Evening Star Newspaper, January 10, 1933, Page 17

INAUGURAL CHIEFS HOPING T0 ECLIPSE PAST CEREMONIES First Session of Committee Starts Intensive Work for March 4. ROOSEVELT’'S APPROVAL OF PROGRAM ASSURED Admiral Grayson Warns Various Groups Time Is Growing Short. Previous Events Studied. A program for the “greatest in- augural in the history of the courtry” was . called for by Hugh T. Nelson, executive secretary of the Inaugural Committee, at the first meeting of the committee at inaugural headquarters in the Waschington Building this morning. The committee, including Rear Admi- ral Cary T. Grayson, general inaugural chairman; his vice chairman and per- sonal staff, and the chairmen of the 18 subcommittees which will work out the details of the celebraticn that is to attend the inauguration of President- elect Roosevelt, met in the committee room of the recently established head- quarters, and prepared to get down to work in earnest, with all subcommittees performing their functions before the end of the week. Acmiral Grayson assured the com- mittee plans as at present laid out have the approval of President-elect Roose- velt and urged all connected with the inaugural to get to work immediately and work out their part of the program in the less than two months which re- main before the inaugural. Aided by Pas:. Mr. Nelson advised all subcommittee chairmen to work out their own prob- lems, using the procedure of the last in- augural as a “blue book” for their guidance, but also to use their own initiative and to bring their problems * to him and his personal stafl, so they might better be worked out. He told the subcommittee chairmen WASHINGTON ARTIST WINS HO! This painting of a golden-haired young women won for its creator, Bjorn Egeli, Washington artist, the $200 popular prize of the Thirteenth Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary American Oil Paintings of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. artist, Bjorn Egeli, has been adjudged by the public the most popular picture in the Thirteenth Biennial Exhibition of Con- temporary American Oil Paintings of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, it was an- nounced today. Mr, Egeli, a 32-year-old native of Oslo, Norway, residing at 1710 N street, and maintaining a studio at 3 St. Mat- thews court, will receive the popular prize of $200 awarded during each ex- hibition by public acclaim, as expressed in a referendum of visitors. The Egell painting, bearing the title “Cameo,” received 323 of the more than 2,400 votes cast during the balloting, STRIKING portrait of a golden- | A haired young woman by & local that while the inauguration is to be for a Democrat, the Inaugural Commit- tee is performing a national service, and gave the subcommittee chairmen authority to name whom they choose on their committees so long as they are . He also said that in employing help the subcommittee chair- men may employ persons regardless of political affiliations. Robert Woolley, chairman of the sub- committee on badges and souvenirs, told the General Committee he and members of his group, including Waddy ‘Wood and C. Powell Minnigerode, have selected a sculptor to design the 1933 inaugural medal and will have further details of his work to report at a later meeting. Mr. Wood, who is chairman of the subcommittee on grandstands and dec- orations, reported that his group already has started work, and has-agreed upon covered stands which will be placed high enough along Pennsylvania avenue to ellow those occupying seats to see over the heads of the watchers along the curbs. Busy Planning Ball. Mrs. John Allen Dougherty, chair- man of the inaugural ball subcommit- tee, reported that she has established headquarters on the ground floor of the building at Seventeenth and I streets, and her committee is rapidly working out the details of what is to be prob- ably the principal social feature of the inaugural period. No place for the ball has been decided upon, she said, and details of ticket prices, the disposition of the Governors who will attend and other problems will be worked out with Admiral Grayson and his staff shortly. James A. Councilor of the Budget . Bubcommittee and Lloyd B. Wilson of the Finance Committee explained to those attending the methods of of- fice management, disbursements and budgets to be foliowed. Leslie C. Garnett, chairman of the Legislation Subcommittee, reported that he and his committee are already tak- ing steps to get the necessary legisla- tion for blocking off streets during the parade, providing for parking facilities, removing the tax from grandstand tickets and attending to other details which will make the inaugural cere- mony and its attendant celebrations run more smoothly. el RAINEY WARNS PARTY OF ECONOMIC CRISIS Revolt of Farmers Against