Medford 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.