New Britain Herald Newspaper, February 4, 1929, Page 3

OLORST “LIFER” IS NOW NEARLY 75 Bassett Has Speat 80 Yoars in Wetherstield Prison BY CEDRIC W. FOSTER (United Press Correspondent) Wethersfield, Conn., Feb, ¢ (UP) ~Fifty years ago the 26th of mext month, Frank Baasett of Bridgeport, then a youth of 24, walked through the iron doors of Connecticut's state prison, sentenced to life on a charge of second-degree murder. Today, after a half-century of in. carceration, he wanders harmiesaly through the corridors of his “home” ~—-as he calls it—an old and broken man, whose 74 years weigh heavily ! on his shoulders. He is Connecticut's oldest “lifer,” both in actual years and length of term served, Authorities, have turned down Bassett’'s request for pardon 25 times. Of recent years they have been actuated by a desire to aid the prisoner rather than prolong hia venalty. As far as is known, Bassett has but one living relative, a sister, who gave her address'as Chicago. She has never communicated with him. In the mouldy files of the prison is her request of many years ago that W. L. Ward of Seymour, Past Commanders Jackson and Har- ry Ginsburg as his escort, Eddy- Gilover post band greeted him with a stirring selection, Department Commander Seaton was introduced Commander Pease but he remarked that limited time would not allow him to speak. Commander Pease, in a short re- sume of the life of the national commander, then presented him. Commander McNutt delivered a measage on the American Legion to the meeting and his method of clear enunciation, his finished style of de- livery, made the message one that will not soon be forgotten. He touched on the four most im- portant problems of the American Legion as a national organization, these being the rehabilitation of disabled veterans, child welfare, Americansm and national defense. War For Justice Never Eaded Remarking that there is a peculiar bond between the Legion and the| church, Commander McNutt said that the reason was obvious because of the fact that the Legion preamble explains that “For God and country we assoclate ourselves together.” An- swering the question of why the Le- glon exists as an organization, he #aid that the war is not done. “The war for justice is never dope,” he said. He claimed the Legion's first duty was justice for the disabled, the welfare of the orphans of de- ceased service men and justice for \all oppressed peoples. “The definite program of Amgrican Legion,” he satated, adequate service to the disabled. the “is It to NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1920, ; : —————— xroemcams peace. That is the idea of the Le- gion. The great prolem is to make man more like his Maker. ,It be- hooves the people of this land to protect themselves and keep the leadership which it now has. This is not militaristic because this nation seeks no additional territory nor does it plan to stage an aggression against an opponent. That is why the Legion supports the cruiser bill which would supplant the obsolete vessels with up-to-date craft, This would ensure the freedom of the seas.” Recreation at Post Home Following his inspection of the World War memorial, Commander McNutt was the center of interest at a public reception held at the headquarters of Eddy-Glover post on Washington street. He was shown through the home of the lo- cal Legion unit and expressed his praise of the entire organization. Durlug the luncheon held at the Burritt hotel at which Legionnaires and members of the auxillary were present, Commander Pease of Eddy- Glover post, presented Commander McNutt with a carving set as a re- membrance of the local post. Com- mander Pease expressed pride in the fact that the set was a product of a local manufacturing concern, | Landers, Frary & Clark. Commander McNutt briefly ex- pressed his thanks and in his sin- cerest manner, spoke of his pleasure ' at his visit through Connecticut. | He stated that it was like coming home to meet Harry Jackson of this ' jcity a friend of long standing and others whom he had met at various fire and which threatened DAWAGE OF 100 IN MAN ST. FIRF Loss in Erwin Hotel Building Principally From Water The demand of a customer for a pair of 72 inch shoe laces in the Army and Navy store operated by Nathan Levine on the ground floor of the Erwin hotel Baturday night revealed the presence of what al- ready had developed into a serious to be- come more serious. The customer, whose name not ascertained, entered the store about 9 o'clock seeking the long laces. Mr. Levine doubted that he was had any of that length in stock, but ! offered to go to the stockroom in the rear of the store to see if any had been placed there. Upon entering the stockroom Le- vine smelled burning wood and dis- covered that the stecl plates in the ceiling were red hot. He telephoned to fire department headquarters. Chief Willlam J. Noble ordered an alarm sent in from box 42 at Main and East Main streets and a few minutes later when the fire seemed to assume more serious proportions the chief ordered a general alarm sounded, calling out the entire de- celling and floor, much the same as fires spread in blind attics until the entire bullding was threatened. Lines of hose were taken in through sec- ond story windows and through the stores on the atreet floor, while fire- men with