Democratic watchman. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1855-1940, September 02, 1927, Image 1

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    Seon iisiiom.
INK SLINGS.
—Helen Wills has: won the National
tennis championship for the fourth
time. We can forgive her for that,
but every time we see a big, fat
woman in the back seat of an auto-
mobile, smirking as though she looks
classy, in one of those abominable cap-
less visors that Helen brought into
vogue, we know there is a lot we can’t
forgive the California star for.
—Three of the three and one half
million letters and telegrams Col.
Lindbergh has received since his dar-
ing flight to Europe contain sugges-
tions that he attempt to ride to the
moon on a rocket fired from earth.
Some think that Lindy was fool-hardy
in his trans-Atlantic flight, but we're
quite sure that he isn’t moonstruck
enough to consider these lunatic pro-
posals. =
{ + —The sudden death of John W.
JYearick ‘leaves ‘our party with only
two nominees for County Commis-
sioner one of whom happens to be
Burdine Butler the perennial aspirant.
It is not too late for someone to file
a petition for a place on the primary
ballot but it looks as though fate
has played into Burdine’s hands at
last, unless another aspirant appears
#o beat him out just when it seems in
his grasp.
—Really something ought to be
done about it. Every time an aviator
attempts a hop over an ocean to win
a valuable prize the government feels
that it is its duty to expend millions
of dollars in an attempt to rescue him
in the event of his failure to reach his
destination. We're just as chicken
hearted as the next fellow, where
someone in distress is concerned, but
we think the government ought to
protect itself against any moral ob-
ligation for the salvage of sea-going
hacks.
—Of course we don’t know how
true it is, but we have heard a report
to the effect that Governor Fisher
recently sent for the Hon. Holmes
and the Hon. honored the Governor by
responding in person to the summons.
We don’t know what they talked
about, but there are them that say
that since the Hon. has returned to
State College he has been seen a lot
with Eugene Lederer, who is leader
of the Furst crowd up there. Inas-
much as our Representative was head
and front of the Fleming propaganda
before his visit to Harrisburg his
recent antics are viewed with both
suspicion and alarm by Fleming's
friends. John Laird is a foxy gink.
He doesn’t seem to care as much as to
who his political bedfellows are as he
does as to how soft the bed is for him-
self.
—Wednesday’s papers announced
the successful flight of three hundred
and fifty miles made Leo Stevens in a
“vest pocket” balloon of his own de-
sign. Leo is a veteran aeronaut. His
midget balloon, basket and all, weighs
less than fifty pounds and his under-
‘taking was watched with much inter-
est by those interested in aerial navi-
‘gation. Bellefonte remembers Leo
well. Years and years ago he made
daily ascents and parachute drops for
a week at Hecla Park and one day he
went up from the “Diamond” in Belle-
fonte taking a dog along with him to be
dropped by a smaller parachute. In
its struggles through fright the poor
little canine got its harness tangled
‘just as the balloon swept upward and
while its parachute opened when re-
leased the ropes were so tangled that
it couldn’t fully expand and there was
a dead dog when it landed on the hill
behind the Presbyterian church.
—With only eighteen days interven-
ing until the primaries candidates are
burning up so much gas that, almost,
we are envious of the proprietors of
the filling stations. Naturally, most of
the interest centers in the contest for
the judicial nomination on the Re-
publican ticket and that, according to
our information, looks like it will be a
neck and neck race right up to the
close of the polls on the 20th. Being
‘the large centers of Republican
strength Bellefonte, Philipsburg and
State College will prebably decide the
‘issue between Judge Furst and M.
