Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 61, Number 306, Decatur, Adams County, 30 December 1963 — Page 1

VOL. LXI. NO. 306.

21 Are Killed ■ ... . r In Hotel Fire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (UPI) —Twenty-one persons were killed and 60 injured Sunday in a fire that sent deadly black smoke billowing through the 13-story Roosevelt Hotel, filled to capacity with Gator Bowl football fans. A terrified woman leaped or fell to her death from the seventh floor while scores of the hotel’s 499 guests were crawling to safety on makeshift ropes of sheets and blankets. Others were rescued from the roof by helicopters and firemen raised ladders to the lower floors of the 50-year-old building to bring others to safety. The hotel building has «12 full stories plus a roof-level sleeping room.which the "fire department c<®sWirs to be a separate floor. Authorities said that apparently all of the victims except the woman who plummeted from the seventh floor were killed by the choking smoke that curled up elevator shafts, stairwells, air ducts and even loose pipe fittings, making some exits impassable. Fire Didn't Spread The fire, which broke out at 7:45 a.m. EST, collapsed the first floor but the flames could not spread because the brick structure was fire-proofed. Miss America, Donna Axum, was trapped in her 10th floor room for an hour before she managed to escape. She held a news conference in a hospital to announce she was unharmed shortly after fleeing the building clad in a fur coat over pajamas. •• Authorities met this morning

Nikita Points To

Peace Prospect

MOSCOW (UPI) — Premier of decisive change for the better” in the cold war if the United States and the Soviet Union “are united in the interest of peace." ----- Tn < an exclusive statement to United Press International answering this correspondent’s questions on the prospects for peace in 1964, Khrushchev said he believes- agreement can be reached on a number of steps ■ toward relaxing international tensions, including, reduction of armed forces and military spending on both sides. He quoted' with approval the words of the late President Kennedy that the two nations need a better weapon than the hydrogen bomb or missiles “and that this better weapon is peaceful cooperation.” He said President Johnson’s stated intention to carry on Kennedy’s policies has been met with gratification in the Soviet Union. Khrushchev cited Soviet budget cuts for military spending earlier this month and said: “It would be., a good thing if * ether states took similar action ... I would call it a policy of mutual example in the curtailment of the arms race.” Khrushchev listed these areas of possible agreement: —The slowing down of the arms race and further alleviation of international tensions! Cites Arms Reduction —Reduction in the armed forces and cuts in military expenditures. —The reduction of armed forces stationed in other, countries. —A non-aggression pact between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Communist Warsaw Treaty powers. —The establishment of nu-clear-free zones and agreement '’to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. “An effort should be made to restrict the arms race, step by step, thereby fostering a favorable atmosphere for the radical solution of this issue through general and complete disarmament,’' Khrushchev said. ; - - Addressing himself to the people of the United States, he said: . “In the coming year we want to see the development of rela- ' ttons > of peaceful cooperation, good neighborliness and friendship between the people of the United States and the Soviet Union. ‘ , . “This is important for our NO PAPER WEDNESDAY The Decatur Daily Democrat will not publish an edition Wednesday, Jan. 1, because of the New Year’s holiday t

‘ ~•' : „ V - DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ‘ ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY --

to look into the cause of the fire. “I have a pretty, good idea what the cause was,” said city fire marshall E. C. McDermott, but hedeclined to comment further. Bright orange Navy, helicopters, battling updrafts from the heat, hovered over the roof and took off injured persons. Os the 60 persons taken to hospitals, 19” were admitted. Screams pierced the air and a policeman with a megaphone stood in the street urging guests not to jump from the windows. Crawled Trhough Halls Guests crawled through the halls and hid in bathrooms, but many of them suffocated in the murky smoke. “It was awful,” said a survivor. “The worst thing you could imagine. One man found away out and didn’t come back to tell anyone.” Firemen rescued the Manhattan College basketball team, here -for the Gator Bowl basketball tournament, from the fourth floor windows. The University of Florida basketball team, also housed in the Roosevelt, escaped unharmed. Most of the dead were found above the seventh floor. The smoke was thickest in the upper rooms. Hundreds of dazed survivors wandered the streets around the hotel clad in night clothes and, in some cases, only towels. The Gator. Bowl football teams —North Carolina and the Air Force Academy — were quartered in other hotels nearby, as were other basketball teams here for the Gator Bowl basketball tournament.

