Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 51, Number 237, Decatur, Adams County, 8 October 1953 — Page 1

Vol. LI. Nln 2,7

'■v I. r / WU,.-• ' • ' ' '"*■ Greerrlease Kidnapers And Murder Weapon ■Dm IS Rfa EX-CONVICT CARL AUSTIN HALL and Mrs. Bonnie Brown Heady appear in St. Louis jail in handcuffs aftpr admitting their part iJn the kidnap-murder of little Robert Greenlease of Kansas City. Arrested in a St. Louis apartment hotel. Hall's luggage, hat and gun shown at right, were confiscated, in the luggage Was $300,000 of the ransom money. The gun is believed that which killed the little victim.

Orders Allies Rush Building Os POW Huts I U. N. Denies Delay I In Building Huts | For Brain Washers Korea UP —The neutral commission handling wa£ prisoners told the Allies today tp complete building hyts for Red “brain Washers” in four; days or let the Communists finish the job. Lt. Gen. K. S. Thimayya saim in a letter he must know by 111 a.m. Friday 7 p.m. c.s.t. Thursday whether the United Nations toing mand was “ready and willing” toil finish construction by next Monday-; In Tokyo, a spokesman tor U. N£ commander Gen. John E. Hull denied the U. IN. Is delaying the construction of the huts. "Heavens no,” the spokesman said. “We’re not dragging our fefet. "1 rather doubt it will be necessary for the Reds to come in and work on it.” U. N. officers were preparing an answer to thy demand that ths construction be completed within * four days'. , i ■ - The buildings, when completed* . will be used by Communist “eX» plainers” who will attempt to lure 22,500 anti-Red North Koreans ans Chinese back to their homeland* before the Dec, 24 deadline.* Communist authorities have demanded extension of the _ but the United Nations, has refused to permit the talks to be dragged on after the final date fixed in the armistice agreement. The U. N.’s adherence to armis* tlce terms was believed to be one of the reasons why Thimayya demanded completion of the brain* washing huts so the long-delayed! “explanations” can beg|n. } > Even if I the: UNC accepts the NNRC’s ultimatum and makes tho? facilities available to the; Commu-; nists next Monday; the . Commun nists will be at a disadvantage. • Observers pointed out that the Reds have lost; 20 of the 90 days? allotted for and; must interview 22,500 men, whereas; the Allies have to deal with only! 354 recalcitrant prisoners, including 23 Americans who say they don’t want to go home. V Thimayyy also rejected a UNO : claim that the “majority” of thp- ’ anti-Communist prisoners do not want to return to Red rule. He also thumbed down a Coni munist complaint that the Allies had terrorised! the Chinese and North Koreans into refusing repaX triation. |’ 1 *The commission is not prepared to work on either of these assumig tlons,” Thimayya eaid. f Responsible Allied officials meanwhile said the United States has taken bo steps to prevent Soutl| Korea fronlf freeing the anti-Com-munist prisoners, even though the Reds have warned that such a move would wreck the truce. | The disclosure followed the UNO’s "100 per cent” guarantee to prevent the South Koreans froth taking act|ou against Indians charged with guarding' the antt Red prisoners. At that same time, it was pointed out that South Korea has made np attempt to carry out its threat . to release the tnen. I p I | f 4 9 INDIANA WEATHER | | Ik' Fair and not eo cool tonight. I Friday filr and warmer. Low tonight 40-48, high Friday 70-; 76. r j ' |\ |- S'i ' I I ' . r ' S

