Harrisburg telegraph. (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, December 30, 1919, Image 1

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Scores Are Placed Under Arrest Charged With Causi.ig Many Deiths From Poison Whisky
HARRISBURG ifSfplgl TELEGRAPH
. otac-3n&cjit!j&enl. . ■
LXXXVIII—No. 305 14 PAGES Dai '&ae C r ep tSmce re^t. H.SurK l3 " HARRISBURG, PA., TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 30, 1919. ox V.,w STAPKII 1 N^VIAHI USB i'h (I' * 'tWU CKNTS B HOME EDITION
FACILITIES FOR
SOCIAL EVENTS
IN NEW ARMORY
Halls to Be Provided For Civic
Affairs as Well as Mili
tary Drills
JOINT BODY TO MEET
Will Give Consideration to
Plan Calling For State
Co-operation
Colonel M. E. Finney, chairman- of
the joint armory committee of the
Chamber of Commerce, has called a
meeting of his committee for F'riday
afternoon at 4 o'clock. At that time
full consideration will be given the
proposition and the outlining of a
program for co-operation with the
State in the erection of such an ar
mory as Harrlsburg must have in or
der to accommodate its important
military units.
As it looks now, ths city will have
more military organizations within
the next year than ever before in its
history. It is expected that there
will be two infantry companies of
the line, the headquarters of the
Eighth Regiment, and Colonel Fin
ney's supply train, also one head
quarters and one supply company,
troop of cav,\lry. a battery of field
artillery, a medical detachment and
possibly a machine gun company
and the supply company of Colonel
Finney's train.
Already several of the units are In
process of organization and early in
the new year the Harrlsburg com
panies will be ready for Inspection
and entrance into the new National
Guard.
For years the armory question has
been uppermost in local military cir-i
ties, but, so long as It was a de-:
haHile question whether the build-1
ing would be located In the Capitol |
Park area at the foot of Walnut!
street and the Pennsylvania rall-j
road, or elsewhere, no actual steps
were taken. Now, that it is defi
nitely understood that the armory:
will not be erected IT* the Capitol j
Park aone. Harrisburg will take the ,
necessary steps In co-operation with I
the Commonwealth to provide ade-1
quate facilities for the accommoda- i
Hon of the military forces here.!
Other cities are taking similar ac-j
tion and several are further along i
than Ilarrlsburg.
It is understood that the new ar-1
tnory will not only provide suitable I
quarters for the military orasniza-1
tions, but will also meet a great need j
through a spacious drill hall for so- j
eial and other civic events. Also. !
it Is quite likely there will be set:
apart in the front of the armory'
100 ms for the of the various'
ex-service organizations, including
the Ameriann Legion, the Spanish-1
American War Veterans, Veterans of
Foreign Wars and the Grand Army!
of the Republic. It has also been i
suggested that there might very l
properly be provided a room :n I
which to store and display various!
interesting souvenirs of the different 1
wars, portraits of officers and pho- j
tographs of local organizations.
There is great Interest in the ar
mory movement and no one doubts
that the city will generously co-oper
ate with the State in making the
building a credit to Harrisburg and
a model for all other cities and
towns. The old armory at Second
and Forster streets has long since
ceased to be large enough for the
growing military family of this city
and the Chamber of Commerce,
through the joint committee, com
posed of military officers and mem
bers of the Chamber, is leading the
movement for adequate facilities for
our representatives in the National
Guard.
Altoona Newspapers to
Combine in Order to Meet
Rising Costs of Printing
Special to the Telegraph
tlfnoan. Pa.. Dec. 30.—The Altoona
rimes and Tribune, two of the oldest
newspapers In this part of Pennsyl
\anta. will be combined under the
title, the Times-Tribune and the first
• ssue will be published on New Year's
Day. Both are morning papers. The
rising cost and scarcity of white
paper, together with the tremendous
Increase of every cost entering into
he publication of newspapers, are
tlven as the reasons. Both newspapers
nave had long and prosperous careers
nd the combination is the result of
i conference of the owners who found
Lhe only way to exist under the new
-onditions would be to unite. W. H.
