Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 39, Number 50, Decatur, Adams County, 27 February 1941 — Page 1

■7 \\\i\

SEVEN ARE KILLED IN AIRLINER CRASH

Sectional Opens ■ This Evening At 1 Local Gymnasium

Kund \"<l .lrffer*on < ’ k ■f, r N‘<li»n.‘l lourne) ' WpIKSATI KI»AV jHS *1 111 ' •«'tonal . 'he nine * ,*c 'earn* ■*' «... i T ...lock this - '■ MJ* is . aim jitn jW*, '..- i.y night, one HV* ,~. ~ f "ii 'h- Hrlii of RB* . ihe Hunting '■ v Saturday. , "‘"'r 111 th* J.x. 11l 'he "... Vie > ■ ■ si’ui'i.ix .itiei fl . he k 7 ... I*U'|I j, , Ben* sirt' • t" Kill 1..- played T' ■ lleasatit Milla k 111 'he V »h-> *lll meet the ' I.'ter •<>.. Kit k ■ * I lb a,-nil final ■' h, Pi.-a.ant Mills »•-••- a th. winner V K kl.ltld or Jef|MTv '< . i,. n winner. '.- > ctlmial chant Asturdav night at K |Bj*‘ ).-■- to. the four s.-r-n ul. ■ fi each .tingle k-'« |. .-<! at 15 rent* ■ at the gyp. toi ~([>,,. .hor'ly before ">< each session for ,i|| tournament * lli old MrSw.ine of ind I ' layfon Hughes of ■V* ■ -It.pi. -.. -oitrnejr schedule Thursday V' c , Kirkland vs Jes |H lemon Mg '' in " - Mn '>tm vs Harf ford. Friday * ,wr ** Berne |M*WTttri-r'. r, v p AOF a, x ] , Bli. ATTENTION tiro EXEMPTIONS S**i Estate Mortgage Exll Options To lie F iled | After March 1 Auditor Victor II Eicher ui.ed the attention of all Properties to the fact that » ” M,l!le<l 10 morittxe ex--I>r,Hldin< the exemption Ihe auditor's office beV * *»"-h 1 and May 8. ™T'»l*i tent ion should be given "I'lai out of the hlauka. he <on»pJete information “ «l»en. p * <1 * 1 "tnpliaata on hat addreaaaa of property '’*■ * ,r * n an ' l ,h »' ,t|p '>• mast ire filed In dnpilwldier. who have tented 90 St «Z. m ° r * a " d who rwetvS»tu>» 7 may Bncure e, ‘ S£L th * ’*»• Auditor Eicher SZL „ ,llln « »P«thl affidavits Sft^?t rrh 1 • n< * M,y s ‘Udltor « office The law also idlers' whtowaand Red • he asserted.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

CRISIS IN FAR EAST SUDDENLY IS INTENSIFIED JapancM* Action In IndoChina IntenMifiea Kar Ea»t Criste Illy I'nlted I’reaal The far eastern crlale *M Intensified suddenly by Japan today In a aeries of ominous acts < entering around Trent h Indol'hlna. The throat In Ihe Increasingly troubled I’atldc overshadowed the Hrst-elaea diplomatic and military converaatkHia under way between Rritaln and Turkey al Ankara—conversation, which may have a vital eCert on the turn as the war in the Halkans. the Mediterranean and Africa. Tokyo suddenly ordered Japai • j one cllUens to be prepared to leave . Indochina as a precautionary move In event mediation efforts between the French tolony and Thailand fall The implication was that Japan may force a settlement upon Indot'hlna If the French prove re«al<ltrant and that Japanese cllUens were being cleared i from the area of posalMa hostilities. The Japanese emphasired their detetmluatiou to settle the IndoChina Thailand conflk-t and left little doubt that they would use force If necessary The settlement on which Japan insists would give Thailand great territorial concessions in Indochina. The Vichy government last Saturday rejected such a settletCONTIKCEti on PAU« FIV«> MR INSTILL COMO CITES Signals At Mercer Avenue Rail Crossing To Be Changed Soon The probability that the present signal lights at the Mercer avenue crosatng of the Erie railroad would be removed and new automatic gates be installed thia spring was seen today, after announcement was made of a letter received by city attorney Ferd L Utterer from the company. Most interesting In the letter sent to the city attorney by H. f Hord well road superintendent, was , an esplanation of the type of cross-, ing guard planned for Mercer avenue. His communication states that "he regrets the railroad company has been unable to take any action from a construction standpoint up to the present time. Hla totter explains that the state highway department suggested automatic gales at the erwetag rather than the straight llashrr signal lights. "■lnce that time." the letter states, "our company baa been negotiating with the state In an effort to arrive at a satisfactory understanding as to the proper Installation to make.'* The letter states that a mutual understanding was reached and that sometime during the spring when the necessary material can be assembled, the new protection will be Installed and the present center of the road dashers will be removed. * The city had re<fuest-d the retCOMTINUKn ON PAGE THItKRI o One Man Killed In Powder Mill Blast Acton, Mas*. Feb 17 —(CDOne man was killed and another was burned seriously today when the Black powder mill In which they were working blew up at the American Cyanamld and Chemical Corporation pkint. shaking the countryside.

