The Daily News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 102, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 30, 1931 Page: 1 of 4

                                
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Consolidated with Daily
Gazette July 28, 1924.
Sulphur Springs, Texas,
“Where the Fruit Belt
Begins.”
VOL. 33—NO. 102.
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TEXAS, THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1931.
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
ft
6LADEWATER WELL
IS STILL BURNING
(By Associated Press)
Gladewater, Texas, April 30.—•'
The clearing of debris from the
burning Sinclair No. 1 Cole oil well,
four miles away, where eight men
lost their lives as the result of an
explosion and fire Tuesday, passed
today.
W. T. Cole, on whose* land the well
is located, expressed the belief that
a week’s time will be necessary for
preparation to extinguish the blaze.
Fire fighters and explosive experts
were surveying the situation in plan-
ning the campaign.
Gladewater, April 29.—John L.
Keys, oil crew worker of Oklahoma
City, died tonight in a hospital at
Longview, his death making the
eighth fatality from the fire at the
Sinclair No. 1 Cole here. A blood
transfusion had been given Keys
late today. Nine Sinclair employes,
offered their blood. Doctors said that j wore, and those poor fellows
Frank Feiouek-, also in the Longview
hospital, was expected to die before
morning.
Gladewater, Texas, April 29.—M.
M. and Harry Kinely of Tulsa, ex-
perts in shooting oil field fires with
nitroglycerin, will come back here to-
morrow with more ammunition in an
effort to extinguish the Sinclair No.
3. Cole, blazing with ever-increasing
vigor after burning seven men to
death and searing two others until
doctors think they will die.
It was revealed tonight that the
Tulsa men flew over the flaming
crude oil burner today after prepar-
ing to use 100 quarts of nitrogly-
cerin and sawdust composition, but
decided the dose insufficient to snuff
out the inferno. Consequently they
will be back tomorrow.
In the meantime, water lines were
to he laid from Prairie Creek, at the
foot of the veritable volcano. Work-
ers found the heat too great to at-
tempt the extinction without rein-
forcements.
A torrential rain fell about the
leaping fire but had no effect in
checking the flames. It seemed very
doubtful that the circuitous road,
taking ten miles to negotiate the
four-mile air line distance from this
little town, would permit trucks to
cart the necessary supplies to the
scene of operations. If so, the shoot-
ing will take place tomorrow after-
noon.
Harry F. Sinclair did not come to
the field today and it couldn’t be
learned if he would be on the ground
to supervise operations.
Meanwhile the rain made roads
through the East Texas red sand so
sticky heavy trucks could hardly get
iabout and while this new cause for
delay intervened, the flames increas-
ed. Oil men estimated that fully 1,-
500 barrels of oil hourly were being
lapped up.
Bodies in Longview morgues
awaiting burial were those of Geo.
Albright, Carnegie City, Pa.; Roy
Blankenship, Tulsa, Okla.; Bill Cas-
lin, Sr., and Bill Caslin, Jr., of Win-
ona, Okla, and Virgil Woltz of Hun-
ter, Okla. Bodies of Bob Murdock
of Orlanda, Okla., and Bill Harroun
of Canadian, Okla., had not been re-
covered from the fire. Two men,
John Keys of Oklahoma City and
Frank Feiouek of Woodfield, Ohio,
groaned with pain on hospital beds
in Longview from their burns. Depu-
ties were detailed by Sheriff Hayes
to patrol a wide area adjacent to the
burning well, refusing to allow sight-
seers nearer than several miles.
Cole, his hands bandaged from
burns received when he tried to res-
cue some of the workmen, said he
was one of the first to see the first
bit of fire. He said sparks flew when
the collar of the drill stem in the
Swell came in contact with one of the
clamps the men worked in their ef-
forts to harness the wild producer
[which had raged for 30 hours prior
to the explosion.
Cole related some of the horrors
he witnessed while a nurse, Mrs. Vir-
ginia Myrtle Jergensen, bandaged
his seared hands.
While Cole’s son, Martin, 18, dash-
ed on horseback to Gladewater to
Summon ambulances and doctors,
Mrs. Jergensen gave first aid to the
burned victims, applying cylinder
oil, cup grease and anything avail-
able which she thought would sothe
£he seared bodies of the victims.
There was no telephone in the Cole
home.
