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VOL. 50 NO. 155.
tstsns M
Ositha P.
Smosi-CUm lUttsr Mur . 1501. al
0. Usssr Act M Hires 3. IS7S.
OMAHA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1920.
y Mill (I nu), Isrids 4th Zsss, 0tll n Stisty, Wi Daily Only. IS: 8s4y. M
Oalildt 4lh Zst (I vur). DtHy tnd Sundu. Ill: Osllt 0sl. I2: Suadu Only. U
THREE CENTS
j - ft J
Omah
v4-
t
i
i
uiumm man
Pilots Lead
In BigRace
P.V7 Pickup Heads List In
Bee Contest for Best Total
Mileage for 6 Months at
More Than 80 Miles.
ree Prizes to Be Given
Omaha air mail pilots are leading
in the $1,000 transcontinental flying
contest being conducted by The
Omaha Bee in conjunction -with the
New York Evening Post, Chicago
Tribune, Salt Lake Cily Tribune
and San Francisco Examiner.
Pilot C. V. Pickup, of the Onialia
Salt Lake division, heads the list of
all competing pilots.- Three prizes
of $500, $300 and $200 each will be
awarded by these newspapers to the
three pilots making the best total
mileage at not less than 80 miles an
hour on their respective divisions
between .New York City and San
, Francisco for the first six months of
, this transcontinental airmail service.
80 Miles An Hour,
This transcontinental service was
inaugurated the first part of Sep
tember. The contest was opened
Pilot Pickup, who now holds
first place, according to the stand
ard issued officially by the Manu
facturer!)' Aircraft association, which
is backing the contest with the Aero
Club of America, is credited with
52 trips 6n his division at more
than 80 miles an hour, with a total
mileage of 15,166 miles.
This covers the period from Sep-
tember 8 to November 30. Pilot
Pickup joined the air mail service
early in September making . his
maiden flight as one of the opening
T flights for the Omaha-Cheyenne di
vision. R.v H. Cook, former pilot of the
Omaha division, but now an army
' officer, is listed as second. He
made 40 trips on the Omaha-Salt
Lake division at a speed of mpre
than 80 miles an hour, with a total
mileage of 14755 miles, before he
resigned from the service. 1
Another Omaha pilot holds the
third position. He is Pilot W. C.
Hopson who came to this division
from the Cleveland-New York di
vision the first of October. He hat
made 50 trips on the Omaha-Chicago
division 'at a "speed of more
"""than 80 miles an hour, and his mile
age "totals 13,905 . miles. '
Fourth place is nailed at present
Ty another Omaha pilot, H. H Rows
who joined the air mail service here
in July andfis pn the Omaha-Chi-
4 V.';-.. Forced to Land.': ry :.'
li:vf-tt 13276 Ttriles '&f
i.n average of more than 80 miles
fan hour in 47 trips. -1
Sixth in the list is Pilot J. P.
Murray of the OmaharCheyenne di
' vision, who joined the service here
' from 'the New York-Cleveland ,di-
' vision to assist in opening the; moun
tain section. '
Pilot Murray was forced to land
In a snowstorm near Medicine Bow,
500 miles west of here, about " a
month ago, and walk to the nearest
railroad station to get aid in repair
ing his plane to continue the flight,
(Turn to Faire Four. Column Two.)
Millionaire Newsie
Of Hammond Beaten
And Robbed by Thugs
- v . . .
Hammond, Ind.. Dec. 14. Addie
P. Fitzgerald, Hammond's "mil
lionaire newsboy" was slugged, kid
napped, taken on a wild ride to Chi
cago, robbed of a diamond stickpin
and $100 and thrown from the ma
chine early today, he reported to the
Jiammoncf police.
Fitzgerald was returning home
shortly after midnight when three
robbers sprang at him near an alley.
He resisted and says one of the
band broke a revolver in slugging
him. ,
When he recovered consciousness
he was in an automobile, he says,
and the bandits were searching his
Wti!ncr at h machine sned toward
i $1,200, had already been taken. He
tnanacea to SI D a Jx..:uu uiamuuu
While driving along South Michi
gan avenue, he asserts, the bandits
Chicago. His stickpin, valued at
threw -him out at an alley.
