Evening Star Newspaper, July 30, 1931, Page 17

Washi THIRD POLICEMAN NAMED IN GRAFT GASE; TWO HELD Suspected Officers Under Bond Pending Grand Jury Investigation. ACCUSED OF ACCEPTING MONEY FOR PROTECTION Patrolman Fisher to Face Trial Board—Will Not Be Prosecuted in Court. With the name of a third policeman drawn into the case, two fourth pre- cinct patrolmen today were ordered held for action of a grand jury hy Judge Robert E. Mattingly, of Police Court, on extortion charges resulting from alleged efforts to collect graft from a bootlegger. The defendants, Frank J. Hospidor and Edward W. Gore, were permitted to remain ‘at’ lberty under bond of $1,500 each on the recommendation of Michael F. Keogh, assistant United States attorney in charge of the pros- ecution. Police officials indicated Oscar L. Fisher, another fourth precinct police- man, would be taken before the trial board in connection with the case but would nbt be criminally prosecuted. His name figured in Gore's hearing today before Judge Mattingly. Hospidor was in the background as he waived a pre- | liminary hearing. Both Hospidor and Gore entered pleas of not gullty. Tells of Payments, Frank Adams, colored, of the 700 blcck of First street southwest, testified he paid Gore and Hospidor $10 Tues- day night in exchange for promises that they would not interfere with his liquor business. Hs sald the arrests of the two policemen followed. The witness added he previously had similar transactions with Gore before he met Hospidor. He sald Gore was accompanied by Fisher on on= occasion, when he paid over $10. That time, the ‘witness testified, Gore handed him his nightstick, he wrapped the money around the handle and then passed the weapon back to the officer in broad daylight. Lieut. O. J. Letterman, a night in- spector, told of standing nearby when Hospidor and Gore drove up in front of Adams' home Tuesday night, attired in uniform, and supposed to be on foot patrol duty. The night inspector said he saw Adams drop something in Gore’s hat. He declared he then ran from his hiding place in an areaway with Sergts. E. W. Reed and R. C. Speith. Letterman said Speith jumped on the running board of the car in which the policemen were riding and ordered them to halt, finally drawing his revolver and forcing them to stop after they had originally refused. Mean- ‘while, Letterman said, he noticed Gore toss something from the automobile. Gore Doesn’t Testify. ‘The witness said after the car was stopped he returned to the vicinity of Adams’ home and found two $5 bills in the gutter. He testified the numbers on the currency corresponded with the numbers on bills he had given Adams for use in the case. & James A. O'Shea, representing Gore, failed in an effort to draw from Let- terman confirmation of his contention that Adams might have thrown the money on the ground himself instead of placing it in the policeman’s hat. The defenss attorney brought out that Adams had a police record. Gore failed to take the witness stand. An unusually large crowd attended the hearing, every seat and all standing room in the court room being taken. EIGHT POLICEMEN TO BE TRANSFERRED Not Shake-up, Maj. Pratt Says, but Result of Capt. Dent's Retirement. Eight promotions and transfers in the perconnel cf the Police Department, to become effective August 1, were an- nounced late yesterday by Maj. Henry G. Pratt, superintendent of police. Maj. Pratt declared today the changes came as a direct result of the retire- ment of Capt. F. M. Dent of No. 11 pre- cinct and denied the changes consti- tute any “shake-up” in the depart- ment. Inspector Frank S. W. Burke, head of the Detective Bureau, denied today that contemplated changes in the per- sonnel of the bureau have in any way been decided upon, but said he ho) to reach a decision by the first of the month. Inspector Burke stated that Detective Sergt. Thomas Sweeney had asked to be transferred from the homicide squad, and that his raquest will be granted. The eight changes announced yester- day by Maj. Pratt are as follows: 1. Capt. J. E. Wilson from co ing officer, ninth, to commanding officer, eleventh precinct. promoted to 2. Lieut. M. L. Raedy grade of captain and transferred from | ™ thirteenth precinct to commanding offi- cer, ninth precinct. t. J. M. Roper, from adminis- quarters to twelfth precinct. 