Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 56, Number 110, Decatur, Adams County, 9 May 1958 — Page 1

VoI.LVI. No 110.

■ BIFFS' wfiflvk * " : 'WHK i®t I .*ywflK i KL fl-flfa. I•; BflJ MjEVW. &3gqrW i*; i KaHBHHB? * HIGH FLYER SETS RECORD— Major Howard 0. Johnson, 37, of Novato, Cal., holds a model of the 1300 mph. F-104 in which he set a new altitude record of 92,249 feet over the Mojave Desert on Wednesday.

hud Courage Os Nixon For Peru Incident U.S. Vice President Leaves For Ecuador On Next Lap Os Tour LIMA, Peru (UP)—Embarrassed Peruvians today praised the personal courage of U.S. Vice President Richard M. Nixon who braved a Communist-led mob which stoned him, threw garbage, spat on him and desecrated the American flag Nixon was leaving today for Quito, Ecuador, on the next lap of his South American tour. But he made it clear he did not blame Peuvians as a whole or the student body of San Macos Univer-sity-only Communist ringleaders —for Thursday’s violence. It was disclosed that U.S. Ambassador Theodore Achilles had encouraged Nixon to visit the university despite the threats of violence. Nixon s advisers had urged him to remain away and he actually cancelled his plans until Achilles convinced him the Peruvians would consider him cowardly if he failed to show up. The fact he did visit the university and the fact he stood <up to the mob and demanded to talk with its leaders had a profound /effect on many Peruvians. Nixon himself said the reds had suffered a “great defeat as time will tell." Flag Ripped The U.S- embassy formally protested the act of one group of students who ripped an American flag from a wreath Nixon had placed at the foot of a monument to Jose San Martin who helped liberate South America from Spanish rule. An identical flag fashioned of flowers was later replaced on the tomb by order of the Peruvian Foreign Ministry. Police patolled the plaza to prevent a repetition of the incident. The Peruvian embassy in Washington apologized officially to the State Department and it was believed the incident, embarrassing as it was to Peru, would not mar the traditionally solid U.S.-Peru-vian relations. Lima’s four morning newspapers —government and opposition alike —joined today in debouncing the leftist groups which provoked the assault. They called for punishment of the ring-leaders and said the action was a disgrace for Peu and a scandal that must be wiped out. Communique Condemns Act The students fedeation of San Marcos University issued a communique condemning the violence and rejecting claims that the students themselves were instigating the “barbaric acts.” The federation said it did pass a resolution May 7 declaring Nixon persona non grata (unweliContinued on Pave eight) INDIANA WEATHER Fair north and central portions, partly cloudy with chance of showers extreme south tonight and Saturday. Cooler north and central portions tonight with chance of scattered frost extreme north. Cooler south portion Saturday. Low tonight from the mid 30s extreme north to the 40s south. High Saturday 60 to 65. Sunset today 7:46 p.m. Sunrise Saturday 5:36 a.m. Outlook for Sunday: Generali fair with little temperature change. ,

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT »NLY DAILY NEWSPAPER O« ADAMS COUNT*

Party Committees To Meet Here Saturday Select Officers At Saturday Session Both Democratic and Republican county central committees will meet at the Decatur Youth and Community Center at 1 p. m. Saturday to reorganize and elect county chairmen for the next two years. In the rules governing the Democratic reorganization, precinct committeemen elected in Tuesday's balloting have until 6 p. m. today to appoint in writing to the county chairman a viceprecinct committeeman of opposite sex of the committeeman and not a relative of the committeeman living in the same household. If the precinct corrimitteeman fail to do thir the retiring county chairman shall appoint the • ice committeemen, and notify them. -v ' The 78 committeemen and vice committeemen will meet at 1 p. m. Saturday to elect a chairman, vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer. It is the duty of ♦he retiring county chairman to inform all the precinct committeemen and women not later than 9 a. m. Saturday of the place, time, and purpose of the meeting. If the chairman does not do this, the vice chairman, secretary, and chairman of the fourth district, in that order, are empowered to fix the place of meeting. The retiring county chairman shall preside until a new chairman is elected, and he shall cast the deciding vote in case of tie. The retiring secretary shall act as secretary of the county 'reorganization meeting. No proxies shall be recognized as being eligible to vote at the Democratic _ reorganization meeting. ’ ’ In the Republican organization, vice committeemen may be apoointed in writing to the retiring county chairman until 6 p. m. today. The retiring county chairman of the Republican party does not have the right to vote and break a tie for the new county chairmanship. If the Republicans do not agree within 24 hours, the state central committee elects the county chairman as the first order of business at its first meeting. Both retiring county chairmen, Dr. Harry H. Hebble, Democrat, and Harry Essex, Republican, are eligible for reelection as chairmen, and all other officers are also eligible. Breakin Is Reported At Yost Construction The Yost Construction Co. reported a break-in sometime after midnight last night to the sheriff’s department this morning. Entry was made by knocking out a window pane in the front door of the building. When the office help arrived this morning, the office was found in a complete shambles. Filing cabinets were ransacked, papers scattered about the floor, and the safe' had been tampered with. A considerable amount of time was taken to try to pry the safe open, because the combination lock was removed and chisel marks were found on the safe. Luckily for the culprit or culprits, the tear 1 gas in the safe wasn’t set off. The only things known to be missing were some small change from a soft drink and candy machine, and some cigarettes.