Ward Fleming Esq. Some weeks ago
it was generally admitted that State
College was leaning rather far over
on the Fleming side, not because it
disliked or opposed Judge Furst, but
merely because Mr. Fleming has for
some years been in more intimate con-
tact with the personal and civic life
of that community. We understand,
however, that they have decided to
play poker politics up there this time,
for expediency’s sake, and one of the
rules of that grand old game being
that “friendship ceases” with the first
deal, Mr. Fleming is to get nothing
more than a fifty-fifty break. That
being so it will be necessary for
Judge Furst to muster enough
strength in Bellefonte and such town-
ships as he is known to be strong in
as will overcome the majority that
Mr. Fleming will have in Philipsburg
and the Rushes. We were offered a
bet in Philipsburg, a few evenings
ago, that Mr. Fleming would get
seventy-five percent of the Republi-
can vote of that borough. It was offer-
ed by a Democrat who is for Mr.
Walker for Judge so we have to re-
gard that as a non-partisan opinion of
the situation, so far as Philipsburg is
concerned. Very powerful sinews in
political warfare are at Judge Furst’s
command, however, and if they are
brought into play he will have an
army at his back that will take more
than a seventy-five percent vote in
Philipsburg to overcome.
Til
7D)
STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION.
NO. 34.
VOL. 72.
Execution of Vanzetti and Sacco.
The intense feeling that has been
aroused throughout the world by the
execution of Vanzetti and Sacco, last
week, is unaccountable on any theory
of reasoning. . They were fairly tried,
according to the best evidence attain-
able, and justly convicted. They were
given every opportunity provided by
law and the ' practice of courts to
prove their innocence. If they had
been sons of wealthy or distinguished
parents no greater consideration could
have been given to their pleas for
clemency or commutation. In the
face of these facts it is not easy to
see why men and women in all parts
of the world should become hysterical
because they were compelled to pay
the usual penalty for the crime of
which they had been accused.
The fault may lay, in part at least,
in the system of administering justice
in Massachusetts. The murder of
which Vanzetti and Sacco were ac-
cused was perpetrated at Braintree on
April 15th, 1920. The defendants
were arrested May 31st, 1921, and
convicted July 14th, 1921. On Decem-
ber 21th, 1921, a- motion for a new
trial was made and denied. Thus far
the proceedings were reasonably ex-
peditious but in no respect hurried.
But no further steps were taken for
nearly two years when the defendants
were examined by alienists and de-
clared sane. If the execution of the
sentence had followed in reasonable
time there would have been nothing
unusual in the case.
At this stage of the legal tragedy
tardiness set in. Nothing was done
until January, 1926, when a fellow
prisoner, also convicted of murder,
declared that a gang of which he was
a member had committed the crime.
A year and three months later a mo-
tion for a new trial on the strength of
this statement was entered and denied
and date of execution fixed for the
week of July 10th. Three months
later the execution was postponed to
August 10th and the Governor named
a committee of distinguished men to
investigate, whose report sustained
the verdict of guilty. On Aug. 9th a
new trial was denied and the Governor
again postponed the execution until
August 22nd. August 19th to 22nd the
Supreme cot : assachusetts and
four justices of the Supreme court of
fere.
executed on the morning of August
22nd under “due process of law.”
chief makers, with the obvious pur-
pose of intimidating the authorities,
occurred in various cities in Europe,
the South American Republics and
some cities in the United States.
Bombs have been thrown and violence
to officials threatened and after the
execution plans were laid to carry the
bodies throughout the country to
arouse enmities and create trouble.
If the law and justice had been en-
forced with reasonable expedition
much, if not all, of this might have
been averted.
—Only a little over two weeks
intervene until the September primar-
ies. The list of candidates in Centre
county, from those for Judge down to
the district offices, is quite large, and
naturally the average voter may be
somewhat perplexed as to whom to
vote for. The Watchman has no in-
tention of offering any advice, believ-
ing that the choice of candidates at the
primaries is entirely the prerogative
of the individual voter. But we do
believe that every voter in the county
should exercise that right, as only by
so doing can he or she assist in nomi-
nating the right men for the various
offices.
ee
—It will be recalled that when
former Judge Arthur C. Dale an-
nounced that he would be a candidate
for ncmination on the Republican
ticket this fall we expressed the opin-
ion that there might be a chance for
him to slip in between the other two
contenders and win out. The cam-
paign has progressed to the point
where we think we are justified in
saying that there isn’t a chance for
Arthur. The other two are running
so close together that he couldn’t
squeeze in between them even if he
had both Gifford and Rebecca Naomi
pushing him.
