Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 19, Decatur, Adams County, 23 January 1947 — Page 1

I XLV. No. 19

former congressman may is indicted

Prevent Early Vote On Direct Primary Issue

House Republican Leaders Stave Off Strategy Move For / Early Primary Vote ndianapoli*. Jan. 23 —(I PI ministration forces today headoff a strategy move that might re brought the direct primary I ip for a vote in the Indiana nr of representatives while ie senators were voting on a mention reform measure across hall tepuhllcan proponents of a di- ( primary bill in the house enipted Io force a caucus upon [ournment today no as to bring >ir measure up for a vote torrow. she move was to offset the eel of a heated battle on the ue in the senate today and the owlown scheduled in the upper uie tomorrow. OOP representatives in favor a direct primary felt they could rcr their bill through by a narw margin while in the senate r administration-sponsored "condition hill" was up for a vote. Obiervers believed the convents reform bill would pass the nate without much trouble. Senate ftomocrats today lost a to change the convention Miure into a primary bill by lending it. The original reform filiation, a* outlined by (lover t Oates in his recent legislate message, advanced to third Ming A vote on the reform bill was hedtiled for tomorrow, said Lt iv Richard T. James, presiding Brer in the senate. The Hoc of house Republicans favor of the primary said they ire not set back by their Ina lity to force the Issue to a vote morrow They and house Demo Bls chimed growing gains In » lower house for the measure st wonld outlaw the convention stem of nominating candidates r state and U. ft. senatoria' Brer.. Former I'. 8. Sen. Raymond E HH« R.. Angola, endorsed the insry system by inference in a ooch before the house as It re ■rd sessions this morning. Both house* adjourned before ** until 10 a. m. tomorrow. The senate showdown on the ■vention reform bill came to a IM when Sen. Von A. Eichorn . Vntondale. offered a motion to Mad the bill to make It a primM—>ure. a long, heated dlsdeveloped. proposed amendment M tabled by voice vote then, an » ■otlon of sen John Van «• R Valparaiso, who told **®“or» he wanted It under Pt*? sH,on rt 'd not "dose * **” on the convention-prim-L,t***- intimated the issue allowed to reach a Made a courtesy speech houw He (jjj noj to » Iry ’• convention fight MJ**- but he devoted his re'‘’to a challenge that the !*" give -the people” the Fbffwera. voire of the people is so ’° good government. 1 ;' ba ,h * on,Jr * ,lrl nJ? country It Is so *«*« to get the people of ■at in **• tovernWsU4«?“ J ’"’ U '•charge your duties solely as to 0 " ,, P“ k * n advocate > the kJ”' . pr,m,r Y. appeared * 14 hours after he radio Iww L wr * r “ ■ •ndtanapolU * .ar suppov. for lhe prlm h» •“ ■ victim of ••XTSzr*" ” IMC I the p g ,or • »*coad term **’ par,T ta th. tUia

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Government In Demand Pottery Case Dismissed Demands Key Portal I Pay Case Be Thrown Out Os Courts ' Washington. Jan. 23— (UP) — ’ The government demanded today that the Mount Clemens Pottery Co. case, key portal-to-portal pay ’ suit. b<> thrown out of court unless , evidence can lw produced of more , unpaid working time than is now claimed. The demand was made in a brief filed by Atty. Gen. Tom C. Clark . with federal judge Frank A. Picard of Detroit. Picard will decide the Mount Clemens case under a supreme court mandate to determine how much of the unpaid working time claimed by 289 pottery workers is substantial enough to require payment. The government brief was fil«**l as Picard was brought under fire for a second time before a senate judiciary subcommittee. Theodore R laerman, Chrysler Corp, attorney, gave the subcommittee documentary evidence to support the oral charge he made last week that Picard once de scribed himself as "pro-labor.” The previous charge had brought from one senator a suggestion that Picard be investigated "with a view to impeachment." Clark said Picard should “take into account not only the percentage relationship that a particular period of preliminary activity bears to the work week . . . But also the effects of the decision in view of the 'realities of the industrial world."’ He said present evidence in the case may be inadequate and suggested the taking of additional testimony. "If the findings of this court do not disclose period* of preliminary activity of longer duration than those appearing in the present record the 'de minimus' rule would be applicable and the suit should be dit-missed." Clark said. The supreme court ruling in the Mount Clemens case upheld the right of workers to portal-to-portal pay. Thia decision touched off the current wave of portal suits by unions. The total now has reached (Turn To Page J, Column 2) o Auditor Is Speaker Al Firemen Banquet First Banquet Held Since Start Os War Thurman I. Drew. Adams county auditor, was the chief speaker Wednesday night at the first annual banquet of the Decatur fire department since before the last war. Approximately 40 members of the regular and volunteer fighting forces of Decatur, with their wives, attended the event, held tn the rooms above the engine house in the local fire station. Mr. Drew related an Interesting deeerinti.in of "pearl fishing in the Wabash River" and displayed a number of samples of pearls and shells which had been retrieved from the stream Myles F. Parrish. Adams county precentor acted as toastiaaeter and spoke briefly amceramg th. proposed penaioatng of fire fight m. Other stokers included liar |

