New Britain Herald Newspaper, November 16, 1917, Page 1

NEW BRITAIN HERALD HERALD BEST OF ALL LOCAL- NEWSPAPERS HERALD “ADS", MEAN BETTER BUSINESS, ESTABLISHED 1876§ PRICE THREE CLNTS. NEW BRITAIN CONNECTICUT, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1917. —SIXTEEN PAGES. ITALIANS OPEN FLOODGATES - TO DROWN INVADING FORCES —_— Austro-Germans Believed Trapped Northeast of Venice By Release of Waters in Piave and Sile Rivers---Caught in Triangle Formed By Two Rivers and Sea DIVANZO BEGS FOR MERGY AT HANGING Breaks Down and E;ies As Rope Is Adjusted Around Neck DUGONE CAL FACING DEATH st Double Hanging in State for City- Crime Committed in This Dugone Kxpected Reprieve Almost Until Last Minute. ing the toll that the state of Connecticut demands for convicted murdere! John Di Vanzo and Steve Dugone forfeited their lives at the end of theV hangman’s noose within the grim walls of the execution house at state prison Wethersfield, shortly af- ter midnight for the murder of Raf- facle Simonelli in this city on Sep- tembe The gruesome affair was not without incident. Di Vanzo, the / AMILY MURDERED FOR BUYING LIBERTY BONDS o Virginia, Minn., Three persons—Mr. Paul Alar and Peter Trepich, wer last night with an . Their badies were found today in their home here with a note of warning to all other Aus- trian_families in Virginia who bought Liberty Bonds or sub- scribed to the Red Cross. Nov. 16.— and Mrs hoarder, murdered MAYOR OF WATERBURY RAISES A QUESTION Wants Governor Holcomb to Get After Greedy Brass City Landlords Hartford, Nov. 16.—Mayor of Waterbury and Judge Scully Walter accused, who showed indications of Makepeace of the Waterbury district weakening during the days of his trial, created a mild scene after his entry into the death chamber, and his fare- well to his mother and sister, with pleas tor mercy were audible through- out the chamber. Di Vanzo, supported on both sides by prison attendants, entered the dedth chamber at 12:06:48 with Rev. Father ¥rancis Bonforti, pastor of St. An- thony's Italian church of Hartfora, and Rev. Oliver T. Magnell, the prisona chaplain, accompanying him,_ — When the heavy door of the death cage closed, the murmurings of prayers coming from the lips of the con- demned man could be heard. As he enfered the death chamber, Di Vanzo Jooked quickly at the rope. It then hecame apparent to all present that the prisoner was fast breaking down. \s IFather Magnell placed the crucifix 1o the lips of Di Vanzo before the hlack hood was adjusted, the prisoner cried for mercy and even after the black cap was over his features, he continued to crs The trap was sprung at 12:07:11 Dr. E. G. Fox soon a'ter applied the stethoscope and 2t 12:17:50, official annonucement was made that the man was dead. Throughout this time the murmur- ings of the prayers for the dead with the response by the second victim were heard in the room. time was lost by the prison officials in 1 i t t t 1 making the necessary arrangements|may also appear, the board, if in its | for Dugonc's execution. Friends of Di Vanzo made arrangements yester- day for the burial of the executed man in Mt. Benedict's cemetery in Iartford today, and an undertaker ived with a basket to remove the remains, a few minutes before the pal of the dead man was on his way to the gallows. Dugone Walks Calmly to Death. The same iron nerve that charac- terized Dugone during the days that followed his arrest, was displayed last evening. the condemned man being undoubtedly one of the coolest that has ever paid the penalty in Wethers- field. Walking with a firm step, his head erect, and showing little concern of fhe fate that was soon to befall him, Duzone entered the death chamber at 12585115 and ab 12 , a period of 1 his body was swung into by the relea of the trap. showed no sign of fear and was' being placed in position the adjustment of the straps at knees and ankles, he calmly Juoked at the deadly noose at one side of his head. It was not until 12:37:10 that Dr. KFox, officially pronounced Dugone dead. The body was placed on a stretcher and between four, guards it was removed to the prison; morgue, to await word from relatives of the murderer as to its disposition. Tn the event that no claim is made, the hody will in all probabllity be turned over to a medical school. I'he double execution, which is the fia ihat has ever taken place with the condemned men figuring in a Britain erime, wus successful in detail st M ne manncer. The tead e With Aapparon n f ceconds, air Dugon. he the as for the every Thy nnd DiVanzo a quict of their and ate the time of the carth for was spent in men partaok regular hours relish. As the expiation day on On fteenth Page). (Conting Waterbury. were excessive and t. crnor under that small proportion herc tend to keep and other factory from the city. court had a conference with Governor Holecomb today with a view of having the governor take steps to try to ef- fect a reduction in price of rents in It was claimed that they at the governor had the power to tuke acticn under he law passcd by the last session of he General Assembly. The sugges- ion is that the governor appoint a board 1o look into the muatter. ¢ Holcomb has taken the consideration. 