——The Rockerfeller Foundation
has officially announced that the hook
worm disease has practically disap-
peared from this country. Now if
most of the ballot crooks could be
disposed of “we might be happy yet,
you bet.”
——— pe ican
——-It snowed in York county last
Saturday, the result, probably, of Sam
Lewis’ recent declaration for Secre-
tary Mellon, for President.
the United States refused to inter- |
After these exhaustive efforts in |
behalf of the defendants they were
Since April 9th, when the sentence of |
death was pronounced, an apparently
organized agitation, mainly by radi- |
cals, anarchists and professional mis- |
Lowden’s Hat in the Ring.
The first hat in the ring for the
| free-for-all race for the Republican
{ nomination for President next year
is that. of ex-Governor Frank O.
! Lowden, of Illinois. It has been an-
i nounced in Washington and broadcast
| through the newspapers that Mr.
Lowden has engaged a campaign
| manager in the person of Fred Starek,
jof Ohio, who is catalogued in the
statement as the pre-convention man-
ager of the late President Harding in
| 1520. This Is surprising information
jas Harry Daugherty, subsequently
i Mr. Harding’s Attorney General, has
{been popularly credited with the
| political diplomacy that resulted in
| that widely regretted nomination.
| Mr. Starek served during the Harding
regime in the War Finance Corpora-
tion.
Mr. Lowden, according to estimates
of friends, will enter the convention
with considerable strength. It is
claimed that in eleven western and
northwestern States, including Illi-
nois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Kentucky and Tennessee, he will have
333 votes on the first ballot “from
States west of the Allegheny moun-
tains.” Mr. Starek’s job will be to
gather enough delegates from the
north and east of the Alleghenies to
make up a majority, and it is reason-
ed that one who developed Mr. Hard-
ing’s meagre nucleus into a majority
of the 1920 convention can achieve
that result “with one hand tied be-
hind his back.” ‘But:there are likely
to be “favorite sons”'in a good many
of the States named:
Governor Lowdenki§ believed to be
very solid in ‘the "“corn belt,” and
being a likable fellow may be popu-
lar in the cotton and wheat growing
sections. But Mr.. Starek will find
hard sledding in the east where Wall
Street and the corporate interests are
entrenched. Of course Mr. Lowden
has plenty of money, himself, and his
identity with the Pullman corporation
may have a softening influence on the
minds of corporate managers. But
his boosters are likely to encounter
difficulties in the cotton belt section.
The delegates who represent those
constituencies in Republican National
conventions are office holders rather
than planters, and spot cash is more
appealing to them than sentiment.
!
|
lar Republican newspapers in Pitts-
burgh, since the recent mergers. But,
unfortunately, all the newspapers
‘there support the atrocious Republi-
can machine.
eens
Pittsburgh Courts Foster Frauds.
The Republican machine method of
protecting electoral frauds has again
been exposed by the courts in Al
legheny county. An examination of
the assessors’ lists of the First war
of the city of Pittsburgh had revealed
“padding” to the extent of 2000
names, and a petition was presented
to the court for a judicial injury. The
Republican organization objected on
the ground “that the case should first
be taken before the board of assess-
ment and revision of taxes,” and the
court, Judges Reid and Rowland on
the bench, sustained the objection.
This essentially technical interpreta-
tion of the law defeated the purpose to
prevent fraud at the coming primary
to make the investigation valueless, so
far as the primary election is con-
cerned, for the reason that even if
the padding of the lists, as complain-
ed of, were clearly shown, an appeal
to the courts would be necessary to
secure a correction of the lists. It
would be physically impossible to
get through with this legal formula
within the period before the primary
election and thus the machine,
financed by chairman Mellon and
managed by Senator Max Leslie, is
assured of at least 2000 fraudulent
votes in a single ward for their candi-
dates. Whether or not other voting
districts are similarly packed remains
to be seen.
