davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1937-02-14
UNIFIED COMMAND LIKELY.
Madrid Committee Goes TO Valencia
to Push Plan.

MADRID, February l3 P.-De-
cision to create single unified COM
mand of all government forces in
Spain-now poorly coordinated and in
some cases virtually ndependent-ap-
peared imminent tonight.
A committee from the defense junta,
in command of the forces holding
Madrid, was en- route to Valencia to
request establishment of obligatory
military service for all bodied
males between the ages of 20 and As.
Informed political sources declared
the Valencia government probably
would decree such CONSUMPTION as well
as unification of all defense armies.
Concerted Action Needed.
Military leaders were said to realize
single command was required for
concerted action on all fronts, rather
than isolated defense tactics, to meet
the unified insurgent army of Gen.
Francisco Franco.
The defense junta moved also to
limit radio broadcasting, except from
political and syndical stations, and to
straighten out rent collections from
structures that have been collecti-
vized.
While Madrids defenders looked to-
ward reorganization of the supreme
command, insurgent planes bombed
the main ward of a hospital in Ar
ganda, Is miles southeast of the cap
ital, killing three persons.
Twenty-Five persons were injured,
but all patients had been removed
from the hospital before two bombs
struck it. Government pursuit ships
roared into the air to beat off the at
tackers, and two Fascist ships were
shot down, officers said.
The attack on Arganda, a strategic
point on the Valencia Madrid high
way, was part Of general attempt to
sever all of Madrid's communications
lines.
Radio stations not owned by polit-
ical or syndical organizations will be
taken over by the propaganda depart
ment, the defense junta decided, and
there will be no broadcasts after Feb
ruary IA, except Of approved enter
tainment and propaganda material.
News broadcasts will be limited to
such dispatches as are released by the
propaganda department.
The junta, striving to end contro-
versies over collection Of rents from
buildings collectivized or taken over
by political and syndical entities, Or
dered payment Of rents only to au-
thorized agents of the governmental
properties administration.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
.O'CONNELL WITNESS
= HANGS SELF IN CELL
Guards Find Miller's Body Sus.
8, pended From Overhead Bars
Following Inspection.
By the Associated Press.

- ALBANY, N. Y, February 13.-
christopher Miller. material witness
AN the O'Connen kidnapping case,
2hanged himself in the Albany County
sSJail late today.
X Miller, Al, of Hoboken, N. j., had
sSbeen confined at the Jail for about
three weeks. Henry S. Kahn, assist
sAnt district attorney, said that he had
sSbeen linked with the 1888 abduction
1of John j. OConnell, jr,, member of
.sfhe politically prominent Albany fam
Ally.
Miller's body was found at 2:55 pm.
suspended with a bed sheet from
Overhead bars in his cell. The guards
who discovered him had made an in
Ebpection of the material witness Sec
lion" of the Jail only IS minutes
Rearlier.
- - The O'Connell case "broke wide
open" recently during the retrial of
Manning J. NANNY Strewl, alleged
go-betWeen" once under sentence OF
80 years for participation in the kid
mapping, and who won a new trial
which ended when he pleaded guilty
Ito lesser charge of blackmail. He
was sentenced to Is years on this
splea.
-Four additional men also were ar
rested in New York and Denver and
.are charged with seizing the young
National Guard lieutenant in Albany
and holding him in Hoboken, N. j.,
until $4,000 ransom was paid.
y DENVER, February 13 (P1.-John
~. O'Connell, jr., of Albany, N. Y,
identified man held here as Francis
IL. Obey as one of the men who kid
mapped him for $4,000 ransom in July,
1898, District Attorney John A. Car
roll announced tonight.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
SLAYER is HUNTED.
is Year Old Carolina Girl Killed
After Attack.

