Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 54, Number 80, Decatur, Adams County, 4 April 1956 — Page 1

Vol. LIV. No. 80.

VOTERS OUT EARLY IN WISCONSIN if ■ || . S”. ! ’ MILWAUKEE VOTERS trooped to the polls in huge numbers and early keeping polls workers busy throughout the day in what is expected to be a heavy primary vote in Wisconsin. High interest in Milwaukee’s mayorial race added to the popularity contest between President Eisenhower and Sen. Estes, Kefauver of Kentucky.

ike Declares He Will Not Take War Step No Warlike Action Without Receiving Consent Os Congress WASHINGTON (INS) — President Eisenhower declared today he would not order U.S. marines into* Middle-East conflict or take any other step toward war without consent of congress. The chief executive told hts news conference with emphasis bordering on anger that he has said time and again lie would not order any action that could be interpreted as war without congressional authority. He said there are times when American troops must take warIfke actiqn in seif-protectlon but that the Middle East crisis is not wafig and that he will not send troops into any situation that might be considered war. The President compared the crisis brought about by the Arab-Is-rael dispute to a stack of jackstraw's which might tumble if touched clumsily. Other top points at the news conference included: 1. Mr. Eisenhower refused to concede that the big vote polled in the Wisconsin primary Tuesday by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn.) indicated any revolt against the administration’s farm policies. The President expressed gratitude for his own support in the election. 2. The President said that congress has delayed so long in acting on farm legislation that he doubts whether his billion dollar soil bank proposal will be of any help to the farmers this year. 3. Mr. Eisenhower disassociated himself from GOP charges that Democrats in congress, have attempted to frustrate the administration’s program generally. He said he believes in general that everyone in congress is trying to do what they believe best for the U. S. The President’s most emphatic statement came when he insisted that he would take no step toward war. • Mr. Eisenhower declared that this has been his decision all along, that he has tried to make it clear to the nation and world repeatedly, and that it remains his decision. The President made his statement in response to a question at his'news conference. A reporter called his attention to the dispatch of a battalion of marines to the Mediterranean, and then asked “would you order the marines to go to war?” Mr. Eisenhower replied that sometimes he gets discouraged, that the reporter ought to have known the answer without asking the question. He then said that he has stated repeatedly that he would not take ~ any step toward war without going . to congress and getting-Its approval. The president said you can’t go j to war without congress—you’ve • got to have troops and you’ve got to have money—and he said that he will the constitutional power of' congress to make war. He said that he would not order any troops into anything that could be interpreted as involving war without going to congress. At the same time, the President said that he is doing everything possible to emphasise peace In the world, instead of wan He said that for that very re*(Con tinned on Page Five)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Building Os Solar Furnace Is Planned Plan Is Announced By U. S. Air Force WASHINGTON (INS) — The air force said today that it will try to duplicate the heat of an atomic bomb in a new furnace which will be fueled by the rays of the sun. Plans for the seemingly fantastic solar furnace were announced by the air force as part Os a new research project to provide atomic age tests on the effects of high temperature on materials, chemicals and equipment. Cost of the furnace was not disclosed but officials said that the sun-lit heater will be located at 9,000 feet in the Sacramento mountains near Holloman air development center, Alamogordo, N. M. The air force pointed out that the site for the furnace ,is noted for its clegr air and abundant sunlight which are necessary to obtain maximum results. Bays at the sun would be caught by a system of mirrors capable of concentrating the sun’s energy on a single spot. Under ideal conditions, the air force said the furnace “may attain radiation temperatures of seven thousand to eight thousand de grees Fahrenheit over a substantially larger area than any other furnace known to exist in the world today.” The human body has a normal temperature of 98.6 degrees. The solar furnace, with its tremendous heat potentials, could literally roast a human alive in moments. The air force said: “The furnace will be used for high temperature research and testing ofmaterials and weapons compon ents; for duplicating, insofar as possible, the thermal effects of nuclear weapons on various materials; and for high temperature research in chemical reactions.” Solar furnaces are not particularly new since they have been built previously on a smaller scale in the' U.S. The air force said the French have achieved success with (Continued on Page Five) U. S. Disarmament " Plan Is Submitted Effective Control Os Weapons Sought LONDON (INS)—An elaborate U.S. plan to insure peace through effective control of nuclear and conventional weapons underwent its first test today at the UN disarmament subcommittee meeting. The complex. 11 - page “draft working agreement” was presented to Britain, France, Russia and Canada Tuesday by Harold E. Stassen, chief U. S. delegate to the London conference. There were two main stages in the U.S. plan beginning with certain “confidence building” steps to be taken by the U.S. and Russia. These would Include the exchange of technical disarmament specialists and creation of limited "test” disarmament areas in both countries. £: I Next would come creation of a j world disarmament organization to handle the exchange of information on the production and testing of nuclear weapons. It eventually would lead to a ban'on making nuclear arms. INDIANA WEATHER Fair south, clearing north, colder tonight. Thureday partly cloudy. Low tonight EMt north, >O-36 eouth. High Thursday 10-65 north, 55-60 eouth.

