davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Congressman B. K. Focht
of PENNSYLVANIA Dies

THE small Republican group in
L the house lost one of its men,
bers by the death of Representative
Benjamin K. Focht of Lewisburg,
Pa. Becoming suddenly ill while
dining at a Washington hotel, he
was taken to hospital and passed
away from heart disease.
Mr.. Focht, who was editor of the
Lewisburg Saturday News, began
his public service in 1907 as a MEM
Der of the 60th congress. The pres
ent was his tenth term, but he had
not served consecutively. He was
seventy-four years of age and was
the son of Lutheran minister. His
widow, son, and a daughter sur
vive.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Japan Rejects IA Inch
Limit on Naval Guns

Japan has rejected British pro-
y posal for the limitation of naval
guns to IA inch caliber unless Great
Britain and the United States agree
to reduce the size of their larger
warships. This decision was impart-
ed to Sir Robert Give, British am
bassador to Toxic, by Foreign Min
lister Naotake Sato, and it leaves
America, Britain and France, sig
natories to the London treaty, free
to arm their ships with 16 inch
guns. The British are said to have
decided guns of that caliber are
not practical at sea, but they are
favored by United States navy en-
gineers. Britain's five new battle
ships will carry IA inch guns.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

I n a n maneuVerlng
through the air with
out a parachute, is
his aim, especially
at the above height.
Varoff will agree,
too, that when he
made his world in
door record of IA
feet AZ inches at
Boston last month,
his off-balance in the
air threw him down
head first, proving
that it makes the
downward fall dam
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

retired, special representatives.
Curtis Box of Philadelphia will be
secretary of mission. Col. James L..
Collins will be aid to Gen. Pershing,
and Commander Frank E. Beatty
will be aid to Admiral Rodman.
The battleship New York, flagship
of the Sixth battle squadron with
the grand fleet in British waters
during the World war, will partici-
pate in the international naval re-
view off Spithead on May 20.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09


the best team in the league but that
the Cubs will provide the main op-
position and that Rip Collins will
star in the full 154 games.
Harry Voiler, the fight movie man
has plans to win the light-heavy-
weight championship with AL De-
laney. Delaney's injured hand, in
cidentally, has entirely healed and
he will soon resume fighting. One
of the prides of the Stevens Broth
ers, the racetrack and ball park
restaurant men, is that they have
more than $500 employees. But that
no valued employee ever has left
them except on account Of death
or extreme old age.
Millionaire John Hertz doesn't
seem to care who knows how sore
he is about rumors that the Illinois
Racing commission will favor
Washington Park over his Arlington
Park in the assignment of dates
this year. Wilcey Moore, former
Yankee sinker ball pitcher, still has
a span of mules called Babe and
Ruth which he won from the home
run king his first year on the club. :.
Babe bet Moore that he wouldn't
make three hits during the season.
He made four. Moore is q
gentleman farmer at Hollis, Okla,
in the winter. He is with the Kan
sas City Blues this season. Stan
Laurel, the movie comedian, inter-
rupted vacation cruise to stop in
Cuba and watch the New York
Giants work out. Benevolent cit
liens of Auburn, Wash, are caring
for Amos Rusie, old New York
Giant pitching star, and his wife,
who were dispossessed recently
when a mortgage was foreclosed on
their farm.
Although his best friends tell him
to forget it Jack Dempsey still
dreams of promoting one big heavy
weight championship fight. Harry
Hooper, regarded as one Of the fin
est sun fielders in major league his
tory, once was charged with three
errors on two successive pitched
balls when playing right field for
the White SOx. He fumbled two
flies and made a wild throw on one
Of them. Sh0eless Joe Jackson
now weighs 230 pounds and owns
two automobiles. Joseph Widener
has shipped four juveniles, Un-
breakable, Entertaine, Silver Spear,
and Soda to England. Fred Perry
shares Ellsworth Vines enthusiasm
for golf. Hans Steinke, former
heavyweight wrestler, is mat ref
cree on the Pacific coast.
Two sophomores with the Iowa
baseball team on its southern trip
are relatives of major league play
ers. Harold Manders of Adel,
Ia, right-handed pitcher, is cousin
of Bob Teller and Arthur Manush
of Burlington is nephew of Heinie
Manush. Although Glenn Cum
ningham set them both in the same
race, the American mile record is
lower than the worlds. Cunning
ham ran the distance in 4:06.7, but
since the International federation
does not recognize tenth of second
timing in races above quarter of
a mile the world mark is listed as
4:06.8.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

asperated and en-
ragged, while Great
Britain anxiously
strives to avert an
open breach. Italy,
too, is now furious
against the British
because E n G Ii S h
newspapers tainted
her with the fact
that Italian volun-
teers were defeated
by French 'volun-
teers in recent VIC
foriac xuon nv the
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Death of John Drinkwater,
British Poet and Drarnatist

