-• j * ' 1 - j--wipiiiipiippp^ ? Additional Naval Officers Join Admiral Sims in Refusing Decorations Fron Secretary Daniels LXXXVIII— No. 320 14 PAGES Da,I^?e c r cp a t t 8 t u unh n c d %st %&Z?ii m &I£SSSrS 1 *" HARRISBURG, PA. SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27, 1919. °*&S!rK& tS"SSSKJTSiiSl l a B " 81 two ckntT 3 HOME EDITION HOLIDAY DRINKING ORGIES ARE FOLLOWED BY HUNDRED DEATHS List of Fatalities Grows as Reports Come in From Over Nation MEN AND WOMEN LOSE LIVES AFTER TAKING WOOD ALCOHOL Indulgence in Christmas "cheer." the main ingredient of ■which was wood alcohol, has resulted in a death list estimated to he near a hundred in various parts of the country. Thirty lost their lives in an orgy of drinking in Massachu setts and Connecticut, where a saloon dispensed drinks which proved fata!. The death list is constantly mounting higher as reports come in from other sections of the country. Since July 1. Chicago has sustained a casualty list of 45- Many are lying unconscious in hospitals while four died yesterday and last night. New York City has had nearly as many deaths. Chicago, With 35 Dead, Expects Many More in New Year Celebrations By Associated Press < hiciiKo. Pec. 27. —Five victims of wood alcohol poisoning are dead here, a sixth is dying and several others are seriously ill as a result of Christ mas orgies. Federal and local authorities opened a vigorous investigation to-day to tlx responsibility for the sale of the poison. "We have held inquests on twen ty-eight or thirty bodies since July 1, ail victims of this drug," said Peter M. Hoffman, coroner of Cook county. "1 expect a lot more in a few days from New Year celebra tions." One ordinary drink of wood alco hol can make n man permanently blind and sometimes kill him. Air. Hoffman added. Two men who sold wood alcohol to men who died after drinking it have been held for the grand jury on murder charges. A aity ordinance which would limit sale of wood alcohol to com mercial men alone, and remove it from drugstores and saloons, is ex pected to be submitted in a few days. Karly this afternoon the death list for this city. Sprfnglield and Holyoke had risen to 41. and three more per sons seriously ill in their homes have been reported to the police. Francis Taylor of Springfield, died this morn ing and the death of John L. Duffy, which occurred about midnight was diagnosed as due to alcohol poison ins There were two additional Chi copee deaths this morning. District Attorney Ely to-day refus ed to accept bail for Alexander Per ry. whose bonds were placed by the * court at SIO,OOO. Source of Poisoned Whisky Believed to Be in Bronx New York. Dec. 2T.—District At torney Martin, of Bronx county, to day began a search for the men who are alleged to have sold there the "whisky" made from wood alcohol wihch, transferred to New England, was responsible for the deaths of more than two score persons. Although not yet officially notified that Xew England officials had traced the source of the "poison whisky" to the Bronx, Mr. Martin immediately laid aside all other business to attend to the new menace. After conferring with his staff, he named Charles M. McLaughlin, assist ant district attorney, to conduct the investigation, with explicit instruc tions "to comb the borough thor oughly until the culprits are brought in." He announced that Mr. McLaugh lin would leave immediately for Hart ford, Conn., and other New England points "to investigate reports cfedit ing the Bronx as being the source of supply of this poisoned fluid." The Health Department also foeus sed its attention to-day on wood alco hol poisoning. Commissioner Cope land telegraphed the Hartford auth orities for all clues indicating that file fatal supply of whisky "had been received from Xew York." At the same time Ole Salthe, acting director of the Bureau of Foods and Drugs, ordered a special survey to determine whether any restaurants or saloons In this city were selling the poison. Inspection foces were ordered doubled, with special attention to the waterfront and foreign colonies, in these sections inspectors were di rected to search saloons from cellar to garret. Attention of physicians was drawn to-day by Dr. S. Dana Hubbard, di rector of the Bureau of Public Health Education to a section of the sanitary code requiring all cases of wood alco hol