New Britain Herald Newspaper, March 21, 1921, Page 1

News of the World » By Associated Press ABLISHED 1870. OURT DENIES INJUNCTION THAT WOULD PREVENT CITY . FROM OBTAINING ITS TAXES L oo GITY CLERK'S REPORT o oo r | MAY BE QUESTIONED Association Is Loser ln : o f'mtl.egaanveAgmnst New Action of Taxpayers Recent City Meeting | Likely to Hinge On Ac™ curacy.of Minutes. DGE TUTTLE NOW .HAS ANOTHER MOVE (Special to The Herald) Hartford March 21.sFollowing the | adjournament of supreme court this morning after Judge Maltbie had de- nied the petition for an injunction against the city of New Britain, re- straining it from collecting taxes, J. P. Tuttle, counsel for the taxpayers who, at the instigation of the New Britain's Taxpayers' association, pre- sumably, had presented the injunction plea, stated that a writ of mandamus will immediately be made up and served upon the city of New Britain. The writ will probably hinge upon the testimony of Alfred A. Thompson, city clerk, and his minutes of the city meeting when the tax was laid. Con- flicting testimony at the hearing today will be alleged and the contention will 'pmhbly be made that the minutes are wrong and not in accordance with ’ (Special to Herald) rtford, March 21.—Judge W. M. ble today denied the petition for Hminary injunction presented by | taxpayers “and others” on the that there are no immediate the facts. to the complainants and that, In Col. Thompson's certified copy fssue was one which miay have | of the minutes of that meeting ap- aside from the court. Judge Pears a transcript of proceedings. To- ttle, ropresenting the com- | Wards the end it is stated that Cor: stated immediately after | Pellus Dehm offered a ‘“substitute L@ urnment of court that a | resolution. Mr. Thompson testified that *"" proceeding alleging that | there was no resolution before the “ity meeting of March 4, when house at the time of action upon of 22.7 mills was laid,| was| D®hm's motion. The reason for that 2 fxaud and Sotluslon, would “substitute” and how there could have 4 been a substitute when there was no m:; ::::: he could collect | ;ipor resolution, will occupy the at- . - Tex tention of the judge, It is fairly certain that “fraud and fhe petition as brought by Frank collusion” at the meeting and in the i 'J. Elsenberg, 8. M. Menus, Al- transcribing of the minutes afterwards Roy, A. Zucker ahd H. M. Strom, | will be alleged in the writ. ed that the city be enjoined nst. collecting the tax, inasmuch FLEE' scumy GLAD higher tax rate was not to be the will of the ma- Early Morning Blaze in Beston Hotel Drives Guests Into Meo—ronm' " f At the meeting. At the open- proceedings there were about Jo in the court and crowded ® corridor outside, most of b New ‘Britainites and being potential witnesses. - Boston, Mareh 21.—An early morn- ing fire drove a score of scantily clad Buesats Into the street from the Hotel | Majestic in the west end district to- ' day. Several women used the Joy | street police station as their boudoir until their clothes were recovered. Police and firemen with search- ‘lights found several persons huddled in the halis beéwildered by smoke, ‘and assisted theém to safety. The prop- rty damage was small. DISCUSS DAYLIGHT SAVING Thomas , New Haven Employers Meet to Con- Hour Earlier. New Haven, March 21.—Employers here meet today to discuss unofficial daylight saving time, that is the pro- position of opening factories and mer- cantile places an hour earlier and closing correspondingly. The meeting was called by the chamber of com- merce to ascertain the attitude of businessmen towards conforming their working hours with train and mail schedules, were Police »Mayor Orson F. Burkhardt, G. E. J. W. Mills, P. 'oodl. A P, Parsons, Cliftord Mer- ¢r Camp, David Dunn, Stmons, John ns. ‘orth that Law- an amendment officer rgsognized that the motion was tax and that the tax carried and the meet- od, contrary to the wishes ty. Upon March 7 a quest for another city meet- ed to the mayor. It was ' On March $th. The plaintifts ) temporary and permanent in- Against collection of the tax part thereef. _Thompeon on Stand. Clork A. L. Thompson was the called. He testified that the meeting in question beords and a certified copy @ Ivinutes of the meeting were exhibit A. He was d he had the original pt of the minutes or the notes ich the minutes had been Loui# Sperry, who alded Judge an mneil for the city ob- o an uestion as a certified ! been admitted to the evi- gnd the complainant had not accuracy of report In k. Judge Maltble ruled original might be Introduced. pon the plaintiff produced a um" of what transpired at asking If that was the eity clerk answered that It was essentially correct, he though not certified. Mr. f objected to the mcceptance of " but was not sustained. ry, for the city, argued eRse of the taxpayers did not or coMusion and that uction of several sets of was not necessary. A equity could not correct ontended. He insisted that was on mandamus pro- ording to the line of ar- Vot (the complainants. Judge ordered the hearing con- M’m&m Tuttle then " T0 BE HEARD TUESDAY Hearings On Each Individual Bill May Be Ar- ranged Later. Hartford, March 21.