Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 55, Number 247, Decatur, Adams County, 19 October 1957 — Page 1

Vol. LV. No. 247.

LOCAL POLICE FORM BLOCK Boiwtoiafe ■K*TTU T TjlMj*' J ini g&i£' £& & &&&%$& bEbBBe ■ 4 --•■£■ .. .z ■ '&%«£ / '<V/.*' *: COUNTY, STATE AND CITY POLICE officers joined Friday to block off Adams county in a vain attempt to capture the three bandits who robbed the Rudisill and Clinton branch of the Lincoln National Bank and Trust company, in Fort Wayne. Pictured above, city policeman Vic Strickler and state trooper Dan Kwasneski search a car with a Michigan license plate. Local cars with known persons in them were allowed to pass, others were searched. Sheriff Merle Affolder, state troopers Gene Rash and Al Coppes, and several off-duty city policemen were at the roadblock site, at the intersection of U. S. highways 27 and 224. Other deputies were stationed north.—(Staff Photo)

Widen Search For Fort Wayne Bank Robbers Over $50,000 Cash At South Side Bank Friday Afternoon FORT WAYNE (UP)-A threestate search was underway today for two daring Halloween-masked gunmen who held up the Rudisill Shopping Center branch of the Lincoln National Bank 8t Trust Co. and escaped with an estimated 00ft Fridav ' Roadblocks were set up by Indiana state police and all roads leading out of Fort Wayne shortly after the robbery occurred at 12:55 p.m. CST. and Ohio and Michigan state police petroled highways and side roads leading out of the state. But the bandits appeared to have vanished and authorities were up against a blank wall. Scores of shoppers were present during the noon hour rush period when the bandits struck. Two men entered the bank but a third was believed to have stayed behind the wheel of a getaway car apparently stolen the previous night in Columbia City. The bandits leveled guns at about 10 customers in the bank and ordered them to pretend they were doing business as usual. Bank employes were orderd to fill two large cloth bags with currency while the bandits nonchalantly mingled with the customers and crowds passed before a large plate glass window looking into the bank. The operation was timed so smoothly that no one outside was aware of the drama taking place until the bandits raced to their car, ripped off the masks and sped away. State police later found the car abandoned on a side street. The men were believed to have fled in another car, also stolen at Columbia City. State police and the FBI said thy believe the two who entered the bank were accompanied by another man who drove the car. But they said no one reported • Continued on t-uxo Four) Two Youths Killed In Automobile Crash PLAINFIELD (W — Two teen„ed youths were killed and anoth_r was injured seriously Friday night when a car went out of control and crashed along Ind. 39 south of Belleville. Killed outright were Gerry McFadden, 17, and Roger Allen Clark, 18, Clayton. In serious condition in Methodist Hospital at Indianapolis was Robert Eugene Murain, 18, Danville, owner of the car. L Mrs. Bonnie Eicher Is Taken By Death Mrs. Bonnie Mae Eicher, 42, of Geneva, died Friday at the Adams county memorial hospital after bn illness of three weeks. Surviving are her husband, Ray; a daughter, Cheryl, at home; two brothers, George Womak of Decatur, and W. L. Womak of Fort Worth, Tex., and a sister, Mrs. Gertrude Gauze of Salem. Services will be held at 2 p.m. ' Monday at the Hardy & Hardy funeral home at Geneva, with burial at Berne. «?,

