davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

mon started at 81. 1t is now 80. The
preferred has been inactive.
Very recently the Washington Me-
chanics' Mortgage Co. listed it's com
mon stock and a short time later
the exchange governors listed the
preferred stock of the Woodward &
Lothrop Department Store Co. The
bond list also was extended during
1926, among. these issues being Chest
nut Farms Dairy 6bs.
The death of John l.. Edwards left
vacant the presidency of the ex-
change and G. e.. Glover, son Of the
chairman of the board of directors
Of the Riggs National Bank, was
elected to this Office. AS several more
stocks and bonds are to be listed In
1927, local investors are facing a
steadily expanding securities market.
Changes i'm Financial District.
There were number of important
changes in the financial district
Early in the year the Citizens Saw
tngs Bank was merged with the Mer-
chants Bank and Trust Co, of which
Peter A. Drury is president
Then came the sudden passing of
John l.. Edwards, head of the broker
age firm by that name. The bust.
ness and good will of the widely
known house was taken over by
G. M. p Murphy & Co, a New York
firm, which kept the local staff in
tact, and has already gained an en-
viable foothold In Washington.
Another change in the financial
horizon was tho removal by C. B.
Chapman, resident partner, of the
offices Of Hartman & Co. from the
Colorado Building to the newly com
pleted Securities Building, on Fiji
teenth street.
J. and w. Seligman & Co., through
its manager, Frank p. Morse. like
wise transferred its business into
the same building from offices on H
street.
A wholly new investment house
came into existence when Y f. Book.
er & Co. entered the local investment
field.
The year also was made notable
by the entry Of the Washington Stock
Exchange into an association com
posed of the more important ex-
changes in the country outside of
New York. Eugene E. Thompson,
head Of Crane. Paris & Co, under
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

under the guidance of Howard Moran.
Capital Traction stock led the years
trading on the Washington Stock Elk
change. more than 10000 shares
changing hands, closing quotations
~around 104 being almost the same as
final prices in 1925. Washington Gas
Light stock was another active issue,
final quotations near II being slightly
under the price of "a u year ago.
Washington Railway and Electric
common registered the most marked
change during the year. This issue
was the market leader in 1925. being
forced up to an ahnormally high price,
climbing to 220. 1t Is ending the pres
ent year around 176. The preferred
stock of the same corporation recently
has been 90, almost the exact figure
that prevailed at the close of 1925.
Potomac Electric Power preferred
finished 1925 at 105 and is now closing
another active years trading about
three points higher. Mergenthaler
and Lanston have, as usual, held a
prominent place on the board.
1t also has been busy year for
many local bond issues. Washington
Railway and Electric consolidated As
have been the leaders in this de-
partment. This issue has been closely
followed in popularity by Potomac
Power Consolidated 5S, Capital Trac-
ton first IS, Washington Gas IS and
Georgetown Gas first 6s. The prices
of these and many other issues have
held up splendidly during the year.
In fact, stability was one Of the out
standing strong points of the local
exchange. There were no wild ad-
vances; there were no sharp breaks.
The most important new bond
issue was the Washington Gas Light
Co.'S offering of S1,500,000 10-year 6
per cent mortgage bonds maturing
on October /, 1896. The oversubscrip-
ton is fresh in the minds Of in
vestors.
Expansion on Local Exchange.
But the most striking feature in
connection with the local exchange
has been the addition of new issues.
One Of the important listings early
in the year was Peoples Drug Stores
preferred. Starting around par, the
stock has climbed steadily to 10.
Another new listing several weeks
ago was Federal American Co., com
mon and preferred. Trading in COM
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31
POLICE DEPARTMENT.