£ ■ ' ji ‘ * ■ DKCATITR DA rrV DEMOCRAT

Reveals Mother's Plea To Kidnaper Pleaded Over Phone For News Os Child KANSAS CITY, Mo. UP The broken-hearted mother of Bobby Greenlease pleaded twice in telephone conversations with her son’s kidnaper for proof that the bo/ was \ alive; a family spokesman ; said today. Robert Ledterman, a business associate of wealthy Robert Green- : lease, said Mrs. Greenlease talked to Carl Austin Hall on Friday. She wanted two questions ‘answered to learn if alive and that she was actually in contact with his abductors. Neither question ever was answered. Ledterman told the Kansas City b&tiff that the mother posed two questions tor the kidnaper to ask Bobby: v • 1. What was the name of the driver who drove the Greenlease car in Europe last summer? 2. What did Bobby build in his play- . room the last night he was home’ Ledterman said the answer to the second question was a play- ; block model of the Eiffel Tower. ; But it was too late then for Bobby | to answer that question. He was ; dead, already and buried in a shal- ! lovr grave. t The who talked to Mrs. > Gfeenlease the first time said he s would ask to answer the ! questions and call back with the i answers, Ledterman said. [ The contact did call back. He | said Bobby was uncooperative and | would not answer the .questions. | But her conversation with the i kidnaper convinced Mrs. Green- £ lease the boy was \'in his hands. And she became convinced for the | moment that her son was alive. | It was then, Ledterman said, • the Greenleases decided to pay $600,000 for his ransom. > “It was a weighty decision,”} Ledterman said. “We gambled and | we lost. We relied on a criminal’s w r ord. We had to—but we lost.” Press Breakdown Causes Delay In Democrat Delivery &'■ ■ v Here’s why you got your Dai’y ? Democrat la|e last night: I The presses got rolling, as usual, smack on the button at 3 p.m. ; After a 20-minute run the boys in ‘the back room heard an unfamiliar but hauntingly ominous sort of a ’ noise. A£ if in its death rattles, the j press shut down it was [ discovered that one of the teeth • on the main drive gear had broken Ifrom its brothers. [ A few hurried phone calls and ■ the heavy forms were soon trau* y ferred to a pickup truck and s hustled to the plant of the Blufff ton News-Banner for the rest of i the run. Thanks to Roger Swaim , of the “Banner,” and Wendell • 'Macklin of Decatur for his truck, i the Democrat, while late, got ; read despite the travail. i > Bob Gage of the Gage machine > shop got to work cu the press i and the 40-year-old gear, and ims provised a tooth that early this - morning in a special run proved okay. s Frost Is Reported 1 Here This Morning Local residents reported temperatures as low as 30 degrees early this morning. Frost ( was noticeable at 6 a.m., one observer stated. With the wind coming from the southeast, the forecast was for warmer weather today.

Report Stassen Is Slated For Cabinet Post Secretary Os Labor Post Scheduled For Harold E. Stassen WASHINGTON, UP — The decision was all but final at the White House today to make Harold Stassen secretary of labor. There was ho firm word on when the appointment would be announced. There could be some delay. He would succeed president Martin P. Durkin of the AFL Plumbery union, left the cabinet complaining tKat President Eisenhower broke a promise in a dispute over amendment of the Taft-Hartley act. Stassen was a candidate for Republican presidential nomination in 1944-48-52. He became the youngest governor in the United States by choice of Minnesota voters in 1938, resigning in his third term for wartime naval service. Stassen is 46. His present job. as director of the foreign operations administration which channels United States aid abroad, Ik nearing an end. FOA is tabbed to go ’out of business June 0, 1954. Epough top members of congress have announced their determination to stop the flow' of economic aid funds to enable the aghncy confidently to begin now to plan for its own funeral. Like Chief Justice Earl Warren, a political debt owed by Mr. Eisstantial qualifications for a cabinet job. The fB-vot£ Minnesota enhower is. amoijg Stassen’s subdelegation split, 19 for Stassen and nine for Mr. Eisenhower on ■ the first and decisive ballot, July 11, 1952 at the Republican nation--al convention. It was Minnesota’s switch of Stassen’s 19 votes that put the general over, and the switch was part of a deal made some hours earlier to the effect that Mr. Eisenhower would get the votes if Stassen's feeble chance flickered out. Political writers predicted then that Stassen wrould have a fat and prominent spot in the Repubican administratlion if Mr. Eisenhower were elected. As FOA director, Stassen has sat with the cabinet and the national security council. There was considerable opposition from the conservative wing of the party to any reward to Stassen. He was far removed from the late Sen. Robert A. Taft, whose friends never forgave the young man from Minnesota for barging into Ohio in 1948 to contest Taft in a presidential primary. But Taft and his friends had little or less to do lyith selecting Mr. Eisenhower’s cabinet or anyone for top spots. Stassen was useful to the party (Tara Ta Paar Five* . . 150* Pi nt Quota For Bloodmobile In Berne \A quota of 150 pints of blood has been set for the Red Citoss blood; mobile visit to Berne Nov. 9. The mobile unit will operate from the Berne auditorium and committees have been named to assist the doctor and nurses. Blood donors are asked to make their reservations with Mrs. Lester Lehman or Sherman Liechty In Berne. Civic organisations have been asked to enroll donors so that the quota will be filled. •

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMB COUNTY

Decatur. Indiana. Thursday. October 8, 1953.

