New Britain Herald Newspaper, May 2, 1927, Page 1

MRS. SNYDER, SNARLING AND SNAPPING LIKE A CORNERED ANIMAL, DENIES OWN GUILT e Admits Former Love For Gray and Tells of Having Gone Away on Ten Day Trip With Him. Likewise Confesses She Tried to Frame Evidence to Get Divorce but Puts All Blame of Murder on Gray Queens County Courthouse, New York, May 2 (®—For three hours this morning Mrs. Ruth Snyder fought from the witness stand ugainst the pitiless examination of ftwo lawyers seeking to send her to the electric chair fo‘ the murder of lier_husband. One lawyer represented the state and the other acted for Henry Judd Gray, Mrs. Snyder's co-de- tendant, who says she is solely gullty, just as she lays the entire blame on him. But for one brief flurry of tears, the blonde widow was in command lof herself, snapping and snarling like an animal cornered, but de- termined to fight to her last breath. When court adjourned for lunch she was still on the stand under questioning by the state. Cross-Examination Direct examination of Mrs. Snyder was completed at this morning’s ses- sion of the Snyder murder trial and | cross-examination began. Edgar F. Hazelton, Mrs. Snyder's | lawyer, resumed the direct exam- | ination of his client immediately | after court convinced. | During her examination' Friday, | Mrs. Suyder had outlined her ver- | sion of the crime, laying the entire | Dblame on Henry Judd Gray, and so | today's direct examination was the | more or less perfunctory tying up | of loose ends. Gray More Alert Gray was more alert than on any }and duy since the trial opened. He held | his head erect and whispered with | his counsel as Mrs, Snyder testified. Mrs. Snyder had herself in good | control and spoke with cool assur-| ance. | At 10:17 Hazelton completed his| examination and William Millard for | began cross-examination. Why did you put a quart of * whiskey under the pillow in your mother's room the night of the mur- | r2* Millard questioned. Because he asked me t “Did you receive a sashweight| ay on March 52" | \\'h:\l did you dp with it?” | Had It in Cellar “I put it in the cellar.” “Why" | “Because 1 was going to, give it back to him.” “Did you believe that was to be used in killing your husband?” 1 don't know.” “Why, if you knew he was going to use it to kill your husband, did| you give it back to him?" “I didn’t want anything that Judd Gray gave me." Didn’'t Warn Husband “Did you warn your husband?” “No " “I thought I could argue Judd Gray out of his plan and avert any trouble at all.” “When you went to a card party that night, why did you leave the| back door open?” ‘“‘Because I wanted to see Gray and | end everything between us.” Denies Drinking Charge “Did you get your husband drunk at the party?” “I did not.” “Did you try to?" “No". “Try to get Judd drunk?” “No". “What was your husband’s con- dition when you got home?". “Normal," “Isn't it true that when you went to that party you knew just what ‘was going to happen?” *“No, I fully intended to get rid of Judd Gray forever before he should do what he did do.” “Why did Judd go to your house the night of March 19?2 “He was going home for the week-cnd and away the next week.” ‘Had he ever been in your moth- ; er's room before while Albert Snyder was in the house?"” “No', “Why aid you arrange for him te g0 there this time then?” “He arranged it.” “But you acceded ?" “Yes." Wanted Insurance Money “Why should Gray want to kill Albert Snyder?” “For the insurance my carried. “But you were the beneficiary. He could only get the money through husband ‘That is true, but he knew how to | gct money from me. He had done | it frequently. “Insurance is the only motive you can think of?" “Did you ever tell Gray your hus- |strike of laborers, hod |2 40 hour week. On April 1, |carpenters were given a $12 day. | Rochester, N. |leans, La.; Indianapolis; ¥ort Worth | Charleston, W. Va.; Wichita, Kai (Continued on Fage Four), Clam Diggers Missing; Probably Killed and Eaten by Big Sharks Salinas, Cal, May 3 UP—John A. Andrade, 29, and Alfred Oliver, 16, both of Warm Springs, Cal., who disappeared while digging clams in thie shark infested surf four miles north of Moss Landing Saturday, may have been victims of the man eaters. Clothes left by the missing pair were found on the beach, and their clamming rakes were re- covered in the surf. ‘The beach in that vicinity is so infested with man eating sharks that bathers familiar with the waters never venture into the surf. a LABOR CONDITIONS IN CONN. ARE GOOD (0"Meara Sees Little Tronble of Serious Nature Ahead SEVERAL STRIKES TODAY Greenwich Laborers, Plasterers, etc., Walk Out—Union Also Quit for More Pay in Nor- wich. Carpenters | New Haven, Conn., May 2 (® — Organized labor begins the month of