axes and pikes pulled down the steel plates to permit ac- ceas to the blazing celling. The building, which formerly was the Bronson hotel, now is owned by Richard E. Erwin ¢? Newington who has been remodeling the structure to make a modern hotel and office building. Only the first floor is occu. pled, although workmen had just completed manding the hardwood { floors Saturday. Most of the damage ‘was by wa- ter, although the flames ate a hole through the celling over the Levine store and followed under a stairway inte the hotel on the second floor, doing considerable damage in one corner of the building. The ground fioor is eccupied by two army and | navy stores, an A. & P. store, the City Hardware Store, a restaurant |and tailor shop. Acting under Chief Noble's orders firemen covered much of the stock in the stores with canvas, saving a great deal further damage. Tons of ! water pouring down through the ceiling while the blaze was at its ‘height did heavy damage to stock. especially in store rooms and cellar. Most of the damage, estimated by Chief Noble to be between $8.000 and $10,000, is sald to be covered by insurance. The general alarm brought to the scene of the blaze or caused to re HUGF. CIDER CACHE IN UNDERGROUND YAULTS State Police Find Supply Worth $8,000 at Home of Fairficld Woman After Raid. Fairfield, Feb. 4 UP—Mrs. Wil- liam Koch was arrested yesterday following a raid of her home by tate policemen headed by Lieut Frank Virelli of the Westport Har- racks. State police obtained cide! brandy, and cider valued at between $8,000 and $10,000 in underground vaults and discovered a 40-gallon still under a large pile of potatoes In the cellar of Mrs. Koch's house. ‘The police contiscated a 100 gallon still and some cider on the property of Stephen Figlar, a brother of Mr Koch, next door. but no arrests will be made until the outcome of 1 which will be made of the cider con- tiscated is known. Mrs. Koch was booked at the third precinct station in Bridgeport | on charges of manufacturing llquori and keeping liquor with the intent 1o sell. She was released under bonds of $500 and will be arraigned in Fairfield town court morning. | Rumors of Sncrifiié Cause Riots in India Bombay, India, Feb. 4 () of children kidnaped for sacrifice Stories | ed to Panthans, members of a Mo- hammedan tribe of this section of |India. Tyo Hindu victims of the 'mob anger died in a hospital of in- |juries received, however. | The xidnaping scare extends {throughout the Bombay area despite |authoritative statements that the {fears of the people are unwarranted | In some cases laborers have Iseized the opportunity afforded by the scare to strike. At Parel, en virons of Bombay, 5,000 workers in the railways and workshops quit this morning, operators in the mills following suit. Armed guards are ationed at the Bombay-Baroda railway workshops. Parents—l\fike Up So | Son Can Go Sliding Yonkers, N. Y. Febd, ®P—Corn- clius McCarthy, Jr., 4 wa ted 10 go sliding but his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius McCarthy were argu- ing the question in city court whether Mrs, McCarthy should re- ceive § a week alimony while {living apart from her husband, and here was no one to take him. | | Finally, tired of waiting in the {hall, the boy ran into the court- | i tomorrow You Can’t Hide jroom. “Come on home, beth of . you,” he told his parents, “J wast to go sliding.” The parents ex glaness {and then each taking one of their !son’s hands, they turned and loft ilhe courtroom. N “Case dismissed,” | sald Judge (Boote but there was no one to heas. iSermon On “Life" Followed By Death Pawtucket, R. L, Feb. ¢ UM = Commandant Edwin A. Simnett of the Salvation Army died suddenly at his home, 35 Ash street, late tast night. Three hours before he died Commandant Simnett spoke at & |Salvation Army meeting on “Life, [What Is It?” «While being driven home from the meeting he became ill and died soon after arriving at home. He was born in Blundespone, England, and took up Salvation Army work there, having been an officer of that organization for the last sars. He was director of social service work at Central Falls for 15 years and was also in charge of Salvation Army work here for the same period of time. a poor complexion Cosmetics won't cover up pimples and blackheads, but the daily use of Resi- The Conn., care for the remains of her 'L $A47 enough for the crowds to |t o onnection with American |Pdrtment and calling the off shift |POrt to fire stations, practically every caused rioting at Baroda today in nol Soap helps to prevent them. Lrother when he dies. Tried to Sell Body An attempt to sell the body of his victim to Yale Medical school for $50 proved Bassett's undoing. As re- sult, Bassctt and Mrs. Lorena E. Al-| nder were tried and convicted in February, 1879, for the slaying of John Weinbecker, who appears from ©ld county files to have been an odd character, known to hundreds of Pridgeport residents as “Stuttering Jark.” . The files reveal that “Stuttering Jack” was chloroformed to death by Bassett and Mrs. Alexander. His hody was stuffed into a barrel near the woman's home and later re- moved to New Haven. The attempt to sell the remains aroused the sus-. picion of medical sthool attaches and police were called. Mrs. Alexander was trigd first and rentenced (o life imprisonment. 