DECATUR DA IIA DEMOCRAT

Asian Flu Tightens Grip Against U. S. . New York Is Hardest Hit With 51 Deaths By UNITED PRESS Asian flu tightened its grip on the U.S. and its territories today, an occupying power whose reprisals continue to be directed towards the nation’s young. Health officials said that almost one third of the new deaths attributed to the disease and its complications occurred in the past week. While some health departments frankly admitted the case rate was multiplying faster than their ability to keep tabs, others complained vaccine. deliveries were ' ioi> Utile and too late.” A United Press tally showed that upper respiratory infections and side effects had claimed at least 178 deaths since the flu invasion began this summer. Topping the nation was New York state where 51 deaths were reported. Pennsylvania and Louisiana each reported 21 deaths, while fatalities in other states were: Michigan 17, California 15, Illinois 10, and 7 each in Ohio and Utah. The territory of Hawaii reported 9 fatalities, Wisconsin 6, Colorado 5, New Jersey 3, lowa 2, and 1 each in Indiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. The tragedy was especially moving in schools for retarded children where the already weakend youngsters stood by helplessly as th disease made its ravages. Seven deaths were reported at th Pennhurst School in Pennsylvania. Equally saddening was the situation at the Dixon, 111., State School where the death toll has reached seven. With a report from the U.S. Public Health Service that 360,000 of the more than 1,500,000 victims had been stricken in the last week, there also were bitter reports about vaccine distribution. The epidemics continued to shatter football schedules. Forty high school games in the Pittsburgh area alone were postponed.'There was no way to keep track of the number of games cancelled or postponed, but the figure easily exceeded 100. About 15 college games were also called off. (Continues on Paa® Five) To Close Jefferson School Due To Flu Township School To Be Closed All Week The Jefferson school will be closed all next week to allow students to recover from colds and flu, Ed Heimann, principal, announced today. The school would be closed Thursday and Friday anyway, for teacher’s institute, he explained, and the increase of flu cases in the past two days, from one or two to 30 on Friday, indicates that there would be few students present by Monday. Four students had to be taken home Friday, in addition to the 30 absent, leaving only 86 students in the school system. The Bobo school remained closed Friday when less than half its pupils attended class Thursday. It plans to reopen as usual on Monday. The number of flu cases in the other schools seems to be decreasing. Hartford school also was closed Thursday and Friday, but will reopen Monday.

Defense Head Takes Over On Missile Plans Drive Redoubled To • Clear Bottlenecks In Missile Program WASHINGTON (UP)—A redoubled Defense Department drive to clear out bottlenecks in the long range missile program was backed up today by reports that government scientists are ready to fire a .Vanguard missile. , Attempts to fire an intermediate range Jupiter failed Friday night at Cape Canaveral, Fla., when the huge missile did not fire properly and never got off the ground. However, it was reported that the Vanguard test missile would be fired shortly, possibly early today. Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy assumed virtual command of the missile program Friday and took steps to achieve closer interservice cooperation in the field. At the same time the United States pushed its plan for greater scientific unity among free nations to meet problems raised by Russia’s missile-satellite success. Hold Talks Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd Friday discussed ways of achieving clager scientific cooperation be t w ebn their two countries. The talk was a preliminary to the one President Eisenhower and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan will hold next week. Dulles followed this up Friday night at a dinner he gave for Queen Elizabeth II by calling for "increasing exchange and contacts” between the United States and Britain. Also on the missile - satellite fro* l4l . —Sen. Styles Bridges called for a crackdown on politically minded American scientists whom he blamed for the lag in U.S. missile production. Bridges charged that some members of this country’s -“scientific hierarchy” who were prominent In the missile field had been taken in by Soviet peace talk. . -A.-',/.. Predicts Moon Station —A Navy rocket expert said Russia may unsuccessfully have tried to send up a satellite last August. Vice Adm. John H. Sides said the intercontinental missile the Russians announced they fired then may actually have been ,a satellite launching attempt. —Soviet scientist Aleksander Aleksandrov predicted in Moscow that Russia soon may set up.an observation station on the moon. Army Secretary Wilber M. Brucker charged in a speech in Yorktown. Va., Soviet party leader Nikita Khrushchev was trying to exploit the Russian satellite success to scare the free world into intimidation.” Brucker said the United States must make “a sustained effort to build stronger than ever” to meet the Soviet challenge.

