Casper Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 22, 1924, Page 1

The circulation of The Tribune is greater than any other Wyoming newspaper. Weather Forecast "|. ‘WYOMING=Snow probable to- night and Tuesday. Not quite so col@ tonight in east and central por- tions. VOL. 1X. NO. 63 he Member of Audit Bureau of Circulation AS FUMES FATAL 10 OIL FIELD EMPLOYE MAN 1S FOUND DEAD FLOATING IN CRUDE TANK Inquest Brings Verdict of Death Due to Careless- ness of Vi ictim. Overcome by the fumes of “tive” oil flowing into the tank where he had gone for a pail of crude, Anvil Leslie Rumfelt, 85-year-old Mid- west employe at the Lewis camp in Salt Creek and the father of six children, died yesterday morn- ing at about 10 o'clock. The ef- ‘orts of two doctors to resuscitate him were without effect. Working with a crew engaged in thawing frozen lines, Rumfelt was directed by the foreman to obtain a ‘bucket of ofl from a 500-barrel tank which was known to be full and from which the crude could be taken with safety. Instead of fol- lowing orders, Rumfelt went to an- other tank into which of] was po! ing at the time, creating a dense atmosphere of deadly gas. Since it -hgld but five feet of: oll it was n for the man to enter the to fill,tils pail. He was be si suffocated immediately, or twenty minutes later he was missed by his fellow work- ers ‘who at once started a search that ended at the tank into which he had descended. He was. found floating in the oil» With little de- lay ropes were rigged up to permit recovery of the body without en- dangering the lives of those com- pelled to enter the death trap. Both. Doctor# Roach and Slocum of the. Salt Creek hospital were on the ground, but were unsuccessful in restoring life. It was later dis- covered that half a pint of of] had been taken into Rumfelt’s lungs, creating a condition that prevented resuscitation. An inquest under the direction of Coroner Lew Gay was conducted at the Lewis camp at 4 o'clock yes- terday afternoon, the verdict of the jury being that Rumfelt had come to his death by an accident super- induced by carelessness. The body is now at the Shaffer-Gay mortu- ary and will later be shipped to Sheridan for burial. The Rumfelts, formerly of Shert-|. dan, having been living at the Lewis camp since the father entered the emp'oye of the Midwest as a rousta- about early in June of this year. Survivors are the wife, Mrs. Ella Tumfelt, and six children whose names are Elbert, Leslie, Doris, Lois, Harry and Cecil and whose ages range from one to 15 years. Insurance amounting to $500 will be received by the family from the Midwest Refining company, Rumfelt having been with the com- pany just a few more days than the period entitling his estate to that sum. In addition a $150 burial lenefit fund will be al'owed by the Midwest Employes Benefit associa- tion. \Workmen's compensation from the state approximating $5,000 will be turned over to the widow and her childre: eee Senate and house in recess. Special aircraft investigation com- mittee of the house called to resume hearings with attention directed to naval air service Freight Rates Called Unjust | PLANES ARE SAID UNFIT FOR BATTLE Aeronautical Chief Says Only 224 of 840 Ships Could Be Used Effectively By U.S. in Case of War WASHINGTON, Dec, 22:—Only 224 of the 840 planes of all kinds in possession of the navy could be-used effec- tively in case of war, Rear Admiral Moffett, chief of the bureau of aeronautics, testified today before the special air- craft investigating committee of the house. About 500 airplanes are obsolete, he said, and even the 224 which could be used effectively, Planes are concerned, Admiral Mof- are becoming out of date. Of the] fett sald that “nobody is ahead of us, in fact, we are leading. 