Evening Star Newspaper, January 24, 1929, Page 1

WEATHER. (U. S_Weather Bureau Forecast.) Rain and probably sleet or snow: low- est temperature 32 degrees tonight: to- morrow rain, rising temperature. Tem- peratures: Highest, 52 at 3:30 p.m. yes- terday; lowest, 35, at 9 a.m. today. Full report on page 9. Closing N. Y. Markets, Pages 14 and 15 P ch WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION ¢ Foening Star, “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edis tion is delivered to Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 109,121 Entered post of No. 30,949, Wa nd_class matter shington, D, C. WASHI GTON, D. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 24 1929 -FORTY-EIGHT PAGES. *¥ (#) Means Associated Press. P — TWO CENTS. REPORTS OF PLACE INHOOVER CABINET NAILED BY MORROW S—— Intimates He Is Geing Back| to Mexico City for ““Seme | Little Time.” | IN 2-HOUR CONFERENCE | WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT; Envoy Understood to Have Been“ Charged to Follow Up His Program in Republic. ’ BY J. RU: Yot 1 Staft Correspo The Star. i BELLE ISLE, MIAMI BEACH, Fla 3 January 24.—Following a conference of | more than two hours today between |CHINOOK, BYRD'S LEAD DOG, VANISHES 1 Animal Goes Away Twelfth Birthday and Fails to Return. WALK OFF TO DIZ OR FALL SUS?ECTED of Husky Peary orth Pole Trip. < Grand Used on BY RUSSELL OWENS. By Wireless to The Star and New York Times, BAY OF WHALES, January 24.— Somewhere out in the great fields of snow which stretch intcrminably across this continent there is a big brown dog lying, sleeping his last sleep, after having given everything that was in him to his master's work. He is Chi- nook, Walden’s famous leader, who after a life of races and the admiration N ICY WASTES j | | | | | President-elect Hoover and Dwight W. | of those who love dogs came down here | Morrow, Ambassador to Mexico, it was he net ‘upon, While the Ambassador to Mexico made it very plain to the correspondents with whom he talked upon leaving the | Penney estate, where Mr. and Mrs. Hoover are spending their pre- inaugural vacation, that he did not | want to reveal the nature of his talk | with the next President, he did intimate | that he is soon going back to his Me_xl- | can post with the intention of remain- | ing there “some little time.” He would not amplify that statement. Mr. Morrow did say that he and Mr. Hoover discussed the Mexican situation | in some detail and that he endeavored to impress upon Mr. Hoover the im- portance of a good-will trip to that country some time in the near future. He declined to say what views Mr. Hoover expressed in this connection, but | the inference was drawn that such a journey on the part of Mr. Hoover is not at all unlikely. Counts on Morrow’s Aid. | was stated by Mr. Morrow that he | !‘el”:‘mdcd Mr. Hoy:)\'er that besides the | strong inference given today by Am-| bassador Morrow that he may be found | at his post in Mexico City after Mr.| ‘Hoover has been inaugurated into office, it has been gathered by those who are in Mr. Hoover's confidence that he is counting greatly upon having tha assist- ance of Mr. Morrow in handling the affairs of the United States in that country. He is known to be anxious to have Mr. Morrow continue | on in his present place and compleet; the work, he has so successfully started | of ironing out the differences between | Merxico ‘and the _States, n‘gf Tealized that Mr. Morrow has mef wit | wonderful success as far as he has 'or::e. but that there is yet much to be ac- lished. . cur’?ge trouble that has resulted as a result of Mexico’s land and petruleuxln. Jaws has not been corrected, and xt. ; believed by those who are familiar wit Mr. Morrow’s work in that country, that he will eventually bring about either a modification or a complete repeal regarding these laws, which will be agreeable to the two nations. Mr. Morrow is_understood to the gone away from Belle Isle today wl.lh the understanding that Mr. Hoover will Jook to him to clean up the Mexican job. The Ambassador would not say Whether or not the cabinet had been mentioned during his conference with the President-elect. Arrives From Nassau. : e reached Miami this morning from }Y:gsau. Bahamas, and arrived at the Belle Isle home of Hoover shortly after 9 o'clock. While ke and Mr. Hoover talked, they sat in a large room facing Biscayne Bay. Mr. Morrow said hg would leave Miami tonight for New York and that he expected to return to Mexico within the next two weeks. Mr. Hoover is known to have been| especially anxious for this talk with Mr.