am
INK SLINGS.
—Col. Terry didn’t get a military
reservation for Centre county, but he
gave the realtors on the fringes of Mt.
Gretna a few sleepless nights,
—Well, the new moon is far enough
around to the South to indicate mild
weather for a while, but since we've
given up believing in signs we're not
very optimistic.
—~Sunday’s was the robin snow and
Monday’s was the saplin bender, so
that’s that, and “the onion snow is
back yet” as Mr. Bartholomew told us
Monday afternoon.
—With the surplus in the State
Treasury larger than it has ever been
the Legislature might see some rea-
son fur putting another cent of tax on
gascline, but we can’t.
—Ten years ago, on Wednesday, we
entered the world war and it seems
only yesterday that the contingents
were marching down High street to
entrain for the various cantonments.
——After describing a catch of tons
of fish from a lake down there a
Florida correspondent expresses the
hope that we’ll “have some such luck on
the opening day.” If wishes were
fishes there would be no trout in any
of the streams of Centre county, be-
cause we’d a’ had them all long ago.
— Eighty-five more stars have been
listed—not at Hollywood. The new
ones are in the heavens and their list-
ing is the result of fourteen year’s
study by astronomers at the Univer-
sity of California. It doesn’t take so
long to discover stars at Hollywood.
Every time a shop girl turns up who
can osculate a little longer than the
ones already on the lot the movie
magazines devote pages to the dis-
covery of a new star.
—The first time Charley Swabb was
at State College he had a fight with
Dr. Atherton, Gen. Beaver and others
in authority there. They wanted him
to give them fifty or sixty thousand
dollars with which to enlarge the
chapel in Old Main. Charley wouldn’t
stand for the proposal and got so mad
‘that he blew off to Mrs. Schwab and
she went fifty-fifty with him just to
show the modesttCollege authorities
that they didn’t know good things
when they were right at their door.
The result of the pleasant unpieasant-
ness is the magnificent Schwab audi-
torium on the College campus. We
refer to this incident because Charley
is coming back to the College in May
and we want Dr. Hetzel, Comptroller
Smith and Dean Sackett to ask big if
- they deem it proper to ask at all.
£4 YL Lr wy
—*“Never was there such inelegant,
incorrect, poor English as now,” said
Dr. William Mather Lewis, president
elect of Lafayette College, at the final
event of school men’s week in Phila-
delphia on Saturday. There are few
who will refute the learned gentle-
men, but how and why are we getting
that way? There are many answers
to this question; the best one being
that in this cynical, materialistic time
of today there is much attempt to tear
down revered customs and reputations.
Everything is as is and not as was and
to prove this is so we will tell you
one of John Drew’s latest stories: Two
very pious and lovely old ladies went
to see the picture “What Price Glory.”
It is notorious for the profanity of its
titles. When it was over one of the
nice old ladies said to the other:
“Come on Amelia, let’s hurry home.”
“Wait till I find my opera glasses and
we'll get to h—— out of here,” Amelia
replied. “And that,” as Mr. Drew re-
marked, is a type case of how we are
mirroring the language about us to-
day.
—We heard a sermon last Sunday
‘morning that completely coincides
with our idea of what Christianity is.
It was at once laughable and wierd to
us. Laughable because its text was
the very one we had selected for the
next “Lay Sermon” this column is to
preach. Wierd and uncanny, because
somehow we had the feeling that they
were our very own thoughts that came
floating through the auditorium to us,
only clothed in the language of an-
other. Some months ago we comment-
ed on the futility of Mr. Thompson’s
plea for .a recrudescence of the old
fashioned church sociable. We inti-
mated then that he didn’t know his
people. We might have been wrong
in that ‘inference but we’ll never re-
tract or modify this statement: He
knows his ‘gospel. Doubtless, a few
who were ‘in the Presbyterian church
Sunday morning thought that his
fundamentalism was taking him dan-
gerously near to'heresy. That sounds
like a paradoxical way of putting it,
but it isn’t. Mr. Thompson was
preaching on the one fundamental—
and there is but one—on which Chris-
tianity rests and his treatment of it
was so convincingly simple and funda-
mental that it might "have appeared
modernistic to some. Ever since we
have been old enough to think of such
things, to ponder them with an intelli-
gence begotten of more study and
thought than we might be generally
credited with, we have held to the be-
lief that there is nothing to real chris-
tianity but Christ. Tf Mr. Thompson
is to 'be branded as a heretic for say-
ing that the law, the prephets, doc-
trines, creeds—aye—even most of the
Bible, itself, are only the machinery
of evangelism we want to be branded
"with "him.
