Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 16, Decatur, Adams County, 19 January 1952 — Page 1

Vol. L No, 16.

■v ■ IK. .< : I r !;. > -* 1 T* - I : : : ■ . 36 ARE MISSING AFTER AIRLINER CRASHES

Korean'Truce Talks At New Crisis Stage Negotiations Reach Their Lowest Ebb Since Last Summer Panmunjom, Korea. Jan. 19.— (UP) — Korean armistice talks reached a new crisis today and there was speculation that the Reds might break them off. The negotiations reached their lowest ebb since last summer with these rapid-fire developments: J. The Communists charged in a “grave protest" that U.S. jet planes machine-gunned a marked Red 5 truce delegation convoy on the Pyongyang-Kaesong highway yeaterday. The U.N. promised a full ’■ investigation. 2. Communist newsman Alan Winnington, a sort of unofficial Red I spokesman, likened the “atmosphere" In the truce conference to that of last Aug. 22, when the Reds broke off the talks for two months. 3. U.N. delegates handed the Reds virtual ultimatums at “do progress” sessions'of the two truce subcommittees. They said the allies will not-abandon their insistence on the right of war prisoners to refuse repatriation and will not enter Into iny armistice supervision agreement which does not restrict airfield construction. 4. The Communists rejected a United Nations proposal for exchange of parcels as well as mail for war prisoners. 5. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway returned to his U.N. supreme headquarters in Tokyo following highlevel strategy talks with vice admiral C. Turner Joy, head of the allied armistice delegation, at Panmunjom. The day’s only favorable development—and it was only tentative — was a Communist agreement in principle to a meeting at staff of-ficer-level to try to work out safeguards against air attacks on prisoner of war camps. But the. Reds said they were not ready to start discussions yet be-, cause they have not received a deV tailed map of camp locations from Communist headquarters. Both subcommittees working on an armistice agreed to meet again at 11 a.m. Sunday (8 p.m. today CST) despite;the gloomy outlook. The Communists lodged their ’’7 fourth protest this week against ' alleged allied sir violations only five minutes before the start of the sub-committee meetings Saturday. “I hereby lodge with you a grave protest," North Korean Col. Chang Chun San told" allied liaison officers. /. - Then he charged that four American FSO Shooting Star jeV. fighters machinegunned an appropriatelymarked, three-vehicle Communist truce delegation convoy at Hangpo bridge, 19 miles north of Kaesong . on the highway from Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. Comm up is t newsman \ Winnington said the Shooting Stars altogether made 50 separate passes at the confoy, destroying one truck, damaging another and injuring two persona—truck driver Pyong Chun, 28, who suffered a broken hip, and a North Korean photographer. Under agreed "ground rules’’ for the truce talks, the Communists (Tara To Powe Six) Father Os Nine To Prison For Holdup Indianapolis, Jan. 19— (UP) — A $534 holdup of the Fairbanks bank five days before last Christmas drew a two-year prison term today for William Monroe, 43, Merom, the father of nine children. Federal judge William E. Steckler passed sentence and hinted it was a light one because Monroe’s probation report was good. “Everyone who knows you feels you are a good man," Steckler said. He added that the probation report showed Monroe was so well Regarded that if he had asked for help in financial difficulties instead of resorting to bank robbery he would have received it. — —- INDIANA WEATHER Showers ending and turning ; •older tonight. Sunday partly cloudy and colder. Low Satur day night 20 to 26 northwest, 30 to 36 aoutheaet. High Sunday , 25 to 30 northwest, near 38 southeast.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ! r ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN COUNTY " 1 - ■ ■- - - ■ ... U-— „ ' K,,, , ... . .j .... . .. ’ ,<„ . _ i j

