Odd and CURIOUS in the = NEWS = TRAVELING PURSE Robert Cannon, electrician at work deep in the New Julian coal mine east of Vincennes, Ind, lost pocketbook i locomotive nearing Flora, Ill. found it in a shovelful of coal, The pocket. book had ridden out of the mine on A coal conveyor, been washed and sorted and dumped Into a hopper and found its way through a coal- ing station into the locomotive ten. der. Cannon got it bac) K KIND HEARTED Charles W. Clapper, Duncansville was naturally inconvenienced for a week when a thief stole his car while he and his family attended church, and later abandoned it neal Reading. But when Clapper retrieve. ed his auto a few days later he mar- veled at: The car was unscathed; the cooling system was drained as an anti-freeze precaution; and--the gasoline tank was fuller than when his auto was stolen WRONG SIGNAL Paul G. Smith, 24, of Harrisburg, responded cheerily when hailed by a motorist, he thought, for direc tions. Instead. he was nabbed, pulled into the car and driven to Reservoir Park, where he was relleved of $17, struck in the face and tossed out to walk several miles back home State police joined in a search for four Negro occupants of the car RURAL ADDRESS Draft board officials at Danville, N. Y. had to turn detectives to lo- cate one registrant in this area but they were finally able to reach their man. On his registration he had in- scribed his address simply as ‘grand- mother's farm.’ It took quite a while to find out just who ‘grandmother’ Was. RABBIT HUNTER? If you run across someone lugging 8 civil war cannon around without a license, notify the Police Depart- ment of Albuquerque, N. M. A prankster, or someone With a specu- lative eye on the metal market, took the battle-scarred plece from its mounting in a park. DEER CHASES DOG Reversing the usual process, Ray- mond Pratt, game warden at Brat. tleboro, Vi., was called recently to rescue a dog from the infuriated attacks of a deer. The dog escaped after being chased for two hours) by the animal. cs ws rn Construction Record Fifty homes ang ‘two apartment houses, costing $427 640 were built in State College in 1940, topping all previous residential construction fig- ures. Eight non-residential cgn- structions and 20 additions to pres- ent buildings brought the total of money spent in construction during the year to $620,760, a new record for all kinds of construction me n— AI —— sp Receive Defense Contract Included in the defense contract awards made jast week by the army was one for the Maclaren Sports. wear, Lid, firm, Philipsburg, Centre county. Amounting to $44.977, it is for 60,000 wool trousers. — Et Clinton County Statistics According to figures released by the United States Census, Clinton county had 27 wholesale establish.- ments in 1839, with sales totaling $2.693.000 and 161 employes earning $139,000. eat his | Weeks later a fireman | on a Baltimore and Ohio railroad obeved over The Most Widely Read Newspaper In Centre County. A Visitor In Seven Thousand Homes Each Week. SECOND SECTION dhe Centre Democrat NEWS, FEATURES VOLUME 60, BELLEFONTE, PA., THU RSDAY, APRIL 3, 1941, Sleeps Five Hours Before Going to Death in Chair For ‘Murder By Poison’ Paul Petrillo, South Philadelphia Tailor, Ex- ecuted at Rockview Early Monday For Part In Diabolic Poison Plot Paul Petrillo, awagened from a sound sleep, walked calmly into Rockview penitentiary’'s death cham- ber early Monday morning where the state exacted by electrocution its first life for Philadelphia's bi- zgarre murder-for-insurance ring, which officials said counted upwards of 100 victims The stout little 40-year-old Ital- jan tailor maintained his innocence to the end, patiently telling the ac- companying guards on the last march that he had been the "un- witting tool of a man well-versed in witchcraft Specifically he was for the poison slaying of veechio in 1832 Tavern Held Up At Gun Point Unidentified Man Robs Blair County Resort of $60 in Cash condemned Lugi La- table In Twenty- about 11 ight, an un- of his and numer- $50 Getting up from his George Ioup’s tavern, 818 four h street, Altoona, o'clock last Thursday n identified man whipped out pocket a 45 automatic pistol holding the progrietor and ous patrons at bay fled with from the cash register Ioup told Altoona police the ban- dit had drunk gbout a half