PLEADS GUILTI
TO CONSPIRACY
IN KIDNAP CASE
Former Postmaster of Illi
nois to Take Rap,
Hamm Abduction
ST. PAUL, Minn., July 15.—Ed
mund C. Bartholomew, former Ben
senville, Illinois, postmaster, today
pleaded guilty in the Federal Court
to conspiracy charges in connection
with the $100,000 ransom kidnaping
of William Hamm, Jr., St. Paul
brewer, the same as Alvin Karpis
did yesterday.
The two pleas left John Peifer,
St. Paul night club owner, the
lone defendant, indicted as the
fingerman.
The Government alleges Barthol
omew's residence was used as the
kidnap hideout.
! —
NEW YORK, as of week ending
July 11.—By Associated Press) —
Drought and intense heat spread
death and devastation across the
nation.
The week's toll of lives neared 400
persons. The loss in crops and live
stock mounted above $300,000,000.
For days, temperatures in hundreds
: of cities, towns and countrysides
ranged above 100. Millions of acres
of timberland in the northern and
northwestern states were endanger
ed by forest fires.
The President personally mobil
i ized the forces of relief.
Within the week, around 17,000
| cropless farmers were at work on
Federal-,financed WPA projects in
the drought zone. The employment
i of 75,000 was authorized.
( The Rural Resettlement Admin
I istration, directed by Rexford G.
Tugwell, was providing cash relief
| to some 70,000 families. This aid
1 will be speedily extended to thou
j sands more.
In the North Central States,
; particularly the Dakotas, the Ad
ministration modified its soil con
| servation program to increase the
j supplies of feeds.
In the coming weeks, the fullest
amount of aid from the Federal
Government will be expended. In
! mid-August, the President said he
I would make a tour of the drought
l stricken States.
