Evening Star Newspaper, January 16, 1932, Page 16

BANK BANDITS' CAR IS IDENTIFIELD AS THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1932. ONE STOLEN HERE Sedan Was Taken From Salesman of Motor Con- cern at Point of Gun. POLICE BELIEVE GUNMEN LEFT CAPITAL BY TRAIN| Quartet Flees With $14,135 After Herding Clerks and Cus- tomers Into Room. Search for the four machine gun bandits who held up the Washington Mechanics & Savings Bank branch at Ninth and East Capitol streets yester- day afternoon spread over a wide area today, as police positively identi- fled the autcmobile used by the gun- men the one stolen from a salesman Blanton Motor Co. of neighboring cities through- seciicn of the couniry were arm ith descripticns of the bandits who cscaped with $14,135 after herd- ing clerks, a janitor and three customers into a rear room in the bank, and sharp look-outs are being kept at railroad stations. Inspector F. S. W. Burke, chief of detectives, said today members of the force have been instructed to give spe- cial attention to the guarding of bank- ing institutions in the Capital follow- ing yesterday's hold-up. Send Card to Newspaper. A postal card purporting to have been sent by one of the members of the robber band, was received by an afternoon newspaper here, and subse- quently turned over to police. The in- scription on it read: “Well, well. De- pression—no work—bank, $14,000. 1 hate to do it but I can't starve. A. B M., one member.” It was written with pencil. The card bore a Washington postmark The stolen machine, it was explained by investigators, was abandoned by the hold-up men at Second and D streets northeast, in close proximity to Union Staticn, and it is thought the quartet may have fled the city by train. Described by Salesmen. Two salesmen of the Blanton Motor Co. had detailed descriptions of four men who visited the automobile con- cern Tuesday on the pretext of trying out some used cars, two of whom later forced Rudolph Dossett, salesman, to surrender the small green sedan as he was demonstruting it to them on the extension of New York avenue north- east Oscar Blanton. head of the automo- bile firm, said the other two men taken out another machine, driven by Charles Claybourne, another salesman. Claybourne, Blanton said, became sus- picious of the men, however, and re- fused to all>w them to drive the car, returning after a short ride to the show FooI<. Dossett, meanwhile, was demonstrat- ing the machine for the other members of the group when one of them shoved “g big gun” in his back and ejected him from the car. Tallies With Bandits. The description of these four men tallies closely with that given of the bendit party who visited the bank branch at 2:45 o'clock yesterday. The tags on the small sedan had been sub- stituted with Maryland license plates No. 124-256, which were issued to Dan- fel M. Blumenthal of Baltimore. Blumenthal had reported to police that his car had been stolen from & arking lot in Baltimore January 8 and ad not been recovered The hold-up yesterday apparently had been carefully planned and was carried out with quiet deliberation. Three of the men entered the bank, while a fourth remained at the wheel of the car, waiting, with motor running, on East Capitol street The first of the trio went directly to the glass door connecting with the back part of the office and the safe deposit T door is controlled by an utton in the cage of Joseph y, assistant cashier of the Mechanics Saving Bank nager of the branch. four Produces Machine Gun. McCarthy said he did not recognize the man as a customer and moticned come toward the cage. ver, the stranger greeted him with a gruff demand to open the door, at the same time producing a submachine gun from a brief case. ously, the two other mem- bers of the band who had entered the bank drew guns, one of them guarding the door, while the other covered the three customers and four employes. The r bandit, apparently the leader, a gray-haired man about 40, who carried the machine gun, smashed througt glass door and walked around to the back of the cages. thy said he at first thought planned to lock them in instead, however, they ush- em into the rear room of the thy, other clerks on duty were Gordon E. Arnett, 35, pay teller, of 3701 Sixteenth street: Arthur Deuterman, 23, 20 Eighteenth al Grand Ridg- treet southeast. The er Jones, 54, of rtheast, was already T in the bank included Mrs. s, 803 Massachusetts ave- Miss Anna J. Keady, 210 Friendship Heights, Md., whi exe cretary of the Christ Child Soclety, with 800 block of East 3 and Runnels of 1703 West nue northeast bandit leader motioned the »m he admon ve for 10 minutes Prospect p Placed at $14,135. president of the concrn estimate of the loss had been ed at 314,135 adding that each ¢ is bonded at $75,000. The ban- s secured only such paper money as was in the cashier's cage, distegarding all silver and gold, amounting to ap- proximately $11,000. A check for $14,135, the amount of the loss, already has been turned over 1o the bank by R. B. Cummings & Co., general agents for the Globe Indemnity Co., which insures the bank against