Senate Group Approves Price Label On Cars Price-Labelling Os New Cars Endorsed By Ford And G. M. By UNITED PRESS Compulsory price - labelling of new automobiles so purchasers will know exactly what they must pay moved a step nearer congressional approval today. The Senate Commerce Committee approved the legislation after hearings in which the big two of the auto industry—Ford and General Motors—endorsed it. Chrysler, the other big car maker, took no public stand for or against it. The bill would require manufacturers to' put on each car coming off the assembly line a label bearing a “suggested” ret ai 1 pride; the cost of transporting the auto to the dealer's showroom; and the retail price “suggested” by the manufacturer for each accessory or optional equipment. Violators would be subject to d SI,OOO fine for each car not properly labelled. A false price tag would bring another $1,006 penalty. , Major dealer associations approved the bill but some independent dealers vigorously opposed it. Passage by the Senate and House is now up to the Democratic leader ship. Elsewhere in Congress; Scholarships: Two House Education subcommittees tentatively approved a compromise plan for federal scholarships and loans to college students. It would provide 25,000 scholarships annual# for four years and 40 million dollars annually for loans over the same period. Scholarship would be limited to SI,OOO annually and would be awarded by state agencies Appropriations: The House Appropriations Committee approved a $570,722,613 bill to finance the State and Justice departments, the courts, and the U.S. Information Agency in fiscal 1959, which starts July 1. This was $18,492,399 below the President’s requests. Secrets: The Senate Internal Security subcommittee said that secrets stolen from the United States helped Russia launch its Sputniks and score other scientifc gains. _ Boat Safety: Rep. Herbert C. Bonner (D-N.C.) said the House (Continued on page two) Clark Is Candidate For Parly Chairman « Opposes Hebble As Democrat Chairman Bernard J. Clark, city Democratic chairman during the 1955 campaign, announced today that he is a candidate for Democratic chairman at the reorganization meeting to be held Saturday at 1 p.m. Clark’s announcement meant that there would be a fight for Democratic chairman. Dr. Harry Hebble, chairman since 1950, had previously informed the precinct committeemen and vice committeemen by letter that he is again a candidate. Clark, in his announcement, made it clear that he felt that he could do a good job as county chairman, and that a factional fight was not involved. He is a candidate in his own right, and has no slate for the other offices, hoping that the incumbents will stand for reelection regardless of the outcome for county chairman. Clark stated that he and Mayor Robert D. Cole had personally contacted most of the precinct committeemen and women, and that he was confident of victory. Dr. Hebble stated that he and vice chairman Mrs. Elmer C. Beer were contacting the delegates by telephone. Dr. Hebble added that unless the picture changed suddenly in the next 10 hours, he was confident of victory. Both candidates pledged themselves to work "hard for a Democratic victory in November regardless of the outcome of the race for county chairman. ' Clark has served as precinct committeeman from Decatur’s largest precinct for four years, and as city chairman in 1955. He is presently head of the Decatur street department. Dr. Hebble ha£ served eight years as county chairman, and has also served as precinct committeeman, member of the Decatur school board, and city councilman. The 78 precinct committeemen and women will meet at the Decatur community center at 1 p.m. Saturday for the election. No proxies can be accepted in the vote for officers for the next two years.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, May 9, 1958

