Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              THE FAVORITE
SUNDAY NEWSPAPER
IN MORE THAN
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SUNDAY
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THE WEATHER
Washington, August 5.—Eastern Pa. Fair Sunday and Monday, slowly ris¬ ing temperature.
y
THIRTY-SIX PAGES
Entered   at   Wilkcs-Barre.   Pa., as   Second   Class   Mail   Matter
WILKESBARRE, PA., SUNDAY, AUGUST 6,13r22
The   Only   Sunday   Newspaper Published   in   Luzeme   County
PRICE EIGHT CENTS
Union Of Switchmen Is Ready To Join Brotherhoods In General Walk-Out
CONDEM!\l EQUIPMENT
Declare Safety Of Public Must Be Considered In Bresfk- Down 0] The Roads
HARDING HOPEFUL
I
Washington, August 6.—President Harding today renewed his efforts to •ettlo the rail strike as the country faced the menacing possibility of a complete demoralization of transporta¬ tion t hrough an extension of the walkout of the big four brotherhoods.
Still devoting virtually all his time to the critical .<iltuation caused by the rail and coal strikes, the I'resident conferred \v:th leaders of the striking Bhopnif n. He ^^'as understood to have suggested informally that the railroad - problem. Including tho main obsfai-Ie in the way of scttlement,^the senior!. ty question,—be submitted to the Kallroad Labor Board for settlement, both executives and employes agrce- tilg to abide by its decisions.
A short lime later the oxccutive formally received warning from the logislulivc agents of three cif tlic big four biotherhoods th;it those orguni- ratlon.s may .soon beconfo involvi'il in tho strike because their members con- si ler the rail executives are trying to Muash tiie unions; because equipment is fiuit liiterlorating to the danger piilni ;m<l liecau.se they believe senior¬ ity nshts must bo maintained.
The I're.sldeufs new suggestion looldiig toward Tv strike settlement \\a.s .said to have been made to B. M. Jewell of the striking shopmen; Wil¬ liam Johnston of the Machinists un¬ ion and Ji'mes Noonan of the electric¬ al workcr.s. It was not put In the form of a formal iiroposal and it Is Ix'lievo.l H.irding was only sounding the liiothorhood leaders.
Indicating   that    tho    executive    Is planiiinK another move in the thrcat- 1 ¦; :. ;   situation   within  the  next   few'*' .'...>s, the union Icailers expect to re¬ main here until Monday.
Harding is said to l>o basing his new move on the fact that the exec¬ utives despite their rejection of the recent conu>romise plan of the I'resi- dont, a^rei.t to accept his first pro¬ posal that tho decisions of the rail¬ road labor boiii'd b« ot)cj'ed. The shopmen in accepting the entire pro¬ posal thus are considered to t>e in iigrcenienl with tho executives on this one. pomt. The executive recently staler that the government had acjiievrd a very lmport;uil point when both fa(.aons agreed to recognize as biiidiiiK tho board's decisions.
Thero were some indications th.-it the tiMion lenders look with disfavor on BUch proposals because of their deteniitnatioii not to take any chances of losing their seniority rights.
.\n an.swer is not expected for sev¬ eral days. ;is befoio any detlnite ac¬ tion can Ik" t;ikcn in l)ehalf of the strikers, it must tie admitted to the policy committeo of 'JO  members.
Tha rail workers would bo asked to return to work pending determination by tho board of the seniority and other slnko questions.
Wiihin the next few days Harding is cxi>ccted to confer with the heads of the brotherhood of locomotive engi¬ neers, tlic biotherhoixl of locomotive flienion nnd cnginomen and the biothcrhood of railroad trainmen.
The legislative representatives of the three brotherhoods called on Harding this afternoon and placed be¬ foro him a telegram of protest from their presidents ag:iinst the alleged union bma^lung policy of the rail¬ roads and tbo deterioration of rail equipment.