While members OF the Police De-
partment were unable to register a
100 per cent record for solving crimes
committed during the year, records Of
the department show that a large Of
proportion of them have been satisfac-
torily disposed of. There were numer-
Gus unsolVed crimes on the books at
the close of the year, and Maj. Edwin
Il. Hesse, superintendent of police.
and Inspector Henry G. Pratt. chief of
detectives, hope they win be solved be-
fore the close Of the present year.
Two members of the force We're
killed in line of duty, Leo w. K.
Busch being slain in a fight with
bandits. while Edward A. Skinner
lost his life in a motor cycle accident.
Detective Arthur b. Scrivener was
killed by pistol bullet, a coroner's
jury concluding he was slain by an
unidentified individual. but many of
ticers engaged in an investigation
were satisfied he took his own life.
Mrs. Irene l.. Hubbs. one of the
most active members of the woman's
bureau, died as "a result of illness,
others whose names We're added to
the department S death toll being De.
tective Howard Nermillion and Harry
! T.. Beck, the latter having died sud
denly Christmas morning the NOR.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

and the court expects to make ma
terial inroads into 1t by Spring.
The crime wave seems to have de-
clined somewhat in 1926, as only LIP
indictments were reported by the
grand jury, as compared with 1920
in the preceding year The grand
jurors refused indictments in 237
cases presented by the police.
Civil litigation also fell off this
year. A total of 1858 lawsuits was
filed and 1871 equity proceedings
started. Bankruptcy petitions totaled
1872. while 100 land and other con-
las proceedings in habeas corpus
started. Mechanics liens were filed
against 720 properties. Aliens to the
number Of Sos declared intention to
become American citizens and 7O2
filed petitions for final citizenship pa
pers. Naturalization was granted in
528 cases. The combined law and
equity suits in the preceding year
were 2,940, as compared with 2.724
in 1925.
The marriage mart suffered a
slight slump and Dan Cupid, through
his aid, Col. w. A. Knoll. issued
only 1863 licenses during the past
year. In 1925 there were 5,753
licenses granted.
Appraisements of estates totaling
9.S05 1859 were made III the office
of the register of wills in the past
year in All cases. Wills to the num-
Der of 1.184 We're filed and petitions
for probate and administrations to-
tailed 1882. Certified copies were
made of 4.541 papers, while 22.S27
pages Of copying and 11,S17 pages
of recording were filed.
Amos A. Steele. probation officer of
the District Supreme Court, during
1926 investigated 4S9 cases at the
request Of the justices presiding in
the criminal courts. OF these 246
were placed on probation, including
SO for non-support. There are now
sos under the charge of the proba-
ton officer, including about 200 for
OF the 305 on the list
for crimes of a serious nature, 161
are male white. 10S male colored, IA
female white, 20 female colored and
one Porto Rican. A total of approx
mately 100000 was collected and dis
bursed in non-support cases by the
probation officer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

tally not being considered high
among 81 total of 1,41S employees Of
the department.
Service Changes During Year.
Probably the most important change
during the year involved the promo
ton of Lieut.. Maurice Collins of the
sixth precinct to Il captaincy and his
assignment to the seventh precinct,
succeeding Capt. G. i. E. Flather, re-
tired. Another change involved the
taking of Capt. Guy T.. Burlingame
from the liquor squad and giving him
a precinct comnfond.
Members of the force retired during
the year were Detective Harry Evans
Sergts. Robert T.. Lee, j. l.. Kill
martin. j. A. Luton, j. J.-Whalen, j.
II. Evans and o. G.. Ryon, and Pri.
Yates John II. Gibson. William j
Barbee, J. A. Davis, Michael Long.
J. w. Simms, G.. w. Ricketts,, l.. w
Giles, p. J. Whalan, j. r. Romer
George n. Scriven. Robert +.
Williams. Henry G. Stroman and ID.
l.. Embrey.
Mai Hesse started a move to get
a new central police building and has
provided new motor cycles for 80
members of the mounted squad, en-
abIing the latter to discard their old
mounts, a number of them having
become practically useless.
Another accomplishment Of the
superintendent was in obtaining from
Congress an allowance of SIS year
for uniforms. He has recommended
enactment of new laws for the pro.
lection of the public, one against the
offense of Vagrancy and the other to
| enable the police to hold fugitives
from other jurisdictions a reasonable
time.
Maj. Hesse and Inspector Henry G
/ Pratt inaugurated n system of hav.
ing precinct detectives present with
| members of the Detective Bureau al
| roll calls each day. The change re-
| suited in getting the men together
and acquainting all with investiga
| tionS under way.
Records of the department show &
total of arrests for all offenses O
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

