01 Feb 1931
Page 1
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Newspaper
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Location
Bluefield, West Virginia, United States of America
Date
Feb 01, 1931
Page
1
A Norfolk and Western coal train carries five men described as hoboes amid a rise in hitchhiking as autos replace rail travel. Officials note population shifts and road culture push travelers from freight lines to motorists, recalling early highway era and lower jail risk than stealing rides.
The writer recalls motorists enjoying travelers who posed as students and traveled long distances in luxury cars. Yet some hijacked trips for theft and violence, prompting campaigns by clubs and media to warn motorists. As a result few motorists dare pick up hitchhikers and travelers return to rail.
In northern West Virginia a wary man who carried a revolver for emergencies picked up a stranger he mistook for someone he knew. After questions revealed the hitchhiker was an older man, the driver felt immediate regret for his risky action.
A narrator recalls encounters with hitch hikers amid tense moments of suspicion and improvised protection. A driver confronts a thief with a revolver, forces a hiker to relinquish a watch, then returns home shaken. Other stories warn of weapon-bearing riders and caution against picking up strangers.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr denies meeting with Mussolini was misrepresented and reiterates two Rome cables from 1926 noting the interview. He refuses to discuss the alleged driving incident after Mussolini, insisting the Rome interview story was true and copyrighted.
Senate leaders warned of a possible extra session after House Republicans stood firm against the Democratic relief plan. Indiana Senator Watson said the country may not want the delay while many supply bills linger in conference and require exit procedures to move forward.
Nidiffer, a 35 year old Coalwood mine worker and semi pro baseball player, was acquitted of murder in the December slayings of T A Bryant and J M Jackson, two boarders at his home. He testified the killings were in self defense after Jackson threatened him with a pistol and Bryant with a baseball bat. The case, heard in McDowell county court at Welch, concluded after about four hours of jury deliberation.
Brigadier General Randolph Berkley named commandant at Quantico. Brigadier General Smedley Butler was arrested for court martial after his Philadelphia speech offended Benito Mussolini. Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. refused to comment on claims he supplied the speech material.
Mrs Minnie Stull of Princeton faces murder charges in the death of her stepson Mickey Stull eight. She allegedly pushed him into hot water causing fatal burns on October eight 1930. The trial will begin Monday in Princeton criminal court with extensive witness testimony and crowd control measures at the courthouse.
Boston reports on January 31 shows Maj. Gen. Clarence Edwards in declining condition after an intestinal operation on January 16. He has been a leading figure of the 26th Yankee division in France and now shows reduced appetite and strength, with specialists consulted for the first time in days.
An eye witness affidavit set describes harsh conditions in Soviet prison camps within a vast forest district. Nineteen sworn statements from escaped convicts were gathered by a National Lumber Manufacturers investigator to support claims of convict labor in Soviet lumber production and potential tariff embargo moves.
Snow blanketed New York and New England with up to seven inches in parts of Massachusetts Rhode Island and Connecticut while western Maine saw lighter coverage. Upstate New York faced two feet in Utica and four to eight foot drifts in Waterstown. A pedestrian died near Schenectady as visibility collapsed. Roads towns and markets faced closures as farmers avoided Syracuse and Albany cleared snow. A Grafton windstorm toppled trees and roofs.
The steam ship Oropesa, carrying the Prince of Wales and Prince George, is due in Havana from Bermuda about 6:30 a.m. Tomorrow the royal party will not land, remaining in Cuban waters for a few hours before sailing at 11:00 a.m. to Kingston Jamaica as the third stop toward South America.
The United States case against Burnett Curtis for possessing non taxed liquor in Beckley moved to a halt when Fred C. George a Raleigh county deputy sheriff became a witness for the defense. George’s testimony incriminated himself and led to the case against Curtis being nailed with George remanded to custody on a possession charge. The proceedings arose from a prior seizure of bonded liquor in the Raleigh county courthouse witness room, climaxing a two weeks federal court session. George claimed he misled officers about informing on Curtis and that his statements to Judge Dunn were made while intoxicated. Trial of George was transferred to Charleston.
Senate leaders warn an extra session looming as relief plans clash with House oppositions. Ralph S. Kelley shale charges presented to a Senate committee by Secretary Wilbur. Coast Guard board upholds seizure of the Canadian rum schooner Josephine K. House and Senate resume prohibition debate with Democratic opponents hardening stance. Service men groups press for early cash conversion of bonus certificates before Ways and Means action. Rhugene Meyer of New York refuses to state plans as head of the reserve board before confirmation. Navy prepares formal charges against Major General Smedley D Butler for court martial.
Coast Guard board confirms the arrest of the Canadian rum runner Josephine K off New York. Captain William P. Cluett was killed. Boatswain Karl Schmidt commended for prompt rescue and medical aid. Tests dispute intoxication claims against Schmidt. Ship’s capture deemed lawful and unavoidable.
Charleston January 31 The 1931 West Virginia legislature adjourned amid a flood of bills in both chambers. Proposals would affect state highways free textbooks cigarette tax and mining districts while other measures cover penalties for serious crimes automobile license revocation and school holidays Armistice Day and marriage certificates by ministers. Investigations into state police the auditor and workers compensation dominate activity as committees prepare hearings and subcommittees draft resolutions for action.
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