davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-22

Ginghams, Cheviots and Chambrays, 15c yard-All good quality material for dresses, aprons, shirts, blouses, rompers, etc.. 25c values. Special, 15c yard.
 Imported Ginghams, 45c yard-Lovely smooth quality, in all color checks and small plaids. 32 inches wide.
 Fancy Voiles, 49c yard-Excellent qual- ity, 40 inches wide, lsle finish in won- derful assortment of colors.
 Pongee Linen, 49c yard-This material sells elsewhere at 75c, on account of a limited color range, pink and blue only, we offer it at 49c yard.
 Tissue Bingham, 4sc yard-A clearance price on about twenty-five pieces in neat checks and plaids, all colors.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-22
Haue You Charge Account With Us?


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Evening star., 1923-07-14
MELLON ANSWERS
CONTRACTORS SUIT
Says Fuller Co. Bids to Remodel
D. C. Courthouse Too Late
for Benefits.

Andrew W. Mellon, Secretary OF the
Treasury, yesterday asked the District
Supreme Court to dismiss a suit for
mandamus brought by the George A.
Fuller Company to compel him TO ap-
prove the company's claim for $780,
40S.SS for losses sustained in repairs
ing the courthouse in Washington,
D. c.. by reason of the increase III
wages and materials due to the en-
trance of the United States into the
world war. Through United States
Attorney Gordon and Assistant Unit
ed States Attorney West, the Secre-
tary points out that the bid of tha
Fuller company to remodel the court
house was made one day too late 10
entitle the company to benefit under
the act Of Congress providing relief
for contractors because of war in
creases.
The court is told that the claim OF
the company was referred to the con-
troller general. who decided that IL
could not be approved because the pio
was not filed with the architects OF
the Capitol until April z, 1917, one
day after the entrance into the war
and Congress in the act has seen no
to set the limit of April for par
ticipation in the benefit of the legls-
lation.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
|DRY FORCE PROBE
| COMES TO END
No Further Investigation to
Be Made Following Two
Indictments.

No further investigation of the
local prohibition forces will be made
by prohibition chiefs, they said to-
day, following Developments yester-
day in which q federal agent, Leon
Ackerman, and his companion, George
Arnold F'ugitt, were held for the
grand jury by United States Commits
sioner Turnage under section III of
the criminal code. charging bribery.
Federal Prohibition Commissioner
Haynes, Chief of General Prohibition
Agents Yellowley and Divisional
Chief Harry NJ. Luckett were united
in declaring that the charges Of brib-
cry brought against Ackerman ana
Fugitt did not reflect against the To-
cal force, but constituted an isolated
case which would be prosecuted with
all the ability the government could
command
Statements Ruled Out.
Statements of the first government
witness, Raymond Prettyman, which
were ruled out by the commissioner
as evidence. and which intimated at
one point collusion with certain other
federal agents. were dismissed by pro-
hibition authorities today as without
basis Of fact They appeared some
what disturbed, however, over the
implication cast by the statements Of
the government witness. No investi-
cation Of any agent here outside Of
| Ackerman, who is charged with brib-
cry. had been started, or would be
started. officials said.
AT the hearing before Commissioners
Turnage yesterday Raymond Pretty
man testified that he had been
charged with violation of the liquor
! laws, had been offered protection"
by Ackerman and Fugitt for a consid-
Grafton. and that he had given the
two men marked money and helped
| to capture them Thursday night at
his residence, 1928 / street.
Promised to Absent Self.
Prettyman testified that Ackerman n
! had promised to try to get hold OF
| marked money held by the federal
authorities against Prettyman, and
destroy IL. FugfttS part in the
scheme. Prettyman testified. was 10
have been to absent himself from tie
city when Prettyman's trial was
called.
Other witnesses for the government
| Harry NJ. Luckett. Attorneys J. p,
! MuSen and Z. 5. Clark represented
the defendants, and Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Otto II. koegel repre-
sented the government.
Ackerman and Fugitt had been
taken into custody at Prettyman's
home Thursday night by Detectives
Murphy and Arlington. in the pres
ence of Federal Agents Luckett and
Fred T. Rose. Ackerman was re-
leased until yesterday afternoon. when
he was taken into custody by Depu-
ty L. S. Marshal William E. Macguire,
but Fugitt was taken direct from the
Prettyman home. TO precinct g. Ack-
erman and Fugitt were both released
! last night on bond of $4,000 and $500,
respectively.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
DELAY SUBPOENA
! OF EX-PRES|DENT
Conference With Admiral
Grayson to Decide Appear
anCe at Morse Trial.