Administration officl.-ils interpreted the telegram as an open threat of a symi>athetic walk out by the brother- hi.vi.s in the event tho shop crafts unions show signs of giving way un¬ der pressure by the railroad exec¬ utives. While the walkout would not take the form of .1 strike, thou.sands of engineer, brakemon and firemen would le;;ve the service on the ground that locomotives and other equipment had deteriorated, tliioi'.gh lack of rei>.urs. to a |K>int where they consti¬ tuted a di'.iigor to life and limb. There is an
25Dead;100Hurt As Trains Crash
Rf. I,ouls. Mo.. Atigust 6.—Sun- day-'.'Vt lea.st twenty-five were killed and prolwbly one hundred Injured when MIs.sourl Pacific train N'o. 4 crashed into the rear of Mis¬ si.ssippi River and Bonne Terre train No. 32 near Sulphtir Springs, Mo., at 7 p. m., according to most authoritative reports received here this morning. The Mis.sj.ssippi river and Bonne Terre train was taking water when the Missouri Pacific flyer fro:n Texas ploughed Into it. The number of dead may run as high as 40, according to reports here. St. Louis newspapermen, who arrived at the scene shortly after 11 o'clock telegraphed that the death list might exceed 50 and the injureil. many serious, approx¬ imately 100. Among the dead on No. 4 was ^ratt Glenn. CO. of St. Louis. Sulphur Springs Is a ham¬ let of 150 people. 25 miles south of St. Loui.s. The only doctor in the village rendered heroic aid to the Injured and dying, awnltng.the arriva'. of a.ssl.stance from St. Louis.
T AS AUTO JUMPS
DYNAMITE JS USED NEAR HUDSON YARD
Steering Gear Locks and Machine Dashes Through Window on South Main SL
PEDESTRIANS STRUCK
Three persons were slightly Injured last night shortly after 8 o'clock when the steering wheel of an automobile, driven by Thomas Evans, aged 23, of 654 North Franklin street, locked on South Main .street, near Northampton, and the machine ploughed through the Saturday night .^hopping crowd on the sidewalk and cra-shed into the window of the Barker bakery at 75 South Main street. Evans was arrested by Patrolmen MacWilliam and Ritten- meyer and was release<l in $1,000 Kail to appear In police court this morning to answer a charge of reckless driv¬ ing.
The moat seriously Injured as the result of the accident, i.s Stanley E^'ans, owner of th« automobile and a brother of fhe man who was driving the machine. In the collision Stanley Evans was thrown against the wind¬ shield of the automobile nnd received an ugly gash over the right eye. He suffered the lofis of a great deal of blood while visiting physicians' of¬ fices In that vicinity but when he was unable to locate medical aid a passing automobilist carried him to City Hos¬ pital where he was treate<l. It re¬ quired four stitche.s. He was so weak from the lo.s.s of blood that he was un¬ able to walk and was taken to his home In the police patrol.
Mrs. Earl Alexander of Samboume street received cuts and bruises about the legs when she was pushed through the Barker bakery window hy the automobile. She was taken Into the office of the bakery and treated by Dr. Max Tl.schior and later taken to her home. Mis^Welner of Parrish street, who was caught between the window and the automobile, received slight bruises but suffered greatly from shock. She was not treated by a phy¬ sician.
Machine Was New
The two Evans brothers were on their way down South Main street in a recently purchased Overland coupe to purchase a tire. Near Northamp¬ ton street the car waa caught in a trafflc Jam and was the second ma¬ chine in line from the traflic standard at that corner. When Patrolman MacWilliam nloved the standard to allow traffic to proceed north and .south on Main street the first ma¬ chine became stalled and the owner was unable to start It.
Patrolman MacWilliam held a con¬ ference with the driver and when he was unable to start the machine lieck- oned to the Evans brothers to drive their machine to the left and break the trafHc Jam. Pulling oat back of the first machine the automobile driv¬ en by Thomas Evans was greeted by another automobile coming north on the street.
He Immediately jerked fhe steering wheel to the right to avoid a collision but it locked. He was unable to stop and the machine ploughed over the curb upon the sidewalk and Into the window. The Saturday night shop¬ pers who were In the path of the wild
,. ^,.  .„ ...^  „ ^   machine scurried in all dlrectionB but
unwnttcn  rule that  permits aiv Mr.s   Alexander and Miss Weiner were
engineer lo refuse to run a locomotive that he lielicves is unfit for service.
I
Switchmen Act
Buffalo. N. v.. .Vugust 5.—President T. C. C;i*hen of the Itiiilway Switch¬ men's L'r.ion tonight joined rail broth- erboovl heads in nsking for a White ll.Misf conferenve l>ecause of com- l'.,::;i*s from members that train c<4Uipment ta getting into a dangerous cuit>iiiu>:i.
Cashen wired Pi-o*ldent Harding: "1 am in rece.iit of daily complaints from railro.ul mombers indicating that railroad equipment is In a dangerous condition to employes and the travel¬ ing public. 1 understand chief execu¬ tives of the enginemen, flremen and tnunmen kave requested a conference V •>' »¦•¦> on this .-iuhject and, in the t '. the confprt-nce is arranged,
1        ,       r.ily  rt quest to be present."