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
NO. 14.
® 3.
’ 1
Mass Meeting for Honest Elections. |
At what might justly be cailed a |
“mass meeting,” held in the hall of
the House of Representatives at Har-
risburg, last week, for the purpose of
urging the enactment of ballot reform
legislation, former Governor Gifford
Pinchot correctly labeled the opposi-
tion tothe pending measures. “The
programme which the Vare-Mellon po-
litical partnership proposes to substi-
tute for the four Fisher bills,” he de-
clared, “has for its sole purpose the
prevention of interference with the
present opportunities of election buy-
ers and ballot thieves.” The Vare-
Mellon political partnership has taken
the place of the former Republican or-
ganization in the management of the
party machine. ’
In the event that the
States Senate will refuse to admit
Mr. Vare to the seat he paid for so
liberally, and in view of the possible
event that the right of W. B. Wilson
to the seat is not recognized, Vare and
Mellon’s lawyer, Dave Reed, »f Pitts-
burgh, would be candidates next year
and with the abundance of money of
the Steel trust and the collections
from the Philadelphia bootleggers and
protected criminals behind them, it
will be an easy matter to purchase the
nomination and election for both.
This is the reason for the Vare-Mel-
lon partnership objecting to a law
limiting primary expenses. With
proper restrictions on primary expen-
ditures Vare could not be named for
office.
The meeting in question was an ex-
traordinary political event. It was
held in the hall of the House of Repre-
sentatives, the largest auditorium in
the capitol building, and it was filled
to the limit. There was mo party
spirit revealed either in the speeches
or the side discussions. But intense
earnestness was expressed in the lan-
guage of every participant and as one
of them remarked, “it will accomplish
much good in the future.” In conclud-
ing her statement Miss Martha
Thomas, of Meadville, said “the Com-
monwealth is stirred to its depths over
this question of strengthening the
election laws.” = Mrs. Mary Flinn
tor Flinn, expressed the deep interest
of the women in the subject.
————————— een.
The Appropriations committees
of the General Assembly find it neces-
sary to revise their allotments in order
The Mellon Resolution.
In discussing the Mellon resolution
“to appoint a commission to codify
the election laws of the Common-
wealth,” introduced by Senator Bon-
brake, of Franklin county, Senator
Huffman, of Monroe county, said “it
is a gesture to delay all present legis-
lation for better election laws now be-
fore the General Assembly.” Senator
Bonbrake seems to be a willing instru-
ment in the hands of the machine
bosses to prolong and promote ballot
frauds. During the extra session of
last year he practically offered to sup-
port the ballot reform legislation rec-
ommended by the Committee of
Seventy-six, if Governor Pinchot
would declare that he would not be a
candidate for Senator in Congress.
United | This proved that it was politics rather
than principle that influenced his offi-
cial action.
One of the considerations in the
political partnership between Mr. Mel-
lon and William S. Vare is that Vare
is to get a seat in the United States
Senate. If the purchased and stolen
title under which he is now claiming a
seat is repudiated by the Senate he
will be a candidate next year to fill
the vacancy with David A. Reed, of
Pittsburgh, attorney of the Steel trust,
as his colleague on the ticket. To
elect either of these men will require
all the resources of the ballot thieves
in both cities and everywhere else that
Mellon is new in politics but he un-
derstands the movements enough to
know with just election laws it will
be impossible to carry out his plan.
