Evening Star Newspaper, February 3, 1930, Page 17

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Washington News CUDARGE T0 SAVE “QUEER CHLDREN FROM COBLIAND Clinic With Behavior Expert to Be Feature of Institute for Mental Hygiene. PLASTIC MINDS EASIER TO TRAIN THAN OLD Dr. Winifred Richmond and Dr. William A. White Explain Benefits and Plans, BY THOMAS R. HENRY. More than 600 Washington school children—strange, moody, misunder- stood boys and girls—are lost in a wierd goblin land of invisible forces and images. Like the children of Hamelin they have followed the pied piper through & door in the mountain-of reality and it is swinging shut behind them. Such is the picture presented by officials of the Washington Institute for Mental Hygiene, composed of prom- inent local psychiatrists and social workers, who expect to have in opera- tion in the next few months a child guidance clinic for the rescue of thes® children before it is too late. The in- | stitution will be financed by the Com- munity Chest. The number of children in need of such help has been esti- mated from the records of the public schools. The object, according to Dr. Wini- fred Ric!;‘n"lt;:ld. chairman of the com- mittee which is m: arrangements for the clinic, is to provide “the serv- dces of an expert in human behavior.” It is a strange world indeed through Wwhich these children are wandering helplessly, as it is pictured by Dr. Richmond and by Dr. William A. White, superintendent of St Elizabeth's Hos- pital. For the most part it is entirely unrecognized by the general public, al- though there are few who have not crossed its borders at some time or other. It is a world, as the psychiatrists sketch it, where thoughts have lost their normal relationship to things. Scme of the children are above and some below normal intelligence. Left unaided many of them probably will end in jails or hospitals for the insane. Explanation of Purpose. The purpose, says Dr. White, is not to deal chiefly with defective children, but with those who have normal phys- ical and mental equipment who are wrestling with problems of life too com- plicated for them to solve, with conse- quet abnormalities of behavior which may have serious results later. Most of the serious difficulties which bring individuals to jails and mental hospitals, said Dr. White, have their genesis in childhood situations which could have been remedied if there had been any one at hand competent to handle the situation. The final result, he pointed out, is the end of a long series of difficulties, extending for 20 or 30 years, which may be too complicated for much as- sistance. The child's problems, on the ciher hend, are just beginning and the | mind is plastic. The difficulty is to understand them. and even an expert finds this very difficult. Dr. White has a philosophy of his own regarding children which is not far removed from Wordsworth's mys- tical picture of the new-born “trailing clouds of glory.” He pictures life as a stream flowing unchanged e ages, accumu- lating and storing within itself the wisdom acquired from the experience of the millions of years since the sim- Dlest forms of life originated on earth. Individuals, on the other hand, are pictured a3 offshoots:of this eternal stream of life, who gradually lose the vast store of inherited wisdom the farther they get away from the source, @cquiring in its place an individual Wwicdom of individual experience. | So. says White. in one sense the child who is nearer the source is wiser than the adult, sees qualities of objects Which the adult cannot see, and talks in a languag> which an adult’ cannot un- derstand. Thus a child may be able to “size up” a person better. In this sense the older one grows the less one knows. It is all, says Dr. White, a part of the | world of childhood in the understand- ing of which psychiarists are making some progress, but which the average parent or teacher often does not un- derstand at all, and consequently can give little help or sympathy. This will b= taken into consideration in the work | of the child clinic. | Long Experience. Dr. Richmond has had long experi- ence with Washington's “queer kids,” * with many of whom she has dealt with in_the past. There was, for example, the 10-year- old boy who attracted much attention as a child preacher at street corner meetings. “Flee the devil and the wrath to come,” the child would exhort the s. “The devil's goin’ to get you | n't seek salvation in the arms | of my Redeemer—hallelujah. swords are turning at the gate of Ede and the Holy Ghost is seeking to save. The child, brought up with a mother who was filled with religious emotion, had a great command of words, but investigation showed that he had very little comprehension of