Legislature Organizes, Electing Beidleikan and Baldwin as P* ' * Officers HARRISBXJRG TELEGRAPH LXXXVI— No. 2 16 PAGES BEIDLEMAN AND BALDWIN ELECTED AS 122 D GENERAL ASSEMBLY OPENS Both Branches Will Adjourn, After Hearing Governor's Message, For Two Weeks' Recess GREAT CROWDS THRONG CAPITOL CORRIDORS • Desks of Senators and Mem bers Gay With Flowers; Galleries Well Filled The 122 nd general assembly of Pennsylvania organized at noon to-day amid liowers. The strenuous contest waged for the speakership appeared to have been forgotten in the open ing ceremonies and the traditional forms were as carefully observed as the legal requirements. Edward E. Beidleman, senator from Dauphin county, was re-elected presi dent pro tem. of the Senate, and Rich ard J. Baldwin, member from Dela ware, chosen as speaker. The elec tions were by party votes. There were speeches galore and the Gover nor sent a message which embodied many views of great interest and which attracted much attention, indications arc that the legislators will adjourn during the afternoon for the usual two weeks period to permit the presiding officers to make up committees. Many of the lawmakers were ac companied by their families and they attended the ceremonies, while num erous friends of members were here together with leaders of prominence in all parties. They crowded the cor ridors of the Capitol and thronged the legislative liaus, giving to the organi zation an interest which has been lacking in the last three or four ses sions. Presentation of bills will follow the announcement of committees and of the legislative attaches which will be taken up at once by the slate commit tees, named to havo charge of the pat ronage. An interesting feature of the Sen ate organization was that Senator Charles A. Snyder, Auditor General elect, will sit as senator from Schuyl kill until he assumes his new office in May, and Harman M. Kephart, State Treasurer-elect, will serve in his legis lative capacity until his term starts at the same time. Flowers Adorn Desks of Dauphin Countians as Hcuse Convenes When Chief Clerk Thomas H. Gar vin called the House of Representa tives to order at the stroke of 12 scores of desks were covered by bouquets. The desks of the Philadelphia mem bers were especially decorated and in addition members from the Quaker City received clocks, lamps, traveling bags, cut glass and other presents from constituents. After prayer by Chaplain F. W. Stahley the returns of the election were presented by Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth Fred \V. God charles and read. Chief Clerk Garvin announced that 205 members had answered to the rollcall, one member being at El Paso and another having died since elec tion. Judge S. J. M. McCarrell, Dauphin county, administered the oaths of office, the number of those who took the oath by the Bible being so great that there were hardly enough Bibles to go round. In the number who took the oath by affirmation was Mr. Bald win. The Republican members from Dau phin county occupy the same seats [Continued on Page 3] XOTED TWIN DIES Scranton, Pa., Jan. 2. John Tun stall, 90 years old, one of Scranton's noted twin brothers, John and Stephen Tunstall, died to-day. He was a na tive of Peeksvill, N. Y., and had voted at every presidential election since Polk was elected in 1845. It is claim ed that the Tunstall twins were the oldest in the United States. THE WEATHER I'"or HarrlKhiirK mill vicinity! Fair to-nlftht, with lonrNt temperature nbout freezing! Wrilneadny fair nnil Kumenhat warmer. For KiiNtem I'eiinN.vlvanlni Fair tn iilKlit; WeilneiMlay liicreanliiK elouillneHH and warmer; iscutle, variable wind*. River The SuHquelianna river and all itn branches will remain Kenernlly icebound and nearly Riallunarv. \ Ntnice of about 4.11 feet IN Indicat ed for Harrinli uri{ W eil lies day morning. General Condition* I'reanure IK relatively high over HouthcaNtern and Mouth western districts. An extenaive low |rea ure system covers the I'liilnH and Kocky Moumituiii States and tlie Western Canadian provinces, with Iti center over the Canadian Northwest. Generally cloudy weather prevnlln in the Southern States and rain has occurred In the tiulf States nnd In the Ohio Valley, Tennessee and Vlrnlnlii, nnd It was still raining; at Memphis at S a. m. to day. I.litlit, local snows have oc curred from the Great l.akes eastward to the Atlantic coast, nnd rain and *now prevails icon erally In the Pacific States and In llrltlsh Columbia. Temperatures have risen In prac tically all districts since last re port, and are now above freez ing over nearly all the conntrv Month nnd east of the Great Ijikm, except Northern New Enz land. Temperature! 