Evening Star Newspaper, December 19, 1926, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. S. Weather Bureau Partly cloudy and not Tomorrow perature—Highest, 24, lowest, 10, at 8 a.m. ves Full report on page 7. No. 1,135—No. 30,182. TENNEW CRUISERS ASKED WHILE THREE Butler Bill, Approved by| President, Is Seen as Comoromise Plan. OPPONENTS OF MEASURE CALL FOR APPROPRIATION Friends of Navy Want Money for| Vessels Already Authorized Before Planning More. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. ‘With startling suddenness Chair- man Butler' of the House naval af-| fairs committee yesterday introduced a bill authorizing the construction of 10 new light cruisers, 10,000 tons each. He followed it up with an assertion | that the proposed authorization was in harmony with the plans of the President for national defense. Chair- _man Butler and four other members | of his committee, including Repre- | sentative Vinson of Georgla, ranking Democratic member, conferred wilhl the President at length at the White | House Friday night. Coming on the heels of the Presi- dent's budget message, scarcely 10 days old, in which the President has opposed an appropriation at this time for three light cruisers already au- thorized by Congress because this country “is now engaged in negotia- tions to broaden our existing treaties with the great powers which deal with the elimination 6f competition in naval ;armaments,” the introduction of the bill, apparently with the Presi- dent’s approval, caused no little mysti- fication. Seen as Compromise. After an examination of the pro- posal, however, friends of the Navy in Congress declared that it was. no more than an effort on the part of the administration to compromise, no more than a promise to build 10 cruisers in the future—perhaps-with the understanding that nothing would | done at the present session to go! ahead with the construction of the three cruisers aiready authorized. Members of Congress .who favor building up the Nayy at once to ap- |’ proximately the 5-5-3-1.67-1.67 ratio provided at the Washington naval limitation conference in 1922 declared flatly against it as a substitute for an appropriation at the present session to work on the three cruisers al y. authorized. i “The proposed authorization,” said oné, “amounts to little more than a resolution flvofln‘l more ships. We could do far more for the Navy if we | offered and supported an amendment to the naval appropriation bill for the construction n’ the three ships already authorized.” Another wanted to know what as- surance, if any, could be had that the Budget Bureau would ever favor an estimate for the construction of these ships. Butler Says They Will Be Built. “Is there any more assurance such an estimate would be forthcoming for | the ten ships than for the three ships now authorized?” demanded another. Chairman Butler, on the other hand, insisted that the 10 ships would be constructed; that they would be the Dbest of their type, limited only to the | 10,000 tonnage and S$-nch caliber of | guns fixed for cruisers in the naval limitation treaty. ‘When pressed to say when the ap- | propriations would be made, Mr. But- ler was more vague, suggesting that supplemental estimates at the present session were a possibility. 1 Mr. Vinson on.the other hand, was not vague about the matter at all He pointed out that there probably would be no time to put through the | authorization bill and then make ap- | propriations before the end of the| present session of Congress March 4. He insisted, however, that the appro- priations would be forthcoming dur- ing the next Congress, beginning next December. Mr. Vinson expressed, too, the opin- ion that the new program wiped the three cruisers now authorized off the slate. In other words, the authoriza- | tion of the 10 cruisers is to be a sub- | stitute for the 3 cruisers already suthorized. May Be Notice to World. In some quarters it was interpreted as notice to the world that the admin- | istration was weary of postponements | of further naval limitation by the | powers and that the United States in- | tended to go ahead without further | delay to bring its Navy up to the! 5-5-3-1.67-1.67 ratio lald down at the Washington _conference in 1921.2. Since the Washington _conterence | Great Britain, Japan, France and | Italy have gone ahead with new naval | craft, while the United States has | practically stood still. The bill introduced by Chaitman | Butler follows: ‘ “That the President of the United | States is hereby authorized to under- | take the construction of 10 scout | cruisers carrying protection and arma- | anent suited o their size and type, to | have the highest