davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02
BY George Kennedy.

James p. Mitchell, the society bur-
,elar," who confessed looting IS Of WASH
ington's more opulent homes when he
was arrested in october, 1912. began
serving his sentence only last month.
He was n years old when arrested. He
will soon start his 30th year.
Mitchell grew older while his con-
viction was considered impersonally by
the District Court Of Appeals and the
United States Supreme Court. The
defendant, at liberty in 5000 bail, was
one of the most interested listeners in
the audience that heard the arguments
It Is doubtful that any burglar in Amer
loan history has had SO much attention
among the higher judiciary.
In its progress through the courts
the Mitchell case kept making head
lines, but, as in the cases Of bred Scott,
Marbury, Schechter and others that
have made legal history. the personality
Of the Htigant has disappeared. This
for Mitchell was a very unusual burglar
He brought intellect to the revival OF
burglary. This obsolete form Of illegal
livelihood is scorned today in the under
world-perhaps more so than in legiti-
mate circles. But Mitchell was sure
success could be achieved in this field
with modern methods. He told Detec-
tive Sergt. Charles T. Williams. who
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02
Policeman's Chalk Talks Teach Safety

avenue NE. During his years as cap.
tain. not a single school child was killed
on a school day. Only four children
were killed on non-school days. Besides
his chalk talks, he stationed patrolmen
at every dangerous corner and en-.
couraged development of the Boy Pa.
trolls.
The Boy Patrols started in Washing.
ton four years after Inspector Mans
field gave hts first chalk talk Sponsored
by the American Automobile Associa-
ton they now number $3.50 in the
District and 1000 more In nearby Mary
land and Virginia. The value Of these
patrols. of the chalk talks, and of the
safety education now given by teachers
in all public schools has been demon
strated not only in the District. but by
similar programs Nation wide The ma
tional traffic death rate for adults and
babies has risen all over the country
since 1922. But for children of school
age, now exposed to safety instruction
every day, the death rate has dropped,
81 per cent nationally since 1922.
In the statistics of q decreasing
traf1c death rate for school children,
Inspector Mansfield finds his reward.
In that. and the hundreds of letters
scrawled by children asking him to
come again. He got many trophies dur
Ing his 80 years on the Metropolitan
Police force. The trophy he prizes most
highly he got the other day-a wrist
watch band from some children at Ben.
ming School
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02

system to the winds. He would 60 out
on moonless nights, roam the best Sec
tons and pick out likely unighted
house to enter. 1t was on one OF these
occasions that he made his biggest haul.
Comdr. Humphrey Bevan, military at
tache to the New Zealand Legation, and
his wife were asleep when Mitchell
went through their house.
rs that you, Humphrey" he heard
Mrs. Bevan say. Mitchell froze for Is
long minutes. But there was no more
sound. Mrs. Bevan had gone back to
sleep.
He picked up a 5000 diamond brace
let there for which he got $500 in
New York pawn shop He also took
away a $4,000 pearl necklace which he
was afraid to sell and which was found
in one Of his bureau drawers.
For his trial. Mitchell retained James
j. Laughlin. The attorney kept Mitchell
Oh the stand and protested the con-
fession as one obtained by police bru-
tality. About that time, the Supreme
Court set aside the conviction Of the
McNabb brothers, Tennessee moon
sinners, who killed q revenue agent, as
based on a coerced confession from de-
PENDANTS who had not been promptly ar
raigned. The McNabbs were arraigned
four days after arrest. Mitchell was
not arraigned until eight days after ar
rest, and the Court of Appeals reluct-
anly set his conviction aside. Assistant
United States Attorney Bernard Mar
golius prosecuted the case, and United
States Attorney Edward M. Curran d.
rected him to appeal 1t to the Supreme
Court. The high court, eight to one
Justice Black dissenting, upheld the
original conviction, holding in an opin-
ion by Justice Frankfurter that 'the
McNabb rule" had been carried too far.
Mitchell's bread-and- butter income
was from the gold articles he stole. He
would dump trinket cases and bureau
drawers on the floor and screen" them
for the yellow metal. He said he had
his own crucible. which police were I'M
able to find, and melted down the gold,
keeping the 10. IA and 10 karat items
separate. He must have had fence in
New York, as it has been illegal to sell
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02

