ien e Republicans, are
“net saying it with flowers to the pres-
ident of the county W. C. T. U., these
days. Most of them are saying it
with bricks.
—Local Republican leaders are de-
ploring an imaginary infirmity in Gov-
ernor Pinchot. They think he has only
one ear. Be that as it may they would
think one a-plenty if they could only
get to it.
—There’s a lot of fun, after all, for
the fellow who can get into a gallery
seat, only, in the play of politics. He's
laughing like —— right now at the
fellows who read Arthur Dale out of
their party last fall.
—The one bright ray in the gloom
of dethroned foreign nabobs is the
fact that many of them have rich
friends in America who will stand for
an occasional “touch” or provide a
few weeks board when convenient.
—Judged from what we hear of
the injections of the personal equa-
tion by Miss Rhoads into the judicial
controversy in Centre county we are
inclined to the prediction that Rebec-
ca has gone once too often to the well
with her pitcher.
—Talking about the time when the
point of saturation in automobile de-
mand will be reached in this country
we are of the opinion that it is still
very far off. It won’t be reached, in
any event, until the country has
“hocked” everything else it owns to
buy motors and gas.
—Governor Pinchot says one thing
about the State’s financial condition.
Auditor General Lewis says another.
Still standing by our assertion of a
year or more ago to the effect that
John Flynn and Sam Lewis were the
only two men on “the Hill” who real-
ly knew what they were talking about,
we're betting that Sam has the Gov-
ernor in a hole.
—Mrs. Gene Stratton Porter, novel-
ist, was killed in a motor accident in
Los Angeles, Sunday. Her death is
regrettable, indeed, for while she lived
there was hope that such pure stories
as “Freckles” and “The Girl of the
Limberlost” might be found in the
book-stalls as a counter-irritant for
such filth as “Simon Called Peter”
and “Flaming Youth.”
—The Japs are reported as regard-
ing it a very unfriendly demonstra-
tion for Uncle Sam to parade his boats
around a bit off our western coast.
They are unduly nervous. What good
isa navy if it can’t be. drilled and
certainly this country isn’t going to
put wheels under its boats and drag
them around on shore just because
Japan is “seein’ things.”
—Mr. Mortimer, who is the gov-
ernment’s chief witness in the inves-
tigation of the scandals of the Veter-
an’s Bureau, has injected his wife in-
to the mess. He charges Col. Forbes,
the defendant, of having been too fa-
miliar with her, but admits that he
didn’t resent the familiarity until
after he had forced Forbes to give a
lot of contracts to his friends.
—Governor Pinchot is already de-
manding that the next Legislature
find more sources of income from the
State. That means, if his advice is to
be followed, that something the peo-
ple have that has thus far escaped
paying tribute must be discovered.
We can’t imagine any possession of a
resident of Pennsylvania that is not
now taxed, unless it be the air we
breathe.
—If some one were able to scratch
deep enough it would likely be discov-
ered that scrapping U. S.ships isn’t
actuated as much by the dove of peace
as it is by the builders of ships. After
we get ours sunk beyond recall from
Davy Jones’ Locker it will be start-
lingly proclaimed that other countries
haven’t followed the example and at
once a great rebuilding campaign will
be urged.
—The activities of members of the
Centre county bar in behalf of the ap-
pointment of Harry Keller resulted
in uncovering another gentleman who
has amibtion to enter the primaries
next year in the race to succeed the
late Judge Quigley. William Groh
Runkle ‘Esq. told them that he is a
candidate, not for the favor of Gov-
ernor Pinchot but for that of the vot-
ers of Centre county.
—The pugs of Philadelphia ought
to be happy this Christmas season.
The President has announced that
Gen. Smedley Butler will not be per-
mitted to be absent longer than a year
from his command in the marines; so
that Philadelphia will soon have a new
director of public safety. Santa
couldn’t have brought anything more
acceptable to the crooks of the Qua-
ker city than that announcement.
—The Governor has been quick to
take the bull by the horns. While the
organization leaders have been dis-
cussing who they will concentrate on
for speaker of the next House the
Governor has announced that he has
concentrated on C. Jay Goodnough.
It will he recalled that Goodnough
was the speaker of the last session
and was injected into the office by
Pinchot. “Everybody” is supposed to
be against his re-election and Gif. is
evidently going to the mat to find out
who “Everybody” is at the earliest
possible moment.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERALZUNION.
VOL. 69.
BELLEFO
The Public Idea of It.
