Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 55, Number 19, Decatur, Adams County, 23 January 1957 — Page 1

Vol. LV. No. 19.

* ' - ■ » ’ “ * 1109 laira,WK» " ' I* 'w-’ , ~~~ ■HtfbQflMlflH i ABTHUB ZUEBCHEB, 17-year-old Geneva senior, died in the wreckage pictured above from injuries sustained in an accident on U. 8. highway 27 a mile north of Berne Tuesday evening. Sheriff Merle Affolder and deputy Robert Meyer are shown during their investigation, while others look on. The car was totally demolished when it was rammed under the left rear of the trailer bed. Only damage to the truck were a few broken chicken crates and a slashed tire. The driver of the truck was Sammy Holsapple, 25, of Versailles, O.

Nation Warned On Inflation Danger By Ike

WASHINGTON (UP)—President Eisenhower again warned a pros peious America today of the dangers of mounting inflationary pres sures. In his annual economic message to Congress, the President painted a glowing picture of state of the nation's economy. He reported a record national output of $412 billion of goods ant services last year. Still climbing, the output hit an annual rate ol stts bmton to the final quarter of 1956. ' i ’ -But Ae coupled this development with a stem lecture on the responsibilities of private firms and unions to help check threatening inflationary forces. He warned again—as he did earlier in his State of the Union message to Congress Jan. 10—that continued prosperity depends largely on management and labor Exercising restraint in wage and price boosts. Mr. Eisenhower was cautiously optimistic about 1957. “There are grounds for confidence that the nation’s overall prosperity will be extended into the months ahead,’’ he said. More Jobs, Production He said prospects are good as to employment, earnings, con- ; sumer spending, government expenditures, business capital outlays, construction, foreign trade i and investment. “However, uncertainties and problems are always present in the economic situation and require careful attention,” he said. “These include the present international situation, the upward pressure of costs and prices, factors affecting capital outlays by business, and the provision of an adequate flow of new savings to meet the prospective heavy demands for funds." The 200-page report, crammed with tables and charts, gave a detailed diagnosis, of the U.S. economy. It listed rises in employment, production and income last year. Average employment reached a new high of 65 million. Industrial , production was up by 2 per cent. Personal incomes rose sl9 billion. Wages were up by about 6 per cent. Despite the administration's “tight> money” policy, mortgage debt rose about sls billion and bank loans $8 billion. Interest rates increased “sharply.” Mr. Eisdnhower also 'said, with evident concern, that 1956 saw “the first significant general rise” —2.7 per cent—in consumer prices since 1952. Industrial price increases “on a broad front” averaged 8 per cent. Wholesale prices jumped 4 per cent. Avoid Price Boosts And a round of wage boosts exceeded labor’s increase in productivity, he said. ' Because of these inflationary factors and the other “uncertainties,” he called on Congress to hold taxes at present levels and to keep federal spending within limits of his $71.8 billion budget. He appealed to business to protect the public from unwarranted price boosts and to avoid excesses in plant expansion and use* of credit. . He urged labor leaders to keep wage negotiations in line with actual increases in productivity. “Business and labor leadership have the responsibility to reach - agreements on wages and other labor benefits that are fair to the (Ceatteaea aa Pege «»•)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Ike Says One Os Aims Better Russ Relations Eisenhower Holds First News Parley * Since November 14 WASHINGTON (UP)—President Eisenhower said today that one of the chief aims of his administration during the next four years would be to achieve a better understanding with the Soviet Union. He also said that American forces would be armed with tactical atomic weapons if it became necessary for them to fight in the Middle East. He said the equipment of such forces with atomic weapons has now become routine from the military point of view. Mr. Eisenhower .met with 264 reporters. It was his first news conference since Nov. 14. The questions rained down on ’ him and his answers, for the most part, were unusually brief. Here were the main highlights of the conference: 1. He agreed with Secretary of , Treasury George M. Humphrey ( that every effort should be made - by Congress to economize as far | as practicable on the budget for ] fiscal 1958 of nearly $72 billion. 2. He said that Humphrey, in ] stating that a dreadful depression would occur if federal spending ] was not reduced, was talking about , a hypothetical situation in the dis- j tant future. In the foreseeable fu- , tore, the chief executive said he did not believe there was any possibility of a depression of the pro- : portions of 1929 because federal | and state welfare payments would take up a great amount of economic slack. And in the chief , executive’s opinion there are no signs of slack developing. 3. He refused to confirm or deny a statement by Adlai E. Stevenson that the National Security Council voted unanimously last September to halt hydrogen bomb tests, but then was reversed for political reasons. Mr. Eisenhower said that because of security considerations he could not even hint at an NSC decision, but he reminded reporters that the NSC is an advisory body and all' major security decisions finally are his. .. '' ,■ < 4. He anticipated no major (Cnatißued ob Page Five) 50-Day Strike At LaPorte Is Ended LAPORTE, Ind. (UP) — Production at the Bastian Morley Co. was resumed today, ending a 50-day strike by members of the United Electrical Workers union in a dispute over operation of a punch press. The dispute, which resulted in layoffs for more than 100 workers, centered on whether one or two men should operate the press. The union wanted two. It ended Tuesday when union members voted 114-7 to return to work with one man operating the press.

