Portage Daily Register from Portage, Wisconsin • 1

I. I. I. I. I.

I. I. I. I. I.

I. I. I. I. I.

I. I. PORTAGE, WISCONSIN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1932. 15c a Week, Delivered DOMINIC PORTAGE PORTAGE DAILY REGISTER-DEMOCRAT Snow WEATHER tonight FOR much colder ESTABLISHED 1886. DOMINIC GOES ON STAND IN OWN DEFENSE Crowded Courtroom Hears -Accused Tell His Story in Broken English BULLETIN The Dominic preliminary hearing was this afternoon continged until January 11, to give the prosecution time to check the handwriting of Dominic on the register of the St.

George hotel at Sacramento, Calif. Victor Dominic today took the stand in his own behalf in the preliminary hearing through which he hopes to gain his freedom from charges of complicity in the murder of Robert A. Wilson. Speaking broken English, he recited the details of his alleged trip to Sacramento, after he had received a telegram from his brother. Tom Dominic, which had asked for help because he was "in trouble." The court room was not yet filled when Dominic took the stand.

Only a few affidavits of the many which had been presented by the defense remained to be read when court adjourned at 5 o'clock Thursday afternoon. As in the past few days, the court room filled up completely before Dominic had gone very far in his story, and the doorways were jammed with spectators to see and hear the defendant. Born in. Italy Before telling the story of the Sacramento trip, Dominic said that he had been born in Italy, that he had lived in Racine since 1108, and that he was married and had two children- a boy 14 and a girl 15. Mrs.

Dominic was expected to take the stand later in the day to counteract the evidence which has been offered by the state, through Dist. Atty. Ross- Bennett- and Special Counsel H. B. Rogers.

The state scored heavily on Thursday for the second consescutive day when it succeeded in having the confession of Frank Tylius, who later committed suicide at the Wisconsin Dells jail, admitted in court. Use Conspiracy Count It was not until Lieut. Frank Schneeberger of the Kenosha police department took the stand on Thursday, and the state began to question him about the confession, that the defense attorneys understood why, on the day before, Dist. Atty. Bennett had wanted another count added to the complaint on which Dominic is being held.

Then they realized that the count charged -him with cy to extort money, and the confession would be admissable if the conspiracy had not been completed before the confession was made. After an argument which took more than two hours, Judge E. W. Crosby, who 1 is hearing the trial, finally admitted the confession. In it Tylius tells that Dominic, well as the three Kenosha Italians later released, was involved, in the murder plot against Wilson.

The confession Itself was not read in court, but it was made a part of the court record. Ever since the suicide of Tyllus, attorneys for the state have been planning some legal method of having the confession introduced in court. The ruling of the judge indicated that they had found the method. Another. Identification Another point on which the state scored on Thursday was in producIng another positive identification of Dominic as the man who WAS with Tylius and Wilson.

at Lodi on the day of the murder. Mrs. Lena, Gastrow, mother of Harold Gastrow who the day before had positively identified Dominic, said from -the stand that Dominic had been with Tyllus at her home, north of the place where the Wilson body was later found, at 5:30 on the afternoon of the murder, and that the two men had asked for a drink of water. Her son had told the same story, and the defense counsel, who undertook the -examination of both herself and her son failed to shake the story in any way, although they Intimated that the son's mind had been made up when he- thought he could get an airplane trip to California by telling Triple Tragedy Discovery of a new will of the late Clement Studetaker, Chicago utility magnate, was followed by two murders and a suicide. Peter Peterson (center), for feur to Mr.

Studebaker, given $5,000 in the first will and nothing in the thirty years chaufsecond, shot and killed his wife, Anna (right), and his daughter, Pauline (left), and then killed himself in their home in Chicago, Pauline, the daughter, was a prominent and brilliant a senior at Northwestern. University. International Illustrated News photo the story. Read Many Affidavits After the state had rested its case shortly before noon on Thurs day, the defense began to offer the many affidavits through which it proves that Dominic could not have been in Lodi to participate in the murder, because he was in California on the same day, The first affidavits, more than a dozen of them, told of Dominic's receiving a telegram from his brother. They told how he had bought a suit to make the trip -a suit which Dominic now wears in court, and how a group of friends had seen him off on the train.

