Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 184, Decatur, Adams County, 5 August 1952 — Page 1

-t Vol. L. No. 184. \ I. I

... 1 e *, 'X 28 Perish In Bus Collision 1 fli Bk IE Bh BBha JLVA ■ • < wBHBK wF tW "i IB bi b B the charred BODY of one of the victims of a disastrous bus collision Monday morning, is removed from the wreckage of one of the two Grayhoqnd buses involved in the pre-dawn tragedy. The collision brought sudden firey deaths to at least 28 persons and injured more than a score olf others. The buses collided seven miles south of Waco, Texas, when they met headon at the crest of a hill.

Seek Cause Os Bus Collision Fatal To 28 ■ .... ' ' \ Check Theory Auto May Have Caused , Buses To Collide ■ i i . , . WACO, Tex., UP-4lpvestigat.ors today checked-a theory that an unidentified automobile caused? the worst bus accident in history? a flaming catastrophe that killed at least 28 pdrsone. Two buses, pne loaded almost to capacity, collided head-on near here and burst into flames Monday. . Twenty-five persons were injured, two critically, and bus company officials said /‘two or three persons” still were* missing. One investigator said he was “■beginning to believe” that an unknown motorist may have caused the, two Greyhound buses td crash. \ The buses collided just before dawn at the tbp of a hill seven miles south of Waco. Both drivers were killed. The northbound bus was on the wrong side of the road. “It is -possible, but strictly conjecture, that something could have shown up in front of the northbound bus,” -W, B. Stallings, Greyhound general claims agent, - ■ said. Q 4 v . “It looked like some sudden emergency confronted one of these boys. Highway marks and the position of the buses indicated the northbound bus was across tljie stripe,” said. F. Patras, Greyhound maintenance manager at Fort. Worth, said he found no evidence of mechanical failure in either of the buses. He said he was “beginning to believe another vehicle w r as involved, a vehicle which was not hit and did not stop.” The air force flew in a team of identification experts from Wright-Patterson Field, Dayton, Ohio, to aid Texas department of public safety identification expels. Many servicemen were believed among the dead. The experts were faced with a difficult problem. They were able to take fingerprints from only six of the victims. Bracelets, dog tags, remains of purses—htese were the slim clues the identification men had to work on.. Some victims may not r he identified until a check of their dental work can be made, officers said. —————, Appropriation For “ School Approved An approval, of the request for the appropriation of $20,000 for the repair of Decatur high school was received today from the state hoard of [tax commissioners,- Although bidding took place on July 29, the contract was hot let, now, however, with the approval, construction may begin immediately. The low bidder was the Fred , ■ Carey Co., Inc., of South Whitley. At the time Carets’, bid was cited as lowest, Carey said he doubted whether the building would be • ready by September I—however, he would see to It that the regular school schedule was interrupted as little as possible. ,

DECATUR DAIIY DEMOCRAT

Council Will Study Next Year's Budget Civil City Budget To Council Tonight Tonight’s meeting of the city council will coyer, for the most part, the proposed civil efty budget for 1953. Altogether, t,here Is a stiff schedule for the budget to travel before it is finally written into law. Following isj the schedule fbr every municipality aS well as they all |ojlo!W‘the same pattern set by law. \ August 7—Last date for first publication of proposed’budgets. 4 August 14—Last date for second s publication. I > . | August 25-—This is the last Monday in August! and the‘| day for the final approval of budgets by officers Os civil cities and towns. ■.. J September 6-i—Last day; to file two copies of budget and tak levies with cihinty auditor; 1 September 22-—The fourth Monday in September is the last day for taxpayers (to appeal budget to state tax board from final action by civil cities; and towns officials. October 1- —Last day for tax adjustment board to fix rates and levies. County board completes their part of the budget job., As for the taxpayers right bf appeal: Ten or more taxpayers may appeal to state tax board from the final ruling of the county ‘ tax adjustment i board, within 10 days after, the county makes known the final word pf the county board. .Objections are filed with the county’auditor. • As for the city's right to appeal to state board: The city can, Within ten days after the auditor’s announcement of thejinal word of the epunty tax adjustment board, appeal to the= state board tb reinstate the city’s original tax levy if that same levy was reduced by the county board. Auction Students Cry Sales Nightly Reppert Students Receive Training "Do I hear 30, ‘|3o, 30,(—who’ll give me 32, I said 32, let’s go to 32 . . . sold to the man in the purple .. . ” • | /And so it 'went Saturday night and Monday night, as it will all through this week and almost to the end of the / present session of ’ Decatur’s famobs Reppert school of auctioneering, now holding forth ait Bellmont park. Each night at about 8 o’clock, students from 22 states and Ontario, Canada, Stand on the auction block at Madison and Second streets; to cry their sales . . . they do it so professionally that many thought Reppej-t’s had a crew of experienced men—actually most of the ambitious men had been at it for only one short week, several. having arrived only yesterday, : found themselves oh the block almost before they had their bags ’uripbeked. To the crowd of about 100 who gathered to wafch, it was a tremendously interesting thing to take part in. The new auctioneers cried, wheedled and stuck to it until they made an acceptable sale- One yoking fellow even sold an empty; box—while everyone knew it was empty. On the block' to show the way and lead guidance, are the topflight auctinoeqrs who are each (Continued; On Pace Six)

