New Britain Herald Newspaper, April 14, 1928, Page 1

(o] NEW BRITAIN HERAL ESTABLISHED 1870 3 DEAD IN DANCE HALL EXPLOSION issouri Building Turned Into a Yeritable Holocaust CAUSE IS UNDETERMINED Sixteen Injured In Hospitals in Nearby Towwns—Many Picked Up Far From Scene—Man Blown 55 | | Feet. “ thirty-two rescue workers today away the debris where 'changed to shricks of terror as an explosion wrecked the building late last night. They were seeking four. teen persons missing and believed to ha shed beneath falling walls. 16 Injured Sixteem injured are in hospitals, many in a serious condition. The cause of the explosion has not been determined. It is believed those listed as missing ms cluded among the unidentified dead. Fire followed almost immediate! after the explosion and destroyed three buildings before it was brought under control. Property loss was | estimated between $100,000 and $150,000. The dead: Paul Evans, Jr. West Plains. Mrs. Kitty McFarland, West ains, undertaker, Mrs. Carl Mullins, West Plains. J. W. Weiser, head of Weiser Mo- tor Co., in whose building the « plosion occurred. R. G. Martin, automobile dealer, ‘West Plain Charl sher, dent, A Mo. John Bates, son of Rev. J. D. Bates, pystor First Methodist church, West Plains Seventeen unidentificd bodies are in two undertaking establishments, Many of the injured were picke up on the streets far from the scene | jof the blast. H. C. Allen, merchant, | was blown feet and found with | both legs broken and a® arm torn 1. | The intensc heat and total dark- caused when the power plant was damaged, hindered rescuers, | Soon after the explosion the walls f the building collapsed. i The dance was being held on the fsecond floor of a two story building. The ground floor was a garage and | notor car xales room. Officers to-| lay are investigating a report that | large gazoline storage tank, | hought to have been under the | uilding, was the cause of the hlast. | 1 score persons had just left | moving picture theater located in he same block, and many of them, nowing that friends and relatives ere attending the dance, made rantic efforts to enter the wrecked nd burning structure. I Out of town residents who at-| ended the dance were not mcluded n the list of missing, but it was be- | ieved that many from surrounding | owns would be among the victims. A rain early in the evening had| educed attendance at the dance which was a weekly affair. The in- ured were picked up in the streets | br were taken from the windows of | he upper story as the flames licked | heir way through the tottering| valls, 1 [GHT COUPE SQUEEZED known dcad, were tearing high school stu- BETWEEN TWO TRUCKS { Driver Escapes Serious | Injury When Trapped by Vans i (Special to the Ticrald) Plainville, April 14—Luck was vith Thomas F. Kennedy of 93 West | treet, New Britain, when his small oupe was caught between two eavy trucks on the New DBritain oad near the top of the hill east f Crooked street about 9 o'clock his morning. He escaped with in- | ries no more serious than cut ands, and his car, while temporar- was not demolished. ccording to the story of the truci rivers, Kennedy, bound for W Britain, tried to pass a moving van f the Laskas Motor lines of Hart- prd, driven by William F. Bierce of 15 Watertown street, Waterbury, nd as he did s0 a loaded crushed- one truck owned by L. C. Hart of is town and operated by R. A. ennison of New Britain’ avenue vung around the curve at the head the hill and cut him off. Caught h mid-road between the two heavy ehicles, Kennedy tried to stop, »ut e trucks hit his machine, one from ther direction, and sandwiched it between them. Flying glass from windshield and indows cut Kennedy about the nds and he was taker to N ritain to have his wounds dressed. Jhe Laskas van, pulled hard to the ght in a frantic effort to avoid e coupe, went off the road and ried its front wheels in soft earth 'ter partially climbing a bank hy he side of the highway. Tt w: plled out and continued its way, hile the sand truck was not fn- red. Kennedy's car was towed 10 sher-Willlams garage here. The truck drivers were In em- atic agreement that Kennedy had .en exceptionally lucky in escap- | g the consequences of his alleged utting out.” They believed it 1it- short of miraculous that his car laughter | | half of loading coal. SENATE WAY CALL | INEW WITNESSES Names Kept Secret by 1. - Dome Committee ** IS TAKING REST TODAY | sl | Will Resume Investigation Next | Tuesday When Themas Miller, Now Under Sentence for Conspir- acy, Will Be Heard. West Plains, Mo.,, April 14 (#— Death