Evening Star Newspaper, July 30, 1935, Page 3

§TE0.00 BEQUEST | FOUGHT IN COURT Heirs and Widow of St. Louis Man Contest Gift to Schools. By the Associated Press. ST. LOUIS.—The good that the late Hugh W. Thomasson tried to do for the Missouri public schools with his $750,000 estate has become the subject of bitter legal controversy, in- volving 49 heirs, his widow, 63 attor- neys, a St. Louis trust company and the State of Missouri. Thomasson married after 73 years of quiet bachelor life, rendered com- fortable by the profit of successful Teal estate deals. His marriage started a series of in- Junction suits, restraining orders and court skirmishes that still continue. Three Missouri Supreme Court deci- sions already have been handed down and appeal of another Circuit Court decision by collateral heirs is expected. Left Estate to Schools. ‘When the aged St. Louisan died he left the bulk of his $750,000 estate to the public schools of Missouri. Heirs contested the aged man’s ability to decide on disposition of his estate. The ensuing legal battle was joined by the State of Missouri, Thomasson's vivacious blond widow and the trust company. A circuit court decided that Thomasson was in possession of his faculties when he chose to leave his money to the schools, and upheld the will. Another State Supreme Court ruling on this matter is in the offing. Thomasson, 5 years ago, Was @& bachelor content to live a drab life alone with his violin in a St. Louis hotel. The exact extent of his for- tune was unknown, but records showed he had paid the largest per- sonal tax of any St. Louisan, $157,000, the year before. Woman Enters Scene. Then came Mrs. Grace Mahood, 28 years old, blond and comely. She said she was a widow and a nurse. She arranged a meeting with Tho- masson at his hotel, where she also was 8 guest. Two weeks later they were married secretly at Waterloo, Ill. There followed a whirlwind motor- car honeymoon trip to Chicago and Milwaukee. Returning here, the new Mrs. Thomasson went on a spending spree in which she contracted for $90,000 worth of jewelry and furs. Thomasson refused to pay the bills and a long marital tangle started. He demanded an annulment, charg- ing he had been tricked into the mar- riage. His bride at first fought sever- ance of the marriage bonds, but final- 1y consented to a settlement of $1,000 monthly and a $35000 St. residence. Later she rewon Thomasson’s affec- tions and they were remarried. Both said they were very happy, but rela- tives sought, and failed, to prove the aged husband insane. He died in Little Rock, Ark., in Jan- uary, 1933. She sought a widow's share in his estate in Arkansas courts, the case was brought to St. Louis, and she finally accepted settlement of her claims. A year later Mrs. Thomasson rewed and since has been divorced. e HOPSON IN JERSEY, SAYS NEWARK NEWS Missing Witness in Lobby Probe Declared Trying to Buy House in Sussex County. By the Associated Press. NEWARK, N. J, July 30.—The | Newark Evening News says Howard C. Hopson, sought by the Senate Lobby Committee for questioning about his activities in the fight of the utility in- terests against the “death clause” in the administration holding company bill, has been in New Jersey the last few days. The News says Hopson, whose com- | pany has offices in Newark, was seen here last week and that he was in the bar of a Spring Lake hotel on Sunday. The utilities executive has been negotiating for the purchase of & home near Andover, in Sussex County, the paper says. —_— [TAX INTEREST CUT 0. K.’D Bill Slashing Charge From 12 to 6 Per Cent Passed by Senate. The Senate passed and sent to the House yesterday a bill reducing from 12 to 6 per cent the interest on de- linquent Federal taxes. ‘The measure was described by the Treasury as intended to relieve small taxpayers forced into delinquency by hard times. It applied to “any delinquent inter- nal revenue tax or customs duties.” SPECIAL NOTICES. THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCK- holders of The Potomac_ Insurance Com- ‘pany of the District of Columbia, for the election of directors. will be held in the office of the c%mvlnyml!l:;!-fl(‘l‘AP' Sli :Wl Washington, D. C.. Monday, August 5. a a.m. The books for the transfer of stock will be clun.’eg from July 25 to August 5. inclusive. _19: DER K. PHILLIPS, Secretary. TMPORTANT NOTICE. THE SOUTHEASTERN EXPRESS CO. Will not discontinue express service in Baltimore. Md.. when Washington. Balti- e & Annapolis Rallroad ceases opera- or fio August 20. g!me'lchedulel between Baltimore and Taskiiein tad il gt doath O n kK Hn Faiifoad and Chesapeake Steamship Same service—same office location—re- duced rates. For _i{nformation. telephone SOUTH- EXPRESS COMPANY, Balti- imore _or_Washington. I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOF debts contracted by any one other than Eysell. JOSEPH G. LOSKARN, 1660 W. irginis ave. n.e. 14 LONGER BE ;‘ WILL NO debts other than of my STEPHEN D. MARTIN, ‘RESPONSIB! own creation. 