VOLUME XLI. NO. *0.
LEAKSVILLE. NORTH CAROLINA
PRICE: TWO CEBITS
Fire
leventh-Hour Appeal Fails to Move Insurgents
Washington, Feb. 19.—An
eleventh hour appeal from the
White House to House repub
lican insurgent leaders, urging
an agreement with organiza
tion republicans on the Mellon
income tax rate schedule, .ail
ed to break the deadlock be
tween groups as the income
rates of the revenue bill were
taken up in the house. Repub
lican leaders admitted the vote
would be close with demo
crats united for the Garner
plan, and with insurgents still
holding out against the trea
sury rates; and threatening to
vote with the democrats if
their compromise is not ac
cepted.
Demand for the resignation
of Attorney-General Daugher
ty suddenly has become one of
the most accute of all ques
tions grcwp" Out of the o:l
scandal.
There were indications that
dome important developments
could be expected shortly. Pro
tests against Daugherty’s con
tinuance in office have come
to the White House from sev
eral new sources and were be
fore the President when the
cabinet met fbr its Tuesday
session.
Daugherty remained silent
ly defiant and the cabinet
meeting passed without an
nouncement of his resignation
Department of Justice.-off i'
cials insisted he had no inten
tion of surrendering to his cri
tics, but senators who have
taken the lead in advising the
president to ask him to retire,
remained confident their ad
vice would be followed.
Daughertv insisted after the
cabinet meeting that the ques
tion of his resignation had nol
been discussed and declared
he had no statement to make
while House officials also de
clared the Cabinet had not dis
cussed the question and added
thut Daugherty had not sub
mitted his resignation.
The Senate Oil Committee
undertook to run down a story
of heavy speculations by high
government officials in stocks
of the Sinclair Oil company’s
before and after the Sinclair
interests leased Teapot Dome.
H. H. Benkard of the New
York brokerage firm of J. P.
' Benkard and Company, his
personal attorney, S, D. Bow
ers, and A. H. Cook, office
manager, conferred with the
committee in executive ses
ffr>n and it was decided to send
expert accountants to New
Ypyk to examine records of
the firm of Harry Payne Whit
nfcy, New York financier, who
had been subpoenaed and
yfQB expected to appear today,
bet the committee received no
HfMrd from him and efforts to
locate him in Washington
proved unavailing.
. Coolidge regards business
generally as in a healthy con
dStion and believes the Ameri
can people can feel safely that
the great bulk of the country’s
business is carried on without
' toy suggestion of wrong-do
Charges that Chairman Ad
«r
Wilson rstemwi to Sontfi
ft., yesterday after visiting
fort* end.
LETTERS EXCHANGED BY
PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY
OF NAVY EDWIN DENBY
(By Associated Press)
In a statement made public late
today, Secretary Denby discussed his
resignation and pointed out that the
deferred date of his rsignationETAO
deferred date of his retirement left
plenty of time for any impachnvent
proceedings against him.
“Therefore,” he added, “anyone
who says that I am resigning for
fear of impeachment simply lies."
Referring to the President’s recent
action in rejecting publicly the advice
contained in a senate resolution re
questing him to call immediately for
Mr. Denby’s resignation, the naval
secretary said in the statement:
“The President has stood up man
fully for right and justice. The
sportsmanlike thing for me to do is
to relieve him of the further em
barassment of continued political
maneuvers and partisan political
trickery.” *
He challenged investigation of his
acts in connection with the leasing
of naval oil reserve lands “before any
unprejudiced tribunal” and declared
his conviction that it could not be
proven “that my action was not bene
ficial both to the government and the
navy.”
Following is the text of President
Coolidge’s letter, dated today:
“My Dear Mr. Secretary:
“Your resignation has been receiv
ed. I am conscious that you have ten
dered it from a sense of public duty.
It is with regret that I am to part
with you. You will go with the know
ledge that your honesty and integrity
have not been impunged. I treasure
and reciprocate your expressions of
friendship. 1 shall remember the fine
sense of loyalty which you have al-.
ways exhibited toward me with much
satisfaction and always wish you and
yours contentment and success.
