Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 134, Decatur, Adams County, 7 June 1947 — Page 1

Ml V. No. 134.

WO INFANTS SLAIN IN OHIO HOSPITAL

■ornadoes And Uoods Strike Uidwest Areas

S®nodoes, Cyclones w « To Mounting 1 ■mage Caused By J Kgmg High Water K I Uy I nited Pres* ’han persons fled flooding Mississippi i'“ tributaries in lowa cyclones, building* and homes ■CflriNr. Okla. Julesburg. Champaign 111. added EK flood damage which hourly ■■ properly damage in both SB^K |i: . A.p» .llld flood sflickrll . x(„-. led 101.'.0h mil dollars ■■ral p.-foiix were injured MflT lal nrm k towns. but no flood fatalities re so Those who had to flee in time from the MBB ««|. rest lied by boat ■■ Cross officials at ItsKB. la estimated that I.Mm already had been evaeii flood Stricken loWhand farms In lowa Gov Blue called out four com ■■ of the national guari for SESo:: Mo. and Rock Island ■■pui'-.i that the Mississippi ■mb n-ing Slowly, threat HBH to produce one of the MH fl Is in the history of river volunteers sum by periodic blasts from station siren -- worked through the rainy sandbag the power plant. »as surrounded by water ■Hplam furnishes electricity fleeing from floode I the night In cots set up in halls and churches. ■HI: ■ m ('ST Canton report H^Bt- 1 ’ ih. Mississippi bad retn h il-plh of 17 4 feet -two feet HBII Illi lies above flood Stage was rising more than an every hour. Train and bus was cut off at Canton at tn yesterday and only one — leading west out of the was passable. crest of the Des Moines flood was somewhere above Eddysville, where the were 12 feet under water ■Bill the homes were flooded ■■iri.adu winds anti cyclites scattered areas from the Mountains to the Great yesterday and last night, ■■" kipped the flooded areas SHt Champaign. 111., a 16-block of a new residential area on HH western outskirts was ripped £■* tornado which wrecked six |Bh and damaged 15 severely §■ storm carlred delirls as far ||H the Cnlversity of Illinois two miles away One wa« s'lghtly injured, reieiv on the hands. SB* chief R w Alsip said it no one was killed ■H Mured seujously.'' |B* Chester, Okla. u tornado |M night destroyed two farm 1 - hut there wore no InjurThe f arm families saw the funnel coming and took BBtornado lairing out of the M Platte river bottoms twice at Julesburg (pop BP* In northeastern Colorado causing slight injuries 20 persons and an esti- ■■** ISOO.OOP damage to pro Rain In Indiana |B* M *»onal June rains beat |B* U*in today on Indiana. of thousands of |B* of unp’owe-1 or unplanted WPrp doused with new M* v « they didn’t need worried about the of a corn crop In 1947 ■ tTsrs Tn Vg*e S, Column <> ■ — 0 ■-,_ WEATHER O^* n «'derabla cloudiness to- ■”> *no through tomorrow with ■ k tt * r * d • > ’ ow • r • thunder- ■ * ,w *- L, *tle change in temp

