Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 62, Number 51, Decatur, Adams County, 29 February 1964 — Page 1

VOL. LXII. NO. 51.

Sectional To I End Tonight |

Decatur Yellow Jackets vs Berne Bears at 12:30 p. m. Adams Central Flying Jets vs Monmouth Eagles at 1:45 p. m. That was the lineup this afternoon at a jam-packed full house at the Adams Central gym in the semi-finals of the annual sectional tourney. This afternoon's winners will battie at 8:15 o’clock tonight for the sectional championship and the right to carry on to the regional tpurney at Fort Wayne one week from, today. The Decatur Yellow Jackets won their way to today's semifinal with a 46-44 squeaker over the Geneva Cardinals in the tourney opener Wednesday night. Their opponents, the Berne Bears, eliminated the Monroeville Cubs, 71-58, in Wednesday’s second contest. Defending Champions The Bears are defending the sectional crown which they have won for the past foilr years. The Bears are also the defending regional champions, having won the Fort Wayne regional last season. The Flying Jets advanced to today’s second semi-final battle with a come from behind 59 to 57 triumph over the Hoagland Wildcats in Thursday night’s opener in an overtime scrap. The Eagles won their way to today’s round with' a 72-68 victory over the Decatur Commodores in the closing game of the first round Thursday night. The Adams Central sectional champion, to be crowned along about 9:30 o’clock tonight, will play in the first game of the Fort Wayne regional at 12:30 o’clock next Saturday afternoon at the coliseum, matching baskets with the champion of the Angola sectional. The second regional tilt, at 1:45 p. m. will send the Fort Wayne sectional titlist against

Tight Secrecy Over Security

WASHINGTON (UPI) — The White House clamped tight secrecy today on circumstances surrounding the extra security precautions imposed during President Johnson’s one-day trip to Florida. The Miami Herald, in a frontpage dispatch, said Friday night that a tip that a “Cuban suicide pilot” would attempt to ram Johnson’s plane prompted the unusual precautions during the Chief Executive’s visit Thursday. The White House refused to confirm or deny the story Friday night. Press Secretary Pierre Salinger said: “We are not going to comment on stories speculating about yesterday’s (Thursday’s) events. The security arrangements taken yesterday were done for good and sufficient reasons. It is not in the national interest to discuss this matter further at this time.’’ Tipped of Attack The Herald said that the Secret Service was tipped a week ago that a Cuban pilot might make a kamikaze-like attack on the presidential plane while the big jet transport was en route from Jacksonville to Miami. The Secret Service also was tipped, the Herald said, that a Cuban might attempt to shoot down the presidential plane with a ground-to-air missile. The story said the service felt the tip was far-fetched, but decided

Lenten Meditation (By Rev. Sylvester Martin, United Brethren in Christ, Nuttman Ave.) J--- I Timothy -t: 12-17. : ~ “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” These words are spoken by the same man who in this text says “Chfist Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” Hie consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience was that all people become by nature sinners. We can not bring glory to God in this natural condition. Even though Paul honored and endeavored to serve God while he persecuted the Christians he found out through His conversion that he was bringing, as far as his own life, dishonor to God. Through Jesus Christ the natural man can be changed into a new man. Even though through the flesh we are still the chief of sinners. Yet through Christ we can conquer the flesh, sin and the devil and be a servant of Christ. Paul was grateful in the 12th verse of this text for the strength' that Christ gave him for this .victory and also that he was' worthy to be appointed a servant. Let us at this lenten time remember from what we have been saved and to what,we have been saved for, from sin to service, and then with the apostle might we be able to say “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen tne.”

