Evening Star Newspaper, January 5, 1931, Page 17

MULLEN CLEARED BY GRAND JURY IN SHOOTING OF HALE Gun Accidentally Fired by Son of Officer While Being Shown Ice Dealer. INDICTMENT REFUSED AGAINST MRS. SULLIVAN Mother of Carnell, Who Was Con- victed in Bush Slaying, and Others, Not Held. The District Supreme Court grand Sury today exonerated Charles E. Mul- len, 22-year-old son of Detective Sergt. Charles Mullen of police headquarters, of a charge of homicide growing out of the death of George R. Hale, 25, an ice dealer, December 23, during a card game at an apartment at 2127 California street. Mullen had been held by a coro- ner’s jury and has been at liberty under bond of $1,000. Mullen was showing two pistols to Hale when one of them was | discharged and killed Hale. The tragedy occurrcd at the apart- ment of Mrs. Margaret M. Rousseau, where the two men were playing cards with her and Miss Margaret C. Scot- son of 1753 Church strcet. John H. Rousseau, husband of the hostess, is said to have told the grand jury that young Mullen had told him about hav- ing the weapons and been asked by him to bring them to the apartment for his inspection. He had drawn the cartridges, he thought, before he had left Mullen at his apartment to o to the Shoreham Hotel, where he was em- ployed. Mother Not Indicted. The grand jurors also refused to in- dict Mrs. Sarah Margaret Sullivan, who had been held by the coroner’s jury as an accesory after the fact to. the; murder of Louis Bush, bus magnate, | last October. She is the mother of William ' J. Carnell, who was recently convicted of murder in the second de- gres in connection with the killing. Refusal to indict was a'so reported in cases against Gearge N. ‘Walls, house- breaking; Jeremiah Breen, joy-riding; Robert Sharpe, robbery. and Earl Mul- len, Nick Carsillo, Frank A. O'Brien, Thomas A. O'Donnell, Herman Johnson and Joseph George, violation liquor law. ‘Thomas J. Higgins, 18 vears old, who admitted to the police that he had held | up a number of taxicab drivers, was indicted on_three charges, two of rob-/ bery and the third of an atiempt to rdb. He is accused of holding uo a gasoline station on Central avenue | northeest near Benning road and rob- bing W. H. Limerick of $46.16. The other robbery charge related to another gasoline station at Florida ave- nue and W street November 22, the same cvenirg, when $18 was stolen from ‘Thomes P. Berry. The alleged ettempt to Tob a third taxi driver resulted in his apprehension when Bert A. Ayres agreed to meet Higgins, but gave ad- vance notice to the police, who arrested him in front of 1407 Decatur street. Another Bunch Charge. Ancther charge of robbery was pre- ferred todey by the grand jury against Edward Bunch, 1301 Belmont street, who was indicted last week. Bunch is accused of holding up Sherman Wiley, a taxicab driver, in the grounds of the Soldiers' Home December 10. He is said | to have taken a cab valued at $600 and $9.65 in cash from the driver | Subornation of perjury is alleged in | an indictment against Gertrude E. Chortell, a beauty parlor supervisor, and John Hale Smith, an attorney re- ported to have been connected at one time with the Department of Justice. The charge grows out of the woman's application for naturalization papers February 15, 1929. . Miss Shortell is 36 years old and a native of Ireland. It is charged that one of her witnesses, Marjorie V. Smith, now Mrs. Clifford D. Fenk of Cherry. dale, was induced to sign a statement that Miss Shortell had resided in the, District_for one year when in fact, it is stated, she had been here only a little more than two months. Julius Falke, said to be connected with the Central Finance Co. Is charged with grand larceny. He is said | t0 have been engaged in Tepossessing ! an automobile on which the company | had a loan and seized a machine in| which there was said to be 100 foun- tain pens belonging to John Kovsky, | 3527 Center street. Kovsky reported his car missing to the police, and when | found in possession of Palke, it is stated, | the pens were not found. Charge of Manslaughter. nslaughter is charged against Carter, colored. who is said to| bbed to death James States- colored, December 20, at 45 | M m: O r.reet. A total of 37 indictments was Te- ported to Justice Gordon and completed the work of the October grand jury. A new grand jury will be impaneled to- morrow: i Others indicted and the charges against them include 1. 8. Fuller, alias J. S. Fuller, embezzlement: Marshall | Washington alias Arthur Washington, | Howard Hawkins and Anderson Tally, assault with dangerous weapon: Elwcod | Johnson, assault with dangerous weapon | and assault with intent to kill; Leo E. | ‘Thomas, Thomas E. Washington an Willle White alias Willie e housebreaking and larceny; Marshall Cook and James §. 