1,000 COPIES EACH WEEK; LARGEST CIRCULA- TION IN COUNTY. —— @he Centre Democraf 16 PAGES OF COUNTY NEWS AND FOR THE WEEKLY FEATURES ENTIRE FAMILY VOLUME 60. NUMBER 16. BELLEFONTE, PA. THU RSDAY, APRIL 17, 1941. SUBSCRIPTION—$1.50 PER YEAR MRS. BEHMER MAY GET FREEDOM Pittsburgh Court to Reluned Here Rev. M. C. Pi iper Dies [Nemes monsignor | Thousands of Acres Forests Swept by Fire Hold Ki Holds Surety of Peace Sentence Excessive and lllegal WAS ACQU ITTED IN MURDER OF BARBER Action Recalls Secathing Reprimand by Former Judge Fleming Mrs. Margaret Behmer old Philipsburg woman who was ac- quitted here In 1936 of a charge of murdering her colored paramour, Louis Krietz, Philipsburg barber, but who was sent to the Allegheny Workhouse the she failed to post keep the peace in Philipsburg, be free within the next week or so This prediction was made yester- day by Centre county officials and attorneys who have been familiar with Mrs. Behmer's case since she first came into the public the slaying of Krietz Tuesday the doors of the Alle- gheny Workhouse opened for the woman to permit her to appear be- fore Judge Thomas M. Marshall, of the common pleas court in Pitts burgh, for a preliminary hearing on & writ of habeas corpus, in which Mrs. Behmer charged that her sen (Continued on Page 6) a $10000 bond to Ba County’ s Oldest Na 1h “ Hearing r = eks Freedom | | i i ! i 44-year- | following year when | may | eye with | Atiorney Dies Heart Attack Fatal to William | Central City (i. Runkle, 78; Funeral Held Monday f Death came suddenly and L jie | pereledly last Thursday to Willa Groh Runkle, aged 78, oldest mem- ber of the Centre County Bar and a practicing attorney here for nearly | 50 years. Mr. Runkle April 10, 1941, died at at his 5:30 p home near mi m.. | Tusseyville, death being attributed | to a heart attack He had complained of when he arrived at his home after] spending the day as usual in Belle- fonte, and death resulted a short time later William Groh during the midst on December 18, 1862 Runkle being ill} i was born | of the Civil War | at the old] Runkle homestead near Tusseyville | in Centre county, His parents, James | Runkle and Catherine Spangler were | both descendants of early settlers of | Penns Valley. He received his early education at the Centre Hall Academy and Penn | Hall Academy, and completed his (Continued on page eight) Mammoth Dog Is Lost In the Wilds Of State College Lost: In State College, night: Great Dane, black and white | flames drove bedding, MRS. MARGARET BEHMER Home Gulfed | Fire Destroys "Residence of Mrs. Emma Smith; Some Articles Saved day afternoon, com two-stary frame pled by Mr City. neal Fire early Fr pletely gulted ihe house owned and Emma Smi h in Central Millesburg The blaze occurred shortly alter Mrs. Smith put chips in the stove, according t ports. The building \ total loss Much of ings to safety some floor were carried neighbors before the hem [rom Loe premi- Most of the goods the including ling was destroyed iwontinued on page six) ds lf ——— wry the 6 #1 ne a Oy BOC ~ 505 on ond floor, a ried and Mr clotl | Find Parse Taken | i [ | Tuesday | ion South answers to the name of Molly, Re- | ward. Mrs. W. W. Sieg, E. Linn St. Bellefonte, Pa. Phone 397 From Local Girl The purse taken from the hands yf Miss Sara Cunningham on Half- moon Hill last December 13, by an | unknown assailant, was discovered in the rear of the Shope residence Thomas street, Monday morning, by Arthur Foreman, «of St | Paul street This advertisement should appear | in the classified advertisements, but | it here because we more news. in it than we've moved believe there's advertising. In the first place it is something for a dug the size of Molly to be- come lost in State College. She is of gigantic proporiions and normal- ly would be spotted as readily as a burning skyscraper In the second place, the