— BULLETIN Bonn, Germany, Jan. 19 — (UP)—The West German government |announced tonight that it will contribute between SOO,OOO and 400,000 troops for western European defense. !| The troops, |o form part of the European .army In Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s command, prqbably will be drafted under a selective service law, the government said. American To | Be Chief Ol Allied fleel Churchill Bows To Fact Britain No Longer Rules Sea Washington, Jan. 19 — (UP) — Prime Minister Wtnston Churchill, ;| who likes to! call himself a “formal naval person," started home to London today after being: forced reluctantly tio admit that j Britain no longer rules the waves; Churchill leaves' 1 at Ila. jm. CST by train for New York. He will sail aboard the Queen M*ry next Wednesday for England Hand a homeland 1 disturbed by some of tl.e decisions—especially on the far east —reached in his : conferences with President Truman. The last Churchill-Truman decision was the bitterest pill the 77j ear-old prirqe minister had to swallow. Churchill finally agreed at his last meeting with Mr. Truman; to stop obstructing appointment of an American'admiral to be supreme commander in the North Atlantic pact organization. • For one year -j- in and i out,; of office —the old man, who during World War I was first lord of the admiralty, has been saying in effect that he would approve the decision to give America command of the Atlantic only over his dead body. J / \ Churchill agreed yesterday :to let the American admiral be appointed./ his right to press inter for a Change. His concession canto only after jie had obtained expansion of the area of control of the British home fleet another hundred miles west of the Brttish Isles, p i Adm. Lynde D. McCormick, commander of the V. S. Atlantic fleet, is considered the most Jikely choice as head of the NATO Atlantic naval ciommand. j ■ ■ On military matters, Churchill didn’t fare too well during his visit to the United States. ; In addition to having to back downpon the Atlantic naval command: 1. Churchill 'was rebuffed strongly oh jhls suggestion that the United States, France and Turkey send ’“token forces' 1 ’ to Egypt to help the British protect the Suez Canal againsttrhe Egyp(Tara To Paste Mix) Democratic Women ri . ’ To Meet At Berne I Midwinter Meeting Tuesday, Jan. 29 j v The Adams county Democratic women’s club will hold its midwinter meeting Tuesday night. January 29, at 6:30 o’clock at the Marine room in the Berge community building, it was announced today. I ■: | ' i' . h • The event will start with a carry-ln supper and will be followed by a program of music and an address by Marie Smith Lhamon, fourth district Democrat vice-chairman. The Decatur transportation committee includes: Mrs. Charles Lose, Mrs. Gerald Vizard, Miss Rose Nesswald, Mrs. Luella Ellsworth and Mrs., Harty Hebble. | The general committee in, charge of the affair has asked that all hiembers who desire transportation to the meeting contact one of the members of the transportation committee. 1 ,1 An effort will be made to have all members of the county present at the meeting. The club's part in the primary election in May and the general Mention next November will be discussed.

.. ■ * ' 111 >; - Rain Floods Kill 21 In Southern CaJ. . x ■Z' , | L - -tI .. ;i t - I ; MB!d THE MAIN STREET of Downey, California lies under three feet of 'teater as the worst rain-made floods in Southren California history struck the Los Angel es area claiming 21 ? lives. Waters blocked main highways, caused landslides and resulted in more than 101,000 persons being evacuated from homes in many towns in the area. Schools in Los Angeles and Pasadena are closed.

