The Key West Citizen Newspaper, January 14, 1941, Page 2

PAGE TWO Citizen PUBLISHED co. I ‘e y Except Sunday By "resident and Publisher Business Manager e Citizen Building nd Ann Streets The Key West inted Press y entitled to use U_news dispatches credited to refited in this paper and also ed here. The / efor re at or net otherwise the al news publis! SUBSCRIPTION RA’ Year Six Months Three Months Ope Month Weekly ADVERTISING RA Made known on application, IAL NOT rds of t , ete, will be solutions of | arged for at | for entertainment by churches from which derived are 5 cents a line. and invites discus- is to be The Citiz n open forum spn of public issues and subjects of local or general | imterest but it will not publish anonymous communi- cations. zen a IMPROVEMENTS FOR KEY WEST 3ADVOCATED BY THE CITIZEN Water and Sewerage. More Hotels and Apartments. Beach and Bathing Pavilion. Airports—Land and Sea. Congolidation of County and City Gov- ernments. A Modern City Hospital. ~ The only reason the rich pay taxes is h@cause the paupers can’t. Few jaywalkers will live eligible for old age pensions. to become Insurance is often carried when needed and needed when not carried. not | © Men put off things they ought to do, and women sometimes put off things they | ought to wear. This writer heartily endorses the war against the flu, which has made its ap- | pearance in many parts of the country. . = Mussolini is suffering from a gastric | ailment. With all those military reverses | we can understand why he is sick at the | stomach. | Soviet foreign policy is explained by | tire query, “‘Where is the booty?” ‘Where | your treasure is, there will your heart be atso” is factual and the main reason for all wars, notwithstanding al! this talk about | ideologies: Advertisers who are not only well known but favorably known owe their pop- ularity to the money they spend to attract | new customers. There are many new folks | if town now that are ripe to be attracted, hift Key West merchants are somewhat backward itt‘making themselves known. — ~ No natiou; including the United States, i§ strictly observing international law. It is # case of tit for tat, but the dictator nations started it. The situation is akin to two men agreeing to fight it out with their fists, but when one of the antagonists draws a gun obtained from one of his friendly witnesses, the other has no alternative in defending himself except to accept a like friendly Pfoffer. Russia is aiding Germany in the United States is not stand- y by to see England ganged on by the Axis nation Natu:ally by doing that we are automatically drawn into the fight, too, de- British holdings in the United States only a few months'ago amounted to $7,000,- O8D,000, yet she “proclaims. the need of {Mancial assistagiee-from people of the Mite | States. ! Great Beitain’s war debt to this country, owed for more than 20 years, amounts to $5,651,7 Deducting the amount of the pure has made, there still would be left about a billion dol- lar } 2,000 hases she slance, even if she paid the war debt. ich apparently she has no intention of doing. Maybe Uncle the new situation in ner, but it is doubtf President Roosevelt ha forget about the doflar in dealing with Eng ‘and. Maybe he is right at that, fer the loan seems to have gone with the wind. Sam will handle a more husin recent ed that we mu | Br | an invasion, sowed the Channel | tanks anchored sufficiently beneath the | tember. FOR A WORTHY CAUSE The women of Key West, with their knitting for the Red Cross, have taken up a highly commendable project and from re- ports of their last month’s effort it appears they are making real progress. It’s one note of sanity in the whole in- sane business of another world blood-letting and the 75 or more women now taking part in the work, although they will . never know the actual recipients cartake pleasure in knowing they have done something for the comfort and security of wan’s victiras. Mrs. William R. Warren, chairman of the production committee, has reported steady progress in turning out the mufflers, beanies and sweaters for men, women and children which go to make up the bundles to Europe. She and her co-workers are giv- ing as much time as possible to filling the quota expected by the Red Cross from Key West. They need help, however, women who join them now can be sure of a warm reception. The next meeting is Friday and if the worth of the cause is a criterion it should be a big one. GERMAN INVADERS BURNED? There have been several reports of | German attempts to invade Great. Britain and despite semi-official denials the stories itinue to appear, with considerable de- I, The most recent relates that the Ger- mars attempted invasions in August and in cor | September and that both failed because the ish. using tanks of oil and gasoline set | | on fire by incendiary bombs from airplanes, literally consumed the invaders by fire. This time the narrative comes from Boris Nikolayevsky, described as a —dis- tinguished Russian publicist and historian, who