Cole said he was standing near the
well with Emmett Florence, of Mes-
quite, George Duckworth and his
two sons, Martin and Ralph Cole,
when the explosion occurred.
Martin Cole, just a few minutes
beforehand, had ridden his horse to
the well location with a bucket of
water to quench the thirst of the men
who had been putting in long hours
of hard work.
“I would give five thousand dol-
lars if I had not taken that water
down, there,” he said today. “Those
fellows came off the job one by one
and tilted the bucket to drink. Five
minutes later they were burned be-
yond recognition.”
“It was just like an Indian war
dance,” Cole Senior explained,
“their blazing clothes reminded me
of the feathers Comanche Indians
were
running wildly calling for help ev-
ery jump.
“I saw the spark the instant it ig-
nited the oil. In less than a second
those men were in a mass of fire.
Before they moved out of their
tracks they knew they were done for
—burned to death.”
Feiouek, from what was expected
to prove his death-bed, said the drop-
ping of elevators upon the steel ro-
tary table caused the spark which
started the fire.
“We were fitting a tapered swedge
lead on the end into the casing and
as the swedge settled, it caused the
gas pressure to drop momentarily,”
the suffering man said. “The eleva-
tors, which had been held up by the
pressure, suddenly dropped to the
steel rotary table right at my feet.
I ran and jumped from the east end
of the derrick and ran through the
woods tearing at my clothes. I drop-
ped to the ground and rolled over
and over in the dirt.”
The well roared alone tonight out
in the wet pines. The great pillar
of fire seemed to thrive under the
rain, as though its thirst for more oil
could not be appeased. Those who
watched the fire last night agreed it
had increased in intensity.
COMMUNISTS TO
BE WATCHED IN
OKLAHOMA STATE
(By Associated Press)
Oklahoma City, April 30.—In con-
nection with rumored May Day Com-
munist disturbances and distress
among miners’ families in the Henry-
etta coal district, Brigadier General
Charles E. McPherren of Oklahoma
National Guard, said that one thou-
sand men were available within twen-
ty-four hours in case of disturban-
ces tomorrow and that five thousand
men were available within forty-
eight hours.
The oil fields were receiving ma-
jor attention on account of recent
thefts of explosives.
REPUBLICANS MEET
IN GREENVILLE,
AGAINST ROAR BONDS
Greenville, Texas, April 30.—Mem-
bers of the Republican Party of the
10th Senatorial District, in session
at the Washington Hotel Wednesday
night, endorsed their state and na-
tional organization leaders, discussed
the plans for the p#rty in Texas, and
heard an interesting address by Hon.
E. C. Toothman, State Secretary, of
Dallas.
Congratulations were extended to
the Democratic Representatives, Hon.
B. F. Vaughan and Hon. F. A. Rogers
for their stand in opposing the road
bond issue. The city and county offi-
cials were also congratulated for their
enforcement of the prohibition laws
in Greenville and Hunt county.
The meeting was presided over by
H. F. Lancaster, chairman of this
district.
STATE OFFICIALS
ARE NOT ALARMED
OVER MAY DAY
(By Associated Press)
Austin, April 30.—State officials
today said they wore not alarmed at
the approach of May 1, Communist
demonstrati" : lay. However, they
were knovto have been advised
unofficially that there might be dem-
onstrations in Texas tomorrow.
The officials did not reveal the
nature of the information made
known to them of probable demon-
strations.
NITRO STOLEN
MISSOURI TOWN
NAS ITS SECOND
FIRE IN MONTH
(By Associated Press)
Eldon, Mo., April 30.—The second
disastrous fire within a month today
virtually completed destruction of
the business district of Bagnell, a
small town at the foot of the huge
new Union Pacific power dam across
the Osage River.
None were injured.
The loss was placed at $500,000.
Cause of the fire had not been
determined.
HOPKINS COUNTY
SCHOLASTICS SHOW
GAIN FOR THIS YEAR
Miss Mildred McCorkle, assistant
county superintendent, has compiled
the list of census reports of the
schools in Hopkins County for 1931,
and finds a gain over the past year.
This report will be re-checked and
may vary slightly, but will show lit-
tle change.
The total number of scholastics in
the county is 9,077, against 8,911
the past year, or a total gain of 166.