glass of beer when he arose, pulled out the gun and demanded money Icup described the gur n as being an Italian, about five feet seven Inches. in height and wearing ma | a dark overcoat and gray slouch hat RE I Seek Hitch Hiker For Slugging Man Lewistown Motorist Hit Over Head by Assailant When Car Stalls A husky 40-year old hitch hiker was being sought Monday for slug- ging over the head Evereii Vaughn, of Lewistown Saturday along a by- road leading to McAlevy's Fort, where the wayfarer demanded to be taken at gunpoint Vaughn, who hed picked up his unkown assailant Lewistown the command, but the car stalled in a snowdrift. While jacking up the auto to put on chains the hitch hiker, whom Vaughn describ in ed as being six feet tall and weigh- ing 180 pounds, grabbed the jack handle with which he struck him the head and then fled into the woods Vaughn was not serious. ly hurt, police said —— Girl Born to Howard Pair, A daughter was born to Mr, and Mrs. Howard Hov of Howard at the Lock Haven Hospilal Saturday morning State May Ask Authority To | Fix Rent Rates For Dwellings Encatment of legislation to regu.) lae rents may be recommended soon to Gov, Arthur H. James and the State Defense Council in an effort to alleviate the stringent housing shortage in Pennsylvania which threatens to hamper the de- fense program. Charles V. Doyle, director of the State Board of Housing, revealed | last week that the federal defense | commission through its department of stale and Jocal cooperation, has compieted a nationwide survey on rent. control and wili submit its report with recommendations to Pennsylvania and other states with- | in a short time. Man's Will Provided $1,000 To Buy Liquor For Friends At His Funeral The will of J, Norman Scotf, of | Doylestown, 54-year-old scion of a ers and [riends al his funeral Scott, who died Sunday, March 23, | “The defense commission Washington appointed a committee to study rent control.” Doyle said. “1 do not know exactly what th: recommendations will be,” he said, “but I have heard from certain sources that it will concern legisla- tion on rent control” Doyle explained tha: under present system, the state has no au- | thority to regulate or administer | rents. Should Pennsylvania decide to follow the recommendations of | the the federal agency, legislation would | have to be passed to provide the state with authority to regulate and fix rents for private dwellings. Scott's family. It was a temper- | {ance inn until after the death of long string of Bucks county tem.’ perance advocales, sel aside $1000 to purchase liquor for his palibear- | 8cotl’s parents, { No sorrow dampened the partiv,! guests said and men and wo- men devoted th8IF time to the chore of drinking $1.000 worth of! 1941, was buried Jast Thursday. | liquor, " The party began after the burial} Scolt also set aside $500 in his | Sewer at the intersection of Waier | and approximately 100 guesis at-| tended. Those who altendeq said grave each Memorial day. A bach. | I ’ the party broke out “carly Priday.” It was held In an inn owned by A ————s cove . Young Mother other Carries Baby To Safety Over Roofs To Flee Fire Mrs. Dorothy Slagle, 20, whose down two feet (to another roof and will for providing flowers for his | lor, he Jeft a married woman, “the | only girl I ever courted,” $1,500, | wail i through Petrillo. who had made no last requests, dropped off to sleep about lock Sunday night, the death house “watch” reported. More than five hours guards who came to prepare him the chair were forced to shake to arouse the sleeping man He wa minutes 2:31 A Gov, Arthur H. James denied a reprieve the once-dapper South Philadelphia tailor, who wrote to James that “I was unwittingly the tool of a man well-versed in witch. ” i O later for him four at dead pronounced f himself alter m seating Lo however, charged that AR leader of the rin hexing the “evil magic love potions cousin, Herman Petrillo Josephine Romuado under sentence to die A second woman, Mrs vanettl, also was condemned to die but was granted a new trial this week by the State Bupreme Court Eight other women and 10 other men were convicted in the bizarre case which was uncovered by chance four years ago when U. 8 Secret Service agents, Investigating coun- terfeil bills, got the first inkling of the syndicate from Herman Petrillo Seven