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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1945)
Americans Gubbed, Bayonetted By Japanese Aboard Submarine; Censor Releases Torture Story Editor'! sola: The following diipalch disclosing new Japanese atrocities wu written by a United Press correipondent who subsequently lost hit liia covering a B-29 raid. Tha dispatch hat Just been released by censors. It gives the iirst complete des cription of an atrocity story that had been known only in bare outline until today. By John J. Andrew United Presa Correspondent Colombo, Ceylon, July 17 (U.R) Twenty-three survivors of ah American Liberty ship, their sunburned bodies bearing scars from beating and bayoneting in flicted by a Japanese submarine crew who murdered about 77 of their shipmates, to,id a story to day of two hours of hell aboard the enemy craft. One phase of their ordeal ended and another began when the submarine crash-dived while they were sitting on its decjtj their hands bound behind their backs. ', ; First Man Killed The survivors, finally rescued and brought here, said the first man taken aboard the Japanese vessel from their lifeboats was shot in the back and tossed over board. The submarine crew then formed a "line of death" and systematically clubbed and bay onetted the Liberty ship's sur vivors. The men brought here spent 36 hours in the Indian ocean be fore they were rescued. The survivors included mem bers of the American merchant marine, army and navy person nel and a civilian. Their 10,500 ton Liberty ship was bound for India from San Pedro, Calif., with 41 merchant seamen aboard, 28 navy armed guard members, one army medical sur geon and 30 army , and civilian passengers. They were 11 days out of Australia, cruising at 11 knots just after sunset on July 2 when two torpedoes crashed .into the forward part of the.ves- 500 other MONARCH f oods-sU Jest as Coodl i. ; sel. All hands abandoned ship. S.O.S. Heard Radioman Cullie C. Stone, 20, Tulsa, Okla., sent three SOS signals before he left his post They were received by stations in India, and were relayed to the Royal air force patrol plane station. Subsequently the ap proach of a RAF patrol plane forced the submarine to crash- dive. After the torpedoeing, the submarine surfaced and. ordered survivors aboard. The first man to climb on the submarine's decks, a 17-year-old messman, who was making his first voyage, was led to the bow, shot in the back and tossed over board. As the others climbed aboard, they were stripped of watches, rings, wallets, identification tags, and shoes. They were bound and taken forward where, they were forced to sit facing the bow with heads bowed. Jap Offers Hand '' Capt. John J. Gussac, 44, Brooklyn, N. Y., a miiltary po lice officer who was en route to an assignment in India, was in a life raft alongside the sub marine. . "When I reached the sub marine," he reported "a grinning Jap offered me his hand. I was jerked aboard, and before knew it, I had been stripped of my watch and ring and had my hands lashed behind me with a rope." . ' . Gussac said the Japanese formed rows of two to six men in a row. Along the deck were submarine crew members arm ed with bayoneted guns and iron pipes. Among them was a Ja panese who spoke English and said he had attended San Fran cisco Junior college. The men said he was proficient with an iron pipe. Among the civilian Liberty ship's passengers had been a man who had been repatriated on the exchange ship "Grips holm" after several months in a Japanese, prison camp. When the submarine commander learn ed the name of the torpedoed craft, he asked for this man, presumably having information that he was aboard. He went down -into the. submarine and was not again seen by the oth ers. At one time mora than 99 men were on the submarine. If any man lifted his head, he was beaten. t The submarine commander ad dressed his captives. You are now my prisoners of war," he said. "ttt this be a lesson to you that Americans are weak. You must realize that Japan will rule the world. You Americans are stupid for let ting your leaders take you to war. Do you