Murder Os Two Chicago Girls Spurs Manhunt Chicago Police On Greatest Manhunt In City History BULLETIN CHICAGO (IP — A yellow knit blouse was found in a boarded-up concession stand today and police said it might be the first real clue to the slaying of two teen-aged girts. CHICAGO (UP) — Police today launched Chicago's greatest manhunt tor the killer of two teenaged sisters in the second vicious slaying city’s millions. The unclothed, frozen bodies of Barbara Grimes, 15, and her sister, Patricia, 13, were found in a muddy ditch Tuesday by a construction worker taking an afternoon drive. It was the second time in 15 months that missing Chicago school children were found murdered under strikingly similar circumstances. Police gave lie detector tests to three men Tuesday night and early today. One of the men, Walter Krantz, a railroad steamfitter, first denied and then admitted he telephoned police with a report the sisters’ bodies could be found in Santa Fe Park on the city’s southwest outskirts. . Their bodies were located only a short distance from the park. Admits Making Call Krantz admitted during the lie detector test that he made the anonymous call to police last week, authorities said. He had been questioned last but released. ; — • ■ J -i11... - ' However, Krantz denied any knowledge of the crime. Lt. James McMahon said when Krantz was asked how he happened to get the idea the girls’ bodies were in Santa Fe Park, the steamfitter replied that he "dreamed it." McMahon said he was "not satisfied” with the outcome of Krantz* lie detector test. The girls disappeared from their homes three days after Christmas when they went to see a movie starring their idol, singer Elvis Presley, for the 11th time. Pending an autopsy today, authorities said preliminary indications were that the girls had been dead about two weeks. The autopsy had to be postponed until today because of the frozen condition of the sisters’ crumpled bodies. All Chicago and Cook County law enforcement agencies joined in a unified, all-out effort to solve the crime. » Cine-Search Hampered Snow, which apparently covered the girls’ bodies and prevented their discovery until this week’s thaw, again covered the area Tuesday afternoon and night, hampering the search for clues. However, police laid a tarpaulin over the ground to preserve any possible Clues prior to the resumption of their search today. The entire region was cordoned off and a nightlong guard posted. The frustrating lack of clues was one of the points of similarity between the slayings of the sisters and the unsolved murder of three schoolboys in Oct.ber, 1555. The slaying of John Schuessler, 13, his brother, Anton, 11, and Robert Peterson. 13, touched off a continuing manhunt second only (Continued on Pago «x)

ONLY DAILY NBWSPAPBR IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, January 23, 1957