them. Soon he began seeing devils and ghosts. He had never passed beyond the first grade and could not read or write. When the little boy was brought to | Dr. Richmond examination showed that he was definitely feeble-minded. Then there was a 7-year-old boy with an intelligent quotient of 138, showing & very high intelligence, who was very moody, excitable in crowds, and some- tires silly and uncontrolled in his ac- tions for a whole day. He played wita dolis and “had to hold onto his soul When the Hallelujah chorus is playing.” The child was found to be the victim | ©f an unfortunate domestic situation, #1d his abnormality had not gone so far but that it could be remedied. i The Washington children who will be { handled by the child clinic, says Dr. Richmond, fall in six types, each a dif- ferent sort of problem and calling for a different remedy. First are the feeble-minded whose mental deficiency is not recognized by rican i Women, in “Riders to the Sea,” and the Dr. Tyndall, 86, Has Been Active Worker for Capital for 61 Years. Friends Move for Special Legislation to Permit Re- tention of Post. Unless special legislation intervenes, Dr. William Tyndall, the oldest employe of the District government in both years and service, will be retired next August_ Dr. Tyndall will be automatically put @he Zoening Star WASHINGTON, D. C, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, OLDEST DISTRICT EMPLOYE FACES RETIREMENT IN AUGUST on the retired list when a two-year extension under the rules of the Civil | Service Commission expires. Dr. Tyn- | dall, who is in his eighty-sixth year, is | active, and a movement is on foot to | allow him to continue his services with | the District. It probably will take the form of an amendment to the District appropriations act, specifically providing that Dr. Tyndall shall be kept in service. Served as Mayor’s Secretary. Dr. Tyndall, born in 1844, at the age ot 17 enlisted in the 1st Delaware In- fantry in the Civil War. He fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancel- lorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House. In 1869 he became private secretary to Mayor Sayles J. Bowen, and served his successor, Mayor Mat- thew G. Emery, in the same capacity. Emery was the last mayor of Wash: ington. He continued as secretary to Govs. Cooke and Shepheard and to the temporary board of Commissioners which followed Gov. Shepheard's ad- ministration, and served the regular board of Commissioners from the time it was organized in 1878 until 1915, when Daniel J. Donovan, now District auditor, was appointed secretary. His services as secretary to the board lasted 20 administrations. Then followed seven years as assist- ant secretary Following this Dr. Tyn- dall organized the District’s- Bureau of Information, which he has operaf to date. His office is on the groun floor, and it is the first contact with the District government of thousands of those who come to the District Building to transact their business with the government. | ____DR. WILLIAM TYNDALL. Dr. Tyndall is always on the job early and usually leaves late. He takes prac- tically no sick leave. The only com- plaint he makes of his health is that he is not always able to get a night's sleep. But his waking hours are all busy. ‘Wrote History of Washington. He has found time to write many books on a wide variety of subjects. Included in them is his monumental “History of Washington,” regarded as a standard work by scholars. The range of his other writings can be gathered from the fact that he has written a monograph on “The Attitude of Rifle Projections in Flight” and an account of the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac. He is a keen student of physics and has college degrees in law and medicine. Dr. Tyndall's eldest son is a member of the city council of Seattle, Wash. He has two other sons in that city, and a married daughter in Annapolis. ‘While Dr. Tyndall wants to keep his position, he has taken no steps to that end. He already has had the four two- year extensions allowed by the retire- ment law. His annual salary is $1,920. Under the retirement law he would re- ceive a pension of $1,000 & year. DRAMA CONTESTS LIST ANNOUNCED Takoma, Jewish Center, Pen Women and Columbia Play- ers to Be in Finals. Following an elimination contest in which leading dramatic groups of the District participated, judges of the one- act play tournament sponsored by the Community Drama Guild today an- nounced following winners, all of whom will present their plays in the finals Friday night, at 8:15 o'clock, at McKinley High School: . The Takoma Players, who will pre- sent “The Valient”; the Jewish Com- munity Center Dramatic Society, in “The Little Stone House”; the District of Columbia