men and three women got Iife imprisonment. Others received prison terms. Three women were (Conti Page 6) » stale and Are Ris0 Grace Glo- NUMBER 14. The Week Befcre Easter THREE APRIL The gener- World A! here WwWor.d Western Hemispher fairs.” The tw onfere: held a week "ron is the Annu School Press ed by Penn journalism pecial es wil) ! April 26. On Hig EPO state-wide Conference State's department and the conference of schoo other is | admin- physical istrators to ication consider he [ CONFERENCES the Penn he scene of the Killed Wood fatally In £ dIVIng A Saxy in Accident 58. of ne jured ar Mans- when sideswiped & Harry ransporting a seven of which were Osceola Mills Youth Is Chosen For Appointment To U. S. Naval Academy George S. West, Jr., Wins First Place In Com- petitive Examination; Morrisdale Boy Selected First Alternate m ry Civil} Congressman Van Zandy annoul - ces thal those candidates who falled 0 place high enough to merit authorized by Con- | signatian | t Appro- ment will have an opportunity announced | fal] to enter a simiar examination by Congre Van for the U, 8 Military Academy Zandt to take the Naval Academy exam!r The min ‘ion wy nducted | ation scheduled {or the Fall of 1942 The { the recent Civ Service examination is bound prove helpful to those aspiring fn an appointment or Military A I'he re t of the prell {ry Uni Borv.ee exam. nation appontment (oo hw Naval A gre Lhe ton ademy nls special rrent Naval priati.r Act, has been James E experience ( io either the Nava acemy pal, George 8 West is first Morrisdale tive, Harry G I'd a. ifrnate Kerrmoor Jr. Os- allernatle, Clark O proond alterna- Tyron« MceCrack Altoona Slayer Is Sentenced to Pen Gels Six to 12 Years’ Confine- ment For Fatally Shoot. ing Woman Rhoermaker Brice O ; Lhe regula 10m a'es Naval Academy and alternates are re- nt them elves at An vy 7. 1941, for the sub- examina ion Should the principal fall to meet the Nava Acalemy requirements, nates are considered in the order ¢ ther designation until acoepl- able candidate Is found qualified The preliminary Civil Service ex- | amina is conducted to determine | the relative standing of the many {dates and to assist members © in making thelr designa- ons based on the result of such an examination ‘} alter he alter- - . «feed youthliul Altoona Western weorge C. Patten ldaysburg ast week Yeager i n the is six penitentiary 1 Gecroed al Al on Along wih having a | vaced against him N $1000 security ‘or for 20 years Miller was foun hooting Mrs all wr ave a d guilty Yeager | rooming RECOLLECTIONS OF CENTRE COUNTY BARRENS By Henry W. Bhoemaker in Alvoona Tribune) With springtime offically here and sending rays of warm sunshine to gladden men's hearis, a new story on (he picturesque romantic Centre County Barrens from the fertile pen of our good friend Dr W. Frank Beck, of Altoona, is mos: opportune and timely He says: “Since my last story on the | the Centre County Barrens, 1 have received many requests to write more on the subjec:. This interest is no doubt due to the fact that when a new proceas for making iron came into use more than one work- er lost out. They then went out and {ound new work in different fields and are now scatiered in all parts of the cotintry. They have the same feeling about this quaint homeland that 1 have “For the past four years 1 have been asked io write a book on the istory of the old ironmasters; Pennsyivania, something should be done “When 1 was a bov most of them lived in central Pennsylvania, many {f them in the ‘Barrens’ At that of Hh eld been an eas) inte date the king ) write | lost. It would now take much research even 1d make the attempt. 1 do remember however, from my earliest recoliec- tion, that 1 sa ight to fear the ironmasters and that when their names were mentioned I would travel miles out of my wav rather than pass -tielr Nomen. With memories of this nature my history might do hem an injustice. When I was a young doctor 1 often tended one of the old ironmaders, It was in this way that I jearned much the power that they had over people “T will give a brief history of th Various towns Barrens bu because of their great number only the most Im t will be listed “Starting he I bank of iiatia river was Shoenberger This place was on the main line of the PRR and was a depot for load- ore. 1. was named alter Dr