j 1 ■ 1; ! n "‘ r ■ TDecatur Man Injured By Hit-Run Autoist 1 : i : Willshire Youth Is Taken Into Custody BULLETIN Chalmer Snider, Jr., pleaded guilty In justice of peace Floyd Hunter's court thia morning on a charge of leaving the scene of i personal Injury aoeWenL Justlce Hunter scored the young man and assessed a fine of $25 and costs against him; he also recommended that Sni- i cer's dr tv erJs license be re- J voked for a period of six months and closed the case by staying he “wished hje could send him to jail for the offense.” i LJ - ’ 5 ' 1 > ' ! ! PN Donald Nettle, 33, 178 South Second street, was injured Friday night when struck by an automobile at the corner ot Second and’ Madison streets. The mishap occurred at about 10 o’clock and marked the first personal injury in Decatur this year, as result of an automobile mishap. City and state ponce > took into custody Chalmer W. Snider,'Jr., 19,* Willshire, O. 4 and at ’ 2 o’clock this morning Snider admitted to police that he was the driver of the car which struck a person in Decatur Friday night. Snider was arrested on a justice of peace warrant and taken to the Adams county jail. The warrant charged leaving the scene ot a pep sonal injury accident! Prosecutor Severin H. Schurger this morning filed an affidavit against Snider charging leaving the scene of an accident Snider was to appear later today in justice of I peace court to answer the charge. Nettle was severely shaken up when struck by the car but his injuries are not believed so be of a serious nature. He Was knocked down and suffered several bruises. The mishap occurred just as the basketbalkgame crowd was coming to the business section and drew quite an audience. The automobile slowed down and then took off east on Madison street. Police immediately started a search for the hitrun driver and after gettihg the ’ Ohio license plate numbers from ! witnesses, the officers traced the ’ car to Snider at Willshire. Aftej- ' considerable questioning Snider told officers that he was the driver 1 of tihe car. He gave no reason for disappearing. < ! . H v 1 ■ h * I , "'j 1 ■ Muncie Man Is Given Five-Year Sentence • \ ■ •• j 1 ■ Indianapolis, Jan. 1 19—(UP) — ’ Paul Robert Jones, 29, Muncie, who ’ threatened to blow up his grocer’s home if the merchant Ignored his 1 demands for SIO,OOO, was sentenced ! yesterday to three years in federal ‘ prison. \ l Jones was arrested Dec. 21 after ■ grocer George Hawkins got; a letter, delayed in the Christmas mall 1 rush, demanding the money and • threatening to set off a home-made bomb. I Jones, an industrial plant machin- ■ Ist, said he needed money to pay off debts.

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——— Grubbs Likely To Face Trial Here It is believed now that Verttal Grubbs, 17, of Munpje, will not be turned over to army officials on an AWOL charge and he probably will be tried before Judge Myles F. Parrish here, i r In the meantime Grubbs is at (he Adams county jail. The original charges filed against him as the result of a holdup and auto theft, which were filed in Adams criminal court have now been transferred to juvenile court. Proceedings in juvenile court are ml made public, but it: is understood that the cause will I proceed next Week. Egyptian Students Again Demonstrate Protest Britain's Refusal To Leave Cairo, Jan. 19.—(UP) — Egyptian police chased stone-throwing students through Cairo streets today as most schools went on strike to demonstrate against Britain’s refusal to get offt of the Sues Canal sone. • The Canal zone itself was reported quiet after a four-hour batfle last night between Egyptian guerrillas and British troops at Port Said, k<?y town at the Mediterranean entrance to the canal. Egyptian port police said the 9,400-ton British cruiser Liverpool in Port Said harbor opened fire at the height of the clash, but the British denied it. , Cairo, acting Egyptian foreign minister Ibrahim El Farag Pasha summoned U.S. ambassador Jefferson Caffery to his Office-today and handed him a note. , Reliable sources said the dote dealt with the recent British, invitation tP Western powers to help Britain kebp traffic moving through the canal by providing pilots, stevedores and other trained personnel. El Farag handed similar nbtes to the French, Norwegian and Dutch envoys. : , . ! ‘ I Caffery said he did not discuss with El Farag the Washington meeting between President Truman and British prime minister Winston phurchill. Churchill suggested that the U.S., France and Turkey also send token military • forces to the Suez Canal zone to reinforce British troops there. British forces in the Port Said area beat off attacking Egyptian guerrillas at first with small arms fire and finally with three round* from k 17-pounder anti-tank gun and mortars. Egyptian police! intervened then with the guerrillas and restored order. Egyptian port police said the cruiser Liverpool fired from its anchorage in the harbor in the direction of Port Said during the height of the clash. However, a British military spokesman in Cairo said the Liverpool had not fired its guns. Port Said municipal; authorities, moreover, conceded no damage or casualties had been reported.' Noon Edition

