Newspaper Page Text
Olanta Smirwal
VOL. XXVI. NO. 68
PRESIDENT URGES
1323 TJX SHE CUT
BEFORE MM 15
Administration Faces Criti
cal Situation Because of
Inactivity in Both Law
making Bodies
WASHINGTON, March 12.—Presi
dent Coolidge Tuesday sent a special
message to congress recommending
a reduction of 25 per cent on income
: taxes for 1923 be authorized before
4 March 15. ' , . . I
Bt The president believes that the itn-
H porta nee of the reduction would jus
tify the laying aside of all other leg
islative business for its consideration.
Text of Message
The text of the message follows:
-It had been my earnest hope that I
a 25 percentum reduction in taxes \
to be paid for the current year might
be provided by law before the fif
teenth of March current.
“Many people have been expecting
that such would be the case and de
ferred their tax returns accordingly.
It is a matter of much imminent im
portance that 1 have no hesitation in
recommending that the public wel
fare would be much advanced by
temporarily laying aside all other
legislation and enacting a resolution
for this purpose, which ought to be
by unanimous consent. c
“The taxpayers, the business in
terests, agriculture, industiy, fi
nance. in fact, all the elements that
go to make up the economic welfare
of the people of America would be
greatly benefited by such action.
“It 'would remove an element of
uncertainty from the current finan
cial year at once, which would be a
strong stimulant to business with
its resultant benefit to the wage
earner and the agriculture of our
country.
“It is impossible to see that any
harm could accrue from this action
and there is every prospect of re
sulting benefits which would be
very great. .
"It would be a positive step in the
right direction which is more needed
at this time to justify the confidence
of the people that the government
is intent solely on the promotion of
the public welfare without regard
to any collateral objects.”
Message a Surprise
The president’s message came
somewhat as a surprise to house
Republican leaders who yesterday
turned down definitely' plans to put
through at the time such a resolu
tion as he recommended, they' had
argued the legislative jam would not
permit action before March 15.
Representative Longworth, Ohio
Republican leader, said he was not
certain what response would be made
to the message and pointed out that
the only means of getting such a
resolution before the house would be
by unanimous consent agreement.
The action would have to start in
the house because it would deal with
revenue matters.
INACTION IN CONGRESS
WORRIES ADMINISTRAI ION
Bv David Lawrence
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Copyright, 1924.)
WASHINGTON, March 12. 1
administration is face to face wit i
a critical situation in congress, lhe
principal recommendations made by
President Coolidge in his December
address have not been acted upon.
Even the intimation conveyed by
the White House last week that the
president would like to see congress
pass a joint resolution making im
mediately effective the 25 per cent
reduction on 1923 incomes hgs thus
far failed to produce action.
The utter ineffectiveness of the
legislative branch of the government
at this time is the subject of wide
spread complaint, judging by the
letters pouring in here from differ
ent parts of the country. The ad
ministration is inclined to blame the
congressional tendency to invest!-
■ grate instead of legislate. Mr. Cool-
V. tdge made a pointed .speech on that
phase of congressional duly last Sat
urday fright and it means the ad
ministration has begun to realize
the necessity of driving congress
somewhat, or at least placing the
responsibility for inaction on the
two houses.
Taxpayers Disappointed
Perhaps the most flagrant case of
congressional lassitude is the record
of both Democrats and Republicans
on the proposal to give the tax
payers of America the benefit on
March 15 of this year of a redue-j
lion in the 1923 income taxes. I
Throughout the United States, citi- i
zens have been making out their I
returns in the hope that before Sat
urday of this week when the first
income tax payments are due, con
gress might get into action and
pass the necessary legislation.
If congress wanted to make the
legislation immediately effective, it
have been known to pa 3 without
the formality of a roll call, and in
war times congress frequently broke
its own records in passing needed
legislation.
The responsibility for the delay’ in
making the 1923 income tax reduc
tion effective ar once is not upon
the White House, while the treas
ury department has urged action of!
some kind at once so that uncertain
ty would be removed. The proposal
originated with Chairman Green of
the house way s and means commit-'
tee which made it part of the general
revenue bill.
Democrats Sought Action
The Democrats promptly suggested
separate legislation by means of a
joint resolution so that the latter
might go through without waiting
for the inevitable debate on the
main revenue law affecting 1921
incomes. The Democrats also pro
posed that the Garner rates apply to
1923. The way s’ and means com
mittee had the power to report out
to the house a resolution affecting
1923 incomes, but did not do so and
there is much gossip as to whether
administration lenders used
their influence to keep the measure
In committee or fore the -proposal
could be done Joint conferences
out. There are some, for instance,
who thought the provision affecting
1923 incomes might be used as lever
age to force quick action on the
main sevenue bill and that the tax
pavers could not be injured by the
delay be ause a rebate could always
be given, or else the taxpayer be
permitted to omit one of the quarter
ly installments on ’he 15th of June.
September ,>■ December.