■hhwartz, editor of the Tribune, will
ne editor of the united publications
COLLECTS ALL TAX
City Treasurer-elect Harry F.
Oves, to-day completed the collec
tion of all 19)6 tax and announced
that it will not be necessary to file
any liens against properties for fail
ure of owners to pay taxes for that
year. This is the first time in the
history of the city that a treasurer
lias been able to settle every account.
Mr. Oves was city treasurer in 1916
and 1917.
I THE WEATHER]
Harrtshnrg mud Vletaltyi Fair )•-
alght and probably Wednesday,
Nat mark change la tempera
tare. laweat ta-alght ahoat 23
degree*.
Kaatern Pennsylvania! Fair ta
alght and probably Wednesday.
Nat mark change In tempera
tare. Strang northwest winds.
Riven The Susquehanna river and
all Its branches will fall slats -
ly ar remain statlanary with lit
tle change la lee cnadltlans. *
stage of it bent t! feet lee read
ing. la Indicated for Harrisburg
Wednesday marnlng.
Why, William! Where Did You Come From?
JUST DUOPI'KI) IX TO HEI.P OUT AROUND THE KITCHEN.
SAVINGS AT COUNTY PRISON
MAKE UP FOR REVENUE LOST
WHEN LIQUOR WAS OUTLA WED
Prisons Costs Are
Cut Deeply When
City Is "Dry"
THOUSANDS TO
BE RETURNED
Extensive changes in the man
agement of the Dauphin county
prison were decided upon to-day by
the Board of Prison Inspectors, all
brought about by the passing of in
toxicating liquor and the big de
crease in the number of persons in
custody for violating th law.
L'pon deciding to grant all em
ployes, from Warden John J. Har
gest down, an increase of |lO a
month beginning January 1, the in
spectors decided that in the future
all paid employes will furnish their
own board. In the future food will
be prepared in the jail only for the
prisoners. This change will save the
county much money, the inspectors
said. In the past it had been cus
tomary to permit prisoners who act
ed as runners and in other similar
capacity to eat with the paid em
ployes. After January 1 all pris
oners will be given the same meals,
regardless of whether they are em
ployed in doing work at the jail or
not.
To Buy Bread
The inspectors also decided that
after January 1 they will purchase
bread under contract awarded after
competitive bidding. The big de
crease in the number of prisoners is
responsible, the board finding that
with an average of about seventy
five inmates daily It will be chcapet
to buy bread than to keep up the
bakery, purchasing flour, fuel and
other commodities needed to make
the bread at the advancing market
[ Continued on Page .]
City and County Will
Confer on Joint Building
A conference of the board of coun
ty commissioners and City Council
is expected in the near future to
discuss the advisability of remodel
ing the present courthouse and
building an addition to it, or the
erection of a joint city and county
building.' It is believed that after
this conference some definite action
may be taken and un architect will
be employed to submit pluiis. W.
L.' Stoddard. It waa said, associated
with ft Hnrrlsburg urchltect, may
be selected for this purpose. Mr.
Stoddard was one of the architects
of the Penn-Harris Hotel.
Red Necktie Precursor of Crepe
By Associated Press
Reading, Pa., Dec. 30. —Officers have been working day
and night following clues as to the selling of denatured alco
hol for beverage purposes, and there are rumors that the
man who is actually mixing the stuff and handing it to the
retailers is known and that a net of evidence is being worked
around him. The fact that one man who died got the
stuff at the hotel of a woman who was arrested was simply
a matter of chance. The goods, it is claimed, was only sold
to those who wore red neckties; that that was the sign of
open sesaipe as far as the cork in the bottle was concerned,
and that man wore a red necktie.
SEEK "WHISKY" MADE
FROM TOILET WATER
Physicians Warn Against Beverage Made From Denatured
Alcohol, Because of Carbolic Acid Used in Manufac
ture; Use Prune Juice to Secure Proper Color
Concoctions made from perfumes, colognes, bay rum, dena
tured and wood alcohol and used for beverages are causing more
or less uneasiness among Harrisburg physicians and police, it was
learned to-day.
