INK SLINGS.
—Probably the reason there are so
many spoiled children these days is
because their parents hadn’t time to
keep “a rod in pickle.”
—The time of year approacheth
when the man of the house standeth
upon the shady street corner and
bloweth hard about his garden, while
his good helpmeet toileth in the sun
and keepeth the weeds out therof.
—The Pennsylvania Tax Commis-
sion has evidently had a brilliant
thought. It has suggested a plan
whereby the State will levy new taxes
only when it needs the money. Under
what other exigency has the State
ever levied a tax?
—F'rom this distance it would seem
that President Coolidge might well be-
gin at home with his proposed new
disarmament conference. If the Na-
tion’s capital is to be turned into a
vugilistic arena Tex Rickard ought to
be elected President.
—Now they’re trying to tell us that
‘George Washington had Swedish blood
in his veins and we don’t believe a
a
word of it. Had George been a Swede
he would never have fooled around
with that slow row boat when he
crossed the Delaware. He'd a yumped
it and he’d made it in two yumps.
—Candidates are announcing in
every quarter of the county and as
the primary will not be held until
September we pity the farmers. Can-
didates will be swooping down on
them like the locusts did on Egypt and
how are they going to get their crops
out and listen to all the political
importuning.
—Poor Suzanne Lenglen. Charlie
Pyle gave her one hundred thousand
dollars for a professional tennis tour
of this country. Now “Uncle Sam”
wants a “cut of about sixteen thous-
and for income tax and when she gets
back to France they're going to take
forty thousand of it to help stabilize
the franc. Its lucky for Suzanne that
her itinerary didn’t take her within
reach of any other authorized tax
grabbers.
—“Big Tom” Cunningham’s official
spokesman, Congressman Golder, now
says that the Philadelphia ward leader
didn’t give that fifty thousand to the
Vare compaign last spring, he gave il
to help Beidleman’s candidacy for Gov.
ernor. Senator Reed might have treat-
ed that as an alibi had “big Tom”
made such a statement when they had
process servers from Washington
after him before, but it will sound
rather “fishy” to him now.
—From a good Methodist friend in
a far off State we get a new slant on
Foreign Missions. He writes that he
doesn’t care for the regular mission
sermen in the church because he
thinks it a foolish idea to raise money
to convert the Chinese and Armenians
when it means almost certain death
to them for becoming converted. In
the light of what’s happening to
Christians in China and Armenia it
looks as though there is something to
our correspondent’s argument.
—Among Governor Fisher's plans to
bring all departments of the State
government into conformation with
the new code is one to create a board
of Trustees to be known as “the Board
of trustees of Central State Peniten-
tiary.” That means that the Centre
county institution is to have a man-
agement all its own and we shall be
very much interested in its personnel.
It also means, apparently, abandon-
ment of the original plan to merge all
of the penitentiaries of the State into
one at Rock View.
—The esteemed Philadelphia Record
deplores the increasing number of sui-
cides among students and other young
folks and sees a possible cause of it in
notoriety given such tragedies in the
public press. We agree with the
Record in the thought that publicity
might be a contributory cause through
suggestion and call its attention to the
fact that in the same edition that it
editorially advocated suppression of
such news there was a scare headed
front page story of the student suicide
at Hempstead, N. Y.
—There is no mistaking the signs
of the times. The middle west, known
as “the corn belt,” is after the Cool-
idge scalp. Dr. Nicholas Murray But-
ler is going to see to it that the next
candidate of his party for the Presi-
dency is wet. Senator Borah is going
to permit no one to be nominated who
will refuse to openly espouse the dry
cause. Coolidge is a very uncommuni-
cative man, but none of these three
groups of “show mes” are going to be
satisfied with sign language. They're
going to make him talk on farm re-
lief, wet and dry issues even if they
have to kill the cat that’s taken his
tongue.
—It is well that Henry Ford should
turn his attention to tabloid foods. He
is said to have an army of dietetic ex-
perimenters at work concocting a cake
that will satisfy all gustatory demands
and keep the human machine physical-
ly fit. When it is finally perfected the
“soup to nuts” days will be over. There
will be no more cooking and dish
washing, a Ford cookie will constitute
the family meal and it will taste just
as good in a flivas it will on a mahog-
any table. When that time comes it
will be goodby “Home Sweet Home,”
for most women of today stay there
only long enough to prepare the meals
and most men tarry only long enough
Demacr
®
|
4
VOL. 72.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
BELLEFONTE, PA.. FEBRUARY 18. 1927.
