Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 53, Number 43, Decatur, Adams County, 21 February 1955 — Page 9

Vol. UH. No. 43.

BURIED ALIVE * • . 1 i ■ w S jjßE' ’Jz ’ tt K&il EM r ■■■■■ “ a tbßlsf' ■ ; Wf '* v '' ■ -R| K r GEORGE MATCHETTE, 2% years old, was buried alive at the bottom of an 18 foot deep test well, but was pulled out smiling and unhurt after three hours of frantic digging by 50 rescuers. Mrs. Matchette, who works* in a Baltimore department store, had left her son with her sister and brother-in-law. Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Case. Case was digging the well while George played in the yard. When his uncle’s back was turned, the child went to the edge to look down and slipped into the hole, feet first. A welding firm sent its entire supply of oxygen, which was emptied into a pipe. Case had pushed down the well so would know when he struck water. Fire Capt. John Bryant and Patrolman Charles Taylor were the first to reach George and after a few minutes were able to pull the youngster free. Dr. Gustave H. Faubert said the oxygen pumped down the pipe undoubtedly saved Georges life. George is shown in the arms of a policeman as his mother. Mrs. Lena Matchette reaches for him.

Dramatic Gun Duel Ends In Killer's Death

Killer Is Mortally Wounded After Duel With 300 Officers NEW YORK (INS) — August Robles, a squint-eyed, pint-sized professional killer, found Sunday the reward he knew would be his death from police bullets at the climax of New York City's most dramatic manhunt.. Mortally wounded by five shots in a two-hour, gun-duel with 300 polTcemeh, the swarthy Puerto Rican was found lying on his back, soaked with blood, in a gloomyeast Harlem tenement house. Above a dresser next to Robles hung a picture.of Christ, on the dresser sat a wide-eyed doll with pretty blonde hair, a toy ambulance was nearby, a woman’s slipper lay near Robles’ head and his feet extended toward a doubledecker bunk used by children. The end for Robles, who had vowed “the only way they’ll take me is dead,” came in a scene reminiscent of ancient Rome. A crowd estimated at 100,000 persons pressed against thin police lines blocking entrance to the street where Robles, like a doomed Roman gladiator, fought with four guns against police revolvers, machine guns and tear gas bombs which set the apartment afire until extinguished by streams of water from high-pressure fire hoses. The nemesis for the bespectacled gunman proved to be Det. Frank Malerba, whom Robles had eluded in a gun duel Friday. Malerba applied the coup de grace when he kicked down the triple-locked apartmeat 3odk lea p - ed into the flat and pumped a final .38 caliber slug into Robles’ supine body. The siege began when police received a tip at 1 p. nt. (EST) Sunday that Robles was holed-up in the third-floor apartment. Offduty police were called in. heavily armed and sent to the flat. Lt. Charles Dauner and Det. Vineent Hefferen preceded Malerba to the apartment door at 3:20 p. m. Malerba described what followed: “As we started to break the door down, he (Robles) started blasting. I" saw my partners fall. I threy myself to the and starred blasting 'bagk, and '1 stayed .tbege .until.t’ir.e .and.snioJte.got too hot and heavy for me. Then I went onto an'adjoining roof until the fire was out.’’ Hefferen was k shot in the leg and Daundr in the wrist. Neither was in serious condition in New York hospitals. twice later during lulls in the battle, Malerba pleaded with Robles to give himself up. The little man’s answer each time was: (Continued on Page F)ve)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Telephone Purchase Approved By State . Authorize Purchase By Local Company The Public service comm isslon of Indiana has .authorized thb Citizens Telephone Co. of Decatur to exercise its options-on the common stock of the Argos telephone company in Marshall county and the Nappanee telephone company in Elkhart county, it was announced today. Acquisition of the two properties a ill add the control of 810 telephones at Argos and 1,830 telephones at Nappanee to the present network of 5.820 phones operated by Citizens at present. The two new companies added to Citizens -.will lie operated as separate corporations, Charles D. Ehinger. president and general manager, stated today. The engineering, purchasing and auditing departments will be combined but operation will be separate. E&ch concern will have its own officers. The state governing body set a decline of May 2. 1955 for Citizens to take up the options on all the common stock of both companies, the order stated. In the two petitions heard recently by the state commission. Robert S. Anderson and Arthur Voglewede of this city were attorneys for Citizens and Gilbert Snyder, assistant Indiana public counsellor, represented the public. Final approval of financing the purchases will be asked at the annual meeting of stockholders of Citizens Telephone Co. scheduled for Decatur. Tuesday. March 29. Preliminary financing plans, set till by City Securities Corporation of Indianapolis, call for the recalling of the present preferred stock of Citizens, which is outstanding, and the, reissuance of the total amount to cover- the new purchases. The Indianapolis Jaw firm of RossT M’i'Uordr Tce and”T®HTer ~ is representing City Securities In the proposal and Voglewede and Anderson represent Citizens. Ehinger pointed •out that Citizens would completely qwn the two new companies and the preferred stock to be issued under -the plan to be presented to the “stockholders March 2B all would be issued in the name of Citizens Telephone Co. City Securities .would .handle the sale of hffe preferred The to Citizens will. ,mak£ 'the local group one of Indiana's largest independent telephone operdltors. Ehinger said that if the proposal is accepted at the stockholders meeting, the'options on Argos and Nappanee would be exercised immediately and the new ownership would be effective in April instead of the May 2jdeadline set by the state coukriission.