May, the time when many wage time schedules are adjusted, | with a good outlook, in the opinion of President Patrick J. O'Meara of the Connecticut Federation of La- bor. He said today that while here and there there were disputes the general situation was satisfactory, at lcast to the extent that there is little of the wunrest which has marked the labor market in some years. Strike in Greenwich Greenwich, Conn.,, May 2 (A — A carriers, bricklayers, plasterers and stonc masons here today affected 17 con- tractors and about 800 men quit work. The demand of the men was for an increase in the wage scales, some increases asked for being about 20 per cent over the existing list. New Wage Scales Stamford, Conn., May 2 (M — A new wage scale went into effect for plumbers and painters today. The |demand for a new scale was made some weeks ago and was granted {by the employers. The painters are |given $11 a day for a 40 hour week, a wage increase of $2, and the plumbers receive $12 a day for the Barbers on Strike Thirty batbers employed in ten (Continued on Page 10) HONORABLE MENTION GIVEN NEW BRITAIN This City Ranks Well in Fire Prevention Acpi ity Washington, May 2 (A —Greater heed to the simple measures which often prevent costly fires was urged by Governor Walker of Georgla to- day in conferring bronze placques upon four cities for excellence in prevention. The placques were awarded on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. The grand prize for the second year went to Albany of Governor Walkers’ own state. The other win. ners were Milwaukee, Wis., Hunt. ington, W. Va., and Owensboro, Ky., leaders in groups of cities classed according to size. Governor Walker appeared at the opening meeting of the chamber's annual convention. He said more than $500,000,000 worth of property, a sum equivalent to the cost of the Panama Canal, was sacrificed to fire in the United States last ycar. Honorable mention in the fire prevention contest was given to these cities: Philadelphi Portland, Ore.; 3 Detroity New Or- Texas; Seattle, Wash.; Grand Ra- pids, Mich.; Wilmington, Del.; Pa- sadena, Cal.; New Britain, Conn.: Springfleld, Ohio; Bay City, Mich.; McKeesport, Pa Cal. sas; Yakima, Wash.; Mansfield, O.; Battle Creek, Mith.; Petersburg, Va.; Uniontown, Pa.; Butler, Pa.; Baton Rouge, La.; Hagerstown, Md.; Lorain, Ohio, and Riverside, Cal.; {in average. NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, MONDAY, MAY 2, CITY POPULATION | KIDNAPPING PLOT 15 PUT AT 80,000 an Bases Goncla- on Approved Analysis BASED ON CITY DIRECTORY Method of Calculation Eliminates “Padding” — Males Out-Number Females by Only 2,000, According to Latest Statistics Obtainable. By an approved process of cal- culation, using the new city direc- tory as a basis, Postmaster Herbert E. Erwin has established the pop- ulation of New Britain at approxi- mately 80,000, Postmaster Erwin's figures are most thorough and eliminate every process having a tendency to “pad” the total. Mr. Edwin has found 43,963 rames appear in the book. Of this number, 2,206 died durlng the year, removed from the city, are duplica- tions or live elsewhere and work here. This makes the net 41,757. Of this number 21,967 are men and 19,790 are women, which finding| discloses an unusual evenness of malo and female population. Pro- ducers of directories allow from four to five per cent of the total for errors causing names to be ad- mitted, negligent omissions, etc., which, added to the net brings the total to 43,427. The school enroll- ment, embracing children between the ages of 4 and 16 years is 18,- 968, and these pear in the directory. Adding the four per cent differential to this figure places the enrollment at 19.- 727, advised that the number of children of any one year is about the same as the number of any other year, The enrollment cover- ing the years between 4 and 16, leaves the years one to four, and 16 to 20 to be added, and this allows an additional 16,379. The total of all these figures which, Mr. points out, can reasonably be taken as a safe figure for purposes of fix- ing the population, is 79.333. It the directory system of multi- plying the total number of names by 2 1-4 were followed out, the city’s population would be placed | greatly in excess of £0,000. |GIRLS REPORT ATTACK WHILE ON AUTO RIDE Taken to Lonely Spoi Near Reservoir in Farm- ington Charged with assault on Miss Anna Krause, aged 19, of 17 Canal street, South Hadley Falls, Mass., and Miss Mary O'Palenik, aged 20, of Boynton strect, South Hadley Falls, Mass,, near the Farmington reservoir at a late hour last night, Peter Gasperino, aged 22 of 1025 Stanley street, was arrested at his home about 2:45 this morning, and placed under $500 bonds. In police court this morning, a continuance until tomorrow morning was grant- ed on request of Attorney Alfred Le Witt, representing the young man, and he was released under a real estate bond posted by his parents.