not know that the entire American fleet is now in the bottom of the Pacific." The submarine circled the floundering Liberty ship and several men were washed over board, including Carl . Rosen baum, 26, a merchant marine crew member from Crocket, Calif., who survived after swim ming until dawn with his hands bound. ' The ship's officers were led to the conning tower. They were never seen again. The largest of those left were then led aft and beaten and bayonetted. Captive Makes Break Charles E. Pyle, 24, Lodl, Calif., first assistant engineer, said "a short Jap started off by giving me a crack in the head with a black-jack." "He then pushed me down the line where the others each got a crack in," he said. "I saw this one guy . standing at the end with a bayonet. I thought. 'I'll be damned if he is going to ram me.' And I broke away. I made a dive for the water. The next thing. I remember is coming to a few minutes later and having my head sting from the warm salt water." Fifteen days afterward, Pyle's head still bore a seven-inch gash. Harold L. Lee, ' 26, Dunbar, W. Va., the ship's steward, also survived the gantlet by diving overDoard, as did Robert C, ruuer, za, jvicuann, calif., a memper of the navy gun crew, A. L. Howard, Albany,, Calif., a civilian technician for the navy was being led back to run the gantlet when the crash-dive sav ed him. While the men were In the water, Royal Canadian air force planes dropped Mae Wests and cans of food and water to them. Prayer Offered . At dawn on July 4, after one full day and two nights in the water, Gussac told the men on his raft: "Fellows, I think It is time for a prayer. All I know are a few Jewish prayers that I learn ed when I was a boy. But, if you all agree, I am willing to say a little prayer now." Gussac prayed and when he got through "we all said 'amen' in unison." The rescue ship, a craft of .the Ceylonese navy commanded by British officers, reached them a few hours later. . ; Survivors landed here in ad- Allie'd Drive Slugs Ahead Ufr'taiJh- V .BELGIUM t fckHfp J$tii UitmtxHirt If eWlHtii9i' Ik ft f I IWiMikoL?''?Sv' V.' ' v 1 S'h' if 0 10 . 20 30 I) t Acma Telenhatot American and British armored divisions fighting under overall command of Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery slug their way through German battle screen across northern wall of Ardennes in broadening counter offensive that Is making "extremely good" progress. American First and British Second Armies were only 12 miles from 0. 8. Third Army on southern flank. On SflTtr. Rhlneland fronts, Nazi claims of a break through were not confirmed. G. P. MAN HEADS dltion to those named included William B. Flury, 19, 3rd cook, box 49A, Chiloquin, Ore. Closing time (or Sunday Too Late to Classify 0:30 Saturday afternoon Please remember. OTHERS ELECTED Ashland, Jan. 9 At the an nual election of officers of Hil lah Temple, Ancient Arabic Or der, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, held at Masonic Temple, Ashland, January 5th, the fol lowing were elected and ap pointed on the Official Divan, to conduct the affairs of the Temple for the ensuing year. Potentate Sam J. Stinebaugh, Grants Pass. Chief Rabban, Marshall E. Cornett, Klamath Falls. Assistant Rabban, Paul D. Green, Eugene. High Priest and Prophet, Al bert K. Case, Grants Pass. Oriental Guide, Earl T. New bry Ashland. Treasurer, George W. Dunn, Ashland. Recorder, Rufus E. Detrlck, Ashland. First Ceremonial Master, Walter E. Wiesendanger, Klam ath Falls. Second Ceremonial Master, H. H. Mayberry, Ashland. Marshal, Arthur Leavitt, Med- ford. Ceremonial Director, Garnet A. Nunn, Grants Pass. Orator, Don Hensley, Klam ath Falls. Captain of the Guard, Eugene H. Tardy, Grants Pass. Outer Guard, L. C. Taylor, Tuesday, Jan. I, 1848 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE THREE Medford. Trustee, Sam H. Baker, Grants Pass. Representatives to the Im perial Council, Sam J. Stine baugh. Marshal E. Cornett and J. Sam Jordan. Plans were tentatively made for an active year in 1945, with Ceremonials to be held in Eu gene, ' Grants Pass, Lakeview and Coqullle. Elbert L. Lenox, retiring