Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 61, Number 127, Decatur, Adams County, 29 May 1963 — Page 1

VOL. LXI NO. 127.

Distinct Improvement In Pope Condition; Outlook Os Recovery Still Grave

Revenue Board To Study Tax Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS (UPII — The whole question of the brackets to which Indiana’s new 2 per pent sales tax will apply is to be reopened again Friday at a meeting of the Indiana Revenue Board composed of Governor Welsh, State Auditor Dorothy Gardner and State Treasurer Robert Hughes. The Welsh administration, working on the theory that the new law puts the responsibility upon the State Department of Revenue, had held a preliminary public hearing May 23 and a panel of tax experts, headed by Revenue Commissioner James C. Courtney, produced a tentative bracket schedule. This schedule calls for the first cent to be added to purchases of 25 cents but Mrs. Gardner objected strongly. She said that as a member of the Revenue Board, which is being asked to present the Courtney-prepared resolution to the public at a formal hearing June 11, 10 a.m. in the House of Representatives chambers, she would not go along with this figure. Mrs. Gardner maintained that the sales' tax should start at 50 cents instead of 25 cents. Hughes was less positive, but did criticize the Welsh administration for not including him and Mrs. Gardner in discussions on the resolution. Closed Door Meeting As a result, Welsh late Tuesday invited the two Republican members of the Revenue Board to his office for a closed door consultation at which an agreement was reached that the Revenue Board would meet formally Friday, 9 a.m. Purpose of the meeting is to adopt a resolution on the sales tax brackets wnich will be presented at the June 11 hearing. Indications were that the resolution to be adopted by the board would not be lower than the 25 cent purchase start recommended by Courtney and which has Welsh's backing. Hughes, who

Andrew T. Matthews Is Taken By Death Andrew T. Matthews, 75, retired ~ employe of the Nickel Plate railroad, died at, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at his home ift Root township, five miles- north of Decatur, following an illness of three months. Born in Weston, W. Va., Oct. 14, 1887, he was a son of B. F. and Clara Bird-Matthews, and was married to Dora Aurand in February of 1911- The family lived in Wells county for 27 years, moving to Adams county three years ago. Mr. Matthews was employed for 33 years with the Nickel Plate railroad in Fort Wayne Surviving are his wife; two sons, Ray V. Matthews of Houston, Tex., and James F. Matthews of Decatur route 3; five grandchildren; two brothers, Upton Matthews of Bellevue, 0., and Frank Matthews of Fort Wayne, and three sisters, Mrs. BeUe Sims of Boden, Pa., Mrs. Nina Skinner and Miss Ethel •Matthews, both of Fort Wayne. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. F. W. Droegemueller officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. today until time of the services. ‘ INDIANA WEATHER Mostly cloudy, little temperature change tonight. Thursday mostly sunny and mild. Low tonight 48 to 54. High Thursday tower 70s north, 73 to 82 south. Sunset today 8:05 p.m. Sunrise Thursday 5:20 a.m. Outlook for Friday: mostly fair with little temperature change. Lows mostly In the 50s. Highs in the 70s except 80s extreme south.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

» 1 ■ ■' - > may have the deciding vote, said, t “To me, what Mr. Courtney is - proposing to do is a 4 per cent > tax, not 2 per cent tax. But I have I an open mind. I know I will have , to take a stand Friday, so I shall ■ go sit on my favorite hill in Johnt son County and think about it.” Welsh said that Courtney would be invited to join the Revenue • Board meeting. Courtney is ex- ' pected to explain that the need 1 for the tax to begin at 25 cents • is because the merchants must ? pay 2 per cent of their gross sales I and the lower brackets are de- ; signed to provide sufficient sales • tax funds to cover the below-25 1 cent purchases. Serves As Intermediary t Atty. Gen. Edwin K. Steers f served as intermediary between - Welsh and his two GOP office- ; holding colleagues in setting up , the surprise meeting Tuesday at t which the special meeting of the i Revenue Board was decided upon. ; Steers and his staff have a deadf line to meet today in their sales » tax battle against a suit filed by - the Indiana AFL-CIO seeking to have the tax declared unconstitut t ion al. ) Deputy Atty. Gen. Lloyd Hutchi inson is to exchange briefs today s with the union attorney, Lloyd t DeWester under an order issued • last week by Marion Circuit Court Judge John L. Niblack. Niblack ordered the exchange as r a means of speeding up the case, - in view of the July 1 scheduled s start of the sales tax. Both the • state and the union were directed s to prepare briefs on the question 1 of the constitutionality of the new 1 law, excluding any question about > the manner in which the law was s passed. The state and the union then can file supplemental briefs an- - swering the points raised in the 1 briefs filed today during the time > between now and -June 10, when 1 Niblack has scheduled a trial on s the constitutionality of the sales > tax. >