| Sergeant Thomas J. Feeney and Jergeant John C. Stadler made the arrest after Miss Krause had com- plained of the alleged assault, to Sergeant Feeney about 2 o'clock. According to the young woman's story, she and her companion were at Lake Compounce and Gasperino volunteered to drive them to the home of Mrs. Michael J. Hlavati of 2 Daly avenue where they had been visiting. Andrew Ballachino of 87 Spring street, with whom one of the young women is said to keep com- pany, was with them, and they ac- cepted the offer. Arriving at the grounds about the reservoir, however, Gasperino, ac- cording to the young women's story to the police, made advances to Miss (Continued on Page 15.) DURANT'S NARROW ESCAPE Guilford Legislator and His Car Plunge 30 Fect Down Bank West of Capitol Building. State Capitol, Hartford, May 2 —Representative Harry Guilford backed his automabile over a sldewalk and down a 30 foot bank to the edge of the Park river, west of the capitol today without injury to himself and slight damage to the sedan which overturned twice be- fore coming to a halt in an upright position. The accident occurred when Mr. (0: ) | Durant turning around at a junction of two drive ways on the capitol grounds backed farther than he in- tended to permit other automobiles to pass in front of him. He was alone in the car. In its plunge down the bank the automobile passed between two trees a few feet from the sidewalk, | veered to the right, narrowly missed four other trees as down the bank at an angle, fifth tree lightly and turned over twice. The fenders and one corner of the top were damaged. Several of the windows were broken but the windshield remained intact. names do not ap-; Postmaster Erwin has been Erwin | Durant of | it continued | hit a! NIPPED BY POLICE Rich Chicago Man's Son Was to Be Yictim NOTED CRIMINAL'S PLAN Scheme Was to Raise Million Dol- lars for Defense of Heary J. Fer- nekes, on Trial for Murder—Gun- men Had Been Hired. Chicago, May 3 (P—A 'million dollar kidnapping plot conceived by a convicted murderer, planned for execution by one of Chicago’'s most feared criminal bands and directed at a nine year old heir to a great fortune has been checkmated by the police. Plotter And Victim Henry J. (Midget) Fernekes, now servin ga prison term for robbery ‘while awaiting a new trial for mur- der, for which he once was sentenced to be hanged, was the man, the po- lice say who plotted the kidnapping. The intended victim, now as closely guarded as a president or a king, was John Shedd Schweppe, son of |Charles H. Schweppe, a broker, and grandson of the late John G. Shedd, who was one of the city’s wealth- iest men. The police refrained from reveal- ing the details of the plot, nor would they name all the conspira- itors. The million dollars which they believe was to have been demanded for the boy's release was to have gone in part into a great defense fund for Fernckes, who once tried to blast his way out of the Cook county jail with dynamite. ‘Woman In On Plot Mrs. Jessie Mulhall Saunders, more recently known as “Mrs. Fernekes,” according to information in the possession of Chief of Detectives William O’Connor, was one of the women active in the plot. Mr. Schweppe identified a photograph of Mrs. Saunders as that of a woman he had seen prowling about the grounds of his Lake Forest estate. 7 Gunmen Involved “Seven well known gunmen’ were involved in the plot, the police said, all members of the band which kid- |napped two cabaret owners recent- ly and finally released them for a | reported ransom of $100,000. First reports of the plot said that {the boy's sister, Jean, eleven years old, was to have been the object of the kidnappers, but Chiet O'Connor said that police information was plain taai .. ‘Dboy was (ue one o have been taken. “We knew from conversations overheard by our telephone squad all details of the scheme,” he said. “The idea was to take the boy to 2 particular spot and make ransom demands. The gang even had ar- ranged to change their hiding place, take the boy from house to house, and we knew all the places that had been arranged for.” Conversation Overheard Word of the intended kidnapping came from a conversation overheard by the police. The talk was be- tween two persons apparently not in the plot, one reciting to the other what he had heard from a third per- son. Seven men and two women were involved. All are known, the police added, but because of the manner in which the information was obtained, ithey have been unable to make any !arrests. Plans were lald instead to trap