Evening Star Newspaper, February 25, 1931, Page 1

WEATHER. (U, 8. Weather Bure Forecast.) Partly cloudy tonight; minimum tem- rature about 27 degrees; not much change in temperature. alr; tomorrow Temperatures—Highest, 50, at 4:30 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 29, at 5 a.m. today. Full report on page 9. Closing N.Y. Markets, Pages13,14 & 15 he Zy eni ‘WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION o Star. The Star’s cari tion i3 delivered to “From Press to Home Within the Hour” jer system covers every city block and the regular edi- ‘Washington homes as fast as the papers are printed. Yesterday’s Circulation, 118,971 Mo. 31,711, Elreeder e Entered as second class matter shington, D. WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNE EBRUARY, 25, 1931—THIRTY-SIX PAGES. #¥%% (#) Means Associated TWO CENTS. Press. SUSPECT ACCUSED OF SHOWING SLAIN WOMAN TO FRIENDS Body of Mrs. Phoebe Stader Reported Taken From New Jersey by Auto. SAY CORPSE INTRODUCED BY MAN AS ‘GIRL FRIEND’% Murder Victim Disappeared From | Rahway on February 17—Hus- | band Makes Identification. | | identification of the of the woman found | Sunday as that of Mrs. Phoebe Stader of R: way, N. J., a ghastly story was unfolding today of & murderer who propped his vietim beside him in an automobile, had 2 friend shake hands with the corpse, and later drove with the body, und:- tected, through several States to Vir- ginta, As the almost unbelievable circum- | stances of the mystery were being pleced together in Virginia and New Jerscy, police of Raleigh, N. C., ennounced the | arrest of William M. Frazer, who drove | away from Rahway February 18 with an object in his car which he de- clared was the dead body of Mrs. | Stader. ; Louis Stad®r, husband of the slain | woman, viewed the body in the morgue | at Bowling Green, Va. this morning | and stated there was no doubt but that it was the body of his wife. The identi- fication came after authorities had , found that residents of Tappahannock, Va., were mistaken in their identifica- tion of the woman as Mrs. Vance Smith, | alias Mary Cleo Freeman. Arrested at Mail Window, According to Associated Press dis- patches, Frazer was arrested when he | called at the general delivery window | in Raleigh for a letter addressed to H. G. Devlin. Detectives reported he ad- mitted his identity, but denied the killing. ~ Prosecutor Abe J. David of Rahway said he would go to Raleigh tonight to question Frazer. Affable and well liked about town, and a man of some prominence in civic affairs, Frazer, who operated a restau- rant in Pennsylvania Station, Manhat- tan, quit work two years ago after in- | heriting $25.000, according to” the As- sociated Press. Mrs. Stader, a former hair dresser, recently felt the pinch of hard times so severely that she had to give up her comfortable apartment and move to a cheap boarding house. Her husband Jost his job, was out of work and out of money. Believed Story Hoax. The tale of the killing, as it first came to police, had Frazer riding around | town in the early morning and calling {riends out of bed, to shake hands with his girl friend in the front seat of his car. s “I reached into the car,” Ira Jensen | and found myself shaking corpse in the seat beside | ‘With positive mutilated body near Doswell, Va the driver.” Police thought it a hoax. But never- theless they sent out a general alarm. | Jensen had told police that Frazer put the woman's body in the back seat of the car and made Jensen ride with him 10 the village of Colonia, where he an- nounced he was about to commit sui- cide. There he put Jensen out of the car, told him to return when he heard | the sound of a pistol shot and drove on for a little ways, Jensen said. Instead of a pistol shot Jensen heard | the horn of the automobile. He went | back, he told police, and learned that | Frazer had lost his nerve. Left Note for Money. Prazer, Jensen declared later, forced his wife to get out of bed and hear the | .story of the killing “I've killed a woman and I don't know what to do,” Jensen quoted him. | Several hours later, according to the | information given police by Jensen, | Frazer disappeared, leaving a note ask- | ing to get money from Mrs. Frazer and | take it to Ralelgh. He complied with | the request, detectives said. delivering $280 in Raleigh Sunday night. He re- ported asking Frazer what he had done | with the body and