Harry f. Sinclair of New York, is
scheduled for trial February 2. An
other indictment charges Mr.. Sinclair
with contempt of the United States
Senate in refusing to answer ques-
| tons propounded during the Senate
oil inquiry and the fourth indictment
charges Fall and Doheny, with his
| son. Edward l.. Doheny, ir., with
bribery in connection with the $780,
600 which figured in the recent trial
and acQuittal 1t is expected the
bribery charge will not be pressed by
the Government.
The District Court of Appeals had
its Jurisdiction enlarged during 1926
to include appeals from the United
States Board of Tax Appeals. and was
authorized to review by writ of error
orders of the director of traffic, or
the decision of the District Commits
sionerS in reference to denial, suSpen-
sion and revocation of automobile OPP
orators permits. The courts juris-
dictiOn was curtailed by the passage
of the Walsh act, which took away
the right to grant special appeals in
criminal cases. This act was invoked
by Owen j. Roberts and eAtlee Pom
creme, special counsel for the Gov
eminent in the oil prosecutions, to
dismiss appeals by the oil men from
the conspiracy indictments and the
dismissal Of the Sinclair contempt
case, which had been heard and was
awaiting decision.
A total of 325 appeals was filed in
the appellate court during 1926, of
which 81 We're original cases, 135
went to the general docket and 103
appeals from the Commissioner of
Patents. During the year the court
disposed of "a petitions on the original
docket IT'S cases on the general
docket and 112 cases on the patent
docket, a total of 371.
All cases on the criminal calendar
ready for hearing have been heard
and the general calendar is we'll in
hand. The patent calendar is some
what behind. due to the large increase
in this class Of litigation in the past
two years. The assignment of such
cases for argument has been enlarged
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31
CORONER'S OFFICE.

DIR. J. Ramsay hewitt, District coro-
ner, had a busy year. He conducted In
vestigations into LOO deaths and con-
Quoted 165 inquests. Several times in
the course of the year he conducted
two or three inquests in a single day,
facilitating the work and saving
money for the District, the law pay
ing jurors for a days work and not
for individual cases.
Thirty-seven instances of murder
came to the attention of the coroner
and jury, while inquests in traffic
deaths numbered II. Drivers of auto
mobiles in death cases We're held for
grand jury action in 81 instances. the
cases being reported under the head
of mansaughter.
In addition to the foregoing the cor
oner conducted inquests in numerous
instances of deaths from accidents of
various kinds and was called upon to
investigate S5 instances in which per
sons took their own lives.
One hundred and nineteen accidental
deaths, exclusive of II killed in traffic
accidents, were among those investi-
gated by the coroner, making a total
of 1876 accidental deaths during the
year. In two instances of suicide the
victims ended their lives by jumping
from the Washington Monument.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31
GOOD AUTO MARKET.
Argentina Likely to Absorb Many
More American Cars.

The outstanding position occupied
by automobiles of American manufac-
ture in the Argentine automotive mar
ket and the very large sales poten-
tialities existing in that country prom
Use we'll for increased exports of Amer
lean cars to Argentina, according to
II. G. Schuette of the Automotive Di-
vision. Department of Commerce
Since 1928 the total number of cars in
operation in Argentina has increased
approximately so per cent each year.
and the present registration ap-
proaches the 100000 mark. about o.
per cent of which are automobiles of
American make.
1t is said i'll Argentina that the satu-
ration point for automotive sales is
not imminent. and in support of that
statement it is shown that there is
only | car for every 55 persons i'm the
country at the present time, as com
pared with a ratio of ! to every per
sons in the United States, 1 TO 10 in
Canada, l to II in New Zealand and
l to 20 in Australia.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

instructions from the local exchange
played a leading part in forming this
body.
w. W. Spaid Of w. B. Hibbs & Co
Initiated move during the year &c
bring a closer unity among the New
York Stock Exchange houses which
do business outside of Wall street
Several important group meetings
have been held and matters of spe-
cial concern to these outside firms
acted upon.
Bank Clearings Make Record
Bank clearings for the year have
made Il new record in Washington.
At this writing the December figures
are not quite completed For IL
months they show substantial gains.
They are also expected to record prog
ress in December
Clearings for re II months Of this
year, compared with 1925, follow;
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