robbery and similar losses. This was done only an hour after the hold-up, according to bank officials. Flee at High Speed. Loot a Gould Bystanders said doors on each side all seden were wide open as : mazhine made its geiaway at hign | from receiving heavy sentences in Dis- of the t spced along East Capltol street. sidents of the ceived their first from the bank, leaped into their ard sped away. The car made so much noise on the getaway, it was said, that occupants of several nearby houses ran to windows and watched the machine flash down the street. Police arrived only & few minutes later. Since the bandits fled west on East Sanitabgstreet and the police dx‘ in here Tues- | Instead, | neighborhood re- intimation of the hoid-up they said, when the bandits ran car { | | | the opposite direction on the same thor- | oughfare, it was believed the two cars | had passed each other only a few blocks from the bank. Patrgn Found in Bank. Deuterman was the first person to leave the room into which he and the others were herded. Quietly opening the door, he cautlously stuck his head | | out and peered down the narrow hall- | | way leading to the banking office | proper. There he saw a man standing | in front of the counter, apparently | writing something. After a moment’s hesitation, Deuter- | man called “Is it all right for us to come out?” | Seeing the man did not understand, | Deuterman asked: “Ts there any one else out there The man replied in the negative and | | Deuterman and the others filed out. | | The man, it was found, was ignorant of | the hold-up and had gone to the bank to make a deposit. | Led to Back Room. Mrs. Keady entered the bank while the hold-up was in progress. | “It was about a quarter to 3 o'clock,” she related, “and when I noticed the door was closed I thought I had come too late. A strange man opened the door, however, and motioned for me to come in. “I did so, and the man led me toward the back of the office, sort of pushing me along. He was very courteous about it, though. Despite the fact I had never seen the man before, it did not occur to me that anything was wrong until gnotlced a pile of broken glass on the oor. | | i I Shoved Into Room. “I thought that was kind of strange, but said nothing. And while I was still thinking about it, the man opened the door leading to the back room and said: “‘We’ll do business back here." “As I entered the room I noticed sev- eral persons lying face downward or the floor. I turned as if to leave, but noticed a gun in the man’s hand and he told me to stay where I was. He said something else, too, before he finally closed the door, but I was too excited to remember what it was.” The witnesses to the hold-up were taken to police headquarters last night, | where they examined pictures of possi- | ble suspects in the “rogue’s gallery.” | None was able to identify any of the men, however. Description of Bandits. The police look-out describes each of | the men as.“well dressed.” The unan | who carried the machine gun and who also held a pistol, was described as be- | ing approximately 48 years old, 5 feet 1014 inches, gray hair, reddish smooth | face, wearing glasses, a gray fedora | hat, blue suit and grey topcoat. A sec- | ond member of the gang was said to be | about 3) years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing ‘about 150° pounds, medium | ‘build, dark complexion and foreign | | looking. He also wore a fedora hat and | | carried a pistol. | | The third man whose description is |in the hands of investigators is said | to be about 25 or 30 years old, 5 feet { 7 inchas tall, weighing 140 pounds, dark | complexion, ‘and also wearing a light | fedora hat. No description was given {for the driver of the car. These de- scriptions are practically identical with | | the descriptions given of the visitors | to the Blanton Motor Co. Tuesday | The bandit car, picked up by a Traf- | fic Bureau cruising car last night, was | turned over to fingerprint experts for possible evidence. | Police were holding three men and a woman for investigation in a stolen operty case today, but it was ex- | plained” by investigators handling the { bank hold-up case that they had no| | connection with that crime | Police said, it was the first bank hold- up of its kind since 1920, when a simi- | lar occurrence took place in broad day- light at & bank on Georgia avenue. ]MRS. SAUNDERS DIES | AT DAUGHTER’S HOME | | e SRR Native of Washington, 81, Had Been Ill Two Years—Funeral Will Be Held Monday. | | Mrs. Mary E. Saunders, 81, a native of this city, died yesterday at the resi- | | cence of her daughter, Mrs. William T. Wade, 7708 Morningside Drive, after an | iliness of two years. | Mrs. Saunders, who was born here | | August 17, 1851, had spent her entire | life s a resident of the Capital. She | was the wife of the late David I. | Saunders, one of the city’s leading flor- ists for many vears She is survived by four children, Mrs. Willlam T. Wade, Walter A, David E, and Harvey E. Saunders, all of this city. | Funeral services will be held at the | | followed by burial in Rock Creek Ceme- tery. BANDITS’ PISTOLS