Action on the subpoena prepared
for former President Wilson calling
him as a witness in the pending trial
of Charles w. Morse and associates
for alleged frauds against the gov
ernment today went over, at least
until next Monday. Counsel for Morse
and his co-defendants announced that
no effort would be made to serve the
subpoena upon Mr.. Wilson before
next Monday, because of the absence
Of Admiral Cary Grayson, Mr.. VIII
sons physician. Attorneys for the
defendants said that they planned TO
have q conference. probably next
Monday, with DR.. Grayson to deter
mine their future disposition or the
subpoena.
1t was learned today that Attorney
Wilton J. Lambert already had brfef
conference with DR.. GraySon regard
Ing the possibility of Mr.. Wilson testl-
flying, but the results of this talk
were said to have been inconclusive,
and q further conference with DIR.
GraySon was scheduled for next Mon
day. At the preliminary conference II
was understood that DIR. Grayson was
non-committal regarding the possible
appearance of Mr.. Wilson in court.
McAdoo May Appear.
Morse CounSel To-Day re1uSeu TO COLI
Arm reports that William G.. McAdoo.
former Secretary of the Treasury, was
on his way to testify. Newspaper re-
ports have it that the former Secre-
tary of the Treasury is on his way to
Washington, and may be witness
next week at the trial.
United States Marshal Snyder stated
today that the subpoena had not
reached his office and that his own
knowledge of it was what he saw in
the papers.
Wanted Specific Gravity.
Dexter Roode, former manager at
the Groton Iron Works testified late
yesterday afternoon as a witness for
the defense He had previously been
a government witness. Roode told
of the delay in securing the passage
of vouchers, and said the government
auditor at the plant allowed the
vouchers to accumulate on his desk.
This auditor spent only three hours
a day on an average at the plant, the
witness averred.
Roode said the launching of one of
the wooden vessels at the Noank
plant had been held up by fleet cor
poration official who first wanted to
ascertain the specific gravity of the
water into which the vessel was to
be launched. This official declared
the specific gravity of the water to
be the most essential thing in ship
building. according to the witness.
The statement caused a laugh. in
which Justice Stafford participated.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
From Yesterdays 80 Edition of The Star.
BOY SHOOTS SELF
GETTING ON CAR
Rifle He Carried Explodes, Causing
Wound That May Prove Fatal,
Physicians Say.

John L. Thume, sixteen years old.
of 227 North Carolina avenue south-
east. shot and perhaps fatally wound-
ed himself yesterday afternoon when a
22-bore shotgun he was carrying ac-
cidentally exploded.
Thume was boarding a street car
at I'd and East Capitol streets en-
route to Cabin John, where he was to
meet a party of young friends and
spend several days camping along the
upper Potomac river.
In some unexplained manner the
lad caught the trigger of the gun in
an obstruction as he boarded the car.
The cartridge in the single barrel eX-
ploded, and the full charge ripped its
way into the boys right side.
Thume fell to the street and was
carried to the sidewalk by the crew
and passengers of the street car while
awaiting the arrival of an ambulance
from Casualty Hospital. Hurried
there, he was found to be in a pre-
carious condition, and physicians Or
dered his parents, who were at Chesa-
peake Beach, notified Immediately.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
Felix Arriues to Sacrifice
Life as Martyr to Science

