Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 59, Number 179, Decatur, Adams County, 1 August 1961 — Page 1

Vol. LIX No. 179,

Over 10,000 Residents Os Four Illinois Towns ■ ■ I " . ■ Flee From Deadly Fumes

Miss Rila Norquest Project Champion Miss Rita Norquest, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Norquest of Decatur, was declared the grand champion in the 4-H home furnishings project. Rita is a member of the Decatur Peppy Gals 4-H club and is in her seventh year of club work. For her exhibit, Rita refinished an old antique sewing rocker, made needle-point back cushion and chair cushion for the chair, completed two needle-point pictures for old frames, made a covering for a stool to match the chair and purchased an inexpensive combination reading and needle-point basket to complete the relaxation unit. Connie Bergman of Root township received the reserve grand champion award. Connie’s exhibit is a desk unit. First premium winner in division three is Betsy Schnepf of Root township. Second division winners are Darlene Rich, Monroe township, first premium; Judy Mosser, Jefferson township, second premium; Jane Girod, Blue Creek township, third premium; Judy Beer, Monroe township, fourth premium, and Joye Strouse, Root township, fifth premium. Division I winners are: -Sandra Bransteter, Jefferson township, first premium; Diana Beer, Jeffer. son township, second premium; Darlene Fawbush, Preble township, third premium; Beth Harmon, Washington township, fourth premium, and Kristine Fuelling, Root township, fifth premium. Rita Norquest won the right to exhibit her home furnishings exhibit at the Indiana state fair. A total ot 49 home furnishings exhibits are on display at the 4-H fair at Monroe. Fair Entertainment Festival Thursday Approximately 100 minutes of/ solid entertainment will be avail-, 1 able at the entertainment festival which climaxes the 4-H fair Thursday evening. Beginning at 8:30 P m., the festival 13 acts in both musical and non-musical categories. Winding up the judging which has been in progress for over a week is the judging of dairy which starts at 9 a.m. No further activity is planned until 6 o’clock that evening when the sale of lambs, barrows and beef will be conducted by the auctioneers of the county. At 7:30 p.m. the Geneva German band will entertain with a band concert, folowed by the entertainment festival. Exhibits may be removed from 9 to 10 p.m. Exhibits in the youth building will be open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The food tent will observe the hours of 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., while the commercial tent is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Advertising Index Advertiser Page Ashbauchers’ Tin Slop 2 Arnold Lumber Co., Inc. —„ 2 Bower Jewelry Store .. 3 Burk Elevator Co. 5 Betty’s Beauty Shop 3 Drive In Theater« 6 Decatur-Kocher Lumber, Inc. 2 Decatur Ready-Mix Corp. -2 Decatur Canning Co. „, 5 Evans Sales & Service 5 Fasteeth 6 Allen Flemings PaulineHaugk Real Estate — 5 H. & M. Builders .4 Paul Havens Chevrolet-Buick, Incs Klenks 6 L. Smith Insurance Agency, Inc. 5 Smith Drug Co. 3 Stewarts Bakery 3 J. F. Sanmann, Auctioneer 5 Teeple Truck Line «... 5 Win Rae Drive In.’. 3 Walter Wiegmann, Auctioneer .. 4 Yost Gravel-Readymix, Inc. .. 2