Borah Proposes Tripartite
Disarmament Agreement
Washington, Dec. 14.--A resolu
. tion requesting the president to open
negotiations with Great Britain and
Japan for an agreement to reduce
naval building programs 50 per cent
for the next five years was intro
duced in the senate today by Sena
tor Borah, republican, Idaho.
The resolution would declare it to
be the opinion of congress that the
United States would make a reduc
tion if an agreement could be
brought about, and asserted that the
navies of, Great Britain and Japan
i were the only ones of power suffi
cient to requiDe American attention.
Hawaiian Rehabilitation
Bill Subject of Attacks
Washington, D. C, Dec. 14. In
terests opposing the' Hawaiian "re
habilitation bills," designed to pro
vide homesteads for native Ha
waiian from public , lands, were
heard by the senate territories com
mittee. Judge A. G. M. Robertson
of Honolulu, representing ranch
loicitr Hawaiian nuhlic lands.
WOT H-.ai.'S ""'.I .A, i- 1 1
declared the pending bill, which al-;
ready has been passed by the house. t
was class legislation and unconstitu- j
tinnsl.
Most, of the senate committee
members expressed themselves as
I'mr tVi hill, which, it was said.
Ij. JirrrA an ft vprwhiIniin tr vote in
the Hawaiian legislature and, in the
last election.,
LucJcy Dog Has $8JW0
heft for Its (Jpkeep
Chicago,' Dec. 14. Perhaps you
have heard of "the lucky dog." He
lives in Chicagoin fact, he has
been a resident for several years, it
was learned today, when a bit of
legal paper was filed in the probate
court for his benefit.
The will of Mrs. Rose E. Torter
provides that Rex, a pet poodle,
shall be given all of the comforts
of a home, including a daily bath,
plenty of sauerkraut, and a Christ
mas tree every year. She left $8,000
in trust for the dog.
Mrs. Sarah, E. Burr, 4909 Pensa
cola avenue is the technical benefi
ciary. She must tnke care of the
poodle night and day and see that
lie will be provided for in the event
of her .death. She also must take
care that his Christmas tree is
lighted with Christmas candles and
that his little red jacket for day
time wear and his warm gray blank
ets for night are kept clean and
neat. '
Mrs. Porter left her half brother,
Ruby F. Joblin of Cascade Locks,
Ore., $5. .
Letter of Dead
Girl Introduced
,
In Murder Trial
Judge Overrules Objectiou to
Excluding Missive Travel
er's Check in Payment for
Alleged Operation Shown.
Following two hours and half of
legal arguments in district court
yesterday afternoon as to the ad
missibility as evidence of a letter
written by Ruth Ayer from Oma
ha, August 3, to her lover, Francis
W. Alexander at Hayes Center,
Neb,, in which she declared her
plans relative to placing herself un
der the care of Dr. Fields, Judge A.
C. Troup allowed the letter to be
admitted in its entirety. This let
ter had been offered as evidence at
the morning session when attorneys
for Dr. L. S. Fields, tried on the
charge of murder by performing an
illegal operation, objected and held
out for an argument on this point of
law.
"This letter is the best of evi
dence," Judge Troup said. It shows
plainly that it was the last act of
Ruth .Ayer after she had decided
to place her body in the care of this
defendant. The words she under
scored in the letter: "If you" don't
hear from me, find me," are proof
of the mental strain she was under
after she had made her decision.
Fields became a co-conspirator to
the cause when he made his agree
ments with her."
Admits Receiving. Letter.
Following the arguments and the
admission- of - the letter; 'Alexander
was called to the stand and admitted
having received the letter from
Ruth.- : He admitted also that he
had answered it and had sent; her
(Turn to Paxe Two. Column Five.)