Xo evidence of a beverage made of wood alcohol has been
found by either police or physicians, but the fear was expressed
that deaths may occur from the drinking of other poisons.
Add Prune Juice
i Bootleggers and dipsomaniacs
" have learned that colognes and
toilet waters left stand • .ncorked
will lose most of their scents. The
product then is darkened by adding
a little prune juice and water. Prune
! juice added to denatured alcohol
i also makes a drink that resembles
whisky.
Druggists have joined hands with
| the police in guarding the sale of
j denatured alcohol and toilet prepa
| rations, but a source of supply Is
: said to be open to the underworld.
Thg poison used to denature grain
alcohol is not nearly so deadly as
the alcohol made from wood pulp,
but its use as a drink, physicians
say. will certainly lead to illness
and possibly death.
Denatured alcohol Is made from
! grain und made unfit for beverage
1 purposes by adding carbolic acid or
some similar poison. Men who drink
It will not die as quickly as those
who used wood alcohol hut the ac
tion of the poison added in the
manufacture is said to be none the
[ less dangerous.
Police Chief Wetzel to-da.v an
i nounced that the city's police hara
been instructed to keep a sharp !
watch for bootleggers. He also is
sued a warning to drinking men not
to accept beverages from people who
may have concocted some deadly
stuff from poisons and colored it to
fool the sense of sight.
James Foust. chief of the Fo6d
Bureau of the State Department of
Agriculture, to-day received a com
munication from Deo A. Crossen,
who has been detailed by the Fed
eral government to .enforce the pro
hibition amendment after January
16. Mr. Crossen accepts an offer
made by Foust to make use of
State food agents in running down
the makers of illegal beverages.
DEATH FOIXOWK BLINDXESS .
Wast on. Pa.. Dec. SO.—John Ma
latti, aged 47 years, died last, night
in a local hospital from the effects
of bad whisky. He became blind
two hours before he died. Malatti
drank with Joseph Zimmer, a local
shoe merchant, who died on Sun
day, some of the rum which they
declared they bought 'rom Peter
Caseila and wife, who are under ar
rest.
BOROUGHS MUST
TAKE FIRST STEP !
FOR ANNEXATION
Plan Is to Bring Harrisburg's i
Population I'p to
125,000 ' !
THE CITY INVITES ACTION '
Final Decision Is Said to Best
With Taxpayers of Each
Community
The campaign for a Greater liar- I
risburg was given impetus to-day j
with the statement issued from the:
offices of the Harrisburg Chamber J
of Commerce as u reminder to resi- j
dents of contiguous boroughs and j
territories that any action toward:
incorporating such boroughs and ter- ]
ritories into the limits of the city j
must be initiated by their residents |
themselves. The Chamber of Com-j
merce is fostering a campaign td i
increase the population of Harris-j
burg to 125,000 through the annexa- i
tion of surrounding communities.
"The city of Harrisburg can only (
extend the invitation, and receive j
j those boroughs which accept. It can- j
not go out and bring theni in, but:
I has opened wide the door for their
■ acceptance," said K. J. Stackpole,.
president of the Chamber, in answer |
to queries as to what progress is be- j
ing made on the Greater Harrisburg |
project.
Many Inquiries Made
A number of inquiries have been;
received at the Chamber offices as:
to what the city has done to increase .
its boundaries and population. The
Greater Harrisburg project has as
i its goal the annexation of such popu- j
lous and prosperous adjacent com- .
munities as Steelton, Puxtang, Pen- >
brook. Pleasant View and contiguous j
township areas.
Steelton and Paxtang are tame- [
diate by adjacent, while Penbrook, |
Rockville and other nearby towns j
may be annexed when the interven- i
ing territories also have been ,
brought into the city limits, as in the j
case of Riverside.
Review by Courts
Boroughs, such as Penbrook and ;
steelton, may be annexed to the city j
: when three-fifths of the taxable citi-j
i zens of the borough have petitioned i
their council that they desire an- 1
1 ncxation to Harrisburg, upon recetpt |
i of which petition the town council j
! may pass an ordnance requesting the j
j Harrisburg council to annex the bor- |
lough. The Harrisburg council, may
ithen annex the borough by ordi-
I nance, which ordinance becomes ef- |
> fective ten days after enactment un- <
i less an appeal is taken. In ease of j
! such an appeal, the court investi- ;
1 gates to determine if all the steps.
j have been taken in conformity with |
1 the law. When this is determined, I
I annexation is accomplished.