Felix of Philadelphia, a man
eating bedbug, is being held in
communicate at the insecticide
testing board laboratory at Vi
emma. Va, a most precious and
valuable prisoner.
Felix is the only one in possess
sion OF the Department Of Agri-
cultures special agency. which
Wednesday. through The Star,
broadcast an appeal for bedbugs
and more bedbugs. DR.. Walter S.
Abbott, in charge of the testing
board. offered to pay cent
apiece for the insects and declared
they were in great need.
Yesterday a letter was received
from Philadelphia, addressed to
DIR. Abbott. in which was inclosed
little box bearing Felix. Felix
was alive and well. though a little
tired from his strenuous trip. He
made no statement.
officials of the laboratory seized
him with eagerness and immedi-
ately took steps to see that no
harm befell him. Special quarters
were constructed and orders were
left corporars guard that Felix
should not want for anything.
The name of the man who an
swered DR.. Abbott's appeal was
withheld. as well as the contents
or the letter accompanying the
bug. 1t is known, however, that
Felix was the most ferocious actor
or bedroom scenes in the Quaker
Evening star., 1923-07-14

City. and much energy was ex-
pended In tracking him down. One
night he was cleverly trapped. put
in irons, fed on bread and water
and placed in solitary confinement.
While awaiting decision as to ulti-
mate disposition, DR. Abbott's call
for help reached Philadelphia.
So this is Felix's sentence for
being bad actor. If he had oper-
ated on a moderate scale, perhaps
he would have received a lighter
punishment. But Felix is doomed.
He must eventually succumb to
divers preparations put on the
market which are guaranteed to
kill such as he. He's hard boiled,
though, and maybe there isn't a
poison yet discovered that will
knock him on his back and turn his
toes skyward That's the job of
DR.. Abbott and his gang over in
Vienna. They must see that sure
killing" preparations do kill, and
Felix and his kind are the only
positive proof Felix, they say,
hasn't a chance. Philadelphia is
due congratulations on getting rid
of him.
Since publication Of the urgent
need here, DR.. Abbott has received
many letters, but only one bedbug
The general trend Of their contents
Is along a frivolous and doubling
line. DR.. Abbott is serious. He
needs the bugs. Heretofore they
were purchased from various COM
munities, but the crop this year is
non n-bumper-in fact, it is almost
extinct. The government is willing
to pay l cent apiece for the ami
mals-be patriotic.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
TWO HELD IN THEFT
OF u. S. TYPEWRITERS
Colored Man Arrested After Chase
Another in Bank, Follow
ing Sale.

Charged with being implicated In
thefts of typewriters from govern
ment building at 18th and B streets,
William Wells and Robert J. Paul,
colored. the former residing at 36 r
street and the latter at s04 French
street, were locked up in police
station today.
Wells. the police say, is a familiar
character about the city, known as
Long Shot Red" because OF his tips
on the races. Paul, 1t is stated, for
merly worked in the building where
a number OF typewriters were stolen.
Detectives Waldron and Sweeney
arrested Wells in q bank yesterday
afternoon when he appeared with q
check for $50, alleged to have been
given in payment for q typewriter,
while Paul was arrested this morning
by Detectives Jones and jackson
after q short chase In the vicinity
Of his home.
Three alleged stolen typewriters
have been recovered. Larceny from
the United States government is the
technical charge against the men.
They will be arraigned in Police
Court Monday.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
DEAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY;
TO BE TRIED NEXT WEEK
Denies Charges of Assault Pre-
ferred by Young Women Answer
ing Advertisement.

Edward B. Dean. said to be a
wealthy real estate investor Of Scran-
ton, Pa. charged in four informa
tions with a technical assault upon
four young women, appeared in the
United States branch of Police Court
today and was arraigned. He pleaded
not guilty to each charge. He IS
out on a $4,000 bond. The complain
ants are Margaret Bocock. 1S
Hickory street. Takoma Park, ID. C.;
Yoonie Levy, 4521 9Th street north
west; Bernice Vachon, 1214 l street
northwest, and Helen Manville, the
Alabama apartments.
Dean is charged with making i'm
proper proposals to these young
women. He maintained an office at
1914 G street northwest and in
serted advertisements in the local
papers for a young woman to act as
companion for his wife. 1t is al
legged by the four complainants that
when they went to his offices. in re-
sponse to the advertisements. that
Dean made the improper proposals
to them. Mr.. Dean Is sixty-eight
years old.
T. Morris Wampler is the attorney
for the defendant. The cases will in
all probability be tried by juries next
week.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
Jones NOMINATED
AMBULANCE HEAD
Member of Local Club to Be
Voted on With Logan
F. MetcaIf.

