davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
By Associated Fress

Washington. December 2S.-U Uncle Joe" Cannon, war horse of the House of Representatives. today established a new American record
 With the close of a dull session he passed the mark for length of service set by Justin smith Morrill, of Ner- mont. who. as senator and representa- tive, served 43 years, months and 24 days The former speaker will begin tomorrow adding new time to his own record with the hope of reaching the ripe old age of 100 and beating Clad stones record of B years in the British House ofiCommons.
 "rncie Joe's" achievement will be eel ebrased in the House tomorrow. with Champ Clark, himself veteran. who retires March A. leading the speaking Mr. Cannon also will speak and many of the older members will ask time for few remarks.
 Walking about the corridors of the capitol today chewing his long black cigar. MT. Cannon told a friend there was no use offering a little advice to younger representatives, because some body else always was thinking up some
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
Uncle Joe Establishes New
 Record in Length Of Seruice

smart things and attributing them 10 him The remark. charged to Mr. Can non, htatsthey piit spurseop the heels of army officers 10 o'koep their feet from slipping off the desk was. pkyer ut tered by, him.
 But what's the user' we asled
 Counting his victory in the recent land slide. Mir. Cannon has sl,een elected to Congress 2S times. He Is now ending the forty fourth year of service. First elected in 1S72l he has just kept com ing to Congress ever Since with the ex- ception of two bad Novembers. when his people failed to return him. On May [. next. he will be s5 years of age Few of his friends remember that he was born in Guilford. N. C. sHe served eight years as speaker. and Yhas been doing committee work so long he has forgot : ten when he started
 iGiadstone served 5s years in the British House of Commons and with good election luck ! hope to beat that" the former speaker said. f'I have had four years of absence [ didn't ask for. and hope to reach the 5a, hut then you never can iAil''
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
Central Police Bureau At
 Washington Recommended

men arrested as criminals. many of whom, he said, obtained their freedom Tn this manner and thus hindered police investigations He also suggested that New Jersey adopt ap act patterned after the sullivan law in New York state mak- Ing possession of a revolver without permit illegal. Governor Edwards pre- Vlousiy had expressed himself in favor of stricter regulation of the sale Of dealy weapons in New Jersey
 Commissioner Enright said that closer cooperation between the two states is deadly weapons in New Jersey.
 in 1920 compared favorably with those ot recent years. and that while New York city is having a few spectacular crimes. some atrocious. some tragic, = he did not believe there was a real na- -tion-wide crimk wave
 As matter of fact he said, men have been educated to use firearms 3y recent Experiences in the war. and some care nothing for the taking of human life. The country is undergoing slege of suffering and probably will be sub- ject to mucn pain for few years to come"
 Establishment Of central bureau 10 check the movements of automobiles en- tering and leaving the state was adSo- cated by State Motor Vehicle Comn.is- sioner Dill The conference adopted a resolution requesting Governor Edwards to name committee to draw up legisla- ton along the lines suggested.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
AUTHORIZE CONTRACTS
Will Supplant Present Contracts of
 Roads and Express Companies
By Associated Press

Washington, December 2S.-Authorza- tion was granted by interstate commerce commission to the American Railway Ex- press company today to enter into con tracts with the various railroads over which the company operates The con tract will supplant existing contracts be- tween the railroads and the Wells Fargo, Adams American and Southern Express companies. the permanent merger of which into the American Railway Ey- pr ess company was approved recently by the commission,
 Under the old system of separate con tracts between the carriers and the com panies. the carriers received a certain amount from each company without re- spect to the amounts paid by other com panies The new contract, however, will provide:
 After making the deduction for ex- penses by groups the balance remaining is to be distributed as follows: 2h per cent to the express company and the remainder among the railroads in the group executing this form of contract in the proportion that the gross express transportation for the month earned on each railroad bears to the gross trans- pGrtation on all such railroads.
 The contract also will specify that should the revenues after deductions for expenses exceed per cent the excess shall be divided half and half between the company and the carriers until lt reaches a 10 per cent maximum, when ii shall be divided one-fourth to the express com panies and three-fourths to the car riers
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
CABINET DECISIONS ALMOST AT HAND
Belief Prevails Hughes to Be Secretary of State and
 Dawes Treasury Head
By Associated Press

