Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 62, Number 303, Decatur, Adams County, 24 December 1964 — Page 1

County Officials Sworn In

w -On ' O \ I > ff JI A' W y. wHWh-t r iv- <t *,._ tiPib - t ‘ j •Bb <1 VT-Mr amHI Jhmßk. jA *■ l 11 11 ■ f jjkßl ..' K j| H» OsW'' l ' i -W -4 jpsbjJ»!llf OFFICIALS SWORN IN— Sworn in at Tuesday's ceremonies were the county officials pictured above. Left to right are Dick Linn, coroner; William Linn, treasurer; Henry O.;Oetting, county commissioner; Rosemary Spangler, recorder; Leland A. Neuen, auditor; Judge G. Remy Bierly, Indiana Appellate court; Burl Johnson, state representative; Herman Moellering, purveyor; Delmas (Mike) Bollenbacher, county commissioner. These officials, elected in November, take office January I.— (Photo by Mac Lean)

Police Pull Dog From Icy River

There is an old saying about a policeman going “above and beyond the call of duty.” This was the case late Wednesday afternoon with local officer Vic Strickler who waded in hip-deep, icy St. Mary’s river water in an attempt to rescue a small dog. The officer’s gallant efforts were to no avail, however, as some 20 seconds under the ice and an hour or so of attempting • to stay alive was too much for the little fellow. The police were notified of a howling dog in the middle of the St. Mary’s, near the Monmouth Road, around 5 o’clock Wednesday afternoon. Wades Through Water Strikler, assisted by sheriff Roger Singleton, and hip boots ... Viet Generals Defy Pressure ----- SAIGON (UPI) — South Viet .Nam’s “young Turk” generals defied American pressure today by refusing to release arrested members of the country’s High National Council. The five-day-old dispute over the captives was developing into a clash of wills between U. S. Ambassador Maxwell D. Taylor and Lt. Gen. Nguyen Khanh, commander in chief of the Vietnamese armed forces. Informed sources said Taylor was ready to hold back delivery of a new aid package he brought back from Washington three weeks ago. The United States haiS been pouring $1.5 million a day into South Viet Nam’s antiCommunist war, and recently it was reportde that the U. S. administration had decided to increase that figure. Want Council Restored By detouring additional aid from Saigon, Taylor apparently hoped to force Khanh and the young Turks to restore the council they overthrew last Sunday and free the politicans they arrested. But the sources warned that even if Khanh and Taylor continue heading for a showdown, the first U. S. aid pressure will not become apparent for a month. Khanh cited ‘transportation problems” as his reason for reneging on a promise to free the prisoners Wednesday.” There were numreous “leaks” from both sides. One report said Khanh was trying to incite his generals into an anti-American campaign designed to force Washington to recall Taylor. Khanh’s associates spread reports Taylor had telephoned the commander in chief and suggestet that' he get out of the country. Another report said Taylor had urged Premier Tran Van Huong to resign rather than go along with Sunday’s army coup. Sides With Army Some sources claimed Huong was inclined to Ude with the army, considering its support necessary to protect him f.om the nation’s restless Buddhist leaders. Two distinct points of view emerged concerning the. dissolution of the council. The general who carried out theaction sincerely believed they were helping Huong and his government by ridding it of an organization that was becoming the focal point for ariti-government political plots. Americans in Siagon privately agreed that the generals acted with the best of motives. But they insisted the United States cannot deal with a government whose commitments can be cancelled at any moment on the whim of a few generals.