Testimony offered by Otto N. Olsen, Evanston. auditor of passenger and station accounts for the Northwestern railroad, showed that Dominic had purchased a ticket at Racine on Aug. 16, eight days before the murder, and had returned from California on Oct. 28.

The ticket cost $90.30, he testified, and was used all the way through to California. The state succeeded- in discounting some of the value of his testimony when they got him to admit that the ticket did not show who had used it, but only that Dominic had bought it and someone had used it. They also brought out that Dominic could have gone all the way to California and returned in plenty of time to be in Kenosha on the day that Charles Welter, Kenosba contractor. saw him talking to Tylius and Wilson in front of a Kenosha bank, at which time, Welter testified. Wilson told him about the proposed trip to Lodi with Tylius and Dominic.

Californians Aid Alibi Twenty-five affidavits of California residents were offered during the afternoon session on Thursday, most of them to the effect that Dominic was seen in Sacramento on the day of the murder. A hotel register from the St. George hotel, San Francisco, was introduced to show that Dominic, a brother of his, and another Italian, had registered there on the evenTing of Aug. 25. The attendance of Italian friends of Dominic at the trial continued through Thursday and Friday morning.

On one occasion Thursday afternoon Judge Crosby had to warn the daughter of Dominic and an Italian girl friend of hers that whispering was out of place 1 in a court room. Dominic, his write, and his friends have maintained an optimistic outlook throughout the trial indicating that they seem to be sure that he will not be bound over to circuit court to face the murder charge against him. County Supervising Teacher Will Soon Become a Bride Ruby M. Healy, who has been supervising teacher in the office of the county superintendent of schools for several years, will be married soon to Louis Marquardt of the town of Springvale, it was revealed Thursday when the couple applied for marriage license at the court house. Another marriage license application was made Thursday by Norris Anderson to Josephine Zjellner, both of the town of Newport.

SEEK TWO MEN AS OAK PARK GIRL'S SLAYER Victim Had Confided to a Physician an Attack by the Pair Chicago, Dec. Fwo Oak Park men were sought yesterday in the investigation of the slaying of Miss, Gertrude, Modrow, 19 years old, who was a maid in an Oak Park, home. Her body was found on Christmas morning near the village of Addison, two miles the Cook county line in Du Page county. Deputy Sheriff Arthur Bennett and Allen Meyers of- the Du Page county state's attorney's staff, said that the men under suspicion had attacked the young. wo: man on Nov.

25 in an- Oak Park apartment and feared that she was going to prosecute them. The investigators yesterday released the three men they had der questioning Wednesday night, two of whom were brothers, Joseph Klasen of Chicago, and Raymond Klasen of- Maywood. The tion received yesterday regarding the attack changed the theory held regarding the murder and the Klasen brothers were in no way involved, their questioning having been due to a mistake, Meyers said. Girl's Story Told to Doctor The men sought were not named and the officials would not Bay whether their identity was known. The girl had consulted Dr.

Edmund Brust, village president of Melrose Park and confided to him the story of the attack. She had accepted a ride in an automobile with the two men, she said. and they took her to a roadhouse. The girl said the attack. oecurred the day after Thanksgiving, and it was four days later that she called upon Dr, Brust.

One of the men was 21 years old, the other 35, she said. If she named the roadhouse to which she was taken the officials have concealed it. The report was that she didn't know the exact location of the apartment to which she was I taken while under the influence of I the liquor, but she believed it was in Oak Park. The investigators said she told Dr. Brust the two men told her they would shoot her if she ever reported- the attack to the police.

Consults Doctor Again The girl called upon Dr. Brust again on Dee. 23 at which time her mind was set at rest regarding possible: consequences of. the attack. She expressed her relief to the doctor and told him of her fear of being put in an institution if it were known what had happened.

She had been a ward of the court due to her father's inability to support her after her mother's death, and later her sister, now Mrs. Otto Dannenberg, supported her until she was graduated at the Proviso high school and obtained work as housemaid. On Christmas eve the girld told her employer she was going to buy pair of shoes, Her body was found the next morning on the road near Addison. There were four bullet holes in the body, State's Attorney Chauncey Reed of Du Page county, who had been attending a convention of the state's attorneys of Illinois, returned to. Wheaton last night to take active charge of the search for the killers.