lived in France for many years before his arrival in this country recently. He ts said to have had close contacts with French | officials and political leaders story is that the British, looking for with oil His surface to be hidden from view. Parallel with these they anchored thousands of gaso- line tanks and waited for the Germans. In August, with 1,200 specially con- | each bearing | structed aluminum barges, about fifty soldiers and equipment, the Germans came. About half-way between ‘the French and British coasts they struck the oil and gasoline line. British planes rained incendiary bombs and in a few minutes the water became a mass of fire enveloping the German barges. Only a few thousand Germans man- aged to escape, the remainder perished in the sea or were burned to death. A similar fate befell the second expedition in Sep- The Bussian journalist says that peo- ple in oceupied French ports estimate that 80,000 German troops perished in the two attempts and “the fact is that hospitals in cccupied France are filled with Nazi sol- diers, all of them suffering from severe burns.” Thousands of dead washed ashore and “there was a wave of mutinies in the German army” when a_ third “attempted invasion was planned. INSTALLMENT SALES GROWING The fact that installment sales volume for 1940 increaged nearly twenty-five per cent over 1939 ought to mean something to Key West retailers. It might as well be accepted that the installment sales plan has come to stay and that, in time, it will be the leading method in use to promote the sale of certain prod- ucts, The fact that total retail sales last year were estimated at $45,000,000,000 and that installment sales were about one-ninth of the whole, does not tell it all. The rate of owth in installment selling points the way all who have for sased business to omething to sell. ine HERE IS CURIOSITY a osity belongs of Our idea of genuine ¢ am Wasser Philadelyhia investment comnpany. ily testified in court that be- gly curious” abeut the mar- sident a He recer “exceet ipulations of g investment . who talked of a “magic market,” ted $10,000 so that he could study ket rm av inve system The “wizard” ree i the court the “magic market” of the gullible. disappeared is trying his af. re presu: along wi and the | THE KEY WEST CITIZEN Whe Killed Mant Maggie P| By MEDORA FIELD ne YESTERDAY: Lieutenant Gregory of the Atlanta police has four confessions on his hands to the murder of Eve Benedict, and Coroner Dodson just has offered an explanation which may remove Gregory’s best sus- pect for the murder of Aunt Maggie Ambler—Bill himself, who with his wife Sally was giving the party at which the murders occurred. Then, when everything was confused enough, somebody turned off the lights in the library, where every one was gathered, and flung a dart into the room. Sally is worrying about Plutarch, one of the guest's cat. Chapter 45 Interloper I REMEMBERED Alice had thought she heard him when she went to the basement, but Andrew had not been able to find him in the coal chute. How was it Plutarch was always escaping from the office? Because someone had opened the door, of course. The office—I sprang to my feet. Perhaps—perhaps there was an entrance from that room to the secret room. Andrew had_ economically turned off the light in the office. As I touched the switch button and the interior of the small room sprang into being before my eyes, I involuntarily stepped backward, stifling a scream. A strange man was standing in the middle of.the floor. Apparent: ly he found the encounter as awk- ward as I did, for we both stood there silently, staring at each other, My first wild conclusion was that there at last was the sus- picious character we had all been looking for, But even in_ that moment of initial shock and sur- | prise, I was conscious of a feeling of anticlimax. inspired no doubt by his commonplace appearance. Here was no movie villain. Here was no devil with horns and tail. Here was no gorilla or hairy ape. Here was only a stockily built young man of perhaps thirty, a little on the hard-boiled side and rather flashily dressed, it is true, but otherwise not at all re- markable-looking. But appearances are often de- ceiving, and I told myself that I must be very clever and engage him in unsuspecting conversation until I eould pull the bell cord and summon Andrew. I could scream, if necessary, but it would be much better to be calm and take him unaware. So I said, somewhat weakly, “I didn’t know there was anyone in here.” He grinned, disclosing an im- pressive gold tooth. “Place is lousy with police.” “What?” f asked stupidly. “Plain-clothes man,” he ex- plained, flipping his coat lapel. “Oh,” I said, not quite con- vinced, but remembering that Lieutenant Gregory momentarily expected someone from the solici- ses general's office. It could be ‘ue. “Then,” I suggested. trying to], keep the’ doubt out of my voice,” “you'll want to see Lieutenant Gregory.” = “Yes,” he agreed. “in a few mo- ments. Just doing a little recon- | noitering. Like