Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 302, Decatur, Adams County, 24 December 1947 — Page 1

BECATURITES SHIVER IN HEATLESS HOMES

Re Warns Os Lid Threat Lew War Kninously Solemn ■Christmas Message ■delivered By Pope City, Dec. 24.—(UP) — r . w >rld today ■. "sinister light of new con- . . was flashing ~b l ( i..;>],>r>-,l the failure |,, , (inference in Lonhe attributed to interp I'nnsvii is Eve broadcast ■T !r „;..- ami the world Were jnt point of their destiny K.o gravity was un- ■ world is further than ever r ,. a I definite recovery the Pontiff ■ ji.. indicated international o:i lying as dignified to ■strategic system. ,|:d the Pope mention ■unism directly. But he did his strong words were inf.,r "denying the doe■of faith in God” and of the of fallacious inten|■ealyi::v "drag their the path of ruin." nee tot li,- i > disorders in Ron:"messongers of world and human founded on disbelief and ■ce. who have turned them- ■ into sower of discord.” chur< li. he said, cannot bu; i as .>1 ves in ■*9 clothing, as founders and ■ers of a new golden age." ■r:. witlinut naming the United ■ns, he said In deploring the ■tic struggle between “two op■d spirits who dispute the ■l" that: ■ hatred is enough to gather ■nd the spirit of evil men ■h everything indicates would ■ must divide one from the ■, what could not love* do to ■er in a league as vast as the ■d ail those among which lii.-h-■of views, nobility of senti■s. mutual sufferings have ■dished among them ties far ■ger and tighter than diver■ies which might separate 1 ■is t millions of men ready

■here to such a world league ■e foundation is the Bethlehem ■age whose indivisible leader is ■King of Peai e who appeared m J manger that in this hour we ■ess our fervid exhortations." ■ indirect reference to the "f the London conference ■ when he spoke of the split ■t world into factions and con■li of the opposing sides lie- ■ itself constrained io this B-i-’ as a duty of elementary ■mion. Obviously this very ■f fact leads to the building of J immense wall which renders ■ess every attempt to bring B 1 to the bewildered human ■rn Tn p aK .p 2 Column ■ ~ O-

pd Fellows Club |D<str/but/ng Food, And Clothing ■ Good Fellows club, spon- ■ annually by Delta Theta • sorority of Decatur, was busy to< ’ ay distributing its anristmas gifts to the needy I a city. The fund was boost I 5 t"’o cash contributions toj anf i also by a contribution of ■ ’“tomobile load of toys given ■ ’n«r s electrical shop, Arnold J en k and Holthouse Drug L^" lrs of the sorority visited I.' “cal homes and distributI c toys to children of all ages. |-i 1 ( 1 ldSliPt ' s °* food, purchased L , ash donations, will be deRinat er The sorority I P< plan and adopted L. niP ' G°°d Fellows club. L'iJ e^ rs a? 0 an d has been acPliin he dist ribution of food, and f°vs to the needy P r along time. I —0 Parti WEATHE R Phursd Cloudy tonight and toninh» ay Voider south portion K. y and north

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Dedicates Organ ft Jp ; Btt" JH ' ' ,-T he Rt ; Rev - Gran ' n. Batdorf. Ibishop oi the Evangelical United 'Brethren church of Dayton, O will officiate at the dedication of the new organ at the Trinity Evangelical I nited Brethren church in this city Sunday tnorn- ■ mg at 10:30 o’clock. —- - — i Will Dedicate New Organ Here Sunday Trinity Church To Dedicate New Organ The Rt. Rev. Grant I). Batdorf, Ph. D.. D.D., LL.D., bishop of the Evangelical United Brethren church of Dayton, Ohio, will be present and will officiate at the dedication of the new three manual Tellers organ in Trinity Evangelical United Brethren church. MaCtson at Ninth street, Sunday morning at 10:30 o’clock. The bishop will be assisted by Dr. Benj. F. Smith, superintendent of St. Joseph conference of the church. The arrangements have been completed by the minister, Dr. Charles E. White. The new organ recently installed will be dedicated as a memorial to the late Miss Katherine Jackson, former music teacher of Decatur, who left a generous bequest to the church for the organ, and to Jr. and Mrs. John Wisehaupt, parents of Howard Wisehaupt. who also made a gift for this purpose. At the evening servTe at 7:31)1 p. m., an informal program. “An evening with the new organ,” will be presented with the church

