Evening Star Newspaper, July 14, 1923, Page 1

WEATHER. cloudy tonight and Sunday; Partly moderately warm. Temperature for twenty-four hours ended at 2 p.m. tod 4 p.m. vesterday; lo a.m. today. a.m. today. Full report on page Hi west, For full report see page ghest, 84, at 70, at 5:30 Closing N. Y. Stocks n_nd Bonds, Page 26 Entered as secol post office Was No. 28928, nd-class matter hington, D. C. " BRITISH DISCUSSING| U.S. PARTICIPATION INNEW RUKR MOVE Taft or Root Suggested to Aid Appraisers of German Ability to Pay. FRENCH WILL INSIST ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS Paris Press Shows Strong Flavor of Sarcasm on Baldwin’s Proposals. By the A LONDC the repa 1 participation nmissi apacty Britich While the government has given no hint as to the contents of its forth- coming some unofficial sources yrofess to have a certain amount of information on the subject, The Daily Telegraph, : “In order to overcome jurisdictional | ohjections, which might otherwise be expected from it is proposed that the ssion shall operate within the framework of the Versailles treaty cting committee to| the All the allies could welcome the presence on the committee and preferably in the | chair, of an eminent American jurist ich as William Howard Taft or hu Roct, or an eminent banker ronomist 1 street. | The write is confident | that "Americ: ation would be | withheld if sn_ of the allied debis were on the committee's agenda. Cabinet to Rush Note. ated Press July 14.—In the drafting British reply to the German | itions note references to Ameri- | in the suggested | \ for appraising 7 to pay is possble says the | press | of is note, Pariy, comn by as a e reparations commission =4 howevel The members of the British cabinet | will forego their usual golf, cricket | and tennis over the week end so as to | Bive undivided thought to Great Britain's yming eply to the Germun memorandum regarding rep- | aratio It is desired to find the | best form of expression so as not to | run counter to French sensibilities. | r Baldwin is expected either | or Tu ay to reply in the | to J. Ramsay MacDonald's the house of commons this! to whether a coby of the | be comm ated to the | Tnited States government. It is ex- ted that Washington \\'iuhfixl‘-‘. wuainted with the coptents of the! document at the same time as the al- licd powers. Cabinet Canvassing Question. * | The best manner in which to phrase | cceptance of the plan | onal body of experts | many’s financial originally by | Secretary of ate, is| the cabinet members a good | thought. They desire to find | ¥ of overcoming France's | that such an organization ged by the Ve illes ¢ treaty and that therefore its decisions | d be without judicial force. | They will probabl suggest the | jde that such a body puld act as | & subsidiary to the e i ara- | tion commission, and nd | recommendation’ ‘be morally if not | Jegally binding The cabi extion o e d many’s pa of which F #uble to otficials asking mand to the that for query week yeply in as will deal of some entention <o i canvassing the| how far it is expedient | epiy 1o touch ubam Ger Suspensio indispen- | stiations. British | to think it would be | too much to counter- conditionally all i uhr occupation - present German govern- ient or any succeeding cabinet asked | the German population to tolerate the | continued presence of their unwel- | come guest in the Ruhr it would pro- | voke the condemnation of the whole | people and the cabinet would immed- | fately fall. PLAN PLEASES BERLIN. Revival of Stagnating Reparations | Talk Seen. ! 3y the Aw: 1 B and brusque show her the mo ciated Press, 1 RLIN, July 14.—Extreme caution | pronounced desire not to be | to France or force her to: hand appear to have been es which inspired the British minister's statement in the | of commons, according to the ! entertained German official | quarters statement is a sympathetic ¢ destined to hvae | an early and perhaps decisive bearing on the Ruhr impasse. i Although Premicr Baldwin failed to | make specific reference to such issues | as termination of the passive re- sistan intervention by the league of nations or the American sugges- tion of an international commission of inquiry, German foreign office opinion, < informally expressed, re- | flects appreciation of the outspoken | manner which the British states- | man stressed the economic aspects of | the wituation. as well as hip declara- | tion