St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 24, 1915

Historic newspapers carry the language, views and graphic reporting of their time, including racist content. They are shown to teen and adult profiles.

The text was read from the page scans by machine (OCR), so it has mistakes and its columns may run together. See the pages · About this title · At the Internet Archive

Page 1

~ pS ER tae , ~ -ing pages 1 x 5000 “HOME Offers HOME? hele cuiaeedice | in the Big Want and Real Estate Directory with the Sunday Post- Dispatch. Have you SELECTED your LOUIS POST- DISPATCH Only Evening Paper in St Loa W ith Associated Press News Service. —— COLE COUNTY CASH OOKS MUTILATED: UDIT ASKED FOR Collector Reports Many Pages of Records During McClung Tenure of Office Missing REQUESTED EXPLANATION A. E. Blaser Says Warden Failed to Reply to Letter—Prosecu- tor Circulates Petition. From a Staff Correspondent of the Post-Dispatch. JEFFERSON CITY, May %.—Petitions to State Auditor John P. Gordon, re- questing an audit of the books of Cole County, of which Jefferson City is the county seat, were prepared this morning by Prosecuting Attorney David W. Peters, after he had received a report from County Collector A. E. Blaser that many pages had been cut from the tax- collection records for a period before he entered office. Peters said the circulation of the peti- tions would be begun this afternoon. To be mandatory the petitions must tne signed by 300 citizens of the county. Collector Blaser exhibited to a Post- Dispatch reporter a letter he had writ- ten to Warden D. C. McClung of the penitentiary, who also is chairman :f the Democratic State Committee, and who was Collector of Cole County for one period covered by the collections, a record of which had been cut from the tax books, and for another of neariy five months for which he could find 20 entries in the cash book. McClung Does Not Reply. In this letter Blaser asked an explaiaa- tion of the missing records. “Although I wrote to McClung Jan. 26. 1918, soon after I took charge of the cffice,”’ Blaser said, ‘‘I have not yet re- celved an answer. I met McClung on the street some time after I wrote the let ter. He then told me he didn’t know anything about the missing records.” The cash book of the collector’s of- fice, which, under the system of book- keeping, is supposed to contain @& record of all money received, was shown to the Post-Dispatch reporter by Blaser. The cash book for 1918 starts with page 49. It shows that many preced- have been cut from the book. Blaser said that he had ex- amined all the books in the office and could find no record of any collec- tidns from Jan. 1, 1918, to March 26, 1918, the date the first entries ap- pear in the mutilated cash book. Text of Letter to McClung. Blaser’s letter to McClung, a copy of which he said he retained and which he exhibited, read as follows: “Jefferson City, Jan. 26.—Mr. D. C. McClung, Warden penitentiary, Jef- ferson City, Mo.: “Dear Sir.—I have been unable to find in this office any entries in the cash book for the period beginning with March 1, 1911, and ending with July 20, 1811, Neither have I been able to find any entries 'n the cash book for the period beginning Jan. 1, 1918, and ending with March 26, 1818. There do not appear to be any receipts on file in this office from the county and State treasuries for funds turned over to them by the Collector of this county during the years 1911, 1912 and 1918, “In view of the fact that you were Collector of this county during the periods above mentioned, I would thank you very much to advise me at your very earliest convenience what became of the Treasurer's receipts above mentioned and also where I can find the entries that should have been made in the cash book during the resceptive periods above set out. “Your prompt reply will be great- ly appreciated. "Very respectfully, “A. E BLASER.” Thinks Records Can Re Restored. Blaser said that the missing records probably could be restored by an expert accountant, as he believed there wers receipts or memoranda in the office to supply the missing information, but that he was not sure about it. He said that all reports and other records of the of- fice were compiled from the cash book. Blaser became collector Jan. 15, last, succeeding F. Guy Chinn, who had served from March, 19132. Chinn suc- ceeded McClung as collector when Mc- Clung became Warden of the penitenti- ary early in Gov. Major's administra- tion. The signers of McClung’s bond as col- lector are Jefferson City citizens. They are Sam B. Cook, presicent of the Cen- tral Missouri Trust Co., former Secre- tary of State, and an active Democratic politician; Lester & Parker, formerly & penitentiary contractor and a director of the Bankers’ Trust Co., which is in the hands of a receiver: G. A. Fischer a druggist; James A. Houchin, a peni- tentiary contractor, candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor 1n 1912, and an active Democratic poll- ticilan; J. F. Moerschel, a brewer: C. ¢ Carson and Ernest Simonsen. Efforts to reach McClung and Chinn this morning for statements as to their knowledge of the condition of the rec- ords were unsuccessful, neither being in his office. Prosecuting Attorney Peters this morning attempted to influence Bla- ser not to permit a reporter to ex- emine the records and not to give the reporte ra copy of the letter to Mc- Clung. The prosecutor said that he had no knowledge of the exact cop- dition 6f the records and thought it advisable to withhold information until the accountants could make examination. —_—_-— PARTLY CLOUDY, WITHOUT MUCH TEMPERATURE CHANGE THT TEMPERATURES. m Yesterday’s Ti mperatures. Ti at ip. m. Low. .61 at 7 Hitch a. ™. OW DID A SHORT NAME LIKE SAN GET IN THIS WAR 2 Official fore- east for St, Louis and vicinity: Partly cloudy to- night and tomor- row; not much change in tem- perature. Missouri — Part- ly cloudy tonight and tomorrow; not much change in temperature. Illinois — Partl; cloudy tonight ana tomorrow ; not much change _ in temperature. Stage of the river: 15.6 feet, a fall of 2 feet. SPIRITOUS DRINK PROHIBITION TO BE PROPOSED FOR CHICAGO Ordinance to Effect It to Be Intro- duced Today; Warrants for Hotel Managers for Sunday Sales. CHICAGO, May 24.—Warrants for tre arrest of the managers of three of Uhi- cago'’s larges* hotels will be asked t»- morrow, it was learned today, on charges of violating the State law re- quiring saloons to remain closed on Sun- day. Investigators for the Chicago Citizens’ Committee, an organization trying to bring about the enforcernent of the sun- day closing law, procured evidences of violations yesterday. Two iarge hotels kept their bars closed as a result of a warning issued by the committee. Charlies E. Merriam, a professor at the University of Chicago, and member of the City Council, was prepared to inlio- duce in the Council today an ordinance forbidding the sale of spirituous liquors in Chicago. If the measure should be- come a law, nothing could be served at bars here except beer, light wines and nonalcoholic drinks. 13 PERSONS BITTEN BY DOGS; ONE 1S JAMES H. WEAR JR, Broker’s fon Snapped by Father's Bulldog—Six Other Children Injured The police reported 13 persons bitten by dogs yesterday. Among those bit- ten was James H. Wear Jr., 2%-year- old son of James H. Wear, a broker, of 40 Westmoreland place. He was play- ing with a Boston bulldog belonging to his father, when the animal bit him on the left cheek. The wound was pro- nounced not serious, but Wear was in- structed to keep the dog confined until the City Bacteriologist could examine it. Others bitten were Leola King, 10, of 1315 North Twenty-second street; Mrs. Mary Hoban, 66, 3030 Cass avenue; Har- old Scharr, 9, 2925 Dayton street: Ben Humphries, 3, 2740 Hickory street; Carl Fish, 6, 5734 Acme street; Hugh Camp- bell, 8, 2229 Park avenue; Harry Katz, 22, 1729 Franklin avenue; Glenn Ewing, 15, 1319 Shawmut place; Gus A. Mohrle, 28, 1621 Arlington street: Chester Disse. 8, 3007 Hebert street; Mrs. Annie Thom- as, 30, 2218 Wash street; Emmett Walk- er, 18, 2843 Montgomery street. PEACE DELEGATES VISIT BERLIN Women Depart for Vienna Seeing German Chancellor. AMSTERDAM, May 2.—Miss Jane Addams and the other members cf a committee appointed by the women's peace conference recently held at The Hague to visit the countries at war in connection with a peace propaganda, were received yesterday by ‘“hancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg, according to a telegram from Berlin. The Chancellor is ‘said to have ex- pressed sympathy with the object they have in view. Later in the day the women left for Vienna, where they will be granted an audience by Emperor Francis-Joseph. After CARDS’ GAME IS OFF. BROOKLYN, May 24.—Today's scheduled contest between the Card- inals and Brooklyn team was called off because of rain and wet grounds. | | | 191518 PAGES. VOL. 67. NO. 277. SHEPPARD TELLS AT URS’ TRIAL OF SUHUOL SITE DEAL Promoter Says He Frequently Conferred With Son of Mem- ber of Education Board. | HOW PROFITS WERE SPLIT Testifies to Division Money in Board’s Suit to Recover $11,500. He of Two suits against A. H. Kuhs, mem- ber of the St. Louis Board of Eud- cation, one brought by Dr. L. M. Ottofy and nine other citizens to oust him from the board and the other brought in the name of Herman Mauch, President of the board, to oust him and require him to make restitution of $11,500 profit al- leged to have been made on the sale tu the board of a school site at San Fran- cisco avenue and King’s highway, went to trial in Judge Shields’ court today. The cases are not consulidated, but evi- dence heard by Judge Shields will be ap- plied to each and a verdict rendered in each. EE. M. Grossman, attorney of the School Board, is assisted in the trial by C. Or- rick