Evening Star Newspaper, January 27, 1924, Page 1

WEATHER. Fair and cold today: tomorrow fair and warmer; moderate northwest winds. Temperature for twenty-two hours ended at 10 p.m. last night—Highest, 29, at 12 m. yesterday; lowest, 16, at § a.m. yesterday. e Full réport on’page 5. No. -983.—No. 29,125. OIL DEAL PROSECUTIONS DECIDED ON BY COOLIDGE FIRE SWEEPS DOCK AND STEAMER WITH $400,000 DAMAGE; 14 MEN IMPERILED High Wind and Frigid Tem-| perature Make Flames on Midland Difficult to Control. Water Front Threatened. SUPERSTRUCTURE OF SHIP 'COMPLETELY DESTROYED! Gas Explosion Wrecks Corner of Building—Macalestz> Tov.ed to Safety in River—U. S. Owns Structure, But Is Protected by Insurance. Threatening Washington's water front, fire last night swept the Nor- folk and Washington steamer Mid-| land, totally destroying her super- structure, wrecked the company of- fices and burned dock and warehouse Entered as second-class matter. Vost office Washington, D. C. 15-Year Wedding Secret Out When Mother of 3 Dies Special Dispatch to The Star, BALTIMORE, Md., January 26.— A romance which the couple had successtully concealed from thelr relatives and friends for over fifteen years was revealed in the death to- day of Mrs. Marguerite A. McElroy, wife of John M. McElroy, a clerk in the orphans court here. In 1909, Mr. and Mrs. McElroy, who was formerly Miss Marguerite A. Lve of tais city went to New Jersey and were married. The bride returned to her own home, while the bridegroom went to the home of his mother. The marrlage was kept a secret, it is believed, because of {ll health of Mr. McElroy's mother. His parent dled last year, but even then the secret remained unre- vealed. There were three children by the marriage, it became known today, but even Mr. McElroy's most intl- mate friends belleved bhe was un- marreed. Not eveu Mr. McElroy's brother, William F. McElroy, deputy clerk of the criminal court, was aware of his brother's wedding. SOKOLOWSKI SENT BACK T0 POLAND BECAUSE OF RAID to the water’s edge. Before ice-sheathed firemen had checked the ravages of the flames $400,000 damage had been caused, it was unofficially eStimated. Man battled against nature's ele- ments—wind and fire—and came out a badly scarred victor, because the wind happened to lull at a fortunate moment when eyes were turning in every direction to ste whether the billows of sparks had yet ignited surrounding property. Firemen Risk Lives. Firemen risked their lives in the building, as thousands of persons viewed the battle. Before the fight was won five alarms had been rung, bringing out fifteen engines with ac- companying truck and fuel com- panies. The fire started on the dock about T o'clock. Willlam Jack, watchman, discovered it after it had gained much headway. He turned In the first alarm.. WIith three others he unmoored the Midland from the dock and “the little Firefighter, the river craft of the fire department, sought to tow the Midland into the stream. This was where nature interposed the fitst obstacle. The tide was so low, the ship grounded and couldn't be moved. ‘Flames Leap to Ship. Meanwhile fire had jumped from the dock to the steamer, and before tho engines could get hose Into play,j iz was licking the port side just abaft of midship and sending its tongues into the inner portions of the | boat.. Wlilliam Jack and Jack Hart| were aboard attempting to stop the ! fire when ‘they were trapped by the | flames. A sixty-five-foot ladder was rigged up at the bow and they were taken: off, the former suffering se- verely from the smoke. Water came in feeble streams and Jooked 1lke toy sprinklers playing on & mountainous bonfire. “Yank” Sul- livan, deputy chief, and James Kell-{ ner, First battallon chief, went to, the Féar and organized the fight from that angle. George Watson, chief, directed operations from the front. Before half an hour had elapsed fifteen ongine companles had been hooked up and thirty streams of water’ were playing on the flames. ‘Wind Was Bad Factor. Meanwhile, the wind was sweeping along at a furlous rate, from the Hughes Tells Minister Wrob- ilewski Secretary Abused Liquor Immunity Privilege. Dr. Venceslas Sokolowski, secretary of the Polish legation, has been sent back to Warsaw as the result of a liquor rald in December, when $35,000 worth of liquor was found In the cel- lar of the house where he resided, at 1954 Columbla road, by vice squad ralders and speclal agents of the Treasury Department. One little sentence in a letter from Secretary Hughes to Dr. Wroblewsk!, minister of Poland, made public la: night, tells the story: “I