Newspaper Page Text
WEATHER FORECAST
For Georgia—Fair tonight and
Sunday. ,
FORTY-FOURTH YEAR.—NO. 96
RAIL UNIONS ORDER STRIKE BALLOT
WHILE THE, COMMTTEE SLEEPS ON THE FORD OFFER!
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NEW PROPOSAL
TO USE SHOALS
PLANT RECEIVE!)
I
Would Let U- S. Retain Title,
But Convey Power Contract
4 For 25 Years
WASHINGTON, April 22.—(8y
Associated Press.) —Proposals for the
use of power developed by govern
ment built projects at Muscle Shoals
for manufacture of aluminum and
fertilizers, with the government re
taining ownership of the projects, al
though not spending any more money
on them were presented today to
war department officials by R. R.
Grant, of Wilmington, Del., president
of the American Non-Ferrous Corpor
ation and of the Aluminum Wheel
Company of America.
The plans of Grant, said by him to
be tentative, contemplate an offer
which will enable the government to
retain ownership, but which Would
allow the Non-Ferrous Corporation a
contract for 25 years. During such a
period, under the proposal, a sinking
fund would pay off the cost of the
project at the rate of five per cent
y< arly, with five years allowed at the
outside for completion of the proper
ties.
O NEAL SPEAKER AT
MACON FORD MEET
MACON, Apr', 2.1. —Former Gov
ernor Emmett O’Neal, of Alabama,
was the principal speaker at the
statewide mass meeting here today
in support of Henry Ford’s offer for
the Muscle Shoals projects. Hun
dreds of visitors are here from all
parts of Georgia and nearby Alabama.
PLEASANT GROVE SCHOOL
TO GIVE PROGRAM AURIL 25
The Pleasant Grove consolidated
schools will give an interesting and
entertaining program at the school
building on Tuesday evening, April
25, at 8 o’clock. The program fol
lows:
Song, “Dear Old Schcool We Love
.0 Well.”
Song, “Vacation.”
“The March of the Pinks."
“That Water Millyon.” Operetta.
"My Fortune.” Dialogue.
“Kentucky Belle,” play by the high
school.
“My Old Kentucky Home,” Panto- 1
mine.
“Axing Her Father.” Dialogue by
two boys and three girls.
All patrons and friends of the
school are requested to be present,
and by their presence encourage the
pupils.
LEVEE BREAKS, FLOODING
LAND NEAR NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS, April 22.—The
levee on the west bank of the Mis
sissippi at Myrtle Grove, thirty miles
south of here, broke today, neighbor
ing plantations being covered by
flood waters. About sixty feet of the
embankment washed away.
SfORD BUTTONS SOON TO
BE WORN IN GEORGIA
ATLANTA, April 22.—“1 want
Ford to get Muscle Shoals” is the in
scription on round celluloid buttons
(that women are dirtribnting in Ten
nessee and which will soon be seen
everywhere in Georgia. Business
leaders here are practically unanim
ous in endorsing the Ford offer and
the campaign under way in the inter
est of the Detroit manufacturer has
assumed large proportions.
IST BAPTIST TO
OPEN REVIVAL
Dr. J. M. Haymore, of Decatur,
To Do Preaching Beginning
April 30
A series of evangelistic services
will open in the First Baptist church
April 30, Dr. Carl W. Minor, the pas
tor, announced today. Dr. J. M.
Haymore, pastor of the First Bap-
I tist church of Decatur, a suburb of
Atlanta, will do the preaching.
Dr. Haymore has been with the
Decatur church only five months and
has made a remarkable record there,
having added 219 members to the
church in that time, and having had
89 accessions in the last two weeks.
He is a powerful preacher in the
evangelistic sense, it is said, and
great • thihgs hre expected of him
in Americus.
CORDELE MINISTER
TO GO TO ALABAMA
CORDELE, April 22. At the
close of the Maqon Presbytery ses
sions in Macon Rev. H. L. Benn this
week asked, for a transfer certifi
cate permitting him to go to the
Tuscaloosa Presbytery in Alabama,
and he plans to leave the Cordele
Presbyterian church for a new charge
in Uniontown, Ala. The local con
gregation is working to retain him,
but his plans call for taking up the
new charge May 1.
FILLING STATION FIRE
RESULTS IN 5 DEATHS
LOS ANGELES, April 22.—Five
deaths were reported early today in
hospitals at Downey and Artesia, near
here as a result of an explosion of.
a gasoline'tank and tank wagon while
scores were fighting a fire in a gaso
line filling station at Downey. Five
others were seriously burned and are
reported in a critical condition.
