Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 55, Number 137, Decatur, Adams County, 11 June 1957 — Page 1

Vol. LV. No, 137.

' BRING HUGE GI GIRARD PETITION TO IKE ||l. PROMINENT CITIZENS ot Ottawa, Illinois, arrive at Washington airport, bringing an tition denouncing government handling of the case of their hometown rerviceman, Army Specialist 3/c William 8. Girard who faces manslaughter trial in a Japanese court. Beari ”8 pr President Eisenhower’s attention are (L to r.) Mrs. Lewis Girard; her husband, Lewis, brother of the soldier* Fred A. Gerding Ottawa banker; X. W. Mitchell, Ottawa businessman; Sen. Everett Dirksen <R), 81., who met the group; Leßoy Clemens, editor of the Ottawa Republican-Times, and Hal Brown, Sen.' Douglas’ assistant.

Two Os Craig Friends Give \ Jury Evidence Sayer And Sherwood Appear Before Jury In Highway Scandal United press Staff Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS (UPs—Two of ex-Gov. George Craig’s closest political and American Legion friends spent a total of two hours closeted with a grand jury today in an investigation.of the Indiana highway scandals. x William E. Sayer, former administrative assistant to. Craig, and Elmer W. (Doc) Sherwood, who helped Craig to be nominated and elected, were .“cooperative" apd “answered allqUesttons put to them." ' Their response before a jury, which has been working on the scandals nearly two months and already has indicted four men, was recited by Prosecutor John G. Tinder of Marion County, who announced the jury has called for Craig’s presence as a witness next Tuesday. While Sayer and Sherwood were testifying, Governor Handley s office was issuing two carefullydocumented reports on alleged landbuying irregularities. Photostats In Report One included photostats of all documents and a State Board of Accounts audit of land purchases and sales involving two top international officials of the carpenters union, both of whom invoked the Fifth Amendment in refusing to answer questions on the deals for a Senate subcommittee Monday. “This takes ft out of the realm of hearsay evidence,” said Handley. Other state officials said “these will be helpful in any prosecution.” Tinder disclosed that both Sayer, who spent an hour and 20 minutes with the jury, and Sherwood, who testified only half that time, waived immunity from prosecution before they answered the jury’s questions. „ “We went into a lot of things, said Tinder. “Principally highway purchasing** other than right-of-way. Tinder said Craig’s attorney associate, John Ruckelshaus, already has confirmed the ex-gov-ernor will be here—with a subpena —for the June 18 resumption of the scandal probe. Craig said Monday he would “welcome” a chance to testify and needed no subpena. Tinder explained Sherwood spent less time with the jury than Sayer, the first witness, because ‘much of the evidence followed the same pattern.” _ . " Mogilner Nat Located Asked if Arthur Mogilner, who teamed up with Sayer to sell the state about 8133,000 worth of an engine additive called "Gio at 88 a gallon, would be summoned before the jury, Tinder said: “You can’t call a man when you don't know where he is.” Asked if he would call Mogilner in the event he could be located. Tinder said, ”1 don’t want to deal in the abstract.”* ' Tinder said Craig would be the last witness of the "principal probe." He said land purchases .C«>auuuvu on raa* xagOt/ INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy, warm and humid tonight with thunderstorms probably«locally severe north portion. Wednesday partly cloudy with thundershowers south portion and turning cooler north portion. Low tonight 6572. High Wednesday 74-82 north, 82-88 south. Sunset 8:13 p. m« sunrise Wednesday 5:17 a. m.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY '

Fred Bieberich Is Legion Commander Annual Election Is z Held Here Monday Fred Bieberich, unopposed for commander of Adams Post 43, -American Legion, was elected commandor Monday in balloting at the Legion home. Only contested post, fourth vice-chairman, went to Charles W. Chew, over William Porter. Balloting, which started at noon, was extremely light until the 8 p. m. deadline. Other officers for the coming year will be: first vicc-commarider, Robert Smith; second vice-commander, Ambrose Spangler; third vicecommander. Hubert P. Schmitt, Jr.; adjutant, Herman Bittner; treasurer, Don Coctoan; trustee, Hugh Andrews. Delegates will be the outgoing commander, Frank Petter, the incoming commander, Fred Bieberich, and Hugh Andrews, James K. Staley, Wendell Macklin, Rev. O. U. Busse, Hubert P. Schmitt, jr., Walter Kbeneman, and Charles Chew. Alternate delegates will be Charles Weber, Dick Heller, Jr., Charles Morgan, Harold Hoffman, Ambrose Spangler, Don Cochran, <Con;:;.UM on race Blx> Brewer Speaks To Industry Division C. Os C. President Speaks At Luncheon Cliff Brewer, president of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, was speaker at the monthly dinner meeting of the industrial division of the chamber, held at the Youth and Community Center Monday noon. » He stated that so far in the “Invest in a greater Decatur fund,” a total of 820,632 has been raised, which means that 85,868 still needs to be raised. Still to be collected is 81,350 in pledges. A committee is to be appointed by the industrial division, for the purpose of compiling information required by industries interested in locating in Decatur, into a handy form to be sent upon request. It was noted during the luncheon meeting that several inquiries have been received from interested concerns, and that - these have in turn been turned over to the industrial development committee. / Plans are being made to secure an official of the state industrial development commission to visit in Decatur, and speak at an early fall dinner meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. Ralph Kreigel Named K. C. Grand Knight Ralph J. Kreigel was named grand night at the annual election meeting of the Knights of Columbus, Decatur council 863, held Monday evening at the K. of C. hall. Kreigel, who succeeds Gerald Martin, will serve in that capacity for one year. Serving under Kreigel will be Art Lengerich, deputy grand knight; Cletus Heimann, recording secretary; Dave Moore, treasurer; Eugene Braun, chancellor; Lawrence LebnartT, .advocate; Wayne Peterson, warden; Joe Costello, inner guard; Ted Gage, outer guard, and Gerald Martin, trustee. The new officers will assume their duties as of July 1. Installation ceremonies are scheduled to take place July A

Controversy Is Stirred Up In Mandamus Case Statement Made By Attorney Stirs Up More Controversy A statement by attorney C. H. Muselman appearing in Monday’s Berne Witness as the lead story, ’ stating that Berne residents south of Main street in that city may be : taxed for Geneva school purposes if the mandamus suit to change the township line is successful, started a storm of controversy in legal and school circles here tp--1 day. Muselman is attorney for Sylvan • Sprunger, trustee of Monroe town- ; a defendant in the mandamus action filed in circuit Court Hay 1 25, asking that the area of Berne ■ lying south of the Main street be • transferred back from Monroe ’ township tax lists to Wabash township tax lists for dvil township tax ! purposes. ’ May 14, L. A. Mann, trustee of ’ Wabash township, filed a petition ’ with the county auditor asking that he transfer back to Wabash township the land in question. The auditor stated that he had no legal reason to change the present tax books without a writ of mandamus from the court,’and the mandamus action resulted. The case started in circuit court Saturday, and was continued until June 26 at 9 a.m. Muselman showed that under the provisions of section 65-701 to 65703 of Burns Indiana statutes, a . civil township by a petition of 51 percent of its residents, can levy ’ a tax on all its residents for “town- . ship activities” including schools, , regardless of what school district • they reside in. This is the law used in 1951-52 by > which Decatur residents of Root ■ township have to pay for the bondt ed indebtedness of the Monmouth I school. At that time 51 percent of , the residents of the township signed a petition calling for the school . improvement under that statute. . This was binding on the Decatur , residents, too. Many of them had, . however, signed the petition them- , selves. A call to the Indianapolis bonding firm, whose approval is prac- , tically speaking necessary to sell , school bonds, brought the infor- , mation that attorney Muselman is. , correct in that the law is in effect. , Attorney Robert Smith, of the . firm of Custer & Smith, attorneys for L. A. “Gus” Mann in the man- , damus action against county audii tor Edward F. Jaberg and town- . ship trustee Sylvan Sprunger of ’ Monroe township, to change the . township line for tax purposes, said that Muselman was, in effect, creating a tempest in a teapot. War bash township was unable to raise enough money to pay for the school addition by issuing bonds. So a private corporation was formed under the provisions of paragraph 28-3220, Burns statutes. This corporation sold its own bonds for the school addition, and now leases the school addition to the Wabash school township, not ’ civil township, for a period of 20 years. At the end of that time, the bonds being retired with their in- ■ terest, the ownship of the addition 1 will pass to the school township. : Under this law, the school township is carefully defined as excluding ' any portion of the civil township ' within a* separate school corpora- ' tion. This means that any section of Berne, paying taxes for the Berne school, would be forever ex- ! ■eluded from the Wabash school township as referred to in this act. ’ The present school addition to tVonttauM on t*a«o Six)