’ organist. Harold Mumma, at the 1 console. ’ The official dedicatory recital 1 will be given Sunday evening. January 4, at 7:30 p. m. by Dr. Wm. H. Barnes, noted organ ar- ! chitect and recitalist. Dr. Barnes ! is the outhor of “The contempor ary American organ” now in ' fourth published addition and is associate editor of the American Organist, New York. 1 The public is invited to attend these services. ; o— Christmas Bonus To McMillen Employes

Presented 1 To All Employes i Christmas checks totaling $11,350 r have been distributed to the 488 - local emploves of Central Sova comr nany and McMillen Feed Mills it was announced today by C. 1 Fin- . lavson. plant manager. f A total of $31,750 was distributed to the company’s 1427 employes I here, at the executive offices in , Fort Wayne and at the plants in ’ Ohio. Illinois. Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Each member of the organization, regardless of post- ' tion. received the same amount. ’ based only on length of service with 1 a $25 maximum. The annual Christmas party for local emploves and their families 1 was held Monday at the junior-sen-ior high school auditorium. A fea- ' ture of the program, at which the . children received gifts from Santa Claus, was the initial appearance of the newly organized Centiral Sova company’s choir. The choir has forty members, al! of whom are employes or members of employe families of the company. Gerald Vizard was general chairman nf the Christmas party.

i U. S. Troops ! Begin Pulling ! Out Os Panama —*— Say United States May Yet Obtain New Lease For Bases | Washington, Dec. 24.— (UP) Acting secretary of state Robert A. Lovett said today the United States is ready to discuss with Panama at any time a new’ agreement on bases In Panama to defend the canal. Lovett made the statement at a 1 news conference. He was asked ; about reports frcftn Panama City . that Panamanian foreign minister , Florencio Arosemena Forte has .: said that Panama is willing to negotiate again with the U. S. on 114 bases to defend the Panama canal. Lovett said no official offer to resume negotiations has yet been received by the state department. But the U. S., he said, is ready to discuss defense arrangements at i any time. It was believed that the U. S. still may obtain a lease on bases to replace the agreement rejected I by Panama’s national assembly. In the meantime, however, this government accepted the assem- , bly’s edict and began immediate a- > bandonment of the 14 defense ini stallations on Panamanian terri- > tory outside the 10-tnile wide canal > zone. The army said withdrawal of

. the 2,000 ground and air force per- . sonnel involved would be completed as soon as possible. r The Panamanian bases figured . prominently in American plans for protecting the strategic Panama ■ Canal, and the assembly’s action , caused considerable concern here. , j Government officials believed that an important factor in the de- | cision was a campaign by Commun- ! Ist agitators to whip up animosity | against the United States, particuI larly among Panamanian students Diplomatic quarters, however, did not believe the door was closed to a substitute agreement. They cited Panama City dispatches which said assembly leaders blamed the rejection on the state department’s insistence that the big bomber base at Rio Hato— strategically most j important of the 14 — be leased for 20 years instead of 10. Authoritative quarters in Panama City were said to feel there was still a possibility of agreement on a 10-year lease for Rio Hato. Five of the years would be obligatory and five optional, with approval of (Turn To Pagre 5. Column 7) 0 Mother, Two Babies Are Burned To Death Father Badly Burned In Rescue Attempt Goshen, Ind.. Dec. 24 — (UP) — Two small children and their mother burned to death today and the father was burned seriously as he tried frantically to rescue them from the family's flaming farm home. The victims were Mrs. Phyllis Leek Hartsough, 26. and her daughters, Margaret, two and Judy Ann, eight months. The father, William Hartsough. Jr.. 27, was reported in fair condition at hospital here suffering from burns on the face and hands. He managed to rescue his small son, Maynard, five. Hartsough said his wife awakened him about 3 a.m. and asked, "what's that crackling noise ” He went downstairs and found the kitchen in flames. Rushing back he grabbed up the still sleeping boy, carried him downstairs, browke a window in the dining room and got the boy outside. Flames blocked the stairway when he returned to try and get out other members of the family. He said he thought he heard his wife coughing halfway down the stairway and one of the babies crying before the fire drove him out of the house. He yelled for help and had his son blow the horn on the family au*> to summon neighbors. Another farmer. Raymond Eash, came with a ladder, but it was too late. The house, already a mass of flames, burned to the ground.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, December 24, 1947

