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Show SOUTH CACHE COURIER Marine Sergeant Who Was King Of 12,000 Natives on Voodoo Isle Tallulah The Magic Lanterns: Bankhead, whose cinema career L . was wrecked a decade ago with cheesy stories, didnt make that blunder again. She comes back In By ROBERT II. MYERS Released by Western Newspaper Union. Lifeboat, fashioned by John Stein beck and directed by the mighty (Through courtesy of THE LEATHHitchcock. Its a highly seaworthy ERNECK, the magazine of the U. S. vehicle. Its story deals with the ad- Marines.) ventures of nine in a boat through dark, gloomy night in the courtesy of a Nazi sub. A Nazi year 1848, on the tiny gets aboard the boat, and from then on, in Steinbecks devastating diatropical voodoo isle of La logue, you get a swell look at a rat. Gonave, black King Faustin Tallulah gives her role plenty of I suddenly and mysteriously vigor, and there are good jobs by Years crept by Wm. Bendix, Gwen Anderson and disappeared. and King Faustin I was never Henry Hull . . . Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman puts Basil heard from again, but a legend was born that some day a Rathbone to work at his silky gum descendant of his name would shoeing. He prowls around to discover that all those suicides aren't return to rule this West Indies what theyre cracked up to be . . island. Of Thee I Sing is to be filmed, Some three score and ten years probably hopeful of getting a free later, In 1920, a creaky sailboat ride on the Presidential campaign, lurched across the choppy waters of the channel from Port au Prince and I Remember It! Bob Dunn wonEcraped up on the sands of La Gonders if we ever heard about the late ave. Bounding out was a strange Jim Thornton, the vaudeville star, collection of occupants; chattering when he was teamed with Gentleblack natives, bawling cattle and man Jim Corbett. Mr. Thornton Gunnery Sergeant Wlrkus of the and whenever United States marines whose first was an elbow-bende- r, he went on a spree, the act was name was Faustin. cancelled. It happened at the PalThus was forged a link in one of ace Theatre. the strangest stories that ever came Corbett went looking for his partout of this storied, superstition-boun- d ner and located him in a saloon island. For Faustin E. Wir-ku- s, with a terrible looking bum. Cor-.be- tt a blue-eyesquare-chinne- d bawled him out and refused to Yankee from the state of Pennsylgive him money for one more drink. vania, who had never heard of King To which Thornton, in regal tones, Faustin I or about his mysterious Mr. Ruesell, disappearance from La Gonave, and said to the bum: this is Mr. Corbett. Throw a louse most certainly was no descendant of on him! the ebony emperor, eventually was crowned King Faustin II and Mail This to Someone: We saw it reigned virtually singlehanded over In Coronet. It should be handed to the 12,000 natives for nearly five people who cash in their War Bonds. years between 1921 and 1925. A man scheduled for induction the Hes Asked About Queen. next day decided, before going to He became famous as the White Bond next to the in cash his sleep, and as he King of La Gonave, a. m. That night he dreamt he was in a goes about more commonplace duties in the marine corps today, he e fighting Japs. One Jap still numerous inquiries about charged at him with a bayonet. his gets in Haiti; about the broad years own was our hero his rifle, Sighting and native woman, Queen beaming about to save himself by pulling the Ti Memenne, who had chosen him his when tapped sergeant trigger, to rule the island. him on the shoulder and said, SorTi of course, was ry, but the man who paid for your notQueen aMemenne,nor was Wirkus really queen, rifle wants it back. truly a king, because La Gonave was merely a province of Haiti and The Morning Mail: Dear Wal under the administration of the HaiIt tian ter, writes Maurice Rocco, republic and its president But must be an oldie, but it still gets the stormy little country had been the biggest laugh wherever gamblers the scene of a bloody uprising a gather. About the wife who (going few years before, starting in 1915. her found through grooms pockets) Marines had been sent in to settle a slip of paper on which was memod and a picked number had reRuth.' She asked him: Whats this it, mained to train and run the native mean? Gendarmerie. Oh, he oh'd, thats a horse I Gunnery Sergeant Wirkus was one played today. Then the phone rang. of these men, and by congressional She picked up the receiver. permission, was on detached Darling, said the Mrs., your with the Gendarmerie and held duty the horse wants to talk to you. rank of lieutenant in the force. Assigned to La Gonave, he was officialBehind the Scenes: Grena Ben ly a subdistrict commander. nett, a New York opera critic, Today Wirkus is a warrant officer, spends spare hours at the movies. in charge of the marine aviation deIn one film revival she saw an actor tachment at the navys listed as "Alexander Broun. Grena school at Chapel Hill, N. C. But to wracked her memory to place a go back to those years of yesterfamiliar mannerism of the unknown day player. Then a closeup showed the Soon after enlisting, he landed in trouper had oddly scarred thumbs. Haiti with the first outfits of maIt was Richard Bennett, in a rines that went down to settle the meager role, who disguised himself trouble