Col. Percy L. Jones Of the local club
of the United States Army Ambulance
Association, holding its fourth an
nual convention at the New Ebbit,
Hotel, was nominated today with
Logan F. Metcalf, the present presi-
dent of the organization, to head the
body during the ensuing year
The nominating committee also sug.
Eested the names of Harold De Witt
Jeffrey, president of the local organ
ization, and T. B. Brawner, also OF
the local organization, to be vice
idents and the committee named a
selection of eight members. Col
Jones was commander of the Ameri-
can expeditionary force ambulance
service in France.
Surgeon General Merritt W. Ire
land, honorary president of the as
ISOLATION, addressed the meeting and
told the members how Americans
with private automobiles helped
carry the wounded off the battle
field at the Marine in the early part
of the war. He declared that work
done by the ambulance service had
added history to the medical depart
ment of the Army.
The association held a banquet at
the New Ebbitt Hotel, the convention
HedCQuATIoTS, ldSC night. capt. LON
bard, assistant military attache tc
the French embassy here, praised the
heroism Of the American ambulance
men in France. Col. Marquis Vittorio
di Bernezzo. military attache of the
Italian embassy, also praised the
spirit of the American ambulance
men. Other speakers included Logan
! p. Metcalf, president of the asso-
citation; Harold De Witt Jeffery,
president of the local organization;
Capt William Mcfarland, Mai. J. D
Byers and Maj. j. r. Devereaux
Later this afternoon the association
will elect officers from the names
| submitted by the nominating COM
mittee.
Evening star., 1923-07-14

Extension of the service, with
larger and larger packages being ad-
mitted to the mails, has led to a COM
plex problem. the larger parcels being
liable to damage the smaller ones
Some classes of parcels. such as
eggs, in distinctive aluminium boxes,
are easily recognized and carefully
handled, but most packages fail to
readily Indicate a fragile nature.
Experiments are being carried out
by which 1t is hoped to do away with
the splitting of boxes, and all chances
of damage due to the different sized
packages, and difference in weight
1t has been suggested that racks of
varied sizes be used in parcel cars,
so that the parcels could be slid into
them, and held safe from the chance
of any parcel being thrown upon
them.
The dumping of parcels into mail
sacks, helter-skelter, is regarded as
another distinct problem. The growth
of the parcel post business has been
so rapid and so amazing that many
problems yet remain to be worked
out.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
Cree Indians Passing.

From the London Times.
The Cree Indians are wards of the
Canadian government When Canada
took their country, she became re.
sponsible for their future. In par
ticular, she pays each one yearly SIS
in cash, and, in the words of the
treaty, this will be paid, while the
sun shines and water flows"
But they are dying out They have
mot the will to live" In a certain
district within recent times there
were 10000 Indians. Today there are
1000; and the tale everywhere is the
same. They drink tea to excess
They smoke tobacco to excess. The
women and the little children smoke
Some are tubercular. And they keep
dying.
They are honest and good-natured,
but their moral fiber has weakened.
They loaf and slouch around the
posts, and have the mentality of emo
tional children. and their delicate,
.weathered faces soon will be but a
Evening star., 1923-07-14
Plan Sought to Saue Many
Thousands Lost in Parcel Post

Plans for the safer transportation
of parcel post mail are being worked
out by the Post Office Department
under the direction OF II. H. BilIany,
fourth assistant postmaster general.
Tubs of new construction. to hold
parcels in a manner to prevent other
and heavier parcels from descending
upon them heavily. are being planned.
and other devises being Investigated
by experts Of the department
Thousands Of dallars in damages
are being paid each year by the pos
tai service to patrons who have had
articles smashed while in the mails.
The claims for damaged and lost par
cells mounts up heavily.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
RULES AGAINST j. s.
ON 0'BR|EN CHARGE
Justice Bailey UphoIds De-
murrer to Army Fraud Con-
spiracy Indictment.

