Democratic watchman. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1855-1940, May 06, 1921, Image 1

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    BemorraticATatdgom
INK SLINGS.
i
—Anyway, to us, there is money in
muddy water.
Seeing that we can’t !
fish fly on it we stay at home and:
work contentedly.
—Speed the day when some of our
friends discover that film is not pro- |
nounced fil-lum, nor column, col-yum,
nor dollar, dol-yer.
—Some one told us Wednesday the
sign of the fish is holding sway in the
almanac this week. At once the scales
fell from our eyes and we saw it rain-
ing.
—Bacon is twenty-two cents and
sugar six cents in Philadelphia, and
gasoline is twenty cents in Chicago,
but why worry! You’d stick on in
good old Centre county if they were | Rohin or, perhaps its merely to get a
giving things away every place else.
—Will the Germans do something
more than make another offer or will
France actually move on May 12th. | have a good time for we have been in-
It is certain that if France doesn’t! formed that it is to cost them nothing.
carry out her threat little more than ' Since the railroad passes were called
new offers may be expected from Ber-
lin.
—The setting aside of the convic-
|
1
tion of Senator Newberry, of Michi--
gan, was not a surprise. It was only
affirmation of the belief that many
men have that laws are not made to be
obeved when it is more convenient to
ignore them.
—Talking of a revival of the Dem-
ocratic party in Pennsylvania we are
of the opinion that only men who
openly declare that they have no am-
bition or desire for preferment ean ral-
ly enough of the party’s scattered
forces to effect resuscitation.
—The blushing, demure, sweet girl
graduate who used to be so confused
if she happened to let a dainty ankle
'of dining and grape-juicing at State
i College would need the S. R. O. signs
' were it not that some of our contem- |
peep out from under her commence-
ment frock as she sat, admired by all,
on the stage, will have trouble keep-
ing her knees covered in this year’s
skirt styles.
—No matter what you are. No
matter what you have been it is cer-
tain that one person, at least, has seen
something of virtue in you, has pray-
ed to God ever hopefully that your
better self might some day come into
its own.
eternity she is prostrate before the
great white throne pleading for you.
Sunday is the day set apart in honor
of your mother. Next your Creator
she who was His messenger in bring-
ing you into the world has the great-
est love. ‘Will you requite it in some
vay Sunday?
—The president of the Corn Ex-
change National bank sounds like 2
man who ought to be listened to when
he rises to question the wisdom of a
tariff that will keep Canadian grain
and other products out of this coun-
try. As he says, why make bad
friends of the Canadians by an act
that serves no good or economic pur-
pose. Canadian grain will merely be
diverted to compete with our own in
foreign markets and instead of our
having friendly competition there our
neighbors to the north will fight our
prices because of our foolish tariff
discrimination against them.
—This is fly week and many people
are finding out things they never knew
before. Did you know that the erec-
tion of a pig stye within one hundred
feet of a public stream is punishable
by both a fine and imprisonment.
Happily many of our laws are enact-
ed more to please the vanity of their
fathers than to make work for those
empowered to enforce them. Were it
not the case half the people along the
Bald Eagle, Spring creek, the Buffalo
run, little Fishing creek, Penns creek,
Elk, Pine and the other creeks in Cen-
tre county would be taking their meals
through the little aperture in that big
iron door that sheriff Dukeman carries
the key for.
—~Secretary Mellon’s first real re-
port of the condition of the treasury
gives little hope of reduced taxes
within the next two years unless it is
to those whose incomes are over fifty
thousand dollars a year. Poor souls,
they need relief and probably because
he is in that class himself and knows
"only bottle the oldest of them knew
"a nipple attached to its neck. When
the Pennsylvania Farm school was |
born it wasn’t designed that it should
In life she was praying. In’
“round” of drinks by giving three or
how it feels to give up a lot when one
has a lot, he has recommended a re-
duction of the incomes of the poor lit-
tle rich folks. The Secretary goes on
o say that he expects to be able to re-
duce the short-dated debts of the
country about one billion dollars dur-
ing the next two years and then takes
all the glory out of such a prospective
achievement by stating that his Dem-
ocratic predecessor had cut the short-
dated debt down one and two-thirds
billions in only nineteen months, or
from August 31st, 1919, to March
31st, 1921.