stalked into this little Ozark city and turned a dance hall, with its merry-making throng into holocaust. With Washington, 14 (®—Con- | sressional and court activity was at | rest today with respect to oil, but |information that the senate fnvesti- gating committee about to spring some more surprises through the medium of two mystery wit- | nesses kept up the fires under Tea- pot Dome. April was Names of the new witnesses which | | the senate committee has summoned | | were as much in the dark as the reasons for bringing them here. The announcement, was made, | er, that they were expected to furnish “important” testimony in connection with both the political 'and financial phases of the inquiry which for some time has had to do with the Continental Trading Com- pany oil deal. The committee will resume its in- vestigation next Tuesday when, be- | sides the two unknown witnesses, three others will be heard. They are Thomas W. Miller, former alien property custodian now under sen- | | tence for conspiracy to defraud the | government, and Harry and Claudius H. Huston, of New | York, who at one time were con- neeted with the organizations of the republican national committee, Sinclair Trial, | Meanwhile, the conspiracy trial of Harry F. Sinclair in the District of Columbia supreme court will get under way again Monday when the | defense will attempt, as their first step, to prove to the jury that Um‘ oil operator's negotiations with Al- hert 1. Fall for the Teapot Dome | case were open and above board. The government closed its presen- | tation yesterday, but on Monday | Justice Jennings Bailey will decide whether to admit testimony object- ed to by the defense on two ques- | tions which the prosecution regards | as relevant to its case. | The court at first thought it tr- relevant but decided to take it under advisement over the week-end. The testimony concerns for one thing the $25,000 in liberty bonds | which Sinclair furnished Fall after he leascd the Wyoming naval oil reserve and when the former inter- lor secretary made a trip to Panam. | Owen J. Roberts, special govern- ment counsel, argued that this trana- uction, though taking place after the date set forth in the indictment as the termination of the alleged con- spiracy, proved the and se- crecy of the tions between Fall and Sinclair Martin W, Littleton, of defenso counscl, ohjected to this'evidence go- ing into the record on the ground that it was not germane. The defense also took exception for {he reason to introduction of tes- ¢ regarding the lease by Fall d L. Doheny of the Elk Hills oil reserve in California; upon the court’s decision Monday on this issue will depend whether Edward M. Blair (Continued on Page 15) 5 MILLION IN GOLD IS SHIFTED AT SEA| Soviet Funds Transferred | to Another Boat to Frustrate French London, April 14 (®—With all the ttings of high seas mystery, the 00,000 of soviet gold claimed by France and refused acceptance in the United States, was transferred | from the steamer Dresden to anoth- | er German vessel in mid-channel off | Falmouth at midnight and is now on ite way to Bremen. It was stated that this unusual move was made hecause the Dres- den, which was carrying the gold from New York, was scheduled to halt at Cherbourg and it was re- ported that an application for at- tachment of it for French creditors was to be made as soon as the Dresden arrived in the French port. Arrangements consequently were made by wireless for the North Ger- man Lloyd steamer Reiher to leave Gravesend and to anchor off Fal- mouth outside of English territorial limits. When the Dresden steamed up the channel bound for Cherbourg, she signalled the Reiher, dropped anchor and the transhipment of gold was effected, boatload by boat- load. There was some difficulty because the sea was rather rough, but the | operation was successful, the work | of exchange taking about an hour. The two steamers then parted com- | pany, the Reiher steaming for Brem- | en while the Dresden proceeded for Cherbourg. Cherbourg, Frnce, April 14 (P— The German steamship Dresden came quietly into port this morning and left again after an hour and & French officials refrained from mentioning the question of the $5.- 00,000 soviet gold which was ship- ped on the Dresden, saying that they didn't even know if the gold was aboard, but supposed that it still 4 not telescoped under the force ! the double blow dealt it. was and would be unioaded at' Dremen. | can Itions on the very wonderful lund Miss Marguerite [ Washington, were married in London | gates supporting the leadership of | | wite NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 1928 —EIGHTEEN PAGES IR§ 1ULATIONS 1 o 00D 5 VN PRt -&o"\i\'.