} Morrow, the first one they have had since the election. | Mr. Hoover did not linger long after | Mr. Morrow's departure before start- ing on the three-day fishing trip | in the Gulf stream, just off the Miami Keys, which he has so carefully planned. With Mr. and Mrs. Hoover, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Sullivan, Laurence Richey, his personal secretary and representative on this vacation trip, and half a dozen secret service men, Mr. Hoover left Belle Isle shortly after the noon hour. Mrs. Richey, Edward G. Lowry and Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Milbank of New York, who are to be members of the fishing party, and two of Mr. Hoover’s stenographers, left Belle Isle earlier in the morning in the Saunter- er, Mr. Milbank's yacht. Those who accompanied Mr. Hoover are motoring 10 a point on the coast about 50 miles below Biscayne Bay, where they will take up w hz Milbank yacht, and the Amit the yacht to be used by the President-clect and Mrs. Hoover. A small fishing boat from which Mr. Hoover will fish and a speed boat for the secret service make up the little flotilla. Mr. Hoover will doubtless use the andard light tackle, accepted officially ! he Long Key Fishing Club, which | ~ounce tip, triple 0 reel and 12- | line. With this equipment it | requires delicate manipulation and a | lot of husky endurance to persuade a foot sailfish with 100 pounds of avoirdupois and the strength of a donkey enzine to leave his habitat and join the boat party. GEORGE A. MORRlS DIES; RETIRED BOAT CAPTAIN Commanded Vessels Plying Chesa- peake Bay and Tributaries. Funeral Saturday. Capt. George A. Morris, who years ago was captain of various vessels ply- ing the Chesapeake Bay and its tribu- taries, died at his residence, 1116 C strect’ southeast, yesterday. ~He becn in failing health about three years He would have been 76 years old in February. Capt. Morris retired as a boat captain about 16 years ago. He at one time commandcd the Sarah ' between Baltimore, Norfolk and other | survived by two daughters, Mrs. of this city and Mrs. ns of Baltimore. Funeral will be conducted Wolle 1. A had | to the bleakest country in the world made quite apparent by the latter that | He went off on his twelfth birthday, | 2 o be in the Hoover cabi- | walked into the white wilderness and | has been prominently speculated | has not returned. We may never know | whether he went off to die, as dogs sometimes will, or whether he fell down a crevasse. Chinook was probably the most intelligent of the lead dogs, being driven 32 miles a day over the trail. He led eight of his sons and grand- sons, powerful brown dogs like himself, all half-breed Eskimo huskies. There are other dogs here just as strong, but they are of different’ breeds, and Wal- den’s team is distinctive because of the color and form of the dogs. Chinook did not lead them all the time, because Walden wished to save him as much fatigue as possible because of his age, but when there was some difficult lead- ing to do or when a little extra weight Chinook Was put into the team. Aged Dog Is Spared. Comdr. Byrd had also given Walden permission to spare Chinook as much as he desired, Every one sympathizes Wwith Walden because the bond betwecn him and Chinook was so close that both were lonesome if the other was not around. He slept in Walden's tent before the houses were erected at the base, kept watch of his master as Walden cared for him. If the old-time dog driver walked along a dangercus crevasse near the camp Chinook would watch him silently and anxiously until he returned. On the trail he trotted ahead or behind, keeping an eye on his_children, until his master called fo him to get into harness, There is a place near the seal holes on the trail where it winds up one slope and down another so that the sledges slide dangerously near the water and loads are continually tipped over there, With Chinook in the lead Walden coul dgm . team ing out off “the as to hold the sled steady and then swinging back at the proper time. Chinook seemed to know Instinctively what to do. And when the load turned over sometimes, as happens to all the drivers, Walden could hitch up Chinook, attach’ the team to a side of the heavy sled and right it again. There are many tales told of Chi- nook’s intelligence, such as the time in a dog race when a man pointed out the route to Walden as he came along and Chinook turned without waiting for word from his driver, or the time in Portland when Walden was driving through a street in the Winter time and a traffic policeman held up his hand, a signal which Chinook instantly obeyed. Scion of Peary Dog. He is sald to be a grandson of the lead dog used by Peary on his trip to the North Pole and he was lead dog of the team which won the first interna- tional race in New Hampshire in 1922. He also led a team up Mount Washing- ton 1n a blizzard. Muskeag and Quim- bo, two leaders of teams here, are sons of Chinook. Walden had been breaking in a new leader just before Chinook dis- appeared and had planned in a few days to let his old dog rest for the re- mainder of the time here. January 17 was Chinook's birthday and he followed Walden and the team out of camp toward the ship. He was behind, and somewhere soon after leav- ing camp he dropped behind, and when Walden looked around he was nowhere to be seen. This was an odd thing for Chinook to do, for he was so well trained that when another dog of the team would wander off Walden would send Chinook out to find him and bring him back. Was it possible that the old " (Continued on Page 4, Column 2.) GIRL CLUBBED TO DEATH AND ROBBED IN CHICAGO Slayer Flees When Woman Raises Window After Hearing Scream on Street. By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, January 24.