■*■■■■»■ ■an—. I ■ —■ .igai i •■■■— ...... ■■ - . - ■ _ ' ■■■■■■ ? T : : . 1 , * * • Midwest Authorities On Alert For Suspect In Kidnap-Murder Case

Warns Far East Communists To Agree On Parley] United States In < Fourth Warning On t Date Os Conference | UNITED NATIONS, N Y., —The United States w-arned the Far East Communists today they must agree immediately on\ the time and place of the Korean peace conference if it is to begin by the Oct. 28 target date. In a fourth message to the Peiping and Pyongyang governments, the United States said “there can be no reason for your side to refuse to get on With” the parley if "your side has any intend tion” of carrying out the J trued pact recommendation for such a" conference. ’ The Communists have given an' evasive reply to ap initial proposal! that the parley open Oct. 15 in Geneva. Honolulu or San co. And they have totally ignored, two later messages pressing for. A; reply and proposing a meeting to iron but the disputed “arrangements.” The United States said it was “imperative” that the Reds send a concrete reply on the U. N. - proposed time and place. It again assured the Communists they could raise the issue of an invitation to India once the parley gets! under way. \ The note, transmitted through the Swedish government, said: “Our side wishes to complete! the preliminary arrangements as! soon as possible so that the conference can begin on that date or as soon thereafter as practicable.” The United States also repeated its offer to meet the Communists face to face to iron out “arrangements” for the parley, slated under the Panmunjom pact to begin Oct. 28. U. N. diplomats were anxious over the fate of the armistice. This growing concern stemmed from news that South Korea was working on a plan to free 22,500 anti-Communist prisoners from Indian\custody and was bolstered by knowledge that President Syngman Rhee once before engineered a mass prison break. The seriousness of the situation was underlined by the warning of ’ India’s ambassador to the United States K. L. Mehta, that any mass POW escape would mean a break I Tara Ta T*a«r Five) Warmer Weather Is Forecast* In State Killing Frost In Northern Indiana INDIANAPOLIS, UP — Warmer temperatures were \ predicted for Indiana today after the second straight night of frost and freezing temperatures. Weathermen said readings tonight may drop as low as 42 but will not approximate the 30- and 32-degree temperatures recorded Wednesday night at Fort Wayne and Lafayette, respectively. They were Hoosierkind’s chilliest spots. Killing frost occurred again coated upstate vegetation. Only light frost touched Indianapolis where the mercury fell to 36. Three other cities — South Bend, .Terre Haute and Evansville —remained two degrees above thd freezing mark with readings of 34 each. The first killing frost of the season Tuesday night arrived 16 days earlier than normal and only eight days after all-time heat records were broken by a> succession of high 90-degree readings. The early frost probably didn’t have the effect on crops it might have had normally. A drought thefirst week of Auguet already had (Tin Te Pace Fivej ’ ■■ ’ * ' ' -

Indiana Bonus Tax iTo End In January Finish Collection Os Tax For Bonus | INDIANAPOLIS, UP — State LAuditbr Frank T. Millis disclosed collection of the Indilana World War II veterans’ bonus Max will end after the Dec. 31 tax> Period. F His statement mgans Hoosiers would T>ay one-fourth of one per ‘cent on their gross incomes for the last time January. | Millis, who with Governor Craig and state treasurer John Peters makes up the state revenue board, Vinounced the end of the tax at tie “lobster luncheon" of the Indiana restaurant association here. ’ He spoke in behalf of Governor Craig, who was bed-ridden with a virus infection and. forced to'cancel his speech. . Millis said much as 10 million dollars might be left after the en“44re estimated 140 million dollar payment is made to 350,000 World War II veterans. The tax was set up in 1949 by ai. state law -which said it should end when money sufficient to pay the claims was collected. The law requires the state auditor to issue A proclamation ending the tax, Which Millie said he would do iq the near future. Peters advocated ending the surtax in a. speech two weeks ago, and Craig earlier voiced opposition to a Korean veterans’ bonus, ’which has been advocated by some members of the legislature. Some legislators indicated they hoped to bring up the measure if the general assembly were to njeet in special session this year to consider Craig’s proposal for construction of a state office building. United Defense Fund In Community Fund Part Os Budget Os Community Fund The? united defense fund hopes to receive $843 from next week’s drive by the Decatur Community* Fund. .This amount is Decatur’s 1 quota of its $20,285,000 nationwide budget requirements. Decatur’s share last year was set at $948. •President Eieenhower recently stated that the need for the United Defense Fund has become ever greater since the Korean truce. He stated “Once inaction sets in. and the Impatience of the American soldier can begin to manifest itself, it is really tough to keep before him just the conception of stern duties and expect him to forget his disappointment in be ing so far from home. Then is when USO can be of even greater value.” Nearly 80 percent of the UDF budget IS spent fpr USO. Each contribution will help to maintain 258 USO units in this country and 19 overseas. To the American serviceman, USO is a chain of friendly hhvens throughout the world, which have often been called “homes away from home.” In addition to the varied social, spiritual and recreational programs at USO clubs, a number of Various theatres of operations. In addition, the UDF is helping to clothe and keep alive many homeless and destitute Koreans who are' war refugees in their own countries. Other members agencies include the American' Social hygiene association, united community defense services, united seamen’s service, and the national recreation association, In a recent letter, addressed to Earl Caston, Decatur Community Fund executive secretary, Lt. Gen era! Jimmy Doolittle, leader of the famous air raid on Tokyo, and national UDF campaign chairman, expressed his thanks to Decatur for accepting its $843 quota and expressing his best wishes for a successful campaign.

