jury," flew back and forth
across the chamber as the debate on
the makeup of the committee progress
ed and the galleries were stirred to re
peated demonstrations despite reiter
ated warning from the chair.
Bitter Fight Develops
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 The reao
(Continued on Page Three)
THEE" FAVORITE
THE "SMOKE EATER"
plaining the reason the firemen love It,
was received from a "Smoke Eater" In
M (Donald, Pa., was broadcast. The let
ter says In part:
"I believe that the news items of
any dally paper can show you why the
firemen like to hear that beautiful
piece played or sung at any time. It
brings back to the firemen the memo
ries of some pal who went to his re
ward trying to save life and destruc
Hon of property. Will you please play
It Thursday evening and dedicate It to
the fire house boys?"
DAUGHERTY
CHARGED
WITH
DING PALS
GARNER
MELLON TAX
PLANS LOST
Democrats and Republican
Regulars Lose Out, But G.
0. P. Compromise Bill By
Longworth Wins Sur Tax
Rates Reduced to 37 Per
Cent Hawley in Action.
WASHINGTON, Fob. 29. The
Longworth compromise income tax
schedule was approved today by tho
house.
It provides for a maximum surtax
of 37V4 per cent on Incomes over
$200,000 and reduces the normal tax
on small incomes from 4 per cent to
2 per cent.
Another provision previously voted
Into the revenue bill reduces by one
fourth all income' taxes payable this
year.
Enough Insurgent republicans got
back Into line to give a majority for
tho Longworth plan ond to throw out
the Garner democratic plan they pre
viously had helped to vote into tho
bill.
Whether President Coolidge will
approve the compromise if it also
passes the senate remains undeter
mined. He has opposed a compro
mise and has not given any assurance
that the Longworth plan will be ac
ceptable. The vote by which the Garner plan
was' displaced and the Longworth
plan adopted was 210 to 199. . 4.
11 an Icy in Action.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29. The
houso today voted down an amend
ment, to the revenue bill which would
have, restored the Mellon income tax
rates which were eliminated with the
adoption of tho Garner democratic
schedule.
The amendment was proposed by
Representative Hawley, republican,
Oregon.. Organization leaders plan
ned, after Its rejection, to offer their
compromise which would fix the sur
tax maximum at 37 per cent.
Tho Mellon rates were rejected,
261 to 163.. With the Mellon rotes
definitely in the dlBcard, Represen
tative Longworth, republican leader,
proposed a vote on his compromise.
Democrats stood together in oppo
sition . to the Hawley amendment.
They had the support of republican
insurgents and a large group of or
ganized republicans.
Republican organization leaders
were confident they would have the
support of enough republican insur
gents to substitute the Longworth
schedule for the Garner rates, which
proposes a surtax maximum of 44 per
rent on incomes exceeding $92,000.
The Mellon surtax maximum was 25
per cent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 29. A one
fourth reduction in all personal in
come taxes payable this year was ap
proved today by the house. A pro
posal to eliminate the entire section
of tho revenue hill carrying this pro
vision was defeated 181 to 145.
The amendment remained In the
bill by a vote of 267 to 144. Organi
zation republicans voted to eliminate
It, while republican Insurgents Joined
with democrats in its support.
This Is Prune Woek
Death Toll of
the Automobile
SEATTLE, Feb. 29. Miss Edna
Gray, age about 20, of this city, was
drowned and Miss Helen Abcrnathy,
18, also of Seattle, was slightly in
jured when an automobile In which
they were riding with a mnn by the
name of Hancock plunged off the
Newport dock near Bellevue Into Lake
Washington shortly before 'midnight,
The three extricated themselves from
the car when It went down and called
for help. A tugboat under command
of Captain Charles Gilbert rescued
Miss Abcrnathy who towed Miss Gray
In to shore. . The latter was pro
nounced dead when the body was
brought to the county morgue here.
Hancock, who was reported unhurt,
swam to shore.
This Is prune Week
Ktlieritlge Must Answer .