—Miss Laura Buchholz, 26, a clerk, was clubbed to death and robbed a block from her home as she was returning from work last night. Her slayer escaped. The only witness was Mrs. Grace Hanley, a school teacher, who said she heard a girl scream and looked from her window in time to see “a man in a dark overcoat” dragging a woman's body across the street. Apparently frightened by the sound of the window Mrs. Hanley raised, the slayer fled. Physicians found Miss Buchholz had been struck twice over the head. Her purse and hat were missing. backed by intelligence was needed, old | | COMDR. BYRD AND CHINOOK. LEE REPLY BRINGS -~ INSURGENT JoLT | Disclosures of Information on Courthouse Fund Wins 93-11 Approval. BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY, Staff Correspondent of The Star. STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS, Md. January 24.—When Democratic insu | gency in the House of Delegates yeste! | day made a fiank attack from its anti- | administration fight, by attempting to | prod the affairs of Montgomery County. ! | it received its most severe jolting at the | | hands of the House, from Republicans and organization Democrats alike. When | Speaker E. Brooke Lee of Silver Spring, | from the floor, explained the whole history of the courthouse bond issue, and detailed to the House the basls of the allegations made by the insurgents, that body, by a vote cf 93 to 11, rejected the resolution which sought an investi- gation of the alleged misuse of the Montgomery County courthouse bond issue by a special committee of the grand inquest committee, It was clearly an attempt to em- barrass, and was just as clearly resented | by the House. Republicans voted almost solidly with the administration, because it was an attack on the unwritten law | of local self-government under which the counties and cities in Maryland are run. Speaker Lee, when various delegates Jjumped to the floor and sought to find from the proponents of the investiga- tion measure what facts they had, pleaded that they be given an oppor- tunity to talk without interruption, at | the conclusion of which he would ex- plain the matter in detail. Debate All Afternoon. The debate which lasted for the en- tire afternoon session was precipitated when Delegate Robert E. Ford of the fourth Baltimore district sent to the desk a lengthy resolution which provid- ed for the appointment of a special committee of the grand inquest com- mittee of the House for the sole pur- | pose of investigating the Montgomery + County Commissioners, and particu- larly an alleged misuse of proceeds of a bond issue authorized by the 1927 Legislature for the construction of a courthouse and jail at Rockville. He alleged that it was the prerogative of | the House to search into the use of funds obtained from bond issues au- thorized by the State Legislature, and said that he understood that $130,000 of the $300,000 issue had been used for the “benefit of a gentleman who hap- pens to be the speaker of the House.” Delegate Lawrence P. Williams of St. Marys County and Majority Flocr; Leader James J. Lindsay sought to ob- | tain from Mr. Ford some information | as to what tacts he had on the charges made. Finally, after saying that he ob- | tained it from the public press, display- | ed a copy of the Montgomery Independ- ent, whereupon Delegate Williams ask- | ed him it he was making a charge of this kind without previous investigation, | and added that if this was so, he was | insulting the intelligeence of the House. Pressed closely as to whether he alone prepared the resolution, pe finally ad- { mitted that he collaboratéd with Dele- ‘gnte Daniel C. Joseph of the fourth Baltimore district, and leader of the in- H surgent bloc. Delegate Joseph took the floor after | Mr. Ford, and waving a copy of the | Independent, containing a map which | purported to show the new Silver | Spring-Bethesda road, said that it runs | through the vast property holdings of | a “certain member of this House.” He, | | too, admitted, under questloning of | Delegate Lindsay, that he knew noth- | ing of the truth of the charges, and the only information he had was (Continued on Page 2, Column 3.) | By Cable 10 The star. LONDON, January Fairy-Na 24--A giant