AMERICUS SPOT COTTON
Good Middling 17c.
NEW YORK FUTURES
i.American Exchange.)
Ma? July Oct.
Prev. Clos» 17 91 17.58 17.58
Open 17.67 17.57 17154
10:36 am 17.82 17.64 17.65
11.OC 17.83 17.63 17.65
11:30 17.88 17.66 17.67
Close 17.85 17.67 17.68
THE TIMEsHRfcORDER
&<?hPUBLISHED IN THE JtJmTa.HEART OF
CITY MANAGER
OF COLUMBUS IS
WAYLAID IN DARK
Three Men Attack Him With
Blackjack In Dark But He
Escapes
COLUMBUS, April 22. Au at
tack was made upon H. Gordon Hin
kle, city manager of Columbus, at
8:30 o’clock last night by three un
identified men, one of whom struck
him on the head with a black jack,
and whom he eluded only by run
ning-at top speed. He was not se
riously injured.
The attack, which has stirred the
people of Columbus, follows what
Mr. Hinkle says have been recent
threats received by him to run him
out of town. The attack occurred
on First avenue above Twelfth
street. He ha djust left his car in
a nearby garage and was walking to
his hotel. The street is shaded there
and the street was rather dark. He
saw three men get out of. a Ford car
as he was walking along and they
approached him. One of them hit
him over the head but did not knock
him down. Realizing that he was
unable to defend himself against
three, Mr. Hinkle started to run, and
one of them pursued him a short dis
tance, then abandoned the chase.
Mr. Hinkle came here the first of
the year from Pennsylvania as the
In.'t city manager under the change
of system of government to the com
mission form. The change followed a
bitter fight and many of the old crowd
still resent it. The attack on Mr.
Hinkle is laid to this feeling.
It is said the next municipal elec
tion will see another determined fight
over the commission-manager form of
government.
RURAL SCHOOL PUPILS
OFERED ESSAY PRIZES
ATLANTA, Appl 22. Ror the
best essays written by rural school
pupils of Georgia on the subject,
■‘How Can the Cities and Rural Dis
tricts of Georgia Co-operate for Their
Mutual Advantage?” the Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce is offering
S2OO in four prizes, it was announc
ed here by B. S. Barker, secretary of
the chamber.
School children of the grammar
grades from the fifth to the tenth,
who live in rural sections or in com
munities of less than 5,000 .popula
tion, arg eligible. The papers must
be in the office of the secretary not
later than June 5. They will be
judged by a committee of Atlanta
business men. First nrize will be
$100; second, S6O; third, $25, and
fourth sls.
PRESENTS CREDENTIALS
BERLIN, April 23. — (By Associa
ted Press.) —Alanson B. Houghton,
the new American mbassador to Ger
many presented his credentials to
President Ebert today.
AMERICUS, GEORGIA, SATURDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 22, 1922.
COURTHOUSE
FIRE LAID TO
LAWBREAKERS
Accused ‘Bad Actors’ Suspected
—AH Indictments And Re
cords Os Court Burned
LUMPKIN, April 22.—That the
Stewart county court house, which
was completely destroyed by fire ear
ly Friday morning, was set afire by
some one interested in the destruc
tion of court records is the belief of
practically every citizen here. How
ever, no definite charges have been
made.
Superior court had been in session
all week, and the grand jury had re
turned a number of indictments, sev
eral of them against notorious liquor
violators. Os the entire batch of new
and old indictments only about eight
had been disposed of, and the entire
lot, with all court records, dockets,
etc., which were in the court room
where the clerk and other officers
had been at work, were completely*
destroyed. All judgments and other
orders of the court passed during the
week also were lost.
The list of the accused contained
some “bad actors'! from the vicinity
of Seale and other sections outlying
from Lumpkin. One notorious moon
shiner who was indicted is said to
operate a still which is protected by
charges of dynamite planted in the
ground on all sides of it like ground
mines in the war, which can be fired
in case of a raid by the pressing of
an electric button. He is said to op
erate on a large scale and ship his
product to Columbus, Macon and
other large consuming centers.
The fire in the court house is as
certained to have started near the
clock tower in the upper part of the
structure, above the court room. The
electric current is cut off each night
at 11 o’clock, so defective wiring is
not blamed, the fire coming at 4 a. m.