Published Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
NEWS OF THE WORLD
TOLD IN BRIEF
PARIS. —The report of the senate
committee of reparations experts will
Le virtually finished Saturday’ night.
NEW YORK. —Frank Moulan.
well-known comedian, is made a de
fendant in a divorce action for the
third time.
RICHMOND, Va. —Snow is seri
oii.-ly inters wing with wire commu
nication in V irginia and North Caro
lina.
BERLIN. —Chancellor Marx and
government leaders decide upon the
dissolution of the reichstag this
week.
SAN FR.'.Ni (SCO— Denis Dona
hoe, 63, financial editor of the San
Francisco Examiner and former
citv editor of the New York Stat,
dies.
MARION, Ohio. —Memorial serv
ices at the tomb of the late Presi
dent Warren G. Harding are con
ducted by’ a company of Welsn
singers, touring America*
ALTUS, Okla—Two are killed
and four seriously injured when a
westbound Frisco passenger train
strikes an automobile at a grade
crossing near Indiahoma.
PARIS. —Down to the last stages
of their work, the reparation ex
perts begin studying the form in
which their report will be made to
the reparation commission.
NEW YORK. Rear Admiral
Charles P. Plunkett, commandant
of the Brooklyn navy’ yard, de
clares prohibition is u failure and
characterizes Washington as the
wettest city in the United States.
LOS ANGELES. —Chi?f Justice
Curtis Wilbur, of the California su
preme court, admits the matter of
a cabinet position for him has been
discussed with President Coolidge in
a recent conference, the Los An
geles Times says.
CHAPPAQUA, N. Y. —The special
train carrying Mrs. A. H. Smith,
widow’ of lhe president of the New
York Central railroad, arrives after a
record run from Los Angeles, in 69
hours and 15 minutes, 18 hours and
15 minutes less than ordinary tun
ning tune.
TUXICfIB OPERATOR
HELD FOR MURDER
IN ODUM KILLING
ORLANDO, Fla., March 12.
Frank Hurkner, 24-year-old taxicab
driver, was bound over to the grand
jury late Tuesday by Judge Charles
O. Andrews, under $2,500 bond, on
the charge of murder in the first de
gree in connection with the death of
Mrs. Anna MacDonald.
When the hearing reconvened in
the afternoon, the defendant took the
stand and testified that in a con
versation with Mrs. MacDonald, she
said she was going to kill Perry
Joiner, an alleged liquor runner
here, ami George Jump, detective on
the Orlando police force.
Mrs. Eliazbeth Jenson,, star wit
ness, for the state, failed at the
morning session on the application
for a writ of habeas corpus to identi
fy Hurkner as the murderer of
Mrs. MacDonald, who was found
dead in her home a week ago
after her skull had been crush
ed apparently a blyw from a
hatchet. Hurkner was held by Hie
sheriff’s office for four days without
charge, until an application for a
writ was petitioned Monday by at
torneys for the defendant. A charge
of murder in the first degree was
entered at that time.
The story Hurkner told the police
is to the effect that he answered lhe
call to the MacDonald home, and
was invited in by Mrs. 'MacDonald.
He says he sat in the front room
with her for more than half an hour
drinking liquor. She then told him
to drive around the block and she
would meet him. as she did not want
to get into a car in fronti of her
home, according to his story. H®
drove around the block and then
heard the shots fired.
Until Monday night the police and
county officials working in conjunc
tion were searching for a man sup
posed to have been taken to the Mac-
Donald home by Hurkner, and the
investigation wts carried on late
Monday night under the direction of
R. F. McGurie, prosecuting attorney,
and W. R. Crawford, city attorney.
Woman, Dead at 80,
Leaves 159 Direct
Living Descendants
NEW ORLEANS March 12.
What perhaps is a record in large
families in Louisiana betame known
today With the death here of Mrs.
Fareston Crtttr.pagne. St' years old.
| who is survived by 159 living de
-1 scendants.
Mrs. Cnampagne had resided all
her life in Houma, La., in th-'
southwestern part of the state, and
was here on a visit when she died.
She was married at the age of 16
Iter husbun,j dving when he was 7U
years old.
In addition to fourteen children,
the eldest being 63 years old and
the youngest 33. Mrs. Champagne
I left seventy-six grandchildren, six
| ty-seven great grandchildren and
! two great-grcut-grannchiulren.
Irishman, Aged 100,
Is Haled Into Court
For Attacking Neighbor
LONDON. March 12 —The danger
i ous age in the case of Owen Con
nelly, of Laskey. County Sligo, Ire
; land, seems to be an even hundred
, years. Connelly, hale and vigorous.
I walked nine miles to the courthouse
I recently to answer a charge of hav
i ing “used threatening language and
abused" one Patrick Brady.
“He jumped over a fence amt
j threatened me wit’: a bla ■’.< thern,”
declared Brady.