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY *

the Kendallville meet champion, g The afternoon winners will tan-K gle at 8:15 p. m. next for the regional crown. The regional winner will to the Fort Wayne coliseum the? following Saturday, March The regional winners at Kokomo;; and Marion will meet in the semi-~ final tourney opener at 12:30 p.~ m., followed by the Fort Wayne * and Elkhart regional champs. The title game will get underway at 8:15 p. m. Survivors of the four semistates will advance to the Butler University Fieldhouse at Indianapolis Saturday, March 21, to determine the new state champion. The first game at 12:30 p. rn. will &nd the Fort Wayne winner against the Indianapolis winner, followed by the Lafayette and Evansville champions. The final game will be at 8:15 p. m. A new state champion was assured a few weeks ago, when Muncie Central, the 1963 titlist, was suspended from the Indiana high school athletic association until January of 1965. Five Decatur Persons Injured In Accident Five Decatur persons were among seven who received minor injuries in a three-car accident at 7 p.m. Friday on U.S. highway 27 near the Paulding road. A line of traffic was stopped near the intersection and an auto driven by Mrs. Maude E. Augsburger, 66, Fort Wayne, struck a car driven by David B. O’Campo, 25, Decatur, from behind. The latter car then moved forward and struck a third auto driven by Jari Cook, 28, Fort Wayne. O’Campo and four persons riding in his car, Silvia O’Campo, 5; Alicia O’Campo, 26: David O’Campo, 6, and Ruth O’Campo, 50, all of Decatur, were taken to St. Joseph’s hospital for treatment.

to take no chances. In addition, the newspaper said, telephone company workers and Secret Service '’agents set up “hot lines” at five Florida airports—Miami International, Palm Beach, Homestead Air Force Base, Key West and Fort Lauderdale —‘ apparently to create doubt” about where Johnson would arrive and depart. Chiefs Make Trip The Secret Service in Miami denied receiving such a tip as did Secret Service sources in Washington. Newsmen noted, however, that both Secret Service Chief James J. Rowley and Gerald Behn, head of the service’s White House detail, made the trip to Florida with Johnson. It is seldom that both men would accompany the President on a trip of only about 24 hours duration. Neither the service nor the White House would say whether the President had been advised of the extra security measures. The precautions taken for the presidential trip to Florida were unusually severe. The White House declined to release the customary hodr-by-hour schedule for the President’k activities while in Florida, saying only that he planned to make his first stop at the Jacksonville, Fla., Naval Air Station and would then take a 50-mile helicopter trip to a canal dedication to Palatka, Fla. The exact times or places of arrival beyond that first stop were not given.

| Major Changes In I | County Tax Bills | ! There wil be two major chanJges in the 18,000 personal and Ereal estate tax bills which will -be mailed early next week, Wil:iiam L. Linn, county treasurer, j announced today. The state board of accounts has ; ruled that the county must mail tax statements for real Restate and personal property tax- : es, necessitating 5,000 extra - blanks, Linn explained. ; To Cut down the cost to the ' county, a new form has been adopted which will save approximately S9OO. The new form will not be folded, as the old one was. All taxpayers should remember these two points when paying their taxes, Linn cautioned. “1. If you own real estate, bring both white “A” forms with you to pay your spring tax assessment . “2. Yqur “B” forms, for your fall assessment, will also be white; you do not need to bring them until the fall. “If you fail to bring both forms, you may also fail to pay one of your tax assessments, and go delinquent, I .inn warned. This would mean a 6% penalty payment ,and it could mean a sheriffs sale of your property to pay the taxes, if you fail to pay. “With more than 10,000 envelopes going into the mail this coming week, be sure to watch for your tax statement. You will have until May 4 to pay your spring assessment,” he expained. Confer With Stale On County Airport Mrs. Josephine Richardson, owner and operator of the Decatur Hi-Way Airport, and Ralph Biggs and Bill Zwick, were in Indianapolis Friday to confer with representatives of the state aeronautic commission concerning airport plans in Aateima county. The Decatur people met with Ron Gray and Don Howteriot, of the commission, to discuss the feasibility of county-wide airport facilities. The state commission will assist the Decatur Jaycees in conducting a survey of airport needs for Adams county, and to study the possibility of obtaining a grant from the federal government to assist in building such an airport, provided the extensive survey indicates the feasibility of an airport to serve all of Adams county. Motorists Warned On License Plates Chief of police Grover Odle and county sheriff Roger Singleton warned local motorists this morning that they must have 1964 license plates on their vehicles not later than midnight tonight. Anyone driving on a 1963 license plate after midnight tonight, Odle and Singleton said, will be arrested and cited into court. Violators who are caught and arrested would be charged with violation of a traffic offense, and subject to a fine of at least $1 and costs, totaling $18.75. The local police chief also reminded motorists that any cars parked on public streets, alleys or drives, with 1963 license plates, after midnight tonight will be impounded. Sheriff Singleton concurred, saying that any vehicles with 1963 plates parked on Adams county highways or roads after midnight will be impounded by his department. Any motor vehicle owner who does not-haye a new plate for his vehicle should park it on private property after midnight and keep it there until 1964 plates are secured. Great Britain Sells More Buses To Cuba LONDON (UPI) — Britain will sell another 50 buses to Cuba, bringing the total number of vehicles involved in the deal with the Castro government to 450, it was learned today. <■ - The chairman of Leyland Motors, Sir William Black, confirmed reports carried by Radio Havana that an extra 50 buses would go to Cuba in addition to the 400 previously agreed upon.