— - lewis Heads New Fight With Bob Taft Lashes At Group'Of Coal Mine Owners Washington, Jan. 19.—(UP) — John L. Lewis headed today into a new fight with an old enemy. Sen. Robert A. Taft. The Ujiited Mine workers chief lashed out at a group of coal operators— understood to have the Ohio : Republican’s support—who want to postpone a senate labor subcommittee hearing on mine safety legislation- and the West Frankfort, 111., disaster in December, Lewis said “representatives of the coal .operators’ lobby” made a “brutal and barbaric request” for delay in the investigation, scheduled to start next Thursday. ' \ He did not identify the “representatives,” but it was learned on good authority that Taft has told chairman Matthew M. Neely (D-W. Va.) that he wants a delay of several days. Taft is on the subcommittee. Neely and Rep. Melvin Price (D---111.) are sponsoring a UMM bill providing for federal enforcement and penalties for violation of the bureau of mines safety code. Previously, the operators have thrown UP a solid front against federal enforcement of mine safety. As a result of the West Frankfort explosion, which killed 119 miners, some operators now are considering going at least part way with the union. | Ohio mine who were reported to have given the National Coal Association the Impression they would back the UMW, apparently' are now taking another look at the proposed mine safety legislation. | They were reported drafting a substitute bill which would include penaltiesjbut also Incorporate the bureau of' mines safety code. Agencies which enforce such codes are normally permitted to set up their ' g' (Turn To Paet Six I J — . Arkansas Parents Os Quadruplets Known In County Newspapers across the nation carried a news item recently that quadruplets Were born to Mr and Mrs. Leonanji Ponder in Arkansas. The Ponders resided ip,Wells county, near Markle, until about two months ago and worked part of last summer and, fall on farms in Adams county. p j One of the last jobs the Ponders completed here was picking-toma-toes for Adalbert Rekeweg of PrebJe. The Preble township farmer Friday displayed a cancelled Check to- Leonard Ponder in payment >for Wages last September. Earlier in the year the Ponders also had worked for Edgar Rekeweg, who resides neat the AdamsWells county line. The Itinerant wooers were also employed by several other Adams bounty farmers during the spring when tomato plaits were set out. | . The Ponders left Indiana in Noven)ber and went southwest to their present residence in Arkansas.' . r '/■ ■■ M .

—2. Airliner Carrying 40 Military Personnel In Crash, Seven Rescued ■ L ■ ■!> ! / - ■ ■ Hl . . ! .