The m ■ r ? >lisn 11
The Kid Was Clever
LONDON. —Chragcd with beg
j ghig in a London street, a young
. man with some stage experience was
j arrested here after he had aroused
l the pity of everyon who saw him.
He had “made-up” his fare with
theatrical grease paint to make it
j appear (hat he had been frozen.
Business was fine until a smart bob
jbx "got wise."
ROME.—Four cardinals will prob
ably be the limit lor the United
States for some time, Vatican cir
cles indicate. i
NEW YORK. —President Coolidge
indorses the movement to set aside
May 1 as a national day of observ
ance of child health and welfare.
ROME —King Victor Emmanuel
and Queen .Helena will arrive in
London on May 26 to return the
visit of King George and Queen
Alary.
PARIS. —Sadi Lecointe, French
b viator, ascends to a height of 9,000
meters (29.527.6 feet) in a hydro-air
plane, establishing a world’s record
if the flight is officially, accepted.
BERNE. —The Swiss government
is willing to allow the deposed
caliph to rest after his flight from
Constantinople, deciding later wheth
er he and his wives may remain.
MANILA. — Rounding pp of trou
blesome Moros is virtually com
pleted with surrender of a band of
•13 outlaws of the province of La
nao, wanted on charges of murder.
CONSTANTINOPLE. Turkish
women address an appeal to the
grand national assembly at Angora
lor abolition of polygamy and for
legislation making- marriage and di
vorce more difficult.
NEW YORK —Lives <>f seventeen
men are saved by a pocket flash
light used as a distress signal when
they are picked up by the Swedish-
American liner Kungsholm after
drifting 15 hours after the collier
Obernai sinks. 1
LONDON. —William Leach, Great
Britain’s pacifist undersecretary of
the air ministry, is heckled while in
troducing the air estimates, amount
ing to 19,392,000 pounds gross, 14,-
511,000 pounds net, in the house of
commons.
WASHINGTON. Mrs. Woodrow
Wilson withholds permission for
publication of the late former Presi
dent Wilson’s letters and manu
scripts until she determines how they
will be published as a whole and in
an authorized way.
FORD BID. ACCEPTED
B( HOOSE. IS FACING
HOT FIRE IN SENATE
WASHINGTON, March 11.—The
McKenzie bill providing for accept
ance of Henry Ford’s offer for Mus
tile Shoals was in the hands < f the
senate today, where it is expected
to undergo a searching scrutiny by
the agricultural committee.
The measure was passed by the
house yesterday by a vot. . z 27 to
124, after a week of stormy debate,
but how soon it will be taken up
in senate committee has not been
determined. Chairman Norris al
ready has declared opposition to the
Ford offer and other members of the
committee also have criticized terms
of the proposed lease. An indica
tion of the committee’s plans for
consideration of the bill, however,
is expected shortly.
As passed by the house, the meas
ure is practically in the same form
in which it was reported by the mili
tary committee, only a few minot
amendments having been added. All
other legislative business was side
tracked during the week’s debate on
the offer, which was made two years
ago, but the house today was pre
pared to resume its program of ap
propriation and other bills.
The bill directs the secretary of
war to sell nit’ate plants No?. 1 and
2 and Waco quarry to Ford, and to
lease dam 2 ara’ 3. including power
stations, to him for 1 ( )<> years.
Provision is made for construct ion
of a power plan: to replace the Gcr
gas plant, recently sold to the Ala
bama Power company. It would be
included in the properties sold to
Ford.
Just before Hie final vote oppo
nents of Hie bill failed in an effort
to put. through an amendment to
place Ford under the federal water
power act and to limit his lease to
fifty years.
Just prior to that, roll calls were
obtained on two amendments. The
Madden amendment providing for
replacement of the Gorgas steam
plant was retained in the bill while
the Begg amendment which would
have enabled the government to re
cover its properties at Muscle Shoals
; n rhe event Ford violated his con
*ract in any manner was
FORD DECLINES COMMENT
ON VICTORY IN HOUSE
DETROIT. Mich.. March 11.—
Henry Ford today declared he pre
ferred not to make any comment on
the victory of the McKenzie Muscle
Shoals bill in the house.
The automobile manufacturer in
dicated that he probably would have
nothing to say until the bill has
been acted upon by the senate.
Any announcement of his plans
now, he feels, would be premature.
Satterfield Must
Pay With His Life,
High Court Rules
“I haven’t given up the figiit.”
declai• d -L Il Satterfiild, in his <■ 1)
; at the Fulton county .iail Tuesday
morning when he received new- that
the state supreme court had affirmed
I the death sentence imposed on him
■ for the murder of his brother-in-law.
i R. H. Hart, on December 27. 1921.
The Weather
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
\ irginiu: Partly cloudy: no chtnge
I n temperature.
North Carolina. South Carolina
• and Georgia: Generally fair; rising
’ temperature Thursdax.
Florida: Fair, slowly rising tern
; p° rat tire.
Extreme Northwest Florida, Ala
bama and Mississippi: Cloudy and
unsettled.