224 are included 52 Douglas torpedo “We are so far ahead of anybody type, 32 three-seated TS fighters; ta Sait de ot else in navel avtaticn that it will five three-seated CS fighting and] some instances to the women travel- bombing planes and 383 spotting|¢rs. In the list of prices handed "| out on one train traveling from San Planes. ‘These types have been tm-| Francisco to New. Orleans, the proved upon, Admiral Moffett sald,] take them a long time to catch up,” the Douglas torpedo especially, the| he declared. , newest type being superior to any| Several European countries. have other in the world. At the beginning of November, 117 @ greater number of planes and pi- lots than the United States, he said, planes were afloat doing service on ships. It is the poliay of the de- but. he pointed out that they have not done the experimentation and partment, thé admiral said, to in- stall planes on all Sighting craft. Two fighting an4 one observation plane will be put on every battle ship, and even every destroyer will have its plane. As far as efficiency of perform- ance and air personnel and type’ of 1 pean countries lure ahead ofthe United States in cor- mercial aviation, Admiral Moffett said, because Buropean’ government subsidize the industry @ part of national defense. Casper Dail MEMBER GF ASSOCIATED PRESS CASPER, WYOMING, MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1924 REE KILLED, FOUR Ihvv: On Streets o aS* 4 Crthune or at Newstands, Delivered by Carrier ED IN CAR CRASH LOUNGE SOLVES OMOKE PROBLEM FOR TRAVELERS By ROBERT T. SMALL. (Copyright, 1924, Casper Tribune) WASHINGTON, Dec. 22. —The problem of what to do with the woman smoker on board the trains of the coun- try has been solved on some of the transcontinental lim- {teds by the addition to the service of an observation car which in- cludes a “ladies’ lounge.” | Within the sacred precincts of this lounge are all of the appliances and appur- tenances of the smoker, with a maid to furnish matches or do manicur. ing, to chase the rouge pot or the powder puff and do the hundred ana ons other things the ladies may de-| sire. Since they have come into| thelr own as smokers, the women of the country have been severely han aicapped aboard. trains. The num-| ber of women travelers as well as| the number of women smokers has been constantly on the increase and the women have expressed their displeasure with the lack of accom- modations designed for thelr com- fort or indulgence. The ladies’ lounge has solved the problem on the best. of the trains, but there 18 much to be desired on the smbking 1s no longer a fad with them, but a habit and the rafiroads may, just .as well ‘treat it as. such The barber shops aboard the I|mit ed trains also have been opened in (Continued on Pese Ten.) SWEETIN TRIAL WILL END SOON Plans Call for Case To Be Concluded Christmas Eve; Night: Session to. . Speed Up Remaining Testimony MOUNT VERNON, Ill, Dee. 22.—Christm the closing of the trial of Lawrence M. Hizfit an Elsie Sweetin, who are charged with murder by poison, will ar- rive simultaneously, according to present plang, It is ex- pected Hight’s defense testimony will be completed today. Arguments made Tuesday and a-verdict reached. Wednes- day. Night sessions are scheduled |tors, the state announced. for tonight and tomorrow night! Reports from court room attaches The jury will have {ts choice of : three dicisions, freedom, the gallows, | ‘22t one of the ‘Jurors hes winked or prison. at Mrs. Sweetin several times dur- Among other witnesses ready to |!"& the trial, has worried the prose- take the stand today as the defense | Cution, it declared, ag has the pos- testimony for Hight is concluded, is} sible appeal to the jury by the de- C. H. Anderron, superintendent of | fense to show the Christmas spirit the state hospital at Anna, Il. At-|>¥ sending Mrs. Sweetin home to her children, torney Nelson Layman, in defending Hight, said an effort would be-made Besides the two defendants, Hight’s two giris and his boy, and to show his client was a moron, hav- ing little more mental development | Mrs. Sweetin’s three boys await the verdict. The Hight ‘children range than a twelve year old chifid. : The prosecution last Friday men-|in age from 14 to 22 and the Sweet in children from 11 to 14. tioned Dr. Frank R. Fry, of St. Louls as a rebuttal witness. Dr. Gi TURES, waza 5 NA Fry is a well known allenist and DEC ON would be accompanied by local doc- CHEYENNE, Wyo., Dec. 22.