Marion, Ohio, December 2S-After eeks of consideration and consdlta- ton. President-elect Harding is ne lring decision on several of his most im- portant cabinet appointments.
 . It may be said authoritatively hat so far no such decision has been made. and that any suggestions he may nave dropped on the subject have been of tentative and indefinite nature. is equally certain. however. that n his talks here with leaders in many allSs Of life he has indicated clearly what men are uppermost in his mind. as he asks for advice on the makeup of his official family.
 Those who have discussed the ques- ton with him intimately believe that appointments under very serious ton- sideration include sths following. Charles F. Bughes of Nsw York keere tary of state Charles c. Dawes Of H. llnois Secretary of the Treasury; .t"hu ". Weeks of Massachusetts Seer stdry of the Navy: Win II. Hayes of Indiana. Postmaster General or Secretary of the Interior; Henry, Wallace of Iowa, Secrer tary of Agriculture; Herbert Hoover of California. Secretary of Labor. and Harry M Daugherty. Attorney General
 How many of these actually will be given the places for which they now are most prominently mentioned IS a question that even MT. Harding nimself is not yet prepared to answer. Already several shifts have been made m his tentative appointment slate as he has worked his way toward q balanced ard harmonious cabinet, and other chah.ses are expected before the last decisi )p is made.
 It Is certain that for several Of these places mentioned the Presden. elect has more than one man under ionsid- eration, and that the list of seven i,os- abilities given here is far from com plete. In regard to most of the cab- met posts decisions may be deferred for several weeks, and the intervening period of deliberation may change the whole face Of the problem and nake one guess at the present moment as good as another.
 Mir. Hardings selections for Secra-l lry of State and Secretary Of the Treas ury. however, are expected 10 be known definitely within few days At the same time he may make public tI.e name of one or two others on whom hc has definitely decided for memb ers;lip in the cabinet
 From the seven names recent gossip about Harding headquarters is brought to the fore the name es of Several ,Ossi- bilities who hitherto had been In he background of cabinet speculation. Among these are Joseph Dixon of Mon tana, mentioned for Secretary of the Interior; Charles D. Hlles of . CIV York, for Secretary of Cominerce CT the Treasury. and A. T. Hert of Kentucky, whose name has been associated with the portfolio of war,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
WILSON OBSERVES
 GATH BIRTHDAY
All Members of Immediate Family, Except Son. -In-Law,
 SpeDd Day With President
l,y Associaten press

Washington, December B. President Wilson, who entered the White House at the age of 56. today celebrated the 9th anniversary of his birth, his last birth day before retiring to the life of pri- vate citizen.
 All of the members of the President $ immediate family, with the execution of William G. McAdoo. his son-in-law spent the day with him. Business engagements prevented Mir. McAdoo coming to Wash ington, but Mrs McAdoo,. Mir and Mrs. Francis B Sayre. MT. Wilson's son-n- law and daughter, and Miss Margaret Wilson, the third daughter, were present for an informal birthday party given by Mrs. Wilson for the President
 Numerous messages of congratulations were received at the White House during the day, including one from King George of Great Britain,
 MT. Wifssn spent ff1es daMl o1,ietiss aae with Mrs. Wilson eit1erta med al iaa effeon Miss Marjorie Brown cousin of his first wife. and her fance. Benjamin Hill, Of New York whose wedding took place tonight at the home of the bride. Mrs. Wilson, together with Mrs. McAdoo, Mrs. Sayre and Miss Wilson, attended the wedding,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
DENIES ACCUSATIONS
Judge on Stand In Own Behalf at
 Mrder Trial

