Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 46, Number 10, Decatur, Adams County, 13 January 1948 — Page 1

Vol. XLVL No. 10.

WHITE HOUSE DOCTOR ADMITS PROFITS

Phone Company Works Hard To Restore Service Augmented Crewi At Work In Repairing Os Storm Damage Charles D. Ehinger, manager of the Citizens Telephone ■company, today expressed the hope that telephone service out of Decatur would be returned to a fairly normal state of operation.? on a temporary basis within two weeks. This prediction was made despite the gigantic task that faces workers of company’s crews in untangling the maze of twisted, snarled wires and either repairing or installing new poles as substitutes for those snapped off like matchwood in the ice and windstorm of New Year’s Day. A tour of the company’s miles of toll and rural lines out of operation this morning resulted in a convincing demonstration of the far greater task facing telephone crewmen than the one which faced electric light and power workers. Whereas many poles of the local and other light and power firms carried only two, three or four wires — these of the telephone company supported 18, 20 and as many as 28 lines — thus increasing several times the amount of weight which the ice added to poles and pole arms. Mr. Ehinger estimated that the weight on a 150-foot span of 20 wires between two poles would amount to as much as eight or 10 tons. This explains for instance, why some 184 poles were broken off and another 50 to 75 will have to be straightened in the 18% miles of toll lines that the local campany has above ground to Fort Wayne, in addition to 5.2 miles of underground cable. Besides the damage created by the extra weight of the added number of linee, crewmen are now faced with the seemingly impossible job of solving the “jig-saw puzzle” of twisted lines. First priorty has been given emergency rural subscrinere homes with seriously ill persons, expecttant mothers, etc. Temporary lines have been used to by-pass damaged ones where possible. Second priority went to toll service-e.speeially that north toward Fort Wayne. Three gangs are working seven days per week, daylight to dusk, on this work. One works north out of Decatur, one south from the local company’s terminal near the Stellhorn bridge — the third in between digging post holes for both A crew of utility workers from Kentucky has been brought here to augment the local company crews. Speed of restoring service has reached as much as two miles per day _ where only line breaks are found and poles can be used as they are. In some cases, however, the force of the wind added to the ice-laden (Turn To Page 2, Column 6) . .. - —_ _ o Equipment Presented To County Hospital A new portable Continentalair, successor to the oxygen tent, hae been presented to the Adams county memorial hospital by the local American Legion auxiliary, it was Announced today. The new equipment, which is entirely automatic, can be moved to all rooms of the hospital and quickly attached to an electric outlet. The new unit is entirely automatic and does not require the addition of ice. It is regarded as one of the most modern air therapy chambens on the market. The portability of the equipment and the speed with which it can be transferred from one patient to another makes it useful in a number of cases at the same time. The machine has been delivered and is ready for use at the local hospital, attaches announced today. — 0 WEATHER Snow flurries tonight and In extreme north portion Wednesday, becoming generally fair south and central portions Wednesday. Much colder tonight, with low temperature ranging from four to 10 above northwest to 10 to 15 extreme

