Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 62, Number 60, Decatur, Adams County, 11 March 1964 — Page 1

VOL. LXII. NO. 60.

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Cites Possibility •* Jet Crew Tricked

WIESBADEN, Germany (UPI)—A U.S. Air Force jet reconnaissance bomber may have been tricked into crossing into East Germany where it was shot down by Communist fighters, U.S. authorities said today. Col. Mark Gilman, U.S. Air Force European headquarters spokesman, told UPI, “It cannot be ruled out the plane was led off course by radio jamming and false signals.” The Air Force said one of its unarmed R 866 twin - engine bombers became lost during a training flight over West Germany Tuesday, wandered over East German territory despite U.S. Air Force radio signals to change course, and was “believed shot down.” Crew Fate Not Known Gilman said the fate of the three-man crew was not known here. But he quoted an official Washington report saying three parachutes were seen, dropping away from the falling R 866. Two possible eyewitnesses—crewmen aboard a British commercial airliner—told UPI they saw no parachutes. At Berlin, Capt. Kenneth McQueen of the British European Airways (BEA) West Berlin-to-Hannover flight which passed near the scene at the reported time the R 866 went down, said he saw a plane that “looked like a Russian jet.” “About five miles from us I saw an aircraft and a sheet of flame behind it Then the aircraft dived and disappeared into thick haze. Then smoke rose from the ground. From this we assumed that either r the aircraft was engaged in rocket practice - shooting at ground targets or that it had exploded and crashed,” McQueen told UPI. — -

Asks Disaster Area Declared In State

INDIANAPOLIS (UPD—Governor Welsh today asked President Johnson to declare 15 Southern Indiana counties a disaster area due to the floods. Welsh told a news conference he is asking that the entire 11county Bth Congressional District plus Martin, Gibson, Orange and Washington Counties be included in the disaster area. Counties in the Bth District are Posey, Vanderburgh. Warrick. Pike, Dubois, Spencer, Perry, Cfawf o r d. Harrison, Floyd and Clark. However, he warned there may be “others added to the list later today as further recrecomimendations come in from the State Office of Civil/ Defense.’’ Welsh, who made an aerial inspection of the flooded area Tuesday, said in 1961 parts of Southern Indiana also were declared a federal, disaster area. At that time, he said. $950,000 in federal emergency funds were spent. Welsh said by declaring the 15 counties as a disaster area, local officials will be able to ’ obtain direct grants of money for repair and reconstruction of highways, bridges and publiclyowned waterworks, power sta-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Sees Flash Another crew member, who asked that his name be withheld, told UPI he saw what might have been the American plane crashing. “I saw a flash at the top of the haze. Then the flash turned to a puff of smoke over the haze and later a cloud of smoke rose from the ground. I had the impression of an aircraft going down,” he said. Col. Gilman said the reports were being studied. Os the U.S. plane possibly being lured to its doom, he added: “As long as we have the capability of doing this, and we do, we must assume the other side can do it, too. We have no concrete evidence at this time. But we are not ruling it out.” U. S. authorities sought to learn the fate of the three crewmen of the R 866 plane. They parachuted over Communist territory but the Air Force said “we don’t know whether they are alive or dead.” They were identified as Capt. David I. Holland, of Holland, Minn., the pilot; Ist Lt. Harold W. Welch, of Detroit, Mich., the navigator; and Capt. Melvin J. Kessler of Philadelphia, Pa.r the instructor - navigator. “It cannot be ruled out that the plane was led off course by radio jamming and false signals,” Air Force spokesman Col. Mark Gilman said. “As long as we have the capability of doing this — and we do—we must assume the other side can do it too,” he added. “We have no concrete evidence at this time. But we are not .ruling it out.” The United States protested against the shooting, second of an unarmed U.S. plane in litle more than a month, and urged the Russians to return the three men.

tions, sewer systems and similar public works. . “We have no estimate at this time on the total damage suffered in the flooding in these past few days,” ’ Welsh ' said. “At this time, we know there has been damage of varying degrees at Madison, Jeffersonville, Aurora, Jasper and Evansville, to name some of the affected communities.” Welsh said food supplies have bees- taken from the state’s sur- « plus Aeommodity warehouses'- and are being distributed' at. two mass feeding centers set up in Jeffersonville schools. He said director Robert Bates of the Indiana Office of Civil Defense will handle the applications from individual counties for federal aid under the disaster area plan. Welsh said he also would seek to expedite flood prevention projects. especially the proposed Patoka Reservoir project pending in Congress. “It was very obvious from the air if the Patoka Reservoir had been in existence, most if not all of the damage in the Dubois County area would have been prevented,” Welsh said. “More damage was done than the reservoir would have cost.”

