Clovis News-Journal from Clovis, New Mexico • Page 1

MURDER, SUICIDE IN HOLLYWOOD SHOOTING VOLUME 7, NUMBER 23 CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1935 EIGHT PAGES PRICE FIVE CENTS EVENING NEWS- -JOURNAL D. Rancher, W. Dunn, Died Pioneer Succumbed Attack To At Quick Mineral Heart Wells. Daniel Webster: Dunn, pioncer cattleman of this region, who with his son Jack, operated ranch north of Texico, died of sudden heart attack at Mineral Wells; Texas, at 7:15 o'clock this morn Ning. According to telephone communication, Mr.

-Dunn dead at his bedside as he attempt: ed "to arise: this, morning. Mra: Dunn, Wells with him Wednesday, was with him al the time of' death. The body will be brought to: Clovis: Saturday when funcral plans and arrangements announced, it was said by relatives and friends here today. Mrs. J.

H. Barry, who is in Mincral Wells, will, accompany Mrs. Dunn tomorrow. Mr. came to this region a ranch southeast of Texico.

He was one of the colorful characters of carly ranch days in this section. Inter. esting incidents in connection his life not available today. Jack Dunn, his only, son, loft. for Minoral Wells this morning when ho received word of the death of his father.

Mrs. Jack Dunn came to' Clovis today from their, ranch north of Texico: and will, remaip here at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. Bryan, East- Fourth street.

Byrle Johnson, of Johnson. Bros. Mortuary, left this morning with ampulance to return Mr. Dunn's body. here.

He win expected about 1, p'elock tomorrow afternoon. Hold Man And Car In Mystery Probe I South Sheriff Asks For Both; Roach Says Car Given To Him Arthur Roach, 47, in being held' in the county. jait. today at the quest' of the sheriff at- Burke, South: Dakota, while local officers tried to unravel strange case involving: a supposedly stolen car. Roach, whom Sheriff R.

L. Thomas. said was "pretty WAS: al. restod -in the stockyards here yesterday afternoon after the had: allegedly tried. to give a group of men there the: registration papers on -a 1934 Terraplanc sedan which.

was parkod. nearby. lIe told Sheriff. Thomas that a man who had given him a ride here from Liberal, had given him, the cur, the (ion papors $5 in cash and told hini: to "gas up" and koop going, South Dakota License car baro a South Dakota license, and the registration papers showed that it belonged to Adolph Oclrichs, of Bawdlo, S. D.

Two empty envelopes addressed to Oolsaid richs wore also found on Roach, who the man who gave him the car had loft him on. foot: a short time before and had started walking cast toward the Fitzhugh addition. Roach. said this man told him' his sister and: mother lived here, Ho said that on the way from Kansas he hud' suspiclous that the car was "hot," but that the driver porsuaded him. to come along.

This man; ho said, was about 45 years old; wolghed about 160 pounds, was, about. five foot ten inchos in hoight, wore A light suit and gray cap and had 110 teoth, Address A Mystery Roach's addross was one. of the: most mystifying 'things in the case, told Deputy Shoriff: Donnis Brooks he was front El Paso, Chiot Doputy- Bill Collins he was- from Fort Worth, and Shoriff Thomas his home was Oukland; Callf. In his: pookot was found a woll-worn wallet bearing the fuded. name of H.

Maco, Union Station lobby, 'Kansas 'City, The sheriff at Burke, 'S, didn't give any details in his tolegram but just said to. "hold man and It was noticed that the engine -number on the car is not. the same 146 given on the registration papers, but the liconse and serial numbers check. Shoriff Thomas said he found two ono containing whiskey and the othor brandy, in the car, He found no weapons. S.

F. LEADS VALUATIONS SANTA FE, April 26, UP)--There hys been an increase in valuutions of railroad properties in Ney Mexico, subject to appeal, according to Byr: on Q. Beall, chief tux commissioner, who said the value this year was fixed at $82,519,045 89 compared with $80,461,295 last year. The Santa Fo leads with al value of $50,832,067 and Southern Pueitic is next with $23,844,742. PLEADS FOR LIFE OF M'GEE Gas Company To.