Ill H sunemcnt tonight. Cashen said that It is apparent that some action on the part of train employes is no- cess;iry for the protection of both tlieir own members and the traveling I'libiia, Switchmen are being placed dally In tho position of handling de¬ fective equ:ptnont with its added re- Fi>onsibilitiea and it is only a short iyne before they will be refusing to ^ork."
A Finish Fight
Cleveland. O..  Aug. 5—Fight to the flaish  between  the  railroads and  the iConiinued On I'age 17)
unablo to get otit of the way. The window of fh/B bakery was broken Into several pieces iin<i Stanley Evana who was seated alongside of his brother, was thrown through windshield of the machine. Other Accidents
For the second time in as many days Hudson and Jliners Mills were the scene of small riots when last night a crowd of several hundred men and boys In stoning cars housing import¬ ed railroad strike breakers precipitat¬ ed trouble which resulted in the flring of at least a dozen revolver shots, the calling of deputy sheriffs and State police, and the arrest of two young men. The young men were taken to State police Ijarracks at Wyoming and will be' given a hearing before Squire Hess this moming charged with dis¬ orderly conduct.
The trouble started last night at 9 o'clock when a crowd of young men waited for a Delaware & Hudson pas¬ senger train to pass the Hudson sta¬ tion and directed a fusilade of stones at the cars hoxLsing strike breakers who were imported by Delaware & Hudson company to work as car knockers In the Hudson yards.| While the bombard^ncnt was at Its height it Is said that strike breakers and guards opened flre and the crowtl dispersed. In the meantime a call was sent to State police barracks and two automo¬ bile loads of troopers in command of Capt. William A. Clark and four depu¬ ty sheriffs in charge of Frod Rodda of Dorranceton responded. The crowd had again gathered in greater propor¬ tions and had Just started a second at¬ tack on the car houses when the au¬ thorities arrived.
While the officers were making plans to disperse tho crowd before leaving^^lielr automobiles which wore parked on a street several hundred fefel from the strike breaker's cars in the Hudson yards, several shots rang through the air.
The State troopers and deputy sheriffs ron to the scene of the trou¬ ble as did several score persons who were sitting on their porches and standing on the stroot corners nearby. Whon the crowd saw the olficeiH ap¬ proach it dispersed. The largest num¬ ber cros.sed the railroad, tracks and into Miners Mills whei-e the officers chased them for two blocks. Two Arrests Two of the men were arrested and taken to Wyoming barracks. They were Jo.seph Hines of Hudson and his cousin John Hymn of Keystone. Ac¬ cording to friends of the arrested men they were sitting on the porch of a house sevei-al hundred feet away from the yards when they heard shots flred and sav.- tho police running in the di¬ rection of the trouble. They followed and when t^o i.olice started to dis- pei-.se the cio'.\d they ran with the otlu r.s. Knouing that they liad done no harm it is .said tliey only ran a short dlst.Tnce and stopped when they were placed under arrest.
Joseph Hines returned to his home In Hudson last week after serving in the L'nited States Army since this country entered the World War. Since the signing of the armistice he had boen a member of the American Army of Occupation in Germany and two weeks ago returned to this country and received his honorable discharge. He has a wife and child in Germany whom he hopes to bring to this country in the near future. Dynamite Kxploded This morning at l:;;30 when the early evening's activities had calmed, a loud report resembling the explosion of a stick of dynamite was hoard in the- vicinity of the strike breakers' car.s. A.s.sistants of the yard master rushed from the yardmastcr's office wilh lanterns and made a hurried in¬ spection but announced, that in their opinion the explosion was nothing serious. I'ersons who were on the street several hundred feet away said that they were pcsitive it was an ex¬ plosion of dynamite as the powder smell which was carried by the breeze wns the same as the odor following a blast of dynamite in the  mines.
The strike breakers were brought to Hudson  by  the   railroad  company  on
Friday night to take the place of the car knockers who left their positions on July 1. Shortly after the Imports arrived trouble developed and In a short time It is s^id that every window In the two cars which housed the men was broken. Deputy Sheriff Fred Rodda and eight troopers from Troop B, State police, were called to dis¬ perse the crowd which, it is said, was estimated at 3,000 persons.
On Friday night a number of shots were flred and it Is said that one of the persons who was in the crowd was shot In the back of the leg. After scattering the crowd the State police returned to Wyoming without making any arrests.
