The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

A reputed member of the German-American Bund is under arrest, and two detectives are dead following yesterday's terrorist bombing of the British Pavilion at the World's Fair. The bomb went off at 5:12 PM as it was being examined by 33-year-old Detective Joseph J. Lynch and 35-year-old Detective Ferdinand A. Socha, both members of the Bomb and Forgery Squad, both of whom were killed instantly by the explosion.

The bomb, built into a small gray suitcase resembling a portable radio, was discovered in a ventilation room of the Pavilion by an electrician working there, who turned it over to his supervisor. When that supervisor heard a ticking sound emanating from the case, he alerted the British official in charge of the Pavilion -- who had been advised by police earlier in the day of a bomb threat.

The Pavilion was evacuated, and when police arrived, Detectives Lynch and Socha carried the bomb to an isolated service road behind the Pavilion, about 150 feet from the adjacent Polish Pavilion. Kneeling beneath a tall maple tree as they examined the device, the two detectives cut a small hole in the corner of the suitcase with a pocket knife, and spotted sticks of dynamite inside. "This looks like the goods!" shouted Lynch, turning his head toward Socha. "We..." he began, but he never finished the sentence as the bomb detonated with a deafening roar, killing both men and wounding six others. The force of the explosion knocked down everyone within a hundred feet of the blast, shattering windows and filling the air with debris and dust.

As 19,000 police officers combed the city for clues, a secret tip led this afternoon to the arrest of Ceasar Kroger, an alien employed as a building superintendent at 38 W 181st Street in Manhattan, on a charge of violating the Sullivan Law. In Kroger's apartment, police found two automatic pistols -- one of them loaded -- and several rolled maps of the city with various locations delineated. Police say Kroger is a member of the German-American Bund, but his connection to the World's Fair bombing, if any, has not yet been determined. Earlier, police speculated that the bomber might have been a follower of the Irish Republican Army.

Meanwhile, known members of area radical factions have been taken in for questioning, including Brooklyn Christian Front leader John P. Cassidy, and Paul Crosbie, chairman of the Queens Communist Party, but all were released after cooperating with investigators.

Police are also renewing their investigating the theft of thirty-nine sticks of dynamite from a Manhattan construction site on May 29th, again questioning the watchman who claimed the explosive was taken from a storage building by an armed bandit, but report no further developments in that probe.

The bombing comes just two weeks after two similar attacks on targets in Manhattan. The offices of the Daily Worker, newspaper of the Communist Party at 35 E 12th Street, and the office of a German commercical agency on Battery Place were damaged in those bombings, but there were no serious injuries. Police have no suspects in either prior bombing, but are investigating the evidence in those cases for possible similarities to the World's Fair attack. Three weeks ago, police received threats to blow up several bridges, including the Brooklyn Bridge, but while increased patrols were put in place near all bridge locations, no explosives were found.

William Gerald Bishop, one of five defendants in the Christian Front seditious conspiracy trial not to be acquitted, was today ordered held on immigration charges after Federal officials concluded he may be in the United States illegally.

The Vichy Government of France has broken off diplomatic relations with Great Britain, in the face of what a broadcast referred to as "the British fleet's unjustifiable aggression against the French." Notification was made by Vichy to the Nazi government in Berlin of the decision to cut ties with Britain, but London diplomatic circles report having received no formal notification from Vichy of the move.

Skating movie star Sonja Heine married sportsman Dan Topping today in a Chicago ceremony. Topping, owner of the football Dodgers, was divorced in May from actress Arline Judge, to whom he had been married since 1937. It is Miss Heine's first marriage, and the bride says she plans to continue her skating and movie careers.

If you want really good Chinese food, you'll find it at the World's Fair. Ruby Foo's Sun Dial Restaurant, on the Mall near the Perisphere, serves full dinners from $1 up. Gertrude McAllister recommends the Qui Far Chow Mein, made with chicken, pea pods, Bok Toy, Chinese mushrooms, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots.

Herbert Cohn made his way to Radio City Music Hall to see Bette Davis and Charles Boyer in "All This And Heaven Too," a "real French Tragedy" faithfully drawn from Rachel Field's novel. It is, however, "too long for the screen," and as a result is not truly effective screen drama.

Brooklyn celebrated its safest Fourth of July in years, with strict prohibitions on the sale and possession of fireworks leading to only 137 reports of injuries from pyrotechnic devices. Last year nearly 500 persons were injured by firecrackers and similar explosives.

("An' would it kill ya to call home once in a while? Would it kill ya?")

(Sally had to be restrained from leaping onto the field in excitement. "We're inna uppa deck!" protested Joe, trying very hard not to be noticed by the usher.)

The Dodgers let off their own fireworks at the Polo Grounds, sweeping a doubleheader win from the Giants, and soaring back into first place by a full game over the Reds. The twinbill victory runs the current Brooklyn winning streak to five, and nine of their last ten, with a road record for the season so far of 25-4. The Flock arrived in Boston to open their series with the Bees today in high spirits, with manager Durocher in a real pennant-winning mood. Babe Phelps, current Dodger power threat, rapped two home runs in the first game yesterday, along with one by Joe Medwick, and Cookie Lavagetto paced the power attack in the nightcap. Curt Davis and Vito Tamulis each hurled complete games for the wins.

Today at the Bee Hive, Luke Hamlin starts for Brooklyn against Al Piechota for the Stengeleers.

The Dodgers won't be back at Ebbets Field until July 23rd, just in time to celebrate Pee Wee Reese's 21st birthday.

(Quit while you're ahead, George.)

(Even the kid knows John is a sap.)

("And no, I don't have anything in a 52 Stout!")

 

[LizzieMaine]

This isn't the goriest front page in the history of the News, but it's in the top ten.

This is, however, the goriest page two.

The most astonishing thing about all this is that THEY DIDN'T EVACUATE THE ENTIRE FAIR AFTER THE BLAST. What if there had been another bomb?

"I'm never getting on a boat again."

Oooooweeeeee.

The Prince must truly be a noble soul if his first thought isn't "...but my Countess is related to that jumpy Australian billionaire."

Future U. S. Senator Wilmer Bobble.

Today's guest writer, Preston Sturges.

Unless that grip Shadow's carrying is dimensionally transcendent, I fear my prediction about the cake has come true.

Wait, Plushie lost his pants and we didn't see it happen? I feel cheated.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Skating movie star Sonja Heine married sportsman Dan Topping today in a Chicago ceremony. Topping, owner of the football Dodgers, was divorced in May from actress Arline Judge, to whom he had been married since 1937. It is Miss Heine's first marriage, and the bride says she plans to continue her skating and movie careers....

It's the first of three marriage (two divorces) for Heine - not a bad record for a Hollywood star.

...
("An' would it kill ya to call home once in a while? Would it kill ya?")...

At least we know it's not Harold since Senga took any money he might have had for flying-lesson.

