Demet Wp
INK SLINGS.
‘—After listening to the Governor
for more than an hour on Monday
night we are absolutely convinced that
Gif. is the man who put up the moon.
He didn’t just exactly admit it, but
since he claims to have done every-
thing else he must have done that, too.
—We wonder what friend Tom Har-
ter really intended us to believe when
he said, while introducing the Gov-
ernor, Monday night: “He has made
mistakes.” Tom artfully suggested
that one of them was his own appoint-
ment to a position on the Water com-
mission, but we know he doesn’t think
that, so he must have been trying to
get something else across. What was
it?
— The Governor’s logic must be that
it is something to be proud of to give
fifty per cent. of the State’s funds to
building roads and only half as much
to the schools that must put sense
into the heads of the youth who will
eventually race over them, and one-
tenth as much to the hospitals that
will have to try to care for the youth
who have been maimed because there
wasn’t enough money to teach them
common sense.
— Ay we hoped, Centre county main-
tained her traditions on Monday when
the Governor of the Commonwealth
made his visitation. Everywhere be-
coming courtesy was shown the office
—if not the man. While Centre may
well be proud of her good manners it
cannot be said that the man who fills
the office we honored reciprocated in
kind. His twenty minute talk at State
College revealed a vindictiveness that
could be begotten only of a consum-
mately egotistical character.
— Bellefonte High licked the day-
lights out of a Renovo school football
team last Saturday. We're for the
High, because we happened to be one
of its second annual contributions to
the erudition of humanity. In 1886
everybody in “Buzzy” Etters school
knew how to spell Renovo. Thirty-
nine years of intensive schooling has
lapsed since then and the High public-
ity department has sent us a story,
published on another page, of the tri-
umph of B. H. S. of “Renova.”
—Excepting, possibly, her ends,
State’s line looks hopeful to us. Of
course it wasn’t severely tested by
Franklin and Marshall, on Saturday,
but we are of the opinion that it would
have as easily withstood a much more
powerful attack. The stamina is
there, but generalship appeared lack-
ing. Just why did she run three plays
through the right of the opposing line
to one through the left after she dis-
covered that F. and M.s right wing
was yielding no yardage while her left
was like a sieve? :
—This office as well as probably
every other newspaper office in Penn-
sylvania has received a “release” copy
of every important speech Governor
Pinchot has contemplated making
since he has been in office. Tuesday
morning we read “Associated Press”
quotations of the Governor’s speech
in Bellefonte. And we want to say
right here that he is either not stick-
ing to his text or the newspaper men
in his entourage are putting words
into his mouth. Not a sentence of his
quoted speech was uttered by him in
Bellefonte,
—If the Democrats of Centre coun-
ty take advantage of the opportunity
‘that is theirs they will have a judge
of their own party on the bench after
next January. Hundreds of Republi-
cans who are tired of machine domi-
nation are eager to help us give it a
set back and they know that the best
chance to do that is by voting for Mr.
Walker for Judge. They are going to
do that. Nothing will cause them to
change their minds between now and
the election and all they are hoping
for is that the Democrats will rally
their full party strength in the coun-
ty. If we do Mr. Walker can and will
be elected.
—To those who might have thought
the Governor made such “a grand
speech” in the court house, Monday
night, we want to put this question:
What fact did he state as to the cor-
ruption in Pennsylvania politics that
any Democratic paper in the State
‘hadn’t called attention to years be-
fore? To the Governor, himself, we
put these questions: Are you sure
that you would be the occupant of the
position you now hold had it not been
for the ballot corruptionists of whom
you complain? Why have you re-
mained silent until the time is past
when you might have helped correct
the greatest crime that gang politics
perpetrates in Pennsylvania?
—We haven’t “laid off” Pinchot this
week just to surprise friend Jim Pot-
ter, who thought we would be giving
him hell. We've been saying it with
flowers to the Governor every time he
has done anything savoring of person-
al disinteredness and we’ll do as much
for any other public or private person-
age. The trouble is there are so
darned few of that kind that the bou-
quets wilt in our hands before we have
urge to throw them. And in this con-
nection let us say that we liked parts
of the President’s speech to the Amer-
ican Legion at Omaha on Tuesday.
The Kluxers won’t like it because he
stressed “tolerance,” but the President
is right when he pleads to have hatred
taken out of our social relations and
profit taken out of war. Hatred starts
the clouds gathering and the hope of
profit rolls them into on ominous
mass.”
Demacratic
y
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
VOL. 70.