fact that she answers to the name of Molly Is of no significance whatever to most people, for one sight of the (Continued on page seven) eps th ng Ml a Al, The purse, with all its contents intact except for a gold watch val- ued for family associations, was found in a little frequented area, land acording to reports, apparently {was thiown there form a point on Halfmoon Hill. The hill rises sharp- ly from the Shope back yard Miss Cunningham, victim of a series of similar incidents during the Christmas season, retained a tight grip on the purse handle at the time of the attack. The purse was ripped from the handle. Foreman turned the damaged purse and its contents over to Belle | fonte borough Police Ideal Weather Greets First-Day Anglers; Catch Is Only Arie If fishermen had been given the privilege of manufacturing the weather for the opening of the 1941 trout season, Tuesday, it ls doubt- ful if they could have improved pon the conditions. But the opening day wis not the record-breaker which many believed it would be. In the first place there weren't so many fishermen, The army, navy might account for this fact, Next, the fish semed chummy, and | enough to permit apparently spent the day much in| | eatoh a nap when the trout weren't lakes and additional fishing rights flies, wet flies, bucktails, or spinners, and it can be reported that trout were taken, Tuesday, on every con- cejvable lure known to man, Bome streams were muddy, some clear, and you could use whatever lure you choosed without being called a rank amateur But the weather was ideal. It was) the finest first day in the memory {of evensthe oldest of. and improved - business conditions! Buds were on the trees the grass posed increase of 50 cents in the alted ruler of the i Was green and the. ground warm early risers to each other's company, Large areas biting. of water seemed to be devoid of fish, | while deep holes were chuck full of sleeves after the sun came up, which men’s Clubsdn a vote taken at the them, When some angler found ais something of a contrast with last annual fisherman's pool, dozens of others rushed to the year's first day when foe froge in Monday night at Logan Grange Some anglers fished in shirt spot, and fish rushed somewhere the guides of fishing rods. else. The catch for the day was nothing out of the ordinary, i trout, i Thirdly, the water wasn't definite- whopper-doppers ly “right” for worms, minnows, dry, Some anglers caught fairly large! but there ven't been any ported so far (Continued on page seven) Hatchery Employe :: ™ Slightly Injured When Truck fishermen. | | dportsmen, | As Susped In © Holel Robbery .. Police Bring C ornelius © Mason, 22, From Michigan y duby Answer Charge Rey. Mar retired to ADMITS PRESENCE IN AREA OF CRIME Hearing in Philipsburg (Coase to be Held in Belle- fonte This Morning Mason 21 colored Mich he formerly A hearing ce H 4 given Pe Bisho harge { the treet, t of robbery the of the hold-up of the Hot Phill pe rg. December 7, 1039 bre ht here vesterday nt Mure vy Pvis. James H and Andiew. Rolka, of the ybstation State Moto ity tion with Lark cierg cCnne nignt {1 ' Pe Grit Rock view Police Nath the dlleged to annie! Payne, 25, al time of the robbery P: \¥ne was sentenced to Ww estern emtared a g marn! an Walker at In hi have been Wr colore al erem 8 in the when he last Wedn Judge 1v af ootirt nr: werday 1 . ial ses. crane ar M serve 4 10 it that n't the police claim Payne impli " th PY of guilty . = $25,000 Fire wg I inant Can! . a ara A Dormilory ng before a sped mfession of cated rd un i= fied vout} Officers train yesterday reported ms admitled being with Payne night of the robber but claims he knows nothing of the actual ime and had no part in planning the hold-up, in whith aporoximately $21 In cash was obtained Mashn is’ reported to hive waived extradition in Michigan and express. ac his