Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 20, 1924, Page 1, Image 1

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Medford Mail Tribune
The Weather
Prediction ...Cloudy and warmer
Know or rain
Maximum yee-trruay 34
Minimum today 24.fr
Weather Year Ago
Maximum ..
.....47
Mliilmaiu ...26
UOf1
HbMtMiith Ttw. "
MEBFORT). OREGON. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1024
NO. 232
It rcftUiiM
City Council Refuses
to Insure Station
Housing Fire Dept
Helen Keller's Birthplace Preserved as Shrine
Broadway Chorus Girl
is
Who Never Smoked a
Cigarette, Gets Hubby
1,1V
COLD
SNAP
n
4
FO! LOWED
BY snow
Snowing Hard Up State, But
Higher Mercury Expected to
Turn it Into Rain Middle
West Suffering From Frigid
Weather With Many Deaths
East Due Next.
PORTLAND, Ore, Doc. 20. Over
cast sklea and a snow flurry this
morning; bore out ovcr-nlght predic
tions of the weather bureau of some
modification of the frigid spell which
ha gripped Oregon this week', but
Forecaster B. L. Wells wuuld not
promise greater relief for Portland
than a minimum of twenty degrees
above aero for tonight. The minimum
here last hlght was. 17 degrees. Snow
also was falling south of here this
morning.
A. slorm at sea off tho southern
Oregon coast is too fur south to have
minfh effect on the weather in tho
viqlpjty of (Portland, according: to
Wells.
The' cold spell has interfered wl,th
amusements In Portland and has hail
some effect on retnll bUHlness. A
boxing card prepared for last night
wis postponed until next week on uc
count of the cold.
&ALEM,' Ore.,' Doc. 20. Snow driven
by a light northwest wind bogan fall
ing here at 8:30 o'clock this morning
with Indications that it would con
tinue throughout the day. Tho tem
perature at that time was 26 degrees
above. The thermometer here for
the' twenty-four hours ending at 7
o'clock this morning registered a
maximum of 23 degrees and a .mini
mum of 11, giving the city the warm
est weather since. Tuesday. - The min
imum temperature bf' Inst night was
18 degrees above.
Below Jfcwo at Wcnatcho.
SPOKANE, Dec, 20. While below
Boro temperatures were recorded
again la.xt night in some parts of
eastern Washington, others showed
rising thermometers and promises
were held out for relief within the
next few hours from the extreme cold.
Wenatchee reported six below and
it was two below here. Walla Walla
recorded a zero reading and ut Yaki
ma, It was one above.
. West side temperatures continued
low, but overcast skies gave hope of
warmer weather. The minimum ut
Belfingham was sixteen above; Aber
deen reported twelve above and
Everett sixteen above. ,.
'At Olympla it was 22 above at 9
8. n;
Warmer Ut Rooky Area.
DENVER,, Dec. 20. Indications to
day pointed to a swing backward
toward normalcy in temperatures for
the' entire Itocky mountain region.
Montana and Colorado, tho last to
feel' relief . ufter five days of bitter
cold, reported rising mercury and fair
aides. Montana, however, recorded
two' more deaths, due to the cold
wave. A man was frozen to death In
his -bed south of Butte and a woman
was frozen to death in her cabin In
an- isolated section in the Butte dis
trict.
The most appalling tragedy of the
last 24 hours was reported nt Cas
per, Wyo., where Otto Lundblad, his
wife and their six months old infant
were burned to death when their
home was destroyed by fire. . '
Little hope la felt for the recovery
of the fourth member of the family
a four year old boy. ,
During the night the gns dropped
to a low pressure point, and the fire
In the Lundblad home went out. The
accumulated gas exploded when Mr.
Lundblad struck a match in the houso
the followlr morning.
, ' Snowing In State.