It is possible that some of the re-
form bills now pending before the
Legislature will be enacted into laws,
but the particular measure that Mr.
Mellon hopes to defeat is one limiting
the expenditures of candidates for
nomination. By the lavish expendi-
ture of $800,000 Mr, Vare was able to
get 600,000 more votes at the primary
| election last year than he received at
the general election. With the ele-
ments which supplied the cash behind
Vare, and the Steel trust and Mellon
interests behind Reed in the next
Senatorial campaign, the combination
{'would be practically invincible if there
is no restraint on expenditures. The
purpose of the Mellon resolution is to
guarantee this result. If it is adopted
a machine made commission will per-
fect the plan.
A————e a.
to use up the probable surplus. It
never occurred to the statesmen that
reducing taxes would achieve the
purpose.
———————lp eesti.
Victory for the Ultimate Consumer.
The shippers first and ultimately the
consumers of the country have won a
great victory in the decision of the
Interstate Commerce Commission fix-
ing the book value of railroads at the
cost of reproduction in 1914. The
contention of the bankers and railroad
managers was that for purposes of
passenger and freight rate making the
present book value of the railroads
should be the present cost of reproduc-
tion. That would have fixed the value
at $41,400,000,000, upon which a rate
of five and a-half per cent might be
levied. The valuation fixed by the
Commission is $20,000,000,000, or $21.-
400,000,000 less than the property
owners claimed. .That is a consider-
able difference. -
A prominent railroad official in com-
menting on the decision immediately
after it was made public remarked
that if the plea of the railroads had
been granted “the American people
would have been forced to pay, in in-
creased passenger and freight rates,
income on an amount equal to the
present national debt of over nineteen
billions. Even as it is the corpora-
tions get all that is coming to them.
A very considerable proportion of the
railroad building was done at less than
the labor and material rates of 1914,
so that the corporations had oppor-
tunity to charge in a good deal of
“water”.
It is worthy of notice that the In-
terstate Commerce Commission split
six to four on the decision. Commis-
sioners Hall, Atchison, Woodlock and
Taylor dissented. All the commission-
ers appointed since Mr. Coolidge be-
came President voted to mulct the
public out of the vast sum named by
a railroad official whose name was not
given. The chances are that a pro-
cess of weeding out will be begun to
bring the commission into harmony
with the administration. The Tariff
Commission was trimmed into the
form the administration desired in
order to protect the tariff mongers in
their franchise to fleece thé public,
and it is altogether probable ‘the In-
terstate Commerce Commission will be
punished. :
eh A
The refusal of the Washington
Supreme court to give Harry Sinclair
a new trial must be interesting as well’
as ominous to Tom Cunningham.
—DMiss Thomas, the militant leader
i of women voters, believes that Mr.
Mellon’s legislative policy is based
| upon an anxiety to re-elect Senator
Dave Reed. Mellon probably thinks
he is rich enough to own a Senator.
I ——— pe —————_——
An Overflowing Treasury,
According to the Treasury state-
ment the revenues of the Common-
wealth for March amounted to $14,-
300,848 and the disbursements to $10,-
914,069, thus increasing the surplus by
$3,386,777. State Treasurer Samuel
S. Lewis estimates that at the end of
the fiscal year, May 31, the treasury
surplus will amount to $9,248,896.
The totals of all funds in the Treasury
on March 31 was $56,969,976, which
creates a record. The highest previ-
ous balance was $52,583,187 at the
end of February this year. Mr. Lewis
adds that “if the receipts during the
next two months equal the $8,048,368
received during the corresponding
months of 1926, the general fund will
total $27,180,480 at the end of the
1926-27 period.”
The balances in the principal funds
outside of the general fund, Treasurer
Lewis states, are motor fund $21,488,-
582; State bond road.fund, $9,247,863;
insurance tax fund, $1,659,073 ; dog
license fund $302,677; game fund,
$356,372; fish fund, $183,427; securi-
ties bureau fund, $172,504; athletic
commission fund, $29,997 and Dela-
ware river bridge fund, $236,670.
