Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 143, Decatur, Adams County, 18 June 1949 — Page 1

( l XLVH. No. 143.

NEW ENGLAND DROUGHT-HEAT TOLL IS 37

.lewis Accepts proposals For ■onlractlalk Accepts Owners' fl Proposal To Meet fl In West Virginia ■ »' a -hingt<>n. June IM <1 Pt |, Uwl» hast accepted the ( ,f northern and western operators to open contract nanons neat Wednesday at Sulphur Springs. W Va.. disclosed today Holiuals of the United Mine said both the time and 't K, p] ail . are acceptable to Lewis notify the producers form 5 u ( his acceptance of their |t^K. r before nightfall. Sulphur Springs is in the of t he southern soft coal meeting of the Southern Producers association, with ’he United Mine Workers been bargaining for the past | without any progress sources said Ixswis' uc <d the site for his meet«Ph northern and western op appeared to lie a strategic . K,, on his part to block the A efforts to obtain a contract with the mine Bet er* EH T> present contract expires on 31 Lewis reportedly hopes ■ replace It with a new national embracing all soft coal K ducers. sources said that, for reason, they expect him to <> force the southerners into |Kc U:.re Sulphur Springs parleys |Kter. he feels the time Is ripe ■ T* l * government intends to a close eye on the West VirKu negotiations Officials rethem as a key to the success failure-of their efforts to a series of strikes in maIndustries this summer ■ Nrgotiations are now underway new c ontracts in the automoelectrical manufacturing rule and steel Industries. Most of unions involved will be free to on July 15. They are de■usidng fourth round wage inand in some cases penJoaeph E Moody, president of c Coal Producers assocla was cool to the Idea that his might be invited to join the Sulphur Springs talks fie the southerners will insist the south can live." ■H la an effort to assure talks on a agreement. Moody yesat Bluefield. W Va.. offer to extend the present contract Aug 15 But the union r«his offer. T*” " ou therners and miners will * fifth week of talks (■►• field next Tuesday But they probably maik time hoping L ** l ’ will make known bls demands at the start the northern conferences the day l,ewle. a union spoke tuld f ,lant to attend the op|H"V Melons at White Sulphur f»r the miners have not pre»ny formal demands But Mr* 1 convention urged a rejK? rt *e iu the work day from eight B* ,;1 tours. an Increase In oper<Twn> T» l‘«ee ata) Warsaw Man Put On ■ Jarv Committee fl * il, to" J Chinworth, cf War IB' ,or,n * r «°»*raor of the 154th R'tary extension commit R‘»tary international, by the •‘ l *»’fed president. Percy ■Jr** 0 ® of Pawtucket, Rhode jfl/ r t'hinworth’s appointment is of his outstanding ■u, *’ R°t*ry governor During |K^’* rm be promoted the Paul Bar ’temorial foundation, whereby ■Z” w * r * raised to send American Ml****’ « r *duates to foreign coun ■|l* 10 for, her their education As <°*ernor. Mr Chin worth ■kZ** ’to Decatur club about a ■"* *<o furthered the cause service and Is a ■■"'•exited leader In Rotary circles I WEATHER S •*’* elwudy and warmer ■Wax -4y« ton i ah* > — 2B ana lOfror"© I **. ■ iw- I** 1 ** north tomoe0 tM,r K t 0 “• Lo * a "***•« t. «*.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Squabble 01 Unions Brings On Violence Two Men Seriously Wounded By. Shots Fairmont City. 111., June 18 — (UPl—State ptdice patrolled the streets today after two men were shot and six others injured in a bloody riot by 300 persons before city hall The riot resulted from a squabble between two CIO unions fighting to represent workers at the American Zinc company plant. It was touched off by a neighbor hotai quarrel between members of the opposing unions and exploded into violence when .'ton unionists and their families left a union fish fry to march on city hall. Joseph Petrosky, 35. and Kpemianio Rodriguez. 38, members of*the CIO mine, mill and smelter workers, were in serious condition at Bt. Mary’s hospital in Rast St. Ixiuis. 111, as result of gunshot wounds suffered in the fracas. Palmer Ryan of East St. Ixiuls, a member of the CIO gas. coke and chemical workers, was charged with attempted murder as the man who allegedly emptied a pistol into the rioting mob. wounding Petrosky and Rodriguez Ryan was guarded by deputy , sheriff’s at St Mary's hospital. He ■suffered a possible fractured skull when he was slugged by a state patrolman. Others beaten up and requiring medical care were Earl Adams, president of local 246. CIO metal workers council; William Mites, president of the East St. la,uh CIO Industrial workers council; Angelo Verdu. international representative of the CIO metal workers council, and three members of the latter union. Held In jail here and at East St. Ixiuis were Adams, Mites, Angelo Verdu. Joe Verdu. brother of Angelo and a leader of the metal workers council, and Edward Martinez. another council official. Also In custody was Martinez’ daughter, Virginia, who allegedly wielded a shotgun at one stage in the evening long disturbance. City officials said the rioting was a direct result of the fight between the mine, mill and smelter worker* and the metal workers council for the right to represent workers at the zinc plant. The smelter workers have been on strike against the plant for 10 months. The trouble started, according to chief of police Arthur J Wvlie. at the Martinez home shortly after the supper hour. Joe Verdu. visiting Martinez and his daughter, became embroiled in an argument with several neighbors. Alan Reid. Carl Weber, and John Costello, all members of the (Tare T» Paar »ls) Three To Graduate From Purdue Sunday Record Class Will Be Given Degrees Three students from Decatur will be awarded degrees at the twin commencement exercises of Pur I due university tomorrow at West Lafayette. Two exercises will be held in the Hall of Music to accomodate the record class of 2.050 graduates. Miss Mary R. Smith will receive home economics. Miss Smith is a bachelor of science degree in the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith of Decatur Her parents and brother and sister will attend the exercises Miss Smith is the author of the Cook's Corner which appears weekly in the Daily Democrat She is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, social sorority, many clubs and honoraries. and for two years has had her own radio program, homemakers news, over station WBAA Miss Smith will be the home demonstration agent for Jasper county, with headquarters at Rensselaer. Paul R Smith, son of Mr and Mr. Elmo Smith, will be awarded a bachelor of science degree In pharmacy Mr and Mrs Lmith and Miss Phyllis Owens will be present for the graduation Smith will go to Fort Wayne as a pharmacist for the M»yer Brothers drug company The son of Mr and Mrs Herman Von Gunten. H Dale Von Ounten. will be given a bachelor of science degree In chemical engineering at the 10 am exercise Mr and Mrs. Von Gunten and daughter Joan ' <U I drive to West Lafayette to at tend their son’s graudation. Von r. SM.. »»••