Britain’s “Rock* Prepares for Possible Attack I /J I < ' ' ,y '. New view of Gibraltar from a patrol plane

ilbrallar. fortified western door through which British commerce and warship* flow dally. I* la-lng patrolled day and night by both warship* and

WORK MONDAYS FOR RED CROSS Knitting Os Sweaters. Other Materials To Be Done By Volunteers Mrs. Herman Ehlnger of Madman MrrH chsMuMs off the Red Cross produr! lon work in Adam. county today volunteered the no of her home, each Monday afternoon, for thoae Interested in knitting sweaters for the Red Cross. Yarn will be supplied thoae deairink to knit westers along with comfilete instructions. Thoae wishlux to do so may remain to receive supervised Instruction. Mrs. James Kocher. Hr., will assist Mra. Ettinger in the work and three volunteer instructors will alao bo preaent Work will commence at 1 o'clock each Monday afternoon and anyone wishing to volunteer her services will be welcome. The preaent quota la IS men'a sweaters. 32 women'* sweaters and r.l to lie knitted for children Yarn alao will be furnished for men'a nocks. Mrs. Ehlnger stressed the fact that ail work la volunteered and is urging all who have time to contribute to this worthy cause to do so. latter on. there will be yarn sen’, for those wlto wish to crochet (CItNTfNUMD ON PA<>» FlVi>» SEEK MR MAIL SERVICE HERE Petition On File Would Offer Daily Air Mail Service Here Indianapolis Feb 27.—(Special! —A dally air mall and esprexa service from Indianapolis to Detroit. Mich. byway of Fort Wayne. Ind . Is offered In a petition filed in Washington. D C.. by the Mercury Development corporation of this city. The route as outlined before the civil aeronautics board Includes eleven Indiana cities and seven In Michigan, eicludlng terminals. The Mercury corporation's petition outlines. in total, proposed routes covering 135 cities and towns In the middle west—in seven states - and as a carrier would provide daylight service enabling patrons to obtain one-day air mail service. The Indianapolis-Fort Wayne-De-troit route, as outlined would include air mall pick-ups at Anderson. Muncie. Alexandria. Marion. Hartford City. Portland. Bluffton. Decatur. Fort Wayne. Auburn. Angola and theae Michigan points: Coldwater. Hillsdale. Albion Jackson. Chelsea. Ann Arbor. Ypsilanti and then Detroit. Gas City. Jonesboro and Garrett “ (CVNTIJtVMD ON PAGM nv»)~

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, February 27, 1911.

Friday Final Day For 1910 Plates Friday is the last day to pur . chase the new 1941 licen*-. tag* for auto*, under the new law Person* | driving after that da*e with old i plate* will lie liable to prosecution Many here, however, purchased their plate* before January I. when i it was though? that date would Isset a* the deadline and no eaten(ton would be granted A step up in -the business «t the local license l bureau has been noted recently however. JURV RETURNS $250 VERDICT .Jessie Morthorst Awarded $250 In $5,000 Damage Suit An Adam* circuit court jury deliberated more than six hours last , night to return a verdict of 125" for the plaintiff In the |6.000 damage suit of Mr*. Jesse Morthorst i against the American Railway Ex-: 1 pres* company and Roliert Koch The jury found for the defendant, I the W T Grant company and the recovery applies only to the other two defendant*. The Jury received the case about ■ : 4 45 o'clock last evening They were taken to supper by Bailiff Fred Kolter and returned to de IMierute about an hour later At 11:55 o'clock last night they reached a verdict, which was «ealed and given to Judge J Fred Fruchte to read this morning at ; 9 a. m Otto Hoile was selected as foreman of the jury. The plaintiff Ims asked the aI mount for personal Injuries a.legi edly suffered In front of the Grant store In Fort Wayne. Sh» alleged ’ .cvvivTlWltßn GW FAGI* WIVBI