Police Again Question Girl In Kidnaping I Suspect Absolved By California Girl And Police Officers Lodi, Cal., Jan. 23 — (I’P) — Pretty Alice Devine was brought face to face with an ex-convict at a secret pre-dawn rendezvous today and after studying his face in the glare of automobile headlights said positively that he was not the man who kidnaped her. She admitted her identification of Earl Sheldon from an eight-year-old police photograph was erroneous after facing the San Francisco charm school operator at a meeting arranged by her parents and Lodi police. - Alice and her mother and father t were waiting in the family autor mobile on a lonely country road f on the outskirts of Lodi early toil day. Out of the darkness some • distance away came the gleam of r headlights from Sheldons car. The approachnlg car camo to a { stop and Alice's father switched on his headlights. The door of the other automobile opened and Sheldon stepped out. He walked back and forth In front of the headlights, slowly and carefully. ’ facing Alice and her parents who r sat tensely in their car. "That is not the man.” Alice said emphatically. Sheldon, who had surrendered voluntarily to San Francisco po • lice last night after learning that ’ he was a suspect in the case. » stool still for a moment when he heard voices from the Devine car. r Then Lodi police officer Pat • Conn got out of Sheldon's car • and led him close to the Devine » car where he engaged i:lm in con- • versation. The Devines listened • closely to the sound of Sheldon's • voice. - "No. that is not the man Alice t said. Her parents agreed. j Sheldon at no time was under - arrest. After Alice and her parr ents all agreed that he was not r her abductor. Lull police chief I Millard Fore announced that he i war. free from suspicion. "Sheldon is eliminated 100 percent from any connection with , the case by the parents and by . the girl," the chief said. I When Sheldon was questioned by San Francisco police last ' (Turn To Page 6. Column «l r 0" Church Youth Meet Here Next Tuesday I I ■— Youth Os County To Meet Tuesday Night The Rev. R S. Miller, who recently returned to his pastorate at the Evangelical United Brethren church in Geneva rollowing a leave of absence during which time he served the United States army as chaplain., will address the youth organizations of the churches la Adams county on Tuesday evening. January 28. at the First Presbyterian church. In this city. The program will open with a banquet for all young people in the county at 5:30 o'clock, followed by an inspirational program at 7:30 In the main auditorium of the church. The ladies of the Presbyterian church will serve the meal The meeting planned by the officers of the Adams county Christian Endeavor Union includes youth fellowship and any other youth organization in the Protestant churches, and is held at this time in observance of the first youth movement established In this country. y«*« Francis E. Clark, in Portland. Maine. It now is considered the largest youth movement, and includes over W denominattoM. ■art Cnaaq, of D-wtur. of Porter DiHrict C E. union, will Zrve as toastmaster at the batt oiHrf and Ward Houser of Berne. ! of tbe Adams cwnty C.

OKLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, January 23, 1947

Bargain With Allis In Parsonage « I IMsl- _ | 'li S . ’ ’ US I r I . f ■ V w

JOHN BROPHY, left. CIO counsel, and Walter Reuther. International UAW-CIO president, arrive at the Milwaukee home of Rev. Ensworth Reisner, instigator of conferences between the labor leaders and Allis Chalmers representatives. The minisier's efforts produes hopes of an end of the nine-motith long strike at the farm eqnipment company.

Woman Confesses Two Bank Holdups Waitress Admits To Staging Robberies Den Moines. la. Jan. 23—Il’P)— Mrs. Opal Dixon. 35-yearold waitress. wax held In police custody | today after she confessed staging ■ two spectacular bank holdups because she waa "tired of living on nothing.” Chief of police Jack Brophy aaid < Mrs Dixon had signed a statement; admitting a St. Louis hank robbery last Dec. 26. ax well as yesterday’s $2,950 holdup of the l»es' Moines Bank & Trust Co., in which she threatened to "blow the bank' up" with contents of a hypodermic syringe. Chief Brophy said she would he prosecuted on a bank robbery charge which under lowa law carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. Mrs. Dixon, an attractive brunet, was seized yesterday afternoon, approximately 30 minutes after she ' had calmly walked out of the bank, carrying an envelope stuffed with currency. Broken pieces of the syringe and all but $75 of the loot were recovered from a rest room in a building adjoining the bank. Mrs. Dixon later told police the syringe had contained nothing but a mouth wash. The $75 she used to pay a bill to a dentist In the building. Mrs. Dixon, who hail worked ax a waitress since moving here from St. Louis two months ago. was quoted as saying she staged both robberies to obtain money for herself and her two then-aged married daughters. Her husband. “f. G. Dixon, told ; police he didn’t know "why she would pull such a thing." After her arrest. Mrs Dixon ad mltted to federal agents and police that she was the lone woman bandit who held up the I'nited Hank and Trust Co. at St. Louis last month and escaped with SSS 2. The woman, hatlesx and wearing a fur coat, walked into the Des Moines bank shortly after the noon rush hour yesterday and neld aloft the syringe which she said contained an explosive. ”1 have enough stuff here to blow yon all np. including myself. ’ she announced in a loud voles. *T mean buxness." Appraunately » cstomers and ( employers watcaad as she mass a an envelope tea eashler and ord •red. “fill it up." !

Gen. Roy S. Geiger Dies This Morning Bethesda. Md . Jan. 23.—(UP)— Lt. Gen Hoy S. Geiger, formerly commanding general of the fleet marine forces of the Pacific, died today at Bethesda Navaf hospital. He was 62. Geiger died at 6:20 a.m. CBT. The marine general entered the . hospital last Friday suffering from lan Inflammation of the veins which I puzzled physicians who attended i him. Geiger commanded the am- ! plilbious opeiatione in the invasion |of Okinawa, one of the stepping stones in the defeat of Japan. 0 Wafer Department Head Makes Report Annual Report Made By Ralph E. Roop Water services In Decatur total 1,985, according to a report for the year 1946 announced toiay by I Ralph E. Roop, city engineer and I water department superintendent. New services during 1946 totallled 153. he reported. There are ! 1.941 meters, with 116 new ones inxta'led during the past year. His report also shows five new fire hydrants installed during the past year, bringing the total to 197, and 6.450 feet of new water mains laid, bringing that total in the city to 23.44 miles. His report shows that the low est amount of water pumped in any one day during the past year, occurred on January 27. 1946 when 190.500 gallons were pumped out—while the largest number i occurred on June 22 of last year | This number is 1.063.200 gallons The total amount pumped dur ' Ing the year Is 224.364.960 gallons. his report shows. New Well Completed Mr Roop also made a report on the city’s new well, east of the St. Mary’s river near Monroe street. which was started December 5 of last year and completed January 6. He listed the diameter of the well at 12 Inches, the depth at 400 feet, and the total cost of 42 feet of 12 inch casing, as well aa the drilling at $2.131.60. A lO bour teat run waa made on (Turn Tn Page I, Column 6) Large Crowd Attends Concert Here Today A large and appreciative rrowd heard the maafc aMaart. prwaoted •Mtor gebeal u">Ber!

