Confessed Slayer Given 15- Year Term in The Dalies Case
(Story in Columns 4, 5)
Killer Gives Details to Salem Police at The Dalles
MUNDBO 1651
102nd YEAR
20 PAGES
The Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oregon, Thursday, June 19. 1952
PRICE 5c
No. 84
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After pulling out the provision
which the American Medical As
sociation objected to the House on
Tuesday passed with a whoop and
a holler the bill to raise the bene
fits under social security. No Con
gressman wanted to face the old
folk with a negative vote on tnis
measure.
It needs to be understood, how
ever, that this bill has no relation
to old age assistance grants which
are administered' by state and
county welfare commissions. It
deals with annuities to retired per
sons who are under the govern
ment's old age and survivors re
tirement plan. The way it has been
most of the time those under old
age assistance were getting bigger
grants than those under social se
curity. Recently and now with this
new bill if it finally becomes law
the latter will fare better.
Provisions of the house bill au
thorize an increase of $5 per month
in annuities, or 12 V per cent of
the present amount, whichever is
higher. This goes to those now on
retirement. For those who retire
in the future the monthly-annuity
is raised $15 a month. There are
proportionate increases for sur
vivors: widows, children. Also re
tired persons are permitted to earn
up to $70 a month, instead of just
$50, without having their monthly
check from the government cut off.
This paper had questioned the
wisdom of rushing through this
legislation it looked too much
like an aopeal for votes. However,
the Washington report says that
the cost some $300,000,000 an
nuallycan be borne by the fund
without the necessity of increasing
rates. So the objection may be
withdrawn. It is desirable to have
this system of earned annuities on
a sound fiscal basis, and at the
same time its beneficiaries ought
to have larger checks to combat
the price inflation which has oc-
curred since the system was in
stituted.
Tractor Kills
Willamina Man
On Woods Job
Statesman Newt Servic
DALLAS Clarence Kihlstadius,
about 25, Willamina, was killed
three miles from nearby Pedee on
Wednesday when a tractor over
turned on him. He was logging on
the Ralph Tharp place.
Kihlstadius, who operated a
portable mill with four partners,
was working with Fred Wood,
Pedee, and had just hooked a log
when the tractor started over. He
jumped but was caught under
neath. Kihlstadius, a native of Roseau
County, Minn., was a veteran of
World War II and had lived in
Willamina a year. Survivors in
clude his widow, two children and
his parents, all of Willamina.
Funeral services will be in
charge of the Sheridan Funeral
Home.
Animal Crackers
6v WARREN GOODRICH
'Hong on kids! Tomato soup for
upper! '
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THE DALLES Calm after eonfessinr the slaylnr of Mrs. Susan Litchfield last Jane 7. Albert William
Karnes sits amidst police officers in the interrogation room of the Wasco County Courthouse here
(above). From left to richt are Salem Detective David M. (Mac) Houser, Karnes. The Dalles Police
Chief Jack Lyons, Salem Detective Wayne Parker and Salem Police Chief Clyde A. Warren. Karnes
broke down a few minutes after Warren bermn questioning:. Officers (bottom) investigate stained
clothing- taken from Karnes suitcase found in a hotel at The Dalles. Left to right are Chief Lyons, Dep
uty Sheriff Henry Re of Wasco County, Detective Houser, Chief Warren and Detective Parker. (States
man Photos.)
Heavy Cherry Crop With l0,000 Bonus
a m m m. m mm
Moderate Profits in view
By LILLIE
Farm Editor,
Cherrv growers won't be buying Cadillacs with their profits this
year. Beyond that statement, processors refused to make predictions
Wednesday.
The independent buyers agreed
growers would not have "too big
out" on their crop this year. The
Quality is reported "excellent." In
a few areas tnere nas Deen some
suffering from recent rains. In the
valley floor some growers are re
porting cracked fruit. Hillside
growers, however, report no dif
ficulty yet.