—At- torneys and others interested in the trial of the Teapot Dome naval otf! eve, and WOMAN BREAKS LEG WITH FALL Supping on the icy pavement this noon as she was about to enter a CY avenue bus near her home, Mrs. Claire Gillam, 928 South Oak street, suffered a fracture of the right leg She was taken by a passing motorist to the Lincoln street hospital whcre | this afternon she was said to be resting comfortably. COSTLY FURS ARE STOLEN CHICAGO, Dec. 22.—Furs valued at $100,000 were taken by burglar< from a west side store, it was dis covered when the store was opencd today. The thieves had circum vented an elaborate system burglar alarms. RANCHER iS FOUND DEAD NEAR STILL Dave Knighten, One-Time Wealthy Cat- tle Owner, Asphyxiated by Fumes; | Had Been Dead Several Days The body of Dave Knighten, once prosperous Johnson county ranchman, was found yesterday morning in a sub- terranean stillroom in the barren hills near his ranchhouse | north of Salt Creek. He had been dead for several days. | The still was charged with mash and a container under | the spout was half full of liquor, indicating that it had been | in operation recently. Deputy Sher- Knighten, an expert gun man, had iff Les Snow of Midwest, called by | Shot up thorough'y, painfully, but neighbors who made the discovery, |" fatally. A verdict of not guilty expressed the belief that Knighten | V@% won by his plea that his victim had been asphyxiated by carbon | Bad been the cause of Knighten's de monoxide fumes from the gasoline | *¢Ttion by his wife. heater with whicn the still was| Shorn of what remained of his equipped, and this theory fortune in the lean years following firmed by the verdict of the war, Knighten {s sald to have death returned at the inquest leld|turned to moonshining, which re- yesterday by the Johnson county | peated raids fafled to-discourage. His sheriff, The body was brought to the | Place was visited only last Monday ShafferGay fune chapel last | by a posse of federal officials and night, and services probably will be | county officers, who found the held here. ranch-house deserted but were un. Knighten was born in Texas 53|80'¢ to locate any trace of a still in years ngo, and for 23 years had been|‘h¢ surrounding country. a resident of Natrona county. Aj, Discovery of | Knighten’s fecade ago he owned or leased {came when neighbors, alarmed at huge acreage of range in two coun-|H# continued absence, visited his tes, and was reputed to be comfort-|Taneh And found the snow heaped ably. wealthy..the bull gf-this van. | "8h around. the house: and~xtable; ished six years past in cunsel fees | #04 @ team of horses in their stalls during a hard fought trial at Doug: | ®?Parently suffering acutely from jas-in which Knighten was acquit.| unser and thirst. death Girl Thug Uses _ | Revolver Butt To | Beat Up Victim LOS ANGELES, Calif., Dec. 22.— Deputy sheriffs today were on tHe trail of a girl thug who beat and robbed Troy W. Woodward, . 54 Woodward said he was held up by aman and a woman. When he re sisted, the man began to run, but his companion, apparently a girl of 18 years, sprang at Woodward and beat him into submission with the butt of a revolver, injuring one eye so badly he may lose the sight of it. She escaped with $550 in cur rency he carried with him. SaaaaEEEE SeenON Gompers’ Widow to Protect Interests WASHINGTON, Dec. 22. — Mra. Gertrude Gompers, widow of Sam- uel Gompers, has retained an attor- ney to protect her rights in the set- tlement of the estate of the late labor leader. He has not indicated whether she will contest the will, which left her only “the minimum allowed by the law.” Mr. Gompers bequeathed the bulk of his estate, the value of which has not been dis- closed, to his sons and his grand- ditughters. —>— PRESIDENT BACK. HOME WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.—Presi- dent and Mrs. Coolidge returned ted of a:charge of asrault with in- ey alee +. icbyadie + deed ad 4 ent to kill, growing out of injuries | Amon Wright, who lives at La- utfered by a Douglas man whom | ¥°¥?