As the time approaches for the re-
assembling of the Legislature of
Pennsylvania naturally tke public in-
terest increases in what that body will
do by way of enactments that will
more fully carry into operation the
radical changes in the conduct of the
State’s business that were made two
years ago, when Governor Pinchot
held the whip hand and was able to
force his program for reconstruction
through the legislative body.
It is generally believed that the
Governor's program was well inten-
tioned. It is just as generally believ-
ed that it was not practical, for the
reason that he called into his coun-
cils dreamers, theorists and fanatics
who had no knowledge of the conduct
of public affairs and no patience with
the idea that the servant of the peo-
ple, in the last analysis is the servant
of the policies of the party that gave
him the opportunity of service.
After having defeated George Al-
ter for the nomination, solely because
Alter’s campaign had been miserably
bungled, and having defeated John A.
McSparran at the election he became
imbued with the idea that his was
purely a personal victory. A mandate
to Gifford Pinchot to direct a great
Commonwealth exactly as he, person-
ally, desired for a period of four
years.
Governor Pinchot failed to consider
the real factor in the equation of his
election.
those of his party who had been op-
posed to his nomination yet accepted
it and supported him because they
were Republicans and would and did
vote for him, whether they liked him
or not, in preference to voting for
even so capable a man as the Demo-
crats offered as the alternative.
The Legislature of 1923 gave the
Governor everything in the way of
legislation that he asked for. It was
not a body at heart in sympathy with
his program. It was a body with an
eye to the flesh pots and ready to
“trim” for the course that any real
Moses might chart for the party that
stood back of it.
What happened ?
the pa the fanatics so
counselled the idealist that he lost
every supporter with a political con-
tact and today, on the eve of the con-
vening of the Legislature he is with-
out dependable support from any
source. He has no patronage to give.
The friends who were his in his con-
test for election have been cast off
and he stands shorn = of strength to;
put over any of the worth-while ideas
he might have had for economy and
efficiency. in the State’s government.
Why has such a revulsion of public
opinion occurred? The answer is ea-
sy. It is natural.
Governor Pinchet has blatantly
been telling the public that his new
system of conducting affairs is saving
it $40,000.00 a day. As a matter of
fact he is reported as having pushed
his claim to economy in administra-
tion up to $47,000.00 a day in saving
for the State.
Such statements have sent the pub-
lic to pencil and paper. They multi-
ply, even his lowest claim of $40,000
a day, by 365 and find that he is tell-
ing them that he is saving nearly fif-
teen millions of dollars a year. Then
they ask themselves why. If he is
saving such a vast amount, is he al-
ready setting the stage to allure us
into paying more taxes.
Two years ago he promised that he
would clean up “the mess” and put
the State out of debt in two years.
Between now and January he will
have to show the public in a more con-
vincing way that he has kept his
promise or go before its representa-
tives in the next General Assembly
admitting failure.
There is such a wide divergence be-
tween what he claims to have done
and what Auditor General Lewis
claims the books show that doubt is
in every mind as to the real condition
of affairs. The public wants to know
the facts. It wants to know why, if
the Governor has been bringing about
such enormous economies there is not
something more substantial to show
for them than his warning that the
educational and charitable institu-
tions of the Commonwealth will have
to be further impoverished if more
revenues are not provided for him.
——————— cr ——————
——TIncluded in the forty-two hun-
dred miles of state highway which are
to be kept clean of snow during the
winter are included the route from
Lewisburg to Centre Hall and across
the mountain to Bellefonte, and the
route from Water Street by way of
State College to Williamsport.
—The city of Shamokin thinks it’s
“broke” because it has only $4267 in
its strong box and $13,200 in notes
outstanding. If Bellefonte were in
that enviable condition of finances she
would imagine herself on “Easy
street.”
He lost sight entirely of
The theorists, |
An Interesting Contest on the
Horizon.
The action of Governor Pinchot in
the selection of a person to serve the
unexpired term on the Centre county
bench will have little effect on the
contest for the ten year tenure that
will be waged next fall.
The death of Judge Quigley puts
all the prospective candidates on an
equal footing in the matter of exper-
ience and it is quite possible that sev-
eral who have not seriously consider-
ed it before might enter the race be-
fore the date for filing nomination pa-
! pers close.
Reports are current to the effect
that Governor Pinchot made it known
last week that M. Ward Fleming, of
Philipsburg, could have the appoint-
ment if he wanted it. However true
they may be they served the purpose
of drawing from Mr. Fleming the
declaration that he would not accept
it if tendered and would not be a can-
didate for election to the bench at this
time. Mr. Fleming is a young man.