Sinn Fein Asks Time"
To Confer on Truce
Plan of Lloyd George
i i
, London, Dec. 14. Rev. Michael
O'Flannigan, acting president of the
Sinn Fein, has requested Premeier
Lloyd George for time in which to
consult with Eamonn de Valera and
Arthur Griffith respecting the en
deavors now being made to bring
about a truce in -Ireland.
Father O'Flannjgan made this re
quest in reply to a letter from the
premier, in which Mr. Lloyd George,
responding . to the first proposal
looking to a truce, said the British
government did not lag behind any
section of the Irish people in the de
sire that Ireland should enjoy the
blessings of peace and prosperity
and was prepared to offer facilities
for a complete discussion of the sit
uation. British at Cable Case
Hearing Return Home
Washington, Dec. 14. The Brit
ish delegates to the international
communications conference have
left fqr home. Their departure is
expected to result in an indefinite
recess by the delegates representing
the United States, Japan, France and
Italy, a
The British delegates left late last
night after the close of the plenary
session. The reason assigned by
them for their departure was under
stood to have been a desire to return
home to spend the Christmas holi
days, together with the expression of
the .conviction that a settlement of
the difficulties which have arisen
over the disposition of the former
German cables was impossible with
out the return of the delegates of
France and Japan to Paris and
Tokio, respectively, to consult per
sonally with their foreign offices.
Cardinals Summoned for
. Secret Consistory Soon
Rome, Dec. 14. Official invitations
to all cardinals to participate in a
secret consistory, to be held Thurs
day morning, were dispatched today
b Monsignor Carlo Rcspighi, pon
tifical prefect of ceremonies.
Hearing on
Electric
EirS.l(rt:vV testifies to
Val ;;liiof Nebraska Pow
er Company's Property Be
fore City Council.
Raise Declared Urgent
The city council began yesterday
afternoon to hear evidence offered
by the Nebraska Power company
in connection with an application for
an increased schedule of electric
light and power rates. The first ses
sion, which was adjourned at 4, was
limited to a presentation of valua
tion figures by an expert. The hear
ing will be resumed this morning
at 9:30.
J. A. C. Kennedy appeared as
counsel for the company and W. C.
Lambert, corporation counsel, for
the city. Appearances in behalf of
consumers were made as follows:
F. A. Brogan for the Omaha Flour
Mills company, Maney Milling com
pany, Upcjike Milling company and
Omaha Cold Storage company; R.
B. Howell, for the Metropolitan
Water board; C. S. Raibolt, Crowd!
Elevator company, Nebraska-Iowa
Grain company, Miller Cereal Mill
company and Nye, Schneider, Fow
ler company; C. E. Corey,. Omaha
Manufacturers' association; P. F.
Peterson, Peterson & Pegau Bak
ing Co.; A. W. Nollet, Omaha Hotel
association; J. C. Martin, Omaha
Steel works, and delegations of
women for the Edward Rnsewater,
Benson and Central Park com
munity centers.
Testifies to Valuation.
C. E. Bailey of-the j. G. White
Engineering corporation, New
York Citv, was the only witness
called. . He identified a 140-page
valuation exhibit and . testified that
a valuation and inventory of the
company's properties ' and equip
ment, made under his direction,
showed a total of $17.580;190, which
valuation will be made the basis of
evidence and arguments to follow
f the hearing.
The total valuation as given by
Mr. Bailey was divided 'into the fol
$560,959: build
ings and structures, $1,642,474; pow-
er plant electrical equipment, J1-0''"
3fin- hm'W rnnm entiioment. $1,050,-
1 600; sub-station equipment,' $236,
j S50; transmission system, $631,68;
! distribution system, underground,
'$2,672,500; distribution system, over
i ,A M 352.309: miscellaneous
equipment, $83,300; office furniture
and equipment, $40,110; materials
and supplies. $280,720; working cap
Jtol tf,fil fMIO - pnpineerincf-and SU-
j ,yuvujv J
pcrvision., $459,900; law'expense on
construction. picuuuiwij
expense, organization and adminis
tration, $307,000; construction on
power ' house extension, $200,300;
cost of securing capital, $966,280;
cost of developing business, $1,421,
800; expenditures for betterments
and improvements, June 1 to No
vember 30, 1920, $39,791; expendi
tures in process during December,
1920. 548,319.