the band in an attempt at kid- napping. Elaborate Guard System An elaborate guard system was evolved by Mr. Schweppe, aided by the police and private detectives. Guards were placed about the grounds of the estate, outside the walls, and in the house itself. There were private phone connections to | the police station and a speed boat was in readiness for pursuit in event |the kidnappers attempted flight by | Lake Michigan. A special guard also has | placed over two other grandchildren | |ot the late Mr. Shedd—Mary Shedd |Reed, 13, and John Shedd Reeq, 12, who live near the Schweppe estate, | Mr. Schweppe also has been given a police guard. Others Are Afraid Fear of kidnappers has led to pre- (Continued on Page 10) PERAKOS LEADS PROTEST AGAINST TAX ON MOVIES ew Britain Exhibitor Says 4 Per Cent on Gross Recelpts Would Be Harmful. (Speclal to the Herald) Hartford, May $—Peter Perakos of New Britaln, representing the theater men of his city, was at the state capitol today to protest | against the tax of 4 per cent on the [gross business done by the moving | picture houses. Theater men from 'all over the state were present and | claimed that this tax should be on the net profits. The tax would hurt business tor every branch, ex- hibitors say. Representative Fred O. Rackliffe of the finance commit- tee, Senator E. F. Hall of the ap- propriations committes and others { were urged to comsider the bill throughly before it came into the | scnate for final action. Mr. Durant opened a door, step- . ped out, climbed the bank to the capitol and called a garage to have Billings, Mont.; Fullerton, Ca.; La- conla, N. H.; Oceanside, Cal.; Wes- ton, W. Va.; Torrence, Cal.; Mar- low, Olll Petin, IUl; Fremont, Okla., and Black- the car pulled up to the street. Many of the legislators and capi- tol employes went out to see “Dur- ant's marvelous escape.” The automobile's wheels dug deep iuto the soft dirt as the car slid down "m.l the brakes get. THE WEATHER New Britain and viclnity: Showers this afternoon, fol- lowed by gemerally fair to- night and Tuesday; not much change in temperature. been | come back on the public and would | | | , | Red Cross Asks 1927. —=EIGHTEEN PAGES For 10 Million; Rescue Work Now Is Progressing Washington, May 3 (®—On recommendation of Secretary Hoover, the American Red Cross today asked the people of the United States to contribute a mini- mum of $10,000,000 to relieve the suffering in the Mississippl river flood area. The Red Cross previously had asked for $5,000,000 and this fig- ure was exceeded by almost $40,000 today. Secretary Hoover, deemed the sum insufficient and the new appeal was decided upon after he had conferred with Red Cross offi- clals and President Coolidge today | upon his return from the flood district. Mr. Hoover conferred at the Red Cross headquarters with George E. Scott and Cornelius N. Bliss of New York, and Miss Mabel T. Boardman, members of the organ- ization. It was decided that every Red Cross chapter would be asked to double the fund it had been asked to raise. Relief Work Memphis, Tenn, May 2 P— Moving faster than the racing wa- ters, relief forces today threw out lines of succor in newly flooded areas of northern and central Louisiana or awaited emergencies in districts certain to be inundated by the record crest of the Mississippi valley flood. Meanwhile, in southeastern Ar- kansas and in the Mississippi delta the work of rescuing marooned people, transporting them to refu- gee camps and rushing flood sup- | plies and medical precautions con- tinued by train, boat and airplane. Planes and Ships Used. Six airplanes have arrived here | to augment the large number now | in the field and others were rush- ing to strategic points from Mem- | phis to New Orleans, while in the | lower Mississippi the concentration of the largest fleet of relief vessels in the history of the valley was rapidly being accomplished. Evacuation of counties and parishes, with grave warnings of danger swelled in the huge popula- tions of refugee camps, while boats hovered in the vicinity of villages and farming communities, where the inhabitants stubbornly refused to leave thelr belongings. These latter will be moved quickly should their lives become imperiled, relief workers said, although many of the rescuerers declare the obstancy of | those who would stick out the flood | may cost ‘more lives. 