davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-07-24
WASHINGTON D. c. WEDNESDAY JULY a. 1gn

communitv. At least - men told
the same story. In every case It.
had happened Ia the speakers home
city. Each had 1t, ct least second
hand, from an eyewitness.
Eventually 1t appeared that the
story had first been told on the fioor
Of the Senate by the late Senator
Copeland as m authentic incident
in New oYrk City public school.
There the trail ended. The Senator
probably had no better actual au-
thority for 1t than any Of the bonus
.marchers.
Washington newspapermen who
were here during the visit Of the
bonus marchers recall another rumor
that swept the city for days. It was
that several children had been
burned to death when the bonus
marchers' shacks on the Anacostia
Flats were fred by the soldiers. For
days the telephone exchange at
The Star was flooded. with angry
demands that The Star cease
"suppressing" the story Of the chill
dren who were burned to death. OF
course, the story was thoroughly
investigated from every angle-and
was found to lack any semblance of
truth. But 1t persisted, with new
twists, long after the bonus marchers
had left town.
Another Dates From Lees Time.
Every two or three years some
country correspondent Of The Star
writes from some place in Virginia
OF q girl who had been pronounced
dead but comes to life In her conn
just after the funeral service, with
no memory Of the three days she
has been dead"
Evening star., 1940-07-24

It seems, was very well known. She
was q distant relative Of nearly
every one you met. Everybody who
repeated the story had 1t at third
or fourth hand. Some Of them had
actually attended the victims fu-
neral and told Of the excoriating
remarks Of the pastor.
One Story, Many Locales.
Nevertheless there were, skeptics.
Among them was q Philadelphian.
At dinner one evening he remarked
that it was altogether too much Of
. coincidence, for exactly the same
thing had happened at Philadelphia
q year before. This he knew for q
positive fact. The girl had been q
friend Of = friend Of stepsister Of
q girl who worked In the same once
with his wife.
A few weeks later the writer
mentioned the curious rumor to 4
fellow American who came from
Seattle. This man was greatly
amused. The thing really hap
pend. he said, In his own city several
years before. This he knew, since
the girl was niece Of his divorced
wife's sister r-in-law.
Here is another example Of rumor.
In 1882 at q bridge table one eve
ming q Washington school teacher
told Of Q terrible incident which had
occurred in the room Of one of her
fellow teachers. A little girl had
tainted. Her friend had taken her
to an anteroom, called the. school
nurse, and revived the child. The
nurse then proposed to take her
home. She protested. It would do
no good, she said, because at her
house the family ate by turns and
her turn would not come for two
days more.
Even . Senator Told It,
In the next few week the story
was repeated many times. always
on the best authority. Shortly
thereafter Washington was invaded
by the bonus marchers, each of
whom was eloquent over the terri
BILE economic conditions in his own
Evening star., 1940-07-24
Spencer Divorce Case
To Be Called TODAY

Dy the Associated Press.
SANTA MONICA, Calf, July "a
Tho mutual divorce actions of
Comdr. Earl Winfield Spencer, for
mer husband Of the Duchess Of
Windsor, and Norma Reese john
son Spencer, former widow of a De-
troit manufacturer, were up for trial
today.
The cross-suits were to have been
tried yesterday, but action was de-
layed by conferences over alimony.
Mrs. Spencer asks 500 q month
from the $343.33 monthly pension
Of the retired naval onicer, while
Mr.. Spencer contends her $4,000
fortune Is adequate for her.
Both charge cruelty. Spencer's
first wife, now the Duchess Of Wind
sor, met the Prince of Wales at
Coronado, Calf, while she was Mrs.
Spencer. The Prince later became
King Edward VIII Of England, and
eventually abdicated to marry the
former Wallis Warfield, who mean
while had been divorced from Spen-
Ger and married to and divorced
from Ernest Simpson, London ship
ping executive.
Evening star., 1940-07-24

Hh parents do not recognize In the
prosperous tourist their peasant son,
He asks for accommodations for the
night. intending 70 surprise the old
people the next morning With the
news that he can now make them
amuent for life. He makes some
display Of his money-and in the
night they murder him. Only then
do they find that they have killed
their own son. Versions Of this
story were also current in the 18th
century.
During the past few weeks nearly
everybody on The Star-and it is
safe to assume nearly everybody on
any other newspaper In Washing
ton-has been tipped" on the story
Of the Glen Echo snake by some
obliging friend. The management
Of the park finally saw fit to deny
the SANDER In paid advertisements.
It Is always q question whether to
deny . rumor or let 1t die q natural
III temporary-death.
Evening star., 1940-07-24

