Evening Star Newspaper, August 14, 1930, Page 1

N “From Press to Home Within the Hour” The Star’s carrier system covers every city block and the regular edi- tion is delivered to Washington homes WEATHER. (U. 8. Weather Bureau Porecast.) cloudy tonight and tomorrow; Temperatures—Highest, "3:30 pm. yesterday; lowest, 63, at 5:45 today. Full report on page 8. ¢h ¢ Fopenin WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Entered post ofci No. 31,516. second class matter Washington, C. D. WASHINGTON, ». 0, BAKER DEATH CASE IS GIVEN T0 GRAND JURY IN DISTRICT Evidence Presented Few Hours After Campbell’s Re- lease Was Held Imminent. NEW ALIBI WITNESSES BACK REAL ESTATE MAN First to Testify Teday Is Justice Agent Who Took Gun to Chicago for Bullet Test. Presentation of the Mary Baker mur- der case to the District of Columbia grand jury was begun this morning just a few hours after there had been indi- cations that the charges against Her- bert M. Campbell, Virginia Highlands real estate man, would be dropped be- cause of the discovery of new alibi wit- nesses. The first witness called before the grand jury was Sam Hardy, Department of Justice agent who took Campbell’s gun and the bullets removed from Miss Baker's body to Chicago for examina- tion by Col. Calvin H. Goddard, bal- listic expert. Col. Goddard reported that the bullets which killed the girl were fired from Campbell's gun. Other witnesses who followed Hardy to the grand jury room -were William C. Gloth, commonwealth’s attorney for Arlington County; Lieut. Edward J. Kelly, Dr. A. Magruder McDonald, Dr. W. C. Welburn of Ballston, Va., who performed the autopsy; Miss Olga Skinner, friend of the dead girl, who identified her body; Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Wood, who told of the struggle at Eeventeenth and B streets; Lieut. John Fowler of the tenth precinct, ballistics expert of the Police Department, and Detective Sergt. John Flaherty. New Witnesses Found.~ United States Attorney Rover, in an- nouncing the presentation of the case to the grand jury, stated that in event of an indictment being returned a copy would be forwarded to Virginia for the hearing next week before the United States commissioner at Alexandria. He expressed the conviction that an in- dictment would strengthen the Govern- ment’s case in their effort to remove Campbell to the District of Columbia. Assistant United States Attorney Collins presented the witnesses to the grand jury. : ‘Ewo new witnesses, whose names have not been divulged, are said to have told investigators they were with Campbell at his home around 6 o'clock the night of April 11. In support of their state- ments to this they produced a written contract by the parties. This paper, dated April 12, was said by them to have been s as a result of a mn(erenc:u lltl Campbell's home the Meanwhile Campbell remained today in the Alexandria City Jail. He was taken there more than a week ago, after he had spent nearly three weeks in the Arlington County Jail. His removal to Alexandria resulted from his release after a State warrant against him had been nolle prossed and a Federal wa rant sworn out. He sirice has been fight- ing efforts of the Government to remove him to Washington for trial. Time of Slaying Fixed. In their investigating, Washington authorities have repeatedly said they were convinced Miss Baker was killed between 5:50 and 6 p.m. April 11. She is known to have been struggling with a man who wore a gray cap while seated in her parked automobile at Seventeenth and B streets at about that time. Witnesses reported they heard what they thought were three pistol shots shortly after the car was driven away following the fight. These state- ments have led police to believe that Miss Baker was strangled and shot in the District instead of in Virginia, as it at first appeared. : In support of the police theory Wwit- nesses have been located to definitely | establish that Miss Baker's car was | abandoned on the Virginia road as early as 7 oclock on the night of April 11. Miss Baker’s bullet riddled body was | found in a culvert at the edge of the | ‘Arlington National Cemetery the morn- | ing of April 12. ; | “It would have been impossible for | Campbell to_have killed the girl at ~(Continued on Page 2, Column 3) | 600 MADE HOMELESS | BY $200,000 BLAZE Fire Starting in Kitchen Stove Destroys 50 Houses in Quebec Community. By the Associated Press. MASSON, Quebec, August 14.