—A big bunch of bills dealing with public service motor ' vehicles set for a hearing tomorrow ! afternoon before the committee on ' roads,” bridges and rivers, will not be ; taken up. A hearing on each may be ! Set for a_ later date. The reason for | the change is not explained but it is* thought that as the jitney bill debate in the senate tomorrow is likely to be | prolonged the committee was afraid it could not sit as usual, The committee will hold an executive session. . The bills on which hearings are post- 418, 419, 286, 287, 293, 800 and H. B 892, 85. 603. Taking the titles of these 85, 603. Taking the titles of these | bills as a guide it is evident that prae- | tically all of them have to do with leg- islation relating to pubuc service mrl vehicles and th regulation and' passage of the house Nll making jitn P NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, MONDAY Gilts of 87, 676 Reported Today | Found Not Guilty of Murdering at Final Luncheon Detective Last May WOMEN DO!ATE OVER $1,000 OTHER CHARGES PENDING| Sums Not Yet Recorded Will Add to | six Other Indictments Have Been | Amount Already Given; E. W. Christ Thanks Workers; Geo. T. Kimball Speaks. Announcement was made at the final noon-day luncheon today that a grand total of $30,157.42 has been pledged in the Community drive, with other reports to come in which will add considerably to this amount. { There were 423 pledges reported | today, amounting to $7,676, over $1,000 of which wis raised by the women. Rev. Samuel Sutchiffe sai grace at | the opening of the affair. E. W. | Christ took this occasion to exprem' his thanks to the team captains and members of the teams for their earnest work. He thanked the Elks’ club for its generosity in Fa‘nting the use of its room for the luncheons, and added that the organization is filling a community need in this re- gard. He expressed indebtedness to the Americap Hardware company for the use of its tables and chairs; to “Bert” Erwin who has arranged the luncheons to “Ben" Parker for the music which has enlivened the meet- ings; to the press and others. Votes of Thanks Given. The roll was then called. reports being made by the various team cap- tains. When team number 20 was ohlled Leon Sprague, after report- ing that 52 subscriptions had been obtained, and the total of $658 raised, moved that a vote of thanks be given Chairman E. W. Christ for the en- ergetic manner in which he had conducted the drive. The rising vote was given heartily. In thanking those assembled for the compliment Mr. Christ explained that he had been called out of town lat a time which he had planned to. give over to work of the drive, and that E. W. Pelton had taken over his duties in a most efficfent manner. A rising. vote of thanks was given Mr. Pelton for his share in the work. ' | G.T. Kimball Speaks. Mr. Christ called upon George T. Kimball to “say a few words” while the totals of the funds reported were being made up. In happy vein Mr. Kimball stated that always. since school days he had been able to “get-by” by saying ‘‘un- prepared”, but today he had no: chance. He went on to say that he had a free hand now that the drive was over and whatever he might remark would not hamper the soli- citors in their work. He wished, therefore, to quote a few bible phrases. He continued that he was not even speaking (Continued on Ninth Page.) Found, Charging Defendants’ With Complicity in Deaths of Six Other Private Sleuths. Williamson, W. Va., March 21.— The 16 defendants tried in connec- tion with the death of Albert C. Felts, who was killed during the Matewan gun fight last May 19 were today found not guilty by a jury in- the Mingo county circuit court. The detendants were formally dis- charged by Judge R. D. Bailey, pre- siding, but were remanded to jail’ pending bond arrangements on six other indictments charging the men with having been implicated in the death of six other private detectives killed with’ Felts. The trial consumed 46 days. Miners Cheer Verdict. News of the acquittal was shouted to a large group of miners standing ! at a window outside the courtroom and the announcement was reccived with enthusiasm. Williamson resi- dents received the verdict quietly and there were no demonstrations aside from an outburst of cheers from the miners who had stood vigil since early morning. History of Case. A’ coal miners’ strike has been in lo'clock this afternoon at the progress in Mingo county coal fields since July, 1919. Organizers of the United: Mine Workers' Union sought to unionize the districts both in Min- 80: coanty and in Pike county on the Kentucky side of the border. Nearly a year later the Stone Mountain Coal corporation