davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
STONE TO APPEAL DICKEY VERDICT IN TAX PRINTING Case To Be Taken To The Supreme Court, He
 Says
 CHARGE DISMISSED
 BY JUDGE REEVES Kansas City Jurist Sup ports Freedom Of
 Speech Clause
(Leased Wire to Age-Heeald)


 WASHINGTON, Dec. B. The government will appeal the decision of Judge Reeves, in the federal court at Kansas City, who threw out the indict- ment against the Kansas City Journal-Post, for publication of income tax payments, Att torney General Stone has an- nounced.
 The appeal will be carried directly to the supreme court, as constitutional question is involved, Judge Reeves holding that the indictment was a vio- lation of the first amendment to the constitution relative to free speech, in sustaining the demurers of Walter S.. Dickey, owner and editor of the paper, and Ralph hlis, general managing edi- tor.
 Stone said this decision against the government would not affect the gov ernment's case against two other news papers for publication of income tax payments, but that they would be wig orously pushed, and other indictments sought. Interest in the Kansas City case here was increased by the fact that Senator Reed of Missouri was counsel for the defendants.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
CAPT. HAPPS DIES
 AT SOLDIERS HOME
Confederate Veteran, Former
 Newspaperman Expires

BEAUvOIR, Miss, Dec. 2.-Capt- ain John Happs, SG, Confederate vet erans, member of Company F., Ken lucky cavalry, c. S. A., and former newspaper publisher at Holly Springs, Miss, and East St. Louis, H., died today at the Jefferson Davis soldiers home here.
 Before the Civil war Captain Happs was editor and owner of a newspaper at Holly Springs. After returning from the war he published the St. Louis Livestock Reporter at the Stockyards in East St. Louis. He entered the soldiers home here fourteen years ago and built the Garden of Eden" flower garden of unusual beauty and laid out through his interpretation of the description of the garden in the Bible,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
KORETZ TO ENTER
 PLEA OF GUILTY
$2,OOO,OOO Swindler Will Offer To Reimburse Victims, He Says
(By Associated PreSs.)

CHICAGO, Dec. 2.-Leo Koretz, whose inclination for frenzied finance resulted in his friends, relatives and acquaintances investing more than $2,O00,000 in Panama oil bubble, will plead guilty in criminal court tomorrow and ask to make restitution to his vic tins, States Attorney Grove announced tonight.
 Koretz, the states attorney said, will plead guilty to four indictments charg- ing larceny by bailee and operating a confidence game. Each charge carries a penalty of from one to ten years in the penitentiary. If he gets the mini, mum, he will be eligible for parole in eleven months, if he gets the maximum it may be forty years before he can hope for liberty.
 Koretz apparently does not care. Like a tired man who has resigned himself to his fate the promoter, who was brought back to Chicago with twelve dollars in his pockets, today faced referee in bankruptcy.
 When he fled from Chicago a year ago after some of those who had in vested their money started for Panama to investigate, Koretz said he withdrew from Chicago banks about half mil lion dollars, of this sum he retained about $175,0 and gave the rest to rel atives whom he had fleeced. The rest of the $2,O00,000, he said, had been used to defray his high living expenses or to pay handsome dividends to in vestors to retain their confidence. Once, he said, he paid five per cent a month in dividends for a time.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
city Fund System Antiquated And Obsolete Says SmH
Doctor Edluards Known
 As Quiet, Unassun1i1g Man
Hospital Associates Dum- founded By His
 Arrest

Dr. George T. Edwards, under guard at the Fairfield hospital on a warrant charging him with the murder of his wife early Tuesday morning, was one of the most faithful and conscientious men on the medical staff of the T. c. 1. hospital, according to close associates. . The doctor has been in Fairfield eight years and was known as quiet unob- trusive man, always alert in attention to his hospital duties and more than ordinarily devoted to the wife he has now been accused of murdering.
 One of Dr. Edwards closest asso- ciates Tuesday declared that ''as a hus- band, Dr. Edwards has apparently ever been devoted and faithful, and never did he allow members of his family to be in doubt as to his whereabouts. Often, he was accompanied by Mrs. Edwards when engaged in making pro- fessional calls"
 Dr. Edwards is a graduate of the Au- burn engineering department. He re- moved with his family to Fairfield from Selma and had Deen one of the most popular men of the community since that time, it was declared.
 Doctors Story
 Tuesday morning, his wife was dis covered dead in her bed, the result of a blow on the head after being drugged with chloroform. A young daughter who slept with her was unharmed. On an adjoining porch, Dr. Edwards had a pistol wound through the hand, caused, he told police and friends, by an intruder's gun which fired when
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
MRS. BUZZI CALLS
 RELATIVE 4 LIAR
Trial Adjourned When Hysteria
 OvercOmes Alleged Murderess
Leased Wire to The Age.Herald. )

