Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 55, Number 91, Decatur, Adams County, 17 April 1957 — Page 1

Vol. IV, No. 91.

NAB LONG-HUNTED FUGITIVE

■ •I I 1 i 1 '1 1 1 1 I I

ENDING AN 11-MONTB search, L. Ewing Scott, wanted in California where he is under indictment for the murder of his wealthy wife, is brought back from Windsor, Ontaria by an FBI agent following his apprehension by Canadian immigration authorities-as he sought to drive a car into Canada. Scott’s wife vanished from their Bel-Air, Cal., home in May, 1955, and the murder indictment came after the woman’s glasses and false teeth were found buried in the yard.

Calls Union To Showdown On . Housecleaning Senate Committee 7 Seeks Details On Scranton Bombing WASHINGTON (UP)—The Senate Rackets Committee, challenging the AFL-CIO to put up or shut up on its housecleaning pledge, called for testimony today from four union officials convicted in a bombing case but still holding office. The committee sought more, details on the 1954 bombing of a nonunion construction project in Scranton, Pa. Among those called to provide it were four local officers convicted of conspiracy in connection with the blast. Chairman John L. McClellan (D- --— Ark.) said he expected some of the witnesses to claim the Fifth Amendment privilege against selfincrimination and refuse to answer questions. Fought Own Members The bombing case was featured Tuesday as the committee heard reports of terrorism ana violence in the Scranton area by union leaders who allegedly used thugs and strong arm men against their own members as well as against balky employers. McClellan issued the challenge to the AFL-CIO high command after the testimony pointed out that John Durkin, Anthony' Bonqcuse, Philip Brady and Joseph Bartell — all officials of AFL-CIO affiliates in the Scranton area — had been convicted in the bombing ... case. ------ The chairman said he does not believe the code of ethics recently adopted by the AFL-CIO contemtemplated that convicted criminals can hold union office. (At its meeting in Miami in January, the AFL - CIO Executive Board approved stringent codes designed to eliminate all forms of union racketeering. The board at the time stated that "obviously, if a person has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude offensive to trade union morality, he should be barred from office or responsible position in the labor movement.’’) Union Officials Silent Sen. Barry Goldwater (If-Ariz.), supporting McClellan’s st an d, commented that "if this code _of ethics . . . means anything” union leaders who participated in a testimonial dinner for the four convicted union officials should "explain their statements." He said the statements of the leaders amounted to “extolling"Jthe records of the convicted' officials. • Goldwater read from a newspaper account of the sls-a - plate affair which quoted statements by William Kendrick, described as international vice president of the Laborer's Union; Hugh Gormley, regional vice president of the AFL in Indiana; James McDevitt, then (Continued on Page Six) INDIANA WEATHER Showers and scattered thunderstorms tonight. Foggy again tonight. A little cooler extreme * north tonight. Thursday occasional rain or drizzle and turning cooler north. Showers and scattered thunderstorms and not much change in temperature south. Low tonight ranging from, the 49s extreme northwest to the 50s elsewhere. High Thursday 45-55 north, 80s south. Sunset 1:25 p. m., sunrise Thursday (:04 a. m.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

I Alleged Slayer To Fight Extradition Wanted On Charges Os Murdering Wife DETROIT (UP)—Leonard Ewing Scott said today he would fight extradition to California where he is wanted on charges of slaying ' his wife and absconding with her $600,000 fortune. Scott, 59, was held without bond at the Wayne County jail pending • a May 7 hearing when authorities ■ will decide whether he will be rel turned to Los Angeles. At his arraignment before U.S. 1 District Judge Thomas P. Thorn1 ton Tuesday, Scott stood mute. > California authorities will present the murder warrant at the hear- ‘ ing, charging Scott killed his wife, Evelyn, 63. 1 Scott, picked up at the Canadian ' border Monday night, said he ■ would fight extradition. He said he i left California because "I was being hounded and followed everywhere.” “I was pre-tried and pre-judged . by the California papers,” he said. “They distorted the true facts in the • case. My innocence will be established at the proper time.” Police questioned Scott after his wife’s disappearance, May 8, 1955. He said his wife had been ill and he knew nothing of her whereabouts. But Mrs. Scott’s brother, E. Raymond Throsby, asked for a court accounting of her $600,000 estate. Scott jumped $25,000 bond and fled after a grand jury indicted him for mishandling his wife’s estate. He was later indicted for her murder. No trace of Mrs. Scott has been found. But California authorities, searching her $250,000 home, found ■< her dentures,- clothing and glasses in an incinerator. Warden Os Indiana < State Prison Fired Overlade Replaced By Former Warden INDIANAPOLIS (UP)—J. Ellis ! Overlade was fired Tuesday by ’ Governor Handley as warden at 1 the Indiana State Prison. Handley replaced Overlade with 1 former warden Alfred Dowd, 65, New Albany. Dowd’s appointment 1 becomes effective May 1. The change was a direct re- 1 versal of a firing and hiring in June, 1953, when former Gov. J George Craig replaced Dowd with ! Overlade. Since 1954, Dowd, a law grad- I uate of the University of Louisville, has been superintendent of a- - institution at Jessup, Md. He became warden at Michigan ■ City in 1938. - Replacement of Overlade: 1 marked the third change in penal 1 institution heads since Handley took office. Earlier, Ralph Tahash was replaced at the Indiana Reformatory, and Mrs. Helen K. Hudson was removed from her post as superintendent of the State Women’s Prison. It was reported that Overlade and Tahash were at odds with Handley and corrections chief Paul Myers over the hiring of out-of-state employees. Handley and Myers objected to giving top jobs to outsiders while “career men” languished without advancement. Overlade formerly was warden of the Federal Penitentiary at Terre Haute from 1944 to 1953.

