davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
DEGREE

"That I don't know, sir.
Her maid lilly came in q few
minutes before dinner was
ready with some hot rolls.
She said Mrs. Phelps would be
over later"
"This is Of the greatest pos
sible Importance" declared An
derson. ''It means that some
one saw Mrs. Paige after this
maid did"
shall 7 try to get her on
the phone?" asked Mailer,
rising.
Thanks" replied Anderson.
II wish you would. Ask her
If she will be kind enough
to come here as soon as pos
sible."
"There are a few more ques-
tion," continued Anderson to
the servant. "About that let
ter. Did you see it again or
can you guess who wrote it?"
GNOp Sill VIC ACNV4 oCOA4 ~
since. Miss Sonny either de-
stroyed it herself or put it there
in her desk, with her other let
ters" and she pointed to a
handsome rosewood writing
desk in one corner Of the
library.
Anderson rose, saw that the
pigeonholes were crammed with
letters, locked it, and put the
key in his pocket.
"We'n go over that care
fully later on" he explained,
turning to Kurtz.
Then to the housekeeper,
''Mrs. Deane, did you empty
the waSte-paper baskets or any
trash since Mrs. Paige's death?"
mo, sir"
But you cleared UP this
room?"
eyes, sir. Mr.. Ranney asked
me to. I busted and straight
ened it, but the waste-basket
The Washington times., 1934-02-08

belonged to the Russian queen.
She wore it all the time"
Showed it to all her friends
and talked a lot about it?"
Eyes, sir"
Foolish grill" exclaimed
Anderson to the two detectives.
I'm afraid her indiscreet talk
has cost her her life!"
Wasn't she afraid to keep 1t
here, Mrs. Deane-Such q valu-
able jewell"
mo, sir. You see most Of
the time, there's always some
body here. If I went away,
Mr.. Ranny was at home. And
If we were both away, the gar
dener, who Is the caretaker for
the big house, used to come
up and keep an eye on things.
Then generally Mr.. Murray
and his family and Mr.. John
Paige are all here. The big
house is occupied by Colonel
Paige, ana ne JuSC CLOSES ~ Ia
the winter. Most times there
are plenty of people around"
"You knew where she kept
the jewell"
"Oh, yes, sir. There was a
little wall-safe in her bedroom,
but half the time she never
troubled to put it away. She
used to go to bed with it on
said it made her feel so close
to that Russian queen"
"Now you say that you were
not here on Monday evening.
Where did you go?"
Unto wSon to visit Q
friend, Mrs. johnson, on Ale
gheny Avenue. She has three
children and it's hard for her
ever to get away at night. I
offered to come in and stay
with them If she and her
husband wanted to go in town
to the movies. I was in the
habit Of doing this"
The Washington times., 1934-02-08

was empty. I did not touch
that"
"Then you are certain that
the letter is either here or was
destroyed by Mrs. Paige him.
self?"
"I should think so, sir"
At this moment Mailer re-
turned.
''Mrs. Phelps has left the
house for the day. The maid
said that she would ask her
to come here the moment she
returns he informed Ander-
son briefly.
Anderson nodded and took
up the questioning again. It
was clear that he regarded
the testimony as important.
"Can you tell us anything
about that telephone call? Was
it long-distance2"
"I think not, sir. The man
spoke as soon as I picked up
the receiver"
"WiIl you try to trace all
Of the calls to and from this
house on Monday?" said the
inspector, turning to KurtI.
'Now, Mrs. Deane, had you
ever heard this mans voice
before?"
"No, sir. It was sort Of
rough-like. Not a bit like that
of most Of Miss sunny's
friends"
would you know it If you
heard it again?"
IT am certain that I would"
''Did Mrs. Paige have many
phone calls from men?"
The maid hesitated.
''Why. yes, SIR" she said
finally. ''I suppose she did.
The men were all crazy about
her, Of course, and they used
to call her up and joke and
tease her and ask her and Mr..
Ranny to 60 places"
The Washington times., 1934-02-08