Like the Vare machine in Philadel-
phia, the Mellon machine in Pitts-
burgh professes to favor honest elec-
tions. But they put every available
obstacle in the way of measures which
would guarantee improvement in
electoral processes. The reform ele-
ment in Pittsburgh is making a
strenuous contest for the nomination
of fit candidates, and believe that
with an honest election they will
achieve their laudable purpose. But if
padding of voters’ lists has been ac-
complished in other parts of the city
in the same ratio as in the First ward
they will be disappointed, of course,
and the fraudulent voting and false
counting which put Mr. Mellon in
control last year will be continued in-
definitely.
——There is a new star in the
Milky Way, and several new scandals
in the movie circle.
BELLEFONTE, PA.. SEPTEMBER 2. 1927.
Mellon Coerced by Vare.
Former Mayor J. Hampton Moore,
of Philadelphia, who is the candidate
of the better element of the Republi-
can voters for Mayor, has written a
letter to W. L. Mellon, of Pittsburgh,
chairman of State committee of his
party, rather sharply rebuking him
for virtually endorsing “the Vare
slated candidates and the Kendrick
administration.” Mr. Moore practical-
ly declares that because the chairman
ofithe State committee lives out of the
jurisdiction he has no moral right to
interfere in a contest between two
members of the party for a nomina-
tion when one of them represents
“traction grabs, city hall annex grabs
or Sesqui-centennial extravagance
that have helped to run the city in
debt.”
Obviously Mr. Moore doesn’t under-
stand the purposes of Mr. Mellon or
aceurately measure his political phil-
osophy. Mr. Mellon’s present aim in
politics is to re-elect his “obedient
servant,” David A. Reed, as Senator in
Congress. To accomplish that result it
is necessary to secure the cordial as
well as the criminal support of Wil-
liam S. Vare. To acquire that he
must favor any candidate or any
measure which Mr. Vare “chooses” to
put over, and if the candidate were a
convicted felon instead of the fairly
reputable lawyer he happens to be,
Mr. Mellon could and probably would
support him without the least distur-
bance to his conscience. He is play-
ing the game according to the Vare
rules.
As a matter of fact William S.
Vare has become the absolute master
of the Republican party of Pennsyl-
vania. A year ago Mr. Mellon, Gov-
ernor Fisher and others felt they had
full liberty to denounce him, and if
their opposition had been successful
he would have been powerless to re-
sent the action. But he won then and
with the complete control of the party
Loree in Philadelphia can make or mar
any State-wide candidate. In the ex-
ercise of this power he probably com-
pelled Governor Fisher to violate the
law by naming four Republicans as
Registration Commissioners of Phila-
delphia and by the same sinister force
hagismapelled —.charman Mellon -to
stultify himself by openly supporting
Vare’s ticket.
—It is said that there are no regu- |
and probably at the general election.’
To comply with this decision of the
court would consume so much time as’
The Vanzetti and Sacco funer-
ials in Boston, on Sunday, created
{little disorder and the chances are
{that those disturbances will soon be
| forgotten.
Digging Out the Roots.
The friends of good government in
‘all parts of Pennsylvania will draw |
hope from the warning issued by dis-
trict attorney Fox, concurred in by
George J. Brennan, chairman of the
Board of Registration Commissioners,
of Philadelphia. The warning is ad-
dressed to “all citizens who register,
all registration officials and all
others who may assume the functions
of registration officials,” and it serves
tration law will be promptly and vig-
orously dealt with so far as within
the scope of the district attorney’s
office.” The various forms which bal-
lot crooks adopt and the penalties for
the crimes are recited. It is a timely
and significant declaration.
