Babe Ruth's called shot: During Game 3 of the World Series between the Yankees and Cubs, Babe Ruth allegedly pointed to the center-field bleachers and then hit a home run to that exact spot. Although eyewitness accounts and existing film confirm that Ruth made a gesture of some sort, it remains unclear what the exact nature of the gesture was.[2]
Business executive Samuel Insull and his brother Martin were requested by the state's attorney in Chicago to "return voluntarily" from their foreign havens of refuge to face an inquiry into the collapse of the Insull business empire that cost investors millions.[3]
Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, began his official trip in Eritrea and to the battlefield of Adwa, for the fiftieth anniversary of the Italian colony.[5]
Samuel Insull and his brother Martin were indicted in Chicago on charges of embezzlement and larceny after the request that they "return voluntarily" to face an inquiry went unanswered. Governor Emmerson was asked to take immediate steps to bring about the arrest of Samuel in Paris and Martin in Orillia, Canada.[8][9]
Born:Milan Chvostek, television producer and director; in Canada (d. 2018)
The legislature of the Mexican state of Veracruz approved a decree declaring that all Catholic priests had lost their citizenship rights and empowering the governor to seize all Catholic church property and convert it for other uses.[12]
Martin Insull surrendered to Canadian authorities.[13]
The Italian transatlantic liner SS Rex ended her inaugural trip, getting to New York harbor, enthusiastically hailed by the Italian-American people. The ship started from Genoa on September 27 and, in spite of some technical problems forcing her to an unplanned two days' parking in Gibraltar, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the remarkable time of five days and fourteen hours.[15]
As part of observances of the 100th anniversary of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel Morse, the chairman of the Postal Telegraph Company sent a telegram around the world in a record time of 4 minutes and 45 seconds. The message, "What hath God wrought", was identical to the original one that Morse sent from Baltimore to Washington in 1844.[17]
German Chancellor Franz von Papen gave a speech in Munich about a proposed new constitution that would place supreme authority in the hands of the cabinet and not the Reichstag. "The government must have the power, not parliament", von Papen said. "We need a second chamber with clearly defined rights to supervise parliament. Today the government's only means of countersetting the Reichstag is by emergency decree under Article 48."[18]
As part of celebrations commemorating the 10th anniversary of the March on Rome, Benito Mussolini granted amnesty to all members of the Fascist Party who had been disciplined for minor offenses.[21]
Albert Einstein upset existing scientific theory during a lecture in Berlin in which he said he had calculated the age of the Earth to be 10 billion years – 7 billion more than previously believed.[24]
William L. Shirer was fired from the Chicago Tribune due to a defamation lawsuit filed over a minor story in which he mixed up the name of a woman who had been arrested for an accident in Vienna. Shirer was promised a month's worth of severance pay, but he only received it in 1989 – fifty-seven years later.[25][26]
A prison riot broke out at Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario, Canada. Machinery and equipment were damaged, but there were only a couple of injuries in the four-hour uprising.[28]
Croatian political leader Vladko Maček was arrested by the Yugoslavian government.[7]
Died:Lucy Bacon, 75, American Impressionist artist
Henry Ford gave a radio address endorsing Herbert Hoover for re-election, asking, "Why bring in a new recruit and retire this seasoned leader especially since President Hoover has already got the massive forces of defense and recovery into action?" Ford's address concluded, "It is only common sense, when a man like Mr. Hoover has been educated by experience, when he has got control of the thing he is fighting, when is beginning to show results – it is only common sense to let him finish his job."[31]
Kingston Penitentiary was the scene of the second prison riot in a week. Troops with machine guns were called in to assist the guards. It was initially reported that the inmates took 40 guards hostage, although the warden denied this.[32][33] During the riot, several shots were fired into the cell of the imprisoned Communist Tim Buck, but authorities denied allegations of an assassination attempt.[34]
The Kingston Penitentiary riot was put down early in the morning after lasting 12 hours.[32] A later inquiry into the unrest there would determine that the prison had so many trivial rules that it was nearly impossible for inmates to avoid committing punishable infractions.[37]
Benito Mussolini made a speech in Turin before 500,000 Italians in which he promoted the idea of a four-power pact between Britain, France, Germany and Italy as a possible solution to Europe's problems.[39][40]
The German Supreme Court at Leipzig handed down a mixed ruling on the legality of July's Preußenschlag decree, finding it partially constitutional.[44]
Charlie Chaplin won his legal action against ex-wife Lita Grey seeking to prevent her from entering their two young sons into film acting. The judge ruled that the children should not be placed in films without the consent of both parents.[48]
Died:Margaret Brown, 65, American socialite, philanthropist and activist
Tens of thousands of National Hunger Marchers from all over Britain gathered in London's Hyde Park protesting against Britain's dole system. When a brick was thrown through a post office window at Great Cumberland Place, mounted police charged with clubs and rioting began, resulting in 60–70 injuries and numerous arrests.[49][50]
Died: Romolo Tranquilli, 28, Italian antifascist in the Procida jail, where he served a twelve years sentence for communist activity; his demise was caused by the tortures and abuses inflicted by the fascist police. He was the brother of Ignazio Silone who dedicated to his memory the first novel (Fontamara).[52]
In his hometown Forlì, Mussolini began a propagandistic tour in Northern Italy, touching Pavia and Monza (31 October), Brescia (1 November) and Ancona (3 November).[55]