16 Persons Die When Airliner Hits Mountain Airliner Crashed Into Mountain In Blinding Blizzard ALBUQUERQUE. N. M„ (INS) —Grim-faced searchers stood vigil this morning over the bodies of 16 persons killed when a TransWorld airliner slammed into a barken, snow’ - covered mountain peak ip the Manzano range 12 miles northeast of Albuquerque. One of tlie dead, D. A. Collier, is from the Cincinnati suburb of Amberly Village. The seven - man ground party which reached the crash site shortly before dark Sunday, reported: "Bodies and burped wreckage are everywhere. It (wreckage) is scattered over thousands of yards. The plane is completely destroyed.” The twin-engine Martin Skyliner vanished in a swirling blizzard Saturday morning while on a 29minute scheduled flight between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. ’ James R. Bixler, an Albuquerque commercial airliners pilot, first spotted the wreckage slope of 10,682 - foot Sandia mountain shortly before noon Sunday. Lt. Col. William L. Gibsort, an officer of the 44th Air Rescue Squadron at Denver's Lowry Air Force Base, inspected lhe scarred mountain peak from a helicopter a few minutes later and radioed: "The entire face of the 1,000foot high wall is black, the plane must have exploded when it hit. Wreckage js strewn all over the place, for thousands of yards.” Air force police were posted in the sub-aero temperature to guard the bodies of the 13 passengers and three crewmen who met death on the lonely peak. The heart-breaking task of bringing the bodies back through the 12 miles of wilderness to Albuquerque — their starting place was scheduled tq begin at dawn. TWA official# ana Civil Aeronautics Board personnel dispatched to .the scenb’Tsaid the jjlane was about 1.000 feet from the top of the peak when it struck at an estimated speed of 220 miles an hour. ... ...... J. S' ’...... - The airliner was carrying 1,000 gallons of high-octane aviation gasoline. Passengers aboard TWA flight 260 were listed as: ®. S. Nyeiand of Kansas City, an aviation official returning from the atomic tests at Las Vegas, Nev.; Lois Dean of Albuquerque; Homer Bray of Albuquerque; Rqv. Earl Davis of Albuquerque; R. Balk qf Socorro, N. M.; D. A. Collier of Amberly Village, Cincinnati. O.; H. Tips of Tulsa, Okla.; W. H. Nicholl of Albuquerque.; 'H. N. Stiuth of Overland Park, Kas.; W. R. Campbell of (115 Palmer Ave.) Tenafly. N. J.; Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Schoonmaker of Hackensack, N. J. The-crew members included: Captain I. R. Spbng of Prairie Village. Kas.; First Officer J. J. Creason, Jr., of Kansas City, Mo.; and 23-year-old Hostell Sharon Schoening of Kansas City, Mo.