well, Lincolnshire, it was learned today, preparatory to a non-stop flight about cight thousand miles from Cap Town, South Africa, to England. An attempt to exceed the present un. hours 25 minutes will be made first, which ran { and then a flight to Cape Town, with ) Among the planc’s features heoter _beside deviation, vertically or directionally, at the residence S In- il be iy on P Ceme: timore. from the set course. operates is being kept a secret. ‘The wingspread of the machine is N Giant Plane {mth Secré; Fuel Saver To Try Cape Town to London Hopl er monoplane, designed to The pilot's chair is fitted with pneu- | Temain in the air for 80 hours without | | refucling, is undergoing tests at Cran- of | table. refucled duration flight record of 65 | only one stop en route, will be under- | hand pump can be used. The engine is a| veloping the pilot which auto- matically hoots in his ear upon any How the hooter | {nearly one hundred feet. It is built| | for comfort as well as for performance. | matic upholstery, and in the cabin there is a pneumatic couch for the re- serve pilot during long flights, as well .las a comfortable chair and folding ‘The fuel is carried in the wings, here more than one thousand gallons |can be stored. If the engine pump ? | fails, a wind-driven pump can imme- + | diately be pushed through the side of the fuselage, and if that should fall, a i5 an ordinary type Napler-Lyon de- 450 ~ horsepower, but with | socret alterations in the carburetor sys- |tem. It has already run continuously | for 80 hours in a bench test. 3 SAVED AT SEA BY GAPT. FRIED IN RAGING STORM F Swims From Sinking Ship to Lifeboat. OWN STORY OF RESCUE IS TOLD BY SKIPPER | Radio Direction Finder Succeeds When Other Craft Give Up Search. By the Associated Pr NEW YORK, January phant for a second time in a battle with the sea, Capt. George Fried of the | United States liner America, was headed | toward port today with the rescued crew | of the Italian freighter Florida, which was reported abandoned. The following message was recei by wireless by the As Capt. Fried: “On our homeward bound voyage we experienced a succession of westerly and northwesterly gales with a very high rough sea, accompanied by heavy snow and hail squalls, on January 22. We received S O S calls from the American eamer Dannedaike and the Italian eamer Florida, both vessels giving their 24.—Trium- ved | sociated Press from | positions in latitude 38 north and longi- tude 60 west. “We ascertained then that several ves- sels were in their vicinity, but only one had a radio compass, and the distressed vessels could not be located, so we de- cided to proceed to their assistance about noon January 22. We were then 350 miles north of their reported posi- | tions. | “We were covered with ice in freez-i ing weather and having violent snow | and hail squalls with a heavy gale. Chief Radio Operator Nelson Smith was stationed at the radio compass direction finder and took bearings con- tinuously. Bearings Erratic. “We proceeded on these courses. The bearings of the Florida were erratic. That is, they appeared so because they were not checking or agreeing with his reported position. We kept search- ing and taking bearings, but these bearings all placed him north, which we believed to be in error due to his given position. “From 9 a.m. until noon of Wednes- day the weather cleared and mod- erated. Observations were taken and our position found. We asked the Florida to obtain a position, but she informed us they had no navigation books, as all equipment was destroyed | when their bridge was carried away.” “Rescued full crew Florida. Total,! 32. Chief Officer Harry Manning in| charge. Whole westerly gale. Life boats lost. Details later.” This message' to the United States Lines last night told the essentials of the grim drama which opened when the America began her 350 miles race with death Tuesday. g The message recalled a similar com- munication sent by Capt. Fried almost three years ago to the day, when he told of the rescue of the crew of the British freighter Antinoe against heavy odds of sea and wind. Guided by Radio. Driving his ship through the welter of a midwinter storm and taking his bearing on the disabled ship by means of a radio direction finder, Capt. Fried steamed more than a day and a night on his mission. “Am standing by the S. S. Florida.” ‘The long vigil kept by shore radio stations to learn the outcome of the race of the America to snatch 32 men from the threat of death was rewarded by that terse message at 9 p.m. Before that there had been fragments of messages indicating that the Amer- ica was feeling about in the darkness for the Florida and wanted to know if the crew of the Florida could see the beam. It was three hours later that the liner located the object of her search. As the searchlight of the America was focussed on the Florida, so