Evening Star Newspaper, October 22, 1935, Page 19

Washington News Society and General The Zoening Star TUESDAY, OCTOBER ANTLCRIME' DRIVE OF CHURCHES AIMS 29 WASHINGTON, D. C, 1935. P BID IS ACCEPTED FOR DEMOLISHING EE AGE B—1 SONE OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS T0 BE 0UT Maj. Brown Begins F ourth Year| C. Police Forces POLCE CLAM TWO. CONESSIONS END Confess Part in Fatal Hold-Up As Head of D |Long Hours and Hard BLACKFACE GANG Girl and Man Caught in Detroit Held After Statements. DROVE AWAY WITH BECK| DYING ON RUNNING BOARD Three Serving Time, Two Held for Trial—Began Preying on D. C. in August. Confessions that they participated in the Bladensburg road robbery in which the leader of the “Blackface” gang was shot to death on the night of October 12 have been obtained, po- lice say, from a girl and man brought to Washington from Detroit today. The officers believe this completes the round-up of the notorious robber band. The pair, 19-year-old Vivian Marie Jenkins, 900 block of New York ave- nue, and Edward Joseph Fitzpatrick, | | | 26, were quoted by police as admitting 3 they were in the car in which Morris C. Beck, 26, gang leader, attempted to escape after he was shot in the hold-up of the Blue Bell. barbecue place. at 2335 Bladensburg road north- east Police say the girl and Fitzpatrick continued their flight after the dying | Edward Joseph Fitzpatrick and Vivian Marie Jenkins photographed at | headquarters today after they were returned here from Detroit as members of the “black-face” robber gang, The two, police say, occupied an automo- | bile in which Morris C. Beck, leader of the gang, sought to escape after he | | was mortally wounded in a hold-up attempt October 12 on Bladensburg Bcck was jolted from the running board of their car into Bladensburg road near the District iine. Escaped by Hitch-Hiking. They hitch-hiked after abandoning their automobile, but were trailed (o Detroit by Washington detectives, wha remained but & jump behind the fugi- tives for days. Detective Earl Baker of No. 1 pre- cinct shot Beck when the bandit ap- | peared in the barbecte stand with a sawed-off shotgun and started out of the place with the cash register under his arm. Beck dashed out with Baker in pursuit. The policeman fired several shots at the car into which Beck leaped The Jepkins girl and Fitzpatrick told Detective Sergt. Frank Brass they were powerless to help the dying man because the policeman who had shot him was still on their trail. Fitzpat- rick. Brass said. exolained he later slowed his car down in the hope Beck could hang on. The confessed bandit said that in the meantime the girl was lying flat on the floor near his feet and it was difficult to drive the auto- mobile. He said that when Beck finally lost his hold and rolled to the highway he supposcd he was dead. To Face e-up. The Jenkins girl and Fitzpatrick were returned to Washington by Sergt. Brass and a policewoman. They were fingerprinted and photographed at headquarters and tonight will be placed in the line-up for identification by the gang's victims The gang began operations here about the first of August after staging minor hold-ups in Fairfax County, Va.. detectives said. Liquor store and restaurant robberies followed in rapid succession. The gang. which numbered about eight members, rented garages in va- ricus parts of Washington, to whicn they took stolen automobiles and used as a base of operations. Police re- covered a small arsenal of firearms from one of the garages. Beck and some of the other mem- bers disguised themselves as colored men by smearing their faces with burned cork, but several victims no- ticed rims of white flesh. Passer-by Shot. About the first of September the gang held up Thompson's Restaurant | at 1109 Pennsylvania avenue and a sea food place in the 900 block of Eleventh street southeast. During the former hold-up a gangster said to have been Beck shot and slightly wounded a passerby who had reached into his pocket for his tobacco. More than $1,100 was obtained in the two hold-ups. The Police Department got its first “break” in the case when Brass ar- Tested Martin J. Walsh at Twelfth street and New York avenue. Walsh, a former bootlegger, pleaded guilty. Two Convicted, | Others arrested were Tommy Eng- lish, Ralph Jones, Walter Fourbush and Elmer Cronise of Baltimore. Eng- | lish