Decatur Lions Plan Future Activities No Regular Meeting Scheduled Tuesday The regular Tuesday night meeting of Decatur Lions club will be changed to Thursday this week and the Lions will Join the Deca tur Rotary wlub Thursday night at6:3o o’clock at the Moose home in B9lßti^^-. B ArYAnce...Qf. tieth. year. dt was announced today. Tuesday, March 1, the Lions will hold their regular weekly meeting at the K. of P. home at G:ls o’clock. This night is designated as farmers guest night and each member is asked to bring an Adams county farmer as a guest. Donald Davis, advertising, manager of the Indiana state fair, will be the principal speaker and he also will show a movie of the state fair in action. Members who desWfMmsjstanee tn -seicvlftflßi farm ; ' guest are. .a.s’ked... to; .coatart .Roy. Price or ißay Heller, members of the invitation committee. . Lions club officers also stated that the annual electric light bulb sale will be conducted on March 14 and 15 in Decatur. Sale ot light bulbs is conducted each year and the proceeds go to the cancer con- ’ trol .project and the project to obtain leader dogs for. the blind, both sponsored by thq Indiana organization of Lions clubs.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, February 21, 1955.

Demands Craig Resign As Governor; Accept Post In Washington

Two Sailors Die In Blast On Submarine Three Others Are Reported Missing In Explosion, Fire SAN FRANCISCO (INS) — Two Navy sailors were killed Sunday night and three others are missing and presumed dead in an explosion and fire in a submarine at the San Francisco naval shipyard. Five other sailors were injured and three members of a rescue crew were overcome by smoke when a battery exploded in the forward compartment of the U.S.S. Pomodon. Rescue workers entered the Pomodon, a 306-foot long craft of the Guppy type, but were forced out by poisonous gas fumes from batteries. The three missing men were believed trapped in the sub. A navy spokesman said early today it may be two days before hydrogen fumes can be pumped out of the sub to make it safe for anyone to enter and determine the| fate of the missing men. The sub was at the Hunters Poin t yard having its batter les recharged. - ~ ■ ...-- ’the'" explosion rocked the sub and a resultant fire caused considerable damage but it remained afloat. . [ Captain W. L. Turney, shipyard commandant, said there were 30 men aboard when the explosion took place. Names of the casualties were withheld pending notification of next of kin. ,

Rotary Anniversary Observance Thursday 50th Anniversary To Be Celebrated ■ « The Decatur (Rotary club will observe the 50th anniversary of the founding of Rotary with an anniversary banquet at the Moose home Thursday evening at 6:30 o'clock. W’ives of Rotarians will be guests and the Decatur Lions club members and their wives will also attend, the Lions having dispensed with their regular meeting this week to aid the Rotarians in observing the founding of the service club. Dr. Darrell Linder, of Findlay, O„ world traveler and noted commentator, will be the guest speaker. Guests present at the meeting will include Ray Elledge, of Hammond. governor of Rotary district 224; Glen O’Laverty, of Bliiffton, immediate past district governor, and several other former governors.. v , ■ * Clarence Ziner, former president of club, and chairman -forthe—golden anniversary program. will be the toastmaster, and E. E. Rydell, president of the Decatur club, will preside. The Rev. William 0. Feller, .past president of the Decatur chib, will pronounce the Invocation, and organ music during the dinner will be provided b,y Miss Georgianna Mcßride. Articles from (Rotary club presidents of many nations" throughout the world, sent to local members at their request, will he featured in a special display -during the„eyenirtg. Rotarians' aye a.§kgd to take these articles to ix.um . Jacobs-at-lhe IStaJihottse drug store before noon Thursday, in order (Continued on Page i'lve) ■ — INDIANA WEATHER Mostly cloudy tonight and Tuesday with rain or snow south and east portion late tonigh tor ‘Tuesday. Little Change'in temperature. Low tonight 25-30 northwest, 30-35 southeast. High Tuesday 3038.