year, and the number of accidents
involving children from 418 to 348.
Next year Inspector Mansfield will
direct an expanded Star Schoo. Safety
Program.
Inspector Mansfield today uses the
same technique he used at Abbot School
% years ago. He has developed q
"patter" which amuses the children.
He never says the word don't" He
simply shows the results of don't"
in cartoons of accidents, deaths, broken
lives. At the end of his talk, he awards
a Star certificate of merit, Wal Stamp
book containing a stamp and movie
and circus tickets to boys and girls who
can answer safety questions correctly.
While captain of No. precinct from
1882 to 194l, Inspector Mansfield saw
another tragedy he could not forget.
He found pair of small shoes lying
beside q water-fllled brickyard in the
Anacostia section. A sergeant, wading
In, stumbled on the body Of a 9-year-
old girl. The water had looked cool.
She did not know the brickyard sides
sloped sharply downward. After that,
Anacostia children always got an ad-
ditional question In their safety quizzes:
Where are the most dangerous places
to swim in Anacostia? Those who an
swered, "The brickyard and the Ana
costa River got movie tickets.
Value of Safety Training
Inspector Mansfield hopes some day
to make all of Washington as safe as
he made the ninth precinct during his
tour of duty as captain there. There
are 81 schools-more than anywhere
else in the city-in the precinct boundar-
les Of the Capitol, East Capitol street,
the Eastern Branch and New York
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02


a couple of bags Of the stuff to take to
New York"
Williams and Kirby raced back to
the house and arrested the other man.
The charges against him were nolle
pressed last week, however. He had
been at liberty on bond for 10 months
as his trial awaited higher court de-
cisions in the Mitchell case.
There we're no roomers in the ROOM
ing house. The place resembled So
ciety rummage shop or the habitation
Of an inveterate collector who just
couldn't concentrate.
There were eight tennis rackets and
golf bags, and several violins.
Mitchell had enough old and foreign
coins and stamp collections to open one
Of those hole the wall shops. And
he had obtained recent catalogues to see
what those acquisitions were worth
He had two oil paintings cut from
their frames and rolled up. They were
from the Appleby residence, where he
had taken four original oils. On that
occasion, he tried to show of knowl-
edge of art by writing fake" across
two obvious reproductions and leaving
them hanging on the walls.
Burns Paintings
He was not so smart, however. OF
the four pictures he took, only one had
sale value, an Inness landscape for
which Mr.. Appleby had paid $500. He
left behind two Revolutionary portraits
by Sully that had cost the owner several
thousand dollars apiece.
He said he burned the Inness and an
other painting because they were too
hot"
There were dozens of cameras and
binoculars and opera glasses and hun
dreds of tiny gold trinkets-he took
everything made Of gold, jewelry, frames
for miniatures and spectacle frames and
dental inlays. There was a bottle of
expensive perfume and silver medal
awarded In 1900 to 1s-year-old Donald
Hiehbsrs soe ssoond place IN ntis
Walk.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02
BY Marion Wade Doyle.


child was struck by an automobile
on Seventh street near G street NV.
The trafhc jammed. A motorcycle
policeman speeded from No. 2 precinct
to investigate.
This might have happened yesterday.
Actually. it happened AZ years ago. Be-
cause that 6-year-old boy died, thou
sands OF school children since have
been taught the dangers of city traffic.
The motorcycle policeman was Rich
ard H. Mansfield, veteran of IL years
accidents before. But this one impressed
him. In the curly-headed boy. crying
and twisting in PAIN he seemed to see
his own small son and hundreds of
other sons and daughters struck down
through their own ignorance. He found
that the boy had darted into the path
of the automobile. The driver was held
blameless.
When the child died the next day
Oficer Mansfield went to his school,
the old Abbot Elementary, located where
No. now stands. at Fifth street and
New York avenue NV. The ofiicer had
once been a vaudeville entertainer. He
could also draw cartoons. Exerting
every ounce of his ability to hold the
childrens attention, he described the
death of their schoolmate. He drew
cartoons on the blackboard to demon
strate that their friend would be alive
If he had looked before running into
the street.
Rises Through Ranks
That was the first of Oflicer Mans
fields chalk talks" For 20 more
years on the force, he continued to
give nearly every minute of his spare
time to teaching children the same
principles-look before you cross, cross
at the corner, wait for the light. When
he was retired in the spring Of 1913.
after rising through the ranks to the
position Of chief of detectives and
assistant superintendent of police, In
spector Mansfield had demonstrated to
thousands of school children on his
own time the needlessness Of that ac-
cident on Seventh street In 1872
In the fall Of 1913, The Evening
Star asked the inspector to continue,
giving his chalk talks" a. Star public
service project. As director of The
Star School Safety Program, he talked
ct It's public. parochial and private
schools In this vicinity from septem-
Der -, 1913, to June II. 1914. De-
spite . comparable volume Of trafac
On the stxee9, the death rats Of school
child5sn dropped frun u thu sehool
ysaS bssoFs - M during ~ rast scaaoel
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02
'Jigsaw Puzzle Technique
Used in Skull Fractures
BY Frank Carey
associated Press seisne. writer.