in that country. His was the in two critics' names, Woollcott and old Twenty-secon- d company, led by Broun. Miss Eennett, you see, was Capt Alexander S. Williams, and Richard Bennetts first wife. She his battalion commander was a man remembered a boyhood accident later destined for world fame, Gen. that nearly cost him his hands. Smedley Butler. Five Years of Bushfighting. The morning after movie director Off and on for five years, the maEdmund Goulding first visited Hol- rines were busy bushfighting the lywood (many years ago), he was treacherous cacos, awakened by his hosts valet, wuo natives whose tactics were bloody if stood by the bed offering him a small golden bowl filled with a clear liquid. Only half awake, Goulding stared at the bowl. Was it a finger bowl? Surely not at this hour. Was it something to drink? He finally decided to ask the valet What the devil is this, anyhow? "The temperature of your bath, Will you intoned the lackey. kindly let me know if it is satisfactory, sir? ONE fox-hol- pre-flig- ht knife-wieldin- g Big City Vignette: Two old boys were enthused about the newsreel chewing their taffy and otherwise being kids at a movie theater last week . . . Then on came Greer Carsons short appealing for Infantile Paralysis contributions . . . The house lights went up, and the ladies with the coin boxes passed them . . . Probably thinking children had no money, a skipped the two boys . . . One got up and chased her several rows back beforfe he could catch her. Here lady, he kept calling, lady, here! . . . Limping on his braced leg to give his little bit so that some other youngster not so fortunate as he could go to a movie and giggle and munch candy and also give. box-pass- Thumbnail Picture: Raymond Paige read it long ago. About the diplomat from Europe, who after 125 witnessing Congress in action the first time, observed: "Congress is Warnings were issued that evestrange. A man gets up to speak ning that one of our patrols would and says nothing. Nobody listens be coming through this woods after and then all disagree. making a reconnaissance in front of tlie lines. Late in the evening some Ileheheh: Lee Shubert, the thea- 50 men approached us. ter magnate, was complaining of a We thought it was our own pasore throat. trol, said Ifc. Jack Sugarman, but That's what you get, scolded a we werent taking any chances. We wag, for counting your money out hollered halt, fired a shot over their loud. heads and no one answered. Then not successfuL Wirkus engaged In many scraps he killed seven cacos In one bitter engagement and gradually gained recognition as an effinon-cocient and straight-shootin- g Washington, D. C. Once In Port au Prince he took a handful of native gendarmerie and COMPLAINTS OF WASTED broke up a secret voodoo ceremony MANPOWER and captured the ringleaders. This The fathers draft has brought on he accomplished with not a man Ina new series of complaints about "wasted manpower in the armed jured. Voodoo meetings were often hotbeds of trouble. services stationed in the U. S. A. Duririg these years Wirkus kept Pending a call to action, a feeling of idleness and waste becomes a hearing tales about the island of La Gonave, 40 miles north of Port demoralizing factor. The men on au Prince and about 300 square miles the home front generally suffer most in area. Voodooism was, rampant from the age-ol- d service disease of on the island, and fearsome were just waiting around." some of the tales. A white man, so The type of thing that happens in it was whispered, was not safe on Warrant Officer Faustin Wirkus as the waiting period is illustrated in La Gonave. No one wanted that out- he looks today. a confidential survey made at the naval dirigible station at Lakehurst, post duty. Ghosts and spooks, they teriously, into a dwelling especially N. J., which brought forth the folsaid, haunted the place. But Wirkus made one visit to the reserved for him. It was late after- lowing facts. island and decided he wanted it as noon and the queens emissaries 1. The navy uses 100 to 115 men a command. He scoffed informed him that his presence to handle a blimp when it lands, at voodoo scare tales and still does would not be wanted before Queen whereas Goodyear handles the same and figured it would be a good Ti Memenne until late that night. blimp with 15 civilians. n 2. As at many shore stations, duty place as a job. Hunting Already drums were slowly beating and fishing were good, the climate in the village center. Still wondering usually consists of 24 hours on, then was no barrier, and Wirkus was what it was all about, he calmly un- 24 hours stand-b(which means ambitious to make a name for him- dressed and went to sleep. waiting around to see if anything Khaki-Cla- d self as the key man in running the Monarch. happens), , then 24 hours liberty. subdistrict. It was his responsibility Later the marine sergeant, Then this is repeated. Many men to regulate travel and traffic, predressed in his usual khaki and put- complain that the 24 hours of loafing vent smuggling, exercise control tees, entered the queens house, at stand-b- y could be used for some over the prison, enforce harbor and constructive type of work. stepping into a tiny room. ' "Squat 3. More than 1,000 civilians are docking regulations, sanitation re- ting in close array on the floor were quirements, and see that lands were members