John DRINKWAT E r, distin-
y guished British poet, novelist and
playwright, died suddenly of heart
attack in his sleep at his home in
London. He was only fifty-four years
old and seemed in normal health.
Drinkwater's historical plays were
widely known in the United States,
particularly Abraham Lincoln"
and Robert E. Lee" He had just
completed a motion picture for the
coronation of King George vi of
which he was both author and pro-
Queer. The film deals with ''the
king and his people" from the time
of Queen Victoria to the present.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

are earnestly trying
to bring about a
compromise t h a t
would enable them
to go along with Mr..
Roosevelt without
laying themselves
open to charges of
supporting a plan to
pack the court. Sew
eral compromise
measures have been
devised, one of
which is that of Sen
ator Carl Hatch of
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
SS5;'t&5,{(|sI|s5:es
N.,,,,..about:
Departed Spirits.

CANTA MONICA, CALF
~ Continued failure of medi-
ums to claim the reward offered
by the late Harry Houdini, who
provided a test for proof of
communication with the spirit
world, makes me think of a
thing that happened at the first
seance ever held down in my
neck of the woods.
The operator was summoning the
spirits of departed dear ones to
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

01Clo ol10 Gael S1OOoS
is down to 1872
pounds. He thinks
this years Ryder
Cup team should be
composed of Sara
zen, Hagen, Manero
Shute, Horton Smith
Ralph Guldahl and
Pi C a r d. The
Cards, by the way,
have little fear of
the Giants this year.
They think Pitts
IL
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

mack of Massachu-
sets, wrote him:
81 think that it is
the duty of the Sec
rotary of labor to
point out the prob
lens, purposes and
intentions, as well
as the conditions, of
the wage earners of
the United States of
America, so far as
these are under
stood or EXPRESSED.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

at Harvard; Dorothy Thompson,
prominent journalist; Walter F.
Dodd of Chicago, constitutional au-
thority, and Dean Henry M. Bates
of the Michigan university law
school.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

order. A lanky youth
out of the bottoms
desired to S p e a k
with his father.
Presently, a shad-
owy figure appeared
between the cabi-
nets dark curtains
and a voice uttered
mufhed sounds.
as t h a t you,
Paw" inquired the
seeker.
Eyes, son." an
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

in Westminster Alb
hey May IL. They
were selected b y
President Roosevelt
and are: James w.
Gerard, former am
bassador to Ger
many, special am
b a S S a dor; G e n.
John j. Pershing,
commander of t h e
A. E. F. in the war,
and Admiral Hugh
Rodman, U. S. N.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Compromise Is Urged on
Supreme Court Bill

g ENATORS, some fifteen in num-
~ Der, who have not committed
themselves on the Presidents bill
to enlarge the Supreme court,
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09

bWGIGU CIlG VOICG.
"Paw, air you in heaven?"
Seemingly startled, the ghostly ap-
partition hesitated a moment be-
fore giving what might be taken
for an affirmative sound.
"Paw, air you an angel?" de-
manded the son.
Again an embarrassing delay,
then a difident humble.
"a regular angel with wings and
everything?"
Once more a low grunt.
"Say, Paw" cried the youth, perk-
ing up, "whut do you measure from
tip to tip?"
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
BY EARLE MEADOWS