Routine For Townships
In the case of a township, the peti
tion of three-fifths of the taxable
citizens is presented directly to the
Harrisburg council. In the case of
a part of a township annexation, the
petition is presented directly to the
Harrisburg council, along with a
plot of the part of the township de
siring annexation.
Where a contiguous territory not
exceeding one hundred acres desires
annexation the majority of taxable
citizens may present a signed peti
tion accompanied bar a resolution of
city council endorsing the petition,
to the quarter sessions court request
ing annexation to the city, and the
court appoints three viewers to in
vestigate the facts set forth in the
petition, after which investigation
the court grants the petition.
In the agitation for a Greater Har
risburg it has been pointed out that
both the city and the annexed terri
tories will be greatly benefited,
through improvements accruing to
the'territories thus joining the city,
and the increased standing of the
oity through its ranking with cities
of larger size. But it must be borne
in mind that the initiative rests with
the territory to be annexed and not
with the city.
Reporters Locate Woman
Wanted For Murder; She
Will Give Herself Up
By Associated Press
Chicago. Dec. 30. Cecil Beatrice
Vester, fur whose arrest on a charge
of having murdered .1. Stanley Brown
at Mount Clemens. Mich., a warrant
was taken out yesterday, has been lo
cated by reporters snd will surrender
to Mount Clemens authorities some
time to-day, the Herald and Examiner
announced to-day. Mrs. Vester denied
that she was implicated in the killing
of Brown. The newspaper recently
solved two murder mysteries.
The newspapers did not reveal the
whereabouts of Mrs. Vester. but said
that her trail was picked up in Chi
cago, and that - she was with her
grandmother when found.
Senator Cummins Says
Railroad Agreement Will
Be Reached Next Week
By Associated Press
Washington, Dec. 30.—Labor, rate
making and regional consolidation
provisions of the Esch and Cummins
railroad bills, the three principal
points of difference between House
! and Sejate conferences will not he
reached before next week. Senator
Cummins said to-day. No session
will be held Thursday, New Tear's
day.
Car service sections of the bills
we L> considered to-day with the
conferees agreed on government su
pervision of car distribution- to ship
pers and undertaking to iron out
only administrative differences.
WOMEN ASK HUBBIES j
TO GO TO MARKET
H. C. of L. Might Get a Death-
Blow, Wives Believe, if Fi-!
nancial Head of the Family j
Learns For Himself Just
How Expensive Foods Are |
SOME WIVES ARE A BIT
DUBIOUS OVER THE PLAN
Man Who Buys a Cabbage For
Lettuce Will Hardly Go Into
a Death Grapple With High
Price, Hints One Woman
"Husbands would need centuries,
!or at least generations of training
! before they would be capable of do
i ing the marketing for the family."
| This is what Mrs. A. Carson
| Stanim. 333 South Thirteenth street,
i said when asked to comment on the
dispatch from Illinois, which an
• nounced that 400,000 women of that
: state would attempt to lower the
1 H. C. of L, by sending their men to
| market. The western women claim
1 that husbands know nothing at all
[ about current expenses and need
I first-hand information, so that the
] family budget may be readjusted.
Men Good Buyers
Mrs. William Henderson, 23 North
• Front street, said that from her ob
: aei vation there are more husbands
! who do the family marketing in liar
| risburg than wives. Mrs. llender
-1 son is of the opinion that in the
j Chestnut street market at least, the
' men are in the majority and that
! they have quite as much marketing
ability as the women.
I Mrs. E. S. Herman. 2025 North
' Front street, said that in Broad
street market there are very few
men who do the family buying.