surgeons
out Of backbones in order to
gaw technique
At n
patients
disabling
subjected to months sometimes OF the
than
the
becomes rlptured
The apud fragments shooting OF from the spinal
been diseased Simply cutting
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02

mitchell troze for Is long
-Iilustration by star Stan Artist Newman
These are mine,' ne said, Il hadn't
missed them"
Are you absolutely certain?" asked
Williams.
II have the studs to match" said Mr..
Meem. He got them out They matched
perfectly.
Williams got Kirby and started back
for the N street address.
He hasn't seen YOU" Williams told
his partner. You 60 in and tell him
that friend of his is waiting in the
car and wants to see him."
Mitchell came out. He wanted to
know what 1t was all about.
Get in the car" said Williams I'VE
have something to talk over with you,
and we are taking you to No. g."
Mitchell got in.
I'VE kept talking to him about this
and that on the way out" said Will
liams, trying to keep his mind busy so
that he couldn't make up story. I
fumbled for cigarettes and asked him If
he had one. He came up with a package
Of Raleigh tips"
Sergt. Williams is of the opinion that
If you want confession a lot depends
on your opening statement. You've got
to make EN- believe you know lot
more than you do" So when he got
Mitchell into the police station, he sat
him down and said:
Now, Mitchell, we've been following
you for months; we know what houses
you have broken into; We know where
you have been passing the stuff, and we
know that you've got lot Of 1t back
there at the house that you haven't got
rid of yet You don't have to tell us q
thing
Mitchell was silent for q moment.
Then Williams added: There's only one
thing We don't know-who's been
working with you. Is it that guy who
answered the door,"
Roomerless Roomins House
Williams said that Mitchell's answer
made them jump. According to the de-
tective, Mitchell looked up and said:
Yes, and If you're going to get him.
you had better hurry up. He's packing
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02

melted gold since the country went OF
the gold standard.
Except for the week of the Bevan
burglary, he probably never made more
than shipyard riveter gets in his pay
envelope-certainly, he didn't average
anything like it. He had $50 on him
when ARRESTED. As for the account at
the National Savings 81 Trust Co., Mr.
Baird was q bit shocked at being asked
about it.
IT'S true" he said, that this man
violated the mutual confidence between
depositors and banker by robbing my
house. But bank accounts are conf
dental. A mans credit might be I'M
fairly affected by giving out such in
formation"
He did answer questions that revealed
that the Mitchell balance never reached
$1,000. although it might have hit $500
at one time
Faces Other Charles
Mitchell was not q success, and now
he Is In what Warden Lewis E. Lawes
Of Sing Sing, has aptly described as "an
institution for criminal failures" He
never got to be a famous jewel thief
Wealthy families put valuable stones In
safe deposit before leaving the city. and
jewels like Mrs. Evalyn Walsh McLean's
Hope Diamond are taken out only for
certain occasions.
He was never able to return to the
New York hot spots and pay the check
from a roll with 81 900 bill on the out
side. Measured by underworld stand
ards. this ambitious burglar was just a
punk. And before he completes his "a
year sentence, he faces prosecution on
II charges remaining against him.
Jimmy" said Detective Sergt. Will
liams Che was promoted to the head
quarters staff and Pvt Kirby made q
precinct detective for the arrest, you
know you are going to serve time What
are you going to do when you get out?
Will you 60 straight"
NO" the detective quoted Mitchell as
saying, I'm going right back at the
same thing. Ill study the mistakes I
made-and they won't catch me at it
again"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02