Ask Cooperation To Halt Road Damage The Adams county commissioners and county highway department officials have requested the cooperation of county and area residents in an attempt to prevent further damage to roads throughout Adams county. The recent snowfalls, combined with repeated freezing and thawing, have caused roads in the rural areas to become extremely soft, and heavily loaded vehicles are causing considerable damage to the roads. The commissioners said that due to the weather conditions many of the county roads are unable to withstand the loads that are ordinarily transported over them. * With’ the roads in their present condition, vehicles with heavy loads are “cutting through” the roads, which was the description of one of the commissioners. Asked to Cooperate Rather than set load limits, the commissioners and highway department officials have requested that persons and businesses voluntarily reduce the ordinary weights carried on their vehicles until the roads return to normal. This cooperation would prevent further damage to the roads, and thus, save a lot of repair work in the future. Equipment Damaged County highway supervisor Lawrence Noll said this morning that the roads were so soft last night that there were several pieces of equipment damaged as highway employes worked to remove snow from the roads. Noll said the roads were so soft that the plows would hit the soft places and nose down and the trucks would then go up on top of the plows and break the hitches and bend the truck frames. Ln two cases, trucks went up onto the plows and hitches were broken in two other cases. Four of the six county highway department’s plows were damaged Tuesday night, and one employe was injured. Paul Longsworth, route 4, Decatur, was injured when one of the trucks went up on the plow, after hitting an extremely soft place in the road. Longsworth’s head struck the windshield and broke it and he was taken to the Adams county memorial hospital. He was treated and later released, but was scheduled to return to the hospital for further examination this morning.

THREE SECTIONS 15 1 f Shopping Days ’lil I EASTER J

Decatur, Indiana, 46733, Wednesday, March 11, 1964.

Ruby Defense Abruptly Ends Case; Motion For Acquittal Is Rejected

Bids Received By North Adams Board

The North Adams community school board took under consideration six bids by local, Bluffton, and Fort Wayne firms on a school tractor, set up the 1964-65 school year calendar, set a date to sell the cabins on school land, and discussed future plans at the first regular meeting of the month Tuesday night. Bids by Dierkes Implement, Reidenbach, Decatur Implement, Shaafer’s of Bluffton, and two Fort Wayne firms were submitted for the previously advertised tractor for mowing the lawns and fields. Cabins Sold April 11 Bids will be opened at 1 p.m. April 11 on the six cabins and shed located on the Bellmont school property. Bidders will have up to 60 days to remove tb® cabins from the property. The following calendar was adopted for the 1964-65 school year: School will start Sept. 8. the day following Labor Day; teachers’ convention will be Oct. 22-23; Armed Services Day, Noy. 11; Thanksgiving Nov. 26-27; Christmas, Dec. 24-Jan. 3; Easter, April 16-19; schopl May 29, 1965. Two Citizens Speak Kenneth Gaunt appeared before the board and asked that an incident between him and teachercoach Wally Yeoman during the sectional tourney be recorded in the minutes, which was approved by the board. Fred Isch appeared before the board and told them how the speech and hearing therapy was helning the students, and asked if it would be possible to continue and enlarge the program this next year. The board stated that every attempt was being made to replace the present therapist, who is resigning to get married at the end of the school term. Isch also pointed out what a fine job the physical fitness program, (Continued on Page Six)