Several years ago = Star reporter
tried to trace down this story. The
trail went back further and further.
Something Of the sort, It appears,
had happened more than . century
before to the mother Of Robert Z.
Lee. The incident Is recounted in
al biographies Of Lee. It was too
good = story to be dropped. News
papers have been printing 1t ever
since Is . current happening.
One Of the best-known Of these
stories 10 spread at least once .
year by some news service, always
under an Eastern European dateline.
Twenty years ago, 1t appears, some
young Pole. Lithuanian, Latvian,
Crotian or Bulgarian came to the
United States and made fortune
all this time having no communities
tion with his poor, illiterate parents.
With his pockets bulging with money
he returns to his native land. Late
At night he comes to his old home.
Evening star., 1940-07-24
Southern Senators
Take Poi Shots al
Democrat Rebels
Four lrked by Reports
Their Section Will Give
6. O. P. Big Vote

Aroused at suggestions that the
Republican presidential ticket will
pick up electoral votes from the
normally Democratic South, four
Southern Democratic Senators took
pot shots in the last "a hours at the
individuals already on record as re-
voting. ,
Expressing mot the slightest
doubt of Democratic success" Sena-
tor McKellar of Tennessee ratified
the skeleton of the Liberty League
today on receipt Of word that Jouett
Shouse is heading an organization
to oppose President Roosevelt.
Earlier Revolt Recalled.
ut Is the same Mr.. Shouse of the
same Liberty League that Mr..
6house headed in 1895 and which
has been comatose though still alive
Tor the past few years." Senator Nc
-kellar said. They spent a world of
money four years ago in their futile
campaign and doubtless the old
membership of corporation heads
and political lame ducks will all be
among those present at the prospec.
tive sessions of this aggregation of
perennial dissenters.
/. Now they are being hailed by the
.Willkie supporters as Democrats
converted to reactionism. I have
scanned the published lists and al
most without exception they are the
same people who bolted the Demo-
cratic party so Intellectually four
years ago."
! Pepper Confident.
I: Not a single Southern State will
.deviate," said Senator Pepper of
Florida. Some few individuals. who
actually are Republican in senti-
ment, will find an excuse to vote
their true convictions. But millions
listed as Republicans will vote for
Roosevelt and Wallace"
: Senator Ellender of Louisiana said
the party workers who failed to SUD-
port the national ticket always have
been regarded as Republicans in
Democratic clothing"
: Senator Harrison of Mississippi
commented:
THE situation looks good to me.
IT will improve every day until
election"
Evening star., 1940-07-24
Her False Teeth
Sparkle With
lus1ous Beauty

Help to gsin the smile that faseiaaAno
-dismal, murky, dull false tssth eaqlpoil
any snils-can taint the bfsath-eaa shat.
tof romance. Is
Here's real tip-get . 20 cent b1ttlo
Of Stefa-Kleen-dfop pinch In . half
glass OF lukeWarm watef-let your fnato
stay in this harmless solution f6g 10
minutes Or q long - you vishsau
night II you choose.
Then take them out and joyfullysno.
tics how they glistsn with punityAov
bright and lustrous thsy are. A
Stains afe eone-slimy mueiA dsaQDsass
and tssth, plate aad ail are imaaaeuf1asiy
eiean-your mcuth feels elsaaM-besatA demd
b swsetsf-youn b sadshsd WITH 1lssa.
Nesu. Druegiss svssy yshsss-iasb lss Wssio
so eoots. a
Evening star., 1940-07-24
Glen Echo Snake Bite Fantasy
A Tale With Kin Oyer World
Unexplained Psychological Phenomena,
Many Circle Globe; Some Carried as News

