davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Tear Gas 5trongbox
Fails 10 Stop $1,000
Theft al Restaurant &"

Tear gas as q preventive for safe
robbery was batting 500 today after
q successful foray on q gas-equipped
strongbox at the Herald Square
Restaurant, 1903 H street NV, that
netted the robbers $1,000 and a
number of checks.
Last week robbers attempting to
open a safe at the RoSslyn Steel
and Cement Co., 3031 X street NV,
were turned back by a gas bomb
set off by the mechanism.
Discovery of the Herald Square
theft was made by George Sachlis,
42l7 Ingomar street NV, the owner,
who noticed the gas fumes when he
entered the place at 10 am. yester-
day.. The robbers had climbed to
the roof by a fire escape and let
themselves into the building by
forcing an overhead door.
A fan placed near the safe evil
IDENTIFY was used to blow away the
tear-producing fumes.
Thieves entering the Amoco SER
vice station at 1900 Wisconsin
avenue NV. found a 2-foot square
green safe made to order. 1t was
mounted on wheels. They rolled it
away, together with 1878, the pro-
prietor, Samuel Keneff, of 4848 Abe
marie street NV, said it contained.
Police was on the lookout for a
6-foot colored man who may have
been wounded by pistol shots. He
was frightened away from 44o N
street NV. by Fannie Eubank, 81,
who was awakened by his efforts to
remove a watch from her wrist.
Attracted by her screams, Pvts.
B. c. Pridgen and J. T. O'Brien
saw the thief running from the
house and each took one shot at
him as he fed into the darkness.
John Williams, colored, of 1611
Eighth street NV, reported theft
of metal box containing $275
from his home. Albert Walcoff,
owner OF the Princess Market, IS
H street NV, said the place was
rifled of $62 cash and merchandise
totaling $166.3O.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Fogqy Bottom Gets Foce-Lfting
AsOIdGosPIont Comes Down

said to his surprise there is a market
for the secondhand gas manufac-
turing equipment.
I'VE advertised the closing of the
plant to the gas industry and got
q surprising response" he COM
He estimated approx
mately 80 per cent Of the usable
may be sold before the
year is out.
Market Is Good.
"I venture to say we will sell
more this year than was sold in
the past Is years-as secondhand
equipment. We've hit the market,
he added.
He said the equipment was being
bought by companies in all parts
of the Nation as well as Canada
Builders have bid for the roofing
and trusses. Some of the trusses
made of iron, will go to ornamental
ironworks companies.
The two brick stacks, $50 feet
high, will be dynamited.
They're lovely stacks" Mr.. Nc
Queen commented. But there's
nothing much you can do with an
old brick stack but blast 1t down. u
10 The East Station OF the gas COM
pany, Twelfth and N streets NE,
will remain, Mr.. Mcqueen said. 1t
is being converted to a standby
plant for the manufacture of gas
with the same heat content as nat
ural gas-also for use in case of an
interruption to other facilities. The
conversion is expected to be COM
pleted in September.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Boutmon Caught in River Chase
Choroed With Drunken Driving

Brown Of District Fire Truck Co.
No. /, a passenger in the Wolf boat,
took the wheel. however, and said he
would pilot it to the dock, police
reported.
The patrol boat then headed for
harbor precinct, but had hardly
docked, the sergeant continued,
when he noticed the same speed
boat heading seaward, still without
lights, down the opposite side of
the harbor. The policeman said
he Jumped back into the patrol
boat and chased Wolf to the airport
mud flats.
He added that when he caught
I'D with the speedboat a second
time the defendant was alone and
had to be pulled into the patrol
craft. as he was timber"
Wolf pleaded not guilty before
Judge Nadine L. Gallagher.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Suspect Freed in Theft
OF S700 in Alexandra

William Hatton, %. of 1925 Duke
street, Alexandria, reported to Alex
andria police yesterday that his
$700 life savings disappeared from
the cab of his dump truck after he
revealed the location of the money
to a drinking companion.
Alexandria police said they ar
rested the drinking companion but
after intensive questioning, released
him without charges.
Mr.. Hatton, truck driver, said he
had put his bank balance in the
truck because OF domestic trouble"
Early yesterday, police said they
we're told he found the drinking
companion going through the steel
box that contained the money.
The two men began to fight within
the cab of the truck, Mr.. Hatton
said. During the fight, he said, he
hit the other man on the head with
an ak. The men fed on foot. Mr..
Hatton drove to police headquarters
and reported his loss, police said.
The man was arrested and sub
sequently released after he turned
up at the Alexandria hospital to
have a head injury treated.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Korean Survives "A Days
On Raft, 80 Others Lost
Nv the Associated Press