Decatur, Indiana, Tues

President Eisenhower Back In Office After Brief Spell Os Illness

Charge Girard Enticed Japs To Danger Area High U. S. Official Explodes Bombshells In Soldier's Case WASHINGTON (UP)—A high defense official exploded a bombshell in the Girard case today by by disclosing government evidence that GI William S. Girard "enticed” a Japanese woman closer toward a guarded area before killing her. Robert Dechert, Defense Department general counsel, said in Coral Gables, Fla., that testimony of all Japanese witnesses plus that of Girard’s “American sol-dier-companion” made it appear the 21-year-old specialist 3-C “enticed” Japanese civilians prior to his deadly act. Girard had been ordered to guard a machine gun emplacement on a firing range in Japan where Japanese were accustomed to pick up fired shells to sell as scrap. The defense official said the evidence showed Girard enticed the Japanese closer to the guarded area “by throwing them expended shell casings,” then fired a shot that killed Mmrs. Naka . Departure From Duty "No one says he deliberately killed the woman,” Dechert said. But he added the Ottawa, Hl., soldier’s action was "such a complete departure from hiS duty. .. that he could not have been considered on duty.” Japan, to whose jurisdiction the United States has surrendered Girard, has made the claim he enticed the Japanese shell gatherers. But heretofore this country has said only that Girard denied the charge. Dechert’s surprise statement amounted to a bombshell in the ease. Previously Defense Department spokesmen had indicated they would not reveal evidence against Girard for fear of prejudicing his case in the Japanese courts. U.S. attorney Oliver Gasch, who will argue the government’s case against Girard’s return to this country before Federal District Judge Joseph McGarraghy today, told the United Press: “I didn’t know Mr. Dechert was going to say that.” Uses Biting Words Earl J. Carroll of New York, Girard’s chief American counsel, denounced Dechert’s statement in the most biting terms. He called it “one of the lowest possible blows,” a “dastardly charge” that would damage the prestige of the United States in the eyes of the world. Noting Girard’s commanding general certified the GI was on duty status when he shot Mrs. Sakai, Carroll told the United Press “somebody is lying.” He said if the> government has (Coattaaed oa Pane Five)

tyorfAjnan Field To Open Wednesday For Summer

Steve Everhart, supervisor of summer recreation at Worthman field, announced today that the field will be officially opened Wednesday for the summer program? Working on the recreation program, in addition to Everhart, will be Bob Worthman, in charge of baseball activities for the Morning league, and the Junior American Legion team; Miss Janet Everhart, in charge of the playground and craft work, with Miss Marjorie Kohne as her assistant. The playground will be open daily, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Craft work will be taught from 1 to 4 o’clock each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. included in the playground equipment areswings, sandbox, slides, washer game, horseshoe, shuffleboard; tennis and basketball. The Morning league, composed of 44 boys organized into four

June 11, 1957.