When queried as to the outlook
on the cherry market, Robert
Shinn, manager of the Willamette
Cherry Growers, a cooperative,
said that in as much as this was a
cooperative, one could not predict
the outcome. Any upswing in the
market will be shared by the
growers, he pointed out, as he, too,
remarked at the fine crop in the
valley.
Market "Unsteady'
Fred Halverson of Kelly-Far-quar,
admitted that the jobbers
were showing a tendency to wait
for a price reduction. The mi-ket
for brmed and glazed cherries
was, like so many produce mar
kets at the moment, "a little un
unsteady." There was nothing par
ticularly alarming about the pic
ture, he believed. The cherry
market had been unsteady before
and survived nicely.
Kelly Farquar is startingt 6Vi
cents for Royal Annes and SVz for
the top quality blacks. These
prices compare to last year's start
at 12 cents, with its later drop to
10 cents.
Brlners report there is- some
carry-over in their product. Hal
verson, like Shinn, believed that
California's bumper cherry crop
is a major factor in the price drop
this year. There is some compe
tition, too, from France and Italy,
Halverson said, as he told that the
briners had been working toward
a duty on cherries from foreign
lands. '
"We'll have, to do something to
save our fine Northwest cherry
crops," he said
Late This Week
Harvest for the briners will start
late this week or early next. For
brining the cherries are used on
the decidedly "firm" side. A really
ripe, soft cherry, will not do for
brining. One of the advantages of
picking fcr the brineries, Halver
son pointed out, is that the cher
ries can be harvested earlier, es
caping some of the gamble with
the late worm injury or weather
cracks.
L. MADSEN
The Statesman
that with the prices being offered,
a profit," but would likely "come
trees are heavily fruited and the
But on the other hand, the can
neries pay more. Floyd Bates of
Paulus Brothers, which puts up
one of Salem's larger canning
packs of cherries, said his com
pany was buying at 8 cents for
both the Royal Annes and the
blacks. Last year the starting price
locally for the canning cherry was
15 cents.
Hold-Over Crop
The old law of supply and de
mand, Bates believed, was whole
ly responsible for the price drop.
In some divisions there is con
siderable cherry hold-over. How
ever, Paulus Brothers, Bates said,
had disposed of its entire big 1951
cherry canning pack, and planned
to put up as many as the com
pany could get of the quality it
could use. Picking for the cannery
will not start for another 10 days,
Bates believed, as he explained
that canning cherries must be ripe.
Canning cherries are usually
somewhat larger, than some of
those accepted for brining, al
though the briners, too, are de
manding a larger cherry than
they formerly did. Canning cher
ries, too, must be perfect. A more
mature fruit is used than that for
brining.
California packers have been
offering IVt cents a pound for
cherries, according to agricultur
al wire reports from that state. All
reports show that an exceptionally
large crop is being harvested.
Willamette Valley growers are
paying 3 cents a pound for pick
ing this year.
Max.
M
- S3
Mln.
41
54
Preein.
Salem
Portland
.00
tract
.00
J0O
San Francisco
64
Chicago 80 68
Nw York . S 73
Willamette River 1 foot
FORECAST (from U. S. Weather
Bureau. McNary Field. Salem): Cloudy
today and tonight except partly sunny
this afternoon. Not quite so warm to
day with the highest temperature near
72 and the lowest tonight near 53.
Temperature at 12:01 a-m. was 52 de
grees. SALEM PRECmTAclOM
Sine Start of Weather Year Sept. 1
This Tew Las "?eax Nenaal
41.2. 4W.77 SSJS
Karnes Assigned to
State Prison; Trial
For Murder Later
By THOMAS G. WRIGHT, JR.
'Staff Writer, The Statesman
Albert William Karnes, who has confessed to the axe slaying of
Mrs. Susan Litchfield, Wednesday was sentenced to 15 years in the
state penitentiary for burglary at The Dalles. But the 24-year-old ex-
convict will stand trial here soon for first degree murder.