Riots In City
More trouble, described as being the worst fo occur in this city since the beginning of the strike, broke out on Public Square last night when a crowd of several hundred strike sympathiz¬ ers pounced on John Hudson, 25 years old. colored, of 1317 North Alder street Plymouth. He was employed by the Lehigh Valley railroad at Coxton as a strikebreaker but quit his job yester¬ day. '
Hudson was recognized as a stiiko- breaker as soon as he reached tho city. He was followed to the corner of Public Square and East Markot street. At that point, the crowd of sympathizers gathered until the negro was surrounded by an angry mob. He was tiacked again.st a building as near¬ ly everybody in the crowd attempted to punch him.
Several police oflScers from central city beats and headquarters arrived while the trouble was in progre.ss. They rushed the crow'd and flnally reached Hud.son. Hemmed In by of¬ flcers. the man was hurried to a wait¬ ing police machine nnd ru.shed to headquarters. Again under guard, he was taken to the Lehigh Valley .sta¬ tion and placed on the 2:56 o'clock train for I'hiladelphia.
.•V cordon of policemen was distri¬ buted along the station of the Central Railroad of New Jersey at midnight as an excursion train pujied out. They were there to quell trouble but their services were not needed.
Early yesterday morning the police encountered stiff opposition in escort¬ ing some frightened strike breakers to the Lehigh Valley station to take a train out of the city. The men had Ijeen rescued eariler In the night and kept at headquarters.
The crowd waited for them to reap¬ pear. The throng of .sympathizers ;U the station was so dense tliat the offi¬ cers had to push their way through tc the train.
Authflrlttes fSsHfilght declared thifT^ their department has not beon fur¬ nished sufficient men to cope with the situation. Although the police have been given unstinted credit for the work already performed by them, it has been necessary for some time to withdraw patrolmen from other beats so that the central city could be kept free of disorders.
Patrolmen have been redistributed uiKier a new scheme to maintain law and order. Day and night men are working extra hour.s without pay un¬ der orders of Chief Michael Brown. There wore more men on duty last night in the city than at any time in recent year.s, not excepting the Home Week celebration last year. Strike  Breaker Beaten
With his face cut and bleeding and his clothing torn, a Lehigh Valley strike breaker, who refused to give his name, approached Patrolman Patrick Conwell on Public Square early this moming and asked for assistance. He said he started out to walk to Coxton but when he reached the corner of North Franklin and Union streets, this city, a dozen or more sympathiz¬ ers attacked him. He managed to escape from them. He was escorted to the I.*hlgh Valley .station and placed on a train  bound for Coxton.
jFirst Call For General Relief Made Here By Striking Miners
I • •
The United Mine Workers' coinmittee of the Wilkes- Barre district, under whose care the collection of all funds for the relief of the families now in need has been placed, will start early this week to canvass their terri¬ tory among business and professional men. They -will ask, also, assistance from every laboring man and woman in the valley living between the Wilkes-Barre city line on the north and the Nanticolie borough line on the south.
After four months' idleness, many mine workers are in need. Some are being cut off in their stores, others are being evicted for back rent, and a general condition has arisen that requires the relief committee to appeal to all working men to render as much aid as possible to the men on suspension.
Appeals for donations have been sent to all banks and hotels. The Police Relief Association has been asked for a donation, and has been requested to donate one days' pay per month during the suspension. The same request has been sent to the city firemen who are or¬ ganized under the American Federation of Labor. ^
All school teachers vvill be asked to contribute a day's pay per month. Mail carriers and other post offlce employes will be asked to contribute the same amount and the school teachers in Hanover township will be asked to co-operate in a like manner. Clerks in every store will be sought to contribute to the general relief fund and the employes of the show houses will contribute through their organization.
A weekly report of all the contributors ¦will be pub¬ lished in the newspapers or sent to the local unions. Any loqal union that wants information about the collections can secure it by writing to John B. Gallagher, 832 Miners Bank, Wilkes-Barre, where a complete list of all dona¬ tions will be open to inspection by local union officers.