After Attack.
SPARTA, N. c.. February l3 GP.-
Of1cers searched throughout this
mountain area tonight for the man
who criminally attacked 16-year-old
Elva Brannock and left her strangled
body in an ivy clump beside the
Smoky Mountain Parkway, but they
said they had few clues.
Sheriff Walter NJ Irwin said before
leaving his Office today for a trip in
connection with the investigation that
he had the least to work on you
ever heard Of"
The girls body was found yester-
day. already showing signs of expos
ure to the weather. She had been
missing since Monday, when she failed
to return home from the Dividing
Ridge High School. Searchers who
came upon her body in the ivy found
her books neatly stacked beside her.
Coroner Mac Roberts said she had
been assaulted and strangled, although
the body was fully clothed Roberts
and Irwin expressed the belief the
body had been carried and dragged
some distance to the spot where it was
found.
Sheriff Irwin expressed fear the girl
was the victim of passer-by on the
much-traveled highway, and indicated
the search might take him into Vir-
ginia. The spot Is near the junction
of the Allegheny and Surry County
line with the Virginia border.
Elva was the daughter Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Jefi Brannock, farm family liv-
ing about 3 miles from the school.
They found that she never reached
school the last day they saw her alive.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
W.P.A. ENV|SAGES
BIG CUT IN ROLLS
Jobs in Private Industry for
600, 900 Forecast by
Hopkins.
By the Associated Press.


CHICAGO, February 13.-The
Works Progress Administration TO-DAY
envisaged the, return of 100000 W. P.
A. workers to private employment
within the next four and q half
months.
Administrator Harry L. Hopkins
told State W. P. A. chieftains at a
national melting he believed that
number would find jobs in various
industries and on farms by the end
Of the fiscal year next June 80.
No forced reductions" he added,
were contemplated
Hopkins reported 2,150000 were now
on the rolls. He expected $4,000 TO be
| added for rehabilitation work in nine
States along the front OF the recent
floods. He expressed hope that after
Ohio and Mississippi Valley recon-
struction projects had been completed
the number on the Government pay
roll would drop gradually to 100000
He pointed out improvement in busi-
ness had resulted in 100000 leaving
| the w. P. A. lists in the last 10
| months.
Hopkins also announced regional
quotas from the $3.50 100000 voted for
w. P. A. work by Congress this week
would be fixed at Washington. Re-
| gional directors will allocate funds
to the various States to carry them to
the lst of July.
The status Of projects and en-
ployment in States hit by last years
drought was considered by Hopkins
late today in a conference with ad-
ministrators from l3 affected States.
Hopkins said direct drought relief
still vas being given to more than a
million persons through w. P. A., Ru-
raj Sesettlement Administration ami
local agencies. The only immediate
result Of the conference, he said,
would be an increase ito some ex-
tent in w. P. A. pay rolls TO take
care OF drought victims ineligible for
loans or grants from the resettlement
agency.
Given a normal Spring. the great
mass Of the people in the drought
area will be back on their feet" he
commented. 1T appears that mean
while We will have to give temporary
Jobs to more men besides the $1,000
that still are on w. P. A. in those
States as result of the drought.
Drought control projects notably
construction Of dams, would be con-
tinued, ne said.
States participating in the drought
parley were Kansas, Texas. Oklahoma,
Arkansas, North Dakota, South D3-
kota, Nebraska. Montana, Minnesota,
Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado and
Wyoming.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
MATTSON CASE LINK
DOUBTED IN ARREST
Man Alleged to Have Signed
Tim" to Extortion Note-Wife
Also Taken by Agents,