NO. «7.
Governor Fisher May Help Reform.
There are good reasons for the be-
lief that Governor Fisher will retard
rather than promote ballot reform
legislation by sending into the General
Assembly a measure or group of
measures on the subject sponsored by
himself. We do not question the sin-
cerity of the Governor when in his
inaugural address he declared that he
favored “the enactment and enforce-
ment of such laws as will insure the
free use and fair count of the ballot of
every qualified voter.” But it is not
certain that he is promoting that con-
summation in submitting at this late
day in the session a proposition which
necessarily assumes a personal aspect,
however free of that intent he may
be.
There are a considerable number of
ballot reform bills on the calendars.
Among them are the seven measures
prepared by the Committee of-Seven-
ty-six and offered during the speciat
session of last year. These bills are not
entirely free from partisan prejudice
but they have the approval of a group
of patriotic and intelligent men and
women who have given careful consid-
eration to the subject. In whatever
respect the Governor’s bills differ from
those of the Committee of Seventy-
six there is certain to develop antagon-
isms which may become bitter enough
to defeat both propositions. If the Gov-
ernor would simply “get behind” the
committee bills he would greatly pro-
mote ballot reform.
It is well known that the Senate
and House committees which will con-
sider ballot reform legislation are
composed largely of men who are op-
posed to ballot reform of any kind.
With the Governor in’ sympathy with
the bills of the Committee of Seventy-
six there will be no excuse for those
opposed to reform to assert their op-
position, and public sentiment will
force them to support the bills. The
least difference between the Gover-
nor’s bills and those of the Committee
of Seventy-six, and we assume there
will be no great difference between
them, will serve as an ‘excuse for vot-
ing against ballot reform legislation.
The Governor can reduce the excuses
to a minimum by endorsing the com-
mittee bills. :
——Now they are digging up valu-
able jewels from the graveyards of
Ur, which may mean that Abraham
was something of a dandy.
tr srt —p res ———
The McNary-Haugen Bill.
After a long drawn-out parlia-
mentary battle which extended
through at least two Congresses, the
McNary-Haugen bill passed the Sen-
ate on Friday last by a vote of 47 to
39. In the vote party lines were en-
tirely ignored and the success is as-
cribed to a combination between the
wheat producers of the middle west
and the cotton and tobacco growers of
the south. It is interpreted as a de-
feat for the administration for the
President had not only frequently de-
clared it unwise legislation but in the
final struggle his friends in the Sen-
ate tried to substitute another meas-
ure for it, the Curtis- Crisp bill, known
as the “corn-belt bill,” because of its
origin in the corn belt section.
Of those who voted for the bill on
final passage twenty-five are Repub-
licans, twenty-one Democrats and one,
Mr. Shipstead, of Minnesota, Farmer-
Labor. Against the measure there
were twenty-two Republicans and
seventeen Democrats. Among the
supporters of the measure was Sena-
tor Copeland, of New York, all the
others being western or southern Sen-
ators. The two Republican Senators
for Pennsylvania voted against the bill
and the attitude of the President is
now a matter of speculation. It will
be up for consideration in the House
within a few days and the belief is
that it will pass. Then if the Presi-
dent is true to his record he will veto
it and bring upon his head the ven-
geance of the west.
It bas been suggested that the bill
is in conflict with the constitution of
the United States in that it provides
for the nomination of members of the
board. They shall be appointed by
the President but from a list chosen by
the farmers by some sort of ballot
system. But as a matter of fact there
is no conflict. The constitution in
Section 2, paragraph 2, declares “Con-
gress may by law vest the appoint-
ment of such inferior officers as they
think proper in the President alone,
in the courts of law or in the heads of
departments.” The act in question
fixes the right of selection in the
boards in the manner prescribed by
the constitution and if the bill is
vetoed another reason must be found.
————
——The Pennsylvania League of
Women Voters has opened warfare
against the Homsher election bills.
an eons soins
—Politics sure are showing signs of
to eat them.
warming up locally.
|
The Tax Claim Against Couzens.
At a hearing before the Board of
Tax Appeals in Washington, the other
day, Commissioner Blair, of the In-
ternal Revenue Bureau, testified that
when Senator Couzens sold his inter-
est in the Ford Motor company, Henry
Ford assured Mr. Couzens ‘that he
would be free of any further tax as-
sessments.” The significance of this
lies in the fact that ever since a dis-
agreement on public policies between
Secretary of the Treasury Mellon and
Senator Couzens the government has |
been trying to collect a tax claim of |
several million dollars. At the hear-
ing referred to the fact was brought
out that Senator Watson, of Indiana,
was the originator of the charge that
Couzens owed taxes.