4. Lieut. W. H. Carlin, transferred from twelfth to_thirteenth precinct. 5. Sergt. A. E. Miller, promoted to grade of licutenant and transferred from second precinct to administrative headgquarters. 6. Pvt. 1. H. Umbaugh, promoted to grade of sergeant and transferred from twelfth to second precinct. 7. Pvt. L. T. Johnson, relieved from duty as motor cycle patrolman, Traffic Bureau, and transferred to Detective Bureau for clerical duty. 8. Pvt. F. W. Sanford, from foot patrol duty, fourth precinct, to motor cycle patrol duty, Traffic Bureau. NAVY EXTENDS KHAKI Deciding that three changes of uni- form daily was too much to expect of Podey eiucd an Order permitiing Rave) y U an order na aviation officers to wear khaki both on and off duty. Under the old regulation the officers were required to wear white or blue on the street and khaki on duty. ‘Those who lived in the city, therefore, wore white to. the flying field, and then changed to khaki. If they came home to lunch they were obliged to rechange to white and again don khaki upon re- hll’nm In the evening, when leaving the for the day, they again had to ‘wear white. The blue uniform is for street dress cool weather. News ngton Held for Jury !_ | ! EDWARD W. GORE. | CAB PR PARTHER SUES FOR S50 Melvin Soper Claims Dam- ages for Alleged Conspiracy | to Take His Business. Charging a conspiracy to deprive him of his interest in the Protex-U-Cab Co., for which be had refused an offer | of $10,000, Melvid Soper. 651 G x:lreet; southeast, today filed suit in the Dis- trict Supreme Court to recover $55,- 000 damages from B. G. Gould, R. H. | ‘Woodward, Stanley A. James, all of 805 | Fifth street, and James W. Wheat, 1436 | Pennsylvania avenue southeast. Soper wants $30,000 compensatory damages | and $25,000 punitive damages. | Through Attorneys Vernon B. Lowrey and Frank J. Kelly, the plaintiff says that March 1 last he and Wheat en- tered into & partnership to operate taxicabs and to be known as the Pro- tex-U-Cab Co., of which he became general manager and devoted his en- tire time to the business. Profits were to be divided equally, Soper declares. About, June 1, the plaintiff says, Wheat | introduced Gould and suggested that it | might be advantageous to bring others | into the partnership. Soper declares he talked with Gould. but reached the decision that he did not want him in the business. Gould then offered him $10,000 for his in- terest, he states, which he refused. | Following the rejection of the offer of | purchase, Soper says, the four defend- | ants entered into a conspiracy to get | possession of his interest in the cab business. In furtherance of the al- leged conspiracy, he avers, the de- fendants in his absence took possession of his office, desk and papers used in the business and notified persons deal- ing with the complnz thrt{!‘she w;:‘ og be no_longer regarded as its manage: and thnu); had no ccriection with the business. : He charges that all his efforts in building up the business has been set at naught by the defendants and his position and suthority usurped, preju- diced and destroyed together with his prospect of profit from the business. BANDITS FLEE STORE AT CRY FOR HELP Gun Fired by South Capitol Street Intruder Shatters Plate in Woman’s Hand. Things happened quickly when three colored menv:ntend the store of Isa- dore Koblem, 1356 South Capitol street, last night, and attempted to hold him up at the point of a pistol. “Hands up!” commmLmded one of the , drawing a pist e ufledl:litoblam, his hands re- maini at his side. ‘I‘w‘:‘o{ the bandits turned and fled. The third one fired a shot at the ceil- ing. The bullet richoceted, shattered a pendant light globe and broke a china plate held in the hands of Mrs. Koblem, coming down the steps at the time. Meanwhile, the third bandit joined the other two in hasty retreat. Mr. Koblem six years ago was shot in the chest when held up by a lone colored bandit, who was captured and sentenced. ey D. C. SUPREME COURT ON ONE-JUDGE REGIME Justice Cox to Handle All Branches Until August 16, Letts, Wheat and Adkins Following. The District Supreme Court goes on a one-judge regime tomorrow and con- tinues under that ement until October b take over :l'l‘bnnchu of the court un- ] A ice P, Dickinson Letts will follow Justice Cox