that the ituhr occupation should be ended as soon as possible. Waiting for a prime house view in ote. i While temporarily postponing | active procedure by the entente, Mr. Baldwin's statement nevertheless contributes to revivifying the stag- nating reparations discussions,” ‘de- clared onme foreign office official, speaking in the absence of Foreign Minister Baron von Rosenberg, who is | on a holiday in Bavaria. This official added that, pending the receipt of the note which the English_government has volunteered o draft, the German government could not undertake decisive steps and was compelled to continue its “Jiplomatic passive resistance” un- til the path to the mext conference chamber has been cleared. PARIS VIEWS COOL. Papers Ridicule Baldwin's Latest y Proposals. Br the Associated Press, PARIS, July 14.—The British prime minister's statement of policy has Jost some of its sugar-coating for the French newspapers, and this aft- ernoon’s editions had become rather acld. with a strong flavor of sare (Continued on Page 2, Column 6.) MISERY IS STALKING | the towns, supplemented by the ap- | to qu | of timber cribbing under the Hecla. | kota plains. Court Threatens To Put Senator Out for Smiling By the Assoc'ated Press. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich,, July 14. —A United States Senator was re- buked by a circuit judge and told he would be removed from the courtroom if he did not conduct himself properly, during the hear- ing here yesterday of the divorce suit brought by Mrs. Mabel Ferris against Phelps Ferris. Senator Woodbridge N. Ferris, better known probably, in Michi- gan as “The good, gray governot had been an interested aitendant at the hearing in which his son and daughter-in-law are the prin- cipals. Mrs. Ferris was testifying. Occasionally Senator Ferrls smiled during her testithony. Judge M. L. Dunham interrupted the hearing. “Senator ” he sald, “you will have to conduct yourself in a dif- ferent manner than you have. It is very unpleasant for Mrs. Ferris to sit on the witness stand and have you look at your lawyer and smile at each question and answer. That must be stopped.” When the judge threatened to have him removed from the court- room. Senator Ferrls arose from his chair, ‘apologized, and the in- cldent was closed. INIDAHO FIRE AREA Flames Sweep Two Towns, Causing $1,500,000 Dam- | age to Mining Section. By the Aesociated Press, WALLACE. Idaho, July 14.—Misery | stalks today in the little towns of Burke and Mace, mining centers sev- en miles east of here, after a devas- tating fire starting about 1 o'clock vesterday afternoon and sweeping | its way through nearly a mile and a half of homes, stores and mining works. At midnight last night no death had been reported, but the en- tire business section of Burke was| destroyed and virtually every home in | rui The loss is put at $1,500,000. | Mace, adjoining Burke on the west, sufiered less seriously, the flames having been fanned by a west wind away from the conflagration’s start- ing place About a thous nd persons are said to be homele: They were driven | ahead of the fire toward Thompson 1ls. Men, women and children last night were frantically trying to save their belongings from the onsiaught of the flames. Many lost all they | possessed. Hercules Plant Saved. 1t was announced by officials of the Hercules Mining Company that the Hecla surface works were de- stroyed, though the Hercules plant had been saved. Loss to the Hecla| company is estimated by local mining men at between $750.000 and $1,000,- 000. The electric hoist of the Hecla, one of the largest in the world, was burned. The fire was checked at the Tiber | Hotel and the Hercules works. Fire! fighters recruited from the men of | paratus from Wallace, are staying the flames’ advance. though the whole hillside is a mass of fire and smoke. Red Cross officlals from Wallace have been rushed to Burke with food and clothing for the homeless. It is said it will take several day ch ' the fire. as the huge piles | nearly a quarter of a mile in length, are a mass of flames. Rallway Service Disrupted. Railway service to Burke is dis- rupted, the flames shooting over the tracks and burning the ties. | The origin of the fire is unknown, | though many believe that it was started from a spark from a locomo- tive that passed through Burke short- | Iy before the fire began. The mayor and board of trade of | Wallace have appointed a relief com- | mittee to care tor all persons in need ; of_assistance. The heaviest loss was suffered by the Hecla Mining Company, which | had all of its surface buildings de- stroyed. The loss is largely covered by insurance. 