—1It is quite possible when the good
people who responded so wonderfully
to that hard luck story of the Martin
family in Clarence learn that the Mar-
tin boys had earned $222.84 every
month for eleven months preceding
the shut down, they will be wondering
what was done with the wages. Very |
few families there are in Bellefonte
who have a gross income of over
$2500.00 a year and we know of none
so wasteful as to be “starving” within
six weeks of the suspension of their
pay. From what we have learned,
from most credible sources, the Mar-
tin donations were very much in the
nature of misguided philanthropy.
Anybody who read the North Ameri-
~an’s story of the misfortunes of the
Aartin family might have known from
the lead up that some one had been
given the assignment who had proba-
bly never been further into the country |
than Kirkbride’s or Willow Grove for | body understands Professor Einstein's
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 66.
BELLEFONTE, PA.. MAY 6, 1921.
NO. 18.
A Pilgrimage of the Pencil Pushers Sproul Inviting a Hard Fight.
of Pennsylvania.
from Harrisburg that
Sproul intends to double cross some
of the Senators and Representatives
in the General Assembly who fawn-
ingly served him during the session.
In other words we learn through the
press dispatches that the Governor
proposes “to ask the head of each de-
partment of the State government to
give him a statement, by the middle
of May, of the smallest appropriation
upon which a department can be run,”
with the view of cutting the appro-
priations to the bone. It has been
freely charged that he obtained the
votes to carry out his legislative pro-
gram by promising to sign all the ap-
‘ propriation bills which passed both
Houses of the Assembly.
The most serious charge made
against the Governor and his adminis-
tration is that of profligacy. At the
beginning of the session the Governor
. informed the Legislature that the rev-
“enues available were limited, and that
unless additional revenues were cre-
ated appropriations should of neces-
sity be limited to about $90,000,000.
But he suggested legislation which
would increase the revenues by about
thirty-five million dollars and intimat-
ed that if such bills were passed, ap-
propriations might be increased. The
i revenue bills were passed and the ap-
propriation bills as promptly enacted.
Now it is intimated that the Governor
‘intends to cut the appropriations and
i thus strive for a record for economy.
There is an impression on the pub-
raise oats for the brewer's big horses, | lic mind that all is fair in politics and
so a three mile limit was established | Some politicians have prospered by
within which our departed friend John | tricking the public. But fooling the
never entered unless surreptitiously | Public and deceiving politicians,
in the company of a boot-legger. Of | though of a minor grade, are vastly
course, the College, being a centre of | different. Governor Sproul won a no-
learning it is not to be supposed that | table victory over an opposing faction
very advanced education in the art and during the closing period of the ses-
science of boot-legging was not onc of « Sion but at the same time he took on a
its unwitting gifts to humanity. | fight which is likely to tax his ener-
This infant Farm School, child of 8ies and resources to the limit. If in
the State, now grown to the great and ; his desire to pose as an economical
lusty Pennsylvania State College, is ' administrator he violates faith with
unique, we think, in that it has never ; Legislators who supported him under
been wet since it was born. | promise of liberal appropriations, the
But enough of this. Let us say ranks of his opponents in the next
what we started out to say. Many struggle will be greatly increased.
years ago the Pennsylvania State Ed- E———
itorial Association held its annual con- |
vention in Bellefonte. Our recollec-
tion of the gathering is rather hazy,
Today the editors and publishers of
Pennsylvania are to gather at State
College for a symposium, or a Round
few scientific points on how to keep
scissors sharp and paste pots from
going stale. Whatever it is, they’ll
in and there’s no more chance for
making good the overlooking of his
four inches of “bull” in the next edi-
tion to those who didn’t the country
editor doesn’t have the same joy in
living that he once had. And this play
poraries will probably be detained at
home to figure out how they can push
their own hours up to one-hundred and
twelve so that those of their employ-
ess can be reduced to forty-four per
week.