understand, from information with which you have been so good as to furnish the department, that Dr. Sokolowski has been transferred to Warsa was not made public. This marks the first definite action with relation to a forelgn representa- tive implicated In an excess supply of liquor in dry America. Thinks Supply Excessive. While Secretary Hughes mentioned that entry of the apartment of Dr. Sokolowskl was “a matter of con- cern” and deeply regretted, he stated also that Dr. Sokolowsk! seemingly had “a quantity of alcoholic bever- ages greatly in excess of that which the privileges and immunfties in this regard * * * would justify.” Dr. Sokolowskl occupled the. third floor of the Columbia road house. Running down clues in a liquor con- spiracy case, vice squad members and Treasury agents under Lieut. O. T. Davis and Elmer Irey arrived at 1954 Columbia road with a warrant. * They say they didn’t know anything about a diplomat living there. When they thought they had located the cache of liquor they were confronted by Dr. Scokolowskl, who claimed diplomatic immunity for the intoxicants. That stopped the selzure. The letter from Secretary Hughes and its inclosure, which follows, are regarded by dry leaders as marking the start of a determined policy of the government with reference to liquor supplies in embassies and le- (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) Marinés Meet Waterloo in Shape ‘The time of the recall | WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION Sunday Star. WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 27, 1924 _NINETY PAGES. 10 BELEVED DEAD INMINE EXPLLSION ATSHANKTONN, PA. Hope Virtually Abandoned When Black Damp and! Water Invade Passages. —_ i HEAVY FALL OF ROCK SLOWS RESCUE WORK Men, Women and Children, Ignor- ing Cold, Wait in Heavy Snow. By the Associated Press. SHANKTOWN, Pa, January Hope for the lives of some forty min- ers, entombed /late today by an ex- | plosion in the Lancashire mine of the Barnes & Tucker Coal Company here, was prdctically given up tonight when rescue workers reported that the wrecked mine was dense with “black damp” and that water was rising rapidly In the underground passageways. The fanhouse of the mine was | wrecked by the terrific blast and the fan was put out of commission. The Ipoison gas, the water, the lack of fresh air and a heavy fall of rock |impeded the progress of volunteer rescue workers, who dug vallantly ln] fan effort to reach the entombed men. ! 26— Gas Sloys Rescue Work. Otheg rescuers were sent in, for it was soon discovered that the deadly €as was so thick a man could work only a ehort while. Fighting their way through the rising water, the rescuers mads thelr way toward the sixth.heading. But at heading num- ber four they found a fall of rock, which, it was believed, extended back to the sixth. Halted by the fail, the miners used & hammer to signal on an air pipe to their entombed fellow workers, but the signals werc unan- swered, and hopes gave way to despair. On the surface there was the usual gathering of men, women and chil- dren; some related to the miners who had been trapped. Stricken dumb by the disaster, they were unmindful of the intense cold, a heavy snow and a high wind. The mercury stood at two degrees below zero. After a careful check of the miners on the Lancashire payroll, Supt. Ham- {iton- estimated that from forty' to forty-five miners had been trapped. Dust Blamed for Bl While the cause of the explosion was not known, miners familiar with the workings expressed the bellef that it was a dust explosion, as the Lancashire was known to be”free from gas. > Shortly after 10 p.m., word came from the mine that the rescuers, dig- ging through the fall of rock, had (Continued on Page 3, Column 2.) e MERCHANT KILLS SELF. Slashes Throat After Fire in Store Killed Seven. LYNDONVILLE, Vt., January 26.— Albert Stern, in whose bullding a fire started last Monday night, causing a loss of seven lives and $500,000 property damage, committed suicide today by slashing his throat. Stern, who conducted a clothing store'ia the bullding, had been call- ed as a witness at an inquest into the fire set for next Monday. A preliminary investigation developed the fact that Stern was in his store ten minutes before the flames were discovered. . of Maryland Hamlet in Taxi Seizure, northwest—the worst possible direc- tion. It took the fire and threw it from the dock to the steamer and on the steamer to. its most Inaccessible portions. It picked up sparks and sent them swirling across the sky to- ward the steamer Charles Macalester. The