engaged the Baldwin- Felts detective agency to evict strik- ing miners’ families from the com- pany houses in which they were liv- ing. On May 19, 1920, a party of private detectives headed by Albert C. Felts carried out the evictions. After a day fraught with argument between the operatives and ecity officials the party,finished its wogpk and prepared to depart from Matewan on an early evening train. Fighting Begins. Upon leaving their hotel Albert Felts and his men stopped in front of a hardware store. The leader and Mayor C. C. Testerman engaged in a conversation and while standing close to each other talking a shot was fired. In an instant rifles and pistols barked from 'all directions and before the shooting ended Felts, Testerman, six other members of the Baldwin-Felts party and two other residents fell mortally wounded in the main street of the village. Twenty-three men of Matewan were indicted in connection with the death of Felts but the cases against several of the defendants were dismissed and when the jury took the case the fate of but 16 of the original defendants remained to be determined. LIQUOR INTERESTS MAKE NEW ATTACK IN SUPREME COURT ON AMENDMENT 18 ment That It Must Be Rati- fied in Seven Years, Washington, Marc¢h 21.—An entire- ly mew attack on the validity of the prohibition amendment, based upon requirement that it be ratified with- in seven years, was made today in the supreme court. The attack was filed by counsel for J. San Francisco, ch tier - of the prohil ’ act. Dillon is seeking a { habeas corpus. The provision attacked “was offered first by then Senator Harding when the amendment was being proposed in the senate. The section making the entire ar- ticle inoperative unless ratified with- in seven years, the brief asserts, ' specifically violates article five of the constitution which gives congress no | power to impose a limit on ratifica- ! tion “or to otherwise attempt to con- trol what the legislatures of the states shall do in their deliberations.” The brief quoted Senator Harding in offering the proviso as having “clearly stated that his vote for the re.olnuon ‘was oondmoned on this provision b ) JITNEY MEASURES NOT |Base Action On Require- DUDACK FlNEfl$lfl|] liquor in a smalt ¢ bar. The owner 1 2 place is in charge fof . thréughout the dul » n aware that liquor was b'ln‘ The case of Albert Vols, ;:’l::. E. Farr, George Froeba and Conrad Wahrenberger were continued until next Monday. They were arrested on similar charges Saturday night. Al have entered not guilty pleas. At a chamber session, the case of Simon Jerzeskl, aged 15, was contin- ued until June 20. The boy is -held in connection with sev- .ru store robberies: for’ which his | Curtis | William J. MARCH 21, .1921. INEW BRITAIN HERALDM= —TWELVE PAGES '$30;157 I3 PLEDGED |MATEWAN GUNEN | GERMANY SECURES OVERWHE INCOMMUNITY DRIVE| AREFREEDBY JURY| WZCTORY IN PLEBISCITE TO SE; NATIONAL STATUS OF UPPER S 3 ey | W. C. T. U. Announces Campaign for Enforcement' ' Official Returns @ of Sunday Blue Laws and Against Use of Tobacco Restrictions Sought On Gol Movies, Theaters and Chicago, March 21.—A campaign by the Women’s Christian Temper- ance Union forestrict Sunday observ- ance and against tobacco was an- nounced today by Miss Anna A. Gor- don, national president, to start April 3. That week, the announce- ment said, will be made a week of | prayer for the success of the cam- paign and Sunday, April 10, is desig- nated as anti-tobacco Sunday. “The call for the week of prayer,” LOSS OF $2,000 WHEN FIRE DAMAGES HOUSE Street Residence, Owned By Mrs. Catherine Tormay, Gutted. A fire which did damage of about '$2,000 broke out shortly after 1 home of Mrs. Cather¥me Tormay at 56 Curtis street. The blaze gave the fire- men a hard battle. According to Chief Noble, the fire started when ‘the flames from a torch used in burning off old paint from the {house, got into the partition on the second floor and workeds its way to the roof. The roof is practically destroyed, and there is also heavy damage by flames on the second floor. The re- mainder of the damage was mostly done by water. Engine Company No. 4 was called by a still alarm to a house at 73 Mitchell street this morning. The blaze was confined to one room, and two beds and the woodwork of the room was damaged to the extent of about $100. Engine Company No. 5 was called by a still alarm this morning to ex- tinguish a grass fire at the property utilized some day for a park. on Stanley street, which will LITTLE GIRL KIDNAPP Boston Police Have Small Clue on Which to Work in Searching for Girl, Missing Four Days. be Boston, March 21.—With. an al- leged kidnapping threat, said to have been sent by mail, as their sole clew, the police are seeking for Marion Alice Hill, five year old daughter of Fred R. Hill, of South Boston. The child disappeared last Friday. A play- mate said that a woman approached them as they were playing on the beach in the nzighborhood and, after a few minutes’' talk with Marion, led ‘the little girl away. ireau Warns of Right Along. 