1012 H st. n.e. 30° DRIVEN TRUCK—HAUL _ANY- i anywhere: short or long distance: .$1 hour. Phone Columbia 3724. [ d :fi? AUG 14 AT 11 AM T WILL SELL or storage s, en- rlno No. A4560747. Gus Eichberg, Auc- joneer. DEMAS AUTO REPAIRS, rear 227 D n.W. L ANTED—RETURN LOADS FROM MIAML. Ggeyis, Svieer Figseis, srmbe AND STORAGE CO.. 313 You st. n.w. Phone North 3343. Louis | e and Pro - 73 u:h“& mpt serv- THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, Associated Gas Chart Exhibited i ] | L A huge chart of the set-up of the involved Associated Gas & Electric Co. introduced before the Senate Lobby Committee today. Chairman Black is shown pointing as he queried witness after witness without being able to get the information he desired concerning the set-up. Committee investigators are attempting to locate H. C. Hopson, key officer of Associated Gas & Electric, to answer Black's questions. —A. P. Photo. MORE VICTIMS HIT BY 0D MALADY Disease in Pennsylvania Mining Community Resem- bles Sleeping Sickness. By the Associated Press. . WINDBER, Pa., July 30.—More vic- tims of the strange malady, resembling sleeping sickness, which caused one death in this mining community, were under treatment today. Dr. W. F. Fetcho, medical director, made no estimate of the number fll, but asserted several cases were re- ported to him in addition to 30 treated yesterday. Dr. Fetcho said the disease was in mild form and patients were respond- ing to serum treatment. He empha- sized there was no cause for alarm. Dr. W. S. Wheeling and Dr. H. A. Slessinger yesterday diagnosed the ailment as a form of encephalitis. They said the victims manifest many | symptoms of sleeping sickness, as well as infantile paralysis. e Lobby (Continued From First Page.) of the companies virtually blank with | reference to the campaign. “What are the outstanding obliga- tions of the system?” Senator Schwel- lenbach asked Martin. “I don't know,” the youthful wit- ness replied. “You mean you are head of the treasury department and don't know what your company owes?” .. “What is the Utility Management Corp.?” Schwellenbach asked. “I would assume it is the manage- ment end of the system.” Asked about one of the companies, Martin said, “I have seen it on the financial charts,” but that was all he said he knew about ic. Martin Finally Excused. Chairman Black asked if Martin | could name a single officer in a single company of the system. The witness said he could not. “There isn't anybody we can get any information from about this sys- tem,” Black said, pointing to a chart in back of him showing the scores of companies in the system, “except Mr. Hopson and Mr. Mange, is there?” J. I. Mange is another high offi- cer, who is in a Baltimore hospital. Giving up on Martin, the committee called Wasser. He was able to give more information, but did not tell the committee much of a vital nature. He said he was a director of the Associated Gas & Electric Co., but did not own any stock or know who held the controlling stock. Questioned by Schwellenbach, Was- ser said he held almost $10,000 of bonds in the company. He sald there were three bond issues out. “You are the controller and own $10,000 of bonds,” Schwellenbach said, “and you say there are only three bond issues.” Schwellenbach added there wers eight issues in all. Schwellenbach _questioned Wasser about the Utility Management Corp. The Senator said Hopson and Mange had received $1,412,000 from that company in a year and a half, buc ‘Wasser said he did not know about it. The Senator also placed in the record a voucher showing the com- pany paid $31,602 for legal services against the utility bill. Voting Story Amuses Probers. Committee members amusement at an account of a stock- holders’ meeting for election of offi- cers of the Associated Gas & Electric Co. of New York, one of the major holding companies in the system. ‘Wasser said only two or three stock- holders out of about 240,000 were present and he nominated the directors. “We had 71 per cent of the proxies of all the stockholders,” he explained. . All holders of class B stock, the voting securities, were represented by @ proxy signed by a voting trust of three persons, he said. “So the whole control of this vast Before Selling Investigate the Prices We Pay for OLD GOLD 921 F St. NW. system is in the control of those three men?” Black asked. “And those three vote as they are told to vote by Mr. Hopson and Mr. Mange?” Wasser did not