\"a W uster o Treland Also 5\‘\4 His Felicitations Upon Receipt of Joyous News ‘Washington, April 14 (A —Presi- dent Coolidge sent through the navy radio today a message of congratula- tion to the erew of the Bremen. “My most hearty congratulations upon your safe landing after your fine westward flight across the North Atlantic,” the president said. London, April 14 (®—Congratula- tions of the crew of the Bremen . were extended in behalf of the Royal Aeronautical socicty today by its president, Colonel William Francis Forbes-Sempill. The statement was as follows: “The soclety extends warmest eon- gratulations to those who so success- fully carried out this flight. The difficulties of a westward ‘assage are 8o well known that they require | no emphasis. Everyone will agrea that the achievement is a very fine one and those who carried it through have thoroughly earned our highest praise.” Gratified | Dublin, Irish Free State, April 14 (M—Frederick A. Sterling, Ameri- minister to the Irish Free State, expressed gratification today over the success of the Bremen's flicht. He sent the following mes- sage of congratulation: “May I extend my congratula- and successful flight in which all show- ed great courage and ekill. Ireland has been established as a starting point for transatlantic flights and this enterprising achievement brings the two countries closer together.” PRINGE CHARLES 1S HARRIED TODAY Takes Marguerite Watson ol Washington as Bride FAMILY OPPOSED MATCH But Mcmber of Belgian Royalty Cares Not and Takes the Girl of His Own Choice to Be His Mate for Life. London, ' April 14 (P — Prince | Charles Philippe, Duc de Nemours, | Watson of today. The family of the prince, so far | as known, opposed the match to the | last. A few days ago the prince told the Associated Press that his fnm<i ily had another girl in mind for him, | the selection of his mother being of royal blood. Picked His Own Bride “Oh, yes, the family selected a for me years ago,” he said. “That is the old, old way, but with all due respect to the young lady in question I had entirely different views in the matter.” The prince met Miss Watson four vears ago at a dinner party in Paris. The American girl was an hour late and this aroused his curiosity for he wondered what kind of girl it !'was who dared be an hour late at dinner. When Miss Watson appear- ed, the prince was interested and they sat side by side at the dinner. “The next day we were invited to (Continued on Page 15.) RORABACK INSISTS COOLIDGE 15 MAN ‘Says He's Still of Opinion He'll Be Party’s Choice CONVENTION ON TUESDAY State Republicans to Open Session For Selection of Delegates—Na- fas Changed His Mind, He Says, tonal Committeeman Not Hartford, April 14 (®—"1 am still of the opinion that President Cool- idge will be nominated as candidate | for the presidency by the national | convention at Kansas City,” said J. | Henry Roraback, chairman of the | republican atate central committee |and national from | Conneeticut. | - “I have not changed my opinion {in that respect and I can see no | reason why I should.” Meeting Next Tuesday. Mr. Roraback, as chairman of the | state central committee, on Thursday | sent out noticzs of a call for a meet- !ing of the committee as 3 o'clock on | the afternoon of April 17, the open- | ! ing day of the republican state con- | | vention. The purpose of calling the state central committee together fs | tor the adoption of the roll, the cus- | | tomary procedure on the first day of { the convention. United States Sena- tor Hiram Bingham, who will be | temporary chairman of the conven- | tion and will address, will not reach Hartford u: til late in the afternoon of Tuesda: The first scheduled business of the convention is reading of the committee assignments, which will | be followed by Senator Bingham's | address. ‘This will be followed by | meetings of the committces on per- | manent organization and credentials. Wednesday morning at 9:30, follow- ing the usual custom, the delegates from the various senatorial districts | which have not already selected | { members of the state central com- | | mittee from their districts will meet. | With the reconvening of the con- vention, the committee on creden: tials will report. Madison’s Contest. This committee will have on its hands in all probability the d.ter- | | mination of which set of delegates trom the town of Madison will be | | entitled to seats in the convention. | | The