The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 2

2 OCTOBER 1 2, 1 949 Log gttgCleg CftttCS Vacation Hard Hit axes Motorist by Many Hidden Levies Eat Holes in Pocketbooks of Holiday Drivers How much, do you pay in taxes? Youll find it impossible to answer accurately, but it's certain that your total biH is much bigger than you think. Earl Richert. a Scripps-Howard staff writer, in the third of a series of articles, today tells how taxes eat into the motoring vacationist's pocketbook. BY EARL RICHKRT Motoring vacationists pay over $212,000,000 in taxes just for the gasoline used on their trips. liillillt ML I Z-j i -'k.

'Wt 1 I rs--W, 4 vr- shooting he pays 11 on what the manufacturer charges for the cartridges. The AAA figures that altogether $300 is spent for every, vacationing automobile that rolls out on the highway, $100 per person. Gas Tax Heaviest The gasoline tax is by far the heaviest tax levied on any usual vacation expenditure amounting to about 25 of the price of gasoline. The national average price of regular gasoline per gallon is 26.81 cents and the national average tax is 6.4 cents. The Federal government collects a fiat VA cents a gallonwhile State taxes ALONE AGAIN Charles Stotts, 80-year-old widower, walks out of his modest home, which he almost lost with a lot of other belongings to "a jolly, middle-aged widow' now booked on suspicion of grand theft.

WE SEE YOU Mrs. Marguerite Perry, taken into custody on complaint of Charles Stotts, who answered her advertisement for a male companion. Stotts said the woman made him sign "everything" over to her. Tlmec pbot MAN, 80, HAS 'JOLLY JAltEb FOR ALLEGED Bel-Air Burglary 'Phantom' Dies w'AlLJ WHERE? Investigators yesterday determined trtat Jean Spangler, missing actress, had plans that did not include "going to work" when she left her apartment Friday. They sought the whereabouts of a "Dr.

Scott." Lost Actress Jovial life had been lonesome for 80-' year-old Charles A. Stotts, A widower for a year, he was living alone in a cottage at 412 94th St. One day last summer he read a classified ad in a suburban paper. It appealed to him. It lured: "Jolly, middle-aged widow, some means, wishes to meet middle-aged man or older.

What he didn't know was that the same ad had been running for two years and had caused hundreds of lonesome maie3 to take pen in hand. Answered Her Ad Stotts answered the ad and through her. answer made the acquaintance of a 56-year-old woman whom he knew as Mrs. Marguerite Perry. He found her charming and personable, he said, and so he proposed matrimony.

He chronicled his version of what happened to the romance from that time on in a document which he took to police in Officers, on receiving the chroni-' cle, began an investigation. It took six weeks to locate Mrs. Perry. When they found her, they arrested and booked her at City Jail on suspicion of grand theft. Yesterday she wasn't talking.

Widower Tells Story Dets. H. H. Hudson and P. C.

Richards said she wasn't talking to them either. They quoted Stotts as giving this account: "She told me, 'If I am to marry you, I have to have an auto to make me I wanted to make her happy, and so I asked her how much it would be. She said it would be about $250. "I took out my wallet. It had $640 in it She took it all, saying: "lf I am going to marry you, I might as well take care of your money and see that you are taken care of "I argued, but I finally gave In.

Then she made an Itemized account of every bit of the furniture in the hfluse. She took me to a as She Left Home Missing Actress Jean Spangler likely had plans that did not Include "going to work" when she left her Parklabrea apartment at 5:30 p.m. Friday, it was revealed yesterday. The average vacationist, says the American Automobile Association, drives 2500 miles and averages 15 miles to the gallon. Thus he buys 166 gallons of gasoline and on this gasoline he pays a national average tax of 6.4 cents a gallon or $10.62 in gasoline taxes 'to both State and Federal governments.