Plan Soybean Ball Here October 26 Second Annual Ball Here Next Saturday Plans were announced today for the second annual soybean ball, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Decatur Youth and Community Center. Richard Kershner, general chairman for the dance, stated that music for the event will be provided by the String Masters. It will feature round and square dancing and rock and roll. A feature of the ball, which is one of the events held in conjunction with the Adams county soybean festival under the sponsorship of the Decatur Chamber o* Commerce, will be the grand march, which will be led by the 1957 soybean and her court. The queen will be chosen Thursday evening at the annual rural-urban fish fry. Kershner stated that tickets for the event, priced at 50 cents, wi l be available starting Tuesday at the First State Bank, Beaver’s Oil Service, Goodyear Service Store, Kocher Lumber company and the Community Center. INDIANA WEATHER Fair tonight and Sunday. J Cooler with scattered frost tonight A little warmer Sunday. Low tonight 30-38. High Sunday 62. Outlook for Monday: Increasing cloudiness with chance of showers south portion. MOONEDITION

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, October 19, 1957

Highway Scandal Jury Told State Officials Ignored Deal Warnings

British Ruler Continues On Busy Schedule Attends First U. S. College Grid Game As Day's Feature WASHINGTON (UP)— Sportsloving Queen Elizabeth II gets her first taste today of a cherished American tradition—the Saturday afternoon college football game. At her side when she watches the Maryland - North Carolina game in College Park, Md., were to be her athletic husband and two royal football advisers, Maryland Gov. Theodore R. McKeldln and university President Wilson H. Elkins. Crammed into the University of Maryland Byrd Stadium with them will be a sell-out crowd of 43,000, probably drawn there as much by the Queen as the prospect of some top-notch football. * Before she started off on her fast-paced jaunt of North America, the Queen made it known she wanted to see a football game here. It took a lot of arranging to fit it into her tight schedule. College officials even had to delay the game's start so she wouldn’t miss the fir*t halt. Straps Break 1 But all the excitement of the game could hardly match a tantalizing performance produced by a pair of broken straps on the dress of a shapely dancer Friday night at another glittering state dinner tor the Queen given by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. The straps popped on the gown of dance specialist Marge Champion as she was being swept around the floor before her majesty by her husband, Gower. They completed their dance with the top of the dress threatening to fall but managed to finish with no undue revelation. The dinner was somewhat less strenuous for the Queen than was a reception earlier Friday at the British Embassy. It was estimated the seemingly tireless Queen shook bands at the rate of 16 a minute while the champagne and scotch flowed. Rain Falls The rain drove the party inside the embassy’s chandelier-lighted ballroom from the garden where it originally was to have been held. (Continued on Page Five) Three More Enter In Queen Contest . ; f ’ Name Soybean Queen Here Next Thursday Three more girls, two from Decatur high school and one from Adams Central high school, have entered the 1957 Adams county soybean queen contest, according to an announcement made today by Joe Kaehr, chairman of the contest. The two Decatur high girls, both seniors, are Susan Custer, 17, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. Burdette Custer of 358 Winchester street, and Emily Swearingen, 17, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Swearingen of 409 North Third street - Miss Custer’s talent demonstration for the contest will b£ dramatics and Miss Swearingen has also indicated dramatics us ner talent. Donna Kay Cauble, 16, a senior at Adams Central and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph W. Cauble, is the other new entrant. Her talent will be singing. Kaehr stated today that all girls who are competing will meet at his home Monday at 8 p.m. for instructions as to contest rules and procedures. The queen will be chosen Thursday with an afternoon elimination event at the Decatur Youth and Community Center and the final selection that evening during the annual rural-urban fish fry, to be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Decatur high school gymnasium.

