davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Sandy Spring Was Hideaway
For Murderers Back in 1870

The quiet community of Sandy Spring was once the
locale a strangerthancon adventure It the "hide
out" for murderers laying loW!"
the late 1905 Montgomery County experienced
what historian calls throng Of disagree
able visitors, of whom many because they have
place the wide earth 60 the depression in business
has closed the of industry"
During the summer of 1876 such "dsagreeable vs.
tors appeared in the Sandy Spring and obtained work
in the fields. Almost Immediately the neghborhood
struck by a series of robberies.
The mystery solved when law enforcement officials
arrived and with the help Of youths arrested the
strangers in connection with unsolVed crime elsewhere
The charge: "an atrocious murder!
The Annals of Sandy Spring quick to draw lesson from
every event commented at great satisfaction have
this proof that Sandy Spring is not safe place for of
other words, criminals advised hide
out elsewhere!
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
OIney Man Combines -Four
Careers in Busy Lifetime

from his Wife's uncle. For over
10 years Brooke concentrated on
farming and raising a family of
six: John, Jr., Bill, James, Joan,
Martha and Jocelyn.
True, the Brooke Johns Manor
Farm was not Gust another
farm. Famous show business
and political personalities were
constant guests. An old barn,
converted into a night club was
the scene of some of Washing
toms most fabulous society balls.
Early in 1947 Brooke was elect
ed President of the Montgomery
County Board of Commissioners.
His political life was short Zone
term but like everything else
he does it was colorful.
/. He attacked the 1,40O unit
VierS Mill Village housing prof.
ect, calling the fOur-rOOm homes
"shacks" and potential sums"
A Congressional investigation
resulted.
2. He suggested "legalized
lottery" and "gOOd sized race
track" to bring in county
revenue.
8. While discussing pro-
posed Rockville memorial to
baseball star Walter johnson
with Harry S. Truman, he was
photographed HANGING over
the Presidents shoulder.
4. He was sued for $50, 900 by
10 V. Morgan after the Johns
headed Board of Commission
ers had chopped the Bethesda
Civil Service Commissioners
salary from $4,000 to $1,000
annually.
Though rumors made him a
candidate for ]. Glenn Beall's
9Th Maryland District Congress
sional seat, Brooke and politics
parted company after two years.
If no other word can be applied
to his civic career "colorful" can.
At this point, as he will tell
you himself, Brooke Johns en-
barked on career No. 3 - radio.
With his entire family, and any
body else who wandered in for
free breakfast gathered around
the microphone, he was on the
air for ar hour and fifteen
minutes every morning over the
county's WBCC. "The only differ
ence between me and Arthur
Godfrey was 100000"
Not content to confine himself
to home-Spun humor, records and
commercials, Brooke eXpostulat-
ed on any subject, usually politi-
cal and controversial, now with
out any voters to IVORY about.
And he still does, though on q
different station, WDON-WASH.
FM, and only once a week.
Even without his daily radio
show, Brooke Johns will gladly
sound off on any subject, especi
ally Brooke Johns. Like big,
friendly bear he drags visitors
through the Enthusiastically clutter
ed mansion. On every chair,
bench and table, in every corner,
on every porch, all over the floor
are piled scrap books, newspaper
clippings, photographs of Brooke
with celebrities all over the
world, magazines, and play bills.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Stolen Swim Pool

1t must have been warm the
week of July 7, 1885.
Mrs. J. L. Irwin filed a com
plaint at the Bethesda Sub-Station
of the Montgomery County Pol
ice Department. Someone had
stolen her swimming pool.
1t was d portable pool, of
course, but in thoes days before
plastic pools, it was made of gal
vaniZed iron and canvas.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