Move District Offices To Clovis About May 15 District offices of the Gas pany of New. Mexico will be: located. in Clovis about the middle of May, today according an' announce. ment by Horman Cole, manager, J. H.

Wilson, now resident of Artesia, who is the district manager, is -preparing Lo to this city. He will have offices. in the local quarters of company and direct his activi. ties from Clovis. Wheat Allotment Groups Meeting Approximately.

100. directors and committeemen of the: wheat allotassociations. off and in Roosevelt met here today the district courtroom. During the morning session, a round table discussion of the purposes, and accomplishments, of. the.

wheat allotwas, hold. and the farmors present agreed on the neell for the continuation of the prograin) Ralph Will, assistant director of the program in New. Mexico, led the discussion. Two other AAA of.ficials were also present. LEDBETTER RITES YESTERDAY Burial services wore held, yester.

day afternoon at 3 o'clock at the family in the Grier for, Mis, Leadetter, died. Wednesday night. Rev: W. C. Grant of.

Portales officiated in the sorvices. Burial was in the Clovis cemetery under, the direction of C. V. Steed's mortuary. The deceased, who died very suddenly, was the mother Miss Annie M.

Ledbetter. 29, who died' last Relief Functions Not Changed Yet FERA Administrator Says Relief Being Continued SANTA DE; April: 26. (AP) Dudley. acting FERA administrator, said today, thore: had been on change authorized by! his office in the various reliof functions of the state. He explained that direct relief was being continued in the same manner das before, with.

food orders and orders for other, necessaries, and that work relict cheeks were going out in, the sumo manner 'as before. There thas been a reduction due to the lesser: money, available; a true all over the ho said, but the form has not changed. Regarding suspension some time ago of all work relief projects, Frank said the projects were being resumed as money was made available under the reduced, budget: The: wind erosion control, ho said. was an example. It affects 14 counties.

There are work projects of. various kinds, including repair projects, ho said. Not having the exact figures at hand, Frank said he would not say just what the reduction wag in the state's federal allotment, but that it was in line with the reductions all over tire state It will be July before the new. legislation enacted by congross becomes effective, in a new fiscall yew Sand the delay in passing the bill naturally froze a lot of money in the mbantine, Frank explaine FIFTY SUFFER RABIES: LISBON, Portugal, April 26.: (P) Fifty persons suffering form rabies were brought tota hospital here today from: the village of Aldeia Nova De St. Bento.

The population was in a panic aHid a wholesale slaughtering of dogs. was started. Receive Blanks For Erosion Aid Limited Supply Furnished More Coming, Says: County Agent A "very limited supply" of application blanks for: soil. erosion "just enough to get started on," received today by County Relief ministrator Royal S. Smith, County Agent L.

"Hildwein planned to' get as many. of his soil 'erosion committeemen as possible together this afternoon': to: get the work started. The application forms will be; in the hands of the community.committenen, and it won't be necessary the farmers to come to. town to fill them out. If some: of farmers make application this afternoon, is possible for, listing blown land to start tomorrow, Smith said, and it is likely scores of tractors will' be in operation throughout the county.

by. day in the long -delayed fight on shifting silt, Smith said the farmers, may, fuel: and oil for which- requisitions are issued from any dealer, they wish, tho only provision -being that the price paid must be the alans posted, price. The amount to, be provided by government must -exceed cents, per acre, and the sane, holds for: grain and hay for horses, used in; similar work; points upasoon Works In projects each for repairing will a lister stated. RELIEF GAS IS: EXEMPT SANTA: 'TE, April: 26. (AP) state gasoline tax five cents a Ion will! not be applied the used in -the New.