August 17 and will preside until September 2. Chief Justice Al- fred A. Wheat will return from his ber 3 and will preside vacation Septem! until September 19, wian he will be re- leved by Justiee J¢ C. Adkins, who will serve until the of the Fall term. he Fo WASHINGTON, D. C, TREASURY PRUNES BUDEGET $7,000.000 BELOW ESTIMATES Preparation of 1933 Ex- penses Shows Progress in Hoover Economy Order. BUILDING INCREASES ITEMS OF ARCHITECTS Totals Not Made Public, but De- partment Cost Is $600,000 Under 1932. By the Associated Press. Following the directions of President Hoover, the Treasury has reduced its estimated expenditures for the 1933 fiscal year $7,000,000 below the amount the different divisions requested. 'Acting Secretary Mills turned his at- | €9 tention to the preparation of the ‘Treasury budget for next year as soon as the German financial _situation quieted down, and for the last week has held hearings in which he trimmed requested appropriations all along the line in an effort to save money during the next 12 months. While the hearings are still under way the acting Secretary estimated to- day the ordinary expenses of the de- | partment would be $5,000,000 less than for the present year, exclusive of an increase in the supervising architect’s office due to the expanded public build- ing program. Total Not Made Public. Mills declined to make public the total of the estimated appropriations for the fiscal year or the requested appropria- | tions, but he said the total of the 1933 expenditures by the Treasury Depart- ment would be $600,000 less than for the present year. The increase in the supervising ar- chitect’s office he estimated would be apprcximately $4,500,000, due to push- ing the building program at top speed. ‘The action of the Treasury is the first indication of the progress of the Gov- ernment departments in following President Hoover’s instructions to trim expenses in preparing their budgets for next year and eliminate all possible ex- penses from their estimates for the present fiscal year. $120,000,000 for Buildings. The public bulldings program, which is handled by the Treasury, will call for an appropriation of $120,000,000 in 1933, as compared with $60,00,000 for the present year, but the amount will be less than the total to be spent this year. In addition to the $60,000,000 ap- propriated by Congress to carry on the expanded program, the Treasury had a carryover {rom ‘prgvious years of $75,- 000,000, giving*#-® total of $135,000,000 | to be spent on the program in the pres- ent fiscal year. Officials expected that all of this amount would be used. BATHER RUN DOWN BY SPEEDING CRAFT John McGinn, 54, Navy Yard Rigger, Eastern Branch Accident Victim. Run down by a speed boat while swimming in the Eastern Branch just before dark yesterday, John McGinn, 54-year-old navy yard rigger of 523 Fourteenth street northeast, was se- verely lacerated about the back and head by the bow and propeller blades. McGinn, who was taken ashore aboard the boat, will undergo X-ray exami- nation today to determine if his skull was fractured. McGinn had gone swimming from the | Eastern Powerboat Club docks at Thir- teenth and Water streets southeast, and was only a short distance from shore when the accident occurred. He said today his back was to the boat and the first indication he had of its approach was when the bow struck his back. “T tried to dive,” McGinn said, “but it was too late. As the boat passed over me, I felt three distinct shocks as the gernpe-d}_ler blades beat the back of my ‘The operator cf the boat, William Strabue of Ccngress Heights, stopped when he heard McGinn cry out and pulled him from the river. With friends, Strabue drove the injured man to Provi- dence Hospital, where McGinn spent th: night and was discharged this morning. Pvts. C. R. Spring and M. Cox cf the harbor precinct reported the accident occurred during a rain squall, between 6:30 and 7 p.m. Strabue said his vision ‘was impaired by the rain and approich- ing darkness, and that he mistook the hy of the gray-haired swimmer for a plece of waste paper bobbing on the surface. . FUNERAL OF BLOCKSOM TO BE AT ARLINGTON Retired Major General, Who Died in Florida at 76, to Be Buried Tomorrow. Maj. Gen. Augustus P. Blocksom, U. 8. A, retired, who died at Miami, Fla, last Sunday