- early today from their week, end cruise down the Pottomac on the Mayflower. EDITION Publication Of. Tribune Bidg., 216 BD. nd St. PLUNGES VIADUGT AUTO OVER JON HIGHWAY T0 TRACKS BELOW Officers Say Machine Was Racing Cityward From Sunrise Inn Opening; No Inquest. Three persons, all col- ored, are dead today, and two others are gravely in- jured in local hospitals as the result of an accident at 3:30 this morning when a seven- passenger touring car, racing Cas- per-wards from the Sunrise Inn road- house on the Salt Creek road, sheared through the rail guarding the yiaduct over the Burlington tracks juat north of the refinery and plunged 20 feet to the embank- ment. Derry Officer, 345 West A Street. the driver, George Moore, 346 West A street, were crushed under the car and killed almost instantly. Mrs. Minnie Marshall, 259 West A street, succumbed to a fractured ekull and internal injuries in the ambulance on the way to the county hospital. Nathan Millings, 349 West A street suffering from a serious skull frac- ture, was on the operating table at the Private hospital at noon, where heawas.sa'd to have an even chance for recovery. O. B, Wyatt, 29 West A street, is at the County hospital with @ badly fractured left arm and @ severe concussion. His condition was declared as precarious. (Continued on Page Ten.) NEW METHOD FOR HUTES BEING TRIED WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.—Perfec tion of a method of communication for deaf persons, by which they wil “feel” the spoken werds and Aviator Dies Using sen tence is the object of experiments being conducted by Professor Rob ert H. Gault, of Northwestern un! versity, at Gallaudet College, near nere. Professor Gault said today he would have “most encouraging’ progress to report in a paper to be read at the convention next week of the American association for the ad vancement of science “The idea,” the result of hi ‘Ig to communi speech mechan to a sensitive skin area where spoken words and sentences may be fe't. “In the course of forty sessions of 1 half hour each, five of fifteen deaf persons, have got to the point of being able, with a fair degree of ac- curacy to identity twenty rentences of six one-syllabled words each. and aggregating sixty different words.” _> Snow Storm on the air mail aviator, who was | cago, was found today short half mile from his wrecked leaped from his plane from h from him in the downward rush | through the storm. A piece of the I hute was still he'd by the belt | which encir i the aviator’s body OMAHA, , Dec, 22.—(By The Associated Press.)—Charles Gilbert 1irmail pilot, who was killed while flying between Chicago and Omaha last night, early tered in the United Stat nail service August last, according to Carl F. Egge, general superintend- | ent of the alr mail service here. Gil- bert was 26 years old and came from | Plainsville, Kan., Mr. sald, | According to Superintendent Egge Gilbert had been doing relle¢ work | with the air r ervice and it was he said in explaining at Gallaudet vibrations of ork toe | 22 WASHINGTON, Dec. Until congress has made known definitely ttitude on the question of ap- ropriating funds to change gun levations capital ships, the Voshington government will engage no controversy of that subject on acting in this capacity that he with Great Britain 4 taken the ill-fated trip from Chi- | Rail Crash is _ Being Probed By Officials to Oma headquar were reported at Iowa City, | Iowa. CHICAGO, Dec. Sharles Gil ert, first of the night flying aerial mail pilots to lose his life in the service, whose body was found near LEFT BLOC IN While Making Forced Landing in AURORA, IIl., Dec. 22.—The body of Charles Gilbert, over Kaneville, Ill., while on the way to Omaha from Chi- Examiners Report to Interstate Com- merce Commission Schedules Are Unreasonable in Many Cases WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-—Freight rates in the territory South of Kansas City and between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi river are unreasonable and prejudicial © localities’'and shippers, examiners reported today to the interstate Commerce Commission. Railroads co-operating with state commissioners and the nterstate Commerce Commission ‘The comp‘aints were brought by hould work out far-reaching changes|the Oklahoma corporation commis in the present rates, adjust and sub-| sion, the Iowa rallrcad commission put these for approval, the exam! 4 commercial bodies in St. Louls said. (Continued on Page Four.) | lease annulment case, settled down to await the decision of Federal Judge Kennedy on the government’ motion for a continuance of the hearing, originally set for January Judge Kennedy's decision is ex- pected soon after Christmas. ee SHOCK FELT BY ITALIANS MODENA, Italy, Dec, 22.