Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 56, Number 48, Decatur, Adams County, 26 February 1958 — Page 1

Vo. LVI No. 48.

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NAVAHO MISSILE FAILS—A Navaho missile, launched at the Cape Canaveral. Fla., testing grounds Tuesday starts upward (left) on a 20-second flight. Power failure sent the missile out of control and it plunged earthward where it was exploded (right) just above the surface of the sea by a safety officer.

Road Scandal Jury Convicts House Mover Preble Convicted Os Collecting For House Never Moved INDIANAPOLIS (UP)—A jury today convicted Austin housemoving contractor Marvin L Preble guilty of collecting $8,850 from the state in payment for work that ne’er was done. Preble tto oecame the third of 11 persons p arged in the Indiana highway -«r todair to be convicted in connection with questionable land deals and lucrative contracts for purchasing more than a million dollars worth of equipment and supplies. The 12-man jury recommended prison terms of 2 to 14 years and 1 to 10 years, the largersentence for presenting a false claim to the state and the smaller for perjury. The verdict was returned shortly’ before 1 a.m. CST, and Judge Norman E. Brennan deferred sentencing until Thursday morning at the request of defense attorneys, who indicated they would appeal. The case went to the jury shortly before 5 p.m., after closing arguments in which Chief Deputy Prosecutor Asa Smith called Preble “not honest and not well meaning’’ and defense attorney John Agnew charged the trial was "politically inspired.” Preble was accused of collecting a check from Jthe state for moving a house from the Madisoi Ave. Expressway right-of-way in Indianapolis. The house never was moved Preble claimed he thought the check was for another of numerous house-moving contracting jobs he had with the state. Two other men previously were convicted in the scandals. Former State Highway Chairman Virgil (Red) Smith and Milan attorney Robert Peak were sentenced to 2 to 14 year terms for conspiracy to embezzle public funds in connection with the purchase and re sale to the state of two back lots along Madison Ave., which netted (Continued on page five) Mayor Os Madison Dies Tuesday Night MADISON (W — Madison Mayor Charles H. Vaughn, 53,' died Tuesday night in King’s Daughters Hospital where he was under treatment for pneumonia. Vaughn, a Republican, was serving the third year of his second four-year term as mayor of this Ohio River city where he was born. Vaughn was a member of the board of directors of the Indiana Municipal League. INDIANA WEATHER Scattered showers this afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms, windy and mild tonight. Thursday rain over most of state. Continued mild Thursday, turning colder Thursday night. Low tonight „ 40 to 45 north, 45 to 53 south. High Thursday 50s north to the 60s south.' Sunset today 6:33 p. m. Sunrise Thursday 7:22 a. m. Outlook for Friday: Partly cloudy and colder with chance of snow flurries north. Lows Thursday night 32 to 40. Highs Friday 38 to 48.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

'C C. Membership Drive Opens Monday Co-Chairmen Meet With Group Heads Dale Morrissey and Dr. R. E. Allison, co-chairmen of the Chamber of Commerce’s membership drive, met with the group captains this morning for the purpose of organizing the membership campaign. A goal of 300 members has been set by the chairmen in the first organized new member drive in several years. Morrissey stated today that the $25 membership fee amounts to only seven cents per day aqd the money is needd to promote Decatur and Us 32-acre industrial site, which is the primary goal for 1958 of the Chamber of Commerce. "The regulation of store hours for Decatur’s businesses is not the prime function of the Chamber. It is not within their jurisdiction to dictate to the merchants the nights they may or may not remain open. Individual businesses, by the nature of their differences in prod Jet retailing, are bound to encounter differences in store hours, but their mutual cooperation will go, a long way in clearing up this immediate problem,” the officers Continued on p age Five) William L. Johnson Dies Last Evening Funeral Services Friday Afternoon William L. Johnson, 72. a retired farmer, died at 7:30 o'clock Tuesday evening at his home in St. Mary’s township, four miles east of Decatur. He had been in failing health for five years and seriously 11 for the past year. He was born in Van Wert county, 0., Sept. 25, 1885, a son of Joel and Adeline Jackson-Johnson, and was married to Dessie Grozier Feb. 9, 1909. The family has resided in St. Mary’s township for the last 40 years. Mr. Johnson was a member of he Calvary Evangelical United Brethren church. Surviving are two sons, Doyle and Marlin Johnson, both of Fort Wayne; five grandchildren, anl two brothers, Vallie Johnson of Huntington, and Jesse Johnson of Harrison township, Van Wert county, O. Four brothers and three sisters preceded him in death. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. Lawrence T. Norris and the Rev. Donald Bender officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. today until time of the seyyices. said. Group captains are contacting their workers for the membership drive which gets underway Monday. Group captains indlude Rob207 Measles Cases Reported In State INDIANAPOLIS (IF — The Indiana State Board of Health recorded 207 cases of German measles last week, far above the average rate of incidence. The 207 cases compared wjth 72 the last preceding week and raised the 1958 total to 541, compared with 169 last year and 133 as a 5-year median.