Great artwork today - from the plane to the telephone, it's all well done.

... View attachment 245496
(Sally had to be restrained from leaping onto the field in excitement. "We're inna uppa deck!" protested Joe, trying very hard not to be noticed by the usher.)...

We've all been there Joe.

Also, scoring on a wild pitch (like the recently noted double-steal) is one of baseball's gems.

...The Flock arrived in Boston to open their series with the Bees today in high spirits, with manager Durocher in a real pennant-winning mood. Babe Phelps, current Dodger power threat, rapped two home runs in the first game yesterday, along with one by Joe Medwick, and Cookie Lavagetto paced the power attack in the nightcap. Curt Davis and Vito Tamulis each hurled complete games for the wins....

God knows what long-term damage he'll suffer, but short term, Medwick seems over the effects of his concussion.

... (Quit while you're ahead, George.)
...

I'm just proud of George (don't say that often) for trying to do right by Not-Tootsie.

This isn't the goriest front page in the history of the News, but it's in the top ten.

View attachment 245503 This is, however, the goriest page two....

Clearly, the protocols have developed and improved over many, many years.

We throw the term around, but those two cops are heroes for doing this alone: "Detectives Lynch and Socha carried the bomb to an isolated service road behind the Pavilion, about 150 feet from the adjacent Polish Pavilion."

Separately, from the "Contents," this sounds like an interesting story: "Pickup's a stickup; gun-girl held" (a foreshadowing of the movie "Gun Crazy?")

... Oooooweeeeee.....

Today's plot developments brought to you by future film-director Quentin Tarantino, a fan of showing you the torturer preparing his/her tools of torture.

... The Prince must truly be a noble soul if his first thought isn't "...but my Countess is related to that jumpy Australian billionaire."...

Also, maybe noble Prince wants to give himself more than three days to see if all those long "EEs" in her speech doesn't start to drive him nuts. Just sayin'.

... Future U. S. Senator Wilmer Bobble.....

As noted, over the years, I've seen a few people stop by the office on vacation - nice and a bit-lonely people - but what Wilmer is doing is really weird.

... Today's guest writer, Preston Sturges.....

No kidding, one heat-seeking missile after another. If only the '40s T&TP movie series had some of this dialogue.

Pat takes this round, though, with his perfect execution of a difficult triple verbal axel: "Will you tell the Blonde Terror her favorite beachcomber is cluttering up the furniture."

... Unless that grip Shadow's carrying is dimensionally transcendent, I fear my prediction about the cake has come true.....

I assume a "1/2 Fare Round Trip" ticket is a no-frills affair?

 

[LizzieMaine]

I meant to include Page 4 today, but got distracted by the bomb stuff.

On an ordinary day this would have been quite a standout page.

The bombing is one of those stories that just dropped out of national memory, except in New York itself, where they still have a ceremony every 4th of July at the little memorial on the site. The fact that Socha wasn't even scheduled to work that day makes it even more brutal. Someone needs to make a tight, intense minute-by-minute movie about the incident.

That photo of Petey scoring is a wonderful piece of action photography -- just a perfect shot, with his hair flying, the ump and the pitcher focused on the ball, the cloud of dust. Remember they didn't have motorized film advances in 1940 and were shooting on 4x5 sheet film that had to be inserted and pulled out of the holder by hand, so there was only one practical chance to get the right shot. I'd love to find a clean specimen of it.

Mr. Gould is the most gruesome storyteller in the comics business when he gets going. Jerome is in for an awful fate.

I have a feeling that Shadow's half-price ticket is a child's fare, and I suspect that some "Major and the Minor" type antics are on the way. Sneaking small adults on trains in the guise of under-12s was not without real-world precedent, but it's easier to pull it off with a small woman than with a prematurely-balding 19-year-old boy with eyebrows like John L. Lewis.

 

[Fading Fast]

I meant to include Page 4 today, but got distracted by the bomb stuff.

On an ordinary day this would have been quite a standout page....

No kidding, holy smokes there's a lot going on here. The Dad killing his daughter is chilling. But for entertainment, you can't top the stickup dame. I don't know what I love more, Greska's well-delivered right hook to her chin or that she went down, shook it off and started fighting. Wrong, sure, but kudos to her for staying in the game.

...The bombing is one of those stories that just dropped out of national memory, except in New York itself, where they still have a ceremony every 4th of July at the little memorial on the site. The fact that Socha wasn't even scheduled to work that day makes it even more brutal. Someone needs to make a tight, intense minute-by-minute movie about the incident....

Agreed, if well-researched, a movie about the World Fair's bombing could bring in so many element - WWII, the Bund / domestic terrorist groups, the Fair itself, and all the parallels to our issues today.

...That photo of Petey scoring is a wonderful piece of action photography -- just a perfect shot, with his hair flying, the ump and the pitcher focused on the ball, the cloud of dust. Remember they didn't have motorized film advances in 1940 and were shooting on 4x5 sheet film that had to be inserted and pulled out of the holder by hand, so there was only one practical chance to get the right shot. I'd love to find a clean specimen of it...

Prior to cable TV in the '80s, if you missed the sports highlights on the local news (which weren't always that robust), pics in the paper and, then, magazines like "The Sporting News" were all you had and you studied them - and argued with your friends about them.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Police continue to press for clues in their investigation of the July 4th bombing at the World's Fair that killed two detectives, and have discovered traces of a rare type of hair used in upholstery in fragments of the padding that surrounded the bomb. Investigators have pieced together many fragments of the packing used in the small gray suitcase that contained the explosive device, as well as fragments of the eight-day Ingraham clock that timed it and set it off. The upholsterer's hair is handled by only a few distributors in the city, and detectives consider its discovery in the bomb fragments to be a major clue. Police also note that the bomb had to have been placed in the fan room of the British Pavilion by someone who was familiar with the layout of the building, and who had special access to that room, since that part of the pavilion is not open to the public.

Meanwhile, police are also investigating a threatening telephone call received last night by a Jackson Heights woman employed as a telephone operator at the British Pavilion. Mrs. Marjorie Rosser of 37-15 90th Street reported receiving the call at her home at 11:30 PM, and stated that the caller said "I'll kill you," before hanging up. Mrs. Rosser was the operator on duty at the pavilion last Tuesday, when she took a call from an unidentified person who warned her to "get out" because the building was about to be blown up. Mrs. Rosser told detectives the caller last night spaced out and articulated his words very carefully, and disconnected the call before she could reply. Mrs. Rosser also stated that she believes the voice she heard in both calls was that of the same man.