arilimgniess to gqcoompany po- Her buck to Pennsylvania Pave; identified By Grayten Ane thony, night clerk at the hotel, as the man forced him at pistol point to stand by while the cash drawer was emptied. was taken into recently when his sentenee ing purse -sgatchin virt the ‘Anchorage’ Badly Dam- aged in Second Reeent Blaze at C ollege | A two-hour fire wt th ¢ Anchorage College women udent rooming house at the corner of AVEr ave- nue and Atherton sticet? State 19) lege Monday night damage estimated at $35.000 The flames. origin basement of the 27-room GW Irven M wrecked CRIs the rest of the build atsed who iting In the brick build Mohnkern | 44 sLOrY stody Ly g An Washington sally rd ¢ reo! Water and damage (0 1 and personal Jessie B Soke compl house, its | belongings of Hughes, p oprietor rooming house, Miss Lillian A dean of girls at the State high’ school, and chaperone house, and the 27 women students all out-of-town on Easter vacations No one was in the hous when the Was Escapes Death 26, Miles College of the Fred Whitehill, Lemont, Plunges Over Bank Sh discovered blaze was Harold The Bova discovered by Green and William a sing motorist (Continued on page six) Fred Wii eRill, 28 of Lemont, re. two turned to his duties at the Belle- fonte Pish Hatchery this week after having escaped serious injury abou! 5 o'ck och last Wednesday afternoon when the hatchery truck he was driving invYBethlehem left the road and plunged over a 50-foot embank- men The accident happened near the Minsi Trail Bridge after the truck veered off the road, ran along A idewalk for about 30 feet ang ran over the embankment, turning over twice on the way down and coming to rest on its wheels. The {ruck was damaged to the extent of about $250 All but about 100 of the 700 fish Whitehill was delivering to the (Continued on page ant Julian Boy Hurt In Shooting Mishap When the gun with which he was shooting mark accidentally di s- charged, Lloyd Spotis, Jr, 17, of Julian, was painfully injured Satur- day morning, Brought to the Centre County Hospital, he was discharged early this week after undergoing treatment Spotts, who was shooting mark with a friend, Lewis Watson, of Unionville, near Watson's home, suf- fered a 22-ealibre gunshot wound in, his neck. The bullet came oul of | his shoulder i Oppose Increase In License Fee 200 County Sportsmen Attend by Annual Fishermen's Ban- quel; Awards Given iussey, and by pas Heads Local Elks JOHN C. ANDERSON John CC. Anderson was installed {ax Exalted Ruler of “the Bellefonte Ek= Lodge &t impressive ceremon- {jes conducted at the Elks Home, West High street, Monday evening, by officers of the Altoona lodge The installing group was headed Past Exalted Ruler Willlam E. Fy of Altoona, father of Wil- illam Yates, of Bellefonte. Among ithe other distinguished visitors {present was Alex Port, of Hunting- Definite oppositioh. t0 ‘the pro- don lodge, district deputy grand ex- South Central rl i opt {fishing license fee beginning next Dijstript. year for the purpose of buying The evening's program began with a turkey dinner for members and ‘guests at 6 p. m. The installation ‘ceremonies were followed by enter tainment by a Litile German Band, and a social hour in the club social rooms, | Hall, Pleasant Gap, under the spon. Officers installed, sorship of the county organization Mr. Anderson, are: leading knight, and attended by 200 enthusiastic Malcolm L. Wetzler; loyal knight, T R. Rush; lecturing knight, R. L. (Continued on page four) {in the State was registered by the | Centre County Federation of S8ports- banquet held | in addition to (Continued on page seven) at Miles burg Home r wedding of hl grandson; a granddaug = "oe Sometime + death fat DuUrg ur.ey ' I Sarah Donne Marci with 50 on married periormin In hi orlel | ane Rey Of many Piper YEA 4s much t He tinned me aimed one on Page Seriously Hurt In 