LETTERS HOME
DON’T MENTION
SLEUTHING JOB
By Ashley Halsey, Jr.
TIMMONS VILLE, S. C., Jan. 9,
—The kind of fellow who wouldn’t
write home about killing John Dill
inger or “Pretty Boy” Floyd—
That's Melvin Purvis of the De
partment of Justice, according to his
family.
Quietly proud of their brother, his
sisters here say he has “yet to men
’ll
tion Dillinger or any of them” in
his letters.
“We wouldn’t know Dillinger was
dead if we had to depend on him
to find out,” one affirmed. “He does
n’t comment except that he likes it
fine”
Father Purvis and the seven other
children are still sitting around daz
ed at the sudden rise of the family’s
"quiet son” to national eminence as
a super-detective.
He was the fifth of eight child
ren. His mother died during his
youth,
Liked Books, Horses
Shy and reticent, young Purvis
buried himself in books or went off
on lone horseback rides on his fa
ther’s farms near Timmonsville, his
birthplace 31 years ago.
To the others, as they look back
on their brother's boyhood, he was
something of an enigma—the same
sort of human puzzle he became lat
er to a succession of “No 1” public
enemies who-never knew where to
look for his surprise traps until they
snapped shut.
Never, said a sister living here,
did he give any indication of grow
ing into the man whose marksman
ship is credited with at least a part
in the slaying of such desperadoes
as Dillinger and Floyd. /
"He really didn’t care for guns
and that sort of thing”, she recalled.
“He went hunting sometimes but
not as a real hobby.”
As a boy ranging the wide acres
of his father’s tobacco and cotton
plantations, he took a likely mechan
ical interest in automobiles, and lov
ed horses—an affection later trans
ferred to dogs in the crowded cities.
In high school he was a football
- o
player and debater but dropped both
activities upon entering the Univer
sity of South Carolina in 1920. There
he worked as a claim adjuster to
earn his education.
Graduated in law in 1925, young
Purvis practiced with a Florence, S.
C., law firm for two years before go
ing to Washington, where he got a
job with the department of justice.
Trailed Auto Thieves
For three years he chased automo
bile thieves and the like in the Car
olinas and Texas. And then in 1931
he became head of the department of
justice bureau at Birmingham, Ala.
Soon afterwards he was transfer
red to Chicago, helped investigate
the collapse of Samuel Insull’s in
dustrial empire, and received promo
tion to the chief post of the Chicago
staff.
Then the headlines blazoned his
career as he and his agents toppled
arch-criminals from the thrones of
organized crime in America.
Behind the headlines moved a wiry
130-pound southerner, not always in
the best of health but with inten
sity glinting from his brown eyes as
he took up each new trail.
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LOCAL NEWS
*T -
T.; ^
The wind veered around into the
South last night, after a calm day
yestdreay, but is now working into
the West and blowing hard, and
cold. The visibility all day has
been fairly good, but weather in
other sections is adverse for flying.
In the U. S. Commissioner’s Court
Today, Lawrence Carson pleaded
guilty to a charge of adultery and
was given a suspended sentence of
sixty days. He was charged yester
day with cohabitation and adultery,
but the charge of cohabitation was
withdrawn.
Harry Neibling, a native, who was
arrested last night, was arraigned to
day on a charge of assault and bat
tery committed on the person of his
father Chas. Neibling, in the Com
missioner’s Court. He pleaded guil
ty and was sentenced to five months
in the local jail.
The “Polarites” will hold their
weekly turnout at the gymnasium
of the native school this evening at
7 pm. Their membership is urged
to attend. Badminton, volley ball
Second Phase Of
FHA Program Is
Now Ready Alaska
.Continued From Page Three)
elimination of these junior obliga
tions is a long forward step.
“Instead, of setting up a first mort
gage for 40 per cent or so of the
appraised value of the property and
then writing junior liens to obtain
what other money is needed for
construction, the National Housing
Act provides there shall be one lien
and one only on the property,” said
Mr. Pegues.