League of Ames Pen Columbia Players, in “When the Ship Goes Down.” The groups were chosen by the fol- lowing judges: William Lee , chairman; Capt. George A. Bentley, U. 8. A.; Alice Sigworth Morse, Beatrice Peters and Katherine Riggs. In the final competition the winning company for 1930 will be chosen and awards made for the best performance of individual players. POLICE TRANSFER BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE Eliott Measure Would Put White House Force Under Chief of Secret Service. Chairman Eliot of the House com- mittee on public buildings and public grounds, and a member of the Public Buildings Commission, today intro- duced in the House the bill suggested by Secretary Mellon transferring the White House police force from the Mets ropolitan police foie to come under the chief of the secret service. It also provides for increasing the salaries of the White House polite force with offi- cers in charge given a higher rank—one captain, one lieutenant, three sergeants and as many policemen of the third grade as may be considered necessary. The Eliot bill also provides that mem- bers of the White House Police Force shall be appointed from the Metropoli- tan Police Force and the Park Police Force. This legislation is presented because President Hoover had complained that the present police force at the White House is insufficient to protect properly the President and his family and the White House and grounds. no matter how brilliant they rnay ap- pear in one abllity in others they are very backward or totally lacking. Thus they always have one-sided person- alities, appearing to live in a world of their own and incapable of grasping the reality which the rest of the world perceives. They are extremely difficult children to deal with. Promises are glibly made and easily broken, appre- ciation of the truth is beyond them, and gratification of their own impulses seems the thing most worth while.” The fourth class she describes as the “psychoneurotics and prepsychotics, among whom we place all the cases of unstable nervous make-up, the stam- merers, sufferers from fears and ob- sessions, children with ‘spelis’ - and DRIVER IS INJURED INTRIPLE CAR CRASH Auto Is Hit by Another and Turned Over on Him as He Inspects It After Collision. | A newspaper man, a policeman and a pedestrian were injured yesterday in two automobile accidents of & freakish nature. ~Seven persons were injtred in six other accidents, police reported. Michael T. Dwyer, 53, city editor of the Alexandria Gazette, suffered a broken leg in an accident involving three machines just south of the High- way Bridge. Lwyer, who was driving to Alexandria from Washington, had collided with another machine. As he stepped to the roadway to determine the damage, a third machine crashed into the car he had just vacated, turn- ing it over on top of him. He was re- moved to Emergency Hospital. The third automobile was driven by George Ellis of Vineland, N. J. Pedestrian Saves Officer. Motor Cycle Policeman Bowie T. Chew, 27, of the seventh precinct, es- caped serious injury yesterday at the expense of a pedestrian when his ma- chine was struck by an automobile at Thirty-fourth street and Volta place. Hurled from his -motor cycle. Chew was thrown bodily against William Masterson, 51, colored, who was walk- ing across the intersection. Both men fell to the sidewalk together, Chew es- caping with minor contusions, while the colored man, who lives at 3413 Dent place, was taken to Georgetown Hospital with a shoulder injury. Richard L. Taylor, 20, of 1631 New- ton street, driver of the automobile, was arrested on a charge of reckless driving. Two Baltimore men were injured in an accident at Rhode nd avenue and Eighth street northeast when their machine smashed into a viaduct pole. Leonard W. Winton, the driver, received lacerations of the left hand, while Cameron Howes suffered cuts of the nose. Both mcn were treated at Sibley Hospital and - dismissed. Lawrence Brook, 12-year-old colored boy, of 1225 Sixteenth street northeast, was knocked down by an automobile og_entcd by Cecil F. Cole of 316 Tenth street southeast, while crossing the in- tersection of Bladensburg road and M street, receiving scalp lacerations for which he received medical attention at Providence Hospital. Man Is Knocked Down. James Sollenberger, 41, of 1809 Riggs place, was treated at Emergency Hos- pital by Dr. John Schwartzman las night for scalp lacerations suffered when he was knocked down at Thomas | Circle by an automobile driven by George Gaeger of 4100 Thirteenth | street. Elizabeth Minor, 48, colored, of 416 N street sustained abrasions of the head and nose when struck by a machine operated by Milton Hawkins of 6605 Georgia avenue. The accident occurred