Indicate Protest On Road Condition Accidents Blamed v On Faulty Berms State police Friday afternoon indicated plans for filing a formal protest with the state highway commission on the treacherous condition of the berm along U. S. highway 224 east of Decatur. A similar hazard also exists on U. S. highway 27 for a short stretch lust south of the Decatur city limits. The U. S. 224 project extends from Decatur to the state line. Both roads recently underwent repair and resurfacing. The resurfacing raised the levels of the highways and, necessitated raising the berms. The material used to fill in the berm is a soft dirt which, especially when wet, is soft and slippery. Five accidents occurred within three days on U. S. 224 east of the city as a result of the soft berm. Each of the accidents involved only one vehicle, which went out of control when a wheel dropped off the road onto the berm. Ervin Fox of Bluffton, district highway commissioner, stated in a telephone conversation yesterday, that the project is not yet complete and that the highway is still under construction. * However, a cheek with MeshStope Corporation company., which had the contract for the resurfacing project, indicated that the portion not completed Ifc: nothing to do with the berm along the highway. Paul Beatty, a spokesman for the Meshberger company, stated that the company used the standard material called for in all highway project specifications. He added that when the fill was put in, it was rolled and was solid. Rain immediately after the rolling is blamed for its current poor condition. Fox indicated that soft shoulder signs and warning lights are being put up along U. S. highway 224. However, these warnings are not expected to be of too much value in preventing accidents because of Cuutinne-i on Paten Six)

Scout Appreciation Dinner October 28 Anthony Wayne Unit Plans Annual Dinner The Anthony Wayne council, Boy Scouts of America, will hold its annual Scout leaders appreciation dinner at the Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Monday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p. m. Kenneth K. Bechtel, national president of the Boy Scouts of America, will be the honored guest speaker. This is the first time that it has been possible to secure the head of the Scouting movement for an affair in this area. A reception will be held following the dinner program to provide local leaders an opportunity to meet Bechtel. There are 243 Cub packs, Scout troops and Explorer units in the nine northeastern Indiana counties which make up the. Anthony Wayne council. Three ‘thousand adult Scout leaders, men and women, are expected to attend this huge pot luck dinner. Colorful ceremonies, music and recognitions for service to boyhood will be part of the program. Placques will be presented to each unit attending, citing their record of performance during the past year. Members of the region 7 executive committee from Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan will attend this dinner, also presidents and Scout executives from various local Scout councils in Indiana. Reservations have already been received from Auburn, Waterloo, Angola, South Whitley, Decatur. Bluffton, Dunkirk. Portland, Columbia City, Kendallville. Garrett, Huntington and Fort Wayne. Nearly every community In tiie nine counties will be represented when the program start*. ? >

