Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 44, Number 7, Decatur, Adams County, 9 January 1946 — Page 1

VOL. XLIV. No 7.

NATIONWIDE PHONE TIEUP THREATENED

Grill Kidnap- Killer Suspects

Coroner Weeps At Opening 01 [[lnquest Today Number One Suspect Apartment Janitor ls Where Body Found Chicago. Jan ♦— (ITI Even the coroner wept today a- the father of sls-yrar-old Susanne Degnan ■ appeared at an Inquest into the J «adtatl<- murder of the child, fl Tears trickled down the <ltcek<>f coroner A. L. Botdie while the 'fattier. James Dafttatt. 3*. de-crllt-.Led the text time he saw his gildtnllllialted little girl alive After Degnan left the parked and stuffy hearing twin, Brodie wiped his ryes with the back of his hand, and murmured "Thia k tough to take." The father, an OPA executive, wan at the inquent for only a few momenta. "When was the la*t time yon lisew Bntmnne i!!v;B odie asked in almost a whisper "It woe about midnight Sunday." Degnan said ftrmly. "I got up to take her to the hathA few hours lat< r a kidnappw broke into wte child’s bedroom ■—strangled her. «Mri> <1 her from the house, attempted to attack her, and then vielouaiy cut up her tiny body. "Do yon suspect anyone who would want to tami any memlter of your famllyf Brodie asked “No," raid Degnan, who was redeyed and pale A tear roicei down the ccroner’s ; nose M the called the next witno «. I Degnan's hrothgr. Thomas J. Degm. of Leicester. Mass. who said t had scan the portions of the itchered body and identified tlietil ‘tuzanae. Brodie, regainin'- his composure, en continued the Inquest until m. 30. Capt. Jttfnt I. Suliiv.iii. the police district. id authorities need the additiontime for Investigation and the arch for the child> slayer ”1 didn’t have ttte heart to ask m any more questions," Brodie Id JfitcW. "I ww we-pinr and I'm a total Stranger. Just think of how ii was affecting him. I hope they never yteil the mother al! the gruesome “details " | Meanwhile, police began queitevery parson known to have jRn key to the "murder basement" 'j where a mx fiend dismembered | the child's body. The number one subject of the examination was the 65 year Juki janitor of the norib-lde apartyhnent building where nulhnrltle* ■ said ttie body of the kidnapped J girl waa dlMttted. He is Hector IVerkanrb- A reeving grandfather. 9 who stolidly maim lined his in■uocenre Next to Verburch. detectives " concentrated on Desere Smet, 35. who was Mfterted to he a close friend of ▼•rtmrgh and a janitor - - - — ■— ———- iTm-n To Pas. 4. column 4) ~ <! —“— Decatur Cemetery Officers Elected Officers a act directors of the Iterator Cemetery Association were re-elactnd at the annual meeting of ihe orgaaAion on Monday The officers are. Ben Shroyer. Ashhattcher, treasurer and Karl 11. Adams, secretary. The directors are, Peter Kirsch, Edward Axhhaucher. Ben Shroyer, Ed Bauer. Fred I. PatterMB. Virgil Krick. Karl B. Adams. The program of beautifying the cometary grounds will continue during the Mor. the directors stated. tiarenc* Stnitley is superintendent cf ttte cemetery. . . DEMOCRAT THERMOMETER TEMPERATURE READINGS ft-00 fte |W< * »• w 5° Noon --_M* M t:OD»m<X. -d« WEATHER Mostly cloudy and colder tonight

