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CATSKILL MOUNTAIN NEW|P Serving tiie ConmimitieB of Allaben, Andes, Arena* ArkviUe^ B^easrre^ Big Indian, Deni^, Dry Brook, Dnnraven, Fltis^imanns,>Grand 6org8^ Halcott Center, I ^ ^ •aloottville^ BDghmoimt, K ^ Ciomers, Mai^faretville, New Kingston, Oliverea, Fiioenlela, Fine BUI, Bozlnuy, Sbandaken, Sbavertovni, Union Grove and Vega. ^ ss > ^

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Vol. 81. No. 31. Established In 1863. MABGABETVIU^, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1943 Per Year. $1.60 in Coinlgr

Rothamel Arson Case Dismissed In County Court

Tried Two Times at Great Expense to County Says

Judge O'Connor

Car Thefts Serious Pepacton Man Gkies Free in

Assault Case, Jury Out / Short Time

A second degree arson indict-ment against Frederick Rothamel, Arkville and Brooklyn,, was dis-missed by Judge O'Connor in County court on Monday.

The defendant has been tried twice in County court for alleged burning of his Arkville residence 18 months ago in an attempt to defraud insurance companies who had written policies covering the building and on each occasion the jury disagreed. Retrial of the case passed the last term of county court and it was, indicated that it would not be moved at the trial term which started Monday.

Arnold M. Griffin, counsel to the special district attorney, said he had started investigation of other aspects of the case involving the disappearance of a quantity of jewelry during the fire as claimed by the defendant. This, he said, might have further bear-ing on the question of motive.

The new investigation had been underway in New York for only three days when the BCI man on the case was called off in order to

'help police the recent elections. Mr. Griffin intimated that it would be useless to again try to convict Rothamel unless hitherto unavail-able evidence was unearthed.

In dismissing the indictment Judge O'Connor declared that the case has been tried twice at great expense to the county and that Dist. Atty. Gleason B. Spee^burgh had M t ho stone unturned in pre-paring the prosecution. He said that present evidence does not justify trying the case again.

Rothamel can now be brought into court again only if he is in-dicted once more by a grand jury.

Car Thief Imprisoned Declaring that from now on

"things are going to be different" and that stiff sentences may be expected for stealing automobiles. Judge O'Connor sentenced Willis Albert Lowe Jr., Mt. Holly, N. J., to from five to ten years in Attica prison on a previous plea of guilty to grand larceny, first degree.

"Sealing cars has grown to be a serious crime in my eyes," Judge O'Connor said. "The day of a mere slap on each cheek is ended. From now on things are going to be different in this court, and I'm starting in with you." Lowe al-ready was under probation follow-ing conviction in federal court in Ohio of a similau: offense.

Lowe accompanied by Burton Simeon Blackman, 17, rjew Berlin, and Miss Margaret EUen Potter, 19, South New Berlin, stole an automobile belonging to Arthur E." Aikens, a sporting goods dealer at Sidney, Aug. 18. Blackman and Miss Potter, jointly indicted with Lowe, pleaded guilty two weeks ago and were given suspended sen-tences.

Judge O'Connor suspended a sentence to Elmira reformatory when Roscoe Gilmore Holland, 20,

This Township Is Short in War Drive

The National War fund in the township of Middletown is $800 short of the quota of $2,525.

This township cannot be the only one to let the boys i down. The time can be ex- ; tended to Dec. 1 if necessary i to make the quota. But ; make it we must. Don't wait for canvassers to come , to you. It is difficult to send them around a second time. Make voluntary payments to them. The canvassers are asked if it is not possible to see various organizations and corporations and seek liberal funds. The money is for our boys. All of it can be marked for the USO if the donors desire. The com-mittees need help and the fund needs $800. Anyone who gave less than a day's pay did not do his share.

Union Grove Women Receive Service Certificates At the annual Delaware county

Farm and Home Bureau meeting at ^ Delhi on Saturday the Home Bureau presented certificates of service to forty-six hon^makers who have served as local leaders and officers for more than 11 years. Among these were three members of the Union Grove Home"̂ Bureau unit—Mrs., A. W; Guststf-son for 15 years, I^s. Iv&i Miller for 12 years and Mrs. D. T. Wil-liams for over 20 years, the great-est number of service years of any member in the county.

