Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, March 01, 1924, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., March 01, 1924, Page 1, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextMedford Mabl Tk The Weather Prediction Fulr Maximum yesterday 55 Minimum today 38 Weather Year Ago Maximum go Minimum 30 Dally Eighteenth Tear. Weekly Fifty-Third Yer. MEDFORD, OREGON, SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1924 NO. 292 T. O. EXPIQS IBUNE SCORES K LED N 150 HOIS ARE BLOWN I Terrible Tragedy Enacted in, New Jersey When Nixon Ni trate Works' Explodes 30 Killed, 8 Bodies Recovered Fire Follows Explosion Loss Tremendous. NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J., March 1 A detonation of T. N. T. In the main building of the Nixon Nitration works at Raritan shortly before noon today, wrecked the entire plant, destroyed the nearby homes of 160 workmen, killed perhaps thirty persons and in jured more than one hundred. ' Although only eight bodies had beeh recovered from the burning ruins at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon, twenty men were known to have been at work in the building where the explosion occurred and others were reported working on the roof. The plant was operated by the Ammonite company under a lease from the Nixon Inter ests of which. Louis' Nixon of New York is the head. . The known dead are Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Dumas and three children. John Mesroll, blacksmith employed by the company. Joseph Adams, who died In the Middlesex general hospital. An unidentified woman.;-'- Twenty-five small buildings at ono time used by employes of the Nixon works, but wljich were unocauyled to day.' were destroyed-. "' "V- Fire which' followed attacked two other buildings und f Ire' departments j to the scene. . Blazing sections of the exploded building were- scattered to all parts of the Nixon property so that fire soon became general. Business buildings in Stnpleton, St. George and New Brighton rocked, windows rattled and doors were slammed. The explosions were heard in lower New York. Windows in several build ings near the battery rattled. FEOElSCMURE r CAPITAL V. CRUZ VERA CRUZ, March 1. (By the As sociated Press.) Jalapa, capital of Vera Cruz state is again in the hands of the Obregon government forces un der General Almazan, .having taken over the city without resistance. The rebels retired on the federals' approach abandoning ten locomotives and 76 cars. The balance of their roll lng stock was left at Rinconda, 40 miles from . Vera Cruz. Guadalupe Sanchez, rebel leader, withdrew his men In ttye direction of Agostadero. Americans arriving overland from Cua totolapam, sugar center in southern Vera Cruz, report meeting few rebels on the roads. The Americans closed their mills, lacking fuel and provis ions. Portland Woman Near Death . PORTLAND, Ore., Mar. 1. Mrs. Cella Lewis, aged 83, suffered a frac tured skull when she was struck by a truck, said to have been driven by C. E. Robertson while crossing a street here today. She was reported at the hospital as being in a critical condition. UP BY BLAS SCHOOL GIRL CLAIRVOYANT SOLVES - N. Y. MURDER THAT NEVER HAPPENED NEW YORK. Mar. 1 Miss Eugenie Dennis, school girl psychlo and clair voyant, of Atchison, Kas.. has solved one of Ii(w York's most baffling mys teries tfe murder in a lonely shack In Statten Island in 1920 of Carl Hostetter and Natalie Willis, but un fortunately the crime has never been reported to the police and so far as is known, exists In the Imagination of the person who asked the 18 year old girl to describe it. : The girl, who several days ago at police headquarters demonstrated her powers to high police officials, de scribing secret police documents and contributing clues In unsolved crim O. A. C. Counted Out for Coast Basket Ball Championship SEATTLE, March 1 The Unl- vorsily of Wnnhlugton and the University of California will play in Oakland Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights for the baskot- hall championship of the Pacific coast , intercollegiate conference, it was announced here today upon receipt of a decision that games of the University of Mon- tana were to be counted in fig- nring standings in the northern section of the conference. I Salem Capital-Journal Reveals Payment to Atty. Baker in Labbe Case Out of State Funds County Should Pay Expenses Claimed. SALEM. Ore., March 1. Asserting that Governor Pierce and George L. Cleaver, state prohibition commis sioner, are