Mrs. Floyd Johnston Dies In Michigan Mrs. Floyd H. Johnston, 65, of Alma, Mich., former resident of Berne, died at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Ypsilanti, Mich., state hospital. The body had been removed to the Winteregg-Linn funeral home. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. More Blood Donors ■ Are Urgently Needed More blood donors are urgently needed to fill the 125-pint quota for Adams county next Monday when the bloodmobile arrives, Mrs. Ferris Bower, Red Cross county blood chairman, announced today. The bloodmobile will be at the Decatur Community Center from 10 a. m. until 4 p. m., and all who can make arrangements are asked to call 3-3106 and be scheduled. Those who cannot plan to be there are invited to come in as walkins Monday. Volunteer telephone crews are now contacting former donors for scheduling, but because of the long holiday weekend, and the humber of pints of blood needed at this time is always high. Types of blood needed and number of pints include: 35 pints of O negative; 35 pints of A positive and negative; ten pints of B positive and negative, ten pints of AB positive, and five pints of AB negative. Transportation to and from the Community Center will be furnished by Macklin’s garage. Anyone needing this service may call either the Red Cross office, 3-3106, or the Community Center, 3-2520, on Monday.

• VATICAN CITY (UPD - Pope John XXIII rallied weakly today from exhaustion after a night of internal hemorrhaging and painful nausea. An early afternoon Vatican bulletin reported a “distinct improvement” in the Pope’s condition at 10 a.m. (5 a.m. EDT), but informed sources emphasized that the outlook remained grave. Responsible Vatican sources indicated that the last 24 hours almost proved fatal for the 81-year-old pontiff who is suffering from a stomach tumor that may be cancerous. At 1:45 a.m. Prof. Pietro Mazzoni, one of the team of doctors in attendance, called for additional help and equipmet. A few minutes later five cars sped through the Vatican gates, the sources said. Work Through Night The doctors worked through the night on the weakening patient, admministering transfusions without any apparent result. Only at 10 a.m. this morning did the pontiff rally from the depths of exhaustion, the sources said. At 2:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. EDT) the Vatican issued a communique which said: “At 10 a.m. (5 a.m. EDT) today, a distinct improvement was noted in the general condition erf the august patient...”. The official announcement said the Pope spent “a night of quiet rest.” This presumably referred to the hours immediately .preceding the 10 a.m. medical observation and not to the activity reported earlier in the night. Describes Pope’s Routine The communique also described the routine that continued in the papal household despite the Pope’s illness. “The day of the august patient, as already said,’ the communique added, “is spent in serenity, in prayer, in constant docility to the Lord. “TTie Pope is engaging (in prayer) in an orderly way, with full mental presence and lucidity. “He never suffered (mental) absence or confusion, as perhaps erroneously reported by some, even in the acute moments of the crisis.” It indicated that he at least was holding his own in the grim battld against the inroads of age and the ailment that medical reports indicate is cancer. “The Pope listened to holy mass, officiated in the study adjoining his room, and received Holy Communion,” the communique said. Started Day Regularly “Then, collected in long prayer and with the piety which is customary with him, he started his day in the offering and elevation to God of his every moment and action." The Pope conferred again on church matters with his secretary of state, Amleto Cardinal Cicognani, for 45 minutes. The cardinal told him of the world’s concern for his health.

Mrs. Ethel Parrish Dies At Fort Wayne Funeral services were held this afternoon for Mrs. Ethel B. Parrish, 74, a native of Decatur, who died Tuesday morning at her home, 4709 Lafayette Esplanade, Fort Wayne, following a long illness. She had been a resident of Fort Wayns for 43 years. Mrs. Parrish was a member of Simpson Methodist church. Her husband, Raleigh C. (Pat) Parrish, a prominent Fort Wayne attorney, and a former prosecuting attorney of Adams county while residing in Decatur, died in April, 1962. A son, David Parrish, was killed in action during World War 11. She is survived by one son. Robert J. Parrish, Fort Wayne attorney. Final rites were held this afternoon at the Klaehn funeral home, with Dr. Evan H. Bergwall officiating. Burial was in the Decatur cemetery.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, May 29, 1963.