TOYS The fact they used toy pistols in a hold-up last month saved two men | trict Supreme Cour*. yestercay. Justice F. D. Lefts sentenced the | pair—Lee G. Langley, 39, and Donald | M. Bowes, 21—tc 18 months in the| penitentiary after Assistant United | States Attorney John J. Sirica had stated they were armed only with toy guns in a hold-up at 1426 L street. He also sentenced J. Franklin Jett to pay a fine of $400 and serve a year and & day in jail for liquor law viola- Top: The four tellers of the East Capitol street branch of the Washington | Mechanics Savings Bank who were forced to lie on the floor by bandits who held | up the bank yesterday and escaped with $14,000. Left to right: Joseph McCarthy, | Gordon E. Arnett, Arthur Deuterman and T. Grant Ridgeley. | and Mrs. Armand Runnels, who were among the customers herded into a back room by the bandits. Right center: R. | ance claim check to Ezra Gould, president of the bank, to cover the loss. Below: The automobile used by the bandits, found abandoned last night. Left center: Mr. B. Cummings (left) presents an insur- —Star Staff Phoms.l MLEOD MEASURE AGAIN PRESENTED Provides Financial Responsi- bility for Owners and Drivers of Autos. Representative Clarence J. McLeod, | Republican, of Michigan, today rein- troduced the bill sponsored by the American Automobile Association, pro- viding for the financial responsibility of owners and operators of motor ve- hicles for damages caused by such ve- hicles in the District and prescnblng‘ penalties. This bill passed the House in the previous Congress and, as introduced today, carries only very siight changes in language from the bill previously passed. Suspension for Drivers. 1t provides for the suspension by the director of traffic of motor vehicle operators’ or chauffeurs’ licenses and all of the registration certificates of any persons who shall, by final order or Judgment, have been convicted of, or shall have forfeited bond or collateral given for, a violation of any of the fol- lowing provisions of law: “Driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotic drugs. “Leaving the scene of an automobile accident in which personal injury oc- curs without making identity known. “Such other violations as constitute | cause for suspension or revocation of licenses in the District. “The conviction of an offense in any other State which if committed in the District of Columbia would be a viola- tion of any of these provisions of the traffic act of the District.” Proof of Responsibility. The McLeod bill provides that the suspension of such license shall hold and shail not be renewed, nor shall any other motor vehicle be registered in the offender’s name until he shall give proof of his ability to pay damages for per- sonal injury of one person up to $5,000, or $10,000 for injury or death of two or | more persons in any one accident, and for damage to property of at least $1,000 resulting from any one accident. Such proof in these amounts shall be | furnished for each motor vehicle owned or registered. 1f the offender is not a resident of the District, the privilege of operating his motor vehicle in the District shall be withdrawn until he has given such proof of financial responsibility. BRIDE, AGED 15, SOUGHT AS HUSBAND IS HELD | Arrest of Youthful Spouse Fol- lows Parents Complaint—Mar- ried in Rockville. Following complaints from parents, residence Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock, | policewomen today were seeking a 15- | year-old bride, following the apprehen- sion of her 16-year-old husband, George Leon Harrison of 635 Ninth streef northeast, yesterday-—a day after their marriage. The young husband was arrested in a house in the 300 block of D street southeast by Policewoman L. F. Kelly. | It was believed the bride, Clara Chad- well, 024 H street northeast, made a | hurried exit upon the policewoman's | approxch The young couple was iarried at Rockville Thursday night after giving their ages as 19 and 18 years, respec- tively. = Police were motified when Clara failed to return home and yes- terday the girl's parents learned she was married. ‘The parents of the boy and girl are undecided what they will do, Police- tion. Jett's attorney, John H. Burnett, noted an appeal. woman Kelly said today. The boy was held at the House of Def . . . ELGEN EXPECTED - T0BE CONFIRMED Utilities Appointee Received| Approval of Senate Dis- trict Committee. The ncmination of Riley E. Elgen to be a member of the Public Utilities Commission is expected to be confirmed by the Senate early next week, having been, aproved by the Senate District Committee yesterday afternoon without opposition. The committee heard arguments yes- | terday for and against the Capper bill to provide for the incorporation in ‘Washington of credit unions, which or- ganize to make loans to their mem- bers. The measure was referred to the corporation counsel's office to perfect | certain amendments suggested during the hearing, after which the committee will be ready to act on the bill. After expressing certain general ob- jections to the bill, F. G. Awalt, deputy controller