FOUR RANDITS
MAKE A BIG HAUL
IN NEW ORLEANS
(By Associated Prets)
New Orleans, La., April 30.—Four
bandits, three of them masked, rush-
ed into the Ewing Market branch of
the Canal Bank and Trust Company
shortly before noon today and held
a dozen employes and three custom-
ers at bay with pistols and escaped
in an automobile with from $3,000
to $4,000.
Okmulgee, Okla., April 29.—Theft
of 320 quarts of nitroglycerin from
the magazine of the independent
Eastern Torpedo Company, five miles
north of here, was reported Monday
night.
Carl Steffy, well shooter for the
company, reported to officers 70 lbs.
of dynamite and dynamite caps also
were taken.
He said entrance was gained by
sawing off the lock, probably Sun-
day night.
Theft of the explosive followed
closely a warning of mid-continent
oil operators to be on guard against
a communist plot to steal the explo-
sive for purposes of sabotage in the
oil fields, the warning was issued by
Frank Hamer, Texas Ranger captain
at Austin.
24 GALLONS OF
WHISKY IS SEIZED
Greenville, Texas, April 30.—A
white man and a negro were arrested
and 48 half-gallons of whiskey seiz-
ed here Wednesday by Sheriff Porter
and Deputies Warren and Thurman.
The two men were in a car bearing an
Oklahoma license number.
Indictments charging transportation
of intoxicating liquor were returned
against both men, and their cases set
down for trial Monday by Judge L.
L. Bowman.
It was the second large seizure of
liquor in two days by local officers.
BUSINESS LEADERS
WARN AGAINST
FEDERAL LAWS
(By Associated Press)
Atlantic City, April 30.—Business'
leaders here today, addressing the
United States Chamber of Commerce,
urged modification of the anti-trust
law, and watchful guard against Fed-
eral encroachment on private busi-
ness.
Fred M. Sargent, president of the
Chicago, Northwestern Railway, said
that American business could not
fully succeed if constantly subject
to fear of Government competition.
Phone 481 for your next job printing
GOVERNOR FEARS
REVOLUTION UNLESS
HUNGRY ARE FED
Oklahoma City, April 30.—Assert-
ing he feared “revolutionary vio-
lence” by destitute people of the
state, Governor Murray issued an
urgent appeal for donations today
for use in purchasing food for thou-
sands of starving persons in mining
and drought areas.
The statement was issued after a
committee from Okmulgee County
advised the chief executive that more
than 8,000 persons in the Henryetta
mining district were without foo
and rioting might result. Delegation
from Bryan, and Choctaw counties, i
Southern Oklahoma, told the Gove
nor immediate action must be take
to relieve conditions there.
In an effort to prevent action
Governor Murray will go to Henry
etta Sunday to address the dest
tute. The Okmulgee County citizen
urged that he talk with the miner|
to prevent any uprising.
“What they need is food, no
words,” the Governor said.
“There has been little abatemen
of distressed conditions in South
Southeast and Southwest Oklahoma
and the mining districts,” the appea
stated.
“My reports from investigatio
show that it is imperatively neees
sary that something shall be done,”;
the statement continued, “and tha
at once. Otherwise, these people wil
be obliged to violate the law in or
der that they may be fed. Others
with more pride may turn to revolu-
tionary violence. The situation, as I
view it, is worse just now than it has
been for six weeks just past.”
FORTY-ONE DIE
WHILE FLAMES SWEEP
MOVING TRAIN
Cairo, Egypt, April 29.—Forty-
one persons were killed and scores
were injured Wednesday when the
Cairo-Alexandria Express caught
fire from a hot box as the train sped
along near the little station of Ben-
ha.
The wreck is believed to have been
the greatest railroad catastrophe in
Egyptian history.
Officials of the Egyptian Railway
were continuing through the night to
search the right of way for bodies of
passengers who jumped from the
three blazing coaches.
Leap From Windows.
Early reports placed the number
of dead at three score, but it was ad-
mitted the casualties could only be
conjectured until daylight would
make possible an accurate survey.
The hot box developed beneath
one of the third-class coaches and it
was not noticed until the flames
burst upward, spreading quickly
along the train. A signalman at Ben-
ha, first to see the flames, flagged
the train down, but the general
alarm had spread before a stop could
be made and the frantic passengers
leaped from windows in a wild scram-
ble to escape.