Syrian-Soviet Charges Termed As Fantastic General Assembly Os United Nations To Debate Charges UNITED NATIONS. N.Y. (UP) —Western sources described as “fantastic” today Soviet - Syrian charges the United States and Turkey are plotting war against Syria. “This isn't a shooting war,” said fine source, “it s an allegation war.” The U.N. General Assembly Friday put an urgent tag on the Syrian complaint that Turkey was massing troops on her border and endangering world peace. By a vote of 66 to 0, with Liberia' abstaining, the assembly approved inclusion in its agenda of the So-viet-Syrian complaint that Turkey, with U.S. backing and advice, is planning to start a war against Syria week after next. It was agreed the assembly as a whole would discuss the question, bypassing the usual committee debate. No date was set for the discussion, but it was expected to start. Tuesday-or Wednesday. - It was understood that assembly President Sir Leslie Knox Munro of New Zealand would not invoke the “seven - day rule” — which stipulates that debate on an issue should not begin until a week after it has been admitted to the agenda. Turkey’s Ambassador Seyfullah Esin welcomed the airing of the Syrian charges before the assembly. He saftf the “real dangers” in’ the Middle East were being concealed “behind a smokescreen.” U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge suggested the Syrian charge be amended to include debate on the whole question of Syria’s "independance. ’’ Lodge withdrew the suggestion after Syria objected. Syria’s complaint climaxed an exchange of charges that began when the Untied States expressed (Continuad on Pa*® Four) Shock Proves Fatal To Construction Man MADISON (W — Doyle Johnson, 34, Brownstown, was fatally shocked late Friday when he came in contact with a high voltage wire while working on a bridge construction job along Ind. 7 north of here. Local Lady's Father Is Taken By Death Final Rites Monday For Orlando Kizer Orlando Kizer, _ 80, retired Wells county farmer, died at 4:45 o’clock Friday afternoon at the Clinic hospital in Bluffton of a heart ailment. He became ill in his automobile at Bluffton while enroute to his home in Nottingham township and was taken to the hospital only a few minutes before he died. He had resided in Wells county for the past 74 years. Surviving are his wife, the former Margaret Lambert; four sons, Floyd M. Kizer of Ossian, Homer M. Kizer of Boring, Ore., Thomas and Cloyd K. Kizer of Bluffton; W. Kizer of Fort Wayne route 4, three daughters, Mrs. Bertha Mansfield of Odessa, Tex., Mrs. Daniel Beeler of Geneva, and Mrs. Dale Whetstone of Decatur; 24 grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Church of Christ in Domestic, the Rev. George Talbert and the Rev. Vance Davison officiating. Burial will be in the Stahl cemetery. Friends may call at the Thoma funeral home in Bluffton after 3 p.m. today until noon Monday, when the body will be removed to the church.

Slight Employment Drop In September Payrolls Are Higher Than During August A slight drop in industrial employment by seven local industries is shown in the Chamber of Commerce September business barometer, released today. The September report shows that 1,351 persons were employed in industry as compared to 1,378 , in August and 1,511 employed t during September a year ago. The payroll for September, $528,967, was a big jump over the $406,747 in August, which is 1 due mainly to the vacation pay t system of the General Electric company. However, the Septem- , ber payroll was a big slump com- . pared to the $720,264 paid during ; the same month in 1956. [ The barometer shows' 3,952 eleci trie meters, 2,535 water meters, . and 6,184 telephones, all slight 1 increases over the August totals - on these items. , Twenty-one poor relief cases, s aiding 81 persons at a cost of t $1,093, were reported for September, 1957. In August. 21 cases ' aiding 86 persons cast $1,552. A ■ I year ago there were only 10 cases ' aiding 28 persons at a total cost ' of only $221. 1 During the month of September 56 births and 11 deaths were • reported in Decatur. Both fig- . ores are slightly higher than the totals for August and for Sep- ’ - , Carloadings in and out of the i city decreased from August to September. During the I past , month there were 668 carload- ; tags in and 1,423 carloadtags out . for a total of 2,091. A month ’ previous the total was 2,879. In » September, 1956, the total was - 2,713. No report was given on railway express shipments. t Five building permits with a ) total value of $21,000 were issued i in September. The previous - month showed six permits with ! a total value of $86,045 and a year ago it was 13 permits with 1 a total value of $85,130. i . ... i Lehman Reelected Farm Bureau Head Annual Fish Fry Is Held Friday Night Harvey Lehman, Wabash township farmer, was reelected president of the Adams county Farm Bureau Friday night at the second annual fish fry, held in the Adams Central gym. More than 1,600 attended the affair. Walter Thieme, prominent Union township farmer, was elected vice president. Carlton Steiner, of Monroe township, was elected secretary-treasurer. Mrs. Ed Gerbers of Union township, was elected women’s leader, replacing Mrs. Arthur Koeneman, of Preble township, who served the past year. Mrs. Merle Kuhn, of Wabash township, was elected pet and hobby leader, replacing Mrs. Irvin Worthman, of Preble township. Organ music during the fish fry, which lasted from 5 o’clock until 8 p. m., Was furnished by Fred Von Gunten; president of the Berne Chamber of Commerce. Carl Bluhm, president of the Adams county rural youth, explained that organization’s program for 1957. David Biberstine, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alton Biberstine, of Hartford township, presented two solos, “How Great Thou Art” and “Let the Sun Shine On.” The Raudenbush quartet then presented a number. The scripture, from Psalm 103, was given by the Rev. Arthur Givens, of Berne. Johnnie Sprunger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Forest Sprunger, of Monroe township, sang a solo, accompanied by Alice Sprunger. Door prizes Vere won by Clarence Lautzenheiser, James Garboden, Mrs. Paul Becker. Edith Dennison, Gerry Clause, Dan (OontlnuM on rag® Sir)