25-foof Leap 4) Father Downes Gets High Rank Becomes Domestic Prelate Un- der Appointment From Rome n named domes {f right re title Harry Hazel, 20, Injured in Effort to Escape From Burning Crane Harry Hazel, aged 27 Pulls. N.Y. formerly f Bast ard streel Ww Sifured Masiday of last week in én accident in a Niagara Falls in- guttrial plant whore he has been employed » last December BIS was operaling an overhead when the crane cought fire fellow workmen rushed for a lo enable him to leave the Hamels clothing caught he Gecided to lea: Dolley Fane over a coal lessen the fall. The surrounded 1 wa of Niagara How ince fire “ig wa pile wong Was TY and he unside {o » (Con Page €) inued on 14 Countians Sent To Fort Eustis, Va. urteen men two local rom Centre Coun- dralt boards were nsierred Priday (0 the Coast Ar- lery Replacement Center gt Fort is Virgin ua, according 0 a re- ry from the Headquarters Com- pany of the 1301st Service Uniy at New Cumberland rom Local Bt H “a Fu ard No. 1. Siate College, Charles Gen zel of Spring Mills, R, D. 1, Joseph Spritzer of Bellefonte, James Benjamin Bryant of Beilefonte, R. D. 3, Michael] 2a- bowsky of State College Laurence Wanee of Aaronsburg Jerome Wolf of! Spring Mills R. D. 3, and Ralph Eugene Long, of Centre Hall R. D 1, were transferred From Local Board No. 2. Belle. fonte, Those sent to Fort Bustis in- | ciuded Philip H. Gehret, Joseph Kofman, ang Pearson W. Brown. all of Bellefonte; Robert L. Ga'es of Howard, James 8 Weaver of Port Matilda, Harry L. Rhine of Salona and Wilbur C. Quick of shannon Clair Wilson Fisher of Warrior's Mark, R. D. 1 from Local Board No 1, has been transferred to the En- gineering Replacement Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, —-——— A SAP: trite ‘Low Tide’ Is New Official Monicker For Doc Hoffman Bellefonte, was sericus- {ing taken Mo. | inter.or there 3 NO assurance wi vhese documents will reach th In the 40-vear history cese only three other received the honor The FL Joy. WElim £. Dowies son Of John ang Catherine Downes and was born In He studied at Duquesne 5i.¥ tishurgh st College and Seminary, Em- mitsburg and at Catholi Universily America shinglon D C. He was ordained the Most Rev. Bishop E A Vey Continued oh page seven) en country o! the dio- priests have is AB the Wa by Cia wea mG of ene Two Rockview Inmates Escape Trace of Pair Who Fled Last Thursday After Sealing Stockade Two Ru wkview inmates who earls last Thursday morning effected their escape bY scaling the wire stockade around ihe prison buildings, were still at large last night, despite the efforts of the institution's far-flung organization to track down fugitives The meh, Who climbed over the western end of the stockads Louis Fisher, 20. of Fayelte county William Holler 18, wolf unt) are ana baugh Juniata The break wis made about 6:45 a m. while plistners were being ao- sembled in gahgs preparalory to be- to the fields to work. Af- ter they climbed the stockade it is believed they crossed a wheat field (Comtinued on Page 4) Centre Hall Youth Is Seriously Ili Monday » tak Hospital, Dar and treatmen a0 1 be Kidney con T we ' ars . Undines Gel New Pumper Streamlined Unit is Com- anion Piece to New Em- ergency Truck dines delivered » the most ever mote devised for th teer firemen. Both Signed and built wo tions ¢l the Und Powered hy a melor, Lhe (Continued the Con Ford V-£ heavy xT i GuIppeg Off PRge seven Fire Destroys Romola House were ce- spacifics- ne whan july pun Several Blazes Attributed to Carelessness on Part of Fishermen 600 BATTLE FLAMES IN HECLA GAP AREA CCC Members Aid in Or- ganized Effort to Check Outbreaks in County Schoals Approve Training Ccurse Beard to Administer Class for Machinists: NYA to Be NPONSor sPparate Clases f » were ois 7 Persons Made Homeless as Flames Sweep Two-Fam- ily Dwelling a fre Brickiey Romola alternoor whack house about 