Newspaper Page Text
The Times-Recorder is the ONLY paper
in the Third Congressional District with
Associated Press Service.
fRIRTY-NINTH YEAR.
TORNADO SWI
INDIANA TOWNS
COONTING LOSS
. Tornadoes during the past three days
in seven states of the south and mid
dle west killed more than two hun
dred and fifty people and Injured more
than twelve hundreds others, besides
causing great crop destruction and the
leveling of thousands of buildings.
News concerning the devastation
wrought by the latest series of twist
ers late yesterday, starting in south
eastern Illinois and East Tennessee
and sweeping through Kentucky and
part of Alabama, is very meagre. The
storm, apparently, spent its force In
Alabama, where reports place the
number of dead at thirty-one.
News received at noon from the
four states swept yesterday, places
the dead at 103 and the injured at
approximately 300. The property dam
age sustained is heavy, but no accu
rate estimate is obtainable.
Destruction in Mattoon.
MATTOON, 111., May 288.—The tor
nado that swept central Illinois and
northwestern Indiana Saturday even
ing, took a toll of more than one
hundred lives. Mattoon lost forty
seven known dead, with a score miss
ing, some of whom may die, in the dev
astation of 140 blocks of homes oc
cupied by workingmen in the northern
part of the city. The wind razed 496
houses and partly destroyed 146 more,
rendering 2,000 persons homeless.
These are sheltered with friends, in
public buildings and in a tented refu
gee camp in Peterson park.
Charleston, ten miles east of Mat
toon, with 5,000' population, suffered a
larger loss in proportion to its size
than Mattoon, the known dead totaling
37 with 20 or more missing. Scores
were injured in Charleston also, and
some business buildings were wrecked,
including the Maple hotel, two rail
road stations, three grain elevators
and a lumber yard.
The twisting wind chose its victims
ir spots, and reports from the rural
regions indicated that small loss of life
oc urred outside of Mattoon and
Charleston, and only at widely sepa
rated places.
Sweeping through Modesto, south of
Hattoon, where much damage was done
the storm rushed northeast, dropping
down on the northern part of this city.
Leaving unscathed the business sec
tion and barely touching the industrial
plants, the wind lifted its tendencies
until it reached Charleston.
There the tornado again crippled the
earth and tore away substatial build
ings, crushing out the lives of two
more persons amid the falling houses
and hurtling of timbers and the snap
ping of trees.
The storm fitfully wore itself out in
the northwestern corner of Indiana,
causing more havoc here and there as
it hopped along an erratic course to its
disappearing point.
Fire broke out in Mattoon, but was
put out without any serious damage.
But the darkness of the cloudy whirl
wind was succeeded by the blackness of
night, and for hours there was a con
fused rushing about of survivors in the
stricken area, seeking relatives and
friends. Efforts to send for help were
thwarted by the collapse of wires, but
finally a messenger was dispatched
to Champaign by automobile, so that
a relief train arrived before midnight
last night. Later an uncertain wire to
Springfield was made workable,, and
militia was sent to aid in guarding
porperty and helping the homeless.
Before dawn order had been estab
lished. A temporary operating room
had been set up in a hotel. Beds for
the injured were placed in the publ’c
library, the Odd Fellows Home and in
yjjvious churches and schoolhouses.
The storm swept path of four blocks
wide and thirty-five blocks long in
north Mattoon, causing an estimated
loss of $2,000,000. Leveling nearly all
;he modest houses of .those living in
the windswdht zone, the tornado rushed
through Dodge Grove cemetery, turned
over hundreds of tombstones and de
molished the public stone mausoleum.
Sweeps Over Indiana.