Taxes which began January 2 and ended last Sunday. Attaches of the gallery com- pleted tabulation of the ballots this morning. A painting by Prederick J. Waugh, showing a polar bear on an iceberg and entitled “70 Degrees North,” re- celved the second highest number of votes. Mr. Waugh is one of the out- standing marine painters of this coun- try and his work is shown in most of the important exhibitions. It is of interest to note that the painting, “Woman With Black Cat,” by the noted artist, George Luks, which was awarded the W. A. Clark firstSuncay from 2 p.m. to 5 pm. Chosen Most Popular Picture INOR AT CORCORAN EXHIBITION. IVIEWS DIFFER ON CHANCE | prize by a jury of distinguished artists4 | and critics, received 12 votes in the | popular balloting. It pointed out |that the popular choice never has | | agreed with that of the professional | jury, although the public invarizbly has | chosen a good picture. 2 Mr. Egeli formerly was a student in | the Corcoran School of Art and, since | leaving the school, has been a success- | ful portrait painter here. Competent | | critics say that his “Cameo” picture shows sound academic knowledge and | craftsmanship. Mr. Egeli studied under | Richard S. Meryman, S. Burtis Baker jand Eugen Weisz at the Corcoran | School of Art. He is a member of the | Landscape Club of Washington. According to officials of the gallery, | the public manifested great interest in | the referendum, many of the visitors last week being seen, with pencil and {ballot in hand, carefully studying the | exhibition before registering their choice. The public chose a picture that was pleasing in subject and possessed o(i fine technical qualities, as well, it is pointed out. The exhibition will continue on view | through next Sunday, to afford a further opportunity for study of the paintings. The gallery will be open daily from 9 am. to 4:30 pm. and on ARMY CAMP CARE FOR BOYS 0PPOSED Miss Abbott Says ‘Couzens Plan Would Stimulate, Not Check, Wandering. By the Associated Press. Miss Grace Abbott, chief of the Chil- dren’s Bureau, which disclosed the ex- tent of the “wandering-boy” problem, today voiced opposition to a concentra- tion of the jobless youths in Federal military camps. “Such a plan would stimulate wan- dering, rather than check it,” Miss Ab- bott said. “I believe the flare of pub- licity which would inevitably attend the establishment of such camps would prompt boys to leave home and try them out.” Senator Couzens, Republican, of Michigan is preparing a bill to open Army camps to boys now hitch-hiking their way from city to city. Another interested in the problem is Senator Cutting, Republican, of New Mexico, who has prepared legislation for a $10,- 000,000 outright grant to States to care for the youths. Calls Cutting Pian Sound. Miss Abbott said she had not seen Cited as Example at Club Dinner. The revoit of the farmer against tax bills they cannot pay is significant of conditions facing the Democratic party and the problems it must solve, Repre- sentative Rainey of Illinois told the Lawyers' Roosevelt and Garner Club of the District at a “victory dinner” at the University Club last night. Senator Harrison of Mississippi, rank- ing Democratic member of the Finance Committee, suggested a program calling for balancing of the Federal budget through drastic curtailment of expendi- tures, restoration of parity between prices of farm and other products, elim- ination of abuses in the banking struc- ture and re-establishment of broad international trade relations. He said the Democratic party, to Justify the faith imposed in it by the American people, must guard against any division in its ranks and must make good the seven broad party pledges it has mede to the country. speakers included Senator Al- arkley of Kentucky and Senator James Byrnes of South Carolina. Guests included Representative John W. Mc- Duffie of Alabama; Joseph Tumulty, secretary to President Wilson; Repre- sentative J. Condon of Rhode Island, Huston Thompson, former Federal trade commissioner; John F. Costello, Democratic national committeeman from the District; Senator Joseph T. Robinson, Senator Burton K. Wheeler, Representative Joseph W. Byrns, John B. Colpoys, chairman of the Deriocratic Central Committee of the Dist ict; Ad- miral C:ry T. Grayson, charman of the Roosevelt Inaugural Committee; Senator William H. King, Senator the Couzens plan, but restated her po- | sition that any Federal financial aid | should be administered through State | and local agencies. She pronounced the Cutting proposal as sound. “I would favor having some money allocated to the return of some of these boys to their homes—in cases where investigation showed that the feasible solution,” she said. “Many of them are very sorry they ever went awa; Social workers, in preparing stat! for