“Error Lifer” To Be Freed i ig||k ■ UM-. KWkJV "WL-ifc.* X ?-**£**.*&■ - 7 ■ - i iHH HL WARDEN JOSEPH RAGEN of Illinois' Stateville penitentiary con gratulates Tony Marino, 40, on his impending release, after he had served 22 years of a life term. An immigrant youth of 18. Marino was arrested in 1925 in connection with a murder. Through an interpreter whom he could not understand, he waived a jury trial and pleaded guilty. The U. S. Supreme Court held his sentence illegal and criticized Illinois’ appeal system “a labyrinth of blind alleys.” Marino, who learned to speak English and became expert in woodworking while in prison, will be returned to Rockford for reversal on his conviction.

Nation Readied For I 1 ; Christmas Holiday Crush Os Holiday Travel Is Started , By United Press I Preparations so r Christmas , reached their height today. DeI partment stores across the nation I were crowded with last-minute . I shoppers, and railroads reported . i that the heavy rush of holiday tra- , | vel had begun. In New York, last-minute Christ- ■ ] mas shopping was expected to push Christmas sales volume to a i ■ new record. The New York CenII tral railroad reported that traffic : volume was 15 percent greater ' than last year, and the Pennsylvania recorded a 13 percent increase. Extra trains and extra flights were scheduled by railroads and i airlines to accomodate thousands of New Yorkers who were "going back home" for (he holidays. The U. S. weather bureau predicted generally sunny, seasonable weather for most of the country. Some parts of the country will have white Christmases due to previous snowfalls but the only new snow expected was from a few flurries in the northern Rocky mountain and Great Lakes areas. Rain was forecast for the Pacific northwest. In Chicago, the Chicago Motor Turn Tn Pas?o 2. Cnl'imn K)

Cradle Os Christianity Is Now Scene Os Bloodshed, Violence

Bethlehem, Dec. 24. — (UP)—ln this cradle of Christianity tonight there is cold moonlight and bitter men are vowing violence and vengeance upon their neighbors. Christmas HVe comes again to the Holy Land. Once more shepherds are “abiding in fields keeping watch by night over their flocks.” But there is no ‘'multitude of heavenly hosts to proclaim peace on earth, good will toward men.” Instead there is war and bloodshed. There is no Christmas truce between Jew and Arab. Since the partition of the Holy Land was voted by the United Nations the conflict has quickened. I have just filed a dispatch saying that 260 persons have been killed and 604 wounded since the UN action. But today I left this strife be- ■ hind. I walked the winding road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This is the highway that Mary and Joseph

Warned On Parking In Restricted Area .Motorists were warned today against parking in a restricted area in front of the courthouse on SecI ond street, which has been reserved for sheriffs department-cars. Autos found parked in the area will be towed to a local garage, county police officials stated. —o — — Drastic Tax Bill Passed By France Force Wealthy Men To Invest In Bonds Paris, Dec. 24 — (UP)— The French national assembly approved a drastic anti-inflation $800,000,000 tax bill today forcing weathy Frenchmen to return 25 to 50 percent of their profits unless they in vest in 10-year government loans. The drastic tax measure was approved 351 to 189 after an almost continuous 33-hour session. The assembly also approved a government economy measure calling for the dismissal of 150,000 employes, resenting 15 percent of French civil servants. The tax measure, introduced Friday by finance minister Rene Mayer, hits hardest at businessmen and industrialists whose profits exceed 750,000 francs ($6,300) annually. These will be forced to invest roughly 50 percent of their 1947 (Turn Tn Paire G. Column 8>

traveled 1947 years ago. There have been outward changes here, but the hills and rocks and rivers are here as they, were when Mary and Joseph went the five miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. The road is macadam now instead of soil and gravel but it still winds through hardy olive trees. Soldiers are still along the road but now they are British troops in green armored cars instead of the Legions of Caesar Augustus. Members of Hagana, the Jewish defense force, are in rooftop nests with rifles and grenades near the wailing wall. Arabs crouch in similar rooftop nests ready to die in defense of the Mosque of Omar. At the foot of the Mount of Zion an old man crouches on the stones. Just as cobblers down the centuries have set up shops along main roads where shoe soles wear thin, so this old man is hammering (Turn To Page 6, Column 7)