Friends Join in Giving Surprise at Moran Home On Thursday evening, Dec. 29, a number of friends of Frank Moran gave him a very pleasant surprise by walking in on him at 7:30 p.m. The evening was enjoyed by all at cards. Prizes at cards were won by Mrs. M.

J. Moran, first ladies prize, and Chris Johnson, first gents prize. Consolations were won by Mrs. M. D.

Dunn and C. J. Cook. Irvie Hogan won the prize for the best speech A delicious lunch was served during the evening by the host. Those present were Mr.

and Mrs. M. J. Moran, Mr. and Mrs.

Chris. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. M. D.

Dunn, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Cook and Ir.

vie Hogan. BUY IT IN PORTAGE COUNTY ROAD FORCE HONORS OLD EMPLOYER Employes Present Watch to Retiring Commissioner Jay T. Henton J. Henton, Columbia County Highway Commissioner for the past, seventeen years, was, pleusantly surprised last Saturday noon when upon being called to the county shops at Wyocena, he found some twenty, employee sembled to express their apprecia tion of his years of service by the presentation of a gold watch and chain. The gift was a token of the high regard in which Mr.

Henton is held by Columbia County Highway Employes Association, and Mr. C. M. Simmons, chairman of the Welfare committee of that organization made the presentation. In the gift, Mr.

Simmons expressed the sentiment that through their years of association the county highway employes had learned to regard Mr. Henton more as a friend and adviser, rather than as boss or official. In accepting this token of es. teem from the employes, the recipient expressed his deep appreciaton of the tine co-operation shown by the men during the seventeen years he had served as commiisstoner. He feit that the present splendid system of roads.

In Cotumbia county had been made possible by this co-operation. During the many years of Mr. Henton'8 supervision of road building in this approximately 1,000 miles of road have been constructed. At the time the present commissioner took up his duties, but 30 miles of improved road existed in Columbia county, where today over 1,000 miles are to be found. While expressing regret at the withdrawal of Mr.

Henton from active duties, members of- Columbia County Highway Employes Association were unanimous in their declaration that equal cooperation would be accorded the new commissioner, George Batty of Dekorra township, who takes. up -the work. January 1st. Trinitatis to End Food Products Campaign Sales The Trinitatis church will close its Hoffmann's Products Campaign with a sale sponsored by F. R.

Schmidt Sons, grocery department on Saturday, December 31. Those in charge ask that all coupons be handed in not later than January 2, The church wishes to thank each and everyone who in any way alded them in their campaign. Honeymoon Bride Is Defendant in Alienation Suit Detroit, Dec. 30 Seeking 000,000 for loss of the love of her divorced husband. Dr.

Kerwin: W. Kinard, wealthy Kansas City physician, Mra. Ada Lee Porter Kinard filed a declaration in her suit in circult court Wednesday charging the doctor had been led to the divorce courts by "flattery and blandishment" and promises of "a life of which present wife. The declaration. in the suit, in the former Mrs.

Gail Stephens, heiress to a Michigan lumber fortune, is defendant, was filed coincident with the disclosure that the couple had left for a honeymoon in Europe. The first: Mrs. Kinard charged her husband was "lavishly enters tained" by Mrs. Stephens who "revived an alleged courtship of their youth." Following renewal of his ac quaintance with Mrs. Stephens, the first wife charged, the physiclan told her of his love for the sweetheart of his youth: and demanded a divorce.

Driven by nancial necessity, she said she was compelled to make a property settlement and then obtained a de TRY A WANT AD Gives Up Post George M. Reynolds (above), one of Chicago's leading bankers for many years, who has resigned as chairman of the board of the Continental Illinois National Bank Trust Company, of that city. Mr. Reynolds entered the banking field in Iowa in his early youth and went to Chicago to join the Continental National Bank in 1906, from Des Moines. He plans to retire and make his future home in California.

News 1 photo TOMAH COMPANY BASKET TEAM HERE NEW YEAR'S New Year's Night Dance to Follow the Games at the Armory The Tomah company basketball team will play the annual New Year's basketball gamer this season. It is a fast, sharpshooting aggregation which includ. es Knoblauch, six foot-seven inch center. and Olson. Tomah high school coach.