and Jones were convicted and the other two are awaiting trial. De- tectives said these four sometimes op- erated with Beck, Fitzgerald and Walsh and sometimes independently. | Police said the Jenkins girl had ad- Mitted at least partial participation in several robberies. In addition to Brass, detectives who | helped to break the gang were Elmer Lewis, Rovert Barrett and James Tol- | son of the robhery squad. INSTITUTE TO REVIEW PARENT-TEACHER WORK | An all-day institute, providing a comprehensive survey of the Parent- Teacher movement in Washington, will be held Thursday in the board rooms of the N. E. A. Building, Six- | teenth and M streets. Representatives of approximately 70 schools in the District are expected to attend. Dr. George C. Ruhlana, District health officer, will discuss plans for the city's health service and outline suggested activities for co-operation by the Parent-Teacher organization. Birch E. Bayh, public schoo: director | of health and physical education, and Dr. Frances Moon Butts, parliamenta- rian, also will speak. WINS IN PLANE LANDING The first spot-landing contest spon- sored by the District of Columbia Air Legion was won Sunday by the or- ganization's president, Harley Clap- saddle, who shut off his motor at 1,500 feet altitude and landed within 2 feet of the chalk line drawn across College Park Airport field. Seven other fiyers were entered in the contest, which closed the legion's activities for the season. Officials plan to make the affair an road northeast. Fitzpatrick. according to police. Officer Who Foiled ‘Blackface’ Hold-Up Promoted by City Precinct Detective Earl Baker, who shot and killed Morris Beck. leader of the notorious “black face” gang, during a hold-up of a cafe in the 2300 block of Bladensburg road northeast 10 days @go. was promoted by the Commissioners today to the rank of headquarters detective ser- geant The action was taken on rec- ommendation of Police Super- intendent Ernest W. Brown. The Commissioners called Baker be- fore them this morning in order to commend him for his “cool- ness, courage and good judg- ment,” in preventing the held-up. At the same time the Com- missioners promoted Pvt. Dewey Guest to the rank of precinct de- tective, to fill the vacancy creat- ed by Baker’s promotion. CIRCLE TERMINAL - PLANS DROPPED Capital Transit Will Not Construct Bus Station in Chevy Chase. The Capital Transit Co. has dropped its plans to construct a bus terminal near Chevy Chase Circle in Maryland, C. Melvin Sharpe, executive assistant to the president, John H. Hanna, an- nounced today. On the District side, he conceded. “there may be a working out of the problem,” although he de- clined to go into details. Sharpe said the plot of ground just north of Chevy Chase Circle in Con- necticut avenue in Maryland is too small for construction of a building such as would be suitable for a ter- minal, with adequate toilet and other facilities. He insisted “no responsible official of the company” had attempt- ed to secure such a proposition north of Chevy Chase Circle. Traffic Will Be Guide. Asked about the likelihood of ex- tending the Connecticut avenue bus service north of Chevy Chase Circle and constructing a bus terminal at Chevy Chase Lake, as suggested by residents of that locality, Sharpe de- clared “density of traffic will deter- mine the bus service to Chevy Chase Lake.” “We are not going to hurt anybody's property rights,” Sharpe insisted. Property owners in the vicinity of Chevy Chase Circle have complained that the transit company is depre- ciating the value of their property by punehlng up busses at the circle, us- ing it for an outdoor bus terminal. Sharpe said the company has been considering a bus terminal near Con- necticut avenue and the District line for about a year and a half. The company has spent more than $1,000,000 in new facilities to serve the people of nearby Maryland, he said, especially in running busses to Kensington and Garrett Park. He said he regretted these residents should object to the terminal. | Protest Filed. Meanwhile, the protest of 'citizens gathered force conceming the bus service north of the circle and the present congested conditions at the circle. Edwin S. Hege, president of the Chevy Chase Citizens' Association and one of its two delegates to the Federation of Citizens' Associations, has sent a letter of