Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 131, Decatur, Adams County, 4 June 1949 — Page 1

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ONE OF ESCAPED CONVICTS IS RECAPTURED

he Progress torted In W Parley I Western Delegates jtill Pessimistic I Over General Pact L W 4—(UP)— Foreign Listers of the western Blg Three L today to compare notes on Lt first secret discussion of BerLjith Russia and to lay their ■7 Iqi* continuation of the talk L afternoon. Line progress was reported in L initial private discussion of L Berlin situation by the counL of foreign ministers. [setretary of state Dean AchesL ( in be host at a private dinL tonight for foreign minister Ljfi Vishinsky of Russia. As Las was known publicly, this Lite first time a U. S. secretary Estate had invited a Soviet forL minister privately to dinner L the New York meeting in hesterday’s secret meeting, the L c iosed session after 10 days deadlock, was held in a cordial Losphere and some progress to L re-establishing a unified Berh was achieved. L>wn delegates remained Limistic on a general agreeLt, however. They said they Ld Russia never will abandon ■pletely the Berlin blockade, hope that some type of agreeL may come from this meeting L expressed by western repreNatives when they came out of L closed session yesterday. pit was the old pre-Potsdam attephere — very clubby,” one ■legate said. pho decisions were reached but Itak some progress was made. I the basis of today’s developbits, 1 think we will be here anntr two weeks." [The four foreign ministers are Kissing an American proposal ■esented by secretary of state Eno Acheson. It calls for free felons in Berlin,’ establishing of i provisional government on the ■ii of those elections, drafting a Lrmanent city constitution and reKiblishment of the four-powered Bimandatura in Berlin. The western powers also had red jo get an agreement with the Inlets in writing which would fefj their access to Beilin from ■ western zones, but the outlook ■this appeared darker today. Western delegates predicted that ball would continue to impose ■sauce restrictions" on translation between BCTlln and the lit was expected that these reRtions would Increase in late ■»r and fall. This expectation ■ * key factor in the decision of ■ vest to continue with the Berp airlift as though the blockade ■ still in force. I k Elmer Schwartz kThursday Night p Rev. Elmer Roy Schwartz, Ifetor of the Evangelical UnitPrathrtn church at Geneva, died Fll o'clock Thursday night in P® on the banks of the Wabash Rr east of Geneva. Rev. Schwartz r 1 M from his congregation Ffen fishing In the river when * attack came. He managed to J® bis car but died a few minPlater. i * w lte. a son and two daughsurvive. The body was rtmovL the Hardy & Hardy funeral F « Geneva and later taken to ■ ’here one of the daughters Redecorating At Court House jj* boration of the Adams tourt house began today feC®’” 8 of Deßolt and Gantz. vontractors, applying a itb ni! ' luNbittve paint fe.< M! ,ld ” of the building A of oil-base paint will **th b,r ,he fn< l of . Weather feau w,,h ?a * * bhunderehowera • • llttle cool- ' f *'f tonight and to- - High today 82 to 86 "W to * 2 Mlrtk Low ‘®- « « north, 66 to 70

