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@he Foening Star MANAGER DENIES * IRLS COMPLANED OF STORE' BOILER Paxton Is Subjected to Se- vere Questioning at Mc- Crory Explosion Inquest. | ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS REFUSED BY WITNESS| Is Unable to Recall Many Details of Events Preceding Fatal Blast. Denying receipt of complaints against the hot g\:\'ntcr pbflller which exploded | in McCrory's 5 and 10 cent store No- ! vember 21, James -G. Paxton, store | manager, testified today in the District | coroner's investigation of the blast| which killed six persons and injured a score more. Paxton was subjected to severe cross-examination as he refused point blank to answer some questions and, was unable to recall details of other information which Coroner J. Ramsey Nevitt tried to get from him. The explosion presumably resulted from the explosion of a hot-water stor- age tank located in a vault beneath the sidewalk in front of the store. Six of the persons injured died after they had been removed to Emergency Hospital. Five of the injured -still are confined to hospitals, while others are recovering at their homes. The cross-examination of Paxton was conducted by Assistant Cor- poration Counsel Robert E. Lynch and Assistant United States Attorney Wil- liam H. Collins. | Asked by Coroner Nevitt if he had | made any investigation of his own to determine the cause of the accident, - Paxton refused to answer the question. Denies Hearing Complaints. Collins asked if Mrs. Olga V. Ship- ley, soda dispenser at the store, who was injured in the explosion, had ever complained to him that the water in the pipes frequently became too hot and on numerous occasions clouds of steam from the pipes at the fountain when the spigots were opened, ncarly scalding her. Paxton replied that he had never received any such com- plaints from any employe. Collins re- phrased his question, approaching the subject from several different angles, but always received a negative answer from the witness. “Had you any way of determining whether the water in the builer was 00 ‘hot?” Collins asked. “Only by opening the spigots,” Pax- ton answered. “Did you ever know that the water from the hot-water pipes was frequently of a muddy appearance?” “It - had such an appearance at “Did any employe tell you on the , smorning of the explosion that exces- sive steam was coming from the hot- 'lt;r spigot?” “No." i At this point Lynch took up the! cross-examination and tried to secure from Paxton an admission that em- ployes of the store had been ordered not to talk to any one about the ex- losion. Paxton denied that such orders h been issued. Tanks Near Heating Unit. Questioned as to the physical arrange- ment of the hot-water storage tank, the auxiliary heater and the main heating unit, Paxton was unable to re- call many specific details. He testified that he had noticed that it was slightly cold in the main store on the day of the explosion and that he ordered an employe to close the top door of the furnace, but denied that he told any one to fire the furnace. He was questioned at length as to the presence of carbonajing tanks and machinery in the vault adjacent to the heating plant. He said there was one carbonator with- in a few feet of the main heating unit and four or five more in an adjoining room. The purpose of this line of in- quiry was not made clear, but further testimony of this nature is expected from three experts of the United States Bureau of Standards and Bureau of Mines, who will take the witness stand this afternoon. | The possibility that tanks of oxygen | stored under the sidewalk may have| contributed to the fatal explosion also developed today. Deputy Fire Chief Phillip W. Nichol- son was the first witness to take the stand today. He said he was sitting in No. 14 engine house, on Eighth street 1o the rear of the McCrory store, when he heard the explosion. Did Not Wait for Alarm. “When I felt the tremor and heard the noise,” he said, “I realized that an explosion had occurred on Seventh street. Without waiting for an alarm, I called the men together, and we hur- ried to the scene. Steam was rising from the hole in the sidewalk, and everything was in a state of confusion. 