M Y INITIAL take-oh into the
ANA realm of sports writing should,
Of course, concern the pOssibili-
ties of 15-foot vault. think it is
coming, and it's not so very far in
the future, either. But the athlete
who makes it-and there are many
who have the potentiality-will need
good imagination and just bit of
s'what it takes" to make that height.
I assume that the rabid track
crowd is familiar with the forecast
of George Varoff, the world cham
pion, who has predicted a 15-foot
leap within the next few years.
That prophecy certainly is worthy
of notice. But, even though George
is one of my best friends, and even
friends must disagree sometimes, I
can hardly fall into line with his
theory the vault will come as a
result of combining two qualities,
namely, his own push and the pow
erful pull of slim Sueo Ohe.
My contention is that it will not
come by combining these two
phases, for the simple reason that
one asset would Offset the other. 1t
is quite impossible to combine such
a marvellous pull as his with potent
push that the Oriental possesses.
The combination would ruin timing
in the air. My credo is that the
vault will result from the addition
of a new technique-entirely from
the standpoint of the actual mechan-
ism.
After all, every vaulter will agree
that working for form, rather
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Contrasting Views of Miss
Perkins and Green

CECRETARY OF LABOR FRAN
~ CES PERKINS, replying to criti-
cism Of her views on sit-down
strikes by Representative McCor-
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Volunteers" in Spanish War
Stir Nations to Anger

GPAIN'S civil war is becoming to
" great extent war between
Italy and France fought on Spanish
soil, and both those nations are ex-
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Sarazen Has Ideas
About Ryder Cup

Gene Sarazen, who, of late, has
gone in for all kinds of reducing
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
The Game of Poker.

CALIFORNIA; attorney general
" decides that draw poker, unless
played as percentage game, is not
gambling.
Had he gone deeper into the sub
ject, he might have ruled that draw
poker, as generally played nova
days, is not even a game. What vet
eran would call it anything except a
sacrilege against an ancient and
once honorable sport when folks are
free to introduce at will such abom-
nations as deuces wild or one-eyed
jacks or BARRIERS itch or spit in
the ocean?
To draw honest cards; to try to
play the other fellows chances as
well as your own; to try to figure
when to raise and when to call and
when to quit; to try to pick the right
moment for blufing, since the bluff
is the real soul of the thing-that's
poker, my masters, an American
born pastime, hallowed with age,
ennobled by usage, beloved Of the
fathers.
IRWIN S. COBB.
@-WNU Service.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Earle Meadows, as
Guest Columnist,
Cites A. A. u. Needs

Hugh Bradley has as his guest colun,-
mist today, Earle Meadows, the handsome
t,Uenty-oneyear-old pole vaulter Who sOon
the Olympic cro,on last summer at Berlin
and Who came ,Vithin quarter Of an
inch OF netO indoor worlds record this
Uinter. He tells of the thrills, problems
and disappointments of an athlete on the
ming
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Eminent Men Are Named

THREE famous Americans, with
i their aides, will represent the
United States at the coronation of
King George VI of Great Britain
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Matrimonial Adventures.

HERETOFORE some of the au-
l. L thorities have held that the first
two years were the hardest in matri-
monial adventures, but the peak of
the danger period for married coup
les is now set at the sixth year by
Los Angeles city attorney. On the
side he runs a bureau for handling
the funds assessed for family sup
port against separated or delinquent
parents. So he ought to know about
it, if anybody does.
Well, personally, always did
have the theory that no woman
could stand any man for more than
five years unless she got numb.
After that it's just a long-distance
endurance test on her side-and per-
haps sometimes on both sides.
Senatorial Shifts.
NAMING no names, little bird
just in from Washington whis-
pers that one senator, under the in
fuence of alternating psychic waves
or something, already has shifted
three times on the plan to make
the Supreme court over. First he
was against it, then for it, then
against it again, and is now threat
ening to change once more. They'll
be taking bets on him at Lloyd's
next.
Once in a while we get states
man who reminds you of hunk
of country butter in an icebox-
takes the flavor of everything near
by, but not improved by any one of
'em.
The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-04-09
Names Statesmen.

THERE is but one answer to the
L attitude assumed by both of
Names senators, who show pro-
nounced inclination to balk at what
ever the New Deal calls for in con-
gress and especially at the plan to
mold the Supreme court somewhat
closer to the boy scout model.
If these here foreigners don't like
this country, why don't they 60 back
where they came from?
The Washington times., 1937-03-31
10000 Planes a Year
Soviet Capacity, Claim

BERLIN, March 81 Q.NS).
Authentic information" that Rus
sia is able to produce 10000 air.
planes a year was published today
by Air Minister Hermann Wilhelm
Goering's mouthpiece, the Essen
National Zeitung, under a Berlin
date line. 1t said:
"The 1885 production was
5000 planes. Since then IA fac
tories with 100000 workers have
been established. Today the
Soviet air armament industry
has been developed to such an
extent that it could be charged
with an increasing annual plane
production of 10000 a year."
The Washington times., 1937-03-31
Insurgent Retreat Becoming
Disaster" Radicals Report

