Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 58, Number 81, Decatur, Adams County, 5 April 1960 — Page 1

Vol. LVIII. No. 81.

Safety Measures Suggested To County Commissioners

Election \\ orkers Pay Schedule Is Set »«tfd highwav xafrty improvement! at the St Peter » lartb* rran achooi to Preble townahip will be acted on by the A4*to«_ y (I >tnmi**toner» after oenpluinta were voiced al Monday ■ meeting in the office* of county auditor Ed Jaberg r

Jodaon Bkrke. of Preble township, aervrd •• spokesman on the problem telling the commissioners that crosswalks and 4-way stop signa should be installed at county roads 5 4 and 37H School. Flaygraund Separated He noted that the main playground at the school is on the northwest corner, while the school building itself is on the southeast corner Children must cross the highway at two places to reach the playground or return from it to the school The commissioners said . that crosswalks would be installed with little waste of time, and that police ••dummies" la sign which looks like a police officer telling motorists to slow down' would be reinstated at the crossings. The signs had been used in the past but local residents and motorists complained that they, "tended to slow traffic and were dangerous." according to one source. The commissioners also formally set the pay scale for the special city election and the primary. The special election, on April 26th. will determine whether or not the city will accept Indiana and Michigan’s offer of 52.099.100 for the wons-out electric utility. The primary is on May 3rd. The pay schedule is: Sheriffs — • Judges - - ’J2 Clerks — >l2 Inspectors — 828 Included also was the approval of 13 for meals. County clerk Richard D. Lewton submitted other figures for approval, but the commissioners revised the maximum recommendations. By law. the most they can be paid is: judges and clerks, 115; and inspectors, 224. County Home Report The report from the county home from superintendent Frank Kitson showed that $882.96 had been accrued during March for the sale of animals and room and board payments. Twenty male residents and eight females are on the roster at the home for last month.

cjCenten IfHedila Lon (By Rev. Huston Bever, Jr., Decatur Church of God) “HIDDEN ASSETS” Proverbs 18:9-18 It has been said that one of.America’s greatest.sms, is the sin of wastefulness. I suppose what has been said of our nation could rightly be said of us individually. For the most of us are S of wasting more than we actually use. We are told that both'our brain as well as our lungs are being used their capacity. So within us are hidden assets if we but learn to USe One™ day Michelangelo found a piece of rough marble that had been cast aside as useless. told that no good thing could be wrought from it. he answered, It is withto less. Send it to my studio. There is an angel imprisoned within it, and I must set it free.” „ I think this is the way God looks at us. He sees our hidden assets.

“ wrr— 7’WSF ‘ .:.. IS ' ' 51 SB 1 > - .|l|l ** THE RISING MISSISSIPPI— This is downtown Hannibal, Ma., birthplace of Mark Twain. The flooding Mississippi River has swamped Hannibal and many other river towns. Almost 30,000 persons have been evacuated.

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The county highway report indicated that most <4 the hours spent during March were for v** plowing, Mwrence Null, superintendent, said that 1.814 hours went for snow plowing while the equipment was in use a total flf 1989 hours. s A group representing the county 4-R program Asked that the commissioners authorise the use of the county garage at Monroe for use at the annual 4-H fair this summer. Several exhibits, other than livestock, will be shown in the garage building. The request was approved as the county garage personnel stores some of its equipment in the 4-H building during the winter months Miss I>ois Folk. Leo Seltenright. Everett Singleton. Paul Yoder, and Homer Winteregg. all members of the 4-H adult leaders group, presented the request. The commissioners have $2,500 in their budget this year for the presentation of the 4-H fair. They also asked the committee to submit quarterly reports on the expenditure of the money, rather than the annual report, as had been the case. To Plant Evergreens Nurseryman Bobby Heller was authorized to plant spreaders in place of the shrubs that now rim the front of the courthouse lawn. Heller will start to pull the shrubs, and replant the evergreens when weather permits. A report on the French township bridge that recently washed out shows that all plans are in readiness to accept a bid. The plans are being handled by the state as the bridge is from federal aid. River Level Back To Near Normal The level of St. Marry's river dropped to a near normal figure today as weather observer Louis Landrum listed the mark at 4.22 feet. No precipitation was noted in the rain gauge despite the light snow that fell intermittently throughout the morning.

