Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 58, Number 28, Decatur, Adams County, 3 February 1960 — Page 1

Vol. LVIII. No. 28.

Janitor’s Act May Have Saved Others

HARTFORD CITY Ind <UPDProsecutor Alfred Hollander nd today be believes more than two school tracbrri might have been killed on ■ ahotgun rampage if g janitor hadn't burled a crowbar at the berserk principal who shot them * “It may be that 84 < Silas Me Caffrey. the school maintenance man) saved some live* of other teachers," Hollander Mid. Handsome. curly-haired 1-conard 0 Redden. 44, shot and killed Miaa Harriett Robson, 52. assistant principal of William Reed elementary school, and Mrs. Minnie McFerren. 62. another teacher. Tuesday before the horrified eyes of their young pupils Redden's body, a suicide by the same gun. was fexind in a woods six miles from the slaying scene hours later. Hollander said he believes Miss Robson and Mm. McFerren were the victims only because Redden habitually went to their room; first when he visited the school, one of three grade schools he supervised. McCaffrey, after hearing the shootings and seeing the principal walk out w*’h a g'jn, hurled a crowbar at Redden, and Redden stopped for a moment. Hollander said the crowbar may have deterred Redden as he headed for other classrooms be usually visited in a specific order. Friends, acquaintances and townspeople generally expressed opinions that Redden's concern over gossip linking him romantics Uy with Miss Robson was imaginary. They said they hadn't heard any gossip. ’ Redden was known as gentle, mild mannered and “very nice" until recently fce complained of severe headaches and seemed less genial. His wife. Hazel. 40. said he was suffering from a persecution compier and had made an appointment for him to see a psychiatrist Tuesday afternoon. Breaking Point Comes But even his wife had not known when the breaking point was reached. It came scant hours before the slender, dark-haired principal was to aee the psychiatrist. In 80 minutes, the two women against whom he had built up a resentment were dead and so was he. . Redden did not go to school- as usual in the morning. Instead, he went to a hardware store and purchased a box of shells for his 12 gauge shotgun. Returning home, he armed himself with the shotgun and drove to the school, occupied by about 300 pupils and six teachers. He stalked into Miss Robson s fifth grade classroom as she, was grading the test papers of her 30 students. He pointed the gun at her, shouted “try to nang me, will you?” and fired. Thought It A Joke Some of the children related afterward that they thought it was a joke until they heard the roar of the gun. “Miss Robson fell on the desk, then rolled off to the floor, breaking her glasses,” a ( pupil said. “Some of the kids started screaming and started to run out but Mr. Redden pointed the shotgun at them and chased them back into the room.” Redden, ignoring the screams of the frightened children, walked

Special Power To de Gaulle

PARIS (UPI) — The French Assembly today gave President Charles de Gaulle near-dictatorial powers to end the “tragedy” of Algeria and safeguard France’s “liberty and democracy.” The government was expected to use the special powers almost Immediately to launch a ruthless crackdown on rightwing extrem--1 ists who oppose de Gaulle’s "selfdetermination” program for the revolt - torn North African territory. At 1:35 a.m. today, the assembly almost without a murmur handed over its authority to de Gaulle and his government. The deputies, by a vote of 441 - 75, gave him the power to rule — France by decree for one year. f Senate Aeta Next The overwhelming vote of approval was expected to be reflected when the Senate acts on the de Gaulle request later today to conclude formal parliamentary . action. The only opposition ih the assembly came from a handful of Communists and extreme right - wingers. Even the major leftwing party, the opposition Socialists, voted for the powers demanded forde GauUe by Premier Michel - ' .

