Banner Graphic, Volume 14, Number 258, Greencastle, Putnam County, 7 July 1984 — Page 1

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HALSAGER

Who's news

Compiled by ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Managing Editor IBM Greencastle recently named HAL SAGER, senior systems analyst manager of the financial programs development department. Sager joined IBM in 1955 in Alberquerque, N.M. He was a customer engineer in the Santa Monica, Calif., branch before becoming a territory supervisor in Phoenix. In 1960, Sager moved to Poughkeepsie as an instructor and later the instruction manager. He has held various other positions, including FE education center manager in New York city and Kingston, N.Y. and branch manager in Dayton. Before moving to Greencastle this year, Sager was the FE branch manager in Terre Haute. His most recent position was as a program adviser in Greencastle. Sager lives with his wife Geraldine in Terre Haute. Rev. W. KEITH GECKELER, Greencastle Presbyterian Church minister, received his Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, at the school’s 150th commencement at Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago June 5. The Doctor of Ministry degree is open to pastors who have had at least two years experience in the ministry. Successful completion of a minimum of 36 course hours and a thesis in the practice of ministry are required for graduation. Dr. James Wall, editor of The Christian Century magazine, gave the commencement speech, “A Relevant Faith for a Faithless Society.” Rev. Geckeler and his wife Cheryl, codirector of the Learning Castle Preschool, reside at 1012 College Ave., Greencastle, with sons Christian and Paul. BETH COX, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Cox, Greencastle, has been named a 1984 United States National Award winner in leadership. Miss Cox, who attends Greencastle High School, was nominated for the national honor by Mrs. SYLVIA BOOE, physical education instructor and volleyball coach. Miss Cox’s picture and biography will appear in the United States Achievement Academy Official Yearbook published nationally. The academy so recognizes less than 10 per cent of all American high school students. MIKE MURPHY, formerly associated with Murphy Bros. Inc., Pontiac-Olds-GMC, Greencastle, has

Victory tour of our own Clear and unseasonably cool overnight. Low in the upper 40s to low 50s after a daytime high around 80. Mostly sunny and a little warmer Sunday, with high in the low 80s. Winds from the northeast at 5 mph throughout the period. Indiana Extended Weather Mostly sunny days and clear nights Monday through Wednesday. Lows mostly in the 60s Monday and mid 60s to low 70s Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs Monday mid 80s to low 90s. Hot Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs in upper 80s to mid 90s. Abby A 8 Classifieds A 7 Comics AS Crossword A 6 Horoscope A 7 Obituaries A 8 People A 6 Sports A4.A5 Theaters AS

Banner Graphic Greencastle, Putnam County, Saturday, July 7, 1984, Vol. 14 No. 258 25 Cents

KEITH GECKELER

been promoted to district sales manager in the Metro District of Portland, Ore. Murphy left Greencastle to accept a position with Pontiac Motor Division as district sales manager in the St. Louis zone. He and his wife Debbie have two sons, Michael Patrick and David Brandon. A recent dean’s list announcement from Butler University failed to include the name ERIC MURPHY, formerly of Route 4, Greencastle. A second semester senior at Butler, Eric and twin brother Gregg who also made the dean’s list, are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Russ Murphy, now of Greenwood. JANE LOUISE KELLY, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Richard C. Kelly, 612 Ridge Ave., Greencastle, has been named to the 1983-84 dean’s list and class honors at Duke University. She qualified by achieving a grade-point average of at least 3.3 out of a possible 4.0. ELDON C. McCAMMACK, son of Mrs. Mildred McCammack, Belle Union, and son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Hurst, Fillmore, was recently named commercial manager of Indiana Gas Co.’s New Castle District. McCammack joined Indiana Gas as a credit analyst in the Muncie District in 1970 and became senior clerk in 1975 and assistant commercial manager in 1977. A native of Belle Union, he was graduated from Belle Union High School and served in the U.S. Army, 1958-1960. He and his wife Patsy have four children. BRIAN WAYNE RILEY, Route 2, Greencastle, received the Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University, St. Louis, during recent commencement exercises. Air Force Lt. Col. TERRY S. PEHAN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry N. Pehan of 700 E. Washington St., Greencastle, has been decorated with the second award of the Meritorious Service Medal at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The Meritorious Service Medal is awarded specifically for outstanding non-combat meritorious achievement or service to the United States. Pehan is commander of the 44th Organizational Missile Maintenance Squadron. Airman MARK D. NICHOLS, son of Edward D. and Oneita L. Nichols, 44 Martinsville St., Greencastle, has been assigned to Sheppard Air Force Base, Tex., after completing Air Force basic training. The airman will now receive specialized instruction in the medical services field.