BIG DEFICIT UNLESS
REVENUE BILLS PASS
MWWKMAWWWWWVWWWWMVVVWWMI/VAAWWWVVVWVWWWWWWWW
UNKNOWN FRIEND
LEAVES US FREE
GARDEN SAS
Henryetta, Okla., April 29.—Tern
porary relief from hunger appeared
likely for the families of hundreds of
unemployed coal miners in this vi
cinity upon receipt today of a prom
ise from the Red Cross to extend
emergency aid through May.
The Red Cress had withdrawn its
aid in line with its policy of gradual-
ly moving out of depression stricken
areas as the situation improves.
Only four or five of the coal mines
here are active now, and efforts to
prorate work among the miners has
relieved the situation only in part.
IN HUNT COUNTY COMMERCE ROTARY
CLUB FURNISHED
PROGRAM TODAY
While the Echo man was out of
the office this morning some good
friend loaded down our desk with a
lot of the finest garden sas in all the
town. He left no name. Thanks to
an unknown friend.
Free garden “sas” is our motto.
We have lots of free garden sas in
our own garden. However, our good
wife says she likes to eat away from
home sometimes, as it is different.
It is the* same about garden sas.
Since writing the above article, it
has developed that the “Unknown
Friend” was none other than our
good friend French Vaden, down on
“Busy Main.” The fine vegetables
were planted, grown and gathered by
his own good wife in her own gar-
den and the old boy was kind enough
to bring them down. We thank you,
Mrs. Vaden, for the vegetables and
we thank you, Brother French, for
bringing them.
Commerce Rotarians came over to-
day and put on the program at the
City Park where a Hopkins County
stew was served. Bob Smith was in
charge of the program, a vaudeville,
and proved to be high class in every
respect, winning the applause and
admiration of all local Rotarians.
Miss Mary, our reporter, is still
sick- The Rotarians and Lions and
others miss her as we do.
HUNDRED MOTORISTS
ARE MAROONED
NEAR SAN ANTONIO
(By Associated Press)
San Antonio, April 30.—One hun-
dred motorists were marooned near
Comfort as the result of a cloud-
burst yesterday and an all-night hea-
vy rainfall.
Guadelupe River is a mile wide at
Comfort. The river rose six feet,
with rain continuing.
Can’t the Reds play any tunes but
the blues?—Boston Transcript.
M
PUBLIC GIVEN LOOK
AT NUDISTS AS FIRE
BURNS WIND BREAK
Nice France, April 29.—The Cult
of Nudism and a large number of its
exponents came out into the open
Tuesday when a brush fire destroyed
the bush and branch windbreak in
front of a Nudist camp.
Nudists of both sexes were dis-
mayed as the flames leveled the
hedge behind which they had been
wont to gambol.
One hundred per cent practitioners
of the Nudist beliefs fought the
flames, refusing aid of firemen, and
after their efforts had proved unsuc-
cessful they proceeded at once
still sans garments—to the work of
building a new windbreak, paying no
heed to thousands of curious specta-
tors.
Austin, Texas, April 30.—Statis-
ticans of three State Departments,
meeting with Governor Sterling, con-
cluded today a financial statement in
which they estimated the deficit of
the State general revenue fund at
$7,508,515.04 at the close of the next
biennium unless new sources of rev-
enue were tapped.
This estimate was based on the
assumption that appropriations would
be an average of the Senate and the
House recommendatons. The Sen-
ate figures were higher than those
of the House.
The deficit at the close of the pres-
ent fiscal year, August 31, was esti-
mated at $4,548,170.61.
A reduction of $2,383,853.88 in
revenue during the next biennium
from the gross production tax on oil
was estimated as a result of the pres-
ent low price of oil.
The cigarette tax was estimated
to bring $4,045,811.51 into the gen-
eral revenue fund during the next
biennium and the natural gas tax
$751,169.02. Half of the cigarette
tax and one-fourth of the gas tax
will go to the available school fund.
Both of these tax measures were en-
acted by the present Legislature.
JOBLESS MINERS ASK
FOR MORE AIO
Henryetta, Okla., April 30 .•—Addi-
tional aid from the Red Cross for
the families of the approximately
500 coal miners in this immediate
vicinity through May was promised
today in a telegram from the Red
Cross headquarters at St. Louis.