This doesn't sound like much. But, says the AAA, it's enough to pay for two overnight lodgings for the three occupants of the average vacationing automobile-man, woman and child. Also, since an average summer sees 20,000,000 vacation-driven automobiles on the road this average gasoline tax payment of $10.62 per car adds up to the huge total of Only Measurable Taxes This represents only the measurable average taxes on the -automobile vacation trip 85 of all vacationists travel 'by car. The motorist pays a Federal tax of lb cents on every quart of oil he puts into the car and most motorists are caught for toll bridge fees at some point on their journey. If he has to buy a new tire and tube he pays a hidden Federal manufacturer's excise tax of $1.47 in the price he pays for the tire and tube.

If he has to buy a new windshield wiper, spark plugs or other automobile parts, he pays a manufae-tuer's excise tax of 59c, which is Covered in the price charged. Lodgings and Meal motoring vacationist also pays State sales taxes of 2 or 3 in most places on his lodgings and meals. If he takes pictures he pays a Federal excise tax of 15 which is included in the price of the film. If he buys a tennis racket or a new golf club he pays the 10 the Federal government levies on the manufacturer's If -he does -any Truck and Gar Collision Kills Woman Driver TRAFFIC TOLL Yesterday's deaths 2. 1949 county total 524.

Dead: Mrs. Iola M. Hoi ley, 33, of 3280 Durfee Road, El Monte. Thomas Barry, 36, of 4349 Flower St. Collision of a truck, containing 6000 gallons of gasoline, and an automobile at Whittier and Rose-mead Blvds.

last night caused the death of a woman motorist. Two parked automobiles were smashed in the accident. Dead is Mrs. Iola Minnie Hol-ley, 35, of 3280 Durfee Road, El Monte. The automobile she was driving was struck by a truck driven by Thomas J.

Blaney, 42, of 608 Currier Pomona, officers of the California Highway Patrol said. Thomas Barry, 36 of 4349 Flower who was struck by an automobile last Friday at- 41st Place and Figueroa died yes terday at General Hospital. Driver of the car, Thomas Garrett, 42, of 15925 Ainsworth Gardena, was not held, but he was cited, police said, for running through a red signal. Secret Extortion Ring Indictments Prepared in Prison "Willard Borton, alias Ralph Graham, 49, a skillful footpad who 10 years ago stole jewels. furs and bonds valued at mora than $1,000,000 in a series of Bel Air and Brentwood burglaries, was knifed to death yesterday in i a Folsom Prison fight.

Borton, known as the Phan- torn Burglar of Bel-Air, was serving a life term from Los Angelea County as a habitual criminal. He wa3 stabbed three times near the heart and once in the back with a prison-made, eight-inch, "shiv." Killer Unidentified I Another prisoner, Frederick Galloway, 47, doing life for as- sault with a deadly weapon, was critically wounded in the melee. The knife wielder ha3 not yet been identified. Until he was nabbed by San Francisco detectives, Borton gave a score of movie stars and other wealthy residents of Bel-Air and Brentwood a plaguing that still on occasion is a favorite after-dinner-' conversation topic in the living rooms of that area. His methods of burglarizing, as he described them to detectives, were extremely simple.

He never used a flashlight. He picked moon-' i lit nights, working in the dim light that filtered through win- Thus he earned, for him- self the title of "phantom." Never 'Cased Home He used the direct approach. He told officers he never "cased" a home before In all, Borton "phantomized" some 60 homes in Bel-Air and Brentwood. Included were the-residences of Gary Cooper, Fred' MacMurray, Ken Murray, William Seiter, Marion' Nixon, Frank Capra, Miriam Hopkins, Sol Wurt zel, Fanny Brice and the late Car ole Lombard. His biggest single robbery oc curred at the home of George A.

Hormel in Bel-Air and," comparatively, it turned out to be a dud. Couldn't. Cash Bonds There he made" off with $1,800, 000 in bonds on Sept: 21, 1935. At the time of the burglary amount of loss was given at 000. It wasn't "until Borton's armrest, years later, that th almost $2,000,000 sum was disclosed.

And even that, the Tiuge amount involved, was topped in interest by the final, almost comical, re-" suit of the burglary. V' Borton, it was disclosed, reaV ized only $2500 in cash for the- $1,800,000 in bonds. Police saidT Borton told them that as far ag; he was concerned the bonds were non-negotiable. So he had sqld-them back to Hormel for $2500' through an intermediary. Although his burglarizing tech- Fight WIDOW7 SWINDLE lawyer's office I don't know his name and made me sign over everything to her the house, the furniture and some property in Nevada.