Peler Bhoenberger who ans one 0. the noted ironmasiers of the stale and was probably one of the largest Bir. time |! would have malier but at this of history to a large extent too oy m I'M the al 4% ing HE ’ iron producers in the country mingham, while not directly in the ore fDelds, shipped large quantities of limestone used in making iron lo Johns own and Pitisburgh as late as 1905. At one time {it was a met. rgods and did more business than ang other town In Pennsylvania It wag the distributing point for all paris of the slate. All the silage coRth lines cen ered in Birming- h Pennington, not far from Bir- Whigham, ol the ‘oldest places producing are ng the Bald Eagoe ne 4 tracts Penningon 1800 village 1. Ras ohw iron Uppy furnace. In on and ail deted prior 0 Warrior's Mark, a very ituated in the cenler of Barrens, the Bald Eagles tribe of Indians: once a year held a shooling conclave at place, hence the name. It was attended by Indians from far and near and ome limes lasted ax long as a month. Many stories of real ro- mance coud be written about it Two miles from Warriors Mar« on the Bald Bigle ridge iz a high peak called Climbing Rock moun. ‘tain, This was the abode of Chief 0.0 thn home of wis state of cultivation and contains parent s all. A plea of guilty mansiaught r was acoe! | Blair county district In pleading for Miller 1} sta‘ed Miller had imaore than 25 miles from has 8 of birth and lacked worldly exper. ence. Defense attorneys said | Valley ever had. Three miles west | ws who had employed Miller, had Warriors' Mark Ls situated he | decoribed him 23 a “good obedient village of Frogtown. It 5 al the 23." Miller was also described as nirance of a small valley known as Vinegar valley. shich is about ten fi orphan jong. Most of it is in a high he i - richest deposits of Mangancse oa Mill Hall Man iron ore In Pennsylvania The Dry | Has Arm Hurt Hallow ore milie ang Nye Bank fur. Worker at Lock Haven Paper nizhed ore for 4 large open hearin furnace at Sax‘on as late as 1905 Mill Comes Into Contact With Machine never Climbing Rock, ;he best friend the pioneer settlers of Warriors’ Mark aes ™ of mues After the death of {ts owner, Rober! Hare Powell It was closed down Rye Bank had almost pure man- ganese ore, the vein being 40 feet hick. The ore was hollered up a shaft {rom a depth of 125 feet friction burns and contusions of sent to the furnace without wash- | (he entire right arm and a SEVOre ing. A Negro mine boss and 300 ' bump on his mouth, in an accident colored miners with a sprinkling ol | Wednesday afternoon of last week white miners worked ai this place. [at ne plant of the New York an? This was the last place worked ai | Permsyivania Company in Lock I entered college thal year never 15 Haven re urn to the ore mine. It was cios- Mr. Cross was infured when ed down about 1805 leaving large .... and arm came in conlact with deposits unmined fin, 1B revolving reel on one of the mill Some Ume prior to is COSINE | achines. It was thought ati frst (Continued on page six) that he had also fractured the arm but X-ray photographs made at the . Porest Cross of Mill Hall suffered a nd his In Laying Sewer | Work Done on lock Haven Street Enables Uninter- rupted Traffic The installation of a storm sewer Vesper Street, Lock Haven 15 feet under ground, without excava- ting disturbing the traffic on Main Stree, has been accomplished by a crew of men working under the di- rection of Leroy Shady and Joha Beaty, foremen, with Orrie Reading, of Rouchtown, directing jacking operation. The corrugated steel pipe was driven by a large railroad on | Jack a fraction of an inch ag a time, ! The tunnel work was done in two hour shifts, and the enirance to the undergrownd operations wag! a narrow hole between timbers, with the tunnel wide enough to permit two men to pass in crouching position, Electric | lighting aided in underground exca- | valing and lighted operations 1! driving the 36-inch pipe the 70 feet | 10 cross Main Street from a point | on Vesper; 30-inch pipe will extend | from the south side of Main Stree! | to Church Street; 24-inch pipe from Church to Bald Pagle Streets and! 18-inch pipe from Bald Eagle to Grove Streets, The entire sewer pipe being in- | stalled will drain approximately 50 acres of land, City Engitueer War- | ren Ol sald. An automatic high water valve has been placed in the | and Vesper Streets which will close automatically in time of flood or | backwater. The valve will work In | reverse in case a heavy storm floods the streets, and will open 1» permit draining of surface walter uniil it equals the level of the river, -. Search For Relatives Blate motor police searched Sat urday for relatives of Watersford | | Body of County Confess Slaying Donovan Says We Of Tyrone Man Harry M. McCoy Discovered Two Men Arrested in Cali- Special Envoy Native Found Dead in Bed in Blair County Harry MM. McCoy. 