practicable speed | and the greatest desirable radius of action, and to cost, exclusive of armor | and armament, not to exceed $10, | 500,000 each | “Provided, That the construction of | the vessels herein authorized shall be subject to the limitations prescribed by the treaty limiting naval “arma- ment, ratified August 17, 1923. “Section 2. That in the event of an international conference for the limitation of naval armaments the President is hereby empowered, in hig discretion, to suspend in wholé or in part, any or all construction author. ized in this act.” In Harmony With Message. The second section of the bill seems to be in entire harmony with the tenor of the President’s budget. mes- and his annual message, in which he spoke hopefully of the possibility | of another naval limitation conference to tackle the problem of auxiliary craft. It was pointed out last night, how- ever, that even if the United States constructed every one of these pro- posed new cruisers and Great Britain should add no new cruisers to its fleet this country would still lag behind. Information so far at hand shows the new cruiser program does not con- ntinued on Page 5, Column 1.) rain and warmer. i phasize the {issue. Forecast.) quite so cold. Tem- at 3 pm.; terday. Entered as second class matter post office, Washington, D. C. FALL-DOHENY JUROR REVEALS INSIDE STORY OF ACQUITTAL| Majority Convinced From First That ST A!M_I FUNDS' $100.000 Loan Was Friendly Matter. He Says—Teus How Two Held Out. BY PAUL Y. ANDERSON. Washington Correspondent of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The full and intimate story of what happened behind thé locked doors of the jury room during the 19 hours that 12 men struggled to arrive at a verdict in the Fall-Doheny case, and how they finally agreed, is here told publicly for the first time. It was obtained yvesterday from one of the jurors, who asked that his name be withheld. The action of the jury in the crim- inal case can be summarized as fol- lows: A majority of the jurors were con- vinced that the $100,000 which [o- heny sent Fall in a little brown bag was a friendly loan to an old pal and had no connection with the lease which Fall afterward gave Doheny. They were convinced that respcy- he WASHINGTON, D. sibility on the Government's side for making the lease was not Fall's alone, but was divided among several offi- cials, including the then Secretary of the Navy, Edwin Denby. They were convinced that President Harding knew the facts about the lease and approved it. They were persuaded that Dohény acted from patriotic motives in seeking the lease. They were very favorably impressed with the testimony and appearance of Doheny and his wife on the wit- ness stand. They were not influenced by Fall's failure to testify. They be- lieved that Fall and Doheny were men of high character, incapable of con- spiring to rob the Government. In short, they accepted virtually all of the principal contentions advanced by_the defense. None of them was aware of the| judgment which should be rendered | in the civil suit affl some of them were _much _disturbed when they d_on Page 4, Column 2 DAWES LAYS SLUSH T0 DIREGT PRIMARY Urges Return to Convention System to Glean Up Pol- itics of Nation. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, December 18.— Top- heavy campaign funds and all the evils that attend them were laid at the door of the direct primary system tonight by Vice President Dawes, who argued in an after-dinner speech here for a return to the old methods of choosing political nominees by con- vention. The Vice President mentioned no names, but he reminded his audience of “recent political events” under the primary plan and declared politics had reached a stage where a candidate for State or National office must have either a fortune or a going political organization behind him if he hopes to succeed. With this declaration, Gen. Dawes linked a renewal of his plea for ve- vision of the Senate rules to prevént a few individuals in Congress from so obstructing legislation as to put the Government into a predicament “against which the common sense of the whole country cries out.” The address was delivered before the Pennsylvania Society of New York and was the second in which the Vice President had attacked the pri- | maky system. KRepresentative Government Gone. “That which distinguishes the American Republic from the many re- publics of the past which have failed i1s the fact that its Constitution has made it a representative government,” he said. ““This principle was long rec- ognized in the government of politi- ca) parties in this country, but in the reaction against political