to go over the| ground and form my own conelu- sions, you know.” “Oh,” I said again, inanely. “<S'right,” he reassured me. “Call Gregory if you want to. Just delay things is all.” As I hesitated, he went briskly on, “But you can help me if you will. You want to get this cleared up, don’t you? Now, I gather the bed- rooms in this shack are on the next floor. How about sort of giv- ing me the layout of who has which room?” . “If you'll wait a moment,” 1 offered, “I'll have the butler show ou around. Wouldn’t that be etter?” He hesitated, then said, “Okay, but I'could do better alone.” I rang for Andrew, and as we waited J led the way into the back passage and explained that the bedrooms on the right of the back stairs were occupied by Bob and Kirk and_ Bill respectively and those on the left by our feminine guests, one of whom had been tnurdered that afternoon. “Pretty wholesale slaughter around here, looks like,” he ob- served. ndrew did not appear im- I said I would step to en and ask the cook to locate him. “Oh, never mind.” my visitor told me airily, “I'll get along all right.” “Tll send Andrew along later,” I promised as he vanished up the back stairs. Steps Down i lessor! bells is ringing in all di- rections,” Bessie explained, as I entered the kitchen. “An- drew’s done gone to the front door and I was comin’ to the of- fice just as soon as I could get my apron changed.” “It's all right,” I told her. “Just tell Andrew that a plain-clothes policeman is snooping about up- stairs and that I would like it if he would sort of keep an eye on im and see that he reports to utenant Gregery. I'll tel] Mr. if he ever gets out of the v I went back to the office but I -|true of so many house. All the way from the base- * It seemed to me thet the single bulb which lit the back passage had never cast so pale a light nor the little room itself seemed so ; remote from the rest of the house. But I must go on if that hunch about Plutarch was to be investi- gated. I opened the door cau- tiously and began the descent to the basement. And there on the landing, a line from the jingle came back to me. “Steps up, steps down...” “Steps? Steps could be stairs, of course. Perhaps I had thought of it because of the fact that I was standing with stairs above and } below. But, of course, that was laces in the ment landing to the third floor by way of these same back stairs. and down. ... Bill from Lieutenant Gregory’s clutches. Somewhere around some of these stairs... Then it was that I seemed to hear, ever so faintly, a series of muffled meows. But try as I might, I could not decide which direction they came from. Faintly the answer came back, ever. Here again is evidence of what might be considered my great- great - grandfather's eccentricity. traight in front of me,.as I stood on the landing, was a door lead- ing down into the game room. To the left is another, leading to the day a part of the game room had been a wine cellar. The present furnace room had’ provided space for provisions. It was because he wished them to be enti rate that he had individual stair- ways built down from the land- ing. sa opened one door, then the other, calling out to Plutarch as I did so, but no sign of any white eat..I called again, and again heard Plutarch’s plaintive meow. But where could he be? On my right was only a wall which 1 had always thought stood flush against a wall of earth. But as I looked at it now, I saw that it, too, was fashioned to look like a door, except that there was no door handle. Of course, this mig have been simply to pro- vide a uniform effect. But suddenly I was certain that Plutarch’s cries had come from behind this wall. Here, I knew, was the secret room. The answer to everything that had happened. Caution whispered to go back and wait for Bill. But, I thought, no harm just to see if it is the door. Just ‘to see if it will open. I banged on the paneling. Was that a hollow sound that came back? In my_ excitement I could nct be sure. I sought in vain for some secret spring to press. I ran my hands up and down the out- side of the frame. Perhaps some- where.., ‘Then suddenly an abyss opened under my feet and I was falling a: falling... Plutarch A Seer flight of steps broke my fall somewhat. Excevt for this and the fact that | had thrown out my arms and hap- pened to grasp the stair rail on one side, there is little doubt that I would have landed on the brick floor with a broken neck. Even so, I was sure that I was just a nice little bag of broken ones, afraid to move lest I find that I could not. As I lay there in the dark, for the opening through which I had fallen had closed be- hind me, something soft and alive rubbed against me and I screamed at the top of my Voice. Also I involuntarily drew away, and this showed me that at least I could move. My scream was answered by a loud and petulant meow close at hand, and I realized with hys- terical relief that it was Plutarch who had rubbed against me. “How did-you get here?” I asked him, as he rubbed against me again. And