Jackson Fears Race Trouble

JACKSON, Miss. (UPD — Disagreement between Negro leaders and Mayor Allen Thompson today threatened to touch off more ra-, cial demonstrations in this Deep South capital. Early today, a “Molotov cocktail” exploded at the home of Medgar Evers, state field 'secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), but no ofte was injured and little, or no damage was done. A long-threatened series of demonstrations began Tuesday when a biracial group of nine persons staged a lunch counter sit-in. There of them were beaten, others were manhandled, and all were doused with catsup and mustard. Agreements Alleged Later, several hundred Negroes were told at a civil rights rally that the demonstrations were being suspended because Thompson and the two city commissioners had agreed to make several changes in the city's racial policies. Thompson denied most of the “agreements.” The Rev. G.R. Haughton, who headed a delegation o 4» six Ne« groes who ’ conferred with Thompson and the commissioners Tuesday, announced the alleged agreements. Several civil rights leaders urged at the rally that Negroes test the “agreements” by attempting to use previously segregated facilities today. “If the mayor has denied what

Historical Society Hears Ward Calland Over 40 members and guests gathered Tuesday evening from all parts of Adams county for the final meeting of the season for the Adams county Historical society. J. Ward Calland, guest speaker, was introduced by his long-time business associate, T. C. Smith, who told of some of the vast experiences of Calland in the field of agriculture and with the beet sugar and soybean industry since his' graduation from Ohio State University. The audience was quite attentive to the slides of various countries behind the Iron Curtain, Russia in particular. In addition to pictures of the principal cities, the speaker also showed slides of the agriculture, livestock and poultry of some of the nations. He drew interesting comparisons of the ' efficiency of the soybeans he had' seen in food production with this country. Following his talk, the speaker also held a question and answer period, answering such questions as pertaining to crowded housing, difficulty of obtaining higher education, the Kremlin, etc. The next meeting of the Historical society is being planned for the final Tuesday in November, president Gerald R. Durkin said. Receive Bids June 27 On Improving U. S. 27 Sealed bids on bituminous coated blended aggregate'base for widening and resurfacing highway 27 between Decatur and Coppess Corners, and between the Jay-Adams county line and Berne, will be taken by the state highway department until 10 a.m. June 27, according to public notices received here today. The resurfacing job near Decatur will start one-half mile south of the corporate line of U. S. 27, at Willow Bend, and will extend to the junction of 27 and 124 at Coppess Corners. This is 4.868 miles of roadway. The second project includes 5.548 miles of U. S. 27, from the JayAdams county line north to the south city limits of Berne, through Geneva.

, we say, then all is lost,” Haughton , said after the rally. “I’m almost certain there will be a resumption ( of demonstrations." Homemade Bomb Explodes Shortly after midnight the “Mol- . otov cocktail”—a bottle filled with ' an inflammable liquid—exploded . and burned in the carport of i Evers' home. [ The only noticeable damage was i the slight scorching of a station . wagon parked in the carport. Police began an immediate investi- . gation. i Evers’ wife and children were i at home when the firebombing oc- . curred. He still was conferring > with other integration leaders at. [ his office. Stores Close Counters Downtown stores began closing : their lunch counters following ■ Tuesday’s violence Workmen re- . moved the 52 stools from the i counter at Woolworth’s, where the i violence occurred. Walgreen’s drug I store posted a sign saying its I lunch counter had been shut down t “for the public protection.” A crowd of whites, which swelled > to about 200, abused participants the sit-in for three hours until . Woolworth’s closed the store at - mid-afternoon. Police made no attempt to break ; up the crowd. Authorities said this : was because the store manager did not call for officers? But they : said policemen would move in immediately if there were more ; sit-ins.