Credentials will be ready for the collection com¬ mittees at headquarters on Tuesday afternoon when all local unions are «;quested to have their full delegations represented.
r
RIOTS HERE CAUSE FIRE FROM RAIL SHOP GUARDS
RAIL MEN RECRUIT NEW AIDS
MUST END STRIKE TO SA VE INDUSTRY OF ENTIRE NATION
F
E OF COAL RESERVE
September First Is Set As Limit Beyond Whicli Mills Will Be Helpless
'   SLIGHT MINING GAIN
HARD COAL PEACE
T
Syndicate Is Alleged To Have Arranged Extra Margin On Cuban Product
LODGE MAKES DENIAL
THEfl OF PAPERS
lOllSKErOEAL
Fashionable Club Is Invaded By Agents Jn .Search Of Much-Needed Documents
FOUR ARE ARRESTED
A Dodge truck whose driver s.Tid he was employed by an auto radiator shop, crashed into tho rear ' of a Studebaker touring cnr at East Mar¬ ket street nnd I'ublic Square last night at 6 oclock. The traffic signal was .set to halt traffic from I\ib!ic Square and the Studebaker automo¬ bile came to a stop. The Podge truck kept going and damaged its own mud guards and the itar cf the Stude- tkiker. The drivers adjusted the con¬ troversy between themselves and the police did not interfere.
Last night at 10 oclock a truck owned by Farmer's Dairy Company of this city and a touring car occupied by a numt>cr of colored -persons from Scranton collided at North Washing¬ ton and Kast Market streets. No one was injured but the front of the tour¬ ing car was badly damaged. The po¬ lice made no arrests but took the numbers of both automobiles.
Washington. Aug. 5—Alleged whole-
theisale the'ft of legal document.s from the
; Bui-oau  of  Internal   Revenue,  said  to
contain  evidence against .some of the
k
VtrrER.lN STlU. WORKS
Graysville, Pa., Aug. 5.—Ehud Steele, Sl. a veteran of the Civil War, spent liust week in the har^-est fleld and despite his age is still able to pitch two stacks of hay a day.
largest liquor interests in the country, were revealed hero Anight whon pro- hiltltion agents arrested four men.
Two men and a large quantity of the documents said to have been stolon were taken in fhe ultra-fash- ionahle   Hacquet  Club  here.
Two of the men are .said to be from New York and the two others were .said to be former revenue agents w;ho tur"ned states evidence, according to bureau offlciais.
The two New Yorkers.-Max H. Hal- peron apd Merrill SternfoLsx. who re¬ fused t6 give their street addresses, were taken liefore U. S. Co-nmissioner MacDonald shortly after their arrest at the club and arraigned on eight criminal charges. They were released on $25,000 bond following a prelimin¬ ary hiiaring. >
Whon trapped in their room at the Racquet Club yesterday afternoon th* 'two New Yorkers were declared to be in posses.sion of hundreds of alleged stolen documents. Some were hidden underneath the cushions of chairs while others were concealed under tables.
A quantity of documents was found on their persons when searched at the police station, police &>.y. I
Accidents Of One Week Show/ Heavy Toll in 24 Cities Of United States
ONE FATALITY HERE
(Copyright 1922) -- Forty-flve persons were killed and 503 injured in 809 automobile acci¬ dents In 24 cities in the United States during the past week, according to the following statistics gathered by the United Press: City Ace.   KiUod   Inj.
New Y'ork  19 4 12
Chicago    147 12 S3
San Francisco  98 3 65
Houston   16 0 21
Dallaa h     4
Oklahoma City     1
Kansas City  53
Denver      6
Lincoln. Neb     6
Washington, August S.-Senatorial Investigation of reports that a nation¬ wide syndicate of sugar refineries had been formed to exact from the Ameri¬ can consumer a "tribute' of $32,000.- 000 through an additional duty of Old 1 eight-tenths of one cent a pound on all sugar imported from Cuba, was demanded in a resolution Introduced in the Senate late today by Senator Harrison, Missi.ssippi. Consideration was blocked bv Senator Lodge, Ma.ss- achusett.s, on the grounds that It was baseless and that no such syndicate existed. He s;iid that later he would explain his objection to tho resolu¬ tion.
Following charges by Harrison made oariier In the day that an official of the United States government had sought to make an arrangement whereby the Cuban .sugar drop for this year would l>e limited to 2,500,000 tons m iTUiin for a lower duty in the tar¬ iff bill, the roKolution al.so demandofl probe into this alleged manipulation which Hairi.son termed the "blackest stain of the American govemment in its leiationship with Cuba."
Far reaching ramifications of the al¬ leged "sugar syndicate were charged in a lengthy speech to the Senate by Harrison.
He a.ssorted that . after Senator Smoot, TTtali, ranking Republican member ol the finance committee, had written a letler to General Crowder, .sent to Cuba a.s a special representa¬ tive of 'the govornmcnt, suggesting that an agreement be made restricting the 'Cuban crop which was turned down by the Cubans, sugar producers conceived the Idea of forming the United States and Cuban Sugars Pro¬ ducers Association agreement. Inc.
