Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 57, Number 1, Decatur, Adams County, 2 January 1959 — Page 1

Vol. LVII. No. 1.

I——yil»lll ■■■■■■l ■ ■■llli mu —— ■ II Ill' I I ■ I l.|. I 11, .RB, 1 ■ I ■ i ■ ._. ■ ■ V : , ?. S' ii J I <» w a ' w M MR W> REFUGEES FLEE CUBA—Unidentified Cuban refuge fes,led by a Cuban airline crew, march to the Immigration and Customs office, at International Airport in Miami, Fla., after fleeing Cuba m the wake of the collapse of fee Batista Government. Batista, the overthrown Cuban president, reached evile in the Dominican Republic with high officials of his regime.

Holiday Death Toll Mounts, || Fear 400 Total Comparatively Safe Driving Record On New Year's Eve United Press Internationa! Auto deaths mounted at a rate of better than three an hour today, before the New Year’s holiday weekend reached the halfway mark, and safety experts feared the toll would exceed 400 > by midnight Sunday. The National Safety Council had estimated only 40 more traffic fatalities for the four-day holiday than would occur during a nonholiday period. A comparatively safe New Year’s Eve driving record led council officials to believe their estimate was correct, but New Year’s Day brought a spurt in highway fatalities, and there was no slackening off by mid-day today. A United Press International count at n a.m. e.s.t showed at least 149 persons killed in traffic accidents since the holiday began at 6 pm. New Year's Eve. Twenty-nine persons perished in fires, 8 in plane crashes, and 29 in miscellaneous accidents for an overall total of 215. California, which reported the highest traffic toll among states during the Christmas holiday, again led with 13. New York counted 12, Wisconsin 11 and Pennsylvania 10. “The toll is running at an —— alarming and tragic pace,’’ the council said. “Apparently the shock of the Christmas holiday toll, when 599 persons lost their lives in traffic accidents, wasn’t great enough to hold down the New Year’s toll as we hoped.” Council officials pointed out that by about 11 a.m. two years ago, the last comparable four-day holiday, only 120 traffic fatalities had been counted. One Baby Born Here On New Year's Day The nine pound, eight ounce girl born at 12:57 p. m. Thursday was the only New Year’s baby born at the Adams county memorial hospital. The child is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Garwood, of 1115 Patterson street. Her mother is the former Miss Eileen Gause. Four Killed When Train Hits Vehicle SALISBURY, N. C. (UPI) — A South Railway train struck a station wagon loadedwith women and children Thursday night, killing four of the occupants and injuring three others. * . Others identified the victims as Mrs. Seydell Nichols, 45, of Spencer, N. C.; Mrs. Helen Eilenburg, 34, Gerald W. Mclntyre, 3; and Kathy Mclntyre, 5; all of Woodleaf, Ji. CINDIANA WEATHER Much colder, accompanied by northerly winds 29 .to 39 miles per hour and occasional snow flurries spreading southeastward over state tonight, preceded by mostly cloudy. Saturday partly cloudy to cloudy and much colder with a few snow flurries and occasional snow squalls near Lake Michigan. Low tonight Bto 16. High Saturday 15 to 25. Sunset today 5:32 p. m- CDT. Sunrise Saturday 8:99 a.«• CDT. Outlook for Sunday: Partly cloudy and continued cold. Low Saturday night sere to 19 above. High Sunday 19 to 25.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Hospital Has Profit In Year's Operation .2PrMifcOf $3,250.06 Is Shown For Year A profit of $6,517.08 for the month of December, not including the $2,069.82 tax distribution, pushed the Adams county memorial hospital to a profit of $3,250.06 for the year, not including the $4,549.28 raised by tax money, Thurman I. Drew, hospital manager, announce ed today. _ had $4,464.03 on deposit with the On January 1» 1958, fee. hospital '- county treasurer, after $36,375 was s transferred to the building fund. 0 The operating balance is now $12,263.37, including both the spring i and fall tax distributions. - This was the largest profit ever made by the hospital. In 1955 only ‘ $2,423.06 was used from tax money. r In 1956 a profit of $1,677.16 was ’ shown. In 1957 a small profit of $165.89 was made. ' The monthly report for Decemi ber shows that there was an operf ating cash balance of $3,676.47 on Dec. 1; deposits totaled $28,381.04, 1 and $2,069.82 was received from t the fall tax distribution, for a total : of $34,127.33. i Bills amounted to $6,623.66 for . the month, and the payroll was i $15,240.30, for' totsl expenses of 1 $21,863.96. 1 "There were 2? adults and 5 babies in the hospital on Dec. 1. Dur- ! ing the month 193 patients were ’ admitted and 74 babies born. Seven • adults died, 172 were dismissed, j and 67 babies were dismissed. There were 43 adults and 12 babies , ( present in the hospital on New , Year’s day. \ j Os the 74 new babies born at the > r hospital, 34 were boys and 40 were 1 - girls. One setof twins was born. t A total of 193 outpatients were 1 ; treated in the laboratory, X-ray • and emergency rooms. i ■ ; ; i Colder Weather Is 1 1 Forecast In State ‘ Severe Temperature j i Drop Is Predicted ; i United Press International i The season’s coldest weather . since mid-December was expected to drop temperatures in Indiana ’ to zero by Saturday night on the t wings of stiff winds. The forecast called for temper- i atures to drop to 10 to 15 above | zero tonight and plunge even deeper Saturday night, to a range of zero to 10 above. Sunday highs were expected to range from 10 to 25. The cold weather came on the heels of a flurry of New Year’s i Day precipitation which left scat- i tered slippery spots oh highways i and streets in the northern four- 1 fifths of the state. 7 1 A relatively mild spell of weather held sway through the Christ- i mas holidays. < Furthermore, the outlook for the i period running through the middle > of next week indicated tempera- 1 tures would average! 10 to 15 degrees below normal nighs of 27 to ' 44 and normal lows of 12 to 26. { “Much colder Saturday and continued cold rematader of pe- 1 riod,” the outlook said, adding * that precipitation would range < from one-quarter to one-half inch, 1 heaviest in the south and occurring as snow south Sunday or 1 Monday and again around 1 Wednesday with scattered snow 1 flurries over the entire Area Sat- 5 urday. f * * A statewide sleet and freezing rain storm predicted' for New 2 Year’s Eve and New Year's Day * with a snow accumulation of 2 to ‘ 4 inches in a northern area failed 2 to .materialize. „ Temperatures failed to drop low * enough to create traffic hazards J Continued m page five 1