Po tentate of Hillah Temple, has enjoyed one of the most pros perous years in the history of the temple, the membership showing a remarkable increase. SPEED CAUSE OF WRECK Washington, Jan. 9 (U.R) The Interstate Commerce com mission reported today that ex cessive speed on a sharp curve caused the wreck of the "Chal lenger," Southern Pacific pas senger train, near Colfax, Calif., last Nov. 8. Nine persons were killed and 206 injured in the wreck. Oh Mall Tribune Want Ada. TRUCKS FOR RENT Drive Yourself Save Vi Any Distance Pruitt's Mobiloil Station Main and Ivy Phone 4145 PARTS and SERVICE for all Makes of WASHERS and REFRIGERATORS YOUNGER'S APPLIANCE SERVICE CO. 31 N. Bartlett Phone 2419 NEW kind of ASPIRIN tablet doesn't upset stomach When you need quick relief from pain, do you hesitate to take aspirin because it leaves you with an upset stomach? If so, this new medi cal discovery, SUPERIN, is "just what the doc tor ordered" for you. Superin Is aspirin plus contains the same pure, sale aspirin you have long known - but developed by doctors in a special way for those upset by aspirin in its ordi nary form. This new kind of aspirin tablet dissolves more quickly, lets the aspirin get right at the lob of re lieving pain, reduces the acidity oi ordinary aspirin, and does not ir ritate or upset stomach even aitei repeat doses. Tear this out to remind you tc get Superin today, so you can hav it on hand when headaches, colds etc., strike. See how quickly i( relieves pain - how fine you feet after taking Atyourdrug gist's, 15 and S9fc MONTGOMERY WARD I : I I Ij June-ln-Januory dresses we t j fi1(tji I call them. They're so gay I Rayon fwllli ft ifff V l I ll ond 8"bardlnes, soft rayon spuns In sun- I-JJ: fty 1 VJSk ' drenched eoldrs I Aqua, lime, gold, blue. i,f J J 1 Y v ou" wan on r''1' now- """v mr rwL,'l ' '' Spring days ahead. 12-20, 9-15. vi-s. V 117 So. Central -w-w- y Phone 3930 Wforfl BURELSOrrS NO EXCHANGES NO REFUNDS FINAL WEEK OF JANUARY CLEARANCE -CLEAN SWEEP! WE MUST MAKE ROOM FOR HEW SPRING MERCHANDISE! January Clearance of Fall and Winter Coats and Suits. Marvelous values, plenty of sises and colors. We must make room for spring merchandise arriving daily. GROUP 1-Fur -Trimmed In Luxurious Fur Collars and Tuxedo Fronts , Persians Lynx Red Fox Badger VALUES TO $79.50 HALF PRICE PLUS TAX Group 2 Hundreds of suits on sale during our clearance. Also Junior regular and half sises. Also plenty of colors. - COVERTS GABARDINES BOTANY HERRING BONE MEN WEAR FLANNEL Navy Soldier Blue Brown Black Values to $39.75 $19.88 Pin Stripe SUITS FOR SPRING! REDS BLACK NAVYS BROWN GREEN Siset 12 to 44 $22.50 Juniors, 9-17 Regulars, 1240 Half Sixes, 14'2.28'i Group II. . Large group of beautiful coats, consisting of all of our popular makes, such as California Stroll ers. Pacific Maid, Miller. Half sises; plenty of colors and sises. Values to $49.75 - Clearance! Group I -Better DRESSES Better dresses from all of the popular lines, such as Carol Kings, Bloomfield, Madame Renauld, Debu tantes, and many other nationally advertised merchan dise. Junior, regulars, and half sisss. Values to $24.75 2 for $18.00 Group II DRESSES from Our Regular Stock For Quick Clearance! Broken sisss and colors. Juniors, regulars and half sises. Values to 19.75. $6.88-2 for $12. $9.88 In Our DOWNSTAIRS STORE Large Group of RAINCOATS Zipper and Plaid Flannel Llntd VALUES TO $12.95 Vz PRICE JACKETS Plaids, tweeds, plain colors. Broken siiee and colors. Out they go on the Clearance! VALUES TO $12.95 S4.88 SWEATERS Hundreds of Sweaters In 100 all wools. All heavy knits, plenty of color and sises, VALUES TO $5.95 CLEARANCE SPECIAL $3.88 2 for $6.00 Slack Suits Values to $7.95 $4.88 Separate Slacks Values to $5-95.. $3.88 Rain Cape Values to $2.98.... . ... 99c Cotton Dresses Size 12 to 44.... $1.98 Rayon Dreites Sizes 12 to 44.. $5.95 Maternity Dresses. Q 1 AC 1. AC Sizes 12 to 20 t.99 10 p.jD BLOUSES IN OUR DOWNSTAIRS STORE Taken from our main floor. Broken sises and colors VALUES TO $3.95 CLEARANCE PRICE $1.88 BURELSON'S LADIES READY-TO-WEAR 31 North Central Avenue Mrs. E. T. Burolion, Owner and , Manager Phono 2428