receiving his reply. | “Never mind about the body; you know t00 much already.” | Rahway police, when they first heard | Jensen's story, declared he was clumsily attempting to cover up the elopement of Prazer and Mrs. Stader. When they asked Mrs. Prazer about her husband’s supposed confession to her that he had killed a woman. she said she didn't believe him, as he was “always telling stories.” An Associated Press dispatch Raleigh said that J. W. Br, ef of police, told Frazer this afternoon that the Bowling Green body had been | identified as Mrs. Stader's “He turned pale, but wouldn't say anything,” Bryant sald. Frazer told police that since his ar- rival in Raleigh he had been living at 2 boarding house. He was alone when arrested and had not had a companion at the boarding house, police said from c said he nied he had killed Mrs. Stader or one else. his pocket was found a clipping of ontinued on Page 2, Column 1.) DISCOVERY OF MISSING BOOKS LAUNCHES SEARCH FOR TEACHER! Volumes on Law Found in Apartment Cellar After Dis- appearance From Library of Congress. Poilce today sought to locate a former ‘Washington school teacher for question- ing in the theft of numerous books from the Library of Congress. Some of the volumes were recovered yester- day. Packed in dust-covered trunks and boxes, the tomes, all law books, were found in the basement of a Fourteenth street apartment house. The man about whom the investigation centered for- merly lived in the bullding. He re- igned from the library staff about a year and & half ago. Library officlals declined to estimate the value of the volume recovered until they had an opportunity to complete a check-up. They also refused to divulge how the books could have been removed (TS NAVAL TONNAGE: | would support John J. Raskob, chair- | man of the National Committee, in & | | attend | declaring for flat repeal of the eight- | from the library without the man re- sponsible attracting attention. | Body Identified MRS. PHOEBE STADER. FOANCE T0 REDUCE Cut of 40,000 Tons From| Figure Tlaimed at Parley Now Indicated. BY CAMILLE LEMERCIER. By Cable to The Star. H PARIS, France, February 25.—If Italy enters into the agreement which was tentatively reached here vesterday between Great Britain and Prance, the following terms, which now are being kept secret, will be disclosed within a | few days. 1. France accepts a reduction in the total tonnage of its naval forces of 40,000 tons from the figure the Prench claimed during the London Conference. The French navy will consequently have 650,000 tons at the end of 1935. Cut in Superiority. 2. France, which asked in London a margin of 244,000 tons over the Italian forces, accepts a reduction from this margin to 157,000 tons, but it is under- stood that the reduced French supe- riority will include only new, up-to-date ships. In order to secure for France such a superiority over Italy’s forces, Italy will have to reduce its construc~ tion until 1936 to nearly nil. 3. Prance agrees to reduce its subma- min: forces to about 70,000 tons, thus | securing in the submarine category 8 | superiority of about 18,000 tons over | Great Britain, the United States, Japan | and Italy. Shift to Light Cruisers. 1t is understood that part of the re- | duced submarine tonnage will be shifted by France to the light cruiser category. 4. Prance agrees to content itself with its already built or building seven Washington treaty 10,000-ton cruisers. | Italy should thén accept the same figure. This means that France and Italy will lay down no more Washington treaty cruisers until 1936. 5. France will be allowed to lay down its planned 23,000-ton capital ship, but, in order to meet the British demands, the French admiralty has agreed to re- duce the fighting power of this unit slightly, particularly as concerns the caliber of the main armament, (Copyright, 1931.) SMITH, DAVIS AND COX REPORTED FORRASKOB Will Attend National Committee Meeting in Interest of Wet Cam- paign, Says New York Times. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, February 25.