I had all Yny papers from my strongbox. "Then we went to a bank at Manchester and Vermont and put the whole thing in Stotts, in the midst of the proceedings, did jot down an ad dress given by Mrs. Perry. It was not her residence, but the house of an acquaintance. "He also fur nished detectives the address the bank.

of Monday the plain-clothes men staked out at the bank. When Mrs. Perry arrived to inquire about the escrow, they took her into custody. Hudson said that she refused to confront Stotts and demanded that she be allowed to confer with her attorney. The widower yesterday signed a complaint against the "jolly, middle-aged widow." Arcadia Sewer Dispute May Be Taken to Court Arcadia property owners may resort to legal action in their controversy with the City Council over sewer assessments totaling $2,880,701, it was disclosed last night.

This possibility was taken up by Atty. Eugene Harpole at the second protest hearing conducted by the Council in the Paddock Room of Santa AnitaRace Track. Approximately 600 Meetings Scheduled Harpole spoke in behalf of Lloyd B. Hatch of 846 Arcadia writer of one of the 98 letters of protest being read at the hearings. Less than half of the letters have been read so far and additional meetings have been scheduled for tomorrow and Friday.

The attorney said he believed the city failed to give proper' no tice to citizens when the original unofficial estimate of. the lateral sewer project cost was revised upward from $1,800,000 to $2,400,000. Error Blamed City Atty. T. Guy Cronyn explained that the upward revision was due to an error by an engineering firm which failed to take into account the additional expenses entailed in working with Arcadia's sandy soil.

Councilman Peter A. Klomp and Charles A. Nugent were absent from the hearing for the second straight night. Cronyn, ruled that they will be ineligible to vote on any action which may be taken as a result of the hearings. this year, the dine-and-dance palace was ordered shut down by the Carroll heirs.

The estate, court approval, will consider offers to buy or rent the place, it was announced. Authority to lease the theater and adjoining lot to two New York showmen was requested recently in a petition filed in Superior Court. The request, which is scheduled to be heard Oct. 20 before Judge Newcomb Condee, was made by Mrs. Jessie I.

Schuyler, executor of Carroll's $1,435,494 estate. Her petition asserts that she has received an offer; of a lease from Louis E. Walters and Elias M. Loew, producers of the range from a high of 9 cents 3 cents gallon in Louisiana to gallon in Missouri. While the motorist Is paying the 25 tax on the fuel to keep his automobile going, the rail and air-traveling vacationist is paying a Federal tax of 15 on his fare.

But, because- traveling costs are higher, these travelers pay even more tax per capita. For example, gasoline taxes on a round trip from New York to Los Angeles average about $26. Federal taxes on a first-class rail passenger ticket, lower berth, amount to $39.66, and by air, round trip, to $41.99. Air, rail and bus companies are campaigning to have the 15 travel tax lifted, since it was imposed only to cut down on wartime travel. And the Automobile Association long has been fighting to have the gasoline tax revenues spent only for roads and not on varied State functions as in the in many States.

Twenty States now have written into their constitutions a prohibition against spending of gasoline tax revenues for anything but roads. Tomorrow! You bum HVj cents in taxes alone every time you smoke a pack of cigarettes. Billions Asked in Corporation Damage Suit Damasres of $12,000,000,000 were sought in a suit filed yesterday in U.S. court by Arthur R. Van Wyke and A.

E. Harrison, management consultants and stockholders in the concern of A. D. Innis Associates, Inc. Named as defendants are A.

D. Innis, the corporation which bears his name, H. M. Johnson, Dist. Atty.

William E. Simpson, James C. Ball, Better Business Bureau of Los Angeles, Bank of American National Trust Sav ings Association, a Labor Commissioner, State of California, and 100 John Does. World Sale's Rights Van Wyke, who filed the suit in person, alleges in his complaint that he, Harrison and Innis had equal stock ownership of the Innis corporation, which had acquired world rights for the sale of a metallic lubricant for ma chinery of all kinds The suit charges that Innis solicited persons to pay into the corporation sums of money which were placed in the Wilshire and Robertson branch of the Bank of America, to be withdrawn on the joint signatures of Innis and Harrison. Negligence Charge Van Wyke further alleged that Innis and the Bank of America "wrongfully and negligently" caused Harrison's required signature to be withdrawn from the account without Harrison's consent and; that the bank thereafter wrongfully permitted Innis to withdraw funds from the account.