8he turned state’s evidence and was chief evidence against her compan- fon-in-crime. who received a similar sentence. Mrs. Alexander was after- wards removed to the state insane asylum at Middletown, where she died. Twice Bassett was sent to Middle- town as insane, only to be returned after a few months’ observation as normal. He was given routine prison work. Sits in Chair All Day Last March, after a conference with the prison doctor, Warden H. XK. W. Scott transferred the aged and rather helpless man to the prisor. insane ward, Here he is today, re- lieved of all work. He rises in the morning and takes a chair. He does nothing to occupy his time—just | sits. This is all he expects to do un- til he dies. years the only pleasure the rrey-naired prisoner obtained was 11 delusion of traveling. Shuffling up and down the corridors of the prison, he would refuse to answer questions. His .aighly imaginative mind was obsessed with the belief he was in Siberia, the Orient or Eu- rope. ‘Though there is none who does not believe that Bassett has explated | hia crime, the prisoner's odd mental condition and his want of home out- side the prisca will keep him here until he shuffles down the corridor on.a trip from which he will never return. He is content, in his insensitive way, and knows no other life. To set him free would impose a greater hardship than to hold him here, prison officlals believe. EDDY-Gi OVER POST HOST_TO MNUTT (Continued from First Page) 102nd Infantry, 26th Division and a resident of New Britain. The na- tional commander is being trans- ported on his “tour of Connecticut in the automobile of Department Adjutant Allan P. Parker of Mill- | dale, also a member of the state de- partment distinguished guest com- mittee and driven by Herman Muus, commander of Kiltonic Post of Bouthington, secreary to the de- partment adjutant. ! Speaks At Central School Commander McNutt first ap- peared at the meeting of Every- man’s Bible class held in the audi- torium of the Central Junior High school. About 300 men and women : were present to greet him. The meeting opened at 9:30 o'clock and fts business was transacted before the arrival of the distinguished guest. As he entered the hall with Com- cheer when a soldier is departing to offer his life to his nation. It is easy enough to cheer when the remnants come home weary and sick at heart. But the story of the disabled is the story of Christ himself, crucified for the sake of his fellowman. Thus it is that the American Legion ‘now exists under the banner of unselfish- | ness because though all may forget, as long as the Legion lives as an or- ganisation, it will never forget but will carry on for the men whose lives, though not snuffed out, have been shattered on the fields of bat- tle, He sald that the Legion would al- ways work to give to the orphans of the deceased soldiers the same chances as others have. He said that the Legion wanted the children of those who have pald the supreme sacrifices to be living monuments to the fathers who gave everything to the nation. zation—Retter Citizenship Bpeaking of the Americanization work of the Legion, the natfonal commander said that Americaniza- tion is nothing more than a move for better eitizenship, & matter of public education. “The aim of the Legion,” he maid “is to make sure that the children will accept the responsibili- tles of citizenship upon reaching the age of maturity.” He said that the Legion had adopted the Boy Scout movement, not because they wished to militarize the youth of the coun- try as some have charged but be- cause the Legion believes that the Boy Bcout plan tends to build up courageous men. “Teach the child to play the game of life as a sports- man, that's what life is” he said. “In brief,” he stated, “what the Legion is really trying to do is to make the home town, yours one mifie, the best place to live in.” He advocated the formation of emergen- cy relief units, not to supplant the American Red Cross, the Balvation Army or any others, but to work with them in times of disaster. He then launched into a defense of the Legion's stand with regard to national defense. He said that some church people have accused the Le- glon wrongly of seeking to militarize the country. This is entirely wrong because the Legion, above all others, secks world peace and the difference of opinion is over the way in which this can be effected. He recalled the organization of the Fidac, numbering more than 9,000,000 members in- cluding the veterans of the war from all the allied countries. This has been v orking and will continue working for permanent peace. Sticks to Its Jdeals The Legion is fighting for univer- sal servicc on the principle that both labor and capital should be utilized by the government in time of war. He said that was the rea- son that the Legion supported so strongly the Wainwright resolution which would establish a commission from all branches, industry, labor, the professions and such, for a com- plete study of the best method of drafting all into service and to draw up an act that would be acceptable to all. He warned that the Legion has never falled in the enactment of sound legislation which it supported and said that it would stick until the universa] service bill was enacted into the laws of the land. The Legion urged that ratification