presentation’at congressionai hear- igns on some of these bills later this| month, have found also the gypsying girl, and the nomad family in larger numbers than ever before. i Both Miss Abbott and William J. | Plunkert, fleld worker for the National Committee on Care of the Transient and Homeless, stressed the general transiency problem, backing their con- clusions with statistics on the number | of meals and lodgings provided for the homeless during the first nine months of 1932 in 20 metropolitan areas. The | Red Cross also noted similar findings. | The figures showed that Chicago | served 7,821,924 meals to wanderers, | 291,967 of them to women and girls. | 1t also furnished 2536,974 lodgings for the night, 112,286 being made available to women and girls. Same Trend Elsewhere. Figures from other cities showed very much the same trend. In the nine months the 20 cities gave to strangers making short stays a total of 13,062, 338 meals and 4,300,985 lodgings. The social workers interpreted the statistics as showing that many mothers were on the move with small children. “A tremendous exodus from North- | ern to Southern States—worse than | ever before,” was reported by Plunkert, who has undertaken a special study of | | | Thomas J. Walsh, George O'Connor ani Matt Horne, ¥ Service for Locomotives. OLOVIS, N. Mex. (#).—--~“Filling sta- tion” service is available to Santa Fe Jocomotives in the Pecos Valley division. ‘The dl-bur‘mnz engines are driven to , where | 1y at Artesia and Pecos, take on fuel, eliminating necessity W and storing ofl at division the Alabama, Florida and Georgla sit- uation. California, with its forestry camps, Miss Abbott said, has done “the best work” on the transient boy problem. “And the size of its problem s great- est,” she added. “The forestry camps are beiter than military camps would FEDERAL PAY GUT ASSAILED BY SHAW Restoration of Salary Level Would Aid Business, He Tells Clerks. Congress should lead the way back to economic improvement by restoring the Government pay scale, John Arthur Shaw, president of the American Fed- eration of Government Employes, told Treasury Department Lodge, No. 24, at | |a meeting last night in the Hamilton | | Hotel. “I am convinced there will be no up- ward trend in the economic situation { in this country,” he said, “until Con- | gress has faith enough in the future of | the United States to say to the world: ‘We have regained our courage. We | have started fighting our way back to | normalcy.’ “The only way Congress can make | this statement and expect to have it | believed is not only by refusing to re- | duce salaries further, but also by re- s;o{lng Federal salaries to their former status. f | Other Officials Speak. | “It is difficult to understand how our | statesmen can refuse to accept this fact |in view of the evidence of the last few | years. Each time business reduced sal- aries, more persons were added to the ranks of the unemployed. When the Government approved this wage-cut- ting policy by its so-called economy act, the number of unemployed reached | a new high figure. Other speakers included Thomas F. Flaherty, ~secretary-treasuer, National Association of Post Office Clerks; E. Claude Babcock, secretary of the Civil Service Commission; R. A. Dixon, pres dent, Washington Central Labor Unio! Charles F. Wahl, Panama Canal Zone Central Labor Union; Raymond Roche, | Pressmen’s Union, and David R. Glass, first vice president of the A. F. G. E.; George J. Simons presided. Lodge Installs Officers. Officers were elected by Capitol City Lodge, No. 7, at the Hamilton Hotel and installed by Joha R. Newman, sec- retary of the federation. L. C. Cox was chosen president; Lieut. Jacob Willy, first vice president; Cyrus Hewitt, sec- ond vice president; J. S. Gray, secre- tary-treasurer, and Wilbur H. Rock, in- side guard. The lodge is composed of guards of Federal buildings. Vice President Glass presented the charter of General Accounting Office Lodge to its president, Edward T. Chap- pel, at a meeting at 1726 Pennsylvania avenue. Mr. Chappel was re-elected president. - Other officers elected wer William G. Burke, vice president; Harry G. Ritner, secretary-treasurer;, and John A. Smith, sergeant at arms. Mrs. Effie Meerdink and Willlam S. | Stoner were elected delegates to the District department. DAMAGE IN TWO BLAZES IS APPROXIMATELY $1,000 Two-alarm blazes early today at 1617 Swan street and in a building at the Tear of 1827 Seventh street caused ap- proximately $1,000 damage, according to the fire marshal's office. re which started in the kitchen of a second-floor apartment at the Swan street address spread to an outside porch and resulted in about $500 dam- age. None of the occupants of the apartment house was injured. Two old cars and the frame inner be, for the boy doesn't feel he