Pacific Storm Whips Across Plains Today Flood Threat Eases For California As Storm Moves East By UNITED PRESS A Pacific storm that caused an estimated five million dollars damage in California whipped across the Plains into the Midwest today, its punch weakened but still windy and wet. Clearing skies Tuesday and today eased the threat of further serious Hooding In water - logged California, but authorities continued their watch along levees burdened by high waters. The stormy system, which hit California Monday, pushed eastward Tuesday, drawing mild temperatures into the Midlands. Record high temperatures were set at Fargo, N.D., which hit an all-time February high of 66 degrees, and at Minneapolis, where a 55-degree reading was a new high mark for the date. The warm temperatures were carried into the Plains and upper Mississippi Valley on strong winds reaching gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour. $5,000,000 Damage A United Press count since last weekend showed at least 21 persons killed in floods or traffic accidents on rain-washed highways. There were 14 victims in Texas, 6 in California and 1 in Oregon. The Army Corps of Engineers estimated flood and wind damage in California at five million dollars: The figure included damage to roads, downed utility lines, inundated farms and cropland, and flooded homes and busnesses. The Sacramento River in California topped its levees Tuesday north of Hamilton City, but damage was confined to farmlands. 'Die Plains and Midwest warmup touched off minor flooding as snows melted and ice packs broke up in rivers and small streamsRiVers rose in southwestern Minnesota, southeast Wiconsin and northeast lowa. Flooding was reported in lowa on the East Nishnabotna River near Shenandoah, the Racoon River near Des Moines and the East Maquoketa River north of Dubuque, Scattered Rain Reported Heavy rains caused road washouts in southern Idaho Tuesday, and sent the Portneuf and Blackfoot rivers climbing rapidly. Drought-stricken Indiana, how(Contlnued on .page five) Local Man’s Sister Dies In Michigan Mrs. Robert R. Hipsher, 59, of Colon, Mich., died Monday after a month’s illness. She was a native of Convoy, O. Surviving are the husband; a daughter, Mrs. Stanley Williams of Battle Creek, Mich.; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Lytle of Venedocia, O.; two sisters, Mrs. Albert Thrush of Garrett, and Mrs. Hershel Murphy of Fort Wayne, and seven brothers, Arthur Lytle of Decatur, Harley of Fort Wayne, Lester of Cairo, 0., Russell of Columbus 0., Clifford bf Chicago, Corwin of Van Wert, 0., and Manford of Venedocia. Funeral services wil be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Spencer funeral home in Athens Mich., with burial, in Riverside cemetery at Union City, Mich.

WLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN AD AMR COUNTY 1

Decatur, Indiana. Wednesday, February 26, 1958

Eisenhower Expresses Belief In Upturn Os Business By Mid-Year

Ike Deplores Opposition To Foreign Aid Top Democrats In Congress Shrug Off Ike Salesmanship WASHINGTON (UP)— Some Democratic congressional leaders today shrugged off as high pressure salesmanship President Eisenhower’s giant bipartisan rally in support of foreign aid. They said it won’t change a single vote in Congress. Foreign aid supporters were given another jolt by the State Department's disclosure Tuesday night that France used U.S.-made Corsair fighter planes provided under the Mutual Security Program in the bombing raid on a Tunisian village Feb. 8 Informed sources said the United States government has warned France against the use of any further weapons provided under the program on Tunisian targets. Mansfield: Too Much Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Mike Mansfield said the administration's call for spending nearly four billion dollars on economic and military assistance is “entirely too much.” “It can be cut substantially—at least 25 per eent,” the Montana Democrat said. •» Other key Democrats said bluntly Eisenhower was ignoring political realities posed in asking Congress to commit the United States to vast expenditures abroad while the domestic economy is sagging and individual industries are being hurt by foreign trade and tariff policies. The President climaxed a daylong talkathon Tuesday on selling his foreign aid plan to Americans by denouncing its opponents as “ostrich-like.” He said the Mutual Security Program was just as “urgent” as mobilizing the ballistic missiles effort to keep peace in the world and resist Communist aggression. Eisenhower declared the aid program “has been proving its worth in practice for over 10 years.” Yet he said it is engaged every year in a “life-and-death struggle for its very existence” with persons in and out of Congress damning it as a “giveaway.” Others Speak The President’s talk followed others by former President Truman, Adlai E. Stevenson and other Democratic and Republican speakers to the rostrum before about 1,300 leaders from across the nation. Truman said Democrats in Congress will "never, never be able to explain it” if they “emascu(Continued on page »lx) Yost Construction Submits Low Bid - * Yost Construction Co., Decatur, was low bidder at $47,361 on constrection of a bridge on a Jay county road over Little Salamonie creek, 1.5 miles northwest of Antioch, in bids opened by the Indiana state highway department Tuesday. ■Die state department said the total cost of the projects, highways and bridges, Was the largest bidletting session in its history, totaling several million dollars.

Lenten Meditation (By Rev. Willis Gierhart, pastor, Monroe Methodist Church) “PERSON TO PERSON” Our Christianity is a personal religion, a person centered religion. Without Christ there would be no Christianity. Christianity is an intimate fellowship between a man and his God. God has individual personal blessings for each of us. He has created us to be individualistic. What satisfies one person may not satisfy another. This Lenten season will only have significance to us as we are able to find a personal and real relationship with our Christ. Furthermore, to be most meaningful, our religion must be an outreaching religion. We must be as concerned for our neighbor as we are for ourselves. Jesus Christ continually had concern tor the individual person. So often He by-passed the mob in order to minister to ah individual. If our Christianity is genuine we will be concerned to help the person in need wherever he might be. Yes, our religion Is a person to person relationship—Gbd to man and man to man.

Historical Society Meets Last Evening History Os Decatur Outlined Tuesday The history of Decatur, its public buildings and factories, was explained in slides and by a recording of what each member of Miss Wilma Andrews’ fifth grade class at Lincoln school had learned about the subject to the Adams county historical society at the Decatur library Tuesday night. Miss Andrews was assisted by Timothy 1 Singleton, who ran the slide projector during the meeting. Thi voices of the students were projected through a tape recording acompanied by a musical background. The slide series started with a view of the court house. Adams county was founded in 1836, and Decatur was founded the same year, but in 1850 there were only 43 families here. Today there are 7,271 residents, and Decatur is the largest city in Adams county, the second largest In northeastern Indiana. The Adams county court house was built in 1873, Bobbie DeVoss explained. Linda Geier explained that Decatur has the first war monument in the world dedicated to peace, and that it was dedicated Oct. 30, 1913. . The library, begun in 1903 ana completed in July, 1909. cost $15,000 to build, Sharon Shannon stated. The Decatur diesel plant, erected in 1954 with a diesel engine 50 feet long and 13 feet wide, supplements the power from the steam plant, Randy Hitchcock said. The Decatur water softener plant, which makes Decatur’s hard water usable, was described by Jean Zwickard. The first Adams county jail was built of logs in 1836 for S3OO, but the present’ structure completed in 1886 cost $25,000, Sandra Affolder explained. David Smith described the class field trip to the jail enjoyed by the class members who were impressed by the solitude of the celts. Karen Webert told how the General Electric plant had been established here in the early 1920’5, and enlarged in 1941. The second of Decatur's 12 principal industries, the Decatur Casting company, founded in 1920, and makes all sorts of castings from motor parts to lawn mower wheels, Jerry Egley said. Barbara Rydell told about the Bag Service factory, which employs up to 75 persons, and Linda Sudduth told about the class visit to the local plant. Jo Ann Kallenberger told about the Central Soya company, whose well-known silos are • Decatur landmark. Betty Long described the KrickTyndall company tile mill, and its importance to Decatur. Decatur Industries, which makes musical toys and wooden boxes, was explained by Sandra Hollinger. Steven Gephart then told about the Adams county memorial hospital, explaining that its new entrance had just been completed. The northwest school, which was opened In 1955, has nine classrooms and 328 students, while Lincoln school, formerly the high school, now has nearly 800 grade pupils, Timothv Singleton said. (Contlnutc cn page »lx)