at New Jersey avenue and N street, The woman was treated at Freedmen's Hospital. A collision between an electric car of the Washington Railway & Elecrtic Co. and an automobile driven by Ar- thur Tillman, 37, colored, occurred at Eleventh and O streets last night, Till- man receiving lacerations of the scalp and receiving treatment at Emergency Hospital. Mrs. Vera Burch, 43, of 3006 Thir- teenth street, suffered’ lacerations of the ear and scalp and a possible frac- ture of the collar bone last night, when she was struck by an automobile driven by Joseph Barringer of 2801 Adams Mill road. The accident occurred at Fourteenth and Girard streets. Mrs. Burch was taken to Garfleld Hospital in_a passing automobile and tendencies to seclusion, introversion and those around them, who cannot ad- Must at an adult social level and who Wsually must be sent to an institution. Next come the children of borderline -and subnormal intelligence who it make a_satisfactory adjustment to life Wwith a little help. They have not the ability to progress beyond the sixth or seventh grade in school and after that develop inferfority complexes which lead to al 1 behavior. They are usually the products of poor heredity, broken homes and vicious companions. Constitutional Psychopaths. ‘The third class, says Dr. Richmond, “are the constitutional psychopaths— children in whom defects of emotion wnd_volition are complicated by very irregular intellectual abilities, s thad depression. As a group they are of superior intelligence.” The fifth class, says Dr. Richmond, is made up of the victims of definite organic diseases which affect bebavior, such as epllepsy, post-encephalitis and infantile tions and disorders of vision, which pro- duce a disordered world. There are also many normal children who begin to go wrong entirely because of diffi- cum:- encountered in their environ- ment. ‘The child clinic, Dr. Richmond said, will deal largely with the problems of adolescents among whom behavior problems are most likely to appear be- cause of the d.lflmlti:s(o{ mfl:eu‘ ‘nlldl physical readjustment from wor! of childhood to the world of adults, treated by Dr. Hopkins, who pronounced her condition not serious. . RECEIVES SEVERE BURNS. Gas Station Employe Is Victim of Gas Blaze. Vernon E. Limerick, 17 years old, of 4 Bixth street northeast, an employe of a -filling station at Benning road nd Central avenue, received severe GRAND JURY OPENS INOUIRY N DEATH OF MRS. DREYFUS Detective Sergt. First Witness, Believes Fall at Boat Club Accident. RELATIVES AMONG 35 TO BE HEARD Coroner Nevitt, Who Presided at Inquest, Second Called, Doubts Foul Play. Darnall, | | | menced its investigation of the death of The District srand jury today com- | Mrs. Aurelia Fischer Dreyfus, who was | killed on October 20 in a plunge from a | balcony at the Potomac Boat Club, | where ghe had been attending a dance. | Detective Sergt. George E. Darnall, the first witness called by Neil Burkin- shaw, assistant United States attorne; in charge of the case, expressed the be: lief before entering the grand jury room that the young woman’s fall was acci- dental. Darnall participated in the po- lice investigation of the case. Approximately 35 witnesses were waiting outside the grand jury room in the District Supreme Court Building this morning when the investigation was opened. Among them were several relatives who have submitted affidavits to United States Attorney Leo Rover in which the belief was expressed that Mrs. Dréyfus was murdered. The grand jury probe was ordered after these af- fidavits were made. Coroner Second Witness. Dr. J. Ramsay Nevitt, District cor- oner, the second witness, presided at the inquest, which resulted in a verdict of accidental death. Dr. Nevitt was closeted in the grand jury room only & few minutes. Before leaving the court house he told newspaper men the evi- dence presented at the inquest con- vinced him Mrs. Dreyfus had not been pushed from the balcony. ‘The coroner’s inquest resulted in the release of Edmund J. McBrien, New York broker, who was taken into cus- tody by police after Mrs. Dreyfus died. McBrien escorted Mrs. Dreyfus to the boat club dance the night of her death. He céhvinced police he was not with the woman when she fell from the balcony, explaining he had left her shortly be- fore she fell to go after his hat. He told police he had been a close friend of Mrs. Dreyfus for several years. The affidavits sworn to by relatives of Mrs. Dreyfus directed suspicion at Mc- Brien, The relatives charged he had threatened to kill the young divorcee because she “knew too much” about the murder of Dot King, Broadway night club entertainer. McBrien is not ex- pected to be a witness. Undertaker to Testify. George Duvall, an undertaker, was