Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 52, Number 55, Decatur, Adams County, 6 March 1954 — Page 1

Vol. Lil. No. 55. - ■ ----- -

Blood For Bentley - — ~ • 4 " , .r ,w s i-J r I w > . HMgl IK K Mt *■ Ik 1 K v try. ■ r’ *y . v W'ttL *» K 17- JI *• / W3SF ♦ wfM. ■ta&i ■ ' £ e i SIX CONGRESSMEN, all veterans of Worjd War 11 and colleagues of wounded Alvin Bentley of Michigan who was shot down Oh the House floor by Puerto Rican terrorists, swap blood for coffee in a token donation for their colleague. The six, (1. to r. sitting) John J. Rhodes of Arizona; Craig Hosmer of California; Olenard P. Lipscomb of California; Clifton Young of Nevada; (standing) Elford A. Cederberg of Michigan and Peter Frelinghuysen of New Jersey reported to the Red Cross regional Blood Center in Washington to give blood.

White Collar Employes Sub As Stevedores Hustle Baggage In New York Port As Strike Still Holds NEW YORK UP — White collar for the big shipping lines hustled baggage and handled lines aboard the superliners scheduled & sail from their “luxury row” piers today in the face of a wildcat waterfront strike that has effected about 80 ships in port. While the ’national labor relatione board collected evidence to seek a contempt citation against longshorenften who staged the strike in defiance of a federal injunction, the'United States Lines and the ‘French Lines pressed their office employes into service as overall-clad stevedores and dock kanjfc ~ 'L . Before sailing time, “operation callous” will have loaded more than 6,000 pieces of baggage aboard the United States, flagship of the American merchant fleet which has 1,400 passenger reservations. The French Lines struggled with a similar loading problem on its largest -liner, the Liberte. Both ships were scheduled to sail at noon. Small knots of strikers stood at the curbside opposite the luxury piers and watched their amateur replacements work the windwhipped loading equipment in 25 degree temperatures. The longshoremen who usually blow the morning shapeup whistles at 7:56 a.m„ strike or no strike, didn’t even ■bother to put in an appearance. The strnte was strictly - enforced on Manhattan’s North and East River piers, but longshoremen turned up at Broklyn piers to fulfill the light Saturday loading schedule. An army of 60 investigators for the NLRB and the New York-New Jersey waterfront .commission assembled affidavits and other Information to present to a federal judge as evidence of contempt. Charles T. Douds, regional director of the NLRB, Said the evidence may be presented in court today. He did- not say whether contempt action would be sought against longshoremen individually or their union, the Independent International Longshoremen’s Ass. The New’ York Shjppig Assn., composed of shipping companies, meanwhile complained to 'President Eisenhower that the ILA had been given a “raw deal" in the temporary restraining order issued Thursday by U.* S. Judge Edward J Dimock. The court order prohibited the JLA, which was tossed out of the AJHL last year, from conducting a strike or taking any other action that would Interfere with loading or unloading of trucks manned by members of the AFL teamsters union. The longshoremen had crippled operations of the port for seven days by refusing to handle cargo delivered by members of a teamsters local involved in a dispute over hiring of a shop steward at a lower Manhattan pier,NOON EDITION ■J 1 --. !' " ■" ...'■

