Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 57, Number 142, Decatur, Adams County, 17 June 1959 — Page 1

Vol. LVII. No. 142.

City Council Approves New Purchase Offer On Electric Utility - ■ .■ ■ ■ . ----- - - -- - — —i-6

The Decatur city council, acting in response to a petition bearing the signatures of more than half of the registered voters in Decatur, passed resolution No. 200 Tuesday night authorizing the sale of the electric utility with certain new exceptions to Indiana - Michigan Electric compafty for $2,009,100. The new contract includes $59,283.19 in new improvements, excludes $160,020.53 for depreciation, and also excludes the fleet of kix trucks from the sale. The contract price is $3,200 less than the first offer, which included the six trucks. The 16-page agreement includes the provision that 100 freeholders and resident taxpayers may petition the common council to submit the question to an election by the qualified voters of the city of Decatur. Review Steps The resolution reviews the history of the old offer, which was rejected by a vote of 1,500 to 1,227 in an election on April 14. On April 21 th’ city council authorized steps to be taken to purchase all electric':! energy, and obtain the funds for the same, by increasing electric rates and further Issuance of revenue bonds. On May 19, a petition was submitted to the council signed by 2,269 voters of Decatur, and the petition read in part: ' “By reason of information and developments which have become evident since the special city election held on April 14, 1959, it now appears that it would be highly detrimental and work irreparable injury to the city of Decatur, hot only at the present, but to its future growth, and would saddle on the people of Decatur higher taxes and electric ra|es, if the city were to continue to operate its municipal utility and to abandon its efforts to sell. “Accordingly, the undersigned voters ofjthe city of Decatur. Adams county, Indiana, respectfully petition and request that the common council and mayor of the city promptly take all action and steps, by ordinance or otherwise, necessary or proper in accordance with law, to effect a new and other sale of the municipal electric utility.” On May 19 the council adopted a resolution requesting the proper city authorities to consider and investigate a new and other sale of the electric system, and to reyrt back. On June 2 the board of works reported to tHfe council that it had contacted Indiana-Michigan, and that I&M would make an offer. Following negotiations, the contract approved Tuesday night was drawn up. 'To Be Sold Under the terms of the agreement the city agrees to sell the following: all of the electric utility Three Will Attend Hoosier Girls State Two Decatur girls and one from Monroe will represent the Decatur area at Hoosier Girls State, June 20-28 at Indiana University. Miss Rosalind Flora, and Miss Nancy Rice, both of Decatur, and Miss Madeline Hedington, Monroe, are this year’s delegates. They will leave with Mrs. Hetman Dierkes, girls’ state chairman for the American Legion auxiliary, early Saturday morning for Fort Wayne, where the three will leave for Bloomington by chartered bus with the rest of the delegates from the fourth congressional district. Miss Flora, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Flora, 428 Limberlost Trail, is a student at Decatur high school. Miss Rice, a student at Monmouth high school, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rpbert J. Rice, route one. Both are sponsored by the American Legion auxiliary of Post 43. Miss Hedington is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hedington, route one, Monroe. She is sponsored by the Adams Central PTA. At girls state annual convention, for high school juniors who have shown high scholastic standing and interest to government, girls will divide into two' political parties and elect state officers, as boys are doing*this week at Boys State, on the Indiana University campus.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY , . .

system now owned ana operated by the city in the rendering-of electric utility service in and adjacent to Decatur, including the diesel plant building and site and all adjoining land presently owned by the city in the area bound by Dayton street, ■ Seventh street, Indiana street, and the Pennsylvania railroad right of way in Decatur; production and power plant equipment and facilities; distribution plant and facilities; structures; improvements; 1 substations; overhead conductors; underground conduits and conductors; lines; towers; poles; crossarms; bases; guys, guy wires;'cables; ground wires; insulators; transformers switches; lightning arrestors; meters; services; easements; rights of way and all other ' kind of opertaing rights; and any and all other property owned, held or used by the city as a part of the aforesaid electric utility system. To Be Kept Excepting and excluding, however? from the aforesaid utility properties and facilities the following, which shall be retained by the city; the land and all buildings at the steam generating plant site; the land and building at the city’s line department operating headquarters: all transportation equipment; all communication equipment; all office furniture and equipment; all conduits, conductors, poles, standards, fixtures, and facilities used exclusively for street lighting purposes; all fuel; all material and supplies; and cash, bank deposits, bonds, securities, meter i deposits and accounts receivable j owned or held by ■4Ke c'flS’ r ? Cash Price Os the total purchase price, $2,064,378 will be paid in cash. The > remaining $34,722 shall be paid for two years of street lighting. The agreement will be good until Dec. 31, 1959, at which time a warranty deed, bills of sale, and assignments will be exchanged. I&M will get to use the steam generating building for three years, and the line department for one year. The city will have to deliver the electric property in substantially the same condition it is right now, less wear and tear, but any breakdowns or failures occurring meanwhile must be repaired by the city. The city will get all money due • to it for service rendered before the sale, even if it has not been collected by the time of the sale. The rate schedule for Decatur, according to the agreement, will be the same as before, and it will be filed with the PSC commission.