21.—While today with ; through general ok was for rain late ddle Atlantic and New the forecast said. hings were up for the At- orth of Delaware Break- IRISH CASOALTY LIST Dead, Three Civilian Wound- Two Policemen Wounded and ( edOu- "'5"“? fing, Automobiling, Baseball, Dancing On Sunday. said Miss Gordon’s announcement, “is for every organization throughout our land that believes the Christian Sabbath fundamental for the perpet- uation of our nation.” Among the violations of Sunday aé a day of rest, the announcement stat: ed that 400,000 persons: now Arg working on Sunday in this country, and restrictions are to be sought on golfing pleasure, automobiling, base- ball, movies, theaters and dancing on Sunday in the campaign. ROBBERS TAKE SAFE, OPEN IT LEISURELY Lynn Cracksmen Cart It Away Auto, Which Breaks Down— Then Use Wagon. Chelsea, Mass.,, March 21.—Burglars stole a safe with $1,000 in cash and Jjewelry in Lynn early today and in- stead of cracking it on the ground mounted it on a motor truck to open it at leisure but encountered trouble when the truck broke down here. Im- Dpressing a horse and wagon -they transferred the safe again and carted it away. They must have cracked it as they went because when it was recovered shortly afterward in a barn here the contents were gone. Harry Ruckman of this city, driver jof the truck, was arrested while he {was trying to repair it. He said his only part in the safe robbing was under hire on what he thought was a simple trucking job, but with James Franklin who was arrested later he was charged with breaking and en- tering. The safe was taken from the jewel- ry ‘store of Louis Cantter in Lynn. | Cantter said .it - tained $300 , in cash and $700 worth of jewelry. ROBBERS BIND CASHIER After Locking Woonsocket Man in Small Cabinet, They Escape With $2,110 in Cash. Providence, March 21.—After forc- ing Cashier Joseph Victory to open the safe of the Blackstone Valley Gas | and Electric compaiy in Woonsocket last night, two robbers bound him, im- prisoned him in a small janitor’s cup- | board and escaped with $2,110 in cash. j The robbers came up from the office cellar and surprised Victory while he was at work on the company’s books, Thrusting a revolver into the cashier’s faceé one of the robbers or- dered him to open the safe. He com- plied and the other robber took out the cash. Victory was then taken into the the cellar, bound and locked in the cupboard from which he was rel:ased about 40 minutes later by Herman J. Pattingill, sales manager for the company who entered the office and heard his cries for help. BRIDGEPORT DOGTOR'S HOUSE IS DYNAMITED Explosion Awakens Whole City—Bomb Plot Shroud- ed in Mystery Bridgeport, March 21.—Mystery shrouds the motives of the bomber who last night set off what is believed to have been a charge of dynamite under the corner of Dr. J. D. S. Smith’s porch at 737 Lafayette street, wrecking the front of the phy- sician’s home, breaking windows in residences and stores as far distant as half a mile from the Smith home, and arousing the whole city from its midnight slumber. “This job was plainly the work of someone skilled in the use of high explosives,” said Supt. of Police Pat- rick J. Flanagan today. “No one un- familiar with the making of such a ‘can’ as must have ‘'been expléded here could have set thq bombd and mnde his ‘escape Show- 'flnt Will Not Perms l Override D« Their Officials Intention of Force to ’l'v'v('_ Berlin, March 21.— Press)—Germany won.8 ing victory in the ple Upper Silesia yesterd the future nétional gion, according to ceived here. Two disti missing at 9 o'!:lock h the count showed: had been cast for Ge 000 for Poland. E newspapers here Germany réceived) 11,000 for Poland. Germans cast 85 p lots, and in the cast 78 per cent. country m«m ¥ e Silesia will effort on the part to over-rule “the & day’'s plebiscite or action of the coun in Paris,” Gen. inter-allied plebi centrating an trormer were "“w tion. - “Should’ they' continued Gen. ' be ‘et by machine America and the rest: may depend on me to Entente’s will here. Th 3 . 2 CISK stand that they cannot | lied authority and I they do not intend to e Poles Against Berne, Switzerland, Some districts of Upper & there was a Drepond: voted in favor of G plebiscite held yesterd ed here. —_— Much Ingerest ‘That there is great ly, among people of man birth or descent, of the plebiscite, has b today by the almost e phone calls received at ing for information sult of the voting. questionersy did not neverthefess, their sy plainly evident by the | ‘they commented on ti Dr. Julius Hupert, staurich advocate of P recently returned from country, expressed h 1y disappointed in the . was plainly surprised whelming victory of the remarked with tm‘ 3 “That’s terrible, elated, according to) sympathies.