protest over bus conditions to the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Re- ceipt of this was announced by Joln Nolen, jr., the commission’s director of planning. Under an act of Con- gress creating it, the commission is charged with deale:g with transit and transportation problems in the metro- politan area of Washington. It co- operates with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Plnning Commis- sion, which has headquarters at Sil- ver Sprng, Md. TR Hitler Booster. A man recently walked 978 miles to annual event. + (Berlln to see Hitler, the Jenkins girl said she accompanied him. admits he was driving the car, and —Star Staff Photos. 1., LINE HOUSING PROJECT SCORED Citizens, at Rezoning Hear- ing, Bitterly Attack “Cheap | Proposition.” BY JACK ALLEN. | Staff Correspondent of The Star. | BETHESDA, Md. October Prospects for development of | $5,000,000 community housing pro- ject, which is proposed at Wis- | consin avenue and the District of Cclumbia line, were clouded with doubt today. A delegation of nearly 150 resi- | dents of Friendship Heights, Somer- set, Drummond, Chevy Chase and | Bethesda appeared in almost unani- | ! mous opposition to the development | at a zoning hearing last night and | bitterly assailed the application for the rezoning Mecessary to clear the | way for the project. | Fear Lowered Standards. | Branding the proposal as a “cheap proposition” that would lower the standards of housing in the neighbor- hood. spokesmen for the opponents | ‘apDESI(‘d to the Montgomery County commissioners and the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission to disapprove the re- | zoning request . Owners of the 60-acre tract on | which the project would be located, | ; & spokesman for the would-be devel ! oper anc representatives of the Be- | thesda Chamber of Commerce and | . the Chevy Chase Gardens and | Friendship Heights Citizens' Associa- tions appeared in favor of the pro- 22 the sal. The data offered at the hearing will be taken under consideration by the Planning Commission and it is ex- | pected that a formal recommendation | regarding the rezoning plea will be presented to the Board of Montgomery County Commissioners within the next two weeks. | “Cheap Proposition.” Hugh M. Framton, who character- | ized the project as a “cheap proposi- | tion” that would “lower housing | standards,” and Frederick W. Stohl- | man delivered fiery tirades against the | | change of zoning that is sought for | the project. Others who joined them in their at- | tack included Edward L. Hillyer, presi- dent of the Chevy Chase Land Co.; Galen L. Tait, R. C. Littleton, George M. Ferris, A. S. Magee, William B. +Horne, Dudley T. Holcomb, Wilson Townsend, Ralph S. Fowler and John | | Shepherd. | Their charges were vigorously denied | | by John W. Gaskins, who appeared in | behalf of P. F. Gormley of Washing- | ton, described by Gaskins as the pro- posed developer of the tract, which is located at the northwest corner of Western and Wisconsin avenues, ad- joining Friendship Heights. Gaskins said that plans call for ap- proximately 500 homes, costing about $5.500 to construct and selling from $7,500 to $8.000. The homes, he said, would contain six rooms and two baths and would be modeled along Norman, Norman-English, Norman- French and early American lines. Would Also Build Stores. Stores which the developer proposes to establish in the community to pro- vide for the needs of the residents would be of corresponding types, Gas- kins declared. Representatives of the Chevy Chase Gardens Citizens' Association and the Friendship Heights Citizens’ Associa- tion informed the county officals that their organizations had gone on rec- ord approving the application provid- ing the developer would agree to cer- tain reservations. One of these. they said, would be | to reduce the depth of the comme.