*' " — -"" — — — .... ■ —n - ..... , Russia Agrees To Study Plan

GENEVA (UPD—Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko agreed , today to consider the West’s compromise Berlin plan. Gromyko gave no hint whether or not the Soviet Union would accept the new proposals. But his promise to give a fuller reply Thursday was enough to save the deadlocked Big Four foreign ministers’ conference from immediate breakdown, - ------yrThe Soviet foreign minister himself proposed that another secret session be held Thursday, to follow the one today. The West agreed. Since Gromyko got the 2 1-3-page Berlin peace plan only Tuesday night, it was assumed-he needed another day to get a decision on it from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow. Khrushchev was warned again today that President Eisenhower still did not think enough progress had been made here to justify a summit meeting. Eisenhower himself spelled that out at his Washington news conference. Geneva diplomats hoped to have Khrushchev’s reply to this implitit warning as well as to the Western Berlin document Thursday afternoon. This afternoon’s Big Four session lasted less than 40 minutes—the shortest in six weeks of fruitless talks. It was obvious that Khrushchev had not yet made up his

No Intervention In Steel Talks-Ike

Repairs Promised ( I&M promises by the contract to commence immediately upon signing the contract to make such repairs, rearrangements, replacements, and improvements to the electric property as shall be necessary *to provide adequate and reliable electric service according to law. The city council pointed out that the changes in the electric utility and the differences in this new offer made it equally fair and just price and as good a price as was to have been paid for the properties previously to have been sold. The council concluded that since the terms and conditions are substantially different from the previously proposed sale, and since it is in the best interests of the ctiy, its taxpayers and its users of electric energy, the council entered into the agreement, with the understanding that an election may be held if requested. Principal Invested The j-esolution calls for the redemption of all revenue bonds and securities pertaining to the city electric system, and the rest invested by the city, and the interest realized usd for needed city improvements. The principal can be used only after study and recommendations and study by a citizens advisory committee to be appointed by the mayor. The mayor will ask the judge of tne circuit court, pursuant to law, to appoint three disinterested freeholders to appraise the value of the plant. The resolution was unanimously passed bw the four council members present. Councilman Ed Bauer, who is ih the hospital, was advised of.the action by the council, had taken part in preliminary discussions, and was fully in agreement with the rest of the council on the measure.. S BULLETIN GALVESTON, Tex. (UPI) — Mrs. Earl K. Long and three doctors arrived in a military plane today to get Mrs. Long’s husband, the' governor of Louisiana, out of a mental hospital and take him to a New Orleans hospital.

Had the Soviet answer been another “no,” the West was ready to seek a recess of the talks. A British spokesman said that Gromyko did most 'of the talking at this afternoon’s session—and it was all on the Western proposals. He did not bring up his own plan for the West to get out of Berlin within a year. But he cautioned the West that these were brief, preliminary observations and that a final answer would have to come later. British spokesman Peter Hope said the conference still was on a day to. day basis, but as of now ”tne negotiations are still proceeding.” For this reason, he said, die actual text of the Western document would not be made public tonight. i With the conference on the brink of disaster, there also were indications that British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan might resort to personal intervention. There were reports that he might fly off again to Washington and Moscow on another personal mission of peace. London sources denied these reports, but this was known to be part of current British thinking to head off collapse of die current talks and possible later disaster.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, June 17, 1959.

