Evening Star Newspaper, October 11, 1931, Page 2

P BINGHAM CAUDS ~ JERSEY BEER VOTE Legislature in Distinguished Company, Says Senator. Results Unlikely. BY G. GOULD LINCOL! i Mew Jersey's Legislature, which yes- | terday adopied & joint resolution call- ~ing upon Congress to legaiize the sale of light wines and beer, was compli- mented last night by Senator Bingham of Connerticut. In the last Congress Senator Bingham sponsored a measure @ permit the manufacture of beer. “I am glad to see the New Jersey Legislature join such distinguished company as the American Medical As- sociation, the American Legion and the American Federation of Labor,” said Senator Bingham. “A lot of good people think that those of us who are for beer are agents of the brewers. Certainly no one could accuse these organizations of being such agents.” The action of the Jersey Legislature, rhowaver, is npt likely to bring results “in the coming session of Congress. The < drys in the new Congress far exceed in humber the wets; something like four ~to one in the House and perhaps an even greater percentage on the side of the drys in the Senate. All the ef- forts to bring the Hoover adminisira- tion to the support of legislation modi- fving the Volstead act so as to permit T the manufacture of beer apparently have fallen on beren ground. Keeps Bobbing Up. But this liquor issue keeps bobbing| . up in & manner which embarrasses the politicians. As a matter of fact, it may 5.play an important part in cetermining ‘. whe the Republicans have a ma- % jority in the incoming Congress which meets December 7. Out in the eighth Michigan congressional district the Republicans have nominated a dry to flll & vacancy in the House caused by the death of Representative Vincert #nd the Democrats have nominated wet. Ordinarily this is a strongly Re- < publican district. Mr. Vincent carried it against his Democratic opponent in 1930 by 20.000 votes. The liquor issue, . however, ‘is giving the Republicans T.something to think about, if reports ““from influential Republicans in Michfs .Ban are to be credited. The House vacancy in the Michigan *district_is one of six which must be filled. Four of these seats were held by ~ Republicans and two by Democrats. ‘The two Democratic vacancies are re- garded as certain to be filled by Demo- cérats, one from New York and the other Cleveland, Ohio. Besides the Michigan vacancy, the Republicans have to elect in Wisconsin, Pennsyl: vanis and Ohjo. The first Wisconsin district elects a successor to the late Reppresentative Henry Allen Cooper on ‘Tuesday and is believed certain to send to Washington the P.ogressive Repub- HMean nominee, Amlex. The Pennsyl- vania district, so ] ng represented by | the late Representr .ve Graham, also is expect~i to elect a Pepublican. In the Longwoith district i Cincinnati, Ohio, there is a sharp contest between the Republican, John B. Hollister, and the Democrat, David Lorbach. But both Hollister and Lorbach are dripping wet in sentiment. Democrais Facing Odds. Michael J. Hart, the Demoeratic nominee for the House in the eighth Michigan district, is facing heavy odds in the heavy Republican majority that uisually goes to the polls there. But he has the wet end of the argument. He eomes from Saginaw County, where probably 40 per cent of the whole vote : cast mdmw:n:re the wet sentiment lu'?uefl strong. His opponent, Foss Eldred, has his home llr'lp‘;flnll. and he has been a dry. There is some talk of his coming in favor of a referen- dum on the liquor question. He runs the risk, if he does, however, of of- {ending the drys without gaining much from the wets. Should Hart, the Democrat, win in this congressional election on November 3, while the other districts filling vacan- cies were running true to past political rformances, the Demorcats would ve 217 seats in the House, to 317 for the Republicans and 1 for the Farm- er-Labor party. And In the event that Lorbach should carry the Longworth | district in Ohio, also the Democrats | would have a clear majority of one in the new House, with & total of 218 seats, This wet and dry fight in the eighth Michigan district. ~ therefore, may de- ‘termine whether the Republicans or the Democrats are to organize the House and elect a Speaker. The wet senti- ment in Michigan has already caused ®.couple of upsets in Congress, when former Representatives Cramton and Hudson, both ardent drys, failed to win renomination last year, losing to wet opponents. Despite the cutcropping of wet sen- timent in Republicen States and con- gressional districts which hitherto have been dry, the Republican high com- mand is preparing to go into the na- tional campaign with the G. O. P. rating dry. Probably no attempt will be made to interfere with individual State organizations and candidates who | range themselves cn the wet side of the issue, in State and congressionsl | elections. But nationally the G. O. P. Appears to be going to the bat as the ehampion of the Eighteenth Amend- ment. On the other hand. there seems no doubt whatever th:t