—Smoke and sorrow hung like a pall over this flame-blackened community today as residents set about caring for the 600 persons made homeless by a fire that destroyed approximately 50 houses. Damage was estimated at $200,000. The fire. which started in a kitchen stove, vesterday destroyed an area a quarter of a mile square. the extent of the disaster were made by the Rev. Mgr. Routhier, parish priest. His church was destroyed, but parish- and ornaments. The fire fighters were handicapped by lack of equipment. The only available water was in the Lievre River, about a third of a mile from the town. Appeals for aid were sent to Ottawa, 21 miles away, and Hull and Buckingham, but before they could send assistance the flames were beyond control. Estimates of | UNARMED CASHIER TAKES GUNS FROM Discovers Discharged Janitor Binding Successor at Potomac Savings Bank. 'Second Colored Man Arrested as He Watches Question- ing of Captured Gunman. A bank bandit suspect, &rmed with | two deadly automatics and his face BANDIT SUSPECT covered with coal soot and an eve | rmask, was persuaded to relinquich the | guns by an unarmed cashier of the | Potomac Savings Bank, Wisconsin ave- nue and M street, early this morning | when the cashier surprised him in the | | besement of the building. | The man, Leroy Cooper, 25 years | old, colored, of the 2600 block of P | | street, a former janitor at the bank. | was arrested by seventh precinct police | | and s being held for investigation. C. Wendall Shoemaker, cashier of the bank, who lives at 4818 Wisconsin ave- nue, declared today that he found Coop- NDALL SHOEMAKER. —Star Staff Photo. er in the basement of the bank when he arrived at work this morning. He said Cooper, holding an automatic in_each hand, and the upper part of (Continued on Page 2, Column 8. R-J00 RACING HOME ATBOMILESANHOUR WITH AID OF WIND Craft Passes Anticosti Isle 540 Miles Out, in 7 Hours and 49 Minutes. MONTREAL, Quebec, August 14 (#).—The British dirigible R-100 wirelessed officials here today that she was heading up through the Straits of Belle Isle to the open sea, abandoning the planned route over Newfoundland. The message gave no reason for the change in plans. By the Associated Press. ST. HUBERT, Quebec, August 14— The British dirigible R-100 passed Anti- costi Island, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, at 4:15 am. today on an eastward crossing of the Atlantic | toward its home station, at Cardington, England. Her spsed was 80 miles an hour, with the assistarce of a strong following wind. At that time she had been in the air 7 hours and 49 minutes and had covered 540 miles. With one of ifs powerful motors out | of commission, the largest lighter-than- air liner in the world cast off from the mooring tower-here at 8:26 pm. (E. 8. T.; yesterday and headed down the St.| Lawrence Valley. In addition to its complement of 44 officers and men, the airship carried 13 passengers, including two official ob- servers and a group of press repre- sentatives. Expect to Land in 50 Hours. Despite the handicap of one dead motor, Squadron Leader R. M. Booth and his officers expected to make & quick crossing aided by following winds and tie' up at Cardington Saturday | morning. Their estimate for the trip | was 50 hours, which would give the R-100 the record for an eastward transatlantic voyage. about 6 hours less than the best time of the German dirigible Graf Zeppelin. Circling over Montreal in a last gesture of farewell, the R-100 headed down the river. An hour and 24 minutes later it was sighted over Three Rivers, Quebec, flying at the rate of 60 miles an hour. Picking up speed, the airship arrived over Quebec at | 10:45, having covered the 163 miles | from Montreal in 2 hours and 20 minutes. ? | Weather forecasts promised good fiy- | ing conditions over the first half orl the ocean, with following winds. The R-100 carried only two items | which could be listed as freight on her return voyage. One was a bunch of peonies for King George, sent by Vis- count Willingdon, governor general of | Canade, and a basket of peaches ad-| dressed to the Prince of Wales, from Premier Ferguson of Ontario. | Official Mail Aboard. | | A sman packet of official mail was | aboard, including a letter from Premier | | R. B. Bennett of Canada to Prime Min- | ister Ramsay MacDonald. The departure of the R-100 ended a 13-day stay