Male Extravagance
! "I do not think that the men are
I very good buyers," said Mrs. Her
! man, "as they are inclined to be ex
; travagant. They buy quantities of
j goods which are more than needed,
. and accordingly wasted.
| "And there are also many men
[ who don't know what to buy when
j they see it. For example, I know a
i certain young husband who returned
| from market rejoicing in the fact
l that he had brought his wife a fine
i head of lettuce, and so cheap, too!
- He presented it to his better half
| with a flourish and was astonished
Ito see her roar with laughter, lie
| liad brought home a head of
j cabbage!"
Kittle Would Bo Gained
Mrs. A. Carson Stamm thought
that there was very little to be gain
ed by sending the men to market
and quite a bit to be lost.
"Very many men go to market
with a certain sum of money, and
when that is spent they come home
regardless of the fact that they might
have bought huge quantities of stuff
that will last for months, and totally
neglected the immediate needs of
the table.
"Personally I think that the men
will need years of training before
they will be worth anything at all
as marketers."
City Officials and C. of C.
Committee Discuss Plans
For Comfort Station
Mayor-elect George A. Hoverter,
i members of Council and the Com
[ mittee of Public Affairs of the Har
j i isburg Chamber of Commerce, held
I a conference at noon to-day in the
| Harrisburg Club to consider the con
struction of a public comfort station.
[ A. Carson Stamni. chairman of the
, committee, presided. Practically all
the members and City Solicitor John
K. Fox, E. J. Stackpole, president of
the Chamber of Commerce, and
Warren it. Jackson, secretary, were
present.
As a result of the conference a
resolution was adopted by the com
mittee expressing confidence in the
ability of the city officials to reach
a proper conclusion with the board
of county commissioners. Under a
recent act the county commissioners
are authorized to join with the city
in the erection of a public comfort
station.
While there was some discussion
of a site no action was taken on this
question. As a result of the con
ference to-day it is expected that
final action will be taken in the near
future to provide this much-discuss
ed convenience for the city.
HOVERTER RESIGNS
ALDERMANIC POST
Mayor-elect George A. Hoverter
to-duy tendered to Governor William
('. Sprout his resignation as alder
man of the Ninth ward, effective Sat
urday, January 3. On Monday
morning he will take the oath of
office as the city's chief executive.
Mr. Hoverter was re-elected to serve
as alderman until January, 1922.
TWO INCHES OF SNOW
Almost two Inches of snow fell
In the city during the morning, but
by early afternoon, although the
sky was still overcast the flakes
stopped falling. Little change in
temperature was recorded during the
day.
FIGURES OUT HIS
DEATH TO MINUTE
By Associated Press
Hurncll, N. Y., Dee. 30.—Henry
A. Pratt, a prominent retired
businessman, called his niece to
hla bedside early this morning
and dictated a notice of his death
for the local newspapers, giving
8.45 o'clock the hour of his death.
Promptly to the minute he passed
away. He was 86 years old and
had been in poor health for some
til /i. He had previously picked
out his own coffin and arranged
with the undertaker to conduct
the service.
WHAT DO YOU
THINK?
Husbands will be nskcil io
I do tile buying for one week
in order to familiarize them
selves with the *>st of food
and influence tliem to aid
in offering helpful sugges
tions.
This is the idea put forward
to-day by 400,000 women mem
bers of an Illinois organization.
Some Ilarrisburg women believe
the plan is a good one and will
give it a tryout by sending their
husbands lo market to-morrow.
Other wives frankly regard the
head of the house as being utter
ly unfit to perform this import
ant mission. What do you think'.'
FFRST SUIT IN
LIQUOR DEATHS
| AGAINST ROSE
i Hartford II ole I Proprietor
i Sued by Widow Whose
Husband Was Victim
Hartford, Conn., Dee. 30.—The
[ first move in a civil action as a re
! suit of the thirteen deaths here
(.from drinking poisonous "whisky"
; was taken yesterday when a suit for
j damages of {25,000 was brought
j against Frank Rose, one of the sa
loonkeepers under arrest here
'charged with murder in connection
! with the sale of wood alcohol liquor.
| The suit was filed by Mrs. Ivscnia
Charkovitcli, widow of Antony
j Charkovitcli, who died last Friday
I from the effects of liquor alleged to
have been purchased in Rose's sa
| loon. The action is returnable at
I the February term of the Superior
i Court here.