Allied Air Losses 460 Planes To Date All But 11 Planes , American Aircraft Bth Army Headquarters, Korea, Jan. 19. —(UP)—American Sabre jets, outnumbered nearly five to one, shot down one Communist Mig-15 jet fighter and damaged another in a dogfight over north Korea today. \ Far East air forces in Tokyo disclosed that the Mig was the mh enemy plane to be shot n by Allied aircraet since tkh start of the Korean war June 25, 1950. The F<E_A.F. put Allied losses during the period at 460 planes, all but 11 of then! American. Most were believed to have been downed by Communist anti-air-craft fire. The sth air force said 10 American planes had been destroyed in the last seven days alone. Eight were destroyed by enemy ground fire and two in combat The air i force said Communist anti-aircraft . fire was being, “steadily intensified.” The air war was stepped up while sero weather all but halted * action, on the ground. Twa Allied ► raiding parties knocked the Com- ■ munists from two low hills north-. ’ west of Korangpo on the western • front, but subsequently returned h to their own lines. ’[ In the latent air clash, 18 Ameri- ‘ can Sabrejets pounced on 15 to 20 Migs out of a formation of 90 ’ northwest of Sinanju in Mig Alley. Ist. Lt. Ivan C. Klncheloe of Cassoplla, Mich,, scored the “kill," while Ist Lt. Charles Rhinehart of Brooklyn, lowa got credit for the damaged Mig. It was the 205th Mig to be shot down during the war. The other J 35 enemy, planes ‘destroyed were I ql de r propellbr-driven models. (Tura To Stx) ) ’ ■ . ' . ■ . I Three-State Drive Against Gambling One Fort Wayne Man | Taken Into l Louisville, Ky, Jan. 19—(UP)— i The FBI "hit the jackpot” today . in a three-state drive against : gambling devices and their oper- ' aiors. Surprise raids, which began in » Kentucky yesterday, spilled over i into Ohio and Indiana todhy. Fedi era}. agents made,a total of 32 ar- • rests and seized more than 3,457, ' slot machines valued at almost $1,000,000. '' | j', The FBI said more slots Were being loaded into moving vans in eastern Kentucky and morn arrests would be made today and tomorrow under the Johnson act. Agents said so many gambling , devices hhve been taken that they •have not had time th count them all. The Jdhnson act fqrbids shipment of gambling devices across ??tate lines and requires registration with the federal government of any transaction involving them. Federal agents have how con- i ( fiscated more than $2,500,000 ( Worth of “one-arm bandits” since ibe Johnson act -took effect, mostly of the “bars, bells and lemons" < type which take coins ranging ' from nickels to half-dollars. / J Slots disappeared rapidly from ; the Kentucky scene as those which > were nbt\ seized werw quickly hidden. , Qperators and owners who were arrested posted from SSOO to $>2,000 I bond each for their release, after pleading innocent upon arraignment. ' Two men were arrested in Indiana, on warrants issued here. ] They were Charles L. Ewing; of 1 Evansville and Leonard L* Fevre of Fort Wayne. 1 In Ohio, FBI agent Edward (Tara Ta Pa«c Six) '

Report Flood Water Easing In California Thousands Return To Homes As Fair Weather Forecast Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 19 — (UP) — Thousands of Southern Californians headed back to thejy-mud-plastered homes today, encouraged by a weather forecast of a weekend of fair weather and uo rain: Emergency crews worked all n’ght to clear mud and debris) washed down from the rain-scored hi’ls surrounding the ‘'City of Angels.” j Municipal officials said the city’s oier-taxed drainage system probably could handle the run-off from the mountains of possible showers expected to hit thp city when a new storm arrives today from the Gulf of Alaska. i Most of the more than 2,000 persons evacuated from their dwellings in the Hawaiian Garden-Ar-tesia area south ,of Los Angeles were back under their l own roofs. And all but a few of the 200 made homeless uin the Reseda area of San Fernando Valley moved back into their bouses. Traffic halted by landslides and water coveted streets returned to normal with the exception of a "few bad places," the police department reported. , Yesterday’s storm came on the feels of an earlier blow which took five lives and left the ground so soaked that within hours after rains began, many sections of «outhern California looked like a muddy lake. The five deaths in the first storm this week combined with 10 Ilves lost yesterday to inake it the worst disaster here since March 3, 1938 when eight; died in Los Angeles and 142 in the area. The Hawaiian Garden-Artesia area southeast of Los Angeles was hardest hit by high water Disaser relief agencies used boats and life rafts to evacuate most of the 2,000 persons forced from their homes in southern California. To the northwest of this city in (Tira To P« e gtx» ' Anna Moeschberger Dies This Morning Funeral Services Tuesday Morning Mrs. Anns, Moeschberger, 81, lifelong resident bf Adams county, died at 5:30 o’clock this morning »t her home near Berne following a lengthy illness of complications. She was borh in Hartford township April 30, 1870, a daughter of Christian and Elizabeth nenAugsburger. Her busband, Edward, preceded her in deathShe was a member of the West Missionary church. Surviving are seven sons, Ezra and Raymond of Fort Wayne, Elmer of SioUx City, la., Homer of Yoder, Howard of Hartford township, Christian and Dale, at home; two daughters, Mlm Pearl Moeschberger of Fort Wayne and Mlse Esther Moeschberger at horhe; 13 grandchildren; four great-grand-children; six brothers, Jeff Augw burger of Linn Grove, Sam of Decatur, Chris of near Berne, Joel of Berne, Eli of Geneva and Ed, in Michigan, and one sister, Mrs. Adam Blberstine of Berne. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the West Missionary church, the Rev. Oscar EicheX and the Rev. E. G. Steiner officiating. Burial will be in the MRE; cemetery. The body was removed to the Yager funeral home, wherd, friends ma/ call after 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon. ■ I. 4 ■ . .