~ District attorney Fox, who has
prosecuted and convicted more ballot
fraud criminals within two years than
his predecessors in the office in twenty
years, says, “my experience in recent
tion frauds demonstrates that in the
majority of such matters the very
basis of such criminal practices is on
registration days.” For this reason
he proposes to “begin at the begin-
ning” and follow the trail to the end.
Heretofore attention has been direct-
ed to crimes committed at the prima-
root of the evil is undisturbed. This
year the roots will be inspected and
the rotten elements carefully and
thoroughly removed.
Because district attorney Fox has
| refused him a nomination, though he
knows that a vast majority of the
| voters of the city favor honest elec-
| tions and would reward, rather than
penalize, just and efficient public ser-
vice. But Boss Vare believes that by
| padding the registration lists, casting
fraudulent votes and making false re-
turns he will be able to defeat the
majority and put a servile follower in
prosecute, criminals.
be seen whether his expectations will
be fulfilled or disappointed. If the
honest people are just to themselves
he will be disappointed.
ea i
——An “anti-gang” party has been
formed in Philadelphia to support the
Vare gang ticket and thus, stupidly,
the Vare hand is revealed.
—Subscribe for the Watchman.
notice “that violations of the regis- .
prosecutions of cases involving elec- !
ry or general election polls and the |
manifested his purposes in the future |
| by his acts in the past Boss Vare has |
the office whe will protect, rather than |
It remains to
Grange Encampment Draws Big
Crowds Daily.
This has been a big week for the
Grangers at Centre Hall. Their en-
campment on Grange park is bigger
and better than ever and there are
enough side attractions to afford
plenty of diversion when the crowd
wearies of looking at the exceedingly
creditable exhibitions of stock, farm-
ing implements and, farm produce of
all kinds. The program, as published
in last week’s Watchman, was carried
out in detail.
Wednesday, as published, was given
over to the old soldiers for the annual
reunion of the Centre county Veteran
club. Twenty-five veterans responded,
and at the business mecting presided
over by the president, W. H. Bar-
tholomew, the following officers were
elected: President, W. H. Bartholo-
mew; vice president, B. D. Brisbin;
secretary and treasurer, Capt. W. H.
Fry. Announcement was made that
twenty-three veterans had died dur-
ing the year. The speakers for the
day included county superintendent H.
Glenn Rogers, Prof. Adams and Hon.
J. Laird Holmes, of State College; M.
Ward Fleming, and L. C. Chase, a
colored veteran, of Philipsburg. .
Twenty-five veterans were present
at the reunion, namely:
William Flack, 83; William Col-
petzer, 81; John Griffith, 85, of Belle-
fonte. Cyrus Bowman, 82, of Blanch-
ard. B. D. Brisbin, 85; W. H. Bar-
tholomew, 81, of Centre Hall. George
W. Gill, 86, of Julian. John I. Wil-
liams, 84; Benjamin F. Hoy, 84, of
Lemont. Samuel R. Gettig, 89, of
Madisonburg. Capt. W. H. Fry, 84;
C. H. Martz, 79, of Pine Grove Mills.
Miles Morrison, 80; L. C. Chase, 82,
of Philipsburg. T. A. Snyder, 83;
Cyrus Walker, 85, J. B. Holter, 81;
Benjamin Espenshade, 88; Prof. M.
M. Garver, 79; Philip S. Dale, 85, of
State College. George Dubbs, 82, of
Unionville. David Williams, 85.
Those who died during the year
were John Kern, J. B. Weaver, N. A.
Houtz, W. H. Close, 8. H. Griffith,
Harry Cupp, George E. Gummo, J. P.
Shirk, J. P. Alters, Miles Dukeman,
Daniel Eberhart, W. E. Tate, Nelson
Lucas, Russell George, James Jase,
James Gallagher, Samuel E. Barr, J.
T. Abt, James Johnstonbaugh, John
{ Campbell, Frank Hunter and William
| Gill.