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Catholic Graduate Riles Held Friday Annual Exercises Held Last Evening In a religious atmosphere, impressive services marked the annual commencement exercises of Decatur Catholic high school and St. Joseph’s eighth grade, in St. Mary's church last evening. A class of 25 high school graduates and 27 eighth graders received their diplomas from the Very Rev. Msgr. J. J. Seimetz, pastor, seated in front of the center altar in the sanctuary, on what was formerly the stage of the school’s auditorium. The Rev. Michael Vichuras, Catholic educator and instructor at Fort Wayne Central Catholic high school, addressed the graduates on Catholic education. “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord,” Father Vichuras began. In his sermon, Father Vichuras outlined the Catholic church’s reason for maintaining their parochial schools. "I teach across the street from Fort Wayne’s central public school and I have great admiration for the instructors in that school. You have a good public school here. It is a beautiful building. Catholics, however, believe that children must be educated in religion as well as in secular knowledge. If you should take religion out of this school, you might as Well turn it hack to the Indians,” he said. • "Catholic doctrine, culture and discipline are taught in our schools. State and federal laws and the latest decision of the supreme court in interpreting the constitution on the division of state and church, prevent the leaching of religion, or interpretation of scripture to the children. From the beginning, Catholics established and have operated their own schools so that children may be brought up under the influence of religion,” Father Vichuras explained. “While Catholics help support the public schools through taxes, they also reserve the right to operate their own schools at their own expense," the high school educator stated. Advising the high school graduates to walk in life in keeping with the teachings and doctrine of their religion, Father Vichuras congratulated the class and wished them God-speed. 'The graduates marched to the sanctuary to receive their diplomas. The Rev. Ignatius Vichuras, assistant pastor and brother of the speaker, read the names of the graduates as Msgr. Seimetz handed them their diplomas. The program throughout had a religious theme and included church music for the processional and recessional. The class dedicated itself to Mary and sang the hymn to the Blessed Virgin. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament concluded the service. Class Awards The following awards were read by Father Vichuras: Highest average: David Gillig, 94.7 percent: Dorothy Uleman. 94.4 percent. Attendance for 4 years high school—Mary Alice Braun. David Gillig. Catholic school press—Marlene Laurent, David Gillig. Legion medals awarded to outstanding boy and girl as voted by the class- David Gillig. Marcyle Geimer. Scholarships won — Purdue, James Parent; St. Francis College. Decatur Business and Prose Women’s club—Marlene Lanrent. Eighth grade—Holy Name scholarship for one year. Joseph Costello; Delta Theta Tau, Margaret Schmitt. Monthly Report Os Red Cross Service Financial aid to veterans and their dependents during May amounted to $154.33. the Red Crore hbme service monthly report shows Aid to civilians fell to 12 for the month. The Red Cross office rendered 430 services during the month, the report of Mrs. Max Schafer, executore secretary, The majority of services were in relation to veterans and their families.

Fourteen Escape In W. Va. Prison Break EKfe-WS *hj| GBI * ' I, I *. J WB®jFW I « I l ImIIUJ. W 14 If BMi Jp wBW jgCft i JOL n

GOVERNOR OKEY L. PATTESON has ordered an intensive investigation into the escape of 14 prisoners, six of them "lifers", from the Moundsville, W. Va., prison, shown in the geenral view above. Using home-made tools, including a crude drill with a book for a brace, and a hacksaw (inset-upper right), the convicts cut bars from the windows to effect their escape. Among the escapees were the five shown below (1. to r.): Otto Neff, lifer; Holly Starcher, serving 10 years; Mike Bales, lifer; Denver VannesL serving 25 years, and Stanley Shaftic, lifer. It was the biggest break at the Moundsville prison in 35 years.

Way Paved For Park Use By 4-H Clubs Hanna-Nuttman Park Here Made Available Legal technicalities have been cleared to make possible the construction of the Adams county 4-H buildings and camp at Hanna-Nutt-man park in Decatur, it was announced today by Mayor John Doan. Several weeks ago the council passed a resolution inviting the 4-H clubs of the county to construct their buildings at Hanna-Nuttman premding the heirs consented ’to the proposal. In the original grant to the city, there was a restriction that no admissions could ever be charged or buildings constructed for private use. The entire area was to be used solely for a park. City attorney Robert Anderson was authorized by the council tq contact the heirs and get their approval to change the original grant. This was done and today the city has a quit claim deed to the entire area. The resolution provides that the city of Decatur will furnish the ground and also will make provisions for the construction of power lines to the buildings. The 4-H club organization must pay for the erection of any buildings., City officials plan to confer soon with 4-H club officials of the conn'ty and offer them the site for their permanent home. No official action has been taken by the 4-H executives. Seeking To Prevent Atom Plant Strike Uranium Separation Plant Is Threatened Washington. June 4 — (UP) — The government prepared today to head off a threatened strike which would cripple this country’s atomic bomb production. The strike, which could start any time after midnight Thursday, would down the government’s Oak Ridge. Tenn., uranium separation plant. At the plant, uranium-235. an atomic bomb explosive. is separated from nonexplosive uranium-238. The strike has been authorized by the CIO Gas. Coke & Chemical Workers Union to enforce demands for higher wages and better working conditions. The union has 2.300 members at the Oak Ridge atomic facility. The company Involved in the dispute Is the Union Carbide & Carbon Chemicals Corp, which operates the (Tira T» P»« Five)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, June 4,1949.