of the multi-lateral treaty because it belleves that it is a step towards the securing of international peace. ““Treaties, however,” he added, “are but a friendly gesture and cannot stop war. In the history of the world, most wars between nations have been started either directly or indirectly over tbhe violation of a treaty, “Until the day of the millennium has arrived,” he said, “it is practical for a nation to defend {itself to pre- serve peace. You have policemen in manders Scaton and Pease, and your cities and towns to preserve Legion work. | Commander McNutt left about noon for Norwich where he is slated for an appearance today and he will {then go to New Haven to be the i guest at a gathering tonight. He Is on the first leg of & journey which will carry him over a tour of the entire country covering a distance of more than 100,000 miles. platoon to the fire stations. Defective Wiring Blamed The fire was discovered to have started from defective wiring be tween the steel ceiling over the La. vine store and underneath the new ly finished floor on the second story of the hotel. It spread between COUNCY, NAY HEAR BOOTH IN PERSO Salvation Army Body Holds Sp clal Session in London London, Feb, 4 (M—Developmen* in the struggle within th' Salvatior Army over the question of leader ship moved ewiftly over the weok end. General Bramwell Booth made : quick automobile trip from his co tage at Southwold to his home i Hadley Wood near London, and th high council called a special mee! fug for today to discuss the ne\ situation. The council was particularly I: terested in a report that the g eral wished to appear persona within two or three weeks time fight in his own behalf despite ¢ long illness, It is understood on good auth: ity that Catherine and other me bers of the Booth family, exc: possibly Evangeline, will not ) present at today's meeting of t i high council. A member of the general's en tourage at Hadley Wood told th ! Associated Press this afternoon tha the general stood the four-hour tri) from Southwold well, but that na turally he was tired from the exer tion of his first excursion in many months. o Efforts to see General Booth per- sonally were met with the answe: that it was quite “Impossible.” Mem bers of his family who were equally | inaccessible refusing interviews and shrouding the general's next moves in the deepest secrecy. Army Circles Guessing Army circles wondered today just what significance to attach to Gen eral Booth's journey from his sick bed at Southwold to his home at Hadley Wood, Barnet, Genera Booth's secretary was quoted a saying the move had been under teken at his doctor's request to fa clitate application of the specializ treatment. Others say the general himse decided to return to be near th scene of action in the conflict whic is looming between himself an members of the high council, whic! is seeking to depose him as com mander-in-chief, At Hadley Wood, it is said, h¢ ight easily, given physical fitnes: elp his daughter Catherine to con duct matters in his behalf. Atten tion is called to Hadley Wood's bc ing just twelve miles from Londor whereas Southwold was four or fiv hours away at best. Everywhere the trip occasioner’ considerable surprise. Only recent ly it was not believed General Boot! would recover from his illness, an:i probably very few thought he wa: capable of yesterday's journey. Friends sald the aged general en joyed yesterday’s motor trip very much. It was a clear cold day and the 125 miles travelled thing more than four hours. A new German cruiser to be con structed at Kiel is to be electrically welded, no rivets being used in any art of the ship. in some- ' The ment. breakfast set. you can buy. fireman in the city. An armored vest and & breast ma- chine gun, which starts shooting when the wearer raises hin hands ot the command “hands up,” is & new creation for bank guards and night watchmen, GENUINE NAPANEE KITCHEN CABINETS The Dutch Kitchenets with por- celain tops and complete >quip- best made cabinet This is also the time to buy a refrigerator and a $39.50 which two persons were killed and a number injured seriously. The disturbances developed when | word spread that a certain number of children were to be offered to propitiate the Deity in the con- struction of a bridge. Attacks in most cases were limit- creamy lather with its clean tonic cdor rids the pores of clogging impurities and imparts to the skin a healthy ness. 4Alal ?lum and velvety soft- Il druggists, Y A Ny Resinol Socap eatured in our ninetieth ANNUAL MID.-WINTER FURNI1URE SALE DI DN DN S IR D TN = $79.00 White Enamel Kitchen Cabinet, Reduced to ...... .... GREATLY REDUCED! $59.00 Light Grey Enamel Kitch- en Cabinet, Reduced to .... $50.50 $69.00 Medium Sized Oak Kitch- en Cabinet, Reduced to ... . $75.00 Grey Enamel Kitchen Cabinet, Reduced to ....... $85.00 Cafe Enamel Kitchen Cabinet, Reduced to ....... $65.00 $69-50 $42.50 $92.50 Large Size Oak Kitchen s49'50 Cabinet, Reduced to ....... And Several Others. SAVINGS BANK OF NEW BRITAIN Established 1862 Resources—$24,083,447.02 Another Proof of the Genuine Values in this Sale - B.C.PORTER SON Connzcticut’'s B:et Deposits made on or before Monday, February 4th, will draw interest; from February 1st. 5% INTEREST being paid Open Monday Evenings—7 to 8:30 178 Main Street Furniture Store