You Wouldn’t Think They Ever Had Harnh Words r in -Z* M ' L u , - * v - K fl I C. Sk A M INDICATING ACCORD of some sort on the Berlin question is this picture of the Big Four foreign ministers during a party at the Quai D’Orsay in Paris. From left: Britain's Mrnest Bevin, Russia s Andrei Vishinsky. the United States' Dean Acheson. France’s Rolierl Schuman.

Christen New Trial Hearing Set July 7 Convicted Killer's Hearing Date Set Columbia City. Ind., June 18 — (UP)—Whitley circuit judge Lowell Pefley today set July 7 as the date he will hear Robert V. Christen's plea lor a new trial on charges he murdered Mrs. Dorothea Howard at Fort Wayne in March. 1945. Christen was convicted last April of second degree munler in connection with the killing. He was sentenced to lite imprisonment April 29. Ralph W Lobaugh, Kokomo factory worker, is scheduled to die Aug. 25 for the Howard murder and two others. Lobaugh has received six stays of execution, the last reprieve by Governor Hchrlcker. since he was sentenced to die in October. 1947. after he confessed the three sex killings at Fort Wayne. I-obaugh alternately has confessed and denied the murders. He fjrst confessed them in May. 1947. when he walked Into the Kokomo police station. His tangled confessions and denials are being investigated for Governor Bchrlcker now The governor has indicated he would give Lobaugh a seventh reprieve if the case was not cleared up Ity Aug. 25. Christen, a Denver, CoL. novelty store owner and former Fort Wayne drug store ovfner, was Indicted last December by the Allen county grand jury at Fort W’ayne. He consistently has denied that he was implicated in the brutal beating and killing of Mrs. Howard, wife of a wartime soldier at Baer Field near Fort Wayne. Missing Widow Is Sought In Chicago Disappears After Man Takes Savings Chicago. June 18—(UP) — Relatives and police said today they have failed to find any trace of a red-haired widow who disappeared four days after the man she intended to marry left with 15.000 of her savings. The widow is Mrs Reseda Corrigan. 39. mother of three, who left home Sunday night after receiving a mysterious telephone call. Her daughters. Reseds. 19. and Orpha. 17. believed the call was froia their mother's "fiance.” They said she had planned to marry a man who identified himself as "Sam Engel" and posed as a movie producer The man. about <O. promised to make her a movie singer aiql give her a large sum of money, the daughters said, because he didn't want anyone to know he wns marrying a woman without funds He persuaded her to withdraw |S.O(M) from the bank to be deposited with a 150.000 check be wrote oat for her. He did not give her the check, but said It would be deposited in a Florida bank Police said the eheek bad not been deposited and undoubtedly was worthless. The daughters spent several hoars stedylng Rogues' gallery pic(Twra Te Pa*e Ma)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, June 18,1949.