—The New York Times today sald the last threc Democratic candidates for President move to commit the party to a wet pro- | Bram. Alfred E. Smith, John W. Davis and | James M. Cox, the Times said, would the National Committee meet- ing March 5 to champion a resolution eenth amendment or_for return of the | liquor traffic to the States. | All three, the Times pointed out, have ! expressed dissatisfaction with the pres- ent prohibition laws and have urged repeal or modification in some form. In the event that the committee adopts such a resolution it will have to be! adopted by the ensuing convention be- | fore it is inserted in the party plat- form It was explained that the disappear- ance of certain law books from the priceless collection of the library had been known for some time. Officials had communicated with second-hand book dealers in an effort to trace them. ‘The discovery of the loot resulted from & report by a second-hand dealer who gave suthorities the name of a man P | given warning of the open draw fully a DAVIS DECLARS HE NVER LOBBED INSUEARINTERES Tells Senate Committee Charge Is “Contemptible Lie” if Meant for Him. ASKS INQUIRY BEFORE CONGRESS ADJOURNS Admits He Holds Celotex Stock and Knows President of Concern. BY G. GOULD LINCOLN, Senator James J. Davis of Pennsyl- 2 made a blanket denial today be- fore the Senate Lobby Committee that he had ever lobbled for or against a sugar tariff, or that he had ever re- celved “any money or anything of | value for any such alleged services.” The Pennsylvania Senator appeared | before the committee at his own request in connection with a newspaper report read into the Congressional Record yes- terday which sald that evidence pur-| porting to show that & member of the Senate had received between $100,000 and $150,000 from the head of a com- pany interested in sugar during the consideration by Congress of the Smoot- Hawley tariff act had been placed be- fore the lobby committee. “If the charges which were read into the Congressional Record yesterday from a metropolitan newspaper refer to me,” Senator Davis said, “I most em- phatically state that I never lobbled for or against any sugar tarifl measure; that I have never spoken to anybody in Congress or any one in Government service about putting a duty on sugar, and I never received any money or anything of value for any such alieged service. t Is Contemptible Lie.” “It is a contemptible lie, and I am glad that it is out in the open so that the matter can be thoroughly investigated and the falsehood killed once for all. “The charge is a serious onc. The Senate and the public are entitled to promptly know all the facts; to con- demn if true; to absolve if untrue. “Congress will soon adjourn. I earnestly urge you in behalf of the cit- izens of the State of Pennsylvania, eur Nation, my family and myself to fully inquire into the accusations and make your conclusions public before theé ad- journment of this Congress.” Senator Davis continued: “If that is possible. I am here today. I am ready to come at the call of the committee at any time. I waive any immunity that I may have as a Senator.” Senator Davis made his statement, a prepared statement, to the committee, pounding the table with his d to give emphasis to his emphatic denial of the charges contained in the news- paper article. Senator Caraway of Arkansas, chair- man of the Lobby Committee, had an- nounced that he and his fellow mem- bers of the committee had held a pre- liminary meeting and had some detalls to go into before beginning a hearing. Senator Davis requested that he be per- mitted to make a statement at this time, and the chairman immediately assented. Holds Celotex Stock. When Secnaton Davis concluded his statement, Senator Caraway called his attention to a memorandum which had been turned over to him by Chairman Nye of the Senate Campaign Investigat- ing Committee, purporting to deal with the charges contained in the newspaper article. The Arkansas Senator asked Sena- tor Davis if he knew D. B. Dahlberg, president of the Celotex Co, “inti- mately.” “I know him in a business way,” Te- plied Senator Davis. Senator Davis sald he was a_stock- holder in the Celotex Co.; that he had acquired stock in that company through the request of a “friend who came from the same community in the land of my birth (Wales).” He said he ac- quired the stock in 1925 or 1926. “What is the business of that com- pany?” asked Senator Caraway. “It makes a kind of board that is used in the interior of bulldings, a by- ~(Continucd on Page 2, Column 6.) THREE DIE AS TRAIN PLUNGES INTO RIVER Engine and Car Narrowly Miss Tug After Dive Through Open Draw. By the Associated Press MOBILE, Ala, February 25—The locomotive and combination baggage and club car of the northbound Pan- American train