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Catholic Graduate Rites Held Friday ■ Notre Dame Teacher Speaker Last Night "This school has helped to sculpture and mould these boys and glrlg into the image of the Divine Master - has helped effuee Into their hearts the cadence of the Mother of Jesus. The pastors and Sisters may well lie proud of them ” Thus spoke the Rev. John A. O'Brien. Ph. D., Notre Dame. In speaking la-fore a capacity crowd at the Decatur Catholic high school auditorium Friday night duting the annual commencement exercises at the school. "All of the young people have been made to realize that which counts the most in the long run. It is the unique contribution of Hie Catholic school alone thlg vitalizing and rounding out of the human personality,” the Rev O'Brien assMted. "In this school the individual lifts ihis hand in appeal and his I moral character is developed by I the insertion of Divine culture Outside the Catholic church and vchool the motive of goodness Is ethics the moral aspect of man's rulapon to man. Here It is the relation of man to God. the Divine Master.” The Rev O'Brien lauded the parents and members of the parish who made the training of the graduates pomible. "There are those who point to the costs, the hardship and the anxiety caused by building a school alongside the Catholic church. In spite of the hardships and sacrifice, the Catholic' church insists upon a second sacrifice — that these students might have within them a concept of the great heritage given them. Solicitude for the young is uppermost in the minds of the multitude he declared in recalling Jesus' words." Suffer little children to come unto me; forbid them not for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” The Rev. O'Brien praised the (Turn To Page i. Column 5) ■ ■ ' - -o— Margaret Corbett Dies This Morning Former Local Lady Dies At Fort Wayne Mrs. Margaret Corbett. 74, widow of the late Timothy Corbett, former Decatur merchant, and mother of Mrs. Fred Fullenkamp, tiled at 3 o’clock this morning at St. Joseph's hospital. Fort Wayne Recently. Mrs. Corbett underweat an operation. She visited here with her daughter and was taken •« the hospital a days ago. Mrs. Corbett was born In I-'i Rue. Ohio, on May 3. 1973. I’ntll about 25 years ago the family lived In this city Mr. Corbett, who conducted a cigar store here, died in 1941. Surviving besides the daughter in this city, are five children. Mrs. Henry Berghoff Mrs.. Lucile McKenzie. John. Frank and Eileen Corbett, all of Fort Wayne. Mrs. John Smith. 315 N. Third street. Is a sister. Another sister. Mrs. John J- Curran of Lima. Ohio, also survives. Funeral services will be hel l at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning at St Mary's Catholic church, with the Very Rev. Msgr. J Selmetz as celebrant of the requiem mass Burial will be in the Catholic cemetery. The body will lie removed fr&a ’he Gillig i Doan funeral home to the Ful lenkamp residence, 311 North Second street Sunday afternoon, where friends may call. Mem ters of the St Mary s society will recite the rosary Sunday evening.

Debris As 15-Foot Flood Wall Smashes City t * ' -■ j I W JL ft Jrl ijj jffffirl rV < I IN RUTLAND, VT„ wreckage left by a 15-foot wall of flood water, re eased by a shattered lam. piles high against this transformer cutting off electrical power in the <4ty of IS.mm which has been left without drinking and commercial water facilities. Two hundred homes are unhabitable and 500 per sons are homeless, as damage estimates reac h one million dollars.

Stale Cigarel Tax Effective July 1 Three Cents A Pack Tax Being Planned Indianapolis, June 7 (T’P)— Hoosier cigaret smokers, wholesalers. retailers and the state got ready today for costlier tobacco come July 1. On that date, a new tax of three cent* a pack—3o cents a carton — becomes effective on all cigarets sold in I hi* state. For pack-a-day smokers, it will mean the cost of smoking goes up >10.95 a year-unless the user cuts down on his inhaling. For the wholesaler. It will mean extra work affixing tax stamps and acting a* go-between in handling funds paid by the consumer to the state. For the retailer, it will mean a cigaret inventory June 30 and the chore of putting tax stamps i on all packs on hand that date. For the state, it will mean an additional 19,000.000 a year revenue for the general fund and the operation of a new administrative department. Administration of the cigaret tax. imposed by the 1947 legislature at the request of Governor I Gates, was placed in the hands of the alcoholic beverage commission. The ABC appointed Henry fx tax department director. Myers said today his department was busy as a bee. It Is Issuing registration certificates, with order blanks for stamps, to wholesalers. It has bought 00,000,000 stamps to fill orders received from wholesalers. A registration fee of $&00 for all wholesalers who sell cigarets in Indiana will bring the state nearly 1100.000. Myer* estimated that 175 applications would be made. He said most wholesalers were Installing meter machines for stamping the individual packs. The 80,000,000 stamps ordered hy the state are for wholesalers who will put the stamps on by hand. The money the state gets from the new tax was earmarked for "general edilTation. general and mental health and other general welfase purposes as the Governor may direct." But It was not limited to these purposes and obviously could be used for most anything. Cigar and pipe smokers were free of the new tax. but smokers who roil their own came Is tor a small tax. The '.aw puts a onehalf rent tax on r hook of 50 cigaret papers and one cent on a book of 100. The majority of Hoosier smok ers won't be able to escape a state tax by crossing state lines. There's a tax in Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois. Michigan, however, has no specific cigaret tak.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decotur, Indiana, Saturday, June 7, .1947