This syndicate Harrison said, was composed of twelve large American reiincries; was to chaige Cuban pro¬ ducers an added .4 of one cent a pound commission on all sugar imported, thus making an equivalent of two cents a pound duty, 1-6 cents a pound being adopted by tho finance commit¬ tee in the McCumber tariff bill.
Failing in getting, a duty ot two cents a pound by the flnance commit¬ tee and iu restricting the CubaJi out¬ put the syndicate was to m.ike Up the difference of the lower tariff rate in the form of incicaaed commission.
INHANOeCASE
Jphn Benjamin Found Dead By Family Previously Driv¬ en From His Home
NO CLUES DISCOVERED
Springfield. llLs.    4
Milwaukee     21
St. Louis   24
I.,os Angeles .....'...381
Indianapolis    10
Philadelphia  28
Pittsburg  10
Greenville. Pa,  ..... 1
Uniontown. Pa.  3
Columbus, 0  10
Wilkes-Barre  17
Charleston,   W. Va...  2
New Orleans    14
..... 0   19
Atlanta   	
Des Moines ..
Totals '^^«..
809
0 1 0 1 1 0 3 2 t 0 1 7 1 2
0
1
1 0 6 X
45
4
21
4
1
8
35
30
81
15
37
18
0
10
10
7
3
11
8
20
603
WANT MORE MEN OUT OF ANTHRACITE MINES
Members of the general grievance committee of I'ennsylvania Coal Com¬ pany miners at a meetinayn I'itt.ston yesterday afternoon, adopWl a resolu¬ tion calling on all maintenance men not actually required in the mines during the suspension to quit their posts. The maintenance mon were given until August 12 to thiri their ranks or drastic action will be taken, it was declared.
The committee's action was inspired by the alleged return of some elec¬ tricians to their post.s in Pennsylvania Company mines. When the commit¬ tee attempted to investigate the na¬ ture of work l<eing done by the elec- trticans, they were refused admission to the mines by colliery superinten¬ dents.
Mystery surrounding the death of John Benjamin, 43 years old, a miner, whose body was found yecterduy morning in his home at 68 High street. Hanover Township, deepened last nght when police authorities -were given the results of an autopsy per¬ formed on the victim.
The body was found to be in a far more battered condition tlian a pre¬ liminary examination revealed. No clues have, been discovered by the police who are working on the theory that Benjamin was murdered although they havo not entirely abandoned the accident theory.
Dr. D. F. Dailey of KingSfon per¬ formed the autopsy ^yesterday after¬ noon at the direction of Deputy Cor¬ oner Homer Graham. The neck waa broken, this causing death, the cor¬ oner's oftice was informed. Both eyes were discolored. Two abrasions, one probably caused by a knife, were found on the forehead. The coUar- lK)ne was dislocated and several wounds had been inflicted on the scalp.
Benjamin's body was. found yester¬ day moming shortly after 6 o'clock by his wife. The woman had spent the night at the home of a neighbor after having been driven out of her own dwelling, together with her two children, on Friday night by Benjamin. The man had been drinking moon¬ shine liquor for the past week and had been abusive.
Events in the Benjamin home after the woman was driven out remain a mystery, the pplice say. They have been unable to learn whether the vic¬ tim had any visitors. Neighbors have declared they heard no noise or dis¬ turbance.
Benjamin lost his right foot aome time ago In a mine accident and his deformity might have caused him to fall, receiving fatal injuries, the police admit, but they hold strongly to the murder theory. The body was found at the bottom of a flight of stair* leading to his bedroom where he alwaya kept a loaded revolver. The weapon was found in a bed with all chambers fully loaded.
The remains of Benjamin are at the morgue of Undertaker M. J. McLaugh¬ lin on South Washington street, this city.
SAN GIORGIO PALACE
TAKEN BY FASCISTI
Washington, August 5.—A nation¬ wide shut down of non-e.ssential in¬ dustries win come by September 1, i unless the coal strike Is settled, gov- I ernment offlciais keeping a close watch on the rapidly growing fuel shortage, said tonight. The huge coal reserie of 65,000,000 tons which exist¬ ed when the strike began on .\pril 1. is virtually exhausted and production is only about half of the country's normal requirements.
Production Increased 300,000 tons during the past week, according to figures made public tonight by the United States Geological Survey, but this is 'a comparatively small amount. It was said to tie due to better trans¬ portation facilities In the middle Ap¬ palachian coal flelds and not to th^ re-opening of more mines closed by the strike. The number of mines that have re-opened under the Presi¬ dent's plan of troop protection is ex¬ tremely small, probably not more than flfteen, according to reportafto gov¬ ernment offlciais.