Thousands Are Made Homeless

By United Press International River towns became ghost towns in the flood-ravaged Ohio River Valley today and the number of homeless mounted to more than 11,500. The American Red Cross estimated the total of homeless might top 20,000 in the next 48 hours in seven Eastern and Midwestern states. - At least 20 persons were dead from a three-day weather onslaught which included torrential rains, foot and a half snowfalls and tornado winds. Kentucky counted 5,000 refugees from the flood waters and it was feared the total might reach 15,000 by Friday. Pennsylvania had 3,000 homeless and part of Pittsburgh’s famed “Golden Triangle” was under water. Ohio had 2,500 persons forced from their homes, 200 of them, during the night. Indiana ; reported 400 and Iltinois 100. West Virginia had about 200 homeless. Missouri’s Black River was receding after Tuesday’s • flood crest but 400 persons remained out of their homes in the Poplar Bluff area. The Red Cross sent 50 disaster experts to set up emergency centers at Louisville, Ky. and Cincjrmati, Ohio. Another 50 ' workers" were alerted , for duty elsewhere in the Ohio Valley. Authorities began ipoving almost all the 2,375 residents of West Point, Ky.. to higher ground. Spencer County, Ind., officials reported that half of the 600 residents of Grandview, Ind., were being evacuated. The drenching rain finally stopped over the Ohio Valley

William Stevens Dies Unexpectedly William Howard Stevens, 55, of Ohio City route 1, died suddenly about 1:30 o’clock Tuesday night while at work at the Walled Lake Door Co. in Ohio City. He had not been ill. Born in Gladwin county, Mich., March 10, 1909, he was a son of Harry and Jennie Stevens, and had lived in the Ohio City area for the past 12 years. He graduated from the Mendon, 0., high school. > Mr. Stevens attended the Church of God in Ohio City, Surviving are his wife, Mina L., who has been employed for many years at the General Electric Co. plant in Decatur; one brother, Joseph Stevens of Willshire route 1. and one sister, Mrs. Florence Klahn of Albany, N. Y. Funeral services will be held al 2 p.m. Friday at the Church of God in Ohio City, with the Rev. Fred A. Landolt officiating. Burial will be >in the Tomlinson cemetery in Mercer county. Friends may call at the Cowan & Son funeral home in Van Wert after 7 p.m. today until 12 noon Friday. The body will lie in state at the church from 1 p.m. Friday until time of the services. Courthouse Offices Close For Funeral All offices in the Adams county courthouse will be closed Thursday morning until 11 o’clock in respect to Samuel G. Bentz, veteran circuit court bailiff, who died Monday night. Judge Myles F. Parrish stated the court room will be closed until 12 noon, but other offices will open at 11 o’clock. Funeral services for Mr. Bentz will be held at 9:30 a m. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic church, with the Rt. Rev. Magr. Simeon Schmitt officiating. Burial will be in the Catholic cemetery. Friends, may call at the Gillig & Doan funeral home until time of the services.

Tuesday night but rivers kept rising. Civil defense squads and (Continued on Page 3) Five Damage Suits Ask For $135,000 Five separate suits asking a total of $135,000 in damages, have been filed against a resident of this city, and a Fort Wayne man. The five complaints wehe filed against Robert E. Munson, formerly of Fort Wayne and now residing in Decatur, doing business as Bob Munson Auto Sales. Also named as defendant in the five suits Robert Leßoy Sollazzo. Helen Van Osdale asks SIOO,OOO in one suit, and Percy Van Osdale asks $15,000. Tammy Fox asks’judgment in the sum of SIO,OOO, and Mary Lou Fox and Edwin P jFox each filed for $5,000 damages. The suits stem from an acci dent in Fort Wayne on September 21, of last year. The five plaintiffs were 'riding in a / car which collided with an auto driv- t en by Sollazzo, and they claim * in their suits that Sollazzo failed to regard a red traffic signal, causing the mishap. Munson was in the used car business in Fort Wayne at the tihe, and according to the suits Sollazzo was operating a 1957 vehicle while in the employment of Munson. After the case was filed, summons were ordered issued to the sheriff for the two defendants, returnable March 30.