corruption and inefficiency we have passed pri- mary laws which have done away with representative government of political parties. “The rapid expansion of State and municipal business and patronage, coupled with the indifference of quali- fled voters, half of whom do not go to the polls dat a general election and many less to the primaries, often re- sults in the nomination of candidates selected and controlled by those hav- ing a business interest in the continu- ance of an existing administration. Their election afterward because of the habit of party regularity on the part of the impartial voter means the rule of an olgarchy and the loss of free and clean government. “Under the old convention system such a condition would encourage the drafting ~and nomination of clean candidates by the opposition party in order to gain an advantage from a clear issue at the polls between clean and unclean ~overnment. Can’t Draft Best Men. “Under the primary system, how- ever, the opposition cannot draft its strongest men as candidates to em- The opposition party is as likely to choose unknown or incompetent men as candidateg, as if the chance did not exist to make good government an fissue by proper nominations. “The primary system is responsible for an enormous and improper use of money in contests under it and is steadily tending te debauch our electo- rate. “Since it lessens the opportunity of minority parties properly to make an issue of corruption before the public, it largely insures immunity to vote buyers from political or legal conse- quences, with resultant increase in their activity. So_immense are the sums which must be spent to advertise himself to the people under the primary system, even along legitimate liges, by a com- aratively unknown candidate for a tate or National office, that under those circumstances only a very rich man, a man with rich men behind him, or a man with an organization behind and generally controlling him, |is likely to succeed. i “The primary system is responsible | for the election by parties of some men whose chief effort after election “(Continued on Page 4, Column 4.) By the Associated Press. POTTSVILLE, Ark., December 18. —A Santa Claus, arriving several days ahead of schedule, abandoned the usual role of giver for that of taker in a call on the Citizens’ Bank here today. ‘Wearing a Santa Claus mask, a man entered the bank, wished Roy Falls, cashier, a merry Christmas and, draw- ing a revolver, commanded him to hold up his hands. Falls had the Christmas spirit and thought the man was joking. He con- tinued to wait on a customer until a moment later another an, his face Bank Is Robbed of $4.200 by ‘Santa Claus"; N VO SHO ELIS VETIRY Complete Count Reveals 93 of Every 100 in City Believe in God. More than 93 out of every 100 Washingtonians are believers in God, it is shown by the poll of religious sen- timent completed yesterday by The | Star as part of a national census on this subject. A total of 2,527 ballots reached the office before the close of the balloting at noon yesterday. Of this number 2,360 professed a belfef | in God; 155 denied God and 12 left the voting space for this question blank. The results of the poll were mailed to New York last night where tabula- tions are to be made of the votes of the readers of 150 newspapers through- out the country. From the indica- tion thus far in the poll, Washing- ton is apparently well up among the leaders, if not the leader, of cities with the greatest number of believers in God and religion. Believers Acknowledge God. Exactly 2,000 of those voting re- ported that they were active church members and 2,230 declared that they | would not want their familjes rnred! in communities where there were no churches. | The greatest number of affirmative ballots returned were those expressing belief in God; the second greatest num. ber were the 2,326 affirmative answers to the question as to whether religion in some form is a necessary element in the life of the individual and of the | community. | Almost as many failed to mark the | space to the eleventh question on send- ing children to schools of religious in- struction as did mark it. This was ex- plained in scores of instances by notes stating the voter to be unmarried or to have had a family grown up. Results of Poll. The results of the poll were: 1. Do you belleve in God? 2,360; no, 155; not voting, 12. Do you belleve in immortality? Yes, 2,260; no, 226; not voting, 41. 3. Do you believe in prayer as a means of personal relationship with God? Yes, 2,266, no, 244; not vot- ing, 17. 4. Do you believe that Jesus was divine as no other man was divine? Yes, 2,177; no, 320; not voting, 30. 