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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1933)
PA'GE KIOHT 1MEPFORD MAIL TRIBirN'E, JFEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1933. s SECRET CONFABS WITH G1C. TOLD Jones, La Dieu, Brecheen and Fehl in and Out of Accused Sheriff's Office Frequently After Crime Olga Anderson, chief office deputy of tbe sheriff's office, and Gertrude Martin of the tax department, testi fied Tuesday afternoon at the trial of Suspended Sheriff Gordon L. Scner- merhorn that the official, accused of ballot theft, and Walter J. Jones, mayor of Rogue River, and J. Arthur La Dieu, both convicted of ballot thef(. Thomas L. Brecheen of Ashland, defendant awaiting trial, Jobn uienn, acquitted former county Jailer, and County Judge Earl H. Fehl. also a co defendant, held frequent secret con ferences, In the sheriff's private of fice between the date of the ballot robbery and the series of arrests. In and Out Often. Mrs. Martin testified that the pur ported leadera of the vote stealing plot, entered the sheriff's office by way of the tax department an un usual route and that they came "quite often." Both testified Jonea. La Dieu and Brecheen "were In and out frequently." and that as far as they knew, their missions were not county business. The witness also testified that the visits averaged half an hour In length and that Fehl and Brecheen were the most frequent conferees. Both the witnesses testified that after the ballot thefts, Shcermerhorn was "absent-minded, excitable, con cerned and nervous." Olga Anderson testified that Bcher merhorn had asked her to recall that he had been in the office "between eight and nine o'clock." Miss Ander son testified It was between "7 and 9:10 o'clock" on the night of the Tsult looting. -Burton Haw Skulkers. Col. R. H. Burton testified that about 10 o'clock on the night of the ballot -robbery he wss standing on Laurel street and aaw some men crawl out of the courthouse window In the rear from the auditorium and thought It was a fight. He investigated and met Schermerhorn there and the lat ter, after a talk, asked him what he thought of the "Good Government Congress." Burton replied he dfd not think it was "worth a d n." The next day, after the robbery was j d iscovered Burton test! fled he met Schermerhorn near the vault window and he (Burton) said: "If you had stayed at that window, you might have caught the thieves," and Schermerhorn replied: "'I wnsn't at the window'." Burton said he then told Schermerhorn, "I am the man you spoke to, last night." "Urged to Come Clean." Under cross-examination Burton admitted he had several talks with Schermerhorn in the city park and other places, and had urged hlra "to come clean and resign, and have your friends Intercede with the district at torney." Burton testified "he seemed to be afraid If he resigned they wouldn't dismiss the Indictment." Me lnilsted that the meetings had been agree able to Schermerhorn, though defense counsel tried to make It otherwise. Burton admitted Schermerhorn told him: "I want Into the office clean, and I'm going out clean." Burton was a voluble witness, and had to be admonished by the court several times. Burton said he "saun tered down to the courthouse after he had been chased away from a friend's house, where he was playing pinochle, as Andy's wife said he had to go to bed and get some sleep, so he can get up In the morning." Sorry for Schermerhorn. County Commissioner R. S. Nealon testified that a few weeks after the ballot robbery, he had said to Scher merhorn: "Like a lot of other people, X feel sorry for you, for we feel you have been pulled Into this, until they hsve you under their control." 8cherraer horn replied, They have not got that much pull." Commissioner Nealon said when tbe commissioners voted to put on a night watchman after the ballot robbery County Judge Fehl objected and called Schermerhorn and. asked him. "If the sheriff's office couldn't han dle the situation?" Schermerhorn was reluctant to make a definite re ply. The commissioners appointed night-watchman, over Fahl's objec tion, and the next day Schermerhorn deputized him. Commissioner Kealon said he told Schermerhorn, "people cant see how the robbery was committed without the sheriff's office knowing something about It right under the sheriff's windows." Schermerhorn told Nealon he had been on the west side and the south side of the courthouse on the rob