Objects to Valuation Method.
Mr. Bailey explained that his val
uation fio-ures were based on onces
current as of date of June 1, 1920,
to which method ot determination
ot values Corporation Counsel Lam-
(Turn to Pace Two, Column One.1
Two Chicago Store
Holdups Bring Total
To 22 in Four Days
Cnicago, Dec. 14. Chicago's red
sweater bandit, with his gun still
wrapped in a newspaper, varied his
roundup of street holdups today by
robbing two stores before 10 o'clock.
The robberies brought his total to
22 since last Friday.
Fifty patrolmen and ,two automo
bile loads of detectives who have
been chasing the bandit for six days
were taken unawares, as heretofore
he had not started operations until
nearly noon. In both of the morn
ing holdups he had a companion,
who joined him yesterday afternoon.
Cash, checks and Liberty bonds
totalling $13,000 were stolen last
night by safe blowers who opened
the safe in the office's of the Co-operative
Society of America. Finger
prints furnished the only clue.
Shortage of $40,000 Found
In Funds of Oklahoma Bank
Muskogee. Okl., Dec. 14. The
First National bank of Morris, Okl.,
failed to' open this morning. A no
tice on the door said the affairs o!
the bank are in the hands of the
comptroller of the currency. The
bank's capitalization is placed at
$30,000.
A shortage of $40,000 has been
found in the funds of the bank, ac
cording to L. A Baglet of this city,
vice president. He asserted B. De
Lisle, cashier and manager, has as
signed to the bank property valued
at $75,000.
Mutilated Body of Woman
Identified by Dentist
Los Angeles, Dec. 14. The muti
lated body of the" nude woman
found in a grove near here Sunday
was identified as that of Mrs. Fay
Sudow, a divorced woman, re
puted to have been wealthy. The
identification was made by a den
tist who had done work for Mrs.
Sudow. The body had been almost
definitely identified by the woman's
former husband, Jeff Sudow, and
by two other persons.
Air Harbor Planned.
Peace River, Alberta. Dec. 14
Work has been begun on an "air
harbor" here, which will form the
southern terminal to the proposed
aerial transportation system into the
McKenzie oil fields, if was an
nounced today.
Screen School Stops;
Student Boosts Check;
tle'8 In Hoosgow Now
He wanted to ride a prancing steed
on the screen.
He joined Omaha's movie star
school and paid $12.50 fees. Hi,
course, ended and he saw his star
falling.
His instructors refunded his fees.
The itch for the saddle persisted,
and he decided to return to the range
in New Mexico. But he hadn't
enough lucre.
So he' changed the name on a
$12.50 check to John Westphal and
added a flock of cipher!, thus,
$30,000.
The cashier at Brandcis stores was
dubious. She called a detective. And
Henry Gabaldon, 1014 SouthTwen-ty-eighth
street, is in the hoosgow
now.
Decrease Shown
In Total Value
- Of Farm Crops
Reduction in Prices Brings
Actual Worth Below Last
Year, Despite High Rec-
ords in Several Grains.
By The Associated Press.
Washington, Dec. 14. Shrinkage
of values of the country's .farm
crops has placed their total worth
this year at almost $5,000,000,000
less than last year, although the
1920 harvest was one of the most
abundant in the nation's history,
with half a dozen crops breaking
records.
i The important farm crops, which
comprise about 90 per cent of the
value of all farm crops, were valued
this year a $9,148,519,000 by the De
partment of Agriculture in its final
estimates'. " .
Last year these crops were valued
at $14,087,995,000. Acreage devoted
to the important crops also de
creased, the total being 351,062,409
this year, as compared with 356,162,
112 last year.. ,
"The extraordinary character of
the harvest, which have riroven to
be among the most abundant in
the country's history, notwithstand
ing beginnings about as unpromis
ing as ever known, is emphasized by
the December revisions of estimates,"
the department said in a statement
commenting on today's report. "The
final outcome of the 1920 wheat ha
vest, winter and spring combined,
is now estimated at 789,878,000 bush
els, compared with 934,265,000 bush
els in 1919, this ebing an increase
ever the earlier estimates for 1920
of 39,230,000 bushels.