ROSEBURO, Ore... Dec. 20. With
the thermometer standing at 22 de
grees, a light snow started falling this
morning. Twenty-two was the min
imum temperature last night, a
slightly higher mark being reached
this: morning. Broccoli growers are
hoping for a heavy snow, for if the
Vegetable is covered with snow when
(Continued on Page six)
CONVICTED CRIMNAL
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20. A five
year, option on freedom was Edward
Mayerlee's today as the , result of an
operation performed on the delicate
tissues of his brain by a surgeon who
believed his plea that a fall from a
windmill years ago had transformed
him from an honest lad to a eriml-'
nal. -
Mayerle arrested several
months ago for passing worthless
checks. He pleaded guilty but ex
THROUGH AN OPERATION ON BRAIN
J.ONO BEACH, Cnl.,"DNC. 20.
A proposal to insure tho harbor
fire station here against fire was
rejected by the city council yes-
terday. "If a bunch of firemen
can not take care of their own 4
station Ihe fire department had
better get out of business," de-
clared tho spokesman of tho no-
Insurance faction just before the 4
proposal came to a vote.
STATE LEVY ON
1925 TAXES TO
Uncollected Income Tax Fig
ured in Estimates, Which
Includes Item Budget Board
Missed Half Million for
New Buildings.
SALF.M, Ore., Deo. 20. Tho state!
tax levy for 192 j as arrived at by the
Btate tax commission today is 7,492,
761.47, or 132,591.45 in excesB of the
levy for 1924, which was $7,460,170.
Of the total levy, $5,569,712.69 rep
resents mlllago levies outside the 6
per cent tax limitation amendment of
the state constitution, leaving $1,923,
048.79 to be raised by direct levy
"within the 6 per cent limitation.
This latter figure also represents
the difference between $1,757,154.73 in
total estimated expenses of the stato
for 1925 within the 6 per cent limita
tion and $2,834,105.94 In estimated
receipts and unexpended balances.
The $4,757,154.73 takes into considera
tion tho income tax yet uncollected
amounting to around $600,000.
The tax lavy is made to cover some
Items that were not included In re
commendations of the state budget
commission. For example, a building
program of $500,000 is included, $65,
000 for the public service commission
and $50,000 for the industrial accident
commission.
The total to he raised for general
state purposes is $5,375,000 and for
elementary school purposes $2,117,761.
AT
WHITE HOUSE 10
;t
WASHINGTON, Deo. 20. Christmas
at the White House will be very quiet
this year because of the death within
the past 12 months of the younger son
of President and Mrs. Coolldge. Plans
for the observance of .the holiday
season are most simple. John, son of
the president, who is attending Am
herst college, will arrive home Sunday
and Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Stearns
of Boston, the Coolidge family's
closest friends, will come early in the
week. ,
The choir of tha First Congrega
tional church, which President and
Mrs. Collidge attend, will Bing Christ
mas carols from the north portico on
Christmas eve as last year, and Mr.
Coolidge at bis desk will turn a switch
lighting the big community Christmas
tree, planted in Sherman park, south
ot the treasury.
Drug Company Fail.
NEW YORK, Dee. 20. A receiver
for the National Drug Stores corpora-
: tion was named in federal district
court here today by Judge William J.
Gondv. The comnanv operates a chain
j'of drug stores in New York and other
I cities.
GETS FREEDOM
plained that ever since his head had
been injured In the windmill accident
he had been subject to periodic spells
of abnormality. Witnesses corrobo
rated his story and an operation was
authorized. Yesterday the" surgeon
testified that the removal of a growth
Impending upon Mayerlee's brain had
been effected and that he believed
the man cured of his criminal tenden
cies. The court accordingly granted
Mayerlee probation for five years. .