bery night, and that he saw " 'them fellows, or those fellows crawling out of the window, but thought they had a bottle of whiskey hid In a tree'' Commissioner Nealon testified. Fehl Would Stop Recount. William Rosenbaum, airport me chanic, testified that he attended the "Congress" at the courthouse on the ballot theft night, and heard Fehl ask the audience, "how many want a recount," and a few answered In the affirmative, and Fehl then declared "he would see there would be no re count." Rosenbaum testified he saw Fehl and Schermerhorn talking on the south side of the courthouse and they were Joined by Newton C. Chaney, who soon left tot home'. He said when Fehl first appeared on the south side, a "young kid said, 'What's the mat ter, Fehl, won't they let you atay In side? and Fehl asked, 'Who said that?' " Rosenbaum said he saw Oliver Mar tin standing at the southwest cor ner, and that Schermerhorn also held a conference with him. Hall Kept Eyes Open. Leonard Hall, editor of the Jack sonville Miner, and a figure In the turmoil last winter, testified that he was at one of the windows on the south side of the courthouse, looking Inside at the- "Congress," and was there from 8 till about 11 o'clock. Hall said he saw Oliver Martin stand ing out 3a feet from the southwest corner, and "seemed to be the hub of things and delivering messages." He said Schermerhorn came out from behind the building and Hall saw Fehl on the south side, also Brecheen and Jones talking to Martin, and Fehl and Jones talking. He said Jones "ke"pt prowling up and down," Hall laid he aaw Schermerhorn at the Mall Tribune office about 11 o'clock that night and he was "ner vous,'' that he came without an Invi tation, and forced his way Into the conversation. -The latter revelation waa ordered stricken by the court. Rosenbaum testified that he also aaw Schermerhorn at the . Mall Tribune. but he only remained a few minutes. Earl York, a postal clerk, testified that on the way home from the Elks, he stopped at the courthouse, and saw Schermerhorn' coming around from the rear and talk to Martin. York said he lingered between 10 o'clock and 10:30 o'clock and the outside crowd had started to thin. Visited Tribune Of lice. Sam Carey, forcer ad solicitor for the News testified Schermerhorn called and said he was "going to the Mall Tribune to give them a story about the recount," and returned In a few minutes. The evidence showed that Scrermerhorn was In the Mall Tribune for close to an hour talking to printers, scribes, and the night watchman on duty during the height of the Banks-fomented agitation. Attorney Frank Van Dyke testified that the day the robbery wa dis covered he met Schermerhorn on the second floor of the courthouse, and Schermerhorn, after a few conversa tional remarks, -said : "I used to be In the secret service In Colorado, and, if I was handling this case, I would let It drop for a couple of months, and then start a quiet Investigation." T TO IS Two Hundred Million Will Be Spent Under Projects Submitted to Cabinet No Inside to Contracts WASHINGTON, July 12. AP) A huge federal construction program. estimated roughly at about $200,000,- 000 was approved late yesterday by the cabinet board In charge of the public works program for putting men back to work. The projects will not be announced until they have been approved by President Roosevelt, but Secretary Ickes, public works administrator and chairman of the board, said they would be submitted today for prompt action. Assistant Named. Following the meeting of tbe board Ickes announced the appointment of Colonel H. M. Walte, formerly city manager of Dayton, Ohio, as his first assistant In administering the $3,300, 000,000 public works program, with the title of deputy administrator. The board set up a subcommittee of three members.'headed by Ickes to allocate among the public parks, na tional forests and Indian reservations the $50,000,000 set aside In the pro gram for roads In those areas. Another board meeting win be neia today to consider municipal projects which have been recommended by the reconstruction corporation. The federal projects approved by the board today were Included In a program totaling about moo.ouu.uuu recommended by a subcommittee which has been considering estimates drafted by the various government depsrtments. Some Cain Approval. Ickes announced he had given pre 11 ml nary approval to allocations from $400,000,000 road construction ind to Utah, Ohio. Mwachusetts and New York. The total of $400,000,000 was set aside In the public works act for road construction to be allocated on the basis of length of post roads, area and population. Secretary Ickes warned contractors not to waste money on agents claim ing to have an "inside track" to contracts. Ickes said contracts . would be awarded "to those able to do the best Job for the least money In an honest way." He added: The public works fund will be con served for the purpose of giving work to the unemployed. All ponalble pub lic and private 'overhead' will be elim inated to this end." FLOWS 10 YEARS LAMAR. Okla.