mo, sir, really I didn't. Not
q word Of it. Miss Sunny
trusted me and I wouldn't have
listened to her for anything in
the world. She was too good
to me. She treated me just
like a mother" and here the
60-year-old woman began to
cry afreSh.
'Then what?" asked An
derson.
Nothing much, sir. Only I
know that Miss Sunny said
she wasn't going out that day.
I know that she called up and
cancelled all her dates-satd
she didn't feel well enough. All
day she moped there in her
little room, but late in the
afternoon I heard the phone
ring again. Miss Sunny came
flying down the steps, Just as
If she had been expecting it.
and answered the call herself.
I heard her in there talking for
q long time.
"Then she came out to the
kitchen where I was getting
dinner, and she didn't seem so
worried and more at rest. She
told me that Mr.. Ranny wasn't
coming home for dinner but
that I should go c. to Towson
and spend the evening as I had
already planned to do. She
said she had called Mrs. Phelps
and that she had promised to
spend the evening with her.
To think that I left her-to
die here alone like that!"
who Is Mrs. Phelps?" asked
Anderson with interest.
"She's our next door neigh
bor to the south, sir. Her
house is about q mile down the
lane. She was Miss Sunny's
best friend"
"And did she Gomez"
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
Diplomacy Needed

When there Is political In
trigue in Alexandria it is in
trigue Of the most intricate
type.
Jack Tulloch works for the
Alexandria Gazette. Izzy Berg
man is branch manager for q
washington newspaper whose
Alexandria correspondent Is
Johnnie Broohield.
Tulloch calls the Washington
newspaper to say that Bergman
is running for councilman. but
that Rrookfield favorS the op-
position.
So, he requests. don't let the
correspondent be too active in
his campaign against the
branch manager Of the sheet
for which both work.
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
ibid she have ANY,

ibid she have any,"
Anderson paused. at a loss to
supply the word which would
question the honor Of the dead
girl.
But the maid was quick to
get his meaning and flushed
with indignation.
"They were all friends. sir"
she said, quietly, and not with
out a certain dignity. miss
Sunny loved her husband and
nobody else."
Anderson nodded quickly.
I'm sure Of that" he said.
'I thought there might have
been somebody who admired
Mrs. Page, but whom she didn't
like-Someone who might have
killed her because he was
jealous"
The maid shook her mead.
There is also another angle
to this investigation which Is
very serious. want you to
tell us all that you know about
the pearl and diamond pendant
belonging to your mistress
the one which was around her
neck when she was found. It
IS possible that someone was
here after that"
Mrs. Deane thought for o
minute. "There wasn't any
secret about that, sir. It be-
longed to an English princess
no, a Russian princess, I think.
Her father gave it to Miss
Sunny when she married and
she simply adored it. She was
Q great one for that Russian
business anyway; read every
thing she could get her hands
on"
"You know its value?"
probed Anderson.
''Not exactly. Miss Sunny
used to say that it had no
real value except that It had
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
Around
The
Capital
By JOHN sNURE. Jr.

Mrs. Henry r. Rsiney, wife OF
the Democratic Speaker Of the
House, also believes in being
democratic.
When Q delegation Of three
Communists appeared at the
House recently. police officials
were undecided as to what es-
cort they should be given on
their trip to the Speakers Of
flee.
Mrs. Rainey said they might
send Q plainclothes man with
the Communists but not to send
o uniformed detail.
Contrary to that suggestion,
the Communists were escorted
to the Speakers office BY three
burly, uniformed Capitol cops.
The Communists were invited
to be seated.
MrS. Rainey offered them
cigarettes. They accepted.
Then Mrs. Rainey suggested
that the cops should light the
cigaretteSl
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
One on California