Police continue to hold Caesar Kroeger of Manhattan, arrested yesterday on suspicion of involvement in the bombing, but so far have not announced the discovery of any link proving his connection to the incident. Kroeger was booked for violation of the Sullivan Law after detectives found two pistols in his apartment, concealed beneath copies of "Mein Kampf." Kroeger admitted under interrogation that he is an ardent Nazi, and that he is in the United States illegally, but he declared that marked maps found in his apartment had been used to follow the progress of the Russo-Finnish War. Once the Sullivan Law charge has been disposed off, police say Kroeger will be turned over to immigration authorites at Ellis Island.

At the World's Fair, thousands of curiosity seekers swarmed the site of the explosion near the Polish Pavilion, and the British Pavilion where the bomb was discovered. The curious were barred from entering the fan room where the bomb was found, and the area in the Polish Pavilion courtyard where the bomb detonated remained roped off. The Fair yesterday set a new weekday attendance record of 139,762. Meanwhile, more than 250 city police, Fair police, and private police combed the grounds, interrogating Fair employees and guarding the area where the bomb went off.

The British and French have reached an agreement under which French naval units now in Alexandria Harbor will be immobilized and remain indefinitely in that British-controlled Egyptian port. The agreement was reached even as two British naval cruisers attacked and sunk the 1378-ton French cruiser Frondeur in a two-hour battle off the coast of Crete.

Nazi sources predict a blitzkrieg attack on Great Britain within the next ten days, starting with six days of incessant air bombing involving a fleet of more than 3000 planes "equipped with surprising death-dealing instruments." It was predicted that many of these planes would tow bomb-packed gliders, to be released to soar at random before their wings collapsed, causing them to fall and explode.

The German sources, quoted by officials in Sweden, also stated that air and sea landings of ground troops would occur after that six-day bombing assault had weakened the armed British civil population.

The Eagle was flooded with telephone calls last night demanding information on the outcome of the twenty-inning marathon game between the Dodgers and the Boston Bees. After learning that the Dodgers rallied in the twentieth inning to defeat Boston 6-2, the callers -- about a third of them women -- were overcome with glee. The game, clocking at five hours and nineteen minutes, was, in terms of time consumed, the longest major league game ever played.

The Dodgers were seen off on their trip to Boston yesterday by a happy crowd over more than five thousand persons at Floyd Bennett Field, where the eight-year-old son of Borough President John Cashmore smashed a bottle of champagne over the nose of the Douglas DC-3 airplane that would carry most of the team to its destination. Christened "The Brooklyn," the twenty-one passenger plane is part of the American Airlines fleet. Following the ceremonies, manager Leo Durocher and coach Chuck Dressen led all but four Dodgers aboard the plane. Babe Phelps, Pete Coscarart, Tot Presnell, and Lou Felte left for Boston by train Thursday night.

Surprise Party candidate Gracie Allen says she's dropping out of the Presidential race, stating that "I've carried the joke far enough." Fun is fun, says the popular comedienne, but "every American should consider casting his 1940 vote the gravest privilege of his life." Miss Allen also announced she is donating all the royalties from her recent book, "How To Become President," to the American Red Cross Relief Fund. Miss Allen and husband George Burns are now being heard on a new series for a new sponsor over NBC, along with Artie Shaw and his Orchestra.

(Probably not the Bossert, probably not the St. George. And I don't think the Bensonhurst YMCA has towels.)

(He's not reallly that fat.)

Pee Wee Reese and Pete Coscarart were the heroes of the marathon to end all marathons in Boston yesterday, with magnificent glovework and strategic hitting that combined to give the Dodgers a 6-2 twenty-inning victory over the Bees. The game was the third-longest in terms of innings played in National League history, and Brooklyn and Boston have been involved in all of them. Last year, the Flock and the Bees played a 23-inning game that ended in a 2-2 tie, and back in 1920, the two clubs sparred in a legendary 26-inning contest that ended in a 1-1 tie.

Yesterday's win was the sixth in a row for the Dodgers, with Luke Hamlin going almost nine strong innings until the Bees tied it up to send the game into overtime. Hugh Casey and Newell Kimball came on to pitch effectively in relief. The Dodgers took the lead in the top of the twentieth, but the Bees attempted to stretch out the inning so that the game might be called on account of darkness, nullifying those runs. The Bees played the game under protest after manager Casey Stengel was ejected in the ninth following a dispute with plate umpire Bick Campbell.

Tot Presnell starts for the Dodgers today, against Dick Errickson for the Bees.

(Actually, George, you'll find that that's Jo's motto. Your motto has always been "Always trust any relative who has a sucker deal.")

(Dennie Worth for Governor -- The Smartest Guy In The Room!)

(Well, I dunno how good he is, but at least he's not wearing a white mess jacket with a black velvet collar over what appears to be a bartender's apron.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Huey Long has always been the gift that keeps on giving for the News, all the way back to that day in 1933 when he got drunk and peed all over a guy at a Long Island country-club soiree. The Kingfish may be gone, but his memory lingers on...

"Awk?" I'd expect something more poetic from you there, Prince.

So I guess calling in the Coast Guard to search for the Tecums is off the table? Nahh, Annie's been wanting to blow this scene for a while anyway.

"Hey Kids! Comics!"

Oh now don't go starting something with the landlady...

And now, Connie makes his move. Hu Shee is going to think she'll be able to play him for information about Pat -- and she might just get careless.

Well, at least the cake survived...

A plaid flannel shirt, Moon? You hipster doofus.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Meanwhile, police are also investigating a threatening telephone call received last night by a Jackson Heights woman employed as a telephone operator at the British Pavilion. Mrs. Marjorie Rosser of 37-15 90th Street reported receiving the call at her home at 11:30 PM, and stated that the caller said "I'll kill you," before hanging up. Mrs. Rosser was the operator on duty at the pavilion last Tuesday, when she took a call from an unidentified person who warned her to "get out" because the building was about to be blown up. Mrs. Rosser told detectives the caller last night spaced out and articulated his words very carefully, and disconnected the call before she could reply. Mrs. Rosser also stated that she believes the voice she heard in both calls was that of the same man....

Seems odd that the same man would make both calls as one call appeared intended to help her and the other to threaten her.

Also, another example of the Eagle giving out the address of a potential crime victim.

...The Fair yesterday set a new weekday attendance record of 139,762.....

That's a bit surprising as it doesn't appear that the bombing has discourage many/any from going to the Fair.

...The Eagle was flooded with telephone calls last night demanding information on the outcome of the twenty-inning marathon game between the Dodgers and the Boston Bees. After learning that the Dodgers rallied in the twentieth inning to defeat Boston 6-2, the callers -- about a third of them women -- were overcome with glee. The game, clocking at five hours and nineteen minutes, was, in terms of time consumed, the longest major league game ever played....

Never called the paper, but remember, often as a kid in the '70s, coming back to the radio at ten and forty after the hour (that was for WCBS, but you'd do it whenever the sports scores were given on a particular station) to find out the results of a game that wasn't being broadcast. Now, at minimum, you can follow almost any game with cool graphics and nearly real-time updates on ESPN's website.