borrowed from the local fire department, went to the rescue. The sheriff stood on the bank holding a rope which Strickler was clinging to as he waded through the ice to get near the dog. The dog was in a patch of water about four feet diameter. He was unable to claw onto the ice. As Strickler got within about 20 feet of the little animal, it went under the iee. Disregarding the danger of a possible drop off in the water, Strickler dashed to the spot where the dog had gone under. He had been under the ice about 20 seconds when the officer pulled him from the water. Strickler - and Singleton took the unconscious dog to the police station and attempted to revive him. Their rescue was fruitless, though, and about an hour later the dog died. But it was a gallant effort — “above.and beyond the call of duty.” Thomas Briede Home Burns The home of Thomas Briede, former Decatur resident now living in Fort Wayne, was extensively damaged by a late afternoon fire Wednesday. The kitchen of the Briede home, at 2721 Alexander St., was completely gutted by the fire, and the rest of the home was damaged, including heavy smoke damage. Some grease on the stove became overheated and when Briede’s stepson, Dave Mills, threw water on it to extinguish the blaze, the pan of grease exploded. The impact was so great that the kitchen windows were blown out. Mills, however, only had his hair singed. Brieded Decatur at the time of the fire. Nidlinger Receives Management Award Mr. and Mrs. Warren Nidlinger, R. F. D. 3, Decatur, Indiana, have been presented a Sow and Pig Management Award by the Moorman Manufacturing Company. The award is being made id hog raisers whose sows wean larger-than-average litters. They received a simulated oak plaque, showing a sow with pigs nursing, which is a reproduction of an original hand-carving done especially for this award. A brass plate on the plaque is engraved with their names. In making the award, the Moorman Company pointed out that a hog raiser’s care and management of sows is yitaly important, along with good breeding and feeding, for efficient pork-produc-ing results. Theft At Ellsworth Garage Is Reported City police began investigation today of a burglary at the Ellsworth Garage, 1013 N. Second St., where four automobile transmissions were stolen sometime during the early morning hours. The theft was discovered by Frances Ellsworth around 7:45 a.m. today, and was reported to police at that time. The building was entered via a window on the west side. Ten new transmissions and one Used were carried to the same window, but only four were taken from the building. The others were left neat the window Ellsworth reported the transmissions to be valued at S3OO each.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

VOL LXII. NO. 303.

Welsh Denies Chairman Broke Law INDIANAPOLIS (UPI) — Governor Welsh said Wednesday that chairman David Cohen of the State Highway Commission had not acted illegally in helping to incorporate three firms which have done business directly or indirectely with the commission. Welsh issued the statement after an investigation conducted at his request by George Goodwin, executive director of the State Highway Department. The governor conceded! that Cohen had been “indiscreet” in drawing up incorporation papers for the three firms, one of which numbered his brother and moth-er-in-law among the incorporators. However, Welsh said, there is “no indication that he, Cohen, has acted illegally or has violated his trust to the people of Indiana.” Nothing that Cohen, an East Chicago attorney, is a part-time employe as highway chairman, Welsh said he had drawn up the incorporation papers for the three companies “on behalf of a longtime client.” Welsh said Cohen’s brother, Morris, and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Freida Phillips, Chicago, were incorporators of one of the firms. One of the firms obtained a contract to conduct a traffic survey for the commission while the other two supply thermoplastic highway marking material to contracting firms doing business with the commission. “Nothing in my records would indicate any undue influence has been used in behalf of these companies,” Welsh said. “I think Dave Cohen has a distinguished record as highway chairman and the department has made remarkable progress under him. This should be kept in mind. 0 “If the people have not been injured, it is nothing more than an indiscretion which, ‘in mv op’nion, is unfortunate,” Welsh said.

INDIANA WEATHER Cloudy with occasional rain and mild today, but turning colder this afternoon. Hi<h today Id mid to upper 50s. Cloudy and much colder tonight with rain becoming mixed with sleet or freeahv rain. Lew tonight 24 to 34. Friday cioutiy ■mi com. tu<n rncny around 30. "

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, 46733, Thursday, December 24, 1964.

LB J Aide Predicts Budget To Be Below One Billion ... . 41.4

JOHNSON CITY,’ Tex. (UPI) — President Johnson’s new budget will be “very,very substantially below” the $108.5 billion in spending requests he has received from federal departments and agencies. Budget Bureau Director KerBoy Given Typewriter It will be a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for Berne junior Eugene Ferry, son of Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Ferry of near Berne, whose classmates and faculty presented him with an electric typewriter to helf) him overcome his physical handicap. Eugene was born lacking two fingers on his left hand and no right hand, and a badly deformed right leg. With the help of crutches, he manages well, and gets about school to the constant inspiration of his fellow pupils. Eugene’s father is unable to work because of serious illness, and the rural family has very limited means. Already Eugene has had considerable success at typing on an electric machine. In spite of his severe handicap, he types 50 words a minute. He hopes some day to be able to support himself' by typing. More than S3OO was collected by his fellow students at Berne high school, completely unknown to the youth. Berne Man Hurt In Accident Leslie Sprunger, 55, Berne businessman and city councilman, suffered a broken pelvis about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday when he was struck by a car on a Muncie street. The double fracture was causing considerable pain, and Sprunger expects to be bedfast six to eight weeks. “ Sprunger, treasurer of the Moser Motor Sales, Inc., was towing a truck owned by the Everetts of near Decatur back from Owensboro, Ky., when the tow truck developed generator trouble on a busy Muncie street. He was directing traffic with a flashliight as men repaired the tow truck Mien a csr struck him, knocking him to the street.