Mexico soil erosion control projects. Attorney Frank ton has ruled Youthful Texas Slayer To Face Sanity Hearing If Found Sane There Will Be Hand Fight To Send Him To The Chair AUSTIN, April 26. (A)- A sanity hearing and the possibility of "hard prosecution" was in the ing today for Howard Pierson; slayer of this mother and his father, William Pierson, an associate justice of the state supreme court. 20-year-old youth who remainod calm for many hours after ho had lured his parents to a lonely spot, (broken and shot dejected them to death, sat and are going into in the his case today. thor.

oughly, and investigate. all said District Attorney James P. Hart. "If we determine he is sano we will prosecute as hard as we can." Hart had in' his possession signed statement in which the fornier University of Texas student detailed how. ho had shot his father and mother, wounded himself in the arm and.

then reported they had been shot. by highwaymen. Admits Insurance Plot: Sheriff Lee Allen said young Pierson admittod killing his parents to obtain $17,000 in life insurance and to avenge wrongs, "I hope, you don't think Am eplil blooded. murdoror," a cousin, Walter Pierson, quoted the confossed slayer visit to his -cell, not: don't know why I did it. -I wanted to.

go to school and" become great scientist but. fathor said he send mo." Under Hallucination Waltor Piorson said the WAs convinced the youth was laboring undor hallucinations that his father, had not favored him as he had another brother and a sister. An opinion that the youth was suffering. from dementia praccox was expressed by Dr, Joe Wooten, family physician. "He often spoke of discriminations of his parents against said G.

N. Stovall, warehouse foreman, of an oil company, for which Pierson was. working. think he magnified these things and brooded oyer, them Pierson, his arm In a sling, demanded comb and too much. before he would pose for photographers in the Austin jail A Solemn seemed Youth 40 is held wader a charge of murdering his mother, right, and "He always to and take Averyfather, at the left.

Qn tho table beside him is the pistol used in 1. tho thing at its face value, seemed alaxing on louoly Bull Oreok drive, a fey miles out of Austin. He shut unable to take 28 joke or pass off his mother first aud then his father, an associate justice or the Texas A trivial matter." supreme court and for years a powor in Tosas political. Masonic and The bodies of the slain justice and Baptist life. Ho first told polico bandits had dono the billing, shoot.

his wife will lie in state in the tug him in tho battle. Ho luter admitted he had stain his parents to supreme court chambers this afterInherit their property aud $17,000 Insurance money. The wound in noon. Funeral services will be held bin arm ho. intucted himself.

-toniorrow morping. RIVO SHE Chauffeur Slays Ivar Wharton At Apartment Party Turns Gun On Self After Wounding Another In Pistol: Tirade OVER MONEY MATTERS Officers Search For Third' Member Of A Midnight Gathering HOLLY WOOD, Calls, April 26-(AP) Mysterious shootings that brought death to morie style. creator and his chauffeur and possibly fatal injuries: to unother. in the film capital dur-7 ing the night were reported us murder; and suicide today by sheriff's officers. o.

11. Cloud, sheriff's deputy in charge of the case, said Paul Wharton, 25-year-old designcr of clothes for film actresses, was Shot by William Howard, 35, former Navy onsign, and: later Wharton's. chauffeur. Cloud said' Howard- later shot and probably; fatally wounded Henry E. Bolte; 38, law lustructor.

at tho University. of California at Los Angeles. Aftor: injuring. Bolte, Cloud said, Howard. shot, and killed himself.

The slaying of Wharton climaxed supper attended by, tivo guests in his. Hollywood apartmont studio: The other shootings occurred later in an apartment soyoral blocks away. Financial Differences Cloud the sheriff's office was convinced the shootings wore bye difforences tinvolving the three mon and that violent quarrel concoming money Wharton and -Bolte owed Howard preceded "the shootings. Our investigation has established that a man' know. only as M.