1t is estimated ihat about forty homes with their con- tents were destroyed, entalling a loss of $100,000,. about 25 per cent cov- ered by insurance. _Other losses| total approximately $75,000. 200 DEAD IN 1910 FIRE. POKANE, Wash., July 14.—Yester- day's fire in the Coeur d'Alene lead- silver mining district brings to mind the fire which in August, 1910, raged for weeks, costing the lives of about 200 persons and causing property loss of a million dollars in Wallace, 1daho, alone. Driven Ly high winds, trequently traveled with incredible swiftness, and burning embers, whirled high by ascending columns of superheated air, were carried long distances to fire other sections of the | forests. The skies were palled by day and lurid by night and gigantic smokebands swept across the Rocky mountains and spread over the Da- the flames Another tragedy to the two towns was suffered the night of February 27 of the same year, when snow- slides in the district took twenty-one lives. Twelve of these were at Mace ch jmittedly on friendly terms. |ney Aaron R. Anders today drew | |ate. If Gov. Preus is elected.the re- and five at Burke. British Planes Carry From Ruhr, Eluding Blockade By Wireless to The Star and Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1923. COLOGNE, July 14.—German merchants have discovered a way- to elude the French' export block- ade by shipping their goods in air- planes. Large quantities of Ger- man manufactured products are being sent to London in British planes. Since the French do not dare to interfere with British busi- ness these goods leave Germany without paying the tax which the French demand, but which the Ger- man government forbids. As a rule German product: are exported in this way are first shipped from the factories to Cologne and are then carried by alrplane to London to be reshipped that WASHINGTON, D. C, EPNER DEFENSE BATTEREDBY DEAD WIFES RELATNES Father, Sisters and Miss Ricketts, Bookkeeper, Tes- tify at Frederick, Md. TEN MINUTES’ DELAY IN REPORTING TRAGEDY Witnesses Say Husband Regretted Marriage and Spoke of “Nagging.” By a Staff Correspondent FREDERIC! Md.. July 14.—The Wheels of justice today were slowly unspinning strange circumstances sur- rounding the death of Mrs. Grace Simmons Kepner, wealthy daughter of a refined old Maryland family, who was found dead in her bedroom last June 18, with a bullet in her brain. Evidence in sharp contradiction to that given by B. Evard Kepner, hus- band of the slain woman, before the coroner's jury yesterday, was offered this morning by Mrs. Kepner's eigh- ty-six-year-old father, Ezra Houck; her two maiden sisters and Miss Lulu Ricketts, the pretty bookkeeper with whom the husband was ad- Three Outstanding Statements. Having already obtained testimony from three prominent surgeons and an expert on firearms that it would have been physically impossible for | Mrs. Kepner to have shot herself, as ' was at first believed, State Attor- | from witnesses three outstanding | statements: | 1. That Mr. Kepner, the first per- son to discover his wife's body, re- mained In the room at least ten minutes before sounding the alarm and not ten or fifteen seconds, as he | had testified yesterday. 1 That the husband had remarked | several occasions that the only | thing in his life he regretted was | the day he asked Grace Houck to| become his wife. ] 3. That he told Miss Ricketts that | he was “damned good and tired of | this_nagging” and _that * _day ; (Continued on Page 2, Column 7.) MINNESOTA BATTLE HOTTER AT CLOSE | Preus and Johnson Making | Last-Minute Pleas for Big Vote. B the Associated Press. ST. PAUL. Minn., July 14.