Ralph Sharpton, Of the Re-
construction Finance Corpora
tion, is an advocate of the sunny
California climate, despite the
fact that he IS the brother-in-
law Of Senator Dick Russell, Of
Georgia.
They were having q round
table discussion Of the merits Of
California in Shsrpton's office
the other day. Everyone agreed
with Sharpton that the sunny
State was the place to spend
available time.
An auditor agreed this state
ment was true, but pointed out
that the magnetism Of the State
might prove a drawback.
He had been a st. Louis
auditor and had been sent to
California to do some work.
So taken with the climate was
he that he stayed an extra
month. On his return to st.
Louis he was fired for over
staying his time.
50 said he:
II became o government en-
0F0Y0!~
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
Why 1t Was Shushed

Around the town floats the
rumor that the reason the
News failed to follow through
on those reports that Senator
Huey P. Long caned diminut1ve
Reporter Ray Moulden was that
the paper did not wish its men
to be In the lime-light.
The public, according to al
legged executive fears, might have
believed the News newsman was
getting too much publicity and
therefore the powers that be
agreed not to press for action
on q cause that they them
selves believed to be more than
iuSt,
The Washington times., 1934-02-08

A list Of new members, snp
rolled by Josephine George.
lilo Eighth st. N. w., Includes
Angelica Wilson LeatherR
1880 Massachusetts, Ave. N. W.
Birthday October 6, age 10.
Helen Florence Glenger. 1914
Twelfth st. N. w. Birthday MAY
20, age 10.
Betty josephine Gienger, 1874
Twelfth st. N. w. Birthday A.
gust IA, age 2.
Mary George, lilo Eighth g.
N. w. Birthday February IL. 40
one.
Joan Henderson, $50 Fraz1e
Ave, Aurora Hills, AlexandF1as
Va. Birthday January I, age ID.
Helen Brooks, 1929 Eleventh
st. N. w. Birthday June IL. aNo
10.
Helen Fields, 1929 n Sc. N. U.
Birthday March II, age 10.
Julia Hanna, SO02 Porter O.
N. w. Birthday December 5, agS
IL.
A group Of new members o.
rolled by Louise Payne, Of %
per Marlboro, Md.
Louise quotes:
Exit, Old Pal-Here are %
new members for your wonds&
full club. They are:
Virgie CattertOn, age II,
birthday March 6; Ruth CattaR.
ton, age Z, birthday February
1S; Clyde Cattert0n. age Q,
birthday June 2; Alverta Wood.
age 10, birthday December 16s
Clyde Wood, age 7, birthday
July %; Bertha White, age 8,
birthday February %; Dorothy
Mae White, age 2, birthday Feb.
ruary II; Louise White, age g.
birthday July 27; Helen Marie
Hall, age S, birthday June 1s
Junior Hall, age S, birthday OC-
tober 13; Harvey Ford, age 8,
birthday December 1; jeanette
Ford, age 16 months, birthday
September 9; Roland Moore, age
1115, birthday July 8; Egbert
Moore, age 3, birthday NOvema-
ber 9, all Of Upper Marlboro,
Md.
Louise also sends two mem
bers Of Meadows, Md.
They are: Loretta Ferguson
age IL, birthday June 20, and
Betty Carroll"
Carroll Flaherty, $50 N St.
8. W.:
81 have received my mem
bership card and I am very
glad to become . member OF
the club.
II read the column every
evening and I want to know
why my name hasn't been In
the column.
81 want the other mGmbsrR
Of the club to know that ]
have q cowboy suit just IKE
Kit KarsOn's.
'I would like to enroll my
little friend, Abraham Aubeek
379 N st. S. w. He % sevea
years old"
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
Pavement Patter