the Democrats will nominate a wet candidate for| Pregident. Whether tre party will go | the limit and put a modification or re- | peal plank in its platform is still on the lap of the gods. Politiclans who“have followsd the re- cent drive fcr beer are not convinced that the wets have not injured thefr cause by their vociferous demands for something to drink. It is one thing, | tkey say, to demand a change in con ditions ‘because of the flouting law by boctleggers cnd res citizens who buy liquor. It is another thing to put a beer mug on a political banner. FIVE MEN INJURED WHEN CAR HITS TAXI Youth Receives Skull Fracture, ‘Companions Less Seriously Hurt, in Oxon Hill Accident. | TFive men were injured, two seriously, When the automobile in which they were riding overturnei after side-swip- Ing a taxicab on Livingston road near Oxon Hill, Md., early today. The driver ©of the car was unhurt. ‘Those injured were: Clifford Os: ‘Yerne, 18, F streel. East Washington Park, southeast, fractured skull, cut eye and shock; Oscar Woodward, 1307 H stfeet, fractured pelvis; Clarence Wood- ward, 21, also of the H street ad ress. cut’arm; Sam Forsythe, 22, of 3213 E eet southeast, bruised back, and arleton Forsythe, 22, of the same ad- | dress, body bruises. ‘The machine was rounding a curve "ohen it struck the taxicab. according witnesses, who declared the texi{The newspaper FI failed to stop. The driver of the auto- mebile, whose name police were unable to learn, lost control and the automo- bile left the road and overturned. Carleton Forsythe was pinned beneath the car for about 25 minutes before : flg’ lice extricated him. and po Casualty Hospital. | pellers. which also operated for i candidacy of Marcelo T. de Alvear ot | the coming general election, in spite | injured men were admitted to Monte: today, where with mvw. Noted Voice Ensemble Best in World. |Appeared at White House in 1923—Members From Many Nations. A choir which Walter Damrosch says is the best in the world, which has sung before 7,000 people in Albert Hali in London, which has members from India, South Africa, Japan and from Callfornia to Maine, and was the first “entertainment” given at t House by President and Mrs. March, 1929, is coming to Washington November 4. This is the famous West- minster Choir, under the leadership of | Dr. John Finley Williamson, which has been acclaimed not only in this coun: try—it originated in Dayton, Ohio, and | now has its home at Ithaca, N. Y.—but | has also had a “success tour on the continent. When this noted choir comes to Con- stitution Hall early in November it will come through the sponsorship of | Mrs. H. E. Talbott, one of the most capable music patrons and leaders of this branch of the arts In the country. Mrs. Talbott back in 1920 tock this Ichoir, so to speak, under her wing Having faith in the extraordinary talents of its leader, Dr. Williamson, | she assured it long life and happiness by | giving it a permanent backing and by roviding splendid quarters for it in | Ithaca. | | ' | | | ( ' | Sent Choir to Europe. Furthermore, to prove to the rest of the world that her plan of fostering the growth of this unique *choir had ' amounted to considerably more than the average “project,” she sent it to Europe on a long tour, which, in-| | cidentally, turned into a triumphant tour and which proved to its patron that her untiring efforts had been ap- preciated as much as she hoped they might be. Mrs. Talbott, who has been in Wash- ington for the last few days, is now | planning a tour of the United States for the choir. She acts as manager as well as sponsor at this time, coming as a kind of advanced guard to prepare the | wi She is not, by any manner of imeans, however, what you would call the “managerial” type. While she is !loud in KrlL\es of Dr. Willlamson's | work and his choir, she speaks but mod- jestly of herself and it is only by a | considerable process of prying and prod- ding into her past that you discover | that besides her tremendous work in this musical field she is one of the | | mast complete “home loving” persons {in the country. There appeared onl; last Spring in one of the Dayton papers 1 a half-page photograph of Mrs. Talbott | surrounded by her children and her | grandchildren. There were 48 in the | picture. Church Music Fostered. | Mrs. Talbott only recently conpleted | her Runnymeade Playhouse, which is probably the only structure of its kind | in the world, A tennis auditorium—it | has tennis courts and squash courts and & stage, and the tennis courts can be covered by chairs with a seating ca- pacity for 1,000 persons. In this “audi- torium” the choir gives many of its concerts. ‘The aim of the Westminster School | 15 to build up the fabric of church music | in the United States. It is an institu- | tion of collegiate standing’ (the school | has at present 142 members, out which 40 are picked from the cholr) | and it offers a degree of bachelor of | | music under the board of regents of | the State of New York. The term “minister of music” has often been