Albert Sellemeyer Is Taken By Death Retired Leader Os School Band Dies Albert M. Sellemeyer, 68, retired Decatur high school band leader and teacher, and one of the city’s best known citizens, died at | 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon at the Ohio State University hospital at Columbus, O< Mr. Sellemeyer. who been in 11l health for several years, had been a patient at the Columbus hospital for the past four and onehalf weeks. Mr. Sellemeyer retired at the end of the school year in May of 1951 after serving 26 years as band instructor and assistant teacher in the Decatur public schools. He also served for a number, of years as director of the old Decatur City band, and also had the distinction of organizing the first all-girls band in the state of Indiana. The girls band, active for several years, achieved many honors ih appearances throughout Indiana and in neighboring states. Mr. Sellemeyer was also the first scoutmaster in Decatur and was highly active for years in school and civic activities in the city. He was a member of the Zion EvangeUcaL and Reformed ehureh. the Masonic lodge and theßotary, chib. which W served «s pianist for many years. He was born in Preble township Nov. 3, 1886, a son of Frederick and Elizabeth Miller-Sellemeyer. Surviving are one daughter. Miss Suzanne Sellemeyer. of Chicago, and two sisters, Mrs. Fred Heuer and Mrs. O. L. Vance, both of Decatur. One daughter preceded him in death. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 o’clock Wednesday morning at the <Zwick funeral home, the Rev. William C. Feller “officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Members of the Decatur high school band this morning received a total of $46.35 from faculty members and students of the Decatur high school, which will be given to the Band Boosters Fund in honor of Mr. Sellemeyer. It was also announced that any former band members or other students of Mr. Sellemeyer. who wish to contribute to this fund in his memory, should contact Miss Carolyn McDougal or Miss Caynei Lankenau.

Fort Wayne Woman Seriously Injured Woman Injured In Wreck Early Sunday Mrs Gertrude Hamilton, 37, of Fort Wayne, is in serious condition at the Park view memorial hospital in Fort Wayne after sus.tainipg severe head injuries in an accident near Decatur Sunday. The accident occurred at 1:50 a. m<- Sunday- four and a half mites north of Decatur on U. S. highway 27. George Hamilton, 40, husband of the injured woman, was driving north and Jost control of* his car. A car' ahead of the Hamilton vehicle slowed to allow another car driven by William J. Miller. 40, of Willshire, 0., through a narrow bridge. Hamilton slammed on his brakes, went into a skid and went side--ways into the otlier lane of traffic. Miller, who s was southbound, struck Hamilton broadside. M'iHer was also injured arid was - taken ial hospital where he is still a patient. He suffered lacerations to the lip and chin and possible chest injuries. ■ Hamilton was only slightly injured and was treated at the Fort Wayne hospital and then released. The. Hamilton vehicle was almost totally demolished by the impact and a fire which broke out following the accident. The Decatur firemen were called to extinguish the (Continued on Page Four)