The Klansmen had an official cere-
(mony on the ball-field Wednesday
i night. There was quite a large gath-
| ering of them and they shot off bombs,
burned a cross and listened to
: speeches by Klan orators.
While the weather just suits some
' of the campers there are others who
think it most too cool for sleeping in
tents. Some of the latter have taken
to going home at night in order to
keep warm.
From a sports standpoint the ex-
citing feature of the day was the ball
game between the Grass Flat and
Centre Hall teams . They played 19
innings and darkness ended the game
before either side could break the tied
score of 1-1. me
EE
Big Rally at Bald Eagle.
A big rally and picnic will be held
at the church at Bald Eagle tomor-
row (Saturday) and as everybody in
the upper end of that valley has been
invited it promises to be a big time.
It will be in the shape of a basket
picnic but refreshments can be se-
cured on the ground. The program
includes speeches, music, games, ete.
RE —
| ——Pennsylvania railroad officials
i have decided to put a stop to the loaf-
| ing on the railroad siding at the old
pump house. Railroad policeman
{ Fred Giles came to Bellefonte on
| Monday with strict orders to arrest
anyone seen trespassing on the com-
| pany’s property at that place.
i BE _—
| Exposing the blunders of the
treasury estimates is a favorite and
easy diversion of Representative Old-
field, chairman of the Democratic
| Congressional committee.
—— lp —————————
——American architects were ex-
cluded from competition for plans for
the Palace of Nations, at Geneva, and
‘American architects know where to
place the blame.
rr — pt
——Paris artists and sculptors say
‘that young women are losing “their
‘good shapes.” But they are increas-
ing in power to wield the rolling pin.
eee freee eee
——1It would be difficult to imagine
anything more futile than predicting
the result of a Democratic National
convention a year in advance.
1 Se —————
| ——The week-end conferences of
, Philadelphia politicians at the shore
' resorts were rather gloomy last Sun-
day.
|
i
{
|
; ——The “Watchman” is the most
‘ readable paper published. Try it.
SPAWLS FROM THE KEYTSONE.
—Cloyd G. Bell, 49, of Johnstown, was
electrocuted on Saturday while at work
for the Cambria Fuel company at Carpen-
ter Park, Somerset county. Rescue work-
ers endeavored for three hours to revive
the victim. .
—The new highway leading from Mount
Union to McVeytown and Lewistown has
been completed and has been opened to
traffic. The last part of the road built was
that which leads out of Mount Union. The
new road will mean the shortening of the
distance between Mount Union and Lewis-
town and Harrisburg. It also connects
McVeytown with that city.
—Samuel Kerstetter is a truck driver
who won't take a dare. Not even if it is
given by a woman, and here's why. Miss
Esther Jarkovick, living near Shamokin,
was hanging up clothes on a line over a
road at the rear of her home just as the
truck driver was about to pass. He asked
her to take it down. She refused, and
Kerstetter drove his truck through.
Charges of malicious mischief preferred
against him were held under advisement.
—Frank Bobilla, of Coal Castle, near
Pottsville, became despondent and fasten-
ed his belt about his neck and to the top
stringer of a grape arbor. He changed his
mind about suicide just as he prepared to
jump and called for help. The change of
mind was too late, however, as he plunged
from the arbor and broke his neck. His
wife held the body to prevent strangula-
tion and called for help, but by the time
several men responded her husband was
dead.
—Work of drilling for oil on the prope
erty of William Bowser, of Philipsburg,
will be started this week by employes of
the Beam Natural Gas company, of Beth-
lehem. The Bowser tract, located a mile
and a quarter north of Blue Ball, 200 feet
from the main highway, has been leased
by the gas company with anticipations of
drilling night and day until oil is struck.
Several large truck loads of machinery
have been transported to the drilling site
and the foundation laid for the national
drill.