Other members of the Tomah team are Stanzenburg, Grey and Blackwood. a fast bunch of forwards, and Grovestein and Casper, two of the best guards Tomah high school has ever turned out. Last year Portage played this team and received a 39 to 19 beating at Tomah. Their watchwords this year will be "Beat The locals have been playing a very good brand of ball, stringing, up. a number of victories.

They hope to add Tomah to the list. In the first game at 7:30 the Baraboo and Portage DeMolay teams will clash In their annual game, The two teams are evenly matched and looking for victory, There will be a New Year's night dance following the game with music by Maurice Donovan and his six piece orchestra. Admission for both games and the dance will be 35 cents for adults, 25 cents for students, and 15 cents for kids. Baby Boy Dies at Grandparents' Home Friday Morning Wayne Harold Ebert, aged three months and 17 days, infant son of and Mrs. Harold Ebert, 623 East Cook street, died at 7 o'clock Friday morning, December 30.

lowing a brief illness. Surviving are the young parents and the grandparents -Mr, and Mrs. Fred Ebert of Fort Winnebago and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Nebrlich of Portage -and a number of other relatives.

The death of the little one 00- curred at the home of its grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Nehrlich, 628 East Cook street, where the body will remain until 11 o'clock Sunday forenoon when it will be removed to Murison's chapel where funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock the same afternoon, conducted by Rev. E. J.

Dierker. pastor of St. John's Lutheran church. Mr. and Mrs.

George W. Clem. mons and Mr. and Mrs. Orville Clemmons returned Wednesday froni Chicago where they attended, the funeral of -Mrs.

Harry Clemmons, who died at a Chicago his pital Friday, Dec. 23. RED CROSS TO ASSIST THIS COUNTY'S POOR Flour, Cotton Garments and Cloth Available for the Needy Portage Woman Dies Suddenly Today Miss Eleanor Breese passed away very suddenly at her home on McFarlane road at two o'clock this afternoon. SLEETY ROADS ARE MENACE TO TRAFFIC Snowfall North of the City Renders Driving Less Treacherous There were a lot of people in the city of Portage today who found considerable difficulty in maintaining their upright position as they walked along the sidewalks today because of the icy coating which spread over the city following an early morning rain which froze. Auto traffic was very dangerous.

and one truck driver reported that it had taken him 6 hours to make the trip from Mauston to Wisconsin Dells, North of the city, about, eight miles, snow and the going was less treacherous. Between there and Madison the roads were coated with a thin layer of ice which made driving almost At the corner of Oneida and Mac streets big trailer truck twisted and slewed into another car parked at the curb at the intersection. The county highway crews were out sanding on intersections and grades, but the roads were in very bad shape. At the corners the I city street department had also sanded the streets. Funeral Services Saturday Morning at Home Town, Lodi Funeral services for Mrs.

Lee Sodders, who passed away at her home at the Gunderson apartment3 Wednesday night at 8:50 o'clock, will be held Saturday morning at Lodi at 10 o'clock, Mrs. Sodders passed away after brief. illness from pneumonia. Funeral services will be held from the residence of the late 8. Miles Thomas, an uncle of Mrs.

Sodders. Mr. and Mrs. Sodders moved here from Lodi two years ago when Mr. Sodders accepted a position druggist at the Townley drug store.

Their many friends in the city extend their to Mr. Sodders in his bereavement. Former Portage Boy is Married Friends in the city have received cards announcing the recent age of Harold Brown, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.

C. Brown to Elizabeth Ward: The Browns are former: Portage people, BUY IT IN PORTAGE SAYS DAIRY FARMERS CAN'T EXPECT HELP Holiday President Says Little Can be Done at the Short Session Menomonee Falls, Dec. 30 Calling upon Wisconsin farmers to demand rettef from state and national legislators, and declaring "there will be no better time than now" to call a milk strike to bring about higher prices. Milo Reno, national president of the Farmers Holiday association, addressed meeting of some 4,000 farmers the Nightingale ballroom near this city. Thursday night.

Delivering what was in the ture of a keynote speech to the milk producers gathered to debate the calling of milk strike next month, Mr. Reno denied statements made earlier in the day regarding a split between the Wisconsin Cooperative Milk Pool group and his own organization. "There never will be better time to strike than right now," the Farmers' Holiday association headdeclared. He said a vote taken at Marshfield, Wednesday night in favor of naming a committee to set a strike date within 20 days, had been truly representative and unanimous. Strike Vote "Packed" Milwaukee, Dec.