Ike Defends Summerfield On Mail Cuts Backs Postmaster General's Action On Postal Service WASHINGTON (UP)—President Eisenhower today strongly defended Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield’s action curtailing mail service last weekend. Eisenhower said Summerfield had to do it because Congress had not provided the post office with enough money. Eisenhower late Tuesday signed a bill giving the post office an additional 41 million dollars. Summerfield announced that most services would be restored as rapidly as possible. The President was asked at his news conference today what he thought of the feeling in some sections of Congress that the weekend slow down of mail service was an effort by Summerfield to coerce Congress. Eisenhower disagreed and said Summerfield acted with his complete approval. Other news highlights at Eisenhower’s conference today with 227 reporters: —He said the administration is taking a fresh look at the whole farm problem in the hope of working out a new long-range program which would reduce the dependence of farmers on federal subsidies. —He supported the general principle of the new O’Hara - Harris natural gas bill, saying he believed there had to be such legislation. He said reports he has been given on this particular bill indicated that it agreed in general with the criteria he announced when he vetoed a gas bill last year. —He laughed off criticism of his budget and his administration by his brother. Edgar Eisenhower of Tacoma, Wash. The President said with a broad grin that Edgar had been criticizing him ever since they first knew each other. —The President said he was against billboards that mar. the scenery along the highways of the nation but he did not know what the federal government could do about it —He came out again for restoration of House cuts in the appropriation for the United States Information Agency, saying that he thought cutting dollars uselessly in this instance would be the worst kind of economy. —He said this government was still hopeful of successful negotiations with Egypt on resuming (Continue, jn P»S« Six) To Change Indiana Buying Os Paints . „ Change Contracts - For Big Savings INDIANAPOLIS (UP'—Plans to change Indiana’s highway paint contracts at a saving to the state of more than two million dollars a year were announced today by state purchasing director Clarence Drayer. , , Drayer said paint used for highway markings and dividing strips no longer will be mixed at the State Reformatory. He said that by buying finished paint, Indiana could save $283,000 a year in the initial cost and another $2,500,000 in federal funds which would be made available on a 9-to-l matching basis. For years, the state has given its paint contracts to the Prismo Safety Corp., Huntingdon, Pa., with which William Sayer, administrative assistant to former Gov. George Craig, was a representative. Drayer said other states buy finished paint directly from firms at costs much less than Indiana is paying. He said Indiana pays 14.45 a gallon for yellow paint, mixed at the reformatory and $4.10 for white paint, while neighboring Ohio pays $1.55 for yellow paint and $1.57 for white. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m not going to buy any paint and manufacture it at the reformatory,” Drayer said. - Earlier, Governor Handley told newsmen Drayer’s department was being investigated along with the Highway department, being probed in connection with several land-buying deals. Drayer said he also was checking a practice of the previous administration in which bidders on coffee for state institutions were required only to guarantee their “best blend at 79 cents a pound.” Drayer said the bid price already WBS Set. f Drayer added that the “taster" on that deal was among the handful of employes he fired recently. He also remarked it was "stupidity" that inexpensive items such as erasers should be advertised for bids.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, April 17, 1957