Montgomery County has had
its share of show business greats;
it's had outstanding political
figures Including t h e comic
opera variety); it's even had
more than one talkative indi-
VidualiStic Character. But rare
ly have these features all been
combined in one county resident
as they have been in Brooke
Johns.
Brooke was born Christmas
Eve 1898 in Georgetown, the
great grandson of Virginia
Bishop John Johns. The young
extrovert and a great many
schools formed a mutual dislike,
and after one year at Georgetown
Prep, he quit to have try at
show business. To this Grand
mother j o h n proclaimed,
"Whiskey and women will kill
the boy" Brooke beams proudly
that he has never touched liquor
or cigarettes.
For several years Brooke
Jones, his banjo, his brilliant
smile and his dancing feet went
nowhere fast in show business.
Finally in 1920 he got his break
while appearing at a convention
of showmen in Palm Beach, Fla.
Explaining his meteoric rise from
that point, Brooke bushes 81
couldn't do anything but make a
lot of noise. Finally someone got
to laughing at me-"
Someone" laughed at him for
the next ten years all over the
world. He appeared in four of
Florence Ziegfelds "FOllies"
1921-1924, with Eddie Cantor, Ann
Pennington, Lima Basquette, W..
c. Fields, VIII Rogers, Paul
Whiteman, Gallagher and Shean
and Gilda Gray. He starred at
the Ted Lewis Room on New
York's 47th Street. Charles Dill
ingham put him in the musical
Jack and JILL. Carle Carleton
put him in the musical Tan
gerine". Brooke's longest engage
ment was three years at the
Missouri Theater in st. Louis.
And the peak of his career came
when he appeared at Command
Performance before the Prince of
Wales.
Suddenly in 1888, at age 40,
making one of the highest show
business salaries, Brooke Johns
retired. 81 retired before the
people retired me-" he explains.
The six foot, three, heavy-set
banjo-plucker had married a
Montgomery County childhood
sweetheart, Hazel Barnesley, in
1925, and upon retiring bought
the 287 acre farm near Olney
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29
Good Work.!

The Hit Electrical Serrce felcitates the Sentinel
its achievement of continuous publication for 100 gears 1t
is record to be proud Of and particularly satisfying one
IN this dag of high newspaper mortQty The SentinepS
record of community Sertce is of responsible for
its steady grOWth and that has found the FORMULA
may prosper and grOo cth the area for at least another
century.
Montgomery County sentinel., 1955-09-29

jamin Holloway, himself, was
often one of the lecturers, speak
ing on topics such as "The Atom"
and electricity" which for a
century ago was extremely ad-
vanced thinking.
Another of the girls boarding
schools in the county noted for
its teachers and patronized by
well-to-do Washington families
was Drumeldra, a half mile west
of Colesville. 1t was started in
1881 by Abraham Brooke and
Elizabeth and Hannah Lukens.
Evening star., 1955-07-12
West Setlto Woo Soviet
By Non-Aggression Pact

Ministers and lesser officials to
negotiate a step-by step settle
ment providing for these major
achievements:
l. Identification of Germany;
2. Formation of an East-West
security system to guarantee
peace in Europe through strong
non-aggression pledges:
3. Limitation and eventual
reduction of arms and armies
throughout the Continent;
4. Expansion Of East West
trade;
S. An end to the East-West
radio propaganda war.
The West repeatedly still will
insist that no European settle
ment is possible unless Germany
is reunited, and that this must
be done by the free, internation-
ally supervised elections called
for in the Eden proposals to the
1854 Berlin Foreign Ministers
Conference.
The Soviets rejected the Eden
plan, but the Western experts
were said to hope they can make
their proposals more attractive
to the Reds now.
Evening star., 1955-07-12
Driver Held as Tuxi
Iniures Woman

A 42-year-old woman was
struck by a taxicab yesterday
as she crossed Wisconsin avenue
at Harrison street NV, police
reported.
The woman, Mrs. Thomas G..
Logan, 1921 Forty-second place
NV, was taken to Georgetown
Hospital with injuries to her
right hip.
Police said the driver of the
taxi was Herman B. Lancaster
~, of 100 Twenty-first place
NE. He was charged with fail
lure to yield the right-of-way to
a pedestrian.
Evening star., 1955-07-12
Gable and Kay SpreckeIs
Wed in Nevada Town

time Mr.. Gable was box office
hit.
His next wife was Ria Lang
ham, IL years his senior. They
were divorced in 1899. Shortly
thereafter he and movie actress
Carole Lombard were married.
Three years later she was killed
in a plane crash while returning
home from a war bond selling
campaign.
In 1949. Mr.. Gable married
Lady Sylvia Ashley, widow of
movie star Douglas Fairbanks,
sr. She divorced him April 81.
1882. after a number of legal
Miss Williams first was mar
ried to Martin de Alzaga Unsue.
She divorced him and married
Mr.. Spreckels in 1945. She di-
vorced the San Francisco sugar
heir in 1858, after accusing him
of beating her with her own
slipper-a charge for which he
served a jail term.
She has two children by Mr..
Spreckels, Adolph III, 6, and
Joan, 4.
Evening star., 1955-07-12
NAACP Raising
Funds for MurshuIIs