Tornadoes Hit Indiana Areas Tuesday Night Washington County Hardest Hit; Seven Persons Hospitalized INDIANAPOLIS (INS) — Seven persons were hospitalized today with injuries received when a series of tornadoes swept through the state. Only one man remained in critical condition, with the other six reported in fair condition. All seven of those hospitalized and five other persons who were treated at hospitals and released are from the area near Canton in Washington county which bore the bruut of the destruction. . Canton is five miles northeast of the county seat of Salem. Red Cross and Indiana national guard units went into the stricken southern Indiana area to aid those who lost their homes and all their possessions in the disaster. Damage was known to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in Washington county alone. The tornadoes ripped diagonally across the county, hitting Becks Mill, five miles southwest of Salem, and also Pekin, in addition to Canton. Indiana state, police at Seymour, from which trooper tornado relief was being directed, said that except for Canton, the area struck was mainly rural. In addition to the wake of human injury, demolished homes and buildings and felled trees and power lines which occurred in Washingtoncounty in southern Indiana, throe other tornadoes also hit in the northern part of the state. One was between Topeka and Ligonier; another between Beaver Dam and Yellow Creek, and the other between Lafayette and Klondike. Heavy damage but no human injury was reported from these twisters. Additional heavy storm damage reports came from other parts of the state but the st alf wsw pFomi«etl tfttieter weather day and Thursday. Near Canton, six members of one farm family were hurt and two members of another family were hospitalized* when their houses were demolished. Indiana state police listed seven victims as hospitalized: At Norton infirmary, Louisville, Ky.: Joseph Schmidt, 71, of Canton, who was pinped under a tree and critically hurt. Mrs. Thelma Hall, 34, of the Canton area. In the Washington county hospital ai Salem were: (Continvea- On Page Five)

Cub Scout Slayer's Fate Near To Jury Defense Attorney Claims Insanity WHEELING, W. Va. (INS) — The future of Cub Scout slayer Tommy Williams probably will be placed at the disposal of an Ohio county jury later today in Wheeling. The jury must decide whether to convict him of first degree-murder and send him to prison for life, as demanded by the prosecution, or agree with the defense that the 14-)ear-old defendant is insane and needs medical care. The prosecution rested its case Tuesday before the batue of the psychiatrists began. Doctors summoned by the defense, testified, that Tommy did not know right from wrong when he bludgeoned nine-year-old David Powell to death last Feb. 9 on Wheeling Island, The chief defense witness was Dr. H. Sinclair Tait, superintendent of Weston state hospital, whose staff examined Tommy and his twin, Joseph, for three weeks. Joseph was indicted before Tommy confessed, clearing him. The prosecution claims that Tommy killed David In robbing him of money the Scout collected in ticket sales for a benefit play. Dr. Tait declared that Tommy is insane and should be confined for treatment. His opinion was disputed during a special night session by Dr. John H. Frederick, a Pittsburgh psychiatrist, called by prosecutor Joseph Gompers as a rebuttal witness. Dr. Frederick did not the defendant. He based his testimony on a study of the hospital reports and the testimony offered by fellow psychiatrists. He emphatically stated that Tommy is legally sane.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, April 4, 1956.