of the currency, outlined changes his office believes should be made. Awalt said the controller’s office realized it is not popular to oppose credit unions, but felt certain points should be brought to the attention of | | the committee. | Awalt said it was felt these organiza- | -, tions would, in fact, do a banking busi- | ness and that the controller does not | believe this additional structure should | bs superimposed on the banking struc- | ture of the District. In a number of the Government de- | partments there are already in opera- tion mutual organizations for making | |loans_to their members. Mr. Awall | s2id if the credit unions remained as | | they are mow in the Government de- | | partments “it would be all right,” but | he expressed s belief that they would | grow into commercial conc:rns. | Assistant _Corporation Counsel Wil- | liam A. Roberts suggested several | | amendments, but defended and sup- | | ported the bill in general, declaring it | s hard for persons of small income to | obtain small loans in the District. | Representatives of some of the co- operative loan societies in Government | departments also supported the bill. | Mr. Roberts had recommended ar amendment reducing the annual license | and other supporters of the bill said it should be still lower. The credit union bill passed the Senate at the last ses- sion, but did not get through the | House. | ‘The committee postponed action on| the resolution intended to hasten the | removal of the tracks of the Mount| | Vernon, Alexandria & Washington [ Railway Co. from the part of the Fed- | eral building program south of Penn-' sylvania avenue; and to let the District | Supreme Court determine whether damages are due the company The commiitee approved the ap- pointment of Mr. Elgen for the Utili- ties Commission after Assistant Corpo- ration Counsel Roberts had indorsed the qualifications and ability of the appointee. Mr. Elgen has been a valu- ation expert in the Interstate Com- merce Commission 13 years, and Mr. Roberts said he had an’ opportunity to observe his work there for a number of years. RITES FOR FIRE VICTIM Funeral services for Mrs. Nellie E.| smith, 70, who was fatally burned yes- terday when her dress ignited from an oil stove in her home, 800 A strcet southeast, will be held at the residence at 11 am. Monday. Burial will be in Boonsboro, Md. Mrs.. Smith died at Providence Hos- pital several hours after she was burned. Her daughter, Miss Betty M Smith, who received painful burns while trying to save her mother's life, will accompany the body to Boonsboro. | fee of a credit union from $50 to $25 | po MELLON BOOSTS CHEST GIFT $20.000 OVER LAST YEAR®S Applause Greets Announce- ment by Newbold Noyes at Unit Meeting. 148 NEW DONATIONS SEND TOTAL TO $487,027 Chairman Aspinwall Urges Neces- sity of Obtaining Increased Pledges. Announcement yesterday of a $20,000 increase pledged by Secretary of the Treasury Mellon this year over his 1931 contribution of $30,000 was greeted with enthusiastic appiause at a meet- ing yesterday afterncon of the Com- munity Chest’s special gifts unit at the Willard Hotel. In reporting Mr. Mellon's 1932 gift of $50,000, Newbold Noyes, captain of the unit, called attention to the fact that heavy demands are made upon the Secretary in his own home city and State. Mr. Noyes added that while he had expected an increase, the size of Mr. Mellon's pledge was an agreeable | surprise, The 148 new subscriptions reported by the special gifts unit at yesterday's meeting, totaled $200.767, boosted the amount collected by the unit to date to $487,027, or more than half of its quota. Increased Pledges Urged. The necessity for obtaining in- creased pledges this year was urged upon the workers by Clarence A. As- pinwall, chairman of the special gifts unit. “The people of Washington are responding_generously,” Mr. Aspinwall declared, “but our unit is not averaging the one-third increase which will be necessary if we do out part in meeting the greatest peace-time emergency ever faced by the National Capital.” The speaker of the day was Rev. Laurence J. Shehan, assitsant director of the Catholic Charities, who related several notable instances in which the Catholic Charities had come to the aid of destitute families in Washington. Among notable increases listed yes- terday was that of ¢he Sanitary Gro-| cery Co. which pledged $10,000, an in- crease of $4,000 over its gift last year; the Hecht Co., $5,000, an increase of $1,000 over its 1931 gift; Edward G. Yonker, $2,000, an over his 1931 pledge; Mrs. James Par- melee, $2,500, an increase of $1,000, and Victor Kauffmann, $3,000, an in- crease of $1,000 over last year's pledge. There was also sent in the gift by an anonymous contributor of $600. Many Gifts Over $500. Contributions of $500 or more, which showed increases over last year, werc reported yesterday as follows Mrs. Beale R. Howard, $2,000, an increase over last year's gift of $500; Mr. and Mrs. Alanson B. Houghton, $1,100, and increase of $100; Miss Anna M. Carrere, $600, an increase of $100; anonymous, $1,000, an increase of $400; anonymous, $1.200. and