While President Harding and his ad¬ visers are looking hopefully toward the miners-operators conferenco, call¬ ed by President John L. Lewis, of the miners, to meet in Cleveland Monday, the foar is openly expressed here in offlcial quarters that It may not suc¬ ceed. Miners leaders here, however, are confldent of success, although the only operators expected to attend are .some groups from Ohio and possibly a few from western Pennsylvania.
Secretary of Commerc* Hoover de¬ clared that the federal government has been successful in its efforts to pre¬ vent profiteering in ooal. Federal Fuel Administrator Spencer. In instructions to state governors, revealed that the federal government would rely on the states to control tho distribution of coal within their boundaries, the na¬ tional authorities supervising only in¬ terstate movement of coal.
In Its report on coal production the Geological Survey said: ".V slight in¬ crease in output haa marked the ISth week of the coal strike, (July 31-Aug- ust 5). Preliminary returns Indicate a production of 4,250,000 tons of .soft co.'ii against 3,933,000 in the week be¬ fore.
"Production Is still about 1,100,000 tons short of the level reached before tho shopmen's strike.
"Production of anthracite In the eighteenth week will be barely 30,000 tons.
"The total output of coal, anthracite and bituminous is, therefore, in round numbers 4,280,000 tons. In the cor¬ responding week of 1921, 7.320.000 tons of bituminous and 1.750,000 tons of anthracite were produced, making a total of 9.070,000 tons; and the year before that the total of all coal pro¬ duced was 11,283,000 tons.
"The present rate of putput is therefore from flve to six million tons below normal.
"Mines responding to the invitation to resume operation^ have added little to tho coal su;>ply of the country. There has been practically no in¬ crease In output in any of the strongly organized districts and the increase in shipments from I'ennsylvania and from the Fairmont and Kanawha dis¬ tricts has no: been large."
IN PRESENT PLAN
Confident Of The Anthracite Agreement Regardless Of Outcome In Other Regions
LEWIS REMAINS SILENT
Philadelphia, August 5—Another effort to bring alxiut a conference of operators and minors to end the an¬ thracite strike, was made tmlay by mayoi-s from cities  in that  region.
A letter urging the operators and representatives of tho minors to get together immediately, was sent to John Ij. ¦ Lewis and S. D. W.-u-riner, Secretary of the j^uthracite operators.
Lewis made no comment on the let¬ ter and .said he would not havo tima to answer fully becau.se he had to go to Cleveland.
The letter was signed by John Dur¬ kan, Mayor of Scranton; Dan Hart, Mayor of Wilke.s-Biirrc; and four other Mayors.
As a result of this action on th« part of tho Mayors, it Is expected th* dea<llock will soon be broken and that a conference wiil take place regard¬ less of the outcome of the bituminous meeting  in  Cleveland.   .Monday.
Lewis refused to comment on the soft coal Hituallon. He was optimi.stic, however, and it was evident he be¬ lieves the end of thr strike is near.
Mayor Jolm Durkan of Scranton, .innounced la.st nicht Ihat ho Is at¬ tempting to arrange a conference of anthracite operators and minera for next Thursday.
LOST ARTICLES AXD MONEY
Police authorities of Kingston Bor¬ ough are holding lost articles for owners. Thomas Eckenrode, 14 years old, of 78 Pringle street, Kingston, found a sum of money last night and turned it over to the police. The boy was commended for his honesty.
Patrolman Kelly found a package at the comer of Pringle street and Wyo¬ ming    avenue    after it   had  dropped from   an   automobile.     It   is   also Kingston headquarters.
Seek Part .Agreement
Cleveland. O.. .Vugust 5.—Advance guards of coal operators an.i mine uUr ion chiefs of the central competitive field were arriving here tonight to at¬ tend the wage conferenco. John Ij. Lewis?, hea/l of the nation's coal work¬ ers, is due to arrive nt 10 a. m. tomor¬ row. A. A. Augu.stii.s. repre.sonting the Cambridge district; W. H. Has- kin.s, Coshohocton di.strict; ar^d John Roan, Jack.son County district, are among the Ohio oporntors' repre.son- tatlvos expected tomorrow.
Whilo conservative Ohio operators who have boon clamoring for termina¬ tion of tho strike In the central com¬ petitive district, predict a settlement, others poi.^t to a ilouble •'baffle royal" during the mooting bot.vepn Insur¬ gents an<i conservatives in both miner and operator ranks. Tho miners* forcos will be John L. I.ewla vs. Frank Farrington. chief of thp Illinois miners. In the operators' ranks will be tho.se who will demand a wage, scale for separate district.s nnd others who favor a four or five state agree¬ ment.