SOW
EXCESS
BE VERY 01
" The birthplace of Helen Keller, ut Tusemnliiu, Ala., is to be preserved by those whu regard
it as n shrine. It was here that Miss Keller (inset), bliiul, ticuf unci dumb from early childhood,
was given the first training that made her one of the world's greatest women, u public speuker and
author nt timnv nnw
LEAVE FOR COAST
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 20. Receipt
of word yesterday that tho Missouri
Tiger had loft his lair and had head
ed westward found Elmer Henderson,
coach of the University ot Southern
California Trojans, redoubling efforts
to give his charges a, thorough courae
in tho Henderson method of stalking
tiger and In preparing tho Trojan ap
petite for a feast of tiger meat when
they ,fuce tho striped feline on tho
gridiron here Christmas day.
(Henderson does not undor-estlmato '
the Tiger prowess and twlco dally the
Trojans are busied with tho task of
rabrlcatlng an armor which Is ex
pected to provo Invulnerablo to tho
most savage attacks of tiger claws.
"Nullify the Missouri offense and
tho buttle Is ours," might well bo the
war cry of tho Trojans, for they are
spending much time on defense tac
tics which arc expected to offset tho
Tiger onrush.
Signal drill, scrimmage and dummy
practice are also on the preparedness
program and are- expected to be con
tinued until tho zero hour.
Will Dranpwy Moot Rojns?
LOS ANOEI.ES, Dec. ' 20. Dame
Rumor, who of late has been handling
tho name of Jack Dcinpsey, heavy
weight boxing champion, in somo
what reckless manner, yesterday
whispered Jack's namo again. This
time she has It that the champion
will defend his title In a southern
California ring In March or April
against Romero Rojas, the Chilean
boxer. Today still (inciting Dame Hu
mor, proirlinenl Los Angeles sports
men will meet Jack Kenrns, the
heavyweight's-monagnr, and attempt
to close arrangements for tho fight
at that time.
Tor some time Dame Rumor's ad
vance notice cif nompsey's plans have
failed to materialize, but. this time,
it Is said, time will verily her predic
tions. CHICAGO, Dec. 20. Ban Johnson
president of tho American leaeuo, has
returned from the seclusion Into which
he rettrt-d while his club ownors
stripped him of part of hifl power and
rebuked him for his controversy with
Commissioner Landta.
"Any chance of resigning as Amer
lonn'leaffue head?" he was asked.
"I won't answer that one way or
another." he replied. ''In fact 1 won't
even admit I'm Ban Johnson."
The Days Doings
in U. S. Congress
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. With all
thought of a vote on Muscle Shoals
before the Christmas recess aban
doned, the senate today setled down
to consideration of amendments to the
Underwood and Norrls bills.
Tho house today passed a senate
bill to extend for 45 days an appro
priation for investigation work of the
Columbia basin reclamation project. ,
An emergency senate resolution to
appropriate H00.000 for a fight against
the poultry plague epidemic was
rushed through today and sent to
President Coolidge for his signature.
TROJANS PREPARE
CHARGES BY
JAILED PI
W. B. Stevensyfltemath Falls
Man, Held to Grand Jury
Failed to Keep Promises
Alleged Special Attorney's
Letters to udge Thomas
Figure in Trial.
CHANTS PASS, Ore, Dec. 20. W.,
B. Stevens of Klamath Falls, was
bound over to tho grand Jury after a
preliminary hearing bore yesterday on
a charge of possession of a still. Ho
was placed under $1000 bonds pend
ing tho action of' tho grand Jury on
his case In January.
Charges against fltovons were made
by C'urloy McDowell and John Miller,
who wero recently convlctod and son
tenced to a year in Jail on slmllur
charges. Testimony brought out to
the effect that Stevens was the head
of a gang which was to undertake
the manufacture of whiskey on Stev
ens' ranch near Provolt, fourtoon
miles oast of Grants Pass,' In tho
mountains.
McDowell elaimod that Stovbns hnd
promised to deed him his ranch ond
to care for McDowell's family if ho
would lake the blame for tho alleged
offense.'. This McDowell Bald, was nut
done and he turned state's evidence.