DALLAS (UPD—Jack Ruby’s defenders abruptly,, chopped off their case today without calling him to the stand and followed with a motion for acquittal. Judge Joe B. Brown rejected the request and said Tthe jury should get the ease this weekend. Both sides prepared for rebuttal fireworks and the defense said it was saving Dr. Walter Bromberg, a prominent New York psychiatrist for “ambush” testimony in one final attempt to blow the state’s murder case out of court. The jury of eight men and four women had just filed into the box at 10:07 a.m. EST for the start of a session expected to produce character witnesses when defense attorney Melvin Belli rose and calmly addressed Judge Joe B. Brown: “The defense rests, your honor.” Belli had said he had as many as 20 more “cleanup” witnesses, including Ruby’s rabbi and his maid, to round out the defense portrait of Lee Harvey Oswald’s slayer. He presented two psychiatrists as star witnesses Tuesday. His announcement that the defense had completed its case left the courtroom in dead silence for a moment. Ruby never appeared on the stand to defend himself. Belli Implied that Ruby’s story had been told Tuesday by Dr. Manfred Guttmacher, a Baltimore psychiatrist, who told of Ruby’s actions last Nov. 24. Ruby shot Oswald about 11:20 or 11:21 am. that day, and the dfense will say the maid is one more proof he did not de(Continued on Page Three) One Rural Carrier Covers Entire Route Veteran mail carrier Gerald L. Durkin of route 6. was the only Decatur rural carrier to get to every home on his route, delivering to all 306 patrons on his 64mile route, postmaster John Boch announced today. Durkin, who credited his unusual service to knowing the route and to the help he got from the, patrons in clearing the road for him, and pulling him out when he got stuck, returned to the post office at 4:10 p. m. One patron, Durkin remarked, pulled him out twice when he got stuck. Dick Maloney, who carries route one, was able to get through to 330 of his 339 patrons, driving 84 miles on his 71-mile route to get through. He returned about 3 p. m. Earl Chase, on route 4, who is also a veteran mail carrier, missed just one patron, carrying to 344 of 345, driving 89 miles to cover his usually 70-mile route, and finishing up at 4:30p. m. Ordinarily the rural carriers are finished between 1 and 2 p.m. But bad weather, of course, slows them down considerably. Some are able to complete their routes faster,-. sorr|; slower, as the routes differ tremendously in condition of roads,' direction with respect to winds and drifts, whether the road had been plowed by the county snow-plow, etc. • Jay Martin, carrying route 5, got through to 172 of his 239 patrons, driving 77 miles on his 67mile routp, and not returning until 5;30 p. m. — Dfck Schieferstelfl-, ' substitute on route 3. delivered maiL to 192 of 377 patrons, driving 47 of 70 miles, and returning at 2:20 p.m. Harold Hoffman, carrying route 2, was able, to get through to 78 of 296 patrons, driving 39 miles of the 69-mile route. INDIANA WEATHER Cloudy and not quite so cold with a little light rain or snow likely tonight. Thursday becoming partly cloudy. Low tonight 24 to 30 north, 28 to 37 south. High Thursday 40 to 45. Sunset today 6:48 p. m. Sunrise Thursday 7:02 a. m. Outlook for Friday: Fair and mild. Lows in the 30s. Highs low 40s north to low 50s south.

Lenten Meditation (By Rt. Rev. Msgr. Simeon M. Schmitt, St. Mary’s Catholic Church) “They therefore took up stones to cast at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” John VIII, 59. The last two weeks of Lent are known as Passiontide, because during these days the serious minded Christian meditates more and more on the Passion and Death of Jesus. Just as Jesus hid Himself from the enemies who tried to destroy Him, so we should hide ourselves away as far as possible during these two weeks of Passiontide from distractions and mundane interests, which so often prove to be enemies of our soul. “There is a time to speak, and a time to be silent.” Jesus had spoken courageously, some would say recklessly, to those powerful hypocrites who were even now plotting His destruction, when He said: “He who is of God hears the words of God. 1116 reason why you do not hear is that you are not of God.’’ They answered with violence instead of logic, and "took up stones to cast at Him.” Since “His time was not yet come,” He chose to be silent and avoid them, rather than use His divine power to punish them. St. Paul says if we die with Christ, we shall also rise with Christ. If our Lent is prayerful and serious, our Easter shall be joyful and glorious. Lodge Wins In New Hampshire *■■ - •