rumor has persisted, and every day
since The Star, and presumably
other newspapers In Washington,
has received telephone calls asking
about the story and why It was
never printed.
Questions to those giving the story
to The Star always. reveal some
slight difference In the account Of
what took place, but one curious
thing about the rumor is that every
body has apparently received it
third hand-having been told tho
story BY a friend whose friend knew
the girl In question.
The Star did not print anything
about the rumor IN the belief that
to do SO would merely give 1t added
circulation.
Another Common Rumor Here.
Every newspaperman is familiar
with the phenomenon of rumor.
One Of the best known rumors which
crops up periodically in Washing
ton Is the story Of the girl who
bought q dress from a department
store, wore 1t to a single party, and
the next day died of disease such
as bubonic plague, smallpox, cere-
brospinal meningitis, or something
equally terrifying. The rumor has
1t that the police investigated and
found the dress In question had
been sold once before and returned
to the store as unsatisfactory-but
had been used In the meantime as
q shroud for corpse.
Last October the writer was in
The Hague, capital of the Nether-
lands, and heard this story circu.
lated In detail, the only essential
point OF difference being that the
name Of one of the leading stores in
The Hague was substituted for the
name of one Of the leading stores
In Washington.
The store at The Hague was boy
cotted. The ordinarily stolid citi-
zens were furious and wondered
why the proprietor was allowed to
stay out Of jail. The girl who died,
Evening star., 1940-07-24
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
This Is the story OF : r,,nor.

This Is the story Of . rumor.
During the last few weeks q tale
has been spread widely about WASH
ington to the effect that a young
lady was bitten by . poisonous
snake In the 'old mill," on world
cruise" at Glen Echo-and died as
consequence.
The story has been whispered with
the utmost vraisemblance-the ulti-
mate source always being somebody
well and favorably known to the
teller. Apparently 1t has spread from
mouth to mouth without the slight
est effort at verification. The most
superficial sort Of inquiry would have
shown the complete impossibilty Of
the alleged circumstances.
There are two varieties Of poi
sonous snakes which might be en-
countered in this vicinity-rattle-
snakes and copperheads. Neither
are water snakes. The possibility of
the deadly water moccasin occurring
so far north is very remote, say
Washington herpetologists. Further
more, all water used In either the
amusement device or swimming pool
comes through a fine wire filter and
1t is highly improbable that any
snake could reach its victim sitting
in boat even If the snake got
through the filter screen.
A Psychological Phenomenon.
Nevertheless the management of
the park has been subjected to great
embarrassment, loss of business. and
expense. They are inclined to think
that the story was started malicious
ly by somebody with grudge against
them. They have probably, how
ever, been the victims Of q psyche
logical phenomenon for which no
thoroughly adequate explanation
ever has been found. Some stories
which defy classification seem to
have q fluid quality which carries
them around the world and back
again in q few weeks.
The story of the snake at Glen
Echo has several versions. One Of
them is that young lady seated In
the boat which goes through tun-
mel in the "old mill" amusement
device at Glen Echo protested
audibly to her escort that he was
pinching her thigh. Not long after
ward she dropped dead, according
to this version, and was secretly
carried out of the park and the
news Of her death suppressed by
ofncials.
The pinch-on- the thigh version
is an establishment of the original
rumor that she was merely bitten
by the snake and died shortly there
after.
Another version of the story
moved the snake from the water in
the "old mill" to the swimming pool.
This rumor added another feature,
to the effect that the snake was one
of q nest of snakes" which made
. home in the swimming pool-a
fantastic story, in that the water
in the pool is very clear and any
NEST Of snakes" If it survived the
pumping through filters, would be
visible Immediately.
Story Was Traced In Vain.
The Star first heard of the rumor
several weeks ago and Immediately
assigned q reporter to run 1t down.
After finding out from the man
agement that the management had
also heard the rumor several times
and that 1t was groundless, The Star
checked with. the authorities In
Montgomery County in order to
trace the origin of the story. Nei-
ther the police nor the coroner IN
Montgomery County could shed any
light whatsoever on 1t, but the
Evening star., 1940-07-24
Drought Causes Despair
For Nebraska Formers

~ the Associated Pre-
LINCOLN. Nebr., July 24.-Two
Southern Nebraska farmers who
came here seeking work described
crop conditions in their drought
stricken area as 80 bad there isn't
much to do except go out and get the
mail"
Henry Knehans said his $40 acres
just dried up, bit by bit. His neigh
Dor, Ted Knehans, told the same
tale Of drought and despair.
The two left their wives and
children at home while they set out
In 100 degree heat.
There isn't a lot of work for them
to do" Ted explained. There's a few
cows to herd and we milk a couple.
Then they always can 60 out and
get the mail"
Evening star., 1940-07-24

Yes that's all takes buy it that's all install It'll
with COOL refreshing bre
opening closing
ges showing within A.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05
Nov. II Earliest
Possible Draft Date