plunged 40 feet through the open draw of the Mobile River Bridge, 18 miles north of here, at 12:50 am. today, carrying three trainmen to death and narrowly missing a passing tugboat. No passengers were reported injured or killed, but the Louisville & Nashville Railway officials said a careful check would be necessary to determine defi- nitely whether there had been any pas- sengers lounging in the club car. The train was No. 98, bound for Cincinnati from Mobile. H. P. Hearon, assistant superintendent of the Mobile-New Orleans division of the railway, said he was at a loss to account for the accident, as an auto- ! matic block signal system should have mile away. ‘The trainmen killed were Arthur N. Ingram, engineer; a colored fireman and J. N. Vaughn, baggagemaster, all of Montgomery. The Pullman following the combina- tion car was partially hanging over the water in 8 precarious position. Mr. Hearon said that the train must have been traveling slowly or all of who had sold him books originally the property of the library. % 'yull had not been removed from the recovered volumes. There appar- ently had been no effort to remove the library identification marks, The books remained in it condition in every detail. ‘They were expected to be restored to the library shelves soon. Michael Dowd, a headquarters detec- tive assigned to the case, said an arrest was imminent, the cars would have probably gone over There were sald to have been seven cars in the train. ‘Two relief trains, one carrying a diver, were dispatched to the scene, which Is in a remote section. The position of the Pullman car hanging over the aperture of the bridge would make the clearing of the tracks a slow process, officials sald, and schedules might be disrupted for some times 1t drew from these respective fields. ‘ARING TH ECKON WEVE DONE_ ) PRETTY weL 'ONSIDERING E - END 'OF . "PHE ST NEW YORK WORLD SAE S SOUGAT Pulitzer Brothers Petitioni Court to Save Newspapers | From Collapse. By the Assoclated Press. NEW YORK, February 25.—The ef- fort of an immigrant genius to build| & newspaper that would stand forever 2s a monument to his ideals seemed today to have failed. The three New York Worlds—morn- ing, evening and Sunday—were for sale. | The heirs of Joseph Pulitzer, famed | publisher, were in Surrogate's Court | awalting decision as to whether they might sell those properties to save them | from collapse. | Surrogate Foley had to decide wheth- | er the Pulitzer sons—Herbert, Joseph, jr., and Ralph—might sell the names, | good will and press association mem- berships to the Scripp-Howard news- paper interest for & sum estimated at This price, the court was told by Roy w. ‘ma. chairman of the board of Scripps-Howard and president of the New York.Evening Telegram, is the highest ever offered for a newspapersin this country, considering that only good will and title are involved. | Papers Losing $811,000 Annually. . | Frederick J. Fuller, vice president of the Central Hanover Bank & Trust | Co., which is co-trustee with the three | Pulitzers of the residuary trust, placed a valuation of not exceeding $2,000,000 | on the pape: | The papers, it was testified at the | opening of the surrogate’s hearing last night, have been losing $811,000 an- | nually for the last five years. The re- | maining surplus, according tp Herbert | Pulitzer, president of the Press Pub- lishing Co, is only $500,000. He ex-| pressed the opinion that unless the | properties could be sold the papers | could not publish more than 90 days longer. He gave three reasons for their con- dition—a crowded fleld, the publication of three papers by one company, “which naturally limited the advertising rev- enue,” and the position of the World among newspapers. By this he meant that the World was neither ultra con- servative nor sensational, but accupied a “middle ground” in appealing to the middle bulk of the population. He add ed that the rapid growth of the Ultar. Conservative d the so-called tabloid newspapers had tended to take away much of the circulation and advertising | Block Offers $500,000 More. | Max D. Steuer, counsel for Paul D. Block, publisher of a group of news- papers, appeared at the hearing and said his client was willing to offer $500.