“All interest charges are to be
payable in monthly installments on
jthe amount of the principal then
outstanding,” said Mr. Pegues. “In
other words, simple interest will be
charged throughout.”
Title II will become effective in
Alaska the day the first bank is ap
proved as a mortgagee.
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FOR YOUR OILBURNER
A STANDARD OIL PRODUCT
and basket ball are planned for this
evening’s entertainment and work
out.
Airplane flights pending as soon
as weather will permit, are the
Northern Air Transport dispatching
pilot Brown in a plane to Ruby to
connect with a Fairbanks plane;
Pilot Whaley of the Roust Airways
for Hot Springs and Iron Creek as
soon as weather permits to bring
passengers to Nome; Pilot Mirow
of the Mirow Air Service for Fair
banks with passengers and express.
It was reported this morning that
Pilot A. Monsen of the Pacific Al
aska Airways Lockheed Electra,
took off from Nulato this morning
for Nome, in the face of a westerly
wind but fair weather. No report
has been heard from the plane, but
it is supposed that it either returned
to Nulato or flew to the mouth of
the Koyuk River, where the PAA
maintain a wireless weather station.
-
Chas. H. Code, proprietor of the
Dream Theatre, was tendered a very
pleasant surprise last evening follow
ing the movies when about twenty
six of his and Mrs. Code’s friends
retired to the Code apartments,
which had just recently been com
pleted since the conflagration dest
royed their home and business house
in the September 17th fire. The oc
casion was Mr. Code’s birthday and
incidently took the place of a house
warming.
Cards were indulged in and the
winning bridge players were award
ed beautiful prizes as follows
First prize was awarded to Mrs.
Aimer Rydeen, Consolation to Mrs.
Thomas Lyle; for the men, L. E. Ryn
ning first prize, and A. Polet consol
ation.
Following the card games dancing
in the Dream Theatre was indulged
in to the strains of a string orchestra
of several pieces, after which a dain
ty lunch was served along with a
large birthday cake which the host
cut. The guests departed at a late
hour, wishing their host and hostess
many congratulations on their hap
py surprise birthday party.
Laurel And Hardy
In Comedy Friday
At Dream Theatre
Olivero Hardio and Stanlio Lau
relio are robbed of their life sav
ings by bandits. Seeking revenge,
they hit upon the bright idea of be
ing bandits themselves. Hardio pre
tehds he is Diavolo, the notorious
bandit chief known throughout the
country. Eventually they encount
er the famed Diavolo, though they
do not know him, and Hardio is sen
tenced to be hanged. Laurelo is or
dered to be executioner.
In the meantime, Diavolo discov
ers that his bandit gang failed to
get Lady Pamela’s money. To frus
trate possible identification of his
men, he takes the comedy team
along as pseudo man-servants, and
poses as the Marquis de San Marco.
He secures Lady Pamela’s money,
but is blocked in his escape by the
stupidity of the comedians.
Meanwhile the inkeeper’s daugh
ter is being forced to marry a rich
landowner. She is in love, however,
with a young officer who has been
in search of Diavolo. The capture
of the bandit, with attendant re
ward, will make it possible for him
to marry the girl.
Laurelo unwittingly reveals Dia
volo”s identity during the wedding
fiesta. This brings about their own
arrest as accomplices. The bandit
chief helps the officer receive the re
ward. The trio—Diavolo, Laurelo
and Hardio—are sentenced to be
shot.
Backed against the wall, Laurelo
asks permission to blow his nose and
pulls out a red handkerchief. It is
seen by the buU, and the enraged
animal charges wildly into the
crowd. Diavolo escapes, while Lau
relo and Hardio ride away on the
back of the bull.
..4-f. ,1 i ■m . -‘so
ONE SHOW FRIDAV “'•*
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STAN LAUREL
OLIVER HARDY
IN
THE DEVIL’S BROTHER
A Side-Splitting Comedy Riot
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