8 y (three cascs). forgery and uttering Frank Davidson, Gerald Howard Henry B. Thomas, Raymond Jackson, Arthur Washington, Augustina San- tucci. Aaron Trachtenberg, Earl Mullen, William J. Holmes, Thomas M. Crane and William Stone, national prohibition act; William Stone, smoke screen; John Martin Boland, Samuel Bandler, Jobn B. Taylor, Willlam C. Anthony and Lester P. Hockman, robbery: John J Couchenour, assault with intent to com- mit robbery; Patrick H. Nixon, depre- dation: James Carter (alias George Carter), Jullus Falke, grand larceny: James A. Reed. joy-riding: James W. ‘Wright, joy-riding and grand lsrceny Edward F. Wade, assault with danger- AUXILIARY WILL MEET Protestant Episcopal Church Group to Celebrate Communion. “The Woman's Auxiliary of the Prot- estant Episcopal Church, Diocese of ‘Washington, will hold its annual meet- ing tomorrow at St. John's Church, Sixteenth and H streets. Holy com- munion will be celebrated by Bishop Preeman at 10 o'clock, following whic vnufbe an address by Rev. Claude Pickens, from China. ‘Rev. Charles Warner will speak at 2 with annual : the Payne Divinity Eé:::an the " Kmerican Church for Negroes. The business ' gency nxuh& WASHINGTON GRANT DEFENDS ARCHITECTURE IN CAPITAL'S PUBLIC BUILDINGS Answers Attack by Representative Taylor The group of new Federal buildings under construction in Washington “will command the admiration of the coun- try and the world always,” declared Lieut. Col. U. 8. Grant, 3d, director of public buildings and parks in the Na- tionial Capital, during hearings at the Capitol on a request for $75000 for rent of the building now occupied by the Department of Commerce, which is contained in the first deficiency appro- pr;atlon bill as reported to the House | today. Likens Buildings to Louvre. “I think it will be like the Louvre in Paris and Vatican of Rome,” continued | Col. Grant, replying to questions from the subcommittee conducting the hcar- ings. “It is being so well done that it will never be objectionable, in spite of changes in taste.” | He was_ answering directly Repre- | sentative Edward T. Taylor, Democrat, of Colorado, who had asked him: “From your general knowledge of ar- chitectural psychology and the shifting changes in the minds and various schools of architects and producers of | building materials, how long would you say it will be before all these buildings we are now constructing that look like | flat-topped State penitentiaries will be determined to be entirely too plain, un- sightly, ridiculous, abominable distor- | tions, absurdities and a disgrace to the Government, and Congress will be ap- | pealed to by some people to tear them | all down and rebuild them in accerd- | ance with the style of architecture then in vogue?” Defends Classic Style. Continuing his defense of the style | of architecture employed in the Federal | group, Col. Grant declared his con- | viction that the world will long con- tinue to admire it, “beeause that classic | style has aroused enthusiasm ever since | the Greeks started it. I believe, really and sincerely, without claiming anv | special competence to speak on -that | subject, that you are making a devel- | opment now which will have perma- nent value and that when it is finished | it will be found to be so well done that | ou will never regret it."” Col. Grant had explained that the 75,000 requested is rent for the re- 3 During Hearing on $75.000 Request for Rent of Commerce Department Offices. | Department_activities which are scat- mainder ‘of the year for the building the Department of Commerce now oc- cupies, and that it is not possible to rent other space at as low cost. It had been expected that the central portion of the new Department of Commerce structure would be ready for occupancy on January 1, but it will not be ready for some time, he said. In reply to questions, he further ex- plained that the present Department of Commerce Building may be needed by the Government for temporary oc- cupancy until the new building for the War Department is constructed, “be- cause when the Department of Com- merce can go intd ‘its own building this building offers the least expensive way of taking care of the War Depart- ment activities that are now in the State, War and Navy Building, while that building is being remodeled. ‘Therefore, it will be nece 'y to hold o}x}x :.q this building a little while after that. “The present State, War and Navy Building is t> be remodeled, and will then be occupied by the State De- partment. That was authorized by Congress last year. When the new War Department Building is completed it will include not only the part of the War Department that is_still in the State, War and Navy Building, but will also include the other War tered over the city. 3 “The new War Department Building should be a very sizable one, to take care of not only the activities in the State, War and Navy Building, but those scattered around over the city.” Wood Inquires Into Cost. Chairman Wood of the committee conducting the hearings asked: “ you have any idea how much it would cost the Government to build encugh bufldings to house all of the Govern- men employes? Would it be possible to build buildings fast enough to keep up with the increased Government activities?” Col. Grant replied: “I believe so. T believe that the public buildings pro- gram, as now approved, will take care of the activities of the Government