California Floods Leave 7000 Persons Homeless

SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) — It will be a bleak Christmas Eve for. .more than 7,000 persons left homeless by three days of floods in Northern California, Oregon and Idaho. The three - day rampage already has taken at least 13 lives. Debris - filled waters receded during a welcome respite from - heavy rains in Northern California Wednesday/ while Oregon Gov. k Mark Hatfield was also optimistic when the rains slackened. "We seem to be over the hump,” he said, but he also termed it “in terms of totality and involvement of the entire state ... the greatest disaster ever.” At least 10 have died in

mit Gordon gave that verdict at the conclusion of three days of pre-Christmas budget talks Johnson held at the LBJ ranch with cabinet members and other officials. Gordon was non-committal on whether this meant Johnson would stay within his SIOO billion budget goal for the next fiscal year—a level that has never yet been reached, let alone exceeded. But a series of budget cuts reported by cabinet officers indicated Johnson may have a chance to hold it at that figure, as he is known to be hoping. Auditor's Office Has Small Fire Retiring county auditor Edward F. Jaberg, who leaves office one week from today, jokingly said this morning, “I wanted to go out in a blaze of glory,” in reference to a small fire in his office early today. A large Christmas candle on the counter of Jaberg’s office had not been snuffed out when the courthouse closed Wednesday afternoon. The candle burned all night and around 7:30 a.m. today, finally reached the counter. Firemen were called, but volunteer Bob Workinger, near the scene when the alarm came, had the small fire under control before firemen arrived. The only thing damaged was a corner of the counter where the candle was located, but many of the courthouse windows remained open during this morning’s drizzle to “chase away” the smoke... -Kitson Services Scheduled V . Funeral services for Charles T. Kitson will be held at 9:00 a.m. Saturday in St. Mary’s Catholic church. Msgr. Thomas Durkin will be the celebrant at a solemn requiem high mass with Msgr. Simeon Schmitt as deacon and Rev. Maurice Meyers S. J. as subdeacon. Military rites will follow in St. Joseph’s cemetery. Friends may call after noon Friday at the Gillig, Doan & Settee funeral home and where the rotary will be recited at 8:00 p. m. Friday. — Survivors include a daughter. Miss Winefride Kitson of Decatur.

Oregon. Battle Raging Waters - In Idaho, harried flood fighters concentrated on the little farm town of Declo, whose 300 inhabitants were endangered from the bursting of an earthfill dam on Marsh Creek. Ervine Dewey, owner of the private dam said “there’s more water coming down that that I’ve ever seen and Pm 51.” A wall of water from the dam swirled down the stream, lapped over a smaller dam and spread out into lowlands around the town. Residents mobilized to build dikes to keep out the water. While falling rain complicated

SEVEN CENTS

Over The Hump “We are not by any means finished,” Gordon told newsmen late. Wednesday, “but I think we are probably over the hump of the budget decisions — making process for this year.” Johnson has been striving over recent months — and particularly since arriving here Sunday night for a yuletide working holiday — to keep his budget under the SIOO billion mark. The current fiscal year’s expenditures are estimated at $97.2 billion. “As you know,” Gordon told reporters, “we started off . . with requests aggregating about $108.5 billion. In don’t know yet where we are precesely going to end up, but it is clear that we are going to end up very, very substantially below that num-

Muncie Man Stockpiles Machines Guns

MUNCIE, Ind. (UPl)—Federal agents today pressed an investigation of the source and intended destination of an arsenal of submachine guns and ammunition for them found in the home of a selfstyled "amateur gunsmith” here. U. S. Dist. Atty. Richard F. Stein of Indianapolis refused to confirm or deny reports that the guns were found at the home of ■Wallace R. Chrich, 27, Tuesday night were Intended for a militant right-wing organization. Stem would say only that the case is “under further investigation.” Alcohol and tobacco tax division agents who raided the Chrich home with Muncie police Tuesday night said they found s?ven assembled and operative submachine guns, enough parts to assemble about 100 more and several boxes of 45-caliber ammunition. Chrich. a machinist at a General Motors Corp, plant here, was charged with violation of tne National Firearms Act and was released under $2,500 bond. He told agents he was selling the guns for an “out-of-town” man in an effort to make money for Christmas. He said he did not- realize he was violating the law. Agents said Chrich told them he had sold two of the guns and police said they were seeking the purchasers. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. John S. Anderson, Indiana adjutant general, Wednesday ordered an investigation to determine whether NOON EDITION