Rural Youth To Meet At Monroe The Adams county rural youth club will hold their monthly meeting Thursday night. April 7 at the Farm Bureau Co-Op building in Monroe Mixers will open the meeting at 8 p. m. and comrAlttee responsibilities include: registration. Legora Markle; group singing. Gloria Koenrman; and devotions. Larry Habegger. Ray Miller. Farm Bureau advisor. is in charge of the educational feature The special feature "Name That Tunc" will be conducted by Jerry Sprunger and Margaret Bixler. A safety feature will be given by Carolyn Moore who attended the National Safety Congress last fall. Refreshments will be served by Jane and Ron Gerber and Jane and Carl Bluhm. Recreation will be led by Carolyn Moore. Roger Habegger and Sally McCullough. Plans will be made for the April events including the district meeting at which time the state basketball championship trophy will be presented, the Sports Night, money making plans, and the basketball victory party. All rural high school seniors and rural young people are invited to attend the meeting. U.S., Italy To Study Atmosphere WASHINGTON (UPD—The United States and Italy will cooperate in rocket studies of the upper atmosphere. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration said Monday it hoped the rockets could be launched next September from a site on the island of Sardinia.

Senator Jack Back To Stump Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS (UPD — Sen. John F. Kennedy comes to Indiana Thursday for a two-day, 12city tour by plane and car in his Hoosier Democratic presidential preference primary campaign. Kennedy has no opposition in the Indiana primary May 3 among the major candidates. But he apparently hopes to capitalize on his Hoosier tour to get "disinterested” and independent voters to go to the polls and help him build up a big ballot total. Vice President Richard M. Nixon seeks the Republican presidential preference primary votes. Kennedy will come here only two days after the nationally significant Wisconsin primary in which he was entered today against Sen Hubert Humphrey He will visit Muncie, Anderson, Marion, Alexandria, Lafayette, West Lafayette, South Bend, Michigan City, LaPorte, Plymouth, Elkhart and Mishawaka. Kennedy for President headquarters here said the senator will arrive at Muncie Thursday

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, April S, 1960.

City Planning Commission Asks Revision Os Ten-Year-Old Zoning Ordinance; Includes Growth Area

The Decatur plan commlsstou voted unanimously Monday night, following a 2H hour meetlry. to ask Col. L V. Sheridan, of Metropolitan Planners. Inc., to submit a letter with plans for a revision of the ten-year-old zoning ordinance About a dozen faults In the present ordinance were discussed, together with necessity for a door-to-door survey to see what changes have taken place. Hlrschy Presides Kenneth E. Hirschy. president of the planning commission, presided at the meeting, which included the members of the board of zoning appeals and the city council. The county commissioners were invited to attend, but none of the three were present. More than half of the 92 counties in Indiana now have county plan commissions, and many are zoned already, Col. Sheridan explained to the board. The fact that Allen county is now zoned will present problems to northern Adams county farmers in the near future, since any commercial operation not permitted there can move right into Adams county. Helps Farmers Zoning. either in the county as a whole or in the two mile fringe area around Decatur, cannot affect a farmer adversely, since it cannot apply to any farming operation or farm home. It can only protect the farmer from junk yards, automobile graveyards, unsightly businesses, and other misuses of neighboring land. Planning is especially necessary in the two-mile areas surrounding

moning by plane, visit the Warner Gear plant and attend a women’s breakfast at a hotel. He will go to Anderson in mid-morn-ing for a reception at the Eagles Home, stop briefly at the Harold Faust farm enroute by car to Marion for a City Hall reception. At noon, he will attend a farm forum at Beulah Park in Alexandria and will go to Muncie for a luncheon. In the afternoon he will hold a news conference in the Ball State Teachers College Student Union Bldg, and speak at a college convocation. Then he will fly to Lafayette. At Lafayette he will meet with union representatives at the Alcoa Aluminum Co. union hall, hold another news conference in Lafayette City Hall, ride in a motorcade to West Lafayette and stop briefly at the Purdue University Union Bldg. He will speak at a dinner in Lafayette Central Catholic High School in the evening and fly at night to South Bend. Early Friday morning, Kennedy will be at the main gate of the' Studebaker-Packard Corp, plant in South Bend to greet workers. He will have breakfast in a ‘hotel at Michigan City, visit a hotel in LaPorte and Democratic headquarters at Plymouth before appearing in a television Interview over WSJV-TV at Elkhart in late morning. Kennedy will appear at noon in an ‘Elkhart hotel, mingle with Ball Band workers at Mishawaka factory gates in midafternoon, participate in a television-radio interview at WSBT and WSBT-TV in South Bend and speak at a student convocation at St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame. At Notre Dame, Kennedy will again appear on television and radio for Notre Dame’s WNDU. He will speak at a banquet at the university Friday night. INDIANA WEATHER Partly cloudy and cool this afternoon with a few light showers or snow flurries extreme north. Fair and cool tonight. Wednesday fair south, partly cloudy north, warmer in afternoon. Low tonight in the 30s. High Wednesday 50 to 57 north and extreme east, in the 60s southwest. Sunset today 6:13 p.m. c.s.L, 7:13 p.m. c.d.L Sunrise Wednesday 5:21 a.m. c.s.L, 6:21 a.m., c.d.t. Outlook for Thursday: Mostly fair and s cool. Lows Wednesday night mostly hi the 30s. Highs Thursday 45 to 55.

