Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 214, Ed. 1 Monday, January 15, 1940 Page: 1 of 6
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o
COMMISSIONERS ADOPT PLAN TO IMPROVE SQUARE
*★*★★★ ****** *********** + * ★
Emergency Moves Cause Thrill Of Apprehension In Europe
y, v
Britain, Belgium,
Holland Take
Unexplained Steps
International Situation
Suddenly Becomes
Acute in Europe
By FREDERICK KUH
LONDON — (UP) — Sudden,
unexplained emergency milita-
ry precautions by Great Britain,
Belgium and the Netherlands,
and an angry Russian protest
against Swedish and Norwegian
aid to Finland, sent a thrill of
I apprehension through Europe
today.
Leaves were suspended for an
indefinite period in the British
expeditionary force in France.
Belgium recalled all troops
See EMERGENCY Page 3
o
Russian Planes
• Roar Over Finland
In Mass Flights
HELSINKI, Finland — (UP)
—Russian airplanes swept over
Finland again today in what
Finns charged was a vast cam-
paign to demoralize the popu-
lace.
Large numbers of planes were
to reported over the south coast
shortly after midnight.
An official communique said
that Vaasa suffered most severe-
ly during yesterday's air raids
on Finland. Eight civilians, in-
cluding women and children,
were killed. Many others were
wounded and there was much
damage, the communique said. It
was announced also that the
Aaland Islands were among the
• districts bombed yesterday.
Incendiary Bombs Used
Finns reported that a new
feature in the Russian raids, a
daily occurrence now, was the
extensive use of incendiary
bombs. According to their esti-
mates, the Russians are using
from 400 to 500 planes a day. it
was said, however ,that casual-
ties and damage had been re-
markably light. Finns quoted
1 Russian aviation prisoners as
saying that they had orders to
bomb any town which had a
railroad station.
Finland suffered its worst
raids of the war yesterday. Two
Russian planes were shot down.
Nanko and nearby Tammisarri,
west of Helsinki, were bombed
five times and communications
were cut. These towns appealed
K for aid against fires. At one time,
reports said, there were 20 Rus-
sian planes over Hanko and
Tammisaari. More than 100
bombs were dropped in the
neighborhood of Lohjrin, a vil-
lage near Tammisaari, it was as-
serted.
Helsinki escaped lightly. Big
crowds watched the raid here,
and cheered when anti-aircraft
guns sent one Russian plane
• down in a tail spin.
It was reported that 30 Rus-
sian bombs were dropped in the
vicinity of a country house, 12
miles from Helsinki, which until
a week ago was occupied by H.
F. Arthur Schonefeld, the Unit-
ed States minister.
O'Daniel Appoints
District Judge
AUSTIN — (UP)—Gov. W.
Lee O'Daniel today appointed
James VV. Witherspoon of Here-
ford as judge of the 69th judi-
cial district, to fill the vacancy
created by the recent death of
Judge Reese Tatum.
The district is composed of
Sherman, Dallam. Hartley, Old-
ham, Parmer, Moore and Deaf
Smith counties. The new ap-
pointee is serving at present as
district attorney of the 09th dis-
trict.
I
4
Weather Forecast
SWEETWATER — Falling
barometer, increasing winds.
Maximum Sunday temperature
f 48; low this morning 27; at 2 p.
m., today 53. Jan. 15, 1939, high
for the flay 55, low 35,
WEST TEXAS—Fair tonight
and Tuesday, not much change
in temperature.
EAST TEXAS — Fair, not
quite so cold in extreme north-
west portion; hard freeze in
north portion, temperature near
freezing south-central portion
and near upper coast, scattered
frost in east and south portions
exceot lower coast and lower
Rio Grande valley tonight; Tues-
day fair, slowly rising tempera-
tures. •
West Texas' Leading City *u,Wuv «wu®io
Sweetwater Reporter
More Than 15,000 Readers
DEDICATED TO SERVICE
"West Texas' Leading Newspaper"
BUY IT IN SWEETWATER
43RD YEAR
SWEETWATER, TEXAS, MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1940
NUMBER 214
Convicts Hunted In This Area
Roosevelt Plans
Special Message
On Aid to Finland
WASHINGTON — (UP) —
President Roosevelt decided to-
day to send congress a message
dealing with proposals to extend
material relief to Finland.