is mere- “ma time’ tifl he gets a chance to 3 his own mind, he’s train- ing himself Jo be a forester, and that keeps up his morale.” - structure of a garage behind the Sev- |enth street address were burned by a | blaze which firemen said probably was due to an overheated stove. The dam- age there also approximated $500. The WASHINGTON, | Committee to the Subccmmittee on D. SHETOF HEARIS ON D . BERBIL 5 SOUGHT ANEW Patman to Press Transfer to House Subcommittee on Fiscal Affairs. FOR FAVORABLE ACTION Seventh-Day Adventist Temperance Society Urges Veto of Black and Collier Measures. Representative Patman, Democrdt, of Texas, announced today he would renew his move to transfer hearings on the District beer bill from the Judiciary Subcommittee of the House District Fiscal Affairs at the :cheduled meeting | of the District Committee tomorrow. | It was belleved Mr. Patman, a dry, hcpes to delay action on the measure by taking this step. The hearings on the bill are scheduled to start before the Judiciary Subcommittee at 10:30 o'clock Thursday morning. | Mr. Patman said the proper reference | is to the Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee because the Black beer bill proposes a local tax of $2.50 per barrel on beer, estimated to produce about $600,000 |- revenue for the District, in addition to | the Federal tax of $5 per barrel. Opinion on Motive Differs. Friends of the bill, however, said Patman feels the Fiscal Affairs Sub- committee is not so “wet” as the Judi- ciary Subcommittee, and would be less apt to take favorable action on the proposed legislation. Others, however, intimated the Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee is “wetter” than the Judiciary Subcommittee, thus mak- ing Mr. Patman’s fight to have the bill | referred to this group appear in the nature of a one=man filibuster. Mr. Patman is a member of the Judiciary Subcommittee, but not of the fiscal affairs group. ~ Representative Black, Democrat, of New York, spon- sor of the bill, is a member of both committees, however. Representative Gilbert, Democrat, of Kentucky, a “lame duck,” is chairman of the Fiscal Affairs Commijttee, on whom Patman would have to depend to delay a fa- vorable report. Mr. Gilbert is out of the city and is not expected back in time for the committee meeting tomor- | Tow, but it was pointed out he voted ifor the repeal resolution in the House. All other miembers of the committee will vote for the bill, it was said. Of the five members of the Judiclary Subcommittee, Representative Bowman, Republican, of West Virginia, a lame duck, is the only one who might line up with Mr. Patman against the bill if it is considered there. Ready to Entertain Motion. Chairman Norton of the House Dis- trict Committee said that if Mr. Pat- man wants a vote in the committee on the reference or disposal of the beer bill, she will be ready to entertain his motion and will do nothing to obstruct a free expression of the will of the committee. Meanwhile the American Temperance Society of Seventh-day Adventists to- day urged President Hoover to veto both the Collier beer bill and the Black beer bill if they should be passed by Con- gress. The society met yesterday in Takoma Park and decided to write the Presi- dent, requesting him to veto the meas- ures. The letter follows in part: 3 “We sincerely appreciate the efforts | you have put forth to minimize the evils of the liquor traffic by gover mental regulations, and while prohil tion has not accomplished all that was intended, yet we believe this ‘noble ex- periment’ has been a sufficient success | to warrant its continuance. i “We, therefore, earnestly entreat you | to veto the Collier beer bill authorizing 4 per cent alcohol by volume, in case Congress passes it, and the Black beer bill for the District, or any similar beer bill, as we believe such legislation is unconstitutional and inimical to the best interests of the people.” T WOMAN, 83, INJURED BY ROLLER SKATERS Youth Held for Investigation, An- other Sought in “Hit-Run” Accident. Knocked down by two “hit-and-run” roller skaters last night, Mrs. M. C.| Beckwith, 83, of 2623 Thirteenth street, | was in a serious condition at Garfield Hospital today. Her scalp was cut and X-rays were to be taken to determine whether her skull is fractured. Police arrested a 15-year-old_colored boy, who is being held at the House of Detention for investigation. The sec- ond boy is being sought. Another roller skater, Robert Sugars, 15, of 807 A street southeast, received a fractured skull when struck by an automobile in the Capitol Grounds last night. He was taken to Casualty Hos- pital. Police said Thomas N. David, 1300 block of East Capitol street, was the driver of the machine. WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION Foenin | viding that the element of “going con- | | | | | JANUARY terious explosion which wrecked her automobile went forward today. Authorities in charge of are, left to right: Detective Sergts. Walter Martin and William g Sfa C., TUESDAY, 10, 1933. J. Feehl: the probe, above, ey, Baltimore Police Department; Harry THE investigation of the death Saturday of Miss Ida Kirk, 73-year-old St. Marys County philanthropist, in & mys- Gough of Waldorf, dynamite expert, and State’s Attorney John H. T. Briscoe of St. Marys County. Sher: iff R. T. Hammett, lower left, exhibits the cnly bit of tangible evidence, a shotgun shell found near the scene with the powder removed. Lower right, Elliott Dixon and his brother, Nigel Dixon, at the funeral of Miss Kirk in Chaptico yesterday afternoon. Nigel Dixon is the manager of Miss Kirk's farm and has lived at the Kirk home- stead since childhood. —Star Staff Photos. WOULD TRIMVALUE OF GAS COMPANIES Committees of Citizens’ Fed- eration Ask Elimination of “Going Concern” Figure. The Executive Committee of the Fed- | eration of Citizens' Associations at a meeting late yesterday unanimously approved an amendment to the bill to | merge two local gas companies, pro- | cern value” should be eliminated from | valuation of the merged company. i ‘The Public Utilities Committee of the federation, meeting jointly with the : Executive Committee, took the same po- sition. By so doing the federation’s two com- mittees supported the stand taken by | People's Counsel Richmond B. Keech. They opposed the stand of the Public | Utilities Commission, which is satisfied | with a merger bill without any refer- ence to “going concern value.” ‘The importance of the amendment in future determination of gas rates may be seen by taking $20,000,000 as an approximate valuation of the merged concern, and supposing that 10 per | cent were to be used for “going concern | value.” This would bring the figures up to $22,000,000. Assuming the company | would be allowed to earn a rate of 7 per cent, the extra $2,000,000 would mean a difference of $140,000 per annum in rates. ‘The amendment, to be proposed by | Senator Howell, Republican, of Nebras- | ka, would take the form of a contract, | wherein the companies would bargain | away their right to the “going concern value” in exchange for the merger, which, according to testimony before the | Senate District Committee, would save them $30,000 to $50,000 a year. —_— According to health statistics, neu- | ritis, lumbago, sciatica and similar | illnesses incapacitate more men and women for their daily work than any | cther ailments. ACCIleN TAL ASPHYXIATION GIVEN| AS VERDICT IN DUEHRING DEATH | Certificate Is Issued for Man, 81, Who Died After Being | Found in Gas-Filled Room—Wife Held Suicide. A certificate of “accidental asphyxia- tion” was issued today by Deputy Cor- oner A. Magruder MacDonald in the death last night of August Duehring. 81-year-old paralytic, who, with his 78- year-old wife, was found unconscious in a gas-filed apartment in the 200 block of Massachusetts avenue north- east last Thursday. Previously, Coroner Joseph D. Rogers had written a verdict of “suicide” in the case of Mrs. Anna M. Duehring, who succumbed to a heart attack Friday, which was attributed to the effects of the illuminating gas poisoning. Mr. Duehring, according to Dr. Mac- Donald, was physically un from his bed and could not have been responsible for the turning on of the four gas jets in the kitchen immediately adjoining the bedroom where the couple was found. His mental condition was such, the deputy coroner said, that he would have been unable to enter into a suicide pact. Actually, the elderly German had thrown off the effects of the gas di ' his confinement in Casualty Hospl but death came saddenly as the result of pulmonary embolus—a blood clot | to bed for more than eight years, was which formed between the lung and the | heart, Dr. MacDonald said in explaining his verdict. “The men was unable to move from | his bed due to a paralytic stroke,” he | | said. “The woman unquestionably went | |to the kitchen and turned on the gas jets.” Mr. Duehring, who had been confined found unconscious. in the apartment Thursday morning with Mrs. Duehring, who suffered from heart disease. They left no notes, nor did they make any statement before their deaths. They spent their days slone in the apart- ment, sccording to relatives. A daugh- ter, Miss Elizabeth Duehring, who is emgloyed in a downtown bank, lived with them. ‘The couple came to this country from Horr Is Relieved As Zoo_ Accepts His “Pet” Monkey Marmoset Given Member of House Causes Him Lot of Grief. By the MSMIIL:P"T_ Representative Horr, Republican, of ‘Washington, is much happier—the Na- tional Zoo has taken off his hands what was supposed to be a pet monkey. | One day’s ownership was enough for | Horr. From the time it was given to him by a friend in New York, the al- leged pet brought nothing but grief. At the very start, Horr became unpopu- lar when the marmoset got away in the railroad station and climbed on a lunch counter for what was some kind of a monkey game. Horr finally got the animal to Wash- | ington and into his office, where he put him on exhibition for his friends. First off the marmoset chewed the erasers off all the pencils in sight. But the last straw came when it got on top of the file cases and began throwing the pencils at invited Representatives and the office force. Horr told his secretary to give the monkey to the Zoo and to his great Telief it was accepted. |FILING OF REPORT ON RENTS DELAYED Senate Subcommittee May Discard Commission Plan for Check. ‘The Senate subcommittee inquiring |into rents and housing problems in Washington has postponed until next Monday the filing of its report in the Senate, with indications that it is con- sidering the possibility of keeping a check on rent levels in some other way than through fevival of a rent com- mission. At the close of an executive session yesterday Chairman Capper said the subcommittee reached no conclusions, but had been advised it would be dif- ficult to draft a rent commission law that would be constitutional. It was pointed out that the rent commission which existed some years ago was based on conditions growing out of war-time emergency. Assistant Corporation Counsel W. A. Roberts and Peoples Counsel Richmond B. Keech were called in to the sub- committee meeting yesterday, and it is understood they gave their views on the legal phases of rent commission legislation. After the meeting, Senator King of Utah said there was some of could be utilized to keep check rentals. Senator Copeland of New York said he believes that from a legal stand- Germany 65 years ago, Mr. Duehring | Would business. being in the tailoring . They survived, in addition to their daugh- ‘The same procedure is followed in the case of cxpected to b | after Mr. Duehring. CAPTALTRACTION DELAYS AGTON Committee to Handle Merger to Be Named by New Board of Directors. Selection of a committee to begin ne- | gotiations toward consummation of the street car merger was deferred today by the directors of the Capital Trac- |tion Co., pending election of a new | board. The annual meeting of the stock- holders will be held Thursday, at which time the new directors will be | elected and ~definite steps taken to | create a special committee to work out | details of the merger with representa- tives of the Washintgon Railway & Electric Co. Meeting Due Tomorrow. Directors of the Washington Rallway | & Electric Co. will meet in regular ses- | sion tomorrow at 2:30 p.m., but are not likely to take any action with re- spect to the merger, unless President Hoover should, in the meantime, sign the joint resclution authorizing a con- solidation of the transit facilities. The first duty of the Merger Com- mittees of the two companies will be to draw up a new unification agree- ment, which must be ratified by the becoming operative Must Agree to Plan. It will be necessary, however, for the two boards of directors to agree upon a merger plan within six weeks after the President signs the resolu- tion, although the stockholders will be allowed two years in which to ratify the unification agreement. The original unification agreement. adopted February 10, 1928, expired June 1, 1929, and must be renwed. There has been no indication from the White House as to when the Presi- dent will sign the merger resolution. Traction officials are confident, however, he will affix his signature soon. In drafting a new unification agree- ment, the directors of the two car companies will conform to the provi- sions of the merger resolution, as amended in the Senate. SENATORS TO HEAR PLEA AGAINST CUTS Leaders of U. S. Employes Plan Visits in Attempt to Head Off HELD DISCOVERED AT LEONARDTOWN Investigators Refuse Details, but Indicate Lead May Take Them to Baltimore. NEW FACTS MAY REVEAL BOTH MOTIVE AND AGENT “Stump Blower” Still Detained by St. Marys Authorities as Probe Continues. By a Btaff Correspondent of The Star. LEONARDTOWN, Md., January 10.