Tennessee and Kentucky: Cloudy;
: no change in temperature,
j Louisiana: Cloudy; showers.
Arkansas? Partly cloudy to cloudy,
j Oklahoma; Cloudy.
East Texas: Cloudy; rain in east
• ttion. colder.
I W>,t Texas: Cloudy.
MUSGROVE CLAIMS
FRAUD IS ALABAMA
BACKS UNDERWOOD
Bl T. AH NG HAM, Ala., March 12. —
With approximately three-fourths
of the state’s polling places beard
from. Senator Oscar AV. Under
wood’s lead over his nearest oppo
nent, L. B. Musgrove, is estimated
at 25.000, as a result of Tuesday's
presidential primary’ election.
Incomplete newspaper returns
from all but one of the 67 counties
of Alabama at noon today gave Un
derwood 58,392, Musgrove 33,966,
and Dinsmore 1,695.
Musgrave refused to concede de
feat and declared alleged frauds
would be “exposed immediately
He also charged that the vote in a
few counties, especially in Mobile,
had been “manipulated in tlie inter
est of my’ opponent.’’ Returns
tabulated gave Musgrove a majority
in five counties of the state. In a
forma! statement Musgrove said:
“Sufficient information is at ..and
to, show that I have camel the
slate.”
A number of issues entered into
the campaign. William Jennings
Bryan made a campaign tour
through the state in support of Mus
grove. The Ku Klux Klan, the sol
dier bonus and prohibition were the
chief issues.
Dinsmore made the race as a I
backer of William G. McAdoo, bu'
McAdoo announced that he was not
competing in Underwood’s home
state, and was not represented by
Dinsmore.
Conference With Lawyers
Judge R. B. Evins, vice chairman l
of the Underwood campaign com
mittee and chairman of the state
Democratic executive committee, is
sued the following statement:
“In the campaign just closed the
most determined effort has been
made bv the enemies of Mr. Under
wood and of the Democratic party
to discredit him in his home state.
Powerful organizations have con
ducted a bitter fight against him.
The most unjustifiable and cOn ‘
scienceless misrepresentations have
been made, and his inveterate en
emy, William J. Bryan, stumped the
state against him.
“Notwithstanding these opposing
forces the people of Alabama, have
registered their approval of
Underwood in the most
terms. The indorsement of the leg
islature and of the executive com
mittee have been ratified a. the
polls by the people therasdxesThe
march that will end m the M late
House has begun.”
Mr. Musgrove refused today
amplify his statement of last higbt
in which he declared that he had
carried the “white counties of e
state” and that there was coirup
tion in Mobile county, which coun
ty's vote he intends to contest.
Underwood Clia.irnjan Speaks
It. is understood, however, that
Musgrove was to confer with his
lawyers today and plan the fight
which he will make in an effort t
overturn the result. He said h
might have a formal statement later
Musgrove was particularly irate
over the count in Mobile coring
where unofficial count gave Under
wood approximately 10,000
with Musgrove having less than
1,000 votes. . . ...
It has not been determined wheth
er the fight will be taken into courts
or be confined before the state
Democratic executive committee.
It is probable that Musgrove will
choose the courts, as the chairman
of the state committee was vice
chairman of the Underwood cam
paign and the committee is over
whelmingly for Underwood. Mus
grove in a test vote in the commit
tee some weeks ago was able to
muster but six votes out of twenty
seven. , . .
In the courts, Underwood lead
ers declare he will fare little bet.er.
The primary was held without reg
ulation and outside the state elec- ,
tion laws, after the attorney’ gen
eral ruled the law unconstitutional.
Underwood leaders said that, even ,
if irregularities were proved, they |
would mean nothing inasmuch as,
there was no regulation against
■ anything.
| Matt H. Murphy. Jefferson coun
ty’ manager for Underwood, today
I answered Musgrove s charge of
i fraud with one sentence.
“Mr. Musgrove came into the pri
mary with his eyes, open,” he said.
“Now we will make him like it.
Musgrove did not go into details
in his "charge of fraud and this will
probably come later.
Offer to Substitute
For Condemned Boy
Denied by Officials
HARRISBURG, Pa.. March 11.—
I Offering to go to the electric chair
in place of Joseph Crinkle. convicted
of murder, Walter J. Kirkwood, 50.
of Philadelphia, wrote to Governor
Pinchot that Trinkle should be given
t<-a io fiften years in prison, as
when fie lias served his time he
would oe young enough to be of
much use. The governor •’referred
1 the request to the board of pardons.
: which informed Kirkwood that there
is no law jn this state that will per
. mit the substitution of an innocent
volunteer to tak'e the place of a con
demned criminal
In making his request, Kirkwood
1 stated he was "broken in halth. can
noi hold dawn a real job,” and did
not see that he would be “of any
l more use on earth whatever. ’ His
motive, ne explained, was “to startle
i humanity to a keen realization” of
1 what capita! punishment means. He
offered to nay his own car fare to
! the place of execution.
