Evening Star Newspaper, October 7, 1929, Page 2

v HANNA EVASIVE ONMERGER VIEWS Capital Traction Head Re- fuses to Reply to Commis- sion’s Questions on Plan. Por two hours this morning the Pub- lie Utilities Commission tried in vain to draw from President John H. Hanna of the Capital Traction Co. his opinion s 1 werits of a plan of merging his company with the Washintgon Rail- ' way & Electric and Washintgon Rapid | Transit. Cos. drawn up by the commis- sion some months ago, when hearing on the company's fare raise applica- tion was resumed. ‘The commission plied Mr. Hanna | with every possible variation of ques- tions on this theme. but he skillfully | evaded them. Toward the end of the | hearing he went. so far as to admit that the commission, in framing the plen, had attempred to be fair to all parties | concerned. but would not express an opinion as to whether the attempt had suceeeded. The questions on the merger have been incorporated by the commission | into the car fare case over the objections | of the companies. on the theory that| “he petitioners, who are seeking financial | relief by increased car fares, should be | ready to discuss further methods of | seeking the relief sought. Mr. Hanna stated it was with great | regret he found himself unable to answer the questions and that this was the first time that a Capital Traction ' official had ever found himself similarly | embarrassed before a public utility | official 1n_open hearings, but the ques- | tion left him no alternative, he said. 1 Refuses to Express Opinion. Chairman Mason M. Patrick of the | commission, who did most of the ques- | tioning, had before him & mimeograph- ed copy of the agreement and asked for ! Mr, Hanna's opinion of its 20 para-| graphs, one by one. Mr. Hanna de- elined to give it. He was then asked to consider each paragraph with rela-| tion to the whole, and also asked for | his opinion as a street rallway operating | man, as an individual, and as an official of the Capital Traction Co. None of these forms of questions brought the desired answer. At one stage of the questioning Hanna was directed to answer the question, but even this was fruitless. George E. Hamilton, counsel for the company. objected to the line of ques- tions which sought to draw from Mr. Hanna these opinions as an_official of the Capital Traction Co. He sald no official could testify except upon ' instruction of the company and that | these instructions had not been given. | Commissioner Harleigh H. Hartman | asked Mr. Hanna if he would now give the commission views which he | would express 1o a congressional com- mittee should the commission's merger | plan give rise to hearings before com- | mittees, Mr. Hanna declined. Clash Marks Opening, ‘The commission and the Capital: “Traction Co. clashed at the outset of the hearing today. Chairman Patrick | announced mission to ask company offici: their opinion of the new merge: s for lan LA proposed by the commission and asked | for statements from counsel for both railway companies. G. Thomas Dunilop, counsel for the Capital Traction Ci and S. R. Bowen, counsel for the Wash- ington Rallway & Electric Co., both declared that they would stand on their previous objections to the consideration of any merger proposal in connection with the application of the companies for an increased carfare, as they be- lieved the question of a merger is not properly a part of the fare increase case. Ralph B. Fleharty, people’'s counsel. | said he had no statement to make | further than to say that in behalf of the people he was anxious to see a! merger brought about. Chairman Patrick then called Presi-| dent Hanna of the Capital Traction Co.. to the stand. Mr. Hanna took a ! position at the table next to Mr. Dunlop | and_throughout the examination the | president and counsel of the company | were 1n close consultation. | Asked first by Chairman Patrick for | his views regarding the financial fes- tures of the commission's merger pro- . Mr. Hanna said: ny merger plan must be considered as a whole and any attempt to discuss | an individual part would be impossible | or impracticatle.” He added that the company had already settled its position in a letter to the commission, in which it. held that the question of a merger should not be brought up in connection with the request for increased carfares. ““The street car companies,” he con- tinued, “cannot in justice to themselves approve or disapprove any particular merger agreement until Congress makes known what it wants put into such an agreement.” With considerabie emphasis, Chair- man Patrick declared: “The commission | feels that it is entitled to ask your| opinion of the various features of the | proposed merger agreement. This is | thought to be only fair to the commis- sion and the public.” “With all due respect, I cannot | view to supporting either side of the | | dwellings the intention of the com- | THE EVENING ICLASH BETWEEN 16TH STREET ZONING AND ASSESSMENTS| ‘Su‘rvey Reve;la Higher Rate Placed on Dwellings and Apartments Than F in More Exclusive Sections. » Note: This is_the second of @ sevies Siztosnth atreet. BY DON 8. of articles discussing the zoming of lower The third erticle will appear tomorrom. WARREN, The elash of high sssessments with zoning restrictions on properties on lower Sixteenth street has provided owners there with their strongest plea for abandonment of existing bars against business, This was the case two years ago at the Jast battle over the question and again will be the casus belli in the new petition for commercial zoning which now appears in the offing. That there is a clash between zoning and assessments—amounting virtually to a head-on collision—is clearly Indicated from a giance at figures compiled by | The Star, with the aid of Alton L. Wells, financial expert, in its search for facts | underlying the Sixteenth street contest, ‘These statistics, gathered not with a | Sixteenth street zoning question so far | as this study is concerned, reveal, how- | ever, facts that are well-nigh amazng | to the uninitiated. | Assensments Compared. Reduced to simple terms. statistics gathered in this study