ap- plied to it, and it is strictly speaking in the “servce of the church.” Dr. Williamson has said of his school: “We are attempting to preach the gospel of feeling and intelligence | and to re-create an interest in the art of church music. In our musical train- ing we have wandered " ) far from the | church. Music as a chiid of the church must be brought back to the church— to work for it and not against it.” Walter Damrosch only recent said about the school, “It is doing the most important constructive work that has been done in America in the last 20 years.” | Capital Choirs o Join. When the Westminster Choir comes to Constitution Hall early in November it will 8ing & program of unusual in- terest, many of its songs never having been heard in the United States be- fore. Dr. Willlamson has undertaken a vast survey into the field of ancient music, much of which has long lain neglected in archives abroad, and out of these he Has taken many interesting works which might otherwise never have been heard. When the formal program is over a number of local choirs will join this group in the sing- in gof a hymn. Al of which should round out one of the most stimulating of the many musica! events of impor- tance eoming to this city this Winter. AKRON SOARS 6,000 FEET IN NEW FEATS Up So High It Loses Buoyancy Lift—Dives and Tilts in Seventh Test. .- o the Assoc'ated Press. AKRON, On! Cctober 10.—The Navy's new dirigible Akron spent 12 hours and 22 minute: in the air today | performing feats n-w t> the history of | siter-than-air aviation. It rcs: above the heights where its bucyancy no longer held it up, Dr. Karl Arnstein, chief engineer of th year-Zeppelin Corporation reported. This was about 6,000 feet. With the elevetors tilted, and gomng at 60 knu's, the ship showed no inclination. At | that height it was 22,000 pounds heav Dr. Arnstein s:id this was aceo: plished with the use of the swivel }u’m | ting | the ship on the take-off and bringing | it down on imo'ring. ‘The ship w made to rise so rapidly on the take- | oft this morning, h» added. that the | temperature dropped 8 degrecs. This, id, was unique in lighter-than-air | \ { | | | | | By | aft. The airship wes mocred to the mast | at 7:32 p.m. Eastern standard time. This was the seventh fiight, to test the Akron’s climbing and diving ability and its dynamic lift. The afterncon was spent over Lake Erie. During th: mcrning it passed over Akron, Norwalk, Tiffin and Toledo, Ohlo, and Detroit. Navy officials an- nounced the eighth flight will not be befers Monday. MAY DEFY ARGENTINA Radieals Confer With Candidats They May Back Despite Ban. BUENOS AIRES, October 10 ().— Diarfo said today | ulzations were con- | the presidential that the radical o: sidering sunporting of the fact his candidacy was annuled by the government. A delegation of radicals returned from they conferred | CAPONE AIDE HELD | to carry a pisto!. THE SUNDAY S IFAMOUS WESTMINSTER CHOIR TO GIVE CONCERT HERE NOV. 4 Walter Damrosch Declares‘ MRS. H. E. TALBOTT. FOR “GUN TOTING” IN FEDERAL COURT _(Continued From First Page) f | The Government's case agalnst the | world's biggest gangster began to take definite shape today. Indications were that the Government intended to prove. if possible, that Capone must have had a large income because he spent a Jot. Witnesses testified that Capone spent $25,000 for incidental expenses such as telephone bills, kitchen utensils, meats, bakery goods and improvements to his home during three Winters in Florida. All said they regarded the defendant as “good pav and a fine customer.” One said he saw “a roll of bills that weuld choke an ox and a couple of handfuls of money wrappers marked $1,000" at the Capone home on Palm Island, Fla Defense Objects. The defense objected to each state- ment made by each witness. and Judge Wilkerson overruled them. A final and sweeping objection also was made by defense ~attorneys to evidence that about $80.600 was sent by telegraph to Capone in Florida from persons in Chicago. H. F. Ryder, builder of a boat house and dock on the Capone property, told Mr. Al probably forgot” and of the roll currency in the home. The big ngster directed his attorneys in ques- tioning Ryder and it was brought out that Ryder never asked for the overdue bill, “because T was busy every day and afraid to go to Capone's place at night.” W. C. Harris, manager of a Miam! telephone companv office. _identified bills for service to the gangster's home. | Previous evidence had been given that Al often called Chic: bills for $955 in 1 and $3,141 1928 bore out that testimony. Pald Bills in Cash. Capone paid most of his bills in cash, the witnesses said, but a few times they were given checks bearing the names of Jack Guzik. The gang chief also was said to have prevailed upon the tradesmen to cash telegraphic money orders for him. Richard Plummer. who helped deco- rate the Capone Palm Island home, said he ll'e('elvfli $1,725 from Capone, all in cash. Louls Karlepach, Miami Beach meat market proprietor. said the Capone bill for 1927, 1928 