sparks carried blocks. They , 11t on a house on 6th street and called an_engine company away to put out an inciplent blaze. The police tug finally towed the Macalester well out tafo_the channel, and a private yacht, The Courler, with' a few awnin wblaze, was also taken out of the danger zone. = A cordon of firemen with lines were placed between the Norfolk boat and the - adjoining, eastern property,- to stop any spread by sparks. On the Charles Macalester's wharf, Arthur Barr, helping to cut the| steamer loose, slipped on the ice and was’ pitching “toward the river wmnl he was caught by C. Bowman, 338 M Btre southwest, and Elmer Garner of 623 M street southwest. Alded by Policeman M. D. Smith of the fourth precinct, they dragged him back to safety. Explesion in Building. Théh the northeast corner of ‘the cbmpany’s bullding blew out in an explosion. Luck had placed firemen in positions out of danger. None was hurt. Gas escaping from fixtures— since it was impossible to stop ft at . the main—had colledted. 4 Still another thrill came later. A ‘on on ), Column 2.) Pride of Headquarters Corps Languishes in Jail Pondering On Vagaries of Private Detectives. “From the halls of Montezuma “To the shore of Tripoll— Loudly may the proud Marines sing how they fight their country's battles on the land and on the sea. But whenever they mention the drowsy Maryland hamlet of Upper Marlboro hereafter they will whisper it. For there the flower of the corps —the pick of the picked headquarters personnel—languishes today behind prison’ bars. Fér once the Marine Corps is the “goat.” Boy, page Gen. Butler. 2 The ten brave, bold' “highwaymen” who unwittingly held up eight driv- ers for the Pennant Taxicab Corpora- tion and stole their cars, under the directlon of operatives for the Burns Detective Agency, were brought back from Baitimore last night.by Sherift John J. Fing of Prince' Georges county and five members- of the Maryland state police. And a sadder but wiser platoon they were—“just boobs and rookies,” they admitted. A silver-tongued private detective, promise of a free round trip to New York with $5 a day to boot and the marines’ natural love of adventure was their undoing, according to the -~ 1 I 1 story the dejected devil .dogs related to Justice John H. Stanford in the Central police court in Baltimore yes- terday before a convulsed audience. Here 18 the story as they told it to the judge: Promised New York Trip. One.day last week D. A. Anderson, manager of the Washington office of the Burns Detective Agency, appeared at Marine Corps headquarters and told the devil dogs there he had & number of taxicabs he wanted driven to New York. The first eighteen men to volunteer, he sald, would receive thelr expenses to the metropolis and back and pay of $5 a day. The rush was precipitate. Friday evening they were met by Anderson, W. C. Pantra and B. J. O'Day, the latter also operatives for the Burns Agency. Told to “hire” the first Pennant taxies they and motorto Upper Marlboro, marines dutifully obeyed. Once in" Upper Marlboro the Pen- nant cabs were conflscated by 'the detectlves,’ the others were sent back and the next leg of the journey was begun_toward . Baltimore. -There.the (Contlinued on Page 4, Column 3.) W the = ’ SEE POLITICAL CAPITAL IN OIL LEASE SCANDAL Democrats Counting Their Eggs Early,' While President’s Friends Are Grati- - fied by His Attitude. BY N, 0. MESSENGER, President Coolidge's friends and political supporters are gratified at the attitude which White House authoritative reports credit him twith taking in the ofl lease scandal, and with the promptitude With which heijs making the gov- ernment’s positions known. To be sure, nothlug else was expected from him, and it is realized that he {5 not actuated by political motives, but a sense of public duty and the responsibility upon the Chlef Executive. Nevertheless, political reaction in favor of the administration is expected from his course and 1is being taken into consideration by the politiclans. Republicans say they -are entitled to take account of the fact that the democrats are seeking, while pursuing the laud- able effort to uncover possible malfeasance In public office, to make all the political capital pos- sible out of the situation for the 86,200 IN STOLEN GEMS RECOVERED New York Sleuths Led to Denver Cache by Man Indict- ed in Schoellkopf Robbery. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 26.