29 Jan 1932
Page 1
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Newspaper
The Mobile News Item
Location
Mobile, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Jan 29, 1932
Page
1
Crowds packed the circuit court as jurors were chosen for a murder trial and evidence collection started. Tangled courtroom scenes included a fainting woman and a disruption over order, while officers reported burglaries in Fairhope and eastern shore towns.
Fire swept the Chinese quarter of Chapel in Shanghai as Japanese marines moved in at midnight. Cannons, airplanes, and machine guns unleashed carnage across streets, with the railroad station and other targets set ablaze and reports of hundreds killed amid an ongoing battle.
Walter Hamlet, 19, and Raymond Howard, 21, both described as Negro, are linked to a fatal wounding. Hamlet died 90 minutes after being shot. Howard fled the scene, and investigators report the case as the killing.
Harlingen Texas January 29 J E McDonald state commissioner of agriculture said his department decided to lift the quarantine against the importation of citrus fruit from Florida and three other southern states. The action will be taken in two weeks McDonald said.
Local weather updates show thundershowers in the south and southeast, with colder air driving down temperatures. Friday night lows near 48 degrees, north portions may dip near freezing. Saturday brings cloud cover, scattered showers, and generally colder conditions across Alabama and Mississippi.
Weather Bureau report from Mobile Alabama shows temperature around 189 degrees noted for the day and references record highs and tides. The bulletin cites moon data and barometer readings with humidity near 88 percent at noon.
A scrambled report details rainfall and river forecasts affecting upstream areas and local communities. The bulletin notes heavy rainfall continues with river levels rising and flood alerts in effect for several hours, urging residents to monitor conditions.
OCR noise lists a January date and a central location with unclear times. readable items reference a meeting or event at a central facility but specifics are missing.
Jurors chosen for the Oakdale Ice Fuel Company case include Roy J. Bayford of 7158 Warren Street and fellow panelists. The jury selection proceeds as part of the scheduled trial against the Oakdale firm with Lewis as a key witness and Dr. William Oft noted in the proceedings.
City officials and realtors met to discuss the municipal financial status and retrenchment program in effect. Mayor Bates and Commissioners Hart indicated the talk focused on general conditions with no definite plan for relief cooperation at this time.
Sheriff William H Holcombe attended the Alabama Sheriffs Association annual meeting in Montgomery. He reported success in his plea for commutation of a Choctaw county death sentence and presided over the meeting which focused on cooperation.
Detectives Joseph Connick and John H. Farmer raided a dwelling at 158 Madison Street Friday seizing 119 bottles of beer and a 10 gallon keg of mash. Tom Reed was arrested on a prohibition violation charge. Police officer J A Hubbard filed the report at headquarters.
In choppy Mobile Bay waters off Bon Secour river natives searched for two drowned men after a small motorboat capsized on Thursday. Owen Williams 28 of Greenville Alabama and Frank ?. of Bon Secour Baldwin county were missing as rescuers and a survivor, who swam to shore, battled the icy two hours to aid the pair. No trace found.
In New Orleans on January 29, Randi Pe the scrubwoman begins a journey toward the mouth of the Mississippi. She arrived aboard a palatial ship and plans to live alone on her boat, avoiding contact with others as she travels downriver in a small flatbottom craft.
During the second day of the session Judge Kae ee insisted the main aisle be cleared as bailiffs moved a congested crowd. He warned to summon those who refused and announced spectators would be barred from the enclosure, reserving space for court officials and press.
Cooper was taken to City hospital after a wreck at a Tose Peel intersection where two machines reportedly collided with force, nearly demolishing the Hing station. Officers led by Sheriff Holcombe investigated Friday afternoon. Willie Artis, 61, black, was arrested by Deputy Forward on a charge of driving while drunk.
Police report a break in at Jacobs Grocery on Washington Avenue and St Michael Street. Two suspicious youths fled after officers found a broken window and a bucket of goods in a doorway. Louis Henderson reported his room entered and a suit of clothes stolen.
Special Judge G D Morton directed a verdict against Basil Ramsey, president of Holston Union National Bank and Holston Trust Company, on a charge of fraudulent breach of trust. The judge held that $250,000 of highway funds were to be treated as a general fund, not a trust fund, nullifying prosecution.
Willie Craig, an African American man, charged with killing Frank Pettaway with an axe, was arraigned in recorder's court on Friday and reset for February 2. Pettaway died Thursday at City Hospital.