poisoning to be reported immedi ately to the Health Department. Heports that rryich illicit whisky I [Continued on Pnge 5.] ITHEWEATHEPT llarrlshnrg and Vicinity! Cloudy to-night and Sunday, Not much •■hnngc In temperature, lowest 1 to-nlgbt nhout frrealng. Enatern I'fnnnj Ivanln i Cloudy to night and snndny. probnhly snow In north portion. Not ' much change In temperature. Moderate south went wlndt. Itlveri The Susquehanna river and all Its branches will fall slowly I or rrmnln stationary without i material ehnnge In ler eondl- I lions. A stage of nhout 0.5 feet may be espretrd ut llarrlshnrg [ Sunday morning. HARRISBURG ipl§|illSl TELEGRAPH ®je otor-l&epcn&fnt. 54 Dead With Many More 111, Blinded and ; Dying From Poison Drink By Associated Press f Chicopee, Dec. 27. —The drinking • of whisky with a wood alcohol base . j had caused the deaths of 54 per ; sons in Connecticut valley cities to -1 i day. The list of victims mounted during the day with reports from jthis city, Holyoke. Springfield and Hartford, Conn. Others stricken by the concoction marketed for Christ j mas festivities were reported serious ! ly ill, blinded and dying. The victims in this city this after | noon numbered thirty including one I woman in Springfield, four; Holyoke. ! seven, and Hartford, thirteen. Of this number twenty-seven men I and one woman belonged in Chico i pee; . six in Holyoke and two in ' Springfield. Of the fifteen cases 'sent to Mercy Hospital, In Spring ! field, all but one have died, and it , yvas said that the remaining one j could live but a few hours. Acting I Marshal A. T. Caron, of the Chico , : pee police, expressed the belief that I the death list in Chicopee would ' | go close to fifty before all cases had ' ; been accounted for. I Alexander Perry, proprietor of the I : American House, where the police . j believed many of the victims ob . ; tained the liquor, gave himself up to the police to-day. He, his broth er Charles, and William Baker, a bartender at the hotel, were ar raigned and charged with man slaughter. All pleaded not guilty and they were held in SIO,OOO | bonds each for a hearing. Tech ; nical charges of selling liquor 11- ; legally also were placed against i them. Thomas Oczkyvyski, proprietor of a saloon in Chicopee Center, also was placed under arrest charged with manslaughter. He has not been arraigned. Four Charged With Murder The wholesale distribution of the liquor has ben traced to Hartford, where four men have been arrested charged yvith murder. Charles Perry, brother of Alex. Perry, pro prietor of the American House of this city, who has disappeared, and William Baker, a bartender, are un der arrest here, charged with man slaughter. The hotel yvas closed yesterday. The police believe the liquor was manufactured in New York and have asked for assistance there in the investigation. Officers here were provided with warrants to-day and ordered to search all suspected places. Five of the seven additional deaths report ed here since yesterday were of men who became ill in their homes and the police believe there may be many other oases of sickness of the same kind not yet reported. The seven who died early to-day were Wilfred Ixtssonde. Adolph Charlnnd and Joseph Ourtkle, who were taken 1 to a hospital; Joseph Levendusky Joseph Jackus, Joseph Sebuia and a native of Poland, not named. Med ical Examiner Fletcher announced that autopsies performed during the night indicated that death had been caused by wood alcohol. Widely Distributed Reports from Hartford that wholesale shipments of the liquor believed to have caused the deaths had been made to many cities and towns in this vicinity- aroused a dili gent search of the district and led District Attorney- Joseph B. Ely, of Westtleld. to request the assistance i of the State Police. MY! HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW SCARCE DOLLAR BILLS ARE? Uncle Sum Doesn't Even Have Time to Launder Money, It The proverbial filthy luere has be et me a reality. One and two dollar bills, worn and torn and carrying a superabundance o? grime. are to-day enjoying a wider i alas, and a quicker circulation) in Harrisburg than at any time within memory. The customary shipments of such paper currency to Federal authorities foi redemption in new bills, have been j cut to a minimum. Uncle Sam to-day | TRAIN SERVICE TO SAVE DAYLIGHT