- cial development from 300 to 150 feet and the other would be to specity minimum cost restrictions in the descs of the houses. Gaskins said the de- veloper would agree to both reserva- tons. J. Harry Welch spoke in behalf cf the Bethesda Chamber of Commerce’s resolution approving the project, while others who addressed the hearing in favor of the zoning change were Don- ald Woodward and B. W. Patker, whose wife and Woodward are co- owners of the tracts X $1,337 to Be Paid Authority SITE TO BE CONVERTED { fied on economic grounds. ALLEY DWELLINGS for Salvage Without Clearing Cost. INTO A PARKING LOT Crew of Workers Sent to Drive Out Rats—New Courts Contracted. The District alley dwelling au-| | thority today paved the way for ex-| tensive further action in eradication | of Washington alley houses by ac- cepting bids from two contractors for | demolition of 50 dwellings and con- | struction of new development on three alley “courts.” Successful bidder for the demolition work in O'Brien and Thimble courts and Columbia Terrace, near E street between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets, was the Heckinger Wrecking' Co., which offered to clear the site and pay the authority $1,337 for sal- vage materials. This site is to be con- verted into a parking lot for auto- mobiles. As a prelude to the razing opera- tions there, the bcard was to send a crew of workmen to the site today to drive out rats which are said to infest the place. Experts from the Department of Agriculture were to be on hand to aid in direction. Poison food, lethal to rats, but said to be | harmless for dogs or cats, was to be spread for the rodents l Ward Low on Garages. | The Alley Authority reported Heman H S. Ward was low bidder for con- struction of 19 garages in Browns court, between First and Second, F and G streets, southeast, and in Stan- ton court, between L and M. Twenty- third and Twenty-fourth streets, and construction of an automobile repair garage in Rupperts court, south of | Pennsylvania avenue southeast be- tween Second and Third streets John Ihlder, executive officer, pre- sented to the authority an outline of principles of a three-point pro- gram for housing developments for rehousing families moved out of alley homes, which the board approved. Meanwhile, the authority was re- strained from insuring any properties coming under its control against fire, theft or the destructive elements by Controller General McCarl in a de- cision made public today. The authority said that it was nec- essary to carry insurance and had wanted to know if its funds were available to pay premiums. McCarl said that it was an estab- lished policy of the Government not | to pay insurance premiums, but to carry its own risks. Housing Types Approved. The three types of housing develop- ments approved in principle by the board Ihlder outlined as follows: 1. A three-story apartment house. providing for light, ventilation and sanitary conveniences, but containing no equipment that cannot be justi- The life of this building is assumed to be 30 to 40 years and costs would be fig- ured on the basis of both construction and installation expense and esti- mated maintenance. operation and repair during the life of the building. 2. A group of existing alley dwell- | ings opened to the street, new dwell- ings to be added to them in the form of two wings so that the existing dwellings and the new dwellings would frame a wide, tree.shaded grass plot on which all would face. This would result in a three-sided court cpen- ing to the street. The old dwellings. now in disrepair, would be repaired. The new dwellings would conform to District building requirements. 3. A community of cottages built as inexpensively as practicable, yet con- taining all the essentials of whole- some living. These must be on vacant land at a distance from the city cen- ter in order that the site cost may be low. Their erection depends on securing an allocation or appropria- tion not restricted to inhabited alley squares. They are designed for fam- ilies with incomes comparable to those | of alley dwellers.” U. S. WORKER CREDIT PARLEY 1S CALLED| Merchan*s and Government Seekj Solution to Prod Bill Laggards. General policies to control credit ‘ problems of Government employes, | whose salaries may not be attached by creditors, are to be discussed at 11 a.m, tomorrow by a committee of Fed- eral and District representatives, meeting in the office of Commissioner George E. Allen. If guiding principles are drafted they are expected to be presented to the White House for promulgation. Chief clerks from the Justice, Treas- ury. Commerce and Navy Departments and Corporation Counsel E. Barrett Prettyman are members of the group studying plans. A report submitted by Frank A. Bergfeld of the Treasury will be laid before them. Some merchants have protested that