another witness. He was summoned to tell of his examination of Mrs. Drey- fus’ body. While Duvall declined to discuss the case with newspaper men, he is understood to have stated pre- viously that he saw no fingerprints on Mrg. Dreyfus’ throat. Affidavits of rela- tives contended fingerprints were no- ticeable. Charles B. Eaton, a member of the boat club, was the fourth witness. He told reporters he expected to bé ques- tioned about assisting in removing Mrs. Dreyfus to Emergency Hospital. Among the other witnesses waiting to be called before the grand jury were Miss Freda Fischer of 1505 Olive street northeast, a sister of Mrs. Dreyfus; Wil- liam_Fischer, a brother; Mrs. Ernest C. Knorr, another sister; Helmuth Fischer of Washington, another broth. er; Mrs. Louise Reinberger of Youngs: town, Ohio, T sister; Mrs. Ji hanna McNamée of Thrifton, Va., a si tér, and Mrs, Carl Fischer, the mother of Mrs. Dreyfus. TRAFFIC BUREAU MOVE CONSIDERED D. C. Heads Ordered to Quit Pres- ent Site Before July 1 Next. The District Commissioners are con- sidering moving the Traffic Bureau and the office of the director of traffic to the Equity Building, on John Marshall place, adjoining the Municipal Court. This building has been bought by the District as part of the new Municipal Center, but its occupants are still hold- over. Under the terms of the sale of the building, they must be given 30 days’ notice to quit. not yet been given. The District was notified to move the two offices mentioned out of their pres- ent location on Pennsylvania avenue, between Fourteenth and _Fifteenth streets, before July 1 next. The offices are in the area to be used by the Fed- eral Government for a park fronting the new Department of Commerce Building, now under construction. Commissioner Proctor L. Dougherty said todev that use of the Equity Build- ing for che two traffic offices would necessistate considerable remodeling, and that there was no money available for this pur) at present. He indi- cated that the item would be put into the estaimtes for 1931, under the im- mediately available list. ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE FOR “SCOTSMAN'S NIGHT” Arrangements have been completed by Benjamin B. French Lodge, No. 15, F. A. A. M., of which Benjamin A. Ha lan is the newly elected master, for a “Scotsman's night” this evening in the lodge room in Masonic Temple, Thir- teenth street and New York avenue. There will be Scotch music and pipes, This notice has | to: CATNIP PACIFES VIS 200 CATS | All But One Proves Suscep- tible to Proposed “Panther” Lure. ‘The lion, like the lesser cats, likes his little nip when it's catnip. The cat family, from the little bob- cat to old Brutus, the king of them all, went on a grand spree at the Zoo on a small bagful of catnip, and thereby proved that the cat beast of the Northeast section of Washington is susceptible to the weed and might thus be captured. The catnip, an effective lure for panthers in the West, is being seriously considered by big game hunters here, who are figuratively itching for a shot at the elusive “varmint” that has har- rassed Northeast Washington and near- Maryland residents. But something will have to be done about the catnip market, the entire avallable supply having been cornered for yesterday’s experiment on the Zoo cat beasts. Puma Proves Susceptible. ‘With the sanction and in the presence of Dr. William M. Mann, director of the Zoo, the catnip first was offered a small Mexican puma, the smallest of the mountain lions in the park. Awakened from a morning’s sleep for the catnip, the puma at first showed no reaction to the weed, but purred a 40-catpower purr when Dr. Mann and a newspaper man rubbed its ears. Then a whiff of the catnip reached Mr. Puma, and the Fun’ developed to 60-catpower. Slow- ly he got down on the floor of his cage and luxuriously and contentedly sniffed in the odor. The lynx, or common - bobcat, a still ler animal, was next visited with the catnip. Here the reaction was the .same. The. bobcat looked like it was having a glorious time. Next two big mountain lions, or panthers, were visited. The female for about five minutes spurned the proffered catnip. Just as Dr. Mann was explaining that the wind was wrong for the cat- nip scent, an errant breeze wafted to the lioness’ nostrils the promises of cat-heaven that seem to go with cat- nip. She ambled over to the weed strewn on the floor of the cage. Like a kitten playing with a ball it tossed the sprigs into the air and slapped at them as they came down. Then she got down in the ice and snow for a grand “wallow.” Ferocious Ocelot is “Tamed.” The male lion, about twice the size of its mate, sleepily came out of the box to see what all the excitement was ebout. It was hard to