the situation at Declo, the forecast for the rest of Idaho was for cooler weather and milder rains. Worst Appears Over In California, George Deathrage of the California Department of Water Resources said "at this time, it appears that the worst, is over in California, but the picture could change at Judge Orders News Withheld Lowell A Thatcher. 37-year-old route 3, Decatur resident, was fined $lO and costs, totaling S3O, in city court this morning on a charge of public intoxication. Despite the fact that city court Judge B. Stults requested the sheriff’s department not release the information to "the local news media, the department reported that Thatcher was arrested a short time after midnight today. Thatcher had loft control of a van he was operating along U. S. 224, about five miles east of Decatur, and the vehicle went into a ditch. When deputy sheriff Warren Kncuss arrived, he found Thatcher being beside the vehicle. Thatcher was taken to the hospital, treated and released. He pleaded guilty to the charge in city court this morning and was fined and given a 3()-day jail sentence, which was suspended.

Talks May Resume The high point of Johnson's three-day budget talks — which may be resumed next week — was Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara’s report Tuesday of plans to build the world’s biggest transport plane. He also said the defense budget would go down "closer" to the $49 billion mark than this year’s $49.8 billion level. This is more than half of the over-all federal budget. McNamara's prediction of a spending decrease, and similar forecasts from Commerce Secretary Luther H. Hodges and Freeman, lertl strength to Johnson’s hopes for keeping his budget under the SIOO billion line.

any National Guard weapons were involved. Chrich is a sergeant in the Indiana National Guard. Authorities said the guns apparently were from government sur-

H“''' I | PRIVATE ARMORY— U S. Marshal Charles Loos examines one of the 100 sub-machine guns confiscated in Muncie. Ind., from the home of factory worker Russell Chrich, 27. Chrich was arrested on a charge ot violation of the National Firearms act. He told federal officials he was selling the weapons for an “out-of-town man.” Chrich is a member df the Indiana National Guard.

any tirriV If we get another heavy storm, we could be in more trouble.” Ute long-range forecast called for only intermittent rains. But the lower river levels proved little solace for 4,000 homeless persons facing a joyless Christmas. Fourteen lumber and resort California towns were either under water Or isolated: major highways were blocked; and damage was estimated at upwards of $36 million. Photographer Neil Hurlbert reported flying over the floor region. He said he saw some persons floating down the Eel River on a house. He also saw a freight train, partly broken up, grotesquely floating on its side toward the ocean. At Weott, the Humboldt county sheriff’s office reported that the steeple of. a tall church was the only building visible above the water level. Music House Makes Move The Decatur Music House is moving to a new location, it was announced today by Jim Webb and Ed Heimann, co-owners. On January 4, of the new year, the Decatur Music House will be ojx>n for business in its new 10--cation at 224 N. 12th street. Webb and Heimann said they would be closed from December 26 to that date for inventory and moving. Heimann explained the move was prompted by the Music House's ‘‘continuous effort to best serve, the musical interests” of the community. The new location will contain five studios, making it possible for lesson on piano, organ, accordion, guitar or any band instrument. Thqre will be free parking also. \ The slooa Hours will be limited to 3 to 5 o'clock every day except 'niursday and Sunday, The TV., stereo, and radio lines will be discontinued with the opening in the new location. A few items are left in this departme'n tand have been priced below cost for clearance.

Good Fellows Club Previously Reported $766.63 The Rosary Society 5.00 ■American Legion Auxiliary 5.00 Redman's Lodge 10 00 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cook 5.00 A Friend y..„ 5.00 Cecil Harvey 2.00 C. W. Fuelling, Inc. 25.00 Mr. and Mrs. W. ,E. Petrie 5.00 Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Knodel 500 Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Ziner 5.00 TOTAL $838.63

plus stocks which had been sold after being made inoperative. They said the guns had been repaired and placed in firing condition.