LENTEN MEDITATION (Ralph Waldo Graham. D D. PaMor, First Methodirt ( hitrchl “FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS" Act* 2:2l—"And it »hall tom* to pas*, that who*o*v«r *hall call on the name of th* Lord »h»ll be saved.'

We are being Informed from many aourcea that we are now In a dark era of civilisation. .More effort, more material*, and more motile* are being expended on program* of destruction and death than ever has been known before Men are speculating a* to how much or what part of human civilisation. If any. will be saved In the darker hour* that ere ahead God’s name and God Himself ba* been crowded out of the thinking of many nation* and multitude* of mind* Yet Ihe hour grow* darker. ’ I* there no hope? There is in old »aylng which state* "man's extremity I* God » opportunity.” Are these pot days when we need to think again of the possibility of that which may «eem Imposilble? W’e need to courage ously face the difficult and meet It In terms of a nowe: that I* not merely natural, but

01 a power mat i» nor mei'-ij uaruier. wui Supernatural It la not too late Thln<a can be chanied In thia old world, hut the aource of the chanae la In the Inner life of man aa It la touched by the llvina aplrit of the llvlna Clod “And It ahall come to paaa that whoaoever ahall call upon the laird ahall he aaved." It la true for fndt»iduala and It la likewtac true tor nations. In theae days of Lent and on e»ery day. let ua call npoti the lend, our atrenjth and our redeemer.

| plane*, on the alert against attack by German : I plane* from the air or Nasi troop* that might be | J given a "corridor" through Spain

DERNEVODTHS ARE ARRESTED Donald Lrhnian And l.a- --\ erne Wittwer Are Arrested By Sheriff LaVerne Wittwer. Grant Habegger and Donald Lehman entered guilty plea* late thia afternoon when arraigned before Judge J. Fred Fruchte to answer to criminal charge*. Each of the three, after being interrogated by the court, was remanded to jail while hla punishment was taken under advisement. Two more Arrest* Were madijii* morning in Berne by Sheriff Ed Miller and Officer David Dulatch in a wholesale i rim* cleanup under way by the sheriffs office. : Those arrerted were: Donald i lathman. 17. Berne high school > 1 student and champion drum player. | who was linked with th» robbery of the Berne Ice Cream factory. latVorne Wittwer. 111. who I* charged wllh issuing a fraudulent ] check. la-bman I* charged with being an accomplice of Grant Habegger. also of Berne, who cotvfevsed yesterday to Sherilf Ed Miller that be perpetrated half a dosen Berne crimes in the last month. la-hmun |* charged with one <»f these, the robbery at the Ice cream I plant on February 18. Ir which 111 worth of good* was taken He has been charged by prosecutor Vincent Kelley with gecond degree tCONTINL'KD <»« PAGE THREE) , O WEATHER Considerable cloudiness, snow flurries In north and central tonight and in extreme north Friday; colder in south and west portions tonight.

Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker Is Critically Injured As Giant Liner Crashes In Georgia