and 1929 totalled about $6.500. The weekly average was from $200 to $250. “You don't think Capone ate all that meat, do you?" asked defense attorney Albert Fink. “No, sir.” Karlepach reolied seriously, “no one man could eat 7. all.” 0 'friends, and the in Melvin Goldstrom, Miami baker, tsti- | fled he furnished from $250 to $4 worth of bakery goods a day while the Capone home was open in Florida. The bill was $60 in 1929, he said, $761 in 1930 and $351 in the first six months of this year. It wasn't all bread, He said, in reply to a defense question, part of it was cake. Associates Made Payment. Curt R. Koenitzer, Miami contractor, who built the garage and bath house. said the bill was about $2.000 and was paid by one of the gangster's associates. F. A. Whitehead, secretary treasurer of a Miaml hardware company, told of supplying an iron gate for the Palm Is- iand estate, but he said Jack Guzik paid him by check. ‘The landscaping job on the Florida grounds was done by Joseph A. Brower, who sald he received $2.100. Part of the payment was in checks signed by Jack Guzik. “Mr. Capone told me he (Guzik) was his financial secretary,” Brower testified. H. J. Etheritz said Capone purchased $800 worth of linens and kitchen uten- sils from the Miami depariment store with which he was connected. | Other buildings on the Palm Island | estate were put up under the direction | of Frank Gallat, Miami hotel operator. | He received between $10,000 and $11,- 000, all in cash, he said: part of it lroml Capone himself and part from his “.i soclates. John Newton Lumus, jr.. real estate operator and formaer mayor of Miami| Beach, at present tax assessor of Dade company which sold Capone the Palm Island estate. Parker Henderson, jr., a Miamian who ass'sted Capone In | some of his business dealings, paid $2,- | Linebarger, 000 cash down, Lumus testified. “Later I was informed $8,000 was paid in the company office.” the Witnes: said. “The remainder of the purchase price was cared for by three $10,000 mortgages.” l 1 TAR 115, INTERVENTION - INCHINA EXPECTED State Department Prepared | to Remind Nations of Their 1 Pledges of Peace. _(Continued From First Page) anece troops, guarding the South Man- churian Railway under an international ! occupled Mukden. y, Japan said s | section of the road had been destroyed | by Chinese soldiers. China’denled it, | | and complained that the Japanese u-l | vance was no more nor less than an ! act of aggression. ! Since then intermittent fighting ap- | pears to have resulted in a gradual but insistent Japanese advance, the extent of which is clouded behind a striet censorship. Japan protested that she means sajon. She and China have rmhn League they will do noth- to provoke further friction. One estion, concurred in by th vernment. was that the op| '{2”.’:‘1 b.L viflq\d wnAnTN- roposal, outward appearan Was regélved with sympathy. Yet war on. 1t is the more serious diplomatically because in a sense it is not & new war, but a continuation of a struggle of | centuries, rooted deep in the sensibili- ities of both peoples. Two major con- no assul | ing | League s | Ameriean ces, the Investigators sald, however, they had found that his bal- liff “appointment expired some time ago, and tke gun be>n revoked. Florida Witnesses Testify. Arrcst of D'Andrea came after a court session in which 11 witnesses from Florids testified that Capone spent in Florida—and never quibbled about the bills. p | over the Province of Manchuria. no bigger than two such States as Colo- rado and New Mexico, ranging on the Chinese coast with Russia on the north, Japan just across the narrow sea and China proper at her back; and ecly during his Winter sojourns | traversed by railroads controlled vari-. |ously by all three nations. Underneath the surface, but never forgotten, stirs the old conflict of the | Far East. For the Chinese National- |ists, striving to weld a huge country into & modern nation, the issue is one of sovereignty and pride. For Japan |it 18 economic pressure, avaflability of raw material and employment of her capital overseas. ‘Whenever these two forces meet, as |they have in Manchuria, the whole world is compelled to take notice. JAPAN BLAMES CHINA. Tells League Sfuation in Manchuria Result of Antagonistic Sentiment. GENEVA, October 10 (#). nese government, replying tonight to a Chinese note forwarded to members of | the League of Nations today declared that the military operations in Man- churia were “solely the result of anti- Japanese sentiment in China.” “The present anti-Japanese move- ment in China,” sald M. Sawada. who signed the Japanese note, “contraven not only the letter but the spirit The Chinese government, he con- tinued, “will assume serious responsi- bility" if it fails to take “prompt and effective measures to suppress this agitation.” Sir Eiic Drummond. secretary general of the League Councll, forwsrded the Chinese note to League members today. It was dated October 9 and informed | the League that Ching Tso Hsiang | and Wang Shu Chang had been ap- | pointed