Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-17
City News in Brief

ncishborhood, Jennie smlesiansky, 16 years
old. Is believed to have left her home at
26OS East ontario street The girl dis
| appeared last Thursday when note threat
ening suicide and bottle of poison were
found in her room. Refusing TO take her
threat seriously the relatives were not con-
| cerned over her absence Until last Satur-
day when Mrs. Smiesansky found $50 was
| missing.
An improved lighting system along the
Northeast Boulevard from Broad to Rhawn
| street Is TO be Installed by the Electrical
Bureau within the next few weeks. Chief
| Mclaughlin admitted yesterday that travel
| over the boulevard is unnecessarily danger
| Gus at night because the 225 electric lights
| strung between Broad and Rhawn streets
| are obscured by trees. The height of the
| present poles will be reduced from % feet
| to I 4 feet and equipped with arms extending
| over the driveways.
| Hotels, hospitals, police stations and
| other institutions were given by the De-
| tective Bureau yesterday n description of
| DR. C. " Mierley, dentist. 35 years old,
| OF 1727 Memorial avenue, who was reported
to have been missing since last Tuesday
| His disappearance was reported at the De-
| tective Bureau by DR.. John G. Lane. who
also lives at the Memorial avenue address
| Building and loan associations in this city
| arc aroused over the provision in the amend
| ed Administration revenue measure reported
| to tho United States Senate yesterday, which
| levles a license tax of so cents per thousand
| on corporation capital stock. Michael j.
Brown, secretary of the Building and Loan
| Association League Of Pennsylvania, pre-
| dicted n revision in the measure when the
members OF the Senate Finance Committee
| learn that the working of a building assoc
| citation is so different from the usual cor
| poraton that they are entitled to exemption.
Knit goods nanufnctu are alarmed
over the acute shortage in knitting needles.
Tremendous orders are being received by
needle manufacturers. but the supply can
not meet the demand. Before the war
American manufacturers were largely de-
pendent on Germany for needles. and while
the American manufacturers are making
enough needles to satisfy their old custom
crs, they cannot meet the demands that
arise from new quarters.
Stnto Highway Commissioner Black, IL
was reported in Harrisburg yesterday, has
opened negotiations with the Lancaster I'M
provement Company for tho purchase by
the State of the toll road between Pha-
delphia and Paoli. Mastel Ewing repre-
senting the company, said last night that
he had not heard from Commissioner Black
and knew nothing Of the States intentions
in the matter,
Efforts are being made to have one of the
new farm loan banks established in Phil
adelphla. A letter urging the claims of this
city for the bank has been sent to George
w, Norris president of the Farm Loan
Board, by the secretary of the Philadelphia
Chamber of Commerce. 1t is urged that a
hearing be held so that the claims of this
city as the home of one of the branch banks
might be presented. Financial men of the
city are greatly Interested in the movement
to have the branch established here.
Two Philadelphia churches will be con-
verted within a short time into amusement
parlors. One Is the CohocksinlS Presbyte-
rian Church, Columbia avenue and Franklin
street, more than century old which will |
be converted into public dance hall. The |
John S. Mcconnell Memorial Church. Eighth |
and Porter streets will be turned into Il
moving picture theater The announcement |
that the latter church has been sold to men |
interested in tho movlng-picture business
has aroused the anger Of members of the |
congregation. aid a factional fight is prom
ised in an efror; to prevent the sale.
Tho body of man, who evidently had |
been dead for several days, was found in n |
clothes closet at 151 North Ninth street ,
early today. 1t was identified as that Of p. .
Pilenas, of 1870 South Halsted street, Chi /
cago, thought to be a representative of the
Lithuanian Daily News Death was due
to gas poisoning; one end of a rubber gas
tube was in the dead mans mouth. Two
letters, a suitcase ana several articles or
jewelry were found in the room, but the
suicide left no message to explain why he
took his life.
A group of inmates of the Inasmuch Mis-
sion assisted in extingushing n fire today
at 217 South Alder street near the nstitu-
ton. The house is occupied by Ida Wise,
negress. She was cooking lunch when
the oil stove exploded, setting fire to the
kitchen furniture. So effective the
efforts of the mission inmates that the
blaze was almost extlngushed when the
fire companies arrived.
In the arrest today of Richard watkins,
n negro, 26 years old the police believe
they have found the leader OF n gang which
has perpetrated score of robberies in
Germantown within the last few months
Watkins was arrested at his home on Rod
man street. above Thirteenth, by Acting
Detective Lazelle who said he found there
a complete set of burglars tools and many
pawn tickets. The police believe Watkins
headed a gang which has stolen jewelry
valued at $4,000.
Mrs. Nan sOllinger, 90 years old, Of sO1s
North Orianna street, was found dead in
bed today in the home of a friend from
poison which, the police say, she had taken.
Mrs Sollinger was visiting Mr.. and Mrs
Robert Wilhelm, of 1899 North Fairhill
street 1t Is believed that she became de-
spondent because her husband was out of
work, and, despite the fact that he had
prospects of obtaining a position in Cape
May today, ended her life.
Men are wanted for two additional engi-
neering companies which Adjutant General
Stewart desires recruited in Philadelphia.
The recruiting hours are a m. to p, m,
at 2025 SAMSON street Men who know |
architecture, drafting, blacksmithing, elec-
tricity, carpentry, all forms Of engineering
these are the sort of trained men wanted to
round out the Pennsylvania divisions now
at the Mexican border
An action to recover Ssl.O5, the balance
due on beer bIll was begun in the Munici-
pal Court today by the II. l.. White Brewing
Company, Inc of 2229-31 North American
street, against the Young Republicans Inc,
of 221 South Broad street. The plaintiffs
also ask for interest from November l,
1918. According TO an itemized account at
tached to the statement of claim, the bill is
for 1872 dozen bottles of teer