Senate Democratic Leader Al-
ben W. Barkley announced the
decision after Mr. Roosevelt
had spent an hour and a half re-
viewing all details of the Fin-
nish proposals in a conference
with Barkley, Vice President
John N. Garner, House Speaker
William B. Bankhead, and House
Democratic Leader Sam Ray-
burn.
The message will have to
speak for itself, Barkley said,
when asked whether it would
propose some specific financial
aid such as a $60,000,000 credit
as proposed in a bill already in-
troduced in congress.
o
Williams Speaks
On War's Causes
"The Peace That Failed" or
the events that led up to the
present conflict in Europe, were
discussed before the Sweetwater
Rotary club at its regular lunch-
eon meeting today by J. H. Wil-
liams, principal of the Sweet-
water High school.
His address pointed out cer-
tain errors that were committed
at the time the Treaty of Ver-
sailles was signed, which have
been added to during the past
twenty years, from which it was
inevitable that war would come.
He cited the occupation of the
Ruhr Valley in Germany by
France and Belgium at a time
when the new Democracy of
Germany was trying to stand
on its own feet, as an event that
led to Hitler's leadership, nazi-
ism and later the more aggres-
sive spirit of Germany.
Visitors introduced by Secre-
tary Charles Paxton were: Earl
Varnell, Roscoe Sandland, Dale
Bidwell and Marvin Hays, Abi-
lene; Lew Frazee, Oklahoma
Pitv; Jack Vatsell and Francis
McDonald, Dallas: Ross Covey,
superintendent of Sweetwater
schools.
President Aubrey Legg was
chairman of the meeting.
o
Warrants Issued
For Ku Kluxers
COLUMBIA. S. C. — (UP)—
t. Henry Jeannes. head of the
state constabulary, announced
todav that warrants had been is-
sued against 13 or 14 members
of the Ku Klux Klan on a charge
of horse-whipning an automo-
bilo mechanic in the belief that
he had failed to give Christmas
presents to his wife and child.
Jeannes had already caused
the arrest of seven men, includ-
ing Fred V. Johnson, chief of
«taff of the South Carolina Klan,
in connection with the flogging
of Lanier Pruitt. of Anderson
who was dragged from his bed
in Anderson soon after Christ-
mas. Twenty men in full Klan
regalia "took care" of Pruitt.
o
Pistol Produced
In Mingle Trial
BEAUMONT — (UP) — A
pistol which Jefferson County
Attorney Ed Easterling said
was the weapon used in the kid-
naping of Irwin Mingle, 12, Port
Arthur schoolboy, was shown to
a district court jury today at the
trial of Dr. W. C. Welch, 52.
chiropractor.
The gun was producer! in
court after Chris Dixie, Hous-
ton attorney for Dr. Welch, had
been placed in jail for refusing
to deliver the gun on orders
of Judge R. A. Shivers.
'Christian Front'
Members Held
NEW YORK — (UP) — Six-
teen members of the pro-fascist
Christian front, charged with
conspiracy to overthrow the
United States government,
pleaded not guilty in federal
court, Brooklyn, today and were
held for hearing Feb. 5, in $50,-
000 bail each.
They were held incommuni-
cado in the federal prison;
hence their stories were unavail-
able. J. Edgar Hoover, head of
the Federal Bureau of Investi-
gation. had alleged that they
plotted to bomb two newspapers,
a theatre, the custom house and
to terrorize Jews by unspeci-
fied means.
Plots Widspread
These objectives, it was said,
were set forth in formal plots.
See FRONT Page 2
o
Bradfield Offers
New Control Plan
AUSTIN — (UP)—Dr. W. D.
Bradfield of Dallas, minister-
member of the state liquor con-
trol board, today announced a
new plan to combat roadside
bars and liquor stores.