A man who is alleged to have
signed Tim" the name used by the
kidnaper of the Mattson boy, to an
extortion note mailed to John Pertz
Of Weston. w. Va, is in custody Of
the Federal Bureau OF Investigation
in Ohio, but his connection with the
Tacoma Staying is discounted.
The prisoner, John Robert Lynch,
and his wife were charged yesterday
with violation Of the Federal extor-
ton statute, according to J. Edgar
Hoover. director of the F. B. I. They
are accused of demanding 81 500 from
Pertz under threat of kidnapping a
member of the Pertz family.
Lynch, Hoover said. was seized Fri.
day by F. B. 1. agents as he called
for letter mailed by Pertz to Mabel
Bell, Athens. Ohio" as directed in the
eXtortion letter. The agents we're
waiting at the general delivery vim
dow for the addresSee to appear.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
GIRL IN BUFFALO
ELUDESATTACKER
City Is Stirred by Latest in
Series of Crimes-Man
Escapes.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BUFFALO, N. Y, February l3 H1.
Another attempted attack on a
woman today stirred this city where
two other women and girl have had
encounters with men in the eight days
since Mary Ellen Babcock was slain.
Miss Virginia Skolyn, pretty 90
year-old waitress, collapsed in field
at 4 am. today after repulsing the
attentions Of a man in an automobile.
The man, she told police, opened q
pocket knife and threatened her, say
ing.
How'd you like to get what Mary
Ellen Babcock gOt?"
The l8-year- Babcock girls
body, knitted and bruised, was found
in q vacant field one week ago today.
Her clothing was torn. Today police
admitted they had no definite clue
to her attacker, and a shake-up of
detectives was ordered.
I'm just about ready to leave this
city," said Miss Skolyn, who came
here recently from Detroit to. live
with her parents. I'm scared"
Police said they saw no reason to
link the attempted attack on Miss
Skolyn or the attempted attacks on
two other women and a girl in the
last few days to the Babcock Staying.
Nevertheless. police admitted that the
Babcock case and .he public atten-
ton focused on the subsequent at
tacks had made women in some
neighborhoods nervous.
Miss Skolyn has a night job in a
restaurant. After work today, she
said, another waitress offered to get
her a ride home with a friend of hers
Miss Skolyn accepted.
He parked the car on a little hill"
she said. L asked, What are you
stopping for?'
Then he started making passes for
me. fought for the door handle to
get out. He held me.
Then he pulled a penknife on me.
I don't know how he managed to open
it. He said How'd you like to get
what Mary Ellen Babcock got?'
Il screamed then. I fought my way
out. A woman was running toward us.
He drove away at 40 or so miles an
hour"
The approaching woman, Mrs.
Josephine Boehn. found Miss Skolyn
unconscious. The young woman was
revived quickly. Her left hand and
wrist were scratched and bruised.
Assistant Chief of Detectives James
L. Carroll said tonight that police
know the identity of the would-be
attacker. and expect to pick him up
tonight"
He had a friend call detective
headquarters and say that he would
give himself up" Carroll said. but
he failed to do So" Carroll declined
TO reveal the name of the man being
sought.
SLAYER is HUNTED.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
II EXAMINING UNITS
APPOINTED BY ARMY
Fitness of Medical Corps Officers
for Promotion Will Be Consid.
cred at Sessions,

Eleven examining boards. to meet
in various parts of the country. have
been appointed to examine officers OF
the Army Medical Corps to determine
their fitness for promotion, the War
Department has announced.
Boards in this vicinity will meet at
Baltimore, Fort Meade, Md, and Fort
Monroe. Md.
The Baltimore board is composed
of Col. William N. Bispham. Lieut..
Col. John j. Reddy and Mai. Walter
L. Richards, all Medical Corps.
The board at Fort Meade is COM
posed of Col. Daniel P Card, Mai.
Benjamin Norris and Maj. Samuel w.
Reeves, all Medical Corps.
The board at Fort Monroe is com.
posed of Col. Frederick M. HartSock,
Maj. John C. Dye and First Lieut..
William B. Stryker.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
MISSING GIRL, IS,
BELIEVED KILLED
Held Likely to Have Been
Fun Down by Car and
= - Body Carried Off.
Hy the Associated Press.

COATESVILLE, Pa. February 13.-
Search for Helen Meyer. l6-year-old
high school student, believed to have
been deliberately run down by mo-
torist who carried off her body, was
pressed by airplane today while Of
fcials considered asking Federal
agents to enter the case.
Mayor Albert r. Bergstrom Of
Coatesville flew his airplane low over
q wide area of farm country, hoping
to find some trace of the girl, who
disappeared Thursday while walking
from school here to her home at
Modena, 8 miles south of Coates
vile.
He reiterated his belief that the
girl was killed Intentionally and "her
body spirited away by the murderer"
Attacker Believed Responsible.
The Mayor said he believed a mo-
torist who attacked another girl on
the same road last week was RESPONSE
BILE His theory was that the motorist
mistook the Meyer girl for the girl
he attacked. and deliberately ran her
down to dispose of the only witness
against him.
Burgess Carl Jefferis of Modena
called a conference of the town S
leading citizens at his home to con-
slider a request that agents of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation take
a hand in the investigation.
The girls father. Absolam, an at
tendant at the United States Vet
erans' Hospital at Coatesville. held to
the belief his daughter was alive.
Believes She Still Lives.
IT think it was a case of hit-run,' u
he said, with the driver becoming
panicky and carrying her of and
dumping her somewhere. I feel sure
she is still alive"
Physicians expressed doubt the girl
could have survived an accident as
severe as this one appears to have
been.
The girls torn shoes, hat and
school books were found scattered
along the road Strands of hair, re-
sembllng Helen's, were found on frag-
ments of an automobile headlight
lens.
The girls mother is president of
the Modena Parent-Teacher Associa-
ton. She has two brothers, Francis,
IS, and Buddy, g.
Evening star., 1937-02-14