Ministers To Elect Officers On Monday _ t The Decatur ministerial association will meet in the parlor of the Zion Evangelical and Reformed church Monday afternoon at 1 o'clock. Election of officers will take place and the religious census cards will be classified. All members are urged to be present. Senate Democrats Split On Labor Bill Three-Way Split As Senate Debate Near Washington, June 4 — (UP) — With debate on the Taft-Hartley repealer just 48 hours away, senate Democrats were split three ways today on labor legislation. One group headed by Sens. Claude Pepper, D., Fla., and Matthew M. Neely. D., W. Va., is lining up behind President Truman's repeal measure just as it stands. The bill would wipe Jhe Taft-Hart-ley law off the books and restore a somewhat altered version of the new deal Wagner act. A second group, led by southern Democrats, favors amending the administration bill so it would be substantially the same as the Taft-Hartley law. And still a third group wants to write into the president’s bill some concessions to Taft-Hartley supporters, similar to those recently ( embodied in a house compromise I measure. The compromise proposals were outlined yesterday at a daylong caucus of senate Democrats. One southern leader, who favors the Taft-Hartley law, predicted that 14 to 16 Democrats would vote for amendments based on that law. in preference to the president's labor bill as it now stands. An administrative leader acknowledged that perhaps as many as a dozen Democrats would desert the administration on a showdown vote. A loss of 12 Democratic votes would mean the administration would have to pick up seven GOP votes for a majority. Taft-Hartley partisans, however, claim they will lose only four or five Republican votes at most. The chief stumbling block over labor legislation involves how to deal with strikes threatening the national welfare. Compromise ad< vocates have suggested giving the president seizure powers to deal with such strikes. But this proposal reportedly ran into the heaviest opposition at yesterday's caucus. In other congressional develop(Tara T» Page Five)

Southern Producers Gain New Strength Bargaining Rights For More Tonnage Bluefield, W. Va., Ju '-(UP) — The Southern Coal Producers association gained new strength today for its contract battle with John L. Lewis by getting bargaining rights for another 6,000,000 tons of annual bituminous production. All of the tonnage is from the New River, W. Va., district. When officially accepted into the joint wage conference between the association and United Mine Workers on Monday, it will give association president Joseph E. Moody bargaining authority for 97,500,000 tons of annual production. The operators hoped this gain signalled the beginning of a return of much of the 404)00,000 tons which the southern association lost at the start of negotiations 10 days ago by the withdrawal of the Virginia and Winding Gulf Operators associations and several individual companies. Lewis had used this tonnage loss to challenge Moody’s ability to make a legal contract which can be ratified by the association. This strategy in four days of meetings since May 25 has so far block(Turn Tn Page Fivr) Three Os Defendants Jailed For Contempt Communists To Ask Restoration Os Bail New Y'ork, June 4 — (UP) — Three members of the communist national board were held at the federal house of detention today while their attorneys prepared to appeal to the United States court of appeals for restoration of their bail. * The prisoners, three of the 11 board members being tried in federal court for conspiracy, were jailed yesterday for contempt of court by federal judge Harold R. Medina. They had been free in $5,000 bail since their indictment. John Gates, editor of the Daily Worker, received a 30-day sentence and Henry Winston of Michigan. the party's organizational secre'ary. and Gus Hall, chairman of the Ohio party, were remanded for the remainder of the trial. The men will be allowed to leave the detention home only for court sessions. The prisoners were handcuffed together at the end of a riotops (Tara T» Pace Five)