VALPARAISO, Ind.. May 28.—Five
persons are known to be dead, several j
hundred are injured and many houses 4
] AMERIEUSTIMES-REEOROER
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
444-44-444444-444 41
4 MORE AMERICAN M. D.’S 4
4 REACHED LONDON TODAY 4
♦ 4
♦ LONDON, May 28. —Another 4
4 contingent of the American med- 4
4 ical corps arrived at London to- 4
♦ day. The units arriving today •
4 came from Philadelphia and St. ♦
4 Louis. 4
♦ 44444 4 4 + 444444
BOMBS EXPLODE IN
HOLD OHL S. SHIP
HAVANA, Cuba, May 28. —Three ex
plosions occurred in the hold of the
American steamer Lackawanna, while
the vessel was discharging its cargo of
coal at the dock here today. Two Cu
bans and one Spaniard were injured by
the explosions. Captain Johnson, who
ir in command of the Lackawanna,
said following the explosion he be
lieved the bombs had been placed at
Norfolk, Va,
ITALIAN MISSION WILL
PH VISIT TO GOTHAM
WASHINGTON, D. C„ May 28.—The
members of the Italian mission in this
country today tentatively accepted an
invitation to visit New York, which
is said to have a greater Italian pop
ulation than any city in Italy.
DELEGATES ELECTEO TB
CHURCH CONFERENCE
/ The district conference of the Metli
/idist churches comprising the Ameri
cus district, will be held in Fort
Gaines, Ga., on June sth. Delegates
from every church in this district will
be in attendance. /
Those who are' unable to attend the
conference on account of the fact
that June sth is registration day, will
fird that the important business of the
conference will begin on June 9th.
The delegates elected by First Meth
odist church on Sunday night were: G.
R. Ellis, J. W. Shiver, Dr. N. S. Evans,
A D. Gatewood, W. A. Harden, G. L.
williams, John T. Taylor, John Shef
field.
100,000 AMERICANS
SOQNBEJN FRANCE
‘ LONDON, May 28. —Au official state
ment issued by the foreign office to
day says, counting those American*'
serving in the British and French ar
mies and additional units already or
dered to France, there will soon be
106,000 Aemrican belligerents in
France.
demolished as the result of yesterday’s
istorm, perhaps, the most destructive
ever known in this section of the state,
iireat numbers of live stock lie strewn
ibout the fields of the various farms
devastated by the tornado.
The towns of Hebron and Kouts were
directly in the path of the tornado
and the extent of the ravages there was
not known early today, as the towns
are cut off from direct communica
tion. It is considered probable that a
number of those injured will die.
According to survivors, the cyclonic
cloud seemed to strike the ground a
short distance west of Hebron and
swept away the buildings on several
farms, after destroying the entire west
side of Hebron. The tornado shatter
ed a big grain elevator, unroofed the
Hotel Gordon, and then swept due east
to Kouts, where thirty buildings were
wrecked.
Estimates of the property damage
place the amount at 2,060.000 or more.
The towns of Lowell, Crown Point,
Shelby, Cedar Creek and the adja
cent territory near the Kankakee river
also were visited. Communication in
most directions is cut off. but enough
|is known to make an estimate of fortv
[injured and no fatalities.
RECRUITING OFFICE FOR AMERICUS LIGHT INFANTRY IS NOW OPEN IN THIS CIIY-THE NATION CALLS
AMERICUS, GEORGIA. MONDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 28, 1917
SIGN CONTRACT
FOR CHAUTAUQUA
HERE NEXT YEAR
The Redpath Chautauqua will visit
Americus again next year, the con
tract having been signed this morning
after negotiations had*been satisfac
torily concluded between the Redpath
representatives, a number of business
men of this city, and the ladies of the
Americus and Sumter County Hospi
tal association.
A guarantee of 1,756 is called for by
the contract and another important
provision is- that no complimentary
tickets shall be isseud.
Harry L. Dunbar, representing the
Redpath bureau, left this afternoon,
after completing the transaction which
insures the Chautauqua for Americus
in 1918.
The ladies of the Americus and
Sumter County Hospital association
have agreed to handle the ticket sales
next year, but will turn over the ac
tual business' management - and finan
cial responsibility for the Chautauqua
to the business men of Americus. For
the past few years, the ladies have
carried the entire load and they feel
that thy should not be called upon
any longer to shoulder the entire re
sponsibility.