These figures would indicate that these
several bureaus of the State govern-
ment are in no danger of suffering
from lack of money to function during’
the present biennium. Unless some-
thing goes wrong in the management
they will be able to continue Governor
Pinchot’s policy of “pay as you go.”
In view of these facts thoughtful
citizens are forced to wonder why the
authorities in the State government
are constantly urging the General As-
sembly to impose new taxes. It ig
entirely proper for those in control of
public affairs to see that the revenues
are equal to the obligations of the
State. There could be no harm in
maintaining a reasonable balance in
each of the funds upon which demands
are made in the course of administra-
tion. But a surplus of over $27,000,-
000 is not necessary and is on the
other hand a menace. While the treas-
ury figures remain as they are we can
see no excuse for imposing an addi-
Vion tax on the consumers of gaso-
ine.
—————————
—Subscribe for the Watchman.
votes can be bought or stolen. Mr. |
BELLEFONTE, PA.. APRIL S, 1927.
Ballot Reform Hopes Vanishing.
The hope of substantial ballot re-
form legislation from the present
session of the General Assembly is
rapidly vanishing. On Monday even-
ing the House of Representatives, by
a vote of 105 to 93, defeated the bill
providing for the compulsory opening
of ballot boxes under suspicion of
fraud or material error, sponsored by
Governor Fisher. This makes it prac-
tically certain that the toothless meas-
ure reported from the Senate Commit-
tee on Elections will constitute the
| sum and substance of ballot reform
legislation. It will give the twenty
river wards of Philadelphia and “the
strip” in Pittsburgh a blanket license
| to stuff ballot boxes and make fraudu-
{ lent returns to their heart’s content.
There is a chance that the vicious
Homsher bills will fail of passage but
i with the facilities for fraud as prac-
‘ticed last year unrestrained that is
comparatively unimportant. There is
{also a chance that the Harris resolu-
| tion for optional use of voting ma-
chines will get through, but as Phila-
delphia and Pittsburgh will not adopt
. them, their corrective influence will be
meager. The Mellon-Vare partnership
has determined to continue every facil-
ity for stealing majorities and the
General Assembly seems to be com-
pletely submissive to its will. The
‘ partnership is in complete control of
‘the Legislature and legislation.
The humiliating thing about this
lamentable situation is that Governor
Fisher has absolutely abdicated his
powers to the Mellon-Vare partner-
ship. If he had asserted his authority
in making appointments and in the
exercise of his prerogatives his legis-
lative programme might have been
adopted. A couple of weeks ago he
had Mellon “on the run” and Vare in
hiding. But he equivoeated and dilly-
dallied until they recovered their as-
surance and shoved him off the politi-
cal map. The chairman of the Senate
Committee on Elections declared that
he had consented to the amendments to
his bills and the chairman of the
Hopse committee reaffirmed that
statement Monday night. It is simply
shameful.
——The President says that “it
would be difficult to support the foun-
dations of government and society if
faith in Bible teachings was lost.” It
is to be regretted that the President
doesn’t practice what he preaches.
n—— me m——
County Chairman Zerby Appoints
Executive Committee.
announced his executive committee for
1927 as follows. George R. Meek,
Ivan Walker and P. H. Gherrity, Belle-
fonte; Robert M. Foster, State Col-
lege; S. W. Smith, Centre Hall; Dr. S.
S. McCormick, Hublersburg; W. H.
Noll, Pleasant Gap; John C. Hoster-
man, Millheim; Dr. F. XK. White, Phil-
ipsburg.
As there is to be a full county ticket
and a Judge elected in the fall it is
none too early for a start on the work
of effecting a complete organization of
the county.
——-The weather man has been flirt-
ing with winter most of the past week,
and the man who predicted an early
spring is doomed to disappointment.