Governor’s Enemies “Kidding.”
Governor Pinchot are trying to per-
suade themselves and others that the
recent speeches of the Governor have
impaired rather than improved his po-
litical estate. In this endeavor they
allege that his State-wide tour of in-
spection of public institutions is a po-
litical instead of philanthropic enter-
prise and that in pursuing it the Gov-
ernor has degenerated from the high
level of a crusader in the cause of
righteousness, as he was appraised by
a large proportion of the electorate,
to a diver in the dirty pool of polit-
ical trickery. In other words, instead
of a sincere advocate of political mor-
porter of political chicane.
Those Republican enemies of Gov-
ernor Pinchot are “kidding” them-
selves. It may be true that the prin-
cipal purpose of the Governor’s activ-
ities is to expose the iniquities of the
Republican machine and that the in-
spection of State institutions and
State property is only an expedient to
promote his plans. But the fact re-
mains that the iniquities are there to
be exposed and condemned. It is true
that the charities of the State have
been prostituted to the base uses of
corrupt politicians and that sacred ob-
ligations of the State have been em-
ployed as currency in buying approval
of vicious legislation. If these evils
had not existed the Governor could
a political issue.
For example, none of the many
startling statements concerning the
conduct of the State government that
he made in this place Monday night
were new. They were merely flowing
from a different source. Democratic
newspapers of the State have been
pouring them in to deaf ears for
years, but now that Governor Pinchot
has found it helpful to bring them to
light again the peculiar minds that he
seems to sway accept them as gospel
truth—and they are.
To say that the exposure of fraud
and corruption works impairment of
the influence of the crusader is an in-
sult to the integrity of the people of
Pennsylvania. It implies that the ma-
jority of the wpters of the State, be-
ing themselves corrupt, favor corrup-
tion in the public service. This is an
“atrocious crime” against the people.
It is a wicked and willful slander
which ought to be resented by an
overwhelming flood of popular indig-
nation. We are not undertaking to
defend Governor Pinchot against at-
tacks from his own political associ-
ates. But we have full and abiding
faith in the honor and honesty of the
people of Pennsylvania as a whole,
and believe the Governor has gained
rather than lost by his campaign.
Modern Art Flappers.
We hasten to express full and cor-
dial sympathy with the movement, un-
der the auspices of the Camp Fire
Girls, Inc., to outlaw the word “flap-
per,” as applied to young women who
have adopted the fashion of bobbed
hair, as an epithet. It is, as the an-
nouncement declares, “odious and un-
fair.” More than that it is unjust to
“the females of tender years” who are
commonly thus anathematized. A
few years ago a number of girls fell
into the habit of wearing galoshes un-
buttoned. It was a slovenly custom
and as its devotees seemed to find
pleasure in sloshing on the streets,
they were fitly called “flappers.” But
there is no logical relationship be-
tween bobbed hair and absurd foot-
wear.
The Camp Fire Girls, Inc., has a mem-
bership of 160,000, mostly well-be-
haved, good-hearted, healthy and hap-
py girls ranging in age from fifteen
to twenty-five years. In the interest
of sanitation and for the purpose of
saving time and labor, some and prob-
ably most of them elected to bob their
hair as they had a natural and legal
right to do. Other girls adopted the
fashion until it has become practical-
ly universal. The “crowning glory”
tradition yielded to the requirements
of comfort and convenience and the
bobbed hair girl looked so good and
gay that even gray headed women be-
came slaves to the fashion: But it is
neither vicious nor slovenly and cer-
tainly not flapping or offensive.
There is neither sense nor justice in
condemning a fashion that commends
itself so generally on so slender a ba-
sis as prejudice and the Campfire
girls have a right to prefer the epi-
thet of “moderns” to that of “flap-
pers.” It is more in accord with the
influences which suggested the fash-
ion. The bobbed hair girl is not only
modern but progressive and if she im-
agines the fashion increases her at-
tractiveness it is not only her right
but her duty to “bob.” One of the
highest obligations of femininity is to
be attractive and it seems to us that
she has the right to select her own
way, within the laws of morality, to
choose her form of discharging this
gracious obligation.
Some of the Republican enemies of ;
als he has become a hypocritical sup-
not have made denunciation of them !
BELLEFONTE, PA.. OCTOBER 9. 1925.
| Contemptible Treatment of Mitchell. We Need a Judge With a Record for
If the Coolidge administration is
measured by its treatment of Colonel
Mitchell it will not reach for into the
confidence of fair minded people.