Cleveland Ohio, December 2s.-.Judce William Il. McGannon of the municlnal court charged with the second degree murder of Harold c. kagy, took the stand in his own behalf today and de- nied all of the accusations made against him He was the last witness for tho defense
 The state announced it's case closed. put reserved the right to call in rebuttat James F. McCaffery, who testified he was driving Miss Mary F. Nicely. chiof witness for the state. around the city in an automobile at the time of the shoot ing. Miss Neely testified several days ago she stood at Oregon avenue and East Ninth street and saw MoGannon take something from his pocket Sir,ul- taneously shot was fired and Kagy lurched forward"
 McGannon assailed Miss Neely's story almost to the last word. He told his story deliberately and calmly except where he emphasized his answers by raising his voice.
 When asked by W. IT, Boyd, chief counsel for the defense, if he had Killed Kagy, Judge McGannon s voice shook with emotion as he answered:
 No. sir; of course l did not
 Judge McGannon was cross-examined by Prosecutor Baskin for 1 hour andS15 minutes. but failed to change his story on any material points.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
By Associated Press

Trenton, N. J., December 2S--Establish- ment of a central national police bureau at Washington, through which inforna- tion could be flashed around the world to keep a check on movements of known criminals, was one of the principal rec concentrations made at a conference here today of state, county and municipal off, ficials called hy Governor Edwards to devise some means of combating the present crime wave in New Jersey.
 Police Commissioner Enright of New York city, who suggested the establish ment of a central bureau, declared the United States was far below the eff ciency of police. of European countries and that the police of this country could not expect cooperation from foreign countries until system of checking con victs was adopted. He asserted crm- inals from England were entering this country daily through Mexce~-
 Scotland Yard and other European po- lice departnlruts are unable to secure in. formation regarding criminals from this country. he said. land until we can give them sufficient data we cannot expect cooperation from them. With national police bureau. communication could De maintained with Scotland Yard and other great police agencies of the world. Lack of cooperation of the police systems throughout the country Is astonishing.
 Commissioner Enrisht criticised bond ing companies for furnishing security for
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
 GROUP NECESSARY
Says New England Carriers Inter-
 locked and Should Remain So
Ey Associated Press

Washington, December 2S.--New England railroads must be kept Tn one group for financial reasons, w. J.. Cunningham, a railroad expert. told the interstate commerce commission today at resumption of the hearings into the re-division of freight rates between carriers east and west Of the Hudson river.
 Mir. Cunningham, who made study of the New England situation at the request of the carriers, said he could see no reason for breaking the New England groups into northern and southern sections and joining them to other railroad divisions outside of that territory. He argued that the New England carriers were interlocked by historical. financial and geographical conditions. and should not be broken apart.
 The day was given over to cross examination by trunk line attorneys of witnesses for the carriers east of the Hudson.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
SECRETARY EMBARRASSED
Doesn't Know When Nor Where De
 Valera Will Appear
Ry Associated Prees

New York, December 2S-Eamonn de Valera, President of the Irish repub- lic," has caused his secretary consid- erable embarrassment by falling to come out of "seclusion," the latter as serted here today
 De Valera, who several weeks ago disappeared flor rest" and who, it was announced. would resume his speaking tour in the west the day after Christmas, was to have met Harry Bol- land, his secretary, yesterday, upon Hollands return from Massachusetts with Mrs. Muriel MacSwiney, widow of the late lord mayor of Cork. At Worcester, on the way to New, York, Bolland said he expected to confer with the President" upon arrival here.
 Today the secretary said he had not seen Mir. de Valera and could not say anything concerning his whereabouts
 .aT canot give you any tip at all,' he replied when asked if he would hint as to which side of the Atlantic the Irish President" might be ex- pected to reappear next.
 Last night Bolland denied cable re- ports that the President of the Irish republic" was en route to Ireland or England
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
TROOPS ON WAY

Pine Bluff, Ark, December s. Thirty-five men of the Pine Bluff -na- chine-gu company under command of Two officers, Capt. J. Carol Cone nd -lfrtssr-s Lieut. Jss4 Elrsrellt. left 7era in three smali convoy trucks at o'clock tonight One machine-guu was taken. Each man was issued 100 rounds of rifle ammunition. The men did not carry rations but took blankets.
 Leaving this city, the trucks took the Little Rock road. Their destination was not officially announced, but 1t was believed the men would be divided into three attachments, one going to Tucker, white convict farm; one to Cummings, negro convict farm, and the third to Little Rock.
 Officers at Tucker stated tonight that everything had been quiet there during the day, and there was noth 'ng to indicate the inmates planned par ticipation in delivery plot. The plot is believed to have been discovered at Little Rock
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
Gist of the News
GENERAL,