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY >

Oratorical Contest Held Friday Night James Rowley Is Third ln r Contest James L. Rowley, a Decatur high school senior, placed third in the district oratorical contest sponsored by the American Legion. The district event took place Friday evening at Fort Wayne Post 47. First place in the district event went to Judy Adams ,a student at Central high school in Fort Wayne. Ruby E. Helmuth from Auburn high school placed second. Other contestants were Nanita K. Appleman, Springfield township high school, and Twyla Y. Sievers, Ossian high school. AU . contestants spoke on a phase of the constitution. Prizes were first place, sls; second, $lO and third, $5. Hugh J. Andrew's, principal of Decatur high school, served as district chairman. Judges for the event were Paul Spuller, principal of James Smart school in Fort Wayne; Maurice Cook, principal of Bloomingdale, school in Fort Wayne; John Young, superintendent of New Haven schools; Mrs. Anita Oldham. English instructor at Elmhurst high school, and Robert Eggeman, a Fort Wayne attorney. The first place winner will compete in the zone contest at the .Bluffton American Legion post Wednesday, March 10, at 8 p.m. 4 "s , Three Local Youths Injured Last Night Automobile Strikes Parked Truck Here Three Decatur youths were injured shortly after midnight this morning when an automobile driven by John A. Kintz. Jr., IS, Decatur route 2, struck a parked truck on Thirteenth street, just north of the Erie railroad crossing. The truck was in the custody of Robert Kenley, 33, Sandusky, 0.. who had parked his vehicle and had gone into the filling station at the corner of Adams and Thirteenth streets to eat. The two other occupants of the Kintz automobile were Don Strickler, 17, 1310 High street, Decatur, and Robert (Rocky) Strickler, 15. 940 Winchester street. Kintz suffered a back injury; Don Strickler suffered a erushed arm and bruises and the other Strickler youth had several cuts and bruises, „ None of the injuries was reported to be of a serious nature. Kintz was driving north on U.S. highway 27 and his car struck the side of the parked truck. Dam-age to the Kintz vehicle was estimated at about SSOO. The three youths were treated at Adams county memorial hospital. Minor Mishap Reported A vehicle driven by Robert E. Kuhn, 49, Warsaw, struck a parked automobile owned by William Kruetzman. Decatur route 2, on Second street Friday aftbrpoon. The parked auto was damaged to the extent of about $25 and there were no personal Injuries. INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy tonight and Sunday. Not «o cold tonlgnt. Warmer south portion Sunday. Low tonight 18-25. High Sunday 35-45 north, 45-50 soutn.

Long Hearings Are Expected On Farm Plan Senate Committee Chairman Expects | Five-Week Hearings By UNITED PRESS Chairman George D. Aiken of the senate agriculture committee said today he expects hearings on the administration's controversial farm plan to run five weeks. The Vermont Republican made the statement after Sen. AlUn J. EUendler (D-La.), ranking committee Democrat and foe of the administration farm proposal, said he thought th.e hearings should end "as soon as possible." Aiken said he was not discouraged at the opposition of several of his commitee members to President Eisenhower s proposed flexible farm price support plan to replace the present high level support program. Aiken has introduced legislation to put the President's program into effect. Under the present law, basic crops must be supported at 90 percent of parity—the government’s "fair price" yardstick. The flexible plan would permit the secretary of agriculture to adjust the support level between 75 and 90 percent of parity in line with supplies and needs. In another farm development, the house passed and sent to the White House a bill to increase price support funds of the commodity credit corporation by sl,750,000,000 to a record $8,500,000,000. Mr. Elsenhower asked for the increase. Other congressional news: Libel: Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (tfl-Wik) dropped his two . million dollar libel-suit against former Sen. William E. Benton (D-Conn.) who accused McCarthy of “fraud and deceit." Tanos: The house rules committee has cleared the way for a house vote next Wednesday on legislation to cut present federal excise tax rates by almost one billion dollars a year. Mexicans: The house appropriations committee has approved a bill providing $478,000 to finance government recruitment of Mexicans for work on American farms for the next four months. A bill authorizing the recruitment was aproved by both houses earlier this week. Wool: J. M. Jones, executive secretary of the national wool growers association told the. house agriculture committee that a flexible tariff on wool imports "could adjust itself to world conditions, lower foreign labor costs and manipulations of controlled currencies by foreign govern s ments.” - Hoosier Sentenced For Tax Evasion INDIANAPOLIS UP Freeman E. Kramer, 44, Boonville poultry dealer, was sentenced to one year imprisonment Friday on his guilty plea to a federal charge of income tax evasion. Judge William E. Steckler imposed sentence on Kramer’s admission he paid less than $375 in income taxes during a 3-year period in which his business grossed $355,000.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, March 6, 1954.