WASHINGTON (UPI) — President Eisenhower today rejected suggestions - that he call steel labor and .industry spokesmen- to the White House in an effort to reach a wage settlement. At the same time, he displayed interest in a suggestion that. the government lay out its own statement of the facts in the steel dispute for the benefit of the public. At a news conference, the President re-emphasized his unwillingness for t he White House fa get directly involved in the deadlocked negotiations. * He said he would urge again that each side recognize the great dangers which would come from an inflationary settlement. But he added that to intervene directly and to bring political or other pressure on the bargaining would be more hurtful than helpful. Eisenhower said ,such intervention would not achieve as much as insistence that the negotiators remember the public interest. Won’t Enter Bargaining A questioner referred to former President Truman having called steel negotiators to the White House. Eisenhower recalled without comment that the action in that case led to a government attempt to seize the steel mills, dispute asked if the government could do anything to lay the facts Anober questioner on the steel before the public. The President described the question as most intelligent, said he had not thought about it and would have the suggestion studied. He. said agatovthat he did not want to influence the negotiations but that the ..case affexted the public and he had a duty to perform as long as he did not get into the bargaining. To other questions, Eisenhower defended his right as chief executive to try to influence Congress. He said the Constitution, through the right of veto, made him a part of the legislative process. Summit Prospects Dim As to whether there was any administration lobbying, in behalf Continued on page five Reception Planned For Rev. Schmitt The Very Rev. Simeon Schmitt, newly appointed pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic church in Decatur, will be the guest of honor at a two-part official church reception Friday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. The liturgical services in the church will be conducted by the Very Rev. Msgr. Thomas Durkin, a native of Decatur- and pastor of, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Fort Wayne. The parish reception, which is is also open to the general public, will be held at the Knights of Columbus hall following church services. All Decatur area residents are invited to attend both functions and to visit with the new pastor. The Most Rev. Leo A. Pursley, bishop of the Fort Wayne diocese, appointed Rev. Schmitt to the pastorate here on May 28. The formal appointment is effective today. He also becomes diocesan consultant and dean of the Huntington deanery. Rev. Schmitt, 57, is a native of Decatur, being born the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dyonis Schmitt, Oct. 20, 1901. After being ordained in 1926, he held pastorates at Delphi and Huntington before taking the pastorate at St. John the Baptist church in Fort Wayne. He succeeds the late Very Rev. Msgr. J. J. Seimetz, who died May 25 of complications after suffering a stroke in the parish rectory Jan. 24. INDIANA WEATHER Generally fair tonight and Thursday. Little temperature change. Low tonight 47*to 65. High Thursday 72. to7B north., ,77 to 85 south. Sunset today 8:15 p. m. Sunrise Thursday 5:17 a. m. Outlook for Friday: Fair and little temperature change. Lows 51 to 59. Highs 77 to 85. *

State Auditor Will Speak Here June 23 Albert E. Steinwedel Albert A. Steinwedel, auditor of state, will address the Jefferson club meeting at 8 p.m. next Tuesday at the Decatur Youth and Community Center, Roger Singleton, president, announced t his morning. All members and prospective members of the club, and guests, are invited to attend, Singleton said. Steinwedel has been prominently mentioned as a possibility for governor in 1960. The 37-year-old Democrat was a retail clothing businessman in Seymour when he became a successful candidate for auditor of state in <958. He Is a graduate ot the Indiana University school of business, where he majored in accounting and marketing. A veteran of World War 11, he served three years in the infantry. He served as ninth district sensus supervisor in 1950. In 1956 he was the Democratic candidate for the office of state treasurer. He* is a member of the Lutheran church and the Lutheran laymen’s league. He is married to the former Charlotte Curran of Marion they have two children. Steinwedel is well acquainted ir Decatur, having visited here ir 1956 and 1958, and having manj friends here. More than 100 persons have already joined the Jefferson clut this year, and a large crbwd is expected to hear Steinwedel speak Decatur Delegate Is Boys State Nominee Elections were slated this afternoon at Bloomington by the 90( Hoosier teen-agers attending Boys State. Among the nominees for office is Don Baker, of Decatur, one of the mayor candidates on the “Nationalist” ticket.

Coyle Brother Slain, Second Is Captured

MIDDLEBORO, Mass. (UPD—I One of the cop-killing Coyle broth-1 ers was shot and killed and the other surrendered to police today. William Coyle, 22, younger of the notorious Philadelphia brothers, was shot 10 times in a 90second gun battle with police. He was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Middleboro, where he died while undergoing emergency surgery. . '' John Coyle, 24, gave up when his brother fell in the exchange of gunfire on the edge of a cranberry bog. He was taken to state 1 police barracks here for questioning. The gun.battle climaxed a threeday manhunt. The battle beneath murky skies in this southeastern Massachusetts community ended the crime Spree of the brothers that Included the killing of a Philadelphia policeman June 4. The brothers seized a hostage and his car while fleeing north from Philadelphia. The hostage was found unharmed Mond a y when the brothers abandoned the car and holed up in Woods after robbing a liquor store . Walter Schmidt, 32, ahd his wife, who were sitting at their kitchen table at a window overlooking the cranberry bog, alert-