...The Dodgers were seen off on their trip to Boston yesterday by a happy crowd over more than five thousand persons at Floyd Bennett Field, where the eight-year-old son of Borough President John Cashmore smashed a bottle of champagne over the nose of the Douglas DC-3 airplane that would carry most of the team to its destination. Christened "The Brooklyn," the twenty-one passenger plane is part of the American Airlines fleet. Following the ceremonies, manager Leo Durocher and coach Chuck Dressen led all but four Dodgers aboard the plane. Babe Phelps, Pete Coscarart, Tot Presnell, and Lou Felte left for Boston by train Thursday night....

Since this one ⇩ has 1955 on it and doesn't say "The Brooklyn," it might be a later version, but it is a DC-3, so maybe it's the same plane (couldn't find a pic of the plane from the '40s). What a perfect plane for the Dodgers - a classic design, considered by many the most beautiful plane ever matched up with the Dodgers of the classic uniform design, considered by many the most beautiful baseball uniform ever.

... (He's not reallly that fat.)...)

From a hidden camera in the locker room we see Freddie sit down, crack open the Eagle, eye his pictures and, cringing with one eye closed, start to read the caption. When he sees "Freddie Fitzsimmons," he opens both eyes and breathes a sigh of relief, "finally, enough with that 'fat' stuff." Then, the next word "corpulent" sends Freddie into a tirade, "What B___ S___ are you %$^%$ kidding me, stupid ^%&% Eagle and its #%$^& stupid reporters - I AM NOT FAT!"

Editor's note: He's hardly fat and, say what you will, fat or not, the man has a very attractive looking wife (no comment on her hat).

... View attachment 245635
Tot Presnell starts for the Dodgers today, against Dick Errickson for the Bees....

Has Tot Presnell been in the starting rotation all along and I've just missed his name all season?

... (Actually, George, you'll find that that's Jo's motto. Your motto has always been "Always trust any relative who has a sucker deal.")...

“[George] You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” -Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride.

...
Huey Long has always been the gift that keeps on giving for the News, all the way back to that day in 1933 when he got drunk and peed all over a guy at a Long Island country-club soiree. The Kingfish may be gone, but his memory lingers on.......

Not always, but sometimes, on vacation, all I want to do is what Mr. "The Neighbors" guy wants to do, but then, I've never taken a two-week vacation.

... So I guess calling in the Coast Guard to search for the Tecums is off the table? Nahh, Annie's been wanting to blow this scene for a while anyway.....

I think they called in the Coast Guard a few days back. What I want to know is what has Annie been eating and where has she been sleeping these last few days?

... Oh now don't go starting something with the landlady.......

Re the landlady - odder things have happened / and when they do, they usually start just like this.

... And now, Connie makes his move. Hu Shee is going to think she'll be able to play him for information about Pat -- and she might just get careless....

"Hotsy little short hand artist." As you just noted: ""Hey Kids! Comics!"

... View attachment 245645 Well, at least the cake survived....

You called it earlier with your "The Major and the Minor" reference.

 

[Haversack]

"The agreement was reached even as two British naval cruisers attacked and sunk the 1378-ton French cruiser Frondeur in a two-hour battle off the coast of Crete."

This is a good example of how the fog of war or deliberate misinformation can affect reporting. First, as far as I know or can find out, there was no naval action between the Royal and French navies off Crete around this date. Second, the French Destroyer Frondeur was sunk by the US Navy during the Battle of Casablanca in 1942. And third, there was a major naval engagement between the Royal and French navies off the French Algerian base of Mers-el-Kebir near Oran. This was Operation Catapult in which the British attacked the French fleet in order to keep it out of German or Italian hands.

 

[LizzieMaine]

There was a broadcast of that game over WOR via "telegraphic recreation" -- Red Barber sitting in the studio reading the play by play off the Western Union wire -- but it didn't go to the end of the game because the station had other broadcasts on the schedule they couldn't bounce. The Bees broadcast over WNAC in Boston and its "Yankee Network" affiliates also didn't make it to the end of the game -- WNAC had a six pm newscast it didn't preempt for anything, no matter what. Sports got pretty cavalier treatment on the air in those days.

That box score is really something. Imagine being Buddy Hassett and going 1 for 10. That's got to ache.

Tot Presnell has been a spot starter this season. Durocher seems to be going with a pretty loose rotation of Wyatt, Hamlin, and Carleton, and then whoever else he's got handy. Fat Freddie goes every six days or so, and Presnell, Hugh Casey, Vito Tamulis and now Curt Davis all switch off between relief and occasional starting stints. That's not really a pennant winning rotation, and Leo needs to swiften things up for the second half. They need one more really aggressive starter, and while Mr. Durocher would very much like to get Kirby Higbe off the Phillies, the trading deadline has passed, and the Phils aren't likely to put him on waivers anytime soon.

The Dodgers were always aviation minded. They owned several planes by the mid-50s, but were best known for a Convair 440 with BROOKLYN DODGERS painted on the side. The last thing Walter F. O'Malley did before decamping for the west coast in October 1957 was hire a sign painter to change BROOKLYN to LOS ANGELES. The louse.

The "Neighbors" guy appears to be shopping at Davega. Hey, maybe you can get a five-year-old refrigerator while you're at it.

That landlady has always been unusually solicitous of Skeezix. I wonder what her story is.

 

[Fading Fast]

There was a broadcast of that game over WOR via "telegraphic recreation" -- Red Barber sitting in the studio reading the play by play off the Western Union wire -- but it didn't go to the end of the game because the station had other broadcasts on the schedule they couldn't bounce. The Bees broadcast over WNAC in Boston and its "Yankee Network" affiliates also didn't make it to the end of the game -- WNAC had a six pm newscast it didn't preempt for anything, no matter what. Sports got pretty cavalier treatment on the air in those days.

That box score is really something. Imagine being Buddy Hassett and going 1 for 10. That's got to ache.

Tot Presnell has been a spot starter this season. Durocher seems to be going with a pretty loose rotation of Wyatt, Hamlin, and Carleton, and then whoever else he's got handy. Fat Freddie goes every six days or so, and Presnell, Hugh Casey, Vito Tamulis and now Curt Davis all switch off between relief and occasional starting stints. That's not really a pennant winning rotation, and Leo needs to swiften things up for the second half. They need one more really aggressive starter, and while Mr. Durocher would very much like to get Kirby Higbe off the Phillies, the trading deadline has passed, and the Phils aren't likely to put him on waivers anytime soon.

The "Neighbors" guy appears to be shopping at Davega. Hey, maybe you can get a five-year-old refrigerator while you're at it.

That landlady has always been unusually solicitous of Skeezix. I wonder what her story is.

Lizzie, I have a Mr. Fitzsimmons on the line, he'd like to have a word with you.