Price Five Cents

Airliner With 43 Aboard Crashes In Sea Off British Columbia Today 7 Seattle, >ash., Jan. 19.—(UP?— A DC-4 airliner carrying 40 military personnel home from Korea and a crew of three crashed in Hecate ” Strait off the British Columbia coast early : today. Seven persons were rescued* by , rowboat anb 36 persons were missing. A doctor at the scene said survivors were “shaken up but-not badly injured." J The plane was en route from Tokyo to McChord air force b|he, near Tacoma, Wash. / The commercial airliner crashed at 1:40 a.m. PST (3:40 a.m. CST) when pilot John Pfaftlnger attempted an emergency landing on the icy. ruiftvay at Sand Spit, 8.C., on the northern tip of Moresby Island in the Queen Charlotte group 500 miles north of Seattle. Ships and planes were speeding to the scene where the crew erf 1 a tugboat already was working at rescue attempts. \ ; One wing of the plane was vtsibio above the water for several hours, - but finely sank. Department of transport radio technicians at the acene reported “local residents" took a rowboat out t of winter storage to rescue seven persons from the plane. , Z Canadian officials said there was no clue to ih® fate of the 36 missing. Department bf transport officials , said a doctor from Queen Charlotte City was at tlje scene. Another doctor was aboard a Royal Canadian airforce plaile which was due at daybreak. A U.S. coast guard plane with droppablb ilife saving gear was en route from Annette Island, Alaska. An air force FB-17 rescue plane took off fpom McChord air force base, Wash.; at 4:33 PST with a boat, five life rafts, exposure suits and other survival gear. The airliner was owned* by Trans World Airways but was being operated by Northwest Airlines under charter io the military air transport service. It left Elmendorf ‘ air force base near Anchorage, Alaska at 11:11 p.m. CST; While flying Annette Island, the pilot radioed he was having “oil cooler trouble” In the number one engine. The pilot said he was dropping from 8,000 feet to land at Sand Spit. As the craft touched the runway, the pilot gunned the engines in an apparent effort to gain air speed. The four-engined-plane went Into a steep bank toi the; left and craved into the sea. j ( Northwest , Airlines officials identified thej'creW as Pfaftlnger, of Kent, WasH t fnd cofpilot Kenneth Kuhn and stewardess Jane Cheadle, both of Seattle. List Survivor* 5 McChord Air Force Base, Wash., Jan./ 19—(UP)—The public information officer: here today released ch/ names of) survivors of he crash of a plane off he coast of British Columbia. They are:; i Sgt. *H. Fleles. Sgt. Richard VP. Fleles (apparently the brother of Charles, the xir force sald./s Lt. bonald E* Baker. / Sgt. H. D> Miyhard. Pfc. William A. Price. Sgt. Gregory fcalkins. " Demearls Q. Apostolon (assumed to be a cltilikh employe of one )f the armed services.) Addresses of Eba survivors were rot immediately available, the air force said. •V'[ J j , ’ / ' •. ' i.- - ■ i■ ■, 1 ■ j lij,' ■.( Investigate Death Os Man On Highway Winslow, Ind.,; Jan. 19—(UP)— State police investigated today the death of Reutibe, Robling, 59, killed last night wteßd he was struck by a car on Ind. 61, to determine if he had been strudk by a hit-and-run driver first. j \ Driver of the fktal car, Robert J. Davis, 25, Oakland -City, was re- , leased when he tbld police Robling already jras lying on the highway, one mil* south of here, when the accident occurred. m: ia ■