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About La Grande observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1959-1968 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1959)
Padded Spreads 8 Die, 15 Injured TRUSTEE GIVES MATERIALS TO TOMS RIVER, N. J. (UPI) A trusty gave the inmate of a padded cell smoking materials as "an act of kindness" that inadvertently led to a fire which killed eight inmates of the Ocean County jail, Prosecutor Howard Ewart said. Ewalt said it was determined that one of two trustees gave either a lighted cigarette or a cigarette and matches to the prisoner in whose . .-11 the blaze erupted. Ewart's office i M GRADY PANNELL Joins Observer Staff Grady Panned Joins Observer News Staff Grady Pannell, 3&, V.as assumed the position of managing editor o. the Observer, according to an an nouncement made today by Riley D. Allen, publisher. Pannell, married End the father of four children, crmes to La Grande from Las Vegas, Nov wh?re he was night editor on the Review-Journal for the last eight and one-half years. A native of Bristol, Va , he has been in newspaper work for the past 14 years. His wife, Ann, is a former school teacher. Thy are currently in the process of hunting for a -house. t The'hew editof Is a World War II veteran having served three years in the infantry as a sergeant with the Second Indianhead Division. He participated in the Normandy landing end Battle of th? Bulge. Atlas Shot Successful CAPE CANAVERAL. Fla. il'PI An early model Atlas missile roared 5.000 miles into the South Atlantic today in the fourth straight successful test since a se ries of failures 'upset the July 1 timetable for onerational capabil ity of the missile. The Air Force said 35 minutes after the intercontinental ballistic missile blasted off that prelimin ary data indicated the 82-foot At last "appeared to achieve its test objective." The Atlas was scheduled to reach limited operational capability by July 1, but five consecutive failures from February through June caused the Air Force to re vise this date to Sept. 1. There was no direct connection between today's launching here and the Atlas ground test at Van denberg Air Force Base, Calif.. hundav. Police Report Weekend Cases A Portland man was arrested in La Grande Saturday morning for vagrancy. James Hun! or, 818 N. Russell, was picked up by police at Fourth and Adams at 10:03 according to police. Bail was set at $20 and a hear ing scheduled for 3 p.m. this af ternoon, police said. WON'T RUN AGAINST SEN. NEUBERGER Hatfield Says His Ambition is To Be Two-Term Governor PORTLAND (t'PD Gov. Mark ( Hatfield said Sunday "my ambition is to serve as a two term governor." Hatfield made the remark on a local television show moderated by ex-Gov. Robert D. Holmes, the man Hatfield defeated for governor in 1958. He had been asked about reports that he might be a vice presidential candidate next year or seek a Senate scat. "While talk of national ticket and senatorial possibilities is flat Cell Fire In Prison; SMOKING INMATE was one of several agencies in- vestigating Sundays fire at the two story jail. The blaze inju-ed 15 perso-s. Gov. Robert B. Mcyner and Sheriff Harry Roe also began in quiries into the blaze. At the time of the fire, the jail, with a recommended capacity of 28. housed 65 prisoners. The inmate of the padded cell, was awaiting transfer to a state mental hospital. Ewart said it could never be determined whether the fire was started intentionally or began ac cidcntally, because "nobody saw him i the prisoneri. ino prosecutor said ' there is nothing vicious" in giving the man a smoke. It was "an act of kindness," he said, Ewart declined to identify the trusty who passed the smoking equipment to the prisoner. Gen eral Peterson. 35, Philadelphia. Peterson's cell, padded with foam rubber, burst into flames and spewed fire in all directions. Sev en inmates of nearby cells suffo cated. Seven prisoners in an adjoining cell block perished in the inferno without ever getting out of their quarters. Besides Petersen, the victims and the charges against them were: Stephan T. Wolf Jr.. 30, of Manasquan, former Linden, N.J. policeman charged with passing bad checks: William Charles Leh mann, 21, of Toledo, Ohio, a sail or stationed at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, charged with for gery: Adam Bodzan, 42, of At lantic City, N.J., disorderly per son, sentenced to 90 days; Calvin Wilson Letts. 19, of Cedar Run. N.J., sodomy, . rape . and carnal aDuse; Thomas Arthur Hushes. Wfc Philadelphia, forgers-Joseph Booker, 45, of Hartley, Del., lar ceny; and Richard Cavalier. 