Evening Star Newspaper, October 3, 1928, Page 36

38 THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1928’ FOIL BANDIT'S RUSE; Immigration Agents Catch Robber Hidden on Train Held Up in Canada. By the Assoclated Press. DETROIT, October 3 (#).—William Gibbs, 20, of Los Angeles, who robbed a Canadian National Rallway mail car of amounts variously estimated at be- tween $23,000 and $100,000, was being held in Windsor, Ontario, today after furnishing authorities with a criminal narrative without parallel in this sec- tion 4 Gibbs boarded the train at Chatham, Ontario, and, gaining access to the mail car, held three messengers at bay with a pistol while he looted the registered bags. Then as the engine slowed down for a stop at Prairie Siding, Gibbs dropped from the mail car, but reboard- ed the rear coach of the train. While alarms were raised and a description of the robber sent all along the border, Gibbs was riding into ‘Windsor on the same train he h~d robbed. The train was stopped outside Windsor while crown authorities qucs- tioned the crew, but Gibbs sitting on the rods beneath the rear car was not discovered. Crosses U. S.-Canada Border. After the investigation the train was released and Gibbs’ car was ferried across the Detroit River. Here Gibbs was _discovered by immigration au- thorities when he came from his hiding place The young bandit was searched and $6,500 in bank notes was found stuffed in his shirt, while he carried two sealed currency packages containing $10.000 and $6.500, respectively. The customs men turned Gibbs over to local police. Admits Robbing Train. Gibbs readily admitted the robbery and described the crime to police. He waived extradition and was returned to Windsor less than three hours from the time the train was held up. Gibbs, who described himself as a said he came to Windsor three weeks ago. He bewailed the “one little break” that resulted in his arrest. “Why, the fellow that arrested me didn't even kn&w a train had been stuck up,” he said, ————— COMMISSION APPRAISES NEW PLAYGROUND SITE Valuation Set on Site of Old Fort Slocum, Near Takoma Park. William _Knowles Cooper, William Jose and Isaac Behrend, the commis- sion appointed to assess the value of the land to be condemned for the Playground Commission on the site of old Fort Slocum, near Takoma Park, today inade their report to Justice Peyton Gordon of the District Supreme Court. A large area is included in the proceeding, but most of it had been acquired by direct purchase from the owners by the Government. The com- mission reported only on two parcels, one known as lot 17, square 3336, which they declared to be worth $1,188, and another parcel known as lots 8 to 12, which they appraised at- $3,093.75, Justice Gordon, at the request of Assistant United States Attorneys Gen- cral Henry H. Glass and A. Leftwich Sinclair, set October 16 as the limit of time in which objections to the award of the commission may be filed. THENAULT GETS PLANE. Maj. Georges Thenault, French mili- tary attache here, will go to New York today to take possession of a new Morane-Salmson_airplane sent to this country by the French government for his use in connection with his official dutles. Maj. Thenault probably will fly the plane to this city Saturday or Sunday, landing at Bolling Field, where the plane wili be housed and serviced. BETSY ROSS HOME OFFERED AGAIN TO PHILADELPHIA HND $23’0m I-[]UI Birthplace of Nations' Flag Proves Un- wanted Child Among City and State Governments—Fire Hazard Great. Special Dispatch to The Star. PHILADELPHIA, October 3.—Once again the historic house of Betsy Ross, known to generations of Americans as the traditional birthplace of the Ameri- can flag, has been offered to the city of Philadelphia, just as it has been offered to virtually every administra- tion in the last 20 years. At the first Fall session of city coun- cil Mayor Mackey appealed to -that body to accept title to the property from the American Flag House and Betsy Ross Association on condition that the city agree to maintain it per- petually and meet the conditions of the present owners: namely, that the ad- joining properties be purchased and the house protected from fire hazard. The matter was referred to the com- mittee on city property and service, and at present awaits the meeting of that body. Whether the recommendation of his honor will be returned to council in the form of an ordinance or die in committee, as have the recommenda- tions of former mayors, remains to be seen. If the latter proves true. it will be only another chapter in the unusual story of the little brick house at 239 