certain Government workers are too slow in paying bills and some Govern- ment officials have complained mer- chants expect them to act as collection agents. e LEFT $90,000 ESTATE Petition for Probate of Mrs. F. H. Moffitt’s Will Filed. Mrs. Florence H. Moffitt of 1635 Harvard street, who died October 7, left an estate of approximately $90,000, it was disclosed today when the National Metropolitan Bank, ex- ecutor, petitioned for probate of her will, The heirs are her grandchildren— Melville M., 18, and Marjorie M. Moffitt, 15, to whom the estate is left in trust. », - ! near the Lorton | qualified and by restricting locations ATGAMBLINGLAWS Federation Presents Six- Point Improvement Pro- gram to Senator King. EFFECTIVE DEALING WITH DRUNKS URGED Revamping of System of Dispens- ing Liquor and Enlarged Po- | lice Court Also Asked. Tightening up of the gambling laws of the District, a more effective method of treating hebitual drunk- ards and revamping of the system of | dispensing liquor were included in a/ six-point improvement program out- lined last night by the Civic Affairs Committee of the Washington Fed- eration of Churches in a letter to Chairman King of the Senate District Committee. The other three subjects dealt with were need for more adequate housing space for Police Court, additional nurses at Gallinger Hospital and fa- cilities for segregating young offend- ers from hardened criminals at the Lorton Reformatory. In his letter to Senator King, Wilbur La Roe, jr. chairman of the Civic Affairs Committee, recalled that leg- islation aimed at the gambling evil has passed the Senate twice, “but on both occasions it has been blocked by the Judiciary Subcommittee of the District Committee of the House of Representatives.” Stresses “Shameful Condition.” Evidence seems to indicate the so- called numbers racket is flourishing here and that the authorities are to some extent helpless because of the inadequacy of existing law, Mr. La Roe wrote. Failure of the additional legislation to pass has created a “shameful condition,” Mr. La Roe stated, adding, “Every effort to in- duce the Judiciary Subcommittee to act has proved unavailing.” Senator King had the anti-gamblinz bill approved by the Senate carly in the last session and it will be pending in the House subcommittee when Congress reconvenes. The number of arrests for drunk- enness “is very large (over 1500 per month)” and includes many “re- peaters,” the letter stated. Pointing out that medical treatment is more effective than short jail sentences, Mr. La Roe said there is need for a farm- sanitarium for inebriates. He sug- gested that farm land is availabie Reformatory, if an appropriation could be obtained for facilities and operating costs. Discusses Liquor Control. Discussing operatiom of the alcoholic beverage control law, local | Mr. | La Roe wrote: “It is respectfully submitted that there is room for substantial improve- ment in the sale of liquor in th2 Dis- trict. The dispensing of liquor li- censes has been little less than promis- cuous. In its recent annual report to the Commissioners the Alcohol Bev- erage Control Board said: ‘Until re- cently the board has been exceedingly liberal in the granting of licenses and iust as liberal in revoking them. * * * The board relied upon the prospective licensee using judgment to select a location which would permit him o rtin a profitable business. * The board further had in mind the fact that a very considerable advantage would be gained in giving every one who desired to go into business an opportunity to do so. The result has| fully justified what has been done.’ “This leaves much to be desired It | shows that the board's criterion has been the financial success of the liquor seller, with little thought for the pro- tection of the community. We now have 1,008 places where bottled liquor is sold and 782 places where liquor is sold for consumption on the premises. | In the later days of the saloon there was a maximum of 300 saloons in ti.e | District, this maximum having bm“i fixed by the statute. There is needed | a complete revamping of our system of dispensing liquor, with emphasis on protecting the public interest by re- | stricting licenses to those thoroughly in such a way as to protect the com- munity and to prevent the sale of liquor in places frequented by young people.” Appreciation