As a result, the suit alleges, the plaintiffs were unable to use the funds in the account to discharge obligations In connection with the payment of required sums under the agreement by which the corporation acquired the interest in the metallic lubricant and as a re sult the rights were terminated, damaging the plaintiffs by the loss of potential profits. Threats Cited Van Wyke alleged in his complaint that after this he and Harrison were attempting to re habilitate and continue operation of the corporation when the defendants wrongfully interfered with their efforts, threatened them with criminal prosecution and even physical violence. The complaint did not specifi cally state "on what grounds the State Labor Commissioner and Dist Atty. Simpson were named defendants. i used as blackmail bait by the shakedown ring.

The recording. It was learned, was made by Toni Hughes and turned over to police by Helen Keller, her roommate. It was reported that Kleckner naa tola authorities last year about the extortion, but yesterday he admitted that he had made no complaint officially at that time. The case came into renewed prominence during the questioning of Paul R. Behrmann, former actors agent, now awaiting In County Jail an appeal from a recent conviction of grand theft.

Behrmann at that time told Simpson that he knew many things about gangsterdom in Hollywood proper and hinted at the existence of such an extortion ring. Arrests Seen Simpson, after his- talks with Behrmann, called upon Kleckner for his version of the alleged extortion racket. The results of the Kleckner interview were not released by Simpson. Toni Hughes was to have been arrested in New York City late last night, following a telephone call to New York police py H. Leo Stanley, chief investigator for the District Attorney.

Stanley revealed in anticipation of yesterday's action by the grand jury, New York police have kept Miss Hughes under surveillance, ready at any time to arrest her. It also was learned that steps to extradite the woman, if necessary, already have been started, Helen Keller was to have been arrested last night also, by members of the Sheriff's detective bureau here. Neither woman, according to official announcement, has been approached for statements concerning the extortion ring allegations. As she came down the steps to depart, she asked about her appearance and said, that she was leaving for a job, according to her sister-in-law, Mrs. Edward Spangler, who shares the home at 6218 Colgate Ave.

But she also left reasons for doubt. "She smiled at me, and then her little girl, Christine, asked where she was going. 'Going to work, Jean answered again, but she winked at me when she said it," the sister-in-law recalled yesterday. Studios Checked Officers, who have been investigating the case said that they have checked with studios where Miss Spangler usually found employment and have been unable to find any company which called her to work on the evening she mysteriously disappeared. The Screen Extras Guild, with records from both large casting agencies, said that she had no call for extra work that night, and television studios had no record for her being employed on that date.

Yesterday the investigators had a conference top brass in the Police Department to discuss the case. Meeting with Dep. Chief Thad Brown were Inspector Hugh Farnum, Capt. Harry Elliott of the Central homicide squad, Det. LL Harry Didion of Wilshire.

Division and Dets M. E. Tullock and William Brennan, who are handling the case. To Continue Hills Searrh After the conference, Didion said that investigation has confirmed the existence of a "Scotty" or "Dr. Scott" who was known to Miss Spangler and her coterie of night-clubbing friends.

But what is lacking is knowledge of the man's whereabouts, he said. The lieutenant also said that a group of officers today will comb the hillsides and canyons of the 4000 acres of Griffith Park, starting from the Fern Dell entrance near which a gardener found CHEERIOf Voted King ond Patricia Johnson, -Ingfewood, Miss Spangler's discarded cloth purse Sunday morning. It was an unsigned note in the purse that caused investigators to seek the identity of "Dr. Scott" hmd "Kirk," the latter being the person to whom the message was Homicide Indicated The presence of Elliott at the conference was the first indication that the homicide detail is taking any Interest In the disappearance of the 27-year-od brunette. Homicide detectives said earlier that they were conducting no investigation since there was nothing to indicate that it was a death case.