22. of Tuckerton, N.J., charged with me fatal beating of his 22-month old daughter, Deborah. Bodies Clustered In Cell All except Bodzan were await ing grand jury action or trial. Their bodies were found clustered together in a cell block a few feet from Petersen's cell. Medical spokesmen said thev had been asphyxiated. Petersen was burned to death, they said. seven other prisoners, seven firemen and a sailor who raced into the inferno to helD were felled by smoke. Of these. 12. in. eluding one male inmate and fou- lemaies were hospitalized at Lakewood in fair condition. The blaze broke out about 11:10 a.m. as guards were attempting to break up a fight between two prisoners in the second floor cast wing Family Gives Up Ghost; Not Lost n Montana Quake SALEM (UPI) A family feared lost in the Montana earth quake last week has turned up safe in Salt Lake City, it was re ported Sunday by the Marion county sheriff's office. Howard Evans and his wife and two children had been unre ported since the quake. Evans is the chief tax collector for the sheriff's office here. His wife is a deputy county clerk. Evans contacted the sheriff's office from Salt Lake City and said he was unaware that he and his family were believed missing. They were in Gardner, Mont., when the quake struck, Evans said. tering," he said, "my ambition is to serve as a two-term governor." The 37-year-old governor earli er disclaimed any intention of running against Sen. Richard L. Neulierger i D-Ore. . next year. He also said last week he believed the Republicans would look to the West for a vice presidential candidate. He has been men tioned as . a likely candidate against Sen. Wayne Morse in 1962. The governor's office said that LA 308th Issue rMt i - RAILROAD WELL CONTRACT DELIVERED Fred J. Young, left, city manager, Richard Neeley, assistant city attorney, Dave Slaght, city engineer, and H. E. Waddell, city commissioner and representative of the Union Pacific railroad look with approval on the contract with the UP for the leasing of the 'railroad's wells to the city. Approximately one million gallons of water daily will be added to the city's water system. (Observer Photo) House - Senate First Snag On WASHINGTON (UPI - r - Senate - nouse i-w'iHvcw nn men. tfTSi snag today fn-efforts to work out a compromise labor reform bill. The controversial issue: How to handle labor disputes in areas where neither the federal govern ment nor the states now assume jurisdiction. Until today, the 'M-mcmber con ference committee had reached quick agreement on minor differe ences between the Senate's Ken- kedy-Irvin bill and the stitfer Lan- Railroad, City Reach Agreement The city of La Grande's long negotiated, long awaited contract with the Union Paci.'ic railroad for the use of the railroad wells was signed, scaled and delivered teday. Fred J. Youifg. city manager. received the contract allowing the city use of the nearly l.ono.000 gallons which flow daily from the wells with a big smile. The city will lay a pipe from the wells to connect with the city system as soon as the pipe is available. The addition of the wells will provide the city with a backlog of water against emergencies and also will help to eliminate periods of curtailed water usage by rest dents of La Grande. Added Water Young also stated that it was possible that the added water supply would be looked on favor ably by the Oregon Fire Insurance Rating when the question of re rating comes up. The city manager said he was 'particularly jubilant over the contract. It will add up to a if Hatfield serves two full terms as governor he would be the first man to do so In this century in Oregon. The late Gov. Earl'Snell was in his second term when killed in a 1947 plane crash. Members of the panel which questioned Hatfield on the pro gram "Let's Face It" were R. L. 1 Dick I Revenaugh managing ed itor of the Oregon City Enterprise-Courier; Dr. John Swarth out, dean of faculty at Portland State College, and ex-State Sen. Kudie Wilhelm. GRANDE OBSERVER . drum-Griffin measure passed bv i me House. Ihe no man s land' issue is one of three main ones on which the two bills differ widely. The other two concern secondary boy cotts and organizational picketing. All three of these sections are amendments to the Taft-Hartley Law. The Senate voted to keep these changes at a minimum, but the House version would impose more definite restrictions on boy cotts and picketing. On Well Use million gallons to the city's water flow. It will take up any de ficiency we have had in the past when the use of