rrr ammsemt e———— — —————————— | —— Jf the month of March will last Friday in ‘be anything like the lot of nice] we have a ‘weather ahead of us. ‘trip Beatty Motor company. ——The regular monthly meeting of the Centre County Motor Club will be held at the Brockerhoff hotel, in this place, this evening at 6:15. ——Dr. M. J. Locke, the elder, has been confined to his home on Allegheny street for several weeks, suffering with a rather aggravated cold. ——Kermit Roosevelt, son of the late President Theodore Roosevelt, will be one of the lecturers at the next summer session at the Penn- -sylvania State College. He will there on the afternoon and ‘evening of July 16. —— Have you seen “Finn and Hattie?” It is now showing at the Richelieu and is said to bea convul sing comedy. Anything in which Leon Errol and Zazu Pitts appear would be funny, for that pair could’ make a tombstone laugh. : —— Kermit Roosevelt and William McFee head the list of lecturers an- nounced for the summer session at the Pennsylvania State College, which will open June 30th. The program will be enlarged this year and will offer 350 courses in 35 de- partments. ———A little daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Keller, of Pitts-| burgh, in the Allegheny General] hospital, on Sunday. The new ad- vent makes three girls and one boy in the Kelier family, and up to. this time no name has been decided. upon for the newest member. i ——On Monday afternoon five! :school boys came down High street rolling an old automobile tire, When they reached the bridge they delib- erately threw the old tire into Spring | creek then made a quick getaway, | and that is one of the reasons for! the accumulation of so much rub- bish in the stream. —Mrs, Raymond H. Smith, of State College, has just been named regional chairman for Centre coun- ty of the Pennsylvania Committee of Republican women, Centre is in the north-central division and the’ ‘organization for 1931 was announced ‘on Friday by Miss ¥. M. R. O'Hara, of Wilkes-Barre, the state chairman. i ——Rev. C. C. Shuey is in the midst of a very successful revival service being held in the church at Dix Run. Beginning on Monday evening, February 23rd, fifteen penitents had been at the altar up to and including Friday night of last week, The meetings will be continued as long as sufficient in- ‘terest is manifested to warrant them. Dorsey Woodring, who for ‘quite a number of years has been station agent at Milesburg, was .placed on the retired list, on the first of the month and W. T. Kelly, ‘staticn agent in Bellefonte, has been ‘appointed official agent at that place in additicn to his duties here. One ‘man, however, will be kept at the -Milesburg station to sell tickets -and look after the freight. ~M. R, James, specialist in fish ‘culture for the U. 8S. Department of Fisheries, spent Tuesday along the lower end of Fishing creek, inspect- ing the contributory springs and surrounding grounds as possible lo- ‘cations for a federal hatchery that is to be located somewhere in the Sixteenth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Lycoming and Clin- ‘ton county sportsmen are advocating dts locaticn near the spring at -Mackeyville. —-—Phyllis Jodcn, daughter of} Mr. and Mrs. Van Jodon, was seven | years old, on Wednesday, and her mother gave a party for her from four to six o'clock in the afternoon, ‘the guests being fifteen of her hoor | ‘mates, as follows: Dorothy Stevens, -Joanna Long, Virginia Clark, Anna “Grove, Anne Penny, Frances Jones, | Laura Ann Stere, Betty Vonada, | Phyllis Evey, Eleanor Forsburg, Mary Maxine Craft, Thelma Cook, | Love Auman, Blanche Locke and Alice Jane Jodon. ~~ ——The Rowland theatre, of Phil- “ipsburg, was sold, last week, to' ‘Stanley Elkins, of indiana, Pa. The theatre was built in 1917 and since it's opening had Leen under the management of A. J. Fleckenstein. | It has been used for both motion pictures and stock company per- formances and is one of the best’ theatres in this part of the State. The theatre was closed after Satur- | day night's showing of picturesand will be extensively overhauled be- “fore being reopened. ———Miss Florence Cohen, daughter ‘of Mr. and Mrs. Walter C. Cohen, of Spring street, Bellefonte, suffered | offered him “good money” burning building and found snow a pair of ru SPRING MILLS MERCHANT CONVICTED OF ARSON. Charles A. Krape, Spring Mills Merchant Convicted of Burning His Own Store—Record Attendance in Court During Trial. BY JOHN M. FLEMING When a jury composed entirely of merchant, charged with felonious ' repeated the ‘the stove and the slowly rotting floor beneath. | Mrs. Birdie Krape, wife of the | defendant, told what she knew of the happenings on the night of the ‘fire. As had been her custom in ‘years past she went to the place of business around eight o'clock so that ‘she and Mr, Krape might go home together. He was sitting by the fire and after he had banked it and ' men brought back a verdict of guilty, jocked up the establishment they —Having returned from his auto )a5t Saturday afternoon, inthe Com- started Toit: After they arrived to Florida Milan P. Walker is | monwealth's