Eight-Year-Old Boy Is Drowned In Creek Roeville, Ind., June 18. -»--(UP) — Deputy sheriff Karl Dowd said today Lester Gossett, eight, drowned yesterday when he was caught In the swift current of Raccoon Creek. The victim was the son of Mrs. Geneva Gossett, Mecca, and his body was recovered by Dowd. Waitkus Improving Following Operation Major League Star Reported Improving Chicago, June 18 — (UP) — First baseman Eddie Waitkus rested more comfortably today following removal of congesting blood from his lungs, while the lovesick girl who shot him said "I never want to face Eddie again." A spokesman for Illinois Masonic hospital said the infield king of the Philadelphia Phillies was "breathing much easier" after the operation to remove the blood released Into his chest cavity by the 22 caliber bullet. , But 19-year-old Ruth Bteinhagen, who shot him Tuesday night after "adoring" him from afar for two years, said she couldn't stand the thought of facing him June 30 when she comes to trial on charges of assault with Intent to murder. She and Waitkus never met i>efore she lured him to her hotel room with a note saying she had "something important to tell” him. "I bet he'd like to strangle me." she said. She said she "dreamed of Eddie" almost every night since she has been in couirty jail. Miss Sieinhagen said she hopes "they put me away for a long, long time." "I like it here." she said. "The people seem to like me and I like them. They don't understand me outside." The tall, pretty girl grabbed eagerly'for newspaper pictures of her hero. "Darn him.” she said. "Why is he siways smiling?" That's what's the matter with him. always smiling” "Yould you like to see him?? she wss asked. "Oh no. I could never face him again." Psychiatrists have sought to learn what quirk of mind caused her to plan the killing. They think she suffers a split personality. But Mias Sieinhagen offered her own reasons "I know just why I did it." she said, and ticked them off on her fingers. "First for revenge for every*thing that ever happened to me. Second. I liked him so much I didn't want anybody else to have him. Third. I know I couldn't (Twee Te Pace Ms) High School Bond Concert On Tuesday The regular summer concert of the Decatur high school band will he presented at 9 p m Tuesday on the court house ramp Albert Sellemayer. baud director, requests all mem tiers to meet for rehearsal promptly at 7:16 o’clock Monday evsaing

Convict Woman Os Slaying Employer California Woman Faces Prison Term Riverside, Cal.. June 18. —(UP) - Dark-haired Mrs. Agnes Garnier will be sentenced Wednesday oil Iter conviction of manslaughter for the stooting of her employer, millionaire realtor John E Owen. An all-housewife jury returned the mansiaugliter verdict last night ufter deliberating seven hours and 14 minutes. The convicrton carries a maximum sentence of 1# years In prison. The 53-year-old confidential secretary was charged with killing Owen last April 22 because of jealousy over his attentions to actress Irene Rich. Mrs. Garnier maintained that Owen, who was 68. was shot accidently as they struggle I for a gun after he threatened her life in a drunken rage. Owen, president of the national apartment house owners' assn., was shot at the climax of a bitter quarrel with his longtime secretary In the bedroom of his luxurious ranch home. The state charged Mrs. Garnier shot him because she thought tie was about to jilt her for Miss Rich, who owns a nearby ranch Miss Rich commented in New York that Owen proposed marriage to her but that she turned him down The defense denied Mrs Garnier wax jealous and called her the "only woman In Owen's life." Many notes and letters were introduced in which the millionaire wrote of tils love for his secretary. Reports Money Stolen From Decatur Residence Mrs. Ivan Talbott. 1027 Schir meyer street, Decatur, reported that 141.6# was stolen from her home between 1:30 and 3:45 pin Friday. The money was in bills and small change. Mrs. Talbott reported the theft to the city police, who are now Investigating the crime. Seek To Unionize Telephone Workers $500,000 Drive Is Planned By Union Chicago. June 18— (UP) —The CIO Communications Workers of America today planned a |500.000 campaig nlo bring 200.000 telephone workers into the union. President Joseph A. Beirne said the CWA’s goal was “a half a million members In six months " The union now claims a membership of 300.000 Bell telephone workers At the union's convention, which ended last night, the delegates demanded a congressional Investigation of labor practices of the American Telephone and Telegraph company in relation to aeaoelated firms. The delegates also called for an "InvestlgaUoa of the ATTa power end Influence over national labor relations board general counsel Robert Denham." The union accused ATT of trying to weaken or "Urtallr destroy (Tara Te Fame Ms*