He proposed that the state
liquor control board rescind
four paragraphs of its rules and
regulations which now give ex-
clusive jurisdiction to Adminis-
trator Bert Ford in granting, re-
fusing, cancelling, suspending,
investigating alleged violations
of law, and making recommenda-
tions as to pleas of guilty.
Dr. Bradfield said his proposal
was for a purpose of restudy of
violation problems and to agree
upon a more rigid policy.
Boys Swept to
Sea on Ice Cakes
BOSTON — (UP) — Coast
guards, police and volunteers
rushed to the aid of nine boys
marooned on several ice cakes
which were being swept sea-
ward by the ebbing tide in Bos-
ton harbor today.
The coast guard announced it
was sending a boat to the scene,
in Pleasure Bay, at the foot of G
street, South Boston.
The boys were reported about
a quarter mile off the shore of
Pleasure Bay. The boys had been
playing on the ice not far off the
shore of the bay when it began
to break up and they were cast
adrift on various cakes. Their
names were not known.
Cold Snap Due to
Continue in State
By UNITED PRESS
The weather bureau today
postponed for 24 hours a sche-
duled moderation of Texas'
week-end cold snap.
Continued freezing or near
freezing weather was forecast
for nearly all the state.
East Texas was predicted t.>
have slowly rising temperatures
Tuesday.
Admiral to Head
Japanese Cabinet
TOKYO — (UP) — Premier
Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai mov-
ed swiftly today to complete a
cabinet that will strive for more
friendly relations with the Unit-
ed States and Great Britain.
The amiable, 60-year-old navy
"career man," who had served
In three cabinets preceding his
own, had named ten cabinet of-
ficers a few hours after Emperor
Hirohlto ordered him to assume
the premiership and form a gov-
ernment.
Markets At A Glance
BY UNITED PRESS
Stocks weak and moderately
active.
Bonds lower; U. S. govern-
ments lower; foreign issues
weak.
Curb stocks lower.
Foreign exchange irregular.
Cotton up as much as 45 cents
a bale with exception of Jan-
uary old option which is off 50
cents.
Wheat up 1 7-8 to 2 1-4 cent;
corn up 5-8 to 7-8.
Fifteen Texans
Die of Violence
By UNITED PRESS
Fifteen Texans died violently
during the week-end, 11 in traf-
fic accidents.
A family of four was wiped
out in a two-car crash near Com-
merce, two pedestrians were
among the highway victims, and
a slaying, a suicide and a freak
accident added to the toll.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Lowe, their
son, Truett, 23, and their daugh-
terT Mildred, 18, lost their lives
in a highway collision near Com-
merce Sunday night. Three
Wolfe City youths in a second
automobile were injured, one
seriously.
Roy McCloud, 36, battery
worker, was killed Sunday and
three companions injured when
their automobile overturned
neai East Columbia.
A 33-year-old negro, Nathan
Richards of Riverside, was kill-
ed in a traffic collision near
Westfield.
Hal Smith, Medina farmer,
was shot in a pasture on his
farm and died in a Kerrville
hospital. Preliminary hearing
for a man arrested in connection
with the shooting will be held
tomorrow at Bandera.
Albert Yeary, 35, a pumper,
slipped and fell or was blown
off an oil tank 11 miles north
of Borger Saturday during high
winds. He died of his injuries.
The death of Clifford Foster,
40, Whitesboro accountant, was
ruled a suicide by justice of the
peace verdict. Foster died of
gunshot wounds.
Near Redwater, Bowie coun-
ty, motorists found the body of
Clarence Jester of Texarkana in
a creek. His car was on the
bridge above.
o
Dickens Sheriff
Catches His Men
DICKENS — (UP) — Sheriff
John Koonsman, a square-jawed
western peace officer who thinks
jailed law-breakers should stay
jailed, was sore and tired, but
happy, today.
He had trailed two men who
sawed out of his Dickens county
jail 150 miles mostly on foot,
across rough West Texas pas-
ture land, and with the help of
other sheriffs had nabbed them.