Grand Jury In Federal Court Accuses May Os Taking War Firm Fund

Youth Under Arrest In Auto-Theft Ring Fort Wayne Youth Is Seized This Morning City and county police authorities were intensifying their investigation today into what Is believed to have been a car-theft ring - first broken up by city police at an early hour this morning The score late to4*y stood at one arrest, the cons Meat lon of two stolen cars, with another stolen car and a second thief still the object of a search by city, county and state police authorities. First action accurred on Fifth street near the Lincoln school aliout I o'clock Hike morning, when officer Roy Chllcole of the city police. during a patrol, found an auto pushing another, which apparently was stalled When he stopped to Investigate, the occupant of the auto in fiont left the vehicle and fled down the railroad tracks, south of Adams street. Officer Chllcote in the police car gave chase to the other auto, meanwhile picking up Grove:- Cottrell of the merchant police. They found the auto and after a short chase, officer Chllcote rammed the police car into the back of the other vehicle, locking tbe bumpers. He applied the brakes, stopping both cars, and the driver of the stolen auto fled When he began elipping on the ice during the chase on foot, the thief surrendered in an alley near Fourth and Jeffetson streets, and was lisiged in the county Jail. A search for the other man proved futile, latter this morning the theft of a two-day old 1947- Dodge from the Herman .Meyer garage on North Second street led jiolice to believe that the escaped thiet may have taken that auto. Police thief Ed Miller, sheriff Herman Bowman and deputy Sam Bentz, who were carrying on the investigation today, agreed that evidence suslMtantiatea this belief. The pair were attempting to push the one stolen car. owned by Billy Sprunger of Berne, without using the keys and by crossing the ignition wires, they said. The Meyer vehicle, which waa delivered to the owner on Tuesday, was presumably stolen in the same manner • since (Turn To Page 2. Column &) 0 Two Girls Badly Hurt In Accident Seriously Hurt As Two Autps Collide The conditions of two of four young people, living north of Decatur. who were hurt in an auto crash Wednesday, were reported by St. Joseph's hospital attaches, at Fort Wayne as unchanged to-1 day Hospital nurses said that Miss Mary Ruth Schroeder. 15. daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Schroeder of route one. Decatur, is In serious condition, suffering from internal injuries and shock. They said that the condition of Miss Barbara Scheumann. 15, daughter of Mr and Mrs. Ludolpb Scheumann, of route one. Hoagland. also remains serious and that she la suffering from lacerations of the head, left leg. loss of blood and shock. Two others: James Boumann. 13, eon of tbe Rev. and Mrs. H. J. Bonmean, and Clarence Getting, IL son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Getting. al! of Dscatur. uao, were Maa aortaMly hurt. All four are students of Cc«-

tabor Policy Study Opened By Committee a— Extensive Review Os Labor Policies Started In Senate — Washington. Jan. 23 -(UP) —t The senate labor committee started today on what proniMed to be | the most extensive congressional j review of national lalmr policy i since the Wagner act was passed in 1935. After a cloaad morning session.: the committee planm-d to hear, kickoff statements from two of it* own members. Secretary of labor lrf*wis B. Schwellenb-jch was to i have presented the administration viewpoint, but he came down with a cold and his testimony was post poned until a later, unspecified date. The hearings will laet almut elx weeks The committee members who were offered the floor for opening statements symbolized the range of opinion within the committee They were Sens Joseph H Ball. R.. Minn., and James E. Murray.. D.. .Mont , former committee chair man Both agreed that labor peace depended on sound collective bar gaining. But from that point their views and those of other members' diverged widely. Ball backed the Ball-Tass Smith bill, a revised version of the case bill vetoed by President Truman last year and now carrying ‘ the tentative endorsement of Republican leaders. Murray was given time to argue in behalf of the Democratlc-spon sored resolution to create a 20-j member commission to study laiior relations. The resolution would carry out Mr Truman's recent re ' commendation to establish a com-j mission composed of 12 members; of congress and 12 presidential appointees Murray said he would press for an early vote on the proposal. He hoped lor a decision long before* March I. the target date eet by committee chairman Robert A-! Taft. R . ()., for completing hearinge. Here are the major fields of la-1 bor policy which th* hearings will cover and the major senate bills iiitroduci-d or premised in each: 1. Organization and rexponaibil ity of labor unions the B-T-S bill would permit unions to tie sued for breach of contract, outlaw Jurisdictional strikes and secondary boycott* and require unions to file reports on finances and union practTurn To Pa«<- 3. Column 7> 0 Four Students Die I In Shop Class Blast Electric Welding Machine Is Blamed Monroe City. Mo.. Jan 23. —(UP) —An electric welding machine was blamed today for a blast in which four high school students died and J seven others suffered serious burns.. * Sheriff Tom Spalding said the explosion resulted when the welding machine came in contact with I a gasoline tank on a motor during a shop class instruction on welding. The blast shattered the one-room mechanical arte building, taming flaming gasoline to ail cornars of the rssm. UTiwui ssKoodn. use ew11