JJfiT York, Deo. 27. The Na tional Daylight Saving Associa tion to-day quoted D. N. Bell, gen eral passenger agent of the Penn sylvania Railroad, as saying: "Inasmuch as it would be im practicable to> provide train service especially for commutation travel, based on two standards of time, it is our opinion that, from the day light-saving plan adopted by New York, Philadelphia. Baltimore and other important cities, it will necessarily follow that the standard time of those cities shall be the standard time in the surrounding territory." President Marcus M. Marks ex pressed the opinion that all rail roads would be guided by the ac tion of the big cities in adopting daylight-saving. A bill for state wide daylight saving in New .Jer sey will he introduced next year in the legislature. More than 300 communities in the state have gone on record in its favor. Teachers Tell of Expenses in Petition Asking For Bonus of 20 Per Cent. By Associated Press llorristown, N. J„ Dec. 27.—A peti tion from forty-five of the sixty-five public school teachers of the city ask , ing a bonus of twenty per cent, of their salaries for the present year, was handed the Board of Education to-day by Superintendent of Schools J. Burton Wiley. The petition based the request on the present cost of living conditions and actions of boards of education in other places. It gave a typical bud ' get made up from the expenses of i twenty-five teachers as folloyvs: Board. $548; clothing, one suit. S4O; one coat, $43: two hats. SIS; two I pair of shoes. $24; one pair rubbers. $1; two pairs of gloves. $4; one silk ; dress, S3O; one wool dress, $32.75; two summer dresses, S2O; one cloth skirt, sls; one white skirt, $7.50; three waists, $5.25; one umbrella, $2.50; 'hosiery, $6; underwear. sls; shoe re pairing, $3; a total of $272 for cloth ing. Laundry, $40.#7: doctor, dentist, oc- I culist, $57; church and charity, $46; ; carfare, $58.74; toilet articles, $6.92; life insurance, $45.21; teachers' pen j sion fund, $48.60; professional dues, | etc., $5.51; daily newspapers, $11.44; j one magazine, $3; four times to the j ater, $6; three concerts, $2.50; lec , tures, $3.50; twelve times to moving pictures. $3: making a total of $1,169. I The present average salaries is $1,041. Committee Named to Prepare New Budget and Tax Rate For Schools Robert A. Enders, president of the City School Board, to-day appointed the following committee to prepare the budget for the fiscal year, 1920- 21: A. Carson Stamm. chairman; Dr. |C. E. L. Keen, Harry- A. Boyer, W. Frank Witman and Franklin J. Both. It is planned to have the budget ready for consideration by the board Iby April 1. Three other special com mittees to aid in the preparation of the budget have been suggested by President Enders. One of them, to consider the revi ision of the teachers' salary schedule, includes: Dr. Keen, chairman; Wil liam Pavord. Cameron L Bear. Mr. Roth and Mr. Stamm. Another com mittee will act on salaries of janitors, the members including: Mr. Boy 'er. chairman; Dr. Keen. Mr. Wit- j , man. H. M. Bingaman and Mr. Roth. I The third will consider purchasing of supplies conferring with Purchasing, Agent Frank C. Foose. The members i will, be Mr. Witman, chairman; Mr. l Pavord. Mr. Baer, Mr. Bingaman and! Mr. Boyer. Former Slave Dies at Age of 128 Years I'arkrrnburit. W. Ya., Dec. 27. | William Peyton, a negro, one of the i | oldest men In the United States, died! yesterday at Little llocking. 'ohio, j near Parkersburg, at the age of 128 years. In his youth Peyton was a slave of' a Virginia fumiiy by the name of I Creel which later moved into West Virginia. As a slave and as a free.lj man he served this family through six! generations, it is said. Peyton was' in full possession of his faculties un-1 til within a few weeks of his death. JUDUH DIK.N By Associated Press • Wilmington, Del., Dec. 27.