Cuf In Income Tax Proposed By Democrats Democrats Propose Lower Income Tax For U. S. Citizens , WASHINGTON (INS) — The house ways and means committee votes today on the Democratic proposal to cut everybody's income taxes next Jan..l and to prevent scheduled reductions in other levies. • * * Speedy approval was forecast. Treasury secretary George M. Humphrey will try to talk the committee but of the tax-cutting part of the legislation at a closed-door meeting. But Democratic leaders confidently predicted the package bill would be quickly approved. Some party leaders said they believed even a few committee Republicans would vote for the move. But Rep. Daniel A. Reed R N.Y.), former chairman and now ranking GOP member, worked over the weekend lining up support against the tax reduction proposal. Committee chairman Jere Cooper (D Tenn ), originally called the ,meeting. to_yote oq .President enhower’s request to prevent corporation income and several excise rates from dropping on April 1 as scheduled. However, committee Democrats met with speaker Sam Rayburn (D Texas), Saturday and decided to tack on the income tax cut. The tax reduction issue shaped up as a major Democratic campaign plank tor the 1956 elections. Republican leaders acknowledged the vote-getting attractiveness of the Democratic plan and labeled it “pure politics.” They argued that taxes should not be cut while the budget is not balanced and the international situation remains tense. However. Democrats countered (Continued on Page Five)

Lewis P. Swoveland Is Taken By Death Funeral Services Tuesday Afternoon Lewis Peter Swoveland, 71, a resident of Willshire township, Van Wert county, 0., practically his entire liTe, died at 11 o'clock Sunday morning at the Lima memorial hospital, where he had been a patient four days. He had been in failing health of complications for four years. He was born near Ohio City, 0., April 3, 1883, 4i son of Peter and Mary Catherine W’eagly-Swove-I.and, and was married to Mae L. Griswold Sept. 8, 1906. Mrs. Swoveland died in September of 1953. Mr. Swoveland was a member of the United Brethren irf Christ church at Wren and for many years was a Sunday school teacher there. He was a former member of the Willshire township board of education. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. William M. Jones of near Willshire and Mrs. Osaac R. Hileman of near Rockford, 0.,‘ two sons, Forest Swoveland of Walled Lake. Mich., and Robert Swoveland of Clyde, O.; 17 grandchildren; one great-grandchild, and three brothers. George of Ohio city, James of Sylvania, O„ and Orley ofJlerne. One son fftid fiye'brothers are deceased. Funeral services wfll be held at 2 p. m- Tuesday at the United Brethren in Christ church at Wren, the Rev. W. Earl Patrick and the Rev. T. W. Hersha officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn cemetery at Ohio City. The body was removed to the Cowan & Son funeral home in Van Wert, where friends may call until noon Tuesday. The body will lie in state at the church after 1 p. m. Tuesday.

Chilling Blizzard Moves Into Canada At Least 35 Killed In Northern Plains (By International News Service) A bone-chilling blizzard that left at least 35 persons dead in America's Northern Plains invaded Canada early today. The storm, one of the worst of the season, battered Wyoming, Montana, Coloradio, lowa, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas and Minnesota with winds reaching 70 miles an hour and dumped up to 40 inches of snow in some places before sweeping across the border. Behind it remained the bodies of 16 persons found in the wreckage of a Trans-World airliner which exploded after slamming Into Sandia mountain near Albuquerque, N. M„ Saturday. Three Wyoming ministers were reported missing somewhere between Bayard. Neb., and Pine Bluff, Wyo. , But more than 40* other persons, including 10 who were marooned in a single car for 19 hours near Ogallala, Neb,, were rescued or known to be safe in, (he western and northern sections of the state. Considerably diminished winds and snowfall in the upper Mississippi and colder weather in northern Texas were the only remnants early. today of the furious blizzard. i • “ A band of rain extending from OCtontinued on Page Four) Adams County Man Is Suicide Victim John A. Stuckey Commits Suicide John A. Stuckey, 70, prominent Adams county farmer, committed suicide this morning at his home a mile and a half southwest of Linn Grove. His body was found at 8 a.m. by a neighbor, James Garboden. - The body, hanging by a rope from a tfee near the home, was still slightly warm so coroner Harmon Gillig estimated death at about 7 a.m. Coroner Gillig officially ruled suicide after investigating the death. Stuckey had evidently stood on a 50-gallon barrel and jumped off to kill himself. Distraught members of his family, including his wife, Sarah, could give no reason for Stuckey taking his own life. He was apparently in fair health. Mr, Stuckey was born in Hartford township Jan. 26, 1885. He was the son of Peter and Sarah Stauffer-Stuckey. He was married to the former Sarah Wittwer Nov. 28, 1912. He was a very active member of the West Missionary church and was a farmer most of his life. Surviving in addition to the widow are a son, Maynard Stuckey of Berne: a daughter. Miss Edwinna Stuckey, also of Berne; a brother, Oscar Stuckey of Detroit. Mich., and. three sisters, Mrs. Noah Wittwer of Fort Wayne, and Mrs. Levis Moser and Mrs. Anna Minger, both of Van Nuys, Calif. The body has been taken to the Yager funeral home in Berne, where friends may call after 9 a.m. Tuesday. The funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with the Rev. Robert Magary, pastor of the West Missionary church, officiating. Burial will be in the M.R.E. cemetery west of Berne. pond Booster Fund Previously Reported $911.47 American Legion Post 43 „ 50.00 TOTAL $961.47 ContriMtions can be made by sending any amount to Band Booster fund, care of Hugh J. Andrews, principal of Decatur high school. All money received will go toward the purchase of new uniforms for the Decatur high school band.