case against Charles A. home they talked for a few min- back at his desk in the office of the Krape, 72 yearsold, Spring Mills utes and retired at nine-thirty. Mrs. claim Krape had a difficult time awaken- story of the state of GAMBLE HEIRS DEMAND | BIG PAY FOR ISLAND, Submit Three Propositions to Coun- cil on Monday Evening. Gamble in creek dam, are demand- be- 16-inch water line | Heirs of the late | who | the ing | cause having | property. In a lenghty communica- ‘tion to borough council, on Monday ' evening, they sought to establish their | to the Island as their prop- Then rehearsing how it was gE , erty. arson, one of the most sensational ing her husband when the alarm despoiled for purposes which they and crowd attracting trials in the history of Centre county was brought to a close. The case which | began Thursday afternoon, went to the jury at noon and the verdict was returned shortly after four o'clock on Saturday. Ex-Judge Arthur C. Dale, counsel for the de- fendant, immediately made a motion for a new trial and the bail was set by Judge Fleming at $6000. Throngs of people crowded the main corridor of the court room un- til it was necessary to lock the main doors in order that the aisles might not be blocked. Never since the Musser murder trial have the aged tipstaves been taxed to the degree they were last week. The milling mob of humans came from miles around to listen to the testimony and see the principals in this most important case tried in the March term and the lone case in the court of Oyer and Terminer. On Friday morning the places were occupied at seven o'clock with people carrying their lunches and when Judge Flem- ing announced a night session a good- ly number remained, supperless in | their places, so that they would not miss a single feature. The Commonwealth contended that the fire which occurred on the night of January 29, 1929, in Spring Mills and destroyed the shoe store of Mr. Krape, the dwelling house and place of business of John H. Rishel and did damage to the Alli- son home had not been of incendiary origin. They alleged that the aged defendant had set fire to the struc- ture where he conducted his busi- ness in a nefarious manner, conse- quently collecting the insurace which amount to $8686. A letter received by Mr. Krape and purported to be from some enemy threatening his property was set forth to have been written by the defendant and mailed to himself in order that suspicion would be diverted from him, W. O. Gramley, a resident of Spring Mills, who has been a pa- tient in the Jersey Shore hospital where he is recuperating from a severe illness was transported from his sick bed on the morning of the trial in order that he might give his testimony. He told of two con- versations he had had with Mr. Krape in the latter part of 1928. The first concerned the condition of Mr. Krape's finances which he al- leged were very poor and in the second talk, he said the defendant if he would burn the store. On cross- examination the witness admitted that he was indebted to the shoe merchant but insisted that this had ‘not been mentioned in either of the two chats. Harry M. Hoy then testified and he also stated that Mr. Krape had offered him $100 if he would ‘see the place go up in smoke.” Mr. Hoy admitted under Judge Dale's ques- tioning, that he had been drinking a little during December of 1928 and also that he had been convicted in 1925 in the Centre County courts. Jaco: Shearer, in whose home the Spring Mills telephone exchange is located, said that on the night of the fire he had been awakened by the telephone and had immediately dressed and started for the fire, stopping at the silk mill to blow the whistle and give the general alarm. He and Mr. Krape went around the in the r arctics. The aged defendant said to Mr. Shearer “Here it is, it was robbers.” The witness did not see Mr. Krape af- ter that during the progress of the Pe fire. The State then summoned Linto D. Gritman, the prosecutor in the case and a member of the State po- lice force in connection with the fire marshal‘s office, Mr. Hafey and Mr, O'Daniels from the insurance com- panies and witnesses to the signa- ture of Mr. Krape as taken in the office of the county detective last December. They produced the let- ter Mr. Krape was alleged to have written to himself and told how he had produced it in the office of Squire Jamison, Spring Mills, ‘and stated— "This will explain it.” C. C. Hart, handwriting expert from Williamsport, who had examin- ed the two specimens and the let- ter stated that the handwriting was very similar although not identical. The State then offered the letter and a number of other exhibits and rested its case. The first witness for the defense was H. F. Rossman, another resi- dent of Spring Mills. Mr. Rossman told of the bad condition of the ‘State and the defense conducted it sition to was sounded and testified that he ‘was an exceedingly sound sleeper. The addresses to the jury were long ‘and vehement taking up the better part of two hours, Judge Dale em- phasized the stove and the possibili- | ties of the fire dropping from it and being the cause