reply directly to that question. Expense Allocated. Wasser saild the expense of cam- paigning against the Wheeler-Ray- burn bill was allocated against the operating companies. “So that the expenditure was a charge actually made against the con- sumers?” Senator Minton, Democrat, of Indiana asked. “No,” Wasser replied. “It will come out of the pocket of the stockholder.” “But it will be shown as an ex- pense item to get raised rates?” “It depends on the regulatory com- missions,” Wasser said. “Has an expense of this kind ever been refused by a State commission?” Black asked. “No, because we have never had this kind." Wasser conceded that a statement put out by the company yesterday that the cost of the campaign was not charged against consumers was incor- rect. Pursuing the profits from the vast A. G. E. system, the committee de- veloped that engineering fees of $5,- 333,000 were paid from 1929-33, in- clusive, to the E. M. Gilbert Engineer- ing Co. and predecessors. Hill and Munson Also Paid. ‘Wasser said he did not know who owned the company, but said the fees represented 7!; per cent of ‘all con- struction by all A. G. E. companies. The list of A. G. E.’s legal expenses bill included, in addition to the Hurley firm, the following payments: Travis, Brownback & Paxson, New York, $3,600. Hill & Munson, Washington, $1,000. Tom D. McKeown, Chicago, $1,- 891.25. E. B. Naylor, New York, $111. In additiorr to the legal fees, the ex- pense sheet showed $250,704 for ad- | direct; $32,406 to the Associated Mag- telegrams and telephons calls and $36,154 for traveling, hotel and auto expenses. On 30 Directorates. When Burroughs took the stand he | said he was a director of 30 different corporations in the A. G. E. system but could not list them without look- ing them up. He said no one connected with the system could name offhand the com- panies or even the names of those of which he was director. He offered to furnish the committee all the information it wanted, adding that it was “just circus stuff” to ask him for so much information offhand. He agreed that Hopson and Mange, through a series of holding companies, controlled the Associated Gas & Elec- tric Co. The big audience laughed as this was finally conceded by Burroughs -after much sparring. “It's mot funny,” the witness said indignantly. “No, it's tragic,” Black retorted. During the course of the inquiry, Senator Schwellenbach said he held about 10 shares of A. G. E. stock he bought in 1928 for about $50, which was now worth about 50 cents. Later Burroughs said he held 3,000 or 4,000 shares. “When did you acquire it?” Black asked. “About the same time you did, 1929, the witness replied, looking at Schwellenbach and laughing. _Many “Tips” Recelved. ~ Committee members expressed con- fidence today they would continue to make headway with the inquiry from the mass of “tips” which they said were pouring in from voluntary sources. The Senators are attempting to es- tablish responsibility for the destruc- tion of A. G. E.'s records with regard to its campaign against the holding company bill. One of the company’s officials testi- fled he issued orders for destruction of the records in 26 States, but the com- mittee was determined to find out THE SIGN OF from opposing the Wheeler-Rayburn | | vertising in newspapers and periodicals | | azine, Inc., Reading, Pa.; $146,879 for | whether the instructions really came from higher up. “Incriminating Data” Denied. Burroughs, who also was a witness yesterday, issued a statement denying the destroyed records included “in- criminating data.” Burroughs also hit the Senators’ argument that the cost of the utili- ties’ fight against the Roosevelt bill will fall on consumers. He asserted that this is as “far-fetched” as to say “that a Senator’s automobile, apart- ment, food or clothing was paid for by the taxpayers just because his sal- ary was his sole source of income.” Another inquiry into lobbying on the utilities bill, conducted by the | House Rules Committee, may resume | hearings tomorrow. William Collins, committee counsel, also intimated the books of the B. B. Robinson Investment Co. of Chicago would yield important disclosures. Bernard B. Robinson, head of the company, already has denied that he entertained lavishly here while | fighting the utilities bill. SPECIAL PLANS MADE FOR COLORED ELKS Senate Authorizes Use of Special Buildings for Convention Here in August. Use of special buildings by the col- ored Elks and hiring of special police to maintain order and assist with | parades during their annual two weeks' convention here beginning August 16, was authorized yesterday in two bills passed by the Senate. A $35,000 appropriation would be provided to defray extra expenses