CONCORD, N_H. (UPD — Ambassador fltenry * Cabot Lodge stepped into the front rank of Republican presidential contenders today with a stunning write-in victory in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary. As a silent and unannounced candidate in Saigon, Lodge won over Sen. Barry Goldwater, who ran second, and Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller, who was trailing in third place. Both had carried on intensive campaigns in the state before yesterday’s vote. Richard Nixon, another writein, took fourth place while Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (Maine), the only woman seeking the nomination, edged out Harold E. Stassen for fifth place. Nixon, the GOP’s standard bearer in 1960, claims he is not seeking the party’s nomination this year but would be > available for a draft at the Republican National Convention. Weather Affects Vote A late winter gtorm dumped heavy snow on most of the state Tuesday and held the total vote to about 100,000, less than was expected. Lodge’s victory was a severe blow to both Rockefeller and Goldwater for the 1964 presidential nomination. But both declared candidates said they would press their campaigns in other primaries. The New Hampshire result in the nation’s first 1964 presidential primary will compel the national GOP to undertake a reassessment -of its candidates Over SSOO Donated In Red Cross Drive * More than SSOO toward the goal of $2,666 in the rural Red Cross fund drive has been turned in so far, with 11 sections from Washington township reporting, John B. Fa urote. campaign co-chair-man, announced today. Eight of the 12 townships have reported at least one section. St. Mary’s and Preble have four each reporting; French has three: Root, Union and Monroe have two each; and Kirkland has one. Reporting from Washington township are: Mrs. Henry Heimann, sec. 28. $11; R. W. Andrews, secs. 19 & 20, $5 and $6; Clara Rumschlag, sec. 11, $lO, 100??; Mrs. William Kohne, sec. 5, $3.50; Mrs. Dorothy Wagley, sec. 36, $9; Mrs. Arthur Fosnaugh, sec. 29, $3. From Preble township: Arthur* Adam, sec. 33, $18.30; Harold Ehlerding, sec. 27, $lO, 100%; Fred Bieberich, sec. 23, $9.50, 100%; St. Paul’s Sewing Circle

SEVEN CENTS

’with Lodge now entitled to much more attention. But victory in the first battle does not mean<victory in the war. Outside his native New England, Lodge would rate low in any popularity poll among Republicans who will be delegates to the national convention next July. They will be glad to nominate him, however, if he looks, at convention time, like the candidate with the best chance of Winning. Preference Section Goldwater and Rockefeller both had their names on the presidential preference section of the GOP ballot along with Mrs. Smith and Stassen, the Philadelphia lawyer who formerly was governor of Minnesota. Lodge and Nixon were both the beneficiaries of organized write-in campaigns. Lodge was Nixon’s running mate in 1960. Democrats had no real contest in their primary. They elected 20 national convention delegates from among candidates favoring the nomination of President Johnson and cast only write-in votes for president and vice president. Complete unofficial returns from all of the state’s 302 precints gave Lodge 32,207; Goldwater 20,741; Rockefeller 19,933; Nixon 15,487; Mrs. Smith 2,004; Stassen 1,320; Gov. George Romney of Michigan (write-in) 86; and Gov. William W. Scranton of Pennsylvania (write-in) 72. President Johnson received 18,058 and Atty. Gen. Robert F. Kennedy 14,548 votes for vice president. City Collection Is Postponed For Day Bernard Clark, city street commissioner, said this morning that the tin can collection scheduled for today has been postponed until Thtirsday, since the city employes ape all participating in the snow removal. V V of Preble, $5. Reporting for zone 8 of St. Mary’s, which isij’t completed yet, Faurote turned in $32. From Root township, Mr. and Mrs. Ned Johnson turned in $3, 100%. George Ringger, reporting tor secs. 10, 11, and 16, French township. turned in sl2, $32, and sl2. making the first reports)' from French township. The first two sections were 100% donors. Faurote emphasized again the importance of getting the campaign completed before the weather gets too bad; some so- • Heitors in the past have waited too dong to get started, and then aren’t able to finish until in April. If possible, Faurote would like to wind up the campaign in March.