Karnes was sentenced by Circuit Judge Malcolm Wilkinson of
Wasco County after county officials at The Dalles questioned who had
rhppUciUQiiA
VillVVlMJ IT Jill AX VI
On First Day
The initial mailing of Oregon
veterans bonus checks got off to
a slow start Wednesday but bonus
officials said the process would
speed into high gear today.
About 10,000 checks were mailed
out Wednesday about half of the
anticipated output for the first
day's mailing. But mailing is ex
pected to speed up today to bear
out a previous prediction that
40,000 checks would be mailed out
by Friday night.
Stubborn envelopes with stuck
together flaps slowed up the high
speed sealing, inserting and stamp
ing machine in the State Tax Di
vision Office. From the commis
sion the enveloped checks were
taken to Salem post office and
mailed.
Director W. F. Gaarenstroom of
the State Veterans Affairs Depart
ment said the work of processing
bonus applications was being expe
dited as rapidly as possible. As
fast as applications are approved
the checks will be issued and
mailed. Checks totaling $31,500,000
in payments are expected to be in
the mails by late July.
R. F. Lockard, state income tax
division supervisor, is in charge
of the mailing operation.
(Story and picture also on page 2.)
Pigeon-Hole
Parking Said
'Blighting'
PORTLAND (P)-Oregon archi
tects criticized pigeon-hole park
ing Wednesday as "blighting . . .
ugly and ill-conceived."
The Oregon chapter of the Am
erican Institute of Architects sent
Mayor Dorothy McCullough Lee- a
letter protesting construction of
the steel-frame parking structures
in downtown Portland.
The structure is of exposed
frames. Cars driven into one at
ground level are lifted into stalls
overhead by elevators.
The letter protested that these
"Immediately detract from the ap
pearance of adjoining buildings
and devalue the property."
Only one now is in operation in
Portland, although several more
are planned.
the authority to release the slen
der farm laborer to Salem police.
He will be brought to the prison
here today or tomorrow to begin
serving the burglary sentence,
handed down after he pleaded
guilty to breaking into the home
of Ben Callaway in The Dalles last
Wednesday.
To Be Kept at Pen
Police Chief Clyde A. Warren
said Karnes would be kept at the
penitentiary and Marion County
will issue a court order to bring
him to trial for the robbery-motivated
slaying of the 81-year-old
widow. Mrs. Litchfield's Mattered
body was found June 8 in the
woodshed of her home at 1333
Waller St.
Several clues played a promin
ent role in the trial which led to
The Dalles where Karnes had
been arrested . for the Callaway
burglary in which he attacked
Mrs. Ben Callaway with a ham
mer. Warren indicated. Prime fac
tor was discovery that Karnes had
been a roomer at the Litchfield
home in 1950 and the fact that he'
could have been in Salem on the
day of the slaying.
Left-Handed Axeman
Another clue, information of
which was withheld until late
Tuesday was the deduction by de
tectives that the elderly widow
was hacked to death by a left
handed axeman. Location of the
wounds, two of which penetrated
the woman's skull, indicated that
the assailant had been left handed.
Karnes, too, was left handed.
Discovery of what he termed
"important physical evidence" in
Karnes' suitcase at The Dalles was
another prime factor. The evi
dence was believed to be what ap
parently was bloodstains on
Karnes suits and socks and the
presence of wood splinters, pre
sumably from the woodshed
where Mrs. Litchfield was attack
ed and slain.
Other evidence indicated that
the woman was first struck either
with a person's fist or a stick of
stove wood picked up in the wood
shed. The axe was probably used
on the victim after she had been
knocked to the fldor in the corner
of the shed where her body was
found more than 12 hours later by
Cab Driver Harold Shell, a room
er at the house. (Additional details
on page 2.)
Armed Forces to
Need More Men if
Korea Truce Fails
WASHINGTON OP) - Secretary
of of the Army Pace said Wednes
day night "it will be imperative
. . . to ask Congress for more
men'' if the war in Korea con
tinues. He did not say how many more
would be required.
