1(5 Capital Journal, Salem, Ore, Thursday, Nov. 10, 1949't
BAD LUCK BLAMED
Husband, Whose Wife Plotted
His Killing, Still Loves Her
By HENRY MINARD
Port Orchard, Wash., Nov. 10 U.BJoblcs Wilford Piatt, 34,
explained today why he "just can't get mad" at his wife, who
admit plotting to kill him after 15 yeara of "too much loving."
"She was upset," he said, "over the spoil of bad luck we've
been having that's all. A wife just doesn't kill n husband who
InvM her."
Wilford, who, romantically
peaking, thinks he's "only aver
age," visited the petite, blue
eyed Margaret Susan Piatt Mon
day, following her arraignment
In Kitsap county court.
His 31-year-old wife, mother
of two children, has until next
Monday to answer the charge of
attempted murder.
After her arraignment, Mrs.
Piatt, dressed prettily in a black
and white figured dress and
high-heeled pumps, met her hus
band in the jail visiting room
They kissed and hugged.
Leaving her with a sack full
of apples, Wilford beamed:
"She'i wonderful!"
"And I think I know now
what the real trouble is," he
aid. "It's only the way our
luck's been going.
"Two years ago I wrecked my
new 1947 Ford and woke up
21 days later in the hospital.
After that, the roof fell in.
"This spring Margaret was
operated n for the tumor. Then
Jimmy, my 9-year-old son, broke
his ear drum."
It was Fourth of July when
Jimmy, his hands sticky from
candy he was eating, lighted a
firecracker, threw it and then
clamped his hands to his ears
The explosive had stuck to his
hands.
"Six weeks later a police dog
knocked him down and bit his
face," Wilford said. "Not long
after that, my daughter Sherry
fell 30 feet and broke her shoul
der. That was on my wife's
birthday."
Seven days later Piatt fell and
broke his arm while apple pick
ing in Cashmere. Wash.
"About that time is when she
started acting funny. Wouldn't
talk to me, reason with me,"
he said. "Just barely noticed
me.
"Seems like everything in her
snapped the next Sunday when
the clothesline broke."
With her husband unable to
work, she had been working two
Jobs 16 hours a day. Sunday
was washday.
It was that week-end that Mrs.
Piatt met Hollis D. Scott and
outlined her plot to murder her
husband.
"She was just depressed,"
that's all," said Wilford. "Then
she pulled that fool stunt soon
after. That's why you can't get
mad at her."
At the arraignment her attor
ney, Ray R. Greenwood, chal
lenged validity of the attempted
murder charge, arguing that the
Information as drawn up did not
constitute a crime.
"No overt act was commit
ted." he pointed out.
Prosecutor James Monroe
contended solicitation to commit
murder is the same as attempted
murder.
Mrs. Piatt's reason for her
plot that failed was that her
husband "wanted to make love
every night for IS years," and
she said she couldn't stand it any
longer.
Scott, 24, whom Mrs. Piatt
first approached with the idea
of "doing away" with Wilford
pleaded innocent to the charge
of grand larceny by embezzle
ment. "Triggerman" Wallis Mot-
tern, 22, was granted a week to
prepare his plea to the same
charge. Both have insisted they
only "put on an act." Murder
wasn't their business, they as
sured police.
Mrs. Piatt claimed Scott and
Mottcrn "welched" on the deal
after she had paid them more
than $1,100 for the job.
Mrs. Piatt said she sold hrr
husband's 1948 Hudson for $1200
and gave the money to Scott as
final payment for the murder of
Wilford.
Adm. Connolly
For Annapolis
Washington, Nov. 10 The
navy said Wednesday Admiral
Richard L. Connolly has agreed
to become commandant of the
naval academy if Admiral Louis
Denfcld takes Connolly's pres
ent job as commander of east
ern Atlantic forces.
Admiral Forrest P. Sherman,
chief of naval operations, in a
statement discussing possible
changes growing out of Dcn
feld's transfer from the naval
chief's post, said Connolly had
been offered a choice of two
jobs. They are commander of
the eastern sea frontier, a post
currently held by Admiral
Thomas C. Kinkaid who will re
tire next spring, or the naval
academy post, now held by Rear
Admiral James L. Hollowny
who is awaiting assignment to
new duties.
"Admiral Connolly's choice
was the latter," Sherman's state
ment said.
'In either case he would hold
the rank of vice admiral, the
highest any flag officer on shore
duty except the chief of naval
operations may hold in peace-
time. (Connolly, who has had
the eastern Atlantic command
for three and a half years, holds
the temporary rank of full four-
star admiral.)
If admiral Denfcld, now on
protracted leave, decides
against accepting the offered
command, it is the intention of
the chief of naval operations to
extend Admiral Connolly's tour
of duty because of the impor
tance of the duties which he is
now performing."