them were false and ? were from fires
outside the District.
Decreases Are Shown.
Losses in August, resulting from
l7S alarms, totaled only $25,522.
Twenty-three of the alarms were
false and 2 were for fires in neigh
boring States.
September losses showed a still
further decrease to a total of $19,019.
There were 1T alarms sounded dur
ing the 30-day period, "a of them
false and 3 for fires outside the Dis
trict.
Fire losses the following month.
October. amounted to $29,676, result
ing from 241 alarms, 4S of them false
and for fires outside the District.
There were 2S3 alarms sounded dur
ing the month of November. SO of
them false and for fires in neighbor-
ing States. Losses during the month
totaled $S1,733
More than 200 alarms were received
by the department the last month of
the year, only from outside the Dis
trict. Losses amounted to practically
$500, 900.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31
Totals 81 .265. 31s 1910 81 a29. 557 .61a

"r""+"t1T "
Using these figures as a business
barometer, Washington has had a
record year in the mercantile field
Leading merchants also support this
statement. Christmas trade was the
best ever known among the big stores,
although some merchants in the out
lying sections OF the city said other
years had been considerably better
for them.
However, in reporting the greatest
business prosperity the Capital has
ever experienced it should be remem-
bered that a good many small bust
ness enterprises have had to close
their doors. 1t is always so. The
path has not been strewn with roses
for everybody. Men anxious to work
have had some long hunts to find
positions. And some have failed.
The business millennium did not
arrive in 1926. But. like the passage
Of the Mct'adden banking bill and the
oftdiscussed merger of the local trac-
ton lines, 1t may come in 1927. Then
again it may not.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

PITTSBURGH, Pa, December 81
The production of polished plate glass
In the United States during the month
of November. 1926, was 9,705.324
square feet as, compared with a pro.
duction of 9,ss9,135 square feet in
square feet, as compared with a pro
duced i'll November was 1.4S0.3Sg
square feet less than was made in
october, 1926.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31
FILM TRADE EXPANDS.

The growth of the American film
industries in foreign fields is providing
jobs in practically every civilized coun-
try and even extends into some of the
less developed sections. The Fox Film
Corporation is an example of the
growth OF this industry around the
world. approximately 40 per cent of
this company's income is derived from
foreign sales In 10 years il has
established branches in 81 foreign
cities. covering every civilized country
with the exception OF Russia.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31
THE COURTS

The acquittal of Albert b. Fall, for
mer Secretary of the Interior, and
Edward l.. Doheny. oil magnate of
Los Angeles, in the Criminal Divi-
sion of the District Supreme Court
was the outstanding feature of q re-
view of court proceedings in the Dis.
trict during the year 1926. The case
was the first to be tried of the four
indictments growing out of the leas.
ing of the naval oil reserves in
Wyoming and California.
The Teapot Dome conspiracy case,
in which Mr.. Fall is accused with
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

94,375, arrests for intoxication, said to
be the greatest number in any calen-
der year. totaling 1851. The total
number of arrests for traffic violations
was 42,238.
There were 81 murders committed
during the IL months, and SO arrests
on murder charges. Arrests for man.
slaughter numbered 81, all but result
ing from fatal traffic accidents. Ar
rests for driving motor vehicles while
intoxicated jumped to a total of 662,
and there were 81 arrests for driving
horse-drawn vehicles while intoxi
Gated.
Seventy.seven deaths resulted from
traffic accidents, and 101 persons were
seriously injured. Minor injuries
were suffered by 3,012 persons, and
there We're 3,S46 accidents in which
only property damage resulted, MAX
ing a total Of 1904 accidents during
the year.
Included. among arrests for traffic
violations were the following: Collid-
ing and failing to stop, 346; dazzling
lights, 211; reckless driving, 1,649;
speeding, 6,517, and miscellaneous vio-
lations, 32,S52.
Dry Force Makes Good Showing.
Members of the dry law enforce
ment squad. operating under orders
direct from Maj. Hesse, and members
Of the precinct commands detailed for
such service, made a showing much
better, it is reported, than police of
cities much larger than Washington,
arrests for various offenses under the
prohibition law totaling 5,295.
Offenses charged against the per-
sons arrested were as follows: Illegal
possession, 1920; transporting, LAB;
selling intoxicants, 1,106; manufac.
turing liquor, SO; conspiracy to violate
the law, -; maintaing nuisance, %;
possession of still, IS; miscellaneous
offenses, 5; drinking in public. 1871.
Seizures made in connection with
the enforcement of the prohibition en-.
forcement act included the following:
Motor vehicles, $50; horse-drawn We
hicles, II; bicycles, IA; whisky, 1885,
149 quarts; alcohol, 1878 quarts;
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31
RAIL MILEAGE GAINS.
1925 Figure UP and 1926 Is Elk
pected to Show Increase.