in his seventy-sixth year, wil be buried in the Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock with full military honors. Chaplain Ralph C. Deibert, at Fort Myer, will conduct the religious services. His nearest relatives, a nephew, Hewitt B. Garvey, and a niece, Miss Mary B. rvey, both of Yonkers, N. Y. "will attend the services. A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Gen. Blocksom was graduated from the Military Academy in June, 1877. Assign- ed to the Cavalry, he saw service in Indian campaigns in Arizona in 1880 and was breveted for gallantry in ac- tion. During the Spanish War he was wounded at the battle of San Juan Hill, but recovered in time to take part in the Chinese Rellef Expedition in 1900, Later he commanded the 34th Division in New Mexico, went to France on a missior. in 1918 and then com- manded the Hawaiian department until his retirement for age in November of that year. 5 @irls’ Food Poison Mystery. Dr. A. S. M. Macgregor, medical officer of health for Glasgow, Seo has mpurg that he sudden pol Notre Dame has' been unable the surrounding of 50 pupils of the th School for Girls. cen i1l just before the | SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Dismissed Informer Hiccoughs 16 Days After Going to Jail Man Sentenced on Check Charge Still Is Suffer- ing at Gallinger. Leslie Franklin Pitcher, 32 years old, dismissed police informer, recently sentenced to 120 days in jail on bad check charges, has been hiccoughing for 16 days, physiclans at Gallingher Hospital announced today. Doctors declared they have exhausted every known effort of relief for Pitcher. He is unable to sleep and has eaten very little, Pitcher told Dr. E. A. Bocock, super- intendent of the hospital, that he has had many other spells of hiccoughing in the past. One of these spells lasted 35 days, he said. He cannot suggest any means of relief, stating that “it was just a case of patience.” The former informer for the police vice squad declared that he had had at least nine operations since he was 12 years old. About a month ago Pitcher was dropped from the list of police in- formers by Inspector Thaddeus A. Bean, head of the vice squad. His dismissal grew out of alleged discrepancies in his testimony during a liquor trial in Police urt. Several days later he was arrested by Dstective Sergt. Clarence Talley on charges of passing several worthless checks. They were for small amounts. Two days after his arrival at the District jail he began hiccoughing. He was removed to Gallinger Hospital. SHOWERS PROMISE RELIEF FROM HEAT 120 Deaths Laid to Weather; | in Many States—Four Die ! in Mexican Desert. With local thundershowers in pros- pect this efterncon or early tonight, Washirgton seems assured of at least a measure of relief from the heat, which caused one prostration today and two yesterday. i Employes of the District Building | were dismissed from work at 1 o'clock this afternoon on account of the heat. Federal employes had received no | word early this afternoon as to whether | | they would be allowed to leave their | offices. Th> Weather Bureau predicts “partly | cloudy and ot quite such warm weather | | tonight and Friday, preceded by local thundershowers this aft.rnoon or to- night.” Noon today found the temper- ature in the low 90s, about where it stood at the same hour yesterday. The heat yesterday aft:rnoon caused the dismissal of Census Bureau em- ployes at 2:30 o'clock, two hours before the closing hour. Attendants at the emergency room had brisk work treat- | ing employes affected by the heat in the temporary buildings. Only one stretch- er case was reported. how<ver. Mrs. Bernice Arnold, 23, 1726 Four- teenth street, was overcome by the heat today while walking in the 700 block {of Twelfth street. She was taken to Emergency Hospital for treatment. Her condition is not serious. Two Men Overcome. The two persons overcome yesterday were Bernard Middl:ton, 73, of 639 Del- aware avenue southwest, and Frank Jackson, 22, of 120 Sixth street, both colored. Middleton fainted while working for the Trees and Parking Commission in the 4000 block of Eighteenth street. He was taken to Freedman's Hospital, where ihis condition was improved today. Jackson was overcome while at work cn Indiana avenue. Light southwest winds are expected to abate