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

! Continue Demands To Probe Demobilization •■■BMnsMMe Army Defense Made By Pres. Truman Washington. Jan. 9 — (l’p» — Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower army chief of staff, told President Truman today that Gl’s clamoring to Im* sent home from .Manila "arc good men" and in no way guilty of breaches of discipline. He also told the president that, despite the current criticism at home and abroad, the army must not be permitted to demobilise nt a rate that would shrink it lielow minimum requirements. The staff chief's statement was in response to a presidential request for a report or. the recent .Manila demonstrations. It came at a time when the army was attempting to speed up Its process of combing out nonessential personnel and cutting its strength to absolute minimum nee Is. Theater commanders are being asked ■to send home all men who can Im* spared, regardless of whether they have enough points for discharge. Elsenhower presented Mr. Truman with Information* supplied by Gen. Douglas MacArthur* and Lt. Gen. Wilhelm D. Styer, commanding general of the western Pacific army forces. He quoted MacArthur ax saying of the Manila demonstrators; "These are good men who have performed magnificently under campaign conditions and Inherently are not challenging disci; pline or authority." Meanwhile, congressional criticism of the demobilization program persisted. Hep. Clarence J. Brown. O-. member of the .house ilepitbiican policy committee. was not impressed by the strong defense of the program which President Truman made yesterday. He said a congressional Investigation was necessary These developments occurred as the war department reported the ’>,ooo,oooth soldier to be discharged since V-E day would l»e released today. In response to worldwide clamor of Gl’s to be sent home the army wax accelerating. Its efforts to release all men who could lospared. This process, not new, has resulted already in reduction of the army's July 1 goal by nearly 1.000.000 men. I-aSt August. Just after Japan's surrender, the army said It wanted 2.600,000 men left in uniform on July 1. l*ast week It placed the figure at 1,500,000. Neither this combing out process nor President Truman's Strong defense yesterday of the demobilization program wax expected. however, to silence congressional critics of the army and navy. Many congressmen still believed the discharge program should Ire (Turn To Paa* s. Column Sr >o Discontinue Paper Drive Until Spring Boy Scouts Delay Regular Collection The monthly paper oalvase drive, conduced by the Boy Scouts, will Ire discontinued until spring, effecflve this month. It was announced today. ffcout commissioner Steve Everhart. wha ha* been supe. "bring the drives said t.hat this decision was made after the laat two or three driven netted comparatively small amounts. In comparixon to the eight and nine tons that were collected by the Scouts In previous drives, the last few brought only a few thousands pounds, he said. This, coupled with the fact that Inclement weather this time of the year often makes the collection an ordeal for the youngsters. resulted In the cancellation of the balance of the driven during the winter. Announcement of the first drive this spring will be made In ample time to permit residents to prepare their paper for collection, Mr. Everhart stated.

Steel Workers Union Balks At $1.20 Increase Boost Insufficient To Prevent Walkout Scheduled Monday Washington. Jan. »—(t'Pl—Officials of the I'nited Steelworkers (CIOI have Informed the government that a wage increase of 31 2«» a day would not be enough so prevent a nationwide walkout by 7o(l---000 union members Monday. This was diseased today hff union sources ax leaders of the three biggeet Congress of Induxtrlil Organizations unions began a series of strategy conferences that were expected Io last up until the steel strike deadline a’ 12:01 a.m. Monday. Philip Murray, president of the CIO and the rtteelworkers. said that he had not received any word from I*. 8. Steel Corp, or the government calling any tn< etlngs on i the union's demand for a |2 a day ■ wage increase. The 11.20 a day wage increase is lieljeved by some government sources to lie the amount that the steel industry could afford with a |4 to 15 a ton Increase in steel ceiling prices. Both the United Steel Workers (CIO) and President Truman'u steel fact-finding board were awaiting the corporation's next atep. It was not yet responded to the panel's recommendation that it enter direct negotiations with the union on its demand for a 12 daily wag* increase. It was indicated that the panel might proceed with hearings unless a move toward collective bargaining was matte today. Meanwhile, it wa* understood that the White House had aaked the Office of Price Administration to speed up pending price survey* of the steel and meat packing In dustrles — Itoth threvtened with strikes next week. OPA has been making periodic surveys but they were not schedule'! to Im- completed until the end of the month. President Truman told a press conference yesterday that he expected a small Increase in steel prices after OPA had finished a survey based on the industry's earnings for the fourth quarter of (Turn To Page I, Column 5) o City Receives Check From Beverage Fund Payment Received For Six Months Announcement In Indianapolis today that the Indiana alcoholic beverage ccmmlssfon had distributed over one million dollars In retail beverage permit tends to civil units In the states for a sixmouths period revealed that the city of Decatur had received his payment but that the county had not. H. Vernon Aurand. dty clerk treanurer. reported that the city wax given *1,>37.72 aa Its share of the fund, apportioned on the number of permits Issued. The amount was for the last six months of 1945. A check for 1950.01 wax received for the first six months. Mr. Aurand attached no particular significance Io the large variation In the amount of the two payments, stating that It wan customary for the latter check to ite larger. Some difference may have resulted from the Issuance of additional permits here, however, he said. Thurman I. Drew, county auditor. reported that the county luyl not received its check lor the last aix months as yet, but did have a check for 166.67 for the first elx months. ( Payment* to the counties ranged from 366.67 In Warren county to 3227.024.06 in Lake county, according to the report from the capital city.