Pace appealed to Congress for
more money than the House has
voted. "Of the 20-division U. S.
Army now in being, we have eight
divisions in the Far East and five
in Europe," he said. "Of the re
maining seven in the U. S., we
have been able to maintain only
one as a strategic reserve, ready
and capable of immediate deploy
ment overseas . . .
"If we are called upon to con
tinue the war in Korea into fiscal
year 1953 (starting July 1), as now
appears virtually certain, the sup
port requirements placed on our
forces here at home will be great
er and their state of readiness cor
respondingly even less favorable."
Silverton Pool Schedule Cut
To Help Berry Picker Drive
The growing campaign In the
valley to recruit young people as
berry pickers was reflected on
Wednesday in Silverton by a de
cision to close the swimming pool
during the afternoons for the re
mainder of the berry season.
"Closing of the pool in the after
noon hours is meant to encourage
the children to help out in this
strawberry crisis," City Manager
Robert Borland stated. The pool
will now be open from six in the
evening until 9 p.m. Normally the
pool was open from 2 to 5 each
afternoon and from 7 to 9 in the
evening.
Hundreds of valley residents
are responding to the desperate
call for more strawberry pickers,
but Farm Labor Council officials
said Wednesday that a shortage
still exists.
"We still need lots more pick
ers," said Harold Roessler, man
ager of the Salem office of the
State Employment Service. "In
some patches some berries are be
coming overripe and are not ac
cepted by processors."
Father Delivers
Baby Daughter in
Car at Aumsville
A new baby girl for Mr. and
Mrs. Arthur Bassett of Mill City
forced the stork to detour from
the anticipated port of delivery
at Salem Memorial Hospital to
a car in front of the Aumsville
School.
The new arrival, Carolyn
Jean, was born in front of the
school at 2:45 a.m. Wednesday
with the father in attendance.
Mrs. Bassett and harried hus
band, Arthur, were drivinr from
their home in Mill City to Salem
Memorial.
Carolyn Jean weighs 7 lbs.
3 oz. and both mother and
daughter were reported Wed
nesday niffht by the hospital to
be doing- fine. They have three
other children. Bassett Is a
millworker at the Mt. Jefferson
Lumber Company in Lyons.
Suit Seeks to
Oust Elfstrom
From State Post
Court action seeking to oust
Robert L. Elfstrom ot Salem as
chairman of the Oregon Liquor
Control Commission, because he
is a candidate for the State House'
of representatives, was instituted
here Wednesday.
In the name of Richard L. Neu
berger. Portland Democrat and
state senator, the Detition in Mari
on County Circuit Court asks an
alternative writ of mandamus com-
pelling Gov. Douglas McKay to
dismiss Elfstrom or to should cause
why he should not.
Hearing on the petition Is set
for Friday.
The petition, filed by attorney
Charles O. Porter of Eugene, con
tends that Elfstrom is subject to
the state statute requiring that
"any employe of the commission
who shall engage In promoting or
opposing the candidacy of any
person for public office . . . shall
immediately be dismissed."
Neuberger had asked earlier that
the governor oust Elfstrom for this
reason. Elfstrom announced he
would resign from the commission
If, and as soon as, he is elected.
Quads Born in
Massachusetts
WEYMOUTH, Mass. UP) Quad
ruplets three boys and a girl
were born at South Shore Hospi
tal Wednesday night to Mrs. Mar
ion L. Manning, 27-year-old auburn-haired
wife, already the mo
ther of three other youngsters.
Speculation that Mrs. Manning
might bear quintuplets was ended
a half hour after the fourth birth
when hospital authorities told
waiting newsmen that no more
were expected.
All were described as healthy.
Hells Canyon
Dam Bill Killed
WASHINGTON (A)- Congress
put the freeze Wednesday on a
bill to authorize the 357-million-dollar
Hells Canyon dam and
power plant on the Snake River.