interest him, too, but when fully awake, and stretched, he, too, entered into the fun. Next the catnip was tried on the most ferocious beast in the 200, an ocelot. The small, sleek, spotted animal was in a snarling rage when Dr. Mann and the newspaper man arrived with the soothing . catnip. Carefully, for the ocelot had tw:.x ws armed with vicious long claws ready for any unwary visi- sprig of catnip was pushed into tie cage. The ocelot pawed over it for & moment, spitting and snarling, then calmed down, smelled the catnip and succumbed. The ocelot was as gentle as & lamb when the catnip bag sought new fields to conquer. William H. Blackburn, head keeper of the Zoo, was added to the party when it reached the lion house. He first gave the weed to the male lion of the pair presented the Zoo by Presi- dent Coolidge. This young lion, a father of a few days, was in a towering rage and has been ever since the Zoo keep- ers took his mate away from him to guard against his destroying the two newest lion cubs. He roared and clawed at the bars of his cage at the approach of Mr. Blackburn, recognizing the man who took away his mate. The catnip, however, turned his roaring to a purr and his clawing to gentle fondling of the weed. Old Brutus Enjoys It. Old Brutus, the oldest lion in the Zoo and king of all beasts there, was the next subject for the catnip experiment. l'{rudrell:unn was all that could be de- sired. Brutus got one whiff of the catnip and rolled over on his back, all four giant paws in the air, On his face there came as near a look of supreme contentment as ever adorned a_lion’s Scotch entertainment and storles, a prize for the oldest Scotsman and an opoortunity for every man raised in Scotland to name his lodge. In add tion, there will be refreshments impo ed from Scotland, as well as shortbread, scones, bannocks, oat cakes, chedder cheese, currant buns and Edinboro rock. During the evening the fellowcraft de- gree will be exemplified. Plans are under way for a ladies’ night in the ball room of the Mayflower Hotel Wednesday, February 26. ———— Arrested in Shooting. Dendy, colored, 23 years old, a burns yesterday on his right hand when a -mfll um{lty of gasoline he was ‘handling ited. Firemen of No. 27 Engine Company responded the alarm snd quickly extinguished the blaze. Limerick was treated at Cas- Hospital, ‘William of 1814 L street, is under arrest at the tenth precinct, while his father-in-law, Leonard Copeland, .of 1762 Harvard street, is in Freedmen's Hospital with a bullet wound in his shoulder as the result of an altercation at Copeland's home last night, - countenance. For a long time Brutus lay thus enjoying the perfume of catnip. So it went with the huge Bengal tigers, the leopards and all the rest of the cat tribe of the Zoo. Only one failed to pay any attention to the weed. It was Mitzi, the cheetah, or Indian hun! leopard. Mitzi is a tame ani- mal, a pet, for all her being as big as & lion. She differs from the rest of the cats only in the respect that she does not have prehensile claws. Her claws luck“wt like a dog's. Nevertheless, nature nd, robins e e e e | Dr. Mann and Mr. expressed the bellef that catnip woald be a ml‘ht{epotent lure for any cat that might roaming the woods and flelds of Northeast Washington and Southern Maryland. Just where the weed is com from. since yesterday’s :w' lun*ed’ u&‘ ;‘;vluahh m.p‘ply in the o8- 1930, any—to the “panther hunt.” animals can be soothed by the catnip, Something or other was proved at the Zoo when a hardy follower of the noted Capital “panther” went about distributing catnip among the anmials there to get their reaction, the intent being to apply the lesson learned—if It was_conclusively demonstrated that caged but the investigator was stumped when it was suggested that the “panther” was not yet behind the bars. The upper picture shows the experiment, and the lower, the result. —Star Staff Photos. SCHAFER PROBES VIOLATIONS HERE Drunkenness Worse Than Before Prohibition, Says Representative. That the “poisoned” liquor of today brings & more debauched degree of drunkenness, and that the modern “drunks” are found in a much worse condition than those of pre-prohibition days is one of the conclusions reached by Representative Schafer, Wisconsin, Wwho has been making a close personal inspection of liquor conditions ‘n Wash- ington. Representative Schafer is a “wet. Representative Schafer has been scrutinizing police work, especially that of the second precinct, preparatory to giving Congress his views regarding the effectiveness of prohibition enforcement in the District. He has been making this personal survey, keeping in close touch with raiding parties, occasionally going on a raid himself, and being in the station when the prisoners