water has exceed ed the city's faci'itics." ine mountain supply is more than adequate to take re of water demands through nine to 10 months of the year. Young added However, it has to be augmented during the summer dry spell and this will do the trick the retiring city manager stated. Pipe Order Due The city already has a contract with Water Works Supply Co. of Portland for the delivery of ap proximately 1,880 feet of einht inch pipe. Work on the installation of the pipe will begin as soon as the pips is available according to Dave Slaght, city engineer. The work will take approxi mately 10 days to complete ac cording to Slaght and that includes the installation of and the switch ing of valves and pumps at the pump house The total cost of the pipe and installation will run about $12,000 the city engineer estimated. Negotiations for the contract be gan with the railroad in 1954 but had always gotten hung up in the legal department said a city spokesman. H. E. Waddell, a member of the city commission and also of the railroad. Richard Neeley, assistant city attorny, the city manager and city engineer were present at a brief ceremony In the city building this morning. Nixon May Dedicate The Dalles Dam SALEM (UPI i Gov. Mark Hatfield said today vice President Richard Nixon was "most en couraging" in response to urging that he come West Oct. 10 to ded icate The Dalles dam on the Co lumbia river. Hatfield said the vice presi dent's office probably would an nounce late today or Tuesday a decision on the proposed date. Nixon was in Oregon Feb. H of ' "' . . . . . . . - - . this year to open the state's Cen- tenmal activities. LA GRANDE, OREGON, Conferees Hit Labor Measure The conferees reported during the weekend they had received numerous letters urging that the stronger measures be adopted. Senalc conferees were known to prefer the milder bill, and it was feared in some quarters the com mittee might become deadlocked on the issues. Other congressional news: Construction: A Senate subcom mittee today approved a 500 mil lion dollar federal outlay to heb the state build schools. The spending bill would spread the al location over two years and amounts would depend on popula tion and wealth of the individual States. The same guides, would determine what percentage states would put up in matching funds The measure now goes to the Sen ate Education and Labor Commit tec. Khrushchev: Senate Democratic Leader Lyndon B. Johnson urged members of Congress not to "flee the capital just because Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev is coming here. He left it up to the administration as to whether Khrushchev should be invited to address Congress. Chairman J. William Fulbright of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Sunday the Soviet leader should be given a chance to address law makers if he wishes. House Dem ocratic Leader John W. McCor- mack has objected to such an in vitation. Laos: Secretary of St a t e Chris tian A. Hurler briefed congres sional foreign affairs experts on the situation in Laos, where Com munists are seeking to undermine the local government. He de scribed the matter as very dan gerous. Senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Commit tee and the House Foreign Af fairs Committee sat in on the briefing. Corvallis Fire Guts Seed Mill; Threatens Gas CORVALLIS (UPI l - A $300.- 000 fire destruyt-d Uie Orecon Seed Company mill and ware house here late Sunday night. and for a time threatened to touch off nearly 100.000 gallons of gasoline and fuel oil stored near by. Firemen continued to pump wa ter on the smoldering ruins early today. A three-story grain elevator and two story warehouse were de- troyed by the flames. An adjoin ing company office was gutted. LHS REGISTRATION DUB Senior high school students who ave moved into th community during the summer are urged to register Tuesday and Wednesday, c . - August 25 and 26, at Second and K avenue. MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 19S9 Michael Dies In Red Boss Determined On Berlin PARIS lUPli Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev has sent notes to the western allies expressing Russian determination on the Berlin situation as a prelude to his talks with President Eisenhow er, diplomatic sources said today. The latest note to West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer was delivered Sunday in Bonn. Diplo matic reports said Khrushchev letters also had been sent to France and Britain, and British Press reports said there had been a note to Washington as well. The diplomatic sources said