that are now authorized, with & per- centage for growth.” WOMAYS PARTY HONE DEDCATED Watson and Caraway Praise | Women at Alva Belmont House Celebration. Flanked by the same old purple, white and gold banners used in picket- ing the White House 11 years ago, the members cf the National Woman's| ‘Party yesterday dedicated their organ- | ization’s new home—Alva Belmont House, at 144 B street northeast. Acquisition of the new home was made possible through the aid of the party’s president, Mrs. Alva E. Bel- mont, and the sale of the Old Brick Capitol headquarters. Equal Rights Demand Brought Up. The speeches, four in number, brought | forth again the party’s cld demand for the equal rights amendment, on which | hearings will be held Tuesday before | the Senate Judiclary Committee. The speakers were Mrs. Harvey W. Wiley, national chairman of the ‘Woman'’s Party; Senator James E. Wat- son, Indiana; Senator T. H. Caraway of Arkansas and Miss Doris Stevens, | mission of Wcmen. Leonora Speyer, vice president of the Poetry Society of America, read an original poem written especially for the occasion. The entire program was broadcast over the Na. tional Broadcasting Co.’s network. Mrs. Wiley read a greeting from Mrs. Belmont, now in Paris, and presented a $10,000 check from her to be used toward construction of an equal rights auditorium. Watson Praises Women. chairman of the Inter-American Com- | EXERCISES HONOR WILSON'S MEMORY John H. Clark Describes For- mer President as World War “Casualty.” With members of the Supreme Court, the' diplomatic corps and other promi- | nent officials attending, members of the ‘Woodrow Wilson Foundation of Wash- ington yesterday paid tribute to the wartime President and the founding of the League of Nations. ‘The principal address was delivered by John H. Clark, former associate justice of the Supreme Court, who de- scribed Woodrow Wilson as a “casualty” of the World War because of his efforts in behalf of the League of NAtions, which shortened his life. Other Speakers Pay Tribute. Mrs. Wilson, the statesman’s widow, occupled a box at the National Theater, where the impressive services were held, and sat in wrapt attention as tributes were paid to the memory of her hus- | band by other speakers, who included | Dr. James Brown Scott, a delegate to | the Paris peace conference, who pre- | sided at the meeting, and Prederic A. Delano, chairman of the Committee of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation' of Washington. With Mrs. Wilson were Miss Clara L. Bolling, her sister; Mrs. Lewis Pennington and Mrs. Edwin T, | Meredith, widow of the Secretary of | Agriculture in Wilson's second cabinet. Conspicuous among the many dis- tinguished persons who sat in the au- | dience was Chief Justice Charles E. | Hughes of the Supreme Court, who was | | the Republican nominee for 'Presidert |in the 1916 campaign, which resulted in Wilson's re-election. Mr. Delano introduced Rev. Dr. Senator Watson said women had| james H. Taylor, pastor of the Cen- proved a conservative rather than revo- ‘ tral Presbyterian Church at the time lutionary factor in_ politics. Mr. Wilson worshiped there. Dr. Taylor “Those of us who had to do with | pronounced the invocation. the submission and adoption of the| y suffrage amendment have had no rea- | Message From Baker. son to regret the enfranchisement of | Mr. Delano then read a message of women,” he asserted. “Not only have | greeting from the headquarters of the women ' taken advantage of the oppor- | Woodrow Wilson Foundation signed by tunity to exercise the privilege of the | Newton D. Baker, former Secretary of ballct, but they have shown a marked | War in the Wilson cabinet, and then eagerness to inform themselves on the | introduced Dr. Scott, the presiding of- | Washington Hotel. ! | problems of Government.” Senator Caraway said the suffrage crusaders have achieved many of the ends they sought. | “But so long as one discrimination, | one unjust law remains upon the | statute books, they have dedicated | themselves to fight for its removal,” he ! declared Miss Stevens made the personal dedi- | cation to Mrs. Belmont of the party’s| new home. * | The exercises will continue today, closing with a dinner tonight at the YOUNG HUSBAND SEEKS | ANNULMENT FOR “FRAUD” Man, 20, Claimed Previous Divorce at Time of Marriage. Alleging fraud on the part of his wife in connection with their marriage, Guy Raymond Heeter, 20 years of age, 620 E street southwest, today filed a petition for the annuliment of his mar- riage to Ethel B. Heeter, 1440 N street northwest. | Through attorneys Daniel S. Ring | and Harvey L. Cobb the husband in- | forms the court that the couple were | married in_Alexandria, Ve, on Feb- | ruary 2, 1930, and that his' wife hat represented to him that she was a di- vorced woman, being the mother, at time of the marriage to Heeter, of 12-month-old child. The husband in forms the court, however, that in De- cember, last, he discovered that his wife had previously, in fact, neither been married nor divorced. — DIES IN GAS-FILLED ROOM Harris, Colored, Found in Kitchen of Apartment. With the door locked and all the jets in the gas stove turned on, Susie Harris, 37 years old, colored, wa: found dead this morning in the kitchen of her m‘ 1407 W street. The Fire rescue squad and Emer- Susie door to reach her, Alleges Wife !