to take over the places to be evacuated by Japanese military forces and had asked that telegraphic | structions be sent to the Japanese mili- | tary commanders in Manchurla, in- structing them to begin the evacuation. The Japanese government was mnoti- fied on October 6 of the appointment | of the Chinese representativ sald, and requested to make immediate arrangements to enable Chinese troops to take possession of the evacuated localities. “As no reply has been received” it said, the Chinese Minister was in- structed to say. “and as the matter is extremely urgent, I am instructed to Tequest: ‘First. that the Japanese gov- ernment indicate immediately the localities to be taken over this week: secondly. that in the course of the day instructions be telegraphed to the mili- tary commanders so that reoccupation can begin tomorrow.” Sir Eric, in transmitting the note, said that copies were being sent to the League Council and that reports of daily progress would be telegraphed to { Geneva and Washington. | Recalling the promise of the Chi- nese representative ol | Council that nothing Id be done | to ageravate the situation in Manchu- | ria, M. 8awada. in the Japanese reply. claimed that the Chinese government 1s aggravating the situation by failing | to make “honest and effective efforts” to respect the activity of anti-Japanese | societies which, he said, is endangering life and property, as well as the liberty of commerce, of Japanese subjects in varicus parts of China. “The Chinese government will be held responsible,” the note concludes, | “for the consequences of this failure to suppress the anti-Japanese movement, and to accord adequate protection for | the lives and property of Japanese sub- | jects in China.” Prentiss Gilbert, United States con- sul at Geneva. called on Secretary Diammond at the secretariat this aft- ernoon and conferred with him for some time on the Chinese situation. DANGEROUS PFRECEDENT SEEN The American people were warned that Japan's action in Manchuris “may prove to be a precedent for Japanese in- vasion and occupation of Honolulu” unless they make the present trouble a matter of their “own concern,” in a resolution adopted here yesterday by the China-American Union. ‘The union held an executive meetin, | County, said he was connected with the [t0 mark the twentieti anniversary o Chinese Independence day, which dates rom the outbreak of the Chinese revolution at Hankow. Judge Paul legal advisor of the Nationalist government, presided. Associated with him in framing the resolution which condemned the Japanese were Kwel Hung, 8in Chung Woon and Chaun Young Ho, Chinese residents of Washington. Is Your Home Safe? You require tions hefore emy character recommenda- ploying domestic help, but what (o you know 6f their health? Tie cobk handles the food. sure she is healt The nurse ha Are you hy? ndles yvour baby. Are you sure she has not been exposed to active tuberculosis? All members contact with tu be examined oft or the free Health D 512 Adults’ Clinic Cvery Tues., Thurs, Sat., 1:30 P.M. Friday PM. For Further Infor of your houschold in Haily berculosis patients shoul en by their own physicia epartment Clinic Eye St. §i.W. Children’s Clinics * mation Telephone Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis 1022 11th St. N.W, Telephone District 8311 The Japa- | es | of xisting treaties and constitutes a hos- | Y| of “a little item of $125 about which | tile act.” Was He Murdered Among Sevgn Friends? STRANGE DEATH OF MELVIN STEVENS, CALLED AN ACCIDENT, IS A MYSTERY YET UNSOLVED. -carrying permit has ' fiicts have been fought in years past| | | Center: M | not believe th: | members of the posse Monda: | ! ELVIN STEVENS, a 28-year-old | well digger of Dunn Loring. | between Falls Church and Fairfax, Va. was mysteriously shot to death a week ago to- morrow night! He died from a shotgun wound. in- flicted by a gun that was fired “not more than 10 and probably only about 5 feet away.” A plece of shotgun wadding was found in his head. When the shot was fired he was sur- rounded by seven men. They were his relatives or his friends, and one of them was a constable. None of them saw him killed. None of them knows who killed him. None of them knows whether he was murdered | or whether his death was. as the coroner has decided. an accident And according to the belief of those who have taken part in the lengthy in- vestigation of his death none will ever know. About two weeks ago Melvin Stevens { was sitting on his front porch after of his friends and his neighbors he had ! never affiliated himself with any of the | cliques of the neighborhood, like the lan bunch,” which included many of his frienc*. As he sat on his porch | after dark ie noticed a man in the road. | walking mp and down. as if trying to decide whether the Stevens house was the place he was looking for. + “He might want me for a well-dig- ging job," sald Melvin. And he reached ‘or the electric light | that flluminated h.. porch. | As the light flashed on there was the bark of a rifle and