Plan Commission Rejects Rezoning Mies-Dawson Realty Petition Rejected The petition of the Mies-Daw-son Realty Inc., to rezone an area of land at the west city limits of Decatur, has been rejected by the members of the city plan commission, which met in special session at city hall Monday evening. Ralph J. Roop, city engineer, and secretary of the commission, ’ has been instructed to recommend to the city, council, which will make the final decision, that the petition of the local concern be rejected. „ ■... - Officers of the newly formed realty firm filed the original petition with the city council, and it in turn was referred to the city planning commission, which met May 27 for a hearing concerning the re-zoning of the 31 acres of land, which is located at - the , west city limits of Decatur, running north from U. S. 224, from , R-l residential, to C-2 general commercial. Members of the plan commis- . sion attending last night’s meeting were Mayor Robert Cole, i Clyde Drake, Robert Gay, Char- • les Kent, Lawrence Kohne, and f Kenneth Hirschy, chairman. Vot--1 ing was by secret ballot, with the 1 petition receiving five votes for the meeting were city attorr ney John L. DeVoss, Oscar Lan- • kenau, and attorney Robert Smith, • the latter representing the Mies- ■ Dawson firm. During the same meeting, the • commission gave its acceptance of the plat of the second Master • addition, section "B,” which is 1 an addition of Mix avenue, south to Washington street. The plat ; contains 24 acres. A round table discussion followed, concerning the changes in the present zoning ordinance. Secretary Roop has been advised ' to contact Lawrence V. Sheridan, I planning consultant authority of . Indianapolis, to meet with" the 10. . cal commission within the next ■ few days. Purpose of the meeting will be to revise the present > zoning ordinance to bring it up to i date. Five Persons Killed By Fire In Home ’■ MADISON, Conn. (W — A 'fire believed to have resulted from a defective oil burner raced through a two-story frame house Monday i night, killing five persons, three of them children. Three others • escaped, one with minor burns. One of the victims, Charles Van Derwalker Jr., 37, died while trying to carry two of his small nieces to safety. The third child was found dead in her mother’s arms. ■ Killed in addition to Van Derwalker were his sister, Mrs. Mary Conley. 29, and her three children, Mary, 3, Patricia, 2, and Susan, 10 months.

teams, will play each Monday and Wednesday morning, with two games scheduled, at. 9 and 10 o'clock. In addition to the daytime schedule, the Adams county Pony League will play double headers each Monday night, starting at 6 o’clock; the Decatur Little League will play double headers each Tuesday and Friday nights, starting at 6 o'clock; Klenk’s Federation league team plays Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons, and the Junior American Legion team is scheduled to open its season, weather permitting, at 7 o’clock Wednesday night at Worthman field against Bluffton. The Decatur Boy Scouts, as for several years, will operate the concession stand at the field, which is open for all Pony League, Little League, and Klenk’s games. All profits from the concessions go to the Boy Scout fund for the Scouts’ activities and trips.