nerve u removeo-and the pain, or even
paralysis, is eliminated in most cases.
Approximately 60 Of these operations
have been performed at San Diego Hos
pital alone since January, 1913 Bed
ridden men who could not stand the
pain OF walking are able to walk with
out distress in a couple Of days.
Violent activity is banned for a few
months. but meanwhile most of these
men can be returned to limited duty.
The loss of cushion" does not impair
the normal functioning of the spine.
The surgeons here don't have SO many
candidates for their mosaic" skull oper-
atoms. Most Of the skull fracture cases
from combat areas have had broken
skull fragments removed in overseas
hospitals. When they get skull frac-
ture case first-hand, however, they EN-
ploy this technique.
Nature Clements Parts
An 18-year-old sailors skull was frac-
tured last February when an airplane
crashed into Navy barracks
1t was compound fracture-that is,
the shattered bone broke through the
scalp-and wood. plaster and hair were
driven into the mans brain. The sur
geons removed the pieces of broken
bone, cleaned out the foreign material
and treated the man for possible in
lection. Then they repaired the dura,
the envelope which covers the brain,
and closed up the wound
They washed the bone fragments,
boiled them and put them in an auto
clave" for further sterilization.
They stored them away until April.
then laid open the mans skull again
and fitted the pieces of bone into place.
Where the fit was loose, they cut thin
shavings from the larger fragments
and frightened up the mosaic In the
same way carpenter would shin" an
opening between two pieces Of wood.
The surgeons left it to nature to
cement the parts together. The man
is nearing recovery and they believe
he may be able to return to duty-as
others have before him.
In cases where skull fracture cases
come minus the shattered bone frag-
ments. the San Diego surgeons have
another technique. The repairing bone
is drawn from the uninjured part Of
the skull.
The skull consists of two separate
layers of bone. The surgeons UNDER
mine the upper bone layer and turn
it over into the gap, just as you'd turn
the page Of a book. Nature gradually
restores the original thickness Of
the bone.
A marine who had a chunk of his
forehead shot away by shrapnel at
Guadalcanal underwent such an opera
ton. The hole was about inches in
diameter. Two months after the opera
ton, the marine was back on active
duty
Evening star., 1944-09-11
Miss Mabel Randolph, Aide
10 Former Lawmaker, Dies

Miss Mabel Randolph. 70, secre,
tary to former Representative Myel
Jacobstein, Democrat, of New Yorl
died yesterday In q nursing home
In Takoma Park, D. G.
A native OF Cincinnati, Miss Ran.
dolph first worked as q stenographel
with the late Robert s. Brookings
then superintendent CT the Samuel
Cupples Co. Of st. Louis, who later
founded the Brookings Institution
From 1909 to 1919 she was secretary
to DR.. Frank Mcvey, president o1
the University of North Dakota, and
later was employed as secretary o1
the School OF Home Economics al
Cornell University. She served a,
secretary to Representative Jacob.
stein from 1928 to 1927.
She received her early education
in the public schools Of Chicago
and st. Louis. Shortly after hel
graduation from Cook Academy In
New York, she became the first
woman to report stenographically q
session Of the New York State
Legislature. She took special courses
at the University Of Wisconsin and
was member Of the Washington
Alumnae Chapter.
Surviving are a brother, r. p
Randolph, Abs Alabama avenue
Sc, assistant secretary to the House
Committee on Interstate and For.
eign Commerce; sister, Mrs. James
T. Lacey, Madison. Wis, and several
nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements have no,
been completed.
Evening star., 1944-09-11
Mrs. Florence Whitney,
CIubwoman, Is, Dies

Mrs. Florence Louise Whitney, rs.
prominent Washington cluhwoman
and a resident of this city for Il
years, died yesterday at her home,
3411 Oakwood terrace NV, after a
brief illness. She was the wife Of
Edison L. Whitney, professor of eco
nomics at National University.
A native of Boston, Mrs. Whitney
attended Thayer Academy, Brain
tree, Mass. Since coming to the Dis
trict in 1908 she had been active in
women's organizations. She was
president of the Washington Colony
of New England Women and was a
member Of the Daughters of the
Founders and Patriots Of America,
Livingstone Manor Chapter, OAR;
Abacadabra Literary Club and the
Society Of the Daughters of 1872.
She was a member Of the Mount
Pleasant Congregational Church.
Besides her husband she leaves
two sons, Frederic Whitney, Falls
Church, Va, and Clifford L. Whit.
ney, Washington, and a grandson.
Ray J. Whitney. Arlington. Va.
Funeral services will be held at 4
pm. tomorrow at the Chambers
funeral home. Burial will be in the
family plot at Gardner, Mass.
Evening star., 1944-09-11
In MFmnrtam