show that eur~ rent. assessments on land on which are located on Sixteenth street, between H street and Scott Cir- | cle vange from $7 to $30 per square foot. In marked contrast to these figures, the land assessments of residntial sites in five of the city's most exclusive, bon-ton dwelling sections range from $1.75 to $11 per square foot. Study of these statistics also shows | that current assessments on the sites of apartment houges on lower Sixteenth street range from $10 to $20 per square foot, while the assessments on sites of nine apartment structures, of compa- rable or more exclusive character, in other sections of the city range from $1.65 to $10 per square foot. Why Is it that land values on lower Sixteenth street are so much greater | than those of other sections where | there, admittedly, has been much greater demand for apartment and dwelling sites? Why is it that spart- | ment sites on Sixteenth street. where business is barred, have greater assessed values than those in other sections where business establishments are al- lowed in apartment bulldings. an ele- ment which makes generally for in- creased investment values on such buildings? The Star, In its study, sought and obtained nswer from Willlam P. Richards, tax assessor of the District, who is charged with the responsibility of assessing land in the District at 100 per cent of its market value. No ques- tion was raised here as to the accuracy of the sssessor's judgment. Mr. Rich- ards has survived many an appeal from property owners as to assessment in- creases. The purpose of the queries was to discover the reason for the contrast in the two groups of figures. Richards Gives Explanation, The explanation, as readily given by Mr. Richards, is found in the high and rapidly increasing land values of prop- erty in the downtown section border- ing or nearby this part of Sixteenth street. It should be remembered at this juncture that Sixteenth street from H sireet to Scott Circle is a narrow island of residential zone surrounded by areas zoned for commercial use, Mr. Richards frankly stated that the fact that Sixteenth street is restricted to residential use cannot prevent the bigher values of nearby commercial property from having a lifting influence on the values of Sixteenth street prop- erties. The “possible future use” of property on lower Sixteenth street. he pointed out, has an influence on the value of Sixteenth street property. One reason for the fact that the sites of houses on Sixteenth street are as- sessed from $7 to $30 per foot. and apartment house sites from $10 to $20 | per foot, Mr. Richards indicated. ix the high value of surrounding property having commercial use, Zoning restrictions on property gen- erally throughout the city, he said, h: not been given predominant weight in the making of assessments on property since_zoning restrictions. in numerous specific cases. not including Sixteenth street, have been changed. Guided by Sale Prices, The primary guide of the assessor and his staff in making assessments on properties is and has been sale prices paid for abutting or nearby properties. This method, he finds, has been the best available general guide to “mar- ket” value for assessment purposes, though other elements come in for con- | | sideration. Of course, in studying such | sale prices consideration is given to the | question of whether the price quoted was paid by a buyer, willing but not forced to buy, and was accepted by & seller, willing but not forced to sell. Mr, Richards reports that the 8ix- teenth street mssessments were based “mostly” on sale prices oh property in recent vears on Sixteenth street and on_nearby streets. The nearness to the White House of properties on lower Sixteenth street has | been seen by some as a reason for the high sssessments there, but the tax assessor states definitely that this esthetic value was mnot considered in the assessments on this thoroughfare. The pressure of the growing business section of the city. which has gone northwest from Fourteenth and P streets, north on Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Seventeenth streets, west on H and | answer such questions,” firmly replied Mr, Hanna, Evades Direct Questions, Commissioner Hartman then endeav- ored to extract Mr. Hanna's opinion of the financial features of the com- mission’s merger plan by a series of questions, but Mr. Hanna continued to | evade direct replies. Chairman Pat- | rick then declared that the commission | would take up the various sections of | its proposed merger plan and inquire as to the company's views on each one, | whereu, Mr, Hanna reiterated that he would not answer such questions. At length Chairman Patrick centered | Mr. Hanna's attention on a provision of the proposed agreement to the effect that its apprgval by Congress “shall constitute and confer jurisdiction on | the Public. Otilities Commission to issue any order Teasonably necessary to se- cure the operating or other economles | contemplated by this merger.” Mr. Hanna said his company alwi has believed that should have all necessary authority to regulate the street railway companies and that there should be nothing in any merger agreement to abridge the commission’s powers. “What will be your position if the commission orders the company to an- K streets, particularly, leaping over the | residential zone on lower Sixteenth | street and continuing up Connecticut avenue, Assessor Richards said, has been reflected inexorably in rising as- sessments on Sixteenth street. Doubled in $ix Years. A detailed inspection of the statistics hered In The Star's study of the case shows that assessments on lower Bixteenth are not only high in compari- son with other residential sections, but that the question should not be up in connection with the present hear- | ing, “The commission has the duty to in- | sist upon all possible economies,” sald Chairman Patrick, “and if there is any method of reducing operating expenses the comission has the right to take all necessary steps to bring about such economies.” ‘Mr. Hanna said the company récog- | inizes the right of the commission to require all