30 Thursday, in Milwaukee milk circles, it was reported the strike vote had been achieved only by "packing" the meeting and bringing about a vorable vote. Should a strike be called in Wisconsin, Mr. Reno said. the farmers here will be backed by those of 28 states represented in the holiday movement. "Farmers cannot expect much relief from the short session of congress," Mr.

Reno told his hearers. "We want the new president and congress to, have ample opporttnity to effect farm relief, but we're sticking by our farm legislation program. Service for Rio World War Veteran Held Saturday A number of Portage veterans plan to attend the funeral services which will be held for George Ford, Rio World. War veteran, which will be held in Rio Saturday morning at 10:30 o'clock. Mr.

Ford, who has been in failing health for some time, passed away at the Soldier's home in Milwankee. Well known in this city, Mr. Ford had served in the World War in the 150th Machine Gun battalion. 42nd division, of which Capt. Guy Goodell William Crawhall were members.

and The Rio American Legion post, of which he was a member, will asmist in conducting the funeral. Harold Heidt who underwent minor operation at St. Savior's hospital Saturday is getting along He attends St. Francis semin. ary near.

Milwaukee. The American Red Cross is coming to the assistance of needy. per: sons in Columbia county and this winter with food, clothing and shelter to augment the work being done by the county outdoor: poor relief- organization and the Portage Welfare, association. Two carloads of flour, purchased by the Red Cross, have -already been given away through the county poor commissioners, and a third carload is on the way. In the two carloads already distributed there were 1,700 bags of flour.

The latest relief move is to establish a Red Cross clothing depot in the Raulf Hotel building, just east of the Chamber of Commerce office. Here 2,000 new artleies of clothing have been received and will be given out to needy families of Portage and vicinity, Use Cotton Surplus The clothing is part of that made up from the grant of 500,000,000 bales of cotton which was appropria: ted by the national congress to be made up into clothing and distributed through the American Rel Cross. The clothing depot which haa been established by the. Portage Red Cross chapter will be open every afternoon from 2 to 5 p. m.

with women members of the board of directors in charge, Mrs. F. B. Ernsperger is chairman of the committee which will take care of the distribution of the clothing. Other members are Mrs.

E. L. Alderman, Mrs. Frank R. Graham, Mrs.

Gregory W. Dempsey, and Miss Harriet Coleman. Because of the fact that the committee is not acquainted with all worthy cases in the county, persons desiring clothing must come in and make requisition for the clothing and the board of directors will act upon the request at a meeting held each evening. Have Underwear, Etc. Among the 2,000 pieces of clothing which will be distributed are: Underwear for men, women and children; overalls for men and boys; stockings for men, women and children; outing flannel to be used in garments to be made up by those receiving the material; and men's trousers and boys' knickFers.

Other articles of clothing, including many sweaters are on the way. The Red Cross has ,11 branch chapters throughout the county, in addition to the mother chapter in Portage. These branch chapters will also have clothing to distribute. Since the recent Red Cross drive in the city was not as successful as it might have been, the board is appealing to those who are not members to aid in the work by taking a membership at the cost of one dollar. Memberships may be taken at the clothing depot.

Also Aid Transients The distribution of clothing and flour is not the only work being carried on by the Red Cross in the elty, Last year. and this year about $1,000 a year has been spent on relief for ex-service men and their families. In addition much aid has been granted to World War veterans who are transients. In this respect, food and shelter has been provided to transient ex-service men. The Red Cross is also donating $10 a month to the maintenance of the city transient depot, for the salary of the caretaker.

The Red Cross work in the city is directed by the board of directors, made up of the following Chairman, A. C. Taylor; Vice Mrs. F. E.

Bronson; Treasurer, Louis Breese; Secretary, Miss Harriet Coleman; and Ray Welsh, Harold Sullivan, Dr. W. A. Taylor, J. C.

Leisch, Mrs. F. B. Ernsperger, Mrs. Gregory W.

Dempsey, Mrs Frank R. Graham, and Mrs. E. L. Alderman.

Martin Gedway of Milwaukee was a Portage business caller this morning. Misses Evelyn Bresnehan- and Katherine McDonald are spending the weekend in Milwaukee..