12 Migratory Farm Workers Die In Trash Pickup Truck Hit By Freight Train In Colorado Today VROMAN, Colo. (UP) — Twelve migrant farm workers were killed today when a pickup truck taking them to sugar beet fields was struck by a Santa Fe freight train. The dead, all from the Rocky Ford, Colo., area, included men, women and children. Authorities said it would be "some time” before they could be Identified. * Bodies were said to be scattered for at least 400 feat. The truck was reported turning off U.S. 50 to go to a farm when it was hit by the train at shortly after 8 a.m. c.d.t. Sylvester Licano of Rocky Ford, six miles east of here, was driving toe truck. He was killed. The Colorado state patrol said Licano apparently was blinded by the sun and failed to see the apnroaching train. None of the train crew was injured. Engineer U.S. Inskeep was too "upset" to talk, authorities said. , The rest of his crew, conductor pf® Prince, b-rakeman Troy Thomas and rear brakeman D.A. Johnson, could give no reason for the crash. The state patrol said the truck was a mass of twisted steel. ,Most of the victims were thrown clear ’ by the impact. Several of the five survivors, taken to the Rocky and La Junta hospitals, were not expected to live. Authorities said there were about 25 persons on the truck. Awards Court Held f For Air Explorers Court Os Awards Is Held Monday Night The semi-annual court of awards of Air Explorer squadron 7062, sponsored by the Decatur B P.O, Elks, was held,at the Elks home Monday evening, and presented the first Eagle Scout award of the squadron to Jim Burk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Burk. The Decatur Elks also presented Burk with an engraved wallet, through Oran Schultz, chairman of the Elks scouting committee. Dr. Melvin I. Weisman, sponsor of the troop, presented the scouts for awards. > Burk received the award, highest degree in general scouting, from his mother. Papers concerning the award were presented I by E. E. Rydell, institutional representative of B. P. O. Elks lodge 993. Other awards include the star scout award to John and Charles Krueckeberg; gold awards to Mike Durkin and Steve Edwards; and apprentice explorer awards to Michael Ehler and Severin Schurger. The eagle aviation rating, aviation merit badge, and citizenship merit badge were also awarded to Jim Burk. Nipk Conrad received the aviayon rating, wpather rating and merit badges for the same subjects. Mike Durkin received the gold award rating for navigation and weather, and the merit badge for weather. Steve Edwards received the ■ weather merit badge; other merit badge awards included Ronnie Highland, weather rating, merit badges for weather and railroading; Charles Krueckeberg, aviation rating, cooking and aviation merit badges; John Krueckeberg, Star scout, and aviation rating; Severin Schurger, apprentice explorer aviatinon rating and merit badge; Dave Sheets, aviation rating and merit badge; Bill Smith, <Coßttaa«l Pace Five)

■ - Rev. W. H. fcM»atrick Rev. Kirkpatrick Resigns Pastorate Resigns As Pastor Os Church Os Go 4 < The Rev. W. H. Kirkpatrick, pastor of the Church of God, Cleveland street, announced this morning that he has resigned his pastorate, effective Sept. L Rev. Kirkpatrick, who has been minister of the church state July 1. 1953, stated that he was not at liberty at the present time to divulge his future plans. The official board ot the church ■ will meet Wednesday evening to take official action on Rev. Kirkpatrick’s resignation. During Rev. Kirkpatrick's pastorate, a new parsemage has been completed, for which the formal, dedication was held two and onehalt years ago. Also during thaX time, the church has been com? pletely redecorated and all new carpeting laid. A substantial increase In growth has also been made by the church, particularly in Sunday school attendance, which has been increased to 173, and in the number of young couples added to the congregation. Rev. Kirkpatrick served one year as president of the Decatur ministerial association, and for two years was chairman of the Spiritual Emphasis week committee. Dairy Industry’s Importance Cited Decatur Lions Club .Hears Guest Speaker The importance of the dairy industry was explained to the Decatur Lions club Monday evening by Herbert Snyder, of Fort Wayne, during national dairy month. Snyder was introduced by Ralph Smith, Jr., of the Smith ' Dairy. He pointed out that the dairy industry, not including the i farmers, is one of the largest in the* United States, employing more : than 300,000 persons. The largest fleet of motor vehicles in the world Is used to deliver milk and milk products—more than 340,000 * vehicles. . , ; The big change today in the dairy industry is from milk delivery to individual customers to . the use of milk in other products, such as glues, fibers, foods, etc. Butter used to be a big seller, but is now a minor part of the milk industry. Snyder described the milk industry as presently going through “growing pains” towards a healthier industry. He then used dates to show important facts in the history of , dairying. In 1617 the first cattle were introduced to the United States, at Jamestown. In 1841 milk was first shipped by rail. In 1856 Pasteur invented control of germs in fluids, by heating. In 1884 the milk bottle was invented, and in 1890 a TB test for cattle was perfected. The first paper carton for milk was made (C«Pace Five)

Six Cents

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