An interesting and significant fact
disclosed by the annual report of the
Interstate Commerce Commission. re
Gently made public. is that in 1925, for
the first time in nine years. the total
railway mileage in the United States
increased instead of declining" says.
the Railway Age. Statistics for 1926,
which are being compiled for the Rail-
way Age, Indicate that probably the
same thing has occurred this year.
when 81 complete check of the
mileage by States in 1925 can be made
1t will undoubtedly be found that most
of the increases have occurred in the
South, where the increases in traffic
and earnings until recently have been
relatively the largest"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-31

Into the pages of the history of the
District government 1926 will be put
down as probably the most disturbing
period in it's history. Fraught with
congressional Investigations and ON
nous threats of others, the year also
marked the passing of two Commits
sioners-one who resigned to travel
and play after almost n decade of
untiring service to the city, and the
other who went out of office at the
Instance of President Coolidge after
q brief administration of 10 months,
during which time he had been almost
a. constant target of criticism.
q Cuno Fl. Rudolph. whose popularity
as a District Commissioner was most
emphatiCally acclaimed at recent
testimonial dinner. stepped out of Of
fee in November with a record for
length of service paralleled by only
one OF his many predecessors. Into
his place Mir. Coolidge put Sidney f.
Taliaferro, lawyer and longtime
resident of Washington.
The resignation of Frederick A.
Fenning came as a sequel to n long
and sensational attack on him in Con
Asross, inspired by Representative
Thomas Blanton of Texas. It brought
TO q close the stormiest administration
tor J.. Dougherty. a prominent and
ardent civic worker. succeeded him.
Both Mr.. Dougherty and Mr. Italia
ferro took office under recess appoint
ments, and the new year finds them
awaiting confirmation by the Senate.
\ Other Changes Made.
While the most important, these
changes in the personnel of the Board
of Commissioners did not completely
overshadow several other shifts of
primary interest in the District serv-
ice. Lieut.. Col. ]. Franklin Bell. En-
gineer COMMISSIONER, lost two of his
three assistants. Maj. William II. Hol-
eombe and Mai. Raymond A. Wheeler.
who were ordered to other posts in
the Summer by the Chief Of Engineers
of the ARMY. Their places were filed
by Capt Herbert c. Whitehurst and
Mai. Layson f. Atkins, who with
Maj. W. L. Il. Covell form the trio
Of assistant engineer commissioners
Aside from the administrative phase,
the District had a year marked by
considerable progress. The appro-
tons were, in general. more adequate
than those for any previous year since
the United States entered the World
War.
The five-year school-building pro-
gram was we'll under way. The new
water supply system approached COM
pletion. Material progress was made
in the installation of new street lights
in accordance with the plan approved
Yor the entire District. Considerable
Improvement was made in the condi-
ton of the downtown streets, and
several streets We're widened, but
there are yet more than 700 900 square
yards of street paving slated for re-
placement that is more than 80 years
old.
Construction Advancing.
= The construction of permanent
ylldings at the District Workhouse
ffnd Reformatory is going forward,
Aapd the construction Of the new Dis
fict Training School is progressing TO
he satisfaction of the Commissioners.