increase of $200; Mrs. Zaidee Ellis Gaff, $800, an increase of $200; Mr. and Mrs. William M. Hannay, $600, an increase of $100; Harry Lee Rust, jr, $750, an in- crease of $250; anonymous, $600; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. May, $1,200, an increase of $100; Miss Belle Sherwin, $1,200, an increase of $400; Mrs. Wal- ter Schoellkoff, $750. an increase of $25 Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur J. Carr, $1,000, an’ increase of $250; Col. and Mrs. Henry P. Erwin, $1,500, an increase of $200. Mr. and Mrs, Plerre Gaillard, $2,000, an increase of $500; Mrs. John H. Gibbons, $600, an increase of $200; Comdr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Wilkins, $600, an increase of $50; Nathaniel H. Luttrell, $2,400, an increase of $400; Miss Annie May Hegeman, $4,000, an increase of $500; Mrs. Victor Kauff- mann, $1,500, an increase of $500. Marriage Licenses. H. Pgyne, 22, and Evelyn R. Rei PHrestes” Rohrer. Wi e VT ang Mor- Vien Clarke, 18, Washington: Rev Hunter Boyd, 20 E.'D. garet v wens Vincent J. Mancuso, .20, and Providence Rev. N. A, Di Crilo. d Stella Draper, 1) 2, and Elsie Walters, 3 ne W rank J. Bohi . and Tl Hennig nd Alice G. Woods. Thomkill, 27 Charles Williams. nings, 19 C. Boswell. 20 Rev._John John Brown, 20: Rev i Wwilliam Garrigues. and Grace L_Howarth. 44, Maywood, N. James E. Freeman. 30, and Ellen Steadman, A 32, and Virginia L. Mc- Ghee. 32 Rev. A. F. Poore Leon Schuchalter, 25. and Bessie Drobis. 24." both of Baltimore: Judge Robert E. Mattingly. Paul E. Epple: 22. both of Yar Rossie Simms, ev. W. D. Briges. and Dorothy Nichols, DS 74, Plainfield, N. . v, 22. and Mary E_Fackler. k. P Rev. oore. 5. and Ethel Carmond and Carrie Foyer, Tyler Tlmore Paype, 40. and Martha Woodson, ev. A J Tyler Prank S. Day, 2, Danville, Va, and Belle 30, Washipgton: Rev, W. S. ‘Abernethy. hard Murdock. %2, ‘and Alice V Barnette. 22: Rev, Joseph Georze Nowlin. Rey. Thomas Tilden Trvin Goldstein. 29, and Mary Koonin 25; Rev. Solomon' H. Metz. Births Reported. Pickett L. and Anna Munday. girl Risinarg R, ang, Lavinia BTy James L. and riet A. Quinn, boy. Charles L. al Lucille A. Maddox. boy Guy L. and Gertrude H. Carder. girl. Francis and sie Hall. girl. June E. and Marie M. Wallmark. girl Harry A. and Elizabe Buckley Charles N. and Annie E. Clifton, Clyde A. and Evelyn E.A. Tolley. b Eugene W. and Katherine M. Billicl Lawrence E. and Grace 1. Sadler. boy Robert T. and Blanche R. Eilertson. boy. E. and_Bridie. M _Foster, boy fbuer . snd, Bridie, M ESST bo Emile P. and Martha G. Antonovich. boy Russell B. and Katharine S. Patterson. R Theodore R and Annie V. Hicks. girl James and Laura L. McEvoy, girl Thomas and_ Lillian V. Johnson, girl. Russell S. and Elizabeth A. Hetrick, girl Warren C. and Pauline A. Hurst. &irl Alexander S. and Pearl E. Gehl. girl Dosle H. and Dena B. Strange. boy Edward ‘and Mary Soxhomonia. boy. Matthew C. and Gladvs F. Brandt, boy. Henrs W. and Mary L_Ech. boy Philip E_'and Carolyn Grifin, boy hur K. 'and Recina M. Besley, . ‘and Wylma a and Edna M James E. and Virginia Arthur and Norella Smith. boy C 'and Done D. Jenifer, boy. Deaths Reported. A st Chevy 44 Rennedy Viola Cohen. 21 boy. ra gir! boy. girl James e Marths W, Bar s Nora V. Mani Nlhfknret Sullivan, 78, Amanda R. Copeland, 77. 2709 Woodley rd. tal. Katharine V. Shoemaker, 71, 1020 Girard 70, @b, Elizabeth's , 91, 1337 n g2, 5228 cl Georgetown Hos- stoee Thomas McDairmant, Hcl“:'{i‘“ R: 63, Sibley al ndiana Ryon. 63, : ymlll- 81, 21 Michigan ave. Nellie Mul Max ' Cayton. 60, en route to Emergency 48, 1317 Rhode Hospital Daisy H. H. Van Meter, 48. Garficld Hospital ks, 45, Emergency ‘Hos- Ashby G. West HTrmnn H. Meeks, IWfl!flrd Linberg, 39. Emergency Hospital. Mary R. Graves, 8 months, Providence Hospital. George_Satterfield. 51, 507 44th st Joa!n{\ C. Johnson, 37, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital m';mn Williams, 2, 1325 Hunton st. s.w. Lauta M. Curtis. 1. Freedmen's Hospital Catharine Kinnard, 1, Children’s Hos- Margaret D. Williams, 4 months, P street. -~ increase of $1,000 D helma’ Jen- | 2 about Unidentified Man Asks Him to Write Address When “Pen” Explodes. Eyes of Bystander Irritated by Blast—Injured Men Treated at Hospital. A tear gas gun, disguised as & foun- tain pen, handed to Frank A. O'Brien, a taxi driver, by an unidentified man early this mcrning near Thomas Circle, exploded and lacerated his right hand and severely frritated the eyes of Charles Wade, 1125 Seventeenth street, a bystander. Both men were treated at Emergency Hospital. O'Brien, who lives at 1122 Eighth street, said he was on his way home about 1:30 o'clock this morning when tWo men in a parked automobile bear- ing Maryland license tags called him. One of the men, evidently under the influence of liquor, asked O'Brien to write down an address for him on a piece of paper and offered him a fouri- tain peh. As O’'Brien took the pen it | exploded, tearing out a muscle of his | hand and temporarily blinding him and | Wade, who was a few feet away at the time. Six stitches were taken in | O'Brien’s hand at the hospital. The