BRITISH RAIN f BOMBS ON RUHR INDUSTRY AREA| Cologne Industrial Area Object Os Heavy Britiwh Raids London. Feb. 27 <U.R> British | planes of th. Ix>mb«-r. coastal and ( Itahler oiiwmands rained bombs on the Cologne area of the Herman ! Industrial Khinelnnd. the »übma . tine base of Flushing ihe Invasion ' ' port of Boulogne and German air- ' dromes in occupied France in a I series of raids during the night, ihe air ministry said today. It was adinllted that four bomb- 1 ■ ing planes failed to return The ministry described the CoI logne raid as ' very successful/* Ihoh explosive and incendiary I bombs were used Many h>avy bombs were drop|ied on targets on both sides of the* Rhine and large fires were started. . ihe ministry asserted The attaik was a concentrated | one on the t'ologn.- area it was in-1 dicated In the target tone on which the Hilllsh planes centered their attack are factories, oil refineries, a network of railroads, freight yard* * and the great llohentollern bridge lac ross the Rhine, the main link IreI tween northern Germany and oc< u-J , pied territory. There are also In the Cologne area armaments and munitions far-1 torles. an aluminum factory. < hemleal works, power stations and Inland dorks, wharves and ware(CONTINCK’i ON FAOE FIVEt STRIKE THREAT ON FORD FLINT CIO Charges* Ford Company With Widespread Anti-Union Activity (By Vnited Press I ’labor disputes in defense industries reducer! production at one of the largest plants In the steel industry backbone of the nation’s preparedness campaign today and a strike was threatened against the Ford Motor Co The CIO steel workers' organ)*-1 ing committee claimed that a strike of 9htH) workers at the | lai. kawarna. N. V . plant of th> Beth), hem Mteel Corp., had halted j virtually all production on national | defense orders estimated at 1260.i uoo.tMMi The strike was the larg- j |eat of 17 now in progress In de-1 sense tndnitries plants. t'nlted Automobile Workers' (Cl O) union otfir ials at Detroit looked to the federal government to offer mediation in Ihe dispute that yesterday resulted in filing of notice that the union would strike at three Ford plants. A strike at the motor company would involve de-| sense orders worth about J 123000.BM. Worker* at the Lackawanna plant went on strike last night charging that Bethlehem officials refused to negotiate grievance* and demand*. HWOC official” charged the firm with unfair labor practice* and demanded a general 25 percent wage increase. Five thousand pickets were plated around the plant Company official* declined to comment. The WAWCIO charged that an "Intolerable ihuatlon" existed at the Ford River Rouge. Highland Park and Lincoln plants at Detroit, Mich., and said that an "overwhelming majority" of the union's loo.noo production workers-memb-er* had authorlred a strike on the ground that the (Irtn had engaged In widespread anti-union activity. Counsel for the company pointed out that Ford never ha* had a strike and said all Ford workers “are satisfied'' and would remain ICONTINL'BL* OJ< PAGE SIX)

THREE C. 0. P. SENATORS DOLT ON VETO VOTE Senate Override* GovSchrieker’* Veto Os Two Measure!* Indlanapoll* Feb 27 <U.R) Three Republlt an senator* broke i party lines today vote against I I overriding a gnlx-rnatorlal veto on a (HIP attorney general "ripper I bill'' after Gov Mchrl. ker appeared ' before the u|>|ier r ham tier in perMtn to deliver messages vetoing I two measures The bills, however, were Imtned-1 ’ lately passed over the veto Kenaiors John W Atherton, i Harry t> Chamberlin and Edward J Green, ail Indianapolis Republl- ■ an*, voted with Demo, rat* in op-, i posing Ihe second measure wllh ‘ Ihe result that It gained the tie. es- j ' vary bare majority of 28 votes to | ' pass Nineteen senators opposed j it. Parly lines held on the first bill and It was approved .Tu to 12. The measure* would 1 Repeal th.- 1933 act making the offi.e of attorney general appointive by the governor. 2. Make the office of the altormy general elective In 19*2 and thereafter and provide for an inI terim appointment by the gover--1 nor lieutenant governor and aecre- : tary of slate. Slash Budget The house way* and means committee today ieporte.l out a hill approprialhig 222.1*3 tor the operation of state departments *2 245.7 M less than (he budget ' committee recommendation and announced that a total of |*,287,♦*9 had been lopped from th.- total biennial budget. Concentrated slashing by the (CONTI.Nt'ED ON PAGE THREE) Fire CattMt SI,OOO Damage At Berne — Damage estimated at fl oo*> was j caused at the Smith Bro*. Furniture factory in Herne this morning 1 from a fire which was believed to have started froin a defective furna< •• The entire lioltor was gu'ted I by the flame* A large quantity of I lacquer and paint which was stored . in a nearby room was also deatroy-1 ed. The fire did not spread to other I parts <rf the building, although Ute I entire content* was reportedly I damaged by smoke The plant wunot in operation this morning but workmen were returning this after- ' noon. The fire started about 5:30 o'clock. U.S. BOLSTERS EAST DEFENSES Air Forces In Alaska And | Philippine Islands Are Bolstered Washington Feb 27 <U.R> The Vnlled States moved today to bolster its air forces in Alaska and the Philippines with six additional army air orp* units scheduled for Alaskan service and two more pursuit group* assigned to the far eastern out [Hist. He. retary of War Henry L Stimson disclosed the dispatch of air unit* to Alaska, announcing that three of them already had been sent from Fort Mason. Cal., and that three other* will leave within the next two month* for their new station*. The Philippine transfer. Involving an estimated 50 plane* and 85 pilot*, was revealed earlier by other war department officials. Stimson declined to disclose the number of plane* and men involved In the Alaskan move. The decision to send more plane* to the Philippines came in the midst of Increasing tension in the far east.