1 ordered the men to remove the debris from the hole so that the people who| had fallen into the pit could be rescued.” He said that he did not smell any gas escaping frcm the mains. Assistant United States District At- torney William H. Collins, who is repre- senting District Attorney Leo A. Rover at the inquest, asked Chief Nicholson if he had seen an oxygen tank on the east side of Seventh street. Nicholson said he had not seen any tank on the street, but that he had ordered a num- ber of such tanks removed from the vault after the explosion. Collins pressed him for details as to the condi- tion of these tanks, but the witness was not able to give 122 desired informa*ion Collins did not rgveal what connection, if any, the tanks had with the explosion, although he appeared anxious ‘o estab- lish that one of the tanks was found across the street after the blast. Acting Pire Marshal C. G. Achstetter testified that the hot-water tank which exploded was rusty and appeared to be old. He said this tank was used to store hot water for the building and that it was not a part of the heating equip- ment. He said there was a small coal heater for the boiler which was operated independently of the main furnace. A coll of pipe ran through the heater to she boiler. Mr. Achstetter testified the boller which exploded was about three feet in diameter and five feet six inches long. The toe, which blew off, was _ welded *- <he body. Disorder Is Described. Detective Sergt. Benjamin C. Kueh- ling, who was walking up Seventh street when the explosion occurred, gave a description of the resulting disorder, but did not testify as to the probable cause of the disaster. Similar testi- mony was given by Marcus R. Walker, U. 8. M. C, who also said that he helped several persons escape from the elevator shaft. He said that he smelled the odor of gas in the store. The coroner is expected to question three experts from the Bureau of Stan- dards and the Bureau of Mines this afternoon. These men have made a thorough examination of the wrecked boller and its appurtenances, and their testimony lose expected Jooking a row of residences on Allison examining the church safe, which was VEGES ROB CHURCH SAFE, GETTING $450 Hamline Methodist Episcopal Is Looted of Special Offering Fund. Burglars who cared nothing for the fact that yesterday was Golden Rule Sunday, the message of which was “Be Ye Merciful,” last night or early today robbed the safe of the Hamline Meth- odist Episcopal Church at Sixteenth and Allison _streets of funds estimated at $450. The money included- yesterday morning's collection and a special col- lection of $70, which was taken Thanks- giving day for the Methodist Home for the Aged. The robbery was discovered by Wil- liam R. Schmucker, general secretary of the church, at 9:05 this morning when he visited the church to count the col- lection. money in the safe and to make his customary Monday morning bank deposit. The safe, which normally rests in a corner of the church office, over- street, was hauled 50 feet across a cor- ridor and into the chapel adjoining the main auditorium of the church. In the quiet of the chapel the burglars, who had gained entrance by smashing & section of the glass from the windows of the gymnasium on the ground floor, battered open the safe box and tore open each collection envelope to extract its contents. A wad of choir vestments had been used as a pillow for the safe. ‘Whether the burglars were frightened away or whether their eyes fell upon the service and lesson leaf upon which was printed the “Be ye merciful” mes- sage for December 1, Golden Rule Sun- , could not be determined, but a score or more of the envelopes, some of which were torn, were left in the debris with their money content exposed to view. ‘The robbery, Mr. Schmucker said, was committed some time after 9:30 o'clock last night, for it was at that time that Harry P. James, chairman of the church board of trustees, closed the office and left the building. Rev. Dr. Chesteen Smith, pastor of the church, was calléd to his church following the discovery of the robbery and notified police. SON TO HOLD LAST RITES FOR MRS. NELLIE MURPHY Funeral services for Mrs. Nellie Mur- phy, 66 years old, wife of Daniel J. Murphy, will be held tomorrow morn- ing at her residence, 319 East Capitol street, to be followed by mass at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Second and C streets southeast, at 9 o'clock. The mass will be said by her oldest son, Rev. Edmund J. Murphy of St. Bona- venture College, Olean, N. ¥. Inter- ment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Mrs. Murphy had lived in Washing- ton more than forty years, having been born in Fredericksburg, Va. She was the mother of eight