We are wondering how many of the
gentlemen of the press who will gath-
er within the confines of old Centre
today will realize that they are con-
gregated right in the centre of the
original little Sahara of Pennsylva-
nia; for State College was functioning
perfectly as arid territory when the
anything about was the one that had
Professor Taft declares that
| “respect for representative govern-
‘ment is lower today than it was a
but out of misty memory we recall
seeing streams of men trooping out to
the “Big Spring,” coming back to their
hotels, then trooping out again. That
outstanding feature of the day had no
significance for youth, but often since
we have wondered whether it was the
pure joy of viewing again and again
| century ago.” Naturally, for nearly
half that period Professor Taft has
{been a figure in our representative
| government.
re esc en te se
Knox Resolution Passed the Senate.
i
i The Knox resolution repealing the
! resolution of Congress of 1917, declar-
ing war against Germany, was adopt-
‘ed on Saturday by the considerable
‘majority of forty-nine to twenty-
| three. Thus Senator Knox has been
: able to register the concurrence of the
| Senate in his openly expressed sympa-
thy with Germany. Even while the
the pool that impelled Rochambeau to
exclaim; “La Belle Fontaine!” or
whether it was the copious supply of
the only known cooler for “hot cop-
pers” that really attracted.
Not since then has there been such
a concentration of brains in Centre |
county as there will be today and to- :
morrow. And, as we tried to make i war was in progress and the result
clear at the beginning the editor of | uncertain, Senator Knox’s sympathy
today is not the editor of yesterday. was with Germany. After the cessa-
Evolution has evoluted him along with | tion of hostilities he opposed the peace
everything else, so that the lovable old | treaty for the reason that it was too
types who amiably went their way | severe on Germany. Since the organ-
moulding public sentiment and living | ization of the League of Nations he
mostly on husks are fast being super- | has allowed no oppertunity to aid Ger-
ceded by men whose brains have been | man efforts to avoid the just penalty
developed to consideration of their of Hun atrocities, to escape.
own business offices as well as their; In supporting the Knox resolution in
editorial rooms and are therefor all | the Senate Senator Lodge declared
the more efficient in the service they | that every other nation asscciated
render humanity in these times when | with us in the war has made peace
the practice is quite as essential as the | with Germany. But neither of them
theory of existence. has made a separate peace. The peace
| made by England, France and Italy is
1 : ; | the peace provided for in the Versail-
eI iki {les convention in which the United
gone up png ow Past | States was a leading element, and in
Ya 3 I ee which we might have participated but
the water in that ordinarily sparkling | for the perverseness of the Republican
stream. They found the water so pol- | majority in the Senate. Lodge and
luted with chemicals and drainage DiS bigoted A800 ore sponds
from some place that the stench there- | In he fact haat ng and, te an
from was almost unbearable. In fact | 1taly A e Yen 0 a
farmers have been complaining that | Ree Hd : many wh ae a ’
the water is so bad that their steel | YY© nught have been the Ist and 1a-
i vored beneficiary of restored com-
| merce.
will not drink it. Dr. J. L. Seibert,
representative of the State Board of Acide Crom tho bad faith to our Al
lies in the war, expressed in the
Health, was notified and went up the
a fo fioied thay | adoption of the Knox resolution, there
he has located the source of the trou- |S revealed Bn selfishness of purpose
ble and has notified the State Board of | Which 1s a el Hpen Je Smeslens
Health as to what he has discovered, | SAnERnIOn Fn ution ropy 0 os
and he anticipates that an inspector | t 8 agus oF, a Fir Oh ans
and engineer will be on the ground ; 3nd Claims every advantage Ii allows
probably this week to see what can be | to membership in another. It puts the
done to stop the pollution. As it is it | American people in the attitude of
is a menace to the health of the peo- begin favo 1s from JR otgeizaiion
: ? ; o the maintenance of which they re-
ple of that section through which the ose to contribate. Thix is not. the
| American way. It is the sordid and
stream flows.