countries* It is important- for« other, nations, too.” . Arguing that thd ’Sbvfdf Union needs peace to advance its ambitious economic plans, Khrushchev said: “The American people, we believe,* do not want war either. The Soviet - people are gratified tc note that many people in the U.S., including prominent figures, believe it necessary to seek ways to bring about mutual understanding and achieve agreements, peaceful settlements, on disputed problems.” Khrushchev endorsed the late President Kennedy’s policy of peaceful cooperation and expressed satisfaction that President Johnson has declared his intention tp continue., that policy. Recalls Kennedy's Words “One recalls the words of President Kennedy, who died so tragically,” the premier said, “that our countries need a better weapon than the hydrogen bomb, a weapon more perfect than ballistic missiles ,pr nuclear submarines, and' that this better weapon is peaceful cooperation.” - Khrushchev wen| on to say, “the stated intention of the new President of the U.S., Lyndon Johnson,-s to continue in foreign affairs ■ the policy of peaceful settlement of international problems, of improving relations with the Soviet Union and call-, ing a halt to the cold war, has been met with gratification in this country. We too are in favor of this. Mrs. Kohne Still In Critical Condition The condition of Mrs. Margaret Kohne, wife of Dr. G. J. Kohne, “remains the same,” according to a report from the Lutheran hospital in Fort Wayne at 1:30 p.m. today. Mfs. Kohne was seriously injured in i a two-car head-on Collision early Friday evening in Allen county. Her condition was listed as critfeal Saturday. morning following four-hour surgery after the accident. The well-known Decatur lady suffered a skull fracture and other head injuries in the crash. It was reported she remains ( Unconscious, although this was not confirmed. A daughter, Miss Kathleen Kohne, has been released from the Lutheran hospital. She was taken there after the accident for treatment of a badly lacerated ricljt knee and multiple bruises and cuts of the face and head. Miss. Annita Mendez of Decatur, driver of the other car, remains in the hospital in Decatur. She suffered cuts over the right eye and on the right leg.

Cify Council Accepts Bids On Old Plants A bid of $7,941.90, to improve the old steam plant and make it over into a warehouse for the city street department, and a proposal for a partial loft in the building, at $1,800.08, by Lamar Builders, was accepted in a 15-minute meeting of the city council this morning at 11:30 o’clock. The final meeting was needed so that the city clerk-treasurer could, secure an affidavit explaining the bid, which had originaliybeen made with three alternatives, and the affidavit removes the ambiguity which the clerktreasurer felt existed in the original bid. The figures in the bid remained, of course, the same, but the language left no doubt as to the total for which- the city was contracting by accepting certain alternates, and rejecting others. The bid was the only one received on the building work, most of which will be masonry work. The total cost of work will be $17,608.2,8 from the .street department improvement budget of $18,500, including several bids already accepted. The street department had previously expected to spend an additional $2,000 to tear down a building on the property, but instead the building will be utilized for storage by the department. Also, the department workers themselves will install a- smo.kestack purchased for $276.30. Previously announced was a new 8.000 gallon oil storage tank, and the plumbing contract to Haugk's. The meeting, final one for the year, was adjourned shortly after each member had read the affidavit, and questioned W. L. Lamar, the contractor. Commissioners To Meet Wednesday The Adams county commissioners did not meet today, as they will meet in their regular New‘Year’s day meeting Wednesday, but several of the commissioners were present in town unofficially. The commissioners attended the letting of bids on the Weidler levee repair job, for which the county, as one of the major landowners affected by the levy, is paying 60% of the costs. The levee association is a private group, of which the county, as a landowner in the group, is a member, and the commissioners are representing the county at the bid-letting. County Plan Appointment The three commissioners, including the new member, will meet Wednesday to appoint a number of officials, most of whom are expected to be reappointments of incumbents. The main question will be which Commissioner replaces Stanley Arnold as the commissioner’s representative on the county plan commission.,, Arnold, who has completed his second term as commissioner 'goes off the board Dec. 31, He was the original commissioner appointment on the plan board. The appointment is quite important, as the plan commission is completing work on its preliminary plan. Three Appointments The,- term of Eli Dubach as hospital trustee expires, and he has applied for reappointment. The court house janitor and the janitor of the ladies room have also reapplied for their appointments. County highway supervisor Lawrence Noll is expected to be reappointed, despite some opposition from Democratic party officials. Noll, a Democrat, kept his office during the period that the Republicans controlled the board of commissioners, and in return he has tried to keep some Republicans hired by the county highway department: at present there are seven. The Democratic party officials would like to see Democrats appointed to these jobs. However, they have not come up with a replacement for Noll who is acceptable to the county commissioners, the same problem that the Republican commissioners had with the Republican committee. INDIANA WFATHFU Fair and e«W tonight. Tuesday partly cloudy and not so cold. Low tonight aero to 10 ’ below north, aero to 5 above south. High Tuesday 14 to 21 - noHb, 18 to 26 south. Sunset today 5:20 p.m. Sunrise Tuesday 8:0’1 ■a.m. Outlook for ' Wednesday: Partly cloudy and warmer. Lows 5 to 10 above. Highs 25 to 30. -