At Columbia Studios, where Miss Spangler worked last week in a new Robert Cummings picture, the actor saidthat he had had a casual conversation with her in which she revealed that she was engaged in a "new romance." "I asked her if it was serious," Cummings said. "She said, 'Not exactly, but I'm having the time of my Meanwhile, Atty. S. S. Hahn, who represented the actress in bitter battle for custody of Christine last year, announced that today he will file a petition for" a writ of habeas corpus trans-fering custody of the child to her maternal grandmother, Mrs, Florence Spangler.

The child's father, Dexter Ben-ner, plastics manufacturer, originally was granted custody when the couple were divorced three years ago. Last year, however, a court awarded custody of Christine to her mother, with Benner granted the right to have her with him on alternate week ends. Bureau Executive Dies SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 11 (JP) John Froberg, 57, chairman of the California Inspection Rating Bureau, died today. Queen of Smiles ct University, and Jack Hollen, Los Angeles, The Los Angeles County grand jury yesterday returned secret indictments against alleged members of an extortion ring, the existence of "which came to light during the District Attorney's probe into local gangdom.

Two young women ere named in the indictment. They were identified as -Ton! Hughes, 25, and Helen Keller. 26. It was believed that the two women were charged in the in dictment with one count of con spiracy, 11 counts of attempted extortion and eight counts of ac tual extortion, all reportedly oc curring in the 14 months preced ing August, 1948. Klerk ner Appears Ben M.

Kleckner, head of the University of Hollywood, yesterday appeared before the grand jury. Kleckner previously had told Dist. Atty. William E. Simpson that he had been "shaken down" by Miss Keller and Miss Hughes.

It was reported that at least one wire or tape recording figures in the case and that the recording contains "wild party" conversations which allegedly were nato Sentenced Johnny Stompanato, one of the better known henchman of Mickey Cohen, yesterday was fined, sentenced to jail and placed on probation in Beverly Hills Justice Court after being found guilty on two counts of vagrancy. He is free on $500 bond, however, until an appeal on the ruling is filed through his attorney, Joseph Scott. Judge Henry H. Draeger sentenced Stompanato to five months in jail, but suspended all but' 60 days of the sentence on the condi tion that Stompanato engsge in no further violations of the Penal Code, associate with no known criminals and pay a fine of $250 forthwith. The Judge placed -him on probation for one year and denied a motion for a new trial.

Veterans Launch Drive for Luckey An E. George Luckey for Gov ernor movement was launched by a group of war veterans last night in the former State "Senator's home town of Brawley. The group formed the Brawley Veterans Committee for E. George Luckey for Governor, labeled it nonpartisan and invited other veterans throughout the State to join the movement. They also adopted a resolution urging Luckey to an nounce his candidacy.

Stompa hique was seemingly amateurish never "casing" a home, 5 for in-i, stance Borton was never caught during his nocturnal forays. He was arrested in San Fran-; cisco in the course of trying to dispose of jewels valued at $80 000. Earl Carroll's Famed Theater-Gafe Will Close Af ter Satu rday's Show The men DroDosed to the property for 10 years for 5 of the gross receipts with $75,000 a i year guaranteed the Carroll es tate it uao unilorctrwiH M. ill! -W: -'i 'Sy'Sisiy, 'W 'fit 5 f. carrou opened xne meater Christmas night, 1938.

Carroll shows featured raucous comedy, and massive production, but the emphasis was on the. girls. Illustrated on Pag 3, Part I The famous portals through which "pass the most beautiful girls in the world" will close after the last performance in Earl Carroll's theater-restaurant Saturday night. Reputedly the largest theater- restaurant in the world, the Holly wood night spot has been ailing financially since the death of Showman Earl Carroll in a Pennsylvania air crash June'17, 1948, according to spokesmen or the theater and the The favorite beauty of hi3 shows and his private life, Beryl Wallace, also died in the accident After operating in the red all it nourished on the tourist trad the theater began slipping la the postwar era. Carroll's death the telling blow.

Approximately 150 people will be put out of work by the closing of the place, it wa3 estimated. of Southern California wer graduate student..