4uS GEGnS1aCOT 10r MaQam0
TroyanovSky is JeSSica Smith,
who once was very active in the
woman'S Party when it was
fighting for woman suffrage
and who later went to Russia,
where she experienced difficulty
with her passport because Of
feminist activities there There
is q guard at the Department Of
Agriculture who can mold his
face so that he closely resembles
the late President woodrow Will
son. and to add to that his
name is Wilson-File clerks at
the Veterans Administration
are protesting because they are
being called upon to file appeals
that were sent in by veterans as
far back as October-Anne
Evans, who achieved the repu-
tation Of being one Of the best
secretaries on the Hill when she
worked for the late Representa-
tive Bolivar Kemp, is now build.
ing an equally commendable
reputation as assistant director
Of the Phil Hayden studios
Zona Kelley says she approves
Of bribery" just as long as the
''bribeS" are in the form Of
chocolate drops, for which she
has a particular fancy-S. P.
Southern Pacific" Sanderson,
son Of q former Secretary Of the
Senate. was around the Capital
the other day renewing old &C.
uuaintanceS-When a local wag
saw a prominent government Of
ficial look at the Potomac in q
nose-up-in-the-air manner and
term q stretch Of rapids q "Trip
pie" he muttered pride goeth
before Great Falls" and
Mrs. Simpson celebrated their
seventh anniversary at their
home in Cherrydale the other
eve and if all their future an
niversarieS are as enjoyable as
that one Reno will never make
money on that pair.
The Washington times., 1934-02-08
Times
Adventure
Club
Happy Birthday

Birthday anniversaries cele.
brated today by our club mem
bers are the following. Buddy
Adams, 7O7 Tenth st. 8. E.S
Robert Binnix, 2T1O 0 st. 8. E.S
Anne Clarke, 14O6 Main Sc.
Fredericksburg, Va: Helen
Marie Cunningham, 1925 Gar.
field st. N. w.; Billy Wilson.
2129 Wyoming Ave. N. w.; Min
ME Squires, Seat Pleasant, Md.s
Barbara Frost, 7O1 Taylor Sts
Petworth, d. c.; Marie Casper.
1914 COrbin Pl. N. Z.
Best wishes for . happy
birthday.
The Washington times., 1934-12-07
The Greatest Show
On Earth
By John SnUre, T.

Headkeeper Blackburn refused
with some emphasis.
In ridiculing the attempt OF
the photographer to get the type
of picture he wished, Blackburn
recalled:
"Some time ago one Of the
keepers approached the cage OF
a lion and saw an elderly woman
creeping toward LeO's pen with
a pair Of scissors in her hand.
"He demanded to know what
she was doing and was told that
she wanted three hairs from the
lions name, which she said would
cure her rheumatism. The keeper
refused but said the lion looked
sympathetic and that he would
attempt to get the hairs.
"She said to secure the cura-
tive powers she must clip Mr..
Leo'S name herself.
$50 far as / know she still has
her rheumatism"
While Secretary Of Interior
Harold L. 1ckeS and Federal EN-
ergency Relief Administrator
Hopkins argue about the advisa.
bility of homesteads in the
United States, situation devel-
ops in St. Croix of the Virgin
Islands that might give them
some insight on these substance
developments.
A report from st. Croix says:
Because complaining home
SteaderS appealed to President
Roosevelt against actions which
they deem unjust, they are sin.
gled out for a line of treatment
that is a thrOwback to the OPP
pressive and intOlerable meth
DDS of the old severe planters
and land owners.
"They live in houses in which
the walls are breaking down.
Big holes here and there have
The Washington times., 1934-12-07
Listen, World!
By Elsie Robinson

right to love that child, to
serve it, to live or die for 1t.
but she has no right to POS
SESS it.
And even her right of asso-
citation depends on the wisdom
and fairness of her treatment
as revealed by the evidence be-
fore the court.
There is an ancient saying
that "a mother is a child'S
best friend"-and generations
of grateful, adoring children
will attest that is true.
But it isn't ALWAYS true.
No one would be idiotic enough
to say that ALL women are
intelligent, tender, unSelfish.
loyal, devoted. Yet without
hesitation we endow all moth.
erS with these qualities.
But a mother is simply
woman. And birth is merely a
physical process. There Is
nothing in that process which
miraculouSly changes a selfish,
silly, stupid woman into a wise
and loving madonna.
Most women DO love their
children, and try to do their
best for them. But not all.
And sometimes even the best
intentioned mothers are plain
poison for their unfortunate
offspring. Hence, custody
cases.
The judge who takes a child
from a proven unfit mother is
not a heartless monster. He is
a brave, conscientious servant
Of the public, safeguarding the
interests of those who are too
helpless to protect themselves.
And he has no more right to
allow himself to be sWayed in
his decision by mamas tears
or the threats of her lady
friends than by the curses OF
catcallS of any criminal.
FAIR PLAY
Nor do such tears and
threats serve motherhood in
general, sisters. Childbirth, in
itself, entities us to no honorS.
A wildcat can become a mother
as readily as a human female
and often proves a better
one.
Motherhood is only sacred
when it is based upon intelli-
gence and fair play. Upon that
basis have women asserted and
secured their right to honor
able consideration-as against
the depreciation of their previ-
Gus legal situation.
And the hysterical ladies who
now insist on defending Poor,
Dear Mama regardless of her
record are certainly doing Us
Mothers no favor.
Copyright. 1894. by King Features
Syndicate, 1nc.)
The Washington times., 1934-12-07
to permit Wash