Cliicopeo. Mass., Dec. 30.—Five
I men held in New Haven in connec
[Continued on Page 6.]
i FATAL TO PHILDELPHIA MAN
Philadelphia. Andrew Wuczwski aged 43, was
! found dead to-day, after drinking a concoction believed j
;, to contain wood alcohol.
TRYING TO BREAK MAIL FLYING RECORD !
Cleveland. Max Miller, Cleveland mail pilot, left ®
j • here shortly after 11 o'clock with 995 pounds of mail
■ I for New York in an effort to break the non-stop airplane •
(flight Cleveland-to-New York record for 3 hours and 31
minutes, I
■
NO TRACE OF ESCAPED MURDERER
Wilmington. Up to 3 o'clock this afternoon not
the slightest clue had been found of Lemuel Price, negro, 1
I who escaped frcm the county workhouse, where he was |
awaiting execution January 9 fpr the murder of a poli S
COAL OPERATORS PREPARE INFORMATION J
Chicago. Coal operators of the central competitive J
field, including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Western Penn- 1
( syh a:u.i, tc-day completed plans to gather and lay before 1
' President Wilson's coal commission full information re- '
gard'x.g their industry. '
- .*4
'l"■ EY LEAVES FOR NEW YORK TO-NIGHT a
Washington. Viscount Grey; British ambassador ;
to the United States, leaves to-night for New York,
■ where, on Saturday, he will take passage for home, . 1
' to report to his governmriat. He will not see President
V, ils .n before his departure, '
| POLES HAVE ARMY ALONG RUSSIAN FRONTIER
I Rome. Poland has her entire army marshalled along
the Russian frontier to form a barrier against the
I i f Bolshevism, according to an interview
~ .t. _ archbishop of Warsaw. I
MARRIAGE LICENSES —
3 Hart A. gmnlrj, HarrUbara. and Dora Ra'r, Dltrltoai William H
| Jnrdaa and Jranlr Plk, Hnrrinlinrat Martla Urn, State Ctlkat.
I and Mary Parka, Clalrtoni Jamn R. MrMaaamy tad Helta Cnok.l
I Harrlabars; Mamnrl S. Frarbllek aad Mary E. WHatr. Harrlabnrs.
TREATY MAY GO
INTO EFFECT BY
JANUARY THIRD
Hopes Again Raised in Su
preme Council For Early Ex
change of Ratifications
GERMANS READY TO SIGN
i
Will Ratify Protocol Without
Waiting For Verification
of Tonnage Asked
Paris. Dec. 30. —Hopes have again
| been raised in Supreme Council cir
j cles of an eurly exchange of ratifi
! cations of the Treaty of Versailles.
| The end of the first week in January
|is given now as the probable date
j when the Treaty will be put into ef-
I feet.
j This prospect springs from the
conversation held yesterday between
| Paul Dutasta, general secretary of
j the Peace Conference, and Baron
j Kurt Von Lorsner, head of the Ger-
I man mission here. It was said to
i day that the chances were consider
! Ed good that the Germans would de
| eide to sign the protocol notwith
' standing the subject of negotiations
without waiting for verification of
| the figures on harbor tonnage de
; manded as reparation for the sink
i ing of the German ships at Scapa
i Flow.
It is explained that the Supreme
' Council will satisfy Germany's de
' motid for a more specific declaration
' on the reduction of the tonnage ask
' ed for. through affixing to the pro
i toeol the text of M. Dutusta's verbal
j declaration to Baron Von Leraner on
j the subject.
Seven Pennsy Employes
join Honor Roll Tomorrow;
Have Reached Age Limit
! Under the age limit rule seven em -
| ployes of the Pennsylvania railroad
| will end their official duties to-rnor
! row and their names go on the honor
roll. Henry K. Linville, George 1..
Missimer, Edgar J. Seibert. shop
men; Daniel Sornberger. shifter con
ductor. and John Hiller, assistant to
master carpenter, of this city; John
Kobler. shifter engineer, Steelton;
John Wolf, Columbia, stationery En
gineer. •