—FPolice Inspector John D. Coughlin an- nounced tonight that $86,200 of the $300,000 worth of jewels stolen from Mrs, C. P. Hugo Schoellkopt <ot Buffalo In the early morning hours of January 1, 1923, after a New Year eve party in 1922, were found in Denver, this week, in a sealed fruit jar. - Detective Martin S. Owens was led to the cache in Denver by John'W. Mahan, former Broadway gem dealer, who 1s now under $10,000 bail on an indictment charging criminal ‘re- ceipt of the stolen jewels. Mahan's confession, Inspector Coughlin stated, cleared all details of the robbery. Mahan stated in his confession that he paid Eugene Moran and Albert Hurwith, both of whom aré in'Tombs prison awalting sentence for par- ticipation in the crime, $37,000 for the entire loot. Gems Imsured for $288,000. The stolen jewels were insured for $286,000, but gince they were bought their value is belleved to have in- creased beyond the estimate of $300,000 given by Mrs. Schoellkopt after the robbery. The detective bureau made a mys- tery of the place in Denver where the jewels were found, the trip having been made without the knowledge of the Denver police. F. J. Harris, sec- retary to C. P. Hugo Schoellkopt of Buffalo, Mahan on the journey, it was said, and identified the jewelry. < When the party left New York neither Harris nor Owens knew where Mahan was taking them, ac- ‘cording to"the story at headquarters. “We will have to travel north, then west and then soutl Mahan was quoted as saying before the mysteri- trip began. “It s a two-and-a- half-day journey, but I will get the (Continued on Page 4, Column 7. - accompanied Owens - and, | benefit of the democratic party in | the coming presidential campaign. | * *x X ¥ | Republicans say they are con- vinced that the country h: 1 confidence in President c&i purpose, his courage and Miw in- tent to carry on with such action as facts warrant, without fear or favor. They do not belleve that in the long run the country will let his candidacy suffer from causes far out of his control in their inception. Hfs friends assert that he will promptly justify this confidence of the country and that he can be counted upon, as the Chief Execu- tive of the nation, to carry out the admonition of the Constitu- tion to see to it that the laws are faithfully administered. * x ¥ ¥ One feature of President Cool- idge's candidacy which cause (Continued on Page 3, Column 3.) TODAY’S STAR PART ONE—S2 Pages. General News—Local, National, Foreign, m‘;lonal Political Survey—Pages 14 and Schools and Colleges—Pages 20 and 21, Radio News and Gossip—Pages 26 and Reviews of New Books—Page 28. Financlal News—Pages 30 and 31, PART TWO—14 Pages. Editorials and Editorial Features, Washington and Other Soclety. of Well Known Folk—Page 12. Army and Navy News—Page 13. D. A. R. Actlvities—Page 13, Notes of Art and Artists—Page 14, D. C. National Guard—Page 14. Around the City—Page 14. Parent.Teacher Activities—Page 14. Spanish War Veterans—Page 14. + *PART THREE—I12 Pages. Amusements—Theaters and the Photo- Music In’ Washington—Page 5. Motors and Motoring—Pag Fraternities—Page 10. Veterans of the Great War—Page 10, Young Folks’ Page—Page 11. Girls and Thelr Affaire—Page 11. Girl Scouts—Page 11, - Boy Scouts—Page 11. to 9, PART FOUR—4 Pages. ~ * Pink Spdrts Section, PART FIVE—S Pages. Magazine Section—Features and Fiction. PART SIX—8 Pages. Classified Advertising. . At the Community Centers—Page 7. The Public Library—Page 7. News of the Clubs—Page 8. The Clvijian Army—Page 8. GRAPHIC SECTION—S Pagés. World ‘Events in Pictures. ,COMIC SECTION—4 Pages. 1 Mutt and Jeff; Reg'lar Fellers; Betty; ' Mr. and Mr: Rules for The Star's *Béest News Story™ Prize Contest May be had by calling at.the Business Office of-The Star or by mall if 3-cent stamp s inclosed. | WESTHER BULLETIN Anotuer CoLp wave CoMING | \ . 0.P. STILL SPLIT ON TAX PLAN STAND Groups Fail to Agree on In- .come Rates—Community Provision Passed. The House ways and means commit- tee @dvanced a step nearer the income tax rates of the revenue bill yesterday with disposition in part of the com- munity property tax section of the pend- ing measure, but two groups of repub- licans falled at meetings to unite their forces. for the impending income rates fight. Secretary Mellon’s recommendation to prohibit husbands and wives from divid- ing family incomes for purposes of fil- ing separate tax returns, as allowed. in eight states, was rejected in commit- tee on a bipartisan vote. Another vote, however, will be taken tomorrow on a proposal of Chairman Green to prohibit such divisions of incomes when re- ceived alone from wages and salaries. Secretary Mellon estimated adoption of this section would net $8,000,000 2ddi- tional revenues. Whether the republicans