Adams County Youth Is Killed Last Evening As Automobile Hits Truck

House Refuses Fund Transfer To Aid School Forces Conference Over Senate Plan Os Fund Transfer INDIANAPOLIS (IB — The Indiana House forced into a conference committee today a plan to distribute $4,370,000 from the slate Korean bonus fund to 22 school units for building construction loans. House members, by voice vote, followed the suggestion of majority leader Robert S. Webb (R-Ar-cadia) that the amount a Senate amendment proposed to sidetrack for the schools was too great. Webb said there is no objection to a transfer of funds but the amount in the amendment prob-i ably would not leave enough in| the 15 million dollar fund to payi off the rest of the bonus to eligible veterans. Webb and Rep. W. O. Hughes (R-Fort Wayne) were named from the House to membership on the conference committee, which apparently will trim the amount. J Teeth in - 7 The amendment, was tacked on. a bill eliminating Jan. 31 as the ■ date for transferring the entire balance to the Veterans Memorial School Building Fund. The 1955 Legislature, which set the Jan. 31 date, had expected the bonus payments would be completed by that time, but delays have held up most of the payments. Earlier, two senators moved to put teeth in a widely violated law setting Central Standard as the state’s official time. Sen. Arthur Wilson (D-Prince-ton) and Richard Newhouse (RMorristown) introduced a bill in the Senate which could mean a 60-day jail term and a SI,OOO fine for a hapless official of a city cr county government unit which defied the CST law. The bill would ban Daylight Saving time and the current yearround Eastern Standard Time setup followed by Indianapolis and much of the eastern half of Hoosierland. Would Lengthen Terms For years, proponents of “slow” time have argued that the CST law was ignored Widely because it contained no penalty provisions. Two joint resolutions introduced by Sen. Kenneth Brown (R-Mun-cie) would amend the state constitution to lengthen to four years the tenure of state school superintendent, secretary of state, state auditor and state treasurer. These are now two-year offices. Brown’s measures would limit tenure to (Coßtiaaed Pace Five) Funeral Thursday For John H. Kahle Retired Farmer Is Taken By Death John H. Kable, 79, retired farmer, died at 10 o’clock Tuesday morning at the home of his son, Victor Kable, three miles north of Decatur. Death was sudden. He was born in Liberty township, Mercer county, 0., April MJ, 1877, and lived in the Chattanooga area until 27 years ago, when he moved to this community. He had made his home with the son for the past four years. Surviving are the son, who lives in Root township: one daughter, Mrs. Dale Eley, of Fort Wayne; 10 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Two brothers and one sister preceded ,him in death. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a. m. Thursday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. Benj. G. Thomas, 'officiating. Burial will be in the Kessler cemetery near Chattanooga. Friends may call at the funeral home until time of the services.

Baby Girl Is Born To Princess Grace Announcement Made By Prince Rainier MONACO (UP) — Princess Grace gave birth to a girl today and a nervous Prince Rainier announced the news to the world himself. ' The baby was born at 9:27 a.m. (3:?7 a.m. EST). She arrived during a heavy rainstorm. The Prince gave the news over Radio Monaco to his 2,500 subi jects who are now guaranteed ad- ; tional years of immunity from l French taxes and the military draft. The baby weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces. She has blue eyes, like her mother, and brown hair. Dr. Emile Hervat, who officiated at the birth, said mother and child are doing fine, a palace spokes- “ man said. Hervat said labor lasted just under 2% hours. One of the four doctors who ' assisted in the delivery said Grace had less trouble than most mothers with their first-born. He said the princess took no anesthetic and was able to assist in the delivery. ■Hie birth was "remarkably normal" and both mother and child came through in perfect condition, he said. . “It’s a healthy, howling Amenj can baby girl,” he said. In hi? official announcement, the prince said? ' “I thank God that everything went all right.” t - His announcement broke into a I regularly-scheduled Radio Monte ; Carlo broadcast. • “I announce to you that on this Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 9:27 Print cess Grace gave birth to a baby girl (sic), Princess Caroline Loul ise Marguerite. I thank God that everything went all right.” The Prince spoke in trembling, nervous French. Monaco went wild at the news. People kissed one another in the rain-pelted streets. Champagne corks popped like punctured balloons. American flags and Monaco’s red-and-white banner fluttered at almost every window. The baby is the first for the former Grace Kelly of Philadelphia and the Prince. They were (Coatinned ob Pace Five) Public Invited To Annual C.C. Dinner Annual Dinner Is • Planned Jan. 13 • The public has been invited to participate in the annual dinner planned by the Decatur Chamber of Commerce for members and their wives in conjunction with the Rotary and Lions clubs Thursday, January 31. at 6:30 o’clock at the Decatur Youth and Community Center. Tickets, selling for $2 a person, are on sale at the following stores: Blackwells, Hothouse Drug store. Holthouse on the Highway, G. C. Murphy, county agent’s office, Bower Jewelry Store, or from any of the directors of the Chamber of Commerce, according to M. J. Pryor and Glenn Hill, co-chairmen of the event. They should be purchased before Saturday evening. An additional feature of the program was announced today, in that the 18 members of the Decatur high school jazz band will provide entertainment while the guests are eating. Among the features on the program will be a four-minute discussion by students of Indiana Technical college on "Youth Opportunity” in each of five foreign countries, to be Introduced by William Hanum, an instructor in the school. In addition a representative group of students are expected from the school and will sit at tables indicated by toe name of their respective countries. Guests interested in a particular country are invited to sit at the table with the foreign student. In addition, a special feature of the evening will be the appearance of Dr. Theodore Hoelty-Nickel, music director and head of toe music department of Valparaiso University., with a very unusual 30-minute audience participation show.