ONLY. DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, January % 1946. .MWWWISWWSIMW

Byrnes, Dunn Off To Ixmdon BOARDING PRESIDENT TRUMAN'S PLANE, known as the "S«« red Cow." Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, right, and Assistant S«>< retary of State James (*. Dunn are shown ax they took off for latndon and the opening, session of the I’niled Nations Organization general assembly.

■ " " IUI.I Fact-Finding Bill Gains New Support Congressman Urges Limit On Hearings Washington. Jan. 9 — (UP) — President Truman won new congressional support today In his fight for an early rote on his pro|M»a«-d fact-finding machinery for lalwr disputes. Reversing his earlier stand. Rep. Frank E. Hook, D., Mich., member of the house labor committee. said he believed the group should limit hearings on the proposal and semi it to the floor soon after congress returns next week from its holiday recess. Just before the start of the recess, the committee defeated. 10 to 7, an administration move to send fact-finding legislation to the floor. The opposition Included Hook ami others who share laltor's hostility to the bill. “I am against the bill and will oppose It on the floor," Hook said. "But I don't Iwdieve in bottling up legislation of national import. We should settle the issue on the floor once and for ail." In his radio speech last week. Mr. Truman appealed to the public to urge congressmen to get the fart-finding and other admin iatration bills out of committee and onto the floor for a test on their merits. Rep. Claire E. H-. Mich, another member of the house labor committee, believed others would Join Hook and agree to send the fact finding measure to the floor. He emphasized he was not one of them. Members differed on the probable fate of the bill. But two Democratic senators—Lister Hill. Ala., and Edwin <’. Johnson, Colo —gave It a "fair” to a "little better than Sfi-M chance" of passage Hili, a member of the senate labor committee, said he expect-1 ed the group to start working on the measure soon after congress , returns from its recess. The bill would authorize Mr. i Truman to set up a fact finding board whenever a lalmr dispute threatened to disrupt the national economy. The Ixmrd would have the power to subpena company books. The labor unibn Involved would be forbidden to strike for 30 days while the Irnard was Investigating the dispute and making Its recommendations. ■..., —O l 11 — Service Tonight At Methodist Church Observance of the universal week of prayer will continue in Decatur tonight at 7:30 o'clock at the First Methodist church. The Rev. William C. Feller will preside at the services and th- Rev. F 11 Willard will deliver the sermon. Members cf all churches are invited to participate in the services.

Continue Probe Os Monday's Breakins City and county police authorities today continued the search for the thieves who Monday night broke into and robbed six bus! ties* houses in Decatur and Monroe. A check with ptdice chief Ed Miller and Sheriff Lej Gilllg revealed that several po-mlble clues are !>••- ing thoroughly investigated. De- \ spite the fact, howeve.-, that the i breakins were presumably the work of amateurs, their trails were well covered. Stale police are aidi ing In the Investigation. o j Red Cross Meeting I Held Tuesday Night Division Chairmen Hold Meeting Here Red Cross activities ami services were reported at a meeting of divisional chairmen held last j evening at headquarters. C. E Bell, county chairman, presiding. While many volunteer workers still carry on the sewing, knitting and other projects assigned to the local chapter by national headquarters, the chairmen stated that fewer women were participating in the activities since j V-J day. The chairmen emphasised the need of help In completing quotas assigned to the county | chapter and urged Decatur ami i Adams county women to volun- , teer their services. Mr Bell announced that Mrs. Harold Grant of North Fifth street, had been named volunteer secretary of the local chapter, succeeding Miss Jessie Winnes. who succeeded her sister, the late Miss Annie Winnes in a temporary appointment of the vac aticy. The resignation of Mrs. William Bowers, who served the past five years as chairman of the j volunteer special services was ali set reported. Mrs. Bowers organi Ized and supervised the extensive ' war-time projects which the wo- { men's division carried on and * completed from H4O up to the close of last year. Mrs. Ed Baun and Mrs. J. L. Kocher reported on sewing and knitting assignments, the work being in the final stages and completion depending on the amount of help rendered In the future. Miss Grace Coffee, county chairman of the junior Red Cross, reported that all except three schools had already enrolled in the organization. The children completed their assignment last fall for the Christmas gift boxes. The case report of the home service secretary was read by Earl B. Adams, chairman, the report being printed In full in yesterday's psper. Phil Sauer announced that a disaster committer had been organized last fall and was ready to function at a moment's notice. (Turn To Pag* 2, Column O