Decatur, Indiana, Mond ay,December 30, 1963.

Senate Vote Scheduled Today On Foreign Aid; Session Is Near End

Johnson Holds Budget Parley

JOHNSON, Tex. (UPl)—President Johnson, after two days of intensive personal diplomacy with West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard, today called budget conferences with the military high command—and his fiscal experts. Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were to begin talks with the President at the LBJ Ranch late in the morning, stay through lunch then resume discussion of the big defense budget for fiscal 1965. The White House said the Joint Chiefs would hold a 4 p.m., EST, news conference at press headquarters Shortly after Erhard departed for Bonn early Sunday night To Negotiate Agreement On Berlin Visits BERLIN (UPI) — West Berlin today accepted informal Communist proposals to negotiate a new agreement for West Berliners to pass through the Communist wall in the future to visit East Berlin. West Berlin Deputy Mayor Heinrich Albertz said the city government is ready to meet with the East Germans in an effort to reach a new official agreement. The current holiday visiting pass agreement, reached in unprecedented negotiations this month, expires Jan. 5 .. There was uneasiness in the West Berlin press over the prospect of negotiations with the Communists, whose regime the West does not recognize. But Albertz said there was no reason for such fears. He said the city acted only in agreement with the West German government and the Western Allies. He said the "technical, practical contacts” with the Communists did not constitute recognition. Western Allied sources disagreed and said West Berliners would not have accepted the visiting passes if they realized the political cost. West Berliners took advantage of their passes Sunday in record numbers, with 154,621 crossing into the Soviet sector for the day. The previous day’s high was 70,000 on Saturday. The crush caused an unprecedented traffic jam of automobiles, buses, street cars, baby carriages, and pedestrians. Not since the Communists built their wall in August, 1961, has East Berlin seen such traffic. Gross Income Tax Forms To Hoosiers INDIANAPOLIS (UPD — Instructions and forms for 1963 individual income tax returns ar.e being sent tp two million Indiana taxpayers, State Revenue Commissioner James C. Courtney announced today. Courtney said all will get either the long form or short form for reporting 1963 income under the old gross income tax which was in effect to July 1, or the adjusted gross income tax yhich was in effect thereafter. Courtney said more than twothirds of the taxpayers will be able to use the short form because their sole income Is either from wages or salaries, interest, or other personal services and because they have no business expense deductions.