a bullet crashed through & window pane several inches above Melvin's head. ward told his friends that with the click of the rifle bcin? cocked he ducked—ducked even before the shot was fired. And this, he believes, saved his life. A second after the shot was fired an automobile swocped down the road, stopped, picked up the man who had fired and dashed off down the highway, Melvin ran into the road, but the tail lights of the car were vanishing, and even then had become tiny red <pecks, far away. Stevens did not tell the sheriff until the next da: ‘Then he notified him, and Sherift’ E. P. Kirby of Fairfax County arrived in the morning with & deputy, Henry Magarity, and they dug a bullet out of the wall in the kitchen, where it had been imbedded after/ crashing through the window pane. They did & lot of walking about and talking, but none of them could sug- finwhen the bullet could have come or who was trying to “get” Ste- vens. Hysteria Spreads. A few nights later another shot was fired at the Stevens home. And when the story spread it naturally bred other reports g! fi nge shots from the dark- ness, and mme(hln? akin to hysteria spread among the folk living nearby. ‘This feverish excitement was prepar- ing the stage for the tragedy last Mon- day night. Aieu'l. 8 o'clock last Monday night the mysterious stranger who shot fro lthe dark was reported in the vicinitd inr the mvemlhnu;e : in. Arthur J. Bhugars, who lives in the 'l.mvm home, said that somebody had fired at him. He notified Deputy Sheriff Paul Herr- man at Falls Church and Herrman came along in his car, being joined by Con stable Ben Runyon and James Runyon. James' wife is the sister of Melvin Stevens, James Stevens and his two brothers, John and Daniel; Charles Sovinskl, Samuel Baldwin and Shugars mace up thé posse that was organized on the spot to search the woods around the Stevens home. Melvin carried double-barreled shotgun and his broth- er John had another. Daniel Stevens and James Runyon had single-barreled ‘shotguns. \'ol\'e'r, Shugars and Sheriff Herrman were armed, was every member of the group. l!u‘:f .p lot of walking around through flelds, & car drove up away. Sheriff Herr- The X in the top picture shows where Melvin Stev Melvin Stevens, widow of the slain man, and her youngest child, 6 months old. Mrs. Stevens does The Stevens home is pictured in the center right, the X indicating where a builet, aimed at Stevens from ambush several weeks ago, shattered a window pane. Below are Joe Marcy of Upton Station, with whom Mrs. Stevens is now staying: John Stevens, brother of the slain es. the note | man. who wes the first to pick up the body; David Stevens, another brother, and James Runyon the home of Arthur J. Shugars, & neighbor cf Stevens. er husbard was killed by cne of his friends. They are posed before dark. He was & well liked young fellow. | | with no known enemies. Unlike many | Melvin after- | Runyon was carrying a re-! man and S8hugars thought they would follow it. They jumped in a machine and left the others standing in the cad. The posse decided to investigate fur- ther. They had reached a vacant rouse that stands near the Shugars residence when Melvin said, “I'm going luu an apple.” He jumped the fence a was leaning over a pile of fallen apples when his companions saw him straighten suddenly and start running back to the road. Turning. he fired two shots into the woods in the direc- tion whence he had come. Sheriff Runyon later shid he had heard no shots except those fired by Melvin, but others said they heard a shet which had caussd Melvin to look up and which, evidently, had drawn his fire in return, Stevens Is Killed. At any rate, Melvin joined the group. which had by then formed a line facing the woods. Melvin was standing be- side his brother, John. All of them be- gan firing into the woods. Then there | was a noise on the other side of the road. Some of the men turned and | fired in that direction, and there had been some 32 shots fired when John Stevens cried out—"Stop shooting, they've got Melvin In the meantime Sheriff Hermann and Shugars had heard the shooting ,and drove rapidly back to the posse. Just as they reached the group, some of the men were bending over Melvin. Blood was still streaming from his head. Sheriff Hermann sald he was dead then, and, from the wound, it was be- lieved that he had died instantanecusly. Sheriff Kirby believes Melvin was killed accijentally by some member of the posse as they turned to fire on the opposite side of the road. The absence of adequate shelter, he says, have made it impossible for Melvin to have been killed by a stranger without the latter having been seen by other members of the pcsse. ‘This explanation, however, does not account for the shots on former nights, which _the sheriff _says undoubtedly were fired. Although Sheriff Kirby |has worked hard on the case, he readily admits he cannot explain this phase of the mystery. otevens’ friends and relatives are convinced the shots were fired by the unknown assaflant, but the authorities who