24 Feb 1940
Page 1
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Newspaper
The Daily Mail
Location
Hagerstown, Maryland, United States of America
Date
Feb 24, 1940
Page
1
Prime Minister Chamberlain praised Finland's heroic struggle against a giant adversary and warned of German tyranny. He cited neutrality risks and referenced the Altmark incident, noting Britain may breach neutrality to save lives without harming neutral property.
British newspapers report four German submarines sunk with three by RAF bombs and one rammed by the Asiatic off the Shetland Islands, bringing total German losses to fifty. Air ministry did not confirm. Paris reports two subs destroyed in the North Sea by French military advisers.
Dr W T Longcope of Johns Hopkins medical school announced a discovery of Type X pneumonia with missing ordinary symptoms. The disease shows a dry hacking cough high fever and severe headaches without chills blood sputum or chest pains. Over twenty cases were studied at Hopkins affecting patients aged 17 to 70.
Rain and snow or rain expected across eastern and central Maryland with snow flurries in the western mountains. Warmer tonight in the east, much colder Sunday. Chesapeake Bay rain ends early Sunday, followed by cloudiness and warmer tonight, then much colder Sunday with freezing by night and strong west to northwest winds.
The weekly forecast shows temperatures mostly below normal in the North and Middle Atlantic with warmer trends late in the week. Snow is expected in the North Atlantic region and snow or rain in the middle Atlantic around Tuesday or Wednesday and again toward week’s end.
Rumors have circulated that a substantial new industry is to locate in Hagerstown and that negotiations have succeeded. The Industries Committee of the Chamber of Commerce plans a citizens meeting for Monday evening March 4 at Franklin Court to hear details from an authoritative source about how and why Hagerstown was chosen and the negotiations leading to this climax.
In Baltimore a physician's wife, near childbirth, lies at Franklin Square Hospital with a broken neck after a fall. Dr. D. T. Battaglia reports the condition dangerous but she rests comfortably. Traction is used to immobilize the head and a special collar is planned. The birth is expected within two weeks and an operation is considered too risky for mother and child.
Investigators probe attempted robberies at Hill side Coal and Sinclair Refining on South Foundry Street. Thieves reportedly took a hammer from the coal office to smash a lock at Sinclair. Nothing of value was reported missing at either site.
In Toledo date February 24 a jury ruled Frank J. Stump died five minutes before his wife Mary Merzberg will receive $3000 in insurance. Stump shot his wife and then killed himself in Fort Lauderdale Florida on February 19 1929. If Stump had died first the funds would have gone to his wife’s estate as beneficiary.
Ralph Fletcher a 27 year old from near Winchester Virginia was found guilty in circuit court of breaking and entering the home of Clarence Reeder near Benevola on December 7. Testifying via interpreter he said he came from Frederick to Benevola to see his girlfriend and entered the yellow house after hearing no response then fled about a quarter mile.
London reports the British naval trawler Benvolio sunk by a mine with 10 lives lost. Press notices claim four German submarines were sunk by British aircraft and a merchant ship. The air ministry says a night raid reached Greater Germany toward Prague while German planes probed France near Paris. The 3852-ton Renvolio marks the navy's 40th wartime loss.
London reports that as a wartime economy measure Great Britain and France will advance to daylight saving time at 2 a m tomorrow, two months earlier than normal. Belgium and Portugal will also move clocks one hour. Summer time began May 16 of last year and was extended to November 18. The change aims to save electricity and boost trade hindered by nightly blackouts.
Washington observers expect the Illinois presidential primary to end with no contest between Franklin D Roosevelt and James G. Garner on April 9. Only their names appear on the ballot, offering a strength test for party delegates and possible signals on national nomination strategy. The Feb 24 deadline looms as Wisconsin also lists both leaders and may shape Roosevelt's options, with Garner yet to decide on continued candidacy.
Hollywood February 24 two western film cowboys staged a deadly real life drama near a studio. John Tyke 45 a bit player was killed Jerome B Ward known as Black Jack Ward a fellow cowboy was jailed on murder suspicion. Ward claimed he had warned the slain man for years and had just been released from jail.
Seminole County voters in Donalsonville, Georgia, hold a regular county primary with a binding local vote and a presidential preference portion featuring Roosevelt, Garner, McNutt, Wheeler, Hull, and Farley on the ballot. At 1,500 voters, the poll mirrors a national mood with potential write ins.
In Cleveland on February 24 Mrs. Paul Andyrasek, 27, suffered a heart attack and her husband called the fire department. As rescue squads arrived, Mrs. Christine Palady, 60, also had a heart attack and died.