He is building a very gratifying
practice and feels that success in his
profession is his duty to himself and
his family. After that is attained, if
the county should feel like so reward-
ing him, he would deem it a great
honor to close his professional career
on the bench.
So with Mr. Fleming not a contend-
er there is left of the avowed candi-
dates only Messrs. Keller and John-
ston. Add to these Willim Groh Run-
kle, who announced his candidacy for
the first time on Tuesday, and the
possibiliy of N. B. Spangler, Samuel
D. Gettig, W. D. Zerby and James C.
Furst. Neither of the latter four has
positively declared his intention of en-
tering the lists. They are believed,
however, to be considering it serious-
: ly, withholding final decision until the
| situation becomes clearer.
The non-partisan law affecting the
election of judges having been repeal-
ed there is a possibility of the Repub-
licans having to choose between two
at their primaries, while the Demo-
crats might have as many ‘as five as-
| pirants to select a nominee from.
: cates and all have the opportunity of
‘ entering what should be a fair field.
! Centre county is in for two interest-
| ing campaigns next fall when it sets
| itself to the task of picking from a
| field possibly comprising - Spangler,
i Runkle, Gettig, Johnston, Zerby, Kel-
i ler and Furst the two who will be en-
tered for the final in November.
i ~ —Send the “Watchman” for a year
to the friend who is away, but still
i retains an interest in Centre county
i affairs. It will be almost the same as
| fifty letters a year from you.
| Opinions Widely Different.
| Widely different opinions are being
| freely expressed in Washington and
| elsewhere concerning the wisdom of
| the Republican Senators in expelling
: Senator LaFollette, of Wisconsin;
Senator Brookhart, of Iowa, and Sen-
| ators Ladd and Frazier, of North Da-
i kota, from the party communion ta-
I ble. It is true that a ten million ma-
| jority is a blanket franchise to indulge
iB many political pranks. The seven
million majority given the Republican
candidate four years ago was inter-
preted as a license to loot indiscrim-
inately and the renewal of the com-
| mission by an increased vote is en-
: couragement to greater excesses. But
in view of the considerable total vote
polled by LaFollette there is danger
in recklessness.
Of course the expulsion from the par-
ty councils of the Independent Sena-
tors means the exclusion of the sup-
porters of LaFollette from the local
organizations throughout the country.
With a plurality of nearly a million
and a majority of more than half a
million behind them the Senators for
Pennsylvania may feel perfectly safe
in flouting the more than 800,000
voters in the State who supported the
Wisconsin Senator for President. But
more - experienced leaders would be
less confident of the future. The
agencies which co-operated in produc-
ing the result this year may not be
active in a State contest and if the
supporters of LaFollette are inclined
jo be resentful they might make trou-
e.
There were a. good many votes cast
for LaFollette a month ago in the sev-
eral States and a good many of the
votes cast for President Coolidge were
influenced by conditions not likely to
be present again. In view of these
facts while it may have been wise for
the Republican Senators to adopt the
heroic treatment a more conservative
course might have been better. When
Roosevelt bolted and did infinitely
more harm to the party than LaFol-
lette inflicted the Republican leaders
never thought of expelling him or
penalizing his supporters. But the
Republican leaders of that time had
more wisdom and were more exper-
ienced in political warfare. Novices
have more confidence but less wisdom.
All have their friends and advo- |H
NTE, PA.. DECEMBER 12. 1924.
women smn
Is It the Last Struggle?
Throughout its entire life the local
Y. M. C. A. has had a tragic struggle
for existence. It was at its lowest ebb
some six or more years ago and would
probably have died then had not the
anticipated return of the boys from
war inspired the effort to revive it for
their benefit. There was a generous
response to the call for rehabilitation
and the Association property was en-
larged and equipped in splendid fash-
ion.
It was the general thought at that
time that there would be a revival of
interest in it because of the intimate
experience with Y objectives and serv-
ice that the soldiers had had at can-
tonments at home and over seas. For
awhile there was, but interest flagged
until at present those who have al-
ways taken a deep interest in the in-
stitution are asking themselves: Will
Bellefonte support a Y. M. C. A.?
isn’t a question of whether she needs
it; because she does. Nor is it a ques-
tion of ability to support it; because
she has the financial ability. It is one
wholly of the will.