Lewis Is Set To Shut Down Coal Industry Serves Notice New Contracts Must Be Signed By Sept 30 t ■' " i WASHINGTON, UP -4 John L. Lewis was set today to shut down all major branches of the coal industry simultaneously at •midSept. 30, unless th* operators provide v a substantial wage b<a>at for his 475,000 miners. The United Mine Workers president served notice on anthracite producers and southern coal operators Monday that he is terminating their present wage contracts on that/date. He previously had fixed the Same deadline for northern soft coal Companies. Lewis did not indicate immediately when he plans to open contract negotiations with the anthracite industry, which mines hard coal for home burning, and with the Southern Soft Coal Producers ass’ri. Nor did he give any inkling of what his wage demands will be. He has already held two days of secret bargaining talks with Harry Moses, president of the Bituminous Coal Operators’ Assn., which represents abqut one-half the pation's soft <loal Output. The Moses group includes northern commercial mines and the so-call-ed “captive” mines owned by the steel companies. Informed sources said it was safe to assume that Lewis is out to get as much or more than the 21-cent “package” increase recently won by the CIO Steelworkers. He may also ask the operators to increase |heir present 30-cents-per-ton payment to the minners* welfare fund. I \ f 91-Year-Old Decatur Resident Dies Today Thomas Jacob Titus! Is Taken By Death Thomas Jacob ; Titusi, retired farmer who observed his 91st birthday Sunday, died at 18:45 o’clock this morning at his home, 627 North Secbnd ‘street. He had been ill three months with infirmities Mr. Titus was born in Rush county Aug. 3, 1861, a son of Jesse and iSarah Jane Titus, and had lived in or near Decatur for the past 32 years. His wife, Alice preceded him in death. He was a member of the Church of God. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Mary Haielwood of Decatur, Mrs. Phillip B. Carper of Syracuse and Mrs. Ray Niebel of Fort Wayne; one son, Thomas W. Titus of Decatur; 16 grandchildren; 14< great-grandchildren, and a sister, Mrs. Emma Ferguson of Illinois. Four brothers and two sisters are deceased. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Gillig & Doan funeral home, the Rev. Dwight McCurdy officiating. Burigl will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7:30 o’clock this evening. J

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAM# COUNTY 111 ■— " ""' 1 . lii"** ■ ■■ j■' i -*-—

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, August, 5, 1952.