Ueased Wire to The Age-Herald.)
 NEW YORK, Dec. 2.-The long months of uncertainty, the days and nights spent in the death house at Sing Sing, have taken their toll from the strength of Mrs. Anna Buzzi, on trial here for the second time for the mur der of Fred Schneider, a wealthy Bronx contractor.
 As the trial, which will decide whether the young woman shall go to the electric chair from which she was saved last July by reversal of her conviction of murder by the court of swung into it's second day, Will liam Turk, her brother-in-law, came to the stand
 He had just testified that after Schneider'S body was found on a lonely Bronx road on the evening of February 26, 1923, Mrs. Buzzi confessed to him that she had killed her lover. Before the murder was committed, he testified, she had borrowed q pistol from him saying: Il am going to shoot Fred Schneider. If l can't have him, nobody can"
 On the next night, Turk testified, he went to her apartment and there she said, "I have just shot Fred. 1 left the pistol on the automobile seat so it will look like suicide"
 Mrs. Buzzi sprang to her feet.
 You are a liar !-you're a liar !- you're liar !--she screamed. "Oh, you liar, you're lying to save your own neck"
 Court attendants rushed to silent the hysterical woman. They pulled her back into her chair but she broke from them and, swinging her arms wildly, tried to push her way to the witness stand where Turk sat smiling.
 You must stop," Justice Wasservo- gel shouted from the bench, but the crying hysteria of the woman who spent nine months in a death cell waiting to be taken to the electric chair could not be stopped.
 4 recess was declared hy Justice Was Scrvogcl and Mrs. Buzzi was led from the room still shouting against the brother-in-law whose testimony might send her back to Sing Sing-perhaps to death"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
PIG TEST KILLS SUICIDE THEORY
 IN FURNACE CASE
New Evidence Proves Mrs. Sheatsley Slain,
 Say Police

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 2.--Further evidence to support County Prosecutor John k. Kings theory that Mrs. Addie Sheatslcy, wife of the Reverend c. ". Sheatsley, Bexley pastor, was dead be- fore her body entered the furnace in the basement or the parsonage, was furnished the prosecutor late today when experts reported that an analysis of the blood of two guinea pigs ere mated alive in the same furnace revealed large quantities of carbon monoxide.
 The test was made at the order of Prosecutor King o'determine whether living thing cast into the furnace would inhale sufficient amount of the poisonous gas to be evident in the blood before death. An analysis of blood from the lung of Mrs. Sheatsley showed no signs of carbon mOnOxide, chemists previously had reported.
 The experts, Dr. H. M. Brundage, pathologist, and c. F. Long, chemist, reported to the prosecutor today that their analysis showed the blodO of the guinea pigs to be literally saturated" with carbon monOxide.
 The guinea pig experiment was con- ducted under conditions which Mir. King declared were as nearly as possible like those at the time the minister's wife is believed to have met her death.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
RAILROAD OFFERS
 $2,OOO REWARD
c. & o. Officials Say Thrown
 Switch Caused Wreck
lRx Associated Pressl

RICHMOND, Va, Dec. "A re- ward of $2000 was announced today by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway com pany to be paid for information lead ing to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons who tempered with a switch at the scene of last nights wreck which cost the lives of two men and injury to others. The wreck, which occurred on the James River division of the road near West Hampton at 10 o'clock was caused, off cials of the company said, by faulty switch at College Crossing. They added the belief that the switch had been tampered with.
 Engineer Joe Ladd and Fireman James Hardin of an east-bOund train were pinned in the cab of their en- zine, where they are thought to have suffered almost instant death. They were the only members of either crew to lose their lives though several others were injured.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
NEW CARD SYSTEM. NOW NECESSARY,
 SAYS ACCOUNTANT
Will Not Complete Audit Until Near Christi
 mas
MAY REACH
 TOTAL OF $75,00O
Commission Will Install Modern Method, Says
 McLendOn