incorporated towns or cities, so that orderly growth can take place, with expansion room for homes, industry and commcreu is allowed In orderly fashion. Problems Presented City engineer Ralph Roop presented several copies' of a letter that brought up half a dozen problems that have bothered the zoning appeals board during the past decade The list had been drawn up by Charles Cloud and Deane T. DorWin. veteran members of the appeals board, and had been thoroughly examined by Roop. One of the big problems, they felt, was the two different types of business areas. One. the old. established Second street district is composed of buildings with fronts flush with the lot line, common walls, and other business district problems. But the new commercial area, on the highway, has building lines that are back from the streets, buildings separated by yards or parking space, and a completely different set of problems. Problem Corrected Col.' Sheridan explained that in plans drawn up during the past few years three types of business section have been included, including neighborhood shopping centers; where provision must be made for off-street parking. There are also rural commercial centers zoned in county plans. The problem of stored used farm machinery, for resale, or for sale of parts, was thoroughly discussed. Side yards, with some differences in the ordinance, are mentioned, together with the problem of accessory buildings iet 75 feet from the front line. Col. Sheridan told the group that an aerial map of the city would be especially useful to the city engineer, but not necessarily in the survey. If a county survey is made, aerial photographs are used extensively. Changes in the qualifications for irregular shaped lots were also mentioned and discussed at length, with some definitions to be added to the zoning ordinance. Harry Bell, Sr. Dies Today Harry Bell, Sr.. 70. Adams county native, died at 4 a.m. today at his home near Craigvifle, route one. Mr. Bell, a retired farmer, had been in poor health for four years. Born October 25. 1889, Bell was the son of J. C. and Annettie Liby Bell. He is survived by his wife, Grace Clauser Bell, one son, Harry Bell, Jr., Craigviiio, and one daughter, Mrs. Cletus (Donna) Hamilton of Decatur. Also surviving are six grandchildren. The body was removed to the Goodwin funeral home in Bluffton, where friends may call after noon Wednesday. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Rev. F. H. Pflugh officiating. Burial will be in the Elm Grove cemetery.

Spears, Schwartz Given 1-10

The two men who robbed the Blackstone Case pt $1,400 last January received 1-10 year jail sentence sthis morning in Adams circuit court along with SSO fines and court costs. Judge Myles F. Parrish read the judgment after reviewing the county probation officer's pre-sentenc-ing investigation and other data brought out at the trial. Prison. Reformatory Sentence James M. Spears, 36, of Decatur, will be confined to the Indiana State Prison, at Michigan City, while Christian H. Schwartz, 27, also of Decatur, will be remanded to the- Indiana State Reformatory 1 at Pendleton. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 30 can be sent to the Reformatory rather than the ,State Prison, according to law. C. H. Muselman. probation officer. included the prisoners’ confessions |o the crime in his report.

Zoning Board Approves Permit For Addition The Decatur planning rommission gave tentative approval to an application for a special use permit that would allow Dr. Harold DeVor to fill in a lot with a 250 foot frontage adjoining the south side of the present trailer court, and provide 14 new 5.000 square foot trailer spaces. The $20,000 rennovation plan will now go before the board of zoning appeals, where public hearings will be held. Dr. DeVor plana to fill the swamp, surface drain it to the Pete Krick underpass where the water is pumped into a pond, attach the lots to, the Krick street sewer, and get water from the present I*6 inch water main. Technicalities Discussed • The planning commission discussed the matter thoroughly, including the meaning of a permit. The permit 4s granted for the special use, and cannot be revoked. If the land were ever put to other uses, other sections of the zoning ordinance would cover enforcement. The permit is given to the land, and would be valid even if the owners changed, the new owner not having to obtain a neU> permit. The questions concerning a permit of this nature were thoroughly discussed with Col. Lawrence V. Sheridan, whose firm drew up. the ordinance. Dr. DeVor pointed out that he wanted some assurance, before making a $20,000 investment, that the board could not arbitrarily reverse itself, and revoke his permit at some time in the future. In the seven years that his trailer court has existed, all neighborhood problems have been worked out jointly. Parking Lot Discussed The application by the Zion Lutheran church for permission to tear down a home formerly belong: ing to Jack FKedt on Jackson street and making it into an addition to the church parking lot was also discussed. Col. Sheridan pointed out that this was typical of the problems that arise, and one of the reasons the board of zoning appeals is necessary. i Decatur Car Taken In Ft. Wayne Tuesday A 1952 light blue Ford station wagon, belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Roy McKean of 1040 Schirmeyer street, was stolen last Tuesday night from the Dana Corporation parking lot in Fort Wayne. The car was discovered missing by McKean at the end of the second trick that night. It was reported immediately to the Fort Wayne police, but has not been located. Mrs. McKean offered a $lO reward for information leading to the return of the car. This was the third auto theft reported there recently, Mrs. McKean added.

