McKean County Democrat (Newspaper) - April 18, 1929, Smethport, Pennsylvania COUNTY DEMOCRAT VOLUME 54 INC SMETHPORT PA THURSDAY APRIL 18 1929 PER YEAR No 16 Bell Allowed Bail DEATH OF CLEVELAND FINANCIER INVOLVES PROMINENT FOLK A METROPOLITAN SENSATION BULLETIN New York April E Bell prominent oil promoter of Baltimore formerly of Smethport Pa was held for the grand jury on a charge of manslaughter in connection with the death of Arthur Morgan Smith wealthy Cleveland man when arraigned in homicide court today Bail was fixed at The court room was crowded by the socially elite of fashionable Park Avenue A professional bondsman ished bail Bell's case will be taken before the grand jury Thursday or Friday Assistant Dis- Attorney Joseph announced The many local friends of Samuel E Bell former prominent Smethport man and of McKean county regretted to learn of the un- fortunate circumstances which lead to his being held by the New York police on a charge of homicide as the result of the death of Arthur Morgan Smith wealthy Cleveland millionaire in the metropolis News of Mr Bell's unfortunate plight was first conveyed to port by a telephone call to the crat editor from the city editor of the New York American Sunday after- noon Circumstances of the regrettable affair are such that Mr Bell's com- plete exoneration and vindication seems certain when his case goes to trial A New York special of Monday gives the following account of the New York April Park Avenue mystery death ing wealthy society personages today engrossed the best minds of the New York police department The three central figures in the Jove as It is called Samuel E Bell Baltimore for- Pa a looking gray haired oil moter who is under arrest and held without bail on a charge of homicide in connection with the death of Arthur Morgan Smith Arthur Morgan Smith a Cleveland business and society man and vard graduate who died under circumstances following a champagne and cocktail party in an exclusive Park Avenue hotel Mrs Robert T Brown attractive society matron of Lexington Ky Mrs j Brown is being detained as a material j witness Bell was arrested Saturday night and after being questioned by Police Commissioner Grover Whaien and detectives of the homicide squad was arraigned yesterday His attorney entered a plea guilty for him Spurred by the telegraphed appeals of the widow of the slain Smith de- today wrung what they said was a confession from Bell It was delivered in Yorkville court by the distinguished looking sturdily built financier before Magistrate nard I have known Mrs Brown for eral Bell said Thursday we dined together in the Plaza We chatted of her a friend of discussed our mutual friends Around 10 o'clock I suggested it was too early to bid each other good night and Mrs Brown said she thought her friend Mrs Schuette was giving a party in her apartment in the Marguery She telephoned and we went over It was there I met Mr Smith There was considerable drinking during the evening and Smith showed the effects Well after 2 a m Mrs Brown and I went down to get a taxi I reached the foyer of the hotel I found Smith had followed us He was un- der the influence of liquor I called a taxi for Mrs Brown and myself and when it arrived Smith insisted on PASTOR IS NEW RECRUIT FOR BYRD EXPEDITION The Democrat has received the following communication from Rev Archie MacDougald pastor of the Smethport Methodist church and an ardent disciple of Izaak Walton which is entirely After spending two hours on a trout stream in Potter county Monday with fingers too numb to bait the hook have decided to join the Byrd Antarctic Expedition and hunt seal Caught six Fire which followed a terrific gas explosion destroyed the country home of Mr and Judd Hackett one of the finest in this section on the mers Valley road about three miles from Smethport last evening at o'clock The house was unoccupied at the time of the blast both Mr and Mrs Hackett being engaged with evening chores at the barn across the highway It is said that the explosion was caused by a sudden increase in gas pressure which ignited from a wood stove but this cannot be verified Windows were blown from the Continued on Page 4 Col 3 CITIZENS OF TOWN IN FAVOR OF HALF SATURDAY HOLIDAY FOR MAIL MEN POLL SHOWS Cecil Reynolds and Forrest Abbey mail carriers of the Smethport have completed their poll of patrons of the office to sound their sentiment in behalf of a half holiday on Saturday beginning at noon ing the months of May June July August and September for the riers The balloting showed cally one hundred per cent favorable reception for the proposition Everyone was given an opportunity to express opinion for and over There negative ballots cast the only ones coming under this classification being four or five who refused to sign one way or the other The carriers will receive their half holidays without question and surely deserve this consideration which is ex- tended to many other employes of vate enterprises and is growing more popular yearly The mail men serve faithfully in all kinds of weather ering a number of miles of streets on foot each day The decision of the local patrons is able COUNTY TAX LEVY FOR YEAR At a recent meeting of the McKean County Commissioners the levy of county taxes for the year 1929 was decided upon with the following County 6 mills Poor 3 mills Road Bond Sinking Fund 1 mill Special Road and Bridge 8 mills The amount of taxes will be the same as last year but the money re- will be distributed differently entering I halted him Mrs Brown entered the taxi while I tried to argue with Smith and persuade him to go home He insisted on getting in the taxi with