The '40s Dodgers pitching rotation sounds very much like the 2019 Yankee one - and we know how that turned out.

Cougarism is, like everything else, nothing new.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Fat Freddie only weighs twenty pounds more than I do. If that's not depressing I don't know what is.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Great Britain smashed ahead last night in her drive to destroy or seize the French fleet, as the Admiralty reported that the 26,600 ton French battleship Dunkerque was hit six times by bombs from the fleet air arm this morning. The Dunkerque had been badly damaged already by the British attack on French units at Oran on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the government of Marshal Henri Petain today paid homage to the "heroic action" of the French fleet in its naval conflict with Britain, declaring that its officers and men acted in keeping with "the noblest tradition of France," and that the British attack on Oran was an act of "unjustifiable aggression." Official sources stated that Germany and Italy have released France from the provision of the armistice requiring complete demobilization of the French fleet in order to permit its units to fight against Britain.

Police are offering a $26,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the July 4th World's Fair bombing that killed two police detectives and wounded six other police officers. $25,000 of the reward is being offered the Board of Estimate at the instance of Mayor LaGuardia, with the additional $1000 offered by the Detectives Benevolent Association.

Detectives are now fanning out across the country to trace the manufacturers of the various components of the suitcase bomb. Bits of upholsterer's hair used to wrap the dynamite, parts from the 18-hour Ingraham clock used to time the detonation, and fragments of the buff-colored overnight case that contained the explosive device are in police hands. One potential lead that failed to pan out was the reported theft of four sticks of dynamite from a Bronx construction site, which, upon investigation, turned out to be a matter of the explosive being used on a blasting job but not properly recorded in the company's log.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana reports of an attempted bombing at a manufacturing plant owned by the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation and operated by the duPont company, have led to extraordinary emergency regulations cutting off all outside access to the facility. Plant security found four sticks of dynamite inside the factory fence, near an apparent tunnel dug by intruders under that fence. A night watchman had been tipped off to the incident by a telephone call from a "frog hunter," who had reported seeing three men attempting to breach the fence.

Governor Herbert H. Lehman launched a thirty-day summer military training program for three thousand boys and businessmen yesterday by declaring his fear that the United States itself faces an invasion threat. In dedicating the 1940 Citizen's Military Training Camp program at Plattsburgh, the Governor warned that the danger of Britain being "beaten to her knees" is the greatest threat facing the world today, and stated that if Britain falls, the United States will be in "imminent danger" of invasion.

Christian Mobilizers leader Joseph McWilliams drew a fifty-dollars or thirty-days sentence yesterday on a disorderly conduct conviction, after being found guilty of disturbing the peace by giving an anti-Semitic street corner speech. McWilliams, who styles himself a candidate for Congress on the American Destiny Party ticket, has thirty days to raise the fine or be jailed. McWilliams was defiant following his sentencing in Brooklyn Felony Court, declaring he has no intention of paying the fine, and that he will appeal the case to the US Supreme Court.

(You'd think three days after a suitcase bombing wouldn't be the best time to advertise a luggage sale, but Boys will be Boys...)

(Well now. Those are some pretty snazzy prizes. I'm surprised there's no Dodger tickets in there, but I guess Mr. MacPhail probably got into an argument with his mailman and still has a grudge.)

Tot Presnell made short work of the Boston Bees yesterday tossing a 2-0 three-hit shutout in less than an hour and three quarters. Pee Wee Reese had another fine day, going two for four with a run batted in, but there wasn't a whole lot of offense anywhere, with the Dodgers piecing together their win from three hits, a walk and a sacrifice. The victory marked Brooklyn's seventh consecutive win, further reinforcing the Flock's position atop the National League.

Today five hundred Dodger fans carried by a special train will whoop it up at the Bee Hive as the clubs meet in a doubleheader. Wyatt and Carleton will start for Brooklyn, putting Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons' quest for win number 200 in temporary abeyance.

(At South Station, Joe and Sally alight from the train, and spot a local. "Hey bud!" says Joe. "Which way t'th' ballpark?" "Whichwun ya waant?" replies the Bostonian. "Wegaaht twoovum." "Nat'nl League," says Joe. "We come allaway f'm Brooklyn." The Bostonian looks them up and down. "Yah, no kidd'n," he sneers. "Hey!" pipes up Sally. "Zatta dig? Hey, we got Petey playin' second! Who you got? Sibby Sisti? Whoevva hoid from Sibby Sisti!" Joe's eyes go into an involuntary roll, but he returns to the matter at hand. "Lookit, we jus' wanna git th' game. Howya get theah?" "Seeezy," says Boston. "Ya gettonna Beekin Street special cah, take ya ridown Comm Av, bangs offa th' mainline onna Babcahk, takes ya rate inna ballpahk." Joe looks at Sally. "Whuzzeee sayin'?" Joe shrugs. "Hey mac, tawk English willya?" Boston rolls his own eyes this time. "Hey, jus' falla them guys, they take ya rate tooet. Now g'wan, doanbug me." Joe and Sally shrug and melt into the crowd. But not before Sally turns back and sticks out her tongue. "SIBBY SISTI!" she yells. "HAH!")

Old Timer E. Mae Fuller Homan of Greenpoint remembers the thrill the day the Nassau Street trolley made its first run. She was living on Nassau near Newell Street, in the apartments built down by the Standard Oil works, and seeing that trolley roll by was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen, even better than the Blizzard of '88. She and her sister spent many days just sitting on the curb watching that trolley go by.

Fronting "Trend" this week is the highest paid working girl in America -- her birth certificate calls her Lily Chauchoin, but you know her better as Claudette Colbert.

Voters in Hawaii this fall will be polled on whether the territory should apply for statehood. Most observers expect the decision to go in the affirmative.

Miss Molly Picon, piquant star of the Yiddish stage who enchanted Broadway last year in "Morning Star," will play a week's engagement in that English-language drama at the Brighton Theatre starting Tuesday.

Sit In Your Car And Enjoy The Movies at America's Most Beautiful Outdoor Theatre! The Drive-In Theatre at Valley Stream presents Robert Donat and Jean Parker in "The Ghost Goes West," along with a "Stranger Than Fiction" novelty short, a newsreel, and a cartoon. Kids admitted free!

At the AIR COOLED Patio, it's Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in "Rebecca," paired with "Blondie On A Budget." Something for everyone.

("Hmph!" says Red. "This never happens to the Lone Ranger.")

(I think that hat would look better on Leopold.)

(Y'know, kid, you could just ask John -- ah -- Mr. Blackston for a raise.)

(A slim man in a tight suit shoplifts by stuffing an entire second suit down his pants. Yeah, Irwin is exactly the man for this investigation.)

(Looks like Tuthill is on the stuff again.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Family Values.

Don't count on it.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Well, now isn't this a pleasant page for a Sunday morning.

The revolution begins.