Price Two Cent*.

Man land (’onire**man h One Os Victim* Os Air Dhanter Near Atlanta Thi* Morning. ( REW KILLED Atlanta, Ga. Feb 27-(UP» —Or Floyd Mcßae, surgeon in-chiof at Piedmont hospital, said today that Capt tdd.o Rickenbacker had a •SO-SO" chance to live. "We may Bive him a transfusion sometime this afternoon." Or. Mcßae said. “He's still badly in shock.” Atlanta. Ga. Feb. 27 <UJB - An Eastern Ait Lines -pci plane, flying through a .hilling rain enroute het-, crashed in a pme grove I 15 miles wuith of the Atlanta airport early today with 1« pet-.ma aboard. Including Captain Eddln Ri.keitlia.ker. president of th» I line*, and Rep William D Byron, ' D. Mi Rickenbacker. th- nations No I j World War ace. was critically Injured. all three crew members were killed, four passengers were listed la* dead by the airlines, and eight other passengers were injured. Obe body was tentatively identified Js* Byron's. Among the Injured reported in I an Atlanta hospital were Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker II E Littledale Short Hill*. N.J, 1 PI. Brady. New fork City N. Hansell. New York City ' R B Newell. Atlanta J H Roaeiif.-ld Nt . New Orleans. C M. Tappen New York suffer. - lug *h.H k and exposure I Mr* H E Littledale, shock L The crew member* were: j Capt G E Perry, pilot L E Thoms*, ccepilot. Clareti..- Moora. the steward Wreckage of Hi. plane was I strewn over 3<wt yard- Hev.-r.il Id I inch thick tree trunk* were sheared off Those found slice had been hurled cleat of the plain- when the bottom of the fUsdlage »h- .red off. They had been in the forepart of Ihe craft. ' Nearcher* were tearing ..way | Wreckage to reach 'hose trapped in | the rear end of the fuselage It was feared that all of those were dead however The New York to Brownsville, i Texas, airliner had been miaslng since shortly before midnight when it advised the Atlanta airport l>y ! radio It was within landing range. One par' of the plane** wing was found wrapped about a tree 2" feet ! above ground The rest of the wing ! w.i* 2'*' yard* from the wreckage) i of the fuselage The fuselage was turned on It* side wllh th<- undercarriage partly ripped off and sticking in the air, indicating the pilot may have lowered his landing g<-*i for a forced landing The injured and dead had been hurled from the ripped [lorti.m of the fuselage There were no sign* of life almut the rear of the plane, where 'ho i remaining five persona presumably were trapped Rosenfeld, who was les* seriously Injured than the others, said ho was awake at the time of the crush. He said "the plane begun to drop and the light* went out. The n.-xt thing I knew I was on the ground.'* Rosenfeld said the ciash occurred almut 1:30 a. m He was hurled to the ground from the crashing plane he .-..id. (Onv-ivcm nv Ask No Children Be Brought To Hospital Hospital attach.» have requested that visitor* to tjt*- Adam* enun. 1 ty memorial hospital please do not bring children when visiting and Io refrain from talking in the corridor*. a* they are being u»t-d for the - [mtlents. i It sru* also stated that anyone ■ interested in the additional tieed for more room at the hospital to i accomodate patients, Is welcome to - go thimigh the hospital at thia ■ time. In the hospital at the present [ time are 41 pa Urn Is, seven ot . whom are bahies. > ** ' —- aw sgBW