Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 55, Number 176, Decatur, Adams County, 27 July 1957 — Page 1

Vol. LV. No. 176

, KILLS ROOMMATE OVER $l6O wKp~4 POLICE ARE HOLDING on suspicion of murder 19-year-pld Elaine Soule (right!, following her confession that she killed her roommate. 20-year-old Catherine "Kit” Marie. Elvins (left) in their Burlingame, Calif., apartment. The Soule girl told police she killed her roommate, socialite daughter of a prominent Seattle, Wash., physician, so that she could rob hei of slffl}.

Hoffa Defies AFL-CIO To Succeed Beck Seeks Presidency Os Teamster Union As Beck Successor CHICAGO (UP)—Teamster Vice President James R Hoffa today began what looked like a bandwagon ride to the union's top post, aocn to be vacated by Dave Beck, and announced his willingness to combat any opposition AFL-CIO leaders may throw at him. Hoffa, 44. fresh from an acquittal by a federal jury on charges he conspired to plant a spy on the Senate Rackets Committee, threw his teamster cap in the ring Friday before more than 800 cheering union officials. In Seattle, Wash., retiring President Dave Beck had legal problems of his own. He pleaded innocent to a grand jury indict meet charging him with grand larceny. The indictment charges Beck with selling a Teamsters' Union automobile and pocketing the money. Beck’s son. Dave, Beck Jr will be arraigned on similar charges next Tuesday. Presenting his platform. Hoffa read a statement of policy which pledged the Teamsters to support the AFL-CIO on such matters as the operation of union health-wel-fare funds, and the ouster of racketeers. Fascists and Communists from the trade union movement. "1 for one never want to leave voluntarily the AFL-CIO.” Hoffa said. "However, I don't want any inference to be left that wea re willing to sacrifice the autonomy of our international union Better we should fight while we are strong than realize while w« are weak that we should have Thv statement of policy, however. took issue wtth the AFL-CIO ruing Jan 38. 1967. that union officials who invoke the Sth Amendment should step down from their offices Hoffa s platform pledges him and his support-, ers to demand a reversal of the AFL - CIO stand at the next convention of the organization Hoffa himself apparently had no iMrsonsl qualms about appearing tx-fore the Senate Rackets Committee. I have never taken the sth Amendment and I don't intend to bow,” he said at a press confer ■age following the — The reception given Hoffa appxrently cmwed J<4in T 'Sandy. O'Brien, fourth vice president of the Teamsters from Chicago, considered one of Hoffa's top rivals for the Zeamster presidency, to reevaluate Ms chances of winning 'lf Hofta has the strength he anoears to have and 1 think be does—l will not run.” he said O'Brien, however, still had the support of William A. Lee. preei- ’ deMat the Chicago Federation at lafoor and also a Teamster vice is our man,” Lee said. _____ Decatvr Retailers To Attend Luncheon At 4-H Fair Grounds Members at the retail division of the Decatur Chamber of Corna hmcham at the. S CMMtjr 4-H fair at Monroe 1 next Wednesday noon. Retailers planning to attend are asked to meet on the south side of the court house at 12 noon Wednesday. and travel as a group to the 4-H fair grounds. This wiU be a repeat at last year’s outing, when 40 men attended and reported fine food served and an interesting tour of the displays. Decatur business men have been ardent booster* of the 4-H tain for yean, and a large group is expected to attend Wed nesday’s outtag^?- ™ ~~ ' ~ ’

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Boston Firefighters Battle Dock Blaze One Os Worst In History Os Boston BOSTON (UP)—Exhausted firefighters today battled one of the worst dock fires in this city's history. Officials said the million dollar blaze "could burn another three days.” The five-alarm blaze broke out Friday night on the mile-long Mystic River Docks, menacing ships and nearby fuel elevators. More than 100 firemen were injured or overcome, including 15 Coast Guardsmen volunteers who collapsed from exhaustion after working for 12 hours without relief. At mid-morning Deputy Fire Chief John F Howard said the fire could burn for three more days but that danger to dock installations was past. Billowing smoke and flames covered miles of dock area. Mountainous piles of coal were burning. Firefighters battling from beneath piers were forced to retreat step by step as the fire swept across oil-soaked wharf pilings. More than 2,000 men struggled in the night as flames silhouetted giant fuel elevators and freighters anchored nearby. Flames leaped 50 feet high, sending up clouds of black smoke that blanketed half of Chelsea across the Mystic River. The smoke forced evacuation of 30 homes near Chelsea Naval Hospital. Patients in some sections of the hospital were evacuated to other parts of the hospital For a time, firefighters were endangered by 100-foot high elevator cranes on the dock. Burning timbers threatened to give way and the men were ordered back. Flames and smoke could be seen for 20 miles Fire Chief Driscoll. who flow back from Philadelphia at midnight to direct firefighting operations, said it was the "worst waterfront fire I have ever CAMkH ** i- ' '* c I :MHHDRR6. . . .jg.xSeveral times, back - lashing flames trapped firefighters work- ; ing at the blaze from under piers Pulitzer-prize winning photographer Frank Cushing of the Boston Herald was overcome while taking pictures aboard a fireboat. II I 221" J | UNITED TIXTHI WORKERS President Anthony Valente tells labor racket probers in Washington that the reason he and Secretary-Treasurer Lloyd Klenert used 157,000 in union funds to purchase Washington homes was that they wanted to conceal the union's money from a flood of new members. At that time the union was AFL and the new members, he said, were from the then rival CIO organization. ffateradtfonaU.