“Very truly* yours,
“ CALVIN COOLIDGE”
Secretary Denby’s letter of resig
nation, dated February 17, is as fol
lows:
“My Dear Mr. President:
“Heretofore I have verbally ex
oressed to you my deep appreciation
, of your strong message in regard to
the Robinson resolution.
“No one appreciates better than I
how difficult your situation has be
come. I fear that my continuance in
the cabinet would increase your em
barrassment. Therefore I have th"
honor to tender to you my resigna
tion as secretary of the navy.
“As there are a few pending mat
ters which should receive my per
sonal attention, I suggest that my re
signation be accepted as of the date
of March 10, 1924.
"It will always be gratifying
though to me that neither you nor
any one else has at any time advised
me to resign.
“I assure you again of my appre
ciation of the many courtesies you
have shown me and of your fast great
act in refusing to accede to the de
mand of the senate that you ask my
resignation.
“With cordial regards to you and
Mrs. Coolidge, and best wishes al
ways, I am,
“Very sincerely yours,
“EDWIN DENBY.”
Miss Leone Eggleston left today
for Los Animos, Colb., where she
will spend several months with her
aunt Mrs. O. Doyle. She accompanied
Mrs. Doyle and little daughter home.
Mrs. Doyle has been visiting her par
ents Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Eggleston
and other relatives for several weeks.
am8 of the republican national
committee. Secretary Lock
wood and other republican lea
cers are defending Doheny
and Sinclair °il leases were
made in the Senate by Harri
son, Democrat, Miss. Accep
tance of Denby’s resignation
by Coolidge also, was criticiz
ed by Harrison who said it
<'onfli<'ted with the President’s
New York speech.
Rad Your Cosuty’a Polly Pspar tint
CHARGE TWO PRESIDENTS
MISLED ON BONUS BILL
<By Associated Preis)
New York, Feb. 19.—Charges bjr
Thomas W. Miller, Alien Property
Custodian, that a “high Treasury of*
ficial” admitted that department esti
mates on the bonus were “juggled”
to deceive, and by Representative -
Benjamin L. Fairchild, Republican, ot
New York, that Secretary Mellon
“misled” the late President Harding*
and “now is misleading President
Coolidge,” were made at bonus meet
ings under American Legion auspices
Sunday.
Mr. Miller did not name any offi
cial of the treasury, but Representa
tive Fairchild specified that the head
of the Trasury had “misled as to the
deficit of over $600,000,000, which
prevented President Harding, perhaps
more than any other feature, from!
signing the bonus bill.”
"As {t turnd out,” he added, “they
were $300,000,000 ahead.” i
The Parent-Teacher Association of,
the Leaksville Graded School will give
a Silvr Tea Friday night at 8 o’clock
at the School Auditorium. All teach
ers and parents are invited to attend.
ANOTHER N. Y. WOMAN POUND
BOUND AND GAUGED IN ROOM
(By Associated Press)
New York, Feb. 19.—Olga Morton,
youthful estranged wife of Frederick
Camp, bank employee, was found un
conscious today in her West 46th St.
apartment, gagged and bound in a
manner exactly like that used by the
robber-murderers of Louise Lawson,
actress, who was found strangled to
death in her studio rooms February
8. Miss Morton was revivd an dis not
in a serious condition.
Miss Morton, like Miss Lawson, was
found by her negro maid, her hands
tied with silk stockings, a face towel
used as a gag and a bath towel throw
over her head. She was lying face
downward in the doorway leading
from the pyfor to the bedroom.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ARE TO MEET THURSDAY
T he County Commissioners have
been called to meet at Wentworth on
Thursday, Feb. 21 at 10 o’clock.
Chairman Thomas R. Pratt issud the
call although he will not be there as
he is in a Baltimore hospital. He
does not know when he will return.
Read Your County's Daily Paper Firet.
THE TALE OF A BRIDGE
(Series No. 7)
It is amazing how fome men can forget
the truth. When one of the speakers at the
citizen’s mass meeting last June declared that
the Fishing Creek bridge would cost $200,000.
this writer consulted the records and found that
the order read not to exfceed $50,000. Later a
contract was let for $39,675 for the same bridge
so it is very plain that tfife facts^ are being mi®*'*
represented.