24 Coal Miners Freed After Being Trapped Hours By High Water

3,000 Forced From Homes By Flood Waters Disaster Workers Struggle Against Floods In South By UNITED PRESS Disaster workers and volunteers struggled today against rain swollen southern rivers which have forced about 3,000 persons out of their homes and resulted in millions of dollars of damage. Several rivers were above flood stage and on the verge of overflowing their banks. Servicemen joined in the battle to contain the rising waterways. In West Virginia, three weeks of heavy rain triggered an underground flood which trapped 22 miners in the Boone Coal Corp, mine near Sharpies Thursday " Rescuers worked through the night to drain water from the mine and clear away muck and mud to reach the stranded miners. The miners were brought to the ! surface early today, alive and in good health. Floods Still Threaten t Violent thunderstorms, dotted I With twisters and funnel flouds, ripped north central Texas Thurs- [ (lay night. One of the twisters hit ; at Stamford Lake, near Wichita [ Falls, disrupting power to Abij tone, San Angelo, Big Spring, . Ozona, Big Lake and McCamey. No injuries were reported. To the east, the rampaging Big Sandy River in Kentucky was expected to crest at 57 feet today, more than 4 feet above flood stage, at Catlettsburg, where the i Big Sandy and Ohio rivers meet About 300 persons were moved out of Catlettsburg and merchants carried goods to safety in prepar- . ation for the high water. All roads to the city were cut by high water. The Big Sandy crested Thursday at Pantsville, Prestonburg and Martin, causing some damage but not as much as had been feared earlier. About 2,700 persons in the area fled their homes at the height of the flood threat. The Red Cross in Washington announced it was rushing disaster workers to flood - periled Kentucky and West Virginia areas. In West Virginia, two Red Cross shelters cared for a total of 225 families driven from their homes Battle High Water The Ohio River was on the rise, and was expected to crest at 57.5 feet tomorrow in the Cincinnati (Continued on page eight) First Witnesses In Starkweather Trial Decision To Hinge On Slayer’s Sanity ' LINCOLN, Neb. (UP)-The first ■ witnesses were called today against Charles Starkweather,' 19, admitted killer of 11, whose murder trial shaped into the question of whether knowing light from wrong will save him from the electric chair. Opening prosecution and defense statements late Thursday made it clear this trial of the worst mass Killer since Howard Unruh took 13 lives in 1949 in New Jersey would hinge on Starkweather’s sanity. Defense Attorney Clement Gaughan said: “The defense will not deny that Charlie Starkweather killed Robert Jensen but the evidence will show that he is legally insane. He was either born with or acquired , a diseased or defective mind ” Robert Jensen is the specific victim for whose slaying Starkweather is on trial. Gaughan pictured Charlie as an “underprivileged kid" who had to “scrounge in the muck" to afford even tlje simplest of pleasures. County Attorney Elmer Scheele spid the prosecution would produce competent evidence that the (Continued on page two)

State President ■ ■BEnfli Charles D. Ehinger C. D. Ehinger Heads State Association 4 Elected President By Telephone Group . Charles D. Ehinger, president of the Citizens Telephone company Os Decatur, was elected president blithe Indiana telephone association in the annual meeting in Indiasooolis Thursday. X Ehinger succeeds Francis Simpson of Winchester, general manager of the Eastern Indiana Telephone company, as president. Ehinger served last year as first vice president. Between 500 and 600 telephone executives phone companies attended the 38th annual convention Wednesday and Thursday. Highlight of the program was the address by Dr. Byron K. Tripnet, president of Wabash college. John V. Barnett, director of the taxation department of the Indiana State Chamber of Frank Travers, vice president of American United Life Insurance Co., and Carl B. Willis, of Fort Wayne, general traffic, manager of General Telephone Co., were also speakers. Wednesday morning the group toured the Indianapolis downtown exchange of the Indiana Bell Telephone company. Profit Is Shown By Power Department Quarterly Report issued By Utility A profit of $10,708.58 was made by the Decatur electric light and power department during the first quarter'jof the year, it was announced today. The balance sheet, as of March 31, showed that the total cost of the utility plant and lines had been $3,974,932.11, and that this had depreciated $1,274,798.70, leaving a value of $2,700,133.41 for the property as it now stands. Rural payments, which are used to extend new services, total $20,216.05. This money has been collected over the past six or seven years. The total amount of money earned by the Decatur power company since it was established is $2,345,212.29. Last year the first quarter profits for the electric company were only $4,988.42. Last year was one of the few years in the history of the cdmpany in which a loss has been shown. The water department announced that it has made a profit of $7,988.11 for the first three months of the year, more than $2,000 less than the $10,253.83 made in the first quarter last year. That is because of the additional workers needed to complete the repairs of old valves so that, the city water can be closed off by districts rather than all at one time for any major repair. Tbe present value of the city wa(ConUnued o» pa«e ftv«)