1t claimed excessive rents charged by of the landlord muniticn workers operatives away is A Dbill prepared hy Judge Mak peace, which it is claimed the gov- ernor's signature can make into law, under the constitutipnality powers vested in him during the time of war, provides a mieans of relief for tenants who are asked to pay unreasonable sums to landlords. This bill, in brief, calls Tor a board of rents, to be made up of the ass»ssors in each city or town of over 25,000 population in which work on munitions or govern- ment supplies contracts is under way. Tenants whose rent has been raised may appear before this board and in cases in which dispossession pro- ceedings have been commenced with Very little | the intention to sccure a new tenant | at a higher rate, the agerieved party judgment such action is warranted as 1o fix the amount of rent at an amount not exceeding 20 per cent more than the rental of the same or similar premises on January 1, 191 ARE LOOKED AFTER. Boys at Camp Devens Have Place to Entertain Friends. Ayer, Mass., Nov. 16.—The officers at Camp Devens have not been entire- movements in the interests of the men of the National Army The Special Ald society has opened an officers’ rest house at the entrance to the canton- ment. Simple meals are provided and the officers are given un oppor: tunity to receive relatives and friends, WOULD INCREASE RAT! Washington, Nov. 16.—Jxpress companies today were listed among the petitioners for an increase in rates. The Adams, American, South- ern and Wells Fargo companies asked an advance of 10 per cent. over the prevailing scale. The petition recited that in spite of greatly increased revenue, an extraordinary war time advance in operating expenses during iS. a net deficit of $39,848. RODIN IS DYING. Paris, Nov. 16.—August Rodin, the famous sculptor, 18 serfously 1. His physician, Dr. Stephen Chauvet, has issued the following bulletin: “Con- gestion of the lungs h; caused great The patient’s condition is QUFEN'S CROWN, $1, Honolulu, Nov. 16, —The vilue the estate left by the late Queen Liii wokalani will excerd $200,000, 0 execntor said today. Her jewels, in cluding her crown, valued $1,750 praised at about $10,000 not matter | ly overlooked in the rush of welfaro | the first six months of this year caused , OSES CHILDREN, ATTEMPTS SUICIDE Mrs. Gill Despondent and Tries to Die Under Freight Cars FOUND SITTING O TRACK Police Court Ordered Offspring Sent to County Home Because Mother Was Unable to Give Them Proper Care and Feed Them, Mrs. Katie Gill of 45 West street, whose three small children were com- mitted to the county home this morn- ing by Judge James T. Meskill, at the request of the Humane Soclety, at- tempted to commit suicide this after- noon on the railroad tracks on Com- merclal strect. Mrs. Gill was found sitting on the tracks between two freight cars. Brakemen were switch- ing the cars at the time and had she not been discovered she would have been killed. Officer Iinglish took the woman, who is Delieved to be mentally un- balanced, to the police station. At the court hearing this morning a woman from the Humane Society testified that the three small children were found at their home on West street practically bare and that all they had for dinner one day was Joaf of hard One of the chil wa thout the stred v, sho said. Their s X and four. She U that . Gill works in a local factory and j receives small pay and that she lieved that her work was inefficient due to her mental condition. Mrs. Gill has two boys, both under 12, who are inmates of the Connecti- cut State School for Boys at Meriden. Tt is sald she attempted to take her life in the same manner last June when one of the boys was committed to the school, Decad dren s roaniing be- POPE BENEDICT Requests Central Empires to Observe ! International Law on Warfare, | | i | Jtome, Nov. 15.—Pope Benedict has asked the governments of the Central empires to instruct their military au- thorities operating west of the Isonzo to follow the rules of international law in respecting the lives and prop- erty of civilians and in the protection of women and children, the clergy, hospitals, churches, bishops' palaces and presbyteries. The pontiff also has ordered the Papal nuncios at Munich and Vienna, if necessary to appeal personally and directly to Emperor William and Em- peror (¥ rles to obtain the fulfillment of his wishes. GOING T0 GET IT Suceess Is Certain in War Campaign i of Y. M. C. A. and K. of C. Which Closcs Tonight. The final meeting of the campaign workers of the Y. M. C. A. and K. of €. will be held at 6:15 o'clock this evening In the Elks' hall. Tt Is now confidently expected that the $ 006 | goal }and New Britain will again have lved [up 1o expectations in raising funds for governmental and other charitable causes. | One of the most cnthusiastic meet- {ings of the week was held last even- ing in the rooms of Daly council, K. of C., inu Hanna's block . Reports of tho feam captains showed that $1,- was received, with Captain T.. n's team in the lead. The donation committee reported from the Y. M. T. A. bella Cir church, $10 es Gunshannan of Hartford dressed the rally WANT TO DISCUSS P The independent socialist the German Reichst has the president (o « W innmediate session of the It to discuss the pence offer of Nike Lenine, leader of the Russian Bolsheviki the Amster- dim correspondent of the Central News cables, \C Broup Yo ¢ will be reached by the workers | " from in | DOMESTIC ACCUSED OF SERIOUS CRIME fs Alleged to Have Sent Ground Glass in Candy to Mrs. G, A. | Johnson, Lynn, Nov. 16.—Rose J. Hall, a do- mestic, who is alleged to have sent candy containing ground glass to Mrs. Godfrey ‘A. Johnson of this city, pleading not guilty to a charge of at- | tempted murder today was held for | a hearing November 21. Miss Hall was arrested after reports of the examination of the candy which Mrs. Johnson said she received by mail Monday, indiocated that it had been poisoned. Analysis showed no poison but particles of glass. Mrs. Johnson’s husband was arrested as a material witness. AUTOMOBILE TRUCK CAUSES BAD INJURY first Driver, After His Machine Strikes Eleven-Year-Old Girl, Escapes, But Ts Caught. Ansonia, Nov. 16.—Mary Hrabout- zky, eleven years old, was struck by an automobile truck on Main street this morning and is now in Griffin hospital with a probable fracture of the skull. John Sheechy, the driver of the truck, 18 alleged to have driven off after striking the girl. He was later arrested In Shelton and was leld in of $500 for n hearing in the N court tomorrow on Kloss driving and fail issistance when causing Dands Anson charg, to render ine injur "RENCF CONI RESUMED. Operators and Oflicials Coming to a Decislon in Kansas City. Kansas City, Nov. 16.—Conferences between officials of the Southwest- ern Coal Operators’ association and the presidents of nine unions of Mis- souri, Kansas and Oklahoma-Arkan- sas for the purpose of framing an autamatic penalty clause acceptable to Dr. H. A. Garfield, federal fuel ad- ministrator, and the miners were re- sumed here today. The conferences, provided for in a motion passed last night by the con- vention of delegates representing 35,000 miners, began soon after the convention adjourned. HIGHWAYMEN ARRESTED. Charge of Assaulting Factory master and Stealing Payroll. Koston, Nov. 16.-~Two of the four men charged with assaulting and rob- bing Thomas A. W paymaster at the Cambridge plant of the American Net and Twine company on Wednes- day,- were arrested. The prisoners gave their names us Michael Deterle, this city, and James Colouscittl of | Somerville. The police announced that they had obtained evidence wheeh would lend to other arrests, and | Deteric and Colouseltt! were ordered held nending further investigation. | West was knocked down in front of ithe plant and a bag containing the | weekly payroll was stolen by the ban- { dits, who imnmediately jumped into {an antomobile and raced away. The | number piate in the car, which the | police alleed was owned by Dcterio, Wad heen changed. Pay- | : e RTHQUAKE RECORDED. hington, Nov. 16.-A pro- nounced earthquake estimated to have i been centered about 5,000 miles from | Washington, occurred during the ‘lnlg\H. bheginning at 10:39 p. m., and i continuing until about 12:52 a. m. imum movement was hetween m. and 11:40 p. m. | I Wa p. | Amsterdam, —TReports | from the United States that an cm- . bargo on Dutch vessels in American ports has been raised and the ships will be employed in carrying g Argentin and Aust | cansed mueh satisfaction ¢n the Awm- ‘\l(‘\'«ld'll hoursc ain | o e WEATHER Nov 16.—1or Britain and vi. ally fair toy Hartio t for W and Satw e e : MORE ENCOUNTERS OVER IN FRANCE American Patrols and Germans Battle in No Man’s Land NO GASUALTIEST HOWEVER Our Artilery Hurls Shells from the 5's and Stop the Enemy's Fire— Hartford Boy Among Those Who Were With France, further patrols Land Wounded and Gassed. the American in Nov. 16.—There have encounters between American and Germans in No Man's Last night there wer ber of clashes, The firing was maost at a distance. There were no Ameri- can casualties, The German in several crater: of Dbullets® on our communicating trenches. The American artillery hurled shells from 7 at the tions and silenced the cnenty American patrols have worked up to the German wire entanglements. The artillery fire day tinues livels. Army been L num- placed chine and sp n Hartford Boy Wounded. Noy 16, The nate appenrsin Canadian ma Oftawn American today i Wonnded Hartford, Conn s Repuls A Gerr Germ; Paris, Nov. 16 in Belgium was repulsed by the Irench the war office nounces. The German aviators barded the region south of There were no victims, the states. v oattack night an- hom - ne; report Lunches With K London, Nov. 16 i The members of the Amecrican mission to the intei- Allied conference were invited ta Ruckingham palace this afternoon for luncheon with the king and queen. ALIEN ENEMIES. Some of Them Held Responsible Posi- tions in Barred Zone. w York, Nov. 16.