Frank A. Vanderlip made a speech last
week in New York State in which he .cast ser
ious reflections on the good name and honor of
the late President Warren G. Harding. When
questioned as to the facts, he admitted the
speech wac based only on rumors. But it seem
ed the popular thing to leap into publicity and
crawl on the oil-scandal band-wagon.
So it is with the Fishing creek bridge, lies
no matter how big as long as they are told
against the bridge, are all right with some peo
ple. We hear men say that the bridge will be
blown up if built. The county commissioners
have heard that these things are being said. Talk
of lynching the commissioners was heard at one
of the mass meetings, and yet, if the records are
examined they will show that it was not the
present Board who contracted the indebtedness
of Rockingham county. The present commis
sioners elected with the largest majority in the
history of the county, are made the scape-goats
in a factional fight within the democratic party
for control.
For severed years a considerable number of
citizens have been demanding the facts about
the financial condition of the county. They did
not get the facts until the present Board ordered
an audit of the county’s books. The commis
sioners did not know how the county stood and
it is doubtful if anybody knew. An audit was
ordered and the howl started for spending the
county’s money in that way. It has since
turned out that the auditors found enough of
the county’s money that would have been lost
to pay for the audit. Then a new system of
bookkeeping was started and for the first time,
probably, the7 county has an up'to-date system.
Does this look sis if the commissioners were
crooks?
And now Reidsville is saying that the new
jail which was ordered built by the grand jury
will cost $100,000, but then this is in keeping
with what they told us back yonder before the
days of prohibition, that after the country went
dry we would i$ot need any jails. The town
ship jail should be built for about $10,000. And
Reidsville does not say a word about Recorder’s
court fines in Leaksville township going into the
county school fund while the fines at Reids
ville go into into the Reidsville school fund.
Why not stick to facts, even if they may
some times pinch?
LONDON FIREMEN PRAISED
(By Associated Press)
London, Feb. 19. — London fire
fighters ware complimented by Chiel
Collinson of Chicago before his de
parture for the United States.
“I know some brigades,” he said,
‘‘that would be left gasping after see
ing one of yours get away t.> a fire
and run through the traffic."
FIRE DESTROYS ANCIENT
GERMAN COURT THEATRE
(By Associated Press)
Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg, Feb. IS.
—The former Neustrelitz court thea
tre, with a history dating back ti
1731, recently was destroyed by fire.
Nothing but the walls of the old build
ing remain, but a movement has been
started to erect a modern theatre.
The Neusterlitz court theatre was
founded by the dukes of Macklenburg
who were known for their in teres: in
artistic affairs. It was opened with
performances by a troop of “duea:
actors.” The last of the Macklenburg
dukes, who was dethroned as a result
of the revolution, took care of his
theatre In a way that made it one of
the best standard stages in Germany.
REPUBLICAN FACTIONS IN
HOUSE FAIL TO AGREE
(By Associated Press)
Washington, Feb. 19.—House con- :
'‘deration of the tax bill reached the
amendment stage yesterday with in-;
surgent and organization Rpublicans \
still split over income tax rates and j
emocrats feeling they can control the
vote to put over th substitute schedule
Under an agreement reached when
the measure was taken up last week,
general debate ended at 4 p. m. Read
ing of the bill under a rule which j
permits the offering of amendments
With discussion limited, then was bw-'
gun.
By a vote of 140 to 67 the house:
rejected the first amendment offered ,
— by Representative Frear of Wis- j
consin, Republican insurgent—which 1
would have authorized the federal
government to tax state and munici
pal securities.
The income tax rate section will
be considered today with vote likely (
on another amendment by Mr. Frear,
which would not disturb the present
50 per cent surtax but would cut nor
mal tax rates in half, and on a pro
posal of Representative Garner, Dem
ocrat, Texas, to halve normal tax rate
and reduce the surtax minimum to
44 per cent.
MILLER-MELLON BONUS
CLASH BRINGS A CALL
FOR CONGRESS PROB,i
Washington, Feb. 19.— Andrew W.