1} Loss was proximately 81.000 Members of the H ummoned to less U water Ra mile west of Clock Monde esLmaied at ap- WW o ward Fire ( BOWE DUCing when n supply was available Water from the booster tank ¢ was quickly exhausted The house, occupied Mrs. Harry Haines and three chill fen, and Mr. and Mrs. William Mec- Closkey and two children burned rap.dly and only a small amount of furnit owned the McClosk family was saved The fire wag discovered by mem- bers of the McCloskey family who were in a nearby field gathering dandelion. They fami'y who Were eating dinner at the time. Both Mr. Haines and Mr McCloskey are employed as miners at Kato the scene, wore ave er ure by notified the Haines . * La in Continued -or Record Number of Guests at Co. Home page six) population Home th 8 total Centre new high 58 Pt at the reached of ' g ) of ~ inmate: time The home is designed t 72 persons without « bul in an emergency. mare an 100 n be taken care of bv ¢ averting recreation rooms into war ACCOMO- wading tn New Seden 1s Badly No Lnst-Time Accidents In 1940; Bell Company Employes Honored Damaged by Fire A brand new Oldsmob: le-Eight sedan, owned by James Fox, pro- prietor of the Parrish Drug Store Belielonte, was damaged to the ex- tent of abut $500 early Tuesday afternoon when fire broke « ut in the of ‘he machine while il was parked at the rear of the De- Haas Electric Oompany, North Al- wgheny Street When the fire was iscovered, { lames were confined principally to { the {ront seat, but shen Logan Fire { Company members arrived a few | minutes later the en ire interior was The new official nickname of Dr Richards H. Hoffman, of Bellefonte | is “Low Tide” according to infor- | mation received this week by The | Centre Democrat {rom Florida, | where Dr, Hoffman his brother | Bheidon A. and Dr.'P, H. Dale, of | Btate College, recently tried their! hand at fishing. Pooh-poohing natives of the are: who advised them 15 take a guide Nn a Bonefish expedition on Snake Creek, the trio managed to get a Yorefsh but they got stuck on the Pete Hoffman was assigned to take care of the fishing equipment and lines, while Dr. Hoftman served | as naviga or for the boat. Pete duly hooked and landed a bonefish, | but the doc'or fell down Used to! fishing trout streams of Centre | County, he forgot ali about tides | Thus, when the anglers were ready | to call it pn day and return to Snake | (Continued on page four | | a mass of flames. Intense heat generated jn the (Continued on page seven) Bellefonte Men Held In Lycoming Jail | Twas mitted Friday tice of Jersey Packer, and Alfred Warwick, charged with larceny of oie fo the Lycoming county Jail | sfter a hearing before Jus. | the Peace, E Q Crane, in Bellefonte men were com- | i | Shore. The men, Doyle | ne | RR SCOG A perfect safety record of not a from the Breneman Service Station #ingle Jost-time accident during 1940 on Allegheny Street, Jerasy 8hore, Saturday evening, Apri: . Infor | mation was made by Chief of Po lice G. M, Slifer and a cons.able took the defendants to Jersey Shore for the hear.ne. In default of $300 bail each, the men were committed (0 await the next term of court, was achieved by pliant employes of the Bell Telephone Company in the Altoona district which includes this exchange arcs. Formal recognition of this record was given at a safety rally Tuesday night at the American Legion Post Heme, Bellkfonte, A large group of the district employes attended H. W. TIERNEY Displayed at the enthusiastic rally Was the general plant manager's award, a mounted plague, which had been contended for by six districts, The plague has bien presented lors mally at a big rally of another group from (his istrict at a meeting in Altstng Monday evening Ancther fealtre of the ¢inper meeting was the admission of seven Continued on page eighly
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