~ 000 more than the price under consid- eration. A conference of counsel following the night hearing resulted in decision to give Steuer until 11 a.m. today to make a concrete offer. The World was acquired by Joseph Pulitzer May 10, 1883, with the follow- ing purposes: “An_institution that should alwa “(Continued on Page 3, Column 2.) $530,000 Pier Burns. PROVIDENCE, R. I, February 25 (%) —The State pler, built'in 1914 at a cost of $530,000, was destroyed by a fire of undetermined origin early today. The structure held much cargo unioaded yesterday from the Fabre liner Patria. Officials estimated the ‘loss at over half a million dollars. A night watchman | was unaccounted for. Three Missing in Fire. LOS ANGELES, February 25 (P).— Three men were reported missing in a | spectacular fire which swept three floors of the J. J. Newberry Building in the business section this morning. BELLEAU WOOD Pershing Tells of Drive by Second Division Tomorrow m The Euening Star Gen. Pershing’s story will be found today on page 4. Shot Proves Fatal To Man Objecting To Vallee Program By the Associated Press. KANSAS CITY, February 25— William Welch, & plumber shot last Thursday, police said, in an argument with his wife over the merits_of a radio program by Rudy Vallee, died last night. Police sald Mrs. Welch told them her husband was killed in a struggle for possession of a re- volver she had borrowed from a neighbor after he criticized her for listening to the crooning tenor. Welch, she asserted, had just returned after an unexplained absence, demanding: “Why don't you get a good program for a woman to listen to?” The widow is held. ALCAPONE VAL INFEDERAL COURT Gang Czar Eludes Throngs as He Appears to Answer Contempt Charge. By the Associated Press. CHICAGO, February 25.—Alphonse Tapone, czar of Chicago gangs, slipped into the Federal Buflding & half hour before his scheduled arraignment on a contempt of court citation today and eluded the besleging throng of people who clogged the sidewalks about every | entrance. Capone, accompanied by his attorney, william F. Waugh, went directly to the court room @f United States District Judge James H. Wilkerson and evaded the battery of cameramen and reporters who wire watching for him. Cites Lyle Defeat. It was his first appearance in a Chi- cago court for a year, and he was in jovial mood. He laughed at the widely published reports that he had returned from Florida to marshal his forces in the primary and aldermanic elections yesterday. “Judge Lyle made an issue of me, and the people answered him,” he sald. It was Judge John H. Lyle who issued a wholesale lot of vagrancy warrants for Capone, his friends and enemies fter they were listed by the Chicago rime Commission as “public enemies.” Capone, awaiting the opening of Fed- eral Court, sald he was ready to answer the charge in Criminal Court. May Face Other Charges. He came back Friday, he said, to meet the contempt citation and any other charge held against him. He will sur- render to the county or city officers when his Federal Court appearance is ended. Asked about the assertion of a Ru- manian named Capo gang chief's father, " said his father died nine years ago in Brook- Iyn. Only newspaper men and those di- rectly involved in the trial were admit- ted to the court room. Police guarded the approach to the court and a squad of police afoot and mounted patrolled outside to restrain a crowd of several hundred at the street entrances to the building, BOY, 16, HANGS SELF IN ROOM AT SCHOOL Mercersburg Academy Student Commits Suicide With Sheet. Cause of Act Unknown. Special Dispatch to The Star. * HAGERSTOWN, Md., February 25— Roy Detwiler, 16, first-year student at Mercersburg Academy, committed sui- cide last night by hanging himself with a sheet in his room, according to college officials, who said they knew of no cause for his act. The youth is the son of Frank Det- wiler, Pittsburgh, and the _younger brother of John and Willlam Detwiler, students at the school. Coroner Samuel Schull, Chambersburg, gave a verdict of suicide. Besjdes his parents and brothers the youth is also survived by two younger sisters, ANTI-DRY BI.LLS TABLED I;AMFRXBFURG. Pa., February 25 (). Order today voted to lay on the table all bills before it repealing the State prohibition enforcemient act. This ac- tion was considered as equivalent to killing these measures. Radio Pro'nm. on Page A-12 House Commiitee on Law and | H 1 OF 3 BLAINE BILLS WEPIRTED T HOLSE | |Real Estate License Law Selected by Committee. Others ““Studied.” | The House District Committee to- day ordered a favorable report on