Hunger-Driven Convict Is Captured By Grocer Only Four Miles From Prison

United States May Seize Polish Liner May Retaliate For Help Given Eisler Washington, June 4 — (UP) — The government is working on a retaliatory action against the Polish liner Batory that may include seibure of the ship on which communist Gerhart Eisler skipped the country, it was learned today. The Batory is scheduled to dock in New York this morning. Officials at (he justice department declined to say what steps may be taken against the ship's officers or officials of the Gdynia America line. However, the U. S. criminal code provides that a ship involved in violations of passport laws shall be forfeited to the United States. It was suggested that officials might apply to a New York court for a seizure order that would instruct the coast guard to take over the bhip. The government would then have to state its charges in court and prove them. Such proceedings usually are carried on in admiralty court, which is set up to take care of maritime matters. Eisler stowed away aboard the Batory last May 6. He explained later that he bought a 25-cent sightseers’ ticket to visit the vessel, in New York harbor and picked out a hiding place. After the ship had put out to sea, he came out of hiding and paid his fare to Gdynia, Poling. Since he did not have the required exit papers, Eisler was reported to the immigration service by the ship’s captain. He was forcibly removed from the ship by British officials at Southampton at the request of the United States. However, an English court freed him and he is nowin the Soviet sector of Berlin. When he left the United States, the German-born communist jumpe<| ball of $23,500. Eisler had been awaiting appeals from two court convictions—for contempt of congress and for making false statements on an application for an exit permit. Boy Scout Camporee Opens This Morning Annual Camporee Is Underway At Park Adams county’s annual Boy Scout Camporee opened at 8 o'clock this morning at Hanna-Nutt-man park with more than 100 boys and 20 leaders registered. Kenbeth Secaur, camp master, and Dick Linn, assistant, assigned space to the troops from Berne, Geneva, Monroe and Decatur. Inspection of the camp sites started at 10:45 o’clock under the direction of George Bair, coupty chairman of camp activities, and' Clarence Ziner, district chairman. A heavy program is scheduled for today and tomorrow. The camp _will break up Sunday afternoon following a carry-in dinner to be participated in by Scouts and their parents. Following the first inspection \ this morning, the boys started preparing their own lunches. This afternoons schedule calls for a three-hour drill and work period and after supper a court of honor and movie will be held. Headquarters were established in the shelter house and the leaders were assigned various phases of supervisory work. Mayor John Doan. Charles Morgan and several other Adams county men long interested in the Boy Scout movement. were on band early this morning to assist in setting up the camp Weather was ideal and the boys lost little time setting up the tents and getting ready for the first in spection. Rules were posted and guards were placed at the several entrances to the camp. Those in charge said it started out as the finest camporee ever held in Adams county.

lowa Senator Demands Probe Be Intensified Demands Increased Probe Os Uranium Loss In Laboratory Washington, June 4. — Sen. Bourke B. Hickenlooper, R., la., today demanded intensified investigation of the loss of uranium-235 at the Argonne national laboratory. He indicated that he is not at all satisfied with explanations for the loss already given by the atomic energy commission. Hickenlooper, ranking Republican and former chairman of the joint congressional atomic energy committee, is one of the central figures in the current atomic investigation on capitol hill. Hearhandling of the atomic energy program were in recess for the weekend, but were scheduled to be resumed on Monday. Chairman Brien McMahon. D., Conn., and other members of the congressional atomic committee (appeared satisfied with explanations that most of the uranium oxide, which disappeared from the Chicago laboratory last February, has been recovered and that no espionage was involved. This is what chairman Lilienthal and his aides on the atomic energy commission contend. However, Hickenlooper insisted that the possibility of espionage, “cannot be discounted at all.” The recovery of the brown pint-sized bottle, which originally contained the atomic material; “doesn't close the case," he said. It was announced Thursday that the bottle had been recovered from the bottom of a waste can buried in an atomic dump near the laboratory. Hickenlooper is expected to question Lilienthal next week on the alleged infiltration of Communists into atomic work. He has hinted he will try to show that more than one Red got in on super-sec-ret A-bomb production. Meanwhile, Lilienthal got some warm support from Dr. Edward U. Condon, director of the national bureau of standards, who was under fire in congress himself last (Turn To Pngr (lx) — Home Nursing Classes To Be Held At Den The home nursing classes in Decatur will be held at the “Den" on Madison street rather than at the high school. Both the Monday and Wednesday sections are asked to observe this change of place. Elizabeth V. Place Dies Al Willshire Funeral Services Monday Afternoon Mrs. Elizabeth V. Place. 87, a resident of Willshire,*O., for the past 50 years, died at 11:30 p. mJ Friday at ber home in that town. She suffered a broken hip in a tall two years ago and had been bed fast since that time. She was born in Spencerville. 0.. March 3, 1862, a daughter of Jesse and Clestial Beale. Her husband, Samuel H. Place, died in 1936. She was a member of the Willshire Methodist church. Surviving are one daughter. Miss Ethel A. Place of Willshire; one granddaughter, and a sister. Mrs. Margaret Robbins of Cory, Pa. One daughter preceded her in death Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Monday at the home, the Rev. E O. Bissell officiating. Bur ial will be in the Willshire ceme tery. The body will be removed from the Cowan & Son funeral home to the residence early this evening, where friends may call.