Witness Tells Godwin Warned On Shady Deal Prosecutor Tinder Tightening Web Os Evidence On Deals INDIANAPOLIS (UP)—An Indiana highway scandal jury was told Friday that warnings about “illegal or maybe immoral" deals went unheeded by state officials in early 1955. Charles G. Busick, 26, a surprise state witness during the trial’s 10th day Friday, testified he warned former highway chairman Neil Godwin about rumors of shady back lot deals on Madison Ave. Busick, former supervisor o f disbursements in the State Highway Department, said Godwin oalled a meeting to discuss the matter. He said defendant Virgil (Red) Smith, then a commission member, said during the meeting the rumors were false. From that point on Busickhtestified, he heard “nothing mohe”_ about the matter. It was in June, several weeks after the meeting, that former Gov. George Craig fired Godwin, and made Smith highway chairman. Busick was the eighth witnesscalled Friday as Prosecutor John* Tinder tightened a web of evidence in an effort to prove Smith and three others plotted to embezzle $25,800 of taxpayers’ money on the back lot deals. Will Trace Money ... ... Tinder said the next step will be to trace the money "into the grubby hands of Robert Peak,” a Milan attorney indicted with Smith and the others. Most 0 1 Tinder’s evidence so far has concerned Smith, Nile Teverbaugh, former right-of-way chief, and Harry Doggett, Teverbaugh’s exassistant. ; Busick said early in 1955 he confronted Smith with "rumors’’ that right-of-way was being* bought for the Madison Ave. expressway in an “illegal and maybe immoral manner.” Busick said Smith denied it and replied in effect that he “wouldn’t be caught in a penny ante deal like that.” The meeting in Godwin’s office stemmed from the fact that Busick also told him of the rumors, Busick told newsmen. Busick told the jury that before the meeting Teverbaugh introduced him to Robert Quinlan, one of the back lot owners, and said Quinlan would prove Hhe rumors false. Earlier, Quinlan testified Teverbaugh asked him to go to the meeting, and “led me to believe the reason he wanted me to go” was bcause "his job was at stskc.** Busick said the meeting was attended by Smith, Teverbaugh, Quinlan, and Herbert Erickson, highway engineer who negotiated the Quinlan back lot sale. He said Godwin told the group of hearing of “something illegal going on,” on Madison Ave., but Smith brushed it off as false rumor, Godwin then adjourned the meeting "pending an investigation,” Busick said. Erickson also testified about the meeting and said Smith contended the reports of irregularities “were evidently a lot of rumors.” ...Sold To “Dean Barton” —: Deed records show both back lots were sold to “Dean Burton,” the name Tinder claims is a ficticious one coined by Teverbaugh to help the alleged conspiracy. Owners of both back lots have testified Teverbaugh actually gave them the money. Erickson said Teverbaugh asked him to negotiate the Quinlan back lot purchase, although Erickson was not a buyer. In answer to a question from Tinder, Erickson said he had never done “anything like that'before or since” while working for the highway department. _ . . . .. Quinlan’s wife, Roberta, testified Teverbaugh gave her 15 SIOO bills in payment for the back lot. That lot, and an adjacent one sold for SI,OOO, finally were sold to the state for $25,800. Tinder said he may subpena In(Continued «» PM* P*’*)

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