McDermott was the third person in Tthe room at the time Wharton was slain," Cloud said. "We believe he not involvod in the shootings, but other now are looking for him in the belief the can clear up minor details pertaining to the Leaped From Building said McDermott leaped from shots Wharton's! hind apartment fired. after three been The depaty I said shrubbery; man's and fall was Investigators broken by! Jater found A brown hat- and a piece of white shirt. The articles of clothing, Cloud said, had been, identified as belongthe man who' confronted Wharton's foster-mothor, Ada Wharton, an invalid, fled from the scena a of the shopting, van into a hallway and then Into the kitchon, whore lie leaped to the ground, la Closed Cloud sald as far as the sheriff's office is concerned the case is closed except for the approhension and questioning of McDermott. "We are convinced it.

is- case of murder and suicido, and the coronor's, office agroes with this theory and no inquest will be hold," Cloud said. "Howdver, it is possible future development; may warrant entrance of police into the ease, in which coroner's investigation might. be con-: sidered: TO RECONSIDER THE MOONEY: RESOLUTION SACRAMENTO: April. 20. (P) assembly will be' called upon today.

to reconsider the resolution which alt: urged Governor Frank Morriam to free. Tom Moonoy and. Warren K. Billings, Baseball Results Philadolphla ....000 Now York Bivin and: Wilson; Hubbell, Garbler and Boston 0001 ()) Brooklyn Frankhouso And. Spohrer; Phelps, Chicago .001 00-4 Cincinnati ..002 00- Carleton and Johnson and Campbell: I Pittsburgh 10-- St.

Louis Bushland and Paddon; Walker and Davis; American: New Philadelphia York 1.4040 000 .000 000 2- Tumulis and Dickey; Cascarolla, boy and Fox, Detroit Cleveland .004. 40- Auker, Crowder, and Hayworth; Hudlin and Myatt. St. Louis Chicago Newsom, and Hemsley; Lyuls and Sewell. Washington' ....400 001--.

Roston ..101 011-- Whitehill und Bolton; Grove and R. Ferrell. Storm Abates DENVER, April 26. line skies, today were. greeted cheer-: fully in Colorado and adjoining states, of where the record past two snow days and allevi- rain ated drought conditions, marooned hundreds of motorists, and accounted: for at least one death, Trapped in a blinding blizzard, Walter E.

Calhoun, 77,. abandoned 'his car. and tried to walk several. miles to his home 25 miles south of Pueblo, Color He apparently lost his way and plunged into the Huerfuno. river His body Was found late.

Suspended Terms For 2 Defendants Two, suspended sentences were passed by District: Judge: Harry Patton yestorday afternoon. Huey Walker, 10, of. Grady, was given a suspended sentence of two three years after he pleaded guilty to a charge of check forgery, and Mrs. May Hoffman, wife of Raymond Hoffman, game accused holding about up a at Elida three months ago, was given a suspended sentence of two to: three: years: when she pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle some sawblades to her husband Mrat in jail at Portales. Hofman been in jail here 164 days.

arrester when she accidentally dropped the sawblades before she got to see her husband in the Portales? jail. He has never been tiled Santa but Fe is fir the state: penitentiary at for because, lit is alleged; he wrecked the Portales and Roswell jails trying to get out. Silver Takes New Advance; 81 Cents (By. The Associated Press) soared. again today as the New York price for the metal was set: at .81: cents an ounce, up 4 cents, following earlier sharp advances in London- and far.

eastern silver center's. By the day's advances throughout the world, attention. was focused on Washington, where many expected further advance in the treasury's buying figure for domestically. produced metal, which, at. 77.57.

all: ounce, was. well behind international levels. President Roosevelt reported in conference with Secretary of. the Treasury Morgenthau, and while the subject of their talk was not definitely known, the silver situation was believed to be under Hopkins To Head Works Division WASHINGTON, April 26. (P)- President Roosevelt today completed his, works-reliof organization with appointment of Harry L.