children, all of whom survive. She died suddenly Saturday from a heart attack, after an iliness of two weeks, from which she appeared to be recovering. COUPLE ARRESTED HERE ON CONNECTICUT CHARGE Harry Clifford Luff, 48 years old, and Daga Luff, 28 years old, represented as his wife, were arrested today by Detec- tives Frank H. Varney and H. E. Brodie for the New Britain, Conn., authorities, a message from W. C. Hart, chief of police of that city, giving the informa- tion that they were wanted on a charge of embezzlement. The couple reached here last week, it is stated, on their way South, intending to remain a few days. They were lo- cated at the Annapolis Hotel. Luff was taken to the first precinct station, while Mrs. Luff was taken to the House of Detention. Local police received no details of the complaint _against the couple, New Britain_officials naming no sum of money involved in the complaint. Lufl sald the affair was purely a legitimate financial one. WILL TEST NEW PLANE. Flight tests of a new type of twin- engined cabin monoplane, known as the Curtis Kingfisher. built to accommodate a pilot and six passengers, will be made at the Anacostia Naval Air Station this week. The plane also will be demon- strated to officials of the War, Navy and Commerce Departments, ‘The plane arrived here yesterday ning from Roosevelt Field, N. Y. was flown down by H. J. White. The plane may, be powered with either Chal- lenger or Whirlwind engines, giving a total of approximately 350 horsepower. It has n _of eet. whether or not any person can be held criminally responsible. It is the duty of the coroner to fix such responbibility if it is found to exist. All of the persons killed died after the explosion in Emergency Hospital. Of the twenty-odd who were injured, all but five have recovered sufficiently eve- b WASHINGTON, D. C, William R. Schmucker, general secretary of the Hamline Methodist Church, burglarized of $450 early today. LLEN IS CHEERED N “BIPUSE"TALK Conducted by Himself in McPherson Case. Having been prevented from making a speech on the McPherson case to the present grand jury, Robert J. Allen, discharged policeman, delivered it last night before a sympathetic audience of more than 3,000 men and women women willing to pay for the oppor- tunity. ‘Taking as his subject “The Inside of the McPherson Case,” the former policeman disclosed to his mixed “pub- lic” all the lurid details of the mys- terious strangling of Virginia McPher- son, attacked the Police Department and the District attorney’s office and predicted there would be a third grand Jury investigation of the Park Lane tragedy, conducted by himself. The address was delivered from the stage of the Washington auditorium, the main floor of which contained some 2,000 persons and the balcony of which had more than a thousand others, all of whom had paid from 25 cents to $1 for the privilege of hearing Allen’s “ex- pose.” “Tells of Visit to Scene. As a matter of fact, there was little Allen told his audience that was not already ‘generally known, except the disclosures that he expects to conduct another grand jury inquiry and that he visited the McPherson apartment short- ly after discovery of the body of the nurse. The latter was something he had not previously made known to many persons connected with the case. “There's going to be a third grand jury investigation of the McPherson case,” Allen declared, “and I'm_going to conduct it. And John E. Laskey won't get in there, either!” The state- ment, like many another one he made during the evening, was applauded roundly. Allen was applauded when he con- demned the police repeatedly for al- leged brutality, parking light drives and for activities of Inspector William 8. Shelby and Lieut. Edward J. Kelly in the McPherson case. Mention of the nanre of Guy E. Burlingame, former po- lice captain, brought hisses from parts of the hall. Points Out Stenographer. At one point Allen interrupted his discourse to call attention to the pres- ence of a stenographer at a table in front of the platform. When he re- ferred to this stenographer as a repre- sentative of the Police Department and sald he thought the police were tak- ing the record for use against him later, there were cries of “throw him out” 'from the gallery. Allen declared he had heard a report that a “high Government official by whom the mother of McPherson was employed” had called Inspector Shelby and induced him to order McPherson’s release from the third precinct, where he was