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER D» ADAMS COUNTY + —

Sa ramp to Mrs. MeForren’s ssroom She was reading poems at the time. “If anyone moves. I'U shoot you.” Redden told Mrs McFerren and her «tart led class. Mrs. McFerren. a teacher at the school for 41 years, began scream tag. "Leonasd don t shoot me! Don't shoot me!” Redden put the muzzle of the gun to her head and fired A term Os Fear Pandemonium raged through the school after Redden ran out the door and drove away in his 19M car. Many of the children ran home without their bats or coats in freezing weather. The community of 8.500. 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis became a town of fear. Police closed all schools and armed guards patrolled the town, fearful Redden might be stalking the streets with his shotgun. Several hours later. Sheriff Gil Robertson, leading a 300 - man posse, found Redden s body under a fallen tree in a patch of woods about six miles from town. His car was found abandoned a mile away. Redden had propped the shotgun against his chest and used a stick to pull the trigger. Mrs. Redden said her husband's trouble seemed to have begun with injuries received during World War II in Pacific fighting at Hollandia and Leyte. “He came home just shot.” she recalled. “But after awhile he seemed to be all right again. Then it began last spring. "I realized he „was a person with a persecution complex. When it kept getting worse. I made an appointment for him to see a psychiatrist. He knew he was sick and he seemed glad he was going to see a doctor." Mrs. Redden had not been sure how sick her husband was and she had been trying to find out. She had gone to Miss Robson's home the night before the shooting to ask her if she had noticed her husband acting strangely. Miss Robson said Redden had seemed preoccupied and not so friendly. The Rev. David C. Neel, minister of the church attended both by Miss Robson and the Reddens, said his Sunday School teacher “was withdrawn and seemed not to know what was going on." But Rev. Neel was new to Hartford City and thought perhaps Redden didn’t like him. “But then on Friday after an education committee meeting, Leonard toured the whole church with me and discussed the need of teacher training,” the minister said; “He agreed to teach the high school class Sunday and on Saturday night he and his wife cut stencils for me before going to a ball game. “On Sunday, however, he didn t show up. His wife tpld me afterwards that her husband was not quite himself and that his job seemed to be getting him down.” Another friend remembered that the principal had remarked on Monday that “I feel like doing away with myself.” Employes at the Hartford City wafer office recalled that Redden had come into the office several times in the last two months and tried to pay a bill that he had paid a few days before.

Deb l-6 - , , .v. The government had ordered the parliament into session within hours after the collapse of the diehard French settiers’ insurrection in Algiers. It was not scheduled to convene until April 27. s- De Gaulle demanded the emergency powers as the only way to clean up the aftermath of the Algeria insurrection which brought France to the abyss of civil war in the past week. r , Problems Remain Attempts to water down the bill by tiie constitutional committee were rejected by Debre. The committee, aware of the already weakened position of parliament under the new constitution, sought to restrict the emergency powers to a period ending in October. In his speech before the vote, Debre stressed that while the insurrection had ended, the problems remained. / The five-year rebellion by Moslem nationalists continues, and the European conspirators behind the insurrection are stil loose. The government has been rounding up known rightwing extremists for the past 10 days. *

Donald L. Liechty Named As Policeman Donald L. Liechty. ». of High ftrect. will replace Roy Chilcote, who retired recently, on the Decatur police force. Donald F. Gage, mayor, told the Decatur city council Tuesday night following a meeting of the board of public works and safety. IJechty has lived in Decatur ilncr 1811. moving here whrn’bc was five yean old from hte native city of Berne. He was graduated from Decatur high school in IMS. and entered the U.S. Navy, from which be wa» honorably discharged in 1946. He la married, and the couple has a young daughter. Hla wife is a beauty operator. They live at the rear of the homestead development area. He la currently employed by the federal government as a warehouse man and fork lift operator in Fort Wayne. The appointment aa policeman la, of course, conditioned upon hla acceptance. Gage explained to the council. Two other persons applied for the position vacated by Chilcote. who has completed 23 years on the force. The new policeman weighs 220 pounds and is six feet, one inch tall, qualifying him physically for the job, chief of police James M. Borders explained. He has no previous police training, however, and will be trained in the near future.