Mrs Brown When he opened the door to enter I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him back across the sidewalk He was and fell I didn't think he was seriously he had merely passed so ordered the driver to take us first to the Plaza and then to my hotel New York April Robert L Brown prominent society woman of Lexington Ky was questioned this afternoon by District Attorney Joab Banton regarding the death of Arthur Morgan Smith a graduate of Harvard Continued on Last Page Col 1 Local Unit of County Motor Club Elects Officers at Big Meeting At an enthusiastic meeting of the McKean County Motor Club held at the club rooms of the Smethport Fire Department last Friday evening final of organization of the local branch was perfected The local unit starts off with a mem of 80 which number is ed to be increased to 125 soon which will entitle this branch to two tors in the County The official American Automobile Association emblems were distributed at the meeting The McKean County Motor Club is affiliated with the great organization R E first vice president of the county club and who has en a leading part in the work of in Smethport and McKean county presided at Friday night's meeting Mr was elected as director to represent the Smethport unit In the county organization A board of governors was elected for the local unit of the Ralph E Burdick man M M Lindell vice chairman A M Anderson W R Stark and Claude Bullers Secretary Johnson Committee on A M son M M Lindell Committee on Roads H H Redfield Committee on Road Signs Daniel Bacon The official information bureau in Smethport will be A M Anderson's Metro Station Main street The Cooper Garage the East Side Garage and the Smethport Garage were designated as official ages for Smethport Membership dues in the McKean County Motor club are per year Membership cards carry many tures of distinct advantage to the holders In addition to insuring who belong of unusual while traveling membership carries accident Insurance and vides free towing service to the est A garage In the event of cara of members being disabled along the highways From Olean Herald Above Samuel E Former Smethport Man Held In New York Under Bail For Manslaughter Below Arthur Morgan Smith of Cleveland Who Died From Injuries Alleged To Have Been Inflicted By Bell LOCAL lOY FACTORY IS The Marvel Specialty factory this borough which specializes in the of juvenile toys is a busy The plant worked prior to the holiday season ed a following Christmas but instead a rush of orders has been in which is keeping the plant running to day capacity and will continue to do so all while a deluge of advance orders is ready being received for goods to be delivered next fall for the holiday trade A working force of fifteen is em- ployed at the present time turning out toy electric and spinning color tops invented by W J Kerr of Smethport As stated in the Democrat recently equipment is now being installed in the factory on Fulton street to facture a new spinning top invented by Mr Kerr Advance interest in this new toy by the popular price chain stores which purchase the bulk of the local company's product is so keen that it is expected that the working force of the factory will be materially doubled production of the new toy is started Many Fishermen Brave Adverse Trout Weather The weather man with sardonic deliberate intent dumped all the un- desirable elements contained in his bag of tricks on the hapless ed heads of local of Izaak Walton whose hopes had been ed in vain by beautiful like weather of Sunday when the Pennsylvania trout fishing season op- ened Monday Snow rain and sleet fell alternately and weather condition have since re- mained inclement enough to en the most optimistic fisherman However in view of the fact that the season continues until late summer there is still hope that anglers will be favored by a few good fishing days before the season ends Despite unfavorable weather an army of undaunted anglers invaded the nearby streams and several good catches were reported Among local men to catch the day's limit were R C Gleason and Fred Petruzzi With county streams plentifully re- stocked with large trout from the State hatcheries and with water at proper depth and warmed by the weather which prevailed up to Monday a vista of is dangled before the eyes of fishermen CREW OF WORKMEN WILL SOON TACKLE HAZARDOUS JOB Thy Erie Railroad company ly naked for bids on the painting of the huge viaduct which spans a deep valley and creek near Among the contractors whose bids were approved for consideration was that of the Oviatt Painting Co of Smethport According to word re- from the Erie division offices in Salamanca last week indications are that a Meadville firm was the low bidder although the contract has not yet been definitely let The cost of painting the bridge will run into thousands of dollars since there are hundreds of thousands of square feet of surface to be covered The specifications require a thorough cleaning scraping and The iron work is to receive a inary coat of red lead and a final coat of special black paint The railings on top of the structure will be painted with a double coat of red small job in itself The bridge at one time regarded as one of the wonders of the world is 3000 feet long and towers 302 feet into the air at the highest point There arc SO massive iron supports which rest on huge piers of concrete and native sandstone A roller ment takes up the great amount of contraction and expansion of the iron work caused by variation of temper- ature In other words the entire structure moves considerably on its piers Even today the viaduct holds the distinction