—The choice of an airplane as the quickest
means of getting to a party several miles
away, proved unfortunate for Donald
Charles, of Williamsport. The commercial
plane Charles appropriated was wrecked,
and Charles is in the Lycoming county
jail, on charges of larceny. Charles had
some airplane experience during the World
war but as he left the ground realized that
he had forgotten most of his war training.
About 100 feet up the plane began shim-
mying,” took a nose dive and trip and
plane ended right there. Charles escaped
unhurt.
—The 1927 edition of the Pennsylvania
State Manual, formerly known as Smull's
Legislative Hand Book, is expected to be
off the press and ready for distribution
by October 1. The new edition will total
32,000 copies and the bureau of publica-
tions already has received a number of
requests for copies. Among the new fea-
tures in the book will be tax and educa-
tional statistics. The tax figures will
show receipts from various sources and
the educational statistics will give enroll-
ment of schools, the amount of State aid,
and various classes of school districts and
other information of a similar character.
—An Indian ceremonial oak newly dis-
covered by S. L. Parkes, president of the
William . Penn- -€onservation Association,
in the Oley Valley, Berks county, is esti-
mated to be over 400 years old. Parkes,
who has purchased from the present
owners of the farm the land where the tree
stands, a tract held for many generations
by the Hoch (High) family, says, the tree
was standing when Columbus reached
American. It is over twenty-two feet in
circumference, seventy-two feet high and
spreads 110 feet. Indians conducted pow-
wows and peace conclaves under its
branches for many years, local legends
say.
—A bee which got into an automobile
driven by Fred O. Matthieson, of Collings-
dale, Northampton county, while he was
traveling from Seldersville to Friedens-
ville on July 2, 1926, caused a lot of
trouble and its sequel is a suit for $10,000
damages against Matthieson brought by
Emile Birkel, of Bethlehem. The latter's
son, John 11 years old, who was driving
with Matthieson at the time, was killed
when the owner lost control of his wheel
as he was trying to Kill the bee. In the
suit brought in the Northampton county
Court it is alleged that Matthieson was
negligent in the operation of the auto-
mobile when he removed his hands from
the wheel.
—With the finding of more than 1,000
stolen live chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese
and guinea hens, on an isolated farm at
Indian Run Gap, on Monday, Lebanon
county police officials and private detec-
tives cleared up wholesale poultry thefts,
which have been occurring for three
months in the Schuylkill, Berks and
Lebanon county farming sections. Charles
Schmolze, a former resident of Pottsville,
is in the Reading hospital under police
guard, while his father-in-law, George
Bickleman., also a former Pottsville resi-
dent, is a fugitive from justice, as a result
of the discovery of the farm and the poul-
try. Schmolze was shot while trying to
evade arrest.
—Williamsport police are combing that
city in an effort to apprehend four men
who on Saturday night seized Mrs. Cyn-
thia Quiegel, while she was walking on
Walnut street, near Fourth street, placed
a sack over her head, bound and gagged
her, threw her into a motor car and while
speeding to the west end of the city, tried
to compel her to confess certain wrong-
doings. Failing in this, the men clipped
her hair and threatened to tie her to a
tree and whip her. “Don’t do that,” op-
posed one of the men. “I've got a daugh-
ter of my own.” Then another, peering
into Mrs. Quiegel’'s face, exclaimed,
“You're not the girl we want,” whereupon
the four tossed her into a hedge and drove
away.
—Announcement has been made that
booklets containing the game, fish and for-
est laws are off the press and ready for
delivery to interested persons throughout
the State. Copies may be obtained from
the Bureau of Publications, the Game
Commission, the Department of Forests
and Waters, the Bureau of Animal Indus-
try or the Fish Commission at Harrisburg
and in addition county treasurers will be
supplied with a limited number of the
booklets for distribution. Although handi-
capped by a disastrous fire in the State
Printery, the Bureau of Publications be-
lieves it has broken all records for early
publication of these laws. Previously the
game laws often had not been published
before the opening of the hunting season.