of the inner court. Ti employed to recondition ships at properly allotted and taxes paid. Memenne, barefoot and dressed in high rates of pay, while enlisted men Natives Suspicious. a gaily colored robe, sat at the front who could do the job and need the When Wirkus arrived on brooding in regal fashion, her black face training lie around idle. 4. A high wire fence, guarded by La Gonave, he found the natives shadowy in the sputtering, vague armed of Ti sailors, surrounds Lakehurst. of all white which candles. Memenne men, suspicious Queen rays was hardly surprising. For years must have been in her forties or Then, inside the fence, a marine they had been exploited and cheated. more, and, while a friendly woman, guards the outside of each hangar. Their lot was a poor one, to say the she had a way of commanding and Then, inside the hangar, two civilians also stand guard. least, Wirkus set out to correct getting respect. 5. The Lakehurst commissary, these conditions, and behind his sucThe marine found out why he had cess was a genuine affection for the been summoned before the, queen. which handles about 100 customers native population. As sequester, or He was to be crowned King Faus- per day, is staffed to handle about 1,000. It has 10 clerks, 2 commisadministrator, he not only handled tin II. 1 cashier. Any his official duties, but went out of At first I thought it was just a sioned officers and his way to help the people. He way they had of telling me they civilian groceryman plus an assistshowed them better ways to till their liked me, but later it developed that ant could easily handle the whole lands, for the main industry was ag- Ti Memenne and her people were business. Multiply Lakehursts wasted manriculture. He repaired their antique in earnest about the matter.. They equipment and modernized it where had discussed the thing for days, power by the navys many other thoupossible. and had agreed to name me as their shore stations and it runs into sands of men. Mothers were astonished but white king. Note: The men themselves are grateful when he came to their aid The ceremony, weird in many in bringing up their offspring. They ways, lasted nearly three hours. Out- not to blame. Most of them chafe want to see action. didnt know it, but he bought a side the drums rolled and pounded, at inactivity, ' Effect en the Men. The Care and Feeding of all but drowning out the bleating of book, One significant indication of how Children, to help him with such a young goat scared to the tip of the navy is with manpower glutted problems. He surveyed the lands his tail, which was brought into the g camps, deand divided, eliminating bitter dis- royal chamber and offered up as a is in the to a into a transform civilian signed he taxes reduced for blood sacrifice. putes, and sailor. This used to last some and boosted it for others, many Wirkus was seated on a small, three weeks. training Now it has been runof whom had enjoyed favoritism d chair, and at the ning four months or more. And aftfrom corrupt local representatives queens command, an attendant er finishing this thouof the Haitian government came from the next room bearing a sands of men lie around for months It took a full year for Wirkus to heavy, ornate crown. in OGUs units) awaiting gain the trust and friendship of the "I now crown you King Faustin assignment (outgoing to a school or other acislanders, and particularly Queen Ti II, proclaimed Queen Ti Mem- tivity. Memenne. The "queen was the enne, and she placed the crown In the past year, also, many enleading figure in a group of matri- the same crown, so it was said, listed men come to the conclusion archal societies which dominated that once had adorned the head of are being mainschools that navy affairs of business and society on King Faustin I on Wirkus! tained mainly for the purpose of La Gonave. During his early months Two huge blacks then picked me them occupied. there, Wirkus had made it a point to up and carried me outside. As soon keeping in Draft Quotas. Slump humor the fat and friendly queen, as I the drums beat out Most significant fact about the and she soon began to accept his the appeared kings salute four ruffles and manpower situation is that, all last advice and help. , three taps. I knew that this was summer the army and navy were Summons From Queen. no empty honor they were paying getting less than the quota of men One day Wirkus received a summe. requested from the draft they mons at his newly built home on the White King qt La Gonave. boards, but did not complain. Few coast. Messengers from the queen Thus was crowned The White people outside the government realdelivered it. They were very solemn. The message asked that Wir- King of La Gonave, a title that ized it, but even at the time the kus hasten inland and up into the was to bring Wirkus, the marine, fathers draft was under vigorous back mountain country to the fame in many countries. William B. discussion on Capitol Hill, the army Seabrook made him the featured ro- and navy were not complaining queens village of whitewashed mud huts. The queen very urgently want- mantic character of his book, Mag- about the failure of draft boards to ed to see the young American, who ic Isle, and later Mr. Wirkus him- fill the quotas. self wrote a book which he called During the first months of 1943, was then not quite 25. The White of boards