8 a. m.. 30. Sum nines, 7i30 u. M.i nets, 4i50 p. m. Moon i Full moon, January 8, 2i4 a. m. River Stages 4.T feet above low water mark. Yesterday'* Weather HlKheat temperatnre, 33. I.oweat temperature, 31. Mean temperature, 27. Normal temperature, 30. GOVERNOR MAKES STRONG PLEA FOR PARK EXTENSION Message Replete With Recom mendations That Will Meet Popular Approval URGES LOCAL OPTION LAW $9,000,000 a Year For Schools; Housing Code Is Out lined; Presenting to the Legislature a mes sage that covers many important points of proposed legislation, recom mends the passage of a county unit local option bill, the enactment of a vast program for the conservaUon and development of water supply and water power and the passage of a housing code, urges the appropriation of $9,000,000 a year to the public schools and further improvement of the school system, advises against any tampering with labor and welfare laws until those recently passed shall have had a fair trial, suggests the re peal of many useless laws and covers many other matters of interest to the people, Governor Brumbaugh touches upon a generally popular chord when he comes out strongly in favor of the development of Capitol Park Exten sion. The Governor reserves his Capitol Park recommendations to the very last part of his message, which was read to the Legislature this afternoon, and adds a paragraph relating to old Camp Curtin, as follows: The commission apnointed by my predecessor to acquire additional grounds about the State House have performed a most difficult service in a commendable way. About twenty-seven acres in the heart of the city have been acquired and competent authorities of nation wide experience have been secured to develop this extension and the present park into a commanding setting for our State House. This work should be pushed with all pos sible dispatch. The city of Harris burg is now developing a system of parks the equal of any in the country. It is our hope and desire to make this new State park con sonant with the work done by the city and upon a scale worthy our great Commonwealth. Funds for the conduct of this important work should be provided and our Capitol set in an environment of beauty, making: it the pride of our people and a notable addition to the beau tiful and useful park areas of the Capital City. During the Civil War our Penn sylvania troops were all trained and mustered into the national ser vice at Camp Curtin, a site now within the limits of Harrisburg and rapidly developing into an Im portant residential district. A small area yet remains unimproved and for an unimportant sum this land may now be acquired, set aside as Camp Curtin Park, and made a me morial to the citizen soldiery of Pennsylvania. I earnestly urge your favorable consideration of this pa triotic service. Covers Many Important Points The Governor's message is not lengthy, as such documents go, but it is replete with suggestions for better [Oontiimcd on Page 10] Man, Rewriting Bible, Disappears From Home .Scranton. Pa.. Jan. 2. Albert Gun derman, GO, night watchman at a wash ery in Taylor, who has been trying to rewrite the Bible for fifteen years be cause of his dissatisfaction with the Book, has disappeared from his home, in Kast Scranton. The police were asked to find him. Gundeiman's wife says his mind has | become affected through his efforts to write a Bible that would satisfy his notion of what the Scripture should contain. Mob Threatens Violence on Negro Who Attacks Girl The police with difficulty last even ing prevented mob violence on .Tames Jones, colored, after he attempted to assault Miss Bessie Hebnier, a white girl, of 229 River street, In the Second street subway. The girl passed through the subway on her way home from work. When she was accosted by the negro who tried to tear her clothing from her body her screams attracted the attention of her brother William J. Hebnier, who came to her assistance. The negro attempted to cut Hebnier with a knife, but soon a mob had gathered and Jones was subdued. When the police arrived on the scene they