68. nalive of Philipsburg, was found dead by neighbors last Thursday afternoon: in his one<room shanty atl Coburn. in the Altoona area. He lived alone and is said lo have been a pension- er. Following an investigation by Blair County Coroner Chester Roth rock the death of the aged man was attributed to natural causes He was born in Philipsburg, Feb 15, 1873, and Was a son of William Thomas and Jennie Mackey McCoy. Members of the family include one sister, Mrs. Annie Bell Poust, of Ail- toona, and one half-brother, Charles 1 Glenn, of Altoona. atl Educator Speaks Dr. Charles C. Peters, director of educational research at the Penne sylvania State College, was one of | game of the murdered man's effects | the principal speakers at the an-|ihat the first ¢lues Were secured by |, Some of the articles | nual educational conference ol Mansfield State Teachers Colleg® last weekend, He spoke at a speci- a] homemaking education meeting fornia Reported to Have Admitted Crime i Two arre<ts have been made in the brutal slaying of Richard 1. Ag- new former Tyrone man, near San Antonin, Texas, March 15. according to information received in Tyrone this week Johns A. Rupert and James B Alford, addresses unknown, were ar- rested. according to Information al San Andres, California. last Thurs- day and according to Sheriff Owen W. Kilday, of Ban Antonio, Texas, have admitted thelr guilt Their capture in California ended ia search throughout the entire southwest, Texas officers question- ed a score of suspecls since Agnew’s body was found along an irrigation | ditch near San Antonio and his fire. ‘damaged ear located near Browns- ville, nearly 300 miles from the scene of the murder, {i It was through fingerprints on | Texas officers had brn solid in pawnshops and re- covered by police officers The two mep arrested In Cali- Lock Haven Hospital failed to dis- | Close any break Although weakened by the in- juries, his condidon is considered satislaciory Face Nazi Attack oy ‘Warns UU. § Against Underrating Hit- | ler Menace a . SIX CLINTON COUNTY DRAFTEES ARE TAKEN 3 young men from Clinton —— countys Draft Board No 1, have Americans, in the opinion of Col | been accepted for service and fwo William J. Donovan, must recognize exonerated The men accepted the danger of attack from Nazi were: Harold M. Ward who had Germany. and “make yu) our mind; previously been turhed down after what we are going 1» do” aboul de- | trying to enlist in Lhe regular army; livering supplies to Great Britain, | Jobn C Sawyer, Claude E Segraves, “It is going to mean nothing in Herbert F. King, Carl N. Johnson winning the war unless the goods and Robert L. Seese, all of Lock we produce and ship reach their Haven, destination.” he sald last week In The repatements will be chosen a nationally broadcast address Donovan, an at'orney who fougnt Sheasley Loganton R. D. 1: Gesrge with the “Fighting 60th” in he | F Tibbens, Loganton, and Albert F. World War, recently returned from Smith and Harry A. Smith Lock an cbheervation tour through the Haven. European and African war zones He asked his listeners if they were prepared to take the chance which would accompany delivery ol goods (0 Britain, The United States he asseried, haz no choice as 10 ahether it will be attacked. “That choice is Hitler's” he said X x X our only choloe Is 10 chooss (Continued on Page #) BONS. 0550 8x The Senate passed and sent to the {President Friday a bill authorizing payment of $5524 to the widow and daughter of John Zwalinski of Sha- mokin, who wax killed by a rock blow from a blasting operation on a WPA project last March 23, Under the bill. which needs only the Pres. {ident's approval, Mary Madeline wees (2welinski, the mother, would ro- now believed enroute back to Texas cefve 53.024 and the I*gal guardian on Saturday morning and at a gen- | fornia admitied their crime and are In custody of Bexar county police of liene Mary Zwalinski, a min, eral meeting in the aflernoon. | (Continued Bottom Next Column) |officers. ci A lt ln _ | would receive $2,500. 