He also listed their family background, and other personal information about the subjects. In finding them guilty as they pleaded to the grand larceny charge, Judge Parrish rejected the idea that voluntary intoxication was a factor in determining the criminal intent in this case. “While voluntary intoxication is a defense for a crime in some instances,” the Judge said, “I do not believe that you both were THAT drunk.” Reviews Case In passing judgment, the judge said that he took into consideration, in the pre-sentencing investigation, the amount of money stolen, and the method of the theft. He said that it would be impossible to suspend sentence in this C3SC. • ‘ He reiterated that "this is not vindictive justice.” “I only want to show that other people’s rights

*4O I . u — -j —-——- —- -— ■ * TIROS THE WEATHER SATELLITE—Abraham Schnapf, project manager for the Tiros weather satellite, holds the lens of the wide-angle still camera installed in the 270-pound unit. ** orbits the earth transmitting to stations at Ft. Monmiutn, N. J., and Hawaii photographs of the world’s cloud cover.

Decatur Teenagers Head South, Going North

bulletin City police repored late thia afternoon that the two runaway youths from Decatur had returned home this afternoon after spending the day with relatives at Upland and Muncie. Two Decatur teenagers took flight from home after going for a joy ride that endes with a flat tire at the Adams Ceritral School in Monroe. Tom Fulton, son of Mr, and Mrs. Oral Fulton, of 1021 Master Drive, and James Elliot, son of Carl Elliot, of 311 N. First street, are reportedly heading for the Straits of Machina in Upper Michigan after the episode. The youths borrowed Mrs. Mary Ann Fulton’s car at the noon hour Monday, had the flat, and kept right on going, presumably afoot. They left a note, saying that they feared the repercussions on the incident, thus, the improptu journey. - . 1 Name Omitted From Civic Music Story The name of Miss Bernice Nelson, a worker on the team of Mrs. A. R. Holthouse, was unintentionally omitted from an article appearing in Monday’s Daily Democrat about the Civic Music association. .. -

must be protected.” H. R. McClenahan told the Daily Democrat that he did not plan to appeal the decision for his clients. “They were guilty,” he philosophized. The men were first charged with two crimes — entering with intent to commit a felony, and grand larceny. They first pleaded “not guilty” to both counts. When they agreed to plead “guilty” to the major of the two crimes, the first count was dropped by county prosecutor Severin H. Schurger. Schurger Asks Limit fe. Schurger had asked that the men be punished to the limit of-the law in his closing arguments on April 1. The case was continued into the regular court vacation between terms for the sentencing. The limit of law had been expressed in the judgment in ternqs of the sentence, but the maximum fine was SSOO. Sentencing in the case had been

Six Cfitl

Advertising Index Advertiser Pag® Ashbauchers’ Tin Shop 5 A& P Tea Co., Inc —— 3 Adams County Farm Bureau Co-op Ass’n • Arnold Lumber Co., Inc ———• 4 Butler Garage, Inc —7 Burk Elevator Co —7 Bower Jewelry Store Bower Hardware ——— 4 Briede Studio — 3 Boardmans Sewing Machine — 3 Decatur Ready-Mix Corp --—- 4 Ehinger's “Boston Store” 3,7 Federal Land Bank Ass’n -—— 2 fort Wayne Tent & Awning Co 4 Fasteeth — 6 Funk Bros. Seed Co 8 Holthouse Drug Co — 8 Habegger Hardware 5 Pauline Haugk Real Estate 7 Kocher Lumber Co 5 Kohne Drug Store 5,7 Kohne Window & Awning Co — 5 N.I.P.S. Co 2 J. J. Newberry Co ,—. — ft Niblick & Co 4 - Oldsmobile —— 8 Petrie Oil Co 5 Rash Insurance Agency — 4 L. Smith Insurance Agency —. 7 Smith Drug Co 2,7 Shaffer’s Restaurant 8 Stop Back News Stand 8 Strickler Auto Sales —- 6 Teeple Truck Lines 7 Wemhoff Marble & Tile 5 Yost Gravel-Ready Mix, Inc — 5

delayed to allow the probation officer time to file his pre-sentenc-ing report. He filed early this morning. The pair had admitted drinking for several days and were out of funds before robbing the local tavern of the safe containing the sl,400. They entered by the way of a rear door, and carried out the safe td a waiting vehicle. z ° Keep Money; Not Safe Spears and Schwartz then emptied the safe and contents, sans money, into the Wabash river, east of Geneva. y They were apprehended by city police within 30 hours of the burglary, and confessed to the crime. They were put into the county jail, remaining there for several weeks ’ after their arraignment in court. Schwartz was out on bond for most of the 77 days, but Spears spent all this time under arrest. 9