A House interior subcommittee
voted to put off indefinitely fur
ther consideration of a bill which
would enable the Reclamation
Bureau to build the project in a
remote spot where the Snake
forms the Idaho-Oregon border.
This in effect kills the bill so
far as this session of Congress is
concerned.
William Byers, executive secre
tary of the Willamette Farm Labor
Council, said his office force on
Wednesday completed the two-day
task of calling every telephone
owner in Silverton, asking for
strawberry pickers.
A headache for labor recruiters
is looming fast with the beginning
of the cherry harvest whilfe the
strawberry harvest is still going
on. Cherry picking got under way
in a few orchards this week. It is
expected to be in full swing by
early next week at which time
the Silverton Hills strawberry har
vest will be at its peak.
Byers said that the response to
calls for help "has been very
good." He said the telephone cam
paign would get under way in
Dallas today and possibly in
Woodburn later this week.
Byers attributed the shortage of
pickers this season to an increase
in strawberry acreage here and a
decrease in the usual flow of
migrant workers into this area.
Migrants, he said, have been held
in southern states by bumper fruit
and vegetable crops.
k TTefe
Meg
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower told a group of 11 Oregon GOP
delegates in Denver Wednesday "taxes will be cut when a balanc
of military power is reached with Russia," a member of the dele
gation reported upon his return to Salem late Wednesday night.
The general said the U. S. should be able to match military
strength with the Soviet in two years, and tax decreases should
follow as military expenses de-
cline.
Gov. Ekuglas McKay headed the
group who flew to Denver.
In a 90-minute conference with
the Oregon group, seven of whom
were from Salem, the candidate
for the GOP presidential nomina
tion discussed political issues and
answered pointed questions with
out the aid of notes or cards.
"The general was very specific
about issues on which he was in
formed," Mark O. Hatfield, one of
the delegates, stated upon his re
turn from the plane trip to Den
ver, "and it was my opinion that
Gen. Eisienhower was a very well
informed man," he said.
The group met at the Brown
Palace Hotel in Denver, Colo.,
where the general and his wife
talked with the press and the
delegates.
Vote of Confidence
The general told the group that
he was "heartily impressed with
! the tremendous vote of confidence
! received from the 18 Oregon dele-
gates to the national convention.
In answer to a question from
the Oregon delegation. Gen. Eisen
hower said that "the office of vice
president should be given more
administrative power," Hatfield
explained, "so that the vice presi
dent could be of more immediate
assistance rather than just a title."
Texas pispute
An Associated Press dispatch
stated that the general discussed
the problem of the GOP national
convention delegates from Texas
and said that "anytime the will of
the people is thwarted I am against
it and will fight the issue,
He said he intends to go to
Texas Saturday and raise his
voice against what has happened.
With this statement, Eisenhower
for the first time spoke out pub
licly against the Taft forces who
have been accused by the Eisen
hower camp of illegally grabbing
off Texas convention delegates.
In a rapid-fire series of ques
tions and answers, the general
said:
1. He does not have any easy,
simple solution to the Korean war.
2. He believes if the United
States should quit Korea it would
be an "ignominious surrender of
our position in the world."
3. He would like to see the
South Korean Army built up to
the point where United Nations
troops could be pulled from lines
into a mobile reserve.
Stay on Formosa
4. He thinks the Chinese Na
tionalists troops should remain on
Formosa to protect that island
rather than be used in Korea as
Gen. Douglas MacArthur has sug
gested. 5. The Germans should be
brought into the defenses of West
ern Europe and when they are,
then the threat of Communist
domination of Europe will dimin
ish. Delegates and alternates travel
ling to Denver from Salem includ
ed Gov. McKay, Hatfield, William
L. Phillips, Carl Hogg, Mrs. James
Mott, Mrs. Marian L. Fischer and
Robert L. Jones.
July 5 Ruled
Legal Holiday
Gov. Douglas McKay Wednes
day declared Saturday, July 5, as
a legal holiday In Oregon. The
purpose of his proclamation is to
give county employes a three-day
holiday on the Fourth of July
week end.