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 29. John
L. Etherldge was granted until Mon
day in federal court today to file his
answer to a complaint filed In 1921
asking cancellation of his citizenship.
Papers Involved is the case had bocn
in Washington up to a month and a
half ago. United States Attorney
Coke made no objection today to ex
tension of time. ' ,
LiFE'LLj BE JUST ONE POEM AND SONG
AFTER ANOTHER FOR PEGGY AND JOHN
I'eKKy d.
Love Is just one song and poem after another. Peggy Wood and
John V. A. Weaver ought to be happy They're married. Peggy ia
one of the best known musical comedy prima donnas and John V. A. ia
a poet of renown, being especially noted for his lyrics in the "American
language."
FRANCIS no
SUBPOENAED BY
OIL COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON, -Feb. 29. Subpoe
nas for all persons mentioned In the
telegrams exchanged between Edward
B. McLean, publisher of the Washing
ton Post and his employes, were is
sued late today by tho oil committee.
Some of those mentioned havo not
yet been identified but If they be they
will be summoned.
Persons summoned Include Francis
II. McAdoo of Now York, son of Wil
liam McAdoo! Francis H. Homer, a
Baltimore lawyer, and J. W. Zevoly,
personal counsel for Usury I". Sinclair.
WASHINGTON, Fob. 29 A. Mitch
ell Palmer, attorney general in the
Wilson administration, testified be
fore the oil committee today as to tho
circumstances of his retention as an
attorney by Kdward B. McLean, pub
lisher of the Washington Post in the
oil inquiry.
He denied that J. W. Zeveiy. coun
sel for Harry F. Sinclair Is his law
partner, as suggested In tho McLean
telegrams. Ho added, howover, that
Zeveiy "is an old friend of mine," and
had outlined to him a couple of
months ago the salient facts in the oil
inquiry. '
Palmer said ho had not seen Fall
"for yeurs," and donled he was to look
after the interests "of tho man at
Wardman Park," as John F. Major
said In one of his telegrams to McLean
at Palm Beach.
"I did not take up this matter with
Senator Underwood." Palmer said
when asked about a. report sent to
McLean that ho had done so.
He also denied that he had dis
cuBsed the matter with any senator
except Walsh of Montana and Chair
man Lcnroot.
Mr. Palmer then was asked about
the Southern Pacific land grant case
handled while he was attorney gen
eral. He said President Wilson ap
proved the decision of the department
of justice not to appeal tho case.
This matter was taken up with the
president, the witness said, after Glf
ford Plnchot had attacked tho depart
ment for its failure to act. All the
officials In the department handling
the case recommended against an ap
peal, he testified, and "Solicitor Gen
eral King told mo ho would bo
ashamed to arguo the case in the su
preme court.
"When the announcement was
made that tho government wouldn't
appeal that case." Senator Dill wont
on, "the stock of tho Southern Pacific
company Jumped 16 per cent, didn't
it?"
"I don't know," Palmer replied. "I
never read stock reports."
Senator Dill suggested that . the
value of the lands concerned was
$421,000,000 odd and that govern
ment appeal wouldn't have cost
much.
"Not much," said Palmer, "Just a
few thousand dollars. Ilut wo had to
bring home proof as to the knowledge
of the Southern Pacific company that
these lands were mineral. That's my
RAISE EMBARGO
ON LIVESTOCK
TO CALIFORNIA
OAKLAND, CrI.. Feb. 29. Rail
roads operating in tho seventeen Cali
fornia counties that were placed
under provisional - quarantine on ac
count of nn outbreak of foot and
mouth disease in four other counties,
wore notified by state and federal
authorities today that they could re
sumo the shipment of milk and cream
to outside points. This lessening of
tho embargo was due to a narrowing
of tho area of infection thru a. grad
ual subsidence of the epidemic and
the slaughtering of Infected cattle, It
was said.
Livestock shippers in Oregon, Ne
vada, Arizona, Utah and other states
were notified by tho federal depart
ment of agricultural economics today
that they need no longer apply for
permits to ship cattle for slaughter
Into tho Sun Francisco bay region.