David Skinner, secretary; or
John Redpath, Chamber legal
light, are not the leaders.
Thus is additional turmoil
created in the already dis
rupted inner workings of the
Chamber. Redpath and Skin
ner, both $2O,OOO.a-year men,
and Hartman, who works for
the glory of the title, witness
their alleged power wane.
All has not been well in the
inner circle of the Chamber
for some time.
Redpath and Merle Thorpe,
editor of the Chambers pub
1tcntion, "NGtion'S Business" a
so-cGlled nonprotit magazine,
haze not been on friendly
terms. Both Dere anxious for
power since they Dent to work.
1t was once said of them
that Thorpe was accepted to
think up new ideas while Red
path was to prevent then. from
being carried out.
So while the officials argue,
Director Strawn takes a hand
and relieves those who were
considered higher ups" from
responsibility in connection
with the Town Hall incident.
And from all reports, Di-
rector StrGw1l mGv be reaDarded
by witnessing a drop in men,
bership because he refused to
permit the ToDn Hall to meet
in the auditorium after making
vGriouS excuses for his stand.
There is still SOM doubt as
to why Strawn refused to per
init the meetings. But one
thing is certain:
No additional light will be
thrown on the subject in the
next issue of Nations Busi-
ness"
With the customary astute-
ness of Washington photo
grapherS, one member of that
profession recently approached
William Blackburn, headkeeper
at the Washington Zoo, and
asked that he be permitted to
take pictures of someone feeding
a lion.
The Washington times., 1934-12-07
Getting Inside Experience On
The Health Factor
By Nelson Harding

shoulder blade. Indeed, he
looked as though he could
hardly stand.
told him he had better take
it easy, and he said:
"HOw?"
And I said there are all the
community chests now, and he
answered:
"But 1 am not sick enough to
have a free doctor; l just got a
dreadful pain under my ShOul"
der blade and / feel wOOZy in
the head"
I didn't feel so we'll myself,
but 1 was still very much on
the outside of all this.
And even after Joe, who US
ually drives me from the office
to the station, had told me ne
could hardly sit up straight be-
cause his head ached so, I still
felt strongly in favor Of letting
George do it. George in this
case being the organized char
tiles for whom I speak, draw
and deliver lectures.
And then it happened. l
shall save you the details. Tony
and Markowitz and Joe can give
them to you just as well. I had
been working for this for years,
and then it came.
Somehow or other I got to the
station, and somehow or other
I got in the train.
I have no recollection Of that
train ride except as a short
repetition in IS minutes of all
Dante'S experiences during his
progress through Hades.
I don't know how I got out OF
that train and into the car. ]
don't know how got into bed,
or who telephoned for the doc
tors and nurses.
FROM NOW ON
I know, and with deep graft
tude I realize, that nobody
could now have kinder care. I
lie in a lovely room and the
view is superb.
Someone is forever by my
side to see that I shall pull
through this. If I do, I can say
what the Negro said to the
judge who was about to con-
denim him to the gallows:
"Judge, this sure will be .
lesson to me-"
For here, except for the extra
care of Jimmie and Mary and
Noodle and the nurses and doc
tors and the countless number
of friends lie Tony and Mar
koWitz and Joe.
Here the Outsider has be-
come the Insider. From now on
shall know what it means to
be sick.
Copyright. 1894. by King Features
Syndicate. 1nc.)
The Washington times., 1934-12-07