Putnam Patter

By DAVID BARR Banner-Graphic Civic Affairs Editor If home is our castle, then someone (small grandchildren suspected) left the gates open a little too long and allowed flies to come in, a development which has the lady of the house in a tizzy to find the swatter. At this point, she isn’t really sure if her problem is two or more flies or one fly that seems to be everywhere at once. The smart critters or critter, invariably show up when she is farthest from the fly swatter. Back in our grandma’s day, she would have jumped up and clicked her heels together if she had reduced the fly population down to numbers that could be counted. FROM THE HATCHERIES around all livestock areas, flies came in what seemed to be swarming millions to the house. If you’ve wondered why they are called houseflies, this is the reason. And to keep them from completely taking over, householders waged a daily battle, which didn’t make a dent in the problem, but

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BETH COX

House flies still out to get you

Demands to be driven to Chicago

Escapee abducts 4 local residents

By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Managing Editor A Greencastle couple and two young boys returned to Putnam County unharmed late Friday after being forced to drive an escaped Indiana State Farm inmate to Chicago. According to Investigator Dick Rice’s report, escapee Hobart Miller 34, formerly of Kentucky, was waiting Thursday evening at the Manhattan Road residence of Steve Neeley, Route 3, Box 44, Greencastle, approximately a mile north of U.S. 40. MILLER, WHO WAS reported missing

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Things are looking up at Roachdale as the old water tower gets a new look. Precariously perched painters this week refurbished the town's tower, a timely effort with the annual Lions Club July

made folks feel some better since they tried. Folks who could afford it out of their butter and egg money bought Daisy Fly Killers, a lethal instrument for making flies turn up their toes. It was well named since there was a painted daisy on its metal surface. What flies were not supposed to know was that the yellow center of the Daisy was not painted on. Rather it was a wick that brought up a liquid from the base of the gadget. Flies too stupid to do more than sniff at the daisy never left the house alive. FOLKS WHO LIVED back then in the age of the Daisy were not particularly concerned with toxic materials and most of them would have never known whether an environmentalist was a guardian of the public health or a member of an off-brand religion. The Daisy had a clean bill of health. Liquid in the base was laced with pyrethrum which, I understand, is derived from flowers and is altogether harmless to humans. Why it sends insects to an early grave is something I have yet to find out.

by Putnamville officials at 9 p.m. Wednesday, forced two boys playing in the front yard of the residence into the house at knifepoint, police said. The boys are the children of Terry Matt. According to Rice’s report, when Neeley and Ms. Matt returned to the residence, they were held at knifepoint and treatened if they refused to drive Miller to Chicago. Miller allegedly forced Neeley, Ms. Matt and the two children into a car parked at the Manhattan Road residence sometime after 6 p.m. Thursday. He reportedly made them drive all night to Chicago. The escapee reportedly took all the

celebration under way. The Roachdale celebration, incidentally, ends Saturday with 11 p.m. fireworks. (Banner-Graphic photo by Bob Frazier).

Another fly exterminator, which I am sure all guardians of public health would have applauded, was fly paper. Flies that made uncharted landings onto its sticky surface were there to stay. TO SAY THAT THIS fly catcher was harmless to humans would be going a little too far. Supposedly, papers were left in places where humans would not normally be sitting or leaning. They carefully inspected their chairs first just to be sure someone hadn’t moved the fly paper. Traveling peddlers used to sell some sort of yellow powder in a “squeeze” box which allowed the contents to be dusted toward the ceiling of a closed room. After a period of time, the room was reopened and the dead flies swept out. As I recall it, the stuff was safe if the duster could hold his breath long enough to empty the box and find the out door before he had to come up for air. This may make you a little more careful of what you eat, but now they’re telling us that insecticides can be concocted from common household commodities. As unknown genius of Civil War days had this

money the couple had and left them in their car at Montrose Avenue and Maldin Street on Chicago’s West Side. THE VICTIMS, UNHARMED by their abductor, returned to Indiana and reported the incident to authorities at the State Police Post at Lowell. However, officials at the northwestern Indiana post had no information on the case when contacted Saturday by the Banner-Graphic. State Police at Putnamville first learned of the incident Friday afternoon. Miller is reportedly still at large in the Chicago area. He was last accounted for by State Farm officials at 8:30 p.m. Wed-