!- : ' \ Noah Stauffer Is Killed In Mill Accident Adams County Man Killed Instantly At - Liechty Cane Mill Noah Stauffer, 76-year-old farmer of three and one-half miles west of Berne, was instantly killed at 6:45 o’clock this morning while at work at the Liechty Cane mill, one mile east of Berne. Stauffer had been employed as fireman at the “Liechty mill for several years. j Power for the mill is provided by a tractor legated Outside the mill, and Stauffer’s coat apparently became caught in Uie machinery. pulling him into the cogs and decapitating him. Deat|i is believed to have been instantaneous. Adams county Harmon Gillig, of Decatur, <wa« galled to investigate. 3 The tragedy victim, | lifelong resident of Adams cocmty, was born near Linn Grove f Nov. 22, 1877, a son of Samuel W. and Me- < linda Chrisman-StMfferAand was I married toyßettha Wberftein Feb. 22, 1902. Mr. Stauffer was a member of ’ the Evangelical Mennonitp church west of Berne. 1 Surviving'in addition to his wife are four Mrs. ’da Gehring of Bluffton. Mrs, Nora Jamison of near Poneto, Mbs. Viola Amstutz and Mrs. Ludefla Lehman, both of Berne; twb smm Menno Stauffer of Berne erett Stauffer of near grand< hildren; nine grein-grand children; one brother, Reuben Stauffer of California; a sister. Mrs. Anna Rumple of Wabash, and a half-sister, Mrs. Isadora Mr dorr of California. One daughter aha one sister preceded him in death The body was removed to the lager funeral home.' Arrangements have not been completed, but services probably will be held Saturday afternoon at the Evan gelical Mennonlte church, the Rev. E. G. Steiner officiating. Buris,, will be in the church cemetery. | Wheat Stubble Fire Quickly Extinguished A wheat stubble fire on the Burl jiohnson farm near Pleasant Mills was extinguished quickly by the Decautr fire department at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, before it got into the bean fields, where extensive damage might have resulted. France Favorable To Big Five Meeting Want Indpchina War Put Onto Agenda PARIS, (UP) — France was reported favorably disposed today to a* Big Five meeting, including Com munist China, if negotiations to end the Indochinese War could be put on the agenda. The foreign office would neithei confirm nor deny the report, saying only that it Is “sticking to the communique published yesterday” —which did not mention Russia’s long-standing demand for . fivepower talks. Informed diplomatic sources indicated the cabinet drew up “open instructions” as well as a tentative draft of a reply to the latest Russian note proposing the Big Flje meeting. Instructions and the draft were forwarded to French delegate Couy Chanel at the conference in London of the Western Big Three experts working on a joint reply to Russia. The French foreign office will take its cue on the Big Five suggestion tram British prime minister Str Winston Churchill, the (Twnt Te 'pa«e Eight)

