Banner Graphic, Volume 12, Number 73, Greencastle, Putnam County, 2 December 1981 — Page 1

Two killed in U. S. 40 accidents From Staff, Wire Dispatches A Route 1, Coatesville. man and a Brazil woman were killed in separate accidents Tuesday on U S. 40 EARL D. BELL, 25, WAS fatally injured in a one-vehicle accident at 2:36 a m., just north of U.S. 40 at Stilesville. Bell, a resident of the Amo area for the past 21 years, was a passenger in a Ford fourwheel drive Fl5O driven by John R. Webber, Route 6, Box 111, Danville. According to the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department, the Webber vehicle was northbound on County Road 550 W, less than a mile north of U.S. 40, when the accident occurred. Investigating officer Sgt. Dan Williams reported that the vehicle left the roadway, traveled 120 feet and struck a utility pole, overturning in the process. Bell was pronounced dead at the scene, while Webber was treated for head lacerations at Hendricks County Hospital. SERVICES FOR BELL, a 1974 graduate of Cascade High School, will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Wingler Funeral Home in Coatesville, with burial in the Coatesville Cemetery. Friends may call after 3 p.m. Wednesday. Rev. Frank Rodgers will officiate. Born in Indianapolis on June 17,1956, the victim was the son of Thomas and Buena (Brown) Bell. He was employed at Griffin Grain Co. in New Winchester. A Marine Corps veteran with two years (1974-76) active duty and four years in the reserves, he was a member of the Moose Lodge at Danville. SURVIVORS INCLUDE the wife, the former Lisa Clemens; a son, Wesley Scott, at home; two daughters, Ruth Ann and Dusty Lynn, Illinois; his parents, Mr. add Mrs. Thomas E. Bell Sr., Coatesville; grandparents, Josephine and Earl Bell, Daytona Beach, Fla.; two brothers, Thomas Bell Jr., Covington, and Ralph Bell, Plainfield; five sisters, Alice Liles, Indianapolis, May Johnson Stilesville, Helen Hostettler, Clayton, Ruth Walton, Route 1, Coatesville, and Tammy Pruden, Fillmore. In another fatal U.S. 40 accident Tuesday morning, Vicky Price, 28, Brazil, was killed in a two-car mishap east of Terre Haute, near Seelyville. The Brazil woman was a passenger in a Col. 4, back page, this section

Sutherlin fights dismissal from Hendricks force

From Staff, Wire Dispatches For the second time in recent weeks, a former Putnam County man is the subject of turmoil within the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department. First it was deputy' Richard Lyon, Coatesville, who filed a $1 million lawsuit against the county and Sheriff Ray Daugherty after he was suspended while a grand jury probed his alleged involvement in procuring prostitutes for visiting Shriners. No charges were ever brought against the Greencastle High School graduate NOW, COUNTY NATIVE Jerry Sutherlin is at odds with Hendricks County officials following his dismissal as deputy.

White lies for our skies? A 30 per cent chance for light snow overnight. Low in the low and mid 30s. Cloudy and cool Thursday. High in the upper 30s and low 40s. Indiana Extended Forecast Friday through Sunday: A cool and dry period. Highs will range from the mid 30s to the mid 40s. Lows in the 20s to the lower 30s. Index Abby ' A 5 Calendar A 5 Classifieds 84.85 Comics A 6 Crossword B 4 Heloise A 5 Horoscope B 5 House Call A 6 Obituaries A 8 * People A 6 Sports 81,82,83,84 Supermarket Shopper A 8 TV Afi Theaters AS Worry Clinic B 4

Banner Graphic Putnam County, Wednesday, December 2, 1981, Vol. 12 No. 73 20 Cents

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An Ohio trucker was transported to Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, following a Tuesday morning accident on U.S. 36, four miles west of Morton. Elzie Joe Shepherd, Route 2, Van Wert, Ohio, was eastbound, when his semi left the road

No Cloverdale OL base closing

By BECKY IGO Banner-Graphic Area News Editor CLOVERDALE--The Cloverdale base of Operation Life is still operating with one ambulance, although all dispatching has been transferred to the Greencastle station, according to OL Director Gary Boswell. AT A RECENT MEETING of the OL Board of Directors, members voted to discontinue the dispatching service at Cloverdale as it was forcing EMTs to do the work due to reduced manpower. But, there was never any intention to close the Cloverdale base or remove its ambulance. “We have heard that people in that area have been concerned,” Boswell said. “The only difference is that the calls will be transferred to Greencastle. People will still be able to phone the 795-6400 emergency number. “THE SQUAD WILL REMAIN in