taken for a brief period after discovery of Mrs. McPherson’s body. He said Lieut. Kelly had protested against McPherson's release. Allen let it be known for the first time last night that he was sitting in a restau- rant in the Park Lane Building, off duty, at the time the tragedy was dis- covered, on the afternoon of September 14. He said he went upstairs to the apartment, but left promptly when he saw his precinct captain and other offi- cers in the apartment. He said their backs were turned, and he departed hurriedly because his superiors would have said he had no business there. He gave his own version of how Mrs. McPherson came to her death, leaving out none of the revolting details. He reiterated his charges that the nurse was murdered, leaving no doubt in the minds of those present as to the person he believes committed the act, although he avoided direct use of the name. Opinion of Death, In beginning his theory, Allen said: It is not my purpose to convince you that McPherson committed the murder. I just want to state the facts, How- ever, I have the same opinion as all of you here tonight as to who did it. won't rest until that individual s brought to justice. I don't claim my evidence would convict him in court, but I do say that the evidence should have gone to trial and left to the Jjudgment of a jury n}rl 1‘;- He criticized Laskey's handling of the case before the second gnn% Jury, which freed McPherson. He said he couldn't expect a friend of the police to prosecute the police, as, he claimed, would have been the case had McPhei son been indicted. He expressed the opinion that Laskey had' done “all in his power” to free McPherson, rather than prosecute him. In freeing McPherson, he said, the ~ t | grand jury had to believe that I, Mrs. Heavrin, Conductor Lewark, the Jjani- tor and all others who testified against him” would perjure themselves, He concluded with the statement that %1 zu}uzd :)ec;;lu loblllz time before the strict o umbia w Virginla McPherson» © 1 foreet little Boil Eggs by Traffic Lights. KINGSTON, N. Y. Dec 2 (P) —Household hint from “Kmlgz;lnn housewives: Intervals of trafic signnl to be discharged from hospitals, lights mark the proper peri % |.m:nlnn for soft-hoiled ugl. o Predicts Third Jufy Probe | DOING PURCHASES FVE APARTENTS FROM WARDAN Brighton, St. Mihiel, Astoria and Other Buildings Figure in Realty Deal. EDWARD B. DEAN, SR., BUYS SCHUYLER ARMS Two Smaller Properties Are Ex- changed in Transaction Involv- ing $700,000. Five hotel and apartment properties formerly owned by Wardman interests, having a total assessed valuation of $1,199,041, have b2en purchased by a new syndicate, headed by Willilam P. Doing, it was announced today by Mr. Doing, as president of Doing Proper- ties, Inc. Simultaneously, it was announced at the office of the Wardman Corporation that the Schuyler Arms Apartments, large structure at 1954 Columbia road, had been purchased by Edward B. Dean, sr., from the Wardman interests. Two smaller properties were exchanged for the Schuyler Arms, the total valuation on the three properties amounting to approximately $700,000. The five properties acquired by Doing Properties, Inc., are the Brighton Apart- ment Hotel, six-story structure at 2123 California street, containing 225 rooms; the San Mihiel, eight-story building at 1712 Sixteenth street, containing 60 apartments; apartment house at 2701 Connectdeut avenue, an eight-story building containing nearly 100 apart- ment units; the four-story apartment building at 1329 Belmont street, con- taining 30 apartment units, and the Astoria at Third and G streets, con- taining 99 rooms, which is to be con- verted into an apartment hotel. Mr. Dean acquired the Schuyler Arms in negotiations with the Wardman or- ganization conducted by the firm of Higbie, Richardson & Franklin. This eight-story structure contains 96 apart- ments. It was erected about two years ago by the firm of Goldsmith & Keller. Mr. Dean gave in exchange the prop- erty at 1344 G street and a small apart- ment house at 3051 N street and other considerations. MAN WITH PETITION TO PRESIDENT DIES Expires on Train on Way Here With Request for Haiti Appointment. Special Dispatch to The Star. DANVILLE, Va., December 2.