It was preiiicfcd hore fo-nlght that at least a w;igo ngreemont will be agreed upon betwoon tho Ohio opera¬ tors and the mlnor.s. Jf this is ef¬ fected, John Ij. Ix>wis is cxpocteil to i.ssuo authoriz;ifTon to di.strict union oft'iclal.i to return lo their districts im¬ mediately and order resumption of work.
TO SUPPORT PINCHOT
WITH FULL LOYALTY
GOMPERS DISCHARGES
ANTI-UNION MERGER
Rome. August 6.—The San Giorgio palace in Genoa where the recent European conference was held, waa stormed in face of ter^flc machine gun flre and captured by the Italian Fascist! today.
Five to six thousand FasclstI. In¬ cluding re-enforcements from Bologna and Tuscany. a.ssaulted the palace, broke down the doors and occupied it.
ItaUan troops which poured wither¬ ing machine gun and rifle flre into the ranks of the -*"ascisti were unable to hold out again.st the waves of *s- sa (titers.
The Fasclsti established headquar¬ ters In the palace, capture of which followed seizure f several Italian cities and precipitated a crisis that caused Premier Facta to hurriedly summon the Italian cabinet.
By ccupying the palace the Fascist! control the port wells, the headquar¬ ters of tbe seamen's union.
Washington, Aug. &- .V unified cam¬ paign to smash organized labor Is un¬ der way among the business interests of the country, Samuel Gompers. president of the American Fedoratioa of Labor, charged in a statement Is¬ sued tonight. Gompera made public a telegram signed by the National In- du.strial Council, New York, which, he said, had been sent fo Chambers of Commerce, to civic bodies and to other organizations In an effort to rally anti- unipn employing Interests to fhe sup¬ port of the small group of railway executives who dominate the Associa¬ tion  of Railway  Executives."
The telegram as made public by pompers follows:
**The railway strike will be won if organized Industry acts Immediately. Situation as much a test of our ability as of railway executives. Im¬ mediate needs are:
"First—Volume expression of asso¬ ciations,   but  particularly   Individuals, to Pre.sldent,   sustaining    position railroads   on   seniority   question urging administration support.
"Second — Immediate
Philiidelphia, Pa., Aug. 5.—Giffonl Pinchot will receive the full support of the Republican State Committee, W. H. Baker, chairman, recently de¬ clared. Baker denied all reports tliat those who had backed .\lter In' fhe primaries would not nilly to the ^up- port of the gubernatorial candidate.
"I am sure every Republica.n who .supported Alter in the primaries will rally to the support of Pinchot." said Baker. "That is my job as chairman. If thore nre any other l«n«iers who are not 100 per cent for this ticket now. thoy' will ho hearty supporters for the entire ticket before I am through with then. The Democrats have an idea they can win at the com- at i Ing election. They havo found a simi¬ lar idea in the pa.st and have alwajrg been licked. They will come out of tho contest wrong once more."
The sum of $500,000 has been named as neces-sary to flnance the campaign by political leaders. Most of thla money will be contributed by Pinchot backers, it Is believed, aa manr .strong Republicans still feel the stin* of an Alter defeat.
PARTIALITY TO WOMEN; SCHOOL TAX ATTACKED
with your local railway officers for purpose assist them to man shop<i.
"Third—Pressure on presidents or roads in your territory to stand flrm on position to date.
"We speak advisedly. Above sug¬ gested actions imperative and permit no delay. Urgently request wire re¬ ply."
School directors of Scranton wef» criticised yesterday by Dr. Thomas B. Finopan, State superintendent of pub¬ lic instruction, for their action in levy¬ ing an alleged discriminatory per capita tax on male citizens. Mto- leading statements are also charged again.st the directors, who may Im forced to revi.se thoir tax duplicates.
Tc^x cards sent out by the Scranton school board contain the following: "The school code of Pennsylvania re¬ quires that every male over 21 vears of age must pay a personal tax of lo."
The code, it has been discovered, permits directors to fix the rate be- of 1 tween 11 and $5 but does not givo any and I required amount compulsory. A let- I ter received In Scranton from the de- conference } partment  of  education  at  tiarriiiburf
offers the following information:  -'A school board cannot levy a per capita fax on male residents. If the board decides to levy a per capita tax it must be levied uniformly on all male and female residents within the school district 21 years of age and ov»r. The board cannot exempt women from the paj'ment of the tajb"
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