Eversole Funeral Sunday Afternoon Funeral *revice H for Wilson Eversole, who died Friday morning at hi* home in Linn Grove, will be held at 2:30 pin Sunday at the home, with the Rev. J Robert Coovtrt officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood cemetery, near Linn Grove. 0 Discuss Pefilion To Abandon Trains Pennsy Meets With Decatur Citizens Rep-esentallves of the Pennsylvania railroad Co. met Friday afternoon in Decatur with local huainess men ami explained their position in their petition pending to the public service commission for the removal of G. R and I. division trains number 501 and 50! operating between Richmond and Fort Waytie The public heating on the petition will be held all day June 26 at Winchester. Railroad representatives attending the conferences were J. F. Henry, superintendent of the Cincinnati division of the Pennsylvania system; F J. Kleltx. supervising agent of the Cincinnati division, and William Harber, Decatur agent. Among Decatur people present at the Chamber of Commerce offices in the library building were Don Lutes and Ivan Stucky, who ship peristable goods daily on trains; Hairy Essex. Robert Heller, slate representative; R W. Pruden, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and Dick Heller of the Democrat force. The visiting railroaders explained their company's position. They stated that arrangements were being made to initiate truck service between the two points which would handle express, mail and freight, less than a carload with better service than the present two trains. The only service which would not be continued by elimination of the trains would be pasxseii ger service, which they say has dwindled in recent year* to almost nothing. They continued that a* far as the trainmen were concerned, all had sufficient senioiity that they would not lose their jobs with the company. Passenger bus sei vice now operates between the two points and the visitors stated that they believed that this service was amply taking care of the various communities needs. The local men raised several questions. Mr Lutes ships plant* and he stated that he was skeptical of the truck service in the winter when the temperature was below freezing. Mr. Stucky iiad the same prob lem with baby chicks which he ship both noith and south on the (Turn To Pag* S, Column k)

Teamwork Vital To Save Agriculture Unlikely To Retain Favorable Position Washington. June 7 it'Pi The house agriculture committee was told today that only genuine teamwork on the part of labor, management and the farmer can stave off "widespread and serious difficulties in agriculture." The statement was made by Chester E Davis, speaking for the research panel of the committee for economic development. Davis is president the St. Ixiuis Fed eral Reserve Bank He also head ed President Truman's famine emergency committee in last year's hunger crisis. Davis said It is "highly unlikely" the farmer can retain for long his favorable wartime position. Once foreign needs are met and our own depleted reserves are rebuilt, he said, "powerful forces will be dragging at farm commodity prices." Whether these forces can he overcome permanently will depend on whether employment and purchasing power generally can be maintained on continuing high level, he said “It Is impossible to consider agriculture by itself," Davis said. “'All our interests are inter* woven in a tight, complicated, fastmoving economy. In the long run conditions under which farmers raise and market their crops will be greatly influenced, if not controlled. hy developments entirely outside of agriculture " Nevertheless, he said, there are some specific steps which can be taken to meet the twin-threats of Increasing production on a haphazard basis and decreasing demand. His suggestions Included 1. Increasing consumption througfi consumer education in health and nutrition. He said this possibly will have to be accompanied by special measures to improve the diet of low-income families. Such plans really must improve nutrition, not just move surpluses, he said 2. Increasing exports through the elimination of trade barriers and reduction* in tariff*. Davis said this country has highly specialized farm commodities which other nations want. But he said they must not he subsidized and must compete at world price*. 3. Developing a more mobile farm labor force so that fewer farm workers can meet our food needs. He said this would permit low-paid marginal fanners to take 'job* in industry. 4. Stabilizing farm price* This might be done, he said, by having the government pay the farmer the difference between a guaran teed and a market price. Thus. (Turu To Pag* S. Column I)