Koonsman looked in his jail
last Thursday morning and saw
that John Norrts, 31, and Char-
ley Jurecka, 34, indicted for
passing a forged instrument,
were gone.
Yesterday, at a campfire in
Borden county, 150 miles to the
south, he and Sheriffs Sid Reed-
er of Borden county and John
Lynch of Scurry county caught
the fugitives.
Koonsman was elected in 1936.
Since then his jail escape sheet
shows:
Seven escaped; seven caught.
Three Men Steal
Automobile at
Colorado City
Mann, Cash, and Nelson
I
; Escape from Prison
Transfer Agent
Charles Turner, operator
of a filling station at the
.corner of Crane anil Broad-
way, today identified the pic-
tures of J. W. Mann, Robert
Lacy Cash, and Andrew H.
' Nelson, as the trio which
drove a Packard automobile
into his station at 4:40 a. in.,
today, had him put 10 gal-
Ions of gasoline in the car
and then drove away with-
out paying him. Turner
picked the pictures of thru
men out of a group at the
fingerprint bureau at the po-
lice station. The Packard
was later found abandoned
and burned near Loraine.
COLORADO CITY — (UP) —
Three men, whom officers be-
lieved might be the three life-
ttfrm convicts who slugged a pri-
son guard and escaped Saturday
night near Buffalo," walked into
twvn today and stole a black
Chevrolet sedan.
Later in the morning, Sherilf
Dick Gregory of Mitchell county,
saw a black Chevrolet speed
tHrough Loraine, 10 miles east
of here.
County and state police
throughout this West Texas re-
gion were warned to be on the
lookout for the escaped felons,
two of them murderers.
Mann Kspaces
They were J. W. Mann, 25, a
small-time hoodlum who turned
gunman and was convicted of
murdering a Cochran county
deputy; Robert Lacy Cash. 24, al-
so a murderer, who has escaped
See CONVICTS Page 4
Burglary Trial
Reaches Jury
The fates of W. P. Pruitt. fa-
ther, and W. H. Pruitt, son, rest-
ed in the hands of a jury in 32nd
district court this afternoon.
The pair was jointly indicted
on a charge of burglary of a
barn on the Ramsey dairy farm
the latter part of last December
when a set of harness was stol-
en.
A witness from Terrell, Tex-
as, where the harness was re-
covered. testified that he paid
W. H. Pruitt S10 for the harness.
Harvey, the son, entered a plea
of not guilty to the charge. The
father pleaded guilty and applied
for a suspended sentence.
Harvey admitted on the wit-
ness stand that he had served a
term in the state penitentiary
for the theft of chickens. He
denied that he had any part in
the theft of the harness, but ad-
mitted selling them.
District Attorney Truett Bar-
ber asked the son:
"Aren't you trying to place
the 'rap' on your dad, knowing
that you can't get a suspended
sentence because of a previous
conviction and that he can and
you will go free?"
The son denied that was his
intention. He again averred he
had nothing to do with taking
the harness and that he remon-
strated with his father for tak-
ing the harness after he "dis-
covered" what the elder Pruitt
had done.
The jury in the case is com-
posed of H. A. Blair, F. M. Dash-
iell, David Burrows, L. W. Dud-
ley. F. C. Childers, Willis Dav-
is, Elmer Fltts, Jessie Foust,
Earl Duvall, Owen Bonner, Jr.,
Ralph Mims, and Jack Collins.
Wolf - Children
A 28-year-old Marshfield, Ore., housewife, Mrs. Lewis Small,
told the whole story of war in three stanzas of a poem, which
was declared winner of a national contest conducted by a
group represeming women's organizations, poetry and peace
societies. For its graphic portrayal of the consequences of
conflict, her poem is reprinted here.
♦ * *
By Mrs. Lewis Small
Sharp little eyes and a sullen scowl;
Shrieking defiantly, wolf-children prowl—
Searching the i'iltli for a morsel of bread,
Watching the skies with the earth turning
red.