Former lowa Senator
Considered for Post
Os Secretary of Navy
WASHINGTON. Mar h 12.—(8y
Associated Press.)—Former Sena
tor AV. S ;<■- r low
of the Eight federal circuit
I court, is understood to be under eon
i sideration for appointment as secre-
I tary of the navy to succeed Secre
tary Denby.
Judge Kenyon arrived here last
I night and shortly afterward went to
i the White House where he confer
i red with President Coolidge. His
i friends said today that he had not
' reached a decision but had an «p
--• pointment with President Coolidge
■ 'mnorrow morning.
PUBLISHER INSISTS
HE GAVE SECRETARY
CHECK FOR ra.NO
AV ASHINGTON, March 12.—Ed
ward B. McLean told the oil com- '
mittee today that he had given it i
misleading information about the ;
celebrated SIOO,OOO loan because he '
trusted and desired to help his
friend, Albert Fall.
The publisher insisted tha't his sec
ond story about the loan, told to
Senator Walsh in January at Palm
Beach was correct. He said he had
loaned the former secretary SIOO,-
000 in checks for a ranch enterprise,
but that the checks were returned
to him uncashed.
His previous assertion that the
loan was made in cash, he said, was
made at Fall's request. The latter
appeared to be in trouble, he added,
but had represented to him that it
had nothing to do with oil.
He declared he never had any di
rect or indirect interest in either
the Sinclair op Doheny companies
and knew’ nothing about the leasing
program except what he had seen in
the newspapers.
Can’t Find Stubs
He said under questioning that
he had searched everywhere for the
stubs of the checks he testified he
had given Fail, but had been unable
to fiijd them.
“There aren’t any, and never
were, were there?” asked Senator
AValsh, Democrat. Montana.
AA r hy, yes, there were. Senator,
to the best of my recollection, as I
told you.’’ the witness replied.
McLean then said at a conference
he had with Fall at Atlantic City
last December, Fall asked him if
he would say that he had loaned
him the SIOO,OOO in cash instead of
unused checks.
“Fall assured me,’’ he said, "that
the loan had nothing- to do with
Sinclair and Teapot Dome.”
Insists Credit Was Good
McLean insisted that his credit
was good at the time lie gave Fall
the checks and that he could have
raised $200,000 if necessary.” He
said Fall agreed to advise him be
fore undertaking to cash the checks.
Although his bank balance did not
show that amount on deposit he
said his “credit was good” and that
r all had to notify him be
fore attempting to cash the checks
This procedure, he said, was “not
unusual and had nothing to do with
the oil leasing program.
\A hen he first erroneously in
formed the committee that the loan
had been made in cash, he said, he
did so because Fall requested it at
a conference they had in Atlantic
City last December.
“None of any character,” McLean
said, when asked what service he
had rendered as a dollar-a-year
secret agent of the department of
justice.
Why He Was An Agent
The main purpose of his appoint
ment, McLean said, was to enable
him, by use of his badge, to get
through police lines in "strange
cities” when traveling with Presi
dent Harding’s party.
Asked as to identity of the “prin
cipal” in the celebrated message of
last January 29, the witness said
he didn’t know who the “principal”
was unless it was Senator Curtis,
of Kansas.
Attorney General Daugherty was
identified by McLean as the author
of a message telling the publisher
not to worry and that he knew
“what to depend upon.”
McLean said he invited C. Bascom
Slemp, secretary to President Cool
idge to come to Florida last Decem
ber.
The publisher declared he never
had anything to do with any million
dollar slush fund rtimored to have
been sent to Washington for govern
ment officials.
McLean’s Statement
At the outset, McLean read to the
committee this prepared statement:
“Having in mind the subject of
this investigation and having also in
mind the widespread use in the pub
lic press of my name as one who
might have had some connection
with the naval oil leases, or with tlie
companies, individuals, government
departments or public officials who
did have connection with the leases
of the naval oil reserves, I want to
make now the following detailed and
emphatic statement of facts:
“I have absolutely no knowledge
regarding any leases upon naval oil
I reserves made at any time to any
| person or any company except such
i knowledge as I. in common with ail
! the lest of the American public,
I have received from newspaper re-
I ports.
i “As to the so-calied Sinclair leases
1 and companies:
■ “I have never known anything
1 about any lease of any oil land to
: .he Sinclair company and know noth
iny today about this except what I
have read in the newspapers. I do
not know Mr. Hakry F. Sinclair and
have no recollection of ever having
i met hin. even in a casual way. I
1 have never had any interest of any
; kind, directly or Indirectly, for my
! self or any other pers®n, in any of
i the so-called companies.
"I did no; even know that there
! was such a thing as the Mammoth
! Oil company until I saw it mentioned
jin tlie i less reports in connection
1 with this investigation. I did know.