Pittsburg dispatch reports a 16 hour search in Millvale for a roaming lion that turned out to be a playful Great Dane weighing about 200 pounds. Police and volunteers tracked the animal to a level field where it frolicked with a police hound. Robert Taylor’s hound alerted to the scent and led to the reveal. Albert Marzoli explains his dog was never tied at night, but dragged a ladder the next day.
President Roosevelt travels toward the Panama Canal aboard the cruiser Tuscaloosa after bidding farewell to Cocos Island. The voyage follows three days of activity at sea with busy fishing sessions noted en route.
British authorities announced that enemy mail was removed from the Italian liner Rex. The ship stopped at Gibraltar briefly yesterday with Undersecretary Sumner Wells and Myron C. Taylor aboard as Naples-bound passengers.
Covington Georgia February 24 a dairyman C A Lockwell reported a thief entered his pasture and stole the wool off the back of a sheep grazing with cows. The incident was observed by the dairyman and noted as a curious animal theft.
LUBBOCK Texas February 24 A 29 year old produce company employee admitted he kept two wives in one home. G E Brown facing bigamy charges told District Attorney Burton S Burks he wed first in 1929 and again in 1937 He said he had three children with his first wife and one with the second A sister of the first wife spurred the inquiry Brown is jailed in default of $1000 bond awaiting grand jury action.
A Duplex Vault Ventilator was installed by the Magers town Trust Company. The device, a hollow steel cylinder, penetrates the vault wall and provides immediate air flow and food passage when switched on. Bank officials note it prevents loss of consciousness in a vault and could deter hold ups. York Safe and Lock Company installed it after five hours to breach brick wall and four hours for steel vault sides. Other banks in the area consider adopting the device.
The January freeze strained the water department budget as outside help thawed nearly 200 pipes and several mains. Costs exceeded 1000 dollars. Since 1881 no such widespread water outages have occurred, with Mt Etna road households without water for almost two weeks. A steam engine was used to thaw the line.
Leon Yourtee Jr Brownsville sails for Panama to join the U S Army Fragineers. He has served as a general foreman on WPA road work in the county.
Danish, Norwegian and Swedish foreign ministers held talks in Copenhagen to halt ship sinkings and attacks in the Baltic area. They discussed the Altmark affair and the bombing of Pajala amid tensions from the Finnish Soviet war as Norwegian ships were sunk and a third vessel came under threat in the North Sea.
A disposal plant attendant retrieved a set of upper false teeth from the municipal sewer system. The teeth are currently held by the city engineer at City Hall and may be claimed by the owner.
Dr Karl Duncker, 37, a Swarthmore College psychology instructor who fled Nazi Germany, was found dead in his car in Fullerton Maryland from a self inflicted gunshot. A note in German and English expressed despair and no will to recover. His mother and Prof Wesley Kochel identified the body and noted a leave of absence for illness.
In Santa Monica California ten year old Benny Knypstra Jr of May Vista finished a violin lesson and relaxed in a chair when an eight inch knife used to sharpen a pencil and forgotten pierced his back. He died at a hospital.
Helsinki February 24 The Finnish high command said Russians hold Koivisto coast and used it to launch new drives toward Viipuri and islands in Vitepur Bay with heavy enemy losses reported. Field Marshal Man nerheim welcomed Swedish and Norwegian volunteers, signaling many are on the firing line as he thanked those who left home to share wartime dangers.
In Harrisburg Pennsylvania a 55 year old farmer William H Yeager tied to be executed for killing a trapper in 1937 killed himself with a .32 caliber revolver in his cell two hours before transfer to Rockview penitentiary. Sheriff Asa Steiger and state police opened an investigation into the weapon source. If reprieve not granted Frank Lee Wilson, Pennsylvania’s new executioner, will oversee executions of two other inmates tomorrow night for murders of a Philadelphia police officer and a National Guard officer.
Berlin reports a strict clamp on news of United States Undersecretary of State Summer Welles visit to Germany. German sources say the program is arranged but details and times of arrival departure and interviews will not be released. Welles is to reach Naples Sunday and Berlin early in the week to meet Hitler.
Senator Taft of Ohio proposed a federal farm program in Springfield on February 24, retaining key features of the current system while pushing for a gradual end to production curbs. He urged moving away from price fixing and government loan guarantees toward reduced government intervention.
A London dispatch reports a British release stating that no armed force removed United States mail from a Pan American flying boat at Bermuda on January 18. The denial emphasizes no armed action occurred and frames the incident as unfounded. The statement names Bermuda and the Pan American flight involved, underscoring official clarification amid reports.
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