the heat somewhat today. ‘The entire country, save for two swel- | tering sections, enjoyed at least tempo- |rary relief from soaring temperatures today, according to Associated Press dis- patches. One of those areas, composed of In- diana, Western Ohio and North Ken- tucky, continued to swelter under the intense heat. The other, a larger one, was made up of Nebraska, Kansas, Mis- sourl, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. In these sections corn crops were firing and danger of drought was reported. Dzaths atiributable to the heat in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland, New York and surrounding States were set at 20. Four Die in Desert. Thirst and a scorching sun were credited with the deaths of four persons Saturday, after a breakdown of a Nogales-Mexicali autcmobile stage in Sonora Desert. The stage driver is being held pending investigation of as- sertions that the stage was unfit for use and that too little water was car- it led. The Southwestern district suffered the most severely. Temperatures in Kansas City were 101, Stockton, Kans., 107; Emporia, Kans., 108; In, Nebr., 103; Omaha, 100; St. Louts, 98. l ‘While the Southern States continued | | son came [to have seasonable weather the Mountain region had_cooler tempera- tures, as did the Pacific Coast ICITY’S DAILY WATER USE BELOW LAST YEAR! Maximum Daily Pumpage So Far 4,000,000 Gallons Short of 1930's High. During the recent long spell of hot weather water consumption in the Dis- irict has been fairly high. although not nearly as high as last Summer, when District was in the grip of the drought, according to J. E. Curtls, superintendent of the District’s filtra- tion plant, which supplies filtered water o dally pumpage of fil- ter 8 2735C4E E§§§§§ g, P THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1931 KELLOGG TO FIGHT HENDERSON WILL, SEEKING BEQUESTS I “Incompetency and Undue Influence” to Be Basis for Attack on Validity. MRS. WHOLEAN MAY JOIN DOCTOR IN COURT TEST Battle Creek Sanitarium, Given Bequest in Early Testaments, Later Cut Off. By the Associated Press. Attorneys for Dr. John H. Kellogg s2id today they would attack the la: two wills of the late Mrs. Mary F. Henderson on grounds of “incompetency and undue influence.” Dr. Kellogg's Battle Creek, Mick., college and sanitarium was disinherited by the dowager—who made large be- quests to the institutions in three prior wills—when she executed new testa- ments in 1930 and 1931. It has been estimated the estate is worth around $6,000,000. Members of the firm of Frank J. Hogan, with whom Dr. Kellogg has been in consultation this week, said | he had determined, to take legal steps to break the last wills. “How we will proceed remains to be determined,” Nelson T. Hartson of the firm, said today, “but obviously we must attack the last two wills on the plea that Mrs. Henderson was incompetent and was unduly influenced.” Dr. Kellogg said today Mrs. Hender- | to him for treatment in 1920, was “desperately il and was ;l‘gqgnpeunz for months before she The possibility that Mrs. Beatrice | Henderson Wholean, disinherited re- | puted grandddaughter of the widow who built the Capital's embassy row, might join with Dr. Kellogg in attack- ing the last wills has been suggested by attorneys. DRINKING FOUNTAIN CRITICISM ANSWERED| Crane Cites Expenditures for Re- placing “Bubble” With “Side- Stream" Tipe in Schools. Criticism of the drinking fountains in many of the older District public schools was met by Jere Crane, school system business manzager, today with the ass-r- tion that $1,000 a year was spent for several years and $2,000 was spent last year to replace objectionable “bubble” Tountains with side-strcam fountains. | The school authorities have asked $2,000 for this purpose in the 1933 estimate. The “bubble” type drinking fountain has been made the targst of health authorities because, they say, it presents a source of infection. The ‘“bubble” fountains in the older schools are equipped with a circular bowl out of which jets the fresh water. Critics point out infection may easily be spread by children drinking from this bowl instead of from the bubbling jet itself. The side-stream type, with which all new public school buildings now are being equipped, force the child to drink only from the little stream