Actually, if Annie decided to stick around, she'd be running the whole town in a month.

Wasn't this an "Our Gang" episode?

And the chess game continues.

I for one always stop for turtles. Sometimes I even get out of the car and pick them up and move them to where they're headed. Even if they bite me in thanks.

How's this for a great B-movie plot.

 

[Fading Fast]

...Christian Mobilizers leader Joseph McWilliams drew a fifty-dollars or thirty-days sentence yesterday on a disorderly conduct conviction, after being found guilty of disturbing the peace by giving an anti-Semitic street corner speech. McWilliams, who styles himself a candidate for Congress on the American Destiny Party ticket, has thirty days to raise the fine or be jailed. McWilliams was defiant following his sentencing in Brooklyn Felony Court, declaring he has no intention of paying the fine, and that he will appeal the case to the US Supreme Court....

Clearly that law has changed as, when I started working on Wall Street in the '80s, there were street-corner speakers who spewed out the vilest anti-semitic speech I've ever heard.

Some of those speakers represented groups still around today and were reasonably organized in that they had megaphones, tables and assistants who, if you showed interest, would talk to you one on one, help sign you up to join or help you to sign this or that petition the group supported. Some of these groups were very well dressed in suits and ties or bowties.

Other speakers were "one off" nut jobs who just stood there speaking or yelling anger and hate - usually not dressed in suits.

Oddly, these speakers seemed to congregate in a few areas around Wall Street, as I rarely saw them elsewhere in the City (some subway stations and a few other areas, but mainly near Wall Street).

...
(You'd think three days after a suitcase bombing wouldn't be the best time to advertise a luggage sale, but Boys will be Boys...)...

Not disagreeing, but surprisingly, the Fair had record attendance the day after the bombing. Clearly, the public didn't seem too concerned.

Separately, this was when a "semi-annual" sale truly was a twice-a-year event and you pretty much paid full price otherwise.

...(At South Station, Joe and Sally alight from the train, and spot a local. "Hey bud!" says Joe. "Which way t'th' ballpark?" "Whichwun ya waant?" replies the Bostonian. "Wegaaht twoovum." "Nat'nl League," says Joe. "We come allaway f'm Brooklyn." The Bostonian looks them up and down. "Yah, no kidd'n," he sneers. "Hey!" pipes up Sally. "Zatta dig? Hey, we got Petey playin' second! Who you got? Sibby Sisti? Whoevva hoid from Sibby Sisti!" Joe's eyes go into an involuntary roll, but he returns to the matter at hand. "Lookit, we jus' wanna git th' game. Howya get theah?" "Seeezy," says Boston. "Ya gettonna Beekin Street special cah, take ya ridown Comm Av, bangs offa th' mainline onna Babcahk, takes ya rate inna ballpahk." Joe looks at Sally. "Whuzzeee sayin'?" Joe shrugs. "Hey mac, tawk English willya?" Boston rolls his own eyes this time. "Hey, jus' falla them guys, they take ya rate tooet. Now g'wan, doanbug me." Joe and Sally shrug and melt into the crowd. But not before Sally turns back and sticks out her tongue. "SIBBY SISTI!" she yells. "HAH!")...

Awesome job Lizzie! "Zatta dig?" and "rate tooet" are my favorites. (And, thank you, Lizzie.)

Clearly Joe got Solly Pinkus to pay him back. I'm glad, those two needed to get away even if Sally ends up getting them into a fight (which seems quite possible).

...
Fronting "Trend" this week is the highest paid working girl in America -- her birth certificate calls her Lily Chauchoin, but you know her better as Claudette Colbert....

I'm a fan of GE Hollywood, but man was this three-paragraph story dragged out.

...[ (I think that hat would look better on Leopold.)...

They missed the boat by not including Mamma's bird hat.

...
(A slim man in a tight suit shoplifts by stuffing an entire second suit down his pants. Yeah, Irwin is exactly the man for this investigation.)...

Dan's expression in panel 3 is perfect. Also, after shutting down a subversive front attempting to take over the entire country, I'm struggling to get worked up over a gang of thieves whose big heist is stealing two suits from a store (zzzzz). And, come on, what, are they doing inventory every hour? Most stores wouldn't notice two suits missing that quickly.

...(Looks like Tuthill is on the stuff again.)

... Family Values....

Too much to take in, small brain on overload.

Also, "...a slap, a kiss and a curse." I'd be thumbing my way to page 23.

... Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!....

Every single Great Dane I've known has been a gentle soul. They are wonderful dogs.

... Well, now isn't this a pleasant page for a Sunday morning....

Holy Smokes. Will note though, tossing the gun to make it a fair fight is a cool move. Although, it often backfires in TV shows and movies as the bad guy usually suffers no such scruples and will use it if he/she can get his/her hands on it.

... Actually, if Annie decided to stick around, she'd be running the whole town in a month.....

No kidding, but she's destined for greater things.

...
And the chess game continues....

"Occidental" is a term that's all but disappeared.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Sibby Sisti wants to know what the problem is.

And Terry needs to stop moping and go visit April. Remember her?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Japanese army men in Shanghai threatened today to make a serious incident of the arrest by U. S. Marines of sixteen plain-clothed Japanese who entered the U. S. defense sector under arms in violation of a longstanding international agreement. Marine authorities released the men after a formal apology was made to Col. DeWitt Peck, Marine commander for the region, but Japanese authorities deny that any apology has been made. A Japanese spokesman declared that "three or four" of the Japanese had been "assaulted and injured" by Marines, and "treated like criminals sentenced to death." He went on to charge that "the Marines have abandoned their responsibility as a joint defense force in Shanghai," adding that "we believe the case will acquire a serious nature in future."

Political quarters estimate at least a hundred people are dead as a result of "violent disorders" in yesterday's presidential elections in Mexico, with hundreds more injured. An official tally by police in Mexico City report at least nineteen dead in the capital, and another 251 reported injured. Reports of "widespread irregularities" in the voting threaten to complicate the task of determining the outcome. Both Gen. Manuel Avita Camacho, administration candidate, and rival Gen. Juan Andreau Almazan are claiming "overwhelming victory" in the vote.

Three murals depicting the history of aviation, displayed in the lobby of the administration building at Floyd Bennett Field, were taken down today and will be destroyed by burning, after complaints that the murals, painted by WPA artists, contained "communistic propaganda." The decision followed complaints from citizens that images painted by artist August Henkel "sacreligiously" depicted the Wright Brothers wearing slacks and sport shirts, that one of the hangars depicted displayed a red Soviet star on its side, that a statue depicted resembled the figure formerly atop the Soviet Pavilion at the World's Fair, that one of the pilots depicted in one of the scenes resembled a man who had flown for Republican Spain, and that another had a moustache similar to that of Joseph Stalin. Henkel reportedly refused to sign an oath required of all WPA artists swearing that he was not and had never been a member of the Communist Party, and was fired from the project. The incident follows the dismissal of another WPA artist who had been accused of drawing an illustration of a pair of calipers and a micrometer in a manner resembling that of the Communist hammer and sickle.