spending

Official Says Mack's Name Not On Books Asserts Mack Owns One-Sixth Interest In Insurance Firrn WASHINGTON TO - A friend and financial associate of Federal Communications Commissioner Richard A. Mack said today that Mack’s- name appears nowhere on the books of an insurance agency which has paid the federal official 813.09 C But he toid a House Commerce subcommittee that there was never- any “premeditated attempt" to hide the fact that Mack owns onesixth of the Stembler-Shelden insurance agency of Miami. The wntness was Thurman A. Whiteside, Coral Gables, Fla., at-1 torney who owns one-third of the company’s stock and once controlled all of it. The House group has been investigating his financial relations with the FCC commissioner. Rep. Charles A. Wolverton (RN. called the financial arrangements between Mack and Whiteside an “intricate scheme, all of which intrigues me,” and none of which the congressman said he understood. Subcommittee Chairman Oren Harris (D-Ark.) said Tuesday that the investigation has shown a “very bad situation” that may lead to jail sentences for criminal violations of the Federal Communications Act. Whiteside said Mack is onesixth owner of the Stembler-Shel-den agency but that his stock interest was based solely on an “oral agreement.” Whiteside said Mack holds no document to prove his rights to any of the company’s stock. ’ The attorney said he had given Mack one-sixth of the’stock without charge. But he said voting rights to the stock Went to W. Y. Stembier, another owner in the company, who acted as trustee for Mack. Wolverton called the stock-hold-ing arrangement “very unusual” vConti-nued on page five) Peter J. Heimann Is Taken By Death Funeral Services On Friday Morning Peter J. Heimann, 85, prominent retired farmer, died at 10:55 o’clock Tuesday morning at the home of a son, Raymond Heimann, Decatur route 6, with whom he resided. He had been seriously ill for two weeks with complications. 1 He was born in Starke county, O. Feb. 16, 1873, a soji of Mr. and Mrs. Casper Heimann, but had lived near Decatur since five years old. He was married Feb. 8, 1899, to Amelia Bentz, who diedJuly 1, 1946. Mr. Heimann was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church and the Holy Name society. Surviving are two sons, Raymond and Phillip Heimann, both of near Decatur; six daughters, Mrs. Regina Mattes of Fort Wayne, Mrs. 4E nes Weiskittel of Coldwater, 0.,' Mrs. Frances Berger of Orlando, Fla., Mrs. Mary M. Repine of Lockhart, Fla. and Mrs. Dorothy Wannemaker, and Mrs. Celeste Wannemaker, both of Cloverdale, O.; 23 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. One son, Robert, and four brothers preceded him in death. Funeral services will be conducted at 9 a. m. Friday at the St. Mary's Catholic church, the Very Rev. Msgr. J. J. Seimetz officiating. JJurial wilt-be in the Catholic cemetery. Friends may call at the Gillig & Doan funeral home after 7 o’clock this evening until time of the services. The Holy Name society will recite the rosary at 8 p. m. Thursday.