The month of March was exceptionally
nice from beginning to end and many
farmers did a lot of their spring plow-
ing. But Saturday saw a change, with
rain and cold and some snow. It
snowed again on Sunday night and
Monday night there was thunder and
lightning, rain and hail, and cold
enough for ice to freeze on the trees
and bushes. It is hardly likely, how-
ever, that the fruit buds are far
enough advanced to have been dam-
aged by the cold weather.
——————————p st —
——Henry Ford is having a bunch
of troubles. First came the libel suit
for a million dollars, next an attempt
to assassinate him and finally the re-
tail merchants of Detroit have organ-
ized a boycott against him.
rn QP reticence.
The army air corps may not
contemplate a trip to the moon but
it is estimated that in the manoeuvers
in Texas next month the planes will
cover a mileage: equal to such a trip.
bie fA eireinini———e—
——The President’s son is now
guarded by the secret service of the
government. If this custom extends
to full limit it may become an expen-
sive feature of government.
a —————— en eeiim—
——American capitalists are organ-
izing to control the manufaeturing in-
dustries of Poland. Of course they
expect the government will support
them in anything they do.
——Statistics show that 207 Ameri--
cans have incomes of over'$1,000,000.
We are glad to learn that there are
over two hundred ‘of us:
County chairman W. D. Zerby has !
Have You Moral Indurance?
From the Pittsburgh Post.
Judge John B. Broomall expressed
a thought that has no doubt been in
the minds of many shrewd observers
of contemporary life when he remark-
ed in the course of an address before
the cadets of the Pennsylvania Mili-
tay College, recently, that “moral en-
durance,” by which he meant the abil-
ity to stand unavoidable mental dis-
comfort without whimpering or yield-
ing, was an even greater need of the
age than physical endurance. We ad-
mire the endurance of the swimmers
who battle the waves for hours, and
that of the pugilists who “absorb
punishment” without quitting. But
moral endurance is of greater practi-
cal value in the ordinary affairs of
life. Comparatively few of ns ever
have occasion to undergo a prolonged
and arduous physical ordeal; nearly
everyone is frequently or constantly
confronted with some test or other of
his moral strength.
Judge Broomall said his attention
had been directed to want of moral
endurance by criminals brought be-
fore him for trial. Many of them, he
said, committed crime because they
did not have the stamina to endure
what they regarded as an unpleasant
situation. What he had particularly
in mind, it seems, was the frauds and
robberies of persons who chose to get
money dishonestly in preference to
enduring privation during the tedious
period of acquiring it in a legitimate
way. As Judge Broomall said, they
did not have the moral stamina to play
the game straight until they had at-
tained the goal of success. “Before
the fight was half won they sickened
at the slow progress they were mak-
ing and took a short cut via criminal-
ity.”
A suggestion of the extent to which
this is being done is afforded by the
annual report of one of the largest
bonding companies in the country,
which reports an increase of thirteen
per cent. over the year before in de-
falcations and embezzlements of em-
ployes holding positions of trust. In
their impatience to “get rich quick,”
to “keep up with the Joneses,” some
persons will not endure to live mod-
estly, they will not submit to being
without fine houses, furs and automo-
biles. They lack moral endurance.
The responsibility lies in part in the
widespread custom of measurigiesuc-
cess in terins of ‘wealth, and in re)
ing money as the key to happiness.
Judge Broomall proposes that moral
endurance be taught in the colleges.
Perhaps there is no better way to
teach it than by holding up before the
students, as worthy of attainment, the
ideals of Christian fortitude and the
Stoic philosophers. Epictetus and
Marcus Aurelius have been dead for
many centuries, but their advice in
many respects is still sound. They
will help one to endure philosophical-
ly poverty, ill health and other condi-
tions that make life almost intolerable
for those who have no moral endur-
ance.
Senator Norris’ Heresies.
From the Philadelphia Record.
When Senator Norris, of Nebraska,
came into Pennsylvania last year to
champion the cause of William B.