Decatur Man Is Found Dead In Water-Filled Ditch In Allen County

Accuse Egypt Os Instigating New Attacks Israeli Security Forces Make Charge Against Egyptians By WALTER LOGAN United Press Staff Correspondent Israeli security forces accused Egypt today of instigating new Arab commando attacks from Jordan, Syria and Lebanon to complicate the situation in Jordan where King Hussein has won a precarious political victory. — Dispatches from Israel, Jordan and Egypt emphasized that Jordan’s political troubles were far from over. A Jordan source said in Cairo the new cabinet would be short-lived; the same prediction came from Amman. Israeli officials said Jordan's pro-Western and pro-Communist elements could not work together. New troubles also were blowing up over the Suez Canal. Al Gomhouria, the official Egyptian government newspaper, flatly rejected the six principles suggested by the U.N. Security Council for running the canal. They involved some form of international cooperation and the divorcing of the canal from domestic polities.' > The United States, supported by Britain and France, was expected to take the Suez Canal issue back to the Security Council. Washington dispatches said the United States will request an early meeting—and may make the request today. In Damascus President Shukri El Kuwatly denounced American policy and said Syria leans toward Rbssia because the Soviets did not ask for political or military concessions. An Israeli military Spokesman reported a new series of Fedayeen —suicide commando—attacks in Israel from the Dead Sea along the Jordan border to the Syrian and Lebanese frontiers during the past 24 hours. The death of two Israeli guards was reported Tuesday. In addition Arab commandos kidnaped an Israeli Arab from Manara settlement and a shepherd woman from the outskirts of Eilon. Col. Nehemia Brosh, the official Israeli spokesman, said Syrians also launched a 90-minute attack bn Kfar Szold in Upper Galilee without inflicting casualties. A high-ranking official said all efforts were being made to bring border conditions back to normal so as not to dissuade tourists from visiting the Holy Land during Easter week. The tourist would provide a welcome financial boost for hard-pressed Jordan. Jerusalem, Israel, dispatches told of food and commodity shortages in the Jordan-held sector of Jerusalem and said loss of Britain’s 35-million-dollar a year-sub-sidy to Jordan was bringing grave results. The Arab nations which promised to make up the subsidy have not done so. —.- Some sources predicted Jordan may have to accept the Eisenhower Doctrine —and American aid —whether the left-wing elements want to or not. However (Continued on Pace Five)

Lenten Meditation (By Rev. Virgil Wesley Sexton, First Methodist Church)“THE WATER OF LIFE" • ■ • ‘t — * Scripture: John 4:1-15 Hie Nile River runs through a hot and sandy plain for much of its course, yet it has never been known to fail. For centuries people wondered what might be the source of such a constant supply of refreshing water that flowed through the arid desert and made the river banks blossom like a flower bed. Explorers at last discovered why the water never wasted away in even the driest season. It had its source high in the mountains and was fed by eternal snows. Its secret was in the heights which men had never seen. No less do our souls need some high and secret source of strength. The place where we have quiet fellowship with the eternal Father of our spirits will send forth a refreshing stream to keep our lives hopeful and fruitful. Lent reminds us that when we have been in the presence of the Source of all life whatever experiences may lie ahead of us, we can keep our lives sweet and strong and fit for useful living.

Tips Are Studied In Highway Probe State Highway Land Deals Before Jury INDIANAPOLIS (B — A manypronged investigation into the Indiana highway scandal picked up speed today. I Federal, state and county inquiries delved into a maze of aspects of records and tips that middlemen reaped huge windfalls t on land sold to the state'for highI way purposes. , Governor Handley announced . Tuesday an inntensive investiga- . tion has begun on a state level. ; Marion County Prosecutor John j G. Tinder backgrounded a grand s jury on the case and his investii gators dug into files for details. Two representatives of the Sen- • ate Public Works Committee set I up shop in Indianapolis to probe I the possible involvement of feder- > al right-of-way funds. Internal revenue agents ex--1 pected to check the income tax 1 -returns of persons mentioned in the scandal stories. Handley ask- ' ed for a state look at them. State gross income tax officials also checked tax returns of the ’ scandal figures. The federal probe followed an--1 nouncement Tuesday that federal ‘ participation in Indiana highway ! projects was suspended temporarily pending outcome of the in- ' vestigatlons. ! Nile Teverbaugh of Monroe City, . who was fired last Friday from I his job with the State Highway . Department whose right-of-way t division he headed in the administration of former Gov. George i Craig, said for the first time today ! that he was present when two 1 Madison Ave. properties were t sold to mystery man "Dean Bur- . ton." “Burton" got $2,500 cash and the lots he bought later were i sold to the state for more than ! $25,000. J Teverbaugh said he saw “Bur- ’ ton" about “8 or 10 times” but J has no idea where he lives or ' what he does. > The Indianapolis Times un--1 earthed records which showed ■ that the state paid $235,000 for a ■ Marshall County property the 1 Times said was worth "less than ’ half that much.” L • The state paid Foster Albert i that amount in 1955 for business ■ property along U.S. 31 at the junction with U.S. 6 near Lapaz, acl cording to department records. ; Albert’s property was assessed at I $33,730 and includes two homes, i a bowling alley, service station ; and more than 50 acres of land. 1 The state took only a narrow strip of Albert’s property, however. But It affected adversely his buildings along the highway, al1 though the Times said he still is operating the bowling alley and service station and the homes are still in use. The Times said Albert built the bowling alley “with full knowledge of state plans to change the busy i intersection." Albert was quoted ■ as saying he "certainly didn’t 1 make any killing on my settlei ment” and that he asked $400,000 ; damages before the state initiated condemnation proceedings.