Price Four Cents

One Os 14 Escaped Men Nabbed This Morning In West Virginia Grocery Moundsville, W. Va., June 4. —(UP)—State police reported today they rounded up three more escapdd convicts from the 14-man group that sawed out of the West Virginia penitentiary. Moundsville, W. Va., June 4.— (UP)—A hunger-driven convict, one of 14 fugitives from the West Virginia penitentiary, was captured four miles from the state prison today when he entered a grocery store to buy food. Still dressed in blue denim pris on garb, Dennis C. Taylor, 27, entered the grocery at nearby Roseby Rock, shortly after 9:30 a. m. IThe proprietor, Floyd Fritzman, recognized the prison clothing and held Taylor at bay until a prison guard arrived to take over. Taylor was taken immediately to the state prison for questioning, but officials said he refused to give the whereabouts of any of his companions. Fritzman held Taylor at rifle point, prison warden Orel Skeen , said. He had kept the weapon hani dy after all residents of the pris- ! on area were warned to be on guard against the “desperate” fug- ■ itives. > State police sent heavily armed , squads of troopers and sheriffs dep- > uties to the rural area to rout out i a group of other convicts believed i hiding nearby. Fritzman told police Taylor ordered enough food for "three or four I men " ■ Police said Taylor was sitting on ■ the front porch of the store when 1 deputy sheriff A. A. Winter and I prison guard H. R. Barnhart ar- ‘ rived. He was eating a sandwich prepared by Fritzman. The entire Ohio river valley in i the tri-state area of West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennslvania was alerted to look out for the “desperate" convicts who sawed their way to freei dom before dawn yesterday. Hundreds of law enforcement officers, plus national guard pilots and coast guardsmen redoubled the 1 search in the big manhunt. Coal miners and other residents were alerted by radio stations to 1 watch for the men. The Ohio state highway patrol asked commercial radio stations in Bellaire and Wheeling, W. Va.. to make periodic announcements warning residents to watch for a group of men routed from a coal mine seven miles of here early today. It was believed the men were some of the escapees. The highway patrol, which planned to send an airplane to join the i search in the southern Ohio coal |mine area, said two men were seen running from a highway towards the Ohio river several miles south of here at 5 a. m. (CST), five hours after the group was routed from the Powhatan coal mine seven miles south of here near Dilles Bottom. The men were first routed from the Powhatan mine at midnight CST. when police investigated a report that someone was stealing clothing from the mine. The men had fled by the time officers arrived. The pre-dawn prison break touched off an air and ground mani hunt that surpassed anything in <Tnr» To P««e <li> — Monroe Bible School Will Open Monday Berne. June 4. — The annual • Monroe summer Bible school will . open at the church Monday morning. aig will continue for two weeks. The Rev. Russell Persons is In charge. Teachers are Mrs. i Karl Ray.- Mrs. George Patrick. ■ Mrs. Jesse Laughrey, Mrs. Harold . Schwartz, Mrs. John Christener, Jr.. Mrs. Paul Lobsiger, Mrs. Rayi mond Harrison. Mrs. Homer Winteregg and Mrs Raymond Crist. t The Bethel Church Bible school : will also open Monday morning at the church Teachers will be the Rev Ord Gehman, Mrs. J. Robert I Myers, Mrs. Chalmer Smilley. Mrs. 1 Forest Leistner, Mrs. Frank Leists ner, Patsy Johnson. Alice Myers and Mrs. Floyd Kuhn.