TSINGTAO, China, Aug. 1S.-A
famished and SUM- -blackened Korean
who said he was the only survivor
of 40 persons from the sunken Jap
anese oiler Asai Maru related today
how he lasted "a days on an oil
drum raft without food of water.
He identified himself as Kama
moda Oposoco, member of the Asai
Maru's crew, which he said included
four women. Oposoco was picked
up by an UNRRA vessel Friday and
was brought to Tsingtao.
Oposoco told his rescuers In lucid
intervals between periods of delirium
that the Asai Maru, bound from
Dairen to Fusan, Korea, spfang a
leak and sank within few hours.
He said he lashed together three
oil drums and few boards and
threw the makeshift raft into the
heavy sea. Only Oposoco and
another man managed to reach it.
Some time during the "a days in
which the raft drifted between the
North China coast and Korea the
other man died and was pushed
overheard.
Oposoco was wearing clothes
taken from the floating body of a
dead woman crew member.
Evening star., 1947-08-18

DiSmantling the $4,000 900 West
End gas manufacturing plant at
Twenty sixth and G streets NV,
which now Is underway, will give
the Foggy Bottom section its first
major face-lifting In years.
All to remain of the Washington
Gas Light Co. plant there by next
year are two large tanks or gas
holders on Virginia and New Hamp-
shire avenues NV. and one small
brick building in the triangle at
New Hampshire avenue and Twen-
ty-fifth street NV.
Everything else Is to be razed.'
With the conversion OF Washing
ton to natural gas, the company NO
longer has any use for the plant
The two remaining gas holders,
with a combined capacity Of 4,500,-
900 cubic feet, will be used as q
standby storage for natural gas In
case of an emergency caused by q
break in the lines from the gas
fields.
Other Buildings to be Razed.
Down will come two other large
gas holders and the buildings hous-
ing the gas manufacturing equip
ment. Parts of some of these build
ings were built before the Civil War.
The land probably will be put up
for sale by the gas company. al
though plans for this phase Of the
operation have not been completed.
Although at first it was believed
everything would have to be sold
as junk, Russell Mcqueen, produc-
ton manager OF the gas company
Evening star., 1947-08-18

A charge of driving a 3o-foot
speedboat while drunk was filed
today against Washington me-
chanic who, harbor police said. was
arrested after a chase early this
morning in which the quarry finally
ran aground on the mud fats off
the National Airport.
Placed under $500 bond in Traffic
Court, John Shepherd Wolf, "a, of
the 1900 block Of Wisconsin avenue
N. w. was granted a jury trial
October 7.
Roy A. Cunningham. harbor Pre-
cinct sergeant, reported he first
overhauled the speedboat as 1t was
proceeding inshore without lights
along the War College seawall Sergt.
Cunningham said that when he
drew alongside in his patrol boat
he found Wolf "in no condition to
operate the craft" 1t. william w.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
1OOVirginio Snake Cultists Pray
VuinIy for Destruction of Jail

ers mingled with the singers with
orders to put them in Jail" If they
called on anything but heavenly
assistance to pull down the walls
of the prison.
The two women inside the jail
are Mrs. Flora Nolan, 34-year -old
brunette, and Mrs. Mary Lou Scott.
a plump, 32-year-old blond, who
have refused bond because there is
no place in the Bible that says any
thing about making bond or paying
a fine"
Mrs. Nolan said they were waiting
"for the Lord to open the doors OF
the jail
The cultists left Wise later in the
day to attend rites at Stone Greek,
tagged by troopers and deputies
with orders to kill all snakes that
might appear during ceremonies
and to arrest any member handling
them.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Coastwise Ship Lines Ask
Rate Boost 10 Meet Rails
BY the Assoeiafsd Press

Coastwise steamship lipes operat-
ing between Atlantic and Gulf ports
asked authority today to increase
their freight charges in line with the
new 16 per cent freight rate increase
being asked by the railroads.
In . petition to the Interstate
Commerce Commission, the water
carriers also Joined the rail lines in
asking for corresponding upward
revision Of combination rates involv-
ing both rail and water movement.
The steamship petition asserted that
wages of ship crews and the cost of
supplies have increased about $50
per cent and basic long shore rates
have gone up more than 60 per cent
since 1941.
1t was contended that many lines
have been unable to restore private
operations in the wake of Govern
ment control in wartime because
present rates are totally inadequate
for profitable operation"
The water carriers were permitted
rate increases averaging 61a per
cent in a proceeding to adjust
waterfall competition. The rail-
roads obtained a per cent upward
adjustment at that time.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Ex-Emp|oye Stays Two,
Wounds Two, Kills Self
By the Associated Press