—Philip' Quigley Churchman, judge of Munlci- | pal Court, died this morning from a 1 stroke of apoplexy following a recent l physical breakdown. He was 55 years! of age. Goes So Fast From Hand to Hand • ! freely admits there is a scarcity of ! paper money, as long suspected by the family man. The Government is not able to redeem the old bills with the ' regularity that it formerly did. So a request has been circulated among hanks of.the country asking that they keep the bills in circulation as long as possible. The scarcity of paper money is com paratively only, and is due, to the great amount of money in circulation. The Race With the Executioner ~~~~ ; MILITARY ROLL IS GROWING IN CITY AND COUNTY 27,613 Men Enrolled on Rec ords Taken For Adjutant General's Department Dauphin county's military en | rollment for 1919 is about 1,100 | more than in 1918, according to fig- I ures compiled at the office of the j County Commissioners from reports i from assessors in the various dis ; tricts. The enrollment figures for | 1919 have been sent to the Adjutant : General's Department. The military roll for the entire ! county this year includes 2 7,613 names as compared with 26,496 last year. Tn the city this year the en rollment is 15,462 as compared with 13,826. Men between the ages of 1 8 and 43 years are Included. The list is valued as information as to the enrollment under draft regulations in case of war. The total enrollment in the city by wards for last year and this year follows: 1919 1918 First 800 760 Second 1919 1192 Third 232 1 15 Fourth 601 635 1 Fifth 740 692, Sixth 800 510 j Seventh 2093 1982, Eighth 1176 951! Ninth 2242 2240; Tenth 1600 1 564! Eleventh 1346 1373! Twelfth 1128 1033' Thirteenth 650 632 | Fourteenth 135 147: Totals 15,462 13,826! Surgical Case Used by Dr. Verbeke in Battle of Waterloo Given Academy A case of surgical instruments, used by Dr. James C. Verbeke in car ing for wounded soldiers of Na poleon's armies In the- Battle of Waterloo, was presented to the Har- ' risburg Academy of Medicine last , evening. The instruments have been in the j Verbeke family since the famous \ battle, and of recent years have been l in the care of Marion Verbeke, as- i sistant fire chief. Anxious that they be preserved, he decided to present | them to the Harrlsburg Academy and i the formal presentation took place last night through Dr. Hugh Hamil ton. Bast evening's meeting was the monthly session of the organization and officers were nominated for the ensuing year. Included are: Dr. George W. Bauder, president: Dr. H. F. Gross, first vice-president; Dr. George B. Davcrty, second vice- ! president: Dr. J. B. Hlleman, secre- [ tary-treasure.r; Dr. Carson Coover. librarian: Dr. H. It. Douglas, trustee: Dr. George H. Widder, social and scientific committee; Dr. W. S. Rus sell. committee on admissions.' Dr. Coover and Dr. Baverty relat ed some of their experiences in the military service. UNSETTLED WEATHER WITH SNOWS Washington. Dei:. 27.—Weather predictions for tiie week begin ning Monday. issued by the Weather Bureau to-day, are: North and Middle Atlantic stutes —Unsettled with occasional local snows and temperatures somewhat below normal. U.S. AND JAPAN I NEAR PACT ON | SIBERIAN ACTION ; Reach Common Ground Upon Which to Base Joint Movement By Associated Picas I Vladivostok. Dec. 27.—A common ! ground on which to base Joint action | in Siberia has been reached by the i United States and Japan, according, to ah announcement given out here ! liy the Japanese official publicity bu- i reau. The announcement said: "Genuine satisfaction is expressed! iin influential quarters that a com-1 mon ground has been readied by- Japan and America l'or basing joint] action in Siberia. This is particu- ; larly pleasing to those who have ob- j served wth regret that Siberian poli cies of the two countries at times | seemed to follow divergent courses." j George Yottey May Be Deputy County Treasurer; ' Stroh on Prison Board! George Yottey, 1609 Kaudaln street,! probably will bo napied deputy county j treasurer by Treasurer-elect Oliver C. Bishop, it was reported to-day. Mr. Yottey. if appointed, will lake the) oath of office January 3, and will sue- i cecd Deputy Treasurer Josh. K. Ruth erford. The court to-day appointed W. Scott Stroh. 