— Discovery of a possible explanation to the death of Miss Ida Kirk in a mysteri- ous explosion Saturday was announced here early today by investigators, who indicated the new lead might take them to Baltimore. Authorites refused to discuss the new clue other than to say it may bare the motive and possibly the agent believed to have planted an explosive in the au~ tomobile of the 73-year-old philan- thropist, known as the “Angel of St. Mary's County.” ‘The possibility that the fatal ex- plosion was an accidental result of ac- cumulation of gasoline in the muffler of Miss Kirk's car was scouted by Detec- tive Sergts. Walter Martin and William J. Feehley of the Baltimore police force, “Stump Blower” Still Held. John Gross, colored, 45-year-old “stump blower,” was still being held for investigation today as authorities ran down a rumor that an automobile was seen parked at Chaptico about 1:30 o'clock Saturday morning near the par- sonage lot where Miss Kirk left her car the night before the fatal blast. The other machine was reported by a passer-by, who explained he was un- suspicious at the time and did not notice the license number. He was un- able to describe the automobile, police were told. A circumstance which lent some weight to the accident theory was that the choke on Miss Kirk's car was out when she was assisted from the explos- jon-torn vehicle a few miles from the Leonardtown-Washington highway near Chaptico. Investigators said that an automo- bile driven with the choke out might result in a large accumulation of gaso- line in the muffler, the front end of and twisted by the A careful search of the scene of the explosion and the wrecked automobile failed to disclose any traces of a bomb, although the muffler was shattered in a way to indicate an infernal machine had been fastened on top of the muff- ler. Miss Kirk, her legs mangled, died at St. Mary's County Hospital in Leonardtown an hour later. Her com- panion, Mrs. Elva Gibson, wife of the Episcopal minister at Chaptico, es- caped injury. Miss Kirk was buried yesterday after- noon in the churchyard of historic Chirst Church of Chaptico, four miles from the Kirk homestead on Sunny- brook farm where she was born. Miss Kirk had been a member of the church since infancy and was one of the most beloved residents of the community. Detectives have been unable to find a trace of personal enemies which Miss Kirk might have made, other than the fact that she had ordered Gross from the kitchen of the Kirk homestead about a week ago, when she found the colored man visiting her servants. A shotgun shell from which the powder had been removed was found near the parsonage yard where Miss Kirk left her automobile Friday night. ‘The shell, cut in half with a s blade, represents the sole tangible bit of evidence in support of the “bomb murder” theory. More than 400 neighbors, relatives and lifelong friends of Miss Kirk, at- tended the funeral yesterday. The de- ceased was the grandniece of W. W. Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Art Gallery, and a number of her first cousins are prominent residents of ‘Washington. CITY NEWS IN BRIEF. ‘TODAY. Meeting, Washington Branch, Society of American Bacteriologists, George ‘Washington University School of Medi- cine, 1335 H street, 8 pm. Speakers: Dr. J. H St. John, Army Medical Corps, and Dr. M. V. Veldee, National Institute of Health, U. S. Public Health stockholders of each company before | Service. Meeting, D. C. Dental Auxiliary, Mayflower Hotel, 8 p.m. Meeting, Police Department Division, American Legion, Hamilton Fotel, 8 pm. Meeting, Merchants Bank and Invest- ment Co.,, Hamilton Hotel, 3:30 p.m. Meeting. Golden Rule Club, Hamilton Hotel, 8 p.m. Meeting, Women’s Union, Bureau of afi)zrlvlng and Printing, Willard Hotel, pm. Meeting, Society for Philosophical Inquiry, New National Museum, 4:45 p.m. Speaker: Hugh M. Irish, “The Physical Basis of Knowledge.” Meeting, Executive Board, Grace Darling Seibold Chapter, American Gold Star Mothers, Evangeline Hotel, 1330 L street, 8 p. Meeting, Kappa Phi Fraternity, Ham- ilton Hotel, 9 p.m. Card party, benefit Bell Club, St. James’ Catholic Church, Auditorium, Thirty-seventh street and Rhode Island avenue northeast, 8 p.m. Meeting, Hope Lodge No. 7, Order of Shepherds of Bethlehem, Masonic Tem- Added Pay Reductions. ‘With adoption of a declaration of | policy assailing reduction of pay, offi- cers of the National FPederation of Federal Employes, the Executive Council, today arranged to see members of the Senate in an effort of the federation come, and it they were “hopeful” that some benefit would result from these con- ferences. Along with the attack on wage re- duction, the declaration also put the Execuiive Council on record as favor- “described ! ple, Fourteentn and U streets south- east, 8 pm. Installation of officers by Deputy Supreme Commander Margaret E. Baker, Capital Lodge, No. 3. TOMORROW. Meeting, Washington Chapter, Del- phian Society, Willard Hotel, 10 a.m, Luncheon, Rotary Club, Willard Ho= tel, 12:30 p.m. Luncheon, Optimist Club, Hamilton Hotel, 12:30 p.mn. Card party, Mathais Soclety, Hamil- ton Hotel, 2 p.m. Luncheon, Lions' Club, Mayflower Hotel, 12:30 pm. s Luncheon, Ladies' Assoclation, Met- of | ropolitan M. E. Church, Mayflower Ho- tel, 12:30 p.m. Luncheon, University of Alumni, University Club, 12:30 p.m. Luncheon, Universit of Ken Alumni, University Club, 12:30 p.m.