5. Do you regard the Bible as in- spired in a sense that no other liter- ature could be said to be inspired? Yes, 2,129; no, 365; not voting, 33. 6. Are you an active member of | any church? Yes, 2,000; no, 497; not voting, 30. 7. Do you regularly attend any re- ligious service? Yes, 2,017; no, 482; not voting, 28, “Family Worship” Question. 8. Would you be willing to have | your family grow up in a-community in which there is no church? Yes, 247; no, 2,230; not voting, 50. 9. Do you regularly have ‘“family worship” in your home? Yes, 936; no, 1,367; not voting, 224. 10. Were you brought up in a relig- jous home? ~ Yes, 2,298; no, 214; not voting, 15. 11. Do you send vour children to any school of religious instruction? Yes, 1,098: no, 300; not voting, 1,129. 12. Do you think that religion in some form is a necessary element of life for the individual and for the community? Yes, 2,326; no, 175; not voting, 26. 2 . 300-POUND WIFE LOSES. Beats Up 130:Pound Husband, But Is Denied Divorce. CHICAGO, December 18 (#).—Mrs. Margaret M. Frank, 300 pounds, was denied a diverce today from George D. Frank, 130 pounds, whom she charged with cruelty. . Judge G. F. Rush learned that in a domestic clash she had broken two of_her husband’s ribs. Frank was alleged to have $200,000 which he was concealing. Yes, Cashier Thinks Move Is Yuletide Prank| masked with a spotted handkerchief, entered with a gun. Ordering Falls, an assistant cashier and three customers to line up against a wall, the two men grabbed up $4,200 in cash, entered a waiting automobile, fired a shot into a small crowd on the street, apparently to discourage pur- suit, and fled. A machine suspected of containing the bank robbers passed through Russellville, near here, shortly after at a high rate of speed, officers” here were advised. Peace officers through- out the State have bekh notified to watch for the men.” Samdi WITH DAILY EVENING EDITION C., SUNDAY MORNI “HOME RULE" BILL FORD. C. OFFERED IN HOUSE BY REID Provides for Five-Member Board of Commissioners Named by President. BODY WOULD HAVE FULL POWER IN CITY AFFAIRS 111 New Duties and Powers Set Forth, and Further Data Prom- ised to Explain Them. The much-discussed “home rule” bill for the District of Columbia was in- troduced in the House late vesterday by Representative Frank R. Reid, Re publican, of Illinois, a member of the House District committee and of the special Gibson subcommittee of seven members directed to make a system- atic study of the municipal admin istration. It provides for an enlarged Board of Commissioners, consisting of five members, one at large to be chairman and the others representing the geo- graphical sections of the city—all to Fe appointed by the President without any requirement of confirmation by the Senate. It is his thought that in this way the governing body will be more rep- resentative. The Reid bill provides, also, specifi- cally for giving these commissioners full power to administer the munici- pal affairs, subject to the approval of Congress, and gives them 111 dutles and powers in addition to those they | now have. Reld Explains Bill. Mr. Reid issued a statement in ex- planation of his Bill as follows: ‘‘After a year’s study of the con- ditions in the District of Columbia as a member of the House District com- mittee, I have introduced a bill to give home rule to the District. The bill has been vary carefully drafted after an exhaustive study, comparison ard analysis of the home-rule statutes of the various States and after con- sultation with the District officials and representatives of the . citizens’ or- ganizations. “The bill is not offered with any idea that it is a ‘cure-all’ for District ills, but as @ contribution to the effort that is being made by the House District committee to solve gome of the prob- lems that are peculiar-to this city ow- ing to the unusual status which it oc- cupies as a Federal city and the seat of the National Government. It is hoped that the bill will be helpful to the committee and serve as a basis for further study and investigation. Two Chief Complaints. “There have been presented two principal complaints against the pres. ent system of munieipal control—the first, by the District, that it is not allowed to govern its own internal affairs, but is under the complete demination of Congress and has to go to> Congress to secure authority for the slightest municipal act; the sec- cnd, by Congress, that it is burdened with the consideration of a myriad of details concerning the District, which take away the time and atten- tion that should be given to national legislation. ' In other words, Congress is acting as a city council for