Telephone Installation Workers Leave Jobs In 14 Cities Os Country

' Fear Further Deaths In Southern Floods Continued Rainfall May Increase Toll By I'nited Press A forecast of continued rain Wednesday was expected to up the south's flood death toll- already placed at 12 drive additional thousands of people from • heir homes and raise by hundreds of thousands of dollars flood damage estimates In eight states. In Tennessee, where the lied Cross was furnishing temporary shelter for refugees from the overf'ewing Cumberland and Btone rivers, their tributaries, and scattered creeks, six persona hail been ilrowned Joseph Justice, 74. wax carried to his death when hix home at Hillsdale wax swept away hy surging waters, and Hie Bed Cross said five others, unidentified. had lost their lives in the flooded area 20 miles not ill of Carthage. Tenn, where Jennings Creek left its banks and drove out a hundred families. At least eight other deaths wen- laid Indirectly tn the flood waters. Near Dawsonville, Ga.. workers sought two unideniified persons believed drowned when a <jr plunged into the Hightower river from a washed out bridge. Near Little Itork Tuesday night at leasl six persiiiix drowned when a taxi cab jumped a bridge and plunged into a swollen creek. Disruptiongof electric power at Harlan, Ky., had led to the closing down of 42 mines, and property and crop damage was estimated at millions of dollars in (Turn To Page 2, t'olumn 4) <i Induction Ordered Into Armed Forces Contingent Leaves Here January 22 Fifteen Adams county young men will leave here January 22 for Indianapolis and induction Into the C. 8. armed forces, the Adams county selective service board announced today Some of th* men had been given pre Induction exams some time ago but their indu< lion was (matpotted because of the holidays when all draft tails were withhell. This is the first group to In* sent since the change In the selective service laws, which exempts all tethers, regardless of age, from draft calls. The list had to he revised slightly because of this ruling, draft board officials *aid- All m*n are in the 16-25 year old bracket. The Induction of one youth, a student. Delmar Frederick Thieme, was postponed The men who will form file contingent th leave by bus for the motor armory at lndianu|x>lis on the morning of January 22. are: Kenneth Leroy Schwartz. Otto Walter Anton Thieme. I*exter Daniel Kaehr. Jesse Joe Corral, Jr., Donald D Stevens. Lawrence Vernon Knit He. Paul Kdward Morgan. William Jacob Flueckiger. Robert James Kaehr. Alliert Francis Gillig. Donald Clair Brunnegraf, John Jerome Brunton, Max Lynn Schintller. Frederick Wayne Davidson. Donald Clarence Haviland. —o —— - 1 — Mid-Spring Weather Continues In City The weatherman continued today tn give Adam* county a midspring treat ns the temperatures remained around the 4N to 50 degree mark Rain was forecast, and while the St. Mary’s river was rising slightly, there wax no immediate danger of the water reaching the flood stage here.