in Canada. ‘The airship |arrived August 1 after setting & new record for the westward trip of 78 hours and 40 minutes. It came into port | with the covering stripped from one of |its fins after a,battle with high winds on the trip up the St. Lawrence Val- lev. The fin was re-covered while the |airship swung from the mooring tower ere. Disabling of the forward starboard engine and & tear in the envelope were other mishaps which befell the ship | | during a flight over Canadian cities last | | Sunday and Monday. The tear was re- aired, but the engine could not be put into commission without delaying the start, and Nine Killed in Rumanian Wreck. BUCHAREST, Rumania, August 14 (#).—Nine persons were killed and 15 injured in a head-on collision today be- tween two express trains at Seceleanu Station on the Bucharest-Konstanza line. DARTS FELL MAN IN IMPROMPTU MEXICO CITY FIGHT Goes to Hospital Critically Are Commi By the Assoclated Press MEXICO CITY, August 14.—An promptu bufifight ' in which a man the bull, staged in the Plaza Los geles in the central part of the Jed today to a hospital bed for “pull” and jail cells for the matadors. im- An- Six men, all said to have been drink- | unable to give his name. itted to Jail. was | the police finally were cdlled, the man n'z‘y‘aans sticking into his flesh, the IN “BULL” ROLE Injured, While *“Matadors” a bullfight in the plaza. They procured | regulation capes, darts, etc, and when | pleying the part of the bull had several He was taken to a hospital where he was today in a critical condition, | C. Espey in May, uadron Leader Booth de- | cided to leave with the five good en- | joners helped to save the sacred vessels | gin®s. SHAPIRO INDICTED ON 4 NEW FALSE PRETENSE CHARGES “Hidden Trust” Realty Deals on 18th Street, Marietta Place and Otis St. Alleged. Jacob Shapiro, president of the | Joseph Shapiro Realty Co., was indicted today by the grand jury on four addi- tional charges of false pretenses in con- nection with the sale of real estate said to be encumbered by “hidden trusts.” He is already under bond of $5,000 each in two cases, to which he has entefed pleas of not guilty. Shapiro is charged with selling prem- ises 3615 Eighteenth street northeast to William J. and Mildred E. Haste In May, 1928, without disclosing the ex- istence of a “hidden trust” of $3,200 on the property. Another indictment deals with the sale of premises 3625 Eighteenth strect northeast, sold to Clarence M. Hughes in March, 1928, on which there is said to_have been a “hidden trust” of $600. ‘The third indictment alleges the sale of premises 421 Marietta place to Helen 1929, said to have been incumbered with a “hidden trust” of $1.271.99. In the fourth indictment false pre- tenses are also alleged in the sale of premises 1823 Otis street northeast to ‘William J. Slattery in October, 1927, on which there was said to be a “hidden trust” of $560. Two Murder Indictments. First degree murder is charged in two indictments reported against Charles Morris and Eugene Brooks, both colored. Morris is alleged to have shot and killed his sweetheart, Maggie Landon, July 26, on Key Bridge following her refusal of a reconciliation. Brooks is charged with shooting his son-in-law, Ernest Green, July 19. Ada Mitchell, a gypsy, is charged with grand larceny. It is alleged that she persuaded Mary E. Curtin to place 38 in a handkerchief July 16 last, which was to be trebled if not opened before midnight. The woman waited for the mystic hour, it is sald, but on opening the handkerchief found it to contain only pieces of paper. ‘Three charges of housebreaking and larceny are made against Willard Lee Winston for visits to homes of promi- nent persons in Chevy Chase July 4. The houses visited were those of Rad- ford Moses of Moses & Sons, James A. Toomey and James B. Jordan. The grand jurors refused to indict James Wilson, James Morrison, Ernest Gray and Willie Hudson, joy-riding; Charles Morris and Rhoda Duncan, as- sault with a dangerous weapon, and Charles Daugherty and Willlam Nichol- son, carnal knowledge. Others- Are Indicted. indicted and the em are Cameron and Frank William non-support; William Henry arson; George Matthews, rob- Willilam George Baker, assauit Others against Dougl! Dodso! charges intent to kill; John Albert Mar- shall, James L. Anderson, Henry W. Daniels, Ralph_Anderson, Fred Douglas (three cases), Zean Kirkley, alias Zean Kirk, Johnnie “Vaughn, ~alias John Simms, joy-riding; Albert Jamerson, Helen Speaks, alias Helen Ford, rob- bery; Louls Henley and Jack Mitchell Foster, violation national prohibition act; Earl Jackson, Thomas Newman, Sylvester Thomas, Eugene Washington, Bernard Ross (two cases), houseoreak- ing and larceny; John W. Lloyd, house- breaking; Ada Mitchell, Robert O'Neal, Edward A. Posselt, alias Edward A. Mason, David Ivan, Sylvester Thomas, Mack Fierse and James A. McDonnell, grand larceny; Arthur Lee Wilson, Iai ceny after trust and embezzlement. WAR MOTHER DIES IN VERDUN HOTEL Cerebral Hemorrhage Fatel to Mrs. | Harriet Bates of Portage, Pa. Others II1. By the Associated Press. VERDUN, France, August 14.—Mrs. Harrlet Bates, wife of Henry Bates of JPortage, Pa,, died in the Verdun Hotel today from the effects of a cerebral hemorrhage. Mrs. Bates was with a party of Gold Star Mothers. Mrs. Bates was the first Gold Star Mother to die in France, of the nearly 2,000 who visited the battefileld ceme~ teries during this Summer. A number of the mothers have been i, some of them seriously, from a variety of causes, including the emo- tional strain to which they subjected themselves in their advanced years at | the graves of beloved war victims. Mrs, Bates was unconsclous for sev- eral hours before her death. Her last words before losing consciousness, when she felt there was no hope of rallying, were that she would die in the country where her boy was buried. Pending The other ine decides ohaut midni=-e % arrange 'five men were sent to jajl. receipt of instructions, rangements were Leld.in abeyance. with' a_dangerous weapon and assault | funeral ar- IGANG BULLETS KILL FIVEMEN IN THREE MIDWEST CITIES Slaying of Three in St. Paul Believed Due to Slot Machine War. SUSPECT IN CHICAGO MASSACRE SHOT DEAD Alleged Liquor Operator Is Fif- teenth Recent Victim of Gunmen in Detroit, By the Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn., August 14.—Three men were slain last night, victims of a gangland warfare in what police believ- ed was the outgrowth of a quarrel over slot machine concessions. One man was identified as Frank Coleman, Kansas City. His body and that of another victim were found last night by Gen. W. F. Rhinow, head of the State Bureau of Criminal Appre- hension, while touring a lonely road near Wildwood, an amusement resort on White Bear Lake, northwest of here. One victim later was identified as Sammy Stein, also known as Sammy Hackle, of Minneapolis. All three were found within & radius of 200 yards of the spot where a small car was parked beside the roadside. Identification of Coleman, whom Sheriff Maher of Washington County termed a member of a Missouri mob, tended to strengthen his theory the trio was slain by a rival gang. The automobile bore Missouri license plates and papers in Coleman's pockets indi- cated he had lived in the Missouri city. Coleman was shot three times from close range, officers said. There were powder burns about his head. Police believed the third victim was “Butch” Myer of St. Paul. Stein, they said, was wanted as a suspect in the recent Willmar, Minn., bank robbery, when five men, armed with machine guns, escaped with $142,- 000 in cash and securities. He also was wanted in Kansas City for mur- der, they said. His body was found near Coleman’s. He had been shot back of the right ear. A .45-caliber pistol was found nearby, and in his pocket was a clip of cartridges, one of which was loaded with tear gas. Possibility that a fourth body might be found was disclosed after a fourth hat and gallon of moonshine was found near the same spot. The scene of the shooting was near where George “Bugs” Moran, Chicago gang leader, is reported to have been spending some time recently. MASSACRE SUSPECT SLAIN. Danny Vallo, Capone Henchman, Is Shot From Ambush. CHICAGO, August 14 (#).