. as anyone who reads the newspapers
would have known, that there was a
; company known as the Sinclair Corp,
solidated Oil company, but I have
never had aqy connection with it or
I any interest in it and have never
| owned or had any interest in a single
i share of the stocks of that company
' or an/ company in any wav con
! nected with it.
“In a word, I had no knowledge
of or connection with Mr. Sinclair’s
oil leases or his companies or his
| business or his transactions.
Didn't Know Doheny
“I do not know Mr. Edward L.
Doheny. and so far as I am aware
I hive never seen him in my life
j I did not know that he had any con
. nectioa with any leases upon naval
loi reserves until I read of them in
I the newspapers.
“I do nor know the names of Mr.
Doheny's companies, but I am in
j formed that he is president of the
Mexican Petroleum company and of
j the Par-American Petroleum com
-1 pany and that those companies, like
i most large oil companies, have
j branches.
* “I have never owned directly or
j indirectly for myself or in connec
: tion witl? any other person whatever
' a single share of stock in the Mex-
! (Continued on Page 2, Column 1)
Atlanta, Ga., Thursday, March 13, 1924
7,000 SUBSCRIPTIONS
ABOUT TO RUN OUT
'Look at the expiration date on the first line of the
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ALBANY OFFICIAL RETURNS,
EXPLAINING LONG ABSENCE;
HIS STORY RIVALS CRUSOE’S
Judge Smith, Ordinary of
Dougherty County, Was
Shipwrecekd on Lonely
Isle in West Indies
BV W. M. I’RYSE
ALBANY, Ga., March 11.—Judge
AVilliam E. Smith, Dougherty coun
ty ordinary, came back to his office
Monday, after an absence of five
months and four days, during which
he was shipwrecked and spent two
months on an almost desolate island
in the AA r est Indies, according to a
story he told on his return.
Judge Smith left Albany October
6 and only one accurate report of
him reached Albany until last Wed
nesday, when his wife and Judge
J. D. Degraffenricd, local justice of
the peace and a close friend of the
ordinary, received telegrams sent
front Tampa, Fla. These messages
stated he had been shipwrecked,
and asked that SSO be wired to him.
J 'ge Smith told the following story
of his experiences since leaving Al
bany.
Several years ago Judge Smith
met a man-by the name of Frank
Rittenhouse, of Baltimore, at Miami,
Fla., and their mutual fondness for
the sea and Rittenhouse’s posses
sion of a 65-foot sloop—logged power
cruiser, caused a warm friendship
to spring up between them. They
have taken many trips along the
coast of Florida and to nearby is
lands. Early in October, soon after
J.dge Smith left Albany, they made
one cruise to the Bahama Islands
and spent several days there. No
vember 24, Rittenhouse, Smith and
a man named Charles M. Allen, also
of Baltimore, and a negro known
only as Joe, left Miami, Fla., ex
pecting to go to Buenos Aires, Ar
gentina.
Wrecked on Island
It was (he plan of the party leav
ing Miami November 24 to make
about three stops en route ot the
South American metropolis. The
cruiser was elegantly appointed, and
provisioned sufficiently to carry the
party for four months, but it did not
carry enough fuel to make the trip
to Buenos Aires wihtout stops. Three
weeks later, or December 15, the
cruiser was wrecked in a tropical
storm and the three white men an 1
the negro were all washed onto an
island. The island, as nearly as they
could figure, is about 125 miles
northcast of Santo Domingo, and if
it has any name, the shipwrecked
party did not learn it. It was about
four hours before daylight when
■ they were washed ashore, and even
though they were in lhe tropic they
almost froze i» their wet clothes and
from the effects of the tropic winds,
before daylight came and enabled
them to locate some small houses
further up the beach.
All that they had aboard except
the clothes on their backs was lost
when the cruiser was wrecked on ic
I coral reef. Judge Smith lost more
than S7OO in money and' a camera
for which he paid $l9O. With the
coming of daylight, they located a
house and applied for shelter. They
found that the families, about five
ir. number, spoke either Spanish or
French and lived largely by fishing.
One of the Frenchmen spoke enough
; English to make communication pos
• sible, and he took them into his cot
j tage, 'While they had no calendars
! and made no effort to keep definite
track of the time, they spent about
; two nftonths on the island, as nearly
| as Judge Smith could estimate.
Miss Clnistinas Day
They spent their time in idleness,
! doing a little fishing with the natives
!as they felt like it, and subsisting
!in h crude fare of the islanders.
| “While the rest of you at home.were
j eating turkey and other good things
j Christmas day, I was living on dried
I Herring and the like,” said Judge
j Smith. “In fast, I do not know def
linitely when Christmas came. If the
i islanders 1 new anything about it,
I they didn’t mention it in our pre
isence or in . language we could un
Iderstand.” Finally, a small steamer
I came to the island from some South
' America i port to buy what the
j islanders had to sell and to leave
I provisions. The shipwrecked partv
j learned that this steamer made calls
I thereabout every two months. They
j made arrangements tp embark on
I the steamer and in in two weeks,
j after stops at several other small
I islands, they reached Santo Dornin
' go, where the spent two weeks. Se-
■ curing passage on a sailing vesel.
the shipwrecked party came to Tam-
j pa, Fla., where they landed last
I Wednesday and established commun
I ication with their families.