Three Drowned, Seven Missing In Flash Flood Sweeping West Virginia

Violence Is Feared At Paris Meetings Government Cancels All Police Leaves Paris. June 18. '-(UP>—Twenty thousand Paris policemen moved into position today to prevent a I’treatened clash between thousands of Communists and followers of Gen. Charles De Gaulle meeting less than a mile. apart. STlie government cancelled all police leaves and called out the biggest concentration of forces since the communist-inspired strike movement last October and November Observers expressed fear that bl<MMl would flow The threatened clash developed into a communist challenge of Gaullist forces who scheduled a ceremony to honor Gen. Philippe Leclerc's triumphant entry into Paris with the. 2nd French armored division on Aug 24. 1944. Communist leaders called the Gaullist plans to honor Iz-clerc a "Gaullist provocation" and scheduled their own meeting for 9<t minutes earlier, less than a mile away. Communist union leaders ordered their followers to "bar the way” to the Gaullists. The site is a working class district on the south side of Paris amid a communist stronghold. The ceremony honoring Leclerc was scheduled for the 9th anniversary of De Gaulle's action in launching the French resistance movement, in which the communists participated (atwerfuily during the war. The Avenue D'Orleans, along ‘which Leclerc and his armored division entered Paris, and the nearby Place D’Orleans have been renamed in honor of Leclerc. The ceremony commemmorating th renaming was sponsored by the Gaullist-controlled Paris municipal council. Prefect of police Roger Leonard issued an appeal to the Paris population to remain calm and warned that drastic action would be taken against those who disturb the peace. Twelve thousand police and 4.o#® heavily-armed police and Republican security guards moved into -position during the morning to keep the rival factions apart. Several thousand additional po lice reserves were held In read! ness in their barracks. Alabama Governor Hits At Terrorists Orders Arrests Os Terrorist Groups Montgomery. Ala, June 18.— (UP* —Gov. James E Folsom, acting by executive order, today ordered Alabama law enforcement officers to arrest all terrorist groups in the state. Folsom acted shortly after the state senate, passed an anti-masking bill, designed to bring into the open depredations of night-riding gangs The governor's action was an emergency step which he said would remain in effect until the anti-mask measure goes through the house of representatives which expected to take it up upon reconvening next week. As the highest state authorities moved in on recent acts of violence in the Birmingham area, veterans groups in the city threatened to form their own "committee against crime and violence." They were angered by the latest incident in which hooded men flogged a for mer sailor. • Folsom acted under a 1919 anarchy statute and ordered ail police officers to arrest any mobs of 1® or more persons who violat* the law. Folsom transmitted the alert order to director Bankhead Bates and assistant director Col. W V (BUD Lyerly of the public safety department Bales and Lyerly were to forward the instructions every highway patrolmen and tTwru Te I'ag* Sts)