Bishop, Assistant Circuit Attorney, who acts for the 10 citizens who brought Custer suit. The first witness was John M. Shep- pard, a real estate agent, who has a cesk in the real estate office of A. H. fKuhs & Son, at 1001 Chestnut street, who “got busy” at the suggestion of A. J. b.uhs, son of A. H. Kuhs, when the lat- ter mentioned that the School Board wanted a site, and handled the deal by which the $11,500 profit was made. Neighbor Mentioned Property. Sheppard testified that he first became acquainted with the property in July, 1914, when another real estate man, a neighbor, called his attention to it. The witness said he discussed it with A. J. Kuhs, who was the active man of the firm, with a view to subdivision. Asked when it first came to his know)l- edge that the School Board was in the market for a site, he said he thought 1! was in December, 1914. “A. H. Kuhs was talking with his son in a business way,” he said. “I was close by. He said the board was in the market for a site in North St. Louis. Young Kuhs said. ‘Get busy.’ I told him I had one of the cheapest places in the city at King’s highway and San Francisco. He agreed. His fa- ther said nothing.”’ “What did you understand by ‘get busy?’ asked Attorney Grossman. “Well, to see the School Board.’’ Sheppard said he had had no con- versation about a division of the pro- ceeds. All of his dealings were with the younger Kuhs. It was always understood, he said, that in all deals the commission was to be _ divided equally. It had always been that way. A custom had been built up that when they all participated in a deal the commissions were divided equally. The next day, Sheppard said, he saw Secretary Mason of the School Board and submitted to him a plan of the prop- erty. He had been informed that the owner wanted $39,000 and he so informed Mason. He learned later that the owner would consider a lower price and of- fered McNair & Harris $27,500 for it, put up as earnest money a cashier's check for $100 and later put up $400 more earnest money, bought the property for $22,600 and sold it to the School Board for $34,000. Told A. J. Kuhse of Price Paid. Sheppard told A. J. Kuhs what he paid for the property and at what price he had offered it to the School Board and Kuhs said Sheppard would make a very nice profit on it. He did not discuss the price with August H. Kuhs. He thought, however, that he had discussed with August H. Kuhs the price to be paid to McNair & Harris. During January and February, the witness said, he had frequent consul- tations with A. J. Kuhe about the deal, following his conversations with Secretary Mason. The morning after the board voted fu- vorably on the site Sheppard went to see Mason, who said he was ready to do business and offered him $34,000, which Continued on Page 2, Column 64. anna a 8 a —— A Spring Invigorator Will recoup a tired, run-down business condition. Let the POST-DISPATCH advertising, with its big, healthy circulation, transfuse the vital blood of life into the sluggish spots in your business system. Yesterday, Sunday, the POST-DISPATCH alone carried 323 Columns of legitimate, paid advertising, while both of its competitors combined could only muster 325 cols. Advertisers build up POST-DISPATCH, which never fails to improve business conditions. Circulation Sunday Average for week ending May 23 with the anemic 349,896 203,274 their business | | ee NIGHT EDITION FINANCIAL MARKETS PRICE ONE CENT | SPORTS AUSTRIA ATTACKS ITALIAN PORTS WITH TORPEDO BOATS AND AERGPLANES King of Italy at Left With Two of His Commanders at Military Camp Outside of Rome the on the war has focused attention King Victor Emmanue! III, country’s ruler, and his personality is attracting interest. The King, who is 45 years old, is sma!! of fig- ure, and on foot he appears insig- nificant. One might pass him by in a crowd without a look. But on horseback his appearance changes [ower 1 entrance into the (Copyright by Underwood @ Underwood. New York.) and he cause of his soldierly hauteur. be- He has given much of his time to the tactics and had strikes the observer study of military exhibited a stern and unbending de- sire to become a master in war. He bears himself much like the German Emperor, and, although in- ferior in size to the Kaiser, is said to be equally strong in will power. There never has been any play- time in the King’s life. Outgrowing an ill-boding weakness in his early years, he entered the army in 1887 as a Second Lieutenant. He del lights in giving orders to his men and sees to it that they are obeyed with promptness and precision. ES EE SS SHOOTS HIS WIFE'S. AD’ CAUSES OUSTER MOTHER AND StLt IN WEBSTER HOME Emil Eckland Also Fires at Wife, Who Has a Divorce Suit Pending. Emil Eckland, oon struction of the Co., 1%7 Pierce Building, armed himselt with a revolver and 4! morning and went to his home, 866 New- superintendent of Automatic Sprinkler cartridges