There was nd fire in the court house
stoves in the nnd several
who were in the court room told of
touching the stove late in the after
noon leaving the court house and find
ing it cold.
Public opinion is pretty well cen
tered in its suspicions, but because of
lack of evidence, no arrests can he
forecast.
PUBLIC ASKED TO HELP
DISABLED NEGRO WOMAN
The attention of the Times-Re
corder has been called -to the piti
able condition of a worthy negro wo
man of this community who stands
in need of immediate assistance. The
woman, afflicted with cancer, is in
bed at her home, with only two small
children, 7 and 9, to attend her reeds.
She has recently recovered from an
attack of influenza, and is greatly
debilitated.
Foods and other necessities have
been contributed by one of the
churches, but the crying need at this
time is for sheets, pillow cases and
bedding.
Mrs. George Oliver will receive
any contributions that may be giv
en, and that they are taken im
mediately into the home of need. This
is a worthy case, according to Mrs.
Oliver, one who has not asked chari
ty generally, having been attended
by a few sympathizers, but the ne
cessity has arisen to appeal for pub
lic assistance.
MILE-O’-PENNIES DRIVE
BRINGING GOOD RESULTS
With the continuation of the Mile-
O’-Pennies” campaign into the sec
ond week, the Hospital Association
feels a deep gratification at the hear
ty response which has been accorded
by the people of Amerjcus and Sum
ter county, who realize that the hos
pital belongs to the each individual
resident in the county.
Many rural districts, including
Schools, were visited during this week
meeting with ready contributions
from faculty and student body. It is
hoped that a full report may be ready
by the last of next week, when the
total of the contributions may be
given.
As soon as practicable the work
of making necessary repairs on the
hospital building will be started.
2 INDICTED FOR THOMAS
NEGRO TAXI MURDER
THOMASVILLE, April 22.—Two
Thomas county white men, Dave Cone
and Frank Heisler, have been indict
ed for murder in a joint charge and
for assault with intent to murder in
separate indictments. These charges
grew out of the murder of a negro
taxicab driver, who was killed and
his companion wounded by two white
men, who hired the care in Thomas
ville three weeks ago. These cases
are expected to come up for trial
next week. Three other white men
held in connection with the affair are
expected to be detained as material
witnesses. All have made written
statements and all appeared before
the grand jury.
Muscogee Grand Jury
Still Out .of Jail; Gives
Its Recommendations
7 ense Situation At Columbus As Judge Munro Re
fuses to Receive Presentments Commenting
On Court or Permit Them To Be Read
COLUMBUS, April 22.—A situa
tion between Superior Judge George
P. Munro and the Muscogee county
grard jury over the presentments of
the erand jury which are believed
to have cricized the court and which
Judge Munro refused to receive or
permit to be made public had sub
sided today following the publica
tion in a local paper this‘morning of a
statement from the grand jury which
set forth the main recommendations
contained jn the presentments. The
statement contained not a word of
criticism of any court, and Judge
Munr<> has made no report upon it
for publication. A statement from
him during the day is said to be pos
sible.
What caused the breach between
the grand jury and the court is not
known positively, ‘but it is believed
the grand jury ought to comment on
the handling of liquor eases in this
county. The statement of the grand
jury as published stated that a rec
ommendation of chain gang senten
ces for liquor violators had been
made and that a separate court for
Muscogee county outside of the city
of Columbus also had been recom
mended. It also said it had recom
mended more diligent pursuit of
bootleggers by officers and stern
handling of pistol toters. It also rec
ommended abolition of the fee sys
tem.
Liquor and Courts.
The published recommendations
clo’se with the following paragraph
concerning liquor and the courts:
“The county has expended large
sums of money to apprehend and
bring to trial these law breakers and
the U. S. department of law enforce
ment has sent special representatives
to assist the state courts in sup
pressing the traffic in strong drink
and we believe that the time has
come and now is, when more dras
tic measures should be used. There
fore, we most respectfully recom
mend to the courts that jail and
chain gang sentences be given to
blind tiger operators and bootleggers.
A* a matter of fact, large or small
fines act as a cheap license to en
courage them to p]y their trade.”
After being discharged yesterday
by Judge Munro the grand jurors
met outside the courthouse and de
cided to publish their statement. It
was expected they would publish that
portion of their presentments which
Judge Munro had forbidden and
thereby place themselves in contempt
of court.. In view of the expressed
determination of the court in a talk
to the grand jurors when he sent
them back to. their room for delib
eration after refusing to accept their
report, it was expected that the whole
grand jury would find itself ordered
to jail today after the publication of
the objectionable matter. Inasmuch
as this did not appear, however, no
such a contingency arose.