Bus Schedules For Children To Circus Parents of third grade pupils in Adams county schools are again urged to remember the hours that the buses will leave the various destinations for the Shrine circus Saturday morning. More than 600 county school children will attend the morning performance at the Fort Wayne Coliseum, which is slated to start at 10 a. m., R. L. Mills, chairman of the sponsoring Adams county Shrine club, said this morning. At least 11,000 school children from northeastern Indiana will attend the morning performance, .with the local school children included in the total. The bus schedule is: 7:45 a. m. from Geneva; 8 a. m. from Berne and Adams Central, and 8:15 a m. from Monmouth. and Decatur schools. Buses will be furnished by the county trustees. Parents are also reminded that the children will not return to the county until 1:30 p. m. A lunch schedule should be worked out accordingly. Parents are also asked to bring the children to the buses and meet them on return.

School Legislative Workshop March 1 The i 960 legislative workshop for region IH of the Indiana school boards association will be conducted at the Decatur Youth and Community Center March 1, according to a release received from Milton D. Marx of Huntington, the regional chairman. Participating in the workshop will be school board members, superintendents, legislators, press and radio-TV from Adams, Wells, Allen. DeKalb, Huntington. LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, and Whitley counties. This regional meet usually attracts the largest group of any in the 11 regional meetings throughout Indiana, including the Indianapolis area. Legislators To Attend = Dr. Marion A. McGhehey, of the Indiana University school of education, serves as executive secretary of the association and will attend this meeting. Besides local luminaries, state-wide known legislators will attend the workshop. Especially important will be the evening session when discussion will center on possible school legislation for 1961. An evening dinner is also on the program, with an afternoon session slated for 4 p.m. This will include a panel .discussion followed by a question and answer session. 'Press Invited A registration, fee of $3 will be assessed, each person attending, which includes the meal. The fe-v will be charged each school boartf member and superintendent in attendance. Members of the legislature and of the press will be admitted with no fee. The board of directors feels that this meeting will be one of the most important in years. ’Die reason, of course, is the pending school reorganization act, which is currently being acted on in Indiana’s 92 counties. Late Bulletins LONDON (UPD—The Soviet Union officially informed Britain today that ft will stop jamming British broadcasts to Roasia immediately.

Dettthir, Indiana, Wedneiday, Feb. 3, 1960.

President Eisenhower Raps Generals, Others For Attacking Program

Frank Allen Dies At Gary Hospital Frank Hugh Allen, 89. of 4815 Massachusetts street. Gary, and a former resident of Decatur, died Tuesday morning at the Mercy hospital in Gary. Mr. Allen was a member of the Glen Park Church of the Nazarene. Survivors include his wife, the former Eva M. Gault; two sons, James Allen of Crown Point, and Genald Allen of Ohio City. O.; one daughtef, Miss Estaria Allen of Gary, and three grandchildren. There arc three sisters-in-law residing in Decatur, Mrs. Frank Au rand, Mrs. Ervin Elzey and Mrs. Homer Brubaker. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p. m. Thursday at the Black funeral home in this city, the Rev. Hugh D. Dibble, of Gary, officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 12 noon Thursday until time of the services. Late Bulletins CHICAGO, < UPI) —Wage contract negotiation groups for the nation’s railroads today agreed to accept the Naot arbitration in the contract tional Mediation Board’s offer dispute with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

City Sets Fees For Appraisers

Fees for the payment of appraisers for the city light plant were set, a petition for an election on the sale of the plant was made a matter of record, and referred to (he auditor of Adams county to see if the petitioners are freeholders and resident taxpayers, and the time of the election was discussed at the regular city council meeting Tuesday night. By the schedule set up, the appraisers will be paid a maximum of SSOO each, and will be allowed to hire one engineer at up to sl,000. They were asked to file a claim for their services, so that it could be made a matter of official record. The schedule and request were made in a letter from the city attorney, Robert S. Anderson, to the judge. I&M Contract Explained A temporary one-year contract, described by the city attorney as a break for the city, between the board of works and Indiana-Mich- = igan, was explained to the council, and received their approval. In effect, the contract suspends for one year the 10-yeat contract with Indiana-Michigan to furnish the city with a minimum of 7,000 KVA a month in electricity. Since the city, without a substation, c4Snot use that amount, if the contract, now again suspended, were enforced by Indiana-Michigan, the city would have to pay for the electricity whether or not it used it. This is the third time" that Indiana - Michigan has suspended the contract at the request of the city. The original contract was signed in 1956 for ten years, with a 15year option. In 1957*ft was su- ' spended until June, 1958. while the £ improvement of the light plant and tines was first under consideration. In 1958 it was extended until Jan. 1, 1960, as the sale of the plant was then under consideration. Petitions Read A petition for an alley light behind 60S N. Fifth street was filed by Jack Morris, Gerald Bixler, and William Schulte, and referred to the electric light committee and superintendent. Requests for rural line extensions by T. Russell Smitley, of St. Mary's township, and Donald E. Aurand, of Washington township, were also referred to the same committee The petition for an election on