Herb Banning Is Named To School Board Other business at the cil meeting Tuesday night, besides I&M’s offer to purchase the city electric utility plant and franchise, included a revised petition for rezoning by the Mies-Dawson Realty Co. and the election of Herb Banning, of Homestead 38, and manager of Holthouse on the Highway as the Democratic appointee to the Decatur school board. The new Mics-Dawson petition, which calls for rezoning of 3.7 acres from residential to general commercial, was referred to the city plan commission for approval. A previous rezoning petition for an ordinance was rejected by a 3-2 vote of the council two weeks ago, mainly on grounds that seven acres was not needed to house the proposed $200,000 bowling lanes and parking facilities. The proposed plat allows 360.85 feet of frontage as residential between the bowling lanes and the Schwartz Motor Sales on U. S. 224. A 60-foot street, to be called TyndalL avenue, will separate the commercial property and the residential area. The area petitioned for rezoning is 270 feet wide, excluding the new street, and ‘SOO feet deep, or extending north. Banning, who succeeds Everett Hutker on the school board, won the post by a 3-1 secret ballot vote. f The other members of the board 1 are Dr. J. M. Burk and John G. ' Heller. His appointment becomes _ effective August 1. 5 Mayor Robert D. Cole requested city department heads to prepare - their budgets for 1960 as they due • on August 13. He also noted that 1 repair work was started on city ‘ parking meters and meter posts. r • Norm Steury. newly elected presi ident of the Homestead, association, - thanked the city for the drain tile - and water fountain at the newly a improved Homestead park - i ball diamond. He commended BerM nard Clark and his crew for keepS ing u pthe improvements on the park. e -. Steury also spoke in behalf of s the Little League program in Des catur, asking the city council to e I view the lack of baseball diamonds as an emergency. Mayor Cale asn sured him that the council would s do all in its power to alleviate the i- situation by next season. The mayi, or pointed out that the Youth and ► Community Center receives 13 of n the 20-cent recreation allowance n of the budget, but he hoped that y events would wararnt more money for building adequate diamonds, possibly at Homestead and Strati’, ton Place. S The following sums of money are currently available in various city funds after the reading of the bills: general fund, $86,050.36; electric, $93,849.80; water, $67,777.11; ' sewer works, $6,580.06; revolving 0 s sewer. $11,195.14; parking meter, f. $8,817.44; recreation, $13,185.02; e park, $1,900.08, and stref, $17,e 506.20.

led police when they saw “two kids” crawling up a path. “I told my wife ‘They don't look like any of the neighbors’ kids,” Schmidt" said. “So we decided to play it safe and phone police. “The police arrived in a very short time and spotted them in bushes. It was a 9()-second gun battle with at least 50 rounds fired.” Police believed earlier the Coyles had eluded a posse which at times numbered 250 policemen, FBI agents and volunteers. The Coyles drove to Massachusetts in their hostage’s car after allegedly shooting doWn Philadelphia policeman James F. Kane who surprised them stealing bottles of milk in that city. Hie pair abducted William Sedgewick, 49, Philadelphia, and for five days forced him to drive around with them. Sedgewick, hungry and tired, was found partially tied in the car when the Coyles abandoned the vehicle while fleeing from their SSO holdup of the liquor store here Monday. The brothers also were wanted in the holdup of a Buzzard’s Bay, Mass., supermarket in which the manager was wounded.

Ike Asks For Plane Report

WASHINGTON (UPI) — President Eisenhower today asked the Sfavy for a quick report on why some of the guns of an American aircraft were not functioning when it was attacked oy Communist planes off Korea. Ejsenhower told his news conference that he expected the Navy to make a public report after it investigates reports from Japan that, the plane’s forward guns were unable to fire because of missing parts. The chief executive said he did not yet know the nationality of the jet fighters that attacked the American bomber while it was on routine patrol over international waters of the Sea of Japan. As a former military commander, he said the report of missing gun parts was a source of great concern to him and he had called on the Navy for a complete report on this condition. A Strange Coincidence Eisenhower, under questioning, said it seemed to be a strange coincidence that the plane incident took place while the Geneva foreign ministers’ meeting was bogged down. This was in response to a reporter who cited a belief in some 1 quarters that the attack was deliberately timed to create added tensions in connection with the Geneva meeting. Eisenhower said one might say that the attack was more than a coincidence, but he hesitated to ascribe motives in such a situation. To summarize his feelings, however, he added that the attack did seem to be a strange coincidence. Some top members of Congress charged that it was “criminal” for the U.S. patrol plane to. be sent out on a mission without means to defend itself. There were widespread demands for an investigation. Chairman George H. Mahon . (D-Tex.) of the House defense appropriations subcommittee said if the report were true “somebody should be severely disciplined for such a shoddy performance.” Sen. Henry ,'M. Jackson (D- --’ Wash.), who is on the Senate ’ Armed Services Committee, said ! it was “nothing short of an act of criminality” to send out a