House Group Clarifies Its Book Request No Interference In Academic Freedom Planned In Probe Washington. June 18. (UP! The house unAmerican actlvitle.i committee promised today that its survey of college text boos* will not "interfere in any manner wltn ( academic freedom " The committee said it merely wants to look Into charges that some textbooks include subversive propaganda These "serious allentions," it said, were made in a ( petition filed by the national sons of the revolution In a letter sent to a group of college presidents, committee chairman John 8. Wood. D.. Ga., i said his committee has no intention of accepting the petition at face value. The current study, he said, is aimed at finding out how mucu work would be involved "in proving or disproving the allegations." Home educators had complained that the inquiry was an attempt to restrict academic freedom "As a matter of fort. ’ Wood aaM, "The committee does not desire to interfere in any manner with academic freedom, nor does it intend to censor textbooks. "It is ol no concern to the committee if the communist manifesto or any other book or d<M-ument containing tenets of communism is being studied for comparative purposes in our educational institutions.*’ The furor over academic freedom was prompted by the committee's request that about 70 colleges supply it with lists of textbooks and "supplementary reading" used in the schools. The committee said the request should not be constructed as "unfavorable reflection or criticism" upon any school. In other congressional developments: senate Itemo ratic leaders admitted privately that they were just about beaten in their fight to kill anti-strike enjunctions of the Taft-Hartley law The administration leaders have been backing compromise proposal which wo.nd grant the government powar to sei zc property involved in nation'll emergency strikes Housing — house Republican leader Joseph W. Martin. Jr., said OOP opposition to president Truman's housing legislation stems from a desire from economy, not from pressure by lobbyists The president yesterday accu-o-d a small (Tarn T» l*aar Three> f Boy Kills Brother While Playing Store Unloaded Gun H Blamed By Youtli St. Ix>uls. June j 8 (UP>—Bev»n year-old William Bornar admitted today that he killed his> brother Richard. 5. with a rifle when the younger boy refused to go on playing "grocery store ” But William said he hadn't meant to kill Richard "I was only joking. ' he robbed "! didn't think the gun wav load ed ” The boys were playung store when Richard wanted to switch to another game "I said we should go on playing store but he wouldn't do it." William said "Ao I went to a closet and got pop's rifle *'l said: 'now will you go on playing store?* "He said he wouldn't so I pulled the trigger, meaning only to scare him The gun went off and he fell dead " William was held by juvenile * authorities.

Price Four Cents

Record Drought And Heat Are Scorching Northeast States; Crops Threatened By United Press Record drought and heat scorched northeastern states today, taking an increasing toll of lives iu New England, while 300 miles to the southeast torretial rains and a flash flood left thousands homeless and several persons missing In West Virginia. Two heat prostrations and the drowning of a three-year-old boy boosted the deaths in New England’s drought and heat to 37. Al least three were reported drowned and seven others missing in a flash flood which swept the 6(f-mile-long valley of the south branch of the Potomac river In West Virginia. Worried farmers and orchardists of New York state and New England watched their crops and trees wilting In a drought which could be ended only by soaking rains. New York's drought was In Its 23rd day Fruit dealers said it had caused *600,000 damage to crops In the past week. A New England council spokesman said that unless soaking rains came within five days, the crop loss in six New England states might total 145.000,000. Firemen at Moorefield. W. Va.. reported that three bodies had been etch fed in Good wnterw. The dead were believed to have been inhabitants of a trailer camp which included the families of workmen on a natural gas line. State pojice said as many as seven more may have drowned, some perhaps from a party of nine fishermen trapped <>n an island above Petersburg) W. Va. Petersburg. a town of 2.000, was isolated by flood waters. Scores of horses, rattle and pigs died Portions of two counties were stricken by the flood which followed rains that measured as much as 13 inches in 14 hours at Franklin. The rainfall which inundated the northeast corner of West Virginia failed to reach the worst of the drought area, where only scattered showers were forecast Prevailing winds were blowing rain clouds out to sea A wind off the ocean kept Boston cool yesterday. but did little to relieve conditions inland or in the New England hills, where foresters fretted as the woodlands turned into potential furnaces. Smokers were not wanted in thn New England forests. AU visitors were barred from some Six states reported scattered fires and one, near Vitory. Vt. ravaged 60® acres of timber Except for nne or two scattered western areas, the drought largely has been confined to New England ami the eastern seaboard states north of Virginia and extending into Canada. Roughly 8o percent of the area in the northern states and the upper Mississippi valley could expect showers during the 24 hours ending late this afternoon, the Chicago weather bureau said Rains meant bad' news for Kansas wheat growers, who ar* trying lu get ready for harvest But streams which went out of their banks in that state because of recent rains were subsiding. At Alamosa. Colo, however, the Rio Grande was reported .8 feet above the "theoretical" flood level. While New Yorkers sweltered, snow fell yesterday at Butte. Mont, less than a week before summer'* official start. The temperature dropped to 31 degrees there to make it the nation's coldest spot. Art Department To Sponsor Bond Sales The members of the Art department of Woman's club will sponsor the opportunity Imnd sale next week. Mrs. L. A. Cowens, chairman announced today The women have l>een Inst rumenI tai in prnmotig the sale of U. 8. savings bonds The last report f shows that 62 percent of the connty s quota has been met.