23 Sep 1940
Page 1
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Newspaper
Kingsport Times
Location
Kingsport, Tennessee, United States of America
Date
Sep 23, 1940
Page
1
Britain mourns as refugee liner is torpedoed off the coast with 293 lives lost including 83 children. Survivors reached a northern port as reports of heroism emerge and Nazi denial follows.
Dover New Jersey reports an early morning explosion at the Picatinny arsenal injuring eleven and killing two. The blast occurred while workers disassembled fuse components, with officials noting protective screens limited injuries. The incident prompts immediate investigations and raises broader wartime concerns about safety and Nazi blame from international observers.
President Roosevelt urged 45 governors to organize selective service within their states and to recommend state draft directors and local board members. He signed a proclamation setting October 16 for men aged 21 to 35 to register, with local boards handling classification and selection. He suggested advisory registrant and medical boards and said compensation would be minimal, urging officials to enlist public support for fair administration.
In Silvacela the sighting of lights in the Morton residence sparks fear and rumors. Residents and relatives report eerie movements in the home, with claims of hidden cash and a ritual urge to investigate the mysterious deaths. Local neighbors describe unexplained illuminations upstairs and downstairs as investigators prepare to probe.
The Rev J G Hughes of Kingsport will become president of the Tennessee State Baptist Convention. He will serve until the next convention in Johnson City after the resignation of the Rev Homer G Lindsay, who leaves Avondale Baptist to lead First Baptist in Jacksonville Fla. Lindsay, a Carson-Newman College and Southwestern Theological Seminary graduate, holds a Doctor of Divinity from Union University and takes over his new role October 6.
Willkie urges using Bonneville and Grand Coulee dam power for regional industrial growth and domestic use at the lowest rates. He calls for public or private distribution options, aims to fund expansion, and stresses fair pricing for existing systems while serving rural and urban consumers.
Nashville newspaperman Ralph Perry was named publicity director for the state Democratic campaign in Nashville. He succeeds Hilton Butler who resigned the post Saturday.
King George VI in a broadcast to the empire warned that invasion forces were massed across the Channel. Londoners sought shelter as the city endured intense air raids with fires visible from the French coast. German bombers, including a gigantic four Engined monster, struck Piccadilly and docks along the Thames while British fighters, anti-aircraft guns, and night raids escalated the battle overhead.
Kingsport merchants mobilize for Kingsport Days a multi day event with plans crafted months ahead to lure hundreds of out of town shoppers. Awards totaling 1000 dollars will be presented Saturday at 8 30 p m in front of Huddle Electric Company on Broad Street. Large turnout expected and the public may not need to attend to receive prizes.
Boston braces for the 22nd annual American Legion convention from today through Thursday. More than 1,500 delegates will review some 800 resolutions while a Calvalcade of Stars featuring Sophie Tucker Bill Bojangles Robinson and Tommy Dorsey promises relief and spectacle. Hotels kitchens and housing are booked and transport gear up to move over 2 million spectators for the parade and festivities along a 214 mile route with spectator seating and window sales noted.
George W. Short 76 died after an altercation at his Wild Cat Valley home near Big Stone Gap. Clyde Parsons 25, an ex convict, is jailed in Wise charged with manslaughter. A flatiron weapon caused fatal injuries after Short objected to beating of his daughter. Parsons previously served time for breaking into Sunset Inn. Short’s wife aided him until help arrived.
An ape escaped its cage at Butler county fair grounds and cried when keeper Framimen struck it on the chin. Police Chief John C. Calhoun described the animal covering its eyes and sobbing, then returning to its mate and cuddling on her shoulder.
The Filipino cook Cecil Vallanueva of Count and Countess Marc De Tristan celebrated the rescue of the family heir from a kidnapper with a private liquid revelry. He spent the night in jail after a lawn knife display, alarming police who will sober him up in jail.
Hillsborough residents welcomed Count Marc De Tristan and his mother as FBI questioned Muhlenbroich about a possible link to the Charles Mattson Tacoma abduction. Authorities noted the suspect, a German alien, confessed to kidnapping the 3-year-old, who was returned unharmed after a dramatic car chase and escape.
Bulletin items report British attacks on Ockar in French West Africa at 2 15 pm and 76 a m GC 5 T. The French cabinet pledges to reply with force. Washington considers new American economic measures as Japanese forces enter French Indochina. Nine French and Belgian ports facing invasion preparations were pounded in a sharp air offensive by British bombers.
London residents fled to air raid shelters as German raiders were reported approaching the capital in the third raid since dawn. The throngs moved through docks and streets while authorities urged calm and vigilance amid the nighttime alert.
The House Appropriations Committee approved a supplementary funding package for Washington seven A. It includes 98 million dollars for training defense workers and 80 million dollars for construction of new military and civil airports. The action advances to full chamber consideration.
Indications were that Eugene and Wayland McCracken will receive life imprisonment under Tennessee’s habitual criminal statute if convicted of larceny and housebreaking. The brothers, already sentenced to life and 16 years for murder, could be ineligible for parole if convicted on the current charges. The circuit court convened with over 40 cases, including an incest indictment and a forged check verdict against B. G. Shaw.
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