Ike Challenges Russia's New Year Message _ Challenges Soviet Leaders Practice Kremlin Preaching GETTYSBURG, Pa. (UPI) - President Eisenhower today challenged the leaders of Russia to practice in Berlin what they preach from the Kremlin about peaceful coexistence with the West. ■ ' . The President, in an exchange of New Year’s .messages with the Soviet Unload "'top bosses, said that Russia’s expressed hope of reducing dangerous international tensions in 1959 was inconsistent with her Nov. 27 demand that the Western Allies get out of West Berlin by June L— — Thus Jtiisennower took a decided arm’s length attitude toward the New Year’s peace message which came in from the Kremlin late Thursday. The President was spending a leisurely New Year’s Day with his grandchildren watching the Cotton Bowl football game on television when the White House in Washington notified him that a message had come in from Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev gnd K. Voroshilov, chairman of the Presidium of lhe Supreme Soviet. _ Voroshilov technically is the Russian head of state, but Khrushchev is the boss. The message came in by commercial cable in Russian and was sent to the State Department for translation. Eisenhower fired back his thanks for the high hopes for 1959—and sent it by Weston Union. In essence, he informed the Russians that however admirable peaceful intentions might be, they should be backed up by positive progress. He suggested Berlin as a prime starting point. Eisenhower also was following closely the rapid - fire developments in the revolutionary struggle ofr control of the government of Cuba. He was being kept informed of the Cuban situation through reports from American intelligence Continued on page five Mrs. Goldie Smith Dies Last Evening Native Os Decatur " Dies In Michigan Mrs. Goldie A. Gay Smith, 73, a native and former well known resident of Decatur, died Thursday night at a hospital in Alma, Mich., following a serious illness of two weeks. z Mrs. Smith, member of a prominent Decatur family, served as deputy Adams county treasurer for many years before she and her husband, Elwin Smith, moved to Alma. r . She was born in Decatur March 20, 1885, a daughter of James L. and Martha E. Teeple-Gay.< Mrs. Smith was a member of the First Methodist church at Alma, and was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and the Rebekah lodge of Decatur. \ •— Surviving are three brothers, J. Fred Gay of Ifeaca, Mich., Richard D. Gay of Alma, Mich., and William. B. Gay of Stanton, Mich.; one sister, Mrs. Omer (Ruth) Parent of Clare, Mich. Funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon at the Dewey funeral home in Alma. The body will then be brought to the Zwick funeral home in this city for services of 1:30 p.m. Monday, the Rey. Charles ftahn of Alma officiatmg. Burial will be In the Decatur cemetery. ’ . •