they did not know the contents of all the notes but that Khrushchev apparently was summing up the Russian unyielding demands in cluding a free city status for Ber lin and an end of western mili tary occupation. Some quarters here believed Khrushchev's main idea was to show- that the Soviet official atti tude had not softened one whit on basic issues like Berlin's stutus, German reunification and Euro pean security. New Hawaii Legislators Are Sworn In WASHINGTON (UPI) The three members of Congress from tne new state of Hawaii were sworn into office today. The first official act for the two new sena tors was to participate in a lot tery. Sen. Hiram L. Fong R), first man of Chinese ancestry ever to sit in the Senate, won a coin toss and a drawing to become the 50th state's "senior" senator with al most a six-year term. His colleague. Sen. Oren E Long ID i, drew himself a four- year term. The two new senators drew lots for the length of their terms after being sworn in as the Senate's 99th and tooth members. They could have been six, four or two years. Two historic mahogany ballot boxes held the answer to how long a term awaited each of the new senators. Long, having earlier lost a coin toss for seniority, drew first from a box which held one blank card and another signifying a six-year term ending Jan. 2. 1965. Ho drew the blank. After Fong picked the six-year card, Iflng d'ew from the other box which held cards for a "four- year term ending Jan. 2, 1963, and a "two-year"' term ending Jan. 2, 1961. He got the four-year card. Coast Shipyards Hit With Strike SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) -The International Association of Ma chinists went on strike at West Coast shipyards today in a labor dispute that may idle an estimat ed 10.000 workers. ' Pickets appeared shortly before 7 a m. today at the main gate of Bethlehem Steel's Shipbuilding Yard, the largest San Francisco shipbuilder involved. The plant employs 2.300 workers. Off-Duty Patrolman Captures One Of Six Escaped Convicts FORT MADISON. Iowa (UPI I An off-duty patrolman today cap tured one of six convicts who broke out of the Iowa State Peni tentiary Sunday. Another fugitive, the last remaining at large, was believed trapped in a cornfield and woods. Penitentiary officials said Charles Wallerick, 25, was seized by the patrolman in Dallas City, III., across the Mississippi River from here. Prison authorities reported that the remaining fugitive, Arlee II. Elliott, 25, was believed surround ed in a rugged area south of Bur lington, Iowa. Authorities said Elliott took to the fields and timber area after running through police gunfire at a roadblock. The six convicts overpowered four guards and sawed their way In frjwvfnm (W, Wilhitr Rihnin A convicted forger, was seized out Lynch, 17, Car Wreck SOCCER TEAM IS UNMASKED BILSTON, England (UPI) The Italian Ladiei' touring soccer team, Btnefica, lost its reputation during the half of a game here Sunday. Italian teacher A. N. Norgilio tried to strike up a cenvertation with some of the latsiet end dis covered not one of them could understand him. Finally, the girls admitted in Englith they actually were from a neighboring town. Stiff Tax Jolt In '61 May Result PORTLAND HPH Staff- members of the State Tax Com mission indicate that should the voters defeat in November of I960 the income tax measure passed by the 1959 Legislature then Ore gon taxpayers may face a stiffer tax jolt in 1961. The tax problem was discussed here Saturday at the final day of the Legislative Interim Tax Com mittee meeting. Economist George Pederson presented figures showing the 1959-60 fiscal year should end with a surplus of $15,826,938. If rev enues remain the same in the 1960-61 fiscal year the current bi ennium would end with a surplus of slightly more than four million dollars, according to an estimate of needs in 1960-61. Some Non-Recurring However, Pederson said that "unfortunately some of these revenue items are non-recurring." He added it was anybody's guess if the biennium would end with a deficit. - The 1961 -63 biennium looks more gloomy, Commission experts said Paul O'Day, research director, said that if economic conditions remain good revenue for the next biennium should be up about five million dollars from the current biennium. But, he said, by the end of the 1959-61 biennium the state will have used up a 31 mil lion dollars surplus. If there is no surplus in July of I1 the Legis lature would face alwut the same situation as in 1955 when a 45 per cent surtax was levied. Dr. C. Ward Macy. head of the University of Oregon department of economics, said there were two reasonable ways to hike revenue a sales tax or more income tax. Search In Oreqon For Escaped Cons WALLA WALLA MJPH - A search was licing conducted today in Washington and eastern Oreuon for three inmates who walked away from the minimum security building at the Washington State Penitentiary here Sunday. The three escapees were indenti ficd as Charles A. Green, Benjamin Louis Morun, 26, and Paul O. Wutrus. 