of fresh water that jets to one side from a guarded aperture the porcelain fountain. Mr. Crane today leveled critieism at the Health Department of the District for its delay in discovering the danger in #he old “bubble” fountains. “If the bubble fountain is wrong today,” Mr. Crane declared, “it was wrong when it was first installed.” Mr. Crane said a certain number of | the old fountains had been replaced each year since the Health Department first made recommendations for their discontinuance. At the same time the | school official is not so certain that | the new approved ‘“side-stream type” of fountain is not faulty also. 18 TO GET MEDICAL PRACTICE LICENSES Pass Final Examinations for Dis- trict—12 of 30 Fail in Pre- liminary Tests. Eighteen candidates who took the final examination qualifying them 'o practice medicine in the District passed and will be given their certificates, ac- cording to an announcement of Dr. William C. Fowler, secretary-treasurer of the Commission on Licensure to Prac- tice the Healing Arts in the District of Columbia. Thirty candidates took the Rfinfinw exuntthnm and 12 failed. who passed the - inations, in_the b-.fix:'re sciences, also the final professional examina- n: ‘The succeessful candidates are: Julius Daniel Damien, Joseph Dessoff, Benja- min Golden, Edward Stanton 3 Spencer Vincent Meade, Jerome John Krick, John Richard Cavanagh, Wes- ton Bruner, jr.; William Howard Paine, William Shambaugh Detwiler, Ray- mond Charles Kirchner, Thomas Wil- liam Mattingly, Aaron 8. Schwartzman, Willlam Cecil Goines, Saul Schwartz- bach, John Manley Orem, Samuel Les- ter Tabb and Alma Jane Speer. CRASH INJURES WOMAN Mrs. Mae Bennett Cut on Temple in Auto Accident. Mrs. Mae Bennett, 30 years old, 5425 Connecticut avenue, received a cut on the left temple when the automobile in which she was riding, rated Mrs. E. Call Reid of Che New Market Covers 29 Acres. Osaka, Ji .figfl.fln‘hw the new tnlwholh-lem market will have raflway and transportation facilities in the grounds. ening Stap LAl Old Landmark Falls POWER COMPANY STACK TUMBLES FOR NEW BUILDING. “twin stacks” of the old Potomac strest and Constitution avenue. PHO'I’O showing the destruction at rise on the site. Another old landmark in downtown ‘Washington, which for years has disfig- uved the skyline between the city streets and the Washington Monument, disap- pearcd today when a steel and concrete smokestack of the old Potomac Electric Power Co. station at Fourteenih street and Constitution avenue toppled under blasts of dynamite and fell with a crash into the ruins of th: demolished build- ing beneath. About 150 feet high, this old black stack was one of two smokestacks of the power company plant, and it is expected the other one will b> dyna- mited in two or three wecks when more of the building has been torn away. noon today of one of the two famous Electric Power Co. plant at Fourteenth The new Department of Labor will Several blasts of dynamite were nec- essary to tear away cnough of the heavy concrete foundation of the chim- ney to topple it over. Blasts first knocked out the concrete on the foundation walls to the east and west. The last blast was discharged on the south side, knocking out the remaining support at about 10 minutes before 12 o'clock. The blast was heard throughout the downtown section. The stack which fell this morning had been damaged in a windstorm many years ago, so that the top of it had to be_cut off. The dynamite shots were fired by Albert Pollock of the contracting com- | pany, Mayer Poliock of Pottstown, Pa. INJURED MAN ASKS TAXI, GETS POLIGE Richard J. Tracey Unable to Tell How He Was Wound- | ed—Held in Jail. | ‘The next time Richard J. 