Budget Director Kermit' Gordon, and Walter Heller, chairman of’ the President’s Council ofEconomie* Advisers, arrived at the ranch for dinner and evening discussions with the Chief Executive. They were expected to see' him again today. The White House said the Gordon-Heller mission to the ranch was .threefold—to discuss the new budget, the President’s State of the Union message and annual economic' report which vyUl go to Congress' late next month. Erhard and Johnson discussed prickly East-West relations, and possible avenues to peace. The meeting was cordial and ended with a pledge for a new degree of cooperation and consultation between Germany and the United States. The chancellor was barraged with Texas hospitality. He ate the traditional barbecue of the hills, wore a 10-gallon hat, and attended a Lutheran church Sunday with Johnson at the German - American town of Fredericksburg. The Rev. William Durkop preached his sermon in. German. After Erhard left, Johnson returned to domestic.,, problems, met with advisers and readied himself for today’s meeting with the nation’s military leaders. Rumple Residence Is Gutted By Fire r The Homestead residence of Gerald E. Rumple was completely gutted by a Sunday afternoon' fire that started on the roof of the home. ’ , Most of the household items on the ground-floor of the home were saved, but everything in- the upstairs portion was destroyed including nearly all the family's clothing. Fire chief Cedric Fisher said this morning he considered the home a total loss, as the upktairs was completely ruined and the ■ downstairs heavily damaged by smoke and water. ! Fisher said the fire started on the roof of the home, evidently by a spark from the chimney. It it believed a spark from the chimi ney set some of the wooden shingles afire. 1 Starts on Roof The Rumple family wag at home when the blaze started. They had smelled smoke, it, was reported, and were attempting to locate the blaze in the home xtoen a youngster rushed into the house and told them the roof was ablaze. Firemen were notified of the fire at 1:30 p. m., and battled, the blaze until after 3:30 p. m. Most-of the furniture, etc., on the bottom floor was taken outride and saved. The only clothing saved, however, was some coats in a downstairs closet, as the famfly was left with only the clothing they were wearing at the time the fire broke out. Quickly Spreads Chief Fisher said the fire spread rapidly throughout the building, but the firemen were able to save the building, which remained standing. 1 Insurance adjusters were at the scene of the fire this morning to determine the actual extent of the damage. Also lost in the fire were a number of wedding gifts that were owned by Mrs. Rumpie's sister, who was recently married and left the presents at the Rumple home while on a honeymoon.. No one was injured while the •blaze was taking its toll, but Mrs. Richard Macklin, a neighbor, suffered a j broken finger.. She had rushed home to make coffee for the firemen when the door of her auto slammed shut on the finger.

BULI.FTIN WASHINGTON (UPI) -The Senate approved the $3 million compromise foreign aid money bill, paving the way for congressional adjournment today. The vote came less than four hours after the Senate met and agreed to limit debate. Despite grumblings of some members about the need for meeting today and a last stand attack on the aid program by Sen. Wayne L. Morse. D-Ore., the Senate did not even use all of its allotted time on the bill. WASHINGTON (UPI) - A grumbling Senate reconvened today and promptly fell to quarreling but agreed to limit debate on the compromise, foreign aid money bill. The action guaranteed a vote on the measure today and- paved the way for final acjgournment of the longest session since World War II / Democratic Leader Mike* Mansfield. Mont., won unanimous consent for the debatecurbing agreement on the $3 billion compromise aid money bill, after defending the leadership derision to postpone action until today. He said the Senate should meet President Johnson's *urgent request” for action before Congress adjourns. The, House met briefly at noon and then recessed pending Senate " action. Nothing remained for the House to do but adjourn. About 15 members were on hand today for the two minute meeting. Sen. Wayne L. Morse, D-Ore., who had insisted that a quorum of 51 or mbre senators be present today, did not object to the agreement. Morse also won the necessary backing for a roll call vote on the bill. Mansfield denied what he termed “false accusations that the Senate did not act last week because of a promise or commitment to Morse. The quorum was present today, with some members flying back from as far away as Hawaii, but many senators were in less than the good will spirit of the season. Sen. John O. Pastore, D.-R-1., floor manager of the aid bill, appealed, for a prompt vote on the measure which the House passed 189 to 158 in an early morning Christmas Eve session last week. He said every day of delay is costing the taxpayers money because procurement ..contracts are delayed. But three Republican senators promptly attacked the session today as unnecessary and ‘said no harm would be done by post- • poning action. Sen. Roman L. Hruska, RNeb., said the foreign aid program could continue under temporary spending authority. As for Johnson's request, ,he said, “1 suggest we had better run this end of Pennsylvania Avenue.", —Mansfield told him not to worry. He said “we will look after our own business in our way but when,, the President makes an urgent request, the least we can do is try to comply with it.” But Sen. Gordon Allott. RColo., disputed Pastore's claim and said “waiting another week to pass this bill would not cost this country another dollar." The new congressional session begins Jan. 7. Fort Wayne Church Is Damaqed By Fire FORT WAYNE. Ind. (UPD — A fire believed caused by an electrical short circuit destroyed the altar area of St Charles Barromeo Catholic Church here ■ Sunday. No one was injured. Two Men Arrested In Theft Os Checks WARSAW. Ind. (UPD - Ray Compfon, 49. Claypool, anjl Milford Blackbum, 35, Pierceton, were arrested Saturday on charges of stealing $1,400 worth of payrbll checks from,.the Creighton Brothers Hatchery here Thursday. Compton was picked up after cashing five of the checks Blackburn was an employe of the hatchery. ’ _

|&. X'K’: - :; ” :W. ; wIIWMI i w *1 iF W JB f< HB* a sr \<g£gMF £ 1> * *W' WfOSBOt ii - ffi Wflttommtn; w - W3r A - wHHHHKHIHIIi WARM WELCOME— President Lyndon Johnson stands in front of his IJ3J rapeh .home where a big picture of West German Chancellor Ludwig,’"Kihard hangs over the balcony over a sign saying “welcome” sib German.