ressonable economies and believes that such economies have been effective and that nothing more can be done_ until Congress authorizes a merger. In the meantime, he contended, the company is entitled to an increase in car fare. swer these questions?” demanded Mr. Hartman. Our position will be that the com- ! mission has no authority to require answers,” replied Mr. Dunlop. | “So the company declines to answer | any question on this plan—refuses to| answer at the outset of this part of the hearing—does it?" asked Mr. Hartman. | “Yes, that is right” interposed | George E. Hamilton, chairman of the board of directors of the Capital Trac- tion Co. “The commission insists that it has | a perfect right to insist upon the views of counsél and the directors of the com- | pany on this question,” declared Chair- | man Patrick, “and If necessary will asi for the appearance of all the directos here in the interests of the people.” Authority Is Doubted. Mr. Hamilton said the commission sould not compel a merger, and thn! until the companies have agreed upon & plan the commission has no right to proceed with an inquiry of this sort. “The commission is not trying to compel & merger,” said Chairman Pat- riek. “It has asked for a friendly dis- cussion of a possible merger, and hoped it would be met in the same spirit.” Mr. Hamilton said the street car com- panies desired s merger. but insisted Chairman Patrick declared that Con- gress “has already authorized a merger” and that the companies have failed to Teach an agreement. Claims Companies Have Aided. | “The companies have done every- | thing that could be expected to bring about a merger,” retorted Mr. Hanna. “A mer’fr plan was submitted to Con- Rress. has not been rejected by Con- gress. ‘The companies are not re- sponsibie for the delay.” “The commission thinks there are some thin, to bring about & merger,” Chairman Patrick. “And the companies believe anything | they might do now would hinder and | not aid in effecting a merger,” quickly | replied Mr. Hanna. radically,” “Again we differ Chajrman Patrick. A portion of Mr. Hanna's testimony | before the subcommittee of the Senate | District committee and in the last merger hearing was read by Chairman Patrick. Mr. Hanna was quoted as ing & merger would result in a sav- ings ‘of $1 000 s year to the companies. | “1 dia ngruna to go that far" id Mr. Hanna. “I don't great the savings would be. / said | |Ktol . | #3; CONNIE MAC | salvo of shouts know how l that more these assessments have slightly than doubled In the past six years. Statistics, taken by Mr. Wells from offirial assessment record books, show that the average square foot assessment uation of 89 parcels of ground in this section was $8.23 in the fiscal vear 1923-24, while the average square foot assessment for the same pms» fes for the current fiscal year is $17.05. ‘The following table clearly shows the rise in assessment valuations in this section: East Side of Street. Square— Htol. 1toK .. 8! 614.745 827,340 243,723 L to M . 3 379,821 M to Scott Circle 224,610 West Side of Street, 74 2! 1,047,102 586 Htol 1t0 K 647.194 Kte L LioM ..... M to Scott Cirel 53488471 37,232,711 The ahove figures cover properties fronting on Sixteanth street and some properties fronting on side streets where they would come within the resi dential zoning limit of Sixteenth street. | Comparivon of Intereést. A comparison of the average land sessments for the current year, in rel tion to zoming classifications, between properties on lower Sixteenth street and other sections may be of interest. On Sixteenth street from H street to Scott Circle the average land assess- ment is $17.05 per square foot. These properties are zoned residential, per- mitting “private dwellings, tment houses and hotels, in addition to edu- cational institutions, the bullding height being limited to 90 feet. On Sixteenth street from H to K streets properties have an average as- | sessment of $25.17 per square fool. This section is zoned residential and also has a 90-foot building height limit. On Connecticut avenue from Dupont Circle to Florida avenue the assessed land values average $13.78 per square foot. The section Is zoned first com. mercial and has & 90-foot bullding height limit. On Connecticut avenue, Dupont Cir- | cle to K street, the average per square foot assessment for land here is $22.70. This section is roned first commercial, with 110-foot building height, which permits & maximum height limit of 130 feet, with setback above 110 feet. The section has in the past few vears been rapidly changed from residential to pusiness. On K street from S8ixteenth to Seven- teenth streets, with the exception of 100 feet of property nearest to Sixteenth, which 15 in the residential zone, the average square foot assessed value is $16.78. ith the exception of the southeast corner of Seventeenth and K streets this property is zoned first com- mercial, with 110-foot height limit. On the west side of Seventeenth street, H to K streqts” the average square foot assessment for land s $25.77. This section has first commer- cial zone, with 110-foot building height limit. A clorer analysis of assessment fig- ures for dwelling and apartment house sites on Sixteenth street compared with those of other sections may prove in- teresting. It was found that the assessed valua- tions of dwelling sites on Sixteenth street from H street to Scott Circle ranged from $7 to $30 per square foot. The general range of figures for sachusetts Avenue Heights are $2 t0 $2.75. Kalorama Heights, $1.75 to $3: Sheridan Circle section, $4 to $11; Massachusetts avenue, Dupont Circle to Florida avenue, $4 to $10; and Six- teenth street, Florida avenue to Co- | lumbia road, $1.75 to $4.50. Apartment houses on lower Sixteenth street have assessed land valuations as, follows: 1016 Sixteenth street, $12: 1026 Sixteenth, the Presidential Apart- ments, $20; 1107 Sixteenth street, Greenbrier Apartments, $10; 1109 Six- teenth street, $13; 1155 Sixteenth street, $13; corner of Sixteenth and M streets, the' Jefferson Apartments, $15. 