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-R-Au-
thoritative sources said today that
Nov. IA was the earliect date now
contemplated for induction into the
Army of men drafted under the
new compulsory military service
law.
Indications yer that the num-
be- called then would be compar-
atively small and some officials
estimated that possibly fewer than
100, 900 draftees would be in the
service by Jan. l, compared with
earlier estimates of 400, 900.
Spokesman for the ~selective serv-
ice committee asserted their ma
chinry would be in readiness to
begin furnishing men to the army
by Nov. IA but it vas pointed out
that because of the bl rdens i'm
posed OF the army by mobilization
of the national guard and by the
continued expansion of the regular
army through voluntary enlist
ments, it would not have the facil-
tiles for more than 100, DOC trainees
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05
ITALIAN TROOPS
MASS ON BORDER
Men, 12O Tanks
Ready For Dash Over
Albania Border
REILLY

ATHENS. Greece, ct. 4.-R-
Italian army forces in Albania, to-
falling 100, 1000 men ant 100 tanks
have shifted their positions to new
nosts near the Greek frontier in
the past few days, official sources
said today.
Troop movements from Italy to
Albania, Italy's recently acquired
territory in the Balkans, have been
frequent recently, and numerous
ships are available in the Adriatic
to speed additional forces across
the narrow. sea if eeded, Greek
government circles said.
Official sources, however, ex-
pressed belief that Italian strength
in Albania still was under 2OO, 0O0
men.
All precautions have been taken
by Greece against surprise from
n quarter" official quarters de-
clared.
The Fascist press -everal weeks
ago voiced demandr for a share
of Greece's northern Epirus on be-
half of Albania.
Reports of Italian troop move
ments reached here 6 Adolf Hit
Ter and Premier Mus olini were
engaged in a dramatic conference
at Bremen Pass.
The Greek army is virtually on
a basis of permanent %concentra-
ton" Border garrison have been
fully manned since the anti-Greek
campaign in the Italian press be-
came hottest more than a month
ago. j.
The government decreed that all
unoccupied houses in the country
could be requisitioned should air
raids force removal - populations
from cities.
Greek interest vas focused on
the Bremen Pass meeting a d
what it might bring this nation,
which has a guarantee of aid from
Britain should her independence or
territorial integrity be threat
ened. L
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05
KIDNAPPED BRITON
|. FREED TO POLICE
Rumanians, However, Con.
tinue Probing British
Sabotage Plot

BUCHAREST, Rumania. Oct 4.
|-R-The British legation an
nounced today that A. Miller, d..
rector of the British-dominated
Astra-Romana Oil company, re,
ported kidnapped two days ago, sud.
denly was turned over to Ru.
manian police this morning by his
abductors.
It said that still unknown was
the whereabouts of Percy Clark,
60, president of the a Poesti oil
engineering firm, who the legation
charged was kidnapped yesterday
in circumstances similar to tn
seizure of Miller.
Legation officials, Immediately
sought to interview Miller but said
at noon they still had no informa-
ton where he had been held or
by whom.
The Rumanian secret police con.
tinued an investigation into what
government circles call "a wide.
spread British sabotage plot"
Government sources said 'indis-
putable evidence" had been un-
covered to show that the British
planned destruction of oil en- route
to Germany for Nazi planes
The police asserted that large
quantities of bombs, fuses and
other materials for sabotage had
been found in British and Ruman-
ian homes and oil fields.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05
BRITAIN'S PLANTS
RAIDED BY NAILS
Berlin Claims England's
Ship Losses Now Total
Seven Million Tons

BERLIN, Oct. 4.-RNBomblngs
of a gas works in northwestern
London, armament plants in Gov
entry and Chester in England's IN
dustrial Midlands, and the British
aviation camps were reported by
the German high command today.
A communicate said the air war
against Britain was carried OUT
Yesterday despite bad weather, but
Informed sources said the attacks
we're materially reduced from their
previous scale.
Only one British plane was Die
to penetrate western German ter
ritory because of the unfavoraole
weather, and it's attack resulted IN
no noteworthy damage, the hlgh
command said, but !: : was admitted
that attacks had been made on the
Norwegian coast.
High flames shot from the gas
works attacked in northwestern
London, the communique said, and
direct hits were registered on as
sembly shops and machine shops
of two armament works at Ches-
ter, south of Liverpool, and Gov
entry, rs miles northwest OF Lon
don.
Hangers, barracks, runways n
airplanes were reported destroyed
in attacks on an airport in Con-
wall. In a aid on a fliers' camp
at Sheerness, on the south side OF
the Thames estuary, direct hits
were reported on troops and bar
racks.
Columns Of trucks Transporting
troops north of London were de-
clared to have been scattered by
attacks by single planes.
Only three British planes an
four German planes were reported
lost.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05
WATER FLOWS UPHILL
HELP OF B

HORSHOE NECK, N. 4. Ill.,
You can't lead a Horshoe Necker
to water. Long ago he worked out
a plan to bring the water to him.
Houses in Horshoe Nick are built
on high ridges. First settlers toiled
many a backbreaking step with
water from the springs in the val
ley until, so years ago, an unsung
genius rugged up the first water
carrier.
From the ridge to the springs
runs a cable on which there is a
bucket. Gravity lowers the bucket
a quarter of a mile to the water,
where a weight causes it to sink to
the bottom. Above, the drawer
turns a wheel and the bucket re-
turns. Every village house is SO
equipped.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05

before the first of the year. By
the terms of the conscr otion act,
the number of trainees indicted is
limited by the availability of "ade-
quate" housing and medical facil'
tiles.
Discussing the housing problem
today, the War department est
mated that each of the tent camps
now being constructed would in.
clude more than 1850 tents and
over 300 buildings. These w il
house national guard units which
are to be expanded to full strength
by the induction of conscriptior
trainees.
The wooden cantonments to be
used by regular army Id nationa.
guard divisions training in G
more severe climates will be com
posed of 316 barracks and several
score other buildings.
The cantonment camps are ex.
pected to cost So, 900, 900 each, com.
pared with 49, 900, 900 for the tent
camps.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05

the name S. S. Athena is e.
vealed. It's still effective drama.
A much older trick-a technical
one that accounted for the sue
cess of the early slapstick come
dies-has been used in The Cali.
f~ornian' for the duel between
Tyrone Power and Basil Rath-
bone. They actually fenced at
rather a leisurely pace, but the
camera turned slowly, too. When
the film is run at normal speed,
you'll see some furious action.
There's some talk at Paramount
of making those Hope : Goddard
comedy-mysteries into a S e r i a !
called 1.-The Perils of Paulette" . I.
John Ford's new picture, 1T h e
Long Voyage Home" has the most
completely justified musical score
Of any film since sound reached
the screen. instead of planting a
ghostly 80-piece orchestra on the
little ship, Ford has a member OF
the crew play an accordion. The
music serves the purpose OF a
symphonic score, but occasionally
the camera cut to the seaman ana
his instrument to show where the
melodies are coming from.
After all these years Of measur-
ing players popularity by volume
OF fan mail received, virtually all
the studios have decided these let
tiers really don't mean much. Ger
tainly the crank letters and beg
ging reuests are not representa-.
tive of the movie-going public, and
photograph collecting has become
more of a craze than a reflection
of admiration. Twentieth Century
Fox and Paramount are the latest,
and almost the last, to close their
fan mail departments. Such pub
lic-relations problems, together
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05
SPORTS
ROUNDUP
BY EDDIE BRETT

NEW YORK, Oct. 4.-R-Foot-
ball tip: Tomorrow's Notre Dame
College of the Pacific score will
be closer than a lot of youse guys
think. . Apparently Powell Cros-
ley, Jr., isn't worrying about the
Worlds Series, even if he does
own the Redios. . Last weekend
he went to New Mexico on a fish
ing expedition and hasn't been seen
since . Told pals Giles and M
kechnie could u the club good
enough to suit him. . Clark Grit
fifth says Cleveland has no business
tinkering with Bucky Harris Gf
they have) because he is under
contract. . Paul Derringer admit
ted today he bet $1,000 on him.
self to win Wednesdays opener. .
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-05
Barker Lets Coin Pick Vols,
Sees Wins For Clemson, UNC
Detroit-C Catholic: Detroit.

Detroit-C Catholic: Detroit.
Tempted Georgetown One guess
is as good as another. Georgetown.
Fordham-West Virginia: Ford
ham but it might be very close.
~Army-Williams: The Cadets
should get past this one.
Navy-Cincinnati: Likewise, Navy.
New York niv.-LaFayette: N.
Y. U.
Manhattan-George Washington:
Manhattan.
Penn State-Bucknell: Penn State.
Iowa State-Kansas: Out of the
hat, Iowa State.
Kansas State-C Colorado: A flier
on Colorado.
Oklahoma A. & M:
Oklahoma.
Denver-Baylor: Baylor.
Utah-Brigham Young: Brigham
Young has got plenty of man-power
but never has beaten Utah which
is the selection here.
Colorado ~State-Wyoming: State. l