Hitch Develops I In Cease-Fire Order In China Factions Adjourn Without Agreeing On Expected Order Chungking. Jan. 9 it’P) Chitie** nationalist and eommun »t representatives me*-ting with Gen. Georg* c. Marshall adjourned today without agreeing <>n an expected cease-fire order In China's civil war. Following their fourth conference. Gen Chang Chun, govern ment representative, toll reporters that details had not yet been set tied. "The prospects are not bad but dlfflc ult." he added. Aoked if lie wa< allll hop* fill. Gen. Marshall said "Ob. yes. My gracious, yes." He raid no unforeseen difficulties had arisen. Asked if there wax a chance for th** <-eaxe-fire order before opening of the political cotwultative council tomorrow. Marshall pointed out that the council would meet five hoitro earlier than Hie next meeting of ills three-man committee Th* tabloid newxpaiM r Hain Min Pao said remaining dis fciiltfes in voiced lite penetratin'! of .I'hol province. The communist* were said to he insisting that the nationalist.* halt in their present p aitions. The goveminent was reported determined to take over Hie communist held provincial capita! of Chengleh and t'u‘ central J**ho! town of Chihfellg The nationalists, who began taking over the province days ago, were reported within 6<t miles of each objective All preparations have Iteen completed for opening of the consultative assembly. Delegates will be welcomed hy Generalissimo Chiang Kai Sin k, chairman of Hie < ouiicK. ll*- wa«* expected to outline the government's anxiety to conclude civil strife and iiegin the peaceful reconstruction and detno< rallzatian < f china. I) New Outbreaks Over Demobilization Delay Gl Demonstrations Spread Over World By I'nited Press Gl demonstrations against demobilisation delays spread around the world today with new outbreaks Imth In Europe and the Pacific. In Yokohama Col Charles A Ma(honey, provost marshal charged that a demonstration in the presence of secretary of war Robert Patterson was fomented hy "Communists and Bolsheviks." Mahoney was answered by Gl’s who circulated a pamphlet calling for » mass protest meeting Thursday and charging Mahoney with cursing the Gl’s and acting In a manner unbecoming an officer and gentleman. Lieut Gen Charles P. Hall, acting commander of the ttth army in Japan, warned that the position of American occupation forces would be jeopardized if the army continues to redeploy troops more rapidly than replacements are shipped overseas In the Philippines military police Investigated a wild shooting spree w*hich followed the killing of a nerro soldier by a white sentry outside Manlht. No one wax injured in the outbreak but 30 negroe troops were held. In Honolulu a rally of 2.500 > (Turn To Page 3, Column 5)

Price Four Centi

1 Wage Negotiations Bog Down, Workers Strike; Nation's Idle Now 389,000 By I'nited Press Telephone installation workers left their jobs in 14 cities today, threatening a nationwide com* municationx tie-up and bringing the number of American workers idled by strikes to 3X9.000. Threatened stoppages In thw steel, meat, electrical and com* miinicatlotix industries, plus a possible New York City CIO walkout, would add approzimate* |y 2.1M10.0011 other workers to the nation's strike total. The installation workers walk* ed out after wage negotiations between the Western Electric Co. and the Assoclatloß of Communications and Equipment Workers (Ind.) bogged down. Cities affected Include Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cincinnati. El Paso. Tex., and San Francisco. New York workers Were Scheduled to go out at 2 p m.. after receiving assurances Huif other telephone unions in th.- city would honor their pit keu lilies In most of the affected Cities, picket lilies had not yet been set up. but telephone operators' unions bad announced that they would refuse to cross th* linen when they were established. A telephone strike would isolate New York City, whet* a strike of 7.»hh> Western I'nion employes already had shut off telegraph service. In Chicago, th* I* « conciliation servile was meeting with representatives of the ('io Packinghouse 'Workers I nion. AFL Meat Cutters I'nion and the Swift and Armour pa< king companies in an effort to head off » nationwide meat strike threatened for Jan 16 In other pyramiding tabor disputes: 1. President Truman reportedly had ask.d for an Immediate preliminary review of prices in tiie meat and steel Industries, where a total of l.MS.ooit workers are scheduled to strike early next week over demands for more pay. 2. Collective bat gaining was resumed between General Electric and the CIO Electrical Workers I'nion. whose 2'Mt.tmo GE. Westinghouse and General Motors employes are slated to quit work Tuesday 3. te-aderx of the I nited Automobile Workers tcio* Washington. where President Truman's fact-finding panel will Issue a report on 'he General Motors wage dispute which haw idled 175.0<Ht workers. 4 Michael quill, left wins CIO official and New York conn(ilman. threatened a citywidn strike of CIO members within two weeks *o supportwage claims of striking unionists. Both union and management ropresentatives frankly a.lmit. that <-haibrfM <»« adu'luled walkout* dppvinl almost entirely on what administration policymaker* are able to accomplish in the next f*-w days. President Truman yesterday forecast a slight riw in steel prices, but whether the increase* would l»e enough to grant requested wage boosts and whether similar concessions could Ih* made in other Industries without iC irn To Pag* *•■ <'olumn 2) O’ County General Fund Balance Is $91,067.95 ■—w The county general fund had a halsnce of 391.067 95 on January 1. the annual report of Truman I. Drew, county auditor i» veals. Th« total of all lialances in the various funds held in trust hy the auditor was 3176.626.59. Three funds wer« overdrawn The largest balance wax in thw townehip poor accounts, amounting to 335,6X1 69 The n< xt highest wax in the county welfare depsrtment, where the balance waa 330.277 79. The general fund balance at the beginning of this yesr exceed that of 1945.