The 1918 contract is expected to
prove much more satisfactory from
every point of view and under the
present arrangement, it is hoped that
the hospital may receive substantia!
finencial benefit, in addition to the
educational value of the Chautauqua tj
the general public of this section.
The business men who signed the
contract and who will handle the fi
nancial end of the Chautauqua in
1918 are:
G. R. Ellis, Chas. L. Ansley, H. L.
Mize. W. H. C. Dudley, Frank Shef
field, E. D .Sheffield, AV. M. Humber,
Frank P. Harrold, Thomas Harrold, D.
F. Davenport, F. L. Cato, Thos. B.
Hooks, R ,P. fetackhouse. C. M. Coun
cil, G. T. Cunningham, I. B. Small,
Rev. Jas. B. Lawrence, AV. J. Josey, W.
W. Dykes, J. W. Harris, Jr., Hollis
Fort, F. B. Arthur, D. B. Mayes, Jno.
W. Shiver, C. M. Hale, J. T. Taylor,
J A. Davenport, R. S. Broadhurst, I.
W. Renfroe, R. E. Allison, AV. G.
Hooks. Royal Case, Buchanan Grocery
Co., H. O. Lowe, S. F. Howell, E. G.
Andrews, .1. E. Gyles, Rev. P. W. Ellis.
AMERICUS WOMAN TD
BE ALUMNAE ORATOR
/At the meeting of the Lucy Cobb
Alumnae association held on Saturday
in Athens, at which about one hun
dred and fifty were present. Mrs. Fran.:
Pr Harrold was chosen alumnae ora
tor for next year/with Mrs. Palmer
Phelan Atkinson, of Atlanta, alternate.
The following officers of the organiza
tion were chosen: Mrs. Wilmer Moore,
Atlanta, president; Miss Annie Brum
by, Athens, vice-president; Miss Base
line Prince, secretary-treasurer; Mrs.
Helen Newton Carlton, Mrs. Jennie
Hart Sibley, Mrs. Lizzie Hodgson Mure,
honorary presidents. ,
The alumnae banquet on Friday ev
ening was largely attended. Miss
Mildred Rutherford, who was recently
elected president of Lucy Cobb, pre
sided, and Mrs. Katherine Tift Jones,
of New Jersey, was the alumnae
speaker. Mrs. Frank P. Harrold made
a very happy response to Mrs. Jones’
address. Other speakers on this oc
casion were Judge A. J. Cobb. J. M.
Hodgson, and D. G. Bickers. Mrs. N.
B Stewart, of Americus, was among
those present.
YOUNG MAN:
ARE YOU GOING TO THE AVAR EXCUSES THAT ARE AC
CEPTED TODAY WON’T BE VERY CONVINCING 20 YEARS FROM
NOW.
SEE THE RECRUITING OFFICER FOR THE AMERICUS
LIGHT INFANTRY AND CLAIM A RIFLE.
THE MAN AAITH THE RIFLE IS THE SOLDIER PAR EXCEL
LENCE. ALL OTHERS SERVE HIM- IF THE BATTLE IS TO BE WON
HE WINS IT.
THE AMERICUS LIGHT INFANTRY.
Co. I, 2ad Ga. Inf.
444444444444
4 GERMANY SAID TO HE ABOUT 4
♦ TO DECLARE WAR ON BRAZIL 4
♦ RIO DE JANERIO, Brazil, May ♦
4- 28.—The Brazilian newspaper No- 4-
4- ticia, published here, says in its 4
4 issue today that it is asserted in 4
4 pro-German circles that Germany 4
4 may soon declare war on Brazil. 4
+ 44 + 4444+ + + +
URGENT - APPEAL
MAUETO RUSSIAN
ARMY TO TIGHT
PETROGRAD, May 28.—Virtually all
|>clitical factions in Russia, even the
leaders, with the exception
of a few "extreme letters,” are today
re-echoing the appeal of Minister of
War Kerensky to actively engage Ger
imany on the eastern front, but it re
mains to bte seen whether or not the
army will respond whole-heartedly.