a terri- tory with which the members are not especially familiar and in which their interest, in the first instance, does not lie, their responsibility and concerh being, as it should be, primarily with their constituencies. “The bill which has been introduced is intended to answer these com- piaints, first by enlarging the Board <t Commissioners to H\S and making them more truly representative of the city, and second by granting to'| them full power to administer the municipal affairs of the city, subject to approval of Congress, but without requiring authority of Congress for each act of administration. Based on Illinois Statute. “The bill contains three sections and is largely based upon the home rule statute of Illinois, wherein the Legislature of that State has given to each city broad, general power to con- trol its own affairs. Section 1 of the bill states that it shall be known as | I the ‘home rule act for the District of Columbia.” ‘“‘Section 2 provides that the Presi- dent shall appoint five Commisgioners, one each from the Northwest, North- east, Southwest and Southeast, and one to be appointed from the city at large. population of Washington, of course, (Continued on Page 4, Column 6.) MODERATION OF COLD WAVE IS EXPECTED Temperature in Next Two Days Will Return to Normal for Season. Slight moderation in the cold snap. which tumbled the thermometer to its lowest level of the season, is prom- ised today by the Weather Bureau, The cold wave will. begin to dissi- pate slowly this morning and within the rext 36 hours the Weather Bu. rean expects a return to the Decem- ber normal. The weather today will be cold and crisp, however, but the | mercury probably will climb past the freezing point and that will be a ma- terial improvement over yesterday, ‘when it reached a maximum of 24. The rise in temperature undoubt- edly will bring rain tomorrow, accord-, ing to the Weather Bureau. No snow is on the meteorological horizon for Washington this week, much to the regret of the “white Christmas™ | advocates. The present cold wave 'was born in the frigid Hudson Bay region and came into the United States~from Lake Ontario. Subne tempera- tures are general throughout the low- er Lake region and the North and Middle fitic States. p The edntinuation of the ¢old weath- er-yesterday put the ice on the Lin- coln Memorial Pool in excellent con- ditlon for skating, which will be per- mitted all day todsy. Park police have made arrangements to handle a large crowd. ’ . ) The greatest proportion of the | NG, DECEMBER 19, 1926—124 PAGES. .. MAN PERISHES "IN SCHOONER FIRE IReported Lost With Five Others of Crew Aboard Coast Guard Vessel. By the Associated Press. ThevCoast Guard schooner Lincoln was destroyed by fire with a loss of |six lives yesterday several miles southwest of Cape Lookout Lightship, | off the coast of North Carolina, the Navy Department was advised by the Coast Guard cutter Modoc. Two of the crew were rescued. One of those reported dead is Olaf Hansen, 30 years old a chief motor machinist's mate, whose home is at 1308 Sixth street scuthwest. A message from the British steamer Defender, intercepted by the Medoc, said she had picked up ‘Gordon J. 1Schulzz and Howard Carter, only sur- vivors of the fire. The schooner burned to the water line and sunk. The cause {of the fire was not learned. i Fire Laid to Blast. The Lincoln was a supply 'ship, | based at Cape May, N. J., and was carrying oil and gasoline. She was destroyed so quickly that Coast Guard officials here believe the fire probably | started with an explosion. Apparently there was no time to launch the two lifeboats she carried. A high wind helped hasten the ship’s destruction. All the Coast Guard vessels in the vicinity have | been ordered to join in a search for the bodies of the dead. Carter’s mother, Mrs. Rosa Weaver, lives in Anne Arundel County, Md. and Schultz’s mother is Mrs. Mary Schultz, 2336 Homan avenue, Chicago. ! EIGHT MEN ABOARD. | Schooner on Way From Baltimore to | North Carolina Port. CAPE MAY, N. J. December 18 | () —The Coast Guard schooner Lin. | Coln, destroyed by fire oft the coast of North Carolina, had a crew of seven | men aboard in command of Boatswain {’A. ‘Erlingson, Capt. C. A. Addison. commandant of Cape May station, said tonight. o 4chooner was equipped with a Diesel oil engine and had three small oil stoves aboard, which would cause Mo great explosion, the captain said. She left here Sunday morning with a oad of scrap metal for Baltimore, and from there was proceeding to Moore- | head City, N. C., for a cargo of metal | to bring to Cape May. Besides Erlington, sisted of: \ Olat Laveson, boatswain’s mate. Olaf