DECATUR DA TTY DEMOCRAT

Rites Held Today For Lister Infant Graveside services, conducted by the Black funeral home, were held this afternoon at the Decatur cemetery for Jacqueline Sue Lister, infant daughter of Winston and Roselyn Flora-Lister of Preble. The Rev. A. C. Underwood officiated. The infant was born at 6:53 a.m. Monday at the Adams county memorial hospital and died at 4 p. m. Monday. Surviving in addition to the parents are the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Lister of Preble, and Mr. and Mrs, Robert Flora of Decatur. Decatur Man Builds Fall-Out Shelter Realizing the potentiality of danger from atomic fall-out, one Decatur man is doing something positive about it. Roy Kaehr, who lives at 110 North 13th street, is in the process of building a one-half basement mound type fall-out shelter. Six feet in depth, the shelter measures approximately 10 by 20 feet. The shelter, constructed entirely of cement, features a wing bend entrance instead of the conventional straight entrance. The walls and roof will be of steel reinforced concrete six inches in thickness. The mound, which will project approximately four feet above the ground, will be covered with earth. Kaehr has planned his shelter to allow 200 feet for nine people. He aims to stock the shelter with hammocks instead of bunk beds. He also will have it filled with the amounts of emergency food supplies and water recommended by civil defense booklets. Started last Saturday, Kaehr hopes to be able to remove the forms from the sides and top by this weekend. He and his family also plan to use the fallout shelter as a tornado cellar. Street Contract To Meshberger Bros. Meshberger Bros. Stone Corp, was awarded the contract for street repairs on Ninth and Tenth streets, Monday afternoon by the Decatur city council, as one of four bidders. Bids were submitted by four sep. arate companies on the street work on Ninth street, between Nuttman Ave. and Dayton Ave., and Tenth street, also between Nuttman and Dayton. Meshberger was awarded the contract, after submitting a bid of $15,669.44 for an asphalt paving of Ninth, and a bid of $13,914.85 for an asphalt paving of Tenth. After receiving all the bids, the council referred the bids to street commissioner Adolph Kolter, and later re-convened and awarded the contract to Meshberger. The bids of the other three companies were for concrete paving. Yost Construction Co. submitted a bid of $23,000 for Tenth street, and $23,005 for Ninth street. Baker & Schultz, also of Decatur, submitted bids of $21,515.20 for Ninth street, and $19,537.00 for Tenth street. M. C. Keand & Johnson, Inc., of Pendleton, Ind., submitted bids also; $25,766.77 for Ninth street, and $23,856.74 for Tenth street. Plans and have been ordered for repairs of two other streets, it was learned this morning. This work will include paving Line street from Bollman street to the Erie railroad, and Grant street from Mercer Ave. to Line street. The work on Line street will be from where Bollman street intersects with Line and Winchester streets. Once the plans and specifications are received from the engineer, bids will be advertised for in the Daily Democrat.

CREVE COEUR, 111. (UPI) - More than 10,000 residents of four Illoinis towns fled their homes before dawn today to escape deadly ammonia fumes pouring from a river barge. Twenty persons, most of them firemen who tried to stop the flow of gas from a ruptured pipeline aboard the barge, were hospitalized. Four others were treated and released from a hospital in nearby Peoria. Roads leading from Creve Coeur, Bartonville, North Pekin and Ma r q uette Heights were jammed with cars in the predawn darkness. Police, civil defense workers and volunteers went through the towns house by house to rouse sleeping families and warn them to flee. Sirens wailed and radio stations broadcast evacuation orders. Half of Creve Coeur’s 5,500 population and practically all of the 8,000 Bartonville and 2,000 North Pekin residents fled their homes. Nearly the entire 2,500 population of Marquette Heights joined the exodus, although town officials admitted afterward they had intended to evacuate only a few residents. Police Patrol Streets Police, firemen, and volunteers, with wet handkerchiefs and towels wrapped across their faces, patrolled deserted streets and roads to prevent looting in a 12-square mile area for three to five hours until residents returned. At the barge, on the Illinois River, power to the ammonia pump was shut off. But the gas continued to leak out through the compressor. Most of the ammonia in a 300,000 pound tank escaped and was carried southeastward on a seven mile an hour breeze. Cars lined country roads around the area. Motorists sat on hoods and fenders listening to reports on car radios. Other cars filled supermarket parking lots in nearby towns. Some cars were reported to have driven as far as Galesburg, 55 miles away. Mayor Chester Polson of Bartonville said his town was emptied in about 45 minutes. “There was virtually nobody left in town,” he said. A Smooth Evacuation Authorities praised townspeople for their ooperation and said the evacuation went smoothly. But confusion was apparent at the time. The Creve Coeur firehouse was deserted. Every available fireman was at the barge. A Peoria police lieutenant said casualty and rescue reports were uncoordinated. “If I knew the answers to all these questions, I’d be a lot further along than I am now,” he said. Most of the injured were firemen at the barge on the river east of town. They suffered minor injuries from the fumes despite specially adapted ammonia masks. “It’s a miracle no one was killed,” a Creve Coeur policeman (Continued on page six) INDIANA WEATHER Mostly cloudy with, occasional periods of showers or thundershowers tonight. Wednesday partly cloudy, not much temperature change. Low tonight 64 to 68 north, 64 to 72 south. High Wednesday 78 to 82 north. In the 80s south. Sunset today 7:58 p. m. Sunrise Wednesday 5:45 a.m. Outlook for Thursday: Mostly fair except scattered showers or thundershowers south portion. Little temperature change. Lows 63 to 73. Highs 84 to 93. Decatar Temperatures Local weather data for the 24hour period ending at 11 a.m. today. 12 noon 94 12 midnight .. 75 1 p.m. 94 1 a.m 72 2 p.m. ... 94 2 a.m 78 3 p.m 94 3 a.m 72 4 p.m. 94 4 a.m. 5.74 5 p.m 94 5 a.m. 70 6 p.m9o 6 a.m 68 7 p.m. — 877 a_m- - 71 8 p.m 84 8 a.m 73 9 p.m 86 9 a.m. ... 78 10 p.m 84 10 a.m. 79 11 p.m 84 11 a.m. ■. 80 Raia Total for the 24 hour period ending at 7 a. m. today, .04 inches. The St. Mary’s river was at 3.19 feet.