Arch street, revered by the Nation and treated like an unloved step-child by its natural guardians. To the school child in Towa or Texas, who has studied the picture of Betsy Ross' home in his school book and read the historic legend of what occurred in the little back par- lor. that there should be doubt prob- ably seems unbelievable. Always Declined. Yet the owning association has sought in vain to transfer title to some branch of government. The Federal State and municipal governments have all looked the gift horse in the mouth. In 1907 Mayor Reyburn made a pretty little speech of acceptance, but it proved premature. Council declined to accept. Other mayors have approved taking the house over, some suggesting that it be moved from its present location to Fairmount Park. Once the association refrained from paying taxes for four years and though accused of neglect- ing to do so in.order to buy the prop- erty at sheriff’s sale to clear possible flaw in title, the president said the true motive was to push it into the hands of the city. Unfortunately the effort failed when a writ of scire facias was issued and a patriotic citizen, unaware of this subtle plan, came forward and paid the lien. Fire Hazard Great. Fire is the impelling cause of the as- soclation’s desire to have the city as- sume guardianship of the Ross home. It stands in an old section, sandwiched } between two brick structures with a bad fire exposure. Half a block away, in Second street, stands historic Christ Church, where Betsy Ross_once wor- shiped, as did George Washington and many other famous men of colonial days. According to Charles H, Weisgerber, a founder of the association, during’ a two-year period 500 fire alarms were turned in within two blocks of the site, September 10, fire next door menaced the property and influenced Mayor Mackey in his address at the opening of city council. Probably no shrine occupying a simi- Iar place in the hearts of the Ame: people has passed through the vicissi- tuces of the little brick house asso- ciated with the first American flag. In 1870 William J. Canby, a grandson of Betsy Ross, read a pape! Historical Society of Pennsylvania, set- ting forth the tale told him by his aunt, Clarissa_Sidney Wilson, in 1857, on the eve of her retirement as the suc- cessor of Betsy Ross Claypoole. Up until a few years before, this business, at 239 Arch street, had made flags for the Government continuously for more than half a century. This focused the attention of the public on the Arch street house, then one of the few early homes which re- mained standing before the march of business. Philip Mund held a squat- ter's claim to the premises and had occupied it since 1859. That year, according to Mund, he leased the house from a man described as a weazened old fellow, and whose identity remains a mystery today. Mund “first kept a tailor shop, but changed it to a saloon. When inter- est rested on it as the birthplace of the flag, an embellishment of the front of the saloon became a picture of the flag, a large stein of beer labeled 5 cents, and the caption, “To the Flat.” The tale told by Clarissa Wilson to $180,000 Saved Father® Business Feor His Sons At his death his flour mill was on the verge of bankruptcy. But $100,000 of business life insurance saved the day for his two sons. Now they are insured for $200,000 each for the firm their father founded. If one of your “key” men died, would your business be protected when CASH WAS SCARCE AND CREDITORS ANXIOUS? Let us discuss your Business_ Insurance problem with you. Send for literature today. NEW YORK LIFE INS. CO. DARWIN P. KINGSLEY, President Call, write or telephone to Agency Director E. D. Krewson, 733 15th St. NW. thrill for your Tel. Main 624 AFTER SHAVING After your next shave, douse Listerine on the face full strength. What a nice reaction. Cooling! A new sense of vigor and freshness. Amazing stimulation for tired skin. And all the usual smarting and burning gone at once. Also you have the satisfaction of knowing that the antiseptic essential oils of Listerine are enemies of infection. One trial of Listerine this way will win you. Why not today P Let us send you our free booklet on the subject of personal hygiene. Contains a vast amount of helpful information as to Have you tried the new LISTERINE SHAVING CREAM ? the care of the person and the maintenance of health. We send it free and post-paid. Write for it today, address Lambert Pharmacal Company, Dept, K7, 2101 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo. LISTERINE The safe antiseptic her nephew in 1857 wes a repetition of the tale told