this port avenue, Webster Groves, where he tried to kill his wife, himself. He succeeded in wounding his mother-in-law, Mrs. Hilda Schrandt, and himself. The wife, Mrs. Edith Eckland, whom he is separated, afterward told a mother-in-law and frorn Post-Dispatch reporter she believed her husband also intended to kill thei- three young children, but that the ar- rival of Marshal Fred Knickman at the home. in response to a telephone mes- sage, prevented his carrying out that plan. Mrs. Eckland said her husband told her last Saturday, when they appeared in Judge McElhinney’s court at Clay- ton in an alimony hearing pending the trial of her divorce suit, that she never would obtain a legal separation. Shot Shielding Daughter. Mrs. Schrandt, who is 62 years old and who was shot through the left arm near the shoulder, said she ran past her son- in-law in an effort to divert his fire from his wife. She said she had intend. ed sacrificing her life to save her daugh- ter Mrs. Schrandt is the daughter of Ar nold Krekel, who wus president of State Constitutional Convention of 18% and who for years was United States Judge of the Western District of Mis souri, having been appointed by Pres!- en me ee ee ne. fnetinewe4t ann Page 2. Caluman A. the Ur STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HEAD Dr. C. R. Woodson Removed Because Paid Newspaper Notice Mentioned His Specialty. pr. ¢. been R, Woodson of St. Joseph has removed from the presidency of the Missourt State Medica! Association, on a charge of unethical conduct, it was learned today, and Dr. C. B. Clapp of Moberly has been elected to the office of president in his place. Dr. Wood- s0n, who is a brother of Judge Woodson of the State Supreme Court, was elected president at the State association's meeting in St. Joseph, May 10, and Dr. Clapp was elected vice president at that time. Members of the St. Louis Medical So- ciety, at Saturday night's meeting, were informed that the Executive Commit- tee of the State association took this action at a meeting at the St. Louls headquarters, 3525 Pine street, May 15. The charge against Dr. Woodson, which was brought immediately after his election, and which the Executive Committee heard and sustained, was that he caused an advertising notice, stating his specialty, to be published in a St. Joseph newspaper. The nitie is said to have been in the form of a pro- fessional card, bearing his name, his of- fice address and his specialty, nervous diseases. It was the last-named feature of the notice which caused the organization to take action against Dr. Woodson. There is no particular objection, from the standpoint of medical ethics, to the publication of a card atating a pbysi- clan's office address, office hours and telephone number, but when he states |his specialty a breach of strict ethics j is eommitted, as it is held that he thus | proclaims himself espectally skilled in the treatment of certain diseases. This is according to the code of ethics of the American Medica] Association. RUSSIAN SHIP Th 1400 MEN REPORTED SUNK Berlin Hears Winteleimon, Ar- mored Man of War, Was Lost in Black Sea. BERLIN, by wireless to Sayville, May 24.—The todav gave out the following: “According to a Bucharest dispatch, the Russian armored man of war Win- teleimon has been sunk with 140 men in the Black Sea.’ The dispatch may refer to the Russian battleship Panteleimon. The warship is put down in naval reference books as having a complement of about 740 men. Tn times of war, however, this number might be increased considerably. The Panteleimon was bullt in 1897. She was 378 feet long. Her displacement was 12,- 582 tons. She carried four 12-inch guns, 16 6-inch, four 38-inch, six 3-poundersa and five torpedo tubes. BOMBS AGAIN DROPPED ON PARIS BY GERMAN AVIATOR Several Projectiles Tossed Into North- ern Suburb, but Nobody Is Injured. PARIS, May 24.—Another aeroplane of the taube type flew over the northern suburb of Paris this morning and dropped several bombe. Nobody was injured. RAILROAD TO BE SOLD OCT, | Court Orders Auction of Pere Mar- quette System. DETROIT, May 4.—Judge Arthur J. Tuttle of the Federal District Court ts- sued an order here that the Pere Mar- quette Railway System be sold at auc- tion on Oct. L Overseas News Agency ROME REPORTS ENEMY SniPS AND FLIERS BEATEN OF Dual Monarchy Strikes First Blow With Attempted Bombardment of the Arsenal at Venice and of Cities Along Eastern Coast of Italy for 350 Miles. PARIS, May 24.—A telegram from Basel states that the Wolff Agency announces Germany has declared war against Italy and recalled Prince von Buelow, her Ambassador at Rome. ROME, May 24.