ONLY DfttLY NKWBPAPER IN ADAMB OOCNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, August 1,1961.

Man Goes Berserk Aboard Airliner

OROVILLE, Calif. (UPI) — A pistol-packing midwesterner intent on seizing an airliner went berserk Monday night aboard a DC3 passenger plane at an airport, fired at passengers and crew members and seriously wounded two persons. Bruce Mcßae Britt, 40, told authorities after he was subdued that he got the idea of commandering the plane from reading about the Eastern Air Lines plane which was hijacked by a Cuban July 24. Britt, of Columbus, Ohio, boarded the Pacific Airlines plane Monday night wtihout a ticket as it was about to take off from Chico Airport to San Francisco, 150 miles away. But he panicked while the plane was still on the ground and fired wildly. It was not clear why he tried to seize the short-hop plane, although Britt said he envisioned the seizure as a first step toward rejoining his wife and daugheter in Smackover, Ark. Although he was penniless, he said he hoped to “bluff” his way aboard. “Once we got in the air, I thought I’d have it made,” he explained. But passenger agent William Hicks told him to get off because he had no ticket. Britt then adopted an alternate plan, based on his newspaper readings of the Eastern Airlines incident. He drew a snub-nosed revolver and shot Hicks in the groin. Fires At Passengers He then fired three more times at the nine other passengers. Attorney J. Albert Hutchinson of San Francisco said he felt a bullet graze his head when Britt fired at him from three feet away. Britt then pounded on the door shouting, “Open the door or I’ll kill everybody on this plane.” The aircraft already was taxiing towards the runway: Co-pilot Alan Wheeler, 29, of Burlingame, Calif., opened the door and Britt rushed past,him, " 0 Reppert School Os Auctioneering Opens Seventy-six men from 19 states and one province of Canada are enrolled in the summer term of the Reppert school of auctioneering which began Monday, Dr. Roland Reppert, president, has announced. For three weeks the students are thoroughly grounded with the fundamentals of auction sales of real estate, farm sales, household goods, registered livestock, and almost anything that can be converted into cash. The students are afforded practical experience through the conducting of numerous sales in Decatur and vicinity. Os the 19 states represented, Indiana leads with 15 student auctioneers. Ohio is a close second with 12. The lone Canadian hails from the province of Ontario. Among the students are a fath-er-son team from Louisiana, an Evansvilje salesman who also serves as a member of the Indiana state legislature, and a police force member from Louisville, Ky., whO sells 3 confiscated goods in that city. Instructors for this session include: Col, Homer Poßpck, Delphos, 0., Col. G. L. Pettit, Bloomfield, la., Col. Walter Carlson, Triumph, Minh., Col. Q. R. Chaffee, Towanda, Pa., Col. H. D. Darnell, Cynthia, Ky., CoL Clyde M. Wilson, Marion, 0., Col. H. B. Sager, Bozeman, Mont.. Col. Ray Elliot, Port land, Col. Earl Wright, Mount Gilead, O„ Dr. R. B. Miller, Fort Wayne, Gene Slagle, Marion, 0., H. W. Sigrist, Fort Wayne, C. B. Drake, Decatur, Ill:, and Harold D. Parker, LaPorte.