Winter Killings Light
"The 1920 acreage abandoned
from winter killing was less than
expected and indicated by the very
bad and unpromising conditions on
May 1. and the increasingly favor
able charater of the later season
permitted much wheat then consid
ered hopeless to develop and come
to harvest.' The reports of increase
over earlier expectations of winter
(Turn to Fise Two, Column Two.)
Queen Alexandra Has
Retired From Court
Society Definitely
By FORBES W. FAIRBAIRN
Vnlversal Service Staff Correspondent.
London, Dec. 14. England's
queen mother, Alexandra, most
popular of all Europe's queens, has
definitely retired, from court society.
Increasing deafness, which has be
come more and more pronounced
during the present year, has made it
impossible for her to hear any one
now except members of her imme
diate family and old friends. Her
76th birthday, celebrated December
1, found her in good health, but lead
ing a very quiet life at her town
palace, Marlborough house, and
Sandringham, her favorite country
estate.
Since her illness a few months
ago, Queen Alexander has rarely
been seen at any of the court func
tions. She rises late in the day and
is seldom seen before 1 o'clock in
the afternoon. After lunch she
usually drives in good weather, re
turning "to tea at 6 o'clock. She
dines as late as 9, and hardly
ever goes to bed before 1 or 2
o'clock in the morning. Her favor
ite card pame now is patience.
She still keeps up her interest in
charities and is the most generous of
givers although the cost of the up
keep of Marlborough house and
Sandringham has enormously in
creased. While her income has re
mained stationary it has made no
difference to the extent of her giv
ing and her name generally heads
the list of social charities.
Nebraska Files Objection
To Burlington Dividends
Washington, DecA 14. The state
of Nebraska filed a brief with the
interstate commerce commission .to
day objecting to the proposal of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy rail
road that it be permitted to distrib
ute $140,000,000 of its surplus in
stock dividends and in bonds as a
cash dividend.
Greeks Bound-for Lucerne
With Bombs Are Arrested
Paris, Dec. 14. Two Greeks car
rying passports for Lucerne and ia
possession of bombs have been ar
rested at Milan, says a dispatch to
the Matin. It is believed in the
Italian city, the dispatch says, the
men had plotted to attempt to assas
sinate former King Constantine ot
Greece.
Sugar Falls Again.
New York, Dee. 14. The Ameri
can Sugar Refining Co. announced
today another reduction of cent
in the price of refined sugar. to the
basis of cents per pound for
fine granulated. Quotations of oth
er refiners, remaining' unchanged,
ranted from 8li to W cents. j
'ii I
Helping Hands
Cruiser "Omaha"
Is Christened by
Louise White
Flag-Bedecked Warship Slips
From Ways as Gate City Girl
Baptizes Stern With Spar
kling, Liquid; :
Tacoma, Wash., Dec. 14. (Spe
cial Telegram.) Flag bedecked, the
U. S. S. Omaha slid into the. waters
of Puget Sound Tuesday morning' as
Miss Louise Bur.hncll White of
Omaha smashed the bottle of ' spar
kling liquid on the grand scout
cruiser's stern and the band played
the national anthem. As the huge
gray bulk dipped her nose- into the
waters she represented over two
years of constant construction with
another year's work still to be done
before she finally becomes a com
pleted fighting, craft.
Miss White, dressed in long fur
coat, her cheeks flushed to tiie color
of the brilliantly red roses she car
ried, grasped the bottle suspneded
by ribbons promptly at 8:45 and
hurled it with all her might against
the steel shell. While the bottle was
in mid air, the vessel moved and
as the shattering glass released the
liquid of unknown , content, Mist
White proclaimed in an easily
heard, sweet-toned voice, 'I Christen
thee 'Omaha.',"
Honor Guest at Breakkfast
Miss White was the honor guest
at the breakfast immediately fol
lowing the launching. She left this
afternoon for Seattle where she and
her mother, Mrs. Victor White, will
entrain for Omaha.