GLIDDEN, Iowa, Aug. 1S.-Two
members OF farm family were shot
and killed and two others wounded
last night by a former employe
who later committed suicide. Sherin
Tom Finegan reported today.
The dead were: Elgie Vessel,
about so; Lois Mae Vessel, 16, and
Jack Heuton, 27, of Coon Rapids.
The injured were Donald Vessel,
13, and Clayton Vessel, 40, father
of Lois and Donald.
Clayton Vessels condition was
reported as critical.
Sheriff Finegan said the shooting
was done by Heuton, who had
worked at the Vessel farm six
miles south of here before and
after service in the Navy.
The sheriff said Heuton's body
was found near barn early today.
He said Heuton had shot himself.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Pepper Says Soviet People
Are Striving for Democracy
by the Assoeiotsd Press

Senator Pepper, Democrat, of
Florida, said yesterday the Russians
are striving for democracy and their
government will not remain totali-
tartan.
"As they get higher standards of
living they will demand more civil
rights" the Senator said. The peo-
pie themselves will demand of their
leaders that they have more
liberties"
Thus, he added, the more the
country's economy expands, "the
more abundance they have, the more
civil liberties they have, the more
democracy they have-then they will
appreciate democracy, and the more
friendly toward us they will be-"
Senator Pepper spoke in an off,
the-cuff radio interview over Station
WEAM with Charles Farmer who
asked how is 1t that you can regard
Russia with the indulgence that you
seem to?"
The Russians, Senator Pepper said,
"are striving for what we have
reached-democracy. Il think in
time they will have what We have"
Evening star., 1947-08-18
District Guard Completes
2-Week Training Period

Men of the District National
Guard yesterday wound up their
15-day intensive training period at
Fort Meade The II officers and BOT
enlisted men of the Guard returned
to civilian life today.
The carbine firing record of the
163d Military Police Battalion of
the Guard was announced as the
training ended. 1t. Col: George
Weber, commanding officer Of the
battalion, made the highest score
and was the only one to qualify as
an expert.
Eight officers and men received
sharpshooter ratings. They were:
S/Sergt. Louis E. Brown, Sergt.
Samuel Holderman, Pvt. Charleton
E. Tinkham. T/Sergt. William M.
Hersman, Capt. John E. Cleary.
T/Sergt. Ernest v. Gonzales, First
1t. Nelson r. Jones and Corpl. Ira
H. Baker.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
sy the Asseeiofsd Press

WISE, Va, Aug. 18.-Faith heal
ers yesterday called on the Lord to
make the walls of Wise County Jail
come tumbling down-but the bricks
remained in place and SO did two
women cultists imprisoned for han
ding poisonous snakes In q public
gathering. r.
Cultists assembled 100 strong to
emulate the Israelites, whose
prayers brought down the walls OF
Jericho.
Led by their sandy-haired, heavy
set minister, Paul Dotson, the band
began gathering shortly after !
pm, twanging guitars and banjos
and singing. The meeting broke
up shortly after O'Clock without
the appearance Of q snake.
Deputy H. r. Teche said between
10 and Is deputies and State troop
Evening star., 1947-08-18
WenderProtests
Theaters' Action
nFree Movies
Commissioners Right
To Rule Recreation
Boord Disputed