putting the gun at the head of the pilot, Capt. Oscar William Cleal, 42, of Menlo Park, Calif. “Let’s move, he ordered. When the pilots attempted to reason with him, he fired a shot at Cleal. The bullet entered the cheek, severed both optic nerves and came out of one eye. “All right, I’m taking over,” Britt said. But Wheeler struggled with him and knocked the gun away. Britt drew a switchblade knife and continued fighting with the co-pilot. Several of the passengers helped Wheeler subdue the man. Officers Arrive Sheriff’s officers had come on the field on an alert from the airport tower which was in communications with the plane by radio. Britt was hogtied and chained on the runway by sheriff’s deputies and then carted to jail in Chico and later to the county jail here. Dist. Atty. Keith Lyde said that Britt would meet psychiatrists today or Thursday. But he said he believed that Britt’s acts “were premeditated.” Britt’s victims were both expected to recover, but it appeared almost certain Cleal would never regain his sight. Eight Boys Involved In Vandalism Here City police chief James M. Borders revealed this morning that eight teen-age boys have been discovered to be involved in the malicious destruction around the courthouse. Borders explained that the parents of six of the boys have been advised of their sons’ part in the vandalism, with two parents yet to be seen. Os the parents already contacted, Borders stated, “all have been very cooperative.” The youths, all from Decatur, tore down the chain that is used to put up and take down the flag above the courthouse, sometime early Saturday morning of last week, and also cut many of the wires that surround the courthouse lawn and knocked down some of the posts. The chain’ was of the bronze, rust-resistant type, and was valued at between S7O and SBO. It was returned by one of the youths at noon Monday, but a report from the county commissioners revealed that it would cost dose to S4O to have it put up again. "Hie last time it was installed, which involved climbing to the flag pole atop the courthouse, the cost was approximately $35. Borders explained that he worked on a tip from an interested local citizen and taxpayer. He worked most of the day Monday on the matter, and finally pinpointed the eight youths involved in the incident. The chain was broken by one of the youths tieing it to a lawn bench, and trying to haul it to the top. Only three of the eight were involved in the chain venture, but the others were involved in the cutting of the wires and tearing down of the posts, which connect the wires. Lehman Funeral To Be Held Wednesday — Funeral services for Mrs. Lores Lehman, who died Sunday morning following heart surgery, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday ’ at the Zwick fuller al home. The Rev. F. P. Miller will officiate, and burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home until time of the services. Pallbearers will be Gerald Strickler, Robert Worthman, William McColly, Herb Banning, Jerry Steiner and Robert Dro.