‘nlselyi ficer. “The world has taken Woodrow Wil- son into its heart,” Dr. Scott sald, “and some day the opinion of the world will prevail.” In his address former Justice Clarke declared that Mr. Wilson had ‘“wise, courageous and consuming passion for his fellow man and the peace of the world.” o SO CHARLES R. CRAIG DIES| AFTER LONG ILLNESS| Former General Purchasing Agent of Southern Railway Was 58 and Virginia Native. Charles R. Craig, 58 years old, former general purchasing agent for the South. ern Railway. died at his home, 3009 | Thirty-fourth street, today after a long | iliness. | Mr. Craig retired from his position | with the Southern Railway & year ago, ! due to failing health. He had been with the railroad many years and was its general purchasing agent from 1914 un- Itil his retirement. He was a native of South Richmond, Va. | Funeral services will be conducted at | the residence Wednesday morning at 11 DG, 1R ASSESSHENTS INREASE NOT 10 PYCEED 2000 D. C. Figure Probably Will Be Half of $1,231,000,000 of 1931, Says Richards. DROP IN BUILDING OPERATIONS CITED Northwest Only Section Whose Land Values Were Made Higher. The increase in tax assessments for next year will be considerably smaller, probably less than half,"of this year's increase over last, Willlam P. Richards, tax assessor, announced today as the 1932 assessment was completed. The figures have not been added up, but it is thought at the very outside the real estate assessment will not exceed $1,231,000,000. , For 1930 the total as- sessment was $1,182,000,000, and for 1931 (the currert fiscal year) this was increased to $1,211,000,000, an increase of $29,000,000. “The increase for 1932,” Mr. Rich- ards said, “will‘ probably be half of that figure. Certainly it will not go above $20,000,000. Fewer Buildings Erected. “Owing to the business slump, and the low cost of buliding material, fery few buildings have been put up, and those completed have been at very much lower cost than similar buildings the previous year. Only two large apart- ment houses are now under construc- tion, whereas a year ago there were at least six. “We have made no increases in land values this year in any section of the city except the northwest. In that sec- tion the principal increases have been in the territory west of Rock Creek. “In the downtown section the in- creases, with perhaps half a dozen ex- ceptions, are negligible. “For the first time this year our assessments, entered in 91 field books, carry the assessments of the two previ- ous~ years for comparative purposes. From these books' the property owner and the assessor's office can tell at a glance what the recent increase in assessment, if any, has been. Year to Make Assessment. “This assessment took a year to make and is based on a personal inspection of the property by one of our fleld men. The books are now open to the public and any aggrieved property owner may file an appeal in writing, under oath, which will be considered by the Board of Equalization and Review. All such appeals must be filed by the first Mon- day in June, otherwise they will not be considered. The sooner an appeal is filed the sooner it will be m‘x_?e ‘The present assessment will be, #hen approved. by the Commissioners, the basis of the real estate taxes to be collected 1in September, 1931, and March, 1932, on the tax rate to be set by the Commissioners.” The Board cf Equalization and Re- view, which will hold daily sessions on the appeals beginning today, consists of Mr. Richards, F. D. Allen, L. 8. Johnston, D. A. Edwards, Lloyd F. Gaines, C. A. Russell, John T. Bardroff, F. A. Gunther, A. Willige and Edward B. Fletcher. Sessions of the board will be held from 10 am. to 3 p.m. daily. ‘The tax bocks are open for public in- spection during the same hours. HOWELL GETS DATA ON D. C. GAS MERGER Senator Who Opposes Measure Permitting Combine Discusses De- tails With Company Official. Another conference has been held be- tween an official of the Washington Gas Light Co. and Senator Howell, Repub- lican, of Nebraska over the bill pending in the Senate to permit a merger of the local gas companies, but indications today were that no agreement on the measure resulted. d Senator Howell has been opposing ‘pusage of the %as merger bill since the ast session, his principal contention being that allowance for going concern value should be eliminated from the valuation proceeding. George A. G. Wood, president of the Washington Gas Light Co., conferred with the Nebraska Senator, but the Senator indicated to- day there has been no change in the situation regarding the bill. MANY ARRESTS IN PARKS ARE CHARGED TO LIQUOR One-Fourth of Offenses in Month Listed as Drunks, Is Po- lice Report. About one-fourth of the arrests for offenses committed in the parks of the city were made for drunkenness, accord- ing to the report for last