Many Homes In City Are Without Electricity For Hours As Cable n ßlows' f

President To Lead Holiday Observance Ready White House For Celebration Washington, Dec. 24. (UP) For the first time since the death of President Roosevelt, the White House was readied today for a real family Christmas celebration. Five Christmas trees twinkled in colorful splendor. A bpring of mistletoe hung from the huge crystal chandelier in the lobby. Cooks were busy in the kitchen getting a fat turkey ready for the oven. And for the first time since the Roosevelt grandchildren celebrated Christmas in the White House, youngsters were snooping in odd corners of the residential quarters in search of mysterious packages President Truman, surrounded by his family and staff, will lead off the national Christmas celebration this afternoon when he lights the big community Christmas tree on the south grounds of the White House. He will broadcast a round-the-world holiday greeting over all radio networks on a program beginning at 6 p.m., EST. He is scheduled to speak about 5:16 p.m. EST. For the past two Christmases, the Truman family observed the holiday at their home in Independence. Mo., with the President’s aged mother. Mrs. Martha E. Truman. Mother Truman died during the past summer, and the family decided to assemble at the White House for this Christmas. The President’s daughter. Margaret, was home from a long concert tour. Mrs. Truman’s mother. Mrs. David W. Wallace, was here from Independence. The house guests also included three of Mrs. Truman’s brothers and their wives Frank Wallace, George Wallace and Fred W. Wallace of Denver (Turn To Paffp 6, Column 7) 0 Roy Baker Dies At Home In Fort Wayne Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon Roy B. Baker. 63, former Adams county deputy sheriff, died unexpectedly at 11 o’clock Tuesday night at the Lutheran hospital in Fort Wayne from a heart attack suffered eight hours earlier at Ills homes, 12361j> West Washington street, in that city. He was born in Adams county May 1. 1884, a son of, Samuel and Mary Jane Wagoner-Baker, and Hved in this city until 1936’, when he moved to Fort Wayne. He was a retired grocer. He was a member of the Bethany Evangelical United Brethren church. He was married to Martha Fairchild. with whom he celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary Sunday. Surviving in addition to his wife are a son. Miles Baker, of Fort Wayne: a daughter, Mrs. Cleora Downard, of North Hollywood. Calif.; three grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Lee Reffey of Decatur, and one brother, Ira Baker of Fort Wayne. One brother preceded him in death. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Black funeral home in this city, with the Rev. Charles L. Haney of Indianapolis officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Baker planned to spend Christmas day at the James G. Gattschall home. 828 Walnut street, with their son and daughter in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Miles Baker and children. Mr. Gattschall was notified of Mr. Baker’s death late last night.