Army Secretary Denies Intentions To Resign Over McCarthy Clash

Bank Bandit Under Arrest At Fort Wayne Lunch Hour Bandit Confesses To Six Bank Robberies FORT WAYNE. Ind. UP — Federal charges of bank robbery were filed today against “gentlemanly” Bernart E. LaClair, 31, ; Fort Wayne, who admitted staging six nonchalant bank robberies > which earned him the title of “lunch hour bandit.” LaClair, a garage and used car - lot owner whose business went on the rocks, was arrested Fridayafter George Miller, 28, Fort Wayne, implicated him and admitted to police he drove the getaway car in at least one of the holdups. Police also arrested LaClair’s sister-in-law, Shirley Albino, 29, ■ Avon, Conn., on suspicion of being i an accomplice, and with the FBI t closed in on at least “three others" I believed on the “fringe” of the eight-month crime wave in three i states. The tall soft-spoken LaClair was - charged with robbing the. , State Bank early in June and the I First State Bank of Burbon July I 29. ‘Miller was charged with driving the getaway car in the Bour- . bon robbery. I Det. Capt. Mitchell Cleveland > said LaClair, father of two chill dren, admitted getting $7,500 in the i Hamlet robbery and $9,500 at Bourbon. LaClair also said in a written - statement he held up the east siQ? branch of the Old National Bank ; at Evansville in June and December for a total of $35,000, robbed a New Britain, Conn, bank of $24,000 in Joly, and got the biggest; loot, $62,000, at Springfield Mass./ in Janoary, 1954. In each of the Indiana holdups, Cleveland said, LaClair politely ordered -employes to lie on the floor . at the point of a sawed off shotgun ' and forced bank executives to get him the money. Re stole autos in neighboring ' towns before each holdup, Cleveland said, and ditched the cars later, escaping in his own. Whereabouts of most of the loot was unknown, but S9OO was discovered hidden In a panda teddy bear belonging to one of LaClair’s children. Another $1,400 was found in a jewelry box bidden under the hospital bed of LaClair’s desper-ately-ill mother. Cleveland said LaClair gave the money to his sister-in-law Thursday to place under the bed. Mrs. Albino denied knowing the money was stolen and said it was to be used to pay hospital bills. She came to Fort Wayne a short time (Turn To Paso Six)

'WteditotuM .xfiT- . • \ (By Sprunger, assistant pastor, First , Mennonite Church, Berne) . V A' Psalm Twenty-Three \ In the hour of chstos amid the din of doom and despair many of us would join in chorus-with-the Christ as he fulfilled the prophesy of Psalm twenty-two. We would cry with-Him, “My God my. GOd, why hast thou forsaken me.” -Christ was victorious over sin and death therefore, this One who uttered this cry of the Cross became and is the Good Shepherd of Psalm twenty-three that is able to succor and shepherd us in life. "The Lord is my shepherd.” As sudden night crashes down upon us, as sudden shock and confusion send our minds and hearts reeling through the thwarting uncertainties surrounding us. He is the shepherd of all who come to Him. He is as a shaft of light penetrating the darkness and removing the shadows of the soul. Therefore, because “the Lord is my shepherd” in all of my life, “I shall not want.” Great human wants rise like mighty tidal waves out of the perplexities of life bringing weariness and exhaustion to > the soul. With the Lord as shepherd these tidal waves and even i the ripples are resolved. — —s—- ! Because "the Lord is my Shepherd" in every phase of life. “I shall fear no evil" and 'I shall dwell in the house of. the Lord forever.” The greatest evil in the minds of most men is found in the concept of death. With the Lord as shepherd of the soul death's fear is removed and replaced by the promise of dwelling in His 1 house forever. He becomes our shepherd as w receiv Him by faith 1 and turn the reins of our life over to Him. May all of us be able to say in sincerity of word and life “The Lord is my Shepherd."

Spot Wreckage 01 Plane In Mountain Wreckage Believed Missing Transport (MARSEIiLE, France UP — Ground rescuers today reported they spotted the wreckage of a plane -believed to be a missing U. S. Air Force C 47 but they saw no sign that any of the 20 persons aboard survived; x The wreckage was reported located -by a search party looking through binoculars. It was 9,240 Setup in France's “graveyard of Rimes'* in the Alps about 40 miles •north of Nice. None of the rescuers was ex- - pec ted to reach the wreckage for® Sunday morning at the earliest since they must cross a mountain range at 11,440 feet through snowy crags to reach the crash site southwest of the village of St. Etienne de Tinee. Even if any of the 16 passengers and 4 crewmen survived the crash officials doubted that a person could remain alive after nearly three days of exposure to the numbing cold. The plane flying from Rome to Bitburg, Germany, crashed Thursday. A search party reported seeing one wing poking through the snow •fa th® treacherous TbraO <M«a Peak —named after three climbers who died there. The wreckage was lodged on a sheer slope falling steeply into a valley. The region got the "plane graveyard” nickname after a French airliner bound for Indochina struck a nearby peak last fall killing more than 30 passengers, including famed violinist Jacques Thibaud. Previous accidents in the region also had taken heavy tolls. Some 200 skiers from Nice participated in the effort to reach the wreckage. They included a company of the elite Republic security guards equipped with special climbing gear. 20 firemen from the Nice brigade and a score of doctors and nurses carrying plasma and other guplies. French rescue headquarters at Aix-en-Provence, which has been directing a vast search with planes from France, Italy and Germany, said the wreckage Was the missing C 47. Trout Funeral On Monday Afternoon Funeral services for Mrs. Edna H. Trout, mother of Ben S. Trout of this city, who died Thursday night, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Klaehn funeral home In Fort Wayhe. The Rev. Forest Weddle will officiate and burial will be in Greenlawn memorial park. Friends may call at the funeral nome until time of the services.