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Friday, January 2, 1959.

' . • r-Z , . . ;.. J.... . / .r, . Rebels In Triumphant Entry Into Havana As President Batista Flees

James Kocher Dies Thursday Os Auto Hurts —- ■ amrara, •_ ...—. Kocher Lumber Co. President Dies Os Injuries Thursday James Lawrence Kocher, Sr., 83, Decatur lumber dealer since 1899, died at 1:30 a.m. Thursday at Parkview memorial hospital in Fort Wayne of complications resulting from an auto accident December . 5. He had been hospitalized for 27 - days. jmd tn a cOttja for the past » 10 .days. r - A native of Bluffton, he was born ' August 26, 1875, the son of George ! T. and Nancy Rhea Kocher. He attended DePauw" university at Greencastle, where he was a mem- ■ ber of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, f and was graduated from the Uni- [ versity of Michigan in 1899. Upon t his graduation he entered the lum- ! ber business in Montpelier and in t Decatur, and has resided at Decatur since that time. He was presi- . dent of the Kocher Lumber com- - pany. —: --t-• ■ On February 24, 1900 he was ! married at Ann Arbor, Mich., to the former Blanche Robinson Jac1 obs, who survives. J Mr. Kocher was a member of the ! First Presbyterian church of De- ! catur and served on the session of ’ elders and as trustee. Always ac- ■ tive in civic affairs, he was a member of the Rotary club, i of Pythias, the Masonic lodge, the - Blue Lodge in Fort Wayne, and the Scottish Rite. Survivors in addition to the wife ■ are: three daughters, Mrs. Linn Kern, Fort Wayne: Miss Helen Kocher, Point Richmond, Calif.; and Mrs. James Sasser, Pittsburgh, Pa.; one son, James L. Kocher, Jr., of Decatur, who was associated with his father in the Kocher Lumber Co., Inc.; eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchil-dren. Two brothers and a halfsister preceded him in death. The body was brought to the Black funeral home and taken to the home this morning. Friends may call at the heme, 707 Mercer avenue, until the time of the funeral Saturday afternoon The family hasrreqtirsted that remembrances be in the form of a donation to the National Foundation. Services will be held at the home of 1:30 p.m. Saturday, and at the churct^at 2 p.m., the Rev. Harold J. Bond and the Rev. Ray J. Walther officiating. Burial will follow at the Decatur cemetery. Eastern Airlines Resumes Service First Flight Since Nov. 24 Made Today MIAMI (UPl)—Eastern Airlines resumed service today after settling a 38-day strike which closed down the huge carrier and idled 16,000 workers. The first flight since Eastern’s 188-plane fleet was idled Nov. 24 took off At 9:45 a. m„ 45 minutes late, on a non-stop hop to New York’s Idlewild Airport with 81 passengers. A spokesman said about 30 other flights were scheduled today with the resumption ot operations. The number of flights will be increased gradually, until full service is restored in about 10 days. The walkout. Involving the International Assn, ol Machinists IAM and the Flight Engineers International Assn. FEIA, was officially ended at about 11 p. m. e.s.t<*New Year’s Eve when the company signed a new contract with the flight engineers. . The agreement left American Airlines the only major U.S. airline still grounded y a wave of labor troubles that have hit air carriers the past' several months.