selfish methods revealed in the Dollar
i
=~ :
It is vaguely intimated in the news
Governor
——Ambassador Harvey says he | Diplomacy which prevailed while
“is wholly unable to perceive why a Knox was Secretary of State and has
citizen of the United States cannot | peep rejected by every self-respecting
represent his country without appear- | American since.
ing either a sycophant or a swash- |
buckler.” Nobody who knows Harvey |
can see how he can represent anything
without being either or both.
Obviously Senator Penrose is
| still a very sick man. Otherwise he
wouldn’t allow the Sproul road roller
to crush his friends as it has done.
——It’s rather fortunate that no-
——Speaking of delusions it is said
amateurishness and unfamiliarity with | theory. In the circumstances he can’t | that William Jennings Bryan still im-
country conditions was written all
through his story.
agines that his voice has influence on
do much harm even if he does little
popular Democratic opinion.
good.
Senator Newberry’s Election Sus-
tained.
The decision of the Supreme court
of the United States setting aside the
conviction of Senator Newberry, of
Michigan, and sixteen others who had
violated the Federal Corrupt practic-
es act, is more confusing than surpris-
ing. The law limits the expenditures
of a candidate for Senator in Congress
to $10,000. Senator Newberry ac-
knowledged that his nomination and
election had cost himself and his fam-
ily about $200,000 and his party and
friends more than a million. The ev-
idence at the trial showed, however,
that most of the money was spent in
the primary campaign and the deci-
sion of the court is based on the prop-
osition that Congress has no right to
regulate primary eclections.
Of course Chief Justice White and
Associate Justices Clark and Brandies
dissented. Being Democrates they are
unable to discern the fine lines which
differentiate between primary and
general elections. But they agreed
upon a reversal of the judgment of
the lower court nevertheless, upon the
ground that Congress is without au-
thority to limit the expenditures of a
candidate, that being a prerogative of
the State Legislatures. Orin D.
Blakesley, of Venango county, who
pleaded nolle contendre to a similar
charge some years ago and forfeited
his seat in Congress will probably
think his lawyers were stupids. If he
had carried his case to the higher
court he might have held his seat.
Still there is no certainty on this
point. Senator Newberry was elected
at a time when the election of a Re-
publican Senator was of the greatest
importance to his party. His vote
gave the Republicans a majority in
the Senate and enabled the bitter end-
ers to pack the committee on Foreign
Relations so as to prevent the rafifi-
cation of the Paris peace treaty and
put the United States into the League
of Nations. That was the most im-
portant event from the view point of
the Republican machine, of recent
years, and Newberry having paid the
price and taken the chances, was en-
titled to protection. On the principle
of “hone» among thieves,” he was en-
titled to the decision handed down.
of Philadelphia and the State of Penn-
sylvania have sustained a distinct loss
in the death, last week, of Henry
Budd, of Philadelphia.
Hope for Democracy in
Action,
Prompt
We are neither inclined to nor in the
habit of “chasing rainbows.” Until
the blundering and profligate Legisla-
ture disgusted the thinking people of
the State we could see no reasonable
hope for the success of the Democrat-
ic party in Pennsylvania, in the near
future. The stupid or venal leaders
who had control of the organization
for over eight years had so complete-
ly demoralize the party that every ex-
pectation was dismayed. Selfish am-
bitions led to such a prostitution of
power that life-long workers in the
political faith of Jefferson and Jack-
son turned away in disgust.