Scoring the system now em- ployed in the public improve, ment department at city haii !! as "antiouated and obsolete" :" F. Hopkinson Smith, account ant in charge of the shortage audit, Tuesday recommended a series of sweeping changes which he declared would pre- vent any shortage from gong undetected' longer than 3o days.
 The city commission unanimously ap- proved the changes and will place them in effect on or about January l, accord ing to President McLendon. Comptroi- Ter c. E. Armstrong and Assistant Comptroller Craig Jeffries have agreed to the installation of the new system.
 Smith submitted his recommendations at the first secret conference he has held with the commissions slnce ne started his check up on the fourth floor of the municipal building. He asked that the ledger system of keeping pun lie improvement assessments be aban- doned and that modern card lndex method, insuring constant triple check on all payments, be installed Ill its place.
 Hardest Audit
 'sThis is the hardest audit l ever attempted" Smith told the commission, according to President McLendon. Il found more than $75, ,000 out of balance when l began work, and some accounts had been out oftbalance since 1907. The system now in use might have been 15 or 20 years ago, but it has long snice been outgrown."
 Smith said President McLendon's plan to create the office of city cashier tom IS adopted.
 McLendon said the commission had decided to relieve Assistant Jeffries of much of his routine work and place him in charge of the new system of handling accounts and funds in the public improvement division, where the recent chain of shortages, known to total approximately $50 ,00O, were uncovered.
 Reports Not Ready
 Commission members asked MT. Smith when his audit report would be ready, lnd were told that it would be submit ted shortly before the Christmas holi- days.
 Two months ago., Smith said, Il thought I would be through in two weeks But additional work turned up."
 This caused officials to wonder if additional shortages have been dis covered. The auditor did not divulge the present shortage totals to the com mission, saying he preferred to wait and submit detailed report. Commis- sion members say privately they fear the total will re@ch $75,OOO.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
INDICTMENT DIsMIssEp
Dickey, Ellis Freed Of Tax Charge In
 Kansas City
(By Associated Press)

KANSAS CITY, Dec. 2.-Federal Judge Albert l.. Reeves today sustained demurrers of Walter s. Dickey, owner and editor of the Kansas City Journal Post, and Ralph Ellis, general manag- ing editor, to indictments charging al legged illegal publication of federal in. come tax returns.
 The clause in the law holding that publication of income tax returns was illegal, Judge Reeves said in effect in announcing his decision, is in violation of the first amendment to the federal constitution relative to the freedom of the press.
 Judge Reeves said there had been no publication of income tax returns on the part of the newspapers of the defend ants but that publication was made from prepared list of tax payers and the amounts of their tax which may have been different from or the same as the actual returns themselves.
 First Tax Trial
 The Dickey- Ellis case was the first to come to trial of several test cases brought by the government in various parts of the country for alleged illegal publication of income tax returns. It also was the first case in which individ- uals were indicted instead of newspa- pers or publishing corporations.
 That the law clearly set forth pro- visions prohibiting the publication of income tax returns, orCany part of them. was the constention of c. c. Madison, United States district attorney, who argued the case for the government.
 This information had already been yielded to the public as list of tax payers with the amounts paid and had been made available for public inspec- tion," the decision read. 1.-The power of Congress to enforce the payment of the tax had been made effective and had been concluded and with the final exercise of the chief power granted to Congress, the incidental powers would of necessity be at an end.
 But it may be argued that such publication is prejudicial to the tax payers. This may be true and if the congress had attempted to suppress all publications, it's act probably could have been effective, but in this case Congress attempted to regulate the manner of the publication of the lists. This was clearly a usurpation of power. It was not an incident to its power to tax but obviously an attempt on the part of Congress to say in what man. ner the people should acquire informa- tion made available to them.
 Tt is my judgment that the name of the tax payer and amount paid by him was not considered by the lawmakers such an important part of the return as to cover it with cloak of secrecy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
HARRISON OFFERS TO BUY RAILROAD
 FROM CINCINNATI
Only Mdnicipaly Owned Railroad In World Is
 Sought By Southern
(By Associated Press)