Wilson, the Democratic candidate for
Senator against William S. Vare, he
was denounced by the supporters of
the latter as a carpetbagger, an in-
truder and an impudent fellow gen-
erally to dare to cross State lines and
to speak in behalf of a wicked Dem-
ocrat, while nominally himself a’ Re-
publican. These attacks, however, had
no effect upon the Nebraskan, whose
speeches had no little influence in per-
suading the voters of the State, out-
side of Philadelphia, to roll up an im-
pressive majority for Wilson over
Vare.
In the eyes of machine politicians
Mr. Norris has sinned again by an-
nouncing, as planks in his platform in
a prospective candidacy for Governor
of Nebraska, the elimination of a
large percentage of State officials and
the reconstruction of the Legislature
as a body of not more than 25 mem-
bers elected on a nonpartisan basis.
The effrontery of the man! Every-
body knows, of course, that a large
part of the employees of any State,
whether Nebraska or Pennsylvania,
could be dispensed with without injury
to the Commonwealth, and that the bi-
cameral system of State Legislatures,
patterned after the congress of the
United States, is unnecessary and un-
wieldy; but it is not considered good
form to make such admissions. Sen-
ator Norris is evidently no politician,
or he would not give advance notice
of such heretical views.
We hope that Mr. Norris will suc-
ceed in his ambition to become Gov-
ernor of Nebraska, but we have our
doubts. This is a period of political
reaction, and radical theories are not
popular. But he has shown himself
a high-minded gentleman of courage
and independence, and that fame will
be enduring, whether or not he shall
= in the Gubernatorial chair at Lin-
coln.
We have a very useful Auto-
Strap Saftey razor all done up in a
neat little velvet lined metallic case,
to give to everyone who sends or
brings a new subscription to the
Watchman,
——————ra————
——The “Watchman” is the most
readable paper published. Try it.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE.
—A coroner’s jury making inquiry into
the death of four miners killed last week at
the Ehrenfeld No. 3 mine of the Pennsyl-
vania Coal company, in Cambria county,
found no evidence of negligence.
—Katharine M. Kline, a stenographer
for Harry C. Weber, badge manufacturer,
at Reading who died about four years ago,
on Monday won a suit in equity in Judge
Schaeffer's court to retain $14,650, invested
in mortgages in her own name, given her
by Weber in 1921.
—Otto Speicher, 74, a retired farmer of
Lebanon county, died at his Cleona home
from blood poisoning resulting from a nail
scratch received six weeks age while he
was building a house for his son-in-law.
The wound was so slight that at first no
attention was paid to it.
—Thieves gained entrance to the Paul
Hornick Hardware store in Johnstown
early Monday morning and stole $800 worth
of guns, revolvers, pocket knives and other
merchandise. Their loot also consisted of
$60 in cash and $150 in Liberty bonds,
which were obtained from a safe.
—Twenty-five thousand concrete rail-
road ties are now being placed by the
Pennsylvania Railroad near Tyrone and
at Columbia, Pa. as an evperiment. The
road will keep a check on the maintenance
cost, replacement cost and the riding quali-
ties of the ties, as sell as to wear on roli-
ing stock.
—Robert Mauery and some friends of
Lewistown visiting the James Wian ecot-
tage on Potlicker Flats, Seven Mountains,
witnessed a herd of fifty-three deer at
dusk Sunday night. ‘Paddy’ McGarrah,
worker at Standard steel works, was start-
led the same night when a pheasant hen
alighted on his hat while walking in West
Market street. The bird didn't seem the
least startled when a human hand picked
it off.
—A bullet sent into each nostril on Fri-
day night failed to kill Levi Powl, 95, of
Lancaster. When physicians examined
him in St. Joseph's hospital, two hours
after his attempt to commit suicide,
Powl said he was ‘feeling fine,” Accord-
ing to police, he put two bullets into his
head, each coming out of his forehead and
imbedding itself in the ceiling of his bed-
room. He had obtained the revolver ex-
pressly to end his life with it.