same question in all probability will have the attention of the atate | central committeces at the Tucslay meeting, when the roll of the con- | vention is acted upon. The conven- tion will determine whether the dele- comimitteeman Arthur W. Marsden of Madison, or republicans, opposcd will be seated. | The committee of permanent or- | | ganization will then report, and it| is considered unlikely that the com- | mittee will do other than recom- mend to the convention that the temporary organization be made permanent. | Senator Bingham would thus be- | come the permanent chairman of | the convention. This done, the con- vention will be open for the trans- action of the regular business of the convention which will be the clec- | tion of seven delegates at large and | seven alternates. A recess will then be ordercd while the five congres- sional districts proceed to elect the district delegates. I The seating arrangements in the convention hall are being so arrang- | | ed that this can be readily done, the | senatorial districts being grouped | within the congressional districts. | THIS WEEKS AFFAIRS wiiy, Mg 4 o Flight of Bremen by The Associated Press Where and when the Bremen lunded—Greenly Island, Quebec, southern tip of Labrador, at noon Friday, Atlantic time (11 a. custern standard time.) bistance covered 5 miles from Dublin. Down 1,077 miles stination, Mitchel Field, 34 hours and 32 munutes, from 12:3%8 a. m. eastern stundard time irsday to 11 a. m. Friday. How and when the news came Fri cvening by wireless from Point Amour. ten miles by airline from ( being > German Lloyd lines in New York and others by Baron Huencfeld, back the flight What Greenly Island is—A nar- row, barren area near the mouth of Belle Isle Strait, half a mile long, trecless, rocky and linked to the mainland, two miles thick ice which ordinaril not vreak up untll M nuessages ro Gostes and Lebrix Due af ¢ . Bourget Some Time Today END OF 35,000 MILE TRIP PARISIANS AWAIT THEIR OWN FLIERS Average Daily Circulation For Week Ending April Tth . .. 14,900 PRICE THREE CENTS BREMEN PLANS TO RESUME FLIGHT; - LEAVES GREENLY ISLAND AT NOON TODAY BOUND FOR MITCHEL FIELD SHITH GOES INTO * VIRGIN TERRITORY (“Al” Enjoying Vacation in ! Western North Carolina IS NOW REMAINING ALOOF Trip, However, Many Feel is Bound ands Greet Him At Station On | First Trip South. Asheville, N, ough of W York has come into a stronghold of C., April 14 (P—Al- Governor Smith democracy on the non-political mis- | sion of getting rest and exercise, his vacation stay undoubtedly will have at least some political effect. The candidate | presidential nomination is quartered deliver the keynote | Dashing Knights of Air Continue |, tne miltmore Forest Country club Their Clock-Like Regularity—Re- | 0% the outskirts of Asheville, wi th |a small group of personal friends, ported At Marseilles at 1 O'clock and expects to stay there about two This Afternoon, Paris, April 14 (®—Havas, the French news agency, today reported the arrival of Dieu- donne Costes and Joseph Lebrix, French round-the-world avia- tors, at Marseilles at 1:00 p. m. The fliers expected tu cone tinue to Paris where an enthu- siastic welcome awaits them, Word of the arrival of the men at Marseilles caused some mys- tification at Le Bourget as their departure from Athens where they landed yesterday from Aleppo, Syria, had not been re- ported, Plan Big Welcome Paris, April 14 (®—Frenchmen, | weeks. t Round of Golf | Before leaving New York, he an- !'nounced thumbs would be turned |down on politics and in line with | this he lost no time in getting in a | round of golt after his arrival yes | terday. | Demiocratic leaders in this section, where the party holds a whip hand, |are of the opinion, however, that | the presence alone of the New York | governor in North Carolina is bound to have a political reaction. His ;Iriends hope that it will be favor- | able and strengthen his hand in the | Houston convention; his political | foes doubt that it will have enough | effect to influence the stand of the | delegation from this and other {southern states which in 1924, for the most part, lined up for William with their minds set at -est as to|G. McAdoo. the fate of the Bremen, today turn- ed to welcome two compatriots re- | turning from a 35,000 mile air pil- grimage. The safety of the Bremen was an- the those of the. so-called independent |morning papers when all had about to Marsden, | concludec that the gallant German- fate of | to dis other | tunes, however, it is expected that nounced in extra editions of Irish