month made today by Capt. P. J. Carroll to Capt. R. C. Montgomery, U. S. A., super tendent of the United States Park Po- lice. This offense, with 29 arrests, was exceeded only by violations of the traf- fic regulations which netted 48 of the 112 arrests. Thirty-five of those arrested were fined $592, while 51 preferred to forefeit $256. Included among the @rrests was one case involving the transportation of liquor. Two offenders were sent to jail for 30 days, one sent to jail for 15 months, one fined $100 and 50 days while five cases were pending when the month closed. One lost child was re- turned to its parents by the park police. |EXPECT CHRI-S-TMAS_ TREE TO SURVIVE HOLIDAYS |o'clock. Interment will be in Mount | Olivet Cemetery. Mr. Craig is survived by his widow, Mrs. May Joyce Craig; two brothers, James G. Craig of Chattanooga, Tenn., and William M. Craig of Virginia, and two sisters, Mrs. B. A. Stovall of Dallas, Tex., and Mrs. Tom G. Clark of Arka- delphia, Ark. OSTERMAYER FUNERAL Puneral! services for George B. Oster- mv:ver, publicity director for Woodward & Yothrop's department store, who died &t his home, 5631 Colorado avenue, sev- were conducted at the u-%mwmmué lt'um years Officials Used Fewer and Lighter Decorative Effects on Com- munity Emblem. ‘While workment ' were taking down decorations from the national community Christmas tree, near the White House in Sherman square, offi- cials of the American Forestry Associ | tion' expressed confidence that the tree will continue to thrive. Officials said | the special lghting srrangements this | year of fewer and lighter electric bulbs will conserve the life of the tree. ‘The death of last season's tree the | who became The Foening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1931 LOBSTERS REPORTED CAUGHT IN BAY A shipment of nine lobsters, weighing from 13 to 17 pounds, was received by a local sea food house today from Pheobus, Va. These lobsters are reported to have been taken from the waters of Chesapeake Bay, off Cape Henry, where the bay enters the ocean. It was said by officials of the Bureau of Fisheries tsday that if the lobsters were caught in the bay they are the first ever taken there. Harry Dunan is holding the largest of the catch, weighing 17 pounds. —Star Staft Photo., LIBRARY ACQUIRES NASHI PIGTOGRAPHS One-Third of World’s Most| Primitive Living Literature Brought Here. BY THOMAS R. HENRY. Approximately _one-third of the world’s most primitive living literature— containing poetry and drama of a high order, but written entirely in picto- graphs from which written language developed—now is at the Library of Congress. ‘This is the literature of the Nashi, a people dwelling in the high mountains between Tibet and China, who through the centuries have clung stubbornly to their ancient institutions in the face of the pressure of their neighbors. It was sscured for the National Library by Dr. Joseph F. Rock, National Geo- graphic Society explorer, who lived for several years among Nashi people, won their confidence and learned to speak and translate their langusge. ‘The library now has 598 volumes of this strange literature, which is of value not only for its own literary merit, but because of the light it may throw on the evolution of written language for the expression of ideas. Dr. Rock now is back in the heart of the Nashi coun- try and proposes to transiate and an- :muu the masterpieces of Nashi litera- ure. Drama Is High Mark. Perhaps the high mark of Nashi lit- erature is reached in the drama, “Ll mbar llu saw,” which has a vague re- semblance to Rcmeo and Jullet. It is the account of a suicide of a Nashi girl and the lamentations of her lover, not because of her death, but because, through failure to get her message, he was not on hand to die with her. Dr. Rock has transcribed the text into writ- ten words and translated about a third into English. The Juliet of the Himalaya snow peaks sees the witch who incites lov- ers to suicide and, unable to resist the spell, decides to hang herself and ‘‘go floating upon the white ciouds and the white wind upon the mountains.” While she reflects upon where and how to kill herself the drama pictures the glorious deaths of butterflies, ants, snakes, birds and larger animals, all of whom return to the mountains to die. “As a crane flies through the clouds, so does the soul rest in the clouds,” the versa reads. “A crane dying in the clouds, his feathers falling are like glit- tering silver and gold.” Finds Body in Mountains. Finding her dead body in the moun- tains, where he had gone to look for & lost sheep, her lover laments that the black crow and the white dzi-bird had failed to give him his messages, re- peated a thousand times, to tell her that they should die together. He tries to cal! her back to life, offering her the breath of the sheep to breathe with, eyes of turquoise to see with, feet of oak and pine to walk with, white and black sugar to eat, and heavy clothes to wear. At this point Dr. Rock’s translation ends. According to the translator, it is believed among the Nashi that young lovers who commit suicide