Expressed. Mr. La Roe expressed appreciation | for the interest Senator King already has shown in trying to obtain a new building for the police tribunal and other minor courts. The Senator's present intention is to seek the neces- sary appropriation in the first de- ficiency bill taken up in January. The Civic Affairs Committee has | been told Gallinger Hospital has an insufficlent number of nurses. “At least 20 more graduate nurses are said to be urgently needed,” the com- mittee wrote, suggesting that a special study of the matter would seem to be warranted. Discussing the needs of the Lorton Reformatory, Mr. La Roe told the Senator the institution was construct- ed and intended as a reformatory for young prisoners, but that “solely be- cause of the lack of facilities. it has degenerated largely into a penitentiary for hardened criminals. Nevertheless, the young offenders are also sent there and permitted to mingle with the hardened criminals. This is not only undesirable, but a dangerous condition and no argument is needed to show | that it should be corrected at the earliest possible moment.” $80,000 WILL FILED To dispose of an $80,000 estate. the will of Mrs. Elizabeth Dennett, who died October 12 at Big Stone Gap, Va., was filed for probate in District Supreme Court yesterday by her son, Lieut. Richard R. Dennett, U. 8. N,, named as her sole heir. Through his attorney, Edmund D. Campbell, Lieut. Dennett asked the court to appoint him executor. The will states that a daughter, Mrs. Dixon Dennett SPmp, of Big Stone Gap, already has been provided for, Work Combined by Superintendent. Began Career in 1896 as Patrolman on Beat at Georgetown. Surrounded by flowers, Maj. Ernest W. Brown began his fourth year to- day as superintendent of the Metro- The | poiitan Police Department. flowers, bearing congratulatory cards, were tributes from the department’s administrative staff. Maj. Brown took the helm of the police force October 22, 1932, suc- ceeding Brig. Gen. Pelham D. Glass- ford. Despite the —the so-ca'r:d “hunger march” and the crime investigation by a special subcomrmittee of the House District Committee—he met them all with the serious problems | | that have marked his administration BEFORE MIDNIGHT {Signals Not Believed Needed on All Streets After 9 0’Clock. CONNECTICUT AVENUE | AND M MOST CONGESTED ! Count Also Shows 52,947 Autos Pass Dupont Circle in 18- Hour Period. same fort'tude that carried him from | the lowest rank to the superintend- ey “My job is not an easy one” said Maj. Brown. “The hours are long. But I like to work.” He pointed out it was 1 o'clock this morning when he quit, and that five hours later, he was called from bed to direct some important police activity. Maj. Brown began his police career January 10, 1896. His first assign- ment was a beat in Georgetown near the old Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. “There were no radin scout cars then.” he said. *“The fastest means of Missing KATHERINE SPEAR (top). DOROTHY DOWER (lower). [2 PERSONS HURT INAUTO CRASHES City Has “Breather” From Serious Mishaps—Boy’s Ear Torn in Smash. Twelve persons were injured. most of them slightly, as the Capital en- joyed a “breather” today from serious traffic mishaps. Frederick Simmons, 19. of the 1800 block of Kenyon street, suffered a bad- ly torn ear when the automobile in which he was a passenger struck a parked car at Thirteenth and Crit- tenden streets. Qarfield Hospital. Alexander B. Shaner, 19. of 3418 Thirteenth street, was driting the car, | police said, when it skidued on the wet street and crashed. Alexander Ford, 51, colored, 300 block of Seventh street southeast, re- ceived .a broken collarbone when struck at Seventh street and Penn- sylvania avenue by a machine oper- ated by Nelson E. Pumphrey, 25, of 418 Seventh street southeast. He was taken to Providence Hospital. Others injured up to 8 am. suf- fered only cuts and bruises, police said. Inquests will be held tomorrow into two traffic deaths. of Carl Ramstad, 40, of 948 New York avenue, taxicab driver. killed last Saturday night in a triple col- lision on the Arlington Memorial Pridge. The other concerns Adam Abra- ham, 38 of 1014 I street, who died last Wednesday from injuries received October 12. He was struck by an automobile at Vermont avenue and R street. Abraham died in Freed- men’s Hospital without