—The body of a colored man, whose name was gathiered from papers in his possession as F, W. Williams of Washington, died on a train between Greensboro, N. C., and Danville today. A ticket to Wash- ington was found in his possession. A petition addressed to President Hoover asking that he be appointed Minister to Haiti, which was substan- tially indorsed, also found on him. Death was due to natural causes, the coroner said. Other papers showed that his address in Washington was 403 New Jersey avenue. He was un- known here. The local authorities are trying to locate his relatives. MARINE ACTIVITIES PROBE IS PROPOSED People's Lobby Leader Asks Quiz of Labor Union Suppres- sion Charges. By the Associated Press. Prof. John Dews president of the People’s Lobby, has announced that the organization will seek an investigation by the Secretary of State into charges that the Marines have been used in Nicaragua prevent organizations of labor unions. Contending ““the use of United States Marines in Nicaragua to prevent or- ganization of labor unions is a logical sequence to the illegal use of those Ma- rines to make Nicaragua safe for Ameri- can erxploitation,” Prof. Dewey said the recent deportation from there of a labor organizer “by United States Marines” had “served the useful purpose of mak- ing the object of American intervention clear to all Central and South American countries.” Saloman de 1a Selva, the labor organ- izer to whom Dewey referred, was de- ported for alleged complicity in a plot to assassinate the President of Nica- ragua. ——— SCHEDULE IS DRAWN UP FOR PLAY TOURNAMENT Preliminaries in Fourth Annual Competition Are Slated for Jan- uary 22 to February 5. ‘The fourth annual District of Colum- bia one-act play tournament, held each year under auspices of the Community Drama Guild of Washington, will be held the first two months next year, it has been announced. Preliminaries are scheduled to take place between January 22 and February 5 at Columbia Heights and East Washington Com- munity Centers. The finals will be held at McKinley Auditorium, Febru- ary 7. ‘The tournament is open to any adult dramatic group in the District and the metropolitan hrea of Maryland and Arlington County, Va., that has been recognized as an organization through public performance in the past year, SLIPS ON ICE, IS HURT. Mrs. Lena M. Brooks May Have Fractured Back. Mrs. Lena M. Brooks, 40 years old, of 1814 Twenty-second street, sustaine a possibly fractured back today when she slipped on the sidewalk at the cor- ner of Seventeenth and G streets. She was taken to the Emergency Hospital in an ambulance and treated by Dr. I Rutkoskl, Her condition is undeter- mined. T New Mexican Ambassador. By Cable to The Star. GUATEMALA CITY, December 2.— Gen, Eduardo May has heen appointed new Mexican Ambassador to Guate- mala, the foreign office has announced. 9 DECEMBER | FIGHTING FIRE IN 1929. *¥ JOHN B. TORBERT. —Harris-Ewing Photo. J.B. TORBERT DIES AT RESIDENCE HERE Scientist Connected With Geological Survey Was Expert on Maps. John Bryant Torbert, 62 years old, for many years engaged in scientific work with the United States Geologi- cal Survey and an expert on maps, died at his home, 3415 Ashley terrace, Cleveland Park, yesterday, after an ill- ness of three months. Mr. Torbert was active here in scien- tific and patriotic organizations. He was a member of the National Geo- grapsic Soclety, the Geological Society and the Anthropological Society of Washington and in_both the Sons of the Revolution and Sons of the Ameri- can Revolution, Honored at Exposition. He was actively identified with the eighth international geographical con- gress in this city in 1904. He was.his- torical cartographer for the Jamestown exposition in 1907. He won & diploma of highest excellence at the Turin ex- position in 1911. During the World War Mr. Torbert was a member of the District of Colum- bla Liberty loan committee and served as food administrator for the Cleveland Park section here from 1917 to 1919. A native of this city, Mr. Torbert was graduated from Central High School, and later was graduated in law from the old Columblan College, now George Washington University, Funeral Tomorrow. ‘He was married in 1890 to Miss Flor- ence Kalbfus, daughter of Thomas B, Kalbfus, former publisher of the Wash- ington Herald. 