Hansen, Washington, D. C., chief motor machinist's mate. Adolph _Quiroga, Trenton, N. J. s cook, second class. P o 7. Schultz, Chicago, motor machinist's mate, second class. Willlam H. Alston, jr., Absecon, N, J., ywain. [ Nfowara 7. Carter, Pasadena, Md., i ond class. S Wiliam E. Hunnicutt, Cleveland, Ohio, motor machinist’s mate, second Clas on was the son of Coxswain William H. Alston, sr., stationed at { Base No. 9 here. Olaf Hansen, reported lost yesterday when the Coast Guard schooner Lin- coln was destroyed by fire, was the husband of Mrs. Helen Luskey Han- sen of the Southwest address, where the couple have been making their home with Arthur Luskey, the wife's father. They were married five years aso, and Olsen has spent the past four years in the Coast Guard after serving in the merchant marine. ‘He was a native of Oslo, Norway, and had become a naturalized citizen during 12 years' residence in this | country. ¥ Lusk)Qy said last night his son-in- law had not been home since last | Christmas. His wife was absent from the house the crew con- Search for Bodies. -~ NORFOLK, Va, -Dec. 18 (P.— Coast Guard distfict headquarters late tonight, recelved the following mes- sagerfrom the cutter Modoc telling of the burning of the Coast Guard schooner Lincoln with the loss of six lives off Cape Lookout: “‘Modoc transmitting dispatch from British steamer Defender: ‘Reported assisting U. 8. C. G. Schooner Lincoln, Cape May base 9, which on fire six miles off Cape Look- out at 8:20 A.M., picked up two mien, Gordon J. Schultz and Howard Carter, only survivors of crew of eight. Ves- sel entirely burned and sunk. De- fender proceeding to Galveston'." when news of his death was received. |. TODAY’S STAR PART ONE—60 PAGES. General News—Local, National and Foreign. § Schools and Colleges—Page 22. News of the Clubs—Page 30. Girl Scouts—Page 31. At the Community Centers—Page 36. Clubwomen of the Nation—Page 37. Civillan Army News—Page 38. Around the City—Page 49. Serial, “The . Girl in the Cabin"—Page 50. Parent-Teacher Activities—Page 51. Y. W. C. A. News—Page 51. Radio News and Programs—Pages 55, 56 and 57, Boy Scout News—Page 57. Veterans of the Great War—Page 59. Army and Navy News—Page 60. PART TWO-—16 PAGES. Editorials and Editorial Features. Washington and Other Society. Notes of Art and Artists—Page 4. Reviews of Winter Books—Page 4. Tales of Well Known Folk—Page 12. PART THREE—10 PAGES. Amusements — Theaters and Photoplay. Music—FPage 5. Motors and Motoring—Pages 6 and 7. Fraternal News—Page 8. - District National Guard—Page 9. PART FOUR—4 PAGES. Pink Sports Section. PART FIVE—8 PAGES. Magazine Section——Fiction and Fea- tures. The Rambler—Page 6. Second the PART SIX—10 PAGES. Classified advertising. D. A. R. Activities—Page 7. Financial News—FPages 7, 8 and 9. GRAPHIC SECTION—12 PAGES. World Events in Pictures. COLOR SECTION—4 PAGES. Mutt and Jeff; Reg'lar Fellers; Mr. and Mrs.; High Lights of History. TEN PAN-AMERICAN PLOTS READY TO GO Hop-off for First Lap of 18,500-Mile Flight Set for Tomorrow. The Army Air Corps tomorrow morning will begin the writing of another chapter in the story of notable aircraft performances of the world it hopes to complete, when five Loening amphibian airplanes, bearing 10 officer pilots, roar into the air from Duncan Field, San Antonio, ‘Tex., on the first lap of their 18,500- mile flight around South America to ‘Washington. ‘Word received here last night from the Texas base, through the Asso- ciated Press, indicated the work and worry incident to the preparations for the second greatest aerial project the Air Corps has undertaken had come to an end and the pilots were in a position to receive from the citizens of the country, through their superior officers and residents of San Antonio, heartiest wishes for a pleasant and successful pathfinding aerial voyage. ‘Washington is watching the start of the flight with more.interest than possibly any other city, owing to its connection with Army aviation and the personnel. President Coolidge yesterday expressed his interest in (Continued on Page 4, Column 1. | died” toda; ——————— “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star is delivered every evening and Sunday morning to Washington homes at 60 cents r month. Telephone Main 5000 and srvice will start immediately (#) Means Associated Press. BANDIT SLAINAND 3 ROBBED INHOLDUPS Prospective Victim, Wounded, | Kills Assailant—Two | Grocers Lose $300 One bandit was shot to death in a duel with his prospective victim, who was s« riously wounded, and three per- sons were robbed in a series of five holdups in varfous sections of the city | last night and early this morning. | ‘The dead