the | Senate bill fathered by Senator Blaine lof Wisconsin to define, regulate and license real estate brokers and real estate salesmen, creating a rTeal estate | commission in the District and de- | signed to protect the public against | fraud in real estate transactions. | The committee decided that the two other bills sponsored by Senator Blaine | to regulate foreclosure of mortgages |and the sale of securities should be more carefully studied and action was deferred on them until a special meet~ ing of the committes tomorrow | morning. “Grave Abuses” Condemned. Representative Hull, Republican, of Wiseonsin vigorously eondemned “grave abuses” in connection with real estate promotion and the sale of trusts and securities. He mentioned particularly the Wardman Co., the F. H. Smith Co. |and the Swartzell, Rheem & Hensey | Co. He declared that the public is being wheedled out of funds and that the people of the country are looking to Congress to protect investors in prop- erties in the National Capital. He de- | clared that it is imperative to get Lbis legislation passed at the present ses- sion, and when protests were heard from other members that this measure is mot perfect, Mr. Hull declared, “No | matter whether it is perfect or not, it | gives a measure of protection.” Oscar H. Brinkman, who was special | counsel for the Senate Committee in drafting this program of legislation in regard to real estate, securities and mortgages, explained that it represenis seven or eight years of careful study by conservative organizations, and was | slightly modified to meet local conditions. | Most of its provisions, he said, are in- | cluded in the laws in five States, and in a number of other States simila provisions have been adopted. Speak. | ing particularly of the bill safeguard: |ing foreclosure of mortgages, Mr. | Brinkman emphasized that it has pass- iedume Senate without a dissenting vote. Addison Opposes Plan. ‘There is nothing radical in this Blaine program, he said, but that it is largely the standard law in many States. Mr. Brinkman explained that the foreclosure of mortgages has been a very profitable business here and that those engaged in it do not care to have any regulation whatever, and that the same is true with regard to the sale of securities. His investigation showed that the people here have been de- | frauded out of millions of dollars. Francis Addison, jr., representing the District of Columbia Association of Bankers, the Washington Real Estate Board, the Women's Bar Association, the Barr Association of the District, citizens' associations, the Washington Board of Trade and its Real Estate Committee, vigorously opposed the pending legislation. He explained that the recent failures and exposes of cer- tain real estate and security sales houses would not have been prevented by the pending legislation. 3 Urges Careful Consideration. Representative Hull, Republican, of ‘Wisconsin, asked him if any of the or- ganizations he represents had done anything to stop these frauds. Mr. Addison claimed that this legis- lation would prevent more than half of the banks from acting as trustees and that the duties imposed in the bill are such that no trust company or national bank would assume the obligations. Representative Patman, Democrat of Texas, declared it was extremely im- portant to properly protect the investing public, and that the entire program of Blaine bills toward this end should have vey careful consideration. He desires to have the real estate licensing law, which has already been reported, re- called for consideration, with the two| other bills at a special meeting called for tomorrow morning. BONUS ACTION NEAR President Expected to Send Mes- sage to Congress Tomorrow. FREE LUNCH BILL FOR HUNGRY PUPILS GVEN APPROVAL Pleas by Mrs. Norton and Hull Win District Com- mittee Support. NEW JERSEY MEMBER PRAISES DR. BALLOU | Declares That Undernourished Children Should Get Benefit Where Doubt Exists. After pleas in behalf of undernour- | ished school children in the District schools by Representatives Norton, Democrat, of New Jersey, and Hull Republican, of Wisconsin, the House District Committee today, by a 6-to-5 vote, ordered a favorable report on the McLeod bill authorizing an appropria- tion of $30,000 to provide free lunches under Health Department supervision. Those who voted in favor of the bill were Representatives