The evening world. Newspaper, January 18, 1922, Page 1

VOL, LXII. NO. 21,949—DAILY. She I Circulation Books Open to All,’’ | Copyright (New York World) by Press Publishing Compan: 7, 1982, NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1922. Entered ae Second-Class Matt, Post Office, New York, N.Y. PRICE THREE CENTS Conspiracy Charged to Keep Up Tobacco Prices ————— BIG TOBACCO COMPANIES AGsSED OF 10 KEEP U Combined, It Is Alleged by Federal Board, Against Job- bers Who Made Cuts. TO BEGIN PROSECUTION Firms Named in Charges Are American, P. Lorillard Co. and Liggett & Myers Co, ‘WASHINGTON, Jan. 18.—Three of the principal tobacco manufacturing companies, the American Tobacco Company, the P. Lorillard Company, and the Liggett & Myers Tobacco ‘Company, were charged with engag- ing in conspiracies with numerous jobbers’ associations to keep up job- bers’ prices, in a report transmitted ‘t-day to the Senrie by tno Miveral ‘Trade Commission. The three companies, the commis. sion declared in giving the results of an Investigation ordered under a reso- lution by Senator Smith, Democrat, South Carolina, were formerly parts of the ‘'Tobacco Trust’ dissolved by the Supreme Court. The R. J. Reynolds Company, the report said, was not a party to the alleged conspiracies and was com- mended for its opposition. The com- mission promised prosecutions where the evidence disclosed there has been violations of law. ‘There ‘was no concluisve evidence, the commission tsated, of collusion to depress the prices paid growers for the 1920 leaf crop. The commission added, however, that ‘‘it appears that a few large buyers had a dominant position and each purchased only a certain percentage of the offerings. “Common buying agencies were uesd,"’ the report said, with reference to the purchase of tobacco, and secret purchases were made through tnde- pendent dealers, while the ultimate purchasers held off the market, or practically so. Findings of fact reported by the commission included: ‘‘That begin- ning with the spring of 1921, there was a Nation-wide movement having for it sobject the organization of job- bers’ associations to fix prices by eliminating price cutting among job- bers. This movement was fostered and aided principally by the American Tobacco Company, P. Lorillard Com- pany and Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, followed by the Tobacco Products Corporation, Bloch Brothers (Continued on Sesond Page.) eee! BIG LINER SHAKEN UP BY BULL WHALE Presidente Wilson Hits the Mo: ster While in Mid-Ocean. The steamship Presidente Wilson, which arrived to-day, reported that while in mid-ocean the ship struck a bull whale. The impact was such that Capt. Zarr, in his cabin, was thrown off @ chair and two officers on the bridge had to grab hold to keep from going off, Passengers on deck were pitched about as the ship trembled and then went ahead, “Something submerged, sir,’ replied the first officer in reply to the Captain's question of what had caused it, An instant later the immense head and the tail of a bull whale showed astern. A large area of the ocean was stained with his blood. ae MILLER GETS FIRST BILL FOR SIGNATURE. ALBANY, Jan. 18.—The Legislature sent to Gov. Miller to-day the first bill to be passed by both Houses It was the Knight bill, designed to correct # defect in the 1921 labor Iaw. That act made it \iniawful to hoist any building | material on the outside of a building more than five stories in height, and resulting in putting @ stop to steel n struction as girders could not he hoisted on the inside, The Knight bill would subst} word “'h ber" tor materiale te P THEIR PRICES CONSPIRACY HARDING TAKES AFLING AT SOME CRITICAL WRITERS: President Not Particularly Of- fended Because He Is Called a “Main Street” Executive. By David Laurence. Hi it e (Special Corrang Hy of The Eve WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (Copy- right, 1922).—President Harding in his Yatk with mekspaper mén-to-day | explained that a President really should not be quoted so often; that sometimes a phrase or a sentence ut- tered in impromptu conversation wasn't as well polished as it might be, or at any rate wasn't always gram- {matically perfect, and he feared the wrath of some of the stylists who! lately have been picking his utter- ances to pieces. | There was nothing plaintive about Mr. Harding's observation in this connection. But he warned his hear- | \ers good-natueredly that some day if any of them happened to be elected to the Presidential office they would | find it a vastly different job writing and ing things immediately sent broadcast to the world for the inspec- tion and minute criticism of hun- dreds of millions of people and writ- ing newspaper articles for the con- | sumption of a small community lke Marion, 0. Responstbility makes a difference, And Mr. Harding shows it. He ex- hibited no impatience with his critics but he used the occasion to take a fling at some of the writers who have been characterizing him as “a Main Street President" with a crude liter- ary style. Mr. Harding isn’t particu- | larly displeased with the reference to | “Main Street.’ If he were to disclose | his true feelings it would appear that Mr, Harding thinks {t a virtue for the American people occasionally to select some one for the Presidency who knows the simplicity and matter-of- fact problems of the common people of the United States, But there was just a touch of | pathos in the President's observ:.- tions on his critics. He gave the im- pression of a man overwhelmed by the awful responsibilities of this era of | economic reconstruction, a man torn by the conflicting emotions of an agricultural West and a manufactur- ing East inside the Republican Party, a man who was struggling to make | headway against almost insurmount- |able obstacles in the way of Govern- |ment expenditure—and with such a burden on his shoulders he was not a little hurt that the critics should spend their time worrying about im- | Promptu remarks made by him. | In this respect Mr. Harding is not |unlike Woodrow Wilson, who wsuf- fered bitter criticism from newspapers | | because of certain twists of his liter-| ary style, Mr, Wilson used to think | ‘there were bigger things for the crit-| ics to write about than his style of | expression. Mr. Harding wonders it| the little carping innuendoes are nec- | for the successful working. of FUR THIEF SLAIN; ALLEGED BAND OF ROBBERS 1S SEIZED ‘Some of the Gang Out on Bail Awaiting Trial on Charges of Burglary. ALL HAVE “RECORDS.” Detective Shoots McArdle as He Flees in Auto—Car’s Li- cense Plate Reported Stolen. William Butler and five compan- fons, all of them men mentioned fre- quently in police records, and several of them on bail awaiting trial for burglary, were arraigned in Jefferson Market Court to-day charged with having to do with a series of robberies of fur stores in which the thieves have been outwitting the police and the electric protectfve agencies by the speed with which they have broken into warerooms and escaped with valuable, spines 0 ‘ Prancts MeArdiS, a seveith member of the band, was shet and killed ‘Inst night by Detective William Reiley. Butler is said by the police to be he son of Richard Butler, once ac- tive in political work/among labor mions, a political lieutenant of W. Devery after his retirement from office, and a friend of Harry Thaw at the time of the escape of Stantord White’s murderer from Matteawan, Young Butler was a leader in the disorganized “‘Owney Madden Gang," long troublesome to the police. The other men arrested are believed to have been his associates in that body. District Attorney Banton an- nounced that if any of the prisoners was already on bail his commitment without bail should be urged. He said he would move to put any cases pending against the accused. men on the preferred calendar for immediate disposition and would indict those who had served prison terms as sec- ond offenders. Butler and his friends have been under suspicion by Acting Capt. Sta- pleton for some time, Early last Fri- day morning Detective Reilly with a light car was following a heavy car driven by Butler in the course of this surveillance. Butler, who had sev- eral men with him, evaded Reilly in the snowstorm, but Reilly took the number of the license plate of But- ler’s car, It was No. 251,056, and had been issued to a Brooklyn man whose car was stolen a month ago. Later Friday the number 251,058 was given to the police as that used by ‘‘fast workers'' who robbed the fur store of Kleiner & Schwartz at No. 221 West 27th Street Capt. Stapleton found the car actually entitled to this num- ber was in dead sforage and had no doubt the car followed by Reilly came from the robbery of the West 27th Street store. Detectives and Foray (Continued on Second Page.) SCHOOL FIRE CALL ALARMS MOTHERS Panic at Chrystie and Hester Streets When Boy Summons Apparatus. A boy's prank brought nearly a dozen pieces of fire apparatus to P, 8. No. Chrystie and Hester Streets, shortly after noon to-day and drove the hundreds of mothers and rela- tives In the neighborhood into a panic. While the teachers were conferring with Franklin J. Keller, Principal, in PRICES FAIA, 7 P. ©, IN MONTH ry} LONDON, | LONDON, Jan, 18,—Official statistics | show the coat of living fell 7 per cent, suring the month of December. At tho end of 1921 the figures were the lowest since March 1918, Dut