of being one of the largest in the world only being equalled by the viaduct at Victoria Falls Africa which is slightly larger in dimensions The great span continues to attract of sightseers from all over the nation every week of the summer months Visitors not only find selves well repaid by the view of the viaduct they secure but revel in the scenic grandeur of the valley and hills adjacent to the bridge The viaduct is easily reach the velt highway by roads near Mt Jew ett which lead to the bridge site Emmett Oviatt of the Oviatt ing Co informs the Democrat that the bridge is in sound condition pite its years of service and that the paint is still surprisingly good in view of the fact that the last time it was painted was about 20 years ago Formerly a huge crew of men were engaged for weeks with hand brushes on the job Now the work will be done by the method which is much faster but less will be a most pretentious under- taking The contract price for the huge structure will run well over The job will present many hazards to the workmen engaged DOWNIE BROS CIRCUS HAS CANCELLED SMETHPORT DATE Downie Bros Circus which had contracted to exhibit in Smethport on Monday May 20 has decided to cel the local date Reason for the decision to abandon the local date are set forth as follows in a letter received by the Democrat editor from J M Beach contracting agent of the On of Smethport being too close to Port Allegany we have ed not to exhibit in Smethport on May 20th Hoping we may show city at some future date and with regards I am etc Downie Bros which is one of the motorized circus tions traveling will exhibit in Port Allegany Saturday May 18 and in Kane Monday May 20 BIG ADDITION TO NORWICH PRESERVE TO BE OPEN FOR HUNTERS AND FISHERMEN State Game Refuge Keeper Milo Oviatt of Betula informs the Democrat that the tract of land by the State from the Estate as chronicled in the Democrat last week will be thrown for public hunting and fishing ing to a decision of the vania Game Commission Only the original wich Game Preserve established several years ago which the new purchase adjoins will be forbidden territory as it always has been As announced in the Democrat two weeks ago immunization of pupils of borough schools for dreaded has become a reality Today McKean County Medical Di- rector Dr W A Ostrander of port assisted by State Nurses for Kean county Miss Nash of Bradford and Miss Whitman of Kane and Com- munity Nurse Mary McCabe start in- pupils of the local schools with diphtheria It is ex- that 460 pupils will receive the and children not of school age over six months of age will be given the inoculations free if parents desire The work of administering the in- will start at this after- noon at the High School auditorium and it is expected that the work will be completed today The immunization treatment con- sists of three inoculations which are injected in the deltoid muscle of the upper arm The second inoculations will be Thursday April 25 and the third on Thursday May 2nd The pupils ed will be given the Snick test next fall to determine their immunity from diptheria The inoculations are not sory but the local campaign is the re- sult of parents signing voluntary con- sent cards which revealed a mous sentiment for the immunization program The pledge cards were dis- and signed last year but due to the illness of one of the county nurses who was an expert in the work the local program could not be The toxin inoculations are a proven effective agent ftr pre- vention of diphtheria and are ely harmless The fact that millions of soldiers were given Inoculations against disease during the World War without any casualties indicates how harmless the Shick test is Last Thursday and Friday the ils of the Marvindale and Hazelhurst schools were given the inoculations and this morning Dr Ostrander and the two State nurses are inoculating pupils of the Mt Jewett schools Only pupils with consent cards ed by parents will be inoculated STATE APPROVE PLAN OF DAMS FOR LOCALJILL POND Contributed Announcement is made that tion filed January 15th 1929 with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania De- of Forest and Power Resources permit to give consent to ion of Herzog dams was granted and permit for same issued by this Board under date of March 1929 The permit is granted with the un- that the work shall be performed in accordance with the maps plans profiles and specifications filed with and made part of the cation An option has been taken on the lands required for the proposed Park and Dams these lands being owned by Leo L Herzog and Mrs Lena Herzog and composing some forty acres lying in Smethport Borough adjacent to Marvin Creek section The park is now an assured fact providing some way can be found to build the dams The money required to purchase Herzog lands is ed by a small group of Smethport's public spirited citizens and the Herzog lands will be purchased as soon as surance is given that the dams will be built Following comprise Bucktail Post's Park Edwin J Lindholm E G Potter A R W A Ostrander A C Marsh of the Post and C L Lorah E A Studholme C C Choate and Guy McCoy The committee requests suggestions from citizens at this time particularly regarding financing of dam ion Does the borough need additional water supply for fire protection and If so should the borough meaning the community construct and pay for the The committee asks you to get back of the Park project Let's put it across MARRIAGE SURPRISE TO MANY FRIENDS Mr and Mrs W A Hovla of port have announced the marriage of their Widening Smethport Br DANCE MONDAY NIGHT BENEFIT BUCKTAIL POST AND AUXILIARY A big benefit