1215 Sixteenth street, $10, and 1222 Six- teenth street, $10. In comparison with these the follow- g per square foot assessed values on es of other apartment houses are ven as follows: Meridian Mansions. ixteenth street above Crescent place, Argonne Apartments, Columblia 10ad and Sixteenth street, $2.50. Chastleton Apartments, Sixteenth and R streets, $7; 2101 Connecticut avenue. between Wyoming and Kalorama ave- nues, $3; Alban Towers, corner of Massachusetts and Wisconsin avenues. .65; the Fairfax, 2100 Massachusetts avenue, $10; Corcoran Courts, Twenty- third and D streets, $1.90: the Mc- | Reynolds, 705 Eighteenth street, $6.60. | and the Wisteria, 1101° Massachusetts avenue, $7. K LEADS BAND OVER OLD TRAIL FOR SERIES BATTLE (Continued From First Page.) h & the North Philadelphia Station 'n"m to “bring back games!” The special departed from North Philadelphia at 9:30 standard time, and was on a 17-hour schedule to Chicago. Even with his rl.yen delivered in the Union Station in Chicago at 3:30 o'clock this after- noon, Central standard time, Connie ;").chk will forego practice upon Wrigley eld. Of the famous Athletic team which won four titles in the five-year period from 1810 through 1914, only Connie Mack and Eddie Collins will be on hand when play starts tomorrow. Collins is listed as an eligible. but hardly will swing a bat. | Ty Cobb is the only former player on the trip. ROOT MAY HURL OPENER. ger About Decided on Star Right-hander. Cubs M: CHICAGO, October 7 (#).—Manager | Joe McCarthy of the Cubs today said gs_the companies cen do now | he planned to send Charlie Root, his| declared | star right-hander, sgainst the Athletics | {in the first game of the world series tomorrow, reserving Perce “Pat” Maione for the second game Wednesday. Eagles Funeral Tomorrow. KANSAS CITY, October 7 (#)—The o ane et Piocare star. who died ress an on picture star, in New York Thuraday, today résted in urial will be in Ollvlrygg::ne.t:rx tomorrow morning sfter sery funeral chapel d at St Vincent's Oatholic Church. 486950 | IRDENER S STORY 1 BEINE CHEGKED | Maryland Gardener Declares Mrs. McPherson Visited His * Home on Death Night. | grand fury and insisted yesterday he | would neéver give any information con- cerning the case to the District police. However, he readily consented to tell the same story he related to The Star | reporters to Department of Justice | agents, - | Identified McPherson. Gauthey was first interviewed by | Allen two weeks ago today, who acted | on a tip that he had seen Mr. and September 12, In company with a Star | reporter Allen sought him out near Ard- | more and Gauthey imediately picked McPherson out of & group picture and Ihd:'ntmed him as his visitor of the night ore. Allen then brought Gauthey to Wash- ington and he identified & photograph of Virginia McPherson as the woman he had sesn at his home on the night | of September 12. | ~But Gauthey, meeting McPherson at i the bank where the latter is employed, became positive that McPherson was | not the man who had been at his place. Allen then sought a taxicab driver who had taken a couple to Ardmore on the night of September 12. The police found this taxicab driver, and they also found a woman whom the taxicab driver | / had taken to Ardmore. The cab driver | . had not taken Mr. McPherson to Ard- | more, and the woman was, of course, , not Mrs, McPherson, 80 Gauthey's evi- | ' dence was dropped. ! It developed yesterday, however. that | | the woman whom Gauthey identifies as Mrs. McPherson, and her escort, did not | come to Ardmore in a taxicab. They a rived in an expensive roadster, which | Gauthey describes. He points out that neither the taxicab driver nor the wom- | n in the cab would have had any ! knowledge, necessarily, of Mrs. McPher- | son’s visit, Gauthey Gives Description. i Mrs. McPherson late on the night of | | STAR. WASHINGTON. D. .. MONDAY. OC/ Wins Beauty Title 0. Gardner and was named “Miss Person- ality” in a beauty gontest at Baltimore, Md., recently. —Assoclated Press Photo. STRIKE CUTS FLOW OF GOTHAMES FOD Vegetable Shortage Threat- ens New York, With 3,000 Cars Tied Up in Yards. By the Associsted Press. NEW YORK, October 7.—The ecity ORER 7. 1929. HOOVER WATERWAY PLAN SHAPNG LP Realignmentof Army Engi-: neers Announced by Sec- | retary of War. By the Associated Press. A realignment of Army engineers de- signed to carry out President Hoover's | plan of decentralising the vast river | and harbor and flood control wort | | throughout the country was annour ced | today by Becretary Good. i Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Jackson, presi- dent of the Mississippi River Com- mission, has been placed in charee of ' | the development of the lower Mississipps, with headquarters at Vicksburg, Miss. Lieut. Col. Gecrge R. Spalding, dis- | trict engineer st Lou'sville, Ky., has been placed in charge of the develop- | ment of the navigable waters of the | Upper Mississippl and tributaries with | headquarters at 8t. Louis. i Col. Edward M. Markham has been | ordered from Fort Humphries, Va., to | Cleveland, Ohlo, to take charge of the development of the Great Lakes water- | ways. | This reorganization was outlined by | | President Hoover at the time he ap- | pointed Maj. Gen. Lytle Brown as chief | of Engines 'MRS. HODGES LEADS . STAR TROPHY FIELD, Woman Gol;er; Pl;:Pirlt Round Over Chevy Chase Club Course. Composer JOSEPH HUETTEL. LY DIEDVERS “INKHOV” O | Ruins of Ancient Mayan Me- tropolis, Heretofore Hidden From Science, Are Seen. By the Associsted Prese BELIZE, British Honduras. October |7.—Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, fiying yesterday over the once broad empire of the ancient Maya Indians on the | Yucatan Peninsula, discovered indica- Mrs. J. M. Hodges of the Army. Navy | and Marine Corps Country Club took the lead -this afternocon in the first round of the medal play competition for Gauthey describes the woman's com- | W8 threatened with a shortage of fresh The Evening Star gold trophy. panfon as & blond man 5 feet nine inches tall with curly hair, bald fore- head. He said he was about 140 pounds in weight. He again positively identi- | fied Mrs. McPherson's photograph. | Gauthey turned over to The Star a fancy handkerchief with the initial i " which he sald had been left at his ! home by the man. The handkerchief was delivered to the Department of Jus- | i tain its ownership. In discussing the man again he said he particularly noticed his perfect speech. Department of Justice {nvestigators who look into Gauthev'; story will bear in mind the fact t" Mrs. McPherson _en in her apartment . .ock on the night of the tragedy. tice end effort will pe made to ascer- | vegetables and fruits today as a strike ,of 3,000 union market truckmen par- { alysed movement of produce from rail | terminals and docks. | Over the week end 3.000 carloads of , food, valued at $6,000,000. accumulated | increasing the congestion hourly. The strike was calied by the Interna- | tional Brotherhood of Teamsters and | Chauffeurs for an eight-hour day and { time and oneé-half for overtime. Two hundred police were sent into the market district on the lower West Side 10 guard garages, docks and warehouses. Authorities in Jersey City, Weekawken, in railroad yards with additional arrivals | Pluying over the course of the Chevy | Chase Club, Mrs. Hodges registered a scors of 82, and. with a handicap of four strokes, was leading by two atrokes | at the conclusion of the first day's play. Mrs, J. Marvin Haynes of Columbia | also registered a gross 82. but Mrs. | Haynes played from scratch. Mrs, Stephen F. Colladay of Colum- bia was second to Mrs. Hodges with a score of 84—4—80. | | Other leading scores follow: Miss | Florence Scott, Indian Springs. 95— | 19—86; Miss Susan Hacker, Chevy Chase, ! 9 Mrs. Hugh T. Nicholson, ! 88—0—88: Mrs. R. L. Rose, Congres- | sional, 95—6— Winifred Faunce. | Manor, 93—3— | jr., Indian Springs, | Dorothy Hunter, Indian_Sprin 91; Mrs. G. Y. Bell, Columbia, 10 | fled i from o'clock, Eastern | cab, pennants and three world Woman Was Sobbinj | . About that hour a girl friend, Eleanor Sneppard, telephoned the McPherson partment and when Mrs. McPherson | nswered, she was sobbing convuisively, | according to the testimony both of Miss heppard and the Park Lane telephone operator. Mrs. Lillian Conway. Mrs. McPherson told her friend she could not talk to her at that time and hung up the receiver. Mrs. Conway says she was so im- | pressed by t she had overheard that she rang the McPherson apart-| ment again several times, receiving no | tesponse. This further aroused her | curiosity and when she was relleved [from the awitchboard 20 minutes later | | she took a pass key and went to the apartment. Mrs, Conway states she received no [ answer to her knock, 0 used the key | and entered the apartment. She turn- | ed on the light by & wall switch and {saw a black evening gown in the center { of the living room floor. The bedroom ! door was closed and no light was visible beneath it. Leaves Apartment. Deciding that Mrs. McPherson either had gone 1o bed the apartment, she says she inveAtigated no furth turned out the light and departed. Not long before the telephone inci- ! dent Mrs. McPherson had called the drug store in the Park Lane and or- dered two packages o° cigarettes, ac- cording to Howard Templeton, ycung clerk in the store and an old friend of | Mrs. McPiieison. Templeton says he | {took the cigarettes to the apartment | | i | | iand found Mrs. McPherson in a black dress, apparently ready to go out. The clerk recalls he asked her if she was “stepping out” and she replied she was going to a dance in Georgetown. Templeton asserts he asked with whom she was going and the girl said: “Boo of course. Who else would I go with?" | If Gauthey is not mistaken in his | identification of Mrs. McPherson as the | “Miss McPherson” he saw at his place on the night of the tragedy, the theory | that Mrs. McPherson committed suicide lor was killed shortly after her tele- phone conversation with Miss Sheppard is, of course, untenable. | ‘Would Require Hour, + _Mrs, McPherson, had she 1 | Gauthey's house around midnight, | scarcely could have returned to her | | apartment before 1 o'clock, the ! | Gauthey house is about an hour's drive | from the city. Employes of the apartment house have denied ha\ing seen any one enter | or leave the McPherson apartment late that night. Occupants of nearby apart- ments have declared, however, they heard & woman's screams and. & ma ! culine voice between 2 and 3 o'cloc |in the morning, and one tesident de- clared the noises came from the Mc- Pherson apartment, and, on reflection, added she was, sure she heard the voices of two men. Other witnesses have told of the | alighting of a passenger from a taxicab | near the rear of the Park Lane about 1 1:30 o'clock on the fatal night, and ' of the figure of & man moving on a low | roof outside the McPherson apartment several hours after midnight. i Garnett Melvin PFrye, dri avit “l itying” | the pessenger he dis- charged at the mouth of an alley back of the apartment house after picking | him up at Fifteenth street and New Yor= avenue. Frye's testimony before ! the grand jury played an important part in the decision to indict McPher- ! 'son, it was said. Called on Minister. | | i | | | | Ellot H. Thomson, the minister who | | married the McPhersons, who is pub-! | licity manager of the bank where the | | young_husband was employed, sald to- day that Mrs. McPherson had sought and received advice from him concern- inz her domestic difficulties on several occasions. He would not say when he last_counseled her. ‘The marriage ceremony Wwas per- formed at the request of the youth parents, whom he has known for some time, he sald, and also because he knew his connection with the | bank. Also & witness before the grand juty, he testified briefly and the inquisitorial body evidently did not afix much im- Bofl.lnc! to his testimony because of the revity of the questioning, he declared. | Mr. Thomson said that he was not sub- naed officially, but appeared after | | he learned that he probably would be summoned. Air Travelers Forced Down. DIJON, Prance, October 7 m—m‘ Hadley and his wife, Americans, flying from Bourget to Marseilles, yester- day were forced to land at un#:c when caught in a severe storm. ir machine was Wreeked, but neither