Miscellany: War

In Scotch Plains, N. J., John Crempa, Belgian War veteran, began the second major engagement of a one-man war against Public Service Gas & Electric Co. Eight years ago the company had part of his property condemned for a right-of-way for its power lines. He demanded $100,000. Eight hundred dollars were offered. In revenge he short-circuited the lines, costing the company a good part of $100,000. When he was jailed for six months. Public Service men offered to get him paroled if he would promise to let the company's wires alone. He refused the peace. Last week he went out again with a sling shot. He shot a sinker attached to a fishing line over the high tension wires. Then he tied scissors to the end of the line, pulled on the sinker until the scissors slid into place across the wires, short-circuiting the whole Scotch Plains system and costing the company a little more of the $100,000. This time, when the police called on John Crempa, they were obliged to retire before a shotgun held by Mrs. Crempa on the front porch, a pistol held by John upstairs. While the police planned a siege, enthusiastic neighbors brought the Crempas food.