although Plutarch could not tell me, the answer, of course, was’ that somebody had opened that concealed trap door ‘on the landing and Plutarch either had followed that someone down the steps or had been brought down. The latter supposition did not sound very plausible, for after all there was no reason to conceal the unlucky animal. Nor was there reason to think that Plu- tarch had followed anyone in par- | ticular, for he is a fairly friendly cat with the‘usual feline curiosity and would have trailed anybody who did not actually kick him aside. The presence of Plutarch, there- fore, was no clue to the discoverer of this underground retreat, which I knew must be the secret room. Alone at last with the object of my frantic search—the secret room—my one desire was to es- cape. I had no wish to linger in the dark or to be discovered there by the murderer. But havi landed with my right foot doubl under me,,.the ankle was giving me various and fits. Otherwise, I seemed to have no injuries bevond bruises. I tried to rise, but the ankle hurt so badly that I was forced to sink down en the bottom step. still could find no sign of any hid- den entrance. I would try the basement stairs and see if I could hear Plutarch as Alice had claimed. LARGE OIL RESERVE WASHINGTON — The present ted “known reserves” of oil 1 United States total 18,483,- 900 barrels, sufficient to last ly until 1954 at the present rate f consumption. Oil discoveries of the future undoubtedly will in- crease the reserves. “Just an old-fashioned girl,” I told myself in bitter disgust “4 sprai enkie.” To be continued (Caterisht. 1939. Medora Field Perkerson) FOR PRESERVATION WASHINGTON — Chemists re- port that if you wrap green vege- tabies in a damp cloth or paper before placing tt in ice boxes. they will be kept rich in Vitamins AandC. Otherwise Vitamins are lost with evaporation of moisture in the vegetables Aunt Maggie had been killed in | the passage with steps leading up | _In_a fever of excitement I de- | cided that I would go and drag } “Plutarch,” I called. “Plutarch,” | but I was just as much at sea as , furnace room. dn my ancestor’s | irely sepa- | ‘ U. S. WEATHER BUREAU REPORT Observation taken at 7:30 a. m./ 75th Mer, Time (city office) : Temperatures Highest last 24 hours 69 Lowest last night 59 Mean 64) Normal __.. Precipitation ainfall, 24 hours. ending 7:30 a. m., inches __ Total ranifall since Jan. { ‘inches* - is = | “Excess 1, | pala 0.75 | since January | inches - a Aa I Total rainfall since Jan. ‘Excess since January | inches bs a a HOSE Wind Direction and Velocity NE—9 miles per hour Relative Humidity 84% Barometer at 7:30 a. m., today Sea level, 30.08 (1018.6 millibars) Tomorrow's Almani ‘Sunrise __. ae = | Sunset : | Moonrise | Moonset se H Tomorrow's Tides ! (Naval Base) AM. 11:35 5:05 : FORECAST | (Till 7:30 p. m., Wednesday) | Key West and Vicinity: Mostly icloudy tonight and Wednesday; with occasional light rain; slight- ly warmer tonight; moderate easterly winds. Florida: Mostly cloudy tonight and Wednesday, occasional light rain on Florida Keys; slightly wramer tonight. Jacksonville to Florida Straits: Moderate variable winds, becom- ing moderate to fresh northeast and east over extreme north por- tion; overcast weather tonight and Wednesday. | East .Gulf: Moderate winds, ‘mostly east and southeast; partly overcast weather tonight and Wednesday, with showers over the Florida Straits. H CONDITIONS | A high pressure area, crested ‘over the Lake region, overspreads most Sections east of the Missis- sippi River this morning; while a low pressure system, with cen- ters over the North Pacific and West Gulf States, covers wetsern districts. Precipitation has oc- ‘curred since yesterday morning fronr the central Plains eastward lover the middle Mississippi Val- ley, and in the Pacific States, with heavy rain reported in northern ‘California. There has also been light snow in portions of the Lake region and upper Ohio Val- ley, and freezing drizzle in the Dakotas. Temperatures have fal- jlen in northeastern districts, with ‘readings below zero this morning in upper Michigan and northern ‘New England, but they are gen- erally above normal throughout the :emainder of the country, ex- cept in the Central and South At- ‘lantic and East Gulf States. G. S. KENNEDY, Official in Charge. 