—Police inspect- ors in making their new census of alien enemies along the New York water front have discovered it was learned today, that a much larger number of aliens than generally sup- posed are holding responsible posi- tions in the harred zone. One official is quoted as saying that a “startling state of affairs” has been revealed. Numerous flagrant violations of barred zone regulations have been dis- covered, it was said. Police Commi sioner Woods was expected to act on the reports of inspectors during the day. LOOK WHAT'S HER \re Going Bloomercttes, Women in Pactories Wear Kha 16.~The management the General Klectric company here which his heen exper- Lynn, Nov of the plant of | imenting with various forms of dress for women this country cided upon workers employved since entered the war, has de- a kind of overalls as the safest garh for women working near machinery. The women have been ordered to wear these garments, des- irnated as khaki bloomerettes, begin- ning next week. WILL KRE! LER PLAY? Reserve Officer of the Austrian Army Scheduled to Appear in Hartford. T 1oritz rtford, Nov. 16.——Whether or not Krels Austrian violinist and reserve oflicer will glye o concert hora fonlght ix not known. It Is known, however, that (he Austrlan officer has # concert to play, and that he in- tends to live up to I, notwithstanding the fact that the trustees of the Foot Guard army has requested him to de- sist from playing. Krefslor's man- ger Gatly refused to comply with this uest, anccording 1o statement out last night, siven Funs ayved streams | posi- and night con- following Strategy of Defending Army May Also Pre- vent Hostile Attack It Italy jan Headquarters in Northern Nov. 16.—(By the Associated Press) —The flood gates of the Plave and Sile riv northeast of Venice, have been by Italian en- gineers. The action of the Italians in open- ing the flood gates probably means an attempt to drown out the Austro- German forces which crossed the lower Piave several days ago at Gris- olera, about 17 miles northeast of Venice. The ‘flooding of the triangle formed by the two rivers and the Adriatic also probably would make ineffective any German attempt to debouch in force against the right flank of the Italinn army along the Plave. South of San Dona Di Piave, the Slle and Plave rivers are very close together and near here flood gates were constructed to hold the rivers in check. On both sides the land is at or below a level. On Piave Battlefront. The Italian general staff gave the first opportunity yesterday to see the Plave batflefront and the correspond- ent w among the first four civilians authorized to take the trip. 1t came at an opportune moment when the enemy had succeeded in getting small ])nn"tivs across the river at two points and when the holding or breaking of line promised to bring the into the balance for It extent, for the entir | opened the Piave whole and, to Intente. An oflicer from the headquarters staff was in charge of the party, which ve it free access through the rear lines to the Plave where the chief points aleng the thirty miles of front were visible and a view obtained of the whole range of the gigantic op- | erations, | Some tertimiles back from | river the* correspondent pa | through solid miles of troops comin i from and going to the front. Those going to the rear were mud-covered and tired, but not disheartened. Those going forward appes resolute and some were singing. Refugees afoot and | in ox carts croded the fields and roads, sceking safety from this sudden on- I rush of the cnemy. The party passed Riete, a little hanilet where Pope Plus X was born. and a+ small crossroad i church marked the place where he used to be a-curate before his eleva- | tion to the Papacy. An air raid took place us the party sed near the church. Five shots ! were fired hut the raider got away | Knots of soldiers filled the streets of i villages as they 'stood gazing at the | black 1 of smoke in the cast. At !the outskirts of the villages there were long lines of chevaus-de-fr i ready to obstruct s infantr rushe. | Along the road toward the front mil- jitary telegraph lines were strung on {the tops of bushes as there had beén inu time to ergct voles. First Stop Made. The first stop s made at ten miles back from the river, where | the ancient castle to which Queen Catharine of Cyprus vetired on her abdication, located on a high hill, gave a. commanding view of the whole panorama, of the battle front. The climb to the castle was 700 feet and from this eminence spread out a peace~ ful plain to the west and the battle line to the east. The Plave lay strajght