'n-cey: gets hit over the head he'll probably take pains to notice who does the hit- ting and where. Tracey, who is 36 and lives at 939 H street, staggered up to a taxicab parked in the 1600 block of A street southeast today and announced that he wanted to ride. The announcement went unheedsd, however, because the driver, Gordon Gray, had gone into his home at 1610. | Tracey lunged from the taxi and stag- gered up to the corner of Sixteenth zt;;et. where he climbed into 2nother The driver, Lewis E. Wood, was asleep in his home at 1601, but his 14-year-old brother-in-law, Robert Neiss, was was standing nearby, noticed blood pouring from a gash in Tracey's head. “Can I help you, Mister?” he asked. “Yes,” Tracey rcplied, “Get the driver o{n this bloomin’ taxi—I want to go P Robert awakened Wood, who, instead of helping Tracey to “go’places,” tele- phoned the ice. After recelving treatment at Casualty Hospital, Tracey was taken to the fourth precinct police station, where he was questioned. Unable to recall where he had been, who had hit him, with what and why, he was locked up to give him an opportunity to refresh memory. ANACOSTIA PARK LAND PURCHASE IS APPROVED $4,121.50 Paid for 5.8 Acres, In- cluding Part of Lily Ponds Near Kenilworth. Assistant Secretary Payne of the War Department today approved the pur- chase of 58 acres of land within Anacostia Park in the District from Charles M. Shaw and Mrs. L. Helen Fowler for the sum of $4,120.50. The land in question includes part of the well known lily ponds on the east sids of the river near Kenilworth. Col. Payne said, “This land is to be used for park purposes, and its purchase is in accordance with Columbia appropriation act of March 3, 1917, which authorized the Secretary of War, in connection with the reclama- tion and development of the Anacostia River and flats, to acquire for highway and park purposes the fee simple and absolute. title to all lands required for :l{hw.rgtoss within the limits specified s USE OF SCHOOLS SOUGHT FOR TEST Civil Service Commission Needs -Room to Examine File Clerk Applicants. Fixing August 19 as the date fcr ex- amining 34,206 applicants for the file clerk examination, the Civil Service Commission is negotiating with school authorities for the loan of one or iwo high schools in which to examine the thousands of local applicants. ‘The number of applicants for file clerk vacancies is an all-time record. The total was swelled by ,the large number of temporary Census clerks soon to be released. Last year, when the examination was opened to women only, 2,210 applied, and in 1929, when men cnly were examined, 1,687 filed ap- plcations. Interest in the examination has been 50 widespread that the commission was forced to assign a clerk to the sole duty of answering inquiries as to the date. In announcing the date today the com- mission requested that applicants re- frain from making further inquiries by telephone or letter, as this practice has g{;nuy retarded work of the commis- sion. Because of the large number of ap- plicants not all can be examined in one day, the eommmwn lf:fiei ’I;h’e ex; aminations will begin August an eligible applicants will be notified in- dividually when to report. NAVY PLANS TO ASK BIDS FOR CALIFGRNIA HANGAR Huge Equipment for Dirigible Base to Second Largest of Kind in America. By the Associated Press. . Preliminary notice has been given prosj ive bidders that the Navy will Tecelve estimates for the construction of a huge dirigible hangar at Sunny- vale, Caiif. Specifications will be ted by the Bureau of Yards and by about August 1 and until that time the :l:flng date for receiving bids will not se ‘The hangar will be the first and largest unit of the $5,000,000 Naval Air- ship Base at Sunnyvale. Bids will be asked on two different bs—erect tion itself and grading and 1 Notice foundations. was advance of com- pletion of detatled specifications the District of | firms notice calls for & hangar “ap- e " t second in lzlu only mfl:l‘l Gh: r al , Ohio. two contracts are expected to total from $1,500,000 to $1,750,000. CHILD USED AS SHIELD BY WOMAN BEING BEATEN 11-Year-Old and Adult Sent to Hospital as Police Seek Man Who Wielded Pitcher. PAGE B—1 TAXI LINE'S RATE CHANGES PROBED ' BY UTILITIES GROUP Company Accused of Charg- ing Higher Fare When Rain Aids Business. INDEPENDENTS PLAN TO FORCE DIAMONDS Companies Agreeing to New Gen- eral Basis Hope to Bring Big Fleet Into Line. Capital Has Taxi Per 147 Persons, Licenses Reveal Approximately 3,300 taxicabs and other public vehicles have been licensed to operate in the District, according to figures given out today by Wade H. Coombs, superintendent of licenses. On the basis of population, this is a cab for every 147 per- sons. This is sald to be the largest per capita taxi accommo- dations of any city in the United States. . Despite the great number of cabs, the drivers claimed they made money until the recent rate war