The majority of the miners have
been jobless since February and be-
fore, and only four or five of the
dozens of mines in this region are
operating.
Relief authorities said that the sit-
uation was desperate.
Proration work at the operating
mines has been under way to a cer-
tain extent, but this has served as but
temporary relief for a small percent-
age of the workers.
WEATHER
East Texas—Cloudy, rains in the
south and east portions tonight. Fri-
day cloudy, showers in east portion.
West Texas—Partly cloudy tonight
and Friday.
STRIBLING SELECTS
HIS TRAINING CAMP
FOR WORLD TITLE
Atlanta, Ga., April 29.—Pa Strib-
ling, father-manager of W. L.
(Young) Stribling, announced on
Wednesday night his son, challenger
for the world’s heavyweight boxing
championship, would prepare for his
July 3 fight with Max Schmeling of
Germany at Geauga Lake Park, near
Cleveland.
Stribling is to begin a five-day
period training Thursday at Macon,
Ga., to test his condition.
The Stribling party will arrive at
Geauga Lake about May 20 and pub-
lic workouts will begin May 30.
The challenger, Pa said, will train
on an average of three days a week,
“never more than four.” During the
last two weeks his workouts will be
held at night.
The elder Stribling said his son,
when training for the Paul Berlen-
bach and Jack Sharkey bouts, work-
ed every day and as a result entered
the ring stale,
“We will make no such mistakes
this time,” he continued.
AUSTIN PT A TO
HOLD LAST MEETING
The Austin (South Ward) School
Parent-Teachers Association will have
their final meeting of the year Fri-
day afternoon at 3:45 o’clock at the
school building. All mothers of pre-
school children are especially invited
to be present to hear plans for the
summer round-up. Room mothers
are to be announced for the remain-
der of the school year. New officers
are to be installed. All members are
urged to be present.
—Reported.
Phone 481 for your next job printing
RENO GETS READY
TO GRANT DIVORCE
EVERY 10 MINUTES
Reno, Nev., April 29.—The ma-
chinery of Reno’s famous “divorce
mill” was being oiled Tuesday in
preparation for a big rush of busi-
ness when the next six weeks resi-
dence law becomes effective Friday.
The two judges of the district
court* Benjamin F. Curler and Tho-
mas F. Moran, have drawn plans by
which they said they expected a de-
cree could be granted every ten-min-
utes in non-contested cases. The
present calendar system will be dis-
posed of if the judges’ recommenda-
tions are approved by the local bar
association and cases will be set for
hearings and assigned to the courts
by the county clerk.
The next six weeks law is retro-
active. Persons who have resided
in the state for the specified time,
prior to Friday may file at once. The
county clerk estimated from 100 to
200 persons were eligible.
The present divorce record for one
day was reported to be 52 petitions
granted by Judge Moran and Judge
George A. Bartlett.
C. A. SHELBY
BURIED MONDAY IN
MOUNT VERNON
Mt. Vernon, Texas, April 29.—
Cedar A. Shelby, 69, died at his home
in Newsome Sunday and was buried
at Glade Springs Cemetery, near Mt.
Vernon. Services were conducted by
the Rev. Mr. Davis, his pastor, as-
sisted by the Rev. C. Lex Shelby of
Cherokee, Okla., »his son. He is sur-
vived by his wife and the following
children: Mrs. W. H. Julian of Lees-
burg, the Rev. Mr. Shelby, Charles
A. Shelby of San Angelo, Hall Shel- .
by of Dallas, Mrs. M. E. Irby of At-
lanta and Miss Lewellyn Shelby of
Dallas. He was a member of the
State Legislature from 1904 to 1908,
served as District and County Clerk
in Franklin County and taught school
in this section for more than twenty-
five years. At the time of his death
he was Justice of the Peace at New-
some.
BANK IN KANSAS
ROBBED BY PAIR
Attica, Kansas, April 30.—Two un-
masked men robbed the Attica State
Bank here about noon today of $1,-
668.62 and escaped in an automobile.
Both men were fairly well dressed
and appeared very nervous. After a
hurried search of the tellers cage and
the vault, they left through the front
door, entered a “red car” and drove
away. Officers believed they headed
toward Oklahoma.
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