were 92 nt above the figures of 1914 la The WORLD'S WINT F 22, ER RESORT ANNUAL | 4922," co mand Ining. eat Was en mahip Veg One eas Tours, his office, a boy broke the glass in the private alarm box at the head of the second floor landing, ‘The children, more than 1,500 of them, had been dismissed for lunch only ten minutes before. They were out of the building at the time and off the apparatus sped te classroom building. Nevertheless, women in the neighborhood were alarmed and the firemen had dim- eulty quieting them, There wus no the f Weld woe Yorks fire. - | cable BANK CASHIER SUICIDE UNDER TRAIN IN SUBWAY AT 72D Abraham S. August Leaps From Platform in Sight of Hundreds, TRAFFIC TIED UP. Southbound Expresses De- layed 20 Minutes While Body Is Removed. Abe S. August, sixty years old, brother-in-law of Louis M, Joseph- thal, broker, with offices at No. 120 Broadway, was instantly killed when he leaped in front of a subway ex- press pulling into the 72d Street Sta- tion at Broadway at 9 o'clock to- day. The body was identified by Mrs. Edith Josephthal of the Hotel Plaza in the West 68th Street Station. Three persons on the platform de- clared that the dead man deliberately jumped to the tracks when the train was only a few feet away. Mr. jwephttal insisted, ho ee death was accidental. ir. * he said, had been suffering from ver- tigo for some time and during the past year had been brought home many times as a result of falls dur- ing spells. Although the body was bedly mangled, a gold watch in the man’s pocket was still going when the body was removed from the po- lice station. Mrs. August is in a critical con- dition as a result of her husband's STREET STATION TWO SACRIFICES TOUCH HEARTS ON SHOPLTERS DAY ‘Mother Would Suffer in Girl’s Place, and a Husband for His Wife. 75 CASES ARE CALLED. “Irresistible Impulse” Excuse Given by Nearly All the Acoused, ‘Mostly Women. “Irresistible impulse’ was the ex- cuse given by nearly all of seventy- three persons who Were arraigned Meefore Justces MeIherney, Salmon and Healey in the Court of Special Sessions to-day to plead to charges of shoplifting in department stores during the holiday season. Thero were seventy-five cases on the calen~ dar but @ mother appeared to ask that she be punished instead of her eighteen-year-old daughter, who ts il! in a hospital, and a husband appeared death, Mrs. Josephthal said. A mar-|with the request that he be punished ried daughter, the only child, lives In Philadelphia. Mrs. August is the sister of Mr. Josephthal. Motorman James McConnell stopped his train as soon as he could, but three cars had passed over the man's body. There was great commotion on the platform and several women screamed when they saw what had happened. As soon as possible power was shut off on the southbound rails and all expresses headed that way were switched to the local tracks as far as Times Square. Twenty minutes were required to et the body from beneath the car and readjust traffic. When the body was examined, papers and cards indicated trat the man was Abraham S. Aug- ust, living at the Hotel Esplanade, No. 305 West End Avenus. He was, epparently, employed as cashier for Sutro Bros. & Co., bankers and brokers, at No. 120 Broadway. a4 4 WOMAN IN SUBWAY NABS MAN AS THIEF “His Hand in My Pocket,” She Tells }Court—He Accuses Her. Miss Elsie Steffens of Coytesville, N. J., appeared in Yorkville Court to- day against Pietro Cafro, No. 829 East 11lith Street, accusing him of Ficking her pocket last night on a Lexington Avenue express at the Crand Central. “It's just the other way around, Jndge,"’ sald Cafro. “She had hey hand in my pocket and I grabbed it.” But Miss Steffens told a circum~- stantial story on which Cafro was keld in $2,000 bond for the Grand Jury. She sald she felt a hand in her pocket, whirled and caught It, and held on all the way to the 125th Stre¢ station, where she dragged the ma" from the train, On the floor where the two had been standing spectators found four $1 bills, which the gir: said were hers, and also her personal card. The bills and the card were Feld as evidence eee ee 5,000 MADE HOMELESS BY FIRE IN MANILA. Cable Sayu Red Cross Has Started instead of his wife, who cannot be spared from the children. These cases were put over until the de- fendants can appear in person. There were sixty-two pleas of guilty and fines ranging from $10 to $50 were imposed in all cases but one. A woman was sent to jail for fifteen days because of a previous conviction, All the other cases were those of first offenders. Only. six men were arraigned. The calling of seventy-five cases to-day and seventy-five cases more on the calendar for to-morrow indi- cates that shoplifting in New