Hopkins, as administrator of. the works" progress. division, He charged the progress division with the task of making cortain that persons employed the projects come from the relief rolls, The United employment sorvice was given general charge of reemployment of persons .04 work relief who desire to return to private employment. With the completion of his administrative machinery, the president called in the principal aides in the works set-up for a general discussion tonight, PIONEER LAWYER DEAD a stroke. "DIME" LETTERS CLOG MAILS SANTA FE, April (A) Crist, vetoran attornoy of Santa Fe and 011e time district attornoy of this district, died shortly after 11.

o'clock. tihs morning after suffering DENVER, April 26. UP)-A "collapse of the Denver postal service" has been threatened because of a new flood of "sond-a-dime" chain lettors, Postmaster J. 0. Steyie said today as the volume of mail reached a new all tine record.

the Weather NEW MEXICO: Generally fair night and Saturday, little change in temperature, frost northwest portion tonight. WEST TEXAS: Partly cloudy tonight and Saturday, Mary M'Elroy Asks Governor To Spare Bandit "Snatcher" Father Accompanies Slim. Girl On Mission Of Mercy HER MIND TROUBLED Believes Conviction Gave Law Proper Import In: Crime Mind JEFFERSON CITY, April 26-(AP)-Miss Mary. MeElroy pleaded with. Governor Guy B.

Park today to spare the life of Walter II. McGee, leader. of, the gang that kidnaped: her for: $30- 000 ransom nearly two, years Virtually all logal avenues of. escaping the gallows 'had been closed to McGee when the 26- your old daugliter of F. Mean.

Biroy, city manager of Kansas City, visited. the governor in behalf, she said; of both kidnapor and victini. "In pleading for Walter. McGee's life, I am pleading for my own -her formal appeal to the of -mind," said tall brunette in She was accompanied Here by her father. Miss McElroy: previously had expressed sympathy foil the men convicted on her testimony and had disclosed the thought of sending McGee doom was.

a "nightmare" preying on her mind. Law Satisfied, She Thinks She- expressed the bellef that the "full force of the law has: been and that. McGee's case would serve as a warning to others. From her own standpoint, the, girl said if the sentence, were carried out, McGee "would even have, this advantage; he' would have. think about execution.

afterwards." McGee, the -first person in the United States to be given the death penalty for kidnaping, in jail. in Kansas City. under sentence. to be hanged. May' '10, No.

2 off the supreme court refused a rehearing; of his appeal yesterday. Presents Letter Miss McElroy presented the following letter to. the governor: "I am asking your. clemency for Walter McGee, who, has been sentenced to. hung on May 10.

This first request I have made as the victim in this case. I mention my role as victim. only because, After. the McElroys had spent 30 minutes in his private: office, Goyernor Park said: "I did not indicate to them what course I would take." Ho added that "no idea" when he would act on Miss McElroy's plea. technically, I believo, I am the only one whose right it is: tot ask for clemency.

So far, publicly at least, I have tried to fill the purely. mechanical part of. a stato's. 'Walter. McGee's trial was marily important.

a test: case. -state of. Missouri: was trying to prove' the possibility, 'of giving the death sentence The sentence was passed. by the: jury and has boon confirmed by the supreme court. believe that the full force of the law hai been: emphasized and that- it clear that Walter McGee 'hai no legal: means.

of escaping. the I hope and believo that this has served to warn men like him that kidnaping is a serious and dangerous crime: to contemplate. A Private Side To Case "And now, may we consider this as a private case? As the victim, I ani appealing to you; furthermore, am appealing on behalf of the victim us well as that of hor captor, I assure you that Walter McGee's sentence has hung as heavily over as over. him, "Through punishing. a guilty man.

his victim will be made to suffer equally. He would even have this advantage: he would not have to think about his execution afterwards. In pleading for Walter MeGee's life, I am pleading for my own peace of mind. "I do not Forget they suffering chis has brought in ways many 'other people. Walter.

MoGep's death will not erase nor case the suffering. Rather, believe the merey shown him, and the feeling of warmth and hope that any act of merey brings, will suyve as a bias to us all.".