—Fear of arrest, after he had fired sev-
eral revolver shots at Patrolman Edward
Myers, when the latter went to his home
to quiet him during a drunken brawl, on
Monday, led Charles Adam Theophel, 43,
retired bricklayer, to commit suicide at his
home, in’ Red Lion, York county, eight
miles south of York. The body was found
by his wife upon her return home from
work Monday morning at 11 o'clock. His
widow and two children survive.
—A Rupley Isenberg, widely known mu-
sician, of Altoona, who was placed on the
Pennsylvania Railroad roll of honor on
Monday on reaching the age of seventy
vears, was honored on retiring by being
presented with a purse of more than $125.
Mr. Isenberg leaves this week for Los
Angeles, Cil.,, to spend some time there.
He played in the Alexandria cornet band,
the McMilliann band of Cambria Tron com-
pany and the Altoona City band, being
historian and secretary for this organiza-
tion.
I —Ben Tuck, ‘a Lebanon merchant, was
brutally beaten early Monday morning by-
an unknown assailant who laid in wait for
him in the vestibule of the Tuck house and
attacked him with a monkey wrench. Tuck
fought desperately and succeeded in driv-
ing off his assailant but then lapsed into
unconsciousness, Tuck is in the hospital
under observation, his head being a mass
of cuts and bruises. Tle believes his as-
sailant had knowledge of a considerable
amount of money on his person, but failed
to get it. .
—DMiss Martha C. Feese, of Hartleton, is
aunt, great-aunt and great-great-aunt of
169. Her father, Jacob Feese, was married
three times and there were nineteen chil-
dren. She Is aunt to five sets of twins
and one set of triplets, Miss Feese has
done all kinds of work, dressmaking, floriat
work for the sick, funeral and weddings,
helping in coach-making, field work and in
the blacksmith shop atid housework. She
has attended 514 funerals, has given a help-
ing hand in time of need to thousands and
on Monday attended her [15th funeral,
—After being dragged fifty feet on the
pilot of a locomotive, 2-year-old Joseph
Panonti, of Luzerne county, escaped un-
hurt save from the shock resulting from
his experience. He was taken home after
being examined at the Pittston hospital
to make certain he was not injured. As
the train was speeding towards Wilkes-
Barre he toddled onto the track. When
the engineer saw the child he applied the
brakes. Leaping from the cab, members of
the crew hurried to investigate, and found
a frightened baby on the pilot hardly
scratched.
—Facing several charges resulting from
an alleged murderous assault upon chief
of police Emory Beegle, of Roaring Spring,
Matt Kraut has been held for trial in the
Blair county court in default of $2,000 bail
at a hearing before a Roaring Spring jus-
tice of the peace. The assault is declared
to have taken place early last week during
an attempt to arrest Kraut and his wife at
their farm near Mines. Kraut, who is un-
naturalized, denied the charges at the hear-
ing. His wife, son and daughter, also held
for implication in the assault, have been re-
leased on bail.
—The glass industry is expected to un-
dergo a boom in Jefferson county follow-
ing the announcement that the Standard
Sheet Glass company has bought the plant
of the Eldred company which formerly
operated at Punxsutawney. The new in-
dustry is expected to employ at least 200
men, earning an average monthly pay of
more than $30,000. Repairs are to be start-
ed on the plant soon and it is expected
that the plant will begin to operate dur-
ing the first week of June. Punxsutawney
people bought over $20,000 worth of stock
in the new company.
—John Mayeros, Cleveland, held in the
Northumberland county jril as one of two
bandits who robbed the Elysburg National
bank of $1,300 has been positively identi-
fied as one of a pair who on March 14, 1924,
held up the cashier and his assistant at the
Saucon Valley Trust company, at Heller-
town, in Northampton county, and escaped
with $20,000. Thomas W. Peffer, assistant
cashier of the trust company, visited Sun-
bury and was taken to the county jail by
Sergeant E. C. Kauffman, head of the de-
tail of State police. Peffer said Mayeros
was, without a’ doubt, one of the men who
figured in the hold-up: ’