—Danny Vallo, notorious gunman and a suspect in the St. Valentine's day massacre, was shot to death from ambush last night in Niles Center, a northwest suburb. Two men jumped from behind a clump of bushes and shot down Vallo as he alighted from his automobile with a woman_companion in front of a road house. Forty shotgun slugs were found in the gangster's body. Vallo, police said, began his gang activities with the Genna brothers. After four of the brothers were killed off in gangland warfare, Valla joined up with “Scarface Al” Capone. "As a Capone gunman, police believed, he was either a _participant in the massacre of seven George (Bugs) Moran gangsters or aided in plotting the killing. Vallo's death, police believed, was a reprisal by Niles Center beer runners for protection Vallo promised and did not_deliver The companion, who said she was Vallo's flancee, identified herself as Vera Wallace, 24, of Hot Springs, Ark. She said she knew nothing of Vallo's busi- ness, “except he received meny tele- phone calls and made many.” In Another Shooting. Pleasure Inn, in a South Side cabaret, wounded two gangsters, one of them seriously. He said they tried to force him to buy beer from them. After Pleasure reported the shooting to the police, Sam Massina, a minor hoodlum and gangster, staggered into a ! hospital suffering severe wounds in the abdomen. Sam Pullino, another hood- lum, appeared at a private hospital seeking treatment for a leg wound. Both refused to tell how they had been wounded, but they were identified by Pleasure. DETROIT SLAYER ESCAPES. Gang Victim Is Fifteenth Killed Re- cently in City by Gunmen. DETROIT, Mich., August 13 (#).—De- trolt’s fifteenth recent gangster assas- sination was recorded last night. The victim was Cicero Mangiapani, sus- pected of having been a liquor operator. He was shot five times by a short, dark man, who was riding beside him in his automobile at Mack and Lakepointe avenues in Grosse Pointe Park. “The nssassin escaped as the car went out of control and crashed into the curb. The police belleve Manglapani was slain because he had violated the code of some racket, but his particular ac- tivity has not been determined. They also said that Mangiapani probably had been expecting such an eventuality, this belief being borne out by the discovery of a loaded and cocked pistol on his person. Detectives looked to Brooklyn, N. Y., today for an explanation of Mangiap- ani’s activities. He is known to have returned secretly from the East, keeping the time of his arrival even from his wife. Mrs. Mangiapani told the police her ! husband went to Brooklyn six weeks ago, explaining that it was necessary for him to hide because of threats against his life. It is believed that Mangiapani jumped bond in Brooklyn last February after his arrest for violating the immigration law. SENATOR'S WIDOW DIES Mrs. James K. Vardaman, 76, Suc- cumbs in Alabama. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., August 14 (). —Mrs. James K. Vardaman, 76, widow from Mississippi, died here yesterday, Jess than two months after the del‘!i: of her husband. James Pleasure, colored owner of the.| of the former Governor and Senator. () 0 iéx THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1930—FIFTY-SIX PAGES. * as fast as the papers are printed. Circulation, 106,548 | Hammill, s T™W HOOVER DROUGKT CONFERENCE OPENS AS RAIN DESCENDS Dry Spell Reported ‘_Broken in Middle West and Southern States. CENTS. HYDE URGED TO MAKE ROAD FUNDS AVAILABLE Towa, Proposes Farm Board Dispose of Surplus in Stricken Areas. RIVER AND VALLEY SEARCHED FOR MISSING REALTY MAN| J. Benson Thomas’ Auto, Found by Brother, Only Clue. Relatives Fear Strain of Work Responsible for Disappearance. ‘The rocky, bush-grown river valley at Chain Bridge and the Potomac itself were scenes of an intensive search today for J. Benson Thomas, well known real estate operator, whose abandoned auto- mobile was found near the bridge end late yesterday, more than 24 hours after Thomas had dropped mysteriously from sight. Police of the harbor precinct were cruising the river banks below Chain Bridge ‘while other officers from No. 7 precinct searched the coverts in the river valley and scanned the waters of | the old Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. The | force was further augmented by a squad SON THOMAS. J. BEN! — —Haris-Eving_Photo. | and by friends and relatives of the miss- | ing man, The abandoned car is the only clue to Thomas' whereabouts. 1t was found about 6 o'clock yesterday afternoon by a brother, Donn Thomas of 129 Ken- of detectives from headquarters, led by Sergt. Sweeney of the homicide squad, | tucky avenue southeast. Without any- " “Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) SECOND AVIATOR HELD FUR-BI]MBINE' Admits Introducing Montgom- ery to Workers Accused of Plotting Mine Raid. By the Associated Press. MURPHYSBORO, IIl, August 14.