Mellon, recretary of the treasury, ard
Thomas W. Miller, alien property
custodian, both heading departments
o f the Republican administration,
clashed today in a battle over the
bonus that was overshadowed only by
the fast flying reports of changes in
President Coolidge’s cabinet.
Ae loggerheads with Mr. Mellon
over the question of compensation.
Mr. Miller started the argument last
night, and when a truce was called
tonight, the air had been filled with
statements; President Coolidge had
received from both parties to the
controversy outlines of their caseB,
Representative Rainey, D emocrat,
Illinois, had brought it up in the
House, and Senator Harrison, Demo
crat, Mississipii, had formally deman
ded a congressional investigation.
Colonel Miller was quoted as hav
ing said in New York that he had
been informed by a "high treasury of
ficial" that the treasury had “juggled”
figures as to the cost of a soldier’s
bonus in such a way as to try to de
feat it. Today he added to that state
ment a long list of what he termed
to be discrepancies in treasury esti
mates and took occasion to say the
former service men wre becoming
“wrought up’’ over th situation,
which should be sttled. Later, how
ever, he said he had made no charges
that Secretary Mllon had “juggled
figures.”
W eather
Rain Tonight and Wednesday. Un
changed temperature
GHETTO Llaz-E BURNS
HVF-STORY TENEMENT
WITH MANY KILLED
Fire Flares Up Staircase Fan
ned by Draft and Shuts Off
Escape For Eight Families.
(By Associated Press)
New York, Feb. 19.— 13
lives were snuffed out in a few
minutes in a fire believed to
have been of incendiary origin
which early today swept from
the basement to the roof of a
five-story tentment in the
heart of New York’s lower
East Side Ghetto.
Seven of those killed were
children. The blaze was un
equalled in rapidity in the an
nals of the fire department. !t
flared up the staircase, fa;>~ \ 1
by a draft from the teneme“>!.t
front door, blocking tve es
cape of eight families who oc
cupied the building.
Some of those in the two
upper stories met death be
fore they could even try to
dash through the roaring fur
nace;. Others managed to
reach safety bv seemingly im
possible means. Several were
severely burned while others
were injured in falls and while
trying to jumplro safety.
ALASKANS CROSS MARTEN
WITH CAT FOR FINE PELT
(By Associated Press)
Whitney, Alaska, Feb. 19.—An ani
mal that is a cross between a marten
and a cat is being produced for its
luxuriant pelt by “Shorty” Hunter
and “Shorty” Wenkler, well known
“sourdoughs” of this region.
The two trappers say the new ani
mal has the delicate pile of the mar
ten and the long silky fur of the cat.
They hope to offer a fur resembling
the Russian sable in various colors,
including tortoise-shell.
Full-blooded Prsian cats are being
used in the experiment. The hybrid i
double th size of a marten. The cor
respondent saw one in the possession
of Wenkler. The creature has the do
mstic qualities of the house eat, but
hops about like a marten.
LONDON SEEKS INSURANCE
AGAINST FALLING FRANC
(By Associated Press)
London, Feb. 19.—The recent per
sistent decline in the value of the
Frnch franc, and the unsatisfactory
condition of France’s finances, ha*
caused a good deal of worry to busi
ness people here who have invest
ments in French scuritis or trade
connections with that country.
Many of these people have recent
ly been insuring against the franc go
ing to 200 to the pound sterling, and
have taken out policies at the rate of
SO guineas a hundred pounds. Insur
ance houses consider the rate not ex
cessive for" a twelve-month policy,
considring the manner in which fore
ign currencies have been fluctuating
of late.
Miss Ruth Robertson is home from
'ollege spending the week end with
her mother on Monroe Street.
Mrs. G. H. Clark will ntertain
Mesdames G. C. Gammon, E. L; Ful
cher. R. P. Ray, E. B. Moss and J.
iG. Farrell at six o’clock dinner this
[ vening.
-
Rev. W. L. Sherrill and wife will
return horn from Charlotte Friday,
where they have been for some weeks
on account of Mr. Sbrrill’s health.
Mr. Sherrill expects to preach Sun
day.
Read Your County’s Daily Psper V1n£