1725 North Sixth street, a mem ber of the Board of Prison Inspectors to succeed the late William B. Meetc'.i, serving the unexpired term. The term ends In 1921. When the Prison Board reorganizes in January, two members are to be appointed, one by the, court and the other by the County Commissioners. It is not believed thero will be any change in the present administration force at tlse county prison. St ES FOR 1,000 FOR I.OSS OF FOOT! Counsel for Charles B. Romig to T j day filed suit agsinst the Harrlsburg) Railways Company for SIO,OOO dam-j ages. It Is alleged ln the statement; filed that Bomlg was struck by a; street car at Fourth and Market streets, on ihe morning f of June fi, 1918, his right leg being crushed at the ankle. BUILDING BOOM FOR COMING YEAR I IS THE FORECAST Many Contractors Have Plans Under Way to Provide New Homes Thans are under consideration now by a number of builders and realty men in the city, it is said, for the erection of more residences in the outlying districts of the city during 1920. During this year permits were issued for hundreds of dwellings, but It is believed that construction work | during the coming year may exceed this recard. ! One rejiort, which, it Is expected, I will be confirmed next week, is that outside interests are backing a move | to build from 20 to 30 houses in the ■ section just north of the Fourteenth I l W ofs rdl recently Ittld out "" building I Is Forecast This district may be annexed to the city in the near future as it lies I J 'y st north of the recently anneiea 1 l-i T. section. AncHier locality ' o, niay a PP'>' for annexation is I the Pleasant View district, extending I from Walnut to Herr streets and 'tte n 80 fet t l &aat of Eighteenth ; stleet eastward to Twentv-lirst ! Ihk years ago agitation in this section lor annexation brouglit J no results, but it was said earlier in the week that the residents there are anxious now to come into the city. Work During Winter With an increase In buifd'ing ac tivities realty sales will boom again next year, dealers predict. This year many of the numerous sales in the City were those of newly constructed pi operties, Home contractorw und builders disposing of the houses be fore they were completed. l n a num ber of instances workmen were busy with the finishing touches on dwell ings with families already in pos aeFHion. . # K The- housing shortage in'llarrisburg is expected to bring about the same condition next year and despite the increased cost of building materials plans are progressing now for great er activity next spring. Some con tractors securing permits to erect houses began their work late in the fall and during the winter months will complete the building opera tions. At least a score of houses be ing finished during (the winter wtll be ready for occupahcy probably by April 1. TURKEY'S DEFENSE IS DUE NEXT WEEK | Paris, Dec. 27. The Turkish Grand Vialer has requested Tewflk Pasha, head of the commission ap pointed to prepare a defense of Turkey's interests before the Peace Conference, to hasten the work of the commission because the Turkish delegates may be sum moned to Paris next week, accord- I Ing to advices from Constantino ple. the High Commissioners in | Constantinople of the Allies are ' reported to have hinted that peace | with Turkey may be concluded in I I the near future. REVISED NAVAL | AWARDS REPORT TO BE ACCEPTED i Daniels Announces Survey of j Knight Board Will Prob ably Stand j , ADMIRALS SUSTAIN SIMSi i 1 1 lis Charges Are Supported by j Wilson and Mayo, Fleet Commanders Ry Associated Press j a.sliington, Dec. 27. —1n revising j the lists off naval decorations to be j awarded officers for their services' ! during (he war, the Knight boaril.! 1 Secretary Daniels said to-day, will | I be instructed to follow in general' ! the same policy adopted by (lie Sec-! | rotary in revising the original lists. ! j At the same time, Mr. Daniels; , said, tlie board would give full con- | siderat:on to the views expressed by ! j Rear Admiral Sims and other high I i officers wiio have objected to the | | mar.-ner in which the decorations j j thus far anv. mnced were awarded. ' ! The Secretary added that lie | j hoped the new recommendations of j the board e ?u ld be approved by him 1 without The revised i report e.