“The first thing I did when T got
money from home wa= to get some
: thing good to eat.” Judge Smith de-
I clareu. “I had lived on hardtacks and
j dried Hering so long that I wanted
I something realy good.”
They had woin the same clothing
jin which the> escaped from the
| wrecked cruiser, and none of them
j had shaved for more than two
months when they reached Santo
Domingo.
Judge Smith returned to his office
Monday and began to discharge the
duties as if nothing had happened.
He left the affairs or the office in
goodeh ape, although there were
some of the duties that no one could
CITRUS PRODUCTION
TRO HEM DESPITE
MIL IMPROVEMENT
I
BV J. C. ROVLE
(Leased Wire Service to Tlie Journal.)
(Copyright, 1924.)
NEW YORK, March 11.—Expan
sion of markets is the problem
which now is attracting the keen at
tension of every fruit grower in the
south, particularly those cf Florida.
Production has grown until the
citrus fruit growers are having dif
ficulty in disposing of theif products
at a satisfactory price in spite of
the improvement this season in
transportation facilities.
There is no indication that produc
tion in Florida will be curtailed. In
fact it can be counted on tc in
crease steadily, growers say. The
annual automobile migration to
Florida has attreated thousands ot
agriculturists from the middle west,
who have decided to devote them
selves to the cultivation of oranges
and grapefruit on small acreage
rather than continue to face the un
certainties of wheat farming on
large acreage with its rttendinf ex
pense.
Perhaps the most striking develop
ment of the year in the expansion
of markets for citrus fruit has been
the success attendant on tlie tan
ping of grapefruit. Three large com
panies now are turning out this
product, which is finding an eager
market. The fruit is peeled and the
inner skin between the divisions re
moved with the seeds. The sections
are then packed in cars much after
the fashion of sliced pineapple.
When the can has been iced the
fruit is ready to be served.
Development of this new industry,
growers assert, will enable them to
withhold a very considerable portion
of their gr ipe? uit crops wuen the
markets are flooded and will insure
further stabilization of prices
throughout the year.
Co-operative marketing associa
tions have not as yet gained the
foothold in Florida that they have
in some other sections and many
growers are advocating their wide
spread formation.
To a lesser degree a similar situa
tion faces producers of other Florida
fruit and vegetables, 't >s a notable
fact, however, that southern prod
uce can now be obtained at retail
in this and other northern markets
at approximately the same prices
paid by consumers in Flor ca.
Markets for all southern products
of this character have been ma
terially extended by the presence in
the south of northern commission
men. The latter, many of them,
have seized on the dull winter sea
son in their business to take vaca
tions in the south. They quickly
saw opportunities to combine busi
ness with pleasure, and are buying
and shipping consignments of fruit
and vegetables to their own custo
mers in sections the growers have
never been able to reach before. This
businss at the start was largely
speculative, but is now developing
into a distinct factor in the move
ment of produce.
Skull Crushed, Aged
Man’s Body Is Found
In Rome Trash Heap
ROME, Ga., March 11.—Mystery
shrouds the death of Mr. Lon Tol
bert, a 75-year-old resident of the
Pleasant Valley community, whose
body was found in the trash dump
on the outskirts of the city by two
bovs Monday night after the old
man had been missing since Satur
day noon. His skull was crushed.
No money was found on his person.
He came to the city Saturday morn
ing.
Eliot, 90, Celebrates
Birthday of Sister, 97
CAMBRIDGE. Mass.. March 11.—
Charles W. pilot, president emeri
tus of Harvard, who will celebrate
his 90th birthday on March 20. Mon
day observed the 97th birthday of
his sister, Mis. Mary Eliot Guild, of
Brookline. Dr. Eliot drove over
from Cambridge to Brookline, with
birthday greetings and spent several
hours with his elder sister.
perform in his absence. Judge De-
Graffenried has attended to all of
the duties of the office which he
could legally transact. Judge Smith
had no idea or intimation that his
wife was running to succeed him
until he reached home, nor did te
know that the primary entries had i
closed so that he cannot again offer
for the office through the regular
channel of the primary, by vthich
route all officers or Dougherty coun
ty and other Georgia counties are
usually name 4.
a CEMS A COPY,
SI A YEAR.
SENHTOR LENROOT
RESIGNS fflIR IN
OIL IWIGITIDN
Condition of His Health
Given as Reason. Ladd,
Next in Line, Has Been
Acting Chairman. .
WASHINGTON, March 11.—Sen
ator Lenroot, of Wisconsin, has re
signed as chairman and member of
the public lands committee, which
is investigating the oil scandal.
His letter of resignation is on thn ,
way here from Southern Pines, N»-
C., .where he had been for a week
resting.