< rive Os Vincennes Family Die In Fire Mother And Four Daughters Killed VINCENNES, Ind. (UPI) - Three - year - bld Barbara Kidwell tiied today of bums sustained in an explosion and fire which killed four other members of her family on New Year’s Eve. Mrs. Gentrilla Kidwell, 34, and , three other daughters were killed , and her husband, Charles, 41, and - their three sons were ipjured critit cally by the blast and flames at j their home. r s Barbara died in Good Samari--1 tan Hospital here, where her fatht er and brothers Robert, 16, Richard. 14, and David, 12, were in j serious condition. » Also dead in the fire were Patricia, 13. Carol, 10, and Amelia t Kidwell, 2. State police said a natural gas explosion appeared to have caused ’ the tragedy, but an investigation , was underway to determine the . exact reason. j The small frame home on this city’s near north side was a mass of flames when firemen arrived. “ They could do little more than prevent it from spreading to other homes. 5 The five survivors were found s wandering in a daze ground the ’ -yard. All were suffering from severe burns and shock. 5 The only member of fee family j not involved in the blast was a ‘ son, Charles, 18. now serving in .he Marine Corps. Neighbors said the home ex- ’ plbdeSllrra ball making it J impossible for them to reach the victims. Mrs. Kidwell’s body was found , in the kitchen with her youngest child in her arms. Authorities said they would pump water out of the basement in an effort to learn the cause of toe blast. They said neighbors re- ! ported the Kidwells had a gas leak repaired only recently. I Service Station Is Victim Os Robbery Downtown Station Is Reported Robbed A burglary was reported to the city police department New Years Day that occurred in Decatur the previous night, and the sheriff’s department was notified of an -at---I tempted burglary in Berne early today. Bruce Schnepp; of the Sinclair service station located at 163 South Second street, reported Thursday at 11:07 a.m. that a burglary oc- , curred ;at his station New Years ■ sve. Approximately SSO in cash and 1 several articles were reported stol-z en. X ! The police report shows that the subjects involved in the. : burglary 1 were believed in the premises prior to closing time, as entry was gainad through a small door located at the front of the building on the j south side. A pinball machine was tampered ' with, but entry was not gained. A ‘ vending machine was broken into and an undetermined amount of ( change was stolen. The sso’ was ■ taken'from the cash register. Also 1 included in the theft wejre three J new tires and seven cartons of ClffflTpftpQ - A Tbe sheriff’s department was J called to the scene of an attempted break-in and burglary at the Gif- ’ ford’s I.G.A. super market located at the north city limits of Berne ‘ on U. S. 27 early today. Sheriff Merle Affolder reported ’ that an aluminum casing on the front door was tampered With to l gain entry into the building. Al- , though the thieves were believed, ' scared away from the scene before ‘ anything of value could be remov- ' ed, considerable damage was caus- • ed by the culprits before leaving ’ the building. After the entry into 1 the building was gained, a door ! and casing to the office was re- J Continued on page rive