Two-Day Storm Barrage Leaves 47 Dead; More Than 300 Are Injured

Sen. Kefauver In Impressive Vote Showing Polls 41 Per Cent Os Total Votes In Primary .MILWAUKEE (INS) — Sen. Estes Kefauver (D Tenn.), made an impressive showing in his unofficial popularity contest with President Eisenhower in Tuesday’s Wisconsin presidential preferential primary. The Tennessee Democrat, running unopposed, received about 41 per cent of the total vote as Republicans, who normally out poll Democrats three-to-one in the dairy state, apparently crossed party lines. Political observers interpreted Kefauver’s Strong showing and the switch to the Democratic ballot as outward protest over slumping farm prices. The President with only token opposition on the GOP ballot from John Chapple, Ashland newspaper editor trailed the senator in early returns but eventually forged into the lead as cities reported and held a 102,000 vote margin with the unofficial count virtually complete. „ WIIA Xlkfr of the -state's.. 3;W precincts reporting, Eisenhower had 417,954 votes and Chappel 20.251 on the GOP ticket while Kefauver had 315,602 in the Democratic contest. The senator said at Palm Beach. Fla., that the Wisconsin vote showed “great unrest among farmers” and predicted he would carry the entire farm belt. Kefauver took an early lead from rural areas but the President soon passed him when returns from the southern section and the cities and villages were tallied. Mr. Eisenhower won the 30 GOP convention votes. He had only tok en opposition from Chapple, Ashland newspaper editor. Kefauver added 28 Democratic convention votes to his total. He already had won the Democratic primaries in New Hampshire and Minnesota.

One Man Killed In Car-Truck Crash. MARION, Ind. (INS) —Harold M. Nelson, 34, of Fairmount, was killed Tuesday night in a car-truck collision four miles south of Marion on Ind. 9 in Grant county. He was killed when he lost control of his car and plowed into a truck driven by James L. WoMe. 43, of Hebron. Police said Wolfe putted to right -to- avoid Nelson’s car but the car struck the trailer and knocked it loose from the truck. Air Force Deputy Commander Killed Research Deputy, Assistant Killed BALTIMORE (INS) — The air force’s deputy commander for research and development was killed Tuesday night when his jet trainer crashed in flames shortly after taking off from Baltimore's Friendship - International airport. The research deputy. Maj. Gen. Floyd Bernard-Wood, 4-7,-and-one of his assistants, Capt. Gall A. Pelto, 29, who was also killed, were on an official trip to Elgin air force base in Florida when their plane crashed. Their names were released today. - The air force said the IShuse of the “accident was still qndetermined. 1 The plane was a T-33 jet trainer, a converted F-80 “Shooting Star” jet fighter.- * was found in some trees about five The air force said the wreckage miles northwest of the Baltimore airport. Botli bodies were thrown clear. <

Music Group Plans Membership Drive Campaign To Open Monday, April 23 Plans are being completed for the membership campaign which will be conducted by the Adams bounty civic music association during the week beginning April 23. Membership in the organization will entitle the holders to attend atl<fest three and possibly more concerts by well-known artists dur tag the fall and winter season at the Decatur Youth and Community Center. A representative of the Civic’ Concert Service. Inc., with which the local group is associated, will be in Decatur during the week of April 16 to assist with preparations for the membership campaign. The representative will also *be here during membership week. The membership drive will be opened officially with a banquet for all persons assisting in the drive Monday evening, April 23, at the Community Center. The campaign will extend to Saturday, April 28. No memberships will be available after that date and single session tickets to the concerts tyill not be sold, it was emphasized. L Membership headquarters will be maintained in Decatur and Berne during the week. . T-heae wiH be at the-Community | Ceoter in Ifeeauirand kt the Berne Witness office In Berne. Any person -who is not contacted by one of the organization’s workers and who wishes to purchase a membership in the association may contact one of these offices between April 23 and April 28. A large group of volunteer workers has been organized to contact as many persons in the county as possible. Memberships will be priced at 97.50 for adults and $4.50 for children. Glenn Hill is president of Adams county music association. He stated that every effort will be made to secure a large membership for the • (Continued os Pare Eight)

Eisenhower Refuses Vole Interpretation Expresses Thanks For Vote Support WASHINGTON (INS) President Eisenhower refused today to interpret Sen. Estes Kefauver’s big vote in the Wisconsin primary as a sign of unrest among farmers but expressed thanks for his own support in the election. —Mr. Elsenhower told his news conference he is always a little astonished when any American votes for him in an election. He said he is grateful for that sup port and that the bigger the number of . votes for him. the greater are his thanks. « Kefauver strengthened his positfon; in the 1956 pre-convention presidential race by polling more than 40 percent of the total vote in Wisconsin. Kefauver contended that the result reflected great unrest among farmers. But when President Eisenhower was asked about this and whether he believed Republicans have cause to worry about the farm vote in the November election, he said he would not interpret the election returns. Five Persons Found Dead In Cleveland CLEVELAND (INS) — The Cuyahoga county coroner’s office was to determine definitely today the cause of death of five persons, all in the same family, who were found Tuesday night tn their second floor flat in Cleveland. Police have tentatively blamed carbon monoxide poisoning for the deaths of Emory Hall. 37,. bis wife, Evalyae Loe. 25, and three children. Gary. 7; Emory Junior, 4, and Linda, 2.