to the District under the legislation. ‘The official name of the organiza- tion is “The Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks of | the World. GIRL SWIMMERS MEET Playground Representatives in Western Section to Compete. Girls from playgrounds in West | Washington were competing this aft- ernoon in the anunua! swimming match at the Georgetown Playground pool to select representatives for the inter-pool meet August 7 at the Mon- | ument pool. Girls placing first, sec- | ond and third in the events will com- | pete in the meet. The eastern section meet will be held tomorrow at the Rosedale pool and the central section at the Monu- ment pool August 2. e gt CITY NEWS IN BRIEF. TODAY. Meeting, District Young Democrats, Willard Hotel, 8:15 p.m. Pestival, Navy Band and Washing- ton Community Players, Sylvan Thea- ter, 7:30 p.m. | TOMORROW. Luncheon, Optimist Club, Hamilton Hotel, 12:30 p.m. Luncheon, Rotary Club, Willard Hotel, 12:30 p.m. Luncheon; Zonta Club, Y. W. C. A, Seventeenth and K streets, 1 p.m. Luncheon, Lions Club, Mayflower Hotel, 12:30 p.m. Turn your old trinkets, jewelry and watches into MONEY at— A.Xahn Jne. Arthur J. Sundlun, Pres. 43 YEARS at 935 F STREET BULGARIA WAGES MOSOUTO WAR Engineers and Sanitary Ex- perts of Rockefeller Foun- dation Direct-Work. PHILIPPOPOLIS (Plovdly), Bul- garia (#).—Engineers and sanitary experts from the Rockefeller Founda~- tion, led by Dr. Ralph Collins, have begun a war on the mosquito in Bul- garia. Noxious swamps and lowlands are being drained to demonstrate Ameri- can methods of exterminating the mosquito and ridding the country of malaria. Hygiene centers are’ being established in the larger cities of Bul- garia. Similar work is being carried on by Rockefeller engineers in Greece. Since the American sanitary en- gineers came to Bulgaria the death rate from malaria ha: decreased by more than one-half. King Boris fol- lows the work of the Americans with interest, and frequently may be seen with them draining the malarial swamps near Sofia and Philippopolis. Simultaneously with this drainage and hygiene work, the American Near East Foundation, under the di- rection of Dr. Laird Archer, is carry- ing on rellef work and socia' service reform among the poor of Bulgaria, with stations or agencles in all the principal cities and towns. Clinics are maintained where indigent Bul- garians may receive free medical treatment. Old clothes contributed by American families are given to the more needy. Model playgrounds and recreation centers of the American type have been introduced into Bulgaria for the first time by the Near East Founda- tion, which wishes these centers to form the nuclei for other playgrounds in Bulgaria. Already these recre- ation centers have brought a marked improvement in the health of the children of Bulgaria. Dr. Archer, who directs the work in Bulgaria, says that the poorer classes in the country are in a con- dition of great misery and poverty. He declares that the work of recon- struction among the lower classes in the Near East which the American relief workers are carrying on may well be regarded as a part of the | American recovery program, as “un- less the standard of living is raised among the 40 million people in the | Near East, world recovery will not be complete, and American recovery will be retarded to that extént.” G.0.P. SWEEPS BOROUGH FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS Clean Margin of Victory Marks Contests in All Offices as 600 Go to Polls. By the Associated Press. STONINGTON, Conn., July 30—| —The Borough of Stonington went | Republican at the annual election yes- | terday for the first time in 40 years. | Nearly 600 votes were cast as the G. O. P. made a clean sweep in all | offices. William Edgar defeated John E. Garity, Democrat, for warden, 348 to | 225. A similar margin separated the candidates throughout. In addition to six burgesses, August | O. Mueller was chosen clerk and | treasurer; Frank L. Dunham, assessor | and William S. Robinson, collector of taxes. Satinwood Suite Below $169 JULY 30, 1935. Authoress’ Record 'Perfect Writer of “Lovely Little Fool” Has More Than 500 Works Accepted. PHYLLIS MOORE GALLAGHER. HEN Phyllis Moore Gal- lagher was 6, she said to \/ v her granamother: “I want to be a truly great writer and I want to live in the lap of luxury.” ‘The authoress who wrote “Lovely Little Fooi,” the novel of Washington life which commences in The Star Sunday, is fast gaining her wish. In the last three years she has written 500 short stories, seven nov- elettes and five 30,000-word serials, and not a rejection slip has come to plague her. From her first article on the manly sport of boxing to this latest novel, syndicates and