BROWN. VIRGINIA I. A, tribute of love
r,M1a n memory Of M,, our dear mother, Mrs. v1R-
GINA l. BROWN, who left US so sud-
denly September 10, l943.
God gave us a wonderful mother
She was one who never grew old;
God made her smile as the sunshine.
He made her heart of pure gold.
Beautiful memories of one so dear
Well always cherish with love sincere;
day that comes with sad regret
And one that we shall never forget
YOUR LOVING Children.
BUTLER. MATILDA. In sad and loving
m6a & To WY dss ns..d ssy
years ago today. September H. 1871
There's an emptiness within my heart
That grows with every year,
For nothing eases the ache that comes
WIN HER shS '0rs DAGoaTEs, q 1T r. ohsEi IRENE.
COHEN. FLORA. In cherished memory
OF my devoted mother, FLORA COHEN,
S1n Who left oso Gs 1--WE years ago today septem
GARRETT, GEORGE F. troPs,. In low
father GEORGE r. (PoPs, GARRETT.
VINO passed away two years aso today,
September II, 1942.
Time takes away the edge Of srief,
HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER.
HACKLEY. CORA VIRGINIA In sad
61s nI loving remsmbrance Of my dear mother,
1929.
Travelling on through space and time,
miss you more, dear mother O. mine;
Ihese fifteen years have left me lonely and
III nis i ''Es5 ;sRas tss 2ss
HARRIS, JOHN EARL. In sad but low
tnk remembrA nee Of ot1r dear huaha nd nd
father. JOHN EARL HARRIS, who left us
two years ago today, September IL, 1e42
Gone. but not forsotten; -
HENRY. GEORGE F. In sad and low
GEORGE HENRY, WY Who 'dep dep.raed aes0ihd thi:
NE one year ago today, September II,
I lost a life companion.
A life linked with my own;
And day by day miss you
As walk through life alone.
Ny heart still aches with sadness,
MY eyes shed many tears:
God only knows how much / miss you
DEVOTED WIFE AND CHILDREN, 0OLDrE
L., VISTA. GERTRUDE AND NORMAN
Jones, HARRY $. In loving remsm-
sIsnes na ct Of our our Loved eve! % Hne. HARRY g. JONES
HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
MUTSCHLER, WILLIAM o. In sad but
lovtns remembrance Of our dear son, WILL
LIAM o. MUTeCHLER, who passed away
| fouf years ago today. September IL. 1910.
Our hearts still ache with sadness,
Our eyes shed many tears;
| God only knows how We miss you, son,
MOTHER AND FATHER.
Evening star., 1944-09-11
Strikes Cut Coal Output
100000 Tons in Week

Ey the Associated Press.
Mine strikes reduced the output
of bituminous coal by more than
302 900 tons in the week ended Sep
tember 2, Secretary of the Interior
Ickes said today.
Production during the week to-
tailed ll,575,000 tons, a figure de-
scribed by Mr.. Ickes as well below
the weekly average necessary to
meet estimated requirements of the
l944-5 coal year"
In the week ended August 26, Mr..
1ckes said, strikes at soft-coal mines
were responsible for the loss of more
than 200, 900 tons, production in that
week totaling 12,070,O00 tons.
Soft coal needs for the l944-5 wear
have been estimated at 626, 900 600
tons. To attain that production
Mr.. 1ckes reported, the average
weekly output must approximate
IL, ,038, 900 tons.
Anthracite produced in the week
ended September 2 totaled 1909 900
tons, compared with 1890 900 tons
in the preceding week
Evening star., 1944-09-11
Edwin Smith, IS, Dies;
Federal Worker and
Early Cycling Star

Edwin Smith. IS. group chief OF
the Internal Revenue agents Wash
ington once and native Of the
District, died yesterday at his home,
3726 Connecticut avenue NV,
after a brief illness.
Son Of the late Wallace and Re-
becca Smith, he attended the public
schools here and as 4 boy was en-
ployed by the Western Union and
the Postal Telegraph Co. He began
his Government career in the Post
Once Department and later trans
ferred to the Bureau of Internal
Revenue where he had been en-
ployed for 26 years at the time OF
his death. A brother is Inspector
Milton D. Smith, assistant super
intendent Of Metropolitan Police.
As young man, Mr.. Smith ac-
quired reputation as bicycle
racer The winner Of several cham
pionships, he was awarded q "Cen-
tury Medal" for pedaliAg from the
District to New York and return.
He rode tandem with such we'll