During the last session of Congress
Colonel Mitchell, then assistant chief
of the air service with the rank of
Brigadier General, was subpoenaed to
testify before a Congressionl commit-
tee as to the efficiency of the service,
and under oath he told the truth as he
understood it. The authorities inter-
preted his evidence as adverse to the
policy of the administration, he was
demoted to the rank of Colonel and
exiled to a remote station in Texas.
i If he had perjured himself by prais-
ing a policy almost universally con-
: demned, he might have been promoted.
was torn into fragments by contact
with something like a tornado in
Ohio, a month ago, Colonel Mitchell,
from his obscure station, uttered a
protest against the stupidity which
seemed to him criminal, he agaln
aroused the enmity of the inefficient
bureaucrats who control the policy of
the service and was denounced in pub-
, lic statements as insubardinate as well
i as insane. Subsequently he was sub-
poenaed to testify before the Presi-
dent’s committee of investigation and
repeated his censure of the service.
For that he was ordered to appear be-
fore the inspector general of the ar-
my to receive notice that court mar-
tial proceedings are to be instituted
against him.
The court martial was to be expect-
ed. Colonel Mitchell was indiscreet in
his criticism and it makes no differ-
ence that he was sincere. But the
cruelty and contemptibility of the pro-
ceeding lies in the time set for the
ceremony. Colonel Mitchell had been
invited by the American Legionaries
to attend the national convention of
that organization at Omaha, as their
guest, on Tuesday. To do so he
would have to leave Washington on
Sunday evening and he was ordered
to appear before the inspector gener-
al on Monday. The palpable reason
for this action was to prevent his at-
tendance at the Legion convention.
Coolidge was to be there and the
chances-are that’ Mitchell would have’
exceeded him in popular favor.
r
—Long vision and steady nerve to
the trigger finger of Tom Quinn, Chi-
cago Lake resort keeper who killed
three bandits who attempted to stick
him up Sunday night. Like the In-
dian, the only good bandit is the dead
bandit.
Cause of Quarrel Not Frankly Stated.
Neithe: Paul D. Wright, late Com-
missioner of Highways, nor Governor
Pinchot has been entirely frank in
their statements of the reasons why
Mr. Wright resigned the office he has
filled with much satisfaction to the
public since the beginning of the Pin-
chot administration. Mr. Wright
states his reason was that in appeal-
ing to the public on the bond issue he
and others promised that all the funds
would be used on primary road con-
struction and that the Governor in-
sisted on fulfilling a promise made
verbally by Mr. Wright’s predecessor
in office that a minor road in Brad-
ford county should be improved. Mi.
Wright insists that complying with
the Governor’s demand would work a
violation of his pledge.
Since the resignation has been ac-
cepted the Governor has declared that
it was not his intention, nor is it nec-
essary, to violate the pledge of Com-
missioner Wright to use the proceeds
of the bond issue in construction of
the minor road in Bradford county.
That improvement, he declares, may
be made with money taken out of the
license fund, leaving the bond money
intact for use on the minor road plan.
If that be true, and it has not been
even disputed, there was no cause of
quarrel between the Governor and the
Commissioner of Highways on that
score. The pledge made to New York
officials by the late Highway Commis-
sioner Sadler, as well as that made
by Commissioner Wright to the peo-
ple, might have been fulfilled.
The chances are that the disagree-
ment between the Governor and Com-
missioner of Highways was based on
something else than that given in the
correspondence between them. Per-
sons in intimate contact with both in-
timate that differences of opinion and
disagreements as to service have been
occurring and recurring for some
time and culminated in this imaginary
cause of dispute in the absence of a
real one. Mr. Wright is an excellent
and capable public official but being a
somewhat practical politician proba-
bly differed with the Governor as to
party obligations. In any event,
while the State loses a competent and
efficient public official, the govern-
ment at Harrisburg will survive.
—Bad weather certainly has loomed
large in the story of Charley Ames’
last flight.
Promptness.
W. Harrison Walker's well-earned
reputation for promptness in the per-
formance of his professional duties
will be a great factor in the coming
election when it is known that it
costs over five hundred dollars a day
{to run the courts of Centre county
when in session.
The manner in which a man con-
ducts his own business is a safe cri-
terion by which to judge how he will
conduct the business of the people,
and there is not a lawyer at the Centre
county bar, or for that matter, in the
State, who is closer up-to-the-minute
in the transaction of business with
When the great airship Shenandoah | his clients than is Mr. Walker, and
i the public can fully appreciate what
this will mean when he is called to
take charge of their affairs as Judge '
of our Courts next January.