Decatur High Lists Seniors For Graduation Commencement Rites For Decatur High School On May 22 Names of the 67 candidates for graduation and the program for commencement exercises at the Decatur public high school were announced today by school officials. The 77th annual commencement services will be held in the high school auditorium at 8 o’clock Thursday evening, May 22. W. Guy Brown, superintendent of the city schools, stated that Dr. George E. Davis, director of the newly created division of adult education and director of the summer session at Purdue University, will deliver the commencement address. Theme of his message to the graduates will be “Along a path of Greatness.” Dr. Davis was born in Farmersville, 0., the son of a Presbyterian minister. After receiving Mis early education in Pennsylvania and Delaware schools, he graduated from high schol in lowa City, la. He received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of lowa in 1917. After service in World War I, he returned to lowa and receiv J ed his master’s degree in 1920. He was high school principal in Keokuk, la., for 16 years. He has been at Purdue since 1937. The commencement program follows: Processional—“ Pomp and Circumstance,” Elgar. Invocation—The Rev. Lawrence T. Norris, Union Chapel Evangelical United Brethren church. “I Believe.” Stillman-Ades, and “American Panorama,” Ralph E. Williams, by high school choir. Address—Dr. George E. Davis. Presentation of graduating class —Hugh J. Andrews, principal. Presentation of diplomas — Dr. James M- Burk, president of the Decatur school board. Benediction—The Rev. Harold J. Bond, First Presbyterian church. (Continued on Page eight) Geneva Resident Dies Early Today Edward R. Anderson is Taken By Death Edward Randolph Anderson, 50, part owner of Andy’s Tavern in Geneva, died suddenly this morning at 1:55 o’clock while being taken from the Adams county memorial hospital to the Lutheran hospital in Fort Wayne. Mr. Anderson had been admitted to the hospital Wednesday evening and had been in good condition until Thursday night, when he suddenly went berserk. The nurses and staff were unable to control him, and a sheriffs deputy was called. He was being removed to a maximum security room at Lutheran hospital when his death occurred. Exact cause of death has not been announced. Anderson was the son of William and Rose Miller Anderson, and was born in Hartford township May 9, 1908. He never married. He attended Indiana University for three years, and was a member of the Elks lodge in Bloomington. The Geneva resident is survived by five brothers and four sisters, Elmer and Harold Anderson, of Fort Wayne, Dale Anderson, of Peoria, 111., Sam and Cliff Anderson, of Geneva; Myra, Helen, and Betty Anderson, at home; and Mrs. Ernest Runyon, of Bryant. The body has been taken to the Hardy and Hardy funeral home, where friends may call after 7:30 p. m. today. Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Dr. A. B. McKain, of the Geneva E. U. B. church, officiating.