Major Changes In County Tax Bills

Decatur, Indiana, 46733, Saturday, February 29, 1964.

Nine Children Killed In Early Morning Fire Today In Troy Tenement District

Civil War Program j Slated March 18 | The fourth annual spring pro- I gram commemorating the Civil War will be held in the Monmouth school gym Wednesday, March 18, from 1:15 until 2:30 p.m., Gerald W. Vizard, county superintendent of schools, announced today. The program will be held under the auspices of the schools, the Adams county chapter of the Indiana Civil War Centennial committee, and the Adams county Historical society. Students and the general public are invited and urged to attend. So far 22 Civil War essays from six Adams county schools have been received for the essay contest, which was an unqualified success last year, Feb. 22, Washington’s birthday, was the closing deadline for the 500-word essays on any aspect of the Civil War. The Rev. O. C. Busse, former Preble township pastor, and an active member of the Indiana and national American Legion, will be the principal speaker and pay tribute to the more than 700 soldiers from Adams county who served in the Civil War. Gerald L. Durkin, president of the Adams county Historical soand Vizard have worked hard to plan another top program on the Civil War for the general public and the students of Adams county. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners in the essay contest. Health Department For Wells County Neighboring Wells county will have a full-time county health department, effective July 1, following action by the Wells county commissioners in special session Thursday night. The commissioners also named a seven-man bi-partisan health board and set the terms of its first members. The commissioners’ action dissolves the present five-members Bluffton health board, and part-time Bluffton city health officer. Both city and county will come under the jurisdiction of the new board. By the law the board must include two physicians, a veterinarian, a dentist, and a school superintendent, and no more than four members of the same politi- 4 cal party. A New board members are Earl i Rudy, Harrison township farmer; ? Dr.- Thomas O. Dorrance, Bluff-1 3

— ——————— it ; WOMB * B r - • I arS f Sr i WsSM ?.n. . ...... FIRST FAMlLY— President Johnson poses with his family outside the White House. The daugh- i. ters are Luci Baines, left, and Lynda Bird, right.