But in the light of recent. events we
can now see a possible chance of vic-
tory in the near future.
profligacy and riotous indulgence in
other vices by the recent boss-controll-
ed Legislature have so outraged pub-
lic sentiment that justice-loving and:
right-thinking men in all sections of
the State, hitherto earnest Republi-
cans, are turning away in disgust and
seeking alliances into which they may
enter without a sense of shame. Out
of this confusion of purpose there
arises a hope for the triumph of the
Democratic party. It is the only
available vehicle for escape from the
iniquities of machine spoliation.
But even this hope can be fulfilled
only by a complete reoganization of
the Democratic party. The faithless
patronage mongers who have been
misleading the party in the recent
past must be driven out of the coun-
cils and the mission of leadership be-
stowed upon men worthy of the con-
fidence thus reposed in them. This
can be accomplished in time to enter |
the next important campaign with
courage and confidence, if it is begun
at once. But action must be prompt
and vigorous. And the obligation is
upon every true Democrat in every
voting district in the State. Let us
begin it in Centre county now.
——During the years 1919 and 1920
Centre county received as its share of
the appropriation for the support of
the public schools $66,951. If the
Governor signs the appropriation bill
passed by the last Legislature the
‘county will receive as its share for
1921 and 1922 $95,100, or $28,149 more
than it received before, all of which
will be devoted to paying increased
salaries to teachers.
rt Mp Ap
——DMaybe in the long run the
Sproul-Crow machine will discover
that it “sowed to the wind to reap a
whirlwind.”
The Democratic party, the city
Fine Fight in Prospect.
There is a good deal of speculation
throughout the State as to the depth
and width of the chasm which sepa-
rates the factions of the Republican
party. The events which marked the
closing sessions of the General As-
sembly indicate a bitterness which is
irreconcilable. The humiliation put
upon Speaker Spangler and through
him cn Joseph R. Grundy, of Bucks
county, and George S. Oliver, of Pitts-
burgh, was paiticularly cruel and se-
vere, while incidentally the ponderous
form of Senator Penrose was side-
swiped in a manner that might be ex-
pected to provoke resentment in kind.
The Senator has not hitherto been
known as of the amiable type that of-
fers the other cheek when a blow is
administered.
Of course both sides in the conflict,
for it can be described in no other
term, depend upon the healing influ-
ence of public patronage to work a
reconciliation of their differences. The
Grundy-Oliver contingent may confi-
dently rely upon the moral support of
Senator Knox, who is said to stand
high with the President and Secretary
of the Treasury Mellon. If to the in-
fluence of these gentlemen is added
that of Senator Penrose it may safely
be said that the patronage of the fed-
eral administration is solid on that
side. In former years that would have
‘been sufficient to turn the tide of Re-
publican sentiment in that direction
and control the vote of the party.
But things are different now.
Through the work of the recent ses-
sion of the Legislature Governor
Sproul has control of so vast an
amount of official patronage that the
postoffice and revenue department pat-
ronage dwindles into insignificance.
The Governor can summon to his aid
and put upon his payroll such an ar-
my of tax eaters that the federal force
would be overwhelmed if the two ele-
ments should come into encounter.
Thus far Knox, Mellon and Penrose
have not revealed themselves in the
contest and possibly they may con-
sult prudence and remain out of the
range of the Sproul guns. The Sena-
tors are old and foxy. But if they
should conclude to take a hand they
could put up a fine fight. am ATE
One of the funny features of
v
ee ere F
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
| —White glass sand of a high grade is said
to have been found on the farm of D. G.
Welch, near Shirleysburg, in Huntingdon
county. The farm is one of the best in the
Aughwick valley.
—DBecause his wife compelled him and
their young daughter to say their prayers
in bed and interfered with family worship
by rattling dishes, George A. Oiler, of
Harrisburg, was granted a divorce from
his wife, Clara. Oiler testified his wife
beat him over the legs with a skillet and
was abusive in her language, holding his
religion in contempt.
—DMurder trials in York county are cost-
ly. This was demonstrated by the trial of
Charles Baker, which ended last Friday
with a verdict of second degree murder,
and which clerk of court Smith says will
cost the county more than $25,000. District
Attorney Rochew announced that gun-tot-
ing by irresponsible and dangerous char-
acters must cease in that county.