The District branch of the
National Association for the Ad-
vancement Of Colored People has
launched a campaign to raise
funds for the family of Nelson
E. Marshall, shot to death in a
dispute with a policeman last
Wednesday.
Eugene Davidson, local branch
president of the organization,
said the entire amount collected
would be donated to Mrs. Florie
Marshall, the widow.
Donations may be sent to the
NAACP Offices at 2007 Fifteenth
street NV.
Mr.. Marshall was in the proc
ess Of buying a heavily mort
gagged home in Chapel Oaks, Md,
at the time of his death, and
was the family's sole support.
Evening star., 1955-07-12

LONDON. July IL P.-Dip-
lomatic informants say the West
ern Big Three will offer at the
Geneva Summit Conference to
guarantee Communist Europe
against aggression if the Rus
eiRns agree to free elections to
xelnify Germany.
This. these sources reported
last night. is the heart of peace
proposals which experts of the
three major allies now are put
ting in final form for President
Eisenhower. British Prime Min
ister Eden and French Premier
F'aure to advance to Soviet Pre-
mier Bulganin.
The whole Western plan will be
considered Friday in Paris by
United States Secretary of State
Dulles. British Foreign Secre-
tary Harold Macmillan and
Foreign Minister Antoine Pinay.
They will discuss it Saturday
with the Foreign Ministers Of
the other IL Atlantic pact ma
tions.
The sources here said the
Western government chiefs will
ask Marshal Bulganin to joir
them in directing their Foreign
Evening star., 1955-07-12

Ibrated its first birthdsy-a re-
sounding success. The publics.
ton keeps Labor Department
employees abreast of what is going
on in the department. =. Top
level civilian and military
officials Of the Defense Depart
ment will hold a three-day meet
ing starting Thursday to discuss
the departments problems. The
meeting win be held at Marine
Corps quarters. Quantico. Va. :.
Local l. CIO Government Work
ers Union. holds a meeting at 8
pm. tomorrow in the main au-
ditorium Of Freedmen's Hospital
to hear George Weaver. assistant
lof the secretary-tresurer Of the
iCIO. discuss the pending AFL-
CIO merger. Mollie Poloff
and Ernest L. Stribling of the
National Labor Relations Board
have received incentive awards.
Nathan Breeskin received a cer-
tificate Of commendation. f.
William Frank Hope. jr.. has
been promoted to assistant di-
rector for civil administration Of
the Navy Bureau Of Ordinances
administrative division. Charles
%. Abrams, jr.. has been named
management engineer Of the
bureau. Also at the bureau,
Stanley r. Smith has received a
cash award for beneficial sug-
lgeStion.
Evening star., 1955-07-12

Senate Civil Service Committees
have thrown out another
friendly word of, warning to the
administration: Get the ex-
ecutive pay bill up to Capitol
Hill within the next few days
if it expects any congressional
action on it this year. The
committees enthusiasm for the
legislation to increase the pay
of cabinet officers. agency and
bureau heads and other presi-
dental appointive officials. was
running pretty high several
weeks ago But the enthusiasm
has been waning the last week
or so.
Veteran Capitol Hill observers
say the administration should
have sent up the executive pay
proposals months ago. The con.
sensus also is that the admin
Iistration made a mistake by moi
submitting proposals to lift the
$14.800 a year classified pay
ceiling when the classified pay
raise bilr was pending in Con.
gress. AS result. any action
on lifting the classified pay
ceiling probably will have tc
wait until next year.
/ X Il 4
| CAPITAL ROUNDUP Tht
Labor Departments weekly
staff Memo" an innovation oi
Secretary Mitchell, has cele.
Evening star., 1955-07-12
TODAY'S WEATHER REPORT

District and vicinity-Fair and
cooler tonight with low about 66.
Fair tomorrow with high
around SO.
Maryland-Fair and slightly
cooler tonight with low ranging
from the SOS in the mountains
and northern counties to near
10 in extreme southeast. Fair
and continued cool tomorrow
with high 80-85.
Virginia-Somewhat cooler to-
night with low $3.50 in north
west and in the Sos in south and
east. Fair in north, partly
cloudy in south tomorrow and
moderate temperatures.
Wind-Northeast about 10
miles per hour tonight and 10
20 miles per hour tomorrow.
Evening star., 1955-07-12