Senator Couzens came into the
Senate by appointment of the Governor
of Michigan when Newberry resigned
to avoid expulsion for excessive use
of money in the primary. The new
Senator at once affiliated with the in-
dependents, now known as insurgents,
and the whole force of the Republican
machine was turned against him, per-
sonally as well as politically. In Feb-
ruary, 1922, Senator Watson, of In-
diana, wrote to Commissioner Blair
that the Treasury Department had a
memorandum “which challenged the
original appraisement of the Ford
stock,” the purpose being to institute
a claim for taxes against Senator
Couzens. The sworn statement of
Commissioner Blair that Ford had as-
sumed the obligation will probably end
the suit.
The greatest crime a public official
can commit is to employ the instru-
mentalities of government to harm a
citizen. Governments are established
and maintained for the purpose of
protecting the rights and property of
the citizen. In all the bitter partisan-
ship of the past no high public official
prostituted his office to so base a use.
In recent years such complaints are
frequent and in many cases supported
by convincing evidence. It has not
been asserted that Secretary Mellon is
responsible for the Couzens case;
though his quarrel was undoubtedly
the basis for it. Senator Watson prob-
ably imagined he could gain favor in a
high quarter by “starting something”
that would harm Senator Couzens.
The first Canadian Minister to
Washington will enter upon his du-
ties this week. It is not expected to
make much difference in the bootleg-
ging trade between the two countries.
Flattering the Governor.
At the Lincoln Day banquet in Phil-
adelphia, the other day, one of the
speakers referred to Governor Fisher,
who was the guest of honor on the
occasion, “as a probable candidate for
President in the future.” This has
become a customary tribute to the
vanity of newly elected Governors in
this State. As far back as the time
of Hartranft it was begun by persons
who had expectations of office or polit-
ical schemes to promote and nearly
every Governor of the State since,
with the probable exception of Pat-
tison, has been a harmless vietim of
ambition thus - created. Governor
Brumbaugh took it most seriously but
it is recalled that it hit Governor
Sproul quite hard.
It is more than probable that most
men who engage in this form of flat-
tery of new Governors are influenced
by a hope of office of which he is
the dispenser. But it is known that
some of the party leaders with or
without the consent of the Governor
“put him in the running” with the
view of building up party lines for use
in controlling votes for other candi-
dates. It is believed that Hartranft
consented to such a use of his name.
He never had any real aspirations, at
least he never enjoyed such hopes. But
he was anxious to promote the nomi-
nation of another candidate and will-
ing to offer himself as a rallying post
to hold other delegates from making
alliances.
Governor Fisher is just entering
upon his tenure as Chief Magistrate of |
Pennsylvania and - holds within his
hands the possibility of a Presidential |
nomination. His predecessors in office |
who had aspirations in that direction '
failed for many reasons, the leading
one of which was the fact that the !
overwhelming Republican majority |
in Pennsylvania made it unnecessary |
for party managers to cater to the |
Pennsylvania organization. Fraudu- |
lent votes in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh |
|
Forcing the Prohibition Issue.
Unless the signs are misleading
there will be no “pussy-footing” on the
prohibition question in the next Re-
publican National convention. In the
Cleveland convention in 1924 President
Coolidge was able to satisfy the wets
and the drys with a few meaningless
platitudes which could be interpreted
to favor either side of the question.
But nothing of that sort will happen
next year, for the leading men on both
sides are expressing themselves in
strong terms.
days ago, Nicholas Murray Butler,
spokesman for the wets, declared that
“this issue is here and must be met.”
In that he expressed the practically
unanimous opinion of the leading Re-
publicans of New York.
This announcement got a prompt
rise from Senator Borah who, notwith-
standing his occasional slips, is recog-
nized as a leading Republican Senator.
In a letter to Dr. Butler Senator Borah
wrote, “I agree with you perfectly
that we should not dodge this ques-
tion. I shall contribute in every way
I can to force the issue to a final con-
clusion in the next convention.” He
will not be content with a declaration
of the party candidate. “The party
as a party,” he added, “should unmis-
takably declare itself and the voters
who make up the party should be
given an opportunity to speak in the
selection of delegates to the conven-
tion.” This attitude of conspicuous
leaders leaves no loop holes for dodg-
ers.