Two Girls Are Brutally Slain In Hospital Ward In Massillon Last Night

Heavy Rain Again Endangers Crops More Rain Forecast In Next Few Days i Adams county's 14.000,000 potential corn crop was probably given its most disastrous set back last night and this morning when rain, of almost flood proportions, inundated the fertile lands that farm ers have been trying to prepare for seeding throughout the past 3ff days At R o'clock this morning, rainfall for the 24-hour period totaled 259 Inches. St. Mary's river was on a rampage and the stream measured 15.56 feet, or more than two feet above flocs! stage. Her man "Hi" Meyer, local weather observer, stated Torrents of rain fell between 7 and v o'clock last evening and early this morning. Even local gardens were drowned Forecasts are for more rain Monday and Tuesday and the entire state is alarmed over the prospect of getting out the corn crop In most parts of the state*. In eluding this county, farmers state that corn must be planted by June 15. If It Is to have a chance to I ripen before the fall frosts. If more rain arrives today and during the first of the week, there is nothing the farmer can do but wait until favorable weather makes I it possible for him to get into the i fields The extreme wet period of i the past 40 days has so far pre vented farmers from completing spring plowing, much less plant corn. The soybean crop Is also endangered. as very little work could be done in view of the unusually wet season Farmers declare that they will go ahead with the planting of corn as soon as the weather permits, hoping that frost will not arrive next fall as early as In past years Adams county farmers plant more than 40.000 acres to corn each year and the crop ie considered the largest of any agricultural undertaking on the 2.000 farms. 0 Township Trustees In Session Today The township trustees of Adams I county met late this morning ini their monthly meeting at the offices of Lyman 1,. Hann, county school superintendent 0 Babcock Residence Is Damaged By Fire Firemen Called To Fight Basement Fire Firemen drove through a blind Ing downpour of rain about s .io o'clock last night to battle a fir< at the Alden Babcock residence, oorner Thirteenth and Madison streets. The firemen worked for approximately half an hour to bring under control a fire which broke out in the basement nf the Bab cock home • Water in the basement of the home presumably overturned a can of gasoline and poured the inflammable liquid over the surface of the water, firemen said This became ignited In some manner and the fire spread rapid ly, destroying a glider, a bicycle and other items in the basement, firemen reported. They also believe It possible that a sutnp pump motor "shorted." causing the blaze and permitting the basement to fill with water. No estimate was made of the damage, hut it is expected to he fairly heavy.

Senate Votes Labor Bill By 54-17 Margin Republicans Have Votes To Override Presidential Veto Washington. June 7— (('PiThe final senate vole on the Taft-Hartley lalmr bill buttress <d Republican leaders today in their belief that they hail the •,oles to override a presidential veto. An analysis of the vote Indi<ated that the administration will at least !>e facing an uphill fight if President Truman de < ide* on a veto Concede)) that the bouse could override, tin- test tails*, i oine in Gie senate The senate voted 54 to 17 yes terday to approve the bill draft i-d by a house-senate < onfer<-m •• committee That was a margin of more than 3 to 1. compared with the 2 to 1 majority needed to override a veto The house approved th*- bill W* Tuesday by a I to I margin. Tlie bill probably wiii in- deiiv cred to tin Whit*- House Mun day That would allow Mr Tin man until June 20 to decide whether to approve veto or let it become a law without his slg» nature. Sen Robert A Tuft. It <> . senate spokesman on labor legis Litton, expressed renewed < onfi delice that a veto could lie over ridden He figured supporters of the I*lll could lose seven of their number and still win While there were more al>«eii ties for yesterday’s vote, there were no shifts In votes since ill*senate approved its original bill by a margin of M to 24 On the final <oun* there were 37 Republicans and 17 Detnortalvoting for the bill, two Repub Ih-ans and 15 Democrats voting against it One Democrat and six Republk-niis were paired for the bill ami seven Democrats I Turn T<> f .rir*- ". t'olimoi > — 0 Paris Rail Traffic Is Halted By Strike Nationwide Strike Threatening France Pari*. June 7— H'Pl —Railroad traffic In Paris and most of Frame was paralyzed by strikes today a* Ithe Communist dominated rail unions sought to smash premier Paul Ramadier's wage price freez ing policy V.iilroad men in al! five large Paris stations were off their Jobs Only trains carrying food and other "first necessities" were operating The clash between the govern inent and union workers on the state-controlled railways reached a critical point during the night whan workers who struck yesterday refused to honor Ramadier's back to work appeal Ramadier In turn refused to negotiate wage demands until the strike ceased Worker* at the Au*terlitz sta |i<|n flni*hed the shutdown of Paris rail facilities hy walking out at 1 a m That station serves southwestern France. Yesterday, train* moved in and out there far behind schedule while traffic In all other main terminal* had halted Scattered report* from southern France, notahly Bordeaux, said roll traffic wax normal in many areas there during the morning. Paris Is the nerve center of the nation's railroads, however. (Turn Tv Psge S, Column 7)

