The Washington times., 1935-11-22
NOW
AshLey's Record
As q Mayor
CRIME DATA
BY HELEN ESSARY

Democratic office holders who
want to stay where they are
Candidates from everywhere and
anywhere
Here's a tip! Phone, write, tele-
graph or call to ask advice Of Mr..
Charles s. Ashley, now staying at
the Mayflower with the visiting
mayors.
Mr.. Ashley has been mayor OF
New Bedford, Mass, for 81 terms.
And that isn't all. He has been
and still is a Democratic mayor
in an intensely Republican COM
munity.
Once, when Mr.. Ashley had been
mayor for so long that he couldn't
remember when he hadn't been
mayor, he refused to allow his
name to be put on the new mayor
atty ticket. He said he couldn't
run. He was sick. He was going
to Boston to be operated on.
New Bedfordians were stricken.
What! they said. Carry on with
out Mr.. Ashley! It's unthinkable!
So they got some quite legal stick
ers decorated with Mr.. Ashley's
name to be added to the regular
ballot.
Applying the stickers was an
extra effort. But New Bed
fordians didn't mind. They
elected Mr.. Ashley by big
majority. Mr.. Ashley was in the
hospital at the moment, quite
oblivious of what had happened.
After this experience Mr.. Ash
ley resigned himself happily to
his pursuing fate. He has been
mayor of New Bedford ever
since.
He's family rebelling now,
however. He says he isn't as
young as he was (he's passed
rs though he looks about SOD
and he thinks it's time New
Bedford had a little change.
I was asking some New Eng
landers why Massachusetts, was
30 addicted to Mr.. Ashley. They
said he was energetic, honest,
popular and governed New Bed
ford well.
The policeman on our beat who
Is studying law at a local uni
versity, tells me that 400 out Of
the 1900 policemen on the District
of Columbia police force are at
tending law school.
The next time I'm sent to jail
for highway robbery, arson, may
hem or overparking, I'm going
to get police alumnus lawyer
a smart fellow who knows both
sides of the law.
Speaking so happily of crime
and it's pursuers, reminds me of
the serious January to September,
1885, report of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation about to be made
public.
Try to get the figures in your
head as I write them. They are
quite interesting and significant.
Persons under twenty-five years
of age made up more than a third
or 109, ,481 Of the 292, $50 arrest re.
ports examined.
Youths under IS formed more
than half Of those charged with
larceny and about two-thirds of
those charged with automobile
thefts.
After the age of 25, the records
show, the adventuring law-break.
ing spirit Of youth is broken. This
may be just as well.
One-fourth of the arrests, by the
way, had had previous convictions.
More or less on the same theme,
I recall that Agatha Christie, the
English writer, whose thrillers
have such a vogue in America.
was the heroine a few years ago
in London Of her own mystery
story.
Mrs. Christie disappeared from
her home, leaving no indication
of where she had gone. About q
week after her sudden exit, her
car was found, deserted beside an
old chalk pit, near London. In
the car were her hat, coat and
pocket book. Obviously thrown
down in a hurry.
The chalk pit was dragged
vainly for her body. The hunt
went on furiously in the papers
and over the countryside. At last
somebody found Agatha, living
comfortably under an assumed
name-quite alone-in a remote
country hotel. Her husband ad-
mitted he had known from the
first where his wife was.
Agatha confessed that the dis
appearance had been a publicity
stunt. She had been about to
publish another novel.
Was the public and the press
enraged? 1t was. But Agatha
Christie had been talked about
from one end of England to the
other. So why worry about a
temporary mad.
Sudden change Of themes
The coveted invitations to Mrs.
wilkins, Mrs. Spencer'S and Mrs.
Letters series Of three subscription
dances for young people at the
Sulgrave Club are Just out. They
will be held on Saturday nights,
December /, January IL and Feb
ruary /. All applications to bring
guests must be in writing, handed
in the Thursday before the dance.
A telephone call Just will not do.