In his New York speech Dr. Butler
strongly intimated that the vote of
New York in the next Presidential
contest would be cast for the wet can-
didate. It is certain that he will
favor such a candidate and equally
certain that Senator Borah will take
the dry side of the proposition. Thus
we have the two leading minds of the
Republican party ready and anxious to
engage in “a duel to the death” on
the question of prohibition as a para-
mount issue in the next Republecan Na-
ticpal platform. It will cause some
shifting of attitudes among Republi-
cans of Pennsylvania. In the event
the wets win, as they are likely to
with the vote of New York and New
England practically solid, some Key-
stone voters will suffer.
——One of the proposed changes in
the Pinchot administrative code by the
Fisher administration is the creating
of anew board of trustees to be known
as “the board of trustees of Central
State Penitentiary” to have charge of
and manage the penitentiary at Rock-
view. At present the Rockview institu-
tion is under the management of the
trusteees of the western penitentiary,
most of whom live in and around Pitts-
burgh. The creating of a separate
board for Rockview would also mean
the appointment of a warden for that
institution and also a superintendent
of construction. The trustees serve
without remuneration but are allowed
actual expenses incurred.
rn ———— Aeon
——The
company is figuring on building a
branch line from: the Lewisburg
branch to the home for feeble minded
women, at Laurelton. Surveys have
been made and the right of way se-
cured over all but three or four tracts
of land over which it will be neces-
sary to cross. The branch, which will
be only two and a half to three miles
long, will tap the Lewisburg at Ruth-
erton, about half a mile below Glen
Iron. At present everything for the
home must be transported from the
railroad by motor bus and trucks.
——The Chicago woman who lost an
$80,000 pearl necklace on a train the
other day will not get a great deal of
popular sympathy.
——Ty Cobb will no doubt prove a
valuable acquisition to the Athletics
and we hope Connie * will find him
worth the price.
——Chauncey Depew has appeared
{in many roles, mostly graceful, but
{ he shines brightest as “Defender of
| the Faith.”
{
——Tom Cunningham continues to
be obdurate, but that is only for the
time being. He will come to reason in
the end.
——The President rather got the
edge on the advocates of new cruisers
by his proposed disarmament confer-
and other cities gave them the exces- | ©
sive majority. Governor Fisher now
has the opportunity to demand and |
secure honest elections, thus removing |
the principal reason for the defeat of |
his predecessors.
——The estate of the late John S.
—-A fist fight in the Senate is an
unusual episode but it proved that
Senators are human like the rest of
us.
————— t—————
——We suspected that February
Crawford, of Cooperstown, Pa., was , was behaving too well. The reaction
considerable but will not reach a.
great ways in providing the wants of
the “fatherless children of France.”
was distressing.
nm —— fp es ——
—Subscribe for the Watchman.
In New York, a few!
Pennsylvania Railroad
| Ballot-Box Opening.
From the Philadelphia Record.
“The Record” naturally rejoices that
i Governor Fisher has declared himself
in favor of legislation to make man-
datory the opening of ballot-boxes
upon allegation of reasonable belief
i that fraud has been committed. The
: difficulties in getting at conclusive evi-
i dence of wrong-doing when that evi-
dence is impounded in a locked ballot-
i box were well illustrated during the
| efforts to uncover crookedness believed
to have been perpetrated in the Ren-
| shaw campaign. Because the law said
i that ballot-boxes “may” be opened un-
der certain circumstances, instead of
. declaring that they “shall” be epened,
some of our Judges found opportunity
to exercise their discretion to the ad-
| vantage of the interests that resisted
( the opening of the boxes. Governor
{ Fisher would rightfully deprive the
{ Judges of such discretionary powers.
It isimportantto facilitate the dis-
covery and punishment of fraud after
fraud has been perpetrated. But we
cannot subscribe to the opinion that we
have seen elsewhere expressed that
this is the most necessary of all elec-
tion law reforms. It is far more es-
sential to prevent fraud, if possible,
than to ferret it out.
We can’t have honest elections in
Philadelphia until we have honest reg-
istration.
We can’t have honest elections while
the law authorizes one man to mark
the ballots of unlimited numbers of
others under the false pretense that
they need “assistance.”
We can’t have honest elections while
election boards in many divisions con-
sist of five representatives of one po-
litical party.