strangers escaped after the blast, but O'Brien gave second precinct police a good description of the man Wwho handed him the tear gas gun. | Police belicve O'Brien was the vic- | tim of an intended practical joke, per- WASHINGTON' LIFE ASBOYISRECALLED Historian of Native’s Society| Presents Paper Dealing With His Early Days. | The boyhood of George Washington, | from his very early years at Wakefield | to his residence at Mount Vernon, was related at the meeting of the Soclety of | Natives of the District of, Columbia last night at the Washington Club by James F. Duhamel, historian of the| society. Mr. Dubamel's paper was one of & series dealing with the life of the first President. Washington's stay at | Wakefield, his birthplace, was ex- | tremely short and was not recalled by him in his later life, Mr. Duhamel | told the soclety. It was when the future hero of the United States was only 3 years old that he was taken to Eppwassen on the Potomac River, | between Dogue Run and Little Hunt- | ing Creek. This site was subsequently | to become known as Mount Vernon, | that name having been given to the | estate by George Washington's brotner | Lawrence. The first home at Mount Vernon was built, the historian recited for the so- ciety, by Angus Washington. The | structure. was some distance from the | present mansion and was nearer to | the_highway which skirted the Wash- | | ington property. George lived with his | | family in this house for four .years, | when at the age of 7, he moved with nis family, to Ferry Farm, opposite the lower end of Fredericksburg. His brother Lawrence, however, remained at Mount Vernon. Educated at Fredericksburg. According to Mr. Duhamal's account, it was at Fredericksburg, then the sec- | ond largest town in Virginip, that George Washington received his educa- tion. George became ambitious to‘ | enter the British Navy, Mr. Duhamel told his fellow Natives, but he was discouraged in this by his uncle Ball, then in England. His interest in the | British Navy was stimulated, Mr.| Duhamel suggested, by the adventurous | tales Lawrence told and by the stories | related by the “two neighboring Fair- | | fax boys,” who had served in the Brit- i |ish Navy. | _George was a frequent visitor to the Fairfax home and. in later years he alluded to it as his “second home.” | During the four years he enjoyed | association with the Fairfax family | George did some surveying for Lord | | Fairfax and assisted in surveying | Alexandria. Meanwhile, however, the attractions | | of Mount Vernon were asserting them- selves with the Washington family, | | Duhamel continued. The house at Epp- wassen was burned in 174] and Law- rence, with whom George took up his | residence, constructed the central por- | tion of the present mansion, calling it| | Mount Vernon. Lawrence died in 1752, | and under the terms of his will the es- tate went to an infant daughter. That daughter, however, died and, under the same will, the estate then became the property of George Washington. Inherited Mount Vernon. | | George lived at Mount Vernon for | | four years before he became of age and | | inherited the estate, however, and these years, Mr. Duhamel related, were busy for George. The future President was | | made surveyor for Culpeper County, and | this task occupied much of the time | during his youthful years, | During the business session of the scolety’s meeting last night the Mem- bership Committee was announced. It | jfollows: Mrs Roscoe L. Oatley, chair- man; Rudolph Bishop, Fred A. Emery, Albert N. Scott, Henry W. Samson and | H:‘nl’)ll, Hallam, In the same session the society vote to membership Warner M. Eatoi”l,vlvfrg Amy H. Hoover, Charles Kern, Walter Elwood Allen, John P. Gwynne, Charles N. Lehman and Mabel Cooke-Rams- burg. Enfertainment was presented at the close of the business session by a group from the Job's Daughters’ Glee Club, presented by Mrs. Hoover, the new member. WEATHER IS N ORMAL Temperature Tumbles to 45—In- creasing Cloudiness and Rain Due Sunday. After three days of record-breaking warm weather, the temperature today | returned to normal for January. The Weather Bureau thermometer registered 45 at 10 a.m. today, as com- pared with 68 at the same hour yes- terday. Officials explained tempera- tures in the forties are not unusual in January. When the mercury soared to 77| shortly after 2 o'clock yesterday after- | noon, a mark which had stood for more than half a century went by the board. The highest reading ever recorded in ]Was)!]mgton in January until yesterday | was 76. Dr. Charles F. Marvin, Weather Bu-| reau chief, could offer no explanation | for the warm spell. “It's a freak warm spell within a warm spell,” he said. ‘The forecast: “Increasing cloudiness, followed by rain late tonight or Sunday. Not much change in temperature. Lowest tonight 42 . degrees.” TAXI DRIVER'S HAND IS TORN BY FOUNTAIN PEN TEAR GAS GUN FRANK A. O'BRIEN. petrated by a man under the influence of liquor. An examination is being made of the wexpon, however, to de- termine the causz of the explosion. MAPES BILL PLEAS GVEN COMMITEE Protests of Two Civic Groups Are