Dispute Claim Over Credit Os Bomber Arrest Former Employer, Police Hassle On Credit For Arrest NEW Yo|k (UP)-A hassle developed today over who should get toe credit tor supplying toe final clue that trapped “the mad bomber of Manhattan.” Was it toe police? The Consolidated Edison Company? Or both? Each claimed the credit at separate press conferences, shortly after George Metesky, a 54-year-old Waterbury, Conn., toolmaker was taken into custody and admitted he was the long-sought “bomber”, whose home-made pipe bombs had injured 15 persons here since 1940. Officials of the giant utility, against which Metesky, a former employe had waged an unrelenting war of revenge, stoutly maintained that a 25-year-old woman clerical worker came across Metesky’s file, noted similarities with the mad bomber and that police were then notified Police Refute Claim But Deputy Foffce Commissioner Walter Ann insisted that a deOecUvediseovered. toe Wtrfry file at Consolidated Edison which proved to be the key to solution of the 16-year mystery that ended Tuesday with Metesky's arrest on charges that could sepu him to prison for “several lifetimes.” If Consolidated Edison's claim is proved, the clerk. Miss Alice Kelly, would be in line to receive $26,000 in reward money posted last month.for information leading to the arrest of the bomber whose activities set off an epidemic of fake bomb scares across toe nation. . Consolidated Edison officials said Miss Kelly, on her own initiative, discovered toe bomber’s file, containing a series of letters in which Metesky sought to satisfy his claim tor a disability incurred when he was gassed in 1931 while employed as a generator wiper at one of the utility's New York (CoßtißueS OB Paa* Five) Prisoner Walks Out 01 Jaillasl Night Trusty Escapes In Confusion Tuesday A prisoner at toe Adams county jail took advantage of his position as trusty and the confusion of a fatal accident to walk off Tuesday 'night. Sheriff Merle Aftolder had been releasing Charles W. Sexton, 47, for short' periods to go into toe basement to fire the furnace. At about 7 o’clock last night he went back to ask Sexton if he was ready to fire toe furnace. Sexton, of Lexington, Ky., said he would be ready after he washed his supper plate. The sheriff unlocked toe cell door to permit Sexton to go to the basement. At that moment he was w called to the phone to be Informed* of the fatal accident north of Berne. While preparing to leave to investigate the accident, he noted silence in the basement. He returned to the cells and discovered that Sexton was missing. Deputy sheriff Charles Arnold was called to conduct a search for the missing prisoner. Arnold was assisted by city police officers Grover Odle and Al Nem but a thorough search of the area was not successful. Railroad authorities were contacted but they were unable to locate Sexton on a train which had gone through Decatur shortly after Sexton had disappeared from toe jail. The man was serving a sentence on conviction of a public intoxication charge. He was arrested Jan. 4 after he was found in a local church. His sentence included 30 days, plus a day for each dollar of his fine, which totalled 814.

Peru Is Hard Hit By Power Failure Wabash River Water Seeps Into Plant PERU, Ind. (UP)—A municipal utility power failure cut off electricity throughout this city of 15,000 persons today, but sporadic emergency service from an REMC unit eased the effects. Water from toe swollen Wabash River flowed into toe utility pump line through an open valve wfifo . toe plant was in toe process'ol a four million dollar expansion ' program. It filled toe pump house, an Integral part of toe ' power-making machinery, with up 1 to 15 feet of water. The power went off at 4:30 a.m. CST. Eight hours later, it i still was off, but crews hoped to restore service by 4 p.m. i The Miami County REMC, which ’ channels electricity to rural areas i around Peru, furnished electricity ' for about 10 minutes out of every hour during the shutdown, mainly , to keep automatic heating equipment in operation parttime in , homes. The temperature outdoors . was around 20. i But factories and industries - closed, bringing holidays to about i 2,000 employes. City schools also • were dismissed for the day. Dueks Memorial Hospital operated normally, using its own - ‘electrical service. Some industries - had standby service frqrn toe r Northern Indiana Public Service » Co. 1 The Peru Tribune, a daily news--1 paper, planned to print its Wednes--1 day edition in toe' plant of its ’ sister paper, the Wabash Plain Dealer, 14 miles from here, be--1 cause there was no power to 1 operate typesetting machines and ' presses. There was no explanation immediately of how water got in , toe boilers and pumps, which are located below the bed of ‘the river. The Wabash was up slightly due to heavy rains but it was not in flood stage. City In Top Group On Disposal Needs Priority For Aid Is Undetermined Based on its need for a sewage ( disposal plant, Decatur has been i placed in the top group of those to 1 be considered as recipients of fed- 1 eral aid on their disposal projects, 1 according to a letter received by 1 Mayor Robert D. Cole from the stream pollution control board. < A point basis rating gives Deca- ; tur 10 of the 10 allowable points ] in determining need for sewage ; disposal. This rating includes one t point, public health hazard; one ] point, public Water supply affect- j ed; one point, industrial water sup- , ply affected; one point, agricultural use affected; one point, rec- ( reational use affected; one point, , fish ami wildlife affected; two , points, stream pollution control board order, and two points, dilu- 5 tion available. All of these points were allotted . to Decatur. The letter emphasized . that it should be understood that determination of these points does ‘ not in itself constitute a priority 1 rating. The letter pointed out that since . more than one municipality may be included in each group, rela- < tive position within the group will ‘ be determined by toe median income of families and unrelated in- t dividuals as reported in the 1950 ( U.S. census. y - k The lower the median income, j the higher the position within a s particular group in qualifying for j toe federal aid grants. Decatur is within toe top group and has a re- 3 ported median income of $3,053. ( B. A. Poole, technical secretary of the state board, stated that priority for the federal aid will not be determined until all communities that have made application for the federal funds have been notified of their total points. A final determination will be made by the stream pollution control board at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Six Cent. ■ ll< «■>* -