Five Killed In Explosion Al Chemical Co. ’ 1,500 Persons Are Forced From Homes By Qhlorine Fumes 1 CHARLESTON? W Va - (IF — ’ An explosion at a Monsanto Chemical Co. plant near here leveled a 1 three-story building Tuesday kill- • ing five workmen, injuring four others and unleashing chlorine i fumes which forced 1,500 persons I to leave their homes. The blast, of undeterimined ori- . gin, “blew apart" the building • one of several single-unit struct tures known as “shells,” at the > sprawling Monsanto installation at . Nitro, W. Va.,*s miles from here. The building was reduced to rub- • We - . I Three of the injured were in i ‘ “very critical” condition at Thom- ‘ as Memorial Hospital and the fourth was listed as serious. State police ordered more than ’ 1,500 persons to leave their homes : when the chlorine fumes spread from the wrecked building after the blast. Company firemen quicki ly halted the escape of the gas , and the residents later were allowed to return to their homes. ; Plant manage John McCain said he believed the fumes were “non-toxic,” but ordered tests made “to make sure.” i Those killed in the blast were r building foreman Elmer Priddy r I Sa., 56, Jack Vintrox, 47, Joe . Johnson, 33, and Lacy Gilbert, 47, , all of Nitro, and Mansford Qualls, 34, of Hurricane, W.Va. Gilbert ( and Qualls died In hospitals hours k after the blast. The injured were Paul Martin, t 31, Poca, W. Va., Tom Miller, 41, > Bancroft, W. Va., and Tom Smith i 33, Eleanor, W. Va., all “very critical,”- and Lionel Janes, 41, Poca. Two WOHS-TV cameramen, Bill t Kelly, 22, and Dave Riley, 20, • were overcome by gas while taking pictures and were admitted to Charleston General Hospital for • treatment. • New Castle Woman Is Fatally Burned NEW CASTLE (IF - Mrs. Hani nah J. Phelps, 86, New Castle, . died Monday in Henry County . Hospital from bums sustained when she brushed against an elect trie heater in a daughter’s home near Kenard. Mrs. Clara Herman I : Dies Last Evening i Native Os Decatur Is Taken By Death . Mrs. Clara Meyer Herman, 76, . of Monroeville, a native of Decar tur, died at 9:05 o’clock Tuesday I night at toe St. Joseph hospital t in Fort Wayne shortly after being - admitted. ) She moved to Monroeville in 1 1919. Her husband, John Herman, also a former Decatur resident, died in 1951. Mrs. Herman was a member Os St. Rose Catholic church at Monroeville, the Rosary society of the church and of Circle No. 3. Surwing are one son, Adrian W. Herman .of .Monroeville; two daughters, Mrs. Kathryn Weinzettle of East Peoria, 111., and Mrs. Mary H. Botsford of Flushing, N. Y.; four grandchildren; three brothers, Dr. L. P. Meyer of Conway, 0., J. J. Meyer of Redlands, Calif., and William F. Meyer of Fort Wayne, and two sisters, Mrs. Lena O’Brien of Dayton, 0., and Mrs. Anna Parent of Saginaw, Mich. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a. m. Monday at St. Rose Catholic church at Monroeville, the Rev. Frank Carpenter officiating. Burial will be in .the church cemetery. Friends may call at the Marquart funeral home after 7:30 p. m. Friday until time of the services.