The Union Grove Home Bureau •unit was organized in 1921 with Mrs. W. H. Bush, chairman; Mrs. F. Rehor, vice-chairman; Mrs. Henry Wo^n, secretary and treas-urer, and Mrs. D. T. Williams, clothing leader. Of these charter members ,all except Mrs. Bush, who has moved to Halcottville, are now members of the Union Grove unit. The many projects taught through these years have been a source of knowledge and inspira-tion to the homemakers.—^l^on Grove Cor.

Keep Records for Milk Subsidy Payments

The federal subsidy system to reimburse producers for underpaid service and to make up for too-costly dairy feed is under way, both in Delaware and Sullivan counties, and presumably through-out the state and among all pro-ducers operating in the Metropoli-tan Producers area.

Logan Gould, chairman of the Delaware county AAA committee, in a message to county dairymen, hays producers who wish to receive payments under the Dairy Feed Payment program should save evi-dence of milk and butterfat sales for presentation in applying for such payments.

Grand Gorge, pleaded guilty to second degree rape. Arthur F. Curtis, attorney for Holland, said that the IS-year-old girl in the case was as much, if not more, to blame as the defendant, and Judge O'Connor said that an investiga-tion by him had disclosed that that was true.

A jury Tuesday took but a short time to say "not guilty" for Jimmy Hammer of Pepacton, who was charged with second degree as-sault as the result of a fracas in Bryden's tavern at Pepacton on March 3. "

Start Shooting Monday In Open Season For Deer

Ten-Hour Day Allowed on This Job, From 8 A. M.

to 6 P. M.

Overtim^orbidden Kind of Guns Allowed. Bear

Also Legal Game Monday

The deer season for this section of the state opens Monday morn-ing, Nov. 15, at 8 o'clock war time. Deer with horns not less than three indies long many be shot each day between the hours of 8 a. m. and 6 p. m., war time, through Tuesday, Nov. 30. One deer may be taken. Hunters who shot a doe in the six-day upstate special season may also shoot a buck in the coming season. TTie kill must be reported not later than five days after the close of the season by sending in registered mail the tag attached to the li-cense as directed on the tag. ~ The Conservation department

again pleads for safety measures. Leaded guns may not be carried in cars. Any rifle may be used to take deer,- except those using rim fire cartridges. Shotguns . of 20 gauge or larger may be used if they shoot a ball , or slug. Buck-shot is prohibited. A bow and arrow are legal.

Scores of men all through the motintains have been anticipating the season for weeks. Red clothing and red hats will be general on Monday and continue through the season. And the season will be but a' few hours old before deer carcasses will begin to appear on the front fenders of automobiles and there will be anxious inquiries of how many points, how much does he weigh, where did you get him.

Game Protector Bryan Burgin was called to Roxbury on Monday to kiU a buck lying near the rail-road track. Trainmen had seen the animal last week and thought it was lying down to rest. When seen in the same place again on Monday they called the protector. The buck had been seriously in-jured, probably hit by a train.

Saturday a good-looking buck walked down route 28 past the Arkville post office, went across the Catholic church lawn, wan-dered down back of the garage of Henry Rosa, then crossed the New York Central tracks and went across the flat. Part way he stopped underneath an apple tree to eat an apple or two, forded the creek and went up the mountain.

The bear season also opens on Monday and lasts for a month.

Mnch Water Fell The rains of the early week

brought r'enty of water. In fact, it looked for a time Monday night the drouth would be followed by a flood. Gauges showed a rainfall of three inches in 24 hours. Tues-day morning the Ashokan reser-voir, low all summer, was over 60 per cent fuU.

Dedicate Grange Hall Delaware Valley Grange wfll

hold the dedicaticHi of their new Grange hall the evening of Nov. 27. The state master will be present. —^Roxbury Cor.

Hunters Gone to War, Foxes Prey on Poultry

Farmers and hunters find an excess fox population in this area. Both red and gray foxes are more common than usual, and are re-ported bolder in their attacks on poultry.

'Not only in the hills,- but in valleys where farms are closer to-gether, foxes are seen frequently ro^n^g the fields in the daytime, and it is not uncommon for them to raid chicken yards during the day, when people are working around the farms. In some cases the animals have shown little of their natxjral fear of human beings, and it has been hard to frighten them aWay unless there was a dog near.

Hunters blame them for the scarcity of pheasants in many covers where they were abundant.

The fact that many hunters are aligning their sights on Nazis and Japanese is believed one reason for the sudden increase of foxes. Whilei only a few spoytsmen^ in this area specialized in fox hunt-ing, many others killed foxes from time to time after other game. Of the hunters who are still at home, many are too busy with war work to go afield, and others do not have the gasoline to travel.