MINDEN, New, July IL (P.-
Clark Gable, 54-year-old screen
veteran, and Kay Williams
Spreckels. 81. actress and former
wife of Adolph Spreckels II,
California sugar heir, were
honeymooning today-but no
one seemed to know where.
They were married in this
small seat of Douglas County
yesterday in a surprise double
ring ceremony in the yellow
stucco home of Justice G. Wal
ter Fisher. 1t was Mr.. Cables
fifth marriage, Miss Williams
third.
The ceremony climaxed an
on-again. off-again romance
that has linked their names in
gossip columns for about 10
years. They were attended by
Mr.. and Mrs. Albert Menasco
of St. Helena. Calf, and Mrs.
Elizabeth Nessar of Los Angeles.
Mr.. Gable was first married in
1928 to Josephine Dillon, a Hol-
lyWood drama coach. They were
divorced after six years. BY that
Evening star., 1955-07-12
President Pledges Reports
To Congress on PorIey

conference. After this there was
q full and free question and
answer period.
"The leaders were assured by
the President Of frequent prog
ress reports during the duration
of the conference and of an
appraisal of its accomplishments
at its conclusion"
win Cable Reports
Mr.. Snyder said the reports
viii be made by the President
himself or Mr.. Dulles directly
to the congressional leaders by
cable. He added that Vice Pres
ident Nixon, who took part in
today's conference, probably also
will receive the reports.
1t was the first time in more
than two months that Mr.. Eissn-
hover had summoned Demo-
cratic as well as Republican
leaders to meet with him.
The only absentees at today'S
meeting we're Senate Democratic
Leader Johnson, recovering from
"a heart attack, and Chairman
George of Georgia of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee
Senator George. who also has
been ailing. received a private
brieflng from Mr.. Eisenhower
yesterday.
In the House, 90 Democrats
signed letter inviting colleagues
to listen to an afternoon debate
on some aspects of our foreign
policy involved in the forthcom-
ing Geneva conference" and de-
|claring:
1--WE believe the Presidents S
participation in the conference
is not a sign of weakness or ap-
IpeaSement, but a constructive
opportunity to move away from
lthe possibility of an atomic wal
which would destroy civilization
Dodd Protests "Silence"
But this view Wasn't unani.
nous.
Representative Dodd, Denocraf
of Connecticut, protested tha
there has been a studied effor
to silence all in this Congress
and indeed outside of it, who ex'
press misgivings about tn,
success Of this meeting"
Representative Mccormack, o.
Massachusetts,, the House Demo.
cratic leader. cautioned agains
the present cooling policy of tn.
Communist leaders" and added
While I have no objections tt
conferences, at the summit leve
or any other level, I think W,
should keep our guard high"
Senator Mccarthy, Republican
of Wisconsin, told the Senate
yesterday Mr.. Eisenhower's de.
cision to take part in the summit
talks provided evidence we have
been bamboozled by false Soviet
propaganda"
Evening star., 1955-07-12
0hioan Gets
Defense Post

Reuben Buck Robertson, jr.,
of Cincinnati today was named
by President Eisenhower as Dep
uty Secretary of Defense. He
will succeed Robert Anderson
who resigned recently for per-
sonal reasons.
Mr.. Robertson is president OF
the Champion Paper e. Fiber
Co.. and has been serving as vice
chairman of the Commerce De-
Ipartment's Business Advisory
Council. He worked recently
with a Hoover Commission task
force studying the Defense De-
partment setup.
L The new appointee is Al years
old and was born in Asiieville
N. c. He is a Republican.
Before entering the Army ir
1912 Mr.. Robertson was an oh.
lcial Of the War Production
Board. During the Korean
War he served as an industry
member of the Wage Stabiliza.
ton Board. During 1852 he wa:
member of a team of business
men sent to Germany by the
President to evaluate the mutua
security program.
The President also sent to the
Senate the nomination of Mai
Gen. Samuel d. Sturgis, jr., CHIEF
of the Army Corps of Engineers
to be promoted to the rank oi
lieutenant general.
He asked the Senate also tc
give permanent rank to 1t. Gen
Oliver P. Smith, Marine Corps
who is scheduled to retire Sep.
tember / as commander Of the
Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic,
Evening star., 1955-07-12
SUMMIT
Continued From First Page