Presented to House Organization. Two resolutions adopted by citizens’ associgtions in the District of Columbia registering opposition to the various forms of tax increase as proposed by the specin]l Mapes Committee, which have already been approved by the House and are awalting action in the | Senate, were submitted today to the | House District Committee. One of these was adopted by the Northeast Washington Citizens’ Asso- ciation which says that “It is our be- lief that the citizens of the District of Columbia are at the present time pay- ing taxes comparable with other citi- zens in the United States. There are now pending in Congress bills provid- ing for an increase in taxation. The Northeast Washington Citizens’ Asso- ciation in regular meeting on January 11 went on record in opposition to any | legislation which has for its purpose increase of taxes of citizens of the Dis- | trict of Columbia.” | The Ncrtheast Washington Citizens’ | Association als> recorded its disap- | proval of the bill deleting the 60-40 basis for determining the fiscal rela- | tion between the Federal Government and the District. It indorsed the Senate bill providing for the appropriation of $50,000 for | alterations and repairs and retiring the existing indebtedness on Casualty Hos- pital. It indorsed the Senate bill pro- viding for the elimination of alley dwellings in_the District. It disap- proved the Senate bill providing for the_election of members of the Board cf Education It indorsed the Senate bill providing for the memorial park- way along the Potomac in honor of George Washington. It disapproved a House bill providing for the abolition cf capita! punishment in the District. The Hillcrest Citizens' Association also adopted & resolution in opposition to pending measures for increase of taxes, saying “We citizens or taxpayers residing in the District feel that we are now burdened with sufficient taxes. There have been introduced in Congress certain bills which would unjustly in- crease our taxes if enacted into law. We are decidedly opposed to any increase in our taxes without a more careful study of such legislation, Therefore, the Hillcrest Citizens’ Association records their opposition to the Mapes bills and the speedy action already taken by the House on such important.legislation af- fecting the citizens of the District.” BENJAMIN NAME TO JOBLESS GROUP New Secretary Is Appointed to Succeed G. J. Adams, Who Resigned. The District of Columbia Committee on Employment, meeting yesterday in the board room of the District Build- ing, confirmed the appointment of Paul Benjamin as secretary to replace George J. Adams, resigned. Edwin C. Graham, chairman of the committee, | presided: The committee completed its organi- zation and approved reports from Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, its finance officer, and from its executive secretary, chair- man and executive deputies. Maj. Donovan’s report showed a bal- | ance on hand yesterday of $3,780, com- | pared with a balance January 1 of $14,942. So far this month disburse- ments have totaled $25,301. Since Jan- uary 1, the committee ~has received $10,000 from the Community Chest for its work. The Chest has supplied the | committee with a total of $35,000 to date. A total of $240,000 has been ap- propriated by the Community Chest for the work of the committee. Maj. Don- ovan said that another installment would be necessary before the end of the month. Mr. Benjamin, making his first- re- nort as secretary, remarked that only 5 per cent of the committee's budget goes for paying committee workers, about half of what is paid in such work. He said that 90 per cent of the committee’s employes had been selected from the ranks of the unemployed. He | reported_that the Jewish Welfare Fed- eration had loaned the committee the services of Oscar Leonard, its execu- tive director, who would ‘'serve as chair- ! man of a Subcommittee on Work Cre- ation. STREE-T SIGNAL CONTROL CONTRACTS AWARDED The District Commissioners yester- day awarded a contract to the Eagle Signal Corporation to furnish four master controllers and 117 secondary time controllers for traffic lights in order to change the downtown signals to the flexible progressive type of in- staflation, where the lights can be ad- justed to individual corners to meet the varying traffic needs. The four master timers will cost $105 each, and the secondary time control- lers will be bought at various prices ranging from $82 each to $106 each. The flexible progressive system is now in operation on Rhode Island ave- nue, and will eventually be installed on all other ;v:-l-com.rolud streets, —e o KANSAN, 75, HERE FOR DRY SESSIONS, IS KILLED BY AUTO Dr. Julius Smith, Anti-Saloon League Director, Victim in Crossing Street. WOMAN ARRESTED SAYS HE STEPPED IN WAY Six-Year-0ld Mary Rinaldi Hit by Taxicab and Is in Sericus Condition. Dr. Jullus Smith, 75, of Baldwin City, Kans., a member of the national board of directors of the Anti-Saloon League, here to attend the convention of the league, died in Emergency Hos- pital early today from injuries re- ceived when he was