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

New Pastor I ...JIMk HI A Ik Jb UH Rev. Edgar P. Schmidt To Install Lutheran Pastor Here Sunday Plan Services For Rev. Edgar Schmidt The Rev. Edgar P. Schmidt will be installed a,? pastor of the Zion Luth<|an church of Decatur at a special installation service Sunday evening at 7:39 o'clock. Rev. Schmidt recently accepted a call to act as pastor of the local church, a position which has been vacant since the resignation last summer of the Rev. Paul W. Schultz, who is now west coast representative of Valpat aiso university. The Rev. E. SchrUdtke. pastor of Zion Lutheran church at Friedheim. and the visitor for circuit A, will be the liturgist at the installation service; the Rev. O. C. Busse, of St. Paul’s Lutheran church at Preble, will deliver the sermon; and the Rev. Karl E. Hofmann, who has beer, serving the Decatur congregation as vacancy pastor, will officiate during the rite of installation. The public ia invited to attend the service. A public reception will be held in the church basement immediately following the service. Rev. Schmidt will arrive in Decatur late Sunday afternoon from San Diego, Calif., where he served during the war as service pastor at a large Lutheran service center there. Rev. Schmidt was born in Sherwood, 0., Aug. 10, 1908, and after parochial schooling at Sherwood and Lafayette, he entered Concordia College at Fort Wayne, where he won varsity letters in basketball, baseball, tennis and track. He was a captain in the college cadet corps before graduating in 1928. His father, the Rev. Paul G. Schmidt, is pastor of St. James Lutheran church at Lafayette. Following two years at the Con(Turn Tn Paerp 2. Column 5) 0 Red Cross Campaign In County Planned Chapter Directors Meet Last Evening Plans for the 1948 Red Cross drive were discussed at a meeting of the directors held last evening in the chapter’s office, with C. E. Bell, county chairman, in charge. The annual nationwide drive will be launched March 1. The national quota is $75,000,00(1 and it is planned to make a campaign similar to last year’s, Mr. Bell stated. Lyman L. Hann, county superintendent of schools, will again head the township division and Phil Sauer, of this city, will be the county drive chairman. With an assignment of. $3,960 as the county’s share of the national quota, Red Cross officials are awaiting approval of the local budget, which will be included in the total and raised in the campaign. Reports were read and approved, including the chapter’s home service report for December and the financial tabulations for 1948, which were previously published. The directors also approved a plan regulating the extending of aid to veterans, ex-servicemen, civilians and their dependents, which was submitted by Judge E. B. Adams, chairman of the home service committee.

Five Persons Are Killed In Airliner Crash Eastern Airlines Plane Crashes At Washington Today Washington, Jan. 13 — (UP) — Five persons were killed and four others injured today when an Eastern Airline DC3 passenger plane, groping through heavy rain the pre-dawn darkness, crashed in a wooded area five miles southeast of here as it approached Washington for a landing. The big plane was carrying nine persons in all, six passengens and three crew — all men — on a scheduled flight from Houston .Tex. to Boston. The injured, all described in “satisfactory” condition at Casualty hospital in Washington, were: Lucian A. Moebus, 47, a navy captain, Maxwell Field, Mongomery, Ala. Morris Maple, 111, 24 of (368 Nassau St.) Princeton, N. J. Eugene C. Stone, 40, Pensacola, Fla. Peter Phelios, 22 the plane’s steward of (441 31st road) Astoria, N. Y. The United Press counted four bodies on the ground and a fifth in the twbsted wreckage. The survivors told attaches at Casualty hospital it was “some crash,” but could offer no explanation as to the cause other than the poor visibility at the time. The ship’s last stop wae at Win-ston-Salem, N. C. Its last radio contact with Eastern Airlines in Washington came at 4:26 a.m. EST. Prince Georges (MD.) county police received the first report of the crash at about 5:30 a.m. from a farmer who was awakened by the sound of the cradh. There was no fire. Police said the plane apparently was flying too low over the wooded area as it circled to approach nearby Washington airport. Its landing gear was down and locked in position. (Turn To Page 6. Column 7) Authorities Warn Against Driving Roads, Highways Become Hazardous Police officials today warned against all but necessary driving, declaring that roads and highways are becoming extremely slippery and hazardous. Sheriff Herman Bowman said that before noon today state and federal highways were becoming slippery and that most motorists were holding the speed of their autos down to 25 miles per hour or less. Scores of cases had been heard of in which cars slid into the ditch and had to be assisted out by other vehicles or auto wreckers. Seven or eight wc-e reported in the ditch at one time between Decatur and Geneva. Two or three went into the ditch between Decatur and the Adams-Allen county line on U. S. 27. Meanwhile snow flurries, as predicted by the weatherman, continued to fall in the city and community, intermittently becoming heavy and light. The predictions of much colder weather tonight added to fears that highways would become even more dangerous for driving, since the packed snow and slush churned up by auto wheels might be transformed into ice. - William Hoagland Dies In California William Hoagland, 74, former Adams county resident, died Friday in Los Angeles, California., where funeral services were held today, according to word received by relativs. His wife died three years ago. Survivors include two Sons, Dr. Lyle Hoagland of Detroit and Glenn of California; and three brothers, Jim Hoagland of Decatur, Earl of Fort Wayne and Dorue of Boulder, Colo.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, January, 13, 1948

Smash $5,000,000 Policy Ring 11 -- ■ NEW YORK PATROLMAN famines printing equipment found in Brooklyn, N. Y„ after arrest of 10 men allegedly involved in one of the biggest policy rings ever to operate in New York. Estimating the ring’s annual gross take at $5,000,000, the patrolmen seized the lottery ticket printing equipment in four raids.