"It has been perfectly splendid,"
Miss White said immediately after
the launching. "This is botji my
first launching and my first christen
ing party of, a war vessel I mean.
I can never thank these glorious,
hospitable westerners too deeply for
the kindnesses which have been
showered upon me. This is the fin
est country in the world, excepting
Omaha.
"Two gold trays, suitably en
graved, were presented to Miss
White by the Todd Shipyards and
Construction company, builder of the
"Omaha."
To Be Equipped Later.
The "Omaha" was towed to 'the
outfitting dock where her power
plant will be installed and the inH
tenor and superstructure hnisneu.
The latter part of next year she will
be taken to some United States navy
yard where her armament will be in
stalled. Then she will be ready to
join the fleets of America's navy.
Mayor C M. Riddell of Tacoma
presented Miss White wtth a" dh-mond-studded
wrist watch, on behalf
of the Todd company, at the break
fast. Alschuler Resigns Job as
Arbitrator In Packing Cases
Chicago, Dec. 14. Federal Judge
Samuel Alschuler yesterday asked
representatives of the packing com
panies to arrange to have him re
lieved as federal arbiter of their dis
putes, the position to which he was
appointed by President Wilson :u
1917. Judge Alschuler said he dd
not have time to attend to his bench
duties and settle packing company
disputes, too.
Brokerage Firm Fails.
Philadelphia," Dec. 14. Arnett &
Co., a stock brokerage firm, with
membership on the Philadelphia
Stock exchange, made an assignment
today. The failure is said to be rela
tively, unimportant
No Reprieve in
i Sight for Men
Sentenced to Die
Cole and Grammar, Found
Guilty of Woman's Murder,
-Face Death by Electric
Chair in Two Days.
Lincoln, Dec. 14. (Special Tele
gram.) With only two days inter
vening until the day set for the elec
trocution of jAlson Cole and Allen
Grammar, nothing has yet been
done by the governor in the way
of a respite for the men. The case
stands in about the way it has stood
since' the hearing in Howard county
Saturday, and with the exception of
an application for a new hearing, no
one appears to know very much
about the case. '
It is understood, however, that
the matter may be put up to Judge
Woodrough again by J. M. Priest,
attorney for Cole, in an effort to
get an order -holding off the execu
tion, providing the governor does
not act. Priest claims that Judge
Paine of the Howard county dis
trict court has not yet carried out
the former order of Judge Wood
rough for a new trial. He says that
last Saturday Judge Paine denied
him a new trial of the Case and that
until such trial is had, no execution
can be made. ;
Attorney Moves for New TriaL
Grand Island, Neb., Dec. 14. An
son B. Cole, condemned with Vin
cent Grammer to die in the electric
chair at the penitentiary on Friday,
is still a prisoner in the. Howard
county jail at St. Faul.
Attorney Priest of Lincoln, for
Cole, has filed a motion for a new
trial on the ground that the district
court, in correcting the record as per
the order of the'federal court in only
a nunc pro tunc entry without re
sentencing, failed to comply with the
order of the fedefal judge, and that
Cole is no longer under sentence,
having been discharged therefrom by
order of Federal Judge Woodrough.
At noon today Judge Paine had
been advise'd of the filing of the mo
tion at St. Paul this morning, but had
not ser-a time for hearing the mo
tion. It was indicated that this
might be done late today.
Four Passengers Killed in
Wreck of Big Airship
London, Dec. 14. A large pas
senger airplane which was leaving
for Paris with six passengers to
day fouled a tree, burst into flames
and crashed to the ' ground. The
pilot, a mechanic and two passengers
are reported to have been killed
and other passengers injured.
The four who lost their lives were
pinned beneath the wreckage and
burned to death, calling frantically
for help, which it was impossible
to give. Of the four passengers
who "escaped, two were slightly
hurt, but the others were not in
jured. There were no Americans
afroard the machine.