UN Jet Planes Bag 10 Enemy Planes In Air Largest Total Os Enemy Planes For The Past Month SEOUL, Korea, (UP — United Nations jet planes, frying protec- . tive cover for fighter-bombers attacking targets across North Ko-} rea, shot down- four Communist MIG-15 jets and uamagbd six others today for their biggest toll of enemy planes in a month. The 10 MlGs were destroyed or damaged in tive separate aerial duels this afternqon, one of them between a- flight of F-84 ; Thunilerjets and eight M>lGs. The slower F-84 fcledom tangles with the MlGs. \- ‘ |b ' The Thunderjet-MIG duel occurred betweeh Haeju almost on the 38th parallel, and Sariwon. about 35 miles above the parallel. Fifth air force officials did hot disclose the exact location of the fight, but it was further south than the MlGs' usual | cruizing zone. | | Today’s battles marked the first time in monthp that the MlGs have ventured so far from thtir Manchurian sanctuary on the other side of the Yalu River. The last big claim made by Allied jtet pilots was July 4 when they shot down 12 MlGs, probably destroyed another and damaged five. .1 '°7 h : While the F-86 Sabre jets were at work, fighter-bombers attacked all across the Korean peninsula, hitting scattered jafgets. Earlier, the United Nations announced it has warned Hforth Korean civilians to Clear Out of 78 towns marked for attack by its warplanes. The bold move was designed to save needless loss of civilian'lives even though it alerted Red defenses for coming raids. Sabrejets took part in four of the five air battiest today and s the fifth occurred when a .flight * of l MlGs pounced bn Allied Thtinderjets. . As the Thunderjets 10ft their bombing mission on a radar station, they reported seeing one large secondary | explosion and a large fire burning. j U. N. also attacked railway lines near\Kowoh on the East Coast. Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, and Singye, as well as CommunisJ .■build|tps across the 155-mile battlefront, t. 'Allfed plar.V destroyed box-t cars, trucks, supply - dumps, bridges and giyn positions arid killed 23 enemy soldiers. i * Lt. Gen. Glenn O. Barcus, commander of the sth air fofce, said American B-29 Superfortresses have dropped more than 1,500,00a warnnig leaflets over the desigiTiin to Poko amt .. — . | District Declines Essex' Resignation Local Man Remains As GOP Chairman Harry Essex, of Decatur, remains as fourth district Republican chairman, after his resignation was refused Monday niglit at a district meeting of county chairmen and vice-chairmen at Fort Wayne. No statement was made following the announcement of the; district committee’s refusal to accept Essex’ resignation. The Decatur man also declined to make a statement after the vote of confidence from the district leaders. Preceding f the\ meeting, Ess|ex said the reason fbr his resignation was personal and that he believed the district committee would permit him td retire after Tie explained his reasons. T Is The meeting, was closed to all but the cpunty chairmen and vicechairmen. Lloyd S. Hartzler, Allen county {chairman, who announced the proceedings, said that Essex left the room after tendering his resignation and while a vote was being taken. ' q - h Essex, who has been Adams county Republican chairman for six terms, was reelected last Spring to I his second two-year term as district chairman. \ f ■- British Cruiser Is Hjt, Sailor Killed TOYKO, UP — Britain’s biggest cruiser, the 11,500-ton Belfast, Was hit byf Communist shore batteries in Western Korea Sunday and one crew member was killed, the navy announced today.

T7" ■■ e ; i t Korea Tnice Talks i b . ' • , ■ * ■ . ' ■ I I x • % At A Temporary Stop On Challenge

Proposals Heard] By Commissioners Drain Projects Are , Presented To Board ■ \ i A number of proposals and requests and a i>etition were heard Mohday at the regular meeting of the county commissioners at the county auditor’s office. Emanhel Joraly of Frehch apEmanuel Joray of French township appeared to ask the board to try and do something about brush that is growing into his drain, making it almost useless. Joray’s complaint concerns the streltch of county road number 16 at the west side of French township near tho Adams-Wells county line. After discussion the following plan was found acceptable! The county would spray the brush to I kill it. Joray would then open the clogged drain at intervals, of 100 feet. The dead btu s h would then be rooted; out by a mechanical cleaner. County surveyor Herman Moellering and highway superintendent Frank Singleton expressed interest in a to clear a tile drain on the property of Dr. W. E. Smith, 'a farm owner op section 7 of Union township. The drain goes along the highway and has broken down. It is. planned tliai the countjr\ will clear tha drain with the county dfag line, slopS the sides of the formerly closed drain and convert! it into an open drain, p X John Baltzell appeared in the interests of the Mary Walker tile drain. said the drain now' ends near two farms. Since raw sewage is dumped lit the drain, it was, stated that the pres* ence of the drain is an odorous nuisance as well as a health problem. It was therefore decided tliat the drain' should be etended away from living quarters with 24 inch tile. iA petition was received from Leland Ripley of Blue Creek township to blacktop mately five mfle s ° f road ih the southeastern portion ]of the township. An original | request wab filed in September, 1941,. to blacktop two and thyee quarter miles in section 15 and 22 of Blue Creek. No action was taken op that one. Now. the request states that the petitioners—about 60-y wish an addtiional two and a half miles black(opped just south of it —sections 27 and 34 on county road 27.. Mys. Wilbur Stanley, of the roadside council, came before the board, with two other interested ladies to ask that their latest project—a tract of land off High street near the hospital—be | further improved as far as parking’ and a driveway goes.. The comprissioners agreed to. be ai; the site of the, proposed park at 8 o’clock Friday morning to stake out the boundaries and cover details. The final business of the meet* ing came with the appearance of the bounty director of civilian defense, Gene Rydell, who requested $1,900 to support the defense program for 1953. The commissioners indicated their favorable view of the request and placed it in the budget for 1953. 4 In order for the requests to become final and funds made available, all petitions and the like must be approved by the county council, the tax adjustment board, and finally, the state board of tax commissioners. . — -] ./ < $150,000 Fire Loss Caused By Youngster FORT WAYNE, Ind. UP —Cause of Sunday’s $150,000 fire at Charles Milker & Sons, Ipc., lumber yftrd was solved Monday night, when an 11-year-old boy shuffled into police headquarters bnd admitted: "I was sneaking a smoke and tossed a match into \ the shed.” Juvenile authorities considered today whether to bring charges against the boy.