31. Green was serving a 23-year term on a second-degree murder charge from Pierce County, Mor gan, Everett, was serving a 20 year sentence for robbery. Wal rus, Tacoma. was serving a 10 year sentence for a previous escape. side the prison a few minutes aft er the escape. Three others, Samuel Parres. 40, Charles W. Carlyle, 30. and Ronald C. Bossier, 22, invaded a minister's home and held the min ister's wife and three children hostages at knifepoint for nearly three hours before they were dis covered and captured. Their presence was uncovered when a 17-year-old neighbor boy, also being held as a hostage, sig nalled inquiring police by facial gestures that he was talking un der duress when officers stopped at the home during a house to house search. The boy. Tom Thomas, was seized by the convicts when he paid a visit to the home of the Rev. William W. Swi't. Surprised by Deputy A deputy warden, Bernard Nel son, a family friend who knew the layout of the Swift house, kicked Prlc 5 Cants Victim's Sister Survives Michael .Curtis Lynch. 17. was killid Saturday night in a two- car accident just east of La Grande on highway 30. The youth was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mike Lynch. 702 Spring Ave., La Grande. Michael and his sister. Ann, 22, were coming toward La Grande when the right front headlight and bumper of a car driven by Robert A. Delaney. 3114 N.E. Couch street, Portland, collided with the left rear bumper and tail light of the Lynch vehicle, police said. Stato Police said that the car turned over several times and hit a telephone pole on the right side of the road. The youth was thrown from the car. His sister suffered only minor injuries. Delaney, driver of the other car. was alone and police cited him for violation of the basic rule. Outstanding Student Michael warfborn in La Grande and would have been a senior at La Grande high school this fall... An outstanding math and science student, Michael won the "out standing student in science" award this spring. High school records show that Michael listed photography end airplane model making as his hob bies. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Daniels Funeral Home and have not been com pleted. Nilsen Backs Sen. Humphrey In Oregon Bid PORTLAND (UPI) State La bor Commissioner Norman O. Nilsen said today he would sup port the candidacy of Sen. Hu bert Humphrey (D-Minn.) for president. He said he would take part actively in Humphrey's Ore gon primary campaign. Nilsen, who twice has been elected to the labor commission er's post, said "It is my belief that Senator Humphrey is the candidate most qualified to fulfill the responsibilities of the office of president of the United States." Keith Burns, spokesman for Oregon Democrats for Humphrey, announced names of several per sons ne said had joined in sup port of Humphrey's campaign. They include Rep. Ben Evick, Madras; Rep. Tom McClellan. Neol.su: John Warden, Coquille attorney: Don Reed. Baker; All W'ernmark, The Dalles. BAND TO PRACTICE Members of the high school band will practice Tuesday at 9 ii m. and 7:30 p.m. in the band room. They will be playing for a raradi Wednesday and Saturday and will be on hand at the Fair Friday. WEATHER ' Partly cloudy throuch Tuesday; scattered thunder showers late today and to night and probably again late Tuesday; highs 74-80; low to night 46-52. out a basement window and made his way up the basement steps. "I had the three men under my gun before they knew anybody was in the house." Nelson said, "They dropped their knives and gave up." The minister's wife. Mrs. Pat ricia Swift, said she let the con victs in when they knocked on the door Sunday at 9 a.m., dressed in civilian clothes. She said they brandished knives but said they would not harm her or the child ren, William, 3; Charles, 10 weeks, and Olizia, S, if they kept quiet and cooperated. At the time, the Rev. Swift was conducting a service at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, where he is the rector. Mrs. Swift said that neither she nor her children were harmed. ... "In fact, one of the convicts even warmed the baby's bottle for me." .