Rain Is Forecast In State Tonight Relief Is Promised In Winter Drought By UNITED PRESS Thunderstorms may rumble across Indiana tonight to bring relief from a winter drought that created serious fire hazards over a broad area in the central and southern portions of the state. The weatherman anticipated“showers or possible thunderstorms” from Lake Michigan to the Ohio River, and overcast skies this morning lent credence to his forecast. The five-day outlook called for precipitation averaging near onehalf inch tonight and again about Sunday or Monday. If the rain comes, it will be a ; boon to Hoosiers. Southern Indiana brush and woodland areas have fought fires crackling through bone-dry vegetation for several days, and fire departI ments in many cities and towns have made innumerable runs tq, extinguish grass fires. Indianapolis had only .03 of an inch of precipitation in the first 25 days of February and IVfe inches thus far in 1958, less than one-third the normal amount. Should little or no rain fall be- ; fore Friday midnight, the Weath- , er Bureau said, this month may go-down as the driest month in 86 years of weather records. Meanwhile, temperatures remained mild and probably will stay that way into early next week except fcr a brief colder trend Thursday and Friday. The five-day outlook called for tern-1 peratures averaging about 10 de-| grees above normal through next Monday. Highs Tuesday ranged, from 49 at South Bend to 62 at Evansville. Overnight lows ranged from 32 at Fort Wayne to 40 at Indianapolis. Today’s highs will range into the 60s, tonight’s lows from 45 to the 50s, and Thursday’s highs from the 40s to 57. More Candidacies Filed With Clerk Two Are Filed For Commissioner Race A total of 34 of the 39 Republican precinct committeemen filed for the spring election late Tuesday, thet first day of filing, and two more county and two additional township candidates entered the race. Lewis F. Sapp, of North St. Mary’s township, filed for commissioner, first district, on the Democratic ticket. Roland J. Miller, also of North St. Mary’s, filed for renomination on the Republican ticket. , Ralph M. Miller, of North Hartford township, filed for trustee of Hartford township on the Democratic ticket, j Floyd,Baker, of West Jefferson township, filed for Democratic nomination as trustee of Jefferson township. Ten of the 13 delegates to the Republican state convention have also filed. In addition to the one listed yesterday they are True Andrews, first district; Leo E. Engle, second district; Eli Curtis Engle, third district; Clifford G. Essex, fourth district: Ben McCullough, sixth district; Enos D. Lehman, seventh district; Glen H. Neuenschwander, eighth district; John M. Doan, twelfth district; and Harry Essex, thirteenth district. The five precincts which have not yet filed Republican copimitteemen are Decatur 1-A and 3-B, Geneva B, South Kirkland, and South Hartford. Republican precinct committeejnen, not listed yesterday include Decatur, 1-B, Chalmer T. Werst; 1-C, LaVern Bowman; 1-D, Arthur Hall; 2-B, John M. Doan: 2C, Richard C. Girod: 3-A. L. E. Clase; 3-C, Paul J. Daniels; De-catur-Root, Paul Hilyard. Other Republicans who have filed are: (Continued on page five)

Declares Some Time Needed To Stop Recession Urges Nation Abide In His Confidence Os Business Upturn WASHINGTON (UP)—President Eisenhower said today it will take some time to stop the business recession but he advised the nation to abide in his confidence that there will be an upturn by midyear. The President said the development of an upturn naturally would be a slow, gradual process. He remained confident that basic improvement in business and employment conditions would be evident by the middle of the year. In a news conference the President made these other major points: -— —He strongly defended Agriculture Secretary Ezra T. Benson and said he had no intention of asking Benson to resign. He said it is his business alone—not congressmen’s—who is in his Cabinet —He denied a story published in Time magazine today that the cumulative effect of his illnesses since 1955 had forced him to reduce his workload by as much as 25 per cent. The President chuckled and.sa'ld he had never heard of such a thing. —He declined to express an opinion on whether Richard A. Mack of the Federal Communications Commission should resignThe President said that as long [as the attorney general was in the process of investigating the controversy involving Mack, he himself had no judgment to pass at the present time. —He said he still believed in the basic merits of the natural gag bill that he recommended ’ast _ year, but that he hoped there would be no repetition of the recent fund-raising incident involving J.H. Porter, Republican national committeeman from Texas. The proposed bill would ease federal regulation of natural gas prices. In discussing the sagging economy and possible methods of pepping it up, the President said a reduction in taxes was still a possibility in event of a deepening of the economic decline, but he said he did not want to consider a tax cut unless it proved absolutely necessary to bring about an upturn. He said it is desirable to get as much money as possible into the federal purse because of the increased federal spending expected this yearIn the news conference discussion of the national economy, the President was asked about an apparent discrepancy or marked difference of opinion between his budget director, Percival Brundage, and Dr. Raymond J. Saulnier, chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers. Saulnier has been represented as favoring a certain number of new starts in public works as an economic shot in the arm. Brundage was quoted in the President’s news conference today as preferring a tax cut to any major public works program. Then the President was reminded that he had stated in his last news conference that he would favor a tax cut only as a last resortThe President replied that in the first place his own position had not been accurately stated today and that he had not intended to convey the impression that a tax cut would be employed only as a last resort. He said Saulnier and Brundage certainly were entitled to their own opinions but that when it came down to actual federal measures only one person could make final decisions—the President. - , a | 1 11 ■'"T* New Serial Story •‘Run For Your Life” to the title of. the new serial story starting today In the Dally Democrat. The story was written by Rae Foley and you win enjoy this story of love and excitement.

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