was in- terest in the contest between men and the elements focussed on the Florida “(Continued on Page 4, Column 3.) TAYLOR, ON STAND, CLINGS TO ALIBI Suspended Policeman, Accused in| Shooting, Declares He Was Mile Away. Edward M. Taylor, suspended police- man, charged with the shooting of Wil- liam S. McBreen the night of August 30, 1927, at a gas filling station at 2637 Benning road northeast, took the stand in his own behalf today and stuck stoutly to the alibi which the defense had carefully built up to support his claim of innocence. When Taylor completed his testimony, held up under cross-examination, the defense rested its case and Assistant United States Attorney William H. Collins had begun offering testimony in rebuttal when Chief Justice McCoy ordered a recess. It was expected the case would get to the jury this after- noon. ‘Taylor was preceded on the stand by his wife, Mrs. Helen Taylor, ‘who sub- stantiated previous testimony that at 9:30 o'clock the night of the shooting Tavlor was a mile distant from the gas station at the home of Mrs. Florence Haves, at Fifteenth and H streets northeast. Efforts to break down Taylor's own claim that he was at the Hayes' house with members of his family proved futile on the part of the prosecution. Mr. Collins had persistently tried to get the accused policeman to admit he had gone to Mrs. Hayes’ within the past few nights to confer with her about the testimony she had given yesterday. Taylor denied emphatically he had told Mrs. Hayes that he was in “a hole,” and that it was up to her to get him out of it. To various other ac- © g questions put to him by the prosecution, the suspended policeman sald: “Absolutely not.” Maryland and Virginia News The total weight of the machine with ! tuel is six and a half tons. (Copyright, 1029.) ull Crew of Italian Freighter | SENATE TAKES UP | rule of valuation for the Public Utilitics Today on Pages 10 and 11. < ;lfl_ T CRUSER NEASIAE Warship Study Follows Pas-; sage of First Deficiency Ap- | propriation Bill. By the Associated Press. The last of President Coolidge’s administration measures, the naval con- struction bill, was the order of business in the Scnate today. Shunted aside by other legislation since before the Christmas recess, the measure to authorize the construction | of 15 cruisers and one aircraft carrier | was taken up as a result of the passage late yesterday by the Senate of the first | deficiency appropriation bill. The war- ship program is confronted with stiff l opposition, but Chairman Hale of the Senate naval committee was confident | of its paseage. | Its legislative machinery somewhat impeded by the Senate's recent delay on pending measures, the House again devoted its attention to minor bills, sponsored mainly by its public lands committee and affecting for a large part Western States. However, the House ways and means committee had on its| program a problem of paramount inter- | est—the revision of ‘the agricultural | tariffs. The farm duties, which will be | compiled following the committee's | hearings may be enacted as a part of | the tariff bill at the proposed special sesslon and are considered a major agricultural relief measure. S Supporters of the cruiser measure ex- pressed the belief several days ago that | it was being_threatened by a filibuster | when several of its opponents talked for hours on prohibition during the consideration of the efficiency bill. However, the leaders of the opposition have said no obstructionist tactics will be used to block a final vote on the naval program, The Senate adopted the deficiency bill yesterday after it had settled the tax refund question. The measure car- ried a $75,000,000 item for tax refunds and Senator McKellar, Democrat, Tennessee, had offered as an amend- ment a proposal for the transfer of the | administration of tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Bureau to the board of tax appeals. He, however, sub- stituted for this proposal an amend- ment calling for public hearings on all | tax refunds in excess of $10,000 by a treasury committee and this was at- | tached to the measure. The bill now has to go back to the House for action on this amendment and another change, the $24,000,000 prohibition enforcement increase, but final settlement of the differences prob- ably will be effected in conference. Of the committees the Senate-Reed campaign funds investigation body had before 1t the case of Senator-elect Vare of Pennsylvania and the Senate immi- gration committee took up the proposal to postpone the effectiveness of th> national origins clause of the immigra- tion act. On the House side the mer- chant marine committee considered the bill to extend the life of the Radio Commission for another year and the flood control committee studied the | controlling of floods on Lake Okeecho- | bee and several rivers, . ADVISES