Stevens was arrested In Khiniith
Kails unci brought here. McDowell
also made charge's against George
Tarikslcty, former Klamath prnhlhlLlon
agent unci his sun. Itoy Tankslvy.
Another son, Walter Tanksloy, who Is
In Jail, was also mentioned by Mc
Dowell. H was alleged that tho oper
ators had two stills which were to be
used. They brought over largo quan-titic-K
of sugar, corn and yeast for
mash from Klamath Kails, it was al
In Klamath Kails, according to tosti
logod. Tho liquor was to be sold
miiny.
Special Prosecutor Elliott ot Klam
ath Kalis, appointed by Governor
Pierce, testified nt tho hearing as to
the good reputation of the accused,
and attempted to show that McDow
ell's reputation was unfavorable.
Letters wero produced by District
Attorney W. T. Miller of Josephine
county, in which Elliott had written
to Judge C. M. Thomas, previous to
McDowell's trial in circuit court, of
McDowell's: excellent character and
reputation during the year he had
known the man. Elliott admitted he
had written tho letters to Judge
Thomas.
Wall Street Report
NEW YORK, Dec. 20. Heavy
profit taking and bear soiling of a
few special Issues imparted some Ir
regularity to price movements In to
day's stuck market, but tho main
trend was still upward.
Philadelphia and Heading Coal and
Iron roso 3 H points. American Loco
motive, Pullman, Atlantic Coast lino
and Oulf, Mobile and Northern pre
ferred sold three or mora points
hlgherThe cloning was firm. Sales
approximated 750,000 shares.
Harold Flskc has returned homo
from Albany collego to spend the
Christmas holidays.
DENIES HE PAID
T
NEW YORK, Dec. 20. Rumors
that John McCormack had paid $100,
000 to blackmailers in Boston after
being maneuvered Into a compromis
ing situation In the Copley Plaza hotel
ar branded as. falsehood Miy ' tho
singer.
Tho tenor revealed today that for
five years tho whispered story had
beon going tho rounds so vaguo that
It never could bo traced further than
that somebody hoard from somebody
elso of tho blackmailers' plot. At tho
trial of William J. Cocoran, former
district attorney of Middlesex county,
and others accused of conspiring to
extort $50,O0Q from Victor P. Sondes,
and affidavit referring to the story
was Introduced in evidence. v
Mrs. Abraham Levy, who admits
having been used by the blackmail
gang to luro lis victims, made tho af
fidavit. Sho said sho had learned of
tho story of tho blackmail of "John
McCormack," as tho affidavit put it
through a conversation among mem
bors of tho blackmailing gang,
"Fight back? You can't; not a
banshee you can't seo," said Mr. Mfi
Cormock, referring 'to his offorts to
got at tho source of the rumor.
"My friends know that I have play
ed tho gamo of life decently," con
tinued McCormack. "They know my
family life has been right, and my
public won't believe this He. That I
know.
z "I have never boen blackmailed,"
ho added. "I would spemd millions
for rlufenso, but not ono cent for trib
ute." TITLE TO EDDIE"
NEW YORK, . Dec. 20. (By the
ABsociatod Press.) The world awoke
today to find a new champion .and the
shoes of "Terrlblo Torry" McGovorn
of Brooklyn were filled once again.
Eddie (Cannonball) Martin, intense
ly nervous, yet plunging into battle
with an attack that knew no quarter,
stood forth as tho world's greatest
bantamweight boxer by his victory
over Abe Goldstein of Now York last
night.
McGovern accomplished tho feat In
189!) before Martin wag born.
Martin, whose real namo is Martlno,
was born 21 years ago in Brooklyn of
Italian parents. He started his career
as an amateur and the only two re
verses ho has over known woro suf
fered In his first bouts. 8lr.ee be
coming a professional he has partici
pated In two draw matches, but never
has suffered defeat. He won 22 by
knockouts.
Goldstein lost his belt by taking tho
defensive after tho first three rounds
and acquiescing to the Infighting
methods that Martin employed.