"I understood it all perfectly ex-
cept for one thing" she said later.
"She told me to separate two eggs.
I can't see what sense that makes.
After I put one egg down on one
corner of the table and the other on
another corner, was stumped."
X II II
COLOR LINE.
No. 1 traffic alibi OF all time ,Ods
related the other day by Barrett
Prettyman, former corporation
counsel of the District of Columbia.
An elderly colored man 1ods
picked up by the law for drifting
through red light. well, sir" he
explained, II saw all the ,0htte
folks going through on the green
light, and thought the red light
,pas for US colored folk"
Evening star., 1937-02-14
FAMOUS LIFE-SAVER
: DIES IN NEW ENGLAND
Capt. Herbert Knowles, 81, Served
= a. Years as Coast Guard
~ superintendent.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
: SOUTH KINGSTON, r. l., Febru-
Ary 13.-Capt. Herbert M. Knowles,
S81, one of the best-known life savers
sdn the country, who retired in 1920 as
superintendent of the third district of
|he United States Coast Guard after
IA years in the service, died yesterday
Set his home, in Wakefield.
y Capt. Knowles had on many occa-
ssions won acclaim for his gallant sea
Jfescues and for the reforms he in
Eaugurated in the life-saving service.
X A native of Point Judith, his entire
seareer centered around that treacher-
1out point on the Atlantic Coast. He
had witnessed the wrecking Of more
than 100 ships and saved hundreds of
lives. Once he was given up for lost
and returned to his home just in time
T. hear the bells tolling for his funeral
asrvies. -..
Evening star., 1937-02-14
POOR PROSPECT.

A PROSPECT doesn't always mean
a sale, as any automobile sales
man will tell you. but in this case the
salesman didn't get a chance.
1t was in a part of Washington
where automobiles are bought and
maintained on pr 4carieus conditions,
but nevertheless bought. and the sales
man stood on a shabby little stoop
waiting for the door to be opened with
no more misgivings than if he had
been standing on the steps Of Con-
necticut avenue mansion.
When a dark face was poked out OF
the door, he asked:
Can speak to Mr.. -"
"Who?" was asked. as a pair of
black eyes rolled until you could only
see the whites.
The name was repeated. the nature
of the errand was explained. and the
salesman added: II understand that
your husband hasn't been around
lately and mutt be in need of a
new car"
We'll he don't" came the answer
with flnality. He amt been around
and he amt coming. cause he's been
dead so long hope he's using wings
God gives the faithful. and done for
got all bout automobiles. and them
that sells 'em, too," she added.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
MOTHER IS JAILED
|NBABY'SMURDER
Woman, Believed Insane,
Found in Public Library
After Trunk Staying.
BY tic Associated Press.


AGAWAM. Mass, February '13.-
Police tonight arrested gray-haired
Mrs. Eleanor Randall in neighboring
Springflelds Public Library in con-
nection with the trunk" Staying of
her 23-month-old daughter Frances.
Hungry and near collapse, Mrs.
Randall was quietly reading a book
when detail of Agawam and SPRING
field officers found her at a library
table
Police Lieut.. Daniel Keyes of
Springfield said Mrs Randall would
be arraigned in District Court Mon
day on charge of the baby's MUIR
der.
Father Finds Body.
The young te-s body was found
by her father. Frederick Randall, in
trunk in back room of the Randall
home in a lonely section Of this
towns meadowland.
Discovery of the baby's body came
less than day after the father called
police to help him find his missing
wife and daughter.
Police Chief Perley ]. Hewey of
Agawam and Sergt. Carl J. Murphy
of Springfield quoted Mrs. Randall
as saying she had passed the night on
a porch of a vacant Springfield
house
The officers said she rambled in
her speech and could not give a cor
rest account of how she spent yes
terday afternoon.
Mother a Mental Case"
Chief Hewey said: 1T is quite evi-
dent that Mrs. Randall is a mental
case Due to that fact there has been
no extensive questioning"
Mrs. Randall was released from
Northampton State Hospital late last
month"; the Agawam police chief
said.
Medical Examiner Charles Downey
reported the child apparently died
Of suffocation "a hours before her
body was found"
Police were hunting Mrs. Randall
in the meadow lands and wooded
areas along the Connecticut River
when the mother of six children was
found in Springfield.
Evening star., 1937-02-14