Improving Road 27 North Os Decatur Condition Highway For Winter Months U. S. highway 27 from Decatur north to the Adams county line is receiving a series of resurfacing and widening treatments by state highway employes this week in an effort to condition the road for the approaching winter months. The entire road from a mile north of Decatur to the county line has been covered with a seal and mat and all of the deep ruts have been removed. Employes today were widening the road two feet on each side and after the new mat surface settles for several days the center line will be repainted. , True Andrew’s, sub district superintendent, is supervising the work and several other improvements will be made in the next . week, he said. A three-foot ditch is being con- ( structed for about two miles from , Homewood to the river along the route so that the surface water , will not back, into residential j yards in the McMillen addition. The highway also will be widened ’ at intersections, Andrews said. , Highway employes have visited every home in the north part of the city, M’here the yards joitr U. r S. road 27, and have asked that ( the owners refrain from throwing rubbish on the right-of-way. More , than two truckloads were removed ; this morning, and Andrews ’pointed out that the rubbish gathering before improvement work starts ' always causes delay in the actual work. “U. S. highway 27, which has long been in need of repair, is in better condition now’ than in the last 15 years,” according to the opinion of a number of persons who travelled the road Wednesday and today. It is believed that when ail new improvements are .completed, the road will remain in good condition thrdugh the winter months. The widening is being done as a safety measure, Andrews said. The sub-district superintendent emphasized the fact that the work being done now was merely a stop* ’ gap procedure and was not to take the place of the proposed widening and resurfacing of the highway in the future. Will Activate New Air Base In Turkey In Flying Distance Os Red Oil Fields PARIS UP — G«n. Alfred »M. Guenther’s headquarter’s aa nounced today that the Allies soon will activate a new tactical air force base within easy flying dis tance of Russia's Baku oil fields. A spokesman for the supreme Allied commander said the 6th Allied tactical air force, to be ac tivated next Wednesday in Izmir Smyrna, Turkey, will unite Turkish and Greek air squadrons under an American commander. The new forces primary mission will be support of ground troops. U, S. Maj. Gen. Robert E. Eaton will command the new force, third of its kind organized within the Atlantic- pact setup- He will open ate from a headquarters adjacent I to the ground force command post already set up in Izmir. The new tactical air command will unite forces of two traditional enemies who recently staged Joint maneuvers for the first time in\ an exercise designed to repel a simulated Communist “invasion.” Supreme headquarters said Eaton has been ordered to train Greek and Turkish pilots to use American - built FB4 Thunderjets whose 1,000-mile operational range will place the Baku fields within easy reach. 0 0 12 PAGES o—l —i 0 . 4

Price Five Cents

Kansas City's Police Believe Hall Is Killer Marsh Is Reported Sighted In Several Midwestern States ! ■* : * KANSAS CITY, Mo. UP — A tattooed sex degenerate sought in the kidnap-slaying of little Bobby Greenlease was reported to have been seen in half a dozen states today, but police officials said they were “convinced” that they already have the murderer. Detective Chief James Chapman of the St.. Louis police said it was “the belief of the department” !that Carl Austin Hall, 37-year-old exconvict, pumped three fatal shots into the six-year-old heir to millions before he demanded and got a record of $600,000 in ransom front the child’s parents. In his story of the kidnaping. Hall accused tattooed Thomas John Marsh, 37, of the slaying which he said took place at the SL Joseph, Mo., home of his contested accomplice, Mrs. Bonnie Brown Heady, 41. Local and state police agencies ! said no official arrest order has . been issued - Cor Mazah, although ► authorities in the midwest and east - are conducting their own local , searches for the-stocky -blue eyed | "mystery man.” . From descriptions published in newspapers and pictures shown on TV newscasts, persons in Minnesota,L Ankemy and Cedar Rapids, lowa, Peoria. 111., Bass Lake, Ind., Detroit, Mich., Syracuse, N.Y., and New York City reported that they had seen a man resembling Marsh. A warrant for his arrest, possibly charging violation of the Lindbergh kidnap law. was reported being prepared by federal officials here. While Hall and Mrs. Heady were questioned in a SL Louis jail, authorities kept a plump prostitute, Sandra O’Day, 22, under wraps at the Jackson county jail here as a material witness. Authorities said the O’Day woman, whom Hal accused of stealing about $300,000 of the ransom money, would not; be permitted to make her story public “until she gives it from the witness stand.” The slain child’s parents. Robert C. Greenlease and his wife, Virginia. remained in Seclusion at the ivy-covered mansion, steeling ihemselves for the ordeal of Bobby’s funeral services Friday. A friend reported that the 71-year-old Greenlease is “holding up pretty well on sheer ne/ve," but the 45-year-old socialite mother would “have to build her physical strength” for the tragic rites. Police described Marsh as a drunk who has served time for molesting children. His most identifiable features are a tattoo of his names on his right forearm and a dagger and snake on his left. His exact role in the.kidnap plot, engineered by Hall after two years of planning, could not be reconrr»r« vx »“•«* wtr«) 18 Reactors Shown From Patch Tests r Os the 1.000 patch tests made in the county during the past month in t£e elementary schools —sponsored by the Adams county tuberculosis association —there were 18 reactors, it was revealed this week in a meeting of the association’s board of directors at Geneva. The meeting was presided over by Dr. Harold F. Zwick, of Decatur Adams county health officer. Acting as. host was Mrs. Ernest Relcheldefter, board member. The follow-up to the reactors, it was reported, is to be made by county health nurse Miss Marie Felber, who made a report of expatients of the county, in addition. Mrs. W. Guy Brown, secretary of the TB group, reported that the next clinic will be held Thursday November 11 , Mrs. Brown pointed out that the activities of the association ire made possible through the sale of Christmas seals each year.