U.N. Council Nears Vote On Peace Mission Four Arab States, Israel Endorsing . j Hammarskjold Act UMTEI* NATION’S. N.Y. (INS) —The UN security council neared a vote today on sending secretary general (lag Hammarskjold to the Middle ast in an effort to preserve peace. Four Arab states endorsed the peace mandate. Egypt and Syria joined Lebanon and Jordan in backing a resolution submitted by U. S. ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge authorizing the UN secretary general to negotiate directly with Arab and Israeli leaders for preventing war. Ambassador Abba Eban of Israel likewise endorsed the peace mission Tuesday. Egyptian delegate Omar Loutfi and Syrian representatives Ahmed Shukairy pledged their governments’ cooperation with Hammartkjold’s mission after accepting assurances by Lodke that the UN chief will not seek to alter the bamc situation- in the-Holy Land Both diplumate hailed Lodge’s explanation of the American proposal and described the measure as “a step in the right direction.” Hammarskjold will leave Friday afternoon accompanied by a few aides after spelling out at a news conference his “approach” to the delicate task of mediating the Arab-Israeli crisis. Soviet delegate A. A. Sobolev resumed his sniping at the U. S. proposal and insisted that Lodge accept the Russian amendments which would restrict the Hammarskjold mission to a friendly visit. Stack of Jackstraws WASHINGTON (INS) — President Eisenhower said today the Middle East is like a stack of jackstraws which might tumble down if touched clumsily. The President made his statement at htyj news conference in tinswor to a question as to whether the U. S. might take a more tlrm lino where war threatens the Arab states and ferae!. Mr. .Eisenhower confirmed that he has been in communication with British prime minister Sir Anthony Eden about the Middle <Continued on Pare Eight) Planting Work At Center April 24 Will Plant Trees, Shrubs And Plants Tuesday, April 24. has been jlesignated as” planting day at ' the Decatur Youth and Community Center and more than 220 trees, shrubs and plants will be planted around the Center under supervision of Leo Seltenright, county agent, and two Purdue University landscape engineers. The planting activities, authorized by the Decatur Memorial Foundation, Inc. which organization was the parent corporation for construction of the Center, will be under the chairmanship of Lowell Harper. ‘ —-- Thirty volunteers to assist In the planting work are being recruited by chairman Harper and those in charge believe that the work can be completed by noon if there is sufficient help. Trees will be planted in front of the building and shrubbery will be set around the building and driveways. The’planting program was approved hy the Foundation several months ago and exact planting date was left to the discretion of the county agent and Purdue aides. Any man or young man who desires to volunteer his service Is | asked to contact Harger.

Requests Increase In City Water Rate Recommendation By Department Head A report from Ralph Roop, superintendent of the water department. recommending that the schedule of rates in the city bf Decatur be raised, W*s submitted to the city council at the regular meeting Tuesday night. The report requested the raise so the department can gay inWgi ular bills and can finance an adaF tional supply of water. The department is currently operating in the red. Thg report was referred to the water committee and the board, of public works and safety in conjunction with the superintendent with power to act. The council also accepted a report from the board of works and safety advising that the petition for vacating two parting meters on Cort MMet bedenied. Nelson Doty, representing a group of property owners in the area of 10th street between Dayton and Marshall streets, appeared before the council to request the city’s permission to build a sidewalk along 10tb street in that area. It was pointed out that school children use 10th street to go to thg Northwest elementary school and they ire. now forced to’Walk In the street. Those presenting the request agree to pay the cost of the project. The matter was referred to the street and sewer committee in conjunction with the city engineer. A petition by Elton R. Andrews for a rural light and power line extension was referred to the electric light committee. D. Burdette Custer, representing the group in ’Root and Union townships who seek release from their contracts with the city on electric power, attended last night’s council meeting to request a report on what the city was doing about the petition. L. C. Pettibone, power department head, stated that the survey being made in that area is not yet complete and that a report was not ready. He added that the city hopes to Improve the conditions in that area but that it cannot be done over night. Custer was told that he would be kept informed ..of the city's progress in the survey. ' Several other problems in the city were brought to the attention of councilmen last night. One concerned the absence of an alley behind the Harry Sheets property on North Third street. Sheets was advised of the legal action which would be necessary to acquire the right-of-way for the alley. Another problem concerned the drainage of water from the Pennsylvania railroad down High street. The tile drainage for this area is inadequate. The matter was refeiTed to the city street and sewer department for correction. The problem was brought to the attention of the council by John A. Baumann of Mercer avenue, who al§o suggested that something be done to prevent the flooding of the Mercer avenue area from St. Mary’s river. (Continued on' Page Five)