That's all very we'll from a decora-
tive and sanitary standpoint, but the
tobacco chewers pine for the old-style
cuspidors with wide rim which gave
forth tuneful bling" when shot
failed to hit the bulls eye. In fact,
they have had to revise their trajec-
tory and have difficulty in gauging the
range on the new contraptions Thus,
half the pleasure in chewing has
been sacrificed to modern ideas of the
eSthetic,
Evening star., 1937-02-14
MAIL FRAUD CHARGED
Officials of New Mexico Company
Named in Indictments.

ALBUQUERQUE. N. Mex, February
13 (Pl.-OfhcerS of the New Mexico
Potash & Chemical Co., Carlsbad,
and the Royalty Band & Shares Co.,
Santa Fe holding corporation, were
charged with using the mails to de-
fraud in indictments returned by
Federal grand jury today.
Fraudulent interstate transaction Of
stocks and conspiracy to commit Of
fense against the United States, from
which all potash lands in the Carls-
bad area are leased, also was charged.
Those named included Charles
Lamb, Carolina Beach, N. c., and
Harvey o. Garst, Terre Haute, Ind.
Evening star., 1937-02-14
300 DIE IN THEATER FIRE

TOXIC, February IA P.-The
newspaper Asahi reported today more
than 300 women and children died
in a moving picture theater fire in
Antung, Manchukuo.
japanese troops were called out, the
paper said,, and distinguished them
selves by saving many lives.
(Antung Is on the Yalu River.
about miles above its mouth in
the Bay Of Korea.)
Evening star., 1937-02-14
ARMS SMUGGLING RING
DISCOVERED BY FRANCE
Authorities Find German-Made
Guns in Package Dropped by
Man-Swiss Find Cache.

BY the Associated Press.
ANNECY, France, February 13.-
Police tonight announced they had
discovered the existence of an arms
smuggling ring running Germans arms
into France.
They said that after they found
German machine guns and revolvers
in a package dropped by man who
fed when customs officers ordered him
to halt. Swiss authorities unearthed
an arms cache on q lake near the
French frontier.
(Annecy is "a miles south Of Ge-
neva, Switzerland.)
Police asserted the owner Of the
villa where the arms we're stored said
he received q small sum of money for
each case smuggled, believing they
contained spare radio partA
Evening star., 1937-02-14
Washington
Wayside
Tales
Random Observations
Of Interesting Events
and Things.
FLYING FISH.

"OR years there have been stories
- about collisions between air
planes and birds. Just to prove,
however. that there is some
thing new in the world, here is the
story Of collision between an air.
plane and a fish. The collision oc-
CURED at an altitude Of about 1000
feet and the fish then was on its way
down. What's more, 1t was not a fly
ing fish, it was baby tuna!
The story Is relayed to a Wayside
of Pan-American Always. Flight
Capt. John Cascio was the pilot who
smacked fish out of the sky at 1000
feet. Cascio, flying an airliner out of
Vera Cruz bound for Guatemala City,
was over the entrance of Vera Cruz
harbor when the baby tuna came div
ing out of the sky, crashed into the
windshield brace on the captains side
and shattered the glass.
Capt. Cascio scraped off what fins
and scales he could reach and con-
tinued on to Guatemala City. There
he explained that he had just leveled
off after his climb from the Vera Cruz
Airport when he saw flock of frigate
birds ahead and above. Suddenly
there was a thud and a darkened
windshield. One of the frigates, home
ward bound with meal of fresh baby
tuna. apparently had opened his
mouth in horror at the approach of
the grandpa of all frigate birds, the
airplane, and dropped his tuna.
WHAT RELATIONS?
Life has been much happier
and edsier-tor Harold Ambrose
and Ike Gregg, handout kings at
the Post Office Department, since
they succeeded, after q long Strug-
gle, in getting q neW sign for their
Office door.
Starting out uith the fosSy des-
ignation OF "Intormation Seruice,"
the questions that bounced around
from pdssersby of inqutring trend
ranged dnyphere from proper diet
for stamp collector to caring for
baby alligator received by parcel
post.
Now the sign says chdStely.
"Press Relations" and, tDhtle the
quantity OF their UiSltors has
Slumped, theu hare no kick.