We can’t have honest elections while
candidates for offices are allowed to
expend in pursuit thereof sums great-
ly in excess of the emoluments of the
offices; that is to say, while candidates
are permitted to buy nominations and
elections for the sake of the power
they expect to derive from the exer-
cise of official duties.
Governor Fisher knows these things
as well as we do, and “The Record”
entertains no doubt that at what he
considers to be the proper time he
will advocate legislation to correct:
the conditions that make Pennsylvania
‘elections a mockery. ~*~ TTRITRT
We will go further'and say that if
Congressman Vare were shrewdly ad-
vised he would himself advocate, and
use his power to accomplish, the ballot
reforms demanded by the people.
President’s Arms Reduction Proposal.
From the Pittsburgh Post.
The suggestion by President Cool-
idge to Great Britain, France, Italy
and Japan that treaties binding them
‘and the United States to extension of
: the navy reduction principles to small-
!er craft be negotiated at Geneva con-
ference is but in line with what the
American representatives sought to do
in 1921 at the Washington meeting.
It comes at a time when the Ameri-
can Congress as well as the powers
abroad is showing a disposition to re-
sume navy building, holding that the
spirit of the Washington conference
has been violated by some of the
treaty signatories. The Senate, over-
riding President Coolidge’s views
against such resumption, is for start-
ing the building of three cruisers now,
brought to agreement with it. Speak-
er Longworth has just made an em-
phatic declaration for a strong navy.
This naturally should strengthen the
position of the President in calling
for treaties of limitation, emphasiz-
ing that if armament racing is to be
hang back. However, it is declared
that the building of the proposed three
new cruisers would only bring this
country up to a reasonable plane of
safety preparedness. Whether justi-
fied or not, there is a growing im-
pression among Americans that the
effect of the Washington conference
It is but common sense that the
only way to limit armament is to do
iso by international agreement, but
| whether this can be brought about at
{the Geneva conference remains to be
seen. Meanwhile another common
sense proposition is that if the United
States is to hold aloof from such inter-
; national bodies for peace as the League
j of Nations and the World Court we
will have to give greater attention to
| our military defenses. If it has no con-
fidence in international association for
peace it will have to arm accordingly.
The “big navy” men of Congress,
‘under the circumstances, have an ar-
, gument not lightly to be set aside.
Watch Gifford and Cornelia.
From the Clearfield Republican.
Watch the Pinchots appropriate the
challenge of Dr. Nicholas Murray But-
ler and enter the lists as the only
simon-pure, high-dry available candi-
idate for the Republican nomination
next year. They have been dreaming
and planning to that end for four
years. And they have the money to
buy plenty of publicity when it means
much in their behalf. Democrats all
over the country would welcome the
Pinchots as the certified Republican
standard bearers in 1928.
—Senator Jim Reed, of Missouri,
says “the American conscience is
sound, but it is sleeping.” Certainly
he couldn’t have referred to that part
of it that is within range of his voice.
and, it believes that the House can be }
resumed the United States will not!
is to the disadvantage of their navy.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—The Northumberland and Union county
commissioners have set the date for
awarding the $500,000 bridge contract be-
tween Watsontown and ‘White Deer for
April 4. Specifications call for concrete and
steel.
—DMiners-idle because of the slack in the
anthracite market have taken to the woods
with their guns and traps to catch fur-
bearing animals. Gray fox skins are in
demand at $17 to $30 each by furriers, who
offer $1.50 to $7 for weasel pelts and red
foxes bring $3 to $4.
—=Six cats are the beneficiaries of $6000
through the will of Mrs. Emma Presho
Bennett, who died recently at Lindley,
Tioga county. The will gives $450 to each
of her relatives, while the cats receive
$6000 in trust. At their death the fund is
to go to the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals.
—Burns about the back received when
she fell into a tub of scalding hot water
resulted in the death of Nellie Modak, 5-
year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Modak, of Conemaugh, in the Lee Homeo-
pathic hospital, at Johnstown, on Satur-
day. The child was playing about the
house when she tripped and plunged into
the tub of hot water while her mother was
engaged with the family washing.
—A joy ride ended quickly for Granville
Fry, 17 and Sumner Smith, 19, of Lancas-
ter, when they were arrested by police
within half an hour after they are alleged
to have driven a car from a garage in the
north end of that city. The owner sum-
moned police when he heard his machine
being driven out and the youths were over-
taken after a brief chase. They are in
jail, in default of bail, for a hearing.