suf- fered injury. Hoboken and Cruxton on the New Jersey side of the river took similar precautions. The produce, which market men e timated was depreciating at the rate of 1 per cent an hour, included 350 cars of California grapes, with smaller ship- ments of apples, melons, rs. pota- toes and other fruits and T&‘I’nm&‘,’ The eflect of the strike was reflected in the prices of highly perishable foods such as pears, plums, oranges and other produce, Dr. Arthur E. Albrecht of the State Department of Agriculture, an- nounced. State and Federal agencies sald they pianned an sttempt to bring the truck- men and _members of the Fruit and Produce Trade Association, and the Market Truckmen's Association, em- ployers of the drivers, together. Ward W. 8mith, president of the Fruit and Produce Dealers' Association, anid: “There is no cause for the public to worry. There is sufficient supply avail- i able to care for normal demands.” Michael Costello, bustness agent of the truckmen’s union. sald the men were prepared to hold out indefinitely, ana asserted that the strike was 100 per cent effective. 8even hundred teamsters at the Har- lem Market on East River went on River Union Market. drivers. Union officials also said that 500 teamsters in Newark, N. J., would be called out today uniess an immediate settlement of the strike here was reached, The union leaders also announced that seven commission merchants had been assigned to send produce to hospi- tals and that union drivers would man their trucks. 38 LICENSES GRANTED Communication Between Planes and Fields Authorized; Jenkins Gets Television Permit. ‘The Western Air Express, Inc., today | was granted by the Radio Commission 35 applications for licenses and modi- fications of licenses for communication between its airplanes and various flying fields reaching from Kansas City, Mo., to the Pacific Coast. ‘The applications were filed with tne commission by Herbert Hoover, )r., technical assistant to the president o1 the air company. The commission also granted a license for airplane experimental tele- vision to the Jenkins Laboratories or ‘Washington a two _experimental licenses to Roosevelt Fleld, Inc., N. Y., for broadcasting from descending para- SRS BUSINESS MAN HELD IN CONTEMPT TRIAL n's Story to Judge Results in Summons to Police Court, | chutes. illiam W. Campbell, an executive photographic establishment, faced lice Court trial this afternoon on & rge of contempt of court, due tc a ation that he sought to prevent an mploye from serving on the Police Court jury. He denies the accusation. ymond Kelly, colored, told Judge Isaac R. Hitt, in the jury branch of Police Court this mjorning. that Mr. Campbell told him he would he fired if he served on the jury, The judge im- mediately ordered an attachment issued to summon “W. C. Campbell” to court. When a United States marshal attempt- ed to serve the paper Campbell refused to go to Police rt, saying the name on the paper was not his. Another attachment was issued a few minutes later to W. W. Campbell and the man -subsequently came to the courthouse. A new jury was being chosen and. s is the custom, Judge Hitt asked the persons summoned if they had good excuse for not wanting to serve. Kelly arose and said his employer told him of s that he must be excused or otherwise he would lose his position. s Killefer Succeeds Howley. ST, LOUIS, October 7 (#).—Willlam Killefer, jr., today was appointed man- ager of the St. Louls Browns for the next three years, gucceeding Dan How- . Killeler been assistant man- ager. 18—91; Miss Ada Thompson, Columbii 106—14—92, The second tound in the 36-hole event will be played at Chevy Chase ' tomorrow morning with the cup to be | | won by the player making the lowest | total net score. i \BREAKDOWN FOLLOWS | ! M’PHERSON INQUIRY | Policeman's Collapse Blamed on | Continued Worry Over Death Case. | | Continued studying over the ramifi- | cations of th erson case is ! thought to have occasioned the nervous | breakdown of Policeman Martin B. | Novotny, 28 years old, who was removed | from duty Saturday morning while di- recting traffc at G_and Fourtecnth | reets and sent to Gallinger Hospital | { for mental observation. His condition | was described today as delirious and i highly “disturbed.” Bureau was informed by a fellow officer and roommate of Novotny that the other man had displayed no tendency 1o be irrational until the McPhersgn mystery came to public attention. After that, Novotny's roommate said, he fre- | | quently got excited while discussing the | sulcide-murder controve, and was | | bitter in denouncing what he regarded !as Policeman Allen's “breach of dis- ! cipline.” i Novotny had been a Marine, and he pointed out that Allen. himself a former service man, should have learned dis- cipline, loyaitv to the department and respect for his superior officers from { bis Army duty. Novotny, who had been on the force About two years, was summoned to the | Traffic Bureau by Inspector ' Brown shortly before noon Saturday. after a motorist had complained of the police- man’'s demeanor. Questioned, fhe po- liceman became excited. He was first treated by Dr. James J. Kilroy, police physician, and then sent to the hospital. | On the way to the hcspital, Novotny. told a fellow officer he had an en- gagement with Policeman Allen that night with regard to the McPherson case. Previously Novotny had an excellent reputation for courtesy and presence of mind in emergencies, his officers sald. } o | NEW ‘GRANDEUR’ FILM: .. Installation of the screen for the new | randeur” film, whieh presents motion pictures four times the present size. | recently given its first public showing in New York City, will be started shortly | at the Fox Theater here, it is announced today by Hardie M , director of publicity for the local theater. | New projection apparatus for the | film, which will throw a picture across | ; the screen occupying the stage space in the theater, Beginning next Saturday, the Fox | Theater here will start observance of | the twenty-Afth anniversary of the ness of Willlam Fox, who heads the | companies producing pictures and con- trolling the theater chain. Fox started the huge theater chain | lthn bears his name with a penny | arcade, shooting gallery and picture theater combination a° quarter of a ! century ago on the lower East Side, | ! New York. His present theater holdings | include several hundred big theaters | throughout the country. He was a| | i i | | | ! n | ploneer in the talking picture and the talking newsreel flelds. His producin company 1n Hollywood is one of h Iargest. FILIPINOS ON PROGRAM. Philippine night will be observed to- morrow night the Otterbein Guild at the Memorial Church, United Breth- ren, North Capitol and R streets, with a varied program by Filipinos promi- ! nent here. Mrs. Camilo Osias, wife of Resident Commissioner Oslas of the Philippmes, who 18 noted as & speaker herese!