This might pass unnoticed were it
not for the testimony of many, who
though they may be opposed to him
for political reasons, are compelled,
and in frankness admit, that their in-
terests will be safe in his hands; that
he is possessed of that rare require-
ment in the make-up of a Judge and
without which all other accomplish-
ments are negligible, namely, that
peculiar quality known as “human
interest;” which, owing to his wide
experience due to the fact that he has
climbed the latter from the bottom up
by dint of his own effort, will enable
him to instantly realize the nature of
offenses committed by those who may
be brought before him, and who, like
himself, have known “the time of
little things”, revealing the intent and
motive of the offense rather than the
offense itself, and hence the degree
of punishment that should be meted
out to them.
Mr. Walker has rubbed elbows with
the world from the time, and even be-
fore, he entered public life—a man
among men, four-square and court-
eous in his dealings with his fellows,
and ever found promptly on the job
when duty called. He always keeps
intmind the duty he owes to his
clients, following the line of the Gold-
en Rule as closely as isin the power
of man to do.
. He has just passed the fifty first
milestone on the journey of life, more
than twenty nine years of which have
been devoted to the practice of law, is
of mature age, and ripe in experience.
The people of Centre county will make
no mistake by electing him to the ex-
alted position to which he aspires—a
position that commands the rare quali-
fications he surely possesses and
which will feature the affairs entrust-
ed to him by the people. It is a rare
opportunity and the electors of Centre
county seem determined to take ad-
vantage of it, feeling assured that the
trust they have placed in him will not
be violated, and that they will have a
business administration and the af-
fairs of the county will be in safe
hands when entrusted to his keeping.
Senator Pepper’s Change of Heart.
In a speech delivered before the
Chamber of Commerce, in Harrisburg,
on Monday evening, Senator Pepper
declared that the Federal Reserve
banking system is “the greatest bank-
ing system the world has ever
known.” This must have been a sur-
prise to the vast majority of his au-'
dience, made up largely of office hold-
ers and Republican politicians who
are not accustomed to hearing praise
of Democratic legislation. But the
Senator protested that he wasn’t mak-
ing a political speech and felt that he
could afford to say that the system
“is the foundation of American busi-
ness and has weathered at least one
period of crisis.”
In thus eulogizing one of the princi-
pal acts of the administration of
Woodrow Wilson Senator Pepper was
expressing the sentiments of his “bet-
ter self.” Before he got into public
life he was among the fairest of men
in his appraisement of measures. But
the moment he surrendered to the
craving for office he adopted all the
methods of machine managers and as
he boastfully said was willing to “spit
in the eye of a bull dog” to prove his
change of heart. His first vote in the
Senate was in support of a “crowning
iniquity” and ever since he has ap-
peared ready and willing to go the full
length in servility to party discipline
and political slavery.
Of late he seems to have repented
this digression from the lines of in-
dependence. In announcing his can-
didacy for the Senatorial nomination,
a few days ago, he openly defied the
leadership of contractor Boss Vare
and allied himself with the forces of
decency. His eulogy of the Federal
Reserve system is further proof of a
purpose to behave better in future in
his treatment of public affairs. Possi-
bly he has awakened to the fact that
public sentiment is undergoing a rad-
ical change and that there is more to
be gained by “assuming a virtue” than
by defying decency. Governor Pin-
chot has set a good many minds to
thinking.
NO. 40.
| The Governor Given Fine Reception
in Centre County.
The visit of Governor Pinchot to
Centre county, last Monday was made
| exactly as per the program published
lin the “Watchman” the Friday before.
| He stopped at State College for din-
i ner, inspected that institution, then
! visited the penitentiary and fish
i hatchery and wound up in Bellefonte
i where he looked over the hospital,
called at the highway department of-
fices ate supper with the Kiwanians
and wound up a busy day by address-
ing a crowded audience in the court
- house. :
| Altogether, it must have been a
‘ gratifying day to the Governor. He
was courteously and hospitably greet-
ed everywhere for Centre county folks
had made up their minds in advance
to enter no demurrer to anything he
might say or do.
At State College he spoke to the
: Kiwanians, after they had entertain-
ed him at a luncheon and it was a ref-
erence to one of his actions effecting
. Centre county that later caused the
Governor to get his ear to the ground.
He noticed that his hosts were evi-
dently sitting on their hands, for not
! a ripple of applause greeted his state-
ment, whereas he probably thought
there would be a great outburst of ap-
probation. He inquired into the mat-
ter later and discovered the reason.