Harry S. Wender, chairman OF the
District Recreation Board, protested
to the District Commissioners at q
closed hearing today against the
propriety of the motion picture
theater owners in going over the
head of the recreation board in
filing complaints against showing
free movies to playground children.
While disputing the authority OF
the Commissioners to regulate Rec
reation Board activities, Mr.. Wender
nevertheless entered complete de-
nial and defense of the charges.
The theater owners, in particular,
protested at the meeting that the
30-year-old free playground movies
were unfair competition" to COM
mercial movies. The owners had
particular reference to industrial
films. such as those promoting
certain brand of cigarettes, which
were admittedly shown to recrea-
ton audiences.
Program Defended.
Mr.. Wender also defended the
program against charges that pic
lures were presented under un-
couth and unsanitary conditions"
and that the impact of commercial
films on youthful audiences is SUBJ
ject to serious objection"
The recreation board has the
sole responsibility Of the type OF
recreation programs 1t conducts and
this responsibility is not shared with
any other District agency" Mr..
Wender said.
1t Is unfortunate, he declared,
that any complaint which the
motion picture owners might have
had was not directed to the board
so that we might have considered
their objections on a factual and
dispaSsionate basis.
The charges were brought to the
notice of the board in letters re-
leased to the press July Is at which
time, he said, the Commissioners
already had agreed to consider the
complaints and then invited the
board to be present at the hearing.
Boards Rights Cited.
Because of the autonomous ma
ture of the Recreation Board, 1t is
difficult to ascertain the relation
ship of the District Commission to
the motion picture owners" ne
added.
Mr.. Wender said he had discussed
the movie program last June with
"A. Julian Brylawski, of Warner
Brothers real estate department,
and felt as a result of the meeting
that the theater owners had no
complaints. At this meeting, Mr.
Brylawski agreer to furnish the Rec
reation Board with trafic safety
movies for free showing to juveniles.
He admitted that in three isolated
places movies we're being shown In
play streets. or on an alley or court
plavgrounds which the Recreation
Board constructs and where 1t con-
ducts its recreation program.
Shows court, located in heavily
populated colored neighborhqod and
which lacks other public recreational
facilities, was given as an example.
Theater owners protested at the
meeting the recreation program was
being presented without regard to
fire regulations, q claim which Mr..
Wender promptly refuted.
Other members of the Recreation
Board at the hearing included
James E. Schwab, vice chairman;
Mrs. Alice E. Hunter, secretary, and
c. Melvin Sharpe.
The theater owners were repre-
sented by Mr.. Brylawski, Carter
Barron and Fred Kogod.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
NewConference.IsSe Set
ByU. ). With Owner Of
Boiling Field Home

Whether Joseph =. Bockovac, who
has complained o. low-fiying Array
planes over his home at 100 Chesa-
peake street S.W., may remain there
pending decision on q fair price for
the property from the Government
will be considered at . conference
September 4.
Charles M. Irelan, Justice De-
partment attorney handling the
case, said conference scheduled for
today had been postponed because
Mr.. Bockovac's attorney is out OF
town.
Congress ordered the War Depart
ment to buy the property last
August. When the departments
offer was refused, it filed condem-
nation proceedings, took title and
posted $25,000 as its offer.
In Line With Landing Strip.
When the Government obtained
title, the Bockovac family was or
dered to vacate. Through an at
torney, however, the family filed a
motion to set aside the order. The
War Department, Mr.. Irelan said,
tentatively agreed to permit the
family to remain in the house until
December l.
Mr.. Irelan said a fair price for the
property cannot be decided until the
Bockoyacs vacate and they want to
stay until q value is decided. He ex-
planned they will be allowed to take
with them large number of flowers
and shrubs they cultivated for a
business, and that an ac-
curate appraisal cannot be made
until the items are removed. The at
torney said he had intended to call
a fury this fall to decide q fair
price for the property.
The home stands on hill over
looking Boiling Field, in direct line
with main landing strip. To make
landings, the planes dip within a
few feet of the Bockovac rooftop.
Complains of Nervous Strain.
Mr.. Bockovac has asserted his wife
has nearly been struck an several
occasions by objects dropped from
the low-f1ying planes, and COM
planned of the nervous strain caused
her by noise, vibration and danger.
A bill introduced in Congress by
Senator Young, Republican, of
North Dakota in July seeks to direct
the War Department to purchase
the property all over again. The
bill nearly duplicates the measure
signed by the President last year,
except that it would give Mr.. Book
ovac first preference in the dis
posal OF any salvage or other ma
terials' resulting from the dwellings,
removal.
Mr.. Bockovac is listed in the Con-
gressional Record among those
registered as lobbyists for the
Eightieth Congress, with the nota-
tion he appears or works in his
own interest.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Public Calls 500 Times q Day
For Advice of Weothermon