to her and her three sisters by their mother Betsy Ross In substance it was that on or abéut June 1, 1776, & committee of the Con- tinental Congress, composed of George Washington, Robert Morris and Col. George Ross, had come to her with the request that she make a flag accord- ing to certain_ specifications. They had a rough sketch of the flag, so the tale goes, but instead of a five- pointed star they had designed a_six- pointed star. Whereupon Betsy Ross, then a handsome woman of 24, foldine a piece of paper, with a snip of the scissors showed how simply and effec- tively the present star could be made. The result of her work, it is said, was the first American flag. Made Flags Later. Whether the story is authentic, and there is no documentary proof to sus- tain it or altogether to disprove it— there is proof that years later, after Betsy had in turn married Joseph Ashburn and John Claypoole, she was engaged in the business of making flags for tne Nation. Betsy Ross was Griscom, on January 1, November, 1773, she married John Ross son of an Episcopal clergyman. Both had been apprentices to an upholsterer, and following their wedding they set tp a business in the Arch street house John Ross died shortly before the time Set, for the making of the first flag. The tale told by Clarissa Wilson was verified by other children of the Widow Ross and by persons employed in her fiag-making establi-hment, as well as by people acquairud with Betsy Ross before her death, January 30, 1836, at the age of 84. In the absence of a landlord, Mund paid the taxes for 21 years and was allowed title to the property. He died in 1884 and his widow, Amelia, contin- ued the business until 1889, when she discarded liquors and changed the place to a cigar store. Distinguished Men, Amelia Mund died in 1895 and a son came into possession of the property |and placed it on the market. In 1896 a group of women organized the Betsy Ross American Flag Fund Society to born _ Elizabeth 3 1752, and ic | buy and maintain the home. In De- cember, 1898, the American Flag House and Betsy Ross Memorial Association superseded this group. Among the distinguished Philadel- | phians, most of whom are now dead, whose names appear on the charter are those of John Wanamaker, the Rev. Dr. Russell H. Conwell, founder of Tem- ple University: former Gov. Stuart, Archbishop Ryan, Rabbi Joseph Kraus- kopf and former Gov. Pattison Mr. Weisgerber, painter of the por- traint, “Birthplace of Our Nation's Flag,” was one of the moving spirits in the formation of the society and has since been manager of the home. To tributor to the fund was limited to 10 cents and received a certificate of mem- bership in the association. 2,000,000 Make Gifs. To date more than 2,000,000 ha: contributed their mite toward preser |ing the home of Betsy Ross, the 10 cent pieces coming from every State, s that it is fair to say it is indeed the property of the Nation. property was taken by the association in 1902, and although it is assessed at only $4,500, the purchase price was S e age of the building is unknown its construction being estimated as f: back as 1682. It is two and one-half stories high, a small dormer window lighting the upper room. Brick on the front and sides of the house has been i of the type imported from ing the early days of Wil- s colony. Plans of the association call for the removal of the fire hazard by tearing down the a‘ljoining buildings. Then it is hoped to have the open ground land- scaped end kept as a small park. An_ambitious part of this program includes the removal of Betsy Ross' body from Mount Moriah Cemetery, to be interred in the rear of her home, with the ercction of a suitable monu- ment. It is estimated that the cost of this undertaking will_be between $200,000 and_$300,000. The association has a fund of approximately $20,000. It is hoped the city will provide the remain- der and insure preservation for po: 4 7 make the movement popular, each con- | Title fo the | terity of the home of the Revolutionary stress. t. 1928, by North Aremican News- paper Alliance.) NEW AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE IN CAPITAL | e Headquarters for Two National Or- ganizations Opened at Carlton Hotel in Washington. Opening of headquarters in this city by the National Air Transport, which | operates two sections of the transcone | tinental air mail line from New York |to San Francisco, and the Transcon- tinental Air Transpert, now planning n extensive passenger and commercial ervice, was announced yesterday. Headquarters for both organizations vere opened in the Carlton Hotel and soth will be