trio had shared the Nungesser and Coli and martyrs to the cause of aviation. In the hearts of the French To Stay Aloot Smith had reiterated that he plans no important political conference | while here. He has been invited to a number of nearby political rallies, but has indicated he will remain | aloof. i Despite his Indicated unwillingness uss politics and his own for- | many a prominent democratic leader in this vicinity will pay courtesy calls Costes and Lebrix were regarded as |on the governor before he returns ! having had their revenge on the re- | | lentless ocean which snuffed out the | such visi ives of Nungesser and Coli. Carr: ing the French colors around South America America and through across the Coll. They travelled by ship pilgrimage The last leg of ten thousand miles an achievement from Tokyo was regarded even more brilliant as (Continued on Page 15.) the world has placed them in the front |rank as conquerors of the air. From Paris they went down the coast of Africa across the South Atlantic to | Central | United | States in their plane, the Nungesser- to | Tokyo and then resumed their air north. His supporte will believe that dissipate some of the host nd. in addition, contact with the rank | voters while here to on Page 15.) his of his they rely on and file increase (Continu THE WEATHER New Britain and vicinit Rain tonight and probably sunday morning: warmer to- night; much colder Sunday. t g S ?Eé?&s's‘f A ‘-EACT ? o LEAD OF 296 VOTES — OH T ‘commencidl secaaTariEs OF ConnBCTIC) D onseTion HEUE > to Have a Political Effect—Thous- | for the democratic | shown him in the past | STEAMER ON WAY | 70 OGEAN FLIERS ‘Is Within 200 Miles of Isolated | Lanting Plce MUCH IGE IN - NORTH | Weather Has Blocked All Efforts | to Obtain Lengthy Story from | | | Fliers on Island Bound by Ele- | | ments. { i Ottawa, Ont,, April 14 (P—The | government steamer Montcalm was | steaming today with Captain Mer | ;L'lvr in command, to Greenly island | | to return the German-Irish crew of | the monoplane Bremen to civiliza- | tion from the ice-bound wilds. Diverted by government order from her patrol course, the ship carly today was in the Gulf of St. .awrence, 200 miles from the land- |ing place of the transatlantic fliers. | Whether an airplane would be | dispatched to the island was to be | considered later in the day, officials | said. There was a feeling in official {circles that such a step would be |inadvisable unless conditions were | favorable and Captain Mercier has | been asked for a full report on ice | | conditions in the district. | Ice May Be Bad ] It was pointed out that the date {of the Montcalm's arrival at the | Bremen's landing place would de- [ pend entirely on ice conditions. A |large amount of ice was reported in the gulf and it was said condi- | tions probably would be even more unfavorable as the Montcalm ap- { proached Greenly island. The question of sending aid to {the crew of the Bremen was con- |sidered at a conference that began {last night and continued until early | this morning between J. L. Ralston, | minister of national defense, and Alex Johnston, deputy minister of | marine and fisherles. In the event it is decided to send an airplane to the island, it was believed that a five-seated ship would be used. A plane of that type was said to be at Shirley bay, near | Ottawa, about 600 miles from the | Bremen's landing place. Weather conditions and lack of transportation facilities stopped | every effort on the part of the Do- | minion government, newspapers and | individuals to get into communica- | tion with three fliers of the | Bremen on Greenly tsland. | Efforts by the Canadian press to charter an airplane in Quebec or the maritime provinces of Canada | |10 make the trip to the island were | unavailing. | “Our machines are laid up for the present.” it was declared by the |aviation concerns “on account of the impracticable landing condi- tions.” | Landings Different While an airplane may land safely on water in one section of | | the country, it may have to alight | or take off from another district by means of either skis or wheels, | Flying, until the last fow days, was wrried on with ski-fitted planes, but there is no snow-covered terri- tory in the vicinity of Belle isle on | which a machine so fitted, could ! | alight. In some cases it is even fm- | | | made the | when deviations (Continued on Page 15.) PAONESSA WILL MAKE SWEEP IN CITY HALL |Expected Home Today to Consider Changes in Boards | | i | i 1 | Mayor-cicet A. M. Paonessa is ex- | pected back in the city today