The governor directed that all
state and county offices be closed
July 5. State offices are closed
Saturdays anyway.
Western International
Vancouver 1, Salm 0.
Victoria 9. Tri-City 1.
Spokane 3. Yakima 0.
Lewiston 6, Wenatchee 11
Pacific Coast Learue
Lot Angele 4. Portland 3.
San Francisco 6, Sacramento 0.
Seattle 2. Oakland 1.
San Diego 3, Hollywood 1.
American Learue
New York 10. Detroit .
Cleveland 3. Washington 3.
St. Louis 4. Boston 3.
(Only game scheduled).
National League
Chicago 3, Brooklyn .
New York 5. Pittsburgh t
St. Louis 1. Philadelphia 1.
Boston t-1. Cincinnati 7-S.
irepoD
lam
Taft Promises
15 Per Cent
Tax Decrease
WASHINGTON (JP) - Senate
Taft of Ohio promised Wednesday
that if he is the next president tm
will cut taxes 16 per cent and ask
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's d
vice on military problems.
But for the most part Taft
banged away hard at Eisenhower.
The Senator and the General ar
the top rivals for the Republican
presidential nomination.
About the nicest thing the sen
ator could find to say of Eisen
hower was that he "would be meat
anxious to secure his advice on tha
matters on which I'd have to deal
in the military field."
Whereas President Truman's
budget proposed the spending of
85 billion dollars in the year be
ginning July 1, Taft said hm
thought spending could be whit
tled down to 70 billions in his firsl
year as president, and to 60 bil
lions in the second year.
"I think that can be done," hm
said, "ii so, we can have a 19
cent cut in taxes."
Ingrid "Gives
Birth to Twins
ROME (P) - Ingrid Bergmaa
gave birth Wednesday night to
husky twin girls. The babies,
named Isabel and Ingrid, w
about two weeks overdue but both
they and Miss Bergman were de
scribed by their physician as doing
well.
Roberto Rossellinf was with his
wife and the new arrivals at
fashionable Salvatore Mundi Hos
pital. The babies weighed seven
pounds three ounces and eight
pounds five ounces.
The twins are the third and
fourth children for the Swedisb-
born film star. She has a son.
Robertino, born two and a hali
years ago, and a daughter, Jenny
Ann Pia, born of Ingrid s prevu
marriage to Dr. Peter Llndstrc
100 Fighters
Guard Alaska
KETCHIKAN, Alaska UP) -An
Air Force commander said Wcd
nesday only 100 U.S. fighter plnn
are based in Alaska and but 60 per
cent would probably be effective
in case of a sudden Russian attack.
Col. Thomas H. Be son, com
manding officer of the 57th Fighse
Interceptor Group, told the Amer
ican Legion's 33 rd annual Alaska
convention that Russia could itiss
all but the major air fields- kt
Alaska any time.
The colonel added, however, that
reinforcements could arrive fram
the United States within 48 hours.
and the four fighter squadrons kt
Alaska are on a 24-hour alert wttfc
planes ready to be airborne within
three minutes.
Falling Bark
Injures Logger
Statecmaa Ncwi rrlca
MEHAMA Falling tree barfc
dealt a severe back injury m
Wednesday to Frank. James, MiU
City logger, while he worked aw
the woods near Marion Forks.
James was working at falling
trees when the bark crashed on
him from a tree overhead. Th
accident occurred at about 4 sju
He was taken out of the woods
a stretcher by fellow workmen
and carried to Salem Memorial
Hospital by the Mill City Amfttk
lance Service.
He was reported by the hospital
Wednesday night to be in a "good"
condition.
TO COMPLETE MOTE
KOJE ISLAND, Korea (JTJ
Another compound mov on Koja
Island Thursday will complete th
transfer of more than 70,000 of tb
80,0000 Communists, held on thi .
prisoner of war island.
o ff
mm