are brought in and observing them in their cells, in order to “make sure of the situation here” before he explodes his “bombshell” in the House. “After a long and careful observation of those confined for drunkenness,” said Representative Schafer today, “I am convinced that the ‘drunks’ today are in worse condition than the ‘drunks’ who were arrested prior to the days of rohibition. The moonshine, and boot- leg, synthetic and poisoned stuff they are drinking today brings them to a more debauched degree of drunkenness.” Another conclusion reached by resentative Schafer is that the Wi ington Police Department should a low-wave broadcasting station to ai in the apprehension of criminals, with a number of patrol automobiles cruising about the streets, which, with receiving sets, could pick up a broadcast when a crime was committed and thus more | promptly concentrate on apprehending the guilty parties. He points to the ex- perience of Detroit with such a system, and says that the chief of police in Mil- waukee has just recommended that he should be given such an adjunct to his department. QUAKE 4,500 MILES-AWAY. An earthquake centering about 4,500 miles from Washington was reported by Georgetown University Seismological Observatory here as having occurred at 9:56 o'clock yesterday morning. ‘The first shocks on the instruments here were recorded at 10:07 a,m., reach- ing their maximum at 10:30 a.m. and dying away at 11:42 am. LETTERMAN AIDE CITED FOR TRIAL ed as Result of Auto Collision. Private George C. McCarron of Sergt. O. J. Letterman’s police ilquér squad was suspended from duty today and cited for trial before the police trial board as a result of a collision late last night between his automobile and a car parked near John Marshall place and C street. McCarran was charged at the sixth precinct station with reckless driving after the accident had besn reporte Later, after a conference in the cor | poration counsel’s office at Police Court, the charges were changed ‘to driving while drunk. The parked car was owned by Lemuel Griffs, 208 Linworth place southwest. McCarron, according to the precinct report to Maj. Pratt, sald he had at- tended a_Chinese New Year party at Charlie Chew's place, on Pennsylvania avenue, and was on his way home When the accident happened. Police of the sixth precinct required him to de- posit $25 collateral for his appearance {on the charge of reckless driving. precinet report he directed that charges be prepared against McCarron. The charges will embody all the circum- su;lcte; l‘)’t;nnezilfd w!ul:h the accident ang e disposition of the cl e filed in_Police Court. ooy It was explained in the report that McCarron was off duty at the time the accident happened, Sunday being his regular day off each week. Sergt. John E. Thompson of the sixth precinct is reported to have failed to Sign off duty at midnight after he is alleged to have attended the Chinese New Year celebration. \VICTIM OF ESCAPING GAS \REPORTED OUT OF DANGER Rallying from the effects of inhaling illuminating gas, Mrs. Mary N. Levins, 46 years old, of 1457 Fairmont street, who, police said, was accidentally over- come at her home last night, was said by Emergency Hospital officials today to be out of danger. . Mrs. Levins was found unconsclous by Mrs. Verda Landis, who lives at the same address, when she detected the odor of escaping gas. Mrs. Levins is said to have been using the gas range in her kitchen and went into the bed room after completing her work. Apparently the stove had not been turned completely off. A gentleman came to The Star office this morning bursting with suppressed excitement. “I have just seen the first robin of ow: Witortunaidly for the agé-old fortunal for remain l.n‘#‘ - most any day, according to the division of birds at the National Museum. This was explained to the gentleman. He knew it already. He is a taxi- dermist, well acquainted with the habits of local birds. There was nothing the of The Star could tell him “FIRST” SPRING ROBIN VISITS CITY, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING! They Stay Here All Winter, Hopeful Gentleman Who Knows It But Calls at Star Office, Is Told. the habits of robins. But he was puzzled just the same. “I know robins stay here all Winter, but just the same I thought you'd like to know about my seeing ‘the first robin of the Spring,” he sald. Such is the power of a tradition over owledge. But then there are meteorologists who watch for the ground hog, psycholczicts who hang horseshoes over their doors, physiclans who sleep with their win- cows. closed to shut out th~ night air —so why not an ornithologist who watches for the first robin? As soon as Maj. Pratt received thel PAGE B—1 ATTENDANCE LAW WEAKENS SEADOL STRKE THRENT Leaders