knocked down by an automobile near the intersection of Pennsylvania avenue and Eighteenth street about 1:30 o'clock this morning. He was pronounced dead by a physi- clan at the hospital at 2:15 am. The driver of the automobile, Miss | Eleanor H. Lyman 1608 Twenty- | elghth street southe was arrested | by police of No. 3 precinct and held i pending the action of the coroner’s jury. She Jold police Dr. Smith walkes irectly in t) jaeaiy he path of her On Way to Y. M. C. A Dr. Smith was stopping at the ienu: at’lm bGus‘;:;cts, and was on his vay to the bul a Vi by g at the time he was His wife, Mrs. Mary Smith of Bald- win City, was notified of his death by G. . Hammond of Topeka, Kans., stopping with him at the Y. M. C. A, The body was taken to the Morgue. Mary Rinaldi, 6 years old, of 624 Third street, was in a serious condition in Emergency Hospital today as a re- sult of head injuries received when she ¥;l1sirc{(n0c58deot“n by a taxicab near an stri - e eets yesterday after. The child has a severe lacerati | the forehead and X-ray pho:glg(;x;p?lr; (were to be examined today to deter- mine if she has a fractured skull. She spent an “uncomfortable” night, it was jTeported at the hosptal. James C. Dunn, 30, 607 Fourth street, driver of the taxi, told police the child ran in jfront of the cab. Colored Victims Treated, i A colcred man and colored woman | were treated at hospitals last night for minor injuries received in automobile {accidents. The man was Harry Minor, 28, of the 200 block of D street north- east, injured in an accident at Fifth and N streets. He was treated at Emer- gency Hospital. The woman was Lillian { Smith of the 1000 block of Euclid street, treated at Garfield Hospital for injuries ireceived at Eleventh and T streets. Both the man and woman returned to their homes after receiving treatment. KEECH FILES PLEA TO KEEP ZONE CABS People’s Counsel Takes Fight on Meter Law Before Commission. The Public Utilities Commission, in considering what reply to make ‘to Justice Jesse C. Adkins' remanding of the appeals against® its taxicab code, will have before it a somewhat lengthy memorandum favoring retaining zone cabs, submitted to it late yesterday by People’s Counsel Richmond B. Keech. Mr. Keech has steadfastly supported the cause of zone cabs, basing his action on the popular demand for low taxi fares and general dislike of taxi meters, and his memorandum yester- day was designed to take advantage {of the fact that the taxi case is once more before the commission. | Part of the taxi code, originally de- signed to go into effect January 10, was an order ccmpelling all cabs to install meters. This is the center of attack on the code by a large number of operators, some of whom testified be- fore Justice Adkins when the appeal to the court was being heard. The Jjustice remanded this testimony to the commission. Mr. Keech’s memorandum remarks that it is “certainly evident that the public generally is opposed to the change from zone to meter system of operation,” and says that the public “has, through every medium available to it, in an affirmative way voiced its desire that the zone system be re- tained. The House of Representatives also has voiced its opposition to the abolition of the zone system.” Mr. Keech, in urging that the zone cabs not be outlawed, does not seek to keep meter cabs out of the District, but suggests that both types of cabs be allowed to operate and that the zone cabs function under boundaries and rates established by the commission, His memorandum also asks for speedy legislation requiring all taxicab opera- tors to carry llability insurance for protection of the public against the consequences of accidents. SMOKE OVERCOMES FIREMAN AT BLAZE Another Receives Cut Hand Fight- ing Cotton Fire at Gov- ernment Building. One fireman was overcome by smoke and another was treated for a cut hana while fighting a stubborn blaze that broke out in baled cotton on the floor of the Bureau of Agricultural Ece- nomics, Department of Agriculture, Linworth place and C street southwest, shortly after 8 o’clock this morning. The fire was confined to the cotton, about 300 bales of which were on hand for use in standardization tests, but the whole lower floor of the building, which is of stone and steel construction, was flooded and it was decided to excuse the 200 employes of the bureau for the day. Fire authorities ordered all the cotton removed and destroyed, to guard against the possibility of another fire. The origin of the blaze was unde- termined, smoke curling through the building leading to its detection. Bureau employes, arriving for work, found the fire in progress and stood by while the firemen labored with the smouldering blaze. Lieut. R. J. Holmes of No. 4 engine company suffered a cut right hand, and Pvt. J. M. Carter of the same company was treated for smoke. Reserve Commissions Issued. Commissions - in the Army Reserve Corps have been issued by the War Department to James M. Hynes, 6322 Thirty-first street, as a lieutenant colo- nel of Infantry, and James H. Dodge, Army Air Corps at Bolling Pleld, g5 second lieutenant of Infantry,