Rival Nominees Seek Support Os Southerners Eisenhower Speaks Tonight At Annual' Convention Os VFW By UNITED PRESS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s political appeal to the Denicoratic south rose another notch today on his statement that he dbesn’t believe "compulsory federal laws” are the only solution to civil rights problems. The ! Republican presidential nominee; made the statement to a group of leaders who visited him in Denver Monday night. They endorsed his candidacy anyway, after he assured them he will figlit for “civib, progress” even though he is unready to commit himself to a compulsory fair employment practicjesL commission. ; ' z Eisenhower was to fly to Los Angeles today to deliver a speech before the 63r.d annual encampment of the Veterans of Fqreign Wars. The speech—Eisenhower’s first siace winning th« nominai tkus"—wag ’ billed r lit | advance as non-political by his aides, but they 1 conceded anything the gen-, eral said these dayg carries political oyertones. z , • Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson ?kid meanwhile that He is confident the south ! will remain loyal to the Democratic party this year. ; The Illinois governor and his campaign strategists were encouraged by the' action of the Georgia democratic executive committee, which pledged its support Monday to Stevenson and his running mate, Sien. John Sparkman of Alabama. Louisiana Democratic chairman N. B. Carstarphen said he would rpcommend similar action in his state if he can think up away to make clear; that Louisiana Democrats like the Steven-son-Sparkman ticket but not the platform which contains a strong divil rights plank. Stevenhon shifted his attention today to| farm policy — and the farm vote— with a I (conference with secretary of agriculture T« Paxe Six) J- ■ Kirkland Township Farmer Dies Monday Eli Geyer Dies At Decatur Hospital Eli feeder, 59, Kirkland township farmer, diied Monday afternoon at the Adanis’ county'memorial hospital of a cerebral hemorrhage. ' He was born in Forrest, 111., a son of George and Mary SjhoreGeyer, blit had lived in Adams county for 30 years. He vtras married to Ltdia Steffen Dec. 26, 1920. He was a member of the Apostolic Christian church and served in the U. S. army during World War I. I , ’ Surviving in addition to his wife are four < daughters, 'Mrs. Homer Hyerly of Ossian, Mrs. Leon Steffen of TeXaS, Mrs. Richtird Reinhart of Decatur route 4, and Dorothy, at home; five sons, Glen and George, at home, \ Earl Geyer of Decatur, Verlin of Willshird, 0.,j and Lester, serving With the army in Japan; six grandchildren; four brothers, Joel pf PSoria, 111., Sam of Francisville, Alfted of e Forrest, 111. and Josh of Cisstia Park, Ill.; and three sisters, Njettie ol Oswego, 111., Lil-; lian and jsmily of Uissna Park, 111. Two sons preceded him in death. Funeral arrangements have not been completed, pending word from the son in Japan. The body will be removed .from t|ie Jahn funeral home to the residence, where friends mgy call after, 7 o’clock this evening, j