Continued From First Page
the hinge of history. The course
of Soviet policy in two post
Stain years has reflected grow
ing concern with what he has
been thinking and dreaming. At
least, in an iron dictatorship,
Ivan's voice is becoming power
full. To understand that it is
necessary to review events OF
the last two years. -
Stain. who could push all but
tons at once and control every
aspect of Soviet life. died March
IS. 1853. Nobody was big enough
to succeed him. BY common con-
sent, in a form of self protec-
tion, his heirs formed a "collec-
tive leadership" Times were un-
easy. A sharp struggle for power
was a certainty. Those who ruled
had to WOO the widest support
A Politicians Promises
The collective under Premier
Georgi Malenkov promised many
things. Within two or three
years. it told Ivan. there would
be an ample supply of good
things for the people-refrig-
orators, vacuum cleaners, good
radio and television sets, good
clothing and shoes, no more food
shortages. A massive propaganda
campaign advertised the pro-
gram. Billboards in many a So
Wet city carried the promises.
For the first time the Soviet
leadership took a frank look al
its economy. Even by Soviet ac-
counts it was sadly laggard in q
modern world. Agriculture, par.
ticularly the livestock sector
was in a chaotic state. Industries
which had anything to do with
the consumer side turned out
shoddy products and not ever
enough of those. Khrushche,
and others admitted thest
things.
This was not going to bt
changed overnight. nor was il
going to be changed without sac.
Irif1cing some of Stalin's concen.
tration on production of thu
means of production" meaning
Jail for heavy industry. But the
Soviet public accepted the prom.
ises with enthusiasm. was there
at the time, and in various part.
of the country heard the state.
ment:
Watch us. We have a new
government, a young govern
ment. now"
/ But the situation posed a di.
lemma. With less tension, Sovie'
rulers could tend these hom,
problems. Yet tension was neces,
sary for Soviet external policy
Communism, a dynamic move.
ment, could stagnate in an at.
mosphere of peace.
The Malenkov regime wake,
a tightrope, trying to keep tn
heavy industry sector intac
while pushing the consumer pro
gram. Tens Of thousands O
young people were sent out t,
raise farm production, key t,
the whole program.
Humpty- -Dumpty Dumped
The tightrope broke. Malenko'
tumbled from the premiership
Khrushchev took charge. Tn
leaders recognized that the pro
Evening star., 1955-07-12
New Name Needed

DETROIT, July IL (P.-Elef-
therios Kavounidis. "a, asked
Probate Court yesterday to
change his name to Larry An
drews. Even my wife can't spell
my name" he said.
Evening star., 1955-07-12

gram of broad concessions to
the consumer had to be modi-
fed, or the heavy industry side
would suffer. Suddenly and
sharply the Soviet Union--and
after it all the satellites-veered
back to a Stalin-like program OF
all for heavy industry.
The reversal, however, was
far from complete. There can
be no turning back to total
Stalinism. Today internal Soviet
propaganda has the sound OF
pleading rather than ordering
apologizing rather than condem-
ming. Admissions of official
failure are frequent, like the
words of politicians promising
to reform.
The background theme is con-
slant: the USSR is not weak,
but strong; its moves spring not
from fear but a will for peace
The Communist press COM
|pares Malenkov's errors in sup
porting light industry to the
sins of Stains enemies-but
Malenkov remains near the
helm. Whatever else Malenkoy
might have done, in the first
months after Stalin's death he
made himself a symbol of Ivan's
hopes for fuller life.
1t is Malenkov's position
which reflects delicate balance
between two forces in Soviet
politics. and it seems to be this
balance that makes the Soviet
military rise greatly in influence
The army is very. much in evil
dence at the Soviet summit now
and its leaders strike me as
highly conservative, unwilling to
take long risks with the Soviet
economy, unwilling to be seduced
into a conflict that might be
lost The Soviet military is
mighty, but, its lines are long
its borders far-f1ung, and il
exudes caution.
Ivan Calls the Shots
| Snrewd, able and realistic
though it may be. the new COL
lectlve-with the generals at its
elbows-seems to feel itself re-
sponsible to somebody. There is
no indication it has disavoweo
the overall aims of world com.
munism, but it keeps a wary eye
on Ivan's social development. II
is increasingly clear from the So.
Wet press that Ivan has tasted
victory over the Kremlin. His
yearning for the amenities oi
life and his weariness with regi-
mentation can force the collec.
tive into even more concessions
to the West.
So the bloodless revolution
continues. BY its own admission
Moscow is fallible.
Tomorrow: A Crossroads for
Communism.