—While helping his wife in the kitchen,
Talbert Huntingdon, of Athens, backed
into a needle that had been stuck into
the wall. The needle penetrated his back
just below the left shoulder and tempor-
arily paralyzed that side of his body,
causing him to fall to the floor. He was
taken to the Packer hospital at Sayre
where surgeons have made several unsuc-
cessful attempts to locate the needle.
—TFor the first time in Coulmbia county’s
history, a term of court has been called off
for lack of business and the jurors notified
not to appear. Judge Evans last week
ordered the February term of common
pleas court canceled when he was informed
the one case set for trial had been settled.
Four other cases on the list had been con-
tinued, three of them having been pending
for more than seven years. In two of the
suits the plaintiff has died.
—TFire of undetermined origin destroyed
the large garage operated by W. B. H.
Williams, at Hastings, Cambria county,
early last Friday. The loss is estimated
at between $75,000 and $100,000, partly cov-
ered by insurance. Twenty automobiles
and trueks were consumed. For a time
the blaze threatened to sweep over a por-
tion of the main business section of the
town, but the Hastings and Barnesboro vol-
unteer fire companies checked the flames.
—For one ride from Shamokin to Fhila-
delphia in a stolen automobile, Charles
-Gedwell, 18, of Shamokin, forfeited at least
three years of his liberty. He pleaded
‘+ guilty in court at Sunbury and was fined
$100 and sentenced to from three and a half
to seven years in the Northumberland
county jail. He admitted the theft and
abandonment of R. L. Neugard’s car. He
gave himself up at Cleveland, Ohio, last
week, saying he was tired of being hunted.
—Indictments on charges of receiving
stolen goods and of being accessory after
the fact of larceny were returned by the
grand jury in Pittsburgh, on Monday,
against Edward A. Goodfellow, whose yard
in Perrysville Manor yielded $289,500 after
the disappearance of $320,000 in the Broth-
erhood Savings and Trust company bond
swindle. Goodfellow maintains that the
money was given him by a member of the
banking force to keep until called for.
—The five-story building occupied and
owned by the W. T. Grant Department
Store in the centre of Altoona business dis-
trict, was damaged by fire early Sunday
morning entailing a loss in excess of $75,-
000. Flames were caused, according to fire-
men, by defective wiring. The fire was
confined to the two top stories with the
roof being burned off. Two dozen tenants
in offices on the top floors lost heavily by
fire. Water damaged tenants and the lower
floors, -
—S8aid to have been despondent because
his mother had married #& sécéond time,
Nelson Courtney, of Erie, swallowed poison
in an attempt to end his life. The boy was
found by his brother, who notified police.
He was taken to Hamot hospital, where a
stomach pump ‘was used to remove the
poison from hig system. It was stated by
{ hospital attaches that he probably will re-
cover. According to police, the mother re-
cently remarried and is now on a honey-
moon trip in the West.
—Three brothers, Michael, John and
Stephen Kovack, aged 11, 12 and 14. of
Nazareth, found a can containing a black
substance in the back yard of their home,
: Stephen said it was coffee, Michael and
John thought differently. John ran to the
house for matches to prove it was not
coffee. He did, for as soon as the flame
touched the can there was a flash and the
boys were severely burned. They were
taken to the Sacred Heart hospital at Al-
lentown where the surgeons have hopes of
saving their lives. It is believed that the
can contained gun-powder.
—The York hospital is named as the
residuary legatee of an estimated estate of
a quarter million dollars in the will of
Ambrose B. Strickler, retired bachelor,
lodgeman and clubman, who was found
dead in his luxurious apartment at York,
from a heart attack, several days ago by
his Japanese servant, Tai Iwatsu. To Le-
high University is bequeathed the sum of
$10,000; another $10,000 to the Children's
Home at York and $2,000 to the Reformed
Mennonite church of Waynesboro. A be-
quest of $10,000 is made to his servant and
another bequest of $2,000 to Walter H. L.
Spangler, his secretary.
—The will of the late John R. Crawford,
of Cooperstown, Venango county, filed for
probate at Franklin, leaves the major por-
tion of an estate of nearly $206,000 to ‘“‘the
fatherless children of France’ The will
provides for bequests to various relatives
ranging from $100 to $15,000, and $6000 is
set aside, the interest to be used toward
salaries of ministers of the First Presby-
terian church of Cooperstown. One clause
reads: “All the rest, residue and remainder
of my estate, real, personal and mixed,
shall be converted into money by my ex-
ecutors and given to and for the benefit of
the fatherless children of France.”