Little new info homicide By ERIC BERNSEE Banner-Graphic Managing Editor One month ago Saturday state police investigators had a body and no identity. A week later they had the victim’s name--Regina J. Pierce, 17, formerly of Monrovia. Bits and pieces of background fell together and authorities began to retrace the fatal steps that ended with the June 8 discovery of her body off the access ramp of Interstate 70 at the Ind. 243 interchange in Putnam County. NOW, THREE WEEKS after Jane Doe became Regina Pierce, authorities are still without a motive. Still without a suspect. There are only theories as to what happened to Miss Pierce, who was shot in the head and sexually assaulted. Her body was discovered by a passing motorist less than 24 hours after she was killed, police believe. “As far as we know, she was coming home,” Det. Sgt. Jack Hanlon told the Banner-Graphic Friday, advising that there is nothing really new in the case at this time. THE MAIN THEORY-as it has been almost since the beginning of the in-vestigation-is that the Indianapolis native was hitchhiking to her mother’s home in Monrovia when she met her demise. Police know she called her mother, Linda Pierce Asher, from Oklahoma on June 1 and again from a Council Bluffs, lowa, truck stop on June 3. That same truck stop, visited by Putnamville investigators Jerry Conner and Dick Rice, is located just across the road from a go-go club, known as “Blondie’s Bar,” where the victim was employed briefly as a dancer. Quite possibly, Miss Pierce left the bar after work and was able to obtain a ride, presumably with an Indiana destination. The truck stop is located near the junction of 1-29 and 1-80, while Interestate 29 crosses 1-70 in the Kansas City area. It is presumed Miss Pierce final ride took such form. “FOR NOW, WE’RE just sitting on it,” Sgt. Hanlon said of the main theory in the case. “Maybe it’ll hatch.” Police have checked the records to Col. 2, back page, this section

figured out a long time ago. THE FORMULA CONSISTED of a spoon of black pepper (size of spoon not given), a teaspoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of cream. These were to be mixed and put on a plate convenient to flies. The “guarantee” here was that the flies would leave. Did this mean that they would leave this vale of tears or that they would go out for a sneezing fit? Homemade or store-boughten fly killers or traps had one thing in common - the flies they destroyed never again would trouble mankind. But the ones they didn’t kill always came to pay their respects to the deceased and the last state of flysuffering mankind was worse than the first. FOR FOLKS IN THOSE days when there were no radios, TV’s or newspapers to forecast weather, the flies could do a fill in service. If the screen was black with flies, all begging to come in, grandma was sure there was a thunderstorm on the way and she got baby chickens under cover and hustled the clothes in off the line just to be on the safe side, even if the flies should be wrong this time.

nesday while working in the dairy facility. Although he is a Kentucky native, Miller was believed to be headed north when his escape was first discovered. That proved to be correct with his journey to Chicago. MILLER, WHO WAS serving an eightyear sentence for burglary handed down in Starke County, was transferred to Putnamville in September 1983 from the Westville Correctional Center, ISF Supt. Edward Cohn told the Banner-Graphic earlier this week. Miller is described as 5-feet-9, 160 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. He is apparently armed with at least a knife.

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STACEY SPEEDY Fair queen hopeful Stacey Speedy quick to praise queen contest By BARBARA CARHART Banner-Graphic Staff Writer Competition is all in the Bob and Felice Speedy family as daughter Stacey vies for the crown worn by the Putnam County Fair Queen. The 1984 Cloverdale High School graduate will be among 17 girls in the annual competition slated for Saturday, July 28. The 18-year-old 4-H veteran claims sports and sewing as her favorite pastimes. This, of course, stands to reason in a family that includes three boys: Bob, 19, Ron, 17, and Ryan, 15. Brother Bob is best known for his role as forward-guard for the Cloverdale basketball team. BUT STACEY IS forging her own identity in the Speedy household. She was accepted with distinction to Indiana Central University, Indianapolis, where she plans to major in English secondary education and received the DAR citizenship award. She was also a two-year member of the National Honor Society at her alma mater. Stacey decided to get involved in the fair queen competition for the experience of meeting people. “I also thought it would be a lot of fun attending the workshops,” she explained. “I thought I would learn a lot of things.” Family reaction to her latest adventure has been positive. “I DIDN’T TELL DAD at first,” Stacey remembers. “Mom really encouraged me. She said ‘Oh, go ahead.’” Although she has taken quite a bit of ribbing from her siblings, brothers three are rooting for her too. “They’re glad I’m in it,” Stacey said, smiling, “but they still laugh.” Involvement is nothing new to the sports-minded Stacey. She has been a cheerleader for four years, a yearbook editor and assistant editor for two years; member of the Pep Club for four years and choir for three years including a stint with Accents and manager for the basketball, track and volleyball teams. SHE LISTS HER 4-H experience as a highlight. The Cloverdale resident has spent four of her nine years in the program as a junior leader. “I was involved in the fashion review all those years,” she exCol. 4, back page, this section