regaining consciousness. —_— Snow Delays Flight. RAPID CITY, S. Dak., October 22 (®)—A brisk snow fall yesterday dashed any hopes for inflation of the stratosphere expedition’s balloon. More than a half inch of snow cov- ered the floor of the bowl from where the take-off is planged. He was treated at | One is the case | MAJ. ERNEST W. BROWN And the cake given him on his third anniversary as police superin- | tendent. —Star Staff Photo. transportation were bicycles and horse- drawn patrol wagons.” Maj. Brown has made many im- provements in the department since he became superintendent which have resulted in increased efficiency and improved morale. He believes his force is the best in the country. TO CAPITAL GRS REPORTED MISSNG Katherine Spear, 16, and | Dorothy Dower, 14, Not | Seen Since Yesterday. Katherine Spear. 16. daughter of the president of the Nash & Turner Coal Corp., and Dorothy Dower, 14 a Iriend. were being sought by police today at the request of their parents. who said they had been missing from home since early vesterday. The girls are believed to have taken the automobile of John R. Dower, 419 Delafield place. father of Dorothy Parents said. however, that as far as they know neither girl can drive a car. Dorothy. a student at Macfarland Junior High. and Katherine, who is in the fourth semester at Roosevelt High, left their homes supposediy to g0 to school When they failed to return last night, the parents became alarmed | and called police. The keys to Dower's automobile had been taken from a buffet. Katherine is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank R. Spear, 418 Emer- son street. Dorothy's father is em- ployed at the Census Bureau. Since the girls had less than a dollar betwecn them the parents do not believe their daughters could have gone far. Neither gir] has relatives liv near Washington whom theyr could have gone to visit and they never before had shown an inclination to leave home, it was said. Wearing a dark green skirit. orange blouse and tan coat. Katherine has light brown hair and blue eves Dorothy had on a brown skirt and | sweater and has medium brown hair MASONS CONFER HIGHEST DEGREES 129 From This Section Get 33d ; and 32d Rank at Supreme Council. Eleven Masons in Washington and | nearby Maryland and Virginia were elected to receive the Thirty-third and last degree of Scottish Rite Masonry and 18 were chosen to receive the thirty-second degree and rank and decoration of Knight Commander of the Court of Honcr at the biennial session today of the Southern Su- preme Council, Thirty-third Degree, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, being held at the | House of the Temple on Sixteenth street. Washingtonians chosen for the | thirty-third degree are Austin Jones Leister. Joseph Salomon and John Smith Tassin. Marylanders accepted for the highest degree were Thomas S. Cullen. Frederick T. Dorton and Paul R. Kach, all of Baltimore, and | Edgar C. Powers, Towson. Those from Virginia who were given the | honor were Roland B. Anderton, New- port News; Alfred R. Hill, Scheol- fleld; Louis G. Mauer, Lynchburg, and William R. Weisiger, Richmond. Four Washingtonians were elected to receive the rank and decoration of knight commander of the Court of Honour. They are Karl Collier, George | L. Goss, Donald W. Graffius and Rob- ert S. Reiggar. Eight were elected to this degree from Maryland and six, including Dr. William Moseley Brown ot Clarendon, were elected from Vir- ! ginia. The degrees will be conferred at | ceremonial services at the Temple Friday night. Grand Comdr. John H | Cowles is presiding at meetings of the council. The Southern Supreme Council is the mother council of the world, hav- ing ‘been established at Charleston, S. C., in May, 1801, SRR SN Wife Wins Divorce. ROCKVILLE, Md., October 22 (Special).