ahead. It .appéared rather wide at this point al- though further on it was so narrow that it was difficult to belleve a des- perate foe could be restrained by such , A barrier even in the face of the Italians' heroic resistance. Across the river flve small villages, now held by the enemy, could be seen, Houses churches, and towers stood out plainly. These were on the plain bordering the east bank for a half mile back where the foothills rose to high hills on which the German and Austrian bat- | terles were located. The cannonade | had now bhecome heavy and con- tinuous and bursts of smoke from the ! hills on the other side of the Plave | marked the line of the cnemy's hat- teries, The route now turned along the west bank of tho rlver, where long llnes of peaceful villages had been transformed suddenly by terror of the enemy bombardment. The towns- people were hastlly gathering their belongings together, and the women issue the 1 pa W Asolo, i made | Sile rivers, on Right Flank—City/ of Canals Practically Deserted By Populace —May Not Be Defended if Assaulted hurried away from the sound of the guns. The party passed groups of| “arditi,”” which indicated that the fighting ground was getting very near. Arditi is the Itallan word fori ardent and they are men who volunteer to) risk everythiig and to push to the treme front. Their shirt fronts w open, althcugh it was a cold autumy day, and they looked the dare-d they are known to be. Temporary Hospitals. Houses all along the road had been transformed into temporary fleld hosd pitals and marked with impro signs. Soldiers near one house we carrying tlowers which looked - like gaiety, but other soldlers who . lowed with a funeral wreath made i look more like death. There we: ambulances along the road, but mni sign of wounded. At one village reg: iments of Alpini were waiting to gg forward. Batteries and fleld gun were also going down to the ri ! with evergreen boughs screening guns. The whole western bank of thd Piave is lMned with beautiful villal and extensive \parks filled with stats uary. 4 The party thad fow 'teached a vl tag® three miles from the Plave 1t and the sheling was continuous. the army automobile came up the L to the railway station a shell bursf squarely in the road 100 yards ahead| “T'hey are shelling the road,” saf the cscort as he wheeled the automod hile behind the station where groupd of soldiers were crouching in . thd doorways. One of the fragments @ this shell came whizzing towards the station and buried itself in the wall A soldier led the way through thicket up the side of a hill where ai Italian observation post had beer blished, and from this point. ol ge the correspondent looked ou the long lines on both banks of the rive The town of Vidor, now held by Gen. von Buelow's Germai troops, was just across the river from the point of observation, and a big German sausage-halloon was inso: lently hanging over the town observs ing the work of Italian batteries, Th campanile of Vidor was distinctly Vi ible, and with field glasses seve: men could be seen moving about the outskirts of the town. How thiM could be with such shelling going on was difficult to understand. The ad vantage the Germans had at thi point was evident, as the hills bael of the town gave them a screen f£0) their batteries which played down ol the Italians in the plain on the eastern side of the river. Again the route turned southwar along the river. At one point thi party passed one of those heroic regl ments of cavalry which acted as rear guard while the main Itallag army retired to the western bank the Plave. The cavalry horses been tethered in a vineyard. All ¢l vineyards and haystacks and gathe crops are being sacrificed in the p ent emergency. Nearing the river roads were full of frightened peopl who were hurrying away with thi pitiful families on the top of housed hold goods carried on carts wagons. The actual iver bank was now ne and the escort gave a special warn: ing of rifie and machine gun fire in addition to shrapnel from the battes fe! The town of Nervesa, on th river's edge, was deserted completely, and, as the party passed down to thi wharves, the silent town had a sepul chral aspect. Venice Deserted. Venice, Thursday, Nov. 16.—Venics s now almost empty, the population huaving becn reduced from the usual 160,000 to 20,000. Despite the prox imity of the cnemy lines at the mout| % on n ! of the Piave river and the unsuccesss| ful efforts the Austro-Germans to take the tween the have long triangle be: mouths of the Piave and the remnant of the popu tion is calm. The city may not he defended in| case of an' attack, in order that th monuments and art treasures may net be destroyed. The mayor of Venle Who 18 & descendant of the Doges and} a chamberlain to the queen of Xtaly] announced today that he would res main at his post. The outward appearance of the of ix very desolata, much like when and children seemed terrified as they (Continued On Fiftcenth Page),