Puerto Rico Nationalist - Leader Nabbed Puerto Rico Police Seize Party Leader In Siege At Home = SAN JUAN, P.R. UP — Police gassed and captured Nationalist leader Pedro Albizu Cartipos and another “dangerous” member of his fanatic minority party after a two-hour siege of his home here todajr. Albizu and Doris Torresola, sister of the would-be assassin killed in the 1950 attempt on President Truman's life, were surrounded in his apartment at 6 a.m., while police elsewhere on the island sought 36 other Nationalists on subversive charges. The first police approach to the apartment was met by a burst of gunfire, and Police Capt. Benigno Soto pulled his men back to wait until daylight before taking further action. There was a sporadic exchange of shots during the siege, and then, shortly before 8 a.m. Albizu or Miss Torresola set fire to the apartment. , ->■ Detective Andres Lugo Cay i lobbed a series of tear-gas bombs i into the burning building, and : police burst into the apartment at 7:55 a.m. They found Albizu and Miss Torresola lying unconscious on the floor. Two burning mattresses were thrown out of the apartment, and firemen dasheiT in to quench any other flames. , Both of tne captives are members of the group of 38 “dangerous” Nationalists whose arrest was ordered early today as a consequence of the Nationalist terror attack on the U. S. house of representatives Monday. Police Chief Salvador T. Rolg said others on the wanted list, of 31 men and T women are being rounded up by police raiders in a dozen Puerto Rican communities, but it was not certain how many have been arrested. Warrants for the 38 arrests were issued by the insular department of justice, and a number of officials—lncluding Judge Julio Suarez (Torn To Paste Six) Girl Scout Leaders Plan Anniversary Juliet Lowe Event Is Planned Here A Juliet Lowe program was planned at Wednesday night's meeting of Girl Scout leaders in the Legion home. The Juliet Lowe event, which is the birthday anniversary of the national Girl Scout founder, will feature a collection for the international friendship fund and displays of handicraft from the Decatur troops. Participating will be Brownies, Girl Scouts, leaders, coleaders and committees. Those attending will give a penny for each year of their age. A representative from each troop will present the pennies during the program. Mrs. Burdette Custer and her troop will serve refreshments. Mrs. Joe Thompson will be in charge of the displays. Girl Scout leaders at the Wednesday meeting also (. discussed plans for a Girl Scout shelter house to be ready by June. Leaders were informed that neighborhood cookie chairmen will contact them as soon as the cookies arrive. Distribution will be made March 8 to 13. The annual luncheon for Girl Scout leaders is scheduled, for April 7 to 1:15 p.m. In charge of reservations for the event which will be served by ladles of the Order of the Eastern Star will be Mrs. Don Cochran and Mrs. William Tutewiler. Reservations must be made at least one week in advance.