Price Four Cents

Apparently Swung By Feet, Heads Smashed Against Wall; Only Infants In Ward Massillon O. June 7 (VPl—- — infants, undergoing treatment In the pediatrics ward of Massillon city hospital, were brutally slain last night by a murderer who apparently -wung them hy their feet and smashed their hreids against a wall. It was revealed today. Th*- slayings were revealed this morning by hospital superintendent E J Lint ke after an all night questioning of hospital |M*rsonnel. County and city officials swarme<| over the hospital and grounds 1 In search of clews Immediately ' after the revelation, but said they 1 had been unable to uncover anything to lead Io the killer. Lincke vid all effoju to eave 1 the children's lives were futllo 1 and they died .1 few mfnutee after the discovery Lim ke said the two babies. Diana Brand, eight we.-k-old daughter of Mr and Mrs l3*o Brand, and Rosemary Morten, nine weekold (laughter of Mr and Mrs. Harry Morton, were slain some 1 time between 7 3<i and 7:45 p in. 1 last night He said the children wen* in the ward for treatment and had been <-he< k>-d hy a nurse at 7:3d p.m. Fifteen minutes later, he said, a nurse entered the ward and found the children in a dying condition with wounds on the front jiurt of their heads ( An investigation was laun< hed Immediately bv Massillon police ami county prosecutor D. D. McLaughlin hut they reported they had uncovered nu clue* Police chief Stanley Swifter «ald then* wax a possihllty that the , killer swung the infants by the heels and struck their head* against a wall Dirt on their heads. . h«* said, indicated this possibility. N<> weapon of any kind was found. Coroner B C. Reno said in an early statement that the "injuries were caused by blunt force.” Investigators, reluctant to dl»(USS the caxx* In the absence of dews, said that all nurses, doctors and other hospital personnel had heen questioned during the night. No visitors were reported to have visited the hospital last night as Frida? night is "no visitor” night The slain children were the only two in the ward It was Indicated that the killer searched for another victim as the bx-delothmg on another crib was pulled down. Brand, father of one of the victim*. is a millhand In Republic Steel Corp The infant was their only child o — David Woods Dies Late Friday Night Funeral Services Monday Afternoon David Woods. !•* year old retired painter, died at 1150 o'clock ' Friday night at the Adams j county memorial hospital Death ’ was attribute! to complication* and followed a serious illness of 1 two months. He was lnxni in Van Wert ’ county <>. January 15. 1957. a ‘ son of William and Rebecca FossWoods He spent his entire life in Harrison township. Van Wort county, until eight years ago, ! when he moved to the home of 1 a daughter. Mrs. Vora Sheets, of • t'nion township ' He was a member of the Wood* Chapel nhiirch In Van Wert county He wm married October 24. t»7». tn Anna McClure. *kn died Aprtl IV 4930 Surviving ar» Ivo sung. William of Sturgis. Mlx'h.. and Melvin of Van Wert; four daughters. Mrs. Sheet*. Mr*. Dell* Miller and Mr* Uxxte Miller of tTurg Te Pegs 4, L'eluiua If