Price Four Cents

Ex-Kentucky Solon Charged By Jurors With Taking Money From War Combine Washington. Jan. 23. — (UP)— A federal grand Jury today accused former Rep. Andrew J. May, D., Ky., of corruptly receiving at least 315,000 for hfe aid to the Garsson munitions combine. The former chairman of the house military affairs committee was charged specifically with accepting 310,000 and agreeing to reI ceive an additional |53.00ff A foui-count indictment by the jury also name<K the Gansson brothers, Henry M and Murray, and Joseph F. Freeman. They were former officers of Erie Basin Metal Products, Inc., Elgin. 111., and of Batavia Metal Products, Inc., Bai tavla. 111. Th<»e were th* companies for which May allegedly used his influence in getting war contracts - contracts which totalled 378.000.1)00. The Ihdictment climaxed long inquiries by the grand Jury and by the aenate war investigating | committee. The grand Jury will he recalled to conalder further evidence being developed by tbe federal bureau of Investigation. Two offenses were charged In tbe indictment; 1. Illegal receipt or agreement to receive compensation for services rendered by a cong -easman hl connection with war contracts. 2 Conspiracy to commit offenses gainst the United States The first count charged that the defendanta conspired from Jan. 1. I 1942. until about Dec. 31. 1946 on !35 occasions to obtain contracts from the war department. The sm-ond and third count* > charged May accepted compensa--1 tiou. while a member of congreas. for his aid to the combine, and ihat the other defendants aided, i aliened, counseled, procured and induced him to commit the offense. These counts charged that May ; leceived 816.000 in 1943 and 1944. In the fourth count. May was charged with agreeing to receive 153.634 from Erie Basin. Batavia Metal, and the individual defendants in connection with bis effort* in their behalf. This count also charged the Garsson brothers j and Freeman with aiding and inducing In tbe commlMion of the offense May. If convicted for receiving illegal compensation, would be subject to maximum fines of not more than fio.ooo and Imprisonment of two years. He also would be barred from future holding of public office in the federal government. The conspiracy statute provides maximum penalties of IIO.OIW) and two years imprisonment May was defeated for re-election last Novetnlier. Just prior to the election and after tbe federal grand jury Inquiry had commenced, he told newsmen tn Prestonburg, Ky.. that he would ask permission to testify But he did not do so May had contended before the senate committee that he bad never received any funds from the Garsson combine When confronted with ctem-ks made out to ths Cumberland Lumber Co. and endorsed by him. be contended he had never been financially Interested in the company and that he never bad realized any personal profit from the operation of the firm. Upon conclusion of tbe senate hearing, attorney general Tom CClark ordered an independent inquiry by tbe federal bureau of investigation. Evidence u a covered by FBI agnate led to tbe indictment Tbe first count charged that May received a RS.Md check from Erls Basin Aug. 32. 1944; that hs wan paid 41.4C8 in cash May L 1343. and »ie.9od foe es a cMb» fos'a ew-en jnjy w, tnet.