Friendless,
Frightened,
Fighting for life, g
Caught in a maelstrom of hatred and strife;
Crouching in corners, fearing the light;
Dreading the day and afraid of the night.
Can it be these little ones He once blessed?
|Are these the children, the ones He
caressed?
Prowling the streets of a crazy town;
I Mad little wolf-cliildren, wandering 'round;
Hungry,
Hiding,
Hurrying by,
Fearing a death from a dreadful sky!
Fawns of destruction! Innocent hands
Filling the cup that a war god demands.
Bright little eyes 'neath a tangled curl;
Could it be your little boy or girl?
Once they were happy as children should
be;
Long ago knelt at their own mother's knee;
Father,
Mother,
. Sisters—all—
Home and their country lost in the fall.
Little wolf-children with nowhere to go!
Merciful God, have we fallen so low?
LARGE CROWD EXPECTED AT
BANQUET FETING MUSTANGS
Sale of- tickets to the banquet
tonight on the Blue Bonnet roof
honoring the Champion Mustang
foobtall team picked up today
and indications are the banquet
hall will be filled by supporters
of the team.
The event begins at 7:30.
Everyone is invited to attend as
long as they can secure a ticket,
the number having to be limited
because of facilities to care for
the crowd.
J. H. Williams, principal of the
high school, is to be toastmast-
er. No long speeches are schedul-
ed. Principal speaker is to be
Sammy Baugh, all-America foot-
baller with TCU in 1937.
Superintendent Ross S. Covey
is to give a financial report of
the season. Mr. Covey's report
will show, he said today, that to-
tal attendance at 1938 games ex-
ceeded that in 1939, because of
the double round robin schedule
which matched two games each
with Sweetwater's bitterest riv-
als, Abilene and San Angelo.
Coach Laurance Priddy is to
announce the names of players
to receive awards. Short talks
are to be made by Coaches
Adrian Clark and Jack Roten,
and others.
The junior high Colts are not
to participate in the banquet for
the high school players, but the
junior high banquet for its foot-
ball players is to be held at 7:30
p. m. Friday at the junior high
cafeteria.
About 10 players of the Colt
team are to be honored. Facul-
ty members and parents of the
players will aid in sponsoring
the banquet. Coaches and play-
ers from the high school are to
take part.
Sadler Proposes
New Spacing Rule
AUSTIN — (UP) — Railroad
Commissioner Jerry Sadler said
today that he will recommend 20
acre spacing for all new oil
wells, effective on Feb. 1. Aver-
age spacing now is 2 1-2 acres.
He said records show 417 new
wells in Texas in the first 10
days of January.
His announcement was made
in connection with a hearing on
allowable production for the An-
chor (Angleton) field in Brazor-
ia county.
Norway Frank in
Note to Russia
OSLO, Norway — (UP) j —
Norway was disclosed todiiy to
have sent a note to Soviet Rus-
sia hinting that the government
would permit transport off arms
across Norwegian territory to
Finland.
Defendant Seeks
To Quash Venire
BON HAM — (UP) — The de-
fense today entered a motion to
quash the 72-man venire in the
opening session of the trial of J.
VV. McCoin, charged with murd-
er in the butcher knife stabbing
of his wife.
District Judge George P.
Blackburn, who twice has sus-
tained defense motions to quash
venires in previous attempts to
try the case, will rule during the !
afternoon session.
Basis for the defense motion j
was its contention that a district I
court seal was contrary to form i
prescribed by Texas statutes for !
such seals. The seal bore the j
legend "district court of Fan- <
nin County, Bonham, Texas."
The defense contended that the;
word "Bonham" was superflu- j
ous.
McCoin and his wife came
here from Holdenville, Okla., to <
pick cotton. Mrs. McCoin's body j
was found near their home last
October with a butcher knife
plunged into her heart.
o
Texas Franchise
Tax Sustained
WASHINGTON — (UP) —
The supreme court today refus- j
ed to reconsider its decision — i
bitterly criticized by the Ford j
Motor Co.—holding a Texas fran-
chise tax on corporations to be
constitutional.