At the conclusion of the Kiwanian
luncheon he spoke for twenty minutes
in the chapel of the College and it was
there that he disclaimed ever having
had any intention of trying to limit
the college activities to those purely
along the line of agricultural educa-
tion. It was generally believed that
the Governor, some time ago, was
friendly to a scheme to take the en-
gineering, science and arts schools
away from Penn State and divide
them up between the Universities of
Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh. Since
he has disclaimed any such thought he
He did, however, threaten to remove
the school of forestry to Mount Alto,
but didn’t mention that matter on
Monday. y
As we have said the Bellefonte
wanians entertained him ‘at susipar
the Brockerhoff house, after his arri-
val here and food was followed by
another short talk.
The big meeting was in the court
house at 8:15. The band was out and
when a band gets out in Bellefonte
these days it’s some event. The au-
ditorium was packed with such a
crowd as we haven’t seen there since
Musser was tried for killing his un-
cle Bill. The Governor was escorted
to the rostrum by Judge Dale and the
Hon. Tom Harter, two of his recent
appointees. Judge Dale introduced
Mr. Harter, Mr. Harter introduced the
Governor and the verbal flood-gates
opened. The distinguished visitor
talked a straight streak for one hour
and twenty minutes. It was an old
song to the ears of the Democrats
present. We have been singing it for
years without making much progress
in weaning the benighted away from
their machine idols. Let us hope that
coming from the lips of a more near
Republican than we ever could be it
will carry more weight than we have
been able to give it. Most all that he
said was true. Eternally and ever-
lastingly true. It was true, even
when he pointed to Judge Dale and
Tom Harter with pride and declared:
“Here are your proofs of my deter-
mination to appoint only good, clean
men to office.”
All through his long address the
Governor held his audiences’ attention.
It was meat and drink for Democrats
and the Republicans enjoyed it be-
cause they always listen one way and
vote the other.
Altogether it was a grand meeting
and we know, because “he liked it,”
the Governor didn‘t “lump it.”
On Tuesday morning the Governor
made a run to Lock Haven, returning
to Bellefonte for luncheon, the entire
party, consisting of his private sec-
retary and three newspaper men, leav-
ing here for Pittsburgh at 12:20
o’clock. Before going, however, they
took time to take a hurried view of
the big trout in Spring creek. The
Governor's party traveled in three
State owned cars, with a state police-
man leading on a motorcycle and
another bringing up the rear.
Governor Pinchot was not the guest
of Judge Dale during his stay in Belle-
fonte but stopped at the Brockerhoff
house like any other traveler, and it
was because he was so well pleased
with his accommodations there
during the night that he remained for
luncheon on Tuesday.
Ki-
——Speaking of the crime wave it
might be a good idea to offer a re-
ward for the miscreant who first sug-
gested Judge Wilbur for a cabinet
post.
——— br een,
——You can’t always tell. The
toughest operator in the plant may
wear a starched collar at his work.
must be given the benefit of the doubt.
at.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—William Sakon, aged 15, Oakland,
near Johnstown, was electrocuted Tuesday
evening while stringing an ‘aerial for a
radio receiving set at his home.
—Judge John C. Haymaker, of the Alle~
gheny county. Common Pleas court and
president judge of the quarfer sessions
hort illness.
He was 72 years offage. Judge Haymaker
had served on the" Common Pleas bench
continuously since 1908.
—Unable to pay her delinquent taxes,
Sara Dorsey, of Middletown, was placed
in the Dauphin county jail at Harrisburg,
on Monday. She had locked herself in a
second-story room in the house and the
collector had to obtain a search warrant
before placing her under arrest.
—Damages amounting to $300 were
awarded to Annie E. Munne, of Mt. Union,
in her suit against that borough which fol-
lowed her being injured in a fall on an
icy sidewalk there last winter. Miss
Munne asked a much larger sum but the
court decreased the amount considerably.
—Fourteen year old Chester Rogers died
at his home in Gettysburg on Sunday, as a
result of an injury received while playing
football a week ago. He was a freshman
in the High school there and was playing
on the school grounds when the accident
occurred. Young Rogers was tackled hard,
thrown to the ground and injured about
the neck.
—It took a surveyor three days to dis-
cover who owned a farm in Snyder coun-
ty where a barrel of illicit whiskey, mash
and a still were found. It was finally de-
termined after deed books were searched
that it belonged to George Bowers, and he
was arrested charged with violation of the
liquor laws. He denies all knowledge of
how the “stuff” got there.