CINCINNATI. Ohio, Dec. 2.-The Southern railway system, through it's president, Fairfax Harrison, has sub- mitted a definite proposal for the pur- chase of the Cincinnati Southern rail- way from the city of Cincinnati, it was learned today.
 Mir. Harrison, in letter to the trus- tees of the Cincinnati Southern rail way, said that the Southern system would invite negotiations leading to the absorption of the only municipally owned railroad in the world. The let ter merely presented the Southern sys- tem's desire to purchase the road.
 A reply to the overtures will be draft ed by the trustees within a few days, it was learned today. Washington T. Porter, acting president of the board of trustees, admitted that the Southern system had made advances looking to the purchase of the road but said noth- ing definite had materialized. Should the trustees sanction the sale of the road, it could not be consummated un- til approved by the electorate of Gin cinnati,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
WILL LIVE FOR SON,
 SAYS SLAYERS WIFE
Husband To Be Electrocuted Friday For Officers Murder
lBy Associated PrAss. l

ASHEVILLE, N. O., Dec. g. Everything has been said already" This statement was sobbed out this afternoon by Mrs. Mortimer H. King whose husband will die in South Caro- lina's electric chair Friday for the slay- ing of Major S. H. McLcary, of the United States Army.
 Mrs. King resides with relatives at Canton, near here. She has one child, baby boy. and she says that she will now live for him and hopes to be able to bring him up good citizen and n christian. If be-" she said referring to her husband, had been a regular at tendant at church and Sunday school service this would not have taken nlace"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
FARM BUREAU
 APPROVES BILL
 OF UNDERWOOD
W7ASHINGTQN, Dec. 2.-The w American Farm Bureau feder-
 ation approves the Underwood

ation approves the Underwood bill.
 1.-The Underwood bill setting out conditions under which the, power and nitrate plants must be leased for the manufacture of fertilizer and kept ready, for making nitrates in timee-ef war, certainly makes for action," said E. B. Reed, Washing ton representative of the American Farm bureau federation.
 Tt contains the fertilizer provision <of the Ford offer and of course that is one of the main contentious of the farmers. It does not shunt the bill to another investigation com mittee, congressional or otherwise, and keeps the fight in the open. It also assured the public that the power will not be turned over to a power company to distribute.
 Should there be on offer by July next which approximate the condi- tions laid down in the Underwood bill, such as the manufacture of 4,O00 pounds of nitrogen to be made into high grade fertilizer, according to demand, etc. Then the government operation opponents would have their ideas carried out through the forma- tion by President Coolidge of $50,- 100000 government corporation which would operate to produce fertilizer on the same cheap basis as carried in the Henry Ford tender"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
NEGROES EXECUTION
 HALTED BY JUDGE
Legal Complication Causes De-
 lay In Execution

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Dec. 2.-Re- call by the trial judge for re-sentencing of Frank Wall, Lee county negro, con- victed and sentenced to die for shoot ing and killing his wife more than 8 year ago, forestalled Walls electrocu- tion which had been set for today at the state penitentiary here.
 Wall was removed from the prison and returned to Marianna last week at the direction of Judge E. D. Robertson when it was discovered that sixty days as required by law had not been allowed between the date of sentence to date set for electrocution.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
SALES
 OF TOBACCO HIGH

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn, Dec. Offer ings of tobacco at opening sales on seven of the Clarksville loose floors today to- tailed 9S,52O pounds at an average of $13.39 per hundred pounds. yielding m money Sl3,1S9.23. Leaf offerings to. tailed 76,6650 pounds at an average of $15.60 and lug offerings were 21,S7O pounds at $5.62. The highest leaf was S33.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
PRESIDENT URGES\
 DRASTIC ECONOMY
Present Excess Of Income Over Expenses Placed
 At 67,OOO,0OO
FURTHER TAX CUTS <. ARE PREDICTED
Agriculture Department Esti- mate Shows Increase Of
 S62,OOO,O00
WASHINGTON. Dec. 2..