Man Indicted Here Sentenced To Term Wanted Here For Extracting Funds ■ ■ - _* . <-• Sheriff Herman Bowman stated today that he would confer with prosecutor Myles F. Parrish concerning the placing of retainer warrants against a Fort Wayne man, sentenced yesterday to the penal farm for obtaining money under false pretenses. Edgar Elliott, who was extradited from Chicago and has been in the Allen county jail since last June, was fined $lO and costs and sentenced to serve 180 days at the state penal farm by Allen circuit court judge pro tern Robert Berning after he allegedly represented to numerous individuals that he could get them new automobiles and collecting various sums, totalling nearly $2,000. In addition to the Allen county charges and several from Huntington county, an Adams county grand jury in November, 19446, returned three indictments against Elliott. Here he is charged with extract(Turn To Pas? 2. Column 5) 0 Adams County Lady Is Suicide Victim Bertha Christener Found Dead At Home The body of Miss Bertha Christener, 55, was found in an implement shed at the Christener home, four miles north of Berne, afout 8:30 o’clock this morning. Death was believed to have been suicide and was caused by hanging. Further details were not known, pending the completion of an investigation by county coroner Harmon Gillig, who was called to the scene about noon. The decedent was known to have been despondent and in ill health for some time. She was never married and had been making her home with a brother. Emil. She was a member of the Berne Evangelical and Reformed church. Surviving, besides Emil, are three other brothers, Fred of Decatur, Charles and John, both of near Monroe. The deceased was born in Monroe township Feb. 29, 1892, the daughter of Chris and Maria Strein-Christener. The body taken to the Yager funeral home at Berne, pending the completion of funeral arrangements.

Philip Ardner Dies At Home In Toledo Philip Ardner, former resident of Monroeville, died at 6 p.m. Monday at his home, 2213 LaGrange street. Toledo, O. Survivors include his w’ife, formerly Anna Rademaker; one son, Joseph, at home, and a -atepwwer.; Mrs? John Lose of this city. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. CEST) Thursday in Toledo. 0 Four Persons Hurt As Autos Collide Three In Hospital Following Accident Four persons were hurt, three of them still in the Adams county memorial hospital, in an auto accident two miles south of Decatur on U. S. 27 about 12:15 o’clock this afternoon. Sheriff Herman Bowman, who investigated, said the crash occurred when a northbound car driven by Robert Noack, Celina. 0., skidded on the slippery pavement and crashed sidewise into a southbound auto, operated by Gayle Cook, of Decatur, route six. Noack suffered an upper lip laceration and leg lacerations; his wife suffered lacerations and bruises on both legs; the latter’s sister, Mrs. Delmas Bollenbaugh, also of Celina, sustained cuts and bruises of the right leg. Cook escaped with bruises and a severe shaking up. Both of the cars were badly damaged in the accident. Sheriff Bowman estimated the damage to the Noack car at S2OO and to the other at $250. The Celina residents were still in the hospital receiving treatment at a late hour this afternoon. o Truck, Auto In Collision Today Up to a late hour today only one accident had been reported on highways in the county, despite adverse road condition.?. A semi-trailer truck, driven by Edward Nelson, 25. Lima, 0., and a car operated by Otto Peck. 70, of Decatur, route two collided in the village of Preble when the latter slowed to make a turn off U. S. 224. The accident occurred about 9:50 a.m. The truck, following behind the pleasure car, jack-knifed when the driver attempted to apply the brakes on the slippery pavement. Damage was estimated at SIOO to the truck and S2OO to the auto. Sheriff Herman Bowman investigated ,