—An attack today by Austrian aeroplanes and warships on the eastern coast of Italy, along the Adriatic, is an- nounced in an official statement from the war office. Venice, Porto Corsini, Ancona, Barletta and Gesi were the objects of the attack, extending along the coast for 350 miles. The attacks were heaten off. The statement follows: . ‘It was foreseen that on the declaration of war offensive actions would occur against our Adriatic Coast, with the purpose of seeking moral effect rather than attaining a military purpose. But we were able to prepare for these and render their duration short. ‘Small maval units of the navy, especially destroyers and torpedo am... boats, fired upon our Adriatic coast on May 24, between 4 and 6 o'clock in the morning. At the same time aeroplanes attempted to attack the arsenal at Venice. Italian Aeroplanes and Dirigible in Attack. ‘‘The enemy's ships, after a very short cannonade, were forced by our torpedo boats to withdraw. The enemy’s aeroplanes were fired upom by our anti-aircraft artillery and attacked by our aeroplanes and by 8 dirigible flying over the Adriatic. ‘‘The aeroplanes attacked Porto Corsini which replied immediately and obliged the enemy to quickly retire. At Ancona, where the attack was directed especially against the railway line in the intention of in- terrupting communication, slight damage was inflicted which can be ee repaired easily. ‘(At Barletta an attack was made by a scout steamer and de- stroyers which were put to flight by one of our ships which was escorted hy torpedo boats. Finally at Gesi, the enemy's aeroplanes attempted to throw bombs on the hangars, but without reaching the mark. Al other news of operations last night has no foundation.’’ From Venice, at the head of the Adriatic to Barletta it is 350 miles, Barletta is 125 miles north of the Strait of Otranto, the southern entrance | of the Adriatic. Granted that the aeroplanes started from Triest or Pola, they did not have more than 80 or 90 miles to travel to reach Venice. Porto Corsini s the port of Ravenna, and about 68 miles south of Venice. Ancona is another seaport on the Adriatic, 185 miles northeast of Rome and abous 140 miles south of Venice in an air line. The news of the attacks was received in Rome with a sense of relie® . for the reason that it showed hostilities had been opened by Austria- Hungary. It'is evident that the Italian people are standing firm, and there are many indications of their discipline and high spirits. Even those who for reasons of principle are opposed to war have asked to be permitted te serve their country in the ranks of the redcross. Austrian Patrol Driven Back im First Skirmish. The first skirmish of the war, after Italy's formal declaration, delivered bv the Italian Ambassador in Vienna Sunday, occurred at Forcellini df Montozz0, in which an Austrian patrol was driven back over the border by the Italian Alpine chasseurs. The fighting was in the pass between Point df Legno and Pejo in the western part of the Trent district. The delivery of the note to Austria was the final siep which ended the negotiations hetween the two countries. .t was presented to Baron Burian von Rajecz, the Austro-Hungarian Forcign Minister, by the Duke of Avarna, who, at the same time requested that his passports be delivered to him. Word came at the same time that Marquis di Correni, Italian Ambas sador to Turkey, and his staff, are leaving Constantinople. Details concerning Italy’s declaration of war against Austria-Hungary were given by Foreign Minister Sonuino yesterday afternoon at a Cabinet council which lasted three hours. He told also of communications sent te the allies and to neutral nations. Diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the belligerents also were discussed. Italian Staff to Co-Operate With Allies’ Commanders. Baron Sonnino referred particularly to the relations between Italy and Germany, expressing the belief that the latter would declare war as séon as official information wag received regarding Italy’s action against her ally. The council did Soueuae questions, as they have been entrusted entirely to the general staff, which will work in harmony with the commanders of the allies’ forces. 7 Financial measures were taken up and it is believed a loan will be floated, either at home or abroad, sufficient to meet the needs of the nation, even though the’ war lasts longer than is expected. : A royal decree has been published providing for a rigid — i; Authority is given to PoP noes newspapers, telegrams, telephone t snges and parcel post packages. decree also restricts personal gree + : especially as regards public meetings. . adopted in other belligerent countries. A royal decree has been published providing for a rigid censorship. Au- thority is given to censor letters, newspapers, telegrams, telephone messages and parcel post packages, The decree also restricts personal liberties, especially as regards pubile ‘ those already adopted in: —— vee 7 ligerent countries, oa: The following manifesto. wnder the = huge caption, “Viva Italia!” was ati 8 Oh i ie oe OS Sate a tag Bells te ro, EO wecstiagan Tae measure re LOE LE 1 RAS Bin OAs le laa PM