Zihlman, Mary- land; McLeod, Michigan; Sullivan, Pennsylvania; Hull, Wisconson; Nor- ton, New Jersey, and Patman, Texas. ‘Those who voted against favorably re- porting the bill were Hall, Indiana; Palmer, Missouri; Whitley, New York; Loofbourow, Utdh, and Carver, Georgia. Quotes Star’s Report. Mrs. Norton quoted from The Star's report cn the survey, made by Dr. Frank ‘W. Ballou, superintendent of schools, which disclosed that 1,250 students are being fed while 1,532 went without food. She said that she considered Dr. Ballou a higher authority than any one else in the District regarding the schools. Mrs. Norton also expressed surprse that Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter, formtsr presi- dent of the Parent-Teacher <ongress, had switched her positice after she saild Mrs. Rafter had interested her in an effort to relieve conditions regard- ing undernourished children in the schools. Mrs. Norton indulged in a sharp ex- change with Representatives Loofbourow and Palmer regarding the testimony given by representatives of prominent associations, and declared emphatically that where there was 4ny doubt what- ever, she preferred to give the hungry child the benefit of thé doubt. She also questioned how the @onditions which Dr. Ballou in his report stated as ex- isting could exist if the welfare or- ganizations cared for the children as they testified they could do. Representative Hull pleaded for the children, and said that 1,500 of them are without & noonday meal. He chal- lenged the citizens representative who appeared yes! y measure on why they h: ppeared to se “graft games,” which he de- clared exist to such an extent that Speaker Longworth tecently denounced on the floor certain ap) of real estate sought by the Government. Mr. Hull declared that the Census Bureau shows 8,900 heads of families unemployed, and said that under such conditions children must be hungrv. He emphasized that if Congress passes the McLeod bill it will be serving notice on the charity organizations that unless they take care of such a situation the Federal government stands ready to feed hungry school children. Resolution Is Offered. Following the favorable report on the bill, Representative McLeod offered & resolution to meet objections raised by certain members, which the committee adopted. as follows: “Resolved by the Committee on the District of Columbia, that the Board of Commissioners of the District be and hereby are requested to direct and su- pervise study of the conditions of health and welfare of children in the District of Columbia, with a view to re- porting to this committee at the next regular session of Congress a compre- hensive plan to improve general condi- tions of health and physical develop- ment of children, to foster the use of the best known methods of mental hygiene for children, and to increase and _extend the opportunities with " (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) WIDOW TAKES OWN LIFE / WITH ILLUMINATING GAS Griet Over Death of Husband Is Be- lieved to Have Caused Suicide of Mrs. G. E. Russell. Grief over the death of her husband it is sald, caused Mrs. Grace Evelyn Russell, 45 years old, to end her life by inhaling illuminating gas in the kitchen of her home, at 534 Ingraham street, early today. With five burners on the gas range turned on, Mrs. Russell was found lying on the floor by her brother, Frank Wilt- berger, when he returnec home after a brief absence. Wiltberger summoned the fire rescue squad, but the firemen were unable to revive Mrs. Russell. After viewing the body and questioning Wiltberger, Coro- ner J. Ramsay Nevitt issued a certifi- cate of suicide. “Mrs. Russell, who was -childless, was a Government employe, working as a clerk in the Pension Bureau. Her hus- band died last June and“her grief had been so great, according to Wiltberger, that her health had become impaired. Another brother, Merrill Wiltberger, who was vacationing in Florida, was notified of his sister's death and left immediately for Washington. Arrange- ments for the funeral have not been GASCONPANYHRES OFFICIAL WHD HT TS HGH PRESSURES Bert H. Peck to Quit District Utilities Commission to Be Aid to Corporation Head. PROBE OF D. C. SERVICE WILL BE CONTINUED Gen. Patrick Indicates There Will Be No Let-up in Vigorous Inves- tigation of Local Situation, Bert ¥. Peck, chief valuation en- gineer of the Public Utilities Commis- sion, whose recent report revealed the existence