Close Vote On Civil Rights Showdown Seen Republicans Seek Enough Votes To Defeat Jury Trial WASHINGTON (UP) - Republican leaders are confident of getting enough GOP senators back into the administration camp to defeat a jury trial amendment to the civil rights bill, informed sources said today. Senate GOP Leader William F. Knowland (Calif.) told Republican senators Friday President Eisenhower opposed any such amendment. Senate Democrats supporting a jury trial provision appeared equally certain they would win. Both sides agreed that the showdown vote, probably next week, will be close. Eighteen Republicans deserted the administration Wednesday when the Senate by a 52-38 vote killed a heavily-disputed section of the bill to provide the government with wide injunction powers to head off civil rights violations. Twenty-five GOP senators voted with the administration. But GOP sources told the United Press that party leaders believe 35 to 37 Senate Republicans will vote with the administration on the jury trial issue- This would be a gain of 10 to 12 votes. The chief advocates of a jury trial amendment Friday got together on a compromise proposed by Sen. Joseph C. O’MAoney (DWyoJ. Under O’Mahoney's proposal, a jury trial would be guaranteed for anyone accused of criminal contempt of court for deliberately violating a court order protecting voting rights. But the amendment would not provide for jury trials in cases of civil contempt, in which the judge imposes a continuing penalty in an effort to persuade the accused to comply with the injunction in the future. Bumper Earnings By Indiana Industries State Utilities And Industries Gaining By UNITED PRESS Indiana utilities and industries reported bumper sales and earnings today for the second quarter of 1957. At Columbus, Arvin Industries, Inc., reported a new all-time record for sales and earnings. Profits were $1.15 a share compared with 92 cents a year earlier. Sales were more than 17 million dollars compared with more than 14 millionsPublic Service Company of Indiana, Inc., declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 31.05 per share on 4.20 per cent cumulative preferred and 50 cents on common stock. Earnings per share of common stock were 22.62 for the year ending June 30 compared with $2.46 in the last preceding year.Mead Johnson A Co. of Evansville reported new record sales and earnings for the first six months and announced an increase in quarterly dividend rate from 25 to 30 cents per common share. Sales for the first half year were nearly 28 million dollars, an increase of 19.5 per cent over last to 8162 per share of common stock compared with 11.21 for the same period last year. Perfect Circle Corp, of Hagerstown declared a 25-cent dividend, continuing an unbroken record of regular dividends since the firm was incorporated in 1928. Continued On Fere Five Make Improvements At Northwest School Extensive improvements are presently underway at the Northwest Elementary school, located on Dayton street, according to W. Guy Brown, superintendent of public schools. Work will begin Monday on paving the school's playground, which is located at the northeast corner of the new educational building. Meshberger Brothers Stone Co. has been employed for the project, and will hard surface the entire playing area, which is 100 ft. by 150 ft. Yost Construction Co. will begin putting in new tiling, to improve the drainage system ofthe entire site. The city street department has donated fill dirt to be used ip filling in the numerous low places in the ground surrounding the school, which have occurred because of the recent rains. Hubert Zerkel, Jr., is principal of the school, which will begin Its third year of operation this fall.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, July 27,1957

President Armas Os Guatemala Victim Os Assassin Last Night ■ s .