Brig. Gen. Graham Admits Commodity Trade Profit, Denies Inside Information

46 Persons Rescued From Burning Ship Dramatic Rescue Is Made Os Survivors New York, Jan. 13 —(UP) — The 46 survivors of the fire-gutted army coffin ship Joseph V. Connolly were reported in good condition today aboard two rescue ships that picked them from lifeboats in the rough seas of the mid-Atlantic where they had drifted helplessly for 12 hours. All aboard the Antwerp-bound Connolly — which left here Thursday to pick up 6,300 bodies of World War II dead in Europe — were saved yesterday in a dramatic rescue operation in which planes and ships of the army, navy, coast guard and merchant marine cooperated. Three of the 27 survivors taken aboard the Union Victory were in need of hospitalization, although none was critically hurt. The 19 saved by the army transport Gen. R. E. Callan were reported in good shape except for minor burns and bruises. The (ship represented a $2,225,000 loss, army officials said. Although it was still afloat and burning with decks awash, it was expected the navy would sink it. Army officials said the 5,400 empty caskets aboard the ship were worth $1,250,000 and $1,100,000 was jpent on construction and conversion of the 7,176-ton Connolly. The army transport was abandoned yesterday when an engine room fire raged out of control. Ships and planes were dispatched to the position 900 miles east of New York, but the planes were unable to find the lifeboats until nine hours later. A B-17 from Bermuda elghted flares from the lifeboats shortly before 2 p.m. The plane dropped medical supplies to the survivors and (Turn Tn Pauo 2 Column 71 0 Leadership School Will Open Tonight Ministers Sponsor Annual School Here Decatur’s annual leadership training school, sponsored by the Decatur ministerial association, will open tonight at 7:30 o’clock at the Bethany Evangelical United Brethren church with the Rev. Charles Martz, pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Van Wert, 0., as the chapel speaker. Classes will start at 8 o’clock, immediately following the chapel address. Miss Eloise Jackson has been named registrar for the school and Dr. M. O. Lester, pastor of the First Methodist church, is dean. Four courses will be offered this year. One change has been made in the teaching staff, with the Rev. A. H. Colpitts of Fort Wayne being instructor in the course, “How To Improve Your Sunday School.” All classes will last six nights, and will be preceded by a half hour chapel exercise. Classes each night will start at 8 o’clock. They will be held tonight, January 15. 20, 22, 27 and 29, each Tuesday and Thursday night for the next three weeks. All Decatur people are invited to attend the school, and a special invitation has been issued to Sunday school teachers of all the churches. The registration fee for the school is 50 cents. 0 Muncie Infant Is Burned To Death Muncie, Ind., Jan. 13 — (UP) — Fire which took the life of a 19-month-old baby boy was blamed today on a small trailer home kerosene stove. Charles Wiley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Wiley, was burned to death yesterday as the mother watched hysterically while the trailer home went up in flames. Two other small children ran from the burning trailer and were uninjured. A fourth was at school.

