The Washington times., 1922-05-26

A Big Move
Railroads Are Soft.
France Does Not Know.
Good Old Witchcraft.
BY ARTHUR BRISBANE
Copyright. 1s22.)

Copyright. 1s23)
When the police entered
their two-room home yesterday
George Reiner, sixty-five years
old, was hanging by the neck
and dead, and his wife, about
the same age, was nearly dead
from gas. She is dying in the
hospital.
The "home" was simply fur
nished, one chair and a bed.
The other furniture had been
moved out into the yard. The
old couple were to be dispos-
sessed in the morning.
They didn't know where they
could sleep next night; he had
been out of work, a little money
had been given her to buy food.
They decided to avoid the dis
possess proceedings by making
q real move.
They hoped to find in that
other abode no rent, no high
cost of living, no foremen
always saying, 1--WE don't hire
old men,"
Apart from that routine
piece Of news there isn't much
to tell. Stocks were soft, espe-
cially railroad stocks. Owners
don't like the idea of getting
only 5% per cent on their
money. If they got only the
actual value of the well-gutted
railroads they would be holding
receivers certificates instead of
stocks. But we have a rail
road government and it is
thought necessary to guarantee
the profits of those that didn't
build railroads, or work on rail-
roads, but get dividends from
pieces of paper.
Strange news from France,
primitive republic. The govern
ment has tried Charles r.
Crane, of Chicago, and sentenced
him to twenty years in jail.
The charge is stirring up polit-
ical trouble in Syria, France
gravely informs our Govern.
ment, and would like to have
Mr.. Crane imprisoned in Syria.
He would sleep on the Jail floor
and eat dry bread and olives.
That jail will never know Mr..
Crane. for he is gentleman
woGth millions. and this noble
republic does not convict or Jail
gentlemen of that kind.
In fishing, you throw the
fish back if he is too small.
It's the other way round in our
courts of justice. You throw
the fish back and set him free
If he is too big.
The other day a man was SEN
fenced to Jail for five years
for stealing five cents. Some
distinguished citizens stole tens
of millions in the war and
everybody knows it. Do you
notice any of them in jail?
Quite apart from his pros
perity. however, there is no
good American reason for dis
turbing Mr.. Crane. If he
thought that Syrians should
boss themselves and Damascus,
It seems to US he had a right
to say so.
A gentleman in Germany is
locked up. his profitable trade
destroye He sold pills guar
anteed inspire violent affec-
tion or oring back wandering
husbands. That trade, branch
of witch caft. 3 one of the old
est. The Pharaohs had their
makers Of philters and magic
pills. Saul, king of the Jews,
consulted the witch of Endor.
81 pray thee, divine unto me
bv the familiar spirit. and bring
me him up" He believed what
the witch told him. Perhaps
that is why he lost the battle
and his life later, giving David
his great chance. In the Middle
Ages men made wax figures
Of an enemy, stuck pins in it
gradually day after day, ours
ing it. Finally the enemy was
SUPPOSED to die.
Science has performed mira
cles that make the old witch
craft seem very tame. But 80
per cent of us prefer the old
witchcraft. 1t is more easily
understood and believed.
There is an interesting cor
ner of a court room at Bari in
Italy. Two iron cages are full.
One, smaller, holds 1S farmers.
the biggest cage holds 103
other prisoners.
The Italians carry out justice
dramatically. Tigers and humans
accused of killing they treat
alike. An iron cage holds
them. 1t seems barbarous to
us. On the other hand they
never sentence human beings to
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