0.75 PM 11:13 4:41 ‘High Low LTS SIDELIGHTS By MARCY B. DARNALL Pormer Editor of The Citizen _—_——— W'thelm Muhlenbroich, now | serving a life sentence fer'kidnap- ing 3-yearlold Mare de Tristan in California last September, made an unsuccessful attempt at suicide in San Quentin prison by slashing his wrists with a razor blade When revived after he had be- come unconscious from loss of blood, he said: “I’m sorry I'm still alive.” Time magazine chose Winston Churchill, British prime minister, as “man of the vear” for 1940. It is generally conceded that Signor Benito Mussolini, Italian dictator. was the outstanding “flop of the year,” and he is beginning 1941 with every prospect of holding on to that unenviable title. George O'Connor, retired Jer- sey City fireman, threw his wife's old 1940 calendar into the trash can, and was shocked to learn that she had pinned $110 in sav- ings on its back. He found the calendar and money in the city , trash heap after a search of sev- eral hours. Because of the pressing need fot nat officers, the 1942 claps ofthe U.S, Navel. Academy at Annapolis will be graduated on February 7, four months ahead of the usual June graduation date. Police Judge ER. Creason off Elizabethtown, Til. held court from his cell in the. county jail aj lew days ago. He had been jailed for refusing to pay a fine of $20.60 assessed upon his conviction on s charge of intoxication Evidence! and arguments were presented) frem @ hallway outside the cell! window. i Of the 26 states which levy @ tax on cigarettes, only Alabama,’ TU Today’s : Anniversaries 1741—(200 years ago) Benedict ESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1941 The Citizen welcomes aicnn af the views 1of its fond= the editor reserves the Arnold, the Revolutionary gen- | eral forever infamous for be- traying his counrty, whose re- ward was some $30,000 cash and | some unprofitable land in Can-| ada, who lived in England after 0.00|the war, an unhappy, tragic. fig-. Editor, ure, constantly pleading far im money and scorned by the British themselves, born at Norwich, Conn. Died in England, June 14, 1801. 1806—Matthew F. Maury, naval officer, retired for lameness at 33 and confining himself to study to improve the Navy, becoming a world-famed oceanographer and “pathfinder of the seas”, born near Fredericksburg, Va. Feb, 1, 1873. 1837—-George F. Shrady, New "!York physician, plastic surgeon, "| medical journalist, “| noted father of a sculptor, born in New York. Died Nov. 30, 1907. 1845—Robert M. O'Reilly, the ‘Army’s noted surgeon-general, musician, born Died Nov. 3, 1912. 1863—Richard F. Outcault, car- toonist, first of the “funny pa- per” cartoonists, in 1894, creator of the “Yellow Kid” and “Buster Brown”, born at Lancaster, Ohio. Died Sept, 25, 1928. 1870—Jeremiah Smith, Jr., Bos- ton lawyer who, :nder the League of Nations, saved Hun- gary from financial ruin, born in Dover, Ohio, Died March 12, 1935. =a Today’s Horoscope Sincerity is today’s keynote, and you will be useful and or- derly. There are many paths leading to success, and the vein of mysticism running through the ten days on either side of this date finds its climax of success to- day. Arizona, Kansas and Oklahoma tax by the package. In the other 22 states the tax is imposed ac- cording to the. number of cigar- ettes or as a percentaBe of their value. Mr. and Mrs, William Sumerlin of Biloxi, Miss,, have been married 67 years, during which time they have not been separated a single day. Sumerlin is 92 years of age and his wife is 94, both being natives of Alabama. Died , in Philadelphia. | necompany thi be published unless requested otherwise. INFORMATION, PLEASE! athe Citizen: a NEXt month the property: own- ers of Monroe County will vote tol '@etide if Key West, will bor- row $40,000.00 at a high rate of interest ,to, give away, Consider- ing that the interest—and event- ually the principal—will be paid by taxing the said property own- lers, who are already in large measure unable or unwilling to pay the currently levied taxes of the county or of the city, it would seem that considerable thought |should be given to the proposal. | If you are a property owner, ask yourself a few question: Of the $750,000 to be spent on the proposed airfield, how much will go into vour pocket as a profit on materials? As an increase in your wages? Or salary? As add- ed valve to your real estate? How will the future money to be spent by the future occupants of .the airport affect syou? | There willbe of. course-a bene- ‘fit in increased business. to a few merchants, but what percentage of all the property owners ‘do they constitute? What do youy think of the prospect of hundreds;; of roaring planes over Key West every day—do you think that will help it as a vacation resort, which, as I understand, is what it is desired it become. We are told the need for “de- fense” is urgent, so we must as- sume an attack is imminent—will an airport make Key West an added attraction for enemy bombers? And while on_ that subject, what do you think the ‘cost to you in additional taxa- ‘tion, is going to be, to pay for “defense”? Unless you can see a definite personal advantage to a great majority of the people of Key West, why vote to tax your- {self additionally for years to !eome? ; There may be good reasons for ‘wanting this airport and if so let some one enumerate them. Lets have some discussion before the election. Also, lets ask why the county should pay six percent in- | terest in these days of very low ‘money rates and lets have made public the general terms and con- jditions of the bonds it is propos- ed we issue. There are always two sides to every question—lets have them both. y TAXPAYER. Key West, Fla., Jan. 12, 1941, BUS STATION LORIDA MOTOR|INES