of Transfer Protest Waver in Face of Pos- sible Fines. CONGRESSMEN ASKED TO JOIN CONTROVERSY Representative Murray of Pennsyl. vania Said to Have Advised Against Compliance. With the full support of their leaders gone and the morale of ‘most of them shattered by fear of the penalties of tthe compulsory school attepdance law, only 11 families were represented among the “strikers” who appeared at the John Burroughs School this morning to protest the transfer of their children to the new Langdon (elementary) choo} and the Langley Junior High School. The 13 parents who called at the school with their children to demand re« admittance were advised that the trans- fer orders stood. After agreeing to meet tonight at the office of one of the lead= | ers, who meanwhile had agreed to the transfer for his own child, in order to decide upon the “future course,” the little crowd dispersed. Some said they were going to Capitol Hill to seek the support of-their Congressmen and others went home to think it over. Turpin Advises for Burroughs. Mrs. Alice M. Garman of 1603 New- ton street northeast, whose eighth-grade boy was among those ordered - ferred, said she had seen Representa~ tive C. Murray Turpin of Pennsylvania, and although he admitted he was un- familiar with the situation, she said, he advised her to return her boy to the Burroughs School. When Mrs. Garman left the school this morning she said she was going directly to Senater Grundy and Representative Golder. Mrs. H. A. March of 1811 Monroe street northeast was planning to see Representative Murphy of Ohio to en- list his slifirrt. Meanwhile, more than 73 per cent of the 90 transferred children were in their new classes this morning. Thirteen of Langley Junior 15 assigned to the High School had a ed at that building, while more than 60 of the re- maining group were in the Langdon School. Among those who bowed to the trans- fer was K. P. Armstrong, vice chairman of the citizens associations’ educational committee and a leader in the organi- zation of that body and the present Private McCarron Suspend- | liam as a parent, affected this had no S reorgan the Besides those testing mrenum morning were: William Tylor street northeast; Mrs. R, 1815 Lawrence street northeast; L. P. Thompson, 1700 Jackson street northeast; Mrs. H. A. Leusenkamp, 1721 Kearney street northeast; Mrs. F. B, Wallace, 1823 Monroe strect; Mrs. A. A. Pack, 3501 Fifteenth street, and Mrs. C. ‘t’ Russell, 1821 Monroe street north- cast. { Transfer Relicves Congestion. |, The present disturbanc: among the | parents and children of the community | served by the Burroughs School resulted j from the transfer of the seventh and cighth grades from the Burroughs Build- ing to the recently completed Langdon School. The rooms vacated by the trans- ferred classes will be used to relieve con- gestion at the Burroughs School and | the Brookland School. - $268,882 ESTATE LEFT BY EDWARD M. DULIN Petition for Probate of Will Filed. Margaret P. Burdette Leaves Property Worth $48,014. Edward M. Dulin, who died January 22, left an estate valued at $268,882.88, according to the petition of the National Savings & Trust Co. for the probate of his will. He owned real estate assessed at $103,875 and had personal property estimated at $165,007.88. He is survived by his widow, Blanche S. Dulin, and four children, E. Milton Dulin, John B. Dulin, William C. Dulin Eleanor Dulin. Margaret P. Burdette, who died Janu- ary 17, owned no real estate, but had personal property estimated at $48,- 014.69, according to the petition of he: executor, the American Security & Trust Co., for the probate of her will, She is survived by four cousins, Annie F. Shaw, 1365 Park road; Samuel Pal- mer, Albion, Me.; Ella Grimes and Eliza- beth Haines, both of Rockland, Me. MISS BROOKE RITES SET. Services to Be Held Wednesday for Victim of Auto. Funeral services for Miss Gladys Brooke, 44 years old, who was killed instantly by an automobile near her home, the Cathedral Mansions, Satur~ day night, will be held Wednesday aft- ernoon at 3:30 o'clock at Gawler's i jr.: an Chapel. ‘The funeral service will be conducted by Bishop J. E. Freeman of Washing- ton Cathedral. Interment will bé Glenwood ~Cemetery. Besides . her mother, Mrs. Mollie B. whom she resis B vived by a brother, Harold Brooke of Long Beach, Calif. DR. L. F. STOCK TO SPEAK Dr. Leo F. Stock, member of the Carnegie Foundation of Wasl will aldress the Washington Assembly of Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, meeting at the Mayflower Hotel tonight at 8 o'clock. Applications for initiation will be ballcted and an entertainment by the Georgetown University” Glee Club will ba glven, J. Eugcne Galiery will

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