When the Y was started there were
very few other social centers where
men could gather away from saloons
and pool rooms. Today nearly every
fraternal order has attractive assem-
bly rooms for its members. Most of
the churches have “Brotherhood” clubs
aad we have parks, automobiles, thea-
atres and movies all offering oppor-
tunities for companionship that were
not in existence forty years ago. In
fact Bellefonte is over-organized in
almost every way. So much so that
the average young man finds it a
problem to be loyal to half of them.
And while the matter of their drain
upon his funds is a very considerable
amount it was inconsequential in the
days of his father.
Yes, Bellefonte has need for the Y
and probably always will. It is the
one natural auxiliary of the churches
that is undenominational. It is the
one meeting place open to every race
and creed where wholesome amuse-
ment can be found in a christian at-
osphere that is not obtrusive. It is
the one lace that the wanderer can
go.and 1
if he will. However true this may ail
be public indifference and. added
drains on its funds for such purposes
has reduced the problem of the Y to
one wholly of finances. It can’t carry
on the work that is expected of it
without funds to do it with and, as
we have been informed, is now at the
point where sacrifice of nearly every-
thing cultural is to be made in the
hope that it can drag along as a polite
amusement enterprise.
Far better would it be if Bellefonte
were to look the situation squarely in
the face. Consider it from all angles
and decide finally whether it wants a
Y. If it doesn’t, let it be closed and
save the community from the shame
of seeing a christian institution de-
teriorate into a half-way house be-
tween God and Mammon.
—The patients at the Centre Coun-
ty hospital are feasting on venison
these days. Already they have eaten
eight deer and as there are twelve
more hanging up in the butcher shops
of Bellefonte awaiting a chance to get
on a hospital tray it is possible the
sick folks, nurses and all will be tak-
ing to the woods before they dispose
of all that wild meat.
Alone in the Saddle Now.
The passing of Judge Quigley will
doubtless result in a consolidation of
the leadership of the Republican or-
ganization in Centre county. The
Judge was the titular head of his par-
ty, though not in sole control of its
machinery. He shared that responsi-
bility with the Hon. Harry B. Scott,
of Philipsburg.
Mr. Scott has been the party in this
dual leadership who has been contin-
ucusly in touch with the State organ-
ization and whose approval is neces-
sary before any patronage is dispens-
ed. He knows Centre county far bet-
ter than it knows him, and is in such
a comfortable condition financially as
to feel no sacrifice in indulging his
flair for politics.
There appears to be no one promi-
nent enough among local Republican
leaders to challenge Mr. Scott’s right
to now assume sole control of his par-
ty’s organization. It will probably be
accepted as a matter of course. He
has been its “angel” for years and
however some may view his accession
to practical dictatorship we venture
the prediction that there will be none
to challenge it.
——The squad of state police that
had been stationed at the Rockview
penitentiary for two months have
been withdrawn from that institution
and a portion of it stationed at Pleas-
ant Gap.
——————— A —————
, ~The mills. are paying $1.60 for
wheat,
nd a weleome and inspiration,
NO. 49.
Then Co-Operate.
From the Pittsburgh Post.
President Coolidge, in his address
before the Chicago Commercial club,
repeated the familiar arguments that
the American people cannot live unto
themselves alone; that their day of is-
olation—if they ever really had one—
passed years ago. The world war
taught us, he pointed out, that we
cannot expect to maintain our country
as “an isle of contentment lifted
above the general level of the aver-
age of the standards of humanity.”
When he could not avoid involvement
in a war whose causes were foreign,
“how can we hope to avoid our full
i share of responsibility in connection
i with other world problems which, if
| they ever are to be solved, must be
| solved in an atmosphere of peace and
i good will?” Of course we wish to live
{in a world of peace. “But we can no
| more assure permanent and stable
| peace without co-operation among the
nations than we could assure victory
'in war without allies among them.”
All of which has been said over and
| over again in this country in connec-
tion with the world war and peace-
making. The complaint against the
Coolidge administration is that while
it has always been talking that way
it has never accomplished anything in
the direction of co-operating with oth-
er nations in the cause of peace. It re-
fused to make the American members
of the commission of experts on the
reparations question official represen-
tatives of the country. Whatever
they did was done wholly as individu-
al citizens. It declined an invitation
to send representatives to the recent
international conference at Geneva on
arms reduction and the outlawing of
war. Mr. Coolidge occasionally goes
out of his way to speak of the League
of Nations in a manner to make its
progress more difficult—this one agen-
cy in the world to make effective the
co-operation about which he is always
talking. While nation after nation,
each as jealous of its sovereignty as
we are of ours, has joined the asso-
ciation without the least fear of los-
ing independence thereby—while the
League in practice has proved to be
anything but a super-state—Mr.