together go directly to the other world without passing through purgatory, never grow- ing old, but remaining forever young and happy. He was told that for this reason young couples often go up into the mountains and kill themselves. He has seen hardcned men break into tears when_listening to the presentation of this drama. The full drama, .as well as the rest of Nashi literature, is committed to mem- ory by the tombas, or priests, and passed on from generation to genera- tion. This particular work is composed in a sort of toned rhythm. But the drama is so long, and the tomba has so much else to remember, that he needs prods for his memory. This, in the absence of alphabet or hieroglyph- ics, is provided by drawing pictures illustrating the action of each stanza. Pictures Assist Memory. The tomba has associated in his mind the spoken verse with the picture. So each picture conveys an idea. Gradu- ally the pictures became more stereo- typed, approaching heiroglyphs from which letters developed. This picto- graph book is not the actual text but a series of ordered notations by which the text can be remembered and re- written, for the purposes of preserva- tion and translation, in a phonetic alphabet. So this pathetic love story of the high pine forests may be a “living fossil” of human culture, marking a stage from which all written language has developed. “The Nashi literature,” says Dr. Wal- ter T. Swingle of the Department of Agriculture, “is recorded in what is probably the only pictograph writing in use today on a fairly large scale by a semi - independent race. The Nashi people has, to a surprising degree, pre- served its customs and religion in spite of age-long contacts with the Tibetans and Chinese and the penetration by European - missionaries. It is possible that profound study of the Nashi books will show that pictographs and ideo- grams were first used as a short-hand text to prompt the memory of the re- citers, then gradually eame to be used to write the full text with increasing phonetic use of the characters for words | Balt difficult to picture.” Most, of the pictograph books are re- us in character and are concerned th driving out demons, but some are semi-historical, dealing with Nashi men sl SR VBB One-twelfth of the tion of Brit- depends on the: tairoads fof livell- FINDS LIQUOR IN HAY Halts Wagon and Driver Flees. Policeman Horse-Drawn Horse-drawn vehicles are such an un- | usual ‘sight in Washington that Police- man E. W. Gore of the fourth precinct halted one loaded with hay yesterday afternoon In South Washington. | He was correct in his suspicions, for | the driver, an unidentified colored man, jumped to the street and ran off when questioned about the contents of the load. Gore then dug out of the straw a cargo of liquor. ASSESSMENT LAW 570 BE WEIGHED | District Groups to Be Heard on Borland Street Paving System Criticisms. Local organizations will have an op- | portunity to make known their views on the question of what should be done with the Borland street paving assess- ment law at a public hearing to be held by the Senate District Committee at 2:30 o'clock tomorrow afternoon in the Capitol. ‘The Borland law, enacted a number of years ago, requires half the cost of street improvements to be assessed the abutting property owners. From the time of its passage the law has met with considerable opposition in all parts of the city. Law Has Been Beaten in Court. From time to time, property owners have taken the law into court and in some cases have been successful in having it set aside. The litigation has brought about a situation under which there would be inequalities and in- Jjustices as between property owners on different kinds of streets, the Commissioners have drafted a bill seeking to amend the original act to retain the principle of assessing abutt- ing property owners, but under a dif- ferent system. It is probable the hearing will de- velop arguments on the question of repeal of the law, as well as on the proposed changes advocated by the Commissioners. The law has ben held unconstitu- tional when applied to property on diagonal avenues, because such :venues create lots that are triangular and of other iregular shapes, with result- ing inequities in assessment. Another Case Pending. There is still pending in the courts another case involving an assessment on a recta Jot. District officials have expressed the view that if type of assessment is finally canceled it would seem that there can be no case in which an assessment could be levied under the present law. If, on the other hand, assessment should be sustained with regard to rectangulan. lots, the result would be that property on a diagonal avenue would be exempt from assessment, whereas other prop- erty around the corner on a street run- ning north and south or east and west would have to pay. The pending bill seeks to regulate the amount of assessment by the extent to whichethe property is benefited under a formula which would take into con- sideration different shaped lots. ‘The bill also provides that any prop- erty owner who feels he has a