of the conflagration. ‘He also dwelt on the previous repu- tation of the defendant and his long record as a reputable citizen of Spring Mills. District Attorney Love stressed the letters and the testi- mony of Gramley and Hoy. Judge's charge was nearly half an ‘hour in length and delivered in a slow and deliberate manner. The general concensus of opinion showed that while the extreme im- portance of the case made it difficult to try, the lawyers for both the in a very able and dignified manner. Mr. Krape's appeal for a new trial will probably be heard at the next term of argument court, which | comes in April. i |had in view by reason of the water | offered to sell it to the borough out ‘from $8,000 to $10,000. In the event i ' damages; or, they will accept an an- {long as the pipe remains in its pres- ent place over The Island. The com- munication was signed by G. Mac Gamble and Ruth Talbot. The mat- ter was referred to the Water and i with the borough solicitor. Only five members were present at the meeting of council. absence of president John S. Walker, W. J. Emerick occupied the chair. B. O. Harvey submitted a prope- insure the borough against any and all claims for damages by reason of accidents either on the streets or pavements. When the proposition is submitted in detail council will give it due considera- tion. In the been constructed across that’ pipe being extended across it they ‘right for a compromise price of right they will accept $5000 as nual rental of $720 a year for as. ing at the William Chambers home, since closing her house on Spring street, Finance committees for consultation \ drive to Mr. Wadding's home in Indiana, ' Saturday night and from there to Erie, | NEWS PURELY PERSONAL. | —Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Walker have been spending a part of the week in Philadelphia. —Mose A. Behrer, well known Patton township farmer, was m Beilefonte Mon- ' day morning looking after some business matters. | —=Mr. and Mrs. J. Milton Prater, who are in Bellefonte orgenuzing the Perry Business school are at present living at the Talleyrand. | Miss Adaline Rider went on duty at ' the Centre County hospital last week, as |one of the supervising nurses, to substi- tute for Miss Witmer, while the latter is in California. | —The Rev. Stuart F. Gast, rector of St. John's Episcopal church was in charge of the Lenten services in Altoona Wednesday night, and will be in charge | of those at Mt. Carmel to-night. —John Kocher, of Fairbrook, one of the best known farmers of Ferguson township, spent the week in Bellefonte, as a juror and on Tuesday was a guest ‘at the regular Kiwanis luncheon. ~Miss May Taylor, who has been liv- the first of November, is taking a short vacation from her school work, on ac- count of ill health. ~Mr., and Mrs. Roy R. Wadding will expecting to be back in Bellefonte, Mon- FATHER—SON BANQUET A NOTABLE EVENT AT Y. The father and son banquet of the Bellefonte Y. M. C. A. last Thurs- day evening was another of the notable contributions of the local Association to the public welfare of this community. Two hundred and fifty-two fathers and sons sat down to the tables that were spread in the spacious gymna- sium and for two hours anda half there was a fellowship between youth and mellowing years that could not but have made a lasting impression on both. J. Kennedy Johnston Esq. presi- dent of the Association, presided, and after the banquet had been served introduced Rev. Robert Thena, of the Lutheran church, who acted as toast master. The first speaker was Gordon M. Singer, athletic di- rector of the Y, who spoke princi- pally on the benefits of the summer camp for boys. Following him Jesse H. Caum proposed the toast “to our sons.” The neat response Lo that was the toast “to our dads,” by “Jimmy” Decker. Then the Rev. | Omar B. Poulson, of Huntingdon, the guest speaker, was introduced, and fairly thrilled the large gather- ing with a dramatic parable of life's cycles, day. Mr. Wadding is manager of the Say. Ehiviig ne jy | During the dinner there was rous- ing singing and other diversion calcu- --Mrs. Charles H. Miller, left, Friday | of last week, to return to her home in lated to bring the boys and their Butler, Pa., after a week's visit in, clders to a community of interest Bellefonte, with her sister, Mrs, M. Ward and a comraderie that brought them Fleming, at Judge and Mrs. Fleming's heart to heart. home, on east Linn street. . | The social contact was wonderful —Mr. and Mrs. Wayne D. Stitzinge: and no small part in its accomplish- and their family, were qm Bellefonte over ment was played by the Woman's Sunday, having driven in from New Auxiliary of the Y, in serving the TELEP EXTEN r | The Street committee reported ¥ HONE SION cleaning out the Linn street sewer, FOR STATE COLLEGE. temporary repairs to the Lamb! street bridge and the collection of Construction of additions to the $30 for a. sewer permit at the Centre Castle for one of their frequent visits ' with the children's maternal grand par.’ ents, Mr. and Mrs. J. K, Johnston, -Mr., and Mrs. O. M., Bowersox of State College, were interested spectators | at court here on Monday and Tuesday large assemblage so deftly, The food was splendid and in bountiful supply. It was hot and it seemed that always some devoted woman was at one's elbow urging the guests existing aerial and underground telephone cable network in the area served by the State College central office is planned by the Bell Tele- phone Cempany of Pennsylvania at a cost of approximately $12,000, ac- cording to an announcement today by J. H. Caum, district manager. | Marked increase in the number of subscribers in State College and vi- cinity, together with the desire to provide adequate facilities to care Democrat building. The committee also reported that the county commissioners have agreed to assume two-thirds of the cost of a new bridge over Spring creek, on Lamb street, but after the bridge is built it will be up to the. borough to keep it in repair. On motion of Mr. Cobb the proposition of the commissioners was accepted. The committee further reported that James B. Long, Norristown, a super- of this week. Neither one of them were to have more. jurors, though they were interested in| Mr. Heineman, Mr. Singer and the some of the litigation that was before Women of the Auxiliary are doing a the court. work among youth in Bellefonte —Mrs. John Curtin is in Atlantic City, that the town will never be able to having gone down the early part of the fully realize. week to be a guest of Mr. and Mrs, Wil- | liam 8. Furst, while recovering om 2 CLARENCE COAL MINER slight indisposition. Mrs. Curtin pects to be away fora part of the! DIES FROM BURNS. Horribly burned on the head and month of March. i —Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Smith, of State! for the future telephone require- ments of the community, prompted | ViSing bridge engineer, had been in i the company to undertake the pro- | Bellefonte, last week, ny me ject at this time, it was ex Be plans i Work on the project is scheduled to |\B. Width, with a concrete roadway, which can be erected upon the pres- begin in a few days and com-! pleted by next August. ent Shutnenta, at an estimated ot} The program provides for the con- °f $8,000. Mr. on will prepare ? . struction of more than 10,000 feet | talled plans, h “Specifics ons —_— of lead-sheathed aerial cable con- 16 PURE OFF C0 HC SUvertis | taining between 26 and 404 pairs °5 OF of tracts 1 A ! ‘of wires, and the placing of nearly 3Warding of con or the regu- 11,000 feet of underground cable car. | 1ar fee Of six per cent of the fotal rying between 404 and 1,212 pairs | ot and the Street committee was | of wires. empowerd to employ him. | The Water committee reported a number of minor repairs and the ‘collection of $400 on water taxes. The committee also reported that they were in receipt of several re-| quests in regard to the purchase of some of the machinery in the Gam- ble mill and asked what members of council thought about selling it. After some discussion the matter was left in the hands of the com- mittee to do whatever in their judgment seemed best. ! BELLEFONTE ACADEMY TO BOX COOK ACADEMY. The Bellefonte Academy boxing team, which has not lost a match! this season, will go up against a. stiff proposition this (Friday) eve- ‘ning, when they will have for their opponents the strong Cook Academy | team. The bouts will he staged in| the Y. M. C. A, gymnasium and will begin promptly at 8.30 o'clock. Mr. Cobb also brought up the mat- Pele of Sdnysgion wi be 3 19% ter of the new twelve inch water pipe : from Gamble mill up Lamb street. You enjoy boxing be sure to go to- | "yy open stating that after con- night, as every bout will be worth ' sidering the location of the pipe Seging al from all angles the committee be- Tomorrow night the Academy lieves the best place for it is under basket ball team will play the Dick- the bed of Spring creek, and they inson Seminary five on the armory were authorized to place it there. floor, Bellefonte. The game will be, The question of repairs to the (called at 8.30 o'clock and ought to Jeservols was also discussed but no be a very good one. : definite decision arrived at. The Academy football dance Bol eT ace Commie reperieds | at Hecla park, last rriday evening, $1476, and in the water fund $6,- was largely attended and one of the 273534. Borough notes amounting to home in the Allison building the after- Bellefonte for Mr. Cox's mother and will College, are at the Covington Arms Apartment, Miami Beach, Florida. where | they will spend part of the six month's | leave of absence Mr. Smith was recently | given from his duties as comptroller of | the Pennsylvania State College. {in —Included in the Sunday guests whom | Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Garbrick enter-| tained at their home at Coleville, were Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Garbrick and their | two daughters, the Misses Lillian and Ione Garbrick, of State College, and | Miss Blanche Kessinger, of Mill Hall. ~Mrs. Anne Cox will return to her part of the month, following a five months stay with her son Jesse, in Reading. Mr. and Mrs. Cox motored to accompany her back on the return drive. --