—The| three candidates seeking the L'nheu‘ States senatorship from Minnesota in | Monday's election rounded iInto the home stretch in their campaigning to- day. | Gov. J. A. O. Preus, Magnus Johnson, farmer-labor, and State Senator James A. Carley, demo-| crat, sent out their last-minute ap- peals to the voters, concluding with & plea for a 100 per cent vote. i Much will depend on the size of the | ballet turout as to whether Minne- | sota will have two farmer-labor sena- | tors or whether the republicans will add to their slim margin of control| in the Senate. i Much Anxiety Felt. Congressional leaders and others prominent in national politics are eagerly awaiting the final returns, perhaps more so than the residents of this sate. If Johnson is elected he will align himself with Henrik Ship. stead, farmer-labor senator from Minnesota, and Senator Robert M. La Follette's progressive bloc. Gov. Preus as a_senator would add strength to the Harding administra. | tion in Congress. He has the backing of the republican senatorial cam- paign committee and has indorsed the President’s program. Look to 1924 Election. Political leaders already are look- ing forward to the 1924 election. The senator elected Monday will serve out the unexpired term of Knute Nel- son, who died last May. The term ends in 'March, 1925. Whether the candidate chosen next week will make the run again for the long term will depend a great deal, it was said, on the total vote he polls as well as his reception by the state after his activities in the Sen- republican; | publicans will be faced with the prob- lem of obtaining a strong candidate for the governorship in 1924. In the meantime Louis L. Collins, “the lit-| tle corporal,” who is now lieutenant- | governor, would hold down the chief executive's Job, with the possibility that he may be named to run as gov- ernor against the farmer-labor candi- date a year from next NovemBer. Goods by train or steamer to their desti- nation. The cost of shipment by air to London is five times what the cost would be by ordinary freight, but on shipments to far distant countries this fast expr is not a prohibitive factor in th total carrying charge. The writer has seen plles of of chemicals destined for Japan by the air route to London. < German merchants also avoid the French blockade by. hlp:lnacnodl rm; ed perm!| sion to enter Cologne from unoc- cupied territory went by the air Toube to London and then came to Cologne by the English air line which has recently doubled the service between London l?i this city and is training more pilote te handle the increased traffic. | five feet for a 6, ! plunked { terday, WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION —_— —— T e A Z JONES LEADS FIELD AT INWOOD GOLF Has 220 for 54 Holes—Jock Hutchison Falls to 224. By the Associated Press, INWOOD, N. Y., July 14—Bobby Jones of Atlanta was leading for the national open golf title when he finished his first eighteen holes. to- day. He went the round in ing his total 220 for 54 holes of the 72-hole competition. Jones' chances for the title in- creased when Jock Hutchison, who led Jones by two strokes yesterday, went around this morning in §2 for a 54-hole total of 224. Hutchison started badly on the very first agle, where he took 8§, using three putts. He recovered the two lost strokes with birdies on the third and Afth, but again was in trouble on the seventh. where he sliced out &f -bounds, where he teld a 6. Coming in, he was way off form, taking 41 strokes, six over par. Chasen Sparrow Birdle. On the eleventh the gallery crowd- ed in close to the green and Jock took three putts in less than twenty- two over par. On the short, water-hazard twelfth his mashie-niblick shot from the tee into the pond and he took a 5. By this time Jock had lost his good humor shown on the second hole. when a sparrow alighted in front of his putt and he chased it about the green. while the gallery roared. “I got a birdie,” he shouted Hutchinson's card: $lisid s iein e sz 4654 4445 5418 Gallett Has 235, Francis Gallett, young Scot of Port Washington, N. Y., with a 77 on his first round, today had a total of 225, five strokes worse than Bobby Jones. Jones used up many precious strokes. He had all sorts of poor luck on the difficult short seventh, including a penalty shot. Out—4 5555 45 4 4—41. Jones finished his second nine to- day in 35, after taking 41 going out. In—4 4 34 4435 4—35—76. Longest Drive of Tourney. He was 1 under par for the sec- ond nine when he passed the six- teenth hole. His tee shot on the sixteenth was at the edge of the green, one of the longest drives of the tournament. His chipshot rim- med the cup, cheating him from an eagle 2. He was down for a birdie. Gene Sarazen, 1922 champion, gained on the leaders with a 36, one under par. He had birdies on the fourth, fifth and sixth. 