Denies Farm Exports Cause Rising Prices Secretary Anderson Challenges Views Os Senator Taft Washington, Jan. 13 — (l T P) Secretary of agriculture Clinton P Anderson told congress today that exports of key farm products proposed under the Marshall plan will not affect the need or lack of need of domestic rationing and price control. Testifying before the senate foreign relations committee, Anderson directly challenged the viewe of Sen. Robert A. Taft, R.. 0., and other GOP leaders that farm expors have skyrocketed prices on the domestic market. He discounted the effect of Marshall plan farm exports on the domestic price picture. "Regarding meat, wheat and corn there i. 3no possibility that agriculture exports will have any relationship to the need or lack of need for price control and allocations,” Anderson said. Anderson, urging approval of the program as a means to help insure peace for the world and prevent a depression for the U. S. farmer, also sail: 1 .No pork, beef or lamb would be exported to Europe during the next 15 months. After that, it will depend on "conditions.” 2. There will be decreasing emphasis on scarce foods and greater emphasis on export of the more abundant types. 3. Food exports under the Marshall plan will be smaller than shipments in recent years and will have “less noticeable” effect on American con.sumers. Anderson testified after a bloc of about 20 senate Republicans lined up, at a secret meeting last night, for a flank attack on the Marshall plan. Their goal is a drastic cut in President Truman’s request for a $6,800,000,000 down payment. Anderson’s statement on the effect of food exports on the need (Turn To Pagrt* 3, Column 5> O— Mrs. Alma Hunter Dies This Morning Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon Mrs. Alma A. W. Hunter, 55, wife of Clarence A. Hunter, died this morning at 2:55 o’clock at her home. 123 North Second street of a heart attek. She had been in ill health for the past three years and her condition grew worse during the last week. She was born in Fort Wayne Sept. 5, 1892, the daughter of George and Johanna MarhenkeWeber. She was married to Clarence Hunter Jan. 3, 1916. She was a member of the Zion Lutheran church. Surviving, besides the husband, a city employe, are the following children: Mrs. Viola Archer. Leslie R. Hunter and Mrs. Henrietta Jones, all of this city; Clarence, Jr., and George, at home; two sisters, Mrs. Esther Fritcha, Fort Wayne, and Mrs. Edna Meyers, and two grandchildren. Three daughters and a son are deceased. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the home of the daughter, Mrs. Archer. 113 North Fifth street, and 2:30 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran church, with the Rev. Karl E. Hofmann officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. The body will be removed from the Zwick funeral home to the Archer residence late this afternoon and may be viewed there after 7:30 time for the

Price Four Cents

White House Doctor Admits To Senate Probers Profit In Gram Soeculation Washington, Jan. 13 —(UP) —• Brig. Gen Wallace H. Graham, the White House doctor, admitted to senate speculation investigators today that he made a $6,165.25 profit in four months of commodity trading, instead of “losing my socks” as he had earlier insisted. He denied ever receiving any ‘ inside’’ information from anyone to assist his trading. He said he went into commodity speculation on the advice of his broker last summer in an effort to recoup an $11,102.86 loss in the stock market. His commodity profit reduced his net loss to $4,847.61. Graham also admitted to the senate appropriations subcommittee headed by Sen. Homer Ferguson, R., Mich., that his previous statement about getting out of the commodity markets on Oct. 7 was incorrect. He said he held cotton and cottonseed oil after that date, but. exn’ained he did not know they were commodities He said he thought the term referred to wheat and other grains. Graham said he gave full authority to his broker. Bache & Co., and paid little attention to their report to him. Harry Brisker, Bache customer's man who handled Graham’s account, fol’owel the White House doctor to the stand and testified that he could not recall Graham ever directing him to close out Graham’s deals in wheat or other commodities. When Graham's specu'ations first were disclosed earlier this month, he told newsmen he called his broker on Oct. 7. two dav« after President Truman denounced “gamb’ers in grain” to find out if he held anv commodities. When bo discovered that he did. Graham said at the time, he instructed his broker to close out his commodity accounts at once. Brisker said today he could have received such a call, but if so. he didn’t remember it now. To the senators. Graham pictured himself as an innocent about specu’ation and commodities. He said he went into commodities on Brisker’s advice and gave him “carte blanche.” “He could do what he wanted.” Graham said. But Graham took “full responsibility” for his commodity dea’ings, although he told Ferguson at one point that he didn’t know' whether he was trading on margin or even what it meant to trade on margin. Brisker brought out that the deals were on margin —that is. the trader has to put up only part of the money necessary to buy a given amount of a com(Turn Ta Pax" S Ca’- —- 0 Annual Meeting Held By First State Bank Directors, Officers Are To Be Elected The 65th annuol meeting of the stockholders of the First State Bank was in progress today, the polls for the election of directors remaining open until 2:30 o’clock this afternoon. Following the election of the directors. the board will meet and elect officers. No change, either in the directorate or officers, was expected. T. F. Graliker. bank president, will submit his annual financial report to the board, during the afternoon session. Last week e Mr. Graliker announced that customer deposits hj£ increased more than $350,000 dmng 1947, reaching a high of $9.885.900 37. « The hank's capital structure also was strengthened during the year w-ith additions to the undivided profits accounts and other reTurn To Page S, Column 1)