50,000 More Refugees. To meet the new emergency | created by the breaking of levees in northern Louisiana and by the muddy wave pouring down from Arkansas, the Red Cross established new concentration centers fn Mon- |roe, Delhi, Bastrop, Lake Provi- | dence ana Oak Grove, La. Addi- tional personnel and supplies were | hurried by boat and plane. Esti- | mates were here that the present army of refugees will be increased | by nearly 50,000 if other threatened | levees fail to hold. Although their present task is| | temporary succor of the marooned | and homeless, relief workers have begun planning for the labor of re- habilitation which will follow the recession of the waters. Under the direction of the American Red Cross and state governmental agencles the rehabilitation of the refugees will be accomplished through the county chapters of the Red Cross, it has been announced by Henry M. Baker, national direc- tor of disaster relief. While these “plam are going forward the medi- cal divislon of the Red Cross is concentrating an almost unprec: | dented array of health forces, draw- ing on 14 outside states to augment the well organized personnel of the seven states in the flooded area. Medical Precautions. Great reserves of vaccine end nurses and physicians have heen |provided and every precaution taken to meet what Dr. William R. Redden, Red Cross medical direc. | tor declares, is the greatest health | menace ever faced in America out- side of war time. With the expected return here | this week of Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover, directors of relief | work indicated that additional | plans for the Mississippl valley suf- | ferers will be formulated. THEATER SACKED BY MISCHIEYOUS YOUTH Boys and Girls Cause Seri- | ous Damage at the Scenic Damage estimated at several hun- dred dollars was done by boys and girls of school age in the Scenic theater on Main street about 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and within & few hours after Peter Perakos, one of the owners report- ed the vandalism to the police, Ser- geant Flynn had the names and ad- resses of 16 children who were implicated. The theater had its final perform- ance Saturday night, the building having been sold a few weeks ago, and yesterday afternoon the chil- dren entereed through a door said to have been left open, and pulled fix- |tures from the walls, damaged the music rolls and the motion picture machine, in addition to throwing photographs of motion picture per- formers, bill posters and other paper in high piles about the place. Lenses used on the picturo machine | were reported stolen, but were re- covered later. One of the miscreants was thrown several feet when he seized a wire carrying a powerful load of electri ity. Some of these implicated said they merely witnessed the wreck- {ing of the place, but had no actual | part in it. 'DESERTED BY MAN SHE WAS TO MARRY TODAY Worcester Young Woman Collapses When Told of Disappearance Worcester, Mass, May 2 (#—A large congregation was assembled today in St. Joseph's church, the| organ was playing singing the opening strains for a nuptial high mass for Clarence L. Rocheford, one of the leading build- ing contractors of this city, and Miss Beatrice Breault, when the music suddenly ccased, the mass was | stopped and the priest left the al- tar. There was no wedding, as Rocheford had disappeared from the home of his father at 5 o'clock. this morning without saying where he was going, and a frantic search of the city by his relatives failed to reveal his whereabouts Miss Breault was awaiting her intended in her home dressed in her wed- ding finery, as nothing was sald to her about his disappearance, with the hope that he would be found and the wedding proceed. When the news was finally broken to her she collapsed. Rocheford was given a dinner by & large party of friends, including Mayor Michael J. O'Hara, Saturday night but gave no intima- tion that he would fail his bride. He had erected and furnished a new home here. It was (o have been Rocheford’s second marriage as he is already the father ¢f four chil- dren, but it would have bcem the bride's first, - |ant street, and the cholr‘ PLOTS TRAIN WRECK T0 AVENGE HIS DOG Youth Who Put Tie on Track Believed Men- tally Weak | Frank Friend, aged 17, of 57 Whitman street, who was caught last evening, in a tree in the wooded | section near the main line railroad tracks south of the old Cremo Brew- ery plant, after having placed a railroad tie on the north bound tracks, is believed by the police to be mentally abnormal, it was said |today. Disposition of the case was problematical this afternoon. The | railroad police are looking into it, and an effort is being made to de- termine definitely whether the spot where the tic was placed in posi- tion to derail the train is in New- ington or New Britain. Friend told the police last evening after his capture that the north- |bound passenger train passing through from Berlin at §:20 p. m. Kkilled his dog “Tige” a year ago. {and he brooded over the accident | until he became frenzied with a de- |sire for revenge. Thoughts