disregarding legal restric tions placed upon them by statute in the attempts to enforce the prohibi tion laws of the state, the Cnpltnl t.wim, rinin a ntorv revealing that two c'luims totaling $209.70 for "legal services, approved uy tne gov ernor as to the legality and correct .nos ware vesterdav oresented for payment out of the special state pro hibition fund to Eiisna a. Baser, practicing hiwer of Portland and at torney for the Anti-Saloon league of Oregon, without regard for the spe cific provisions of the Oregon lnws that special prosecutors for liquor cases shall be pnld by the counties and that nil legal work for the state and Its departments shull he done by th. nrtni-mv i-pneral. While the claim presented by Mr. Cleaver yesterday does not speciry tne legal services rendered by Mr. Baker, n. r-nniml inni-nnl snvs its Investiga tions reveal that the Labbe case in Portland wns the only liquor law im Kntinn in which Mr. Baker appeared for the state during January, the month in which the services are citiitncil tn hnve been rendered. Mr nnker ininearcd in the ijinne case at the Invitation of Stanley Mcy eis, district, attorney of Multnomah nnnntu whn conducted the nrosecu- tion and Mr. Meyers advised the Cap ital imti-nii this morii? over the tel ephone that he had told Mr. Baker that he was willing to pay for nis ser vices, and that if he wanted a fee to submit his bill to the district atior- Attorney General Van Winkle said today thnK his offico did not appear In the prosecution or tne uuiue cane and that Mr." Baker had not at any time been deputized to represent the attorney general. Th. rnitnl Journal nuotes. section chapter 48, Oregon laws In support of Its contention that payment of Mr. Baker out of the state prohibition funds is Illegal. On the strength of a previous opin ion from the attorney general that the secretary of state is not outhor- wori tn miestrnn the payment of clnima iinon the nrohibition fund, the validity and correctness of which have been sworn to by the governor, the claim presented by Mr. Clenver for Mr. Baker s services was ordered paia ventorrinv hv the Secretary. The claim also was approved by Governor pierce January zu inal cases with an accuracy which was said to have astounded her Interroga' tors, yesterday attempted to. throw light for the benefit of a reporter on various recent sensational crimes. Asked about the Hostetter-Wlllts case. Miss Dennis was able to describe the nrlncloals. found Jealousy the motive, dlsanreed moderately with the version advanced by her ques tloner, and then gave the approximate name and description of the mur derer. She was not told that her clalrvoy ance had added to police records a brand new unsolved mystery -while the police themselves showed no signs of an Intended Inquiry. CHARGE PIERCE PHI ME HODS mm AWS SECRET U. S. CODE USED BY IN Evidence Connects Up U. S. Secret Service in Oil Tangle -r-Code Used in Messages Warning Editor Committee Demands Copy of Justice Department's Cipher. WASHINGTON, March 1. Mana- for a copy of the justice department's code was made upon the department today by Senator Walsh, democrat, Montana. The senator's request at first was refused, his messenger being told that additional authority would be required. The purpose Is to determine whether it was this code that was used in the code telegrams sent to Palm Beach by Mrs. Jessie (Mary) Ducksteln, an op erative of the department. WASHINGTON, Mare hi. Mana gers of the Western Union and Postal Telegraph companies at Three Rivers, N. M., where Albert B. Fall's ranch Is located were subpoenaed today by the oi( committee. They were asked to produce in Washington copies of all telegrams re ceived there since January 1, 1921, for Mr. Fall, Harry F. Sinclair, J. W. Zevely, Robert Stewart of the Stand- ardOir company of InfllanfiKna H. W. Illackmer of the Midwest Oil com pany. After remaining In executive session for an hour the committee adjourned the hearings until next Tuesday. Message Decoded NEW YORK, March T. The New York World In a copyrighted story making public today what It calls a paraphrase of code messages sent to Edward B. McLean to Palm uoacn. says: . One of tho messages to McLean reveals William J. Burns, director of fhi hnrnnii of investigation of the de partment of justice as active inform ant of McLean of developments in me Tnnnot Dome Inquiry and is the first direct link except for one message from E. S. Rochester Between me ue nartment and any of the principals in the oil lease scandal." Tho cnile message and the para phrase, the World says, read: "Mr.