ACTION ON MERGER NOW | Blaine Proposal Could Be Consid- ered Separately, Malt- bie Wires, The modified street railway merger plan should be acted upon now and the Blaine proposa to lay down a new Commission could be considered sepa- rately as an amendment to the code, in the opinion of Dr. Milo R. Maltbie, expert adviser to the Senate District | committee. { Dr. Maltbie made this suggestion in a telegram to Senator Capper today, in reply to a query from the chairman as to the wisdom of including the Blaine amendment in the merger resolu- tion. The telegram follows: “Valuation would not be completed for over one year, and code could be amended at any time before commis- ! sion acted. Hence I see no reason why | merger should not be authorized now and code amended separately at any time. Code not part of contract.” Three Missing in Fire. MONTREAL, January 24 ()— Three persons were reported missing in a fire in an apartment house on Tupper street early today. Radio Programs—Page 36 40 Buried in Train in 12 Feet of Snow Make Way to Town By the Associated Press. BUCHAREST, Rumania, Jan- uary 24.—The Bucharest Tele- gram said today that all the 40 passengers on the train which was buried under snow between Turnu-Magurele and Litza, in Southern Rumania, were safe. The reports related that the passengers had made their way through deep snow to a nearby village. A dispatch said that four loco- motives attempting to go to the relief of the buried train also were stalled. The,_ cars were reported to lie under 12 feet of snow. NEWS RACK GALLED MENACETO YOUTHS Needless Temptation, Says District P.-T. A. Head, in Letter to Zihiman. The corner newspaper racks, with their money boxes “almost inviting theft,” are needless temptations in the | paths of the children of the city and the practice of selling papers in this manner is a pernicious one, Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter, president of the District of Columbia Congress of Parents and | Teachers, writes in a letter addressed to Representative Frederick N. Zihlman, chairman of the House District com- mittee, today. The news rack is a serious menace to young people with their many demands for ready money, she declares. Mrs. Rafter adds her protest to that of Judge Kathryn Sellers of the Juvenile Court, who bitterly criticised the news- paper “honor racks" in sentencing two colored boys for stealing papers and money from them Tuesday. Judge Sel- lers said of the racks: “the great many thefts from them during the past month indicate clearly that they offer a temp- tation to our youth which more than offsets their desirability.” Mrs. Rafter writes as follows: “I have observed with growing con- cern the many templations that are placed in the paths of our children. “One of the greatest of these is the corner news rack, which seems inex-| cusable because it is of no benefit to any one and is a serious menace to young people, with their many demands for ready money. “Why are these money boxes allowed in the public streets, insecurely attached | to the newspaper racks, and almost in- viting thefi? “I understand that this system of selling papers is & loss to the newspaper companies, and we parents consider it a_serious menace to our children. So why continue this pernicious practice? “Yours most sincerely, “MRS. GILES SCOTT RAFTER.” BIG POLISH CENSUS GAIN. Increases More Than 15 Per Cent Since January, 1919, WARSAW, Poland, January 24 (#).— The bureau of statistics reports that the population of Poland has increased more than 15 per cent since January, 1919. The number of births was estimated as twice that of deaths. The rate of in- crease of population was stated to be one of the highest in the world. The population of Poland a vear ago this month was placed at 30,212,000, 20 STRICKEN'WITH “ELUY One Death in Epidemic Is Reported to Health Department. ‘Twenty cases of influenza were report- ed to the District Health Department to- day, and one death from the disease. Thus far in January 1,633 cases and 49 deaths have been reported. INSPECTORS HELD | INBUILDING CRASH {Jury Holds Man’s Death Was Dee to Inadequate Check on Work. {and John J. Widmayer, were held for | action of the grand jury today by a | coroner’s jury investigating the death | of Henry Roberts, colored workman, | who was crushed to death under fall- ing concrete last Tuesday in an apart- | ment house under construction at Con- necticut avenue and Porter streets. | Rogers, who lives at 161 Mount Vernoa assistant building inspector in charge of Mg built. ‘Widmayer, who lives at 1010 Vermont avenue, was employed as a special in- spector by the District. He was who drew up the plans for the structural work in the building. b “We, the coroner’s jury, believe that the death of Henry Roberts was the result of inadequate inspection on the part of John J. Widmayer and Ansel T. Rogers. We order