Mrs. Ferd Mettler Dies This Morning Mrs. Ferd Mettler, 81, lifelong resident of Adams county, died at 4 o’clock this morning at her home, 424 West Water street in Berne. She had been in failing health for one and one-half years, and had been a patient at the Adams coun- ■ ty memorial hospital for five and one-half months. She was born in French township May 12, 1882, a daughter of John and Fanny Reiff-Beitler, and was married to Ferd Mettler July 25, 1908. Mrs. Mettler was a member of the Cross United Church of Christ, the Berne Garden club and the W. C. T. U. Surviving in addition to her husband are three daughters, Mrs. Elmer (Edith) Beer of Berne, a clerk in the auto license bureau in Decatur, Mrs. Neal (Agnes) Wright of Kendallville, and Mrs. Harold (Betty) Sprunger of Berne;seven grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; three brothers, Ed Beitler of Linn Grove, Fred Beitler of Geneva, and Dewaid Beitler of Berne, and two sisters, Mrs. H. W. Neuenschwander and Mrs. Hiram Liechty, both of Berne. One daughter, one brother and three sisters are deceased. Funeral services will be held at 3 p. m. Friday at the Cross United Church of Christ, the Rev. Harry R. Reimer officiating. Burial will be in MRE cemetery. Friends may call at the Yager funeral home in Berne after 1 p. m. Thursday. Officers Are Named For Community Fund The board of directors of the Decatur Community Fund met recently aat the Youth and Community Center. The three new members who joined the board for three year terms were Mrs. John Rawlinson, Vernon Hebble, and the Rev. Elbert Smith. Officers for the coming year were elected at this meeting. They are president, Mrs. Led Curtin; first vice president, Arthur Lenz; second vice president, Vernon Hebble; secretary Rev; Elbert Smith; treasurer, Noble Nicodemus. The next meeting will be held June 18 at the center.

Durham Acquitted In Circuit Court James Durham, 19-year-old Decatur resident, was found not guilty of charges of rape and assault and battery with intent to commit a feldny in the Adams circuit court this morning. Adams circuit court Judge Myles F. Parrish handed down the not guilty ruling, ruling that the prosecution had not proven Durham guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt” as the basis of his finding. Durham was charged with rape and assault and battery with intent to commit a felony through charges brought by Adams county prosecutor Severin H. Schurger, acting on affidavits signed by 15-year-old Joyce Uhrick of this city. Richard J, Sulivan, local attorney, represented Durham. Sullivan had been appointed pauper attorney for the young man. The trial, without jury, was held throughout the day of Friday, May 24, with Judge Parrish taking the case under advisement upon conclusion of the trial. Explains Law In handing down his ruling. Judge Parrish explained the law concerning the duties of the court and juries in criminal mattters and he read much of the testimony of the young girl which had been brought out during the trial. The judge also cited two cases concerning rape of a girl under the age of consent, on which the supreme court had handed down rulings. He pointed out several things that he had taken in consideration as to the credability of the girl in arriving at his findings, one of which was a statement of the girl that she had made while on the witness stand. According to her testimony, the judge said, she had said that the only reason she had brought the charges against Durham was due to the fact that she was under the impression that going with a married man was a crime for which she could be sent to the state girls school, and Durham had told her he was ‘going to have you sent away.” Other Testimony Also taken into consideration was the fact, according to Parrish, that she had testified she had been seeing Durham after the alleged offense; and that it was about two to three weeks after the date of the alleged charges before she contacted Schurger about bringing the charges against Durham. These were some of the main reasons the judge belived Durham’s guilt had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt, Judge Parrish explained.in his ruling. “I am being guided by the laws of the state of Indiana and the principles of reasonable doubt,” the judge stated. The judge had said also before giving his ruling that “the defendant does not have to prove innocence, but the burden is upon the state of Indiana-to prove guilt. The defendant is considered innocent until exclusion of every reasonable doubt,” the circuit judge said. Schurger filed the affidavits against Durham April 25, The offense was alleged to have occurred April 13 in Durham’s apartment. Uses Alibi Sullivan had entered a plea of not guilty by reason of alibi on May 2 to the charges, and based his defense of Durham on the alibi, attempting to show bjy yarious_witnesses that Durham had not commited the offense. The witnesses established Durham’s presence on the evening of April 13, when the crime was alleged to have occurred.

Charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor were brought against Durham a few days previous to the filing of the rape and assault charges. These charges are still pending in the circuit court Durham will be released from (Continued On Page Three)

Ed Kruetzman Dies As Home In Def roil Ed Kruetzman, 65, a native of Magley, died suddenly at 3 o’clock Tuesday afternoon at his home in Detroit, Mich. He had been ill since December but his death was unexpected. He was born at Magley, a son of Louis and Anna Scherry-Kruetz-man, and-had lived in Detroit for many years. Mr. Kruetzman was a member of Company A and served in the U. S. Army during World War I. Survivors include his wife and three daughters, all living in Detroifr Elmer Kruetzmarf of Detroit, and three sisters, Mrs, John Beineke, Mrs. Harry Frauhiger and Mrs. Earl De Weese, all of Decautr. Funeral services and burial will be held Friday .in Detroit.