Justice Bailey of the District Su-
preme Court today decided against
the government and upheld a demur-
rer of Col. Arthur A. O'Brien Of New
York to an indictment charging the
former Army officer with a conspir-
acy to defraud the United States by
approving a claim for S2S.00O in
favor of the Newbury Realty Com
pany of Boston for repairs to the
Newbury building in that city, which
had been used by the Quartermaster's
department of the Army. The gov
ernment claimed that the company
should not be reimbursed under the
Dent act of March 2. 1919, and
charged that that in conspiracy with
Col. O'Brien had used his position in
the War Department to have the
claim passed.
O,Brien Files Demurrer.
O'Brien. through Attorney Frank ].
Hogan, filed demurrer to the indict-
ment, alleging that the indictment
shows the claim to have been valid
and to have been within the purview
of the statute.
Justice Bailey finds the indictment
insufficient in two respects. He
points out that it does not clearly
aver that the defendants knew that
the claim was not based on or aris-
ing out of any agreement, expressed
or implied, entered into by any off,
GER or agent acting under authority
of the President of the United States
or the Secretary of War. 1t is true.
the court says, that the indictment
does aver that the defendants we'll
knew that the claim was not q valid
claim under the act of March 2, 1919,
but It does not appear whether the
reason given for its invalidity Is the
averment of the pleader or was a fact
known to the defendants.
Insufficiency OF Facts.
The court further points out that
the indictment does not sufficiently
set out the facts upon which the
claim was based for the court to
determine whether it was a claim
based upon an implied agreement
entered into under authority of the
President or Secretary OF War. II
the statute had provided, the court
suggests. for claims based only upon
an express contract, the indictment
might have been sufficient, but as It
also includes claims based on i'm
piled contracts, the facts should be
set out so the court could determine
whether 1t was an implied contract.
Evening star., 1923-07-14
ARRESTS FOR DRUNKEN
NESS JUMP 1,O44 DURING
YEAR; TOTAL, 1887

Continued from First Page.)
not stay out more than twenty-four
hours at a time.
New Generation Coming.
"The records show that men now
past middle age have been committed
here seventy-five times for short
terms, and just when there are every
expectation Of the type dying out a
new generation takes up the defiance
of law and nature under more rigid
regulations"
Discussing the question Of what is
the dangerous age, the jailer says in
another part Of the report:
"Of a total of 6,364 prisoners re-
ceived during the year. 2.464 were
thirty years and 2.053 were between
thirty and forty years. Two-thirds
Of all were within the age limits
where the capacity for maximum
achievement is considered to be at
it's best Beyond forty years there
appears the old offenders. and, 50 far
as this institution Is concerned. they
are mostly Short-term men sent in
from Police Court for petty infrac-
tions of the law.
Finds Youths Reckless.
Law enforcement and welfare work
meet their toughest problems among
the youth of the community, and
recklessness seems to be q more DOM
inant quality than criminality.
"The crimes for which many young
men are sent to jail have no prospect
of gain among their allurementS and
are simply the impulse of an idle
hour in bad environment The de-
struction Of the environment through
police activity would seem certain or
effective results, and 1t Is encourag-
ing that the police departments
to that end"
Five Hung, 81 Wait.
During the year five men paid the
death penalty on the gallows and
thirty-one prisoners were received
for murder. Speaking of the hang
ings, the report states: "In spite of
the horror and the undoubted ignom-
my Of the method, competent Judges
are of the opinion that this distaste-
full service is performed as humanely
as possible"
In the Introduction to his report
capt. Fedk Salo ne ndo 10 maintain
1,415 more prisoners last year than
in the preceding twelve months.
which increased the number of meals
served by 32,S50.
Despite that fact. the cost to the
District was $2,812 less than the
total food cost for 1922.
271 in Jail July I.
Capt. Peak reported there were no
escapes, either from the cell block or
from the personal custody OF guards
during the year, for which he COM
plimented the Jail personnel.
The number Of prisoners commit
Evening star., 1923-07-14
When Watch Springs Snap.
m the Scientific American

From the Scientific American.
The spontaneous breaking of watch
springs is believed to occur chiefly in
the summer months. From the re-
pair records of two firms for several
years It is found that the breakages
are most numerous during the season
of frequent thunderstorms. Further
experiments indicate that 1t Is mois-
ture instead of heat that plays the
chief part. 1t Is suggested that the
springs may be weakened by rusting
spots, and in fifty-six samples, sealed
up in equal division in a jar contain
ing moist air. and one containing dry
air, seventeen springs broke, all in
the jar of moist air. The liability to
break was greatly reduced by the ap-
plication of oil.