Blood Program Meet Held Here Tuesday

Mrs Cletus B. Miller, chairman of the Adams county Red Cross blood program, was elected .vicechairman of the district three organization for the coming year at the district meeting held in Decatur Tuesday noon. Elected chairman of the district was Dr. R. W. Reed. Dr. Harry C. Harvey, director of the Fort Wayne regional bl<x>d center, reported on the achievements of 1959. Collections were increased 2.5% during the year to 34,600 pints of blood in the region, which includes Northeastern Indiana and Northwestern Ohio. In 1958. 33.766 pints were collected, and in 1957 . 31.666 pints. Hospital collections are not included in these figures. The response during December was marvelous, taking into consideration the holiday season. Dr. Harvey explained. It was the best December since the founding of the program. i . Volunteer Donors Blood used in hospitals which take part in the Red Cross program, like the Adams county memorial hospital arid the Fort Wayne hospitals, is secured from voluntary blood donors through the American Red Cross blood progam. No charge is made for the blood

the question of selling the light plant was read in full, and made a matter of record. It was then referred to the county auditor for verification, to ascertain that 100 of the 138 signers are freeholders and resident taxpayers. Attorney Anderson informed the council and mayor that he and attorney Von Livingston, the latter representing Indiana - Michigan, had been present when Judge Myles F. Parrish appointed the appraisers, and that Livingston had been asked to furnish the court with three copies of the maps, | agreements, surveys, balance sheets, profit and loss statements filed with the public service commission, and other papers that would be needed by the appraisers. G-E Sewer Discussed City engineer Ralph Roop was questioned on the G-E sewer which will drain the yard, parking lot and plant of the General. Electee 7 gpmpany, as well as Ninth. Indiana, and Short streets, and several private lots. He was instructed to discuss the matter with G. E. plant manager George Auer and engineer J. Clark Mayclin, and report back at the next council meeting. Mayor Gage also announced that in a meeting just before the council meeting Consoer-Townsend had named Ralph E. Roop as resident engineer on the southeast sewer, the cement tile for which has been piled along part of the course of the sewer. Citizens Present A large delegation of private citizens, representing the industrial and rural groups, was present at the meeting. Louis Jacobs, president of the association for the betterment of Decatur, inquired about the date of an election on the power question, explaining that no industry would even consider Decatur until the issue was settled. City attorney Anderson explained that the petition would have to be verified first, and that he had tentatively discussed the date of May 3, the primary date, with Livingston. j. This brought up the question of the wording of the petition which asked for a “special election” on the question. Anderson said that this was a new problem, and would be discussed with I&M’s attorney. Whatever i< suitable with them, he explained, would satisfy the city.

Itself, but the hospital is charged for the supplies which can be used only once, and the hospital also Charges for the laboratory and transfusion service. The supplies charge on a pint of Red t ross. blood is $4. compared to the actual cost of sl2-813. and the usual cost to recipients of sls-$25. in addition The charge for packed red blood if paid donors are used The processing cost for serum albumin, which is used for burns or shock and can be kept five or six years, is S7O, while Red Cross absorbs most of this, asking the hospitals to pay only $lO a bottle for the materials used in addition to the blood. The charg efor packed red blood cells or fresh frozen door AB positive blood, neither of which can be kept very long, is also $4 for materials used. Dr. Harvey explained. Always Open The Fort Wayne center is open sveen days and nights every werHt, Dr. Harvev continued, and the demand for blood usually increases when people are on vacation, and collections are down. Alfed O. Schell, administrative director of the hospital, then showed a series of slides on a recent collection made in Lima, O. There are 900 paid employes in the administrative or non-technical end of the Red Cross blood program in the United States, as compared with 100,000 volunteers; there are 100 paid doctors and 2,000 volunteers; 650 paid nurses, and volunteers.