—After being searched for by relatives
and friends in all parts of Cumberland and
adjacent counties, Joseph Conrad, 71 years
old, of Mount Holly Springs, who disap-
peared from his home on Wednesday
morning, was found contentedly living in
the county jail at Carlisle, where he had
gone in search of a night's lodging when
he became fatigued on the way to visit a
son in Harrisburg.
—Since April 1, the Pennsylvania High-
way Department has let highway contracts
aggregating $6,000,000 in value. This in-
volves the construction of about ninety
miles of roads, including excavation, grad-
ing and surfacing, mostly with reinforced
concrete and Hillside brick. The month's
total was increased by the letting, during
the last week, of three contracts aggregat-
ing $680,387 in value.
—John Birka, 8 years old, died on Sun-
day in the Berwick hospital several hours
after he had been shot by his brother
Michael, aged 5 years, while they were
playing with their father's revolver. The
elder brother had pointed the weapon play-
fully at Michael and then handed the
weapon to him. The boy pointed it at
John and fired, the bullet tearing away
part of the jaw and lodging in the neck.
—DMinisters and laymen from all parts of
the central Pennsylvania Methodist Epis-
copal conference gathered at Mechanics-
burg on Saturday clad in overalls for the
purpose of cleaning up the Methodist
Home for Children. This land was recent-
ly purchased by the conference and many
small buildings which were on the proper-
ty were razed by the ministers and laymen.
A general clean-up of the premises was al-
s0 made.
—Timely use of a revolver and sure aim
by Joseph R. McCombs, an insurance spe-
cialist, of Sunbury, saved T. W. Bittner, a
Sunbury merchant, from being bitten by a
copperhead snake, one of the largest of the
variety ever seen in that vicinity. Mec-
Combs and Bittner were out in the woods
when the snake coiled, hissed and struck
at Bittner. At the same moment, Me-
i Combs fired. The bullet took the head off
| the snake.
i
—An unusual claim for compensation has
| been made before Referee Jacob G. Snyder,
| of the Altoona district, by Serafino Dostil-
ilo, of Gallitzin, a Pennsylvania Railroad
| laborer. The petitioner claims that he lost
i the sight of both eyes by coming in con-
{ tact with gaseous fumes arising from rail-
Foad ties ‘treated with creosote. He has
; been blind since October, 1920. The case is
| the first of its kind since the establishment
| of the local office.
current political gossip is that the | —The lone combination freight and pas-
friends of former Secretary of State | senger train on the Kishacoquillas Valley
Lansing ‘complain that he was badly | Railroad, nine miles long, running between
tronted by President Wilson. If Pres- i Reedsville and Belleville, had its first real
ident Wilson hadn’t mistakenly favor- |" eck last Friday in thirty years of opera-
| 42 .
: > | tion. The rails spread, throwing a freight
ed Lansing nobody would have ever |... joagea with wheat over an embank-
= y hi ;
known much about him. ! ment. Another freight car was upset and
{ forty cans of cream were spilled, flooding
= tl A re em se
The reckless
“The Pamphlet” Comes to Life Again.
The Pamphlet, edited by Charles J.
Bangert, of DuBois, one of the oldest,
best known and most picturesque
.newspaper men in north-western
Pennsylvania, has been “re-born”
after an interval of more than nine
months, during which time the editor
devoted himself to special newspaper
work in Pittsburgh.
The Pamphlet is one of those little
pocket-size publications for which
there is a distinct place in our local,
State and national life. It is written
: entirely by one man, in a most happy,
"humorous and quaint style, which has
a way of getting under the skin of the
sourest reader.