54544245336 Sarazen, playing with Bobby Jones, was over the 18 in 73 for a 5i-hole total of 230. In... 4524545 44—37—73—230. John Farrell, Mamaroneck, with 153 for yesterday’s 36 holes, was over the first nine today in par 37. 43564245437 Farrell came home in the morning round in 38 for a 756 and a b4-hole| total of 228. In 5535344543875 William E. Mehlhorn, St. Louls, for the thiity-six holes yes- T wont out in_ the first. nine Conunuea on Page 2, Column 1) SUED, DRUGGIST SHOOTS WIFE AND KILLS SELF Woman Probably Fatally Hurt. Three Shots Miss Mark—Hus- ‘band Sought Death Before. MEMPHIS, Tenn, July 14.—C. C. Nichols, forty-seven, pharmacist, today shot and probably fatally wounded his estranged wife, Mrs. Lois Nichols, twen- ty-three, and then fired a bullet through his own heart. The shooting occurred in the lobby of a downtown office build: ing. n;ltho\l. it is sald, was waiting for his wife when she appeared for wo;k in ext door to where the shoot- Bt ad. Eeraons Inwide the 1006y who witnessed the shooting saw Nichols Suddenly draw a pistol and fire five times. The first bullet struck Mrs. Nichols in the breast.. Three other shots missed their mark. Then Nichols fired one shot through his heart, dying be- fore an_ambulance arrived. Mrs Nichols had recently sued for divorce. When papers in the case were served on Nichols July 5 he attempted %o end his life by swallowing poison, ac- cording to the police. ¢ Foening S eV WHAT THESE NORTH V..V.EST “Entertained” Nearly half of the 6,364 prisoners committed to tite District jail during the past fiscal year were charged with intoxication, according to the annual report of Capt. W. L. Peak, assistant superintendent, submitted to the Commissioners today. The number received at the jail for drunkenness was 2,987, an increase of 11,044 over the preceding twelve months. Capt. Peak states that If those charged with intoxication plus another crime are included the total becomes more than 50 per cent of all prisoners. The captain, on the other hnad, re- ports a “distinct falling off in the volume of miscellaneous crimes.” Larceny, for example, indicated PARTVHEADSHEET * TODISEUSS SHITH Murphy, Brennan and Tag- 1 gart to Detate on Governor as 1924 Candidate. By the Associated Press. FRENCH LICK, Ind, July 14— Whether democratic leaders from the | middle west will support or oppose | the proposed candidacy of Gov. Al Smith of New York for the nemina- | tion for the presidency at the na- | tional convention next year was ex- | pected to be developed to some extent | here today. | ! Charles F. Murphy, Tammany Hall | chieftain from New York and a strong | { supporter of Gov. Smith for the pres- idency, arrived last evening to confer with George E. Brennan, the Chicago leader, and with “Tom” Taggart, boss of Indiana. Brennan was expected to arrive here today, and the trio planned to spend the week end in conference. Opposition in Way. Lesser political lights pointed out that the New York governor, who signed the repeal of the prohibition enforcement law in his state, may not have the unanimous support of demo- cratic leaders from the middle west. They declared that the central states are not as liberally inclined as New York, and that the party leaders from this section may desire to support some candidate less moist. Considerable interest attached to | the attitude Mr. Brennan holds to- ward the. New York governor. Some Support in West. It is known that some leaders from the middle west are anxious to throw their support to Gov. Smith on a “beer and light wines” platform. Mr. Murphy made the trip to French Lick to make a survey of the situation, and, it was sald unofficially. to insist that Smith's name go before the conven- tion next year, and to make friends for his candidate. To date no definite announcement has been made by Gov. Smith as to ‘whether he will be a candidate. BRENNAN DENIES PART. | Chicago Leader Says He’ll Not Go to French Lick. CHICAGO, July 14.