dance to which the public is cordially invited will be con- ducted at the Legion Lyceum port next Monday by tail Post and the Ladies Auxiliary American Legion The cause is a moat worthy one and the event will undoubtedly be patronized The a traveling dance band has been booked for the event Tickets have been priced at without tax and dancing will con- from 9 to 1 Mrs Potter Has Sad Home Coming from India Mrs Frank Potter who came back to the United States in ruary after a seven years residence in Burma India and who has been relatives in California arrived in Smethport recently and is now the guest of her son Attorney E G ter and family of Green street Mrs Potter with her husband the late Frank Potter former treasurer of McKean county left Smethport in 1922 for Burma where Mr Potter entered upon a contract with the British Burma Petroleum Co Ltd as an oil field executive The Potters took up their residence at young which is situated on the waddy river half way between goon and Mandalay where their son Frank Potter Jr an official of the British Burma Petroleum Co had been located for some time A year ago Frank Potter Jr died of tropical Illness and Was burled in Frank Potter the husband and father was summoned by death following a brief illness and was also buried In It was a sad ing Indeed for the prominent former Smethport lady lira Potter will now apend some with her daughter Mrs Harry i of Kane and her ion torney E O Potter of The highway pavement is being widened four feet the entire distance between Coleville and Bradford County Highway Supt Theodore Schmidt of Smethport is in the work which is being performed by the working force of the State Highway shops this borough The roadway is being widened two feet on each side with crushed stone slag Grading work the entire dis- tance is nearly completed The d highway between Foster Brook near Bradford and Duke Center is also being widened similarly The widening of these roads was made imperative by the steadily in- creasing development of the oil fields of this county The large number of teams and heavy trucks and tractors employed in the oil field ments are so numerous on these two important highways that provisions had to be made for the heavy moving traffic The concrete pavement of the two roads is at present 18 feet and the additional two feet of slag pavement side will result in roads 22 feet wide which should be adequate for present and future requirements Uvc and Mrs John Allison of this borough Announcement of this marriage which came as a complete surprise to the legion of friends of the popular young couple was made at a party given at the Hovis home last Friday evening by the bride's sister Miss Lucille Hovis The wedding was solemnized in N Y Wednesday March 13 1929 The ceremony was performed by the Rev Mr Shriner at the Presbyterian church of Allegany Members of the church choir served as attendants The bride who is one of port's fairest and most accomplished young society favorites is a graduate of the Smethport High School and of Westbrook's Business College Olean She is a gifted vocalist whose ful voice has been in great demand in church choral work and public musical events in the town For some time past she has held a secretarial position at the law offices of Guy B Mayo local attorney Mr Allison is a local young man who during his High School days and later as a student at Dickinson Law School won recognition for his ess as a football star For some time past he has capably served as deputy sheriff of McKean county Mr Allison was recently appointed a prohibition enforcement agent to be attached to the Pittsburgh ion director's office He entered on the discharge of his new duties Monday Mr and Mrs Allison left Friday ening on a week-end wedding trip They will reside in Smethport Mr Allison left the first of the week for Pittsburgh to enter upon his new ties as prohibition enforcement agent The Democrat unites with many friends in extending congratulations to the happy young couple and Mrs James Bloomster and family of Belfast K Y were Smethport visitors Sunday New York Theatrical Couple Hurt In Crossing Mishap Near Here Mr and Mrs Thomas G Lowe a team of actors from New York city figured in a serious mishap when their new Hudson sedan crashed into the morning passenger train on the mut railroad leaves port at a m at the crossing between nearby and bee Monday morning about 11 o'clock Mrs Lowe received a slight sion of the brain Mr Lowe was fully bruised and shocked and the car was wrecked beyond repair The Lowes traveling over the Roosevelt highway from New York to Grand Rapids Mich to fill a mer theatrical engagement did not see the oncoming passenger train un- til they were nearly upon the Ing Mr Lowo Immediately applied brakes but the car skidded on the slippery pavement and crashed into the side of the tender of the engine and by the coaches Parts of the car were strewn for a distance of 500 feet along the track Mrs Lowe was picked up in an un- conscious condition and was rushed to the Kane Summit hospital by a passing motorist She did not re- gain consciousness at the hospital un- til o'clock in the afternoon and at first her injuries were regarded as fatal She is now recovering in a satisfactory manner Mr Lowe was taken to the Kane hospital later by M Connors local taxi man where he has been ing from his injuries which were of a superficial nature A wrecker of the Smethport age removed the wreckage of the car which was damaged beyond repair The terrific Impact between the car and train was of such force that the occupants were thrown clear of wreckage a fact that probably counts for their miraculous