Dr. Tennyson Guyer Institute Speaker ; Teachers Institute Here On August 27 Dr. Tennyson Guyer, well known Speaker of Findlay, 0., will be the principal speaker at the annual Adams county teachers’ institute to Jite held Wednesday August 27 at he court room in the Adams couhty, ourt house, county superintendent f schools Glen B. Custard announced today. The 1952-53 school year for county rural apd consolidated schools will start Thursday- morning, August 28. at 8 o’clock, Custard stated. Students will get their boolC lists on that will receive preliminary instructions concerning classes. Actual classes will start Tuesday morning, September :kL / ; It also was announced that there* Would be no classes Thursday, September 4, ‘ because that day .Is designated as farmers day at the Indiana state fair and the Adams county 4-H band will take part. Other pre-school events include a meeting of all Adams county principals at the office of the county superintendent Tuesday afternoon, August 26, at 1:30 o’clock. August 27, following the annual institute, all teachers will meet with their respective principals at their buildings at l:|0 o’clock in the afternoon to discuss the school term. Following is a complete institute program: The meeting will be called to order at 9 a.m. Devotions: Rev. Shady, pastor of Pleasant Mills Methodist church. Music: 4-H instrumental, Donavan Gerig, director. Address: Dr. Tennyson Guyer. Business session and announcements, conducted by the superintendent. i LL. Baumgartner Dies Monday Night Funeral Services Thursday Afternoon L. L. Baumgartner, 88, former Adams county surveyor and Decatur city engineer, died at 11:45 o’clock Mohday night at his home in Bluffton of a heart attack. He was born in Linn Grove Oct. 16, 1863, a son of John and Roseanna Horn j ßaumgartner, and was married’to Lillie Studebaker April 6, 1887. Mrs. Baumgartner died in November of 1947. Mr. Baumgartner taught school in Linn Grove, served two Adams county surveyor, later operating a hardware business in Berne and served as city engineer in Decatur. He then operated a hatchery business in South Whitley until his retirement nine years ago, when he moVed to Bluffton. He was a member of the First Methodist church and a former Sunday school teacher. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Ben Welker of Lima, O.; and Mrs. Pearl Newton of Bluffton; two sons,! Dr. Clyde Baumgartner of Spencerville and John Bauingartner of Winchester; two grandchildren; two one sister, Mrs. Mary Opliger of Berne and one brother, Charles Baumgartner of Hartford City. Three sisters and tour brothers preceded him in death. 1 ! Fuperal services will be conducted a| 3 p.m. Thursday at the Jahn funeral home, the Rev. Ernest Kauffman officiating. Burial will be ii| Six Mile cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after y o'clock this evening INDIANA Fair and a little cooler tonight; Wednesday partly cloudy, scattered thundfersnowers southwest half by afternoon or evening. A little warmer north Wednesday. Low tonight 53-58 north, 55-62 south high Wednesday near 80 nortn, 80-85 south,

Price Five Cents

UN Challenges Reds Sincerity On War Rules Ask Reds Permit L * Prisoners Receive Parcels Os Goods PANMUNJOM, UP — Korean truce talks came to a temporary full stop today ’ after the United Nations challenged the Reds to prove they gre sincere about the Geneva. convention. Staff officers^ —the second level of negotiators completed their work and adjourned. Senior delegates already were in recess until Monday. -i Maj. Gen. William K. Harrison, chief Allied truce delegate, asked the Reds to let Allied war prisoners in North Korean camps receive parcels of food, medicine and clothing. The requests will show whether the Communists were sincere In their acceptance last month of the 1949 Geneva convention on the treatment of war prisoners. 4 Article 72 at the convention pro- ■ vides that war prisoners “shall be allowed to receive by post or by any other means” individual par- ! cels or collective shipments of food, medicine, clothing, books and even 1 musical instruments. Harrison addressed his request in writing to North Korean Gen. Nam 11, head of the Communist Armistice delegation. "Since you have often expressed your interest in> supporting the humanitarian aims of the Geneva convention,” liarirson said L "You should be willing to recognize the purely humanitarian purposes of article 72 of that instrument.” The Communists have turned down similar requests in the past, alleging “various difficulties” stood in the way. The npte was handed Communist staff officers by Allied staff officers after a 44*minute meeting here at which “all questions of text of- the armistice agreement wete settled. However, the U.N. said the settlement of textual questions did not resolve the dispute over voluntary vs. forced repatriation of war prisoners. The main truce teams are still deadlocked on that question and have declared a recess in an effort to find a new approach that might lead to a compromise settlement. ( Five Applicants For Hospital Manager Cal E. Peterson, president of the hospital board, reported today that five applications have been received for the new job opening at the Adams county memorial hospital,; that of business manager. A hospital manager has the job of doing all the purchasing for the hospital, food, Supplies, and equipment. It is his duty to see that all motley is expended efficiently with a minimum of waste. - Peterson said the are fronj people around Decatur. He added there has yet been no acceptance. Peterson indicated that if a college-trained person in hospital management could not be secured, then at least one who had some experience in feie highly specialized field would be considered. Appeal Issued For Nurses For Polio WASHINGTON, UP — The Red Cross issued an urgent appeal today for at least 100 graduate nurses to work in areas stricken with poliomyelitis. The Red Cross said the number of local nurses is inadequate to meet the needs in many midwestern and eastern states where there have been large outbreaks of polio in recent weeks. • ‘I . ' i J ’ ' I ■