City Council Meets In Regular Session Postpone Action On Installing Fine Box Action on a proposal to install courtesy boxes for the payment of parking violation fines was delayed to the next council meeting by the city council, which met in regular session Tuesday night. The boxes, which cost $17.50 each, would be placed in convenient locations throughout the business district as a convenience for the public in paying fines. They would eliminate the necessity of a trip to city hall by those persons who received parking tickets. The council rejected a request from the mayor of Wren, 0., for permission to use the Decatur city dump. The council pointed out that the city dump is rapidly filling and if other communities are' permitted to use, it, Decatur will find it necessary to find a I new location. Russell Brouwer, of Monroeville route two, appeared before the council to request release from his contract with Decatur for electrical power. He stated that he has been advised that the city will be unable to supply adequate power for him to electrically heat his new house. His request was taken' under advisement for further study. A petition by residents of the area between the Erie and Nickel Plate railroads, from 10th to 13th street, was filed requesting installation of an outlet for surface water. The matter was referred to the street and sewer committee in conjunction with the city engineer. Letters of appreciation were read from the Girl Scout council for aid on the Girl Scout shelter house and from the communications division of the civil defense organization for the recent appropriated money to purchase radio equipment. The council adopted an ordinance approving a contract between the city and Moeschberger Stone corporation for materials and equipment in the construction and maintenance of streets. Heller Appointed To Board On Wages To Set Wage Scale On Sewage Plant Dick Heller, Jr., reporter-photo-grapher, for the Decatur Daily Democrat, has been named ;by Mayor Robert Cole to the threeman board which will determine the minimum wage scale for the construction of the $1 million sewage treatment plant State law sets up the procedure for setting the wages, Mayor Cole explained. The governor will appoint one member of the board, and the state federation of labor will appoint the second member. The city board of works, as the building agency, appoints the third member. The board will meet at least two weeks before the letting of contracts some time in May, set minimum wages for three groups —skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled laborers. If the board fails to agree bn wage, which shall not exceed the prevailing wage scale being paid in the locality for such types of work, the city board of works sets the wage. The wage set cannot by law be below the minimum set by the national code of fair competition, nor any regional agreement approved by the president, if there is one. BULLETIN WASHINGTON (IP) — T he United States decided suddenly today against placing the Sues Canal problem before the United Nations Security Coun- , cil at this time. The United Press was informed that the decision against seeking Security Council action now was ‘made this morning-”

Six Cents

Von Beam Dies This Homing, , Probing Cause Autospy Planned To Determine Cause Os Death This Morning ’Mhm Beam, 57-year-old Decatur man. was found dead in the flood* ed wreckage of his automobile early this morning in Allen county, on the state line road near Woodburn. The state police and sheriffs department were called to the scene on the tip of an unidentified motorist,* who saw the Beam auto in a ditch off the fight side ot the road. Investigating officers were unable to determine the time of the accident and the cause of death. They said that the car was apparently headed north and swerved off the road into a ditch, which was 20 feet deep. The ditch held about three feet of water and the car was overturned on the left side. They stated that Beam could have suffered a fatal attack just before the accident, could have died from internal injuries resulting from the accident, or could have drowned after the car overturned. The vehicle which Beam was driving was totally demolished, the body was taken to Harper fc- ’ neral home in New Haven pending “ an autopsy which will be performed by Allen -county coroner Dr, Edgar N. Mendenhall. Beam was not married. A list of survivors was not available early this afternoon. The Decatur man was employed until a few weeks ago at the local General Electric plant. • Part Os Mail Service Cut Is Restored To Resume Saturday Deliveries; Office Hours Stay Shorter WASHINGTON (UP)—Government, cuts in postal service were partly revoked today. But the public won't see much effect until • Saturday when mail will be delivered again and post offices will ' open as usual. Post office windows were kept s on their reduced 8%-hour daily ! schedule except that regional pos- • tai officials were given leeway to make some upward adjustment* in • hours if local need could be • shown. , • ~ V The reduction in business area deliveries from three to two a day 1 also was kept in effect. Postmaster General Arthur E. . Summerfield ordered restoration ’ of Saturday service and revoca- ' tion of pending orders to halt third . class mail and postal money or- , der sales Tuesday night, moments ‘ after President Eisenhower signed ■ an emergency s4l-million postal 5 appropriation. • The 41 million was just six million dollars short of the 47 million 1 dollars Summerfield told Congress 5 he needed to run the postal servl ice until the end of the current f fiscal .year June 30. He had or- ; dered the cutbacks when Congress [ did not provide the money promptt ly enough. ■ Dates Announced By Associated Churches Dates were announced today by the Associated Churches of Decatur for the annual leadership training school and the annual Spiritual Emphasis week services. The training school will be held each Monday, beginning Sept » and concluding Oct. 14. Spiritual Emphasis week will be observed Nov. 3-10, with the Rev; Rcss Winkler, prominent Louisville, Ky., minister, as the guest speaker. -