-W. -O. Ducksteln, rami Reach: "Haxpw sent overbuy bonka and householder bonka suntry tkvouop prozlcs, bepelt goal hocusing this pouted ppponent. Mary." Paraphrase: 'Sent for by Burns who told me to say McLean Investigation is up der way by special agents of jus tlco department. He believes in formation is important. Mary (Quigley.) chief telephone opera rfic, nf Washington Post." ii r.i tho defense likely to be offered by the department officials, the story says, is that McLean for some time has been a secret agent. Burns Gives Testimony rri. iiD r tho rieniirtment of jus 1 lie uni. v..w ..t noaniR never Is revealed HUB BC,ic, to the public, but Mr. Burns declined today to deny the report mat was among them, i. known that In the past a num ber of persons have been enrolled aB i a sninrv of a dollar a month, ... rih tha understanding that they shall not devote all of tneir time iu work of the department, bucn em been provided however with badges, pistols and copies of the department s secret code, -while the oil committee was exam ining Borne of the McLean employes tr.Hnv menrdlng the mysterious wasn invinn.Pnim Bench messages; W. O. Ducksteln and Mary Ducksteln were spectators In the committee room, tutor tbev conferred with officials of the justice department, who also attended the hearing. m Rums declared his perfect will ingness to go before the committee and tell It all he knew. "The department of justice," he .oM "never had anything to do with . U nll aanrtot m TeaOClt DomO. 1 11113 Ull ......- " novor nvi nnv tins to McLean. "The only telegra mto McLean that I know about was all right. . It contain ed no tips of any kind." Teddy Rdosevelt, 3d., Hopes That Some Day He'll Be as Good a Boxer as Illustrious Grandfather Sons of senators, representatives and government omcluls are afford ed the opportunity of learning the rudiments of every sport at the exclusive Racquet Club In Wash ington. They are under tho dir ection of 'Mr. Whlpp. who has turned out many lino specimens of SILVERTON COUPLE I SUICIDE PACT, BUT FAIL -'."'- : ' - SALEM, Ore., March 1. What po lice authorities declare was an ap parent suicide pact, was revealed hore today when It became known that' Dr. George Russell and his wife of Bll verton, were found nearly dead In a local apartment house from an over dose of a drug. When discovered Dr. Russell wus lying on his Btomacb on tho floor of one room and his wife wus on tho bed In an adjoining room. A note wrllten by Mrs. Russell and found in the room snld they had de cided "to end it all and together." Both are reported to be recovering today. Dr. Russell has been recommitted to the state hospital, of which he has been an Inmate several times before, and this morning told attendants there that Mrs. Russell has frequently In fitB of melancholia, talked of kill ing herself. Yesterday, he said, he decided to scare her out of furthor talk along those lines, and gave her a dose of something that would make her so sick she would talk of It no more. Mrs. Russell is now at the home of her parents in Hilvcrton. OF FRESNO, Cal., Mar. 1. Mrs. Eliza Poteglan, charged with tho murder of her stepdaughter, Margaret, by ad ministering poison, was found guilty of murder in the first degree by a Jury after an hour's deliberation today. Life in prison was recommended. Three ballots were taken. It was learned. Sentenced will bo pronounced next Wednesday morning. Philip Con ley, her counsel, announced that he would ask for a new trial. The Noted Dead TOKIO. March 1. (By the Asso ciated Press) ' Prince Maysayoshl Matsukata, one of tho gonro or "elder statesmen" of Japan, who has been critically 111 for several days, died early today. At Prince Matsukata's death bed were nearly fifty direct descendants of his line. The prince long has boen notcdi as tho head of one of the largest families in Japan, his progeny and their offspring for three genera tions, numbering more than 100. Matsukata was erroneously report ed to have been killed Jn the earth quake last September. He was re cently taken seriously III and a Tokio dispatch to London February 27, re ported his death. Probable Ualns. WASHINGTON, March 1 Weather outlook for the week beginning Mon day: Paclflo states Considerable cloudiness, probably rains in wasn ington, Oregon nnd northern Cali fornia. Normal temporature. American youth. The most popu lar sport among the boys Is the manly art of self defense. The photograph shows Teddy Rooso velt, 