Coolidge continues to take flings at it
as if it would be dangerous for us to
co-operate with it for such purposes
as arms reduction. Although he is
committed to . the proposition of
Ameriean --membexship j#
court—although his party is pledged
to the same—he seldom speaks of it,
and when he does it is in a more or
less perfunctory manner. The result
is that the country appears to be
about as far away as ever from mem-
bership in the tribunal.
The time has come to co-operate in-
stead of resting content merely with
talking about it or sending unofficial
observers to listen in where they
ought to be sitting in with credentials
in keeping with the dignity and the
duty of a great nation.
A Well-Deserved Award.
From the Philadelphia Record.
The trustees of the Wilson Founda-
tion have done wisely in presenting
the first award from that fund to Vis-
count Cecil. Under the courtesy title
of Lord Robert Cecil, and under the
title conferred upon him recently, he
has worked for the world’s peace as
no other man except President Wil-
son, either in this country or in Eu-
rope, has worked. Work for the
world’s peace does not consist of Mr.
Coolidge’s assurances that he is op-
posed to war and loves international
harmony. William II has always in-
sisted that he maintained peace for
more than twenty-five years, and that
he did everything he could in 1914 to
avert war, though it is notorious that
he did nothing except to try to keep
the other nations from interfering
while Austria-Hungary crushed Ser-
via. Real work for the world’s peace
is work for the League of Nations be-
cause a co-operative movement among
nations is the only means of prevent-
ing war.
Lord Cecil made a series of address-
es in this country in the interest of
the League. He secured the interven-
tion of the League for the protection
of the German residents in the Sarre
basin. He did what circumstances
permitted to curb Italy in the Greek
controversy. In all the work of the
League he has been as wise as he has
been persistent in seeking interna-
tional justice without force. Beyond
question he is the one man who is car-
rying on the work of Woodrow Wilson.
Up to Congress.
From the Johnstown Democrat.
President Coolidge says that we wiil
get busy and reduce taxes after a
while. In the mean time he suggests
that everybody economize. The first
step in a campaign of economy is tax
reduction. Congresses have a way of
spending all the money in sight.
——————— A ————————
——Two dozen or more officers of
the 104th cavalry, Pennsylvania Na-
tional Guard, held their annual meet-
ing on Saturday and Sunday at the
officer’s club of the Twenty-eighth di-
vision, ‘ at Boalsburg. The officers
came from Harrisburg, Carlisle and
Chambersburg, most of them motor-
ing to Boalsburg. The meeting was
also attended by Col. J. S. Fair, a reg-
ular army officer, of Philadelphia, who
is senior cavalry instructor in Penn-
sylvania. Col. Fair also visited Belle-
fonte while in Centre county.
“world:
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—Peénnsylvania will get approximately
$6,000,000 in anthracite coal taxes tied up
by the litigation which the United States
Supreme court dismissed on Monday.
—John A. MeSparran, worty master of
the Pomona Grange of Pennsylvania, asked
to be retired from the office at the 52nd
annual convention in session at Reading.
Mr. McSparran has served for ten years.
—Bequests of $50,000 each to the Wil-
liamsport Dickinson Seminary and the
Dickinson College are included in the will
of W. A. Phillips, wealthy coal dealer of
Mt. Carmel, according to reliable informa-
tion. Mr. Phillips left an estate which will
exceed $1,500,000.
—The Methodist church at Huntersville,
Lycoming county, was wrecked by an ex-
plosion which occurred just as the con-
gregation was assembling for services on
Sunday evening. Irving Lockard, the
caretaker, was seriously injured and a
score of other persons suffered bruises and
lacerations. .
—The disappearance of the last toll road
in Franklin county was assured on Mon-
day in condemnation proceedings at
Chambersburg when the county commis-
sioners agreed to pay $25,000 for three
miles of road running from Waynesboro
to the Maryland State line, owned princi-
pally by people of that vicinity.
—Unless Pennsylvania “wants to face a
public scandal a few years hence,” it will
start an adequate building program this
vear for housing institutional patients, Dr.
Ellen C. Potter, secretary of welfare, de-
clared in a statement on Tuesday. She
said this can be done only “if the funds
are made available by the Legislature.”
—May E. Ryan and Fidelis R. Ryan,
sisters, of Sheraden, Allegheny county, are
the winners of the $300 prize offered by the
Pennsylvania State Chamber of Commerce
for the best slogan descriptive of the Key-
stone State's attractions for the tourist.