grievance as the result of an assessment may file a protest with the Commissioners, who would have authority to make adjust- ments if they find merit in the protest. House Group to Review Law. The proposed amendment of the traffic law and a revision of the Borland law will also be considered at a meetin of the Subcommittee on Streets anc Highways of the House District Com- mittee tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock. Chairman Stalker of the subcommit- tee has assured the District officials that he will endeavor to bring both of these measures before the House at the earliest opportunity, and House Leader Tilson has told the District offi- clals that if the House committee acts favorably upon these measures, he will find an early opportunity for their con- sideration by the House. DR. J. W. N. FARROW'’S FUNERAL TOMORROW Paralysis Victim, Native of Mary- land, to Be Interred in Fort Lincoln Cemetery. Funeral services for Dr. J. W. N. Farrow, retired sician, who died at his home, 1020 ode Island avenue northeast, Saturday, will be conducted at the tomorrow at froi imore School of Physicians. Subse- quently, he practiced ms eral sections of Kansas for 42 years. He retired and came to this city about nine years ago. He was a member of the In t Order of Odd Fellows and of America. iy El Jennie 'WRECKERS ON 108 AT GENTER MARKET | Interior First Tackled in | Demolition Task—Historic Slab Unclaimed. * Center Market—for more than a century a virtual metropolitan mecca for the discriminating housewives and food buyers of the District and its environs—today was in the hands of housewreckers. While the actual work of demolishing the building proper is being deferred for a week or so, the Herfurth Co., awarded by the Treasury the contract for tearing down the historic market building, plans to spend this week on the salvaging of as much machinery and equipment within the building as might be of value. More than 200 laborers were turned away this morning by the contractors, wha told them that there would be “nothing doing” until next week. The Post Office Department removed mail boxes from pillars around the structure. Historic Slab Unclaimed. Into the title of the wrecking company, it was revealed today, h-sn‘hllen? :g- cause neither the Department of Agri- culture nor the Treasury Department laid claim to it. a five-foot marble slab, four inches in thickness, inscribed with @ history of the market building. The tablet, of marble typical of the handi- work of years ago, is imbedded in the old red brick structure at its extreme northwest corner, at Pennsylvania ave- nue and Ninth street. Mr. Herfurth is said to be willing to turn the marble slab, which will form a valuable historic record of the 129-year old site of Center Market, over to an interested and representative historic society or organization for preservation. Dealers Buy Equipment. ealers returned to the market- ay to purchase from the sal- vagers showcases and equipment they might use in stands established else- 'lt.e.r: lglthe city. urday the Department of Agricul- ture backed 1ts trucks to the doors of the building and moved away all Govern- ment files in the building, and also an amount of office furniture and equip- ment. At 4 p.m. the building was of- ficially turned over to the housewreckers, REMODELING PLAN TO BE DISCUSSE A few Pplace tnis | State, War, Navy Structure as Future State Building Arts Commission Subject. Members of the Fine Arts Commission will confer with Secretary Mellon to- morrow on the remodeling of the present | State, War and Navy Building, at Sev- ;?er.;:)}: street ll:g Pennsylvania ave- ' use as the future Stat - pq_;!’.lment Builaing. o e commission will inspect a model, prepared for the south s!dl:of the pro- d State Department Building, as redesigned by the architect, Waddie :Vmouodr ;X;lmdn:‘novflt!cd structure is to be le: 0 the - DflHrtlr\.ent B!ludinnk. SR arvey Wiley Corbett, New Yorl architect, will confer with the l:ml’n'r:)lsE sion with reference to the proposed Masonic Memorial, to be placed on the Dean tract at Connecticut and Florida ]s.vz:lfiéve}a:;: Ca{bern will present his iment of the imgzslrélz structure, Ao s lestions relating to the cf of Meridian Hill Park, at ()Sl&p'/leeetr“t:fi street and Florida avenue, will come before the commission tomorrow for de- termination. Lieut. Col. U. 8. Grant, 3d, executive officer of the Arlington Memorial Bridge Commission, will meet the commission and discuss the pro- posed groups of statuary to be placed at the entrance to the Rock Creek and Potomac parkway approach and at the tg‘rggufl of the - Arlington Memorial The commission will take up the pro- gram of constructing markers at the entrances to the District of Columbia, sponsored by the National Capital Committee of Garden Club of Amer- ica and brought to the attention of the commission by Mrs. Frank B. Noyes, its chairman. H. C. Caemmerer, executive officer of the Fine Arts Commission, said today the plan for imposing mark- ers in the form of columns surmounted PAGE B—1. UNIDENTIFIED MAN KILLED BY SPANISH SECRETARY'S AUTO