. To Fight Poultry IU.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10. The sen
ate today adopted a Joint resolution
authorizing appropriation of $100,000
to be expended by the secretary of ag
riculture "for control and eradication
of tho European fowl diseases and
other contagious diseases of poultry."
4 4
4 NEW YORK, Dec. 20. Eula 4
4 Sharon, 3 8 year old musical com- 4
edy dancer, whose real name la 4
I'la H. Koblnson, and who came 4
from Kansas CMty to bo a Broad- 4
way star, is to marry Carl Kan- 4
dull, her dancing partner. In 4
revealing the engagement today 4
Mrs. J, H. Robinson said her 4
daughter, although on Broadway 4
three years, had never smoked a 4
cigarette "or drank a drop of 4
liquor. M 4
BOOZE SEIZED
Cleaver Apologizes to Captain
for Action, and Charges
Against Dry Aide May Be
Dropped Check Shows
Rum Not Opened U. S. At
torney Favors Dismissal.
PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 20. State
Prohibition Commissioner Ooorgo L.
Cleaver, having returned late yester
day to' tho British steamer London
Merchant the liquor taken from 'the
vessel by Cloaver Wednesday night,
and Cloaver, having mado apologies
to tho captain, tho charges lodged
against Cloaver when ho was arrested
Thursday night accused of violating
tho "twolvo mil treaty" with Groat
Britain will bo droppod If recommen
dation to Attorney General Stone by
United States District' Attorney Co,ko
are approved. '
Cleaver was to have appeared today
before United States Commissioner
Fritzer for preliminary homing, but
this wns waived In view of District
Attornoy Coko's recommondatlon.
Check mado by Rogors MacVeagh,
attornoy for tho ship, showed that
every bottlo of liquor taken by Cleav
er's men had boon returned unopenod.
SALEM, Ore., Dec. 20. Sllonco
continued to bo tho reply of Governor
Plorco to Inquiries put to him today
regarding what action, if any, he con
templated In regard to the raid of
Oeorgo Cleavor, state prohibition
commissioner upon tho British stenm
er London Merchant Wednesday night
and In regard to Cleavor's later ad
mission that he had exceeded his
authority and tho return of tho seized
liquor. '
Another Klamath
Falls Lumber Mill
To Open This April
PORTLAND, Ore., Doc. 20. Plans
for re-openlng the Modoc Lumber
company's mill at Asp Grove near
Klamath Falls In March or April,
wera announced horo today by V. D.
Boach ot tho L. B. Monefoe Lumber
company which will opera) e the STo
doc company property. Improvement
In tho lumber market has encouraged
the company to resume oporatlon of
the mill which has been Bhut down
for a year, said Boach.
, Tho mill cuts between 100,000 and
120,000 feet of lumber In ton hours,
and when It Is re-opened 250 men
will be employed.
Death Toll of
the Automobile
ELLENSBURG, Wash., Dec. 2H.
William G. Mutch, 32, Associated Press
telegrapher for the Ellensburg Record,
died here last night from injuries re
ceived when the automobile he was
driving turned over, crushing him
underneath. Mr. Mutch died three
hours after he was found pinned be
neath his car. He is survived by his
widow and four children.
SAW FATHER BITE
MOUNT VERNON, 111., Dec. 20.
A recess today Interrupted defense ac
tion to Bhow that Lawrence M. Hlght,
who with Mrs. Elsio Sweetln is charg
ed with the murder by poisoning, of
Wllford Sweetln, was mentally de
ranged. Testimony that Hlght was
of unsound mind will be continued
Monday, defense counsel announced
yesterday.
Mrs. Mary Eaton, 22, Hlght's elder
daughter, testified that when she was
about ten yenra old she had seen her
father bite a mule on the nose,
ON SHIP RAID
IS RETURNED
LIB MAN
James Howard, 65, Arrested
for Murder of John Nolan
Near Klamath Falls Denies
Charge Mystery Surrounds
Discovery of Body With
Knife Through Heart.