Funeral Monday For Willmoft D. Bohnke Final Rites Monday For County Soldier Funeral services will be held monday for Pvt. Willmott D. Bohnke, 20, of Root township, who died Thursday in the U. S. army hospital at Fort Hood, Tex., where he was stationed. *■ Pvt. Bohnke was critically injured Wednesday night when the car he was driving overturned on highway 440 several milqs south of Killeen. Tex. Highway patrolmen said the auto rolled over several times after the soldier apparently failed to make a turn in the highway. The young soldier was born in Decatur March 18, 1933, a son of Herman and Louise Bienz-Bohnke, both of whom are deceased. He made his home with his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Emma Bohnke in Root township, prior to entering the army April 13, 1953. He received basic training at Fort Lewis, Wash., and was transferred to Fort Hood last November. Pvt. Bohnke was a member of St. Peter's Lutheran church. Surviving in* addition to the grandmother is a brother, Lehnford Bohnke, who resides with the grandmother. Services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Startekfnaeral home and at 2 o’clock at St. Peter’s Lutheran church, the Rev. F. W.’ Droegemueller officiating. Burial will be in th# church cemetery, with Adams Post 43, American Legion, conducting military rites. The body is scheduled to arrive here this afternoon, and friends may call at the funeral home after 1:30 p.m. Sunday until time of the services. Two Break-ins Are Reported In City S2O In Cash Taken From Change Drawer Two break-ins at Decatur establishments early this morning were being investigated by police today. Thieves broke a window at the Phil L. Macklin and Sons garage on First street and stole about S2O in cash out of a change drawer. The burglars also pried open the safe, but it was set with a gas bomb and apparently drove them away before they could reach the contents. A window was broken out at the Heller Coal and Feed Co. building on West Monroe street and the safe there also was tampered with. The combination was knocked off. but the intruders evidently were either unable to open the second door or were scared away. Nothing was reported missing at the latter establishment. The Macklin burglary was reported shortly after midnight by O. W. P. Macklin. He told police that he had closed the garage about 10: 30 o'clock Friday night and had gone across the street to the American Legion home. Returning about midnight, Macklin said he noticed a broken window and on closer examination found the safe had been broken Into. He Immediately notified police. The Second break-in was discovered by police on a routine check about 4:30 o'clock this morning and Ray Heller, proprietor, was notified. He made an early morning inspection with police and they reported that nothing was stolen in the second effort. Sheriff Robert Shraluka and state police officers joined today in the investigation. Frankfort Man Killed As Train Hits Auto FRANKFORT, Ind., UP —Glenn ‘R. Fickle, 62, Frankfort city employe, was injured, fatally Friday when his auto was struck at a city crossing by a Nickel Plate Railroad freight train.

, Price Five Cents — —

Denies Plans To Follow One Os Top Aides Special Assistant To Stevens Quits; Backs Up Stevens WASHINGTON, (UP) — Army secretary Robert T. Stevens today denied he would follow one of his top aides out of the government as a result of his angry clash with Sen.. Joseph R- McCarthy, Stevens said through a spokesman that a published report he had offered to resign was “absolutely not true.” A well-placed army spokesman added that Stevens “has not offered to resign, has no intention of resigning and wouldn't give McCarthy that satisfaction.” A special assistant to Stevens, John F. Kane, quit his SIO,ODO-a--year-post Friday charging that " high administration officials failed to back up Stevens in his fight with McCarthy over treatment of k army witnesses before the Wiscon* ' sin Republican’s permanent inves- , tigating subcommittee. Kane said he resigned because Stevens was not receiving “full fighting support tavlhe gallant battie you (Stevens) are trying to put ' up for the army.” ”1 know that you, as a person ' have been hurt in fighting Senator McCarthy's methods,’’ Kane wrote ’ Stevens. "If you hadn't been fight- ' ing, you wouldn’t have been hurt. , That is why various other people in the government have not fought before you did." Kane urged Stevens to "stay <n your post” and fight against ail political pressure whether it be "Democratic, Republican or personal." Simultaneously with Kane’s resignation, Stevens gave his side of the stormy dispute in an off-the-reoerd speech to the Union League Club in New York Friday. Stevens was in- high spirits, over the was interrupted three times by standing ovations from the audience, an army source said. Kane, who claims no political affiliations, alsp served under the former Democratic administration. He is a former newspaperman who served in the ranks during World War 11. McCarthy Issue Is Termed Grave Threat Democrat Leaders Meeting In South MIAMI BEACH, UP—Top Democrats today pressed a united attack on the Republican administration's “McCarthy issue," which Adlai Stevenson termed a “grave” situation in government. The Democrat leaders met with some 45 Southern congressmen to discuss the party stand on key national issues ln\a third sectional rally to launch the 1954' off-year election campaigns. Stevenson, as their standard bearer, will deliver-the keynote address in a sweeping attack on the Republicans in his address at 10:30 p. m„ EST tonight at a SIOO-a---plate dinner. At a press conference late Friday Stevenson called the feud between President Eisenhower, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, R-Wis., and army secretary Robert Stevens “a grave situation” in government. The 1952 Democratic candidate for president said he would discuss the “McCarthy issue further in his nationally televised CBS-TV and broadcast NBC address before the 12-state rally. *■ Stevenson and other party leaders indicated their campaign strategy would be to conaider the controversy over McCarthy purely a Republican problem warranting no interference from Democrats in (Tom To Page Six)