-.ner will be sent to Presi-! j dent Wilson for llnal action or acted! | on by the Secretary on behalf of the! ; President. Admirals Protest ! In discussing his order of last! j night reconvening the board to re-i | view eases already considered and j j act upon additional recommenda-! : iions made recently, Mr. Daniels dis ; closed that Admiral Henry R. Wil son and Rear Admiral Henry T. 1 Mayo had written him. calling ctten- I tion (o what tthey described as in [Continued on Page :!.] I)HOWARD I'NDKIt ( AH | I.riviNtoivn, fa., Dee. 27—Miss Flor : er.ee Krape, 14 years old, of Center . Hall, was drowned in Laurel Run, on ! the Seven .Mountains. An automobile I in which she was riding, turned turtle j and pinned her to the bottom of the ' creels. Albert Krape was driving the j automobile. WILSON TO OBSERVE BIRTHDAY TO-MORROW • Washington, President Wilson will be 63 years | old to-morrcw. His daughters,* Mrs. William G. Mc- I Adco and Mrs. Francis B. Sayre, expressed a dc-sii week or;ten days ago-to be at the White House foflpi.ii I holiday anniversary and they may come The Presife—vt j is expected to spend a quiet day. Rear Admiral (i|ray t son, the President's physician, said to-day his patent's ; progress c >tinues and that he was in good spirits. GOVERNMENT TO GIOVE AID Boston. Every department of the government will co-operate in this great emergency in rounding up the • guilty, said Thomas J. Boynton, United States district attorney to-day, in commenting on the reports from Con • necticut Valley cities "of approximately half a hundred deaths believed to be due to drinking liquor with a 1 wood alcohol base. WOULD NATIONALIZE SARRE MINTIS 1 ' Paris. A bill providing for government e eplofta tion of the coal mines of Jho Sarre basin was introduced into the Chamber of Deputies by Louis Lucheus, minis ter of reconstruction, and Louis Klotz, minister of fi nance. The mines formerly were exploited partly by the Prussian an dpartly by the Bavarian fiscal authorities. WANT WOOD'S NAME ON BALLOT Lincoln. Neb. A voter's petition asking tfiat the 1 name of General Leonard Wood be placed on th? Re publican ballot for the primaries next April 30, when i the voters will express their preference for presidential nominees, was filed with the Secretary of State here to , da y* SERVICES FOR COUSIN OF LIPTON , Blponifiekl, N. J. Funeral services for the Rev. i i William T. Lipton, a cousin of Sir Thomas Lipton, ( will be held here this aftcrnon at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, of which he was rector. Dr. I ipton, ( who was 56 years old died. Tuesday night in a Newark ! hospital, where he had been undergoin gorganic treat ment .ime last summer. ' MARRIAGE LICENSES Hownrd *. Ntrnuh. ArnUvlllr. nod Mnuri I. Wttman. M Iddlrtoirn-i Mcholiin J. dunlin, linnkin. nul Hurt Ilolmur, Mrrltoni (jrorie I- Seldom, IMillndrlphlu. mid I'ln olilr 11. Unmtoiirr, Ilarrinhurai n o y Tup-pin. Harrlnlmrit. and Hilda A. Johnnlon, Hoik vlllci l.awronor |? Oylrr nod Hva H. Wnllrr, Urllmlinriti John J. liudrr and llutb K. I.aytun. HarrlNhurgi Samui-I CI. Knltniplvrr nod flnrn K. Ilollrnhuu ß h. llarrlKbarm Jnmm K. Dornn und Mary C. Hyrri. Ha rrinbura 1 Samu.-II 11. Wrfp nad Mary J. Straub.Hurrinbiirft. FRENCH DEMAND EX-CROWN PRINCE SHALL BE TRIED ; Frederick William on List of Those Whose Surrender Is Asked | CHARGED WITH LOOTING jCasc Against Ex-Kaiser Rests; Ready to Take Active Steps loiulon. Dee. 2 7.—Frederick Wil | liain, the former German crown prince, will be included in the list of . persons whose surrender for trial is ; demanded by the French, according i to an official report of a recent meet ing between British law officials and Kdouard Ignace, French under sec ; retary for military justice. | The ex-crown prince, it is said, will bo charged with criminal of . fenses, including looting and rob- I bery with violence, committed in ! France. j There appears to have been no i further decision reached at the eon jferenco with regard to the case of [ former Emperor William. ! A full list of the men whose sur- I render will be demanded has been J completed, it was stated, and the j steps which are to be taken to iti ! sure their surrender have been de- Icided upon. One or two questions still j outstanding will be submitted to | Premiers Lloyd George and Clemen eeau when they meet in Paris next j month. | Turkeys and Chickens Sell at Low Figures Harrisburg folks who were forced I to put off tlieir Christmas dinner un i til to-morrow, and did not buy their turkey until to-day, are telling about i their good luck. Poultry prices I showed a slump in local markets. I At the start there was an incllna- I lion on the part of farmers to ask 7.7 to SO cents a pound, but later the figures dropped to 65 cents. One man said lie purchased a 15-pound "dressed" turkey early this morning at Chestnut street and only paid 60 cents a pound. Chickens, which sold for 55 and 60 cents a pound Wednesday, could be had for 35 and 40 cents.