bandit, who was killed by ‘Willlam Robb, colored, of 2624 Ontario road during an attempted holdup on Seaton street west: -of Seventeenth ;:rnt, hha.n \;n!flenmlnd wm mln" abb, who ig {n a mrm. condition a Emergency Hospital, is employed as a chauffedar by, former Commissioner Thilman Hendrick. Robb stated that he was walking with his wifé on Seaton street be- tween Seventeenth and Eightéenth street when he was approached by an unidentified colored man who ordered | him to throw up his hands. i The bandit, Robb said, covered him | with a pistel. He reached for his own. In the struggle Robb was shot through the stomach before he shot the ‘assailant three times through the body. Physiclans pronounced Robb's condition grave. Two hold-up men entered the Sani- tary grocery store at Seventh and A streets northeast last night and robbed the cash register of $40. “‘Stick 'em up,” was the stereotyped command given by the ‘bandits as they entered. Emory Thrift, manager, | and Arthur Murphy, clerk, the only | persons in the store, obeyed. While one bandit held the pistol covering the men, the other went through the cash drawer. They warned the man- ager and clerk to make no outcry as they were l!lvlng, and had disap- peared when the former reached the | street. | Grocery Store Robbed. | The grocery store of Abe F. Fin- kelstein of 1000 Florida avenue north- | east was entered by two colored hold- up men shortly before midnight. While one covered Finkelstein with a pistol the other looted the cash regis- | ter of $260. They escaped. Another holdup was reported by Alton W. Wilson of 5602 Connecticut avenue, who was crossing a vacant lot near Connecticut “avenue and North Hampton street, when a col- | ored man stopped him.. The hold up man_demanded his money. Wilsan grappled with him, whereupon two confederates of the bandit joined in the scrimmage. A knife was drawn and the sleeve of Wilson’s coat was cut. He was finally overpowered and robbed of $112. Ruse Saves $300. A ruse by John P. Dailey, clerk in a grocery store at' 1922 First street, last night saved $300 cash in his pocket from the hands of a colored | bandit, who entered the store and commanded him to hold up his hands. Dalley submitted to the command. The bandit went to the cash register, found it virtually empty and de- manded information as to where the money was kept. Dailey pointed to a brief case. The man grabbed it and fled. Dailey, with the $300 cash still in his pocket, called the police, who in- stituted a search for the now disap- pointed bandit. A. S. O'Neill, Chemist, Dies” ALTON TIL, ber 18 (P).— Arthur S. O'Nelll,. chemist of inter. | national reputatn, who invented an improved . #ifle powder, used by Amegjean troops in the World Wa y. U.S. Attqggtey Asks Heflin for Proof Of Charge Jess Smith Was Murdered By the Associated Press. Department of Justice offictals yes- terday notified Senator Heflin, Democrat, Alabama, that District At- torney Buckner of the southern dis- trict of New York was sending him a letter requesting a statement of his information concerning the death here several years ago of Jess Smith, close friend of former Attorney Gen- eral Daugherty. In the Senate on Thursday, while making caustic comment on the Fall- Doheny verdict and the conduct of that trial, Heflin reiterated a cnarge that Smith was murdered in Daugh- erty's' apal ent and did not commit that he “would be glad to render any suggestions and information concern. w the death of Smith when I re- ive Mr. Buckner’'s letter and leern what information he desires.” NEW YORK, December 18 (#).— United States District _Attorney Emory R. Buckner refused to com- ment tonight on the request sent by his office to Senator Heflin of Ala- bama for any information the Senator | Wi had concernihg the death of Jesse Smith, ‘“right-hand man” of former Attorney General Daugherty. Mr. Buckner, who underwent an operation for mistol two weeks ago, has been in the hospital until todais - ~e . . ] | identified FIVE CENTS. WIFE GONE, DOCTOR AT ST. ELIZABETH'S 1S FOUND IN DAZE Identification of Dr. Knute Houck at Hornell, N. Y., Re- veals Double Mystery. POLICE SEARCH SWAMPS AT CONGRESS HEIGHTS Physician Garbed Ouly in Under- wear When Picked Up—Both Left Home Wednesday. One day after his disappearance had been reported to.the Washirigton police, Dr. Knute Houck, staff physt ~lan at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, was yesterday by police at Hornell, N. Y., where, according to |an Assoclated Press despatch, he was found in front of a hotel, “garbed in his underwear, singing the praises of Allah and babbling incoherent ex- | pressions in what appeared to be an Orientdl tongue.” Investigation