—Sale of the Montour and Columbia Tel-
ephone company has been ordered by the
Montour county court. The bondholders
under a mortgage issued 25 years ago pe-
titioned for the sale. The company op-
erates five exchanges in Columbia and Mon-
tour counties, and for several years has
been in financial difficulties. Until a year
ago, it was operated by the Penn State
Telephone company under a lease and
since then by a receiver.
court, died on ry oie after a
—Elam G. Hess, of Manheim, wants the
Lancaster county court to restrain the
Stelli Silk corporation from operating its
Manheim plant at night and from using
high powered lights to illuminate its build-
ing. Mr. Hess says he can’t sleep because
of the noise and that the bright lights
make it necessary to keep the shades down
in his home. Through his attorney he has
applied to the court for an injunction fo
stop the wheels of industry while he sleeps.
—Edith Ruth Burr, two year old daugh-
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Burr, of Slip-
pery Rock township, Beaver county, was
drowned at the home of her grandmother
when she fell into a lard can partly filled
with water. The child was playing around
the porch when Mrs. Copper went to a
coop to look after some chickens. Upon
her return she was dumbfounded to see the
little child sticking in the lard can with
her head downward where she had appar-
ently fallen.
* —Lycoming county's turkey crop this
year will be the best in years if advanced
reports from the surrounding country are
borne out by the November killings. Big
birds are. foraging in the fields and mead-
ows and daily destroying grasshoppers
while in the process of taking on the form
which makes them the prize item of the
holiday menus. The long spell of dry
weather has helped the turkeys and pro-
vided them with the chance they needed to
make an unusual growth.
—The Columbia county Conservation As-
sociation announced Saturday it had pur-
chased the corn from a field of Leon Stout
in Sugar Loaf township to prevent the
trapping of bear there by the State Game
Commission. The corn field was virtually
destroyed by the bears and, following
Stout’s complaint, the commission had or-
dered the placing of traps. The conser-
vation association said there were not as
many bears in that section as the Game
Commission thought, and that the pur-
chase of the corn was to preserve the bears
for the sportsmen of that section.
—Recovery of nearly $1,500,000 for alleg-
ed damages, is sought in two suits that
have been launched in the Clearfield coun-
ty courts by Charles T. Kurtz and F. C.
Weihenmayer, receivers of the Gearhart
Knitting Machine company, against the
County National bank of Clearfield. In
one suit damages are asked aggregating
$690,000 and in the other $700,000 in dam-
ages is sought. No statement or bill of
particulars was filed with the notice of
suit. The attorneys for the receivers are
Reed, Smith, Shaw and McCloy, of Pitts-
burgh, and Liveright & Chase, of Clear-
field.
—Frank Hoke, meat dealer in Hanover.
demanded and received $300 in cash and a
note for $2700 from Sarah D. Kuhn, aged
71 years, and her daughter, Alice McWil-
liams, after the women admitted theft of
meat scraps and over-ripe bananas, it was
claimed in a petition granted there on
Tuesday to reopen the judgment note
against the women. The girl denied steal-
ing a ham, but admitted taking scraps
which she thought were worthless. The
women offered the dealer $300 which they
had in the bank, but he is said to have
demanded thousands of dollars, so the
note was given.
—The missing persons’ bureau of Pitts-
burgh has been asked by Scottdale police
to search for Mary Myrtle Hunker, aged
22 years, of Scottdale, believed to be held
captive there by operatives of a bootleg
ring of Westmoreland county, against the
alleged leader of which she is scheduled to
be the State’s star witness at his approach-
ing trial in Greensburg. Scottdale police
told superintendent of police Edward J.
Brophy that they believe the young wom-
an, missing for several days, was kidnap-
ped by members of the liquor clique and
taken to Pittsburgh Sunday night to be
held prisener so she could not appear at
the trial.
—A coroner's inquest on Tuesday ended
speculation concerning the death of Au-
gust Pilla, aged 55 years, a farmer, resid-
ing near Downey, Somerset county, who
was burned to death last week when his
farm house was destroyed by fire. The
coroner's jury returned a verdict of ac-
cidental death. At the time of the fire it
was believed that Pilla had been a victim
of thugs, with robbery the motive, but the
jury decided there was no sign of foul
play. The supposition is that Pilla, after
working on an adjoining farm all day and
being tired out, went home and fell asleep
on a chair alongside the kitchen stove and
as a result his clothing caught fire.