He was let go because of "excessive absenteeism,” but plans to appeal the case, claiming his absences were unavoidable because of his son’s terminal illness and departmental error. The Hendricks Sheriff’s Merit Board fired Sutherlin last Wednesday for what it claimed was unauthorized sick time. Sutherlin had failed to show up for duty several times in the past few months, often without calling in sick, a department spokesman said. However, Sutherlin’s attorney, Ken A. Elmendorf, said the deputy’s absences were unavoidable because in some instances, he was not notified of shift changes within the department. Elmen-

Putnam Patter

Driver learns Reelsville hill facts

By DAVID BARR Banner-Graphic Civic Affair Editor A Chevrolet dealer in days when the automobile was still on trial would have been SIOO richer if his fat passenger hadn’t bailed out before they made it all the way to the top of the Reelsville Hill. DRIVER OF WHAT must have been a Chevy roadster was Dan Pollom, who had a car agency for western Indiana and eastern Illinois. He was out to prove that his vehicle could make the hill on high and carry a passenger to boot. The event drew a large crowd of people. Many of the owners of early day cars were there to resolve serious doubts that Louis Chevrolet, race driver and designer of the “Royal Mail” car, had made the famous Washington Township hill on high at speeds of 25 miles per hour Among those doubters was Harley Harrington, who drove a Jackson auto. In his opinion, a car carrying a passenger couldn’t make the hill at any speed. POLLOM TOOK EXCEPTION to this and invited Harrington, all 210 pounds of him, to be a passenger on the race uphill He accepted and bet $lO the car couldn’t

on the right side, crossed to the opposite lane and ran through a fence owned by Al Gray. The driver reportedly crawled from the twisted cab under his own power before authorities arrived. Sustaining

Aim Ambulance new here

Greencastle will be serving as a second base for Aim Ambulance Service, according to owner Harold Laffoon. THE SERVICE, currently in operation at Martinsville, was started in town by Laffoon four years ago. “We decided to locate in Putnam County about a month ago,” Laffoon said via phone Tuesday. The service had been previously transporting patients in Putnam County and it was determined there was sufficient business for a Greencastle branch.

Cloverdale,” Boswell assured. “We have one basic life support unit there. There has been no interest in moving it from Clover-

dorf also noted Sutherlin’s attention to his seven-year-old son Jeremy, a victim of a terminal illness. THE BOY SUFFERS FROM a rare, progressive disorder of the nervous system which causes violent seizures. Sutherlin has said his son will respond only to him during those seizures. Doctors at Riley Memorial Hospital for Children have tried medication to calm the boy, Sutherlin said, but have failed to find an effective treatment. Chief Deputy Marc A. Sullivan, who brought the charges before the board, said off-duty members of the department often had to be called in to fill in for Sutherlin. “His shift supervisor has had to work six

make it to the top. Other betting money came in and at the start of the run, Pollom stood to win or lose SIOO. Pollom roared out of Reelsville and threw his machine into high as he made the grade approach to the bridge, reaching the speed of 45 miles per hour. The turn at the hill at the end of the bridge almost proved his undoing. The car wobbled and the back wheels left the road, but Pollom got it under control and kept right on going until he went over what the Greencastle Herald Newspaper called the “bump” that marked the end of the Reelsville Hill and the beginning of the Pleasant Garden Hill. THE CROWD HAD gathered there and the driver assumed this must be the goal line, but shouts of “go on” caused him to shift back into high and complete the run. The brief stop at the bump gave Harrington the opportunity to hop out. Apparently, he had about all the thrills he could take for one day or perhaps he saw his betting money going down the drain. What followed was a hot argument because it was decided that Pollom

Aim Ambulance is being operated out of the Barker Used Car business at 1147 S. Bloomington St., Greencastle, Laffoon said. Currently, there is a three-person crew working from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. five days a week. “WHEN WE GET more established, we will set up on a 24hour basis with two ambulances and a wheelchair unit. We’re running two ambulances out of Greencastle now,” Laffoon said. Aim will operate on a private basis, without any county funding.

dale.” The director said the dispatching move was made for primarily two reasons. “We

of his last eight days off to cover for him,” Sullivan said. SULLIVAN SAID SUTHERLIN’S absenteeism has been a recurring problem. The deputy had been before the board four times previously on similar charges, Sullivan said, and was suspended for three days last month. Merit board member Joseph Laskey said the board "just bent over backwards” in the past because members knew of Sutherlin’s personal problems. He said the decision to fire the deputy was made reluctantly and only because Sutherlin’s absenteeism was hampering department efficiency.