Offer Stassen Opportunity To Renew Charges House Probers To Invite Stassen To Present Testimony I I Washington, Dec. 24 (UP) — House investigators today held out an opportunity for Harold E. Stassen to appear before them and go into his charge that the administration is hiding "insiders" who have gambled in commodity futures. Rep. August H. Andresen. R., Minn., chairman of a special house committee investigating commodity speculation, said "it may be that Stassen has some information that our committee has not received.’ "If he has information which he believes will be helpful and he desires to. he’ll get an opportunity to appear before our committee.” \ndresen said. Stassen, a Republican president al aspirant, accused the adminiaration yesterday of supilessing ■eports which he said would show whether government officials have made killings inspeculative ven ures. He implied that members of he executive department of the white house were in th market. Both Andresen and Sen. William F. Knowland. R . Cal., a member if the senate subcommittee on specRation, indicated they would reserve judgment on Stassen’s statenent until they see the adminisration's complete list of commodity traders. Andresen said his committee does >ot intend to "have names bandied about" without proof. W e are not going to smear anyone." he said, "nor are we going (lorn To Page 3. Column 5) —O Retail Stores Close Thursday And Friday Decatur retail store employes were ready for the Thursday and Friday Christmas vacation which will start at 6 o'clock tonight. The stores have remained open until 9 o'clock each night since last Friday, and many tired c’erks are watching the (lock for the let-up at 6 o'clock Almost all local stores, except groceries and meat markets, will remain closed Friday so their employes may have an extra day of rest. All stores will resume regular hours Saturday, it was announced by the retail committee of the Chamber of Commerce. Slays Wife, Self, Cuts Three Others Man Runs Amok In Office Os Lawyer West Palm Beach. Fla.. Dec. 24 — (UP) —A middle-aged man ran amok in a lawyer's office today, killed his wife and cut the throats of his son and two attorneys, and then jumped seven floors to b.'4 death. Police attempted to straighten out the tangle and decide what had happened, but the surviving principals were unable to give testimony immediately. As reconstructed, they be’ieved that David R. Burnside, of suburban West Gate, went with bis wife and 16-year-old son to the offices of attorney Edgar G. Hamilton this morning, to settle affairs preliminarv to a divorce. The business was apparently done, according to evidence found in Hamilton's office, when apparently Burnside became violent. The lawyer’s feet was on the desk, along with a receipt book 'Turn To Page » Column 6)

Price Four Cents

County Home Hurd Hit, Emergency Switch Used For Hospital Current Hundreds of Decaturites shivered in heat less homes this morning. Many passed up their customary hot breakfast. Some washed and shaved by candlelight —and some bad to use cold water. All these and many more comI forts and conveniences dependent. | upon the uninterrupted use of i electricity were denied hundreds !of local residents because of an electrical power failure last night. Lester C. Pettibone, city light department superintendent, said today that an underground cable “blew up" near the intersection of Gloss and Park streets, immediately south of the municipal plant, shortly before 11 o’clock last night. The blow up disrupted light and power service to hundreds of homes in the south end of the city, a scattered few here and there in the west section and many more in the rural area south of Decatur. Ihe Adams county memorial hospital was thrown into darkness, but an emergency switch was utilized, transfering the source of light and power for that institution to another circuit within a short time. Mr Pettibone said. Has Problem The countj’ home was faced with probably the biggest prol - lems of all. There, some two score inmates, mostly aged and spme 111. were without heat, lights and power. Mrs. Frank Kitson, matron, said this morning that the inmates were .all gathered in the kitchen before the gas range ovens, that heated the kitchen and one other room fairly well. While their situation affected only members of their immediate families, many a Decatur householder was inconvenienced and worried by the breakdown. Many of the homes were without heat, because of electrically controlled stokers, gas an 1 fuel oil fired furnaces. Homes with electric stoves were unable to give even the heat from an oven and many a Decaturite went without his hot coffee and breakfast this morning. Homes with electrically controlled water heaters were with out ho’ water and owners worried about pipes freezing. Hundreds of Christmas trees, which ordinarily would have been respkndent in all their colored lights last night and even this morning, were dark and only added to the gloomy appearance of the candlelighted rooms. Some residents took children and adults afflicted with colds an 1 other winter ailments to relatives or friends in other parts of Turn Tn Pace 2 Column SI Decatur Children Eaqerly Awaitina Arrival Os Santa Tonight's the night! After all those months of being "mother's little angel" —just in 1 n ase the old boy might get wind of what was going on—the kids '■an shed those false halos and go back to sawing the legs off furniture. upsetting Dad's ink well and all the other things that bad little boys and girls do. 1 And after tonight, it will be at ’east several months before Mother and Dad wi’l start that )ou better be good, if you want 1 Santa to bring von this or that." Tonight is Christmas Eve and, wi’h the occasion comes that all important arrival of Santa Claus 1 and his huge sack, packed with cnndv. toys. ets. Incidentally, there’s another jovnus thing > about this season—for the kids. f There’ll be no more school until January 5.