Senior Class Presents Play Next Week Friday

The senior class at the central .school will present their annual play on Friday evening, Nov. 19, at 8:30, in the school gymnasium. The title of the play is "The Closed Door."

The presentation will be directed by the English instructor. Miss Eva Petrovits and there is an ex-cellent cast. The plot has to do with the question of whether or not there is a scandal in the gov-ernor's life. Tickets are being sold and the school folks look for-ward to a big evening. •'The cast is: Grandma Emerson, Phyllis Myers; John, her son, Fred Cure; Clara, John's wife, Florence Mason; Martin, his son. Bob Hill; Beth, his daughter, Betty D i a -meter; Mary, the maid, Phyllis Armstrong; Neal, the chauffeur, Bob Stahl; Mrs. Allen, the cook, Matilda Marsico; Leta Hargraves, a reporter, Louise Cerquozzi; An-drew Moore, ^tate political boss, Frank Ingles.

Effner Proves He Did Not Forge

GladstoneCheck Interesting Local Case Be-

fore County Court at Delhi Wednesday

Judge O'Connor s Last Many Attorneys Seek Place

He Leaves Vacant on Jan. 1

Ulster Supervisor Is Former Union Grove Girl

Mrs. Marie A. Koenig was elected supervisor on the Demo-cratic ticket in Kingston's ninth ward at the recent election. She is the first women in the history of Ulster county to be elected to the board of supervisors.

Mra. Koenig is the former Miss Marie Rehdr of Union Grove, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rehor. She attended the local high school where she was one of the most popular and attractive young women of her class.

Roxbury Unveils Honor Roll on Armistice Day

The new honor roll for men and women in the national service from Roxbury was unveiled, at 10:30 o'clock yesterday in front of Roxbury central school. There are one hundred ten names on the honor roU.—^Roxbury Cor.

firemen liUlI Dance Nov. 24 The Margaret^iUe fire d e p ^ -

ment will hold the annual fire-men's dance on Thanksgiving eve, Nov. 24. Constable's ordiestra wiU furnish music. "ITie firanen promise a pleasant evening.

The term of county court ended on Wednesday at Delhi with the completion of the trial of William R. Effner, formerly of Roxbury. He was acquitted on a charge of forgery, second degree.

The check in question was writ-ten by Mrs. Walter Gladstone, Andes, for $11.50, and given to Effner May 6. He immediately came to Margaretville and gave it to Emil Deutsch, gas station i t -erator, in payment for $2 worth of gas. Deutsch gave him the change in cash. Deutsch iii turn cashed the check at Louis Levy's liquor store. Before it reached the bank, Mrs. Gladstone stopped payment on it when she learned that Eugene Gormley had never seen it. The check had been made jointly to Gormley and Effner.

Effner was accused, not of actually forging the check, but of passing one when he knew the endorsement was forged.

Mrs. Gladstone testified that she gave the check to Effner. She had inciud^ Gormley as one of the payees, she said, because of the agreement the Gladstones had made to take out part of Effner's pay to apply on a debt he owed Gormley. Effner had left Gorm-ley's employ to work for Gladstone brothers. Deutsch testified that he received the check and cashed it at Levy's, later learning that Gorroley's endorsement was forged. He called -troopers who subse-quently arrested Effner. ,

Effner declared tiiat he had not forged the endorsement, that int fact, he had not even endorsed his own name to cash the check. He asserted he had forgotten to en-dorse it before he gave it to Deutsch, and the forgery was committed after it left his hands. Mrs. Beatrice Field, Mount Pleas-^ ant, who accompanied Effner at the time, said that she saw the chedj lying between them on the seat of the car in which they were riding and that it bore no endorse-ments. She declared that after they left Deutsch, it occurred to them that the check had not been endorsed. Sometime later Effner returned to Deutsch's to endorse the check but found the station closed.

That the endorsement actually was a forgery was established by Gormley, who declared that he had never seen it before and that the signature was not his.

The case was the last that Judge A. L. O'Ccmnor wiU hear in this county as coimty judge. Judge O'Coimor was elected to the Su-preme court oi| Nov. 2 and will take office on Jan. 1. He fills the place on the Supreme court bench left vacant by the death of an-other popular Delaware coun^ judge, the late Andrew J. Mc-Naught.

There are many county lawyers who seek the place that will be left vacant by Judge O'Connor.

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