overfilled their quotas. Gonave. draft La King Wondering what it could be about, With the fame, however, also But in April, they began to slump Wirkus accepted and started off on came envy and jealousy from cer- off, In that month, the army-nav- y horseback. The trails up the mountain quarters. : Haitis president a asked for 334,000 men but actually tain were crowded with natives, all only 299,000. This would not have heading for the queens village. few years later, Louis Borno, hardly got been significant if it had occurred in When he finally reached the village relished the popularity of La Gon-avsubdistrict commander, or the one month only. But in May, the he was ushered, still somewhat mys- thought that a "king, official or un- services asked Selective Service for official, was in charge of one of his 303,000 men, got only 264,000. Howno complaint from provinces. So eventually Wirkus ever, there was was transferred to another West In- either the army or navy. Again, in June, the services asked dies station. 320,000 men, but got only 288,000. for Before that happened, though, the In July, they asked for 355,000 but adventure - loving leatherneck got only 289,000, only slightly more proved himself a good and kindly than the June figure despite the fact The natives greeted administrator. the quota requested by the that him with Bon soir, Roi, or Good army and navy had been increased. evening, King, and he was forever In August, the army-nav- y request amused at the intense interest the to 299,000, and the draft natives took in his everyday affairs. dropped boards supplied only 221,000 men, a Often they stood around his home, scant 75 per cent of the number to watch him dress. just asked for. In September, the army-nav- y As King, of course, he had no quota was 313,00(1 men, but more authority than he had before. only 214,000 or 70 per cent got they In the eyes of his marine associates of what they asked for. in the Gendarmerie, he was still However, at no time did the merely subdistrict commander. He armed services make any protest. received no pay for his kingly title, seemed content to coast along and his stay on the island was as They what the with draft boards were givroutine as before. To him, it was them. ing just a high compliment. This . was all during the period In 1925 Wirkus was transferred to was under when the father-draf- t another station in the West Indies. serious discussion and when the adIt was a sad occasion when The ministration was taking a vigorous White King of La Gonave bade his stand that fathers had to be drafted. people goodby. The natives lined What the answer is, no one quite the shores and cheered as Queen Ti knows. officers Highup army-nav- y Memenne gravely prophesied: know but wont talk. Howprobably Some day you will come back the Truman committee may and rule the island of La Gonave." ever, ask some potent questions. ABOUT RUBBER Normally U. S. motorists needed 30 to 35 million new replacement tires a year. In 1942 and 1943 combined, only about IT million tires will have reached vehicle owners through rationing of- fices. Korojeal Is "Plasticized polyvinyl chloride," a B. F. Goodrich rubberlike material that before the war was used In more than 300 different products. Koroseal has now gone to war. Wheel alignment means much .to tire mileage these days, with so many old cars in service. Frequent checking of camber and toe-i- n in front wheels will prove a rubber and mileage saver. sub-distri- one-ma- y JWKiiTfiJUiJB M Two Qualities There are only two qualities in this world efficiency and inefficiency; and only two sorts of people the efficient and the inefficient. G. B. Shaw. Just 2 drops Penetro Nose Drops In each nostril help you breathe freer almost so your instantly, cold gets air. head Only 25c 2 times as much for 50c. Caution : Use only as directed. Penetro Nose Drops City of Saints So many streets in Montreal are named after saints that it is sometimes called the city of saints. boot-trainin- short-legge- boot-trainin- g, es How a Handful of Devildogs, Armed With One Machine Gun, Slew Japanese in a Three Hour Battle on Guadalcanal 3 :r . IWOllllO Yank Was Believed Reincarnation of Faustin SNAPPY FACTS -- the attack began. Japanese troops rushed the barbed wire defenses and attempted to scale them with a bridge made of poles and cloth. For each man that fell it seemed there were two more to take his place. The Japs threw everything at the machine gun positions, including grenades, dynamite, and flame throwers. "Five times, when the Japs were MERRY-GO-ROUN- D New Democratic National Chairman Bob Hannegan is boosting Dan Internal Revenue collector at said Sugarman, our Nee, attacking, Kansas City, to be his successor as we and to had gun jammed work Commissioner of Internal Revenue. pretty fast to clear it. Then their Thus the commissionership would mortars fonnd the range. Seven times we had to move our gun posi- be merely shifted from one end of Missouri, St. Louis, home town of tion. Hannegan, to the other end of MisThe battle lasted three hours, acKansas City, home town of souri, to cording Sugarman. He estimated that the machine gun pumped out Nee. trustC. Tom Corcoran, the 4,000 rounds, and 125 dead Japs lay a in his arm prehad shot has er, in front of their sector. paratory to going to China. C. 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