Geneva School Senior Killed Last Evening « Arthur A. Zuercher Killed Near Berne -- ■/ Early Last Evening ‘A young Adams county boy. on his Way to participate in revival services at Trinity Evangelical United Brethren church in Decatur, lost his life Tues<iay evening in the first traffic fatality this year in Adams county. Arthur Allen Zuercher, 17, a senior at Geneva high school, died almost instantly when his car rammed into toe rear of a semitruck operated by Sammy Holsapple, 25, of Versailles, 0., at 7:05 o’clock. The boy was a member of the Geneva high school choir which was singing at the Trinity church Tuesday night. The tragedy occurred cm U. S. highway 27 about one mile north of Berne. The roads were wet from a hard rain but it was not icy at the time. The trucker, whose trailer was loaded with chicken crates, had slowed almost to a stop to make > left turn onto a county roadZuercher came up cm him quickly, started to swing around him and saw approaching traff». He slammed on his brakes and the car skidded under toe left rear of the trailer bed, totally* demolishing the car, and causing fatal injuries to the driver, who was toe only occupant Zuercher was pronounced dead by a Berne physician, who arrived just a few minutes later. According to county coroner Elmer Winteregg, Jr., death was caused by a broken neck and a crushed chest. A piece of chrome had scooped out a huge cavatiy on the right side of Zuercher’s chest The truck was hardly damaged by the accident. A few chicken crates were broken and a tire was slashed, and damage was estimated at only 850. Sheriff Merle Affolder, deputy Robert Meyer and state trooper Gene Rash investigated the fatal mishap. Zuercher was the son of David and Leona Lehman Zuercher, of Berne route two. A senior at Geneva high school, he was employed as a part-time clerk at the Kroger store in Berne. He attended the Berne church of the Nazarene. He was born Feb. 23, 1939, in Wabash township. Surviving in addition to the parents are six brothers, Clifton, Howard, Paul and James, of Berne, Samuel of Lansing, Mich., and Gary, at home, and four sisters, Mrs. Robert Whistler and Mrs. Paul Andrews, of Berne, Mrs. Jack Schug, of Huntington and Pauline, at home. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p. m. Friday at the Berne Church of the Nazarene, with the Rev. Ray Tucker officiating. Burial will be in the M. R. E. cemetery at Berne.. The body was taken to Yager funeral home in Berne,1 where friends may call after noon Thursday. The body will be removed to the church at noon Friday. Three Children Are Suffocated In Fire WINONA, Minn. (UP) — Flames that suffocated three children and critically injured two others while devouring a one-story home near here were set off by toe youngsters as they played with matches In a closet, authorities said today. Dead were John Buol, 6, Debra, 3, and Hunter, 18 months, children of Mr. and Mrs? Peter Buol. INDIANA WEATHER Fair and aolte eold tonight. Thursday partly cloudy and cold. Low tonight 5 below to 5 above north, 5-15 above south. High Thursday 18-25 north, 2532 south. Sunset 8:54 pan., sunrise Thursday 8 a.*.