—Denial that he was Invited or would attend a con- ference of democratic leaders at French Lick was made by George E. Brennan here today. Mr. Brennan infermed friends he would be occupy- ing a seat at the Hawthorne track ‘when the Illinois Derby Is run this afternoon. “I know nothing about any confer- ence at. French Lick,” Mr. Brennan said. “I have not been invited to any such * conference and I ‘have 'me thought of going down. there. SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1923_TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES. é;—%(' Vg 4 |Arrests for Drunkenness J ump 1,044 During Year; Total 2,987 Practically All Other Crimes Fall Off, However, District Jailer Reports—6,364 in 12 Months. by a decline of 124 cases in compari- son with last year,” the report con- tinues. “Driving while intoxicated, housebreaking and contempt of court all show marked decreases, and there were three fewer cases of robbery. “The speeding up of the various court dockets and the growing re- | spect for the local police department ave had most to do with this very creditable stride in the upbuilding of the law." Speaking of the alcoholic commit ments, Capt. Peak says in the report “As previcusly pointed out, the out- standing feature of these commit- ments is that they cover ecither old offenders or very young persons who had no.fixed habit. And the total in- cludes an increased number of women Young men are growing into repeat- ers with each’ offense, and often do (Continued on Page % Column 3.) MOTHER 10 SAIL 10 VISIT BERGDOLL U. S. Sanctions Trip Abroad. Disabled Veterans Object, But Passport 0. K.’d. A passport will be issued by the State Department to Mrs. Emma C.| Bergdoll of Philadelphia, who has asked for permission to visit her son. Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, fugitive draft evader, in Germany. The department decided to grant her recuest when it was learned that the alien property custodian, who has charge of a considerable amount of the Bergdoll property, could see no objection. Objection to the issuance of a passport was made in a telegram to Secretary Hughes from James A. Mc- Farland, national commander of the Disabled American Veterans, but de- partment officlals said that since Mrs. Bergdoll was an American citizen there appeared no legzl ground for refusing her request. Mr. McFar- land’'s message declared the men he represented ~ desired to “protest against any courtesies whatsoever being extended to the Bergdoll family.” - TLANS TO SAIL TUESDAY. Mrs. Bergdoll Seeks to Surprise Son, Now in Alps. / By the Associated Press. PHILADELPHIA, July 14.—Mrs. Emma C. Bergdoll has filed an appli- cation in the federal district court for a passport to Germany to see her son, Grover Cleveland Berg- doll, fugitive draft evader. The ap- plication was sent to the State De- Ppartment at Washington and if granted Mrs, Bergdoll plans to sail from New York next Tuesday. Grover is living in Switzerland at present and spends most of his time in the Alps, Mrs, Bergdoll sald. “He doesn't know I am coming,” she added. “I want o walk in on him and surprise him.” The alien property custodian holds property belonging to Grover valued at nearly $1,000,000. It wag seized after his flight from the country. “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the -egular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes, as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Net Circulation, 38,015 80 Office Girls Obey Edict ““Put On Some Clothes” By the Assoctated Press. WHITE PLAIN Y., July 14— An edict against sleeveless dresses and other evidence of scantiness in apparel of feminine employes has been fssued by J. Crawford Stevens, president of the West- chester Title and Trust Company. He revealed today that he had sent one girl home to “get some clothes on,” then he issued an ulti- matum in the form of a note in each pay envelope. Each of the eighty girls was told to either dress in a manner Lecoming to a business office or “get out.” The effect was satisfactory. Mr. Stevens sald today the girls had obeyed the order. “Any objections to bobbed hair?’ he was asked, “Not the slightest,” came his re- ply. “But the costumes—well, one had to do something. AUTOTAG ROUND-UP 10 START MONDAY Drivers With Unregistered State Plates Will Be Arrested. A round-up of drivers operating town tags without having registered at the traffic bureau, will be started Monday, Inspector Headley announc- ed today. He explained that Shrine convention this registration requirement was not insisted upon, because of the large number of tour- ists, but that after tomorrow the police will investigate all cases of violations of the registration regula- tions. Under existing law, a visitor is allowed to remain in Washington for the same length of time his home state grants to Washingtonians. The tourist, however, is required to visit during the within three day of his arrival and register. He receives without charge a small bearing