When the All Star teams of the National and American Leagues take the field at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis tomorrow, Cincinnati Reds manager Bill McKechnie, in charge of the N. L. squad, will send one of his own boys out to the mound. Either Paul Derringer or Bucky Walters will get the starting nod for the Nationals. American League manager Joe Cronin of the Boston Red Sox has not yet announced his starting pitcher.

A 42-year-old Flatbush man has been denied bail on drug charges, after he was found in possession of a quantity of morphine. Louis Cianci, who told police he has no home address, was picked up in Borough Park this morning and arraigned in Flatbush Court for trial in the Court of Special Sessions. Cianci has a long arrest record including an assortment of homicide, robbery, grand larceny, felony firearms and drug charges.

Three hundred and fifty children from well-to-do British families arrived in New York today aboard the Cunard-White Star liner Scythia, the second batch of young evacuees to arrive in port in the past two days. The children, the youngest of whom is 7 months old, will stay in the United States "for the duration" with American friends and relatives.

Attendance at the World's Fair topped 100,000 for the fourth consecutive day, with the site of the July 4th bombing near the British and Polish Pavilions that killed two detectives remaining a prime attraction for sight-seers and curiosity seekers. The Commissioner-General of the Polish Pavilion has filed a formal complaint with the Police Department against the action of the detectives who carried the bomb out of the British Pavilion to a fenced-in area near the Polish restaurant. The official complained that this action, and the subsequent explosion, drove away up to 3000 potential customers who were expected to dine at the restaurant that evening.

If you keep a close eye on your Hollywood screen favorites you'll notice that movie-star noses aren't what they used to be. The style among leading men now is for short, perky noses of the James Cagney style, with the noble Roman models having fallen out of favor. The example of George Brent is instructive, with that star having recently made certain modifications to his proboscis to remain in keeping with the present mode. But John Barrymore's classical nose remains as it ever was, as do the smellers of Jimmie Durante, Walter Hampden, and W. C. Fields.

A Brooklyn doctor told police today he had no choice but turn to providing illegal narcotics to drug addicts. Dr. Herman S. Prank said he'd tried to make a living with a legitimate practice, but found the local medical field too overcrowded. To make ends meet, he admitted, he had developed a sideline practice of prescribing narcotics to addicts at twice the usual fee. Dr. Prank was arrested at his Bedford Avenue office yesterday on a tip provided by Charles Storch, a known addict who was nabbed by police while leaving Prank's office with a quantity of morphine sulphate tablets.

The Eagle Editorialist comes out in favor of compulsory military training for all American men, but declines to support a broader-ranging plan put forward by President Roosevelt that would institute a program of compulsory national service in a broad range of fields for all American youth, male and female.

(Looks like they found Tecum.)

The Dodgers are off on a short barnstorming tour before National League play resumes after the All Star Game, and they arrived in Montreal today for the first stop on that tour in a state of shell-shock after dropping both ends of their doubleheader yesterday in Boston. Not only did they see their seven-game winning streak decisively ended -- they were held scoreless by the Bees for seventeen of the eighteen innings they played yesterday -- but they also lost Dolph Camilli, indispensible first baseman, for an indefinite period. Camilli was hurt in a collision with Boston baserunner Buddy Hassett, who crashed into him hard while running out a close grounder in the third inning of the first game. The two collided with such force that Camilli was momentary knocked out cold, his face gashed and bleeding. The first baseman -- who hadn't missed a game since 1938 -- was resting uncomfortably at a Boston hospital with a bruised vertebra.

("It's all Solly Pinkus's fault," grumbles Joe as the train rattles thru the night. "That bum. If he hadna gimme back that $3 we wouldna hadda come alla way out here ta watch THAT!" And Sally leans her head against the side of the bumping, bouncing coach and dreams fitful dreams of poor Petey going 1 for 6.)

The Dodgers face their top farm club, the Montreal Royals, in an exhibition game today at Delormier Downs. The Flock will appear minus the six Dodgers now in St. Louis for the All Star Game, and with Camilli and Joe Vosmik both injured, it will be necessary for at least one pitcher and one catcher on the remaining roster to fill vacant infield and outfield positions. When the Dodgers move on to play in Elmira tomorrow, they'll be joined by four semipros from the Bushwicks to fill out their squad.

The American League is the 5-2 favorite to win tomorrow's All-Star Game. It's the first mid-season classic since the game was founded in 1933 to be played on a field familiar to both leagues -- although with the Cardinals hosting, the NL will be the "home team," Sportsman's Park actually belongs to the Browns, with the Cardinals merely tenants.

Athletes from the Brooklyn Central YMCA will recreate the first game of basketball in an exhibition at the World's Fair tomorrow. The game will be played according to the original rules laid out by Dr. James Naismith forty-eight years ago, using a soccer ball and two peach baskets for goals. The players will appear in uniforms resembling long underwear, and will wear Gay 90s-style handlebar moustaches for the occasion.

("George! What's the meaning of this! I got a positively dippy telephone call from the police saying you were being held at Bellvue! They said you were ranting and raving about Sugarfoot and that elephant and that they took you in for your own safety! You just know what those snippy neighbors are going to say when they hear about this! Why, I won't be able to hold my head up on the street!")

(Dennie's getting a real education.)

(That skinny-pants trend everybody hates? Started with Irwin Higgs.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

"My sister and I -- recall the day...we said goodbye and sailed away -- and we think of the friends who had to stay...but we don't talk about that...."

Poor Connie, he'll be so disappointed.

Sandy's gonna miss that nice canned dog food and the bed with blankets.

You don't have to keep pounding him, I don't think he can hear you anymore...

Oh you zany impetuous kids.

Yeah, might as well spend the last of your money. Hey, why bother to take the bus? Go Pullman!

Ah, what would a crooked half-fare train trip be without a stereotype porter to get wise to you and throw you off the train somewhere around Buffalo.

And you never got a nickel of it. You're slipping, Moon.

 

[Fading Fast]

Japanese army men in Shanghai threatened today to make a serious incident of the arrest by U. S. Marines of sixteen plain-clothed Japanese who entered the U. S. defense sector under arms in violation of a longstanding international agreement. Marine authorities released the men after a formal apology was made to Col. DeWitt Peck, Marine commander for the region, but Japanese authorities deny that any apology has been made. A Japanese spokesman declared that "three or four" of the Japanese had been "assaulted and injured" by Marines, and "treated like criminals sentenced to death." He went on to charge that "the Marines have abandoned their responsibility as a joint defense force in Shanghai," adding that "we believe the case will acquire a serious nature in future."...

Mr Caniff will have plenty of new grist for his mill.