All group commanders of the army
have added their appeals to that of
the war minister. This is in addition
to the constant effort made during two
months past to make the army real
ize the situation, and many believe
this last effort will have the desired
effect. Russian political leaders of
all parties want to force Germany into
sending back men to the eastern front,
to relieve pressure against the Allies
lines in France.
SUPERIOR GOURI
OPENS ffl TERM
The May term of Sumter Superior
court convened this morning, Judge E.
D. Graham, of Eastmans, Ga., presid
ing in place of Judge Z. A. Littlejohn,
who is substituting for Judge Graham,
or. the Oconee circuit the present week.
Judge Graham will preside through
the first week of Superior court here
and Judge Littlejohn will return in
time to take up the consideration of
the criminal calendar next week.
The civil business set for this week
is expected to occupy the entire time
of the court, while the criminal cases
will come up for considration begin
ning next Monday. While definite ar
rangements have not yet been an-i
nounced, it is expected that the AVade’
murder case will be tried about the |
second week in .June at this term of'
the court.
This morning divorce cases were the
first matters to be considered, first
verdicts being given to Elma Edwards,
suing Charlie Edwards for divorce,j
and to Lillie Evans, suing Clarence)
Evans. A. S. Rigsby was also given a'
first verdict afainst Ruth C. Rugsby. ;
In the case of Ed Jenkins vs. Louisa
Jenkins, both parties were awarded a
divorce.
UERNUNI PLUMING
SURPRISE INVENTIONS
COPENHAGEN, May 28.—Germany
is taking elaborate precautions against
leaks of military secrets and is hunt
ing out alleged spies everywhere. New
regulations being published daily ap
parently indicate the military authori
ties have hope of shortly producing
some surprising inventions.
FINAL DEFENSE
OF TRIESI E NOW
UNDEHJSSIUIF
NEW YORK, May 28. —(Compiled by
the Associated Press from European
cables during the day.)—The Italians
have now fought their way to a point
within two miles of Duino, the most
formidable barrier between them and
Trieste. The great battle there enter
ed its eighteenth day today, with no
sign of abatement, but a lull in the
offensive is probable before the Ital
ians launch their final assault upon
Duino, in the opinion of military ob
servers. Here the Carso plateau
reaches almost to the sea, while pro
tected on one side by the sea Duino
is powerfully defended on the north
by Mount Querceto, from which emi
nence guns sweep the country for
miles around.
The Austrian official statement issued
today says that all Italian attacks
on the Carso front were repulsed af
ter furious fighting, and that 13,600
uuwounded Italians have been captur
ed during the fighting, of the last 16
days.
The Paris war office statement says
the Germans delivered three attacks
in the Champaign region, all of which
were repulsed, while the German state
ment says the Teutons gained the
French first line trenches and took 259
prisoners in, this section.
The Paris statement says the Ger
mans are heavily bombarding the Ver
dun sector.
Germans Still Have Faith in Suhs.
AMSTERDAM, May 288.—A semi
official German statement published
here today characterizes the statement
cl David Lloyd-George, the British
premier, that England will not be
starved by the submarines as ‘o'nly
empty words.”
Italians Cross Tiniavo Hit er.
ROME, May 28.—1 tis officially an
nounced that Italian troops have cross
ed the Timavo river and occupied the
villages northwest of Duino.
GRANDFATHER OF QUIMBY
MELTON OIEO SATURDAY
I
News has been received in Ameri
cus of the death of Rev. 1. Q. Melton,
lat Guntersville, Ala. Mr. Melton was
[the oldest member of the North Ala
’ bama Methodist conference, having
’ been a member of that conference for
over fifty years. He was the father
of Dr. W. F. Melton, of Emory univer
sity. and the grandfather of Quimby
Melton, former editor of the Times-
Recorder. and who is now in training
|at the officers’ camp at Fort McPher
■ son.
Mr. Melton suffered a stroke of pa
ralysis on Monday and a second stroke
on Wednesday. Following the attack
Wednesday, he did not regain cons
ciousness. The funeral was held Sat
urday afternoon at Guntersville, Ala.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lou
ise Melter, and si xchildrcn. Dr. W: F. j
Melton, of Oxford. Ga.;./Mrs. AV. C.I
Raburn, of Guntersville, Ala.; Mrs.