German * American Cooperation Pledged

. JOHNSON CITY. Tex. (UPD — President Johnson has injected new and lively elements into the ordinarily stuffy world of diplomacy — the 40-liter hat, country dances and finger-lick-in’ barbecued spareribs. The colorful social side -of* Johnson’s two-day visit here with West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard all but overshadowed the carefully honed communique which signaled the end*of theid® conference Sunday night.. •“ ’ Erhard and his chief adviers flew out of Texas for. Bonn at dusk, wearing wide-brimmed Western hats, chpinping on Mexican cigars mid praising the glories of Texas hill country hospitality. Implementation and activation <>f diplomatic decisions, reached here will “be up to cabinet ministers and ambassadors of the two- nations, and thiswill take time. But the minis~ters and envoys had new guidelines from the top. Pursue Cooperation The guidelines showed plainly that, after meeting and talk-. Local Lady's Brother Dies At Fort Wayne John H. Weldy. 83. of 370 V S. Harrison St., Fprt Wayne, died at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Lutheran hospital, where he had been a patient for several months. He was born in Adams conn-, ty and had resided- in Fort Wayne’ for 40 years. - A retired registered pharmacist, he was at one time employed by the Tail-by-Nason Co. and Wesley Drug Co. of Boston, Mass. For the past 34 years, he was associated with thy Foster F'orbs Co., Marion. Mr. Weldv was a member of • St John the Baptist Catholic church, the 1 Holy Name society - and the Knights of Columbus. Surviving are, his wife, Mary 0.; a stepdaughter, Mrs. Maurice Nusbaum of Fort Wayne: a brother, Sam D. Weldy of "Noblesville; and one sister Mrs, E. W ,-Johnson of Decatur. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 am. Tuesday at the Tom Mungovan funeral home and at 10 a.m. in St John the Baptist church, Msgr. Stanley L. Manoski officiating. Burial will be in the Fort Wayne Catholic , cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral -home until time of the services. The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today.

SEVEN CEN

ing. Johnson and Erhard would pursue a new degree of cooperation and consultation. Early Sunday afternoon the Iwo leaders, in consultation with their foreign ministers, agreed on a joint communique that stressed the. Jmportan.ce of continuing to explore all possible avenues to improvement of East-West relations, easing of tensions and the enlargement of prospects for peace. ' ? » The-j communique was issued in a dusty yard outside the gymnasium ■ of the grammar school at Stonewall, Tex. Smoke from barbecue pits swirled over the scene in a pungent fog. A couldron of rich barbecue sauce bubbled over a wood fire at the door of the frame building. Inside the gym, Texas' gift to -the concert world, piano virtuoso Van Cliburn, rippled off < gentle passages from Brahrris and Beethoven from a wooden stage unaccustomed to the burden of a 1,000-pound grand piano. At the head table, Johnson, Erhard and some of, the key figures of Western diplomacy worked their way through 0 piled-high plates of barbecued beef, pork spareribs, ranch beans, cole slaw, and fried fruit pies. Rush to Building Correspondents from several countries and a host of White House reporters scurried from the gym and across the yard to the small school building which for the day had been transformed into a communications complex of teletypes" and telephones. While Texas highway patrolmen, with heavy caliber revolvers slung on* their hips, and high school dancers in red, white and black costumes listened from the doorways of classrooms, the words of the communique, were flashed around the world. > '*■. jßrother Os Decatur Lady Dies Saturday Grover Everett, former - resident of Adams countyf died at 9 o'clock Saturday morning at his home in Troy, 0., where he had resided for some time. Survivors include four daughters, Mrs. Ronald Saum of Fort Wayne, Mrs. Carl Heckman of Troy, Mrs. Joe Harmon of Sidney, 0., .and Mrs. Charles Cramer of Plattsburg, N. Y.; one sister, Mrs. Frank Dellinger of Decatur, apd one brother, Joe Everett of Decatur. Fuperal services have been set tentatively for 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the Crom funeral home in Troy.