Linda King Grand Champion In Food Linda King of the St. Mary’s Kekionga 4-H club was judged grand Champion in the food preservation project at the 4-H fair. Linda *is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John King of route 6, Decatur, and is completing her Bth year in 4-H club work. Linda froze her entire exhibit consisting of hamburger, veal cutlets, dewberries, green beans, cauliflower, and strawberries. Reserve grand champion honors went to Mary Ann Kipfer of the French Peppy Peppers club; Mary Ann is completing six years of club work and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kipfer of route 4, Bluffton; Mary Ann also froze her entire exhibit consisting of green beans, corn, raspberries, strawberries, peas, and applesauce. Premium winners were awarded in each division and are as follows: Division I—lst, Sharon Branstetter, Jefferson Work and Win; 2nd, Judy Neuenschwander, Wa-bash-Cloverleaf. Division ll—lst, Dianna Beer, Jefferson Work and Win; 2nd, Diane Fuhrman, Preble Peppy Pals; 3rd, Sueann VonGunten, Wabash Cloverleaf; 4th, Karen Bollenbacher, Jefferson Work and Win. Division Hl—lst, Marjean Neuenschwander, Wabash Cloverleaf; 2nd, Sharon Schaadt, Jefferson Work and Win. Division IV—lst and reserve grand champion, Mary Ann Kipfer, French Peppy Peppers; 2nd, Joye Strouse, Monmouth Junior Merry Maids; 3rd, Cynthia Boerger, Monmouth Senior Merry Maids. Division V—lst and grand champion, Linda King, St. Mary’s Kekiongas; 2nd. Brenda Roe, Blue Creek Up and At It. State fair entries were chosen and are as follows: Division 1— peaches, Judy Neuenschwander, Wabash Cloverleaf; division ll—peas, Dianna Beer, Jefferson Work and Win; division HI, cherries, Sharon Schaadt, Jes ferson Work and Win; melon balls. Marjean Neuenschwander, Wabash ■ Cloverleaf; division IV —beets, I Cynthia Bberger, Monmouth Senior Merry Maids; and raspberries, Joye Strouse, Monmouth Junior Merry Maids. Division V— veal cutlets and green beans, Linda King, St. Mary’s Kekiongas.

Warning From K To Kennedy

WASHINGTON (UPI)- Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev has warned President Kennedy that stiffer U.S. military measures to meet the Berlin crisis will spark a tougher attitude on the part of the Russians, high officials said today. But the Soviet leader, in his talks last week with presidential disarmament adviser John J. McCloy, still left some room open for possible negotiation of the smouldering issue. McCloy reported to the President and Secretary of State Dean Rusk late Monday on Khrushchev’s statements made to the U.S. official during two days of talks at the Soviet leader’s Black Sea vacation retreat. Officials said Khrushchev, was “as tough as he was in Vienna” and his reaction to the President’s plan for increased U.S. and Allied military might was “pretty vehement.” They added, however, that the Soviet premier set forth no new

h •' • £ aaf ” ~ Jk.- • • ■ '.w Or ■*■ ■■*■ > Ek * ■ B . jy x jah^te~-v gw w RB- --dJfe M Ei /2J E- 4w I * Ua ffiv W thSt f I 9* * a 9i •*<<«■■ -Jk aW «- |/‘ IN L- .jIW ~ •*<-. iHr 1 WjKKMn n Fa Bm AvW1 • < .'<■ \H *** ■ '■ ' ■hßß' ■ ' i ' < *^ < \'" x "?’<>

BOUND FOR CUBA—Eight members of a 10-man tractor negotiating team wave to friends as they return io Cuba and jail. Two of the group defected and remained in Miami, Fla.

House Group Approves Aid

WASHINGTON (UPI) — The House Foreign Affairs Committee today overwhelmingly approved President Kennedy’s $4.3 billion foreign aid bill. The committee took the action shortly after congressional leaders pledged to refuse any compromise on a plan to authorize long-range financing of a development loan program. The committee voted 27-4 to approve the foreign aid bill after the leaders held a breakfast meeting with Kennedy at the White House. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a similar bill last week. Other congressional news: ’civil Defense: Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara told a House subcommittee that several million Americans—“perhaps several tens of millions”—might be lolled In a nuclear attack on the United States. However, he said President Kennedy’s new civil defense plan could save at least 10 to 15 million lives. Youth: The Senate Labor Committee approved a bill to create a Youth Conservation Corps similar to the CCC camps of the 19305. Defense: The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a peacetime record defense budget of $46.8 billion to meet Communist challenges in world danger spots. The huge spending measure, largest since World War 11, carried all of the $3.5 billion in new military outlays sought by Kennedy to counter Soviet pressures in Berlin. Civil Defense: Defense Secretary Appropriation: A scrap brewed in the Senate over a $5.1 billion appropriation bill to finance the Labor Department and the Health Education and Welfare Department for the current fiscal year. Opponents pressed for a d7 million cut in the bill to offset in creases in defense spending. Medicare: International Association of MacHutata president Al Hayes told the House Ways & Means Committee that the administration’s bill to provide health care for the aged under Social Security was necessary because private insurance “never will” meet the problem.