J. A. Collins, of Birmingham. Ala.,
Mrs. Charles Shores, of Warrior, Alia..
Mrs. Katie McEachin, of Tuscaloosa,
Ala., and Mrs. May Roberts, of Col
linsville, Ala.
ANOTHER AMERICUS BOY
TO SERVE ON SUBMARINES
Hubert Denham, son of Mr. and Mrs.
J C. Denham, of this city, has re
turned from Atlanta, where he passed
his final examination for enlistment in I
jhe United States navy. He will enter [
the submarine service and expects soon '
to receive orders to report at the:
Gaining school. • )
COTTON SALE REPORTED
ON BASIS OF TWENTY.ONE CENTS
A lot of 75 bales of cotton was sold
at the Commercial warehouse in this’
city on Saturday, the staple bringing’
21 cents per pound. Several transact-p
ions are expected to take place this:
week in local cotton circles if the spot
4 REAR ADMIRAL SIMMS 4
4 NAMED TO BE VICE ADMIRAL 4
4 ♦
4 WASHINGTON, D. C„ May 28. ♦
4 —Rear Admiral Sims, who Is in 4
4 charge of American naval opera- ♦
♦ tions in European waters, was 4
4 today appointed vice admiral of ♦
4 the navy. +
♦444444444444444
SENATE REDUCES WAR
TAX BILIDECIDEOLY
WASHINGTON, D. C„ May 28.—The
senate today exempted motion picture
films, jewelry and chewing gum from
taxation under the war tax bill. The
action, it is estimated, will result in
reducing the total revenue intended to
be raised by the house revenue bill by
$15,566,666. The house measure, as
originally transmitted to the senate,
contemplated the raising of $1.866,666,.
C 66 annually by war taxes.
SENATE INVESTIGATING
HEATH OF TWO NUSSES
WASHINGTON, D. C.. May. 28.—In
vestigation by the senate naval com
mittee of the accident on board an
American armed merchantman, in
which two American Red Cross nurses
lost their lives, has been ordered by
the senate.
BBT BEATS WAI TB
) ATLANTA TO ENLIST
l ——
ATLANTA, Ga., May 28.A nineteen
’ year old boy named Patrick Miner, who
had been working in Americus, decided
that he wanted to come to Atlanta to
join the navy. Having no money, he
managed to make the trip in two days
by riding the rods of freight cars and
walking a part of the way.
But finally when he arrived, the
joung patriot was so weak that he
could hardly stand up, and so proud
that he wouldn’t ask anybody to give I
him the price of a square meal. A ;
railroad man found him sitting on the I
end of a cross-tie in a railroad switch-)
ing yard and persuaded him to accept
a breakfast at his expense, then to ac-1
cept a shave and a bath at his expense, [
and now the boy is training with about!
nineteen other youths from Americus, ;
who preceded him at the school! n 1
Norfolk, Va. AVhy Miner failed to en-[
Hst at the navy sub-station in Ameri
cus is not stated.
ENTHUSIASM FOR CANNING
BEING STIRRED IN FULTON
ATLANTA ,Ga., May 28—So many
farmers and farmer boys and girls of j
Fulton county, of which Atlanta is the)
county seat, are planning to put up
vegetables and fruits that the county
! farm demonstration agent already has
I distributed 1,666 copies of a pamphlet
of canning instructions issued by the
State College of Agriculture, and has
demands for several hundred more.
Increased food crop production is an
accomplished fact in Fulton and the
farmers are not going to let their sur
plus go to waste, but will conserve it
tor future use by the canning method.
Not only are the farmers raising I
great quantities of food crops of all [
kinds, but they have gone in strong [
for hog-raising, as the result of a very
liberal plan which recently was put in
I operation by the Fourth National bank,
[of Atlanta, co-operating, with the coun
ty demonstration agent. The bank is I
[lending money to any farmer who
I wants to raise thoroughbred hogs.