I Trial By Jury Is I I Scheduled Tuesday | A local youth will face charges of rape and assault and battery with intent to commit a felony in a jury trial opening at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning in the Adams circuit court. David Lee Beery, 19-year-old resident of 510 Grant St., will stand trial for the alleged rape of Mrs. Roger Bixler, 17, a 13th street resident. He was arrested Saturday, December 14, after the act had allegedly occurred early that morning. A total of 22 Adams county!' residents drawn for petit jury recently have been notu'ied to appear at 9 a.m. Tuesday, at which time prosecutor Severin H. Schurger and Lewis L. Smith, defense attorney, will impanel the jury. Two Excused Two persons drawn for petit jury. Eugene Melchi of Decatur and Fred Liby of Decatur; ' were excused due to illness. After the jury is selected, the trial will begin before Adams circuit court Judge Myles F. Parrish. . Parrish will instruct the chosen jurors and Schurger and Smith will then , present their opening r ft • 1 '• Beers whStakeri into cuktoere by city police and sheriffs officers around noon December 14, after the affidavit against him had been signed a few hours earlier by Mrs. Bixler. Early Morning The alleged assault occurred in the early morning hours as Mr. and Mrs. Bixler were asleep in their home. Beery allegedly enterd the home and assaulted the local girl, who stated she screamed, waking her husband, and then her assailant fled from the home. The local youth has been released from custody on a SIO,OOO surety bond, posted to cover his bond of $5,000. He had been arraigned and early this year entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. ton physician; Lloyd Biberstine, Southern-Wells school superintendent: Vaughn Crow, president Markle State Bank; Dr. Byron K. Poindexter, Bluffton dentist; Dr. Constantine Panos, Bluffton physician and Dr. A. A. Neuenschwander, Ossian veterinarian. The commissioners plan a 5cent levy to support the health board; by law, the levy cannot exceed 10 cents. Wells county’s health agency will be the 20th 4 created under the 1949 state law. 4 The Adams county commisE sioners have in the past consid- “ ered such action, but the matter s is still under advisement here. I

TROY, N.Y. (UPI) — Nine children were killed in an early morning fire that swept through a three-story wood and brick structure overlooking the Hudson River. The victims ranged in age from 2 to 18 years. Police Chief James Doherty and Mayor Larry Meyers said the fire was the city’s worst in terms of human life. “It was utterly unbelievable,” the mayor said. Authorities said eight of the dead were children of Mr. and Mrs. Napoleon Sousie. The ninth was a grand - daughter, Judy Stone, 2. All Accounted For Police said all who resided in the house were accounted for. Six of the dead were boys and three were girls. The parents were taken to St. Mary’s hospital for treatment. A son, Robert, 17, who sounded the alarm, was in “very critical” condition. The parents and six other children were treated and released. Battalion Chief Edmond Moore said flames shot 25 to 30 feet from the top of the structure in a tenement and warehouse section of this city a block from the river. Authorities said Mrs. Sousie was the mother of 18 children, but that not all of the children lived at home. Rescue Polica swid the fire apparently was caused by a faulty space heater on the second floor. The 45-year-old father was burned when he tried to get to the children on the upper floors. Sousie and his wife slept on the first floor of the home. The dead children slept on the second. Six other children who sleep on the first floor fled without injury by were checked at the hospital as a precaution. The eight dead Sousie children were Boyd, 4; Steven, 12; ; Edward, 10; Donald, 7; Gloria, 13; Linda, 9; Joeph, 11, and Napoleon Jr., 18. G. E. Paychecks To Reflect Tax Cuts R. F Leitz, local General Electric plant accountant, announced Friday that the new lower rates, brought on by the recently sigped tax reduction bill, will appear on salaried checks issued Friday, March 6, and on hourly checks Wednesday, March 11, at the G.E. plant in Decatur. INDIANA WEATHER t Fair and warmer through Sunday. Low tonight 28 to 32. S High Sunday near 50. Out- | look for Monday: Clear to ■ partly cloudy north and cen- = tral, cloudy with chance of | rain south, continued mild. I

Bitter Anti - West Campaign In Cyprus

NICOSIA, Cyprus (UPI) — A virulent anti-western campaign in the Greek-language newspapers created concern today about possible attacks on American and British residents of this strife-lorn Mediterranean island. President Makarios promised Friday night he would denounce the campaign, but observers here remembered that the Greek-language press has taken little notice of such statements from Makarios in the past. A U. S. official here said the newspaper attacks were a ‘virtual incitement to . violence.” The press campaign was launched against a backdrop of overwhelming Greek Cypriot support for Russia. Thousands Break Barriers Thousands of Greek Cypriots, many of them known Communists, surged through police barriers at Nicosia airport shouting “long live Russia” and waving red banners when a Soviet airliner made a “trial landing” here Friday. An agreement providing for regular air service between Moscow and Nicosia, was expected to be aigned later today. The airport demonstation was the clearest indication yet of Greek Cypriot enthusiasm for the Russians, fostered by Soviet support for their cause in the