- (UP) A freak oil well which came In 10 yeara ago as a producer of almost pure vaseline was still pumping the heavy golden sub stance and paying Its owner hand some returns today. Perhaps the only well of Its kind In the world, the well la a marvel SWIM DANCE at I TWIN PLUNGES 8 "The Fun Spot of Southern I Oirfton I Only 5 Days Until the End of ADRIENNE'S Semi-Annual CLEARANCE Summer Dresses Hundreds of !! for your selection. Beautiful rrintH, Plain Rllkt, Organ- die, cotton Frocks. Clearance price .....,.. $5.95 Two Dresses for $10 Lingeries Value. In M.n.i, In satin and erepa lac inmnlrs ramies, ft 4 "lips. AIM I roraelettea Special group at JjJl 69 Summer Hats Three groups 69c $1 $1.95 Hosiery Regular $1 flow. Bur Inn pair and r.T ONE PAIR rtllT.I All for $2.00 25 Smart Frocks Thl. (roup Includes Dinner Dresses, Craning Dressea and lorely stmt Model,. Price W9.S0 Tallin $25.00 raluea $16.95 raJuFi ...119.95 -.1U.S ....18.00 8tring Knit Dresie $1.95 A Summer Coats $6.95 MS port SUIet In rood material!. Clearanoa . . Dress Coats Value, to 29.50. fur trimmed, rlearanra prlr $10.95 l .. rl to veteran oil men, both as to the oil tt produces and it life. Men who have followed the oil industry In many climes said they never have seen or heard of a similar well. The well was drilled m at 3710 feet on January 20, 1923, for production estimated at 350 barrels a day. The "vaseline well" still produces around this amount, and still la the only well In the area. Other drilling at tenuate have produced dry boles. The strange kind of oil flowed over the derrick for 300 feet when the well was drilled in. Dark green in color, the oil turned a brilliant gold en yellow when It struck the outside sir. Analysts showed It to be almost pure vaseline. It was so heavy that It hung from fences near the well like gum. Because of Its thickness, ordinary pipelines would not carry it. A spe cial line, with a steam pipe to heat the almost solid lubricant, was used. ELKS' NATIONAL CONVENTION TO OPEN JULY 16TH MILWAUKEE, Wis., July 13. (UP) Complete approval of the program of entertainment and business for the S9tb annual reunion of Elkdom here July 16 to 32 waa given today by Grand Exalted Ruler Floyd E. Thompson of Chicago. Thompson told Julius P. Hell, chair man of the Milwaukee convention board, -stating that "the program la th. moat complete and comprehensive ever prepared for a national Elks re union." Tor the first time in history, the grand lodge sessions will be opened with public ceremonies which will permit other than delegated represen tative of the 433 Elka lodges to at tend. It la hoped that President Roosevelt, who Is an Elk, will be pres ent In Milwaukee to open the con vention. On the tame opening program Grand Exaxlted Ruler Thompson will speak, aa will Postmaster Genera! Jsmes A. Parley, Governor Albert G. Schmedeman of Wisconsin, Mayor Hoan of Milwaukee, and Chauncey Yockey, exalted ruler of Milwaukee lodge. - The convention officially opens July IS. Past grand exalted rulers will occupy varloua Milwaukee pulpits. On Monday the Elks national 94 hole golf tournament will begin. On Tuesday marksmen will Inau gurate the Elks ninth annual trap shoot, and on that day also the cham pionship national ritualistic tesm of Elkdom will be picked. One of the most colorful events on the program will be the national drill competition to be conducted among Elks lodgea of the country. There also la to be a national band contest to decide which band outfit of all the Elka lodges In America mer its the title of champion. spend two weeks filming exteriors on the ranch of Henry W. Collin for the picture, "Golden Harvest." Ralph Murphy, director, said Col Una U1 act as technical advisor. Pendleton Ranch Is Movie Locale LOS ANGELES, July 13. 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