Another big item in increased food ■
production will be the second crop of
Irish potatoes which the farmers are!
planning to raise when early crops
have been harvested.
market remains at its present level j
and Americus warehouses will proba-j:
Ely have their stocks considerably de-y
pitted within the next few days. 11
I
CHY
NORTHERN CITIES
TAKING STEPS 10
BAH IMMIGRANTS
CINCINNATI, 0., May 28.—Events of
the past twenty-four hours have chrys
talized the sentiment of the district
composing southwestern Ohio, south
eastern Indiana and northern Kentucky
as regards the seriousness of the prob
lem resulting from the remarkable in
flux of many thousands of Georgia and
Tennessee and Southern unskilled ne
groes generally, most of whom are idle
and in a starving condition as the re
sult of their coming north in the flimsy
promises of crooked Northern labor
sharks offering plenty of work at high
wages.
Instead hundreds of the unfortunates
and hungry and desperate are being
daily deported in the district specified.
Hundreds more are being sent to the
workhouse prisons to break rock. Hun
dreds more are being driven from pil
lar to post to escape the continuous po
lice raids throughout the city’s red
light district, pool rooms and other
loafing places in the slums, and police
posses are searching throughout north
ern Kentucky for the alleged ravisher
of a little 13-qear-old daughter of a
farmer of Winston Hill, a town, three
miles south of Covington, Ky. Today
all of the negro haunts here were
scoured for the fiend without success.
The brutal assault took place on De
coursey Pike, Sunday morning, the
body of the child being thrown in to
nearby creek, bruised and bloody.
City Mayor Georfie Puchta here ha»
today redoubled his efforts to separate
the honest, law-abiding negroes here,
both Northern and Southern, from
those having unsavory records at their
Georgia and Tennessee homes or fami
• 1” deserters and lawbreakers. This
' municipal move was made as the re
sult of several jnegro organizations
pleading with Mayor Puchta in behalf
of the orderly element of those irmi
cently involved in a continual rounding
up night and day. by raius of the po
lice patrol, and several sharp clashes
between the idle negroes and the army
recruiting camps here have ended in
shootings, however, none fatal as yet.
[ As a result of the conference here be
) ween Mayor Puchta and Tennessee La
j bor Commissioner W. L. Mitchell, a
jcomplete probe of the situation will be
I had soon and concerted moves mada
North and South to protect the-honest
' negroes of Georgia and Tennessee
! from being lured away from home
and a surety of existence by false
| promises of high wages by fake labor
agents and others who would have
them work under the control of gun
men in Northern states. The assist
ance of all charity organizations wi'.l
I also be asked at once here to fight
the smallpox epidemic periodically'
breaking out.
$2,000 WORTH OF JEWELS
RETI RSED TO VILLAS
EL PASO, Tex., May 28.—Twenty
five thousand dollars worth of jewels
belonging to the families of Francisco
and Hipolito A’illa, the Mexican revo
lutionary leaders, recently were dis
played on a table in the United States
district court here. The jewels were
sized from Mrs. Francisco and Hipolite
A’illa when they were forced to aban
don their palatial home in Juarez and
come to El Paso at the time when the
A’illa revolutionary government]
northern Mexico collapsed.
A suit was instituted by Hipolite
A’illa against the custom officials for
i the recovery of the jewels on the
’ ground that they had been worn into
’ the United States as articles of pe~-
sonal adornment and were not liable
to seizure for non-payment of duty. The •
federal court upheld this contentio.i
and returned the jewelry to its owner".
! Included among the jewels were •
diamond brooches set in platinum, dia
mond bracelets, necklaces of diamonds
and emeralds, loose diamonds several
carats in size, and a jewel box filled
'with assorted jewels. In the jew®!
casket was found a diamond-studde 1
;"medal of valor” given to Franciscj
>’Villa by the Mexican constitutionalist
government for bravery in action be
fore A’illa broke with the government
then headed by Gen. A'enustiano Car
ranza.
NUMBER 127.