—Judge Charles W. Wood- ward has signed a decree in the Cir- cuit Court here granting to Sylva Cumming of Chevy Chase an absolute divorce from Charles R. Cumming of Washington. The petition, which charged deser- tion, stated that the couple were mar- rled in New York May 2, 1929, and have no children, ‘Traffic lights probably will be turned off before midnight at a number of intersections throughout the District it was disclosed today by Traffic Di- rector William A. Van Duzer. An exhaustive survey is now being made to determine the intersections ,at which the lights will be cut off early. | It is Van Duzer's plan to turn off the lights at about 9 or 10 o'clock at all intersections where not more than 500 cars pass in an hour at night. The survey includes a 24-hour traf- fic count at every light-controled in- tersection. The count already has been completed at a number of th important intersections Aside from turning off certain ligh earlier than usual Van Duzer also pr poses to keep the signals operat night at points where traffic is he for a 24-hour period. These inte tions include Seventh. Twelfth an Fourteenth streets and Constitutic avenue. Traffic Count Made. The survey thus far shows Cor necticut avenue and M street to b. one of the most congested intersec- tions in Washington. A check there disclosed that 47,379 vehicles crossed that intersection in a 24-hour period. More cars. however, went around Du- pont Circle. Traffic checkers counted 52,947 vehicles at the circle in an 18-hour period from 6 am. to 12 o'clock midnight. Counts at other intersections for a 24-hour period were as follows “ifteenth and H streets northeast 43.751: Twelfth street and Constitu- uon avenue, 35.000: Rhode Island and Florida avenues, 38.308: Connecticu avenue and Calvert street, 39.25 Fourteenth and F streets, 36.685; Fourteenth and Water streets 33,204 Florida and New York avenues, 28.- 719: Thirteenth street and Massa- chusetts avenue, 45,086: North Capitol street and Massachusetts avenue, 37.- 372; Wisconsin and Massachusetts avenues, 26,299: Ninth and F streets, 16,328; New Jersey avenue and E street. 15,290; Fifteenth street and New York avenue. 40,840; Seventh street and Pennsylvania avenue, 39.- 090; Eleventh street and Pennsylvania avenue southeast, 28454: Thirteenth street and Pennsylvama avenue, 40.- 112: Seventeenth street and Pennsyl- vania avenue. 45,521: First street and Rhode Island avenue, 26.283: Fourth street and Rhode Island avenue norta- cast, 25.223: Seventh street and Rhode l:land avenue, 31.076; Sixteenth and K streets, 33477. and Twenty-first and K strects, 13,079. One-Way Sireets Studied. Van Duzer also will use the re- suits of the survey to determinc a number of additional one-way stre:is which he believes are absolutely nec- essary to carry Washington's ever- growing volume of traffic. Some of the streets will be made permanent onc-way thoroughfares. while others will be designated for one-way traffic only during the morning and after- ] neon rusr: ixoLrs. 'STREET-WIDENING | PLANS CONDEMNED Manor Park Citizens Lay Pro- | test Before District Com- missioners. Spokesmen for the Manor Park Citizens' Association and private property owners today denounced plans of the District government for widening of Blair road from Under- wood to Peabody street. At a special hearing before the Com- missioners they charged their rights were prejudiced by plans involved in condemnation proceedings. which would take a large slice of private property on the west side of the road and a lesser amount of land from com= mercial property on the east side and leave a sharper kink in the road be- tween Tuckerman and Underwood streets, thus perpetuating a serious traffic hazard. Commissioner Hazen replied the cot of the street widening would be greater to residents of the area if more of the more costly commercial land were condemned and explained that the street widening is a part of the estab- lished highway plan. The right of | way for the road is to be widened from 33 to 90 feet. | Among those protesting against | present plans were Ernest H. Pullman, president, and George A. Corbin, recording secretary of the association | William H. Seaquist, Charles A. Lang ‘ley. former president of the Chillum | Heights Citizens’ Association, and Elton O. Pillow. NEW PROJECTS STUDIED Twenty D. C. Jobs Would Give | Year's Work to 540. | The District Projects Board today | was scheduled to act on 20 addi- tional work project! to cost $440,000 and give a year’s employment to 540 persons. Those approved will be forwarded by Commissioner George | E. Allen to the Works Progress Ad- | ministration. | To date the District has sent to | Federal headquarters work plans | which would cost $12,763,000. Of | this sum the W. P. A. has released | funds for projects totaling some $4,000,000, on which about 7,000 pere sons on the relief list here have been set to work. .