J? M ', *k J K'O afraid : *• AH BhgraL ' POPE’S DOCTOR— Pope John’s personal physician. Prof. Antonio Gasbarrini, gestures with his hand as he is interviewed by reporter. /

President Kennedy 46 Years Old Today

WASHINGTON (UPD — President Kennedy is 46 years old today—brimming with vigor and in “excellent health” except for his persistent back ailment. A tiny red skin blemish which appears from time to time and is again in evidence on his left cheek is the only outward sign of a physical problem for the Chief Executive. But this was dismissed-by Press Secretary Pierre Salinger as insignificant. Salinger’s assessment:. “The President is in excellent health and his back condition is improving.” Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy arranged a family celebration of the President’s birthday for this evening but Salinger declined to provide any details. Receives Award The President was getting one gift today that was unrelated to his birthday—the “Father of the Year” award by the National Father’s Day Committee. The presentation was to be made at the White House. Kennedy’s chronic back disorder, stemming from a strain two years ago which aggravated an old injury, has kept him from the golf

Gary Teachers Settle Strike

GARY, Ind. (UPD—More than 1,400 teachers ended a one-day strike against the 43 public schools of Gary today after gaining recognition of their union as representing the majority of instructors in the system. — : . — if The school board, in terms "Os an agreement reached Tuesday night and announced at noon today, bowed to the demands of the members of Local 4 of the American Federation of Teachers that the union be recognized as spokesman for the majority. About 1,450 of 1.850 teachers in the system are union members. The agreement spelled out in detail the procedures through which the teachers should go in getting a hearing or negotiating with the board on issues. In the main, it called for negotiations first with the city school superintendent before matters advance to the board meeting agendas. The board’s refusal to recognize the teachers led to a strike Monday with 45,000 children reporting for classes and being dismissed within an hour. Meanwhile. Gary Mayor John Visclosky renewed his demand that the school board resign en masse. There was no immediate new reaction from school board members, who earlier refused to quit,.but Visclosky said he expects to replace one member, Samuel P. Moise, by Saturday. Moise’s current term expires July 1. The end of the strike was announced late Tuesday night after a 20-minute joint meeting of officials bt Local No. 4 of the American Federation of Teachers and school board members. The union and board said in a joint statement, they arrived at a "mutually satisfactory agreement,” the contents of which were not learned. They said the

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course and forced him to take various precautions to avoid harmful twists and turns. But, partly as therapy for his back, Kennedy still conducts an active physical exercise program —swimming twice a day in the heated White House pool, and performing a half-hour’s daily calisthenics prescribed by a medical specialist. Misses Two Days ~ The President. Salinger emphasized, has missed only two days from work because of illness—one day as the result of a virus in June, 1961, and the other because of a cold and ear infection in December, 1961. "x The President tips the Seales at_ > 173 pounds — slightly above'Tiis ideal weight but seven pounds under what he weighed when he took office 28 months ago. He had gained during his election campaign. < Kennedy continuously watches — and battles — his waistline, dieting when he considers it necessary to counter the effects of French cooking at banquets and of the more sedentary life than he is used to. * *

agreement would be made public at noon today. Indications that the board gave in to the union’s major demands came in a statement from Local President Charles O. Smih, who said the union ‘‘has made a positive gain in getting the board’s recognition.” The strike went into effect Tuesday morning as teachers picketed the city's 43 public schools and caused classes for 45,000 students to be canceled. Students Sent Home Dr. Lee Gilbert, assistant superintendent of instruction, said only about 30 per cent of the students actually appeared for classes. They were sent home after an hour or so. The strike first was called last Friday for Monday when the school board refused to consider recognition of the union as a collective bargaining agent for its members. Preparations were underway Sunday for the walkout when Mayor John Visclosky sent the board members telegrams demanding their resignations. The union then voted to delay strike action 48 hours and give the board members until 9 p.m. Monday to quit. When they refused, the strike was called for Tuesday morning. Spokesmen for both the union and board highly praised State Labor Commissioner Hobart Butler for playing a major role'in bringing about a settlement. Butler was 1 sent personally to Gary Monday by Governor Welsh. The board had argued that it would be illegal for them to extend recognition to the union, basing their case on past rulings of the attorney general’s office.