3 E{c is survived by his widow and two daughters, Miss Florence Torbert and Mrs. Edward H. Mertz of this city. Funeral services will be conducted at the residence tomorrow afterncon at 2 o'clock. Rev. D. H. H. D. Sterrett, rector of All - Souls’ Memorial Episcopal Church, will officiate. Interment will be private. Bar Meeting Deferred. eeting of the Federal Bar As- soch:‘:loll:l. whlgh was scheduled to take place tonight at the United States of Commerce Building, has f,:.",:‘"'b"gwn.d, it 'as announced today by W. M. Morell of the executive com- | gé:‘:x;'ber 10, at the same place. FRANKP. SAFFELL, TELEGRAPHER, DIES Veteran Sports Operator Succumbs Here After Long lliness. Frank P. Saffell, for years promi- nently identified with the dissemination of news of Washington sports events, died at 2:30 o'clock this morning at his home, 607 Fourth street, after a long illness. He would have been 52 years old Thursday. He was a native of this city, Saffell, with the Western Union Tele- graph Co. 87 years, was well known by virtually every prominent sports writer of the country, having been in charge of the telegraph operators in the press.box of the Washington base ball club for the past 15 years. In this post he suc®eded his father, James Saffell, who had been at the head of the press box operators for more than a _score of years. Under Saffell's direction thousands of stories of base ball games were wired from the Washington park. He also di- rected the transmission of accounts of many foot ball games, track and field meets and other sports events held in the District. Mr. Saffell is survived by his widow, Mrs. Roberta L. Saffell; two sons, Frank Patrick Saffell, jr., and Robert J. Saffell, and three daughters, Miss Alice Saffell, Miss Doris Saffell and Mrs. Rosemary Schell, Funeral services will b- conducted in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, of which he was a member, Thursday morning at 9 o'clock, following brief services at Staf- fell's undertaking parlors, Fifth and H streets. Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery. P. J. Saffell, the fu- neral director, is a brother. SHELBY-KELLY CASE PROBERS TO MEET Davison and Bride Tomorrow “Bungling” Charge. to Confer to Discuss Steps preliminary to the expected trial of Inspector Willlam 8. Shelby and Lieut. Edward J. Kelly on charges of “bungling” the McPherson case will be taken tomorrow at a meeting of the special board appointed by the Commis- sioners to determine what should bz done about the problem. ‘The board, composed of Maj. Donald A. Davison, Assistant Engineer Commis- sioner, and W. W. Bride, corporation counsel, has been unable to give at- tention to the police controversy for several days because of other duties. Bride sald today that a conference would be held tomorrow, during which the board will determine its further pro- cedure in the matter. It has met with defeat in two previous courses of action, the latest setback being the refusal last week of the Department of -Justice to permit the board to examine its con- ndamul files in the McPherson investi- gation. MISSIONARY IS FREED. Chinese Bandits Release Rev. Mathias Kreutzin of Cincinnati. Rev. Mathias Kreutzin, a Franciscan Father who was captured by Chinese bandits early last month, has been re- leased. Frank P, Lockhart, American consul general at Hankow, notified the State Department today that Kreutzin, whose Tayeh. HUGE U STREET STORAGE PLANT PAGE 17 CAPPER PREPARES 10 INTRODUCE BILL ON CENTER MARKET Measure, Ready Within Week, Would Provide Model Mart for District. END OF PRESENT BUILDING IS PROPOSED BY JULY 1 Site Wi‘ll Be Used for Department Above: General view of U street be- tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets last night while firemen were waging a trying battle with fire which filled the Smith Storage & Transfer Co. ware- house with smoke and gas from a broken meter. Below: Automobile wrecked at New Jersey avenue and K street in a col- lision with a machine driven by Deputy Fire Marshall Louis A. Ratcliffe, who was preceding to the fire. Mrs. Rose Olewack was injured.—Star Staff Photo. [1 FIREMEN GASSED Al Recovering— Menacing Blaze Put Out With Less Than $5,000 Loss. The 11 firemen overcome by smoke and gas last night while fighting the three-alarm fire at the Smith Trans- fer & Storage Co., 1313 U street, were well on the road to recovery today. None was reported seriously affected by their ordeal. Four of those overcome were taken to Emergency Hospital, while a fifth was admitted to Garfield Hospital. Members of the two Fire Rescue Squads and Emergency Hospital physicians treated others at the scene of the fire. John Kenney, 34 years old, of No. 1 Engine Company, probably the most seripusly affected, was taken to Gar- fleld Hospital in the tenth precinct patrol while Roy Warfield, 28, of No. 1 Engine Company; Herman Z. Kerlin, 25, and Fred M. Earnshaw, 25, both of No. 