have investigated the case do not think so. Authenticity Disputed, Some residents of tbe county be- lieve these “shots” were products of overwgrked imaginations, but others be- lieve they were actually fired and ac- count for them in this manner: One member of the community, they say, belongs to a secret organization and had developed a strong dislike for | a colored man living in the vicinity. In |order to arouse sentiment against the | man, they say, he fired some mysterious | hots kimself” in the hope the Negro ‘wou)d be suspected and driven out of the county. They believe, however, that he was unable to control the wa | of feeling once it got under way, and that Melvin's death. was the tragic and | unforeseen result. | Sherift Kirby admitted he had heard | this report and that he was investigat- |ing it. He would not, however, say | that he believed it to be true. | _ Commonwealth's Attorney Wilson Farr said he believed the shooting was | accidental. | He is making a further investigation | and intends to question again the mem- bers of the posse who were with | Stevens. Meanwhile, the relatives of the slain 'man and his friends are openly at odds | with the authorities concerning the ex- | planation ot the mystery. hey are jconvinced the young well digger was murdered by a vicious slayer who is | still at large in the neighborhood, and nothing, they say, except a voluntary confession from: some member of the posse will change their minds. Members of the two families are so frightened that’ they have closed their homes. ‘f{‘u. Stevens is staying with reln!;:‘s :n 5 dra in Arlis n County and Shugars moved ington. wife to Wi ‘would | ens fell mortally wounged The latter three were Star Staff Photos. WIFE KEEPS VIGIL AT EDISON' SIDE Inventor Sleeping Quietly, But Death Believed Drawing Near. By the Associated Press. WEST ORANGE, N. J, October 10.— The world for Thomas A. Edison now is just one person—his wife. As the inventor lay in a stupor today, on the verge of a coma, Dr. Hubert S. Howe said Mr. Edison for days has been able to recognize no one except his white-haired wife, who has been at his bedside almost constantly. In the past. because of the peculiar timbre of her voice. her words have been clear to Mr. Edison despite his Geafness. To this circumstance is par- tially attributed his ability to recognize her now. P -1ins at Bedside. Other members of his famlly are maintaining a vigil near the si-kroom, but the Jast word of farewell between them and M. Edison apparently been exchanged. How much ionger he will be able to recognize Mrs. Edison was beyond pre- | dietion, but s years, remains close at.hand to keep alive his last contact with the world. As Dr. Howe came from his routine examination of the patient he told re- porters: “About the only change in Mr. Edison’s condition is that it is in- creasingly difficult f-r hlrg‘ to take | nourishment. He has had hothing in | the 1°st 24 hours. In tie preczding 24 hours he had only six teaspoonfuls of cereal. Unable to Take Liquids. “He is not taking liquids, which are very necessary if the uremic pcisoning is to be kept from spreading through his_system.” 4 Dr. Howe described as “a Yot cf non- sense” a statement by Mr. Edison's barber that the inventor had reccg- nized him yesterday. The physicien's formal morning bul- | letin read “Mr. Edison had a restless night, but there is a little noticeable change and | his clinical condition is about the same | as_yesterday.” He added to reporters: A “Any change in Mr. Edison’s condi- tion now would be gradual, according | to all outward indications, although I | would not be greatly surprised at any | sudden* turn.” \ Ready for Quick Return. After his visit Dr. Howe returned to } New York. It was announced that in the event of a sudden change in the inventor’s condition a special police es- cort had been arranged to conduct the | physician_through Holland Tunnel and ! | over the highways to the Edison home. “Mr. Edison rested quietly through- out the day,” Charles Edison said in a bulletin at 4 pm. “There is no no- | ticeable ch;nfe in his condition.” Bishop William T. Manning of New York telegraphed a message of sym- | pathy. Theodore Edison, another son, issued a bulletin at 10 p.m. which read: “Mr. Edison has been sleeping quiet- ly for the last few hours and there 13 still no fioticeabls chang= in his con- | Av dition.” West Virginia B;;k ‘—Plfll. has | e, his companion of 45/ ISCHOOL SITE DELAY LAIDTO AGREEMENT Gotwals Said to Have Urged Plot Opposed by Board. __(Continued From First Page) reliable sources that the reason the land had not been purchased during the Summer was that Maj. Gotwal had been seeking without success to convince the school authorities that they should approve the site at Thirty- ninth and Fessenden streets in defer- ence to Senator Nye's preference. It was learned, further, that the school authorities and Charles W. Eliot, 3d, city planner of the National Cavital Park and Planning Commission, have long since agreed on_two other sites in the same