Ask Probe Os , Show-Loving Labor Leader Charge Union Head Spent Union Funds For Show Tickets WASHINGTON (UP)—Senate investigators today asked the Jus- . tice Department and Intern a l Revenue Service to look into the. ' affairs of a theater - loving labor leader charged with spending 211,-« ‘ 411 of his union’s money for tick- ' ets to hit Broadway shows. Chairman John L. McClellan (D-Ark.) of the Senate Rackets Committee sent the two departments copies of the testimony of Lloyd Klenert, secretary-treasurer of the United Textile Workers Union, after the committee accused Klenert of misusing $101,963 of union funds for his personal benefit. t He also dispatched as the basis for possible prosecution the testimony of union President Anthony Valente, who was accused by investigators of misusing $26,442. , Investigator Alphonse F. Calabrese testified Friday that Klen- ' ert spent $2,564 for tickets to the hit musical "My Fair Lady.” He said this was spread, over 24 visits to the show. Calabrese said Klenert charged $14,107 worth of c.o.d. packages to his union-paid hotel bills, including such items as a $25 corkscrew, a $566 color TV set, expensive clothing for himself and his wife, and S4O worth of trampoline lessons for Mrs. Klenert. He said Klenert socked the union for $18,391 worth of rooms at some of America’s swankiest resort hotels for himself and family and more than $3,600 worth of airline fare to and from the resorts. Klenert contended the personal items were bought with a special $6,500 a year expense fund which the union gave him from 1948 until last November. t ’ i Committee Counsel Robert F. Kennedy argued that the union’s executive board voted Klenert and Valente this fund in 1948 only in lieu of raising their salaries and per diem expenses to $15,000 a | year —a wage bracket they reached soon thereafter. i . , ■_ ( Tax Rate Averages Near State Median I County Is Slightly Above State Median Adams county's tax rate averages out just about the median of . the first 42 counties reporting, a comparison of local figures with those of the state board of tax commissioners shows, county assessor Walter Koos said today. A letter urging uniformity went out from the state board this spring. The letter pointed out that a low assessment means high tax rates, and a high assessment means a low tax rate. The following is a comparison of the high, low. and median of the reports from 42 counties, with Adams county’s assessment: house- ' hold goods, low, $129; high, $432, median, $240; Adams county, $306; ' automobiles and trucks, low, $285; i high, $517; median, $397; Adams county, $474; farm implements, ( low, $173; high, $1,456; median, ■ $670; Adams county, $930; farfn ; tractors, low, $195; high, $549; me- ; dian, $362; Adams county, $402. < Beef cattle, low, $45.10; high. : $73: milk cows, low, $43.50; high. J $122; median, SB6; Adams county, 1 $113; other cattle, low, s3l; high, ] $79; median, SSO; Adams county, ■ 258. Sheep, low, $10; high, $22; medi- ' an, 214; Adams county, 214; Sows, j low, 231; high, $62; median, $47.85; • Adams county. S4B; other hogs, \ low. 28; high. sl7; median. 212.23; ( Adams county, $11; poultry and farm flocks, per dozen; low, $5: ( high, 27: median, $5.40; Adams , county, 25 plus; total farm property, low, 2388; high, 24,201; median, : 22,157; Adams county, $2,705.

1' Says Smokers Waste Money For Fillers House Committee Closes Hearings WASHINGTON (UP)—The chairman of the House subcommittee which has just completed an investigation of cigarette filters said today smokers “have been wasting their money” buying filtertype varieties. Rep- John A. Blatnik (D-Minn.) said smokers “might just as well be smoking the old unfiltered cigarettes.” Blatnik said his House subcommittee’s inquiry showed smokers are getting just as much tar and nicotine from the new filter - tip Cigarettes as from the regularSize plain-tip variety. But he said smokers are paying close to 200 million dollars a year extra for filter tips. Moreover, he told the United Press, advertisers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars during the last four years to promote filter-tip cigarettes, but smokers got a better tobacco for less money with the old unfiltered variety. Blatnik’s government operations subcommittee Friday concluded six days of hearings on filter tips and the cigarette smoking - lung cancer controversy. Blatnik said he believes “people will go on smoking” despite reports that cigarette consumption tea cause Os lung canoer. But he expressed confidence a “way odt” can be found to give them better health protection. One way, he said, would be to find some agent that would “neutralize” substances in tobacco tars believed responsible for causing lung cancer. Another way, he added, would be through use of tobacco producing less tars and development of better filtering processes. _- Gary Gambling And Liquor Spots Raided State Police And Excise Men In Raid GARY, Ind (UP) — Two big parties of Indiana State Police troopers and state excise officers, one of them led by State Police Supt. Harold S. Zeis, pounced on illegal liquor and gambling places in Lake County early today. Three persons were arrested and three taverns faced liquor law violations in the wake of a series of raids in Gary and East Chicago made by a total of more than 125 officers. - Zeis, former Allen County sheriff who took over as police superintendent six months ago, personally led one of the raiding gams which concentrated on ary. Maj. Paul Beverforden, executive officer and second ranking official in the ISP, led the other party which struck at East Chicago. j-. _ w George Rinck, chief of state excise police, also participated in the raids/ Troopers from all over northern Indiana rolled into the Lake County area under secret orders in what Zeis described as an effort to cleanup widespread violations of drinking and gaming laws in the populous Calumet area just around the tip of Lake Michigan from Chicago, the nation's second largest city. Three persons were arrested at Chandler’s Place in East Chicago. Taken before Justice of the Peace Michael Kuhn, they pleaded guilty, Fannie Gillispie to charges of illegal sale and possession of alcoholic beverages, and Thomas Louis France and Charles Moore to charges of frequenting a gambling place. Fines ranging from $lB to S7B were leviedZeis said formal citations will be filed with the State Alcoholic Beverage Commission against Chandler’s Place, the Yellow Dragon Case of East Chicago and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Club of Gary. The raiding party Zeis led visited two Gary places where no arrests were made. NOON UMTION ; I