Graduate Speaker iossoik uk - .m M ■BOBBi Dr. George E. Davis 4,500 Jam Center To View Showcase Showcase Is Closed Here Last Evening ! The crowd that viewed the dis- , plays for the “Merchants Show- . case” was estimated at 8,000 peoj pie, by Fred E. Kolter, executive » secretary of the Decatur Chamber . of Commerce. The last night of a the affair was the biggest day of r the three day event, with 4,500 peoj pie jamming the aisles. . The committee for the event . was: Earl Sheets, general chairl man, Paul Uhrick, committee member, Fred E. Kolter, execui tive secretary for the Chamber of Commerce, and John Brecht, com- . mittee member. These men stated the affair was a complete success, . and that the remarks made to the . merchants by visitors, show enough interest to make it an anI nual affair. Each year the event will be larger with more merchants participating, they envisioned. ; The youngsters also seemed very well pleased with the event due to the appearance of “Jingles” in . the recreation room. They were so pleased that when he tried to leave the building, he was surrounded by youngsters and was unable to drive his car away from the circular drive of the building for approximately 15 minutes. For the ones who could not make the last night of the “showcase” some idea of the event may be obtained from neighbors and friends. The retail division wishes to express thanks for the cooperation for the affair to the people of Decatur. i 114 Are Killed In • Train Wreck As Rio Passenger Trains In [ Head-on Collision RIO DE JANEIRO (UP)—Officials today blamed an engineer’s ! error for a head-on collision be- ’ tween two passenger trains that t killed and injured more than 300 ' persons. » A court of bodies at the Rio '■ city mogue and at hospitals • reached 114 this morning. Hospi- - tals reported treating 201 injured, , some in critical condition. Estimes of the dead ranged up - to 150. . The force of the crash Thurs- ; day night in nearby Sao Cristoi vao was so great that many bodies were mangled, and the ex- . act death toll may never be . known. The crash occurred at 6:17 pm. . at the height of the commuter f rush hour. One train, headed from Ro toward the suburbs, was packed ], with commuters going home. The other was bringing suburbanites , into the eity. An official statement by the ’ Central do Brazil Railroad ' blamed the accident on Firmino 5 Teixeira Araujo, engineer of the • outbound train. It said, he was ‘ going out on an inbound track] (Continued on,, pace eight)

Men Unharmed By Ordeal In Flooded Mine Trapped More Than 6,000 Feet Below Ground Thursday SHARPLES, W.Va. (UP) — Twenty-four coal miners trapped more than 6,000 feet underground when a rain-swollen pond flooded the pit were freed today after waiting nearly 17 hours for rescue crews to reach them. The men, all mine veterans, merely waited out their entrapment. The Boone Coal Corp., operators of the mine, said all appeared unharmed. Water from the pond broke through the ground into the tunnel at 1 pm. and flooded the only exit way for the men“Everybody behaved well,” said foreman Robert Turner, who was among those trapped. “No one was really scared.” Rescue crews worked through the night to free the entombed men, who had barricaded themselves in a section of the mine above the flooded area. The first of the trapped workers reached the surface about 4:30 a.m. In High Spirits ( The rescue was completed at f 5:50 am. when Turner and two - other foremen, who had remained" behind until their men were safe, ; came out of die pit. The mine tunnels into a mountain about 18 miles from Logan in southwestern West Virginia, r The men were in high spirits despite their ordeal Willie White, who has spent 34 of his 47 years in the mines, chuckled, “I kept them alive." “I told jokes from start to finish,” he said. “I always believed we would get out. There wasn’t a bit of doubt in my mind.” Gus Phillips Jr., 42, who has worked in the mine for 26 years, was working his first day inside the mine this week. “I first knew 'something had happened when the lights flickered,” he said. “Then the water came.” Phillips said he tried to find a way out without success and then “just sat around.” “I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “You think of many other things at a time like that. Finally someone pounded on the barricade and broke through with a small holeI heard a voice saying, ‘That you Gus?’ That’s all I needed, I must have run a quarter of a mile to tell the others that help had come.” “Waited for Help” Turner said he and his fellow foreman, Roy Castle, had spent the early hours of their entrapment seeking an exit through a section of the mine which has not been worked since the early 19305. “At one time I was within 500 feet of the entrance but I was on the wrong side and couldn’t make the passageway,” he said. “I returned to the men and we decided to make ourselves comfortable. We decided there was no use to panic. We just turned out our lights and waited for help.” The first of the 24 men was sighted shortly after 4:30 a.m. as they reached the foot of the air shaft through which the three rescue crews had descended. They passed the word up to the surface that they didn’t need blankets, as officials had been ' preparing to send them. Richard F. Wessner, general manager of the company, said “those men may jump out of that mine-” Crawford L. Wilson,. West Virginia mines chief, shouted, “Hallelujah, and amen!” Funeral Rites Held ; For Keller Infant Graveside services were held at Blufton Thursday for Tommy Keller, infant son of Ralph and ' Nancy Callow-Keller. Surviving ‘ in addition to the parents are the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Callow of Decatur, and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Keller, Jr., of Bluffton.

Six Cents