York department stores is a dangerous pastime. One store furnished fifty- four of to-day’s cases, Grandmothers who stole toys for their grandchildren, mothers who stole for their bables, school teachers, telephone operators, stenographers, housewives and clerks were the occu- pations given by the accused. The average value of stolen articles was under $25. A white haired, rosy cheeked old lady wearing steel rimmed eye glasses and a close fitting bonnet trimmed with white Ince was accompanied by two of her children and several neighbors who testified that she is a church member and a woman of hith- erto impeachable integrity. “Why did you ateal?” sho was asked, “Judge,” she answered, “I just don't know. I felt something tell me to do it and I did it."* A buxom young woman who came (Continued on Second Page.) —_—_—_a~—_ HUDSON BRIDGE BILL PASSED BY SENATE Would Authorize Great River Span Linking New York and Jersey, WASHI ‘ON, Jan 18. — The nate to-day passed the bill author- izing construction of a bridge across the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey. The bit introduced by Sonator Frelinghuysen provides that the Sec- Relief Work. WASHINGTON, Jan thousand persons were made by ® fire in Manila, according received here American Red Croks The cable gave no detaila ox state that the Manila bra Hed. Cross was carrying 18 —Five to-day | retary of War must approve new plans and location for the bridge be- FAMOUS CHICAGO OPERA TENOR WHO LUCIEN, MURATORE ~ UNRESTIN IRELAND: FEAREDAS MOVETO RESIST FREE STATE Raiders Seize Arms in Mayo Police Sttion and Free Leader in ‘Cork. DUBLIN, Jan. 18 (United Press).— Armed raids in tho south of Ireland to-day are feared to be the first signs of Republican opposition to the Irish Free State, The police station at Charlestown, in County Mayo, was attacked by armed men, who seized quantities of arms and ammunition and kidnapped three policemen. Two visitors to the Cork jail sud- denly produced revolvers and forced the wardens to release a Republican leader under arrest for shooting @ con- stable. The men escaped after effect- ing the rescue, Coming on the eve of wholesale evacuation by British troops, these disturbances are causing concern as possible efforts to embarrass the Provisional Government. DUBLIN, Jan. 18 (Associated Press).—The appointment of Owen O'Duffy as Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army was announced to- day. He succeeds Richard Mulcahy, the present Minister of Defense. O'Duffy, who is thirty years old, has been Sinn Fein laison officer in Northern Ireland since the truce, LONDON, Jan. 18 (Associated Press).—The reopening of the Brit- ish Parliament, which had been set for Jan. 31, has been postponed until Feb. 7, t was announced to-day. Details regerding the handing over of powcr in Jreland to the new Irish Provisional Government were dis- cussed here. to-day by representatives of the Iris Provisional regime and the members of the British Cab- inet Committers, headed hy Winston Churchill, Secretary for the Colonies. The Irish representatives were Bamon J. Duggan and Kevin O'llig- gins, —E THE ‘ORLD TRAVEL BUREAU. frrede., Pulitzer (World) "Buirding. 61-63, park NY. City. ‘Te Benkinan 4000. Check room for bageage end parcels and tefecadee aroels opm day ey orders Aud travellers’ checks for be fore work goes on, The actual work, the bill provides, must be commenced within five years after such approval The time Hmtt building the bridge ts extended to fifteen years New York and New Jersey financiers, | backtas the project, - for On or Before Friday Preceding Publication THE WORLD QUITS THIS YEAR THOUSANDS NEAR PANIC MURATORE TO QUT CHICAGO OPERA AT CLOSE OF SEASON Famous * French Tenor, Brought to Sing With Mary. Garden, Resigns. CHICAGO, Jan, 18,—Lucten Mura- tore, leading tenor of the Chicagu Opera Company, has resigned, it is reported to-day. The understanding here is that tho. femous singer, who was brought tr the Chicago company to appear prin. clpally with Mary Garden at her re- cuest, will appear with the organiza- tion in Its forthcoming engagement in New York, but will leave at the end of this season, when his present con- tract expires. Lina Cavaltert, his wife, herself an spera singer of prominence in the old Han acrstein Opera Company, came to Chicago with Muratore last fall to Jol nthe comparly, Miss Garden hav- ing offered her a contract in New York last spring. No reason 1s given for Muratore's action. The tenor and his party will leave for New York next week for the Manhattan Opera House engagement. ee HEARD OF KILLINGS AT CAMP MERRITT Watson Witness Says He Saw Beat- ings and Nurse Said Two Men Died. WASHINGTON, Jan, 18-—Charges that he saw