Sheep were excepted from the notifi
cation. Such shipments might stop
as close to -the infected area, as
Koosevelt, Placer county, for feed,
rest and water, tho notice said.
Tho California Dairy council
warned today that social affairs In the
affected area should bo minimized,
that there should be as little as pos
sible visiting between farms and that
vehicular traffic should be greatly
limited. An auto tiro could easily
carry an Infection to other farms, the
council said. '.
This Is Pruno Week
PROBE STAND. OIL
WASHINGTON. Feb. 29. Special
rnvornment r-nlinncl will he annoint-
cd shortly by President Coolidge to
Inquire into the vuimuy ot me uub
held by tho Standard OH company of
California to sections of the naval oil
reserves In thut state. ,
This Is Prune Wook ,; '.
Firewater niat llurned
HAVANA, Feb. 29. The British
auxiliary schooner Wybadlity, whose
name, according to members of her
crew, stood for "will you buy a drink
If 1 tell you?" was destroyed by fire
here yesterday after nn explosion on
board. Tho crew escaped.
The schooner for some time had
been running in and out of Havana,
clearing for various West Indies ports.
recollection after a mntter of years."
Senator Walsh then subjected Pal
mer to a rigorous cross-examination
on tho failure of tho department of
Justico to appeal the Southern Pacific
cose. The senator declared tho gov
ernment had won a similar case
against the railroad on the same set
of laws and facts but Palmer dis
agreed with him. '
Cow Shin Bones
Sent to China for
Mah Jongg Sets
GALVESTON. Texas, Fob. 29
Three carload a of select shin
fr bones from cows slaughtered at
a Chicago packing house were
t exported from Galveston on the
steamship Patrick Henry for r
Japan, where they will bo ro-
exported to China for the manu-
facture or mah-Jongs sots. The
popularity of tho game In the
United States and South America 4
is said to havo caused a large
demand for tho bones.
Daughter of Prominent Ta
coma Business TWlan Charged
,
With
Killing Baby HUS- ,
band a Sophmore Bowdoin
College.
PORTLAND, Maine, Fob. 29. Net
tie May MacLean of Tacoma, Wash.,
ACCUSE NEWLY
WEDS, COLLEGE,
OF INFANTICIDE
who came to Portland yesterday from! He was reported to have told the
Brunswick with her dead baby " girt Slrt at their last meeting, a few hours
In hor arms and visited an undertaker before she' returned home to kill hbr
to have It prepared for burial, was "elf, that he expected his wife to di
... . , ho vorce him but that he proposed to
taken back th s afte noon by .dep. marry, The ,foUowlng
.uty.sherlff to tho coIIcko town where verseB captalu ; we
her husband, Kenneth Ross MacLea.r fomd , , Mart,.g papers: . .
Is a sophmore at Bowdoin college. ' "Valley, dear, It's quite - pathetic
Officials planned to arraign her .hen a la(v getg poetic and inflicts
there this afternoon, probably on the j,er thoughts aesthetic on ' an unof. .
charge of manslaughter. Her hus- fondlng pal; and If I remember right-
band, whoso arrest at the college came
soon after she was taken Into cus-,
tody also was to be takon Into court.
County Attorney Robinson sold It was
likely he also would bo charged with
manslaughter. I
It was planned to ask for a contlnu-
anco next Wednesday ponding the
outcome of mlcrosrophlc and.bactorlo-
logical examinations of some of the
organs of the child' i body. Mr. Rob-j
Inson said the examinations to bi
made "by Frank N. Whittle.- of Bow-'
doln college would require several
dnys nd that their result would de-
tormlne whethor tho charge ot man-'
slaughter should bo changed. ,
Examination of the body disclosed
no marks indicating violence. The re-
port nf the autopsy made by Medical
Kxan'.incr John R. Hnmol hns been
given to the county attorney, but Its
nature probably will not bo revoalcd
until after Professor Whlttlcr has
completed his examination of the
organs.