MADRID, March 81 Q.N.SO.
The insurgent defeat in the Pozob-
lance sector is beginning to turn
into a disaster" messages from
loyalist military headquarters at
Andujar stated today.
Government officials claimed
the insurgents had abandoned
large quantities of war materials
and that small groups were desert
ing, while the battlefield was
streWn with dead insurgents.
The government advance Of the
past few days was described as a
methodical steam-roller progress
sion. On Monday the IoyalistS
moving toward Ovejo occupied
strategic positions at Cerro and
Mirabuena and the sanctuary of
La Lua overlooking the Coma val
lev.
The Washington times., 1937-03-31
CONTINUED from Page ~

Continued from Page Il
vestigators saw insane jealousy
over the mother-not her lovely
and sought-after daughter - as
the motive behind the triple
crime.
Jealousy Motive Offered
According to this theory, some
man who had been lavishing at.
tentions on Mrs. Gedeon became
suspicious that Byrnes, a roomer
in her apartment, was a rival for
her favor. This man, it was Sug'
gested, plotted the death OF
Byrnes and Mrs. Gedeon, and al.
ready had carried out his design
when the daughter returned to
the apartment on Easter morning,
paying with her life for a glimpse
of the killers face.
Fingerprints found in the Ged.
con apartment were being exam.
ined. These came from the bed.
room of Byrnes, where he had
been stabbed IL times in the
head; from the corset of Mrs.
Gedeon, from a glass panel of
the bathroom and from some
sheets and pillow cases.
Two Men Released
Questioned at length in con-
nection with the Gedeons, George
"Frenchy" Gueret, jobless chauf-
feur, and James Fitton, former
Federal appraiser, were released
early today.
Gueret said the police inquired
closely about attentions he was
said to have paid to Veronica &C.
deon, but he denied he was at
tracted to the girl.
Fitton was picked up for ques-
tioning after it was learned that
Mrs. Gedeon had testified against
him on an extortion charge in
1895.
Examiner Gives Report
Some of the certainty that both
women had been criminally at
tackled vanished today. Following
an analysis, acting medical ex-
aminer Gonzales reported:
81 cannot state with absolute
certainty that either was GRIM
inaIly attacked. However, the
indications of violence on the
lower body of the mother and
the condition of her clothing
when the body was discovered
may have been caused by an
attack.
"These signs are absent on
the body of the daughter, but
it is possible that she, too,
might have been attacked"
A little black book found in the
secretary in the Gedeon apart
ment was described as being "in
no sense a diary" It contained
about $50 names, addresses and
telephone numbers, some in the
The Washington times., 1937-03-31
NINE NEW D. {.
TAXES URGED
Continued from Page ~

Continued from Page II
it was learned that if enacted
they will raise an additional reve-
nue. of between $12,OOO,O00 and
$4,000, 900.
This would be twice the amount
needed to meet the predicted
deficit, and members of the sub
committee explained that if it is
found the new taxes provide the
city a substantial surplus they
would then propose a reduction in
real estate taxes, which they be-
lieve now are bearing too great
a proportion of the tax load here.
Four LevieS Long Urged
Four of the proposals the sub
committee will sponsor were recon-
mended some years ago by the
Mapes committee, which investi-
gated fiscal relations between the
District and Federal governments,
of which Representative Ross Col
Inns CD of Mississippi, chairman
of the present subcommittee, was
a member.
These four are: An income tax,
an inheritance tax, an automobile
weight tax and an increase in the
gasoline tax. The income tax
would be substituted for the in
tangible tax on personal property,
which would be repealed.
The other five bills propose: A
tax on parking lot operators; tax
on premiums on insurance policies;
a tax on gross receipts on thea
ters and other places of amuse-
ment; a franchise tax on capital
and surplus stock of corpora
tions, and a uniform increased
tax on utilities.
States Jealous
There has been considerable
agitation both in the appropria-
tionS subcommittee and among
members of the House District
Committee for the substitution of
the income tax for that on intan-
gible personal property. They say
the intangible tax is difficult to
enforce and the income tax is
more equitable.
Because so few States have gaso-
line taxes as low as that in the
District, members of both commit
tees have looked with favor upon
the increased gas tax proposal.
They point out that the gasoline
The Washington times., 1937-03-31
CASE
DATAAWAITED