Assessment Work Will Start Monday

The state board of tax commissioners has called upon all property taxpayers to cooperate with local assessing officials of Indiana in the annual assessment program which begins Monday, Adams county assessor Omer Merriman said today. During the assessment period, which ends May 15, taxpayers - will be called upon by local as- _ sessors for the assessment of personal property and the assess- - ment of new and additional improvements to real estate. 3 In preparation for the assessing - program, the state board is now 3 completing a series of meetings a with assessing officials in all of 5 the 92 counties, with special em- § phasis being placed Upon proper ® administration and enforcement g of the tax laws. 3 A meeting * was held in the § American Legion home in Decag tur Thursday, for all township S assessors and their deputies. 8 Know Penalties “It is most important that taxS payers be fully aware of the pcn--3 alties imposed upon them by law a for failure to file complete re- § turns when due,” Merriman said, g For failure to file the returns g when due, there is a flat penalty 3of $10; and, if not filed within | 30 days thereafter, an additional § penalty of 10 per cent of the tax a is imposed. B For failure to answer the quesB tions on the. assessment return § with respect to irpprovements a made to real estate, there is a g penalty of 10 per cent of the tax, S and for knowingly certifying to a 3 false return, upon conviction the g penalties are provided by law for | perjury. While assessors ars instructed Jto furnish taxpayers with the g necessary Assessment returns, a the failure to do so in no way relieves the taxpayer from the penalties where' a proper return ~ is not filed by the due date, Mer- ” riman explained. ~£May Extend ®i There is a provision in the law 5 which permits an assessor to extend the time for filing up to 30 ‘ days; where a taxpayer is prevented from filing a return by reason of sickness, absence from ■a -

1

Security Council debate. A powerful Turkish fleet with troops aboard was continuing “maneuvers” about 80 miles due north of Cyprus. Issues Warning In Athens, Greek Premier George Papandreou : warned Turkey not to intervene in the situation. Acting British High Commissioner (Ambassador) Cyril Pickard spent more than one hour with Makarios protesting the anti-British and American press campaign. One newspaper, the extremist Greek Cypriot Daily Makhi said President Johnson “reached the presidential chair by the use of gangsters, dagger and pistol.” Mary F. Beckmeyer Is Women's Editor Miss Mary Frances Beckmeyer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Beckmeyer, of route 3, has been promoted to women’s news editor of the Kokomo Tribune, effective January 1. Miss Beckmeyer is working on her master’s thesis at Indiana University, having completed her classroom week there toward her master’s last June. She ‘is graduate of Decatur Catholic high school and Marian College, Indianapolis, and a former Decatur Daily Democrat reporter. \

the county or other good and sufficient reason. Such a request, however, must be made in writing by May 15, and approved by the assessor. Form 101 will be supplied by the assessor for household taxpayers. This form contains instructions for filing the return, as well as the standards of assessment. The form provides for placing a value on each room in the house, to which is added the value of motor vehicles, boats, aircraft and other personal property. “ Farm taxpayers will be required to file Form 102 and in addition a Form 101 if residing on the farm. If not residing on the farm, a business Form 104 must be filed with Form 102. Business taxpayers are required to file Forms 103 and 104. Assessors have been requested to furnish two copies of each of these forms, together with a copy of regulation number 16, to each business taxpayer. Regulation number 16, adopted and furnished by the state board, contains instructions and standards of assessment for all business property. Have Receipt Merriman stated that all taxpayers are encouraged to have the assessor or deputy furnish a receipt for the filing of a return, either by signing or placing the file stamp on the taxpayer’s copy, ’ as proof of filing, due to the pen- - alties imposed for failure to file. All taxpayers are also encouraged to make full disclosures of the value of their property, and to strictly follow the standards of assessment adopted by the state board. During the past year the state board has audited several hundred assessment returns with the result that over six million dollars has been added to the assessment rolls. The state board is expected to be much more active in this field in the future, according to Richard L. Worley, chairman of the board, since this phase of their work has been restricted for the past two years due to over 10,000 real estate appeals.