A Rengo News Agency report from Harbin, Manchuria states a Chinese faction in northern Manchuria has asked the manager of the Chinese Eastern Railroad to request Soviet troops to intervene in the area between Harbin and Kirin.
AP reports from Mukden indicate General Jiro Tamon ordered to move a division toward Harbin amid a Russian blocked railway dispute on the Chinese Eastern Railway. The Harbin battle between Chinese factions rages three days as a railway bridge at Sungari is said to be destroyed delaying movements, with conflicting attributions of blame to Ting Chao’s forces.
The New York stock market opened heavy with moderate selling across major issues. Bethlehem Steel and several large rails dipped, with United States Steel, American Can, Westinghouse, Coca Cola and Allied Chemical among losers. call money rose to two and a half percent as early declines persisted in prominent stocks.
New Orleans futures opened steady on January 29 with March at 6.65 and May, July, October and December futures quoted at 6.65 6.96 7.15 and 7.31 respectively, with bids noted for October and December.
New York futures report shows December cotton at 7.35 and soybeans firm on the board. Market activity focuses on price discovery and nearby movement as traders assess demand and weather signals.
The Mobile Real Estate Association postponed its regular weekly luncheon Friday out of respect for the late Joseph L. Hermann who died Thursday. Hermann was a member of the Omvastor firm of Ped Mann and had played a prominent role in local real estate activities for 40 years.
Eye witnesses report horrible scenes at Shanghai dressing stations crowded with civilians. Among the dead brought in were babies and children killed by gunfire as Chinese doctors labored under extreme pressure to treat wounded soldiers and civilians.
Tokyo reports the first night of fighting at Shanghai left two officers and seven bluejackets killed, 28 seriously wounded and 19 slightly wounded. Official account provides the tally for all ranks.
Broken lines cut communications to the capital while emergency hospitals filled. Wounded rushed to dressing stations as the crisis unfolded, with responders working to stabilize patients after the incident.
An associate editor’s Shanghai dispatch reports Japanese forces deplaning and invading Shanghai after a nighttime signal. The writer describes a rapid, orderly occupation as bluejackets assume policing duties in the Japanese sector, signaling a sudden, chilling shift from quiet to siege. The account notes imminent invasion and ongoing military movements in the city.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta reports an uptick in December retail sales for the sixth district but the year 1931 did not reach 1930 levels. Department store sales rose 67.9 percent from November yet fell 16.5 percent from December 1930. Wholesale trade and building activity declined, while bank debits and reserve bank credit remained lower than 1930.
Washington reports the U S H Houston flagship under Admiral in chief command, while Shanghai notes the S S Borie arrived from Manila with seven gunboats and two destroyers in the vicinity. The American community welcomes reinforcements amid a clearly serious situation.
Washington dispatch reports Admiral Taylor, commander in chief, shipping three personnel to Shanghai amid ongoing tensions. Full details continue on page six.
Hope for any of the 61 men and officers aboard the British submarine M 2 dwindled as an admiralty statement indicated the chances of rescue were near zero. Divers had scoured the sea floor off Portland, England, but found only an old wreck and two submarine flags in a canvas case, while families waited at the dockyard in sorrow.
Reports describe ongoing fighting in Shanghai at midnight and a fire in Chapel area. Claims of an armistice proved false while Great Britain pressed Japan over the occupation of Shanghai's international settlement. An American destroyer reached Shanghai amid the unrest.
A fragment hints at influence shaping actions in the Pacific region. It suggests that Chinese forces may attack a settlement if Japanese pressure continues, signaling rising tension in contested territory. The readable text focuses on strategic consequences rather than specific actors.
Secretary Stimson announced after a cabinet meeting that the American government and allies have assured Shanghai settlement rights will be respected. He said Washington consulted Britain and other powers and that no international action proposals are presently planned. Cabinet dissension appeared as leaders differed on how to proceed.
The Illinois estate of the late William Wrigley Jr. valued at 20,215,000 was left largely to his family. His only son Phillip K. Kaley received the Chicago Cubs stock and the club, while the vast western interests including San Catalina Island were not mentioned. Principal beneficiaries were his daughter and son.
Treasury receipts for January totaled 4 397 727 36 dollars with expenditures at 165 671 43 and a remaining balance. Customs duties over 27 days amounted to 24 299 690 22 dollars.
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