The oldest Bible in govern
ment service is one on which
every justice of the supreme
court has been sworn in since
1808.
U.S. Bureau of Mines engi
neers ' arc making a mineral
Inventory of Kansas.
.V
I-
i
"4
New Rescue Plane Air rescue tests employing the McDon
nell Aircraft Corp. XHDJ-1 "Whirlaway," believed to be
the first twin-engine, twin-rotar helicopter, have been suc
cessfully completed. The plane, a navy experimental helicop
ter, was tested for the purpose recently by air force represen
tatives at Lambert-St. Louis field. In photo, Ralph Ballard,
an experimental mechanic at the McDonnell plant has
been lifted from ground and is about to be taken into plane.
(AP Wirephoto)
PTA Meeting at
West Salem School
A joint open house and PTA
meeting drew more than 300
persons to the West Salem school
Tuesday night. The program was
so arranged that it held the in
tcrest of youth as well as the
adults.
Motion pictures were provid
cd for the youngsters and par
ents. The adult pictures con
trasted the home where little or
no program of responsibility was
planned against the family where
planning for the entire group
is considered an essential. Fol
lowing this portion of the pro
gram, Dr. Horace Miller spoke
concerning family relations.
Mrs. Bernice Gwynn's elemen
tary room won the attendance
prize with the 31 pupils being re
sponsible for the presence of 34
adults.
A group of sophomore girls
from Salem high, directed by
Howard Miller, presented sev
eral vocal numbers.
A Christmas cantata will be
the principal feature of the De
cember meeting of the PTA.
Aged Love Swindler
Given 2-10 Years
Chicago, Nov. 10 (P) Sigmund
swindler, was sentenced yester
day to two to 10 years in prison
for operating an $8,700 confi
dence game at the expense of a
red haired widow.
Judge George M. Fisher over
ruled a motion for a new trial
in criminal court, but granted
the aged Lothario a 60-day stay
so he can appeal.
Meanwhile the self-styled lov
er of 1,001 women will stay in
county jail.
The blue of the sapphire is
due to oxides of iron and titan
ium.
Russian Blast
Enlarges River
Berlin, Nov. 10 M The Russian-licensed
newspaper Nacht
Express said yesterday Soviet use
oi atomic energy to blast an en
tire mountain has opened the
way for a man-made river bigger
than the English channel.
A power plant 800 times the
capacity of Hoover (Boulder)
dam will be built in southwest
ern Russia, to turn a desert into
75,000,000 irrigated acres for
cotton planting, the newspaper
saU.
Nacht Express gave addition
al details tonight of the atomic
explosion upon which it had
reported Saturday. The story
said the chief engineer on the
project disclosed the information
before Moscow institute of en
ergy.
The Nacht Express is communist-controlled
but has no of
ficial standing with the Rus
sian occupation in Germany. Its
atomic story apparently had the
approval of the Russians, but
not necessarily their sponsor
ship. They use the Red army's
Taegliche Rundschau for offi
cial announcements.
Nacht Express quoted Engi
neer Davydov as saying atomic
explosions were used to drive
a canal through the Turgai
mountins between the Ural
mountains and Kirgiz range.
This was done to make possi
ble the construction of two dams
to divert the waters of the Ob
and Yenisei rivers toward the
south. They empty into the
Arctic ocean.
To receive the diverted water.
the newspaper said, a channel
580 miles long and emptying into
the Aral sea will be built It
will be deep enough for seagoing
vessels. Another channel will
be dug to conduct the Aral with
the Caspian sea.
Braat Heads Local
rieasantaaie Twelve mem
bers of Dayton local No. 222
Farmers Union met at the
Pleasantdale community hall
The annual election of officers
resulted in president, Arnold
Braat; vice president, James
Richardson: secretary-treasurer,
Wayne Owens.
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Lila Banished
For Five Years
Los Angeles, Nov 10 (IP) Lila
Leeds, who figured in the cele
brated Robert Mitchum mari
juana case, was ordered today
to spend the next five years out
side California.
That was a condition of pro
bation granted in superior court
after her arrest on a reckless
driving charge.
The 21-year-old blonde movie
bit actress cried a little as Judge
Clement D. Nye told her:
"You are a member of a pro
fession which is the cynosure of
all eyes. The vast majority of its
members have good reputations.
You have a great responsibility.
Judge Nye made it plain that
he is not banishing her from
California, but that she volun
tarily offered to stay out of the
state for the term of her proba
tion. She was earlier granted
probation on a marijuana con
spiracy charge after eu aays in
jail.
Her attorney. Grant Cooper.
says she will start -a $1250-a-
week theatrical tour in Cincin
nati Nov. 21.
Use of pumice and pumicite
reached a record 607,746 tons
in the U.S. in 1948.
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