Victim, About 65 Years Old, Was Struck at Dupont Cir- cle Early Today. WALKED INTO MACHINE ACEBO TELLS OFFICIALS Eight Other Persons Slightly In- jured in Accidents Over Week End. The identity of a well dressed man who was killed early today by the auto- mobile of Don Jose Ricardo Gomes Ac:bo, first secretary of the Spanish embassy, at Dupont Circle remains un- known hours after the accident. The man died at Emergency Hospital. He was about 65 years old. According to police records, Accho stopped his automobile following the accident and assisted the injured man into a taxicab. He then drove to the Spanish embassy and returned to the third police precinet station with Count d: Montefuerte, counselor of the embassy, who acted as his interpreter. Failed to See Man. At the preeinct, through his interp- reter, Acebo told police that he did not see the man until after his automobile ran him down. He said that he was driving at a moderate speed around Dupont Circle when the accident oc- curred and believed that the man must have walked into the side of his auto- mobile. Cards in the man's pocket bore the names of J. W. Farrell and James M. Johnson, the former card bearing the inscription “Chevy Chase, Md.” Hospital internes told police that just befor: the man died they heard him whisper a name which sounded like “Farrell.” Acebo was questioned for a short time by police at the station and then allowed to return home. A coroner’s inquest has been post-, poned until police have a chance to establish identification. Dr. A. Ma- gruder McDonald, acting District coro- ner, will summon Acebo as a witness at the inquest. Assistant Traffic Director M. O. Eldridge today said the brakes on Ace- bo’s automobile were found to be in good condition. Eight Persons Injured. Eight other persons were injured . slightly in traffic accidents over the week end, police reported. 4 They were: Mrs. Catherine Bradley, 76 years old of 1722 N street; Richard Payne, 20 years old of McLean, Va.;~ Lawrence Hodkinson of the: 800 bleck of E street; Woodrow Smith, 17 yearse old, of 1693 Gales street northeast Auburn Staples, 19 years old, of 773 Twentieth street northeasi, and John . Minnis, 20 years old, of 2005 Benning" road northeast; Willlam Jackson, col- ored, and his wife, Agnes Jackson. WOMAN EXONERATED - IN FATAL ACCIDENT" Judge Sets Aside Coroner’s Find- ings Against Mrs. Harris in Laurel Collision. Mrs. Mabel V. Harris of Pittsburgh, Pa., charged with manslaughter as the result of an automobile accident near Laurel, Md., on December 1, when three persons were killed, today was exoner= ated of the charge when Judge H. M. Scott set aside the findings of the’ coroner’s verdict and nolle prossed the warrant charging the Pittsburgh woman - with manslaughter. ‘Through Attorneys Daniel S. Ring and Harvey L. Cobb, the accused wom- an had filed a motion to vacate”the coroner’s jury's findings as being con-* trary to the law and evidence. According to the testimony at the: inquest, the accident happened 3 miles south of Laurel, on a straight stretch of road, an automobile being driven by. Mrs. Harris colliding with one being driven by John M. Braun of Baltimore. Braun and his flancee, Miss Eleanor Follmer, also of Baltimore, were killed instantly. Mrs. Gladys Harris, sister in-law of the accused woman, was un- - conscious for a period of 10 days at Casualty Hospital, dying on December - 1. WARDMAN RECEIVER HEARING REOPENED- {Final Arguments Expected Wed- nesday After Four Defense Witnesses Are Heard. ‘The case of the defense in the suit of minority stockholders of the Ward- man Mortgage & Discount Corporation for the appointment of a receiver, being - heard before Judge William P. Woolls in Corporation Court at Alexandria, was opened this morning, with Harold S. Roberts of this city on the stand. Roberts, who was formerly a member of the firm of Stoy & Roberts, who audited the books of the defendant corporation periodically, is expected b; Judge Daniey Thew Wright, chief de- fense attorney, to give testimony which will offset that given by John Berg, certified public accountant employed by the plaintiffs, who occupled the stand for three days. The case, reopened today following & contipuation taken more than two weeks ago, is now in its tenth day. Testimony of the defense, which by eagles will be given particular af l:ntlun‘by‘hthe commission tomorrow, in view of e approaching Washington :L.:nn;:nm.g :;lebnlltin in 1932. The TS Of le markers proposed to have them in place before the bicenten- nial celebrations begin next year. L G et el skl 32,000 LICENSES SOLD 1931 Auto Tags Must Be in Place by January 17. Up to the close of business Saturday tags had been according \bs, k. of to Wade The line ot posnast had thinfie include about three witnesses in addi- tion to Roberts, and final arguments, ge di:mud to be completed some time ‘e . i ONE-ACT PLAY LISTED Pierce Hall Players in Tryouts for Early Presentation. Hal one-act play to be entered in the Commu- edicine in sev- | night, 32.000 1931 automobile license | nity Drama Guild annual :g:e held in the near Xutllll'e. ‘Tryouts by