— | A second aviator, James Malone, 24, of Duquoine, Ill, and five Zelgler, Ill, miners were in jail here today as au- thorities continued their investigatich into an airplane bombing raid on the | Providence, Ky, coal field early last | Monday morning. Malone admitted, State’s Attorney Fletcher Lewis announced, that he in- troduced Paul Montgomery, confessed pilot of an airplane that made a bomb- ing raid on mining properties at Prov dence, Ky., last Monday, to two Ken- tucky miners accused of plotting and carrying out the raid. Lewis announced the additional ar- rests in revealing that Essel Grant, 30, and Ewing Riley arrested last night at Providence, were the men named as having been implicated in the air raid. He was arrested at Zeigler and brought here early today for question- ing. Because he is under contract to fly at the Effingham, Ill, fair, efforts to obtain his release on bond were be- ing made today. Two of the five miners jailed are sus- pected, a deputy sheriff said, of having made the original proposition to Mont- gomery to pilot his commercial ship in the air raid. Montgomery was still in jail here to- day, but he faces extradition to Kentucky. TIPPLE DESTROYED BY FIRE. Blaze, Believed Incendiary, Blamed on | Revenge for Arrests. By the Assoclated Press. PROVIDENCE, Ky., August 14 —New arrests in the Mondays air raid on Webster County coal mines were fol- (Continued on Page EWALD CASE DROPPED BY JURY AFTER PROBE Indictments on Charges Former Judge Bought New York Appointment Refused. i By the Assoclated Pre: NEW YORK, August 14—A county grand jury refused today to indict any-|g body in connection with charges that former City Magistrate George F. Ewald | had paid $12,000 to influence his ap- | pointment to the hench in 1927 and the | case was dismissed. Radio Programs on Page C. CUBANS MAY ASK U.5. INTERVENTION Nationalists,” Barred From Voting, Plan Trip to Wash- ington—War Is Danger. BY WILLIAM HARD. Chances rose today that the United States may be called upon by a large clement of the Cuban people to inter- vene in Cuba to the extent of supervis- ing the next Cuban elections in the same manner in which it is now pre- paring to supervise the next elections in Nicaragua. This became known in the wake of the return to the United States from Cuba of United States Senator Thomas of Oklahoma, who visited Cuba precisely for the purpose of unofficially inquiring into the quarrel which exists there between the supporters and oppo= nents of President Machado and which threatens to involve the island either in civil war or else in some sort of inter- vening influence from Washington. Senator Thomas, who is taking no sides in the controversy, is nevertheless reported to be so deeply impressed with the gravity of the situation that several others of his colleagues have planned to follow him to Cuba to make their own observations there in the spirit of the Cuban investigation resolution intro- duced by Senator Shipstead of Minne- sota and in pursuance of the activities {r;u;hll direction of Senator King of Plan Visit to Washington. ‘The leaders of the Cuban opposition to President Machado, who claim that he holds the presidential office uncon- stitutionally and that he has extin- guished political liberty and self-gov- ernment in Cuba in violation of the treaty of 1903 between Cuba and the United States, commonly called the “Platt amendment,” are preparing to come to Washington to present their cause to the State Department, or, if they are not received there, then' to the Senate when it reconvenes. In the meantime the United States Ambassador to Cuba, Harry F. Guggen- heim, has received a serious setback in his efforts to reconcile the conflicting Cuban factions. After many interviews with Carlos Mendietay Montefur, leader of the opposition, and after many con- ference with President Machado, Am- basSador Guggenhei let it be known that a ngw Eropou Cuban law had been devised by the Cuban government which would be passed by the Cuban Congress and which would in a large degree restore freedom of elections to the Cuban people in anticipation of the coming elections of members of Con- gress next November. This proposed law, however, when presented to the Cuban Congress, which has always hitherto obeyed the mandate of Presi- dent Machado, was rejected by it in an oZerwhelmlnu vote of something like to 1. Opposition Is Voteless. The reason for this vote was that the proposed law would have allowed the Guban