Judge’i Veiled Threat.
The feeling of Judge Munro was
expressed to the grand jury in the
following language as he sent them
back to their room:
“Your body shall not intrude upon
my prerogatives and the respect a id
dignity of my court. You shall let
me perform my ducy as I so.- it and
you .-hall perform >-..urs undei the
lie-’s as I give th.- i ’ • you as jurors.
I am calm and unterrified, hut deter
mined, gentlemen. If the worst
conies you will have brought it upon
yourselves. You may go to your
room, gentlemen.”
The grand jury was in their room
perhaps 20 minutes. Upon return
ing to the court room, the judge ask
ed the foreman if the body was ready
to make report,whereupon Mr. Dud
ley proceeded. "If your honor
please, after due and deliberate con
sideration and careful investigation
and in view of existing conditions,
we feel disposed to co-operate with
the court in every way we can and
we have prepared a presentment and
would like to read it in open court,
whereupon the judge’s reply was “no
sir" and leaving the bench he call
ed W. H. Dismukes presentments
chairman, into the conference room;
a few minutes later the other jurors
were called in and Judge Munro ap
peared somewhat agitated as did
some o*f the jurors. It was evident
that his request to expunge had not
been complied with. A couple of
minutes elapsed and Judge Munro
entered the consultation room with
the jurors as referred to in the be
ginning of this report.
Court In Disorder.
At this juncture the court was
thrown somewhat into disquiet, most
I
I
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
everybody apparently feeling privil
eged to stand and talk at will. Thom
ss H. Shanks, as president of the lo
cal bar association, mounted the ros
trum, called attention to the fact that
court was in session and at his sug
gestion that there be order, quiet was
somewhat restored.
Nearly every lawyer in the city
and some 200 business and proses-«
sional men were present when Judge
Munro convened court.
The judge re-charged the jury, ex
plaining his position in regard to the
presentments and then the grand
jury retired. Subsequently Judge
Munroe held a conference of somi’
length with the grand jurors in their
room. The net result was that the
grand jury refused to strike from the
presentments that section to which
the judge took exception. The judge’s
position was that it was not within
tin- jurisdiction of the grand jury to
tell how the court should be run.
Judge Munro refused to accept the
presentments when the grand jury
declined to alter them and began
signing an order. Many thought that
it was an order committing the grand
jury to jail for contempt of‘court as
it had been reported that the entire
grand jury probably would he sent
to jail for contempt. The document
however, was simply an order dis
charging the jury and the late jurors
and the crowd of citizens informal
ly left the court room.
‘‘The grand jury was dishonorably
discharged” was the street expres
sion in commenting on the action of
the court.
In re-charging the jury Judge
Munro dwelt at some length on the
duties of grand juries and the pow
ers and limitations of grand jurors.
Discretion Without Limit.
He said in part:
“Your discretion is without limit
and 1 would not dare interfere with
a grand juror in the discharge of
his duty. 1 would not interefere or
attempt to dictate to you, gentle
men, as to your discretion. The
discretion of the judge is the most
important prerogative he has to ex
ercise under the oath he takes and no
one has a right to interfere with
that discretion.”.
He read from the code definition
of misdemeanor punishment for
crime in defining the duties of the
jurors and in his own words defined
discretion as “freedom to act one’s
own judgment.”
He asked, “Have you a right to
question the wisdom of my judg
ment, my discretion? Shouldn’t I
be allowed to do my duty as I see
it. I am addressing you now and
here, gentlemen, as a citizen. As
the lawgiver, I instruct that a
juror has no right) to make any sug
gestion or to attempt to dictate as
to my discretion. Haven’t my acts
from this bench demonstrated that 1
have used my discretion with wisdom
without bias as in large measure
without error..
“We cannot afford to permit our
jurors and courts to put their ears
to the ground and listen to the vox
populi. it is not one of your duties,
it is not required of you to inter
fere with my discretion. As the law
giver 1 am the Moses and you must
take the lav; as 1 give it to you.
“I ask no quarter, there is enough
power and dynamite in me to control
my courts upon a dignified plane and
1 will,” he declared as he proceeded
to give instances of the rapidity and
dispatch with which he has conducted
the courts over the circuit, the speed
of which he likened in one of his
characteristic remarks to that of
‘greased lightning.’ He maintained
that he had disposed of twice as much
business within the same length of
time as some of the preceding courts.