KLAMATH FALLS, Oro., Dec. 20.
"I nm Innocent of tho murder of
John Nolan. 1 would Just as soon kill
my own father or mother as John,
with whom I have eaten and slept for
months."
With tearB streaming down his face,
James Howard, aged 66, made the
above statement In the waiting room
of tho Southern Pnclflc station this
morning. He was being taken to
Yreka under suspicion of having
stabbed John Nolan nged SO, to death
in his lonely shack on tho west shore
of Tulo lake Thursday night.
Howard was arrested last evening
at his homo at Cunby's Crossing by
Deputy Sheriff John Clyburn, who
acted under tho orders of Sheriff A.
8. Calkins of Siskiyou county.
With his eyes full of tears and hla
narration interrupted by sobs, How
arcMold the following story this mor
ning: "Sullivan, my good friend
Nolan and I wero in Nolan's
cabin Thursday night. There was
a lot of moonshine. The other
two men got the liquor. Well
Nolan and Sulllvun got awful
drunk nnd I sort ot lost my bnl-
anco too, but wouldn't say I was
as dru'nk as the other two." '
Hero tho old man stopped unable
to go on for a fow moments. -But
finally renewing his narrative he con
tinued: . ., -- "v ;"
"I was standing by the stove.
It was hlttor cold and the tips ot '
my fingers wero nearly frozen.
Nolan and Sullivan, were 'having ;
an argument In the corner at this
tlmo. I saw clinching and strug
gling back and forth and at one '
tlmo saw Nolan almostv on the '
floor. But he got up again.
"I did not Interfere with the
two men. Suddenly, Just after ,
Nolan was on tho floor, he looked
over towards me and I saw he
was mad. He walked over
towards tho stove" and hit me
hard on tho side of tho neck. I
don't know what with. I turned
suddenly and Just managed to
dodge nnother heavy blow aimed
for my head. If It had ever hit
mo It would havo killed mo. As ;. ,
It was It Just grazed tho side of
my Jaw.".
Bystanders wero crowding around
tho alleged murderer as his voice
roso. Deputy Clyburn had left his
prisoner alone with the Interviewer.
Didn't Pull a Knife .
"Well whon he hit me twice I
turned and Bhoved him back
wards. He was dead drunk and
lost his balance, falling in a cor-
nor. They say I pulled a knife,
r did not. I didn't see a knife.
That is about all I remember.
I left the house and on my way
out saw Sullivan doing something
with tho halter ot his horse. ,
loft him there.
"Drinking as I had beon, I did. .
not think to stop at Clyburn's ...
house and tell him to attend to ..
Nolan. You seo I was afraid
that Nolan, drunk as ha was,
would freeze to death while In an
intoxicated slumber. Instead I
waited till next morning and then
sent my boy, Wesloy, over to
Park Dyer's to tell him that may
be Nolan needed a doctor.
"That Is nil I know about it.
I nm innocent nnd if convicted
will hung a man who had no
hand In the murder, of John
Nolan. I am willing to answer
to any charge they might file
against me. I come through
Oregon .on my way to California
without extradition because I
know I am Innocent of this
crime."
Deputy Clyburn left on this morn-
ln'u Coin with 1i!a -nrisnnpr for
Yrokn. A coroner's Jury was to have
met today to determine the cause of
Nolan's death. A warrant for How
fOnntlnuefl on Pag 8ts
T
A MULE ON THE NOSE
Mildred Hlght, his youngest da ugh"
ter, Bald Hlght acted "queer" after an
attack of Influenza, She told of hla
taking up tho ministry, asserting ha
hnd Been a "bright light." ,
Dr. H. W. Walker, Hlght'a cousin,
testified to mental defectlvenesa in
the family. Hlght's father, he said,
was In a bad mental condition seven
years before his death. One brother
died In nn Insane asylum, he added,
and another was considered mentally
weak.