TACOMA, Feb. 28. A. R. McLean,
prominent business man and proporty
owner here, left this morning for
Portland, Maine, whero his son Ken
neth Ross MacLean and tho letter's
wife are held on charges of man
slaughter In connection with the death
of their baby. Mrs. Oscar Volk,
mother of Mrs. Kenneth MacLean,
accompanied him to Maine.
Tho elder MacLean said ha received
telegram from his son yesterday,
snylng the baby had suffocatod. Hoi
expressed confidence that Ills son and j
daughter-in-law-would bo cleared of
KeMacLer'aTd hi. wlfej
who was Nettle Volk, were students!
of Hinriiiim hli-h school here. Thev
eloped a year und a half ago. The
MacLean family Insisted that Kenneth,
should finish his education and ho
was sent to Bowdoin college In Maine
where ho was a member of the foot
ball team Inst year. His wife and
baby remained In Tncoma, leaving for
Maine' for a visit recently.
TO DEBATE
; KANSAS fJITY, , Mo., Fob. 29. An
nouncement that William O. McAdoo
will not come to Missouri to answer
charges being made by United States
8onator James A. Rood, his opponent
for the democratic presidential nomin
ation, Is the latest development In the
campaign In this state. .
Benator Reed speaking here last
night, hurled a challenge to Mr. Mc
Adoo to meet him on the platform in
Missouri for a joint dlscusslson of the
oil lease disclosures.
M ADOO DECLINES REED'S CHALLENGE -1
Wl killed
HERSELF AS
MAN ADVISED
Vallie Belasco Martin Told By
Man She Loved to. Kill Her
self As He Would), Never
Marry Her Verses" Written
By Loven Found ' Among
Girl's Papers.
NEW YORK, Feb. 29. Disappoint
ment In love, beside literary and the
atrical failures, caused Vallie Belasco
Martin, formerly of . Seattle and Mil
waukee, to kill herself in her mother's
lt a learnf today- ';
Miss Martin, was said to have killed
herself Ibbs than an hour after she had
returned home from a gay supper par
ty with two men, one of whom was a
former Red Cross captain, a married
man, with whom she was declared to
have, been deeply In love, The girl
met tha captain at a hospital where
she hs4 gone to read to wounded sol-
diers.v
iy you have deviated slightly from the
facts wh(m touching --lightly on our .
.riB.,(in,n1ttiB Bal . r :
"'enusmp little pal.
"Now I never said my kisses should
he kept for my dear Mrs. for such a
world as this Is, that would make life
rather flat; and I.never made love to.
vou ff,,,,, the time that I first knew
j,ou You don't really mean 1t, do you,
h tBt tnat j m tnatr
' . (W,,. ,,. .hMlnv
"In a tone that s almost chiding,
you accuse me, dear, of having facts
I should have been confiding In you as
a family friend. And although lt may
he true, It was a low-down trick to do
it j conf08aed It In the ond. Tho
chanceg ,ve been taking are the
omJ rve
... fc
learned to like too well. And although
lt seems like hitting kind of low, old
girl, I'm quitting, though I'm candidly
admitting that lt certainly IB nell.
This Is Pruije 'Week-'
U. S. Consulate in ,:v ' ;
Honduras Fired On;
Marines Called Out
WASHINGTON, Feb. 211. The
American consulate at Celba, (
Honduras, has been fired on by
revoUtlonBt9 and a detachment
" cruiser D. .
ver has been landed to act aa
consulate guard. ;
Consul Waller reported today
that fighting had been 1n pro-
gress In the streets for four
hours and that some bullets "haij.
penetrated the consulate." V',,,
HIS OIL FEE RECORD
The McAdoo headquarters at St.
Louis issued a statement announcing
that Mr. McAdoo will not make a per
sonal campaign In the senator's home
state and declaring that friends of Mr.
McAdoo in Missouri assumed full re
sponsibility for this deolsion.
Senator Reed continued his attack
on his opponent last night, declaring
that the former secretary of the treas
ury bad received large fees from H.
L. Doheny, oil operator, and corpora
tions, "In the guise of legal services,"
but In fact for political Influence. 1 :