Nacionalista party. which is the Cuban _opposition, appear on the ballot in the November elections and to try to defeat the chado_Con- (Continued on Page lumn 1) d T0BREAK DROUGHT Rain Expected to Continue Tonight, Permanently | Ending Dry Spell. | I Hopes that the drought here may be | permanently broken were raised with | the beginning of showers this morning, | which the Weather Bureau promised | would last intermittently through this afternoon and probably this evening. | Continued cool for the next 36. hours also is predicted. | Rain fell fast in the initial shower in | | tite vicinity of the Weather Bureau this | | morning. Three-hundredths of an inch | fell within 12 minutes after the shower | | started at 10 o'clock, considered a fast precipitation, Citizens reported rain had | | fallen in the northwest section of the city earlier in the day. “Warm Front Rain.” | _Today's showers are described by the | Weather Bureau as a “warm front rain,” which officials there said would require considerable explaining to make clear to the layman. It is explained in a general way, however, as rain caused | through warm air in the upper strata | passing over cool air close to the earth |and condensing the moisture. The | warm air today is coming from the | Southwest, it was stated, but is not cai- | culated to make it warmer near the ground due to remaining at a high alti- | | tude. 'The upper strata wind is expect- | |ed to shift to the south during the | course of the day, the bureau added. | The rain today is the first to have fallen here in sufficient quantity for an of- ficial measurement since August 1. On that date .05 of an inch was reported by the Weather Bureau. ‘The showers here came along with additional showers elsewhere and heavy rains in several States which have been severely affected by the drought. Heavy rains_are reported in Ohio, Kentucky and Southern Indiana, while additional rain was reported falling in West Virs ginia and Maryland today, along with light rains reported in Pennsylvania. Tennessee and Eastern Missouri also have experienced relief from the | drought. Weltest July in Four Years. In spite of the unusually dry weather here for many weeks and a deficiency of 2.41 inches rainfall during the month of July, it was made known at the Weather Bureau today that last month was_the wettest July in the National Capital durig the past fouryyears. This is due to the month of July i the three years previous to this one being un- usually dry. The normal rainfall for the month is 4.71 inches while a total of only 2.30 inches fell during July just past. The unusually dry weather is readily ex- plained, however, through an accumu- lated deficiency in rainfall of 9.21 inches since January 1, the total deficiency accounting for streams drying up and crops withering. Rainfall for last month is recorded at the Weather Bureau as follows: On_July 5 i6,C10055T, 2% e .06, and on July 31, . total of 2.30. —— 40 STRIKERS END FAST Drivers and Bus Line Operators Reach Agreement. MEXICO CITY, August 14 (#).—A hunger strike begun yesterday morning by 40 bus drivers in front of the offices of the board of arbitration ended early today when, after a series of confer- ences, a means was found to settle the dispute botween drivers and operators of the bus lines. The strikers remained in front of the board of arbitration officers without food for 20 hours before the settlement finally was reached | Hyde Will Describe Work for Drought Aid In Radio Forum The work of marshaling the country's forces to combat that drought will be explained by Secretary of Agriculture Arthur M. Hyde, speaking tonight begin- ning at 9:30 o'clock in the Na- tional Radio Forum arranged by ‘The Evening Star and broadcast over a coast-to-coast network of the Columbia Broadcasting Sys- tem. The Secretary, the President’s SHOWERS PROMISE |z e tent of the drought and of some of the measures that will be taken to relieve the drought-ridden sec- tions. Mr. Hyde has just returned to the Capital from an inspection tour through the Midwest, study- ing drought conditions at first- hand, and since his return has kept in close touch with the field agents of the Department of Agriculture in order to learn of every development in the drought area. HARRISBURG, Pa. August 14 (#).