took the negro away from the menacing crowd only after threats of arrest. Arthur D. Bason to Fill Out Houtz' Term as Director ? That Arthur D. Bacon, prominent In city business circles, member of the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, former president of select council, and a member of the citizen's committee selected by the school board to con fer on the million-and-a-quarter high school loan, is to succeed Adam D. Houtz, resigned, as a member of the board, was the rumor circulated to day in city official circles. Action on the resignation of Vice- President Houtz, will probably be taken at the meeting of the board on Friday afternoon. His successor will probably be named at the same time, and a vice-president choscu to com plete the organization. FIFTH WKEK OF PLOT TRIAL San Francisco, Cal., Jan. 2. The fifth week of the trial of Franz Bopp, German consul general here and six associates on charges of conspiring to violate neutrality by alleged dynamit ing of Canadian tunnels and muni tions destined for Great Britain and her allies, was begun in the United States District Court to-day. Both sides agreed to make every effort to complete the presentation of evidence In order that the case may reach the jury by Friday night. SUBPUNAOPUKATORS Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 2, Fifteen com operators were suhpenaed as witnesses to-day when the federal Investigation Into the coal and food price situation was resumed beforo a grand Jury here. Government auditors, who are woi-klna on the books of companies, have not yet completed their work. They will bs subpenaed when their reports are ready. HARRISBURG, PA.,TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 2, 1917. PRESIDING OFFICERS OF HOVSE ELECT > J HHpi^H^HHI m I IK f® i ■EI. jfc gmjj&S K SENATOR E. E. BEIDLEMAN. RICHARD J. BALDWIN, Re-elected President Pro Tempore of Chosen Speaker of the House For Senate For Coming Session. Coming Session. VON MACKENSEN BATTERING WHOLE RUMANIAN LINE Teutons Swing Smashing Blows Along Curving Front From Danube to Moldavia In none of the important fighting fronts except the Rumanian are there more than perfunctory activities by any of the belligerents. In the Ru manian war theater, however, the current reports indicate that some ol' the heaviest blows of the war are be ing struck by Field Marshal Von Mackensen's armies. The Teutonic attack is being pressed in strong force all along the curving front from Northern Moldavia to the Danube. At the latter point the bridgeheads protecting Rraila on both sides of the river are being assaulted and at last accounts the Russo - Ru manian positions at Matchln, or the [Continued on Page 11J MOTORIZATION OF FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BE COMPLETED Commissioner Gross Will Buy Remainder of Auto-Fire Fighting Equipment Bids will be opened at noon Thurs l duy, January 18, by City Commis sioner E. Z. Gross for the purchase of nine motor combination chemicals, four tractors for lire engines, a new motorized Are engine, a front drive tractor for a truck and a new motor j driven service truck—sufficient equip ment in all to turn Harrisburg's entire [Continued on race 11] More Post Office Business Done in Nine Months Than in Full Year Heretofore Due to the fact that the fiscal year at the hiarrisburg Post Office closed December 31, three months earlier than heretofore, clerks are working overtime in compiling the annual re port. When figures are available it will show more business in nine months than during the last fiscal | year ending March 31. said Postmaster Frank C. Sites, to-day. Two 'Punchboard' Operators Fined Fifty Dollars by Court Fifty dollars fine and costs were im posed upon both Isaac Mattis and W. W. Watkins, of Millersburg, by the Dauphin county court this morning for conducting gambling devices known as "tiunchboards." The pair were arrested by Constable W. J. Baker and the officer brought the boards into court to enlighten the judges as to the method of operation. The punchboards are similar to those, it is said, which are conducted in this city. Places for "punches" at a nickel per punch are arranged and num bered from one to 600. At least 506 of these numbers on the boards ex hibited in court this morning were blank. Should the gambler hit a lucky number as he "punches in," he may get a prize in the shape ol cash, cigars, etc. The blank spaces produce only candy. OVAKISMEX'S TRAIN WRECKED Topeka, Kan., Jan. 2.