after | a few days of rest at his summer {home at Lake Pocotopaug. and he | | will immediately take up the task of | organizing his official family. That there will be a sweep of commissioners §s a foregone conclu- | | ston and it is believed that Paonessa | | will lose no time in making changes, | some of which, if rumors heard | {about the strects are founded on | |fact, will cause a mild sensation. |The changes in' personnel will ex- |tend into some of the city hall jobs |which have not been disturbed in | many years, it is understood. { * The names of more than 100 ap- | pointive commissioners at present holding city positions will come be- | fore the mayor for review before re- crganization is made. One of the changes said to be cer- |tain will affect the clerkship of the lfire beard, which pays a malary of 0. 1t is now held by Thomas J. [ Meskill. a member of the republican town committee, who succeeded John J. Keogh. a member of the |democratic town committee. If | Keogh wishes the post, he will be re- |turncd to it as soon as the new fire | |board organizes, democrats say, | ' Gasoline Will Probably Be Obtained From Wireless Station Near- by—Will Be Carried By Dog Sled. Isolated Place of Landing Makes Communication Difficult—World Waits Hours for News of Avia- tors in Frozen North. Ottawa, Ont., April 14 (By Canadian Press)—The German plane Bremen will continue its fiight today at unoon, according to a message to the Dominion government from its telegraph service at Quebec City. The message said: “Airplane is expected to be repaired at noon and continue flight.” It is presumed by government officials here that the Bremen will be supplied with gasoline from the wircless station at Point Amour. There is a con- siderable supply of gasoline kept on hand there for the operation of the generator for the wireless. New York, April 14 UP—Haviug first non-stop airplane flight across the Atlantic from east to west, the crew of the German Junkers monoplane Bremen was safo today on lonely icebound Greenly island, Quebec, in the Straits of Belle island, off Labrador. Carry Four Leaf Clover Any jinx there may bave been in the quest of fame at the risk of death on Friday the 13th, was offset by & four-leafed clover, a shamrock, carried in the plane. After fighting storm, headwinds and fog in its flight from Dublin the plane came down some 1,077 miles short of its destination, Mitchel field, and far off its course, at noon yes- terday. It had covered some 2,126 miles in 34 hours and 32 minutes, airline, and presumably mich more from course are considered. Propeller Broken The propeller was broken and the landing gear damaged. It was as- sumed that this occurred when tb plane landed. It was regarded impossible for the plane to hav landed on the island itself which ix a little more than a square mile in area and it was assumed that th landing was made on the ice. As soon as word was received from Baron Ehreafried Gunther von Huenefeld, flight sponsor, and par ticipant of the landing. preparations were made to bring him and his companions, Captain ~ Hermann Koehl, German war flier, and Com: mandant James Fitzmaurice of th: Irish Free State air force, co-pilotx to New York. The Junkers ¢ sister of tl Bremen, was ordered to fly frou Mitchel field to Greenly island to en- able the flyers to continue on to Nuv York. The Canadian governmeu! patrol steamer Montcalun, now in the §t. Lawrence river, wire A that he was proceeding at once some 200 1 on (Continu ge Nine) PELTON GENERAL SUPT. 3. W. HARDWARE PLANT Rises From Cost Clerk to High Executive Office W, general hardware Ernest Pelton has been ap pointed superintendent of the plant of du- H. Works, taking ove of the ties of Vice-President Walter Hart, it was announced teday. Mr. Pelton came to this city from Poughkeepsic, N. Y., in 1803, start ing his employment with th ley Works as a clerk in the cost de- partment. Later he was placed in charge of the department. For sev- eral years he has been an assistant to Mr. Hart. He is a graduate of Amherst college and the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology. Mr. Pelton resides at Forest street Bank Stock Subscribers To Meet at Elks’ Hall Five hundred Itulian subscribers som: | of the stock of the proposed Citizens Industrial bank and their frienda will meet this evening at 7 o'cloek at the Elks hall to complete organ- ization plans. Several musical numbers will ho presented and supper will ba served. The principal speaker will be Rev. Paolo Vasques of Hartford. Hares Battiston! will be chairman o€ the ineeting.