demands or issued no specific ultimatums. His principal threat was in his declaration to McCloy that “If the United States is going to take a tough line, then the Russians will take a tough line.” Officials were emphatic in saying that Khrushchev, in the McCloy talk and his message to Kennedy, had not injected any greater element of crisis into the situation. Meanwhile, the White House would not give any details of the verbal message McCloy delivered to Kennedy. “We are going to have nothing to say about it over here,” White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger said when newsmen asked if any disclosures would be made on the message. Salinger said the President did not say anything to Democratic congressional leaders about the message during their regular White House meeting today. Eliminates early

Seven Cents

Susan McCullough Is Grand Champion Susan McCullough of the St. Marys Kekionga 4-H club was named grand champion in the 4-H foods project, it was announced today. Susan is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nimrod McCullough of route 6, Decatur, and has been a 4-H member for eight years. Susan baked a raisin-pecan pie to win the grand champion honors. Sherrill Heckman of the Prebie Peppy Pals 4-H club was named reserve grand champion. Sherri 1 is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Heckman and is in her Sth year of 4-H club work. Sherrils winning exhibit was a pineapple upside down cake. Premium winners in each division were chosen and are as follows: In Division I where the exhibit was cookies, winners are: Ist, Cindy Moser, French Peppy Peppers: 2nd, Kathy Schieferstein, Decatur Peppy Gals; 3rd, Dianne Macke,, Preble JoUy Juniors; 4th, Dianne Bransteter, Jefferson Work and Win; sth, Christine Schultz, St. Joe Jills. The exhibit in Division II was a butter cake and premium winners were: Ist, Sally Jo Leyse, Kirkland Kut-Ups: 2nd, Stanley Van Emon, Limber lost Hustlers; 3rd. Anita Girod, Blue Creek Up and At It; 4th, Barbara Schultz, St. Joe Jills; sth, Karen Kunkel. Monmouth Junior Merry Maids. Division 111 winner exhibiting an upside down cake was: Ist, Sherril Heckman, Preble Peppy Pals. Yeast rolls were the exhibit in division IV and winners were: Ist, Linda Conrad, Kirkland Kut-Ups; 12nd, Suzanne Amstutz, Jefferson Work and win; 3rd. Janice §mitley, Wabash Cloverleaf; 4th. Diana Roudenbush, Monroe Boosterettes; sth, Annie Singleton, Washington Happy Hustlers. Sharon Billington, Hartford Happy Go Lucky, won first premium in division V, which was an angel food cake exhibit. Fancy yeast breads was the exhibit in division VI and premium winners were: Ist, Ann Moser, French Peppy Peppers: 2nd. Carol Schwartz, Monroe Boosterettes; 3rd, Jane Girod, Blue Creek Up and At It; 4th, Donna Shoaf, Washington Happy Hustlers; sth, Linda King, St. Marys Kekiongas. Divisions VII and IX were combined for premium awards and first premium and grand champion was Susan McCullough. St. Mary’s Kekiongas; 2nd, Barbara Carver, Blue Creek Up and At It; 3rd, Mary Helen Schwaller, Washington Happy Hustlers; 4th, Connie Bergman, Monmouth Senior Maids; sth, Lois Jean Gerke, Union Pals. State fair exhibits were picked and the girls will rebake their chosen products to be exhibited at the state fair later this month. State fair entries are as follows: Division I, cookies, Cynthia Moser, French Peppy Peppers: Division 11, butter cake, Sally Jo Leyse. Kirkland Kut-Ups; division III* Upside down cake, Sherril Heckman, Preble Peppy Pals; division IV, yeast rolls, Linda Conrad, Kirkland Kut-Ups; division V, angel food cake, Sharon Billington, Hartford Happy Go Lucky; division VI, fancy yeast breads, Ann Moser, French Peppy Peppers; division VII, raisin pecan pie, Susan McCullough, St. Mary’s Kekionga; division VIII, chocolate cake. Connie Berkman, lonmouth Sen:or Merry Maids.