3d., sparring with Eugene Meyer, Jr., whose father Is head of tha War Finance Corporation. Oregon News in Brief ROSEBL'RO, Ore., March 1 Mayor Georgo L. Baker and wifo of Port land arrived in .RoRohurg this morn ing. Mayor Baker will speak at the Rosehurg automobile show tonight. Tho Portland mayor is very popular hi'.thls section' .and spent -the- duy greeting friends. Ho maintained that his trip to this section wus not in the Interests of his campaign for the senatorship. TENDLETON, Ore., March 1. Henry W. Collins was re-elected president of tho round-up, the present directors wore re-elected nnd Brook Dickson wns chosen na a new. director at tho Roundup meeting held yestor dny. U. E. Chloupek Is present director of tho non-compotltlve events and Mr. Dickson will succeed him as treasurer. The remainder of tho board consists of Henry Collins, president and arena director; Charles Marsh, secretary; George Bacr, business mannger; Dean Tatom, accommodations; Chauncey Bishop, Indians; Guy Wyrlck, com petitive events; Sam Thompson, live stock; Lawrence Eraser, grounds, and P. Tulloch. decorations. SALEM, Oro., Mnr. 1. George Schulmerlch, of lilllsboro has today filed with the secretary of state his declaration as a candidate to repre sent tho first congressional district at the democratic national ' convention. His slogan Is "safe and stnq," and he offers no platform. . f, Mnrkwood M. Burtner of Dufur filed his declaration as' a. 'candidate for tho republican nomination for state senator for the sixteenth sena torial district, comprising Hood River and Wasco counties. His slogan Is: "Seven years experience; author mar ket rouds; put Wasca county- on the Dnllcs-Cnlirornla nignway." AUTOS STOLEN IN PAST YEAR ST. LOUIS, March 1. Automobile thefts in the 28 principal cities of the United States totalled 203,4911 during the past six years, the National Au tomobile Dealers' association reported today. Of this number 153,827, or nearly 75 per cent were recovered."" During the past year 80,612 cars were stolen and 32,384 recovered t Now York City had 7957 thefts and 4865 recoveries in 1923. Chicago had 2631 cars stolen during the year and 2334 recovered. In Los Angeles 4218 automobiles were taken, tho 'largest number of any city in proportion to population. Portland had 656 thefts, 644 recov eries; Denver 772 thefts, 720 recover ies; San. Francisco 2164 thefts, 2104 recoveries and Seattle 1342 thefts, 1213 recoveries. Ilank Mtwcrvo Incrowesv NEW YORK.-March 1. The actual condition of clearing house banks and trust compnnles for the week Bhows an excess in reserve of 121,057,610. 'Reserve Increased (27,660,800. 13,000 Head of Live Stock to Be Shot Down in California SAN FRANCISCO, March 1. Outbreak of the foot and mouth disease has hit one of the largest Industries in California live- stock. Domestic livestock of all 4 kinds on California farms totals 6,001,300 head, valued at approx- Imatoly $221,000,000, according to official state and federal reports. Latest census figures show 2,- 008,037 cattle; 402,407 horses, 4 2,400,151 sheep, and 909,272 swine in the state. The number which probably will be killed because of the present epidemic Is est!- mated at 13,000. ' WATER FAMINE Los Angeles Sinking Wells While Churches Join in Prayers for Rain Only Hope Is a Wet March Rain Makers Wanted. LOS ANGELES, March 1. South em California communities and cor porations today were organizing their defense against what threatens to bo the lriost serious wafer shortage en countered here In twenty yenrs. With officials of the Lob Angeles bu reau of water works and supply pre dieting bone dry reservoirs by Novem ber 1 next, unless relief develops, this city was sinking new wells In Owens valley and other Southorn California municipalities were taking Bimllnr emergency measures to ward .off water famine. In practically all communl ties water users have boen warned to conserve the supply wherever possl bio, According to'a statement last night by R. H. Ballard, vice president and general manager of tho Southern Cali fornia Edison company, curtailment of lighting and power demands on the company's linos has been made abso lutely necessary by lack of rain In the valleys and snow tn the mountains, District managers of the company, he said, have been Instructed tonsk all consumers In the central and southern districts to eliminate all unnecessary lighting and power consumption and steam plants are being used wherevor possible to conserve the water supply for hydro-electric generators. Near