Harry Potter Leaves Picnic, Attempts Suicide

Pennsylvania, 1935

Harry Potter, Well-Known Karthaus Man, Said To Have Shot Self Twice

Suffering from what was reported to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound below the heart, Harry Potter, aged about 28, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Potter of Karthaus, is a patient today in the Philipsburg State Hospital in a serious condition. Reports from that institution early this afternoon stated his condition was "very grave."

The tragic affair, which has been a distinct shock to the little community where the Potter family has held the esteem and respect of their fellow townsmen for many years, occurred at the home of George Potter, older brother of the victim, where the latter was staying, sometime early last evening.

According to reports received here, Harry Potter attended the Frenchville picnic during the afternoon and in company with some friends went to his home at Karthaus late in the afternoon. His brother and family was away when Harry arrived home and the first knowledge of the tragedy was when a neighbor boy, Abner Rolley, heard two shots. He rushed into the Potter home and found Harry unconscious with a bullet wound below the heart, apparently self-inflicted by a .38-calibre revolver which was nearby. The Rolley boy also found the Potter dog shot to death and from the mute evidence found in the house it was assumed the young man shot his dog before turning the gun on himself.

What may have prompted the young man to make an attempt on his own life is a mystery to the people of the community in which he lived and where he was known so well. He is single and has never been known to have any serious home worries. Also, reports from Karthaus today stated the young man had never shown a despondent disposition and his friends are at a loss to understand his untimely act.

—The Clearfield Progress, Clearfield, PA, Aug. 23, 1935, p. 1.

Whole Country Now Infested By Chain Letters, Get Rich Quick

1935

POSTAL INSPECTORS AFTER "SEND-A-DIME" PEOPLE

Whole Country Is Now Infested by Letters — All Want to Get Rich Quick Without Work.

There isn't a scheme that comes up without its followers. The "Send-a-Dime" chain letter, which originated at Denver, Colo., is flooding the country at the present time and each day finds the number of letters received growing greater.

According to Albert Lea postoffice heads the letters have caused no large amount of extra work. Letters of this nature are coming in, however, but it has required no extra help to get them distributed to the homes in the city and county. But in many larger cities the letters are so numerous that extra help is being put on. According to dispatches this morning dime chain letter investigations are expected to culminate today with number of arrests by postoffice inspectors in several Iowa cities. Assistant Postmaster John A. Ryan, Des Moines, said Tuesday night. There are nine or ten inspectors in Iowa who have been tracing a number of chain letter originators and have obtained sufficient evidence to bring charges of fraud, Mr. Ryan said.

He indicated, however, that most of the investigations had centered in points outside of Des Moines and that the chain letter activities involving alleged fraud were headquartered in several others of the larger cities. Mr. Ryan declined, however, to name the cities where the fraud evidence had been found or the individuals for whom warrants had been issued. He added that chain letter mailings in Des Moines apparently were on the decline. Leading the drive which was expected to result in Iowa arrests yesterday, federal investigators arrested three business men Tuesday in Denver, Colo., the fountain-head of all variegated chain letter manias. The three men pleaded not guilty to a charge of using the mails to defraud in a $1 chain letter. They said they would fight the charge vigorously. The men are R. M. Barnholt, H. L. Harris and Edward W. Hughes.

Although expressing disapproval of the chain letter craze, members of some Ministerial associations said Tuesday night that no action had been taken for members to denounce the fad from the pulpit. At Burlington, Ia., the Des Moines County Ministerial association Tuesday adopted a resolution opposing "the rapidly spreading gambling mania." Members will preach sermons on the subject, stressing chain letter evils, Sunday.

An innovation of the chain letter fad occurred late Tuesday in Mason City with the arrival of telegrams requesting the recipient to wire five dollars to the first person of a list of five and then send similar telegrams to five "kindred spirits." At Mason City the first class mail volume was noticeably heavier Monday and Tuesday. A variety of the fad which was reported to have helped augment Mason City mail was a new kind of the "send-a-dollar" letter.

This letter was also reported as having been received at the Des Moines municipal airport by Wallace Fagan, United Air Lines employe. Under this scheme the letter is supposed "to prevent chiseling." It lists the names of 10 persons and directs the person receiving it to hand copies to two other persons. A dollar is to be collected on the delivery of each letter and the money sent to the first name on the list.

Every variety of chain letter of which the human mind can conceive was believed to be in the mails by Tuesday night.

One Des Moines stenographer received a letter which concluded: "Please do not break the chain. If you answer this, I can guarantee you a husband in 1946."

A chain letter which Miss Carolyn Landfear, 3809 Center street, received — and she said she had received dozens of them — elevated itself into the realm of poetry, attempting to convince her by unmetered verse that although she may have been fooled on many makes and charities, that this letter was the real thing and she should "join the parade."

Several stationers are selling chain letter forms and one newsboy in Des Moines was doing a thriving business hawking the blanks on a street corner.

—The Evening Tribune, Albert Lea, MN, May 8, 1935, page 3.

Note: "Post office" was spelled as one word and "employee" ended with one "e" back in this time period. It seems kind of weird and I don't know when it changed. Post office as one word? It's against nature!

Barnett Bros. Big 3-Ring Circus, 1935

Barnett Brothers Circus

With Mighty Alice, largest elephant now on tour in America, and a herd of 50 dancing horses.

— Charleston Daily Mail, Charleston, West Virginia, April 7, 1935, page 6.

Laurel, Hardy Make Comedy Team Again

1935

HOLLYWOOD, April 6 (UP).— Stan Laurel, who broke up the famed screen comedy team of Laurel and Hardy recently when he walked out after a row with Producer Hal Roach, has been lured back with a new contract. Laurel didn't like a picture, "McLaurel and McHardy," which he and his rotund teammate were making, so he quit. Roach cancelled his contract. The public heard about it and deluged the studio with telegrams and letters of protest.

So Roach got busy on a new contract, Laurel signed it and everybody appeared to be happy — except, perhaps, Patsy Kelly and "Spanky" McFarland, who were to have appeared in a series of shorts with Hardy. Evidently they were left out in the cold.

Cow Tail Holder Shown at Inventors' Congress

1935

Los Angeles. -- And now the "cow tail holder" has appeared to make this world a better place in which to live.

It and some 500 other doo-dads were on exhibition at the National Inventors' Congress which opened a five-day meeting.

Albert G. Burns, president, said inventors have led an unusually busy year.

The cow tail holder was invented by Albert Giese of Benton Harbor, Mich., who estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 milkmaids or milkmen receive severe eye injuries each year when bossies switch at flies or just switch to be switching.

Then there is a "psychograph," an intricate apparatus which slips over a person's head, according to its creator, H. C. Lavery of Minneapolis and gives a scientific character reading.

Besides these are an electric steam facial device which does away with hot, steaming towels in beauty parlors and barber shops; "metal mitts" for peace officers; foot warmers; powder puffs that remove double chins and neck wrinkles in addition to the shine from the nose; collapsible flag staff for professional marchers and hundreds of other things.


ORIGIN OF "DARK HORSE"

The phrase "Dark Horse" has been attributed to Sam Flynn, a horse trader of Tennessee. His horse, Dusky Pete, was quietly entered in a country race meet, attracting little attention, and unexpectedly won the prize. The term has thus come to describe one who was not in the race until the last minute, had no expectations of winning, but unexpectedly gained the prize.

--The Chicago Heights Star, Chicago, February 1, 1935, page 7.