Mrs. Helen McCrory. head nurse, then continued, explaining the importance of volunteers working in uniform, and the prominent display of the Red Cross emblem, so that people would realize that the blood program is part of the Red Cross. She recommended the use of a motors corps of two or three women, who drive home the car of anyone who has a slight reaction, and the other to take the donor home, and bring back the car driver. In case of an accident while blood is being taken, and there has only been one in thfe past three years in the region, the local chapter is askd to see that immediate care is. taken of the injured person by his or her own physician, and that a report is made out immediately after, as the national program carries the full insurance policy for such occasions. Doctors Grateful Dr. Justin Arata, chairman of the Fort Wayne-Allen county doctors advisory committee, also spoke, and told what a great service the blood program is to the patient and to the doctor, who is now assured that blood will be on

Donors Needed For Bloodmobile Visit

At least 170 donors must be : scheduled this week if Adams . county is to meet its quota of 125 pints of blood next Monday, 1 Feb. 8, Mrs. Cletus B. Miller, chairman, announced today. Only 50 donors were scheduled Monday, meaning that at least 120 more are needed. First-time donors are urgently needed, because many regular donors have been giving directly to help persons they know who are in the hospital. According to types the following numbers are needed: O positive, 30 pints; O negative, 30 pints; A positive, 15 pints; A negative, 15 pints; B positive, 10 pints; B negative, 10 pints; AB positive and negative, five pints each. Canteen workers for next Monday will be Mrs. Lucile Miller, Mrs. Herbert Fravel. Mrs. Charles Beineke, Mrs. Bert Haley, Mrs. Stella Schnepf, Mrs. IL C. Hersh, Mrs. Woodson Ogg. and Miss Sus-, an Custer. Mrs. Lee Flemming is canteen chairman. - Food for this mobile visit will be donated by the Fairway restaurant.

WASHINGTON <UPD — President Elsenhower today sharply rapped generate and others for I what he called a too parochial I viewpoint of missile and space I development. He said he still thought the present U S. program was eminently capable of deterring an enemy attack. The President said the missile race with Russia might be a different matter three or four years from now if American progress in the meantime - came to a halt. But he told a news conference that this would not happen and that in three or four years from now the relative U.S.-Russian position still would be about what it is today. He said it was true that Russia was far ahead of this country in the development of a booster rocket engine for distant space and that the Soviets would be ahead for some time. He added, however, that the Saturn project showed the determination of the United States to progress pie country, he said, could look forward to a successful completion of the Saturn project. Share Atomic Information Other news conference highlights:

—Eisenhower said he would like to see the Constitution amended to provide four-year terms for House members so they would run at the same time presidential elections are held. He also favored a constitutional amendment to give the president authority to veto specific items out of appropriations bills. This, he said, would defeat pork-barrelling. —He said the United States should liberalize its laws applying to atomic information to permit this country to share with nations in which it has the fullest confdence its nuclear - know - how and weapons already known to Russia.

—His administration is studying a possible request for an increase of ¥♦ of 1 per cent in social security taxes to provide greater care for the aged. No conclusion or final decision has been reached. —He said Vice President Richard M. Nixon certainly looked to him like the next Republican presidential candidate and he was not dissatisfied with this prospect. Eisenhower, however, said this was not getting into the business of nominating a man for the office, and he still believed there were a number of top Re ’*£* 1 * cans who could occupy the White House with distinction. Wants Poll Tax Ended —He saw no danger of widespread defeatism in this country because of Soviet superiority in certain technical fields. He said Americans should have greater faith in their system and enduring values than becoming alarmed by certain Russian developments which he feels are overly sensationalized in this country. —He endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment a Tuesday by the Senate to abolish the poll tax in national elections and give residents of the District of Columbia the right to vote for national tickets. ' Eisenhower's at times spirited discussion of the space and missile race between this country and the Soviet Union was predicated largely on recent testimony by Air Force generals before congressional committees. . As he has before, the President rejected the theory of Gen. ThomaZ s Power, chief of the Strategic Air Command, that 4here should be a’ 24-hour SAC airborne alert aeainst possible surprise attack. Power Tuesday asked Congress to exceed the Eisenhower budget funds for a ous airborne alert. He warneu that otherwise a surprise Russian attack with 300 missiles could demolish this country's striking er Defense Secretary Thomas S. Gates Jr., however, said this idea was “unrealistic.’’

INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy north, mostly cloudy south tonight and Thursday. Possibly a little rain extreme south Thursday. Not much temperature change. Low tonight in the 20s. High Thursday in the 305." Sunset today 0:07 p.m. c.d.L Sunrise Thursday 7:50 a m. c.d.t. Outlook tor Friday: Partly cloudy north, mostly cloudy south, little temperature change. Lows 25 to 35.. Highs 37 to 45.

Sister Os Decatur Lady Dies Tuesday Mrs. Etta Hoover. 89. of CoOvoy. 0.. died Tuesday at the Castle convalescent home in Van Wert, where she had been since August. She had been in ill health for three years. She was born in Harrison township. Van Wert county. April 5, 1870 KMrs Hoover was a member of the Pleasant Chapel Methodist church. Surviving are two sons. Ralph Hoover of Dayton. 0., and Harold Hoover of Pleasant township. Van Wert county; a daughter. Mrs. Vesta Longworth of Detroit. Mich.; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; a sister. Mrv Catherine Arnold of Decatur, and two brothers. D. A. Snyder of Convoy, and Lon E. Snyder of Wren. The body was removed to the H D Smith funeral home in Convoy, where friends may caU after 7 p m. today. Funeral arrangements have not been completed

Run Down Leads In Attempted Robbery Chief of police James Borders said this mortring leads in the armed robbery attempt at the Colchin Package Liquor store in Decatur were being followed through, but nothing definite has cropped up in the brazen, broad-daylight robbery Borders clamped down on information leaking out that may endanger the sources of the leads. He said that the persons with information have aprecarious enough situation without being exposed to further harassment from outside the case. ’ < The chief explained that the running down of the several tips will probably take time because of the distance involved. Three men were thwarted in an attempt to rob the local package store Monday morning by the MOprietor’s wife unexpectedly walking into the store. The Colchins reside at the rear of the store in an apartment. When Mrs- Herman Colchin walked in, the bandits ran out. after Herman Colchin shouted at his wife to "stay out of here." Mrs. Colchin then ran to call the police. One of the men had leveled a double barreled sawed-off shotgun at Colchin during the brief episode.

10,000 Workers At Flint Plant Strike FLINT. Mich. (UPD - About 10,000 workers at the Chevrolet manufacturing plant here went on strike today when company and United Auto Workers bargainers were unable to settle long-standing grievances. Members of Local 659 voted last December to authorize a».str ike at the plant jjecause of “trouble in the cranfehaft division.” The union charged the company with speedups in the crankshaft division.

Late Bulletins Advertiser Page A&P Tea Co. - r 1 Beavers Oil Service, Inc. .— 5. (< Burk Elevator Co. Butler Garage ■» Budget Lbms * Briede Studio —y j Cowens Insurance Agency 7 Doan Pills (! Fairway —2, 7 First State Bank 4 Holthouse Drug Co. —— 4 Pauline Haugk, Real Estate 4 Jack Hurst —— 5 Kent Realty & Auction Cos Kohne Drug Store —3, 5 Kroger --- -w — Model Hatchery — —- 5 Mr and Mrs. John Madden 3 Myers Auto Sales —— 7 Phil Neuehschwander, auctioneer 6 Pontiac - ———-- Schafers ——— —— 2 L. Smith Insurance Agencys Smith Drug Co. —————— 2 Shaffers Restaurant ———— 4 Tceple 5 .1 .. '■ • *

Six Canto