(. will deliver the principal address of the eve- ning, and Mauro Baradi, attorney, and | secreétary to Commissioner Osias, will speak on the islands. Musical numbers_include a iuet by Urbano Zafra and Baradi, “Danza Fili- pina.” and & mediey, “Philippine Molo- dies.” The progfam will start at 7:45. tions of a large ruined city, hitherto unknown to seience. The ruins were located in an area in which no human habitation was seen. where there was no open water, and where for many miles on any side were to be found only impentrable jungles populated by ferocious beasts, boa con- strictors and poisonous insects. Meager Details in Message. Radio messages received here from Col. Lindbergh's plane gave only meager details of tné city, but indi- cated that since the plane was far from its starting place it was necessary to hurry on. Later the party saw the first Yuea- tan settlements, primitive villages of primitive Indian race. As the giant plane circled above them the natives in_all directions, seeking cover the strange bird from another world—as strange to them, probably, as were Cortez's sailing ships to the min- lons of Montezuma 400 years ago. The territory in which the supposedly new city was discovered was in what is known as Northern Peten, a district on which, it is belfeved here, no white man before has set his eyes. Col. Lindbergh completed a preliminary survey and it | was thought those with him were able to_take some pictures. Upon leaving here vesterc-v morn- ing Col. Lindbergh flew up 'he Belize River on a general course to Cayo and Yaxha, and then directly north to Tikal, ancient empire city of the Mayas, whose temples reach a greater height than any heretofore discovered. The plane covered in one hour and three- quarters a digtance which land parties need seven days to travel. Age Is Put at 2,000 Years. The party left Tikal at noon. Fif- teen minutes later they picked out the snow-whife temple at Uaxactun. gro- tesquely sculptured in its blanched beau- ty in the deep green of the surrounding Jjungle. Dr. Oliver Ricketson, a scientist of the Carnegie Institution who is a companying Col. Lindbergh, spent five | years in excavations here. He esti- mates one of the temples to date from the time of Christ or earlier. From Uaxactun the plane headed north to an unexplored area, where the new ruins were believed found, and | _ Inspector E. W. Brown of the Traffic | X i strike today in sympathy with the North | after 3 o'clock turned directly toward Merida, scraggy Yucatan metropolis, where they landed just before 4 o'clock. Weather permitting, the party planned to leave Merida today and fly back ward Belize on a course plotted diag- onally across the divisions of Yucatan and Zuintana Roo, covering the second major unexplored Maya area. It was thought probable even other ruins, hitherto undiscovered, might be located. The giant Sikorsky plane was stripped of all but its bare necessities for ves- terday’s trip. No one, not even Mrs. Lindbergh, carried any personal bag- gage. Mrs. Lindbergh, who sat beside her husband in the cockpit. served as had her to- 2 member of the crew and ! regular duties to perform. She was a | pretty figure in khaki, knickers and blue shirt. Dr. A. V. Kidder, head of the archeological department’ of Car- negie Institution, also was in the party. Explorers Feel Romance. At their departure the explorers eemed tense with the strangeness and romance of their venture and at the prospect of delving Into the secrets of the Mayar, who 15 centuries ago may have developed such appurtenances | of civilization as a jury trial system, & calender said to be more perfect than ours and a dawning literature. The purpose of the flight was ex- ! plained as to determine the effective- n THEATER TO PRESENT |5 0! Sn¥cr®ioexiine soen oiners s | v S | may exist hidden n ithe jungles of Nor- | day to Capt. British Honduras, thern Guatemal e and Quintana Ri Yucatan, Campe: | Once located and mapped, land parties can be sent for a more thorough ex- ploration. —_—— TEMPLE OPENING SET. Colored Masonic Order to Enter Home December 3. The new colored Masonic Temple, ractically all of | Tenth and U streets, which is nearing | high . 7 2140 94 | completion, will be opened with & trade | the driver threw out being made ready for Installation here. | show and style revue, sponsored by 22| The officer gave chase. he reported. lodges of the M. W. Acacia Grand Lodge, F. A. A. M, includi the Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star of ber 2. Fifty-three booths, to be occupled by | MUSIC FESTIVAL OPENS TONIGHT {Joseph Huettel's 1929 Prize ] Score to Feature Founda- | tion’s Fourth Program. | | The fourth chamber musie festival, |to be held under the auspices of the | Ellzabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation |at the m_hnry of Congress, will open |with & program given in the little | music hall, especially bullt for these |and similar chamber music events. to- | night st 8:45 o'clock. The many guests {from out of town for this festiva] have |been arriving since Saturday. It it understood that invitations have been accepted to the complete quota so that the 511 seats in this auditorium will be filled for each of the five events. The particular feature of tonight’ program will be the first public per- formance of the work which won the 1929 Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge prize. |* Divertissement Grotesque.” by Joseph Huettel. The work is acored for plano, flute,oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon. Resides in Alexandria. The composer, Mr. Huettel. was born July 18, 1893, at Melnik, Crechoslo- vakia. He studied music at the Prague Conservatoire with Prof. V. Novak and later with Prof. 8. Taneieff in Mos- cow. 1In 1916 Mr. Huettel became con- ductor of the Imperial Ballet Orchestra in Moscow. Two years later, he accept- ed the position of conductor of the state opera in Voronezh. Since 1920 he has made his home in Alexandria. Egypt, as a professor of music and a conductor. Mr. “Asiyade.” symphonie: phonique) ttel's principal works are a ballet written in 1918; two “Cagllostro” (poeme sym- and “Images Egyptiennes.” for orchestra; incidental music to Oscar Wilde's drama, “Salome”: “Fantaisie Dansante,” for violin and orchestra: a string quartet which was awarded the prize of the Societe de Musique de Chambre de Prague in 1028, “Les Marionettes.” for & chamber ensemble: several songs and piano compositions, and. lastly., the “Divertissement Gro- tesque,” for wind instruments and piano. which is to be played tonight. The above data concerning Mr. Huettel's works were sent. at request to Carl Engel. chief of the music division of the Library of Congress, by the com- poser. Tonight's Program. Tonigh!'s opening number will be “Quintet in G, Opus 56, No. 2," writ- ten by Franz Danzi, who lived in Mann- heim, Germany, over a hundred years ago. Then follows a number in which interest is only second to that inspired by the prospect of hearing Mr. Huettel's orize-winning work. It is Beethoven's ‘Grand Fugue, Opus 134" which wi written as the original finale to the “String Quartet in B Flat.” given first performance in Vienna March 21, 1826. Local musicians will remember hearing this fugue in the series of eventsx at the Library of Congress, when all of | this composer's string quartets were played by the London String Quartet. Tonight, however, it will be Harold Bauer's arrangement of the transcrip- tion of the grand fugue made by Bee- thoven himself for four hands at the piano which will be played. Mr. Bauer states in a preface to his two-piano ar- rangement that this transcription has | been mede solely with the view to sur- mounting the difficulty of performance. Mr. Bauer and Arthur Loesser will play the transcription. Johann Sebastian Bach is represent- ed by his “Sonata in E Major for Flute and Piano,” which will precede the playing of the prize composition which forms ths finale to t his program. In addition to the two pianists above mentioned, the Barrere Ensemble of Wind Instruments will be the artists of the evening. The ensemble includes: Georges Barrere. flute;. Garlos Mullenix. oboe: Fred van Amburgh. clarinet: Rudolph Puletz, horn, and Angel del Busto, bassoon. Morning Program. Tomorrow morning at 11:15 e'clock & group of American folk sorgs, in- cluding Negro exaltations and Kentuckv | Mountain songs, will be given by Marion ‘Klrby and John J. Niles, the latter being the collector of the songs and a Southerner by birth. A paraphrase on three Negro Spirituals by Nathaniel | Shilkret, and “Obsequies of a Saxophone™ | by Werner Janssen, will he played by wind instruments and percussion. The | chamber orchestra "conducted by Mr. Shilkret will play two compositions | which won awards for popular works offered by the Victor Talking Machine Co. They are Rube Bloom's “Song of | the Bayou." which won $5,000, and i Griselles “Two _American | Sketches,” which won $10.000. W. C. | Handy'’s now historic “St. Louis Blues,” | as arranged by Mr. Shilkret, will be | played also. | In the afternoon at 4 o'clock. cham- ber music by Bruckner, Hugo Wolf and Brahms will be played by the Roth String Quartet of Budapest. 'CHASE IN SMOKE NETS LIQUOR CAR Rum-Runner Suspects Flee After Car Is Wrecked in Flight { From Police. Henry T. Miskell of the Park Police reported to. P. J. Carroll that yester- y morning he pursued & rum-runner | through a smoke screen and when the fleeing car was wrecked at Fourteenth Istrcet. and South Carolina avenue | southeast its two occupants escaped, but the officer seized the machine and 10 | cases of alleged corn liquor, represent- | ing 60 gallons. The car ‘and liguor | were taken to No. 11 precinct station. Capt. Carroll was advised in the re- port that at about 11:30 o'clock yes- | terday morning, Sergt. Miskeil was go- ing across the Pennsylvania avenue bridge when he saw & car traveling at speed toward him. As it neared smoke screen. along Fourteenth street southeast until the car struck the curb at South Caro. lina avenue, breakinn the left rear entrance into the motion picture busi- | colored Masons, the week of Decem- | wheel. The occupants jumped out and ran Two officers from No. 11 precinet local and national exhibitors, are now ' came up, the policeman reported, under construction. Entertainment will | informed him r:"my had be':::r chn-l:: be furnished by Doc. Perry’'s Masonic | the rum-runner, but had lost him about Orchestra. ' 20 minutes before. MAN WHO “KNEW WHAT HE'D DO” KISSES GIRL, COIN, AUTO G'NIGHT Two Roughnecks Drive Off With Car After Victim Had *“Hidden” Purse on Floor. By the Associated Py CHICAGO, October 7.—Parting was such sweet sorrow for Andrew Cerva Iast night that & pair of roughnecks did him dirt. Cerva, sitting in his parked automo- bile and taking a long time saying good- night to Miss Alma Niemeyer, was held up by two mep with pistols. Such things are not unusual, And Cerva had figured lmc'tlu;.k hegwould do in such eme geney. 815 in a vest pocket and $100 in purse. ) “What do you two nice young fellows want to take my money for?” he tem- ‘pme( T'm just sitting here with my girl.” As he talked he slipped the pursa | from his pocket and it dropped to the foor of the car. “You are insulting.” said one of the roughnecks, “even to imply we would steal your money. We don't want your | money; we want your car. A moment later Cerva and Miss Nei- meyer stood on the curb watching the receding tail light of the Cerva car. on ‘m" floor of which was the Cerva bank- roll.