Berne Florist Appointed To Hospital Board €has. Nagel Named Hospital Trustee; Only Major JZhange Charles August (Gus) Nagel, Berne florist, was named to the Adams county hospital board, replacing Wilbert Nussbaum, of route one, Berne, in the only major change made by, the Adams county bbard of commissioners in their New Year's day appointments. Stanley D. Arnold was named chairman of the board, replacing Roland J. Miller, and Loren Heller was named vice-chairman, replacing Arnold. Last year’s chairman Miller moved to the east side of the table as a member of the board. He has completed two years of his three-year term, and Arnold has completed his first year. Heller is a new member of the board, replacing Harley J. “Jake” Reef, who completed six years on the board. Orval Sudduth, who has served as custodian of the court house for the past year, was renamed to a one-year contract. Two applications for matron of the court house were considered: Sarah Durbin, of 1003 W. Adams, and Mrs. Edna Werst. Mrs. Werst was re-appointed, having served out the contract of Mrs. Bee Daniels, who suffered a stroke last May. Boyd Rayer, Decatur barber, was reappointed to the alcoholic beverage Board as a Democratic member for one year. Frank Kitson was awarded a four-year contract as superintendent of the Adams eounty home, from March, 1959, to March 1963. Kitson was appointed last February on the resignation of George Fosnaugh effective last March 1 to finish out the remaining yearefFeaaaugli’s.lerim..__ Dr. Norval K. Rich was re-ap-pointed county physician for one year. Robert S. Anderson was reappointed county attorney; o n e other application, that of Robert Con on page five Mother Os Monroe Man Dies Thursday Mrs. Katharine Hike Is Taken By Death Mrs. Katharine Hike, 79, of 536 East Wayne street, Fort Wayne, mother of Gene Hike of Monroe, died at 11:40 a. m. Thursday at St. Joseph's hospital in Fort Wayne, where she had been a patient one hour. She was born in Fort Wayne Oct. 3, 1879, a daughter of Adam and Carolyne Benner-Kinline, and moved to Danville, 111., following her marriage to William Hike, Sr. Her husband died in 1951 and she returned to Fort Wayne to make her home. , Mrs. Hike was a member of the Salem Evangelical and Reformed church in Fort Wayne, the Dorcas society of the church, and the Wayne Temple of Pythian Sisters Surviving ate four sons, Gehe Hike of Monroe, Harold W. and Willalm Hike, Jr., of Fort Wayne, and Buford C. Hike of Terre Haute; three daughters, Mrs. Leona Scontlin of Fort Wayne; and Mrs. Helen Seidler and Mrs. Wil-, ma Sconlin, both of Danville, til.; 14 grandchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren. Prayer services will be held at 7:30 p. m. Saturday' at the D. O. McComb & Sons funeral home in Fort Wayne, the Fev. Willard H. , Sinke officiating. The body will then be sent to the Berhalter funeral home in Danville; where services will be held at. l;30 p. m. Monday. Burial will be in Spring Hill cemetery at Danville. f

Speaks Monday Capt. Theodore E. Peters Soya Co. Firemen ~ Will Meet Monday Copt T. E, Peters Principal speaker Captain Theodore E. Peters, fire prevention chief for the DelcoRemy division of General Motors Corporation, Anderson, will address the Central Soya volunteer firemen at 6 p. m. Monday, in the Moose lodge homq. , Captain Peters is one of Indiana’s outstanding authorities ’on fire prevention. The program he presents has won state and national recognition for Delco-Remy. His talks on the chemistry of fire and the techniques of fire prevention have been heard by an estimated 300,000 persons during the last 15 years. He has appeared on the program of Purdue University’s arson school, the Indiana state fire school, Lafayette; the lowa state fire school, Ames, la.; the Illinois state fire school, Urbana, 111., and the international fire department instructors’ conference, Memphis, Tenn. Captain peters has spoken before hundreds of service clubs,; church groups, insurance forujhs, “schocisr* hnd other' eommtfhitywide greetings in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, lowa, Illinois, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The fire prevention program he supervises in the 10 Anderson plants of Delco-Remy twice has won the national board of fire underwriters’ award as the outstanding industrial program in the U. S. and Canada. , Pointing out that fires and explosions do not just happen, but must be caused. Captain Peters demonstrates the explosive properties of commonly-used liquids and flammable materials found in industries, homes, farms and business establishments. A complete outline of precautions for fire safety climaxes his presentation. Captain Peters is a member of the Indiana fire chiefs association and is a special deputy state fire marshal in Indiana. California Brush Fire Near Control 81 Homes Destroyed In California Fire LOS ANGELES (UPI) - Firefighters expected to bring under control today southern California’s latest brush fire, which has destroyed 81 homes in its devastating march from Topanga Canyon to the sea. Norman La Vigne, chief county fire dispatcher, said “it should be a routine job from here on ip if the winds don’t increase;” __ Meanwhile, the thousands of residents who fled from the heavily populated area when the blaze started New Year’s Eve began returning to their homes. A second fire that blackened 850 acres, threatening movie stars’ mansions, was brought under control Thursday night by same 500 firemen. -«? . Continued on page flv*