violated the rules because his passenger only rode to the top of the Reelsville part of the hill. He was most unhappy because these rules were not in the original bargain, but the odds were against him and he lost the 100 bucks he was shooting for. AND SINCE THE “HONOR” of his Chevy roadster was at stake, he challenged Harrington to another ride, asserting that he could haul his hefty passenger up the Reelsville-Pleasant Garden hills or anywhere else he wanted to go - - and make it on high all the way. The ill-fated hill climb was staged on a summer afternoon in 1914 and was described in some detail by the Greencastle Herald Whether there was a second race to back up Pollom’s boast was not learned. Reelsville people reported that two or three Fords and a Studebaker Six had made the Reelsville Hill on high, but they admitted that Pollom earned a consolation prize because he was the first motorist, to their knowledge, who had completed the run into Pleasant Garden.

possible head injuries, Shepherd was first taken to the Putnam County Hospital by Operation Life's paramedic crew. (Banner-Graphic photo by Becky Igo).

are consolidating the dispatching to relieve the burden from the volunteers and there were financial considerations. ” Boswell said the dispatch change will not cut down the response time of the crews. “It will not affect our response time in any way We will still have 24-hour dispatching with paid personnel who are familiar with the town.” IN ADDITION, BOSWELL said a second emergency ambulance at a scene usually means Greencastle’s paramedic unit is in operation. “If a paramedic is needed, we usually send two ambulances,” Boswell explained. “We will send our basic life support unit from Cloverdale (in the southern district), and if it is determined paramedics are needed, that unit is dispatched to take over at the scene.” Although two units may be dispatched, the patient does not pay for services from both ambulances, Boswell concluded.

CHET COAN (L): Receives award from Gov. Orr

Chet Coan has right prescription for Sagamore of Wabash title

Our neighbor to the south may put up an argument, but any Hoosier knows that a Sagamore of the Wabash outranks a Kentucky Colonel. AND QUALIFICATIONS to be a Sagamore are sufficiently rigid that not many of us know any! But that is now changed. Early one recent morning, Gov. Robert Orr appeared at a meeting of the State Board of Pharmacy to present to a surprised Chester Coan the coveted Sagamore of the Wabash award. Chet, as he is known to his Putnam County friends, had just completed his second four-year term as a member of the State Board of Pharmacy and also eight years on the Indiana

Lark free as one on bond By BECKY IGO Banner-Graphic Area News Editor INDIANAPOLIS -- Bond was reduced Monday in Marion County Criminal Court 4 for David M. Lark, 44, Indianapolis, charged with the shooting death of a Belle Union antique dealer. Lark was arrested by Indianapolis police following the Nov. 5 fatal shooting of Gerry R. Lucas, 45, owner of Haylofts Antiques, Belle Union. MARION COUNTY SHERIFF’S Deputies reportedly received a call from Lark saying he had shot a man. The two men were business associates for 18 years. At a bond reduction hearing Monday, Judge David McNamar, master commissioner of Criminal Court 4, agreed to a bond reduction of SIOO,OOO personal surety. Meeting the bond, Lark was released from police custody. He was represented at the hearing by Indianapolis attorney Ferd Samper Jr. LARK PLEADED NOT guilty to the murder charge at a Nov. 13 arraignment. The matter has been set for pre-trial at 9 a m. Dec. 16 in Criminal Court 4. Lt. Robert Olsen of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department said Lucas sustained at least four or five gunshot wounds. When police arrived at Lark’s home, the victim’s body was discovered inside. In Lucas’ hand was a 22-caliber handgun which had not been fired, police said. Upon questioning, the victim’s wife, Deanne Lucas, told police her husband did not own such a weapon. ALTHOUGH IT IS UNCERTAIN what prompted the shooting, it is believed both men had been arguing over an antique furniture purchase. Lark first told police he had shot someone who had attempted to steal antique furniture from his home. Shortly before the shooting, Lucas paid Lark’s wife $1,300 for three pieces of furniture. The victim was shot when be began to move furniture from the home to a truck where his wife and a friend were waiting. MRS. LUCAS SAID there was a possibility her husband may have been shot because of a dispute the two men had over payment for remodeling work done at the Lucas home.

Controlled Substance Committee, which he had served as vice chairman and chairman. These activities, plus seven years on Indiana’s Health Facility Council, gave Chet a total of 15 years of service to the state of Indiana under three different governors. PROPRIETOR OF Coan s Pharmacy, which has been in Greencastle since 1944, Coan also has been a board member of Greencastle Federal Savings and Loan Association since 1962, served as a member of the Greencastle Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals, and always has been involved in civic development in Putnam Countv