of “Tige” were always in his mind, he |said, and last evening he resolved to wreck the train and avenge his | pet’s death. | Henry H. Coleman of 128 Pleas- | William Goodwin of 73 | Chapman streot, and Clarence Heller |of 10 Austin street saw Friend place | | the tie on the tracks, ani rushing to | |a point about 600 feet south of the | brewery, Goodwin pushed it out of Ithe path of the train about one min- | ute before the cars passed, With | their 200 passengers. Co'eman and Heller chased Friend, who took to the woods and scrambled into a tree. { The police were notifiel and Scr- geant Michael Flynn ord Officer Ernest Bloomquist brought Friend | to the police station. The Newington authorities were notified, as it was thought the offense occurred in that town. At police headquarters Friend, whose actions are queer, told | Sergeant O'Mara he knows of other instances of attempts to derail tracks |in the vicinity of the foot of Belden | street. Various objects have been placed on the tracks for the pur-| pose, he said, by other boys. AUTO OVERTURNS in Machine Wrecked today, | | Six People Near Ansonia-Seymour Town Line | Escape Serious Injury. Ansonia, April 2.—A party of nlx‘ people had a miraculous escape | from death on King's highway at| Ansonia-Seymour town line last| night about 10 o'clock when car in which they were riding turned com- pletely over on its top. James Gal- | lagher of 14 John street, Shelton, | who was at the wheel and was ac- companied by his wife and (our, children lost control of the cal when it struck a stone and shot up an embankment. The car turned over on its side and then rolled over on its back to the pavement below. Not one member of the party was injured and no damage was done to the car with the exception of a shattered window. At this same place about three years ago two men ‘were killed in a simfar accident. Several cars have come to griet at this point. | 'WORKERS RACE WITH TIME N EFFORT TO REENFORCE LEVEES AlflNG MISS. RIVER Kaceys Give $50,000 For Flood Sufferers New Haven, May 2 (®—An appropriation of $50,000 for Mississippi flood sufferers, has been ordered by the supreme board of directors of the Knights of Columbus, meeting in Chica- go, the executive offices of the order here were advised today. One-half the fund will be con- tributed to the American Red Cross fund and the other half will be administered by the Knights of Columbus councils in the area affected by the flood. The appropriation will be taken from the order’s general fund. The appropriation followed report of Col. M. J. O'Leary, Knights of Columbus represent- ative who has made a survey of the entire flooded district. Immediately after the meeting Col. O'Leary returned south where he will remain in direction of the order's relief work until all danger has passed. Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty made public an expres- sion given to the board that he hoped every American citizen would contribute promptly and generously to the Red Cross fund. CITY EXCEEDS QUOTA IN RED CROSS DRIVE Collection for Mississippi Flood Victims Reaches $5,382.77 New Britain today kept clean its record for aiding in philanthropic causes when it exceeded the $5,- 000 quota set for the Red Cross fund | for relief of Mississippt river flood victims. The total collected is $5,.- 382.77. Since the last announcement, $1,151.18 was collected. The largest amount received was from Manager Finn of the Strand theater where $224.18 was collected Saturday night. The Luther league of the IKirst Lutheran church con- tributed $15. Accompanied by an piring letter $8 came in from the children of the West Rocky Hill school. Employes of the Vulcan Iron Works sent $78.44 and employes of Louis Nair $11. Russell & Er- win employes contributed $57 and the Russwin Girls' club $5. The Plainville branch of the Red Cross collected $57 and the Newington branch $64 Red Cross omcials announced to- day that the campaign will be con- tinued as it is generally believed that the goal originally established by the Red Cross fund will be in- sufficient to care for all who are in need of assistance. Chairman Curtiss L. Sheldon of the local Red Cross branch today made tke following stateruent: “The splendid response to the ap- peal for funds for the zid of the Mississippi river flood sufferers has carried New Britain well over its quota of $5,000, this city's share of the million dollar goal set by the American Red Cross National Head- quarters, “On behalf of New Britain's chap- ter of the Red Cross, I wish to ex- press appreciation to all those who e contributed to the fund. If it were possible to thank eeparately each group ‘and individual, I should like to do so, but such a task would be too great. “Every penny