the date on which his period u(_rc(‘lprm'll\' expires, This free registration tag was adopted 5o that the policeman on the street could tell when a visitor had . The campaign to be in- next week will be aimed sidents of Washington who operate throughout the year on a ate tag, in order to avoid buying | Maryland and District tags, i o The inspector explained that bona | fide residents of Virginia are permit: | ted to drive into the Distri i under reciprocity. S {6 CONVICTS ESCAPE \PHILADELPHIA PRISON Climb Over Wall, Hold Up Motor Truck and Speed Out of City. By the Associated Press. victs escaped from the Eastern State penitentiary today after beating a I[zuardv They escaped over a wall, held {uP a motor truck and fled in the di- said to' be armed. Police reports stated that three of the men left the truck before reach- ing 29th and Poplar streets and jump- |ed into a small touring car after way. ing the driver away with their pis- | tols. They continued in the direction of the park. Penitentiary officials _are silent pending an investigation. It was learned that the six convicts with one exception were Philadelphians. The other was from Reading. Pa. The men were part of a “police £ang,” whose duty it was to elean up the prison vard. It was said that one of the prisoners stepped up be- hind a guard, struck him on the head with a Distol and then managed to reach the top of the prison wall be- fore an alarm was sounded. A half hundred policemen and de- tectives were immediately detailed to tr the escaped convicts, most of them using bandit chasing motor cycles and small automobiles. According to Director of Public Safety J. B. Cortelyou, head of the police department, ‘a_warning of a possible escape last Wednesday was received and a guard thrown about the penitentiary, but nothing hap- pened. It was’ said that the tip came from the sister of a convict who had been “double crossed” by a band of prisoners who were plan- ning to escape. SIX, TEXAS HEAT TOLL. Lightning Shocks and Prostrations Accompany Mercury Rise. DALLAS, Tex., July 14.—Six deaths, a number of lightning shocks and prostrations have marked the hot weather of the past few days. The thermometer at Forth Worth yester- day recorded 103 degrees. At Dallas it showed 100. Both figures were records for the season. Five deaths have been caused by lightning, which, for the most part, flashed from cloudless skies. Ghost Mirages Along Rum Row Reported to Naval Office Here ‘With phantomlike rum runners dashing wildly about, coast guard cutters giving chase, bootleggers plying back and forth, an occa- sional aspiring author looking over the ground for atmosphere, and things booming generally around the three-mile limit, lots qf queer happenings are being reported to the Navy's hydrographic office. As an Instance, a peaceable, law- abiding skipper saw recently off Block Island southeast light a col- lier with engines aft and with “Tracy” in white letters on a black fanmel. " The hulF suddenly ‘ap- peared to double its height with only the tops of the mast visible. Then, after ten minutes, the for- ward part lifted.cléar of the actual hull and remained like a cloud at masthead height, quavering a bit and disappearing, only to reappear again, resolve itself into a dis- torted shape and disappear. Soon afterward the skipper saw in the same waters a long line of stakes rising slowly out of the water, and changing in appearance to that of a breakwater, hiding the beach entirely. It might have been likened to a fence at the three-mile limit, but both the skipper and the hydrographic of- fices agreed that both the ship and the fence were unusually clear ~mirages. ma®hines in Washington on out-of- | the traffic bureau, 14th and E streets, | tag to be displayed on the machine, | PHILADELPHIA, July 14.