New Hampshire Employer of
13,600 Persons Shuts Down
Manchester, N. H.. Dec. 14. The
Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. today
announced a 10-day shutdown com
mencing December 22 and a wage
reduction of ZllA per cent. The
mills employ 13,500 persons.
Volcauo Active.
Yaldivia, Chile, Dec. 14. The vol
cano Lanin, on tlje Argentine fron
tier, is reported to be in a state
of eruption. The volcano is approx
imately 9,000 feet high.
Woman Appears
Against First
Mate in Court
Testifies at Trial of Former
Husband Charged With Mur
, der of Man She Married
After Their Divorce. -
Mrs. Ruth Mikesell took the stand
yesterday in district court at Coun
cil Bluffs and testified against her
former husband, James Harbour,
who is on trial for the murder of
George Mikesell, the man she mar
ried after her divorce from Har
bour last January. '
Mikesell was killed near Treynor,
June 2, following a quarrel over
pasture rent for a mare they had left
at the farm of August Sierck, where
Harbour was employed. Mrvand
Mrs. Sierck and Harbour Were
jointly indicated for the murder of
Mikesell. .
The widow testified that.; her
former husband was armed with a
rifle, that Mrs. Sierck had a revolver
and that Sierck had another rifle
when the shooting occurred. All
shot at her husband, who was un
armed, she told the jury.
The defense alleges that a bullet
from a large caliber revolver in
Mrs. Mikesell's hand caused the
death of her husband, and not the
smaller caliber guns . used by the
Siercks ,and Harbour. TheyTalso
plead self-defense and claim 'that
Mikesell himself fired the first shot
in the battle. .
Mr. and Mrs. Sierck,- although
jointly indicted with Harbour, will
not be placed on trial until the next
term of court.
Millionaire From
Canada Found Dying
'f in Galveston, Texas
Galveston,, Tex., Dec.( 14. The
body of a man found today near the
property of the Mexican Petroleum
company in this city was identified
today as that of John Hammill. a
millionaire and ' president of the
Murphy-Gand, Ltd., of Ottawa. Ont..
who disappeared from his home on,
November 11.
Identification was made through
a poster photograph of Mr. Hammill
at police headquarters and through
a police telegram from Forth Worth.
When found the man was in a dy
ing condition and death resulted
T 1.A ...as Y.a!nfr tl-Ati n 3 11 nc ni-
Willie "c nas uvmg lonvn v. ..vj-.
tal. There were no marks of vio
lence on the body. An inquest win
he held tomorrow.
Harding Made Life Member
-Of Marion Printers' Union
Marion. O., Dec. 14. President
elect Warren G. Harding now is an
honorary life member of the Marion
Typographical union No. 675. He
was voted to membership last night
at a meeting of the local.
The Weather
Forecast.
Wednesday fair; not much change
in temperature.
Hourly Tniiwrlnr.
.1 a. m
1 . in?
a. m
9 . m
10 A. m
11 a. m
14 noon
...87
1 D. m.
p. in,
3 p. m.
4 n. m.
. ..SU
. ..SH
...S7
...40
P. m,
p. m.
7 p. m.
. ..4
i t I S p. m.
Shippers Bulletin.
Protect tilpmsnU during thn nrt 24 to
36 hours from temperatures ns follow:
North and tnat, !5 decrees; South. 30 d)
rrseai west. 10 degress.
Senators
Score Coal
Operators
Partial Report of Reconstruc
tion Committee Presented
Today' Contains Many
Startling Charges.
Drastic Measures Urged
I ,
ny'Tlie Associated Press.
Washington, Dec. 14. Sharp criti
cism of the national coal industry,
with implied threat of drastic legis
lation by congress to meet alleged
evils of profiteering and speculation,
accompanied the partial report of the
senate committee on production and
reconstruction, submitted to the sen-
ate today. In general the report,
which asked power to continue the
investigation, suggested governmert
activities to bring about co-operation
under regulation in building con
struction, but its three republican
members, Senators Calder of New'
York; Edge, New Jersey, and Ken
yon, Iowa, supplemented their find
ings with additional statements, all
of which agreed in asking special leg-
islative attention to present methods
of producing and distributing coal.