; U.S. Will Propose s 3 Nuclear Test Ban r» “ WASHINGTON 1 United States was reported ready f today to propose an agreement s with Russia and Britain for jointt ly launching 12 earth satellites jr that could police a ban on highaltitude nuclear tests. ? Officials, said that the U.S. plan would be presented next week to the East-West scientific conferr ence at Geneva on ways of de- , tecting nuclear tests above the at- ’ mosephere. The conference starts • Mondav. Wolfgang Panofsky, Stanford ; University physicist, will present , the proposal. He headed a 15-man ’ U.S. committee set up to study • detection methods above a height ; of 30 miles. The committee’s rport said the 12 satellites, which would blanket the earth and be in drbit at all times, could adequately detect with sensitive electronic equipment any high-altitude explosion. However, they would be unable to . pinpoint where the blast occurred. ' The satelli etsystem would monitor the fourth area where nuclear test shots might be set off. The United States, Russia and Britain previously have agreed that a network of 180 stations would be able to monitor most underground, surface and within-the-atmosphere tests. Under the U.S. .proposal, it was

. Lancbvria J M ■ w *•**•»*<•<’«•£>••*•% . 1 <Xflt 1 , s - > . ’ tf yQ * '< I —-— —J ' REPORT REDS ATTACK NAVY PLANE— The Defense Department has announced, that a P-4M Mercator Navy patrol plane < lowerright) was attacked while on routine patrol over international wat- * ers 85 miles from North Korea by a Communist jet fighter, and . one of the crew was wounded. The attack occurred over the Sea J of Japan off , Wonsan. The Navy plane was based at Iwakuni, Marine air facility on the inland sea of Japan’s Honshu Island.

» Six Cents

patrol plane lacking vital defense equipment. Someone is guilty of the worst kind of misconduct, he said. McElroy to Investigate Sen. Styles Bridges (R-N.H.) declared: “I feel it is criminal to allow A me r i can men to face death without the means to defend themselves.” Mahon said he had telephoned Adm. Arleigh Burke, chief of naval operations, and Burke promised to investigate and report back. Defense Secretary Neil H. McElroy said he would investigate the situation, which he called "abnormal.” He said: "I wouldn’t be surprised from time to time not, everything is perfect as to little parts but this would not be normal, in fact, I think it would be strictly abnormal.” McElroy said he could not disclose the subjects he and Acting Secretary of State C. Douglas Dillon discussed with the President this morning. But he said that the plane incident was not included. Tail Gunner Wounded 1 Members of the crew of the patrol bomber said today they could not return fire on the attacking MIGs * because their forward guns lacked parts and the tail gun had been knocked out by , Red fire. They said the missing . parts were "difficult to get.” Rep. Leslie Arends (Ill.), ranking Republican member of the . House Armed Services Committee, declared the Navy should i give an immediate explanation of why some of the guns were not . in working order. Meanwhile, the United States , sought to establish the nationality t of the two Communist pitots who fired on the Navy plane and i seriously wounded a crewman. A strong protest will be filed I when it is determined whether • the jets belong to the Soviet ■ Union, Red China or North Korea, the State Department said. Aviation Electrician's Mate 3C • Donald Eugene Corder, the tail 1 gunner, son of Ivan L. Corder, t Jacksonville, 111., was wounded i in the attack.

reported, six of the satellites would be sent into orbit at 600mile altitudes, spaced and timed to coVer all the earth area below them. ' • . - -■ ■ The other six would be rocketed into 40,000-mile-high orbits, 16 times higher than any satellite launched thus far. They would be on guard for any clandestine shots conducted in the area between 1 the sun and Mars. Five Children Die In Apartment Fire — CHICAGO (UPD—Five children perished today in a fire that swept a four-story store and apartment building on Chicago’s West Side. The flames, of undetermined origin, broke out on the third or fourth floor of the budding and drve more than 100 persons, aU Negroes, from the apartments. Firemen probing the ruins of the burned out building found the bodies of Mary Morris, 5, and her 11-month-old brother, Willie, in a fourth floor apartment. On the third floor firemen found the bodies of Sam Yarborough, 9, and his brother, Rickey, 3, and [ Lawrence, 2. The mother first I identified one of the dead as John, another son, but he was later ; located alive. Battalion Chief Robert O’Brien said the children either burned to death or suffocated.