Dullesflies To London Al Ike's Request Secretary Os State To Make Study Os Disarmament Talks WASHINGTON (UP)—Secretary of State John Foster Dulles will fly to London this weekend to get a “personal review and judgment” of the current disarmament talks, the White House announced today. The White Rouse said Dulles was making the trip at President Eisenhower’s request. Its statement said the President considers the problems under discussion in London “of such importance as to require the secretary’s personal review and judgment.” Press Secretary James C. Hagerty emphasized that Dulles’ trip was not an "emergency” visit, and said the secretary’s participation in the disarmament talks was no "reflection" on disarmament negotiator Harold E Stassen. Hagerty said it simply was felt that Dulles could better make a review of all problems now under discussion at first hand instead of ip an. exchange <rf cables. Dulles, who is spending the weekend in Canada, will leave Ottawa Sunday night, arriving in London Monday. Hagerty said it was not certain how long Dulles will remain in London. But he said his stay is not expected to last longer than “a few days.” Hagerty also emphasized that the sudden Dulles trip was not associated with any “new developments” or with a possible new United States proposal to the drawn - out disarmament conference. Utility Lineman Is Electrocuted Friday FORT WAYNE (UP) — Grover Switzer, 31, Hicksville, Ohio, was electrocuted Friday when he touched a power line while working as a lineman for the Indiana and Michigan Electric Co. Switzer was connecting a house and the power line atop a utility pole. Krick-Tyndall Mill Is Damaged By Fire Damage Estimated At $2,500 Friday A fire on the roof of the KrickTyndall tile mill about 5:05 p. m. Friday caused an estimated $2,500 damage, Virgil “Pete” Krick, plant manager, said today. The fire broke out on the roof over one of the eight drying rooms, and was confined to that area. In addition to the roof, wall insulation was also damaged. The fire was on the south side of the plant. Apparently the fire was started by electric welding. Workers saw the smoke almost immediately and called the firemen, who confined the fire and extinguished it by 6:30. o’clock. Krick praised the firemen highly for their prompt action. Black smoke, from the asphalt roof, poured from the building, and rose in a great column over the city. Krick stated that the fire would hamper the work, but would not cut production, which will continue. Insurance investigators will look over the area Monday, and the roof will be repaired immediately after the investigation. INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy, warm and humid today, tonight and Sunday. High today upper 80s, low tonight upper 60s. High Sunday near 60. Outlook tor Monday: Partly cloudy, warm and humid. ‘ T