them held for actio of the grand jury.” Widmayer and Rogers said they are n no way to blame for the death. Rogers ['said there are 15 buildings under con- struction which he must visit daily and that it is consequently impossible for him to inspect every minute detail of the construction work. Widmayer said that it is his opinion | that he was employed by the District | merely to see that the material put into | the building conformed with the specifi- | cations, which he drew up, and that he | was in no way reésponsible for the| strength or durability of any of this material. He pointed out that his speci- | fications had been approved by the| building inspector's office. | | The jury deliberated for nearly an | hour before returning its verdict. Al- though it was brought out during the | inquest that the building regulations | | of Washington do not specify and | | charge any particular person with the | duty of examining supports for con- ! crete flooring, no comment was made | | on_this phase of the accident. Joseph William Downing, deputy in- | | spector of buildings, told the jury that in his opinion the logical person to examine the supports would be either | Rogers or Widmayer. He also said that | | he thought.it quite possible that a blow |from a heavily laden wheelbarrow might have weakened the support, but | that an empty wheelbarrow should not have had this cffect. The theory had been advanced that the support which gave way was weakened by glancing | | blows from wheelbarrows with which | workmen were transporting brick to a | | retaining wall being built on the far | side of the apartment. Mr. Widmayer was recalled to the | stand today and testified that after ex- |amining the supports of the floorin; he instructed the workmen to “go ahead. He explained that he meant for them to proceed with the laying of concrete. | | He also advanced the theory that the supports may have given way as a re- ! sult of a trench having been dug near its base. He also testified on the stand that it was a part of his duty to de- termine the strength of the supports bracing the concrete form. ‘The_only other witness called was! J. L. Peed, foreman of concrete work, who testified that he laid the concrete | ‘noor after Widmayer had told him, ; according to his understanding, that it would be all right for him to do so. Roberts, who had come to work on the morning of the day when he was | killed, lived in the 1500 block of Marion street, He was 38 years old. QUESTION MARK HOPS OFF SHREVEPORT, La., January 24 (P, —The Question Mark, Army endurance olane, hopped off at 10:45 a.m. today for | Atlanta on its return trip to Washing- ton after breaking all records for sus- | tained flight in California. | It was due to stop at Monroe and Montgomery en route to Atlanta. - River Freezes, Detroit Customs Men Quit; Smugglers Haul Rum as Hundreds Watch| By the Assoclated Press. TORONTO, Ontario, January 24.— Opportunities afforded liquor = smug- glers by the frozen Detroit River were described by the Toronto Globe today as follows: Six inches of river ice interrupted by less than 100 feet of epen water, coupled with the fact that Sumner C. Sleeper, chief of the Detroit customs partol, and a dozen of his men had thrown up their jobs, presented to the tunity which they have been denied for many mont X ‘Taking advantage of the situation, the smuggler’s speeded up production and by using small automobiles, sleighs and | even old-fashioned toboggans succeeded | in transporting an undetermined quan- tity ot liquor and Canadian beer to Detroit and 1its environs, The opera- tions were carried on boldly and in the sight of hundreds. | On the Detroit side large vans la- | boled furniture and express were ob- | served speeding away from the river Two employes of the District Build- | | Ing Inspector’s Office, Ansel T. Rogers | boulevard, Alexandria, Va. is an as-| the territory where the apartment was | jury verdicts read as follows: | 'BIG VAN SWE POTOMAG ROUTE 1S SELECTED FOR - MT. VERNON ROAD Bicentennial Commission Meets at White House to Make Plans. MORE ORNAMENTATION IS MADE POSSIBLE Special Committee Authorized to Prepare for Great Celebra- tion in 1932. The lower, or Potomac River, route was officially selected today for the 200~ foot Memorial Highway from the Vir- ginia end of Arlington Memorial Bridge to Mount Vernon, at a meeting in the White House of the George Washington Bi-centennial Commission, presided over by President Coolidge. Government engineers from the Bu- ruea of Roads of the Department of Agriculture laid before the commission plans indicating that the river route would cost about $700,000 less than the “‘upper” route, which had been suggested along the line of hills above the river. Congress has authorized an appropri- ation of $4,500,000 to build this road, 'and has already appropriated $2,500,000 {of this