This statement was authorized by
Senator Lenroot:
‘Since cbming to Southern Pines*
I have not recuperated as I hail
hoped and it will not be possibl ' •
for me to continue my work on the
committee on public lands and sur
veys.
“I realized sometime ago that t
was nearing the point of exhaustioji
and stated upon the floor of the sen
ate that if the oil investigation con
tinued indefinitely, I would feel corn- .
pelled to resign from the committee.
“I have given nearly four month!
of service in this investigation, trj
ing as best I could to keep up with
such other work as could not bd
neglected, with the result that I can
not in my present state of healtli
continue any longer.
“I hope to be able to return t-»
Washington next week, but sha'l
not attempt anything more than rou
tine work of my office 'Until mJ
health is restored.”
Committee Forewarned
The Wisconsin senator’s warning
that he might retire as chairman
was given in the course of a senatn
speech two weeks ago in the coursi
of a debate in which he was assailed
from the .Democratic side for having
visited Albert B. Fall in his hotel
here before Fall informed the com
mittee he had borrowed SIOO,OOO
from Edward B. McLean.
Senator Ladd, of North Dakota,
a member of the La Follette grouji
in the senate, is next in line for thJ
chairmanship. He has been acting
chairman in the absence of Senatof
Lenroot.
Under pressure of a hard hittin | f
cross-examination, John F. Majoi,
confidential man to Edward B. Mc-
Lean, explained to the oil committr I
today some more of the mysteries u!
the McLean telegrams.
One of those referred to withojfl
name in the messages, he said, wal
C. Bascom Slemp, with whom he de
clared he had returned from Florida,
and upon whom he had called seven I
times since at Mr. Slemp’s invita
tion. He Insisted the calls wer:
“purely social.”
Code Words Explained
The code word "eyed,” the wit
ness explained as referring to E. S.
Rochester, attached to the office c|
Attorney General Daugherty. H i
said Rochester on one occasion ba I
asked him to come to the departmeni
and had indicated that “something 1
might be expected soon, but he wa)
hazy as to details.
“The mysterious ‘Willis’ ” referrel,
to repeatedly in the telegrams ; *
looking after McLean’s interesi I
finally was identified by Major a-
Wilton J, Lambert, the publisher I
attorney.
"Absolutely none,” Major sai-l
when asked if there was any hes.-
tancy on McLena’s part to come t.|
Washington to testify.
McLean has been “eager" to ap
pear before the committee, Majot
said, and sent "200 telegrams” t(
his agents telling them he was com
ing irrespective of their advice.
The witness protested against thrt
form of the queries put to him and
finally said his employer had been
wronged by the general belief that
he didn’t want to come before tbn
committee and testify.
No other witnesses were heard at
today’s session, but the committed
held a meeting behind closed dooH
at which it examined the telegraph
records subpoenaed from Three Riv
ers, New Mexico, the home twOn <’i
Albert B. Fall.
Major Called First
The committee first called Major,
a.id Senator Walsh, Democrat, Mon
tana, questioned him. He told of <i
trip taken by Mr. McLean and him
self to Atlantic City “about the mid
dle of December,” where McLean
talked to former Secretary Fall.
The McLean party, which included
W. O. Duckstein, the publisher’s pri
vate secretary, remained at tint
beach city two hours, but Major said
he did not know what his
and Fall had talked about. He had
“naturally inferred” from the news
paper accounts of Fall’s later state
ment to the committee, he said, that
McLean and Fall had discussed tbo
matter. ■
j “I know McLean didn’t go to At
j lantic City to say howdy-do to Mr.
, Fall,” he said.
Senator Bu<sum, Republican, New
Mexico, read from a transcript of
Major’s testimony on March 8, In
which the witness first told of the
McLean-Fall conference at Atlantic
City. Major had said. Senator Bur
sum insisted, that he knew Fall and
McLean discussed the matter of
Fall's story that McLean had loaned
him SIOO,OOO.
“I inferred that was the purpose
of the visit,” Major insisted, “be
cause the papers came out with th%
story. I’m merely inferJing that,”
Major went on to explain several
of his telegrams under questioning.
By his message to McLean saying
that A. Mitchell Palmer had “parties
working on Walsh,” Major said re
meant simply that there were people
inquiring of Walsh as to whether
McLean was to be called to testify.
He testified that the telegram say
ing he was busy with Curtis. Under
wood and "Zev” meant he was try
ing to avoid the calling of McLean
from Palm Beach to testify J. W.
Zevely, personal counsel to Harry F.
Sinclair, he said, told him that all
efforts to keep Harry Payne Whit
[ ney off the stand had failed. He
then went to Zevely to enlist his aid
to a similar end for McLean, but
was told that it was useless.
“That Man” Was Baruch
Major said he thought "that man,”
mentioned in another telegram to
McLean, referred to Bernard M.
Baruch, of New York. The message
said “that man” was to “see the
party today,” and Major testified
(Continued on Page 6, Column 3)
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