Five Cents

Monks Demands Resignation Os Governor Craig Refers To Craig Administration As Comedy Os Errors INDIANAPOLIS (INS) —Republican Representative Merret R. Monks, of Winchester, today demanded that Governor George N. Craig resign. Monks, in an open letter to the governor, urged Craig to accept a Washington post and predicted that if he did not dp so, there would be a third party in Indiana —*‘a party of Republican independents.” . The Winchester (Republican said that people, both friendly and unfriendly to the governor, have referred to his administration as the "comedy of errors.” He said that the governor made a fiasco of the automobile license plate issue and had angered Senators Homer E. Capehart and William E. Jenner by attempting to wrest federal patronage from them. Monks also said that the appointment of Hugh O’Brien as state correetionboardcheirman, _“lad_toXhe Pendleton ((date, re- ... formatory) riot and the Michigan City (state prison) guard strike.** Monks also demanded that the governor investigate the source of 3,000 letters sent to Randolph county advising voters to defeat Monks for state representative and Mrs. Inez Scholl, tenth district Democratic congressional nominee. Monks also said: "In the early part of the 1953 assembly, governor, your personal friend. Doc Sherwood, who has been referred to often as the real governor of Indiana, called my former county chairman, Leo Davisson in an effort to dictate bow Sen. Leavell and Rep. Monks were to vote. May I ask, did he call at your request or only as an individual in an effort to help you? "According to the press, you have made the statement that certain Republicans have hurt our party. Did it ever occur to yon that you yourself might fit into the same category?" Today's blast, issued as the general assembly started work on the final two -weeks of this session, recalled another open letter Issued by Rep. Monks. Oct. 22, 1953, in which the Winchester Republican also asked that Craig resign. The earlier letter, written nine months after Craig became governor, also attacked the handling of the penal institutions, and in addition charged mismanagement of mental institutions. At the time, Rep. Monks was chairman of the house penal and reformatory committee, and the Pendleton riot had occurred the day before. v Monks, in the 1953 letter, called for a meeting of his committee to “consider the situation" but no action resulted. Freshmen legislators worried as the last two weeks of the general assembly began today because no important problems have been settled. But the more mature lawmakers pointed out that it was ever thus. Human nature always has prevailed — the trend to delay decisions. However, they always have been niade in the final hours, usually by a group of leaders and lobbyists meeting in the traditionOContinued on Page Four) Assessors To Meet Thursday Morning Walter Koos, county assessor, has announced that a meeting of all township assessors, trustees and deputy assessors will take place Thursday morning in the county commissioners* room of the court house. George Gable of Fort Wayne, district field man for the- Indiana tax division, will attend the meeting trfogive instruction on assessing and to answer questions.