of abnormal gas pressures in the District, today submitted his res- ignation to become an assistant to George A. G. Wood, president of the ‘Washington Gas Light Co. Mr. Peck’s resignation will become effective February 28. The gas company announced that his appointment would take effect the following day. The gas company also announced that Mr, Peck would be placed in charge of depart- mental managément, research -and budgetary control, Gets Salary Increase. Mr. Peck, it is understood, will re- ceive a salary of $7,500 a year at the Bas company. His present salary as :?i:rfo engineer of the commission is Coincident with the receipt of Mr. Peck’s resignation, Maj. thApltdlmn M. Patrick, chairman of the Utilities Com- mission, issued a statement declaring that the loss of the commission’s chief engineer would not interrupt the pres- ent investigation of gas service and that it would be continued vigorously. Mr. Peck submitted his resignation simultaneously with an announcement by the gas company of his appointment. The gas company also announced at the same time that on March 1, An- thony Hyde, son of Dorsey W. Hyde, jr’, secretary of the Washington Chamber of Commerce, would become an assist- ant to Mr. Wood in charge of advertis- ing. Mr. Hyde has been connected with gas company for more than six months, In_announcing the appointment ey ng \ppol of velopment of d wherever that public “with a 'w of giving to our :lmmen & high-grade, efficient serv- Gen. Patrick’'s Statement, The statement issued Gen. rick follows: i bl “The gas companies have employed Mr. Bert H. Peck, who since August, 1930, has been in charge of the A U Commission. Mr. was formerly with the Public Utilities Commission of Illinois, and later in private practice of his fession. He has an excellent knowledge of the engineering and economic problems encountered in the production and distribution of gas, and while this commission is sorry to lose him, it feels satisfled that in his new field his work will be of benefit to the companies’ gas consumers and that he will be ‘of value to the companies in conn"ectwn 'li';lh lt:e!.h improvements they must make their equij nt and their service. , e “Mr. Peck’s resignation will not inter- rupt_the investigation of gas service (Continued on Page 2, Column 2.) $180,000,000 TALKIE PATENT SUIT FILED* RIS, A i Inventor and Wife Charge In- fringement of Synchrony Rights Against 11 Concerns. By the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, February 25.—Or- lando E. Kellum &Ifl Mary G. Kellum, his wife, sought $180,000,000 damages for alleged infringements on talkie pat- ents in a suit on fil¢ here companies, claiming the firms had col- lected approximately $60,000,000 through the use of the invention. In addition to that sum they asked $120,000,000 s exemplary damages. Kellum asserted he invented in Feb- ruary, 1918, the process now being used by most of the producers in synchroniz- ing sound and screen in making talking pictures, and obtained a patent in Feb- ruary, 1919. He assigned a half interest to his wife, he said, and they spent lal;fi sums in advancing the invention. e defendants are Warner Bros., Inc.; Electrical Research Products, :’nrlmount Publix, Inc.; Columbia Pic- ures, H Defunct Banks’ Paper Voided. MEXICO CITY, February 25 (&) Public notice was served todsy that, ef- fective Sunday, paper money issued by now defunct banks of emission will be valueless. Holders of such notes were advised to change them for their .present quoted value at the headquarters here of the completed. bank liquidation commission. TWo, held‘ulflel’! detectives, one of them to court on a warrant, President Hoover’s action on the World War veterans’ bonus loan bill may be looked for tomorrow, according to information obtained at the White ouse today. It is generally accepted he will veto it. He has been writing the message to accompany his veto of this bill. His message will be printed at the Govern- ment Printing Office and the impression is he will be ready to make public his views on the bill some time tomorrow afternoon. ht inf % today in Traffic Court Ralph E. Given of viola- g regulations lnzd TWO POLICE DETECTIVES FINED FOR VIOLATING PARKING RULES 'wo Others Will Face Judge Given Today on Similar Charges as Result of Using Restricted Space. car in ‘Traffic Bureau for pukinihhh’ o le Juven a crosswalk in front of Court Buil , whose m in front of Police He