..Three murals depicting the history of aviation, displayed in the lobby of the administration building at Floyd Bennett Field, were taken down today and will be destroyed by burning, after complaints that the murals, painted by WPA artists, contained "communistic propaganda." The decision followed complaints from citizens that images painted by artist August Henkel "sacreligiously" depicted the Wright Brothers wearing slacks and sport shirts, that one of the hangars depicted displayed a red Soviet star on its side, that a statue depicted resembled the figure formerly atop the Soviet Pavilion at the World's Fair, that one of the pilots depicted in one of the scenes resembled a man who had flown for Republican Spain, and that another had a moustache similar to that of Joseph Stalin. Henkel reportedly refused to sign an oath required of all WPA artists swearing that he was not and had never been a member of the Communist Party, and was fired from the project. The incident follows the dismissal of another WPA artist who had been accused of drawing an illustration of a pair of calipers and a micrometer in a manner resembling that of the Communist hammer and sickle..

Whatever the merits - or not - of the claims, it's a shame they didn't store them as they'd be incredible pieces of art and history to have with us today.

...A 42-year-old Flatbush man has been denied bail on drug charges, after he was found in possession of a quantity of morphine. Louis Cianci, who told police he has no home address, was picked up in Borough Park this morning and arraigned in Flatbush Court for trial in the Court of Special Sessions. Cianci has a long arrest record including an assortment of homicide, robbery, grand larceny, felony firearms and drug charges....

I always think that our criminal justice system was much-less forgiving back then, but examples like this abound. I have a strong feeling that the "shorthand" I have in my head on this one is wrong.

...Attendance at the World's Fair topped 100,000 for the fourth consecutive day, with the site of the July 4th bombing near the British and Polish Pavilions that killed two detectives remaining a prime attraction for sight-seers and curiosity seekers. The Commissioner-General of the Polish Pavilion has filed a formal complaint with the Police Department against the action of the detectives who carried the bomb out of the British Pavilion to a fenced-in area near the Polish restaurant. The official complained that this action, and the subsequent explosion, drove away up to 3000 potential customers who were expected to dine at the restaurant that evening....

Since no arrests were made, it's stunning how cavalier everyone is about the risk of another bomb. And re the Commissioner-General: seriously!?

J...A Brooklyn doctor told police today he had no choice but turn to providing illegal narcotics to drug addicts. Dr. Herman S. Prank said he'd tried to make a living with a legitimate practice, but found the local medical field too overcrowded. To make ends meet, he admitted, he had developed a sideline practice of prescribing narcotics to addicts at twice the usual fee. Dr. Prank was arrested at his Bedford Avenue office yesterday on a tip provided by Charles Storch, a known addict who was nabbed by police while leaving Prank's office with a quantity of morphine sulphate tablets....

Oh, well, as long as you first tried to earn a honest living, we'll just let you off with a warning.

...
(Looks like they found Tecum.)...

Or somebody from 2020.

...The Dodgers are off on a short barnstorming tour before National League play resumes after the All Star Game, and they arrived in Montreal today for the first stop on that tour in a state of shell-shock after dropping both ends of their doubleheader yesterday in Boston. Not only did they see their seven-game winning streak decisively ended -- they were held scoreless by the Bees for seventeen of the eighteen innings they played yesterday -- but they also lost Dolph Camilli, indispensible first baseman, for an indefinite period. Camilli was hurt in a collision with Boston baserunner Buddy Hassett, who crashed into him hard while running out a close grounder in the third inning of the first game. The two collided with such force that Camilli was momentary knocked out cold, his face gashed and bleeding. The first baseman -- who hadn't missed a game since 1938 -- was resting uncomfortably at a Boston hospital with a bruised vertebra....

A video or, even, a pic of that play would be interesting. The Dodgers' slumping bats are just part of a 162 game season. This is why I wonder, if they do try a 50 or 60 game season this year, will it even feel like a legitimate season? Part of baseball is (surviving) the long grind.

...("It's all Solly Pinkus's fault," grumbles Joe as the train rattles thru the night. "That bum. If he hadna gimme back that $3 we wouldna hadda come alla way out here ta watch THAT!" And Sally leans her head against the side of the bumping, bouncing coach and dreams fitful dreams of poor Petey going 1 for 6.)...

Of course those are the games those two had to see on their trip.

...
("George! What's the meaning of this! I got a positively dippy telephone call from the police saying you were being held at Bellvue! They said you were ranting and raving about Sugarfoot and that elephant and that they took you in for your own safety! You just know what those snippy neighbors are going to say when they hear about this! Why, I won't be able to hold my head up on the street!")...

"Umm, of course, I'll race right over with the bail money" said as she hangs up the phone with a pondering expression on her face.

...[ (That skinny-pants trend everybody hates? Started with Irwin Higgs.)

How's that ego Dan?

... Poor Connie, he'll be so disappointed....

Another day to appreciate Caniff's illustrations. The quality of work that some of these comic-strip illustrators were putting out daily is amazing (see "Gasoline Alley" today as well). And Pat's been getting in the better lines lately.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Here's a shot of one of the mural panels coming down.

Pity it's not the one with Wilbur and Orville, I didn't know how much I wanted to see the Wright Bros. in sport shirts and slacks until I read that article. I'm not exactly sure what's going on in this panel, but I'm guessing we've gotten to the part that doesn't gloss over the fact that aviation is as much a brutal tool of war and death as it is an example of twentieth century progress. As thirties social-comment art goes, it seems like pretty standard stuff. This was Henkel's only WPA project, and it's tragic that no color photos exist.

Henkel did run for the state assembly on the Communist ticket in 1934, but he was more of an old-style Debs Socialist trying to be fashionable than any kind of hard-core Red.

As we've seen in past months, Brooklyn is a hive of medical corruption -- you can find a crooked doctor on any block if you're willing to pay the price. Not too far, really, from the prescription-mill doctors dishing out the opoiods to all comers in more recent times.

Can you imagine any baseball team today barnstorming over the All Star break? The article is quite honest in stating they're doing it because the team needs every cent it can get to make payroll and keep the bills paid. Baseball before TV rights, even in a major market like Brooklyn, was a pretty shoestring business. That said, though, I'd feel pretty cheated if I bought a ticket to see the Dodgers in person and they bring out a bunch of guys from the Bushwicks wearing Dodger uniforms. "Rooting for laundry" indeed.

I can't imagine how Camilli -- a rugged, husky fellow if there ever was one -- could have been knocked unconscious with his face cut up on that play. Guys running to first base don't usually come in with spikes high. Maybe Hasset knocked him over and than stepped on him?

This cheesy little season we're going to get will be the most asterisked season ever. I'm going to think of it as exhibition games, and nothing more.

I'll be interested in seeing what's going to happen when Pat walks in on Hu Shee trying to pump Connie for information. "Who sent you, as if I couldn't guess?"