last night at Dr. Houck’'s home, 3127 Nichols avenue southeast, revealed an even greater mystery—that his 28-year-old wife, Mrs. Gladys Walter Houck, has been missing since Wednesday, and there is fear for her life. Headquarters de- tectives and police have been search- ing the woods and swamps around Congress Heights for her since yester- day without finding any trace. Dr. Houck was taken to the Wil-. lard State Hospital yesterday by Hornell officlals to await ‘the arrival of a brotherinlaw. Duri an examination by Hornell physicians, Dr. Houck appeared to be more rational. He told them he was a graduate of Chicago University, and that for the last two years he had been a physician at St. Elizabeth’s. Mother Comes to City. His mother, Mrs. H. K., Houck of La Crosse, -Wis., who came here fol- lowing_the disappearance of her son and daughterinlaw, which occurred ilast Wednesday, has been in touch with Hornell authorities. Dr. Houck is 30 years old. No trace or reason for the disap- pearance of the young wife has been discovered by the elder Mrs. Houck. Reports thdt the wife had returned home and talgen away their two-year- old son, Hugh, or Ole, s he is known, were denied by the boy's grandmother. Friends ' of the family took the child from its nurse the day his par- ents disappeared. ‘He is expected to be returned'to his grandmother today. Meanwhile shie has seen him and sup- plied him with clothes. Mrs. Houck, it was.learned last night, disappeared from her home early Wednesday morning. When she failed to return later in the day, Dr. Houck went out to look for her. That was the last seen of either, until Dr. Houck'’s identification by the Hor- { nell police. Another circumstance in connection with Dr. Houek's disappearance, for which his family cannot account, is the fact that before leaving the house he had taken pains, according to a relative, to troy many of his per- sonal effects, Including private papers, photographs of himself and wife and a life- insurance policy taken out re- cently. When he left he had evident- 1y taken $100 which was known to be in the house. No money was found on him, however. Called Tdeally Happy. . Houck said the couple had Mz;‘:dellly happy and that there had been no signs of a mental breakdown on the part of either. Dr. Houck was a diligent student, she said, and oftan studied late at night upon his return home. His wife also was studious, Mrs. Houck explained, and it was her custom to study with her husband in an effort to keep abreast ob!‘ehls‘ work him in problems. .nldl ‘l?s l}\eilrvl Houck’s belief that her daughter-inlaw suffered a nervous breakdown, possibly from overstudy. She had appeared depressed the day before her disappearance, neighbors told Mrs. Houck. When she lofc the house Wednesday morning she car- ried no valise or handbag. Her little ‘boy playing, as usual, under his supervision. " re. Houek can give no explanation for her son's disappearance other than that he went in search of his wife He made Inquiries of several friends, it was learned, and when neither par- ent came home that evening an as- sociate of Dr. Houck's at St. Eliza- beth's took the child away. ) Police and neighbors were search- ing all over Congress Heights yester- day and last night in hopé of finding {'some trace of the missing mother. The der Mrs. Houck Baid last night she e ertain hér son becarhe mentally a result of anxiety over unbalanced: | his ywife’s disappearan ce. the wife is either wandering :bfl\l:t the city or outskirts some- where, or is dead, was the opinion ex- ressed by Mrs. Houck. “I think she was out of her mind when she left home,” she said. "I know my son was driven insane from worry and anxiety.” Doctor Reports Disappearance. Dr. Craven of the St. Elizabeth’s staff was the first to report the miss- ing man and wife to the police. His friends had hoped that both would be found in a day or so, but when neither had shown up Friday they feared some harm had come to them. Dr. Houck’s friends at the hospital last night said that both the wife and hus- band had appeared to be in poor phy- sical condition, but that there was nothing- wrong with them mentally. Officials at St. Elizabeth’s held Dr. Houck in high regard. When their disappearance became known, John Walter of Canton, Ohio, father of Mrs. Houck, and her brother, Earl V. Walter, also of Canton, were notified immediately, as was Dr. Houck’s mother. They came to ‘ashington at once. B. E. Clark, a brother-in-law, drove here from Canton. Mr. Clark will go to the Willard State Huglw to bring Dr. Houck here. Before her marriage, about five years ago, Mrs. Houck was graduated in dietetiés from an Ohio Maiversites