—With chances of winning his race against time, Alexander Legge, chairman of the Federal Farm Board, left the Harrisburg Airport in an Army airplane for Washing- ton at 1:15 p.m., Eastern standard time, to attend President Hoovers’ conference on drought relief. Rain and reports of rain came today as the Hoover Drought Conference assembled at the White House to formulate a relief program. Rains sufficient to break the drought over large areas were reported in the Ohio Valley, Indiana, Illinois, Central | Kentucky, Southern Ohio, all of West Virginia, which has been hard hit, and in sections of Tennessee, Eastern Missouri and Southeastern Iowa. A drizzle was falling as the State executives began conferences with Gove ernment officials preparatory to meeting with the President this afternoon. Con- ferences at which the governors urged immediate aid. Gov. Caulfield of Missouri urged Secretary Hyde to imake Federal road aid money available on September 1, in- stead of waiting until January 1, 1931, Gov. Hammill of Iowa proposed that the Farm Board dispose of the surplus crops in the stricken areas as feed for cattle. He stressed the need for arranging credit for farmers for crops next year as did Gov. Leslie of Indiana, Forecasts Enco‘rulnx. Further encouragement for the drought areas and the conferees was seen in the weather forecasts. The predictions for tonight and tomorrow were for rain in some of the Plains States, and those along the Ohio River |and in sections of the Southern Ap- | palachian Mountains. The forecast also indicated showers for tonight and tomorrow in extreme Southern Kansas and in Western parts of that State, Northern Oklahoma, Southwestern Nebraska, extreme North- western Texas, Southern Missouri and | all of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, | West Virginia and along the Ohio | River. President Hoover will be * engaged | throughout this afternoon and tonight and possibly the forenoon tomorrow with the Governors’ Conference. After discussing the subject in all its details with the representatives of the 12 most seriously affected States and following his conference tomorrow aft- erncon with the heads of the three largest farmers' organizations, Presi- | dent Hoover wil Ithen set to work put- | ting into definite shape his relief pro- | gram, preparatory to giving the word setting in motion all of the agencies at his command to co-operate with the State agencies in extending help where it is needed. President Expects Quick Action. President Hoover, who has been pre- paring for this important conference for nearly a week by collecting data and compiling facts and figures, is expected to have his program completed and ady for operating late tomorrow or at least before he returns to Washing- ton Monday morning from his week end visit to ms Rapidan fishing camp. Ten of the 12 Governors invited by Mr. Hoover to attend this conference are here in person, the two others being represented. _The Governors_on_hand (Continued on Page 2, Column 4.) Strayed or Stolen, Special Dispatch to The Star. ALEXANDRIA, Va., August 14.wLost, strayed or stolen, one 200-pound case of magic rain-powder, assigned to the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. Ma- | terial supposed to have been shipped | last Thursday from Santa Fe. Such a notice would have been al-| right yesterday, or any time lately, but with the wind to the southeast and the appearance of a real so'easter with it§ usual steady rain in the offing, some one may have a white elephant on his hands | when the powder does arrive. This morning Dan S. Hollenga, busi- | ness manager of the Alexandria Cham- | ber of Commerce, who accepted the offer | of a firm in New Mexico to use the elec- ALEXANDRIA’S l_\;l-AGIC RAIN POWDER FAILS TO ARRIVE, BUT SHOWERS DO “Electrified Sand,” One of Science’s Noble Experiments, Chamber Admits. trified sand said to produce rain if sprinkled from the air, stated that the material had not yet arrived. Some one suggested that perhaps some of the other States suffering from the drought had made away with it and used it for their own benefit. Anyway if the long needed rains come at this time, as appeared possible early today, science will have lost the results of a truly noble experiment. Many sci- entific ploneers, scored and made “light of in their day. have succeeded in the believed impossible and gone down inf history, but it looked today as If Alexan- dria’s bid for fame through the crea< tion of an artificial precipitation was doomed to fade untried.