The Ford company had origin- j
ally attacked the Texas levy as !
discriminatory. When the su-
preme court last month upheld
the tax, it filed a brief vigorous-
ly assailing the court's decision
and asking for reconsideration of
the case.
Today the supreme court de-
nied the request for reconsidera-
tion. As is customary in such
cases, it offered no reason for its
action.
Two Men Killed
In Train Crash
MUSKOGEE, Okla. — (UP) —
L. 11. Haigler, 17. Missouri Paci-
fic railroad fireman, died today
of injuries suffered in a freight
train collision two miles north of
\\ agoner, Okla., last night.
Engineer Clarence Hogan was
scalded to death in the cab of
his engine and three other crew
members were hurt. Trainmen
said two engines of the rear
train splintered the caboose of
the first.
j
Alteration Plan
Approved by
Unanimous Vote
25-Foot Driveway To Be
Built on Four Sides
:
| Of Courthouse
The commissioners' court, in
called session this morning, un-
animously adopted a plan pro-
posed by members of the city
commission to alter the Nolan
county courthouse square.
Before voting on the proposal,
a petition, signed by a number
of business men around and a
block or two off the square ask-
ing that the 25-foot driveway
proposed in the city's plan be
adopted, was presented to the
commissioners.
Irving Loeb. instrumental in
circulating the petition asking
that steps be taken to relieve the
parking situation around the
courthouse square, was present
in support of the petition.
Bond Issue Proposed
County Judge Charles Lewis
told the court and visitors, be-
fore the vote was taken, that he
was and had been in favor of a
bond issue to remodel and en-
large the courthouse, alter the
lawn and give Nolan county a
modernized plant in which to
house its governmental agencies.
He pointed out that the county
is expending considerable mon-
ey each year to obtain office
space in private buildings for a
number of county officers.
The plan proposed by the city
calls for the construction of a
25-loot driveway on four sides
of the courthouse. Parking
would be permitted on one side
of the driveway, thus accommo-
dating fiO more cars on the court-
house square. The present side-
walks. parkways, light stand-
ards. fireplugs would be left un
disturbed. A double driveway
entrance of 15 feet would be
made at each corner of tne
square, leaving an "island" at
r.aeh corner. Traffic would be
confined to "one way" over the
new driveway.
Objections to the plan for the
driveway were that it would not
be long until a move would be
started to remove the parkway,
and sidewalks which were left:
that 25-foot off eadh side of the
courthouse yard would leave too
iittle space for future enlarge-
ment of the courthouse.
With the adoption of the city's
plan for revamping the court-
yard. the necessity of contract-
ing for the removal of the
trees around the square was
done away with, since removal
of the trees was included in the
remodeling plan.
A number of bids submitted
to the court for removal of the
trees were tabled.
Lee Calls Critics
'Barking Dogs'
AUSTIN — (UP) — Gov. W.
Lee O'Daniel considers his crit-
ics "barking dogs."
He told his radio audience
Sunday that "one of the most
outstanding business men of
Texas" remarked he could not
recall another Texas governor
who had ever received so much
unjust criticism. O'Daniel said
that he read in return a "poem"
which expressed his philosophy.
It was a father's advice to a Jad
who tried to drive away a bark-
ing dog.
Classified Page
Center of Interest
Advertising on the classi-
fied page of the Reporter is
more than a group of items
concerning buying and sell-
ing. it is a reflection of the
life and activity of this com-
munity and the surround-
ing area.
The classified page tells
the story of the everyday
business and trade of all the
IK'ople. It tells of jobs to
Ik? had. of persons looking
for work and the story of
lost possessions or articles
that have been found.
In a great many ways the
Re|>orter classified page is
the nerve center of the con-
stant activity in buying and
selling so necessary to the
community.
It will pay you to read
and use the Reporter classi-
fied page regularly and par-
ticipate in its benefits.
('hwlfled Department
Phone 678
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 214, Ed. 1 Monday, January 15, 1940, newspaper, January 15, 1940; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth310172/m1/1/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.