WASHINGTON, Dec. D. President Coolidge in his an. nual budget message laid be- fore congress today forecast a $373,743,714 treasury sur plus at the end of the next fis' cal year and urged a program of drastic governmental econ omy to permit another cut II federal taxes.
 "I am for economy" the President declared. "lf we continue the campaign fol economy, we will pave the way for further reduction ir taxes"
 Mfr. Coolidge, however, proposed that consideration of further tax reduction legislation be deferred until the effect of the present revenue law has become more apparent.
 The budget of government expendi- lures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926, transmitted by the presi- dent, totaIIed s, ,267 .551 ,S7S, 8 de- crease of $266, ,532 ,43O below estimates for the current fiscal year. Receipts were estimated at 3,295 ,092, an in- crease of $S9, 1928, ,795, which, with the $67, ,SS4, ,4S9 surplus estimated at the end of the current fiscal year, would bring the unusually large sur
 plus foreseen by Mir. Coolidge 19 months hence.
 For those things which we are now required to do we are fast reducing our expenditures to a minimum con- sistent with efficient service," said the mated surplus of $67 900 900 for the current fiscal year and $373, 100000 for the next fiscal year.
 Stands For Economy
 Shall we embark upon new projects involving expenditures which will pre- vent the accumulation of these expected surpluses, or small we continue the companign for economy? I am for economy.
 "If we continue the campaign for economy we will pave the way for further reduction in taxes. This re- diction cannot be effected immediately. Before it is undertaken we should know more definitely by actual operation what our revenues will be under our present tax law. But the knowledge of our revenue the existing law will avail us nothing if we embark upon any new large expenditure program"
 MT. Coolidge pointed out that the actual treasury surplus at the end of the last fiscal year was $175,727 ,000 higher than treasury officials had esti- mated and he advanced the hope that future surpluses might exceed even the estimates he was presenting to cong ress.
 The ,s266,5 ,532, ,4sO decrease in the 1926 budget under the 1925 budget was made up of decreased expenditures in many governmental activities which were in part counterbalanced by in- creases in others.
 Among major governmental agencies for which decreased expenditures were recommended were: Shipping board, emergency fleet corporation, the vet erans bureau, interest on the public debt, and the departments of commerce, interior, labor, navy, state, treasury, and war.
 Among other agencies for which in- creased expenditures were reported were: government printing, federal board for vocational education, federal power commission interstate commerce commission, tariff commission, the Dis
 (Continued on page Seven)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
WAGE INCREASE
 HALTS RAIL STRIKE
Western Railroad W0rkmen To
 Accept Board Decision
(By Associated Press. )

NEW YORK, Dec. 2.-The recent wage increase granted by the Railway Labor board to workmen on the west ern railroads is expected to avert any danger of a strike of engineers and fire men on the Southern Pacific system, William Sproule, president of the com pany said today. Although a strike vote now being taken by the employees may be completed as matter of form, he advised executives of the road here that the workers as we'll as the manage ments of all the roads involved prob ably would accept the labor boards decision.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
CHAIRMANSHIP GOES
 TO LLOYD GEORGE
Appointment Does Not Affect Asquith Leadership
fBy Associated Press. )

LONDON, Dec. 2-FOrmer Premier Lloyd George was today elected as sessional chairman of the Liberal mem- bers of Parliament after n long lively meeting of the Liberal parlimentarians. The election, which was not unanimous, does not affect ex-Premier Asquiths leadership of the Liberal party, accord ing to party men.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
EYEsIGHT WORTH $3O,OOO

Appeals Court Sustains Rich's Judg-
 ment Against Hercules Co.
 ST. LOUIS, Dec. 2.-The United States court of appeals here late yes- terday confirmed judgment of $30,OOO for J. F. Rich, road contractor, against the Hercules Powder company, for loss of eyesight and other injuries resulting from a premature dynamite blast ood in Rich alleged he ordered time fuses from the company's agent at Little Rock and instead received instantaneous fuses.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-03
THE WEATHER
ga 1ea.RCy/
 &-]Kpl95y &-]

The money that burns hole in your pocket Is the money that comes so easy that it melts.
 Alabama: Fair and warmer.
 Tennessee: Increasing clOudiness.
 Mississippi: Increasing eIOudineSs. Complete weather data is on page 17. b.