 Rowling to. take oath of office in congress today. Harding given conflicting counsel on association. Mississippi insurance men to plan de- fense today. special issues on exchange list n,nke heavy dips. All deliveries of cotton go to new low records.
 STATE Prisoner refuses 10 accept parole granted by governor. Impeachment proreedings against Sheriff Mitchell begun. State hoard has water rate case und- CT advisement
 LOCAL. Freight charges are 20 per cent less by water route. Many taxpayers apparently have the ..hesitafing biues.' Hoover explains work In saving lives in Europe. First Pre~byterinn may secure new location. No bids are receivedsfor county bonds. Business future bright states Mcr- cer Barnett.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
ROWLAND SENTENCED
Bank President Must Serve Four to
 Seven Years
By Associated Press

Barre, Vt, December 8.-A sentence Of four to seven years at hard labor in state prison was immediately imposed today on Frank c. Rowland. president or the Barre Savings Bank and Trust com pany, after he had pleaded guilty to em- bezzlenent of the banks funds. The charges on which he was arrested set his thefts at 900, but when Rowland objected to an item of s10,50o his adms- sion of guilt was accepted on the four other counts. aggregating $15, ,4S0.
 Rowland suffered a partial collapse when sentence was pronounced. He had asked that he be fined instead of inn rrisoned, so that he might be able to assist in straightening out the affairs of the institution. with which he had been connected for years, and which was closed as a result of his thefts five weeks ago.
 Rowland is 50 years of age. He has served in both branches of the iegis ture and has been active in local affairs.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
HARD COAL MINERS
 ACCEPT OFFER OF
 COAL OPERATORS
Will Meet Operators and Try to Work Out Basis of Settle ment That Will Bring
 Satisfaction
By Associated Press

Haxieton, Pa. December 2S.-Ac-
 cepting the offer of the operators
 to adjust inequalities and injus-
 tices within the present wage
 agreement. the general scale com
 mittee of the anthracite mine
 workers late today instructed it's
 subcommittee ito meet with rep
 resentatives of the operators and
 endenvor to work out n basis of
 settlement that will bring general
 satisfaction to the anthracite mine
 workers"
 None of the demands of the hard coal miners for additional wage in- creases will be dropped, Thomas Ken nedy, chairman of the committed am nounced, adding that an attempt would be made again to have the operators consider them as part of the existing inequalities"
 Our sole desire is to work out con servatiye programme" asserted Ken nedy, that will give general satis- faction to the great body of anthracite mine workers and stability in the re- Gion.'
 The operators also will be asked by the subcommittee, it was learned, to see that all miners in the field get the IT per cent increase recently granted in the commissions awarc.
 Charges have been made by repre- sentatives of the miners that thou sands of miners in the three anthracite districts never have received the full increase.
 The action of the committee which convened here to receive the reply of the operators rejecHag their demands Tor additional wage increases of ap- proNimately 13 per cent and a ss minimum day labor rate was unani- nous.
 chairnfea k1vrtesy s,ss,apS-e 4 ti,-lt Tn accordance with the cominittee's in : structions the subcommittee would confer with the operators at PhiladeI- phla tomorrow when the board of con- ciiiation meets and begin negotiations for the adjustment of Personalities and injustices"
 The miners also" will ask the opera tors Tor a fuller Interpretation of the statement in their reply which states that if there will be Individual cases or inequality they stand ready to agree upon conservative remedy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
WIDESPREAD PLOT
 ID FREE CONNECTS
 IN PRISONS FOUND
Arkansas Machine Gun Com pany MobiIized at Pine Bluff Following Discovery of
 Wholesale Delivery Plan
By Associated Press