—Six cars car rying equipment belonging to the New York National Guard were ditched near Vanora, seven miles from Au gusta on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad last night. Two sleeping cars also left the track, but remained upright, and none of the guardsmen was Injured. This in formation was received late last night from Winfleld, Kan. EXPOSITION CLOSES San Diego, Cal., Jan. 2.—The Pana ma-California International Exposi tion closed at midnight last night after having been open to the public con tinuously for two years. The attend ance during the year is estimated by exposition officials to-day in excess of 2,600,000, Bllghtly under the record established In 1915, The main build ings and the lundscape effects will be preserved. SEE YOU ALL IN HEAVEN SAYS MAN DOOMED TO CHAIR Cornelius Shepherd Waves Smiling Farewell to Specta tors in Courtroom Sentenced this morning to die in the electric chair, Cornelius Shepherd waved a smiling farewell to the hun dred or more curiously quiet spec tators in the Dauphin county court room. "Good-by, gentlemen," he called as ho turned to go back to jail with a deputy sheriff, "Ah expects Ali'll see you-all in Heben where Ah's sho'ly a-goin'!" Shepherd was the first murderer In Dauphin county to be sentenced to pay the law's penalty in the "chair." He was convicted at December special ses sions of deliberately shooting down Henry Walker while the latter sat [Continued on Page #] MAN AND WOMAN ARE WATCHED IN MURDER MYSTERY Former Is Believed to Have Slain Pretty Artist's Model Philadelphia, Jan. 2. The police are working on many clues in an ef fort to solve the mystery surrounding the murder of Miss Maizie Colbert, also kndwn as Mrs. Roberts,whose ter ribly bruised body was found in an up town apartment house last Saturday night. No arrest has yet been made, but a man and a woman are being [Continued on Page 0] | Police Had No Right to Suspend Jitney Measure Declares Judge Kunkel | That the city police department nor any other agency had the power or authority to suspend the operation of the jitney license ordinance during the recent trolley strike even though the operation of jltjieys was necessary for the convenience of the public, was the emphatic opinion of President Judge Kunkel of the Dauphin county j court, expressed to-day in sentencing i W. N. Hurst, a jitneur, to pay costs iand S2OO fine for crashing into John I Yestadts car at Reiiy and Front j streets. Hurst, in answer to a query of the court said he had no license as the j law had not been in operation because lof the strike. Hurst's attorney ad- I mittcd that "technically this was so." "Not technically just an actual i violation of the law," declared Judge Kunkel. None, he added, have the right to suspend the operation of any I law save the power that created it. Organization of Delaware Legislature Is Blocked by Factional Differences Dover, Del., Jan. 2.—Organization of the Delaware Legislature was blocked to-day by factional differences among the Republicans who are in the majority in the State Senate, and the Democrats, who are in the majority in the House. Retailers Do Not Look For Milk Price Increase City retail milk dealers to-day said that they did not expect the whole salers to Increase their prices, despite the announcement to-day that a meet ing of the Dalrymen'e League of Dau phin and Cumberland counties will be held to-morrow evening at 8 o'clock at Linglestown do consider such action. Two months ago the wholesale price of milk was advanced from 16 to 18 cents a gallon, and retailers advanced from 7 to 8 centH a quart, serving no tice that If the wholesale price jumped to 20 cents another cent might be charged the consumer, A meeting of city dealers will prob ably be held within the next week, but a number of the milkmen said to-day that they will fight any move on the part of dairyman to horwt the urlce again. $150,000 LOSS WHEN HOSIERY . MILL IS BURNED Romberger Manufacturing Co. | Plant at Middletown Set Afire Is Belief FIGHT FLAMES 4 HOURS Large Stock of Yarn Valued at $40,000 Destroyed; 200 Out of Employment Two hundred persons were thrown out of employment, when fire believed to be of Incendiary origin, early this morning totally destroyed the Rom berger hosiery mill at Middletown at an estimated loss of $150,000. A large stock of yarn, which is very valuable at present on account of the war was a total loss. The lire broke out at 1:15 o'clock and burned for four hours. Having good water pressure and with the ad vantage of a calm night, the Middle town firemen were successful in con fining the tire to the mill building. A high wind, doubtlessly would have caused the flames to spread to an ad joining frame building. The lire was discovered in the southeast corner of the building by several nearby residents and but a few minutes elapsed before the entire sec ond-'floor was in iiames. When tire men arrived the lire had spread over the entire second floor and was rapidly eating its way to the third floor. The flames shot out the win dows and caught the adjoining frame building which kept the firemen busy during the height of the blaze. Adjoining Property Damaged The frame dwelling adjoining the mill on the north side was damaged to the extent of SSOO. The building is a double frame. One side is owned and occupied by Harry Lindemuth, as sistant postmaster. This side of the dwelling closest to the fire was dam aged by water, the firemen being com pelled to play on this structure con tinually on account of it being locate.t so near the blaze. The other side of the dwelling is owned by Albert Roda baugh of Reading and is occupied by I. E. Bowman, assistant foreman in the Romberger plant. That the building was set aflre is the opinion of A. C. Kohr, superin tendent of the mill. According to in formation given out by this official, It [Continued on Page 9] DEMOCRATS WANT HOUSE TO GO INTO PENROSE CHARGES Echo of Bitter Fight Over Speakership Heard in Resolu tion That Is Laid Over Democratic members of the House of Representatives opened an attack upon the Republicans to-day by pre senting, through Wilson G. Sarig, Berks, their candidate for Speaker, a resolution for an investigation by a committee of six members of charges made by United States Senator Boles Penrose against the State adminis tration. The resolution was laid over under the rules. The Sarig resolution recited several charges made by the senator in state ments recently Issued by him. The charges referred to by the resolution were that the senator had "publicly charged that certain attempts to in fluence members of the Legislature by promises of appointment of persons to office and by threats of dismissal of others from public office were intimi dation. coercion and bribery, warrant ing action by a grand inquest." Other Charges Tt is also recited that the senator had charged that conditions of ex travagance, absenteeism, misappropri ation of funds, political coercion and intimidation of scandalous nature would be exposed. The resolution also made reference to charges made by the senator against Attorney General Brown and the Pub lic Service Commission and to charges made by Senator W. C. Sproul against the State administration. The resolution called for a commis sion of six, two to be members who had voted for Edwin R. Cox for Speaker In the Republican speakership caucus. Mad Dog Outbreak at Marysville Is Reported Following an outbreak of rabies at Marysville the State Livestock Sani tary Board, assisted by Burgess Enos Fisher and Constable W. T. Wltmer, has killed six dogs and one cat and and quarantined nine other dogs, sus pected of having been infected to the contagion. The first dog affected was owned by John Seidle, which bit an other dog owned by Ed. Lookabaugh, and the two are believed to have bit ten other dogs and cats. The borough authorities will kill all unlicensed dogs. Residents of West Shore towns have been warned to watch for symp toms of rabies in dogs or cats, which are signs of extreme nervousness, change of disposition, difficulty in swallowing or unusual sounds In barking or mewing. REPUDIATES GUARDIANSHIP Washington, Jan. 2. American Ambassador Elkus has forwarded from Constantinople an apparently au thentic article from asemiofflcialnews paper in the Turkish capital giving the text of Turkey's repudiation of the guardianship of the great powers which was created hy the treaty of Paris of 1858 and the treaty of Ber lin of 1878. No official notification of Turkey's action has reached the State Department, Neither the Ger man nor Austrian ambassles had had any word of their ally's action. , GREATEST CRIME WAVE IN HISTORY OF CITY IN 1916 3,837 Arrests During