contributed will be forwarded to Washington, such small expenses as postage, etc., will be cared for from the annual budget of the local chapter. “Thanks are due to the local news- papers for their part in keeping the appeal before the public.” {LITTLE HOPE HELD 0UT FOR TRAPPED MINERS Belief Is That Fumes of Polsonous Gasses Have Killed Entire 77 Fairmont, W. Va., May 2 (#—De- |layed 24 hours by a flue in the inner recesses of the Everettsville mine, |rescue workers today resumed ex- ploration of the blast-torn tunnels intent upon determining the fate of 7 workers entombed since Saturday afternoon. The rescue experts generally were agreed that it was almost certain that when reached, those trapped | would be added officially to the six- | teen known dead, twelve of whom were removed from the mine and the other four killed on the tipple. | A score of rescue men composed the crews making the advance into he wrecked tunnels. They were led y George McCaa, veteran of the United States bureau of mines, and J. V. Berry, chiet safety engineer of the Bethlehem mines corporation. Equipped with oxygen tanks, hel- mets and other emergency appar- atus, the rescue men started to work forward at a point 3,000 feet in the mine where a halt was called Bun. day when tests of the air showing a mixture of m revealed that a fire was raging further back. ngll Crest of I"lood | Due at New Between MaySanJ District 18—New Inundated. Refugees Are Being Taken to Nearby Towns in Flood District and Later Will Go to Concentration Centers New Orleans, May 2 (A — With the flood crest of the Mississippl moving past Vicksburg today, armies of men were fighting des. perately to raise and strengthen the levees along the wide front from the mouth of the Red river to New, Orleans where record stages are torecast between May 5 and 18 Meantime, torrents of water flows |ing through four crevasses opened yesterday by the river south of Vidalia, opposite Natchez, were completing the inundation of Con- * cordia parish, in east central i Louisiana, with the prospect that it would submerge parts of four ad- joining parishes. The flood along the Yazoo river in Mississippi also was spreading eastward, but a somewhat improved situation was reported jn south- eastern Arkansas with the Arkan- sas river slowly falling and the flood waters through three breaks moving rapidly over inte northerm Louisiana. Situation Unchanged There was no change in the site uation at New Orleans, the river |gauge standing stationary at 20.7 | feet, due, engineers said, to the |rapid flow of water through the rtificial crevasse at Caernavam, 1§ miles south, which was widened again today by the use of mou dynamite. A statement hluéd during forenoon by the weather - i said the river here would chlll(l | very little or fall siowly during the | next few days. Before the (aerna. van crevasse was created a steady (Continued on Page 15) ' BOARD OF PARDONS IN SESSION AT PRISON 69 Pleas Are Presented, but Several Are With- drawn Later Hartford, Conn., May 2 UP—The board of pardons met at the state prison shortly after 10 a. m. today to hear 69 pleas for pardons, some of which were later withdrawn, Governor Trumbull presided. Assistant United States Attorney John O. Danaher appeared for Sis mon A. G. Salisbury who was cone victed of second degree murder, committed at Preston in May, 1918 and who was sentenced to prison for life on October 9, 1918. He pointed out that at the time of the crime the man had a family of five small children, which has since broken up. He said the man had been a model prisoner. Salis- bury spoke briefly and told the board his family needed him and that he wanted to go back to them. George B. Baxtor, secretary of the Connecticut prison association, told the board the man had a posie tion waiting for him in Liverpool, Ohio. State’s Attorney Allen Brown of Litchfield county said he did not believe the man would be a menace to society. The following petitions were (Continued on Page 15) PRAYERS FOR BOOTHE Eleventh Day of His Fight Agains§ Death Begins With Artificial Ress piration Continued. Roanoke, Va., May 2 (#—Prayers were spoken for Walter L. Boothe, 18, today as hundreds of his fellow citizens watched with undiminished interest the coming of the eleventh day of his fight against death. The telephone at Jefterson hospital where companions lifted and lowers ed his arms to force air into his lungs, rang almost constantly, ing messages of cheer and of prayers in his behalf. Karly tas day physiclans stated that his paies was fairly satisfactory and his cone dition iniproved after = tw. sinking spells since he was |April 21, ~ Morabers of the respiratory steadfast to task they had taken, reported in systematie not only willing but eager to