will unite on a party bill in committee or make new overtures to the democrats for a compromise on the Mellon bill was the subject of discussions at a meet- ing of the republican steering com- mittee and at a conference of re- publican members of the ways and means committee. No action, how- éver, was taken. Meanwhile demo- cratic members of the committee maintained their attitude of passive resistance to the Mellon bill, await- “From Press to Home Within the Hour” ‘The Star is delivered every evening and gom'h{. morning to Washington homes at cent month. Telephone Main 5000 and service will start immediately. FIVE CENTS. BI-PARTISAN COUNSEL TO FIGHT GOVERNMENT CASE BEFORE COURTS President Promises Public In- terest Will Be Protected in Taking Legal Action. FOUR-FOLD OBJECT INVOLVED, WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT SAYS To Punish Guilty, Enforce Civil Liability, Reveal Fraud and Annul Leases If Illegal. President Coolidge has decided to employ special counsei drawn from both the republican and democratic parties to pro- ceed with court action as a result of evidence adduced at the Senate committee hearings on the leasing of naval oil lands. In a statement issued at midnight, the President declared that “counsel will be instructed to prosecute these cases in the courts so that if there is any guilt it will be punished; if there is any civil liability, it will be enforced; if there is any fraud, it will he re- ealed, and if there are any contracts which are illegal. they will be cancelled.” Precedent Is Found. The President determined upon this course afte~ neing ad- vised by the Department of Justice that it was in accordance with precedents. Explaining that the Justice Department had been observing the evidence unfolded in the Senate committee, the executive in his statement asserted that “every law will be en- forced and every right of the people and the government will be protected.” White House officials in making public the statement said that the special counsel would be appointed just as soon as selec- tions could be made. Text of Statement. The formal announcement follows: “It is not for the President to determine criminal guilt or render judgment in several causes. That is the function of the courts. It is not for him to prejudge. I shall do neither. But when facts are revealed to me that require action for the purpose of insuring the enforcement of either civil or criminal liability, such action will be taken. That is the provinue of the executive. “Acting under my direction, the Department of Justice has been ws- serving the course of the evidence which has been revealed at the hearings conducted by the senatorial committee investigating certain oil leases made on naval reserves, which I believe warrant action for the purpose of enforcing the law and protecting the rights of the public. This is con- firmed by reports made to me from the committee. If there has been any crime it must be prosecuted. If there has been any property of the United States illegally transferred or leased it must be recovered. Public Entitled to Know. “I feel the public is entitled to know that in the conduct of such actions no one is shielded for any party, political or other reasons. As I understand men are involved who belong to both political parties, and, having been advised 'by the Department of Justice that it is in accord with former precedents, I propose to employ special counsel of high rank drawn from both politfal parties to bring such actions for the enforce- ing a move by the republicans to sup- | ment of the law. Counsel will be instructed to prosecute these cases in port or compromise on the Treasury recommendations. Upon completion of consideration of the community property taxes to- morrow, the committes will proceed under its program to discussion of the proposals for additional reduc- tion in taxes on earned income. Two days probably will be given to this subject and then income rates will be taken up, The bill must be re- ported to the House by February 11. Yeung Offers Plan, During consideration of the com- munity property section yesterday Representative Young,. rebublican, North Dakota, submitted a motion to compel the husband or wife in charge of a family income to file a joint re- turn for the entire income. This would prohibit, he continued, evasion 'of high surtax rates by the splitting of incomes between a husband and wite. Representative Crowther, republi- can,. New. York, who supported ‘the motion, said Joseph McCoy, Treasury actuary, had estimated such a pro- vision would yield-$220,000,000 addi- tional revenue. The committee de- ferred action on the motion. —_— e RUM TREATY TO CAUSE NO TROUBLE,GEDDES SAYS “Hour’s Steaming” Clause Easy to Interpret, Retiring Am- ‘bassador Asserts. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 26—Sir Auckland Geddes, retiring British ambassador, when leaving for -home today on the Aquitania gave an in- terpretation of .the clause in the rum-running treaty with Great Brit- ain which refers to an hour's steam- ing distance.from American shores. “The provision will cause no diffi- culty,” he sald. “When a vessel is boarded by customs officers or other officials it will be easy to determine her speed from examination of the engines The distance can ‘be esti- mated closely and®the time she would need to traverse it determined.” the courts, so that if there is any guilt it will be punished; if there is any civil liability it will be enforced; if there is any fraud it will be re- vealed, and if there are any contracts which are illegal they will be can- celed. Every law will be enforced, and every right of the people and the government will be protected.” Offers Lease Cancellation. An offer to have reconveyed to the government the rich naval ofl reserve in California and other ofl contracts entered Into by the Pan-American Petroleum and Transport Company after E. L. Doheny had loaned Albert B. Fall, then Secretary of .the In- terlor, $100,000 on his personal note, was submitted to the Senate ol com- mittee yesterday by Gavin McNab, counsel for Mr. Doheny. ‘The offer carries a single stipula- tion—that the company be reimbursed for expenditures made In the Pearl Harbor government oil reservoir de- velopment and willingness is ex- pressed that payment be made in oil from. oftset wells sunk in the Call- fornia reserve at the request of the overnment to prevent drainage of that fleld. These wells then would be surrendered. Although this offer is a modifica- tion of the original proposal for re- conveyance should & board of experts determine that the contracts were not wise, advantageous and the best that the government could have made, the committee decided to transmit it to the Senate tomorrow without recommendation. In the committes discussion objection was raised that the offer had not been signed by Mr. Doheny, but by his counsel. Some sen- ators expressed doubt of the wisdom of passing upon the proposal in that form. | with Senators Walsh, democrat, Mor- tana, who has had the lead in the prosecution of the oil inquiry, and Caraway. The resolution would “authorize and requests” the President to in- stitute immediately legal proceedings looking to annulment of the Teapot Dome, Wyo., reserve lease to the Sinclair interests; to enjoin further extraction of oil from the reserve and to “employ special counsel who shall have charge of the prosecution of such litigation, asything in the statutes touching tne powers of the Attorney General or the Department of Justice to the contrary, notwith- standing.” Hold Up Resolution. A similar resolution respecting the California naval reserve lease to the Doheny interests was offered by Rep- resentative Garrett, but some mem- bers of the Senate committes said such a resolution would be withhetd by the Senate until there had been discussion of the Doheny offer. There was intimation, however, that unless the Doheny proposal was submitted In writing over the signature of Mr. Doheny himself the resolution might be pressed later. Coolldge Asks Probe. While the Senate committee was {re-examining Archie Roosevelt, son of the former President, and G. D. ‘Wahlberg, former secretary to Har- ry F. Sinclair, In an effort to get more light on the relations between Sinclair and Fall, President Coolidge called on the Interior Department for expert advice as to the wisdom of the policy under which the Doheny and Sinclair Interests obtained leases from Mr. Fall for the California and (Wyoming oil reserves. Fall to Testify Tuesday. Plan Substitute Measure. Independent of the Doheny offer. democratic leaders reached an agree- ment ‘yesterday whereby a substitute | for the Caraway Teapot Dome lease | cancellation resolution will be offered in the Senate tomorrow with a vjew to its speedy adoption, probably on that day. It will be In the same| The former Secretary was to have general form as a resolution offered | been' heard tomorrow, but Chairman in the House yesterday by Repre-;Lenroot announced last night that his sentative Garrett of Tennessee, the examination had been deferred until democratic leader, after a conference | (Continued on Page 10, Column L) o