“I am master of the situation in
the running of my court and you as
grand jurors have no right to defy
the authority of this court,” he de
clared. Continuing, he asked, “why
all this heralding and trumpeting
through the newspapers?” As he
read the law with reference to the
•secrecy to which grand jurors are
sworn. “Why did all these things get
out when you took the oath to se
crecy?”
Judge Munro made it clear that he
had no criticism for the press, but
maintained they have certain rights
and privileges to critize, also that
speakers had a right' to criticise the
courts mut that the jurors are not so
“unbridled.”
JUDGE MUNRO WELL
KNOWN IN AMERICUS.
Judge Munroe is very well known
A.?/Sf.i> ■ . 11l
HOME]
EDITIQX |
TAKING OF VOTE
BY 600,000 MEN
‘COUNTER MOVE’
Railway Employes’ Department
Os A. F. of L. See Effort
To Crush Organization
CHICAGO, April 22.—Grieva.Kes
centering about the contract system
employed by some .railroads in handl
ing repair work has resulted in a vote
for the distribution of strike ballots
to 600,000 members of the railway
employes’ department of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor.
Authorization for the strike ballots
was voted yesterday at a convention
of the department here.
Officers declared it was a counter
move to “an effort to crush our or
ganization completely.”
POWERS OF LABOR
BOARD UPHELD
CHICAGO, April 22.—Federal
Page today upheld the Pennsylvania
ri’.ilrcad in its suit to test the power
of the United Stales Railway Lalxir
board by refusing to dismiss the tem
porary injunction recently granted by
Judge Landis restraining the board
from censuring the road for viola
tion of the board's decrees.
SEABOARD MEN
TO HAVE TEAM
Squad Os 18 At Practice —Hope
To Play Ball On First Thurs
day Holiday
The Seaoarci railroad employes in
Americus—shopmen, trainmen and
yardmen—are organizing a baseball
team and the indications are that
they will give Americus fans many
exhibitions of the national pastime
on the home grounds throughout the
summer. Under the leadership of G.
A. Boatwright, Harry Crawford and
Ben Seigler a squad of about 18 men
has begun practice work, and from
this squad the most promising men
men will be picked to compose the
team. All have had baseball experi
ence and some them have played
considerable semi-professional and
city league baseball, there being more
than a sufficient number of these to
constitute a team.
The squad began practice work
early this week and on the second
day out won a practice game with
the Aggie team 1 1-4. They are work
ing out both at the Playground and
at the Aggie field. They hope to
be able to begin playing with visit
ing teams by the end the coming
week or the middle of the following
week, and are planning on a game
here on the first Thursday afternoon
in May, the opening of the half-holi
day season. It is their plan to sched
ule about two games a week, prac
tically all of them at home. M. E.
Purvis is business manager for the
team.
Among the members of the squad
whir have reported for practice are
G. A. Boatwright, formerly a Ten
nille player; Harry Crawford, E. L.
Gilstrap, D. R. Wright and Ben iseig
ler, formerly of the Savannah city
league; Chaj>. Ford, formerly of Mc-
Rae team; Ji. O. Coleman, who play
ed in Cordele; C. B. Chipman, once
of the Columbus city league; C. W.
Ferguson, who has played in the
North and Chas. Bostwick, Carey \
Harden and Harry Smith, who have '
had baseball experience on Ameri
cus teams.
CURB MARKET SUPPORT
BY WOMEN DROPS OFF
Patronage of the curb market was
rather smaller than usual today, the
housewives apparently neglecting to
come out and buy. Many farm wag
ons were on hand with good supplies
of fresh vegetables of many kinds,but
the demand was not up to expecta
tions. As a matter of public inter
est, the housewives are asked by the
leaders fostering the market not to
forget the- days Wednesday and
Saturday and not neglect to giva
it their patronage regularly.
BANKRUPTCY PETITION
AGAINST HUGE FIRM
NEW YORK, April 22.—A peti
tion in bankruptcy against the United
States Food Products corporation was
filed in fedeial court today. Liabili
ties of $36,996,830, including liabili
ties of subsidiary companies, and as
sets of $51,842,896 were listed.
in Americus. His home was in Buena
Vista prior to his elevation to the
bench, and he- was formerly a fre
quent visitor here as a member of
the bar and as trustee of the Third
District agricultural school from Ma
rion county. He now makes his home
at Columbus.