p1tlful pictures of her giving
candy to the little children in
the street when she can't have
her own baby?. There ought
to be a law" etc. etc. etc.
Dozens of them in every mail
all demanding that I do
something about it. Nothing
doing, girls! I've only one set
of health and I intend to hang
onto it. 1 do not. in the first
place, know anything whatever
about this particular custody
case.
And even if did it is
thank Heaven-not my job. A
columnist's life is precarious
enough without tangling with
1927, ,489 Mad MamaS.
LEGAL AFFAIR
However, it's plain that a
little general information on
this subject is badly needed.
Women who are intelligent,
fair and well-informed on every
other topic go completely ber-
Serk when a child'S custody Is
under consideration. And If
things get much worse, we'll
be picking up mangled magls-
trates at almost any corner.
The simple fact is that child
custody is a legal. not a sentl-
mental affair. 1t is a plain,
prosaic process by which the
court seeks to determine the
rights and provide for the well
fare of minor children. Con-
trary to general sentiment,
Junior or Sister are the inn
portant considerations and
Mama-no matter how beauti-
full or blubbery-is merely an
also ran.
BUT HASN'T ANY MOTH,
Err A NATURAL RIGHT TO
HER OWN CHILD?"
She has not. She has a
The Washington times., 1934-12-07

home and heaven.
My mother died when I was
very young; my home was as
unhappy as any home could
hope to be, and I never felt very
certain about heaven. But I seem
to be able to draw money out
Of peoples pockets. The need Is
great, and so I talked.
But I was on the outside, and
others for whom I talked were
on the inside. And now sud-
denly I am on the inside myself.
l hadn't been feeling we'll Tor
quite a long time, but there
was a lot of work and the more
woozy and weak I felt the more
I was convinced that this was
a sign of moral weakness
THE SYMPTOMS
If I only worked a little
harder I should probably pull
out, and so I continued with
books and editorials, pictures
magazine articles and lectures,
and if there is any phllan-
thropic organization within a
hundred miles of New York for
which I didn't talk or write
or draw 1 should like to hear
Of it.
But it was outside work. The
poor and sick were on the in
side. 1 was on the outside
because I was so strong and so
big, and could carry more work
on my shoulders than any one
else.
And then went to New York
last week on Tuesday, or was
it Wednesday? I have forgotten
which. I had two lectures, and
between lectures I had a num-
Der of odd jobs.
found Tony, from whom I
used to buy papers. still at the
old stand. He was all huddled
in a heap. I asked him what
the matter was and he said:
"NO can do. Pain in my
chest. My wife she expects an
other little one Aext week. My
The Washington times., 1934-12-07
Alice in Wonderland Dead?
We Doubt 1t
Alice in Wonderland dead?

Alice in Wonderland dead?
The cables say so. -
"Mrs Alice HargreaUes, long i'll, succun1bs at home
in Kent"
It was seventy years ago. drifting in boat on quiet Eng
sh stream that she listened to Lewis Carols stories OF the
Red Queen Rabbit Tweededum and Tweededee and the
other figures make believe that have since become the
friends Of children and grownups wherever the English tongue
is heard. And now Alice is dead
So the cables say but truth often the sheere false
hood.
mortal body may be laid to rest but she lives on and
will live forever in the hearts of all to whom the realm OF
charm and and fancy real than any humdru
world of fact.
The Washington times., 1934-12-07

big openings in the boards that
permit crabs and other creep
ing things to roam their rooms
at night. Some shutters, with
their frames, are falling out Of
the walls.
"When all shutters have been
closed one can see the sky at
day or night through the open
ingS in the roof.
"Yet these hOmeSteaders are
forced to pay a rental for the
privilege of remaining in them.
"The money not being paid
soon enough, they are taken to
the courts to enforce payment"
Copyright, 1884, The Washington Time