Sereants ,beat soldier prisoners at Camp Merritt, N. J., were made before the Senate Investi- gating Committee to-day by George G. Walters of Dunkirk, N.Y. Wal- ters, a former soldier, named ‘Sergts. Smith and Stanley,” and said thelr favorite method was with pickax handles. Walters said he saw Smith and Stanley “beat man after man over the head until they fell unconscious to the ground.” A camp hospital nurse, he said, told him that two of the beaten men died. He fixed the time as May and June of 1918. ——>____ BIG EXPORT HOUSE ALLEGED BANKRUPT Involuntary Petition Filed, Though Childs & Joseph Put Assets Over Liabilities. A petition in involuntary bank- ruptcy was filed in the United States District Court to-day against the firm of Childs & Joseph, importers and exporters, with branches al! over the world. The home office is at No. 60 Wall Street. Rosenberg & Ball filed the petition as counsel for the National Park Bank with a claim of $100,000, the American Exchange National Bank with a claim of $100,000, and the Bank of British West Africa, Ltd., with a claim of $38,000. No allega- tions as to liabilities or assets appear. The firm was founded in 1907. At present the members are Harris KR Childs and Hugo 8. Joseph. A sta’ ment issued on Dec. 31, 1920, claimed assets of $6,122,722 and admitted a bilities of $4,005,282 > 2 World Almeneo, the ready reference book, ts Der copy on stands: by mall, mestage pre- Attirecs Cashier, Now York World, as geld, 60 cents AS MANHOLE BLOWS UP AT BROADWAY AND RECTOR ST. senshi aeet Thoroughfares Congested With Traffic and Pedestrians as Explosion Occurs, MEN INJURED. TWO One Struck With Iron Frag- ment and Another Thrown From Truck. There wes an explosion at Brond- way and Rector Street this afternoon when @ manhole cover blew into the air im fragments. which caused a panic in the neighborhood. The two thoroughfares were crowded at the time, 1.45 o'clock, and with the thundering report es: #6: shattered iron cover broke, remem- brance of the Wall Street bomb ex- plosion flashed into the minds of all who heard it. Instantly there was a rush for cover. Men and women almost fell over one another to get to places of safety. Traffic, which chancd to be particu- larly dense at that moment, was in a turmoll of stopping and turning. The people dodging about the street, in and out of the wagons, cars and au- tomobiles, added to the confusion. Save for the tangle of vehicles and @ traffice policeman who was at the corner vainly trying to get order out of the jumble, there was a flight from the crossing by every one who had been near it. People crowded into doorways, wondering whether there might not be another explosion. The explosion was followed by a flash of flame that leaped several yards above the manhole, and it wy eventually necessary for, tbe Arftifion to play ex jdlshers upon it to put it out. It was half a minute, perhaps, be- fore the excitement subsided suMf- clently to disclose that there had been one direct victim of the explosion, He was Lee W. Twombley, employed in the banking and brokerage office of Jules S. Bache, at No. 42 Broadway. He was passing No. 80 Broadway, acorss the street from the manhole, when it blew into fragments. One of these bits, welghing several pounds, struck him in the head and face. He was found lying on the sidewalk, bleeding profusely. Several persons went to him and carried him into the building at No, 80, and there he re- celved first aid from @ surgeon on one of the three ambulances summoned immediately after the explosion from Hudson street Hospital. It was found that his wounds were so serious that they might Indicate a fractured skull, so he wus taken to the hospital as soon a8 possible. Mr. Twombley lUves at No, 439 North 18th Street, East Orange. There was another man injured as result of the explosion. He was Samuel Nussbaum, chauffeur of a truck of the American Express Com~ pany, which had been directed into Kector Street by the policeman at the crossing in an effort to disen- tangle the clutter of vehicles, In turning westward Nussbaum dropped a front wheel of his truck into the now open manhole and was fung violently to the street. He was ate tended by @ surgeon and stayed by his truck Though the manhole cover waa broken into numerous fragments by the explosion, a large piece of stone cut from the steps of the office of Shearson & Hammil, brokers, @t No» 71 Broadway, whose office is within a few yards of the manhole, was the only mark made upon any of the neighboring buildings. There wore thirty customers In the Shearson & Hammil offices when the manhole blew up, and they were startled by the sudden blowing in of a window screen. No damage Waa done in this effice, a