under the general direc- tion of Col. Paul Henderson, former Assistant Postmaster General in Charge of Air Mail. It is expected that the headquarters will be the scene of con- siderable activity this Winter and that besides Col. Henderson, Col. Charles A. Lindbergh and Maj. T. G. Lanphier, for- mer commanding officer of the 1s¢ Pur- suit Group, Selfridge Field, Mich., who recently have become associated with the Transcontinental Air Transport, will spend much time here on organi- [zation matters. Establishment of these headquarters, arranged through Clem W. Gerson, manager of the Carlion Hotel, adds two more prominent commercial aviation organizations to the list of companies which _have opened headquarters here, including the Keystone Aircraft Co., the Sikorsky Manufacturing Co., the Pitcairn Aviation Co., the Boenig Transport Co., the Chance Vought Manufacturing Co., the Wright Whirl- wind Motor Co. and the Pratt & Whi ney Co. No radio instrument with the familiar RCA trade- mark has ever had such a sensational success as the Radiola 18 type of receiver. With its simplified, inexpensive, dependable operation from the house current—and its wonderful musical range and tone fidelity—this “wonder box” of radio has revolutionized radio design. Every night it is entertaining a million listeners in homes all over the country, reproducing with amazing realism the rich programs of the great broadcasting stations now strung from coast to coast. The most popular type of receiver ever introduced, the great public demand for it has repeatedly called for an increase in production. Factory output for this model is now at the rate of 1600 a day, and is being increased. The economies resulting from this large-scale manue facture are now passed on to the public. ¥ Any RCA Radiola Dealer will gladly demonstrate a Radiola in your own home—and tell you how you may readily pur- chase it on the RCA Time Payment Plan. RCA Radiola MADE BY THE Millions of Families Depend on Dr. Caldwell’s Prescription When Dr. Caldwell started to practice medicine, back in 1875, the needs for a' la great as they are today. People lived normal, quict lives, ate pl. wholesome food, and got plenty fresh air and sunshine. But that early there were physics and purges for th of constipation which Dr. Caldwell did not believe were good for ‘human beings to put into the systems. So he wrote a prescrip- tion for a laxative to be used by his patients. The prescription for constipations that he used early in his practic and which he put in drug stores in 1892 under the name of Dr. Cald-\ well's Syrup Pepsin, is a liquid |vegetable remedy, intended for women, children and elderly peop! and they need just such a mild. safe, gentle bowel stimulant Syrup Pepsin. | “Under successful management this prescription has proven its worth and is now the largest selling |liquid laxative in the world. The fact that millions of bottles are used a year proves that it has won the confidence of people who needed it to get relief from head- |aches, biliousness, flatulence, indi- gestion, loss of appetite and sleep. Ibad breath, dyspepsia, colds and fevers. | Millions of families are now never without Dr. Caldwell's Syrup Pep- | sin, and if you will once start using it you will also always have a bottle handy for emergencies. It is particularly pleasing to know |that the most of it is bought by | mothers for themselves and the itive were not asj as| | ch Al S just as valuable for elderly peopl bottles. pense (FREE BOTTLE Y ) hildren, though Syrup Pepsin is| e. 1l drug stores have the generous | Or, to prove at_our ex-| how much Dr. Caldwell's| yrup Pepsin can mean to you and | surs. use this soecial coupon: | B o Mail to “SYRUP PEPSIN,” Monticello, Illinois. ] Tlease send bottle of Dr. Caldwell's | Syrup Pepsin to try, entirely FREE. | Name 8t P.o. 3! e Production of 1600 a day makes possible this new price fo the “WONDER BOX” of radio RADIOLA 18—Most popular type Radiola ever built. It is entertaining a million listeners every night. A finely-designed receiver of broad range and capacity for simplified AC lighting-current opera- tion. Wonderful tone fidelity. Illuminated tuning dial. Solid mahogany cabinet, walnut finished. $95 (less Radiotrons). RCA Loudspeaker 100A Over thre rters of a million of this of RCA lpeace! are now in use. Their sturdy construction and uniformly fine have made them MAKERS OF THE RADIOTRON & e lavwldlcu\fdaa Ll Where you ses this sign rformance the most popular of all re- L RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA fi NEW YORK CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO _J 3