'Six. Mm'

Armed Forces Accept Rebel Leader Choice Fidel Castro's Rebel Troops March Into Havana, Cuba Today HAVANA, Cub (UPI) — Fidel Castro’s rebel troops made a triumphal entry into Havana today. It was the final symbol of vic* tory for the rebel leader who earlier today proclaimed Dr. Manuel Urrutia provisional president with Santiago the povfcional capital. He won from the Cuban army, navy and air force a declaration of allegiance to his 26th of July Movement. The armed forces also accepted Urrutia as president. Say “Many Wounded” Col. Ramon Barquin, head of all the nation’s military units, said in a radio broadcast that he was putting all the armed forces “at the disposition of Fidel Castro.” At the same time, he said the military was ready to accept Urrutia as president Barquin, sent a plane to Santiago to pick up Castro and Ur- ~ rutia. The Calixto Garcia General Hospital issued an urgent radio ap- . peal for blood donors and said it l had “many wounded.” - - Radio Station CMQ also ap» pealed to any doctor in the vicinity of its station j? the Vedado section of Havana, to report to the studios to three wounded. -- -- ■ " The rebel itdio announced that 51 exiles had returned to Cuba this morning by plane. Rebel forces were entering Havana through the Avenida de Los Presidents’ entrance to the city. First reports said troops from the Sierra de Escambray region of Las Villas Province to the east were e nrotite to take over Camp Columbia, .general headquarters of the Cuban armed forces. The first rebel troops from Las Villas started moving into the city at 10:30 a.m. . * Former President Arrives Castro said earlier he and Urrutia woulcP “make a triumphal entry into this city, which is completely paralyzed by a rebelcalled general strike, at 2 p.m. today. Howevpr, rebel sdiirifos here said later tliat Castro would not arrive until probably sometime Saturday from Santiago, which he has proclaimed the provisional capital of the country. Former President Carlos Prio Socarras, deposed by Batista in a coup d’etat on March 10. 1952, arrived in Havana this morning to join the Castro forces. He was one of the most active antiBatista leaders. His return was part of an all-out effort by the rebel forces to bring back antiBatista refugees from abroad. At least three Cubana Airlines planes took off empty from here and were returning with the exiles. Rebel sources said followers of Prio and all other insurgent groups had united behind Castro’s 26th ot July Movement. U.S. Sends Ship Havan’a itself was quiet, save for the sounds of occasional shots and minor looting and sacking activities. The city of 1% million persons was paralyzed by the general, strike, which Castro called for Thursday to lead weight to his victory. There were no cars on the streets and only a few pedestrians. Those who moved about were stopped every few yards by soldiers and armed rebels who were patrolling the city to prevent any more outbursts of violence. Before order was restored Thursday, mobs roamed the streets in a wild foray of looting, sacking and destruction. Stranded Americans were awaiting the arrival of a ship from Key West, Fla., which was being dispatched by the State Department Latest reports said the U.S. embassy also was lining up an airlift for all American citizens who wished to leave the city. Pan Americans World Airways planned to send two, special planes Continued 0® peg* flv«