—Six con- | rection of Fairmount Park. Al were | TWO CENTS. U.3.ACTS 10 SCRAP SHIPS SPECIFIED IN LIMITATION TREATY Denby Calls Council to Plan Details—Work Awaits Ratification Filing. UNFINISHED VESSELS PRESENT BIG PROBLEMS Cancellation of Contracts and Com- pensation to Require Much Study. Saving Sought. Definite steps toward fulfilling the terms of the naval limitations treaty, now ratified by all the powers, were taken today by Secretary Den- by, when he called a meeting of a naval council to arrange details of scrapping the battleships abandoned under the limitation program. Although no actual scrapping will take place until the ratifications have been formally exchanged I natory natlons, two na will be appointed immediately, one to consider methods of scrapping and the other to take up cancellation jof contracts for vessels which are | building but which Will not be com- pleted. A tentative drawn up y the sig- 1 boards plan for scrappin ago, is under- omplete that ble to report The . concella will have task in’ arranging de- disposition of the battie- ships and compensation to the con- tractors. While the first board w almost immediately. tion board, however, it is recognized will be much wasted and lost ma- terial, officials expect that a large amount of the steel may be cut and used profitably by the governme either for maintenance of the pe mitted navy, new authorized co: struction and for commercial Urge Work in Navy Yards. One of the questions discussed { today's conference between | Denby and his advisers wi posal that the discarded s dismantled by navy yard | rather than sold on the they stand. No decision wa nd the subject will be considered | again at a meeting here Tuesday. at which all navy yard commandants will be present. that if the Navy It was urged itself undertook the dismantling it nany navy yard em- would provide ployes with work which otherwise by private would be performed terprise. FLAMES DESTROY SRVICE STATION EArIington Motor Company Building at End of Key Bridge Is Burned. that there at ecretary a pro- ps be forces stocks as reached Fire {the Arlington salesroom today practically Motor ervice destroyed Company's station. lo- catea the Virginia end of the ‘Franns ott Key bridge, burned up | eight Ford automobiles stored inside, and threatening destruction to “motor lrow"” and the lumber yard of Joseph ! Gooper, nearb; The fire was caused by the ignition of some gasoline as it was beinxg {drawn out of an automobile in the |service department. A workman, jwhose name could not be obtained, | was draining the tank and was seen {to crawl out from under the a | bile with a blazing can of gasoli {in his hands. He rushed through the |center of the building and threw it into the street, but h actions left |a blazing stream behind him, which set fire to the entire premises Property Gutted. | The property of the Arlington Motor | Company comprised a one-story con- |crete-brick building with a passage- way through the center to a frame |structure wherein the automobiles and |spare parts were located. In the brick building the offices of the com- pany were housed and an automobile ldisplay room was situated. This property was completely gutted, only {the records being saved, while the frame building to the rear was de- stroyed beyond repair. Damage was estimated by D. R. Collin: manager, jas about $20,000, exclu. e of the automobiles. All, however, was cover- ed by insurance, it was said As soon as the flames were discover- ed an unknown woman called on the telephone the Baliston, Clarendon and Cherrydale fire departments, who rushed to the scene. Before they ar- rived the smoke and flames were visible for miles around. Engine company No. 5 and truck company No. 5 of the District fire department went to the scene, and assisted in fighting the fire and protecting _the |trame buildings abutting either side. Gas Tanked Saved. ana at utoro The flames leaped out in front of the building and licked the gasoline- filling pump, but the tank beneath, although in imminent danger of ex- plosion, was saved.by the firemen. As far as could be learned only one person was injured. Henry Bowers, a member of the Balistw volunteer fire department, was cuc on the wrist by glass when, it is said, he was thrown { through a plate-glass window by the | force of water from a District hose. | Bowers was in the building near_the front fighting the fire when the Dis- trict firemen, according to witnesses, lattacked the blaze from the rear. The blast of the hose struck Bowers and carried him through the glass show window. He was taken to George- town Hospital. The fire originated about 10 o'clock, and burned for more th: three-quarters of an hour before it was extinguished. Throughout the | fight firemen poured water on a frame awelling on one side of the burning motor company’s place and likewise pro- tected a service station to the left of it. A large lumber yard, the property of Murphy & Ames, also received atten- tion from the firemen as sparks flew over in its direction. en- °