Standale Fire Captain Relates Tornado Blitz

(Editor’s note: Clarence ißoerman, 40-year-old captain of the volunteer- fire department of Standale, Mich., a suburb of Grand Rapids, tells in the following story how a tornado ripped through his community in a matter of minutes and killed six people.) By CLARENCE RidERMAN STANDALE, Mich. (INS) — My wife, Helen. 40, and, our two children, Carol Ann. 13, and Dennis, 5, ran into the Walker township fire station, an unincorporated area of Standale, moments before the tornado hit. I told them to get on the floor and not to watch what was going on qutside But I looked. I t saw a spinning black funnel

Five Cents

Michigan Hit Hardest Last Night By Wind Western Michigan Pounded By Dozen Twisters Tuesday GRAttD RAPIDS, Mich. (INS) — ■‘■’’yH <Efribari age of leap-frogging t ornad spring. storms left 47 dead, mor* than 300 injured and thousands homeless today from Michigan to Texas. The tornadie winds battered the southwest Monday and then reached into the midwest lae Tuesday, with more than a dozen twisters pounding western Michigan. The Grand Rapids, Mich., area suffered Jhe heaviest toll of dead and Injured, all but one of them—a woman—identified, and more than ■ 200 injured. it was feared the # casualty list may increase as rescue workers dig further into battered city and country areas stretching from the south into the Great Lakes region. Many communities were cut of? from communication by the storms which began Monday evening and continued through most of Tuesday.Early today-the” last” of the tornado threats ended for Michigan, Indiana and wesern Ohio, which had been put on tornado alerts. Here Is the storm toll at a glance: Michigan—2o dead; several hundred injured, at Hudsonville, Standale and near Traverse City. W’iseonsin—B dead; many injured at Berlin and Bancrolt. j v Tennessee —4 dead; 36 injured at Lexington and near Dyersburg. . Mississippi —1 dead; 4 injured ’ near Tunica. , Kentucky—3 dead; 1 Injured near 1 Henderson. Oklahoma — 5 dead; 40 injured f I (Monday). Kansas—2 dead; 22 injured (Mouday). Arkansas — 5 injured near Os- . ceola. lowa — several nijured south of Sioux City. Nebraska —1 dead in traffic accident attributed to storm near Auburn. Texas—3 dead in traffic accidents blamed on dust storm (Monday). Indiana—l 2 injured near Salem. Illinois—9 injured in Chicago. Missouri —2 injured near Joplin (Monday). Monday night’s big winds had left 10 dead and scores injured in the southwest.' Meanwhile, a raging snow and ice storm isolated scores of communities in South Dakota and crippled many towns in Nebraska. In the Grand Rapids area, the spring tornado ftartened HTISSbii-' ville, a community-of 1,101, where at least 14 were killed and 60 injured. Nearby at Standale, a suburb of Grand Rapids, six died and more than 100 injured. Berlin and Bancroft, Wis., listed (Cont’nuM >n Fags Eight)

■ filled with parts of trees and roof* ■ ing coming toyvardtown. 7 ■ In around four or five minutes it was all over. I could see boards, trees and other debris being carried away in the sky. It felt like the entire town was being torn down with one Mow. I calmed my family and went to the fire truck and radioed for help. In what seemed like a few minutes. 40 persons came to help out the community. I walked down the main street to view the damage. Most of the - business" places were wrecked in a block area. Off the main street 20 to 25 houses were damaged. In my three block walk 1 saw seven injured people.