publishers have ac- cepted everything Mrs. Gallagher has contributed. Career Often Broken. Her literary career was intermittent from the time she revealed her long- ing to her grandmother until three years ago, when ill and wan she re- turned from a long stay in Europe. Shortly after her marriage to Ber- nard J. Gallagher, Washington attor- ney, her health was shattered, her strength gone from the insidious ill- ness that sapped her vitality. “I had nothing left but my brain,” | she recalls. But she put the brain to vigorous use. She read and wrote voraciously. Like James Fenimore Cooper, she felt she could do as well as many of the authors she read. She acted on her idea and produced “Stubby Fingers,” which was grabbed at once by the syndicate to which she submitted it and printed in The Star. i & savings. Mass production followed. Scores of women's mazazines, half a dozen syn- dicates and many “slick” paper publi- cations were flooded with manuscripts from one Phyllis Moore Gallagher, writing under her own name and many nom-de-plumes. And the | stories got printed—short stories, nov- | | elettes and serials. Success she found easy once she | had gotten started. Everything sug- | gested a story to her—a spoken phrase, | a story related, some incident wit- nessed, a letter from a friend. Events Visualized. There was no time nor need for notebooks, elaborate outlines. Once | the idea came, it came in a series of | pictures and dialogue, a sequence of | events ready to be written. This versatile lady of Virginia once | was headed for a career as a concert pianist. In a New York school she | was the fastest typist, the most adept table tennis player, the best actress. She fashions jewelry, does interiors | and designed the $1,000,000 exterior | of the main building at American Uni- | }veraity. of which she is an alumnus. When she was in the seventh grade she exhorted men and women in an | excited, eager voice to buy Liberty bonds. She seems almost the com- plete woman, but gently pooh-poohs | praise with the protest she is still only an apprentice. —_— Gold Output Jumps. Nearly $10,000000 in gold was| mined in the Philippines in the last year. dependable Lifetime Furnitu: U.S. WHITEWASHED N DAVIS CUP PLAY Perry Defeats Allison and Austin Trims Budge in Final Matches. By the Associnted Press. ‘WIMBLEDON, England, July 30— The United States was whitewashed in the Davis Cup tennis challenge round for the first time in 2: years today when Fred Perry defeated Wilmer Allison, 4—6, 6—4, T—5, 6—3, and H. W. (Bunny) Austin - nquered Don Budge, 6—2, 6—4, 6—8, 7—5. Great Britain thus swept all five matches of the series and completed a magnifi- cent second defense of the cup won from France in 1933. It was America’s most humiliating defeat since Australia blanked Uncle Sam’s court representatives in 1911 and it marked the end of the sixth challenge round bid to recapture the coveted trophy since it was lost by the United States to France in 1927. Perry and Austin, who accounted for four points between them, shared the honors of the sweeping victory, with the veteran George Patrick Hughes and young and powerful Raymond Tuckey, who sprang a major surprise yesterday when they toppled the highly favored United States combina- tion of Allison and Johnny Van Ryn in a stirring five-set doubles match. Meaningless Exhibitions. Their victory over the American team, coupled with Perry’s triumph ovoer Budge and Austin’s win from Allison on Saturday, clinched the series for England. As the result today’s matches actually were mean- ingless exhibitions carried out merely to determine the size of England’s winning margin. Locomotives Ordered. Twenty new European locomotives will be placed on the Peiping-Hankow Railway of China. WHERE TO DINE. FAMILY AWAY? EAT AT 17th Cafeteria &, 724 17th St M. 10, - Ber. N & Penn. Ave. You'll Club Breakfast ... . 35¢ Not Miss L . Them % unche Dinner Hillside Featuring Regular Dinners Seafood and a Ia carte meals daily and Sunday from 11 AM. NATURALLY AIR-COOLED 7-Plece Orchestra Sat. Nights. FARMS On the Mariboro Pike, 3 miles from the District Line. HE time has come again when you can buy re at Sale-time Price reductions now are store wide. Only 3 or 4 factory-priced articles which we can- not change are excepted. Assortments are tre- mendous! Quality paramount! And style, up to the minute! enthusiastically. Customers are already buying Surely you will be on hand to take advantage of the remarkable savings. ‘The suite pictured is an unusual value in the sale. Six pieces with full size bed, dresser, vanity, bench, chest Satinwood of drawers and chair. and maple. Mayer & Co. SEVENTH STREET Always glad to show you at Mayer & Co. MAYER&CO. BETWEEN D AND E