Banning, east or here. Indians of the deBert have held tribal dances and ceremonies for rain and they pre dict that March will he a wet month. In at least two counties there Is talk of closing a deal with Charles Hat field, who claims to be able to Induce rainfall within from two to six days liy means of a secret process. Another possible solution of the drought problem has been offored by an oil man who suggests that all the waste oil sumps In Southern California be Bet on fire simultaneously so as to fill tho air with dense smoke and, ac cording to his theory, so transform the atmosphere as to induce precipitation of moisture. In churches of the various denomin ations prayers for rain will be offered tomorrow. Meanwhile vegetable grow ers and citrus men whose crops al- (Continued on Page Six) S. CALIFORNIA FACES SERIOUS PEORIA, OREGON. STORE ROBBED FOR1 El ' i ' ALBANY, Ore., March 1. Aroused i bile accessories and other articles said by a burglar alarm a possee of twelve'10 nava been taken from a garage at men at Peoria surrounded the Lamar . "gat; ,.B?th men a ln the Llon and Lamar store late last night and captured Stanley Thompson of Cres well, and Warren Witklns of Coburg, both about 26, whom officers report ed were found ln the building. Offioers said the men had four automobile tires In tbelr possession when caught. In their car, left in front of the store, officers declared they ound automo- INVESTIGAFN OF Mil GEN. IS ORDERED Senator Brookhart to Head Committee for Probe Into Daugherty's Record Lodge Abandons Struggle for Ap pointed Committee, While Wheeler Drops Preamble. "WASHINGTON, March 1. A spec ial committee headed by Senator Brookhart, republican, Iowa, ope of, the LaFollctte Insurgents, was em powered by the Benate late today to make a Bweepingjnvcstigtlon Into the official record of Attorney General Daughorty. .. . Senators Moses of New Hampshiro and Jones, Washington, were elected as the other republican members and Whoeler, Montana, author of the res olution and Ashurst, Arizona, as the democratic members. The Iowa Benator was chosen chair man after the republican leaders had voluntarily Abandoned their fight to keep control of tho committee within tho regular republican organization. In the end the olectlon was accom plished by a viva voce vote. There, wero only one1 or two "no's." WASHINGTON, Mrch 1. The res olution for Investigation of Attorney General : Daugherty's administration was adopted late today by the senate. -The action'; followed two days ofL ti niui i: ill ii i n-:iri irt'ii I mi 1 1 v 1 1 ir u i it nownl of hitter attacks on the at'tdr-, ney general 'by democratic senators. Deletion of tho entire preamble , ol the Wheeler resolution with Its- re citals of charges agalnat the attorney general and department of Justice was agroed to today by a conferenoe be tween Senator Whoeler and leaders on both sides. WASHINGTON, March' 1. Attor ney General Daugherty was charged in tho senute today by Senator Cara way, democrat, Arkansas, with ' re sponsibility for use of a department of Justice code In messages sent to Florida on behalf of Edward B. Mc Lean. '' ' "The attorney general did nothing to help fathom tho crookedness- of public officials. " said Senator Cara way, "but he lent a positive hand by turning, over the secret code of the department of justice so that crimi nals In Florida might communicate with criminals in tho department of Justice." The Arkansas senator added that he would like to ask "the president himself, whether he had any commu nication with those people in Florida.". 4 FATALITIES AT LA. IN ONE DAY LOS ANGELES, March " 1. Three men and a woman are dead today as tho result of accidents in find about the city yesterday and last night. Fred C. Mnlsh. of Escondldo, Cal., died en route to a hospital after being struck by an automobile near Westminster, southeast of here; O. !H. Everett met death when his automobile plunged over an embankment: Mrs. Maths Stevens, 60, died last night of Injuries received when a street oar struck her and F. F. Brown, 45, night superin tendent for a department store here, dropped to almost instant deth when he wnlked Into an open elevator shaft In the darkness. - county Jail here. Robert Bruce and W. R. Hodge are In the penitentiary convicted of at tempting to rob the same Peoria store on October 17, 1923. On a similar charge, Roy Dempsey was Indicted by the local grand Jury yesterday. Prior to October 17, the Lamar and Lamar store had been victimized six times In twelve years.