amount. The saving in cost possible by adoption of the river route | will enable the Commission to spend mere money than had been anticipated in the ornamentation and general beau- tification of the road and its connec- tions. . Committee Is Authorized. The Commission authorized th: President to appoint a special commut- tee of five members to formulate plans for a definite Nation-wide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington in 1932, when it is proposed that the Mount Vernon road shall have been completed. Upon a suggestion made by Mrs. John D. Sherman, a member of the com- mission, a resolution drawn by Mrs. Anthony Wayne Cook was adopted, | providing for a special commission of three members to be selected by the President to consider the tentative plans of the National Wakefield Association and of government engineers looking toward restoration of Washington's birthplace at Wakefield, Va., and its conversion mnto a national shrine. In approving the river route for the Memorial highway, the commission made the condition that the plans for the construction work shall be approved by the Secretary of Agriculture, and that he shall have “procured or shall | have satisfactory assurance of procuring %:&snw right of way therefor, in- cluding parking, and shall have entered into arrangements or agreements satis- factory to him with the councils of any city or town or the board of supervisors of any county in the State of Virginia through which said Memorial highway will pass, respecting the control traffic on said Memorial highway and ugon highways or streets which will intersect the same, and respecting the zoning and control of the use which may be made | of property adjacent to said Memorial highway. Ford Is Absent. Nearly all of the members of the Bi-centennial Commission attended the meeting this morning. There were sev- eral notable exceptions, however, for among the absentees were Henry Ford and Col. Hanford MacNider. Senator Fess of Ohio, vice chairman of the com- mission, presided during a brief period when President Coolidge was absent from the room. The Senate is represented on the commission by Senator Fess, Senator Capper of Kansas, Senator Glass of Virginia and Senator Bayard of Dela- ware. The House members of the com- mission are Representatives Tilson of Connecticut, Hawley of Oregon, Garner of Texas and Byrns of Tennessee. Mrs. Cook is a former president gen- eral of the National Society of the | Daughters of the American Revolution, and was selected to serve on the com- mission as the representative of that crganization. The act of Congress under which the Memorial Highway will be constructed provides that the work shall be done under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture with the co-operation of the Washington Bi-centennial Com- mission. of which President Coolidge is the head. Plans were outlined to the commision today by Government engineers of the Department of Agriculture for connect- ing the highway with the park system | of Washington and the surrounding territory. The plans call for one of the most ornamental roads ever built in this or any other country, with shade trees on the sides and appro- priate parking spaces. RINGEN FIRM IS RUMORED Proposed $100,000,000 Corporation Would Hold Stocks in Rail- road Companies. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, January 24.—The sec- ond move of O. P. and M. J. Van Swer- ingen to obtain public support for their Eastern railroad consolidation plans was disclosed today in reports of their organization of a $100,000,000 company to hold their railroad stocks. The Cleveland brothers hold either personally, or through Vanness & Co., & controlling interest in the Erie, Nickel Plate, Chesapeake Corporation, Pere Marquette, Buffalo, Rochester & Pitts- ‘b)\;‘r‘gh and possibly the Cheasapeake & 0. Part of these stock holdings are to be transferred to the new corporation, or- ganization of which has not yet beeq completed. The public’s backing will be enlisted through an offering of Junior and senior securities in the new com- pany. ‘The first step was announced short!y after the first of the year, when the Van Sweringens and President Daniel Wil- lard of the Baltimore & Ohio let it be known that they would ask the Inter- state Commerce Commission to permit them to “acquire,” rather than consoli- date, certain railroads. The holding company, it is understood, will be the vehicle used in the acquisition. Under this plan the Chesapeake & Ohio would ask to “take over” the Nickel Plate, Pere Marquette, Hocking (rum trafficking fraternity an oppor- within a few minutes after a cargo had | landed. There was no attempt at inter- ! ference at any time so far as reported. Valley, Erie, Virginian, Delaware, Lacka- wanna & Western, Bessemer & Lak Erie, Pittsburgh, Shawmut & Nonhe'rs and’ ‘eer short lines . “