School Relief Fund Delayed Until 1958 No Use Os Funds Before Next Year INDIANAPOLIS (UP) - Indiana school authorities were told today the 7 million dollars the 1957 General Assembly set aside for local school tax relief cannot be used until January 1, 1958. Atty. Gen- Edwin Steers issued a ruling on the fund, to be distributed half by August, 1957 and half a year later. Steers said the first $3,500,000 cannot be appropriated by local units until the first of the year. The new law said the money could be used for school repair and construction, r or to retire debts and pay rents. But it could not be used for gymnasiums. Steers said the law contained a typographical error which might make it appear that debts and rents as well as gymnasiums could be included. But he said the error had no effect on the law. The official opinion also said the extra money could be transferred to "any other fund” by a school corporation as long as "all statutory and other requirements” are met. This meant a school unit could use its share of the distribution to incr ea s e teacher salaries. - Whether the fund should be used for that purpose was disputed during the legislative session. The opinion was in answer to questions from Chief Examiner Thomas Hindman of the State Board of Accounts. One point was whether school units were required to set up a special fund for the extra money- Steers said they were. Blast Victim's Body Is Found In Desert Plane Passenger's Body Found Friday e GEORGE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (UP)—An autopsy was performed today on the body of a heavily - insured passenger who was blown out the side of an airliner 10,000 feet over the California desert. The body of jeweler Saul F. Binstock, 62. was found late Friday by an Air Force helicopter. The San Bernardino Sheriffs office said the body lay face down on a small ridge in the desert. Binstock was found more than 24 hours after an explosion that rocked a Western airliner. The two-engine Convair plane carrying 12 other passengers and three crew members managed to make an emergency landing here after the blast tore a gaping hole in the fuselage of the plane. The body was removed to O'Donnell’S Mortuary in Bartow, Calif., where the San Bernardino County coroner and county pathologist planned to determine the exact cause of death. Search parties earlier in the day recovered fragments of twisted metal and hardware blown out of the side of the plane early Wednesday. The blast occurred in the lavatory and searchers found the battered washbasin on the desert _ Civil Aeronautics Board investigators continued to search the plane for any trace of explosive marks. Sheppard Attorney Motors To Florida DE LAND, Fla. Wl — The attorney who defended Dr. Samuel Sheppard at his 1954 murder trial was motoring here today to determine whether a young Florida convict could be the key to new action toward freeing the Cleveland osteopath. Attorney William Corrigan is expected to arrive here Monday to make a thorough check of the story of Donald H. Wedler, 23, who has told the local sheriff, private investigators and Cleveland authorities that he thinks he killed Marilyn Sheppard. -

Six Cents mA- .fc. _

Assassin Slays President In Palace Friday Slayer Identified t As Palace Guard, [ Known Communist : GUATEMALA CITY (UP) —An ' assassin shot and killed President Carlos Castillo Armas inside the presidential palace Friday night. Officials identified the slayer as . Romeo Vasquez Sanchez, a palace , guard alleged to be a Communist He committed suicide immedi--1 ately after killing the president, officials said. , Castillo Armas was slain as he was going into the dining room of the palace with his wife. Police said papers found on the , assassin disclosed he had long been a member of the Communist t Party. ; Early this morning, first Vice [ President Luis Arturo GonzalezLopez assumed the presidency. * The cabinet decreed a state of ' siege (a modified form of martial , law) throughout the country. ’ Gonzalez-Lopez said all those 1 responsible for the “dastardly ■ action” will be punished severely--1 He indicated others might be - implicated in the assassination. The new president told United -« 1 Press his government'would main- ' tain and keep up the antiCommunist and democratic policies of Castillo Armas. Gonzalez-Lopez was sworn in shortly before 5 a.m. at *n emergency cabinet meeting. Shortly afterward he issued a proclamation urging the Guatemalan people to keep calm “in the face of the national tragedy.” Alexandria Women Killed In Accident ELKHART (UP) —Two widows, one of them the city clerktreasurer of Alexandria, were killed today when their automobile rammed a big truck at an intersection of two highways east of here. The dead were identified as Mrs. Marguerite Humphries, Alexandria clerk-treasurer, and Mrs. Alma Perry Black, her office assistant, Tucker Will Again Bid For Governor Democratic Nominee In '56 Runs Again INDIANAPOLIS (UP)-* Terre Haute Mayor Ralph Tucker, the Democratic nominee for governor of Indiana last year, said today he will run again for the state’s highest office in 1960. Tucker won over a big field erf party hopefuls in the 1956 state nominating convention but lost in the November election to Governor Handley, who also conquered a large field of Republican candidates in his party’s convention. ”1 am a candidate for governor and will continue to be one in 1960,” said Tucker as he came here for a two-day biennial state convention of Indiana Young Democrats. State Sen. Matthew Welch of Vincennes, one of Tucker’s chief rivals in the 1056 convention, had made it known previously he would be a candidate for governor in 1960. Both Tucker and Welsh were here for the convention of about 800 of the party’s younger affiliates. Speeches at a banquet Friday night were made by Democratic National Chairman Paul M Butler of South Bend and Earl Cocke Jr., former national commander of the American. Legion. Butler said the Democrats lost ground in 1952 and 1956 elections among first voters. "The recruitment of young men and women is our most important job today,” Butler said;