Little Rock, Ark. December 2s.
 Reliable reports of widespread
 plot to free convicts in the states
 penal institutions were responsible
 for the mobilization of the Pine
 Bluff machine gun company of the
 Arkansas national guard. accord
 ing to a statement tonight by Gov
 ernor Trough. The plot, the gover-
 nor safd. was reported to him by
 pcnitentiary officials and involved
 plans for the release of Tom
 Slaughter and Fulton Green, Okla
 homa outlaws, now serving life
 sentences for murder.
 Slaughter and Green are confined at the penitentiary at Little Rock and principal precautions are to be taken there, but it was learned attachments of the Pine Bluff company also will be sent to the state farms at Tucker, where white convicts are confined, and to Cummins, where negro convicts are imprisoned. The governors action iE calling out troops followed confer ence today with penitentiary and mili- tary authorities. during which it'was stated the reports of the plot were given him. He said it was not known how far spread the plans may be.
 Governor Brough declined to discuss details of the reported plot and the plans of the state authorities to coun- teract it, but stated that the troops would be kept on duty long enough to prevent the contemplated escape and make practically impossible carrying out plans for a wholesale delivery later. The governor also declined to say whether the plot included reports of outside aid to the convicts, as was the case several days ago when trus- ties at the penitentiary confessed that similar plot was on foot to release Slaughter, Green and other convicts who wished to escape.
 From other sources it was learned that the troops stationed at the peni- tentiary will conduct thorough search of the convicts and the build ings within the walls for saws. weap- ons or other tools or material which might be used in an escape, and under orders from the governor prohibit any visitors within the walls
 The troops detailed to Little Rock were scheduled to arrive shortly after o'clock.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
Preliminary Set

Tuscaloosa. December tSpecial) The four white men who were put in the Tuscaloosa county jail by Major Abner Flowers in charge of the Ma tional Guard. on the charge Of dynamlt- ing the negro miners house at Searles coal mine. will stand their preliminary trial before Justice J. H. Jones al Searles on Friday, December 3l.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
CONTRACT HELD VALID
Candy Company Must Pay s19.s6 for
 Sugar Now Selling at S7
nN Associated Press

san Francisco Cal. December 9S.- The Continental Candy company of Chicago. must pay s19S6 per 100 pounds for 1.2as tons of Java sugar. which sells on the market now for s7. Judge Benjamine r Biedsoe Of the United States district court decided today in declaring %valid contract signed last May by the company.
 The candy company sought last No- vember to repudiate the contract made on a rising market with the Califor- mia Hawaiian Sugar Refining company. of this city.
 Judge Biedsoe said the candy com pany should fin its contract like . sport even if it meant bankruptcy.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
FIRING ON FILllNE BY
 BLOCKADERS HALTED

discuss the possibility of ending hOstiIities.
 At conference in the morning the general informed the delegates that pOurparlers were impossible without prior recognition of the treaty of RapnilO. Such recogpi- ton having not been given. the delegates decided to return to Plume to discuss the matter and asked for another meeting in the afternoon. They aIso requested suspension of the firing, which was granted.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
Finds S2,000 Worth of Cocaine
 By Associated Press

New Orleans. La, December 2S. = Twenty ounces of German cocaine, valued at $2.000, were offered for sale at local drug store today by small boy who stated that he had found it wrapped in silk handkerchief while he was playing under the floor of a house near his home. He had bsen ad- vised by his mother to take it to 2 drug store and Sell it. he stated.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
HALT AMERICANS AT RUSS BORDER
100 Still Detained By SovetS
 Will Be Returned to \ Petrograd
By Associated Press

Washington. December 2S-An uneN- plained refusal of the bolshevik author ities to permit them to proceed caused 8 few Americans who had almost sue ceeded in leaving soviet Russia to be re- turned to Petrograd according to- ad- vices received today at the state depart ment from Baltic sources. Reports to the department earlier in the day were that the Americans and several persons of British and other nationalities had been permitted to move toward the frontier with the object of leaving the country.
 Approximately 10o Americans are still being detained in Russia, according to state department estimates
The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-29
Author Is Bankrupt nv Ae~cc;afaI Preas

New York, December 2s.-Eugene Walter, author and dramatist, filed voluntary bankruptcy proceedings here today placing his liabilities at s7,479 and assets at s100. Among the credi tors named in the schedule are David Beiasco producer, $500 for money loaned. and the Friars club s3SS for dues and house account.