locality. The Thirty-ninth and Pessenden streets tract was unde- sirable, school authorities explained, be- cause it is not large enough and the Senior High School students would be forced to cross Fessenden street to use the athletic field of the Alice Deal Junior High School. Knew of Conversations Mr. Eliot said last night that he had submitted the two alternative sites to the school authorities last M: ‘The park and planning commission, he said, took no formal action with respect to the sites. however, because Maj. Got- wals had asked that the matter of a choice be left in his hands. It was | pointed out, at that time, that the | Engineer Commissioner's office had final decision anyway and that the matter might just as well be left with the Engineer Commissioner himself. Mr. Eliot told The Star last night that he knew as long ago as last May that Maj. Gotwals “had had conversations with certain members of Congress.” He did not name these members, however. Asked specifically why he had not bought a si‘e, Maj. H. L. Robb, assistant engineer commissioner, whose duties in- clude the purchasing’ ofgschool lands, said yesterday he was awaiting Ma Gotwals' return to his office from sf leave “specific instructions.” He declined to comment on Maj. Gotwals' part in the transaction or the pagt which Senator Nye was reported & have played, preferring, he said, to proceed in the matter upon orders from his superiors. Dr. Reichelderfer told The Star he knew nothing of any ‘“agreements” which Maj. Gotwals and Senator Nye had. He said he knew, however, that Maj. Gotwals “had been in contact Fith Senator Nye," but that he doubted the existence of any “agreement.” The site which Maj. Gotw is re- ported to prefer for the senior high school now is in process of condemna- tion as an elementary school site. It adjoins the home of Edward G. Yonker, president of the Sanitary Grocery Ci who, with several neighbors, have vig- orously protested against its use for ele- mentary school purposes. When asked if he would agree to the Thirty-ninth and Fessenden strects site for a senior high school, Mr. Yonkers refused to say. It was re- ported in official circles, however, that the property owners who had protested the elementary school were satisfied to have “a big handsome senior high school in their community.” Preference Is Mysiery. None of the persons interviewed ves- terday was able to say why Senator Nye wanted the new senior high school to be erected at Thirty-ninth and Fes- senden streets rather than on either of the two larger and less expensive tracts three or four blocks away. Sen: tor Nye himsel! was reported on out! in distant woods and Mrs. Nye said he couid not be reached either by telegraph or telephone. While the Fessenden street site is so smzll that it would requie an irregu- larly-shaped building. in addition to the double use of the Alice Deal Junior High School recreational fields, the other two sites offer much better accommoda- tions, school officials explained yester- day. Th> more preferred of the two alternative sites, they said, would a commodate a well planned building and an athletic fleld with a quarter-mile track. The second ef the two acceptable sites would permit the construction of a “slightly irregularly shaped building” and a fifth-mile track. Either of these tracks, however, would be acceptable to the school authorities and to the city planner. SEPFRVE SIS GREAT WESTERN BUYS K. C. SOUTHERN STOCK Trackage for Northwest Route to Gulf Reported Object of Deal. By the Associated Press. CHICAGO. October 10.—Patrick H. Joyce, acting president of the Chi- cago Great Western Railway, said last night the carrier had acquired a 20 | per cent interest in the Kansas City Southern Railroad. | _“The puichase was made last week.” Joyce said, “and gave us part of the trackage we need for a direct rout> from the Northwest to the Gulf of Mexico. We will make a railroad out of it if we can get co-operation.” Joyce saii no further negotiations were pending between the two roads but that additional trackage would be obtained if possible from other sources. He explained the 20 per cent purchase was “not & consolidation of the two carriers.” The statem:nt was made shortly after his arrival from New York. His as- sociates previously had refused to deny Joyce was in the East to arrange finan- cial detalls of the plan. September Circ;xla;tion ‘Daily... 108,029 'Sunday, 117,123 District _of Columbia. sr.: ING “NEWBOLD. Bushiess Manager of THE EVENING AND SUNDAY STAR does Solemniy swear thet ihe actual number of copies of the paper named sold and distrib= uted during the month of Beptember, A. 1931, was as follovs | Total datly met circulation. Average daily net paid circulation.. Daily average number of coples for Service, ete. ....... > Dally avers net eirculation SUNDAY. Lass Sasustments ... Total Bunday net_cireulation Ty erage net paid Sundey circulition 116,413 serv- SPENCER, W. Va., October 10 (#)— The Roane County Bank of Spencer closed today by the board of direc- ¢ of recent heavy with-