As it was issued last year, The
Pamphlet was a thin little booklet,
i some 24 pages and cover. The “re-
born” issue, dated May, 1921, seems
not only to have been re-born, but to
have grown quite considerably in the
process. For the May number, which
has just reached us, is a thick one of
some 48 pages and cover, is excellent-
ly printed on first-class paper, and
shows signs of having been carefully
designed by expert printers and pub-
lishers. Typographically speaking, it
is a finished product, and is in keep-
ing with the fine reading on the inside
pages. The publishers announce that
The Pamphlet will be issued regularly
every month and will be on the news-
stands on the 25th.
We welcome The Pamphlet into the
journalistic field again, and bespeak
for it a happy and successful career
at the hands of the reading public.
remo ee fp ee:
| ——President Harding has sadly
! disappointed Senator Johnson, but no
more so than Secretary Hughes is dis-
appointing the government in Berlin.
—DMay day parties, if there were
any in this section must have been
damp, dismal affairs.
——During the past week several
hundred men in various parts of the
State who had been laid off some time
ago by the Pennsylvania railroad com-
pany, were ordered back to work,
which looks as if the crucial period of
depression in railroad business had
been passed and better times coming.
——The wet weather this week has
put the farmers back with their work
and also played havoc with gardening
of all kinds. But cheer up, the alma-
nac says we will have nicer weather
next week.
| the car f{loor to a depth of two feet aand
i drowing a crate of pigeons. The passen-
| ger car also was derailed and the passen-
| gers shaken up, but nore injured severely.
|
{ —The Rev. Dr. I'ranklin KX. Huntzinger,
{ for more than a score of years known as
; Reading's “marrying parson,” {frequently
{marrying as many as eight pairs in a day,
| died on Sunday, aged nearly 77 years. His
| Wife died some years ago, and their only
i child preceded them in death. For fifty-
| two years pastor of St. Luke's Lutheran
| church, which he founded, Dr. Huntzinger
i resigned two weeks ago and was then
i elected pastor emeritus. He preached 20,-
000 sermons, ‘confirmed thousands of young
| people, baptized 9732, married 4277 couples
i and conducted 4983 funerals.
| —Penniless, friendless and jobless, John
| Dietz, of Connersville, Pa., and H. A. Gil-
{ ford, were arrested last week on the moun-
tains near Mt. Carmel, charged with three
robberies. When asked what they did with
the bottle of chloroform taken from them
they said they put themselves to sleep to
escape suffering from cold and hunger.
The young men had met in Norfolk and
tramped to the coal region for work. When
in an old brick house one night while com-
ing north, they were unable to sleep be-
cause of being cold and hungry and took
so much choloroform to put them out of
their misery that they did not get awake
for three days. Deitz recovered first and
aroused Gilford.
—George C. Tompkins, of Philadelphia,
thrice convicted of murder in the Cambria
county courts and recently cinvicted in the
Blair county courts when a change of ven-
ue was granted, will go to the electric
chair during the week of May 23rd. Tomp-
kins is now in the Blair county jail. He
was convicted of murdering Edmund I.
Humphreys, his wife, Caroline, and son,
Edmund I. Jr, at Carrolltown, Cambria
county, July 15th, 1917. Two verdicts of
first-degree murder brought in Cambria
courts, were set aside by the Supreme
court prior to the trial in Blair county. A
plea of insanity was set up by counsel and
during the trial his actions were those of
an insane man. He is making beads at
present in the Blair jail and apparently
sane,
—Aroused from her afternoon nap at her
home in Essington on Saturday, Irene
Kenscroft discovered that her head had
been shorn of some of the beautiful black
curls that had hung beyond her waist. No
“Jack, the Snipper,” was responsible for
the loss of Irene's crop of curls, however.
The presence of a pet Billy goat, munch-
ing upon the severed tresses explained the
theft. According to Miss Kenscroft, “Bil-
ly” suddenly developed a laughing fit, the
curls having caused a tickling sensation in
the goat's stomach. He was driven almost
into hysterics. The goat has the run of
the Kenscroft home, the girl said, and
when he strolled into the living room and
espied his young mistress asleep on a
lounge, he succumbed to the temptation to
make a meal of her raven locks.