was receiving an average OF 10000
calls a day. has climbed steadily
through seasonal fluctuations until
in June this year 1t handled an aver
age of $4,000 calls each "a hours.
Peak number of calls 1t ever re-
iceived in one day was close to
l15,0O0.
WE 1912 takes heavy burden off
the shoulders of members of the
weather station staff, but obviously
not all of 1t. Sometimes, under un-
usual weather conditions, inquiries
flood In with a volume which seri-
ously interferes with regular duties
of the station.
The hurricane which struck the
North Atlantic seaboard in Septern-
ber, 1914, found the forecast center
switchboard jammed continuously
for 48 hours. To make call out
side, weathermen had to step next
door to use the telephone in another
Office.
WE 1912 sometimes brings up
problems of its own.
Couldn't Get Number.
One day the center got several
calls with a new complaint.
IT can't get WE 1912. The op-
orator keeps telling me to dial
again." was the protest.
A telephone subscriber, calling WE
1912, may be IN the beginning, mid
die, or end of the recorded weather
announcement which will repeat
automatically until he has heard the
whole announcement-more than
once If he wishes.
Inquiry showed that in this case
the telephone company had, as it
sometimes does, tagged an extra an
nouncement to the end OF the
weather forecast. 1t was a. re-
minder that phone users who are
not certain of their number should
check your directory before making
call" Many callers, coming into
the recorded announcement at this
point, thought they had dialed the
wrong number and hung up before
the weather announcement began.
Some tried again, repeated the pro-
cess, then called the weather station.
Bureau Gets Blamed.
On another occasion when the
telephone company used this means
to remind subscribers that "the new
telephone directory now Is out . . .
destroy your old one," one man,
seriously disturbed by the waste he
foresaw, called the weather Office to
berate if for the suggestion he at
tributed to its staff.
There also are callers like the man
who wanted to know the weather
between here and Chicago. After
a detailed explanation-people who
fly need a thorough analysis Of the
weather en- route-it turned out he
was going by train, just wanted to
know whether to wear light suit
In Chicago or a heavier one.
There was the caller who asked
regularly about the weather. He
turned out to be the operator of a
frozen. custard parlor and wanted
to get line on how the days busi-
ness would be.
When school classes reach
weather" in their studies, groups of
calls come in. II the questions are
too complicated, forecasters usually
recommend they be rephrased, or
that the class arrange for a visit to
the forecast center where they can
make tour and get their questions
answered all together.
r. C. Schmidt. meteorologist in
charge of the forecast center, and
the Weather Bureau men, their ears
to the telephone. heartily agree with
at least a part of the old statement:
"A lot of people talk about the
weather. ."
Evening star., 1947-08-18
ABCCheck Fails
To Find Minors
Drinking in Bars
Owners Still Refuse
To Admit Juveniles
Despite West Ruling

Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
failed to discover any
minor drinking in taverns in the
course of visits to go establishments
Saturday night, Chairman Alan
Payne of the ABC Board reported
today.
Mr.. Payne said inspectors were
instructed specifically to look for
drinking minors. The tour was
aimed at finding the results of Cor
poration Counsel Vernon E. Vests
ruling that minors could drink in
taverns as long as adults bought
and were served the drinks. Mr..
West ruled the tavernkeeper was not
responsible if the adult slipped a
drink across the table to a minor.
Tavern Owners Bar Minors.
) The inspectors, however, found
that taVernkeepers are still refusing
to permit minors to drink in their
places, no matter who buys the
drink, Mr. Payne said.
Il don't believe bartenders will
allow minors to drink in their
taverns because there Is still some
question in the popular mind about
this" Mr.. Payne said. Obviously.
the citizens are opposed to young
people drinking"
Mr.. Payne said the inspectors
were on the lookout for violations
Of ABC regulations. as usual. But
they were given special instructions
to see II there were any truth to
reports that minors were drinking
in public as an aftermath OF the
West ruling.
One In Tavern Not Drinking.
With the exception of q small
place in Georgetown. the inspectors
found no minors in bars, MIR. Payne
reported. At the Georgetown tavern,
a minor was seen with an adult but
the minor was not drinking.
The ABC board has recommended
changes in the law to plug the loop
hole uncovered by Mr.. Vests ruling.
Mr.. Payne said he did not expect
any action until the Commissioners
can study the recommendations.
A mass meeting, sponsored by the
Alcoholics Christian Club of the
Central Union Mission, will be held
at the mission, 613 c street NV. at
7:45 o'clock tonight to protest any
law permitting minors to drink
openly. A mission spokesman said If
the old law permits minors to drink.
a change should be made in the
law. Representatives from church
groups and interested individuals
have invited.
Evening star., 1947-08-18
Infont Found Alive
In Tub of Ashes
j.. sv the Assoeioted Press

SHENANDOAH, Pa, Aug. ia
faint cry came from a tub OF ashes
early today.
Mrs. Mary Winsko investigated
and found a baby, several days old,
wrapped in old newspapers and
cardboard.
Removed to Locust Mountain Hos
pital and placed in an incubator
doctors reported the infant was in
good condition.