TUCUMCARI, N. NJ, March 81
G.N.SO.-Federal agents awaited
definite word today from Wash
ington, D. c., concerning identifi-
cation of the man held here as
a suspect in the Mattson kidnap-
murder.
Alex Street, Department Of JUS
tice agent from Ell Paso, who has
been questioning Vern Charlton
of Seattle, since Monday night,
denied a report that j. Edgar
Hoover, director of the Bureau of
Investigation, was coming here to
take personal charge of the case.
The Washington times., 1937-03-31
500 IN SPANISH
REVOLT SHOT,
ISREP0RT
Widespread Mutinies
Rumored on Both
Sides in War

GIBRALTAR, March 81 QN.S0.
Five hundred alleged conspirators
and loyalist prisoners have been
executed by Spanish insurgents, it
was estimated, without confirma-
tion, here today as each side in
Spain's conflict reported mutinies
on the other.
Reports that commanders mutt
MED at Tetuan and elsewhere were
followed by insurgent claims that
there is disaffection in the ranks
of Asturian miners.
Rumors here were that the 500
victims of insurgent firing squads
included conspirators at Tetuan,
Spanish Morocco and Algeciras,
and prisoners in the Malaga
region.
Guns Face Gibraltar
Meanwhile, it was reported sew
eral big guns of German manufac-
ture have been mounted on the
Spanish sea front between Alge-
ciras and Tarifa-all pointing to-
ward Gibraltar.
Despite elaborate precautions to
maintain secrecy, it was reported,
that two bombs exploded in a flour
factory at Algeciras, but damage
was not serious. Refugees arriv-
ing here said discomfort among in
surgents was based on "realiza-
tion" that they are fighting for
Germans and Italians.
These refugees claimed the civil
war is no longer Spanish mil
itary or national movement, but
an Italian-German movement.
Factions Jealous
It also is asserted that intense
jealousy exists between the mon
archistS and Spanish FascistS
fighting on the inSurgent side.
The monarchists are said to claim
they started the revolt and should
be in command of the insurgent
drive.
The Fascists, refugees said,
claim they are superior in num-
bers and better disciplined than
the monarchists, and therefore
should control the movement.
Insurgent army officers are not
prepared to tolerate the "imper-
tinence" of either faction, the re-
ports say, with the result con-
tinuous arguments arise, ending
in several casualties daily.
The Washington times., 1937-03-31
Model Death PrObel'S
Rake Byrnes' Past

girls handwriting and some in her
mothers.
Detective Lieutenant Walter
Harding said three of the persons
listed already had been queS-
toned, and that a thorough check
on all would be made.
The names in the book were
chiefly those of artists, adVertis-
ing agents and physicians. OF
those already questioned, two were
professional models and one an IL
illustrator. None had information
of value.
millionaire" Now Blamed
Joseph Gedeon, father of Ron
ME, has had several theories of
the murder, but he topped them
all with his assertion that a mil
lionaire" in love with Ronnie was
responsible for the triple crime.
He went on:
"ThiS man, l don't know his
name, but he hired killer. Men
can be hired to kill like that.
ROnnie was the one that had to
be killed. The murders of my
wife and Byrnes were just an
accidental sequel.
"ThiS millionaire was in love
with her. Up to a few weeks
ago he sent her flowers every
day. He sent so many that they
had to throw them out because
they smeIled up the place too
much.
HE offered her clothing, jew
elry, money and car because
he was so in love with her. But
ROnn:e spurned them all. He
wanted to have an affair with
her. She knew it. She turned him
down. He was completely frus-
trated. So he had her killed"
He summed up his reaction to
the murder of his wife and daugh-
ter by saying he was a "fatalist
and naturalist" He added:
81 believe everything happens
because of causatiOn and is in
evitable. You might as well take
things as they come"
The Washington times., 1937-03-31

money, under the appropriations
bill reported yesterday, will be
used for more purposes than here
tofore.
Constituents Of the members Of
Congress, it was learned, have
been jealous of the 81 automobile
tax here, and for that reason the
movement to inject the weight
tax has developed,