outbreak. And even on cut rates some of the drivers insisted their earnings were higher than before the rate war. An independent investigation of s small taxicab company. reported to be operating on two different rates which change with the weather. was started today by the Public Utilities Commis- sion as plans went forward for a gen- eral taxicab rate hearing. The company under investigation is said to be operating in fair weather on a flat rate zone basis of 25-50-75 cents, but in inclement weather, when business is brisk, raises the rates to 35-60-85 cents. What action the commission proposes to take, if any, if the reports are found to be true, was not made known. Notice Expected Monday. The commission’s notice of a formal hearing on taxicab rates is expected to be issued Monday. By that time it probably will have a legal opinion from Corporation Counsel William W. Bride as to its authority to regulate taxicabs and fix rates. In the meantime, the companies which agreed Tuesday to end the rate war and return to a uniform flate rate Saturday reiterated mei;cgl;gmue to do so, irrespective of the n of the Diamond Cab Co., which failed to en- ter into the agreement. United, these companies claim they can force the Diamond company, despite its numerical strength of 750 cabs, to. join them on a flat rate 25-cent zone basis. The Diamond cabs are now operating on & 20-cent basis. Fear had been expressed at the Dis- trict Bullding that the failure of the Diamond Co. to enter into the agree- ment might bring a renewal of the rate war. But in view of the pledge of the other companies operating together, more than 1,000 cabs, to stick to their agreement, public utility officials feel confident the Diamond Co. eventually will be forced into line. New Fleet Rumored. Reports were current in taxicab circles of the advent within the next week of a new flat rate company, which ultimately plans to put 400 cabs into service. The Utilities Commission had no knowledge of such a venture and nfmur did Richmond B. Keech, peo- ple’s counsel, who was instrumental in bringing the warring taxi companies into a peace conference. ‘The rumors, according to attaches of the District hack inspector's office, probably are the outgrowth of the recent action of one new flat-rate con- cern which entered the field about two weeks ago in putting about 20 addi- tional cabs into service. The cabs of this company are operating on a 20- cent zone rate. In accordance with the agreement made by the taxi operators to file with the commission before Saturday = schedule of the tariffs adopted, several independents filed the rates this morn- ing, all of them? announcing a 25-cent zone rate. None of the larger com- panies, however, has yet filed the schedules. 2 DEATH BACKENSTO HELD ACCIDENT Body of Retired War Department statistician Found in East- ern Branch. A verdict of accidental death was re- turned by a coroner’s jury in the Dis- trict Morgue today in connection with the drowning in the Eastern Branch of the Potomac River of Kinzer Backensto, 73 years old, retired War Department accountant and statistician, whose body was discovered floating at the foot of Fifteenth street southeast late yester- y. Dr. J. Ramsay Nevitt, District coroner, declared his examination of the body last night revealed no evi- dences of foul play. Backensto's body was identified by Edward J. Ryan, his brother-in-law, with whom he lived at the Fifteenth street address. Ryan said the statis- ticlan, who came here from San Fran- cisco in 1917 retired from the War De- ent shortly after the death of wife last year. He said that Backensto had seemed to be in good spirits prior to his disappearance. ‘The body was discovered by Frank F. Thomas of 1301 Juniper street, who notified the harbor precinct. mum’;q‘gunumo;m;aua man living ‘ashington. He is sur- vived by two brothers, and other rela- tives, all of whom reside in Western States. He was a native of Colorado. SON BEATS FATHER Robert Dunigan Treated for Broken Jaw After Fight. ‘Robert William Dunigan, 41 years old, 1417 Thirty-fourth street, was at Georgetown University Hospital late yesterday for a broken jaw, said to have been sustained during an_altercation with l;llzm Willlam J. Dunigan, 21 mel&umbnnhwmh::n: flwmonfe.nmvm” arrest- police 0. charged with disorderly |