Year, Nearly Thousand More Than in. 1915; Nearly Every Man and Woman Arrested "Drunk or Drinking" Docket Shows MUCH LAWLESSNESS DUE TO COLORED ELEMENT DECLA Introduction of Southern Negro Reason For Much Disorderly Practice, Felonious Assaults and Murders Says Windsor Police records made public to-day show that the greatest crime wave in Harrisburg's history swept the city during 1916. The total number of arrests for the year was 3,837, nearly a thousand more than during 1915. Included In the list of prisoners were eight ac cused of murder. Four of the murders occurred dur ing the last three months of the year. The police make note in their report that each of these four slayers were arrested within forty-five minutes of the time the crime was committed. AH Records Broken "In searching all records of the police department," said Superintend ent of Detectives William L. Wind sor, Jr., this morning to a Telegraph reporter, "I can find nothing that com pares with the wave of crime that swept the city during the last year. Particularly has this crime wave af fected the lawless colored element of the city, and doubtless this is largely due to the importation of the South ern negro to the Northern industrial establishments. "Almost every night a shooting or a razor party has resulted in a police call to the vicinity of Cowden and Briggs streets. The "bucket of blood' —so called —has been a regular call- VV" —vV" [ it I [CIAL ' OTICE j ( a Washingtc of a "leak" cf advance 1 j,, 1 informati 'son's peace note involving ■ fe L other charges profits on it in thp p S 1 stock >:-• .mI att-'v .ion to d-iy whsn I Senatoi in the Senate and Thomas \ W. Lawson, of ] d with Chairman Henry, of j 1 ■ the House Rules at a proposed congressional j I £ investigation. | ' :r .R DEAD j t C Pfriladelphi nis A. Hayes, for 21 years , ( 1 pre: i' i' j j: k States aii(. C president of the American | I Federati ■■ to-day. a years qlu < ® I Lw < i l t^lc " ' Kittei ii . ] Newport. j I PENRO: WII I 1 GLAD TO HELP j , | ' * Senator Bie Pen his afternoon issued a state- t , ment relating to esol , n introduced by the Detno- < | S crats to rti It by Penrose against irregu- I larities ot the Bru niniitration as follows: . , J "I adhere abi iutely t hat I have, already stated. I F I have only mad< "f the disclosures that arc : t likely to be eetion. I will be glad to help < ; in any j t LEGISLATURE QUITS UNTIL JANUARY 22 j * I Harris! u the Governor's message > I and co'.- •...•nizo'ion, both bi a aches i |of the Le January 22, at OP. M. 1 ) I FLETC 1 TO GO TO MEXICO * ? r Washington, e sending of Henry I'. I'' I Fletcher to City as American ambassa- j • K dor and the. sut juent h iwal of the American expe- . ■ I dition are expectedon the ie developments in the Mexican ]| situation. Offici oi comment is being with held at this time. UCENSES f Alfonao Hunter Mitchell, l'bllaileliilila, anil turn Anna Harnhart. ' • | l.mtn, I'a. ' | I L Brwln Anmnta Stnver, Cheater, anil Alle* Dnlay Miller, Manbelm. l.ancaater county. r Kay iSlchard Wolf and Sara Viola Miller, Shlrrmanatonn. t Mike Knoll and Anna Slakavlcb, cltr. T" "V V |M 11 y— ")f— ri Single Copy, 2 Cents ing place l'or the officers." J Nearly All Drinking In pointing out the interesting featwl ures of the year's docket reports, tH Superintendent of Detectives called atl tention to the fact that "colored" is entered far often than white; that nearly all of the men and women ar rested were drunk or drinking; that more than half of the arrests were for one sort or another of disorderly prac tice, and that the carrying of ro_n cealed deadly weapons is quite com mon. The entries show crimes of tho grosser type as well as felonious as sault, robberies, burglaries, holdups, and so on. A I'eat of Which They're Proud One feat of which the fiolice be lieve they can be justly proud was the capture of "Lou" Faust, the burglar, who robbed hundreds of homes in this and other cities of the Slate and the capture.of booty in Faust's home worth thou.'jii.* <• 'lc.-w ~Many of these valuables were returned 1 0 their owners upon proof of claim. >v "We have had a hard year," smifej Superintendent Windsor, "and we have been severely criticised In many quar ters, but wo believe when the publto knows what we were up against, they will perhaps praise instead of rap us." POSTSCRIPT
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers