davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1949-02-25

Both Downing and Hanford,
Shakespearean actors, taught Fred
in their homes here. After going
on the road with them, he
branched out on his own.
Climbed to StardOm.
Shortly after the turn of the
century he starred in Julius
Caesar" Tanning of the ShreW," "
Damon and Pythias" and other
productions. Some of the latter
included Broadway and Butter
milk" with Blanche Ring; The
White Rose of Old China" with
Edith Taliaferro, and Her
Brother" with Helen Lackaye.
In 1913 he married the former
Miss Leila Hodgkin of Washington.
Mrs. Hand travelled with her hus-
band but did not go into show
business. The couple had no
children.
Shortly after his marriage, how
ever, he joined Joseph Hart ("Foxy
Granpa") to manage the stars and
produce all plays for the Keith
Orheum vaudeville circuits
throughout the country. This
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Suspended Term Given
Griffin in Fatal Fight

Bennie Lee Griffin, So, was given
a flve-year suspended sentence in
Arlington County Circuit CourS
today on involuntary manslaugh-
ter charges resulting from the
death of Audie S. Carroll, IS, who
was fatally injured in a fist fight
after an automobile collision.
Judge Walter T. Mccarthy i'm
posed the sentence after confer
ring with the probation officer.
Judge Mccarthy told Griffin:
"The probation report indicates
you need help. You will be under
control of the probation officer
and you will be required to take
any medical treatment he may
prescribe"
Judge Mccarthy did not elabo-
rate on the type of medical treat
ment" he had in mind.
Griffin, a mechanic, admitted
striking Mr.. Carroll, an auditor,
who died last November as a re-
suit of injuries suffered when his
head struck the pavement.
Griffin pleaded guilty February
Z and voluntarily entered jail at
the suggestion of the court.
The five-year sentence is the
maximum under the charge.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Hall Sings Spiritual
He Wrote, Then Dies
For Attacking Girl, 8

John H. Hall, "a, died in the
District Jail's electric chair to-
day for an attack on an 8-year-
old girl October 5, 1916.
The current was turned on al
1905 am. switched off two min
utes later and he was pronounced
dead at 1912 am.
A short colored man, Hall was
convicted in November, 1947, for
carnal knowledge involving a col
ored girl. He was accused of at
tacking her in a clump of bushes
near her home in the 900 block
of KenilWorth terrace NE.
The death penalty decreed by
the jury was carried out after
Chief Justice Vinson turned down
a handWritten appeal yesterday
from Hall. asking for a stay OF
execution.
Sings Spiritual He Composed.
Hall walked into the death
chamber unaided at 1902 am,
singing in a high, loud voice a
spiritual he had composed while
awaiting execution.
Some of the words were: GLORY
be my soul, at rest some day."
He continued to sing while at
tendants made their adjustments
but his voice cracked as the head
gear was being placed.
In turn. he said good-by to the
Rev. James L. Pinn of Goodwill
Baptist Church. the Rev. Samuel
Kelsey of the Temple Church of
God and Christ. the Rev. Donald
c, Shaw, the jail chaplain: Jail
Supt. Curtis Reid and Guard Capt.
Charles E. Tucker. Then he
addressed the group:
"Good-by you all and God bless
you. Lord rest my SOUL
Plight Blamed on Environment.
From $50 to 10 m, Hall talked
with the ministers. He blamed his
plight on bad environment, but
said he held no grudge against
any one.
His final appeal to the Supreme
Court, asking for q writ of habeas
corpus or a stay, was denied at
4:35 pm. Earlier, his execution
had been postponed four times.
During that period the United
States Court of Appeals affirmed
the District Court verdict.
At the time of his conviction he
was serving a 10 to 80 years
sentence for a similar offense
committed after that for which he
was sentenced to die. His death
was believed to be the first time
the extreme penalty was invoked
here for sex offense involving a
child
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Role Of Negro Press in U. 5.
To Be Discussed on Radio

The role of the Negro press in
the United States will be discussed
at 1915 pm. tomorrow over Sta
ton WRC on the National Broad
casting Co.'S Public Affairs" pro-
gram.
The program marks the seventh
annual observance of Negro News
paper Week. The discussion title
will be Does Our Democracy JUS
tify Negro Press?'
Speakers will be B. M. Nickel
way, editor of The Star and vice
president of the American Society
of Newspaper Editors, and Thomas
w. Young. president of the Negro
Publishers Association.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Camp Fire Girls Council
To Honor Van 0rsdeI

Ralph Van Orsdel, who helped
found the Potomac Area Council
of Camp Fire Girls in 194l, will
be honored with a dinner given
by the council at $50 pm. to-
morrow at the Woman's National
Democratic Club, 1926 New Hamp-
shire avenue NV.
President of the council in 1916
and a member of the board since
1941, Mr.. Van Orsdel also served
for many years with the organiza-
ton at Omaha, Nebr. Miss Martha
F. Allen, national director, will
speak at the dinner.
Mr.. Van Orsdel retired recently
as vice president and general
counsel for the Chesapeake 81
Potomac Telephone Co. He plans
to move soon to San Francisco.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
By james F. Moser Jr.

A little boy whom God en-
dowed with a pretty good singing
voice" will retire Tuesday after
more than so years in show busi-
ness. He is Fred E. Hand, manag-
ing director of Constitution Hall.
Mr.. Hand, who now is 62, started
hanging around" Washington
theaters at the age of 8.
Il liked them" he said, land
God endowed me with a pretty
good singing voice; so that's how
it all began"
When he was about II. and had
a baritone voice, young Fred Hand
Joined forces with young AL Jol-
son and AIS brother Harry to sing
at the old Bijou Theater at Ninth
and c streets NV. Then AL and
Harry took to the road and Fred
stayed in Washington.
A short while later, he was taken
under the wing of Robert Downing
and Charles B. Hanford, who
taught him voice control and the
Interpretation Of blank verse.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Fred Hand in Show Business at r. Will Retire on Tuesday

its completion the following year.
This was done. and he agreed to
stay six months as managing
director to "get the hall started" P"
He has been there about 20 years.
In charge of all bookings at the
hall, Mr.. Hand said this years
number will exceed l60, the larg-
est in the halls history. His aim,
he said, has been to give Wash
ington a cultural center. He feels
his mission has been completed.
Mr.. Hand hopes to stay in
Washington and "go forward with
something that is good for the
city" At the moment. he is work.
ing with the Washington Variety
Club to build a chapel for the
Coast Guard at New London,
Conn.
Born in College Corner. Ohio,
Mr.. Hand came to the District
with his late parents, Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles w. Hand, at an early
age. He attended Central High
School. He and his wife live at
5000 Connecticut avenue NV.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Opposing Sides
Heard on
Daylight Time
Foes Soy 1t Hurts
Children, Proponents
Cite Recreation

Daylight saving time for the
District was both bitterly attacked
and strongly advocated today by
witnesses before a House District
Subcommittee.
Testimony was directed to two
pending Identical bills which
would authorize the District COM
missioners to establish daylight
time here each sumer if so de-
sired by the citizenry. One meas
ure. spansored by Senator Nc
Grath, Democrat. of Rhode Island,
has passed the Senate and come to
the House. The other was intro
duced in the House by Repre-
sentative Klein, Democrat, of
New York.
Opponents of the measure con-
tended that daylight time creates
confusion. is injurious to their
health and has a serious effect on
the nervous systems of children.
Farmers Held Handicapped. FL
Farmers and government en-
ployes living in nearby areas also
would be handicapped, the oppon-
entS contended. by having to get
up an hour earlier.
Proponents of the bill, led by
District Commissioner John Rus
sell Young, the Board of Trade
and spokesmen for the radio net
works urged the passage of the
bill.
The contended that fast time
is needed for the welfare and
recreation of residents here and
to bring the National Capital in
line with other big cities in the
East.
A. Julian Brylawski, president
of the Motion Picture Theater
Owners of the District. charged
that daylight saving caused a loss
of at least 25 per cent in revenue
for most theaters and probably
more for the increasing number
of drive-in theaters.
Travel Confusion Claimed.
Mrs. Harvey Wiley, of the Dis
trict Federation of Women's
Clubs which have 5000 members
here, declared that confusion in
travel caused great difficulty be-
cause of different time schedules
in different cities. She also said
housewives and mothers were
strongly opposed to fast time. one
of her reasons being that chill
= would not go to bed while
the sun was still up.
Proponents included a spokes-
man for the Columbia Broadcast
ing System and the National
Broadcasting Co. who hoped also
for Nationwide observance of
either standard or daylight time.
Chairman Harris of the Judi
ciary Subcommittee holding the
h caring and Representative
O'Hara, Republican, of Minnesota
questioned witnesses at length,
principally to draw testimony in
opposition to the bill.
The Board of Trade was repre-
sented by Raymond Du Four,
chairman of its Recreation Com
mittee, and William H. Press,
board secretary.
Evening star., 1949-02-25

lasted until 1925. In 1920 Mr..
Hand produced Jack London's
Sea Wolf" starring Hobart Bos-
worth.
Seeing the Handwriting on the
wall" for vaudeville in 1925. MIR.
Hand came back from the Keith
Office in New York to open the
Earle Theater here. He was it's
manager for 1s months. before he
went back on the road as man
ager of the Metropolitan Operas
road company production, Kings
Henchmen." He had been asked
to organize the company by Deems
Taylor. composer of the music.
Following country wide tour,
he became press agent for Edna
Wallace Hopper, making her the
"62-year-old Flapper of '27 and
49," He toured with her for a
year.
Opened OAR Hall.
Again in Washington in 1929,
Mr.. Hand urged the Daughters of
the American Revolution to open
Constitution Hall to the public on
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Sales Tax on Utilities
Protested at Hearinq
On D. T.. Revenue Bill

Protests against the application
Of the proposed District sales tax
to gas and electricity bills were
to be heard this afternoon by the
House Senate subcommittee draft
ing the city's new revenue
measure.
The joint fiscal subcommittee
held a lengthy conference yester-
day afternoon, without final deci-
sion, on many details of the 2 per
cent sales tax plan. Outlines OF
the Maryland sales tax were given
by Walter Kennedy. chief of the
Maryland State Sales Tax Divi-
sion.
A general agreement that the
District law ought to conform "as
much as possible" with the Mary
land law was announced by
spokesmen for the joint group
Senator Hunt, Democrat, OF
Wyoming, and Representative
Smith, Democrat, of Virginia.
The Maryland law applies the
tax to utility bills. The pending
District law does not. Fuel oil
and coal interests here have pro-
tested that, unless the District
tax were applied to gas and elec-
tricity bills, the oil and coal busi-
ness, subject to the 2 per cent
levy, would be placed at a dis
advantage.
Utility spokesmen have made
the point that they already are
subject to a per cent tax on
their gross receipts, as well as
to other taxes. such as the city's
realty and income levies.
Meanwhile the District Appro-
priation bill for the next fiscal
year beginning July / was sched-
uled for presentation to the House
next Wednesday.
The measure, now in the hands
of the Appropriations Subcommit-
tee on the District, headed by
Representatives Bates, Democrat,
of Kentucky, is to be reported
soon to the full House Appropria-
tions Committee for action. 1t
will be made public after the full
committee approves it and files
a report with the House Wednes-
day.
When sent to Congress by Presi-
dent Truman, the budget carried
$103, 100000. It was the subject
of executive hearings by the Bates
subcommittee which has about
completed it's report.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Strayer Will Submit
School Study Monday

DR.. George D. Strayer of Colum-
bia University said today he was
sending the complete and final
report on his survey of District
public schools to Congress at noon
Monday.
The report contains 1000 pages
of analysis and criticism of the
District school setup. 1t will in
clude the section on building needs
released several months ago which
called for nearly $38,000,000 for
immediate construction of school
buildings.
DR. Strayer was hired by Con-
gress to conduct the survey here
as an outside expert" so that the
actual needs could be determined
A 100000 appropriation was
authorized to pay for the survey
He said he was forwarding his
report to the joint District Fiscal
subcommittee of the Senate APP
preparations Committee. 1t will
be up to the subcommittee heads
to arrange a release to the public,
he pointed out.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
| DR.. Mann at Zoo
And Dr.. Mann in
|ChiIe Trade Gifts

, The DR.. William Mann, zoolog-
lists, are exchanging gifts between
Washington and Santiago. Chile.
The DR.. William Mann of San
tiago sent to DR.. William Mann,
director of the ZOO here, three
abrocomas and three big, green
Chilean frogs. They arrived yes
terday on a commercial plane.
The donor, a professor of man.
malogy at the University of San
tiago, had been keeping the little
abrocomas, or false chinchillas," ,"
as pets in his home. The tiny
dorents with long soft fur. huge
ears and short tails are native, like
their chinchilla cousins, to the
high Andes. They are the first the
DR.. Mann here has seen in the
United States.
DR.. Mann now is considering
what he will send South in return.
He expects the abrocomas and
frogs to be the first of a mutually
profitable series Of exchanges.
Evening star., 1949-02-25

Eight-room additions will be
completed this week at two ele-
mentary schools, and II other
school construction jobs are well
underway as the Board of Educa-
tion's efforts to relieve crowded
conditions continue.
The additions which will be fin
ished are to the Logan Elementary
School, Third and G streets NE,
and the Crummell Elementary
School, on Gallaudet street near
Kendall street NE.
The Board of Education will in
spect the two new structures at
$50 a. m. Monday preparatory to
accepting them.
The addition at Logan consists
of eight classrooms, kindergarten,
a library room and combination
assembly hall-gymnasium. A
Crummell, temporary addition was
authorized which consists of eight
classrooms, kindergarten and a
library.
Other Projects In Offing.
Total cost of these two projects
as we'll as the other II underway
will be approximately $9.050.610.
In addition, District officials ex-
pect to advertise for bids on three
other projects within the next
few months which total approx
mately $1,710,000.
The school building projects
now under construction are:
An addition to Kimball Ele-
mentary School. Minnesota ave-
nue. and Ely place Sc. The work
is IS per cent completed. Expect
ed cost, $48O,055.
New Kelly Miller Junior High
School, Forty-ninth street and
Washington place NE, 43 per
cent completed. Expected cost,
$1.626. 400.
New Tyler Elementary School,
Eleventh and G streets Sc, 78
per cent completed. Expected cost,
$641 500.
Taft School Addition.
Classroom and gymnasium ad-
ditions to Taft Junior High
Eighteenth and Perry
streets NE. IS per cent completed.
Expected cost. s822.574.
New Sousa Junior High School,
Thirty-fourth street and Mime
sofa avenue Sc, 13 per cent
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Two of Is School Construction
Jobs to Be Finished This Week

completed. Expected cost, ST.
$4,000.
New Montgomery Elementary
School. New Jersey avenue and P
street NV, 48 per cent completed.
Expected cost, $537.8 .889.
Addition to Young Elementary
School, Twenty-fourth street and
Benning road NE. "a per cent
completed. Expected cost, $158,350.
Addition to Beers Elementary
School, Alabama avenue and
Thirty sixth place Sc. 18 per
cent completed. Expected cost,
$433,2
New Nalle Elementary School,
East Capitol street and Benning
road, 9 per cent completed. Ex-
pected cost, $697 400.
New Birney Elementary School,
Nichols avenue and Sumner road
Sc, per cent completed. Ex-
pected cost, S749,600.
New Walker-Jones Elementary
School, Third and L streets NV,
contract just let and preliminary
ground work started. Expected
cost, $647 ,497.
Early 1850 Completion.
With luck, school officials expect
all of these projects to be COM
pleted this year or early next year.
The three projects which will
be advertiZed for bids on the con-
struction. some time in the near
future, are a replacement for the
Stanton Elementary School, Good
Hope and Naylor roads Sc, ex-
pected cost $825,000; a new ele-
school at OXon Run, ex-
pected cost $825,O0O. and an as
hall-gymnasium addition
to the Patterson Elementary
South Capitol and Dan
bury streets, expected cost 100000.
Advertising of bids for the long
awaited Spingarn High School,
which will be located at Twenty
fourth street and Benning road
NE, to serve colored youth of
the Northeast section. has been
deferred because the cost limit
by Congress is too low.
Latest estimates are that the
school will cost $4,000, 900 to build.
Congress has authorized only
81, $3.50 Tipping of this cost
limit was asked in the 1949 school
budget requests.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Hiqh School Journalists
To Attend Symposium

More than 200 high school ed
itors and their staffs will meet at
the National Press Club at 2 pm.
tomorrow for an Afternoon for
Journalists" sponsored by Amer
lean University
The high school students will
be from more than 20 high
schools in the Washington area.
A symposium on covering the
news of Washington" will be con-
Quoted by DR.. Paul F. Douglass,
president of the university. Speak
ers will be Kenneth G. Crawford,
assistant bureau chief. NeWsweek
Magazine; Richard Harkness. Ma
tional Broadcasting Co. news an
alyst; Luther Huston, New York
Times bureau manager; Merri-
man Smith, United Press White
House correspondent. and James
r. Virgins. managing editor OF
the Washington Post.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
President ProcIoims
April 6 as Army Day

President Truman today called
for national observance of Army
Day on April 6.
Il commend to the consider
alton of my fellow citizens the
reflection that our Army is a
protector of those values and
principles upon which our society
is founded" the President said
in a proclamation which urged
suitable ceremonies to mark the
occasion.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Girl Scouts to Lunch

A mother daughter luncheon
will be held at 1890 pm. tomor-
row in the YWCA by the Girl
Scouts of National Cathedral.
Holton Arms and Potomac
Schools. Miss Helen Seth-Smith,
teacher at the Potomac School,
and Miss Louise Hoover will be
the speakers,
Evening star., 1949-02-25
District Urged
.ToC|ear S|un1s
While Building
Hearings Resumed
On Low-Cost Housing
In Marshall Heights

One substandard dwelling in a
slum area should be demolished
for every new home built this year
under the Government-spon
Redevelopment Land Act, the
Commissioners were told today by
Myron Davy of the Home Build
ers' Association of Metropolitan
Washington.
Mr.. Davy testified as the Com
missioners resumed hearings on
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission for estab-
fishing low-cost housing in the
Marshall Heights area of South
east Washington.
The witness, presenting the
views of the Urban Redevelopment
Committee of his group, said the
association approves Marshall
Heights as an area to be redevel-
oped in accordance with the 1945
act, but regrets that another
blighted area in the center of the
city was not chosen first for re-
development.
The Commissioners were urged
by Mr.. Davy to appoint a small
committee of officials and inter-
ested persons to confer on techni-
cal details of the proposal.
Choice Is Questioned.
John B. Duncan, speaking for
the Federation of Civic Associa-
tions, declared the federation is
not certain that the choice of
Marshall Heights for the first
project is logical or warranted,
or that the general planning with
respect to the area is sufficient.
He declared the federation, which
represents % Negro civic groups,
cannot defend the choice of Mar
shall Heights in the absence Of
some insight into the general plan
for District redevelopment.
Special requests for information
on these general plans have been
denied and practically ignored.
Mr.. Duncan told the Commits
sioners.
He said an average rental Of
$25 month in now paid by ten
ants in Marshall Heights whereas
the Planning Commission pro-
poSal is that the maximum rental
of the low-rent dwelling units be
set at $13 ped room per month ex-
elusive of utility costs, or $3.50
per room per month including
utility costs, which ever figure iS
lower.
The confusion is increased, Mr..
Duncan declared, by the Commits
sion's failure to mention the num-
ber of rooms which will constitute
a low-rent dwelling unit.
Ghetto Plan Seen.
Ilse Mueller, representing the
Housing Committee of the WASH
ington chapter of Americans for
Democratic Action, declared the
planning commissions plans to
relocate Negro families from Slums
in the center of the city to rede-
VelOped areas in outlying sections
would seem to reaffirm and extend
the practice of segregation and
the establishment of Negro ghet-
toes, particularly in view of the
fact that the commission has not
announced any plans for the re-
location of white families from
the center of the city.
The Marshall Heights project
is the planning commission first
redeVelopment plan for the Dis
trict and provides for $50 low-rent
housing units on the 18O-acre
tract. Marshall Heights houses
about 2,l00 Negroes in the ex-
treme east corner of the District
on the north side of East Capitol
street extending to Benning road
and Southern avenue. The s3,.
100000 project is expected to
house an estimated 5000 persons
when completed,
Evening star., 1949-02-25
DR.. Pooq Speaks Tonight

The Rev. DR.. Fred v. Poag, pas
tor of the Second Presbyterian
Church. Alexandria, will be the
guest speaker at the Temple
Bethel, 2O6 North Washington
street at 8:15 o'clock tonight, in
observance Of Brotherhood week.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Center Nursery Elects

The Arlington Jewish Center's
Nursery kindergarten has elected
the following new officers. Mrs.
Franklyn Witt, chairman; Mrs.
Leonard Flank, treasurer; Mrs.
Louis Strickman, corresponding
secretary, and Mrs. j. Rebold, re-
cording secretary,
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Place Sunday Classified
Ads Early!

Classified ad customers de-
string to place ads in The
Sunday Star are urged to call
them in early in the week.
This will eliminate the last
minute rush to place ads and
will. assure every one prompt
and efficient service. Your
cooperation will be appre-
ciated.
Remember The Stars
New Telephone Number Is
Sterling 5000.
Evening star., 1949-02-25

in the b a S e
chapel. because
he wasn't al
lowed to teach
Sunday school,"
Col. S. D.
GrubbS, COM
manding officer
at Boiling. said
Pfc. George F.
Falterman. 10,
of New York.
confessed last
night to setting
the fire early
yesterday.
According to
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Tokomu Park PTA to Dine

A ham dinner will be served at
the Takoma Park Junior High
School from 5 to 8 pm. tomorrow
by the Parent Teacher Associa-
tion of the school.
Evening star., 1949-02-25
Boiling Soldier Held
On Arson Charge in
$4,000 Chapel Fire

A young private at Boiling Air
Force Base stands charged with
arson today, after officers said he
confessed starting a $4,000 fire
Evening star., 1949-02-25
School to Present Carnival

Students of the commercial art
department at Washington-Lee
High School will present car
nival at 8 pm. tomorrow at the
school, 4035 North Thirteenth
street, Arlington.