The winning slogans: “Forty thousand
square miles beautiful” and “Madern
highways and historic byways.”
—Recognizing her unselfish devotion te
his interests, Neville D. Tyson, lawyer,
who died a week ago, president of the
Montgomery County Bar association, be-
queaths to Flora Jones, his stenographer
for twenty-seven years, $10,000 and 5 per
cent. of the gross amount of his estate,
valued at $50,000 and upward. She was al-
§0 made sole executrix of the estate.
—William Filson, of Yeagertown, who
was charged with manslaughter in connec-
tion with the aecident in which the Rev.
Frank T. Bell, of Bellwood, was fatally in-
jured, July 21, near Mill Creek, was con-
victed by a jury in the Huntingdon coun-
ty court, last Thursday, after an hour’s
deliberation. Judge Thomas +«F. Bailey
sentenced Filson to pay a fine of $200 and
to serve six months in the Huntingdon
county jail.
—Juniata Terrace, the model village of
the Viscose company, comprising 250 mod-
ern brick houses located on the south of
the main line of the Pennsylvania railroad,
at Lewistown, will be thrown open in a
few days. Only employees may rent these
homes. The houses contain six rooms and
bath with all modern conveniences, iand
enough to grow vegetables for a family of
five, and will include nurses for the sick,
water, street light and fire protection.
7 Millard" Stotflemyer,” of Waynesboro,
19 years old, alleged deserter from the ar-
my, was sentenced at Chambersburg, to
from ten to twenty years in the eastern
penitentiary. He forged checks on Cham-
bersburg merchants, got cash, disarmed
patrolman Suders and marched him and a
merchant out the highway at the point of
a pistol. When policeman Cramer went to
the rescue, a pistol duel resulted. Stottle-
myer surrendered when his ammunition
ran out.
—Despondent because of ill health, Clair
McCoy, a farmer at Ginter, Clearfield coun-
iv, on Sunday ended his life with a shot-
nn, His lifeless body was found in the
burn by his wife after he had failed to
show up at the house for several hours.
A shot-gun lyy nearby. McCoy had been
in ill health for some time as a result of
an injury sullered about a year ago. He
was 55 years old. Besides his wife, Mc-
Coy is survived by three children, two sis-
ters and three brothers.
—Secretary of Highways Paul D.
Wright underwent an operation in Hamot
hospital, at Erie, on Monday morning in
which his right leg was amputated just
below the knee. Secretary Wright broke
the leg near the ankle two months ago
while playing tennis at Harrisburg with
Secretary of Health, Charles E. Miner.
The injured member failed to heal and
after a consultation held Saturday at
Johns Hopkins hospital, in Baltimore, it
was decided to amputate.
—Born with two thumbs on the right
hand and losing them recently in an an-
thracite mine accident in the Panther
Creek valley, Anthony Cusatt, a miner, of
Hazleton, in a letter to the district offices
of the United Mine Workers, asked
that he receive the backing of that body
in his fight for compensation for the loss
of both. Cusatt wrote that the company
employing him, the name of which he fail-
ed to give, had offered compensation for
only one thumb at the rate of $12 a week
for sixty weeks.
—A petition was filed with the prothon-
otary of the State Supreme court, at Pitts-
burgh on Monday, on behalf of eleven per-
sons asking leave -to appeal from the de-
decision of the State Superior court which
recently affirmed their conviction upon
charges growing out of a riot during a Ku
Klux Klan demonstration at Lilly, Cam-
bria county, last April, in which three
persons were killed. In the petition ask-
ing leave to appeal to the Supreme court,
it was declared that if the conviction is
sustained a citizen will be deprived of the
right to defend himself if he is attacked
on the highway when he is participating
in a lawful assembly.
—Justice came quickly to Bruce Fens-
termacher, of Watsontown, in the North-
umberland county court the .other day.
He was taken from the jail to Justice
Berie’s office, at Milton, and held for court
at 1:30 o'clock. Rushed back to court, he
indicated to assistant district attorney
John W. Bassler that he wanted to plead
guilty of shooting Mrs. Mary B. Ammon,
35 years of age, of Watsontown, whom he
wounded in the arm in an attempt to kill
her during a jealous rage. The plea was
taken and signed by Fenstermacher, who
was then sentenced to pay a fine of $100,
costs of prosecution and to serve a term in
the eastern penitentiary of not less than
two nor more than four years.