12 Engine Company, and Anthony J. Wernig, 41, of No. 7 Engine Com- pany, were taken to Emergency Hos- pital in the eighth precinct patrol and treated by Dr. John Schwarzman. George Darling of No. 2 rescue squad, Leo Lanihan and James F. Waters of No. 12 Engine Company, Capt. Edward O’Connor, Robert Lynch and J. T. El- liott, all of No. 1 Engine Company, were given first-ald treatment on the scene and permitted to return to duty im- mediately. Melted Gas Pipe Blamed. A melted gas pipe is believed to have contributed greatly to the asphyxiation of the firemen. The fire started when an electric heater ignited a curtain in the apartment occupied by J. H. Gasz- ner, watchman, at the rear of the of- fices, on the first floor of the storage warehouse, The fire was discovered at 7:22 o'clock last night, when dense clouds of smoke were seen pouring from the building. A second alarm was turned in seven min- utes later. Fire Chief George S. Watson, who responded on the second alarm, reached the warehouse. Fighting courageousiy against the smoke and gas as it took its toll upon their rqnks, the’ firemen managed to confine ‘the fire almost entirely to the apartment occupled by Gaszner. Seve eral pianos in a nearby room were dam- aged. Arthur Clarendon Smith, senior member of the firm, said this morning that the damage would not reach $5,000. Firemen finally located the source of the escaping gas and employes of the gas company succeeded in turning off the flow from the street. Deputy Marshal in Crash. An automobile driven by Deputy Fire Marshal Louis A. Ratcliffe of 411 Ninth street southeast, figured in & triple col- lision at New Jersey avenue and K street, while proceeding to the fire, All three machines were damaged while a woman occupant of one of the cars sus- tained a cut hand. Ratcliffe was driving on New Jersey avenue, with his two sons as passengers in the car, when the accident occurred. He said this morning that he was struck broadside by an automobile being driven on K street by Harry Olewack, 40, of 2105 Second street southeast. The impact caused his car to eareen across the street and ‘strike an automo- bile driven by Chester Holtzman of 324 T street, which was going south on New Jersey avenue. The fire official's car finally overturned, and he and his sons were forced to break out of the machine. Olewack’s machine also turned over. Mrs. Rose Olewack, 35, who was riding with him, was cut on one hand by the flying glass. She was treated at Sibley | Hospital by Dr. J. Cartwell. Fireman Loses Finger. Earlier in the day Sergt. Joseph Fought of No. 20 Engine Company had the left little finger amputated while fighting a fire in the attic of the home of Ellery C. Stowell of 3734 Oliver street. The blaze, of unknown origin, caused damage estimated at apProximately $1,000. With several other firemen, Sergt. Fought was running the ladder up to the attic to reach the fire. It slipped and the upper portion fell. He was taken to Emergency Hospi fire was confined and quickly extinguished. The two fires were the most serious the attic IN JALARM BLAZE sent in additions summons when he\* of Justice Structure in Mall Development. Following his recently expressed belief that steps should be taken to replace Center Market when it is abandoned, Chairman Capper, of the Senate Dis~ trict committee, announced today that within a week he wquld have ready a bill to provide for’ a model center market in Washing‘on. The present Center Market will go out of business July 1 if a resolution recently approved by the Senate is favorably acted upon by the House. It would be torn down to make way for the new Department of Justice Building as part of development in the Penn- sylvania Avenue-Mall Triangle. The fixing of July 1 as the date for aban- donment of the market is regarded as an indication that the Government will be ready to begin clearing ground for tl;golusblce Building before the end of No Bills Introduced Today. The brief opening session of the Sen- (ate today did not permit introduction of bills, but it is probable that within a few days a number of local measures will be presented. The number of such bills, however, will not be as large as usual at the opening of a regular session, because Senators introduced several bills at the special session. Although introduction of bills was possible during the special sessfon, the Senate District committee awaited the opening of the regular session to take them up, because the special session was confined