~An earth shock lasting five seconds, was observed at, 7:52 o'clock this morning. { Death Toll Is Eight With Seven Injured as Result of Soo Line Passenger Coach Crashing Into Chippewa River CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis., Dec. 22.—(By The Associ-| ated Press.) —Railroad officials and the district attorney’s office today were investigating the plunge of a Soo line ob- servation car into the Chippewa river here Saturday, re- sulting in the death of eight persons and injuries to seven. The coach broke from a train while passing over a forty- foot bridge and was submerged in| the cause of the Ace'dent was forth ‘ey waters with its occupants. coming today, investigators sald a While no officisl statement as to (Continued on Page Four) . PARIS SLAPPED PARIS, Dec. 22.—The fs not letting the grass ts feet. Former President Miller 1d having fired the opening gun ust week in this campaign against the Herriot government, his prin- {pal Meutenant, former War Min ister Maginot, yesterday delivered | opposition grow under Jengue me | the national the provinces and at in Republican the speech in the etty weeks ago, vonges of the left bloc ght to revolution o torship,” was,the | former spinistéer's apoech, “The policy Es | Parachute to Jump Way to Omaha ost last night in a snowstorm, ly after 10 o’clock, about a plane. Apparently he had| is parachute, but it was torn Kaneville, Ill, today, was a former army filer who id been in the .erial mail service about. six months, according to attaches of the air mail fle} here. Gilbert took off from Chicago with the westbound mail at 7 p. m. last night. The lights of his plane w at Kaneville and then the filer vanished and had been reported missing until searchers found the the parachute torn loose, a half mile from the point where his plane had crashed Pilot R. G. Page, who set soon after daybreak today on the| search, picked up the mali from the wrecked plane and started for ha before the body was. found t made his headquarters in seen AIR MAIL PILOT KILLED IN FALL ICTION CITY, Kan., Dec, 23. Blanche Gilbert, wife of Charles Gilbert, government air mail pilot kilied last.night, is visiting her parents here. She was informed of her husband’s death by an Associ- ated Press correspondent. The dead aviator was a world war veteran. His parents live at Plainville, Kan. Gilbert was a sergeant in the army air service at Marshall Field, Fort Ril for three y He secured his discharge by puri 0 last spring in order to enter the alr mail service and since that time has been flying between Chicago and Iowa City. (Continued on Page Ten.) GIRL IS DEAD AFTER FALL FROM LEDGE ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo., Dee. nm hunting rabbits, which she sing to give to needy persons, fell 200 f n, A ledg had mis M I to her ¢ A cany of drifted that taken for firm footing, gave way un her, A companion saved himself toberts snow she City, rding to local al attaches. by grasping a small tree in the can- yon wall. Cold Abating In Mid-West Frigid Wave, After portation and Sweeps on Into CHICAGO, Dec. 22.—Its Paralyzing Trans- Communication, Eastern States greatest fury spent, the cold 1 diatribe at Hpinal againat the left} wave, which swept across the country the past week, para- It was the first manifestation | ]yzing transportation and communication facilities and ac- companied by sub-zero thermometer readings, had released Telephone service {n Ilinols was practically restored last night and communication throughout the mid- was being restored: rupidly according to reports, west time, a reply to Premier Herriot's |its clutch in the middle west today, and was replaced by three | moderated weather with snow in some places NEW YOF The freer ing weather, which swept into the eastern states Saturday night on the (Continued on Page Four.