"These," Chairman Calder sa'd,
"must be corrected," while Senator "
Kenyon declared that "if the matter
is to go on I, for one, harsh as the
remedy might be, shall favor taking
over the mines." Senator Edge ex-;
pressed as his conclusion that "the
coal industry cannot bring order out
of the prevailing chaos and give even
reasonable relief to the suffering
people, so I am ready to modify
somewhat, in this case, my opposi- :
tion to government , intrusion into
private business and to advocate le
gitimate scrutiny."
Profiteering 'Is Disgrace.
"Coal profiteering, especially as it
has followed the priority orders of
the Interstate Commerce commis- '
s:on, has continued ' unchecked by
the Department of Justice, and is a
national disgrace," the committee
said in its joint report. . "Coal spec
ulation has been , permitted to mo-.
nopolize the transportation facilities .
of the country. i
"Our investigation into the coal
situation has convinced us that the
private intejtsts are actually unable
to prevent a continuance or repeti
tion of the present deplorable situa
tion and that it is the duty of the
government to take such reasonable
and practical steps as it may devise
to remedy the evil." '
Government administration of the
production and distribution of coal,
the committee said, "should be a last t
resort," but for the present it was
recommended that operators, whole-
salers, jobbers and retailersin the in-''
dustry be required to file full and
frequent ' reports with a federal
agency." j
' I Public Health in Danger.
' The reports should be sufficient
"to determine costs and profits, and
the corporate interrelations or the
communities of interests, if any, be
tween companies producing and dis
tributing coal."
In othtr fields, the committee said,
'there exists a serious shortage of
housing, not only in the great cities,
but in the smaller cities as well, even
in the far west and south," which it
(Turn to Pairs Four, Column One.) ,
Counterfeiters Are
Captured After They
Work for Two Years
Chicago, Dec. 14. A gang of coun
terfeiters, said to have netted thou
sands during the last two years, has
been broken up and three of th&.men
have been arrested, government offi
cials announced today. The arrests
were made last Saturday by Cap.
Thomas I. Porter, head of the secret
service, but kept under cover pending
a hunt for other members- of the
band.
The men in custody gave their
names as Jake Kelly, alias James
sullivan; Jack Monkler and E. G.
Carlson. Kelly is said to be the
ring leader.
Search of the men's rooms revealed
an outfit for changing $1 notes to
$10. More than 50 of these notes
have been detected by secret agents
in the last months A pocketful of
inumbers torn from $10 bills was;
found on one of the men.
An attempt to gain a recruit re
sulted in the gang's downfall. Last
Saturday morning a stranger came
to the federal building with a story
about a man trying to induce him to
pass bogus money. He said the man
would be at Wilken's wine rooms
that afternoon. The three men were
captured there.
r i
Alleged Deserter Has Been
Identified as Swindler.
Chicago, Dec. 14. Identification
of photographs of John A. Willers.
nqw on trial before a court-martial
at Governor's Island, N. Y., charged
with deserting from Company I. 48th
infantry, as Raymond F. Ball, alleged
Chicago swindler, was made today
by W. S. Tipton, a banker, who had
obtained a warrant charging Ball
with defrauding the bank out of $439
in worthless checks, police say.
Sixty Permits to Shoot
Buffalo at $200 a Head
Salt Lake City, Dec. 14. Sixty
permits to kill buffalo on Antelope
island, in the Great Salt lake, at $200
per head have been granted, accord
ing to information to this effect wired
to Arno B. Cammerer, acting direc
tor of the national park service in
Washington, D. C. by Thomas Red
mond, secretary of the Utah State live
stock board.
Lima Strike Settled.
Lima, Peru, Dec. 14. The dock
strike which has tied up traffic of
the harbor of Callao for some timt
past has been settled,
V