to the tariff bill. Senator Capper has stated he will call a meet- g of the committee at an early date. One of the first bills the committee will consider is the free text book meas- ure for public schools, which was caught in a jam at the close of the old Con- Bress in March. No new bills on the subject of street | railway merger have been introduced since the old Congress adjourned in March, and Senator Capper has indi- cated he will await word from the Pub- lic Utilities Commission on this ques- tion, since the commission has been keeping the merger subject in mind in connection with the street car rate case. Two Subcommittees at Work. Two subcommittees of the Senate District committee started work in the Special session and are expected to con- tinue in the regular session. One is the Blaine subcommittee, drafting pro- posed legislation to regulate the real estate business, the sale of securities and the method of foreclosing mort- gages in the District The other is the Sackett subcommittee, appointed to in- vestigate police affajrs, which began working several weeks ago, but had to take a recess because the members were busily engaged on the tariff bi)l, .. 'NEWSPRINT BOOST PROTEST EXPECTED Canada’s Efforts to Raise Rate Likely to Stir Publisher Group. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, December 2.—An offi- clal protest against the Canadian gov- ernment’s attempts to increase the price | of newsprint is expected to be drawn up by the American Newspaper Pub- | lishers' ~Association, which meets i | an emergency convention at the Hotel Pennsylvania here, December 9, Officials of the association today said that it is the general contention of all | members that it would be unfair to increase the newsprint rates for the coming year. The main opposition to the proposed increase, however, is expected to be centered around 'the past policy of aper manufacturers to maintain a ‘same price to all.” Annual contracts with the Interna- tional Paper Co. through which more than 400 members of the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association buy their paper, expired :for 1929 on No- vember 30, but the company asked for a 30-day period of grace before an- nouncing a new contract rate. This, the company officials hope, will give them time to reach a decision at the paper rate conferences now being held in_Canada. . ‘The “same price to all” policy will not be maintained if the present news print price of $55 per ton is raised for the coming year, association offictals have pointed out, citing the five-year contracts drawn between certain publi- cations and the International Co. at $55 per ton, which is just completing its first year. The Newspaper Publishers' Associa- tion is powerless to interfere if the price of news print is raised, other than to enter a protest with the Canadian government. Data and records showing the present condition of the 1 ewspaper industry in America have been assem- bled to be filed if a protest is drawn. Officials of the A. N. P. A, and the International Paper Co. said they were not prepared to estimate what an in- crease in paper print would cost the newspaper industry. TWO PERSOI\iS SUFFERING FROM MONOXIDE POISON Carbon monoxide gas late yesterday and early this morning poisoned two persons—one in a garage and the other in the kitchen of a home. The first case was at 3347 M street. Mrs, Mazie Kelly, 53 years old, was partially overcome by the gas, gene- rated in the oven cf her gas stove while she was' cooking dinner, Her husband, Peter Kelly, learned of her plight wnen she staggered out of the k?u: en doo:r and collapsed on the floor. She was revived by the Fire Department rescue squad. Early today Robert Daly, 25 years old, of 1713 Kenyon street, returned home and drove his machine into the garage. His mother and sister heard him come of the 78 to which the Fire Department was summoned Saturday and Sunday. Inaugurates New Bank. By Cable to The Star. GUATEMALA CITY, December 2. The meeting will take plnccihnme is at Cincinnatl, now is safe at' A new state agricultural bank is to be inaugurated here next January, e in and when some time elapsed and he did not enter the house, they became worrled. Miss Daly went to the garage to investigate and found her brother Stretched on the floor with the motor of the machine running. She called her mother and the two women carried him into the house. Piremen of No. 1 rescue juad, assisted by Dr. E, C. Snyder, 7508 avenue, revived him. .