1 i from 3 group including James LL E | Ka ndom: tems EE tb BOCK BARGAIN Couple of weeks gest circularized announcement tha taln a new lume, ¢ number of Digest novel $1 plus postage, by “sign turning enclosed scribers in Bellefonte ; copies sent through the e's Book Store is sells at 81 COAL TRUCKS A heavily ped East Linn str day alternoon. Soot backed up 0 IL and part of 1! ago Read subscriber L ty the loaded con on eet Is mn Wit hoveled Into Uw J mj reas Reported Official checking scale. Th on FLY IT YOURSEL} We didn't teur plots i Woilgang Langewischer On subjects, who visit fonte over Lhe weekend for the statement that ENow rent Lhe planes aviat enthusiasts rent planes by rental fee somewhere in hour, for flying ime or ted Aeroncs Renta DETTE IN a ren cAI plane k Deca with three-way other InsU Qnents BANANAS: Have yo Anas hese days that good oid banan like they used 10 have? This depart- BIWAR Ys COLCEITIed abOUL FuUChH out the to 2 nice yellow banana th a few black flecks on the skin 0b the mellow, fine flavored fruit have a right it ALswer i ever noticed Practice never nave na agile other day expect fact ly everyihi Ii Danana the eporied YHOO: { Cung.es:man E speeches and activities aif of tac propused Dew vet. Dispital. we have a mg susp.ccn that BS.natcr Joseph F Gufley wili have a Jot mare 0 do wilh sa¥ing where the hospital will go than a whole car of Van- Zandts ORIENTAL: Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka looks to this department ke a second Confucious. When he ieft Japan for a visit w Berlin and Rome, it Was given out that the trip was of tremendous significance 0 te enemies of the Axis. But things haven't been going well since that time. Matsuoka, instead of witness- ing the invincible might of Hitler and Mussolini, has been present in those countries when some most em- bar assing reverses occurred on the fieid of battle, And Matsuoka in- siead of defying the worid under the Axis banner, comes out in Tuesday's papers with a suggestion that jead- ers of all nations should hoid a get- together for peace. The Japanese minister, {i seems, sees the hand. writing on the wall ELECTROCUTION: Newspaper reporters who attended the execution of Paul Petrillo at Rockview s death house early Mon- day morning, were puzzled over this bulletin published in several] news papers: “Paul Petrillo, 48-year-old tailor, died in the electric chair. to- day, calm but protesting to the last he played an unwitting part in Philadelphia's murder-for- insurances syndicate.” Petrillo, the reporter aver, didn't say anything when he sent lo his doom. He mumbled a prayer v. J ales strat oad RE, —— - Deep Gloam Prevails Dust on Northumberland county’ $105000 worth of voling machines and gloom among the county oom- missioners grows deeper day by day The machines, =sed in bul two elec- tions after their purchase in 1831 were offered for sale Thursday, bu’ “nary” a bidder hove inlo view. Th- oounly tried Yo return the 94 ma chines the year they were pur- chased. but while commissioners awalled action the manulacturer went out of business and rrcentiy Federal District Oourt ordered the county to make payment to 4 com- mercial credit company Debales would improve if spoak- ers [rankly advanded their real ar- , Juments against a proposal. ‘KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES’ — Easy Pickings, Boys!!! husband was at work, was awakened hammered on a window until ad- | Vickstron, 66-year-old itinerant | last Saturday morning by a dense mitted to the house. Bhe carried her found unconscious along a highway | smoke in her home at Brushtown, baby the street, {near Sunbury. He regained oon-' y. She wrapped other persons were driven sciousness in a hospital only long | Judith, in a blan- from their hoies by the fire which enough to give meager details to po- | ket and laid her on the ledge of the caused an estimated $0.000 damage lice Who said he told them he had | brought out nine fire compan- [no family or relatives. Death was | attributed to a heart condition,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers